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A19551 A sermon of sanctification preached on the Act Sunday at Oxford, Iulie 12, 1607. By Richard Crakanthorp Doctor of Diuinity. Crakanthorpe, Richard, 1567-1624. 1608 (1608) STC 5982; ESTC S109018 32,903 41

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birth a quickning or regeneration to teach vs that as in our naturall birth and first creation we are no agents at all to giue life will or motion to our selues but all proceeds from him who breatheth life into a liuelesse body right so in our new birth or new creation which is our conuersion vnto God we which to grace are whollie dead cannot po●●iblie be any agents to giue either a spirituall life and quickning or will or motion vnto our selues but all proceeds onely from that spirit of grace by which being first spiritually reuiued and quickned we are then made both willing and able to performe the workes of grace And like as iron of it selfe being a dead and dull mettall hath no other motion nor inclination at all but onely to the earth and centre yet when it is once touched with the loadstone it then directs all his course and motions toward the pole in heauen nor euer can rest till it point thereat Euen so it is in vs we of our selues in this our depraued nature being in all spirituall actions like iron of a very hard and besides of a dull and dead metall all the motions affections and inclinations both of our minde and will b●nd onely to the earth and to base and earthly desires but when once our hearts are touched with Gods spirit as with a loadstone and wee anointed with that sacred vnction of which the Apostle saith that it is H●lie then by the force and diuine vertue and vigour thereof both our selues our wils and actions are conuerted and turned towards God and toward heauen and bend to Christ Iesus as to the onely Cynosure and that celestiall pole whereby we are directed in this our short but very troublesome and tempestuous pas●age till we arriue at our last and best hauen in Gods kingdome and in heauen All which God most cleerely expresseth to be his owne worke and in no part ours Ezek. 36. A new heart will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away your stonie heart and I will giue you an heart of flesh and I will cause you to walke in my statutes to keepe my iudgements and to doe them The giuing of a new spirit to quicken of a new heart to will and desire the changing of our stonie and as S. Austen cals them inflexible hearts into pliable and teachable hearts of flesh the making of vs to walke in his statutes and to do them all this God challengeth wholly to himselfe alone leauing nothing in this whole worke for vs but only that excellent confession of S. Cyprian so often commended by S. Austen In nullo gloriandum est quia nihil est nostrum we must boast our selues of nothing because nothing is our owne but all is the gift and worke of God As for the maner of this working of God in our hearts though I may not in this straitnesse of time at large staie to vnfolde it yet suffer me in this place especially though but in few words to touch the same the rather because hereon in my opinion depends the very point and maine issue of the whole controuersie twixt vs and them For it is most iniurious to the grace of God which they teach that in our conuersion Gods grace is onely excitans gratia as if by it we were only awakened out of some slumber or sleepe in sinne The efficacy of which grace consists as they suppose in those motions inducements and suggestions which God proposeth to our vnderstanding that our reason being enlightned and enformed thereby our will of it selfe without any further agencie or speciall worke of God may at his owne choice freely yeeld or denie assent thereto This Bellarmine at large declareth in his first booke De gra lib. arbitr and in diners chapters thereof where in the whole scope of his treatise hee sheweth that God in our conuersion is no Physicall but onely a morall cause and agent which works suadendo hortando corsulendo as he saith by aduising exhorting proposing perswasions vnto vs as if a man should perswade his friend to some iourney or voyage which he were able to vndertake but onely vnwilling till he were induced thereto by some reasons which is Bellarmines owne comparison And to omit other citations in his 6. booke 15. chap. and 8. proposition he expresly saith Gratia dei quantumuis essicax nihil est aliud nisi suasio quae non determinat voluntatem sed inclinat per modum proponentis obiecti the grace of God how effectuall soeuer it be is nothing els but a suggestion and motion which doth not determine the will but incline it by proposing obiects vnto it I will heere omit what before out of the Scripture is declared that Gods grace in our conuersion is not onely an excitant but a viuificant grace whereby we are not wakened but reuiued and quickned as the Apostle saith from the death of sinne as also that it is not onely an alluring or perswading but an attracting and drawing grace as both Christ himselfe witnesseth None can come to me except the father draw him and his Church acknowledgeth Draw me and we will run after thee Of which drawing S. Ierome truely obserues handling those words of our Sauiour in his 3. booke aduersus Pelagiano● frangit superbientem arbitrij libertatem this doth ouerthrow the arrogant freedome of our wil for he that is drawen comes not of his owne will sed aut retrectans tardus aut inuitus adducitur but either with strugling or vnwillingly is hee brought vnto Christ. But to omit these S. Austen is most cleere and pregnant in refuting these new Romish but in verie deed old Pelagian fancies In his first booke against Pelag. and Celest. 10. chap. he first shewes how Pelagius with these very answers of Bellarmine shifted off that testimony of S. Paul It is God that worketh in vs to will he works it said Pelagius when by reuealing wisedome in desiderium Dei stupentem sus●itat voluntatem he awakens and stirres vp our stupid will to the desire of God when he enflames vs with proposing the promises of future glory rewards and when he doth suad●re omne bonū aduise and counsell vs vnto all goodnesse Thus said Pelagius Sed nos eam gratiam nolumus saith S. Austen but this is not that grace which the Scripture which we do teach for it is not enough that the promises be proposed vnlesse they be beleeued nor that wisedome be reuealed vnlesse it be loued nec suadetur solum omne quod bonum est verùm persuadetur neither doth Gods grace in our conuersion onely counsell and perswade vs vnto good but it makes a man effectually to yeeld vnto Gods motions and perswasions and in the 24. chap. speaking of this very worke of God which is as he there saith inward and hidden he addes mirabili ac