I. FIrst of all this opinion of sufficient grace doth manifestly delude God while it doth faigne that God seriously and from his heart doth desire to saue all men and to that end doth giue all men sufficient grace by which they may be conuerted and beleeue but hee doth so sparingly administer this grace to the greatest part of mankinde that no man can be named in the whole world who hath beene saued by this sufficient grace seeing that no man destitute of faith and of the knowledge of the redeemer hath euer rightly vsed those naturall gifts or hath worshipped God with a worship that is pleasing to him Neither could the Arminians yet bring any example nor if they could bring one or two examples they could not thereby wipe away that blot which they set vpon God For he thinketh but ill of God who teacheth that God doth seriously desire all men to be saued and to that end doth giue to all men sufficient grace whereby they may be conuerted and beleeue but hee doth so sparingly administer this grace that of infinite millions scarce one or two hath by this sufficient grace conuerted himselfe and come to faith II. Nay what That this doctrine with a rash boldnesse doth set lawes to God himselfe and doth prescribe to him the manner and measure whereby he ought to bestow his gifts and to giue the increases of grace For if any one by the helpe of sufficient grace hath righâ—ly vsed the gifts of nature the Arminians say that God is bound to giue to that man greater grace because he hath well vsed the light of nature he is bound to giue him supernaturall light the knowledg of the Gospel But I think that the creator is by no bond tied to the creature yea if he were bound yet it were not our part audaciously to tell him to his face what he ought to do nor to admonish him of his duty as if there were danger that he should not keepe his credit or should sin against those lawes by which he is bound Also by this meanes the benefits of God are lessened and made very small For if these sectaries be beleeued God gining to a man the power of beleeuing doth doe nothing but what hee ought to doe and doth giue nothing but what hee is bound to giue III. The same doctrine determining that sufficient grace is giuen to the Gentiles which haue not knowne Christ that according to the measure thereof they may worship God doth plainely say that there is a worship which may be acceptable to God without Christ and without faith Neither doth Arnoldus say this thing obscurely but Page 409 speaking of the heathens who followed an austere kinde of life that they might serue God Whence will yee proue saith he that such men doe eyther perish or remaine voide of Christ This man while he would haue vs hope well of the saluation of the he then who followed an austere kinde of life although they were altogether ignorant of Christ doth in the meane while vilifie and lightly esteeme of Christian faith as not necessary and doth secretly insinuate that one may be saued by Christ without the knowledge of Christ For although these Sectaries cry out that they are wronged as often as the corrupt matter is pressed out of their Vlcers yet hee shall easily perceiue whereto these thinges pertaine who will exactly reade that whole disputation of Arnoldus contained in some Pages IV. With a like error doe the Arminians thinke that the power of beleeuing and obtaining faith is giuen to man without the spirit of regeneration and adoption And seeing that by faith we are the sonnes of God if man without the spirit of regeneration hath power of beleeuing then without the same spirit he hath also power of effecting or causing that hee be the sonne of God V. Also it is absurd and deserues to be laughed at to say that the power of beleeuing in Christ is giuen to a man without the spirit of regeneration but that to beleeue it selfe is not giuen without the spirit of regeneration as if the powers of beleeuing were from one cause but the vsing and excution of those powers were from another cause and as if it were not of the same saculty to be able to doe and to doe to be able to runne and to runne For they say that another speciall grace is required to beleeue and therfore that sufficient grace is not sufficient to beleeue in act These things seeme to me to be like the dreams of sicke men VI. But how absurd and how contrary is it to the wisedome of God to say that God is prepared to giue greater grace and the light of his Gospell to those who haue well vsed the light of nature For so God is said to be ready to doe that which hee knoweth he shall not doe and to be prepared to bestow vpon man new and greater grace vnder a condition which no man hath fulfilled nor shall fulfill For no man that is destitute of faith of the knowledge of the redeemer and of the spirit of regeneration hath rightly vsed the light of nature nor hath worshipped God with a worship which hath beene pleasing to him because whatsoeuer is without faith is sinne and whosoeuer hath not the Sonne hath not the Father yea he is without God in the world as the Scripture teacheth VII Yea whosoeuer shall looke ouer the records of all histories shall finde that the most wisest amongst the heathen whose liues were more temperate whose appetites were lesse violent and who loued iustice and saide or writte many famous things concerning God were yet very farre from the kingdome of Heauen Experience hath proued this for when the Gospell beganne to be published through the nations Christian Religion endured no greater enemies then the Philosophers These turned the subtilty of their wit to defame the crosse of Christ and held out to others fierce firebrands to cruelty persecution For the more any one doth affect the praise of ciuill vertue and hath his wit practised with much learning so much the more base doth the simplicity of the Gospell seeme to him and he is the more offended with the scandall of the crosse of Christ VIII But it is a meruaile by what meanes any man can be prepared to saith and regeneration by naturall instructions and by the light of nature seeing that man by the instinct of his corrupt nature is stirred vp to idolatry For it is ingrafted in man to desire to haue some present and visible obiect on which he may setle his eyes while hee poureth forth his prayers and mans wisedome hath oftentimes troade Religion vnder foote XIX Arnold page 404. Deus primo hâ—â— agit vt home intelligat se in precatis mortuum Furthermore seeing that as Arnoldus confesseth the first effect of grace is for a man to know that he is dead in sinne and that naturally hee is subiect to the eternall
so much to dispute as to liue and that they accustome themselues to fight with their owne vices and not with other mens opinions For it is a most hard and a very profitable combate which euery godly man maketh with himselfe On the contrary side when strife is sowne by strife and not the truth but the victory is sought first charity and then truth is lost among the contenders And especially diligence is to be vsed lest peace and riches bring forgetfulnesse of the Crosse of Christ and lest the people vnmindfull of the benefits of God should at length draw vpon them his iudgements There are not wanting examples of people to whom when religion had brought forth riches and prosperity a while after the same riches and prosperity choaked religion and with a shamefull parricide killed their Mother So much the more care therefore is to be had that the eares of your people may alwayes ring with those instructions whereby the memory of the calamities driuen from them may be refreshed and their mindes might tremble with a godly feare when they foro-see a farre off the dangers to come and Satan lying in waite for them To which thing it is no light instigation that by these late tumults you haue tryed that the peace of the common-wealth doth consist in the integrity of Religion neither can the purity of true Religion which is maintained by you be violated but that also the pillars on which your common-wealth standeth and by which the authority of your supreame Magistracy is sustained will be shaken For these two are so knit together by a mutuall bond that the one cannot be ouerthrowne but the other also must fall downe Your authority was strooke at through the side of Religion and in the foundations of the Church the foundations of the common-wealth were vndermined Your power therefore will be sound and safe when obedience due to princes shall be thought to be a part of piety and when the Pastors of the Church shall traine vp by the word of God the people to performe obedience to you And on the other side the Church shall flourish when Princes shall be her nourcing fathers and shall thinke themselues to be set by God at the sterne of the Common-wealth that God might raigne by them and that Religion might grow vp and might carefully be manured vnder the shadow of their ciuill power This you doe most Illustrious Lords diligently and happily It cannot be said how much your people are indebted to you and they will still owe you more Surely all good men in the Christian world doe greet your so prosperous successe and doe admire at your wisedome and doe striue in prayers with God that he would preserue you long to the Church and common-wealth whom hee hath vsed to preserue the Church and common-wealth and that he would so gouerne you by his spirit and defend you by his carefull prouidence that all your endeauours may obtaine their wished ends and that yee may haue a common-wealth happily gouerned a State set in safety domesticall concord aboundant riches valiant armies frequent victories a people obaying your command and who may doubt whether they should call you Lords or Fathers One that doth highly honour your most illustrious Lordships PETER MOVLIN COurteous Reader be entreated to take notice of these faults because they are materiall The rest may be amended by the prudent Reader Page 4. line 2. reade people out of the Pulpit seeing p. 13. l. 18 r. offend God not compelling But. p. 37. l. 1. r. by well aduised men l 2. r. by vnaduised men p. 41. l. 1. r. order We deny not that c. l. 3. r. as mans will p. 54. l. 5. r. thou doest not play p. 69 l. 30.31 r. euery where receiued l 32. r. organicall body p. 72. l. 7 to put sinne into the will p 83. l. 10.11 reprobated and some are preferred others being neglected p. 93. l. 22. r. the greatest punishment p 95. l. 27. r. He could not p. 144. l. 14. r. who will p. 155. l. 5. r. We are predestinated to faith p. 169 l. 25. r. sence In his p. 171. l. 15. r. in order admit p. 209. Let this be the title of the 26. Chapter Of Reprobation p. 218. l. 7. r. from good p 223 l 18. r. a token hereof that p. 246. l. 14. r. of the sonne is p. 284 l. 7. r. inordinate affections p. 311. l. 27 r. remainds if vniuersall sufficient grace be added p. 348. l. 14. r. this action of the spit it he carryeth p. 422. l 7. should not change p. 462 l. 3. r. that by those words p. 476. l. 27. but may finally The Table of the Chapters contained in this Booke HOw soberly we are to deale in this argument chap. 1. That we are not therefore to abstaine from the doctrine of Prouidence and Predestination although some abuse it to curiositie and impietie And whereto it is profitable chap. 2. What the prouidence of God is How farre it extends That God is not the author of sinne What permission is and what blinding and hardning is chap. 3 Of the will of God chap. 4. Of the Antecedent and Consequent will of God chap. 5. Of the sinne of Adam chap. 6. That all mankinde is infected with Originall sinne chap. 7. What Originall sinne is and whether it be truely and properly sinne chap. 8. How the sinne of Adam may belong to his posterity and how many wayes it may passe to his of-spring And first of the imputation of it and whether the sinnes of the Grand-father and great-Grand-fathers are imputed to their posteritie chap. 9. Of the propagation of the sinne of Adam to his posteritie Where also of the traduction both of the soule and of sin it selfe chap. 10. Whether the power of beleeuing the Gospell is lost by the sinne of Adam chap. 11. That God doth saue those whom of his meere grace he chose out of mankinde corrupted and obnoxious to the curse What Predestination is the parts of it That Arminius did not vnderstand what the decree of Predestination is and that he hath vtterly taken away Election chap. 12. Of the Obiect of Predestination that is whether God electing or reprobating considereth a man as fallen or not fallen chap. 13. That the Apostle Saint Paul in the ninth to the Romanes by the word Masse vnderstood the corrupted Masse chap. 14. That Arminius doth willingly darken the words of the Apostle which are cleare and expresse chap. 15. The opinions of the parties vpon the doctrine of Predestination chap. 16. That the Arminians make fore-seene-faith the cause of the election of particular persons chap. 17. The decree of generall Election is searched into by which Arminius will haue all men to be elected vnder the condition of faith chap. 18. The election of particular persons in respect of faith fore-seene is confuted by the authoritie of the Scripture It is proued that men are not elected for faith but to
vertue and not saluation it selfe Then also Paul expounds how wee are holy to wit in charity nor in the fruition and enioying of glory He vnderstands the dueties of charity which are exercised in this life vnto which to be exhorted after this life is needelesse Finally by their so various and diuers expositions which ouerthrow one another they doe sufficiently confesse that they haue nothing wherein they may be constant And because they cannot master vs by the weight of their expositions they endeauour to ouerwhelme vs by the multitude of them It is of small importance that from this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is blamelesse they gather that it is spoken of the perfection after this life For the Apostle will haue vs to be blamelesse euen in this life as Philippians 2.15 Where he commands vs to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blamelesse and harmelesse in the midst of a crooked and peruerse generation Certainly when the Apostle saith that we might be blamelesse in charity it is manifest that he doth not speake of the Saints enioying glory where there is no place for reprehension nor for exhortation to the duties of charitie There is no little force in the following verse He predestinated vs to the adoption of children by Iesus Christ Out of this place I thus reason Those whom God predestinated to adoption he hath predestinated also to the spirit of adoption to be giuen them and this is nothing else but to predestinate them to faith for the spirit of adoption is it that beareth witnesse in our hearts that we are the sonnes of God Rom. 8. and this testimony is faith it selfe It is true indeede that God appointeth no man to adoption but whom God considereth as one that by his gift will be faithfull but the same may also be said of those that are appointed to faith which is appointed to none but whom God considereth as one that will be faithfull And surely they are grosely deceiued who thinke that the faithfull are appointed to the adoption of children seeing in that they are faithfull they are already children This Saint Iohn teacheth chapter 1. To them that beleeued he gaue this prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God II. Agreeable to this place are also many other 1 Cor. 7.25 I haue obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithfull not because he considered me as already faithfull Iohn 15.16 I haue chosen you that you should bring forth fruit therefore he did not choose vs considered as already faithfull and therefore as already bearing fruit Should wee imagine that Christ speakes here onely of the election of the Apostles to their Apostleship I thinke there is none of so impudent a face who can deny that the same thing may be spoken of any of the elect whereof there is none whom God hath not elected that hee might be godly and good euen as also there is no man who is not of a shamelesse countenance who will deny that all the following documents and lessons doe belong to all the faithfull These things I commend you that you loue one another If the world hate you you know that it hath hated me firsh c. III. Not vnlike this is that which the Apostle saith 2 Thes 2.13 God hath chosen you to saluation by sanctification of the spirit and beleefe of the truth He saith that we are elected to obtaine saluation by faith not for faith and so faith is after election and a certaine medium or middle thing betweene election and saluation IV. The words of Ananias to S. Paul Act 22.14 are consonant to this God hath chosen thee that thou shouldst know his will by which knowledge faith and assent to the Gospell is vnderstood for Saint Paul was not elected more to know the Gospell then to beleeue the Gospell Paul therefore was elected to beieeue and so his election was before his faith V. The same Apostle 1 Thessa 1.3 praising the faith and charitie of the Thessalonians doth fetch the cause of these vertues from election it selfe Remembring without ceasing your worke of faith and labour of lone as knowing that you are elected of God Here the Arminians doe willingly stumble in a plaine way for by Election they will haue Calling to be vnderstood which if it be true the reprobates themselues will be elected as being also called Then also Saint Paul is deluded as if hee were not in his right minde For what neede Paul tell the Thessalonians that he knew they were called by the Gospell seeing Saint Paul himselfe preached the Gospell to them He were a ridiculous Grammarian who should tell his Schollers that he had taught I know you haue learned Grammer Arnoldus pag. 66. doth suspect that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing is to be referred to the Thessalonians themselues But the good man hath dealt too negligently here for he doth not see that by this meanes the Greeke speech would be made incongruous and not agreeing for then it must haue beene read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it might agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in the former verse But distrusting this exposition he hath smelt out that by the word election excellency ought to be vnderstood which truely is an intollerable license seeing election differeth from excellency by the whole praedicament for election is an action excellency is a quality or a relation Surely if it be lawfull to bring such portents and monsters of interpretation what will there be in the holy Scripture which may not be deluded or depraued Let Arnoldus bring another place where Excellency is vnderstood by the word Election For although he that is elected may be taken for him that excelleth yet you shall neuer finde Election to be so taken for Excellency Neither ought it to seeme a maruaile that Paul saith he knew of the election of the Thessalonians for God might reueile that to him concerning the Tessalonians which he reuealed concerning the Corinthians Acts 18.10 I haue much people in this citie Or if that doth not please it may be said that Saint Paul when he saw the Gospell receiued by the Thessalonians with very great ioy and much fruite easily perswaded himselfe that many of that people belonged to the election of God VI. The same Apostle in the beginning of his Epistle to Titus calleth himselfe the Apostle according to the faith of Gods elect It is plaine that faith is said to be of the elect because it is peculiar to the elect or else it were not rightly adorned with this elogy commendation and that by the confession of Vorstius himselfe Collat. cum piscat Sect. 118. Faith saith hee is called the faith of the elect of God Titus 1. because faith is a proper marke of the elect c. But why is faith peculiar to the elect is it because as many as haue true faith are elected by God But the Arminians deny this for they write of the Apostasie of the Saints
2.13 And that sufficient grace which is giuen to all men yea to the reprobates doth take away the impotency and doth stablish the liberty of free-will as Arminius against Perkins pag. 245. and 246. teacheth Let vs heare the proud words of Greuinchouius p. 253. I separate my selfe for when I might resist God and his predetermination yet I haue not resisted and therefore why may it not be lawfull for me to boast in that as of my owne For that I was able it was of God shewing mercy but that I was willing when I might haue beene vnwilling it was my owne power It is a venter but this little worme will swell so big that he will breake O it is the part of a magnanimious great minded man to be vnwilling to owe too much to God and not to be ouercharged with his benefits Those things which the same author saith pag. 279. sauour of no lesse pride You will say that in this manner of working God doth after a certaine manner depend on the will of man I grant it as concerning the act of free determination Indeede this one thing was wanting to the very height of pride that God should be said to depend on man XXIX There meete vs in the writings of these innouators some places in which they say that man in his corrupted state was altogether dead and that of himselfe he can neither thinke nor will nor doe any thing that is good But these things are said but for a colour and that they might deceiue the vnwary reader For they say that a man is able to doe no good without grace but by this grace they vnderstand vniuersall grace which is common to all men and sufficient grace which is giuen euen to them to whom Christ was made knowne and which doth extend it selfe as farre as nature They say indeede that grace is the cause of beleeuing but they neuer adde that it is the cause alone The Arminian conferrers at the Hage in the third and fourth Articles doe so speake as if they were of the same opinion with vs For there they professe that man hath not saning faith from himselfe and that the grace of God is the beginning the proceeding and the finishing of all good and that all good actions are to be ascribed to the grace of God in Christ But the subtle men when they say that a man hath not faith from himselfe they vnderstand that he hath it not from himselfe alone And when they say that euery good worke is to be ascribed to grace they are very wary least they should say to grace alone Then also in the word grace they lay a snare and being the Apes of the Pelagians they faigne a certaine grace which is common to all which doth extend it selfe as farre as nature Also they distinguish grace from the vse of grace for indeede they will haue grace to be from God but the vse of grace to be in the power of mans free-will With the like craft they say that the power of beleeuing is from grace for they presently draw backe what they haue reached forth while they say that to beleeue it selfe is of mans free-will and that grace is giuen to man to beleeue if he will But whensoeuer they will haue a kinde of speciall grace to come to that generall grace they make the vse of this speciall grace to depend on free-will and they roundly and without any circumstances affirme that the efficiency and working power of grace doth depend vpon it We shall also see that by that vniuersall and sufficient grace common to all men is vnderstood naturall gifts notions that are naturally engrafted and that they cloath nature with the goodly name of grace which thing also Pelagius did Which thing when they doe with their greatest cunning yet their dissembling is neuer so wary but that their Pelagian eares and errour doe appeare and although they doe imitate the speech of truth yet their vizard doth often fall from them vnawares and their vlcers being pressed doe presently cast forth stinking corruption XXX Yet Vorstius here doth differ from his Master For when Arminius saith that no man is conuerted and doth beleeue in act by that vniuer sall grace alone which is common euen to the reprobates but that there is also some speciall grace required Vorstius on the contrary side doth affirme Collat. cum Piscat pag. 57. that some are conuerted by vniuersall grace which he calleth the lesser mercy that is without speciall grace which he calleth grace more then sufficient and super abounding helpe Therefore if this man be beleeued some men come to saluation by that grace alone which is common to all heathen men CHAP. XXXIII It is proued out of the holy Scripture that an vnregenerate man is altogether destitute of the power and liberty of his will in those things which pertaine to faith and saluation I. IF they stand here to the iudgement of the holy Scripture there will be no place of doubting Of a man that is vnregenerate and in his meere naturals the Scripture speaketh thus Gen. 6.5 Euery thought of the heart of man is onely euill continually The same is repeated Chap. 8. Ver. 21. Ieremy in his seauenteenth chapter consenteth to this The heart of man is wicked and vnsearchable And Rom. 3. There is none righteous no not one They are all gone out of the way and are become vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one And Rom 7.18 I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing And Chap. 8. ver 8 The wisdome of the flesh that is whatsoeuer a carnall man vnderstandeth or perceiueth is enmity against God for it is not subiect to the law of God neither indeede can be Compare these things with the doctrine of Arminius who is of opimon that a man that is an infidell and vnregenerate hath sufficient power to beleeue and to fulfill the law For the Apostle is of opinion that our flesh not onely is not subiect to the law of God but that it cannot be The same Apostle 1. Cor. 2.14 saith that the naturall man receiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them Hitherto pertaineth that which the Scripture saith Ezech. 36. That the heart of man is stony and therefore of its owne nature vnapt and vncapable to receiue the impression of the law of God vnlesse God as hee did of old write it on that stone with his finger Also that which Saint Paul saith Ephes 2.1.5 that not onely the Ephesians before their calling but that all of vs were dead in sinnes Hee hath the same words Coloss 2.13 And that which Christ saith Iohn 14.17 The spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him Christ in these words doth plainely acknowledge that there is no free will of man no power to receiue the spirit of
Scripture that cannot lye saith that euery man is a lyar The same Law commandeth that God be loued withall our heart and all our strength which thing how can it be performed by the vnregenerate seeing it was neuer peeformed by the regenerate themselues That which a liuing man neuer performed how can it be performed by him that is dead Finally we must bid Christian religion farewell and another Gospell must be coyned if this prodigious doctrine be admitted IX But that we may come to that double spirit of God Arminius and according to him Arnoldus pag. 399. doe deuise two spirits or rather two acts of the same spirit The one of these spirits they will haue to be common to all men euen to the vnregenerate yea and to heathen men to whom the Gospell hath not come by which spirit they thinke that God doth worke in all men and is idle in none This is that spirit which they call the spirit of bondage of which it is spoken Rom. 8.15 which is opposed in that place to the spirit of Adoption which is peculiar to the true faithfull This spirit of bondage the Arminiaâ—s will haue to be effectuall in the law not onely in the written law but also in that which is naturally imprinted in mens hearts By this spirit they thinke that vnregenerate men doe tremble with a sauing feare doe acknowledge and confesse their sinnes doe implore the grace of God and apply themselues to the obedience of the law of nature these they thinke are preparation and dispositions to regeneration if so be that free-will doth vse well that vniuersall and sufficient grace which is common to all men These are the decrees of this new sect full of many perplexities and filled with nice and slender points X. I finde in the holy Scripture the spirit of adoption the first fruits of the spirit the spirit of sanctification but I no where finde a spirit of God that is tyed to the law and common to all men Nor can the spirit of God working in our hearts be without very great wickednesse seperated from the knowledge of Christ 2 Cor. 3.6 Ministers of the new Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the letter killeth but the spirit giueth life Nor doe I see how there can be in them whom Saint Paul Ephes 2. saith to be dead in sinne strangers from the life of God and without God in the world either any spirituall life or the spirit of God dwelling in their hearts and sauingly mouing and affecting them Certainely the Apostle had neuer called the Law seperated from the Gospell a killing letter nor had opposed it to the spirit if the spirit of God were alway ioyned to the law or if the spirit of God did worke in mens hearts and dispose them to faith and conuersion without the knowledge of the Gospell Nor is the Law a Schoole-master vnto Christ vntill the grace of Christ is offred to vs for then the Law with terrour and threats doth compell vs to imbrace the grace offred XI But that is most dangerous which the Arminians presse downe and hide but dare not vtter to wit that the holy spirit is naturally in euery man For if the spirit of God be effectuall in the law and the law be naturally engrauen in euery man it must needes be that the spirit of God is naturally in euery man And so whatsoeuer the Scripture speaketh of the second birth by the spirit of the creation of the new man and of the spirituall resurrection will fall to the ground yea will be ridiculous For what neede were there to infuse a new spirit for regeneration if the same spirit of God did already dwell in the hearts of the vnregenerate XII And that place of Saint Paul Rom. 8. Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage againe to feare they doe falsely and against the Apostles will draw to this matter For Saint Paul neuer called the spirit of God the spirit of bondage for so he had reproached the spirit of God but he onely saith that the spirit that was giuen to them was not seruile and such as should strike their hearts with a slauish feare For where the spirit of God is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. If I should say that we haue not receiued from God the spirit of lying should I therefore say that there is a spirit of God that compels to lying Is the spirit of God contrary to it selfe that one spirit of God should be called the spirit of bondage and another the spirit of liberty The plaine and simple meaning therefore of the words of the Apostle is this Ye haue receiued the spirit of God not that which should terrifie your consciences with a slauish feare which made you vncertaine and doubtfull before the grace of God and the adoption of Christ was reueiled to you c. XIII And they doe extreamely dote when they put the feare and terrour wherewith the law destitute of the spirit of regeneration and the knowledge of Christ doth strike mens hearts among the effects of the spirit of God For the law thus receiued can onely restraine the raging affections with the feare of punishment and frame a man to certaine outward obedience but it will neuer purge the inward filthinesse or instill any one drop of true repentance yea rather it will stirre vp the inward lusts by the resistance of it as it is engrafted in euery man to encline to that which is forbidden and wheresoeuer hope of impunity is propounded men hauing broken their barres doe so much the more outragiously riot by how much they were straightly bridled in This is that which the Apostle would expresse Rom. 7.5.8 The motions of sinnes by the law did worke in our members and sinne taking occasion by the commandement it selfe wrought concupiscence And that vntill the spirit of life which in Christ frees vs from the law of sinne and death as it is said Chapter 8.2 that is vntill the powerfull efficacy of that quickning which we haue from Christ free vs from that bondage of deadly sinne XIV It is vaine and idle which they obiect that the corruption of an vnregenerate man is compared to sleepe and to an Vlcer I confesse it is compared to a sleepe but to a deadly one and such a one out of which man cannot awaken and raise himselfe That Vlcer and scarre which is spoken of Esay 53.1 and 1 Pet. 2. doth not signifie sinne it selfe but the punishment of sin This therefore is nothing to the reliques and remainds of spirituall life in an vnregenerate man CHAP. XXXV The Obiections which the Arminians borrow from the Pelagians and Papists are answered Whether an vnregenerate man doth necessarily sinne and whether necessitie excuseth the sinner Also whether God doth command those things which cannot be performed by man I. THese thornes and difficulties being taken away wee are to come to the Arguments or rather Declamations with which they