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work_n	bring_v	good_a	tree_n	9,027	5	9.0012	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55751	The position of John Preston, Doctor in Divinity ... concerning the irresistiblenesse of converting grace; De gratia convertentis irresistibilitate. English	Preston, John, 1587-1628.	1654 (1654)	Wing P3305; ESTC R13567	15,446	23

although the grace of God is the principle by which yet the will of man is the principle which worketh all In like manner although God be the first and totall efficient cause of conversion yet the Will is the next efficient cause and totall also in the kinde of second causes therefore as the effects are wont to be attributed unto second and created causes although they act by vertue of the first cause so conversion is most properly to be attributed unto the Will although it act wholly in the strength of God and converting Grace 8. Lastly They deny That the unresistibleness of divine Grace and the liberty of mans Will can stand together But we say That Conversion is irresistible and yet free But we distinguish concerning the irresistiblenesse of Grace 1. There is one kinde of Irresistiblenesse whereby regenerating Grace infused from God is received by the Will and this irresistiblenesse of reception we confesse cannot stand with liberty 2. There is another kind whereby the inclination putting on to spiritual good doth flow from after a physicall or reall manner from the Will fashioned by Grace and this motion we say comes from the Will irresistibly and voluntarily but not freely 3. There is an Irresistiblenesse whereby the Will assents unto this Physicall motion proceeding from Grace as also to the perswasion of the Understanding approving of it and that necessarily or certainely And this kinde of Irresistiblenesse we say may very well stand with Liberty because it comprehends in it selfe those two things in which Liberty stands 1. That the Will in putting forth this last act of willing is active and not passive 2. Because the morall perswasion or judgement of the Understanding thinking that the conversion propounded that is either the taking or refusing the object offered is in the power of man hath gone before For we hold That whatsoever is done in the act of Conversion either by a meere Reception or by a physicall or powerfull Determination is not free But that every willing is only so far free as it is produced in an active way and flowes from a reasonable perswasion and that upon this ground that reason lies indifferent to things opposite that is Reason onely is the root and foundation of all Liberty from whence it followes that every act of the Will into which Reason hath its influence is most free You see now what our opinon is which we have beene the longer in opening because the explication of it is its chiefe confirmation and the confutation of the contrary Besides it is a very difficult thing to expresse what the Arminians hold in this dispute because they cover and wrap up their opinion in so doubtfull and specious words There yet remaine the Arguments by which our opinion is so to be confirmed which I shall be brief in Two things are to be proved 1. That qualityes or habits may be infused into the Will which they deny because they suppose that such an infusion doth utterly destroy and take away the nature and liberty of the Will 2. That this habituall and quickning Grace being thus infused we are converted by God in a certaine way and by us irresistible Arg. I That there is such an infusion of Grace renewing and healing the Will inclining and determining it to one of the two opposites in the act of Conversion appears by this That all Divines hold that there is in the Will an habituall aversion from God and an habituall turning to sensible and carnall things But this habituall corruption of nature cannot be healed by the sole help of Grace meerely exciting For as corporall so spirituall diseases are not cured but by contraries and therefore habituall corruption cannot be changed but by an habitual quality imprinted on the Will Prosp. therefore saith right The inward sense is not opened to doe spirituall things untill the foundation of Faith and fervour of Love is planted in the Heart 2. Unlesse it be granted That such an habituall Grace is infused into the Will by which it is inclined to good after a physicall manner there will be found no formall principle in man from whence good acts may be produced for as in corporall things no man fees unlesse he first have eyes nor heares unless he hath eares so in spirituall things no man sees unlesse God hath first given him eyes to see nor hears unlesse he hath given him eares to heare By the same reason no man can turne himselfe to God unlesse he have a new Heart that is a new Will to turne and love God For what meanes that Scripture An evil Tree bringeth forth evil Fruit a good Tree bringeth forth good Fruit But that we should thereby understand that the Will must first be made good before it can performe any spirituall work which must necessarily be done not by exciting or perswading Grace but by Grace healing and regenerating 3. Let it be supposed that the Will deformed by habituall corruption could by the meere help of exciting Grace be raised to the putting forth of spirituall acts Yet would this be contrary to that sweetnesse of Divine Providence which is acknowledged by all Divines For God should not sweetly put forward the Will so disposed but in a forced way hurry it on to its work which its own inclination is yet averse from It is therefore more meet to place in the Will a certaine habituall Propension unto spirituall good which it may performe not by vertue of exciting grace but from the infusion of habitual grace 4. It is confessed by all that the Will unrenewed hath no principle in it truly spirituall and yet they will not deny that this act of turning unto God is truly spirituall and supernaturall but how the Will onely excited by motioning Grace and not changed by Grace regenerating should be placed in the rank of supernaturall agents I understand not 5. I will aske what is that which makes a man truly holy and Godly not simply acts good and godly for as the Philosopher sayes Acts doe not denominate the subject to be such it must therefore be some habit by vertue of which a man is called godly and holy But that habit is not placed in the irrationall part of the soule for that is not properly capable of Vertue or Vice but onely by Participation to wit so farre as the rationall part of the soule redounds upon it But if it must be placed in the rationall part it must not be in the understanding for no man is good or evill onely because he understandeth good and evill things as Aquinas very well observes but therefore is one called a good or evill man because he wills those things which are good and evill It remaineth therefore that the habit of holinesse cannot be placed anywhere but in the will as being the subject most properly capable both of habituall holinesse as also of habituall corruption and rebellion which is contrary thereunto 6. If the Will be indifferent

in it selfe and equally inclined unto either part whence is that facility and promptitude in working for as by evil actions the Will contracts a stain whereby it is habitually disposed unto evill so by good actions the soule is touched with a better tincture whereby it is habitually inclined unto good and that setting aside the operation of moving and exciting Grace 7. All Divines of better note acknowledge That charity or the love of God is not a meere act but a permanent habit but that habit hath no place in the understanding because it is an affection nor in the sensitive appetite which cannot be raised to spirituall love It remaineth therefore that it be peculiar to the Will and so the Will to be most properly capable of habits and of habituall Grace 8. Lastly How absurd is it to grant the whole man to be dead in sinne so that it can no way reach unto any good truly spirituall and yet to defend that the Will which is the very leader of the soule the driver of all faculties the Lady and Queene of humane acts and that principle which impaireth spirituall good or evill unto all actions which men performe How absurd I say is it to hold that this faculty was neither spirituall before the Fall nor carnall after the Fall but to be utterly void both of the corruption brought in by the first fault and of spirituall gifts infused in the regeneration of man It were easie to overwhelme this Opinion with more absurdities but these shall suffice By all these things it is apparent enough that a new quality or habit of grace is infused into or impressed upon the Will which is earnestly denyed by the Arminians as hath been before proved by their own words But who so yet doubts whether this be their Opinion let him read the Hague Conference pag. 298. of Bertius Translation where they do industriously and purposely defend that in spirituall death spiritual gifts are not separated from the will of man neither were implanted in it before that death in the state of Innocency because if by these kinde of gifts the will were inclined unto either part the liberty of it were taken away which they say consists in this That it can equally bend it self to either part when all requisites unto action are afforded It remaines now briefly to be proved that God whether immediately or mediately both by infused grace and morall perswasion turneth sinners unto himselfe after an irresistible manner But this caution is to be premised that by the word Irresistibly we doe not understand any force offered to the Will which is repugnant to its nature but onely an insuperable efficacy of Divine Grace which inclines the Will sweetly and agreeably to its owne nature but so certainely and necessarily we understand that Necessity which even now we called Certainty that it cannot be put off by the Will 1. The truth of this Opinion is manifest from hence That every where in Scripture the conversion and regeneration of a sinner is attributed to God alone and to his good will and pleasure but every even the least co-operation is taken away from man himselfe Rom. 9. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Hee hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth which could not be truly said if a man at his owne freedome and pleasure allowing all the actions of God requisite to conversion might receive the quickning grace of God in vaine and make it void as Arminius speaks And let it be observed from these words That this mans repenting and that mans hardening is not only attributed to God alone but the will and endeavours of man is utterly excluded from having any part in this businesse It is not saith the Apostle of him that willeth nor of him that runneth c. As the wheele doth not run well that it may be round but because it is first round so a man doth not therefore will or run that God might have mercy on him and regenerate him by the quickning grace of the spirit but because God first hath mercy therefore he willeth and runneth in the way of righteousnesse 2. The second reason is taken from the infallible connexion of the Effect with the Cause that is of Conversion with converting and quickning Grace For if this quickning Grace alwayes attaine its effect neither is offered to any but those in whom it is effectuall to the healing and regenerating of their soule we must necessarily attribute unto it a certaine prevalent and irresistible working But it appeares by many places of Scripture that this grace doth alwayes attain its end in those to whom it is communicated Iohn 6. 37. Whatsoever my Father giveth me cometh unto me Jer. 31. 23. Turn thou me and I shall be turned From whence it is gathered That into whomsoever grace fit for the conversion of a man is infused that man is certainly and infallibly converted otherwise a man could not thus addresse to God Turne me that is doe what thou art wont to doe by the help of thy Spirit and the infusion of thy Grace and I shall be converted for perhaps the will in whose power it is to receive or reject grace may make it void The same is evident from Iohn 6. 45. Whosoever hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me that is whosoever hath so heard and beene taught of God that he hath also received and drunk in the quickning Grace of the Spirit he hath certainly come unto mee Whence it appeares That Grace fit for the conversion of a man is never frustrated but it attaines its effect after an insuperable manner so that it can never be put off by the will of man Which is further confirmed from the nature of Grace and that powerfull manner whereby God infuseth it into the heart of man For if Grace be the effect of infinite power as it is and that man be regenerated by the same power wherewith Christ was raised from the dead then God in the implanting of it in the will of man puts forth that almighty power which no created faculty is able to withstand or resist 3. This Argument may also be added The grace of God is so the efficient cause of Conversion that it admits no joyn'd and co-ordinate cause although it hath a subordinate cause to wit the will of man adjoyned to it But if the Will when it is excited by assisting grace as they call it can resist it then it may also assist it if it may withstand it then it may also joyn endeavour with it to produce the same effect if it can make it void it may also make it effectuall and so may be a cause co-ordinate with the grace of God in bringing forth the first act of its conversion But that God doth convert or regenerate men by his owne and onely work excluding all co-ordinate causes is so cleare