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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	evil_a	fruit_n	tree_n	18,194	5	10.9905	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

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