And the Si 6-operations of Man's 1i/ill. AS for the five Articles : I. The Articleof Predeftination, I I. And the Article of Redemption, contain no difference between the parties, but only as they relate to the Articles of Free-will and cffeC±ual Grace, as is aforefaid. For all muff agree that GodDecreed and Chrifl procured all that Grace or Mercyfor men Which hegiveib them: Of which the Conditional gift of the Love of the Father, the Grace of the Son, and the Communion of the HolySpirit in the Covenant of Grace, with a CommitTion to his Minifters freély tooffer it to all Believing Con - fenters,and to foal it and deliver it byBaptifm,isagreat part : And many mer- cies, teachings, perfwafions, and motions tending todraw them to Content is another part. Goddecreed not to deny men that which he giveth them ; and Chrifts Death procuredMein all that he giveth them; To which add what elsewhere I have opened,that there is no necefiìty o aCcribing to God any PoftiveDecrees ofNegations or nothings. Elfe there mutt be a Decree againft the exiftenceof all the myriads of poffible animals, atomes, names, words, &c. And remember that to Permit is not-to hinder, and fo is a meer negation, or a daing nothing ; and that not-to-give faith, repentonce,grace, the Gofpel, &c. is a negation, or a nothing, and foneed no Dec ce, ieeing a not-decreeing togive, &c. is fufficient : fo that the whole of the Contro- verfie 2',011t tiefe two Articles is clearly devolved to the Controverfes of Grace and Free-Will. III. And concerning Free -willit cannot be denyed, but that Naturist Free-Will is part of that excellency or Image of God, by which man is differenced from bruits ; and that it is fuels a faculty by which man can in force inflances, determine his oxen will to this rasher than that, with- out Divine predetermination ; which is certain in the cafe of fin, yea and of forme good. For Adam's will could without anyother grace than he had, have forborn his fin. Or elfe hill all is but refolvcd into Gods meer will. And it is agreed on ( as is laid before) that all men can do more good than they do, and forbear more evil than they forbear, and that without any more grace or help than they have when they ufe it not : fo that it is not abhorrent from the nature of Free-will, for aman to make agood ufe or an ill, of the fame meafure of grace at feveral times, or for feveral men to make leveral ucs of the faine meafure. Therefore it is no unjuft anfwer to the queflion, [Why did he forbear this fin to day, and not yel'rrday ] or [ Why did this man forbear fin and not that, {úp- pofing them to have the fame meafure of affriling grace,] to fay [Be- caufe, this man, at this time, uled that power which God had given him, in furring up his own will to concurr with grace ; and the other man,, or this at another time,did not what he could.] Not that this anfwer is good in all cafes, ( where more grace is neceflary to the effebi, ) but in this forementioned. So that it is no Deifying of the will of a Rational free- Agent, tofay that it is efentially afell - determiningfaculty, made by God in the Imageof his Liberty, and depending onhint, andnot able to Attwithout him no the firli caufe, but yet onfuppo f Lion of his Naturalprefervation and univer[al concur', andofhis direi ions and Laws, it is able to make choice hie & none to will or not will, to will this rather than that, without Di- vine necetating predetermination, and without any more Grace or help than fometiane it bath when it doth the contrary : All which (hewing the natural power of mans will, and its liberty, mutt be readily acknow- ledged by all fides, that will not fay that Adams firft fin, and every fin of all men elfe, are all reColved into Gods caufation in cafe of commiffrrns, and Gods non-caufation in cafe of millions, and into Gods will in both ; Bbbb a and
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