Of Free-will. 93 habit containeth , betide all the ten fore-mentioned excitations and propenfities?And whether it be properly calledPower,and how it differ- eth from thepotenthe naturales ? XIX. But yet our great Difputes being moreabout the firlt aft of Faith, which antecedeth the habit, than about any of the as that fol- low the habit, the cafe will be yet harder, what that Power is which the HolyGhoft giveth before the habit of Faith, as to the performance of that particular act. That it fufcitateth the natural faculty to all is certain : Therefore in order of nature it mutt be difpofed or inclined to that aft, before it aft. That the Soul receiveth the Divine influx is certain : But no mortal man knoweth what that is. We commonly conclude that exparte Dei it is nothing butGod himfelf. By God him- felt is meant his Al f; By his At is meant hisEffence as inAft : But how his Effence is always immutably in equal Act , and yet produceth a world in time, which it produced not from eternity, and how the equal At or Agencyof theEflènce is natural, neceffary and eternal, and the Effectfree 5 Howthe Volition isneceffary in le, and yet free in every termination and effect ad extra; How a natural-equal-eternal Agency, can produce fuch wonderful diverfityof Effe&s ; And howSouls are faid to receive Gods Influx, If it be nothingbut his Agent EfJènce ; All thefe are patt the reachof Mortals. XX. And it addeth to there difficulties that we are uncertain what ufe it is that God maketh of Angels in operating on the Soul. They are miniftring Spirits for the good of them that are Heirs of Salvation, about the mattersof their Salvation. It is abfurd to thinkthat Devils ( whole very powerful Operations on our imaginationwe furely feel, ) have morepower toput evil thoughts into us, and fair up evil paffions inus, than Angelsgood ones. And feeingaSpirit is more aâive than a Body, they that take the Sun to be a Body, and perceive that its Beams andVirtue, ofLight, and Heat, and Motion, is extended to this Earth and incomparably further in a minuite, flhould not takean Angel to be like a {toneor 1taff, thatmoveth no where but where it corporally toucheth, and is no where, butwhere it moveth. XXI. And all Motion and Allion hath fo many impediments in the world, and :all Allive Natures (asfire) have fo firong a natural incli- nation to all whenthey are not hindredby a greater Power, that welit- tle knowhow muchof the actionof the Soul is promoted by removing impediments, internal and external: As they that dam up the water all ways fave one, do force it to rife, (if it be a {cream) till it flow that oneway. Embitteringall other things toaSoul,doth muchto turn its thoughts towards God; and difpair of any delight or felicity on Earth, maketh Heaven regarded. XXII. Seeing all naturally- neceffaryConcaufec, Objeas, Media are fup- pofed to the Ratio formalis of Power, ( which is Relative ad poJbile) he that giveth or taketh away any one of thofe neceffaries, dothgive or take away Power, though heneverchange the Soul or faculty atall. And this is called A moral collation or caufation of Power ( not a moral Power). Aswhen a man büngetha Light into adark Room, heenableth us tofee; or if he bring in a Book, he enablethme to read that which elfe I could not haveread: if he open the Windows, or if he cure me of blindnefs, by cutting a Suffufion, be. So he that preacheth the Gofpelto them that had not heard it, and Godwhen he gave Chrift and the Gofpelto beanObject of Faith, did make the natural faculty to be more infenfu naturali, potentiam ad hoc, towhich before itwas no power, but hypotheticallyonly. XXIII.
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