!f 122 WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE them who lie in wait to deceive; and * juridically freed in an assembly of bishops: so, in all probability, he had suddenly infected the whole church with the poison of those opinions which the proud and corrupted nature of man is so apt to receive and embrace, if God had not stirred up some few holy and learned persons, Austin especially, to discover his frauds, to repel his calumnies, and confute his sophisms; which they did with indefati- gable industry and good success. But yet these tares being once sown by the envious one, found such a suit- able and fruitful soil in the darkened minds and proud hearts of men, that, from that day to this, they could never be fully extirpated; but the same bitter root path still sprung up unto the defiling of many, though vari- ous new colours have been put upon its leaves and fruit. And, although those who at present amongst us have undertaken the same cause with Pelagius, do not equal him either in learning or diligence, or an appearance of piety and devotion, yet do they exactly imitate him'in declaring their- minds in cloudy ambiguous expressions, capable of various constructions, until they are fully examined, and thereon reproaching (as he did) those that oppose them as not aright representing their senti- ments, when they judge it their advantage so to do, as the scurrilous clamorouswritings of S. P. do sufficient- ly manifest. Sect. 10.Secondly; Regeneration by the Holy Spi rit is the same work for the kind of it, and wrought by the same power of the Spirit in all that are regenerate, or ever were, or shall be so, from the beginning of the world unto the end thereof. Great variety there is in the application of the outward means, which the Holy Spirit is pleased to use and make effectual towards the accomplishment of this great work. Nor can the ways and manner hereof be reduced unto any certain order. For the Spirit worketh how and when he pleaseth, fol- lowing the sole rule of his ownwill andwisdom. Most- ly, God makes use of the preachingof the word, thence called an engrafted word, which is able to save our souls. James i. 21. and the incorruptible seed, by which we are born again, 1 Pet. i. 21. Sometimes it is PefellitJudicium Palvestinum propterea ibi videtur purgutos; Ru. manam vero Ecclesiam, ubi earn notissimum said, fallere usque quaque non potuit, quamvis et hoc fuerit utrumque ensotas. Tanto in- dices fefeltit ooeuttius, quanto esponit ista versutiusAugust. lib. de pescas. Orig. cap. 1 5. wrought without it; as in all those who are regenerate before they come to the use of reason, or in their infan- cy. Sometimes men are called, and so regenerate in an extraordinary manner, as was Paul; but mostly they are so in and by the use of ordinarymeans, instituted, blessed, and sanctified of God to that end and purpose. And great variety there is also in the perception and understanding of the work itself, in them in whom it is wrought: for in itself it is secret and hidden, and is no otherwise discoverable but in its causes and effects; for as st the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest tt the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence' it cometh, nor whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of tt the Spirit," John iii. 8. Sect. 11. -1n the minds and consciences of some this is made known by infallible signs and tokens. Paul knew that Christ was formed and revealed in himself, Gar. i. 16. So he declared that whoever is in Christ Jesus is a new creature, 2 Cor. v. 17. that is, is born again, whether they know themselves so to be or not. And many are in the dark as to their own condition in this matter all their days; for they fear the Lord, and obey the voice of his servant, Christ Jesus, and yet walk in darkness, and have no light, Ise. 1. 10. They are children of light, Luke xvi. 8. John xii. 36. Ephes. v. 8. 1 Thess. v. 5. and yet walk in darkness and have no light; which expressions have been well used and - improved by some, and by others of late derided and blasphemed. Sect. 12. And there is great variety in the carrying on of this work towards perfection, in the growth of the new creature, or the increase of grace, implanted in our natures by it: for some, through the supplies of the Spirit, make a great and speedy progress towards per- fection; others thrive slowly, and bring forth little fruit; the causes and occasions whereof are not here to be enu- merated. But, notwithstanding all differences in pre- vious dispositions, in the application of outward means, in the manner of it, ordinary or extraordinary, in the consequents of much or less fruit, the work itself, in its own nature, is of the same kind, one and the same. The elect of God were not regenerate one way, by one kind of operation of the Holy Spirit, under the Old Testament, and those under the NewTestament another. They who were miraculously converted, as Paul, or who upon their conversion had miraculous gifts bestow-
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