ARMINIANISM. 55 in this life partakers, are by this means denied to be gifts ofGod. Secondly, Confider the extent of this argument it felt': nothing whofe performance isour duty, can be merited for usby Chrift ; when the apofilebefeechethus, to be reconciled usto God, I would know, whether it be not apart ofour duty to yield obedienceto the apoflles exhortation ? If not, his exhortation is frivolousand vain ; if fo, then to be reconciled unto God, is a part ofour duty : and yet the Arminian fbmetimeTeem to co. refs that Chrift hash obtained forus a reconciliation with God. The like may be Paid, in divers other particulars, fo that this argument, either proveth that weenjoy no fruit of the death ofChrift in this life, or which is mofi true, it provethnothing at all : for neither the merit of Chrift procuring, Heir God beftowing;al if grace in the habit, dothat all hinder, but that in the exercife thereof, it may be aduty of ours, k afmuch as it is done in us, and by us. Notwithftanding then this exception, which casinos thud by it fell alone without the help of lbmeother, not as yet difcovered ; we will continue our prayers, aswe are commanded in the name of Chrift ; that is, that God would bellow upon us thofe thingswe. ask for Chriff's fake, and that by an immediate collation, yea, even then, when we cry with the poor penitent, Lord help our unbelief, or with the apotles, Lord increafe our faith. 2. The fecond pleaon God's behalf, to prove him the authour, and fuifher of all -thole graces, whereof in this life we are partakers, arifeth from what the Ikeipture affirmeth, concerning his working thefe graces in us, and that powerfully, by the effe£tual operation of his holy 1pirir= to which the Arminian oppofe a feeming neceffity, that theymuff needs be our own a£ts, contradiftvi& fromhis gifts, becaufe they are inus, andcommanded by him : the head then of this contention betwixt our God, and their idol, about the living child of grace, is whether he can work that in us, which he requirethof us, let us hear them pleading'their caufe. (a) Ir ir m ft certain that, that ought not to be commanded, which is wrought in us: and cannot bewrought in us, which iscommanded: hefrolfhly commanded; that to be done of others, who will work in them what he commanderh: frith their apology. (b) O foolilh St. Prsfper, who thought that it was the whole Pelagianherefy to fay, that there is neither praite, nor worth, as ours, in that, which Chrift heft-meth upon us: foolilh St. Agnffin, (c) praying, Cloe us O Lord, what thou command ff andcommand what thouwilt, foolilh Benedict bifhop of Rome, who gave luck a form to his prayer, as muff needs cart an afperffon of folly on the molt high : O (d) Lord, frisio he, teach us what we fbould do ; thew us whither we fhould go, work in no what wr ought to perform: O foolilh fathers ofthe fecond Aran/can council affirming, (e) that many good things are done in man, which he cloth not himfelf, but aman cloth no good, which God dothnot fo work, that he fhoulddo it. And again,.as often sere do good, Godworketh in us, and withus, that me may to work. one word, this makes fools ofell the dottors ofthe church, who ever oppofed the Pelagian herefy, in as much as they all unanimoufly maintained, that ave are partakers of no good thing in this kind, without the effefhal, powerfùl operation ofthe almighty grace of God i and yet our faith and obedience fo wrought in as, to be molt acceptable unto him ; yea, what fhall we fay to the Lord himfelf, in one place commanding us to fear him, and in another promifing that he will put his fear into our hearts, that we Mall not depart from him, Is his command foolilh, or his promife fálfe? The Arminian muff affirm the one, or renounce their herefy ; but ofthis, after I have a little farther laid open this monftrous erreur, from their own words andwritings. (f) Can any one, fay they, wifely and feriow7y pr /eribc the performance of a condition to another, under the promite of a reward, and threatning ofpusOnsent, who will fr lk it inhim, ro whom it is prefcribed? This is a ridiculous aelian, fcarce worthyof ehelfage : that is, feeing Chrift bath affirmed, that whofoeasr believeth (ball be timed, and he that believed.: not frail (e) Illudcerriffimmn eft, nee jubendmn ell gnod efiïcitnr, nec effiriendam quod jabotnt, holtejabet & cult, ab olio fieri aliquid, gm ipfe grind¡abet in eo efficere volt, Rem. Apo!. cap. q. p. log. a. (9) At esigua conclufione pene to totem Pelagiammm dogma confirmas, dicendo, nullius laudis elfe ac meriti: hid in toChrifus good ipfe donaverat protulilfet, Profit. ad Collat. cap. 36. (r) Da, Domine, quod jubes, 2 lobe good ei,,'Aug. (d) O Domino, doce nos quid agamns,-quo ra- diamur oliende, quid n l is us operare, Ben. Pap. in Cenci?. L.gonflad. (e) Malta inho- mine bona fiant, quo non facit homo: nulls vero facit homo hand, quo non Deus prollet, ut factor, Cooil. Aram. n. Can. z o QQoties enim bona agimns, Deus in nobis .`; nobifcum, art operemur, op - ratur, Can. q. (f) Anneconditionem quis ferio ith fapte rer prskribet alteri, fob promiffo Promii & pceno gravifine comminatione, gal eam, in on cui prsfcribit eScere cult, hoc aftia tuts Indicts, &viafcena digna eft, Rem. Apol. cap. 9. p. cos, a. be
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