Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .O8 1721

AR1VïINIANI-SNï. 57 [3.] Thofe two, againftwhich they lay particular exceptions, faith and .repentance, are alfo exprefly attributed to the free donation ofGod : he granteth unto the Gentiles . repentance unto life, Al ls xi. 18. and offaith dire&ly r It is not of our felves, it h the gift of God, Ephel. ii. 8. Towhich affertion ofthe holy fpirit, I Ihall rather faften my beliefthan to theArminian, affirming that it is no gift ofGod, becaufe it is ofour felves: . and yet this hindereth not, but that it may be filled, our m Je holy faith, Jude xx. Let them that will deny, that any thing can properly be ours, which God beftowcth on us, the prophet accounted them.not inconfrllent, when be averred, that God weeketb all our works inus, lío. xxvi. 12. Theyare our works, though ofhis. working: the apo- file laboured, though it was not he, but thegraceof God that was in him, r. Cor. xv. so. He worketh in us 5 el diner, sÿ ei '',. yñ,, of his good ,: leafure, Philip. ii. 13. andyet the performance of our duty may confrft inthofe alts ofour wills, and thofe good deeds whereof he is theauthor : fo thataccording toSt. (a) AnJtin's counfel, we will fill pray, that he wouldbeftow, what he commandeth ustohave. [4.] t Cor. iv. Who made thee deerfrontanother, or what haft thou, that thou haft not re- ceived ? Every thing that makes us differ from others, is received from God, where- fore the foundationof all difference in fpiritual thingsbetweenthe fen, of Adambung faith and repentance, they muff alfo of neceffrty be received from abor. c. 141x : ef, God's cireumcfag our hearts, Colo' ii. T. His gaickning us when we are dead, Ephef. i. 1, 2, Begetting usanew, John i. 13. Making as in all tin _gs, loch as he wouldhave us to be, is contained in that promife ofthe ..ew covenant,:}erem. xxxii. 40. Iwill make with them an everlafling covenant, that I will not turn away from them to do them good, but I willput my fear in theirhearts, that theypall not depart fromme : and is noway repugnant to the holy fcripture, declaringour duty to be all this, thatthe Lordwould haveus. And now let all men judge, whether againft fo many andclear teftimonies of theholy ghoft, the Ar- minian reafons borrowed from the old philofophers, be ofany value : the fum ofthem all youmay find in Cicero his third book de natura Dear=: (b) Every one, faithhe,obtaineth virtue for himfelf: never any w f man- thanked God for that, for ourvirtue we are praifed, in virtueweglary, which might not be, were it agift afGod : and truly this in fofter terms, is the fumof the remonfirants arguments in this particular. Laft[y, (c) Oblèrve, that this er- ror is thatwhichof all others, theorthodox fathers did moil oppofe in the pelagian he- retieks: yea and to this day, (el) the. more learned fchoolmenStoutly maintain the truth hereinagainft the innovating Jefùits: with fome few of the teffimoniesof the an- cients I will Thut up this difcourfe : It (e) is certain, that when we do any thing, we do it, faith St. Auguffis, but itis God thai caufeth us fo to do r and in another place; (f) Shall we not account that to be the gft ofGod, becaufe it is required of'us, under the promifeofeternal life ? Godforbid thatdi.,fbouldfeint fo, either to the parrakers, or defenders ofgrace e where he rejetteth both the error, and the fophifm wherewith it is upholden : (g) So alto Crel e' s bilhop ofRome, in hisepiftle to the bilhops of France : So great, faithhe, is the goodn f of God towards men, that he will have chafe good things to be our goad duties hecalls them merits according to the phrafe ofthofe days) which are bisomngifts : to whichpur- pofè I cited beforetwo canons out ofthe Araufscan council: and St. Profper in histreatife againftCaf(sanus the Semipel gian, (h) affirmeth it, tobe a toolifh complaint of proud men, that free-will is deflroyed, if thebeginning, progrefs, and continuance in good, be Paid to be the gifts ofGod : and fo the imputationof folly, wherewith theArmisfans in myfirft quotation charge theiroppofers, being retortedon them, by this learned fa- ther, I refer you to their following exçerpta for a dofe. (a) Quia (hi quifque virtutem acquirit,neminem de fapientibus unquam de ea gratias Deoegiffe, propter virtntem enim laudamur, & in virtue gloriamur, quad non fierce, li donum effet Dei, non a nobis, Cicero De Nat. Deer. (b) Alvarez difput. 96. obi Aug Thom. alios, citat. (o) Cer- tum eíì nos facete cum famous, fed ille facet ut faciamu,, Ag. de Grot. ú Lib. Arbil. tap. 06. (I) Neque id donum Dei c1í Emmet, quoniamwigs audivimus anobis, pramio vita fi hoc fe- eerimus oblato, abet, ut hoc placeat particibus & defenforibus gratis, Aug. de PradeJl. San. nap. zo. (e) Tanta eft ergs homines bonitas Dei, ut noftra velit elfe inerita qua fun,ipius dour, Weft. Sp/l. adEp. Gal. nap. an. (ll'') Non enim conturbas nos, fuperbientium inepta querimonia; gull Libemm Arbitrium caufantur auferri: G & principia & profeltits, & perfeverantia in bonisvfque adfr. arm'Dei done site &cantor, Profp. adCollat. pas. 404. CircrAnciJe

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