ARMINIANISM. 63 Yet here obferve, that we do not abfelutely cppolè Freewill, as ifit werenames inane, a meer figment, when there is no fuck thing in the world : but only ha that fenfe the Pe!giant and Armimans do atèrt it. About words we will not contend, we grantman in the fbftance of all his anions, as much, power, liberty and freedom, asa meer created nature is capable of. We grant himtobe free in his choice, from all outward coanioo, or Lenard natural neceftty,- to work according toele&ion, and deliberation, fpontaneoufly embracing what feemeth good unto him. Now call this power, free will, or what you pleafe, fo you make it not fupreme, independent, and boundlefs, ave are not at all. troubled. The impofitionof names depends upon thedifcretionof their inventors. Again, even in fpiritual things, we deny that our wills are at all debarred, or deprivedoftheir proper liberty ; but here we fay indeed, that we arenot properly free, until the fou make us free, no great ufe of freedom, in that, wherein we coas do nothing at all : we do not claim fuch a liberty, as lhould make us defpife the grace of God, (a) whereby we may attain true liberty indeed, which addeth to, but taketh nothing from our original freedom. But ofthis, after I have (hewed whatan idol the Armimans make offree-will : only take notice in the enterance, that we(peak of it now, not as it was at firft, by God created, but as it is now, by fincorrupted; yet being confsdered in that eftate alfo, they afcribe more unto it, than it wasever capable of. As it now ftandeth, according to my formerly propofed method, I shall thew, F:'rft, what inbred native virtue rhèy.,fcribeunto it, and with how abfolute a dominion, andfovereignty, over all our a&ions, they endow it. Second.'y, what power they fay itbath, inpreparing us for the grace ofGod. Thirdly, how effe&uallyope- rative it is, in receiving the fait( grace, and with how little help thereof, it accom plifheth the great work ofour converGon : all briefly with fo many obfervations, as shall fuffsce todifcover their proud errors in each particular. (b) Herein, filth Arminius, confift th the liberty of the will, that all thingsrequired to en- able it, to will any thing, being accamplijhed, it fills remains indifferent to will, or not. And all of thematthe fynod, (c) There , fay they, accompanying the will ofman, an infepa- cable property, which we call liberty, from whencethe mill is termedapower: which when all things pre-required as neceffary tooperation are fulfilled,maywill any thing, or not will it : that is, our free-wills have fach an abfolute, and uncontroulable power, in the ter- ritory of all human anions, that no influenceof God's providence, no certainty ofhis decree, no unchangeablenefs of his purpofe, can livay it at all in its free determinations, or have any power with his highnefs, tocaufe him to will, or refolve, on any filch -an as God by himintendeth toproduce. Take an inftance, in thegreat work ofour con- verton: (d) All unregenerate men, faithAreainiuí, have by virtue of their free-will a power of refilling theholy fpirit,of relating the offeredgrace of God, of contemning the counfel ofGod, concerning theAves: of refuting the Gofpel of grace, of not opening the heart, to him that knocketh. What a flout idol is this, whom neither the holy fpirit, the grace, and counfel of God, the callingof the Gofpel, the knocking at thedoor of the heart, can move at all, or inthe leafs: meafure prevail againft him? Woe be unto us then, if when God calls us, our free-will be not in good temper, andwell difpofed to hearken unto him : for it feems, there is no dealing with it, by any other ways, though powerful and almighty. For (e) grant, faithCorvine', all the operations ofgrace, which God can ufe in our cenverfion, yet cenverfion remained, fo inour ownfree power, that we canbe not converted, that is, we eat, either turn, or not turfs our felves : where the idol plainly challengeth the Lord to workhis utmoft : and tells him, that after he bath fo done, he will do what he pleafe : his infallible prefcience, his powerful pre-determination, the moral efficacy of thëGofpel, the infufion ofgrace, the effe&ual operationof the holy fpirit ; all are nothing : not all available in helping or furthering, our independent wills its them proceedings. Well then, in what eftate, will you have the idolplaced? (f) In fucha (a) Homo non libertate graham, fedgratia libertatem, affeeqquitur, Aqq. (b) Libertas Arbitrii ronfiftit in eo, quod homo, pofitis omnibus requiltis ad volendum, indifferens tames fit, ad volendnm sel nolendum hoc vel illud, Armin. am perpend. fol. ss. (o) Voluntatem comitatur proprietas quadam infeparabilis, quam libertatem cocamos, a qua vóluntas dicitur; potentia qua poliitis omnibus pterequifitis ad agendum necelfariis, poteR velle & nail, ass vac & non relie, Rem inaá *nod. fan. att. (d) Omnes irregeniti habeasLib. tarbit. & potcntiamSpiritui Sena, refiftendi: gáám Des oblamm repudiandi, eonfiliumDei adverfus fecontemneadi, Evangelium gratia repudiarsdi, ei qui Forpslfat ea, aperiendo, Armin. artio. perpend. (e) Pofitis omnibus operationibus gratin, quibus Deus inconverGon, noftri usipofíiy manes [amen convertoita in noftra poteftare libera, ut pollmusnon converti, hoc eft, nofinet ipfos mnvertere, vel non cansertere, Cor. ad Bog. fol. 263. (f) Non poteRDeus Lib. Arbit. integrum fecvare, nit tam peccaré hominem fineret, quam gene agere, Cor- vin. "ad Blolin. sop: 6, one,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=