AIZ MINIANISM. 11 t Ji-..s*I ffi.,f. . 1--- ______---cccccc______ l l B LJ ` ..t . .. .t ' sa w'4bu se VV V:4.'4. b> bb laVV Val 1 C H A P. XIII. Of thepower ofFree-voiÜ, inpreparing usfor our converfion unto God. TH E judgmentofthe Arminianconcerning the power of free-will about fpi- ritual things; in a man unregenerate, merely in the ¡tate of corrupted na- rure, before and without the helpof grace, may be laid openby thefe fol- lowingpofitions. 1. That every man in the world, reprobates and others, have in thenskIves power andability ofbelieving in Chrift, of repenting, and yielding dueobedience to the new covenant, andthatbecaufe they loftnot this powerby the fá11 ofAdam. (a) Adam af- terhis fall, faith Grevinchovius, reìained a power ofbelieving, and fa didall reprobates in. him. (b) He did not l f , asthey (peakat thefynod, the power of performing that obedience, which is required in the new covenant confidered formally, as it is required by the newcovenant; he loft not apower of believing, nor a power of forfaking fin by repentance e and thofe graces thathe loll notare Rill in our power, whence they affirm that, (c) faith is called thework f God, only beraufe he requirerh so to do ir. Now having appropriated thispowerunto themfelves, to befam that the grace of God be quite excluded, which before they had madeneedlefs. Theyteach, z. That for the reducing of this power, into aft, that men may become aftual be- lievers, there is no infufed habit of grace, no fpiritual, vital principleneceffary for them, or bellowedupon them,but every one by the ufe ofhis native endowments, do make themfelves differ from others i (d) Thofe things which are fpoken concerning the 'nf>jon of habits, before we can exertfe. the aEt offaith, we rejeE1, faith the Epi fle to the Walachian. (e) That the internal principleoffaith required in the Gofpel, ii a habit divinely iuffed, by theftrength and efficacy where f the will fhould be determined, I deny, faith ano- therof them. Well then, if we mull grant, that the internal, vital ¢ principle, ofa fupernatural, fpiritual grace, isa mere natural faculty not elevated by any divine habit, if it be not God that begins thegood work inus, but our own freewills, let us fee what moregoodly fluffwill follow : one mats by his own mere indeavours, without theaid ofany received gift, makes himfelfdiffer from anothér : (f). What matter is it in that, that amanfhould make himelfd f r from others ? There isnothing truer, he whoyioldethfaith to God commanding him, maketh himfelf dfeer fromhint, who will net have faith when he com- mandésh, they are the words of their apology : which without queffion, as in irrefragable truth, iffaith be not a gift received from above ; for on that ground only theApeflle propofeth thefe queffions, Who made thee dfor from another ? Or what haft thou that thou haft not received? And'if thou haft received, why boafteth thou as if thou haft not reeived? The fole taufe why Ise denies any one by his own power to make himfelf differ from another, is betaufe that wherein the difference confiíteth, is received being freely be- llowed upon him ; deny this, and I confefs the other will 1h11 of itfelti But until their authority be equal with the apaltles, they would do well to forbear the naked obtru- (a) Adams port lapfum potentiam credendi retinuit, & reliqui reprobi etiamin illo, Grev)neb. ad Amer. fol. 183. (b Adams nonamillt vires earn obedientiam r ltandi, f p qua in novaender¢ utedeut, prat, pure ea con r formalirer, hocea, proue feeler¢ eft, porentam nos death arnilit, nee milk potentiam, per oentiam en ipfe orefurgendiio Rem. eeber t. few. Syn. p. lop (e) Fides cocas=r opusDei, quia Deus id a nobis fieri poftular, Rem. ear rapg. 112 (d) Ea quade habituum infulìonediwnmq anteomnem fieei adult), requihta ra nobly, Epnt. rani. fol. 67. (e) si ocium internum fidri a aphis inEvangelic reguißlum,- ere habit= quondam divinitus infufum, cujus vi ac eïfimcitate caftans deunninenui hoe negavi, oreuinebov. adAraef. peg. 324. (f) Quid in ea pofiaumere, quadhorndiferiminare respfum didtur? Nihil verius, qui fidernDeo precipiendi habet, is difcriminat fe abeo qui Deo pm. eipitnti fdem heberenon vnit, Rem. Apol. cap. i4. pag. 144. lions
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