Taylor - Houston-Packer Collection BS2755 .T394 1619

Epifldeaf S. Paid t Titus. CHAP.3.3. ofvnconuertedmen a patTue power vnto good,that it canpoffe vele:but 6 t by this I meane a capablenes, or abilitie of willing that which is truely The bondage Gee, good, not by any principle in it felfe, but when God !hall fend out the red in the right; grace of conuerfion. 2. We denie not in fucha will an a &uall freedom obìcs from all coadtion andcompuluon , which the nature of will cannot ad- Z mit, for it is not will vnleffe it be thus free. And therefore while it mil - Ieth evil!, it wilicth itmofi freely; and when it cornmeal to will good,it wehueinrnd affenteth to the word and fpirit: it is not nowpurely palilue as a blocke, men intobcalts nor yet forced, bur worketh according to the nature of will freely for f«wié%4 beefing moonedby God, is felfe mooueth, andbecommeth not onely as aAb.arb. before a fubie&, but an infirm-hem ofthe fpirit. Whereby the way ly- ob. eth the anfwer to that Popifh obie &ion, that will cannot be free vnleffe Sol. it be inclineable alike to good and cull!: for will is not properly free in regard of theobie}, to which it is mooned , but of the efficient moo- ring it: and what fay they to the will ofGod ? they cannot denie it tobo moil free, and yet cannot without blafphemie affirme it to bee equally inclinable toculll as well as good. ;, We denienot but that the vncon- 3 uerted will hath a more full freedome in natural! anions , as to eace, drinke, walke, fpeake, which without this fpeciall grace, although not without general!, itcan commendahly,but not holily performe. 4. We 4 denie not to this will a maimedpower and freedome in morali humane vertues,as ofprudence, chafiitie,fortitude, iufiice, which are befiowed in great meafureby the common graceof the fpirit, not onely to fome within the Church, as Saul, who was changed into another man: but citen without, as toCyr:ss, Alexander, eflrífisides, Socrates: but yet in the aeti. ons of rhefe vermes this will is halfe dead andwounded. I call it a mai- med power and frecdome,becaufe it is a certaine kind of liberrie in fome external! obedience and difcipline towards the lawofGod; and yet vt terly feparated from the internal! andfpirituall obedience of it. Which ay. meeteth alfo with an other cheife obie &ion of the Papilis: that many vnregenerate men doe,,and haue donemany good andglorious a&ions, and that not by the fpeciall grace we fpeake of, but by the freedome of will. Towhich hence is anfwered , that although thefe things are ma- sol. tetially good, yet are they wanting in tileformali righteou(neffe,which thelaw requireth, and therefore haue beenefarte !rem pleating God, Qcup,i ,gi,. andproperly not good aálions, but rather goodly andglifiering finnes: amau.ncows the defe&s of them beein euident. t. The erfons doing them are out g p 2. Thedeedeit(elfedonenotoffaith, 3. Not havingperle- de.Babt. &ioneither in it (eiteorbs the Mediator. 4.Not direóled to right ends, n namely , the pure honour and worfhip of God. Now to fuch incom- . éxrsa chrifìua pleat a&ions, beeingno better then ciuill men canperforme in abun- omnis virtus in vicio cR.Hìer, t29 t dance,

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