Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	ability_n	according_a	act_n	44	3	5.8210	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57064	The lightless-starre, or, Mr. John Goodwin discovered a Pelagio-Socinian and this by the examination of his preface to his book entituled Redemption redeemed : together with an answer to his letter entituled Confidence dismounted / by Richard Resbury ... ; hereunto is annexed a thesis of that reverend, pious and judicious divine, Doctor Preston ... concerning the irresistibility of converting grace.	Resbury, Richard, 1607-1674.; Preston, John, 1587-1628. De gratia convertentis irresistibilitate.	1652 (1652)	Wing R1134; ESTC R18442	131,505	254

of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God a quickning of such as were dead in trespasses and sins a resurrection from the dead a new creation If none can come unto Christ except drawne of the Father If not of workes that we have done but of his owne grace If not of him that wils nor of him that runs but of God who sheweth mercy If a calling out of darknesse If translating from the power of darknesse a taking away the heart of stone and giving a● heart of flesh Then as formerly But the former is true Therefore the latter Further consideration of the falshood of this Doctrine we shall have in that which followes shewing the Pelagianisme of it CHAP. VI. Now for the Pelagianisme of this Doctrine 1 SUppose it acknowledge no supernaturall grace and therefore no grace but only toying with the word Grace ascribes saving vertues and operations to Nature and an assistance from God proportion'd and attemper'd to the heedfull exercise and improvement of naturall abilities then is it evidently Pelagian and that of the first stamp But if this be not the spirit of this Doctrine those conclusions here laid downe are very closely exprest 1 That men act beneath themselves and here he speakes of the generality of men are remisse and slothfull in awakening those Principles of light and understanding that are vested in their Natures or else willingly choake suppresse and smother them if they remaine in the snare of unbeleefe 2 That men who act and quit themselves according to the true Principles of that reason which God hath planted in them cannot but beleeve and be partakers of the precious faith of the Gospel Let us now adde a further explication in his owne words presently after and this will yet more clearly appeare to have been his meaning which we here suppose his words are as followeth That about the efficacy of the Grace of God vouchsafed unto men there is a great abuse of the word Naturall and so of the word Supernaturall a word not found in the Scriptures either formally or vertually the grosse falshood whereof we shall see in due place and that the Scripture knoweth not the word Naturall in any such sence wherein it should distinguish the unregenerate state of a man from the regenerate as false as the former as in due time shall be demonstrated Now this Commentary of his owne is so manifest for the sence we here suppose as needs no insisting upon for if the efficacy of Grace be not supernaturall then neither is Grace it selfe as the Principle nor any effects of Grace as to beleeve repent c. supernaturall for the principle operation and effects are all of one kinde naturall or supernaturall and so Grace is nothing else but a naturall endowment and improvement But then what shall be his meaning afterwards in his explication of the Parable of the Talents where he speakes thus That in case men will stirre up and lay out themselves accordingly in the improvement of such abilities and gifts as shall from time to time be vouchsafed to them they may by vertue of the bounty and gracious decree of God in that behalfe attaine and receive from God what proportion and measure of the Spirit and Grace of God they can desire I answer The worke of this Spirit of Grace upon their hearts if it be supernaturall he contradicts himselfe who will not allow that word either formally or vertually about the efficacy of Grace if he doe not contradict himselfe this worke of the Spirit must be nothing slse but such an influx as is attemper'd and proportion'd to mans Naturall acting and therefore naturall But this was the frequent manner of his great Apostle Pelagius to play fast and loose at every turne with the words Grace and Nature I much suspect that very Doctrine of Pelagius which Austine layes downe in his owne words Lib. de grat Christi c. c. 4. to be here touched We saith Pelagius distinguish thus these three In the first place we appoint to be able in the second to will in the third to be To be able we place in Nature to will in free Choyce to be in effect That first to be able belongs properly to God who hath conferred it upon his Creature the two others that is to will and to be are to be referred unto man because they descended from the fountaine of Free will therefore in the will and in the good worke the praise is of man yea both of man and God who hath given to him the possibility of the will it selfe and of the work and who alwayes helps that possibility it selfe with the ayde of his Grace but that men may be able to will good and to finish it this is only of God See now what Austine here advertiseth concerning Pelagius his Concession of Grace which how rightly it suits Master Goodwin let the Reader judge Whensoever saith he we heare that he confesseth the aide of Divine Grace we ought to know that he neither beleeves our wil nor our action to be helped hereby but only the possibility of the will and work which alone of these three he affirmes that we have of God and this in nature as is manifest CHAP. VII 2. SUppose it acknowledge no habitual grace upon the will renewing it nor effectuall acting and determining it but all the assistance of grace acknowledged be it naturall or supernaturall is onely for inlightening the understanding and exciting the will to determine it selfe whence it may come to passe that the will may as to the event obey or not obey the call of God This is partly no more then what Pelagius acknowledged partly opposite to that grace which the Orthodox Fathers maintained against him 1 Observe here that he puts all upon the Understanding as if all the assistance of grace necessary was onely for enlightening it 2 That Pelagius himselfe was driven to acknowledge thus much and withall exciting grace whatsoever he meant thereby 3 That the Fathers opposing his Heresie required and maintained that grace which by supernaturall efficacy did not onely inlighten the understanding and excite the will but likewise did by an efficacious impression give both a new and spirituall power to the will as likewise the acting of that power and the same grace that gave the power gave likewise the acting of that power and was both preventing and effectuall and peculiar and of infallible issue for conversion and therefore not common to those who were converted with those who were not but peculiar to the converted But let us see the truth of what is here asserted And first What Pelagius acknowledged as much for ought I can discern as Mr. Goodwin August lib de gratiâ Christi contra Pelag. Caelest chap 10. Thus reports him When he had a long time affirmed that not by the aide of God but of our selves in our selves the will is made good he objected against himselfe out of

venturous assertion with great confidence set off that the naturall man may discerne of all the Truthes of God contained in the Scriptures according to their degree of discovery and manifestation there that is according as they are more or lesse clearly laid downe there That it is affirmed here of naturall men is evident both from the Objection it selfe and the Answer in divers passages of it Secondly This assertion endeavoured to be proved by severall instances but neither any of them nor all together reach the proofe there being nothing at all in them thus applyed but meere fallacies 1 From the part to the whole Suppose these instances were obvious enough to the Naturall man it doth not therefore follow that he can discerne all Scripture-truthes this is too slender an induction of particulars to prove the generall And as all of them together labour of this fallacy so the last instance particularly Suppose the naturall man may discerne some things to be beleeved and repented of it doth not thence follow that he may discerne all things of that kinde 2 From unequals as if equals 1. The Naturall man hath light to discerne some particulars of the Law of God unto Conviction yet in divers cases this light is very glimmeting and vanishing it doth not hence follow that he hath light to discerne all the Mysterious truthes of the Gospel Instances belonging to the Law are the first second and third 2 By Naturall light may in divers cases a Prophecy fulfilled be discerned comparing the event with the Prediction of it Thus in the fourth instance might the dayes of the Messiah have been discerned by the Iewes who owned and conversed with those Prophesies which fore-told them and that being discerned a granted duty likewise depending on it must needs be discerned as that the Messiah was to be embraced and sins to be repented of but neither doth it hence follow that all Gospel Mysteries might be discerned as for your observation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the meaning may very well be why not without a Monitor 3. Suppose by Naturall light the Omnipotency of God may be discerned and thence the possibility of the Resurrection of the dead for that is it the Apostle urgeth why should it be incredible to men as though impossible with God Still will it not hence follow that more Mysterious Gospel truthes may be discerned though many Attributes of the Divine Nature may in some measure be discerned by Naturall light and workes thereon depending yet doth it no wise hence follow that therefore all Gospell truthes are discernable of this kinde is the fifth Instance there being a great disparity betwixt these and those 3 From the Argument to the Question this in the fourth Instance the Question to be proved is of Naturall men the instance here for proofe of it is of the Saints an Argument altogether impertinent Ignoratio Elenchi 4 From the Object The Command of God to the Adjunct related to it mans ability for discerning it the Command or Expostulation aequivalent Why doe yee not discerne and why of your selves doe yee not judge and when God cals men to beleeve and repent he must suppose them in a capacity to distinguish and discerne betwixt the things c. For answer hereto from the command of discerning to the power of discerning there is no consequence except God who commands give that power man commanded cannot understand many maine things otherwise why doth David pray so earnestly that God would open his eyes that he may behold the wonderfull things of his Law Psal. 119. ver 18. That he would give him understanding that he might keep his Law ver 34 Why doth the Apostle pray for the Ephesians That God would give unto them the spirit of Wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of Christ that the eyes of their understanding being enlightened ●●ey might know what is the hope of his calling 1 Ephes. 17 18 Why doth the same Apostle teach That the Naturall man cannot know the things of the Spirit of God adding the reason because they are spiritually discerned If the Naturall man can discerne all the truthes of God all Gospel Mysteries In a word to argue from the command in generall to ability for performance in things of Spirituall nature is an old Pelagian errour the Lord commands the Iewes to make to themselves new hearts but otherwhere he declares himselfe the Maker thereof to circumcise their hearts but otherwhere it is his promise to doe it Christ commands the Iewes to beleeve on the light Iohn 12. 36 yet could they not as being hardned and of whom it was long since Prophesied that they should not 39 40. A thousand instances might be given to confirme this truth but we shall have more occasion afterwards in the meanetime when the Pelagians were thus wont to argue from the command to the power as Austine every where refutes them by the promise of God to worke in the Elect by peculiar grace what he requires and by the prayers of the Saints and by their thanksgivings and the like so he layes downe this generall conclusion Nothing doe I see in the Holy Scriptures commanded by the Lord to man for the proving of his free will which may not be found either to be given of his goodnesse or to be desired for manifesting the ayde of Grace Lib. 2. contra d●as Episto Pelag. c. 10. And in his Book De correp gratia c. 2. Against that Pelagian clamour why are we commanded to turne from evill and doe good if we doe it not but God workes in us both to will and to doe he answers Let the Sonnes of God know that they are acted by the Spirit of God to act what is to be acted and when they have acted it to him let them give thankes by whom they were acted for they are acted that they may act not that they may act nothing and this is shewed to them what they ought to act that when they have acted as they ought to act that is with love and with the delight of righteousnesse they may rejoyce to have received that sweetnesse which the Lord hath given that the earth might bring forth her fruit but when they act not whether by not doing at all or by not doing out of love let them pray that they may receive what yet they have not For what shall they have that they shall not receive or what have they that they have not received A little after Cap. 3. he concludes that in the command man is to take notice what he ought to have in the reproofe that it is his owne fault that he hath it not in prayer whence he is to receive what he would have 5 From Disparates as one and the same he affirmes such a knowledge in the power of the Naturall man as whence he may repent and beleeve nay must for thus he inferres that men who act and quit themselves according to the true Principles of that

merit for a good worke of voluntary perseverance arrive at that blessednesse that neither would he neither could he fall into a worse condition but by free will it selfe by which as long as he would he continued good he departed from the Law propounded to him neither did he feare the punishment of death denounced against him forsaking God and following the Devil rebellious against the Lord his Preserver obsequious to the enemy his destroyer Hitherto we have had an excellent and clear passage about mans uprightnesse by Creation now followes the like for his corruption by the fall Adam therefore was and we all were in him Adam perished and al perished in him The Son of man came to seek and save that which was lost Luke 19. for in that ruine of the Universall Transgression neither the substance of mans nature nor the will is taken away but the light and ornament of vertues of which by the deceit of the envious one it is stript naked but those things being lost by which he might have come to an eternall and inamissible incorruption of soul and body what remained to him but only what belongs unto temporal life which is wholly of Damnation and Punishment wherefore it behooves that they that are borne of Adam be borne againe of Christ lest any man be found in that Generation which is lost the first Man lost faith lost continence lost love is des●oyled of wisdome and understanding is voyd of counsell and strength and by wickedly following after higher things is cast downe from the knowledge of truth and the piety of obedience not so much as feare to himselfe remaining that he might abstaine from things forbidden at least through the feare of punishment Collator That he might shew the possibility of good to be in Man reproving the Pharisees he saith Why doe yee not of your selves judge what is good which verily ●e would not have said had he not knowne that they were able by Naturall judgement to discerne what was right This is one of Mr. Goodwins grand objections as we have seen before let us now see the answer Prosper Now he ascribes not only the willing of good but the possibility too to free will as though therefore understanding was required of them therefore Righteousnesse was demanded because they can bring forth these things from the endowments of Nature not from the gifts of God but these things are commanded man that by the very command of God whereby what he hath received is charged upon him he may acknowledge that he hath lost it by his owne fault and therefore that the requiry of it is not unequall though he be unable to pay what he owes but let him flye from the Letter-killing to the Spirit-quickning and that ability which before he found not in Nature let him seeke from Grace which if he doe i● is the great mercy of the Lord if he doe it not it is a just punishment of sinne Collator It cannot be doubted but there are in every soule naturally some seeds of vertues planted there by the benefit of the Creator Prosper Then did Adam only transgresse and in his sinne no man beside sinned then are we conceived in no iniquities neither did our Mothers bring us forth in any sins we were not by nature the Children of wrath neither were we under the power of darknesse but vertues naturally remaining in us we were rather the Children of peace and light God is principally vertue to whom it is no other thing to have vertue then to be vertue of him when we are partakers Christ dwels in us who is the vertue of God and the wisdome of God Faith Hope Love Continence Understanding Counsell Courage and all other vertues dwell in us but when we go● backe from this good all things arise contrary to us from us for Beauty departing what succeeds but deformity Wisdome going away what stayes behind but folly where Righteousnesse reignes not what beares rule but iniquity The seeds therefore of vertue which by the benefit of the Creator were planted in us were by the transgression of our first Father over-turn'd neither can they be had but by his restoring who gave them for the nature of man is reformable by the former thereof and capable of those good endowments which it had that by the Mediator betwixt God and men the Man Christ Iesus in that very thing which remaines to it it may recover what it hath lost but there remaines to it a rationall Minde which is not vertue but the dwelling-place of vertue for by the participation of Wisdome Justice and Mercy we are not Wisdome not Justice nor Mercy but wise and just and mercifull which good things though our rationall Soule be possest of Vices and we transgressing the uncleane Spirit hath seiz'd the Temple of God yet may they againe flow together into our rationall Soul by him who casts forth the Prince of this World and binding the strong Man takes away by force his vessels and the spirit of this world being chased away gives unto us that Spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given us of God but he that hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Thus farre against any seeds of good in man by nature since the fall then he shewes the ground of mistake in his Adversary as followes But I conceive he is deceived with the semblance of truth and mistakes through a shew of false vertues whilst he thinkes that those good endowments which cannot be had but by the gift of God are found even in the mindes of the wicked therefore to wit because many of them are followers of righteousnesse temperance continence and kindnesse all which they have not in vaine nor unprofitably and much honour and glory doe they in this life obtaine by them but because in those pursuances they serve not God but the Devill though they have a temporall reward of vaine glory yet doe they not belong to the truth of those blessed vertues And it is most manifest that in the mindes of the wicked no vertue dwels but all their workes are uncleane and polluted they having not Spirituall but Naturall not Heavenly but Earthly not Christian but Devillish wisdome not from the Father of Lights but from the Prince of Darknesse whilst by those very things which they could not have but by the gift of God they are brought into subjection to him who first departed from God he therefore that saith that the seeds of vertue are naturally in every soule without the worke of Grace what doth he endeavour to shew but from those seeds some twiggs of merit sprouting going before the Grace of God These few gleanings I have made out of Prospers Dispute against the Collator as pertinent to the Argument I have in hand concerning the utter impotency of the Naturall man to any thing that hath order to and connexion with eternall life as likewise concerning the