Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A43581
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A review of Mr. Horn's catechisme, and some few of his questions and answers noted by J.H. of Massingham p. Norf.
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Hacon, Joseph, 1603-1662.
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1660
(1660)
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Wing H177; ESTC R16207
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79,887
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160
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is not produced in the heart of a sinner by Illumination and Perswasion onely may be proved by these two arguments First because they are far unable to do it for corruption is so deeply fastened in mans nature and such is his Death in sin that though his understanding be enlightened and his affections perswaded yet if his heart and will be not renewed and changed and quickened the work will still be undone To perswade is but to present objects outwardly and these are looked upon according as the Subject is disposed these are apprehended ad modum recipientis as the party stands affected Never was there foul love nor fair prison Sin and sinfull lusts are more beautifull in the eyes of a wicked worldling and are more suitable to him than the Grace and Glory of heaven though set forth by a potent Oratour And the wilde Ass that hath long been wonted to the range of the hills scorneth the populous and pompous city Illumination likewise is but an outward work though it be wrought within man yet it is external to the heart of man it is from without and as I may say forinsecal and therefore cannot much confer to the power of the soul It is not Light but Eye-salve that must help the facultie and recover the sight And this is to be noted further that where the holy Ghost doth enlighten the minde and not withall correct the innate pravitie of the heart may follow and sometime doth follow the sin against the holy Ghost which sin is so called as we know not because it is against the person but against the office or work of the holy Ghost which is to convince and to illuminate And the Devils are thought to be guilty of this kinde of sin because of the height of light in them joyned with the height of malice Secondly suppose that these two could produce true faith yet this were not enough to make good what we are often taught namely that Faith is not of our selves but it is the gift of God yea such a gift as is wrought by the exceeding greatness of his power even that power that raised Christ from the dead for what is done should be chiefly by the efficacy of the object thorowly laid open And as Satan on the one hand enticeth to the pleasures of sin so should the Spirit of God on the other proffer holiness and heaven and promise and excite and invite and commend but the will when it cometh to must cast the scale and like an impartial judge no way bent or made beforehand give sentence and determine what is to be done and what must be followed and thus shall faith be produced by man himself and not be as it is called Gods gift And whereas he saith that God doth work Faith by the cooperation of the holy Ghost it is to be noted that the Spirit of God in working Faith if it be meant of the first production of it is not said in sound Divinity to cooperate with man as if man did co-work with God For what is done is the sole work of Gods grace and power As Lazarus being dead could do nothing could not cooperate to raise himself to life but being by divine power quickened he could then eat and walk and speak So man being dead in sin hath no free will to Good to Faith or Conversion but having received Grace as a principle of spiritual life he can then walk in the Spirit and Serve God in a spiritual manner Qu. 208. Can any man hear of himself A. No as the ability to hear the Gospel outwardly is of Gods gift so the word outwardly heard brings to men by the gift of God power of more inward hearing and attention This Question and Answer what man can do and what power he hath or hath not in order to life eternal doth of right appertain in Divinity to the place or Head of Free-will Yet whereas he saith here No man can hear outwardly of himself but it is Gods gift it may admit a twofold sense The first is this No man can come to hear the Gospel outwardly unless God of his Grace be pleased to send it to him And this should be his meaning by one of his texts which he quoteth Rom. 10. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God Which words signifie thus much if at least the Apostle may explain himself Men cannot beleeve in him of whom they never heard neither can they hear but by the word of God that is by mandate or commission from God to some or other for to go and preach to them But this is not his meaning for he is giving the reason why Faith is not wrought in all those that have the Gospel which is this because they do not hear and learn but stop their ears and refuse Gods gift The second sense therefore is this That any man is able outwardly to hear the Gospel is the gift of God by nature in whom we live and move and are This I think he means But First this is not proved by his text out of the Proverbs The hearing ear and the seeing eye the Lord hath made even both of them For as God did frame the earth and yet the earth doth bring forth fruit of her self the blade the ear and the corn Mark 4.28 So may man hear the word of God and see the Moon and Stars of himself though God did frame both the hearing ear and the seeing eye And secondly the pretended Orthodox who are thought by some too much to denie free-will did never yet denie that man hath free-will to natural and moral actions and religious too though not in a spiritual manner untill he be regenerate Therefore to say as here he doth that man hath not ability of himself to hear outwardly is a note beneath Gammoth and a great deal more than needs whatsoever the matter is that he stoops so low But seeing he goeth so far in denying free-will I hope he will never be so fierce as some have been before him who for the Semi-Pelagian objected to them have returned roundly the Sesqui-Manichean with somewhat more rage than reason The Manicheans did indeed deny free-will but how quoad naturam sive radicem liberi arbitrii according to the very nature of it or free choice which is essential to man 2. to evil 3. before the fall this was the Manichean Whereas the Pelagian affirmed vires liberi arbitrii the power or strength of mans will to good after the fall And who they be that claim kindred more or less to each of these is an easie matter to judge and determine But thirdly overmuch courtesie and condescension do always give some cause of suspicion yet I proceed no further than to suspicion or conjecture He who can upon quitting the point of free-will gain in exchange the point of Universal Grace may think himself no looser having found out a way to corroborate the title of
meaning upon him in the very next verse vers. 22. he might have seen explained what is meant by vessels of dishonour namely vessels made up and fitted to destruction not less forborn less regarded and honoured Fifthly according to the tenour of the answer abovesaid the same person may be a vessel to honour and dishonour both successively at several times that confessedly but not onely so but sensu composito at the same time he shall be a vessel of honour because he is preferred before some others and a vessel of dishonour because some others again are preferred before him in participation of divine patience and goodness and outward aid For thus it must needs be in the several degrees and the variety of these kinds of savours vouchsafed of God to the sons of men Sixthly if we view the words before that gave the occasion to these we shall soon perceive how unlikely a matter it is that either Jew or Gentile should charge God above with injustice or that the Apostle should defend Gods justice by checking the presumption of humane reason and yet nothing be objected but this that God useth some men better than he useth others in patience towards them and means tending to life and power exercised for their good Lastly there would be no colourable cause of complaint against God nor should any man need to say why hast thou made me thus if it be in his power to make himself otherwise to make himself even as he will notwithstanding any thing that God hath done He may haply honour one man more than another in outward mercies and dispensations which thereafter as a man shall well or ill make use of he shall make himself accordingly a vessel of wrath or mercy God in mercy made the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida vessels of honour if we can be perswaded so to call it by the mighty and gracious works wrought among them But they by abusing this honour made themselves truly and indeed vessels of dishonour And others again who were dishonoured of God by having fewer Talents through good improvement of them became vessels of glory and honour The rule of our belief teacheth us otherwise Gods purpose of Election doth stand or abide firm Rom. 9.11 his Counsel is immutable towards the heirs of promise Hebr. 6.17 vessels of honour and dishonour being no more interchangeable here than gold and silver wood and earth of which the divers vessels are made 2 Tim. 2. 20. Thus much concerning Election Of the means of salvation he hath formerly spoken sundry times in several Questions and Answers But he did not tell us how far that term should be extended whether beyond the Church or no Now he asketh in Q. 149. What be those means namely that God affordeth us towards faith in Christ and the blessings in him A. All those things in which God by Christ as the light of the world and great Prophet speaks forth himself and goodness to men whether more generally and darkly or more specially and plainly of the former sort are his works ordered by way of enlargement or chastisement concerning which he proceedeth thus Qu. 152. They speak of God and his Attributes but do they speak any thing of Christ A. Distinctly they do not but by interpretation and more obscurely they do as the effect speaks some hidden cause or the work the workman Qu. 153. Declare this more plainly A. They manifest and speak that Goodness of God that could not have been toward us had not Christ interposed between God and us so that as the Death of men speaks Adams sin so they speak Christs Mediation The brief of these instructions is this according to the New light that some blazing Comets have afforded us The works of Creation and Providence bring men to the knowledge of Christ our Saviour and the Sun Moon and Stars preach the Gospel As for Christs interposing betwixt God and us I do in the first place acknowledge that his Mediation is not onely sufficient that is to say potentially efficacious but moreover actually efficacious for all men in the world whether they come to know any thing of him or no yea for the other creatures also thus far as to that mixture and measure of mercy which they enjoy and conservation of them in that estate wherein we now behold them God did so far accept of Noahs sacrifice Gen. 8 from which he smelled a sweet savour that he said I will not again curse the ground any more but while the earth remaineth Seed-time and Harvest Cold and Heat Summer and Winter Day and Night shall not cease It is more likely that the weight of so great a promise and of such extent to the worlds end should rest and bear it self upon the virtual contents of Noahs sacrifice than upon the Dutie Obedience or Religious exercise of Noahs person at that time The sacrifice of Noah might please God but that with which he was pacified and appeased was the virtue of Christs sacrifice contained Sacramentally in that of Noah as it was also in all the Propitiatory offerings of the Old Testament in which was offered and performed true satisfaction and propitiation though not truly or in truth but onely in Type and figure And as this promise or purpose of God touching the preservation and upholding of Man and all flesh although it were absolute and not conditionate nor with any contract made is yet called in Scripture a Covenant Gen. 9 taking that term at large and improperly So hath the Rain-bowe been called a Sacrament of it in like large and improper acception Thus far we hold that Jesus Christ did interpose as a general Mediatour but this no way conduceth to the purpose of these Questions and Answers and that for these two reasons 1. Because thus much is not known to all men by means of the works or creatures of God but to some onely and that by means of his word 2. Because this Mediation availeth onely and extendeth onely to temporal and worldly benefits not to salvation or life eternal Whereas in this Catechisme the works of God are said to speak a further Mediation and to be means with which Gods spirit and power is conversant To bring men to faith in Christ and so to the blessings in him even to be vessels of mercy Quest and Answ 146 147 148. In gainsaying which opinion I craveleave to ask this question Do the Sun Moon and Stars together with other works of Gods Creation speak any other language now then they did before the fall of man it must be answered No As the Sun doth shine alike at this day upon the just and the unjust so did it upon Adam while he was in Paradise and when he was thence excluded All things continue alike from the beginning of the Creation 2 Pet. 3. which though brought in as the saying of the Impostours yet doth not the Apostle deny the truth of what is said but onely