Rogers on Article X: Of Free-Will

The Propositions.

1. Man of his owne strength, many doe outward, and euil workes, before he is regenerate.

2. Man cannot doe any worke that good is, and godly, being not yet regenerate.

3. Man may performe, and doe good workes, when he is preuented by the grace of Christ, and renued by the holy Ghost.

1. Proposition. Man of his owne strength may doe outward, and euill workes, before he is regenerate.

The proofe from Gods word.

WEe denie not, that man, not yet regenerate, hath free will to doe the workes of nature, for the preseruation of the body, and bodily estate, which thing had, and haue the bruite beastes, and prophane Gentiles, as it is also well observed in our neighbour churches ¹: Besides man hath free will to performe the workes of Satan, both in thinking, willing, and doing that which euill is. For the imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart are onely euill continually ²; euill, euen from his youth ³. A truth confessed by our brethren d.

Errors, & adversaries vnto this truth.

A false perswasion is it therefore, that man hath no power to moue either his body so much as vnto outward things, as Laur. Valla dreamed ⁴, or his minde vnto sinne, as the Manichies maintained, affirming how man is not voluntarily brought, but necessarily driuen vnto sinne ⁵.

2. Proposition. Man cannot doe any worke that good is, and godly, beeing not as yet regenerate.

The profe from Gods word.

The wisedome of the flesh is enimitie against God: for it is not subiect to the Law of God, neither indeede can be. They that are in the flesh cannot please God ⁶.

The naturnll man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God; for they are foolishnes vnto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned ⁷.

No man can saie that Iesus is the Lord, but by the holy Ghost ⁸.

Wee are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing, as of our selues, but our sufficiencie is from God ⁹.

Without mee ye can doe nothing, saith our Sauiour Christ ¹⁰.

Which is the confession of the godly reformed ¹¹.

The adversaries vnto this truth.

Adversaries vnto this truth are all such as hold, that naturally there is Free will in vs, and that vnto the best things. So thought the Pharisies, the Sadduceis, the Pelagians ¹², and the Donatists ¹³: and the same affirme the Anabaptists ¹⁴, and Papists. For say the Papists,

Man, by the force & power of nature, may loue God, aboue all things ¹⁵.

Man hath free will to performe euen spirituall and heauenly things ¹⁶.

Men beleeue not but of their owne free will ¹⁷. It is in a mans free will to beleeue, or not to beleeue, to obey, or disobey the Gospell of truth preached ¹⁸.

The Catholike (popish) religion teacheth freewill ¹⁹.

3. Proposition. Man may performe, and doe good workes, when hee is preuented by the grace of Christ, and renued by the holy Ghost.

The proofe from Gods word.

In a man preuented by the grace of Christ, and regenerate by the holy Spirit, both the vnderstanding is enlightened. so that he knoweth the secrets and will of God; and the minde and the minde is altogether changed, and bodie enabled to doe good workes.

To this purpose the Sriptures are plentifull.

I will put my lawe in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts ²⁰.

No man knoweth the Father, but the Son, and he to whome the Sonne will reuiele him²¹.

Blessed art thou, Simon, the sonne of Ionas, for flesh and blood hath not revelled it vnto thee, but my Father, which is in heauen ²².

No man can say that Iesus is the Lord, but by the holy Ghost ²³.

To one is giuen by the spirit, the word of wisedome; and to another the word of knowledge, by the same spirit, and to another faith, by the same spirit; and to another the gifts of healing, by the same spirit; and to another the operations of great workes; and to another prophecie; and to another, the discerning of spirits; and to another, diuersities of tongues, and to an other, the interpretation of tongues &c. ²⁴.

God he purifieth mans hearts, ²⁵; worketh in vs both the will, and the deed ²⁶; the spirit helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what to pray as wee ought, &c ²⁷. Such were some of you, but yee are washed, but yee are sanctified, but ye are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus, and by the spirit of our God ²⁸.

Vnto you it is giuen for Christ, that not onely yee should beleeue in him, but also suffer for his sake ²⁹.

And this doe the Churches of God beleeue, and confesse ³⁰.

Footnotes

1. Confess. Helv. 2. cap. 9. Aug. ar. 28. Saxon. ar. 3.4.7. ↩

2. Gen. 6.5. ↩

3. Confess. Helv. 2. c. 9. & 1. ar. 9. Bohem. c. 4. ↩

4. Simon Pauli meth. par. 2. de lib. Ar. ↩

5. August. epist. 28. ↩

6. Rom. 8.7, 8. ↩

7. 1. Cor. 2.14.
   ↩
8. 1. Cor. 12.3.
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9. 2. Cor. 3.5.
   ↩

10. Ioh. 15.5. ↩

11. Confess. Helv. 1. ar. 9. & 2. c. 9. Basil. ar. 2. Bohem. c. 4. Aug. ar. 18. Belg. ar. 14. ↩

12. August. de pec. mer. l. 3. ↩

13. Jdem contra Pelil. cap. 19. ↩

14. Z[?]ng. contra Catabap. ↩

15. Gab. Biel 3. sent. dist. 37. ↩

16. Concil. Trid. sess. 6. cap. 1. ↩

17. Test. Rhem. an. Matth. 20.16. ↩

18. Ibid. annot. marg. p. 408. ↩

19. Hills quart. 13. reas. ↩

20. Ierem. 31.33. ↩

21. Matth. 11.27. Luke 10.22. ↩

22. Matth. 16.17. ↩

23. 1. Cor. 12.3.
    ↩
24. 1. Cor. 12.8.
    ↩

25. Act. 15.9. ↩

26. Phil. 2.13. ↩

27. Rom. 8.26. ↩

28. 1. Cor. 6.11.
    ↩

29. Phil. 1.29. ↩

30. Confess. Helv. 2. cap. 9. Aug. ar. 18. Bohem. c. 4. Saxon. ar. 4. ↩