Veneer on Article X: Of Free-Will

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The Exposition*

O D created Man perfed: in his Kind, and with a Will free in relation to Good as well as Evil : But he fell from this Liberty when he commit- ted Sin, broke the Strength of his “Will, remained no longer free with relation to Good, and ib became the Servant of Sin. From hence proceeds that Blindness of Man’s Uncjerflanding, that Fervcrjenefs of his Will,

and

^66 An Exposition on the

Article X. and that violent Motion of his Paflions and Ap- ”“V’ petites, that Man, when left to himself, is nei- ther able to discern or to chiife those Things which are Good, but is hurried away into the Choice of those Things which are contrary thereto. Wherefore it is that our Saviour, ThsNecefityofJobn XV. 4, $. addrelTes himself to his Dii Divine Grace. Qpjs in this manner ; jlide in me and I in you : As the Branch catmot hear Fruit of it self, except it abide in the Vine , no more can ye ex cept ye abide in me, I am the Vine ye are the Branches : He that abideth in me and I in bimj the fame bringeth forth much Fruit - for ivithout me ye can do nothing. And for the fame Realbn he tells us, chap, vi. 44. That 710 Man could come to him except the Father which fent him, draw him. As likewise doth St. Paul Rom. viii. 8. Thy they that are in the FleJJj cannot please Goa. And i Cor. ii. 14. That the natural Man recciveth not the Things of the Spirit of God ; for they are FooliJJmefs unto him : Neither can he know them because they are fpi- . ritually difcerned. And chap. xii. and the latter

Part of the 3d Verle, That 710 Man can fay that Jesus is the Lord hut by the Holy Ghost. So that we are under a Neceflity of having the Holy Spirit to affift us in the Performance of every Thing that is Good, which being a mofb GrAre freely excellent Gift of God, and freely given, is by Sr/’relf yy Eminence call’d Grace : And indeed it *”’ * seems to be wanting to none besides those who are wanting to themselves.

Whilst Man, faith S. Clemejit of Alexaji* dria^ exercises himself, and labours with his’ corrupt Nature, he profiteth nothing: But if iie becomes a true and diligent Defir^r of it, he

obtain^

Tljirty-Wine Articles. 167

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<^r>r>u

N o Man, faith Irejiccus^ that is not within the Reach of such good Things or Benefits as proceed from the Lord, can procure to himself the Means of Salvation f.

H E declared, faith ‘itertuUian fpeakingof our Saviour, that he did not his own, but his Fa^ ther’sWill. Without doubt, the Things which he did were the Will of the Father, which we are to look upon as Patterns for our selves, that we may preach, do, and bear them even unto Death ; which, that we may accomplish, we have need of the Will of God t-

S o abiblutely necefTary is the Grace of God, of which we are difcourfmj, that, as this Ar- tide farther afferts, we cannot Will, or do any thing that is acceptable to God without it: Wc cannot believe, except God open our Hearts, as he did the Heart of Lydia^ A^s xvi. 14. And S. ?aul tells us, mL ii. 13. That it is God which ivorketh in us to ivill and to do of his good Fleafure §.

I T is likewise afferted in this Article, that the Grace of God is by Christ : And, indeed, all the ipiritual Gifts and Benefirs which God

• 6)u’js Dh’esfalv. C. XXI.

t Adv. Hat. Lib. IV. C. XXVII.

■^ Be Oratio-ae, C. IV.

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hath

2<58 Jn Expofitioii en the

Article X. hath bcflowed on Men, have been given thro*

V>^rNJ

him, and for his Sake alone. For which Reafbn, they who in old Time pleased God, (for that fome of them did- please him, appears at large from Heb. xi. 5.) did it not by the Strength of their own F^efolution, but by the Affiflance of the Grace of God, which was then by Chrill, whole Merits extended to all Ages of the World ; and therefore he is called. Rev. xiii. 8. ^be Lamb Jlain from the Foundation of the World,

IK E NJE US tells us *, That for the Sake of Christ, it pleased God to fave those that were able to do nothing towards saving themselves ; and that therefore S. Paul speaking of Man’s Infirmity, hath these Words ; For I knoiv that in my FleJJj dwelleth jio good i’hing ; fignifying that our Salvation is not of our selves, but of God. And again, O wretched Man that I am ! IVho shall deliver me from the Body cf this Death ? Afterwards, continues he, he mentions his Deliverer, and afcribes his Deliverance to the Grace of our Lord Tefus Christ.

As there is no Subje^ in Divinity which Men come to with greater Eagernefs, than that which is contained in this Article ; fo it may not be amifs, in this Edition of this Book, to enlarge upon it, by setting down the Reafonings of a very great Divine or two at full Length, which will be better than any other Method that I can think of, to give the Reader a full View, of what hath been, or may be said upon it.

• Jjv.ruT. LibJII. C.XXIL

Cardinal

Thirty -Kine x\rticles, 260

Cardinal Contarenus faith Dr. Field in the Article x.” Page before referred to, hath written a most OOTs divine and excellent Difcourfe concerning Free- WilJ, in which he fhews the Nature of Free- Will, and how the Freedom of the Will is pre- lerved or loft. In this Difcourie he fheweth, I. What it is to be Free; and then, 2. What that is which we call Free-Will. What it is to be Free he fhews in the following Manner. As he is a Servant that is not at his own Difpoial, fo as to do nothing without an- other’s bidding him, and not what feemeth good, or is agreeable to himlelf, fb he is said to be free, who is under no Restraint of this Nature ; and therefore, the more any thing is moved by, and of itself, the more free must it be allowed to be : So that natural Things are obfervcd to come nearer to Liberty, or to be further from it, according as they are moved more or \q’s by any thing within or without themselves ; fb that a Stone is in fome Sense free when it falleth down- wards, because it is moved by something v/ithin ’, but it fuffereth Violence, and is moved by Ibmething from without, when it afcendeth upwards : Nor can it be said, ftridly speaking, to move itself when it goeth downwards, inafmuch as it is moved by an Impreflion of that Weight for which it is beholden, not to itself, but to the Author of Nature and, inafmuch as it moveth but one way, it is far from Freedom and Liberty, even in this very Motion. Living Things move themselves, and not only one, but many ways, and, indeed every way. Thus Plants and Trees, in which the loweil Degree of Life is dilcerned, move themselves down- wards and upwards, on the Right Hand,

and

170 jin Expofitioii on the

i^RTicLF X. and on the Left, yet they know not whethefg nor is their Motion occafioned by, or at- tended with any Forecast or Design of their own 5 fo that they are far from Liberty. Brute Animals are moved by themselves in a more excellent Manner , for having difcerned such Things as are fitting to their Nature and Condition, a Desire of these Things is raised in them, fb that they may very pro- perly and truly be said to move themselves, because they raise in themselves that DeGre by which they are moved ; but yet, not- withftanding all this, they are void of true Liberty and Freedom : For there is no Liberty truly and properly fb called, but where there is an Apprehension, not of such Things only as are of this or that particular kind, but of all Things generally of the Proportion which they have within them- selves, and of the different Degrees of Good- ness that are found in them, a DeHre of Good in general, and a greater or \q£s Desire of each particular Good, according as it appears to be greater or less, or a preferring one iDefore another, and chooung that which it efteems the best : So that Reason is the Foundation and Root of all Liberty , and when it finally resolves, that this or that Thing is upon fome Accounts better than another, or all others that are within our Pwcach, the Will doth of course incline towards it, as the chiefeil Good which it is in our Power to obtain. This Sort of Know- ledge is not to be found in any Creature below the Condition of Man ; other living Creatures have an Apprehension of fome certain Things only, they have no Know- ledge of Good in general, but fome certain

good

Thirty ‘Nhie Articles. 271

good Things only ; no Desire of Good in ARTicLt x. general, according to the usual Acceptation U/”YN^ of the Words, but of such particular good Things as are fitted to their Capacities of Enjoyment. These therefore cannot be {liid to have a free and unlimited Apprehension or Desire of Good, but such an Apprehension and Desire as are circumfcribed and confined within a certain Compass ; like a Man under Confinement, who though he may move himself, and walk up and down, yet cannot go beyond the Limits and Boundaries which are appointed him.

But Man was made to have an Apprehension of all Things, to diicern the Nature of each, and the different Degrees of Goodness found in them ; and accordingly to desire Good in general ; to desire each particular Thing more or kfs^ as it appears to him to be more or kfs Good ; never to be satisfied with any thing less than Infinite; to desire that Good which is Infinite, as originally Good, and as the last End, because above and beyond it there is nothing to be desired ^ and to desire nothing but in reference to it, since nothinp- can be Good but by partaking of it. And from hence we may easily fee, how the Liberty of our Will is preserved, and how, and in what manner it is lofi: • for since the Desire of the chief Good, and the lafi: End, is the Ori- ginal of all particular Desires, if God be pro- posed to us as our lail End, and chief Good, in whom, and for whom, and from whom are all Things • then fiiall the Will, without PvC- ftraint, without turning aside to the Right Hand or to the Left, without intangling itielf in any Intricacies whatsoever, freely love what- foever is Good j and every thincr more or less,

as

L/’-rx^

272 Jn Eipofition o?i the

‘IJll - as It approaches nearer to God, or as it is at a greater Distance from him, and nothing but that which is pleasing to him , and by this Method our Liberty is preserved and continued to us. But if we depart from God, and make any other Thing our chief Good, and last End, we feek for that which is Infinite, within the Com- pass of that which is Finite, and lb languifh and pine, even in theMidft of our Enjoyments, never finding what we feek, because we feek it where it is not to be found j bringing ourselves withal into a Streight, fb as to regard nothing, though never fo good, further than in reference to this finite Thing, which we efleem as if it were Infinite ; and besides this, we look upon ourselves alone as our chiefeft Good : For, as Picus Mirandula observes, the Ground of the Love of FriendOiip is Unity- and, ‘tis certain, that God is nearer to every one of us, than we are to ourselves, that we are nearer to ourselves than any Thing besides, and that there is a Nearnefs and Conjunction betwixt other Things and us : So that in a State of Innocence we loved God first, and before, and more than ourselves, and ourselves no otherwise but in and for him but falling from that State, we muil of neceffity decline fo far from the right Way, Vv’hich we were then in, as to love our- selves above all Things, and to make our own Greatness our own Glory, and whatever elfe is pleasing and agreeable to us, the chief Objects of our Desires. And because the Soul, forget- ful of her own Worth and Dignity, hath im- merfed herself into the Body and Senses, and is degenerated into the Nature and Condition of the Body, flie puts herself in quest of nothing with fo much Eagernefs as bodily Pleasures, which fhe looks upon as most proper for, and

fitting

IJjirty-‘Nine Articles. 2^5

fitting to her ; and declines nothing \ith greater Article X. Diligence and Care, and looks upon nothing to v/VNn/- be more contrary and difagreeable to her, than those Things which afflid, and are grievous to the outward Man : This is the Fountain of all the Evils that are found in our Nature. This puts us into horrible Confufions j for having raised ourselves into the Throne of God by Pride, and having fancied ourselves endued with a matchlefs and incomparable Greatness, we are no left grieved at the Good of other Men, than if fome Evil had befallen ourselves j nay, we make the Good of other Men a real Evil to ourselves, becaule we cannot help thinking it an Injury done to us, an Affront to our Merit, and an Opposition to our Interest, if any Man be made either to excel or equal us, or have any Thing wherein he is not fubor- dinate to us. Thus do we run into Envy and all other forts of Evil thus do we difquiet and afflicH: ourselves without end, and without mealure. We are likewiie hereby deprived of our former Liberty ; for we neither know the whole Variety of good Things, as we once did, our Knowledge being now from Sense, nor their different Degrees, that fo we might have Power to desire them, and to prefer one before another, according to the Worth and Value of it, nor can we desire any Good, but as it serves our Turn : fo that we cannot esteem any Thing that is not in our Opinion calculated for this End. All Divines are agreed, that the Will of Man fmce the Fall, hath loft the Freedonx which it formerly had from Sin and Misery but fome understand this in one Sense, and ibme in another : For fome afiRrm, That Men have fo far forth loft their Liberty from Sin, by the Fall oi Adam that they cannot

S but

274 -^^ Exposition on the

Article X. but fill in whatsoever moral AcS they dcv - But those of the Church oi Rome at this Time, dislike this Opinion 3 for they fuppole, that though our Will be not free from Sin, fo as calledlively to decline the Commiflion of every particular Sin ; and though in the State or Condition we are in at preicnt, we cannot but fin at one Time or other, in one Thing or other, yet we may decline every particular Sin divifively, and do the true Works of moral Virtue. There hath been a great deal of Dif- puting and Contention about Free-Will , and therefore, for the clearing of this Point, two Things are to be noted, i. From What, and, 2. Wherein, this Liberty may be thought to be. The Things from which the Will may be thought to be free, are five. i. The Autho- rity of a Superior Commander, and the Duty of Obedience. 2. The Infpedion, Care, Government, Diredion, and Ordering of a Superior. 3. NecefTity, and that either from fome external Cause enforcing, or from Nature inwardly determining, and absolutely moving one way. 4. Sin and the Dominion of it. 5. Misery. Of these five Kinds of Liberty, the ’ two First agree only to God, fo that in the

highest Degree the t5 (Lvnl^^-iv^ that is. Freedom of Will, is proper to God only ; and in this Sense Calvin and Luther rightly deny, that the Will of any Creature is, or ever was free. The third Kind of Liberty is opposite, not only to Force, but also to natural Necefhty. In Op- position to Force the Understanding is free , for howfosvcr a Man may be forced to think and believe contrary to his Inclination, that is, such Things as he would not have to be true, yet the Understanding cannot affent to any 1 hing contrary to her own Inclination , for the Un-

derllandinET

Thirty-lSline Article?. 275

derftanding is inclined to think of Things as Article X. they are, and as they arc made appear to her, “yy whether they are agreeable to our Natuie or other wife : But the Understanding is not free from Neceffity. The Will in her Ading is free, not only in Opposition to Force, but to natural Neceffity alio. Natural Neceffity confifteth in this, that when all Things required to enable an Agent to produce its proper EfFcds, are in a Readiness, it hath no Power to forbear ‘the producing them, but it is neceffarily put into Adion by them : So the Fire, for instance, having proper Fuel put on it, and in due Order, cannot but burn. The Liberty of the Will therefore, appears from hence, that though all those Things are present, that are pre-required to enable it to bring forth its proper Adions, yet it hath Power not to bring them forth, and that it continues indifferent and undetermined, till it determine and incline itself God, indeed, worketh upon the Will to determine itself ; neither is it poffible that he (hould fo work upon it, and that it should not determine itself ac- cordingly 5 but yet God’s working upon the Will doth not take from it the Power of dif- lenting and doing otherwise, but fo inclineth it, that having Liberty to do otherwise, fhe will adually determine according to the Working of God upon her. Ltither and Calvin are charged with the Denial of this Liberty of the Will , and many flrange Abfurdities are ascribed to them, Luther is said to have affirmed, that the Will of Man is merely paffive, that it pro- duceth no Ad, but receiveth into itself such Ads as God alone worketh and produceti in it without the lead Concurrence of its own. But all this is nothing but mere Calumny, for Luther knew very well, that Men produce such Adions

S 2 as

%7(y An Exposition on the

Article X. as are externally Good and Evil, willingly, and out of choice, and confefTeth that we do the good Things that God commandeth us, when we are made Partakers of his Grace, but that God worketh us to do them j we believe, we fear, we love : But it is God that worketh us to believe, fear, and love. ‘Tis mod certain, ’ faith St. Augufiiiie that we do those Things ’ which we are said to do, but it is God that ’ maketh us to do them, not only by perfuad- *’ ing, inviting, and inwardly drawing us by ” moral Inducements, but by a true and real ” Efficiency. ” So that according to Luther Opinion, we move not but as we are moved ; and are no othcrwife active, but as we have been pafTive before j we cannot turn ourselves but as we are firfl wrought upon, and made to turn j and yet wc do truly move ourselves, and truly, freely, and cheerfully chufe that which is Good, and turn ourselves to it from that which is Evil. Tis said by Divines, that it is one Thing to make us to will, and another to produce the A61 of Willing. God worketh both these, but in a different manner : The first of these he worketh alone ; we cause not our- selves to will ; the Second he produceth toge- ther with us, willing what he would have us to do, and producing that which is done by us:’ So that in the former Consideration, we are merely Paflive, in the latter Adive ; which neither Luther nor any of his Followers ever denied. Calvin they fay, confeiTeth that the Will concurreth adively to the Aft which God produceth ; but without any Freedom at all, unless we speak of that Freedom which is from Co-aStion or Force. ‘Tis true, indeed, that Calvin denieth us to be free fl’om Necelliity : But he ipeaketh of the Necellity of Sinning ;

but

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Tbirty-Nhie Articles. “^77

but he never denieth us to be free from natural Article x. Neceflity, that is, from being put into Adliion, fo as natural Agents are, that is, without any- Choice or Liking of what we are inclined to do. ‘Tis evident, that Calvin confefleth the Will of Man to be free to do Evil ^ and he denieth not, but that it is free to perform such Actions as are civilly or morally Good, with regard to their Kind, and the Objects about which they are converfant : Nay, he thinks, that the Will freely, and out of choice, willeth whatfbever it willeth ; As in an unregenerate State it freely wiileth whatfbever it should not, fo when God converteth it, he turneth the Courle of its Actions and Desires, and maketh it freely, and out of choice, to incline to Good. That Men have loft the Freedom from Sin, and put themselves into a Neceflity of Sinning, S. Anguftme proves in the following Manner: Man, by making an ill Uie of Free-Will, destroyed both him- lelf and it; for as he that hath killed himself, hath killed himself by living, but doth not live by Virtue of this unnatural Violence committed upon himself, and is likewiie incapable of restoring himself to Life again j fo when Man committed Sin with a Fie(:^- Will, Sin being his Conqueror, the Freedom of his Will was loft ; for of whom a Man is cvercome^ of the fame is he hrottght in Bondage, This being the Cafe, what Liberty can a Bond- Servant of this kind be fuppoled to have, ex- cept it be when it pleases him to fin ? For he serves his Master freely, that performs what he experts or requires of him willingly. So that he that is the Servant of Sin, is free to com- mit Sin, but for that Reason not at Liberty to do Good, unlels being made free from Sin, he hath begun to be the Servant of Righteouihels. S S This

278 Jn Exposition on the

Article X. “XKis \s truc Liberty, by reaibn of that inward syyJ Plcafure and Satisfadion which attends our doing well ; and withal, a pious Servitude on the account of our Obedience to the Conamand of God. But how fli ill one that is fold to be the Bond-Servant of Sin, attain to this Liberty of doing well, except he be redeemed by him who hath told us, That // the Son JJoall make us free we jloall he free indeed ? But before this good Work is begun in a Man, what Grounds hath he to glory of his Will’s being free to do Good, fnice he is not as yet fet at Liberty to do Good None surely, besides that Pride and Vanity which the Apoille endeavours to check and reilrain us from, by telling us, That hy Grace we are fa-ved tlorough Faith. Here we fee the Neceflity of Sinning, and Freedom from natural NecefHty, fubfiil together in the cor- rupted Nature of Alan. ” The Will, faith St. Bernard being in a furprizing and ilrange ’ Manner depraved by Sin, impofcs a Necef- fity upon itself : So that this NecefTity, when ‘tis voluntary, cannot excuse the Will , neither can the Will exclude it when ‘tis ’ othervvjfe. For this Ncceffity is in fome refpcd voluntary ; ‘tis a Sort of a favourire ’ Influence or Inclination, flattering us by ’ conflraining, and conftraining us by flatter- ” ing ; ‘tis the Will that made herself the Ser- ’ vant of Sin, when flie was ‘ctc by consent- ” ing to it ; and ‘tis the Will nevertheless, ’* which confines herself under the Dominion ” of Sin, by serving it voluntarily. If it be ” demanded that I should fhew how ‘tis pofllble, that what appears to be neceliliry, fliould be *’ also voluntary ; I answer, That ‘tis indeed true, ’ that the Will hath put herself under Bondage, ’ but doth no: detain herself under it, and that fne.

”^ may

Thirty-l^me Articles. 27.9

may of the Two, be rather fald to be detained Article % ’ againftherConfent. It will be replied, thsti ”V do well to fay that it is detained by something elfej but I should observe, that it is the Will that is detained, and that to talk of an unwilling Will, founds ibmewhat oddly. TheVVill cannot be detained without her Consent, for the Will * \s the Power or Faculty of a Perfbn willing, * and not of a Person nilling : If Ihe be detained willingly, (he is detained by herself What then will fhe fay, or what will fhe anflver for herself, fmcefhe herself hath made herself the Servant of Sin, as it is laid. He that doth Sin, *’ is the Servant of Sin • for when (he fmned, which fhe did when fhe purpofed or resolved to be obedient to Sin, ilie made herself the Servant ’ of Sin; But fhe is made free if fhe do not con- ” tinue to commit Sin. But fhe continues in Sin as long as fhe continues herself in the Servitude or Bondage which fhe hath put herself in j nor can the Will be said to be detained altogether againfl her Confcnt, because fhe is what we call the Will : Therefore, because fhe hath voluntarily made herself a Servant, or Slave, we may fay, not only that fhe hath made herself one, but * also that fhe makes herself one. But you will ” fay, perhaps, that I shall never make you dif ’ believe that Neceflity which you ioX and expe- ’ rience in yourself, and continually flrive and firuggie againfb. But where, I befeech you, do you feel this NecelTity v/hich you complain of? Is it not in the Will ? For you may be said to will that with a Witness, which you will out of Neceflity, which you cannot be unwilling of, or much oppoie. Moreover, where the Will is, there is Liberty, I mean a Natural, but not a Spiritual Liberty, not that Liberty, with which as the Apoftie tells us, Cbvifi hath made S 4 ” us

£C

i^6 jiii Expofitioii on the

AicLE X. 5 y, Pqj. this is the Liberty which he y* ’ Ipeaks of, when he tells us, that iiohere the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty. So the Soul, by a strange and evil Sort of Diipofition, is detained as a Servant, and also free under this voluntary and sadly free Neceflity , a Serr vant on the Account of the NecelTity which ihe is under, and free by Reason of the Will ; and what is flill more strange and more deplo- rable, therefore guilty because free, and there- fore a Servant because guilty ; fo that at lafl it comes to thisthat fhe is therefore a Servant *’ because free.” And afterward.” What I would not, that I do, but ‘tis I myself and no other ” that hinders me from doing as I would • and ” what 1 hare, that I do, but without the Com- pulfion of any body but myself And would ’ to God that this Reilraint and this Cornpulfion ’ were fo violent that it might not be voluntar * ry J for, perhaps, I might by this Means be ’ excused ; or, that it might be fo voluntary as ’ not to be violent ; for by this Means there ’ might be a FolTibility of my growing better.”

‘T I s true, that natural Men may do Things that are good in their kind, and with regard to the Obje(5l about which they are converfant, and perform fach external Ad:ions as serve to entertain this present Life ^ but to do any thing that is morally good, not only with relpeft to these, but also with refpe6l to the End and Circumstances of it, is what the corrupted Na- ture of Man is not capable of There are feve- ral excellent Paffiges to this Purpose scattered up and down in the Works of St. yiugiiftine, Man by Willing of Evil, defervedly loft the PofHbility of doing Good, who by having it in his f ower to do Good, might have over?

come

Thirty-Niue Articles: 2 8 1

come his Inclination to Evil. By Sin, there- Article X. fore, Free-Will destroyed the Good which it V^nTV^. was in Man’s Power to do, but not the Name or Nature of it. We confess, that there’s a Freedom of the Will in all Men, having a fort of Judicial Power over their Reafbn, but this doth not extend to Things of a religious Na- ture, but only to such good and bad Things as concern this present Life. By good Things I here understand such as proceed from what is good in Nature -, as to be willing to labour in a Field, to be willing to have a Friend, to be w^illing to be cloathed, to build a House, to be acquainted with useful Arts and Sciences, or to obtain any thing that may be of ufe to us in this present Life. By evil Things, such as to be willing to worship an Idol, to commit Mur- der, and the like. You ad, indeed, with-

out the Affiftance of God, and with a Free- will, but then you ad wickedly. This is the Property of that Will of yours which you call Free, and by ading in this manner it becomes the Servant of Sin, and is therefore obnoxious or liable to Damnation. When I tell you, that without the Help of God you can do nothing, 1 mean, nothing that is good : For your Will is free to do Evil without the Affiftance of God, though it be not altogether free neither. For of whom a Man is onjercome^ of the fame he is brought in Bondage^ and whofcever doth fin is the Servant of Sin. […] The Will cannot be free in that which is good, fmce our Deliverer hath not freed it, but with refped to Evil it is free enough. -~ This Will which is free, with refped to Evil, because it takes Delight in it, is not free with relation to Good, because it is

not freed. We have always a Free-Will,

but not always ?\ good one. For it is either • ’ ’ free

28 1 j47i Expofitioii on the

Article X. free from Righteoufncfs when it serves Sin, and * then ‘tis evil ; or ‘tis free from Sin when it serves Righteoufnefi, and then ‘tis good For the Grace of God is always good, and ‘tis by Vir- tue of this that Man hath a good Will, who

before had a bad one. It must be confef-

fed, that we have a Free-Will to do Good, or to do Evil : But with refped to Evil, every Man is free, whether he be the Servant of Righteoufnefs or the Servant of Sin ; but as to Good, no Man can be free before he hath been freed. -= — - Our Free-Will is fo hamper’d and captivated, that it prevails only in Evil, and not as to Righteoufnefs, except it be freed and

affifted by God. We loft that Will which

was free to love God by the Greatness of our first Sin.

AJLI MINENSIS faith, ” That the ’ Will is determined to Evil, if it be not otherwise difpofed by the special Grace of ’ God.” And therefore what St. Aufufiine faith to the Pelagicins is very well worth our Notice. ” The Fehigum will fay, (ifciith he Do you in good carneft condemn thole Works which are done by Virtue of Free- Will ? Hear me, thou foolish Heretick,

^OCICC.

’^ thou Enemy to the Truth of the Chri ” ftian Faith : Those Anions of Free-V’il!

which Men are prepared to do by the Pre- vention of Divine Grace, without any Alerit ’ of Free-Will, as long as this Preventing '' Grace causes, governs, and perfeds them, ’ we are very far from condemning them, but ’• desire that Men may have as much of such ’ a Free-Will as this is, as is pofTible for by ” such Actions as these the People of God ” have been iuftificd. are iuilified, and fliall

“be

Tbirty-Nme Articles. 285

bejuftified inChrift. But we condemn, and Article X. ” that too by God’s Authority, those Works *”Vs-;, of Free-Will which are put before Grace, and ’ are cried up as meritorious, and sufficient to ’ justify us in Christ.” Ariminenfis/i/Z; again ” That no Man can deserve the first Grace of ’ God by the Merit of Condignity, or, in- ’ deed, by that of Congruicy. This (Joe says) ’ he aflerts in Opposition to the Opinion of ” fome modern Divines ; and that by Grace * he understands the special Afliftance of God, ’ in order to our Well-doing.” “The fitting or ’ preparing us for Grace, faith Bonaventure, ’ confifls of three Parts or Divisions, the Effi- ” cient, the Formal, and the Material -; the ” first is from God, the second from Grace, ” which is freely given us, the third is from ” ourselves. For the Soul hath the Power and ’ Means of Knowing and of Loving God by Nature 3 but it hath not the Knowledge of the Truth, nor the Method which it is to observe in fhewing its Tove to God, but by ’ Grace.” Jn another Place be hath these Jfords : ''' The Freedom of the Will is three- ’ fold, iz. From Neceffity, from Sin, and ’ from Misery. The first of these is the Free- ” dom of Nature, the second of Grace, and ” the third of Glory. The first of these is common both to the Good and Bad, the second is peculiar to the Good, and the third ” to the Saints in Fleaven. Free- Will is freer ” in good Men than in bad, becauie good Men are fubje6l to no other Bondage besides that of Misery, whereas bad xMen are fub- jed both to Sin and Misery. But when we are arrived at our proper Home, the Will shall be endued with all the Free- ” dom imaginable, because the Servitude of

” every

Ci.

a

(C

(C

2S4 ^n Exposition on the

Article X- ’ eveiy kind which it is now fubjedl: to fliall be -“VN*- ” aboliflied. We may observe in this Place, ’ that though neither God nor Angels, nor the ” Spirits of just Men made perfed, can do any ’ thing that is evil , yet they are, neverthe- less, endued with a Freedom of Will ; be- ” cause they make Choice of Good and de- cline Evil, not by Reason of any Infirmity ’ or Neceflity, but freely and voluntarily. In like manner we must fay of the Devil, that ’ he hath Free-Will, but always refufeth Good ’ and chufes Evil : But this is not occalioned by any Violence or Force conftraining him, but a voluntary or wilful Obflinacy. Free- Will is either at an equal Poize, and equally ’*” inclined both to Good and Evil, as it was in ” our first Parents before the Fall or elfe it inclines more to Evil than it does to Good, ” as in such as are regenerated by Baptifin ” or more to Good than to Evil, as in those that are fandified in the Womb, and de- * signed by God for fome very great and ex- traordinary Undertakings or Miniftrations ; ’ or elfe it neceffarily inclines to Evil, as in ’ Unbelievers, who are unregenerate ; or elfe, ’ in the last Place, it neceffiirily inclines to *’ Good, as in those that are efiablifhed and ’ confirmed in Holiness.” And in another Pla’e • ” Man is more prone to Evil than to ” Good ; and that upon many Accounts. First, ’ Becaule, as it is said, the Body which is ’ corrupted weigheth down the Soul, drawing ’• her to Evil, but not lifting her up to Good. ” Secondly, Because, as St. Atigtiftine faith, the Evii which we are accuftomcd to hath a ’ greater Prevalence over us than the Good which we are not. Thirdl), Because it is ”• naturally much eaner to, deicend, than it is

“to

Thirty -‘N me Articles. 28 j

^^ to ascend j and one Men will draw backward Article x.

[…]

’^ cause the Temptation to Evil is present with

” US5 but the final Reward of Virtue and Ho-

’^ linefs, which is proposed to us, in order to

’^ incite us to Good, is at a Distance. What-

’^ ever Is apprehended to be pleasing and de-

” lightful, either by the Senses or Imagination,

’^ does, as it were, necefTarily ftir up a Desire

” and Hankering after it, that is, Concupifcence

’^ within us. Fifthly, Because more Circum-

’^ stances are required, in order to Good than

’^ to Evil. Sixthly, Because we have a Ten-

’^ dency towards the first Principle, out of

’^ which we sprung, that is. Nothing. Seventh-

’^ ly, Because the Incitement which ftirs us up

” to do Evil, is always within us. Eighthly,

’^ Because the Powers and Faculties of our

’^ Minds are fprightly and active in the Pursuit

’^ of Temporal Things, but paflivc and lan-

’^ guid with regard to Spiritual. Because the

” Virtues and Graces of a good Life are not

*’ acquired, but received : From whence it

*”^ comes to pass, that we can do Evil by our-

” selves, but cannot do Good without the Af-

^^ fi fiance of Divine Grace.

P EER LOMBARD proposing the Question, Whether all the Intentions and Adli- ons of them that lack Faith be Sin ? hath these Words: If Faith diredt the Intention, and ” the Intention make a Work to be good , there seems to be no good Work where ” there’s neither Faith nor a good Intention.” Which is rationally accounted for by those who affert, That all the Actions and Inclinations of Man, without Faith, are evil, which are never- thelefs good, when accompanied by Faith, ac- cording

t%6 An Expofitioii on the

Article X. cordiiig to what \s said by the Apoflle, — Tha /""V” what is not of Faith is Sni. St. Augustine upon this Place aith, ” That the whole Life of Un- ’ believers is Sin, and nothing is good without ’ the chiefcft Good : Where the Acknowledg- ’ ment of the Eternal Truth is wanting, there’s ’ a Flaw and Defe6t even in the very bed of ” our A6lions.” And St. James tells us, in his General Epiflle, I’hat “jchofoe’ver offends in one Point of the La-w is guilty of all A little lower the fame Writer takes Notice of that Saying of the Apostle, That zvithout Faith ‘tis impojjihk to please God. And then he observes, ” That ” those Actions which are done without Faith ’ arc not good, because every thing that is ” good is pleasing to God.” And lastly, he says, ” That the Reason why the Adions of ” those who have not Faith are always sinful, ’ is not because they are always o in them- ’ lelves, but because they are not done with ’ a right Intention, or for a good End.” Brad’ivardin in his Sum against the Pelagians of his Time, tells us, ” That the Will of Man, ’ fmce the Fall, hath no Power to bring forth ’ any good A6lion, that may be morally good ’ with relation to its End and Circumftanccs’” And Alvarez though he thought that all the Actions of Infidels are not Sin, yet he faith, ’* That none of them is truly an Act of Vir- ” tue, in refpe6b of its last natural End.” Cajfander faith, ” That the Article of the Aih giijiii ConfefTion, concerning Original Sin, ” agreeth with the Dodrine of the Church, ’ fmce it teacheth, that the Will of Man hath fome kind of Liberty to perform an Ad: of Civil Justice, and to make Choice of Things ’ fubjed to Reason • but that without the Spi- ” rit of God it hath no Power to do any thing

” that

Thirty ‘Nme Articles. 2S7

’^ that may be just- before God, or any thin? Article X. ”’ spiritually just.” V>nr\J.

And all Orthodox Divines do agree, in Op poficion to the Pelagians that ‘tis the Work of Grace to make us truly just before God ; that this Grace doth not create any new Will in us, neither doth it lay any abfoluce Constraint up- on the old one, but only corredleth the Depra- vity of it, and turneth it from willing what it ought nor, to what it ought to will , drawing it with a kind of inward Motion, that it may throw off its Aversion to good Things, and willingly consent to the Divine Calling. The Pelagians those Enemies to the Grace of God, being urged with those Texts of Scripture, in which Grace is made Mention of, endeavoured to avoid the Force of them, affirming, That by Grace we are to underiland, the Powers, Faculties, and Perfedions of Nature, freely given us by God our Creator at the Beginning. A’hen this would not serve their Turn, they told us, That by Grace we were to understand the RcmifTion of our Past Sins, and if what was pall were forgiven, there was Good enough in Ndture to enable us to bethink ourselves for the 1 jme to come, fo as to do Good and de- cline Evil. When this Shif: likewise failed them, they began to fay, That perhaps, Men \yill not bethink themselves of the Duty which they are bound to do, or will not prefcntly and certainly discern what they are to do, without fome Inflrudion or illumination but that if they have the Help of Inflrucliion and Illumina- tion, they may easily, out of the Strength of Nature, decline Evil, and do what they diiccrii to be good. St. Bernard hath given us an ex- cellent Answer to chefe bold AlTertions, in these

Words^

i88 An Exposition on the

Article x„ Words, *’ ‘Tis not alike easy to know our

-” ” Iuty, and to pradife it. For to lead a ” blind Man and to carry a tired one are ’ Things of a different Nature. He that ’ fliews a Man the Way, does not, by fo do- *’ ing, furnish him with what is necelfary for ” his Subfiftance upon the Road: He that ” takes Care that he shall not miss his Way, ’ and he that takes Care that he does not faint *’ or fail in it before he hath performed his ” Journey, do both of them perform Offices ’ of a different Nature from each other. So ” he that is a Teacher is not presently a Com- ’ municator of Good, let him teach what- * Ibever he will. Moreover, there are two *’ Things which 1 have need of. To be taught, ” and to be afHfted. ‘Tis true, that you are ” in the right to have Regard to Mens Igno- ” ranee, in order to remove it j but if the Opinion of the Apostle may be admitted for ” Truth, he Spirit helpeth our Infirmities. In *’ a Word, he that ministers Council to me by *’ your Mouth, must of Neceffity afford me ’ the AfHflance of his Holy Spirit, or \ih * your Endeavours to enlighten me will turn *’ to no Account.

When they were driven from this Device alio, they betook themselves to another, viz. That the Help of Grace is necelTary to make us do good more easily, more conftantiy and universally than in the present State of Nature we are able to do, and to make us fb to do Good, as to attain Eternal Happiness in Hea- ven. And this is, and was the Opinion of many Divines in the Church of Kome^ both antient and modern. For many of them taught, that Men in the present State of Nature^ as it now

is

Thirty- jNme Articles; 289

is, since the Fall o£ Adam may decline each Article X. particular Sin, perform such Works as are truly OTV virtuous :incl good, fulfil the several Precepts of the Law of God, according to the Subftaiice of the Work commanded, tho* not according to the Intention of the Law-giver ; that they may Jove God above all Things, as the Author and End of Nature. So that for these Purposes there was no NeccfTity for the Gift of Grace, but that Grace is added, to make us do Good more easily, constantly, and universally, and to merit Heaven, And therefore Stapleton con- feffeth, ” That many wrote unadvifedly, as ” well among the Schoolmen as those of later ’ Date, in the Beginnings of Religious Diffe- rences, but that Men are now become wiier.’* And would to God it were true ! but it will appear, that though they are, in fome measure, afham’d of what they do, yet they continue to do as others have done befo- them : For they still teach, That Men may decline each parti- cular Sin, and perform the true Works of Mo- ral Virtue, do such Things as the Law requires, according to the Substance of the Things com- manded, though not fo as to merit Heaven, or never to break any of them.

B ELLAKMINE indeed denieth, That we can love God above all Things in any manner, without the Help of Divine Grace. But Cajetan faith, ’^ Tho’ we cannot love God above all Things, fb as to do nothing but that which may be referred to God as the ^’ last End, yet fb as to do many good Things ” in reference to him as the last End."" And Bellarmine^ except he denies his own Princi- ples, must fay fo too. For, first, he undertak- eth to defend this Fropofition, That Man may

T do

^^o Jn Expofitioti on the

Article X. do a Work morally good wkhout the AlTiftance ‘yySJ of Grace, and in order to obey God, the Au- thor of Nature. And elsewhere h proves. That Man cannot always do well in a State of Na- ture, without the Help of divine Grace, because he is fb turned away from God to the Creature by the Sin of Adaiii and especially to himself, that actually, or habitually, or in Propenfion, he placeth his last End in the Creature, and not in God ; and o cannot but offend, if he be not watchful against this Propenfion. From whence it followeth. That fmce a A’lan must make God his chiefefl Good, if he do Good ; if he can do Good naturally, he can naturally make God his chiefeft Good.

S o that many formerly, and almost all at pre- lent in the Church oiKonie are more than Semi” Pelagians not acknowledging the Neceffity of Grace to make us decline Evil, and do Good, but to do fo constantly, universally, and fb as to merit Heaven : But St. Augustine Prosper Fiilgentius Gregory Beda Bernard Avfelm Hugo and many worthy Divines mentioned by the xMafter of the Sentences, yea, the Master himself, Grqftbeadj Bradwardine Artminenfis the Catholick Divine that Stapleton speaks of, those that Andradius takes Notice of, Alvarez and others, agree with us, that there is no Power left in Nature to avoid Sin, and to do any one good Adtion, that may be truly an Action of Virtue, and therefore they fciy5 Grace must change us, and make us become new Men. Cardinal Contarenus obfervco, ’ 7’hat the Phi- ’ loibphers perceiving a great Inclination to ” Evil to be found in the Nature of Mankind, * thinking it might be altered and put right, ” by inuring them to good Adions, gave

*’ many

TJ/irty-Nine Articles. 291

’ many good Precepts and Diredioiis, but to Article X. ’ no Purpose ; for this Evil being in the very -V’”’ ” first Spring of human Adions, that is, the ’ last End chiefly defiredj which they fought ’ not in God, but the Creature, no Help of ’ Nature or Art could afford a Remedy for it : *•’ As those Diieafes are incurable which have ’ infeded the Fountain of Life. And there- *’ fore ‘tis God only who fearcheth the secret ” and moil retired Turnings of our Soul and ” Spirit, by the inward Motion of his Holy * Spirit, that changeth the Propenfion and ” Inclination of our Will, and turneth it ’ unto himself A7id in another Place he hath these IVords , ’ We must observe, that at this ’ Time the Church of God, by the Craft of * the Devil, is divided into two Sts who ” doing their own Bufinefs rather than that of ’ Christ, and seeking their own Glory more *’ than the Honour of God and Profit of their *’ Brethren, put a terrible Stumbling-block in ’ the Way of unwary and simple People, by *’ a lliff and reiblute Defence of contrary ” Opinions. For fbme who boast themselves * ProfefTors of the Cathollck Religion, and ’ Enemies to the Lutherans whilst they go *’ about too much to maintain the Liberty of ’ Man’s Will, out of too great a Desire to op- *’ pole them, oppose themselves against the ’ greatest Lights of the Christian Church and ’ the first and principal Teachers of Catholick ’ Verity, declining more than they should to ’ the Heresy of Felagius. Others when they * have been a little converfant in the Writings ’ of St. Augustine though they have neither • that Modelty of Mind, nor Love towards God that he had deliver such intricate Things

1: % ” from

2 92 An Exposition on the

[…]

S o that as to the Weakness of Nature, and the NecefTity of Grace, we have the Consent of all the best and worthieft of that Church in which our Fathers lived and died.

The next Thing to be considered is, the Power of Free- Will in diipofing itself for the Reception of Grace. Dmandus is of Opinion, That a Man by the Power of Free-Will, may diipofe and fit himself for the Reception of Grace, by such a kind of Difpofition as Grace is to be given to by Pa6b or Covenant, and not as a Debt. Among the later Divines there are (bme of Opinion That as one Sin is permitted that it may be the Punishment of another, fb God in reedt of Alms, and other moral good Works, done by a Man in the State of Sin, ufeth to help the Sinner the more fpeedily and effectually to rife from Sin , and that God in- fallibly, as if there were a certain Law to this Purpose, beftows the Afliftances of Preventing Grace, on such as do what they can by the Strength of Nature : And this is the Merit of Congruity, which they ufe to speak of in the KomiJJj Schools. But, as I said before, yfr/- mlnenfis refblutely rejeds it. Stapleton faith. It is exploded out of the Church. Alvarez tells us. That St. Augustine and Prosper whom Aqui- 7ias and the 1’bcmifts follow, do likewise rejed it. St.Augufiine in answer to the two Epiflles of Pelagius faith, […] If the Desire of Good *’ arises from ourselves without the AfUflance of ” Divine Grace, the firil Beginnings of it are ’ meritorious, to which the Grace of God is added as its Due and fo it follows, that the

” Grace

Thirty-Wine Articles. 29^

” Grace of God is not given gratis or freely. Article X. ” and that when we receive it, we receive no’ -“VN*/

” thing but what we have merited. Who can ” doubt, faith Prosper, but that Free-Will is ” obedient to the Voice of God exhorting it ” {met the Grace of God produces in it both ” Faith and Obedience ? Otherwise there would ” be no Occasion for us to be acquainted of a *’ new WiJl to be renewed within us, accord- ing to that of the wife Man, Frov, xvi. i. ” I’he Preparation of the Heart in Man is from ” the Lord, In which PJace both the Free- ” Will of Man is understood, and the Grace ” of God accompanying and affifting it.

Neither is that which is said by Solomon in the 9th Verse of this Chapter, faith Al- varez, any Contradidion to this Dodrine. The Words are, — A Mans Heart de^vtfeth his Way, For this is ascribed to Man, mat much as he freely produceth that Consent in himself, by which he is prepared for Grace : But yet, in order to his effecting of this, it is to be fuppofed, that he hath God’s special Afliftance to inspire into him that which is good, and to move and incite him to embrace it. And fo those Words are to be understood. Ken), iii. 20. If any Man hear my Voice., and open the Door., I will come in to him ^ and those in the 30th Chapter of Ifatah and the i8th Verse, And therefore will the Lord watt., that he may he gracious unto you : For he waiteth not for our Consent, as coming out of the Power of Nature, or as if any lijch Consent were a Difpofition to Grace, but that Con- fent which he caufeth in us. As in our carnal or bodily Nativity, faith Fulgentius, the De- sign and Workmanlhip of God precedes or T 3 ” goes

cc •

€C

294 ^^ Exposition on the

Article X. ” goes before any Will or Contrivance of Man’s ;

‘y ” So is it in the spiritual Birth in v;hich we be- ” gin to put off the old Man.” St. Bernard in the Beginning of his Treatise upon Grace and Free-Will, faith, […] I acknowledge my self to be prevented, and perceive myself to ” be forwarded, and hope to be perfedled by *’ Grace. For this is not of hm that willetb ” jior of hm that nmneth hut of God thatjhew eth Mercy. Ycu will fay then, perhaps. What is it that Free-Will doth ? I answer, in ihort, *’ that it is saved , for take away Free-Will, and there is nothing that can be laved ; take ’ away Grace, and there will be nothing to ’ fave it by j this is a Work which cannot be ’ done without two Things, which must con- cur in it ; one by which, and another for ” which it is done. God is the Author of Sal- ’ vation, Free-Wili is nothing but a Subjed: that is capable of it , it is God alone that can * give it, it is Free-Will alone that is capable ” of receiving it. And therefore what none ’ but God can give, and nothing but Free- ’ Will can receive, can neither be without the ’ Consent of the Receiver, nor the Grace of ’ the Giver, and fo Free-Wiil is said to co- operate with the Operations of Grace, while ” it confents, that is, when it is saved; for * to consent and to be saved is one and the ”• fame Thing,”

Yet we must not think that God moveth us, and then waiteth to fee whether we will consent. Thus the Council of Aurange in the 4th Canon decrees. That if any Man endea- vours to mainiain that God waits for our Will in order to cleanse us from Sin, and doth not own that our being willing to be cleanfed is

wrought

Thirty^Wine Articles. ip^

wrought in us by the Infusion and Operation Article X.

of God’s Holy Spirit, he refifteth the HoJy ^^y^Y\J

[…]

Preparation of the Heart is of the Lordy and by

the ApoflJe, that ‘tis God that worketh in tis

both to will and to do of his good Pleasure. So

that God doth not flir and move the WilJ, and

{<y itay to fee whether it wiJl consent or not,

[…]

Consent.

The good Uie of Grace proceedeth not from the mere Liberty of our Will, but from God, working by the cfFe6luaI Help of pre-operating Grace, and causing a Man freely to consent and co-operate. If not, God would not be the total Cause, which being the first Root, bringeth forth all that which diftinguifheth the Righteous from the Sinner. Who made thee to differ ? Our Consent and the Effed: of Divine Pre- destination. The Will doth not first begin her Determination and Consent : The Influx of Free- Will into a good Action, or the good Ufe of Grace exciting is supernatural , as being about a supernatural Objed, therefore it must proceed from a supernatural Cause. God is a Cause, and the first Cause. As he is a Cause he hath Reference to the Effe6fc. As he is the first Cause he hath Reference to the second. When, therefore, by his affifting Grace, he worketh together with us to will and perform our Duty, his Operation hath a double Re- fpedt ’, first, to our Will, which it effedually moveth to do this j and secondly, to our A6t of Willing, which it produceth, together with our Will ; for our Will hath no Operation but in one refped only, that is, of the Ad which it produceth, but it hath no Influence upon itself antecedently to the Produdion of th^ Act> T 4 Sa

^6 An Exposition on the

Article X. So then God is the firfl Determiner of our •-/V’ Will ; for if the Created Will originally begin her owT. Determinat’on, it will follow, that it is the First Free the Ftrft Rcot and the Erfi Cause cf her own Determination which must not be granted : For since a Created Thing that is free, is free by Participation, it must of Ne- ceflity be reduced to a Firfi Free as to a former Cauie • otherwise there must be two Ftrft Ori- ginal Causes. So that God by his effedual Grace, not only morally, but truly efficiendy inclineth the Will to the Love and Liking of what he pleases, in such a manner, that it can- not but turn, and cannot dilTent in Senfu com- pofitOj in a compound Sense though it may in Senfu divitOj in a divided Sense. The Meaning of this is, that the effe6:ual Motion of God’s Grace, and an adual diffenting, reiifting, or not yielding, cannot stand together , but the Efficacy of God’s Grace and a Power of Dif- fenting may. For the Efficacy of Grace doth not take away the Power, but fo direcleth the Will, as infallibly, in such Liberty, to produce what he pleafeth. There is in fome Created Things at the fame Time, a Poffibility of hav- ing or doing Things opposite to each other, as. To fit. To walk, and the like, but there is no Poffibility of having these together. So there is in Free-Will, moved by effeduai Grace, a Power to do, or not to do, in a divided Sense because the Efficacy of Grace, and the Power of Dif- fenting, may stand together, but not in a coi7t- found Sense • that is, the Motion of Grace and adual Diflenting cannot stand together.

Aloifius Lippomamms admonifheth his Rea- der, that if he met with this Dodrine in a cer- tain Part of St. Cbryfoftorr/s Writings — ” That ” if a Man doth his best Endeavour to do his z ” Duty,

Tbirty-Nihe Articles. 297

*’ Duty, God will beftow on him an abundant Article X.

” Supply of his Grace” he should read ^-^”VX-/

the Holy . Father with Warinefs and Pru- dence, left he should fall into an Error, and believe, that the Grace of God is bestowed upon us on the Account of our Merits. ” For ” what proceeds from Merit, continues he can- ’ not be Grace. Neither is it pofiible for Man * to do his best Endeavour without the Pre- ” venting Grace of God ; according to that of* ’ the Pfalmijf The God of my Mercy jh all prevent ’ me. And again, Mercy floall follow me all the Bays of my Life. And that of the Church, ’ Lord we pray thee that thy Grace may always ’ prevent and follow us.”’ "" The Salutation which ’ the Virgin Mary received from the Angel, ” faith Gocchianus is in these Words, Hail ” thou that art highly favoured that whatfb- ’ ever appeared to be in her, or by her, might ” be fet forth as the Work and Gift of God, ” without any Merit of her own preceding ” it, c” Thus you fee what an Argument may be urged even from the very first Be- ginning of Man’s Redemption, to pull down his Confidence, and to hinder him from pre- fuming upon his Power and Abilities. Inai much as the BlefTed Virgin was declared to be highly favoured, it is thereby intimated, that Ihe was full of the Grace or Favour of God, that nothing which was intended to be accomplished in her, was merited by herself but that it was entirely the Grace or Free Gift of God. ” What did Human Nature me- ” rit, faith St. Augufiine., in the Man Christ Jesus, that it was in o eminent a manner * united to the only Son of God, fo as in Con- ” jundion with his Human Nature to make * but one Person ? What Goodness was there

“in

2^8 Jn Expofitioti on the

Article X. in the Will? What Dcfire to do Good? -”VXJ ’- What Good had there been done by Man to ” merit his being made one Peribn with God ? ” Why, as foon as Christ began to be a Man, ’ he began to be the Son of God, as well as the ” Son of Man, c. Hereby the Great and ’•• Alone Grace or Favour of God is mani- ’ felled, that Men may be made fenfible, that they are jufVified from their Sins by that ’ Grace which enabled Christ, as a Man, to be without Sin. Behold the Grace of God is commended to us in our Mediator Jesus ” Christ, who, when he was the only Son of ” God, not by Grace, but by Nature, and for this Reason was ///// of i’ruth became the ’ Son of Man , the IVord was jnade Flejlj that ** he might also be///// of Grace, If in Christ, ” who is the Original and Fountain from which ’ our Salvation is derived, there be nothing ” but Grace, from whence can Man pretend ’ of himself to produce any thing towards his ” own eternal Salvation and Happiness ? The ” great Prcfumption of Human Nature is to be ’ wondred at, or rather to be pitied, which ” rather chufes to rejed Sahation out of Pride, than to pradife Humility, by which it might receive it gratis. Ho enjery one faith Jfaiab, that tbirftetbj ccme to the Waters and he that hath no Mo:iey ; come ye buy and eat yea ’ come buy Wine and Milk without Money and ’ without Price. The fame Spirit of God in- ’ clines the Will of Man to desire Good, which ” it was before averse to, and enables it to bring its good Desires to efFed:, without any Afliftance or Co-operation of its own Powers, until it is cured or renewed. And again Grace doth not only afiift the Righteous, but it also ’ iuftifies the Wicked and when it afTifteth

” the

Thirty ”Nine Articles. ipp

^ the Righteous, and feemeth to be the Reward Article X.

” of his Merits, it doth not cease to be Grace, v.>^'''NJ

” because it affifteth what was given by itself.”

Hugo de San^io Vi^ore faith, ’^ That the Grace

’^ which is requisite to enable us to do Good, is

” Threefold, Preventing, Co-operating, and

” Subsequent or Following. The First gives us

” the Will, the Second the Power to do

”^ Good, and the Third Perseverance and

’^ Continuance in Well-doing.” So that in the

Matter of Free-Will and Grace, the Church

wherein our Fathers lived and died, is found

to have been a Proteftant Church. *

Dr. Overall, fbmetime Profeflbr of Divinity in the University of Camhridge^ hath two Chapters upon the Subjeds oi Free-Will^ and the Co-operation of Grace^ in which he treats profeffedly on this very Article.

“As to Free-Will and Grace, faith he^ we ” have a brief Definition of what is to be ’^ aiTerted concerning them, in the Tenth ’^ Article of our Church, in these Words,

^^ ‘fhe Condition of Man after the Fall of

” Firft, That Man hath a Free-Will with

f For the References to the Authors which are qi40te4 IQ this Piicourfe; fee rield of the Church, p. 279, &c.

^^ relation

^oo ^« Exposition on the

Article X. ” relation to such Things as are of a natural or \yyKJ ” civil Nature ; and that his natural Strength ” or Powers, and his Adtions may be thus far good, tho’ he cannot hereby turn and prepare ’ himself to any Spiritual Good. Secondly, ’ The Neceility of Grace, in order to ourper- *’ forming Works of Piety, is intimated, be- * cauie we cannot without the Grace of God ” do any Thing of this kind ; but ‘tis implied ” at the fame time, that fuppofmg us to have *’ the Grace of God to aflift us, we are able ’ to do the Works of Piety or Religion. ’ Thirdly, We are told from whence this ’ Grace is given and received, by its being called the Grace of God hy Chrifl. Fourthly, We are taught in what manner Grace operates

or works in us, By pren:enting us^ that

we may have a good Willy and zvorking with

us when we have that good Hull. The Grace

of God prevents us^ that we may have a good

[…]

Will, by putting religious Thoughts, and good

Desires into us, and by furnilhing the Heart

’^ with the AfFedions of Faith. And therefore,

’^ the Reason why we don’t do Good, is be-

’^ cause we do not understand what Good is,

’^ or because we do not take Delight in it, as

” St. Aiigiifiine explains it. — Ignorance and

*^ Infirmity, faith he, are Faults that hinder

” the Will that it may not incline to a good

” Work or abstain from a bad one. Now

^^ that we may be made acquainted with what we were before ignorant of, and that what we took no Delight in may be made pleaiant to us, we have need of the Grace of God, which helpeth the Wills of Men, which, if they be not aflifted, the Fault is nevertheless in themfelvesj and not in God. It moreover

” CO.

(C

4C CC

cc •

Thirty -Wine Articles. 301^

• co-operates, not only by concurring with, but Article X. ”’ also by direding and proteding, ftrengthning ‘VX and aflifting them : For our Endeavours to do Good are nothing, except they are excited by preventing Grace j and to no purpose, except ’* they are aflifted by co-operating Grace, as ” we are taught by St. Bernard in his Treatise upon Grace and Free-Will. But in both these A(fts of Grace, Free-Will is not taken away, but perfeded • for the fame S. Bernard faith, in his Forty-sixth Epiftle to VakntinuSy

^\ li the Will be not Free, there’s nothing

’* to be saved ; and if the Grace of God be ’ wanting, there’s nothing to iave it by. ” And St. Auguftme faith, ” If the Will be not ’ Free, how shall God judge the World? And ’ if there be no Grace, how doth he fave it? ” To which we may add, that of Prosper in the first Chapter of his first Book concerning the

Calling of the Gentiles. ” If the Will be

” taken away, where is the Original of all true ’^ Virtue ? If you take away Grace, where is ^’ the Cause of Merit or good Desert ? ” In all these Places, there is not one Word about the irrefiftable Operation of Grace : For although Grace doth very often operate certainly and infallibly, when it operates according to the Purpose of God’s Eternal Election • and though it be certain, that there is a Decree to obtain a proposed End, joined with God’s Prefcience, and the Divine Preparation, yet even here it doth not work by an irrefiftable Force, but the Freedom of the W’^ill is preierved notwithstanding the Afliftances of Grace, and in a great many other Instances where preventing Grace is afforded, the Event is fliil left to Man’s Free- Will. Lastly, The Neceffity of Grace is in- timated in our Articles, and in several Places in

our

203 -^^^ Exposition on doe

Article ‘:L our Publick Liturgy • but it is done in such a -”” manner, that there is Room left for Free-Will, without which all Laws, Precepts, Delibera-* tions, Conditions, Exhortations, Adntionitions, Promises, Threatnings, Comnnendations, Re- bukes, Rewards and Punishments would be let- forth and denounced to no Purpose, and there would be no Room nor Reafbn left for Care, diligent Study, Council and Labour : And therefore, let us neither afcribe nothing to Free- will, nor too much j let us not with the De- fenders of irrefiftable Grace, deny Free-Will, or make it of no Effed, not only before, but even under Grace ; nor let us suffer the Efficacy of Saving Grace, on the other hand, to be fwal- lowed up by the Strength and Freedom of our Wills : But allowing the Government or Superi- ority to the Grace of God, let the Will of Man be admitted to be its Handmaid, but such an one as is Free, and freely obeys ; by v/hich, when it is freely excited by the Admonitions of preventing Grace, when it is prepared as to its Affections, strengthened and alTliled as ta its Powers and Faculties, a Man freely and willingly co-operates with God, that the Gracs of God he not recei’ved in vahh

Articli^

Thirty-Nine Articles.

Notes

• ’ Adam, is fiich that he cannot turn and pre- ’ pare himself &c. - In which Words, ‘tis ” denied, that Man in his Fallen Condition, or ’ in a State of Sin, is not only void of Merit, ” but also of Strength to enable him to do any ” Thing that is Spiritually Good, that is, to *’ iimi and prepare himself to Faith and Calling *’ upon God. But ‘tis fuppofed nevertheless,