Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Section 13
SECT. XIII. Of mans Power Natural and Moral.
§. 1. I Have ſaid ſo much of this alſo in the other parts of this Book, that a little here may ſerve.
1. Man hath no Power whatſoever but from God; and therefore doth not act as a prime Cauſe properly, becauſe but by a derived power.
§. 2. That which is a Power but hypothetically on Condition of ſomething not exiſtent, eſpecially not in our power it ſelf, is no power properly and univocally, but equivocally only. As to ſay, I am able to leap to Heaven if God will Cauſe it: I am able to lift a thouſand pound with ſufficient help which I have not: I am able to ſee if I had light: or to ſee a Phoenix if there were ſuch a thing: or I am able to will or move with Gods neceſſary predetermining premotion (ſay ſome) which I have not. None of this is a true Power ad hoc. But to conſtitute a formal Power, it is neceſſary that I have all things, without which I cannot do the act.
§. 3. It is a contradiction to ſay that when a man hath the true Power to believe, yet he cannot do the Act, *As Janſenius and Dr. Twiſſe do, in making more abſolutely neceſſary to it.without further premotion: which is to ſay, He that can believe, cannot believe. The Power connoteth the Poſſibile.
§. 4. †Potentia rationalis naturae humanae non poteſt minui extrinſicè, & entitativè, per deſtructionem alicujus gradus ejuſdem potentiae; poteſt tamen minui per appoſitionem impedimenti, quale eſt peccatum, vel per inclinationem contrariam ad peccata; quae inclinatio generatur per actus males: Neceſſe eſt enim ex hoc quod aliquid inclinatur ad …num contrariorum, quod diminuatur inclinatio ejus ad aliud: Cum ergo peccatum ſit contrarium virtuti, ex hoc ipſo quod homo peccat, diminuitur bonum naturae, quod eſt inclinatio ad virtutem: Alvarez de Aux. li. 6. diſp. 45. p. …10. Ita Thom. 1. 2. q. 85. ar. 1. in corp.The true Natural Power of Intellection and Volition, every man hath as a man: And when God, Chriſt, Heaven are brought to us with all the Conditions neceſſary to Objects of Intellect and Will, we have formal power to underſtand and will them, in this Natural ſence. What is neceſſary to the Being of an Object, and Revelation, I deſire the Reader to ſee diſtinctly opened by me, in a ſmall tract called, The Certainty of Chriſtianity without Popery.
§. 5. But the ſoul it ſelf hath a vicious Indiſpoſition to the ſpiritual exerciſe of theſe faculties or powers: And this is the morbus facultatum; And this Indiſpoſition is called a Moral Impotency; becauſe the ſoul is unfitted by it to the exerciſe of its natural Power.
§. 6. When this Indiſpoſition is ſo great, as that no man in that caſe doth do the act, we ſay he is morally unable: And when it is not ſo great, but that under that Indiſpoſition ſome men do the act, in that ſtate of help we ſay that ſuch a man is morally able. Therefore he that is yet more diſpoſed, is ſo More able, and it hath various degrees.
§. 7. But if a man have ſo great a diſpoſition (skill and will) as that he is ready to the facile and frequent performance of the act, that Promptitude is called a Habit, and is more than a meer moral power (though a power alſo.)
§. 8. It is certain that men can do more than they do: not only that they could do more if God would predetermine them, or give them more grace; but that properly they can. The worſt hath Power to do more good, and forbear more evil, than he doth; And ſo have the beſt.
§. 9. Adam had true proper Power, natural and Moral, to have ſtood when he fell: He ſinned not for want of neceſſary Power to have forborn it.
§. 10. They that deny this and reſolve all ſin into Gods unreſiſtible neceſſitating operation, or denying of power abſolutely and antecedently neceſſary, I think do make way for Hobbes his Theologie, or ſubverſion of Religion.
§. 11. Moral Power and Impotency are primarily ſuch in the will (the firſt ſeat of morality) and derivatively or ſecondarily in the Intellect and executive Power. And therefore it is not originally and radically of phyſical neceſſity, but Free, as the will which is free is the Cauſe of it.
§. 12. *Janſen. de Grat. Chriſt. l. 3. c. 15. denyeth that without effectual Grace men have a compleat power to the Acts; but ſaith yet, They have power, 1. Remotiſſime, in that they have free-will. 2. By faith, not joyned with Love, as being the beginning, &c. 3. Yet more by Love as the root, &c. And he noteth a double Impotency, Una eſt ex defe…tu alicujus quod non poteſt quantumlibet magna volu…tate, vel fortiter volendo ſuppleri. Talis eſt Impotentia illius qui caret rebus temporalibus ad largiendum, &c. (This is natural Impotency.) De tali Impotentia veriſſimum eſt quod D…us non jubet impoſſibilia: Nam hoc ipſo quo talis oritur impoſſibilitas, vel praeceptum extinguitur, vel certe ad illud implendum, is cui praecipitur non amplius obligatus eſt. Non eſt enim culpae Voluntatis quod non …iat, &c. Altera ex defectu ipſius Voluntatis ſe… Volitionis oritur, quae ſi adeſſet, quanta adeſſe debet, praeceptum facillim… impleretur: Tantummodo enim fortiter volendo impletur—Haec Impotentia nullo modo excuſat cum qui non impl…t quod praecipitur: Poſſet enim implere ſi vellet. Quod ſi nol…erit, & ideo non potuerit, quis non cum dixerit pro ipſa tam perverſa obdurataque voluntate culpandum▪Vel…nt, plen… que velint; mox ut voluerint, imple…untur: ſi autem nolint, ideoque non poſſint, quis nolentibus vitio non vertat, &c? Nam revera defectus talis poteſtatis non eſt aliud quam duritia mal… voluntatis, à qua ſuſcepta recedere non poſſe, non eſt aliud quam tenaciter nolle.Nature teacheth all the world ſo much to difference between mans Voluntary and Involuntary Acts and Habits, as to take the firſt to be directly laudable or culpable, as being not only virtuous or vicious, but in their relations to the Rule, to be Virtue or Vice it ſelf; and the more men have of a vicious obſtinacy and voluntarineſs in evil, the more all mank…nd condemn and hate them. Whereas involuntary neceſſity is every-where taken for a juſt excuſe: yea a neceſſit as volendi in a mad man or a phrenetick or melancholy perſon, maketh them the objects of mens compaſſion. And this Light and Law of humane nature is not to be rejected, becauſe it may ſeem hard to anſwer the ſophiſms of thoſe that would confound theſe ſorts of Power and Impotency.
§. 13. Therefore of a man that is no otherwiſe unable to Love God (e. g.) but only becauſe (or in that) directly or indirectly, he will not, that is, is Diſpoſitively, Actually and Habitually Unwilling; it is more proper and intelligible to ſay that he will not, than that he cannot: Though we may alſo ſay He cannot, when we mean but that he will not: But the moſt explicatory words are beſt.
§. 14. No man-ſhall be able ſo far to accuſe God and excuſe himſelf juſtly at laſt, as to ſay, I was truly willing to have Chriſt and Life as offered me, but I could not: or I was truly willing to leave my ſins and wor…ly vanities, and to live a holy life to God, but I could not: Yea Auguſtine and Twiſſe ſay more, that no man can truly ſay, [I would believe but cannot] (which yet I think needeth ſome limiting explication.)
§. 15. Obj. But though all men Can have Chriſt (or faith) if they will, yet the unregenerate are unable to be willing.
Anſw. By Unable you muſt 1. Either mean that they want the Natural Power or faculty of willing it; 2. Or that they want ſome naturally. neceſſary concauſe or object, without which this faculty is no formal Power ad ho… ▪ 3. Or that the Will is not well Diſpoſed ſo to Act.
1. The firſt no man will ſay that taketh an unbeliever for a Man. 2. The ſecond no man will ſay that will not by Hobbes his phyſical neceſſitation, turn Religion into a name or nothing, or the natural mot…on of an Engine called Man. 3. And the third (which is the truth) muſt be named as it is: In Controverſies which exerciſe ſo great animoſities and …al zeal as this doth in the Churches, it is an injurious thing to uſe ſed…ing improper names, when the more plain and intelligible are at hand. Hereafter ſpeak plainly in your contendings, and inſtead of [Cannot] ſay, An unconverted man will not believe, and his will is viciouſly undiſpoſed to it, yea ill-diſpoſed againſt it. Hold to this that we may underſtand each other; or confeſs that you quarrel about a word.
§. 16. Obj. The Scripture uſeth the word [Cannot:] Can a Black…ore change his skin, &c.
Anſw. 1. The text may as fitly (at leaſt) be tranſlated [Will a Blackmore change his skin, &c.] Yet the word [Cannot] is brought in in the application; for here it is all one: That is, the meaning is, that ſome cuſtome in ſin doth cauſe ſuch a ſetled Ill diſpoſition or Habit, as without ſpecial Grace is never overcome: Which ſignifieth no more, than a r…ted wilfulneſs and Love of ſin, and enmity to Good. 2. But the meaning is not to affirm theſe two ſorts of Impotency to be of the ſame nature [An Ethiopian cannot change his skin, were he never ſo willing] and [he cannot be willing to change it, without Grace.] But you cannot ſay that an accuſtomed ſinner cannot learn to do good were he never ſo willing: nor yet that he can be as eaſily willing as the Ethiopian, nor as hardly made willing as the Leopard. 3. Figurative ſpeeches are frequent in Scripture, and may alike be uſed by us in the like caſes. But in Controverſies a trope is an equivocal till explained, and muſt not be uſed without neceſſity and explication. 4. Where the text once ſaith, They could not believe or repent, it ſaith many and many times They would not. 5. The phraſe [They could not believe, becauſe Eſaias ſaith, &c.] Joh. 12. 39. notoriouſly ſpeaketh but of an Impoſſibilitas Logica conſequentiae, and not of a phyſical diſability in themſelves, though it intimateth a ſetled wilfulneſs. 6. When it's ſaid, Act. 4. 14. [They could ſay nothing againſt it,] it ſignifieth not a want of phyſical power, but mediate advantage. It's ſaid of Chriſt, Mark 1. 45. He could no more enter into the City—6. 5. He could there do no mighty work becauſe of their unbelief. 7. 24. He could not be hid. Iſa. 5. 4. What could have been done more to my Vineyard? Jer. 15. 1. My mind could not be towards this people. Mark▪ 3. 20. They could not ſo much as eat bread. 1. Theſ. 3. 1. When we could no longer forbear, &c.—1 Joh. 3. 9. He cannot ſin—Heb. 9. 5. Of which we cannot now ſpeak particularly. Act. 4. 16. We cannot deny it. And 19. 36. Theſe things cannot be ſpoken againſt. Joh. 7. 7. The world cannot hate you. Luk. 11. 7. I cannot riſe and give thee, (and yet he did.) Luk. 14. 20. I have marryed a wife, therefore I cannot come. Mar. 2. 19. They cannot faſt. Neh. 6. 3. I cannot come down. So Gen. 34. 14. & 44. 26. 2 Cor. 13. 8. Numb. 22. 18. & 24. 13. Joſ. 24. 19. 1 Sam. 25. 17. Pſal. 77. 4. and other places; I think you will not ſay it is natural and utter diſability that is here ſpoken of: No nor of God when it is ſaid that He cannot deny himſelf or Lye, 2 Tim. 2. 13. Tit. 1. 2. We muſt therefore explain ſuch doubtful words, before we draw controverted concluſions from them, as ſuppoſing them falſly to be univocal.
§. 17. The ſame Natural faculty may by the Alteration of objects and means, become formally a Power or no power ad hoc vel illud. And when Nature made it a faculty, Grace can make it a formal power to this or that without changing it in it ſelf at all, in many inſtances or caſes.
§. 18. Men have a power even moral to the uſe of many means which God hath appointed for the begetting of faith, before they have a moral power to believe.
§. 19. God hath appointed or commanded to all men, the uſe of certain duties and means for their Recovery by faith and repentance unto God: And there is no man that is not obliged to uſe ſuch means; nor any man that is to uſe them in deſp…ir of ſucceſs: The very command being ſome ſignification of Gods will, that obedience ſhall not be in vain. Whether the name of an Implicite Promiſe be apt for that command, I leave to thoſe that have a mind to contend about names.
§. 20. Though a meer Indifferent faculty be (as Dr. Twiſſe ſaith) rather to be called Nature than Grace; yet it is Grace 1. Which giveth a gracious object to that faculty, though thereby it be ſtill but an undetermined Power. 2. And it is more Grace which taketh off ſome vicious Illdiſpoſitions of the ſoul; and giveth it ſome more Diſpoſition to believe, though but ſo much as common grace doth give.
§. 21. It is not a meer Power that God giveth men to Repent and believe: But a Power accompanied with many Gracious help… and means to determine it aright (of which before.)
§. 22. He that will not uſe ſuch Power and means doth thereby forfeit further grace *Brianſon in 4. q. 8. Cor. 3. fol. 152. maintaineth, i. Quod ad obtinendam eratiam neceſſario ex parte hom…nis praecedit aliqua diſpoſitio. 2. Quod talem diſpoſitio…em homo per ſelpſum poteſt ſi vult in ſe inducere, praeſuppoſitâ influentiâ g… n…ali D…i. 3. Quo l talis dispoſitio ex parte hominis nullam inducit neceſſitatem introductionis gratiae ex parte Dei: ſed totum fit merâ gratuitâ Dei voluntate. But the ſecond muſt be done by common preparing Grace.: However God doth not alwayes take the forfeiture, and will not of his elect to their deſtruction, but doth pardon them.
§. 23. By all this it appeareth, 1. That all men have a natural power or faculties, enabled to all that is neceſſary to ſalvation, ſo far that it is not the want of a proper natural power that ſhall neceſſitate them to ſin and periſh; 2. That this Power is by vice undiſpoſed to believe, &c. 3. That it hath ſome Indiſpoſition to all that virtue or moral good which tendeth to ſalvation. 4. That it is not equally undiſpoſed to all ſuch Good. 5. That it's Indiſpoſition to ſome means of Recovery, is no greater than what may be overcome by Gods commoner ſort of Grace. 6. That this commoner Grace is not herein ever ſo effectual, as that all that receive it, do all the good that they can do by it, even in a moral ſence; nor all that ſome others do that have no more help: But the wilful negligence of the receiver, or his diverſion or reſiſtance frequently fruſtrateth it; though not alwayes. 7. That the right uſe of this commoner grace, in the uſe of the foreſaid means, is a way appointed by God himſelf, and not in vain, by and in which men may be made fit to receive that ſpecial Grace which will call them ſavingly to believe. 8. That no man is denyed that ſpecial grace that deſerveth it not by the abuſe of Common grace. (How the ca…e of Infants dependeth on the Parents I muſt not inſtance as oft as the exceptions of wranglers require it.) 9. And therefore no man is condemned for want of natural Power as ſuch, but only for want of ſtirring up his natural power by thoſe helps of grace, by which he might have done it, and for want of that further Good (faith, love, obedience) which by the helps rejected he might have been brought up to, had he not wilfully neglected the power and helps which he had. 10. Yea uſually God long waiteth patiently on ſinners with the tenders of mercy, while they reject it, before he utterly forſake them.