Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Section 18
SECT. XVIII. Whether the firſt Grace, and the New and Soft Heart be Promiſed and Given Abſolutely, or on any Condition on our part; And ſo of faith it ſelf?
Anſw. §. 1. BY the firſt Grace is meant, either ſimply the firſt, or the firſt ſpecial renewing Grace on the ſoul, proper to them that ſhall be Juſtified. Of the firſt Grace ſimply there is no Condition; for it is given Univerſally to all, (viz. a Reprieval, a Law of Grace, a Redeemer, &c.) And after this there is much common perſonal mercy given conditionally▪ and much abſolutely, to all or ſome.*And as to the firſt moving inward Grace, ſee how copiouſly the Jeſuit Ruiz (as Vaſquez and others) proveth that it hath no initium in us, no not an occaſion or diſpoſition, much leſs merit, for which it is given: And he reaſoneth from the Names, Creation, Generation by the ſeed of God, reſuſcitation and Gods being found of them that ſought him not, and from the Cauſe of the difference between man and man. De pradeſt. Tr. 3. diſp. 18. …, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, &c. p. 227, 228, &c. Even Medina 12. p. 596. is ſo heſitant as to ſay] Eſſe probabilem ſententiam Doctorum quod facienti quod in ſe eſt ex facultate naturae Deus▪ ex ſua miſericordia nunquam denegat gratiam. Sed dico quod probabilius eſt & magis conſentaneum ſanctis patri…us, praeclpu… Auguſtino, non eſſe Legem infallibilem quod homini p…atori facienti quod▪ in ſe eſt, ex facultate natura, continub conferatur gratia. Nam ſi eſſer Lex infallibilis certè initium & bona pars juſtificationis eſſet à nobis, &c.] Thus the Papiſts herein differ as much as the Proteſtants among themſelves.
§. 2. It ſeemeth to me an error (which by overſight I was long entangled in my ſelf.) to think that by the new and ſoft heart, is meant the firſt ſpecial Grace. For moſt Divines agree, that it is proper ſanctification which is meant by it, as diſtinct from antecedent Vocation. Vid. Ameſ. Medul. de Vocat. Rolloc. de Vocat. Biſhop G. Downame againſt Pemble, Hookers Souls Vocation, Joh. Rogers of faith, and many others. In Vocation they ſuppoſe the Act of Faith and Repentance ſuſcitated by the Spirit; and thereupon a Covenant-Relation to Chriſt and to the Holy Ghoſt, with Regenerating, Sanctifying Habits …o be given. And I ſee no reaſon to be ſingular herein.
§. 3. That faith is by the Law of Grace, made a Condition of this Sanctification, and the Spirit promiſed us [if we will believe,] and ſo the Spirit given to us by Covenant in Baptiſm when we believe, is plain ill Scripture, and the commoneſt doctrine of all Divines.
§. 4. Therefore if it be this Spirit of Sanctification that is meant by the New, the Tender, the Circumciſed heart, it is not promiſed and given abſolutely, but on condition of faith.
§. 5. Let us peruſe the ſeveral Texts where it is promiſed. Dent. 30. 1, 2, 3, 6. [When thou ſhalt call to mind among all the Nations—and ſhalt return unto the Lord thy God and obey his voice, according to all that I command thee this day—thou and thy children, with … thy heart and all thy ſoul; that then the Lord thy God will turn thy c… tivity—And the Lord thy God will circumciſe thy heart and the heart of thy ſeed to Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy ſoul, that thou maiſt live.]
Here it is a Grace conſequent to a condition, even to much obedience, which is deſcribed.
And Deut. 10. 16. it is a command [Circumciſe the foreskin of your hearts, and be no more ſtiff-necked.]
Jer. 32. 36, 37, &c. [I will gather them out of all Countreys whither I have driven them—and will bring them again into this place, and I will cauſe them to dwell ſafely; and they ſhall be my people, and I will be their God, and I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever.] So Ezek. 11. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. And Ezek. 36. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29. In all which, there is a promiſſory Prophecy, how great a deliverance God would give the Nation of the Jews, both for body and ſoul; And their temporal return and liberty is promiſed and propheſied in the ſame manner as a new heart is. But here is not a ſyllable to prove that this is the firſt ſpecial Grace; any more than perſeverance is, which in the ſame manner is promiſed in Jer. 32. 40. [I will put my fear in their hearts, and they ſhall not depart.] To ſay nothing how far in the firſt ſenſe this was National to the Jews, nor how the performance did expound it, (For doubtleſs it is performed,) the Text it ſelf premiſeth [I will be their God, and they ſhall be my people] with other mercies. And no doubt but Faith and Repentance go before this Covenant-Relation to God; and therefore before the following gift of the Spirit, ver. 9. and Ch. 11. 19. And Ezek. 18. 31. the ſame is commanded, [Caſt away from you all your tranſgreſsions whereby ye have tranſgreſſed, and make you a new heart, and a new ſpirit—.]
§. 6. The promiſſory Prophecy of Jer. 31. 31, &c. is recited by the Penman of Heb. 8. 8, &c. to prove the ceſſation of the old Jewiſh C…venant, and that a better ſhould ſucceed. And this much is eaſily proved out of both, 1. That God would certainly have a holy people among the returning Iſraelites, 2. And eſpecially that he would have ſuch in the Chriſtian Church, as ſhould be ſanctified to him by his Spirit, and have a new and tender …eart. And Predeſtination is well proved from the Text. But there is not a word to prove this to be the firſt Grace, nor that Gods promiſe gave any man right to it, but upon condition of believing. For if Gods Decree, Prophecy, or general Promiſe ſaying abſolutely [I will do it] did prove it to be the firſt Grace, it would prove perſerance ſuch; which is falſe. The words prove no more but that God will do it.
§. 7. And as this is no perſonal promiſe giving any man a right to the thing promiſed, which he may claim; but only foretelling what God will do, or give to ſome: ſo he hath other promiſes which are part of his Law of Grace, and do give men Right to theſe ſame Benefits. And ſo the Spirit of Sanctification and a new heart, is promiſed on Condition of believing; which therefore is the former ſpecial Grace.
§. 8. If any therefore will prove that faith is given Abſolutely, they muſt not do it by thoſe Texts, which ſpeak of Sanctification, which faith is a condition of.
§. 9. But as to the queſtion it ſelf, Whether Faith be given abſolutely or conditionally? I anſwer, 1. There is no abſolute promiſe of faith made to any perſons; but only promiſſory predictions of ſome indeterminate unnamed perſons, that God will draw them and give them to Chriſt, and they ſhall believe and live.
2. All men have means and duty appointed them, for the ſeeking of that Grace which may convert them.
3. They are hereby bound to believe, that if they ſo do, they ſhall not loſe their labour. For God ſetteth men on no unprofitable work.
4. Thoſe that do this moſt faithfully, and have moſt preparing grace, are the likeſt to become believers, and the ordinary receivers of ſpecial grace.
5. Whether de nomine this encouragement ſhall be called a promiſe or equipollent, let them contend that liſt.
6. God can and doth ſuddenly convert ſome without ſuch preparations; or elſe give them both ſorts of Grace immediately as once.