The Doctrine of Free Grace No Doctrine of Licentiousness, Title page – Errata
THE DOCTRINE OF FREE-GRACE, NO DOCTRINE OF LICENCIOUSNESSE. OR, That Gods Free Unconditionall pardoning of Sinne, is the beſt way to Mortifie the Power of Sinne in Believers. Aſſerted and Cleared, By Edward Bagſhawe Student of Ch. Ch.
LONDON, Printed by Abraham Miller for the Author, and are to be ſold by the Bookſellers in Pauls Church-yard. 1662.
THE PREFACE.
AMong thoſe many Falſe and Dangerous Opinions, which in this Age are let looſe upon us; there is none that is either more Deſtructive of the True Nature of Chriſtian Religion, or more likely to be imbraced by ſome ſeemingly zealous and devout men, than the Doctrine of Free-will: whereby the Grace of God is rendred either altogether Needleſſe, or at beſt only a Coadjutor and partial Aſſiſtant to Mens Salvation.
Were not men Naturally willing to follow that which ſerves to puff them up, and begets an opinion in them, that they are like Gods: I ſhould wonder how the Opinion of Free-will could ever finde any Learned Aſſertour; ſince the Reaſons againſt it, ever upon a Philoſophical account, are ſuch as no Wit of man is able to anſwer. For the ſubordination of Cauſes, and the Neceſſity that every Effect, ſhould have a Cauſe, which did produce it, is ſo ſtrong an Argument, that the Will of man is ſubject to the enforcing influence of the Cauſes which move and determine it; that the moſt Learned of the Heathen, did upon this ſcore altogether reject Free-will; and yet this ſuppoſed. Fatality in every Action, did not at all leſſen or abate their ſtrict adherence to, and proſecution of Virtue: None having been more famous in this kinde than the Stoicks, which were the Known Aſſertors and Maintainers of Neceſſity.
But without entring into any ſuch kind of Diſpute, the Apoſtle having already forbidden us to medale with things which we have not ſeen, and it being according to him plain folly to affirm too poſitively about things we know not: I ſhall not ſcruple to admit that, as to things of meerly Civil Con…ment, God hath endued the will of every man, with a Liberty … juſtify himſelf; and that we are not ſo tied up by the Concurrence of Cauſes, but that a man hath power over his own Will, to embrace or to refuſe any thing tendred to him, with or without Reaſon, as he himſelf pleaſes. While I ſay I am content to admit this, my meaning is not that I underſtand how this can be done (for I muſt profeſſe it is to me altogether unintelligible) yet becauſe it contradicts no Article of Faith, and likewiſe ſerves beſt to demonſtrate the Equity of Humane Laws, which are all founded upon that ſuppoſition; I think it altogether a Needleſſe thing to diſpute about Free-will in Moral Actions, and a very Abſurd thing to deny it. Since in matters which are capable of Contrary Reaſonings, to follow the Ʋncontradicted and Ʋniverſal Aſſent of Mankind, is much more Safe and Prudent, than to tread in New paths; there being but little difference, as to the Effect, between an Apparant Error, and a Suspected, becauſe Ʋnneceſſary Truth.
But how deſirous ſoever I am to comply with the Common Prolepſis and Inbred Notion of Free-will, as to Humane Actions; yet as to the things of God, I muſt altogether deny it. For it is ſo clear, That the Things of God, none can underſtand, and conſequently not Practice, but the Spirit of God, and thoſe, to whom that Spirit makes them both Plain and Eaſie; that the Apoſtle urgeth that Sentence, not as a Truth then newly diſcovered to him, but as a Principle founded in Nature, and apparent by its own Equity and Reaſonablineſſe: And what the Scripture every where mentions concerning the Actings of the Spirit upon Believers, the Experience of all Believers that ever were in the World, is able to evidence; ſince ſuch muſt needs confeſſe, that there cannot be a more dangerous Enemy to the Truths of God, then the Underſtanding; nor more Rebellious to the Precepts of God, than the Will of Man; untill the Spirit of God hath enlightned the one, and by his own Immediate Worke, mightily overpowred the other.
For the proof of this, I might content my ſelf with what I find conteined in the bare letter of Scripture, to which, if we are what we profeſſe, we ought to captivate our own Reaſonings; but ſince many men, and thoſe not of leaſt Note even in our own Church, plead for that Idol Free-will, from the many Abſurdities which would follow, ſhould it not be granted; I ſhall undertake to demonſtrate, that much more pernicious Conſequences will follow, ſhould it once be admitted. For
Firſt, It totally deſtroyes all belief of Gods Power and Providence, in his ordering and guidance of Actions according to his own Will: For who is there, that underſtands any thing of Gods Sovereignty, but muſt needs acknowledge, that he foreſaw and predetermined every thing long before it was actually in being; but were there ſuch an Independent and Abſolute Free-will in Man, as ſome contend for, how the motions of his Will could be fore-ſeen is altogether Inconceivable: Socinus therefore, who ſaw how much this Argument did preſſe him, did make no ſcruple to deny Gods Preſcience: thereby doing that very thing, which Auſtine complained of in Tully, Dum fecit liberos, fecit etiam Sacrilegos: While he made Men Free, he did moſt ſacrilegiouſly rob God of his chief Prerogative, and that is, his Omniſcience: The Arminians therefore, who grant both Preſcience in God, and Free-will in Man, do admit both parts of the Contradiction to be True; and ſo not onelyonly thwart the expreſſe Revelation of Scripture, which every where inculcates Gods Abſolute and Irreſpective Election, but likewiſe ſpeak that, which, in Reaſon (to which they pretend ſo much) neither themſelves nor any one elſe can poſſibly underſtand.
Secondly, The Opinion of Free-will utterly cuts off all manner of Prayer: For whereas the greateſt Argument of Prayer ought either to be for Pardoning or Preventing Grace; with what face can he aske for Pardon, who by owning himſelf to have a ſufficient Power to do Gods Will, doth thereby acknowledge all his ſins, not to proceed from Surprize, Inadvertency or Weakneſſe; but to be ſins of his Will, and therein himſelf to be a Wilfull and a Malicious Tranſgreſſour? The Saints of old did uſe to plead for themſelves, their Raſhneſs and Haſte, as David; their Ignorance and Unbelief, as Paul; their Incogitancy and Unmindfulneſs, as John; but he that holds Free-will; makes all thoſe Apologies to be vain and uſeleſſe, ſince every offence in ſuch an one muſt needs ariſe from his own Reſolved and Deſigned Pravity; and ſins of Infirmity in others, in him are ſins of ſtrength; becauſe he might have avoided them, and would not. which diſcovers ſo groſſe an Enmity and Oppoſition againſt God, that all the while, that ſentence remains upon Record, If we ſinne wilfully after we have received the knowledg of the Truth, there remains no more Sacrifice for ſinne; it will be impoſſible for ſuch an one to look up with Faith, and believingly to ſue out his Pardon. And as with Pardoning, ſo likewiſe will it ſit with Preventing and ſtrengthning Grace; Free-will makes the one Deſperate, and the other Ʋſeleſſe. For what need I pray for that, which I have already by me; nay, which I am ſure ſhall never, ſo long as I am a man, be taken from me. No man prayes for the Money that is in his Cheſt; nor for thoſe goods, that he ſtands poſſeſſed of: So neither can we, without being guilty of Vain-babling, pray for ſtrength to do Gods will, if we think every man Naturally hath a power to do it, I will pray (ſaid one of the moſt learned Aſſertors of Free-will, Tully.for Fortune and Riches, for theſe are in Gods Gift; but not for Virtue, for that I can give my ſelf. Whereas he that knows he ſtands by Grace; that he cannot doe any thing well, but as the Spirit of God doth act him: and that the Actings of the Spirit, are Arbitrary, not at ours, but at his own Diſpoſal; he will find a Neceſſity upon him, to be often begging for that ſtrength, which he ſees he wants, and God alone can furniſh him with.
Thirdly; Another Inconvenience of this Opinion of Free-will is, that it muſt needs betray poor Sinners to a delaying and putting off their Repentance: For he that finds it written, how ready God is to pardon upon Repentance; and is told withall, that it lies in his power to Repent, whenever he pleaſes; cannot be wrought upon by any Argument that I know of, to forbear his ſinfull pleaſures for the Moment. At leaſt, why he ſhould make ſuch haſte, as the Scripture doth preſſe us to, there can be no Imaginable Motive. For if I live according to this Doctrine, I ſhall be ſure to give my ſelf Repentance; becauſe I have a Natural Ability to do it; and that any man now living ſhould be ſo ſuddenly ſtrook, as not to have time enough for that Work, (which whenever it is done, it is done in a moment, though it may perhaps not be evidenced ſo ſoon) is ſo much ods, that any Sinner may ſafely venture to try a little longer the pleaſures of Sinne, before he reſolves by too ſudden a Repentance to leave them. Whereas he that owns every good Motion inviting that way, to be, not the Impulſe of his own Heart, but the Calling of Gods Spirit; which, like light, may ſhine for a time, and ſuddenly be withdrawn again; he will find himſelf engaged to Anſwer at the firſt Call; leaſt, while he tarries, God leaves off to call him, and gives him over as unworthy of Mercy, becauſe of his Stubborn Refuſall.
4. It is impoſſible but thoſe who are leavened with this Doctrine, muſt needs be ſwelled with Pride; and puffed up with conceit of themſelves, above all other men: ſince they imagin all their Graces, to be purely the reſult of their own well managing and improving their Naturall Abilities. This was the Temper of the Phariſees heretofore, who juſtified themſelves and deſpiſed others; for as Joſephus tells us, they were extremely addicted to the Opinion of Free-will; and it appears in that they ſo much overvalued their own Power, that they would needs be more Holy and Righteous than the Law of God commanded; and therefore found out. New Ceremonies, and many ſelf-invented Forms of Devotion, which were their Works of Supererogation: which Humour ſtill reignes, as a Naturall Effect of it, among all thoſe ſeverall Parties, where the Opinion of Free-will is entertained. Whereas the Acknowledging that Gods Grace onelyonly fills the Soul, and we, like Empty Veſſels, have nothing but what we daily receive, will keep the Mind humble and Thankfull as to God; and likewiſe Tender and Compaſſionate towards others, who may for the preſent want the ſame Mercy which we enjoy.
Laſtly, I might adde, that the whole Practice of Will-worſhip, whether it relates to the Inventing of uncommanded Methods in Divine Worſhip, or to the Impoſing of ſuch uſages upon others, is altogether founded upon a ſuppoſition that every Man hath Free-will; and therefore Magiſtrates conceiving it doth not ariſe from Tenderneſs of Conſcience, but meerly from an Affected Obſtinacy, that Men ſubmit not to their Injunctions, it makes them more Harſh and Rigorous in exacting Obedience, than otherwiſe they would ever attempt to doe; which thing alone makes the Belief of Free-will in Religious matters, altogether inconſiſtent with and deſtructive of the Peace of Chriſtian ſocieties; as every age, wherein there hath been the leaſt dawings of Spirituall Light doth abundantly evidence. All the ſufferings of the Saints, having been inflicted upon them upon this ſingle account, in that when they refuſed to Worſhip the Beaſt or his Image, their Perſecutors thought, it lay in their Power, to doe him that Homage; whereas indeed it did not, it being impoſſible for any to avoid or forbear acting according to the Dictates of a Well-grounded and Conſcientious Perſwaſion.
But when as in oppoſition to all this, the maintainers of Free-will, doe urge that the Contrary Doctrine of Free Grace doth open a door to all manner of Licentiouſneſs, ſince by leaving nothing in mans power, it leaves them free to doe nothing; and likewiſe, that it makes void and Ineffectuall all Gods Commands, which ſuppoſe a Power of Obeying in us, or elſe they had been given in vain: which Objections being managed by perſons of much Rhetorick, and outward Sanctity, doe make a great Impreſſion upon a Slight and Ʋnwary Reader: I have therefore in this Treatiſe, fully, at leaſt to my own ſatisfaction, anſwered both thoſe Objections; and have as I hope ſufficiently demonſtrated, that nothing doth more incline the ſoul to a Cheerfull Obedience, than a right Ʋnderſtanding of the Doctrine of Free-grace; which becauſe it is the buſineſs of this Book to evidence, I will no longer detain the Reader from it, but recommend It, for its Succeſs and Iſſue, to the ſame Grace, which firſt gave it Birth and Beginning.
June 11 1662. Edward Bagſhawe.
Errata.
Page 4. line 24. dele but. p. 19. l. 28. read but by the. p. 30. l. 23, 24. dele () p. 35. l. 4. r. Affections. ib. l. 17. r. foreign.