The Lightless Star, Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
Goodwin.
IF it be demanded, But is any man able without the presence and assistance of the spirit of God, to discern the things of God, or to judge aright the matters of Religion? I answer,
1 Plainely, and directly to the heart (I suppose) of these, who make this demand, No: The spirit of God hath such a great interest in, and glorious super-intendency over the Mindes, and Spirits, Reasons and Understandings of men, that they cannot act or move regularly, or performe any of these operations or functions that are most naturall and proper to them, upon any worthy or comely termes, especially in matters of a spirituall concernment, but by the gracious and loving interposure and helpe of the spirit; for (questionlesse) the intellectuall frame of the heart and soul of man, was by the sin and fall of Adam wholly dissolved, shattered, brought to an absolute Chaos, & confusion of ignorance, and darknesse, to a condition of as great impotency to doe him the least service, in order to his comfort or peace in any kind, as can be imagined. So that if the Reasons and Understandings of men quit themselves in their actings or workings with honour, or with any due proportion to their benefit, comfort, or peace; it must needs be by meanes of that gracious conjunction of the spirit of God with them, which is a veuchsafement unto the children of men, procured by him, who raised up the Tabernacle of Adam, when it was fallen, Iesus Christ blessed for ever, in respect of which vouchsafement purchased by him, and given unto men for his sake, he is said to in lighten every man, coming into the world: so that what light soever of truth, what clear and sound principle, or impressions of Reason or Understanding soever is since the fall, to be found in any man, is an expresse f…utt of the Grace, that is given unto the world, upon the account of Iesus Christ, and is reinvested in the soule, by the appropriated interposure of the spirit of God, the gift whereof upon this account, is so frequently and highly magnified in the Scriptures. Yea, not only the habituall residency of all principles of light and truth in the soule, is to be attributed unto the Spirit of God, as supporting and preserving them from defacement, but also all the actings and movings of the rationall powers of the soule, according to the exigency, ducture, and import of them, as in all right apprehensions of things, in all legitimate and sound reasonings, and debates, whether for confirmation of any truth, or the confutation of any error or the like, But—
Resbury.
Here we have a Question and an Answer, for the Answer we have much to observe, and contend against it.
1 You say that you Answer to the heart of those, &c. then, as is your perpetual manner, upon this Argument, you Cant in high words, and generall expressions: Briefly, that you may answer to the heart of those, that hold the truth against you; You must Answer two things, first that the soule must be renewed by habituall grace. Secondly, That so renewed, it must be acted by effectuall grace.
2 You grant the utter dissolution of the intellectual frame by Adams fall, hereby no doubt you thinke to finde out an evasion from the charge of Pelagianisme: We shall see how well you will acquit your selfe of this charge in the examination of your doctrine: in the meane time, here is deep silence about the will of man, and about the sensual appetite: do you grant the Will, as to supernaturals, wholly dispoiled, as to naturals deeply wounded? doe you deny the lustings of the sensuall appetite in the state of innocency against right reason? Or do you with the Iesuiticall Schoole hold such lustings natural to that state?
3 You lay down your maine doctrine that there is such a light vouch safed to all men, by the procurement of Iesus Christ, as that according to your former doctrine, every man in the world may improve it to faith and repentance. Here,
1 We must take notice of an unsound dropping of your pen by the way, and upon the by: Christ you say, raised up the Tabernacle of Adam; this, no doubt to insinuate, that all men without exception, are redeemed by him; But by your leave Sir, it is the Tabernacle of David, that he raiseth up, as he took upon him the seed of Abraham: but men of unsound doctrines, have no minde to hold fast the form of sound words.
2 For the doctrine it self, which you ground upon Ioh. 1. 9. It is such, as that Scripture will not at all countenance. 1. They give a very fair interpretation of the place, and as to me it seems genuine, who understand by this light, natural Understanding, and Reason bestowed upon man by Christ, as God, and mans Creator, which natural light still remains, though much obscured by the fall in man, without which he was not man; and of this light Christ, as the Son of God and Author of nature, is the Author unto every one borne into the World; Thus Calvin (and with him others) resolving the place thus, The Evangelist setting forth the divinity of Christ, shewes him to have been the Creator of all things, v. 3. And because man is the choicest peece of the creatures here below, and wee are most affected with truths concerning our selves, he set forth Christ not onelyonly as the Author of being to all creatures in general, v. 3. but particularly instanceth in man, whose being i… of the best beings; a life, and this life, of the best of lives; a rationall. and intellectuall. In him was life, he is life of himselfe; and he is the spring or author of life, to all living creatures: more particularly, of that life of light, which the rational creature, Man, lives, v. 4. the same light with that, v. 9. The Author of which light, the Creator of man, Iohn testifies him to be giving witnesse to his God-head, He that commeth after me is preferred before me, for he was before me, v. 15.
Of this light Austine speakes, Tract. 2. in cap. 1. Ioan. This life was the light of men, did hee say the light of beasts?—There is a certaine light of men, whereby they differ from beasts. Let us now see, and understand what is this light of men. Thou differest not from a beast, but by thy Understanding; whence art thou better then the beast? from the image of God; where is the image of God? in the minde, in the understanding. If therefore thou beest better then a beast, because thou hast a mind, by which thou understandest what the beast cannot understand, and thence thou art a man, that thou art better then the beast; The light of men, is the light of minds; the light of mindes, is above minds, and excels all minds. This was that life by which all things were made, here then the Creator of man is set forth his restorer.
2 If we must suppose it supernaturall Light, then must we limit the Subject enlightned thus; He enlightens every man that comes into this world, who is enlightned; that is, there is no other fountaine of Light but he, to all that are enlightned; here we may fitly bring in that illustration of that eminent light, Austin upon that text, They shall all be taught of God; who when he had according to truth interpreted it onelyonly of the Sons of the Promise, and the Vessels of Mercy, according to Election—he addes for further clearing. But as we speake rightly, when we say of any Schoole-master who is alone in the City, this man teacheth all, not because all learne, but because none learn but of him, whosoever doe there learne; so we rightly say, God teacheth all men to come to Christ, not because all come, but because no man comes otherwise, Lib. de praedest. Sanct. chap. 8. so here, Christ enlightens every man that comes into this world, not that every man coming into the world is enlightned, but of all commers into the world, whosoever is enlightned, he alone is the enlightner; though as I said the former interpretation seemes most genuine; but whether the former, or this, or whatsoever other interpretation may be the truth, it is evident, that Mr. Goodwins, who will have such a gift of illumination vouchsafed by Christ unto all, as that every man may improve to faith and repentance, cannot be the truth.
1 From the context here, for notwithstanding this light, and enlightning, such is the darknesse both of the world, and of his owne, the Iewes, as, comprehended not this light, or rather laid no hold upon it, as knew him not, … received him not, these only excepted, who … distinction from, and opposition to the rest, were not borne of bloud, nor of the will of the flesh, …or of the will of man, but of God; therefore well saith Austin, speaking of that light shining upon this darknesse; As when a blinde man is placed in the Sun-shine, the Sunne is present to him, but he is absent from the Sunne; so every foole, every unrighteous, every wicked person is blinde in his heart, wisdome is present to him, but being present to a blinde man, it is absent from his eyes, not because it is absent from him, but because he is absent from it, Tract. 1. in c. 1. Ioan. here was a beaming forth of this light upon such, and about them, in his workes and word, but they neither discerne it, nor have any power so to doe, because they are blinde though in the middest of Sun-shine.
2 From the whole Doctrine of Naturall corruption, and the grace of Conversion throughout the Scriptures; even all those Scriptures, whence you gather, That the intellectuall frame of man was so shatter'd by Adams fall, are bent against all unregenerate persons, shewing not what they had been by Adams fall, if Christ had not been, but what they are, this notwithstanding, before regeneration; therefore.
1 For the Doctrine of Naturall corruption, all men are thereby before regeneration flesh, in which dwels no good thing, wherein it is impossible to please God; which, enmity against the Law of God, contrary in its lustings to the Spirit, all dead in sin, all darknesse, all children of wrath, all in subjection to Satan, all under the Law, all borne as wilde Ass… Colts, all such as cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God, as savour onelyonly the things of the flesh, &c. whereas if your Doctrine was true, the Scripture must have affirm'd the contrary to all these, either that by Nature we are not flesh, or not so wholly in opposition to the Spirit; but that in the flesh some good thing dwels, that we may by Nature please God, that we are in amity with the Law of God, compliant to the motions of the Spirit, alive from sinne, light, children of peace, free from Satans bondage, borne under Grace, borne the Children of wisdome, such as can receive the things of the Spirit of God, as savour, or have those Principles, whereby we may savour the things of the Spirit, &c.
2. For the Doctrine of the Grace of conversion, the Scripture saith;
1 That it is supernaturall, quickning Grace, Grace by which we are borne anew, Grace raising from the dead, Grace anew creating; but according to your Doctrine, there should be no such thing, as the Grace of conversion, or Regeneration, but only a progresse of Naturall vertues, faith and repentance, but the fruits of the seeds of light in Nature; for this light you make a common vouchsafement to all, and the word Naturall you will not allow to difference the unregenerate man from the regenerate: so that in the building of your Babel, here is nothing but confusion of speech, from confusion of things, Grace is Nature, and Nature is Grace; Naturall is Spirituall, and Spirituall is Naturall; and which is yet admirable, Spirituall is with you too supernaturall.
2 It is altogether free, and preventing; as there is a supernatural Grace of Conversion, so this grace, as altogether independent upon any thing in man, therefore is of God. 1. As of him that shewes mercy, meerly because he will shew mercy, and will have compassion, on whom he will have compassion; in opposition to man willing, or to man runing. 2 As of him that is sound of those that sought him not. 3. As of him that by this grace of his makes the difference betwixt the converted and unconverted, so as the glorified Saints shall owe unto God, not only what they received in common with the damned, but that wherein they excell the damned; who hath made thee to differ? 4. As of him that cals, not only of the foolishest, and weakest, and basest, and most despised in the world; but even of the worst of men, 1 Cor. 6. 9. And Mr. Goodwin himselfe tels us how desperately incumbred the unregenerate state of the Ephesians was. Now according to your doctrine, all must be contrary; man must begin, and God must follow; man must first give, and God must recompence again; whatsoever it is, that you shal please to cal the grace, or the work of conversion on Gods part, it must be vouchsafed unto those, who by the improvement of that common, original, natural grace you tel us of; that light vouchsafed to all in their natural birth, have sought the Lord, have willed, have runned, and so they having received that common Posse (Pelagius his owne grace) shall make themselves by the good use of it, to differ from those, who for not using it, are not converted. 3. It is effectual and peculiar the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ, is not potential but effectual, where-ever it gives the power, giving the deed likewise, not common but peculiar, given onelyonly to those, who are indeed saved by it, No man can come to me, except the father draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day; without this drawing, here is no power of coming; whosoever is drawne, surely comes, and is surely saved; All are not saved, All come not, neither then could all come, or any, but those that doe come; this grace then is at once, preventing, effectuall, and peculiar. And indeed the peculiarity of it, is evident from the former heads, He hath mercy, on whom he will have mercy, there is a distinction of the heires of mercy from the rest, Who hath made thee to differ? differencing therefore peculiar grace, you hath he quickened, you, not all, &c. Thus we have seen the vanity of your Interpretation, and if we adde the Heresie too, we shall doe you no wrong; For, whether you confound Grace and Nature; or which way soever you make Grace to arise from Nature, or to depend upon any thing in the naturall man, you cannot possibly quit your selfe of palpable Pelagianism. The least charge that can be against you is, that grace is given according to merits, in that sense wherein Pelagius was refuted and condemned: The very Doctrine of Pelagius you teach, for a common power of repentance in all men, against the supernaturall efficacy of converting grace, against the preveniency, and peculiarity of it, against the natural mans darknesse and impotency; and you offer fair against original sin, whilst you tell us, that …e are all borne so vested with light and pow…. And you thinke to carry all, as if you were no consort of his: onelyonly because you have a new fetch for it, which, how slender …n o…e it is, I hope by this time appears.
What you adde towards the end of this Section, about the actings and movings of the …ationall Powers, by the spirit of God; you doe so hover in generals, and onelyonly put off with a parcell of fine words, as all that I shall yet say, is to pray you to speak plainly, and particularly; you use the same Artifice, and Cant most extreamly; Afterwards in the first Chapter of your booke, when you should lay downe your expresse doctrine about the divine influx and concourse; we must try if wee can hunt you out of your holes there.