Natural and Moral Impotency, Title page – To the reader
A DISCOURSE OF NATURAL AND MORAL IMPOTENCY.
By Joſeph Truman, B. D. late Miniſter near Nottingham.
The Second Edition, with Additions left by the Authors own Hand.
LONDON, Printed for Robert Clavel; and are to be ſold at the Sign of the Peacock in St. Pauls Church yard, 1675.
TO THE Ingenuous, Chriſtian READER.
I More fear the cenſures of thoſe that ſhall read but part of this diſcourſe, or take their eſtimate concerning the import of it at the ſecond hand, from the repreſentation of the Ignorant, or deeply prae-engaged Learned; than an attempted confutation of any deliberate Oppoſer; yet I promiſe my ſelf exemption from neither.
I pretend not here to teach new Divinity. The things here maintained, that can be pretended ſtrange, are not ſo remote from the common ſentiments of men, as the moſt will ſuppoſe, being but the opinions, or the immediate conſequences of ſuch opinions, as the moſt moderate men have, at leaſt virtually, granted, and maintained; though I cannot deny but many of them, being not well conſiſtent duplicate page with themſelves, have alſo maintained the contrary; not that I hereby accuſe any: for this is only a not denying ſuch, while good Chriſtians, to be, in this particular, ill Logicians.
That no man is juſtly bound by any Law of God, or man, any further than his natural faculties and power reach, is written with indelible Characters on every man's Soul as legibly, as that there is ſuch a thing as juſtice or injuſtice.
And ſecondly, That a man is bound by the Law of God (what ever ſome ſay to the contrary) ſo far; ſo that his greateſt wickedneſs or averſation of will to obey it, will not excuſe him, but really add to his inexcuſableneſs; is as legible as that the greateſt wickedneſs is wickedneſs, and doth not excuſe. And he that will deny this, may with as much reaſon deny the moral laudability of Chriſt's obedience on Earth, or an Angel's in Heaven, becauſe of their morally inſuperable inclination of Will to ſuch obedience; whereas ſuch obedience is more laudable, as having more of the Will.
Yet thirdly, ſuch wickedneſs, or averſation of Will to good, will as certainly, as what is moſt certain, hinder (elſe you muſt ſay, Man's wickedneſs is no hindrance, or ſo little a hindrance of his obedience, that he hath no need of the grace of the Hole Spirit to overcome it) I ſay, will moſt certainly hinder man's complyance with the divine commands, till God ſhall take away, or overcome ſuch reluctancy of will by ſome ſuch ſuperffluence of Grace, as he is not bound in juſtice to afford them, or hold them excuſed. For God is bound in juſtice to do no more for men in order to the making them obedient to his Laws, or elſe to hold them excuſed for not being obedient; than ſo much as would render their not obeying his Laws culpable and inexcuſable, if men were not wicked, or had no averſation of will to ſuch obedience.
Now from theſe three poſitions by evident conſequence follows, (ſuppoſing you will allow men to have any culpable or ſinful Impotency on them; which he that denyes, muſt affirm, that men can, for any Impotency on them whatſoever, ſo order their Converſations, as not to need Chriſt's death or pardon for their failings therein; And may alſo, with as much ſhew of reaſon, either deny, that it can, in any ſenſe, be ſaid truly, That Chriſt could not ſin, or Angels in Heaven cannot ſin, or God cannot ſin, or lye; or elſe deny that this their morally inſuperable rectitude or holineſs of will was or is Morally commendable) I ſay, it hence follows,
Firſt; That man's culpable Impotency lieth only in an Impotency, to do what he hath a power to do, or (to ſpeak the ſame in other words) in Man's not being able to do in one ſenſe, what he can do in another ſenſe. And to ſay otherwiſe, is to forget, that Morality ſuppoſeth, and is ſubjected in a naturally capable ſubject, viz. in a rational Being, or a being indued with the power or faculty of free Will; And conſequently that a Moral or culpable Cannot-obey, neceſſarily ſuppoſeth, and is ſubjected in natural power to obey; and a Moral or laudable Cannot ſin, in a Natural power to ſin.
Secondly; That the effect of the Grace of the Holy Ghoſt, lyeth not in man's receiving from God the meer power to obey God's Commands: Since, Firſt, This power is due in juſtice, ſuppoſing he require obedience from men, and therefore is not from Grace (The Law ſuppoſes this, or it could not be a Law, becauſe not obligatory to a man wanting ſuch power.) And Secondly; Man could not ſin, or be guilty, or inexcuſable without this power, in not doing what the command requires; whereas men can ſin without this Grace; elſe why do any pray for it for themſelves or others to keep them from ſin.
But the effect of this Grace lyeth in receiving from God ſomthing over and beſide this power, to cauſe a man to do what he is bound to do, and would be too blame for not doing it, and therefore conſequently had a power to do it, though this Grace had been denyed him.
Me thinks theſe things are ſo clear, that it would be a reproach, not only to Learning, but to humanity, if any, eſpecially of many Learned men, ſhould be found ſeriouſly to hold the contrary.
Sure I am, that this diſtinction of Natural and Moral impotency, is of ſuch Importance in Divinity, that they that ſhall ſpeak, of the Controverſies hereby endeavoured to be cleared without keeping clear Notions about this diſtinction, ſhall (though otherwiſe learned Fathers and Doctors) ſpeak like Children concerning them; And alſo that men of ordinary underſtandings, keeping to this diſtinction, may competently ſatisfy themſelves and others, if willing to be ſatisfied in ſuch Controverſies as have poſed the greateſt wits and Shollars, that keep not to it.
I look upon St. Jerom's humour as much obſtructing the increaſe of knowledg; who endeavoured to diſcourage attempts againſt his writings, by telling* Ruffinus, his Antagoniſt,†Hoc unum denurcio, & repetens iterum iterumque monebo, corrut…m beſtiam petis, Hieron. Apol. 1. cont. Ruffin. that he had Hornes, and whoever medled with him ſhould find him a horned Beaſt. Yea, I ſo far diſlike it, that I hereby ſignifie to ingenuous men that ſhall have any inclination to reflect upon this diſcourſe, that I am ſo far from having, or at leaſt from deſiring to have any ſuch offenſive weapons againſt the truth, that I deſire to lye open to truth, by being naked of any armour of defence againſt it's convictions; And therefore have no great averſation to ſay, as thoſe, Judg. 19.30. once did, viz. [Conſider of it, take advice, and ſpeak your minds.] Provided, men would but obſerve the commonly neglected order preſcribed in that ſpeech, by practiſing the two firſt parts of the advice, before the laſt.
That this diſcourſe may be as influential to the promoting of Truth, Holineſs, and Peace amongſt us, as it is proper and ſuitable to ſuch ends, is the prayer and hearts-deſire of the Author.