Gods Free Grace and Mans Free Will, Title page – Note
A TREATISE of Gods free grace, and mans free will.
HINC LVCEM ET POCVLA SACRA
ALMA MATER CANTA BRIGIA
PRINTED BY IOHN Legat, Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge. 1601.
And are to be sold at the signe of the Crowne in Pauls Churchyard by Simon Waterson.
To the Right Worshipfull, Sir Edward Denie, Knight.
RIght Worshipfull, it is a thing most euident, that the present Religion of the Church of Rome is an Enemie to the grace of God, two waies. First, because it exalts the libertie of mans will, and extenuates the grace of God: and this it doth in fiue respects. For first of all it teacheth, that naturall freewill of man hath in it not onelyonly a Passiue or potentiall, but also an Actiue power, or imperfect strength in duties of godlines: and so much the lesse power is ascribed to the grace of God. This doctrine of theirs is flat against reason. For, the will of man in it selfe is a naturall thing: and therefore it is neither fit nor able to effect any supernaturall action (as all actions of godlines are) vnles it be first of all (as they say) eleuated aboue his condition by the impression of a supernaturall habit. And the Scripture is vtterly against this doctrine, when it saith, Ye were once darknesse, Eph. 5.8. We are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing of our selues, 2. Cor. 3.5. The naturall man [that is, he that wants the spirit of God] cannot perceiue the things of God, 1. Cor. 2.14. Ye were dead in sinnes and trespasses, Eph. 2.1. Without Christ and without God in the world, v. 12. Againe, Scripture saith further, that the heart of man is slow, Luc. 24.25. and vaine, Psal. 5.10. and hard that cannot repent, Rom. 2.5. and stonie, Ezech. 36.26. and that the Iewes were obstinate, their necke as an iron sinew, and their brow brasse, Isai. 48.4. and that it is God who giues eyes to see, and an heart to vnderstand, Deut. 29.4. By these testimonies it is manifest that grace doth not onelyonly helpe and assist our weake nature, but altogither change the peruerse qualitie thereof, and bring it from darknes to light, Act. 28.18. and from death to life, Eph. 2.1. Which grace whosoeuer doth not so farre forth acknowledge, neuer yet knew what the Gospel meant: neither did he euer consider the words of our Sauiour Christ, No man comes vntounto me, vnlesse the father draw him, Ioh. 6.44. Prosper the scholler of S. Augustine hath a notable saying, which I maruell that the Papists of our time doe not consider. We hauehave (saith he) free will by nature, Prosp. contra Collat. c. 18. in fine.but for qualitie and condition it must be changed by our Lord Iesus Christ.
Secondly,Molina de grat. & lib. arb. q. 14. art. 13. disp. 12. Gratiae auxilia, quòd efficacia sint, habent dependenter ab arbitrij libertate. some of the Romish religion auouch, that the efficacie of Gods preuenting grace depends vponupon the cooperation of mans will, & they affirme that the Councel of Trent is of this mind: but thē to the question of Paul, 1. Cor. 4.7. Who hath separated thee? the answer may be made, I my selfe hauehave done it by mine owne will. And that shall be false which Paul teacheth, that beside posse-velle, the power of wel-willing, ipsum velle, that is, the act of wel-willing is of God. Phil. 2.13. Others therefore place the efficacie of grace in the congruitie of fitte obiects and perswasions: as though it were sufficient to stirre vp the heart and to incline the will in spirituall matters: and our weakenesse might be cured with so easie a remedie: but God is further said to soften the heart. Ezec. 36.26. to turne the heart, Luc. 1.17. to open the heart, Act. 16.14. And because our hearts are ouer hard, he wounds them, Cant. 4.9. he circumciseth them, Deut. 30.6. nay he bruiseth them, Ezech. 6.9. And when nothing will doe good, at length God is said to take away the stonie heart, Ezech. 11.19. to quicken them that are contrite, Isa. 57.15. Eph. 2.5. to giuegive a new heart, Eph. 4.23. Ezech. 36.26. nay to create a new heart, Eph. 2.10. and 4.28.
Thirdly, they giuegive vntounto God in all contingent actions, a Depending will, whereby God wills and determines nothing but according as he foresees that the will of man will determine it selfe. And thus to maintaine the supposed Libertie of the will, that is, the indifferencie & indeterminatiō therof, they depriue God of his honour and soueraignitie. For by this meanes not God but will it selfe, is the first Moouer and beginner of her own actions.Shumel. sup. 1. Thom q. 23. art. 3. disp. 8. And there are euen of the Papists themselues that condemne this doctrine as a conceit.
Fourthly they teach that the grace which makes vsus acceptable and gratefull to God, stands in the inward gifts of the mind, specially in the gift of charitie. But this is most false which they teach: for charitie is the fulfilling of the lawe: and Paul saith, we are not vnderunder the lawe but vnderunder grace. Rom. 6.14. And againe, as many as are iustified by the law, are fallen from grace. Gal. 5.4. Now the grace that doeth indeed make vsus grateful to God, is the free fauour and merciemercy of God pardoning our sinnes in Christ, and accepting vsus to eternal life, and not any qualitie in vsus, as Paul signifies when he saith, we are saued not according to our workes, but according to his purpose and grace, which is giuen to vsus in Christ before all times. 2. Tim. 1.9.
Lastly they teach that the renewed will of man, by the general direction and cooperation of God, can performe the duties of godlinesse, without any speciall helpe from God by new grace. But the scripture speaks otherwise. By the grace of God I am that I am. I hauehave laboured, yet not I but the grace of God which is with me. 1. Cor. 10. No man can say that Iesus is the Lord, but by the holy Ghost. 1. Cor. 12.3. Without me ye can doe nothing. Ioh. 15.5. After ye beleeued, ye were sealed with the spirit. Eph. 1.17. He which hath begun this good worke in you will finish it vntill the daie of Christ. Phil. 1.6. That ye may abound with hope by the vertue of the spirit. Rom. 15. It is God that workes in you the will and the deede. Phil. 2.13. Though the righteous fall he shall not be cast off: for the Lord puts vnderunder his hand. Psa. 37.24. Incline my heart to thy testimonies: turne away mine eies from beholding of vanitie: & quicken me in thy way. Psal. 119.37. Teach me to doe thy will: because thou art my God: let thy good spirit lead me in the land of righteousnesse. Psal. 143.10. Create in me a newe heart, renewe a right spirit in me—: and stablish me by thy free spirit. Psal. 51.12. Draw me and I will runne after thee. By these and many other places it is euident, that God after he hath indued vsus with his spirit, doth not leaue vsus to be guided by our selues (for then we should fall againe to our former miserie) but he directs vsus, he lifts vsus vp, he leads vsus, he confirmes and sustaines vsus by the same grace, & by the same spirit dwelling in vsus, that walking in the way of his commandements, we may at length attaine to euerlasting happinesse.
The second way whereby the Papist shews himselfe to be an enemie of the grace of God, is that he ioynes the merit of works as a Con-cause with the grace of God in that which they call the second iustification, and in the procurement of eternall life: whereas on the contrarie Paul in the Article of iustification opposeth grace to works, yea to such workes as are the gifts & fruits of the spirit. For Abraham did good works not by naturall free will, but by faith. Heb. 11.8. And Paul opposeth iustifying grace to the workes of Abraham, where he saith, to him that worketh the wages is not imputed according to grace. And Tit. 3.5. Not of the workes of righteousnesse which we hauehave done, but of his mercy he saued vsus. Rom. 11.6. If by grace, then not of workes: or els were grace no more grace. Augustine said well, that grace is no waie grace, vnlesse it be freely giuen eueryevery way.
Thus then all things considered, it is the best to ascribe all we hauehave or can doe that is good, wholly to the grace of God. Excellent is the speech of Augustine: Only hold this as a sure point of godlinesse, De lib arbit. l. 2. c. 20.that no good thing can come either to the sense or mind, or be any way conceiued which is not of God. And Bernard: The Church shewes her selfe to be full of grace, in Cant. serm. 67.when shee giues all shee hath to grace, namely by ascribing to it both the first and the last place. Otherwise, how is shee full of grace, if shee hauehave any thing which is not of grace. Againe, I tremble to thinke any thing mine owne, Horreo quicquid de meo est, vt sim meus.that I may be mine owne. This doctrine is the safest and the surest in respect of peace of conscience, and the saluation of our soules. So much the Papists themselues (betraying their owne cause) say and confesse. Bellarmine the Iesuite saith,Bellar. de Iustificat. l. 5. c. 7. By reason of the vncertentie of our owne iustice, & for feare of falling into vaine glorie, it aTulissimum.is the safest to put our whole confidence in the alone merciemercy and goodnesse of God. Cassand c. de lib. arbit.Cassander in his book called the Consultation of articles in question, to Maximilian the Emperour, cites a saying of Bonauenture, which is on this manner: It is the dutie of godly mindes to ascribe nothing to themselues, but all to the grace of God. Hence it followes, that how much soeuer a man giues vntounto grace, though in giuing many things to the grace of God, he take something from the power of nature and free will, he departes not from godlinesse: but when any thing is taken from the grace of God and giuen to nature which pertaines to grace, there may be some danger. Thus then to hold and maintaine iustification by faith without workes, and to ascribe the whole worke of our conuersion to God, without making any diuision betweene grace and nature, is the safest.
These things I shewe more at large in this treatise following, which I now present to your Worshippe as a small testimonie of mine humble dutie and louelove: desiring you to accept the mind of the giuer, and to peruse it at your leisure. And thus I commend your Worsh. to the protection and grace of God in Christ.
Your Worsh. in the Lord, William Perkins.
A note.
Pag. 109. l. 19. that some Papists place the efficacie of grace in mans will, it is the sentence of Bellarmine, de grat. & lib. arb. l. 1. c. 12. Grati. vn efficacem constituunt in assensu & cooperatione humana. L. Molina saith, that our will makes grace to be effectuall, De lib. arbit. p. 326, 327. and sometime againe he saith, will is but a condition and no cause of the efficacie of grace. p. 329. Yet alwaies he graunteth, that it lies in mans will whether grace shall be effectuall or no. Thus when grace is offered on Gods part, will within stands as the Porter to open or shut, or as master Controller to accept or repell the worke of God.
Pag. 83. in the margin, read nihil ad non peccandum.