Objections Answered Concerning the Power of Nature

ROM. 2. 14.

WE have already positively and plainly (so farre as wee conceived necessary) declared and proved the truth about the power and ability of a man by Nature to doe that which is good: now it remaineth we should antidote against those Objections that doe militate against this truth, and that indeed with much shew of reason; for never have men been more witty, then when they have undertaken to be the patrons of Nature. But Austin well called it vitreum acumen: the more it glitters, the easier it’s broken. The Heathens are very obstinate in propugning mans power. Onely sluggards need Gods help, Ignavis opus est auxilio divino, saith Seneca the Tragedian; and so the other Seneca: It is the gist of the gods that we live, but our own doing that we live well, Deorum quidem munus esse quòd vivimus, nostrum verò quòd bene sancteque vivimus: and that of Tully is very arrogant, lib. 3. de nat. deorum, Quia sibi quisque virtutem acquirit, neminem è sapientibus unquam de ea gratias Deo egisse: and (saith he) Wee are praised for our vertue; which could not be, if it were the gift of God, and not of our selves. But how different are the holy men in the Scripture, from these wise men of the world, who when they have been enabled by God to doe any good thing, have not taken the glory of it to themselves? And, as Joab did about Rabbah, when he had taken it, sent to David to come and take all the glory; so doe they say, Not I, but the grace of God, 1 Corinth. 15. […], is to be understood, which was present with mee, not which did work¹ with mee.

Finst therefore they say, If so be we are not able to doe any thing towards our salvation, this is to turn men into stockes, and stones, or beasts, and so no difference between them and us. But we say, Although those similitudes the Scripture holds forth doe prove our inability for that which is good, yet they must not be made alike in all things. It’s true, to convert men, is to make children unto Abraham out of stones; yet we must not think that is therefore an universall likenesse between men and stones: For first, consider this vast dissimilitude; In stones and beasts there is no passive capacity of grace, but in man there is. We say, there is a power for grace in a mans nature; and the Papists say, there is a power: only they say it’s an active power, though remote; we say, only a passive. There is a power to be converted to God, which is not in stones or beasts: they say, there is a power to convert or turn to God; here is a great difference.

Besides, wee may consider these degrees in the creatures: 1. There is an inclination to such an act, as in the fire to burne. 2. A spontaneous inclination to some acts accompanied with sense, and sensible apprehensions, as in beasts. 3. A willing inclination accompanied with reason or judgement, and this is in man: Now, because man is thus affected, therefore God in converting, though he doth it by a potent work, yet by arguments, which we never use to horses, or brute beasts: and although man hath lost that rectitude in his will and mind, yet hee hath not lost the faculties themselves; therefore though he be theologically dead, yet hee is ethically alive, being to be wrought upon by arguments. Hence is that saying, To will is of nature, To will well of grace, To will ill of corrupt nature. Hence wee may grant those objections, that if a man had not this free-will (if you doe not extend it to good things) there could be no conversion or obedience; for grace doth not destroy, but perfect nature.

2. This putteth men upon speaking and preaching contradictions:² For so some have said, that the Calvinists; though they be Calvinists in their Doctrines, yet they are Arminians in their Uses. And they say, How incongruous is it, to tell us we can doe nothing of our selves, and then to make this use, Therefore let us seek out for the grace of Christ? But to answer, 1. This contradiction may be cast as well upon Christ and Paul: Take Christ for an instance, John 6. in that Sermon, he bade the Jewes labour for that meat that perisheth not, and yet at the same time said, None can come unto mee, except my Father draw him. Might not the Arminian say, How can these two things stand together? So John 15. our Saviour telleth them, Without him they can doe nothing, and yet at the same time he exhorteth them, to abide in him, and keep his commandements: So Paul; take two instances from him, Rom. cap. 9. & cap. 11. The Apostle there sheweth, God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and that it is not of him that runneth or willeth, but of God that calleth; yet he bids them that stand take heed lest they fall: and, Be not high-minded, but feare. So Phil. 2. 12, 13. Work out your salvation with feare and trembling; for it’s God that worketh in you both to will and to doe. This reason, in their sense, would quite overthrow the former. Nay (say they) it being attributed thus to God, and to man, it seemeth both doe it How this may be answered, wee shall see anon. But to make u[…] speak contradictions, because we presse a duty, and yet acknowledge Gods grace or gift to doe it, is to make a perpetuall discord between precepts and promises: For the same things which God commands us to doe, doth hee not also promise to doe for us, as, to circumcise our hearts, and, to walk in his commandements How much better is that of Austius, O man, in Gods precepts acknowledge what thou oughtest to doe, in his promises acknowledge that thou canst not doe it? But 2. we may returne upon them, that their Sermons and Prayers are contradictions; they say, they can doe it, and then they pray God they may doe it: They say, the Will may receive the grace of God, and may obey God calling; and then they pray, God would make them obey his calling; as much as to say, O Lord, make me to obey if I will.

3. This evacuateth the whole nature of Gods precepts and commands:³ For, say they, Is not this to make God mock us, as if wee should bid the blind man see; or tell a dwarfe, if hee would touch the heavens with his singer, he should have so much mony? Now, to this many things are to be said: as, first, If these things were absolutely and simply impossible, that which they say would be true; but a thing may be said to be impossible three waies:

4. Simply and universally, even to the power of God: and so all those things are, that imply a contradiction; and this impossibility ariseth from the nature of the thing, not from any defect in God: Yea, wee may say with one, Potentissimè hoc Deus non potest.

5. There may be a thing impossible in its kind; as for Adam to reach the heavens, for a man to work above naturall causes.

6. That which is possible in it self to such a subject, but becomes impossible accidentally through a mans fault. Now for a man to be commanded that, which through his own fault he becometh unable to do, is no illusion or cruelty. If a creditor require his debt of a bankrupt, who hath prodigally spent all, and made himself unable to pay, what unrighteousnesse is this? Therefore they are but odious instances, of touching the skies, of bidding blind men to see; for this Rule observe, Whatsoever is so impossible, that it is beyond a duty required, or power ever given, extra officium debitum, and potentiam unquam datam, that indeed were absurd to presse upon men. Again consider, that the commands of God doe imply if any power, then more then they will acknowledge; for they suppose a man can doe all of himself without the grace of God, and therefore indeed the old Pelagian, and the new Socinian speak more consonantly then these, that divide it between grace, and the power of man.

Lastly, The commands of God are for many other ends, as to convince,⁴ and humble, though they be not a measure or rule of our power. That place, Deut. 30. 11. is much urged by the adversary, where Moses seemeth to declare the easinesse of that command: and certainly it hath a very great shew; for, as for that answer, That Moses speaketh of the easinesse of knowing, and not fulfilling, Calvin doth not stand upon it; and indeed of our selves we are not able to know the Law of God. The answer then to this may be taken out of Rom. 10. 11. That howsoever Moses speaks of the Law, yet Paul interprets it of the Gospel. What then? Doth Paul pervert the scope of Moses? Some do almost say so; but the truth is, the Law (as is to be shewed against the generall mistake) if it was not in it self a covenant of grace, yet it was given Evangelically, and to Evangelicall purposes, which made the Apostle alledge that place: and therefore the Antinomian doth wholly mistake, in setting up the Law as some horrid Gorgon, or Medusa’s head, as is to be shewed.

4. How can God upbraid or reprove men for their transgressions,⁵ if they could doe no other wayes? This also seemeth very strange, if men can do no otherwise. Is not this as ridiculous to threaten them, as that of Xerxes, who menaced the sea? I answer, No, because still whatsoever man offends in, it’s properly his fault, and truly his sin; for whatsoever he sinneth in, he doth it voluntarily, and with much delight; and is therefore the freer in sin, by how much the more he delights in it. And this Austin would diligently inculcate, that so no man might think to cast his faults upon God. There is no man forced to sinne, but he doth it with all his inclination and delight. How farre voluntarinesse is requisite to the nature of a sinne, at least actuall, though not to originall, is not now to be determined; for we all acknowledge, that this necessity of sinning in every man, doth not hinder the delight and willingnesse he hath in it at the same time.

Nor should this be thought so absurd, for even Aristotle saith,⁶ that though men at first may choose, whether they will be wicked or no, yet if once habituated, they cannot but be evil: and yet for all that, this doth not excuse, but aggravate. If an Ethiopian can change his skin, saith the Prophet, then may you doe good, who have accustomed your selves to doe evil. The Oake, while it was a little plant, might be pulled up; but when it’s grown into its full breadth and height, none can move it. Now if it be thus of an habit, how much more of originall sin, which is the depravation of the nature? And howsoever Austin was shye of calling it naturale malum, for fear of the Manichees; yet sometimes he would doe it. Well therefore doth the Scripture use those sharp reproofes and upbraidings, because there is no man a sinner or a damner of himself, but it is by his own fault: and withall, these serve to be a goad and a sharp thorn in the sinners side, whereby he is made restlesse in his sin.

5. To what purpose are exhortations and admonitions? Though⁷ the other answers might serve for this, yet something may be specially answered here, which is, that though God work all our good in us, and for us, yet it is not upon us as stocks or stones; but he dealeth sutably to our natures, with arguments and reasons: And if you say, To what purpose? Is it any more then if the Sun should shine, or a candle be held out to a blind man? Yes, because these exhortations and the word of God read or preached, are that instrument, by which God will work these things. Therefore you are not to look upon preaching, as a meere exhortation, but as a sanctified medium, or instrument, by which God worketh that he exhorteth unto. Sometimes indeed we read, that God hath sent his Prophets to exhort those, whom yet he knew would not hearken: Thus he sent Moses to bid Pharaoh let the people of Israel go, and thus the Prophets did preach, when they could not beleeve, because of the deafnesse and blindnesse upon them. But unto the godly these are operative meanes, and practicall, even as when God said, Let there be light, and there was light; or, when Christ said, Lazarus, come forth of the grave. And this by the way should keep you from despising the most plain ministery or preaching that is; for, a Sermon doth not work upon your hearts, as it is thus elegant, thus admirable, but as it is an instrument of God, appointed to such an end: Even as Austin said, The conduits of water, though one might be in the shape of an Angel, another of a beast, yet the water doth refresh as it is water, not as it comes from such a conduit; or the seed that is thrown into the ground fructifieth, even that which comes from a plain hand, as well as that which may have golden rings or jewels upon it: not but that the Minister is to improve his gifts, Qui dedit Petrum piscatorem, dedit Cyprianum rhetorem, but onely to shew whence the power of God is. Bonorum ingeniorum insignis est indoles, in verbis verum amare, non verba. Quid obest clavis lignea, quando nihil aliud quaerimus, nisi patere clausum?

6. The Scripture makes conversion and repentance to be our acts,⁸ as well as the effects of Gods grace. And this cannot be denyed but that we are the subject, who being acti· agimus, enabled by grace, do work; for, grace cannot be but in an intelligent subject: As before the Manna fell upon the ground, there fell a dew, which (say Interpreters) was preparatory to constringe and bind the earth, that it might receive the Manna; so doth reason and liberty qualifie the subject, that it is passively capable of grace: but when enabled by grace, it is made active also. These be places indeed have stuck much upon some, which hath made them demand, Why, if those Promises of God converting us do prove conversion to be his act, should not other places also, which bid us turn unto the Lord, prove that it is our Act? The answer is easie: none deny, but that to beleeve, and to turn unto God, are our acts; we cannot beleeve without the minde and will. That of Austin is strong and good, If, because it’s said, Not of him that willeth and runneth, but of him that sheweth mercy, man is made a partiall cause with God, then we may as well say, Not in him that sheweth mercy, but in him that runneth and willeth.

But the Question is, Whether we can doe this of our selves, with grace? Or, Whether grace onely enable us to doe it? That distinction of Bernards is very cleere: The heart of a man is the subjectum in quo, but not à quo; the subject in which, not from which this grace proceedeth: Therefore you are not to conceive, when grace doth enable the mind and will to turn unto God, as if those motions of grace had such an impression upon the heart, as when the seal imprints a stamp upon the wax, or when wine is poured into the vessell, where the subject recipient doth not move, or stirre at all: Nor is it as when Balaam’s Asse spake, or as when a stone is thrown into a place, nor as an enthusiasticall or arreptitious motion, as those that spake oracles, and understood not; Nor as those that are possessed of Satan, which did many things, wherein the minde and will had no action at all: but the Spirit of God inclineth the Will and Affections to their proper object.

Nor is the Antinomians similitude sound, that (as you heard) makes God converting of a man, to be as when a Physician poureth down his potion into the sick-mans throat, whether he will or no: For it is most true, that the Will, in the illicite and immediate acts of it, cannot be forced by any power whatsoever: It’s impossible that a man should beleeve unwillingly; for to beleeve, requireth an act of the Will. The School-men dispute, Whether fear, or ignorance, or lust do not compell the will; and they do rightly conclude, that it cannot: Therefore, though a mans conversion be resisted by the corrupt heart & will of a man, yet when it is overcome by the grace of God, it turneth willingly unto him. Therefore this argument, though it seem strange, yet we may say of it as he in another case, Hoc argumentum non venit à Dea Suada.

7. Then men may sit still and never stirre, onely expecting when⁹ grace shall come; for, if we have no power, why are men exhorted to come to Christ, and reade the Word? And indeed, this hath so wrought upon some, that they have not used any meanes at all, but expect Gods providence to be a supplyer of all, as Brentius (if I mistake not) relateth of an Anabaptist woman, who invited many to supper, and never provided any thing, expecting God would do it. Now this Question is built upon a falshood, as if a mans working were wholly excluded; whereas you are to know, that there are two kinds of holy things:

8. There are holy things that are internally and essentially so, and these we cannot doe without God, John 15. Without me ye can do nothing. Austin observes the emphasis; he doth not say, No hard thing, but nothing: and he doth not say Perficere, perfect; but Facere, you cannot doe it any way.

9. There are holy actions externally so, as to come to heare the Word preached, to reade and meditate upon the Word: experience teacheth, that men have a naturall power to this; witnesse those many Comments and learned Expositions, that men without any grace have made upon the Scripture. Now it’s true, to doe any of these holily is Gods act, The naturall man perceiveth not the things of God: and, God opened Lydia’s heart. But yet God converteth in the use of these meanes. He will not ordinarily change the heart of any, that doth not wait at the gates of wisdome. Therefore God doth not work upon the heart, as the Artificer useth his instrument, but he commands to reade and hear; and this is the organ, or the meanes by which the Spirit of God will change his heart. Now indeed, when a man readeth or heareth any naturall or philosophicall truth, he is able by these […], strength left in nature, to comprehend them, but he cannot in the same manner bring forth any thoughts or affections of heart sutable unto those spirituall mysteries laid open before him. But now the patrons of Nature speak otherwise; they say it is, as if a man, almost spent by a disease, should receive physick, and so that physick doth repaire and increase strength, not infuse strength: Or, as a bird tyed by a string, that hath a power to flye, onely is outwardly hindered, so that they suppose a latent power in Nature to be excited and stirred up by grace: we say, the power must be first infused.

10. If they thus necessarily sin, then they were not bound to pray, nor¹⁰ to come to hear the Word of God preached; for then also they sin and no man is bound to sin. Now to this the answer is clear, that though a wicked man cannot but sinne in praying and hearing, yet he is bound to these things: and the reason is, because, that he sinneth in them, it is meerly accidentall, but the duty is a duty essentially in it self; and a man must not omit that which is per se requisite, for that which is accidentally forbidden: so that his resolution should not be, not to pray, or to heare, but deponere peccatum, to lay down his sin, which corrupteth, leaveneth, and maketh sowre all he doth. Besides, there is lesse judgement to him that prayeth, then to him that prayeth not, although in some particular consideration his aggravation may be the greater.

11. The Scripture doth say, To him that hath, shall be given,¹¹ and, when God distributed his talents, it was to every one as he was able, Matth. 25. If we answer to this, that theologia symbolica non est argumentativa, that is denyed, and is now a-late questioned; although Austins and others comparisons about parables must needs be granted: which are, As in a picture there are lineaments and essentials of it, but, besides these, the shadowes and colours, which are for meer ornament; so in Parables: Or, as others, As in the musicall instrument, onely the strings touched make the noise or tune, yet they could not do so, unlesse fastened unto the wood; so onely the scope of the parable is that which is argumentative, though this principall have many accessaries joyned to it: And thus we may say of that passage, […], that it’s taken from the custome of men, and goeth to make up the parable. But let us consider it otherwise, and Theophylact referreth it dangerously to our preparations and dispositions. In the vessell (saith he) which I am to bring to God, he poureth in his gift: If I bring a little vessell, he giveth a little gift; if a great vessell, he giveth a great gift: But, seeing that under the name of these talents, be understood not onely dona sanctificantia, but ministrantia, and the Apostle saith expresly, that the Spirit of God giveth these diversity of gifts, as he pleaseth, this wholly overthroweth that exposition. Therefore the Papists, Barradius and Maldonat, do confesse it makes onely ad ornatum, non ad rem per parabolam significatam; and that it’s taken from the custome of men, who use indeed to look to the gifts of men, their prudence and fidelity: but we know by experience, God did not so. But if we make an argument of it, then this disposition or capacity must be either supernaturall, and then it’s the gift of God; or if of naturall capacity, as sometimes to him that hath excellent parts, a prompt wit, an happy memory, God giveth the habit of Divinity (for there is such a thing that is distinct from the habit of faith) and a gift of interpreting Scripture, although that naturall dexterity be a gift of God also, but in another kind; and then God doth not tye or bind himself to this way: and therefore, if we should say, as some do, God gave the spirit of government to Moses, because by nature he was most prudent and meek; yet it’s not universally so, because God gave to Saul a spirit of government from his own meere good will, without any respect to Saul. And how many men of parts have been so farre from being blest, because of these naturall endowments, that they have turned their wedge of gold into an idoll, to worship it?

Use 1. To extoll the work of grace for the initiall, progressive, and consummative work of conversion: for by all that hath been said, you have seen the weaknesse of nature, and the power of grace; the strength of our disease, and the necessity of a physician. How uncomfortable will it be when thou dyest, to commit thy soule to that grace, which thou hast disputed against? And be not content with giving something to it, unless thou give all to it; Grace that justifieth, Grace that sanctifieth, Grace that saveth.

Use 2. Not to abuse the doctrine of grace to idlenesse or negligence. You see how both these promises and precepts, grace and duties, may be reconciled. And as not to negligence, so not to curious disputes: doe not so trouble your selves about the doctrine of grace, that you feel not the power of grace in your hearts; and doe not so farre dispute about your naturall corruption, and how deep you are in it, as not to labour to get out of it. Austin compareth this to one, who being fallen into a great pit, his friend asked him how he came in; Nay (saith he) rather seek how to get me out. And thus doe ye in these matters of sin, wherein you are wholly plunged.

Footnotes

1. There is in mans nature a passive capacity of grace, which is not in stones and beasts. ↩

2. To presse a duty, and yet to acknowledge Gods grace or gift to do it, is no contradiction. ↩

3. Mans inability to observe Gods precepts, maketh not void the nature of the precepts, because this in ability proceeded from mans owne fault. A thing said to be impossible three waies. ↩

4. Gods commands, though they be not a measure of our power, may serve to convince, humble, &c. ↩

5. Necessity of sinning hinders not the delight and willingnesse man hath in sin, and consequently God may reprove him for his transgressions. ↩

6. Cap. 5. l. 3. Ethic. ad Nicom. ↩

7. Though God works all our good in us, yet exhortations are the instrument wherby he works it. ↩

8. How conversion and repentance may be said to be our acts. ↩

9. Gods working upon the heart of a sinner for conversion, excludes not mans working. ↩

10. Though wicked men cannot but sinne in praying and hearing, yet they are bound to these duties. ↩

11. God doth not bind himself to this way. ↩