A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

This we affirm without fear of falling into the Popish doctrine of free-will too. Three things concur in a sinners conversion; the word of God persuading, the spirit of God prevailing, and the will of man consenting. Thou art created without thy self, not sanctified without thy self. The father begot the child without the child's will: then it had none, for it was not: but he cannot bring this child to any art against his will. I will not disput Gods power; he can, but he will not save us against our wills. Some Romists strongly build their paper-house of freewill on such places: but a man may smile to read how bitterly they oppose us in the frontispiece, and how consentingly they jump with us in the conclusion. Castifica ⟨p. 105⟩teipsum, says Fevardentius, there is free will: yet he concludes, Castificas te non de te, sed de illo qui habitat in te; there's no free will.^m Make strait steps to your feet, and turn you to me, saith the Lord: therefore can they turn themselves? Here they cry out louder than oyster women in the streets, victory, victory: but they sing their own [Greek or Hebrew], put the crown on their own heads. But whats the conquest? they have gotten what we never denied. They prove here freedom of our will to add to our own endeavours: right, so say we to too: but they forget that God had made us first partakers of the divine nature:ⁿ now if the sun make us free, we shall be free indeed. Acta fit activa voluntas. Did Saint Peter write this to wicked men, or to Saints? If they would prove that unregenerate men can will their own conversion by nature of themselves, it were worth their prize and praise: otherwise they have taken great pains for a thing not denied them. As I have heard of that wise man, who challenged his neighbour for impounding that very horse, which himself at the same time was riding on.

This we affirme without feare of falling into the Popish doctrine of free-will too. Three things concurre in a sinners conversion; the word of God perswading, the spirit of God prevailing, and the will of man consenting. Thou art created without thy selfe, not sanctified without thy selfe. The father begot the child without the childs will: then it had none, for it was not: but he cannot bring this child to any art against his will. I will not disput Gods power; he can, but he will not save us against our wills. Some Romists strongly build their paper-house of freewill on such places: but a man may smile to read how bitterly they oppose us in the frontispice, and how consentingly they jumpe with us in the conclusion. Castifica