17. Here is supposed An Internal principle of life in the person: God moves not man like a stone, but by enduing him first with life, (not to enable him to move without God, but) thereby to qualify him to move himself, in subordination to God the first mover. What the nature of this spiritual life is, is a Question exceeding difficult: Whether, as some think (but (as I judg) erroneously) it be Christ himself in Person, or Essence? or the holy Ghost personally? (Or as some will distinguish (with what sense I know not) it is the person of the holy Ghost, but not personally;) Whether it be an Accident, or Quality? or whether it be a spiritual substance, as the soul it self? Whether it be only an Act? or a disposition? or a habit? (as its generally taken.) Whether a habit infused? or ⟨p. 15⟩acquired by frequent Acts, to which the soul hath been morally persuaded? or whether it be somewhat lower then a habit, i. e. A power, viz. potentia proxima intelligendi, credendi, volendi, &c. in spiritualibus? *Which some think, the most probable, and that it was such a power that Adam lost, and that the natural man (as experience tells us) is still devoid of. Whether such a power can be conceived, which is not Reason it self? and whether Reason be not the Soul it self? and so we should make the soul diminished and increased, as bodies: Whether spirits have Accidents, as corporal substances have? A multitude of such difficulties occur, which will be difficulties while the Doctrine of Spirits and Spirituals is so dark to us; and that will be while the dust of mortality and corruption is in our eyes. This is my comfort, that death will shortly blow out this dust, and then I shall be resolved of these, and many more. In the mean time I am a Sceptic, and know little in this whole doctrine of spirits, and spiritual workings, further then Scripture clearly revealeth.
17. HEre is supposed An Internal principle of life in the person: God moves not man like a stone, but by enduing him first with life, (not to enable him to move without God, but) thereby to qualifie him to move himself, in subordination to God the first mover. What the nature of this spiritual life is, is a Question exceeding difficult: Whether, as some think (but (as I judg) erroniously) it be Christ himself in Person, or Essence? or the holy Ghost personally? (Or as some will distinguish (with what sence I know not) it is the person of the holy Ghost, but not personally;) Whether it be an Accident, or Quality? or whether it be a spiritual substance, as the soul it self? Whether it be only an Act? or a disposition? or a habit? (as its generally taken.) Whether a habit infused? or ⟨p. 15⟩acquired by frequent Acts, to which the soul hath been morally perswaded? or whether it be somewhat lower then a habit, i. e. A power, viz. potentia proxima intelligendi, credendi, volendi, &c. in spiritualibus? *Which some think, the most probable, and that it was such a power that Adam lost, and that the natural man (as experience tells us) is still devoyd of. Whether such a power can be conceived, which is not Reason it self? and whether Reason be not the Soul it self? and so we should make the soul diminished and encreased, as bodies: Whether spirits have Accidents, as corporal substances have? A multitude of such difficulties occur, which will be difficulties while the Doctrine of Spirits and Spirituals is so dark to us; and that will be while the dust of mortality and corruption is in our eyes. This is my comfort, that death will shortly blow out this dust, and then I shall be resolved of these, and many more. In the mean time I am a Sceptick, and know little in this whole doctrine of spirits, and spiritual workings, further then Scripture clearly revealeth.
- 1§. 7.
- *Some think, That the pravity of nature containeth a want of the •otentia, as well as of the habit. Some say, The potentia prima; Others, The Potentia secunda. Some think, The work of the spirit doth but make an impression on the internal sense, answerable to that qualicas [Greek or Hebrew] quae passionem officit in sensibus, &c. It seemeth yet to me, that Grace is that Potentia secunda, per quam prima naturalis in actum producitur. Vid. de hoc. Parkeri Theses.Some think, That the pravity of nature containeth a want of the •otentia, as well as of the habit. Some say, The potentia prima; Others, The Potentia secunda. Some think, The work of the spirit doth but make an impression on the internal sense, answerable to that qualicas 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 quae passionem officit in sensibus, &c. It seemeth yet to me, that Grace is that Potentia secunda, per quam prima naturalis in actum producitur. Vid. de hoc. Parkeri Theses.
