Secondly, It is not enough to acknowledge the grace of God in the general, but so to set up grace as to give all to it. The Apostle maketh an immediate 1opposition between grace and works, Rom. 11. 6. there cannot be a reconciling of grace and works together. This hath been often attempted, but as unhappily as the building up the walls of Jericho again. The Pelagian, Arminian, the Socinian and Papist, all these do acknowledge grace; but when we come to the root of the matter, it's nothing at last, but the free-will and works of a man. It is his good use of grace, that doth determine and make all things effectual, not grace it self: And this is the rather to be noted, because Stapleton would antidote against Calvin's poison, as he speaketh from this Text. For whereas Calvin taking notice of the Apostles glorying, in the testimony of his conscience concerning his sincerity, doth show, that Paul hereby doth not oppose that command, Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord, because Paul giveth all to the grace of God, and resteth alone upon that. From this, Stapleton would excuse the Papists also, because they acknowledge all good works to come from grace: Their merits are founded only upon Christs merits. Even as it doth not derogate from the power of God, that he useth second causes in natural things, because they are subordinate to him, both in their being and operation; but it doth illustrate as his bounty, so his power the more to make other things powerful: Thus saith he, it is not injurious to the grace and merits of Christ, if we attribute merit to our works, seeing this cometh only from Christ; but it argueth his fullness and rich grace the more, that communicateth of it to us. So that (saith he) to put trust in the works of grace, as the proxim and immediate cause, but in the grace of God, as the chief and universal cause, is no derogation to the honour and glory of Christ. But that of the Apostle must be always remembered, If of grace, then not of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. It is not grace, unless it be grace every way: And therefore to make our works the second causes to trust in, though it be not so high a wickedness as to exclude Christ throughly, yet it doth in part, and therefore as in the matter of worship, we admit of no primary and secondary worship, no more than a primary and secondary God:
Secondly, It is not enough to acknowledge the grace of God in the general, but so to set up grace as to give all to it. The Apostle maketh an immediate 1opposition between grace and workes, Rom. 11. 6. there cannot be a reconciling of grace and workes together. This hath been often attempted, but as unhappily as the building up the walls of Jericho again. The Pelagian, Arminian, the Socinian and Papist, all these doe acknowledge grace; but when we come to the root of the matter, it's nothing at last, but the free-will and workes of a man. It is his good use of grace, that doth determine and make all things effectual, not grace it self: And this is the rather to be noted, because Stapleton would antidote against Calvin's poison, as he speaketh from this Text. For whereas Calvin taking notice of the Apostles glorying, in the testimony of his conscience concernin his sincerity, doth shew, that Paul hereby doth not oppose that command, Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord, because Paul giveth all to the grace of God, and resteth alone upon that. From this, Stapleton would excuse the Papists also, because they acknowledge all good workes to come from grace: Their merits are founded onely upon Christs merits. Even as it doth not derogate from the power of God, that he useth second causes in natural things, because they are subordinate to him, both in their being and operation; but it doth illustrate as his bounty, so his power the more to make other things powerfull: Thus saith he, it is not injurious to the grace and merits of Christ, if we attribute merit to our workes, seeing this cometh onely from Christ; but it argueth his fullnesse and rich grace the more, that communicateth of it to us. So that (saith he) to put trust in the workes of grace, as the proxim and immediate cause, but in the grace of God, as the chiefe and universal cause, is no derogation to the honour and glory of Christ. But that of the Apostle must be alwayes remembred, If of grace, then not of workes, otherwise grace is no more grace. It is not grace, unlesse it be grace every way: And therefore to make our workes the second causes to trust in, though it be not so high a wickednesse as to exclude Christ throughly, yet it doth in part, and therefore as in the matter of worship, we admit of no primary and secondary worship, no more than a primary and secondary God:
- 12. All is to be given unto grace.
