Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the moral law and the covenants, from the…Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the morall law and the covenants, from the…

WE have handled those things that concern the light and conduct of Nature: now we shall speak of that which belongs to the ability and power of Nature; for herein are two extreme errors: one of the Pelagian, Papist, and Arminian, with others, who lift up this power too high, The enemies of grace lurk under the praises of nature, Sub laudibus Naturae latent inimici gratiae; and the other of the Antinomians, who seem to deny all the preparatory works upon the heart of a man; holding, that Christ immediately communicateth himself to gross sinners abiding so: and though they hold us passive at the first receiving of Christ, which all orthodox do; yet they express it in an unsound sense, comparing God unto a Physician, that doth violently open the sick mans throat, and pour down his physic whether he will or no; whereas God, though he doth convert fortiter, yet he doth it also suaviter. Now for the full clearing of our inability to any good thing, we will lay down these Propositions:

WE have handled those things that concern the light and conduct of Nature: now we shall speak of that which belongs to the ability and power of Nature; for herein are two extreme errours: one of the Pelagian, Papist, and Arminian, with others, who lift up this power too high, The enemies of grace lurk under the praises of nature, Sub laudibus Naturae latent inimici gratiae; and the other of the Antinomians, who seem to deny all the preparatory works upon the heart of a man; holding, that Christ immediately communicateth himselfe to grosse sinners abiding so: and though they hold us passive at the first receiving of Christ, which all orthodox do; yet they expresse it in an unsound sense, comparing God unto a Physician, that doth violently open the sick mans throat, and poure down his physick whether he will or no; whereas God, though he doth convert fortiter, yet he doth it also suaviter. Now for the full clearing of our inability to any good thing, we will lay down these Propositions:

1. There is a natural power of free-will left in us. Free-will is ¹not indeed a Scripture name, but merely ecclesiastical, and hath been so abused, that Calvin wished the very name of it were quite exploded: but if we speak of the quid sit, and not the quid possit, the being of it, and not the working of it, we must necessarily acknowledge it. The nearest expression to the word Free-will, is that