A33361:124
A discourse of the saving grace of God
A discourse of the saving grace of God by ... David Clarkson ...
London: printed by J. Astwood for Tho. Parkhurst, 1688
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
By the latter Branch, the Act, in the concerns of Salvation, is from the Will, not from Grace: For Grace leaves the Will indifferent to act or not to act; and therefore its acting is no more from Grace than its not acting; its accepting of Christ no more from Grace than its rejecting him.
Now if both the Power and the Act, in the concerns of Salvation, be from Free-will, and not from Grace; then it is by Free-will, not by Grace, that we are saved.
III. Let us view the Import and dangerous Tendency of this Doctrine; and then you will see sufficient Reason to reject it. Every particular will be an Argument against it; and the particulars are very many.
(1.) They make no Grace needful, but what was acknowledged by those Persons who were condemned by the Ancient Church as Enemies of the Grace of Christ. Pelagius, the Patriarch of the Asserters of Free-will, to the prejudice of Divine Grace, ⟨p. 40⟩acknowledged not only a Natural, but a Doctrinal Grace, viz. the Word of God discovering and propounding that which is good, and persuading Sinners to embrace it; suadet omne quod bonum est, it persuades to all that is good. Here's the swasive Grace of his Modern followers. Nay, he went further, and not only required an external Proposal of the Object, in the Ministry of the Word; but acknowledged an inward Operation of the Spirit, for enlightening the Mind, and exciting the Affections; Nos ineffabili dono gratiae coelestis illuminat, He enlightens us with the unspeakable Gift of his heavenly Grace; futurae gloriae magnitudine & praemiorum policitatione accendit: He inflames us with Promise of Rewards and the greatness of the future Glory, and excites the stupid Will, by the Revelation of Wisdom, to Desires after God. Some of his late followers think it not fit to come short of him in this, but seem to require some act of the Spirit to enlighten the Mind, and to stir up the Affections. But others of them, most applauded and followed; deny all Necessity of any immediate Illumination by the Spirit; and tell us, That every one who has the use of Reason, may,