A39675:145
Pneumatologia, a treatise of the soul of man
Pneumatologia, a treatise of the soul of man wherein the divine original, excellent and immortal nature of the soul are opened, its love and inclination to the body, with the necessity of its separation from it, considered and improved, the existence, operations, and states of separated souls, both in Heaven and Hell, immediately after death, asserted, discussed, and variously applied, divers knotty and difficult questions about departed souls, both philosophical, and theological, stated and determined, the invaluable preciousness of humane souls, and the various artifices of Satan (their professed enemy) to destroy them, discovered, and the great duty and interest of all men, seasonable and heartily to comply with the most great and gracious design of the Father, Son, and Spirit, for the salvation of their souls, argued and pressed / by John Flavel ...Pneumatologia, a treatise of the soul of man wherein the divine original, excellent and immortal nature of the soul are opened, its love and inclination to the body, with the necessity of its separation from it, considered and improved, the existence, operations, and states of separated souls, both in Heaven and Hell, immediately after death, asserted, discussed, and variously applyed, divers knotty and difficult questions about departed souls, both philosophical, and theological, stated and determined, the invaluable preciousness of humane souls, and the various artifices of Satan (their professed enemy) to destroy them, discovered, and the great duty and interest of all men, seasonable and heartily to comply with the most great and gracious design of the Father, Son, and Spirit, for the salvation of their souls, argued and pressed / by John Flavel ...
London: printed for Francis Tyton, 1685
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.
Efficacious grace, and victorious Delight, is a thing very different from compulsive force. Pelagiu• (as a late *Author speaks) at first gave all to nature, acknowledged no necessity of divine grace; but when this proud Doctrine found little countenance, he called nature by the name of grace. And when that deceit was discovered, he acknowledged no other grace but outward instruction, or the benefit of external revelation, to discourse and put men in mind of their duty. Being yet driven farther, he acknowledged the grace of Pardon; and before a man could do any thing acceptably, there was a necessity of the remission of sin, and then he might obey God perfectly. But that not sufficing, he acknowledged another grace, viz. the example of Christ, which doth both secure our rule, and encourage our practice. And last of all, his followers owned some kind of internal grace, but they made that to consist in some illumination of the understanding, or moral persuasion, by probable arguments, to excite the will, and this not absolutely necessary, but only for facilitation, as an Horse to a journey, which otherwise a man might go a-foot. Others grant the secret influences of Gods grace, but make the Will of man a co-ordinate cause with God, namely, that God doth propound the Object, hold forth inducing considerations, give some remote power and assistance; but still there is an indifferency in the Will of man, to accept, or refuse, as liketh him best. Thus have they been forced to quit and change their ground, but still the pride of nature will not let men see the necessity of divine efficacious influences upon the Will, and the consistency thereof with natural Liberty.
Efficacious grace, and victorious Delight, is a thing very different from compulsive force. Pelagiu• (as a late *Author speaks) at first gave all to nature, acknowledged no necessity of divine grace; but when this proud Doctrine found little countenance, he called nature by the name of grace. And when that deceit was discovered, he acknowledged no other grace but outward instruction, or the benefit of external revelation, to discourse and put men in mind of their duty. Being yet driven farther, he acknowledged the grace of Pardon; and before a man could do any thing acceptably, there was a necessity of the remission of sin, and then he might obey God perfectly. But that not sufficing, he acknowledged another grace, viz. the example of Christ, which doth both secure our rule, and encourage our practice. And last of all, his followers owned some kind of internal grace, but they made that to consist in some illumination of the understanding, or moral perswasion, by probable arguments, to excite the will, and this not absolutely necessary, but only for facilitation, as an Horse to a journey, which otherwise a man might go a-foot. Others grant the secret influences of Gods grace, but make the Will of man a co-ordinate cause with God, namely, that God doth propound the Object, hold forth inducing considerations, give some remote power and assistance; but still there is an indifferency in the Will of man, to accept, or refuse, as liketh him best. Thus have they been forced to quit and change their ground, but still the pride of nature will not let men see the necessity of divine efficacious influences upon the Will, and the consistency thereof with natural Liberty.