O holy Christ! with what study, with what labour, what Cobwebs do these Praters here weave, that they may darken the wholesome Doctrine of Grace with Smoke and Soot of their idle Talk; for if we 1speak of that Grace, unto which our whole Salvation is referred, who is there but understands by the Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles, that it is thus described? to wit, that it is the only thing, which being placed in the free Indulgence of God towards miserable sinners, doth with dear Love in Christ the Son of God, embrace all that believe in him, and forgive their sins, and for the sake of his own Son bestows his Spirit and Eternal Life and Felicity upon them, tho' otherways they are unworthy: And tho' the Operation of this Grace is not one, and the Effects are divers, and the Gifts various according to the diversity of donations; yet the Divine Grace it self is only one, which is both freely given to us for Salvation, and makes those acceptable to God, whom it saves, and is one and the same Cause both of Salvation and Renovation: Wherefore their distinction is justly found fault 2with, who by grace making men grateful or acceptable understand habits, and gifts communicated by God; and they do most frivolously ⟨p. 211⟩conclude, that men are made acceptable to God by these; whereas it is only Mercy in Christ the Mediator, which doth not only account us dear to it self, but also chose us, before we were adorned with any Ornaments of gifts. Moreover, if the matter be so as those men define, that not only Faith in Christ, but gifts and habits of virtues infused by God make us acceptable to God: What then shall be said of those, who also out of Christ have possessed many such excellent gifts as well as we, in which many of them are not only equal to us, but some of them also excel us; such as are variety of Tongues, gifts of Healing, Prophecy, excellent Powers, sharpness of Wit, strength of Body, Ornaments of Mind? The Jews have a strong hope in God. The Turks maintain Love towards one another. But what, shall we affirm that those men also are by these things made acceptable to God? which is absurd and unreasonable. Therefore that we may conclude, we confess that such gifts are things which adorn this Life, beautify Nature, and declare the liberal Bounty of God, but which nevertheless neither regenerate nor justify us in the sight of God:
O holy Christ! with what study, with what labour, what Cobwebs do these Praters here weave, that they may darken the wholesome Doctrine of Grace with Smoke and Soot of their idle Talk; for if we 1speak of that Grace, unto which our whole Salvation is referred, who is there but understands by the Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles, that it is thus described? to wit, that it is the only thing, which being placed in the free Indulgence of God towards miserable sinners, doth with dear Love in Christ the Son of God, embrace all that believe in him, and forgive their sins, and for the sake of his own Son bestows his Spirit and Eternal Life and Felicity upon them, tho' otherways they are unworthy: And tho' the Operation of this Grace is not one, and the Effects are divers, and the Gifts various according to the diversity of donations; yet the Divine Grace it self is only one, which is both freely given to us for Salvation, and makes those acceptable to God, whom it saves, and is one and the same Cause both of Salvation and Renovation: Wherefore their distinction is justly found fault 2with, who by grace making men grateful or acceptable understand habits, and gifts communicated by God; and they do most frivolously ⟨p. 211⟩conclude, that men are made acceptable to God by these; whereas it is only Mercy in Christ the Mediatour, which doth not only account us dear to it self, but also chose us, before we were adorned with any Ornaments of gifts. Moreover, if the matter be so as those men define, that not only Faith in Christ, but gifts and habits of vertues infused by God make us acceptable to God: What then shall be said of those, who also out of Christ have possessed many such excellent gifts as well as we, in which many of them are not only equal to us, but some of them also excel us; such as are variety of Tongues, gifts of Healing, Prophecy, excellent Powers, sharpness of Wit, strength of Body, Ornaments of Mind? The Iews have a strong hope in God. The Turks maintain Love towards one another. But what, shall we affirm that those men also are by these things made acceptable to God? which is absurd and unreasonable. Therefore that we may conclude, we confess that such gifts are things which adorn this Life, beautifie Nature, and declare the liberal Bounty of God, but which nevertheless neither regenerate nor justifie us in the sight of God:
- 1What the word Grace signifies in the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles.What the word Grace fignifies in the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles.
- 2Against Lombard, Thomas, Scotus, and their followers.
