2. This also reproves the error, pride and folly of the Pelagians, Papists and Arminians, who derogate from God, and arrogate to themselves. These people like Sampson, have lost their spiritual strength, but do not, will not know that it is departed from them; They are poor, and yet are proud,1 and while they are setting up the praise of nature, they do prove themselves the enemies of grace. Alas, while they boast of a liberum arbitrium, they have cause to bewail a servum arbitrium, a• Luther calls it. It is true, man by the fall did not lose the faculty it self, but he hath lost the rectitude of it. And yet proud man will be like the spider, spinning out a thread of his own, and thinking to climb up to heaven by threads spun out of his own bowels, but let such who rejoice in this Mihi soli debeo, 2take heed at last, that his hope be not cut off, and that his trust become like a spiders web. Alas poor proud wretch! who made thee to differ? Grevincovius the Arminian makes this proud answer to the Apostles question, I my self made my self to differ. This is Divinity much like that of the Heathens. Seneca said, That we live, this is of God, but that we live well, that's of our selves. And Cicero hath also this saying, and he tells us it is the judgment of all men, That prosperity and success is ⟨p. 186⟩from God, and must be sought of God, but wisdom that is gotten by our selves, which gave Augustine occasion to pass this censure upon him; Cicero in endeavouring to make men free, he made them sacrilegious. But let us take heed of this proud leaven of Arminianism, and learn from hence to be convinced of the emptiness and insufficiency of our nature to any supernatural good. For alas! We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves, but our sufficiency is of God. We have no grace but what we receive from Christ, And grace is no way grace unless it be every way free. We have little reason to boast of the freedom of our will to any thing that is spiritually good, because our will is not free till it be by grace made free. 3We have no power to become the sons of God, till it be given us to believe on his name, and such are born not of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
2. This also reproves the errour, pride and folly of the Pelagians, Papists and Arminians, who derogate from God, and arrogate to themselves. These people like Sampson, have lost their spiritual strength, but do not, will not know that it is departed from them; They are poor, and yet are proud,1 and while they are setting up the praeise of nature, they do prove themselves the enemies of grace. Alas, while they boast of a liberum arbitrium, they have cause to bewail a servum arbitrium, a• Luther calls it. It is true, man by the fall did not lose the faculty it self, but he hath lost the rectitude of it. And yet proud man will be like the spider, spinning out a thread of his own, and thinking to climbe up to heaven by threads spun out of his own bowels, but let such who rejoyce in this Mihi soli debeo, 2take heed at last, that his hope be not cut off, and that his trust become like a spiders web. Alas poor proud wretch! who made thee to differ? Grevincovius the Arminian makes this proud answer to the Apostles question, I my self made my self to differ. This is Divinity much like that of the Heathens. Seneca said, That we live, this is of God, but that we live well, that's of our selves. And Cicero hath also this saying, and he tells us it is the judgment of all men, That prosperity and sccesse is ⟨p. 186⟩from God, and must be sought of God, but wisdom that is gotten by our selves, which gave Augustine occasion to passe this censure upon him; •icero in endeavouring to make men free, he made them sacrilegious. But let us take heed of this proud leaven of Arminianisme, and learn from hence to be convinced of the emptinesse and insufficiency of our nature to any supernaturall good. For alas! We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves, but our sufficiency is of God. We have no grace but what we receive from Christ, And grace is no way grace unlesse it be every way free. We have little reason to boast of the freedome of our will to any thing that is spiritually good, because our wil is not free til it be by grace made free. 3We have no power to become the sons of God, till it be given us to believe on his name, and such are born not of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
- 1Sub laudibus naturae la••nt inimici gratiae. Aug.
- 2Job. 8. 14.
- 3Voluntas libera liberata. Aug.
