A55299:80
An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…
An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ, and our union and communion with him by Edward Polhill ..., Esquire.
London: printed for Ben. Foster, 1675
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.
Upon the Doctors words,1 We learn our disability to answer the Mind and Will of God, in all or any of the obedience he requireth, the Author adds, that is, It is impossible for us to do any ⟨p. 54⟩thing that is good, but we must be acted as Machines by an external force, by the irresistible power of the Grace and Spirit of God; this is a new discovery, we learn no such thing from the Gospel. And pag. 109. the Author saith, After all the noise they make about coming to Christ, they mean being carried thither by an omnipotent and irresistible power; and to the same purpose in other places.
Upon the Doctors words,1 We learn our disability to answer the Mind and Will of God, in all or any of the obedience he requireth, the Author adds, that is, It is impossible for us to do any ⟨p. 54⟩thing that is good, but we must be acted as Machins by an external force, by the irresistible power of the Grace and Spirit of God; this is a new discovery, we learn no such thing from the Gospel. And pag. 109. the Author saith, After all the noise they make about coming to Christ, they mean being carried thither by an omnipotent and irresistible power; and to the same purpose in other places.
- 1Mr. Sherlock.
That there is such a thing as irresistible Grace,1 such as surely arrives at the Effect, is a great Truth; the Gospel shows forth the Glory of it, there it is set forth thus: It takes away the stony Heart, that is, the very resisting Principle: It writes the Law in the Heart, that is, it gives such an inward Principle, as answers to the outward Command: It draws, opens, quickens, regenerates, new-creates and conquers the Heart, carrying it away by a translation into the Kingdom of Christ: It gives the very Willing, the very Believing, the very Acting, causing us to walk in his Statutes; and all this in a way of Power, greatness, and exceeding greatness of Power, such as raised up Christ from the dead, Fph. 1.19. And if this be not irresistible Grace, I know not what is. St. Austin clearly