Speculum theologiæ in Christo, or, A view of some divine truths which are either…

The Apostle flatly opposes this opinion; He hath called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, 2 Tim. 1.9. The call is not according to works, or according to the use of naturals; but merely, purely, totally from Grace. Rightly to use naturals, is to live up to the light of nature; that tells us, that God is the Supreme good, and therefore in all reason to be ⟨p. 261⟩loved with a supreme love. We should not give him part of the price, but all the mind, heart, soul, spirit, and that in pure perfection; and who, where is the Saint on earth that doth so? Their purest acts of love come forth ex laeso principio, out of an heart sanctified but in part; and in their egress from thence cannot but have a taint or tincture from the indwelling corruption: and may we imagine that God should offer the Pagans a Gospel on such terms as no Saint on earth ever arrived at? Or that he would have them go about by the way of perfection to enjoy a Gospel of Grace? It cannot be. But suppose that they may have it upon a sincere love of him; Can a Pagan out of natural Principles truly love God? May true Love be without Faith the Root, or without the Spirit, the inspirer of all Graces? Or doth the Holy Spirit work in a supernatural way, without a Gospel or Ordinances? Or if it did, doth it work, and not effect so much as the first element in Christianity? I mean a sense of the want of Grace? May the Spirit converse in those unclean places, where nothing appears but Error, Pride, Idolatry, Impiety, and Wickedness of all sorts? It is not reasonable to believe it. If Nature could lift up it self to a sincere love of God, the Spirit and the Gospel seem to be superfluous thereunto. And as for habenti dabitur, it speaks not to the point in hand, because it speaks not of the use of natural talents: not in Mat. 13, for there it is accommodated to the Parable of the seed, and given as an item to such as heard the Gospel; nor yet in the 25th chap. for there the use of the talents is remunerated with eternal life, ver. 21 & 23; which is a Crown too rich to be set upon mere naturals. ⟨p. 262⟩There the talents upon abuse are taken away; and by consequence, if it were meant of naturals, the abusers must lose their reason, and become fools; which experience denies. But whatever the talents are in that promise, it must be interpreted in eodem genere: