The sound believer, or, A treatise of evangelical conversion discovering the work of Christs…The sound beleever, or, A treatise of evangelicall conversion discovering the work of Christs…

Whether any man since the fall is a subject immediately capable of sanctifying or habitual grace;¹ or whether any unregenerate man is in a next disposition to receive such grace; as the air is immediately of light, out of which the darkness is expelled by light, and so the habits of grace do expel the habits and power of sin, (say some.) I suppose the affirmative is most false, and in near affinity with some gross points of Arminianism. Adam, in his pure naturals, and considered merely as a living soul, was such a subject; like a white paper, fitted immediately ⟨p. 100⟩to take the impression of Gods image; but since, by his fall, Sin is fallen like a mighty blot upon the soul, whereby a man not only wants grace, as the dark air doth light, but also resists grace, John 14.17. Hence this resistance must be first taken away, before the Lord introduce his image again. To say that a man can of himself dispose himself unto grace, was Pelagianism in Aquinas his time: yet some disposition is necessary, saith Ferrius; not unto actual grace, or that which is wrought upon a man, per modum actus, (as he saith) but unto the reception of habitual or sanctifying grace, it being in the soul per modum formae, no form being introduced but into materiam dispositam, i. matter fitted or prepared, or into such a vessel which is immediately capable of it.

Whether any man since the fall is a subject immediately capable of sanctifying or habituall grace;¹ or whether any unregenerate man is in a next disposition to receive such grace; as the ayre is immediately of light, out of which the darknesse is expelled by light, and so the habits of grace doe expell the habits and power of sinne, (say some.) I suppose the affirmative is most false, and in neere affinity with some grosse points of Arminianisme. Adam, in his pure naturals, and considered meerly as a living soule, was such a subject; like a white paper, fitted immediately ⟨p. 100⟩to take the impression of Gods image; but since, by his fall, Sinne is falne like a mighty blot upon the soule, whereby a man not onely wants grace, as the darke ayre doth light, but also resists grace,