A77854:224
Vindiciæ legis
Vindiciæ legis: or, A vindication of the moral law and the covenants, from the errors of papists, Arminians, Socinians, and more especially, Antinomians. In XXIX. lectures, preached at Laurence-Jury, London. / By Anthony Burgess, preacher of Gods Word.Vindiciæ legis: or, A vindication of the morall law and the covenants, from the errours of papists, Arminians, Socinians, and more especially, Antinomians. In XXIX. lectures, preached at Laurence-Jury, London. / By Anthony Burgess, preacher of Gods Word.
London: printed by James Young for Thomas Underhill, 1646
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.
WE have handled those things that concern the light and conduct of Nature: now we shall speak of that which belongs to the ability and power of Nature; for herein are two extreme errors: one of the Pelagian, Papist, and Arminian, with others, who lift up this power too high, Sub laudibus Naturae latent inimici gratiae; and the other of the Antinomians, who seem to deny all the preparatory works upon the heart of a man; holding, that Christ immediately communicateth himself to gross sinners abiding so: and though they hold us passive at the first receiving of Christ, which all orthodox do; yet they express it in an unsound sense, comparing God unto a Physician, that doth violently open the sick mans throat, and pour down his physic whether he will or no; whereas God, though he doth convert fortiter, yet he doth it also suaviter. Now for the full clearing of our inability to any good thing, we will lay down these Propositions:
WE have handled those things that concerne the light and conduct of Nature: now we shall speak of that which belongs to the ability and power of Nature; for herein are two extreme errours: one of the Pelagian, Papist, and Arminian, with others, who lift up this power too high, Sub laudibus Naturae latent inimici gratiae; and the other of the Antinomians, who seem to deny all the preparatory workes upon the heart of a man; holding, that Christ immediately communicateth himselfe to grosse sinners abiding so: and though they hold us passive at the first receiving of Christ, which all orthodox do; yet they expresse it in an unsound sense, comparing God unto a Physician, that doth violently open the sick mans throat, and poure downe his physick whether he will or no; whereas God, though he doth convert fortiter, yet he doth it also suaviter. Now for the full clearing of our inability to any good thing, we will lay downe these Propositions:
1. There is a natural power of free-will left in us. Free-will is 1not indeed a Scripture name, but merely ecclesiastical, and hath been so abused, that Calvin wished the very name of it were quite exploded: but if we speak of the quid sit, and not the quid possit, the being of it, and not the working of it, we must necessarily acknowledge it. The nearest expression to the word Free-will, is that