Sess. 5. de numbered amongst most grievous sins; and decreeth how Concil. Trid. concupiscence is not sin, but proceedeth from sin, and inclineth creto de Pec. unto sin. Orig. tect. 60, 119. Glover, the Brownist, said, that the intemperate affections Bredwell, Deof the mind, issuing from concupiscence, are but venial sins. ARTICLE X. Of Free-Will. (1) The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, (2) to faith and calling upon God: Wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, (3) without the grace of Gods preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will. 1. The propositions. Man of his own strength may do outward and evil works before he is regenerate. 2. Man cannot do any work that good is and godly, being not yet regenerate. 3. Man may perform and do good works, when he is prevented by the grace of Christ, and renewed by the Holy Ghost. [6 Hanc concupiscentiam quam aliquando Apostolus peccatum appellat, sancta synodus declarat ecclesiam catholicam nunquam intellexisse peccatum appellari, quod vere et proprie in renatis peccatum sit; sed quia ex peccato est, et ad peccatum inclinat.-Concil. Harduin. Paris. 1714. Tom. x. col. 29. Concil. Trid. Sess. v. Decr. de Pecc. Orig. 5.] [7 Then, because he saw likewise, that the way was not so smooth and fair, but you should prick your feet often with the thorns of concupiscence, and ray your clothes with the clay of intemperate affections, he telleth you those be but venial sins against which you have not grace given you of God.-Bredwell's Detection. Lond. 1568. p. 69. In p. 119 the following are given as some of Glover's opinions: 1. That the first motions are no sin. 2. That there are sins of their own nature venial.] [ Grace of God by Christ preventing us, 1675.] Confess. Helv. II. c. 9. Proposition I. Man of his own strength may do outward and evil works The proof from God's word. We deny not, that man, not regenerate, hath free-will to do the works of nature, for the preservation of the body, and bodily estate; which thing had and have the brute beast, and profane gentiles, as it is also well observed in our neighbour churches'. Besides, man hath free-will to perform the works Saxon. Art. of Satan, both in thinking, willing, and doing that which is For the imaginations of the thoughts of man's heart only are evil continually, evil even from his youth. A truth Conf. Helv. confessed by our brethren2. III. IV. VII. Gen. vi. 5. Ibid. viii. 21. II. c. 9. & evil. Errors and adversaries unto this truth. A false persuasion is it therefore, that man hath no power to move either his body so much as unto outward things, as Simon Pauli Laur. Valla3 dreamed; or his mind unto sin, as the Mani Meth. par. 2. de Lib. Ar. [1 Ceterum nemo negat in externis et regenitos, et non regenitos habere liberum arbitrium. Habet enim homo hanc constitutionem cum animantibus aliis (quibus non est inferior) communem, ut alia velit, alia nolit.-Harm. Conf. Sect. iv. p. 70. Ex. Helv. Conf. Post. c. IX. De libero arbitrio docent, quod humana voluntas habeat aliquam libertatem ad efficiendam civilem justitiam et deligendas res rationi subjectas. Ibid. p. 81. Conf. Aug. Art. xvii. Expresse discernimus disciplinam seu justitiam quam potest efficere homo non renatus, a justitia fidei, et novitate de qua concionatur evangelium.-Conf. Saxon. Art. III. Semper in ecclesia homines recte eruditi ... docuerunt in homine libertatem voluntatis talem esse ad regendos externos motus membrorum, qua etiam non renati utcunque disciplinam, quæ est externa obedientia juxta legem, præstare possint.-Ibid. Art. iv. Externam disciplinam homines naturalibus viribus utcunque præstare possunt.—Ibid. Art. vIII. Syll. Conf. pp. 249, 259, 262.] ... [2 Quoad malum sive peccatum, homo non coactus vel a Deo vel a diabolo, sed sua sponte, malum facit; et hac parte liberrimi est judicii.-Harm. Conf. Sect. IV. p. 69. Conf. Helv. Post. cap. 1x. Sic homini liberum arbitrium tribuimus, ut qui scientes et volentes agere nos bona et mala experimur quod mala quidem agere sponte nostra queamus.-Ibid. p. 72. Conf. Helv. Prior. Art. 1x. Hominis libera voluntas, quæ tamen ad malum conversa, per libidinem et cupiditates malas, perverseque concupiscendo, malum deligit. ... duæ legis tabulæ, prima et secunda, Mosi a Deo datæ sunt ut in primis se noscerent homines, quod in peccatis concepti et nati, et statim ab ortu et natura sua peccatores sint, plenique cupiditatum et inclinationum seu proclivitatum malarum.—Ibid. p. 74. Conf. Bohem. cap. iv.] [3 Error Vallæ ... nullam omnino esse humanæ voluntatis libertatem, etiam quod ad locomotivam attinet, sed omnia etiam impiorum hominum scelera fieri fatali necessitate.-Sim. Paul. Meth. Pars Sec. Magdeb. 1572. De Lib. Arb. p. 93. b.] chees1 maintained, affirming how man is not voluntarily brought, Aug. Ep. 28. but necessarily driven unto sin. Proposition II. Man cannot do any work that good is and godly, being The proof from God's word. 8. "The wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God: for it is Rom. viii. 7, not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. They that are in the flesh cannot please God." "The natural man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of 1 Cor. ii. 14. God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy 1 Cor. xii. 3. Ghost." "We are not sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of 2 Cor. iii. 5. ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God." "Without me ye can do nothing," saith our Saviour Christ. John xv. 5. Which is the confession of the godly reformed. The adversaries unto this truth. Conf. Helv. Basil. Art. II. August. Art. XVIII. XIV. Adversaries unto this truth are all such as hold that Belg. Art. naturally there is free-will in us, and that unto the best things. So thought the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Pelagians, and August de [* The passage intended is probably this: Manichæus... dicit... naturam boni cogi male facere ab ea natura mali, quæ bonum non potest velle.-Aug. Opp. Paris. 1836-8. Tom. x. col. 1551. c. contr. Julianum, Lib. 1. c. 97.] ... ... [5. Bona vero amplecti et persequi nisi gratia Christi illustrati, excitati et impulsi non queamus.-Harm. Conf. iv. p. 72. Conf. Helvet. Post. cap. IX. Proinde nullum est ad bonum homini arbitrium liberum nondum renato, vires nullæ ad perficiendum bonum.-Ibid. p. 70. Conf. Helv. Post. cap. IX. . Natura nostra vitiata est, ac in tantam propensionem ad peccandum devenit, ut nisi eadem per Spiritum sanctum redintegretur, homo per se nihil boni faciat aut velit.—Ibid. p. 72. Conf. Basil. Art. II. Voluntas enim hominis quæ antea libera erat, nunc ita corrupta, perturbata et debilitata est ut nunc deinceps a se sineque gratia divina, nullum plenum delectum seu arbitrium optionemve, et neque studium aut propensionem, nedum facultatem habeat, bonum quod Deo placeat deligendi. Ibid. p. 75. Conf. Bohem. cap. iv. Sed non habet (humana voluntas) vim sine Spiritu sancto efficiendæ justitiæ spiritualis, &c.-Ibid. p. 81. Conf. Aug. 1540. Art. xvIII. Nulla enim mens, nulla voluntas Dei voluntati acquiescit, in qua Christus ipse non sit prius operatus, quod et ipse nos docet, dicens, sine me nihil potestis facere. Ibid. p. 79. Conf. Belg. Art. xiv.] [6 Sunt enim quidam tantum præsumentes de libero humanæ voluntatis arbitrio, ut ad non peccandum nec adjurandos nos divinitus opinentur, semel ipsi Pec. Mer. Idem contra the Donatists': and the same affirm the Anabaptists and Petil. cap. 19. Zuing. contra Papists. For say the Papists, Catabapt. Gab. Biel. 3, Conc. Trid. Test. Rhem. an. Matt. xx. 16. Ibid. annot. Man by the force and power of nature may love God above all things3. Man hath free-will to perform even spiritual and heavenly things1. "It is in a "Men believe not but of their own free-will." man's free-will to believe, or not to believe, to obey, or dis marg. p. 408. obey, the gospel or truth preached5." Hills' quart. 13. reas. The Catholic (Popish) religion teacheth free-will". Proposition III. Man may perform and do good works, when he is prevented by the grace of Christ, and renewed by the Holy Ghost. The proof from God's word. In a man prevented by the grace of Christ, and regenerate by the Holy Spirit, both the understanding is enlightened, naturæ nostræ concesso liberæ voluntatis arbitrio.-August. Opp. Paris. 1836-8. Tom. x. col. 243. De Pecc. Mer. Lib. 11.] [1 Petil. dixit: Dicit enim Dominus Christus, Nemo venit ad me, nisi quem Pater attraxerit. Cur autem vos non liberum arbitrium unicuique sequi permittitis, cum ipse Dominus Deus liberum arbitrium dederit hominibus, viam tamen justitiæ ostendens, nè quis forsitan nescius deperiret?—Ibid. Tom. 1x. col. 433. Contr. Litt. Petil. Lib. 11. § 185.] [2 Jam liberum arbitrium et proxime istud operum justitiam erigunt: si enim nostræ est vel electionis vel potestatis ambulare in resurrectione Christi, aut cum eo in mortem sepeliri, jam liberum est cuique et Christianum esse et optimum.— Zuingl. Opp. Tigur. 1545. Tom. 11. p. 18. b. Elench. Contr. Catabapt.] [3 Si quis voluerit ingredi ad vitam æternam, necesse est ut servet mandata ex charitate: quia necesse est, ut servet mandata meritorie, et par consequens ex charitate.-Gab. Biel. Comment. in Sent. Brixiæ. 1574. in Lib. I. Dist. 37. p. 356.] [ Primum declarat sancta synodus ad justificationis doctrinam probe et sincere intelligendam, oportere ut unusquisque agnoscat et fateatur, quod cum omnes homines in prævaricatione Adæ innocentiam perdidissent, facti immundi, et ut Apostolus inquit; natura filii iræ... usque adeo servi erant peccati, et sub potestate diaboli ac mortis, ut non modo gentes per vim naturæ; sed ne Judæi quidem per ipsam etiam literam legis Moysi inde liberari aut surgere possent: tametsi in eis liberum arbitrium minime extinctum esset, viribus licet attenuatum et inclinatum.-Concil. Harduin. Paris. 1714. Tom. x. col. 33. Concil. Trident. Sess. vi. Decr. de Justif. cap. 1.] [5 Test. Rhem. Rhemes, 1582. p. 58. Annot. on Matt. xx. 16, and p. 408. Marg. Annot. on Rom. x. 16.] [The Catholic (doctrine) affirmeth that we have free-will.-Hills' Quartron of Reasons of Catholic Religion, Antwerp. 1600. Reason XIII. p. 66.] so that he knoweth the secrets and will of God, and the mind is altogether changed, and the body enabled to do good works. To this purpose the scriptures are plentiful. "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in Jer. xxxi. 33. their hearts." "No man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom Matt. xi. 27. the Son will reveal him." Luke x. 22. "Blessed art thou, Simon, the son of Jonas; for flesh and Matt. xvi. 17. blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy 1 Cor. xii. 3. Ghost." "To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to 1 Cor. xii. 8. another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; and to another faith by the same Spirit; and to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; and to another the operations of great works; and to another prophecy; and to another the discerning of spirits; and to another diversities of tongues; and to another the interpretation of tongues; &c." Phil. ii. 13. God, he “purifieth man's heart;" "worketh in us both the Acts xv. 9. will and the deed;" "the Spirit helpeth our infirmities; for Rom. viii. 26. we know not what to pray as we ought, &c." "Such were 1 Cor. vi. 11. some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." "Unto you it is given for Christ, that not only ye should Phil. i. 29. believe in him, but also suffer for his sake." And this do the churches" of God believe and confess. Confess. Bohem. c. 4. [ In regeneratione, intellectus illuminatur per Spiritum sanctum ut et mys- XVIII. teria et voluntatem Dei intelligat. Et voluntas ipsa non tantum mutatur per Saxon. Art. Spiritum sed etiam instruitur facultatibus, ut sponte velit et possit bonum.-Harm. IV. Conf. Sect. IV. p. 70. Conf. Helv. Post. cap. 1x. Efficitur autem spiritualis justitia in nobis, quum adjuvamur a Spiritu sancto.-Ibid. p. 81. Conf. August. 1540. Art. XVIII. Etsi enim ipsa (humana voluntas) sua sponte volensque prolapsa concidit, a se tamen viribusque propriis non potuit a lapsu resurgere, neque hodie etiam absque Dei propitia ope quicquam potest.-Ibid. p. 75. Conf. Bohem. cap. iv. Homo nequaquam potest se liberare a peccato et morte æterna, viribus naturalibus: sed hæc liberatio et conversio hominis ad Deum et novitas spiritualis fit per Filium Dei vivificantem nos Spiritu suo sancto, ut dictum est: si quis Spiritum Christi non habet, hic non est ejus. Et voluntas accepto Spiritu sancto, jam non est otiosa.-Ibid. p. 86. Conf. Saxon. Art. iv. al. Art. v.] |