ferves, "That it is not in this we differ from brute beafts, that we were made with a free will, but in this, that this free will de-. pends upon the help of God, illiufque per fingula ope indiget, and ftands in need of bis affiftance in every action, which you (Pelagians) don't mean; but this you mean, that he that once hath free will does not want God for his helper." From hence we may better understand Jerom's meaning, when he is fpeaking in favour of free will, as he does in many places; though it is eafy to obferve, that he fometimes 1 confiders free will as man was endued with it at his first creation; at other times he speaks of the power of it, with respect to natural and civil actions, to which also he supposes the power of God was neceffary; and very often of the freedom of it, as opposed to force and violence, which it cannot admit of. He also obferves", that it is not always the fame, and is to be regarded according to the mode, time, and 1 Ib. p. 85. G. H. h Ad Damafum, Tom. 3. p. 43. H. Comment. in Zech. Tom. 6. p. 121. E. Comment. in Eccl. Tom. 7. P. 37. E. i Comment. in Ifa. Tom. 5. p. 4. H. Comment. in Ezek. Ib. p. 231. F. k Ad Ctefiphont. adv. Pelag. p. 85. A. 1 Ad Demetriad. Tom. 1. p. 24. B. adv. Jovinian. Tom. z. 1. 2. p. 25. C. ad Damafum, Tom. 3. p. 41. K. ad Hedibiam, Ib. p. 46. C. 49. H. Comment. in Eccl. Tom. 7. P. 34. D. Comment. in Philemon. Tom. 9. p. 116. B. m Adv. Pelag. 1. 3. p. 101. condition of man's frailty. Now in one or other of these fenfes are the paffages to be taken which Dr. Whitby has cited " from this writer in favour of free will. It must be owned, that ferom fometimes drops fome things incautiously, and without guard, which are not easily reconciled to his avowed principles; but then these paffages should not be urged against his declared opinion and fentiments. » Discourse, &c. p.384. Poftfcript, F.562. Ed. 2. 374,539 CHAP. CHAP. IV. Of EFFICACIOUS GRACE. R. Whitby affirms, "That the Fathers generally teach, that God doth only perfuade, and by his Spirit affift, thofe that are willing to be good; but leaves them ftill to neglect and refift his perfuafions, not laying them under a neceffity to be good; because that would destroy the virtue and reward of being fo." In proof of which he produces ⚫ but two or three teftimonies, which will be hereafter confidered. And in another place he fays", "As for the antiquity of the irrefiftibleness of grace, he (Dr. Edwards) hath only one, St. Auftin, to produce, against an hundred teftimonies of the Fathers cited by Vous, to prove, that God laid no neceffity upon man's will to act; as he must do, if he act irrefiftibly upon it, that being neceffary which cannot be otherwife." All which pains might have been fpared, for none say, that God lays any neceffity of co-action or force upon the wills of men; but that by • Difcourfe, &c. p. 266. Ed. 2. 259, 260. P Poftfcript, p. 565. Ed. 2. 542. U the the power of his grace he moves upon them, and influences them to that which is good, according to their nature. Befides, Voffius, after he had made the citations referred to, and which regard the article of free will, already confidered, obferves, that these writers were far from Pelagianifm, and that according to them the will remained free, and all things are afcribed to grace; which he undertakes more fully to explain, and among the reft fays, "Every good work, as fuch, is pofitively from the Holy Spirit, because whatsoever hath a being, as good and fupernatural, that it has from grace. From the free will indeed it is only privatively, as it does not refift grace, when it could refift; that it can refift, it has of it felf; that it can to will to refift, it has from grace." And elsewhere he says, "I would not have it fo taken, as if nothing could be produced from them (the Fathers) which may seem to intimate, that grace is beftowed from an abfolute will to convert ;" and then mentions a paffage from Bafil, cited by Petrus Diaconus, and others; "Thou canft do all things, and there's none can contradict thee, for when thou wilt thou faveft,and none refifts thy will." And adds, "Alfo memorable is that of Ambrofe, God calls whom he pleases, and Hift. Pelag. 1. 7. Par. 2. p. 717, 718. whom whom he will he makes religious." In the following Numbers I fhall make it appear, that it was the fentiment of the antient writers, that regeneration, converfion, fanctification, faith, &c. are wrought in the foul through the energy of the Spirit of God, and the powerful and infuperable efficacy of divine grace, and are not the fruits and effects of mere moral fuafion. NUMB. I. CLEMENS ROMANUS. A.D. 69. CLe Lement was an admirer of the grace of God in vocation and fanctification; for he not only speaks of grace in general, as God's gift, when he fays, "Let us be joined to them, to whom, nes ATTO TO DE8 Jedora, grace is given from God;" but obferves, that faith, and other particular graces, are also the gifts of God; and in a very pathetick manner takes notice of the goodnefs of God in the free donation of them, faying ', "How bleffed and wonderful are the gifts of God, O beloved! Life with immortality, fplendor with righteousness, truth with freedom, πιςις εν πεποιθήσεις EJHORTEIZ EV AJIAOμw, faith with confidence, S Ep. ad Corinth. 1. p. 68. U 2 t Ib. p. 78, con |