derstand the meaning of them; and that there is a natural power, common to all that are endued with reafon, to attain unto it.

་

5. We fay, that faith is the gift of God, and does not proceed from natural causes, and that all grace is implanted in us, and infused into us by the fpirit of God. Mr. Hobbs rejects every thing of this kind, and fays, That these phrafes, infused virtue, infpired virtue, are infignificant, mere founds, and are equally as falfe as, that a four-fquare is round; and that it is giving the name of body to an accident, to fay that faith is infufed or infpired, when nothing is fufible or fpirable but a body." He reckons it among the diseases of a body politic, as a feditious opinion, and what makes men apoftates from natural reafon, "that faith and holiness cannot be acquired by study and reason, but are fupernaturally infpired or infufed;" and round

a

Si falfum fit dicere, quadratum eft rotundum, nomen illud quadratum rotundum, fonus merus eft, nihil fignificans, fimiliter fi falfum fit dicere virtutem fundi vel flari poffe, verba hacc infufa virtus inflata virtus, nomina funt infignificantia. Leviathan, c. 4. p. 19. nomina corporum indunt accidentibusqui dicunt fidem effe infufam vel infpiratam, cum nihil neque fufile fit, neque fpirabile praeter corpus. Ib. c. 5. p. 22.

Fidem & fanctitatem acquiri ftudio & ratione non poffe, fed fupernaturaliter infpiratas vel infufas effe, eft feditiofa opinio. L. de Cive, c. 12. f. 6. & Leviathan, c. 29. p. 152.

ly

ly afferts, that tho' faith and holiness are fcarce, yet not miracles; and that they proceed from education, difcipline, correction, and other natural causes." And elsewhere he says, "That God difpofeth men to piety, justice, mercy, truth, faith, and every kind of virtue, moral and intellectual, by doctrine, example, and other natural and frequent methods." And tho' he is obliged to own, that "faith is the gift of God, which he works in different perfons, and in different ways, as feems good unto him, and is what he gives and denies to whom he pleases; yet, he says, when he gives it, he gives it by teachers and therefore the immediate caufe of faith is hearing; as in a

b Fides & fan&titas etfi rarae, non ideo funt miracula, fed procedunt ab educatione, difciplina, correctione aliis que caufis naturalibus. Ib. p. 153.

Homines enim ad pietatem, Juftitiam, mifericordiam, veritatem, fidem & virtutum genus omne tum morale tum intellectuale difponit Deus per doctrinam, exemplum, aliafque vias naturales & quotidianas. Ib. c. 36. p. 200.

d Eft enim fides donum Dei, quam in diverfis hominibus. viis diverfis, prout fibi ipfi vifum operatur. At fi fidei caufa fit doceri; cur non credunt omnes? nifi quod fides fit donum Dei, quod cui vult dat & negat. Sed tamen quando dat, per doctores dat, & proinde caufa fidei immediata eft auditus. Quemadmodum in ludo literarum, ubi docentur multi, quidam proficiunt, quidam non proficiunt, differentia non femper a magiftro eft. Bona omnia a Deo quidem proficifcuntur, fed per media plerumque naturalia, non eft ergo temere credendum illis, qui doctrinis fuis, donum Dei praetendunt fupernaturale, doctrina enim eorum examinanda prius eft ab Ecclefia.. Leviathan, c. 43. p. 282, 283.

school,

school, where many are taught, fome are proficients, fome not, the difference is not always from the mafter. All good things, indeed, come from God; but most commonly by natural means: therefore we must not rafhly give credit to them, who, in their doctrines, pretend to a fupernatural gift; for their doctrine is firft to be examin'd by the church." Tho' elsewhere, when it ferves his purpose, he thinks fit to contradict himfelf, and afferts, That "faith is an act of the mind, not commanded, but wrought by God; which, when and to whom he will, he gives or denies." And moreover, says, that "the hearts of all men are in the hands of God, who works in men both to do and to will, and without his free grace, no man hath inclination to good, or repentance for fin." And, do not the Arminians agree with this man in his other expreffions? fince they deny the infufion of habits, before any

act

* Credere enim animi actus eft, non adeo juffus fed fa&tus quem quando & quibus vult, Deus dat negatque. Ib. c. 26. p. 136.

Pater eft mifericordiarum in cujus manibus funt corda hominum omnium, qui in hominibus operatur tum facere, tum velle, & fine cujus gratia libera nemo habet neque inclinationem ad bonum neque refipifcentiam a malo. Ib. c. 44. p. 300.

8 Ea quae de habitum infufione, ante omnem fidei actum dicuntur, negamus & rejiciuntur a nobis Corvin. ad Walachr. p. 67. nulla eft gratia infufa in voluntate Principium internum fidei a nobis in Evangelio requifitae effe habitum

quandum

act of faith, or that any grace is infused into the will, or that the internal principle of faith is an habit infused by God, or that faith is called the gift of God, in refpect of any actual infufion of it into our hearts; and affirm", that no other grace is neceffary to draw forth an act of faith, than that which is of a moral nature, or that which uses the word as an inftrument to produce faith; which word of the gospel is the fole and ordinary means of converfion, without the concurrence of any internal, efficacious and irresistible act of the Holy Ghoft.

6. We fay, That that faith which is commonly called justifying faith, or that by which we believe to the faving of our fouls, is not a general affent to the person and offices of Chrift, and to the truths and doctrines of the gofpel; but is that grace by which a foul goes out of it felf to Chrift, and relies upon him for pardon, righteousness, life, and falvation, by which it appropriates Christ to it

quandum divinitus infufum, cujus vi atque efficacitate voluntas determinatur, hoc negavi. Grevinchoy. contr. Amef. p. 327. eam non poffe donum Dei appellari nifi refpectu actualis infufionis in corda noftra id vero nos exferte negamus. Remonftr. in Coll. Hag. art. 3. & 4. p. 308.

Fatemur aliam a nobis ad actum fidei eliciendum neceffa riam gratiam non agnofci quam moralem, five eam quae verbo tanquam inftrumento ad fidem efficiendam utitur. Acta fynod. circ. art. 4, p. 62. fi verbum Evangelii non eft folum & unicum converfionis medium ordinarium, fed actio fpiritus fan&ti interna & efficax five irrefiftibilis concurrere debeat tum fequitur, &c. lb. p. 128.

felf,

felf, and is an holy and humble perfuafion and confidence of intereft in him, and in the bleffings of grace procur'd by him. But Mr. Hobbs fays, That" the only article of faith which the fcriptures make neceffary to falvation is, that Jefus is the Chrift." And not much different from this, is the definition of faith given by the Arminians, who fay, That "juftifying faith is that by which we believe in Chrift as the Saviour of all, and even believers, and of him alfo that believes by Chrift in God that juftifies the ungodly;" or, that "it is a fiducial affent to the gofpel, by which a man is perfuaded that all that is in it is true, and by which he trufts and acquiefces in God through Chrift.

7. We affirm, that we are only justified by the righteousness of Chrift imputed to us, and not by faith or works, as the matter of our juftification before God; that faith is that grace by which we receive the righteousness of Chrift, as a juftifying one,

i Unicus articulus fidei quem ad falutem aeternam neceffarium faciunt fcripturae facrae, hic eft, quod Jefus eft Christus. Leviathan, c. 43. p. 28. L. de Cive. c. 18. f. 6.

k Fides juftificans eft qua creditur in Jefum Chriftum tanquam in falvatorem credentium univerfe & fingulorum, etiam ipfius qui credit & per Chriftum in Deum juftificantem impium. Armin. Artic. perpend. de fide art. 6. eft autem fides in Chriftum affenfus fiducialis evangelio adhibitus, quo ftatuo vere effe omnia ea, quae evangelio continentur, inque Deo per Chriftum confido & acquiefco, Epifcop. Difp. 15. Thef. 3..

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