To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
The reason were good, if the proofes were found, (that is) if the two Propo∣sitions were true, whereon it is groun∣ded, viz. that repentance is not begun before regeneration; nor regeneration begunne before a saving faith.
The first Proposition, viz. that re∣pentance is not begun before regenera∣tion, is false, beeing understood of re∣pentance from dead workes, or at the first conversion: for of this is the que∣stion, as hath beene shewed, in setting
downe the state thereof; and being un∣derstood also of regeneration fully wrought in all the parts (though not degrees) thereof; for of such a worke of regeneration must the Proposition be understood, else it proves nothing in the question.
I grant, repentance cannot be be∣gun till regeneration be begun; for they are both begun together; and no sooner doth a child of God begin to repent, but he presently begins to bee regenerate: for though it be true, (which is not que∣stioned) that repentance for sins com∣mitted after the first conversion, doe follow regeneration in the children of God, because they (after they are rege∣nerate) doe sinne often, and therefore repent often after they are regenerated: yet is it not true (which is questioned) that repentance from dead works (that is, for sinnes committed before the first conversion, when men are dead in tres∣passes and sinnes) is not begun before re∣generation be fully wrought. And my reason is plaine and good, because then repentance should be no part of regene∣ration.
For if repentance doe but begin to be wrought in men, when regeneration
is already wrought in them, then can∣not repentance be a part of regenerati∣on, because all the parts of regenerati∣on, (I doe not say the degrees) are al∣ready fully wrought in the person rege∣nerated, before repentance doe begin to be wrought in him.
But it is not true, that repentance is no part of regeneration, seeing it is one of the chiefe graces of God, wherein the change that is wrought in men by regeneration doth consist, and the fruits of repentance in amendment of life, are the chiefe signes and markes, whereby it is manifested and discerned. Second∣ly, where (for proofe of their reason) they further alledge, that regeneration is not begun before faith in Christ: I say, that this Proposition is as false as the other, being understood of a saving faith fully wrought, (for so it is under∣stood in the question.) For though it be true, (which is not questioned) that when a saving faith is wrought in a man, he may be truly said to be regene∣rate, yet is it not true, (which is alled∣ged, but not proved) that till a saving faith bee wrought in a child of God, there is no regeneration so much as be∣gun in him.
Regeneration is not usually wrought all at once, on a sudden, and in an in∣stant, but by degrees, and at severall times, successively, as experience teach∣eth, namely, by the fore-worke of some graces of the Spirit, that doe prepare them thereunto: as namely, know∣ledge of our sinfull and damnable estate by naturall generation; a beliefe of this, and upon this beliefe, a laying of it to heart, whereby we are made to feare, tremble; bee humbled, and cast downe in our selves, not knowing what to do. After this, upon the hearing, beleeving, and laying to heart of the Gospell prea∣ched, which promiseth to regenerate us, and to bring us into a better e∣state, then wee had by nature: this makes us desire to be regenerated, and to seeke in the use of the meanes after it; which when they are wrought in men by the preaching of the Word, then cannot it be denied, but that rege∣neration is begun in them, seeing spiri∣tuall life is begun, as hath bin shewed. And seeing they be all the workes of the Spirit of God in them,* 1.1 tending to rege∣neration, and salvation, and are not wrought by the power of nature, or na∣turall meanes, but by the meanes which
God hath given to his Church, for the regenerating of the members thereof, viz. the preaching of Gods holy Word.
I grant, that God is able to worke re∣generation in an instant, as hee doth in children that dye infants; and it may be he hath done it by the Ministerie of the Apostles, and other worthy Preachers, for the magnifying of his exceeding gracious power in their labours; but that he hath, or usually now doth work so, I cannot see, because experience tea∣cheth, men are effectually called by de∣grees, and by Sermon after Sermon successively.
I confesse also, that the beginnings of regeneration, (wrought by certaine preparing graces thereunto, whereof I spake a little before) are not sufficient to salvation, unlesse it be perfited in all the parts thereof; and except a saving faith doe afterwards insue, to perfect it, and to make it acceptable: and yet for all that, I am of opinion, that rege∣neration is begun, before a saving faith be fully wrought; and that repentance is begun, before regeneration bee perfe∣cted, and consequently, that repentance is begun before a saving faith.
Now then, it being sufficiently proo∣ved,
that repentance is begun before a saving faith, that is, that men begin to resolve not to live in their former sins, but to serve God better, before they can trust in Christ for salvation, it re∣maineth, that for a conclusion of this Rule, I make some use and particular application of the point, to the end the Reader may examine himselfe by it ac∣cordingly.
Iohn. ••.••