The collegiat suffrage of the divines of Great Britaine, concerning the five articles controverted in the Low Countries VVhich suffrage was by them delivered in the synod of Dort, March 6. anno 1619. Being their vote or voice foregoing the joint and publique judgment of that Synod.

Of Conversion, as it imports what man himselfe doth in turning to God by faith and saving repentance.

THE FIRST POSITION.

VPon the former conversion followeth this our actual con∣version, wherein out of our reformed will, God himselfe draweth forth the very act of our beleeving, and converting: and this our will being first moved by God, doth it selfe also worke by turning unto God, and be∣leeving, that is, by executing with∣all its owne proper lively act.

1 IN order of time the worke of God con∣verting man, and the act of man turning

himselfe to God, can hardly be distinguished, but in order of causality or efficiency, Gods worke must needs goe before, and ours fol∣low; An evill tree, naturally bringing forth e∣vill fruit, must needs be changed into a good tree, before it can beare any good fruit: but the will of an unregenerate man, is, not onely as a bad, but as a dead tree▪ Therefore if it bring forth good fruit, it doth it, not that thereby it may be bettered, or that by its owne coope∣ration it may be quickned; but it doth it, be∣cause it is already changed and quickned.

This is elegantly expressed by Saint Austin. A wheele (saith he) doth not therefore run well,* 1.1 that it may be round, but because it is round. So say we, the will runnes well, not that it may be regene∣rated, but because it is already regenerated.

* 1.2Hugo de sancto Victore to the same purpose: Renewing grace (saith he) causeth a reformed will first to exist, then gives power to this will to be mo∣ved: first it works the will, afterward it workes by the will.

2 Secondly, wee say that God doth not onely worked this habituall conversion, wher∣by a man gets new spirituall ability to beleeve

and convert, but also, that God doth, by a cer∣taine wonderfull efficacy of his secret opera∣tion, extract out of our regenerated will the very act of beleeving and converting. So the Scripture speaketh in divers places. Iohn 6.66. The Father giveth us power to come unto the Sonne, that is, to beleeve. Phil. 1.29. To you it is given to beleeve, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the very act of beleeving. 2 Tim. 2.26. God giveth repentance.

But if God by infusing some strength into us should only give us a possibility or power of beleeving, a possibility or power of con∣verting, and so leave the act to the free will of men; surely we should all doe as our first fa∣ther did, by our free will we should fall from God, neither should we ever bring this pos∣sibility into act. This therefore is that excel∣lent special grace granted to the elect in Christ, wherby they not only can beleeve if they will, but also will beleeve then when they can. Phil. 2.13. God worketh in us the will and the deed. This working grace the Fathers of the Catho∣lick Church have maintained against the Pela∣gians. God commands a man to wil,* 1.3 but he also works in him this very thing, namely, he commands him

to doe, but also workes in him the doing.

* 1.4Every one, that hath learned of the Father, hath not onely power to come, but commeth indeed: where there is both the progresse of our possibility, the de∣sire of our will, and the very effect of action.

* 1.5God effecteth our faith, working in our hearts after a wonderfull manner to make us beleeve.

3 Lastly, this also we adde, that this acti∣on of God in producing faith, doth not hin∣der, but rather is the cause that the will doth worke together with God, and produce its owne act. And therefore this act of beleeving, howsoever it is sent from God, yet, because it is performed by man, is attributed to man himselfe. Rom. 10.10. With the heart man be∣leeveth unto righteousnesse. 2 Cor. 4.13. I belee∣ved: therefore have I spoken.

* 1.6It is God, not who beleeveth all things in all men, but who worketh all things in all men: it is certaine we beleeve when we beleeve, but it is God who brings to passe that we beleeve: wee are they that worke, but God workes in us the very working.

THE SECOND POSITION.

THis action of God doth not hinder the freedome of the wil, but strengthen it, neither doth it root out the vicious power we have to resist, but it doth effectually and sweetly bestow on a man a resolute will to obey.

1 HEre we deny two things; first, that by the divine operation there is any wrong offered to the will. For God doth so worke in nature, even when hee raiseth and advanceth it above its proper spheare, that he doth not destroy the particular nature and be∣ing of any thing, but leaves to every thing its owne way and motion to performe the acti∣on. When therefore God worketh in the wills of men by his Spirit of grace, he makes them move in their naturall course, that is, freely: and then doe they worke the more freely, by how much they are the more effec∣tually stirred up by the Spirit. Iohn 8.36. If the

Sonne shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. 2 Cor. 3.17. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Verily it seemeth incredible to us, that God, who made our wills, and gifted them with liberty, should not bee able to worke on them, or in them, after such a man∣ner, as that without hurting the natures of them, he may freely to produce any good action by them.

* 1.7He doth what he pleaseth with the wills of men, and when he pleaseth: having an all-sufficient po∣wer to incline mens hearts which way he listeth.

* 1.8We so beleeve this more abundant grace to be powerfull, that we withall deny it to be violent.

2 A second thing which we here disclaime, is the whole extirpation of corruption. For although God in the very act of regeneration doth worke so powerfully upon the will, that actually the present power to resist is suspen∣ded for that time, yet doth hee not plucke up by the roots, no not for that time, the remote power of resisting, which (as the Schoolemen speake) is potentia in actu primo posita, a power of the first and youngest growth, but hee suf∣fers it to lurke and lye hid in the bitter root

thereof. For so long as that root of corrupt and corrupting concupiscence remaines in the soule of man, certaine it is that there must needs be there withall, not onely a possibility but also a pronenesse to resist the motions of the holy spirit, Gal. 5.7. The flesh lusteth against the spirit. But this reluctant power, by reason of the most forcible, and yet sweet or gentle motion of grace, cannot in this case and at this time breake forth in actum secundum, into present operation and exercise. Pro. 21.2. The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord, he turneth it whithersoever it pleaseth him. And consequent∣ly the hearts of other men lesse free.

This grace cannot be resisted,* 1.9 because first it worketh in us to will, that is, not to resist: for he can no farther resist, from whom to will to resist is taken away; as excellently writeth our Reverend late Bishop of Salisbury.

THE THIRD POSITION.

GOd doth not alwayes so move a converted and faithfull man to godly ensuing actions, that hee

takes from him the very will of re∣sisting, but sometimes hee suffers him, through his owne weaknesse, to stray from the direction of grace, and in many particular actions to follow his owne concupiscence.

WEE must alwayes put a difference be∣tweene those principall acts, with∣out which the Elect cannot be saved (such as are, to turne unto God, to beleeve, to perse∣vere) and particular ensuing acts, which being considered by themselves, are not absolutely necessary to salvation, as the avoyding of this, and that sinne; the not omitting of such and such a good deed. For the performing of the former actions, grace doth so worke that it gives the Elect both power and will to ac∣complish them. But, as for the latter, there is not wanting unto us, the motion and gui∣dance of Gods Spirit through the whole course of our lives; yet so, that wee may bee wanting unto those motions of grace; yea and too too often wee are wanting unto them,

and ever and an on we both freely and foully obey our owne corruptions. Hence that of the Apostle, Gal. 5.16. Walke in the spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Ephes. 4.30. Grieve not the spirit of God, by whom yee are sealed unto the day of redemption. For they are said to grieve the holy Spirit, who resist the guidance thereof, and with a servile libertie goe after their owne concupiscenes, contrary to the motion of grace, and suggestion of their own conscience.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ad Simpli. lib. 1. q. 2.
• * 1.2

  De Sacram. fid. pag. 242.
• * 1.3

  In Epist. Synod. African.
• * 1.4

  Aug de grat. Christ. cap. 14.
• * 1.5

  Aug de praedest. Sanct.
• * 1.6

  Aug. de persev. lib. 2. cap. 2.
• * 1.7

  Aug. de cor. c. 14.
• * 1.8

  Prosp. de vocat. gent. l. 2. cap. 36.
• * 1.9

  Robertus Saris∣bur. de verita∣te grat. pag. 20.