Collectanea. Out of St. Gregory the Great, and St. Bernard the devout, against the Papists who adhere to the doctrine of the present Church of Rome, in the most fundamentall points betweene them and vs.

Man now in his corrupt nature, hath of himselfe no power of freewill, in good and holy actions; but there is from A∣dam laid vpon him a neces∣sity of sinning; but yet without con∣straint.

Curet autem haec agere non minus suavi∣ter quam fortiter,* 1.1 hoc est non ex tristitia aut ex necessitate, (quod est initium non ple∣nitudo sapientiae) sed prompta & alacrivo∣luntate, quod facit sacrificium acceptum, quoniam hilarem datorem diligit Deus. Let a man so regard these things, that he doe them no lesse willingly than resolvedly, not grudgingly, or of necessitie, which is the beginning, not the fulnesse of wise∣dome)

but with a ready & willing mind, because GOD loueth a chearefull giuer. And shall he in all things follow wisdom, while hee re solutely withstandeth vices, and sweetly obtaineth peace in consci∣ence: But certainely looke, by whose ex∣ample we are stirred vp to those things, euen his aide and helpe we neede, where∣by wee may bee made conformable to him through it, and be changed into the same Image from glory vnto glory,* 1.2 as by the Spirit of the Lord. Ergo si à Domini Spiritu, iam non à libero arbitrio, &c. Therefore, if by the Spirit of the Lord,* 1.3 then not by freewill. Let no man then thinke it is called freewill, because it hath equall power to good and evill; since in∣deede it may fall of it selfe, but not rise without the Spirit of God: Otherwise nei∣ther God nor the holy Angels, being so good, that they cannot be evill; nor the Angels that fell, who are so evil, that now they cannot bee good, could be said to haue freewill. But therefore it is called free, because none can be good or evill nisi volens, but willingly. Againe. Porro, ube voluntas, ibi libertas;* 1.4 quod tamen dice

de naturali, non de spirituali, qua libertate (ut dicit Apostolus) Christus nos libera. vit. Where will is, there is libertie, which yet I speake of the naturall,* 1.5 and not of the spiritual; by which liberty (as the Apostle saith) Christ hath made vs free; for of that he himselfe saith the same,* 1.6 Where the Spi∣rit of the Lord is, there is libertie. So is the soule by a wonderfull and vnhappy free necessitie,* 1.7 both bound, and free, bound be∣cause of necessity, free because it is volun∣tary. And that which is more wonderfull and more miserable; the more guilty, be∣cause free; and the more free because guilty, and by this the more bound be∣cause free.

Againe. Initium revertendi ad Deum poenitentia est, quam sine dubio spiritus ope∣ratur, non noster sed Dei, id{que}, & certa ratio docet, & confirmat authoritas. The begin∣ning of our conuersion to God, is by re∣pentance, which without doubt the Spi∣rit doth worke in vs, not ours but Gods Spirit, and this both reason doth teach, & authority confirme. Who then, when he commeth benummed or frozen to the fire, and shall bee made warme or hor,

doth doubt that he was heated by the fire which he could not haue beene without it. So he that is first dead in iniquity,* 1.8 if af∣terward hee bee set on fire by the heate of repentance; doeth know and finde, that another spirit besides his owne, which doth reproue and discerne his, hath come vnto him.

* 1.9Again, speaking of our first Parent A∣dam in Paradise, and both of what he had, and of what he there lost, saith, Corruit autem de posse non peccare, in non posse non peccare, &c. He fell from his not being a∣ble to sinne, to his not being able to doe any thing but sinne, hauing altogether lost the libertie of taking aduice & coun∣sell, as also that which he had of forbea∣ring to sinne. And this losse happened vn∣to him by the abusing of the libertie of his will. Being fallen from his will, it is not still remaining free for him to raise vp himselfe again by the same. For although at this day he would doe it, yet the case so standeth with him, as that it is not in his power not to sinne. It must be Christ that must inspire him, and indue him with new vertue by his restauration, that the

Lord may transforme vs into his Image how be it even then our perfection commeth not in this life, but in the life to come.

Againe.* 1.10 Vpon this Text. Praevenisti e∣um in benedictionibus dulcedin is. Thou do∣est prevent him with blessings of good∣nesse, saith,* 1.11 Triplex nobis necessaria est be∣nedictio, &c. Three blessings there are, which are necessary for vs, 1. that of pre∣venting, 2, that of helping, 3. ending. The first is of mercy, the second is of grace; the third is of glory. He doth prevent our cō∣versation by his mercy, hee helpeth our conversation by his grace, he doth accō∣plish our ending with glory. Vnlesse the Lord doth giue these three blessings,* 1.12 our bodies can bring forth no fruit. Neither can we beginne any good thing, before wee be prevented by mercy; or doe any good thing vntill we be holpen by grace, nor end in goodnesse, vntill wee be filled with glory.

Notes

• * 1.1

  De grat. & lib. arbit. post me∣dium.
• * 1.2

  2. Cor. 3.18.
• * 1.3

  The will of man by nature, can not chuse but to doe evill, which is a necessitie not of coaction, but of deprava∣tion.
• * 1.4

  Super Cant. Serm. 81.
• * 1.5

  Galat. 4.31.
• * 1.6

  2. Cor. 3.17.
• * 1.7

  Thereremaineth no freenesse of will vnto good in man, but only a voluntary promptnesse and inclination to evill without constraint. In Festo Pen∣tecost. serm. 1.
• * 1.8

  If we be dead in sin, where is our freewill to good?
• * 1.9

  De grat. & li∣ber. arbitr. an∣te medium.
• * 1.10

  Psalm. 20. verse 4.
• * 1.11

  Parv. Serm. in 39. Serm.
• * 1.12

  nostra terra.