Rhemes against Rome: or, The remoouing of the gagg of the new Gospell, and rightly placing it in the mouthes of the Romists, by the Rhemists in their English translation of the Scriptures. Which counter-gagg is heere fitted by the industrious hand of Richard Bernard ...

Confuted by their owne Bible.

BY their owne Bible a man is wholly dis-inabled of his own naturall will, though neuer so well morally qualified, truely to will spiritual good things for his owne eternall saluation, and peace with God.

First, it sheweth him to bee conceiued in iniquities and sins, Psal. 50. 7. and to be a transgressor from the wombe, Esa. 48. 8. and to be a seruant to sinne, Rom. 6. 20. and so it strips nature, making a man naked of all spirituall good, as of abilitie to per∣ceiue and know the things that are of the Spirit, 1. Cor. 2. 14. to see the Kingdome of God, Ioh. 3. 3. to thinke any thing of himselfe, as of himselfe, 2. Cor. 3. 5. For no good dwelleth in him, Rom. 7. 17. How then can we will that which wee can∣not perceiue, nor know, nor see, nor so much as once thinke of, being indeed alienated from the life of God, Ephes. 4. 18?

Without Christ able to doe nothing, Ioh. 15. 5. but are become altogether vnprofitable, not one of vs doing good, no, not so much as one, Rom. 3. 12.

Secondly, it taketh him (hauing thus found him naked, and without the life of God) and layeth him dead in the graue of sinne, being dead in sinnes and offences, Ephes. 2. 1, 5. Col. 2. 13. Now what power of will is there in a dead man?

Thirdly, hauing thus put him dead into the graue of sinne, it couereth him ouer with corruptions: His vnderstanding is ob∣scured with darknesse, Ephes. 4. 18. his wisedome is an enemie to God, Rom. 8. 7. an enemie in sense, Col. 1. 21. blindnesse is ouer his heart, Ephes. 4. 18. yea, all the cogitations of his heart are bent to euill at all times, Gen. 6. 6. peruerse it is, and vn∣searchable, Ier. 27. 9. and, as Montanus translateth, deceitfull aboue all; so as it is not, neither can bee subiect to the Law of God, Rom. 8. 7. whereby hee is wholly giuen ouer; yea, and giueth himselfe to the operation of all vncleannesse with greedi∣nesse, Ephes. 4. 19. being vnwise, incredulous, erring, seruing diuers desires, and voluptuousnesses, liuing in malice and enuie, hatefull, and hating one another, Tit. 3. 3. walking according to the course of the world, and according to the prince and spirit of Darknes, doing the wil of the flesh and of the thoughts, and so by nature the child of wrath, Ephes. 2. 2, 3. If it be thus with man by nature, where is the power of his free-will? speci∣ally if we consider him to be in the deuils snare, and held captiue at his will, 2. Tim. 2. 26?

Fourthly, thus hauing couered him ouer with his foule cor∣ruptions, their Bible maketh him in the very first instant act of his conuersion, meerely passiue; And this it doth:

First, by remouing the cause of our new-birth from our selues; we are not borne of bloud, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, Ioh. 1. 13.

Secondly, by denying man to haue any thing to giue vnto God first: We haue not first giuen vnto him, Rom. 11. 35. Wee haue nothing that wee haue not receiued, neither haue wee whereof to glory, as not receiued, 1. Cor. 4. 7. by denying him to bee able to doe any thing, Ioh. 15. 5. as to haue power to

heare Christs Word, Ioh. 8. 43. to beleeue, to receiue the Spirit of truth, Ioh. 14. 17. to know God, Matth. 11. 27. to chuse Christ, Ioh. 15. 16. to come to Christ, Ioh. 6. 44. to enter into the Kingdome of God, Ioh. 3. 5. to come whither he is gone, Ioh. 8. 21. And the reason is giuen, because they are not of God, Ioh. 8. 47. because it is not giuen them of God, Luk. 8. 10. be∣cause they are not his sheepe, Ioh. 10. 46. because their eyes are blinded, and their hearts indurate, Ioh. 12. 40. and they haue not eyes to see, nor eares to heare, Rom. 11. 8. nor hearts to con∣ceiue, 2. Cor. 2. 9, 10.

Thirdly, by affirming that very powerfull meanes: yea, though men be wise and prudent, yet are not auaileable, where God gi∣ueth not heart to vnderstand, eyes to see, and eares to heare, Deut. 29. 3, 4. Luk. 19. 42. Matth. 11. 25, 27.

Fourthly, by ascribing to God all that wee are, all that wee haue, all that we doe, and all that we can doe; both for the be∣ginning, for the increase, and for the continuance. By which we may see, how that it is Gods preuenting grace, that brings vs to him, and his grace also that confirmeth, increaseth, and preser∣ueth vs vnto the end.

This also their Bible teacheth, and sheweth how merciful∣ly God preuenteth vs in all things, that no man might glory in himselfe, but hee that glorieth, should glory in the Lord, Ier. 9. 23, 24.

First, God, before such men haue any being, as haue free-will in spirituall things, chooses and predestinates them in Christ to be holy and blamelesse, Ephes. 1. 4. and preordinates them to beleeue, and to haue eternall life, Act. 13. 48. So as the ground of their saluation, is farre before their will.

Secondly, hauing thus chosen them, he findeth them, when they neither seeke, nor aske after him, Rom. 10. 20. they are his worke, Ephes. 2. 10. made anew: they haue a new birth; Iam. 1. 18. being borne of God, Ioh. 1. 13. and of the Spirit, Ioh. 3. 5, 8. by the immortall seed of the Word, 1. Pet. 1. 23. Hee takes away vnwillingnesse, and the stony heart, and giues them a will, Phil. 2. 23. euen a heart of flesh to doe his will, Ezek. 11. 19, 20. and puts also into them a new heart, and a new Spi∣rit,

Ezek. 36. 26. so is the new man created in iustice, and in the holinesse of the truth, Ephes. 4. 24. Thus God in mercie preuents mans will.

Thirdly, Man being thus begotten, thus borne and made a∣new, the Lord quickneth him, Rom. 8. 11. Ephes. 2. 5. and giueth him spirituall life, Ioh. 5. 21. 1. Cor. 15. 45. For now hee liueth, yet not he, but Christ liueth in him, as the Apostle speaketh, Gal. 2. 20. still preuenting mans will.

Fourthly, when God, of a dead man hath made him aliue, and raised him vp againe, Col. 2. 12. then he openeth his vnder∣standing to vnderstand the Scriptures, Luk. 24. 45. openeth his eyes, Psal. 118. 18. Esai. 35. 5. and 42. 7. his eares, Esa. 50. 5. Iob 33. 16. his lips, Psal. 50. 17. his heart to attend to the Word, Act. 16. 14. In whose heart God now so shineth, as when hee commanded light to shine out of darknesse, 2. Cor. 4. 6. and setteth them free, Ioh. 3. 37. still in mercy preuenting mans will.

Fifthly, thus God maketh way for himselfe, opening mans vnderstanding, eyes, eares, lips, and heart: he draweth vs vnto him, Ioh. 6. 44. and giueth his lawes into our hearts, and sub∣scribeth them in our minds, Heb. 10. 16. Hee giueth vs diuine graces, spirituall wisedome, Ephes. 1. 17. the knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdome of heauen, Matth. 13. 11. Faith, Ephes. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. Loue, 1. Ioh. 4. 20. Feare, Ier. 32. 40. Re∣pentance, 2. Tim. 2. 25. Act. 5. 31. and 11. 18. and the Spirit to know the things that are giuen vs of God, reuealing vnto vs that which no eye can see, no eare can heare, no heart conceiue of, 1. Cor. 2. 9, 10, 12. Doth not God then by his grace preuent our will?

Sixtly, after his thus furnishing vs with heauenly indow∣ments, Ezek. 16. 9, 13. hauing wrought in vs the will, that we may be imployed in his seruice, he worketh also in vs the deed, Phil. 2. 13. hee teacheth vs to pray, Rom. 8. 26. powring out the Spirit of grace and prayer, Zach. 12. 10. Hee maketh vs to walke in his precepts, and to keepe his iudgements, Ezek. 11. 20. and it is of him that men haue great substance, a Chron. 32. 29. 1. Chro. 29. 16. and of him it is, that they bestow of it

liberally, verse 14. yea, if any doe suffer for his name, this is al∣so the gift of God, Phil. 2. 29.

Seuenthly, that all our sufficiencie may be knowne to bee of God, their Bible telleth vs in general, that of him are all things, Rom. 11. 36. that euery best gift, and euery perfect gift is from aboue, Iam. 1. 17. that he beginneth the worke, Phil. 1. 6. that it is he also that increaseth, 1. Cor. 3. 7. Ephes. 2. 21. Col. 2. 19. perfecteth, Phil. 1. 6. Psal. 138. 8. strengtheneth and confirmeth, Rom. 16. 25. 1. Cor. 1. 8. and keepeth vs, 1. Pet. 1. 5. so that none shall plucke vs out of his hand, Ioh. 10. 28. and putteth his feare into our hearts, that we shall not depart from him, Ier. 32. 40. concluding, that all our sufficiencie is of God, 2. Cor. 3. 5. and that it is hee that hath wrought all our workes in vs, Esai. 26. 12.

Lastly, to all these reasons, I may adde these fiue fol∣lowing.

First, Gods promising of his heauenly gifts and graces, as shewing men to be without them, till they receiue them from him: such are those in Ezek. 11. 19. Ier. 32. 39, 40. & 31. 33, 34. & 24. 7.

Secondly, the prayers made vnto God to conuert men, Ier. 31. 18. to fit them in all goodnesse to doe his will, Heb. 13. 21. to sanctifie and preserue them without blame, 1. Thes. 5. 23. doe shew that the power is from God, and not in man.

Thirdly, the godly acknowledging their preseruation from falling, to be of God, Psal. 115. 8. and 36. 24. and that it is hee that lifteth them vp being fallen, Psal. 144. 14. they attribute nothing to their owne power.

Fourthly, the Apostles giuing God thankes for mens obedi∣ence, Rom. 6. 17. for their faith, hope, loue, Col. 1. 3, 4, 5. for their deliuerence frō the power of darknes, for translating them into the kingdome of his Sonne, Col. 1. 13. for the increase of faith and charitie, 1. Thes. 1. 3. for blessing them with spirituall blessings, Ephes. 1. 3. By all which God is made the Author and Giuer, and we onely the Receiuers thereof, when hee hath made vs willing thereto. For a man can receiue nothing, vnlesse it be giuen him from heauen, Ioh. 3. 27.

The last is, that the Scripture telleth vs how the Lord pre∣uenteth the pride of mans heart, that hee might not ascribe power to himselfe, Deut. 8. 7. Hee had mercy on thee, lest thou shouldst say in thy heart, Mine owne force, and the strength of mine owne hand, hath atchieued all these things for me. Ephes. 2. 8, 9. Wee are saued by grace, not of workes, lest any man should boast himselfe. We are not (wee see) to boast of our owne strength, nor to ascribe any thing to our selues, but remember Gods mercy, that hee which doth glory, may glory in the Lord, 1. Cor. 1. 31. 2. Cor. 10. 17. For of him, and by him, and in him are all things: to him be therefore glory for euer, Amen, Rom. 11. 36.

Notes

• Psal. 51. 7.
• Psal. 119. 18. Psal. 51. 17.
• Deut. 8. 18. 2. Cor. 9. 9, 11.
• Psal. 119. 36.
• Psal. 116. 8. Psal. 37. 24. Psal. 145. 14.