An answer to a book, spread abroad by the Romish priests, intituled, The touchstone of the reformed Gospel wherein the true doctrine of the Church of England, and many texts of the Holy Scripture are faithfully explained / by the Right Reverend Father in God, Symon, Lord Bishop of Ely.

XIX. That by the fall of ADAM, we have all lost our Free-will; and that it is not in our Power to chuse Good, but only Evil.

Answer.

THIS is another insufferable Slander in the first part of it; for if we had all lost our freedom of will, we should be no longer Men. We only say, we have not such a freedom of Will as we formerly had, and so all say. And he that says, (which is the second Part of this Proposition) It is in our power to chuse that which is Good, with∣out the assistance of Grace, is a Pelagian, that is, an Heretick; as this Man is, by con∣tradicting what we affirm, That it is not in our power (that is, our natural strength) to chuse Good, that is, Spiritual Good; of which, if he do not speak, he only babbles. For the will of Man (saith Bellarmine him∣self) in things appertaining to Piety and Sal∣vation, can do nothing without the assistance of God's Grace; yea, without his special assistance. This is the Doctrine of the Gospel, and

is our Doctrine in the Tenth Article of our Religion, unto which he hath nothing to oppose.

For not one of his places of Scripture prove, Man hath a Power of himself to will what is good, without God's Grace. His first Scripture, 1 Corinth. VII. 37. speaks of a thing that is neither Good or Evil in it self; but indifferent; for no man is bound to Marry, or not to Marry; but it may be as he pleases, either way. Yet it is manifest by the very Text, that the Apostle supposes some Men have not a power to contain; and so, in their case Marriage becomes ne∣cessary.

As to what he intermixes with this, (which is very foreign to it) My Son, give me thy heart; let me demand of him, whe∣ther any man can consent to this, unless God draw his heart to him, when he asks a man to give it? And he that is drawn, saith St. Hierom, doth not run spontane∣ously of himself, but he is brought to it, when he either draws back, or is slow, or unwilling. But I will not abuse the Reader's time in so much as mentioning the rest; since we say nothing in this matter, but what the Gospel, what the Ancient Fathers, particular∣ly St. Austin, say, nay, what Bellarmine him∣self

confesses to be true; whose words in the conclusion of this Controversy, fully express our sense, and give an answer to all that this man foolishly as well as falsly charges us withal.

The Conversion of Man to God, as also every other good work, as it is a WORK (that is, an human act) is only from his free Will, yet not excluding God's general help; as it is PIOƲS, it is from Grace alone; as it is a PIOƲS WORK, it is both from our free Will, and from Grace. To this we sub∣scribe.

Notes

• L. VI. de lib. ar∣bitr. & gratia, c 4.
• 1 Cor. VII. 37.
• L. III. adv. Pe∣lag.
• L. VI. De Grat. & Lib. Arbit. c. 15. De∣cima sent.