An antidote agaynst poperie: most necessarie for all in this back-slyding age. Wherein 1. The trueth is confirmed, by authoritie of scriptures, witnessing of antiquitie, and confession of the popish partie. 2. Popish scripturall arguments are answered, by the exposition both of father and of their own doctours / by William Guild.

The state of the Question.

THE Question is not, Whe∣ther Man after the Fall, hat•…•… the essence and facultie of the wi•…•… still remayning, and free of co∣action, (which Augustine proveth agaynst Celestius) nor of the free vse thereof, which hee hath i•• thinges civill, and others depen∣ding onelie on the power of Na∣ture: But, Whether by natura in the state of corruption, it is so free, that it may bee called indif∣ferent, eyther to good or evill? And, Whether in the first act o•• conversion, the will hath such a power of it selfe, naturallie, to

will and concurre with GOD, that it needeth not a full change, and totall reparation; but onlie (as the Papistes holde) some helpe onlie; leaving it in indifferencie of turning it selfe eyther way; and that it needeth an excitation onlie to answere GOD when Hee calleth, to accept of Salvation when Hee offereth, and to coope∣rate at first with Him, when hee converteth? Therefore, sayeth the Councell of Trent, Sess. 6. Can. 4 If anie man say, that our Free-will beeing moved and exci∣ted by GOD, doeth not coope∣perate, by assenting to GOD, who excyteth and calleth vs; and, that it disposeth not, and prepa∣reth it selfe for the grace of justi∣fication, nyether can dissent if it will, but is miere passiue therein, let him bee accursed.

Whereas wee holde in the con∣trarie, That it hath no power na∣turallie to will that which is mo∣rallie good, tending to Salvation; and, that grace comming to an vnregenerate man in the first act

of his conversion, is not a co-wor∣king grace with his will, (as it is after) but a sole-working grace vpon his will; not onelie helping and excyting it alreadie willing but changing and reforming it; and of nilling (as Augustine spea∣keth) making it willing: not by anie Manichean coaction, but by a gracious and powerfull inflexion; that so all the glorie of the worke may redound to Him alone, to whom all glorie belongeth, and who is both the Author and sini∣sher of our Fayth.