Both regeneration and the doctrine of it were under the Old Tes-
21 2 WOEK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE [BOOK IIL
lament. All the elect of God, in their several generations, were regenerate by the Spirit of God. But in that ampliation and en- largement of truth and grace under the gospel which came by Jesus Christ, who brought life and immortality to light, as inore persons than of old were to be made partakers of the mercy of it, so the na- ture of the work itself is far more clearly, evidently, and distinctly revealed and declared. And because this is the principal and in- ternal remedy of that disease which the Lord Christ came to cure and take away, one of the first things thalT he preached was the doc- trine of it. All things of this nature before, even "from the beginning of the world, lay hid in God," Eph. iii. 9. Some intimations were given of them, in "parables" and "dark sayings," '^Tp-'io DiT'H^ Ps. Ixxviii. 2, in types, shadows, and ceremonies, so as the nature of the grace in them was not clearly to l)e discerned. But now, when the great Physician of our souls came, who was to heal the wound of our natures, whence we " were dead in trespasses and sins," he lays naked the disease itself, declares the greatness of it, the ruin we were under from it; that we might know and be thankful for its reparation. Hence, no doctrine is more fully and plainly declared in the gospel than this of our regeneration by the eftectual and ineffable operation of the Holy Spirit; and it is a consequent and fruit of the deprava- tion of our nature, that, against the full light and evidence of truth, now clearly manifested, this great and holy work is opposed and de- spised.
Few, indeed, have yet the confidence in plain and intelligible words to deny it absolutely ; but many tread in the steps of him who first in the church of God undertook to undermine it.^ This, was Pelagius, whose principal artifice, which he used in the intro- duction of his heresy, was in the clouding of his intentions with general and ambiguous expressions, as some would by making use of his very words and phrases. Hence, for a long time, when he was justly charged with his sacrilegious errors, he made no defence of them, but reviled his adversaries as corrupting his mind, and not
' " Dcnique quomodo respondeat advertite, ct videte latebras ambiguitatis falsitati prseparare rofiigia, ita ut etiam nos cum primum ea legimus, recta vel correcta prope- modum gauderemus." — August, de Peccat. Orig., cap. 18.
" Mihi pene persuaserat banc illam gratiara de qua qvioestio est confiteri; quominus in multis ejus opusculi locis sibi ipsi contradicere videretur. Sed cum in manus meas et alia venisseut qute postering latiusque scripsit, vidi quemadmodum etiam illic gratiam nominarc sed ambigua geueralitate quid sentiret abscondens, gratiaj tamen Tocabulo frangens invidiam, oficnsionemque declinans." — Id. de Grat. Christ., lib. i. cap. 37.
Vid. August, lib. i. cent. Julianum, cap. 5, lib. iii., cap. 1, Lib. de Gest. ; Pelag., cap. 30, Epist. 95, ad Innocent. ; EjDist. Innocent, ad August.
" Negant etiam quam ad sacram Cliristi virginem Nemehiadem in oriente conscrip- simus, et noverint nos ita hominis laudare naturam ut Dei semper addamus auxilium (verba Pelagli quibus respondet Augustinus), istam sane lego, mihique pene persuaserat, banc illam gi'atiam de qua qusestio est confiteri." — Id. ubi supra.
CHAP. I.] NEW CREATION BY REGENERATION. 213
understanding his expressions. And bj tliis means, as lie got iiimself acquitted in the judgment of some, less experienced in the sleights and cunning craftiness of them who lie in wait to deceive, and^ juri- dically freed in an assembly of bishops ; so in all probability he had suddenly infected the whole church with the poison of those opinions, which the proud and corrupted nature of man is so apt to receive and embrace, if God had not stirred up some few holy and learned jDer- sons, Austin especially, to discover his frauds, to refel his calumnies, and to confute his sophisms ; which they did with indefatigable industry and good success. But yet these tares, being once sown by the en- vious oue, found such a suitable and fruitful soil in the darkened minds and proud hearts of men, that from that day to this they could never be fully extirpated ; but the same bitter root hath still s^^rung uj), unto the defiling of many, though various new colours have been put upon its leaves and fruit. And although those who at present amongst us have undertaken the same cause with Pelagius do not equal him either in learning or diligence, or an appearance of piety and devotion, yet do they exactly imitate him in declaring their minds in cloud}^, ambiguous expressions, capable of various construc- tions until they are fully examined, and thereon reproaching (as he did) those that ojDpose them as not aright representing their senti- ments, when they judge it their advantage so to do; as the scurrilous, clamorous writings of S. P.^ do sufficiently manifest. f
Second^, Regeneration by the Holy Spirit is the same ivorh, for the kind of it, and wrought by the same power of the Spirit in all that are regenerate, or ever were, or shall be so, from the beginning of the world unto the end thereof. Great variety there is in the ap- plication of the outward means which the Holy Spirit is pleased to use and make effectual towards the accomplishment of this great work; nor can the ways and manner hereof be reduced unto any certain order, for the Spirit worketh how and when he pleaseth, following the sole rule of his own will and wisdom. Mostly, God makes use of the preaching of the word ; thence called " the ingrafted word, which is able to save our souls," James i. 21 ; and the " incor- ruptible seed," by which we are " born again," 1 Pet. i. 23. Some- times it is wrought without it ; as in all those who are regenerate before they come to the use of reason, or in their infancy. Sometimes men are called, and so regenerate, in an extraordinary manner; as was Paul. But mostly they are so in and by the use of ordinary means, mstituted, blessed, and sanctified of God to that end and purpose.