Mozley: A Treatise on the Augustinian Doctrine of

1 78 Augustinian Doctrine of Grace. CHAP. TI.
necessary ?
Were this grace, then, maintained as a super
fluity, there might consistently be maintained together
with it another grace short of it, and only sufficient ; but
it is maintained as remedial to a fatal disease, as supple
mental to an absolute want. The first dispensation did
not it
provide
because man could do without it the ; second
provides it because he cannot. If an irresistible grace then
is maintained at all, it cannot be maintained as a grace
along with the other or merely assisting one, but must be
maintained as the grace of the Grospel dispensation, the
grace by the operation of which all the goodness and holi
ness there is in men arises. To endeavour, then, to com
bine it in one system with the other would be to treat it
apart from and in opposition to the very ground on which
we suppose it to exist. The doctrine of an absolute pre
destination cannot combine with any other account of the
origin of human goodness
gether, or applied to the whole. An antecedent moral
inability in the whole human mass is the very occasion
of that decree, which is made for no other reason than
to provide a remedy for it. It follows, that while those
who are affected by its remedial provisions are endowed
with that certainty of attaining to holiness which they
; it must either be denied alto
impart ; those whom the decree does not affect remain in
their original inability and ; therefore, that, besides those
who have an irresistible grace, there are none who have
sufficient. 1
1
Bishop Overall appears to have firmity, and that the salvation of
fallen into the error of endeavour- men might be more certain, that
ing to combine irresistible grace to He thought good to add a special
some with sufficient grace to all: grace, more efficacious and abun-
These two things agree very well dant, to be communicated to whom
together, that God, in the first He pleased, by which they might
place, proposed salvation in Christ not only be able to believe and
to all, if they believed, and common obey, if so inclined, but also actuand
sufficient grace in the means ally be inclined, believe, obey, and
divinely ordained, if men were not persevere. Overall on the Quinwanting
to the Word of God and quarticular Controversy, quoted by
to the Holy Spirit ; then, secondly, Mr. Goode, Effects of Infant Bapthat
He might help human in- tism, p. 129.