abolished wheras contrariwise the conscience with a shril voice proclaimes sin to be sin This fight was in Pilat who by the force of his conscience feared to condemne Christ yet was willing and yeelded to condemne him that he might please the people Furthermore this cōbat is in the regenerate but during the time of this life for they which are perfitly sanctified feele no strifte If any shal say that this cōbat was in Christ whē he said Father if it be thy will let this cup passe from me yet not my will but thine be done Indeed here is a cōbat but of another sort namely the fight of two divers desires the one was a desire to do his fathers will in suffering the death of the crosse the other a natural desire which was no sinne but a meere infirmity of humane nature whereby he in his manhood desires as the maner of nature is to seek the preseruation of it selfe to haue the cursed death of the crosse remooued from him The fift point is the effect of this combat which is to make the man regenerate that he can not doe the things which he would and this must be understood in things both good ill And first he can not do the evill which he would for two causes First because he cannot commit sin at what time soeuer he would S. Iohn saith He that is borne of God sinneth not neither can he sin because he is borne of God that is he can not sin at his pleasure or when he will Ioseph when he was assaulted by Putiphars wife to adultery because the grace of God abounded in him wherby he answered her saying Shall I doe this sin against God he could not then sin Lot because his righteous heart was grieved in seeing and hearing the abominations of Sodom could not then sin as they of Sodom did Hence it appeares that such persons as liue in the daily practise of sin against their own consciences though they be professours of the true religion of Christ haue no soundnes of grace in them Secondly the man regenerate can not sin in what manner he would And there be two reasons therof First he can not sinne with full consent of will or with all his heart because the will so far forth as it is regenerate resisteth and draweth back yea even then when a man is caried headlong by the passions of the flesh he feeles some contrary motions of a regenerate cōscience It is a true rule that sin doth not reigne in the regenerate For so much grace as is wrought in the mind will affectiōs so much is abated proportionally of the strength of the flesh wherfore whē he cōmits any sin he doth it partly willingly partly against his wil. As the mariners in the tēpest cast Ionas into the sea willingly for otherwise they had not done it yet against their willes too which appeares because they prayed and cast their goods out of the ship laboured in rowing against the tempest that very long before they cast him out And herein lies the difference betweene tvvo men cōmitting one the same sinne the one of them being regenerate the other unregenerate For the latter sins with all his heart with full consent so doth not the first Secōdly though he fall into any sin yet he doth not lie lōg in it but speedily recouers himself by reason of grace in his hart Hence it is manifest that sinnes of infirmitie are cōmitted only of such as are regenerate As for the man unregenerate he cannot sin of infirmity whatsoeuer some falsly think For he is not weak but stark dead in sinne And sinnes of infirmity are such only as rise of constraint feare hastines such like sudden passions in the regenerate Aed though they sin of weaknes often by reason of this spirituall combat yet they do not alwaies for they may sinne against knowledge cōscience of presumptiō To come to the secōd point the regenerate mā cannot do the good which he would because he cannot do it perfitly soundly according to Gods will as he would Paul saith To will is present with me but I find no means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfitly to do that which I would In this point the godly man is like a prisoner that is gotten forth of the gayle that he might escape the hand of the keeper desires striues with all his heart to run an 100 miles in a day but because he hath strait and weighty boults on his legs cannot for his life creep past a mile or twain that with chafing his flesh tormenting himselfe So the servants of God do hartily desire indeavour to obey God in all his commādements as it is said of king Iosias That he turned to God with all his heart with all his soule with all his might according to all the lawes of Moses c. yet because they are clogged with the boltes of the flesh they perfourme obedience both slowly and weakely with divers slips falles Thus much of the combat now let vs see what use may be made of it First of all by it we learn what is the estate of a christian man in this life A christiā is not one that is free frō al evil cogitations frō rebellious inclinations motiōs of will affections frō all maner of slips in his life cōversation for such an one is a mere deuise of mans brain not to be found upō earth But indeed he is the sound christiā that feeling himselfe laden with the corruptions of his vile rebellious nature bewailes them frō his hart with might and main fights against them by the grace of gods spirit Againe here is ouerthrown the popish opinion of merit iustificatiō by workes of grace on this manner Such as the cause of works is such are works thēselves The cause of works in man is the mind will affectiōs sanctified in which the flesh the spirit are mixt togither as hath bin shewed before Therfore works of grace euen the best of them are mixt works partly holy partly sinfull wherby it is euidēt to a man that hath but cōmon sense that they are not answerable to the righteousnes of the law that therfore they can neither merit life or any way iustify a mā before God If any reply that good works are the works of Gods spirit for that cause perfitly righteous I answer it is true indeed they come frō the holy ghost that can not sin but not only or immediatly For they come also from the corrupt mind and will of man and in that respect become sinfull as sweete water issuing out of a pure fountaine is by a filthy channell made corrupt Thirdly we do hēce learn that concupiscēce or originall sin is properly indeed sin after baptism though it please the councel of Trent to decree otherwise For after baptism it is flat
TWO TREATISES I. Of the nature and practise of repentance II. Of the combat of the flesh and spirit Printed by IOHN LEGATE Printer to the Vniversitie of Cambridge 1593. And are to be sold at the signe of the Sunne in Paules Church-yard in London TO THE READER whosoever GOD hath bestowedon vs great prosperitie and peace with plenty of all temporall blessings that heart can wish for many yeres in this land Prosperity abused hath bin the occasion of many grievous sinnes against the first and secondtable specially of Atheisme neglect of Gods worship contempt of the word prophanation of the Sabbath abuse of the Sacraments c. These and such like sinnes have long called downe for iudgements from heaven upon us the rather because the preaching of the worde hath litle prevailed to bring vs to any amendment of life Whereupon God hath now begun to cause his iudgements to seaze upon vs specially by plague and pestilence that even in the very principall part of this land whereby he him selfe doth as Iob saith round us in the eare and preach repentance to vs. Wherfore it stands vs now in hand if ever to looke about vs and if we have not repented to begin to repent if we have in former time repented to doe it more earnestly If so be that we shall harden our hearts both against his word and iudgements put farre from vs the evill day undoubtedly we must needs looke for iudgements far more terrible then ever we felt as yet if not eternall destruction Let vs be advised by the old world who made light of Noahs warning and were drowned in the flood by Lots sonnes in law who tooke their fathers counsell for mockage and were burnt with fire and brimstone from heaven by the foolish virgins who were sleeping when they should have bene furnishing their lampes and were shut from the mariage of the lambe And to direct thee somwhat in the practise of repentance I haue penned this small treatise vse it for thy benefite and see thou be a doer of it vnlesse thou wilt be a wilfull murderer shed the blood of thine owne soule And whereas there have bin published here to fore in English two sermons of Repentance one by M. Bradford Martyr the other by M. Arthur Dent sermons indeed which haue done much good my meaning is not to adde thereunto or to teach any other doctrine but only to renew revive the memory of that which they have taught Neither let it trouble thee that the principall divines of this age whom in this treatise I follow may seeme to be at difference in treating of repentance For some make it a fruite of faith containing two parts mortification vivification some make faith a part of it by deviding it into contrition faith new obedience The difference is not in the substance of doctrine but in the logicall maner of handling it And the difference of handling ariseth of the divers acception of repentance It is taken two wayes generally particularly Generally for the whole conversion of a sinner and so it may containe contrition faith and nevv obedience under it It is taken particularly for the renovation of the life and behavicur and so it is a fruite of faith And this only sense do I follovv in this treatise I have added hereto a fevv lines of the combat betvvene the flesh and the spirit because repentance and this combat are ioyned togither the one is not practised vvithout the other as appeares by resolving Psalme 51. Spirit Haue mercy on me O God according to thy louing kindnes Flesh. Yea but this thine adultery comprehends infinite sinnes therfore looke for no pardon Spirit According to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities Flesh. This sinne hath taken such deepe place in thee that it will be hardly pardoned Spirit Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and clense me from my sinne Flesh. Thy speciall trespasse is against man Spirit Against thee against thee only haue I sinned c. Flesh. Except this one sinne thy life is unblameable Spirit Behold I was borne in iniquity c. Yea the best man that is in the practise of godlinesse often appeares to be unlike himselfe the cause is this spirituall combat The flesh other whiles makes him waile and mourne and goe drooping presently after the spirit puts into him as we say the heart of grasse and makes him triumph against the flesh the devill the world Moses was couragious at the red sea but he failed at the waters of strife Iob first praiseth God and after blasphemeth David is often fainting in miserie yet by and by revived Wherefore there is good cause why the consideration of repentance and the combat should go togither that no man after he hath begun to repent might dreame of ease to his flesh as though we should goe to heaven in beds of downe but rather that we might be resolved that when we begin to doe any thing pleasing unto God then wee must looke for nothing but continuall molestations from our vile and wicked natures Written Anno 1593. the 17. of November which is the Coronation day of our dread Soveraigne Queene ELIZABETH whose raigne God long continue William Perkins Faults amended Pag. 73. lin 16. for this first read this sense p. 75. l. 3. speake p. 83. in marg place Zach. 7. 11. with Eph. 4. 19. p. 87. l. 23. for and yet read and the. CAP. I. WHAT REPENtance is REpentance is a worke of grace arising of a godly sorow wherby a man turnes frō all his sinnes unto God and brings foorth fruites worthie amendement of life I call repentance a work because it seemes not to be a qualitie or vertue or habit but an action of a repentant sinner which appeares by the ser mons of the Prophets and Apostles which runne in this tenor Repent turne to God amend your lives c. Whereby they intimate that repentance is a worke to be done Againe Repentance is not every kinde of worke but a worke of grace because it can not be practised of any but of such as be in the estate of grace Reasons are these I. No man can repent unlesse he first hate sinne and loue righteousnes and none can hate sinne unlesse he be sanctified and he that is sanctified is iustified and hee that is iustified must needes haue that faith which unites him to Christ and makes him bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Wherefore he that repentes is iustified and sanctified and made a member of Christ by faith II. Hee that turnes to God must first of all be turned of God and after that we are turned then we repent Surely after I was converted I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did beare the reproch of my youth Some may obiect that repentance goes before all grace
or pawned Levit. 6. 3. That being lustie liues by begging That releeveth such 2. Thess. 3. 10. That for gaine defendes bad causes That layes burden on the people without measure Isa. 1. 23. Ezech. 22. 27. That spends the Church goods in riot 1. Tim. 6. 9. That makes marchandise of Gods word and sacrament Mich. 3. 11. 2. Cor. 2. last That gets goods by gaming That gets his living by casting of figures and by playes Eph. 4. 28. That is rash in surety-ship Prov. 11. 15. 17. 18. That steales mens children to dispose them in mariage 1. Tim. 1. 10. That takes by stealth the least pin though it be for the best end That is a receiver of things stolne and gives consent to the fact any way Rom. 1. 29. That useth deceit in bargaining 1. Thess. 4. 6. That restores not things evill gotten Ezech. 33. 15. That keeps back goods given to the Church Acts 5. 3. That waites for a dearth to sell his things dearer Amos. 8. 5. IX COM. Thou shalt not beare c. He breakes this commandement THat envies at the prosperity of his neighbour 1. Tim. 6. 4. That seekes only his own good report That is suspicious 1. Cor. 13. 5. That gives rash or harde sentence against others Matth. 7. 1. That takes mens sayings doings in worse part Matth. 26. 60. That accuseth one salsly 1. King 21. That maketh or reporteth tales openly or in a whispering manner Levit. 19. 16. That receiveth tales Exod. 23. 1. That speakes the truth of malice Psal. 52. 1 2. That blazeth abroad mens infirmities Matth. 18. 17. That useth quipping and taunting Eph. 5. 4. That useth flattery Prov. 26. 19. That lyeth though it be for neuer so good an end Zach. 13. 3. That defends an euill cause and impugnes the contrary That writes or spreds libels X. COM. Thou shalt not lust He breakes this commandement That thinkes an euill thought against his neighbour though he meane not to doe it That conceives some inward delight in some euill motion though he give not consent to practise it SINNES DIRECTLY Against the Gospell He sinnes against the Gospell That denies either directly or by consequent that Christ is come in the flesh 1. Ioh. 4. 3 8 That treads under foote the blood of Christ. Hebr. 10. 29. That beleeves not the remission of his owne sinnes and acceptation to life everlasting 1. Ioh. 3. 23. That repents not but hardens himselfe in all his bad wayes Rom. 2. 4. 5. Ierem. 8. 6. Thus much of examination now followes the second duty which is confession of sinne unto God which is very necessary For the right way to haue our sinnes covered before God is to uncover and acknowledge them unto him For hee will iustifie vs if we condemne our selues he will pardon us if we as being our owne enemies accuse our selues he forgets our sinnes if wee remember them when we are vile in our owne eyes wee are pretious in his and when we are lost to our selues we are found of him That confession may be rightly performed a notable duety is to be put in practise in it namely the arraignment of a repentant sinner whereby he iudges himselfe that he may not be iudged of the Lord. This arraignment hath three speciall pointes in it For first of all hee must bring himselfe forth to the barre of Gods iudgement which thing hee doeth when he sets himselfe in the presence of God as though even now the day of iudgement were As Saint Hierome did who alwayes thought with himselfe that hee heard this voice sounding in his eares Rise yee dead and come to iudgement Secondly he must put up an inditement against himselfe by accusing him-selfe before God by acknowledging his knowne sinnes particularly and his unknowen generally without any excuse or extenuatiō or defence or hiding of the least of them Example of David I know mine iniquitie and my sinne is ever before me against thee against thee only have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight c. behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceived me And I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing but now I beseech thee remoove the iniquitie of thy servant for I have done very foolishly Of Ezra O my God I am ashamed confounded to lift up mine eyes vnto thee my God for our iniquities are increased over our heads our trespasse is growen vp vnto heaven Thirdly he must with heavinesse of heart give sentence against himselfe acknowledging that hee is worthy of everlasting hell death and damnation As the prodigall child Father I have sinned against heaven against thee am not worthy to be called thy child And Daniel Wee haue sinned and committed iniquitie have done wickedly yea wee have rebelled have departed from thy precepts from thy iudgements c. O Lord righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee vnto vs open shame Of Iob Beholde I am vile what shall I answere thee I will lay my hande upon my mouth And I abhorre my selfe I repent in dust ashes Of the Publicane Who standing a farre off woulde not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven but smote his brest saying Lord be mercifull to me a sinner As for confession of sinne to men it is not to be used but in two cases First when some offence is done to our neighbour secondly when ease and comfort is sought for in trouble of conscience The third dutie in the practise of repentance is Deprecation whereby we pray to God for the pardon of the sinnes which haue bene confessed with contrition of heart with earnestnesse and constancie as for the weightiest matter in the world And here we must remember to behaue our selues to God as the poore prisoner doth at the barre who when the iudge is about to giue sentence cries unto him for favour as for life and death And we must doe as the cripple or lazar man in the way sit downe vnlappe our legges and armes and shew the sores of our sinnes crying to God continually as they doe Looke with your eye and pity with your heart that wee may finde mercy at Gods handes as they get almes at the hands of passengers Thus Oseah instructeth the people O Israel returne unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie take unto you words and turne vnto the Lord and say unto him Take away all iniquitie and receive vs graciously so wee will render thee the calves of our lips Of Daniel Wee doe not present our supplications before thee for our own righteousnes but for thy great tender mercies O Lord heare O Lord forgive O Lord consider and doe it defer not for thine owne names sake O my God Of David Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities The last duty is to
such as were men of God only but by such as were holy men of God Peter denyed Christ of knowledge against his owne conscience and that with cursing and banning and yet came to repentance afterward as appeares by the testimony of Christ I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not therefore when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Obiect I. Matth 10. 33. Whosoever shall denie me before men him will I denie before my father which is in heaven Answere The place is only to be understood of such a deniall of Christ which is finall Obiect II. Hebr. 6. 4. It is impossible that they which were once lightened and haue tasted of the heavenly gift c. if they fall away should be renewed by repentance And Heb. 10. 26. If we sinne willingly after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaines no more sacrifice for sinne Answere These places must be understood of the sinne which is to death in which men of desperate mallice against Christ vniuersally and wholly fall away from religion For the holy ghost saith not if they fall but a if they fall away and it is added that they crucifie the sonne of God and make a mocke of him that they trample vnder foote the sonne of God that they accompt the blood of the new testament an unholy thing that they despise the spirit of God And the word translated a Willingly imports somewhat more namely to sinne because a man will that is wilfully II. Case of Recidivation WHether the child of God after repentance for some grievous sin do fall into the same again come to repentance the second time Answere The case is daungerous as we may see by comparison in the body If one fall into the relapse of an ague or any other stronge disease it may cost him his life and the recovery will be very hard Christ said to the man that had bene sicke 38 yeeres after that he had healed him Beholde thou art whole sinne no more lest a worse thing befall thee And the unclean spirit returning takes to him other seven spirits worse then himselfe Indeed we finde no particular example of recovery after a relapse in the scriptures yet no doubt a recovery may be Reasons are these I. Promise is made of remission of sinnes in Christ without any tearme of time without any limitation to any number or kindes of sinne saue only the blasphemie against the holy Ghost Therfore there may be repentance and salvation after a relapse II. Christ tells Peter that he must forgiue not till seven times only which peradventure hee thought to be very much but seventy seven times and that in one day if one returne seventie times and say it repents me Now if wee must doe this which haue not so much as a drop of mercie in us in comparison of God he will no doubt often forgive even for one sinne if men will returne and say it repents me considering that with him is plentifull redemption and he is much in sparing III. Case Of Restitution WHether he that repents is to make restitution if hee haue taken any thing wrongfully from his neighbour Answere Yea Zacheus when he repented and received Christ gaue halfe of his goods to the poore and if he had taken any thing by forged cavillation he restored it foure fold It is but a badde practise when a man on his death-bedde will very devoutly bequeath his soule to God and his goods euill gotten as his conscience will often cry in his eare to his children and friends without either restitution or amends making Question But what if a man be not able to restore Answere Let him acknowledge the fault and God will accept the will for the deed As Paul saith in the like case If there be a willing minde it is accepted according to that which a man hath not according to that he hath not Question When a man by restoring shall discredit him selfe how shall he both restore and keepe his credite Answere Let him if the thing to be restored be of small moment make choise of some faithfull and honest frend who may deliver the thing in the behalfe of the partie concealing his name IIII. Case of Teares WHether doeth repentance alwayes go with teares or not Answer No For very pride and hypocrisie will draw foorth teares for some there are that can weepe for their sinnes in the presence of others whereas being alone they neither will nor can Some againe are of that constitution of body that they haue teares at commaund And a godly man with drie cheekes may mourne to God for his sinnes and intreat for pardon and receive it Yet in all occasions of deeper griefe for sinne teares will follow unlesse men haue stony and flinty hearts And yet againe though the greatest cause of sorow be offered the softest heart that is sheds not teares at the first but afterward it will When the body receiues a deepe wound at the first yee shall see nothing but a white line or dint made in the flesh without any blood stay but a while then comes blood from the wound in great aboundance So at the first the mind is astonished and gives no teares but after some respit and consideration teares follow V. Case of death WHether the repentant sinner can alwayes shevve him-selfe comfortable on his death bedde Answere Though the comfort of Gods spirite shall never be abolished from his heart yet hee can not alwayes testifie it For he may die of a burning ague and by reason of the extremitie of his fits be troubled with idlenesse of head and breake out into raving speeches blasphemies Likewise hee may die of sicknesse in the braine and be troubled with grievous convulsions so as his mouth shall be writhen to his eares his necke turned behind him and the very place where he lyes shall shake through his trembling as daily experience will testifie Neither is any to thinke this strange For Salomon saith All things in outward matters come alike to all the same condition is to the iust to the wicked to the good and to the pure and to the polluted and to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not CAP. XI Of the contraries to Repentance COntrarie to Repentance is Impenitencie whereby men continue in one estate neither sorowing for sinne nor turning from it It is one of the most grievous iudgements that is if it be finall For as a sick man then is most sicke when he feeles the lest sicknesse saith he is well so miserable man is in most misery when he feeles no misery and thinks himselfe in good estate This sin befalls them that iudge themselves righteous needing no repentance As the Pharises in the daies of Christ the Catharists in the Primative Church the Anabaptistes in our age Adde unto these such as haue hardened their hearts so as
foiles receiued I say the spirit prevails not in one instant but in the whol course of a mans life So S. Iohn saith He which is begotten of God sinneth not for he preserveth himselfe the grace of God in his heart ordinarily prevailing in him And Paul makes it the property of the regenerate man to walk according to the spirit which is not now then to make a step forward but to keep his ordinary course in the way of godlines As in going from Barwick to London it may be a man now and then will go amisse but he speedily returnes to the way againe his course generally shall be right Again the spirit prevails in the end of a mās life For then the flesh is utterly abolished sanctification accōplished because no uncleane thing can enter into the kingdom of heaven This further must be conceived that when the spirit prevailes it is not without resistance striving As Paul testisieth I do not the good which I would but the evill which I would not that do I. which place is not to be understood only of thoughts inward motions as some would haue it nor of particular offences but of the generall practise of his duty or calling through the whol course of his life And it is like the practise of a sickman who having recovered of some grieuous disease walkes a turn or twain about his chamber saying ah I would fain walk up and down but I cannot meaning not that he can not walke at all but signifying that he cannot walke as he would being soone wearied through faintnesse I added further that this prevailing is with foyles A foile is when the flesh for the time vanquisheth subdueth the spirit In this case the man regenerate is like a soldier that with a blow hath his brain-pan cracked so as he lyes groueling astonished not able to fight or like him that hath a fit of the falling sicknes who for a time lies like a dead man Hence the question may be mooued whether the flesh preuailing doth not extinguish the spirit so cut off a man from Christ till such time as he be ingrafted again The answer is this There be two sorts of christians one who doth only in shew name professe Christ such an one is no otherwise a member of Christs mystical body then a wooden leg set to the body is a mēber of the body The second is he that in name deed is a liuely part mēber of Christ. If the first fall he cānot be said to be cut off because he was never ingrafted If the secōd fall he may be is cut off from Christ. But marke how he is not wholly cut of but in some part namely in respect of the inward fellowship communiō with Christ but not in respect of coniunctiō with him A mans arme takē with the dead palsie hangs by receives no heate life or sense frō the rest of the members or frō the head yet for all this it remains still united coupled to the body may again be recovered by plaisters phisicke so after agrievous fall the childe of God feeles no inward peace and comfort but is smitten in conscience with tbe trembling of a spirituall palsie for his offence and yet indeed remaines before God a member of Christ which shall be restored to his former estate after serious repentance And God permits these foiles for weighty causes first that men might be abashed confounded in thēselves with the consideratiō of their vile natures learne not to swell with pride because of Gods grace Paul saith that after he had bin rapt into the third heaven the angell Satan was sent to buffet him and as we said to beat him black blew that he might not be exalted out of measure The secōd that we may learn to deny our selues cleaue unto the Lord frō the bottom of our hearts Paul saith that he was sick to death that he might not trust in him selfe but in God who raiseth the dead Thus much of the maner of the combate now followes the cause of it The cause is the contrariety that is between the flesh and the spirit As Paul saith The wisdome of the flesh is enmitie to God Hēce we are taught that since the fall there is no free wil in mā in spiritual matters cōcerning either the worship of God or life everlasting For flesh is nothing els but our naturall dispositiō mā is nothing els but flesh by nature for the spirit comes afterward by grace yet flesh is flat contrary to the spirit which makes us do that which is pleasing unto God wherfore the wil naturally is a flat bōdslaue unto sin Again hence we may learne that it is not an easie matter to practise religiō which is to liue according to the spirit to which our naturall disposition is as cōtrary as fire to water wherfore if we will obey God we must learne to force our natures to the duties of godlines yea even sweat and take paines therein Lastly here we may learne the nature of sin The spirit is not a substance but a quality and therfore the flesh which is nothing els but originall sinne and is contrary to the spirit must also be a quality for such as the nature of one contrary is such is the other There is in euery man the substance of body and soule this cannot be sin for then the spirit also should be the substance of man There is also in the substance the faculties of body soule they can not be sinne for then euery man should haue lost the faculties of his soule by Adams fall Lastly in the faculties there is a contagion or corruption which carieth them against the law and that is properly sinne and the flesh which is contrary to the spirit The fourth point is touching the persons in whom this combat is Paul shewes who they are whē he saith So that ye can not c. where it appeares that such as haue this cōbat in them must be as the Galatians men iustified sanctified And yet not all such but only they that be of yeres for the infants of the faithfull how soeuer we must repute them to belong to the kingdom of heauen therfore to be iustified sanctified yet because they do not commit actuall sin they want this cōbat of the flesh and spirit which stāds in actiō As for those which be unregenerate they neuer felt this fight If any say that the worst man in the world when he is about to cōmit any sinne hath a strife fight in him It is true indeed but that is another kind of cōbat which is between the conscienceand the heart The cōscience on the one part terrifying the man frō sinne the will and the affections haling pulling him therunto the will the affections wishing desiring that sin were no sin Gods commandement