although they teache that Adam through his fall lost part of that excellent knowledge of pure and heauenly thinges wherewith he was endewed at his first creation was greatly wounded both in minde and will thorough his disobedience and that nowe he is not able to perceiue do these things which God commaundeth him to vnderstand practise without the helpe of God yet do they not ascribe that whole ignorance and blindnesse vnto the minde of man neither yet that deadly wounde of sinne whereby all power and abilitie to attaine either to the knowledge of God or practise of righteousnes is taken from vs which by these titles of right they ought Our light with them in heauenly matters is in some part darkened but not cleane put out our vnderstanding diminished but not extinguished the image of God it was appaired but not vtterly defaced the frée will of man to good it was wounded weakened but not quite taken away But further we say that our knowldge is become plaine ignorance our light darknesse our righteousnesse sinfulnesse our libertie and freedome seruitude and bondage the image of God the image of Satan that we are not onely depriued of all goodnesse but further defiled with all naughtinesse that our former power and abilitie was not onely shaken and weakened through the fall of our first parentes but that we are vtterly become vnable impotent to knowe or do any good thing and of all abilitie and readinesse to commit all sinne and wickednesse Most iust then and true is that accusation wherwith Paul chargeth all mankinde in generall Rom. 3.10 that there is none righteous no not one that there is none that vnderstādeth none that séeketh God that all are gone out of the way that we are become altogether abhominable that there is none that doth good no not one our mouth to be as an open sepulchre our tongues to be vsed to deceit the poyson of aspes to be vnder our lippes our mouth to be full of cursing and bitternesse our feete to be swift to shed blood nothing but calamitie and destruction to bée in our wayes that we know not the waye of peace no feare of God to be before oure eyes Thus it is apparant what the Apostle S. Paul thought both of Iew and Gentile and in them of all men considered in himselfe to be corrupt abhominable without vnderstanding and thereof he concludeth he could not be iustifyed by the lawe but by faith in Iesus Christ So that euident it is sauing to him that will not know how the spirit of God hath in general most plainely and plētifully depriued the whole progenie of mā of all knowledge of God 〈◊〉 all goodnesse yea of all abilitie to attaine therevnto yet for our further assurance herein that this thing may be yet more manifest and cleare vnto vs the holy ghost hath not only in this generall sort as I say in the beginning taught this doctrine but hath euen in particular so denyed that vnto vs as it cannot but compel euery man to confesse the truth therof For to the obtaining or doing of any thing ther be thrée things requisite the minde to thinke and conceiue it the will to atchiue it and the execution thereof And if any of these points be wanting what can be perfourmed or done by vs but neither to doe nor to will neither yet to thinke lyeth in our power how farre are we therefore from hauing power or abilitie either to come to the knowledge of Christ or to do any good thing The first Christ himselfe witnesseth in the first of Iohn Ioan. 15.5 Sine me nihil potestis facere without mee ye are able to doe nothing Saint Augustine August in Ioan. weigheth presseth these wordes notably Non enim inquit sine me difficulter potestis c. Christ saith Austine saith not without mee ye can hardly do any thing neither said he without me ye cannot absolue or finish any thing or doe any matter of great weight but he saith simply without mee ye can do nothing The power therefore to do any thing is flatly denyed man in this place by the iudgement of that auncient and learned father In like manner to will any thing lyeth not in vs but it commeth by the operation and working of Gods spirit So testifieth the Apostle Paul in the second to the Philippians Philip 2.13 it is God which worketh in vs both the will and the déede and that euen of his good pleasure that is of his méere mercie and good will toward vs. If by the giftes and power of nature we were able to do this the Apostle would not ascribe it to the particular operation of God especially in them that be iustified But yet further what séemeth more frée and at our libertie then thought yea euē that also is denyed vs for to think any good thing lyeth not in vs. So sayeth the Apostle Paul in the seconde to the Corinths ◠Cor. 3.5 We are not sufficiēt of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but all our sufficiencie is of God Wherfore if both in generall sort the scripture thus determineth the naturall man to be nothing but darknesse that in him there is no vnderstanding that his heart is as hard as a stone that of himselfe he is dead in sinne and vnrighteousnes that he is not able to perceiue those things which appertaine to the spirite of God that they cannot once enter into his heart or minde but also in particular sort doth denye him the power to do to will or to think any thing we may well conclude against the Philosophers Pelagians and Papistes with our Sauiour Christ that flesh bloud hath not reueiled either to Peter or to any other of the children of God neither yet can do either in whole or in parte that Christ is the liuing God which confession containeth the summe of Christian religion What then is the true and perfect cause of this knowledge whensoeuer we attaine thereunto that is expressed also vnto vs by Christ in the Euangelist to be God who openeth reuealeth this vnto vs for as he denyeth it to flesh and bloude so doeth he ascribe the cause thereof to his Father which is in Heauen For confirmation whereof although many I may saye infinite testimonyes may bee brought out of the holye Scriptures yet for that the declaration of the former poynte hath beene the proofe of this in so cleare a matter it shal be sufficient to auouche one or two manifest places for the further establishing thereof Among other that which is sayde by Ezechiel must néedes most manifestly and clearely declare and proue this point For the Prophet shewing what great mercies and benefites he would bestowe vpon his people he promiseth a newe heart will I giue you a newe spirit wil I put within you I will take the stonie heart out of your bodie and will giue you an heart of flesh And
I will put my Spirite within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall éepe my iudgements and doe them Ezech. 36 26 In which wordes Ezechiel attributeth the whole worke of our regeneration vnto the gift of God he it is that taketh away that olde stonie heart whereby we are giuen to all iniquitie and hardnesse from giuing eare vnto any cōmaundement of God he giueth a newe heart an heart of flesh whereby we become apt to receiue the commaundements of God a new spirite which leadeth vs both to the knowledge of the will of God and to the obedience thereof Likewise Moses in Deuteronomie Deut. 36.6 setting foorth the great goodnesse of God to his people Israel he ascribeth the circumcision of the heart to the operation and working of the Lorde For God promiseth that if they returne vnto him and obey his voice the Lord God shal circumcise their heartes and the heart of their séede after them that they may loue the Lorde their God with all their heart with all their soule And to conclude this matter which néedeth no further proofe that which the Euangelist Saint Iohn writeth in the first of his Gospell Ioan. 1.12 howe iumpeth it with this that our Euāgelist affirmeth here and how euidently doth it confirme both those pointes wee haue hereto stoode vpon where he assereth that such as receiued Christ beléeued in his name were borne not of bloud nor of the wil of flesh nor of the will of man but of God By which words both the knowledge of Christ and the beléeuing in his name is denyed to man giuen to God alone The verie worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed here of our Euangelist being well weyed doth sufficiently argue that all heauenly things are hid from vs vntil they be opened and manifested by God For this word being attributed vnto God doth signifie a reuealing by him of such things as were quite before hidden frō our knowledge vnderstanding Now if this general doctrin shall be proued by particular example Deut. 29.30 what can be required for the further certaintie and truth hereof Moses in the 29. of Deut. obbraideth the people of Israel for their obliuiō forgetfulnes of the graces mercies god had shewed them in the land of Aegypt yet therwithal he there noteth that they could not take any profit by these things but thorough the working goodnes of God Ye haue seen sayth Moses al that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Aegypt vnto Pharao vnto al his seruāts vnto al his land The great temptations which thine eyes haue séen those great miracles wonders yet the Lorde hath not giuen you an heart to perceiue eyes to sée and eares to heare vnto this day And in the 13. of Math. Christ hauing taught many things by parables his disciples came to him and demaunded why he spake thus in parables he made answere Mat. 13.30 because it is giuē to you to know the secrets of the kingdom of heauen but to them it is not giuen therefore speak I vnto thē in parables because they séeing do not sée hearing they heare not neither vnderstand c. Thus we sée how the people of Israel although they saw the great wonders miracles which God did for them in Aegypt notwithstāding they reap no cōmoditie therby because the Lorde did not open their eyes to behold them to profit neither yet their eares to attende vnto such things or their hart mind to cōceiue the goodnes of God obedience thankfulnes which they ought to perfourme vnto God therfore The disciples of Christ they vnderstood the doctrine of Christ they profited encreased in knowledge therby but why or by what meanes because to them it was giuen to knowe the secretes of the kingdom of God The Iewes they were not able to perceiue the doctrine of Christ they learned nothing therby but rather be came more blind obstinate the reason is added because to them it is not giuen So that it wholy dependeth vpon the gift of God Cleophas and the other disciple in the 24. Chapter of Luke Luc. 24.27.45 when Christ ouertooke them going to Emaus although Christe rebuked them for their slowenesse in beléeuing all that the Prophetes had spoken And accompanying them began at Moses and the Prophets and interpreted vnto them in all the Scriptures the thinges which were written of him yet were their eyes so holden that they knewe him not whome before they had often séene neither yet vnderstood they the Scriptures vntill such time as God opened their eyes and vnderstanding both to knowe him and vnderstande the Scripture Euen as the disciples of our Sauiour Christ had no knowledge no vnderstanding vntill God gaue it them so fareth it with all the rest of the children of God heare they neuer so much his Apostles preache yea Christ himselfe personally sounding in their eares yet except the Lorde open our heartes and mindes as he did Lydia the sicke womans in the Actes Act. 16.14 it auayleth not one iot wherefore flesh and bloud reuealeth not Christ vnto vs but our Father which is in heauen It remayneth nowe wée weight and consider what commoditie and profite wée ought to reape by this doctrine to what vse it ought to serue vs. First if God be the authour and fountaine and sole giuer of all knowledge faith and all other heauenly gifts it must kindle in vs an earnest and feruent desire to prayer to desire him to giue vs knowledge and fayth and vnderstanding for that otherwayes we cannot attaine therevnto The consideration of this heretofore hath moued the saintes of God to be feruente in prayer vnto almighty God for the obtaining of these graces Among others how often and how vehemently doth the Prophet Dauid praye for this at Gods hands as in the 119 Psal Psal 1 19 18.27 33 34 35 36. Open thou mine eies O Lord that I may see the wondrous things of thy law make me to vnderstand the way of thy commandements so shall I talke of thy wondrous workes And againe Teach me O Lorde the way of thy statutes and I shall keepe it vnto the end giue me vnderstanding and I shall kéepe thy law make me to goe into the path of thy commaundements encline my hart to thy testimonies c. and in the 51. Psalme Psalm 51. that God would make him a cleane heart and renew a right spirit with in him that he would throughly wash him and clense him from his sinne And the Apostle S. Paul prayeth not onlye for himselfe but for the Churche of the Ephesians Ephe. 1.16 17.18 that the GOD of our Lorde Iesus Christe the father of glory might yéeld vnto them the spirite of wisedome and vnderstanding through the knowledge of him that the eyes of their vnderstanding maye bée lightened that they maye knowe the hope of his
Heathen Philosophers Pelagian heretikes and of the church of Rome who wholly or in parte ascribe the cause of all knowledge of God of our faith of the good workes we do either to the light of nature force of reason or frée will and industrie of man contrarie not onely to this testimonie of Christ here in this place which depriueth man of all knowledge of Christ but also vnto the whole tenour of the Scripture in other places where both generally and in particular sorte is taken away al vnderstanding and perceuerance in matters appertaing vnto faith religion and the true knowledge of God First for proofe hereof that it is generally denyed vnto man of himselfe or by the reache of his own wit and vnderstanding to attaine to the knowledge of Christ those things which appertaine to the kingdome of God what can be more plaine then that Paul testifieth to the contrarie in the first of the Corinthes 1. Cor. 2. and the second Chapter that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The naturall man is not able to perceiue the things of the spirite of God The naturall man that is the man that hath no farther knowledge then he hath by the light of nature whose knowledge and iudgement is not lightened and cleared by the spirite of God for so is this terme expounded by Iude in his Epistle in the 19. verse Iude. 19. v. that that man perceiueth not these thinges which appertaine vnto the spirit of God For proofe hereof he adioyneth two reasons the one is because spirituall thinges are foolishnesse vnto him the other that he cannot knowe those things because they are spiritually discerned that is they cannot be known but of them that are endewed with the spirite of God For as Paul testifieth 1. Cor. 2.11 as no man knoweth the thinges of man saue the Spirite of a man which is within him euen so the things of God knoweth no man but the spirite of God and therefore in the same Chapter he sheweth vers 9. that those thinges which God hath prepared for them that loue him are such as eye hath not séene eare hath not heard neither yet hath entred into the minde of man so that neither by the outward senses nor yet by the vnderstanding of man we are able to conceiue the things of God but it is the spirite of God which openeth them vnto vs which searcheth all things yea the bottome of Gods secretes 1. Cor. 2.10 In respect of this great ignorance in vs and want of power and abilitie to perceiue the mysteries of Gods kingdome and of our saluation the holie Ghost hath by most notable termes and Epithetes whereby he describeth the nature of man declared vnto vs how vtterly we be voide of all knowledge and iudgement in spirituall matters What can more effectually and significantly shewe foorth that vnto vs then for vs to be termed darkenesse it selfe which is don not in a fewe places of the holy Scriptures as in the first of Saint Iohns Gospell where it is sayd that that life which was the light of man shined in darknesse Iohn 1.5 but darknesse was not able to comprehend it that was man Saint Paul thereof draweth an exhortation in his Epistle to the Ephesians Ephes 5 8. to perswade thē vnto newnesse of life that forasmuch as they were sometime in darknesse meaning before their conuersion and receiuing of the Gospel of Christ now being light being illuminated by the spirite of God through the preaching of his worde therefore they should walke as the children of light And in the second to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 4.6 setting foorth the power and efficacie of the word he setteth downe that as God in the creation of the worlde commaunded the light to shine out of darknesse so hath he shined in the heartes of his ministers to giue the light of the knowledge of the glorie of god in the face of Iesus Christ Where the comparison is to be noted which the Apostle maketh that as God in the beginning of the worlde created light out of darknesse so hath he done in the hearts of his ministers that by the preaching of the Gospell that light might shine to others to lighten them that they might sée the glorie of God in Christ Wherefore euen as before God sayde Let there be light there was no light but méere darknesse euen so before God worke in vs by his word and spirite there is nothing in vs but méere ignorance and darkenesse no light to behold the glorie of God in Christ No marueile therefore if Saint Paul being called to preach the Gospell do tel Agrippa the King Act. 26.18 that God hath called him to open their eyes that they may turne from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan vnto God or if Saint Peter compare the doctrine of the Prophets as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place 2. Pet. 1.19 and compare the preaching of the Gospel vnto the dawning of the day and the day starre arising in our heartes Hereby may it appeare what wee ought to iudge of our selues to be nothing but ignorance darknesse to be voide of all light knowledge of Christ vntill by the working of his spirite he openeth him selfe vnto vs. Before which time as Paul testifieth wee walke as the Gentiles in the vanitie of our minde Ephes 4.17 hauing our vnderstanding darkened being straunger from the life of God thorough the ignorance in vs because of the hardnesse of our heartes Thus vseth the Spirite of God to paynt out the estate of man before God beginneth to worke our regeneratiō to ascribe ignorance blindnesse vnto our mindes dulnesse and hardnesse vnto our heartes yea and that a stonie hardnesse as appeareth by Ezechiel Ezech. 11.19 where he promiseth that in mercie hee will take away our stonie heartes And vnder the person of the Iewes Esaye Esa 48.4 sayeth that wee are all obstinate that our neckes are as Iron sinewes and our browes as browes of brasse that is not flexible vnto the yoke of Gods commandements and past all shame to commit wickednesse Therefore the holy Ghost describing the corruption of our nature doth terme vs not onely sicke weakened or infected with sinne but euen to be dead in sinne For so Paul to the Ephesians wher hee setteth out the grace of Christ Ephes 2.1 affirmeth that hee hath quickened vs that were dead in trespasses and sinnes And in like manner in the seconde to the Colossians 2. Coloss 13 that vs which were dead in sinnes and in the vncircumcision of our flesh hath he quickened togither with him forgiuing our trespasses These manner of termes and epithetes whereby it hath pleased God in his holy worde to expresse both the vtter want of knowledge in matters of faith and the corruption of our mindes and manners is diligently to be obserued by vs by reason of the doctrine of the Romish cleargie who