that Thus they shift off the care of godlines as though god did not require it at their hands neuer hearing of this which S. Peter requireth wee must take heede of this giuing eare to god who teacheth vs this lesson by the holy Apostle for if we let this passe we are most miserable here also when wee are warned to giue al diligence appeareth plainely howe harde a thing it is to flie from corrupt lustes for if it were an easie thing to be done lesse diligence might serue but sinne cleaueth neere and sticketh fast in vs is not easily shaken of it is deepely rooted so that vnlesse we digge very deepe wee are sure to leaue the rootes stil behinde which wil growe spring againe as fast as before yea oftentimes seeming to bee dead they sodeinly reuiue so that wee are set a worke while we liue heere without any intermission to be still toyling to pul vp these weedes the ground is so ranke that in a very short time it will bee wholy ouergrowne Therefore such as despise the meanes which God hath appointed or vse them ouer negligently must needes haue their heart ouer growne with these stinking weeds of lust and concupiscence and so if euer there be any good seed in them as good motions or inclinations to feare God they are by and by choked so that they can bring foorth no fruite or at least no ripe and timely fruite But heere may be obiected that this agreeth not with the former saying that the diuine power hath giuen vs al thinges which pertaine to life and godlinesse there hee ascribeth all to God and taketh all from vs heere he seemeth to giue somewhat vnto our diligence and so to establishe freewill in vs. We must answere here that God worketh al in al alone striketh the stroke yet he doeth not worke in vs as the carpenter or Mason worketh vpon the log and the stone which haue no feeling of that which is done vpon them and therfore nothing of them is required but we haue a wil in vs reason which of them selues beeing corrupt doe nothing but hinder this worke vntill suche time as god hath fashioned them anew we haue appetites affections in vs but of them selues meere rebels these he ◅eth and subdueth So that this worke of God in vs is not without a feeling of it for hee moueth vs to wil to desire to sorow to reioyce such like so that our diligence is required because he worketh in none but he doth make them diligent heere is stil then that which God doth bestow vpon vs and not that which we haue of ourselues By this place al those are answered which cloke and defende themselues in then naughtinesse and slouth in the seruice of God after this manner we haue that which God hath giuen vs all men are not alike godlye euerie man cannot doe as you doe when their own heart and conscience doeth tell euery of them the contrary saying thou art carelesse and negligent thou hast as much as thou desirest for God doth increase all gifts and graces in those which vse al diligence in seeking after him Let vs learne therefore brethren to put in practise al those thinges which are heere taught to giue greater diligence and so beate our braine more earnestly about heauenly thinges then about these earthly to labour trauell more for godlines then for treasures and riches Which if we do we shall feele increase of strength to cast out corrupt lusts although not so much as faine we would yet God being true wee shall haue so much that wee cannot faile nor misse of our desire It foloweth ioyne moreouer vertue with your faith c. Saint Peter knoweth what babes we be how vnable to guide our steppes in the pathes of godlines and that maketh him not onlie to mooue and persuade to godlines but euen as it were taking vs by the hande and teaching vs howe to treade euery steppe hee rehearseth particulerlye the thinges wherein wee are to trauell when he saith Ioyne moreouer with your faith vertue with vertue knowledge with knowledge tēperaunce with temperaunce patience with patience godlines and with godlinesse brotherly kindenesse and with brotherly kindnesse loue Faith heere is set in the first place vnto which all the other must beeioyned because without it wee cannot by any meanes please God it doth iustifie vs be fore god alone but yet it doth not go alone neither is it dead and fruitlesse for these things do accompany the same In the next place therefore he coupleth vnto this vertue which is generally put for all the fruites of faith and all the duties of a godly life These cannot bee wanting but by and by it must needs folow that the faith is a dead faith not able to iustifie vs before God nor to giue life it cannot indeede bee rightly termed any other then a shadowe or dumbe picture of faith whiche may carie some shewe and colour of that which it resembleth Euen as wee see some painter so skilful that he can cast such colours in painting fire that at the first blush it might make a man iudge it to be fire in deede but if a man holde his hand to it to feele for some heate and to make triall by the effectes a childe will be able to iudge easily that it is but a dead image because the effectes are wanting Euen so there be very many men as cunning as any painter to make a shew of faith through great bragges and vaunts that God is their God that they al put their whole trust in him that they looke to be saued as well as the best yea though but a few yet they hope to bee of the number of those Let vs looke therefore that we be not deceiued here let not the outwarde appearaunce beguile vs but let vs come to the true triall if there be as much vertue in their life as there was heate in the foresaide fire then knowe that it is euen as good a faith as that is a fire For yee maye as well separate fire from the heate thereof as faith from good and godly vertues which are the fruits therof-What shal then bee saide of all those from whom do flow so many filthie sins that scarce at any time doeth appeare in them so much as a shadowe of vertue they cannot deceiue any wise man much lesse shall they bee able to deceiue God Let euery one therefore take heede that hee deceiue not himselfe to thinke that he is richly indued with faith when hee is so poore in vertue for if the latter abound wee are sure the former doth also abounde For wee must trie our faith by our vertues Next he willeth to ioyne knowledge vnto vertue These three are general faith vertue knowledge and are so lincked together that they cannot be sundered For faith is not a blind fantasie whiche man doeth imagine of his owne braine but it is begun in the
better then that of the poore beast yea muche worse when we respect the misery in the world to come Let not this therfore cause thē to set vp their bristles that they can see so wel and pearcingly at hande that is in earthly thinges when as they are as blinde as beetles in things a far of that is to say in heauenly things Heere wee must seeke to haue eyes giuen vs of god with which wee may bee able to see beyonde this worlde for before such time as the Lorde hath giuen vs some glimmering of heauenly things wee shal neuer couet to obteine them And this is the cause that these poreblinde men neuer passe greatly to know the Gospel of Christe Thirdly he saith they haue forgottē that they were purged from their olde sinnes as hee said they were blind so nowe he saith they are forgetful and this forgetfulnesse is so much the more shameful as it is in a chiefe principal point of true religion But where shall wee find the man which if he be examined will confesse that he hath forgotten this point It seemeth none doe forget it because the very wicked will seeme to set al vpon this score that their sins are purged and that maketh them sinne so franckly But if we vnderstande the Apostle wel we shall finde very many whiche haue forgotten this point Now here we must first note that our sinnes are said to bee purged when there is satisfaction made for them by redemption in the blood of Christe Secondly that they are said to be purged by grace of sanctification when by the power of Gods spirite sinne or all sinfull affections are suppressed and killed in vs so then there is a purging in redemption and there is also a purging by sanctification Nowe if they haue not forgotten so much but that they can prattle of the purging of their sins by redemption yet they haue forgotten this that they were redeemed to the ende they shoulde no longer serue sinne but purge away the olde leauen But beeing without those former graces he sayeth they haue forgotten this not meaning thereby that they had euer learned it for if they had yet at the least they had not wel learned it wee may see by this howe many there bee which are starke blinde and haue forgotten that Christians are called to liue in righteousnesse and holinesse of life If we looke vpon the small number of those which haue a care to seeke after the Lord and howe small a parte of them doe come I will not saye to abounde but to haue a competent measure of those forenamed vertues Let vs come alwayes to this true measure and not bee deceiued neither in our selues nor in other Let vs bee ashamed if we be carnal to take vppon vs the name of the true professours let vs denie vnto them the honorable name of Christiās which are but filthie swine and prophane dogges as our Sauiour Christe calleth them to conclude this matter none are allowed to bee true receiuers of the Gospel but such as ioyne vertue with their faith with vertue knowledge and so temperance patience godlinesse brotherly kindenes and loue and such as also doe seeke to abound in them the rest which care not for these or contēt themselues with the bare shewe of them although they would seeme to be worshippers of God and deuout persons yet they are by this doctrine of the Lord wholy shut foorth vntill they haue learned a newe lesson Remember that this is the doctrine of God and not of man Remember that we must stand and dwell vppon it not for a day or two while wee haue hearde it but all our life long to bring it to the practise it is plaine and cleere none can be excused if they know it not and so through simplicitie stand vppon the common faith thinking to shroude themselues wel vnder the shadow of the multitude but when God hath warned them who wil pitie them when they wil not be warned if this were not told vs and that by God him selfe wee might thinke as men doe commonly that a very little doth content the Lord that no great things are required at the handes of Christians and other such foolish and vaine opinions as to say they must hope wel when God telleth them there is no hope vnlesse they walke this way also that it is not good to bee ouer precise when as in goodnes a man cannot proceede too far nor offer too muche obedience to the Lorde To make an ende let none of al these thinges blinde vs because they blinde some which stande in reputation of their owne wisdome The fourth Sermon 10 Wherefore brethren giue rather diligence to make your calling election sure for if ye do these things yee shall neuer fall 11 For by this meanes an entring shall be ministred vnto you abundantly in to the euerlasting kingdom of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ JT hath beene tolde vnto you already vppon the verses which goe next before howe that Saint Peter regarding how dull wee are and backward in godlinesse contented not himselfe with his exhortation which he maketh but setteth downe what we shall gaine if we follow his aduise and also what hurt we shall sustaine by the contrary and this hath partly been handeled in the two other verses partly in these two which wee haue now in hand where indeed he doth propounde so great a commodity which we shal gaine if wee giue all diligence to pursue the former things as is almost incomparable euen this that we shal come to the assurance that wee are called chosen of God a thing so necessary for vs to knowe that without it there is no right faith no frank and willing obedience no sounde ioy For although without this men seeme to beleeue yet is it but a wauering fantasie to do many good things yet they proceed but from a seruile minde to laugh reioyce yet is it but in a desperate madnes which in very deed is greatly to be wondered at howe men shoulde bee able to sport themselues yet to speak in their cōsciences after this maner there is hel and eternal flames of vengeance prepared for sinners and I am not sure whether I shal escape or not this desperate and brutish securitie shal be apparant to bee the more mad if wee compare it and set it foorth by an outward comparison Let it bee thus a man is taken in a robberie or murther imprisoned brought before the Iudge and comdemned by sute of friendes repriued vntil suche time as they maye sue for to get him a pardon in the meane time some of his acquaintance come to this murtherer and will him to be of good cheere merie he wil answere vnlesse he be some mad and desperate ruffian I am condemned to the Gallowes the Iudge hath pronounced the sentence of death vpon mee I know not how harde a thing it wil bee to obteine a pardon I
not haue done thus The Prophete Dauid when hee had committed murther and adultery being reprooued by Nathan although hee knewe rightwel that the Diuel was a great furtherer in the matter likewise hee might haue thought vpon the fonde dealing of the woman which so indiscretly washed her selfe in such a place as others might see her yet hee letteth these goe and to the ende hee may wholy and fully condemne himself he looketh home to the welspring of all this foule and beastly sinne and saith Beholde I was borne in wickednesse and in sinne hath my mother conceiued mee as if he shoulde say O Lorde I cannot seeke any way to be excused for all this rebellion against thee is conceiued and bred in mine owne corrupt brest I brought the roote of it from my mothers wombe This is a good lession for vs to learne for so long as wee doe not knowe it but like partial and corrupt Iudges go about to excuse our selues to rid our hands of that we haue committed we shal neuer come to any sincere repētāce Further weare here to obserue in this place that al corruptiō comming from this lust if wee will repent indeede wee must begin heere For if they bee changed onely in their outwarde deedes and wordes and this inward sicknes not healed they haue gained nothing no more thē a man which would destroy a tree and doth no more then loppe shred of certaine boughes and twigges leauing the stumpe and roote behynde for so long as this doth liue in them they may well seeme in the eyes of men to bee very great conuerts if they bee ignorant idiots are become suche as haue gotten some skill and knowledge from drunkardes ruffians adulterers and suche like they become sober and modest and of good behauiour as this may bee done before men and yet the hart nothing altered before God for there bee many causes which may mooue men to seeme outwardlye to bee godly when the hearte within is fraught with loathsome lustes and full of rotten corruptions whiche make men still altogether abhominable before God To bee short therefore a man shall neuet rightly iudge of him selfe whether hee haue repented vnlesse hee looke to the bottome of this sore that it may be healed The greatest multitude of men being as blind as beetles in this point imagine that repentance is a very light easie thing which they can haue when they list when a man of wisdome saith this that here lieth so deep a matter that heere be rootes which are hard to be pulled vp hee is moued to bee the more carefull least he deceiue himselfe Looke therefore euery man to his thoughts for by them is the trial made if the thoughts be chāged the inward desires altered so that of prophane and worldly they are become holy and heauenly then hee may boldly say I haue a newe hearte and there is a right spirite renued in mee I haue repented I haue not plaide the hypocrite I feele an vpright heart toward God I feele the corrupt fountaine stopped so that the filthy matter and stinking mudde doeth not boyle foorth as it did It may also bee demaunded heere whether this iuste bee not a sinne or a corruption of it selfe because S. Peter saith that corruption resteth in it The place which I alleadged out of the 51. Psalme doeth prooue it to bee a sinne also it may bee proued out of the fifth to the Romans Where Saint Paule proueth that infants haue sinne because they are subiect to death which is the reward of sinne although as hee saith they sinne not after the similitude of the transgression of Adam Therefore if wee had none other but this it were enough to condemne vs and vtterly to cast vs away Let vs neuer cease therefore vntill wee feele a change in our selues euen in this secrete infection for otherwise wee shall neuer bee able to flie the corruptions whiche are in the world or as Saint Iames speaketh in the first Chapter of his Epistle to keepe our selues vnspotted of the worlde so long as wee carie the corrupt world in our own brest neither shal our religion be pure for thus it is saide if any man among you seemeth religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceiueth his owne hearte this mans religion is vaine Pure religion and vndefiled before God euen the father is this to visite the fatherlesse and widowes in their distresse and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the worlde The seconde Sermon vpon the 5. 6. and 7. verses 5 Therfore giue euen al diligence thervnto ioyne moreouer vertue with your faith with vertue knowledge 6 And with knowledge temperaunce and with temperaunce patience and with patience godlines 7 And with godlines brotherly kindenesse and with brotherly kindnes loue ANd hereunto giue al diligence c. He hath declared in the former verses among other chief matters this one especiallv to howe great holinesse and purenesse through sanctification we be called which was chiefly expressed in these wordes that by them yee may bee made partakers of the diuine nature in that yee flie the corruption which is in the worlde through lust vnto this now he ioyneth an exhortation requiring at their handes not only to put to their diligence but also as hee saith euen all diligence For as it is the greatest and chiefest thing which we are to looke after so there is required at our handes to giue our principal care and studie thereunto this equitie must easily be graunted that if we cannot obteine or get the thinges of this life which are small in comparison vnlesse wee put to our diligence for God will haue it to bee so that then of good right looke howe much heauenly things exceede in dignitie the earthly so much must the care and diligence bestowed vpon them exceed How far almost are all men from this doctrine both in practise and iudgement first when we see the exceeding trauel paines which they sticke not willingly to bestowe in getting the beggerly trash of this world either riches or honours they wil ryde and run early and late by night and by day by sea and by land winter and sommen wearing out their bodies almost pine and sterue themselues with hunger and bearing their braines with as great diligence as can be possible but when it commeth to these things which S. Peter speaketh as things of no price they pass by them in such wise that they are here euen as slouthfull and carelesse as they are diligent in the other For iudgement in this behalfe if a man talke with these worldly men they wil shew their minde and opinion aske them why they bee so careful for these worldly things their an swere is readie wee shal otherwise come short of them and go without them why do ye not seeke as fast for heauenly thinges they be the greatest they be in deede the greatest but we commit that to God wee wil not meddle with
c. A man may demand what maner of order is here vsed in willing vs to ioyne godlines to patience then to godlines brotherly kindnesse is not godlines the whole or the general these brāches are members of it True it is that this worde is often vsed generally to comprehende al goodnesse but in this place it comprehendeth but the first table of the lawe wherein wee are willed to bee deuout or zealous a very necessarie caueat to beware that we doe not become so patient that we forget to be zealous in the Lords quarrel it is as if Saint Peter should haue said I woulde not haue you so meeke as to beare and put vp al I woulde haue you withal to bee hotte in Gods quarrell forget not that For many vnder a colour of a meeke patience doe couer the want of religion for if God bee dishonored his trueth defaced his seruants slaundered they can heare and see and yet bee as meeke as a Lambe but if themselues bee touched yee shal see them playe the Lions and of luke warme to become fire hot this therefore is no patience which wanteth godlinesse Wee must learne then both with patience and meeknes to deale in the Lords matters also with feruent zeale least in steed of this excellent vertue of patience which was commended vnto vs there be nothing but a prophane vngodlines an irreligious mildnesse in which at this day moe do offend then through impatience for these Athiests haue this as an excuse very readily Are we not cōmanded to be gentle and soft Is it not our duetie to maintaine loue and charitie with our neighbours Indeede they bee great swearers and somtime they vse to speake against gods worde if they be awry I think they shal answere for themselues if we should gainesay or seeme to reprooue them they woulde not take it wel therefore I thinke good not to disquiet them Heere is nowe wonderfull patience these are verye godlye and charitable persons yea euen a treacherie towardes GOD and men For is there any of them which being slaundered with some foule crime whereby they should receiue great iniurie or bee spitefully rayled vppon if some of their neere friendes sitte by and holde their tongues when they know they be iniuried that cannot by and by feele say this was cold friendship that they could not haue dealt so vnlouingly towardes their friendes by whome soeuer they should haue heard them so abused they could not haue held their tongues Thē belike God nor his truth are none of their deare friends that they can put vp such iniurie done towards him There is plentie of this patience in all places but godlinesse cannot bee suffered to come neere for he is a breake peace and a very vnpleasant felow hee is ouer rough and precise and ouer captious there was good neighbourhood and friendshippe before he came they could be merie together and bee in vnitie without anye iarre had it not bene better to vse gentlenesse and patience then to haue this broyle for there is nothing better then loue and where that is not there is nothing good O miserable daies this is the good loue now amōg mē that they cannot loue one another but they must hate God to haue peace and concorde with men to bee at ods with God for mens sake to put vp the dishonoring of his name not to continue in patience vnlesse godlinesse bee wanting The vngodly world and lewde nature that is in men taketh occasion to accuse godly zeale vnder this pretence and to finde fault with the preaching of the worde because say they it setteth men at strife But we must learne in this place to ioine godlinesse with our patience for otherwise we shal be found to be nothing els but irreligious and prophane dogges although wee pretende loue neuer somuch The time wil not suffer to handle the rest which remaineth in this text Let vs remember that which hath beene said giue all diligence to pursue these excellent vertues that so wee may approue our selues to be right Christians and looke for the blessed hope promised in Iesu Christ The third Sermon 7 And with godlines brotherly kindnes and with brotherly kindnes loue 8 For if these things be with you and abound they will make you that ye shal not be idle nor vnfruitful in the knowledge of our Lorde Iesus Christ 9 For he that hath not these thinges it blind and seeth not a farre of and hath forgottē that he was purged from his olde sinnes ANd with godlinesse brotherly kindnes c. Wee haue heard already that with our faith must be ioyned vertue or godly deedes which it cannot be without if it be a true faith with vertue wee are commaunded to ioyne knowledge which may bee a guide thereunto our knowledge must goe with temperance with this must come patience therevnto must be ioined godlines There remaine yet two branches of these special vertues about which wee are to trauell the first of these is brotherly loue or kindenesse which must be yoked with godlines as I said that this godlines he speaketh of is referred to the first table of the law respecting God and his religion that wee bee sound and zelous in the same and not as those which are for al times and al religions and therefore care not what bee saide against religion beeing very belliegods and Atheists so this is referred to the seconde table shewing what wee owe vnto men This is very fitly and necessarily added for as there bee many which regarding men onely howe to please and not to grieue or offende them altogether forgetting their dutie towards the Lord God and wholy shutting him out as thogh their chief care should be of men let pas godlines so there bee some that offend on the other side which looking alwaies so high as to haue respect to the Lord and his trueth to bee earnest and firie in that ouerlooke men forgetting the dueties which they owe vnto them the holye Apostle meeteth with this mischief and telleth vs that we must so loue God that we also loue men ioyne saith hee to your godlinesse brotherly kindnesse for vnlesse this be ioyned and goe with our zeale of Gods worde it is no true godlinesse although wee bee neuer so sounde in iudgement and seeme to be as hotte as Moyses or Elias yea euen to be swallowed vp with burning zeale for it doeth not proceede from Gods spirite who doeth also worke the loue towardes men wheresoeuer hee goeth but it doeth proceede of some corrupt cause as of vaineglorie or selfe loue and such like and deserueth not indeede tobee called godly deuotion no more then the true faith can be without vertue or deserueth to be called ought saue a shadowe or Image of faith if it bee without good workes but it is a bitternesse which resembleth the true zeale which doth euermore carrie with it a loue and care towardes men True it is that to be
excellent shoulde moue vs but dealeth with vs as with those which are lumpish and dul needing many spurres to bee pricked forwarde withall and all litle enough let vs bee careful therefore to take heede to that hee saieth If these things be with you abound they will make c. In this 8. verse hee beginneth to shew the commodities which shal redounde vnto vs if wee so giue our diligence that wee may bee richly decked with these graces they wil make you saith the Apostle that yee shal not bee idle nor vnfruiteful in the acknowledging of our Lorde Iesus Christe It is a shameful thing when GOD hath shewed himselfe vnto vs in his Sonne hath called vs into his seruice out of miserable bondage for vs to bee ydle and vnfruiteful If the Lorde haue planted vs if he haue dressed vs then as it is also said by our sauiour Christ Iohn 15. Herein is my father glorified that ye goe and bring foorth much fruite Then it is by this place very apparant that a man may draw out a sure an infallible argument against all those whiche are idle and slouthful in the profession of religion and as they say key colde or slack in the worship seruice of god or vnfruitful in good workes namely that they are graceles voide of faith those vertues which doe euer accompany the same for when Saint Peter saith if these things bee with you they wil make that ye shal not be idle nor vnfruitful it foloweth necessarily that such as bee idle which ariseth for want of zeale or bee vnfruitful continuing in their sinnes it is because they did neuer yet come to the true knowledge of Châ—ist they may wel bost theÌ„selues of their strong faith make a braue shewe of their skil sine wit so that men might think there were some deepe thing in them that they shold be able eueÌ„ to iudge giue aright verdit in al matters but a man reading but euen this place finding them ydle and vnfruitful yea euen a simple man shal easily sounde them to the bottome and say of them that they haue not as yet knowne or learned Christe because they want those former thinges Wee must note this also when hee saith If these thinges abounde in you this is that wee should not content our selues with a scant and bare measure of faith of vertue of knowledge and of the rest as he setteth them downe but we must labour to haue a dayly increase for that must bee gathered by this that he pricketh forwarde these ripe and grounded men A doctrine most necessary to be vrged because if men haue gone two or three steppes or haue once a litle begunne to labour about these thinges so that they can looke backe and see some come behinde them or can say I thanke God I knowe somewhat I hope that I am not without faith somewhat there is which I haue done that I would be loth to doe againe they by and by persuade themselues that they are sufficiently furnished so that they wil not sticke to say I trust I haue that which shall serue the turne Naye the Apostle telleth vs an other thing heere from the Lord that is that we must ouerflow in these and abounde and truth it is that these men which thinke they bee well fraught and so seeke for no further increase of store haue as yet nothing for if they had once founde the sweete of these thinges and seene withall that they are farre behind and in beggerly need they would neuer content themselues with so little for who is hee which feeleth increase in worldlye treasure that wil crie hoe and say I haue enough Is there lesse in the heauenly treasures to drawe men to like them than in the earthy Or is it because men doe not knowe them Wee must learne to take heede of such therefore as woulde beare men in hande that it is sufficient yea that it is the best of al for men to content theÌ„selues with some ciuil honestie and not to seeke and weerie their mindes to gaine knowledge But these were neuer as yet the men which might bee right called the schollers of Christe much lesse wee are to deeme them worthie masters or teachers of others when they goe flat contrary to the holy Apostle of Christe who willeth to seek for so great abundance when as they would conteÌ„t themselues and persuade others to bee contented with scant a shadowe of these thinges which shoulde bee so plentifully founde in them Notwithstanding some are so blinde that hauing no shadow or shewe at al of goodnesse yet thinke they bee gone farre enough In the next verse where hee saith Hee that hath not these thinges is blinde and seeth not a farre of and hath forgotten that he was purged from his olde sinnes hee setteth forth the discommodities which follow the want of these vertues And this hee doth because some man wil be litle mooued to heare that commoditie which hee spake of and wil say what care I though I bee idle What care I though I bee vnfruitful I will not goe about to be better theÌ„ other men what should I labour to excel those which are wiser then I If then they wil not regard this that these vertues wil make them excellent seruants of God yet let them consider what the Apostle maketh them without the same where hee affirmeth them first to bee blinde a very miserable thing in the bodily sight muche more in the spirituall which hee here meaneth when God hath so cleerely reuealed himself in the face of his sonne in the knowledge which bringeth saluation that the God of this worlde as Saint Paule speaketh 2. Cor. 4. should so blinde their minds that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christe which is the image of God shoulde not shine vnto them Secondly he saith they cannot see a farre of or that they be poreblinde for such as haue the beames of sight scattering or spreading a sunder so soone as they be out of the eye caÌ„ see wel enough iust by them but not a farre of to these S. Peter doth compare those men But it may be asked what he meaneth first to say they be starke blinde afterward to attribute some sight vnto them It may seeme by this worde that hee maketh their cause not so euil as before he had saide it was yes euen as euill for he saith as much in this worde as he did in the other for when he saith They cannot see a farre of hee taketh from them al sight of heauenly thinges which are remoued from vs seene only by faith hee doeth not denie them the sight of those things which are at hand because they haue a good and a sharpe sight in the thinges of this worlde for the most part better then they which can see a far of But what are these quicke wits the better wheÌ„ they are but for this world and their condition no