testimonies of these ancient fathers Ambros li. 5. de orat Ambrose sayth it is not the lawe but the faith of Christ that congregateth the Church for the lawe is not of faith but the iust by fayth shall liue It is fayth therefore and not the law that iustifieth for righteousnesse commeth not by the law but by the fayth of Christ and he that refuseth fayth and prescribeth the workes of the law Ambros de vita beata lib. 1. cap. 6. declareth himselfe to be vnrighteous for the iust by fayth doth liue And the same father in another place sayth This is that which profiteth me namely that we are not iustified by the works of the law therefore I haue not wherein I may glorie or boast in my workes and for this cause I will glory in Christ I will glory not for that I am iust but for that I am redéemed not for that I am without sin but for that my sinnes are forgiuen me not for that I haue profited any or any hath profited me but for that I haue an Aduocate with the father euen Christ that shed his blood for mée Cyprian de passione domini Saint Cyprian writing vpon the passion of Christ sayth The gift could doe more than the transgresson and grace more then sinne for grace through the benefite of loue hath fréely without any merite absolued vs that were bound with the debt of condemnation Origen lib. 3 in epist ad Romanos Origen also vpon these words of the Apostle We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the déedes of the lawe sayth The iustification of faith onely is sufficient so that if a man beléeue onely he is iustified albeit no worke as yet hath bene fulfilled by him and so hee alledgeth the example of the théefe August super Psal 70. Augustine vpon the 70. Psalme sayth The grace of God wherby we are fréely saued with out any our merits is commended in this Psalme And a little after Séeing then we are deliuered not by our merits but by his grace let vs praise him vnto whom we owe our selues wholy whatsoeuer we be Hiero. ad Galat. 4. Hier. writing vpon the Epistle to the Galatians saith that neither Moses nor any other famous man amōg the ancient fathers could be iustified before God by the law Gregor super Ezech. Hom 7. Gregorie vpō Ezechiel sayth Let vs not trust in our wéepings nor in our workes but in the allegation of our Aduocate who liueth and reigneth with the father in the vnitie of the holy spirite Fulgentius Fulgentius saith the God crowneth in his saints that righteousnesse which he gaue thē fréely and wil preserue fréely and will fréely make perfect Maxentius saith Maxentius we verely beléeue that from Adam to this day none hath bene saued by the strength of nature but through the gift of the grace of the holy spirite in the fayth of the name of Iesus for there is no other name giuen vnto men vnder heauen c. Item all the faithfull from Abel vnto Christ as many as haue beene saued haue béene saued by the same grace whereby we are saued Chrysost in serm de fide lege naturae Chrysostome fayth I can shew thée a faithfull man who without his good déedes both liued and obteyned the kingdome of heauen but none without faith hath had life c. And least here thou shouldest say hee wanted time c. I will not contende with thée herein but this one thing I dare boldly say that fayth onely by it selfe did saue him Basil in cōtione de humilitate Basile likewise saith this is perfect true glorying in God when any is extolled not for his owne righteousnesse but acknowledging him selfe to be void of true righteousnesse is iustified by fayth onely in Christ Bernard orat prim omnium sanctorum And finally Bernard sayth What can all our righteousnesse be before God Shal it not bee as the Prophet sayth like a menstruous cloth And if it should bée strictly iudged all our righteousnesse should bée found vnrighteous What then shall become of our sinnes séeing our righteousnes is not able to answer for it selfe Therefore let vs earnestly cry with the prophet O Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant and with all humilitie let vs flée vnto that mercie which onely is able to saue our soules By these testimonies gentle reader thou maist soone perceiue what was the iudgemēt of the godly learned in old time touching iustification And in this faith the Bishops of Rome with their Romanists should still remaine if they were such ancient Catholiks as they pretend and if they would follow the olde mother Church of Rome and hold the first liquour wherewith they were first seasoned But the sweete verdor sent of that liquor is now cleane put out through other vnsauerie infusions of the Popes thrusting in so that almost no taste nor péece remaineth of al that primitiue doctrine which Saint Paul and other Apostles planted among the Gentiles The ninth Chapter Of good workes ALbeit the godly fathers in auncient dayes as hath beene in the former Chapter sufficiently declared nowhere could find any sure cōfort for the soule or rest peace of conscience with God the Lord but through grace and swéete promises of God giuen to mankind in Christ Iesus his sonne Yet notwithstanding they were not only abundātly fruitfull in good workes themselues but also most vehement and earnest in calling vpon all true faithfull people to serue the Lord in true holinesse righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their life as by their liues and sermons may sufficiently appeare For to this end are we elected created called and fréely iustified to do all such good works as God hath prepared for vs to walke in Hereunto tend many exhortations both of Christ and his Apostles and also of the Apostolicall fathers which succéeded them not onely by order of place but also veritie of doctrine The like example of whose teaching if we doe not now folow let our sermōs preachings writings exhortations and liues also beare record For although we exclude good works from the office of iustifying yet we exclude them not from the practise and conuersation of Christian life but most earnestly call vpō all the faithful in Christ to walke worthie their vocation to lay downe their old conuersation to giue their members seruants of righteousnesse to offer their bodies to God a liuely sacrifice c. In déed we do not after the maner of our new found Romanes set foorth for good works the deuices of men as prayer for the dead going of pilgrimage to dumbe idoles reckoning vp of a certaine number of prayers to some certaine Saints giuing of rewards or building of Monasteries for to pull soules out of Purgatorie and such like which because they neitheir haue commandement nor promise in the worde of God Matt. 15. our
sauiour testifieth of them saying in vaine doe they worshippe me teaching for doctrines mens precepts And the Lord by his Prophet sayeth who hath required these things at your handes But such we commende vnto the people as are prescribed vnto vs of God in his holy worke As it is saide What works are good Deut. 6 5 Thou shalt kéepe the commaundements of the Lord thy God Deut. 12. and thou shalt put nothing thereto neither shalt thou take any thing there from neither shall ye goe there from either to the right hande or to the left Ye shall not doe euery man what séemeth good in his owne eyes And therefore as S. Paul saith Rom. 12. Ephe. 5. wee exhort men to prooue what is the will of God acceptable and perfect which is in déede the reasonable seruice of God and besides the which all other seruings are vnreasonable For looke whose workes we doe his seruants we are if we doe the works of mans inuention then are we the seruants of men but and if we doe the workes which God hath required then are we the seruants of God Now touching the workes which God would haue vs to walke in some of thē are specified by our Sauiour saying Whē I was hungry ye gaue me meat Mat. 25. whē I was a thirst ye gaue me drinke when I was naked ye clothed me in prison and sicke ye visited me c. And by the Prophet Esay Esay 1. saying Cease to do euill learne to doe good séeke iudgement reléeue the oppressed iudge the fatherles and defend the widow Likewise the Apostle Peter saith 1. Pet. 3. Be ye all of one minde one suffer with another loue as brethren be pitifull be curteous not rendring euill for euill neither rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse knowing that ye are thereunto called 1. Pet. 2. that ye should be heires of blessing And in another place Lay aside all malice guile dissimulation enuie and euill speaking To be briefe therefore these such like are the workes which the holy Apostle haue taught christian people to bee conuersant in loue ioy Gal. 5. peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse fayth méekenesse and temperancie Concerning which vertues whiles our Popish doctors in these later dayes haue incombered themselues much about the workes of their owne inuentions they haue scarsely so much as once thought vpon them And not this onely but also that which is more absurd they ascribe the goodnesse of their workes to the power of mans fréewill or to the habit of vertue or strēgth of nature c. Wheras in old time men were taught to ascribe all the dignitie worthines of their workes to the faith of Christ For this is the nature office propertie of faith The nature of faith not only to reconcile vs to God by procuring vnto vs through the mediation of Christ the forgiuenesse of sinnes and so to iustifie vs before God in heauen but also here in earth by renuing our hearts to bring foorth good workes and to make the same workes acceptable in the sight of God which otherwise through the infirmitie and corruption of our nature were impure and execrable in his sight For whatsoeuer is not of faith Rom. 14. Heb. 10. is sinne and without faith it is impossible to please God To this effect our Sauiour saith Make the trée good and his fruit good For like as an euill trée cannot bring forth good fruit it may bring foorth faire fruites and such as to the eye may séeme good but when they come to the triall of the taste then it appeareth they are nothing lesse euen so an euill man such as all men are by nature and without faith cannot bring forth good works he may well bring forth such workes as may séeme faire and good but when they shall come to the tryall of the Lords taste they shall be found vnsauerie Paul before his conuersion liued after the strict maner of the Pharisées and did many faire and goodly workes yet had he no good works in déed before the grace of Christ had rooted faith in him The efficient cause of good works As touching the efficient or formall cause therefore of good workes next vnder God there is no other but faith For as a man séeth and féeleth by faith the loue and grace of God towards him in Christ his sonne so beginneth hee to loue againe both God and man and to doe for his neighbour as God hath done for him Whereunto Saint Augustine beareth witnes in these words saying August super Ioani ē Like as in the roote of the trée there appeareth no shew of beauty and yet whatsoeuer beautie or comelinesse is in the trée it procéedeth from the roote so from the roote of fayth as from a foundation procéedeth whatsoeuer merite or beautie the soule shal receyue Thirdly whereas the word of God doth not only teach men that their good works are euer vnperfect therefore are so farre from iustifying them that they haue néede dayly to pray vnto God that he may remit their imperfections The end vse of good workes Mat. 5. 2. Pet. 1. 2. Tim. 1. 2. Cor. 9. Heb. 10. but also that we are to doe good workes to set forth Gods glory to assure our consciences of our election to exercise our faith to relieue our neighbours and to prouoke others by our example to do the like They contrarily and most falsely teach men not only to doe good workes to the ende they may be iustified by them in the sight of God saying Tho. Aqui. Hosius in a. tom confes cap. 1. that Christ suffered for originall sinne or sinnes going before baptisme but the actuall sinnes which follow after baptisme must be done away by mēs merits so assigne vnto Christ the beginning of saluation or obteining of the first grace as they call it but the perfection or consummation therof they ascribe to workes and our strength against the truth of holy Scripture saying There is no remission of sinnes without blood Heb. 9. 1. Iohn 1. and the blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne Also that man being holpe by grace is able not only to doe all that the law requireth but more also And hereof come the workes of supererogation contrarie not onely to that principle of holy Scripture which sayth 1. Iohn 1. If we say that we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and truth is not in vs but also to the institution of Christ who hath not onely commanded but also taught his whole church and euery member of the same continually to pray saying Forgiue vs our trespasses Thus they derogate frō the benefite of Christ and attribute vnto works a great or the greatest part of our iustification directly against the veine of S. Pauls doctrine and first institution of the auncient Church of Rome and against all the principles of holy Scripture The tenth Chapter
is affected towards the will of God which is the onely rule of righteousnesse that none can decide better then God himselfe who knoweth man throughly what he is what is in him who testifieth saying The imaginations of the thoughts of his heart are onely euill continually Gen. 6. Rom. 8. And Paul accordeth hereunto saying The wisdome of the flesh is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the lawe of God neither in déed can be And therefore Ambrose sayth right well Ambros li. de vocation Gentium cap. 2. 3 Homo à Diabolo non voluntate priuatus est sed voluntatis sanitate that is Man was robbed of Satan not of his will but of the integritie or soundnesse of his will So that there remaineth in man by nature a will but in respect of God and goodnesse crooked peruerse and péeuish vnles by the spirit through the grace of Christ it be made straight reformed and reduced againe to his originall And this is the third state of man called the state of regeneration In the which state man hath obteined that in Christ which he lost in Adam namely a power not onely to will but also to performe that is good And therefore as it is said without me ye can doe nothing so likewise is it said I am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ that strengtheneth me For it is God that worketh in vs to wil and also to performe according to good wil. If the son make you frée then are ye frée as who should say it is but folly to glory in any other fréedom For so August teacheth saying What can be the fréedome I pray ye of a bondseruant except it be when he taketh delight to sin for he serueth fréely that willingly doth the pleasure of his master And hereupon he is frée to sinne that is the seruant of sinne and hee cannot be frée to liue righteously vnles being fréed from sin he begin to be the seruant of righteousnesse c. And a little after But whence shall a man that is bound and sold haue this fréedome of working well vnlesse qe redéeme him who hath saide if the sonne make you frée Iohn 8. then shall ye bee frée in déede Which thing before it begin to take place in man how shall any man which yet is not made frée to worke well glory of frée will in respect of good vnlesse being puffed vp with vain pride he exalt himself which pride the Apostle restraineth saying by grace ye are saued through faith Thus was the originall Church of the auncient Romanes at the first instructed by the Apostles and afterward by Augustine and others From the which Sea now howe farre this later Church of Rome hath degenerated which holdeth and affirmeth that men without grace that is the gift of Gods grace may performe the obedience of the lawe and prepare themselues to receyue grace by working so that those workes may be meritorious Congrue Condigne and of congrue as they say obteine grace that is of good right and equall congruence and agréeance As if one should say they haue beene good seruiceable and profitable vnto God and therfore it is méete reasonable and cōuenient that he should requite them againe with grace and fauour otherwise he should faile in the rule of good congruitie wherein one part ought to be answerable to another Which grace being thus obteined men may as they say perfectly performe the full obedience of the lawe and accomplish those spirituall actions and workes which God requireth and so those workes of condigne that is by iust law equall merit deserue eternall life As for that infirmitie which still remaineth in our nature against the which we are not onely continually to striue but also to pray for mercie they do not regard it so much as once to speake of it The xiiii Chapter Of inuocation and adoration BEsides the former vncatholike and almost vnchristian absurdities and defections from the Apostolicall fayth touching inuocation also they dissent much not onely from others but also from themselues in respect of their originall For wheras in old time the godly in all perils were wont by seruent prayer to flie vnto God onely who ac-according to his promise is able and willing to helpe all such as call vpon him faithfully as it is written Psal 145. Psal 50. call vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thée Contrarie to the comdement of God and example of all the godly from time to time they haue erected and set vp Saints departed to be prayed vnto and called vpon as mediatours of intercession affirming that Christ is a mediator of saluation and that onely in the time of his passion Which assertion of theirs how well it agréeth either with the ancient doctrine that S. Paul and the residue of the Apostles taught as well the old Romans as other Gentiles or els standeth with reason and commō sense may appeare by that which followeth And first whereas they denie Christ to be a mediatour of intercession howe accordeth that with the saying of Paul to the old Romanes where he speaking of the intercession of Christ saith Rom. 8. He sitteth on the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs. Likewise in his first Epistle to Timothie After his exhortation to prayer for all estates 1. Tim. 2. and degrées of men he sheweth not onely to whō we should pray but also in whose name saying There is one God and one mediator betwéene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus 1 Iohn 2. Saint Iohn also saith If any man sinne wee haue an aduocat with the father Iesus Christ who is the propiciation for our sinnes And our sauiour himselfe saith whatsoeuer you shall aske the father in my name Iohn 14. not in the name of Saints he will giue it you Touching prayer therfore to be made vnto Saints that they might be intercessors to God for vs we neither haue commandement that we should do so nor promise to spéede in so doing nor example of the Patriarches Prophets Apostles or Apostolical men that euer they did so Which of the olde fathers vnder or befor the lawe did pray to Noe Exod. 32. Abraham or Moses after they were departed For whereas they obiect the words of Moses in his prayer saying remember Abraham Isaac and Israel thy seruants to whom thou swarest by thine owne selfe c. The Prophet in that place doeth not call vpon those saints that they might make intercession for him for then he woulde haue said O holy Abraham Isaac Israel pray to God for vs but by their names he remembreth the promises of God made to them Which of the godly vnder the new testament did pray vnto the holy martyrs Iohn Baptist Stephē Iames or any other after their departure Yea they were obedient to the cōmandement which saith Cal vpon me and regarded the promise
Of sinne VVHereas the holy scriptures doe teach Sinne what it is that sinne if it be rightly defined is that whatsoeuer in vs by any meanes is contrarie to the wil and law of God As the crookednesse and corruption of our nature whatsoeuer procéedeth thence as ignorance of minde lacke of knowledge and true feare of God the vntowardnesse of mans mind to Godward the priuy rebellion of the heart against the law of God the vndeliting will of man to God his word whatsoeuer wicked actions motions appetits lusts desires flow thēce For in our flesh that is our nature vnregenerat dwelleth nothing but sinne yea the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God Rom. 7. Rom. 8. The imaginatiōs of mans hart saith the Lord are only euill continually Gen. 6. 8 Our newstart popish doctors not considering the déepnes largenes of sinne suppose it to be nothing els but inward and outward actions with consent of will And so those motiōs which are contrarie to the rule of righteousnesse if consent of will be not added by their censure are no sinnes and as for originall sin by this their doctrine they doe vtterly take it away For if sinne can not be vnlesse consent of wil be added then must it néeds fall out that originall sinne is none at all because that none doth willingly and by his proper election contract it Original sin made no sin by the popish doctrine Psal 51. contrary to the iudgement of the Prophet Dauid who speaking of his originall saith I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me Let vs therefore acknowledge and confesse our selues as indéede we are to be bondmen of sinne by nature that being manumised by the grace of Christ wée may bee frée as it is said If the sonne make you frée then are ye frée in déede The xi Chapter Of repentance OF repentance Repentance what it is which is nothing els then the cōuersion or turning of the whole man frō sin that is not onely frō wicked words déeds but also from filthy lusts concupiscences frō false erroneous opinions of God his worship and from all wicked superstition vnto the earnest study of perfect innocencie sincere seruice of the true liuing God and therfore saith the Lord returne as far as vnto me Ioel. 2. This the Lateran church of Rome doeth not teach aright nor according to the tenor of Gods word and ancient Church of Rome For first they haue made thereof a Sacrament Repentance no sacrament contrarie not onely to the right course of S. Paul his writing who in his Epistles maketh relation but of two Sacraments to wit Baptisme and the Lords Supper but also to the definition of a Sacrament wherein according to the definition as well of their owne schoolemen as others there must be an externall and visible signe or element as Augustin saith Let the word be put vnto the element and then it is a Sacrament But in penance or repentance there is no element externall signe or visible symbole instituted of God and therfore it is no Sacrament Secondly they teach that repentance consisteth of these thre parts that is cōtrition confession and satisfaction Canonicall for so sayth the master of the Sentences in perfectione poenitentiae tria obseruanda sunt cōpunctio cordis confessio oris satisfactio operis that is contrition of heart confession of mouth and satisfaction of worke Contrition as they teach may bee had by the strēgth of frée wil without the law and the holy Ghost through mans own action and indeuour which contrition must be sufficient and so it meriteth remission of sinne cōtrarie to the word of God and common experience For if there were in man either such fréedome and libertie of wil or power strength of nature to performe that when hée would he could detest or not detest sin be contrite or not contrite at his pleasure what néeded then a law to be giuen which as Ieremie sayth is the hammer of God breaking and tearing in péeces the stonie hearts of men if without the same by our owne fréewill and strength of nature we could be cōtrite And if there were in mans nature any such fréedome and strength howe chanceth it then that neither the reprobate can put from them that cōtrition which their consciences will they nill they suffer whiles the law of God toucheth and vrgeth them as Caine Iudas and such like Neither the elect in their conuersions could beginne to bee truely contrite before that by the preaching of Gods law they were humbled As Dauid before he was smitten with the hammer of Gods lawe by Nathan the Prophet began not to thinke of his transgression And Peter till hee heard the cocke crowe ceased not to denie Christ neither did Paul leaue off from persecuting till from heauen hée heard a voyce saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me c. Besides this the Lord himselfe by the Prophet Ezechiel speaketh Ezech. 36. Iere. 24. saying I wil take away the stonie heart out of your bodie and I will giue you an heart of flesh And a little after then shall yee remember your owne wickednesse and your déeds that were not good c. Where note gentle reader howe the Lorde by his prophet in this place saith that he wold giue them a soft or contrite hart then they should beginne to turne as who shoulde say you haue it not of your selues neither by your owne strength without my grace are yee able to prepare your selues And therfore haue the holy men of God bin wont to pray saying Conuert vs O Lord we shall be cōuerted Now wheras they ceach that this contrition must be sufficient then it meriteth Considering howe odious and lothsome a thing sin is in the sight of God and that nothing in the vniuersall worlde can bee founde besides the blood of Christ as of a lambe immaculate and vndefiled of sufficient value to redéeme it with God what mans life can be long inough or teares in his bodie plentie inough to mourne so sufficiently for his sinnes that he might merit remission or forgiuenesse with God especially séeing our Sauiour sayeth when ye haue done all yet say ye are vnprofitable In confession they require a full rehearsall of al sins whereby the Priest knowing the crymes may minister satisfaction accordingly And this rehearsing or reckoning of sinnes in the eare of a Priest as they say meriteth remission of sins ex opere operato that is the very act doing where first they require more then any man is able to performe for as it is written who knoweth howe oft hee offendeth and therefore sayth the Prophet Psal 19 Cleanse me O Lord from my secret faults Secondly the Priests vsurp and take more vpon them then any where by the law of God is giuen thē For albeit in Scripture wee finde two sorts of confessions of
written against vs in decrées and hath nailed it vpon the crosse triumphing ouer all c. So that as the kingdome of Christ first began vpon the crosse euen so vpon the same crosse and at the same time the kingdoome of the lawe expired and the malediction of the lawe was so crucified vpon the crosse that it shall neuer rise againe to haue any power against them that be in Christ Iesus For like as a woman when her first husband is dead being nowe maried vnto another is quite discharged from her first husband euen so we being espoused to our seconde husbande Christ are vtterly discharged from our first husband the law Rom. 7. Rom. 6. and are no more vnder the law that is vnder the dominion malediction of the law but vnder grace that is vnder perpetual remissiō of all sinnes committed not only before baptisme but also after baptisme during all our life long For therein properly cōsisteth the grace of God in not imputing sin vnto vs so often as the repenting sinner rising vp by faith flieth vnto christ Psal 31. Acts 10. apprehendeth Gods mercie remission promised in him This difference of the law and the Gospel as it is necessarie cōfortable for troubled consciences to be well instructed in the same so is this later Church of Rome much to blame in this behalfe because it confoundeth togither these two being in nature so diuers and contrarie one from the other imagining the Gospel to be nothing els but a new law giuen by Christ binding to the promises therof the condition of our doings deseruings no otherwise then to the olde law and so diuided they the whole after this distinctiō into thrée parts to wit the law of nature the law of Moses and the law of Christ And as for the Gospel they say it was reuealed for no other cause but to shewe to the world more perfect precepts and counsailes then were in the olde law to the fulfilling whereof they attribute iustification and so leaue the poore cōsciences of men in perpetuall doubt and induce other manifold errours bringing the people into a false beléefe of Christ as though he were not a remedy against the law but came as another Moses to giue a new law vnto the world The xiij Chapter Of freewill FOr the better vnderstanding of this question we are to consider three estates or conditions of man in this world The first of his creation in respect wherof man was a most frée creature for hee was created according to the image of God to whom nothing is more agréeable than true or perfect fréedome and libertie and albeit he were in his first estate subiect not onely as Angels and all other creatures were subiect to the will seruice of God whose seruice is fréedome it selfe but also to some kinde of necessitie as namely to eate drinke and such like yet was he frée from all calamities which might bring death Hauing his will frée not onely in respect of all coaction or forcing to that which was euill but also in respect of all retraction impediment or withholding frō that which was good So that by his creation as there was nothing in him that might drawe or force him to will that was euill so was there nothing that might retract withdraw or hinder him from willing and also performing that was good And therefore in respect of this estate it is written of him that God had crowned him with glory and honour And in Ecclesiasticus we reade Eccles 15. that God at the beginning made man and left him in the hand of his counsell and gaue him his commandements and precepts c. he set fire and water before him that he might stretch out his hand to which he would August de nouo cant cap. 8. Which place August expounding of Adam saith God left him in the hand of his counsel that is he made him frée both in counsel and abilitie or ablenesse and power of counsell that hee might after his owne will either choose the good and refuse the euil or els refuse the good and choose the euill c. And hereof hee giueth this reason August de liber arbit cap. 2. saying God gaue vnto man in his creation fréedome of will that he might declare his goodnesse and iustice towards him goodnes if he had done right but the seueritie of iustice if he did euill The second estate or condition of man is in respect of his fall By the which fall as August witnesseth August in Ench ad Laurent ū cap. 30. man lost both himselfe and his frée will For when sinne in the conflict had gotten the maistrie it brought man into seruitude and bondage For although in respect of ciuill and mortall actions there remaineth in man a naturall knowledge and power of will yet euen therein men find and proue great difficultie in themselues whiles furious iust resist morall rectitude entisements and pleasures prouoke their sences Satan with wicked councellours dayly vrge and enforce them and God by his wonderfull prouidence disposeth their councels to a farre other end then they had purposed For as Ieremie saith Mans way is not in his owne power neither can he direct his owne goings Yet concerning those workes which are good workes in déede and may bee pleasing and acceptable to God man by nature hath no fréedome and libertie of will For such woorkes as appertaine vnto the seruice of God and so may bée acceptable and approoued in his sight depende vpon these two pointes namely knowledge and appetite affection or desire both which are wanting in man by nature And first touching knowledge Notwithstanding all men by nature haue in them a certaine fourme of knowledge reason and vnderstanding yet concerning those thinges which belong either to his owne saluation or to the setting foorth of Gods glory the Apostle saith the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God 1. Cor. 2. Iohn 3. whereof we haue a singular example in Nicodemus a man not onely indued with good gifts of nature but also furnished with the helpe of art yet when he heard our sauiour intreating of the misteries of God stood as a man amased vnderstanding nothing And if by nature as you sée wee are rude ignorant of the things that appertein vnto God how shal we then or howe can wee either fréely will or rightly performe that wee knowe not Nowe secondly for our naturall appetite affection will and desire True it is that all men by nature haue in them an appetite affection will and desire For as Augustine witnesseth Agust lib. 3 Hypognost Omni creaturae inest illa volūtas qua appetitur quod placet declinatur quod displicet That is euery humane creature hath in himselfe a will whereby he desireth that hee liketh and fléeth that he disliketh But how this will or appetite of the natural man that is the man vnregenerate