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NOw if the mind be ignorant & vnskilfull in that, that is to be wished for, how can the wil, which taketh all her instructiō thēce rightly desire she can not tell what? Doth a∣ny man ame at the marke he neuer sawe? or desire the thing, he neuer heard of? Christ our Sauiour told the woman of Samaria, if she knew with whom she talked, she would
craue the waters of life of him, but therfore she begged thē not, because she knew him not, and could not tell, neither what, nor of whō to ask. The very philosopher could tech his scholers, and common experience doth testifie the same, that no man loueth or lon∣geth for the thing he neuer loked vpon. And howe litle insight, or rather how perfectlie blind by nature we are, is alreadie shewed.
Farther, no man naturally wisheth for a∣ny thing, but he hath not only an insight, but also a delight therin, and it is gratefull to his nature, & pleasant in his eyes, or at the least so supposed either in comparison of some∣what else, or in som sort or other so reputed.
Herupon I will suppose an impossibilitie, that man hath a cleare eye in that great mi∣sterie of godlines, which the Apostle descri∣beth and which is the ground of all know∣ledge. But I aske, how is he pleased, how is he delighted therwith?
Be wee Greekes reckoned the wisest of the Gentils or Iewes once the people & pe∣culiar chosen of God? The mistery of Christ crucified to either of these, is either marue∣lous folly, or wonderfull offensiue, & to both of them alike, if God in iustice leaue them to them selues, the preaching of the Gospell,
which shold be the odor of life, if they could beleeue, loue, and embrace it, is becom a sa∣uour that they cānot brook, a sauor of death to death euerlasting, & in fine they perish in their sinnes, wherin their faithles natur toke such delight.
Wherfore if a naturall man, & an vnbele∣uer, would beare good men in hand, that na∣turs case is not so hard: if Andradius the cō∣mentator of the Coūcell of Trent, as being priuy to their secret meaning, herein speake neuer so honourablie of the state of heathen men to be saued without Christ: if Pigghius or the schole of Colen, or all the scholemen in the world, wold qualify or alay the strēgth of sinne, with vaine reasoning, and fond but gay distinctions as they think of conueniency & congruity &c. What is to be done? touch these faire apples of Gomorrha with the fin∣ger of the holy Ghost, & they wil fal straight all to dust. Or be it, that the wine that the harlot offreth be strong, the spice of distin∣ctiōs sweet, the harlot subtil, her alluremēts many, fine, & forcible, yet the truth is stron∣ger, and wholsomer, will and must preuaile.
In flesh dwelleth no good, so saith the spi¦rit of God. Wherupon without contradictiō it followeth, if no good, no degree of good
at al, ether spark of knowledg, or inclinatiō of will, or ability to reach out hand towards the receiuing of any good. For euē the good willingnesse which is graunted by grace, is hindred by nature as much as in her lieth.
Therefore the old man must be quite put of, the old leuen cleane purged out, our lusts not proined, but digged vp by the rootes, & throwne away, our flesh crucified, & of our selues altogeather denied. O Israel howe long wilt thou tarie in a strange lande, woo woorth the man that delighteth in his natu∣rall corruption: O sinfull flesh happie is he that taketh thy yong children, I meane the very beginnings, euen the concupiscences and first motions to sinne and dasheth them against the stones, or smothereth them in their cradle, or killeth them in their mothers wombe. For of flesh can come no good, & happie is he that maketh away a rebellious euill.
Ioh. 4.10
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
1. Tim. 3.16
1. Cor. 1.23
Orth. expl. lib. 3
Contro. Ra∣tisb. 1 Dial. 2 Sarc. in dist. Schol. Doct
Aug. de Ci∣uit. Dei lib. 21. c. 5
1. Esd. 4.4
Rom. 7.18