that Iudas the traitour receiued of Christ did thus much profit him, that at the length he con∣demned himselfe,
saieng; I haue sinned in be∣traieng the innocent bloud. For to this passe are the wicked driuen, that at the length they are condemned by their owne iudgement. And they which should haue taken profit by the doc∣trine, are gréeuouslie hurt by the same: as we read in the prophet
Esaie the sixt chapter, when it is said:
Make blind the hart of this people, dull their eares, and shut vp their eies, least per∣aduenture they should see, heare, & vnderstand, and be conuerted, and I shuld heale them. Euen so by the words of Moses,
was the hart of
Pha∣rao euer more and more hardened.
9 And the cause why they are inexcusable, is declared in these words: Which withhold the truth in vnrighteousnes. They attained vnto so much truth, as thereby they vnderstood how to behaue themselues towards God, and towards their neighbors, and yet withheld they the truth in vnrighteousnes. The verie which thing did the Hebrues, as touching the truth, which God reuealed vnto them by the lawe. Séeing there∣fore, that both these Hebrues, and those Gentils haue béene so gréeuouslie punished; what ought men, that be christians in profession to hope for, which withhold to themselues so great a light of the Gospell without fruit? Doubtles they shall become most wretched of all. And the thing it selfe teacheth, that they which boast of Christ, and liue dishonestly, doo at the length excéed all men, be they neuer so wicked, in naughtines and dis∣honestie. The truth is after a sort withheld cap∣tiue in them,
which vnderstand the same, and yet expresse it not in work and life. And it is bound and tied with the chaines of naughtie lusts, the which,
when they breath out from the inferiour parts of our mind, they darken the vnderstan∣ding, and close vp the knowen truth in a darke dungeon. God doth lighten it in our minds, but through naughtie lusts it is woonderfullie dar∣kened. We must not thinke (as Chrysostome warneth vs) that the truth of his owne nature can suffer anie thing. For the truth of his owne nature is vnchangable. But what discommodi∣tie soeuer happeneth,
the same hurteth our mind and soule. Paule in two words toucheth those things, which Aristotle in his Ethicks (when he disputeth of the incontinent person) vttereth at large.
For he demandeth by what meanes the incontinent person declineth vnto vices, since that in his mind he hath a right opinion? And hée answereth, that this happeneth, by reason hée is too much affected to the particular good, which is obiected presentlie to the sense: by the weight wherof, the better part also is oppressed, so as he giueth place vnto the lusts, neither doth he his part in effectuall considering of the truth, which before he knew.
Which also the Poet affirmeth of Medea,
I see the best, which I allow;
But yet the woorst I doo insue.
All this dooth
Paule teach vs, when he saith, that
The wicked withhold the truth in vnrighteous∣nes. The truth doth alwaies as much as can be, indeuour to breake foorth into act, but it is hinde∣red by concupiscence or lust. And this is it which is written in the first booke of the Ethicks: that the best part of the soule doth alwaies exhort and prouoke to the best things.
For so hath God and nature framed vs, that the thing which wée knowe, we desire to expresse in act: which being not doone, we are reprooued by our owne iudgement. And herein appéereth the woonder∣full force of the conscience, which in the more gréeuous sort of offences, can neuer be perfect∣lie setled.
10 To withhold the truth in vnrighteousnes, is properlie to refuse the calling of God, which continuallie by his truth, calleth vs backe vnto himselfe. Wherefore it shall be verie profitable for vs, if, whensoeuer we haue attained vnto anie truth, either through studie, or obseruation of things, we reckon straitwaie with our selues, wherevnto God calleth vs through that truth, which he laieth before our minds. By this word vnrighteousnes, the Apostle vnderstood general∣lie whatsoeuer sinne we commit, either against God or against men. Wherefore Paule speaketh of that truth, which is naturallie ingraffed in vs, & also of that which we attaine vnto by our owne studie. For either of those instructeth vs of most excellent things touching God. Neither is the vnrighteousnes which we commit, able to blot it out of our minds. Which thing neuertheles the Academicall philosophers indeuoured to teach,
séeing they earnestlie affirme that there can be nothing certainlie taught by vs: and so would not haue vs to imbrace anie thing, as be∣ing sure therof that it is true, but would haue vs account all things as vncertaine and doubtfull. Likewise the Epicures go about to pull out of our minds those things,
which by a naturall former conceit are printed in our hart•• concer∣ning God. And yet neither of these were able to bring to passe that, which they indeuoured. For will they, nill they, these truthes remaine still in the minds of men,
but (which is to be lamented) they are withholden in vnrighteousnes.
11 Perhaps thou wilt demand how it com∣meth to passe, that the truth which we haue by faith, is of more strength to breake out into act, than is the truth, which we naturallie perceiue. This vndoubtedlie commeth not for this cause, that one truth by it selfe, and seuerallie vnder∣stood, is of more force than another. For truth on both parts hath the selfe-same nature; but the