H. Zanchius his confession of Christian religion Which novve at length being 70. yeares of age, he caused to bee published in the name of himselfe & his family. Englished in sense agreeable, and in words as answerable to his ovvne latine copie, as in so graue a mans worke is requisite: for the profite of all the vnlearneder sort, of English christians, that desire to know his iudgement in matters of faith.

VII. The povver of free choise in the regenerate is yet weake: so that vve haue still neede of the help of God, neither can we do all that we would.

But, because our regeneration is as it were onely begonne, and not as yet perfect, so that whereas we were before wholly flesh, now we consist partly of the spirite, and partly of the flesh, * 1.1 which do cōtinually fight the one against the other, that what good things we would, them wee cannot performe, but in our spirite we serue the lawe of God, * 1.2 but in our flesh the law of sinne: Therfore we beleeue, that which wee also knowe by experience, in the regene∣rate, that much bondage still remaineth, much darkenesse in the soule, and peruersnesse in the heart, and weakenesse in all the faculties of minde and bodie: that wee haue still neede of new help from God, and new grace, whereby both our mindes may be more and more en∣lightened, and our willes made better & bet∣ter, and our strength to do good more increa∣sed and perfected. And therefore while wee remaine in this flesh, our free choise is neuer truely and meerely free: that is, neuer able i∣nough of it selfe, to auoide ill and doe good:

especially sith the euent of all things is not in our power, but in the hand of God: and that it must needs bee, that all those thinges come to passe, * 1.3 not which we thinke, but whatsoeuer his hand and purpose hath decreed shalbee done.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gal. 5.17.
• * 1.2

  Rom. 7.25.
• * 1.3

  Act. 4.28.