Agnoia tou psychikou anthråopou, or, The inability of the highest improved naturall man to attaine a sufficient and right knowledge of indwelling sinne discovered in three sermons, preached at St. Marie's in Oxford / by Henry Hurst ...

1. The know∣ledge of a Regenerate soule is a spirituall knowledge.

1. The Knowledge of a regenerate soule is a spirituall knowledge, that of the highest improved unregenerate man is but Rationall at best, and so they differ toto genere; there is not, nor can be a more wide difference be∣tween things and things, persons and per∣sons, then that which is thus founded in what is spirituall and its opposite, and such is the difference in these two sorts of men, one doth see the spirituall wickednesse of this sin, the contrariety that is in it to a spirituall Law, to spirituall obedience, to the spirituall manner of performing it. The other seeth the unreasonable wicked∣nesse of this sinfull nature, the contrariety and incongruity of such a frame of heart to refined Reason; Reason tells the man that there is but one God, that he is only to be worshipped: hence he discovers how un∣suitable to reason it is to have more, or worship more Gods: the spirituall regene∣rate soule sees the spirituall as well as the unreasonable wickednesse of such Idolatry

&c. the like may be said of all the commands of the law, which have both a conformity to reason (all God's precepts are highly rationall) and to that which is higher then now reas••nis, and which the Scripture calleth spirituall. All the precepts are of a spirituall nature. Now the learned unre∣generate man compareth this frame of the heart with that part of the Law which is thus proportioned to reason, and seeth how far this frame is dissonant to it, and concludes it so far out of order; it is reaso∣nable he seeth, that the law which is just, and should rule the whole man, should also bind the whole man to be readily disposed, and duly framed to the observance of that Law, and if a part, or the whole frame be not so disposed, he concludes it Peccant and culpable. It is but a reasonable thing that the Law which is so just and good, should be uniformely observed, as well in the first forming of our thoughts, as in the ultimate, and last perfecting of them, and so•• con∣cludes some unreasonablenesse in the swer∣ving of the first motions. In a word these Learned, Improved natural men in this whole matter see nothing, but what is the object of their reason, either to be approved,

or disallowed, The regenerate foule seeth and considereth, that this law is very spiri∣tuall, and measureth the sinfulnesse of his heart, and the sinfulnesse of its first wor∣kings by this law as spirituall, and so con∣cludes that there is a wickednesse in it, which is of a higher nature then a bare con∣trariety to Reason. As an Artist seeth the excellency or the rarity of a discourse which he heareth, or of an experiment which he feeth, and accordingly judgeth the one consonant to, the other dissonant from the naturall, regular, and certaine consequen∣ces of the Principles and Hypotheses of his art; which discourse a man who is no artist heareth, and understandeth the Grammati∣call construction of the whole, seeth the materialls of the experiment, and the effect wrought, yet falls exceedingly short of that knowledge which the artist hath, and he gets but a Grammaticall knowledge, or such as his sense (with which he perceived the experiment) can help him to, while the Artist hath gotten a cleare, certaine, artifi∣ciall knowledge: 'tis not much unlike in this case, and as the objects of their knowledge thus differ, so likewise the faculties, dispo∣sition, or qualification differeth, the one

knowing by common illumination, the other by a speciall and more then common illumi∣nation of the spirit: but I will not insist on this, it being for ought I know a matter which we cannot so evidently and clearly state, as to make of this any plaine discrimi∣nating note, by which we may cause others to see and understand what the difference is. I know that there is such a difference, and that it is great; I know that one seeth with an eye enlightned by especiall light from the spirit, the other doth not, but I know it is not easie to describe these; and what might be gathered from the effects of each, by which alone they can be discerned, will fall in my way, before I have done with these particulars, therefore I say no more of this now. The first difference is in the Generall laid down by the Apostle in that of 1 Cor. 2.12. for the pardon of, and deliverance from this sin, is one of those things which are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and understood by him only who hath the spirit of God, and being spirituall compa∣reth spiritualls with spiritualls. Who hath the spirit of the world doth not so under∣stand them, because he cannot spiritually discerne them. v. 14. And it is plainly e∣nough

intimated to us by the Apostle in this very chapter, Rom. 7.14. I know (saith he) that the Law is spirituall, though whi∣lest I was carnall and judged carnally of the Law I thought of my selfe as righteous, as blamelesse, Phil. 3.6. because I had not fai∣led of the strictest outward observance of the command, Phil. 3.5. yet now I see the law is spirituall and so there is a spirituall obe∣dience due which I carnall could not give and in defect of this obedience there is a spi∣rituall wickednesse which while I was a Pha∣risee (though learned and as much impro∣ved as any) I did not see; Thus St Paul and the experience of every Saint will confirme to us, how great a difference there is, be∣tween the sight and knowledge he now hath, and that he once had of sinne as it is contrary to the Spirituall Law of God.