Divine considerations treating of those things which are most profitable, most necessary and most perfect in our Christian profession by John Valdesso.

CONSID. CI.

Whence it comes, that the wicked cannot believe; that the superstitious believe with ease; and that the godly believe with difficulty.

IN the wicked I consider the impossibility in be∣lieving; and I call them wicked, who make profession to be the enemies of God, as Phara∣oh, and as the Scribes and Pharises, who were contrary unto Christ. In the superstitious I con∣sider the easinesse in believing; and I call them superstitious, who not being godly, make pro∣fession of piety, and believe that they are pious. And in the godly I consider the difficulty in be∣lieving; and I call them godly who having by the Spirit accepted the generall pardon, which

the Gospel offers unto them, attend to confirm themselves in it, and to live in this present life, a life like unto that which they are to live in life eternall. The impossibility of the wicked I understand consists in this, that God blinds their eyes, and shuts their ears, and hardens their hearts, to the end that not knowing the generall pardon, which is intimated unto them, they do not believe it, and so do not obtain sal∣vation. This S. John 12.39, 40. understood in this manner, when he said, therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again, he hath blinded their eyes. Nay this very thing Christ meant, as is proved by the three other Evangelists, and S. Paul understood it, as S. Luke testifieth the last of the Acts 25, 26, 27. The easinesse wherewith the superstitious believe, I understand proceeds from their be∣lieving with humane wisdome, and from be∣lieving by opinion, by relation, by use and cu∣stome; they holding it for impiety to doubt. That this is true is proved by this, that amongst those true things which they believe, they be∣lieve many other false things, and they believe the false things, more then the true. Nay they do not believe that which is the foundation of all true things, that is, the remission of sinnes, and the reconciliation with God by the justice of God executed on Christ. And I say they do not believe it; for if they did believe it, for the

same reason they would leave to be superstiti∣ous, and would be pious.

The difficulty wherewith the godly believe, I understand proceeds from humane wisdome, from evil conscience, and from the livelinesse of mind, and from the lasciviousnesse of the flesh. It proceeds from humane wisdome, for by how much they go on the more procuring to assure themselves in the faith, so much the more oppo∣sition, and impediment doth humane wisdome make against them in it. That this is true, is pro∣ved by this, that because they principally procure to assure, and confirm themselves, that all their sinnes were punished in Christ, in this they who are Christians, find more difficultie, then in all other things which they believe. It pro∣ceeds from evil conscience, inasmuch as it ac∣cuseth a man as the enemy of God; and there∣fore he with difficulty assures himself in that which the Gospel proclaimeth, that God hath now pardoned him, and holds him for his friend. That this is true is proved by this, that instantly when a man finds peace in his con∣science, he stands confirmed in the faith, in such manner that he is little solicited to doubt. It proceeds from the livelinesse of the mind, and from the lasciviousnesse of the flesh, inasmuch as mens mind being a friend to life, and his flesh being a friend to rejoycing, doth eagerly combate against the

faith; understanding or guessing that faith slaies in a man the livelinesse of the mind, and mor∣tifies the lasciviousnesse of the flesh. That this is true is proved by this, that as the livelinesse of the mind and the lasciviousnesse of the flesh doth die in a man; so the believing goes on increasing. But it is not to be understood that either death, or mortification of the mind or flesh, are those things which increase our be∣lief, but faith being that which kills us, and mortifies us, the believing is increased in us, the forces being taken away from our enemies; I say from them, which make difficult to us our believing. In such manner as humane prudence, and evil conscience, and the livelinesse of our minds with the laciviousnesse of our flesh, are three Instruments whereby the evil spirits serve themselves to make difficult our believing to us, who believe by Revelation, and by divine In∣spiration, Nay with these three Instruments I understand that the belief of the generall Par∣don is hindred to the superstitious, who with ease believe all other things: and with the same I understand, believing is made impossible to the wicked, whom God hath made blind, deaf, dumbe; there being in all men, that is, in the impious, in the superstitious, and in the godly selfe-love for the Principall enemy. And cer∣tainly it is true, that from it proceeds the con∣tradiction of humane prudence, and of an evil

conscience, and from it the repugnancy of the livelinesse of the mind, and lasciviousnesse of the flesh. That this is true, is proved by this, that if there were no selfe-love, a man would not be so curious in willing to assure himself of Christi∣an verity, he would not be so scrupulous in his conscience, nor would so much oppose the mor∣tification of the mind, nor of the lasciviousnesse of the flesh, and so the contradictions would cease, and the contradictions ceasing, the difficulty of believing would also cease.

From all this discourse this resolution may be taken, that if the wicked would be free from the impossibility in believing, they must attend to renounce their selfe-love, if they can: And that if the superstitious would know that they are not pious, that they do not believe as they ought to believe, nor that which they ought to believe, they must attend to renounce their selfe-love as much as they can: And that the godly who shall feel themselves molested with the difficulty of believing, and would take away the difficulty, and so make easie the believing, they must labour to disenamour themselves of themselves, and of the world, and to enamour themselves of God, and of Christ. This they shall do by considering the evil that is in them, and in the world, and the good that is in God, and in Christ. I say this consideration will be very profitable to them, so that it alwayes go

accompanied with prayer, praying God, that he would disenamour them of themselves and of the world, and that he would enamour them of himself and of Christ; and that he would mortifie in them all that which is flesh, and hu∣mane prudence, to the end they may be capable of so great a quantity of Faith, that they never come to doubt, nor to stagger in it, being to him alway loyall and faithfull, as belongs to them, being made his sonnes by the incorporati∣on wherewith they stand incorporated in his onely begotten sonne Jesus Christ our Lord.