rentatlons takenfrom themil ofÁÍinifters,anf,ered. 3 g as vnto men, and thereföre thofe who haue it may neuerthe- leffe be as ,vorldly, carnali, andprophane as euer theywere; for before we attaine vnto a true id:ìfying faith, and be fan- ¿ ified byGods fpirit, our knowledge and learningwill not free vs from our corruptionof nature, wherein we arc con-: ceiued borne and bred ;and therefore though we fee the truth,yea knowand acknowledge it to be the word ofGod, which flail one day either iuftiñe or condemuevs, yet ifthe Lord doe not ioyne with this knowledge the inward opera_ tion ofhis 1jirit, making it effee`luail for our fanetification, and for the purging ofvs from our corruptions,we arc asroa- die to fall into all finne, being inticed and carried away with theriches,honours and pleafure3 oftheworld, as ifwee were fiiil mof} fottifiily ignorant. A notable example hereof wee haue in Salomon, who though hoe had receiued fuch a mea- fure ofwifdotne and diuineknowledge, as neuerrneereman attained vnto the like, yea though he were a'penman of an excellent portion of holie Scriptures, yet the Lord leauing him to the corruptionofhis own hart,he fell moil grieuoufly intoall abominable w'ickednes:andyet who will dare to fay, that Salomon didnot write as he thought,and not rather that he wascarried away through theviolenceofhis corruptions, to commit that fin=which his confcience condemned, and to neglcc`l obedience to Gods vndoubted trueth? So Dauid who was indued with notable knowledge, and no leffe grace, fell notwithflanding moll fearefully into adulterie and murrher; but.fhall we therefore thinke that he was not perfwaded that thefe were horrible firmes, or that whenhee commended mereie,innocencie and chaffitie,he fpakc not as hee thought? And Peter likewife denied and fortyore his Mailer, whom before he had acknowledged to be the forme ofGod ; but (hall we hence conclude that Peter diffembled when hee made that notable confeflion, becaufe when lice came to the triall hee vtterlie difciaimed it ? Nay ra- ther wee may certainly bee perfvaded,that Dttidwas car- ried away with his lull: and concupifcence, and Peter ouer- come with feare and frailtie,and bothdrawne,through their corruption,to commit thofe fins which their côfciences con- A a 4 demned. lion; our nntu sali corruftiós. That neglec`f of dulie doth not alwaies argue ìncredulitic.
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