'I Cafer o/Conjclence. I.Booke. yeaarhoufand times in a day, foasby their A often comming,rhey weakcfl:rthc memorie, .dull rhefenfes,wear.~& confound tht braine. Thefe ue thoughts rhar come from the diuel, and by lum are conuaied from without, into rhe minde ofman. And iffuch cogitations, were from amans owne felfe,Jhey would noc: comewich fo g·rcat vchemencieand ccleritie., . but wirh leifure:and tbcywould rifewirh more moderation,and lelreviolence. Yea further, the frequent vfe of rhern would not pro· dm;e fo many, and (o fearefull effects asir dotb. . • . ,. ~econdly,. fuch thoughts may bee difcer· n;d, rocomc from the diuell, by rhisfigne; b,~9aufe they are directly againH the very ,ll !t£ht-of nature, the fparkes whereof are nor q.uice exriod: in vs by tinne. For ctJery man thinkes rcuerenrly -of God by narur.e. But r_h.efe cogitations ar.e manwicked and d:ud· liO:,faflnmg vpon God, things rhat are mofi v.ile and mont'trous: whereas commonly thC: thoughrsrhar.a11fefrom ourfelues, arc nor •· gam!l rhe l1ghr .,f.naruro, though they bee moll cor.rupr. . The third figne is, that atrhe firlf concei– uil)g of thcm 1 thc partie is (mitten with an ex· uaordinaric fcare, his fteflt is troubled; and otienrimcs, fickne.lfe and fainting doefollow. But the thoughts rhat menconceiue ofrhem· felues, caufe neirher fcarc, nor faintings, nor ~bcik c .Fourthly, bla(phcmous thoughts cannot collle ordm•r·ily tr!lm rhehearrof any., Caue of thofe alorre,tharare of reprobate mindes. Bur the parries that are thus diflre!Ted, are honell,ciuil,and fuch as profelfe the Gofpel, '!I leall in 01ew; yea fomerime• they befall fuch asare the true members ofChriil.Ther– fore:r is mani(efl, rhartheycome from wirh. our, eucn from rhe diuell calling rhem into th_s: minde~ and not from within amans owne (elfe. In thenex~ place inquirie mufl bee made, whether the parrie dorh approoue, loue, and like thcfcand fuch like rhoughrs,.or no? To this hee will anlivtt,if bee beeasked,that hee abhors them as rhe diudl and hell ir felfe. D Thus euen naturall men will anfwer,and thar truly. After ioquirie rhus made, the rca~edie is robeapplyed,And the firfl and ptmcipall re . med1e pertaines to doClrine , and inClrudi– on: in wh1ch the partie is to bee informed of his or her cC!ate; namly,tbatthe forefaid blaf. phemies, are not hisfinnu, .but hil cr.offa. For :hey are the diuels finnos, and he!hallanfwer for them: and they arc notours,till we enrer– taine,rcceiuc:,approoue, and giueconfent vn– totbem. For proofe hertof, let rhis bee confidcred, That vncleane thoughuwhich haue their re– tidenc~ in the minde of man,arQ-'o( two fans: Inward, and Ourward. Inward are fuch as h~uerheir originalJ from the flefh, and arife of rhe corruption of mans nature, rhougb !hrredvpbyrhe diudl. And rhefearrheve– ry firfl conceiuing, are our finnes, rhougb they haue no long aboda in ourminde•: and they are directly forbidden in the renrhcom· maundemenr. Outward thoughtsare rbo(e, wh.ich haue rclauon roan outward caufe or .beginning : of which fort are rhofe euill rhoughrs,rhar beconceiued inro rho mind by the diuell:and if.we rakeno pleafure in rhem, nor yeeJdconfent vnro thGm;they are not to bee accounted our finnes, bur rhe diueh, by whomerhey are.fuggelled. The truth hereof appeares inCbrill. exampl<;inro whofemind rhe ,Jtuell ea!! this blafphemous renration, thereby.moooing him ro infideliry,couerouf· nes,and:dolatry: whioll neuertheleiTewere not his linnes,beoaufe his·holy helrtgaue nor the leaf! approbation ro them, but abhorred and repellea rhern,and therfore was free from anywnrof linne,in or by them. This d:Clinctionof thoughts mull bee re. -membred. For hence ir followes, that blaf· phemousrhoughts, not conlenred to byvs, are nor our flnnes, bur the diuels. Euen as in hke cafe, when one wid.edly difpofed, CoUicltcs 'mether to •treafon, or murrher: it rhe faid parllel:tlen nor, nor yeeld rherero, hecannot bee holden guilty of rhofecrime•. Therefore men mutl not feare rhofe kinde of thoughts ouermuth: arleafl~fthey pleafe norrhemfeluesouermuch in them: becaufe, though they bee indeede their cro!Tes,yetare they not their perfonall linnes, for which · they lhall incurre the wrath and difpleafure of God. Againe, theymuCllet them goe as rhey come : they are not to llrlue again(! rhem, for rho more they labour to refifl rhem, the morefl:all rhey bee inrangled with them. The fecond rhingtobeevfed in way of re· medie, for the llaymg of rhe minde in this tenrarion, is,rhat though it fl10uld beegraun· red, rhar rHc fore·faid eudl and blafphemou• thoughtsare our finnes,yet wearc to remem– ber, thar rhcymay through rhenicrcieand goodne!Te of God,beepardoned: ifrbey bee heartily and vnfeinedly repented of:y'.a fur· ther, char neitherrhey, noranyorheri'innes (except that againll rhe holyGhofiJdocon· demne him that praycth againilthem,andit heartilyforrie for rhem. IiwasPaulscomplainr,Rom. 7, 19. Th•t hcdid•otrh< good r.hi<h hmo•lddoe, fpeaking of the imvard indeauour ofhis heart: and a– gaine, that hudsdth~enili wh1ch heewoHidnot, meamng m refpeCl of the corruption of his nature. Nc;>w •pon this, rhar bee <ndeauou· red ro doe thar which was agreeable to the will of God,thatbeloathed and detelled the conrrarie,and llroueagainll his corruption•, bow did hee comfort him(cltei Marke rhe words following,v.1o.JfIdoe that I wo•ldnot : that is ro{ay,ifagainll mygenerall purpofe,I linneagainfiGod ;if I bdorrie forir, if I be dilpleafed l I l
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=