eHAP.1.ii. 190 wi(dome is ea. Re to him that will vntccltand. PIa.jS.ir. vlCommestarie vpon the ted?Oh the frnne lyeth at thine own doorc,in that thy (elfe hail refufed, or refifled in(lru&ion. It is not the obfcuritie of the Scripture , but the darknes ofthy blind mind,that hailshindred thy profiting. The word is as fit to teach thee as the choyfefl feed, is to take andgrow with in- creafe , but thy foule isvnpreparcd : thy heart is as the (bony , or thor- ny, or high -way ground:no feed can thriue in it,all the labour of Gods husbandman is !oil vpon thee.Thy finne bath fuffered the word to loofe the vertueandpower of it in railing thee to life : the vaile is Hill on thy heart, and thou wilt not fuller it to be rcmooued,that the glorious light ofIefus Chrifi fhould (bloc vpon thy foule. But matke thy liare- fuileflate all this while: For whofocuer thouart, that perccitueP not the mighty power of the word in thy chaunge,and conuerfion,be thou fore it is mighty inworking thy oucrthrow and confufion. For God neuer fpeaketh but to faluation or perdition : thewords of his mouth returns hot in vaine, they arc the fauour or life, or ofdeath: they binde or they leofe:they be the fentence either of abfolution or of condemnation: oh then thou that loucil thy foule, deceiuenot thy felle : for if theGof- n.coat.t. pcl be hid new, beeing a word fo fit to teach thee, and thou hauing bin fo long taught,and yet remainefi vntaught ftill,vnchanged Hill inward- t mat pohit ly vnreformed Hilloutwardly ; it cannot but be a fearefull brand that with r try nott, thou art as yet in the Hate ofperdition; and that the God of the world gice thee eyes bath blinded thineeyes vnto deflru &ion. And flatter not thy feble in a to fee what I pointat.Auß. courfe of fecuritie, becaufe perhaps thou (cell not thy danger : for this pratog.libde word cannot quicken thee,but thou (halt perceiue it; but it (layette men doft.ChrtR infenfibly; fo as if thou findefl not the life ofgrace wrought by it, thou hail great caufe to feare and flip thy preteriteflate. No imperfeRi 3. The Ian vfe is dire&ed againil thePapifts,who hold that the Scrip- on orwins in taresare r. im erfet without tradition : 2. obi-cure and difficult. For the Scriprrres. > p the former : Bellarmines pofition is, that all ncceffurie elotirinc concerning ssom,ltb.S cap. I faith and Cbriffian life, is not contained in the Scriptures; but many things t t of this kind( that is, necef(arie things) erets beefuppyed ont ofthe rradi. tions, either of the eflpofiles , orof the Church. And for the iccond , he affirmeth , that the Scriptures arc notfo plaine and eaire to bee voderffood, ae that they bee fufficient in themfelues to decide the centrauerfiet offaith, without the authoritie andexpofitiens of the Church: nay rather are fo ob- s.a b t p (cure , that cues in things neceffarie to bek,nowne, they cannot without the ix- ! ffrrrEJioncf the Churchbevndcrffood ,ne not offaithful!men. Againft both which blafphemouspouitions,this oneofour Apofile oppofeth it feble; in that the wordwas fitted to the inflru&ionof belecuers, and did e- uer fufficientlyinfirua them in all ages, according to the age and Hate of the Church. Nay,this word beeing perfe&!y fitted, and fuffrcient i for
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