Citns.i.15. d Commentarie Venthe 308 away this dearelypurchafed libertie. 2. hold the Churchunto rudiments now after that faith is come. 3. robbe Chrift of his honour by Icf'ening his benefits, anddarkening his grace. 4. let themfelues in the roome of Chrí((,in making lawes to bind the confcience uponpaineofdamnation, although God is theLord of it. Thus much of the former branch ofthis 1S,verl. Byt vnto them thatare defUedand vabeleetring, isnothing pyre but oxen their mind, andconferences are defiled.] This oppofition fheweth the truth of the expofitionof the former words : for as by thepure were meant the regenerate and beleeners ; fo by the impure perfon theApotile affirmeth that hemeaneth thevnrege- nerate and vnbeleeuer, who wanting faithwhereby he might partake with Chrifi and all his beneuìts,whofc righreoufneffc and innocencie is the onely lauer of the Church , bywhich alto hemight haue his heart within him purified inpart, and his outward conuerfation cleanfed from dead worker wherein he walketh: he is no better then a leper in Gods' eies,oucrfpreadwithnaturali corruption and outwardly fpotted and like the leopard, and in regardofthe wholeman like a blackea- moore who cannot change his hewe : for fuck an impuritie is here afcri. bed to the vnbeleeuer, as not onely outwardly runneth vpon him; but Inch a one as hath takenand corruptedboth the inferiour and the mofi fupreameand excellent faculties ofhis foule, euen his minde,and his con- ference. By theminde is meant the wholevnderflanding part of the foule; which beeing the tie of the foule, carrieth With it reafon, iudgement, and elelfion. Thepollutionof which is, to be taken vpwith darkeneffe and blindnes, t.Cor.2.14. to be filled with van;tie, Ephef.4.17. with/lefhli_ aep, Coloff. a. t 8. in fomuch as all the naturali wifedome of man is flefhly and dcruiifh. By confcience is meant that facultie of the foule, which by applyingparticular things iudged ofand done,doth determine themeither with or againfi them : which depending vpon the former, mufi neceffatily be lead into the errors of it , no otherwife then one blindman is lead by an other into a ditch. Thepollution of it is,w hen it is either idleor illoccupied; the former, when it isfleepic,fenfietfe,or feared, doing nothingat all, neitheraccuing, nor excufing: the latter, when it doth both thefe, but neitherof them as it ought; but accufeth where it fhould excufe, and tactilewhere it ought toaccule. Now both theft being thuspolluted, let the vnbeleeuer turne himfelfe to any thing in generali without himfelfe(as all things in generali fall vnder the vn. det (landing) or turne him to any particular thought, word, aClion,con_ cerning himfelfe ( which onely the confcience hath to doe with) in all thefehe is polluted,Io as nothing to him can bepure. Soas we mufi here con ttigheflfatua. tics,noilurcd with firms. Iam.I.il.
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