man hath prouided for vs and prescribed vnto vs in the worde of trueth For plaine proofe whereof we may beholde if we can the bad effects and bitter fruits that either the ignorance or neglect hereof bringeth forth in our age And if there were no more but this the continuall carnalitie and carnall securitie that euerie where raigneth til it be discouered and felt and the distrust yea desperation that then rageth when the Lord is pleased to lay it open and to presse it hard and home as we saie to to the heart these were sufficient enough not onely to prooue the point but also to cause vs in time to leaue our great and grieuous corruptions and in in a good and acceptable seasoÌ„ euen while it is called to day as the scripture saieth to looke to better courses assuring our selues that as for poperie it can neuer be repelled but by the sounde knovvledge of Gods will reuealed in his vvord this trueth beeing as coÌ„trary to that errour and falsehood as daye is to darknesse and as for assured comforte in distresse or distrust it is no where to be found but generally in the same word also and particularly in the sweet promises thereof which as God alone that is altogether faithfull hath plentifullye made so vvill he that is onely almightie and doth vvhatsoeuer pleaseth him both in heauen and earth in an acceptable time graciously performe for his glorie and the good of his people And that therefore vve should endeuour by all the good meanes that possibly we can that the word of Christ might dvvell in vs plenteously in all vvisedome teaching and admonishing our ovvne selues in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songues singing with a grace in our hearts to the Lord and doing vvhat soeuer vve shall do in vvord or in deede either towards God in the cause of his vvorship or in the dueties of charitie towards men in the name of the Lord Iesus Now vvhat experience you right honourable and right vvorshipfull haue had in this behalfe I knovv not This I am sure of that belonging to the Lord as vpon good grounâ—â— I doubt not I perswade my selfe you do you either haue had heretofore or hereafter before the day of your dissolution dravv nigh shall haue your portion and part of triall both the one and the other vvaye And though it may be that you haue through gods mercie in Christ bestowed vpon you the grace of a stedfast perswasioÌ„ yet he that is now strong through Gods grace may hereafter through his owne wickednesse and vvants become weake God hauing not onely ordeined that as a meane so to humble vs least in the excellent aboundance of graces we might be exalted aboue measure but prouided one of vs to support and helpe an another according to any measure of mercie that we haue receiued from him Wherein if I may either soundly comfort you for that vvhich is past and duetifully prouoke christian care minister strong consolation for that which is to come and may perceiue either the one or the other or both not onely to dwell in your selues but as by and and from you to bee communicated to others specially those whose case and state is distressed either waye I shall right hartely reioyce aâ— one in this comfortablie feeling the forgiuenesse of our sinnes that God hath beene pleased to make his trueth effectuall and powerfull in vs aswel for the obedience of his holie commaÌ„dementes as for the vnfeigned beleefe of his blessed promises And in this respect principally I assure you is it that hauing sometime since written a discourse against all manner of doubting whether it be from others as popish doctrine and Sathans suggestions or from the diffidence and distrustfulnesse of our owne hearts and being much and often requested by some deare friends of mine vvhome I could not vvell denie to publish it I am bold vnder your patronages to let it passe to the presse and to come forth to behold the light and from you to cause it to come to the vievv of others for yours and their spirituall benefite especially And in this dedication of my poore trauailes vnto you I could not but ioyne you all together as one because that though as in respecte of your several states degrees and callings in the common vvealth you do somewhat differ yet God by many gracious meanes of his mercy particularly by open and religious profession of his trueth and holie bande of christian mariage hath made you as it were to become one that so growing alltogether in this life by the power of the spirite to the vnitie of faith and obedience of the goodwill of God you might in that time that God hath set vvith himselfe from before all tines come all together likewise to that one euerlasting life blessednes vvhich is the ende of that one faith and hope wh rewith we are and shall be both sealed and susteined euen vntill and in the day of Iesus Christ And so humblie beseeching good acceptance of this that is done in the singlenesse and sinplicitie of my soule vvhich I trust you will not denie me because I desire nothing but that is right and reasonable and directly tending to your owne good specially spiritual and vvithall hartilie praying the Lord to giue it a blessing in your seuerall soules for the glorie of his name and your euerlasting comforte whereof also I conceiue good hope because God is large in loue and bountifull in giuing specially vnto his people in vvhich number I trust you are not without cause accounted before me I do ende for this present and vvith that submission that is fitt for my selfe and belongeth to persons of so great place and calling take my leaue At Wooburne the 14. of Aprill 1598. Your Hon. and Worship euer ready and that in all things to be commaunded in Christ Thomas Wilcocks the Lords vnworthy seruant Lord Iesus begin and make an ende ALL popery generally is full of vanity and vntrueth being druÌ„ke vp and receiued in infecteh defileth both body and soule Howbeit this cannot be denied but that some points are more deadly discomfortable by much then other some For as in the great varietie of naturall sickenesses diseases all are not alike dangerous but some are more pestilentiall and infectiue as more assaulting the heart and the head other vitall partes then other some are as we may see in the messels pocks hot burning agues plauges or pestilences and such like So is it in the huge heape and infectiue lumpe of popish opinions and doctrines some being more high and heinous then other some and as if it were not only taking the crowne of glory and eternall life from the head or out of the hands of our Sauiour Christ and setting it vpon the headlesse or handlesse bodie of mans corrupt nature tainted with all manner of vngratiousnes and sinne but euen labouring to take by the throat and to straÌ„gle that little
therfore or fruits of my faith will I gather this trueth against thee to the staying vpholding of mine owne heart And first because the holy spirit of God and the infallible testimonie that it yeeldeth vnto my heart is a principally propp and stay vnto me I tell thee Sathan that euen that shall testifie vnto my spirite that I am Gods childe and dare therevpon without feare or trembling call vpon him and say Abba O father by which I perceiue I doe beleeue for otherwise how could I call vpon him in whome I beleeue not and assuredly knowe that I haue faith because I stay my selfe wholy and onely vpon him saying unto him in some sorte and sense as the Prophet Dauid saieth Lord vvhome haue I in heauen but thee and in earth I desire none vvith thee And least Sathan should thinke I doe this without warrant or reason I will not feare or bee ashamed to set downe my grounds out of the word How comfortable is this saying of the Apostle Romaines 8. Wee haue not receiued the spirite of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of adoption whereby vve crye as vvith boldnesse so vvith earnestnesse father father The same spirite witnesseth vvith our spirite that vvee are the children of God if children then heires also c. To the same ende tendeth that of 1. Cor. 2. Where he saieth We haue receiued not the spirite of the vvorld but the spirite vvhich is of God that by it vve may know the thinges that are giuen vnto vs of God And though this be sufficient and indeede greater then all exception yet haue we besides the powerfull working of the same spirite framing vs and fashioning vs to sound cōuersion before god and to the yeelding orbringing out of the sincere fruits of faith that is to say good workes which cannot but assure me of my saluation and of Gods grace and confirme me in the certaine hope of the one and the other And this is that which Saint Peter prouoketh vnto when he saieth Brethren g ue diligence by good vvorkes to make your calling and election sure for if yee do these thinges yee shall neuer fall because by this meanes an entry shal be ministred vnto you aboundantly into the euerlasting kingdom of our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ And of this truth we haue further this double reason If that which is from our selues as for example our sinnes maye iustlye mooue and make doubting why should not that which is from God as for example the fruits of our vnfeined faith and obedience ministet hope and assurance God I am sure is greater then man and his graces much more excellent then mans infirmities are base and vile And if this were not true howe should we that carrie gods heauenly treasures in earthen vessels conceiue hope of profiting by them in our selues or of doing good with them vnto others But wee are assured of the one the other notwithstanding our weaknesse and wants therefore we must also conceiue hope of the former indeed assure our hearts therein Againe why doth Christ dwell in our hearts by faith as the Apostle saieth in his Epistle to the Ephesians it is to this ende that he might be idle in vs no verily Sathan when he possesseth men will not suffer them to be idle much lesse Iesus Christ but prouoke them still to honest labours and good workes For by his spirituall power he manifesteth his owne strength in the middest of our manifold weakenesses Nowe if that bee true then this ensueth therevpon that I am Christs and Christ is mine as the Church faithfull soule singeth in the booke of the Canticles yea he himselfe with all his graces and merits whatsoeuer So that he which feeleth and findeth these effectes in himselfe can not but must of necessitie inferre therevpon that he hath faith and that therefore he hath Christ in him in this life making him fruitefull vnto all good works and sealing vp vnto him in him saluation euerlasting life in that which is to come Vnlesse that he would imagine that Christ could be idlye or without fruite in the hearts of his people which were blasphemy And yet we may be the better assured hereof because true faith indeed can no more be sundred from good workes which are the sound fruits thereof then light from the sunne or heat from the fire or if you will the shaddow from a naturall bodie But yet Sathan will except against this This faith of thine which thou speakest of and these fruites of it that thou mentionest they are imperfect they are faint and few yea they seeldome or verie rarely appeare or are seene What then Satan Graunt that my faith and good works are faint and few in me wilt thou infer that therefore I haue none that is against all reason and religion In reason he that hath but a sick pining or languishing life liueth still and in hope of the bettering of his estate either as in regard of this world if god will or as in respect of the life to come especially And why shoulde not this in measure and manner be true as in respect of our spirituall life here In religion we know that God accepteth both the whole Church the seuerall mēbers of it according to that they haue and not according to that they haue not prouided alwaies that that which they haue they haue it frō him or els how could the Church members of it reioyce or cōfort thēselus in the thing that they do And frō hence is it indeed that we learne notwithstanding weaknes wants either in whole congregations or seuerall members not to breake the vnitie of the spirit in the band of peace nor to forsake the fellowship of the brethren and the exercises of the Church as the manner of sinne is but n holy wisdome and power from aboue to put a difference betwixt good and euill and that not onely in our perswasion but in our practise not forsaking the good of our God for some euills or corruptiō of man adioined therewithall nor yet for the goods sake iustifying or approouing the euill And if this were not sufficiēt yet we haue further props to our faith here namely first that though our faith be weake and faint yet is it true and sound For euen that faith which is infirme and weake may yet notwitstanding be true right the reason is because that not weake faith and true faith are opposite but weake faith and no faith And this we may see also by the worthy speech of the father of the sicke childe in the Gospell Lord I beleeue but helpe thou mine vnbeleefe This weakenes imperfection our faith not comming from it selfe nor being in it selfe as of it selfe for so it is an excellent and an absolute worke of God but as it is intermingled with the remainders of our vnbeleeuing heart which yet notwithstanding the faintnesse and weaknesse of it may no lesse effectually
A DISCOVRSE TOVCHING THE DOCTRINE OF DOVBTING In which not onely the principall arguments that our popish aduersaries vse for the establishing of that discomfortable opinion are plainely and truely aunswered But also sundrie suggestions of Sathan tending to the maintenance of that in the mindes of the faithfull fully satisfied and that with singuler comfort also VVritten long since by T. W. and now published for the profit of the people of God PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1598. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND HIS VERIE GOOD LORD AND LADIE THE LORD EDWARD EARLE OF BEDFORD AND THE LADIE LVCIE HIS WIFE AND TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL AND HIS VERIE GOOD FRIENDS SIR IOHN HARRINGTON KNIGHT AND THE LADIE HIS WIFE T. W. vvisheth the aboundant riches of all Gods mercies in this life and the full fruition of the Lord himselfe and all his fauours in that vvhich is to come through Christ THe life of christian men womē here vpon earth is not without cause right honourable and right worshipfull neither yet vnfitely compared by the holye ghost in the canonicall Scriptures to a continuall combate and warfaire Of which as the written vvord it selfe in the sound doctrine and approoued examples thereof concerning this point doth beare faithfull witnes so if god would giue vs grace carefullie to obserue either other men or our selues in such sorte as vve ought or could not but quicklie finde good warrantise for it in the vvorld likewise For confirmation whereof if vve had no more but on the other side the darke doctrine of poperie euerie vvhere assaying to persvvade yea to driue men to doubting and on the other side the diffidence and distrustfulnesse that naturally we carrie about with vs in our hearts it were as a man might say more then sufficiēt Touching the popish opinion it is certainelie pitifull that they can see no other vvaye or meane to preuent proude presumption but to incurre the daunger of distrust and doubting And it is the more pitifull doubtlesse by hovv much both in Gods religion yea and in mans reason also they can not but know confesse that euery singular vertue or good worke hath two sins set against it the one as disagreeing from it the other as contrarie to it The vertue or good worke as we nowe call it here is trust in God then what can be a more excellent vvorke sith our Sauiour saith This is the worke of Christ that ye beleeue in him whō he hath sent And vvhat is more contrarie to it then to doubt or distrust and vvhat is more disagreeing from it thē Lucifer-like presūption And yet euen againe I say it is the more pitifull by howe much it crosseth euen their ovvne opinion practise For how can that cōceit of theirs touching merit before Christ and specially of meriting eternall life stand with the doctrine of doubting seeing that merite or absolute obedience specially if men deale with one that is iust as Christ who is iustice it selfe must needes shutt out doubting touching that we are sure we haue deserued and he cannot choose but of iustice giue and graunt But such vaine fantesies must they fall into that fall avvaie from the faith and trueth of the worde and vvill lift vp thēselves against Christ our Sauiour that so refusing grace offered and feeling it where it is not to bee found they might vanish avvay through the disquietnes of their spirits in the vaine imaginations of their ovvne mindes Concerning the other it is verie lamentable that in so large aboundance of Gods gracious promises and in so faithfull and continuall performance of them speciallie to his owne people whereof not onely the vvord but the vvorld doth yeeld vs an infinite cloude of vvitnesses mens mindes should yet be replenished vvith fearefulnesse and doubting But such and so great is Sathans malice against vs and so dull and slow of heart are vve to beleeue speciallie when we regard our manifold vnworthinesse our grieuous transgressions or the seueritie and iustice of the Lords iudgements that it is more then marueilous if anie man be found in better estate considering I say either vvhat we are by nature or regarding withall what after our inlighting and regeneration begunne in vs a world there is of reliques remainder of corruption in vs which though they doe not vtterly deface and put out the good worke of God in vs because it is to maiesticall and povverfull to be battered and beaten downe by so weake an aduersarie yet do they so backward and hinder the same that in this life vvee can not attaine to that fulnesse of faith which we greatly hunger and thirst after and though through gods goodnes we haue gained somewhat yet many times we finde those graces so eclipsed and darkened in vs that they seeme to be as if they vvere not But what meane we to trauaile in the strengthning of these points vvhich in euerye mans minde and mouth almost are so cleare and vsuall as nothing more The thing rather that we should striue vnto is this namely that sith by corrupt opinions we are or may be dayly assaulted outwardly and by Sathans subtle suggestions and our owne cursed corruptions vve are continually prouoked inwardly as to euerie other euill generally so particularly to this sore sicknesse of our soules distrust or doubting we should in the holy wisedome cleare light of Gods vvorde and also by the all sufficient strength and power of the blessed spirite so labour to looke vnto our selues as that we suffer not our selues either to be infected vvith the pleasaunt poyson of false doctrine or to bee drawne to discomfort through the doubtfullnesse of our hearts For as the former hazerdeth what saie I nay ouerthroweth the health of our soules that more dangerously by much then any bodily poison doth or can doe the state of our outward man for in the middest of this the minde may be safe and sure whereas in the other specially persisted in there insueth euerlasting destruction both of bodie and soule so the latter strongly haleth downe vpō vs and violently bringeth vnto vs all heauinesse of heart and fearefull disquitnesse and togeather with the same as a peculiar effect thereof all manner of vnwillingnesse vnfitnesse and disabilitie in and about the seruice of Christ whether publikely in the congregation or priuately in the familie as also for the carefull accomplishment of our Christian duties either at home or abroad For what likelihood or probability is there that he shall appeare before god or doe good vnto mē whose spirit is disquieted within him seeing that a quiet spirit is a thing much set by before god and fitteth vs also for naturall duties These great difcfiulties dangers are not nay cannot be discerned but by the light of the word neither indeede can the euill of them be preuented and beatē backe but by carefull taking vnto vs and dailie vsing of all the armour that Christ himselfe and not
they must needes be disquieted that are subiect to it for how can it be that he that knoweth he hath God for his iudge and not for his father as the faithfull people onely haue him so cā be quiet in minde beeing in his owne heart guiltie of horrible sinne as against God himselfe in heauen so against men vpō earth And therefore we may safely say that a wicked person is either not at all quiet or els the grace that he would seme to haue is nothing els but securitie or senselesnes and this feare is amplified by comparison of the greater namely God and his iudgement into which amplification he entreth not so much for thē to whome he wrote though it may be true they had some need and vse of it as for others that would not easily be brought to feeling that so stong either with the testimony of their owne heart or with the greatnesse of Gods wrath and iudgement against them for sinne or with this terrible and heauy threatning or with some one thing or other they might stoupe learne to be humbled Now what is this to doubting specialy in the faithfull whome Iohn laboureth to raise vp to an assured hope by their faith towards God and love to the Saints or brethren or if you will to the wicked what is it to them who for the most part are so farre from doubting that they almost feare no euill either here or els where but as if it were being in a letargie or dead sleepe or senslesnes passe three daies without feare yea without conscience But if this either doe not please or satisfie we may say further that he speaketh here of a set purpose that men haue to doe euill or to sinne as we say against consciēce he meaning that such manner of persons so long as they continue in that perswasion and practise also that they can hardly or not at all determine touching the certenty of our saluation by the testimony of their owne hearts because they haue a sting within them that witnesseth the contrary For this we must knowe that faith and a good conscience are vnseperable companions and goe as it were arme in arme togeather as the Apostle sheweth 1. Tim. 1.19 Yea and that the fruites accompanying them are neuer vtterly sundred from them but at some one time or another are to be found in their measure where the thinges themselues are and that therefore they that haue a good conscience haue boldnesse towards God and are well certified of his grace and their owne saluation thereby And that this in his meaning indeed it may appeare by sundry words before going as when he saith By this that is true and sincere loue to our brethren we knowe that we are of the truth that is belong vnto God whome he signifieth also in the words following when be saith and shall before him assure our hearts which assurance bringing with it peace and tranquillitie cannot but shut out and kill as it were all doubting And againe in the words following when he saith hereby we knowe that he abideth in vs euen by the spirit which he hath giuen vs. And therefore we may see that this place weakeneth our aduersaries doctrine rather then that it doth any manner of way confirme strengthen it But if they will further vrge it as some of them doe and say there is no man but he is accused in his heart and conscience and therefore no man can haue confidence or boldnesse before God We tell them first that the argument followeth not for though the antecedent be trve that euery good man especially is stung more or lesse yet the consequent is not good because thouhh it be tru that as in regard of himselfe and of his sinne and vnworthines thereby he can haue litle or no assurance yet as in respect of God his word his spirite Christs absolute obedience c. he may haue hope and boldnes Secondly we say that it is no good or sound reasoning to reason from the facts of men to or for the doctrine of God For mans facts for the most part are euill and vnlawfull whereas all the doctrines of God are true and holie euen as he himselfe though men either in practise or perswasion would condemne him or thē yet shall he be iust when he speaketh and pute when he iudgeth Facts expresse or shewe things done but neuer declare much lesse proue the lawefulnes of the things practised Besides though wee denie not but that euen the faithful are not onely conuinced but condemned in their heart and perswasion when they consider their vnworthinesse yet feare we not also to affirme that euen then they are absolued and cleared also for so often as they looke vnto themselues and sinne they must of necessitie be pricked and terrified because sinne seene and felt indeed can bring forth as in respect of it selfe no better fruite But on the other side when they behold Christ crucified and runne vnto the sacrifice of his death not onely of absolute but of infinite merite they finde in themselues an assured peace as the Apostle also declareth Romaines 5. where he saith Then beeing iustified by faith vve haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ and in another place he affirmeth that through Christ we haue boldnes and entrance with confidence by faith in him And let this suffice for aunswer to the testimonies and texts of Scripture which our aduersaries for the establishing of doubting and distrust in the minds of the godlie doe vsually bring out of the old new Testamēt With which we haue dealt first answered them because they make them the principall bullwarks and butteresses of this tottering wall And indeed had they beene truely alleadged such as wee might haue rested and relied our selues vpon but beeing produced as they are we see there is nothing in them but vanity they that will accept them beeing so offred are like to be bound vp in the winges of the winde carried away through the fcircenes of the iudgement of God against them to eternall destruction Now we come to their arguments drawne from humane authoritie which are of two sortes that is to saye either reasons and arguments or authoritie testimonies of ecclesiasticall writers The reasons are manie as mans heart is cunning to deuise and his braine busilie beating vpon vanitie lies euen to vphold the same what he can For our owne parts we will deale no otherwise here then as wee haue done in the texts they haue alleadged namely amongst manie take those that are most materiall and confute thē which beeing once fully and sufficiently aunswered all the rest beeing weaker then water will fall to the ground and euen be spilt as it were of their owne accord 1 Their first argument is couched or framed thus He that cannot know all his sinnes he cannot know whether he please God and of this proposition they render this reason for it may
of the thing as he that in strength apprehendeth the like or another of the same kinde so may a christian man though he haue but infirme and weake faith be as well assured that god in Christ will shewe him mercie and forgiue him all his sinnes through his obedience as he that hath more strength of it and euen in that infirmitie reape and receiue singular coÌ„fort though not in the weaknes it selfe yet as in regard of the obiect that that weake instrument laieth assured hold of and applieth to it selfe 11 They haue an other argument which they doe not onely frame and fashion but presse vrge againe and againe in manner and forme following Naturall thinges say they are vnchaungeable But to doubt concerning Gods grace and our reconciliation with him is naturall specially as we are nowe borne and brought forth into the world therefore to doubt is vnchaungeable first for the maior or proposition of this sillogisgisme we say that in diuers respectes it is and may be true and in diuerse respectes againe it is not true but false Naturall thinges are vnchangeable to witte so long as they continue so be not altered or chaÌ„ged by his haÌ„d that is the Lord of nature or by soÌ„e extraordinary course that he is pleased to permit and appoint for then when he that is Lord ouer all will haue an alteration the creatures must of necessitie by right of creation and by the authoritie of the Creator yeeld therevnto And this is it that the Prophet teacheth Psal 104. saying All things waite vpon thee that thou maiest giue them foode in due season thou giuest it them and they gather it thou openest thy hand and they are filled with good things But if thou hide thy face they are trovbled if thou take avvay their breath they die and returne to their dust And we see it confirmed also by sundry examples as in the booke of Iehoshua chapter 12. where he saith Sunne stay thou in Gibleon and thou mooue in the valley of Aâ—alon And Isaiah 38. Where for the confirmation of Hezekias faith in the promise of his recouery to health it is said that in the deall of Ahaâ— the sunne returne a backward tenne degrees by vvhich degrees it was gone downe Besides it is true in such naturall things as God hath created and preserued yea and doth preserue in their estates wherein â—e created them and not in those which by some occasion since haue an addition vnto their created nature of which sort as we shall heare hereafter doubting and distrustfulnes is and not of the former And good reasoÌ„ it should be so for the additameÌ„t vnto nature as it was created in an alteration and changing of the first nature as we may see euen by this particular if we had no more that for the sinnes of man the creatures and particularly the earth is liable to the curse of barrennesse c. which without that it could not haue beene and yet notwitstanding this additioÌ„ these things by reasoÌ„ of propagation are eueÌ„ in this life â—ightly named natural And this we might inlarge and prooue by many other particulars that howesoeuer at their first producing or bringing forth they seemed to be against nature and monstrous indeede yet by propagation and continuance of time are reckoned amoÌ„gst naturall things So that we may nowe see howe the maior is true and howe it is vntrue For the minor it is true sinne bringing that many other fearefull things into the world and the same thorugh the taint of originall vnrighteousnesse beeing spread ouer all flesh howebeit that will not followe therevpon nor out of the maior that is concluded that therefore doubting cannot be altered For though as in respect of nature vitiated and man himselfe tainted therewith there can be no alteration or change made but rather still an increase of corruption by reason of that strength and power of original sin and the reliques of it in vs yet as in regard of God who onely worketh wonderfull thinges both in heauen and earth according to his good pleasure and to whome alone it belongeth as to search the hearts and reines so to make of fâ—â—tie fleshie hearts it is not so but as he can and that with ease also change the naturall course of all his creatures generally so can he as he will and by such powerfull instruments as he hath appointed thereto alter and change the vitiaâ—e and corrupt heart of man purging it so by faith that it shall be free from the power of iniquitie and sanctified also vnto many good workes And so by all this we see the weakenesse and infirmitie of this argument which they themselues feeling fearing also presse it yet a little further thus Euen those naturall things which are added to nature created are immutable or vnchangeable But doubting euen after this sort is naturall therefore after this manner or sort this doubting also is vnchangeable But that we knowe Gods iudgements to be such that the wicked shall proceede from euill to worse that so heaping vp their owne sinnes they might heape vp against them more iust and swift condemnation we should wonder at this that men turne the truth of God into a lie to their own and other mens hurt also For first the maior or proposition is not true in one sense as hath beene shewed before for though it be true that in this deprauation corruption of our nature naturall things indeed by the strength and power of nature are vnchangeable the reason is because nature so deformed cannot set a foot forward to reformation or alteration of it selfe but rather will proceed in the power of the corruption of it and specially also when it is egged forward with Satans malice from euill to worse yet that hindreth not but by the doctrine of the Gospel which is the power of god to saluation to euery one that beleeueth and by many other meanes and helpes as particularly the gratious working of his blessed spirit this worke of changing and altering our nature not onely may but as we see by former and daily experience is brought to passe for as nothing could hinder him but further him rather when he coÌ„manded light to shine out of darknesse so nothing now can stoppe his worke but shal further it rather in chaunging that cursed and corrupted nature of ours So that though this be true that by force and power of nature they cannot be remooued or changed yet that letteth not but that this also may be true that by Gods word outwardly and by his holy spirit inwardly accompanying making the same fruitefull they may in them that beleeue by little and little not onely be altered and changed but at the last be vtterly chaÌ„ged which is more And as for the minor or assumption we say that in this sense and after this sort namely that not as nature was first created of God for so it could not chuse but be as he is