the sinnes of their Ancestors Arminius ought not to extend it to so many ages seeing the law doth not extend the visitation of the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children beyond the third and fourth generation And that because a man can scarce liue so long as to see his issue beyond the third or fourth generation For therefore are children punished their fathers beholding it that griefe might thereby increase to their parents and that the fathers might be punished by the misâ—ries of the children which is a cause to me of suspecting that this visitation of the sinne of the fathers vpon the children ought to be vnderstood of temporall and not of eternall punishments VII But to that which was said that the punishment was greater then the sinne because they which in Adam sinned onely in power are for his sinne punished in act it is easie to answere For wee so sinned in Adam in power that also the sinne was in vs in act neither doe we onely beare the punishment of anothers sinne but also of our owne nor is it any maruaile if God hath pardoned Adam and doth not pardon many of his posterity for Adam beleeued and repented but these refuse the grace of God offred and persist in impenitency CHAP. X. Of the propagation of the sinne of Adam to his posteritie where also of the traduction of the soule and of sinne it selfe WE haue already said that the sinne of Adam is conueyed to his posterity two manner of wayes by Imputation and Propagation Of imputation it hath been spoken now we are to speake of Propagation I. That the sinne of Adam hath infected all mankinde with an hereditary deprauation and that this contagion hath farre spred it selfe hath beene abundantly proued by those places by which we haue declared that euery man was conceiued and borne in sinne As by one man sinne entred into the World and death by sinne so death went ouer all in whom all men sinned Rom. 5. II. And if any one would exactly view the manner and circumstances of Adams sinne he shall finde that in euery man the character and no obscure image of that first sinne is deepely impressed for there is engrafted in euery man curiosity desire of knowing those thin gs which pertaine nothing to him and also a distrustfull haesitation and doubting of the word of God And as Adam laid the fault vpon his wife and his wife vpon the Serpent so is it naturall to euery man to couer his fault with anothers fault Also flight and trembling at the meeting of God lying dissembling and a sense of vndecent nakednesse are in all men by nature and are deriued into posterity from that fountaine and to these things we are not taught but made not instructed but infected To these things we doe not onely not need a master but contrary to the teaching of masters and to discipline all stayes and barres being broken wee returne to them nature being conqueror III. As therefore the egges of the Aspe are iustly broken and serpents new bred are iustly killed although they haue yet poysoned none so infants are rightly obnoxious and subiect to punishments For although they haue not yet sinned in act yet there is in them that contagious pestilence and that naturall pronenesse to sinne IV. But hence ariseth a question hard to be dissolued to wit by what meanes sinne is traduced from parents to their posterity and how mens soules may draw this deprauation For seeing all things that God doth are good it is not credible nor likely that God put Originall sinne into mens soules For how should he punish those soules which hee himselfe had corrupted And if he created the soule pure and iust but being included in the body it is defiled with the contagion other discommodities no whit lesse doe arise For to include a pure and innocent soule in a stinking prison and to thrust it as it were into a bridewell that it might bee corrupted there doth not seeme to agree with the iustice and goodnesse of God V. Hereto is added also that sin is the deprauation of the soule not of the body for sin is a spirituall thing a vice of the will the body therefore cannot giue that to the soule which it hath not And seeing the body doth not sinne but when the soule doth vse the body as an organ to sinne Rom. 6.13 it is manifest that sinne doth passe from the soule into the body and not from the body into the soule to which thing the very sinne of Adam is a cleere testimony to vs For Adam first sinned in will before hee stretched forth his hand to the forbidden Apple Caluin saw this who in the first chapter of the second booke of his Institutions hath these words This contagion hath not its cause in the substance of the flesh or of the soule but because it was so appointed by God that what gifts hee had bestowed vpon the first man he should haue them and also loose them both for himselfe and his VI. Here is a way that is obscure and slippery in which we must goe with wary steppes I doe not propound to my selfe to satisfie them that are braine-sicke and wickedly acute I will onely set downe those things which seeme to mee to be agreeable to the word of God and to reason whereunto that the way may be made plaine some things are to be spoken of the originall of the soule and of the traduction of it VII Origen following Plato was of opinion that all soules were at first created together with the Angels and afterwards put into bodies This hee disputes lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 7. Tertullian will haue the soule to be conueyed with the seede and the soule of the sonne to be from the soule of the father which is not to be marueiled at in him who doth contend that the soule is the body lib de anima Chap. 5. Saint Ierome in his Epistle to Marcellina and Anapsychia doth witnesse that the greater part of the west were of the same opinion Saint Austin hath writ foure bookes of the originall of the soule in which he leaueth this question vndecided neither dares hee rashly determine any thing And his second booke of retractations Chap. 56. doth witnes that hee continued in that doubt to his death Yet in his 157. Epistle hee doth debate with Tertullian and doth more incline to the contrary opinion VIII But we determin that the reasonable soule is infused into the * i e. The childe conceiued and not yet borne embryon but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to come from without as Aristotle would haue it lib. 2. de generat animal Cap. 3. But we thinke that it is formed by God in the fruit and in the rudiment of mans body being led thereto by the authority of the Scripture whereunto reason and the nature of the soule it selfe doth agree IX Moses Numb 27.16 saith thus to God Let the Lord the
God of the spirits of all flesh set a man ouer the Congregation And the Apostle to the Hebrewes Chap. 12. v. 9. And if saith he wee had fathers of our bodies which corrected vs and we gaue them reuerence Shall we not much rather be in subiection vnto the father of spirits and liue It is not without consideration that God by a peculiar elegie and stile is called the father of spirits that he might be opposed to the fathers of the flesh for if the soule be by traduction those that are fathers of the flesh would also be the fathers of the spirits Neither should God by this title be distinguished from the fathers of the flesh if he wrought alike in both and did not forme mens soules otherwise then their bodies X. Wherefore Ecclesiastes Chap. 12. saith The body is dissolued to dust and the spirit returneth to God that gaue it which surely would not be aptly spoken if God should giue the spirit no otherwise then he giues the body Certainly by that word of returning of the soule to God Salomon doth insinuate that the soule came from God and doth returne thitherwhence she had her originall which cannot be said of the body XI The conception of Christ in the wombe of his mother doth adde credit to this opinion For seeing that according to the flesh he had not a father it is plaine that his soule was immediately created by God And if it be necessary that thou maist be sonne of Adam to haue thy soule traducted by thy fathers seede Christ could not be called the sonne of Adam nor of Dauid XII It is vnsauory which is brought out of the beginning of Exodus to proue the traduction of the soule Seauenty soules came out of the loynes of Iacob for the propriety of the Hebrew is well knowne that by soules are vnderstood persons XIII Also reason it selfe doth agree with the word of God 1. For the soule which is something which is aboue nature cannot be in a common condition generated with other naturall things 2. Because it is immateriall it cannot be brought forth by the power of any matter 3. If the soule were not generated vnlesse by the body it could not be without the body nor could it subsist by it selfe alone 4. They that would haue the soule to be traduced by the seede doe driue themselues into straights from which they cannot possible free themselues For why should not the soule of the mother be also traduced into the sonne or if the soule of the sonne be traduced as well from the soule of the mother as of the father it must needs be that two soules doe grow together are mingled into one 5. What will be come of so much seede that is lost which either fals from them that sleep or is vnhonestly lost or being receiued into the wombe doth not come to conception Will so many soules of men be lost or shall they be choaked in the wombe or shall they remaine alone without matter seeing it is certaine that they belong not to the number of men 6. Also it must neede be that eyther the whole soule of the father is traduced and so the father shall be made soule-lesse or else a portion and part of the soule and so the soule shall be diuisible Neither can the whole soule be transmitted as when light is kindled of light for such a propagation is made by the transmutation of the matter applyed vnto it and so the applyed matter of the begetting soule should be turned into the soule 7. If the definition of the soule laide downe by Aristotle Lib. 2. de anima Cap 1. and euery where conceiued be true by which he defineth the soule to be the first act of the naturall originall body hauing life in power I doe not see how the rationall soule can enforme and shape the seede in which there are no Organs XIV Neither is man therefore to be said not to beget man although he doth not beget the soule nor the soule be brought forth of the power of the seed yet is it sufficient for the generation of man that in generating although he doth not giue the whole substance yet he doth giue the subsistance of the person and doth not onely supply the matter of the infant but doth also minister dispositions and aptitudes to receiue that forme by which man hath his being For seeing that by the testimony of the Scripture the Virgin Mary is the mother of Christ although the extraordinary power of the holy-Ghost perfected his conception who neede doubt to affirme that commonly man doth beget man seeing all naturall things are done by ordinary meanes and rules These thornes being plucked vp the way to know the manner of the traduction of sinne from parents to their children is made playner XV. In the beginning I thinke I haue shewed by sure reasons that sinne doth not passe from the body into the soule And on the other side that God put into the soule this inclination to sinne it is a great wickednesse to beleeue And yet that originall sinne was in the soule God being vnwilling or being indifferent and permitting it with an idle permission cannot be spoken or beleeued without great offence For seeing Originall sinne is the punishment of the sinne of Adam he that saith that this punishment was inflicted onely by the permission of God and not by his will doth take away from God the office of a Iudge for Iudges doe not punish by permitting but by decreeing XVI For the explication of this Doctrine we lay downe these sixe propositions and foundations of the truth First Although we had not beene borne of Adam yet because hee had receiued supernaturall good things both in his owne and our name seeing he lost them by his owne fault wee are iustly depriued of them Euen as among many brethren one doth waste and consume that mony to his owne and brothers losse which hee receiued in his owne and brothers name Secondly God put into the soule these faculties Vnderstanding Will Sense Appetite which are naturally carried to things that are obuious known and not to things that are vnknowne and farre remoued Thirdly Man cannot know and loue supernaturall and diuine things without diuine and supernaturall enlightning Fourthly Neither could man vse those things that are obuious and naturall iustly and conueniently and to the glory of God vnlesse some supernaturall light did shine forth to him Fifthly God hath put into euery man for his owne preseruation a loue of himselfe which loue is naturally good but doth then beginne to be morally good when it doth accord to and helpe forward the loue of God Sixthly the manners of the minde doe for the most part follow the temper of the body XVII These things being laid down I say that God doth create the soules of men good but destitute of heauenly gilts and supernaturall light and that iustly because Adam lost those gifts for himselfe and
perfectly loued so long as his iustice and mercy is vnknowne So that by the very fall of man God hath framed to man a step to a more perfect condition and although in the respect of many particular persons which perish it might haue beene wished that man had not sinned yet in respect of the vniuersall good whereof regard is rather to be had God ought not to haue vsed his power to haue hindred sinne that it might not haue beene committed X. Furthermore although God doth permit the Diuels and men to sinne yet doth hee not so let loose the reynes to them but that they are held fast bound by the bonds of his prouidence and whilest they wander out of the path of righteousnesse they are yet included within the limits of his prouidence that they should not hurt them whom God loues For although mans will hath corrupted it selfe yet is not therefore the gouernment of God diminished to which the willes of men are subiect how much soeuer they are aduerse to his commandement and driuen with the spirit of rebellion doe gnash their teeth against his gouernment XI The principall faculties of the soule are two the Vnderstanding and the Will the one by which man knoweth and the other by which hee moues himselfe By the vnderstanding we are learned or vnlearned by the will we are eyther good or euill That which in the vnderstanding is to affirme or deny that in the will is to desire or to refuse God doth not put wicked desires into the minde but he doth often cast darknes into the mind and in his iust iudgement doth blinde the vnderstanding striking the rebells with a giddinesse and making them drunke with the spirit of sleepe yea truely no otherwise then the master doth iustly blow out his seruants candle which by night he doth abuse at dice So God doth take away the light of his knowledge when man doth abuse it to the contempt of God and to the liberty of sinning Howbeit God hauing taken away this light the erring will doth stumble and grieuously offend but hardnesse of heart doth of it selfe follow this blindnesse of minde For Saint Iohn ioyneth these together as hanging one vpon another Chap. 12.40 God hath blinded their eyes and hardned their hearts By this meanes latter sinnes are made the punishment of former sinnes as Saint Austin teacheth at large in his fift booke against Iulian. Chap. 3. For by the very same thing whereby man by his latter sinnes is made more wicked by the same he is also made more miserable Not that sinne is sent from God as a punishment but because God doth vse for a punishment that sinne which is not from him And hence doth that doctrine of a bare and carelesse permission vanish because a iudge doth not punish by a carelesse permission but by decreeing or iudging according to iustice XII The subministration and furnishing of the outward meanes of saluation such as are the word and sacraments doe also worke to this obduration and hardnesse of heart For vnlesse God moue the heart by the powerfull grace of his spirit mans wickednesse is more stirred vp by those outward helpes and hauing cast off this troublesome yoake he is carried through by-waies and doth violently throw down himselfe with greater ruine And then is fulfilled that which is said in the 81. Psalme I gaue them vp to their owne hearts lusts that they might walke in their owne counsells But yet that you might know that this hardnesse of heart doth proceede from man himselfe the Scripture doth not onely say that God hardned Pharaohs heart but Pharaoh himselfe is said to haue hardenâ—d his owne heart Exod 8.15 Neyther is that of Saint Paule Rom. 1. any otherwise to be vnderstood That God deliuereth ouer the wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a reprobate minde and vile affections For this reprobate minde these vile affections are not put into the wicked by God but they being in the vngodly God hauing put out his light doth suffer these vile affections to exercise their authority ouer them as Thomas teacheth Lib. 2. Quest 79. Art 1. XIII Furthermore they are two sorts of them whose hearts are hardned for besides that hardnesse of heart which is common to all the reprobates whereby a man is left to himselfe whence it commeth that hee doth alwaies grow worse there are some that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of a high ranke of wickednesse whom God doth deliuer to Sathan with a peculiar and extraordinary vengeance such as were Pharaoh Saul and Iudas XIV Euery positiue being doth depend vpon God as vpon the first and principall entity neither can the creature moue it selfe without the assistance and sustentation of God For by him we liue and moue and haue our bring Acts 17. Neither doth he onely worke by influence into the creatures or assist them by a generall power and influence but also by his peculiar assistance by which he doth sustaine and direct seuerall actions The euents which follow of seuerall actions doe declare this which he doth witnesse doe not happen by chance but of his purpose God so willing Deut. 19.5 Exod. 21.13 If an Axe falling out of the hand of him that cutteth wood doth kill one that passeth by God doth affirme that it was done by him The Lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord Pro. 16.33 XV. Furthermore although God by his concurrence doth giue his influence into humane actions sustayning the agent and directing the actions setting bounds to them ordering the euents and drawing good out of euill yet must it not therefore be thought that God doth instigate to euill actions or to haue forced Eue to the eating of the forbidden tree To the clearing of which assertion we say that God doth not onely worke by the creature but also worke with the creature both God and the creature are concurrent causes to one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the bringing forth of one effect and these two taken together are the totall cause of any action which creature if it doth worke voluntary may by his concurrence pollute the action wherein there is the concurrence of God and determinate it to euill By this meanes the whole fault doth remaine with the creature For God effectually infusing into the creature doth not take away from it the free contribution of its owne power If man sinneth any thing in an humane action the concurrence of God is naturall but the concurrence of the creature is morall whatsoeuer was naturall in the eating of the forbidden Apple was from God whatsoeuer was morall and straying from the path of iustice was from man As God doth giue to a lame liuing creature the power of going yet is not his lamenesse from God so though God doth giue to man the faculty of willing and doth sustaine the naturall motion of the will and the act of willing yet if any euill come which doth
truth but a naturall auersion and disability II. Wherefore the Scripture doth call the change of man by the spirit of regeneration sometimes another birth Iohn 3. sometimes the creation of the new man Ephes 4.24 It calleth it another resurrection from the dead Reucl. 20.6 Luke 15.32 Iohn 5.25 Not that creation and resurrection is in all things like to regeneration and the change of the soule but only in this thing of which it is here spoken to wit as the Carkasse cannot dispose nor prepare it selfe to the resurrection and a thing that is not created cannot further any thing to the creation of it So man in the state of sinne and before his regeneration hath nothing whereby he may dispose himselfe or further his regeneration and spirituall new birth III. The Arminian conferrers at the Hage Page 279. doe roundly confesse that by our spirituall death the liberty of doing well or ill is separated from the soule I demand therefore whether an vnregenerate man furnished with that sufficient and vniuersall grace which is giuen euen to Reprobates hath free-will of doing well or ill in those things which belong to saluation If he haue not why doe the Arminians contend he hath If hee hath it is plaine by their owne confession that he is not dead in sinne But there is a speciall force in the word borne For if there were any seeds and reliques of spirituall life in an vnregenerate man as Arnoldus is of opinion there were no neede to be borne againe and that the new man should be formed but God were to be prayed to that he would againe raise vp those sparkes and reliques of spirituall life and would vouchsafe to kindle and increase it as it were by adding fuell to it IV. Adde to these those places which teach vs that without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. That all men haue not faith 2. Thess 3. because it is the gift of God Philip. 1.19 Ephes 2.8 Seeing therefore what soeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.25 it is plain that in things which belong to saluation and to the worship of God hee doth nothing but sinne that wants faith such as are all the heathen and vnregenerate men In which place to the Romanes it is to be noted that the Apostle speaketh of the vse of meates which he will haue vs to eate with faith that is with a certaine knowledge that the vse of meates is allowed by God and is agreeable to his word Seeing therefore that euen in things which are of their owne nature indifferent wee sinne when we vse them without such a faith how much more are we to thinke that the heathens sinne in euery action that pertaineth to saluation and the worship of God because they are altogether destitute of this faith Hitherto pertaine those places which teach vs that God is the author of euery vertue and euery good worke that is done by vs. We are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiency is of God 2. Cor. 3.5 And Christ himselfe Iohn 15.5 Without me ye can doe nothing And in the same place we are compared to branches cut off and appointed to the fire vnlesse wee haue beene engrafted into Christ by whom wee liue and beare fruit The Apostle Ephes 2.8 doth teach that saluation and faith is not of our selues but of the gift of God For by grace ye are saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God How farre is this from Arminius who will haue the totall cause of faith not to be grace alone but grace and free-will And least any of Arminius followers should seeke a refuge and should say that the power of beleeuing is giuen to all vnresistably but that the act of beleeuing is so helped by grace that it is also from free-wil the Apostle doth fitly preuent such a weake subtilty Phil. 1.29 where he saith It is giuen to you in the behalfe of Christ not onely to beleeue on him but also to suffer for his sake You see that not onely the power of beleeuing is giuen vs but also the act it selfe to beleeue Agreeable to this is that Iohn 6. No man can come to me vnlesse my father draw him Where to come is to beleeue in act and not to haue the power and faculty of beleeuing which is brought into act by free-will No lesse direct is that of the Apostle Philip. 2.13 It is God which worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Now to will is to will in act and not to haue the power of willing God himselfe Ezechiel 36.27 saith I will put my spirit within you and will cause you to walke in my statutes Therefore hee doth not onely giue the power of walking in his statutes but also doth cause that we really walke and doth worke in vs the very act After what manner and how farre the elect may resist the efficacy of the spirit shall hereafter be seene It is sufficient to the present question if we winne this of them that God doth not onely giue the power whereby we may beleeue but also that hee doth giue and worke in vs the act of beleeuing to beleeue it selfe We meete sometimes with places where the Arminians say that not onely the power of beleeuing but that also the act of beleeuing to beleeue it selfe is giuen by God But they will haue this act so to be giuen by God in as much as he giueth knowledge to the minde and doth raise vp the fainting affections which doe put forward the will to beleeue and that this is done by a morall perswasion and after the same manner that wee are moued by obiects But this is not to giue faith and the act of beleeuing For surely hee that doth perswade that doth propound obiects and doth inuite the appetite to runne doth not giue the act of running to runne it selfe Wherefore the Arminians doe deny that faith it selfe is infused or imprinted on the heart by God but that the will is inuited to beleeue onely by a morall perswasion and by a courteous allurement With a like fraud that they might seeme to attribute some great thing to God they say that God doth giue the power of beleeuing and that vnresistably But when they come to explane the manner whereby these powers are supplied it is manifest that they deny that the power of beleeuing is giuen to man by God For they thinke that God doth giue these powers no otherwise then by enlightning the vnderstanding with knowledge and by stirring vp the appetites which certainely is not to giue the power of beleeuing For hee which in the darke doth with a torch giue light to the wandring traueller and doth stirre him vp to goe doth not thereby giue him the power of going VI. And least any man should in any part arrogate to himself the prayse eyther of that knowledge which he hath obtained
but what heretofore we were able to doe and from what a height of iustice we fell by the fall of Adam XII The Scripture doth supply most forcible proofes for this thing Saint Paul Philip. 2.12 doth command vs to worke out our saluation with feare and trembling but presently after lest it should be thought that this can be performed by vs because it is commanded he doth adde It is God which worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Thus Ezech. 18.31 Make you a new heart and a new spirit But lest any should thinke that this is a thing of our free-will in the thirty sixt Chapter of the same Prophecy God speaketh thus I will take away the stony heart out of you flesh and giue you a new heart Thus Ioel 11. Be ye conuerted to mee with your whole heart yet Ieremy Chap. 31.18 doth acknowledge that the conuersion of a sinner is the gift of God Turne mee O Lord and I shall be turned And the last of the Lamentations Turne vs O Lord and we shall be turned So Deut. 10.16 God doth thus speake to the people Circumcise the fore-skinne of your heart yet Chapter 30.6 it is declared who doth worke it The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart Thus Christ Iohn 14.1 commands vs to beleeue in him and yet hee saith no man can come to him except the father draw him Iohn 6 44. and that by comming hee meaneth beleeuing he himselfe teacheth v. 35. He that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst And Phil. 1. Ephes 2. wee are taught that faith and the act of beleeuing is from God Finally the Scripture will haue men to gaine their bread by the sweat and labour of their hands and yet neuerthelesse wee are commanded to aske our daily bread of God because the foode of the body is the gift of God but that which hee doth giue to him that worketh For the blessing of God doth not come on idlenesse but on labour That I may not say many things Doth not God require perfect obedience from the vnregenerate Yes and from the heathen to whom Christ was neuer knowne And yet if one should say that they might be perfectly iust and altogether without sinne he should attribute that to vnbeleeuers which neuer happened to any faithfull man Doth not Arminius himselfe acknowledge that some are vnresistably hardned from whom yet God doth require perfect obedience XIII Neither doth God therefore command in vaine or are his precepts to no purpose For God in commanding exhorting threatning c. doth affect man with the sence of his sinne hee doth teach man his debt what once hee could doe and whence he fell Also he doth propound a rule of iustice lest any one should pretend ignorance for his sinnes Finally he doth ioyne to his word the efficacy of the spirit and he doth as it were arme and head it and make it sharpe and effectuall It is not in vaine to command him that is fettered to runne if by that commandement his fetters are loosed It is not in vaine to command a blinde man to see if by those words wherewith this is commanded the eyes of him that is blinde are opened For the words of God doe work that in vs which they command vs to do They doe so command that they doe also worke as his words in the creation God commandeth that which he would haue done but hee giueth also that which he commandeth and it is profitable for man to be pressed downe with the intollerable burthen of the Law which doth exceede his strength that he might the more couetously embrace the remedies offred in Christ Excellently to this purpose Saint Austin lib. de corrept gratia cap. 3. O man in the commandement know what thou oughtest to doe in the word of correction and reproofe know that by thine owne fault thou hast not that thou oughtest to haue in prayer know whence thou mayest receiue what thou wouldst haue And in his booke de spiritu litera God doth not measure his precepts by the strength of man but where he commands that which is right hee doth freely giue to his elect ability of fulfilling it XIV The similitudes which these Sectaries vse to procure enuie to vs are plainly contrary and nothing to the purpose They say it is to no purpose to blame the blinde man because he doth not see although he hath pulled out his owne eyes or to vrge him to worke who hath cut off his owne hands Concerning him that is blinde I answere that this example is brought by them vnproperly for no blinde man whether he is blinde by his owne fault or by anothers is bound to see But hee that by his owne fault is made wicked and vnable to obey God is yet bound to obey him No man is bound to exercise naturall functions after they haue ceased but the bond whereby the creature is bound to the Creator can be wiped out by no occasion much lesse by the wickednesse of man But if any blinde man had rather be blinde then see and should refuse the remedies offred should he not iustly be blamed Such is the condition of man in the state of sinne for he is not onely necessarily euill but he will not be good and he is delighted with his wickednesse XV. The similitude of him who hath willingly cut off his owne hands hath the same defects Wherevnto this is to be added that the hands may be cut off but the will which is here signified by the hands cannot be cut off For euery most wicked man is endued with a will by which hee is alwayes bound to worship and loue God although he hath corrupted it Finally the similitudes of naturall and ciuill things are for the most part very vnfitly and absurdly drawn to morall things and to religion By the like reason that ridiculous similitude of a man speaking to dry bones is disâ—olued for these bones are not bound to moue themselues but an vnregenerate man is bound to beleeue and to obey XVI Arnoldus page 136. hath these words We see saith hee that the Scripture doth often say that he which doth beleeue and is conuerted doth seperate himselfe from euill doth purge quicken sanctifie saue and circumcise himselfe doth make him a new heart doth put on the new man c. Whence hee doth gather that it may be said that man doth seperate himselfe although the Apostle saith Who seperateth thee vnderstanding none but God The places noted in the margent whereby the proueth these things are these Ezech. 18.31 Make you a new heart and a new spirit Iam. 1.27 Pure religion is to keepe himselfe vnspotted from the world 1 Pet. 1.22 Wee are commanded to purifie our soules 2 Tim. 2.21 If any one purge himselfe he shall be a vessell vnto honour sanctified c. Luke 17.33 Whosoeuer shall loose his life shall preserue it Deut. 10.16 Circumcise