A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

The Papists indeed magnify Ignorance: good reason, for Ignorance magnifies them. Our way to heaven is knowledge, perhaps they have a way by themselves. Like Owls, they keep a hooting in the dark, but are blind in the broad day; never ask them poor souls, as Philip the Eunuch; understandest thou what thou readest? but doest thou read at all? No, we may not be suffered to read. It will be very hard for a man to stumble over the threshold of heaven, or to go blindfold to salvation.

The Papists indeed magnifie Ignorance: good reason, for Ignorance magnifies them. Our way to heaven is knowledge, perhaps they have a way by themselves. Like Owles, they keepe a whooting in the darke, but are blind in the broad day; never aske them poore soules, as Philip the Eunuch; understandest thou what thou readest? but doest thou read at all? No, we may not be suffered to reade. It will be very hard for a man to stumble over the threshold of heaven, or to goe blindfold to salvation.

Concupiscence though ever sinful, yet could not bring forth sin without the consent of reason: and this would never consent so long as the eyes were open. For sin is a thing so ugly and deformed, and so like the father the devil; that it is unreasonable for a mans soul to yield to it. Hence Paul calls sin a work of darkness: for Satan doth hide it from us in the Birth, and would hide it from us in the ⟨p. 119⟩Growth, only on our death-bed and anguish of soul, he shows it us in the Fruit. In this sense, that may rightly be understood, Nemo sciens peccat; that no man sins knowingly, at the very instant of the committing. Though he have the habit of knowledge in the general, yet hath he lost it in the particular. As we say of the Coward; There is fear in his heart, even while he feareth not; in regard of the habit. And the slave hath an habitual service upon him, even when he sleeps: he serves though he takes his ease. There may be the habit of knowledge in the mind, yet not the use of it in some special act. The devil to utter his damned commodities, dealeth as some trades-men about their bad wares; puts out the true lights, and sets up false lights in their stead. In the time of Superstition he put out verbum Praedicatum, the word preached; that man did scarce know sin in general. In these days of profaneness, he puts out verbum applicatum, the word applied, that few consider what sin is in practice. So that now, he that coming from the mount as Moses; and hearing the worlds confused noise; would think it the noise of war; conquering or conquered: but being among them, he finds it the noise of joy and dancing, revelling and roaring. Not because men do not know these sins in general: but they will not know them in these particular facts. Lust like a thick smoke dims the eye of knowledge.