A treatise tending unto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of…A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of…

Euseb. But alas very few there be that are taught & feel their ingrafting into Christ, their justification, their inward dying unto sin & living unto righteousness, which is the ⟨p. 175⟩meaning of their Baptism. And therefore we remain all blind generally, as well the great Rabbins which brag of their learning, as the poor unlearned lay man. And the Scripture is become so dark unto them, that they grope for the door & can find no way in, & it is become a maze unto them in which they wander as in a mist or (as we say) led by Robin goodfellow. And their darkness can not comprehend the light of the Scriptures but they read them as men do tales of Robin hood, as riddles, or as old priests read their Ladies matins, which they understand not. And until a man be taught his baptism, that his heart feel the sweetness of it, the Scriptures are shut up from him, & so dark that he could not understand it, though Peter, Paul, or Christ himself did expound it unto him, no more then a man stark blind can see though thou set a candle before him, or show him the Sun, or point with thy finger unto that thou wouldest have him look upon. As for heresy there is no danger if a man come to the Scripture with a meek spirit seeking there to fashion himself like unto Christ according to the profession and vow of his Baptism: but contrariwise he shall there find the mighty power of GOD to alter and change him in ⟨p. 176⟩the inner man by little and little till in process he be full shapen after the image of our Saviour in knowledge and love of all truth, & power to work thereafter. Heresies spring not of Scripture, no more then darkness of the Sun, but are dark clouds which spring out of the blind hearts of hypocrites given to pride and singularity, and do cover the face of the Scripture and blind their eyes that they cannot behold the bright beams of the Scripture.

Euseb. But alas verie few there be that are taught & feele their ingrafting into Christ, their iustification, their inwarde dying vnto sin & liuing vnto righteousnes, which is the ⟨p. 175⟩meaning of their Baptisme. And therefore we remaine all blinde generallie, as well the great Rabbins which brag of their learning, as the poore vnlearned laie man. And the Scripture is become so darke vnto thē, that they grope for the dore & can find no waie in, & it is become a maze vnto thē in which they wāder as in a mist or (as we saie) led by Robin goodfellow. And their darkenes can not comprehend the light of the Scriptures but they read them as mē do tales of Robin hood, as riddles, or as olde priests read their Ladies mattins, which they vnderstand not. And vntil a mā be taught his baptisme, that his heart feele the sweetnes of it, the Scriptures are shut vp frō him, & so dark that he could not vnderstād it, though Peter, Paul, or Christ himself did expound it vnto him, no more then a man starke blinde can see though thou set a candle before him, or shew him the Sun, or point with thy finger vnto that thou wouldest haue him looke vpon. As for heresie there is no danger if a man come to the Scripture with a meeke spirit seeking there to fashion himselfe like vnto Christ according to the profession and vowe of his Baptisme: but contrariwise hee shall there finde the mightie power of GOD to alter and chaunge him in