1Now you make your question concerning man: and you bring us in speaking on this fashion. The image of God is utterly blotted out in man, no spark of good being left: For so, say you, have Illyricus and Calvin taught. I know well the judgement of Illyricus, which I do not think ought to be laid to our charge. For you are not ignorant, Campian, that his opinion touching the image of God, and of the nature of original sin, hath been reproved and confuted by our men: he went somewhat farther than he should; I believe he did it, that he might remove himself farthest off from you, whom he throughly hated. But I would he had amended some things: then certainly had he been a very excellent man. As for Calvin you do him open wrong, whom you join with Illyricus in the fellowship of this judgement: for he writeth directly and flatly contrary to that,2 that you bring him in speaking;q That the image of God was not quite blotted out in man. But this is your fashion, that when you cannot reprove those things which we do say, then you feign those ⟨p. 216⟩things to be said by us, which may easily be reproved. We teach, that man was created and formed so in the beginning, that he was answerable to the image of God in all things. Now that image was a most perfect entireness of all parts, heaped up with all good graces and virtues, which could be incident to the pure nature of man. Whatsoever he did imagine, desire, will, think, or understand, was holy and right, and agreeable to Gods will, yea even to the rule of that law, Thou shalt love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength, and thy neighbour as thy self. But after that Adam had slid back from God, we say that this image was pitifully corrupted and deformed, that neither the understanding did retain that ancient light, nor the will did love God, nay the whole will was turned from him, neither did there remain entire any faculty either of body or soul. Although therefore we deny not that some relics of that most noble image do remain still, yet we hold that all that which may reconcile and make us acceptable unto God, and be sufficient for us to salvation, is blotted out and extinguished. ⟨p. 217⟩All reason, and judgement, and understanding, which was some little piece of that image, is not utterly lost, there is not no will at all left in us;
1Now you make your question concerning man: and you bring vs in speaking on this fashion. The image of God is vtterly blotted out in man, no sparke of good being left: For so, say you, haue Illyricus and Caluin taught. I know well the iudgement of Illyricus, which I doe not thinke ought to bee laide to our charge. For you are not ignorant, Campian, that his opinion touching the image of God, and of the nature of originall sinne, hath been reprooued and confuted by our men: he went somewhat farther than he should; I beleeue he did it, that he might remooue himselfe farthest off from you, whom hee throughly hated. But I would he had amended some things: then certainely had he been a very excellent man. As for Caluin you doe him open wrong, whom you ioyne with Illyricus in the fellowship of this iudgement: for he writeth directly and flatly contrarie to that,2 that you bring him in speaking;q That the image of God was not quite blotted out in man. But this is your fashion, that when you cannot reprooue those things which we doe say, then you faine those ⟨p. 216⟩things to be said by vs, which may easily be reprooued. We teach, that man was created and formed so in the beginning, that hee was answerable to the image of God in all things. Now that image was a most perfect entirenes of all parts, heaped vp with all good graces and vertues, which could bee incident to the pure nature of man. Whatsoeuer he did imagine, desire, will, thinke, or vnderstand, was holie and right, and agreeable to Gods will, yea euen to the rule of that law, Thou shalt loue God with all thy heart, with all thy soule, with all thy strength, and thy neighbour as thy selfe. But after that Adam had slid backe from God, we say that this image was pitifully corrupted and deformed, that neither the vnderstanding did retaine that ancient light, nor the will did loue God, nay the whole will was turned from him, neither did there remaine entire any facultie either of bodie or soule. Although therefore we denie not that some reliques of that most noble image do remaine still, yet we hold that all that which may reconcile and make vs acceptable vnto God, and bee sufficient for vs to saluation, is blotted out and extinguished. ⟨p. 217⟩All reason, and iudgement, and vnderstanding, which was some little peece of that image, is not vtterly lost, there is not no will at all left in vs;
- 1Of Man.
- 2Inslit. lib. 1. cap. 15. sect. 4.
- qDVR. But Calvin saith, that the Saints have nothing within but contagion and corruption. For if there be in the Saints no true justice, but all their works are sins, what can be in them besides corruption, and contagion. WHIT. pag. 572. Do you neither fear God, nor reverence man? Show v• any such words of Calvin, if you can: if you cannot, why do you repeat that which Campian most falsely objected at the first? There are in the Saints and the regenerate many excellent virtues and graces of the holy Ghost, as faith, love, hope, patience, &c. who ever said that these were nothing but corruption and contagion? fie, away with you and your slander. As for your argument it is marue love slender, for though the Saints have no justice of their own, which doth perfectly satisfy the Law of God, yet they are endued with many excellent virtues and ornaments of the holy Ghost. If I should reason, because there is no sound learning in you at all, therefore there is nothing but mere ignorance in you, I should conclude the one as truly, as you the other. As for your last slander, that all the works of the Saints are sins; we say no that they are sins, but that by reason of the inherent corruption they are tainted with some spot of sin, and have not that perfection which the law and justice of God requireth. Will you say, that he who is lightly touched with some disease, is nothing else, but the disease? you should certainly stand in need of Physicians and much Physic, if you should thus speak.DVR. But Caluin saith, that the Saints haue nothing within but contagion and corruption. For if there be in the Saints no true iustice, but all their vvorkes are sinnes, vvhat can be in them besides corruption, and contagion. WHIT. pag. 572. Doe you neither feare God, nor reuerence man? Shew v• any such words of Caluin, if you can: if you cannot, why doe you repeate that which Campian most falsely obiected at the first? There are in the Saints and the regenerate many excellent vertues and graces of the holy Ghost, as faith, loue, hope, patience, &c. who euer said that these vvere nothing but corruption and contagion? fie, away vvith you and your slander. As for your argument it is marue lous slender, for though the Saints haue no iustice of their ovvne, vvhich doth perfectly satisfie the Lavv of God, yet they are indued vvith many excellent vertues and ornaments of the holy Ghost. If I should reason, because there is no sound learning in you at all, therefore there is nothing but meere ignorance in you, I should conclude the one as truly, as you the other. As for your last slander, that all the vvorkes of the Saints are sinnes; vve say no that they are sinnes, but that by reason of the inherent corruption they are tainted vvith some spot of sin, and haue not that perfection vvhich the law and iustice of God requireth. Wil you say, that he vvho is lightly touched vvith some disease, is nothing else, but the disease? you should certainly stand in need of Physitions and much Physicke, if you should thus speake.
