The Institution of Christian Religion

But when the sinner seeking to eschew the judgement imprinted in him, is now and then drawn back unto it, and not suffered so to wink, but that he be compelled whether he will or no, some time to open his eyes: it is falsely said that he sinneth only by ignorance.¹ Themistius saith more truly, which teacheth that understanding is seldom deceived: that it is blindness when it goeth any further, that is, when he cometh down ⟨p. 15⟩to the special case. Every man, if it be generally asked, will affirm, that manslaughter is evil: but he that conspireth to kill his enemies, deliberateth upon it, as on a good thing. The adulterer generally will condemn adultery, but in his own, privately he will flatter himself. This is ignorance, when a man coming to the special case forgetteth the rule, that he had lately agreed upon in the general question. Of which thing Augustine discourseth very finely in his exposition of the first verse of the .lvij. Psalm: albeit the same thing is not continual. For sometime the shamefulness of the evil deed so presseth the conscience, that not deceiving him self under false resemblance of a good thing, but wittingly and willingly he runneth into evil.² Out of which affection came these sayings: I see thee better and allow it, but I follow the worse. Wherefore, me think, Aristotle hath very aptly made distinction between Incontinence and Temperance.³ Where incontinence reigneth, he sayeth, that there by reason of troubled affection or passion, knowledge is taken away from the mind, that it marketh not the evil in his own act, which it generally seeth in the like: and when the troubled affection is cooled, repentance immediately followeth. But intemperance is not extinguished or broken by feeling of sin, but on the other side obstinately standeth still in her conceived choice of evil.

But when the sinner seking to escheue the iudgement emprinted in him, is now and then drawen back vnto it, and not suffered so to winke, but that he be compelled whether he wil or no, some time to open his eies: it is falsly sayd that he sinneth only by ignoraunce.