1. The corrupt wisdom and the wicked learning of men, who are carnal and destitute of the truth, can produce nothing, but doting about questions, and strife of words; whereof cometh envy, strife, railing, or blasphemies, evil-surmisings, [Greek or Hebrew] perverse disputing: these are the genuine fruits of the heretical spirit, 1 Tim. 6. 3, 4, 5. and of the wisdom of men,1 which neither is subject to the law of God and his truth, [Greek or Hebrew], neither can be subject, Rom. 8. 7, &c. of the carnal man, who neither receives the things of the Spirit of God, [Greek or Hebrew], neither can he know them: and observe that the Holy Ghost in both places denies both the act and the possibility of the minds subjection to the truth where the judgement is rotten. Now as we may well say, the rock hath no natural power to receive an influence from God, for the growing of wheat on it; nor a thorn-tree to bring forth wine grapes, as our Saviour speaks, Matth. 7. 16. so neither can the corrupt, and heretical mind produce sound truths; nor can the Lord give influences, in a natural way, to a thistle to bring forth figs: indeed by a miracle, the Lord caused Aaron's dead withered rod to blossom and bring forth almonds: And Caiaphas (I say not by a miracle) but in an extraordinary way, [Greek or Hebrew], John 11. 51. ⟨p. 410⟩not of himself, but by the Spirit, prophesied: and so did Balaam. But they did not spiritually, and with the light of faith, know what they prophesied; yea, I would crave leave to doubt, whether they literally knew that Christ God-man was the star of Jacob, the light of the Gentiles, and to die for the Elect: as many Heretics, yea, and the Devils literally know and believe these things with an Historical faith. If you would have breathings of the Spirit to know savingly and to assent to divine truths, motes and dirt and scales must be removed, and the mind renewed: then divine illumination is absolutely needful.
1. THe corrupt wisedom and the wicked learning of men, who are carnal and destitute of the truth, can produce nothing, but doting about questions, and strife of words; whereof cometh envy, strife, railing, or blasphemys, evil-surmisings, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 perverse disputing: these are the genuine fruits of the heretical spirit, 1 Tim. 6. 3, 4, 5. and of the wisedom of men,1 which neither is subject to the law of God and his truth, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, neither can be subject, Rom. 8. 7, &c. of the carnal man, who neither receives the things of the Spirit of God, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, neither can he know them: and observe that the Holy Ghost in both places denies both the act and the possibility of the minds subjection to the truth where the judgement is rotten. Now as we may well say, the rock hath no natural power to receive an influence from God, for the growing of wheat on it; nor a thorn-tree to bring forth wine grapes, as our Saviour speaks, Matth. 7. 16. so neither can the corrupt, and heretical mind produce sound truths; nor can the Lord give influences, in a natural way, to a thistle to bring forth figs: indeed by a miracle, the Lord caused Aaron's dead withered rod to blossome and bring forth almonds: And Caiphas (I say not by a miracle) but in an extraordinary way, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, John 11. 51. ⟨p. 410⟩not of himself, but by the Spirit, prophesied: and so did Balaam. But they did not spiritually, and with the light of faith, know what they prophesied; yea, I would crave leave to doubt, whether they literally knew that Christ God-man was the star of Jacob, the light of the Gentiles, and to die for the Elect: as many Hereticks, yea, and the Divels literally know and believe these things with an Historical faith. If you would have breathings of the Spirit to know savingly and to assent to divine truths, motes and dirt and scales must be removed, and the mind renewed: then divine illumination is absolutely needful.
- 1Heretical light hinders the spirits breathings.
