A Catholicon, Part 1 · Subpart 8
The eight lecture.
Uers. 10. These speake euill of those things they knowe not.] Here is the third sinne, which these hypocrites are detected of: their presumption in speaking euill of such things they vnderstand not, and their brutish abusing of that knowledge they hauehave.
Doctrin. That men ought not to presume beyond their skill, nor to censure Doctr. 1.where they hauehave no sense, nor to speake euill of that they cannot discerne. So the Apostle saith of some, 1. Tim. 1. 7. They would be doctours of the lawe but vnderstand not what they speake, nor wherof they affirme. So the wise man saith, Prou. 18. 13. He that answereth a matter before he heare it, it is a folly and a shame vntounto him.
Such were those high priests and Pharises that spake euill of Christ, and of his doctrine and workes not knowing what he had done, and therefore are worthely rebuked of Nicodemus, Ioh. 7. 51. such was that false prophetesse Iezabel, and her fellowes that troubled the church of Thyatira, who professed deepe knowledge being ignorant, which is therefore called the deepnes of Sathan, Reu. 2. 20, 24.
For like as he that hasteth with his feet, not hauing considered his way, stumbleth and falleth, so the minde without knoweledge is not good, Prou. 19. 2. that is, erreth and is deceiued: and therefore the preacher saith, that the wise mans heart is vponupon his right hand, the fooles vponupon his left, Eccles. 10. 2. that is, the heart and affections of the one is grounded vponupon a right knowledge and iudgement, the others is rash and inconsiderate, the Apostle sheweth the reason, 1. Pet. 4. 4. They speake euill of you, because ye runne not with them to the same excesse and riot: when as either the men, or their doctrine is not fitting their corrupt humor, they blaspheme both.
We see then the cause first why papists Error. 27. Papists speake euill of things they know not.speake euill of the profession of the Gospell, of the doctrine of iustification by faith, calling it an enemie to good workes; of assurance of saluation, tearming it presumption; of predestination, naming it a doctrine of desperation, and of such like holy doctrines they speake blasphemously: they herein speake euill of those things they know not. So doe all Atheists that open their mouthes against heauen, psal. 73. 9. deriding the holy mysteries of the incarnation of Christ, of the resurrection of the bodie, of the Trinitie, of the day of iudgement: these also speake euill of that they know not. Here also are they reprooued, who are readie to speake euill of Magistrates and Ministers especially, whome they know not; beeing carried onelyonly with false rumours and reports, as Shemei falsly chargeth Dauid with the blood of Sauls house. 2. Sam. 16. 8.
v. 10. Those things, which they know naturally, Natural knowledge abused.&c. as beasts without reason, they therin corrupt themselues:] That is, whereas Doctr. 2.God hath giuen vntounto eueryevery man a certain light of nature to be some guide vntounto him, these as bruit beasts, are lead onelyonly with a sensuall appetite, as though they had no such light of reason at all.
S. Peter to the like purpose saith, 2. Pet. 2. 12. As bruit beasts, led with sensualitie, and made to be taken: that is, as bruit beasts, hauing no reason to guide themselues, following their raging appetite, are made a pray; so these, thorough their corrupt lusts, fall into the snare of the deuill. So S. Paul speaketh of the Gentiles, Rom. 1. 18. that they did withhold the truth in vnrighteousnes, that is, suppressed the light of truth in them, by their owne vnrighteousnesse.
Such were the Sodomites, Gen. 19. which left the naturall vse of the woman, and turned it into that which is against nature, Rom. 1. 27. and did burne with vnnaturall lusts. Such also were the Iewes, that hauing this naturall light, did not acknowledge God their creator. Ioh. 1. 9, 10.
S. Peter compareth such to the dogge, which returneth to his vomit, and to the sow, which goeth againe to her wallowing in the myre, 2. Pet. 2. 22. The reason hereof Saint Paul sheweth, Rom. 1. 21. 26. because when they knew God, they did not glorifie him as God: God gaue them vp to vile affections: that is, the abusing of their naturall knowledge doth worke in them these beastly corruptions.
First then this text may be applied against the Papists, who doe corrupt themselues in their grosse idolatrie, euen against Error 28. Idolatrie against the light of nature.the light of nature, as the Apostle sheweth of the Gentiles▪ to whome the eternall power and Godhead beeing manifest in the creatures, Roman. 20. they notwithstanding turned the glorie of the incorruptible God into the similitude of the image of a corruptible man. v. 23. and so doe the Papists. And whereas they say, they worship no idols but images, the Apostle here condemneth the images of the heathen: for he vseth the word foreign, which signifieth an image, not an idol.
Secondly all carnal gospellers, that giuegive themselues to gluttonie, drunkennes, adulterie, wantonnes, are reprooued: for euen these are sinnes against nature: for euen Abimelech by the instinct of nature, knew adulterie to be vnlawfull, Gen. 20. And bruit beasts, when they hauehave satisfied their nature, take no more: and they hauehave a naturall affection to prouide for their yong: so hauehave not these, that spend vponupon their bellie, and suffer their wife and children to want, who herein are worse then infidels, that were but naturall men. 1. Tim. 5. 8.
Whatsoeuer they know naturally] foreign: Here it shall not be amisse briefly to shew, Doctr. 3.how farre this naturall knowledge doth extend it selfe: as there are three degrees thereof; in naturall things: ciuill and morall duties: and spirituall.
1. This light of nature doth teach not onelyonly men but bruit beasts, what is naturally good, as to eate, to drinke, to sleepe, to shunne that is hurtfull to nature. Isa. 1. 3. The oxe knoweth his owner, the asse his masters cribbe. But to doe these things well, and to referre them to a good ende, is a worke of grace, aboue nature. 2. Nature also giueth some light of morall duties. Rom. 2. 14. The Gentiles doe by nature the things contained in the law, though not as they should. 3. The light of nature serueth also for the knowledge of spirituall things, Rom. 1. 20. The godhead and eternall power are seene in the creatures: but after a generall, confused, and vnperfit manner.
An example of naturall knowledge we hauein labal, Gen. 4. 20. who inuented tents and the keeping of cattell. Of morall duties in Pharao, who thought it vnlawfull euen by the light of nature, to touch an other mans wife. Gen. 12. 18. Abimelech also being an heathen man, had some knowledge of God, when he said to Abraham, God is with thee in all that thou doest. Gen. 21. 22.
But this naturall light is imperfect and insufficient, like vntounto that light, which was made at the first to distinguish the day and night before the Sunne was created, Gen. 1. 2. which was but a dimme and obscure light to the brightnes of the sunne: like as the cloud on the forepart gaue light to the Israelites, on the backe part it was darkenes to the Egyptians, Exod. 14. 20. Such difference is there betweene the light of nature, and the light of grace. The reason of this naturall light S. Paul sheweth, Rom. 1. 20. That the world should be left without excuse. This light of nature is not sufficient to direct men, but to correct them, not to conduct them, but to condemne them; not to iustifie them, but to testifie against them.
First then here we reprooue certaine errors of the Papists, who doubt not to affirme, that nature doth not onelyonly affoard a Error 29.generall and common knowledge of the Godhead, but that it is able to bring a man to the true knowledge and worship of God, & that by the light of nature a man may attaine to right morall duties, and true vertuous acts. But for the first, our Sauiour sheweth, that to know the onelyonly very Lord, is a worke of faith, and giuen by Christ, ioh. 17. 3. And for the other S. Paul testifieth, that we are not able of our selues to think a good thought, 2. Cor. 3. 5. much lesse to produce any vertuous act.
Secondly if notwithstanding the light of nature be able to giuegive some direction to discerne betweene good & euill, betweene iust things and vniust, the light of grace ought to doe much more: wherefore if Christians beeing taught of God shall come short euen in externall duties of ciuill honestie, the Gentiles shall rise vp in iudgement against them: yea I am afraid, that many of vsus, that do professe the name of Christ, doe not shew that example of iustnesse, sobrietie, temperance, humblenes, which is to be found among the heathen: nay I am more afraid, that euen among Christians such enormous sinnes may be found, that the Gentiles would hauehave beene ashamed of: as the Apostle vpbraideth the Corinthians, with such fornication as is not once named among the Gentiles, that one should hauehave his fathers wife, 1. Cor. 5. 1. so for craft, extortion, adulterie, malice, and such like, I doubt me, many Christians exceede the profane Gentiles.