Of the assertion thus laid doAvn and explained the apostle gives a double reason : the first taken from the nature of the things to be known, with respect unto the mind and understanding of a natural man; the other from the luay or manner whereby alone spiritual things may be acceptably discerned : —
(1.) The first reason, taken from the nature of the things them- selves, with respect unto the mind, is, that " they are foolishness." In themselves they are the "wisdom of God," 1 Cor. ii. 7; — effects of the wisdom of God, and those which have the impress of the wisdom of God upon them. And when the dispensation of them was said to
' " Magnum aliquid Pelagiani se scire putant quando dicuiit, non jubcret Dcus quod sciat non posse ab homine fieri ; quis hoc nesciat ? sed idco jubet aliqua qua; non possu- mus ut noveiimus quid ab illo petere debearaus. Ipsa enim est qute oraudo impetrat, quod lex imperat." — August, de Grat. et Lib. Arbit. cap. 10.
" Mandando impossibilia, non prtevaricatores homines fecit, sed humiles ; ut omne OS obstruatur ; et subditus fiat omnis mundus Deo ; quia ex operibus legis non justi- ficatibur omnis caro coram illo. Accipientes quippe mandatum, sentientes defectum, clamabimus in coelum, et miserebitm- nostri Deus." — Bernard. Serra. 50, in Cantic.
CHAP. III.] OF THE MIND BY SIN. 263
be "foolislmess/'the apostle contends not about it, but tells them, how- ever, it is the " foolishness of God," chap. i. 25 ; which he doth to cast contempt on all the wisdom of men, whereby the gospel is despised. And they are the " hidden wisdom" of God; such an effect of divine wisdom as no creature could make any discovery of, 'Eph. iii. 9, 10; Job xxviii. 20-22. And they are the " wisdom of God in a mys- tery," or full of deep, mysterious wisdom. But to the natural man they are " foolishness," not only although they are the wisdom of God, but j)eculiarly because they are so, and as they are so; for "the carnal mind is enmity against God." Now, that is esteemed foolishness which is looked on either as weak and impertinent, or as that which contains or expresseth means and ends disproportionate, or as that which is undesirable in comparison of what may be set up in com- j)etition with it, or is on any other consideration not eligible or to be complied with on the terms whereon it is proposed. And for one or other or all of these reasons are spiritual things, — namely, those here intended, wherein the wisdom of God in the mystery of the gospel doth consist, — foolishness unto a natural man; which we shall demonstrate by some instances: —
[1.] That they were so unto the learned philosophers of old, both our apostle doth testify and the known experience of the first ages of the church makes evident, 1 Cor. i. 22, 23, 26-28. Had spiritual things been suited unto the minds or reasons of natural men, it could not be but that those who had most improved their minds, and were raised unto the highest exercise of their reasons, must much more readily have received and embraced the mysteries of the gospel tlian those who were poor, illiterate, and came many degrees behind them in the exercise and improvement thereof So we see it is as to the reception of any thing in nature or morality which, being of any worth, is proposed unto the minds of men; it is embraced soonest by them that are wisest and know most. But here things fell out quite otherwise. They Avere the wise, the knowing, the rational, the learned men of the world, that made the greatest and longest opposi- tion unto spiritual things, and that expressly and avowedly because they were "foolishness unto them," and that on all the accounts before mentioned ; and their opposition unto them they managed with pride, scorn, and contempt, as they thought "foolish things" ought to be handled.
The profound ignorance and confidence whence it is that some of late are not ashamed to preach and print that it was the learned, rational, Avise part of mankind, as they were esteemed or professed of tliemselves, the philosophers, and such as under their conduct pre- tended unto a life according to the dictates of reason, who first em- braced the gospel, as being more disposed unto its reception than
264 CORRUPTION OR DEPRAVATION [BOOK III.
otliers, cannot be sufficiently admired or despised. Had they once considered what is spoken unto this purpose in' the New Testament, or known any thing of the entrance, growth, or progress of Christian rehgion in the world, they would themselves be ashamed of this folly. But every day in this matter, " prodeunt oratores novi, stulti adolescentuli," who talk confidently, whilst they know neither what they say nor whereof they do affirm.
[2.] The principal mysteries of the gospel, or the spiritual things intended, are by many looked on and rejected as foolish, because false and untrue; though, indeed, they have no reason to think them false, but because they suppose them foolish. And they fix upon charging them with falsity to countenance themselves in judging them to be folly. Whatever concerns the incarnation of the Son of God, the satisfaction that he made for sin and sinners, the iviputa- tion of his righteousness unto them that believe, the effectual work- ing of his grace in the conversion of the souls of men, — which, with what belongs imto them, comprise the greatest part of the spiritual things of the gospel, — are not received by many because they are false, as they judge ; and that which induceth them so to determine is, because they look on them as foolish, and unsuited unto the rational principles of their minds.