ratified it with an asseueration o Isa 22.19 Surely the iniquitie of such a sinner shall neuer be pardoned or purged Yea if a bare speech or asseueration will not serue when Elies sonnes will wilfully persist in their sinnes and will not be reclaimed either for their owne credit their fathers comfort or the Lords glory he takes his oath p 1 Sam. 3.14 that the wickednesse of Elies house shall not be purged with sacrifice or offering for euer The third bad humour THE third bad humour which feedes this Apostasie is bitter and violent namely Malice a consequent of the former For when men doe once grow wilfull they easily become malicious and waxe euen rebelliously bent against the truth So as was Iulian the Emperour whom Hierome q Hier. Catalog script Eccles therefore most iustly stileth for his malice Canem rabidum euen a madde Dogge So as were the Iewes whom our Sauiour taxing for this sinne r Mat. 12.37 cals a broode of Vipers because they were full of venim and malice Such a sinner the Apostle doth here call an aduersary as being one that directly opposeth himselfe against the rules of pietie and afterwards in more fearefull words he brandeth him thus which doth despight the spirit of grace And in the sixt to the Hebrewes ſ Heb. 6.6 he calleth him a crucifier of Christ and a mocker of him When a man shall become a professed aduersary to him who is able to destroy both soule and body in hell t Mat. 10.28 when he shall despight the spirit of grace which is the spirit of comfort helpeth our infirmities and maketh request for vs with groanes and sighes which cannot be u Rom. 8 26. expressed When hee shall make but a mocke of Christ to whom the blessed Angels doe homage x Heb. 1.6 oh how lamentable is the estate of such a one When the patient loathes his foode quarrels with his Phisitian is angry with his friends chafes with himselfe you will say he is in ill case and such is the condition of a froward and malicious sinner When the vis irascibilis Which should be as a Dogge at the doore of the soule to keepe away the Theefe shall waxe madde and bite the Master or his friends euen snarle at God at his seruants and his sacred truth what safety or comfort can that soule haue When Christians which should be as Lambes and new borne-Babes in receauing y 1. Pet. 2.1.2 Iam. 1.12 with meekenesse the sincere milke of the word and the comfortable food of the blessed Sacrament shall turne dogges and swine tread vnderfoote those precious pearles and be ready euen to rent their z Mat. 7.6 Pastors they must needes kindle Gods wrath and accelerate his iudgements This was the sinne of Alexander the Copper-smith of whom Saint Paul a 2 Tim. 4.15 saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he vehemently withstood our Preaching He saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not vs but our words our preaching for that had not beene so hainous the one is but a personall persecution and so had beene a sinne against charitie the other a doctrinall and consequently was a direct offence against pietie And surely it is a fearefull thing when a man sets himselfe against heauen b 1 Sam. 2.25 If one man sinne against another saith Elie the Iudge shall iudge it but if a man sinne against the Lord who will pleade for him It goes hard with a malefactor when no man will can or dare be his aduocate but it is Gods iust iudgement vpon a malicious sinner and therefore it was his ordinance c Num. 15.30 that he which sinned presumptuously euen erecting with an high hand the flagge of defiance against God as the metaphor imports blasphemed the Lord the same person should be cut off from among his people that the same cutting off might be a praeludium to his fearefull and finall separation from the societie of the blessed Angels the spirits of iust and holy men and from Iesus Christ the mediator of the new d Heb. 12.22 Testament How fearefull was the obstinacie of Stephens enemies who being not able to resist the spirit by which he spake charged him with blasphemie e Act. 6.10.11 And albeit the Lord did grace his innocent conscience with an Angelicall countenance yet they so persisted in their malice that they gaue him iust cause to taxe them thus You stiffe-necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares you haue alway resisted the holy Ghost Such obstinate sinnes must needes be punished when as others committed of frailtie may easily be pardoned Should I not spare Nineueh saith the Lord f Ion. 4.11 which doth trespasse of infirmitie But how should I spare Iuda which doth transgresse g Ier. 5.7 rebelliously Here God hath something to say for Nineueh but rebellious Iuda stands arraigned of high treason and God hauing nothing to say for her nor she for her selfe why the sentence of death should not passe against her must needes be condemned except Gods iustice shall be violated which must inuiolably be maintained though all the rebellious Men and Angels in the world be damned It is dangerous to walke in the counsell of the vngodly dreadfull to stand in the way of sinners but h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 1.1 happy and thrise happy is he that doth not sit in the seate of the scornefull Who would thinke that any could be so forsaken of God and bereft of grace that he should malice and scorne the eternall Maiestie yet experience hath found out such vile wretches For such a one was that blasphemous Pope Iulius who being forbidden by his Physition to eate Porke because of his gout said in a great chafe horresco referens I tremble to vtter his words i Les vies de Papes de Rome Iules 3. Giue me my Porkes flesh al dispetto di Dio euen in despight of God What horrible blasphemies did that execrable Emperour Iulian the Apostata as also his lewd companion Libanius the Sophister belch forth against Christ who at their going forth to the Persian warre asked in k Histor Trip. lib. 6. cap. 43. scoffing manner What the Carpenters Sonne meaning Christ was doing To whom it was well answered by a good Christian l Theodoret. hist l. 3 c 18. Loculum fabricatur he is making a coffin for Iulian which propheticall speech was verified by the euent for indeede Iulian was strangely wounded and slaine in that warre Now when a man is growne to this height of impiety that he dares thus with a high hand sinne against the Almightie the Lord stops the suites of those who would pray for him not admitting any petition to be put vp in the Court of mercy according to those words of Saint Iohn There is a sinne vnto death I say not thou shouldest pray for m 1 Ioh. 5.16 it And how oft doth
them And this afterwards he cals an intangling meaning so that one cannot be loosed and an ouercomming so that he cannot be deliuered the issue of which estate he expresseth saying They bring vpon themselues swift damnation And truely when Sathan preuaileth so farre that he vanquisheth them with his suggestions and fettereth them in the chaines of sin striking his temptations like the nayle of Iael into the temples of their k Iudge 4.21 heads so that they lie groueling like Sisera in his Tents being made euen his bondslaues and vassalles there is little hope that euer they shall recouer For it is impossible that they which haue beene so qualified with the grace of Gods spirit if they fall away should be renewed by l Heb. 6.6 repentance The children of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they doe fall but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as here it is Prolapsi m Ansel in Heb. 6. Id est totalit Lapsi Aquin id est prorsus lapsi as Anselm interprets that is vtterly fall away they cannot for the Lord staies them vp with his hand Psal 37.24 As when Peter through the terrours of the waues was ready to sinke Christ tooke him by the hand and saued him So when we are oppressed with the waues of temptations and are ready to sinke in the Gulfe of despaire the Lord reacheth forth the hand of compassion and preserueth vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in many things we stumble all as Saint Iames n Iam 3.2 saith Yea the iust man falleth seauen times that is very oft as Salomon o Prou. 24.16 witnesseth But here is the comfort that hee riseth againe though his foote slip through his frailty or hee be cast downe through the stumbling blocks of temptations yet he findes the center of Gods mercie to rest vpon and takes new footing by vnfayned repentance Non sic impij non sic as for the vngodly it is neyther so nor so with them for their fall is totall it is finall Dauid fell dangerously in the matter of Vriah 2 Sam. 11. but Saul fell away fearefully when hee consulted with a Witch 1 Sam. 28. Aaron fell grieuously when hee suffered the Israelites to make earings and dance about the Calfe Exod. 32. But Balaam fell away wilfully when hee taught Balaac to intrap the children of Israel Numb 31. Peter fell dangerously when he denied Christ Iesus Mat. 26. But Iudas fell away desperately when hee hanged himselfe Mat. 27. Thus the godly although they fall into grosse sinnes yet doe not vtterly fall away According to that in the first of Iohn and the third Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not that is he sinneth not totally and finally Christs speech to Peter Luk. 22. was very comfortable Luke 22.32 I haue prayed for thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thy faith faile not that it be not wholy Eclipsed And that intercession of Christ is effectuall for all Gods children who albeit they may sometimes labour in obscuritie like the Sunne yet can they neuer be wholly Eclipsed like the Moone Though diuers bones be broken or out of ioynt yet the skilfull Surgeon will set them together againe but if all be asunder how can they be vnited Though the body be subiect to a mightie confusion of bad humours and distemper of blood yet if the vitall spirits be not consumed nor the vigour of nature vtterly exhausted the skilfull Physitian hath hope to recouer his patient But if the spirits be spent and there be no force of nature to assist the medicine but rather to resist the same there is no way but one for what can be expected but death And so is it in the sicknesse of the soule it may be recouered vpon many particular diseases of sinne but if it once be subiect to a totall Apostasie it can neuer be cured there is no way but death with such a sicke sinner and therefore Saint Iohn o 1 Iohn 5.16 doth very fitly call it a sinne vnto death If the soule of man be left like the tree that Nebuchadnezzar saw in a p Dan. 4.26 dreame the stumpe and rootes whereof was left in the earth though many branches of grace be lopped off by Sathan yet behold it may flourish againe but if it be like the tree that Saint Iude q Iude ver 12. speakes of Without fruite twise dead plucked vp by the rootes then the axe of Gods iudgements lies neere to it r Luk. 14.34.35 If the salt haue vtterly lost his sauour it is good for nothing but to be cast out so if a Christian haue lost all the sappe and sauour of grace and become vtterly without relish in the practise and profession of godlinesse hee is good for nothing but must looke to be cast forth into vtter darkenesse and into that violent fire that shall deuoure the aduersasarie Behold now beloued you see what is the sinne against the holy Ghost euen a witting a willing a malicious a totall Apostasie And this monstrous sinne is like the mighty windes which beating on the foure corners of the house wherein Iobs children were did cast it on their heads ſ Iob. 1.19 for when sin once breathes and blowes from these foure Climates it drawes downe the iudgements of God vpon the sinners heads to their euerlasting ruin t Leuit. 11.20 And as the Fowles that went on all foure being vncleane were abhomination to men so hee that goes groueling on these foure feete of Apostasie is abhominable in the sight of God and shall be subiect to the filthie dungeon with the vncleane spirits But to the end that the nature and danger of this sinne may the better appeare let vs consider why it is called the sinne against the holy Ghost Where first we must obserue that it is so called not because it is committed against the person but against the attributes and especiall operation of the holy Ghost The old and vulgar distinction of the Schoolemen doth illustrate this very well The Father is called Power against him therefore men are said to sinne in weakenesse and infirmitie The Sonne is called Wisedome against him they offend of ignorance and simplicitie The holy Ghost is called Grace against him therefore they sinne who transgresse wilfully and maliciously It being then the proper and especiall worke of the holy Spirit to inlighten the vnderstanding to mollifie the heart by repentance and to sanctifie it by grace hee that shall thus oppose himselfe against the worke of the same spirit must needes become gracelesse and impenitent that blessed and gracious spirit being taken away For as the yron which was made soft by being in the fire when it is taken forth becommeth harder then euer it was So the heart of man which with the fire of Gods spirit was in some sort mollified and made to melt when the same spirit is vtterly withdrawne becomes extreamely obdurate and incorrigible v Dan.
a sinner giues way to his owne corruptions and Sathans temptations hee becomes like the Image in Daniel i Dan. 2.45 whose head was gold his brest of siluer his belly of brasse his legs of iron his feete of clay thus doth he waxe worse and worse till at last as a stone cut out of a mountaine without hands smote the image and brake it in peeces So the iudgements of God not created in the beginning by the hand of God but cut out of the mountaine of mans transgressions doth beate him in peeces like a potters vessell For if our sinnes doe increase and come one in the necke of another like the messengers of Iob our punishments must needes follow like the plagues of Aegypt Therefore Woe be to them saith the Prophet that k Esa 5.18 draw iniquity in the cords of vanity and sinne as with cart-ropes Cordes are twisted of many small threds which seuerally haue very small force but vnited are very strong and so it commeth to passe that the threds of smaller sinnes being twisted by oft committing and drawne out by long continuance doe at last make this great gable of the sinne against the holy-Ghost wherewith the sinners hands and feete being bound He is cast into vtter darkenesse where is nothing l Mat. 22.13 but wayling and weeping and gnashing of teeth Be carefull to auoide the least sinne lest the same be an introduction to greater For as the Philistims came vpon Sampson and ouercame him by diuers insinuations first bound his hands then platted his hayre and at last shaued off his locks So doe sinne and Sathan winde themselues in by diuers inferiour temptations still proceeding and augmenting the same till the locks of grace be quite shaued off As it is said of Ninus Victores m Iustin 1. lib. 1 Quaeque sequentis victoriae causa fuit euery victory was the means of another conquest So euery smaller suggestion of Sathan becomes an instrument of a greater temptation Had king Dauid at the first beene perswaded to murder Vriah hee would haue said what murder Vriah my loyall subiect my faithfull seruant God forbid not for the one halfe of my kingdome Yet after that hee had sinned with Bathsheba adultry made way to cruelty Sinnes are like the sores of the body which at first are but vitious humours then tumours after that impostumate and at last become vncurable So the sores of sinne waxe greater and greater Mortem parit immortalem Chrys in Psal 6. Bern. de aduent Ser. 6. Et in Cant. Serm. 15. till they breede and bring eternall death And therefore Bernard doth very fitly call sinne morbum animae and mortem animae The soules sicknesse and the soules death Thus as robbers put some little villaine into the house which sets open the dores to all the theeues And as warriors by a smaller breach doe get into the besieged City and then doe rob and kill and burne and vtterly spoile it So doth the diuell get entrance and aduantage of men by some smaller sinne and preuaileth more and more till hee hath battered the foundation of their faith dispoyled them of the rich ornaments of grace and become euen Lord of the Soule If at any time you be cast downe by the temptations of the diuell as alas who can alwaies stand let him not keepe you downe That is good counsell of our Sauiour o Reu. 2.4 Remember whence thou art fallen repent and amend The prodigall childe is set forth a patterne to this purpose who p Luke 15 Ver. 18.21 said and did what he said that hee would rise and goe to his father confesse his sinnes and craue pardon for the same Redeat homo per quotidiana lamenta vnde corruit per vana delectamenta q Aug. de temp Ser. 182. saith Saint Austin Let a man returne by daily lamentations to that from whence hee is fallen by vaine delectations Repentance is the onely stay that holds vs from falling into hell Repent therefore and proportion your Repentance according to your sinnes like Manasses who hauing caused the streetes of Ierusalem to flow with blood made the prison in Babylon to runne with teares r Cyprian de Laps Ser. 5. Alto vulnere diligens medicina non desit saith Cyprian a deepe wound must haue a diligent cure Thus let euery sinner rayse vp himselfe by true and vnfayned Repentance lest his slippes of infirmity become the fall of Apostasie Take heede of backsliding reciduation in sinne is no lesse dangerous then a relapse in sicknesse The bone oft broken will hardly be set The tree that 's oft transplanted will scarcely prosper Hath Christ washed Å¿ Reuel 1.6 thee in his blood Cured thee with his stripes Esa 53.5 and healed thee with his wounds hath he paid thy debts cancelled the bond vpon the crosse and set thee vp being a t Col. 2.13 bankrupt in grace Returne not with the swine to wallow in thy filthy sinnes let not the diuell wound thee againe by fresh bleeding iniquities runne not into debt hy new transgressions Yea sinne no more lest a worse thing happen v Ioh. 5.14 to thee Thus all sinnes are carefully to be auoided yet some are more especially to be shunned as hauing a spice of this dangerous disease the sinne against the holy Ghost and some duties likewise are more especially to be practised as meanes and mithridates against that wofull euill Amongst many I will obserue some in both kindes It is dangerous to sinne against knowledge and more dangerous yet to sinne against the checks of conscience but most dangerous to sinne against the motions of Gods blessed spirit It is dangerous madnesse for the pilot to shut his eyes against the starres that should guide him And such is the case of all those who wilfully put out the light of knowledge and regard not the checks of conscience The Lord tels Israel in the second of Hosea I will stop thy way with thornes and so doth hee set the stings of conscience to stay the sinner if it be possible from his wicked courses and fearefull is the neglect thereof For he that regards not the cry of his sinnes to his conscience shall surely haue them crying to heauen against him for vengeance Take heede of scorning or vilifying the blessed word of God especially the Gospell of Peace When men shall be angry with the word 1 Reg. 22.8 as Ahab was with Michaiah because it reproues their corruptions it is with them as our Sauiour saith y Ioh. 3.19.20 They hate the light because their workes are euill and it argues their deformities that they cannot abide to looke into the glasse z Iam. 1.23 which discouers them When men doe thus disesteeme and shunne the Gospell of Christ it is a shrewd signe that the same is no pardon of theirs but rather their inditement There are some who haue scarce three sentences of Scripture yet of those they
into which they are infranchised There is that blessed society innumerable Angels Heb. 12.22 the spirits of iust and holy men and Iesus Christ the mediatour of the new couenant to whom they are ioyned There are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5.4 those thrones and crownes of glory that shall neuer fade Yea there the sonnes of God shall shine like the Sunne in the kingdome of their father In a word Mat. 13.43 from this Adoption it is that the children of God haue an interest in all the comforts and all the creatures that heauen and earth doe yeelde according to Saint Pauls epiphoneme whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephus or the world or life or death 1 Cor. 3.23 or things present or things to come they are all yours because you are Christs and Christ is Gods Behold here the admirable and comfortable aduancement of Gods children And therein behold the blessed condition of the Peace-maker who is so estranged from the world that he doth not in some degree desire aduancement and who is so voide of iudgement that hee doth not preferre this honour before the greatest aduancement in the world Aug. in Psa 84. Habetis patrem habetis patriam habetis patrimonium saith Saint Austin If you be the sonnes of peace you are the children of God you haue a louing father a rich inheritance a goodly patrimonie When the Apostle Peter speakes of this he breakes forth into this vehement acclamation Blessed be God 1 Pet. 1.3 euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath begotten vs againe to an inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled that fadeth not away but is reserued for vs in the heauens Giue me leaue now to make some Application of what I haue deliuered and so I will finish this maine point And first I hope that this discourse hath not beene heard of you without comfort We hold it a great cause of ioy to be the children of Nobles and to be admitted into the fauour of Princes and surely they are great temporall blessings that men may lawfully reioyce in But let me say vnto you in our Sauiours words Reioyce not in this Luke 10.20 but rather reioyce because your names are written in heauen let it be your ioy that you are the children of God and in fauour with the King of Kings as the Apostle saith Reioyce in the Lord Phil. 4.4 and againe I say reioyce Againe are wee the children of God farre be it from vs to vnder-value the glorious inheritance of the Saints of God in life Farre be it from vs to dis-esteeme it like that carnall Cardinall Cardinall of Bourbon who said he would not giue his part in Paris for his part in Paradise Let vs not be like profane Esau who for the satisfying of his appetite lost his birth-right Heb. 12.16 But rather let vs say resolutely with Naboth 1 Reg. 21.3 God forbid that I should make away the inheritance of my fathers So God forbid that for all the vaine and transitory profits and pleasures vpon earth we should depriue our selues of those riuers of pleasures which the Saints of God doe enioy in heauen Bernard saith truely of the best things of this present life possessa onerant amata inquinant amissa cruciant The possession of them burdens vs the loue of them defiles vs and the losse of them vexes vs And the time will come when either the day of death or the day of iudgement shall swallow them all vp as the Ocean doth the riuers For the glory of this world passeth away like a shadow 1 Cor. 7.31 Againe are wee the children of God then let vs indeauour that our carriage and comportment may answere this dignity It becomes not the children of Nobles to be conuersant in base actions And how vnfit is it for the children of God to become like the Indian drudges to be taken vp with the corruptions of this euill world and to haue their affections in caeno when they should be in caelo Our Sauiour hath taught vs better in the fift of Matthew Let your light so shine before men Mat. 5.16 that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen To conclude Let vs as the Apostle Peter exhorts 2 Peter 1.10 Rom. 8.16 study to make our election sure by good workes Let vs get the euidence of our adoption sealed vp to our soules and consciences by the spirit of God Then let the earth totter and her pillars tremble vnder her let the sea roare euen to astonishment let the heauens burne to dissolution and the elements with vehement heate be consumed this our adoption shall be our comfort on earth and our crowne in heauen for euer more The third part The appropriation of this aduancement BVt what is this Adoption tyed onely to the ornament of Peace Surely no Gal 3.26 For Saint Paul saith You are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus And Saint Austin in largeth the meanes Per gratiā per fidem per sacramentum per sanguinem Christi De verb. Dom. ser 63. saying We are the sonnes of God by grace by faith by the Sacrament by the blood of Christ Euery faithfull Christian is made one with Christ whereby he becomes the childe of God He hath the image of God stamped vpon him And as our natural birth makes vs the children of our earthly parents so our supernaturall and new birth makes vs the children of our heauenly father May not I then say of the Peace-maker as Saint Paul of the Iewes What is then the preferment of the Iew So Rom. 3.1 what is the aduantage and aduancement of the Peace-maker Yes and answer with him in the same place much euery way Though Iesse had eight sonnes yet was Dauid onely the Lords darling Though Christ had twelue Disciples yet was Iohn the Disciple whom Iesus loued Though all Iacobs children were deare vnto him yet was Bemamin the son of his right hand So may I say that howsoeuer all the faithfull are the children of God and consequently blessed yet the Peace-makers haue that honour in a more especial kinde because they doe in a more liuely manner resemble almighty God in that which is most excellent For as amongst the diuine attributes some of them are quoad nos more excellent then others as namely those of mercy and peace which are the sanctuarie to a distressed sinner so all those who doe in a more especiall manner come neerest to God in the same are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a kinde of eminency called the children of God For as Bernard saith Deus Deus pacis Bern. ergo pacifici filij Dei iure optimo vocantur God is the God of peace and therefore those who are Peace-makers are the children of God by especiall right Though the body of man consist of diuers humours yet the denomination of the
be honoured as the most blessed amongst women to the end of the world Againe in the 35. verse the Angel Gabriel saith that Christ shall be called the Son of God And that Christ was so Mat. 16.16 Peter confessed worthily in the time of his life the Centurion witnessed notably at the time of his death Mat. 26.54 And Saint Paul saith Rom. 1.4 that by his resurrection he was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God Thus as Iohn Baptist was called a Prophet the Virgin Mary was called blessed and Christ was called the Sonne of God that is they not onely were so but were acknowledged and published so to be So shall the Peace-makers be called the children of God For he that will not suffer a hayre to fall from the head of his seruants without his diuine prouidence will not suffer their graces endowments to vanish and perish in silence Albeit they may be compassed about for a time with the clowds of obscurity yet shall their worth breake forth like the light Psal 37.6 and be published to the world with a clowde of witnesses Heb. 12.1 Thus did the diuine prouidence dispose most fitly of our Sauiors passion both for the Time Place and manner of his Death For the Time and Place The Passouer It was at the great festiuitie held at Hierusalem which yeelded a confluence of many nations to that City which was then the onely Metropolis of Religion thorow the world And for the manner of it likewise For he was lifted vp Ioh. 3.14 like the brasen Serpent vpon a high crosse vpon a conspicuous Mountaine In Praefatione ad librum de septem verbis that with all his parts stretched out seuerally as Bellarmine hath lately largely shewed The inscription also was in Hebrew Greeke and Latine that by the Crosse the Time the Place the Nations and Languages the happie newes of our redemption by the death and passion of Iesus Christ might be dispearsed as it were by many riuers throughout the world Our Sauiours malitious aduersaries sought to preuent his resurrection Mat. 27.63.66 by rowling a stone to the mouth of the Sepulchre by setting a watch ouer the stone and a seale ouer the watch And when they found their indeuours therein to be frustrate they sought by suborning and hiring the souldiers to suppresse the notice thereof But their subordinat free concealment became an especiall meanes of publication of his glorious triumph ouer death Mat. 28.15 Iobs admirable patience in his vnparelled afflictions could not be confined to his house though he was left alone and desolate but shall be published to all posterities and the fame thereof shall out-last the vast Pyramides of Egypt the names of their builders are long since buried in obliuion a iust guerdon for such a worke of vanity but there shal alwaies be some Plin. lib. 26 that shall to his honour remember the patience of Iob. Iam. 5.11 Moses might intreate the Lord secretly in that passionate and compassionate speech aut dimitte hanc noxam Exod 32.32 Lord either pardon this sinne or else blot mee out of the booke that thou hast written But his zeale to Gods glory loue to his people shall be preached on the house top and be carryed vpon the wings of fame from one generation to another As our Sauiour said of the woman that poured the costly oyntment vpon his head Wheresoeuer this Gospell shall be preached in the whole world Mat. 26.13 this also which she hath done shall be spoken of for a memoriall of her As the odour of the oyntment filled the house Ioh. 12.3 Eccles 7.3 so shall the odour of her fame like a good oyntment fill the house of the world euen till the worlds end Psal 112.6 Loe thus in memoria aeterna erit iustus the Peace-makers shal be had in euerlasting remembrance and be called the children of God Neither shal they neede to be the Trumpetors of their owne merits and actions it shall be done abundantly by others The Sonnes of Peace shall call them so Mat. 11.19 For Wisedome shall be iustified of her children Yea which is strange not onely the Sons of Peace but euen the Sons of perdition shall call them so Dearely beloued saith Saint Iohn Now are we the Sons of God 1 Ioh. 3.1.2 though the world know vs not Intimating that there will be a time when this faex mundi the wicked of the world shall be forced to acknowledge the blessed condition of Gods children When they shall take vp that dolefull complaint This is the man whom we sometimes had in derision Sap 5.4 and accounted his life madnesse and his death without honour but now is he numbred amongst the children of God and his Lot amongst the Saints And thus we see in the history of the Euangelists that our Sauiours innocency piety charity was acknowledged published by Heauen and Earth God and Men Strangers and Acquaintance Friends and Foes Angels and Diuels and if they should haue held their peace the stones in the streete would haue proclaymed it Lastly Luk. 19.40 Christ Iesus the Prince of Peace shall call them so When hee conuersed with men in the dayes of his infirmity he was not ashamed to call them brethren Nor yet in his glorified estate Heb. 2.11 after his resurrection when hee sent that comfortable message by the deuout woman to his Disciples Ioh. 20.17 Goe to my brethren and say vnto them I ascend to my Father your Father to my God and your God Words as full of comfort as the Ocean of waters My brethren a louing appellation my Father and your Father a blessed vnion in a happie correlation I ascend and to what end Ioh. 14.2 but to prepare them Mansions in the heauenly habitation But behold the consummation of all consolation shall be at the end of the world when the Sonne of God imbracing the sons of Peace in the armes of his mercy shall say in the presence and audience of men and Angels Come ye blessed of my father Mat. 25.34 possesse the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world By this time I hope you see that the Peace-makers are blessed For all these streames of comfort that I haue discouered doe fall into the Ocean of this blessednesse and this blessednesse is the crowne of the Peace-maker I will contract all my building into a little modell and so conclude The Peace-makers you see are blessed and they are blessed in this great aduancement They are the children of God adopted not forth of any defect but forth of his bounty and mercy they are adopted by Iesus Christ they are adopted from a base and wretched condition they are adopted to a glorious inheritance in heauen These sonnes of Peace are singled out in a most especiall manner They are like the Sunne in the firmament
remains small hope of receiuing comfort by Christs eternall sacrifice but rather extreame terrour in the expectation of his dreadfull sentence small probability of being cleansed in his precious blood but rather a sore possibility of being deuoured by a violent fire Peccata sunt animae vulnera sins are the soules wounds according to the sacred Scriptures and the ancient Fathers phrase of speech And as the wounds of the body doe differ some being dangerous some more mortall some altogether incurable so fares it with the wounds of the soule some are cured more easily as the Maid was raised from death by Christ Mark 9. Some with lesse facilitie like the Widdowes Sonne Luk. 7. Some yet with greater difficultie like Lazarus Iohn 11. The cure will cost many a groane and many a sigh some are altogether vncurable the sinne cleauing to the sinner like the Leprosie of Gehazi for h 2 Kin. 5.27 euer Loe such a wound and such a sinne we haue in hand at this present euen the sinne against the holy Ghost For the subiect of this Scripture is a deadly wound euen a wound and death a wound going before and death following after it The wound is expressed in these words For if we sinne willingly after we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth The death and danger in these words There remaines no more sacrifice for sinne but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and a violent fire which shall deuoure the aduersaries Behold here is the most hainous sinne of all sinnes and the most grieuous iudgement of all iudgements here is a fearefull transgression and a dolefull affliction in the one behold the tower of Babel in the other the valley of Benhinnom in the one the extreamest degree of iniquitie in the other the vttermost measure of miserie in the one a sinners execrable condition in this life in the other his lamentable confusion in the life to come But now I purpose God willing onely to speak of the wound In the handling whereof I intend to take these courses 1. I will open it 2. I will search it 3. I will binde it vp againe by Application In the opening of the wound I finde it in the generall to be an Apostasie from the Gospell For it is a forsaking the communion we haue among our selues So saith the Apostle ver 25. And in the particular view thereof I note foure bad humours which feede it for mali humores sunt praui mores as Bernard h Bern. super Cant. ser 36. saith Vers 26 The first is an aduised sinfulnesse After we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth The second a resolute wilfulnesse If we sinne willingly Vers 29 The third is obstinate malice For here is an aduersary that despights the spirit of grace The fourth is a generall corruption of Religion For it is a treading vnderfoote the Sonne of God and counting the blood of the Testament as an vnholy thing and both these points are expressed in the 29. Verse So that in a word I finde and consequently doe define this sinne to be A Witting Willing Malicious Totall Apostasie First for the matter of this sinne It is an Apostasie either from the publike profession or priuate acknowledgement of the Gospell For the manner of it It must be witting and not of ignorance It must be willing and not of co-action It must be malicious and not of infirmitie It will be totall and not some particular impietie In the handling of which points let mee say to you in i Chris var. loc in Mat. hom 9. Chrysostomes words Excutite pigritiam non est res leuis quam audituri estis rouse vp your spirits and raise vp your attention the matter you are to heare is of no small moment The first part The opening of the WOVND The first bad Humour VVHen almightie God had laid the foundation of the world his first worke was fiat lux let there be light and this light being dispersed and confused he afterwards placed in the Globe of the Sunne which he made vehiculum lucis So in the creation of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a modell of that greater world hee placed the light of vnderstanding in the firmament of his Soule to guide him in the way of holinesse and to bring him to the place of eternall happinesse But Sathan whose kingdome is the kingdome of darkenesse in enuie towards man and malice to God obscured that light with the clowdes of errour that so hee might lead wretched sinners blinde-fold to hell like the Syrians into the midst of k 2. Reg. 6.20 Samaria Yet God in mercy beholding this miserie into which man was cast gathering together as it were the scattered beames of knowledge doth by the spirit of illumination vnite them in the Globe of the vnderstanding and where hee affords this fauour the abuse thereof is very dangerous This is that knowledge of the truth which is here spoken of for it is cognitio accepta non acquisita knowledge receiued from the illuminating spirit of God not acquired or obtained by the light or industry of nature They who offend in this kinde must be such as Saint Paul speakes of you were once darkenes but now you are light in the l Lord. So that Turkes and infidels who neuer yet receiued the knowledge of the truth cannot commit this sinne Neither is this to be taken for some superficiall conceite swimming in the braine onely but such a knowledge as taking some place in the heart hath affected the same with a certaine comfort and delight therein and bringeth with it a glimpse of that glory which is reuealed in that truth and shall be receiued in the kingdome of heauen And therefore the Apostle attributes to those who commit this sinne not onely that they be lightned but that they haue tasted of the heauenly gift and beene made pertakers of the holy-Ghost and haue tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to m Heb. 6.4 come Now when a man shall finde the taste of Gods word sweeter then the honie and the n Psal 19.10 honie-combe as it was to Dauid and shall afterward distaste and happily detest it as the Israelites did o Numb 11.6 Manna When he shall reioyce in the meditation of eternall life and yet reiect the consolation thereof like the yong man who ranne to our blessed Sauiour kneeled to him and cryed out good master what shall I doe that I may possesse eternall life yet went away like a p Mark 10.17 flincher When hee shall haue relished and euen beene rauished with the comfortable taste of the powers of the world to come like Balaam who passionately wished O let me die the death of the righteous and let my latter end be like q Num. 23.10 his Yet shall like a gracelesse man abandon the meanes and banish the care and cogitation thereof what probability nay what possibility is there that hee
of wicked designes As when a man will runne on desperately and sinne euen because he will sinne small or no occasion mouing him thereunto For the lesse the occasion and temptation is the greater is the transgression This was a further circumstance which made Adams sinne so m Gen. 3.2 hainous that hauing free accesse to all the other trees in Paradise hee must needes taste of the forbidden fruite As it was vile in n 1 King 21.4 Ahab that hauing many goodly possessions of his owne hee must needes be sicke for Naboths vineyeard and it doth much aggrauate the offence when a rich man shall deale deceitefully in word in waight and measure Thus when a man is rather transported by his owne rebellious will then inforced by any vrgent necessity is rather caried forward by a prompt and peremptory inclination then by any violent and coactiue temptation this is to sinne willingly When Sathan no sooner tempts but the sinner as readily yeeldes as the etymon of the word imports 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Indulgeo When it is not by constraint but of a ready minde as Saint Peters opposition o 1 Pet. 5.2 doth manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So is the Apostles speech of sinning willingly here to be vnderstood Doe what we can whilst wee carry about this masse of corruption sin will haue her residence in vs but Saint Paul warnes that wee suffer it not to raigne in our mortall bodies that wee should obey it in the lusts p Rom. 6.12 thereof If it violently ouer-rule vs we must not willingly let it rule ouer vs If it compell like a tyrant wee must not let it command as a King Wee must sigh vnder the bondage and grone vnder the burthen of it like the Israelites vnder q Exod. 2.23 Pharaoh Wee must not say as those people professed to r Ios 1.16 Iosuah All that thou commandest vs wee will doe and whether thou sendest vs we will goe for if we doe it will command that which is dangerous and damnable and will send vs to hell for our hyre The wages of sinne is ſ Rom. 6.23 death we must all acknowledge with Saint Iohn 1. Epist 1. t 1. Iohn 1.8 If we say that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues yet wee must take heede we be not such as hee speakes of in his third Chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 u 1. Iohn 3.4 which settle and sell themselues to worke wickednesse For if such a one cannot be renued by repentance Non est excusatio infirmitatis sed culpa x Anselm in Heb. 6. voluntatis he can pleade no excuse of infirmity but must needes lay all the blame vpon the wils iniquity There are some as Salomon notes y Prou. 2.14 sic Tremel Which doe euen reioyce in doing euill and delight in peruerse courses Yea they cannot sleepe except they haue done z Prou. 4.16 euill but this reioycing is odious and this delight exceeding dangerous Lord how opposite are these men in their affections to our Sauiour Christ a Iohn 4.34 It was his meate and drinke to doe the will of God but it is their meate and drinke yea it lulls them a sleepe to doe the workes of the diuell What a malepert speech is that of Sauls Courtiers b Psal 12.4 Our tongues are our owne and we will talke they will because they will Stat pro ratione voluntas Yea they are ready to say with c Apud Sueton Iulius Caesar Caesar iacta est alea fall backe fall edge they are resolued to persist in their sinnes What a desperate resolution is that of wilfull wretches in the sixt of d Iere. 6.16 Ieremie Who being thus louingly exhorted and gratiously promised Walke in the good way and you shall finde rest to your soules doe answere as wickedly as peremptorily we will not walke therein Well may it be said of these men that they sinne willingly which so rashly forsake the way of saluation and so readily step into the path of condemnation Such resolute sinners were the Iewes whose stony hearts and flinty soules neither Christs teares could e Luke 19.40 mollifie nor his threatnings terrifie therefore is their habitation become desolate for euer Such resolute and dissolute sinners were the Sodomites who could not be restrained by Lots submisse f Gen. 19.7.8.11 petition his more then lawfull motion nor the Lords extraordinary affliction but still persisted obstinately till euen extreme wearinesse inforced them to leaue their wickednesse And what then could they else expect but that fire and brimstone from heauen should be their portions Hoc Deum maxime irritat This saith g Chrysost in Psal 108. Chrysostome dorh mightily prouoke God when men doe sinne with such a pre-meditation and setled resolution So saith Dauid in the eighteenth Psalme h Psal 18.26 With the pure thou wilt shew thy selfe pure but with the froward thou wilt wrestle for so the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is well translated by Tremelius Thus God will wrestle with the wicked not in mercy as he did with Iacob i Gen. 32. when hee supported him but in iudgement as Iacob did with Esau when he supplanted him If the sinner will be wilfull God will be as wilfull if froward God will be as froward If hee will wrestle with God in disobedience God will trip vp his heeles in vengeance and cast him downe with the rebellious spirits into the lowest hell As in the time of the Law there was no Sanctuarie for wilfull murtherers So was there neuer any Sanctuarie of mercie for wilfull sinners If a subiect shall be carried violently in a rebellion much compassion is to be shewed but he that runs voluntarily with the disloyall deserues to be seuerely punished so when a poore sinner can say with the Apostle I k Rom. 7.23 would not willingly doe that euill I doe It is the law of my members that rebels against the law of my minde and leades me captiue to the law of sinne hee may looke with comfort towards the mercy seate For l Hieron in Mat. 16. peccata non nocent si non placent sinne shall not hurt vs if it doe displease vs. But when it may be said to him as it is in the fiftieth Psalme Simulac vides furem As soone as thou seest a theefe thou runnest with him Yea when hee shall commit all vncleannesse with greedinesse m Ephes 4.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen couetously when his heart shall be as eagerly set vpon his wickednesse as the couetous mans on his wealth what can he hope for but that the gate of mercy should be shut against him Therefore is the Lord so resolute n Deut. 22.19 that if a man will goe confidently and wilfully on in his sinnes blessing himselfe and promising peace to his soule he will not be mercifull to him Yea he hath
the Lord albeit hee be the father of mercies and the God of all consolation n 2 Cor. 1.3 how oft I say doth he send forth his expresse prohibition to Ieremie o Ier. 7. 11. 15. chap. Thou shalt not pray for this people neither lift vp crie nor prayers for them Yea he is wont in such cases to stirre vp the spirits of his seruants to pray against such notorious sinners and to powre forth dreadfull execrations vpon them And to that end hath he armed the Church with that fearefull censure Anathemamaran-atha If any man loue not the Lord Iesus let him be accursed till the comming of p 1 Cor. 16.12 Christ Thus doth Dauid q Psal 59.5 desire the Lord not to be mercifull to them that transgresse maliciously Yea how oft doth he pursue the enemies of God most passionate and bitter imprecations Thus did Peter against Simon Magus as histories report r Theodor. hist l. 3. ca. 9. 17. 19. Thus did the primitiue Church pray against Iulian the Apostata and neuer left assaulting him with her weapons which are prayers and teares till hee had receiued his finall and fearefull stroake of destruction and then she sang Hallelujaes for his ſ Hieron super Habac. l. 2. ouerthrow Gods dearest children may commit very hainous sinnes yet they doe it of infirmitie and not maliciously The sinne of Peter was very fearefull yea could any almost be more hainous when as hee a chiefe Apostle at the word of a silly Maide against his constant protestation three seuerall times within the space of a few houres did not onely deny and forsake but euen forsweare his Master and Sauiour yea and that with dreadfull t Mat. 26.74 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 execrations vpon himselfe If he knew the man But alas all this proceeded from infirmity the present danger feare of death extorted those oathes and drew those execrations from him And therefore when he went forth and wept bitterly diluit culpam lachrymis when he wept he wipte away his hainous sinnes with bitter teares and the Lords compassions failed him not The fourth bad humour Reuel 8.11 SAint Iohn in the eight Chapter of the Reuelation speakes of a great Starre called Wormewood which falling into the waters and fountains made them bitter so that many died thereof Behold such is the humour of malice For whereas other sinnes doe but muddie the streames this impoisons the very fountaine of our holy profession and brings immortall death without remedy And this is the fourth degree of this dreadfull Apostasie which for the better handling I call a particular humour when it is indeed like the corruptions of all the humors in the body For it is not a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but rather a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not some smaller distemper but a generall euill disposition and habit of Religion not a binding of Sampsons hands but a shauing of his locks not like the setting of the Sun in a clowde but a totall Ecclipse yea such a going downe as neuer admits any rising againe For it is a totall and finall Apostasie which doth vsually accompany the malicious resisting of the knowne truth And therefore Athanasius v Athanas ad Serapion ioynes that malice and Apostasie together in the definition of this blasphemy against the holy Ghost calling it a malicious denying of the faith which a man hath professed as x Sueton. Iul. Caes cap. 1. Sylla said in Suetonius Vno Caesari multos Marios in esse there were many Marijes in one Caesar So I may say there are many iniquities in this one sinne which indeede becomes a congeries of all abhominations For the curse of God seazeth vpon such a malicious sinner as hath beene mentioned to an vtter priuation of grace like Dauids heauie imprecation vpon mount Gilboe y 2 Sam. 1.21 You mountaines of Gilboe vpon you be neyther dew nor raine for euer And like our Sauiours curse vpon the figge tree neuer man eate fruite of thee while the world standeth Againe Sathan casts his violent and inuenomed temptations which the Apostle Ephes 6. calleth fiery darts and those where they strike they sticke fah and worke vpon the Soule like the arrowes on Iobs body z Iob 6.4 The venome whereof dried vp his spirits And then as in the generall deluge when the waters increased to a certaine height all flesh a Gen. 7.21 perished so in this great ouerflowing of sinne all sparkes of grace are vtterly extinguished This is implyed here when the Apostle speakes of an opposition against the causes of our saluation namely The Sonne of God the bloud of the Testament and the spirit of grace And this elsewhere b 1 Tim. 1.19 hee calleth A shipwracke of faith and an Apostasie from the faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c 1 Tim. 4.1.2 1 Tim. 4. And addes the reason Hauing their consciences burnt with an hot Iron For when the conscience is cauterized there followeth an vtter benumming of the sanctified faculties so that there is left no spirituall sense of grace As we say of griefes so it is in sinnes Curae leues loquuntur ingentes stupent the smaller sins at first are irkesome and terrifie but being growne many and great they stupifie So that he which was wont to crie out with Saint Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death Rom. 7. can make a couenant with death the graue and hell Esay 28. He who was pressed downe with the ponderous waight of his sinnes which were as a heauy burden too heauie for him to beare Psal 38. can at last goe as roundly away with them as euer Sampson went with the Gates of Azzah The conscience at first will diligently obserue and censure the sinner but the same being neglected hee becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euen condemned of d Tit. 3.11 himselfe and yet continueth in sinne with great securitie If a wounded man haue but one Surgeon and one salue to cure him and yet hee alas would slay that Surgeon and cast away that salue what hope can there be of his recouery And such is the condition of a desperate sinner Christ Iesus is the Surgeon and his precious bloud the blessed balme to cure our wounded soules If a man shall then offer violence to his person Crucifying againe to himselfe the sonne of e Heb. 6.6 God And contempt to this plaster In treading vnder-foote the blood of the f Heb. 10.29 Testament Is there any meanes left in heauen or earth to cure him Surely no but that must needes follow which our Sauiour Christ threatned to the Iewes g Iohn 8.24 You shall dye in your sinnes Saint h 1. Tim. 4.1 Paul prophesieth of some that in the latter times shall depart from the faith and Saint Peter saith i 2. Pet. 2.1 verse 20. there shall be some that will denie the Lord that bought
9.9 To thee O Lord God belongeth mercy and forgiuenesse saith Daniel True it is but when a man hath made himselfe vncapable of mercy the cogitation thereof is rather a corrosiue then any comfort at all Are not those who charge Christ with an vnclean spirit worthy to be possest with the spirit of slumber If they despight the spirit of grace doe they not deserue to be depriued of the spirit of grace If they treade vnderfoote of a base estimation the Sonne of God and the blood of the Testament is it not a iust recompence that Sathan should trample them vnder his feete in the place of torments If the Lord giue ouer men to a Reprobate sense for abusing only the meere gifts of x Rom. 1.28 nature how much more may they expect to haue their eyes blinded and their hearts y Ioh. 12.40 hardned who maliciously resist the works of grace z Chrys op imperf in Mat. Hom. 37. And then as the tacklings being taken from the ship and the same left to the mercy of the Seas is cast vpon rockes dashed in peeces or drowned in the sands so the soule of man being stripped of the tacklings of grace must needes suffer shipwracke and perish in the gulfe of eternall perdition This miserie is by no meanes to be auoided for as Chrysostome saith a Cum à Deo deserimur Diabolo tradimur Chrys in Ioh. Hom. 67. when men are forsaken of God they are deliuered to the Diuell not for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saued in the day of the Lord as the Corinthian b 1. Cor. 5.5 was But to be vexed in soule here and to be tormented in soule and body hereafter as Saul c 1. Sam. 16. was And then what followes our Sauiour shewes in the persons of the blasphemous Pharisees d Luk. 11.25 When the vncleane spirit hauing beene cast out returneth he brings with him seauen spirits worse then himselfe which doe enter and dwell there and taking vp their habitation doe shut fast the doore of the heart so that albeit the spirit of God doe knocke againe and againe e Reuel 3.20 yet can it finde no entrance and that causeth such a lamentable effect The latter end of that man is worse then the beginning Thus the heart being hardned becomes impenitent and so the impenitent sinner becomes vnpardonable for where there is no grace for Repentance there is no place for pardon According to the Apostles words Rom. 2. f Rom. 2.5 Thou after thy hardnesse and heart that cannot repent treasurest vp vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath The stinging of an Aspe is incurable and such is this wound and sting of Sathan for it growes cankerous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the sinne of Hymeneus and g 2 Tim. 2.17 Philetus Yea it becomes that which the Surgeons call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen such an eating vlcerous sore as doth totally mortifie the part affected so that all the plasters that art or nature can deuise will not helpe it This saith Hierome is that kinde of leprosie which cannot be cured And so much for the opening of the wound The second part The searching of the WOVND HEre now beloued I could be contented to take my station and to stay my hand from searching this wound any further But because there is some controuersie concerning the same amongst the spirituall Physitians to whom the cure or care thereof doth belong I hold it expedient either in reconciling or confuting the differences of opinions to relieue those who may be subiect to doubting and to satisfie if it be possible euen those which are possest with the spirit of contradiction by manifesting that as I haue laid the foundation of my positiue doctrine vpon the vnmoueable rocke of the holy Scriptures so I haue the consent of the learned of all sorts who doe build with mee vpon the same foundation so that onely singularity shall haue occasion to dissent There are about this matter but two points controuerted the one is touching the description the other the remission of this sinne Concerning the first some make finall impenitency to be the sinne against the holy Ghost but those that so doe are confuted by themselues for they hold the sinne against the holy Ghost to be pardonable so that consequently if finall impenitency be the sinne against the holy Ghost finall impenitency should be pardonable which absurdity euery sensible man must needes be ashamed of But Bellarmine himselfe h Bellam. de poenitent lib. 2. cap. 16. hath diuers arguments for the confutation of this errour which I will briefely repeate 1. The sinne against the holy Ghost is properly blasphemie but finall impenitency is not blasphemie therefore finall impenitency is not the sinne against the holy Ghost 2. Finall impenitency is not committed till death but the sinne against the holy Ghost is committed before death therefore finall impenitency is not the sinne against the holy Ghost The minor proposition is euident for our Sauiour charged the Pharisees with this sinne who were then liuing and for any thing we know liued long after Further Paul speaking of this sinne in the sixt to the Hebrewes saith it is impossible that they which haue committed the same should be renewed by repentance In which words the Apostle speaketh of those that are aliue else should he affirme that the dead cannot be renewed by repentance which speech were idle and much vnbeseeming so great an Apostle Againe whereas Saint Iohn saith there is a sin vnto death I say not that thou shouldst pray for it 1 Ioh. 5.16 he speaks of liuing men And whereas some thinke he speakes of the dead the Text is directly against them For he saith he that knoweth his brother to sinne a sinne not vnto death c. in which words hee admitteth that a man may see and know when the sinne is committed and therefore he speaketh not of finall impenitencie which cannot be knowne till after a mans death and hardly then also Moreouer if hee spake of the sinnes of those that are dead hee should not say He that knowes his brother to sinne but he that knowes his brother to haue sinned Thus Bellarmine hauing confuted that opinion concerning finall impenitency and affirmed truely Circumstantia quaedam quae in omni peccato reperiri potest that the same is but circumstantia quaedam a certaine circumstance which may be found in euery particular sinne he defineth the sinne against the holy Ghost in the same manner as I haue handled it calling it a malicious opposition against the manifest and knowne truth Athanasius Chrysostome Basil Hilarie Ambrose Hierome Anselme Richardus de S. Vict. Theophylact. Beda Pacianus which definition he confirmeth by the common consent of ancient writers k Communi consensu veterum Bellarm ibid. to whose reasons and authorities were they not very pithy and pregnant I might annexe sundry
expresly before that they will not d Iere. 7.27 Ezek. 2.4.5 repent and yet he sent to them that so they might be without excuse Secondly as the Euangelists doe plainely teach the impossibility of pardon for this sinne So doth Saint Paul in this Epistle vse many and waighty Arguments to confirme the same which I will briefly contract into one He that cannot possibly be renewed by Repentance Heb. 6.4.6 He that falls quite away Heb. 10.26.29 He that cannot haue any benefit by Christs sacrifice He that dies without mercy He that must certainly look for a fearefull iudgement Cannot be pardoned saued But hee that sinnes against the holy Ghost cannot be renewed by Repentance He fals quite away hee cannot haue any benefit by Christs sacrifice he dies without mercy hee must certainely looke for a fearefull iudgment and violent fire therefore hee that sinnes against the holy Ghost cannot be pardoned and saued To these places Bellarmine and the Rhemists doe answere that whereas the Apostle saith hee cannot be renewed by Repentance and there remaines no more sacrifice for sinne he is thus to be vnderstood hee cannot haue the benefit of a second Baptisme To whom I answere First Bellarmine and the Rhemists do without all warrant or reason confound Baptisme and Repentance and the sacrifice of Christ And if Baptisme and Repentance bee confounded why should not also the other doctrines mentioned with the same So that Repentance Faith Baptisme the resurrection and the last iudgement shall be all one But let these men who are so violent without any arguments and so confident vpon onely the bare words of two or three of the Fathers expounding this place let them consider what others of the ancient Fathers haue written and what euen these haue affirmed concerning this sinne in other places The ingenuitie of Arias Montanus e Arius Monta. in Heb. 6. a learned Papist is much to be commended who saith most truely that it is an extreame racking of the word Repentance when it is here without cause transferred to another sence Againe if it were granted that the Apostle in the sixt to the Hebrewes denieth a second Baptisme when he speakes of Repentance because they are mentioned together in the same place and haue some affinity and correspondence yet how doth it follow that in this Chapter he should haue relation to Baptisme When as the same is neither directly mentioned nor by any necessary consequent implied or intimated Lastly suppose the Apostles words were so to be taken as that he should therein denie second Baptisme to the sinner doth not the same imply a deniall of pardon For why should he deny them a second Baptisme but to teach them that the meanes and instrumentall causes of Repentance and reconciliation being denied the effect cannot be granted But the truth is as euery single eye may perceiue that the Apostle hath in those places vtterly excluded those that sinne against the holy Ghost both from the meanes and fruit of repentance Thirdly Saint Iohn f 1 Iohn 5.16 speaking of this sinne cals it a sinne vnto death meaning such a sinne as yeelds death without remedy or recouery as the phrase being an Hebraisme doth necessarily import and Chrysostome doth truely expound g Chrys in psal 49 Vt in lege quaedam fuêre immedicabilia c. it Yea Alphonsus Salmeron h Alph. Salmer in 1. Ep. Ioh. dispu 32. one of the Fathers and founders of the Iesuites cals it a sinne to death quia suapte natura tendit ad mortem animae because it doth naturally tend to the death of the soule Againe the Apostle forbids vs to pray for such a sinner Now if prayer which should be the meanes to worke Repentance in men and to procure remission for them at the hands of God may not be afforded them is there any hope that such should be pardoned To this Bellarmine answers that the Apostle doth not directly forbid vs to pray for such but onely doth not incourage or perswade vs because the suite is very hard to be obtained And to him I reply that first the desperatenesse of the disease being to death may imply a reason of denying the medicine of prayer to obtaine life 1 Iohn 5. Secondly the coherence of the words with the words precedent doe euict them to be a direct prohibition For whereas before hee had taught Vers 14. that if we aske any thing according to Gods will we shall be heard he presently addeth these words as a Caueat that wee pray not for him that sinneth vnto death because that such a prayer is not according to Gods will Thirdly if Saint Iohn had noted onely a difficultie not an impossibilitie of obtaining our desires should he not haue perswaded vs to be the more earnest and importunate in prayer rather then to haue discouraged vs When our Sauiour saith i Mat. 7.14 that the way is narrow and the gate is strait that leadeth vnto life would you not make him absurd in saying I say not that you shall enter that way or indiscreet in discouraging men by denying them hope of entrance Doth he not better in perswading vs striue therefore earnestly to enter into that straight k Luk. 13.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gate and so if the matter had beene subiect to difficultie and not to impossibilitie doubtlesse Saint Iohn would haue exhorted vs euen to striue mightily l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15.20 by prayers to God for the remission of that sinne as Saint Paul speakes Rom. 15.30 Lastly that it is a direct prohibition diuers both ancient Fathers and Papists also doe directly auouch As m Tertul de pudic cap. 19. Tertullian n Aug. ser Domini in Monte. lib 1. Augustine o Hier. cited by P. Lumberd Hierome p Sixtus Quintus orat habit in consistor de morte Henr 3 Sixtus Quintus q Fâ—rus in 1. Ioh. 5. Ferus r Didac de la vega in Psal 6. poenitent Con. 5. and diuers others Didacus de la Vega and diuers others Yea Catharinus Å¿ Catharin in 1. Epist Ioh. cap. 5. in my iudgement hath written very iudiciously concerning both this place and the point in hand Some saith he haue made this place obscure supposing that to be absurd which indeede hath no absurditie in it meaning that prayer should be denyed to some kinde of sinners But this comes to passe by reason of a certaine old and vulgar opinion namely that no such outragious or diuilish sinne could be found which of it selfe was inexpiable Thus hauing proued by the authoritie of sacred Scriptures that this sinne is irremissible and answered such obiections as haue bin made against my proofe I might also confirme the same by many testimonies of the ancient t Tertul de pudicitia cap. 2. Cyprian lib. 3. Iustin ad Quirin cap. 28. Chry. in psa 49. Hieron Ep. 22. ad Marcel Aug.
expos Epist ad Rom. inchoat Origen c. Fathers besides those which haue already beene produced but I haste to that point which I haue euer affected and in the beginning promised and propounded namely the reconciling of diuersity in opinion It is a distinction of the u Gerson pars 2. compend Theo. log de septem vitijs capital Negatiuè Priuatiuè Contrariè Schoolemen a sinne may be called irremissible three manner of wayes negatiuely priuatiuely contrarily Negatiuely which can no way be pardoned as the sinnes of the reprobate Angels Priuatiuely when the sinne by congruence of merit deserues to be punished though by congruity of Gods mercy it may be pardoned of which nature is euery ordinary mortall sinne Contrarily when the sinne hath a disposition contrary to pardon and remission and such is the sinne against the holy Ghost For it doth directly resist and reiect the grace of God as Bellarmine confesseth x Directè resistet repudiet gratiam Dei Bell. de poenit lib 2. cap. 17. It hardneth the heart so that those which commit this sinne are vsually giuen ouer to a reprobate sense and forsaken of God as Iudas was so that they cannot repent as Anselme y Ita quod non possint poenitere Anselm in Mat. 12. affirmeth Yea it hardneth a mans heart like a stone so that he cannot be helped by the prayers of the Church as P. Lumbord z P. Lumb lib. 2. dist 43. b. reporteth Bonauenture a Bonauent in 2 sent dist 43. quaest 1. Potestatem dispositionem poenitentiae priuat Ibid. quaest 2 cals it a sinne to death because it taketh away the disposition of receiuing life which consisteth in the imbracing of repentance Yea if it be strictly taken and considered saith hee it depriueth men both of the power and disposition of repentance so that there is left neither inclination nor habilitie to repent And therefore as Catharinus b Cathar in Heb. 6. ◠Epist Ioh. doth acknowledge this sinne to be vnpardonable so doth Sixtus Quintus c Sixt. Quint. vbi supra and yeeldes the same reason that others doe saying By reason of mens impenitency this sinne becomes absolutely and simply vnpardonable And Gerson d Vbi supra saith that in this respect it can by no meanes be remitted Yea that finall impenitency doth certainely cleaue to this blasphemous Apostasie Dionysius plainely affirmeth e Dionys Hug. Card. in Mat. 12. and yeelds two reasons for it Yea Hugo Cardinalis giues eight reasons of this impossibilitie of pardon Stella f Nunquam de facto remittitur quanquam possit remitti Stella in Luk. 12. and Iansenius g Non negat remissionis possibilitatem sed euentum Iansen Concord Cap. 49. indeede being willing to say as much as they can for the power and possibilitie of pardon for this sinne are constrained to confesse that actually and indeede it is neuer remitted although there be some possibilitie that it may be remitted Alas that is a poore possibility that is neuer reduced into act Such possibilities are but idle Chimeraes euen ridiculous conceits There is a similitude vsed by diuers yea by some who seeme to contradict the vnpardonablenesse of this sinne which similitude doth indeede expresse it with the reason and manner of it and it is this As the man which is sicke h Ludolph de vita Christi par 1. cap. 73. Bonauent in 2. sent distin 43. quaest 2. Gerson vbi supr Greg. de Valent. disp lib. 1. qu. 4. punct 3. Bellarm. de poen lib. 2. cap. 17. if he be in that case that he can neither take foode nor Physicke may rightly be said to be vncurable so he that is infected with the sicknesse of this sinne being through his impenitencie vncapable of Gods mercy and Christs merits may truely be said to be vnpardonable The medicine and meanes of recouery is neither weake nor wanting to him that hath grace to apply it but he that wants this grace is wanting to himselfe God doth not worke alwaies to the vttermost extent of his mighty power i Phil. 3.21 whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe but distributeth or denyeth to euery man so as seemes best to his diuine wisdome and workes as it is in the Philosophicall Axiome according to the capacitie of the patient making men desirous of saluation where hee doth grant it and capable of grace where he doth impart it In which sense it is said our Sauiour could not doe many workes amongst his Countrimen because of their vnbeliefe Marke 6.5 T is true as Chrysostome saith k Chrys in Gen. Hom. 19. there is no sinne so great that it can ouercome Gods mercy if we repent and aske pardon in due time but if a man haue no power to repent then God hath no will to pardon The Lords hand is not shortened that he cannot helpe but mans heart is hardened that he cannot repent and this makes the sinne vnpardonable so that the question is not of Gods power and mans will but of mans power and Gods will There is no man that hath more iudiciously decided this controuersie then l Beda in Mar. 3 Beda and m Ludolph de vita Christi par 1. cap. 73. Ludolphus with whose words being consonant to the truth and concluding what I haue at large deliuered I will conclude The spirit of blasphemie shall not be forgiuen a man Sicut nunquam ad remissionem ita nunquam ad poenitentiam peruenturus est not because remission is denied him if he repent but because that such a blasphemer through his iust desert as he can neuer obtaine remission so can he neuer come to repentance And so much for the searching of the wound The third part The binding vp the WOVND IT remaineth now in the third and last place that I binde vp the wound with Application not with hope to cure it which if I should promise I might be like those Lawyers who for their fees doe vndertake mens causes though they know them to bee vnconscionable and those Phisitians and Surgeons who take in hand the cure of those patients whose sores and sicknesse they know be incurable I may say of this sinne as Ieremie saith of Babylon n Ier. 51.9 We would haue cured Babylon but she could not be cured forsake her and let vs goe euery one into his owne Countrey This sinne cannot possibly be cured therefore let euery one in the feare of God haue care that he may auoide it The Apostle speaking of this sinne to the Hebrewes saith o Heb. 6.9 Confidemus de vobis meliora delectissimi and so doe I say to you beloued I hope better things of you all and such as belong to saluation For were your hearts possest with this sinne you could haue small delight in this sacred assembly and holy exercise Now although there be no place of application for cure yet is there
for matter of confutation of admonition of consolation Of confutation against errour of admonition against security of coÌ„solatioÌ„ against despaire For first those mercilesse men the Nouatians p So called of Nouatus their ringleader Euseb hist Eccl. lib. 6. cap. 42. Ambros de poenit lib. 1. cap. 9. Hieron ad Marcel de blasph in 55. are hereby confuted who held euery grosse sinne committed by a Christian to be the sinne against the holy Ghost and therefore how seriously penitent soeuer any one was after such a sinne though of infirmitie yet they accounted his repentance to be fruitlesse and vncapable of the mercy of God q Socrates lib. 1. cap. 7. So that whereas diuers in the primitiue Church fell into Idolatrie through feare of most horrible tortures prepared for Christians Albeit they did afterward exceedingly bewaile their miserable condition yet would they not yeelde them the priuiledges of the Church nor ioyne with them in the participation of the blessed Sacraments r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb hist Eccl. lib. 6. cap. 42. Epiphan Tomâ—â—haeres 59. These were the men which through swelling pride did take to themselues the name of Puritanes But the very matter of their doctrine as Epiphaneus truely saith doth proue them to be impure Against these men as diuers of the auncient Fathers haue written very substantially So euen the torrent of the sacred Å¿ 1 Ioh. 7.8 Iam. 3.2 Ezek. 18.22 Mat. 11.28 Scriptures which conuince all men of sinne and offer pardon to euery true penitent doth vtterly condemne them Amongst other things that iust and ingenious reproofe of that renowmed Emperour Constantine to Acesius a Nouatian Bishop is worthy of remembrance When the good Emperour did aske this proud Bishop why he did seperate himselfe from the Communion of the faithfull his answere being because they had fallen in the persecution of Decius Constantine replyed t Socrat. l. 1. c. 7. Erige tibi scalam Acesi ad coelum solus ascende Set thee vp a Ladder O Acesius whereby thou mayest clime to heauen alone Iustly taxing thereby his pride and truely shewing that if his opinion were true no man could come to heauen because no man is free from sinne Saint Augustine saith u Aug. Hom. 27. some obiected against him That he opened a gappe to sinne when he offered a heauen of safety to euery repentant sinner but most iniuriously For if almighty God be so gracious that to a man vnfainedly forsaking his sinnes and seruing God with an vpright heart Non solum veniam promittit sed coronam graunts not onely the remission of sinne but the reward of a Crowne as Cypryan x Cyprian de laps Serm. 5. speaketh Why should men be so austere and strict as to shut vp the bowels of compassion to the serious penitent And here by the way beloued let me giue you a caueat Forasmuch as this sinne doth depend vpon such difficult circumstances the extraordinarie gift of discerning the spirits being y 1 Cor. 12.10 abolished it is very hard without some rare z Sine rarissimis inspirationibus Bez. de pass dom Hom. 28. inspiration to discerne this sinne in others and very dangerous to charge any with the same Therefore although you see some sinne very desperately yet take heede you step not hastily into Gods throne but rather erect a tribunall in your owne hearts and iudge your selues as the Apostle exhorts a 1 Cor. 11.31 doe not vnaduisedly shoote forth the darts of your censures against others nor vncharitably deny them the comfort of your prayers Caietans charitable speech doth much affect b Caietan in Epist 1 Iohn me Whereas Saint Iohn saith If thou seest thy brother sinne a sinne to death I say not that thou shouldest pray for him Memini Bernardum c. I remember saith he that Bernard addes si non ores gemas tamen euen when thou mayest not pray for him yet maist thou sigh for him Fortassis gemitus tuus penetret quò oratio non praesumit tendere Happily thy sighes may haue accesse where thou darest not send thy prayers As for the Nouatians onely the mistaking of diuers places of Scripture misled them which being freed from their erroneous exposition doe nothing serue for the supporting of their mercilesse heresie Secondly here is matter of admonition For seeing this sinne is so dreadfull wee should be very carefull and fearefull lest we fall into the same Though it were a wound like Alexanders of which the historian saith curatio vulneris grauior ipso vulnere The curing of the wound was more grieuous then the wound it selfe yet if there were any hope of cure it were somewhat tolerable but when all the balme in Gilead cannot cure it it is most lamentable It is a point of wisdome to preuent corporall diseases that are mortall and it is much more necessary to preuent the spirituall And as for the better preuention of sicknesse and preseruation of health diuers hurtfull meates are to be shunned and certaine wholesome meanes to be vsed so for the preuenting of this mortall disease and preseruing the soule in spirituall health diuers euill courses are to be carefully auoided and diuers Christian duties to be diligently practised When you are tempted by Sathan or his instruments consent not if he thrust any euill temptations into your heads by conceit as he did into the head of Christ Iesus Mat. 4. let him neuer put it into your hearts by consent Ioh. 13.2 Chrys in Mat. hom 67. as he did into the heart of Iudas What madnesse is it saith Chrysostome to entertaine the temptations of the Diuell who seekes to torment thee rather then the motions of Christs spirit who desires to saue thee To receaue a sword at the hands of a Theefe to kill thee and to refuse a Diadem at the hands of a King to crowne thee Remember that comfortable precept and promise Resist the Diuell Iam. 4.7 and he will flie from thee Take heede of the degrees of sinne for they are dangerous One sinne drawes on another as one waue driues forward another and as great waters arise of small heads which doe breake downe bankes and carry them away such are the inundations of sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inundauerunt Sept. vulgar Hos 4.2 when they breake out and bloud toucheth bloud It behooueth euery Christian therefore to take heede of the beginning of sinne and to stop the course and current of the same lest that it becomming violent cast downe the banks of Gods threatnings and carry him headlong to the sinne of all sinnes Men doe not fall into deadly diseases but by degrees neither doe they slip into this deadly sinne but by diuers degrees doe fall into it as Theodoret doth manifest in Iulian the Emperour Theodoret. hist lib. 3. cap. 3. who first banished the feare of God and at last Pietate omnino spoliebatur was vtterly bereft of Piety When
euery man sicke So hypocrisie lets in this sinne readily but sinceritie keepes it out as carefully The Apostle therefore admonisheth fitly in the third to the Hebrewes Heb. 12.13 Take heede that there be not in you an euill and vnfaithfull heart to depart from the liuing God And in the twelfth to the Hebrewes Heb. 3.12 he exhorts Make straight steps to your feet least that which is halting be turned out of the way shewing that a false heart voide of sincerity drawes away from God and halting hypocrisie leads vs out of the way of life Therefore whatsoeuer we professe let it be in sinceritie for commonly where religion begins in hypocrisie it ends in apostasie Cherish the feare of God An awfull and humble spirit is a singular blessing Saint Cyprian saith well Timor innocentiae custos Cyprian Epist 2. Feare is a good keeper of innocencie And Salomon saith Prou. 14.27 The feare of the Lord is a well-spring of life to auoide the snares of death This deadly sinne cannot haue accesse to that heart where the feare of God resideth For as the vaines that haue narrow passages doe hardly receiue poison So where the passages of your soules are straightned with a reuerend awe of the maiestie of God you can neuer be infected with the poison of this blasphemy which is euer accompanied with haughty pride Therefore I may say with Salomon Prou. 28.14 Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into euill Be carefull to entertaine the motions of Gods blessed spirit For how can you with hope and comfort knocke at the doore of mercy if you will not heare the spirit of God knocking at the doore of your hearts What true ioy can your hearts haue when you grieue the spirit of God by sending him away and what know you if you send him away whether he will euer returne to you againe When you haue entertained the good motions of Gods spirit be carefull to cherish them Behold how our Sauiour rowseth vp the Church of Sardis in the third of the Reuelation Reuel 3.2 Be awake and strengthen the things which remaine that are ready to dye The Lord cannot abide any losse in these rich Iewels And therefore Saint Paul exhorts 1 Thes 5.19 quench not the spirit as the holy fire which came from heauen was carefully preserued in the Temple So must you see that in your soules the temples of the holy Ghost his heauenly graces be carefully cherished Yea the Lord lookes for an improuement of his graces according to the Apostles exhortation Grow in grace 2 Pet. 3.18 and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Lastly Ephes 6. get the spirit of prayer and supplication which is the speciall part of the Apostles compleat armour Magnum oratio propugnaculum Chrys Idem de orando Deum lib. 2. This is a mighty fortresse against the assaults of Sathan yea it is saith Chrysostome the life and sinewes of our soules Prayer is an especiall meanes to inlighten the vnderstanding with knowledge and to water the heart with grace Eusebius Euseb hist Eccles 5.5 shewes that the Christians by Prayer obtained fulmen aduersus hostis imbrem ad refocillandum exercitum lightning against the enemie and raine to refresh the armie So be carefull daily and duely to power forth your prayers to God and you shall be fortified against this and other sinnes you shall be furnished with grace and established with the Lords free spirit for euer 3. Here is matter of consolation for euery penitent heart because Repentance is a most certaine supersedeas and euidence of freedome from this fearefull sinne which if you haue obtained though you haue wounded spirits as Salomon e Prou. 18.14 speakes though your soules were subiect to a thousand Vlcers as Chrysostome f Paulus eos curauit qui sexcenta vlcera habebant Chrys in Philip. Hom. 4. saith yet may I say of your sinnes as our Sauiour said of Lazarus sicknesse g Iohn 11. they are not vnto death For if they were your hearts would be like the Anuile in beating backe the hammer of repentance Onely this sinne doth distinguish betweene the sinnes of the elect and the reprobate There is no other into which the childe of God may not fall but into this hee cannot As the Lord said to Abimelech h Gen. 20.6 I kept thee that thou shouldest not sinne So may I say truely The Lord keepes all his seruants that they cannot fall into this sinne Their spirituall building may by diuers temptations be sore shaken and battered but the same can neuer be vtterly demolished because they haue laid their foundation vpon the vnmoueable rocke Are there any here that would gladly be assured in their soules that they are free from this sinne as I know by ample experience that tender hearts are apt to entertaine troublesome feares hearken then vnto me and I will giue you in a few words a most infallible direction for your assurance Examine your selues and search your hearts if you haue faith to beleeue Gods promises Repentance to bewaile your sinnes assure your selues you are free you are farre from the committing of this sinne against the holy Ghost The force of faith our Sauiour shewes in the fift of Iohn with a double asseueration for confirmation thereof i Iohn 5.25 Verily verily I say vnto you He that heareth my word and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation k August in Psal 205. Oppugnat diabolus non expugnat He that gets the fort of faith shall be safe as Saint Augustine saith Sathan may assault him he can neuer subdue him The woman with the bloudy issue may be a comfortable instance in this respect l Mark 5.33 She came trembling and said If I may but touch the hem of his garment I shall be safe It is good when the heart speaks rather then the tongue But what said she If I may but touch a weake action the hemme of his garment the remotest part with a trembling hand a feeble apprehension yet saies shee If I may doe this I shall be whole So be you assured that if you can lay hold vpon Christ Iesus with the hand of a true faith though it be feeble vertue shall come forth of his wounds to cure the wounds of your soules and the bloudy issue of your sinnes When the man in the Gospell m Marke 9. brought vnto Christ his sonne possessed with a dumbe spirit whom the Disciples could not cast out he besought him thus If thou canst doe any thing Vers 22. helpe vs and haue compassion vpon vs. To whom our Sauiour answered If thou canst beleeue Vers 23. all things are possible to him that beleeueth If thou canst saith the poore man nay if thou canst saith our blessed Sauiour If the man haue beliefe in
some good O what a blessed houre shall that be wherein your soules shall expire with Hezekias words I beseech thee O Lord Esay 38.3 remember how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is good in thy sight Then may you say with Deborah Iudg. 5.21 O my soule thou hast marched valiantly Yea then may you say with Dauid Psal 116.7 returne vnto thy rest O my soule for the Lord hath rewarded thee Death is the worlds strict doore-keeper and will see that as you brought nothing into the world 1 Tim. 6.7 so you shall carry forth nothing againe Yet can he not hinder you from that happinesse which the Oracle of heauen hath proclaimed Reuel 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord they rest from their labours and their workes follow them Consider I beseech you that onely your good workes will be your companions to heauen They shall be your honour in life your comfort in death and your crowne at the last Resurrection And so much for the first Petition The second Petition 1. The matter of it PLutarch and diuers other Historians report of Manlius Torquatus that when his sonne Manlius Plutarch in vita Quint. Faebij Max. contrary to his Edict had valiantly encountred and slaine an enemie he first crowned him for his valour and then beheaded him for his disobedience So standeth the case betweene God and vs whilest he seeth something in vs which may be rewarded he findeth something also which deserueth to be punished As Saint Augustine saith Aug. in psal 100 Nisi Deus per misericordiam parceret non inueniret quos per iustitiam coronaret Except God should spare vs in mercy he should finde none whom he might crowne in iustice This maketh Nehemiah when he hath cryed out Remember me O my God concerning this to adde this next Petition And pardon mee according to thy great mercy Desiring not to be Rewarded with young Manlius in strictnesse of iustice but as Dauid prayeth Psal 103.4 to be crowned with mercy and louing kindnesse If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted Genes 4.7 saith the Lord to Kain Or as Tremelius translateth it Nònne erit remissio shalt thou not be pardoned The Hebrew word yeeldeth both significations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the present text doth challenge both For Gods Remission and his Remuneration like Mercy and Truth must meete together Psal 85.10 like Righteousnesse and Peace they must kisse each other According to that of Ambrose Ambros lib. 7. in Luc. Arbiter omnium dedit pietati praemium infirmitati remedium The Iudge of all the world hath prouided both a reward for piety and a remedy for infirmity Thus Daniel commeth into the Lords Court where hauing deepely deplored the Israelites misery and earnestly implored the Lords mercy hee knitteth vp his Petition in this manner Dan 9.18 We doe not present our supplications before thee O God for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies Thus Iob dareth not stand to his tryall at the barre of Gods Iustice Iob 9.15 but will call for a Psalme of mercy and will supplicate his iudge Infinite are the places throughout the passages of sacred Scripture where the most sanctified seruants of God doe confesse their infirmities disclaime their merits and appeale to Gods mercies and reason For as S. Augustine saith Woe to the most laudable life of men if it be examined in strictnesse of iustice Suppose beloued we be not conscious to our selues of any grosse sinnes that wee haue neyther the crying sinnes of the Sodomites Genes 18. nor the crimson sinnes of the Israelites Esa 1. Act. 8. nor the bitter sinnes of Simon Magus Yet alas many are the infirmities of our soules many the deformities of our liues yea many are our secret sinnes In our best actions we scatter many imperfections and still we faile eyther in the end the matter or manner or measure of our obedience So that if our best actions should come to a strict tryall Lord how ignorant would our knowledge be found How froward our patience How superficiall our Repentance How proud our Humility How wauering our Hope How fraile our Faith How cruell our Mercies Wee may well say with Dauid Psal 130.3 If thou O Lord be extreame to marke what is done amisse who can be able to stand Vtique illud quis nullus est Chrys in ps 130. saith Chrysostome Surely that who is no body at all Iob indeede in the vehemency of passion desireth to dispute his case with God Iob. 23.4 but vpon cold blood God biddeth him gyrd vp his loynes and arme himselfe with arguments Iob. 40.2 For he knoweth that Iob is not able to answere one of a thousand but must come into the Lords Court of Requests with this Petition Pardon me according to thy great mercy Pardon me The Hebrew word Vecusah being deriued of Casah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to hide doth very well expresse the manner and nature of our pardon For according to the vse of the word in the sacred Scriptures it may haue reference eyther to Gods eye or his Act His Eye and then it noteth his conniuence like that in the seauenteenth of the Acts. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 17.30 God winked at His Act and then it implyeth the couering of our sinnes with the mantle of Christs merits Psal 32.1 and both import an absolute pardon without relation to merit punishment or satisfaction and indeede it is as oposite to them as the two tropicks are to another as contrary as Fire is to Water This Pardon is expressed in the Scripture with great variety of the like phrases Sometime God is said to passe by our sinnes Amos 8. To put them away Esa 44. To cast them into the Sea Mich. 7. To forget them Ierem. 31. Not to mention them Ezech 18. To wash them away Psalm 51. To cast them behinde his backe Esay 38. To couer them Psal 32. and to pardon them as it is here and in many other places Thus God passeth by our sinnes as though he saw them not Putteth them away that they hurt vs not Casteth them into the Sea that they drowne vs not Forgetteth them so that hee punisheth them not Doth not mention them as though they were not washeth them away that they defile vs not Casteth them behinde his backe as though hee regarded them not Couers them that they appeare not and pardons them that they condemne vs not Behold here an absolute pardon for our singular consolation and the Papists extreme confusion For they depend vpon a ridiculous pardon of the sinne with reseruation of the punishment wherein they would make God an hypocrite like themselues with their mentall reseruation To whom I may say in Daniels words to Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.16 Let the
dreame be to them that hate thee and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies so let this pardon be to all trecherous and incendiary Papists and the reseruation of punishment to them who are enemies to the grace of God and our gracious Soueraigne Miserable O miserable were our condition if our pardon were not absolute For as one bad humour left vnpurged may be the death of the body one small cranny vnstopped may be the drowning of the shippe so the least sinne vnpardoned must needes be the death and drowning both of soule and body in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for euer But blessed be God Colos 2.14 we know that Christ Iesus hath fully satisfied the iustice of God Reuel 1.5 cancelled the bond of our debts and washed vs in his precious blood Hee was condemned that we might be iustified hee was punished that we might be pardoned Bern. in Cant. Serm. 22. Non gutta sed vnda sanguina largitèr per quinque partes corporis emanauit as Bernard saith There flowed out of fiue parts of his body not droppes but euen streames of blood that with him might be plenteous redemption and he might redeeme Israel from all his sinnes Auant therefore to the Merchants of Rome with their stained Merits their super-arrogant workes of supererogation their blasphemous satisfactions to God What needeth there a miserere where there is a mereri What neede is there of mercy where there is merit A man may fitly say of these men as Bernard speaketh of the boasting Pharisee Bern Annunci Domini Serm. 3. Nimirum plenus est nec habet in eo gratia Dei locum surely these men are so full of their merits that they haue no roome for Gods mercy Againe how miserable is the condition of those men who doe daily run through as many grosse sins as there are signes in the Zodiacke yet haue no power to finde remorse or seeke for remission and those who in stead of this humble Petition Pardon me according to thy great mercy do take vp Kaines desperate complaint My Sinne is greater then can be pardoned Farre Gene. 4.13 O farre be it from vs thus to abuse Gods mercy Let vs be truely penitent for our sinnes and then let vs put vp our Petition and craue pardon for the same yea let vs neuer be quiet till wee haue our quietus est Psal 39.8 euen a generall acquittance for all our transgressions And here againe I must briefly aduertise you that you must resume the former compellation to this Petition Pardon me O my God It is odious to God and dangerous to men to seeke for Romish indulgences it is impious to thinke that wee may appeale from God to the Virgin Mary for mercy Bernardino de Busto It is blasphemous to affirme that Christ hath imparted to his Mother the disposing of mercy and reserued to himselfe onely the dispensing of Iustice Gabriel Biel in Canone Missae as certaine Papists teach Hee that rewardeth vs must also pardon vs according to that of Esay Esa 43.25 I euen I doe put away doe put away thy iniquities Here that I so redoubled is emphaticall and exclusiue as it is in the eleuenth Verse I euen I am the Lord. I euen I as if he should say I and none but I. We indeede by preaching of the word may draw your pardons but God in mercy must grant them and by his spirit must seale them 2 Sam. 12.13 according to Nathans words Dominus transtulit the Lord hath put away thy sinne Giue me leaue in a word or two to passe from the act to the person Pardon me Me here the comfort is more ample and excellent in the originall then in our translation and no maruaile for no translation can keepe a proportion quoad pondus with the originall the Hebrew which we translate me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is gnalai vpon me or ouer me as if hee should say let thy pardon protect me and let thy mercy be spred ouer me like the glorious Canopie of heauen Let it be like the clowdie pillar which was as a vaile and couering to the children of Israel So that Nehemiah craueth here a protecting Pardon both a protection and a Pardon and the Lord granteth them both in one Patent It is like Dauids wordes in the fift Psalme For thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous Psal 5.13 and with fauour wilt compasse him as with a shield Here also the Hebrew fountaine runnes fuller of diuine comfort then the English streame for the Hebrew word signifieth to compasse with a crowne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus with Gods pardon there goeth his protection with this protection his crowne and benediction all these comforts doe flowe from the fountaine of his mercy as it followeth Pardon me according to thy great mercy The manner VVHen I come to speake of the mercy of God I enter into a Labyrinth without end and diue into an Ocean without bottome It fareth with mee as with the traueller who hath farre to goe and little time to spend but let mee craue your patience and I will hast to the end of my iourney The word Kesed here translated mercy plus est quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Pagn è Rab. Kimchi saith a learned Linguist it is more then naturall loue which you know runneth with a strong current Therefore when you heare of Gods tender mercies thinke vpon the affection of a tender hearted mother and remember yet that the mercy of God doth as farre surmount the same as the resplendent Sunne exceedeth the little sparke of fire in brightnesse No man hath seene God at any time yet hath he manifested himselfe vnto vs by his Sonne incarnate Bern. in Cant. Serm. 61. Per cuius vulnera patebant viscera through whose side wounded with the speare you might behold the bowels of compassion wounded with loue Gods mercy seldome goeth alone but vsually it hath some epithet annexed to it as here it is called his great mercy Rab quantitatis qualitatis est say the Hebrews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that it comprehendeth all whatsoeuer hath excellency in quality or amplitude in quantity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is Kerob casdeka secundum multitudinem according to thy many mercies as diuers doe translate it or secundum magnitudinem according to thy great mercy as here we reade it and neither amisse For as the Hebrew word so Gods mercy haue both the discreete and continued quantity When Iacob had got the blessing of Isaack as we reade Genes 27. Esau said to his Father in the anguish of spirit Hast thou but one blessing blesse me euen me also my Father Yet the good old man though an indulgent father had but one that was worthy the name of a blessing But happy are wee our heauenly Father is not so penurious He hath more then one