the distinct Species or kinde of Sinne heere mentianed In the first word Sinne. Secondly the Subâ—â—ct of this Sinne the Will wilfully Thirdly the Obiect against which it is committed the Truth Fourthly the Circumstances wherewith it must bee inuested Beleeued and knowen in these wordes After wee haue receiued the knowledge of the Truth Lastly the Sequell or Effect of it Destitution of remedy In these wordes There remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sinne. The distinct Species or kinde of this Sinne If wee Sinne. THE terme Sinne is vsed in the Scriptures and by Diuines in two Senses Sometime Generally and so it expresseth All or any Sinne of what kinde soeuer wherewith God is offended as by our Sauiour it is vsed Whosoeuer committeth Sinne is the Seruant of Sinne. Ioh. 8. Somtime particularly and for Distinction and so it designeth Some one Sinne In which sence also it is vsed by CHRIST to specifie to the Pharises their wilfull Incredulity If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not Ioh. 35. haue had Sinne by which saying he would haue vs vnderstand saith the Father * August ibid. Non omne peccatum not euery Sinne vnder a generall terme but Magnum quoddam peccatum one certaine great Sinne which was Quia non crediderunt in eum their non credulity Seing CHRIST came to this end that they should beleeue in him And in this sence the word Sinne is heere vsed viz. to denote a particular Sinne namely A totall Desertion of the Faith of Christ before receiued The occasion was the Instability of the Hebrewes who slid backe from the Gospell which before they professed And in these wordes the danger of such Apostacy is expressed by the Apostle first laying before them the quality of Apostacy in the word Sinne. As CHRIST came to call the world to follow him proclaiming life Eternall to all who beleeued in him So hee meant that those who refused him or hauing receiued him but after departed from him should haue no part in his promise For when hee sent abroad his Disciples with prÄ™diction of the Crosse for his sake hee said that those onely Who Math. 10 continued faithfull vnto the end in bearing Witnes vnto his Name should bee saued and contrarily bee by so much more remote from Saluation by how many moe degrees they seperated themselues from CHRIST But as three thinges necessarily concurre to make a Christian First Faith whereby wee beleeue in him and assent to his Gospell Secondly Confession of his Name and profession of his Gospell Thirdly Defence of his Name and Gospell and that vnto Death if neede so require So there are three Degrees by which a man falleth away wholy from CHRIST and vnrecouerably depriueth himselfe of Saluation First by denying Christ or his Gospell against his Beleefe and knowledge Secondly by an vniuersall Apostacy from Christ Thirdly by Rebellion and hate against Christ accompanied with all manner Impugning him and his Gospell First when Gods Truth shall manifestly appeare vnto thee so that thou art conuicted in thy heart and Conscience that the matter standeth so and cannot bee otherwise yetnotwithstanding thou darest Impiously deny this Truth affirming it not to bee of God but of the Deuill like the wicked Pharises who against their Conscience ascribed the manifest worke of GOD to Belzebub when as notwithstanding they dayly perceiued such thinges to haue beene done by him which no man could effect except God had beene with him This is Non videre quod videas saith a * Pacian Epist 3. ad Sympron Noâ—at Rom. 14. Father to shut thine eyes least thou shouldest see The Apostle saith that Whatsoeuer is not of Faith is Sinne and that Priuatiuely and therefore the Pagans notwithstanding their Ignorance perish But whatsoeuer is done against Faith and a good Conscience Positiuely is the fury of Sinne which is Irremediable and whosoeuer being fallen is not raised againe by the Suggestion hereof there is no hope of him Seing his Conscience which is Instar mille testium as strong as a thousand witnesses is seared and sencelesse for such are dead while they liue who seeing are blinde and doe not see hearing are deafe and heare not the 1 Tim. 4. Spirit and such renouncing CHRIST who is the Life shut vp the way by which they should returne vnto him againe Secondly a totall Apostacy from Christ AS Sinne doth formally consist in * August lib. de lib. arb auersione ab Incommutabili bono in turning from the vnchangeable Good so there is One Sinne which seperateth a man wholy from God But as Man is Ioyned vnto God principally by Faith Aquin. 22 2. quest 12. art 1. so Infidelity taken contrary for a contempt of the Faith and Impugning the same or rather that which Bonouenturae Contiloq â—â— 1. Cap. 26. calleth Apostaciam perfidiae a wilfull turning from the Faith once receiued so that the party doth Male de Deo sentire thinke euill of God Blaspemare speake reproachfully of Comb. in compend Theolog. lib. 3. Cap. 6. him Sacramenta indigne tractare scornfully abuse his Sacraments this I say seperateth a man farthest from God So that it consisteth not in any Act of Infirmity or breach of the second Table But in an vniuersall Defection and reuolting of the Reprobate from the meanes of his Saluation Quod ex de'perato Insâ—t lib. 3. Cap. 3. 23. furore profectum saith Mr. Caluin the which proceeding from a desperat fury betokeneth the party to bee possessed by the Deuill Thirdly which is the greatest Impiety of all when the Soule is growen to that Impudence that it laboureth by all meanes possible to subuert CHRIST and his Gospell so that now * Bernard Ser. de 7. mrijs Eum paenitet adhaesissâ— Christo hee grieueth that euer he followed Christ and for all his sweet Mercies in steed of thankes hee repayeth him with contumely and persecution First to this purpose as one * Rich. de Scto vict lib. 3. de crud Interhoâ—inis Cap. 18. noteth he doth Abijcere cast him of with Nolumus hunc regnare refusing to be any longer called a Christian Secondly Obijcere mainely oppose himselfe against his honour Thirdly Deijcere labour to suppresse his Dominion Fourthly Subijcere tyranize ouer him and trample him vnder feete O how fearefull a case is it to impugne Christ who is the Truth Such a one rideth with the Deuill who is the Father of Lyes and therefore it may well bee a Signe of one Ioh. 8. that posteth to Hell those are they who Sinne against the Holy Ghost which neuer shall bee forgiuen The which Sinne is extended by the Schoole-men vnto three Degrees Sometime it is Conceitted in the Heart and Heb. Cap. 10. Vers 19. there resteth as in those Who account the Blood of the Testament as an vnholy thing Sometime it is attended with a Detestation of the affection and breaketh into Wordes and then with Blasphemous mouthes
doth hate persecute or renounce the same St. Augustine was once of Opinion that No mans Conscience could hate GOD but afterward he retracted it at the first he did not remember the saying of the Holy Ghost The presumption of them that hate thee increaseth euer more and more For there are many that hate God whom because Psal 74. they know to bee an auenger of wickednes they wish hee had no Beeing for Qucm metui◠quisque periricupit and so though that all men by Nature desire the knowledge of the Truth yet ratione adiuncti or effectus consequentis he may abhorre it and labour to doe pręiudice thereunto So a man may hate God for his Iustice which punisheth Sinne and his Truth which descryeth and reproueth the same The Circumstances Beleefe in Christ and knowledge of his Word going before and yet Christ repudiated NOw I come to the Circumstances without which wee cannot define this Sinne for not euery one that beleeueth not the Gospell in whole or part is culpable of this great Sinne yea though hee Impugne it and therefore wee must distinguish There are some who as yet haue not receiued the Faith as Natiue Indian Idolaters and other who neuer heard of it * Aquin. 2◠2. quaest 10. art 1. and these are termed Infidels Negatiue Or they haue once Beleeued and after departed from it and that either a parte in aliquibus in some particular Tho. Elys 19. in Clypeo piorum quest 42. art 1. pointes by their vnderstanding deceiued and such are termed Haretickes Or a tota totaliter from the whole in generall by their Will and Affection depriued and these are termed Apostatates The first sort are not censured in my Text because they receiued it not Nor the second because they knew it not But the third are directly pointed at who both receiued and knew it For the Cleering whereof you must know that as in Naturall Obiects there must bee first a representation of them to the Sences Secondly a Iudgement of the thinges represented by the Minde for Iudgement is Completinum cognitionis Aquin. 22.2 qu. 173. the perfecting of knowledge So before a man bee a perfect Christian two thinges are requisite First Vt sanè capiat ea quae Creduntur that he verily beleeue Aquin. 2. 2. qu. 9. art 1. the Articles of Faith Secondly Vt habeat rectum Iudicium de eis discernendo credenda a non credendis that hee Iudge rightly and soundly what hee ought to beleeue what to refuse both which are intimated in these wordes Beleeued and knowne as Anselme and Bruno expound them The first Circumstance After wee haue receiued To receiue the Truth is to beleeue it and to beleeue in Christ as the Truth teacheth vs and thus the word is vsed by the Euangelist where hee saith That vnto as many as receiued Christ hee gaue them power to be made the Sonnes Ioh. 1. of God and hee manifesteth it in the wordes following viz. To those who beleeued in his Name So Theophilact expoundeth it and in this Sence Diuines expound this word of my Text Anselme for inward Illumination Bruno for Beleeuing the Gospell Nature being blinde in Heauenly thinges if it should ouer-rule in Man must necessarily preuent his Saluation For that the Naturall man Beleeueth nought but that hee first apprehendeth by knowledge when Diuinity first doth require our confident assent to that it propoundeth and after certifieth vs of the Truth by Euidence Yea wee haue an Inchoation of Blessednes in this life by the assent of Faith which compriseth in her boundlesse Continet the end of our Hope for in this wee doe hope to bee blessed because wee shall see in open Vision that Truth vnto which wee doe now cleaue by Faith for Faith maketh these thinges present in our heart by the certainty of Beleefe and therefore is defined to bee A substance of thinges hoped for as if it gaue a reall possession of it to the Beleeuer Heb. 11. Without which Beleefe reason sheweth that Blessednes cannot bee attained for though all men desire it yet who will vse meanes if he dispaire to attaine and therfore Hope is necessary And againe who will desire to hope for that he doth not Beleeue And therefore it is necessary first to beleeue in Christ and to beleeue those thinges also without which Christ cannot bee loued that by beleeuing them hee may shape his course toward him Therefore CHRIST the Eternall word of his Father hauing according to his promise of olde Assumed our Flesh suffered Death for our Sinnes risen vp againe for our Iustification which are incredible to the Naturall man that either God should become Man Dye as a man and that man should rise from Death like God and all this for Man ought to bee entertained by Man with great Ioy and confidence because by him wee are made the sonnes of God As hee hath performed these thinges for vs so hee expecteth that wee dispise not this Grace but earnestly embrace it with thankesgiuing and build on him onely For God * Ser. de fide Spe et Char. saith Chrysostome would haue Man proue toward him as he hath shewed himself toward Man he cannot attaiue vnto the reward who will not professe him Nec accipere potest quod promittitur nisi ante Impleuerit quod Iubetur nor can hee receiue the promise who doth not performe the condition viz. Beleeueth But hee that beleeueth not is already Iudged therefore Ioh. 3. our Sauiour said that the Holy Ghost would reproue the world of Sinne because they Beleeued not in him and no wonder Ioh. 16. because * August ibi Hoe manente caetera dimittuntur as long as incredulity remained all other Sinnes abode Originall and Actuall but this being casseered all were forgiuen for faith in Christ quitteth man of all by apprehending the Merit of his passion whose Blood shed washeth vs cleane from all our Sinnes Hereupon we renounce all things whatsoeuer and our selues also to follow him as his Seruants Subiects and Souldiers and so to be reputed and termed * Nazianz. Inde Christianus vocaris quia in Christum credis Hence are we called Christians because we beleeue in Christ By which Name we testifie that we build onely on him and acknowledge him for our King and Redeemer we obserue all his Commaundements and iudge his rule to be the perfection of life Limiting our Beliefe to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we doe Huius iurare in verba Magistri take an Oath of alleageance vnto him in Baptisme to confirme our fidelity it being * Basi ' lib. 3. cont Eunom Sigillum fidei the Seale of our faith wherein we receiue the Crosse on our forehead which is the seate of shamefastnesse in token * Aug. in Psal 130. Ne Christi opprobrio Christianus erubescat that we should neuer be ashamed to confesse Christ crucified and to fight vnder his Banner vnto our liues end
Well then art thou Baptized art thou signed with the Idem de Cataclysmate c. 9. Kings Seale beginnest thou to feede at the Table of thy King * Idem Epla ad Arment et Paulin Noli esse Desertor become not a flincher Remember thy Couenant * Quia iam vouisti iam te astrinxisti the vowe hath bound thee wretched art thou if thou break thy vowe to God The Heathen neuer forsake their Gods but feare reuerence and mainly defend them lest by changing their rights they should be taxed with error Illi perseuerant in falso tiâ— non perseuâ—ras in vero Shall they persist in falshood and * Chrysost homil de Ierâ—m Prophet wilt not thou abide in the truth Socrates though a Pagan hauing denied sacrifice to Apollo which was death among the Athenians being aduised by Plato to saue his life by flight said * Bonauent in Luminar Ecclesiae Serm. 5. Absit vt veritatem negem quam asserui farre be it from me to denie that truth which before I professed and therefore Plato hauing pondered with himselfe the basenesse of his Counsaile was ashamed thereof and absented himselfe from his death Who but a mad man would cast away the Anchor of his ship in a tempest who but a desperate wretch would reiect his pardon being before condemned to death or will any pitty him who knowing himselfe vnrecouerably sicke yet would cast off that Physitian who with his owne life hauing purchased a soueraigne Alexetery proffereth him certaine recouery freely if he will vse it and trust vnto him whereas otherwise except he beleeue he must dye because he despiseth the sole meanes of his preseruation Saint * Homil. 25. in oper Imperf in Math. Chrysostome expresseth the state of such persons in a familiar similitude As the house saith he that hath a firme foundation suffereth no great ruine if part of the wall or roofe do fall because it may be repaired againe but if the foundation fall then the ruine is great because the whole tumbleth down So if a Christian commit fornication adultery or manslaughter his fall is not great and vnrecouerable because hee may rise againe by repentance as Dauid did But if the foundation of his faith faile that he turne Pagan and become vnbeleeuer then his ruine is great and vnrecouerable for the whole perisheth And such sinne more heinously then those who neuer knew him or beleeued in him and Christ is more offended at them Truly spake the * Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sophocles There can be no greater sore then a false friend whom a man can neither fugere neque fugare shunne nor banish So Christ complaineth that if an enemie had dishonourea him he Bern. Psalm 55. could haue bare it but his companion and familiar friend to betray him made it execrable He was grieued at the Infidels vnder the Law of Nature but more at the Iewes vnder the Law of Moses because his loue was greater vnto them But most against Iudas vnder the Law of Grace for betraying him it appeareth by the diuersity of their punishments The first he drowned which was an easie death The second Gen. 7. Num. 15. he stoned which was a more greeuous death But Iudas the Traytor hung himselfe which was a most shamefull death and accursed and the rather because hee Math. 27. was of the number of those to whom he had said yee are my Ioh. 15. friends We doe worthily detest Cains iniquity Lamech his cruelty Chams subsannation Ismaelsferity Esaw his pertinacie Absalon his malice the peruersity of Ioseph his brethren But all these are nothing to that incomparable villany of Iudas in betraying his Lord and Master whom he beleeued to be the sonne of the euer-liuing God and the Sauiour of mankind this impiety was aboue all other of an Apostle who should haue bin one of the 12. Iudges sitting in glory to iudge the 12. Tribes of Israell to become a Traytor against him who called him to this high dignity and therefore because of his monstrous ingratitude the diuell entred into his heart and carried him headlong to the acting of his Treason and from thence despairing of pardon to hang himselfe where he brast asunder and his bowels gushed out Surely Iudas committed that Sinne against the Holy Ghost for so great was his malice against Christ that if it had beene possible he would haue had not his flesh onely but his soule and Diuinity also to be destroyed hee betrayed him to death whom he beleeued to be the Lord of life yet such was his most indurate malice that nothing could withhold him from his purpose though Christ vsed many meanes and admonitions vnto him Loue in washing his feete Ioh. 13. Feare when he said woe vnto him by whom the Sonne Luc. 22. of man is betrayed Sorrow when he foretold his betraying Ioh. 13. Math. 26. Shame when he said vnto Iudas Thou hast said Yea so great that he seemed after a sort to doe wrong vnto his Iustice in vsing so great mercy toward him yet hee would not be saued and because he would not he was damned yea if a man may so speake against Christs will Their Sinne who hauing once giuen their names vnto Christ entertained the truth of his Gospell and resolued their consciences thereof yet shall after fall away from the same is like vnto that which Iudas the Traytor committed for such Crucifie to themselues againe the Sonne of God and make a mocke of him and are said to despite the Spirit of Grace which is the true sinne against the Holy Ghost By faith we are made the sonnes of God which faith is wrought in our hearts by the Holy Ghost and is called in this respect the Spirit of Adoption whereby we crie Abba Father bearing Rom. 8. witnesse with our Spirit that we are the Children of God by this Spirit wee are sealed vnto the day of Redemption Ephes 4. Some Translations haue it in the day of Redemption the Fathers expound it in the day of Baptisme and the reading and exposition is good for the Holy Ghost sealeth vs in Baptisme by faith and maketh vs to be de Regio grego nor suffereth Théophylact vs to stand among the guilty and damned and hath seperated vs to Redemption Noli ergo Signaculum illud dissoluere If thou fall away from thy faith thou doest despite the Holy Ghost who did worke this in thee thou haddest receiued a Benefit and reiectest it after thou despisest the giuer he made thee the Sonne of God thou wilt be the Seruant of the Diuell he came to saue thy Soule and thou doest thrust him out of dores and seeke to bring him to confusion thou doest herein resist plainely and persecute the Holy Ghost and like Iudas art a Traytor vnto him The Second Circumstance IT sufficeth not a Christian to haue Faith to Beleeue but hee must haue Vnderstanding and Knowledge ioyned to his
Nature was fit to bee offered for Man who had offended Secondly because it was passible and Mortall and therefore was fit for Immolation Thirdly because it was without Sinne. Fourthly because it was the Flesh of him that offered it it was therefore acceptable vnto God because of his vnspeakeable Charity that offred his owne Flesh Which Augustine obserued Quid tam Congruentur ab Lib. 4. de Triâ—â— Cap. 14. hominibus Sumeretur quod pro eis offeretur quam humana caro What could be taken so fitly by Men to bee offered vp for men as the Flesh of Man and what was so fit for Sacrifice as Mortall flesh and what so cleane to purifie the Sinnes of mortall Men as Flesh voyde of the contagion of carnall concupiscence borne of the wombe of a Virgine and what could bee so thankefully offred and accepted as the flesh of our Sacrifice being made the Flesh of our Priest Hee was that Priest by whome wee are reconciled hee was that Temple in which wee are reconciled hee was that God vnto whom wee are reconciled Behold the man who hath giuen himselfe an Offering and Ephes 5. a Sacrifice of a sweete smelling sauour vnto God for vs. This is that Sacrifice for Sinne with which God is pacified God will not bee pacified without Christ for without the shedding of Blood there is no Remission Heb. 9. By this meanes the Soule wrapped in Sinne must appeare before God firmely beleeuing that his Sinnes are purged by the Blood of Christ in the multitude of the mercies of God as hee himselfe hath said Though your Sinnes were as red as Esay 1. Scarlet I will wash them as white as Snow All the waters of Iordan cannot cleanse our Leprosie but the Blood of IESVS onely hath that abstersiue facultie to purifie our Soules of the foyles of Sinne. * Chrysost hom 13. in Cap. 7. ad Heb. Non est aliud Sacrificium there is no other Sacrifice this One hath purged vs if this fayle Ignis Gehenna Hell fire followeth Nullius Martyris sanguis saith Augustine The blood of no Martyr was shed to this end Miserable therefore is their case who trust to the Supererogation of their Saintes in their passions exceeding their owne Sinnes whereas they are taught by their own School-man that the merites of the Saintes were * Dom. Soto sup 4. Sent. dist 19. Vltra condignum remunerata a Deo exhausta rewarded aboue their desert by God and exhaust on themselues But wee are Sanctified euen by the Offering of the Body of Iesus Christ once made and with this one Offering hath Heb. 10. hee Consecrated for euer them that are sanctified Behold the vertue of Christ his Sacrifice * Haymo in cap. 7. ad Heb. Vnum enim fuit semel oblatum sufficit in sempiternum ad tollenda omnia peccata Credentium This one Sacrifice once offered sufficed for euer to take away all the Sinnes of the faithfull Wherefore seeing that * Isych lib. 5. Sup. Leuit. Perfectio omnimoda nostra salus c. That the Sonne of God by Sacrificing himselfe hath fully accomplished our saluation and that there can be no satisfaction for Sinne Nisi in vertute passionis Christi but onely in the vertue of Christ his Passion It remaineth that whosoeuer renounceth the same reiecteth the sole meanes of his Saluation and must consequently perish euerlastingly This is that chiefe Corner stone Elect and precious In 1. Pet. 2. which whosoeuer Beleeueth shall not bee confounded But vnto the Disobedient hee is a Stone whereat they stumble and stumbling fall and falling loose their liues and winne Death and purchase to themselues damnation Whosoeuer therefore cleaueth vnto Christ with a firme Affection is quit from all Sinne and fully reconciled vnto God but whosoeuer despiseth him finally perisheth euerlastingly for the Wrath of God abideth vpon him for euer Hence it appeareth that wilfull and malicious Apostacy from Christ and his Gospell before professed Zealously and according to knowledge is that Sinne against the Holy Ghost which our Sauiour saith shall neuer bee forgiuen and the reason of the Irremissibility thereof is made manifest viz. Adesertion and malitious Impugning of the onely meanes of Remission the Sacrifice of our Redemption Christ Iesus our Sauiour and his Gospell And heere is the error of the Noâ—atians made apparant who Interpreted this Scripture of those who through feare of Death or paines of torture denyed or Blasphemed Christ How or whither Sinne against the Holy Ghost is Irremissible BVt let vs without prÄ™sumption more curiously examine this point which hitherto by any Diuine which I haue read hath not beene exactly discussed nor certainly determined that it may bee said of those who haue entred vpon it Quot capita tot sententiae St. * Lib. 1. Retract Cap. Augustine saith wee may not despaire of such a one while hee liueth Of the same opinion is St. * Ambrose Sup. cap. 3. ad Gal. St. * Hierome seemeth to holde it Irremissible for hee saith That if Peter had committed this Sinne hee had not Epist de trina negat Petri. beene forgiuen St. Hillarie saith that CHRIST denyeth Blasphemiae Can. 17. Sup. Math. spiritus Iudulgentiam pardon to the Blasphemy of the Spirit Hugo de Sancto victore saith that No man can giue a Quest 55. Sup. pist ad Rom. certaine Definition of this Sinne yet this is knowne Quod si quis sic peccarit num quam consequetur veniam that if any man commit it hee shall â—eder be pardoned And expounding the 4. 5. and 6. Verses of the sixt Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes hee saith It seemeth to vs that in this place and in the Tenth Chapter of this Epistle the Author describeth the Sinne against the Holy Ghost In cuius barathbrum quiounque semel inciderit Impossible est quod paenitentiam consequatur aut Salutem Into the Gulfe whereof whosoeuer once falleth it is impossible that hee should euer attaine Repentance or Saluation Richardus de Sancto victore saith That if some bee Eternally Tract de Spir. Blasphem guilty of a Temporall Sinne in regard of Gods Iustice wee may beleeue that other may bee Temporally guilty of an Eternall Sinne in regard of his Mercy The School-men for the most part say Vix raro difficulter Sup. 2. Sent. dist 43. SuÌ„mistae Sup. Aquin. 2. 2. quest 14. Ientac 8. cap. 1. remittitur it is scarce seldome hardly forgiuen neuer read to haue beene forgiuen Caeietan saith that God hath denyed to such remission and repentance and to speake regularly it is neuer forgiuen Almayne saith it may bee forgiuen because a man may repent of it before his Death Moral cap. 28. But Armachanus saith It is one of those heynous Sinnes Lib. 9. de quest Armen cap. 27. for which a Man cannot obtaine pardon though hee should repent neuer so heartily These are the Opinions
the mercy of God and it would not be grieuous vnto me to be tormented in the pit of Hell many Millions of yeares so that I might haue any hope of deliuerance Whereupon Doctor Gribaldus said Oh Francis I am not desperate of thy deliuerance Happily it pleaseth God to make thee feele his wrath in this life and in the life to come to shew thee his mercy Hee answered I doe certainly know that I am a Reprobate Gribaldus asked him whither he would kill himselfe if a knife were deliuered vnto him seeing he desired so earnestly to die he said lend me one and you shall see what I will doe Notso said Gribaldus but declare thy minde wholy vnto vs He answered I know not the reason of my will or minde Vergerius the Bishop spent much labour in vaine to comfort him and could hardly draw him to call vpon God in the Lords prayer wherein though at length he assented vnto him yet it was not done with the like earnest zeale as before but he confessed that his minde was so alienated from God that he could not call him Father Hee entreated all that were present that they would no longer spend their labour in vaine in comforting him for that all hope of obtayning Faith and Mercy at Gods hands was cut off So that it was more likely that a Craine of Mustardseed should fill vp the whole world then that God should giue him Faith and Grace As hee was carried into a Horselitter to be transported to Citadell casting about his eyes in a furious manner by chance he espied a knife whereon he laid hold and had slaine himselfe therewith had not two of his Sonnes who were about him wrested it perforce out of his hands Soone after he died at Citadella This is the fearefull History of Francis Spiera which I present to the consideration of all such who thinke it a small matter to dally with Religion I doe not say that hee was damned neither doe I say that he was saued howsoeuer hee standeth or hath fallen to his Rom. 14. owne Master I will not presume to iudge another mans seruant But I will take heede to my selfe and aduise all my brethren to the same least that while wee thinke that wee stand we should fall Let vs not be high minded but feare 1. Cor. 11. Rom. 11. If he perished through vnbeliefe was hee broken off Tu autem fide sta Stand thou fast by faith if thou doest stand fast it is Gods mercy not thy merit for thou bearest not the roote but the roote thee Lastly I will conclude with a consolation to all such tender consciences who are rapt into despaire by giuing ouermuch eare to the Soule slaughtering Doctrine of the austere Nouatians and furious brainsicke Anabaptists of our time Who would perswade that Repentance is not auaileable to those who fall into any notorious Sinne after Baptisme Aepin Sup. Psal 9. and hearty conuersion vnto GOD as if hee would by no meanes pardon the Repentant Soule when as the Scriptures confirme in Doctrine and examples the contrary As is manifest in Dauid notwithstanding his Adulterie 1. Sam. 12. Math. 9. Luk. 19. Gal. 1. Math. 26. 2. Chron. 33. and Murther in Mathew and Zacheus though Vsurers and Extortioners In St. Paul though he persecuted the Church In St. Peter though he denied Christ with Imprecations and Oathes and aboue all in Manasses though he fell away from God and followed all the abominations of the Heathen and vsed Witchcraft and Charming and Sorcerie and familiar Spirits and Southsayers Yet when hee humbled himselfe and prayed vnto the Lord The Lord was entreated by him and heard his prayer and forgaue him his sinne Heare the Lord himselfe As I liue saith hee I desire not the death of the wicked but that hee turne from his way Ezech. 33. and liue If thy Sinne be Great his Mercie and Goodnesse is Greater If thy Sinnes be Many according to the Multitude of Psal 51. his mercies he will doe away thine affences Were thy Sin more weighty thē the heauē thē the earth then the Sea hee who created these can peize thy Sinne and Rom. 5. where Sin hath abounded cause grace much more to abound Though thou fall backe neuer so often through infirmity yet he is Almighty and both can will raise thee vp againe if thou put thy trust in him For who so putteth his trust in the Lord mercy embraceth him on euery side Psal 31. Excellently spake Chrysostome against the Nouatians Apud Chytr Sup cap. 2. Apccalyps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though thou fall backe neuer so often through Infirmity yet vpon hearty Repentance thou shalt be receiued and no lesse comfortably St. Augustine Toties apparet opus Dei Ibid. miserentis quoties fit confessio poenitentis God doth as often take compassion as the penitent Sinner maketh his confession Magnitudinem morbi vides Medici potentiam non vides If thou art terrified by the greatnesse of thy Sinne yet August Sup. Psal 55. be comforted by the power of the Physitian When thou art in greatest despaire Grata superueriet quae Psal 68. non sperabitur hora God will come vnto thee in an houre when thou lookest not for him hee will bring thee from the deepe of the Sea Hee calleth as well in the last houre as in the first I will iudge no man I will despaire of no man I will pray for all men while Gods patience in this life leadeth them to repentance A man saith Augustine may be a Pagan to day an vnbeleeuing Iew to day an Haereticke to day a Schismaticke to day Quid si cras amplectatur Catholicam fidem c. What if the next day hee doth embrace the Catholick faith Aug. apud Lumb 1. Sent. dist 43. and follow the Catholicke truth What if so be those whom thou doest see tainted with any kinde of Error and doest condemne them as most desperate fellowes should repent before they end this life and finde true rest and life in the world to come Iudge no man before the time therefore I know not why any man should despaire seeing God is louing true and powerfull but that we may be confident in him with the holy Father because of the Truth of his promise Bernard the loue of his Adoption and the Ability of his performance Pater eligit filius diligit Spiritus Sanctus coniungit et vnit The Father hath chosen vs the Sonne loueth vs the Cyprian Ser. de Baptisma Christi tom 2. Holy Ghost ioyneth and knitteth vs vnto God who then shall be able to separate vs from the loue of Christ I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities Rom. 8. nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. I conclude the whole with the words of our Sauiour All sinnes shall be forgiuen vnto the children of men and Blasphemies wherewith they blaspheme But he that blasphemeth Mark 3. against the Holy Ghost shall neuer haue forgiuenesse but is culpable of eternall damnation from the which Sinne God keepe vs in Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Sauiour To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be ascribed praise and glory and wisedome and thankes and honor and power and might for euermore Amen FINIS