Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	judgement_n	sin_n	sinner_n	2,057	5	7.5058	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90866	Theos anthrōpophoros. Or, God incarnate. Shewing, that Jesus Christ is the onely, and the most high God· In four books. Wherein also are contained a few animadversions upon a late namelesse and blasphemous commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrewes, published under the capital letters, G.M. anno Dom. 1647. In these four books the great mystery of man's redemption and salvation, and the wayes and means thereof used by God are evidently held out to the capacity of humane reason, even ordinary understandings. The sin against the Holy Ghost is plainly described; with the cases and reasons of the unpardonablenesse, or pardonablenesse thereof. Anabaptisme, is by Scripture, and the judgment of the fathers shewed to be an heinous sin, and exceedingly injurious to the Passion, and blood of Christ. / By Edm. Porter, B.D. sometimes fellow of St. John's Colledge in Cambridge, and prebend of Norwich.	Porter, Edmund, 1595-1670.; Downame, John, d. 1652.	1655 (1655)	Wing P2985; Thomason E1596_1; ESTC R203199	270,338	411

Saint Austine therein and the Authors submission thereof to the Reader That because God was to be Incarnate only in the Person of the Sonne and not in the Person of the Father therefore the ancient Fathers said that God was seen in the Person of the Sonne onely and not in the Person of the Father Chapter VII The Incarnation of the Sonne of God is shewed against Page 22 the Commenter That a meer Man may be said to be Incarnate and so may Christ be truly said and much rather because the soul of Man may exist without a body and the Godhead of Christ really did exist from Eternitie without a Body untill his assumption of a temporary shape and his Incarnation in an ever durable Body That the Scripture calleth him that denieth Christs Incarnation a deceiver and an Antichrist Chapter VIII That the Son of God was to be Incarnate necessarily Page 27 by vertue of the Covenant although God could have saved Man by his Power without the Incarnation Of that curious question viz. What God did before the Creation That God was never solitarie though alwaies but One. Of the Everlasting or Eternall Covenant between the Persons of the Father and the Sonne before the world Chapter IX Of the Covenant between God and Man divers Page 33 times renewed The first words of the Covenant about the Tree of Knowledge before the fall The second words of bruising the Serpents head since the fall The same Covenant with Abraham and afterwards with Moses in more words The outward signes of the Covenant viz. Sacrifices circumcision Tabernacle and Leviticall rites That the Legall and Evangelicall Covenant are but one The words of the Evangelicall Covenant Why it is called a new Covenant the Covenant of Grace and of works a better Covenant and a Testament of Christs suretie ship The reason why Christ was circumcised and Baptized Chapter X. That as our state condition now standeth Page 38 man cannot be redeemed and saved but through the Incarnation Obedience and death of the Sonne of God That our salvation is not wrought by the request and verball intreatie of Christ nor by the power onely of God without satisfaction of his Justice The distinction between Christs satisfaction and his merit How Gods just Sentence was fully executed on man and his Law perfectly performed by man Chapter XI That Christ was a Person fitly qualified to stand Page 41 in stead of all Mankind The mutuall unity of Christ and Mankind in that Christ t●oke his flesh from Man and Man received the Spirit from Christ That from this mutuall unity it is that Christs Obedience both Active Passive with great justice and equitie may be imputed to Mankind Chapter XII What interest the unregenerate man hath in Page 54 Christ That the Divine Spirit of Christ is communicated to the unregenerate and therewith some common graces That the Doctrine of the Church declareth the benefit of Christs death to be offered to all men good and bad That God is essentially present in every creature though not commugnicating his sanctifying Grace to every one The Stoicks error concerning the souls of Men. Apollinarius his Heresie concerning the soul of Christ Chapter XIII The Heresie of Valentinus and others concerning Page 59 the Body of Christ compared with the Heresie of Apollinarius concerning Christs Soul That the Arguments proving the derivation of the flesh of Christ from mans body do as well prove the traduction of his soul That the soul of man by nature is Carnall The doctrine of the Church of England doth not clearly determine the originall of Christs soul That if the traduction of souls be granted it will argue a greater nearness and conjunction of God and Man Chapter XIV The question of the propagation of the soul of Page 63 Christ and of other mens souls discoursed the difficultie thereof shewed out of Saint Austine and his inclination and reasons to believe traduction rather then a dayly new creation of souls The judgement of the Western Church herein alledged by Saint Hierome That the opinion of Traduction is not inconsistent with Christian Faith But if it be granted it argues a nearer relation between Christ and us then otherwise the Author leaves it undetermined with submission to the judicious Reader Chapter XV. The Ubiquitie of the Spirit of Christ Of the Page 67 diversitie of the Graces thereof In what degree and measure the Spirit with its common Graces is communicated to men unregenera●e How the one Spirit of God is in Scripture represented as if there were more then one how it is said to be withdrawn or not yet given when it is alwayes present That the union of God and man is hence concluded Chapter XVI That the presence of the Spirit doth not alwayes Page 71 sanctifie is proved from the unction of Heathen Kings How such are called Gods annointed though they were not ceremonially annointed with oyl of Christs Vnction and the appellation of Christians Vespatians touching and curing the infirm thereby The King of Englands cures and unction Of the gift of healing mentioned 1 Cor. 12. 9. Whether it be utterly ceased Chapter XVII The union of Christ and his Church further Page 76 shewed Why Christ is called Adam David and Jacob Why all mankind was extracted out of one man Why Saint Austine denied that there were any Antipodes The difference between Christs union with all mankind and his more speciall union with his Church An Exposition of Heb. 7. 9. Touching the difference of Levi and Christ who were both in the loins of Abraham which place is purposely obscured by the Commenter The Table THE FOURTH BOOK Containing a discussion of this Question Whether the blasphemie of denying Christs Godhead which is the sin against the holy Spirit be absolutely unpardonable with full Expositions of certain Scriptures in the Hebrewes and other places which concern that sin Chapter I. THe question stated The judgement of Page 1 some late Divines therein and their grounds That to affirm it absolutely unpardonable seemeth derogatory to the infinite mercy of God in Christ and the grace of repentance The efficacie of true repentance Chapter II. That this sinne possibly may be pardoned upon Page 5 the sinners repentance That Gods threatnings are not to be understood as absolute but as conditionall That therefore his threatnings are not alwayes executed and yet his Truth not violated That threatnings are intended for provocations to repentance an observation upon Theodosius The judgement of the Fathers concerning those threatnings Chapter III. That the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit or Page 8 God-head of Christ is then onely unpardonable when it is accompanied with finall impenitencie a short Exposition of Matth. 12 31. Chapter IV. Whether the grace of repentance be absolutely denied Page 11 to those who have once sinned this sin The judgement of some Divines herein A full Exposition begun of Heb. 6. 4. concerning final impenitencie That the word inlightned is there meant of

5 20. 〈…〉 grace did much more abound and that God is rich in mercie and the Father of 〈…〉 and that his mercie is over all his workes and especially his mercy is seen and excercised on mankind even in such as have sinned with an high hand against him if they doe penitentlie turn unto him no Father or ●ender Mother can so much pittie their owne children as our heavenly Father pittieth us Non sic ins●mus Chrys 77. hom Constant n. 25. 〈…〉 Deus paenitentem animam i no young man sick for love is more inamored with his beloved than our loving God is with a penitent soule Chrys 31. hom Antioch n. 12. and againe the same Father saith Ego testifi●or fide 〈◊〉 si quts discedit à pecc●to nihil aliud requirit Deus i testifie and will be bound that if a sinner will forsake his sin God requireth no more of him The gate of Gods mercy is never shut against a penitent sinner S. Cypri●n saith most comfortably Nulla paenitent Cyp. cont Demet. n. 75. Id de Caena n. 95. a in mu●●o se●a ●st And againe Anim●m egredientem and in lubi● paenitentem non aspernatur Clementissimus Dominus i no repentance can be to late in this life when our Soul is pearched on our lips ready to take her flight even in that moment our most mercifull Lord will not reject her repentance no though her sins have bin never so detestable Prosper saith Nulla Pros de vocat Gent. l. 1. c. 17. sunt tam detestanda ●●elera quae possun gratiae donum arc●re i No wickednes is so detestable which can utterly exclude the mercie of God S. ●asil sets this down as an infallible mark whereby a man may be assured of remission of sins Ce●t●●o rem ●ssi●nis est peccata abhorrere Basil in Ascet n. 31. i if yow would be assured that your sins are remitted leave your sins The Psalmist saith Psal 33. 5. The earth is full of the goodnes of the Lord Because in this life his mercy is more perceived then his justice which he doth for the most part defer til the judgment in the next life by his patience and long suffering yet even then his very judgments are not void of some mercy in Te●tull●an it is but Ironically said O deum ad Tert. cont Marc. l. 3 n. 44. inferos usqu● 〈…〉 i O the mercy of God which extend●th even to hel but S. Austin delivers the same seriously and dogmatically i Dei misericordia Aug de Civit. l. 21. c. 24. extenditur damnatis mitiùs puniens illos quàm mereantur i The mercy of God is in some measure shewed to the damned in that he punisheth them lesse rigorouslie then they deserved Upon these reasons grounded on the mercies of a most mercifull God an Al sufficient Redeemer I dare not pronounce this sin against the Holie Ghost to be absolutely unpardonable CHAP. II. That the sin against the Spirit possibly may be pardoned and that by repentance Gods threatnings are conditional and not alwayes executed yet the truth of God is not violated Threatnings are but prov●cations to repentance But dare any Man say this sin is Pardonable when Christ hath said it shall never be forgiven I answer that neither I nor any one that feareth God would presume to affirme it pardonable except wee were assured that God himself had so affirmed for the same God who is the author both of the old and new Testament hath so declared in both that all his threatnings how peremptorilie or absolutely soever they seeme to be delivered yet they are ever to be understood with this limitation or exception except ye repent For although it be not openly expressed in every particular Commination yet God hath more then once given us to understand that whensoever he threatneth destruction to a sinner his threatning is alwaies to be understood with this limitation Except that sinner repent And this truth hath bin long ago discovered by our owne divines and long before them by the ancient Fathers That al threatnings of God are to be understood with the condition of impenitencie for example God had by his prophet said Fortie dayes Jonah 3. 4. and Nineve shall be des●●oyed Yet Nineve was not so destroied neither was his word false because Gods meaning was with this reservation Except they repented and Gods threatning averting or inflicting temporal plagues in the time of the law were signes what he would doe in the like case either with or without repentance in remitting or inflicting eternal punishments since the Gospel was published If you aske me how wee shall know that when God threatneth destruction without any mention of this exception of repentance that yet he so meaneth I answer that we know it because God hath so tould us once or twice that all his threatnings must be so understood and this we learne from two of his great Prophets both for general threatnings against a whole nation and for particular threatnings against any wicked person for Jer. 18. 7. As what instant I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and to put down and to destroy it If that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil I wil repent of the evil that I thought to doe unto them So againe Ezech. 33. 14. When I say to the wicked thou shalt surely die If he turne from his sin c he shal surely live he shal not die these two are the general rules of all Gods threatnings in the whole Scripture so that if we lay these to any threatning that was executed or not executed yet we shal find that both the mercy and truth of God wil be hereby cleered as in the differing cases of Sodom destroied and Nin●ve saved The same Rules are also to be observed in the threatnings mentioned in the New Testament even where the exception is not expressly mentioned yet it is alwaies to be understood and there we find evident and personal presidents of Gods mercy in sparing those whom he threatned when the threatning seemed to be absolute without any limitation for what threatning can be more peremptorie then that Luc. 12. 9. He that denieth me before men shall be denied before the Angels of God But we know Peter denied him before men yet Mat. 26. 74. we doubt not of Peters Conversion and Salvation And we know that the Jewes unto whom the same Peter preached Act. 3. 14. had denied the Holie One and the Just moreover killed the P●ince of life Yet S● Peter did not think them absolutely unpardonable but exhorted them to repentanc● and shewed that therby their sin might be pardoned for ●aith he v. 19 Repent yet therfore and be convert●d that you● si●s may be blotted out What threatning seemeth more peremptorie then that 1 Cor. 6 9 Be not deceived neither fornicators nor idola●e●s nor adulte●●rs nor t●eves nor

would not confesse the blood of Christ to be as it is the Blood of God and upon this misconceit he said at the Councill of Eph●sus that he could not call the Man Cbtist God for it he should it would follow that he must call him Bim●strem ●rim●strem Deum id est A god of two Soz l. y. c. 33. or three mon●ths old not considering that those sayings are not incongruous to be said of that Person who is Emmanu●l God and Man Saint Anselme also writing upon those words And hath counted the blood of the Covenant unholy Doth thus expound them Qui i●a vilipenderi● ut eum ad Ansel in loc salutem sufficere non credat nec Cenus humanum emundan●em id est to count the blood of the Covenant unholy or common is to thi●k so vi●●ly and meanly of it as if it were not of sufficient worth and value to redeem and save Mankind CHAP. XIV That the remedy of Repentance is not absolutely taken away from them that have sinned this grand sin in denying renouncing Christ that such possibly may repent that this sin is then onely unpardonable when it is accompanied with finall impenitencie the Conclusion of this Exposition IN all that our Apostle hath said in this place of sinning this grand sin by treading under foot the Son of God counting the blood of the Covenant common and vile casting away our confidence in Christ drawing back from him doing despite unto his Spirit of grace and all this wilfully and after knowledge received and although he hath affirmed that besides Christs all sufficient sacrifice once offered on the crosse there is none other sacrifice for sin either possible or to be expected yet after all this grand Impiety and Apostacy it is ●not said nor intimated that the sinner who so sinneth cannot repent repentance is not quite and absolutely taken away nor is the sinner wholy left to desperation without all remedy For albeit he who doth renounce the Profession of Christ plenarily and totally can find no other Saviour Redeemer or Sacrifice for sin and so long as he continueth in this totall Apostasie he can reasonably expect none other issue but a fearfull judgement of condemnation and fiery ind●gnation yet nothing hindreth but that this Apostate may return to his former faith and profession and repent of his Apostasie for although this rejecting or renouncing Christ may for a time be totall and plenary yet it doth not follow that it shall be finall seeing that those Jews who for a time did so eagerly and spitefully renounce and deny Christ that they also crucified him yet they were by St. Peter exhorted to repentance Acts 2. 38. yea and they did actually repent and were baptized and continued afterwards stedfast in the Apostles Doctrine Wherefore the summe of all this threatning is That he who renounceth Christ can find no other Saviour but if he will be saved he must needs return to that Christ by repentance whom he formerly rejected Another Saviour cannot be found but repentance may be found for that is not absolutely taken away and by it reconciliation may be obtained The onely thing which maketh this grand sin to be absolutely unpardonable is impenitency obstinacy obduratenesse and perseverance therein untill death and in this case onely is that saying to be understood It shall not be forgiven neither in this world neither in the world to come In this Sence onely did the anci●nt Expositors understand Aug. in expos Epist ad Rom. n. 96. those words St. Austine saith Quid restat nisi ut peccatum in Spiritum Sanctum quod non remittitur nullum intelligatur nisi perseveran●ia in nequitia cum desperatione indulgen●iae i No sin against the Holy Ghost is to be conceived unpa●donable but perseverance in that wickednesse and desperation So Theophilact writing upon those words If we sinne wilfully Theoph. in loc c. Tells us they are to be understood De permanen●ibus sine paeni●entia i. It is meant of such as continue obdurately without any repentance he addeth Si non p●rmaneamus veniae certe locus est u●● sunt igitur qui tolli paenitentiam clamant i. If we will leave and forsake that sin certainly there is pardon to be found away with them who from these words Theod. in loc gather that such sinners cannot repent Theodoret also gives the same Exposition upon these words There remaineth no more sacrifice N●quaqu●m prohibuit paenitentiam sed dixit non esse secundam crucem i. The Apostle doth not deny repentance or inhibit such sinners to be admitted amongst the number of penitents He onely saith there is none other sacrifice or second Cross And before him S. Ambrose upon those words Amb. in loc A fearful looking for of judgment saith Aliud te expectat judicium nisi per paenitentiam renovatus fueris In hoc paenitentiam non excludit Apostolus nec prepititationem quaefit per paenitentiam nec dejicit per desperat●onem non ita est inimicus nostraesalutis uon enim dixit non est ultrà paenitentia neque dixit non est r●missio sed Hostia inquit ultra non est hoc est non crux ●ecund● quicunque paenitentiae medicamentum neglexerit ignis aemulus devorabit eum i. Unless thou repent judgement waiteth for thee he doth not denie possibilitie of repentance nor reconciliation by it he doth not cast the sinner downe to desperation he is not such an enemie of our salvation for he doth not say there remaineth no repentance nor there is no hope of pardon onlie he saith there remaineth no more sacrifice that is there is no other Redeemer to be Crucified for thee but only Christ whosoever in this case shall neglect the Medicine of repentance fiery indignation will devour him As yet we find not that this grand blasphemie is absolutely unpardonable or that this blasphemer can not by Gods mercie repent It doth not appeare that such sinners are wholie left to final impenitencie and desperation but we find the contrarie that some have repented and returned to the Lord their God CHAP. XV. Whether such Blasphemers as are before mentioned Question may upon their Repentance finde mercie two sorts of Repentance First Legall Secondly Evangelicall of Judas and his Repentance the difference between penitencie and resipiscencie Objections out of the Old Testament cleared Why temporall pressures are not alwayes withdrawn upon true Repentance IT being granted that the greatest sinners and most impious blasphemers possibly may have the grace of repentance it would be next inquired whether such sinners upon their confession repentance and amendment may at all find and obtaine mercy and pardon so that their repentance shall not be fruitless The ground and reason of this inquirie is taken from some passages in Scripture where we find that some who are said to have repented yet have not bin releived for of Judas it is said Mat. 27. 3. When he

remit a temporal affliction unto a sinner tru●ie penitent no not when he forgiveth the sin as appeareth in David 2 Sam. 12. 13. I have sinned The Lord hath put away thy sin howbeit the Child shal die * Lueretia apud Livium Des 1. l. 1. Ego me Etsi peccato abs●lvo supplicio non Lib●ro The reason why temporal afflictions are not alwayes remitted either to true or false penitents upon their C●yes is given by S. Hierom. Magnae faelicitatis ●st interdùm Hier. in Ezech. 8. 18. ad praesens misericordiam non mereri ut malis coacti intell●gant quid fecerint i It is in some cases a signe of great happines not to obtaine mercie and releasment that men may learne by afflictions how greatly they have sinned So S. Ambrose saith of Amb. Epist l. 3. n. 52. Cyp. cont Demet. n. 75. Naz. Orat. 20. n. 19. the same people of whom the Prophets spake those things Judaeos in potestat●m hostium dedit Deus ut a Caelo remedium quaererent i. God delivered his people the Jewes into the hands of their enemies to provoke them to seek help from heaven Cyprian saith ●eus qui beneficiis non intelligitur plagis intelligitur Nazianzen saith Plaga corda●is viris doctrina est i. When men will not listen to God for his benefits sake he will open their understandings with afflictions temporal plagues to wisemen are active sermons If we rightly consider to what end God sendeth or permitteth temporal afflictions to fal both upon penitents and impenitents we shal find it rather a token of his mercy then a signe of his anger we honour a Physician or a surgeon for curing us though it was done by bitter potions or painful searings and cuttings Ama medicum percussorem quia e●us plaga est Hier. n 38. mater medicinae i. Because the paine he puts us to proves a medicine God is our physician tribulations are his medicines which he therfore applieth only that they may heale us and howsoever the medicine be sharpe and seeme very evil and penal and for present displease us yet Quae hic pu●antur mala in Ambr. in symb n. 20. and n. lact n. 17. Cael● bona sunt i. On earth that which is thought evil in Heaven is known to be good for it is here taken to be a punishment which indeed was but a medicine V● curat medicus vulnera vulneribus as a Surgeon Pros Epig. n. 33 Aug. Epist 48. cureth a wound by lancing Qui phrenetioum liga● lethargicum excitat ambobus molestus ambos amat i. He that binds a mad man and with a blow rowseth up one falling into a d●owsi● lethargie angreth both and yet to both doth a freindly office And although these temporal judgments are set forth unto us as signes of Gods anger because they are such things as angrie men wish and bring upon their enemies yet they are indeed arguments of his care over us and used as preventions of worse evils Divina bonitas ideo irascitur in hoc seculo ne Ir●scatur Prosp in sent 5. n. 33. in futuro i. God sheweth signes of his anger in this world to prevent his anger aeternal in the world to come Men are ready to say or to imagine that God doth not heare or regard the Prayers of men in affliction because he doth not send present deliverance but this is an error in us for God ever heareth yea and granteth the request 's of trulie penitent and faithful soules though not to our phansie and desire yet substantially to our greater benefit Bonus Deus non Aug. Epist 38. tribuit saepe quod volumus it quod maluimus trebuat i though he grant not that particular thing which we expected yet he giveth that which we would rather chose if both were propounded to us And therfore some prudent Christians have bin so far from murmuring at afflictions that they have earnestlie desired Orig. in Psal 37. hom 2. Aag vita l. 3. cap. 29. them of God Domine oro flagella me and noli me res●rvare cum illis qui non flagellantur Domine hic seca ure ut in ae●ernum parcas i. Lord I pray thee chastice launce and seare me in this life and reserve me not to perish eternallie with them that have their pleasures in this world And for this they have a parterne from a Prophet Jer. 10. 24. O Lord correct me but with judgment not in thine anger This is enough to the question in hand viz. that this Grand sin is not alwayes left to final impenitencie nor is the repentance if it be true of such sinners vaine and fruitless and consequently that this sin is not absolutly unpardonable CHAP. XVI An Exposition of that place 1 John 5. 16. Of the distinction of sins into venial and mortal what is meant by a sin not unto death and a sin unto death that all sins are not Equal THere is yet another doubt to be cleered which seemeth to represent this grand sin as if it were altogether and absolutely unpardonable which is occasioned by those words 1 John 5. 16. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shal aske and he shal give him life for them that sin not unto death There is a sin unto death I d●e not say that hee shall pray for it By which words at first sight it may seeme that 1. some sins are deadly or Mortal and others sins not deadly for from these words the Fathers often use to distinguish sins into Venial and Mortal wheras we are well assured that every sin even the very least p●ccadillo is in it self Mortal and may bring damnation and yet we doubt not but the greatest Capital sin may by Gods mercy become Vemal and may be pardoned Secondly it may seem by these words that although 2. some sinners may and in Christian Charitie ought to be prayed for yet others without breach of Christian Charitie may be omitted and not prayed for which yet seemeth very rough and harsh seeing we are commanded Mat. 5. 44. both to love our enemies and to pray even for them that persecute us Wherefore for the right understanding of these difficulties it will not be amiss to examine these words diligently by way of an Exposition For surely if any sinner in this life sinne so deadly that we may not p●ay for him and if Prayer be absolutely forbidden by these words who will doubt but that such a sinner is absolutely unpardonable and wholy left to desperation now to the words If any man see his brother sinne a sinne which is not unto death In these words the prudent Reader may observe First That the sinne here meant is such a sinne as 1. may be seen perceived and discerned Secondly That it must be discernable whether it 2. be unto death or not unto death Thirdly That because no particular sinne is named

sin far worse and as it is said Rom. 7. 13. By it sin becomes exceeding sinful Chrys de fato lib. 3. n. 21. Non ●am tetra res est peceare quam peccati non pudere i. It is not so bad a thing to sin as not to be ashamed of sin There is a received Maxime Duo si faciant idem non est idem i. Two men may commit the same sin which yet may be far worse in one then in the other for surely if the circumstance of person may varie the sin much rather may a greater circumstance as when a rich man and a poore man commit the like theft who doubts but the theft is more sinful in Aug. to 6. n. 10. the one then in the other two blasphemers do alike blaspheme the Son of God one repenteth the other persisteth the penitent shall be pardoned when the other by reason of this circumstance of impenitency will be condemned If the Reader desire yet to be further satisfied why I have said that this grand sin is not absolutely unpardonable but onely in case it be accompanied with finall impenitencie seeing that other sins also which are not of so high impiety cannot be pardoned without repentance according to our Saviours words Excep● ye repent ye shall all lik w●se p●rish To this my answer is with submission to better judgements First the grand blasphemy of denying the Godhead 1. of Jesus Christ doth utterly root up the very foundation of Chri●tian religion it nullifieth the wonderfull and gracious work of redemption for if the Lord Jesus be not the only Jehova the Supream and most high God then he hath not nor could redeem us and if we do not firmly believe this and adhere to him in this most necessary faith we cannot receive the end and benefit of his redemption Without this confession all other doctrines of our Christian faith will be unprofitable for our soules health for this is the anchor of our faith he that once offendeth in Apostatizing from his confession of faith cannot be recovered or restored to his benefit of Christianity but by a particular and special revocation and renouncing of that damning error and blasphemy whereas for the remission and pardon of other si●s of inferior rank I conceive a generall confession and penitency will be accepted through Christ by our most mercifull and compassionate God For secondly there are many sins which although of 2. themselves in their own nature and merit as they are sins are sufficient to produce the fruit and wages of sin which is death eternal yet they are unknown sins sins of ignorance and such as we do not account or think so and such as we cannot possibly take particular notice of and not onely passing the reach of our understanding Euseb Em. 24. but of our will also Multi peecant qui peccare nolunt i many sin who desire not to sin the evil that I would not that do I the sin of non age children yea and of infants too as Saint Aug. n. 8. 9. 67. Austin accounts them a secret concupiscence an angry wish or word to our brother an error in some point of christian doctrine not fundamental in which a man liveth and dieth in opinion of the truth of it besides thousands of unknown sins and as many sins of Omission called by Saint Austin del●ct● and so called as being derelicta i delinquencies or desertion of that Aug. quaest in Levit. n. 8● which is good and might have been performed Now either such offenders must perish for those unknown sins or else it must follow that a general confession in the lump af all our sins and a deprecation for Gods mercy in Christ to forbear the punishment due to them with a purpose to decline all sin to our power and as much as we can by Grace assistant will be by Gods Mercy accepted through Christ and therefore the holy Psalmist thus confesseth and thus praieth Psalm 19 12. Who can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse thou me from my secret faults we know how graciously our God did approve of the Publicans generall confession God be merciful to me a sinner Salvianus saith Veniam peto etsi delictum nescio i I pray Salv. Epist ad Par. p. 322. for pardon though I know not my particular sin For when there is an impossibility of knowing all our several sins how can there be a particular confession or repentance in this case the advice of Lactantius is good Nihil aliud precetur homo nisi peccata remitti i Lact. l. 6. de ver● cultu c. 25. n. 21. Let a man pray that his sins may be forgiven though he pray for nothing else in this sense I understand those words of Saint Austin Justam non impediunt à vita Aug. de Spir. lit c. 28. aeterna peccata quaedam venialia sine quibus vix vivitur i there are certaine pardonable sins without which a man can hardly live which shall nor hinder a godly righteous man from heaven provided that the generally confesse and deprecate them in the lump and such an acknowledgment is most necessary But to such Pharisaical and presumptuous Solifidean hypocrites who will not be induced to a confession and penitence for their sins presuming either on an historicall faith or a bold ungrounded conceit that they are elected to heaven and shall be saved by this fancie therein abusing the most comfortable and wholsom doctrine of justification by faith alone acting and operating by love and therefore making no scruple in their conscience of doing injuries and oppressing their despised brethren Tertullian shall speak as sometimes he did to such as themselves Qui aiunt se salva fide peccare salva Tertul. de paen ● 15. venia in Gehennam detrud●ntur i those that presume to act all manner of unrighteousnesse and yet tell us they shall certainly be saved because they hold fast and reserve their Faith Let them know that God also will held fast and reserve his pardon from them and then they will be condemned There remaineth yet one scruple more to be examined concerning Erronious Opinions and misbelief of the Incarnation of God which I thus state If the deniall of the Godhead of Christ persevered in impenitently untill death For after death none of the damned are Atheists or Arians will certainly bring upon such a blasphemer eternall perdition because this blasphemy utterly disclaimeth the grand and principall means of Redemption and so of salvation I aske What shall be thought of them that believe not rightly in the Incarnation of cur Lord Jesus Christ For many which confessed Jesusto be God and also to be Incarnate yet they would not believe that he took his flesh from the Virgine Mary as conceiving it to be too great an abasement of the mighty God to passe through and suffer the pollutions of the womb And also because they reade in Scripture John