as Epicurus did and Aristotle is conceived to have done attributing the events of things either to the course of nature to Fate and Destiny or to Chance and Fortune 2. When men shall villifie speak disgracefully of the one or other of these works Of the work of Creation Momus like carping at Gods workmanship in any of his Creatures Of the work of Providence quarrelling with his dispensations finding fault with his ordering and disposing of the course of things as if it were not in Wisedome in Justice c. 3. When they shall attribute the works of God unto Satan as the malicious Jews who ascribed those miraculous works wrought by the divine power of Christ unto Beelzebub Mat. 12. 24. Thus is God blasphemed in his works Fourthly there is a Blasphemy against the Word of God the sacred Scriptures When men shall derogate from their Authority Sufficiencie Perfection Certainty Such is the Blasphemy of those who deny them to be the Word of God or speak contumeliously and disgracefully of them as a dead letter a Lesbian leaden Rule a nose of Wax Inkie Divinity which is the language of some of the Romanists and others Fifthly There is a Blasphemy against the Religion of God When men shall speak against it as the Jewes did against Pauls Doctrine Acts 13. 45. They spake against those things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming Or having imbraced the true Religion of God shall afterwards renounce it make defection from it whether through fear as Paul saith that by punishing and persecuting of Christians he made them to Blaspheme Acts 26. 11. viz. by abjuring or renouncing their Religion Or for any other respect Thus Hymeneus and Alexander are said to Blaspheme 1 Tim. 1. ult. viz. by making shipwrack of the Faith which they had professed and so speaking evill of it Sixthly Of the Ordinances of God when men shall speak disgracefully of them any of them as of the Ministery of the Word as they did who called Pauls preaching Babling Acts 17. 18. and the Grecians who accounted it foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1. Or of the Sacraments or Sabbaths as Jerusalems adversaries did of whom it is said They mocked at her Sabbaths Lam. 1. 7. Seventhly and lastly God may be said to be blasphemed in his Image And that not only in his Essential Image his Son Christ who is God equal with his Father and so what is done to the one by way of honour or dishonour redoundeth to the other as our Saviour himself tels the Jewes John 5. 23. but also to his accidental Image Thus God is blasphemed in speaking evill of the lawful Magistrate concerning whom the prohibition is Thou shalt not revile the Gods or Judges nor curse the Ruler of thy people Exod. 22 28. This also is Blasphemy Naboth hath blasphemed God and the King King 21. 10. They speak evil of Dignities saith the Apostle of some 2 Pet. 2. 10. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} blaspheme them So in reproaching and slandring the Ministers of Christ This also in Pauls language is Blasphemy Rom. 3. 8. 1 Cor. 4. 13. So again to speak evill of any of the Saints of God and that because they are such this also is Blasphemy 1 Pet 4. 4. They speak evill of you Blaspheme you Such are the reproaches and contumelies which are cast upon any for righteousnesse sake no lesse then Blasphemies striking at God through their sides in whom his Image is conspicuous All these wayes the name of God may be said to be blasphemed So as there are diverse kinds of blasphemies against God And as there are diverse kinds so there are diverse degrees There is a Blasphemy which is of Ignorance and there is a Malicious Blasphemy The former when men speak evill of what they know not speak evill of God of Christ of his Religion c. because they know no better Such was Pauls Blasphemy before his conversion I was a Blasphemer saith he But how so I did it ignorantly 1 Tim. 1. 13. The latter is when men having beene inlightned and having tasted of the heavenly gift and beene made partakers of the Holy Ghost c. as the Apostle describeth the qualification of an Apostate Heb. 6. 4 5. having received the knowledge of the truth as we have it Heb. 10. 26. shall afterwards fall away so as to speak evill of that way wherein before they walked to deride and mock it this our Saviour calleth Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Matth 12. 31. viz. not against the person but against the work of the Holy Ghost against the work of Illumination and Conviction in the soule Of all kinds and degrees of Blasphemy this is most dreadful Blasphemie though it be of ignorance is a sin of a high nature So Paul looked upon it after his conversion reckoning up this as one of the sins which made him in his own apprehension the Chief of sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. But malicious Blasphemy is inexpiable a sin and the only sin exempt from mercy All manner of sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven but the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men Matth. 12. 31. Thus have I with what brevity I could laid before you the nature kinds and degrees of this sin which the Apostle here foretelleth should in after times prove rife and common in the Church Men shall be Blasphemers speaking evill of the name of God and so wronging and dishonouring him in his Titles Properties Works Word Religion Ordinances Image Some in one kinde some in another Such he saith there should be in Timothies time and in after ages the Church should seldome want some or other of this kinde of men Quest But who or what were they of whom the Apostle here foretelleth that they should prove so desperately wicked Men shall be Blasphâ—mers But what men Answ. We answer The men here pointed at are 1. Generally Christians not such as were without Heathens or Jewes open and professed enemies to Christ and his Gospel but such as made an outward profession of Christianity and such as pretended themselves members of the Church So much we may collect from the fifth verse of the Chapter where the Apostle describeth those of whom he here speaks to be such as had {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a forme of godlinesse a vizard of piety a formall profession of Faith and Holinesse though denying the power of it Such they were to be for the general Professors 2. More particularly not only Professors but Teachers Such as took upon them to teach and instruct others and were very active zealous and industrious in that way So the Apostle proceedeth in his description in the following verse 6. Of this sort are they which creep into houses c. Such as under a pretence and colour of propagating and promoting the Gospel went about venting their erroneous and heretical opinions and Blasphemies seeking to make Proselytes to gaine disciples corrupting
doctrine of the Gospel 1 Tim. 6. 3. Tit. 1. 1. and that by reducing it to practice which is the truest acknowledgment leading a life befitting the profession of the truth in all uprightnesse and sincerity Thus knowing God let us glorifie him as God by walking before him in Truth not daring to do any thing against the Truth We can do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 8. Being thus sincere with God walking in the Truth we shall through his grace be kept from this great transgression 4. But in the fourth place walk humbly This is one of the things which the Lord requireth from his people that they walk humbly with their God Mic. 6. 8. O that every of us could but take out this lesson Surely the want of this it is that hath proved so baneful to many of our now seducing and seduced brethren They seemed to walk with God I but they did not walk humbly with him Their souls were lifted vp within them lifted up in the apprehension of their own graces gifts parts c. And therfore is it that God hath thus left them into the hands of this his messenger Satan thus to be buffeted by his Blasphemous tentations Let their fall be a Caveat to us Take we heed lest our hearts be exalted through the abundance of what ever spiritual priviledges we are made partakers of The story tels us of King Hezekiah when the Babylonian Ambassadours came to congratulate his recovery from that dangerous sicknesse Isa. 39. he in a vain glorious humour shewed them all his treasures that so the fame of his wealth and magnificence might be carried abroad to forraine Princes But what was the issue This vainglory proved fatal to his Kingdome betraying all those treasures into the hands of those Babylonians Thus dealeth God sometimes by his people when they will be proud of their spiritual treasures making ostentation of their gifts and graces God leaveth them into the hands of Satan to be made a prey of by him and for a time to be taken and carried captive by him at his will as our Apostle speaketh of some Apostates 2 Tim. 2 2 26. And therefore see that we walk humbly with God thinking meanly of our selves preferring others before our selves To these obvious directions I might adde many more St. Jude furnisheth me with three or four very proper in this case You shall finde them lying together in two verses in his Epistle Having in the 17. and 18. verses minded those to whom he writes of what our Apostle here warneth Timothy But beloved remember ye the words which were spoken before by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ how that they told you there should be mockers in the last times Professors some of them should turn Blasphemers speaking evill of and mocking at the Truths and wayes of God which formerly themselves had professed and walked in In the 20. 21. ver. he subjoyns and layeth down some directions whereby Gods faithful people might be preserved from the like evill But ye beloved build your selves on your most holy faith c. In which two verses we may take notice of a fourfold direction each useful to our present purpose 1. Buildup your selves on your most holy faith Faith the Doctrine of Faith for of that the Apostle therespeaketh is the foundation on which Christians are laid and built Yee are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone saith Paul to his Ephesians Eph. 2. 20. that is upon the Doctrine of the Gospel the Doctrine of Faith and Holinesse contained in their writings Now being laid upon this foundation built upon this faith they are as living stones to build up themselves upon this faith Not seeking for any other foundation other foundation can no man lay saith the Apostle then that which is laid 1 Cor. 3. 11. not questioning the truth and soundnesse of this Gospel foundation they are with confidence and resolution to build upon it and to build up themselves on it endeavouring to advance themselves in their spiritual estate upon this foundation And this do you Brethren who would be preserved from the Apostacie of the times That foundation which you have been built upon that Doctrine of Faith and Holinesse which hath been preached unto you and received by you this is the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and other foundation can no man lay then what hath been laid amongst you If any shall pretend to do it though it were an Angel from Heaven Pauls Anathema will light upon him Gal. 1. 8. And therefore build you your selves on this foundation with confidence and full assurance build upon this doctrine as the infallible truth of God adventuring your salvation laying the weight of your souls upon it As the stones of the building lay all their weight upon the foundation firmly and immovably resting upon it So do you rest upon that Doctrine which you have learned Not calling in question any of the Principles of your Religion any of the fundamental truths of the Gospel This Scepticisme questioning Principles of Christianity specially if they shall be arraigned at the bar of humane Reason it maketh way for Apostacie and in the end as experience hath made it good upon some for Atheisme And therefore in this sense Lay we not again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith towards God of the Doctrine of Baptismes and of laying on of hands and of the Resurrection of the dead and Eternall Judgment as the Apostle dehorts Heb. 6. 1 2. This do some at this day who call all these and alâ— other fundamentals of Christian Religion into question Let not us dare to do it But leaving the principles of the Doctrine of Christ leaving them as we found them immovable and unshaken taking the Principles of our Religion for indubitable and unquestionable truths let us go on to perfection in knowledge and practise so building up our selves on this our most holy faith going on forwards from faith to faith from one degree of faith and holinesse to another Not looking back as Lots wife did for which she is made exemplary to all Apostates being turned into a pillar of salt to season and preserve others but go on untill we come to the Mount of God untill we come to see what we have beleeved and shall receive the end of our Hope the salvation of our souls 2. The second direction followes Praying in the Holy Ghost This is one of the pieces of the Christian Panoplie of that compleat spiritual Armour which the Apostle willeth the Christian souldier to take up and make use of Ephes. 6. 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit This piece of Armour Paul himself made use of against those buffetings of Satan supposed to be Blasphemous temptations he betook himself to his prayers For this thing I besought the Lord
reason taken from the order of the words wherein he apprehends a kind of Gradation Men shall be lovers of themselves Covetous Boasters Proud {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Contemners of other men as he expounds the Word I not sparing God himself Blasphemers of him And if that be true which Epiphanius with great probability conjectures viz. that the Apostle here in this description aimes at those Hereticks which should spring up in the infancie of the Church as viz. Simon Menander Ebion Cerinthus Carpocrates and the Gnosticks we shall not need to mince the matter for such were they down-right Blasphemers in an Ecclesiastical sense Blasphemers of God And that the Apostle speaketh here if not of them yet of such as they it is rightly and clearly collected from the sixth and eighth verses of the chapter Where shewing who and what they were whom he spake of Of this sort saith he are they which creep into houses and lead captive silly women verse 6. plainly pointing out false teachers Hereticks who vented and scattered their false doctrines and heresies clancularly and closely in corners taking advantage upon the weaker sex as the devil at first did to make the first impression upon them as all Hereticks in all ages ever have done and at this day do And again vers. 8. As Jannes and Iambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the truth men of corrupt minds concerning the faith reprobate Such they were whom the Apostle here speaketh of Blasphemous Hereticks And being such we may well conceive this to be the sinne which here he chargeth upon them viz. Blasphemy in a restrained sense even Blasphemy against God Having thus found out the kind of evil here charged our next work must be yet a little more fully to open the nature of it Blasphemy in proper acceptation what it is I have already told you in the general It is any Injury offered to the name of God by word Or speaking evill of the name of God So the Lord complains of it Is 52. 5. My name continually every day is blasphemed To which text the Apostle relates Rom. 2. 24. The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles That is evil-spoken of Now for a more particular explication that we may dive a little into the bowels of this sinne let me briefly open unto you these two things First What is meant by the name of God And secondly How the name of God may be iujured by word evil-spoken of 1. For the former by the name of God we are to understand any thing whereby God Himself or his Will his Nature or his Mind are made known to us Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain Command 3. Now this is done many ways As by his Titles Attributes Works Word Religion Ordinances Image His Titles as Iehovah Elohim God Lord His Attributes or Properties as Power Goodnesse Mercy Truth His Works of Creation and Providence His Word which is his mind and will revealed in the Scriptures Religion the Doctrine and Practice of it His Ordinances Prayer the publick Ministry of the Word Sacraments Sabbaths His Image whether Essentiall as it was in Christ who is called the Image of the invisible God 1 Col. 15. the expresse Image of his person Heb. 1. 2. which is called the name of God Exod. 23. 21. My name is in him speaking of Christ Or Accidental as it is in men upon whom the name of God is called as it is upon Magistrates who are therefore called Gods Psal. 82. 1. 6. Exod. 22. 28. And upon Ministers who stand in the place of God as his Ambassadours acting in his name and bearing his name as it is said of Paul Acts 9. 15. And generally upon all the faithful people of God who bear the Image of their heavenly Father and are called by his name as we have it Deut. 28. 10. Jer. 14. 9 By these God maketh himself known unto us and therefore each may be called his name Quest 2 Now How may this name of God be said to be injured evill spoken of Answ. I answer in the general when men shall abuse any of these by word speak contumeliously of them This Contumely redounding unto God himself every word so spoken is Blasphemie As 1. When the Titles of God are abused whether by way of Incantation as those Jewish Exorcists called the name of Jesus over them which had evill spirits Acts 19. 13. or by way of Execration cursing the name of God or by his name which was the Blasphemie of the Israelitish womans son Levit. 24. 11. who blasphemed the name of the Lord and cursed or by way of Pejeration forswearing or by way of wicked swearing which Tremelius renders Blasphemia Blasphemy Levit. 5. 1. Secondly God is Blasphemed in his Attributes and that three wayes 1. When men shall deny that unto God which properly belongs unto him and is agreeable to his nature As when men shall deny him to be such a one as he hath revealed himself denying him to be Omnipresent Omniscient Omnipotent which last was the Blasphemie of Rabshakeh and the servants of the King of Assyria who bade defiance unto God in point of power as if he had not been able to deliver Ierusalem out of the hands of their Master 2 Kings 18. 35. compared with chap 19. 6. 2. When men shall attribute that unto God which is not agreeable to his nature fasten dishonourable attributes upon him taking up and venting of mean and low apprehensions concerning God as the Heathens of old and some Hereticks have done and Idolaters and blind ignorant persons daily do who misconceiving of God thinking him to be like nnto themselves as the Lord saith of the wicked man Psal. 50. 21. expresse those their misconceivings to the disparaging of the Majesty of the infinite God 3. When men shall attribute that unto the creature which is proper to the Creator whether unto themselves that is the Blasphemy which the Scribes censure Christ for though unjustly Mat. 9. 2 3. This man blasphemeth say they viz. in taking upon him to forgive sinnes which is a work proper unto God Or unto others as when men shall make Gods of men attributing divine properties or giving divine honour to them as the People to Herod Acts 12. 22. And the Lystrians to Paul and Barnabas Acts 14. 11 12 13. and as Court-parasites do sometimes to their Princes and Romish flatterers to their lord god the Pope as some of them have not spared to call him Each of these is Blasphemy Blasphemy against the Attributes of God Thirdly there is blasphemy against the works of God His works of Creation and Providence And thus again God may be blasphemed three ways 1. When men shall deny these works or either of them deny the works of Creation as those Philosophers who would have the world to be from Eternity coexistent with God himselfe Deny the work of Providence
have any intimate and unnecessary familiarity with them The like the same Apostle requires from his Thessalonians 2 Thess. 3. 14. If any man obey not our word receive not our doctrine but oppose it note that man and have no communion with him that he may be ashamed And the like direction he giveth to Timothy concerning these Blasphemers and Seducers in the fifth verse of this chapter 2 Tim. 3. 5. From such turn away {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i. e. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} have no society no communion with them This would not St. John have with that blasphemous Heretick Cerinthus whom when he espied washing himself in the Bathe he refused to enter into the same place fearing lest the roof should fall on his head which covered so wretched a miscreant as it is reported from Policarpe by Ireneus Euseb. And this ought not Christians to have with men of the like spirit If a man have a Plague-sore upon him they who take notice of it shall not need to be disswaded from keeping him company Now surely the contagion of Heretical Blasphemy is no lesse dangerous to the soul then the Pestilence to the Body Besides intimate and unnecessary familiarity with the sinner carrieth with it a seeming approbation of the sin and so maketh a man accessory to it and in that respect to be declined The Garment spotted by the flesh ought not to be touched nor come nigh Jude 23. 6. Again in the sixth place Christians may be made accessories to this sin by not mourning for it Thus are all Christians to be affected with the scandalous fals of their brethren Paul blameth his Corinthians that taking notice of that Incestuous person they were yet puffed up and had not rather mourned that he who had done that deed might be taken away from among them 1 Cor. 5. 2. In not doing it they make themselves accessory to the sin So did all they in Jerusalem who did not mourn for the sins of the times And so do they in England at this day who hearing of such horrid Blasphemies as are dayly belched out against the God of heaven against his Truth his wayes his Ordinances and being called upon to humble their souls for them are yet puffed up with an apprehension of such glorious times such happy and blessed times and do not rather mourn mourn for the sin that so the offendors might either be reformed or punished 7. In the last place to name no more Christians may be accessory to this sin by being occasions of it This is that which is charged upon David 2 Sam. 12. 14. By those foul sins of his he had given great occasions to the enemies of God to blaspheme And this the Apostle chargeth upon those Jews who making their boast of the Law yet walked contrary to it by open violations of it The name of God saith he is blasphemed amongst the Gentiles through you Rom. 2. 24. And thus is the Religion of God subject to be blasphemed through the scandalous lives of Christians When they shall walk contrary to their Professions profane persons will be ready to cast this in the face of their Religion Lo what a Religion is this which yeeldeth such fruits So as by these means they become accessory to the Blasphemy of others Which let all of us beware of A Caveat pressed by our Apostle once and again 1 Tius 6. 1. Tit. 2. 5. And let every of us take it home to our selves making use of it Especially in these catching times wherein many lye in wait for such occasions that they might have somewhat to cast in the face of the true Religion of God and those who shew themselves constant in the profession of it Be we so much the more watchful over our wayes over our walkings that so we may be no wayes accessory to these their Blasphemies And thus have I at length dispatched this useful and necessary caveat concerning this great and wrath provoking evil of the times Take heed that we be not partakers in it whether as Principals or as Accessories And thus washing our own hands of the sin now do what we may for others for our brethren for the Church of God amongst us 1. For our Brethren which are of two sorts such as are fallen such as yet stand A word for each 1. For the former do what we may for their Recovery A duty incumbent upon all who themselvs standing upon the shoar ought to reach forth a hand to those whom they see swiming in the stream When Abraham heard how his kinsman Lot was taken and carried away captive presently he arms himself and maketh out for his resone Gen. 14. Do we the like for our brethren whom we see or hear of to be thus taken captive by the devil carried away at his pleasure O do what we may for their rescue their recovery Quest What shall we do for them Ans. Herein hearken to St. Jude who having first shewed Christians what they are to do for themselvs in such Apostatizing times Keep your selves in the love of God v. 21. Then he directs them what to do for others such as are carried away with the errors of the times v. 22. 23 Of some saith he have compassion making a difference And others save with fear pulling them out of the fire And this let all of us do concerning our seducing and seduced brethren Puttiing a difference betwixt the one and the other On some have compassion viz. of weak wel-meaning simple seduced souls such as follow their seducing teachers as those 200 men did Absolom 2 Sam. 15. 10. in the simplicity of their hearts being carried away by their plausible pretences and specious glosses which they set upon their false and damnable doctrines On such have compassion as praying for them so seeking their recovery by gentle means gentle admonitions instructions reprehensions endeavouring to hold forth a light untothem to convince them of their wandrings and to direct them into the way of truth again from whence they have so dangerously gone aside Thus deal with them as tender-hearted Surgeons do with dis-located or dis-joynted bones handle them with a gentle hand restoring them as the Apostle alluding to that Metaphor exhorts Gal 6. 1. with a spirit of meeknesse As for others pertinacious and obstinate Hereticks perverse and proud seducers or men confirmed and hardned in their blasphemous errors if it may be save them also As much as in us lies be instrumental in their salvation But they are to be proceeded with in another way in a way of severity Save them with fear terrifying them by thundring out the judgments of God against them where other means avail not making use of the sharper and severer censures of the Church In this case where those milder remedies of admonition and suspension will not take place the highest censure of Excommunication is seasonable This is the Churches last remedy