as they may not pray for such so also do they pray agaiust them Thus haue holy men of God heretofore being stirred with zeale for Gods glory deuowed and accursed the wicked and malicious enemies of the Church Thus Dauid many times Let vs obserue his vehemency Let their Table bee a snare c. id est All their delights whatsoeuer was ordayned to make their liues comfortable Let their eyes be blinded and bow downe their backs id est Take away both iudgement blinde their vnderstandings take away their power and strength Poure out thine anger vpon them c. Not a small sprinkling but the full viols of thy wrath make them to drinke the dregs thereof neyther let it end in them but redound to their posterity to blot out the memoriall of them Let their habitation be voide c. Yea he proceedeth Adde iniquitie to their iniquitie id est cast them into a Reprobate sence that they neuer may come to Repentance as p Caluin expoundeth it Let their iniquity bee increased more and more that so it may plainely be perceiued that they are of the reprobate Geneuenses Or else as Tremellius reads Adde punishment to their punishment id est Hauing pursued them with temporall punishments in this life prosecute them also with eternall in the life to come Blot them out of the booke of Life and let them not be numbred with the Righteous id est Howsoeuer by their profession hitherto they haue seemed to be written in the booke of Life and haue beene counted among the Righteous as members of the Church Yet since their wickednesse is growne to that height that they persecute him whom thou hast smitten let them now be knowne as Reprobates and exterminated and banish'd out of thy Church That it may plainely be perceiued that they haue neyther part nor porcion nor inheritance among the Saints Thus you see how he doth Anathematize and curse the obstinate impaenitent and malicious persecutors of the Church Anathematize I say not pray for them as Origen would haue it nor meerely prophecy of what should befall as Augustine but smite them with a curse and well he might it being Gods cause himselfe being directed to it by an extraordinary and propheticall Spirit and they being the professed enemies of God Thus Paul If any man loue not the Lord Iesus id est hateth execrateth blasphemeth which is the sinne against the holy Ghost Let him be Anathema Maranatha accursed for euer euen till the Lord Iesus come from heauen with flaming fire to render vengeanec to deuoure the aduersaries These are generall for particular impraecations besides the example of Elisha u cursing the children and Paul doing the like to Elymas the sorcerer there is Psal. 109. where Dauid doth most bitterly devowe and curse his enemie whether it were Doeg or Saul or some other once-familiar friend And Paul speaking of Alexander the copper-smith who was one of our Apostata's addeth The Lord rewarde him according to his workes Yea and for the safety of the Church he proceedeth to excommunication of him Whom I haue deliuered to Sathan The Ecclesiasticall Histories doe record that diuers in the primitiue Church did pray against Iulian the Apostata applying the Psalmes of Dauid against him and his Idolatry and after his fall the Church of Antioch made feasts of ioy reioycing greatly ouer him and mocking and deluding his followers and adhaerents Where are thine auguries o foolish Maximus God and his Christ at length hath ouercome Neyther are we to suppose that these are left to vs only as matterr of History monuments of Antiquity But certainely for matter of imitation alwaies prouided that we warily and carefully haue respect vnto those things which are to be obserued in Imprecation Now that we may be true imitators of Dauid and so lawfully apply the Psalmes of Imprecation we must saith Caluin induere personam Christi Put on the person of Christ id est deale in his cause For so shall we finde that still when Dauid commeth to Imprecation he was First not carried away with an immoderate carnall affection Secondly nor handled his owne cause Thirdly nor was inflamed with inconsiderate and rash zeale So iust we doe In the practise of Anathematizing and Imprecation there must be obserued First The person accursing that he be a man of knowledge wisedome and discretion that so he may wisely vnderstand the condition of the person to be accursed the spirit that moueth him the end which he propoundeth to himselfe and the time when he is to doe or not to doe it Secondly The person accursed that he be such an one of whom besids that he is a publique and no priuate enemy there is no hope of amendment intractable incorrigible yea a professed enemy to God all goodnes Thirdly The spirit by which he is led Not of a priuate passion not led away with carnall affection but with a single eye not hating the person but iudging and misliking the wicked practises of such by whom God is dishonored In a word it must be the spirit of Prudence to distinguish betwixt the curable and the incurable Of Uprightnesse to sequester and separate his affections from his owne priuate cause Of Moderation to compose the minde to patience meekenesse and toleration Fourthly The end which one propoundeth to himselfe which must not bee the desire of reuenge but the zeale for Gods glory which hee seeth to bee trodden downe vnder foote Fiftly the time viz. After that all meanes of recouery and amendment being vsed yet none amendment followeth but rather euill men wax worse and worse so that there is good cause to beleeue that the party is incorrigible yea and giuen vp to a Reprobate sence Adde to this that the houre of death is no fit nor seasonable houre to vse Impraecation though the cause be iust Christ vpon the Crosse prayed for his enemies and Stephen for his persecutors neyther of them at that time vsed Imprecation To shut vp this point since now the gift of discerning spirits which was in the Apostolicall Church is gone and men haue their zeale mingled with much choller stomacke anger and hatred therefore it is good First to vse only a generall forme of Imprecation contayned in the Scripture against all incurable enemies and so leaue the application of it to God whose hand will find out all those who hate him and not as the custome of the e Franciscan Friers who for a peece of money doe in the behalfe of the Doner apply the 109. Psalme against any one whatsoeuer yea for the Mother against the Sonne Secondly In our mentall application still to pray with a condition if they be incurable and these are the Lawes of Imprecation As God depriueth them of the Churches prayers and stirreth vp the zeale of his seruants to pray against them So doth he also giue them
in the Gospell may further bee confirmed by our owne obseruation viz. That wheresoeuer there is any mention of this sin in the new Testament there comes with it some intimation of the workes of the Mediator In Mat. 12. They opposed Christ himselfe in his miracles In Heb. 6. Paul instanceth in their crucifying againe of Christ c. And in Heb. 10. Of their trampling vnderfoote the Sonne of God c. So that this Truth is the doctrine of the Gospell the faith of our saluation through the bloud of Christ The which Piscator confirmeth by the Antithesis betwixt the contempt of the Law and the contempt of the Gospell handled in Heb. 10. 28. This Truth must be knowne to the partie he must be enlightened hee must haue a competent measure of knowledge before he falleth into this sinne For confirmation of this to omit that of Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after wee haue receiued the knowledge of the truth let vs consider how he enlargeth this point Heb. 6. 4 what phrases the Apostle vseth to set forth the measure of grace to which they had attained Marke his wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is impossible that they which were once inlightned c. Wee shall not lightly finde a more plaine more full more pithie place Ergo let vs heere stay and demurre a little and labour to vnderstand the same There are two diuerse applications of this place if they may bee called Diuerse which all tende to the same ende For some doe apply each phrase to signifie some particular thing Thus Hemingius and Iunius First heare Hemingi◠Praecedunt peccatum in spiritum sanctum sayth hee there goes before this our sinne fiue things first An illumination Secondly A tast of the heauenly gift Thirdly A participation of the holy Ghost Fourthly A tast of the good ward of God Fiftly A tast of the powers of the world to come These hee thus explaineth This Illumination is the knowledge of Christ and his benefits The taste of the heauenly gift is the participation of these benefits by faith The communion of the Spirit is the Testimony of the Spirit in the hearts of the faithfull concerning the truth of God The good worde of which they tasted is the instrumentall cause of the former for by the word comes knowledge by knowledge faith the holy Ghost being powred into our heartes The powers of the worlde to come is that blessed Immortalitie which the faithfull and beleeuers doe tast of through the holy Ghost who doth renew their hearts Thus farre Hemingius very well and to good purpose if withall you note the Emphasis and and force of the word Gustaverunt haue tasted hee sayth not Deglutiverunt haue swallowed downe much lesse Concoxerunt haue digested it For it is one thing to beleeue truely and plenarily as did Lidia whose heart the Lord opened another thing to haue onely a tast Piscator handleth these fiue phrases thus They containe saith he first The benefits of God bestowed which are two viz illumination and a tast of Gods fauour Secondly The causes of them viz. The word and the Spirit Iunius not an Author to bee contemned goeth an other way to worke for hee makes these fiue phrases to answere to the fiue heads of the Apostles Catechisme spoken of in the beginning of the chapter that as by the knowledge and profession of those hee was aedified and builded vp in Christianitie so now in his relapse and Apostacy he did vndoe all and quite destroy the former building The first head of Catechisme was Repentance from dead workes to which answereth the first phrase were once enlightned idest were called from darknesse yea death to light yea life by the renouncing of themselues and their dead workes The second was faith towardes God to which answereth the second phrase Haue tasted of the heauenly gift which gift is faith receiued from God The third ground was the Doctrine of Baptismes not Baptisme onely but Baptismes as well the inward of the Spirit whereby we are made the members of Christ the sonnes of God and inheritors of the kingdome of heauen as the outward of the Minister by which wee are receiued into the Church and acknowledged members thereof To this answereth the third phrase were made partakers of the holy Ghost id est receiued the Spirit a most constant witnesse of their adoption and redemption The fourth head was the Doctrine of the Imposition of hands a ceremony vsed at that time to admit and consecrate by a publicke consent those who vpon tryall were found sufficient either to the common profession of Christianity in the comunion of the Sacrament or to some speciall office or function in the ministry To which answereth the fourth phrase Haue tasted of the good word of God which is the nourishment of those who doe liue by the Spirit and who by the Imposition of hands were called to the offices of a Christian life The last ground of the catechisme was the Doctrine of the resurrection and aeternall iudgement to which answereth the last phrase Haue tasted of the powers of the world to come id est That hope of life and immortalitie which is layd vp for them in the heauen Hitherto Iunius laudably indeede if there be tantum certitudinis quantum subtilitatis so much certainety as subtilty in this his application And this is the former The second kinde of Application is of them who do apply all these fiue phrases to signifie one selfe same thing Thus Caluin the Coriphaeus of our Diuines Notandum est saayth hee wee must heere marke with what Elogies the Apostle doth set forth the knowledge of the Gospell For hee calleth it first Illumination intimating that men doe grope in darkenes till Christ the day-starre doe arise in their hearts Secondly The tast of the heauenly gift teaching that the benefits of Christ doe transcend the heauens and yet by faith are tasted Thirdly The Participation of the Spirit because hee it is that distributeth to each one as he listeth Fourthly The tast of the good word of God signifying that in the Gospel the will of God is so manifested to vs as that it doth most sweetely delight vs. Fiftly The tast of the powers of the world to come insinuating that by faith wee are admitted into the heauenly kingdome beholding thorow faith that blessed immortalitie which is layd vpp for vs in the heauen Thus Caluin To the same effect Zanchius who thus explaineth himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enlightened viz. by the holy Ghost to know the truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est haue tasted in some measure of the diuine bounty manifested in the Gospell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. id est haue in some measure perceiued themselues renewed by the holy Ghost through the doctrine of the Gospell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tasted of the good word of God id est the
speedinesse constraineth me to hasten And here could I very willingly take vp my rest and make an end hauing now finisht the two parts propounded in the beginning And certainely I will with much celeritie dispatch there remaineth onely vse to be made of what hath beene said and so an end Here then first let vs obserue the miserable estate of those men which are in this sinne Oh whose heart doth not ake whose loynes doe not tremble to thinke Sathan should thus farre seduce any man as to make him cast off God the fathers mercy God the sonnes merit to trample vnder-foote the Sonne of God to count the bloud of the new Testament an vnholy thing to set himselfe in hatred against God and all goodnesse Oh that man should ever in this life come to that estate that the Church may not pray for him but against him that he should bee so cauterized and giuen vp to hardnesse of heart as to haue no sence nor feeling of his estate no desire to come out of it Oh in the name of God let euery man try and examine himselfe that so he may find the estate of his owne soule how neere hee is to this sinne or how farre off from it Learne wisedome also to discerne of others both to admonish those who walke this broad way to destruction and to take heede of those who haue now already plunged themselues into the same and to quiet our consciences in the feare of this sinne Quaest. How may it be discerned who are in this sinne and who not What markes of it may yet further be assigned Respon Some answere thus Licebit interdum statuere c. It shall be lawfull sometime to determine whether he that falleth fall desperately or whether there be any place for recouery Sed quia rarissime accidit c. But in as much as it happeneth very seldome and God commending the incomprehensible riches of his grace by his owne example biddeth vs to be mercifull we ought not rashly to pronounce sentence of condemnation against any one rather charitie wisheth vs to hope well To this effect also Beza Quum hoc peccatum magis intus lateat c. Since that this sinne doth lye hid within the hearts rather then appeare outwardly nothing is so much and so warily to be looked into as to take heede that we rashly fall not to judgement in this case Heretofore when the gift of discerning spirits was in the Church this was more easie to be discerned by some speciall Revelation and yet even then very seldome very sparingly Wherefore now sayth he we ought to be much more considerate condemning the vices but wisely handling the persons Marlorate will haue such to be altogether left to the judgement of God But here then another Obiection is mooved viz. How may we then fulfill the Apostles iniunction in denying them our prayers If such may not in this life plainely be discerned then may we still pray for them and so striue against God and breake his direct commandement To this some answere that if we include such a one in our prayers and so make our prayers Non debito ordine not in a due manner though our charitie may excuse our prayer that it shall not be sinfull yet we shall suffer this losse that we shall neuer be heard for them As Christ on the crosse prayed for his murtherers but hee was heard onely for such who did repent the rest sinned vnto death But this answere me thinketh doth not so fully satisfie the doubt nor answere this text of S. Iohn which biddeth vs not to pray for such at all Neither can I simply allow of that exception which Bernard addeth to this Text If thou maist not pray for him yet maist thou sigh for him Happily thy sighes may haue accesse whether thou darest not send thy prayers For to what end should any mourne for such a one vnlesse our sighes and mourning might either procure him release from his punishment and so nullifie the iustice of God or obtaine remission for his sinne and so falsifie Gods word For which cause Samuell is greatly reprehended And I pray what is the sighing and groaning of the heart but the prayers of the spirit so that in this it is no great difference whether thou pray with the spirit inwardly or with an audible voice outwardly for both wayes prayer is performed Wherefore farre better is that which Calvin answereth If sayth he the desperate malice and wickednesse of any doth so plainely appeare as if God did with his finger point forth such a one wee must not striue with the iustice of God as if wee would bee more mercifull then hee Which is also confirmed by Beza vsing almost the same words But if the Lord shall as it were with his finger point forth such an offendor then this place of Iohn teacheth vs what to doe in such a case viz. we must not pray for him So then the whole answere I suppose may be thus declared 1. For matter of Imprecation we are to obserue all the cautions that were before mentioned and not suffer our selues to be drawne to that in particular Neither doe I hold it fitting even in the vrging of these common Anathema's mentioned in Scripture to haue any priuate intention 2. For praetermitting such in our prayers this precept might most happily bee obserued when the gift of discerning spirits was in the Church 3. Though we cannot obsolutely determine and conclude that such a one hath sinned thus desperately yet may we haue sufficient ground for a strong coniecture which may suffice to cause vs to passe ouer such in our particular prayers and to leaue them to God Neither are we to be blamed though wee should erre in this poynt since that our end is good and his sinne deserueth such a punishment and wee can haue no Faith to pray for him Still the first question How these may bee discerned doth rest vnsatisfied To which I answere that absolutely to determine of such a one is very difficult neither is there any sufficient marke but the event viz. Finall impaenitency But the grounds of suspition are such as these First Prophanenesse which kicketh and spurneth against all the workes of the Spirit all duties of holinesse no grace no thanksgiuing no humiliation not a good word but this mans dislike is seene yea such a dislike as manifesteth an heart full fraught with malice choaking and damming vp all passages of Grace thus plainely doth he professe his cankered heart and spitefull malice against the spirit of Grace Secondly when a man reioyceth not in any one truth reuealed in the Scripture concerning the saluation of man but rather doth question it doubt of it yea to his power doth impugne and resist it Thirdly enuying the grace and happinesse in which another standeth It was a bad signe in Kaen who enuied his brother because the Lord accepted the Sacrifice
of Abel rather than his But it was a worse signe in Saul who knowing that Dauid was the man in whom the kingdome should be established did fret and grudge murmur and repine against it labouring by all meanes to ouerthrow the decree of God So when men come to that passe that hauing receiued in themselues the seale of Gods curse euerlasting vpon their soules they cannot endure to heare that any should fare better then they doe but rather wish that all might with them be damned it is a shrewde signe of an Apostata Fourthly Blasphemy against God whom hee hateth and accuseth as an vniust Iudge in that the Lord hath giuen him vp to the power and dominion of Sathan Fiftly want of good affections when hee neyther loueth good nor desireth it but rather continueth in a violent hatred and malice against God the which also breaketh forth against those who labour his good his conuersion his saluation whom he cannot abide but hateth and detesteth These are vehement causes of suspition when a man bewrayeth his malice against the Spirit of Grace when he impugneth each poynt of the Gospell when hee professeth an enuying of Grace and Gods fauour towards any when he spareth not to blaspheme the God of heauen when he is altogether destitute of all good affections it is ten to one this mans case is desperate and I may iustly leaue such an one to the iudgement of God and as to imprecatiō I dare not proceede because I may fayle in the vnderstanding of his cause Yet since I cannot haue faith nor warrant to be heard I dare not by name recommend his cause absolutely in my prayers and supplications On the contrary side we may more easily obserue in whom this our sinne is not First being a generall Apostasie it is not in those who hold fast the foundation and reioyce in the knowledge of the truth Much lesse in those who labour against corruption least of all in those who hold on a constant course in holy exercises These may be in great offences but of this they are not guilty Secondly being a oalicious opposition and persecution of the truth It is not in those who hunger and thirst after Righteousnesse not in those who loue any of the good meanes of Saluation Much lesse in those who doe loue the brethren for the truths sake Thirdly being voluntary it is not in them who are afrayde of it not in those who albeit their hearts perhaps are hardened yet this disposition of their heart doth not please them Wherefore let this be the comfort of all poore soules who are vehemently troubled with this feare lest they haue thus fallen They may be ouercome by many weakenesses but yet into this sinne they are not fallen Yea hearken to this all you that are weary and heauie laden so long as you stand in feare of falling into it be assured for your comfort you are far from it Wherefore let not the Deuill busie though he be perswade you that so you haue offended for it is but an illusion yea a stratagem of Satan whereby hee laboureth to make shipwrack of your soules Now to stop our Censure This is not the sinne of such who neuer attayned to the knowledg of the Truth neyther Turkes nor Infidels neyther Atheists nor Epicures neyther Pharaoh nor Rabshekah neyther Herod nor Pylate did or could euer fall into it A curse indeede and an heauy one hath gone out against them and all like to them bondslaues are they of Satan and strangers from the Common wealth of Israell Aliens from the couenant of Grace but yet an heauier curse is for those who haue sinned this sinne and far more miserable is their estate Secondly Not of all that fall being constrayned through feare in the time of persecution Thirdly No not of all that doe persecute the Truth vnlesse they be found to carry a malicious minde against not only man but God The next vse is for exhortation to take heede of falling into this there is no recouery it is like the lawes of hell if once man be slipt downe thither there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great gulfe to hinder all passages of returne Wherefore it is the wisedome of a Christian to to take heede how he traceth in these steps for the paths thereof are the paths of death Quest. What are the steps and degrees of this descension by which a man doth decline till hee come to this finall Apostasie Resp. In the answering of this we are to distinguish for there are two kindes of this Apostasie or falling away not much vnlike to the two kindes of Epilepsy or falling sicknesse which the Physitians haue obserued The one is seated eyther in the brayne or the heart and this taketh suddenly and so suddenly that wheresoeuer it taketh them it casteth them into the fire or into the water bereauing them of all meanes to help themselues The other beginneth in the externall parts as in the Armes or Legs and here by frication it may be stayed at least wise some time gayned that the parties may prouide for their owne security Euen such is our Apostasy there is a praecipitation when a man doth suddenly fall headlong into this sinne and of this there can be giuen no signes nor degrees Of this kinde was the sin of the Angels who suddenly fell into this Apostasie in which they are There is also a certayne Pedetentim and leasurely declining so that from one step to another doth a man descend till he come to the gates of death Neyther is this distinction so newly deuised but that it hath beene disputed in the Schooles Aquinas among other questions of this subiect moueth this Whether a man may primo at the first fall into this and sinne against the holy Ghost He is a Schooleman and his answere is not to seeke his answere is this That two wayes may a man sin against the holy Ghost First by inclination of habit this he saith is not incident at the first for an habit must be acquired gotten by many and frequent actions Secondly by a wilfull reiecting of that by which he might bee kept from sinne and of this he saith that howsoeuer it doth most an end praesuppose former sinnes viz. that men walke in the councēll of the vngodly and stand in the way of sinners before they sit downe in the seate of the Scornefull yet he affirmeth that it is possible that at the first a man may thus sinne and that saith he for one or all of these causes First for the freedome of his will Secondly for many praeceding dispositions Thirdly for some great motiue Fourthly for the weakenesse of affection to that that is good Whereupon he inferreth that this hardly or neuer befalleth those who haue attayned to any good perfection according to the saying of Origen in briefe his answere is this that against the holy Ghost by finall Impaenitency man cannot sinne at