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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73546	A discourse of the sinne against the Holy Ghost Grounded upon Matt. Chap. 12. vers. 22.-23. Tending to the comfort of such persons as, being afflicted in conscience for their sins, are, by the delusions of Satan, brought to the brinke of despaire, through feare that they have fallen into that unpardonable sinne. Written some space of time since, by that godly and judicious divine M. William Bradshaw, sometime fellow of Sydny Colledge in Cambridge; and publish'd by his sonne Iohn Bradshaw.	Bradshaw, William, 1571-1618.; Bradshaw, John, 17th cent.	1640 (1640)	STC 3515.5; Wing B4156; ESTC S91179	48,035	158

if wee desire to keep our selves out of ●his bottomlesse gulph to take heed how we abuse the Gospell of Iesus Christ unto sinne against God especially the highest Mysteries of it It s a Corruption that we are too much subject unto It is a fearefull thing that our nature should be stirred up to sinne the more by the Law as it is that Sinne should take occasion by the Commandement Rom. 7.8 11. vers 9. to work all kind of Concupiscence in us that it should revive Sinne it us But much more fearefull is it when by the Gospell we shall there unto be stirred up yea by the principall parts of it 2 This may be a reliefe to a distressed Conscience that shall be tempted and persuaded by Sata● that he hath committed this Sinne Satan setteth before thine eyes t●● the end that thou mightst despai● of mercy and so grow profane an● an enemy to God some feareful● Sinne that thou hast committed ar● he telleth thee it s the Sinne again● the Holy Ghost This should mak● thee to try and examine what mov● and stirred thee principally to tha● Sinne. And if it shall appeare to the Eye of thy Conscience that the light of the Gospell and the chiefe Ordinances thereof did not irritate or provoke thee thereunto that Sin of thine cannot be this Sin against the Holy Ghost For he that commits this must be an enemy to the Gospell of Iesus Christ And as the presence of those whom a man doth hate useth to stir up in a man blasphemous and outragious speeches of him by making his stomack and choler to rise against him so the like effects doth the presence of Christ in the ordinances of the Gospell produce in those that be enemies and haters of him 3 Hence wee may have some sight why this Sinne is unpardonable because it is a Sinne stirred up and provoked directly by the pardon For what is the maine matter and principall Doctrine of the Gospell but an offer of pardon of Sinne ●o all those that will receive Iesus Christ And why should they bee vouchsafed pardon that doe not onely contemne the same but so hate it that they are by the offer thereof worse than before The Kingdome of God was come to these hellish Imps. God brought Iesus the Messias unto them Their owne Consciences acknowledge● it the light of Gods Spirit seale● and confirmed it What was all thi● but an offer of pardon which the● despise so farre forth that they as for the very offer of it the worse The fourth Conclusion It is not the light of the Gospe● in generall and in a confused manner shining or set forth in types an● shadowes and figures that did beg●● this blasphemy but some specia● and particular beam of Light bei●● palpably and evidently presented 〈◊〉 the Eye of their Conscience It s a experimentall knowledge that b●gat in them this Sinne. The D●ctrine of the Messias they knew w● enough and approved it as a●● they affected with great devoti●● those Mysticall Rites and Cerem●nies of the Iewish Gospell that s●dowed out the same this only was it which they could not endurre the direct light and truth of it in particular presenting it selfe to the Eye of their Conscience For example In Tapestry and Imagery wee can with delight behold the portraicture of Serpents Toads Foxes Wolves and other filthy Beasts that we cannnot when themselves in themselves shall be presented unto us but fly from them or pursue them to death Even so is it with many professors of Christ that though they seeme much affected to Christ in generall and much devoted to every shadow and semblance of him yet doe they notwithstanding indeed hate and malice him and would were he present in person with them pursue him even unto death Vse 1 1 Not to measure Religion by a generall profession and an outward conformity unto the Rites and Ceremonies thereof For even the most malitious and spightfull enemies that Christ hath are such as professe Christ yea and persecute Christ in the name of Christ 2 If in the houre of Temptation thou canst in thy Conscience assure thy selfe that thou wast never thus affected when the Gospell and Christ Iesus was presented unto thee that thy minde did never rise nor lift up it selfe against it but ever liked and loved it yea if thy Conscience tell thee that thou art so farre from this affection that the more knowledge thou hast had of Christ the more thou lovest him thou mayst assure thy selfe that this Sinne is not so much as breeding in thee The second part The Birth of this Sinne. YOu have heard before how this Blasphemy was conceived by the beames of a Divine Truth that shined to the Eye of their Conscience whereby these Scribes and Pharisees discerned indeed that Christ was the Sonne of God This first quickned this Monster and made it to swell and grow in the wombe of their hearts Now wee are to consider the Birth of this Sinne by what means it was brought forth of them This is set downe verse 23. For when the Scribes and Pharisees did not only see the wonderfull works that our Saviour Christ wrought but did also perceive that the people came thereby to the light of that Truth which they laboured to the uttermost to smother and extinguish as soone as ever they began to descry that that the people were astonished at the wonderfull workes of Christ and that in this their astonishment they began to conclude that he was surely the Christ they could not then containe any longer but presently breathe out this fearfull Blasphemy So that the sight of the peoples astonishment and the hearing of their words wherby they began to give glory to Christ as the Messias and Saviour of the World was the Mid-Wife that brough forth this Sinne. Whence observe we these Conclusions concerning this Sinne. The first Conclusion The cause that irritateth and provoketh men unto this Blasphemy is not within themselves but out of themselves The matter of this Sinne was within themselves but the irritating cause was out of themselves For if this divine Light had shined never so brightly upon their owne Soules howsoever they might have maliced the same yet they would never in that manner have spit out Blasphemies into the cares of men against it For they knew well enough that it was not so as they said and therefore had it not been more in regard of others than themselves they would never have said so And thus it is in the extreme malitious speeches of many concerning man men are wont by seeing other mens respect unto him to be provoked and stirred up thereto Vse This may serve to informe men truly in another point concerning this Sin to wit that those thoughts and words that are suddenly begotten and hatched in man himselfe knoweth not how nor which way cannot be properly said to bee ●his Sinne. For that which stirreth up a man to commit this Sinne

is an Externall cause out of himselfe Many have many times strange blasphemous thoughts and fantasies yea they many times breake forth into words concerning God concerning Christ concerning the Scripture c. But for their heart-bloud they cannot tell either how they come or how they were moved unto them Now howsoever we have just cause to humble our selves for such Sinnes as rise out of our minds thus we know not how yet have wee n● just cause therfore in regard of them to condemne our selves as guilty o● this horrible Sinne. The second Conclusion Those that commit this Sinne it the committing of it have a respec● to others For others sakes doing that they doe and are in that regar● stirred up unto it As in this Example the Scribes and Pharisees i● blaspheming Christ had a respec● to the people and in this regar● were they stirred up indeed so t●● blaspheme For their intent was to make Christ odious and vile in th● eyes of them that began to admin● adore him And this among me● is the height of malice and despite to revile men and odiously to abu●● them not to themselves onely but to others This Sinne therefore is such a malice and despight as is in a man stirred up by others Vse The dearest Saints and Servants of God having in them many remainders of corruption the Lord many times leaving them to themselves suffereth Satan to buffet them as hee did Paul to the end they might bee humbled and not puffed up with the graces of God ●n them For we carry about with us 〈◊〉 strange nature that will make us proud that wee are not proud and that is the most dangerous pride of ●ll And therefore when God hath given a Christian grace to go before ●thers in many holy exercises to ●ake more conscience of the Word ●abbath Sacraments and Prayer ●han others ordinarily doe and ●ouchsafed in more than ordinary manner to reveale himselfe unto ●im hee leaveth commonly a sting 〈◊〉 the flesh to humble them 2. Cor. 12.7 he suf●eth such sometime to fall into ●any strange Sinnes yea such as may have some resemblance un● the highest and extreamest Sin● against the Holy Ghost But t●● Children of God in such spirit●● desertions are to take heed h●● they boult out of their hearts 〈◊〉 hope of mercy For although 〈◊〉 Sinne they have committed 〈◊〉 have a shew of malice and ha●● to God and his Truth which i● every man in some degree so f●● forth as he is flesh yet so long● is not a malice and despight 〈◊〉 regarding others but certaine ●shings onely it cannot bee 〈◊〉 Sinne. The third Conclusion This Sinne is no Closet Si●● nor Chamber-Sinne or House S● but a publique Sinne a prof● malice and hatred against C●● and his Truth a Sinne procla●● with the sound of Trumpet c●mitted in the market place That Blasphemy therefore 〈◊〉 is ashamed to shew the head 〈◊〉 blusheth to looke a Christian in the ●oe is not this Sinne. This is an im●●dent and a shamelesse Sinne. The fourth Conclusion The very end of this Sinne is a ●●litious purpose and resolution to ●●tinguish the divine truth and love 〈…〉 Christ in others and therefore it ●●sireth to imprint that malice upon ●●hers as these here doe yea this is 〈◊〉 very reason why it is commit●● The fifth Conclusion This Sinne is a Sinne of Oppo●●●on and Contradiction when ●n malitiously and spightfully op●●e themselves unto and contra●● the Truth of God professed by ●●●ers and that to the face of the ●●fessors of it yea and therfore be●●e it is professed by others The sixth Conclusion They that commit this Sinne of all other things can least endure 〈◊〉 contrary practise and professio● others but according to the deg●● thereof are the degrees of this 〈◊〉 and by that very practise and p●fession of others are men thrust were into it A man through the mali● Satan may have many strange● blasphemous thoughts runni● his mind yea sometime brea● forth even in tongue against 〈◊〉 against Christ against the Wo● God against this or that Arti●● Religion yet so long as ma●● with any patience endure to 〈◊〉 the contrary professed and 〈◊〉 the contrary practised and i● thereby provoked and stirred 〈◊〉 more to that Sin and to the 〈◊〉 of those persons that profe● practise the contrary so long i● farre from this Sinne. For th● a Sinne that breaketh forth by contrary profession and pra● They therefore that are so far 〈◊〉 being stirred up by the co●● practise and profession of o●● ●●at they love the contrary practise ●nd profession in others are very far ●●om this Sinne. The seventh Conclusion This Sinne is a Sinne that will ●●dure no reasoning no disputing ●o conference no contradiction no ●erswasion no authority and by ●onsequent no remedy They therefore that hold and ●aintaine though affectedly any ●●asphemous Errours and yet can ●●tiently endure contradiction and ●position or disputation and con●●ence yea that delight therein ●nd affect it and take it in good ●rt especially if thereby they bee ●●itigated and allaied are farre also ●●om this Sinne. The eighth Conclusion This Sinne is a Sinne committed 〈◊〉 knowledge in advisement in de●eration in judgement and not ●ly in violence of rage passion Men commit it not in their b● bloud incensed by some person disgrace nor in any distracted f●● or temporary madnesse but they 〈◊〉 it advisedly deliberately witting● freely Thus was it here with the● There was nothing at all in 〈◊〉 voice of the multitude that mi●● provoke them to wrath If the p●●ple had taken occasion hereby cry out upon the Scribes and Ph●sees that gave Christ no better e●tertainment if they had deno●ced curses and woes against the● Christ himselfe sometime did 〈◊〉 by this means had first inra● them and they then in their 〈◊〉 and fury against them had bro●● out into these blasphemies aga●● Christ it had changed the nature their Sinne. For a man in his f●● and rage provoked by another 〈◊〉 sometime speake very spight●● words against them whom he bereth no malice unto in his he●● especially in his cold bloud So th● this was no sudden rash hea● unadvised distempered Sinne ●ut a deliberate staied setled firme ●inne The ninth Conclusion This Sinne against the Holy Ghost is not a secondary malice ●●sing orginally from the hatred of some other but it is a direct and immediate malice against Christ and the Gospell They did not thus spightfully speake against Christ ●ecause they maliced these people ●hat began to love Christ but because they maliced Christ therefore they spake thus malitiously of him 〈◊〉 the people whom they had no ●ause to malice but for Christs sake This is not therefore a refracted or a reflected malice For what was there in these Iewes or in their speech that should make them in this manner to breake forth into blasphemy The tenth Conclusion Every Blasphemy is said in the word to be a kinde of piercing o● God

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lev. 24.11 26. See Iun. notes For that is one Hebrew nam● that is given unto it So that thi● Blasphemy is as it were a kinde o● discharge of a great Cannon-sh●● against the Lord. Now what is th● March that giveth fire to this Cannon you may see it here the zealous profession of others So that as the Light of the Gospell turne● their thoughts as it were into a po●der so the same light affecting others is as it were a match to set these their thoughts all on fire And hence it may appeare that even the Children of God albe●● they be so upheld that they comm● not this Sinne yet may feele i● themselves a great inclination un●● it insomuch as nought but the hand of God keepeth them from it For how doe our mindes naturally rise and swell at those that wee see more forward in Religion than our selves but in other matters if we see men go further than our selves we cannot endure it The third part Of the Name of this Sinne. HItherto of the Conception and Birth of this Sin We are now to intreat of the kinde and quality of it which wee are to gather partly out of the answer that the Scribes and Pharisees make to this people and partly out of the Titles that Christ himselfe gives unto it Where first of the Name and then of the Nature You have here then this Monster brought forth you have it na●● 〈◊〉 it is said to be a Sinne of Blas●● 〈◊〉 against the Holy Ghost Where by Sinne against 〈◊〉 ●ly Ghost you must not 〈…〉 a Sinne directly and pecu● 〈◊〉 ●mitted against the p● 〈…〉 Holy Ghost being the third in Trinity For 1 In that sense every Sinne whatsoever is committed is committed against the Holy Ghost it being impossible for a man to sinne against any one person but he must sinne against all or to sinne against God but hee must sinne against the Trinity and by consequent against the Holy Ghost 2 This were to lift up the Holy Ghost above the two other persons that a Sinne committed against him only were unpardonable 3 The Example that wee have here maketh it plaine For the Sinne was directly committed against the person of Christ So was Iulian the Apostates 4 It 's a question whether these persons did so much as know that there is an Holy Ghost and this as shall appeare afterward is not a Sin of Ignorance as if a man should be so mad as to smite at the King imagining him to be some begger By the Holy Ghost then when we call this Sinne the Sinne against the Holy Ghost by a Rhetoricall grace and ornament of speech you are to understand the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Ghost as wee say a man sits or walks in the Sunne when he sits or walks onely in the light of the Sunne Luke 2.25 In this sense is the Holy Ghost said to be upon Simeon though essentially and really he were no more upon him than upon any other ordinary man in Ierusalem but in respect of his gifts and graces only And thus the Apostles are said by imposition of hands to give the Holy Ghost What Acts 8.17 18. the person himselfe no but his gifts So that by Sinne against the Holy Ghost we are to understand a Sinne against the Gifts of the Holy Ghost as a man may be said to sin against the King not only when he smites or reviles his person but when he offereth despite and disgrace unto any of his royall gifts and so in like manner against 〈◊〉 other Hence arise these Concl●●●ons concerning this Sinne. The first Conclusion This Sinne is not ones rising against God or Christ in regard of some judgement or punishment present upon him For judgements and punishments are not called the Holy Ghost in the word though they come from God and by consequent from the Holy Ghost Besides this Sinne is a sinne against the Grace of God which punishments cannot bee but by accident And therefore all such Sinnes as arise from a deep sence and apprehension of them howsoever they may be great and grievous Sinnes fearefull and horrible yet this Sinne may bee of an higher nature than so as shall appeare afterward and of another kind Vse This should teach us to use a temperate moderation in judging of those that we see in any judgement of God upon their bodies or goods to breake forth into any extremities of passion in word or deed against God or against any part of Gods Truth as we see it usuall with many so to do in extreame losses hurts agonies pangs of sicknesse and such like Ob. Then belike Iulian the Apostata committed not this Sinne when being deadly wounded hee tooke of his bloud and flung it up into the aire crying withall vicisti Galilaec Thou hast overcome yet O Galilean at last Answ If Iulian had not committed this Sinne before in many vile and spightfull speeches against Christ Christians it could not so cleerly be argued from that And yet was that speech so horribly spightfull that the smiting of him may seem rather a bare occasion than a cause of it and he rather sheweth in it an obsti●●venesse in the Sin as if he should ●aid Now thou hast done thy worst ●et are thou still but a Galilean But herein especially warinesse ●f Censure is to be used concerning ●uch as blaspheme in time of affliction wound and torment of Conscience when God by reason of some sinne pincheth and racketh and tortureth the Conscience in that manner that the party breaketh forth into strange and direfull and outragious blasphemies that which God suffereth many to fall into partly by hiding the merit and desert of Sinne and partly by denying strength to beare the punishment inflicted Iob 9.17 10.16 18. 16 14 17 24.12 30.20 26. Iob himselfe was oft breaking forth into such passions against God And yet this though it bee not that unpardonable Sinne it is notwithstanding a most fearefull Sinne and a kinde of renouncing of God and an holding of him to bee unjust which hee cannot be but hee must be no God It were an horrible Sinne in a Childe to revile and reproach his naturall Father for some over-extreme correction though naturall parents may therein over-reach themselves But for a Child● of God to revile and blaspheme when God shall lay any Iudgemen● upon him and thereby to professe him an unjust God who can no more be unjust than not be when one should the rather study to please God the more and argue the horriblenesse of Sinne by the horriblenes of punishment is much more fearefull The second Conclusion This Sinne is committed against the love and favour of God yea against the reall Love of God in the collation of a benefit and favour And who cannot see that this is a Sinne of a farre higher nature than to sinne against the wrath and justice of God When a