here alleage many other places and some examples out of the holy Scriptures to shew you yet farther that the child of God notwithstanding his many falls may find pardon and that he which is once in the state of grace shall be in the same for ever That which I haue already delivered I hope hath sufficiently cleered this point and overthrowne the doctrine of the Catharists All which I haue delivered for your comforts which haue already sinned not for your encouragements who meane to sinne hereafter For howsoever Grace aboundeth aboue sinne yet cursed shall yee be and that with an everlasting curse if yee sinne that grace and blessing may abound vnto you You may read for this purpose the beginning of the sixt chap. to the Romans there shall you finde an impossibilitie for you that are dead to sinne yet to liue therein knowe yee not that all ye which haue beene baptised into Iesus Christ haue been baptised into his death Why then yee are buried by baptisme into his death that as he was raised from the dead so yee also should walke in newnesse of life You are forbidden to doe evill where you are assured that good may come thereof Rom. 3.8 much lesse may you make the mercies of God a defence for your sins I grant it is true that there is no condemnation to the righteous though he fall seaven times a day but if a man sinne presuming vpon Gods mercies that he shal haue time hereafter for repentance from his former dead workes I must needs say his damnation may be warrantable to be very iust Thou foole how knowest thou Luke 12.20 that this night they will not fetch away thy soule froÌ„ thee I come to my second note to shew you that the sinne against the holy Ghost is not at any time nor can ever be forgiven If I should stand to refute the reasons brought against this doctrine by them who haue given their names to great Babylon that mother of whordomes and abominations I should passe the time limited vnto mee and therfore since one contrarie as in the scholes we learne may be the better knowne by the other let it suffice that at this time I set downe a positiue doctrine without any refutation of the contrary There is a woman cloathed with the Sunne the moone is vnder her feete and on her head is a crowne of twelue stars al shee hath shee hath from Christ all her beauty is spirituall and heavenly all her milke is sweete and comfortable This comely one deciphered vnto you by St Iohns vision Revel 12.1 hath never fainted and taught vs also never to faint in maintaining this doctrine The sinne against the Holy Ghost is not at any time nor can ever be forgiven Shee beleeveth that this sinne not only easily shall not bee forgiven but not at all Her spowse saith neither in this world nor in the world to come Mat. 12.32 St Iohn tels her that there is a sinne vnto death which shee may not pray for 1. Ioh. 5.16 Our Apostle assureth her that such sinners cannot possibly bee renewed by repentance Heb. 6.6 and my text hath there remaineth no more sacrifice for such sin It is a necessary consequeÌ„ce This sinne is not pardonable either in this world or in the world to come we may not pray for it we cannot repent for it there remaineth no sacrifice for it therefore we may truely say as the Church hath truely taught The sinne against the Holy Ghost is not at any time nor can ever be forgiven The latter of all these reasons best fitteth the point we haue in hand No sacrifice can be offered for the sinne against the Holy Ghost therefore that sinne can never be forgiven For the declaratioÌ„ of the force of this reason we may note touching the sacrifices by which the Church of Christ doth liue for the Iewish sacrifices I omit in regard that Christ our redeemer is the very substance of them all touching the sacrifices I say by which Christs Church doth liue we may note that every such sacrifice is either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either a propitiatorie sacrifice a sacrifice for sinne a sinne offering or else a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving a peace offering The former of these two maketh most for our present occasion That therefore is either cruentum or incruentum a bloodie sacrifice or a sacrifice without blood The bloody sacrifice is that which Christ our faithfull Saviour did once offer vp for vs vpon the Altar oâ— the Crosse of which sacrifice the necessity the efficacie the vnity the perpetuity are at large laid open to our view by our Apostle in this Epistle to the Hebrewes That other sacrifice without blood not simply propitiatory yet a sinne offering too and in some sort enabled through the propitiation of Christ to procure pardon for our sinnes is the sacrifice of repentance from dead workes proceeding froÌ„ a liuely saith in Christ causing vs to make our most humble suite for pardon even for Christ Iesus sake Here are only two kinds of sinne offerings the one propitiatory able to clense vs from al our sinnes even Christ himselfe once offered vp for the sins of the whole world the other not propitiatory yet effectuall to vs through him that is the propitiation for our sinnes even our repentance from dead workes wherein through a liuely faith we giue vp our selues Rom. 12 1. our soules and our bodies a living a holy an acceptable sacrifice vnto God And these two are so linked the one to the other as that they cannot by any meanes be severed For if Christ hath died for vs then assuredly hee will bee at all times ready to offer vp our broken and contrite hearts our humiliation our repentance from dead workes our prayers praise and thanksgiving yea and all our sacrifices vpon the golden Altar which is before the throne But they for whom Christ hath not died as he hath not died for all can by no sacrifice make an atonement betweene God and themselues and such are all they that haue sinned against the Holy Ghost yea such are all the reprobate For all which TOPHET is prepared of old it is prepared for the noble as well as for the baser sort not one of all such shall bee exempted it is made for them deepe and large the burning thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the LORD like a river of brâ—mstone doth kindle it so saith the Prophet Esai 30.33 And touching them who haue sinned against the holy Ghost departing from their former light and casting behinde them their first vnderstanding I adde yet farther since they are fallen away from repentance impossible shall it bee for them hereafter to repent since they are fallen away from faith towards God never may they hope to beleeue againe since they are fallen away from the doctrine of the baptisme and laying on of hands they are not likely
of his Bishopricke lurked after that foure yeares in a monastery neere vnto Antiochia was thence by the Emperours commandment sent an exile to the vttermost borders of Egypt and Africa I need not I say bee long in telling you of all this the thing I note is his ende In this his banishment when he was full of yeares that some memorable example as in Corah Dathan Abiram of his so great and so impious blaspheming against Christ might remaine vnto posteritie it pleased God in iustice that first wormes should eate and consume his tongue and then that the earth should open her mouth swallow him vp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Even so let all thine enimies perish O LORD Now followeth the third marke by which men holden in that vnpardonable sinne the sinne against the holy Ghost may be made knowne to the world in these words And doth despite the Spirit of Grace The Holy Ghost is here called the Spirit of Grace ab effectu by reason of that it worketh in vs. By it we receaue grace offered in Christ Iesus It enlightneth our minds by faith it sealeth to our hearts the adoption of God it regenerateth vs into newnesse of life it engrafteth vs into the body of Christ in a word by it Christ with all his blessings benefits is made ours Now if a man that is made partaker of this holy Ghost shall greedily wilfully and purposely make the good graces of God within him to be fruitlesse who shall plead for him Surely no man For he it is that is here noted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iniuriously coÌ„tumeliously to vse impudently to abuse and to despite the Spirit of Grace Here may the faithfull well be put in mind of their owne estates to consider whether they be not in perill of falling away from God since it is a truth not to bee gainesaid that the very faithfull doe oftentimes diminish and lessen the good graces of God within them I doubt not should you be called to witnesse but that every one of you taught by your owne experience would beare record to this truth If not that exhortation of St Paule made vnto the Ephesians and that his other vnto the Thessalonians doe strongly confirme it In the bowels of compassion he couÌ„selleth the a Ephes 4.30 EPHESIANS not to grieue the Spirit and the THESSALONIANS not to b 1 Thess 5.19 quench the spirit Well knewe the blessed Apostle that the Holy Spirit vseth to be grieued and the fire thereof to be quenched whensoever wee put away from within vs the care of Gods word not regarding the sanctified motions of our hearts the sanctified words of our lips the sanctified actions of our hands but entertaining the contraâ—y corrupt thoughts evill words wicked actions Now if there be no man that can truely say Ever hitherto my thoughts haue beene pure my wordes vndefiled my deeds iust let this truth stand without contradiction The faithfull doe oftentimes diminâ—sh lessen the good graces of God within them And therefore as I said they may here well bee put in minde of their owne estates to consider whether they bee not in perill of falling away from God A consideration beloued in the Lord if wee are chosen out of the world if in CHRIST wee are annointed and sealed if our building be of God not made with hands but eternall in the Heavens a consideration I say that must needes make vs doe our best in working out our salvation in attaining vnto faith in dying vnto sinne in liuing vnto newnesse of life For when wee see that men sanctified with the blood of CHRIST may not only tread vnder foot the Sonne of God despise him nor onely account the blood of Christ to bee common blood and prophane as it were the blood of any other man but also despite the Spirit of Grace and vse it with all iniurie and contumely will not our hearts burne within vs What are we but men sanctified with the blood of CHRIST Let vs then in all humblenesse of mind walk as it becommeth men so sanctified and never giue eare to such deceauers as would therefore perswade vs to liue without all care in this world because if wee are of the faithfull it is impossible we should fall away Touching the elect I grant it to bee very true that though they may fall grievously and dangerously yet they cannot fall finally in the end nor vtterly at any time though they may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 4.30 grieue the Spirit yea though they may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Thess 5.19 quench the Spirit for a time yet can they not like the sinners whose markes I haue now in some measure opened 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they cannot doe contumely vnto nor can despite the Spirit For by it are they sealed vnto the day of redemption What of all this what if they that are once written in the booke of life can never be razed out thereof What if they that are once in the state of grace shall be in the same for ever Shall we that are written in the booke of life and doe stand by grace therefore not care how we commit sinne God forbid This truth namely that not one of the faithfull shall perish may bee a comfort to vs that haue already sinned but surely no encouragement to them that will sinne hereafter But grace aboundeth aboue sinne Very true Yet if we therefore sinne that grace may abound accursed are we And how shal we that are dead to sinne yet liue therein St Paul holds this for an impossibilitie Rom. 6. Knowe yee not saith he that all wee that haue beene baptized into Iesus Christ haue beene baptized into his death Why then are wee buried by baptisme into his death that as he was raised from the dead so we also should walk in newnesse of life Are wee not forbidden to doe evill even then when we are assured good may come thereof How then dare wee make the mercies of God a defence for our sinnes But there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.1 though they fall seaven times a day Neither is there Rom 8.4 For they being in CHRIST doe walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit But may not wee repent hereafter though now we liue in sinne Thou foole how knowest thou that this night Luk. 12.20 they will not fetch away thy soule from thee What now remaineth but that we all take al possible heed lest at any time there be in any of vs an evill heart vnfaithfull to depart away from the living God And since wee are sanctified with the blood of the Testament beseech wee Almightie God that he would perfect his good worke begun in vs and never suffer vs through the deceaueablenesse of sinne to be so farre seduced as to tread vnder foot his eternall Sonne to account his blood common or to despite the spirit of Grace SERMO
presumptuously secretly but openly perversely conteÌ„ptuously malitiously neither fearing nor regarding God nor man exscindendo exscinditor anima illa it is the Lords irrevocable senteÌ„ce Num. 15.31 that persoÌ„ shal vtterly be cut of that soule shall die the death Behold saith the Lord to Samuel 1. Samuel 3.11 I will doe a thing in Israel whereof whosoever shall heare his two eares shall tingle I will raise vp against Elie all things which I haue spoken concerning his house when I begin I will also mâ—kâ— aâ—â—nd I haue told him that I will iudge his house for ever for the iniquitie which he knoweth because his sonnes ran into a slander and he staid them not Now therefore I haue sworne vnto the house of Elie that the wickednesse of Elies house shall not bee purgâ—d with sacrifice nor offring for ever I haue sworne saith the LORD vnto the house of Elie c. which words are a sufficient evidence to shew what sinne it was that Elie did meane even that sinne which shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever And therefore wee may bee bold to grant that those words of Elie doe proue an impossibilitie of pardon but it is to such as doe sinne Elatâ manu with an high hand only because they will sinne openly perversly contemptuously malitiously to such I say wee may bee bold to grant that these words doe proue an impossibilitie of pardon but that a maÌ„ sinning ignorantly or of infirmitie should haue no hope of forgiuenesse they proue not and therefore make nothing at all for defence of the Catharists opinion I will not stand to refute other their reasons vsed by them for the further confirmation of their opinion S. Ambrose to whom I referre you hath very coÌ„fortably discoursed against them Lib. 1. de poenitentiâ and the thirteene first chapters of that booke and so hath S. Cyprian in that his tract written to Novatianus the Hereticke My endeavour shall bee to proue a doctrine contrary to theirs I may comprise it in this proposition They which stand by grace may fall and yet be pardoned Which proposition devides it selfe into two parts severally to be confirmed 1. the chosen of God for they only stand by grace maâ— fall 2. notwithstanding their falls they may find pardon The former namely that the chosen of God may fall I shall not need much to proue since the truth thereof is sufficiently witnessed by each mans conscience to his owne heart Yet lest happily some one or more through the abundance of knowledge given from aboue shall thinke better of themselues theÌ„ meete is I will bee bold to remember them of S. Paules estate who 2. Cor. 12.7 speaketh thus of himselfe Least I should bee exalted out of measure through the abundance of revelations there was given vnto me a sharpe pointed stake in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me Because I should not bee exalted out of measure there was given mee saith hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sharp stake fastned in my flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me because I should not be exalted out of measure meaning hereby that how glorious a vessell soever he seemed to be in the eyes of men yet in him there was a rebellion of the flesh against the spirit If such were blessed Paules estate what may the best liver that now is professe of himself Surely as much that there is in him also a rebellion of the flesh against the spirit that hee hath had many falls yea such falls as his very remembraÌ„ces of them are like so many kniues in his eies so many thornes in his sides so many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even sharpe pointed posts driven into his flesh to vexe him as long as he shall liue in this world And if thus it fareth with the best what shall become of the more evill sort Surely * See my third Lecture vpon Amos 1. p. 3â— there is no man iust in the earth that doth good sinneth not saith the preacher Ch. 7.22 And Prov. 20.9 Soâ—omon hath this question who can say I haue purged my heart I am cleane from my sinne O saith Eliphaz vnto Iob. chap. 15.14 What is man that he should be cleane and he that is borne of a woman that he should be iust Behold saith he God hath found no stedfastnesse in his Saints yea the heavens are not clean in his sight how much more is man abominable and filthie which drinketh iniquitie like water whose desire to sinne is such as a thirstie mans desire is to drink He is altogether sinful Sinfull in his conception sinfull in his birth sinfull in the whole course of his life in every deed in every word in every thought wholy sinfull I will not be too forward in the discovery of the nakednes of Gods chosen children descended from the loynes of AdaÌ„ and therefore will not trouble you with the relation of a Gen. 9.21 Noahs drunkennesse of b 2. Sam 12.9 Davids murther of c Gen 18.15 Sarahs lye of d Gen. 27.3 Rebeccaes perswading her sonne Iacob to beguile his owne father of the theft of e Philem. 11. Onesimus and of the severall falls of many other as stout champions as ever fought the Lords battle Touching them I only say as David said in a different case 2. Sam. 1.19 O noble Israel how are the mightie overthrowne The point I am to proue will be cleere enough if we wil consider in what sort the elect of God may fall First therefore The child of God by his own neglect may diminish and lessen the good graces of God within him The consideration whereof moued S. Paule in the bowels of compassion to exhort the Thessalonians 1. Thess 5.19 not to quench the spirit and the Ephesians Eph. 4.30 not to grieue the holy spirit of God For he well knewe that the holy spirit vseth to be grieved and the fire thereof to be quenched whensoever we put away from within vs the care of Gods word not regarding the sanctified motions of our hearts the sanctified words of our lips the saÌ„ctified actions of our handes but entertaining the contrary corrupt thoughts evill speaking wicked actions Thus may the child of God be affected and grieue that good spirit whereby he is sealed vnto the day of redemption and quench it too yet not vtterly but diminish and lessen the good graces thereof and that in such a measure as that he may be like a man in a trance who both by his own sense and also by the iudgement of the Physition is taken for dead Thus haue David Peter other the strongest pillers in the Lords temple beene shaken 2 The childe of God after he hath repented for some sinne may fall againe into the same sinne This is a lamentable estate Yet it may befall a true Christian Ioh. 5.14 when Christ had healed the man that had beene sicke 38. yeares he said vnto him Behold thou art
hence is our hope it may be our vaine hope that it shall be as well with vs for all our sinnes as it was with Noah Lot David Peter many other the strongest pillars of the Lords Temple for their many downefalls Here I endeavoured as I could to imprint in our hearts the wholesome doctrine contrary to these three misconceits and withall because it was thereby manifest that Gods chosen children doe sin also willingly I tooke occasion to put some difference betweene them so sinning and the sinfull reprobates and for that purpose I thē remembred you of two evident truthes in Christian Religion 1 The Saints of God may fall grievously dangerously 2 They cannot fall finally in the end not vtterly at any time Touching the third circumstance wherein were obserued the name the nature and the obiect of this sinne we haue heard that this sinne is commonly called the sinne against the holy Ghost not because it is against the Godhead of the holy Ghost for the same God is also Father and Sonne the Godhead of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost is all one their glory is equall their Maiestie is coeternall nor because it is against the person of the Holy Ghost for that is no greater then the person of the Father and of the Sonne the whole three persons are coeternall together and coequall but because it is against the goodnesse of the holy Ghost against the goodnes that is against those good graces of the holy Spirit bestowed vpon vs for the setting forth of the praises of the Lord. For whosoever shall despise those good graces and turne them to the contempt of Gods Maiestie and tread them vnder foot and account them prophane and purposely and wilfully and maliciously cary them away to all wantonnesse he crucifieth againe vnto himselfe the Sonne of God he despites the spirit of grace he sinnes against the holy Ghost Whereby it is plaine that the nature of this sinne is such as we find it to be described Heb. 6.1 2. where the Apostle mentioning repentance from dead workes faith towards God the doctrine of baptisme of laying on of hands of resurrection from the dead and of eternall iudgement and in the same place calling all these the doctrine of the beginning of Christ speaketh vers ◠of an apostacie of a falling away from all these points even from the very foundation and first beginning of Christian faith giving vs thereby to vnderstand that they who are holden in this transgression and haue sinned this sinne haue forsaken all the principles of Christian religion haue lost their former light haue departed from their first vnderstanding From the name and nature of this sinne thus considered wee came to seeke the obiect of it and found the malice of this sin to be directed against the very Maiestie of God himselfe and against his Christ directly to respect the first table of the morall law to be not a particular slipping aside but a generall apostacie a generall falling away from God and that totally Here I came to the first reason vsed by our Apostle to disswade vs from committing so vile a sinne contained in these words there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne Out of which words because Novatus hath made a collection void of comfort namely that if a man sinne after he is once baptised to him there remaineth no hope of pardon for his sins first I applied my selfe to establish comfort in our hearts by setting downe the contrary doctrine and secondly I came to the consideration of the truth of that which these words doe naturally afford did proue vnto you that the sinne against the holy Ghost is not at any time nor can ever be forgiven There remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne Hauing thus repeated vnto you the summe of that which heretofore I haue delivered I come now to the second reason in my second generall part to speake of this fearefull looking for of iudgement and violent fire which shall devoure the adversaries The doctrine grounded vpon the first reason of our Apostle in this place might haue sufficed to make all that loue God to looke to their steps that they fall not away by committing so grievous a sinne But there is a generation of men monstrously mishapen in the powers of the soule who like the Kings and Princes of the earth i Psalm 2.2 banding themselues and taking counsaile together against the Lord and against his annointed are ready to breake the cords of religion asunder and to cast her yoke from them and to say with those in Tully lib. 1. de natura Deorum Totam de dijs immortalibus opinionem fictam esse ab hominibus sapientibus reip causâ vt quos ratio non posset eos ad officium religio duceret iudging the service of God to be a meere devise of man for the better governement of the common wealth wherein inferiours since they will not be ruled by reason must bee ordered by religion Tell such of Scriptures you may as wel vrge them with Lucians narrations of repentance they cast it behinde them of faith they regard it not of baptisme they hold it of no greater price then the washing of their hands of the resurrection this feeds them with many a merry conceit they thinke pleasantly with themselues what maner of bodies they shall haue at that day of what proportion their bodies shall bee whether their nayles and haire shall rise againe I only note them as I passe by the way whom were they vsed for their deserts the preacher should k Levit 13.44 pronounce and the Prince proclaime the foulest leapers that ever yet sore ranne vpon well worthy to bee excluded the host and to haue their l Levit. 13.46 Num. 5.2 2. Kin. 15.5 habitation alone and more then so to be exiled the land to be expelled from nature it selfe which so vnnaturally they striue to bring to naught For though the Lord God of hosts by his Ministers and servants doe call them vnto weeping and mourning to baldnesse and girding with sackcloath as he called the Iewes Esai 22.12 Yet behold with them is ioy gladnes slaying Oxen and killing Sheepe eating flesh and drinking wine for say they to morrow we shall die Now if our Apostle to disswade such men from sinning willingly should vse this as a reason because there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne what would it advantage them being fully perswaded that the dead are not raised vp that in death there is no difference betweene them the vilest worme that ever they could tread vpon Therefore to meete with these mē also our Apostle bringeth a second reason able at some time or other to affright the hardest heart that ever yet Atheisme had infected telling them that for them which sinne willingly though there remaineth no more sacrifice which they regard not yet there remaineth something which shall touch them neere even a fearefull looking