into which they are infranchised There is that blessed society innumerable Angels Heb. 12.22 the spirits of iust and holy men and Iesus Christ the mediatour of the new couenant to whom they are ioyned There are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5.4 those thrones and crownes of glory that shall neuer fade Yea there the sonnes of God shall shine like the Sunne in the kingdome of their father In a word Mat. 13.43 from this Adoption it is that the children of God haue an interest in all the comforts and all the creatures that heauen and earth doe yeelde according to Saint Pauls epiphoneme whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephus or the world or life or death 1 Cor. 3.23 or things present or things to come they are all yours because you are Christs and Christ is Gods Behold here the admirable and comfortable aduancement of Gods children And therein behold the blessed condition of the Peace-maker who is so estranged from the world that he doth not in some degree desire aduancement and who is so voide of iudgement that hee doth not preferre this honour before the greatest aduancement in the world Aug. in Psa 84. Habetis patrem habetis patriam habetis patrimonium saith Saint Austin If you be the sonnes of peace you are the children of God you haue a louing father a rich inheritance a goodly patrimonie When the Apostle Peter speakes of this he breakes forth into this vehement acclamation Blessed be God 1 Pet. 1.3 euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath begotten vs againe to an inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled that fadeth not away but is reserued for vs in the heauens Giue me leaue now to make some Application of what I haue deliuered and so I will finish this maine point And first I hope that this discourse hath not beene heard of you without comfort We hold it a great cause of ioy to be the children of Nobles and to be admitted into the fauour of Princes and surely they are great temporall blessings that men may lawfully reioyce in But let me say vnto you in our Sauiours words Reioyce not in this Luke 10.20 but rather reioyce because your names are written in heauen let it be your ioy that you are the children of God and in fauour with the King of Kings as the Apostle saith Reioyce in the Lord Phil. 4.4 and againe I say reioyce Againe are wee the children of God farre be it from vs to vnder-value the glorious inheritance of the Saints of God in life Farre be it from vs to dis-esteeme it like that carnall Cardinall Cardinall of Bourbon who said he would not giue his part in Paris for his part in Paradise Let vs not be like profane Esau who for the satisfying of his appetite lost his birth-right Heb. 12.16 But rather let vs say resolutely with Naboth 1 Reg. 21.3 God forbid that I should make away the inheritance of my fathers So God forbid that for all the vaine and transitory profits and pleasures vpon earth we should depriue our selues of those riuers of pleasures which the Saints of God doe enioy in heauen Bernard saith truely of the best things of this present life possessa onerant amata inquinant amissa cruciant The possession of them burdens vs the loue of them defiles vs and the losse of them vexes vs And the time will come when either the day of death or the day of iudgement shall swallow them all vp as the Ocean doth the riuers For the glory of this world passeth away like a shadow 1 Cor. 7.31 Againe are wee the children of God then let vs indeauour that our carriage and comportment may answere this dignity It becomes not the children of Nobles to be conuersant in base actions And how vnfit is it for the children of God to become like the Indian drudges to be taken vp with the corruptions of this euill world and to haue their affections in caeno when they should be in caelo Our Sauiour hath taught vs better in the fift of Matthew Let your light so shine before men Mat. 5.16 that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen To conclude Let vs as the Apostle Peter exhorts 2 Peter 1.10 Rom. 8.16 study to make our election sure by good workes Let vs get the euidence of our adoption sealed vp to our soules and consciences by the spirit of God Then let the earth totter and her pillars tremble vnder her let the sea roare euen to astonishment let the heauens burne to dissolution and the elements with vehement heate be consumed this our adoption shall be our comfort on earth and our crowne in heauen for euer more The third part The appropriation of this aduancement BVt what is this Adoption tyed onely to the ornament of Peace Surely no Gal 3.26 For Saint Paul saith You are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus And Saint Austin in largeth the meanes Per gratiā per fidem per sacramentum per sanguinem Christi De verb. Dom. ser 63. saying We are the sonnes of God by grace by faith by the Sacrament by the blood of Christ Euery faithfull Christian is made one with Christ whereby he becomes the childe of God He hath the image of God stamped vpon him And as our natural birth makes vs the children of our earthly parents so our supernaturall and new birth makes vs the children of our heauenly father May not I then say of the Peace-maker as Saint Paul of the Iewes What is then the preferment of the Iew So Rom. 3.1 what is the aduantage and aduancement of the Peace-maker Yes and answer with him in the same place much euery way Though Iesse had eight sonnes yet was Dauid onely the Lords darling Though Christ had twelue Disciples yet was Iohn the Disciple whom Iesus loued Though all Iacobs children were deare vnto him yet was Bemamin the son of his right hand So may I say that howsoeuer all the faithfull are the children of God and consequently blessed yet the Peace-makers haue that honour in a more especial kinde because they doe in a more liuely manner resemble almighty God in that which is most excellent For as amongst the diuine attributes some of them are quoad nos more excellent then others as namely those of mercy and peace which are the sanctuarie to a distressed sinner so all those who doe in a more especiall manner come neerest to God in the same are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a kinde of eminency called the children of God For as Bernard saith Deus Deus pacis Bern. ergo pacifici filij Dei iure optimo vocantur God is the God of peace and therefore those who are Peace-makers are the children of God by especiall right Though the body of man consist of diuers humours yet the denomination of the
be honoured as the most blessed amongst women to the end of the world Againe in the 35. verse the Angel Gabriel saith that Christ shall be called the Son of God And that Christ was so Mat. 16.16 Peter confessed worthily in the time of his life the Centurion witnessed notably at the time of his death Mat. 26.54 And Saint Paul saith Rom. 1.4 that by his resurrection he was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God Thus as Iohn Baptist was called a Prophet the Virgin Mary was called blessed and Christ was called the Sonne of God that is they not onely were so but were acknowledged and published so to be So shall the Peace-makers be called the children of God For he that will not suffer a hayre to fall from the head of his seruants without his diuine prouidence will not suffer their graces endowments to vanish and perish in silence Albeit they may be compassed about for a time with the clowds of obscurity yet shall their worth breake forth like the light Psal 37.6 and be published to the world with a clowde of witnesses Heb. 12.1 Thus did the diuine prouidence dispose most fitly of our Sauiors passion both for the Time Place and manner of his Death For the Time and Place The Passouer It was at the great festiuitie held at Hierusalem which yeelded a confluence of many nations to that City which was then the onely Metropolis of Religion thorow the world And for the manner of it likewise For he was lifted vp Ioh. 3.14 like the brasen Serpent vpon a high crosse vpon a conspicuous Mountaine In Praefatione ad librum de septem verbis that with all his parts stretched out seuerally as Bellarmine hath lately largely shewed The inscription also was in Hebrew Greeke and Latine that by the Crosse the Time the Place the Nations and Languages the happie newes of our redemption by the death and passion of Iesus Christ might be dispearsed as it were by many riuers throughout the world Our Sauiours malitious aduersaries sought to preuent his resurrection Mat. 27.63.66 by rowling a stone to the mouth of the Sepulchre by setting a watch ouer the stone and a seale ouer the watch And when they found their indeuours therein to be frustrate they sought by suborning and hiring the souldiers to suppresse the notice thereof But their subordinat free concealment became an especiall meanes of publication of his glorious triumph ouer death Mat. 28.15 Iobs admirable patience in his vnparelled afflictions could not be confined to his house though he was left alone and desolate but shall be published to all posterities and the fame thereof shall out-last the vast Pyramides of Egypt the names of their builders are long since buried in obliuion a iust guerdon for such a worke of vanity but there shal alwaies be some Plin. lib. 26 that shall to his honour remember the patience of Iob. Iam. 5.11 Moses might intreate the Lord secretly in that passionate and compassionate speech aut dimitte hanc noxam Exod 32.32 Lord either pardon this sinne or else blot mee out of the booke that thou hast written But his zeale to Gods glory loue to his people shall be preached on the house top and be carryed vpon the wings of fame from one generation to another As our Sauiour said of the woman that poured the costly oyntment vpon his head Wheresoeuer this Gospell shall be preached in the whole world Mat. 26.13 this also which she hath done shall be spoken of for a memoriall of her As the odour of the oyntment filled the house Ioh. 12.3 Eccles 7.3 so shall the odour of her fame like a good oyntment fill the house of the world euen till the worlds end Psal 112.6 Loe thus in memoria aeterna erit iustus the Peace-makers shal be had in euerlasting remembrance and be called the children of God Neither shal they neede to be the Trumpetors of their owne merits and actions it shall be done abundantly by others The Sonnes of Peace shall call them so Mat. 11.19 For Wisedome shall be iustified of her children Yea which is strange not onely the Sons of Peace but euen the Sons of perdition shall call them so Dearely beloued saith Saint Iohn Now are we the Sons of God 1 Ioh. 3.1.2 though the world know vs not Intimating that there will be a time when this faex mundi the wicked of the world shall be forced to acknowledge the blessed condition of Gods children When they shall take vp that dolefull complaint This is the man whom we sometimes had in derision Sap 5.4 and accounted his life madnesse and his death without honour but now is he numbred amongst the children of God and his Lot amongst the Saints And thus we see in the history of the Euangelists that our Sauiours innocency piety charity was acknowledged published by Heauen and Earth God and Men Strangers and Acquaintance Friends and Foes Angels and Diuels and if they should haue held their peace the stones in the streete would haue proclaymed it Lastly Luk. 19.40 Christ Iesus the Prince of Peace shall call them so When hee conuersed with men in the dayes of his infirmity he was not ashamed to call them brethren Nor yet in his glorified estate Heb. 2.11 after his resurrection when hee sent that comfortable message by the deuout woman to his Disciples Ioh. 20.17 Goe to my brethren and say vnto them I ascend to my Father your Father to my God and your God Words as full of comfort as the Ocean of waters My brethren a louing appellation my Father and your Father a blessed vnion in a happie correlation I ascend and to what end Ioh. 14.2 but to prepare them Mansions in the heauenly habitation But behold the consummation of all consolation shall be at the end of the world when the Sonne of God imbracing the sons of Peace in the armes of his mercy shall say in the presence and audience of men and Angels Come ye blessed of my father Mat. 25.34 possesse the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world By this time I hope you see that the Peace-makers are blessed For all these streames of comfort that I haue discouered doe fall into the Ocean of this blessednesse and this blessednesse is the crowne of the Peace-maker I will contract all my building into a little modell and so conclude The Peace-makers you see are blessed and they are blessed in this great aduancement They are the children of God adopted not forth of any defect but forth of his bounty and mercy they are adopted by Iesus Christ they are adopted from a base and wretched condition they are adopted to a glorious inheritance in heauen These sonnes of Peace are singled out in a most especiall manner They are like the Sunne in the firmament
expresly before that they will not d Iere. 7.27 Ezek. 2.4.5 repent and yet he sent to them that so they might be without excuse Secondly as the Euangelists doe plainely teach the impossibility of pardon for this sinne So doth Saint Paul in this Epistle vse many and waighty Arguments to confirme the same which I will briefly contract into one He that cannot possibly be renewed by Repentance Heb. 6.4.6 He that falls quite away Heb. 10.26.29 He that cannot haue any benefit by Christs sacrifice He that dies without mercy He that must certainly look for a fearefull iudgement Cannot be pardoned saued But hee that sinnes against the holy Ghost cannot be renewed by Repentance He fals quite away hee cannot haue any benefit by Christs sacrifice he dies without mercy hee must certainely looke for a fearefull iudgment and violent fire therefore hee that sinnes against the holy Ghost cannot be pardoned and saued To these places Bellarmine and the Rhemists doe answere that whereas the Apostle saith hee cannot be renewed by Repentance and there remaines no more sacrifice for sinne he is thus to be vnderstood hee cannot haue the benefit of a second Baptisme To whom I answere First Bellarmine and the Rhemists do without all warrant or reason confound Baptisme and Repentance and the sacrifice of Christ And if Baptisme and Repentance bee confounded why should not also the other doctrines mentioned with the same So that Repentance Faith Baptisme the resurrection and the last iudgement shall be all one But let these men who are so violent without any arguments and so confident vpon onely the bare words of two or three of the Fathers expounding this place let them consider what others of the ancient Fathers haue written and what euen these haue affirmed concerning this sinne in other places The ingenuitie of Arias Montanus e Arius Monta. in Heb. 6. a learned Papist is much to be commended who saith most truely that it is an extreame racking of the word Repentance when it is here without cause transferred to another sence Againe if it were granted that the Apostle in the sixt to the Hebrewes denieth a second Baptisme when he speakes of Repentance because they are mentioned together in the same place and haue some affinity and correspondence yet how doth it follow that in this Chapter he should haue relation to Baptisme When as the same is neither directly mentioned nor by any necessary consequent implied or intimated Lastly suppose the Apostles words were so to be taken as that he should therein denie second Baptisme to the sinner doth not the same imply a deniall of pardon For why should he deny them a second Baptisme but to teach them that the meanes and instrumentall causes of Repentance and reconciliation being denied the effect cannot be granted But the truth is as euery single eye may perceiue that the Apostle hath in those places vtterly excluded those that sinne against the holy Ghost both from the meanes and fruit of repentance Thirdly Saint Iohn f 1 Iohn 5.16 speaking of this sinne cals it a sinne vnto death meaning such a sinne as yeelds death without remedy or recouery as the phrase being an Hebraisme doth necessarily import and Chrysostome doth truely expound g Chrys in psal 49 Vt in lege quaedam fuêre immedicabilia c. it Yea Alphonsus Salmeron h Alph. Salmer in 1. Ep. Ioh. dispu 32. one of the Fathers and founders of the Iesuites cals it a sinne to death quia suapte natura tendit ad mortem animae because it doth naturally tend to the death of the soule Againe the Apostle forbids vs to pray for such a sinner Now if prayer which should be the meanes to worke Repentance in men and to procure remission for them at the hands of God may not be afforded them is there any hope that such should be pardoned To this Bellarmine answers that the Apostle doth not directly forbid vs to pray for such but onely doth not incourage or perswade vs because the suite is very hard to be obtained And to him I reply that first the desperatenesse of the disease being to death may imply a reason of denying the medicine of prayer to obtaine life 1 Iohn 5. Secondly the coherence of the words with the words precedent doe euict them to be a direct prohibition For whereas before hee had taught Vers 14. that if we aske any thing according to Gods will we shall be heard he presently addeth these words as a Caueat that wee pray not for him that sinneth vnto death because that such a prayer is not according to Gods will Thirdly if Saint Iohn had noted onely a difficultie not an impossibilitie of obtaining our desires should he not haue perswaded vs to be the more earnest and importunate in prayer rather then to haue discouraged vs When our Sauiour saith i Mat. 7.14 that the way is narrow and the gate is strait that leadeth vnto life would you not make him absurd in saying I say not that you shall enter that way or indiscreet in discouraging men by denying them hope of entrance Doth he not better in perswading vs striue therefore earnestly to enter into that straight k Luk. 13.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gate and so if the matter had beene subiect to difficultie and not to impossibilitie doubtlesse Saint Iohn would haue exhorted vs euen to striue mightily l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15.20 by prayers to God for the remission of that sinne as Saint Paul speakes Rom. 15.30 Lastly that it is a direct prohibition diuers both ancient Fathers and Papists also doe directly auouch As m Tertul de pudic cap. 19. Tertullian n Aug. ser Domini in Monte. lib 1. Augustine o Hier. cited by P. Lumberd Hierome p Sixtus Quintus orat habit in consistor de morte Henr 3 Sixtus Quintus q Fâ—rus in 1. Ioh. 5. Ferus r Didac de la vega in Psal 6. poenitent Con. 5. and diuers others Didacus de la Vega and diuers others Yea Catharinus Å¿ Catharin in 1. Epist Ioh. cap. 5. in my iudgement hath written very iudiciously concerning both this place and the point in hand Some saith he haue made this place obscure supposing that to be absurd which indeede hath no absurditie in it meaning that prayer should be denyed to some kinde of sinners But this comes to passe by reason of a certaine old and vulgar opinion namely that no such outragious or diuilish sinne could be found which of it selfe was inexpiable Thus hauing proued by the authoritie of sacred Scriptures that this sinne is irremissible and answered such obiections as haue bin made against my proofe I might also confirme the same by many testimonies of the ancient t Tertul de pudicitia cap. 2. Cyprian lib. 3. Iustin ad Quirin cap. 28. Chry. in psa 49. Hieron Ep. 22. ad Marcel Aug.
is more then wee can expect then wee can deserue To see this honour done by some great Monarch to a poore beggar must needes be wonderfull in the eyes of the beholders yet that comes exceedingly too short in proportion comparison of our adoption by almighty God For what proportion what comparison betweene heauen and earth God and man Yea if our condition had beene base and ignoble onely and not sinfull also it had beene lesse strange But we being by birth and conception wretched sinners Psal 51.5 Rom. 5.10 enemies to God and by nature the children of wrath Ephes 2.3 to make vs the children of God is an vnspeakeable fauour and deserues that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fift to the Romanes Rom. 5.8 God sets forth his loue Sarah spake eagerly and angerly concerning Ishmael Gen. 21.10 This sonne of the bond-woman shall not be heire with my sonne And might not God haue said as roundly and resolutely concerning vs These bondslaues of sinne and Sathan shall not be heyres with my Sonne But such is the goodnes of our gratious God that he deales with vs like the father of the Prodigall childe of whom Saint Ambrose Ambros in Luke 15. saith Filius timet conuitium pater adornat conuiuium The sonne feares a sharpe check but the father prouides a dainty feast For hee not onely pardons our indignities Psal 103.3.4 but crownes vs with mercy and louing kindnesse Fourthly this our adoption is admirable in the latitude of aduancement as Saint Paul presseth it most soundly and sweetely in the eight to the Romanes Rom. 8.17 If we be children wee are also heyres heyres of God and ioynt heyres with Iesus Christ Chrys in Rom. Hom. 14. Here Chrysostome obserues three notable passages of honour euery one arising by degrees aboue another For first where as one may be a childe and yet not be an heyre we are not onely children but heyres also Secondly wee are not heyres to any mortall man though neuer so potent but heyres to the immortall and omnipotent God Thirdly we are not basely associated in this our inheritance we are co-heyres annexed to Iesus Christ then which there can be no greater honour For when our Sauiour will propose the greatest aduancement that may be to them who haue done worthily in the spirituall warfare Reuel 3.21 it is this To him that ouercommeth will I giue to sit with me on my Throne as I haue ouercome and sit with my father on his Throne In regard therefore of the aduancement which attends our adoption Psal 1.12 well might Saint Iohn say Dedit eis potestatem as the vulgar latine hath it To them hee gaue power to be made the sonnes of God Greg. super Ezech. hom 6. and Gregory thereupon Quid hac potestate altius Quid hac altitudine sublimus Well might he call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a prerogatiue or dignitie Iansen Conc. Cap. 1. as Iansenus well interprets the word For it is the greatest prerogatiue that heauen and earth doe yeelde If it were the highest ambition of that great conqueror to be esteemed Iouis filius Alexander the sonne of Iupiter what an honour is it to be called the children of Iehouah the great God of heauen and earth Well might that Apostle say 1. Ioh. 3.1 Behold what manner of loue the father hath bestowed vpon vs that we should be called the sonnes of God Surely this great aduancement deserues an Ecce to vsher it for demonstration Behold and a Qualem charitatem to follow it for admiration What manner of loue the father hath bestowed vpon vs. Ioh. 3.16 For here is that Sic Deus dilexit mundum So God loued the world and this Sic is like that Sicut in the Lamentations of Ieremy Lamen 1.12 it cannot be paralleld Psal 8.4 What is man O Lord that thou art so mindefull of him What are the sonnes of men that thou shouldst so visit them so honour them Now as this aduancement is very admirable so is it very comfortable yea here is a confluence of all comforts belonging to it It were a tedious nay an impossible taske to recount them all I will mention a few yet so that by a cluster or two of Grapes Numb 13.24 you may iudge of the riches of Canaan Hence it is that the children of God are freed from the spirit of bondage Rom. 8.15 and receiue the spirit of Adoption whereby they cry Abba father Mat. 7. they haue both accesse and audience before the throne of grace Hence it is that they enioy the especiall prouidence of almighty God Mat. 6. for their heauenly father careth for them Fathers lay vp for their children 2 Cor. 12.14 saith Paul and how meruailous saith Dauid is the goodnesse which the Lord hath laid vp for his children Psal 31.19 euen before the sonnes of men And no meruaile Rom. 8.32 for hee that spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how should hee not with him giue vs all things that are good Are the children of God in want the Lord is ready to relieue them rather then they shall lacke the stony rocke shall yeelde them water Num. 19.11 the heauens shall raigne downe Quailes and Manna in abundance Exod. 16.13 The poore Widow shall relieue Elias 1 Reg. cap. 17. 19. the Angell from heauen shall furnish him and the rauenous Rauens shall feede him Thus all the creatures shall be seruiceable to the children of God and the earth the aire the heauens shall be store-houses for them Are they in danger or distresse Psal 34.7 the Angels become their gard and doe pitch their tents about them Are they not all ministring spirits to the children of God Heb. 1.14 that are heires of saluation Are they sicke The Lord will make their bed in their sicknesse Psal 41.3 Are they alone the father will come and dwell with them Iohn 14.23 Are they in sorrow and heauinesse behold their heauenly Father is the father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 the God of all consolation Haue they a iourney a progresse to vndertake the Lord will be their fidus Achates as he was to Iacob in his iourney to Mesopotamia Gen. 28.15 he will be with them whither soeuer they goe But why goe I about to number those comforts that are numberlesse Or why doe I confine my speech to the things of this life Neither eye hath seene nor eare heard nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceiue what God hath prepared for his children in the life to come There is that kingdome that cannot be shaken Heb. 12.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 25.34 Heb. 11.10 which is the ancient inheritance There is that City whose builder and founder is God that glorious City which the Angel measured with a golden reede Reuel 21.15
remains small hope of receiuing comfort by Christs eternall sacrifice but rather extreame terrour in the expectation of his dreadfull sentence small probability of being cleansed in his precious blood but rather a sore possibility of being deuoured by a violent fire Peccata sunt animae vulnera sins are the soules wounds according to the sacred Scriptures and the ancient Fathers phrase of speech And as the wounds of the body doe differ some being dangerous some more mortall some altogether incurable so fares it with the wounds of the soule some are cured more easily as the Maid was raised from death by Christ Mark 9. Some with lesse facilitie like the Widdowes Sonne Luk. 7. Some yet with greater difficultie like Lazarus Iohn 11. The cure will cost many a groane and many a sigh some are altogether vncurable the sinne cleauing to the sinner like the Leprosie of Gehazi for h 2 Kin. 5.27 euer Loe such a wound and such a sinne we haue in hand at this present euen the sinne against the holy Ghost For the subiect of this Scripture is a deadly wound euen a wound and death a wound going before and death following after it The wound is expressed in these words For if we sinne willingly after we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth The death and danger in these words There remaines no more sacrifice for sinne but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and a violent fire which shall deuoure the aduersaries Behold here is the most hainous sinne of all sinnes and the most grieuous iudgement of all iudgements here is a fearefull transgression and a dolefull affliction in the one behold the tower of Babel in the other the valley of Benhinnom in the one the extreamest degree of iniquitie in the other the vttermost measure of miserie in the one a sinners execrable condition in this life in the other his lamentable confusion in the life to come But now I purpose God willing onely to speak of the wound In the handling whereof I intend to take these courses 1. I will open it 2. I will search it 3. I will binde it vp againe by Application In the opening of the wound I finde it in the generall to be an Apostasie from the Gospell For it is a forsaking the communion we haue among our selues So saith the Apostle ver 25. And in the particular view thereof I note foure bad humours which feede it for mali humores sunt praui mores as Bernard h Bern. super Cant. ser 36. saith Vers 26 The first is an aduised sinfulnesse After we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth The second a resolute wilfulnesse If we sinne willingly Vers 29 The third is obstinate malice For here is an aduersary that despights the spirit of grace The fourth is a generall corruption of Religion For it is a treading vnderfoote the Sonne of God and counting the blood of the Testament as an vnholy thing and both these points are expressed in the 29. Verse So that in a word I finde and consequently doe define this sinne to be A Witting Willing Malicious Totall Apostasie First for the matter of this sinne It is an Apostasie either from the publike profession or priuate acknowledgement of the Gospell For the manner of it It must be witting and not of ignorance It must be willing and not of co-action It must be malicious and not of infirmitie It will be totall and not some particular impietie In the handling of which points let mee say to you in i Chris var. loc in Mat. hom 9. Chrysostomes words Excutite pigritiam non est res leuis quam audituri estis rouse vp your spirits and raise vp your attention the matter you are to heare is of no small moment The first part The opening of the WOVND The first bad Humour VVHen almightie God had laid the foundation of the world his first worke was fiat lux let there be light and this light being dispersed and confused he afterwards placed in the Globe of the Sunne which he made vehiculum lucis So in the creation of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a modell of that greater world hee placed the light of vnderstanding in the firmament of his Soule to guide him in the way of holinesse and to bring him to the place of eternall happinesse But Sathan whose kingdome is the kingdome of darkenesse in enuie towards man and malice to God obscured that light with the clowdes of errour that so hee might lead wretched sinners blinde-fold to hell like the Syrians into the midst of k 2. Reg. 6.20 Samaria Yet God in mercy beholding this miserie into which man was cast gathering together as it were the scattered beames of knowledge doth by the spirit of illumination vnite them in the Globe of the vnderstanding and where hee affords this fauour the abuse thereof is very dangerous This is that knowledge of the truth which is here spoken of for it is cognitio accepta non acquisita knowledge receiued from the illuminating spirit of God not acquired or obtained by the light or industry of nature They who offend in this kinde must be such as Saint Paul speakes of you were once darkenes but now you are light in the l Lord. So that Turkes and infidels who neuer yet receiued the knowledge of the truth cannot commit this sinne Neither is this to be taken for some superficiall conceite swimming in the braine onely but such a knowledge as taking some place in the heart hath affected the same with a certaine comfort and delight therein and bringeth with it a glimpse of that glory which is reuealed in that truth and shall be receiued in the kingdome of heauen And therefore the Apostle attributes to those who commit this sinne not onely that they be lightned but that they haue tasted of the heauenly gift and beene made pertakers of the holy-Ghost and haue tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to m Heb. 6.4 come Now when a man shall finde the taste of Gods word sweeter then the honie and the n Psal 19.10 honie-combe as it was to Dauid and shall afterward distaste and happily detest it as the Israelites did o Numb 11.6 Manna When he shall reioyce in the meditation of eternall life and yet reiect the consolation thereof like the yong man who ranne to our blessed Sauiour kneeled to him and cryed out good master what shall I doe that I may possesse eternall life yet went away like a p Mark 10.17 flincher When hee shall haue relished and euen beene rauished with the comfortable taste of the powers of the world to come like Balaam who passionately wished O let me die the death of the righteous and let my latter end be like q Num. 23.10 his Yet shall like a gracelesse man abandon the meanes and banish the care and cogitation thereof what probability nay what possibility is there that hee
ratified it with an asseueration o Isa 22.19 Surely the iniquitie of such a sinner shall neuer be pardoned or purged Yea if a bare speech or asseueration will not serue when Elies sonnes will wilfully persist in their sinnes and will not be reclaimed either for their owne credit their fathers comfort or the Lords glory he takes his oath p 1 Sam. 3.14 that the wickednesse of Elies house shall not be purged with sacrifice or offering for euer The third bad humour THE third bad humour which feedes this Apostasie is bitter and violent namely Malice a consequent of the former For when men doe once grow wilfull they easily become malicious and waxe euen rebelliously bent against the truth So as was Iulian the Emperour whom Hierome q Hier. Catalog script Eccles therefore most iustly stileth for his malice Canem rabidum euen a madde Dogge So as were the Iewes whom our Sauiour taxing for this sinne r Mat. 12.37 cals a broode of Vipers because they were full of venim and malice Such a sinner the Apostle doth here call an aduersary as being one that directly opposeth himselfe against the rules of pietie and afterwards in more fearefull words he brandeth him thus which doth despight the spirit of grace And in the sixt to the Hebrewes ſ Heb. 6.6 he calleth him a crucifier of Christ and a mocker of him When a man shall become a professed aduersary to him who is able to destroy both soule and body in hell t Mat. 10.28 when he shall despight the spirit of grace which is the spirit of comfort helpeth our infirmities and maketh request for vs with groanes and sighes which cannot be u Rom. 8 26. expressed When hee shall make but a mocke of Christ to whom the blessed Angels doe homage x Heb. 1.6 oh how lamentable is the estate of such a one When the patient loathes his foode quarrels with his Phisitian is angry with his friends chafes with himselfe you will say he is in ill case and such is the condition of a froward and malicious sinner When the vis irascibilis Which should be as a Dogge at the doore of the soule to keepe away the Theefe shall waxe madde and bite the Master or his friends euen snarle at God at his seruants and his sacred truth what safety or comfort can that soule haue When Christians which should be as Lambes and new borne-Babes in receauing y 1. Pet. 2.1.2 Iam. 1.12 with meekenesse the sincere milke of the word and the comfortable food of the blessed Sacrament shall turne dogges and swine tread vnderfoote those precious pearles and be ready euen to rent their z Mat. 7.6 Pastors they must needes kindle Gods wrath and accelerate his iudgements This was the sinne of Alexander the Copper-smith of whom Saint Paul a 2 Tim. 4.15 saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he vehemently withstood our Preaching He saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not vs but our words our preaching for that had not beene so hainous the one is but a personall persecution and so had beene a sinne against charitie the other a doctrinall and consequently was a direct offence against pietie And surely it is a fearefull thing when a man sets himselfe against heauen b 1 Sam. 2.25 If one man sinne against another saith Elie the Iudge shall iudge it but if a man sinne against the Lord who will pleade for him It goes hard with a malefactor when no man will can or dare be his aduocate but it is Gods iust iudgement vpon a malicious sinner and therefore it was his ordinance c Num. 15.30 that he which sinned presumptuously euen erecting with an high hand the flagge of defiance against God as the metaphor imports blasphemed the Lord the same person should be cut off from among his people that the same cutting off might be a praeludium to his fearefull and finall separation from the societie of the blessed Angels the spirits of iust and holy men and from Iesus Christ the mediator of the new d Heb. 12.22 Testament How fearefull was the obstinacie of Stephens enemies who being not able to resist the spirit by which he spake charged him with blasphemie e Act. 6.10.11 And albeit the Lord did grace his innocent conscience with an Angelicall countenance yet they so persisted in their malice that they gaue him iust cause to taxe them thus You stiffe-necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares you haue alway resisted the holy Ghost Such obstinate sinnes must needes be punished when as others committed of frailtie may easily be pardoned Should I not spare Nineueh saith the Lord f Ion. 4.11 which doth trespasse of infirmitie But how should I spare Iuda which doth transgresse g Ier. 5.7 rebelliously Here God hath something to say for Nineueh but rebellious Iuda stands arraigned of high treason and God hauing nothing to say for her nor she for her selfe why the sentence of death should not passe against her must needes be condemned except Gods iustice shall be violated which must inuiolably be maintained though all the rebellious Men and Angels in the world be damned It is dangerous to walke in the counsell of the vngodly dreadfull to stand in the way of sinners but h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 1.1 happy and thrise happy is he that doth not sit in the seate of the scornefull Who would thinke that any could be so forsaken of God and bereft of grace that he should malice and scorne the eternall Maiestie yet experience hath found out such vile wretches For such a one was that blasphemous Pope Iulius who being forbidden by his Physition to eate Porke because of his gout said in a great chafe horresco referens I tremble to vtter his words i Les vies de Papes de Rome Iules 3. Giue me my Porkes flesh al dispetto di Dio euen in despight of God What horrible blasphemies did that execrable Emperour Iulian the Apostata as also his lewd companion Libanius the Sophister belch forth against Christ who at their going forth to the Persian warre asked in k Histor Trip. lib. 6. cap. 43. scoffing manner What the Carpenters Sonne meaning Christ was doing To whom it was well answered by a good Christian l Theodoret. hist l. 3 c 18. Loculum fabricatur he is making a coffin for Iulian which propheticall speech was verified by the euent for indeede Iulian was strangely wounded and slaine in that warre Now when a man is growne to this height of impiety that he dares thus with a high hand sinne against the Almightie the Lord stops the suites of those who would pray for him not admitting any petition to be put vp in the Court of mercy according to those words of Saint Iohn There is a sinne vnto death I say not thou shouldest pray for m 1 Ioh. 5.16 it And how oft doth
9.9 To thee O Lord God belongeth mercy and forgiuenesse saith Daniel True it is but when a man hath made himselfe vncapable of mercy the cogitation thereof is rather a corrosiue then any comfort at all Are not those who charge Christ with an vnclean spirit worthy to be possest with the spirit of slumber If they despight the spirit of grace doe they not deserue to be depriued of the spirit of grace If they treade vnderfoote of a base estimation the Sonne of God and the blood of the Testament is it not a iust recompence that Sathan should trample them vnder his feete in the place of torments If the Lord giue ouer men to a Reprobate sense for abusing only the meere gifts of x Rom. 1.28 nature how much more may they expect to haue their eyes blinded and their hearts y Ioh. 12.40 hardned who maliciously resist the works of grace z Chrys op imperf in Mat. Hom. 37. And then as the tacklings being taken from the ship and the same left to the mercy of the Seas is cast vpon rockes dashed in peeces or drowned in the sands so the soule of man being stripped of the tacklings of grace must needes suffer shipwracke and perish in the gulfe of eternall perdition This miserie is by no meanes to be auoided for as Chrysostome saith a Cum à Deo deserimur Diabolo tradimur Chrys in Ioh. Hom. 67. when men are forsaken of God they are deliuered to the Diuell not for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saued in the day of the Lord as the Corinthian b 1. Cor. 5.5 was But to be vexed in soule here and to be tormented in soule and body hereafter as Saul c 1. Sam. 16. was And then what followes our Sauiour shewes in the persons of the blasphemous Pharisees d Luk. 11.25 When the vncleane spirit hauing beene cast out returneth he brings with him seauen spirits worse then himselfe which doe enter and dwell there and taking vp their habitation doe shut fast the doore of the heart so that albeit the spirit of God doe knocke againe and againe e Reuel 3.20 yet can it finde no entrance and that causeth such a lamentable effect The latter end of that man is worse then the beginning Thus the heart being hardned becomes impenitent and so the impenitent sinner becomes vnpardonable for where there is no grace for Repentance there is no place for pardon According to the Apostles words Rom. 2. f Rom. 2.5 Thou after thy hardnesse and heart that cannot repent treasurest vp vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath The stinging of an Aspe is incurable and such is this wound and sting of Sathan for it growes cankerous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the sinne of Hymeneus and g 2 Tim. 2.17 Philetus Yea it becomes that which the Surgeons call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen such an eating vlcerous sore as doth totally mortifie the part affected so that all the plasters that art or nature can deuise will not helpe it This saith Hierome is that kinde of leprosie which cannot be cured And so much for the opening of the wound The second part The searching of the WOVND HEre now beloued I could be contented to take my station and to stay my hand from searching this wound any further But because there is some controuersie concerning the same amongst the spirituall Physitians to whom the cure or care thereof doth belong I hold it expedient either in reconciling or confuting the differences of opinions to relieue those who may be subiect to doubting and to satisfie if it be possible euen those which are possest with the spirit of contradiction by manifesting that as I haue laid the foundation of my positiue doctrine vpon the vnmoueable rocke of the holy Scriptures so I haue the consent of the learned of all sorts who doe build with mee vpon the same foundation so that onely singularity shall haue occasion to dissent There are about this matter but two points controuerted the one is touching the description the other the remission of this sinne Concerning the first some make finall impenitency to be the sinne against the holy Ghost but those that so doe are confuted by themselues for they hold the sinne against the holy Ghost to be pardonable so that consequently if finall impenitency be the sinne against the holy Ghost finall impenitency should be pardonable which absurdity euery sensible man must needes be ashamed of But Bellarmine himselfe h Bellam. de poenitent lib. 2. cap. 16. hath diuers arguments for the confutation of this errour which I will briefely repeate 1. The sinne against the holy Ghost is properly blasphemie but finall impenitency is not blasphemie therefore finall impenitency is not the sinne against the holy Ghost 2. Finall impenitency is not committed till death but the sinne against the holy Ghost is committed before death therefore finall impenitency is not the sinne against the holy Ghost The minor proposition is euident for our Sauiour charged the Pharisees with this sinne who were then liuing and for any thing we know liued long after Further Paul speaking of this sinne in the sixt to the Hebrewes saith it is impossible that they which haue committed the same should be renewed by repentance In which words the Apostle speaketh of those that are aliue else should he affirme that the dead cannot be renewed by repentance which speech were idle and much vnbeseeming so great an Apostle Againe whereas Saint Iohn saith there is a sin vnto death I say not that thou shouldst pray for it 1 Ioh. 5.16 he speaks of liuing men And whereas some thinke he speakes of the dead the Text is directly against them For he saith he that knoweth his brother to sinne a sinne not vnto death c. in which words hee admitteth that a man may see and know when the sinne is committed and therefore he speaketh not of finall impenitencie which cannot be knowne till after a mans death and hardly then also Moreouer if hee spake of the sinnes of those that are dead hee should not say He that knowes his brother to sinne but he that knowes his brother to haue sinned Thus Bellarmine hauing confuted that opinion concerning finall impenitency and affirmed truely Circumstantia quaedam quae in omni peccato reperiri potest that the same is but circumstantia quaedam a certaine circumstance which may be found in euery particular sinne he defineth the sinne against the holy Ghost in the same manner as I haue handled it calling it a malicious opposition against the manifest and knowne truth Athanasius Chrysostome Basil Hilarie Ambrose Hierome Anselme Richardus de S. Vict. Theophylact. Beda Pacianus which definition he confirmeth by the common consent of ancient writers k Communi consensu veterum Bellarm ibid. to whose reasons and authorities were they not very pithy and pregnant I might annexe sundry