sect had continued in Germany a long time but not above ten years in any full vigour Gastius de Anab. Exord they being suppressed and punished severely by the Princes there a remnant of them came in two ships into England 1535. and lurking here a while were taken and made to recant others were severely punished as you may read in your Chronicles whose dregs other people have sucked in Howe 's Chron. 1538. Camb. in the life of Q. Eliz. But in the year 1561. Queen Elizabeth by proclamation commanded them all to depart the land within twenty daies upon pain of imprisonment and confiscation of goods whether they were free born or forreigners Mathe. But what tenets are now peculiar to this sect among us and your judgement therein Phila. 1. That no children ought to be baptized 2. That none are rightly baptized but those that are dipt 3. That there ought to be no set form of praier by the book 4. That there should be no distinction between Clergy and the Laity but all that are gifted may preach and give Sacraments 5. That it is not lawfull to take an oath though demanded by the Magistrate 6. That no Christian can with a good conscience execute the office of a Magistrate All which though I have here and there plainly though cursorily confuted yet I shall do it at your request more particularly Mathe. I pray do so Phila. First I shall prove that Infants ought to be baptized 1. Because it bears analogy with Scripture for God thought fit in making a Covenant with Abraham to institute a Sacrament by which infants as well as elder people might be admitted into his Church which Sacrament was Circumcision Then surely God having by his son Christ abolished Circumcision would not leave those who are the children of Abraham by faith Gal. 3.7 without some Sacrament by which their children also might receive the same benefit Calv. Insti l. 4. c. 16. part 6. unlesse the Gospell hath lesse liberty then the Law which Christ denieth laying I am come that ye might have life more abundant and then surely the means of life also namely baptisme for circumcision is so called Col. 2.11 12. circumcision without hands Mathe. But baptisme of Infants is no where commanded in Scripture Phila. It is not necessary to be injoined in so many words because there is sufficient warrant for it by bearing a proportion with circumcision the sign being only changed In many such cases the Scriptures are silent leaving men to draw consequences of practice from generall propositions As for example when Christ saith except a man be born again doth he not mean a woman as well as man or because he said only to his Disciples at his last supper where there was no woman present Do ye this in remembrance of me may we not therefore give the Communion to women without a special warrant I suppose no wise man will say so And so also for keeping the Lords day there is no command nor yet to rebaptize any which yet the Anabaptists do ordinarily practise Mathe. But children can make no profession of faith or repentance as those did that came to John the Baptist Mat. 3. and therefore are not I think to be baptized Phila. Yes surely because they are the seed of such as professe true religion and so are within the covenant and promise made to the visible Church and her seed in Abraham Gen. 18.18 In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed Which word nations compriseth young and old every one in their modell and capacity of blessing therefore circumcision was the seal of Abrahams faith Rom. 4.11 which he had before he was circumcised was given to Isaac as the seal of that faith which he had faederally as the son of Abraham and was to appear in him actually after his circumcision and so baptisme may be lawfully given to infants now under the Gospel though they be not circumcised Rom. 4.11 16. Mathe. But Christ saith go teach and baptize inferring that they should be taught and be capable of teaching before they be baptized Phila. No such matter For that direction of Christ Mat. 28.19 Go teach all nations baptizing them The word translated teach signifieth properly disciple them which may be done by this Sacrament of entrance into Christs school or Church and therefore teaching is set downe by another word after discipling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in verse 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Mathe. But we read not of any children baptized in the New Testament Phila. True but we read of whole housholds baptized as Acts 16.33 the Jailor and all that belonged to him Among whom if you will say there were no children because they are not set down I reply there is no women nor servants set down neither and so then the Jailor was the whole family and Lydia and Stephanas were their whole family But certainly Paul would have set down the omission of his baptizing children if he had omitted them in those families since that he is so exact in telling us what housholds he did baptize 1 Cor. 1.14 And truly if the want of a peculiar command or practice in the New Testament should exclude Christian children from baptisme we are left in a more uncomfortable estate for our children then the Jewes were But where the equity of the law remains there the law is still in force and where is the same reason there the same thing may be done for substance though the circumstance may differ And I am sure our children have as much need by baptisme to have sin washed away as theirs had by circumcision to have sin cast away Mathe. But that promise of God Gen. 17.7 of which circumcision was the seal was made only to Abraham and his seed by nature Phila. If it were so why is it not kept for the Jewes are cast off from being Gods people therefore that everlasting Covenant was and must be understood of Abrahams children by promise not by nature and so beleevers being within the Covenant may rightly claim the seal of the Covenant for their children Cyp. l. 3. ep 8. Aug. ep ad Dard. 57. which seal baptisme is to the Christians children as circumcision was to Jewish the one corresponding to the other even as the cloud and the red sea in which they and their children were all baptized 1 Cor. 10.1 Tertul. de Resur sarnis 2. typed our baptisme Beside is it not reason that those to whom the Kingdome of God belongs should be received into his Kingdome of grace the Church And that children are such Christ sheweth plainly Mar. 10.14 And that they were little infants it is plain for he took them in his arms Nay farther the Apostle saith that if one of the parents be a beleever their children are holy 1 Cor. 7.14 and if so then surely they are capable of the Sacrament of
which not being done the Sacrament is slighted and profaned because that to which it relates hath no impression in us as by remembring his love expressed to us in his death than which none could be greater being endured for us while we were enemies Rom. 5.8 or the horrour of his death being most painfull shamefull fearfull enduring not only the spight of wicked men but an abstraction of the divine comfort for a time so that never was sorrow like his Lam. 1.12 all which was most properly due to us nor remembring the benefits of his death which concerns us as by it the sting of death is taken away though a stain is left the curse of the law is abolished it is to us no killing letter the exaction of the law is nullified we being not bound to every jot and tittle of it for our justification but our weak performances are excepted of God in Christ because we have a right to all Christs righteousnesse and a just claim in him to all the blessings of the law so that neither the corruption of nature can reign over us Rom. 6.14 nor sin bind us over to punishment everlasting and for temporall afflictions they shall all work to our good and glory as they did to Christs Rom. 8.28 Phil. 2.9 Mathe. How may one then rightly remember Christ in receiving the Sacrament and so become a faithfull receiver Phila. These do one include the other For as faith looks upon Christ and his benefits so remembrance cals those things to mind which faith beleeves so that this remembrance must be a beleeving remembrance that the Sacrament presents to us under seal the benefits of Christs death and passion It also must be a thankfull remembrance for those inestimable favours of which I told you Next it must be an obedient remembrance to what he hath commanded and now God in him entreats us to do out of love By all which you may discern how a communicant must be qualified and in what he must especially examine himselfe namely in faith which is the speciall condition of the covenant of grace of which the Sacrament is a seale Now faith must be considered in the cause the nature and the effects of it The causes of faith are the word which is the seed of it and the spirit which is the vertue of this seed both these brings light to discover the darkness of our naturall estate and the comfort in Gospell light Then next a power to regulate and conform us to its own rules and to subdue all opposition 2 Cor. 10.4 Now for the nature of faith it being convinced that the word is of divine authority it gives both an intellectuall assent to the truth of it because God doth avouch it and a fiduciall assent to the goodnesse of it for our own salvation and as to the Word so to the Sacrament which is the seal thereof which goodnesse breedeth in us a love longing and delight in the holy mysteries Upon which followeth an heavenly and holy effect of faith as to desire and hunger after the food of the soule and a strong conversion of it into our soules nutriment and growing in grace by the strength of it more and more Rom. 13. 2 Pet. 2.2 Next a sympathy with Christs members in their griefs and joies Then a readinesse to every good work and a strong repulse of evill upon which followeth affiance in God hope in his promises peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost and a continuall fructification in an holy life by the strength of the Word and Sacrament while we walk here in this wildernesse of sin as the Israelites did in the strength of Manna and the Rock-water till we come to the land of everlasting rest Mathe. I thank you for your patience and resolutions of my generall and disordered queries I shall make bold hereafter if God give leave and you will affoord me your assistance in resolving me to trouble you with some other more particular cases But before I part I desire you since there is such divisions among us to tell me what Church you think most safest for one to cleave unto in life and death and what congregation is best to associate my selfe withall Phila. I suppose you find by what hath been said that the Protestant Church is the soundest for doctrine and therefore hold you to their principles of doctrine as they have been set forth and maintained by our * The 39. Articles of the Church of England Church of England in the time of King Edward the sixt and Queen Elizabeth and her successors And for matters of discipline it is to be wished that some were setled among us for the suppressing voluptuous living and libertinisme But if it may not be had let us be content with the Gospell preached and pray for reformation As for the Congregation you speak of I hold the publike generally best because Preachers in Churches will make more conscience of what they preach then those of the private conventicles or chambers except it be some that are forced to make such places their refuge to exercise their ministry which in conscience they cannot give over though prosecuted much like as the primitive Doctors were persecuted Mathe. But they that do preach in publike some are of one opinion some of another as Prelaâ—icall Presbyterian and Independent Phila. Let no titles trouble you but trie the spirits whether they be of God by their teaching faith and an holy and good life Let men impose upon others or take up what names they please to themselves be thou content to be a Protestant Christian And for mens private opinions except they publish them to seduce others they must stand or fall to their own master And for joining your selse to a Congregation I will give you no advice but only siâ—ce you have liberty given use it to the best advantage for your soule by hearing ministers of the soundest judgement and most edifying And because all Congregations are mixed it is best to consort with those that are the most pious in their lives and unanimous in their worship of God Mathe. But some say the learned are not the right Preachers but the plain man though a Tradesman who preacheth by the spirit Phila. Surely the learned are more to be trusted for the soule as a learned Physitian for the body but they go by rule others by rote so do these mechanick preachers they despise learning as some do riches because they despaire to get and so they entitle the spirit to their ignorance of which the spirit is no author but the devill and mans presumptuous sins for the spirit never imploied any about his Church but either he made them able by infusion which they cannot prove he hath them or else by acquisition He gave Isaiah the tongue of the learned as well as Bezaleel and Aholiab the gift of handicraft So Christ took plain men to preach his Gospell but he made
saith he that beleeveth not shall be damned And what forbids us to beleeve that being God worketh without means upon some may not also into the children of Christians by his preventing grace convey so much seminall grace as may make them capable passively at least of this Sacrament of entrance Beside why may they not be admitted upon their parents faith as well as Christ cured some for the faith of others as the Palsey man and the woman of Canaans daughter and the centurions servant especially they having only sinned in their parents I see not but the imputation of their parents faith may possibly remove that which is imputed for the parents fact through that means which God in Christ hath ordained and so as they sin by another so in this case they may beleeve by another that as the malady is brought upon him without his will so without his will it may be healed Cypr Ep. 59. for no doubt the grace of God in Christ aboundeth above the guilt of Adams sin Rom. 5.15 16 17 18. and so the ordinance of Baptisme required and applied by the faith of the parents answereth to the ordinance of imputation of guilt for the parents fact and so Gods waies are equall that he may be justified in his doings and clear when he is judged By all which it may be collected beside from the ancient custome of the Church which is not to be despised that parents may without fear and in faith bring their children to baptisme Mathe. But how shall I resolve the fearfull in mind about their refraining to the Lords Supper Phila. Their fears may be good or bad If they be good as fear of their unworthinesse as Job feared all his works they be the fitter guests for this Table whose precious viands is able to remove that cold Systole of fear and bring forth the warm Diastole of faith both which those that have the spirit of God do breath at certaine times Psal 119.131 this may be a filiall fear of offending God by their unworthinesse But a despairing fear is bad as if Christ would cast thee away when thou commest to him and so is a panick fear when thou canst give no account of it so is an erroneous fear of taking the Communion in a mixt assembly because I have not a certain good character of all present or do certainly know that some of them are not so strict and conscientious livers as they ought to be For it is true that many are not to be admitted as the unbaptized and those that are ignorant of the grounds of religion and of the mystery of this holy Sacrament and some are to be sequestred from it as Adam from the tree of life lest he prophane it and as the leprous out of the camp lest they infect others so are obstinate and scandalous men and inordinate walkers Mat. 1â— 1â— 2 Thes 3. pertinacious hereticks wilfull schismaticks are to be suspended and they that neglect to do it if it be in their power do highly offend God But now let the fearfull consider whether they consent or allow of the one sin or the other if not he need not fear or whether it be in his power to separat those vile from the precious if not let it content him that God hath given him an heart to grieve for the disorder or if thou hast power to separate one from the other thou must be carefull that you mistake not the wicked for the just lest while you fear to beguilty of spilling the blood of Christ yet thou bringest the blood of some of his flock upon thee because thou takest from them the food allowed them by their Shepherd Consider therefore your fear to receive in a mixt assembly whether it proceed not from selfe conceit that you are more holy then others or that you may be defiled by them or that it is sinfull to accompany with such at the Communion and search if you can find any prohibition for it or reprehension in Scripture for so doing you may find prohibition of mixing with scandalous Christians company in common society and at meat not in sacred things 1 Cor. 5.11 So in 2 Thes 3.14 they are bidden to have no company with those that obeied not the Apostles words in that Epistle that was that Christians should walk orderly and laboriously in their callings So then they must forbear the company of such in common conversation not at the Lords Table for were it fit that the whole Church should forbear the Communion because of a wicked person there present surely nay but rather imitate Christs Disciples who did not avoid receiving the Lords Supper because Judas was there Luke 22.21 Neither did Christ forbid him because though inwardly bad enough yet be was not convicted of it and Christ not comming then as a judge would not censure him If we therefore look not narrowly into this feare it will make us neglect the duty we owe to God and the benefit God offers to us because another man doth not do his as he ought Aug. ex Cyp. lib de lapsis which is a thing disallowed by ancient Churches and Doctors namely that one is defiled with those mens sins that come unworthily to the Lords Table Mathe. How may one become a fit communicant of the Lords Supper Phila. The New Testament sets down two rules Christ bids us do it in remembrance of him St Paul bids us to examine our selves and shewes the danger of the neglect that it incurs judgement and the reason of that danger because for want of examination we discern not the Lords body By all which we may find what is the duty of a true communicant which no doubt consists in a right knowledge of the mystery of it and a true faith in the application of it both which to examine is our preparation Therefore we are to consider First the thing it selfe Secondly the relation that it hath to Christ Thirdly the end of it Fourthly the fitnesse of a receiver The thing it selfe is a visible earnest of an invisible good expected by faith in Christ to whom we have right through his word of which the Sacrament is a seale In this Christ hath shewed his abundant love that he would not only make himselfe visible to us by taking our nature but also humble himselfe to our sense of tasting and feeling that we may not only see but taste and handle the word of life so that though he be gone far from us and above us in the union hypostaticall having taken our manhood into God yet he is with us by an union sacramentall that we may take him into our selves and by vertue thereof be transformed to his likenesse in righteousnesse and holinesse The next thing to consider is the relation the Sacrament hath to Christ First in the elements Secondly the actions of the receiver The elements are mean and plain bread and wine the common food of the poorest man
being of the more worthy Sex and first created to signifie him that was the first born of every creature and that the chiefe Sacrificer of all our oblations to God our High Priest Jesus Christ This rule St Paul followed 1 Cor. 14.34 who forbids a woman to meddle in Church matters by speaking in the Church being not the first in the creation though chiefe in transgression 1 Tim. 2.12 Some think that before the Law only the oldest of the families or Prophets did facrifice But there is no certainty of Scripture for it since that Abel the younger sacrificed as well as Cain the elder brother Gen. 4.3 Fenestel de sacerdot Rom. cap. 11. Indeed the heathen did commonly offer sacrifice by their Kings as the Romans And the Aegyptians did not commit their holy mysteries to every one but to those who were to come to the government of their Kingdome or to those of their Priests Clem. Alex. strom 5. who were most approved for linage learning and elevation so that they were more religious though no lesse idolatrous then Jeroboam who made any one a Priest as many do among us the more shame But after the Law God restrains this to one trive namely of Levi. This word sacrifice signifieth a thing sacred or holy and had divers names Mincha a gift or oblation Gnolah because it ascended as in fire Zebach killed i. if it were a thing had life Misbeach because laid on the Altar Karhan drawing neer to God Now as Christ the Son of God was signified by the tree of life so as he was the son of man he was typed by sacrifice whether animate or inanimate For 1. He was the only meritorious oblation 2. He was laied upon his crosse as upon the Altar in similitude to the Altar of sacrifices but he offered himselfe by the eternall spirit by which he was separate to the work of our redemption Now that all Sacrifice was but a type of his oblation of himselfe it is said that he was the lamb slain from the beginning of the world vertually and so Christ is yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. 13.8 Virtually for them before he came in the flesh Actually when he came in the flesh and so efficaciously for all beleevers past present future for sacrifice did not only represent him but did exhibit him to all that in faith did expect him though veiled as we beleeve upon him though under the Gospell revealed For it is true that God printeth an effectuall operation upon things sacramentall Iamblicus de mysterits in cap de Virt. sac And so God did no doubt upon the Jewes sacraments till Christ came in the flesh by whose meritorious sacrifice we are saved even as they Act. 15.11 The next shadowe of Christ sacramentally Passeover is circumcision which was first commended to Abraham Gen. 17. and to his seed till Christ came and abolished it and placed Baptisme in the room of it which being once setled Gal. 5.2 Christ profits them nothing who are circumcised for baptisme is the Gentiles circumcision Col. 2.11 12. In Christ they were circumcised by the circumcision made without hands which is putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ being buried with him in baptisme and raised again by faiths operation By which we see what circumcision was in it selfe even cutting off the foreskin of the male-kind his generative part and also what it signified in Christ even the casting away the sins of the flesh Mathe. What need Christ be circumcised who had no sin Phila. Surely not for his own sake but for ours For by circumcision he becomes bound to keep the Law and so became surety for us that he would satisfie all for us in respect of precept and punishment For whosoever was circumcised was bound to keep the whole Law Gal. 5.3 He underwent it also to excuse or exempt us from that hard Sacrament and yet to convey us the grace of mortification by a more easie Sacrament even by baptisme Also that thereby his righteousnesse might be conveied effectually to all Abrahams seed by nature or grace that beleeved upon this Christ the promised seed of whose righteousnesse Rom. 4.11 circumcision was to them and baptisme is the seale to us Rom. 4.23 24. to whom the same righteousnesse shall be imputed if we beleeve in him that raised up Christ who as he was circumcised was typed forth by circumcision the seale of that righteousnesse promised to come upon man by the promised seed Christ This was the first exhibiting sacrament that God gave to mankind He gave a representative signe of the Rainbow to Noah that he would never drown the world again which was a temporall grace But this conveied to Abraham and his seed the promise of internall and eternall grace and whatsoever is attainable by faith It is true that many other people were circumcised but to them it was no seal of covenant but to Isaacs people only of whom it was promised that in Isaac shall thy seed be called Some writers tell us of the Aegyptians and Aethiopians that they were circumcised but know not from whence they had it So writeth Herodotus that lived about the time of Nehemiah Herodotus in Euterpe But if they had it surely it was taken up from some of Ismaels scattered progeny the son of Abraham by Hagar which circumcision the Hagarens who call themselves Saracens do practise at this day but it is to them no seal except of family only Mathe. What was the next shadow sacramentall Phila. It was the Passeover called in the originall Pesach a transition because the destroying Angell passed over the houses of the Israelites in the plague Exod. 12.12 This Passeover was a sacramentall Feast appointed of God Exod. 12. In the very term it signifieth Christ in whom our sin was past over and our punishment also and both laiod upon himselfe This Feast was to be kept in the month Abib which God appoints to be their first month in the year whereas before they began it in Tisri about the autumnall equinoctiall But it must now begin in the vernall to type forth him from whose reign in our heart we are to begin our time of spirituall birth as the Church did her ecclesiasticall accompt The meat of this Feast was to be a Lamb or an He-Goat of a year old the Lamb typing forth Christs innocent nature the Goat our corrupt nature So it was to be set apart on the tenth day of Abib and slain the fourteenth day at evening So Christ came to Jerusalem about that time as if to prepare himselfe to be that oblation and preached there Rabanus and was betraied by Judas and taken by the Jewes and crucified on the fourteenth day about the eighth and ninth hour Jos Scalig. de emenda temp Joseph de bello Jude lib. 6. which was the time passing between the evening
the works of mortification till we have crucified the old man and even wounded sin to death by becomming to us the spirit of judgement and burning Esa 4.4 both to condemn our selves and to consume our drosse therefore it continually lusteth against the flesh and makes our hearts to rise against sin Gal. 3. as it doth against any thing we hate and if at any time we yeeld to the flesh this good spirit becomes like a voice behind calling to us that we are out of the way Esa 30.21 by daily good motions and checks of conscience and by baptizing us with fire Mat. 3.11 inflaming our hearts with an holy revenge upon sin and with a love to all goodnesse righteousnesse and truth Then next he doth infuse divine graces into the heart which are like so many letters commendatory of us to God as faith to beleeve above reason naturall as Abraham did Rom. 4.17 and without any visible means Heb. 11.1 so also he worketh in us love to God by which we tender the pleasure of God above all things in doing and suffering of which we are never ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by this holy spirit which he hath given us Rom. 5.5 and makes us wait by hope for the righteousnesse to be revealed Gal. 5.5 with longing and sighing Rom. 8.23 and praying by the spirit of supplication poured by him upon us Zac. 12.11 and never leaves till he hath made us partakers of the divine nature resembling God in selfe-contentment though we be shut out of the worlds society and in being in love with good men that are begotten of God 1 John 5.1 therefore he is called the spirit of love Rom. 15.30 and in wisedome Mar. 13.11 whereby the elect discern those mysteries which none knoweth but God and they for they are not discerned by others 1 Cor. 2.14 and also in transforming them into the practise of those things they hear and beleeve by this spirit from one glorious grace to another 2 Cor. 3.18 and this through the sanctification of obedience 1 Pet. 1.2 by which he gives us comfort by giving us peace of conscience and joy in assurance of remission and freedome from the guilt of sin in which respect he is called the comforter John 16.7 and so he is but especially in the times of affliction wherein he gives them such tastes of heavenly glory as makes them to contemn all earthly things and rejoice in tribulations Rom. 5.4 because this spirit of glory resteth upon them 1 Pet. 4.14 Thus he goeth alwaies with the elect working in them a spirituall strength to persevere though sometimes they be like smoking flax almost choked in their sad melancholy fumes or like bruised reeds that have no strength then doth he establish the inward man Eph. 3.16 by nourishing the seeds of grace sown in our drie ground by his sweet dew from above Esa 44.3 and by his secret and powerfull assistance in the times of triall 2 Cor. 12.9 bearing witnesse to them that they are the sons of God for all their crosses in this world Rom. 8.15 which he sealeth to them by the promises beleeved concerning Christ and himselfe Eph. 1.13 All which considered we should make much of this spirit and not grieve it nor quench it Not grieve it by acting without it by our own sensuall desires and separating our selves from the societies where he doth affoord his gracious dispensations Jud. 19. or do not acknowledge his power in giving them skill and abilities to perform their severall places and callings nor asking counsell of him or direction from him Esa 30.1 but rather despise it even in his ordinances 1 Thes 4.8 and turn their ear from it as Neh. 9.20 30. and harden their hearts against it Zac. 7.12 and rebell against his doctrine and so grieve him in his ministers Esa 63.10 and Acts 7.51 as St Stephen told the Jewes yea to tempt him by venturing to try whether he will punish them or no as Ananias and Saphira did Acts 5.9 by all which they shew that whatsoever portion of the spirit they have received yet it is in vain Also we must not quench it as some do fire by casting on water or withdrawing that which should feed it â— Tim. 1.6 or lose it as we do springs for want of endeavor to draw or pump them And this men do when after they have had some taste of heavenly gifts in remorse for sin or some joifull apprehensions of Gods promises yet they fall away and having begun in the spirit yet end in the flesh Gal. 3. So when they fall into grosse sins after calling to grace they cause the Holy one to cease from them in his operation for a time and so lose the joy which formerly they found in Gods service So do they discourage the spirit of their Teachers so that they cannot do their work with joy but griefe Heb. 13.17 Thus by living in known sins they sad the spirit which would seale them to the day of redemption Eph. 4.30 which may possibly conduce to the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost if these be not repented of Mathe. I pray declare to me that sin as plain as you can Phila. It is a wilfull and totall falling away from the grounds and true beginnings of Christ and from that spirituall fellowship which one hath had with the people of God therein after ones illumination and outward sanctification contemning the Gospell and despighting the methods and operations of the Holy Ghost without repentance even to death All this may be gathered from Heb. 6.4 5 6. and Heb. 10.25 26 27. But this must be rightly understood As first that he must be one inlightned with some competent knowledge in true religion and sanctified by outward calling at least to the covenant of grace Heb. 10.29 and the seals thereof though not sanctified by saving grace which shewes it selfe by true repentance from all sin and by relying on Christ by faith for his salvation So next he must wilfully apostate Heb. 10.26 as it were without temptation not as David by lust or Peter by feare yea it must be a totall falling from all parts of truth which may possibly over-power his nature by the terrors of the law Also he must despise the Gospell and even loath the way of salvation by Christ and scorne the Gospel which is the meanes of sanctification and hath in some manner worked formerly upon himselfe some change of mind and manners Besides he must offer some despight by blasphemie and persecution and that not of ignorance as Paul did but of desperate malice and that not only to the person of the holy as many have done to the person of the Father and Son by many presumptuous sins but to the work of grace and operating power of the Holy Ghost in us by which God commeth more neer to us then in other things or to his power shewed outwardly for approving