as the proper Object of this sinne Resp Indeed this is a materiall poynt for except we find him fayling in this we shall doe him wrong We must therefore obserue that the knowledge of the Messiah was then contained in types and shadowes and he then that did renounce and oppugne the certaine and vndoubted type of Christ did also oppose Christ himselfe Euen as he that receiueth the Sacrament vnworthily is guiltie of the body and bloud of the Lord Iesus Now it is euident that a Dauid was a type of Christ and his kingdome a type of the kingdome of Christ. And the outward saluatio which the people did receiue from Dauid was a type of the spirituall saluation performed by the Messiah Yea all the hope of deliuerance was to be expected according to the Lords ordinance from that family Yea which is more the faithfull also did know so much Lam. 4. 20. Moreouer it is worth the noting that after the anoynting of Dauid Saul of himselfe did obtaine no notable victory but eyther Dauid was the principall as in the battell with Goliah or the sole Agent as when he was Sauls Captaine Yea once in the time of his troubles he saued Keilah and chased the Philistims For else Saul fought no battell till the last which he lost Indeed it is mentioned that Saul went against the Philistims at what time he was vpon the poynt to take Dauid but there is no mention made of Sauls preuailing against them Further it may seeme that by a common fame and speech of the people Dauid was accounted the King from whom the Philistims had heard it and thereupon reported to Achish is not this Dauid the King of the Land And certainely it is not vnlikely but that the best men did depend vpon him as their King and therefore when Keilah is in danger they come to him not to Saul Neither was this vnknowne to Saul who by his owne confession knew that Dauid should be King and that the kingdome of Israell should be established in his hand yea he prophecieth of his preuailing and prosperous affaires and therefore exacteth an oath of Dauid that he would not destroy his seed after him nor abolish his name out of his fathers house So that all this being laid together it is manifest I hope that Saul cannot wash his hands of this crime nor proue himselfe innocent in this fact but must suffer himselfe to bee ranked with Iudas Iulian and other wretched Apostata's The blessed Apostle St. Iames speaking of them who to the naked and destitute of dayly foode doe say Depart in peace and worme your selues and fill your bellies and yet giue them not those things that are needefull to the body censureth the coldnesse of their charity thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What heleth it what doth it profit And not vndeseruedly for what end is there of Gods counsell if there be no ability of performance This censure of the Apostle might perhaps bee applied to this mine admonition to take heede of Apostasie as if I did exhort men to warme themselues and fill their bellies and yet giue them not those things that are needefull to the body id est to practise those things which may preserue men from this Recidiuation and yet prescribe no meanes set downe no preseruatiues Wherfore to satisfie the hungry and thirsty soule in some measure euen in this point I now come to the preseruatiues which being practised are effectuall to preuent this consumption this disease incurable For how soeuer this sinne be of that deadly nature that like to some violent poyson it being once receiued there is no remedy no helpe against death Yet there is a Mithridatum an Antidote a Preseruatiue which if it carefully be obserued and practised will preserue as that the body so this the soule from being infected with this deadly venome The ingredients that serue for this Mithridatum are many and to be gathered out of diuerse gardens But I will content my selfe only with the Garden of the sacred Scripture which is sufficient and contayneth in it many seuerall graue exhortations like salutiferous hearbs purposely intended by the holy Ghost for this confection First Remember Lots wife the words of our Sauiour to his Apostles exhorting to perseuerance the only vertue contrary this our vice vsing thereto the example of a woman who hauing as it were put her hand to the Plough looked back and so became vnfit for the kingdome of God hauing escaped from the filthinesse of Sodom and now trauelling towards Zoar a place of safety looked back and became a pillar of Salt and her example hung vpon records for a perpetuall warning to all shrinkers throughout all generations Lots wife is memorable First in her sinne shee looked back no doubt saith Caluin being tickled with some euill desire and affection she did not leaue Sodome willingly Secondly In her strange and wonderfull transformation presently suddenly was she turned into a pillar of Salt In respect of both these remember Lots wife A great sinne Recidiuation Apostasie A great punishment present vengeance Remember the sinne to shun it Remember the punishment to feare it Our Sauiour setteth forth the punishment of such as looke back viz. They are vnfit for the kingdome of God St. Paul something more roundly It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God For that ground which hauing drunke in the rayne that falleth vpon it beareth nothing but Bryars and Thornes is reiected and is nigh vnto cursing whose end is to be burned Heb. 6. 8. Secondly Grieue not the holy spirit of God c. as did the Israelites in the Wildernesse fourtie yeeres least the Lord sweare against you also in his wrath that you shall not enter into his rest First The spirit of God is the seale of our Redemption therefore grieue him not neyther by neglecting assurance when thou mayst haue it To day if ye will heare harden not your hearts to day while it is called to day heare his voice nor in wilfull doubting of that assurance recorded in the word This spirit which is the seale of our Redemption is the spirit of God therefore grieue him not Of God our Creator whose glory we are to set forth Of God our Redeemer who hath enlarged our feete out of the snares of Satan Of God the Iudge and auenger of all those who shall vexe his spirit Thirdly The spirit of God is an holy spirit Holy in his essence Holy in his operation therefore grieue him not neyther by neglecting the duties of holinesse in hearing the word For what knowest thou O man whether euer thou shalt heare it more And perhaps thou mightst at that time haue hard that that might haue done thee good for euer Not by resisting or at lest not listening to the good motions which the spirit doth put into thine heart much lesse by wilfull falling into any sin O
Sinne grounded vpon malice These are parts of that sinne wee seeke for and Ergo I passe them over Now for the last couple viz. Desperation and Presumption These cannot be that sinne which we seeke for As for Desperation how many poore soules haue there beene heretofore who through the sense of GODS wrath and anger against sinne whereof their guiltie conscience did accuse them haue for a time cast off all hope of pardon fallen into despaire as if God had forgotten to be gracious and had shut vp his louing kindnesse in displeasure concluding plainely with Dauid This is my death and yet afterward remembring the yeeres of the right hand of the most high haue recollected themselues gathered strength and regained comfort But what neede I Scripture or experience or the consent of Orthodoxall Writers to proue this point if our Adversaries will stand to their words Thus then I set mine Argument The sinne against the holy Ghost is a sinne vnto death and irremissible this is in confesso amongst all and shall God willing be further confirmed when I come to the second maine point In the meane space I assume Praesumption is not to death but remissible wherefore I conclude that Presumption is not the sinne against the holy Ghost and consequently neitheir can Desperation bee because contraries are alwayes to be referred to the same head The assumption I prooue out of the words of their owne Authors He that shall vpon hope of a Iubilee to come willingly and purposely fall into a sinne reserued may notwithstanding be absolved Neither will their common Euasion serue the turne to say It is but one Doctors opinion and therefore they are not bound to receiue it For these are chiefe men Pillars of their Church Navarre the great Casâ—ist Cordâ—bensis and Bellarmine If they refuse the judgement of these men who hereafter will step forth to maintaine the Romane Church and Papall dignitie Thus is it plaine I hope and euident that hitherto we haue not found out that sinne which wee seeke for The schoole-men and their followers though learned wise graue judicious yet haue in this point fayled come short and are not to be maintained Marcus Caeâ—â—us hauing a better veine in obiecting then in answering in vrging then in defending is by Cicero said to haue Bonam dextram malam vero sinistram A good right hand but not so good a left one allâ—ding to this that the right hand holds the sword to strike the lefâ— the backler to defend The saying of Cicero may perhaps by some and that deseruedly be to mee applyed who hitherto haue spent the time rather in confutation then confirmation which least it be I now come to the vse of my left hand and will tye my selfe close to it in the Explanation and confirmation of that definition which as I take it doth most happily most properly most perfectly set forth what this sinne is which wee seeke for what the sinne against the holy Ghost is the which I describe to be A generall Apostasie and revolt of a man wilfully fallen from the truth knowne even to a malicious persecuting and blaspheming of the same In the which before I come to particulars I note in generall that it is a sinne not so much against the person of the spirit as against the worke of the spirit For which we haue a cloud of witnesses A whole day would not suffice to take their Examination Let Beza speake for the rest It is called the sinne against the holy Ghost not as the spirit is a person in the sacred and euer blessed Trinitie for neither is the dignity of the spirit greater then of the father or the sonne they being in glory coequall in maiestie coeternall which would follow were the sinne against the person Nor is it possible to offend any one person of this Tri-vnitie but the iniurie doth redound to them all but in respect of his proper and peculiar worke in vs. The which here is not so much the act of Faith and Repentance cast off by Obstinacie and Impenitencie nor of Hope and Feare reiected by Desperation Presumption as of the illumination of the minde and vnderstanding and the convincing of the Conscience and affections This is that worke of the spirit which this sinne opposeth and opposing is sealed vp to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sinne against the holy Ghost a sinne vnto death and irremissible Now for perticulars Where that we may let nothing of any moment passe from vs vn-examined I will ranke the wordes of the former definition vnto three heads This Apostasie is a Motion though a bad one in which as in all other Motions wee may obserue first The Terminus a quo from whence Secondly The Terminus ad quem whethor Thirdly The motion it selfe 1. Terminus a quo from whence id est Truth Knowne 2. Terminus ad quem whether Persecuting Blaspheming Malicious 3. The Motion Apostasie Generall Wilfull THe first word in the Terme from whence they fall is the Truth For this marke Beza speaking of this our subiect sayth that This Sinne doth directly and immediately respect the first Table not the second Bucanus seemeth to contradict this Hinc colligo Hence sayth he I gather that the sinne against the spirit is not any transgression of the morall Law neither vniuersall nor particular whether proceeding from ignorance or infirmitie or malice against the Law of God This difference is not so great but an easie reconciliation will suffice For either Beza meanes no more then this that it is directly and immediately against God as the breaches of the first Table not mediately as the breaches of the second Or else he enlargeth the bounds of the Law including vnder it the knowledge of the Mediatour which Bucan perhaps excludeth And this I am the rather induced to beleeue in that Beza a little afterwards reckoning vp particular lapses and sinnes against the first Table which sayth he cannot be this sinne mentioneth Dubitationam de Christo doubting of Christ. And certainely I fully beleeue that this sinne against the holy Ghost doth necessarily suppose the knowledge of the Mediatour for it seemeth impossible that the creature should vnrecoverably fall from the Creatour vntill he haue reiected also the helpe of the Mediatour offered to him So that by Truth in my definition I vnderstand not with the Novatians any naturall morall or civill truth wherof certain knowledge is obtained no nor any supernatural truth in Scripture reuealed but the supernaturall Truth of the Gospell that euerlasting Word of Truth to witnesse which Christ came into the world In which respect Christ calls himselfe the Truth viz. because he is the matter and argument of the Gospell This point besides that which Aquinas doth helpe vs with who maketh Apostasie to be Species a kind of Infidelitie which is contrary to faith faith I say required
threefold 1. The professors of the Truth they can rest in no ground their persecutors are swifter then Eagles stronger then Lyons spare no paines no labour to dissipate and roote out were it possible the memoriall of them from off the face of the earth Yet if this were the worst it were well but they also persecute 2. the Truth it selfe as Paul sayth of Alexander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He greatly resisted our words the doctrine that Paul preached Neither doe they stay here but they oppose 3. The Maiestie of God himselfe Indeede their hand is too short but they supply it with aboundance of malice and hatred yea and their tongues shall walke at libertie against the God of heauen And like as the Great redd Dragon when he could no longer remaine in heauen nor devoure the woman then he went and made warre with the remnant of her seede So these men when the person of Christ himselfe is exalted aboue the heavens is so high that they cannot reach him then doe they turne the sea of their Malice against his members and in them they persecute him Particularly there are two sorts of men which being relapsed into this sinne doe bring forth two speciall kinds of persecution Men of authoritie doe draw forth the sword of Iniustice and crueltie Like the Athenian Draco they write lawes with the bloud of Christians and make Statutes that no man may buy or sell saue such who renounce their Religion Thus Saul hunts Dauid like a Partridge in the Mountaines sucketh the bloud of the Priests like a Lyon in the wildernesse Iulian oppresseth and vexeth the Christians Yea though they haue not the sword in their hands yet they will vsurpe witnesse dâ—â—crle of Stephens judges aâ— daâ—â—â—â—ers who albeit by their owne confession to â—â—late they might not put my man to death yet when their â—age is kindled against Stephen by his reproofe they can fide if not a sword or a Crosse yet a stone â—o pâ—sh out his braynes 2. Mâ—n of learning whett their tongues sharpen their pennes against the Truth and Truths sauouriâ—s They â—â—ite with the tongue not onely like Doeg in accusing or like Saules Courtiers in backbiting but like Shimei in accusing rayling slaundering like Ishmael in most poysonous and virulent mocking The tongue is an vnruly euill sayth S. Iames full of deadly poyson marke that it insecteth as poyson it killeth it mortâ—fieth as deadly poyson Neither if we doe compare the severalls is this the least nay questionlesse the tongue leaveth a deeper wound then doth the sword Ismael is said to persecute Isaac Gal. 4. 19. How Glâ—dione an mâ—â—â— sayth Calvin with sword or hand No with the poysonous mocks of his tongue which hurts not the bodie but directly wounds the soule Sarah saw Ishmaell mocking What followeth Cast out the bond-woman and her sonne For this his mocke hee and his mother are ablegated and banished What could Sarah haue done more had Ishmaell strooke him spurned him or beaten him Whence comes this heate Certainly this mocking was more bitter more grievous then any blowes It was a froward a peevish mocking carrying with it besides the contempt of his brother a contempt and scorne of Gods promise of grace which at that time made the house ioyfull Abraham is merry Sarah reioyceth the whole familie semblably affected onely he in his brothers person mocketh God slighteth his promise derideth Father Abrahams faith Thus hee that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit and heavyer was his tongue then could haue beene his hand The same may be said of the sufferings of Christ questionlesse neither the blowes nor whippings nor thornes nor nailes did so much afflict his bodie as their poysonous envenomed tongues did pierce his soule Oh that strucke deepe wounded sore when they in their spitefull mockes opprobriously taunted him saying He trusted in God let him saue him c. Neither is this peculiar to men of learning though in them most perspicuous others also can raile and revile the Truth The Iewes full of enuie spake against those things that were spoken of Paul contrarying them and rayling on them contradicting and blaspheming Blaspheming that is another word in the definition and a certaine especiall manner of this verball Persecution Blasphemy doth import a certaine derogation and diminishing of an excellent goodnes especially Divine The Notation giueth it to bee An hurting of the fame In Scripture it is appropriated to signifie not any kinde of Malediction or slaunderous speeches but that which is peculiarly bent against God and his truth And by a Metaphor sometimes applyed to backbiting and raylings vttered against men The act of it is either to attribute that to God which belongeth not to him as Ignorance Sinne Tyranny Iniustice c. or to robbe him of his honour taking that from him which is his due And it is committed two wayes First Either onely in the vnderstanding which may bee founde in those who haue not sinned our Sinne as Paul calleth himselfe a Blasphemer but it was thorow Ignorance Secondly Or else in the Affection ioyned to the vnderstanding and this is it that commeth neerer to vs. for our Blasphemy proceedeth from the detestation of Affection which is set against God This is another part of the Terminus ad quem viz. A mouth that speaketh blasphemies hither do they come Musculus maketh it the plenitude and fulnesse of this sinne Hence commeth the reviling of Gods Iustice making God an accepter of persons taxing the righte ous Iudge with Iniustice Hence commeth the truth to bee accounted Impious wicked and Diabolicall Hence it is that they count the bloode of the newe Testament an vnholy thing hence is it that they attribute that to the Deuill which is proper to God as did those Blasphemous Pharisees In a worde hence commeth the whole troope the whole heape of those blasphemous speeches which they cast forth against the God of heauen euen from that mouth speaking blasphemies Wee haue perused the effect in our Whether now turne your eyes and see the cause The cause is Malice Yea this Malice is the Essentiall forme of it which giueth life to it and distinguisheth it from other persecution For all Persecution of the truth is not so seuerely to be censured Many are carryed with a blinde zeale to defend Superstition which they conceit to bee the truth Heeretofore in those bloody times of Antichrists domineering raigne ouer vs though many especially of the learned sort cannot bee excused from violating yea and resisting the checke of their owne consciences in persecuting the Gospell yet the common people and many other were ledd with a blind zeale to defend Popish received Errours and thereupon to oppose whatsoeuer was contrary to it The same is to be said of diverse among Stephens auditors they did not
grace Whereupon the Lord doth presse his conscience with feare and terror affecting it with the sensible feeling of Gods heauy wrath vpon his soule yea euen setting him forth as a vessell prepared for destruction causing his soule and conscience to witnesse so much against him and at certaine times making him to feele most horrible terrors and convulsions Fiftly Then growes he to impenitency to fretting to murmuring and reluctation against God maliciously opposing himselfe against his Maiesty yea hating him whom he can conceiue none otherwise then a righteous judge to condemne him Hence it commeth saith o Calvin that so boldly yea so malapertly they frett against God They try indeed all meanes to remoue the sense of Gods anger but in vaine For so soone as they haue a little truce a little ease presently he troubleth them againe with torments haling their guiltie consciences before the tribunall seate of his angry iustice Now at the last doth this man perceiue how fearefull a thing it is to fall into the hands of the liuing God yet hauing reiected the meanes of grace cast off Christ and contemned the sacrifice of his bloud he hath no power to returne but onely breaketh forth into blasphemous and reuiling speeches against the Almightie Then at the last doth God set the brand of destruction vpon him taking from him all hope of pardon and so leauing him to Sathan to be brought home by finall Impaenitencie and desperation to finall destruction Thus we see from the beginning to the ending there is as it were a certaine Reluctation and striuing of the creature against the Creator seeking still to goe beyond God and from one point to another to despite and malice him and his iust proceedings Here I note That as the praecipitation is performed by the abjuration of the fundamentall points of the Truth So this other may beginne with other smaller matters especially fornication and prophanenesse mentioned by Paul and so by little and little creepe vpon a man till it haue possessed him with a totall repugnancie and resisting And that this description of the declination of an Apostata which yet I willingly submit to the censure of the iudicious learned may not seeme altogether to be rather a figment and a thing deuised as probable and possible than indeed any where to be found or any where exemplified giue mee leaue I pray to examine the fall of King Saul in the which me thinketh I doe cleerely see both those fiue acts of man falling and resisting the worke of grace and also those fiue acts of God punishing man for his fall 1. Saul looseth his holinesse of life In the beginning of his raigne he had reformed abuses But now he beginneth to fall away when by his foolish pitty hee spareth Agag and the best of the Cattell contrary to the flat commandement of God Then God giueth him vp to the euill spirit who worketh vpon him indeed strangely but effectually driving him into many strange and vncotâ—â—â—tts certainly hardning his heart against all goodnesse 2. Now groweth he to be peruerse and froward yea falls into a dislike of all those that were good persecuteth Dauid causelesse even Dauid the man whom hee perceiued God had chosen to be the heire of the kingdome yea the more that Ionathan doth excuse Dauid and plead for his innocencie the more is he enraged God taketh away his ioy for beside the vexation of the euill spirit how is he fretted at the safetie of Dauid he is in continuall feare of him For an euill minde sayth Gregory is ever in trouble either deuising mischiefs against other or fearing mischiefs from others alwayes imagining that his wicked plots against his neighbour are returned vpon his owne pate What joy therefore can Saul haue when as Dauid still preuaileth all Sauls plots will doe no good Michol saueth him the Lord defendeth him Ionathan convayeth him away excuseth him the Priests commend him Thus is he in continuall trouble and trauell how doth he lay traps for him yea in the end neglecting all other businesses of the kingdome he is wholly bent vpon this to persecute Dauid and to kill him 3. After his fall we can find not any one act of faith in him and therefore may well allow him to haue reiected it We see also his knowledge confounded proofe hereof we haue in his behauiour at those two times that David had him at the advantage what man were he not distracted and quite bereft of common reason would haue proceeded but he is so blinded by the Deuill that he cannot see a kindnesse done to him Thus also according to his grosse ignorance stoth he bid the Witch of Endor bring him vp Samuell not considering the state of the Saints after this life how that Sathan hath no power ouer them at all 4. Manifest proofe is there of his pollution though not in the flesh in which he was not much blame worthy yet in other 〈…〉 tters he is an vsuall swearer and curser nourisheth Idolatry in his house an horrible and filthy murtherer causing 85. Priests to be slaine yea he destroyed the citty and all in it man woman child suckling oxe and asse sheepe and all spared none What could he haue done more to Iericho What to Amalek What to the cursed Philistims Yea further hee would haue killed x Ionathan for excusing Dauid and missing of that all to reviled him were not these arguments of his malice against God himselfe to persecute Dauid the Lords annointed to slay the Lords Priests as who should say if he could not preuent Dauid yet he would put him to his shifts and perhaps make him come short of his hopes and as for these Priests they should smart for it The punishment of this hath euident confirmation For how bitterly sorely did the Lord presse his conscience especially when he saw the host of the Philistims and at such time as the Lord denyed to answere him eyther by Urim or by Prophets as also when Satan in the person of Samuell did reckon vp his faults and prophecie his destruction But especially when he was ready to die cap. 31. 5. His Impaenitency and fretting and murmuring against God is evident vpon Gods denying to answere him when he commandeth to seeke out a Familiar albeit he knew them to be the meanes and instruments of the Deuill for which cause he had banisht them heretofore Lastly the brand of destruction finall Impenitencie and desperation was set vpon him a long time before signified to Samuell but plainely practised by Saul at such time as God denyeth him any to be his executioner and so he that wallowed in the blood of others is now constrained by his owne hand to wallow in his owne bloud that so he may once haue z his fill of bloud and murther Quaest. Yea but how may it appeare that Saul did renounce Christ and his Mediation which was set downe