Two very Godly and comfortable Letters written ouer into England THE ONE TO A GODly and zealous Lady wherin the Annabaptists errour is confuted and the sinne against the Holye Ghoste plainly declared ¶ THE OTHER AN answer to a Godly Merchants Letter written for his comfort being greeued with the heauye burden of sinne wherin is declared the true confession of sinne Written by T. C. AT LONDON Printed by Edward Allde for Edward White 1589. A comfortable Letter written to a Godly and zealous Lady Wherin the Annabaptists error is breefly confuted and the sin against the holy Ghoast plainlye declared MADAME where as it pleased your good Lady ship to require me to writ vnto you my minde concerning the true sence and meaning of this place of S. Paule in his Epistle to the Hebrewes Heb. 6. 4 It cannot bee that they which were once lightned haue tasted of the heuenly gift and were become pertakers of the holy Ghost and haue tasted of the good woord of God of the power of the Worlde to come if they fall awaye and as concerning themselues crucifie the sonne of God a fresh and make a mocke of him that they should be renued againe by repentance Madame many in time The errour of the Nouatians and now of the Anabaptists past and at this present day mistaking this text and not truly vnderstanding it bothe haue béene and are incombred with the Nouacians erroure which is That after man by Baptisme and the holye Ghoste is regenerated and hath tasted of the grace of God and hath embraced Christe and his holye woorde if he fall to sinne againe he is without remedye of Saluation Vndoubtedly this is a verye damnable erroure inough to bring all them that are infected therewith to desperation But albeit they grounde this their errour vpon this afore aleadged texte of S. Paule and certaine other textes yet they misse the Marke because they take this Scripture too straitlye not referrng it to manye other places of scripture which plainely shew That when soeuer and how often so euer a Sinner repenteth him truely of his sinnes and coÌ„mitteth him selfe with a sure faith vnto yâ— mercy of God thorow Christ God receiueth him again to grace and saluation Doubtlesse No prophecy in the scripture hath any priuat 2. Pet. 1. 20. interpretation but must néedes be expounded according to the generall articles of the Christian faith and agréeable to other textes of holy scripture and so must this text be also Now trueth it is that there is almost innumerable texts in holy scripture that most plainlye do declare that when so euer a true repentaunte sinner by vnfained faith returneth vnto God and asketh mercy for Christs sake he shall vndoubtly haue it And albeit the holye scriptuâ—â— is full of such places yet heere by Gods grace I will shew and rehearse to you some of them to giue you occasion to marke them and such like places as you shal finde almost in euery leafe of the Byble Pro. 24. 16. A iust man falleth seauen times and riseth vp againe Marke yâ— scripture saith he riseth vp againe The wickednesse of the Ezech. 33. wicked shall not hurt him whensoeuer he conuerteth Note what it saith when soeuer he conuerteth Let the vngodly man forsake Esay 55. his owne waye and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and turne againe vnto the Lord so shall he be mercifull vnto him Thou disobedient Israel Iere. 3. turn again saith the Lord and I will not let my wrath fall vpon you Thus saith the Lord doo Iere. 8. men fall so that they rise not vp againe or if Israel doo repent will not God turne againe to them Turne you vnto me sayth Zach. 1. the Lord God of hostes and I will turn me vnto you Remember from whence Apoc. 2. thou art falne and doo the firste woorks Mark in the Gospel of Luke 15. Luke the example of the vnthriftie Sonne Also Christe said vnto Peter Peter I haue prayed Luke 22. for thee that thy faith fayle not and when thou art conuerted strengthen thy Brethren Marke he saith When thou art conuerted c. Lo if you weigh these places of scripture afore alleadged and almost innumerable moe of the same sorte you shall perceiue euidentlye that though A Christian haue sinned neuer so ofte as who dooth not daylye offende God yet when soeuer he returneth vnto God by true repentance which consisteth of inward contricion a sure faith in Christ Iesu he is assured by the woorde of God to recouer and receiue againe the grace fauour and mercy of God which thorow his disobedience he had worthely lost and immediatly to enioy ful absolute and perfect remission and forgiuenesse of all his sinnes thorowe Iesus Christe in whome he reposeth all his faith truste and confidence of saluation The Gospell assureth him no lesse saying So God loued the world Ioh. 3. that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that who so euer beleeueth in him shoulde not perishe but haue euerlasting life More ouer if you mark wel the examples of godlye men which are registred in holye scripture you shall plainelye perceiue that albeit they were highly in Gods fauour yet for all that many of theÌ„ had great falles and committed very hainous offences but they did rise vp againe returning to Gods mercye by true repentance faith and so recouered againe their former grace which they thorowe their owne folly had lost Aaron was so muche Aaron fauoured of God that by Gods calling hee was made the high bishop and curate ouer his People And yet at the light request of the Israelites he let them make and worship the Golden Calfe contrarye to his Conscience by reason wherof bothe hee and they committed that most detest able sinne of Idolatrye and yet he by true repentaunce and faithe returning to grace was saued Dauid Gods deare darlinge Dauid after that hee had the knoweledge of God and had muche tasted of his grace béeing indued aboundauntlye with the holy Ghost and gratious giftes from aboue fell both into the sinne of adultry and murther And yet by true and vnfained repentance returning to Gods mercy was accepted and receiued againe into Gods fauour Manasses also contrary Manasses vnto his Conscience fell willinglye to Idolatrye but yet he rose againe by true repentaunce and faithe and recouered againe the grace of god So likewise that wicked The sinfull Corinthian 1. Cor. 5. man of the Citie of Corinthus whom S. Paule straitlye charged the Corinthians to excommunicate and erclude out of the holy congregation of Christian men and that they shoulde neither eate nor drinke with him because of his open and abhominable crime of incest and outragious whordome and yet when he declared him self to be truelye repentant for his great and infamous sin Saint Paule admonished 2. Cor. 2. them with all gentlenesse and Christian Charity to receiue him again
into the Congregation as a Christian Brother and so to esteeme him and take him What shall I saye of Peter Christes Apostle Peter Had not he a sure knowledge of Christe confessing him openlye before all the Apostles To be very Christe the sonne the liuing God Was not he eueÌ„ then indued with the holy Ghost and grace from aboue vnto whom Iesus Christe saide Blessed art Math. 16. thou Symon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not opened that vnto thee but my Father which is in heauen And yet after all this he had such a fall that contrary to his own conscience willinglye wtout anye compulsion threates or imprysonmeÌ„t he did most cowardlye and shamefullye forsake and deny Christ not without blasphemy swering that he neuer knew him cursing and committing him selfe to the Diuell if euer he had to doo with him What woulde the Nâ—â—atian and Annabaptiste saye vnto this Was it not a fall Could there be anye greater sinne then this Was it not doone of knowledge Was it not doone willinglye Was it not against his own conscience Yes doubtlesse it was no lesse but againste his owne conscience But yet thankes be vnto almightye God it was not the sinne of blasphemye against the holy ghost neither the sin vnto death the which Saint Iohn speaketh of for hee 1. Ioh. 5. continued not therin vnto his ende but immediatly he went foorth of the Bishops house and wept bitterly very muche lamenting his hainous offence and by faith he returned again vnto christ Mat. 26. knoweing his mercye to be infinite and without measure and so he was accepted vnto grace againe Christ appeared vnto him to his greate comforte after he rose againe from deathe to life and afterwards sending downe his holye Spirite indued him with wonderfull giftes of grace from aboue And then Peter became a strong Champion setting foorth Christe to be the only sauiour of the whole world Preaching and openlye confessing him before all men without any feare either of yâ— Scribes Pharises or Maiestrates Now good Madam lay this example of S. Peter to this text of S. Paule to the Hebrewes It can not be that they which were once lightned c. If they fall away c. that they should be renued again by repentance If a man would apply the aforesaide example of S. Peter vnto this text of S. Paule he would thinke that Peter should vtterly haue béen cast away from Gods fauour mercy and grace For first it can not be denied but that hee was once lightned that is indued with the true knowledge of Christe to be the onely Messias and sauiour of the world Secondlye he had also tasted of the heauenly gift which was a true faith in christ Iesus openlye confessing the same before al the Apostles béeing fully perswaded in his owne conscience what Christ was Thirdlye that Peter was become pertaker of the holy Ghoast and had tasted of the good woorde of God it appéereth euideÌ„tly by Christes sentence saying Blessed art thou Symon for flesh and bloud that is man shewed thee â—â—ot that but my father â—hich is in heauen Which â—as by the inspiration of â—is holy spirit Finally Peter had a taste of the world to come For hee did see in the mountaine the transfiguration of Christ so did Iames Mat. 17. the more and Iohn the Euangelist also Where in the presence of them all Christ was transfigured and shewed him selfe vnto them in the forme of a glorified body So that his face did shine as the Sun and his clothes appeared as white as the light There appeared also among theÌ„ Moyses and Elias And euen there the cleare voice of God the father of heauen was plainlye hearde among theÌ„ out of yâ— cloud saying vpon Christe This is my dearlye beloued sonne in whom I delite heare him Loe all this and much more Peter bothe hearde and sawe béeing almoste continuallye in Christes companye eating and drinking with him hearing daylye his heauenly doctrine preaching and teaching seeing euerye where as occasioÌ„ serued his great and wonderfull miracles And yet for all this what a great fall Peter had it appeared plainely by his deniall of Christ his louing maister and Sauiour and by the circumstaunces thereof whiche I touched before But yet to make Peters fall more horrible Christ saide vnto him and vnto al the other his Apostles when he sent them â—â—â—rth to preache the Gospell of saluation He that denieth Math. 10. me before men I shall denie him also before my Father Alas good Peter what case standâ—â— thou in nowâ— How dooth this saying of Christ touch thée remembringe this sayinge of Christe art thou not vtterly at thy wits end Is it not most certaine and true yâ— thou hast too horriblye fallen after that thou haddest tasted of all these gratious giftes before rehearsed Hast thou not contrarye to thine owne conscience moste shamefullye denyed thy maister sauiour Christ before men Ah good soule what shal becom of thée How wilt thou answere for thy self for it séemeth héer plainly that both S. Paule in the afore alleaged place to yâ— Hebrewes and also Christ him selfe in the scripture afore rehearsed haue giuen sentence of condemnation against thée Wherefore bothe the Nouacian the Annabaptist grounding them selues vppon these two places of holy scripture will plainelye pronounce thée to be a reprobate and that thou art dispatched and vtterlye cast awaye from all hope of saluation But héere let vs not too lightlye passe ouer but earnestlye weigh and deepely consider what may be said in this matter on Peters behalfe And firste it may be rightlye answered that that place of S. Paul vnto the Hebrewes maketh Heb. 6. nothing againste S. Peter neither yet againste any Christian man how gréeuouslye or how often soeuer hée hath sinned so that he hath not vtterlye forsaken Christe and fallen cleane awaye from him For S. Paule saith It cannot be that they which were once lightned c. If they fall away they should be renued by repentance Marke héer diligentlye that S. Paule saithe If they fall away He saithe not If they fall But if It is not all one thing to fall and to fall away they fall away For it is not all one thing to fall and to fall away For Peter did fall but hee did not fall away froÌ„ Christe but returned vnto him againe An olde prouerb it is A man runneth A Prouerbâ— very far that neuer returneth againe All we christians do daily fal for we daily break Gods coÌ„mandements but yet we do not fal away froÌ„ christ neither refuse we him to be our Sauiour but acknowledging our manifold sinnes and offences wée daylye returne vnto him againe by true repentaunce faithe and amendmeÌ„t of life nothing doubting of his great vnmeasurable mercy towards vs. They fal away froÌ„ christ Who falleth away froÌ„ Christe yâ— vtterly forsake him refuse him to be their sauiour neuer
for his persecutors whom before he called Stifnecked aduersaries Acts 7. of the holy ghost Traytours and murtherers of Christe Doubtlesse he would not haue praied for theÌ„ so ear nestly vnles their sinnes had bin forgiueable And therefore their sinne and offence was no more but simple blasphemy The thirde kinde of Sinne is Blasphemye against the Spirite They committe blasphemye againste the spirite or sinne againste Blasphemy against the Spirite the Holye Ghoste which willinglye vpon knoweledge and aduisedly contrarie to their owne conscience doo denye forsake impugne slaunder reuile and persecute the plaine open manifeste and knowne trueth stifly maliciouslye and obduratly perseuering and continuing without vnfained repentance in that their wilful blindnes and obstinat malice so loÌ„g as they liue in this worlde As did Pharo Saul Herod Iudas the traitor Iulianus Apostata Porphirius Himeneus and Alexander the Coppersmith with other But mark this diligeÌ„tlye that we can not as farre I can perceiue certainly iudge of these Blasphemers againste the spirite before the time of theire departure out of this present life because we cannot certainelye knewe whether at the ende of their life they can repent and by faith returne and take hold of the mercy of God or not We maye coniecture Coniecturare vncertaine but wee cannot as I suppose certainlye define of them Let vs consider that the théefe that hung on the righte hande of Luke 23. Christe euen at the last houre repeÌ„ted him with a strong and Faithefull prayer committed him selfe wholy vnto the mercy of Christ and was saued In consideratioÌ„ whereof let vs thinke it to be our bounden duetye as the Prophets Christ and his Apostles did to reuoke and calback againe open sinners and blasphemers to earnest repentance for their owne sinfulnes and to haue a sure truste in the mercy of God and in the merite of Christes passion and death thogh they bee euen at the departure out of this present life For it is neuer too late so long as life lasteth Let vs therefore with all feruentnesse call vppon them and exhorte them in any wise with a good courage and a sure and vndoubtfull Fayth aske call and crye for gods mercy for his sweet sonne our sauiour Iesus Christes sake and vndoubtedly they shal haue it For sith the beginning of the Worlde hitherto was there neuer one that in faith asked mercy hartelye but hee had it thorow the gracious goodnesse of our aforesayde merciful Sauiour Iesus Christ vnto whom with the Father and the holye Ghost be all Lawde and Praise worlde without end Amen An aunswer vnto a godly Merchants letter wherin is plainlye opened the true way of confessing our sinnes THE grace and peace of GOD bee giuen vnto you thorough Iesus Christe c. Whereas in your last Letters to mee moste Trustye and assured Freende you instantlye desired me to write vnto you what I haue read and learned in holye Scripture touching The Confession of Sinnes Truelye Sir this your reasonable request I woulde if I were able right gladly satisfie But as you know I am farre vnable to pen this matter according to the woorthinesse therof Neuerthelesse when I consider with my selfe how muche I am bounden to you for your louing kindenesse dayly shewed to my poore kinsefolke and freendes in England I can-not but thinke it to bee my bounden duetye somewhat to gratifye you againe And albeit that ignoraunce rudenesse of stile and lacke of learning plucketh mee backe from the handling of this matter yet the consideratione of youre greate discretion and gentlenesse pricketh me forwarde to attempte what I can doo therein Certes I nothing doubte but that you will gentlye accept my simple rudenesse good will and endeuour in this behalfe no lesse then if the matter were Gloryouslye garnished with Eloquence and set foorthe with the moste profitable perswasions of the freshest Philosopher or Rethoritian in bothe Vniuersities in England I truste you will credite and imbrace the truethe though it bee neuer so basely and homelye written or declared vnto you For the trueth shall abide and flourish when al prophane painted perswasions and fond pharisaic all phantasies shall vanish awaye and be scattered abroad as drye dust before a whirle wind Wherfore to keepe you no longer from this matter I shall by Gods grace so breefelye as I can declare vnto you what I haue learned read in holye scripture concerning this article of confession of sinnes And that is this that followeth Of Confession of Sinnes THE holie scripture doothe diuerslye in suÌ„dry places set forth treat of the Confession of sinnes In some places it maketh mencion of a general and A generall Confession sollemn Confession openly made of all the People being assembled and gathered togeather at the appointment calling and exhortation of their high Magistrate Byshoppe Curate or publique Minister of Gods Woorde The cause thereof was commonlye some greate plague vengeance or punishment wherwith God scourged them for theire sinfull hainous and abhominable offences committed and doon by them and their forefathers example thereof we haue in the second booke of Esdras where it is thus written In the foure and twenty â—eem 9. day of this moneth came the Children of Israell together with fasting and sackclothes and earth vpon them and seperated the seede of Israell from all the straunge Children and stoode and knowledged their sinnes and wickednesses of their fathers stoode vp in their place and read in the booke of the Law of the Lord their God foure times on the daye c. And after a solemne rehearsall of the iudgementes and greate mercifulnesse of God declared in holye scripture they conclude thus saying Thou O God art righteous in al that thou haste brought vpon vs for thou haste doone right As for vs wee haue beene vngodlye and our Kinges Princes Preestes and Fathers haue not doon after thy Law nor regarded thy commaundements thine earnest exhortations wherwith thou hast exhorted them haue not serued thee in thy Kingdome in thy greate goods that thou gauest them c. and are not conuerted from their wicked works Beholde therefore are wee in bondage this day Yea euen in the lande which thou gauest vnto our Fathers to enioye the Fruites and goodes therof beholde there are we bondmen c. Loe Héere is a solemne open Confession Would God that this example of publique Confession of sinnes were well practised through out all Christendome namely at this day séeing yâ— the plagues of God doo daily increase more and more vpon vs our sinful liues abhominations iustlye deseruing the same and much more There are also thrée Three more sort of confeson of sins more sortes of Confession of sinnes declared in the holy Scriptures The first is secret confession of sinne only vnto God The second is an open confession before men The third is a priuate and secret confessioÌ„ made vnto man Confessioâ— vnto God only As touching yâ— firste it
is an humble and lowly confession of sins made vnto God euen from the hart As when a sinner examineth his life by the commaÌ„dements of God so findeth his conscience burdned and encombred with sinne and feeleth thereby what danger of damnation that he is in this feeling of his sicke conscience wil greatly moue him to séeke a Phisition And when hée perceiueth that there is no medicine will heale his disease but onely the mercye of God he will not cease to make all the suite that hee can to obtaine it Hee will without any delaye prostrate him selfe before God and with an humble lowlye and contrite hart minde acknowledg him selfe gréeuouslye to haue offended his Godlye maiesty in thought consent delectation woorde and déede He will neuer leaue off his lamentable suite and faithfull praier and requeste of this his bountifull mercye till he obteine it The swelling rage of his putrified conscience will neuer be asswaged till the precious oyle of Gods mercy haue suppled it mittigated it quieted it and vtterly cured and healed it Of this maner of confession the holye Scripture doth many times treate both by plaine authoritye and examples By authority If we knowledge our sinnes Authoritie 1. Iohn 1. saith S. Iohn God is faithfull and iuste to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse Examples there bee manye Of which I will at this time content my selfe with two or three King Dauid féelinge the Dauid intollerable burthen of his sinnes cryed out saying Haue mercy vpon me O God after thy greate goodnesse Psal 51. and according vnto thy great mercies doo awaye mine offences Washe me againe from my wickednesse and clense me from my sinne For I knowledge my faultes and my sinne is euer before me Against thee onlye againste Psal 24. thee haue I sinned for thy names sake O Lord be mercifull vnto my sinne for it is great The Publican also The Publicane Luke 18. saith Be mercifull O God to me a sinner This confession and knowledging of our sins vnto God if with a contrite and sorrowfull hart it be doone in faith God which knoweth the secretes of euerye mans minde will accepte and allowe though the repentant sinner vttereth not one woorde with his mouth Example of the sinfull The sinfull woman Luke 7. woman that came vnto Christe She spake nothing but wepte and lowlye fell down at christes féete and washed them with the teares of her Eyes and dryed them with the haires of her heade and annoynted them with oyntement All which thinges were euident witnesses of her true and vnfained repentance of her sinnes and fruites of her sure faith that she had in Christes goodnesse For whose comfort Christe saide thy sinnes are forgiuen thee thy Faith hath saued thee goe thy way in peace This earnest confession of sinnes vnto God should euerye Christian daylye practise and exercise vnfaynedlye Of this aforesaide confession to God springeth out the Confession of our owne sinfulnesse before men For he that felt a taste of the mercye of God as hée shall sée occasion to Confession of sinnes before men glorifie God by his example will not be ashamed either priuatelye before one man or openlye before manye men yea thoughe all the whole worlde were present to confesse him selfe to haue béene an horrible transgressour of Gods Holye commaundementes He will nothing doubte but that hée with this his meeke Confession shall muche glorifie God and mooue the Hearers by his example to abhorre sinne and chaunge their euill life Of this wée haue an euidente example in Gods chosen vessel S. Paule which after his conuersation vnto the faith of Christe was not ashamed many times openlye to confesse before Act. 22. 16. men what an vnmercifull Tirant vngratious graft he was against the Holye Congregation of christe before his conuertion to the Faithe This thinge also ashamed hée not to write and set forth to the whole world sayeing I am not woorthy to be 1. Cor. 15. 1. Tim. 1. called an Apostle because I persecuted the congregation of God And in an other place he sayth I was a blasphemer and a tirant c And after Christ Iesus came into the Worlde to saue sinners of whom I am cheefe This example of Saint Paule verye fewe of the Papistes in Englande haue followed vnlesse it Few of the Papists of England follow this example were by constrainte for feare of bodilye punishment And therefore for my parte I suspect them to remaine Papistes still in their heartes For if they had vnfainedlye abhorred Papistrye they woulde after this example of S. Paul with al their harts haue confessed theÌ„selues to be deceiued and also to haue with false doctrin deceiued the people and therfore haue openly and hartelye asked them mercye for the same by dooing wherof doubtlesse they shoulde very muche haue glorified God The thirde manner of Confession of sinnes is a priuate Confession to man And that is of two sortes The fiâ—ste is for the direction establishement and comforte of a mans owne Conscience Priuat confession of sin is needful to many for knowledg counsell and comfort towardes God The other is touching the reconsiliation and confession of a mans faulte and trespasse to his Neighbor whome he hath offended And as touching the first waye of priuate Confession to man I thinke it is a good and holesome maner and fashion conuenient and néedefull to be vsed and obserued of manye of Gods People for three causes that is for knowledge counsell and for comfort Firste for knowledge For knowledge as when a simple man or womaÌ„ that hath heard little or no preaching of Gods woorde by reason wherof they haue almost no knowledge of God or his Commaundementes neither of the profession of Baptisme neither of faith neither haue they in a manner any knoweledge at all of the way of Saluation by Christes death Is it not needefull thinke you for suche ignoraunte Personnes to hunte and séeke out some discrete and learned minister of Gods woorde and to acknowledge vnto him their greate ignorance and to require at his mouth the knowledg of the Lawe of the Lord and of the waye of saluation Is it not written That the Priestes lippes Malac. 2. shoolde be sure knowledge that men maye seeke the law at his mouth for he is a messenger of the Lord of hostes It is méete therefore that Préestes shoulde haue good knowledge in Gods woorde for they are appointed to be shepheards ouer the flock of Christe to féed the soules of gods People with the delicate food of Gods woord specially with the holy bread of life Christe Iesu that came down from heauen to saue al his people from their sinnes But alas for pitie the spirituall shéepeheardes in many places of the world and speciallye in England are verye rude vnlearned and vnable to teache other men because they themselues lacke the knowledge and righte