blasphemers of the holy Spirit who doe not onely fulfill the full measure of those Pagans sinnes but contemne also the Graces given vnto them the knowledge whereto they haue beene called and that good Spirit whereof the Pagans were never made partakers Now looke we backe for a while to those markes wherewith they are noted against whom our Apostle in this place denounceth If they bee duely considered they will moue our hearts to wisdome One is they haue beene once lightned that is they haue been endued with the knowledge of God and that not onely by the heavens though they b Psal 19 ◠declare Gods glory nor only by the firmament though that sheweth his handy worke nor onely by other his creatures though in them also his eternall power godhead appeareth and shineth for of this light all nations are made partakers but they haue beene lightned also with his holy word This hath beene a c Ps 119 105. lanterne to their feet and a light vnto their paths When they found it they did greedily tast of it and it was vnto them the ioy and reioycing of their hearts And can we think that any thus lightned are neere vnto cursing Yea the d Heb. 6.7 Scripture telleth vs that they may so fall away as that it shall be impossible for them to be renued againe by repentance Heb. 6.6 Indeed the earth which drinketh in the raine that commeth oft vpon it and bringeth forth hearbes meet for them by whom it is dressed shal receaue a blessing of God but that earth which beareth thornes and briers is reproued is neere vnto cursing the end thereof is to bee burned Presume wee not then beloved in the Lord. Whosoever 1. Cor. 10.12 thinkes he standeth may fal O! worke we out our salvatiō with feare trembling An other marke of theirs is they haue tasted of the heavenly gift This heavenly gift is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.23 It is that great salvatiō that is in Christ Iesus so called by Christ himselfe speaking to the woman of Samaria Iohn 4.10 This gift they haue not only knowne but haue also tasted of it Would you know what taste this is One expounds it thus Suppose a banquet provided wherein are many sweet pleasant and dainty meates At this banquet the bidden guests must be set downe they see the meats they taste thē they eate them they disgest them they are nourished strengthened by them The vnbidden guests it is not so with them They indeed may see the meates yea more then so happyly they may be permitted to handle them and taste of them to feele how good they are but eate or feed of thē they may not Apply this and in the vnbidden guests tasting of those dainety meates you shall perceiue this taste of the heavenly gift resembled They haue tasted of the heavenly gift that is they haue gladly sometime receaved it and reioyced in it like Herode who did gladly heare Iohn Baptist preaching Mark 6.20 like the second kinde of naughty ground that ioyfully receaved the seed Mat. 13.20 Herod may willingly heare the preaching of the word and yet be accursed the naughty ground receiving the seed with ioy in the end may be burned Many may haue a taste of eternall life of that great salvation which is in Christ Iesus and yet may finally fall away Presume wee not then beloved in the Lord. Whosoever thinkes he standeth may fall O! worke we out our salvation with feare and trembling Their third marke is they haue beene made partakers of the holy Ghost that is many graces of the spirit of God haue beene given vnto them They may repent like Iudas Mat. 27.3 confesse their sinnes like Pharaoh Exod. 10.16 loue God as Saule did 1. Sam. 10.9 They may desire to be like Gods children in happinesse as Balaam desired when he said O let my soule die the death of the righteous let my last end be like his Num. 23.10 They may shew liking to Gods Ministers reverence them and feare to displease them as Simon Magus did who at Philips preaching beleeved wondred at his miracles and kept cōpany with him Act. 8.13 They may be zealous in the profession of the gospell as the Galatians were who receaved Paule as an Angell and if possible would haue plucked out their eies to haue done him good Gal. 4.16 Thus may they be qualified yea much better then thus and yet may finally fall awaie Presume we not thē beloved in the Lord. Whosoever thinkes he standeth may fall O! worke we out our salvation with feare and trembling Their last marke for I omit the rest as being all reducible to these fowre their last marke is They haue receaved the knowledge of the truth that is they haue caused their f Ezech. 3.3 bellies to eate and haue filled their bowels with that sweet roule as sweet as any hony in their mouthes they haue receaved the word of God in their hearts in such abundance as that they are become preachers of the word for they haue g Heb. 6.5 tasted of the good word of God and of the power of the world to come they haue tasted it indeed but only haue they tasted it Here let me once more remember you of the resemblance of tasting You know that Cookes which are busied in preparing of banquets haue commonly as much feeling and seeing of the meates as any other and yet there is none that eateth lesse of it then they their stomackes are so cloyed with the smell taste thereof so is it here it may come to passe that the preacher which dresseth and provideth the spirituall food may eate least of it himselfe so labouring to saue others himselfe may proue a reprobate It hath beene thought that some of them which built the Arke were not saved in the Arke but certaine it is not only thought so certaine it is that diverse spirituall builders of Christs Church shall not be saved with the Church They may by vs be takē for Gods sheepe because they are kept in the same pastures and folded in the same fold with vs they may by vs be taken for Gods sheepe though indeed they be very Goates There is a day to come wherein the h 2. Pet. 3.10 heavens shal passe away with a noise and the elements shall melt with heate the earth with the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp then may Demas alleage for himselfe his old and once-true religion and Iudas for himselfe his Apostleship and many others for themselues their prophecying in Christs name but al in vaine For that iust Iudge will professe vnto them i Mat. 7.23 Luk. 13.27 I never knew you depart from me yee workers of iniquity Presume wee not then beloved in the Lord. Whosoever thinkes he standeth may fall O! worke we out our salvation with feare and trembling Having thus considered their markes finding that they haue
knowledge of the truth let vs hold it fast till our Lord Iesus come he will deliver vs from that houre of tentation which shall come vpon all the world to trie thē that dwell vpon the earth Thus much of the persons who alone doe fall into this sinne Now see we with what mind this sinne is committed For that is my second circumstance If we sinne willingly How desirously with what consent of mind this sinne is committed it appeareth partly in this place by this word willingly and partly by those wordes Heb. 6.6 they crucifie againe vnto themselues the sonne of God and make a mocke of him They crucifie againe the sonne of God that notes their envy and malice they crucifie him againe vnto themselues that argues their willingnesse Their consciences their hearts filled with envy and malice doe make thē with all willingnesse commit such abomination This their willing mind to doe so ill may arise from three of their conceits One is that a man may repent when he will and this perswasion they haue because Ezech. 18.21 they find that at what time soever a sinner shall returne from all his sinnes that hee hath committed and shall doe that which is lawfull and right hee shall surely liue and shall not die all his transgressions that he hath cōmitted they shall not be mentioned vnto him but in his righteousnesse that he hath done he shall liue Here they may conceaue that late repentance is seldome true repentance and iustly may they feare lest that repentance which they frame to themselues when they are dying die with them The first lesson that Iohn Baptist taught was Repent for the kingdome of Heaven is at hand Mat. 3.2 The first lesson that the Disciples taught was Repent for the kingdome of Heaven is at hand Math. 10.7 And the first lesson which Christ himselfe taught was Repent too for the kingdome of Heaven is at hand Mat. 4.17 Here is no posting over to the houre of death Repentance must be first of all learned both by young and old It is not for a young man to say I will repent for certainely could Iudas haue repented whē he had listed he would never haue g Mat. 27.5 Act. 1.18 hanged himselfe neither is it safe for an old man to say I haue repented he hath lived long enough to knowe that God is I am and therefore is best pleased with I am he little cares for I was or I will be A second conceit of theirs making their mind so willing to doe wickedly is that the best man that is hath seaven falls every day into grosse sinnes and here they alleage that place Prov. 24.16 the righteous man falleth seaven times in a day and riseth againe But we may answer that this place is to bee vnderstood of fals into afflictions and calamities rather then of falls into actuall sinnes and so makes little for their purpose Their third conceit is that their small sinnes or hidden sinnes are no sinnes and that their greatest sinnes wherein they liue lie wallowing most dangerously are but sinnes of infirmitie And here they are perfit in the reckoning vp of Peters fal Lots incest Solomons Idolatrie Noahs drunkennesse Davids murther Sarahs lie Rebeccahs perswading her sonne Iacob to beguile his owne father the theft of Onesimus the many Concubines of the Patriarchs and the like they finde that the grace of God hath abounded aboue sinne in all these and why may it not abound aboue their sinnes also In this resolution they hold on their owne and proper walke Impij in circuitu ambulant Psal 12.8 the wicked haue their waies but they are crooked they are circular endlesse waies they walke by compasse not much vnlike their father the Divell who testifieth of himselfe that he had compassed the whole earth Iob. 1.7 they walke by compasse indeed but never towards the marke never towards the price that is set before them For how can they attaine thereto as long as they goe thus wheeling about to no purpose like the turning of a mill which when it hath laboured the whole day long is foūd at night in the selfe same place where it first began So these men in circuitu ambulant they walke by compasse and when the night shall come their last night the last houre of their liues they shall bee found not to haue proceeded one step forwards except it be in wickednesse To this point I say howsoever grace aboundeth aboue sin yet accursed are they yea ever cursed shall they bee who doe sinne that grace and blessing may abound vnto them Rom. 6.1 we are forbidden to doe h Rom. 3.8 evill where we certainely know that good may come thereof much lesse may wee make the grace of God a defence for our sinnes This must bee our shield there is no i Rom. 8.1 condemnation to the righteous though hee fall many times a day but if any man shall sinne presuming of Gods mercies let such a one knowe that his damnation is iust and himselfe is like that theefe that stealeth because hee seeth one among twentie pardoned by the Prince Thus you see with what minde this sinne is committed the heart is full of envy full of malice and the minde in all willingnesse assenteth But do not Gods children having received the knowledge of the truth sinne also willingly If they do how thē is it that they are freed from this sinne for which there remaineth no more sacrifice This doubt will be cleare if we doe but consider this one position The childe of God though he cannot fall finally in the end nor vtterly at any time may notwithstanding fall grievously may fall dangerously First by his default the graces of God may be lessened in him and therefore hath S. Paule exhorted the Thessalonians not to quench the spirit 1. Thess 5.19 the Ephesians not to grieue the holy spirit of God Ephes 4.30 By his default then the graces of God may be lessened in him yea they may be so buried in him for a time as that he may be like a man in a trance who both by his owne sense and by the iudgement of the Physitian is taken for dead Hither may you referre the estate of Peter of David and of others whom I haue already mentioned vnto you Secondly he may fall againe into the same sinne after repentance and this may wee learne of Paule praying the Corinthians in Christes steed that they would be k 2. Cor. 5.20 reconciled to God who indeed were reconciled to God before Thirdly he may sin presumptuously that is he may sinne wittingly willingly wilfully Against this David praied vnto the LORD Psal 19.13 keepe thy servaunt from presumptuous sinnes that he was in danger of them appeareth by the words following let them not reigne over me Lastly he may sinne desperately and this is a fearefull sinne he may despaire of Gods mercies for a time as the incestuous mā was like to doe
presumptuously secretly but openly perversely conteÌ„ptuously malitiously neither fearing nor regarding God nor man exscindendo exscinditor anima illa it is the Lords irrevocable senteÌ„ce Num. 15.31 that persoÌ„ shal vtterly be cut of that soule shall die the death Behold saith the Lord to Samuel 1. Samuel 3.11 I will doe a thing in Israel whereof whosoever shall heare his two eares shall tingle I will raise vp against Elie all things which I haue spoken concerning his house when I begin I will also mâ—kâ— aâ—â—nd I haue told him that I will iudge his house for ever for the iniquitie which he knoweth because his sonnes ran into a slander and he staid them not Now therefore I haue sworne vnto the house of Elie that the wickednesse of Elies house shall not bee purgâ—d with sacrifice nor offring for ever I haue sworne saith the LORD vnto the house of Elie c. which words are a sufficient evidence to shew what sinne it was that Elie did meane even that sinne which shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever And therefore wee may bee bold to grant that those words of Elie doe proue an impossibilitie of pardon but it is to such as doe sinne Elatâ manu with an high hand only because they will sinne openly perversly contemptuously malitiously to such I say wee may bee bold to grant that these words doe proue an impossibilitie of pardon but that a maÌ„ sinning ignorantly or of infirmitie should haue no hope of forgiuenesse they proue not and therefore make nothing at all for defence of the Catharists opinion I will not stand to refute other their reasons vsed by them for the further confirmation of their opinion S. Ambrose to whom I referre you hath very coÌ„fortably discoursed against them Lib. 1. de poenitentiâ and the thirteene first chapters of that booke and so hath S. Cyprian in that his tract written to Novatianus the Hereticke My endeavour shall bee to proue a doctrine contrary to theirs I may comprise it in this proposition They which stand by grace may fall and yet be pardoned Which proposition devides it selfe into two parts severally to be confirmed 1. the chosen of God for they only stand by grace maâ— fall 2. notwithstanding their falls they may find pardon The former namely that the chosen of God may fall I shall not need much to proue since the truth thereof is sufficiently witnessed by each mans conscience to his owne heart Yet lest happily some one or more through the abundance of knowledge given from aboue shall thinke better of themselues theÌ„ meete is I will bee bold to remember them of S. Paules estate who 2. Cor. 12.7 speaketh thus of himselfe Least I should bee exalted out of measure through the abundance of revelations there was given vnto me a sharpe pointed stake in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me Because I should not bee exalted out of measure there was given mee saith hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sharp stake fastned in my flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me because I should not be exalted out of measure meaning hereby that how glorious a vessell soever he seemed to be in the eyes of men yet in him there was a rebellion of the flesh against the spirit If such were blessed Paules estate what may the best liver that now is professe of himself Surely as much that there is in him also a rebellion of the flesh against the spirit that hee hath had many falls yea such falls as his very remembraÌ„ces of them are like so many kniues in his eies so many thornes in his sides so many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even sharpe pointed posts driven into his flesh to vexe him as long as he shall liue in this world And if thus it fareth with the best what shall become of the more evill sort Surely * See my third Lecture vpon Amos 1. p. 3â— there is no man iust in the earth that doth good sinneth not saith the preacher Ch. 7.22 And Prov. 20.9 Soâ—omon hath this question who can say I haue purged my heart I am cleane from my sinne O saith Eliphaz vnto Iob. chap. 15.14 What is man that he should be cleane and he that is borne of a woman that he should be iust Behold saith he God hath found no stedfastnesse in his Saints yea the heavens are not clean in his sight how much more is man abominable and filthie which drinketh iniquitie like water whose desire to sinne is such as a thirstie mans desire is to drink He is altogether sinful Sinfull in his conception sinfull in his birth sinfull in the whole course of his life in every deed in every word in every thought wholy sinfull I will not be too forward in the discovery of the nakednes of Gods chosen children descended from the loynes of AdaÌ„ and therefore will not trouble you with the relation of a Gen. 9.21 Noahs drunkennesse of b 2. Sam 12.9 Davids murther of c Gen 18.15 Sarahs lye of d Gen. 27.3 Rebeccaes perswading her sonne Iacob to beguile his owne father of the theft of e Philem. 11. Onesimus and of the severall falls of many other as stout champions as ever fought the Lords battle Touching them I only say as David said in a different case 2. Sam. 1.19 O noble Israel how are the mightie overthrowne The point I am to proue will be cleere enough if we wil consider in what sort the elect of God may fall First therefore The child of God by his own neglect may diminish and lessen the good graces of God within him The consideration whereof moued S. Paule in the bowels of compassion to exhort the Thessalonians 1. Thess 5.19 not to quench the spirit and the Ephesians Eph. 4.30 not to grieue the holy spirit of God For he well knewe that the holy spirit vseth to be grieved and the fire thereof to be quenched whensoever we put away from within vs the care of Gods word not regarding the sanctified motions of our hearts the sanctified words of our lips the saÌ„ctified actions of our handes but entertaining the contrary corrupt thoughts evill speaking wicked actions Thus may the child of God be affected and grieue that good spirit whereby he is sealed vnto the day of redemption and quench it too yet not vtterly but diminish and lessen the good graces thereof and that in such a measure as that he may be like a man in a trance who both by his own sense and also by the iudgement of the Physition is taken for dead Thus haue David Peter other the strongest pillers in the Lords temple beene shaken 2 The childe of God after he hath repented for some sinne may fall againe into the same sinne This is a lamentable estate Yet it may befall a true Christian Ioh. 5.14 when Christ had healed the man that had beene sicke 38. yeares he said vnto him Behold thou art
shall they die they shall be in fire vnquenchable yet shall see nothing for the darknesse so palpable everlastingly shall they burne yet not cōsume You may read of the wine of giddinesse Psalme 60.3 of a strange kinde of worme Esa 66.24 of the winepresse of Gods wrath Revelat. 14.10 of fire and brimstone Ezech. 38.22 All these if worse may be many more worse then these are for so many torments assuredly allotted them Their cup is a cup of the deadliest wine that ever yet was tasted even the wine of Gods wrath wherwith they shall be filled for evermore their worme is a worme that never leaveth gnawing They shall bee tormented before the holy Angels and the lambe in fire and in brimstone not such as fell vpon Sodome and Gomorah for so might they haue some hope at length to bee dissolved into heaps of ashes or clouds of pitch but in fire and brimstone ascending from a mine without bottome burning in the lake of death giving them no rest either day or night The smoke of this their torment ascends for evermore and is appointed to continue for a time and times no time even when time shal be no more Rev. 10.6 When time shall be no more yet then shall their torment continue that in such a measure as no eye hath ever seene the like no eare hath ever heard the like no tongue hath ever vttered the like no heart hath beene is or shall bee able ever to conceaue the like Having thus pointed at their punishment let vs now consider the degrees by which they haue ascended to that fulnesse of their iniquitie as also how far our selues haue troden in their steps The degrees are these 1 They are deceaved by some sinne 2 By the same sinne their hearts come to be hardned 3 This hardnesse of heart by continuance breedeth in the wickednesse and perversitie 4 There followeth incredulitie and vnbeleefe 5 After their vnbeleefe they fall to a generall apostacie necessarily and that immediatly Necessarily and immediatly they fall away from faith in Christ These are the degrees first deceit by sin then hardnesse of heart arising from deceit the heart being hardned it becommeth wicked and perverse this wickednes and perversitie of heart causeth incredulitie vnbeleefe whereby is wrought that highest step generall apostacie and falling away from God The two first steps haue beene are vsually trodden in by vs namely deceit by some sinne and hardnesse of heart by the same That old Prophet 1. King 13.11 entised a younger Prophet contrary to the commandment of God to * 1. Kin. 13.18 turne home with him and to eate and drinke but at the last he cursed him for his labour and his curse tooke effect for as hee returned hee was slaine by a * Vers 24. lyon in the way Not much vnlike is Satans dealing with vs. He entiseth vs to sinne from which wee are by the Lords commandment to fly as from a serpent wee haue yeelded vnto him and haue sinned but hee hath cursed vs for out labour only as yet we haue not met with any lion in the way Notwithstanding sinned we haue and that not once only for Satan hath deceaued vs still and wee haue yeelded still vnto him still haue we sinned And are not our hearts now hardned with sinning Yes very much hardned I grant it may be our cheekes wil bee red to talke of Christ as theirs were who went to * Luk. 24.13 Emaus and we will blush apace to seeme so holy but the Blackmore wil blush faster then we when fearefully fowly we sinne against the Lord. Be there any sinne that delighteth vs more then other wee will take part with Naaman * 2. King 5.18 let God be mercifull vnto vs if he will we will not leaue it we will wallow in it ioy in it liue in it grow old in it Doe wee not bath this matter of earth and wormes meat wherewith we are clogged in all pleasure and ease as if there were neither corruption to rot it nor Heaven to receaue it nor Hell to burne it Behold the progresse sinne hath made in vs first there was titillatio delectationis in corde then followed consensio then factum then consuetudo First Satan slily crept into our hearts there he moued a tickling delight which so well pleased vs that by and by we gaue consent thereto and to shew that our cōsent was not in vaine we were not long before we brought it into fact not long I say before wee did that wicked deed whereto we were incited and done it we haue and that not once or twise only but many times now it is become a custome And yet doe we securely sleepe See wee not the danger we are in Surely the next step we make after we are accustomed by hardnes of heart to yeeld vnto the deceit of sinne except God giue vs grace to returne can be no other then into a wicked and perverse heart and then will follow incredulitie vnbeleefe wherevpon immediatly and necessarily must ensue the highest degree even generall apostacie falling away from God In which case at this time I say no more vnto you then the Apostle said vnto the Hebrewes chap. 3.12 13. Take heed my brethren lest at any time there be in any of you an evill heart vnfaithfull to depart away from the living God Exhort one another dayly while it is called to day lest any of you bee hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne THE THIRD SERMON HEBR. 10. VER 26. 26 There remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes WE are now come to the first reason vsed by our Apostle to disswade vs from cōmitting so vile a sin as is the sin against the holy Ghost There remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes Here let vs first consider how true it is which Novatus hath collected out of these words namely that whosoever sinneth after he is baptised his sinne is not possibly pardonable Secondly let vs examine that which these words do naturally afford that is that the Sinne against the holy Ghost is not at any time nor can ever be forgiven Of both these at this time To spend the time in delivering whence and what Novatus and his followers were This 〈◊〉 was preached Ianu. 4. 1598. and at what time they first sprang vp I hold it needlesse for that it would but little advātage the vnderstanding of the younger and the rest already know it better then my selfe The cōsideratiō of this doctrine may be materiall for vs all For if it be true that they which sinne after Baptisme once receaved be it either of ignorance or of infirmity cā haue no hope of pardon for their sinne are not we who hitherto haue learned the contrary of all men most miserable Haue we not iust cause with those men of Israel Act. 2.37 to be pricked in our hearts and to cry out as they did Men and brethren what
shall we doe For defence of their opinion they suppose the Scriptures to be very pregnāt alleaging these words of my text If we sin willingly after that we haue receaved the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes as also those other words Heb. 6.4 It is impossible that they which were once lightened haue tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and haue tasted of the good word of God of the power of the world to come it is impossible for such if they fall away to be renued by repētāce Out of both which places their cōceit is framed they affirme that a man in baptisme is washed from all his filthinesse and cleansed from all his sinnes but if he shall fall afterwardes that then there remaineth no more sacrifice for his sinne that then he cannot possibly be renewed by repentance so vnpardonable do they iudge a relapse into sinne The fathers of the Westerne Church miscōceiving these two cited places as in the one vnderstanding by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but an ordinary falling in the other by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sinning only in generall whether of ignorance infirmity or otherwise misconceiving I say these two places yet vnwilling to subscribe to so foule an heresie haue reiected this Epistle as vnfit to proue any principle in religion haue accoūted it as not Canonicall But we need not vse any such shift to answere the argumēt of the Catharists That spirit of truth which was lōg since promised to come and to lead vs into all truth is already come hath given sufficient witnesse to the vnresistable authoritie of this Scripture withall hath taught vs that these places must be vnderstood of that sinne which is to death of that sin wherein men of desperate malice against Christ vniversally and wholy fall away from religion For the holy Ghost saith not if they fall but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if they fall away and in the same Heb. 6.6 it is added they crucifie againe vnto themselues the sonne of God make a mocke of him and Heb. 10.29 it is said that they trāple vnder foot the Sonne of God that they count the bloud of the Testament an vnholy thing that they despite the spirit of grace in the 26. verse the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated with vs willingly imports some what more as if to sinne willingly were to sinne because a man will sinne and that is to sinne wilfully These places then thus vnderstood proue I graunt an impossibility of pardon but it is to such as commit that sinne which is to death and fall away from their first light to such as crucifie againe vnto themselues the sonne of God and make a mocke of him and trample him vnder foot to such as count the bloud of the Testament an vnholy thing and despite the spirit of grace to such as sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only because they will sinne purposely wilfully and maliciously to such I graunt these places proue an impossibility of pardon but that a man sinning ignorantly or of infirmity should be past hope of forgiuenes these places proue not and therefore make nothing at all for defence of the Catharistes opinion They presse vs yet for the further establishment of their cōceit with old Elies words 1. Sam. 2.25 If one man sinne against another the iudge shal iudge it but if a man sin against the LORD who wil plead for him Who will plead for him that is say they no mā shal plead for him For God is iust wil take vengance vpō him that sinneth against him NO mā shal plead for him S Ambrose l. 1. de poenitentiâ c. 8. much disliketh this their exposition and there sheweth by other like speeches in the Scripture that these words are not necessarily to force that meaning which they would haue Ps 15.1 David saith LORD who shal dwel in thy tabernacle who shall rest in thy holy mountaine Quaeritur quis non excluditur the question is who shall dwell in the Lords tabernacle Every one is not excluded from so dwelling for in the words following it is answered He that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnes speaketh the truth in his heart hee shal never be moved he shal dwell in the tabernacle of the Lord he shall rest vpon his holy mountaine Psal 24.3 the same Psalmist hath likewise said who shall ascend into the moūtaine of the LORD and who shall stand in his holy place And here also Quaeritur QVIS non exeluditur the question is who shall ascend into the mountaine of the LORD Every one is not excluded from so ascending For the verses following are a sufficient answer He that hath innocent hands a pure heart that hath not lift vp his minde to vanity nor sworne deceitfully even he shall receaue a blessing from the LORD and righteousnes from the God of his salvation he shal ascend into the mountaine of the LORD and stand in his holy place Luk. 12.42 the LORD hath said who is a faithfull steward and wise whom the master shall make ruler over his houshold to giue them their portion of meate in season and here a-againe Quaeritur QVIS non excluditur The questiō is who shall be a faithful steward Every one is not excluded from so being For that which followeth importeth as much Blessed is that servant saith the LORD whom his master when he commeth shall finde so doing Other like places are cited by this Christian Bishop to the same purpose after all which hee giueth his iudgement vpon the words of old Ely alleaged by the Novatians for confirmation of their opinion The words as you heard are these If one man sinne against another the Iudge shal iudge it but if a man sin against the LORD who will plead for him The vulgar translation hath Quis orabit pro eo If a man sin against the Lord who will pray for him Quis orabit pro eo that is saith S. Ambrose Singularis vitae aliquis debet orare pro eo qui peccavit in Dominum Some man of exceeding integritie must pray for him that hath sinned against the LORD His reason is added Quia quo maior est culpa eo maiora sunt quaerenda suffragia because the greater the sinne is so much the more worthy must the person be that by prayer shall obtaine pardon for such sinne I leaue this Fathers exposition and shew you a more naturall that is this If one man sinne against another the Iudge shall iudge it that is if one man doe iniury and wrong vnto another there may be a composition and an agreement made betweene them either in Ecclesiasticall or civill policie but if a man sinne against the LORD who will plead for him that is if a man sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only because he will sinne if he sinne elatâ manu Num. 15.30 with a high hand not only