is this our sinne in man because it is an Apostasie from the Gospell Secondly as against the Gospell so against the Spirit which worketh grace by the Gospell The Schoolemen said not nothing inascribing Power to the Father Knowledge to the Sonne and Grace to the holy Ghost Against the Father men sinne of infirmitie against the Sonne of Ignorance and these two are remissible But against the holy Ghost men sinne of malice and this is irremissible But I would rather haue said thus That in regard these men sinne against the spirit id est the proper effect and worke of the spirit in them their sinne must needs be irremissible because there is not another person in the Trinitie whereby they might receiue grace and arise to Repentance For God the Father bestowed Innocencie and righteousnesse vpon the creature at the first by which he might liue This being lost God the sonne came to repaire it and to restore vs to our former estate and he indeed paid the price of our redemption But man being in the state of nature could haue no benefit by it Then came the holy Ghost and regenerated and quickened man and taught him what Christ had done for him what is the vertue of his death and passion yea the spirit also applieth the bloud of Christ and by it washeth and purifieth the heart of man and so sanctifieth both body and soule Hitherto you see how still as man profiteth not by the former grace there is yet another person in the Trinitie who by a second worke can make the first effectuall But now when it is come to this that the worke of the spirit is resistell and impugned so that these three persons haue giuen him over there is none other meanes for him to recover For to whom should hee goe when these forsake him Where may he finde a Physitian if these conclude his wound is incurable Where are you all you grand Imposters of the world You strict defenders of the Intercession of Saints and Angels Now come forth and helpe Here here is place for the Indulgences of your Popes the merits of your Saints the intercession of your Angels Here is a man forsaken of God out of all hope of heauen can you now cure him If there be any Deity in your Saints any Divinitie in your Angels any hope any helpe any merit any mercy any vertue any power now let them shew it Let them recouer this forlorne man out of the gulfe of hell restore him to his former estate of grace reforme his will cure his affections renew his minde create a right spirit within him in a word vendicate him from everlasting perdition and destruction Oh! miserable comforters are you all here where there is need of helpe you doe forsake there where there is no need you promise it largely No no this mans estate is wretched though not lamentable miserable though not pittifull He hath forsaken God refused heaven to hell he must there to be tormented so long as God shall liue for ever for ever Thus much for the Reasons drawne from the Obiect The nature also of this sinne is such that it refuseth repugneth all pardon as which doth indeede 1. wittingly 2. wilfully 3. malitlously 4. totally fall from the profession of godlinesse God hauing created man ordained in his soule two principall faculties to be the guides of his life the conducters of his actions viz. the Vnderstanding and the Will The vnderstanding he furnisht with knowledge of the will of his creator in heauenly things This knowledge being lost in Adam was repaired againe by Christ who is the light that lighteth euery one that commeth into the world by the light of nature and the Sonne of Righteousnesse shining in our hearts by the light of grace by whose spirit we are ledde into all truth and thereby are inlightened in the vnderstanding to discerne both good and evill This is the grace which of God we haue receiued and receiued to this end questionlesse that the abundance of knowledge should worke effectually in vs in turning vs from all iniquity and should teach vs to deny all vngodlinesse worldly lusts Wherefore if wee doe wittingly put out this light extinguish this knowledge quench the spirit and hauing the key of knowledge doe yet shut vp heauen gate against our selues if we know our Masters will and doe it not if we know the lâ—ght and therefore hate it see the plague and runne into it What remedie can there be What hope of pardon or of remission Had we not seene we had had no sinne but now that wee see our sinne remaineth It had bin better not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse then after knowledge to turne from the holy Commandement Better saith Peter id est lesse punishable by farre Affected ignorance is very lyable to the curse of God but witting reiection of knowledge once receiued is abhominable If we sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the knowledge and acknowledging of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne As they are destitute of pardon because wittingly they sinne so also because wilfully The will of man the other principall facultie in mans soule was endued with freedome that so it might freely worke and following the direction and guidance of the vnderstanding might apply it selfe to embrace and choose the good and to eschew and refuse the evill The strength of this indeed was overthrowne by Adams fall but it being much renewed by Christ serveth to the same end still Wherefore when men doe wilfully and of set purpose turne aside and sinne not of infirmitie but of peevishnesse who can helpe them If the Patient bee willing to be cured the Phisitian may by his skill doe much But if he be froward perverse wilfull obstinate and will not be healed there may be balme in Gilead and Physitians there but yet the wound will not bee recouered Who can cure him that refuseth to be cured Certainely the Physitians that enterprise this must returne the complaint of the Prophet We would haue cured Babell and shee would not be cured forsake her c. for her iudgement is come vp to heaven and is lifted vp to the clouds It is worth the noting that in the Law there was no Sanctuary for wilfull murtherers Neither in the Gosspell is there any pardon for wilfull Apostataes It is the word of the Lord and it will be found true If yee walke stubbornely against me I will walke stubbornely against you And that of the Psalmist With the froward thou wilâ— deale frowardly You haue seene a stubborne sonne and a severe father as it were striving for the victory The father scourgeth him for his fault the sonne he striveth strugleth roareth sobbeth snubbeth and ready he is to burst for anger The father then groweth angry and to him againe and layeth on sorer fiercer yet will not the varlet yeeld stubborne still stomackfull
a masse of mischiefe It is the perfection of sinne if the word perfection may bee so ill placed It is the Nil vltra the vp shot of all sinnes So that there is none here I suppose who is not very sensible of the difficulties I now sustaine Non est res levis no small matter whereof I am to speake you to heare Let me borrow the full emploiment of your best attention that I may flie vpon the wings of your holy desires and with the full gale of your prosperous wishes arriue at the hauen of my hopes Gods glory mans edification They which put forth into the Ocean do guide their sayling by the winde discerne the winde by the Compasse direct their Compasse by the Pole-starre and not in vaine for without these their labour might bee much their progresse little their profit none at all This wisedome of the Mariner is worth imitation Loc heere therefore before I enter into the Ocean of matter which may be expected in which I may easily loose my selfe and abuse mine Auditory my Cynosura my Pole-starre which must guide my sayling confine my speech direct my discourse is briefly reducible to these two maine points First enquire what this sinne is which is against the Holy Ghost Secondly why it is so mortall Of both these with as much briefenesse and plaines as such a matter will giue leaue For the first I take it for granted that all men doe easily vnderstand that this Sinne which nowe wee seeke is no sinne of Infirmity nor of Ignorance but it must needes bee a sinne of a Presumptuous minde a sinne with an high hand so that onely among them will wee looke There is a sinne against knowledge When the seruant knoweth his masters will and doth it not Well may our sinne comprehend this vnder it but all sinne against knowledge is not this sinne There is a sinne against conscience when notwithstanding the conscience like Gods solliciter secretly checketh them yet on they goe still this is worse then the former but yet neither can it bee that which we seeke vnlesse wee would enwrap Dauid in it There is a sinne of Presumption proceeding from pride and arrogancie wilfulnesse and haughtines of heart which both wilfully and contemptuously causeth a man to sinne against God wilfully as presuming vpon Gods mercy and his owne future repentance Contemptuously as despising and con temning the Law of God These are great grosse and grieuous especially if the particular sinne be either Idolatrie which is the forsaking of God or witch-craft which is a ioyning Couenant with Satan In these to sinne against knowledge against the checke of conscience presumptuously wilfully and contemptuously is a sinne that may make the earth to tremble and the heauens to sweat with amazednes that earth should thus transgresse against heauen man against God Yea it may on a suddaine set a man into a stound and driue his thoughts to a perplexitie to consider what further degree of sinne there can bee founde or thought of into which the Sonne of Adam may slip or plunge himselfe But let vs wade a little deeper Origen as Bellarmine alledgeth thought that euery sinne committed against the Law of God after Baptisme was the sinne against the Holy Ghost not farre from this were the Novatians But Athanasius doth well refute this opinion first because our Sauiour doth accuse the Pharisees of this sinne who yet neuer were Christians nor baptized whereas the opinion of Origen doth suppose a prcedencie of baptisme in those who may fall into this Apostasie Secondly Because then it woulde followe that all sinnes committed by Christians shoulde bee sinnes of this nature as beeing committed after the Sacrament of Baptisme which to hold what were it else but to barre vp the gates of heauen against all Christians what soeuer for who is there that sinneth not and sinneth not grieuously at one time or other Truth it is that Christians falling into sinne doe sinne against the grace of God receiued But wee seeke out one speciall sinne which in a principall maner and for some speciall consideration is called the Sinne against the Holy Ghost such is not each sinne committed after Baptisme Augustine standeth for finall Impoenitencie viz. when men die without repentance Certainely I cannot but much commende the censure that Bellarmine passeth vpon this opinion This is true sayth hee so farre forth as it teacheth that finall impoenitencie is some speciall sinne against the holy Ghost but it cannot bee defended if hee woulde haue this impoenitencie to bee that peculiar and proper sinne which wee feeke for But I more commende his Reasons First Because finall Impoenitencie is not blasphemy but onely a certaine circumstance in euery sinne whereas our sinne is a blaspheming sinne as heereafter shall appeare in which respect it is called blasphemie against the Spirit Secondly This finall Impoenitency is not committed till death for which cause it is called finall viz. which continueth to and in the ende I suppose to distinguish it from the other Impoenitencie a species of sinne of malice which according to their doctrine may bee forgiuen in this life but the sinne against the Holy Ghost is committed in this life the which hee confirmeth first by the practise of our Sauiour who taxed the Pharises at that time living and like enough to liue longer Secondly by the text of Paul to the Hebrues 6. Necessarily to bee vnderstoode of men liuing vnlesse wee woulde make Paul speake thus It is impossible that the dead should be renewed by repentance which how vnbeseeming so great an Apostle it were iudge yee Lastly by this text of Iohn the which indeede speaketh of a man seeing his brother sinning and not of one knowing or hearing that hee hath sinned whereupon he concludeth that our sinne is not finall Impoenitencie which not before death and hardly then can bee seene and discerned A third opinion holdeth the sinne against the Holy Ghost to be any sinne of malice This is the common opinion receiued from the Schoolemen and by the Papistes much magnified Let vs if you please fetch it from the originall Aquinas the Angelicall Doctor the cheife of the Schoolemen whose Elogie is Tolle Thomam disipabo Ecclesiam were it not for Thomas Aquinas the olde Serpent would easily destroy the Church whose writinges were confirmed by myracle or else Fame is a lyar the Crucisixe speaking to him He I say as in other questions so in this hath bestowed much labour in the searching out of this sinne Let vs trace him Three sorts of men sayth he are said to sinne against the spirit First he who blasphemeth the person of the holy Ghost Secondly He which dyeth in finall impaenitencie Thirdly He that sinneth of set malice whether it be in choosing euill or refusing good This third kinde he subdivideth into sixe seuerall sinnes which he calleth the seuerall species and kinds of this kinde And
in the Gospell may further bee confirmed by our owne obseruation viz. That wheresoeuer there is any mention of this sin in the new Testament there comes with it some intimation of the workes of the Mediator In Mat. 12. They opposed Christ himselfe in his miracles In Heb. 6. Paul instanceth in their crucifying againe of Christ c. And in Heb. 10. Of their trampling vnderfoote the Sonne of God c. So that this Truth is the doctrine of the Gospell the faith of our saluation through the bloud of Christ The which Piscator confirmeth by the Antithesis betwixt the contempt of the Law and the contempt of the Gospell handled in Heb. 10. 28. This Truth must be knowne to the partie he must be enlightened hee must haue a competent measure of knowledge before he falleth into this sinne For confirmation of this to omit that of Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after wee haue receiued the knowledge of the truth let vs consider how he enlargeth this point Heb. 6. 4 what phrases the Apostle vseth to set forth the measure of grace to which they had attained Marke his wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is impossible that they which were once inlightned c. Wee shall not lightly finde a more plaine more full more pithie place Ergo let vs heere stay and demurre a little and labour to vnderstand the same There are two diuerse applications of this place if they may bee called Diuerse which all tende to the same ende For some doe apply each phrase to signifie some particular thing Thus Hemingius and Iunius First heare Hemingi◠Praecedunt peccatum in spiritum sanctum sayth hee there goes before this our sinne fiue things first An illumination Secondly A tast of the heauenly gift Thirdly A participation of the holy Ghost Fourthly A tast of the good ward of God Fiftly A tast of the powers of the world to come These hee thus explaineth This Illumination is the knowledge of Christ and his benefits The taste of the heauenly gift is the participation of these benefits by faith The communion of the Spirit is the Testimony of the Spirit in the hearts of the faithfull concerning the truth of God The good worde of which they tasted is the instrumentall cause of the former for by the word comes knowledge by knowledge faith the holy Ghost being powred into our heartes The powers of the worlde to come is that blessed Immortalitie which the faithfull and beleeuers doe tast of through the holy Ghost who doth renew their hearts Thus farre Hemingius very well and to good purpose if withall you note the Emphasis and and force of the word Gustaverunt haue tasted hee sayth not Deglutiverunt haue swallowed downe much lesse Concoxerunt haue digested it For it is one thing to beleeue truely and plenarily as did Lidia whose heart the Lord opened another thing to haue onely a tast Piscator handleth these fiue phrases thus They containe saith he first The benefits of God bestowed which are two viz illumination and a tast of Gods fauour Secondly The causes of them viz. The word and the Spirit Iunius not an Author to bee contemned goeth an other way to worke for hee makes these fiue phrases to answere to the fiue heads of the Apostles Catechisme spoken of in the beginning of the chapter that as by the knowledge and profession of those hee was aedified and builded vp in Christianitie so now in his relapse and Apostacy he did vndoe all and quite destroy the former building The first head of Catechisme was Repentance from dead workes to which answereth the first phrase were once enlightned idest were called from darknesse yea death to light yea life by the renouncing of themselues and their dead workes The second was faith towardes God to which answereth the second phrase Haue tasted of the heauenly gift which gift is faith receiued from God The third ground was the Doctrine of Baptismes not Baptisme onely but Baptismes as well the inward of the Spirit whereby we are made the members of Christ the sonnes of God and inheritors of the kingdome of heauen as the outward of the Minister by which wee are receiued into the Church and acknowledged members thereof To this answereth the third phrase were made partakers of the holy Ghost id est receiued the Spirit a most constant witnesse of their adoption and redemption The fourth head was the Doctrine of the Imposition of hands a ceremony vsed at that time to admit and consecrate by a publicke consent those who vpon tryall were found sufficient either to the common profession of Christianity in the comunion of the Sacrament or to some speciall office or function in the ministry To which answereth the fourth phrase Haue tasted of the good word of God which is the nourishment of those who doe liue by the Spirit and who by the Imposition of hands were called to the offices of a Christian life The last ground of the catechisme was the Doctrine of the resurrection and aeternall iudgement to which answereth the last phrase Haue tasted of the powers of the world to come id est That hope of life and immortalitie which is layd vp for them in the heauen Hitherto Iunius laudably indeede if there be tantum certitudinis quantum subtilitatis so much certainety as subtilty in this his application And this is the former The second kinde of Application is of them who do apply all these fiue phrases to signifie one selfe same thing Thus Caluin the Coriphaeus of our Diuines Notandum est saayth hee wee must heere marke with what Elogies the Apostle doth set forth the knowledge of the Gospell For hee calleth it first Illumination intimating that men doe grope in darkenes till Christ the day-starre doe arise in their hearts Secondly The tast of the heauenly gift teaching that the benefits of Christ doe transcend the heauens and yet by faith are tasted Thirdly The Participation of the Spirit because hee it is that distributeth to each one as he listeth Fourthly The tast of the good word of God signifying that in the Gospel the will of God is so manifested to vs as that it doth most sweetely delight vs. Fiftly The tast of the powers of the world to come insinuating that by faith wee are admitted into the heauenly kingdome beholding thorow faith that blessed immortalitie which is layd vpp for vs in the heauen Thus Caluin To the same effect Zanchius who thus explaineth himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enlightened viz. by the holy Ghost to know the truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est haue tasted in some measure of the diuine bounty manifested in the Gospell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. id est haue in some measure perceiued themselues renewed by the holy Ghost through the doctrine of the Gospell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tasted of the good word of God id est the
Gospel it selfe and the faelicitie of those who doe embrace the Gospell who haue peace with God and peace in their owne consciences 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the powers of the world to come id est by the Gospell they haue perceiued how great the foelicitie of the godly is like to bee in the world to come Thus Zanchy referreth it to the Gospell Caluin to the knowledge of the Gospell Something more roundly goeth Bullinger to worke Vtitur Apostolus Endiadi c. The Apostle sayth hee vseth an Endiadis a figure in the Copie of words diversely vttering the same thing For what else is it to be enlightned but to taste of the heauenly gift And what is that heauenly gift but the dowry of graces proceeding from the Spirit and what is that dowrie but onely by which wee receiue the saving word of God and are made partakers of eternall glorie To stay no longer in this discourse for I feare you thinke me tedious alreadie whether wee vnderstand this place of seuerall graces with Hermingius and Piscator or apply it to the points of the Catechisme with Iunius or make it an Endiadis with Bullinger or referre it to the Gospell with Zanchius or to the knowledge of the Gospell with Calvin Here I obserue two thinges for our purpose first That the Terminus a quo from whence is the Truth of the Gospell not of the Law secondly That this truth must bee knowne I might also adde Professed but that would too much streighten and restraine the search of it For Diuines doe obserue two sorts of men subiect to this our sinne Some haue both knowne the truth and also made profession of the fame as Saul Iudas Alexander the Copper-smith Arrius Francis Spira and Iulian the Apostata All these made profession of the Gospell before they fell away And by name Iulianus was well grounded in the Christian Religion knew the truth of the Gospell was baptised yea and publiquely did make profession of it and yet through the perswasions inticements and allurements of those wicked Philosophers Libanius Iamblicus and others he fell away and became a most cruell persecutor This is one sort Another there is which haue certaine knowledge of the truth but yet haue not giuen their names to professe it but doe hate persecute and blaspheme it calling it erroneous haereticall and diabolicall Such were the Pharisees against whom our Sauiour Christ disputeth Mat. 12. Who albeit they did know this to bee truth which Christ taught knew that he was the Messiah that his miracles were wrought by the finger of God yet of an obstinate enuious and malitious minde resisted contradicted and blasphemed Such were some of Stephens accusers they knew the truth of that he taught yea and were convicted in their consciences so that they could not resist the spirit by which he spake But the most manifest example is in Satan and his Angels For though he know the truth that is That Christ is God the Sauiour of the world that all felicitie is to be hoped from him alone yet still he doth resist slander and blaspheme the truth and hauing maliciously rejected it himselfe doth labour by all meanes to bring men into the same state of condemnation Hence come all heresies which doe oppose the Truth Hence come Atheisme and Epicurisme whereby all care of Religion is cast off Yea which is most of all to be wondered at albeit he knoweth that his wickednesse falleth still vpon his owne pate yet he doth still resist because he will resist To wind vp this point All they who fall into this sinne first of all doe attaine to a certaine and assured knowledge of the truth though all doe not professe it Yea and which is more it is no swimming motion but a full perswasion so that the Conscience thereby is convicted and constrained secretly to confesse it so to be as the Pharisees whiles they are in the Synedrion can say What shall wee doe for this man doth many miracles And afterwards A manifest miracle is wrought by these men and we cannot deny it Hence it is that Paul was excusable in that he did it through ignorance as many now also doe persecute the Truth which if they were perswaded that it was the Truth would embrace it with all readinesse I would faine now passe from the Whence to the Whether were it not that I feare least some of Arminius brood should hereupon buzze into your eares that this Illumination this knowledge is sauing knowledge And the Grace sauing Grace and that there is at all no difference betwixt them but onely Perseverance and thereby would hope to confirme their poysonous and vncomfortable Doctrine of Recidivation and falling from saving Grace once received And yet I will for why should I feare this Certes I neede not if you will be pleased to remember and often to meditate on those three disparisons betwixt Temporizers and true beleeuers which the late Reuerend Synod of Dort hath observed out of our Sauiours parable viz. first That Temporisers receiue the seede in a stonie but true beleevers in a good ground id est in an honest and good heart Secondly They want roote These are rooted and grounded haue a fast roote Thirdly Those are fruitlesse these bring forth fruit with patience constancie and Perseverance So that though the mind be enlightened yet the conscience is not purified though the braine swim with motions yet the heart wanteth vpright affections though the vnderstanding bee enformed yet the will is not reformed much lesse the whole man trans-formed into the image of Iesus Christ. This if you will remember you shall not neede to feare the enticing words of mans wisedome which cunning seducers vse to beguile vnstable soules And thus I passe from the Terminus a quo to the Terminus adquem from the Whenoe to the Whether that as we haue seene where they stood before their fall so now wee may see their practise since their praecipitation The Terminus ad quem the Whether hath in it two speciall words for as for bluspheming it is a species of Persecuting and it is no moment whether of them wee set first whether Malitious or Persecution for it is a Malicious persecuting and a Persecuting malice Yet since the effect declares the cause and this persecuting is the effect of that cause let vs if you will first speake of this and afterwards come to the other Persecution generally is a peevish and froward disposition of the wicked whereby they are whetted on cruelly purposely and peevishly to infest and trouble the Truth and those who doe professe it studying by all meanes to satisfie and satiate their wicked yea their diabolicall fury The notation of the word teacheth thus much for Persequi est pertinaciter sequi sayth Illiricus To persecute is perversely to prosecute This Persecuting is an action this action workes vpon an obiect this obiect is
all questionlesse resist the spirit though diverse of them did but were carried with a blind zeale for the defence of the Temple and the Law of Moses This their Malice is set forth in Scripture by diverse phrases first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Crucifying againe to themselues the sonne of God secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make a mocke of him as men that hate Christ and as though they crucifyed him againe make him a mocking stocke to all the world as did that Iulian who still in mocking termed him the Galilaean and the Carpenter or Maries sonne and Christians he called the Galilaeans thus most impiously traducing the sacred name of our ever blessed Saviour Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trampling vnder foote the Sonne of God Furioâ—sly raging like madd-dogs tearing renting like a Beare or a shee lyon robbed of their whelpes implacably furious Iulian is called Canâ—s râ—bidus a madde dogge for his fâ—ry and malice Fourthly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth despight to the spirit of grace Maliciously breaking forth into speeches and actions to grieue to vexe yea to despight the spirit of grace Fiftly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The adversaries which doe professe open rebellion proclaime open warre against God This their Malice â—â—â—th exclâ—dâ— all pertâ—â—bed and inordinate passions and â—â—â—ections Peter denieth his Master indeed yea and for sweareth his knowledge nay he curseth himselfe if he know the man but whence proceedeâ—â— this exorbitancie this his horrid and horrible sinne Oh consider the place where he was and the time when he did it In the high Priests Hall while Christ his Master is in danger of his life where if hee confesse him there is no way with him but present death It was therefore the feare of death that maketh him forget his Master his fellowes his profession yea himselfe and his owne knowledge Such is not our sinne Wee finde Malice and Malice in the highest degree which vpon a bent Resolution and settled purpose doth affect that kinde of behauiour It is a witting a willing a wilfull Malice much like to that of Satan who albeit there be no further motiue why hee should resist yet still he doth because he will resist Malice sayth Bernard is carried in a Charyot with foure wheeles viz. Crueltie Impatiencie Boldnesse and Impudencie And therefore must needes bee wonderfull swift to shedd bloud It is neither bâ—idled by feaâ—e nor â—â—rbed by shame neither staied by innocence nor stopped by patience Like the inexorable sea that is violently whirryed and toised with a tempestuous winde Neither is the Charyot so swift as the Horses that draw it fiery these are two viz. Earthly power and worldly pompe which least they might not be violent enough of their owne accord are spurred and pricked on by two most passionate Waggoners Feare and Envie For partly through feare to loose that that they haue and partly through envie of anothers glory are men ledd forth violently into the vntilled and accursed fielde of spitefull Malice This is the disposition of our Apostata'es In whom if time and place doe serue their turne you may obserue yet further two other fruits of their Malice viz first a forsaking of the Communion of Saints Secondly A siding and ioyning fellowship with the Adversaries The first is perpetuall for how should they ioyne societie with those whom they hate mortally and wish extinguished The other not so perpetuall but where it is to be found doth most easily and apparantly detect this sinne Saul could not side with the adversaries but Iulian could Iudas did attempt but Alexander did effect it and therefore the sinne of these is more easie to be discerned then of the other Hitherto of the termes Where they were Where they are Whence they fell Whether they are fallen A word or two of their Motion and so an end of the first generall part at the first propounded The Motion doth comprehend three words which doe shew the Genus of this sinne viz. Apostasie and the differences of this Apostasie from others in that it is Generall and Voluntary The word Apostasie signifieth Recidivation Relapsing and falling away from that which a man hath heretofore taken vpon him to professe In Scripture phrase it intimateth a rebellious revolting departing from the Faith and the profession of the Gospell And so the word and the phrase is vsed 2 Thes. 2. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except there come an Apostasie a departing And in another place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some shall depart from the sayth And Heb. 3. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In departing from the liuing God in Apostatizing The which in the same Epistle is expounded by two other phrases viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If they fall away and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That no man fall away from the grace of God c. As it standeth in the definition it hath rather respect to the Whether then the Whence for the man being now relapsed and alreadie fallen away is said to be an Apostata and his sinne Apostasie This Apostasie is not any particular Relapse from some particular points in Religion Herein were the Novatians blame-worthy who applyed that Text of Heb. 6. against such who sinned after Baptisme Wherevpon many tooke occasion to refuse that Epistle as patronizing that over-strict and vncomfortable doctrine As did others also reiect the Apocalipse because of the Châ—lâ—â—sts and Millenaries The which doing of theirs was much like the cure of Alexanders thigh being wounded with a Dart which could not bee gott forth vnlesse a greater and deeper incision were made so that Curatio ipso vulâ—ere gravior fuit The cure was more grâ—enous then the wound it selfe And this their refuge was more grieuous then the wound A great Argument of the great Ignorance that did encroach vpon the westerne Churches who were not able to vindicate these places from the Schismaticall and Hereticall glosses of deceivers Particular lapses are bad beginnings and men are to take heede of them but this is a Generall relapse and Apostasie which may bee manifested 1. By the vse of the word in Scripture phrase For it is appropriated to signifie a generall and vniuersall falling away So Paul vseth the same word to signifie the manner of departing from sinne which ought to be in Christians viz. a generall and vniversall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2. 19. Secondly By that place of Paul Heb. 6. 6. Where hee vseth the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prolapsi id est prorsus lapsi if they fall a way id est altogether totally For reason willeth that the fall bee as generall as the grace receiued Excellent to this purpose is the saying of Calvin commenting vpon the place Nodus totius disputationis c. The knott of the whole question and disputation betwixt vs and the Nouatians dependeth on the right vnderstanding of that word Prolabantur
any certainty concerning this matter and thereupon shunne and reiect all meditation vpon this point and Argument as vaine and vncertaine I am not worthy neyther will I take vpon me to censure great and learned men but let it be seriously considered how much and how often mention is made in Gods word of this fearefull fall and direfull plight that men are brought into thereby and we may easily guesse that the Lord would not haue vs vtterly ignorant of it And let vs weigh and obserue the fruit and great benefit which Gods people by a sober and wise meditation hereof may reape and it may be iudged that their labour is commendable who warily and with iudgement write and preach to that purpose For as Mariners cannot easily shunne the gulfe nor rock except they know or at lest can guesse whereabouts the daunger is No more is it likely that a Christian professor should liue absolutely without the perill or feare of this so fearefull a sinne in some probable sort vnlesse he be warned thereof by such as doe study the point of purpose It is more then manifest that the danger of such a relapse is very great and that our vigilancy and care of auoiding it ought to be no lesse and lastly considering the drowsie securitie of this age the present decay of zeale the vtter neglect of the meanes to quicken it that no argument is of more necessary and profitable vse to be preached or published then this at this time wherein many hanging as it were in suspence and expectation are ready whatsoeuer shall ensue with Demas to embrace the present world and so politickly in the meane while doe carry themselues that which way soeuer they shall hereafter thinke good to incline yet they shall not be deemed Apostataes But let them for all that as it were vpon this publique warning examine themselues whether their hearts and Consciences bee not plainely and euidently euinced of the truth of the Gospell against Atheisme Papisme Turcisme Iudaisme or whatsoeuer Gentilisme or other sect and if so then consider whether the reuolt from the knowne truth will not prooue as haynous a fault in Gods sight for all their couert carriage as heauy a clogge to their Consciences as deepe a downefall from Grace and as wilfull a losse of the tast of the power of the world to come as if they had professed it in the forwardest manner or rather let them feare lest whilst they in worldly wisedome vsing cautelous circumspection to prouide for a change doe not palpably bewray that they receiue not the loue of the truth together with the knowledge thereof and so declare plainly that they are of the number of those vpon whom God in his iust iudgement will send strong delusion to beleeue lies The Scribes and Pharisees neuer vndertooke the profession of Christ as of the promised Messias yet because they were euidently conuinced by his word and workes that he it was that was to come Christ spareth not to call their wilfull reluctation and opposition against him blasphemie against the Spirit And I could wish that such wary walkers in neutralitie would vouchsafe to peruse this short treatise which tendeth to admonish them at least that they outstand not the time of Grace but rather feare least being forsaken and lest in a Reprobate sence when they would they shall not bee able to embrace and apply to themselues what they once knew and had learned and so fall to despight both God and good men This let all men know and take notice of that no time nor age since the dayes of the Apostles hath beene more likely to bring forth plentie of peccants in this kinde then this we liue in First knowledge did neuer so abound not onlie amongst the learned but euen amongst the lay-vulgar by the cleere light and plentifull preaching of the Gospell Secondly this knowledge hath begotten an vniuersall profession and forme of outward Godlines wherby men giue consent to the Truth preached and manifested vnto them Thirdly this generall consent hath bred a forwardnesse in many shewing in probabilitie their hearts affected with that which they professe and to haue attained a taste of the heauenly gift as the Apostle speaketh From such a degree and measure of knowledge and Grace if any should fall as if greater heede be not taken it may be feared sâ—me will especially if that should come to passe which those Politicians before spoken of doe prepare for and want of zeale in others doth deserue How deepe should they sinke into this Dungeon and how neere might we iudge them vnto this sinne Cast your eyes back a little and looke vnto the Histories of former times and for want of other bookes concerning more ancient ages of the primitiue Church take notice only of the defection after King Edwards daies How many seeming forward professors during the liberty of the Gospell in a moment almost not only forsooke their sinceritie but also became violent persecutors of that themselues professed whose desperate ends in that their wilfull Apostasie without any remorse at all pronouncing damnation vpon themselues with horrible blasphemies and heâ—lish despight against God declare manifestly that their fall was scarefull and their sinne vnpaâ—donable Now although we haue none other cause blessed bee God giuen to vs to feare or suspect any such defection or change but only our owne sinnes deseruing such a plague yet are not their labours vaine and to no purpose which giue warning before that men looke to their standing and take heede that they fall not Sathan is subtle and mens hearts are deceiptfull out of measure and some without any such cause giuen may be taken with a sudden spirituall Apoplexie and fall headlong at once not only into the loue and practise of sensualitie but also into the hatred of that grace of God which teacheth them to deny all vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue Godly righteously and soberly in this present world And some others though they fall not at once like a man that flingeth himselfe downe headlong from the top of a Rocke or steeple may be so carelesse of their estate as by insensible back sliding through the deceiptfulnesse of sinne they may depart away from the liuing God and being once gone fall into Saul his case the sonne of Cis who quite berest of the spirit of Grace had an euill spirit sent to terment him Or become like the Apothecaries Glâ—sse or Gally pet which being emptied by now and then a little of some precious or speciall Cordiall is sitted to receiue venome or poyson And if any doe stand and be preserued out of such temptations these and such like endeâ—uours that exhort admonish and rebuke before hand may truely be said to be the Antidotes and blessed meanes of preuention and they that desire to stand and not to fall ought to vse them reuerently and with thankes to God who of his infinite mercies vseth mens ministeries vnto the preseruation