condemned by her own witnes and prest by conscience 15 And of the last sort in the latitude common to both are Rom. 2. 15. Rom. 9. 1. 2 Cor. 4. 2. and 5. 11. and 1 Tim. 4. 2. all cleare enough without the help of our paraphrase to adde light to them 16 Having thus marshalled all these places of Scripture into ranks and given some hints of generall insight into them it now remaines that we return a while to the neerer survey of the two generall heads and first of the former acception of the word as it imports a monitor or director of life by which our actions must be regulated and from the mistaking of which the chiefe inconvenience doth arise 17 To which end it will be absolutely necessary to settle and resolve but one question what is that rule or {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of Conscience from whence it must receive its regulation For he that draweth a line of direction for another must have a rule to draw it by and that a straight exact one or else the directions will not be authentique and they which walke {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} exactly or conscientiously must {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} walk by rule Phil. 3. 16. and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} have their eye or thought alway upon that one thing their rule of direction or else be they never such {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the beginning of that verse such forward proficients their end may be perdition v. 19. This when once we have done the difficulty will soone vanish 18 And to this purpose I shall take that for granted which in thesi I never heard any doubt of though many of our actions look otherwise in hypothâ—si that law is this onely rule {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} rule and law being words of the same importance and nothing fit or proper to regulate our actions but that which the law-giver to whom obedience must be payed hath thought fit to rule them by To which purpose it is ordinarily observed that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Sin or abâ—rration from that rule by which we ought to walke for so that word naturally signifies is by Saint John 1 Epist. 3. 4. defined {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which we render a trangression of the law Iâ— which place of Saint John though the truth is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} denoting more then the bare commission of sinne in that Author generally viz. the wilfull perpetration of it and an indulgence in and habit of so doing the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} must proportionably also signifie not onely transgressing but wilfull habituall contemning the Law bâ—â—ng an exlox or without law as the Idolatrous Atheist is said to be without God in the world i. e. without any account or respect of it and so {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Joh. 31. 3. notes the greatest degree of sinfulnesse we render in workers of iniquity and so very frequently in the Septuagint we finde {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} where we render the Hebrew by mischiefe yet still the observation stands good that law is the rule in aberration from which all sinne consists and so {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in both senses the least degree of sinne a deviation from the law and a malicious contentious sinning a malitious contemptuous deviation or transgression and so Saint Paul hath also resolved it that where â—here is no law there is no transgression no {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Rom. 4. 15. no going awry when there is no rule proposed to goe by 19 This being so cleare in iâ—s selfe and yet through the mistakes yea and impities of the world bâ—come so necessary to be thus farther cleared Two things there are which will hence inevitably follow the first Negative the second Positive The first or the Negative that Whatsoever undertakes to direct or guide our actions to tell us our duty that this we must that we may not doe and hath not some law in force and still obligatory to us to authorize those directions by is not Conscience whatsoever it is 20 First Humour it may be to think our selves bound to doe whatsoever we have a strong inclination to doe it being a matter of some difficulty to distinguish between my naturall and my spirituall inclinations the motion of my sensitive appetite and my diviner principle my lower and my upper soule and the former commonly crying louder and moving more lively and impatiently and earnâ—stly then the other 21 Secondly Phansie it may be which is a kind of irrationall animall Conscience hath the same relation to sensitive representations those lawes in the members which Conscience hath to intellectuall those lawes of the mind and then as Aristotle saith that in those creatures which have not reason phansie supplyes the place of reason so they which have not or will not have conscience to direct them phansie most commonly gets into its place Or 22 Thirdly Passion it may be Our feares will advise us one thing our animosities another our zeale a third and though that be perhaps zeal of God yet that zeale is a passion still one of those which Aristotle hath defined in his Rhetoricks being not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} according to knowledge or conscience Rom. 10. 2. for the Hebrew word as I told you is rendred by those two words promiscuously {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} knowledge and conscience Or 23 Fourthly diabolicall suggestion or infusion it may be an enthusiasm of that black spirit as it is or of some thing as bad in effect infallibly whensoever Rebellion Sedition Murther Rapine Hatred Envy Vncharitablenesse Lying Swearing Sacriledge c. come to us under the disguise of Religion and Conscience and therefore the Spirits must be searcht whether they be of God or of the Devill and no surer way to doe it then by these and the like Symptomes these fruits and productions of that infernall Spirit which so perfectly represent and owne their parent that none but blind or mad men or daemoniacks can beleeve them in earnest to come from God Or 24 Fiftly False doctrine it may be and that againe set off either by the authority of the teacher or by the dignity of some eminent followers and practicers of it and then the Apostle calls it having mens persons in admiration or by the earlinesse of its representation being imbibed and taken in first swallowed and digested before the truth was offered to us and then it is prejudice or prepossession and this
notable defect or blemish in it Not to pursue this any farther having thus named it and shewed you the vastnesse of the sea it leads to it will suffice to our present designe to tell you that from what is said these 3 corollaries to omit many others will be deducible 30 1. That it is not possible for Conscience be it never so strongly perswaded to make any action lawfull which is not regulated by those rules or lawes which are proper to it and reconcileable with the grand rule the Christian law Conscience can never transforme profanenesse into piety sacriledge into justice or holinesse rebellion into obedience faction into humility perjury or taking of unlawful oathes into religion rapine into contentednesse inhumanity into mercifulnesse adultery fornication divorces save in case of adultery or any uncleannesse into purity labouring to shake a Kingdome to remove the crosse from my owne shoulders to another mans into taking up of the Crosse but contrariwise if it be truly and univocally Conscience of duty it will tel me that every one of these foule titles belongs to every such action the Scripture being so cleare in these particulars that there is no place or excuse for ignorance or mistake and by setting before me the terrors of the Lord perswade me not to venture on any one such action upon any termes or if I have ventured it will smite and wound me for it and drive me to timely repentance or if it doe not t is either a cauterized insensate conscience a reprobate mind or else some of these Images which even now I mentioned mistaken for Conscience or if it be a full perswasion of minde that what I thus am about I am obliged to doe if that be a possible thing in such matters and under so much light t is then in the calmest style an erroneous Conscience which is so far from excusing me unlesse in case of ignorance truly invincible which here is not imaginable that it brings upon me the most unparalleld infelicity in the world an obligation to sinne which way soever I turne my selfe on one side appearing and lying at my doore the guilt of committing that sinne which I have so mistaken and on the other the guilt of omitting that though sinne which my Conscience represented to me as duty and nothing but repentance and reformation of judgement first and then of practice will be able to retrive the one or the other 31 The second corollary will be this That it is the most unreasonable insolence in the world for them that can swallow such Camell-sins as these without any regrets nay with full approbation and direction perhaps of conscience if that may be called Conscience which is so divided from and contrary to knowledge yet to scruple and interpose doubts most tremblingly and most conscientiously in matters of indifferency not so much as pretended to be against the word of God and so within the law of christian liberty that they may be done if he will and yet over and above their naturall indisterency commanded by that authority in subjection to which the christian vertue of obedience consists and all this either first upon no ground of conscience at all but only that it is contrary to their Phansy their Humour their Prepossessions or Secondly because it is a restraint upon their christian liberty which yet Christ never forbid to be restrained quoad exercitium as farre as belongs to the exercise of it but hath permitted sometime the care of not offending the weak brother i. e. Charity and sometime Obedience to lawfull superiours to restreine it for if in things indifferent they may not restreine there can no obedience be payed to them or Thirdly because they are offensive though not to them yet to others who are perswaded they are unlawfull Whereas I that perswasion of those others is erroneous and not sufficient to justifie disobedience in themsâ—lves much lesse in other men in case of lawfull humane command And 2 that their censuring of such indifferent actions i. e. being angry without a cause may bee greater matter of scandall and so more offensive to others and more probable to work upon them to bring them by that example to be so angry also then the doing that indifferent action mistaken by others and condemned for unlawfull would be to bring thâ—m to transcribe that reprobated samplar i. e. to doe what they thus condemne all men being farre more apt and inclinable to break out into passions then into acts against conscience and so more likely to be scandalized or offended or insnared by following the former then the latter example to sinne for company or after another man by censuring whom he censures which is being angry without a cause then by doing what they are advised and resolved they ought not to do which is sinning against conscience Or fourthly because they are against their conscience to doe whilst yet they produce no law of God or man against them and so in effect confesse there is nothing in them against conscience unlesse as before was noted they wilfully aequivocate in the word Conscience which will and skill of theirs as it will not make any thing unlawfull which before was indifferent so will it not conclude ought save only this that they which are so aâ—tificious to impose on others and forme scruples where there were none would not be thought the likeliest men to swallow grosse sinnes under the disguise of vertues or if they doe so will have least right to that onely Antidote of invincible ignorance to digest them 32 The third corollary will be this that scrupulousnesse of conscience in some lighter lesse important matters if it may be supposed excusable â—s a weaknesse of an uninstructed mind joyned with that good symptome of tendernesse of quick sense yet can nâ—ver hope to be accepted by God by way of commutation or expiation for grosser sinnes so that he that falls foulely in any confessed sinne should fare the better at the great day of account or be in lesse danger of being cast out of Gods favour for the present because he is over-scrupulous in other things For sure this were a strange way of supererogation to pay one arreare to God by running into another with him to discharge a debt by owing more And yet this is an errour which may seem worth the paines of preventing it being so notoriously seen that some men which professe to have care of their wayes and must in charity be beleeved to have so goe on confidently in greivous sins which they cannot but know will damne without repentance the sentence of not inheriting the Kingdome of God Gal. 5. being so distinct and punctuall and absolute and indispensable against them and yet have no Antidote to relye on for the averting that danger but onely this of their exactnesse and scrupulousnesse in things indifferent which if they shall say they doe not confide in they are then obliged in conscience and charity
again alwayes assisted by the force of that old axiom Intus existens c. and by that which is naturall to all habits to be hardly moveable and yet further improved sometimes by pride and obstinacy alwayes by selfe-love which makes us think our own opinions i. e. which we are already possest of the truest which in this case is in effect to think our luck the best luck and the same which was observed in one worst sort of Heathens who whatsoever they saw first in the morning worshipt that all the day after a choosing of perswasions as country men choose Valentines that which they chance to meet with first after their coming abroad 25 Besides these many other things it may be and so 1. It is oddes enough that it will not be conscience which pretends to be so and 2. It is certainly not conscience unlesse it produce some law for its rule to direct us by And this was the Negative or first thing 26 The second or the Positive thing which followes from the premises is this that Conscience of duty in any particular action is to be ruled by that law which is proper to that action as for example The Christian law is the rule of Conscience for Christian actions the law of reason or morall law for morall the law nationall municipall or locall for civill the naturall law of all creatures for naturall actions and the law of scandall a branch of the Christian law for matters of scandall and the law of liberty for indifferent free actions And as it is very irregular and unreasonable to measure any action by a rule that belongs not to it to try the exactnesse of the circle by the square which would be done by the compasse and in like manner to judge the Christiannesse of an action by the law of naturall reason which can onely be judged by its conformity with the law of Christ superiour to that of nature So will there be no just pretence of conscience against anything but where some one or more of these lawes are producible against it but on the other side even in the lowest sort of actions if they be regulated by the law proper to them and nothing done contrary to any superiour law even by this God shall be glorified 1 Cor. 10. 31. a kind of glory resulting to God from that readinesse of submission and subordination of every thing to its proper rule and law to which the great Creator hath subjected it and of all lawes to that supreme transcendent one the law of Christ And though some touches there are in the Scripture of each of these lawes some sibrae or strings of them discernibly there so farre that there is nothing almost under any of the heads sorementioned but by the Scripture some generall account may be given of it and againe though that of Scripture be the supreame law of all and nothing authorizeable by any inferiour law which is contradicted or prohibited by that yet is not that of Scripture such a particular Code or Pandect of all lawes as that every thing which is commanded by any other law should be found commanded there or be bound to prove its selfe justifiable from thence any further then that it is not there prohibited or thereby justly concluded to be unlawful 27 From whence by the way I conceive direction may be had and resolution of that difficult practicall probleme what a man may doe in case he be legally commanded by his lawfull superiour to doe what he may lawfully doe which yet he is perswaded he may not doe or doubteth whether he may or no For in this case if he be not able to produce some plaino prohibition from some superiour law as from that of Scripture he cannot be truly said to be perswaded in conscience which implyes knowledge of the unlawfulnesse of that thing nor consequently hath he any plea for disobedience to that lawfull command of his Superiours All that may be said is that he may from some obscure place misunderstood have cause or occasion to doubt whether he may doe it or no and then although doubting simply taken i. e. where no command interposes may keep me from doing what I doubt yet it ought not to be of that weight as to keep me from my lawfull Superiours lawfull command because that very command is a sufficient ground to supersede my doubting when I have no plaine prohibition of Scripture to the contrary which in this case I am supposed not to have for if I had Then first it were not a lawfull command and secondly I should not doubt but be assured it being my duty and part of my Christian meeknesse in doubtfull matters to take my resolution from those whom God hath placed over me and it being the sinne of dogmatizing to affirme any thing for me or others to doe which some law of God c. still in force doth not prohibit which sin being added to that other of disobedience to my lawfull Superiours will sure never be able to make that commence virtue which was before so far from any pretentions to that title 28 Having proceeded thus far in the search of the ground of Conscience 't were now time to reduce this operation to practice and shew you first What directions Conscience is able to afford from every of those lawes for the ruling of all actions of that kind and secondly What an harmony and conspiration there is betwixt all these lawes one mutually ayding and assisting the other and not violating or destroying But this were the largest undertaking that could be pitcht on in the whole circle of learning Aerodius's Pandectae rerum ab omni aevo judicaturum and all the Schoolmens and Casuists volumes de legibus de jure justitia and on the Decalogue would be but imperfect parts of this I shall give you but one taste or {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of it by which the Reader will be perswaded to spare me or rather himselfe that trouble 29 The prime of these the Christian law is the rule of all actions that come within that spheare sets downe the nature of all Christian duties of piety and love of our brethren in generall and more particularly of Faith Hope Charity Repentance selfe-denyall taking up the crosse c. of humility meeknesse mercifulnesse peaceablenesse obedience to superiours patience contentednesse and the like and the relation of a Christian being a grand transcendent relation there is no action imaginable but may either in respect of the matter or motive or principle or circumstances offend against one of these and then malum ex quolibet defectu the least of these defects blemisheth it and so conscience directed by that rule or law will direct me either to doe it or not to doe it in that manner and then t is not any complaynce with or agreeablenesse to any or all other lawes which will make this action Christian which hath any such
light yet heavier upon those who after the knowledge of the truth and gust of the life to come and participation of the holy spirit relapse to their former sinnes it being there affirmed that there is no possibility to renew them or as the Greeks read it for them to renew or recover to repentance and consequently the sacrifice for sinne {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} no longer belonging to or remaining for them yet doth not this hinder the truth of the present proposition for 1 those places to the Hebrews belong not to the sins of the unregenerate life which only now we speak of but of the relapse after the knowledge of the truth 2. even in those places speaking of those sinnes the doctrine is not that there shall be any difficulty of obtaining pardon for them upon repentance for the Subject of the Apostles Propositions is the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} men considered exclusively to repentance as abiding in sinne unreformed impenitent and to such we designe not to allow mercy but that this is so great a grieving and quenching of the spirit of God that it becometh very difficult and in ordinary course impossible for them that are guilty of it to repent {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} again to recover to repentance It being just and ordinary with God upon such sinnes of those to whom he hath given grace to withdraw that grace againe according to his method and oeconomy of providence exprest in the parable of the talents from him that hath not made use of the grace or talent given shall be taken away even that which he hath and Wisd. 1. 5. the holy spirit of discipline will not abide where unrighteousnesse cometh in and so being thus deprived of that grace it is consequently impossible that those should {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in a neutrall sense renew and recover or in an active reciprocall renew or recover themselves to repentance though yet for God to give a new stock of grace it is not impossible but only a thing which he hath not by revealed promise obliged himselfe to do and therefore whether he will doe it or no is meerly in his own hand and dispositive power and that which no man hath ground to hope and title to challenge from him All which notwithstanding our present proposition stands firm that where there is repentance or true thorow change those former retracted acts or habits are reconcileable with good Conscience 40 The second this that Sinnes of weaknesse of all kinds whether first of ignorance or secondly of naturall infirmity the one for want of light the other for want of grace or thirdly of suddaine surreption such as both by the law of Si quis praecipiti calore in the Code of Iustinian and by the municipal laws of most nations are matter of extenuation to some crimes to discharge them from capitall punishment at least to make them capable of pardon or fourthly of dayly continuall incursion either for want of space to deliberate at all or because it is morally impossible to be upon the guard to be deliberate always opere in longo â—as est obrepere somnum or fistly which through levity of the matter passes by undiscerned and the like are irreconcileable with a good conscience because againe be a man never so sincerely resolute and industrious in endeavour to abstaine from all sinne yet as long as he carries flesh about him which is such a principle of weaknesse that ordinarily in the New Testament the word flesh is set to signifie weaknesse such weaknesses he will be subject to such frailties will be sure to drop from him This I remember Parisiensis illustrates handsomely first by the similitude of an armed man provided with strength and prowesse and wrestling with another in lubrico on a slippery ground who though neither weapons nor strength nor courage faile him yet may he very probably â—all the slipperinesse of the footing will betray him to that or secondly by an horseman mounted on an unmanaged or tender-mouth'd horse who cannot with all his skill and caution secure himself from all misadventures the beast may upon a check come over with him or getting the bit into the mouth 〈◊〉 into the enemies quarters or thirdly by a City that is provided for a siege with workes and men and victuals and ammunition and yet by a treachâ—rous party within may be betrayed into the enemies hands there is a principle of weaknesse within like that slippery pavement that tender-mouthed beast that insidious party which will make us still lyable to such miscarriages and nothing in this contrary either to courage or diligence to resolution or endeavour And for such as these frailties ignorances infirmities c. So they be laboured against and the meanes of preventing or overcomming them sincerely used which if it be done you shall find them dayly wain in you and if they doe not so in some measure you have reason to suspect and to double your diligence there is sure mercy in Christ to be had obtaineable by dayly confession and sorrow and prayer for forgivenesse of trespasses without any compleat conquest atchieved over them in this life It being Saint Pauls affirmation very exactly and critically set downe Rom. 5. 6. that Christ {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} we being weake dyed for the ungodly to note the universal benefit of his death for such weak ones and such sinnes as these to which meer weaknesse betrayes them The very doctrine which from that text at the beginning of our reformation our Reverend Bishop Martyr did assert in his excellent Preface to his explication of the commandements 41 To which purpose I shall onely adde one proofe more taken from the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or rationall importance of Saint Pauls exhortation Rom. 15. 1. We that are strong saith he must beare the weaknesses {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of them which are not strong {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and not please our selves for v. 3. Christ did not so but c. which reason sure must come home to both parts the affirmative as well as the negative or else the Logick will not be good and so the affirmative be that Christ bare the infirmities of the weake and so again v. 7. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} applyed to the same matter he took us up when we were tous fallen I might adde more but I hope rather that I have said too much in so plaine a point and abundantly evinced the irreconcileablenesse of such frailties with a good conscience 42 A third thing is that The lusting of the flesh against the spirit is reconcileable with a good conscience so it be in him that walketh in the spirit obeys the desires and dictates of
that and fulfilleth not the lusts of the flesh Gal. 5. 16 17. There is no spiritually good thing that a man ever doth in his life but the flesh hath some mutinyings lustings and objections against it there being such a contrariety betwixt the commands of Christ and the desires of the flesh that no man which hath those two within him doth the things that he would For so t is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that you doe not not that you cannot doe The things that he would i. e. the things which either he resolves to doe or takes delight in those he doth not i. e. either purely without some mixture or still without some opposition of the contrary or as againe the place may be rendred this opposition of these two one against another tendeth to this that we may not doe or to hinder us from doing every thing that we would as indeed we should doe were there not that opposition within our owne brests This is the meaning of that 17 verse which notwithstanding it followes verse 18. that if we be led by the spirit if that be victorious over the contrary pretender as it may though tother lust against it if the production be not works of the flesh adultery c. v. 19. but the fruit of the spirit love peace c. v. 22. against such there is no law no condemnation no accusation of conscience here or hereafter 43 For it must be observed that there is great difference betwixt this lusting of the flesh against the spirit in them that are led by the spirit Gal. 5. and the warring of the law in the members against the law in the mind which bringeth into captivity to the law of sin i. e. to it selfe Rom. 7. For those in whom that latter is to be found are there said to be carnall sold under sinne as a slave was wont sub hasta to be sold and so {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to be led by the flesh and fulfill the lusts of the flesh which is of all things most unreconcileable with that mans state against whom there is no condemnation in Christ Rom. 8. 1. and so with a good Conscience 44 And if the resistance of the minde or the law morall of the spirit or the law Christian be sufficient to excuse that action or habituall course which is committed and lived in in opposition to both of these or while both of these check and contradict then sure are sins against conscience become if not the most excusable sinnes yet the more excusable for this that they are against conscience that woulding or contending of the mind or the law of the mind being no other but the dictate of the instructed conscience in them which know the law Rom. 7. 1. which he that obeyes not but followes the law or command of sin against it hath noâ— sure a good conscience in our second sence as that signifies a Conscience of well-doing or doing nothing against rule of Conscience for that this man in terminis is supposed to doe 45 Having now proceeded thus farre in the affirmative part in shewing what sinnes are reconcileable with a good Conscience I should now proceed to the negative part and shew what are not reconcileable therewith But before I advance to that there is one classiâ— or head of sinnes about which there is some question and difficulty of resolving to which of the extreames it should be reduced i. e. whether it be reconcileable or unreconcileable with a good Conscience And that is the single Commission of some act of knowne sinne which hath not the Apology of weaknesse to excuse it and yet is not indulged or persisted or continued in for of those that are so you shall hear anon in the 8 Proposition but without delay retracted by humiliation and reformation For the stating and â—atisfying of which it will be necessary first to observe that 46 Any such act of wilfull sinne First hath in it selfe a being and so is capable of a notion abstracted from the retractation of it Yea secondly is a work of some time and though it be never so suddenly retracted by repentance yet some space there is before that retraction and if we speak of that time or space there is no doubt but that act first is contrary to good conscience and contracts a guilt and consequent to that the displeasure of God and obligation to punishment which nothing but repentance can do away yea and secondly is a naturall means of weakning that habit of good of sauciating and wounding the soule and for that time putting it in a bloody direfull condition and should God before repentance strike for ought we know there would be no remission and so fearfull would be the end of that soule 47 But then secondly if before God thus visit in justice repentance interpose as in this present case we suppose it doth if this plank be caught hold on instantly upon the shipwrack if he that hath committed this act of carnality c. lye not down after the manner of the Grecian horses in Saint Ambroses expression qui cum ceciderint quandam tenent quietis patientiae disciplinam are taught when they fall in the racâ— not to strive or endeavour to get up again lye still on the ground with great stilnesse and patience walk not after the flesh Ro. 8. â— Then presently is he set right again in Gods savour upon performance of the solemnities as it were payment of the fees of the Court humiliation contrition confession and lowly supplications to God for pardon in Christ and so then to him thus repaired there is no condemnation beside the forementioned effects that attended that sinne at the time there is no future arrear behind in the other world 48 As for the other effect of sinne in this life the wasting of the Conscience or provoking of God to withdraw his grace though any such act of wilfull sinne may justly be thought to do that also in some degree first to stop God from going on in his current of liberality and secondly to cast us back from that plenitude and abundance which before in the riches of Gods bounty in Christ was afforded and so much weaken our stock of grace leave us much more infirme then wee were before the Commission yet wee find not any threat in Scripture that God will upon this provocation of one single act not persisted in presently withdraw all grace but we have reason to hope what the Article of our Church supposes that in this case he leaves sufficient grace to enable that child of his that thus falls by that his grace to return again 49 And if that sad presage Heb. 6. 6. seem to any to withstand this the answer will be prompt and easy by observing that the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} there the fallers away signifies more then some one single
Among friends 1. there may be a matter of quarrell dislike displeasure and one friend justly frowne upon the other yea and keep some distance from him and be really angry with him for some act of injury done by him contrary to the lawes of friendship which till he hath some way repaired the friend may justly not pardon him and so absteine for that present from the former degree of familiarity with him but then 2. the injuriâ—us friend may continue as injurious still and go on and persist in that course of falsenesse or unfriendlinesse and then the injur'd friend wholly forsakes his company breaks off those bands of friendship with him yet so as that upon the others relenting and amending he may yet againe returne to him and so that totall separation prove no finall one 3. there is upon obduration or no manner of relenting a finall irreversible breach 56 The ecclesiasticall resemblance is that of the three degrees of excommunication among the Jewes the first or lowest was niddui separation not totall turning out of either sacred or civill society but remotion to a distance that the offender should not come within foure Cubits of any other and so be denyed the peace of the Church and the familiar kind of communion which others enjoy Above this there was cherem which was a totall exclusion or distermination with anathemas or execrations joyned with it but yet was not finall then thirdly there was Schammatha giving up to destruction or desolation delivering up to Gods comming in judgement and that was irreversible 57 Now for the full satisfying of the argument having already shewed you the state of this offender in respect of justification it will onely be necessary to adde one thing more that the state of the same man as it respects sanctification is parallel and fully proportionable to the state as it respecteth justification and so the objection will quite fall to the ground 58 To the clearing of which you must know that sanctification may be conceived in a double notion 1. as a gift of Gods 2. as a duty of mans To prevent mistake this I meane God gives the grace of conversion and sanctification and he that is effectually wrought on by that grace is converted and sanctified this is it which I meane by the first notion of sanctification as it is a gift of Gods But the man thus converted and sanctfied i. e. thus wrought on and effectually changed by the Spirit of God is bound by the Gospl-law to operate according to this principle to use this talent and this is called to have grace Heb. 12. 28. i. e. to make use of it to the purpose there specified of serving God {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i. e. either well pleasedly cheerfully willingly or well pleasingly so as God may and will accept in righteousnesse and godly feare according to the notion of Having in the parable of the talents where t is said that to him that hath shall be given i. e. â—o him which makes use of the talent intrusted to him operates accordingly doth what that enables him to doe offends not against it by idlenesse or by commission of contrary sinnes which he that doth is the non habens he that hath not there from which shall be taken away c. And this having of grace is it which I meane by the second notion of sanctification as it is a duty of mans which I conceive is meant by the Apostle when he saith this is the will of God even your Sanctification and he which hath this hope purifies himself and let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesses perfecting holinesse all which places suppose the thing spoken of to be the duty of man which by the help of Christ strengthning him he is able to performe and therefore upon the supposition of Gods working in him both to will and to doe to will by sanctifying to doe by assisting grace he is incited and exhorted by the Apostle to work out his owne salvation 59 This being thus cleared t will be easily granted in the second place that every such act of deliberate commission as we now speak of is contrary to sanctification in this latter notion contrary to the duty of the sanctified man from which breach of duty it was that we bound him before under that guilt which nothing but repentance could rid him of and if you mark it that is the onely thing which contracts a guilt the doing somewhat contrary to duty and so the want of this second notion of Sanctification it is the want of sanctifiâ—d operations which interposes any rubs in the businesse of our justification and not so properly that wherein God onely was concerned his not giving grace guilt being still a result from sinne and sinne being a breach of the law a contrariety to duty and not to guilt and though he that hath not received the gift of sanctification be not justified yet the cause of his non-justification then is not in proper speaking Gods not having given him grace to sanctifie for that is but a negative thing and cannot produce non-justification which is in effect a positive thing by interpretation signifying condemnation two negatives making an affirmative non-justifying being non-remitting of sinne and that the actuall imputing of it to condemnation but the sinnes of his former and present impenitent unsanctified life 60 This also being thus cleared I shall onely adde a third thing and then conclude this matter that in the same proportion that any such act of sinne doth unjustifie it doth unsanctifie also i. e. shake and waste though not utttrly destroy that sanctified state that before the man was in by the gift and grace of God 61 For as there were three degrees of provocation in the matter of justification so are there also in this of sanctification the first grieving the Spirit of God Eph. 4. 30. resisting it trashing of God in his course of grace and bounty towards us putting our selves under niddui as it were in respect of Gods grace as well as his favour and so weakning our stock of sanctity and this the deliberate act of sinne may be thought to doe The second is quenching of the Spirit 1 Thes. 5. 19. putting it quite out rebelling and vexing his holy Spirit Is 63. 10. a totall extinction of grace the Cherem that brings the present curse or anathema along with it and this is not done by one sin not persisted in but onely by a habit or indulgent course of sin and the third is the despighting or doing despight to the spirit of grace Heb. 10. 29. that which is proportioned to Schammatha that makes the finall irreversible separation betweene us and Gods sanctifying grace the first did not wholly deprive the sinner of all grace no nor of sufficient to enable to repent the second did so for the present the third did so finally also 62 If you will now demand what are the effects and consequents
small sinne in Gods sight yet t is cleare that the sin in the matter of Uâ—iah that onely sinne continued in for any long time made another manner of separation betweene God and David contracted another kind of guilt and was a farre greater waster to conscience then any of those other more speedily retracted sinnes did was the onely remarkable {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} drawing back or turning aside from obedience to God the onely grand defection shaking off Gods yoke and so the onely chasme in his regenerate state 68 These 4 Propositions being premised whereof 3 were affirmative and this last of a middle nature The rest will be negative As 69 Fiftly that Hypocrisie is not reconcileable with a good conscience I mean not Hypocrisie which consists in the concealing from the eyes of men the sins or frailties he is guilty of for supposing those frailties to be what they are i. e. acknowledging in them a guilt proportionate to their nature I cannot see why the bare desire to conceale them from the eyes of men separated from the sins or frailties themselves and from any treacherous designe in such concealing should be thought to superadde any farther degree of guilt when on the other side the publicknesse of a sinne is an aggravation of it makes it more scandalous and so more criminous also Nor againe doe I meane that hypocrisie which is the taking in any thought of the praise of men and the like in our best actions for as long as we have flesh about us some degrees of this will goe neare sometimes to insinuate themselves and then though they prove blemishes to those best actions and by anticipating the payment and taking it here before hand robbe us of that heavenly reward hereafter which would otherwise be rendred to us according to those works yet stil being but spots of sons reconcileable with a regenerate estate as the straw and combustible superstruction is in Saint Paul compatible with the true substantiall foundation they will be reconcileable with good conscience also which is alwayes commensurate to a regenerate estate 70 But the hypocrisy which I meane is first that which is opposite to and compatible with Sincerity first the deceiving of men with a pretence of piety putting off the most Un-Christian sins having no more of Christianity then will serve to mischieve others i. e. onely the pretence of it to disguise the poyson of a bitter heart Secondly the deceiving of God or thirdly his owne soule not dealing uprightly with either and nothing more contrary then this to a good conscience 71 Secondly the maimed mutilate obedience the compounding betwixt God and Satan the Samaritanes fearing the Lord and serving their owne Gods joyning others with God and paying to them a respect equall or superiour to that which they pay to God serving Mammon and God or Mammon more then God Or 72 Thirdly the formall profession the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or outside-garbe of Godlinesse not joyning the inward but making a meer pageant of piety denying the power thereof Or 73 Fourthly the hypocrisy of the wisher and woulder that could wish he were better then he is could be well pleased to dye the death of the righteous to have all the gainfull part the revenue and crown of a good Conscience but will not be at the charge of a conscientious life Or 74 Fiftly the hypocrisy of the partiall obedient that is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of duty chooses out the easy smooth plyable doctrines of Christianity the cheap or costlesse performances the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} will serve the Lord his God of that which costs him nothing will doe some things that have nothing contrary to passions in generall or particularly to his passions like Herod that could heare Iohn Baptist gladly be present at as many Sermons as he could wish and many the like painlesse performances but when the weightier matters of the law expect to be taken up also cannot submit to such burthens Or 75 Sixthly the hypocrisy of the temporary which abstaines onely as long as the punishment is over his head and awes him to it or as long as he meets with no temptations to the contrary both which what place they have in the death-bed repentance even when it is not onely a sorrow for sinne but a resolution of amendment also I leave it to be considered Or 76 Seventhly the hypocrisy of those which commit evill that good may come of it who venture on the most Vn Christian sins for Gods glory accept the person of the Almighty doe injustice for his sake or rather suppose him impotent and fetch in the Devill or their owne vile lusts to releive and assist God of whom the Apostle pronounceth their damnation is just Rom. 3. 8. Or 77 Lastly the hypocrisy of him which keeps any one close undeposited sinne upon his soule These are each of them contrary to some part of the ground of good Conscience to the foundation of Christian confidence some to the sincerity some to the resolution and some to the obedience {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in all and some to the perseverance which is absolutely necessary to the good Conscience 78 A sixth Proposition is that a supine wilfull course of negligence and sloth whether in duties of mans particular calling or more especially in the duties of the generall calling as we are Christians that sinne of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is not reconcileable with a good Conscience Omissions being destructive such they may be as well as commissions whether it be omission of the performance of morall or Christian precepts Christs improvements of the Law in the Sermon on the Mount being not onely as Counsells but Precepts obligatory to Christians or whether it be onely the wilfull supine slothfull neglecting the meanes of knowledge such as are agreeable to my course of life Or the neglecting to make use of those meanes which are necessary to enable me to get out of any sinne One act of which nature was by Christ noted and censured in his Disciples Their not fasting and praying to cast out that Devill that would not otherwise be cast out Or the not avoyding such occasions which are apt to betray me to it Such acts as these are as Christ saith to those Disciples acts of faithlesnesse and perversenesse Mat. 17. 17. and cosequently the continued course of them contrary to the sincerity of endeavour and so unreconcileable with a good conscience 79 The seventh Proposition is that all habituall customary obdurate sinning is unreconcileable utterly with a good Conscience I adde the word Obdurate which signifies the hardning of the heart against the knowledge of the truth against exhortations against threats of Gods word against checks of naturall Conscience or illuminations of grace against resolutions and vowes to the contrary for this will make any habit certainly unreconcileable with a good