new-borne estate Thus he is here set out unto us not in that condition which the Prophet describeth in these words When the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he live All his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned In his trespasse that he hath trespassed and in his sinne that he hath sinned in them shall he die But he is set out in a more blessed condition which the same Prophet thus describeth If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right hâ— shall surely live he shall not die If the termes of my Text had beene thus changed He was found and is lost it had beene more miserable then fuimus Troes wee were a flourishing people or then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aeca the title and first word of Ieremiahs Lamentations HOVV How doth the Citie sit solitary that was full of people In such a case miserum est fuisse it is a miserable thing to have beene to have beene in our Fathers house and to be lost as to have beene living and to be dead But as the parts of the Proposition stand in my Text He was lost and is found meminisse juvabit it will be a comfort to consider that such and such a woefull estate is altered that He was lost and is found It is like to that comfort which he found in his soule who said I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I have obtained mercy Hereupon with much content and comfort he saith 1 Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God I am that I am To shew that such a passage from the worse to the better is remarkable and not to be forgotten the Apostle adviseth the converted Gentiles to remember it Remember that yee being in time passed Gentiles in the flesh That at that time yee were without Christ But now in Christ Iesus yee who sometimes were farre off are made nigh by the blood of Christ This was the case of the penitent Prodigall He was lost and is found And this is the case of the Penitent Renegado here before us He was lost and is found He was lost not when he first set to sea nor when the Turkish Pirats set upon the ship wherein he was nor when they took him captive nor when they sold him for a slave nor when he was under the harsh and hard handling of the cruell Negro The basest slave that can be under man beleeving in Christ and fast-holding his Christian faith is to use the Apostles phrase 1 Cor. 7.22 the Lords freeman Therfore not lost He that endureth whatsoever the cruellest persecutor can inflict upon him for Christs sake is blessed Mat. 5.11 Therefore not lost But he was lost when he became a Renegado When he renounced his Christian faith when he acknowledged Mahomet to be the great Prophet when he yeelded to be circumcised and have all his haire shaved off and to put on Turkish attire and when he professed himselfe a Mahometan then He was lost Had he not yeelded to those evidences of a Renegado but that per force they had been put upon him he had not beene lost If per force he had beene circumcised if per force he had beene shaven if per force the Turkish turbant or tuffe had been put upon his head and other Turkish attire upon his body he had not thereupon beene lost In this case circumcision it selfe as it availeth nothing so it doth no hurt Circumcision was of old before Christ was exhibited an honourable Cognizance wherby Gods people were distinguished from such as were extranei out of the covenant and in contempt called uncircumcised 1 Sam. 14.6 and 17.26 36. Ephes 2.11 But by Christ who pulled downe the partition wall beetwixt Iew and Gentile was that as other rites of that use which were also Types of the Messiah to come utterly abolished On which ground saith the Apostle Gal. 5.2 If yee be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing that is If any revive that rite which beside that it was a signe of difference betwixt Jew and Gentile and a bond to tie men to the whole Law was a Type of the Messiah to come he denies Christ to be exhibited and to have wrought mans redemption and in that respect Christ shall profit him nothing Now because Christians on these and other weighty grounds utterly reject Circumcision Iewes Turkes and other adversaries of the Christian faith are not onely circumcised themselves but doe what lieth in them to draw such Christians as they can get into their clutches to be circumcised For any Christian to yeeld to them herein whether it be by faire or foule meanes is to denie the Christian faith and to renounce Christ himselfe which whosoever doth is lost It is all one as of old it was to offer incense to the Heathenish Idols which because Origen did he was excommunicated by the Church Not feare of torture and torments moved Origen to doe what he did for those he had oft endured in great measure with much patience so as his adversaries saw that there was no working on him that way but it was pretence of avoiding another sinne For the Commissioner when he discerned that by inflicting torments he nought prevailed but was vanquished he turned himselfe to a more divelish plot for understanding how much Origen was addicted to preserve the chastity of his body hee brought him to the Idols altar where a filthy Black-more was placed and threatned that if he would not offer incense on that altar the Black-more should defile his body which filthinesse to prevent he offered the incense This pretence did not excuse his fact nor avert the Churches censure What the Black-more had done per force to him would have beene accounted no sinne of his But his offeâ—ing of the incense was accounted a deniall of the Christian faith Renegadoes that yeeld to be circumcised goe as farre yea and further too in denying Christ as Origen did yet have they not such a pretence as he Not unjustly therefore may they be accounted lost as was this Penitent here before us Yet his standing here before us as yee see him gives evidence that he is found He was not found when he with his fellowes slue some of the Turks in the ship nor when they brought ship and the other Turks to Saint Lucas and there sold them nor when he arrived in England his native Countrey againe Though these were sure evidences of his freedome from Turkish slavery yet not so of his freedome from a farre worse slavery under sinne and Satan whereunto he subjected himselfe when he renounced his Christian faith His three companions whom he left in Spaine may yet still for ought we know remaine lost He began to be
grace wherby hee enables men to doe it But Martyrdome is the most difficult the most acceptable and honourable worke that on earth can be done Vnto you it is given in the behalfe of Christ saith the Apostle Phil. 1.29 not only to beleeve in him BVT ALSO to suffer for his sake Martyrdome therefore is in Heaven crowned with the highest degree of Glory GREAT is their reward in Heaven Math. 5.12 On this ground they who set down the different degrees of celestiall glory by the different fruites which the good ground brought forth Some thirty some sixty some an hundred apply the hundred fold which is the highest and greatest degree of glory to Martyrdome 6. Persecutors and torturers of Martyrs have by their admirable constancy unto death bin exceedingly astonished and even confounded They have so long continued even from morning to evening and that by course to torture Christians among others a woeman Blandina by name as they were weary and acknowledged themselves to be overcome And the Governours themselves who commanded them to be tortured and stood by to see execution done were confounded that their tortures nothing prevailed and that they were overcome by woemen and they who sate as assistants by the Governours were affrighted thereat So as Christians condemned were enabled to endure whatsoever was inflicted on them and their Judges much affrighted Yea by the undaunted and invincible courage of Martyrs some of their executioners and tormenters have beene converted have professed them selves to bee Christians and suffered with the Martyrs and received the crowne of Martyrdome These are the victories triumphs and trophies of constant Martyrs Thus they lead captivity captive 7. The Divell himselfe is by Martyrs constancy exceedingly disappointed For hee sets his instruments on work to deale with Christians as Haman intended to deale with the Jewes Hest 3.23 namely to destroy to kill and cause to perish all Iewes both young and old little children and woemen But with like successe did the Divell plot against Christians For as by the disappointment of Hamans device many of the people of the Land became Iewes Hest 8.17 So while Satans instruments sought to make an end of Christians they increased the more For the blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church Wee reade Reve. 13.3 of a Beast whose head was wounded to death Surely the Divell with his feends were wounded even unto death by Martyrs resisting unto blood The time of the ten fierce persecutions and of the purity and power of Religion that followed thereupon containe those thousand yeares wherein Satan was bound Rev. 20.2 They who on the fore-mentioned grounds accounted not their life deare unto them but prefer'd their Faith in the Lord Jesus and a stedfast profession thereof before wealth honour liberty and life it selfe and chose rather to be faithfull Martyrs then desperate Apostates had good ground to be so minded O that all who professe the Faith of Christ were like minded It well becomes us all to bee so minded And if indeed wee be so minded God who knowes the mind heart and spirit of a man will answerably account of him and accept him though he never bee brought to the fiery triall as if he had beene brought to it and indur'd it to the very uttermost The virtues and graces of the mind sometimes are manifested in their deed or work and sometimes lie hid in their habit as the virtue of Martyrdome Many may have the same prowesse that Martyrs have who are not brought to the same proofe thereof By trialls that which is in a man before God is brought foorth before men Not that it is then first begun but that it is then first manifested Before the Divell went about to sift Iob his soule was possessed with patience which the Lord well knew and whereunto he gave witnesse But to men it was made knowne by the tryall of tentation Thus we see how we may bee Martyrs in the most halcyon times that can be even such as ours are So as the ground and glory of Martyrdome is meet to be made knowne and to be meditated on in these our daies and the rather because we cannot be sure of an everlasting continuance of our peace or of the Gospell of peace among us As it is therefore needfull and usefull in the prime and strength of our age when we have best health to meditate on the sundry kinds of diseases and manifold casualties whereunto we are subject and on death the end of all so in the most flourishing times of the Church meditation on the uttermost that may be endured even to the shedding of blood for fast-holding our profession of Christ is a most meet meditation Most especially is this like to be usefull for you Mariners Merchants Merchants-factors and others whose calling it is to goe to sea in ships and to doe businesse in the great waters where yee are in danger to be surprized as this Penitent was by the mortall enemies of Christians or have occasion to abide and trafique among them You may be brought to triall and to give proofe before men whether the habit of Martyrdome be in you or no. Be yee therefore strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Take unto you the whole armour of God that yee may be able to stand in the evill day and having done all to stand For this end receive these few directions 1. Be well instructed in the verity excellency utility and necessity of that faith which yee professe so as yee may be able to maintaine it against all adversaries The Apostle Col. 2.7 adviseth Christians to be rooted and built up in Christ and stablished in the faith Therein he alludeth to a tree well rooted in the ground and to an edifice well set upon a good foundation Such an edifice though the raine descend and flouds arise and winds blow and beate upon it will stand and not fall Mat. 7.25 There are trees whose rootes are as deepe and spread as farre abroad in the earth as their boughs ascend and spred themselves in the aire Our okes are supposed to be such No stormes no tempests can overthrow them The branches may sooner be rent from the body and the whole tree split asunder then rooted up and throwne downe So a Christian well rooted and grounded in the Articles of his faith will sooner have his limbes pull'd one from another and his body and soule severed then drawne from his faith and renounce his profession thereof 2. Take an unalterable and invincible resolution before hand to stand to thy faith and never to renounce thy profession thereof This is an especiall meanes to make a Christian stand steddy against all assaults Yee Mariners know what it is to have a resolved mind and purpose to saile to your intended place yee passe through all weathers no gathering of clouds no shouring of
their countenance dejected yea and with much sorrow and wailing to cast themselves downe at the Bishops feete who also weeping with them and for them prostrateth himselfe and the whole assembly weepeth too The Bishop risen up having prayed for them and given them what counsell and charge he thought meet bids them stand up and dismisseth them for that time Being so dismissed they gave themselves to mourning watching fasting praying and other things meet for Repentance and waited till the Bishop should call for them Sometimes they were long put off before they were admitted into the Church and participation of all Gods ordinances But now the Church dealeth much more gently and gratiously with such as she conceiveth to be true Penitents Yet so as she may search and clense the wound and worke the more perfect cure Yee yee whosoever you be that have renounced your Religion and denied your Lord and Saviour and yet without any publicke confession or satisfaction intrude into the Church and thrust your selves in among the guests which are invited to the Lords Table Ye draw a skin over a festring wound Ye eat and drinke your owne damnation Yee make the Lord to expostulate the case with you and to say unto you How came ye hither not having a wedding garment This is the doome denounced against such Math. 22.13 Binde them hand and foot and take them away and cast them into outer darknesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Well note this and tremble I wot well that it were farre better for you to stand as humble Penitents in a Christian Congregation on earth humbly confessing your sinnes and graciously receiving absolution of them then to be in the number of them of whom the Sonne of man shall be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his Father with his holy Angels Mark 8.38 And assuredly he will be ashamed of such as having denied him are ashâ—med to make open confession of that their deniall But this Penitent here before us by his humble submission to the Churches order and penitent confession of his heighnous sinne in the midst of this great Congregation apparently sheweth that as formerly he was not ashamed to deny Christ so now he is not ashamed to confesse Christ He is indeed ashamed But of what Even of his former shamelesnesse Of this shame he hath no cause to bee ashamed Unlesse it be that he can be no more ashamed that he was before so gracelesly ashamed of his Saviour In this ground he being as yee heard before received into the Church againe I will againe apply my Text to him and say of him He was lost and is found Hetherto of the generall consideration of my Text by handling the two opposite termes joyntly in their distinct times I proceed now to the particular points severally each by it selfe The two branches which in speciall sprout out of the body of my Text are these 1. The dammage of Apostacy intimated in this word LOST which giveth us to understand that Apostacy implungeth into perdition 2. The advantage of Penitency intended under this word FOVND which giveth us further to understand that Penitency restoreth to salvation Of these in order It hath beene shewed before that the HEE here ment was an Apostate Hee forsooke the Church and in that respect hee is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LOST That is in the state and case of him to whom eternall destruction and damnation belongeth His Apostacy therefore implunged him into perdition where into all Apostates are implunged So much is intended under this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10.39 a withdrawing or drawing backe unto perdition The with-drawing whereof he speaketh is from the profession of the true Faith an Apostasy from it This is evident by that which in way of opposition hee addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but of Faith We are not saith he of them that draw backe but of them that cleave close to the true Faith and fast hold it Now by adding this inference unto perdition to that sinne of drawing backe he plainely sheweth that Apostacy implungeth into perdition In this respect that notorious Apostate Iudas is by him that well knew what was his due stiled the sonne of perdition Iohn 17.12 Christ foreseeing that he would fall away and proove an Apostate in relation thereunto termes him a sonne of perdition that is a man that would implunge him selfe into eternall destruction S. Peter in setting downe this point notes out the true ground and reason therof in these words Denying the Lord that bought them they bring upon themsâ—lves swift destruction 2 Pet. 2.1 By the Lord that bought them hee meanes the Lord Jesus Christ Now to deny him is an high pitch of Apostacy And thereby â—hey bring upon themselves destruction in that there is no salvation in any other For there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby wee must be saved Act. 4.12 They who deny him by whom alone salvation is to be had must needs bring destruction upon themselves This is the most principall reason of all There is another like to this noted by the Apostle Hebr. 10.25 they forsake and desert the assembling of Saints together that is the Church of God the Communion of Saints Now as Christ is the onely Author and giver of salvation So he causeth the sweet streame of salvation to flow foorth upon his body onely which is the true catholicke Church Where the Apostle saith Eph. 5.23 He is the Saviour of the body he meanes it exclusively of none but of those who appertaine to the body and are members therof In this respect the Church is fitly resembled to Noahs Arke For as none were saved from perishing in the generall deluge but they who abode in the Arke So can none be saved from eternall perdition but such as remaine in the true Church Apostates therefore by deserting the Church implunge themselves into Perdition and remaine as children of Perdition even as persons lost while they continue Apostates Hereby take notice of the wretched disposition and woefull condition of Renegadoes who cast themselves out of the true Church renounce their Christian Faith and denie the Lord who so dearely bought them What what is then in this wide world that can countervaile such a losse Or what can stand him in any steed that is lost Can wealth Can honour Can liberty Can life it selfe 1. The wealth of this world which is all the wealth that can be gotten by Apostacy may prove like Ionahs gourd and vanish away ere thou be aware even while the thought of some seeming content is in thine head But the wealth lost by Apostacy is as the Apostle sets it downe Heb. 10.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a solid substance and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much better then this world can affoord For it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Heaven it is there treasured up for us
mistakings thereof are wisely to be weighed They are manifest in these three particulars 1. There is non causa pro causa the cause is grossely misapplied For they make Gods grace a cause of committing sin whereas the Apostle produceth it as the cause of remitting and removing sinne 2. There is non subjectum pro subjecto the subject matter or thing whereupon Gods grace exerciseth it selfe is mischievously mislaid For they make sinnes to come or a resolved purpose to conâ—inue in sinne the subject of abundant grace whereas the Apostle intendeth sinnes past which can not be recalled and thereupon if they bee not through grace remitted the sinner that hath committed them is most miserable 3. There is non objectum pro objecto the kinde of sinner who is made the object on whom abundant grace is conferred is wretchedly mistaken For they take the Apostle to speake of such as delight in sinne and retaine a purpose of living and lying in sinne whereas he meaneth such as finde and feele themselves to be sinners through sence of the heavie loade of sinne pressing soare upon them even such sinners as Christ came to call to repentance Mat. 9.13 Thus we see how pretence of returning to God afterwards is a most wicked pretence of denying God for the present Gods faithfull Martyrs in all ages have made little or no account of their temporall life when it came in competition with Christ and a profession of the Christian faith The Apostle giveth this testimony of them they would not accept deliverance He meanes deliverance from death or preservation of life this though offered they would not accept namely on persecutors termes or conditions which was to denie the truth of God or renounce their faith in him As an evident proofe hereof give me leave to set before you some of their answers in this case When Shadrach Meshach and Abednego were threatned to be cast into an hot fiery furnace unlesse they would worship Nebuchadnezars idoll they make this reply Dan. 3.16 17. O Nebuchadnezar wee are not carefull to answer thee in this matter If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hand O King But if not be it knowne unto thee O King that we will not serve thy gods nor worship thy golden image which thou hast set up When Eleazar was promised to be saved from torments and death if he would but make shew of yeelding he couragiously answereth It becommeth not our age in any wise to dissemble whereby many young persons might thinke that Eleazar being fourescore and ten yeares old were now gone to a strange religion Thus also one of the seven brethren in the name of the rest We are ready to die rather then to transgresse the lawes of our Fathers meaning such lawes as God of old had given to their Fathers to be observed by them and by their posterity age after age To like purpose answered all the other brethren and their mother too Christ himselfe when Peter would have disswaded him from suffering with indignation thus replied Get thee behind mee Satan Mat. 16.23 Saint Paul when the Disciples upon notice that he should be bound at Hierusalem besought him not to goe up thither answered What meane you to weepe and to breake mine heart For I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die at Hierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus Ignatius being much threatned for his zealous profession of Christ saith Let fire and crosse invasion of beasts breaking of bones pulling asunder of members grinding of my whole body and what else the Divell can inflict come so I may hold Iesus Christ And being brought foorth to devouring beasts he uttered these words I am Gods corne and am ground by the teeth of beasts that I may be pure bread Polycarpus when the Governour promised to let him goe free if hee would denie Christ answered I have served him fourescore and six yeares and he never hurt me in any thing How shall I curse him who hath saved mee And the Governour adding one while promises another while threatnings Polycarpus thus cuts off all Why dost thou make delaies inflict what thou lists Lucius thanked him that brought him forth to suffer and said that he should be free from those evill masters and goe to God a good Father and King Germanicus when he was brought forth to be torne in peeces and devoured by beasts the Governor perswading him to be mindfull of his youth that he might be spared of his owne accord incited the beasts against himselfe Sanctus being under tortures for professing himselfe to be a Christian unto every question propounded to him he answered I am a Christian whereby he occasioned his torments to be continued to death Can we thinke that Saint Laurance would have accepted deliverance who lying on a red hot gridieron over burning coales with an invincible spirit thus said to the tyrant Turne the side broiled enough and see what thy burning fire hath done And being turned and throughly broyled on the other side thus againe Eate that which is broyled and try whether raw or broyled be the sweeter Hyppolytus when he was tied to wild horses to be pull'd a sunder thus prayed Let them rend my limbes doe thou O Christ rap up my soule To omit other particulars of the ancient Martyrs in the Primitive Christian Church with whose couragious speeches manifesting a contempt of death volumes might be filled it is indefinitely recorded of many who were famous for their wealth nobility glory eloquence and learning that neverthelesse they preferred true piety faith in our Lord Iesus Christ before all these And though they were intreated by many of their kindred and friends otherwise yea and by others in great place and by the Iudge himselfe that they would take pitty on themselves their wives and children yet would they not be induced by the entreatings of so many and great ones so to be affected with the love of this life as to forbeare the confession of our Saviour and to set light by the deniall of him Thus we see how Christians of old would not accept deliverance To these let mee add a few more of later times who by their blood sealed up the truth of that reformed religion which we in this land doe now professe and gave good cause to be put into the Catalogue of Martyrs even of true Christian Martyrs Pardon being offered to Iohn Husse at the stake if he would recant he answered I am here ready to suffer death Hierom of Prage to like purpose thus If I had feared the fire I had not come hither Martin Luther though no Martyr yet to shew his undaunted spirit in maintaining the truth being disswaded by his friends from going to Wormes where his adversaries were assembled to dispute
against him returned this answer I am resolved and certainely determined to enter Wormes in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ though I knew there were so many Divells to resist me as there are tiles to cover the houses in Wormes can we imagine that this man would have accepted deliverance on his adversaries termes Galeazius a Gentleman of great estate who suffered Martyrdome at Sant-angelo in Italy being much pressed by his friends to recant and save his life replied that Death was much more sweete to him with testimony of verity then life with the least deniall of truth Francis Camba a Martyr in the Diocesse of Millaine being much assailed by his friends and terrified by his foes by no meanes could be overcome but gave thankes to God that he was accounted worthy to suffer cruell death for the testimony of his Sonne Such were the expressions of joy in his sufferings as his persecutors caused his tongue to be boared thorow that he might speake no more to the people Anne Askew being offered the Kings pardon even at the stake if shee would recant gave this resolute answer I come not hither to denie my Lord and Master By that which this Gentlewoman with admirable courage and constancy indured shee verified that which of old Iulitta spake concerning their Sex We women ought to be as constant as men in Christs cause Walter Mille who suffered Martyrdome in Scotland being sollicited to recant made this resolute reply Yee shall know that I will not recant the truth for I am corne I am no chaffe I will not be blowne away with the winde nor burst with the flaile but I will abide both Mr. Iohn Rogers the first Martyr in Queene Maries daies being sollicited to revoke his doctrine for saving his life said That which I have preached I will seale with my blood Iohn Hooper Lord Bishop of Glocester upon the sight of a pardon cried out If yee love my soule away with it if yee love my soule away with it Thomas Hawks a Gentleman in Essex on a like occasion gave this resolute answer If I had an hundred bodies I would suffer them all to be torne in peeces rather then abjure or recant Bishop Ridly to like purpose thus So long as the breath is in my body I will never denie my Lord Christ and his knowne truth Old Father Latimer used such a speech to one that advised him to spare himselfe as Christ did to Peter on a like occasion which was this Get thee behind mee Satan In like manner all the holy constant Martyrs refused to accept deliverance some after a more zealous others after a more milde manner Many were the motives whereby Martyrs in all ages have beene enduced to be not onely carelesse but even prodigall also of their lives Therein they had respect to Christ to the Church to the Faith to their Bretheren to Themselves to Persecutors to Satan 1 Christ much rejoyceth in such servants For constancy of Martyrs unto death of such Martyrs as professe the name of Christ and suffer for his Truth is a great honour unto Christ Is it not an high honour to a King to have such Captaines and Champions as will not yeeld to their Soveraignes enemies but stand it out to the uttermost till they get the victory though it cost them their life to get it Yet no mortall King can as Christ doth put spirit courage or strength into a subject onely it is conceived that such valourous souldiers as are ready to hazard their lives for their Soveraigne serve a good Master Thus doe Martyrs give persecutors to understand that they serve a good Master and that they beleeve in him who hath done more for them then their dearest bloud is worth who enables them with courage and comfort to endure whatsoever for his names sake can be inflicted on them and therin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be more then conquerers and after all give such recompence as their sufferings are not worthy to be compared with Rom. 8.18 37. Is not this an honour to Christ 2. The Church which breedeth and sendeth foorth such couragious and resolute children as are ready to spend their blood in their mothers cause is much honoured Never did any Church bring up such children as the Church of Christ She hath the glory of invincible Martyrs Of it it may truely be said O blessed Church which is honoured with so divine renowne which the glorious blood of Martyrs doth beautifie 3. The Faith which such Martyrs professe by their standing stedfast therein unto deaâ—h is sealed and confirmed The blood of Martyrs is a seale of that Faith for which they shed their blood By this kinde of ratifying the Christian Faith many have beene brought to embrace the Christian Faith As of old many were enduced to beleeve in Christ by the miracles which he himselfe did and which his Apostles did in his Name If the tortures whereby sundry Martyrs were put to death and their manfull cheerefull and joyfull enduring of them wherof before be duly weighed we shal find their induring to bee so miraculous as their sufferings may well be accounted miracles 4. The Bretheren which beleeve and professe the same Faith are by the constancy of Martyrs much strengâ—hened For the invincible courage of some putts life and spirit into others In an army valourous Leaders much animate the rest of the souldiers and embolden them to follow their leaders Now the Church is as an army with banners Cant. 6.4 Martyrs are as Leaders they couragiously and victoriously make the on-set Other Christians by their example are pricked on as occasion serveth to follow them Reade Phil. 1.13 5. They procure to themselves even for the present in their soules much peace comfort and joy For as the sufferings of Christ abound in them so their consolation also aboundeth by Christ 2 Cor. 1.5 Then especially are the comforts of the Holy Ghost even poured upon a Christian soul For they could never endure such torments in the flesh unles they had much peace in their soul For the future on earth they leave a most sweet savour of a renowned name When their bodies are consumed their name is as an oyntment powred out and they therby do light a torch of Fame to posterity For the Church was wont to celebrat the memory of Martyrs For which end they had set daies in the yeare wheron Christians in full assemblies met together rehearsed catalogues of Martyrs and gave solemne praise to God for the power of his Spirit manifested in their admirable patience and perseverance And in Heaven they have the highest degree of glory For though God doe not reward men simply for their workes namely for the merit of them yet he rewards according to their works Rom. 2.6 and proportions the degree or measure therof according to the kind of work which on earth is done and according to the measure of
Saviour extremely under-valued the glorious Gospell vilified the profession thereof disgraced weake brethren offended and adversaries occasioned to triumph and insult Yet are not the fore-mentioned Apostates no nor others though worse then they except onely before excepted such as sinne unto death to be excluded from all hope of recovery mercy and pardon And that for these reasons 1. The freenesse of Gods grace For God justifieth freely by his grace Rom. 3.24 and his free gift is of many offences Rom. 5.16 Wherefore that the freenesse of Gods grace may more clearely be manifested it pleaseth him to extend it to such as of all others are most unworthy as Apostates who denie him are Mans unworthinesse gives evident proofe of the freenesse of Gods grace And the more unworthy any may be thought to be the more free will that grace which is extended to him be knowne to be So as pardon of sin may in faith be expected from him who wil not the death of a sinner but that repenting he may be freed from destruction and saved by the mercy of God If any thinke otherwise he is not a Christian but a Novatian 2. The riches of Gods grace God is said to be rich in mercy Ephes 2.4 Now the greatnesse and heighnousnesse of sinne commends the riches of mercy and shewes that to be true which is said Rom. 5.20 Where sinne abounded grace did abound much more But by Apostacy sin aboundeth and may be reckoned in the number of great crimes yet in the Church such as repent ought not to despaire of Gods mercy 3. The infinite value and worth of Christs sacrifice It is a sufficient price for any sinne yea and for all sins in which respect it is said that the blood of Iesus Christ cleaâ—seth us from all sinne 1 Ioh. 1.7 If from all sin then from Apostacy Object On these grounds the sinne against the Holy Ghost might be pardoned Answ Not so and that for these Reasons 1. They wilfully and utterly reject the onely meanes of pardon the Lord Jesus Christ In this respect they are said to tread under foot the Sonne of God Heb. 10.29 2. They neither will nor can repent It is impossible to renue them againe unto repentance As other sinners who doe not repent are not pardoned so these Apostates because they cannot repent cannot be recovered 3. An irreversible doome of the Judge is absolutely without any limitation gone out against these but it is not so against any other sinners The doome is this Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him Mat. 12.32 4. The meanes to be used by others for recovering sinners is absolutely forbidden in these mens case The meanes is prayer The prayer of faith shall save the sick and if hee have committed sinnes they shall be forgiven him Iames 5.15 But the Apostle even where he prescribeth this meanes for obtaining pardon excepteth the sin unto death thus If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shall aske and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death There is a sin unto death I doe not say that he shall pray for it 1 Ioh. 5.16 4. A fourth ground of an Apostates recovery is the extent of Gods promises which extent is so large as except before excepted it excludeth none All manner of sin shall be forgiven unto men saith the Judge himselfe Mat. 12.31 5. A fift is Gods faithfullnesse in ratifying the just censure of his Church For Christ gave to his Church in the person of Saint Peter power of binding and loosing when he said Mat. 16.19 I will give unto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in heaven whatsoever thou shalt loosâ— on earth shall be loosed in heaven When therfore the Church upon due observation of an Apostates true repentance absolves him and receives him into her communion that Apostate may justly be accounted to be recovered and to be brought into the state of salvation 6. The last ground which now I intend to note is example For we reade that in all ages Apostates and that of all sorts and kindes except before excepted have beene recovered and received into the favour of God and his Church Adam the first man was a most notorious Apostate Yet the Church in all ages hath taken it for grant that he repented and was saved It is therefore reckoned among the heresies of the Tacians that they opposed the salvation of the first man The promise of redemption was first made to our first Parents Gen. 3.15 and that they beleeved it may be inferred from their teaching their children to offer sacrifice Gen. 4.3 4. The children of Israel in Egypt played the parts of Apostates by the Idolatry which they committed Ezek. â—0 7 8. so in the Wildernesse Exod. 32.1 2 c. and in the land of Canaan under their Judges Iudges 2.17 and under their Kings 2 King 29.6 Yet upon their humiliation and repentance God received them to grace and favour But to give instance of particulars Salomon in his old age proved an Apostate 1 King 11.4 yet he repented as is evident by his booke stiled Ecclesiastes which the Hebrews say as we heard before is the book of Salomons repentance That God was mercifull in pardoning his Apostacy appeares by this promise which God made to David concerning him 2 Sam. 7.14 15. If he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripâ—s of the children of men But my mercy shall not depart from him as I tooke it from Saul Manasseh in his younger yeares did himselfe and caused Iudah to doe worse then the Heathen yet he repented and found mercy 2 Chron. 33.2 9 12 13. The Levites that went away farre from God though they were excluded from the more excellent functions in the Temple yet upon their repentance were admitted into the Temple to do the inferiour works thereof Ezek. 44.10 11 c. Peter thrice together not without swearing and cursing denied his Master yet his teares declare that he repented and both the other Disciples and also Christs manner of entertaining him afterwards shew that he was received to mercy Many forsooke Paul which was a kinde of Apostacy but Pauls prayer for mercy to be shewed to them 2 Tim. 4.16 gives evidence of a possibility yea and a probability too of their finding mercy In the ten fierce and fiery persecutions of Christians under the Romane Emperours many renounced the Christian faith and in the tumults raised by Arrians others renounced the Orthodox faith yet the Catholike Church with a motherly affection received them againe upon evidence of their repentance as Peter was received after his weeping being put in mind of his sin by the crowing of a Cock. We have before shewed how the Church of old had daies and places and rites and
Ministers for admitting penitents after their Apostacy into the Church which gives an evident demonstration of her willingnesse and readinesse to entertaine such The like might be noted of the Orthodox reformed Churches which ever siâ—ce the beginning of the Reformation have time after time received such as have turned from their Heresie Idolatry Superstition Apostacy or any other notorious and scandalous offence For it is an especiall branch of Christian discipline to stop the course of repenting and returning to the faith from none 1. Take notice hereby of the just cause that the true Christian Catholike Church and the Orthodox Fathers of that Church had to detest and abhominate as they did the unchristian uncharâ—table and unmercifull opinion and practise of the Novations in denying repentance to such as had once denied the Christian faiâ—h and in refusing to admit them into the Christian Church againe though with all the testimonies of penitentiall humiliation and contrition that they could expresse they desired it and made free offer of all the satisfaction that the Church should require Most proudly and odiously they stiled themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Puritans as if they had beene forsooth the purest in the world yea and they onely the pure ones whereas they are of all the most impure denying repentance whereby sinnes are purged away Their extreme severity or rather cruelty being directly contrary to the minde of God our gracious and mercifull Father manifested in his Word by his owne free and rich grace offered to penitents by the directions given to his people to receive such and by their constant course in entertaining such the Catholike Church adjudged Novatus to be accounted an Heretique and put Novatians into the Catalogue of Heretiques For bowells of mercy ought no where so to be enlarged as in the Catholick Church that as a true mother shee neither proudly insults over her children that fall nor hardly pardons them being amended 2. This makes much to the justification of this daies solemnity in receiving this Penitent by a prescript order of our Church into her communion Herein our Church sheweth such a tender compassion to this her sonne that was once lost but by Gods good providence is now found as the Father did to the Prodigall affording unto him the best welcome that she can What cause hast thou O Penitent to blesse God that thou wert borne and brought up in such a Church wherein thou hadst at first the benefit of Baptisme to preserve thee as Noah was preserved in the Arke from the deluge of destruction and now again a recovery by penance enjoyned to thee and performed by thee which being heartily done is as another plancke after ship-wracke reached out unto thee to keep thee from drowning 3. All ye that are children of the same mother and bretheren and sisters to this Penitent imitate this gracious indulgency of your Mother towards him Be not like the Prodigals elder brother who envied his brother and was offended with his Father for the grace favour and honour which was shewed to his penitent brother Doe ye rather shew your selves to be of the mind of the Angels of God in whose presence there is joy over one sinner that converteth Luk 15.10 Henceforth upbraide not to him his Apostacy Upbraide not his circumcision upbraide not his subjecting himselfe to Mahometisme shunne not his society avoid not communion with him no not in the most sacred and divine ordinances trafique with him eate and drinke with him pray with him and pray for him Receive him as a brother beloved Forgive him comfort him I beseech you that you would confirme your love toward him 4. My heart stirres me up againe to returne to such as have renounced the Christian faith and beene circumcised in the name of the Lord Jesus to beseech them yea and to require them for Gods sake for the Gospells sake for the Churches sake for such friends sake as are privie to it and for their owne soules sake as they tender the peace of their conscience yea and the salvation of their soule to make their case knowne to submit themselves to the discipline of the Church and to be willing to give such satisfaction as the Church shall thinke fit Yee had many that could beare witnesse of your denying the faith and those such as tooke occasion thereupon to insult over you over your Faith over the Church by which you were instructed in the Faith and over your Lord and Saviour on whom you placed your Faith Is it not then meet that you should have many witnesses of your returning to the Faith againe and of your humiliation and contrition for that dishonour you have done to God and to his Church and those such witnesses as hâ—ve power to loose you and to receive you againe into the Church ye and such as will rejoyce at your conversion and praise God for the same O be not more ashamed of confessing your sinne then you were of committing it Shall hee who was not ashamed of his wound bee ashamed of binding up and healing his wound 5. Let me in the last place leave a few directions with thee O Penitent upon whose occasion we are here met 1. That which now thou dost openly with thy tongue and body before us children of men doe it ex animo do it heartily as to the Lord the Searcher of hearts Thus will thy repentance be sound indeed Thus will much inward peace be brought to thy conscience Thus wilt thou be loosed in Heaven as well as on earth All the grace and favour which now the Church sheweth is upon this pious and charitable presumption that in prostrating thy body thy soule is humbled and that the confession of thy mouth proceedeth from the contrition of thy heart If it bee otherwise thou dissemblest with the Church thou deceivest thine owne soule and mockest God who will in no wise brâ—oke such mockings Unlesse thou do what tâ—ou dost sincerely and heartily thou art in no better case if not in a worse then they who have suffered themselves to be circumcised by profest enemies of Christ and therewithall renounced the faith of Christ and yet seek not to bee loosed by the Church of Christ They cannot in Faith expect to be loosed in Heaven because they are not first loosed on earth Nor canst thou expect to partake in Heaven of the benefit of the Churches loosing thee on earth because it is utterly made void by the deceitfullnesse of thy heart But we are perswaded better things of thee and things that accompany Salvation though I thus speake 2. Be inwardly more dejected in soule more pierced in spirit and broaken in heart then with the teares of thine eyes beatings of thy brest casting downe of thy body and confession of thy mouth thou canst expresse For thy sinne for which this penance is enjoyned is an heinous sinne a crying sinne a sinne
that comes neare to the unpardonable sinne that sinne unto death Thereby thou deniedst the Lord that bought thee thereby thou renouncedst the onely meanes of thy salvation thereby thou rannest out of thy Lords campe into the army of his enemies and so becammest an enemy to thy Lord. How dishonourable was this to thy Lord How disgracefull to his Church O how did those cursed enemies insult thereat What cause hast thou to cry our as Ier. 9.1 Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for my sinne Thou hast cause ynough to draw water as the Israelites did 1 Sam. 7.6 from the bottome of a broaken heart and to powre it out before the Lord as he who said Psal 119.136 Rivers of water runne downe mine eyes Remember what Peter did when he was put in mind of such a sinne as thou hast committed He went out and wept bitterly Math. 26.75 Those bitter teares must needs flow out of the bottome of an heart throwly broken Mee thinkes I now behold many weeping eyes in this assembly bewailing thy woefull fall and I must confesse that I also find mine owne bowels troubled within me All this is in compassion of thy case Oughtest not thou to be much mooved thereat Howsoever the Church be pleased in much-tender-compassion to enjoyne this easie milde penance unto thee doe thou betwixt God and thine owne soule yet further loade thy selfe through a serious and dâ—epe apprehension of and meditation on the heighnousnesse of thy sinne that Christ observing thee to labour and to be heavy loaden under the burden of thy sinne may according to his promise Math. 11.28 give thee rest Repentance is to be ordered according to the kind and measure of sin 3. Let not thy penitency end with the penance of this day Well note the Lords exprobration to Israel Isa 58.5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen A day for a man to afflict his soule Nor is one daies penance sufficient repentance for such a sinne as thou hast committed I have heard a tradition concerning Peter that he wept whensoever he heard a Cock crow It becommeth a penitent Apostate whensoever by any occasion he is put in mind of his sinne to be struck at his heart with godly remorse Thou didst long lie in thy sinne even so long as thou livedst among the Turkes All that while thou didst conforme thy selfe to Mahometisme And thinkest thou one day of penance to be sufficient Continue to renew thy repentance every day though thy life be prolonged in the Christian Church many more yeares then thou wert among the Turkes 4. Bee very circumspect over thy selfe for the remainder of thy life that thou bring foorth fruite meete for repentance This is that worthy walking whereof wee spake before As a wife that hath formerly lived loosely and defiled the marriage bed beeing received into the favour of her husband againe must carry her selfe more soberly more modestly more inoffensively and must bee more watchfull in avoiding all temptations that might allure to that sinne againe ye and all suspicions thereof So an Apostate received by the Church into grace and favour must walke more circumspectly then if he had not fallen For it much lieth on him to repaire his Christian credit or rather to be the more zealous in honouring God and bringing glory to the Gospell of Christ to his Church yea and in giving matter of rejoycing to professors of the true religion This is a point that meerely concernes thee O Penitent Be like that young man who having followed Harlots after some while absence that kind of love being extinguisht in him met with an old love of his but said not one word to her Shee wondering that he spake not to her thought he had not knowne her and thereupon said Sir it is I. Whereunto he replied But I am not I that is I am not the same that I was before In like sence Be not thou thou Be not the same thou wert before 5. Take heed of relapse Christ himselfe saw this to be a needfull caveat and thereupon prest it once and againe on such as he had recovered from sin as on the woman taken in the act of adultery Ioh. 8.11 thus Goe and sinne no more and on him that had beene deseased 38. yeares he enforceth it with a commination Ioh. 5.14 thus Sin no more lest a worse thing come to thee For if after we are freed from the misery of sin we returne to it againe soarer vengeance is like to befall us Experience shewes how dangerous a relapse is after a recovery from a bodily sicknesse Much more dangerous is a spirituall relapse after repentance from an heighnous sin The heart of man by such a relapse will be much more hardned in sin and the Divell in such a case will take with himselfe seven other spirits more wicked then himselfe and they will enter in and dwell there Mat. 12.45 Yea and God himselfe may be so incensed thereby as to affoord no more grace to him that hath so ill imployed his former grace as to depart cleane away from it Thus the last state of that man is worse then the first Looke therefore narrowly to thy selfe thou who art now restored and make use of those directions which were before given to such as goe downe to the Sea to make them constant in holding the faith 6. Beleeve that thou art now acquitted of that heighnous sin of renouncing the Christian faith If thine heart bee upright thou hast good cause to beleeve it in that thou hast taken that course which in Gods Word is prescribed for obtaining a discharge Thou hast beene pricked in thine heart for thy sin as the Jewes Acts 2.37 Thou didst goe to thy Pastor and enquire what in thy case thou shouldst doe as they who being defiled came to Moses Numb 9.7 Thou hast subjected thy selfe to the order which the Church prescribed as David did to Gods advice 2 Sam. 24.19 Thou hast made penitent confession of thy sin as they did who came to be baptized of Iohn Mat. 3.6 Thou hast desired this Congregation to pray for thee as the Israelites desired Samuel to pray for them 1 Sam. 12.19 The Church looseth and absolveth thee as the Church of Corinth absolved the incestuous person 2 Cor. 2.10 On these grounds thou maist safely thou oughtest faithfully to beleeve that thy deepe-died scarlet sinne is washed away by the blood of thy Saviour to whom thou art now returned and that thou art fully acquitted and discharged thereof We doe undoubtedly beleeve that by repentance sinnes are abolished so as if we returne not to them againe they shall never be imputed to us In this respect a true penitent is blessed For Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile Psal 32.2 If therefore thy conscience shall hereafter