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 act of sinne presently retracted againe even a generall Apostacie in their practice if not in their faith a return to their former unregenerate sinnes as the phrase {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} they being entangled are overcome notes 2 Pet. 2. 20. a place perfectly paralell to this and as in this place the ancients have generally interpreted And then though such indulgence in sinne such returning to the vomit or mire againe in that other place doe provoke God to withdraw his grace necessary to enable them to repent yea and cast them back into a worse estate then they were in not onely before such sinning but even before their conversion 2 Pet. 2. 20. Yet that God will so punish with totall desertion any one act or commission presently retracted againe it is not affirmed here nor anywhere else that I have observed but rather on the contrary that he will visit them with chastisements which are a grace and a meanes to recall them without any utter for saking or taking of his loving kindnesse from them Psal 89. 33. 35. 50 That this matter may be throughly cleared I shall suppose this objection made against what hath hitherto been said of it that it may seem by this doctrine that the regenerate man may bee under Gods displeasure that hee that remaines sanctified may be unjustified for so he will be if all his sinnes be not forgiven him which they are not if this act of sinne not yet repented of be not forgiven In answer to this I shall reinforce my affirmation that of necessity it must be granted if we believe the Scripture that any such act of sinne unretracted by repentance doth certainly stand upon the sinners score unremitted for that God as some affirme doth at the first act of my being justified forgive all my sinnes not only past present but also future too cannot be said but upon a supposition that that man will never commit any such sinne against which the Gospell threatens perishing i. e. any deliberate presumptuous sinne which supposition if it were true would inferre an impossibility of the regenerate mans thus sinning not an assurance of his pardon without or abstracted from the consideration of his repentance which is the only point in hand for if he doe then upon confession and forsaking there is promise of mercy and not otherwise and in briefe without repentance there is no remission and therefore it is observeable that they which thus affirm find themselves enforced to fly to Gods omnipotence and immensity to whom all things are present by help of which they can conceive and resolve that at the time of that sinnes being upon him unrepented of God yet seeing his future repentance as present may scale his pardon and then may by the same reason do so also before the commission the weaknesse of which arguing I shall no farther demonstrate then by this rejoynder that by the same reason it might be said that a man is justified before he is borne which yet the objectors doe not affirme but that at the time of his first conversion be it at such a Sermon or the like he was justified and then all his sins past present and to come forgiven him which is as contrary to the notion of all things being present with God as to say that this act of commission is not forgiven till it be repented of for sure the time before that mans birth and the time after it are as truly present to God before all eternity as the time of this commission and that repentance 51 The onely way for us to understand our selves or any thing that belongs to Gods actions concerning us is that which the Scripture supposes and commands us to walk in not the way of Gods secret counsels which if we knew were no longer secret not the way of Gods immensity which if it were intelligible by us were not immensity but the way of his revealed will which is that whensoever the sinner repenteth him of his sinne and amends his life he shall have his sin blotted out and put out of Gods remembrance i. e. forgiven unto him and not till then and to suppose he may have remission before such repentance is to suppose God perjured who sweares he shall not and to lay falsity to the charge of the whole Gospel which resolves Except ye repent ye shall all perish 52 To all this I might farther adde that Gods justifying the faithfull man is the approving his fidelity upon tryall of it and so acquitting him upon a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or probation from suspicion of hypocrisie pronouncing him faithful or Evangelically righteous and upon that owning him as a friend entring into League with him as might appeare by Gods justifying Abraham and calling him friend in the sense wherein they are Christs friends which doe whatsoever be commands them so approve themselves unto him if it were now seasonable to examine that businesse This being supposed it would be most evident that such an act of knowne deliberate sinne committed in time of tryall is quite contrary to justification even as contrary as Abrahams refusing to beleeve Gods promise first or after to sacrifice Isaac you may suppose would have been Of which the least that can be said will be this that such a failing is a shrewd blemish to sincerity which will make it necessary for him that is guilty of it to repaire his credit with God by expressing a great sence of his miscarriage
{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 Conscience Whereas it is possible that some Customary sinning may be through ignorance of the duty and that ignorance if it be not contracted by some wilfulnesse of mine may be matter of excuse to me and so reconcileable with a good conscience by force of the second Proposition But the obdurate holding out against Gods spirit either knocking for admittance but not opened to or checking and restraining from sin after conversion and not harkned to resisting all Gods methods of working on us and still resolutely walking after the flesh this is by no means reconcileable with a good conscience nay nor any habit of sin simply taken for that is exclusive of the habit of piety necessary to the good coscience unlesse it have that authentique plea of faultlesse ignorance to excuse it 80 The eighth proposit on is that any deliberate presumptuous act or commission of any sin against which damnation or not inheriting the Kingdome of heaven is pronounced in the New Testament being not immediately retracted by repentance humiliation and all the effects of godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 11. is wholly unreconcileable with a good conscience Such are Gal. 5. 19. Adultery fornication uncleannesse lasciviousnesse foure distinct degrees of incontinence Idolatry witchcraft two degrees of impiety hatred variance emulation wrath strife sedition heresies envyings murthers nine degrees of the pride of life or that other branch of carnality flowing from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or the irascible faculty drunkennesse revelling the species of intemperance and such like and the same with some variation and addition 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. and Eph 5. 5. Every one of these at the very commission have the nature of peccata sauciantia wounding the Sinner to the heart letting out a great deale of good blood and vitall spirits and weakning the habit of Christian vertue of peccata clamantia crying sins the voice of conscience so wronged by them calling to heaven for judgement against such oppressours or perhaps Satan carrying an accusation thither against such offenders and if upon this they be not straight retracted by an earnest contrition humiliation and repentance they then proceed farther to be any one act of them peccata vastantia conscientiam Sins wasting despoiling the conscience betraying to some sadder punishment even desertion and withdrawing of grace and delivering up to our own hearts lusts a consequent of which are all vile affections Rom. 1. and that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} cursing Heb. 6. 8. 81 Just as it was the manner of the Jewes Judicatures He that was punished by their {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} separation or {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} not permirted to come neare any man within foure cubits if he did not thereupon shew and approve his repentance within the space of two moneths on that contumacy was then smitten with their {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the anathemation or execration and sometimes cast into prison So is Gods dealing with the sinner remaining imperitent for such a space substraction of Gods grace and spirit the curse of the Gospel is his portion 82 For the clearing of which truth yet faâ—therr t will be observable that the danger that arises from one sinne of the first magnitude against which the sentence is pronounced that they who are guilty of such shall never inherit eternall life is or may be to him that after the knowledge of the truth relapses into it as great as that which is incurred by many lesser sinnes or by a relapsing into a generality of impure life and therefore the remaining in that one sinne will be as unreconcileable with a regenerate estate as the remaining in many other and proportionably one act of it as noxious and wasting to conscience as apt to provoke God to withdraw his spirit as many acts of those lesser sins and though neither any single act either of lesser or greater sinne in a sincere lover of Christ presently retracted as it will be if he continue so doth so grieve as to quench Gods spirit utterly so provoke God as to make him wholly withdraw his grace and totally desert him yet if that one sin be continued in favoured and indulged to either by multiplying more acts of it or by no expressing repentance for it by all those means which the Apostle requires of his incestuous Corinthian or which are named as effects of godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 11. this direfull punishment of desertion is then to be expected as the reward of any one such sinne and from thence will follow any impossibility for that man so diserted ever to return to repentance again Gods speciallayde which is now withdrawne being absolutely necessary to that 83 Where yet of those that thus remain in any such sin there is some difference For some that so remain in sinne doe so remain that they desire not to get out of it hate to be reformed others thoughensnared so in sin that they cannot get out yet are very earnest and sollicitous to find out some means to break through and escape out of those snares and then this latter state of soul though it be not sufficient to give claime or right to mercy the victory over the world the actuall forsaking of all such sins being necessary to that and not only our wishes that we were victorious yet is it a nearer and more hopefull capacity of the grace of repentance more likely to be blessed by the returning of
endeavouring to live honestly or to have honest conversation in all things From whence the onely thing which I desire to collect is this That the sincere resolution or endeavour to live honestly in all things which I remember one of our ancientest Church-writers Saint Cyrill of Jerusalem calls {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and opposes it to {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} works is the Scripture nomination of a good Conscience or the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that great treasure of confidence to all which have it that ground of mature perswasion for any that he hath or shall by God be allowed and acknowledged to have a good conscience 35 And if it be farther demanded what is necessarily required and how much will be sufficient to denominate a man Such what is the minimum quod sic of this sincere resolution or endeavour although that I confesse will be hard if not impossible to define in such a manner as shall come home to every particular the proportions of more or lesse knowledge or strength the inequality of the talents of illuminating and assisting grace still interposing and making a variation yet will it not be matter of much difficulty to give some generall advertisements and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which will be acknowledged as soone as mentioned and being put together and by each man single applyed to his particular case by way of self examination will be able to tell him in some measure whether he hath a good conscience or no And the first of these will be That 36 Acts and habits of sinne in the former heathen or unregenerate part of the life of what nature and clothed with what aggravations soever if they are now retracted and renounced by repentance as that signifies not onely a sorrow but a thorow change are reconcileable with a good conscience The truth of which is cleare first because the Gospel allowes place for repentance and promises rest to the heavy laden so he come unto Christ and mercy to him that confesseth and forsaketh Secondly because the sincerity of resolution and endeavour now which is all that is required to a present good conscience is reconcileable with past sins even of the largest size Thirdly because Saint Paul himselfe which was once a Saul can yet say confidently that he hath a good conscience And fourthly because which I shal a little enlarge on the sinne against the holy Ghost which alone is by the Gospel made uncapable of remission is as I conceive no act no nor course of any speciall sinne but a state of final impenitence a continued persevering resistance of all those saving methods which are consequent to the descent and are part of the office of the holy Ghost 37 To which purpose I shall give you one hint which may perswade the preferring of this opinion before the contrary and it is by observing the occasion of Christs delivering those words concerning the irremissiblenesse of speaking against the holy Ghost Those words are delivered by Christ both in Saint Matthew and Saint Mark upon occasion of that speech of the Jewes that Christ cast out Devils by the Prince of Devils which was clearly a blaspheming or speaking contumeliously against Christ himselfe or the sonne of man and there is no passage in the Text which can conclude that that speech of theirs was by Christ called the blasphemy against the holy Ghost but rather the contrary that it was a blasphemy onely against the sonne of man for t is apparent that Christ Mat. 12. 15. for the space of six verses sets himselfe to convince them of the falsity of that speech which probably he would not have done if they to whom he spake had been in an irrecoverable irreversible estate of blasphemy For that he should take such paines onely to leave them unexcusable 1. there was no great need in this case they were so already 2. it is a mistake to think that Christ doth so at any time they are bowels of mercy and not designes of mischieving or accumulating their sinne and judgements which incline him to call and knock and labour to convince sinners and having done that doth both invite them to repentance by shewing them the possibility of pardon yet and give them an admonition able to shake them out of all impenitence by telling them the danger which attended if the only last method of working on them which was yet behind did not prosper with or work upon them This is the importance of that 31 and 32 verse concerning the speaking a word i. e. standing out against the sonne of man on one side and the Holy Ghost on the other the summe of which is this there shall be by the coming of the Holy Ghost a possibility of pardon and meanes of reformation for those that resist and hold out and even crucifie Christ as by the coming of Christ there was for those that should beleive on him though they had formerly lived disobedient unto God the Father resisted those methods of mercy used on them under the old Testament for them that speak a word i. e. by an Hebraisme doe an action of affront of injury of contumely against Christ yea that resist and beleive not on him but conceive and affirme him to cast out Divels by the power of Beelzebub which was as contumelious a thing as could be said of him but when Christ shall be taken from the earth and the Holy Ghost shall be sent down to convince the world of that great sinne of crucifying Christ and to settle in the Church of God such an orderly use of all Gospell-meanes that may tend to the bringing sinners to repentance the use both of the word and sacrament and censures and all other things necessary to that great end of working on the most contumacious that if this prevaile not there is little hope left of ever working on such perversenesse then it is to be resolved that those that thus stand out against all those saving methods of Gods last oeconomy shall be left uncapable of any good of any whether meanes of yet-farther working on them or of pardon either in the Church or in heaven there being no more persons in the God-head now behind unlesse we will change the christians Trinity into Pythagorasses {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} nor consequently meanes in the providence of God for the reducing of or obtaining mercy for such By this it will appeare that this blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is not any one act no nor habit of sin particularly not that speaking against Christ there which you will also guesse by Saint Luke who mentions not that speech of theirs concerning his casting-out Divels by the Prince of Divels and yet sets down this speech of Christ of the irremissibility of this blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Luke 12. 10. which argues that this hath no neare relation to that but a finall
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 of that displeasure of God which this single act of sin brings upon the offender I answer that I have in some measure answered that already shewed you at the beginning many lugubrious effects of it and if that be not sufficient to satisfie you or to shew the non-non-remission of such sinne till it be recracted by repentance I shall then proceed one degree farther yet to tell you 63 That the method of Gods dealing in this case of such single acts of commission seemeth by the Scripture to be after this manner Upon any such commission Satan is wont to accuse that man before God such or such a regenerate child of thine is falne into such a sin and so into my hands as the lictor then to desire or require solemnly to have him to winnow by inflicting punishments upon him and God yeelds many times to this demand of Satans delivers the offender up to him in some limited manner 64 To which delivering though temptations or afflictions which ordinarily are signified by temptations in Scripture are constantly consequent yet not utter desertion or withdrawing of grace but allowing of strength sufficient to victory {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ability to beare 1. Cor. 10. 13. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} passage out of those difficulties in that same place {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} sufficient grace 2. Cor. 12. 9. and assistance of his faith that it faile not totally which is the importance of Christs having prayed for Peter Luk. 22. 32. his intercession being a powerfull intercession as may appeare by his Father I knew that thou hearest me alwayes Iob. 11. 24 and so in effect the obtaining from his Father and actuall conferring on his Disciples the grace which he prays for And therefore it is observable that as those which are thus accused and demanded by Satan are generally such as were it not for this present particular commission would passe both with God and him for faithfull Disciples and good Christians and therfore do stil retain that title as appears by the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} when Satan is called the accuser of them Rev. 12. 10. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the accuser of the bretheren or the faithfull it seems they are faithfull still though they have been guilty of some act for which he thus accuseth them and so he is called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 1 Pet. 5. 8. the plaintiffe or enemy {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of you i. e. the elect to whom he writes c. 1. â— so the end of yeelding to Satans request in delivering them up to him is also fatherly and gracious {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that they may be disciplined or taught not to blaspheme 1 Tim. 1. 20. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that he may be ashamed 2. Thes. 3. 14. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that the spirit may be saved 1. Cor. 5. 5. Whereupon it is that the Fathers so clearly resolve it far better and more eligible to be delivered up to Satan then to be delivered up to ones selfe or ones owne affections or desires the first of them being the ordinary punishment of some act or acts of sinne on purpose to recall to repentance the second being the great plague of spirituall desertion inflicted on indulgent continuers in fin the first of them a mark of their not-yet-totall abdication their continuance in sonne-ship whom God thus chastens here that he may not condemne them with the world the second of their being cut off from that prerogative whom God thus forsakes 65 To which purpose of Gods dealing mercifully with his servants in case of single trespasses presently retracted by repentance so farre as not to inflict any grand spirituall punishment upon them such as absolute desertion or utter disinherizon I conceive an Image represented to us in Christs command to his Disciples how oft they should forgive the trespassing brother Luk. 17. 4. If he trespasse against thee seven times a day and seven times a day returne againe to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive where trespassing seven times is a phrase for how oft soever he trespasse the word forgive notes the obligation to punishment without forgivenesse and the interposing the word Repent proportioned to every trespasse shewes the necessity of that condition to wash off that guilt and the word Turne prefixt to that argues the Repentance unavailable if it containe not turning in it upon which forgivenesse being there commanded if we shall now adde that other place Mat. 6. 36. where Gods mercy to us is made the measure of our mercy to our brethren the argument will come home to prove that God doth so deale with us and consequently that every such act of sinne contracts a guilt which is never pardoned but upon repentance that upon the speedy performance of that duty the patient is preserved from any heavy spirituall punishment which would otherwise attend that sin 66 What we have hitherto said on this particular will shew the danger of every act of deliberate sinne and yet withall the difference betwixt such single acts presently retracted by repentance and the like persisted or continued in To which purpose it will be worth the while to behold what we finde recorded of David He we know had been guilty of severall acts of sinne markt and censured in the Word of God and some of them such