remit a temporal affliction unto a sinner truâ—ie penitent no not when he forgiveth the sin as appeareth in David 2 Sam. 12. 13. I have sinned The Lord hath put away thy sin howbeit the Child shal die * Lueretia apud Livium Des 1. l. 1. Ego me Etsi peccato absâ—lvo supplicio non Libâ—ro The reason why temporal afflictions are not alwayes remitted either to true or false penitents upon their Câ—yes is given by S. Hierom. Magnae faelicitatis â—st interdùm Hier. in Ezech. 8. 18. ad praesens misericordiam non mereri ut malis coacti intellâ—gant quid fecerint i It is in some cases a signe of great happines not to obtaine mercie and releasment that men may learne by afflictions how greatly they have sinned So S. Ambrose saith of Amb. Epist l. 3. n. 52. Cyp. cont Demet. n. 75. Naz. Orat. 20. n. 19. the same people of whom the Prophets spake those things Judaeos in potestatâ—m hostium dedit Deus ut a Caelo remedium quaererent i. God delivered his people the Jewes into the hands of their enemies to provoke them to seek help from heaven Cyprian saith â—eus qui beneficiis non intelligitur plagis intelligitur Nazianzen saith Plaga cordaâ—is viris doctrina est i. When men will not listen to God for his benefits sake he will open their understandings with afflictions temporal plagues to wisemen are active sermons If we rightly consider to what end God sendeth or permitteth temporal afflictions to fal both upon penitents and impenitents we shal find it rather a token of his mercy then a signe of his anger we honour a Physician or a surgeon for curing us though it was done by bitter potions or painful searings and cuttings Ama medicum percussorem quia eâ—us plaga est Hier. n 38. mater medicinae i. Because the paine he puts us to proves a medicine God is our physician tribulations are his medicines which he therfore applieth only that they may heale us and howsoever the medicine be sharpe and seeme very evil and penal and for present displease us yet Quae hic puâ—antur mala in Ambr. in symb n. 20. and n. lact n. 17. Caelâ— bona sunt i. On earth that which is thought evil in Heaven is known to be good for it is here taken to be a punishment which indeed was but a medicine Vâ— curat medicus vulnera vulneribus as a Surgeon Pros Epig. n. 33 Aug. Epist 48. cureth a wound by lancing Qui phrenetioum ligaâ— lethargicum excitat ambobus molestus ambos amat i. He that binds a mad man and with a blow rowseth up one falling into a dâ—owsiâ— lethargie angreth both and yet to both doth a freindly office And although these temporal judgments are set forth unto us as signes of Gods anger because they are such things as angrie men wish and bring upon their enemies yet they are indeed arguments of his care over us and used as preventions of worse evils Divina bonitas ideo irascitur in hoc seculo ne Irâ—scatur Prosp in sent 5. n. 33. in futuro i. God sheweth signes of his anger in this world to prevent his anger aeternal in the world to come Men are ready to say or to imagine that God doth not heare or regard the Prayers of men in affliction because he doth not send present deliverance but this is an error in us for God ever heareth yea and granteth the request 's of trulie penitent and faithful soules though not to our phansie and desire yet substantially to our greater benefit Bonus Deus non Aug. Epist 38. tribuit saepe quod volumus it quod maluimus trebuat i though he grant not that particular thing which we expected yet he giveth that which we would rather chose if both were propounded to us And therfore some prudent Christians have bin so far from murmuring at afflictions that they have earnestlie desired Orig. in Psal 37. hom 2. Aag vita l. 3. cap. 29. them of God Domine oro flagella me and noli me resâ—rvare cum illis qui non flagellantur Domine hic seca ure ut in aeâ—ernum parcas i. Lord I pray thee chastice launce and seare me in this life and reserve me not to perish eternallie with them that have their pleasures in this world And for this they have a parterne from a Prophet Jer. 10. 24. O Lord correct me but with judgment not in thine anger This is enough to the question in hand viz. that this Grand sin is not alwayes left to final impenitencie nor is the repentance if it be true of such sinners vaine and fruitless and consequently that this sin is not absolutly unpardonable CHAP. XVI An Exposition of that place 1 John 5. 16. Of the distinction of sins into venial and mortal what is meant by a sin not unto death and a sin unto death that all sins are not Equal THere is yet another doubt to be cleered which seemeth to represent this grand sin as if it were altogether and absolutely unpardonable which is occasioned by those words 1 John 5. 16. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shal aske and he shal give him life for them that sin not unto death There is a sin unto death I dâ—e not say that hee shall pray for it By which words at first sight it may seeme that 1. some sins are deadly or Mortal and others sins not deadly for from these words the Fathers often use to distinguish sins into Venial and Mortal wheras we are well assured that every sin even the very least pâ—ccadillo is in it self Mortal and may bring damnation and yet we doubt not but the greatest Capital sin may by Gods mercy become Vemal and may be pardoned Secondly it may seem by these words that although 2. some sinners may and in Christian Charitie ought to be prayed for yet others without breach of Christian Charitie may be omitted and not prayed for which yet seemeth very rough and harsh seeing we are commanded Mat. 5. 44. both to love our enemies and to pray even for them that persecute us Wherefore for the right understanding of these difficulties it will not be amiss to examine these words diligently by way of an Exposition For surely if any sinner in this life sinne so deadly that we may not pâ—ay for him and if Prayer be absolutely forbidden by these words who will doubt but that such a sinner is absolutely unpardonable and wholy left to desperation now to the words If any man see his brother sinne a sinne which is not unto death In these words the prudent Reader may observe First That the sinne here meant is such a sinne as 1. may be seen perceived and discerned Secondly That it must be discernable whether it 2. be unto death or not unto death Thirdly That because no particular sinne is named
the very least sin is liable to eternall death except it be confessed and in this life in some measure repented But I proceed CHAP. XVII Whas is meant by a sin unto death the judgment of the Fathers and the Ancient expositdrs therein and the discipline of the primitive Church therunto correspondent that the greatest sins both have bin actuallie and so may be pardoned in what sence the Fathers called some sins venial and some Mortal THere is a sinne unto death I do not say he shall pray for it If any words in the whole sacred Scripture will bear this exposition and make good this Doctrine That there is any sinne at all which once committed cannot possibly upon any terms or condition whatsoever be remitted not upon confession or repentance and forsaking and renouncing it and after it adhering to Gods Truth and his Precepts and that even to death and martyrdome nor upon all these together This saying is most likely to bear it A sinne unto death and not to be prayed for which words require a very diligent Explication being of so great weight and concernment Lord Jesus send thy Light and thy Truth A sinne unto death This sin unto death I conceive not to be intended of any particular sin whether it be absolute Atheisme or the blasphemy of Arâ—us denying the Godhead of Christ or of Eunâ—mius denying the Holy Ghost or totall Apostacie from Christianity or Adultery Idolatry witchcraft murther sedition or any of these grand sins mentioned Gal. 5. 19. such as the Fathers do usually â—in som sence call sins Mortall Mortiferous and Capitall My reason is because it may be made apparant by Scriptures and the Records of the Church that particular men who have sinned these sins severally have bin by Gods mercy and his castigations reduced to renounce their errours and to forsake their sins For many of those sins were seen in King Manasses 2 Chron 33. Who yet was converted and humbled himself greatly and God was intreated and we know that many Heathens Atheists Apostates and â—rrians have Paulinus in vita Ambrosii n. 3. Athan. to 2 page 448. n. 17. bin reduced to Confession of their sins and to repentance of their Arrianismâ— and those who have not bin actually reduced yet during their naturall lives were in a condition reducible if grace sufficient and prevalent had bin given so that their conversion was not absolutely impossible Beza finding fault with distinction of sinnes into Beza in loâ— veâ—iall and mortall as the Schoolmen sometimes use it for which he had good reason affirmeth that it is absurd to say that mortall sins are utterly left without all hope of pardon and yet he thinketh the sinnâ— unto death here meâ—tioned to be that sinne against the holy Ghost and that it is lethiferous and that the commitrers thereof cannot possibly repent which I dare not assent unto but yet he most truly affirmeth that if those who have once committed that sinne against the Holy Ghost would and could repent Certè veniam consequerentur i. certainly they would and might obtain pardon Thus he Vnto death The old Exposition of the Fathers and ancient Expositors surely is the truest and plainest and being received will quit us of many unnecessary doubts and anxiâ—tics and is most agreeable with the Analogie of Faith particularly with the Article of forgivâ—nâ—sse of sinnes and coâ—respondeth best with the justice and mercifulnesse of God for thus they write A sinne unto death is any grand or capitall sinne such as is before mentioned out of Gal. 5. 19. in which a man liveth continueth and dieth impenitently And that it is therefore onely so called a sinne unto death because it is obdurately and impenitently continued and persevered in unto the end of our life and expiration of our souls So Oâ—cumâ—nius saith Solum hoc peccatum ad mortem Oâ—â—um in loc est quod ad paeâ—tentiam non respicit id est Onely that sinne is a sinne unto death which never is repented Beda â—n loc And Beda saith Peccaâ—um ad morâ—em peccatum usque ad tempora mortis protractum diximus râ—cte posse intelligi est de tali magno peccato quale David commisit si proâ—ractum sit usque ad mortem id est A sinne unto death may truely be understood of a sinne continued in untill the time of our death such a great sinne as David committed if we persevere in it till death So doth Saint Hierome understand it Peccâ—tum ad Hier. in Evag. objurg n. 41. moâ—tem est cum tempus râ—â—â—ssionis in vitio inueniâ— id est A sinne unto death is when death cometh and findeth us continuing in sin So doth Saint Austine expound this very Text Peccatum Aug. Retract l. 1. c. 19. ad morâ—â—m est si in hac perversitate finierit â—anc uiâ—â—m id est The sinne unto death is when a man continueth in sinne obstinately and therein endeth his life and in another place he just so expounds the sin against the holy Ghost which shall never be forgiven Non absurde intelligunt â—um peccare in Spiritum â—sse sine Aug. de fide oper c. 16. n. 79. venia reum aeterni peccati qui usque ad finem vitae â— oluerit credere in Christum id est It is no inconvenience â—o understand it thus that he sinneth against the Holy Spirit and shall not be forgiven for ever who will not at all believe in Christ as long as he liveth Just so Lyra and both glossâ—s expound it Ad mortalem i. usque ad morâ—em vitae quod in hac vitâ— non corrigitur est finalâ—s impaenitentia si quis perseveret in eo usque ad finem vitae inclusivè i. unto death signifies to the end of our life natural that sin which is not amended in this life it is finall impenitencie when a man persevereth in sin unto the end of his life inclusively not repenting at the time of his departure but dieth impenitent By all which it appeareth that in the judgement of these Expositors the sin unto death is some of those grand sins in which a man liveth and dieth impenitently and that it is not called the sin unto death in respect of the sin it self but for the sinneâ—s continuance therein unto his death for the same sin which in one man is a sin unto death and shall never be forgiven in another man proves a sin not unto death but is repented of and so is pardoned that this is the judgment of St. Austin I have divers times shewed before and especially in that place alleaged by me before pag. 201. cap. 14. whâ—reafter after a long discourse concerning the sin called the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit he concludeth That no sin against Vide supra â— 14. the Holy Ghost is unpardonable but only in case a man doth obstinately persevere in it without any hope or desire of pardon or care of
amendment To this doctrine of the pardonablenesse of any sin though ever so great upon repentance the Church discipline of old was correspondent for in the Ecclesiasticall Canons recorded by St. Basil it is ordered That whosoever had denied Christ in time of persecution should be debarred from the Communion all his life time untill his death bed and remain onely in the number and ranck of penitentiaries but upon point of death he should be restored and the Sacrament administred to him and this propter fidem divinae Clementiae i. because the Church believed that our merciful God did pardon those true penitents who had fallen into that grand sin of denying Christ Upon the same doctrine did the fathers ground their distâ—nction of sins calling some mens sins venial and others mortal just as St. John here doth a sin unto death a sin not unto death For so Origen mentioneth mortale peccatum and St. Ambâ—ose speaketh of crimen Orig n. 41. Ambr. n. 9. 15 Aug n. 6773 77. Prosp n. 34 mortale and Erratum Noae erat veniale So doth St. Austine call sins Vâ—nialia Morralia capitalia Damnabilia and so doth Prosper and so doth the Church of Englands Liturgie mention a Deadly sin and all these onely in this sence as Saint Ambrose expresseth himself Venialis culpa est quam Amb. de Paradiso cap. 14. sâ—qnitur confessio i. that sin is called venial which is confessed or repented of And so that sin is onely a deadly sin or a sin unto death in which men live and die impenitently aud therefore unpardonably as is shewed before CHAP. XVIII The meaning of these words Idoe not say he shall pray for it that this praying and not praying is to be understood of the living and not of the dead the practise of the Church in praying for penitents the manner and form of Ecclesiastical or external pennance viewed in the Roman Lady Fabiola in what case God forbad praying for sinners in the Old Testament THere remaineth yet a greater difficultie in the words next following wherby this sin unto death may seem to be such a sin as the Apostle forbiddeth men to pray for wherby he may also seem to set the brand and mark of absolute unpardonablenes upon the sinner as being quite forlorne and bereft of all remedie and left utterly to desperation for thus we read A sin unto death I doe not say he shall pray for it It being granted that the sin unto death is one of those capital sins before mentioned out of Math. 12. 31. and Gal. 5. 19. In which the sinner continueth impenitently al his life time and therin dieth we are next to inquire whether the Apostle meaneth that such a sinner so dying is not to be prayed for after his death or whether he mean that such a sinner is not to be prayed for during his life time whilest he continueth in his sin without repentance For if we grant that by these words a man dying in that sin is excepted from being prayed for after death then it will follow that the other sort of sinners which sin not impenitently unto their death may be prayed for after death and so prayers for the dead must be allowed of as if they were warranted by Scripture which the Church of England doth neither practice nor allowe of although we can not denie but that the ancient Church used them so as I have shewed above in my first book To this inquirie the answer is that the praying or not praying here mentioned is to be understood of men living and only during their life time for so the Apostle meaneth he that is seen or knowne to consess his sin to repent and amend it may be prayed for by the Church whilest he is living But he that is not perceived or perceived not to Confess repent and amend his foul visible and noted sins whilest he liveth the Church hath no direction to pray for such a sin or for such a sinner in this sense that the sin may be forgiven which is never repented Or that the sinner may be pardoned notwithstanding his obdurate persisting and continuing in his sin no not whilest he is living and much less when he is dead So here is no warrant for praying for the dead whether they died penitently or impenitently but in what sense an impenitent sinner during his impenitencie may and ought to be prayed for in this life will appeare hereafter more cleerly but first I must shew the Church practise in praying for sinners The reader may consider that this Epistle is Catholick written to the whole Church and upon this direction the Church Catholick used to pâ—ay most earnestly yea and with teares and lamentations for such sinners who for some grievous and known Crime had bin excommunicated and this the Church did at such times as the sinners appeared to and in the Church or at the Church dores as penitents confessing and bewayling their owne sins in garments of sackcloth and their faces besmeared with ashes bâ—gging on their knees both the prayers of the Church and also reconciliation and re admission to the congregation and communion The manner of penitents humiliation and of the Churches commiseration and compassion we have very frequently described in the Church Histories and the Fathers thus In the wistâ—rne Church saith Sozomen Soz l. 7. c. 1â— Ambr. 34. 37. Epiph. haer 59. Origen lam n. 30. there is a set place appointed where the penitents stand with a sad counâ—enance mourning and weeping then they cast themselves downe on the pavement being clad in course sack cloth and their beautiâ— obscurâ—d and dâ—faced with ashes and with long sorrow and fasting they beg the prayers of the Church to God for them Confessing their sins openly If the Bishop be present he Compassionatly kneeles and weepes and prayes with them and for them and so doth the whole congregation S. Jerome relates the particular Hier. Epist 30. n. 8. pennance of the noble and religious Lady Fabiola as it was performed in his owne time She had bin divorced and after divorcement she was married to another man whilest her divorced husband was living But she repented and confessed her offence with great sorrow in sack cloth and ashes publickly in the sight of the whole citie of Rome Episcopis presbyâ—eris populo Collacrimantibus i. her self and the Bishops present and the priests and the whole multitude altogether compassionatly weeping This was the use and manner of the Churches praying for those Brethren or Sisters which were thus seen to confefs and express penitency for their sins and therfore not sinning unto death impenitently and this they did upon this direction If any man see his brother sin a sin that is not unto death let him pray for him c S. Ambrâ—se doth exhort the sinner to confession Ambr. de paenit l. 2. c. 10. n. 34. and penitencie by this motive Fleat pro te mater ecclesia that
Baptisme That the principal scope of that place is against the presumption of Anabaptisme or a second Baptisme Chapter V. That the word Renue is to be understood onely of Page 16 renovation by a new Baptisme That sinners after Baptisme may have the remedy of repentance but not by a new Baptisme The distinction of renuing 1 Baptismall 2 Morall or penitentiall Four Propositons by which the meaning of these words is collected In what sense sinnes originall or actuall are said to be taken away in Baptisme Chapter VI. How a second Baptisme is said to be a new crucifying Page 19 of Christ That it is ignominious to the All-sufficient sacrifice of Christ That a second Baptisme doth no good but much harm it aggravates sins even as rain maketh weeds to grow that these words do not prove an impossibilitie of repentance but onely an impossiblitie of renewing by a new Baptisme Chapter VII A review of those words Heb. 6. 4. and some Page 25 doubts cleared That none were anciently called illuminate but onely the Baptized That Catechising was not then called illumination What moved the Apostle to handle the Doctrine of Baptisme and so strictly to forbid Anabaptisme in the Epistle to the Hebrews rather then in other Epistles Chapter VIII The distinction of Baptismes into true and false Page 30 The formes of Pseudobaptismes among Hereticks That after their dipping a true Baptisme may be administred and yet cannot be accounted Anabaptisme The Novatian Baptisme was a true Baptisme Saint Cyprian is in part excused Chapter IX That the Disciples of Ephesus Acts 19. who Page 34 said they had been baptized to Johns Baptisme were notwithstanding then Baptized by Saint Pauls appointment yet that this example doth not warrant Anabaptisme because Johns Baptisme was then out of date and Null Johns too late Baptisme compared with the now Jewish Circumcision and both found unlawfull Chapter X. Of true Christian Baptisme that it may not Page 38 be twice ministred No Heretick maintained two Baptismes but onely Marcion What Marcion was the reason why he multiplied Baptisme The reasons why Novatians Donatists and the late Anabaptists rebaptized answers to their reasons Of baptizing Infants of Saint Cyprians error and Athanasius his ludicrous Baptisme Chapter XI That the ancient Church allowed but one Baptisme Page 46 is shewed by the then frequent deferring it till ripe years or old age That their delaying was mostly for carnall respects The danger of delaying Baptisme The Story of a Jew Anabaptist An example upon an Arian Pseudobaptisme The summarie meaning of that Scripture and the Exposition concluded Chapter XII A full Exposition of Heb. 10. 26. The particular Page 52 sinne against the Holy Spirit is shewed to be the blasphemous denying Christ to be God What is meant by accounting his blood common or unholy The unsufficiencie of legall sacrifices and the sufficiencie of Christs sacrifice Chapter XIII Of severall degrees of this sin of denying and rejecting Page 57 Christ and salvation by him First some deny him outwardly onely by compulsion and terror of torments Secondly Others wilfully uncompelled Thirdly Others both willfully and also after-knowledge as Arius Julian and this Commenter The concurrence of Theophilact and Saint Anselm in the sence of this place Chapter XIV That the remedy of repentance is not absolutely Page 61 taken away from them who have sinned the grand sin of denying and renouncing Christ That such possibly may repent That this sin is then onely unpardonable when it is accompanied with small impenitencie The Conclusion of this Exposition Chapter XV. Whether such blasphemers if they repent may Page 64 possibly find mercy The difference of repentance Legall and Evangelicall The repentance of Judas The difference of Repentance and Rescipiscence The Conclusion that true repentance is never totally rejected Objections out of the Old Testament answered Why temporall pressures are not alwayes removed upon true repentance Chapter XVI A full and large Exposition of 1 John 5. 16. Page 70 That the Fathers called some sins Veniall and some Mortall albeit every sinne in its own nature and merit is mortall or deadly What is meant by a sinne unto death and a sinne not unto death That sins are not equall Chapter XVII The judgement of the Fathers and ancient Expositors Page 74 concerning sinne unto death The Discipline of the Primitive Church correspondent to their judgement That the greatest sinnes may be and actually have been pardoned The true sence of the Fathers in calling some sinnes veniall and some mortall Chapter XVIII The meaning of those words I do not say he shall pray for it That the praying or not Page 79 praying mentioned is to be understood of the living and not of the dead The practice of the Church in praying for penitents The manner of Ecclesiasticall or outward pennance shewed in the pennance of the Lady Fabiola In what case God forbad praying for sinners in the Old Testament Chapter XIX That no condition of any grand sinner is so desperate Pag 83 during life but that he may be prayed for in this sence that he may have the grace of conversion Certain Propositions of Divines concerning the matter now in hand are examined The practice of the Synagogue and Church in praying for all Mankind the concurrence of the Church of England therein praying even for Heathens Idolaters Persecutors and Hereticks Chapter XX. The meaning of those words I do not say he Page 89 shall pray for it set down positively and conclusively The difference between praying for the Person and praying for the sin The different prayers for a sinner penitent and a sinner not yet penitent The practice of this Church in praying for persecutors and yet against them The prayers of Christ and Saint Stephen explained The case of Alexander the Copper-smith Chapter XXI A Recapitulation of the former Expositions of Page 94 those foure places That finall impenitency cannot be called the Grand sinne The difference of repentance required for the inferiour and unknown sins Of the Solifidian doctrine The particular sin of misbelieving the Incarnation of God censured with Charitie The conclusion of this fourth Book FINIS Errors of the Press In the Title page line 12 for 1647 read 1646. In the advertisement to the reader p. 3. l. the last to Joh. Hen. Bistersâ—ldius add and published An. 1639. In the preface p. 12. l. 29 r. only In the 1. Book p. 18 l. 10 r your word is p. 28. l. 7. r. mortuos p. 29 l. 18 r. one Lord p. 30 l. 38 r. Nicetas p. 33 l. 41 r. a dead p. 34 l. 32 r. Sentence p. 47 l. 19 soul r. joul p. 51 l. 29 pro r. per in the margin In the 2 Book p. 3 l. 8 fur r for p. 6 l. 27 Lucan r. Bucan p 8 l. 33 Ehat r. That p. 12 l. 16 aith r. saith l. 18 sod r. Son l 23 conjicietur r. conjicietur p. 17 l. 19 r. how can p 18 l. 37 Olympus r.
called his may appear by these passages Christ saith Matth. 25. I was hungry I was naked I was in prison Act. 9. 4. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me when these things were not meant of his own proper and individual person but only of his servants and members which he calleth himself for so he saith Verily in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of my brethren ye have done it unto me So the Apostle saith that 2 Cor. 5. 21. Christ was made sin for us when in the same breath it is also affirmed that he knew no sin Both are most true because our sins are his sins by reason of this union as the debt of the principal is also the debt of the Surety So Christ is said to be Rev. 13. 8. slain from the beginning of the world even before he was incarnate because of Abel who was both his member and type Lyranus upon that place saith Lyra. in loc Christus fuit in Abel occisus in prophetis exhonoratus for all the holy Patriarchs and Prophets who dyed before the birth of Christ are his members as well as others who novv live or shall hereafter live untill the end of the world even as we read of that birth Gen. 38. 28. where the hand came out of the Womb before the other parts yet it was a member united to the body as well as the other parts Upon that speech of Christ Matth. 23. How often would I have gathered thee as an hen c Orig. in loc Origen saith Christ in Moses and the Prophets would have gathered them in every age before Upon that passage in Psal 61. 2. From the Aug. in Psal 60. ends of the earth will I cry unto thee Austin asketh this question What one man cryeth from the ends of the Earth And answereth That it is meant of Christ for his Members or Church is that one man And upon that saying of the Psalmist Psal 86. 3. I cry unto thee daily or all the day long that is all the time of the world continuance If question be made how this can be true of any one man Austin Aug. in Ps 85. answereth That it is meant of the body of Christ which groaneth under pressures in all ages this one man is extended unto the end of the world in his Members preceding and succeeding Thus he Finally upon these grounds If it be demanded how any man can be saved seeing man daily transgresseth the Law Our answer is That every true member of Christ doth perfectly perform the Law in that Christ hath done it who is one with his members So if we enquire how Christ could with Justice suffer death who never sinned The answer is That his suffering was just because the sins of his Members or body are his sinnes in that himself and his Members are One for it is as easie to conceive our most innocent Saviour to be justly charged with our sins as to conceive sinful man to be justly discharged of all sin and to be truly called righteous even the righteousnesse of God in him Thus much I have thought fit to premise as an Introduction and a needful Preparative for the reading of these Books All which I humbly submit to the Judgment of Superiors and to the serious consideration of the Christian Reader THE Principal Contents of the four Books following In the first Book THe Authors and spreaders of the Arian or Socinian heresie Why the title Saint was of old withdrawn from Churches That the most high God is the Author of the Gospel That the soules of men and women never dye The article of Christs descent into hell is expounded The Original of Creeds and what hath been added to the most ancient of them and why The meaning of the word Hades or hell A full discourse of Ecstasies Raptures Inspirations Revelations and Enthusiasmes Of the apparitions of dead men Of Angels good and bad which conduct the soules of the dead to their receptacles and mansions in the other world A Summary of the blasphemies contained in the said Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrewes In the second Book THat to deny and renounce the Godhead of Christ is the sin against the holy Ghost The sin against the holy Ghost is fully described The eternall Godhead of Jesus Christ is fully proved The deniers of Christ's Godhead are of no better religion then Jewes Turks or Antichrist Of the Deification of Jesus Christ and how it is to be understood The manner how Christ doth intercede and mediate for us in Heaven The Subjection and Minoration of Christ and the delivering up of his Kingdome at the end of the world expounded out of 1 Cor. 15. A plain discovery of Originall sin On what Object the Christian is to fix his mind in prayer How the most high God became a Priest Why the Church of England required adoration when the Lord Jesus is named That Christ is Jehova and what that word signifieth In the Third Book THat the most high God was incarnate How and when the most high God appeared visibly to the Patriarchs and the mystery thereof unfolded The meaning of the face and backparts of God The everlasting Covenant of Grace made before the Creation and after is plainly set forth How the Son of God was necessitated to be incarnate and to suffer death That the Obedience of Christ is with perfect justice and equity imputed to his mysticall Body the Church for the salvation thereof The Originall of the Soul of Christ and of other mens souls is disputed The Omnipresence of the Spirit of God and the diversities of the graces thereof The curing of the Kings Evill by the Kings of England and the Scripturall warrant for the same In the Fourth Book IN what cases the sinne against the Holy Ghost is unpardonable or pardonable is fully shewed The dangerous sin of Anabaptism is shewed by evidence of Scripture with the History of the ancient Anabaptists The reasons why the ancient Christians did defer Baptism till ripe years or old age shewed to be carnall The reason why St. Paul commanded those to be baptized who had been baptized before with St. John Baptists baptism Acts 19. A plain description what true repentance is The meaning of Sins unto death and sins not unto death 1 John 5. 16. The meaning of sins Mortall and Veniall so oft mentioned in the Fathers In what cases sinners must be prayed for and in what not shewed out of 1 John 5. 16. OBSERVATIONS UPON THE COMMENTARY ON The Epistle to the HEBREWES published under the Capital Letters G. M. Anno Dom. 1646. CHAP. I. The Original and growth of the Arian Heresie THe blasphemous heresie of denying the Godhead of Jesus Christ began early and after 〈◊〉 was first broached by one a Euseb hist l. â— â— 28. 〈◊〉 c. 20. 〈◊〉 as Eusebius and Niâ—eph have written and after him 〈◊〉 seconded by his disâ—â—ple â—â—â—odotus who was an 〈◊〉 of
3. therefore any sinne which is perceived to be a sinne not unto death may be prayed for and so pardoned Fourthly let it be observed that the Apostle doâ—h 4. in the next verse set down what he means in this place by sinne for verse 17. All unrighteousness is sinne John 3. 4. and he had said before chap. 3. verse 4. Sinne is the transgression of the Law From whence it may be reasonably collected that any unrighteonsnesse or transgression of the Law or any sinne if it be discerned to be not unto death may be prayed for and possibly pardoned A sinne not unto death How any sinne can be said to Beza in loc be a sinne and yet not unto death is hard to be understood seeing we reade Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sinne is death for any sinne ever so little rendereth us liable to death and is affirmed so by Beza Omtria peccata per se lethaliâ— id est All sinnes in their own nature are deadly Our very lapst nature in Adams mass Originall sinne and our minima peccata there is no sinne so small or unconsiderable but draweth after it the weight of eternall wrath and a thousand times meriteth eternall death Thus he and Calvin very truely saith Omne peccatum per se mortale Calv. instit 2. 8. 59. id est Every sinne in it self is deadly but when the sins of holy men are said to be not unto death and veniall it is because by Gods mercy they obtain pardon and not because the sinnes are of themselves veniall for who doubteth but that in the reprobate all sinnes are sinnes unto death but in the Elect no sinne is unto death Saint Chrysostome observeth upon those words Matthew Chrys de compunct n. 18. 5. 22. Whosoever shall say to his brother Thou fool c. De levioribus dat sententiam ut de gravioribus non dubitare debeas id est Christ pronounced sentence of Hell fire against so small a sinne that no man should doubt what greater sinnes deserve Again there are very grand and capitall sinnes which yet in some persons are sinnes not unto death as Galathians 5. 19. Adultery Murther Drunkennesse Seditions Heresies Idolatrie c. of which it is there said They that do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God and yet we know that some of the Patriarks and many converted from Heathenisme hath committed these sinnes but obtained pardon and shall inherit the Kingdome of Heaven Noahs excesse Davids adultery the Corinthians incest Peters deniall and the Iewes denying and crucifying the holy One and Pauls persecuting the Church all and every of these sinnes in those penitent and Elect vessels were sinnes not unto death This I think will not be denied Not unto death But why are some mens sinnes called not unto death when the very same speciall sins in other men are indeed sinnes unto death The Poet murmured at such a thing Committunt eadem diverso Crimina fato Juven sat 13. Ille crucem sceleris precium tulit hic Diadema For many sins and very capitall ones are common both to the Reprobates and to the Elect and yet in the Elect and the same sin is not unto death which in the Reprobate is unto death The answer is that our Apostle calls that sin a sin not unto death which is confessed repented forsaken and amended before our death or departure out of this life when a man doth not obdurately continue and persevere in his sin untill his death but forsaketh it in his life-time so that the leaving of his sin and amendment of life may be seen by his brother for how else shall a brother see that the sin is not unto death but by the sinners leaving it desisting from and amending it as by ceasing from adultery rebellion oppression and the like for so the Apostle telleth the Corinthians such as these were some of yee but yee are washed but yee are sanctified 1 Cor. 6. 11. So that sinnes not unto death are not so called from the nature or merit of sin but from the circumstance of the time or person sinning and desisting Fot as is said Every sin is mortall deadly and unto death eternall if we look onely on the merit of sin but every sin though the most grand and capitall sin is not unto death if it be repeated of and left before the departure of the soul from the body So the gloss expoundeth this place Non ad mortem Id est non usque ad mortem i. A sin not unto death is when the sin is not continued in untill the time of death and of David it saith David sinned not unto death for he repented and obtained pardon so that the same sin in one man not repenting produceth damnation when in another it is pardoned upon repentance Neither do we hereby assert any Stoicall f Amb. n. 33. Novatian or g Aug. n. to 6. habes Sardos venales alium alio nequiorem â—ul Epist 125 Iovinian equalitie of sinnes For although no sinne may well be called bettet then another because all are naught yet one is worse then another Of two ill painted pieces one asked uter detâ—rior est i. which is worst and of two evill things in the Comedy it is said h Plaut in Aulular Act. 2. sce â— Alia aliâ pejor est optima nulla est i. one is worse then another neither can be called best i. i Aug. cont mendac c. 8. n. 77. Furum non est ideâ— quisquam bonus quia pejor est unus i One thief is worse then another yet no thief is therefore good Sin in generall is k Bafil n. 5. Proles Diaâ—osi and l Theod. n. 13. mater mortis m Chrys n. 59. grandis Damon peccatum i. the braâ— of the Devil the mother of death and it self is a Devil and so is called in the Gospel yet sins are of severall growths and degrees For therefore are there severall degrees of torments in hell apportioned to the degrees of sins There is a sin as a moâ—e and as a beam and a Camel so there are stripes many stripes weeping wailing gnashing of teeth worm fire and brimstone the damned shall be bound up in bundles according to the likenesse and degrees of their sins and every bundle shall have its just portion as we read of that particular portion of Hypocrites It is a memorable and a terrible observation which Origen makes upon that saying Numb 14. 34. where for one sin in one day a whole year of punishment is apportioned If for every sinne of ours a whole year of Orig. in loc hom 8. punishment shall be allotted I fear that neither the duration of this world nor the eternitie of the next world will be long enough to end ouâ— torments Let us not therefore flatter our selves wâ—th the conceit of a little or a veniall sinne as if such deserved not death for
ABout four years sithence Christian Reader there was brought unto me a Comment or Exposition on the Epistle to the Hebrews written by a Namelesse and unknown Author to the end that having perused and allowed it it might be Printed and published the which I also undertook and finding as â— then conceived that for the most part it was Learned and Judicious plain and profitable I did so passe it with my Approbation Yet there were divers passages against which I took as I thought just exceptions as disagreeing with the Scriptures and the received Doctrine of Our and all other Reformed Churches which I would not let passe before by my Letters I had acquainted the Author with them that I might receive satisfaction in those things which I objected from whom I received a sober modest Answer wherein he did not at all maintain those errors but left me to my liberty to expunge what I misliked the which I also accordingly did as I thought fit But the Work being long and my time but short divers other faults and errours escaped unobserved by me they being comprized in few words and short passages and so the more easily passed over without my observation The which Errors I the rather fell into because the Author was wholly unknown unto me who am naturally of this disposition that I neither am nor desire to be more scrupulous and curious in observing other mens errors and faults then I have evidence of truth for it whereas otherwise if knowing the Persons with whom I have to deal to be Heterod and Erronious in their Doctrine I should be more wary and observe their words and works with a more vigilant eye All which I speak not wholly to clear my self from all blame for I ingeniously acknowledge my inadvertency and want of due and serious consideration in so weighty a matter and therefore being convinced of my errour by divers Letters from men of great Eminency both in respect of Place Learning and Piety and by mine own more serious observation but especially by the Labours of this Learned Author chiefly intended to lay open and confute these dangerous Errors and Heresies I could do no lesse and indeed in respect of my old age and infirmities accompanying it I could not do much more then revoke my Approbation of that otherwise Learned Commentary so far as it maintaineth these pernicâ—ous doctrines that detract any thing from the Lord Christs Divinity and his Supream and Eternal Godhead For far be it from me to derogate any thing from my blessed Saviour and Redeemer by not acknowledging him the Supream God Co-essential Co-equal and Co-eternal with the Father seeing the Evangelical Prophet in the Old Testament calleth him the Mighty God Esay 9. 3 and the blessed Apostle St. Paul affirmeth that Christ who took upon him our flesh is over all not Deus factus but God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. and therefore seeing this Learned Book intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 asserteth and maintaineth this truth and confuteth the opposite errors I do most willingly approve it and allow it to be Printed and published John Downam Θεὸς ' Αâ—θÏωπâ—φόÏος OR God Incarnate SHEWING That JESVS CHRIST Is the Onely and the most HIGH GOD. In Four BOOKS Wherein also are contained a few Animadversions upon a late namelesse and blasphemous Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrewes published under the Capital Letters G M. Anno Dom. 1647. In these Four Books the great mystery of man's Redemption and Salvation and the wayâ—â—â—â—d means thereof used by God are evidently held out to the Capacity of humane reason 〈◊〉 ordinary understandings The Sin against the Holy Ghost is plainly described with the Cases and Reasons of the Vnpardonablenesse or pardonablenesse thereof Anabaptisme is by Scriptur and the Judgment of the Fathers shewed to be an heinous sin and exceedingly injurious to the Passion and blood of Christ There were false Prophets among the people even as there shall be among you who privily shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction 2 Pet. 2. 1. Contra rationem nemo Sobrius contra Scripturas nemo Christianus Contra Ecclesiam nemo pacificus 〈◊〉 Aug. de Trinit lib. 4. cap. 6. By EDM. PORTER â— D. sometimes Fellow of St. John's 6. Colledge in Cambridge and Prebend of Norwich London Printed for Humphrey Moseley and are to be sold at his Shop at the Prince's Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1655. TO The Right Honourable THOMAS Lord Coventry Bron of Ailesbury Peace and Truth My Lord I Humbly beg leave to use your honourable name in the dedication of this Book thereby to present the expression of a thankful Soul to my deceased Patron your most Honourable and prudent Father who even from my Childhood continued his manifold favours to me and ceased not untill he had planted me in an imployment and probable subsistence in the Church where I continued peaceably during his life and untill the pressures of these unhappy Times dislocated not onely me though too low God wot to be an object of publick wrath but also the strongest bones and principal joynts and nerves of our once most renowned Church To his memory do I owe the first fruits of my publick Labours nor can I offer them at any other shrine so proper as your self my Lord who are his living Image whose Name and Title you worthily bear whose Honour is revived in you and the pious and thankful memory of him during my life will not be obliterated in me seeing the very Heathens fansied their Sen. de Benef l. â— c. 3. Charites which were but the Emblems of gratitude to be Virgins and alwayes Young to teach us that thankfulnesse should not be Corrupted or decayed by time and age and their great Orator although he was one of the most deadly enemies of Caesar who had been newly murthered in the very Senate-house yet he confessed that he could not find fault with the faithfulnesse of Cic. lib. 11. Epist 240. Matius for honouring him that was dead who whilest he lived had been his Friend and Patron The Church hath tâ—â—ght us further that death it self doth not dissolve Christians Communion Hier. in Proaem l. 18. in Esa Viventium Dormientium eadem Charitas est Aug. de Civit l. 20. c. 9. Animae piorum mortuorum non seperantur ab Ecclesia hâc The Church Triumphant and Militant are but one Church and therefore did the Primitive Christians honourably by name Commemorate their pious and worthy Benefactors at the very time of their Sacred Eucharist although they were long before departed out of this life So seeing I have not any other meanes to commemorate my deceased Lord I have maâ—◠〈◊〉 if this to professe hereby Mihi erit nomen 〈◊〉 benedictionibus but to you my Lord do I present the Book because possibly it may do some good to the Living For the subject
the second Proposition which is this The sins of the Elect Members of Christ are 2. Proposition not to be accounted onoly the sins of the Elect but are justly charged on the score of Jesus Christ being their Surety and Redeemer To charge Christ with sin may seem very harsh and some Divines in high reverence of his most holy and innocent Person are afraid to affirm that Christ suffered for his own sins But when the Spirit of God hath said that 2 Cor. 5. 21. He was made sin who knew no sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manifest that both these sayings are true First 1 Joh. 3. 5. In Christ is no sin Secondly Christ was made sin Bishop Andrewes who knew what he wrote and said as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doubted not to affirm that Bish And. de â—at Serm. 9. The 〈◊〉 was with us not onely in nature as 〈…〉 in sin also factus peccatum pro nobis And this not onely he but others also both ancient and later Doctors have assered for besides what I shewed out of St. Bernard before Gregory Nazianzen saith Naz. Orat. 36. Quamdiù ego inobediens sum Christus per me inobediens est after him St. Austin saith Aug. in Psal 37. Christus peccaeta nostra sua vocat propter corpus â—â—um and Luther also perceived the great consequences of this union when he said Lutheri Epist Tu Domine Jesu es justitia mea Ego sum peccatum tuum for if but one member of the body commit an offence the whole man is chargeable with it This truth is of great concernment to be known for if Christ cannot be truly charged with sin how can we possibly justifie the proceedings of the Godhead when it is said Prov. 17. 15. He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just both are abominable to the Lord So then Christ must be charged with sin and man must be discharged of sin or else neither Christ can justly suffer punishment nor can man with Justice be saved The neglect or ignorance of this weighty truth occasioned the Socinian party to exclaim against us as if we charged God with tyranny in laying the punishment due to us offenders upon our innocent Saviour which also drew from Brentius a Lutheran this blasphemy Deus Brent Exeges in Joh. 19. Pater in cruce Tyrannum egit erga Filium and in the margin this note is set Deus aliquando Tyrannus an assertion false and blasphemous The difficulty of this doctrine consisteth in two Points 1. How Christ can be justly charged with sin in whom all Christians confesse there was no sin 2. How man can justly be acquitted of sin who without doubt never lived one minute without sin The truth of both the Christian Reader may thus apprehend In Christ there is a double capacity or twofold consideration First as he is in himself a natural body a private man or particular person without any relation to us and so no actions of his concern us or ours him Secondly as he is a part of a corporation Political or body mystical before mentioned for the head is but a part of the body in this consideration his and our actions concern us joyntly for if the hand be wounded the head will say You hurt me so we read 1 Cor. 12. 26. If one member suffer all the members suffer with it if one member be honoured all the members rejoyce with it now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular If one member of a Corporation do an injury in the name of the whole the whole or any one of them shall be liable to answer for it If a corporation be indebted any one member paying the debt satisfieth for the whole and for every particular member Posthumius a Roman Consul professing himself to be a Citizen of the Samnites and intending to pick a quarrel with that Common-Wealth openly in the assembly of the Samnites kickt the Roman Herald and said Livi. Decad. 1. lib. 9. I being a member of the Common-wealth of the Samnites have done publick injury to the Roman fecial therefore the Romans may justly make war upon the Samnites Just so particular members of this mystical body have done injuries to God and are become debtors so that the whole body is subject to penalty but the whole debt and injury is laid upon and discharged by one even Christ the Head in the name and behoof of the whole body These things being premised let us next consider what extent and operation this Union Conjunction or Communion of Christ and his Members hath and what effects it produceth Which may appear by the Communion of the Primitive Christians twice mentioned in the Acts where it is said Act. 2. 44. and 4. 32. They that believed had all things common And they were of one heart and one soul neither said any of them that ought was his own but they had all things common So this Union or Communion of Christ and his Members doth produce that which Divines call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. a mutual communication of properties which worketh and extendeth it self so far that the perfections and excellencies which are originally proper and peculiar to the individual Person of Jesus Christ are communicated and truly affirmed of holy men So likewise the infirmities yea and the sins also of such men who are members of Christ are communicated to and affirmed of and imputed and ascribed to Christ as may be perceived by these instances following First That Christs proper perfections are communicated to sinful man The Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 1. 30. Christ is made unto us wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification which is as much as to say the wisdome the righteousnesse and sanctity which originally is onely in Christ and not in us yet it becomes our wisdome righteousnesse and holinesse because we are One with him The same Apostle tells us again that 2 Cor. 5. 21. We are made the righteousnesse of God in him So that man is righteous onely because Christ is so with whom man is united in one body Thus every true member of Christ is called 1 Pet. 2. 9. Rev. 1. 6. a King and a Priest this is onely because Christ is both and because his members are one with him therefore they are so denominated by his perfections Upon this ground it is that St. Hierome calleth Baptisme Hier. ad Damas Epist 58. cont Luciferian Sacerdotium Laicum i. a Lay-mans Priesthood because baptisme is the Sacrament of our entrance and ingrafting into Christ and so of our union with him which union doth work a communication of his regality and Priesthood to us So Origen saith Orig. in Levit cap. 16. hom 9. Sacerdotium tibi toti populo credentium datum est and so Austin Aug. de Civit. l. 20. c. 10. also Omnes Christiani sunt sacerdotes quia membra unius Sacerdotis Secondly That our actions and passions our infirmities yea and our sins also are communicated to Christ and
afterwards Is not this the Carpenters son Matth. 13. 55. disparaging him for his mean parentage this is the Exposition of St. Ambâ—ose a Ambr. de Spirit l. 1. c. 3. In Filium Hominis pâ—ccare est remissius sentire de carne Christi c. To sin against the Son of Man is to conceive too basely of the flesh of Christ and they that so sin are not utterly excluded from pardon 2. The Jewes blasphemed him now in his Godhead by denying it and ascribing the miracle to confederacy with Beelzebub and of this blasphemy which doth take away the very foundation of remission of sins it is said It shall not be forgiven 5. I may adde hereunto that those unbaptized Pharisees in probability did not intend any obloquy or blasphemy against the Person of the holy Spirit as it is the third Person of which they had never been instructed neither had they so much Christianity as those disciples at Ephesus who though they had been baptized unto Iohns baptisme yet they had not so much as heard whether there be an holy Ghost Act. 19. 2. Thus having shewed that in Scripture and in the writings of the Fathers and later Divines the Godhead of Christ is called a Spirit and holy and also an holy Spirit and that in St. Matthew those words holy Spirit are to be understood of the Godhead of Christ which is for ever united to and residing in the Holy Temple of his most sacrâ—d Body and Soul I now reassume my former Conclusion That the denying Christ to be God is the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which is there said to be unpardonable Now that in a Doctrine of so great moment and concernment the Reader may understand that I do not obtrude any novell and private opinion of mine own upon him I will heâ—e lay down the judgement of soâ—e of the Fathers in this very question and first of Athanasius one of the most profound and godly Divines that since the Apostles dayes the Church ever had who in his book De Communi essentia Patris c. aith b Arha to 3. p. 625. It is hard to conjecture what our Saviour means by those words He that speaketh against the Sod of Man shall be forgiven but he that speaketh against the holy Ghost shall not be so given So that the Son may seem â—o he infâ—riour to the Spirit and yet the So saith The Father and I are one If he that saith to his brother Thou fool shall be cast into hâ—ll â—n quam gehennà gehennarum conjiriâ—tur is qui â—ssâ—rit Deum creatu am â—sse Into what Hell of Hells will he be cast who calleth him that is God a Creature and a Servant and a Minister onely And a little after he saith Dâ—iâ—atâ—m Vâ—rbi ipse Christus Spiriâ—um Sanctum vocâ—t humanitatem suam Filium Hominis nâ—minavit i. Our Saviour called his own Godhead the holy Ghost and his own Manhood he called the Son of Man and of those that blaspheme his holy Spirit by blaspheming his Godhead is this sentence to be understood It shall not be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come This is the judgement of Athanasius To him I adde the Opinion of St. Hilâ—râ— who was contemporary with Athaâ—asius who in his Exposition of that Text Matth. 12. 32. saith c Hil. in Mat. Can. 12. p. 731. Si negetur Dâ—us in Christo caret omni misâ—ricordia i. If a Man deny God to be in Christ that man shall finde no mercy And again he saith d Hil. ib. Can. 31. p. 426. Blasphemia in Spiritum â—st Christum Deum â—sse negare i The blasphemy against the Spirit is to deny Christ to be God The same Father in the place last quoted speaking of Saint Peters deniall of Christ saith Because to deny Christ to be God is that sinne which shall never be forgiven therefore Peter denied thus I know not the Man because a word spoken against the Son of Man may be forgiven The very same conceit hath Saint Chrysostome also in his Sermon of Peters deniall and upon these words I kâ—ow not the Man e Chrys to 6 p. 631. Non dixit non noâ—i Deum Verbum sic enim peccasset in Spiâ—itum Sanctum i. Peter said not I know him not to be God for so he had sinned against the holy Ghost but I know not the Man Now whether Saint Peter meant so as these two Fathers conjectured I cannot affirm for certain but by this I finde that the judgement of these two great Doctours was that the denying of the Godhead of Christ is indeed that great unpardonable sinne To this I adde the testimony of Saint Basil who deserved to be called the Great He in that excellâ—nt Book De Spiritu Sancto saith f Basil de Spirit c. 7. Testificer omni Homini Christum profiâ—enâ—i sed â—um neganti Deum â—sse quod Christus nihil â—i proderiâ— i. I testifie to every Man who professeth himself to be a Christian and yet deâ—â—ieth Christ to be God Christ shall nothing at all profit that man And if Christ do not profit us in the remission of our sinnes I am sure our sinnes shall never be forgiven in this world or in the world to come CHAP. V. The Opinions of later Divines concerning the unpardonable sin A brief Narration of the life and death of Arius and of Julian the Apostate TO the above-named Ancients I subjoyn the opinions of our later Divines who in their Expositions and Tractats where they inquire what particular sin this is although they do not agree therein yet when they inquire what persons have sinned this sin they do commonly affirm for one that Arius in his Heresie did sâ—n thus and this is the opinion of Polanus and also of Bucanus and others Now the Polan synt p. 340. Bucan Lo. Com. p 174. onely noted heresie of Arius was the denying the Godhead of Jesus Christ saying that he was not from everlasting and that he was but preferred to be a God Just as our Commenter would have him onely exalted and deisied This Arius was born in Africk and was a Presbyter or Priest of the Cathedrall Church of Alexandria in Egypt In that City in the dayes of the Emperour Constantine the Great there were ten Churches besides Epiph. haer 69. the Cathedrall Just such as we now call Paraecial or Parish-Churches wherein ten of the Presbyters of the Cathedrall Church were the incumbents and Preachers of these ten Arius was one and was more esteemed and followed then any of his brethren It fell out that the Bishop of Alexandria died Arius gaped for the place but mist it for one Alexander was elected then Arius raised a faction and revived the former Heresie of Paulus Samosatenus preaching this damnable doctrine that Christ was not God When Bishop Alexander was informed of this he convented Arius and upon examination discovering his
Gosple-Covenant is called the Covenant of Grace I answer that this one Covenant is both for if the Law of God be not actually and perfectly done and performed by man viz either by us our selves or by Christ or surety for us we can have no benefit by the Covenant so in respect of Christ it is a Covenant of works but to us it is a Covenant of Grace But it may be said that the Evangelicall Covenant is called a better Covenant Heb. 8. 6. I answer the same Covenant is called better because it is bettered and better explained and setforth with better evidence of graciousnesse in the Gospel then before when in the time of the Law it was clouded and clogged with shadows types figures and troublesome Ceremonies but now it shineth clearly and is also quitted of that heavy yoak then it outwardly appeared but as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. a pact or mutuall Covenant but in the Gospel it appears to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. a Testament and albeit the Law is also called a Testament yet it is but as the Will or Testament of a man which is indeed written and sealed and testified but not in force because the Testater was not actually dead But in the Gospel this Old Testament being the same in substance is newly become to be in full force and vertue because Iesus Christ the Testator died Heb. 9. 17. so it became in force for Christ who was but promised in the time of the Law and died there but in types was really exhibited and really died in the Gospel and although the Evangelicall Testament is set forth with a condition annexed viz of believing yet this condition is also in this New Testament bequeathed for Eph. 2. 8 Faith is the gift of God and yet Faith is that Law of which it is said Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward pares and write it in their hearts and the same is repeated Heb. 8. 10. So the new Testament requireth the condition of believing and the Testator in his Will hath given to man what he requireth of man The brief of all is that the same God who in Paradise ingaged himself that the seed of the woman should bruise the Serpents head hath himself taken upon him the seed of the woman and in that seed became our Jesus If after all this the Christian shall yet desire further evidence to inform him more and assure and confirm him in Christs ingagement and suretyship for us men as if his Word Promise and Covenant weee not sufficient to give rest and contentment to our wavering and timerous hearts see how our most compassionate and merciful Redeemer hath yet further condescended not onely to enter a covenant in our behalf but also to seal the said Covenant and thereby openly declare himself to be a debtor with us both for the principall that is the fulfilling of the Law and also for the penalty 1 Upon our default and transgression and this he did by the first seal of his Circumcision whereby he bound himself as a debtor to perform the whole Law and this in behalf of all the circumcised seed of Abraham and this Mystery is clearly set forth by the great Apostle Gal. 5. 3. For I testifie again to every man that is circumcised that he is a debtour to doe the whole Law Secondly as by the seal of Circumcision Christ underwent the burthen of all the legall precepts So by the other Seal of his Baptisme he undertook the performance of all the strict Evangelicall Precepts in the behalf of all the Baptized Christians for so himself declared though something covertly for when Iohn Baptist refused to baptize him Christ bade him Matthew 3. 15. adding this reason For thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousnesse Upon which words Saint Hierome observes that he did not say Hier. in loc Justitiam Legis id est the righteousnesse of the Law onely but all that so we may understand that Christ undertook to fulfill both Legall and Evangelicall righteousnesse even in those strict Precepts of Love your enemies blesse them that curse you pray for them that persecute you Deny your selves c. These were the reasons for which our Saviour submitted to the Sacramentall seals of Circumcision and Baptisme thereby to be a surety bound and ingaged for us And so the ancient Expositours understood it Circumcisus Anselm in Gal. 5. 3. est debitor faciendae universae Legis sicut qui Baptismum percipit debitor faciendi praecepti Evangelici id est As the Circumcised is a debtour to doe the whole Law so the baptized is a debtour to perform the Precepts of the Gospell and this also was the judgement of Saint Basil Sicut Circumcisus Basil de Bapt. l. 2. n. 18. est debitor Legis servandae sic Baptizatus totius Evangelii c. And although the Pelagians denied the necessity of Baptisme for taking away Originall sinne yet Coelestius could confesse that Children were redeemed by the Baptisme of Christ and this was onely because by his Baptisme he undertook for us to perform the Evangelicall Covenant Finally all that Christ did undertake to doe for us men that hath he punctually performed partly by his Obedience active in fulfilling all righteousnesse and partly by passive Obedience when he suffered the penalty of our transgressions pouring out his soul and his most precious Blood upon the Crosse there paying the utmost farthing of our debt when our selves were not able to pay one for a thousand This Doctrine understood rightly will reconcile those two sayings of Saint Hierome Maledictus qui dicit Deum impossibilia praecipisse 2 Maledictus qui dixerit legem esse possibilem id est Cursed is he that saith God commanded things impossible and cursed is he that saith the Law of God is possible The meaning is That Law which is impossible to be performed by us or any mere man was performed for us by the Son of Man For our sins were laid upon him and his righteousnesse is imputed to us which Mel. Dav. in vita Luth. p. 164. Luther expresseth in these pithie words Domine Iesu tuâ—e Iustitia mea Ego sum peccatum tuum i. man gave his sins to Christ and Christ gave his righteousnesse to Man CHAP. X. That Man could not be redeemed nor saved but by the Incarnation of the Sonne of God how the curse was executed on Man and how the Law is fulfilled by Man BUt could not our Lord Jesus having thusas a Surety and Mediatour undertaken for us and for our salvation I say could he not have effected our immunitie from punishment and our blessednesse by intreating as an Advocate for us and by that great power and favour which he hath with the Father obtain both remission and pardon of our sins and salvation freely without those bloody and grievous passions which he suffered on the Crosse and this onely by speaking intreating and pleading
whence either Levi or Châ—â—st had their humane souls and so it was to St. Austine himself as I have shewed before The surer answer therefore is this that it being granted that the humane nature of Châ—ist was every way in the loins of Abraham as well as Levi was yet this grand difference is between them That Christs Divine nature or eternall Godhead was not derived from Abrahams loins Although as Christ was in the form of a servant so he came from Abraham and so he paid tithes in Abraham to his type Mâ—lchisedech just as he paid tribute to Caesar or to the Temple because he was a man and a subject to Caesar as S. Ambrose truely saith Christus est servus quatenus incarnatus i. Ambr. in Epist con Aquil. n. 49. When Christ is called a Subject or Servant it is understood of his Incarnation But as he was in the form of God he neither came from Abraham nor was tithed in him nor owed any tribute to Caesar or the Temple Of this nature it is said John 8. 58 Before Abraham was I am Yet in respect of his humane nature I may truly say that Christ before his birth in the loins of Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedech which is all one as to say Christ paid to Christ Christus homo Christo Deo i. The Man Christ to Christ our God This Scripture thus expounded doth clearly set forth the Incarnation of God in the Person of Jesus Christ who for his assumed flesh is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas de Spir. sanct c. 5. by St. Basil i. flesh-bearing God and in Greg. Nazian and Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God Incarnate Thus was he every way as hath been shewed a Person fitted to stand in steed of mankind as an undertaker and surety for performance of the Bond Law and Covenant which was laid upon us Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David Laus Deo FINIS THE FOURTH BOOK Of the Vnpardonable SINNE OR The sinne against the Holy Ghost wherein this question is discussed Whether the sinne against the Holy Ghost be absolutely unpardonable Together with a plain Exposition of those places in Scripture which concern that sin viz. wherein the question of Anabaptisme is clearly discussed Matth. 12. 31. Heb. 6. 4. Heb. 10. 26. Epist 1 John 5. 16. Qui legit haec ubi certus est paritêr pergat mecum ubi haesitat quaerat mecum ubi errorem suum cognoscit redeat ad me Aug. de Trinit l. 1. c. 3. LONDON Printed for Humphrey Moseley and are to be sold at his Shop at the Princes Armes in St. Paul's Church-yard 1655. THE PREFACE IN my second Book I propounded two questions to be discussed First what sin that 1. is which three of the Evangelists call the sinne against the Holy Ghost and to me it appeared to be the blasphemous denying the Godhead of Jesus Christ For albeit some other sin may be so called yet that this also is that sinne there meant I nothing doubt Secondly Why the denying the Godhead 2. of Christ is said especially to be unpardonable and to me it seemed that the reason is because he that so sinneth doth thereby renounce the sole and onely means of redemption and pardon for Jesus Christ by vertue of his Godhead inseparably united with his Manhood is the onely All-sufficient Expiatory Sacrifice for sinne There is yet a third Question to be discoursed 3. which is very needfull to be rightly understood lest the former Doctrines should lead such men into desperation who have fallen into this sinne and for the comfort of those particularly who have been misled into this most dangerous blasphemy by reading This new Commentary on the Hebrewes I do thus state this third Question Of THE UNPARDONABLE SINNE CHAP. I. Whether those who have once fallen into the blasphemy 3. Question of denying the Godhead of Jesus Christ are absolutely unpardonable and left without all hope of assoilment or remedie and forgiveness so that they must be certainly and eternally damned THe reason which moved me to attempt this question is because I find in many Writers that the sin against the Holy Ghost is discoursed as being absolutely unpardonable and their perswasion thereof is grounded on the words of Christ which seem to be so peremptory and absolute as if they could not admit any limitation or exception or more favourable Exposition For it is said Matth. 12. 31 32. It shall not be forgiven unto mâ—n neither in this 〈◊〉 nor in the world to come and Mar. 3. 29. He hath never forgivenesse but is in danger of eternall damnation And in St. Luke it is said He that denieth me before men shall be denied before the Angels of God unto him that blesphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall no be forgive Of this sin or blasphemie against the Holy Ghost our later Expositors understand that saying Heb â— 4. It is impossible for those who were once enlightned if they fal away to renew them again unto 〈◊〉 So do they expound that place also Heb 10. 26. If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin but a certain 〈◊〉 looking for of judgement And that which to some men seemeth to prove the absolute unpardonableness of this sin and to put it out of all doubt is that saying 1 John 5. 16. There is a sin unto death I do not say â—◠〈◊〉 for it For if he that once sinneth this sin be not all to be prayed for it will be a great inducement to perswade us that it is altogether unpardonable There is yet another reason alledged by Expositors why this sin is absolutely unpardonable and that is because as they say this blasphemy being one committed it is ever after accompanied with finall 〈◊〉 according to that saying before alledged out of Heb. 6. 6. If this prove true then such blasphemers must certainly perish according to our Saviours words in another case Luke 13. 3. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish and so this sinne may fitly be called a sinne unto death But yet to say any sin is so great that in any case it cannot be pardoned will be most harsh and derogatory to the infinite mercy of God in Christ for the sacrifice for sin the Lamb of God is of infinite value and an all-sufficient sacrifice but no sins of the sons of men are infinite either in measure or number but onely in respect of the Object that is God a most mercifull God against whom they are committed Pecca a numerari possunt sed misericordia Dâ—â— nulla mensura comprehendi potest i. Our sins are not numberless but the mercy Basil in Ascet Reg. n. 31. of God is immense and infinite and the Scripture tells us Rom
drunkards c. shall inherit the Kingdome of God yet we beleive that Noah Loâ— David and the penitent theif who had offended in these sins shal notwithstanding inherit the Kingdome of God the Apostle in the words immediately following doth cleerly unfold the meaning both of that and of al other Threatnings when he saith vers 11. And such as these were some of youâ— but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus so that in al threatnings we are ever to suppose that ther is at least this secret and reserved condition Except ye repent according to Gods declaration which is thus exprest 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins And hence is the rule of divines Omnes commâ—nationes dei sunt intelligendae sub conditione impaenitentiae i The threatnings of God are ever to be understood with the condition of impenitencie This is the judgment both of our modern divines Orig. in Num. 23. hom 6. also of the Ancients Origâ—n saith Ostenditur Deus quandoque dicere non facâ—reâ—ait ergo per Hieâ—miam loquar super gentem si convertetur gens illa 〈◊〉 c. i Because it appeareth that God saith he wil doe that which yet he doth not performe therfore he hath informed us by Jeremie what his meaning is when he saith â—f I speak against a nation if that nation be convered and repent I also wil repent and againe the same Father saith Deus cum possiâ—â—â—cens punire nunquam hoc facit Orig. in Hier. 1. hom 1. sed etiamsi condemnavâ—râ—tâ— dicit tamen quod sibi semper dicere proposiâ—um est ut liberentur a condemnatione per paenitentiam qui condemnati suerant per delictum ut in Ninivitis i God could punish without threatning but doth not and although he hath condemned yet he saith as indeed he ever purposeth that those against whom the sentence of condemnation is gone forth yet may be delivered by repentance St. Chrysostom hath the like observation upon those words Jona 3. 4. Chrys hom 5. Antioch Forty daies and Ninevy shall be destroyed This threatning did not fail saith he for God declareth Jer. 18 7. That when he speaketh against a Nation his meaning ever is that if that nation repent he also will repent of his indignation and yet the Truth of God is no way prejudiced although the judgment threatned be not so effected because it is alwaies meant conditionally yea it is ever more probable that because God so openly threatned secretly he did really not intend at all to execute that judgment which he so threatned and more yet That he therefore threatned because Chrys hom Antioch 53 he did not purpose it Chrysostom saith Deus Gehennam mmatus est quo Gehennam non inducat i God therefore threatneth hell that thereby he may not condemn Basil in Esa c. 13. Basil in Esa c. 5. to hell And Saint Basil saith Deus interminatur ut sic exoretur i God therefore threatneth that thereby he may provoke men to prayer that by it he may be pacified and again concerning the figtree Luc. 13. 6. he saith Exitat agricolam ut diligentius excolat est comminatio quae efficiat ut à peccato convertantur i. Soz. l. 7 c. 1â— the intent of the threatning was to incite the husbandman to take greater care of it so there is a threatning intended onely to provoke men to conversion It is observed by Sozomen of the most gentle and godly Emperour Theodosius that his Edicts penall did commonly threaten very severe and direfull punishment but that he did not execute them even as our most mercifull God when he seemeth most severe in his threatning yet he secretly reserveth an inlet of mercy to stay the execution if the offenders will repent and therefore the prudent Jewes would not condemn that man for a false prophet who had in the name of God threatned judgments although the judgments threatned were not so executed because they knew that the executing or suspending thereof depended on the penitencie or impenitencie of men Thus having in generall shewed that Gods threatnings are to be understood conditionally let us now examine this particular threatning against such as commit the sin against the holy Spirit of which it is said It shall not be forgiven CHAP. III. That the blasphemy against the holy Spirit is then onely unpardonable when it is accompanied with final impenitencie IT is worthy of our observation that Christ immediately Mat. 12. 31. before he denounced that the blasphemy of the spirit should not be forgiven he had said Mat. 12. 31. All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men Certainly if all sin be forgiven it must needs follow that the blasphemy of the Spirit shall be forgiven unto some and therefore it is not absolutely unpardonable All the difficulty will be to understand how all sins shall be pardoned and yet this sin shall not be pardoned Both sayings must needs be true because Truth hath spoken them Surely the meaning is That there is no sin so great that it can bring damnation Aslemb c. 15. page 27. upon those who truly repent All sins are pardonable to the penitent and therefore this blasphemy also is pardonable if it be repented but without repentance it shall never be forgiven in this world whilest men continue in this sin nor in the world to come if men dye in it But yet it must needs be confessed that there is a difference in the repentance which is required to the pardon of this grand sin and that repentance which is necessary to preceed the pardon of other inferior Vide infra Cap. sins for no actuall sin is to be thought pardonable without repentance in some measure of which difference I shall speak hereafter in its due place But for the present it is expedient to enquire whether this blasphemy be in any case pardonable I have shewed before what the Scripture saith of those that denied Christ as Peter did and those Jewes Acts 3. 14. although denying Christ seemeth to be that sin of which it is said Luke 12. 9. 10. it shall not be forgiven Therefore the next thing to be enquired is the judgment of the Church in the exposition of those words It shall never be forgiven Athanasius in his Ath. to 3. pag. 626. book de Communi essâ—ntia Patris Fâ—lii c. First laieth down this conclusion Nullum â—st peccatum irâ—â—â—â—ssibile apud Dâ—um in illis qui verè 〈…〉 â—gunt i No sin is unpardonable with God in them which truly repent and he maketh this observation on those words of Christ That he did not say that he who sâ— blasphemeth and repenteth but onely he that blasphemeth shall not be forgiven and that therefore the meaning is that he that so blasphemeth and continueth persevering impenitâ—ntly in
is applied to a Man S. Basil saith Baptismus est similitudo Basil de Bapt. lib. 1. n. 18. Crucis mortis sepulturae râ—surrectionis i Baptisme is the similitude or representarion of the Crosse death burial and resurrection of Christ He that will have two Baptismes doth implie a similitude of two deaths Christ died but once and wee in our Baptisme dyed with him Christ dieth no more nor we by Baptisme can dye any more with him Theophilact so expoundeth Theoph. in loc these words He that will be twide Baptized doth therby make a representation of two Deaths and two Crucifyings of Christ And put him to an open shame Because it is ignominious and a great undervaluing of that one most precious and alsufficient Sacrifice of Christ to Imagine that his once dying is not Satisfactorie to the Justice of God for all our sins both before and after Baptisme Therfore it must needs follow that it is also Ignominious to his said death for any Man to represent or apply two deaths of Christ to himself by two Baptismes for as his once dying is a sufficient redemption so one application of it to our selves by one Baptisme is a sufficient application If therfore by sin we fall away from the benefit of Christs death by suffering sin to live and raigne in us having once died unto sin Sacramentally by Baptisme we must returne to the benefit therof by repentance and mortification of sin and not by a new or second Baptisme For the earth which drinketh in the raine c. vers 7. 8. Here is a second reason alleaged against re Baptization 2. Reason taken from the similitude of the earth with Man for the earth which hath bin watered by raine from Heaven and dressed by the husbandman if it bring forth good fruite answerable to its watering and dressing it is a signe that the blessing from God still continueth on it Even that blessing wherwith it was at the Creation blessed when it was said Gen. 1. 11. Let the earth bring forth grasse and the fruit tree But if after this watering and dressing it beareth only weeds thorns and briers then a new watering will not help it but make it worse by giving a new and fresh aliment whereby those Weeds and Thorns will be increased and grow stronger watering is not a meanes to kill them or to extripate them So that Christian whose soule hath been watered with Baptismall Grace and dressed with holy doctrines of repentance and faith toward God and hath been instructed in the certainty of the resurrection and of Judgment eternall and yet for all this bringeth no fruites of Righteousnesse and Holinesse but contratily aboundeth luxuriantly in all manner of carnall vâ—ces let him not think that these weeds and thorns of his soul can be mortified or killed by a second baptismall watering Which if it should be applyed would rather accumulate higher and increase his sins then diminish them even as rain doth weeds because such a second Baptism will be accounted â—s a second crucifying the Son of God and shaming him by undervaluing his own most precious death so as it is before said and as the Earth being cursed Bâ—ingâ—th forth thorns and thistâ—â—s Gâ—n 3. 18. So that baptized Ambro. in loc One who bringeth forth no better fruit is nigh unto cursing and like unto Thornes his end is to be burnt He saith but nigh unto Cursing not yet altogether accuâ—sed and whose end is to be burnt yet not presently thrown into the fire for as St. Ambrose expounds it Combustio non crit nisi quis in finâ—m permaneâ—t in peccatis suis In this exposition of this Scripture all this while the reader doth not find any imposibility of repencance of renuing or of remission and pardon of the grand blasphemy the impossibility here mentioned â—s only an impossibility of renovation and repâ—ntance by a second baptism If this exposition be admitted it will quit us of a great deal of trouble which some Expositors have occasioned and thereby much perplexed many mens mindes How well or ill other writers of late have expounded this place I take not upon me to censure nor am I so wedded to this as to propose it Magisterially but with submission to my Superiors this may be true though others are not false for the Character which St. Austin setteth on the Mosaicall Scriptures and Aug. confes lib. 12. c. 31. 32. their Expositors may serve for all other Scriptures Cum alius dixâ—rit hoc sensit Moses quod ego et alius dicit imò illud quod ego cur non utrumque dixero sensisse id ibid. utrumque verum est and again he saith Moses sensit quicquid veri hic potuimus invenire et quicquid nondum possumus invenire whatsoever truth may probably be gathered out of a Scripture agreable with the faith and profitable may with humility be submitted unto as if it were the true meaning of that most wise Spirit by whom it was inspired who hath so composed the Scriptures in such a temper as may be sutable to the various senses of men although some see more in them then others have discerned my humble prayer shall be with him Domine nec fallar in Scripturis nec fallam ex eis i Aug. confes l. 11. cap. 2. The Lord grant that I may neither be deceived in the meaning of Scriptures nor by Scriptures deceive others CHAP. VII A review of those words Heb 6. 4. and some doubts cleared â—concerning the former Exposition what moved the Apostle to handle the Doctrine of Baptism and so strictly to forbid Anabaptisme in this Epistle to the Hebrews THe summe of the former Exposition is That if a man fall from baptismall Grace he must nor expect a restoring thereunto by a Second baptisme this place being the chief in Scripture by which Anabaptism or Rebaptization is expresly inhibited though something obscurely It would now be inquired whether this Word Inlightned in this place may not signifie those that are instructed or chatechised onely and not those that are baptised and this because some think that instruction in the Christian doctrine is here principally meant for that the custome of the Church was that in Adulto baptism which was the baptizing of people when they were in yeares of discretion catechising ever went before baptism To this I answer that in the Ancient Church language it cannot appear to me that any were called Illumâ—nati i the Inlightned before they were actually baptized although they were ever so exactly instructed and known to be very learned in Christian Doctrine for we find that many were chosen and compelled to be Bishops before they were baptized as Eusâ—bius Naz. orat 19. 20. Soz. l. 7. c 8. Ruffin hist l 2. c. 11. Soz lib. lâ—b 6. c. 〈◊〉 Bishop of Caesaria in Caâ—padocia who was the Predecessor of St. Basil and after him Nectarâ—us was chosen Bishop of Constantinople by Theoâ—osius
age that their delay was also for carnall respects the danger of delaylaying it the Storie of a Jew-Anabaptist and an example upon an Arian pseudobaptisme the conclusion of this Exposition IF the Ancients accounted paedobaptisme so good and lawfull as is said it may further be demanded why they did so frequently and almost generally defer put off their Baptisme either untill ripe years even to very old age or their death bed and yet we find by many pasâ—ages in the Church Records that men exceedingly feare to die unbaptized and did exceedingly lament for their friends that died without Baptisme Saint Aug. Epist 180. Austine reporteth that in any time of danger or persecution there used to be great confluence of people to the Church requiring Baptisme and this was because they feared to die without it And the sisters of the Emperour Valeminiaâ— us the younger did greatly mourn not so much for the death of the Emperour Amb. de obit Valent. n. 46. as for that he died without Baptisme as Saint Ambrose declared That men did so defer their Baptisme it is most evident and yet not onely ordinary ignorant and common people but also the most considerable prudent honourable and learned men in their dayes the godly Emperor Constantine the first who was the greatest advancer of Christian Religion being also born of Euseb de vita Const l. 1 n. 47. Christian Parents yet he would not be Baptized till his old age when he was 65 yeares old and but a little before his death as Socraâ—es saith so his sonne Constantius Soc. l 1. c. 26 Euseb in vit Const 4. Soz. l. 2. c. 32. the Emperor and Valens and Theodosius the elder a most Godlie Prince these all deferred baptisme untill they thought that their death was neare and of the cleargy besides those before mentioned who were elected Bishops before their baptisme Nazianzen was 30 yeares and Austin was 34 yeares ould before they were baptized to omitt others Rhenanus observeth Rhen. in Tert. de coron mil. annot n. 12. Amb. de paenit l. 2. c. 11. n. 34. that in the primitive Church Soli adulti serè baptizati i. though some infants were baptized yet mostlie they baptized at yeares of discretion and S. Ambros affirmed Si paenitentia non esset Omnes different abluâ—ionis gratiam usque ad senectutem i If it were not for the Second remedie of Repentance no Man would be baptized untill his ould age and death bed Which bed-riddenbaptized are therfore called Clinici and Tertullian understandeth Cyp. lib. 4. Ep. 7. Tert. de Resur n. 20. that passage 1 Cor. 15 29. of Vicarium Baptisma i That the living were baptized in the stead of others that died unbaptized If we shall curiouslie examine why the ancients deferred baptisme so long it will appeare that their reasons mostlie were Carnal and voluptuous for because they beleeved that baptisme was the Sacrament of remitting sins past both Original and actual and also because at the time of baptisme the person to be baptized made a solemne profession of râ—nouncing the world the flesh and the devil that they thought themselves much more obliged to a pure and strickt Christian life after this vow then before and because they were very unwilling to part with their worldly pleasures and lusts therefore they put off their baptismes till the time of ould age when their lusts should leave them S. Austin confessed of himself that when in his youth he Prayed for the grace of Chastitie yet in his heart he did not desire it might be presently given him Aug. Conf. l. â— c. 7. Domine da mihi Chastitatem sed noli modo timebam ne me ciâ—ò audiret malebam expleri quam extingui concupiscâ—utiam i Lord give me Chastitie but give it not yet I was afraid God would grant it too soon for I desired rather to satisfie my lusts then to have them extinguished Against such carnal delayers Nazianzen very gravely Naz. Orat. 40. inveigheth It is absurd saith he to defer baptisme for such voluptuous causes It is the Devil that suggesteth thus Give me thy present time and youthfull dayes let God have thy weake old age Doe not therfore accumulate thy sins that in baptisme a greater number may be remitted On thy death bed the physician will be busie about thee the cryes of thy wise and children will disturb thee the preist labouring to prepare thee for heaven will be quarrelled at by thy kindred which gape for thy estate besides even in thy youth one câ—â—m of bread may suddenly end thy life and if thou shouldest die without the Sacramenâ—al mark of the great shepherd Satan may surprize thy Soule as theeves doe sheep not marked this deferring baptisme doth moreover give a great evidence to the world of thy lusts and that thou desirest still to continue in them he added further If thou hast any infant-Children let them be presently dedicated to God by baptisme least they also be inticed to sin Samuel was promised to God before he was borne and Baptismus puero magnum est â—muletum incantamentum i Baptisme is a preservative and an holie charm against sin thus he and much more and indeed to defer baptisme onlie to prolong our time of loose living what is it but against the Apostles direction therefore to sin that grace may abound S. Austin reporteth of himself That in his youth he Aug. Confes l. 1. c. 11. fell into a dangerous sicknes and therfore desired baptisme but before it could be administred he began to recover so it was deferred hereupon himself confessed Laxata sunt loca peccandi i He was let loose to all manner of sin and when some reproved him others would answer for him sine eum facere quodvult nondum enim Baptizaâ—us est tamen non dicitur sine vulneretur nondum enim sanatus est i Let him alone let him doe what he will for he is not yet Baptized they might as well have said let him be wounded for he is not yet cured Others would delay baptisme under pretence of feare least they should not be able to satisfie and keep the vow which is there to be made when as it was in truth therfore because they were loath to leave their pleasures and lusts for when some had bin persuaded to come to the pabtismal font who were knowne to have put away their wives and taken other women and so lived in adulterie when they were required to put away those women before they could be baptized they have chosen rather to live without baptisme then to put away their concubines and so have returned unbaptized as S. Austin reporteth Aug. de side Op. c. n. 78. Others would say they deferred baptisme until the anniversarie baptismal dayes Easter or Pentecost came and then they would pretend that they would stay longer untill their kindred came or that they were not provided of a gift
Godhead is there called the Holiâ— Spirit or Holie ghost as hath bin shewed before in my Second book and this blasphemio consisteth in the denial of the Godhead of Iesus Christ wherby his allsufficient Sacrifice is undervalued and the Son of God is troden underfoot as being esteemed but a creature and a meer man and therby becometh contemptible and his Blood even the blood of the Covenant is esteemed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i But common ordinarie unholie blood no better then the blood of another ordinarie common man and not Sanctified and ordaineth for that great and high mysterie to be offered as a full and sufficient expiatorie sacrifice for the sins of the world according to the Covenant of God For he that denyeth the Godhead of Christ must needs think that his blood is but common blood as other mens blood is and therfore not of sufficient worth and value to redeem the world more then another mans blood is and indeed if his blood be no better then the blood of another man and if it be not the royal blood of God Act. 20. 28. It hath not it can not redeeme us Now whether the sin mentioned in this place be absolutely unpardonable and altogether remediless will better apeare by a diligent exposition of that text as it stands in relation to the context both before and after it For if we sin c If everie sin which is committed after we knew and professed the Christian religion should be unpardonable what man could be saved seeing the most righteous men fall and therfore doe daylie pray forgive us our trespasses therfore this saying can not be understood of every sin but suerlie here is one special grand and capital sin meant and what that is the words going before and following doe declare For verse 5. it is said in the Person of the Son of God Sacrifice and Offerings thou wouldst not but a Vide. Psal 40. bodie hast thou prepared for me That is because the Legal sacrifices or the blood of bulls and goates could not redeem man therfore an humane bodie was prepared for the Son of God that in that assumed humane nature he might in man's stead beare the curse and suffer death which man had merited And because we who are but meer men weak and sinfull can not by our selves performe the will and law of God without performance wherof no man can be saved therfore the Son of God came in our stead to performe the whole law so as was required and willed of God as it is said vers 9. Then said I loe I come to doe thy will o God So that both the active obedience of Christ in doing the law and his passive obedience in suffering the punishment of our transgressions are here set forth in these words vers 10. By the which will we are sanctified through the Offering of the body of â—esu Christ once for all That is by Christs performing the will or commandments of God in our stead and through the Sacrifice of himself on the Altar of the Cross for our sins his mystical bodie or Church is Sanctified for it is said vers 12. This man Christ Offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever and again vers 14. hâ— one offering he hath perfiâ—ted for ever them that are Sanctified and then we are exhorted vers 22. Let us draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith and vers 23. Let us hold fast the Proâ—ession of our faith without wavering If we sin there remaineth no more sacrifice c Having shewed what the foundation of our Christian religion is namely Jesus the Son of God God Incarnate and in his humane nature performing the covenant law and will of God both actively and passively for us and in our stead and requiring that we should have a full assurance of faith of the truth of that Doctrine without which faith Christ will not profit us he now shewes the sad consequences of rejecting this doctrine by Apostacie or falling away from our Christian religion in these words There remaineth no more sacrifice for sins but a certaine fearfull looking for of judgement So that the sin here meant is Apostasie that is forsaking Christianitie as Julian did esteeming of Christ but as of an ordinarie Coman man and therfore distrusting the sufficiencie of his blood and death as not an equivalent price and ransome for man's redemption The truth of this Exposition will better appear by the words following wherein this particular sin is evidently expressed and is called verse 29. Treading under foot the Sonne of God counting the blood of the Canant unholy or as it is in the Originall a common thing and doing despight unto the Spirit of Grace Now to tread under foot is to vilipend and undervalue Christ as esteeming him not sufficient to take away or satisfie for our sinnes to count the blood of the Covenant unholy or Common is to esteem of the death and blood shedding of Christ to be of no more vertue and power then the death and blood of another Common man and they that so basely undervalue Christ as to think and to account him but a meer man do despight unto the Spirit of Grace What is the Spirit of Grace in the Sonne of God but his Divine Spirit and Godhead even that Spirit from which all Graces flow which are called the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ So they who have no higher estimation of Christ then of a meere man do despight unto his Divine Nature his God-head for what greater spite can be then to un-God him the word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to despite in effect is all one with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Saint Matthew and the Spirit of Grace here is the same which is there called the Holy Spirit which doth signifie the God-head of Christ as hath been shewed before For if he that despised Moses Law died without mercy verse 28. Yet Moses was but a mere man and so but a Theod. in loc fervant to this our God Quanâ—ò morte dignior est qui Mosis Deum habâ—t despicatui i. What shall become of him that despiseth the God of Moses and the saving Doctrine of Christ who is the Onely Eternall God Moses propounded life as a reward to them that should perform the Law Christ did perform that Law in mans stead to mans behoof and benefit and offereth to men the benefit of that performance and with it life eternall onely with this condition of believing on him Therefore that man which will not give credit to this joyfull-Evangelicall offer must expect to perish eternally for if Christ be rejected absolutely and salvation through him despised and not hoped for or expected There is no other sacrifice for our sins possibly to be found nor any other Name by which we can be saved By what hath been said it appeareth that these words If we sinne in this place signifie the sinning of the
saw that Christ was condemned herepented himself To this and the like sayings it may be answered That there are two degrees or parts or ingredients of repentance The First is the consideration of the terrors of divine vengeance of the threatnings in the law which causeth feare and horror of punishment only and looketh no further this divines call repentance legal because it is caused by the preaching of the law onlie as when a sinner considereth the plagues that hang over his head it will make him sorrowfull this is called in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i Carefulnes dread and anxiâ—â—ie for sins committed in respect onlie of the insuing punishment thus Caine and Ahab repented and of Judas it is there said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i he was greived The Second part or ingredient of repentance which added to the former makes a compleat repentance and acceptable is the consideration of Gods mercie grounded upon his promises in the Gospel such as Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavie laden c. This is called repentance Evangâ—lical and is expressed by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 3. 19. and 2 Cor. 7. 10. which is rendred fitlie by the word râ—cipiscencie which signifieth a returning to ones self a recovering of our lost witt or former good estate this ever is accompanied with amendment of life or at least a resolution therto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tertul. n. 41. and 15. Naz. in Poem n 44. Tert. de Paenit n. 15. est animi demutatio est â—um quis corrigit vitam improbam i. a Changing of our evil thoughts and correcting of our evil life for repentance which is onlie a sorrow for sin is but fruitless without amendment of life Vana est paenitentia ubi nulla emendatio i Vaine is thy penitencie without amendment or resipiscency Judas proceeded no further then the first degree sorrow in respect of his sin and accusing conscience and insuing punishment he said I have sinned but he sought not for pardon Peter sinned then he wept bitterlie but afterward he repaired to his Lord conversed with him professed his love and afterwards died for his truth The dove is a groaning bird an emblem of repentance it left the arke bur it returned The impure Crow the emblem of reprobates it weares a mourning garment too it went out of the aâ—ke but never returned David sinned often repented he Confessed peccavi he smote his breast so far a reprobate Iudas might 2 Sam. 24. 10. Luc. 10. 13. goe but David ceased not here bur added Lord take away the iniquitie of thy servant the Publican smote his brest but added God be mercifull to me a sinner The pâ—nitent Jewes Act. 2. 32. first are pricked in hart but added Men and brethren what shall we doe Legal repentance onlie driveth men to sorrow despaire and destruction but evangelical â—esipiscence leadeth men to sorrow and further to hope to amendment to joy to Salvation These 2 degrees or sorts of repentance were shadowed and intimated in the actions of Moses in the law and Christ in the Gospel One of the memorable actions of Moses was Ex. 7. 2 Turning waters into blood Christs first miracle was turning water into wine to signifie The law-preaching alone to a sinner will turne his waters of repentance into blood death destruction and despair but the Gospel promises added turne our waterie teares into wine and gladnes and this conceit Durand stumbled on and thus expressed it Aquam Dur. Rat. l. 6. c. 72 in vinum mutare est timorem de peccatiâ— converti in exultationem mentis From what hath bin said I think I may safelie take up this conclusion that when soever a sinner though ever so great a blasphemer shall confess repent and amend his sin and turne unto the Lord his God according to the rules of evangelical resipiscence that penitent sinner shall find mercifull entertainement For when I see that there is no sin so great but that the Scriptural exhortations and invitations to repentance may and verilie dâ—â— extend to it and to the greatest blasphemer I can not imagine that such a repentance shall be fruitles and vaine unto which God himself doth invite us neither would our merciful and most wise God threaten destruction to an impenitent sinner if he purposed not to shew mercie to a true penitent Tertullian saith Deus non comminaretur non paenâ—tenâ—i si Tert. de Paenit n. 15. Aug. de fide ad Pet. Diaco n. 74. non ignosceret paenitâ—nti and to the like purpose S. Austin saith Deus nunquâ—m peccatori indixisset paeâ—itentiam nisi paenitâ—nti veniâ— concedâ—nda esset i God would never have threatned the impenitent if he intended not to pardon a penitent neither would he have required repentance of a sinner unless he purposed to grant him pardon if he did repent But then what shall be answered to those sayings in the old Testament where God professeth the contrariâ— Prov. 1. 28. They shall call upon me but I wil not answere they shall seek me carlie but they shall not find me no not when feare distress anguish commeth upon them Isay 1. 5. When ye sprâ—ad forth you hands when ye make many Prayers I will not heare I will hide mine Eyes and Jer. 14. 12. When they fast I will not heare their crye and Ezech. 8. 18. Though they cry in mine Eare with a loud vaice yet I will not heare them and Zach. 7. 13. and Mich. 3. 4. The like sayings are now calling and loud-crying and spreading of hands with many Prayers seeking the Lord and that early and in time of distress and with fasting are outward expressions of vehement repentance yet God will not heare them For answer hereunto let the reader look on the context of those places and he shall find that those Cryes * plus tristitiae quam paenitentiae Tacitus hist lib. 1. p. 445. Pro. 1. 29. Isa 1. 15. Ier. 14. 10. Eze 8 17. Mich. 3. 3 Zach. 7. 11. were not the Cryes of true penitents but of whiners that continued impenitently in their sins they would not leave sinning but yet called for deliverance from some temporal plague then hanging over their heads for it is at the same time said They chose not the feare of the Lord their hands are full oâ— blood That they loved to wander to idols they have filled the Land with violence they eate the flesh of my people they stopped their eares that they would not heare hereupon God professeth that the Clamors of such impenitent sinners aad oppressors shall not divert his temporal plagues this is all that is there intended But that the hartie groanings of a sinner trulie penitent shall not avert Eternal plagues doth not by these words appeare And in consideration of the most wise dispensatious of the Almightie it is no marvel that he refuseth to withhold or withdraw temporal pâ—nishments from impenitent sinners seing he doth not alwayes
The whole Church prayeth that faith may be given to Infidels and S. Austin saith Sacerdos ad altare hortatur populum orare pro incredulis i. The Preist at the very altar in time of the â—olie Euchâ—rist exhorted the people to pray for unbeleevers and from this practise of the Church Catholick he reproveth the Pelagiâ—ns who affirmed that men by their owne power without assistant grace might perform the will of God This Doctrins saith he frustrateth the devotion of the Church for why should she pray for that which is not by grace or the gift of God And just so Prosper argueth Prosp Respon act Genuens n. 30. against them If faith be not the gift of God Frustra orat Ecclesia pro non creden ibnâ— ut credunâ— i. In vaine doth the Church pray for infidels that they may beleeve if faith were not the gift of God Neither were these prayers put up for heathens or wicked and prophane men Only at such time when they were about to be converted or when they seemed to incline to Christianitie but even then whilest they were at their worst Fulgentius prayeth thus Domine Fulg. vel Paul Diac. de incar n. 2. Opt. lib. 3 malâ—s bonos facito i. Lord make them good who are now wicked and Optatus expounding that place 1 Tim. 2. 2. saith Paulus orandum praecipit pro regibus gentilitèr viventibus i. Paule appointed heathen Kings to be prayed for even whilest they lived in their heathenisme So the Church prayed for hereticks and persecutors whilest they continued both hereticks and persecutors Athanasius saith Populus Alexandrinus Orat Atha de populo Alex. n. 19. pro Constantio Artiano and Persecutore i. The people of Alexandria prayed for the Emperor Constantius who was both an Arrian and a persecutor and Epiphanius prayed for Iohn an heretical Bishop of Ierusalem in these Epiph. Epist ad Ioannem n. 31. words Domine praesta Joanni ut rectè credat i. Lord grant unto Iohn a right belief for surely there is very great cause to pray for the conversion of such whose heresies and persecutions doe endanger the very being of the Church and Chrysostome presseth this duetie of praying for such because saith he it is an act and Chrys serm d. Cruce latr n. 48. Machar hom 18. signe of far greater Charitie to pray for our enemies then for our friends finallie the Holie man Macarius said Sancti Orant prototo genere Adae i. Holie men use to pray for the whole generation of Adam In those bookes de vocatione Gentium which goe under the name both of S. Ambrose and also of Prosper the custome of the Church in praying for all sorts of men is fully set forth Supplicat ubique ecclesia deo Amb. de voc Gent. l. 1. c. 4. Prosp n. 53. non solum pro Sanctis jam regeneratis sed pro Omnibus infidelibus inimicis Crucis Christi pro Omnibus idolorum cultoribus pro omnibus qui Christum in membris ipsius persequuntur pro Iudaeis pro haereticis pro schismaticis quid autem pro ipsis petit nisi ut relictis erroribus convertantur ad fidem c. i. The Church doth now every where put up supplications to God not only for her owne holie and regenerate members but for all infidels and enemies of the Cross of Christ for idolaters persecutors Iewes hereticks schismaticks and thus she prayeth for them that they may be converted from their errors to the true faith The like is found in the Epistle of Bishop Caelestinus written in the behalf of Prosper and Hilarie and is amongst the works both of Austin and of Prosper setting forth not only Aug n. 72. Prosp n 62. what kinds of men were prayed for but also what prayers were used Obsecrationum sacerdotalium sacramenta quae ab Apostolis tradita in toto mundo at que in Omni Catholica ecclesia uniformiter celebrantur praesules humani generis agunt causam apud divinam clementiam precantur ut infidelibus donetur fides ut idolaatriae libenâ—tur ab erroribus ut Iudaeis lux veritatis appareat ut haeretici resi piscant ut scismatici Spiritum redivivae Charitatis accipiant ut lapsis paenitextia remedia conferantur c. The holie Rites of sacerdotal prayers descending downe from the Apostles times are uniformly celebrated in every Catholick Church in the world the prelates are the Orators to God in the behalf of all mankind they pray for infidels that faith may be given to them for Idolaters that they may be delivered from their errors that the Jewes may embrace the truth that hereticks may recant and scismaticks may recover the Spirit of Charitie that all lapsed sinners may have the remedie of repentance Lastly upon all these precepts and presidents both of the Scriptures and the Church primitive the Church of England with great pietie and prudence prayeth also for all men yea for her Enemies In the Letanie and Collect on good-friday persecutors and slanderers that they may find mercy and forgivenes and for the conversion of all Iewes Turks in fidels and hereticks This I trust is sufficient if not to much to set forth that any sinne though ever so great during his life time may be prayed for at least so far as that he may have the grace of convension from his sin * Orandum est pro bene malè viventibus ut bonus perseveret malus convertatur Aug. ad frat in Erem hom 42. And upon these grounds and reasons I would make no scruple at all to pray for the repentance of that partie whom I know to have committed that sin of which it is said It shall never be forgiven because I am fully persuaded that the threatning there is conditional viz. It shall never be forgiven without conversion and repentance as I have shewed before and therfore if I knew any man who had committed thaâ— sin in that high degree as it is described by Beza viz. He who ' is inlightned with the knowledg of Gods truth so that he Beza in 1 Joh. 5. 16. can not be ignorant though he would yet upon set purpose doth maliciously oppose and resist God purposely and knowingly I see no cause why I should doubt to pray for grace and the conversion of such an heinous sinner whilest he is yet aliue No man living is debarred from the prayers of the Church as you have heard no not the lapsed or excommunicated nor those that are therby delivered to Satan for even that most severe censure was intended for their Conversion and Salvation only as S. Austin noteth u. Ecclesia non Aug. de Civit. lib. 21. c. 24. Orat pro diabolo i The Church prayeth not for the apostate Angels and withal he there professeth that if he did certainly know those men that were predestinated to hell fire which no man can know without an especial revelation then indeed he would
no more pray for them then for the devil CHAP. XX. The meaning of those words I doe not say that he shall pray for it the difference between praying for the person and praying for the sin the different prayers for a sinner penitent and a sinner impenitent the practise of the Church in praying for her persecutors and against them the prayers ef Christ and S. Stephen explained the case of Alexander the Copper-smith HAving shewed that the Charitie of Christian prayer is so largly extended unto all sinners of what height-soever I am now to set downe positively what I conceive to be the meaning of the Apostle in these words I doe not say he shall pray for it Surelie here is somthing forbidden to be prayed for or at least somthing that we have no warrant to pray for For the understanding hereof I desire the reader to observe that S. Iohn doth not forbid that the sinner unto death should be prayed for but that the sin must not be prayed for and this observation may very easily be discerned in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answereth to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so our English translation taketh notice of this meaning this I do not say he shall pray for it for it that is not for the sin but S. John doth not say he shall not pray for him that is for the person sinning so for all that is here said the person may be prayed for only the sin must not be prayed for According to this exposition the reader may observe that in the words going before the Apostle directeth us to pray for the brother that sinneth not unto death but not for the sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall give him â—â—se the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answereth to the person either of him that prayeth or of him that sinneth not unto death but it can not be meant of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sin for so he had written incongâ—uously All difficultie will be taken away if we doe but distinguish the act from the person and the sin from the sinner thus The person may be prayed for but the sin may not be prayed for But then If the person sinning unto death may be prayed for as well as the person sinning not unto death where is the difference which the Apostle here intendeth to shew between the prayer for a penitent and the prayer for an impenitent sinner To this I answere that the difference is very great and very evident for we pray for the penitent that he may be forgiven and this we pray absolutlie but for the impenitent sinner we doe not pray that he and his sin may be forgiven absolutelyâ— but conditionally that he may be converted and may have the grace of repentance and amendment and so may be forgiven and live we pray for the persons conversion and forgivenes but we pray not that his sin may be forgiven without conversion and therfore the Apostle directeth not to pray for it For if we should pray that the sin may be remitted without any consideration or pre supposition of repentance then we should also with prayer for remission pray for the permission of sin and therby we should imply that we would have God to give leave and allowance and libertie to sin nay to give tolleration commission countenance and approbation to sin as if we would desire that God would grant to man a licence to sin impune the very imagination wherof would be an high impietie and therfore the Church in her prayers for sinners not yet penitent prayed for them with mention of her desire their conversion as hath bin fully shewed and may to this day appeare The Church of England upon this very reason prayeth for Turks and infidels that they may be saved but for their salvation she doth not pray immediatlie and unconditionally as if she desired their salvation together with their continuance in living and dying in their infidelitie but thus she prayeth Take from them Collect. ut Super on Good Friday ignoâ—ance hardnes of hart contempt of the word and fetch them home to thy flock then after these conditions comes in That they may be saved This is to pray for the persons of sinners but not for their sin pray not for it The true Church never prayeth against the persons of the greatest sinner on earth or her greatest enemies Only the prayeth against their sins without breach of charitie toward their persons S. Austin thus prayeth Aug. Epist 16â— Idem to 6. n. 8. against the Donatist's heresies Deus errorem vestrum occidat in vobis and of the Manichees he saith Non vos sed errores odimus and S. Ierome said the like of the Pelagians Hier. proaem in Jere. p. 270. Non hominum sed errorum â—imicus sum i. That God would kill their errors that their persons are not hated but their heresies only Now to hate and detest and indeavour the extirpation of sin and to pray against it without hatred of the person is just bona persecutio quae non hominem sed peccatum ejus Prosp in Psal 100. insectatur i. It is a good persecution when the sin only and not the person is oppressed just so did our Church pray against her enemies Abate their pride asswage their malice and confound their devices This may well stand with Christian charitie without any hinderance of our prayers for the amendment conversion and salvation of their persons For it we pray fot our enemies but it is ut Convertantur Aug. n. 28. idem n. 31. for their conversion and for infidels but ut Credant i. That they may become beleevers but we doe not pray that they may be saved in their sins they living and dying in their infidâ—litie S. Austin writing upon those words Joh. 17. 9. I pray not for the world Aug. n. 102. saith Pro non credentibus non postulatur ut illis diffidentibus ignoscantur peccata sed ut bonitas patâ—entia dei expectet si sorte vellent corrigi ut dilationem longâ—m accipiant i. We pray not for unbeleevers that their sins may be pardoned whilest they continue in their unbelief but that the goodnes and patience of God would for beare them a long time that so happilie they might amend For to pray absolutely for the salvation of a grand scandalous sinner without respect had to his conversion were to abuse the truth and righteousnes of our most righteous judg Beza saith Profaâ— sunt qui Beza in 1. Joh. 5. 16. hoc peccatum petunt remitti non resipiscentibus i. They are profane who desire pardon to impenitents I have heard of some hypocrites who made their silly proselites beleeve that God was so far from being angrie that he took pleasure in seeing such of Saints sinning as Fathers smile when they see their young children playing or els that God winketh and can
not see sin in such pretty black Saints Now albeit in the prayers of our Saviour and the Protomartyr S. Stephen the words run Forgive them Father Luc. 23. 34. Act. 7. 60. and Lord â—ay not this sin to their Charg without any explicit and overt mention of their Conversion and repentance yet we are not so to understand them that those grand sins should absolutly be pardoned without any conversion or repentance but that the prayers for forgivenes must presuppose and implie an inclusive prayer for the meanes leading to forgiveness which are faith conversion repentance and amendment as if our Saviour had said Father Open their eyes that they may know and confess me and adhere to me and repent and so that their sin may be forgiven and never laid to their charg So S. Chrysostome understandeth Chry n. 48. Fulg. n. 14. the words of Christ for saith he upon these words hinc tria quinque millia conversa and so Fulgentius noteth upon S. Stephens prayer Paulus converticur per orationem Stephani i. That these prayers did implie the conversion of these sinners for by vertue of them 3. and 5. thowsands yea and S. Paule was converted and this is cleerly expressed in S. Peters sermon Act. 3. 17. 19. as an exposition of our Saviours words And now brethren I wot that through ignorance ye did it repent ye therfore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out to signifie that the blotting out of sins ever presupposeth repentance Finally wheras some object that we may nor pray for the Conversion of the malicious enemies of the Church because they say S. Paule did not pray for Alexander the Copper smith mentioned 1 Tim. 4. 14. but said The Lord reward him according to his work To this we say First It doth non appear that S. Paul did not at all pray for his conversion Secondly S. Paul did not hereby forbid prayer for him Thirdly That as those words are no prayer for his conversion so neither are they accounted by the best expositors any imprecation but an Apostolical commination and a leaving of him to the judgment of Theoph. in Loc. Theod. in Loc. Anselm in Loc. God Theophilact expounds it thus Reddat pro reddet verbum pronunciantis est non imprecantis and so saith Theodoret and Anselm i. He saith the Lord reward him for the Lord shall or will reward him it is not the wish but the forewarning of the Apostle and therfore S. Ierome to express rather the meaning then the letter of those words for reddat reades Reddet ei Deus i. God will reward him which is no more then is said of other sinners Heb. 13. 4. Whâ—remongeâ—s and adulterers God will judg CHAP. XXI A recapitulation of the former Expositions of the foure places That finall Impenitencie cannot properly be called the grand sinne The difference of Repentance required to the grand sinne and to other inferiour and unknown sinnes The danger of misunderstanding the solifidian doctrine Of the misbeliefe of the Incarnation of Christ censured with Charitie The Conclusion IT is now high time to ease the Reader and to release him from my tediousnesse and to draw to a conclusion by summing up what hath been delivered concerning this grand sinne against the Holy Ghost in the Expositions of all those difficult places of Scripture the breviate whereof I do here represent in a few conclusions First To that saying Matthew 12. 31. It shall not be 1. forgiven The meaning is that it shal not be forgiven to that man who liveth and dieth in that blasphemie impenitently Secondly to that saying Heb. 6. 4 6. It is impossible 2. to Repentance The meaning is that they cannot be restored to newnesse of life and remission of sinnes after Baptisme by any new or second Baptisme but yet Repentance is not impossible as a second remedy to them that have fallen after Baptisme neither is it during life absolutely denied Thirdly To that saying Heb. 10. 26. If we sinne wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the 3. truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne The meaning is he that wilfully rejecteth Christs onely and all-sufficient sacrifice for sinne by accounting his blood Commoâ— that is by esteeming it to be but the blood of a meer man a meer creature and therefore to be no better nor of more worth then the blood of another man and in this blasphemous conceit and infidelitie liveth and dieth that man must look for nothing but judgement of condemnation and fiery indignation because there is none other sacrifice for sinne possibly to be found but Christ crucified who then was and is and ever will be Emmanuel Fourthly to that saying 1 John 5. 16. There is a sinne 4. unto death I do not say that he shall pray for it The meaning is that whosoever shall commit the grand sinne and in that sinne shall persist continue and persevere obdurately stubbornly and impenitently his whole life time and die therein without repentance and without speciall revocation recantation or retraction therof that man must needs perish everlastingly All prayers for that man so living dying will be unprofitable for his souls health For though whilest he liveth we may pray for his conversion and perhaps beheard for ought we know yet to pray for his pardon and salvation immediately without praying for and desiring his conversion as being necessary in order to his pardon and salvation is a foul abuse of Gods Truth and righteousness Fifthly That if all these Expositions prove true and 5. be so found and approved by the Christian Reader then my former conclusion will necessarily follow that neither this sinne which is called the sinne against the holy Spirit nor any other sinne how great soever is absolutely unpardonable but upon speciall and particular repentance thereof the sinner may finde mercy and forgivenesse From this doctrine of the necessity of repentance to go before forgivnesse some divines suspect that the grand and onely unpardonable sin is final impenitence because it is true that this grand in is pardonable if it be timely repented and as true that when it is accompanied with final impenitence it shall never be forgiven and indeed such a conceit did fall from the pen of Saint Hierom Impenitentiae crimen solum est quod Hier. Epist 4. 8. n. 9. veniam consequi nou potest i. impenitence is the only fault which cannot obtain pardon To this conceit the answer is that impenitencie cannot be called properly the sin unpardonable because of it self it is not alwaies to be called a sin for impenitency is blamlesse where no sin is the holy and unspotted quire of heavenly Angels as they are impeccant so are they not penitent and yet offend not thereby But impenitency in grand and capital offenders is a weighty and an aggravating circumstance then when it is the perpetual concomitant of sin and a consequent finally it makes the
Christ is the Authour or Testator of the Evangelicall Testament and not onely a Witnesse or Martyr as the Commenter would have him Chapter VIII The Immortalitie of the Soules of Men asserted against this Commenter from our Saviours Page 23 words Matthew 22. 32. Luke 23. 43. That the Article of Resurrection is therefore expressed to be said of the body onely because the Soul dieth not which is shewed in Saint Pauls Rapture and Saint Stephens Prayer from Church Writers Philosophers and Physicians observations in Anatomie the Souls mortalitie was the old Arabick Heresie Of the immortalitie of Christs humane Soul and consequently of ours That the Doctrine of the Souls immortalitie is now an Article of the Creed and why this Article was then newly added to the old Creed Chapter IX That the Article of Christs descent was added to Page 26 the old Creed principally to set forth the Immortalitie of the Soul of Christ and so of our souls An examination of the tradition oral and the writing of Creeds The summe of the ancient Doctrine of Faith briefly delivered by Irenaeus and the most Ancient Creed thereunto agreeing recorded by Tertullian Chapter X. That divers additions were made to the old Creed Page 29 occasioned by divers Heresies What the Heresies were and what Articles they occasioned and particularly that the Arabick Heresie denying the Souls immortalitie occasioned the Article of Descent is probably shewed for that it was not any Creed generally received before the death of Saint Austine the Nicene hath it not yet the Athanasian at first had it not nor is it in the symbolicall Hymne called Te Deum A modest censure of the Athanasian symbol and an Observation concerning the multitude of Creeds Chapter XI Of the word Hades which is translated Hell Page 32 that it proves the soules immortalitie in that it signifies a being subsistence or permanencie of the souls of dead men separated from their bodies and residing in a Mansion and Condition invisible to us Mortals That the place and state of souls separated is kept secret from us though the knowledge thereof hath been and is much desired Of Saint Hierom's and Curina's visions and the apparition of Irene deceased Chapter XII A censure of those visions of Saint Hierome and Page 35 Curina by comparing them with the Ecstasies of Saint Peter and Saint Paul mentioned Acts 10. 10. and Acts 22. 17. What an Ecstacie Traunce or Vision is In what manner God spake to the Prophets in visions Of Saint Johns Revelation The difference between Divine Inspirations and prophane Enthusiasmes That the one illuminates the other obtenebrates mens understanding and how such raptures or exstacies do argue and prove the Soules seperabilitie and immortalitie Chapter XIII That the Apparitions of the dead do not prove the Page 39 Souls immortalitie For that they are not really the Soules of men deceased but possibly may be the delusions of Satan assuming the shapes of men Why Necromancy is forbidden Deuteronomie 18. 11. Albeit the dead cannot appear to the living at their desire That the state of Soules seperated is concealed Chapter XIV That the Soules immortalitie is confessed by the Page 41 Church Catholick That the Commemoration of the dead in the Church Litnrgies was principally to set forth the Churches belief of the immortalitie of their Soules For that the dead receive no benefit by the prayers of the living The Opinion of some Divines concerning Saint Pauls prayer for Onesiphorus 2 Timothy 1. 18. and of that saying 1 John 5. 16. of which see a full Exposition in my fourth Book Chapter XV. That the Father's did not believe as the Commenter Page 43 doth that Soules departed are insensible as if they were dead or asleep because the Saints departed do pray for the Church Militant as the Fathers thought Chapter XVI Of the departures of mens soules That their conductors Page 48 and leaders to the other World are Angels good or bad That soules seperated are setled in certain Mansions is shewed by Scriptures and Fathers whereby the permanencie and immortalitie of the soul is clearby proved That all those severall mansions go under the generall appellations of Heaven and Hell Chapter XVII A particular detection of the blasphemies contained Page 51 in the Commentarie which are reduced to these two heads The first shewing the blasphemies against the Godhead of Jesus Christ The second shewing the blasphemies against the Incarnation of God and his gracious work of Redemption CHAP. XVIII The dreadfull consequences of the Commenters Page 51 blasphemies in denying the Godhead of Christ and his great works both of Creation and Redemption That it is much better never to have been born or by death to be annihilated or to perish as the beasts doe then to live and die in these sinnes and to rise to judgement The conclusion of the first Book The Table THE SECOND BOOK Containing an assertion of the Godhead of Jesus Christ against the Commentarie Chapter I. AN introductorie discourse concerning Page 1 the sinne against the Holy Spirit as it is described Matth. 12. 31. Mark 3. 29. Luke 12. 10. Divers doubts difficulties and opinions thereof Chapter II. What the word Blasphemie signifies That this Page 4 sinne was the blasphemous denying the Godhead of Christ The spreading of that Pharisaicall blasphemie amongst Jewes and Heathens Of Apollonius of Tyana the Magician compared by Heathens with Christ for miracles Certain considerations premised for clearing doubts concerning this sinne and two conclusions extracted from those consisiderations Chapter III. That the Godhead of the Sonne is called Spirit 7 and Holy Spirit that every Person in the Trinitie is and may be called the Everlasting Father in respect of Creatures and yet how the appellation Father is proper to the first Person That every Person is holy and an Holy Spirit and yet how the appellation Holy Spirit is proper to the third Person That the words Spirit and Ghost signifie the same thing Chapter IV. Diverse Observations of the words of Christ Matthew Page 20 12. The result is that the Pharisee's blasphemie consisted in the deniall of Christ's Godhead The difference between a sinne against the Sonne of Man and against the Holy Spirit The judgement of the Fathers herein Chapter V. The Opinion of later Divines concerning this Page 14 sinne that they affirm Arius and the Emperor Julian the Apostate to have sinned this sinne An examination of the particular sinne of the said Arius and Julian and a breif narration of their lives and deaths Chapter VI. Why the Blasphemy of denying Christs Godhead Page 33 is called the unpardonable Sinne that the Commenters Doctrine in this grand Heresie is no better then Judaisme or Turcisme that it is by the Fathers esteemed and called Antichristianisme To deny Christs Godhead is to renounce redemption and salvation by him wherein the worth and preciousness of the blood of Christ consisteth Chapter VII That the Commenter in Logick sheweth himself Page 37 to be a