matter of this Epistle it is various But the thing that he chiefly aymeth at is Puritie in life Charitie in affection In this fift Chapter hee setteth downe the force and efficacie of Faith the seuerall fruits and effects which it produceth a speciall one whereof is Assurance to bee heard in our prayers verse 14. The which Assurance teacheth vs that whatsoeuer wee aske the same shall be nay is alreadie graunted Wee know that we haue the petitions that we haue desired of him prouided alwaies that it be according to his will Whereupon the Apostle builds an exhortation that if any one doe see his brother going astray sinning a sin which is not vnto death he should pray for him and the Lord would giue liâ—e for them that sinne not vnto death By which wordes hauing intimated a difference of sinnes and thereby giuen just occasion of a doubt of a question he annexeth the solution the answere of it in this Text shewing plainely that there is a sinne vnto death for which hee will not haue prayers to be made There is a sinne vnto death I say not that thou shouldest pray for it For the cleering of which words which I must needs doe before I can come to the matter I note first the Terme that is vsed secondly The number that is insinuated A word or two of either The Terme is not Mortall but sinne vnto death The Schoole men and their followers the Iesuits haue a distinction of sinne into Veniall and Mortall Some sinnes say they are sua natura in their owne nature veniall others are mortall But one that hath but halfe an eye may see the reason of this distinction For you must know that when Purgatorie was found out lest that it should haue beene lost againe and so the Popes Kitchin haue wanted fire fuell and other vtensilles it was conuenient nay in a manner necessary that some sins should be accounted veniall that so though a man should die in them without repentance yet there might be some hope to helpe him But not daring to make all sinnes veniall lest they might seeme to haue reversed the judgement of God they left some to be mortall Little considered they that Death is the wages of all sinne Paul speaketh indefinitely and Moses more distinctly Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them And how can it be otherwise since that All sinne is a rebellion against God transgression of the Law of God Excellent to this purpose is the saying of an Ancient n Wee must not vse deceitfull ballances in censuring sinne but the iust and true waight of Gods holy word Neither is the distinction so absurd but the application of it is farre more grosse For while they reckon vp these mortall and deadly sinnes hence haue they excluded the breach of the first Table hence also the breach of their two last our tenth commandement So that Idolatrie Superstition Swearing Prophanation of the Sabboth together with the inordinate lusts and concupiscence of our corrupted nature are not mortall with them The aspersion of holy water will wash them away especially if committed after Baptisme The Sorbonists o sayth Calvin acknowledge no sinne to bee mortall except it be Aegyptian darknesse filthinesse that may be felt and palpably perceiued Obiection But no learned Papist doth build that distinction vpon this Text True indeede yea I grant that some doe here manifestly distinguish betwixt mortall sinnes and sinnes to death But who knowes whether hereafter it may not be true that as this generation is worse then the former so the next may be more absurd then this And as they decay in learning so fayle in vnderstanding and in the end come to that which their forefathers would haue blusht at None before Boniface the eighth could picke the Supremacie out of Gen. â— 1. Nor any out of Deut. 17. 6. before Innocentius the third Whereas all things duely considered this Text is a farre fitter place to proue the distinction of veniall and mortall then the other to build vp the Supremacie And yet if we marke it Haymo is not farre from it when speaking of the words of Paul Stipendium peccati mors est The wages of sinne is death he addeth this is not to be vnderstoode of all sinnes but onely of Criminall of which sayth hee S. Iohn speaketh saying There is a sinne vnto death But if any hereafter should so farre forget himselfe as to vrge this place for it Let him withall consider what S. Iohn addeth viz. That for this sinne wee must not pray So that if this Text shall patronize the distinction of Mortal sinne it shal also exclude all Mortall sinne from the Churches prayers for Sainâ— Iohn sayth I say not that thou shouldest pray for it Nay sayth Bellarmine that followeth not He forbids vs not but onely he doth not encourage vs to pray for such Why then it seemeth S. Iohn did approue of the sluggards saying â— There is a Lyon in the streete I shall be slaine Because it was somewhat difficult therefore the safest course were to giue it ouer Would a Captaine so speake to his souldiers A Physition to his patient A Master to his schollers A Minister to his people How much better is that noble consequence of our blessed Sauiour The way is narrow and the gate streight Ergo not giue it ouer but striue to enter But if neither the consent of Authors thus vnderstanding this Text nor the coherence of the Text it selfe could guide the Cardinall to the truth yet the rule of Logicke might haue taught him For contradictories haue contrary consequences Now St Iohn before had said If any see his brother sinne a sinne not vnto death let him pray for him doth it not hereupon follow If he see him sinne a sinne vnto death let him not pray for him But I loose time Obserue also the number here vsed â— A sinne For howsoeuer the singular number doth not alwayes imply an individuall vnitie as may appeare out of ver 17. yet here it doth For there is found onely one sinne so deadly so mortall that it may not be prayed for and to which the Lord will shew no mercie One such there is called A sinne vnto death First because it hangeth vppon a man even to death Secondly It giueth death possession of him surrenders vp his damnable life to a cursed death a Now so long as any place is left for pardon death hath not taken possession but when all hope of pardon is excluded then death which is the wages of sinne claimes his right calls for his due Onely one such there is and that we hang no longer in suspence it is that heauie that hainous that deadly that mortall that irremissible and vnpardonable sinne viz. The sinne against the holy Ghost which is a sinne with a witnesse a lump of sinne
fretting vexing no father no mother no blessing no submission What should the father now doe Must he now let him carry it away Certainely it is not the best No he is resolved either to breake this his stomacke or teare away this rebellious flesh discover the sinnewes let him bloud now he is growne resolute and there is no mercy with him no compassion his mother may not intreate nor his friends begge his pardon No since he hath begun to walke stubbornely against his father his father will walke stubbornely against him And deseruedly So is it here This perverse peevish stubborne obstinate wilfullnesse maketh the sinne to be Irremissible Neither is there a fault onely in the will but also in the actions which addeth more fuell to the fire prepared for the punishment of this sinne The propensitie pronenesse in mans nature to moue forward toward his end God placed in the will and this his will hee furnished with divers affections as the Instruments of the soule either to cleaue to the good or to refuse the evill Among the rest there is the affection of delight the continuance of which engendreth loue of Good by which the soule indissolubly cleaueth to the same On the contrary is the affection of anger the continuance of which bringeth forth hatred by which the soule is irreconciliably separated from the evill This hatred therefore is an affection in it selfe like to the planet Mercury neither good nor bad but according to the Obiect There is an hatred good and just viz. which is bent against evill and this is the right vse of the affection There is an hatred wicked and vniust viz. when men hate that which is good and this continueth not long but it bringeth forth malice The which is bad enough where least of all euill so the more excellent that the good is which it opposeth the more exorbitant is it and abhominable When as therefore the affection that should keepe vs from evill is perverted to keep vs from good When this peruerted affection is directed nay vomited forth against God his Church his truth his seruants those that professe the name of Iesus how wicked how pestilent is this alienation What hope of pardon can there be to such a one Or which way might one deuise to care him Though the disease be dangerous yet if the Patient be willing to be healed haue an affectionate loue to his Physitian there may bee some hope But when hee groweth to be peevish loatheth his foode quarrels with his friends hateth his Physitian resisteth his Physicke who can helpe it if he goe to his graue that speedily So here when man growes to this passe that he crucifieth againe the sonne of God trampleth vnder-foote the bloud of the new Testament doth despight to the spirit of grace and thus professeth himselfe an open enemy and adversary What can remaine but a fearefull looking for of judgement and violent fire which shall devoure the adversaries Lastly this sinne commeth to be irremissible in that it is a totall and vniuersall Apostasie Nebuchadnezzars tree might yet flourish againe for the roote was left in the earth Eutichus fell from the third loft yet there was hope for his life was in him The Travailer was sore wounded yet recovered how so They left him but halfe dead So though Dauid fall by adultery Salomon by Idolatry Peter by denyall yet there is hope of recouery the roote remaineth the life is not quite gone his seede remaineth in them But Iudes trees are past recouery why so They were twise dead and plucked vp by the rootes Daniels accusers were incurable For why the Lyons brake all their bones or euer they came at the ground of the den Asahells wound was past all Chirurgery for Abner smote him vnder the fift ribbe namely whereas the liuely parts lye So when the fall is totall that vtterly decayeth the life and brings in death what hope can there be of Remedie Some there are which make a nice distinction betwixt Totall and Finall recidivation and I deny not but the termes are different but experience teacheth and the Scripture confirmeth that in substance they are not much different For where there is a Totall there is also a finall losse of grace Witnesse the euill Angels who hauing once totally lost their grace haue lost it for euer Witnesse Adam who hauing once lost Originall righteousnesse totally lost it also finally God indeede doth sanctifie particular persons but not the Humane nature in generall any more And the reasons drawne from the nature of this sinne proue it to be Irremissible and consequently mortall You haue heard the nature of the sinne which proueth it to be irrecouerable Now turne your eyes and behold the punishment of it likewise confirming the irremissibilitie of it Not the plenary penalty of it but the praeparatiue not that which hereafter is to be expected but some of that which in this life is executed and inflicted So much of it I meane as conducteth to this end to proue it to be Irremissible Wherein first cōmeth to be considered that God depriueth them of the Churches prayers He will not haue such prayed for and therefore their sin must needs be Irremissible Frame the Argument thus They who sinning may not be partakers of the Churches prayers are without all hope of pardon Such are our Apostataes ergo The proposition is manifest For to what cause should they be denyed the Churches prayers which are many times a meanes to worke repentance in men and to procure pardon for them but onely because God doth not entend to haue any mercy on them Why is Ieremy forbidden to pray for the people but because the Lord had an entention not to heare him but to consume them vtterly The Prayer of a faithfull man auaileth much if it be feruent witnesse Moses praying for the people and Eliah against them And therefore the Lord in this point dealeth as a King vseth to doe that knoweth his owne mercifull nature hauing determined to cut of such a rebell doth withall forbid the prayers of all such who might intercede for him least perhaps their importunacy might mooue him to mercie The Assumption also is as cleare for notwithstanding the false Interpretation of the Iesuits yet it hath beene prooued before that these words of S. Iohn I say not that thou shouldest pray for it are a direct prohibition interdicting and forbidding any prayers to be made for him that sinneth vnto death So also we reade that the Lord did reproue Samuell for mourning for Saul whom the Lord had reiected intimating that we ought not to shew our selues more pitifull than God nor to mourne for them whom the Lord hath reiected Neither doe I reade any prayer either by Samuell or Dauid after that time conceiued for Saul Lastly our Sauiour in his prayer doth except Iudas the sonne of perdition Neyther is this all But
wisheth Grace mercie and peace from God the father and from the Lord Iesus Christ. COurteous Reader before thou enter vpon this Discourse either to read or to censure I haue to admonish thee of two things First for the manner of writing thou maist easily see it to bee fitted for the Pulpit And indeed so it was that hauing diuerse yeeres since deliuered some few out of this text to mine Auditory I did lately vpon warning giuen take it once againe in hand and alter change correct and enlarge it till I brought it to this quantitie in which it is so preparing it for a more noble Audience Then finding it be ouerlong to be rehearsed at once I was constrained againe to Epitomize it Here therefore hast thou and that is the second thing whereof I aduertise thee at large the whole body of that Discourse whose Epitome was rehearsed in publique So that if any thing seemed to them that heard mee eyther obscure or too slightly passed ouer in the deliuery here may they helpe themselues to vnderstand my meaning For the matter I shall not neede to tell thee that it is needfull in respect of the times wherein the words of our Sauiour are seene fulfilled For because iniquitie doth abound the loue of many waxeth cold And how many are there daily who either fall backe to Popery and Aegyptianpalpable superstition or else turne open rebels by Atheisme And well may we thinke that when the Sonne of man commeth he will scarce finde faith vpon earth Who is there therefore except that vnprofitable seruant that hid his Talent in a Napkin but will be willing to set to his helping hand if not to stay all yet to preserue some from Apostasie Hence commeth it that now lately there haue beene more Sermons and Tractates publisht concerning this sinne of Apostasie within these few yeeres than were in many ages heretofore So that now it might seeme as superfluous for an after-commer to deale in this subiect as to take in hand new Arguments for Popery All which haue bin so often vrged by Schoole-men alledged by Catholikes re-assumed by Popish Priests painted ouer by Iesuits that a man might sooner hope for holesome meate to be made of Cole-worts twise or thrise sodden than to find a new and not here-to fore answered Argument So here Yet since the gifts of men are diuers albeit they proceed from the same spirit what hindreth but that still men may bee doing and doe well since the end of their Action is the glory of God Concerning this present Tractate what it hath not to be found in the former thou thy selfe good Reader vpon tryall wilt easily perceiue In reading of which if thou be such a one who knowest me not It is well goe on and try the spirits If such who doest know mee yet doe me the curtesie to withdraw thy selfe from considering my meane-nesse and looke onely vpon the cause Consider the waight of Reason which I haue alledged For if thou shouldest either like the worse of this in respect of mee or esteeme better of another in respect of his person not regarding what force of Argument we doe either of vs alledge thou maist easily erre as who indeed doest pinne the truth of God vpon the sleeue of man To conclude then if thou be judicious reade censure and correct I giue thee free libertie For I will not my selfe be tyed to this that I haue deliuered if I see better reason to evince it than is brought to confirme it But if thou be one who either doest or justly maist suspect thy iudgement reade but leaue censuring to others Howsoeuer it bee whosoeuer thou art conceiue thus of mee that my desire was to haue deliuered the Truth and nothing but the Truth So wilt thou I hope commend me and my labours to the blessing of God in thy prayers And cause mee to rest Thine in the Lord the Lords vnworthy seruant in the Ministery T. B. To the deuoute Readers which desire to keepe Faith and a good Conscience to the end Grace and Peace and strength against Temptations by IESVS CHRIST MARVAILE not deere Christians and courteous Readers that so many learned diuines and holy minded men bestow so much paines and spend so long time in so sad and vnpleasant a subiect as this is searching and desirous to define what the impardonable sinne against the holy Ghost should be For euen as the best and most approued Phisitians doe more busie themselues in studying those maladies which are most incurable rather then those for which euery emperick hath a medecine in readinesse and cach one amongst them proueth himselfe in his skill if hee haue sound out eyther some especiall Antidote to preuent or some singular remedy if not perfectly to cure yet to ease and aswage the tormenting paines of such desperat disseases as aflict men most as well with the feare of imminent death as with the sence of present dolours Euen so for as much as all heede is to be giuen and all diligence carefully vsed that no man if it be possible dash vpon this Rocke nor fall into so deuouring a deepe many students in diuinitie enflamed with zeale care and loue vnto mens saluation refuse no paines nor think any labour grieuous by night or day if they may be so happie as to giue warning betimes and so preuent any mans relapse or falling away And for as much as many true hearted Christians vpon a tendernesse of Conscience through Satans illusions are often troubled with a feare of hauing offended in this kinde And others againe in a continuall securitie forsaking their first loue reuolt and fall off by little and little from the practise of sincere Piety taking the high way to Epicurisme and denyall of their profession and so come neere and into great daunger of finall relapse at lest if not of an hatred also and despight of that holy truth which they once professed therefore good men willing to comfort the one with solid euidence of Gods word and to reclaime and saue the other from the perill of so irrecouerable a fall doe labour in this sad subiect that by an exact deciphering of that mortall sinne both might finde fit instruction whilest the one may see how farre they are from it and the other perceiue how daungerously they hasten towards it Now as men are diuersly affected some with feare and some with presumption as I haue shewed so likewise we may finde very great yea too much variety of opinion amongst writers concerning this sinne some supposing it to be so rarely and seldome admitted as scarce three examples or foure can be produced since the beginning of the World others make it so frequent and vsuall as almost all that finally fall from their Faith and holy profession are supposed by them to sinne in this kinde Againe some are of opinion that only God can discerne who they be that sinke and are drowned in this gulfe as if he had not reuealed
a masse of mischiefe It is the perfection of sinne if the word perfection may bee so ill placed It is the Nil vltra the vp shot of all sinnes So that there is none here I suppose who is not very sensible of the difficulties I now sustaine Non est res levis no small matter whereof I am to speake you to heare Let me borrow the full emploiment of your best attention that I may flie vpon the wings of your holy desires and with the full gale of your prosperous wishes arriue at the hauen of my hopes Gods glory mans edification They which put forth into the Ocean do guide their sayling by the winde discerne the winde by the Compasse direct their Compasse by the Pole-starre and not in vaine for without these their labour might bee much their progresse little their profit none at all This wisedome of the Mariner is worth imitation Loc heere therefore before I enter into the Ocean of matter which may be expected in which I may easily loose my selfe and abuse mine Auditory my Cynosura my Pole-starre which must guide my sayling confine my speech direct my discourse is briefly reducible to these two maine points First enquire what this sinne is which is against the Holy Ghost Secondly why it is so mortall Of both these with as much briefenesse and plaines as such a matter will giue leaue For the first I take it for granted that all men doe easily vnderstand that this Sinne which nowe wee seeke is no sinne of Infirmity nor of Ignorance but it must needes bee a sinne of a Presumptuous minde a sinne with an high hand so that onely among them will wee looke There is a sinne against knowledge When the seruant knoweth his masters will and doth it not Well may our sinne comprehend this vnder it but all sinne against knowledge is not this sinne There is a sinne against conscience when notwithstanding the conscience like Gods solliciter secretly checketh them yet on they goe still this is worse then the former but yet neither can it bee that which we seeke vnlesse wee would enwrap Dauid in it There is a sinne of Presumption proceeding from pride and arrogancie wilfulnesse and haughtines of heart which both wilfully and contemptuously causeth a man to sinne against God wilfully as presuming vpon Gods mercy and his owne future repentance Contemptuously as despising and con temning the Law of God These are great grosse and grieuous especially if the particular sinne be either Idolatrie which is the forsaking of God or witch-craft which is a ioyning Couenant with Satan In these to sinne against knowledge against the checke of conscience presumptuously wilfully and contemptuously is a sinne that may make the earth to tremble and the heauens to sweat with amazednes that earth should thus transgresse against heauen man against God Yea it may on a suddaine set a man into a stound and driue his thoughts to a perplexitie to consider what further degree of sinne there can bee founde or thought of into which the Sonne of Adam may slip or plunge himselfe But let vs wade a little deeper Origen as Bellarmine alledgeth thought that euery sinne committed against the Law of God after Baptisme was the sinne against the Holy Ghost not farre from this were the Novatians But Athanasius doth well refute this opinion first because our Sauiour doth accuse the Pharisees of this sinne who yet neuer were Christians nor baptized whereas the opinion of Origen doth suppose a prcedencie of baptisme in those who may fall into this Apostasie Secondly Because then it woulde followe that all sinnes committed by Christians shoulde bee sinnes of this nature as beeing committed after the Sacrament of Baptisme which to hold what were it else but to barre vp the gates of heauen against all Christians what soeuer for who is there that sinneth not and sinneth not grieuously at one time or other Truth it is that Christians falling into sinne doe sinne against the grace of God receiued But wee seeke out one speciall sinne which in a principall maner and for some speciall consideration is called the Sinne against the Holy Ghost such is not each sinne committed after Baptisme Augustine standeth for finall Impoenitencie viz. when men die without repentance Certainely I cannot but much commende the censure that Bellarmine passeth vpon this opinion This is true sayth hee so farre forth as it teacheth that finall impoenitencie is some speciall sinne against the holy Ghost but it cannot bee defended if hee woulde haue this impoenitencie to bee that peculiar and proper sinne which wee feeke for But I more commende his Reasons First Because finall Impoenitencie is not blasphemy but onely a certaine circumstance in euery sinne whereas our sinne is a blaspheming sinne as heereafter shall appeare in which respect it is called blasphemie against the Spirit Secondly This finall Impoenitency is not committed till death for which cause it is called finall viz. which continueth to and in the ende I suppose to distinguish it from the other Impoenitencie a species of sinne of malice which according to their doctrine may bee forgiuen in this life but the sinne against the Holy Ghost is committed in this life the which hee confirmeth first by the practise of our Sauiour who taxed the Pharises at that time living and like enough to liue longer Secondly by the text of Paul to the Hebrues 6. Necessarily to bee vnderstoode of men liuing vnlesse wee woulde make Paul speake thus It is impossible that the dead should be renewed by repentance which how vnbeseeming so great an Apostle it were iudge yee Lastly by this text of Iohn the which indeede speaketh of a man seeing his brother sinning and not of one knowing or hearing that hee hath sinned whereupon he concludeth that our sinne is not finall Impoenitencie which not before death and hardly then can bee seene and discerned A third opinion holdeth the sinne against the Holy Ghost to be any sinne of malice This is the common opinion receiued from the Schoolemen and by the Papistes much magnified Let vs if you please fetch it from the originall Aquinas the Angelicall Doctor the cheife of the Schoolemen whose Elogie is Tolle Thomam disipabo Ecclesiam were it not for Thomas Aquinas the olde Serpent would easily destroy the Church whose writinges were confirmed by myracle or else Fame is a lyar the Crucisixe speaking to him He I say as in other questions so in this hath bestowed much labour in the searching out of this sinne Let vs trace him Three sorts of men sayth he are said to sinne against the spirit First he who blasphemeth the person of the holy Ghost Secondly He which dyeth in finall impaenitencie Thirdly He that sinneth of set malice whether it be in choosing euill or refusing good This third kinde he subdivideth into sixe seuerall sinnes which he calleth the seuerall species and kinds of this kinde And
of the act Thus the will of man rightly infoâ—med is carried to will and not to nill the glorie of God and then specially to glorifie God in the obedience of this or that commandement On the contrary nilleth euill and specifieth this act of â—illing or refusing in the specialtie of Murder Adulterâ—e c. Involuntary actions are such which proceede from simple and faulâ—leâ—â—e ignorance Faultlesse ignorance is that which goeth before the will of the doer and so is not voluntary Such is that when a â—act is done which could not be either foreseene or avoyded an example whereof God himselfe putteth in his law Exod. 21. Deut. 1â— 4. The man that lopped the tree and in the lopping his Axe head fell oâ—â— and slâ—e another These two kind of actions are simply such that simple voluntary this simple involuntary There is another kind of actions which are in some respect voluntary and in some respect invâ—luntary viz where the will is hâ—ndrâ—d in the performance executing and effecting of the act which is the second act of the will For as for the first act that is the vse and exercise of the act either in willing or nilling there can be no constraint or hinde rance of the will but still whatsoever it doth it doth it willingly Tye a man in an hundred chaines yet cannot you hinder him from his will to goe thorgh he cannot put this will in practise Hence it followeth that neither violence nor feare nor affected ignorance doth alâ—er the will in respect of the first act thereof 〈…〉 ce may force the effect of the will but not the act As the man â—ound in chaines may bee hindred from going and detâ—ynâ—dâ— this place but not hindred from willing to goe not constrained willingly to abide Feare likewise may draw sâ—â—th a consent while the man apprehendeth that to be evill which is not and so desireth to shunne it and when consent is yeelded the will doth willingly will that which it willeth Some call these actions mixt partly willing partly vnwilling but indeed they are more voluntary then involuntary because the power of willing is free still to will oâ— to nill though the performance of the act in this particular is badly placed Because the passion of feare doth apprehend the present Obiect to bee good which indeed is evill Affected ignorance least of all caâ— cause an Involuntary action seeing that his ignorance is Uoluntary Man wilfully continuing in ignorance and either neglecting or despising the meanes of knowledge that so he may continue in the course of life which hee liketh From all this I gather first That affected ignorance is so farre from excusing a fault that it doth rather aggravate the offence Secondly That neither feare nor violence can altogether excuse men from blame in willing evill because the willingnesse of the will cannot be compelled though indeed it may be much perswaded To apply this to our purpose This Apostasie is called wilfull 1. Because it proceedeth from the inward beginning of willingnesse from the immediate act of the will ab ipso velle the willing of the will it selfe 2. It is free from violence from feare from ignorance which are the causes that doe in any respect cause involuntary actions Yet this doth not hinder but that there may bee some incitation some inclination and stirring of the will by some externall Obiect As the Scribes and Phaerisees were ambitious and loved the prayse of men this inclined their will Iudas was covetous a theefe and the hope of gaine stirred his will Yea this their concupiscence and desire did make their action the more wilfull Aquinas giveth the reason because A thing is said to be voluntary in that the will is carryed to it but by the concupiscence is the will inclined to will that which it desireth And further he sayth it is necessary to denominate an actioÌ„ willing that the beginning of it be inward But it is not necessary thaâ— this inward beginning should be the first moover not mooved by another For not onely is the will mooved by the desire of good and the chiefe end but also it is often necessary that the first act of the will be stirred vp by some externall Obiect Neither can any man say that the Apostasie of Iudas the falling away of Demas and the like was not properly to bee termed wilfull because there was some outward respect to mooue them vnlesse also he will deny that Adamâ—ell â—ell voluntarily in whom there was an externall Obiect and a forcible perswader to stirre vp the act of his will Last of all in Saul Iudas Iulian and the like their action must needs be simply voluntary in that they had time of Deliberation For the Apprehension of good doth not worke so effectually vpon the will as doth the Apprehension of euill And therefore those passions which doe apprehend good doe not take away Election and Deliberation but doe allow men sufficient time to thinke of all inconveniences and giue them libertie to resolue whether they will doe so or no. Whereas those passions which doe apprehend euill doe not so easily suffer a man to consult and therfore if these cause not involuntary actions much lesse doe the former Whereby you see the difference betwixt the fact of Iudas and the fall of Peter Iudas hath time to call his witts together to consult with Reason to deliberate with himselfe what hee will doe to summe vp all inconveniences that may ensue and thereupon proceedeth vpon full purpose and resolute intention Whereas Peter hath no such respite on the sudden hee must answere and had no time to forethinke himselfe For the feare of danger had so possessed him that no place was left for Deliberation Hitherto concerning the first maine part of my Discourse shewing what this sinne against the holy Ghost is Now let mee lead you a-long to the second viz. Why it is so mortall Let not your patience fayle mee to the end The second Part. Why the sinne against the holy Ghost is so mortall FOr confirmation of this second point though much might be said yet it shall now be my care rather to select that which is most for the purpose then to collect and heape together a multitude of matter of which perhaps some might say and say truly Totum hoc est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is besides the purpose In briefe I will reduce it to this Sillogisme Prop. That sinne which is without all hope of pardon and irremâ—ssible is deadly and mortall Even as that wound is said to be mortall which is incurable and past all helpe of Chirurgery Assumption Such is this our sinne irremissible and without all hope of pardon and therefore mortall Plinius Secundus in one of his Epistles affirmeth it to be the office of an Author vs titulum legat to read the â—â—le of his Booke and often to aske himselfe what hee hath begun
hereafter according to the saying of Daâ—asâ—ene which yet is somewhat too slack All mortall sinnes whether great or small he should haue excepted this our sinne are remissible before death but after death are irremissible and remaine for euer Secondly or Irremissible Ex parte contemptus because it contemneth the mercy of God and reiecteth that by which man might obtaine pardon Thirdly Or else because it deserueth to haue no pardon as being a sinne of certaine and wilfull malice for which cause it can haue none Whereas sinnes of infirmity and ignorance may seeme to deserue some hope of pardon Thus Aquinas very well if we bee fauorable in his censure he hath another reason why it is called Irremissible but indeed that hâ—lâ—eth viz. â— Because it is not easily remitted But here I pray you take notice of the mistery of Iniquity Whereas the other expositions of Irremissible might haue beene allowed the Iesuites eyther refuse them or stick not to them but to this the worst the weakest they adhaere they cleaue this they allow of approue it Why I know not but I heleâ—â— for some such reason as moued them among all the sixe aboâ—e mentioned species of this our sinne especially to choose out Impenitency viz. the same that the fawning Parasite in the Poet gaue for his good memory Offame monet his belly was his Register So certainely their belly their gaines was the chiefe cause For what thinke you is meant by Impaenitency Perhaps you would thinke the reâ—ecting of Gods grace that might bring him to Repentance No no It is a wâ—lfull contempt of the Sacrament of Paenance obstinately reâ—using absolution by the Churches Ministery as the Rhemists doe define it Now who seeth not that if this bee Impaenitency and Impaenitency the sinne against the holy Ghost and the sinne against the holy Ghost a sinne vnto death what a strong and inexpugnable ground here is for Popish Paenance The same is there here for Commutation of Paenance for if this sinne be remissible but not de sacile easily then must there come a good round portion to the Priest for a gentle Commutation Some such reason as this I guesse moued the holy Fathers of shrift to magnifie this exposition that Aquinas giueth of Irremissible or else this As one well obserueth in their handling of Mat. 12. they follow S. Augustine walking alone rather then Hillary Ierome Chrysostome and other for what reason he knoweth not vnlesse it be for that here Augustine went farthest from the words and sence of the Scripture So I may say here I see not why this should please them better than the other vnlesse it be for that it goeth farthest from the words and sence of the holy Scripture But to let these passe come we to those Reasons which more Orthodoxall writers will afford vs the which for my memories sake I will reduce to three heads Some are drawne from the Obiect Some from the Nature Some from the Punishment of this sinne The Obiect against which this sinne doth bend it selfe is externally the Gospell Internally the spirit of Grace that worketh by the Gospell First then it being a sinne against the Gospell it must needes be Irremissible For what is the Gospell but the word of Grace the ministration of Life declaring vnto man in himselfe lost a way by which he may returne to his former estate of Grace and Glory Now so long as there is not the knowledg of the Mediator and of this meanes of recouery the words of the Lord haue place q Shall they fall and not arise Shall they turne away and not turne againe But when once the meanes of recouery by the Gospell is neglected contemned and despised then is there no place for remission So long as there is not the knowledge of the Mediator it seemeth impossible that the creature should Irrecouerably fall from the Creator And herein certainly is there one maine difference betwixt the fall of Adam and the fall of the Angels Adam fell by misperswasion being deceiued by the lying suggestion of the spirit of error But the Angels being intellectuall spirits dwelling in heauenly places in the presence of God and light of his countenance could not sinne by error or misperswasion but of purposed malice which is the sinne against the holy Ghost and is Irremissible Adam falling from the knowledg of the Law fell recouerably They falling from the knowledge of the Gospell fell Irrecouerably For vnderstanding of this I praesuppose that God did signifie to the Angels these points at once First that their Righteousnesse consisted in their Obedience Secondly that the acceptance of their obedience should bee through Christ. Christ I say who in fulnesse of time was to be incarnate and to take not the nature of Angels but of man and by the personall vnion of the two natures in his one person lift vp the humanitie aboue the nature of Angels and so remayning one indiuiduall person to be the head of the Church Thirdly that from this person should be expected all good whatsoeuer so that what good soeuer the creature was to receiue they were to receiue it from God only in the name of this mediator this being the summe of the Gospell no doubt was deliuered to them and so in a manner the whole will and councell of God both of Law and Gospell and that by a shorter and neerer way than man is capable of they hauing the fulnesse of intellectuall light so that when they take view of any thing they see all that pertaineth to it whereas man findeth but one thing after another This doctrine of the Gospell being manifested to them the deuills reiected it partly puffed vp with pride in respect of the excellency of their owne nature scorning to be accepted in any but themselues partly enuying so great glory to the nature of man disdayning to bee subiect to Christ as man and to stand obliged to him for all benefits altogether refused to be obedient to this ordinance of God and so refused as that they chose rather to leaue their first estate and their heauenly habitation than to agree and subscribe and submit themselues to this aeternall and immutable decree of God And which is yet more plaine to manifest their sinne to be the sinne against the holy Ghost They fell hauing receiued the knowledg of the whole worke of the three persons for and vnto the Angels First of God the Father creating and giuing a Law and taking exception against their disobedience Secondly of God the Sonne in whom only stood reconciliation and acceptance through his obedience more worth and honorable to God the Father than that of all the creatures both Angels and men Thirdly of God the holy Ghost by whose power and grace only is possibility for any creature man or Angell to stand or recouer This in modesty may we beleeue to haue beene the fall of Angels whose sinne is Irremissible as