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A19412 Tvvo very Godly and comfortable letters, written ouer into England The one to a Godly and zealous Lady: wherin the Annabaptists errour is confuted and the sinne against the Holye Ghoste plainly declared. The other an answer to a Godly merchants letter: written for his comfort, being greeued with the heauye burden of sinne wherin is declared the true confession of sinne: Written by T.C. Cottesford, Thomas.; Cartwright, Thomas, 1535-1603. 1589 (1589) STC 5841.5; ESTC S116355 22,933 120

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returneth vnto him againe to obtaine his mercy but are becom plain Apostataes vtterlye forsaking y● christiā faith making but a mocke of Christe perseuering in their obstinate Apostasie vnbeléefe euen till their liues end as did Iudas the 1. Tim. 1. 2. Tim. 4. traitor Iulianus Apostata Simon Magus Porphirius Hymeneus and Alexander the Coppersmith Secondarily as touching the saying thretning of Christ saying He that de nieth me before men I shall Math. 10. deny him before my father It is to be considered that al the terrible thretnings that are in the holy scripture threatned against great sinners are threatned conditionally A good and general rule to be noted that is to saye if the sinners do not truely repent and return vnto God by Faith amendmente of life this plague and punishment or that shall light vpon them But if they at the Preaching reading or hearing of Gods holy woord doo repent return vnto God by faith godly life then that Plague threatned shall not once touch thē Example by the Niniuites vppon whome Ionas Gods Minister and preacher Ionas 3. or rather God by him pronounced this terrible iudgement saying There are yet Forty daies and then shall Niniuye bee ouerthrown But there as the Scripture sayth the people of Niniuy beleeued God and earnestly repented them of their greate sinnes and so was the sentence of GOD retracted and the Citye saued and not ouerthrowne So likewise this terrible sentence of Christe He that denyeth mee before men I shall deny him before my Father must néedes haue this condition ioyned A conditiō with it If he dooth not repent neither return again But Peter did bothe repent and returne againe vnto Christe For albeit his Faithe was weake and faynte as was the faith of all the Apostles yet it was not vtterlye extincte For Christe had saide vnto him before Symon I haue praied for Luke 22 thee that thy faith faile not And in any wise take héede and note this well Christe said not He that denyeth me I shal denye him though hee repente and return But remember wel that Christ said M 〈…〉 9. I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentaunce Peter therfore repented and returned vnto Christ again and so was receiued vnto grace and was saued Wherfore good Madam in this hard Texts of S. Paule vnto the Hebrewes way wel this condition if they full away For they only fall away which cōmit that moste horrible crime which is called in the holy Scripture The sinne vnto death blasphemy against the spirit and sinne against the holy ghost which neuer shall be forgiuen neither in this world neither in the world to come Question But héere it might be demaunded what that sinne againste the holye Ghost is and wherein it differeth from all other gréeuous sinnes Answer Wherunto I answere That ther is difference in sins it may cléerlye be gathered of Christes woordes saying I saye vnto you Math. 12. All sinne and blasphemye shall be forgiuen vnto men but the blasphemye againste the spirite shall not be forgiuen vnto men Loe héer is the matter plainelye opened by our Sauiour Christe what kinde of sinnes shall be forgiuen and what neuer forgiuen Blasphemye againste the spirite shall neuer bee forgiuen all other sinne and Blasphemye shall bee forgiuen And Christe in sayinge All sinne shall be forgiuen compriseth both originall sinne and also actuall sin Moreouer Christe speaketh héere of thrée sortes Three sorts of Sinnes Sinne. Blasphemy Blasphemye against the Spirite of sinnes The first he calleth Sinne the secōd Blasphemy and the third Blasphemye againste the Spirite Which the scripture also calleth The sin vnto death and the sinne against the holy ghost These thrée kinds of sinnes and the difference of euery of them I intend by Gods helpe seuerallye to declare vnto you so breefelye as I can and so for this time commit you vnto God and firste consider well what sinne is Sinne is euery wilfull disobedience Act or déed Sinne. that is doon contrary vnto the Lawe and Commaundementes of God without murmur grudg or euill speaking either against the Lawe commaundementes or God him selfe that is the maker and giuer of the law As is Idolatrye superstition periurye swearing vnaduisedlye breaking of the Holye Daye dishonouring father and Mother Murther malice hatred enuy wrath strife treason sedition slaunder Whoredome theft and such like All these and such other are called and are indéed sinne so long as the dooers of them doo neyther murmur repine grudge nor speake euill againste God or his holye Lawe neither allowe in their conscience the thing and euil that they doo but rather doo vtterlye disalow accuse and condemn in their owne conscience those their owne damnable actes as euill and detestable The seconde kinde of Sinne is Blasphemye marke it well and consider howe it differeth first from sinne and then from the sinne againste the holy ghost Blasphemy Blasphemye is more haynouse then is sinne alone for all blasphemye is sinne but all sinne is not blasphemye For trueth it is that blasphemye compriseth in it selfe bothe sinne and also a murmure grudge reuiling euill speaking slander and reproche of God and Godlynes but it is alwaye coupled with ignoraunce and vnbeleefe and proceedeth not of such obstmate malice as continueth to the ende of the life as doth the sinne against the holy Ghost In this sinne of Blasphemy S. Paule offended before his conuersion vnto the faith of Christ Iesu For thus he speaketh of him selfe Before I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and a Tyrant but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorauntlye in vnbeleefe Loe heere it is plain and euident that this blasphemye though it be a greate offence yet it is remissible and forgiueable and is not excluded from Grace and mercy because it procéedeth of Ignoraunce and not ●f knowledge nor of obstinate malice that dooth endure to the liues end Neither is it the sin vnto death and therfore we maye lawfullye praie for such blasphemers As S Iohn saith If any man 1. Iohn 5. see his Brother sin a sin that is not vnto death let him ask and he shall giue him life In this simple blasphemy for so we may cal it many of the Iewes offended taking Christe to be nothing lesse then the Sonne of Dauid or Messias because his parents were very poore and him selfe supposed to be but a poore Carpenters Sonne which bare but a simple port in the worlde Yea and some of them that crucified Christe were ouerwhelmed in this simple blasphemy And therfore Christe prayed for them saying Father forgiue Luke 23. them for they know not what they doo So Peter in his Sermon excused the crucifiers of Christe saying Now deare brethren I knowe that you haue doon it thorough ignoraunce c. Repent you therfore and returne Acts. 3. that your sinnes may be doon away So did S. Steuen also praye
for his persecutors whom before he called Stifnecked aduersaries Acts 7. of the holy ghost Traytours and murtherers of Christe Doubtlesse he would not haue praied for thē so ear nestly vnles their sinnes had bin forgiueable And therefore their sinne and offence was no more but simple blasphemy The thirde kinde of Sinne is Blasphemye against the Spirite They committe blasphemye againste the spirite or sinne againste Blasphemy against the Spirite the Holye Ghoste which willinglye vpon knoweledge and aduisedly contrarie to their owne conscience doo denye forsake impugne slaunder reuile and persecute the plaine open manifeste and knowne trueth stifly maliciouslye and obduratly perseuering and continuing without vnfained repentance in that their wilful blindnes and obstinat malice so lōg as they liue in this worlde As did Pharo Saul Herod Iudas the traitor Iulianus Apostata Porphirius Himeneus and Alexander the Coppersmith with other But mark this diligētlye that we can not as farre I can perceiue certainly iudge of these Blasphemers againste the spirite before the time of theire departure out of this present life because we cannot certainelye knewe whether at the ende of their life they can repent and by faith returne and take hold of the mercy of God or not We maye coniecture Coniecturare vncertaine but wee cannot as I suppose certainlye define of them Let vs consider that the théefe that hung on the righte hande of Luke 23. Christe euen at the last houre repēted him with a strong and Faithefull prayer committed him selfe wholy vnto the mercy of Christ and was saued In consideratiō whereof let vs thinke it to be our bounden duetye as the Prophets Christ and his Apostles did to reuoke and calback againe open sinners and blasphemers to earnest repentance for their owne sinfulnes and to haue a sure truste in the mercy of God and in the merite of Christes passion and death thogh they bee euen at the departure out of this present life For it is neuer too late so long as life lasteth Let vs therefore with all feruentnesse call vppon them and exhorte them in any wise with a good courage and a sure and vndoubtfull Fayth aske call and crye for gods mercy for his sweet sonne our sauiour Iesus Christes sake and vndoubtedly they shal haue it For sith the beginning of the Worlde hitherto was there neuer one that in faith asked mercy hartelye but hee had it thorow the gracious goodnesse of our aforesayde merciful Sauiour Iesus Christ vnto whom with the Father and the holye Ghost be all Lawde and Praise worlde without end Amen An aunswer vnto a godly Merchants letter wherin is plainlye opened the true way of confessing our sinnes THE grace and peace of GOD bee giuen vnto you thorough Iesus Christe c. Whereas in your last Letters to mee moste Trustye and assured Freende you instantlye desired me to write vnto you what I haue read and learned in holye Scripture touching The Confession of Sinnes Truelye Sir this your reasonable request I woulde if I were able right gladly satisfie But as you know I am farre vnable to pen this matter according to the woorthinesse therof Neuerthelesse when I consider with my selfe how muche I am bounden to you for your louing kindenesse dayly shewed to my poore kinsefolke and freendes in England I can-not but thinke it to bee my bounden duetye somewhat to gratifye you againe And albeit that ignoraunce rudenesse of stile and lacke of learning plucketh mee backe from the handling of this matter yet the consideratione of youre greate discretion and gentlenesse pricketh me forwarde to attempte what I can doo therein Certes I nothing doubte but that you will gentlye accept my simple rudenesse good will and endeuour in this behalfe no lesse then if the matter were Gloryouslye garnished with Eloquence and set foorthe with the moste profitable perswasions of the freshest Philosopher or Rethoritian in bothe Vniuersities in England I truste you will credite and imbrace the truethe though it bee neuer so basely and homelye written or declared vnto you For the trueth shall abide and flourish when al prophane painted perswasions and fond pharisaic all phantasies shall vanish awaye and be scattered abroad as drye dust before a whirle wind Wherfore to keepe you no longer from this matter I shall by Gods grace so breefelye as I can declare vnto you what I haue learned read in holye scripture concerning this article of confession of sinnes And that is this that followeth Of Confession of Sinnes THE holie scripture doothe diuerslye in sūdry places set forth treat of the Confession of sinnes In some places it maketh mencion of a general and A generall Confession sollemn Confession openly made of all the People being assembled and gathered togeather at the appointment calling and exhortation of their high Magistrate Byshoppe Curate or publique Minister of Gods Woorde The cause thereof was commonlye some greate plague vengeance or punishment wherwith God scourged them for theire sinfull hainous and abhominable offences committed and doon by them and their forefathers example thereof we haue in the second booke of Esdras where it is thus written In the foure and twenty ●eem 9. day of this moneth came the Children of Israell together with fasting and sackclothes and earth vpon them and seperated the seede of Israell from all the straunge Children and stoode and knowledged their sinnes and wickednesses of their fathers stoode vp in their place and read in the booke of the Law of the Lord their God foure times on the daye c. And after a solemne rehearsall of the iudgementes and greate mercifulnesse of God declared in holye scripture they conclude thus saying Thou O God art righteous in al that thou haste brought vpon vs for thou haste doone right As for vs wee haue beene vngodlye and our Kinges Princes Preestes and Fathers haue not doon after thy Law nor regarded thy commaundements thine earnest exhortations wherwith thou hast exhorted them haue not serued thee in thy Kingdome in thy greate goods that thou gauest them c. and are not conuerted from their wicked works Beholde therefore are wee in bondage this day Yea euen in the lande which thou gauest vnto our Fathers to enioye the Fruites and goodes therof beholde there are we bondmen c. Loe Héere is a solemne open Confession Would God that this example of publique Confession of sinnes were well practised through out all Christendome namely at this day séeing y● the plagues of God doo daily increase more and more vpon vs our sinful liues abhominations iustlye deseruing the same and much more There are also thrée Three more sort of confeson of sins more sortes of Confession of sinnes declared in the holy Scriptures The first is secret confession of sinne only vnto God The second is an open confession before men The third is a priuate and secret confessiō made vnto man Confessio● vnto God only As touching y● firste it
into the Congregation as a Christian Brother and so to esteeme him and take him What shall I saye of Peter Christes Apostle Peter Had not he a sure knowledge of Christe confessing him openlye before all the Apostles To be very Christe the sonne the liuing God Was not he euē then indued with the holy Ghost and grace from aboue vnto whom Iesus Christe saide Blessed art Math. 16. thou Symon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not opened that vnto thee but my Father which is in heauen And yet after all this he had such a fall that contrary to his own conscience willinglye wtout anye compulsion threates or imprysonmēt he did most cowardlye and shamefullye forsake and deny Christ not without blasphemy swering that he neuer knew him cursing and committing him selfe to the Diuell if euer he had to doo with him What woulde the N●●atian and Annabaptiste saye vnto this Was it not a fall Could there be anye greater sinne then this Was it not doone of knowledge Was it not doone willinglye Was it not against his own conscience Yes doubtlesse it was no lesse but againste his owne conscience But yet thankes be vnto almightye God it was not the sinne of blasphemye against the holy ghost neither the sin vnto death the which Saint Iohn speaketh of for hee 1. Ioh. 5. continued not therin vnto his ende but immediatly he went foorth of the Bishops house and wept bitterly very muche lamenting his hainous offence and by faith he returned again vnto christ Mat. 26. knoweing his mercye to be infinite and without measure and so he was accepted vnto grace againe Christ appeared vnto him to his greate comforte after he rose againe from deathe to life and afterwards sending downe his holye Spirite indued him with wonderfull giftes of grace from aboue And then Peter became a strong Champion setting foorth Christe to be the only sauiour of the whole world Preaching and openlye confessing him before all men without any feare either of y● Scribes Pharises or Maiestrates Now good Madam lay this example of S. Peter to this text of S. Paule to the Hebrewes It can not be that they which were once lightned c. If they fall away c. that they should be renued again by repentance If a man would apply the aforesaide example of S. Peter vnto this text of S. Paule he would thinke that Peter should vtterly haue béen cast away from Gods fauour mercy and grace For first it can not be denied but that hee was once lightned that is indued with the true knowledge of Christe to be the onely Messias and sauiour of the world Secondlye he had also tasted of the heauenly gift which was a true faith in christ Iesus openlye confessing the same before al the Apostles béeing fully perswaded in his owne conscience what Christ was Thirdlye that Peter was become pertaker of the holy Ghoast and had tasted of the good woorde of God it appéereth euidētly by Christes sentence saying Blessed art thou Symon for flesh and bloud that is man shewed thee ●●ot that but my father ●hich is in heauen Which ●as by the inspiration of ●is holy spirit Finally Peter had a taste of the world to come For hee did see in the mountaine the transfiguration of Christ so did Iames Mat. 17. the more and Iohn the Euangelist also Where in the presence of them all Christ was transfigured and shewed him selfe vnto them in the forme of a glorified body So that his face did shine as the Sun and his clothes appeared as white as the light There appeared also among thē Moyses and Elias And euen there the cleare voice of God the father of heauen was plainlye hearde among thē out of y● cloud saying vpon Christe This is my dearlye beloued sonne in whom I delite heare him Loe all this and much more Peter bothe hearde and sawe béeing almoste continuallye in Christes companye eating and drinking with him hearing daylye his heauenly doctrine preaching and teaching seeing euerye where as occasiō serued his great and wonderfull miracles And yet for all this what a great fall Peter had it appeared plainely by his deniall of Christ his louing maister and Sauiour and by the circumstaunces thereof whiche I touched before But yet to make Peters fall more horrible Christ saide vnto him and vnto al the other his Apostles when he sent them ●●●rth to preache the Gospell of saluation He that denieth Math. 10. me before men I shall denie him also before my Father Alas good Peter what case stand●● thou in now● How dooth this saying of Christ touch thée remembringe this sayinge of Christe art thou not vtterly at thy wits end Is it not most certaine and true y● thou hast too horriblye fallen after that thou haddest tasted of all these gratious giftes before rehearsed Hast thou not contrarye to thine owne conscience moste shamefullye denyed thy maister sauiour Christ before men Ah good soule what shal becom of thée How wilt thou answere for thy self for it séemeth héer plainly that both S. Paule in the afore alleaged place to y● Hebrewes and also Christ him selfe in the scripture afore rehearsed haue giuen sentence of condemnation against thée Wherefore bothe the Nouacian the Annabaptist grounding them selues vppon these two places of holy scripture will plainelye pronounce thée to be a reprobate and that thou art dispatched and vtterlye cast awaye from all hope of saluation But héere let vs not too lightlye passe ouer but earnestlye weigh and deepely consider what may be said in this matter on Peters behalfe And firste it may be rightlye answered that that place of S. Paul vnto the Hebrewes maketh Heb. 6. nothing againste S. Peter neither yet againste any Christian man how gréeuouslye or how often soeuer hée hath sinned so that he hath not vtterlye forsaken Christe and fallen cleane awaye from him For S. Paule saith It cannot be that they which were once lightned c. If they fall away they should be renued by repentance Marke héer diligentlye that S. Paule saithe If they fall away He saithe not If they fall But if It is not all one thing to fall and to fall away they fall away For it is not all one thing to fall and to fall away For Peter did fall but hee did not fall away frō Christe but returned vnto him againe An olde prouerb it is A man runneth A Prouerb● very far that neuer returneth againe All we christians do daily fal for we daily break Gods cōmandements but yet we do not fal away frō christ neither refuse we him to be our Sauiour but acknowledging our manifold sinnes and offences wée daylye returne vnto him againe by true repentaunce faithe and amendmēt of life nothing doubting of his great vnmeasurable mercy towards vs. They fal away frō christ Who falleth away frō Christe y● vtterly forsake him refuse him to be their sauiour neuer