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
is this our sinne in man because it is an Apostasie from the Gospell Secondly as against the Gospell so against the Spirit which worketh grace by the Gospell The Schoolemen said not nothing inascribing Power to the Father Knowledge to the Sonne and Grace to the holy Ghost Against the Father men sinne of infirmitie against the Sonne of Ignorance and these two are remissible But against the holy Ghost men sinne of malice and this is irremissible But I would rather haue said thus That in regard these men sinne against the spirit id est the proper effect and worke of the spirit in them their sinne must needs be irremissible because there is not another person in the Trinitie whereby they might receiue grace and arise to Repentance For God the Father bestowed Innocencie and righteousnesse vpon the creature at the first by which he might liue This being lost God the sonne came to repaire it and to restore vs to our former estate and he indeed paid the price of our redemption But man being in the state of nature could haue no benefit by it Then came the holy Ghost and regenerated and quickened man and taught him what Christ had done for him what is the vertue of his death and passion yea the spirit also applieth the bloud of Christ and by it washeth and purifieth the heart of man and so sanctifieth both body and soule Hitherto you see how still as man profiteth not by the former grace there is yet another person in the Trinitie who by a second worke can make the first effectuall But now when it is come to this that the worke of the spirit is resistell and impugned so that these three persons haue giuen him over there is none other meanes for him to recover For to whom should hee goe when these forsake him Where may he finde a Physitian if these conclude his wound is incurable Where are you all you grand Imposters of the world You strict defenders of the Intercession of Saints and Angels Now come forth and helpe Here here is place for the Indulgences of your Popes the merits of your Saints the intercession of your Angels Here is a man forsaken of God out of all hope of heauen can you now cure him If there be any Deity in your Saints any Divinitie in your Angels any hope any helpe any merit any mercy any vertue any power now let them shew it Let them recouer this forlorne man out of the gulfe of hell restore him to his former estate of grace reforme his will cure his affections renew his minde create a right spirit within him in a word vendicate him from everlasting perdition and destruction Oh! miserable comforters are you all here where there is need of helpe you doe forsake there where there is no need you promise it largely No no this mans estate is wretched though not lamentable miserable though not pittifull He hath forsaken God refused heaven to hell he must there to be tormented so long as God shall liue for ever for ever Thus much for the Reasons drawne from the Obiect The nature also of this sinne is such that it refuseth repugneth all pardon as which doth indeede 1. wittingly 2. wilfully 3. malitlously 4. totally fall from the profession of godlinesse God hauing created man ordained in his soule two principall faculties to be the guides of his life the conducters of his actions viz. the Vnderstanding and the Will The vnderstanding he furnisht with knowledge of the will of his creator in heauenly things This knowledge being lost in Adam was repaired againe by Christ who is the light that lighteth euery one that commeth into the world by the light of nature and the Sonne of Righteousnesse shining in our hearts by the light of grace by whose spirit we are ledde into all truth and thereby are inlightened in the vnderstanding to discerne both good and evill This is the grace which of God we haue receiued and receiued to this end questionlesse that the abundance of knowledge should worke effectually in vs in turning vs from all iniquity and should teach vs to deny all vngodlinesse worldly lusts Wherefore if wee doe wittingly put out this light extinguish this knowledge quench the spirit and hauing the key of knowledge doe yet shut vp heauen gate against our selues if we know our Masters will and doe it not if we know the lâ—ght and therefore hate it see the plague and runne into it What remedie can there be What hope of pardon or of remission Had we not seene we had had no sinne but now that wee see our sinne remaineth It had bin better not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse then after knowledge to turne from the holy Commandement Better saith Peter id est lesse punishable by farre Affected ignorance is very lyable to the curse of God but witting reiection of knowledge once receiued is abhominable If we sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the knowledge and acknowledging of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne As they are destitute of pardon because wittingly they sinne so also because wilfully The will of man the other principall facultie in mans soule was endued with freedome that so it might freely worke and following the direction and guidance of the vnderstanding might apply it selfe to embrace and choose the good and to eschew and refuse the evill The strength of this indeed was overthrowne by Adams fall but it being much renewed by Christ serveth to the same end still Wherefore when men doe wilfully and of set purpose turne aside and sinne not of infirmitie but of peevishnesse who can helpe them If the Patient bee willing to be cured the Phisitian may by his skill doe much But if he be froward perverse wilfull obstinate and will not be healed there may be balme in Gilead and Physitians there but yet the wound will not bee recouered Who can cure him that refuseth to be cured Certainely the Physitians that enterprise this must returne the complaint of the Prophet We would haue cured Babell and shee would not be cured forsake her c. for her iudgement is come vp to heaven and is lifted vp to the clouds It is worth the noting that in the Law there was no Sanctuary for wilfull murtherers Neither in the Gosspell is there any pardon for wilfull Apostataes It is the word of the Lord and it will be found true If yee walke stubbornely against me I will walke stubbornely against you And that of the Psalmist With the froward thou wilâ— deale frowardly You haue seene a stubborne sonne and a severe father as it were striving for the victory The father scourgeth him for his fault the sonne he striveth strugleth roareth sobbeth snubbeth and ready he is to burst for anger The father then groweth angry and to him againe and layeth on sorer fiercer yet will not the varlet yeeld stubborne still stomackfull
in the Gospell may further bee confirmed by our owne obseruation viz. That wheresoeuer there is any mention of this sin in the new Testament there comes with it some intimation of the workes of the Mediator In Mat. 12. They opposed Christ himselfe in his miracles In Heb. 6. Paul instanceth in their crucifying againe of Christ c. And in Heb. 10. Of their trampling vnderfoote the Sonne of God c. So that this Truth is the doctrine of the Gospell the faith of our saluation through the bloud of Christ The which Piscator confirmeth by the Antithesis betwixt the contempt of the Law and the contempt of the Gospell handled in Heb. 10. 28. This Truth must be knowne to the partie he must be enlightened hee must haue a competent measure of knowledge before he falleth into this sinne For confirmation of this to omit that of Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after wee haue receiued the knowledge of the truth let vs consider how he enlargeth this point Heb. 6. 4 what phrases the Apostle vseth to set forth the measure of grace to which they had attained Marke his wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is impossible that they which were once inlightned c. Wee shall not lightly finde a more plaine more full more pithie place Ergo let vs heere stay and demurre a little and labour to vnderstand the same There are two diuerse applications of this place if they may bee called Diuerse which all tende to the same ende For some doe apply each phrase to signifie some particular thing Thus Hemingius and Iunius First heare Hemingi◠Praecedunt peccatum in spiritum sanctum sayth hee there goes before this our sinne fiue things first An illumination Secondly A tast of the heauenly gift Thirdly A participation of the holy Ghost Fourthly A tast of the good ward of God Fiftly A tast of the powers of the world to come These hee thus explaineth This Illumination is the knowledge of Christ and his benefits The taste of the heauenly gift is the participation of these benefits by faith The communion of the Spirit is the Testimony of the Spirit in the hearts of the faithfull concerning the truth of God The good worde of which they tasted is the instrumentall cause of the former for by the word comes knowledge by knowledge faith the holy Ghost being powred into our heartes The powers of the worlde to come is that blessed Immortalitie which the faithfull and beleeuers doe tast of through the holy Ghost who doth renew their hearts Thus farre Hemingius very well and to good purpose if withall you note the Emphasis and and force of the word Gustaverunt haue tasted hee sayth not Deglutiverunt haue swallowed downe much lesse Concoxerunt haue digested it For it is one thing to beleeue truely and plenarily as did Lidia whose heart the Lord opened another thing to haue onely a tast Piscator handleth these fiue phrases thus They containe saith he first The benefits of God bestowed which are two viz illumination and a tast of Gods fauour Secondly The causes of them viz. The word and the Spirit Iunius not an Author to bee contemned goeth an other way to worke for hee makes these fiue phrases to answere to the fiue heads of the Apostles Catechisme spoken of in the beginning of the chapter that as by the knowledge and profession of those hee was aedified and builded vp in Christianitie so now in his relapse and Apostacy he did vndoe all and quite destroy the former building The first head of Catechisme was Repentance from dead workes to which answereth the first phrase were once enlightned idest were called from darknesse yea death to light yea life by the renouncing of themselues and their dead workes The second was faith towardes God to which answereth the second phrase Haue tasted of the heauenly gift which gift is faith receiued from God The third ground was the Doctrine of Baptismes not Baptisme onely but Baptismes as well the inward of the Spirit whereby we are made the members of Christ the sonnes of God and inheritors of the kingdome of heauen as the outward of the Minister by which wee are receiued into the Church and acknowledged members thereof To this answereth the third phrase were made partakers of the holy Ghost id est receiued the Spirit a most constant witnesse of their adoption and redemption The fourth head was the Doctrine of the Imposition of hands a ceremony vsed at that time to admit and consecrate by a publicke consent those who vpon tryall were found sufficient either to the common profession of Christianity in the comunion of the Sacrament or to some speciall office or function in the ministry To which answereth the fourth phrase Haue tasted of the good word of God which is the nourishment of those who doe liue by the Spirit and who by the Imposition of hands were called to the offices of a Christian life The last ground of the catechisme was the Doctrine of the resurrection and aeternall iudgement to which answereth the last phrase Haue tasted of the powers of the world to come id est That hope of life and immortalitie which is layd vp for them in the heauen Hitherto Iunius laudably indeede if there be tantum certitudinis quantum subtilitatis so much certainety as subtilty in this his application And this is the former The second kinde of Application is of them who do apply all these fiue phrases to signifie one selfe same thing Thus Caluin the Coriphaeus of our Diuines Notandum est saayth hee wee must heere marke with what Elogies the Apostle doth set forth the knowledge of the Gospell For hee calleth it first Illumination intimating that men doe grope in darkenes till Christ the day-starre doe arise in their hearts Secondly The tast of the heauenly gift teaching that the benefits of Christ doe transcend the heauens and yet by faith are tasted Thirdly The Participation of the Spirit because hee it is that distributeth to each one as he listeth Fourthly The tast of the good word of God signifying that in the Gospel the will of God is so manifested to vs as that it doth most sweetely delight vs. Fiftly The tast of the powers of the world to come insinuating that by faith wee are admitted into the heauenly kingdome beholding thorow faith that blessed immortalitie which is layd vpp for vs in the heauen Thus Caluin To the same effect Zanchius who thus explaineth himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enlightened viz. by the holy Ghost to know the truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est haue tasted in some measure of the diuine bounty manifested in the Gospell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. id est haue in some measure perceiued themselues renewed by the holy Ghost through the doctrine of the Gospell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tasted of the good word of God id est the
threefold 1. The professors of the Truth they can rest in no ground their persecutors are swifter then Eagles stronger then Lyons spare no paines no labour to dissipate and roote out were it possible the memoriall of them from off the face of the earth Yet if this were the worst it were well but they also persecute 2. the Truth it selfe as Paul sayth of Alexander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He greatly resisted our words the doctrine that Paul preached Neither doe they stay here but they oppose 3. The Maiestie of God himselfe Indeede their hand is too short but they supply it with aboundance of malice and hatred yea and their tongues shall walke at libertie against the God of heauen And like as the Great redd Dragon when he could no longer remaine in heauen nor devoure the woman then he went and made warre with the remnant of her seede So these men when the person of Christ himselfe is exalted aboue the heavens is so high that they cannot reach him then doe they turne the sea of their Malice against his members and in them they persecute him Particularly there are two sorts of men which being relapsed into this sinne doe bring forth two speciall kinds of persecution Men of authoritie doe draw forth the sword of Iniustice and crueltie Like the Athenian Draco they write lawes with the bloud of Christians and make Statutes that no man may buy or sell saue such who renounce their Religion Thus Saul hunts Dauid like a Partridge in the Mountaines sucketh the bloud of the Priests like a Lyon in the wildernesse Iulian oppresseth and vexeth the Christians Yea though they haue not the sword in their hands yet they will vsurpe witnesse dâ—â—crle of Stephens judges aâ— daâ—â—â—â—ers who albeit by their owne confession to â—â—late they might not put my man to death yet when their â—age is kindled against Stephen by his reproofe they can fide if not a sword or a Crosse yet a stone â—o pâ—sh out his braynes 2. Mâ—n of learning whett their tongues sharpen their pennes against the Truth and Truths sauouriâ—s They â—â—ite with the tongue not onely like Doeg in accusing or like Saules Courtiers in backbiting but like Shimei in accusing rayling slaundering like Ishmael in most poysonous and virulent mocking The tongue is an vnruly euill sayth S. Iames full of deadly poyson marke that it insecteth as poyson it killeth it mortâ—fieth as deadly poyson Neither if we doe compare the severalls is this the least nay questionlesse the tongue leaveth a deeper wound then doth the sword Ismael is said to persecute Isaac Gal. 4. 19. How Glâ—dione an mâ—â—â— sayth Calvin with sword or hand No with the poysonous mocks of his tongue which hurts not the bodie but directly wounds the soule Sarah saw Ishmaell mocking What followeth Cast out the bond-woman and her sonne For this his mocke hee and his mother are ablegated and banished What could Sarah haue done more had Ishmaell strooke him spurned him or beaten him Whence comes this heate Certainly this mocking was more bitter more grievous then any blowes It was a froward a peevish mocking carrying with it besides the contempt of his brother a contempt and scorne of Gods promise of grace which at that time made the house ioyfull Abraham is merry Sarah reioyceth the whole familie semblably affected onely he in his brothers person mocketh God slighteth his promise derideth Father Abrahams faith Thus hee that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit and heavyer was his tongue then could haue beene his hand The same may be said of the sufferings of Christ questionlesse neither the blowes nor whippings nor thornes nor nailes did so much afflict his bodie as their poysonous envenomed tongues did pierce his soule Oh that strucke deepe wounded sore when they in their spitefull mockes opprobriously taunted him saying He trusted in God let him saue him c. Neither is this peculiar to men of learning though in them most perspicuous others also can raile and revile the Truth The Iewes full of enuie spake against those things that were spoken of Paul contrarying them and rayling on them contradicting and blaspheming Blaspheming that is another word in the definition and a certaine especiall manner of this verball Persecution Blasphemy doth import a certaine derogation and diminishing of an excellent goodnes especially Divine The Notation giueth it to bee An hurting of the fame In Scripture it is appropriated to signifie not any kinde of Malediction or slaunderous speeches but that which is peculiarly bent against God and his truth And by a Metaphor sometimes applyed to backbiting and raylings vttered against men The act of it is either to attribute that to God which belongeth not to him as Ignorance Sinne Tyranny Iniustice c. or to robbe him of his honour taking that from him which is his due And it is committed two wayes First Either onely in the vnderstanding which may bee founde in those who haue not sinned our Sinne as Paul calleth himselfe a Blasphemer but it was thorow Ignorance Secondly Or else in the Affection ioyned to the vnderstanding and this is it that commeth neerer to vs. for our Blasphemy proceedeth from the detestation of Affection which is set against God This is another part of the Terminus ad quem viz. A mouth that speaketh blasphemies hither do they come Musculus maketh it the plenitude and fulnesse of this sinne Hence commeth the reviling of Gods Iustice making God an accepter of persons taxing the righte ous Iudge with Iniustice Hence commeth the truth to bee accounted Impious wicked and Diabolicall Hence it is that they count the bloode of the newe Testament an vnholy thing hence is it that they attribute that to the Deuill which is proper to God as did those Blasphemous Pharisees In a worde hence commeth the whole troope the whole heape of those blasphemous speeches which they cast forth against the God of heauen euen from that mouth speaking blasphemies Wee haue perused the effect in our Whether now turne your eyes and see the cause The cause is Malice Yea this Malice is the Essentiall forme of it which giueth life to it and distinguisheth it from other persecution For all Persecution of the truth is not so seuerely to be censured Many are carryed with a blinde zeale to defend Superstition which they conceit to bee the truth Heeretofore in those bloody times of Antichrists domineering raigne ouer vs though many especially of the learned sort cannot bee excused from violating yea and resisting the checke of their owne consciences in persecuting the Gospell yet the common people and many other were ledd with a blind zeale to defend Popish received Errours and thereupon to oppose whatsoeuer was contrary to it The same is to be said of diverse among Stephens auditors they did not
grace Whereupon the Lord doth presse his conscience with feare and terror affecting it with the sensible feeling of Gods heauy wrath vpon his soule yea euen setting him forth as a vessell prepared for destruction causing his soule and conscience to witnesse so much against him and at certaine times making him to feele most horrible terrors and convulsions Fiftly Then growes he to impenitency to fretting to murmuring and reluctation against God maliciously opposing himselfe against his Maiesty yea hating him whom he can conceiue none otherwise then a righteous judge to condemne him Hence it commeth saith o Calvin that so boldly yea so malapertly they frett against God They try indeed all meanes to remoue the sense of Gods anger but in vaine For so soone as they haue a little truce a little ease presently he troubleth them againe with torments haling their guiltie consciences before the tribunall seate of his angry iustice Now at the last doth this man perceiue how fearefull a thing it is to fall into the hands of the liuing God yet hauing reiected the meanes of grace cast off Christ and contemned the sacrifice of his bloud he hath no power to returne but onely breaketh forth into blasphemous and reuiling speeches against the Almightie Then at the last doth God set the brand of destruction vpon him taking from him all hope of pardon and so leauing him to Sathan to be brought home by finall Impaenitencie and desperation to finall destruction Thus we see from the beginning to the ending there is as it were a certaine Reluctation and striuing of the creature against the Creator seeking still to goe beyond God and from one point to another to despite and malice him and his iust proceedings Here I note That as the praecipitation is performed by the abjuration of the fundamentall points of the Truth So this other may beginne with other smaller matters especially fornication and prophanenesse mentioned by Paul and so by little and little creepe vpon a man till it haue possessed him with a totall repugnancie and resisting And that this description of the declination of an Apostata which yet I willingly submit to the censure of the iudicious learned may not seeme altogether to be rather a figment and a thing deuised as probable and possible than indeed any where to be found or any where exemplified giue mee leaue I pray to examine the fall of King Saul in the which me thinketh I doe cleerely see both those fiue acts of man falling and resisting the worke of grace and also those fiue acts of God punishing man for his fall 1. Saul looseth his holinesse of life In the beginning of his raigne he had reformed abuses But now he beginneth to fall away when by his foolish pitty hee spareth Agag and the best of the Cattell contrary to the flat commandement of God Then God giueth him vp to the euill spirit who worketh vpon him indeed strangely but effectually driving him into many strange and vncotâ—â—â—tts certainly hardning his heart against all goodnesse 2. Now groweth he to be peruerse and froward yea falls into a dislike of all those that were good persecuteth Dauid causelesse even Dauid the man whom hee perceiued God had chosen to be the heire of the kingdome yea the more that Ionathan doth excuse Dauid and plead for his innocencie the more is he enraged God taketh away his ioy for beside the vexation of the euill spirit how is he fretted at the safetie of Dauid he is in continuall feare of him For an euill minde sayth Gregory is ever in trouble either deuising mischiefs against other or fearing mischiefs from others alwayes imagining that his wicked plots against his neighbour are returned vpon his owne pate What joy therefore can Saul haue when as Dauid still preuaileth all Sauls plots will doe no good Michol saueth him the Lord defendeth him Ionathan convayeth him away excuseth him the Priests commend him Thus is he in continuall trouble and trauell how doth he lay traps for him yea in the end neglecting all other businesses of the kingdome he is wholly bent vpon this to persecute Dauid and to kill him 3. After his fall we can find not any one act of faith in him and therefore may well allow him to haue reiected it We see also his knowledge confounded proofe hereof we haue in his behauiour at those two times that David had him at the advantage what man were he not distracted and quite bereft of common reason would haue proceeded but he is so blinded by the Deuill that he cannot see a kindnesse done to him Thus also according to his grosse ignorance stoth he bid the Witch of Endor bring him vp Samuell not considering the state of the Saints after this life how that Sathan hath no power ouer them at all 4. Manifest proofe is there of his pollution though not in the flesh in which he was not much blame worthy yet in other 〈…〉 tters he is an vsuall swearer and curser nourisheth Idolatry in his house an horrible and filthy murtherer causing 85. Priests to be slaine yea he destroyed the citty and all in it man woman child suckling oxe and asse sheepe and all spared none What could he haue done more to Iericho What to Amalek What to the cursed Philistims Yea further hee would haue killed x Ionathan for excusing Dauid and missing of that all to reviled him were not these arguments of his malice against God himselfe to persecute Dauid the Lords annointed to slay the Lords Priests as who should say if he could not preuent Dauid yet he would put him to his shifts and perhaps make him come short of his hopes and as for these Priests they should smart for it The punishment of this hath euident confirmation For how bitterly sorely did the Lord presse his conscience especially when he saw the host of the Philistims and at such time as the Lord denyed to answere him eyther by Urim or by Prophets as also when Satan in the person of Samuell did reckon vp his faults and prophecie his destruction But especially when he was ready to die cap. 31. 5. His Impaenitency and fretting and murmuring against God is evident vpon Gods denying to answere him when he commandeth to seeke out a Familiar albeit he knew them to be the meanes and instruments of the Deuill for which cause he had banisht them heretofore Lastly the brand of destruction finall Impenitencie and desperation was set vpon him a long time before signified to Samuell but plainely practised by Saul at such time as God denyeth him any to be his executioner and so he that wallowed in the blood of others is now constrained by his owne hand to wallow in his owne bloud that so he may once haue z his fill of bloud and murther Quaest. Yea but how may it appeare that Saul did renounce Christ and his Mediation which was set downe