Holy Ghost though they bee very fearefull sinnes seeing they haue been committed by GODS owne Seruants and also pardoned vnto them Example we haue of the one in Peter Luke 22.61 1. Tim. 1.13 of the other in Paul both great Apostles of Iesus Christ By this negation or opposition What sinnes are not that sinne against the Holy Ghost we shall I trust the better consider and sooner find out what this peculiar sin against the Holy Ghost is whereof we are now God assisting vs punctually to intreate Two causes why the sinne against the Holy Ghost should bee made knowne And seeing it is so great a sinne yea the greatest sinne and such a sinne as shall not be forgiuen it is most necessarie that it should be distinguished and made knowne from all other sinnes and that for two causes especially The one to this end that we knowing the danger therof should euermore most carefully flye farre off from so deepe Pit of perdition The other which in my opinion is the best vse that may be made now in this time of peace and fun-shine of the Gospell to make knowne vnto Gods people yea euen vnto them which are more simple lest Satan should make any to beleeue or thinke who being fallen or slyding into some other Pit of sinne neere or somewhat like vnto this That they are plunged in this deepe Gulfe of perdition neuer more to be recouered For as we must not be ignorant of Satans slights as the Apostle saith so must Christ his Ministers aboue all other bee as carefull and readie to preuent him and to instruct Gods Children in all such points of sound doctrine as are required either for comfort or instruction Wherefore in my poore vnderstanding they are worthy in this particular to be blamed who though they will not speake against preaching in generall yet will they by no meanes allow all the Doctrine reuealed in the Word of God to bee taught and preached vnto the people of God Some say that Predestination being a chiefe if not the chiefest point in all Diuinitie ought rather to be concealed then publikely to bee taught and preached vnto the people Others hold and these are Papists specially that many sentences of Scripture which indeed are most sweete to repentant and sorrowfull sinners as At what time soeuer a Sinner doth repent and the like are vnfit to be either read or preached to the people for feare forsooth lest some will take thereupon the more libertie of sinning as though because Grace doth abound therefore sin should abound which is onely the fault of gracelesse persons but neuer of any of Gods Children Last of all many are of opinion that this sinne against the Holy Ghost is not at all to bee defined at least not to be declared or spoken of in publike I grant Reuerend Fathers that these as all other points of Diuinitie and some of these aboue many other points of Diuinitie ought very religiously and discreetly to be taught and preached vnto the people but to hold opinion or to labour to maintayne it which is worse that any of these or other like points of Doctrine must bee concealed which God of purpose hath declared in his Word to be opened and reuealed is sarre from all Diuinitie to speake the best of it and nothing agreeing with the rule and practice of Saint Paul Acts 20.35 that great Doctor of vs Gentiles Who boasted and tooke exceeding comfort thereby vnto himselfe that he had reuealed to his Auditorie at times All the Councell of God that is not all that God hath or doth keepe secret to himselfe but all that God hath or had reuealed vnto the Apostle either openly in his Word or by any secret Reuelation from Heauen which points so reuealed vnto that holy Apostle as likewise vnto all the rest of Gods Prophets and Apostles they haue publikely preached and plainly left them in writing vnto posteritie to be seene read and knowne of all not onely for their sakes which are learned but also for their sakes which are more ignorant to bee openly taught and preached vnto them by the succeeding Ministers of Iesus Christ Wherefore if we the Ministers of Christ wil exspect to haue the same comfort in our Callings that Saint Paul and the rest of the Apostles had we must take the same course in teaching which they haue done namely to publish the secrees of the Gospell that is all which God hath reuealed in his Word so farre as our knowledge may attayne vnto And truly the confideration of the premises did partly induce my minde at the first to determine vpon this Text and to speake of this finne against the Holy Ghost for my Text directing mee to speake of leffer sinnes against the holy Spirit of God me thought and God I trust directed my thoughts it should be to some purpose to speake of the greater or greatest of all Obseruing this not by the way worthy to be remembred that though the sinne against the Holy Ghost may be knowne and is reuealed in the Scripture yet the Sinner is not easily rather not at all to be pointed at nor to bee iudged of men but to bee left to the iust Iudgement of God one reason hereof may be because finall impenitencie must accompany this sinne which cannot easily bee discerned of men One note more before we enter into the description of this sinne would bee obserued which a learned man hath well noted and therefore I will vse his owne words Blasphemia in Spiritum Sanctum non referri debet ad Spiritus essentiam simpliciter sed ad gratiam qua donati sumus which is That this Blasphemie against the Holy Ghost is not simply to bee referred to the Essence of Gods Spirit nor to his person for so in sinning against the Holy Ghost wee sinne in like manner against the Father and the Sonne but it is to bee vnderstood that in so blaspheming wee sinne against the good gifts and graces of Gods holy Spirit wherewith wee haue formerly beene inlightned Now come wee in Godsfeare to speake of the sinne it selfe What the sinne against the Holy Ghost is not wee haue alreadie partly noted to wit That it is not properly not onely blasphemie against God the Father not against the Sonne nor euery Blasphemie against the Holy Ghost as grieuing of Gods Spirit nor refisting of Gods Spirit nor back-sliding or falling from God and his Truth through feare or any other infirmitie nor persecuting of Gods Church and Children through ignorance neither is it any particular fin committed against the first or second Table neither is it final impenitencie as some of the Fathers haue affirmed for there be thousands which neuer tru ly repent which neuer yet commit this sinne Therefore if one saith well Qui impenitentiam esse definiunt nullo nâ—gâ—tio refelli possunt But rather it may bee said to be such a sinne which contayneth in some sort all these sinnes and more too
Christ And albeit some haue thought that those places of Scriptue in the sixt and tenth to the Hebrewes haue pointed at this sinne of grieuing of Gods Spirit Heb. 6. 10. and therefore could not bee renewed by Repentance yet it is certaine that in those places That great sinne against the Holy Ghost is touched vpon whereof wee haue promised and purpose God-willing to speake in its owne place I say therefore for the comfort of the godly afflicted in conscience but to flatter none in their sinnes That to grieue the holy Spirit of God or sometimes by sinning to quench as it were the good gifts and graces of Gods Spirit is a sinne oftentimes committed by the Children of God that are called by the preaching of the Gospell iustified by Faith and in some measure sanctified by the holy Spirit of God this I say is the sinne many times of Gods Children against which sinne as against all sinne they doe much labour and striue and daily yea almost hourely they doe repent for the same To resist the Spirit of God being the second pont I haue proposed to speake off is the proper sinne of such as are not yet effectually called nor sanctifyed but may be in time if God giue them grace to repent and beleeue the Gospell But to blaspheme the Spirit of God in the highest degree which is called the sinne against the Holy Ghost is onely that sin which cannot be renewed by Repentance And so much for grieuing of Gods Spirit in our selues and of the difference betwixt grieuing resisting and blaspheming of Gods Spirit Now there is moreouer A second sort of Greiuers of Gods Spirit another sort of grieuers of Gods Spirit but not in themselues but in others and these are farre different from the former and without speedie Repentance may come neere to the latter Such were many sinfull sinners of the olde World who did grieue the holy Spirit of God which was in Noah and such as Saint Peter saith vexed iust Lot 2. Pet. 27. with their vncleanly conuersation And such as grieued Saint Paul when hee said Phil. 3.18 Many walke of whom I haue told you often and now tell you weeping And such as Dauid complayned of when hee said Mine eyes gush out with teares because men keepe not Gods Law Such grieuers of Gods Spirit in others wee haue but too too many in our dayes and this Age is full of such vngodly persons which take pleasure to mocke and scoffe at all vertuous and godly exercises in others making but a past-time of sinne in themselues and the more they are reproued the more sinfull they are and the more outragiously they runne into all mischiefe to the high dishonouring of Almightie God euen in contempt of God and all goodnesse to the disgrace of Christianitie and finally to the great griefe of the godly specially of those who haue the cure and charge of their soules committed vnto them But for so much as those grieuers of Gods Spirit in others doe resist the same Spirit of God against themselues wee will here conclude our first proposed part of grieuing of Gods Spirit and so come to the next to shew what it is and who they are that doe resist the holy Spirit of God obseruing this not by the way that GODS Spirit is called the holy Spirit of God not because hee is holier then either the Father or the Sonne but because his proper office is to sanctifie and to make holy the Elect Children of God So come we now to speake of Resisting of Gods Spirit being the second generall part of our Text. TO resist the Holy Ghost The second part of this Sermon of resisting of Gods Spirit is on the one side to despise or to make little account of the good gifts and graces of Gods Spirit and of those good meanes which God hath appointed to bring vs vnto Saluation As the despising of Gods Word Sacraments and Prayer prophaning of the Lords Sabbaths which he hath sanctified and especially ordained for holy exercises to mocke or iest at the preaching of the Word and of the Preachers thereof These are great sinnes and to bee repented off aboue many other sinnes because they manifestly fight against the first Table of Gods Law and against the whole worship and Seruice of God Furthermore to resist the Holy Ghost is to harden our hearts and to stop the eares of our soules against the Word of God as some Recusants will stop the eares of their bodies with Wooll when some inforcement bringeth them to Church To day saith the Holy Ghost Psal 95.7 if you will heare my voyce harden not your hearts This was the sinne of the Israelites in the Wildernesse when God proued them fortie yeeres whether they would obey him and heare his voyce but they would not at length God sware vnto them in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest that was into the Land of Canaan But behold a fearfull Iudgement of God of six hundred thousand no small number there were onely two persons Caleb and Ioshua Numb 14.30 that entred into that Land of Promise The rest were ouerthrowne in the Wildernesse These saith Saint Paul are examples vnto vs 1. Cor. 10.6 and are written to admonish vs vpon whome the ends of the World are come That wee should not lust after euill things as they lusted nor tempt God as they tempted him nor murmur as they murmured nor harden our hearts against the Word of God as they did lest the Lord sware in his wrath as he did vnto them that wee should neuer enter into his eternall rest the Kingdome of Heauen Yet surely this is the great and grieuous sin of too too many in our Land The hardning of their hearts against the voyce of God as the Iewes did in Ieremies time Ier. 18.28 to whom they said Let vs not giue eare to any of his words Let the Law and Curse of Gods Iudgements by the mouth of Gods Ministers bee thundred against obstinate and rebellious Sinners neuer so terribly nay let God himselfe thunder from Heauen neuer so hard and fearefully let fire and flashes of Lightning flye ouer them and vpon them Let Houses Townes and Villages with extraordinarie fire be quite burned into ashes let Warre Famine Plagues and Pestilences pursue vs and almost ouer-take vs Let some of this wicked sort escape these or any other Iudgements of God but one inch they 'l care for no more their hearts shall neuer be the softer nor yet their liues one whit the better They will be as sinfull as euer they were as vnmercifull as euer they were as full of malice and disdaine as euer they were as hard-hearted as euer they were and will not sticke to say Tush these things shall neuer come neere vs. On the othe otherside let the glad tydings of the Gospell be preached vnto them neuer so often and so comfortably let the sweet Mercies
GRIEVING OF GODS SPIRIT Contayning the summe of a Sermon preached at Saint MARIES in OXFORD The chiefe points intreated on are Viz. I. Of grieuing of Gods Spirit II. Of resisting of Gods Spirit III. Of blaspheming of Gods Spirit in the highest degree commonly called The sinne against the Holy Ghost By Radford Mauericke Minister in DEVON Reade iudiciously but iudge charitably MATTH 7.2 For with what Iudgement ye iudge ye shall be iudged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you againe LONDON Printed by William Stansby 1620. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD GEORGE Lord Archbishop of Canterburie his Grace Primate of all England and Metropolitane And one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuie Councell All sauing graces wished in this life and all during Glorie in the life to come MOST REVEREND HOw much the Ministers of the Gospell within your Graces Prouince haue and doe continually reioyce of your preferment to this place and how many zealous Prayers are made vnto God for your Graces long and happie continuance therein I the least and one of the lowest among them can partly report But my purpose is not to prayse but in all humilitie to pray your Grace so farre to bee pleased as to permit with your accustomed fauour This poore Mite of a Ministers good meaning to be cast into the rich Treasurie of our English Church And with more speciall regard to suffer these two first Sermons preached long sithence in your Graces presence to passe vnder the wings of your fauourable protection being not onely imboldned hereunto by your Graces late remembrance of them but euen incouraged to publish them in print which the importunitie of some this long time could hardly gaine at my hands But now old age hauing taken hold on mee and my selfe hauing no children by naturall generation I haue thought it meet to collect together into one Countrey or Continent my little Babes or Bookes which yet wander abroad in the wide World single by themselues with such other as my little leisure and lesse learning could bring forth to keepe them companie hoping they may yeeld me some comfort in the shutting up of my dayes aswell as profit others if please God so long as this day of saluation lasteth Thus commending my poore endeuours to Gods rich blessing and your worthy Grace to Gods gracious protection with bended knees I most humbly take my leaue and euer remaine Your Graces in all humble dutie at command RAFFORD MAVERICKE THE GRIEVING OF GODS SPIRIT EPHES. 4.30 Grieue not the holy Spirit of God FOr as much Men Exordium Brethren and Fathers as this sentence is allowed off Verbum sapienti sat est I should much forget my selfe If I did not well consider as before whom I speake the supremest Maiestie so vnto whom as graue learned and iudcious Auditorie as England or all Europe yeeldeth The consideration whereof I thanke God doth much comfort but not discourage me at all for speaking before God his diuine Grace being implored shall I trust guide and direct mee to speake as of the Word of God And speaking vnto iudicious but charitable hearers they will rather conceiue what I meane if desire of breuitie cause any obscuritie in my speech rather then rashly condemne any thing that shall be spoken so that it be not against the grounds of Learning or Religion Leauing therefore to hinder your attention from the matter intended we will God-willing proceed on with our Text Contayning a very graue dehortation of a matter of some great consequence or importance which may be dilated on without any diuision at all Consisting as it were but of one particular branch or member howbeit for orders sake and for the better helpe of memorie for Confusio est intelligeutiae Three parts of this Sermon memoriae inimica I haue purposed to pursue this Text in this manner First by shewing what is meant by grieuing of Gods Spirit and who they are that properly may bee sayd to grieue the holy Spirit of God Secondly seeing resisting of Gods Spirit is a greater sinne then grieuing of Gods Spirit we will God assisting speake of that point in the next place Thirdly for as much as blaspheming of Gods Spirit is a sinne reuealed vnto vs in the Scripture farre greater then either of the two former we will endeuour by Gods grace and with your learned patience to speake thereof in the third place Grieue not the holy Spirit of God TO grieue the Spirit of God The first part What is meant by grieuing of Gods Spirit is a figuratiue phrase or speech humanitus dictum spoken for mans capacity for truly and indeed the Spirit of God as God himselfe can be no more grieued then hee can be either wounded or killed but this phrase of speech is here vsed by our Apostle to aggrauate the greatnesse of sinne seeing by sinning we doe as much as in vs lyeth euen grieue the holy Spirit of God that is grieuously offend Gods Spirit whose speciall office is to worke sanctification in the harts of Gods Children This speech therefore is not vsed as one very well obserueth Quod vllam perturbationem sentiat diuinitas sed vt indignitatem prophana vitae magis intelligamus It is not spoken I say to make vs imagine That the diuine Essence is or can bee subiect to any perturbation but to make vs the more and more to conceiue the indignitie and vilenesse of sinne and how odious sinne is in the sight of God The similitude of this speech A Simile may seeme to bee borrowed from a honest Oast that hath receiued a good Chest into his house to whome for a while he hath giuen very good entertainment but soone after forgetting both his owne credit and his Chests comfort suffereth wittingly and willingly many disorders to be committed in his house to the great griefe and discontent of that Chest which at the first was so courteously intertained by meanes whereof the good Ghest doth seeme to make offer that he will forsake his lodge and seeke a new Oast sauing that his gentle nature is such that hee euery day hopeth and expecteth as he is oftentimes promised reformation and amendment of all that is amisse Right so it falleth out betweene Gods Spirit and a Christian man 1. Cor. 6.19 who in the Scripture is called The Temple of the Holy Ghost This holy and blessed Spirit as the good Ghest doth with the Hammer of Gods Word knock at the doore of our hearts to seeke entertainment Behold I stand saith the Spirit at the doore and knock Renel 3.20 If any man heare my voyce and open the doore for there be many that heare his voice who will not open the doore I will come into him and sup with him Now when any faithfull Christian hath thus receiued this good Ghest and giuen him entertainment to his content soone after forgetting both himselfe and this his Chest he suffers
other vnruly Ghests which were in that house before this good Ghest came thither the lusts and affections of the flesh I meane to beare rule and to keepe a stirre in that house to commit many shamefull and vngodly prankes by meanes whereof the good Ghest the good Spirit of God is not onely disquieted and troubled but letted and hindred from doing that good which he came to doe being woarie as it ware to tanie any longer in that House or Iune and therefore sometimes doth hide himselfe close in some corner of that House like fire couered in the Embers or ashes not making any comfortable meale with his Oast in many dayes and weekes together â— Sam. 11.12 And if the disorders be verie great such as the Adulterie and Murther of Dauid were he will hardly be found out in a whole yeere together so greatly is this good Ghest this holy Spirit of God offended and displeased with sinne or at least so odious and offensiue is sinne in his sight Nay which more is many times he will not be found out at all before euery corner of our hearts soules and consciences bee cleane washed with bitter teares of Repentance and these vnruly affections which made all the former disorders be in some sort tamed and subdued yea and vntill the Oast himselfe who suffered these parts to be played be seuerely punished in the House of GODS correction Psal 6.6 Luke 7.38 where hee must daily wash his wounds with the water of contrition As Dauid washed his Couch with teares as Mary Magdalene washed the feet of Christ Mat. 26.75 What it is to grieue the holy Spirit of God and as Peter went out and wept bitterly By this similitude so opened and explayned the verie simpliest I suppose may soone perceiue what it is to grieue the holy Spirit of God namely after that by the preaching of Gods Word wee haue receiued Faith and in some measure the sanctifying Spirit of God and haue entertained him with ioy and gladnesse yet notwithstanding many times and often through to too much securitie carelesnesse and negligence and sometimes through bold presumption and wilfull wickednesse we suffer the vnruly lusts of the flesh to sway and to beare rule in vs so long till as length we breake out into grosse sinnes and enormities whereby wee doe euen grieue the holy Spirit of God or as our Apostle seemes to expound himselfe in another place 1. Thes 5. â—â— Wee doe quench the Spirit of God and as much as in vs lyeth labour to extinguish and cleane put one the fire of Gods Grace with the cold water of sinne and vngodlinesse which water of wickednesse if it bee not in time dryed vp againe by Faith and true Repentance as it is euermore in the elect Children of God it would needs drowne our soules in that bottomlesse pit of destruction The vse then that we should make hereof is this Vse That learning hereby the detestation that God hath against sinne we should alwaies feare to commit it and therefore should make a conscience of euery sinne such sinnes as we account common sinnes and the Papists call veniall sinnes neuer weighing sinne in the ballance of our sinfull conceit but with the true waights of the Lords Sanctuarie and according to the account that God makes of it assuring our selues that euery sinne in its owne nature though neuer so small in our sense being committed against an infinite God doth iustly deserue an infinite punishment the ignorance whereof causeth so little conscience of sinning and so great prophanenesse to be in common Christians as is now to bee seene euery-where by meanes whereof they doe as our Apostle saith Constritare spiritum Grieue the holy Spirit and as one well noteth vpon that place quasi ex suo hospitio eum eijcimus euen cast him out of his owne habitation Contrariwise wee are here taught Vse how sweete and pleasing a thing it is to the holy Spirit of God that dwelleth in vs and to his holy Angels that watch and ward round about vs to liue and leade a holy life and godly conuersation For if sinne and vngodlinesse doe so grieue and offend the Spirit of God as surely it doth though we cannot conceiue the manner how then doubtlesse vertuous and holy liuing are most pleasing to the same Spirit And as the holy Spirit of God will not dwell in a soule subiected to sin so hee dwelleth with great delight and content in that soule which is sanctified by grace Therefore it is well said of one Oportet nos operam dare vt spiritus sanctus libenter in nobis habitet vt in domicilio laeto ac iucundo nec vlla tristitiae materia illi detur That it behooueth all Christians to giue all diligence so to liue as the holy Spirit of God may take delight for to dwell and remaine in vs as in a most pleasant Pauilion and that no cause of griefe be giuen vnto him through our carelesnesse and continuall custome of sinning So should it come to passe that as God takes delight in vs so should we haue comfort in him he through our holy obedience and wee through peace of conscience to our endlesse ioy and consolation Thus we see what it is to grieue the holy Spirit of God in our selues or to quench the good gifts and graces of Gods holy Spirit within vs which sinne I take to bee proper to Gods Saints and Children and therefore thinke it good to distinguish the three sinnes before named that is Grieuing Resisting and Blaspheming of God Spirit in this manner First I say to grieue the holy Spirit of God or to quench the Spirit is a sinne of Gods Children who by the preaching of Gods Word and inward working of Gods Grace haue receiued Faith and in some measure the sanctifying Spirit of God before which Spirit of Sanctification is giuen to none in that manner or measure but only to Gods Elect nor neuer taken vtterly from any to whom it is once giuen For those whom God once loueth to the end he loueth them Iohn 13.1 Rom. 11.29 And the gifts and calling of God are without Repentance Therefore it is obserued in King Dauid after his fearefull falls That he prayes to haue this holy spirit renewed within him Psal 51.10 hauing layen still as it were a while without any comfortable motion but was neuer vtterly taken from him And this note I giue by the way the rather lest any of Gods Children that are to too much cast downe alreadie with the feeling of their sinnes shoul be ouer-whelmed with too much heauinesse as also to teach that they may bee daily renewed by Repentance for their daily relictions contrarie to that old Heresie of the Nouatians The Nouatian Heresie which held the contrarie For though to grieue the Spirit of God by sinning bee a great aggrauating of sinne yet being many times the sinne of Gods Elect Children it is pardoned and forgiuen in
of God in the bowels of Iesus Christ be offered vnto them neuer so freely let the windowes of Heauen be set wide open not fortie dayes but twice fortie yeeres and all the Blessings of God bee powred downe vpon them neuer so bountifully yet there will no remorse of conscience mooue them to consider as they ought of these innumerable benefits of God bestowed vpon them And what is the cause of all this deadnesse and dulnesse in them is it not the hardning of their hearts against the Word of God whereby they doe as much as in them lyeth resist the Holy Ghost in contemning and despising those good gifts and graces which he offereth vnto them Wherefore it may not vnfitly bee said vnto many of them as blessed Steuen said vnto the Iewes Ye haue alwayes resisted the Holy Ghost Acts 7.51 But take they heed this sinne as I said is a great sinne and if it bee continued in without Repentance a very fearefull sinne and such a sinne as from whence they may ascend or rather descend for in sinning wee rather descend then ascend vnto the highest degree of sinning which is the sinne against the Holy Ghost Of which sinne comming now to our last point or part that I may speake truly religiously and soundly I most humbly bessech the most holy and blessed Spirit of God to guide me with his grace THe sinne against the Holy Ghost The third part of this Sermon viz. of Blaspheming of Gods Spirit Matth. 12.31 Marke 3.28 Luke 12.10 is that kind of sinne or blasphemie whereof our Sauiour speaketh plainly in his Gospell and is recorded at large by three Euangelists Matthew brings in our Sauiour saying But I say you Euery sinne and and blasphemie shall bee forgiuen vnto men but the blasphemie against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiuen vnto men And whosoeuer shall speake a word against the Sonne â—f man it shall be forgiuen him but whosoeuer shall speake against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiuen neither in this World neither in the World to come that is as Saint Marke saith shall be culpable of eternall damnation Here then there are two things to be noted out of this Text and generally to be obserued in this Discourse Two Obseruations The first is that there are many kind of Blasphemies Secondly what is the greatest with the reason thereof That there are many sorts or kinds of Blasphemies appeareth plainly in that Christ saith Many kinds of Blasphemies Euery Sinne or Blasphemie so that in a generalitie wee may say there is Blasphemie against God and Blasphemie against men created after the Image of God Blasphemie against men as against Magistrates against Parents against good men and against the whole Church of Christ Magistrates and Parents are blasphemed not onely when they are not obeyed and honoured as they should but also rather when they are slandered cursed or euill spoken off It is written in the Law Thoushalt not speake euill of the Ruler of the people Exod. 22.28 Exod. 21.17 He that curseth Father or Mother shall dye the death Good men in particular or the whole Church in generall are blasphemed The whole Church in generall When shee is called the vngodly Syuagogue impious foolish seditious sacrilegious or the like The Saints either liuing or dead may bee blasphemed when they are called Seducers Disturbers Schismatikes Heretikes and such like Blasphemie against God may be Against the Father Against the Person of the Sonne Against the Holy Ghost God the Father is blasphemed many wayes When that which is due to the Creator is giuen to the Creature as dinine worship as well that which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remission of sinnes and when false gods and Superstition is preferred before the true God and true Religion This was the sinne of the Pharisies and now of the Papists therefore that Beast of Rome is marked and branded in the Renelation Reuel 13.1 with the Name of Blasphemie Secondly God the Father is blasphemed when any shall doubt of his Power or suppose any impotencie to be in God or any inabilitie to performe any thing that pleaseth him or that he hath promised Shall God promise Numb 23.19 and not performe Hath hee spoken and shall he not accomplish it Is the arme of the Lord shortned Esay 59.1 that it cannot helpe This was the Israelites sinne in the Wildernesse Can God prouide flesh and bread for his people Psal 78.20 It was the sinne of that Noble man in Samaria Who said after the Prophet had prophesied of that plentie of Come Though the Lord would make windowes in the Heauens 2. King 7.2 could this thing come to passe Lastly God the Father may be blasphemed when any are brought into so great extremitie that they fall into Cursing and Blaspheming of the Name of God This was the sinne that the foolish Wife of Iob perswaded her Husband to commit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Curse God and dye For though the word Curse in the originall doe signifie sometimes to blesse yet Iobs reproose of his Wife doth argue that she meant it in the worse sense So much for blaspheming against God the Father Next the Sonne of God was also oftentimes blasphemed when he was here on Earth by the Iewes but of many of them no doubt ignorantly not knowing that hee was the Sonne of God This Blasphemie against the Sonne of God is as if one should see the Kings eldest Sonne and Heire apparant to the Crowne clothed in poore and vile ragges and not knowing who hee is should call him beggerly Rogue or the like this is blasphemie against the Kings Sonne but is pardonable because it proceeded of ignorance So Paul or rather Saul was a Persecuter and a Blasphemer of Christ and his Church but found pardon for that hee did it ignorantly as himselfe coufesseth For this cause Christ prayed for some of his Persecutors Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe 1. Tim. 1.13 Therefore Saint Peter saith vnto some of the Iewes Luke 23.34 Acts 3.17 that crucified the Lord of life I know Brethren that through ignorance ye did it Now come wee to speake of Blasphemie against the Holy Ghost wherein wee must first obserue That euery sinne or Blasphemie against the Spirit of God is not that sinne against the Holy Ghost which shall neuer bee forgiuen As namely griouing quenching and resisting of the Hely Ghost whereof wee haue spoken though they are great sinnes and some of them farre greater then the other yet are they such sinnes as are and haue beene pardoned therefore none of them are that sinne which wee call The sinne against the Holy Ghost Moreouer there are greater sinnes then these as denying of God or his knowne Truth through feare or any other infirmitie Also persecuting of Gods Church and Children through ignorance yet neither of these is that sinne against the
because who so committeth this sinne against the Holy Ghost shall hardly acquit himselfe of any sinne whereunto finall impenitencie must be added before this sinne can be iudged by man to bee at the highest Now what this peculiar and proper sinne against the Holy Ghost is shall best be discussed and defined Mat. 12.31 out of the Gospell where our Sauiour Christ speaketh of the Sonne if wee duly and thorowly confider it as we should And first we must note and well obserue who and what manner of persons they were to whome our Sauiour obiecteth this sinne which is easily to bee collected out of the Historie it selfe For there it appeareth that they were of the worser sort of the Pharisies to whome Christ obiecteth this sin for when Christ Iesus by his diuine Power had dispossessed a Deuill out of the dumbe man these worser I meane more malicious sort of the Pharisies being present prying into his actions and being by no meanes able to reprehend him yet to the end the people should not beleeue in Christ they coyne a Blasphemie in the highest degree of meere malice and enuie and contrarie to their owne knowledge and conscience they spew out the same euen in despight of Gods Spirit saying and affirming with brazen browes that Christ had cast out that Deuil Mat. 12.24 through Beelâ—zebub the chiefe of Deuils which cursed calumnie and most slanderous Blasphemie after that our Sauiour had fully confuted for the godlies sake which stood by heard him hee presently turneth his speech to those Blasphemers And with sterne countenance no doubt as in such a cause was meete he reprooueth them with a propter hoc for this I say vnto you Euery sinne and Blasphemie shall bee forgiuen vnto men but the Blasphemie against the Holy Ghost shall not bee forgiuen vnto men and with all more sharply reprooues them calling them a generation of Vipers as doubtlesse they were of the vilest kind And Saint Marke in his discourse setteth out their sinne more plainly and fully Marke 3.36 saying For they said Hee that is Christ had an vncleane or impure spirit whereby that Euangelist would intimate vnto vs that it was they Pharisies that had blasphemed and so sinned against the Holy Ghost Howbeit wee must obserue that our Sauiour Christ doth not say openly and plainly though he gaue them so much to vnderstand closly by the conclusion of his speech that these Pharisies were sinners against the Holy Ghost By whose example we are admonished as before I haue noted not rashly rather not at all to iudge of such sinners howsoeuer the sinne doe appeare vnto vs what it is but our Sauiour like a sound Teacher and skilfull Logitian plainly putteth downe the maior Proposition What the sin of the Holy Ghost is The minor they themselues knew being conuicted in their own consciences that they had committed the same sinne The conclusion therefore followed of course such a sinne or blasphemie saith Christ is sinne against the Holy Chost Such a sinne or blasphemy saith their consciences haue we commited Therefore surely wee haue sinned against the Holy Ghost Moreouer we may not forget to note that these filthy Pharisies were before this time inlightned with some externall beames of Gods Spirit yea conuicted in their owne consciences by former Prophesies and by the Doctrine and Miracles of Christ concerning the Truth which he taught yet notwithstanding willingly maliciously and of purpose they did hate the knowne truth fearing or rather knowing and sometimes confessing so much that if Christ his Truth and Doctrine should be once publikely receiued then their Errours and Traditions like our Popish Traditions now should bee reprooued their couetousnesse and Hipocrisie discouered their credit and gaine diminished and finally all their worldly pompe and glorie should vtterly be extinguished and cleane put out Rather then this should come to passe they will euen oppose themselues Gigantum more to fight against God and therefore with indurate obstinacie renounce they the manifest truth and withall their might and malice oppose themselues against it by blasphemous and sophisticall cauilling and that not seruing their turne by most cruell threatnings excommunicating and persecuting vnto death euen Christ himselfe after him his Apostles as the Prophets before with many other of Gods deare Saints and Children professing Gods Truth How neere the practice of the Church of Rome hath and doth agree with the Synagogue of these high Priests Scribes and Pharisies euen a blind man may well see and perceiue Vpon all this that hath beene said and collected out of the Text and course of Scripture where Christ intreateth of this sinne ioyned with the practice of these proud Pharisies It shall not be ouer-hard to define what the sinne against the Holy Ghost is Peccatum in Spiritum sanctum saith a learned Diuine est veluntaria veritatis euidenter cognitae The fin against the Holy Ghost defined renunciatio rebellio ex odio veritatis nata coniuncta cum tyrannica sophistica hypocritica oppugnatione Sinne against the Holy Ghost is a voluntarie or wilfull renouncing and rebelling against the euident and knowne truth proceeding from hatred of the same truth ioyned with tyrannicall sophisticall and hypocriticall fighting and striuing against the same and against the true Professors and Confessors thereof This briefe definition haue I chosen among many other both for the persipicuity and plainenesse thereof as also for the congruitie and agreement that it hath with that which hath beene before spoken of this sinae They which sinne against the holy Ghost may be known by foure marks From which definition wee may obserue that they which commit this sin against the Holy Ghost haue foure speciall markes to be knowne by First they haue some knowledge of the Truth Secondly for some sinister respect or other they conceiue a deadly hatred against the same Truth Thirdly they willingly renounce and fall from the knowne Truth Lastly they striue and fight against it and against the constant Confessors thereof both with tongue pen heart and hand spuing and belching out all Blasphemies to depraue the Truth vsing all Hypocrisie and Sophistrie to colour their falshood with executing all rigor and tyrannie against the true Professors thereof and this they doe with all the despight they can against that Spirit of grace which did first illumine their mindes with some knowledge of the Truth which they had once receiued If any doe thinke that no mortall man would oner oppose himself with such despight against God his Creator we must yeeld that none will or dare so to doe but onely such gracelesse Cast-awayes as through long custome of presumptuous sinnings ioyned with double Hypocrisies haue their hearts hardned their consciences seared and themselues altogether giuen vp into a reprobate sense For that their so greut boldnesse cannot but proceed from a â—râ—â—â—ike blindnesse where in malice and poysonfull furie hath gotten the victorie Therefore we may see that it
is not without great cause that Saint Paul who was once a Blasphemer 1. Tim. 1.13 but ignorantly distinguisheth that his sinne from wilfull Blasphemic which sin whosoeuer doth wittingly and willingly commit shall cuermore bee barred from Repentance because hee despiseth that Spirit of Grace which should worke Repentance in his heart turning the Gifts and Graces of God reuealed vnto him for the setting forth of Gods Glorie euen to the hinderance and slander of the same and therefore for this his so great obstinacie and wilfull Blasphemie shall be punished with most wofull and endlesse miserie For he is past all hope of recouerie that turneth the onely medicine of his sauing health into deadly Poyson and being once fallen into this gulfe of Perdition can neuer be renewed againe by Repentance Heb. 6.5.6 as the Holy Ghost in the Epistle to the Hebrewes saith It is impossible that they which were once inlightned and haue tasted of the heauenly gifts and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and haue tasted of the good Word of God making mention of tasting still no eating or good digesting and of the power of the World to come If they fall away saith the Text meaning by falling finall Apostasie not falls of infirmitie it is impossible they should bee renewed by Repentance seeing they crucifie againe to themselues the Sonne of God and make a make of him And after in the tenth Chapter of that Epistle the Holy Ghost saith If any sinne willingly meaning no doubt this sinne against the Holy Ghost Heb. 10.26 for euery one of vs commit other finnes willingly and wittingly If any so sinne there remayneth no more sacrifice for such a sinne but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and violent fire which shall denoure the Aduersarie And forth with the reason is yeelded drawne a minore ad maius applyed by way of comparison He that despiseth Moses Law dyeth without mercy of how much sorer punishment Suppose ye shall hee be worthy off which treadeth vnder foote the Sonne of God and counteth the blond of the Testament an vnholy thing where with he was sanctified and doth despight the Spirit of Grace So then to resolue our selues drawing to conclusion touching this point This sinne against the Holy Ghost must bee a generall voluntarie totall and finall Apostasie or falling from God and all goodnesse not through any infirmitie or weakenesse but of meere malice and boldnesse It is in a word for I desire to be vnderstood of the meanest a froward and wilfull Rebellion striuing and spurning against the knowne truth and euen against the knowledge and conscience of him that doth it Howbeit all this in a sort may bee compared but to the roote and stemme of this sinne the sap and naturall fruit that it yeeldeth forth is oftentimes fearefull swearing voluntarie periurie wilfull blasphemie both in word and writing poysoned Hypocrisie withall sinfull pollution of the flesh coupled with most tyrannicall crneltie if there be power ioyned to the will and finally a hellish kind of furie pointing out as it were with the finger from whence this sinne ascendeth and whether such finners must descend euen to the bottome of Hell to their cursed Captaine the Deuill whom in this point they haue precisely imitated and followed Therefore some draw an example of this sinne from the Deuill himselfe who albeit hee knew well enough that Iesus was that Christ yet neuer ceased with all his might and power to impugne the sacred Maiestie of God together with the Kingdome of Iesus Christ and as farre forth as he could sought vtterly to supplant the same Whose steps and traces these Pharisies which blasphemed Christ did directly tread on vpon the sent or sauour thereof our Popish Pharisies and Pharisaicall Papists haue most kindly hunted not onely to the vtter perdition of their owne soules but also by their sinfull perswasions and tyrannous compulsions they haue and still doe labour with all their might to draw thousands of soules with them vnto Hell For how many multitudes of people since Poperie first began and fithence that Mysterie of Iniquitie was first hatched they haue caused by tyrannie to abiure and renounce the knowne truth contrarie to their knowledge and consciences is most apparantly to bee prooued and more lamentable to bee read in the seuerall Historâ—es of many particular Nations Of whome I meane of such as haue abiured through Popish tyrannie we ought to hope well seeing they fell backe of feare not of malice and therefore there sinne was not the sinne against the Holy Ghost Yet notwithstanding the malicious crueltie of so cursed a crue is neuerthelesse to bee detested because they doe as much as in them lyeth indeuour not onely to draw such silly soules into that sinke of siâ—ne wherein themselues are plunged but also into the same damnation wherin they shall be for euermore tormented or punished Neither is their Deuillish dealing euen in one point which I will briefly touch to bee passed ouer in silence namely that when these Popish Persecutors either through perswasion and faire promises either through rigor and threatnings they had caused O cursed causers many poore soules to denie with their tongues the Truth of their Sauiour and being thereupon escaped their hands haue confessed Christ againe according to the intent and meaning of their mindes These greedie Woolues haue soone caught againe those simple Lambs and after they haue compelled them by a new kind of tyranny the second time to abiure haue presently they being in such lamentable case condemned them for relapse as they call it to bee most cruelly burned meaning therby for what other meaning could they haue to send them through the fierie torments of this life to the flaming fire that burneth for euer in Hell But the tender Mercies of our good God through the rich Merits of their Sauiour in whom they might beleeue and for their sinnes repent did pardon I hope the greatnesse of their sin committed no doubt through feare and humane infirmitie and the same God I feare hath or will double requite their punishment vpon the heads of those pestilent pesecutors who sought not outly the shedding of their bloud but the vtter damnation of their soules and bodies for euermore So that now to conclude with the time with heartie thankes also vnto God for inabling me thus farre and to you reuerend and worthy Auditorie for your patience in hearing mee hitherunto It is I trust very apparant with what Hellish Furies they are possessed which are the persecutors of Gods Church and Children who if they haue once tasted and confessed Gods Truth and be after Persecutors of the same Truth and the Professors thereof as Iulian the Apostata and many other haue beene they shall neuer be able to acquit themselues of this sinue against the Holy Ghost nor shall euer be forgiuen thereof but eternally shall be punished in the flames of Hell And so much for that sinne and the punishment thereof Now let vs all prayse God for that which hath beene spoken at this time and pray wee his diuine Maiestie for Iesus Christ his sake to giue vs a true feeling of the same and grace to auoyd those sinnes we haue spoken off That we his Children may not henceforth as heretofore grieue the holy Spirit of God by our sinfull and carelesse liuing That the wicked also who are not yet effectually called may now at the last yeeld obedieÌ„ce vnto Gods mercifull calling and no longer to resist the holy Spirit of God which daily together with the preaching his Word calleth them vnto Repentance And finally that none may euer bee giuen ouer into so reprobate a fense as to fall into small Apostasie and so to commit that great finne against the Holy Ghost neuer to be forginen Now to God our heauenly Father who in his Wisedome hath created vs. To God the Sonne who in great Mercie redeemed vs. To God the Holy Ghost who laboureth continually to sanctifie vs. To God I say immort all inuisible and onely wise bee rendred of vs and all Saints and Angels in Heauen Earth all Honour Glorie Prayse Power and Maiestie through Christ Iesus from age to age and in all Eternitie Amen FINIS