of it and lesse practiseth the dutie we must first shew them what it is which may thus bee described What repentance is Repentance is the constant turning of a man in his whole life from al sinne vnto God arising from true faith and the true knowledge of a mans owne spirituall estate euer ioyned with true humiliation Repentance is a turning When I say it is a turning I say it by the authoritie of the Prophets in the old Testament and of Christ and his Apostles in the new which is manifest by their preachings and writings Isaiah saith Isai 9.13 The people turneth not vnto him that smiteth them neither doe they seeke the Lord of hostes Hosea exhorting the people to repentance saith Hosea 6.1 Come and let vs returne vnto the Lord. And againe Hosea 14.2 O Israel returne vnto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thy iniquitie Likewise saith Ieremiah Ier. 4.1 O Israel if thou returne returne vnto me As much hath Ezechiel Ezech. 18.30.32 I will iudge you O house of Israel euery one according to his waies saith the Lord God returne therefore and cause other to turne away from all your transgressions The like is also in the 32. verse In the new Testament the word vsed to expresse this signifies to change the mind whereupon the change of the manners will follow Iohn Baptist saith while he prepared the way for Christ Matth. 3.2 Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand As if he should say Returne from an euill mind to a good And our Sauiour Christ vseth the same word Matth. 4.17 Amend for the kingdome c. The Apostle Saint Paul expresseth the meaning of both these when hee saith The Gentiles were taught Act. 26.20 they should repent and if you aske him what that is he expresseth himselfe thus and turne to God and doe workes worthie amendment of life By all which it is manifest that repentance is a turning I say further it is a turning of the whole life Repentance a turning of the whole life or from all sinne In nature there are foure kinds of turnings or mutations One is in substaÌ„ce called generation and corruption a second is in quantitie either from the greater to the lesse or from the more to the fewer and contrary called augmentation and diminution a third in place when things change places called locall mutation a fourth in qualitie when things change from one condition to another called alteration Now here is no change in substance for the partie sinning and repenting is the same and hath the same body and soule the same faculties and powers both of soule and bodie neither is there any change in quantitie for the change from greater sins to lesse or from more to fewer is not repentance Nor is there any change of place for sinne like a mans sicknes is caried with him and change of place as change of beds doth not free him or make him whole Being then none of these it must needes be the change in qualitie that is when one and the same man is changed in the condition both of his soule and bodie from iniquitie to righteousnes from all sinne to the liuing God both in the inward man and outward conuersation Which is manifest by the Scripture as first for the inward man Ezekiel speaketh from the Lord Ezech. 18.31 Make you a new heart and a new spirit not in substance not in quantitie but in qualitie Hence Moses promiseth to his people the blessing if they shall Deut. 30.2 returne with all their heart and with all their soule Hence it is that Ioel speaketh Ioel 2.13 of renting the heart and not the garment And Ieremie Ierem. 4.4 of taking away the foreskin of the heart True repentance then is the change of the heart and inward man but that is not all there must also be a change of the outward man as well as the mind the vnderstanding the wil and affections must be changed so must the eies and the tongue the hands and the feete be changed also Therefore Daniel perswading Nebuchadnezzar to repent he saith vnto him Daniel 4.24 Breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse and thine iniquities by mercie toward the poore let there be an healing of thy error As if he should say it is not true repentance vnlesse a man breake off sinne and doe the contrarie good and be reformed in the outward man So Zacchâ—us Luk. 19.8 when he turned to God what did he euen breake off his oppression gaue halfe of his goods to the poore made fourefold restitution to those he had wronged and so was turned in the outward man The like might bee said of Peter Mary Magdalene and others who were turned as well inwardly as outwardly and both and so accounted true repentants and their repentance good when as the repentance of Ahab and Herod were not good nor sauing repentance being but in the outward man onely or but for some sinne and not a whole conuersion The reasons that proue repentance to be such a turning are two Reason 1. The first because man who at the first was made a goodlie creature in the image of God hauing fellowship with him whereby he was one with God and God with him by sinne was separated from God there being a partition made betwixt them as Isaiah saith Isai 52.2 he being alienated and estranged from God and become the childe of wrath as S. Paul speaketh Ephes 2.3 and 4.18 and was made like the prodigall sonne gone from his father into a farre country euen become the straied yea the lost sheepe Now when men haue grace to repent then they begin to renew this fellowship to recouer this image and to bee reconciled to God therefore I call it a turning againe to God and a change of the condition Reason 1. 2 I say it is of the whole life or the whole man and from all sin because one sinne separates from God as well as many and all parts are to be reduced to God as well as one one facultie of the minde as well as another for if the outward man only be turned it is but hypocrisie and Pharisaicall and the inward cannot be turned but the outward will follow neither can any man forsake one sinne to be at one and reconciled to God which will not be willing and carefull to leaue off and forsake all Now the vse of this is double Vse 1. First if repentance bee a turning and such a turning as is spoken of then many men deceiue themselues in their iudgment of repentance and thinke that to be it which is not and that they haue it when they haue nothing lesse For many thinke in repentance of nothing lesse then turning and when they would seeme to repent neuer endeuor to turne Some thinke repentance is onely a sorrow and sighing when they are by any meanes checked and reprooued
vs which doubtlesse will be the best patrimonie that as we begat them to the world so the word may beget them to God and wee may with them be glorified together Vse 3. 3. Thirdly seeing that God begetteth vs vnto him by the word then ought euery one who hath any care to attaine to this to take out and learne that good sentence of S. Iames Iames 1.19 My deere brethren saith he let euery man be swift to heare slow to speake and slow to wrath Consisting of three speciall and spirituall aphorismes 1. Be swift to heare that is to say Take all occasions and opportunities that may be to imbrace the trueth 2. Be slow to speake take heede of a spirit of contradiction and reasoning against the trueth deliuered 3. And slow to wrath be not apt to be offended when thy sins are reprooued For the first euery man ought to learne it The wise man in his booke of Eccles saith Eccles 11.6 In the morning sow thy seed and in the euening let not thine hand rest for thou knowest not whether shall prosper this or that c. So ought a man to take all occasions to heare the word for he knoweth not at what time God will bestow this mercie and grace of repentance vpon him It may bee euen then when hee sought worldlie blessings and followed after profits and pleasures if he had been as carefull and eager to heare hee might haue obtained this and God would haue wrought it in his heart Happily his thoughts are if he take not that opportunity for worldly things he may not a long time haue the like againe and neuer thinkes that it may bee his case in this thing But let him remember that Iacob had the blessing when Esau was a hunting and so that many attend to this and obtaine saluation by it when hee is a hunting after pleasures and profits and such like I know God is able indeede to touch him and call him whersoeuer he straieth and without these meanes and I know that that is the thought of many mens harts which maketh them so to neglect the meanes as they doe and all because some were so called But these men must know that as God ceased to feed Israel from heauen extraordinarily when he had set them in the land of Canaan and gaue them meanes to liue ordinarily which if they neglected they could haue looked for nothing else but to famish and perish So hath he in this neither may any man look for such extraordinarie things who neglecteth the ordinary For such wicked tempting of God will prouoke him rather to leaue him to himselfe to bee hardned and made more obstinate than to worke extraordinarily for him Therefore must hee bee swift to heare that so vsing the meanes specially with conscience and diligence he may obtaine the blessing Yet must he not bee so swift in this as slow to speake I meane not slow to speake of the word in conference with others but not to speake against it nor to quarell with it questioning and reasoning against it as it is the manner of some who will be swift to heare I say they will heare much and often but withall they will reiect euery thing that is not directly to their minds as if a minister must bee a tailer to shape euery garment after their crooked loynes and liues or else they will question with this man and that concerning such a point but neuer wil once question with their Minister or him of whom they heard that which argueth they haue only a spirit of contradiction and no desire to be instructed seeking to intrap or disgrace the Minister and not to be caught and turned themselues whereas if they were slow to speake better fruite and more benefit might they reape But specially if they bee slow to wrath and be not offended when they haue their sinnnes touched Not as some who are like Stephens hearers who heariug some thing that pleased them not Acts 7.54 Their harts brast for anger and they gnashed at him with their teeth For touching such men experience teacheth vs that which Iames affirmeth Iames 1.20 That the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnes of God For few or neuer any of these while they are themselues and come not to denie themselues come to any degree of repentance and so not to regeneration That which Chrysostome then hath of the reproouer will haue the same vse in the hearer Quisquis alios vult reprehendere animam suam ab omni temeritate arrogantia quā maxime liberā faciat Nam vt medici ossa putrida accensa secturi non ira se replent quando curatum eunt sed tunc maxime tranquillitatem animae seruare student ne fortè obsit arti turbatio Chrysost aduersus Gentes Hee that will take vpon him to reprooue others must haue speciall care to free his mind from hastines and arrogancie For as Surgions when they are about to lay open or cut off rotten and inflamed bones do not fill them selues with anger when they goe about the cure but then speciallis indeuour to haue their minds quieted lest happily the disquietnes hinder their art So he would haue reproouers free from wrath and anger lest it shouid hinder them from doing that good they might else doe And so say I for hearers and the reprooued when they come to heare the word they should put on the spirit of meeknes and hearken diligently to the word of God Iames 1.21 and not bee offended at the Minister or at the word when it speaketh not as they would haue it but marke this exhortation of the Apostle and remember that to the end they may receiue the word to bee conuerted by it They must bee swift wheare slow to speake and slow to wrath The invvard instrumentall cause of repentance is faith The second instrumentall cause of repentance is faith within vs wchich is as one saith the mother of repentance which brings ir forth as the word is the begetter and so may haue the name of father But of that hath been spoken in the description of repentance The instrumentall cause from within is praier The third instrumentall cause or speciall meanes by which repentance is obtained or renewed is prayer faith within vs this from within vs is the meanes of it I say by faithfull prayer and earnest inuocation of the name of God men obtaine this gift of God to repent Hence it is that Dauid when hee had fallen into sinne knowing that hee had not repentance in his owne power prayeth so earnestly to God and saith Psalm 51.10 Create in me a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within me And Ephruim vseth the same meanes for his conuersion touching whom the Prohpet Ieremie bringeth in the Lord thus saying Ierem. 31.18 I haue heard Ephraim lamenting thus Thou hast corrected me and I was chastised as an
denie him in word but beleeue on him in their hearts of whom we may say that Vicit eos poena non auertit perfidia negarunt semel sed quotidie confitentur negarunt sermone sed confitentur gemitibus eiulatibus fletibus liberis non coactis vocibus Ambros de Poenit. cap. 1.4 the punishment ouercame them it was not trecherie that turned them aside they denied him once but they confessed him daily they denied him in word but they confessed him by their sighes groanes and teares yea they confessed him freely and not by compulsion as they denied him Then no reason they should bee reiected and not receiued Nonne ita istud est ac si quis captiuum victa vrbis populum abducat Captiuus abducitur sed inuitus qui in alienas terras necessitate contendat intimo tamen non migret affectu patriam secum animo vebat quaerat copiam quemadmodum reuertatur c. Ambros ibid. For is not this as when an enemie taketh a citie and leadeth the people captiue They are led captiue but against their willes by force they goe towards another land but 〈◊〉 affection they neuer remoue frō their own they carrie their countrie in their hearts and they seeke opportunitie how they may returne What then when such shall returne is there any who will not perswade to entertaine them though with lesse honour yet with more propension and alacritie lest the enemie should haue wherein to insult and triumph If thou pardon an armed mā who could not resist wouldst thou not pardon him in whom onely faith doth fight Vse 2. The second vse which is more proper to the doctrine may serue for a matter of comfort to those who make conscience of sinne who yet after they haue repented fall into diuers sinues and sometime into the same againe and again and then are in doubt with themselues whether they may be renewed again by repentance for them and for their instruction and consolation are these things written That repentance is for the regenerate who both ought and may repent which thing presupposeth a fall And therfore hath God set downe the fall and rising of many that others may gaine by them saith Chrysostome namely Chrysost hom 4. de Poenit. that looking vpon their falles who were more excellent they themselues may be made more warie and looke better to their standing and by view of their falles and rising againe they may gather comfort that they also may be restored to their former estate For though sometimes in the bodilie diseases a man beholding the sicke may participate in their infirmitie will he nill he as by looking vpon those who haue sore eies yet not so in the soule especially when a man is troubled and distracted for his owne wants and infirmities but he is rather cured by this sight of others mens falles Thesemust know then that though they hauefallen after their repentance and regeneration yet they may rise againe by the same meanes Therfore let them looke to Abraham often falling into a lie and yet rising againe Let them consider Dauid a man after Gods owne heart who hauing abundance of his spirit yet fell and that groslie from one sin to another from a second to a third and so from one sin to another vntill he had eleuen sins ioyned together I accuse not the iust but I glorifie God saith Basil Non accuso iustos sed Deum glorifico Basil mug serm de Poenit. I adde to him I would comfort the weake And out of him I say further Let them aske Christ wherefore hee came vnto vs and he will tell vs he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance make them sinners and he came for them Now none hath benefit of Christ but by repentance Againe Aske him what hee carrieth vpon his shoulders hee will tell thee the lost sheepe Aske him for whose sake they reioyce in heauen and he will tell thee at the conuersion of a sinner The Angels will reioyce and God wil embrace them with ioy why then should any forbid them to seeke vnto Christ by repentance or they discourage themselues But more pregnant is the parable of the prodigall sonne vrged also by Basil A man had two sons they were two and both sons Were they sons then thou canst not say it was the returning of a man that was neuer called The younger of them hauing his portion spent it in riotousnes amongst harlots yet he returned againe to his father and was receiued to fauour See there a son falling yet see a son rising againe and his father embracing him before euer he could speake a word So that if thou doest but consider of these thou wiltneuer cast off hope of thy renewing againe by repentance or of being receiued againe Thus euery man should labour to comfort himselfe and to make this benefit by the infirmities of others But now these men that are in this doubt haue these following obiections against this truth and themselues The author to the Hebrewes saith Heb. 6.4.5.6 For it is impossible that they who were once lightned c. if they fal away should be renewed againe by repentance And againe Heb. 10.26 If wee sinne willingly after wee haue receiued the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin Hereupon they inferre that a man falling after he is called is not to be renewed againe Ansvv To this I answere that it is true which the Apostle saith that a man that hath bin inlightned and hath tasted of the good word of God if hee fall away it is not possible he should be renewed again by repentance But the meaning of the words is that which must stay and comfort a man Ambrose would thus interpret them Ambros de Poenit. That it is not possible that is to say with men but with God it is But the words will not carrie that meaning The Rhemists they interpret it and say the Apostle doth not speake of a thing that cannot be but to terrifie and affect men withall and to make them take heede of falling he telleth them it is not so easie a thing to be renewed but they must indure a while the penance of the Church A ridiculous thing it is that they should inuent such things to establish their owne fansies as if the spirit of God did want words to expresse himselfe But these words are vnderstood of the sinne against the holy Ghost not of a man falling only willingly or presumptuouslie but of a man falling vtterly away and that obstinately contemptuouslie against Christ and against the truth For if we looke diligentlie into the place we shall see it so Verse 6. If they fall away they shal not be renewed seeing they crucifie to themselues again the Sonne of God and make a mocke of him Now he that so sinneth and hath such a downfall as that he maketh a mocke of the sufferings
of Christ the onely salue of his sore it is not possible hee should be renewed againe And as for that which the Apostle saith If a man sinne willingly after hee hath receiued knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne I answere that the place is not simplie vnderstood of those who sin willingly and fall into sinne but of those who fall from the truth and cast from them willingly that one sacrifice which is the only sacrifice namely Christ to them verily there is no other sacrifice left for their sin whereas there is no other sacrifice fit or able to take away any sinne but Christ being once offered Therefore he saith not there is no remission but no sacrifice shewing this to bee the meaning of sinning willingly that is willingly reiecting the true sacrifice for sinne which is Christ and the Gospell which doth offer this sacrifice to all for such a sin then is no sacrifice and so it cannot bee pardoned being the sin against the holy Ghost Finally I say with Ambrose in answering the former place conferring S. Pauls practise in the Epistle to the Corinthians with this preaching of his Nunquid Paulus aduersus factum suum praedicare potuit Donauit Corinthio peccatum per poenitentiam quomodo hîc potuit sententiam suam reprehendere Ergo quia non potuit quod aedificauerit dedestrucre non contrarium dixisse cum sed diuersum aduertimus Quod enim contrarium est seipsum impugnat quod diuersum est distinctam solet habere rationem Ambr. de Poenir lib. 2. cap. 2. Shall wee think that Paul could preach against his own act he forgaue the Corinthian his sin vpon repentance how could be then here reproue his own iudgemēt Therfore because he could not destroy that he had built we must conceiue that he spake not things contrarie but different which may well stand tegether not which ouerthrow one another Otherwise it is manifest that the Saints of God who haue sinned voluntarilie and against their conscience vpon their repentance haue obtained remission Now that which hath been may bee as well as nothing is new which hath not been Obiect But secondly these obiect against this truth and themselues that they cannot reade in the word of God of anie one who hath fallen into one and the same sinne diuers times and was againe recouered and renewed by repentance But sauing their iudgement I thinke I can shew them some presidents of such as haue been called and yet haue fallen twice into one sin and been after renewed Let them remember with mee the father of the faithfull Gen. 12. Abraham denying Sara to bee his wife and yet rising againe Gen. 20. And after in the twentith chapter hee falleth into the same sin and yet riseth here is a faithfull man falling twice into one sinne and yet rising againe So the holy man Iob confesseth that hee had twice fallen into one sinne Once saith he Iob 39.38 I haue spoken but I will answere no more yea twice but I will proceede no further yet was he againe renewed Therefore let no man despaire in himselfe though hee haue fallen and that often but that yet hee may be renewed againe by repentance for the couenant of God is generall and perpetuall generall without exception of sinnes and perpetuall without limitation of time for great sinnes as well as for small and for all sinnes as well as any and for all times as well as once To what end else was that repeated of God Exod. 34.6.7 The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and grations slow to anger and abundant in goodnes and truth reseruing mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquitie transgression and sins Wherefore doth the spirit of God thus repeate iniquitie transgression and sinne if it were so that a man falling after his calling were not to be renewed by repentance and where were the gratious goodnes of God But admit the ground of this temptation were true yet is it as certaine a truth that a man falling into seuerall sinnes after his repentance may rise againe and be pardoned and though one sinne again willingly yet also be pardoned why not then falling into one and the same Nay if Peter fell three times together into one sinne for the kind of it but euery time differing in the quantitie of it yea and the last the greatest and after all this yet found mercy why may not a man though he fall againe into the same sinne yet find mercie againe and the third time It may be wich Princes a barre in their proceedings if they haue pardoned a man for a great offence why they should not grant him a pardon for the same nay not for a lesse But with God it will be no barre at all for he being infinitely more mercifull then men and yet requiring this of men Luke 17.4 Though thy brother sinne against thee seuen times in a day and seuen times in a day turne againe to thee saying It repenteth mee thou shalt forgiue him what needeth any to doubt but he shall finde mercie and forgiuenes with him if hee can and doe repent and returne By all this I giue not libertie to sinne nor encourage any man to transgresse I onely comfort them who haue sinned That seeing repentance is appointed for the regenerate as well as for the vnregenerate to renew those that are fallen as well as to renew those who were neuer yet called they should not doubt but to find mercie whensoeuer they sought the Lord if so be they sought him in truth Vse 3. The third vse of this doctrine is to teach vs that if there be repentance to all and they haue need of it who haue been regenerate and renewed then is there a necessarie vse of the preaching of the word as well to men that are called as to them that are not This must bee vnto them instead of Christs looke vpon Peter Luke 22.60.61.62 and the crowing of the cocke wich may make them remember themselues and goe out and weepe bitterly for thir sinnes The end of preaching was not only to beget men but to vphold men also and renew them after their slippes and falles For he that is in the best estate in this life is but as a ship which if it be neglected it will rot in the hauen and if it bee kept neuer so carefully it will still need some repairing So euery man in this condition if he be negligent he will soone be corrupted and be he as carefull as hee can hee shall neede some repairing for liuing in a corrupt age and in the company of wicked men hee cannot chuse but gather corruption how then shall hee bee renewed must it not be by repentance But how shall he repent and be stirred vp to this dutie though he were as perfect as Peter if he haue not the looke of Christ and the crow of the cocke I speake this in respect of those who