A TREATISE of the sin against the holy ghost made by M. Augustine Marlorate Translated out of french to the great consolation of all such as repent them of their sinnes and to the astonying of of those that mock and despise the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christe Iames. 5. verse 19.20 ¶ Breethern if any of you haue erred from the trueth and some man hath conuerted him let him knowe that he whiche hath conuerted the sinner from going astray out of his way shal saue a soule froÌ„ death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes ¶ Imprinted at London by Lucas Harison Augustine Marlorate to the christian Reader wissheth health and peace through Iesus Christe LEst any should think that in this small Treatise I like an euill Attorney would go about to defend the cause of suche as mocking God do dally with the Gospel thincking to folow it or leaue it as oft as they list as if of them selues at their ovvne choise they might make atonement vvith the sonne of God vvhom they giue ouer to opprobry I beseeche you in the name of our Lord Iesus patieÌ„tly to reed ouer this Treatise to the end So dooing I hope ye vvil iudge that mine intent heerby is onely to bring such again into the right vvay of saluatioÌ„ as hetherto haue not so vvel profited in the knovvledge of the Gospel that inestimable treasure as the excellency and great benefit thereof requireth to th' end that all such as shall heerafter hear the sound of the voice of Iesus Christe in his Churche may knovve that he is redy to iudge suche as resist dispise his vvord but cheefly those that in this great light of the Gospel greeâ—e the holy spirit of God by vvhome the faithfull are sealed for the day of their redemption Forasmuch then as the vvord of God is directed to diuers maner of people and is not receiued of all vvith one maner affection as appeereth in the similitude of the seed this Treatise may serue to bothe that the good being inspired with the holy ghost may be assured of the doctrin vvhich they folow and may be strengthned more more in the Lord and in the povver of his might couragiously to reiect all spirits yea vvere it an angel of Heauen that should teach any other doctrin for the saluation of men then that vvhiche is contained in the holy gospel and that such other as this holy and sacred doctrin hath not yet takeÌ„ so deep root in may ernestly bee moued to consider at the leÌ„gth vvherin the suretie of their saluation coÌ„sisteth that they froÌ„ hence foorth be no more like children wauering caried about with euery winde of doctrin by the deceit of men by craftines whereby they lye in waite to deceiue But vvholly may rest on Christe and submit them selues to him vvhich died is risen again for them and also to the end that they vvhiche through infirmitie or for fear of men or losse of their goods honors haue shut vp and hidden the secret of faith may vvake out of their drousy forgetfulnes heerafter open their mouthes to confesse to saluation before all men that vvhich fait harted fear hath made them so long to hide dissemble least preferring the glory of men before the glory of God they in th' end feel the effect executioÌ„ of this horrible threaning vvhich is pronouÌ„ced on theÌ„ that tempt Iesus Christ before men Finally this treatise tendeth to this end that all excuses set apart eche maÌ„ may seek for his saluation vvith fear trembling seing that God hauing so loÌ„g forborn in time of ignoraÌ„ce vvilleth novv al men in all places to repent lest he come and strike the earth to destruction Ezech. 18.27 VVhen the wicked turneth away from his wickednes that he hath committed doth that which is lawfull and right hee shall saue his soule aliue Hebru 4.16 Let vs go boldely vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercy and finde grace in time of need A treatise of the sin against the holy Ghost SEeing that bolde and rash men ouershoot them selues so far as to giue iudgement of that which is knowen to one onely God and oft forgetting what they them selues ought to be and how they ought to liue according to Gods will cruelly condemne those on whome the Lord wil haue mercy It is good first to note that not all sin which séemeth to be against the holy Ghost is sin against the holy Ghost in deed for there are many that resist the trueth of the Gospel wherof if séemeth they haue had some knowledge whiche neuerthelesse sin not against the holy Ghost in as much as it is ioyned with some ignoraÌ„ce which exempteth them from this horrible sin whiche is not pardoned in this world nor in the world to come Which S. Paule signifieth saying that he obtained pardon because that through ignorance and for lack of faith he had béen a blasphemer a persecutor and oppressor wherby it foloweth that not all sin wher with man resisteth the trueth of God is sin against the holy Ghost But when man is so touched with the light of the troth that he cannot pretend ignorance and neuerthelesse of determinate malice resisteth then he sinneth against the holy Ghost and it is not possible for him to be renued by repeÌ„tance in that he hath forsaken God and is becom an Apostata or forsaker of Christianitie Such were the Scribes and Phariseyes who hauing the knowledge of the Law and seeing the manifest woorks of the power of God attributed the miracles which Iesus Christ wrought to Belzebub Such were they also which resisted S. Stephen and of determinate purpose blamed that doctrin wherof they could not be ignorant but that it procéeded from God as that holy Martir likewise reprooued them when he was redy to shed his blood in the defence of the doctrin of the Ghospel For if S. Stephen had delt with ignorant men hee would haue vsed them otherwise But seeing that they raged against God and went about to rob God of his honor he boldely pronounceth that they withstand the holy Ghost let vs theÌ„ conclude that they sin against the holy Ghost who hauing the knowledge of God trueth doo neuerthelesse of determinat malice resist the same But let vs sée whether it be lawful to pray for those that are giltye of this sin for it séemeth no by many reasons First the prayer of the faithfull ought to be made in faith which béeing grounded on the woord of God we are assured that they shal be heard And ther is no word of God the assureth vs that our prayer shal be heard for those that sin against the holy ghost but rather if saith coÌ„trary wise the there is a sin to death and I say not saith S. Iohn that thou shalt pray for such It foloweth theÌ„ that it is in vain for vs to pray for
to the blinde Iewes that gain said the Ghospel that he desired to bee seperate from Christe for their saluation and neuer thelesse wheÌ„ he considereth how detestable their infidelitie obstinacy is before God he boldely pronounceth the they shall feel his horrible vengance For these be his woordê Who bothe killed the Lord Iesus and their owne prophets and haue persecuted vs and God they please not and are enemyes to all men and forbid vs to preach vnto the Gentils that they might be saued to fulfil their sinnes alwais for the wrath of God is come on them to the vtmost Séemeth it not héer that hee had forgotten that feruent affection that he bare to his owne nation But we must alwaies come back to that which we before said that the holy ghost so gouerneth the prophetê and apostles that according to that knowledge which they haue of the secret iust iudgments of God they haue so framed their prayers and requests conforming them selues thervnto that not withstanding they haue not left as muche as in them lay to sue for the saluation of poor sinners knowiÌ„g that the mercy of God dooth farre surmount the rigor of his iudgement Wherfore let vs boldely condemne all those that woork iniquitie declare vnto the rebellious and wicked the iust vengeance which is prepared for them except they repeÌ„t Espetially hate the horrible and cursed Apostasie of such as forsake the profession of the Ghospel But let vs beware we enter not to curiously into the secrets of God in condemning this man or that man but rather seek by all meanes possible and namely by feruent and coÌ„tinuall prayer the saluation of such as are so blinde and miserable that they séem willingly to cast them selues away Let vs consider that the Lord hath at all times so magnified his kindenesse mercy towards poor sinners the they whiche seemed the moste wicked desperate in the world haue in th' end béen brought to repentance and so obtained forgiuenes of their offences against god For example who wold euer haue thought that Manasses King of Iuda could haue repented that God would haue forgiuen him his sinnes The Scripture witnesseth of him that he did euil in the sight of the Lord like the abhominatioÌ„ of the heathen and hee went back and built the high places which Hesechiah his father had broken down and he set vp alters for Baalim and made Groues and worshipped all the hoste of Heauen serued them He built Alters in the house of the lord He caused his Sonnes to passe the fire in the valey of Ben hinnom He gaue him self to Witchcraft and Charming and Sorcery and hee vsed them that had familiare spirits and South-sayers he did very much euil in the sight of the Lord to angre him he made Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem to erre and to doo wursse then the Heathen whome the Lord had destroyed before the Children of Israel Besides this he shed so much innocent blood that he filled Ierusalem from one end to an other besides his sin wherwith he made Iudah to sin and to doo euill in the sight of the lord Was there euer King on Earth further from equitie humanitie and vertue yea from true Religionâ— wherin he had been instructed not onely because hee was a Ievv but also the Sonne of a very good father which was Ezechias that restored the true seruice of God Neuerthelesse the holy Scripture witnesseth that this King Manasses so wicked so cruel and such an enemy of true Religion that he séemed rather a Monster theÌ„ a man beeing in tribulation praied to the Lord his God and humbled him self greatly before the God of his Fathers and prayed vnto him and God was entreated of him and heard his prayers and brought him again into Ierusalem into his kingdome And euen as he had caused the people to turn from the Lord with Idolatrye so commaunded he Iudah to serue the Lord God of Israel Lo héer an excellent mirrour of the grace and looue of God towards sinners that men may learne modestie to keep within their bounds and not rashly to iudge of the end of any And therfore S. Paule said of him self For this cause was I receiued to mercy that Iesus Christe should shewe on mee all long suffering to the ensample of theÌ„ which shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life Then euen as the election of the good and reprobation of the wicked belongeth so to the secret councel of God that it were rashnesse in man to pronounce any thing absolutely but as far as we may sée by outwarde shewes whiche often times chaunge contrary to our opinion before conceiued So we say that as touching the sin to death or against the holy Ghost we may giue no sudain iudgement lest experience it self and the conuersion and amendmeÌ„t of those whom we condemne conuince vs of rashnes and folly yet if we should néeds iudge of the election of the faithful or reprobation of the wicked it is muche better simply to iudge of the perseuerance of those in whom we sée some tokens of the election then of the ouerthrow and vtter destruction of such as haue some tokens of reprobation For charitie bindeth vs to hope well of those whom God in mercy may bring to repentance seeing we see that he dayly woorketh contrary to mans expectation S. Paule saith that he is perswaded that he that hath begun a good woork in the Phillippians wil performe it vntil the day of Iesus Christ and addeth that it becoÌ„meth him so to iudge of them all He saith also to the Thessaloniâ—â—â— ye are all Children of light and the children of the day Further We ought to giue thanks alway to God for you brethern belooued of the Lord because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the Spirit and the faith of trueth Whence commeth this iudgement and good opinion yea assurednesse that S. Paule had of those to whome hee had preached the Gospel but because he saw the tokens of the election in them And as he saith in an other place that wheÌ„ they receiued the woord of the preaching of God they receiued it not as the woord of men but as it is in déed the woord of God which also wrought in them that beleeued Surely charitie the frute of that faith whiche the holy Apostle in the promises of God mooued him to hope wel of those whiche had wel begon because God wil performe his woork And as touching those which profited not so wel in the doctrin of the Gospel as the other which were so far strayed that they sémed wholly out of the way he is so far from dryuing 〈◊〉 into despair or casting them of as despisers of Gods good gifts that he laboreth with all power to lead theÌ„ again into the right way as we haue all redy said of the Corinthians
holy Ghost séeing he renounced yea and that with cursing and hanning the troth whiche he him self had before knowen and confessed And yet he that shall so iudge must néeds be blamed of rashnesse and vntroth aswel because of the repentance of this Disciple as of the pardon which he obtained of his master and lord And if any wil say that there ar diuers such as the Apostle describeth euen as we wil not deny it for asmuche as these things are not written for nought and that Iesus Christ wold not haue made so expresse mention of the sin against the holy Ghost if there had not béen such a sin so likewise we say it is not so easy to be knowen as it séemeth and it is much better to suspeÌ„d our iudgment in this case and to leaue the knowledge therof to god who knoweth those that be his then lightly and rashly to condemne those that possibly God hath determined to shew mercy vnto that the more horrible the sin séemeth and void of all pardon the more he might magnifie his great goodnesse and mercy For it often commeth to passe that where sin hath abounded there grace aboundeth much more Beside this the faith which we haue in the promises of God whiche promiseth pardon to all those that repeÌ„t them from the bottom of their harts and the charitie which we bere to our neighbor prouoketh vs to hope wel of all men and to pray to God for the saluation of all sinners euen of those that séem to be the moste desperate in the world Also what shall we say by this coÌ„maundmeÌ„t that Christ gaue to his disciples saying Loue your enmies blesse those that curse you doo good to those that hate you pray for those that hurt you persecute you that ye may be the children of your father which is in heaueÌ„ for he maketh his Sun to shine vpon the good and bad and sendeth his rain vpon the iust and vniust And S. Paule saith The seruaÌ„t of the Lord must not striue but must bee gentle towards all men apt to teach suffering the euil men patiently instructing them with méeknesse that are coÌ„trary minded prouing if God at any time wil giue them repentance that they may knowe the troth and that they may come to amendment out of the snare of the Deuil whiche are taken of him at his wil. In deed the Apostle speaketh not directly of those that resist the troth that they once knew neither yet excludeth he those which are such because God is able inough to call them again to the true knowledge of the troth and to giue them that taste of Heauenly and deuine things whiche before they had lost Seeing then that we know not how God wil woork with men and that the conuersion of sinners is in his hand and that we are not sure whether they whiche resist the troth to day shall consent to morrow or whether they be misled by ignorance wekenesse or any fond zeale we cannot doo amisse to commend them to God and to pray for their conuersion and amendment Touching the answers and solutions of the former obiections we first confesse that all our prayers ought to be made in faith without the which man may not look to obtain any thing at Gods hand as S. Iames saith We confesse also that the woord of God commaundeth vs not to pray for these that sin against the holy Ghost But therwith we say that it is not easy for vs to knowe such sinners as appéereth by the reasons before alleged For they somtimes ar thought to sin maliciously and of determinate purpose that are rather misled with fond zeale and blinde ignorance then of determinate malice It may sometimes come to passe theÌ„ that amongst those that persecute the Gospel some sin of ignorance and other some of malice and so consequently against the holy Ghost But for that the intent of the hart is reserued to the knowledge of God alone the faithful ought stil to pray for all in generall As we sée S. Stephen did For though they were of his aduersaries that resisted the holly Ghost as he laid to their charge yet when he was redy to yéeld vp the Ghost he ceassed not to pray in generall without exception of this man or that man saying Lord lay not this sin to their charge for they knowe not what they doo And in déed if we should iudge who sinned against the holy Ghost in persecuting this holy man should we not put Saule in the number of them at the least For from his youth he had béen instructed in the law vnder that excellent doctor Gamaliel and could wel iudge that all that S. Steuen alleged for the defeÌ„ce of his doctrin was drawen out of the pure fountain of the holy scriptures and neuerthelesse his sudain wonderful conuersion dooth sufficiently declare that his sin was not vnpardonable as hee him self dooth sufficiently witnesse Also we sée many that séemed to be wholly cast away and desperat which neuerthelesse are so touched with the féeling of their sinnes that they ernestly repent are set foorth to others as mirrors examples of the goodnesse of God which giueth life to the dead and calleth the things that be not as though they were The example of the Corinthians and Galathians may serue to this purpose very wel for some of them were so far departed froÌ„ that pure doctrin the S. Paule had preached vnto theÌ„ that they douted of the resurrection of the dead these were strayed froÌ„ Christ which had called theÌ„ through grace to an other gospel so far that they thought the ceremonies of the law were necessary to saluatioÌ„ wherin they not only gainsaid the doctrin of the Apostle but also like mad men bereued them selues of the frute that all the faithful haue by the death of Iesê° Christ neuerthelesse the holy Apostle leaueth not to indeuer to bring theÌ„ bothe again into the right way of troth For the sin against the holy Ghost importeth not simply some euil or false opinion that one may holde against some or many points of Religion but a generall reuolting and apostasie from all Christianitie wheÌ„ hauing béen illuminate by the vertue of the holy Ghost resisteth of determinate malice the doctrin of the trueth with intent to resist it And it is no maruail if this sin be vnpardonable séeing that he which is is giltie of them maliciously despiseth Iesus Christ and maketh a mock of his doctrin without the which none can obtain pardon of his iniquities and we may not think it straunge and accuse God of crueltie though he pardoÌ„ not such sin séeing that they which coÌ„mit it coÌ„e not to repentance And is it reason the God shuld pardon the sin that the offeÌ„der nothing repenteth This is it that the Apostle affirmeth saying If we sin willingly after that we haue receiued the knowledge of the trueth