ObieEitonstaken fromtefimonie.r ofScripttre,anf ered.7j7 meaning is vtterly fade ; for the Apofile here by voluntarie finningvnderftandeth not particular finnes,which the faith-. full may fall into willingly through infirmitie, feeing then Th id, Peterandmanyother ofGods deare Saintsbeing thus ouertaken, fhould haue been ina defperate cafe : but a ge- nerall apoflafie fr6Chrift and Chriftianreligion not through feare and infirmitie, but willingly,that is, with full confent ofwill, liking and approuing what they doe, and vpona defperatemalice and determined refolution, which is that vnpardonable finne against the holyGhofi. And this appearethby the whole drift ofthe Apoftle, and'4.Sea.t2. the circumuiances oftheplace: forhauing exhorted them to Vet. :3,i5. keep the profeffionoftheir hope without wauering, & that they fhouldnot forfake the Chriftian fellowfhip which they had with one another in the Church,as fome didwhomade an apoflafie from the fa.ith,he annexeth this terrible commi- nation topreferue them from this apoftafie. So in that coin- Verf.A.6, pardon whichhemaketh fromthe ieffe to the greater, hee plainely fheweth hismeaning,namely, that as the defp,ifers ofthewhole lawofUWofes,and not the tranfgre%rsofpar- ticular commandementswere condemned to death without mercie, fo they were worthie of farre greater punifhrzient whodefpifed thewhole Gofpell ofChrift,andnot eueryone who willingly tranfgreffedfome Euangelicall dutie. Laítly, whereas hefaith, that they did tread vnder their feete the Tonne ofGod, and counted theblood ofthe Teflament an vnholie thing, anddefpited the fpirit ofgrace; byall this is fignified thatthey contemned Christ andhisreligion as exe- crable or bate, and with refolued malice defpited the fpirit ofGod, which had illightned themwith the knowledge of Gods truth. Into which kind ofgenerali apoflafie it is im- poflible through Gods grace that any ofthe elect fhould fall; for thefeede of regeneration abideth in thein,and they cannot thus finnebecaufe they areborne ofGod,as theApo. z Iohn ;; 8.9: flicfpeaketh,t.Ioh.3.8.9. 4 Sé .t3. Yea, but it is herePaid, that they who thus willingly finne Vrt.29. are fánétifiedwith the bloodofChrist, and therefore he vn- Wbat the 4pa: derfiandeth it ofthe faithful,feeing thofe whoare fan&ified, pie vieanetb they IMP
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