ofSaluation andVamnation. 107 perfecuteth Chrill: and his Church vpon ig- A norance fall intothis finne. Pautpcrfccnttd the Churchof Chrifl:, and yet God i1ad ·~~ercy on him,becaufe hedid itignoramly.x.Tim·I:13· Many of the Iewcs crucified our Samo?r Chrifl:,whoafterward, becauferheycommlt· tcd that grieuous faR vpon ignorance, r~penting at Peters fermon, they did obraine remif– lionoftheirfinnes. A<!'+ I7.and2.37· Ill. Theobicct, name!y, God himfdfe, & the Me– diatour Chrifl: Iefus. Forthemalice ofthis fin is directed againfl the very maieflie of God himfelfe, and againO: ChriO:. Heb.Io.29. 0/ how mHchforer punifhmmtfoppofoyeefhall hee be 'Worthy,which tre<dcthvndrrfoot the SonneofG'od, and<oHnteththe bloodofthetej/<ment 116 an vnho- !y thing,whmwithhe WM[anflifted, andd.th de. JPite thejpiritcifgr•ce?Thereforethisfinne doth B directly refpect the firO: table of rite morall law, and isnorfomeparriculadlippingafide from the obferuation of rhofe commande– !llentswhich are contained in this firll: table, 1Ucb asare fomedl>ubtingsconcerning God, or ofthe truth of the Scriptures, or of Chri!l:, &c. but itis a generalldefccti<>n aml apoll:afie from God, and that totally. I V. The fubiect in which iris. This fin is found in none at all, bot 1i1ch as hauc bin cnlightncd by !he holy Gholl, & haueralledofthe good gift ofGod. Heb.6.5,6.Neitherisitin him a·barecogitation alone,bur an externallal'tion,orrathcrfuch 1Us Chrill,as farre forth as he could,vtterly to fupplant the fame;partly in the Pharifes, Mat· I z.p.IOh-J-2. After apofrafie followeth pollution, which is thevery fi1lnelfe ofall iniquitie, altogither contrary to fantlification.Gen. 1 5-16· .Andin thefourthgemrat#Jn thryJha!lcomehitherag;:~in, for thewicktd!uf!i cifrhe .Amorites i>notyetf~ll. Thcthirddegree, isdamnation, whereby the Reprobates are deliueredvp toeternalpu– nl£hment. The·execution ofdamnation begins in death, and is liniilied in the !all iudgement. ,Luk.I6.zz. .Anditwa<fothat thebeggardied,& wa.rcarried by the .Angels into Abrahams bofome: therichman•lfodiedandw.u buried. 23· .Andbe. inginhell torments, heliftvphueyesandfa<> A– brahamafarreojf, and La~mu inhis bofome. The execution ofthis degree ofreprobati– on in infidels which are no1;called,isrhis:Firft: they haue by nature ignorance and vanirie of minde.After that followeth hardne..s ofheart whereby they·become void of all forrowfo; their finnes. Then comes a reprobate fenfe, which is,when the naturall lightofreafon,aod ofthe iudgement of good and euill, is extin– gaiilied. Afterward when the heart ceafeth to forrow, then rifeth a committing of finne ,with greedin·elfe. Then commeth pollution, which is the fulnetfe offinne. Lall:ly,ajull re– ward is giuen to all thofe,to wit, fearefull con– ·demnation,Eph.4·I8. Hauing their cogit4tion dark!ned, andbeingflrangers from the life cif God ~hrough theignorance thatis inthem,becauft oft~ hardneffi·oftheir he•m.Rom.t.z8. For .uthey reg~rded nDt to k!!m God, nten fo God deliuereil themvp-to A reprobate minde, to the thofi thingi which ~Jre not conMmitnt. CHAP. LIV. I Csncernivganew tk•ifedd.firine cif 'Predt– j/ination,taughtbyfome nm> and ' late Dzumes. a blafphemic again!l God, as proccedts from C a malicious and obO:iHa>e heart. Matth.I •·.3 I. V. The Elect cannot commit this finne: and therefore they who feele in themfelues a fure tefiimony of their cleCiion, neesie neuer to defpaire:nay,this fin is not in euery reprobate: for many of them die before they haue this l1lumination by Gods fpirit. V I. This finnc cannot be forgiuen, not becaufe it is greater then that ChriO:s merit can fatisfie for it, but becaufeafter a man bath once committed this finne,it isimpofsible forhim to repent.For the gift of repentance proceedeth from the holy GhoO:, and the holy Gholl remainethinvs cErr;lihenew Diuines ofourage, haueof through ChriO:apprehended by faith: now no , .. late' er~cted vpanew doctrine ofPredeman doth a~pr~hend ChriO: , ~hat doth mali· 'll:inarion, in which, fearing belike, Jell they c10ufly defplfe and contemne h1m. D 1l10uld make G 0 D both vniull: andvnmerV II. It is very hard to know when a man ·<>ifull, they doe in thedi£hibutionofthecan- ' committeth this !inn~, becaufe the root therefes of falna'tion and damnation, turne them of,namely,fetmalice, lurkethinwardlyinthe vpfidedowne; as may appeare by their deheart,and it is not foeafily difceroed.' fcription in this table. Out of all this which bath beene fpoken, But this their doctrine hath fome foule er_ we may thus define this finne. The finne a· rours and defects, the which I, according as 1 ·~ainfr the holy Gholl:,is a voluntarie, and ob• fl~all he able, will briefly touch. ltinatedeniall of, and blafphemie ag>,inO: the , Thel. Err011r. Sonnc ofGod,or that truth which w.S before There u a cmaine vni•erfallorgeneral/elef!iacknowtedsed conCerning him, and fo confeon;Nhe~eby God, rvitho1tt any either r'ftraint, or quently, an vniuerfall-defection frol)l G 0 D e~·ceptton ofperfons, hath decreedto redeeme by and histrue Church. We haue atrexample of Chrij/, andio reconr:ile vnto himfelfe all mank;nde this fin,partly in the diucl, who albeit he·kneW whollyfallen in .AdAm,yca euery fmgxlar p•rfon, well enoughthat Iefus was that ChriO:, ,yethe "'well th< Reprobate,fl4 the Elecr. neu~r ce•fed both wittingly and willjnglii with TheConf.ration. all hiSpower to oppugne the facred Maiellie The very uameof Election doth fully conofG 0 D,rogither with.the kingdomeofiefute this: for none can befaid to be eleCI:ed, it J K 3 fo 1
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