four godly and profitable Sermons preached by master THOMAS CAREW, The first against popery or false religion. matthew. 16. 18. 2 The second against atheism the enemy to religion. Psalm. 53. 1 3 The third against hypocrisy, the counterfeit of religion. matthew. 7. 5. 4 The fourth against apostasy, the falling from religion. matthew 12. 31. AT LONDON Imprinted by G. S. For George Pot●●● and are to be sold at his shop in 〈◇〉 Paules Church-yard at the sign of the bible, 16●●. TO THE RIGHT honourable Sir George Carew, Baron of Clapton, Lord president of Monster, 'vice chamberlain and receiver general to the QVEENES majesty and lieutenant of the Ordinance. BEing moved( right honourable) by some learned and godly brethren, to publish this little book, and order requiring that I should do it under some mans name, that might, if need wear, give countenance thereunto, and wisdom persuading me to make choice of your Honor before any other, both in respect of your mind; so well favouring the truth of the doctrine therein contained, and of your place so fytt to further the same; the former experience of your honourable disposition promising me willing acceptation, I haue been bold to present this small treatise to your Honors reading and good liking, hoping for this fruit thereof at the least that it may open unto me a door of further opportunity to perform the duty of service which by and from my birth I haue owed you, and of thankfulness which your late and honourable fauourhath more bound me unto, wishing( if I may be bold to aduise one that is counsellor to a Princes.) that your great and weighty affairs notwithstanding, your Honor may haue( I say not a mind which I know you haue already) but some time to be employed in these things that are of a heavenly quality, seing the fruit thereof is great not onely in thincrease of earthly honour and prefe●●ēr in this world, according to the will and promise of God made to god 〈…〉 sse, but especially in the heavenly glory of the world to come, when a full reward shall be bestowed vpon those who haue truly and faithfully endeavoured to set forth his honor and glory by furthering his religion, and virtue. Your Honors in all kind of affection and humble duty, to command always in Christ Iesus Thomas Carew. The Epistle to the Reader. CHRISTIAN reader, having: for the benefit o 〈…〉 natural friend 〈…〉 another book, written of the mystery of frue religion, I haue been moved for the same reason, to writ these four Sermons. The first against false religion. The second against atheism the enemy to religion, the third against hypocrisy the counterfeit of religion, and the fourth against apostasy, the falling from religion, praying god we may haue grace to se and fly that which is false, with detestation; to se and follow that which is true with acceptation, and be upright and continue in it unto salvation. four godly and profitatable Sermons. matthew. 16. 18. And I say also to thee that thou art Peter: and vpon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not euercome it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind vpon earth shalbe bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shal be loosed in heaven. our saviour Christ hath in the 15. verse asked this question of his disciples, whom they did say he was, which question Peter answered, as it is in the 16. verse, saying, thou art the Christ the son of the living God. Whereto our saviour Christ hath begun to reply in the 17. verse telling Peter he was the son of Iona, not the natural son of the living GOD, as Christ was, but the son of Iona a mortal man: yet that he was the adopted son of god, for that he had not this knowledge of Christ from man but from God, not from his natural birth but from his spiritual birth. Now these words are a continuance of our saviour Christes speech to Peter. From hence the papists, would prove that Peter was Prince of thapostles, that he was head of the Church, that he had absolute authority given him to remit and retain sins& that the rest of thapostles had this authority but by Peters grant and appointmnt: all which they would derive to the Pope of Rome by succession, for they say he is universal and chief Bishop, he is head of the catholic Church, h● hath the keys to bind and loose& those only that he will appoint, they say the Pope hath the holy ghost and cannot err,& consequently may do what he list in the Church. Vpon this place they ●ound al the building of popery, therefore if this scripture be taken from them, all their religion falls to the ground. For if Peter were not prince or chief of thapostles, the Pope who they say is his successor cannot be universal Bishop; if Peter were not head of the Church, the Pope that claims from him cannot be head of the catholic Church; if peter had not absolute authority to remit& retain sins, the Pope cannot haue it, and then it will follow that the pope professeth himself to be that he is not, and to be able to do that he cannot and so that scar the Pope is Antichrist, and that pealet coloured beast which saint John fullkes of in the revelation, that is ● of names of blasphemy. First the Papists say Peter was chief of the Apostles but why do they say so? he was not the first that was called to be an apostle: Andrew was he. Peter was not the best beloved disciple. John was he. Peter was not the learnedest nor most laborious disciple, paul was he, as the Iesuites themselves confess that paul brought more into the Church, then Peter did, but the papists draw two reasons from the former words to prove Peter chief of the Apostles. 1 Their first reason is, because the other disciples gave place to Peter to speak first in answering our Saviour Christes question which is a slender reason, for it follows not, because he spake first, that they gave place to him to speak first, but rather that he put forth himself to speak first, by a kind of audacity and boldness of speech& dexterity of wit that was in him, which yet was as often used to evil as to good. 2 There second reason is, because they say, Peter was the first that confessed John. 1. Christ to be the son of God, but that is not so: for it appears in John. 1. that John Baptist, and nathaniel and in matthew. 14. 33. that many other had made the same confession of Christ, before this time, and it appeareth in John. 6. 69. that the rest of the Apostles themselves had also made this confession of Christ before this time,& the confession that Peter made, was not his confession only but of the rest of the Apostles also, who spake by his mouth for the avoiding of confusion, as among twelve jurors one foreman speaks for them all, for order sake. Now as their reasons are feeble& false, so is the thing that they would prove by those reasons▪ for though all thapostles are chief among other ministers, yet there was no chief among them as appears in mark the 9. 34. where they dreaming of an earthly kingdom of Christ, did dispute Mark. 9. ●4. among themselves who should be chief, which our saviour Christ attacks in them as the text shows and that Peter was not chief of thapostles, appears by this that thapostles Acts. 8. 14. sent him on their message to Samaria: if he had been chief he should rather haue sent some of them. Also that Peter was not chief, appears by this that he gave to Paul the Gal. 2. 9. 1, Pet. 5. 4. right hand of fellowship: neither doth Peter call himself the chief shepherd but calls Christ so in his first epistle and last chapter. But that we may the better undermine& throw down the chief ground and foundation of the popish religion let us 5 come to the words that I haue read. Verse. 16. thou art Peter. &c. our saviour Christes purpose is in these words to teach that though the church were now small and there were but few did make a right confession of faith: yet their should be a great many gathered into the church, and brought to the same profession of Christ that Peter had made by the preaching of the gospel, which was committed to him and the rest of the apostles, as the keys to open the kingdom of heaven. Yet the papist gather from these words because our saviour christ spake so particularly to Peter, therfore Peter was the head and foundation of the Church; but the scripture saith Christ himself is the head of the church who doth give life& moving to it being his body, which Col. 1. 18 no other man can do: and is always present with the same and every member thereof which no other man can be; and therefore Peter or any other man can no more be head of the Church then a mans head can be cut from his shoulders, and set on another body. paul would not give that honor to the angells to be head of the church, much less to a mortal man, as ye may se in his letter, to the ●. collo. 18. Colossians. But the cause of the papists error in this point is for that they do not mark the reason of our saviour christ his speaking thus to Peter: he had moved this question to all his disciples, who do you say that I am? Peter in the name of the rest answered verse. 15. the question, therefore as he had spoken to our saviour Christ he speaks to him again. Peter had said to him. Thou art christ the son of the living God, and christ saith to him thou art peter if any of the rest of the Apostles had answered the question, our saviour would haue replied to them, and said Thou art james, or thou art John, as he doth to Peter. But here is the force of the point, and speech that our saviour christ saith. Vpon this rock I will build my church. jo. 1. 〈◇〉. Peter is called a ston, or as the papists will haue it, a rock which we will not much strive with them about, for as a rock is a great ston so a ston may be said to be a little rock, but as Peter is called a ston, Esai. 8. ●4. 1. Cor. 1▪ 4. so our saviour christ is called a ston, and as the papists will haue it, as Peter is called a rock, so our saviour christ is called a rock, now the question is vpon which of these two christ said he wou●d build his church for they were both spoken of in this conference, for Peter had said of him, Thou art christ the son of the living God and christ had said of him; thou art Peter, and the son of jonas. The papists refer these words to Peter, and say Christ built his church vpon Peter, but if christ built his church vpon Peter, then he must either build it vpon the person of Peter or vpon his particular faith. And if Christ built his church vpon peters person, he built it vpon a man, yea vpon a weak man, as he presently shewed himself verse. 22. and if the church were built vpon Peter, It was built ●●on a mortal man, and therefore while he lived, he was not able to uphold the church, that could not uphold himself,& then when he died, the church should haue fallen with him. And if the church were built vpon Peters particular faith, it should be built vpon a weak faith, as our saviour christ saith to him, o thou of little faith. And his faith being a proper adjunct to his person, when he died, his faith ceased, and so the Church Mat. 24. 31 ●. Cor. 13. 13 should haue fallen to the ground●, therefore these words, vpon this rock will I build my church, must be understood of that rock, which Peter had confessed, that is vpon Christ himself, who is not only man, but God: who is not weak but strong, who is not mortal but immortal: for though he died, yet he had not a mortal body; but dyed willingly for our sins, and rose again the third day for our justification, it being impossible, Acts. 13. that death should hold him as it did Peter. Therefore Christ was the foundation of the church, as before his coming in the flesh being eternal God, so at this time also; and the church was in no danger of falling, when he dyed according to flesh, because then he lived in his divine nature, and now he lives in both his natures,& is able to support the church and all the members of his mystical body and stones of this spiritual building who are joined unto him by that faith that Peter had made profession of: as appeareth both by the text where Christ saith on this rock I will build my church, not Ephes. 4. 12. thy church, and also by the words of the Apostle paul, who saith the church must be edified and built on Christ, and also that this building is by faith, and therefore it cannot be vpon Peter in whom we must not beleeue, but on christ in whom all the church professeth, to beleeue in the articles of the creed. But why should the papists think Christ built his church vpon Peter? Was the church built vpon any one of the patriarches or prophets before Christes coming in the flesh? why then should it be built vpon any one of the Apostles after? Was not Christ aswell able to susstaine his church himself afterward as he had done before? and were any of the Apostles any more able to do it, towards the end of the world, when the church was greater, then the patriarches, and prophets were in the beginning when it was lesser? The papists enforce the words of the text, and affirm boldly Christ saith so. To which I answer no, he doth not say so: he saith vpon this rock I will build my church, but is not Christ himself, whom Peter confessed, a rock as well as Peter? is not Christ another manner of rock then Peter? they are much like those that heard Christ say, John. 2. destroy this temple& in three dayes I will build it again: they understood it of the temple of jerusalem, but Christ ment it of the temple of his body. Therefore as one saith when▪ Christ said to Peter: vpon this rock I▪ will build my church; he ment I will build thee vpon me, and not me vpon thee. Indeed some ancient divines haue said the church was built vpon Peter, and in their sense they say true, that is, as it was built vpon the rest of the Apostles: saint John saith the walls of the city new Ierusalen that is the true church had 12. Foundations, which were the names of the lambs 12. Apostles: and in that sense Ephes. 2. 20. the church was not built vpon the Apostles only but vpon the prophets also: as Paul speaks to the Ephesians and all Christians: ye are saith he built vpon the foundation of the prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ himself being the chief corner ston: Therefore the church was not built vpon their persons, but vpon their doctrine that setteth forth christ Iesus to the world to be believed on, as Peter himself saith of Christ; to whom ye come as unto a living ston or rock, and ye as lively stones be made a spiritual house. The papists object that our saviour Christ called 〈◇〉. 2. 3. Peter a ston, which he did not any of the rest of the Apostles: so he called james and John Bonarges, and none but they; yet it follows not that only they two were the sons of thunder, but that other of the Apostles did preach zealously as well as they; as Peter himself did thunder against Simon Acts. 8. Magus& others. So though Christ called Peter a ston it follows not that he was so alone, for Peter himself calls all the true members of the church living stones. And were 1 Peter. 2. 3. not diuers other of the Apostles as stable and vnmoueable as Peter? nay was not he more weak& wavering then many of the rest? therefore it 1. cor. 3. 11. follows that not Peter no more then any of the rest of the Apostles, but Christ is the rock whereon the church is builded: as Paul saith, other foundation can no man lay thē that which is laid which is Iesus Christ: and all 1. cor. 1. 12. that build must build on this foundation: and all that are built must be built on him. This Peter knew well and therefore he did not baptize into his own name, but into the name of Acts. 2. Christ: he did not preach himself but christ. Therefore Paul attacks the Corinthians, because some did hold of Paul, and some of Cephas,& some of Christ: why saith he is Christ divided? showing that he is the only foundation and head of his church, unto whom all the members must cleave in one body. Therefore the church is not called by Peters name, but by jo. 21. Christes name, that is Chrystians:& Christ doth not say to Peter, feed thy sheep, but feed my sheep. Therefore as other comparisons and similitudes of the Scripture, do ●phes. 5. Col. 1 10. 15. set forth the communion, between Christ and his church, as he is called the husband, and the church his spouse: he is called the head, and the church his members: he is called the vine, and the church his branches: because of the mystical union, and nearness that is between them,& spiritual virtue, that he conveys unto them, and they receive from him. So by this that he is called the rock or foundation, and the church the building: and it may as truly be said that Peter was the spouse, to whom the Church is to be married, that Peter was the vine, into whom the church is to be engrafted: as it can be said, he is the rock whereon the church is builded. Therefore when it is said, on this rock I will build my church: our saviour means as I said before, on that rock that Peter had confessed, he would build the rest of his church, Acts. 13. that was to be gathered by the preaching of the Gospel, that was committed to Peter, and the rest of the Apostles, as the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And the gates of hell shall not overcome it. our saviour saith, the gates of hell shall not prevail against or overcome the church that is built vpon this rock: he uses this similitude because in those times before guns were invented the strength of cities was in their gates,& because they used to exercise their government, in the gates: so that he means the power and authority of hell, shall not prevail against those that are built on this rock, that is those that profess and beleeue in Christ, so that this must be understood of the invisible church, and such as be true members of Christ,& not of the visible church, or those that be members in show only, for the devill hath prevailed against diuers visible churches: as the 7. churches of Asia, that are now Idolaters under the turk, and against diuers particular persons, that were members of the church in show onely as Iudas, Magus and others▪ but the invisible and true members of the church, that beleeue in Christ, shall not be overcome, but shall overcome. This is the victory saith 1. John. 5. saint John whereby we overcome the world, even our faith. The devill by temptations and his instruments by persecutions, will seek to overcome them, but our saviour hath said, none shal be able to take them out of his John. 10 exod. 2. hands. The devill and his instruments did seek to destroy the Iewes in Egypt,& Babylon: but they could not as for other causes, so because Christ was in their loins: so now he seeks to destroy the people of God, but he cannot be cause they are in Christs loins, that is united Ro. 8 unto him by faith,& made members of his body. Therfore Paul meaning to comfort the Christians against all trials both inward& outward, saith who shal separate us from the love of God in Christ Iesus our lord? shall persecution? anguish? height? depth? &c.& at ●egth concludes, nothing shal be able to separate us, as our saviour Christ saith here, the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church: which doth seem to put that out of question that some haue made questionable, that the children of God cannot fall from grace, for those that are regenerate in Christ Iesus are born 1. Peter. 1. not of mortal seed that may dy, but of mortal that cannot dy, those that haue obtained the sanctifying gifts John. 7. of God, the spirit is in them a well of water springing up unto eternal life. For although the first Adam might and did lose his original goodness, both to himself and his posterity; yet the second Adam cannot ne●ther to him nor to his. Therfore as our saviour Christ, when he was in the flesh did overcome the devill& the power of hell, in his own person: so he doth continually overcome in his members, and his members do overcome in and by him: therefore Paul saith, we are more then conquerors in Christ Iesus,& if the gates of hell should prevail against the church, Christ should be a head without a body; and if it should prevail against any true member of the church, Christ should haue a maimed body which cannot be: therefore as Christ the rock it self is firm and stable, so is every ston and true christian that is built thereupon. But seeing we se, that by the church here against whom the gates of hell shall not prevail, is meant not the visible but the invisible church, and Verse. 19▪. the papists say, Peters successor is head of the visible Church, this place serves nothing for them and I will give thee the keys of &c. Now our saviour shows by what means the church should be built vpon that rock that Peter had confessed, namely by the ministry of the Gospel whereby the elect people 1. Peter. 2. 4 of God who are called living stones, should be gathered and joined to Christ the corner ston, that they might be made one spiritual house as Peter speaks. The church was built upon the rock Christ Iesus from the beginning: but Christ speaks of thincrease of the church, among the gentiles, who should be called and gathered by the word, that he committed to Peter, and the rest of the Apostles, as the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Here the ministers are compared to porters, the preaching of the word to keys, the kingdom of heaven to a house, whereinto men are let in, and shut out. Keeping the keys we know doth signify authority: therefore in this speech our saviour Christ gives Peter authority to receive in, and shut out of the church, which is often called the kingdom of heaven. By the keys we must vnderst and the word and mynisterie thereof, as it is said the Pharisees kept back the key of knowledge from the people▪ now because by the ministry of the matthew. 3. word they were to pronounce aswell gods mercy to some, called losing,& to open the door of the church, as also to pronounce gods Iudgments called binding,& to shut the door to others: ●herfore our saviour speaks in the plural number. In the 20 chapter of the gospel John. 20. 23 of Saint John, our saviour Christ expounds this, when he saith to al the Apostles; whose sins ye remit they are remitted; and whose sins ye retain they are retained. Because all are sinners they were by the preaching of the Gospel to call all men to repent of their sins, and to believe in Christ the saviour of the world; and those that d●d so they had authority to loose them; that is to pronounce pardon to thē▪& freedom& deliverance from death and damnation by Christ Iesus, and to open unto them the door of the church,& baptize thē& to open thedore of heaven to thē by setting before thē the promise of eternal life. And on the contrary, those that should continue in their sins, and would not repent& beleeue in Christ▪ they were to bind them, that is to pronounce that they bee the bondslaves of satan, and to shut Luk. 3. the door of the church unto them, and refuse to baptize them, as John Baptist did to the Pharisees: and to shut the door of heaven against thē, that is to pronounce that they haue noe parte in the kingdom of heaven and salvation, but do belong to death and damnation: yea to bind them more strongly then the matthew. 11 men of sodom who had not so many means to bring them to repentance; but mark, this opening and shutting, binding and losing, remitting and retaining sins must be by the word. For noe prophet Apostle or minister ever had, hath, or shall haue power and authority to open heaven to him, against whom the Lord will shut it: nor to shut heaven against him to whom the Lord will open it. Christ himself onely hath the keys of david, he openeth& noe Reue. 3 〈◇〉 shutteth, he shutteth and noe man openeth; and hath told us in his word to whom he will haue the kingdom of heaven opened or shut. Noe man can open the kingdom of heaven to cain, to Iudas, to julian Luke. 13. thapostata, or to any other impenitent person: because Christ hath shut it against them, as it is said, except ye repent and beleeue ye shall all perish. Nor noe man could or can shut the kingdom of heaven against Zacchaeus, mary Magdalen, or any other that doth truly repent and beleeue: for the lord hath said, at what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sins from Ezek. 18: Mark▪ 16. the bottom of his heart. I will put all his wickedness out of my remembrance. It is said he that believeth shalbe saved; those that in the law were cleansed from their leprosy must show themse 〈…〉 to the priest, now the priest must not pronounce him clean that was a leper; nor pronounce him a leper that was clean: so the Apostles and ministers of the gospel, might not nor may not pronounce them, cursed that were penitent; nor them happy that were impenitent. He that turns the key the wrong way, we know cannot open the door, as ye se in the example of the pharisees who excommunicated the blind man: yet our saviour Christ for all that did not reject him but receive him. The papists would tie these keys to Peters girdle, because our saviour John. 9. Christ said to Peter; to thee I give the keys of the kingdom of heaven: they confess the rest of the Apostles had also authority to bind& loose, but they say it was by Peters grant. But our saviour Christ himself in the xx. chapter of John, gave the same John. 20. 23 power and authority to the rest of the Apostles that he gave here to Peter, yea as the prophets had the same power of binding and losing before Christes coming: as appears by the jer. 1. speeches that are used to them of planting and rooting up, of building and pulling down. So Christ ordained not onely Apostles and evangelists but pastors and teachers for the work of the ministry, therfore to them also that the preaching of the gospel is committed unto, power and authority is committed to bind and to loose, to remit and retain sins, as well as to Peter. Paul saith the same of himself and Apollo, we are, that is our ministry is the sweet savour of God both to them that are saved and to them that perish: to the one we are the savour of life unto life, and to the other we are the savour of death unto death. Therefore our saviour Christ speaks here, to Peter in the name of all the rest, because he took vpon him to answer this question for all the rest of the apostles. All this power and authority, not onely that was indeed given to Peter, but that the papists do Imagine was given to Peter, they would derive to the Pope of Rome: they say the Pope is universal Bishop, they say he is head of the church, and that to him belongeth the keys of the kingdom of heaven: they say the Pope hath power to bind and loose, to remit and retain sins, to excommunicate& absolve whom it pleases him, and those onely to whom he will give this power, and they say he cannot err &c. But if all that were true which the papists affirm of peter, as we haue seen it is not, let us see by what right they can convey it to the Pope they say the Pope is Peters successor at Rome, they say Peter conveyed his authority to his successor linus, and linus to Anacletus, and Anacletus to ●●●●●t,& so from one to another▪ But there is no testimony nor probability of scripture, that Peter ever was at Rome, but diuers probabilities to the contrary. When our saviour Christ was risen and ascended, Peter was at jerusalem with the rest of the disciples, as it is reported Acts. 1. in the first of the Acts, and their tarried: sometime he converted three Thousand at one sermon as it is in the second of the Acts: he was brought before the governors there and imprisoned& threatened for preaching Christ as it is in 4. of the acts. He detected Ananias and Sapphira Acts. 5 of hypocrisy, as it is in the fi●● of the Acts. He was by the rest of the APostles sent to Samaria, to assist assist Philip, their he discovered the iniquity of Simon Magus as it is in the 8. of the acts: he was at Lydda& Acts. 9. 33. their he healed Aneas of the palsy as it is in the 9. of the acts. He was at Ioppa and their raised Tabitha or Dorcas from the dead, as it is in the same chapter, from thence he Acts. 9. 4●. went to Caesar●a, and there he converted Cornelius a captain, as it is in Acts. 10 the tenth of the acts: from thence he went to jerusalem again, when the Iewes contended with him for going in to Cornelius being a gentle, as it is in the 11. of the acts: when Acts. 11. james was slain by Herod, Peter was put in prison there, and was deliue-by an angel, and came to the house of Mary, where they were praying,▪ as it is in the 12. of Acts. Acts. 12. He was at jerusalem at the counsel that was holden their about the question of indifferent things, as it is in the 15. of the acts, Three yeares at least, after Paules conversion, Peter was at jerusalem, whether Paul went to visit him, and abode with him 3. dayes as it is in Gal. 1. 8. the 1. to the Galatheans: fourteen yeares after that, Paul went again to jerusalem, where Peter gave him the right hand of fellowship, as it is in the 2. of the Galathians. Peter Gal. 2. was after this at Antiochia, as it is in the 2. to the Galathians,& their Gal. 2. 1● Paul withstood him to his face. He was also at babylon when he wrote his first epistle, which is a great way 1 Peter. ● 13. from Rome; still bending his course to those places, where the Iewes that were the circumcision, might be his auditory. When then shoal Peter be at Rome? when Paul writes his epistle Rom. 16 to the Romans, it is probable he was not there: for if so sufficient a teacher had been their what needed Paul haue written to them? and yet this makes it more probable that then he was not their; for in the last chapter of that epistle Paul salutes a▪ great many other; and makes noe mention of Peter. In the latter parte of Paules life, when he had travailed so many countries▪ planted so many churches, wrought so many miracles and suffered acts. 2● so many afflictions▪ being enforced by the injury of the Iewes, he appealed to Caesar,& was brought to Rome, and was there prisoner full 2▪ yeares, in a house by himself, as it is in the 8. of the Acts. All which Phi. ●. 20 time Peter was not at Rome, for in Paules epistle to the Philippians, which he writes from Rome, as the conclusion thereof doth show, in the second chapter he speaks of timothy,& saith I haue non like minded who will faithfully care for your matters▪ if Peter had been there he would not haue preferred timothy before him. In Paules epistle to the colossians, which also was written from Rome, he saith of Tith●cus, Onesemus, Marcus, Aristarcus, and justus, that they onely were his workefellowes unto the kingdom of God: which 2. Tim. 4. 16 could not haue been said, if Peter had been there. In Pauls second Epistle that he writes to Timothy from Rome, he saith at my first answering all men forsook me: if Peter had Philem 9. been there would he not haue assisted Paul but forsaken him? You se i● all the story of the scripture unto this time of Paules death, who in his epistle to Philemon written also from Rome saith, he was Paul aged: there is noe proof nor probability but great unlikelihood that Peter was at Rome. Now seeing all the religion of popery hangs vpon Peters being at Rome, this at least had need bee clearly and evidently proved by the Scripture, or else he is a fool that will be a papist. But if Peter had been ●t Rome, what is that to the Pope? he was at many places. The papists say the Pope is Peters successor at Rome; but the Apostles had noe successors, but Iudas onely, who fell before he entred into the full possession of that office, for betraying his master, in whose room Mathias was chosen, as david had prophesied: let another take his charge. But after Christes resurrection, when 〈◇〉. 2. they were fuly invested in their ofice when james was slain with the word, there was non chosen to suc●ede him. But the papists do not say the Pope succeeds Peter in his apostolical office( but by the way) why then do they call Rome the sea apostolic?& why doth the Pope challenge a general authority over the whole church? from Peter he had no general authority over the whole church but as he was Apostle: but the papists say that Peter was Bishop of Rome 25. years& the Pope succeeds him in his bishopric: but first mark the folly of this saying, and then the untruth of it; for the folly of it, ye haue heard before the papists say, Peter was prince of the Apostles, now if he should become a Bishop, he should make himself inferior to all the Apostles, and so leave the greater office and take the less, which were to be exalted out of the hall into the kitchen, as we say. Now see the untruth of it, if he had been Bishop of Rome, he should haue left the calling of an Apostle that Christ appointed him unto; and taken to himself a calling, that he Gal. 2. was not appointed unto. again if he had been Bishop of Rome, he should haue left the circumcision▪ which Paul said was committed to Peter, and chosen to himself the Gentiles 2. Pet. 1. who were specially committed to Paul. Now when they say Peter was Bishop of Rome five and twenty yeares, it must needs be untrue, as appears by these two reasons, drawn from the age of his life. When he wr●ot his second epistle, he saith in the first chapter, the time is at hand when I must lay▪ down this my tabernacle: if they say he might writ that epistle when he was Bishop of Rome, I answer, in that epistle and cal●s himself an apostle, and not Bishop of Rome which he would haue done, if he had taken vpon him an office of such high excellency and great consequence, as the papist speak of. The ●. reason to prove Peter could not be Bishop of Rome▪ five and twenty yeares, as the papists say, is for that the former▪ times and circumstances considered▪ he must haue lived rather the length o● two mens lives then one: whereas he lived not the time that nature affords to one man, for he died not a natural death, but a violent death by persecution, as the papists themselves confess. And if they would deny it, yet the Scripture confirms it, our saviour Christ saith to him when thou wert John. 21. young thou▪ girdedst thyself, and went whether thou wouldest, but when thou art old another shall g●●de the and led thee whether thou wouldest 〈◇〉 〈…〉 this he spake signif●●g by ●h●● death he should glori●y 〈◇〉 But ●● Peter had been Bishop of Rome, what makes that for the papists that cla●me so great things from thence▪ They say the Pope is Peters successor,& doth succeed him not onely in p●ace but in dignity, to be universal Bishop and head of the Church:& in authority to bind& loose, and in virtue not to er●e &c. But Peter nor the rest of the apostles could not convey the prerogatives they had bestowed vpon the, to others; much less those that they had not. Peter& the Apostles had power& authority to bind& loose through all the world: as their office extended generally to all nations, which other haue not but in their own dioces,& charge only. And if the Pope had the keys of the word of God( which yet he casts from him)& did use thē aright; yet he could bind and loose but in the city and sea of Rome only: but in taking vpon him to sand out his bulls, curses, pardons, and indulgences to all countries, as( they writ) in the name and behalf of God and by the authority of saint Peter: he challenges that kindness from Peter, that he neither did not could afford him. Yea he challenges from Peter that which Peter himself never had; power to forgive sins of his own absolute authority, to canonize& make saints, and set their names in read letters, which power none ever had or hath but God: as the gross matthew. 9. Iewes could say who can forgive sins but god onely? Peter also& the rest of the Apostles, could not err in preaching& writing the scripture; because the holy ghost was promised them, to bring all things to their remembrance:& was given unto them in cloven tongues, and by our saviour Christes acts. 1. John. 20. breathing vpon them: but this prerogative and impossibility of erring, they could not convey to any other, for all other since their time do build 1. Cor. 3 some hay, and stubble, with gold& precious stones. Yet the papists or popistes are bold to say the pope cannot err. Why they confess he may sin, for as Paul saith he is the man of sin: if they should deny 2. Th●●. that, Pope Ione would confute them who played the whore and travailed with child when she went a procession. They confess also that the pope may be damned, for if say they he should lead thousands to ●ell it were not lawful for men to say why doth he so? &c▪ It is true he may be damned,& as some think must be, for the Apostle 2. thess. 2, Paul calls him the child of perdition. Why then he may err; if they had said, the Pope cannot but err, they should haue said true: for the 2. thess. 2 Apostle saith, he shall deceive the people with strong delusions, and cause them to beleeue lies. As for the title and dignity of universal Bishop, Peter had no grant of it from Christ, nor made any grant of it to any other: he had indeed authority to ordain Bishops, 1 Tim. 3. as the rest of the Apostles had: but to ordain an universal Bishop was not in his power. Neither did linus, Anacletus, Clement, nor the ancientest Bishop of Rome, that the papists speak of, receive this title from Peter: but Boneface the eight a late Bishop of Rome, in comparison, received it from Phocas the Emperour of Rome, who slay his master Mauritius. Then began the usurped supremasie of the Pope, not onely over the whole clergy, but over kings and Emperours themselves; which swelling title of universal B. other bishops condemned as Antichristian. But if Peter could, and would convey his preuiledges to his successors; why should the Bishop of Rome haue them more then the Bishop of jerusalem, Antioch? &c. where it is more certain Peter was thē at Rome. The papists say, because Peter was martyred at Rome; that is a strange parado● that the shedding of innocent blood, that pollutes other places, should sanctify Rome: that jerusalem, for shedding the blood of the prophets, should be destroyed, and Rome for shedding the blood of the Apostles should be exalted. God respects noe persons, and will he respect places? Therfore to conclude, the Pope is not the head of the church; he is not Christs vicar, Peters successor, nor universal Bishop: but he is Antichrist, that beast, that S. John speaks of, that is full of names of blasphemy. The second Sermon. Psalm. 53. 1. The F●●le hath said in his heart there it n●e God, they haue corrupted and done abominable wickedness, there is none that doth good. IN this psalm the prophet david complains of the corrupt estate of the people at that time, wherein some were grown to such an height of wickedness, that they were come to an utter contempt and denial of God in mind and manners. The prophets purpose is to speak against atheism, a sin in the highest degree forbidden in the first table and first commandment of the lawe: and against atheists the greatest sinners, whom first he detes●eth in the first parte of the verse, saying, the fool hath said in his heart there is noe god:& then describeth in the words following, they haue corrupted& done abominable wickedness. &c. As he that is a good subject doth detest treason,& those that be traytors against the prince: so david being a good man doth abhor atheists that be traitors against god,& discribes their minds& manners in writing, that others may detest them also. The fool saith david, hath said in his hart ther is no god: or he is a fool that saith thus, for no wise man would say so. But some may ask how david Mat. 5. doth call any man fool, seing our saviour Christ saith; he that calls his brother fool, is in danger of Hell fire: the answer is easy, our saviour Christ speaks of calling our brother fool; but atheists are no brethren. again our saviour Christ speaks of him that in his own quarrels and i●●uries and to utter his corrupt affections of anger and choler, shall do it: but he that shall in zeal of god and goodness, and detestation of wickedness call a man fool; especially if he haue a calling to reprove sin and wickedness, it is not unlawful; when it is done in just reprehension. For Mat. 23 our ●auiour Christ himself, called the pharisees fools and blind; and the apostle Paul called the Galathians foolish Galathians: a magistrate may use the civil sword in just execution when a private man may not do it, in froward disposition: so the spiritual sword may be used in just reprehension, but not in unjust exclamation. david saith the fool, speaking in the singular number, not as if there were thē or now but one atheist; for in the next words when he comes to the description of atheists, he speaks in the plural number: they are corrupt and become abominable, but he speaks so, as if he should point out every such atheist with his finger, whatsoever his name be▪ whatsoever his calling be, whatsoever his bringing up hath been, whatsoever conceit he hath of himself, yet he is a fool that saith in his hart there is noe God. By a fool he doth not mean a natural fool, but an artificial fool, one that the divell hath made a fool by his craft. There be two kindes of fools, one that wants natural wit, another that wants true wisdom, that haue natural wit and abuse it: of the first sort david doth not speak here, for such as want natural wit, whom we call Idiots are not to be detested, but to be pitied. And Macheuell the arch fool& atheist of these last times, whom I name in my Sermon, as Pilate is name in the creed, had much natural wit, and was one of the greatest politicians in the world▪ therefore it seems not to be the want, but the abundance of natural wit that makes an atheist: for the presumption of his own wit, makes him reject all that he cannot comprehend within the reach of reason. But david here speaks of the second sort of fools who want true wisdom, and not onely of an ordinary fool or wicked man, but david speaks of an extraordinary fool, that is grown to the highest degree of wickedness and folly to say, their is no God:& therefore sets him forth as a fool inprimis. We account them fools that deny principles, and the more manifest that any thing is, the more foolish we reckon him that impugnes it. The Lord saith by the prophet ieremy, the people were foolish because they had jer▪ 4. 42. not known him; then they must needs be fools that deny him: the Apostle Paul speaks of some who did forsake the creator,& saith when Romans▪ 1 they professed themselves wise they became fools: of such witty fools david speaks here who say in their hartes there is no god. It may be asked how there should be some who say there is no god, seing the apostle Paul saith it is engraven in the nature of all men that their is a god? I answer these two may▪ both be found in the same man, t● think there is a god,& to think the● is no god: for by the light of nature al men know there is a god, and by the corruption of nature, whereby they seek to put out that light some men think there is none. As the apostle Peter speaks of such men who say where is the promise of his coming? this saith thapostle they willingly know not and they know it and will not know it. And mark that these atheists do not deny any of the person of the godhead onely as heretics do, as the Arrians denied the godhead of the son: the Macedoneans denied the godhead of the holy ghost but these Atheists deny the nature of Rom. 1 God, and they do not change the nature of god, like Idolaters as the apostle saith. The Gentels t●rned the glory of the incorruptible god, into a corruptible man and beast, and that is, did make choice of a false god in stead of the true god: but these deny the godhead itself, and say there is no god at all, no creator no governor of the world, no rewarder no punisher of men▪ Therefore though heretics, that thorough pride deny any one of the persons of the godhead be fools: though Idolaters that thorough ignorance do forsake the true god, and worship a false god be fools: yet atheists that utterly deny god& say there is no divine power be fools of all fools. Now although Dauids detestation might be a sufficient confutation of Atheists yet not to the end to reclaim a settled atheist, who is such a fool as Solomon saith, though he be brayed in a mortar will not be made wise: yet to preserve other from the extremity of that folly, I will set down certain reasons to prove thereis a God, not as if there were any doubt of it; but because the corrupt nature of man doth raise up doubts where none are. 1 The first reason is drawn from the creation of the whole and great world, the heauens, who hath drawn them out as curtens, the stars who hath placed them therein as candles to give sight to the world, the sun among the rest who hath put vpon it such glory as doth dasle the eyes of men: is it not God who is infinite in greatness and glory? Come we a little lower, to the elements of fire and water, who hath set between them the air to divide and keep them a sunder, being two fierce creatures by nature and ready to devour one another, that when they meet together the conflict is so great, that thereof arises the thunder; is it not God? Come we down to the earth, who hath hanged it in the midst between the firmament as it were by a thread, that it moves not any way though it be great, massy, and pressed with innumerable creatures beside; Is it not God, whose power supportes all things? who hath bounded the sea that is many miles higher then the land, and lifteth up his waves, and threteneth the earth but overflows it not: is it not God, as he saith by the prophet Esai, all these Esai. 40. things haue my hand made? These fools do fancy that the world is eternal, but the iudgment of the philosophers and all wise men doth confute that folly: if the world were eternal it must be God, for eternity& deuinity dwells together. But we come to the second reason to prove there is a God which is the creation of man whom the philosophers call a little world, he must be eternal if the world be eternal: for who will imagine that so goodly a house was at any time without a dweler? But man was not eternal: for seing he is mortal and hath an end, he must needs haue a beginning; who then made him? the rest of the 〈◇〉 5 creatures could not do it, for all the creatures in the world are inferior to man, and therefore none of thē could make him that is superior& more excellent then they. And man did not make himself; for then he did and could also make other things inferior to himself: but as our saviour Christ saith he cannot make a hair white nor black. And if man did make himself thē we can do it still, why then haue not men children when they would? and why haue they children when they would not; and why haue they daughters when they would haue sons? and why haue some sons when they would haue daughters, therfore it was God? in whom we live, move, and haue our acts. 17. Gen 4 being that made man as Moses saith of the dust of the earth But leave we mans earthy and dusty body and come to the spiritual soul, that by the consideration of this reasonable creature we may amplify this second reason to prove the deity. And not to stand vpon the faculties of understanding and memory, whereby man thinks of things past, considers things present and foresees things to come,( which yet doth effectually persuade, that it must be one of incomprehensible wisdom and understanding that did put these properties into him) but onely to speak of the conscience of man which since the fall may be called the remainder of natures light, which without any other teather doth instruct a man. what is good, and what is evil, and persuades a man to that which is good, and dissuades him from that which is evil, examines that which is done, and if it be good approves it& rewardeth it with ioy and gladness,& if it be evil, accuseth it, condemneth it, and rewardeth it with sorrow and terror. Who hath set up this court in a mans heart, is it not God the judge of all? and whence comes this terror after evil committed, from the fear of mans law? noe it was in cain, in Baltazer, Caligula and others, who stood in awe of noe earthly power:& those that do stand in awe of men, give them security from them,& yet they tremble: from whence comes this but from this knowledge that there is a God, who will judge and punish evil men and evil things? And therefore as one saith, it is much more easy to pull mens hartes out of there bellies, then to pull God out of their harte●. 3. But come we to the third reason which is taken from the opinion, practise, and consent of all nations, not only christian but heathen: noe nation is so savage, or people so barbarous, but haue always acknowledged there is a god. observe this thorough all the histories of the Bible, what people shall you red of, that did not profess some religion? Those that haue traveled the new found lands, India, China, Cataya and the rest, do confirm the truth of this point: that though there be some of them that haue noe houses to dwell in,& some of them that go naked, yet there be none but do confess some god, showing it is not so natural to cloath or harbour themselves, as it is to aclowledge God. Protagoras the Athenian who yet did not in flat terms deny the god head, but by consequence: notwithstanding the Athenians had such a detestation of him, that they burnt his books and banished him the city. In consideration whereof some haue affirmed that it is not so much reason as religion that puts the special difference between a man and a beast. 4 Let the fourth and last reason be taken from atheists themselves who oftentimes in their life do aclowledge their is a God, by swearing by him and saying Lord haue mercy vpon me; and some of them at their death, as master Greenham makes report of a man who from other extremities fell to be an atheist, and being in want did steal and was condemned to be hanged and at the place of execution did profess atheism, and when he was ready to be turned of the ladder, said for Christs sake stay: and pause being made he said whatsoever I haue said, and whatsoever others haue said that there is no god, yet I know there is a god that will judge and punish evil men; and reward good men, and now said he turn me of the ladder. Then must not he needs be a fool that against the testimony of heaven, of earth, of all nations, and his own conscience shall say there is no God? But be these all the reasons that might be brought to prove there is a god? no not by a thousand, for as god is infinite so there be infinite reasons to prove the godhead. david saith the heauens declare the glory of God: job saith ask the beasts& they will tell thee, the fowls& they will declare him unto thee, yea the least flower is a sufficient preacher of God unto vs. What Arris or tapestry may be compared to some of them? what is so read as the rose? what is so white as the lily? doth not the violet exceed all colours that are dyed in grain He that doubteth, saith a philosopher whether the fire be hot, let him put in his finger and feel: so he that doubteth whether there be a God, let him open his eyes and see; for the whole world is nothing else but as a book, and all the creatures in the world as great& small letters, wherein a man may red and as it were spell god. who that feels the earth quake, will not say oh god? who that hears the Thunder and great winds will not say oh mighty god? who that looks vpon the lightning, and beauty and brightness of the firmament, especially at some time, will not say oh glorious god? who that sees the rough seas,& foaming waters when they are troubled with the winds, will not say oh mighty god? who that considers the multitude, variety, qualities, and uses of the creatures, will not say oh wise and bountefull god? Therefore it is needles to stand any longer to prove that which is the plainest thing in the world; especially seeing david doth not seek to satisfy with reason, but to shane with detestation the fool that saith in his hart, that there is no God. There be two sorts of these fools or Atheists, one sort that deny God directly, the other sort that deny him indirectly: the first deny the essence of God, the second deny his essential properties, without the which he cannot be God,& say there is no regarding or rewarding God. Of the first sort there were never many; histories do make report of Epicurus& of Diagoras, who said ther was no God: and of Protagoras, who yet was either less wicked or more wily: who said I say not that there is a God, nor I say not that there is no God: match Macheuel with which of these monsters ye think beste▪ But of the second sort of atheists that deny gods essenciall properties, namely his knowledge, his truth his Iustice, his providence, there always haue been and are many in the world: these are atheists as well as the other as those are traytors that deny the, royal prerogatives of the prince, as well as they that deny the prince. As for example, take away understanding memory, conscience, and will from the soul; and ye destroy the soul: so take away the essential properties of god and ye leave him a name without a nature▪ therefore although the Ephesians professed Diana to be a goddes; yet because she had not the properties of the divinity, but ●phi. 2. was an Idol of their own Imagination, Paul faith they were without god in the world. Now that there be some fools that do deny the divine properties of god, it is evident by the scripture; david speaks of some that deny his knowledge; they think he sees not their hartes, and their actions their whoredoms, drunkenness, robberies Psa. 73. & they say how doth God see, is their knowledge in the almighty? as Cain thought, god did not see what he had done with his brother Abell. job speaks Gen. 4. of some that said the clouds did hid him that he could not see; they job. 22. 13. thought of god as of a man, that distance of place and interposition of things could hinder his sight: but the prophet david derides that folly saying, he that made the eye shall not he see? for as one saith, he is within al things without all things he is included in nothing nor excluded from any thing Psal 94. therfore he saith to the Church of Ephesus& the rest of the Churches, Reu. 2▪ I know thy works. As such atheists make god blind that he cannot see their works, so they make him deaf that he cannot hear their words, their railing swearing Psa. 12, filthy talking &c. Therfore as it is in the psalm, they boast their judges are their own, they ought to speak what Lord shal Psa. 94 control them? but as david saith he that made the ear shall not he hear? he that gave the languages doth understand all judges as well judea as English; therfore our saviour saith men shall give account of their idle Mat. 11 words at the day of Iudgment. And as these fools make god blind& deaf, that he cannot see nor hear so they make him lame that he can do nothing. zeph. ●. 12. the prophet speaks of some that say the Lord will neither do good nor evil. They deny gods providence, although they will confess he doth some thing in heaven, yet they shut him out of the world especially out of their own chambers and studies: Aristotle thought gods p●ouidence reached no lower then the moon, but the prophet david that was wiser, saith whatsoever pleased the Lord that did he in heaven, in earth in the sea, and in al deep places. The Epicure philosopher attributes all to fortune and chance, words invented of thos● that were ignorant of the causes of things▪ and retained of those that are ignorant of god the cause of causes. The words indeed are sometime used in the scripture, it fortuned and it chanced according to the common phrases that were in use among the people: but yet the most chanceable things are governed by the providence of God, and ascribed thereunto. When jonas Ion. 1 was cast out of the ship into the sea a whale came instantly and received him: the text saith God, provided a great fish to swallow up jonas. When Abraham was ready to sacrifice his Gen. 22. son, he lift up his eyes and saw a Ram ●yed in a bush: was it fortune? no he said to his son; god would provide. The stoic philosophers ascribe all things that fall out in the world to fate and destiny; and will haue things not to depend vpon the providence of god, but vpon a certain coniunction of causes: but if that were so the effect must always necessary follow the cause, but it hath diuers times been otherwise. Fire hath this property to burn fitt matter that is put unto it: but the three children mentioned in daniel were Da●. 3 put into the exceeding hot furnace, and yet burned not. If that were so, Sara, Elizabeth and others that where old, must haue died barren: but the promiss and providence of god made them fruitful. And not onely the greatest things are ruled by gods providence, but the least things; as our saviour Ma●. 1● Christ saith, a sparrow salles not to the ground without our fathers providence: now because some men will not aclowledge gods providence in his ordynarie works as in the succeeding of summer water, could, heat, rain drought &c. ●en. 7● Gen. 19 Therfore god hath sometime shewed the same in his extraordinary works, as in drowning the whole world with water; burning the city of sodom with fire; causing the sun to stand still, yea to go backward. Now seing that god doth al things great& and small, ordinary and extraordianry, is he not a fool that saith he doth nothing? As such atheists deny his providence, so they deny his truth, some deny the authority of the scripture generally& care for Exod, 14 Exod, 17 no other testament but Macheueis policies: some deny the promises of the scripture particularly& say where is the promise of his coming? they deny the fastings of the scripture and put far of the evil day. Some deny miracles of the scripture and say the passing of the children of Israell throw the read sea was when the tide was gone: they say Moses his giving them water out of the rock was by observing the wild asses going thither to drink: they say the speech of the flood was but some flegmatick or waterish conceit: and the fire that Peter speaks of where with the world shalbe consumed, is but a fancy of some colericke brain: as what falsehood will not the father of lies teach men to affirm? but for all that God is the God of truth and cannot lie, yea it is unpossible that he should lie, and therfore david ●itu●. 1 ●sa. 19. ●●h. ● saith his truth endures for ever. Finally these fools deny the Iustice of god, they say as zephanie declareth the Lord will neither do good nor evil, that he will neither reward nor punish. And this is on chief reason Z●ph. 1 whereby the divell confirms them in their atheism, because good men are not rewarded, and evil men are not punished: for they reason thus, if there be a divine providence, it must be for the good of the good▪ and for the evil of the bad: but say▪ they it is clean contrary in the world, good men are set in the stocks and evil men constables, But one cause why evil men are not punished, is because many magistrates do not execute gods Iustic● vpon murderers, theeues, adulterers, drunkards as god hath commanded. If they ask why Gen. 4. then god doth not execute Iustice himself? I answer was not cain a 2. King. 9. vacabond for killing his brother Abell? were not Ahab and Iesabell for murdering of Naboth devoured and Act. 12 their blood licked with dogs? Was not herod for priding himself in his oration eaten with worms? was not L●cyan the atheist who said he got nothing by his christendom but a syllable to his name devoured of his own dogges? did not Macheuell also rot to death in Florence prison? But god doth not punish all sinners in this world, for then men would think there were no other punishment besides that which is temporal, and sone that he doth punish he doth it not by and by, but let them continue long in their sins that he might show the patience of his own nature, which is long suffering, and that his bountifulness might draw such men to repentance as the Apostle saith; and as god hath sometime respect to them so sometime he hath respect to posterity. For if king Ahab who was a wicked man had been taken away to soon: we had lost good King Hezechias if Solomon and Paul had been taken away in their evil times, we had lost their good books. But those wicked men that are spared, if they do not repent, they shalbe punished soon enough and too soon for them; and when their punishment begins there willbe no end, we must remember the last day is the day of Iudgment& let us never think wicked men shall escape as long as that day is to come: as Solomon faith though a sinner do evil a hundred times and God prolong his dayes, yet I know it shall go well with those that fear the Lord; but it shall not go well ● Ecl●. ● with the wicked man. Forbearance is no quittance, in the mean season are they altogether free, from punishnent? no they are troubled with fears, terrors, torments, and passions which the poets call furies, as one that is condemned to die, though he plays at cards and dice in the prison, till the time of execution: yet the thought and remembrance of his punishment doth fear and astonish him. But is it not strange that any should deny the power of god after he hath created and again drowned the whole world? that any should deny the truth of God, after he had brought the children of Israell out of egypt and placed thē in Canaan, according to his promis made to Abraham? that any should deny the providence of god after he had fed the israelites forty yeares in the wilderness with manna from heaven& caused rehter arments& shoes not to wax old, that any should deny the Iustice of God after he had cast Adam out of paradise for his disobedience, and cast of his own people Israell for their unbelief and wickedness. But is it not more strange that any living in the Church, should deny God, who heard his oracles, saw his miracles, had such experiments of his goodness? a man may better deny any thing yea all things to be, then God, who is before all things, who is better then all things, who is greater then all things, and in whom as the apostle saith all things do consist: therfore let every one that hath any wit subscribe to this saying of david, that he is a fool that saith in his heart there is no god. In his heart. But mark that he saith so in his heart, david speaks of subtle fools who will not always utter that which is in them: for they knew the lawe, that to deny God in words was blalphemy: and that blasphemy should be put to death, therfore they would not express their foolish thoughts. They are like an adulterous person that dares not father his own child, but God that hears mental as well as vocal speeches, turns his inside outward, that all men may se what he 2 tim. 3 psa ● ●s, though perhaps he will speak otherwise, and say there is a God, and that god is almighty true just &c. As Paul speaks of some that profess they know god, but by works they deny him; and david speaks of some that flattered god with their mouth, and dissembled with him with their double heart. So that an atheist may be also an hypocrite an atheist within and an hypocrite without, an atheist indeed,& an hypocrite in show. But david saith he is a fool, that saith in his heart there is no god, that admits such foolish thoughts in his mind, psa. 21 though he utters them not with his mouth: but as david saith let thy hand find out thy enemies o God& thy right hand find them that hate thee that they may know there is a god that rules in jacob, and to the ends of the world corrupt are they. He further describes an atheist by his works; one saith there be three signs of an atheist, euryous questioning, profane scoffing, and wicked living; david here stands vpon the latter. But mark that he speaks now in the plural number, for there were then, as there be now, many atheists. Macheuells opinions are grounded in the nature, and shewed in the practices of many that never read his books. And as before david attributeth a voice to the heart, which onely God heareth: so here to the works which men see: as we use to say, such a thing speaks hardly against such a man, the evil thoughts drop out at their fingers ends. When such men haue digested these vild thoughts, that there is no god to see them; they dare do any thing, and that their is no god to hear them; they dare say any thing, and that there is no God to punish them, they will refrain nothing: when they haue cast a way the reverence of the word of God that putteth a difference between good and evil, they do that which is good in their own eyes, that which they naturally like and lust after. Dauids meaning is not onely to teach, that those which be atheists do corrupt themselves with wickedness, but also those that do so show themselves to be atheists; as our saviour Christ saith the three is known by the fruit: he that will lie forswear, commit adultery, steal● &c tell me hath he a right consideration of God? no either he hath utterly denied him or else he hath wrong and vild thoughts of him for if he did rightly consider of his presence, power, and Iustice: he durst not in such sort provoke the eyes of his glory. Those whom we call ungodly men, may we not turn it godless men, that is atheists that haue no reverence to god nor to his commandements? therfore he saith of such men, they are corrupt& become abominable, that is they so corrupt their ways, that for the same they are to be abhorred. The magistrate should punish them, the minister should reprove& satire thē, and all good men should detest thē. And indeed if we did see and here the number of vild thoughts words& actions of an atheist, an honest man would blushy and spit at them, there is none that doth good. That is atheists of that sort do not only wicked things having no fear of gods justice, but they neglect good things having no hope of his mercy. Paul to Titus speaks of some that are reprobate to every good work; if they do any thing that is good, it is not in regard of God, but for some other respect, as nabal did feast many, yet he was a fool: To conclude let us make use of all that hath been spoken; let us know as there were many atheists then, so there be now; therfore let us take heed we be none of them; take heed we give no place to vild affection●& thoughts of god,& that we do not speak such wicked words and do such wicked works, as foolish men use to do: but that we do think such thoughts, speak such words; and do such works, as, wife and good men haue done. FINIS The third Sermon Hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye. having in the former sermon spoken of atheism, which is the enemy to religion, my promise binds me in the second place, to speak of hypocrisy, which is the counterfeit of religion: a 'vice much inveied against in the scripture not only for the commonnesse of it, but for the odiousnes of it, being not only a sin, but a sin of sins that turns all the best things that a man doth, into sin. Now, although both the prophetes, and Apostles do speak of it in many places, yet I choose rather ye should hear our saviour Christ himself speak of it; who could best discern and discover an hypocrite; and therfore I haue chosen this scripture to entreat of, wherein we are to observe these three things. First, the description of an hypocrite. Secondly, the reprehension of an hypocrite. Thirdly, the reformation of an hypocrite. The description, is to be observed generally in the word hypocrite, and more particularly in the rest of the words of the text, compared with those that are gone before, and other places of scripture. An hypocrite, is as much to say, as a counterfeit or dissembler; the word is borrowed from stage players, who put on them the persons& apparel of other men, as some put on the robes,& play the part of kings;& so liars, being no such, but in counterset show: so hypocrites put on them the robes,& counterset the persons of good Christi●●men, when they be no such, but bad ones. We do abhor counterfeiting in all men, and in all matters; when a man will pretend he is a gentleman, being base born; when a man will make show, he is rich being a bankrupt; when a man will pretend to pay currant money, when he pays counterfeit brass, or led covered with silver, or gold; then we must needs mislike hypocrites, who dissemble more grossly then any other. Now, although all hypocrisy be dissimulation, and countertfeting; yet all dissimulation is not hypocrisy; at the least, that which the scripture speaks of: for, there hath been, and is, dissimulation in those there are out of the Church; as the Gebionites, being he athens, dissembled with Iosua and the Israelites, pretending they were far born, when they were inhabitants of that country. hypocrisy therfore, to speak properly, and whereof I am to entreat▪ as ● doth respect god▪ so it is in th●se that do profess religion. There be two sorts of Ipocrites; the one, are such as counterfeit the profession of religion; the other, such as counterfeit the practise of it; of the first sort, there never haue been but few in commparison. We red in the book of Hester, when the King had crossed the edict, that haman had procured, for the destruction of the Iewes, and made proclamation that the Iewes should stand for their lives ●oster. ●. ●● it is said, many of the people of the land became Iewes, for the fear of the Iewes fell vpon them that is, they did play the Ipocrites, and counterfeit the religion of the Iewes: so now, among us, there be some that we call Church papists, that profess our religion, and come to Church, and yet wish in their heartes, that popery might come again. But of the second sort of Ipocrites, that make a counterfeit practise of religion, there always haue been,& are a great many. Of such, the apostle speaks to Titus, saying. They profess they know god, but by works they deny him, and of such our saviour Christ Titus. 1 speaks here. Of these kind of hypocrites, their be also two sorts. One sort, that are gross Hypocrites; who know they do dissemble, that is to say, though they will speak of religion, yet do neither refrain evil, nor do good; for respect of religion, or conscience to god: but if they do either; it is for some other carnal or corrupt respect of men. Such a gross hypocrite was Iudas, who, though he pretended the poor, in saying, the ointment which the woman powred on our saviour Christ might haue been fold for so M●●. 14. much, yet he intended himself, and meant to play the thief, because he carried the bag: and also he played the gross hypocrite, when he saluted his master with a kiss, and courteous words and therein went about to betray him. I red of the gross hypocrisy of an usurer, who did greatly commend& speak friendly to a preacher, for speaking against usury; as if he ment to forsake his unlawful trade: but he shewed his reason was, because the more usury was spoken against, the fewer would use it,& the fewer did use it, the more he should gain by it The other sort, are simplo hypocrites, who are unsound in religion, and know it not, but think they are christians good enough, when they are not;& think they do well when they do not: such a one was jehu, who said to jonadab, the son of Rechab; come& see the zeal that I haue for the Lord. When he ment to destroy the temple,& priestes of Baal; he thought himself a very religious man, but he was an hypocrite: for it is said in the one and thirty verse, he regarded not to walk in the law of the Lord, with all his heart: and though, he destroyed the temple of Baal, he destroyed not the golden calves, that were at Dan and bethel, but still continued in the sin of jeroboam, the son of Nebat, that caused Israell to sin. Of such simplo Ipocrites, our saviour John. 16 Christ speaks to his disciples, when he saith; the day shall come, when those that kill you, will think they▪ do God service, when they serve the divell. The former sort of Ipocrites, fail in their affection,& these fail in their Iudgment; the former deceive other, and these deceive themselves. The former, which I call gross Ipocrites, take on thē the profession of religion, for their credit sake: or where religion is professed, they see they can be of no estimation, without making the same profession. As what credyt haue atheists, or papists, among Christians? or else for their profit, that they might haue the more customers, if they be chapmen; the more clients, if they be lawyers; and the more patients; if they be physicians,& not for any love to religion, whereof they make profession. The second sort, which I call simplo Ipocrites, take on them, the profession of religion, with a desire to be saved, for they hear of the salvation spoken of in the gospel, and conceive it to be an excellent thing,& they hear that turkes, papists, and those that be out of the Church cannot be saved: therfore they will profess religion, that they may persuade themselves they shal be saved: but Ipocrites haue but a human persuasion, that hath no other ground but their own fancy, and not a divine persuasion, wrought by the spirit of god, and grounded vpon good reasons, drawn out of the word of god, as true Chritians haue. Of those, that be gross Ipocrites, that of purpose, make religion and their whole profession, a cloak for their sins, though there haue always been some who may be called, hypocritical atheists; yet there were never many in comparison. But of the other, that be simplo hypocrites, who deceive themselves in their Imagination, there always haue been and are a great number. As satan transforms himself into an▪ angel of light, as the apostle saith, so ● Cor, 11. his ministers transform themselves into the ministers of Christ, and his members into the members of, Christ. They call god father, as our saviour Christ saith, but they are of their father the divell; they call the true children of god bretheren, as in this place Christ brings in an hypocrite speaking as to his brother; but hypocrites 2. Cor, 11. are false brethren as paul saith, he was often among false brethren, they are bastard Christians, not begotten of immortal seed. As 2, Pet. 1▪ there is no hypocrite, that is regenerated, and all that profess religion, and be not regenerate are hypocrites, as a wooden leg or silver nose, in the natural body, supplies onely a place of a lively member, so are Hypocrites in the Church. But yet, mark that hypocrites haue something in them, wherewith they do deceive themselves and others with a wrong persuasion, they haue the outward badges of Christianity, which makes them so much the more odyous to god, that they will serve the devill in his livery: they haue been baptized with water( as Simon magus that Hypocrite was) but not with the holy ghost: they receive the other sacrament of the lords supper, Mat. 26 as Iudas that hypocrite did, but, as one saith, they receive the bread of the Lord, but not the bread and the Lord: they will pray as the hypocritical pharisee did, but at all times, not, Luk 18 job, 27. Mat▪ ●●sa. 58▪ as job saith, will the hypocrite call vpon God at all times: they will fast& look sour as our saviour saith,& as Ahab that hypocrite did not but such a fast as the lord require, by the prophet Isa. They will hear the word of God, as Alexander that hypocrite did, but, as the word of man, they do not hear 1 Th●ss●. ● it, as it is indeed, the word of god which worketh in thē, as in those that believe. In respect whereof they are compared to ostreches, that haue great feathers, Mat. 22. but are of small flight, and our saviour Christ sets them forth by a figtree, that hath great leaves,( and therfore Adam and eve made choice of them to make them breaches) but no fruit. But it may be asked, if Ipocrite● haue no fruit at all, yes else how should they haue so much as a flatring persuasion, that they be unlike to the atheists of the world; therfore they haue some counterfeit properties of christians, which in their own sense, and carnal construction▪ are as good as the best, at least good enough, they will forsake some sins which the word of god forbids▪ for although as, david saith of Ipocrites; they hate to be reformed, that is, to be shipmoney reformed: yet they will reform many things, after their fashion; Mar. 6 as it is said of Herod: but those sins that they do forsake, they do it not for the fear of god, for the conscience of his commandement, or for the hatred of sin; but either because of mans law, or of mans praise, or his own false persuasion, that those shalbe a dispensation to him 2, Tim, 3 for other sins, that he means to keep still. But do hypocrites onely leave some evil things, do they nothing that is good? yes, else how should they haue so much as a flattering persuasion, that they be like the children of god? Paul saith, they haue a show of godliness, they, by hearing the word, attain to some knowledge, Psa. 50 but a confused knowledge,& having some knowledge, they will talk of points, and matters of religion, as the Lord speaks to them in the psalm; that they will take his law in their mouth, they will ask questions sometime, not with a desire to learn but to pose men, and to show their own skill, as the scribe did, who asked our saviour Christ, which was the greatest commandement of the law. But if you mark it, the communication of an hypocrite, about religion, M●●. 13 is always unsound, or unsavoury. Hypocrites also attain to faith, as it is said in the parable of ston professors; but it is not a justifying faith such as true christyans haue: but an historical faith, such as the devils haue. hypocrites will sometime bring forth this fruit of friendship; but it is rotten of one side, they will be friendly in bad matters, as well as in good Iam. 2 matters, and to bad persons, as well as to good men, as it is said of them: they are partakers with the adulterers, they will give al 〈…〉 and Psa, 50 do so●e other duties, not constrained by the love of Christ& the 〈◇〉 of virtue, as the Apostle saith, but to be seen& praised of men, which you shall mark, is the chief thing that hypocrites respect, in all the things they do: as our saviour Christ saith of them, they love the praise of men, more then the praise of god. Cor, 1 Mat. 6. Luk. There be some great persons, that look in a glass to se the wrinkles of their faces, but take flatterers repor●e that say they are white when they are black, and young when they are old. But because it were needles to go about perfectly to descipher an hypocrite, in whom there is nothing but imperfection, therfore I will draw to an end of this first point, onely let us mark, that as an Hypocrite is but the counterfeit of a Christian, so his virtues, are but the counterfeit of christian virtues▪ he labours not to forsake all sin and to do all his duties, as christyans do, but only some,& not other; and those that he doth, proceed from wrong affection& carnal suggestions, and not from spiritual, and religious considerations. One compares Ipocrirs, to goodly flowers, that haue brave shows, but bad smells; and not unfitly, for as the chameleon hath all 〈…〉 ours, save white, so they haue a 〈…〉 tes; save sincerity, as we shall more plainly and particularly see, in the unfolding of the words of the text▪ Hipocrit That which we are to consider in the second place, is the reprehension of an hypocrite, as four saviour Christ should say thou dissembler, thou counterfeit; for so much doth this word hypocrite import, and he speaks with detestation; for as one saith feigned holiness is double ungodliness: therefore, although our saviour doth reprove many others sins, yet none so sharply as Ipocrisy, in one chapter he pronounces woe against the Ma●▪ 23. scribes and pharise● eight times, for their Ipocrisy. Which practic● of our saviour Christ shows, there is a good use of sharp reproof, against such, though not to reclaim them, who as our saviour saith, are further from the kingdom of god then publicans and harlots: for Solomon saith; bray a fool in a mortar, and denounce against him the events of god, that are the pestle of that mortar, yet they will not be made wise: but there is good use of such reproof, that others may take heed of hypocrisy. Therfore, our saviour Christ seing men make a counterfeit show of holiness, when it was not in them, saith, Mat. ●1. hypocrite, some men will play the hypocrites, that cannot abide to be called so, as some do hate the name of covetous man, but not covetousness; so some do hate the name of an hypocrite but not hypocrisy. First pull out &c. Our saviour Christ never calls any hypocrite, but he shows cause why, which controulles them that will call a man hypo●rite, and cannot prove it; if ye will call a man whoremaister, show what woman he hath defiled, if ye will call him thief, show what person he hath robbed▪ so if ye will call a man hypocrite, ye must not only at least show wherein he hath counterfeited and dissembled and shewed some point of hypocrisy, but that ther is in him no sincerity: for he that calls a man hypocrite, doth challenge his whole estate& make every thing nought that doth We must labour, to discern hypocrites, from true christians,& not be like children, that if they see a face in the glass: think it a man indeed, we cannot discern all, for some will deceive the wisest men, as Simon magus deceived Philip himself; yet by wise observation, we may discern many: though men profess& make a fair show of religion, yet if we find them counterfeit,& unconscionable in the practise of it; if we find them sickle, false,& decitfull in their words & works; if they tie not themselves constionably to the rules of truth, but will lie for advantage, as Ananias did to Acts. ● 2 Kings 10 Mat 26 the rules of holiness, but will worship Idols as jehu did to the rules of Iustice but will deceive vpon occasion as Iudas did, they are not worthy the name of christians. Plain dealing is called a jewel of beggars but it is a jewel for the best Psal 32 christians, as david saith; blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no guile our saviour here sets down one note, how to discern an hypocrite▪& under this one, as it dependeth vpon the former word is contained diuers other: he hath said in the 3 v. why seest thou a mote in thy brothers eye and perceivest not a beam in thy own eye?& in the 4. verse how sayest thou to thy brother suffer me to cast out the mote that is in thine eye,& behold a beam in thine own eye? the first note therfore that this text affordeth to discern an hypocrite is, he seeth a fault in another& not in himself: the second is he will seek to reform another, and not himself; the third is he stands vpon the reformation of little things and neglects great things. As touching the first, ye are to mark that hypocrisy is blind; therfore our saviour Christ calls the pharisees that were hypocrites blind pharisees: not that they haue no sight at all, for they haue some sight to discern between good and evil, and more then Infidels haue( by the remainder of natures) light) because they live in the church but yet the sight that hypocrites haue: is but a glimering sight in comparison of true Christians. For all sin doth blind men, but especially the sin of hypocrisy that draws their eyes to their virtues( or rather shadow of virtues) that are in them and not to their vices. They turn as the proverb is, that end of the wallet behind them, and that makes them proud, as our saviour calls the pharisees proud pharisees:& from thence comes boasting of themselves, as saint Luke reports of the pharesy that said he did fast twice in the week, paid Luk 18 tithes &c. and was not as other men: and as an hypocrite sees not his faults so ye cannot make him see them. Our saviour often told the pharisees their faults, but they would not se them, but fell out with him. Their is certain fish when ye go about to take it, casteth out black matter or slime, to trouble and thick the water, that ye should not see how to take him: so hypocrites when ye go about to show them their faults, and bring them to repentance, they cast out some filthy matter and seek to wind from you, by denying, excusing or shifting; and if they cannot escape that way, then fall to scoffing, railing, upbraiding &c. that ye cannot tell how to take them. Touching the second note of an hypocrite, in this place, which is to seek to reform others and not himself; let us mark as I haue said, an hypocrite is the counterfeit of a christian, and he will counterfeit not only the exercise, but the practices& duties of Christyanity and among other, this duty of admonition although he hath Iayesteyes to behold his own saultes, yet he hath EAgles eyes to behold the faults of other; An hypocrite will make show of great hatred of sin,& love of his brother& be very forward in reprehension, but whereas a true Christian is first& specially careful to reform himself and then to reform others an hypocrite spends the most time,& is most busy where he hath least to do. In the three& twenty chapter, our saviour saith, the pharisees will compass sea& land, to make one proselit, that is to bring a man from gentility to judaism: but when they haue done, they make him two fold more the child of hel by nusling him in the opinion of justification& other corrupt doctrines which are if not more daingerous herises yet harder to be removed in the profession of religion, then any they held before, when they were without religion, as our saviour saith; publicans Mat. 21 and harlots shall enter into the kingdom of god before them. An hypocrite will reprove another man for covetousness and sees not that the world cleaves as near to him as the coat to his back: those that be the greatest censurers( except they hauean office thereunto) commonly be not the best men, not as if we should think he that attacks another is an hypocrite, except we see he hath no care to reform himself for that must be joined to make it the note of an hypocrite: for admonition in an hypocrite is the counterfeit of the virtue, that is in a true christian his own fault is the 'vice that he seeks to cover therwith al as with a fig leaf First pull out the beā out of thine own eye& thē shalt thou se clearly to pull the more &c. now let us observe the third property of an hypocrite, which is to find fault with small things, and pass by great things; yet we must not think hypocrites will not find fault with great sins also: but let us mark the opposition that is here made between his brother and himself; he countes these great faults that are in another, and those small that are in himself; so that it is not so much respect of offences, as respect of persons that leads him Our saviour saith of the scribes and pharisees, they did strain a gnat, and swallow a camel; they will charge other men with covetousness, because they ask their own: but see not their own covetousness, ●am. 2. 1 in taking or keeping that is none of their own: they will censure those that steal for necessity and place them in the stocks, but those that steal for villainy haue place Mat. 23 in their houses, thorough respect of persons– Yea in those they like not, they will condemn those for faults that are none; as the pharisees reproved the disciples for eating meat with vnwasht hands, and for plucking and rubbing, to eat ears of corn on the sabbath day: they will reprove the use of indifferent recreacions, and themselves follow sinful pleasures: they will stand much vpon ceremonies, and let go matters of substance: as if a man should cry out against wearing a surplice, pretending it was the ornament of an idol,& set up the idol of the world in their hearts, and houses, and worship it; or not haue their wives churched pretending it is a popish custom: and yet beat and put away their wives, which is a hellish custom: and sure it is, some men sin more in judging and censuring such things then some other do, in using them. An hypocrite will salute a man with words of courtesy, and deny him his chief duty as Iudas did his master. Yea hypocrites, when they can haue nothing else to find fault with in others, they will turn their good thingos into evil; as the pharisees found fault with our saviour Christ for keeping company with publicans& sinners to convert thē, when themselves ●ept company with good men, to pervert them: they accused him for healing those that were sick& lame on the sabbath day; when themselves neglected the duties of iudgment& mercy every day. physicians do say of the frenzy, when a man begins to pick straws his brain is distempered,& he begins to go a madding: so when a man busies himself about trifles, especially in this kind of comparison it is a sign there be crotchets in his head, and vagaries from substantial duties as the proverb is some men are penny wise and pound foolish. An hypocrite will give a●mes but not according to his ability as our saviour saith, he that hath much let him give plentifully an hypocrite will keep his promis, when there is no withdrawing occasion but not to his own hindrance as david saith upright men do. First put out the beam out of thine own eye. This direction of our saviour Christ shows that true christians must do clean contrary to hypocrites, that is to say look to great things, before small things; as in our first birth, the principal partes are first fashyoned so it is in our new birth A good christian doth first serve god then men; first serve their prince and parents, then others and first seek to do good to mens souls, then to their bodies: and as it is in doing of their duties so it is in reforming of offences. They spend their first and chiefest care, and zeal, in reforming of great things, and then those that are of smaller importance: by a beam hear our saviour Christ means a great sin, and by a mote he meaneth a little sin. and this shows there be degrees of sins, for although all sins be great if they be considered in themselves, yet by comparison, some sins may be called little: and that there be degrees of sins, appears by the order of placing the commandements and by the degrees of punishments, that god appointed for sins in the● judicial law. The papists because we refuse their distinction of mortal and venial sins, say we make all sins alike, they say there are but seven deadly sins viz pride covetousness, lechery, gluttony, envy, wrath, sloth, all the rest they call venial sins. They take this distinction from the practise of the former churches; such they call venial sins, as were not wont to be punished by the Churches censure;& they call those deadly sins, which the censure of the Church, did control: we refuse this distinction, because the same is not warranted by the scripture, neither by express words, nor by true collection: for the words of the scripture, it saith of sin generally, the reward therof is death: neither haue they it from any true collection, for the scripture speaks more heinously of Idolatry, blasphemy, murder, sorcery &c. then of any of their 7. which yet they place among venial sins& as they abuse the scripture, so they abuse the churches also; for although peradventure those 7. sins were most commonly censured especially when they came to some high degree, as pride when it did show itself in some extreme vanity of speech, Iesture apparel &c. and covetousness when it did show itself in miserlynes and deceaueablenes &c. And wrath when it did break out into railing, barrating; sloth when it did show itself, in inordinate walking &c. And peradventure the church did not so commonly censure Idolatry, blasphemy, murder &c. both because such prodidigious offences, were not so common as the other, and because they being committed were punished with death by the civil magistrate, yet it follows not, that the church did not censure these and other offences out of their number of 7. deadly sins, when and where they were committed,& by the civil maistrate neglected. But if we shall allow a distinction of deadly and venial sins, it must not be in respect of the sins; for all sins of themselves are mortal,& no sin i● venial: but it must be in respect of the persons that commit thē To the elect to the faithful and penitent, all their sins even the greatest are uenial, because they are discharged in the death of Christ: but to the reprobate, unfaithful and impenitent, all their sins even the least is mortal, and they must die themselves. And as there be degrees of sins, so we gather from these words of our saviour Christ, that hypocrites are to be reckoned among the greatest sinners: for their sins are called beams& others motes. If hypocrites shall haue the greatest punishment, then they are the greatest sinners; but they shall haue the greatest punishment, as appears by our saviours words; it shal be easier for thē of sodom in the day of iudgment, then for Capernaum that heard much,& made profession of good things, and did that which was evil, ergo: and hypocrites are greater sinners then others, because commonly they sin of knowledge, when infidels sin of Ignorance; yea the sin of hypocrisy itself makes thē greater sinners, because it turns all the good things they do into sin: for as sincerity commends a mans actions, be they never so small; so hypocrisy condemns a mans actions, be they never so great. Pluck out the beam &c. Now we come to the last point which is the reformation: of an hypocrite, our saviour saith, pluck out the beam out of thine own eye, and then thou shalt see plainly, to pluck out the mote that is in thy brothers eye; this shows that hypocrisy is a sin that may be repented of. The prophet having set down the hypocrisy of the people, persuades them to repent; so doth John baptist speaking to the Pharise● that were hypocrites, bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life: the apostle saith to such, cleanse your hands ye dnaers, purge your hearts ye wavering minded▪ In the primitive Church they appointed penance to sinners; and assigned the first place to hypocrites, in the beginning of lent; so our ●●k. 3 saviour Christ in this place persuades such an hypocrite, as he hath spoken of, to repent when he saith pluck first the beam out of thine Iam. 4 own eye; for he that is an hypocrite may by the grace of God repent and afterward become a good christian. For when it is said, first pluck the beam out of thine own eye, wee must not think this is the note of an hypocrite, but the duty of an hypocrite: the note of an hypocrite, as we hard, is to se a moat in his brothers eye, and not a beam in his own; and to seek to reform another and not himself: neither must we think it the note of an hypocrite to seek to pluck a moat ou● of our brothers eye, for the scripture wills us to exhort and admonish one another; but a man must first and principally seek to reform himself, or else he is wise abroad, and foolish at home, and as the proverb is when thrift is in the town he is in the field. But if an hypocrite will not reform himself, then when his sins shalbe known, others must seek to reform him: and if he refuse such ordinary means of proceeding, as our saviour hath set down in the eighteen chapter, the church must excommunicate him for hypocrites are but as the parings of the nailes,& hairs of the head, which are but excrements of a natural body, which may be cut of with out any pain, blemish, or prejudice to the body. In the mean season, we must not condemn the church for some evil ones; the Manichees condemned christianity, because there were evil christians, but Augustine answers them thus, your malicious eye( saith he) looks onely to our chaff, you should also behold our wheat: neither must we condemn the ministers and gouernours of the church, because they do not by and by censure such it may be they know them not as we do, or it may be thorough contrary information they think not of them as we do, or it may be thorough some difference that may fall out among themselves, they cannot do at lest presently as we think they might do. But to conclude, hypocrisy can serve our turn but among men, it shall help nothing but hurt much when we come before god, who shall judge things that are hide in darkness, 1 Cor. 4. 5. & make the secrets& intents of the heart manifest. matthew. 12. 31. Wherefore I say 〈◇〉 you every sin& blasphemy &c. 22. And whosoever shal speak a word &c We haue heard in the first sermon of atheism the enemy to religion in the second of hypocrisy the counterfeit of religion; now in this third& last, we shal here of apostasy, which is a falling from religion. It is said in the 22. verse going before, that our saviour Christ cast out adiuel out of one that was possessed, insomuch that the people were amazed& said, is not this the son of david, or messiah? but when the pharisees hard that, they envying& hating him said, this man casteth divels no otherwise out, but by Belsebub the chief of divels: according to the proverb evil will never speaks well, as if yebelieue malicyus men they will persuade you, the seruants of God be the worst men in the country,& when they haue no evil things to defame them withall, they will deprave their virtues, as these pharisees did this excellent miracle saying, it was done by conjuration: but our saviour Christ hath confuted their error, and convinced them of slander, by diuers reasons and demonstrations in the former verses, his first reason is in the 25 verse; if I, saith he, cast out divels by Belsebub, then Satans kingdom must be divided in itself, and so cannot continue; but his kingdom is not divided; but continues still; ergo their accusation was untrue: his second reason is in 27 verse if I by Belsebub cast out divels, thē your children do so to, but yourselves will say they do it by a miraculous gift from God, ergo your challing is false his third and last reason is in the 30 verse, if I cast out devils by Belsebub, then doth Satan gather with me and not scatter from me, but Satan seeketh to scatter from me& gathereth not with me ergo your defamation is slanderous. Now having thus convinced them, he proceedeth in these words to show them the nature and quality of their offence, as if he should say, ye charge me to cast out devils by Belsebub, will ye know what ye haue done in saying so? ye haue sinned ye haue greatly sinned, ye haue blasphemed and that in the highest degree, ye haue not onely blasphemed me, but the holy Ghost and made yourselves in the worst case of all men; for I say to you that every sin and blasphemy shalbe forgiven to men, but the blasphemy against the holy ghost shall not be forgiven. Vpon this occasion, as we see, our saviour Christ shows a true difference of sins that men commit; some are pardonable and some are unpardonable: now seeing as the prophet david saith, it is the blessedness of a man to haue his sins forgiven; and the greatest misery that can be, to haue his sins imputed. Let us diligently hearken to this weighty question, what sins shal be forgiven to men, and which not: when our saviour speaks of the sins that be pardonable, he speaks of no particular sin, but generally of all sins, one excepted; as saint Mark makes it more plain, who saith all sinne● and blasphemies shal be forgiven to men, only this excepted which saint matthew excepts: not onely original sin but actual sin, not onely in thought but in word& deed, not only sins of omission but of transgression, not only secret sins but open sins shalbe forgiven to men;& not only the sins that be of an inferior quality, but blasphemy. If any be so ignorant not to know what sin is, it is a transgression of the law; if any know not what blasphemy is, it is a great transgression of the law viz. it is a cursed and contumelious speaking against God, either against his nature or against his properties; as Rabsache did when he denied the power of God and compared him to idols, and that is not onely blasphemy to spea● directly against the divinity, but to speak opprobrously against the humanity of Christ, which was and is joined to the divinity; as the pharisees blasphemed when they said Christ was a sinner, and in this was chiefly Pauls blasphemy before his conversion, in speaking against the messiah, yet this great sin is pardonable, as appears by this description of the large and infinite mercy of God, which our saviour christ sets down here: as a prince having assembled a parliament& made streight laws, he proclaims a general pardon for offenders excepting some o● the greatest; so god the father, son,& holy ghost haue holden a parliament from al eternity,& purposed& promised a general pardon of all sins and blasphemies except that against the holy ghost,& herein doth this pardon excel the pardons of princes, for that they haue many exceptions; and gods pardon hath but one this pardon is sealed not with read wax but with the read blood of Christ, who by his death hath satisfied the iustice of God for all other sins, except the sin against the holy ghost: therfore what other sin or sins soever any manhath committedlet him not despair, for he is within the compass of the pardon, as the Lord saith by the prophet Esai, Esai▪ 1. though your sin were as read as scarlet I will make them as white as snow. But though it be said, all sins shalbe forgiven to men, it is not said to all men but he to whom any one sin shalbe forgiven all shalbe forgiven, as in the 36 verse of this chapter it is said▪ of every idle word that a man speaks he shall give account at the day of iudgment, that is to say except his account be made in Christ if he gives account for any thing he shall give account for every thing, But we must mark to what men all sins and blasphemies shal be forgiven, namely those that repent, which is the condition of pardon set down in the word of God, as our saviour Christ the best interpreter of his own words saith by saint Luke, except ye repent ye shall all perish; but Luk. 13. the Lord saith by the prophet at what tim● soever a sinner doth repent Ezek 18. him of his sin from the bottom of his heart, I will put all his wickedness out of my remembrance: Noah was drunken, david committed adultery, Solomon committed idolatry, Peter committed perjury, Paul committed blasphemy, yet they repenting were forgiven; yea there is no sin except the sin against the holy ghost, but some men haue committed and vpon repentance been pardonned; nay if it were possible that one man could be guilty of all other sins, except this against the holy ghost; it were possible he might repent& be forgiven: yet our saviour Christ makes not this large promise that any man should take encouragement to sin, for a prince doth not grant pardon to a traitor that he should aagaine commit treason, but that he should afterward be a good subject. The law doth allow some men the benefit of their clergy for their escape, but if before they haue b●ene burned in the hand,& will seem to make an occupation of stealing, it is otherwise; which I speak not, as if a man that hath twice offended in one thing, should despair of pardon:( although such a man had need haue double repentance) but to show that men must not continue in sin, for there is no looking for pardon without repentance, which is included in these words of our saviour Christ, though it be not expressed, when he saith every sin& blasphemy shalbe forgiven to men; the reason is because men may repent of them,& apprehended the promise of pardon: but the blasphemy against the holy ghost shall not be forgiven to men, because as th● Apostle saith to the Hebrews, it is impossible he should be renewed by repentance, but of that we shall hear more anon. First let us consider who may commit this dangerous sin,& who cannot, secondly what this unpardonable sin is, thirdly what be the causes of it, fourthly what be the steps and occasions of it, fiftly what be the companions of it,& sixthly& lastly what be the effects of it, that we may take heed of it: for if we fall into it there is no coming out again. This sin, as our saviour Christ describs it in this place, is blasphemy, so that as it sems it is none of the sins against the 2. table, as was the sin of Noah, Lot, david &c. It is a sin against the 1. table,& yet it is no witchcraft, idolatry, profaning the sabbath &c. But blasphemy, and yet it is not the blasphemy against the first person, nor against the second person, but it is the blasphemy against the third person: if any man object that the blasphemy of the pharisees which our saviour Christ reproves in the pharisees here, was against the second person, in saying he cast out devils by Belsebub, I answer it is true; but it was also against the third person. If any inquire, if that made their sin unpardonable because it was double blasphemy, I answer no, but this mad it unpardonable that it was against the holy ghost: what then? is the third person greater or more excellent thē the first or second? noe, but as Athanasius saith in his creed, they are all coequal and coeternal; but we must mark that in the scripture the holy ghost doth sometime signify the person of the holy ghost, and sometime the grace of the holy ghost, as wee red in the sixth to the hebrews, where the Apostle speaking of this sin saith, he that is once enlightened, and hath tasted of the good word of god, and power of the world to come, and is made partaker of the holy ghost, that is of the grace and gifts of the holy ghost, if he fall away, it is unpossible he should be renue● by repentance; in this sense our saviour christ speaks here of the holy Ghost, so that to sin against the holy ghost is not to sin against him as he is god; for so a man should sin against the whole godhead, nor to sin against him as he is the third person, for that were noe greater offence the to sin against the person of the father or the son, but it is to sin against the grace of the holy ghost, that is wrought not in other, but in himself: the Macedonians that denied the person of the holy ghost to be god committed not this sin, because they had not the grace of the holy ghost. Therefore let us consider who may commit this sin and who cannot, and then we shall the better define what this sin is. The scripture divides men into two sorts, elect& reprobate; the elect cannot commit this sin, for the Apostle saith, the foundation of God, meaning his electtion remains sure, the elect may commit any other sin, and some of them haue committed every other sin either before or after their calling, and obtained mercy: but none of the elect ever committed this sin, it falls into none but reprobates. But because the book of election& reprobation is not in our hands to red, we haue need of a more evident distinction. The Apostle Paul divides all men into two sorts, natural men and spiritual men, the natural man saith he, perceives not the things of God, but the spiritual man disc●rns all things: a natural man we may say is he that hath onely the gifts of nature, as reason, understanding, wit, memory &c. And noe enlightening by religion and grace of the spirit; as the Philosophers who had as much understanding as the light of nature could afford them, they did know there is a God, because the creatures could not make themselves, nor be eternal; therefore there must be one beginner which was God, who also they knew must be almighty and glorious, and therefore to be worshipped: yet they could go no further, but for want of religion and the gifts of the spirit, they were ignorant how he was to be worshipped. So that though these men did blaspheme, yet they did not commit this sin: Rabsache and goliath who did blaspheme GOD, yet blasphemed not the holy Ghost, because they spake they could not tell what;& all other who are not of the church that haue no other knowledge of God then nature doth afford them, cannot commit this sin, also those that be in the church who profess religion because the prince doth so, because other do so, because the time& place where they live require they should do so, who haue no more in them then natural men, cannot commit this sin against the holy ghost, because they are not partakers of the holy ghost: the other sort of men are spiritual men that are in the church,& they are of two sort one sort that may commit this sin and the other that cannot. Those that can commit this sin are hypocrites in the church that haue been instructed in the catechism, the points whereof the Apostle setteth down to be repentance from dead works, faith towards god, the doctrine of the sacraments, and of the resurrection both of Christ and other men, and of the last iudgment: now the Apostle addeth in the fourth verse, it is unpossible that those that haue been once enlightened with the knowledge of the truth,& tasted of the good word of God, and power of the world to come, and been made partakers of the holy ghost; if they fall away, that they should be renewed by repentance. Let us mark, those that may commit this sin must be enlightened with the knowledge of the truth, that is of the main points of religion: a precious ston may in the dark be trodden under foot unawares; but in the light the beauty thereof doth shine so, that none but mad men will trample vpon it: so many great sins may be committed of ignorant men, which none that haue knowledge will do: except those that be desperate. And that we may the better find● out this sin, mark that the Apostle saith in the same chapter: not onely that those that commit this sin, must be enlightened with the knowledge of the truth, but taste of the good word of God, or of the word of god that is good: that is, find some relish& sweetness in religion; as a man may find the sweetness of a thing only by a taste: and this we see in the parable of the sour in those that are called the stony ground, they receive the word with ioy: and further mark that in the same chapter to the hebrews: that those that commit this sin may taste of the power of the world to come( that is) haue power to leave some sins,& do some dueties that religion requires. The Apostle Peter speaking of those that ● P●t. 2. commit this sin, seems to expound this point, saying, those that haue escaped the filthiness of the world tho rough the knowledge of the truth, if they be afterward entangled therein and overcome, their end is worse then the beginning; and mark that he saith they haue escaped not by faith and sanctification, but by know ledge:& last of all he saith they that commit this sin are made partakers of the holy ghost, so that those that sin against the holy ghost must be partakers of the gifts of the holy ghost: especyally the gift of knowledge, he that commits this sin must haue knowledge,& not a historical knowledge or knowledge that he may haue by report, which is uncertain, but he must sin against the certain knowledge, that the holy ghost hath wrought in him: and he that commits this sin must be such a one as leaves some sin, not for fear of law,& that doth some duty not for praise or carnal profit, but he must haue a certain spiritual power so to do. But notwithstanding this, because the holy ghost doth not work in thē faith, whereby they are engraffed into Christ, and other▪ gifts of regeneration whereby they might become new creatures, they may fall away. And in this description that thapostle hath set down, we se those may commit this sin against the holy ghost, that haue no other gross sins in them: but led a civil life in the church, and make show as they were truly mortified& sanctified, as these pharisees that our saviour Christ reproveth in this place were such. Now the other sort of spiritual▪ men are such as haue not onely attained to those gifts of the holy ghost that we heard of before, that is a taste of religion, but haue digested it, that haue escaped the filthiness of the world not onely by knowledge but by faith and repentance;& therfore cannot commit this sin, as our saviour Christ saith he that believeth hath passed from death to life;& as Paul saith there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus, john. 5 that walk not after the flesh but after the spirit; so that those that cannot R●m. ●. 1. commit this sin are true christians. But now we haue seen who can commit this sin, that is to say generally reprobates, and more particularly hypocrites: and who cannot, generally the elect, and more particularly true christians; let us come more nearly to consider what this sin is. We heard, he that commits this sin against the holy ghost, must sin against the light that the holy ghost hath wrought in his heart, that is against his iudgment and conscience; yet by the way we must not think that every sin of knowledge is this sin( though sins of knowledge be greater then sins of ignorance) yet every witting sin, is not this sin, for there were sacrifices in the law appointed for willing sins, to show that if they did repent they might believe the pardon of them in Christ Iesus which was to come: therefore besides knowledge there must be some thing in the affection of those that shal commit this sin against the ●oly ghost, as appears in the five& ●wentie verse going before, where it is said, Christ did infer these words vpon the knowledge of their thoughts, their words were very wicked when they said he cast out divels by Belsebub, but yet he saw something in their thoughts that made their words much more abominable; those that commit this sin do it of a malicious mind: which the Apostle in the tenth to the hebrews calls a despiting of the spirit of grace; this malicious affection, was in these pharisees towards our saviour Christ, as appears by their subtle and cruel practices, and conspiracies against him, which did at this time prevail against their iudgment, and carry them to slander and blaspheme him of a vilde mind: the like sin it seems david speaks of in the psalm, when he saith be not merciful to them that sin of malicious wickedness. Now therfore the sin against the holy ghost may be thus defined, to be a wilful and malicious offending against the truth certainly known, if any man think that blasphemy should be not included, but expressed as a necessary branch of the definition, I will not strive with him; but although blasphemy be the high est degree in this sin, yet it seems, as Heb, 10▪ there be other degrees of this sin against the holy ghost, so a man may commit it without blasphemy: the Apostle to the hebrews saith, if we sin willingly after we haue received the knowledge of the truth, there remaines no more sacrifice for sin, he doth not say if we blaspheme willingly. Did not the pharisees& the priests sin against the holy ghost at other times, having the same iudgment& the same affection in that they did, which they had in this blasphemy? as when they gave Iudas money to betray Christ, when they called so eagerly vpon Pilate to crucify him,& when they offered the soldiers large summs of money to say, his disciples stolen him away, that the glory of his resurrection should not shine abroad. Let it be considered whether men may not commit this sin in works, when they sin against the spiritual light of knowledge that is in them, of malice against God or his truth and people, though blasphemous words be not uttered: if cain sinned against the holy ghost as some think, when he did of envy kill his brother, because God did accept his sacrifice, and not his own: if he did also hate God,& malicyously seek to deface his Image ●●hn. 3. in his brother, because Abels sincerity and goodness did deface his hypocrisy and naughtiness, was it not the sin against the holy ghost? and yet Moses in Genises makes mention of no words of blasphemy: If Ananias and Saphira committed this sin, when they kept back parte of Act. 5. the price of their land, and made a lye not to Peter only, but to the holy ghost( as some think) and the extraordinary iudgment that fell out vpon thē seemeth to persuade, yet there were no words of blasphemy; yea if Iudas did commit this sin when he betrayed his master with a kiss,( as most think) there being no words of blasphemy uttered; then this sin may be committed in works, as well as in blasphemous words. But these two things that we haue spoken of before, must needs concur in this sin, it must proceed from knowledge; for no sine of ignorance( though it be blasphemy) is it, for Paul saith, he was a blasphemer and persecuter, 1. Tim. 10 yet he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly: and the Apostle 〈◇〉 1 Peter holds those within the compass Acts. 2 of pardon that crucified Christ, because they did it of ignorance. And secondly it must proceed from malice, without the which though sins of kowledge be great sins, yet not this sin; Peter sinned of knowledge when he denied his master with an oath, yet he committed not this sin because he did it not of malice but loved his master still: therefore although some man should blaspheme in sickness or in persecution( as it is said of Paul before his conversion he ●ct●. 9 compelled some to blaspheme) yet it should not be this sin which is a wilful& malicious sinning against the known truth: but these pharisees that knew Christ was the son of God, and that his miracles were done by the power of God, yet through envy& hatred they said, he cast out divels by Belsebub, they sinned against the holy ghost: so julian that had been a professor of religion,& yet of a wicked mind did mock Christ by his country, calling him a Galilean,& by his parents calling him the carpenters son, committed this horrible sin. I grant this sin cannot easily be discerned, for though a man shall sin grievously, yet wheth●● he were enlightened by the holy ghost or no, it is hard to say: and although it may be discerned, he sinned of knowledge, yet whether he did it of a malicious and wicked affection or no, it is hard Acts. ● to say. When Simon Magus offered the Apostle money to give him the gifts of the holy ghost to dispose at his pleasure, Peter doth not altogether deny him hope of pardon, but bids him pray to God, if it were possible the thought of his heart might be forgiven: if Peter himself were somewhat doubtful of the nature of 1 John 5 that offence, whether it were this sin or noe; then it must needs be at least often times doubtful to vs. Yet it seems that this sin may be discerned, the Apostle John saith there is a sin to death for which I say not ye shoal pray,& the church did determine of Iulians sin that we spoken of before, and forbade that he should be prayed for. The papists say there are. 7. deadly sins, if they do mean by deadly sins such as cannot be pardonned, then there is but this one; but if they Rom, 6. mean which deserve death, there are not only 7▪ but seven score, for Paul saith the reward of sin is death. But the apostle John calls this a sin to death in another sense then other sins, for as by other sins we deserve to dy, so Christs death hath discharged those that repent of them, and deserved that they should live notwithstanding: but this is a sin to death indeed, he that commits it must die himself and there is no hope of life for him, therefore pray not for him, so admonish him not, use no means in vain. The causes of this great sin be 2● first the corruption of mans nature, secondly the temptation of the devil; that the corruption of mans nature is a cause of this sin none can doubt, the Apostle saith sin took occasion by the commandment,& wrought in him all manner of concupiscence. That might be found in him who was an elect vessel, so it takes occasion to work this sin in some that be reprobates; and as this sin is caused by other sins, so especially by hypocrisy, for it never falls into any but into hypocrites; for although hypocrisy be not this sin( for a man may repent of hypocrisy, as appears by the exhortation that John Baptist gave to the pharisees that were hypocrites) yet a man may go so far in hypocrisy, that he may be past recovery. The second cause of this sin is the devils temptation, who not only stirs up but enforceth mans corruption, and so often as he can causeth it to break forth in al excess: in Matthew the twelfth, our saviour saith when the evil spirit is gone out of a man, that is in such sort as he may be cast out of reprobates( when a man hath left some sins by knowledge and done some dueties by a taste of religion as before) he walks through dry places,& finding noe rest, he saith he will return again to the place from whence he came, and if he finds it garnished for him, that is empty of those gifts of regeneration and sanctification, and that his heart be hypocritical and false, he takes 7 other spirits worse then himself, that is he carries him to far greater sins then before,& the end of that man is worse then the beginning. Now let us consider of the steps whereby men clyme to this sin, I say not all those that do commit his sin, for some do run more hastily to hell then other do, but many fall not into this sin at once but by degrees: there is a conception and a birth of every sin, so of this as james saith; we must not think that malicious sinning is in the beginning of it, but in the perfection of it: the stepes to this sin are other sins: some if they commit not this sin care not if they commit a hundred, but a man may die with a prick in his finger but he must die with a prick in his heart; there is no sin but some haue dyed of it, where one death of this sin a hundred dies of other sins; though this be oftener committed then we think, seing it is spoken of in so many places of scriptures, yet not so often as other sins The first step to this sin is negligence in hearing the word of God, and that it is so, appears in the hebrews where thapostle saith, you that for your time ought to haue been teachers haue need to learn the first principles of the word of God. The second step to it, is the contempt of the word, for he that is negliligent in reading, hearing, praying& other exercises of religion, at length they grow loathsome to him& so h● comes to contemn them; that this is a step to this sin, appears in the tenth to the hebrews; if they be punished that Heb. 10 despise him that spake on earth, much more him that speaks from heaven. The third step is forsaking the fellowship of the brethren who call for christian exercises, and diligence and reverence in them, as appears in the Hebrews where the Apostle saith let us not fortake our fellowship as the manner of some is. ●●b. 10 4 Fourthly when they see their former negligence& contempt grows a discredit to them, and they become a byword; then they defend there own doeings, and speak against religion, and those that be forward in it, and so at length come to blaspheme the truth maliciously and desperately. Now let us come to the occasions of this sin, for as there is somewhat that moves a man to every thing, so to every sin: especially▪ to every willing sin, there are many occasions of this sin▪ especially two▪ one general the other particular. The general occasion is the hardness and narrownes of the way that leads to life, for he that knows the tr●th& ●asteth of the goodness of it, would gladly haue hi● part in it and such men do labour in some measure for it, as Christ saith many shall strive to enter into life and shall not be able▪ they taste of the power of the world to come ●o leave some sinne● and do some ●uties▪ as Herod reformany things▪ but because the way is narrow and teaches men to deny thē s●lues and to serve▪ God in truth▪ in one thing aswell as in another( which such an hypocrite hath no will nor power to do) he com● at last to despite that good thing which he cannot attain, as a man that chaseth a thing that he would fain ●et, when he seeth he cannot ouerta●e it, he doth despitefully curse it& let it go. The particular occasion of this sin is when he is reproved of other sins▪ as we may see in the scripture, that this sin doth commonly fall out in controversies, when mens worst affections are stirred. Cain when he was controlled for his hypocrisy, then he was angry& killed his brother: the pharisees being crossed by our saviour Christs doctrine, disgraced by his miracles, and reproved for their offences, being wrath against him: did malicyously blasphe●me him, so when Iudas spake against 〈◇〉 good work of the woman, like, an hypocrite pretending the poor▪ when he intended his own commodity, because our saviour Christ reproved him he was malcontent&▪ went out and consulted with the high priests& elders to betray him. And men are always in most danger of this sin in a controversy, therefore take heed of hypocrisy, take heed of committing& dwelling in any sin that is worthy of sharp reproof take he●d of ca●eling against the truth, take heed of sti●●ing affections against them that reprove yea take heed that ●elsebub be not to often in your mouths &c, having seen the steps and occasions to this sin, let us se the companions of it, that is the things that do always accompany it, and they are specially three, The companion of this sin in respect of the men themselves that commit it, is impenitency, they cannot repent. The companion of this sin in respect of God, against whom it, committed is vnpardonablenes, it shall never be forgiven. The companion of this sin in respect of the church, is such detestation, they will not, nor may not vouchsafe to pray for it. Now he that hath committed this sin cannot repent as appears in the hebrews where it is said, it is unpossible he should be renewed by repentance: repentance is a 〈◇〉 of the mind and manners, but he that committeth this sin shal never be better: Paul speaks of some that haue hearts so hard that they cannot repent, these mens hartes are hardest of all, and why can he not repent that hath▪ committed this sin? because he is fallen from grace, no man can repent by his own power, it is the gift of the spirit of God; now he that hath committed this sin hath less power to repent then he that is a mere natural man▪ because the devil hath taken a stronger possession of him then of other men, and the holy ghost will not rescue him, because he hath malicyously disp●●ed him: such a man shall haue sight enough to se the fault as Iudas had, and shall sorrow for the punishment of it as Iudas did, but not return: as those wounds are most dangerous that bleed not, so those sins for which me weep not, as one calls tears the blood of the soul▪ The papists say they▪ that sin against the holy ghost▪ may repent, but very rarely& se●doe haue grace so to do, but they speak directly contrary to the Apostle▪ who saith not only they cannot repent, but that it i● unpossible they should. The second companion of this sin in respect of God that I spake of is, it shall never be forgiven: object. why shall this sin never be forgiven? Ans. because God in his eternal counsel never purposed to show mercy to it, and because Christ by his sufferings did never satisfy for it at least efficienter, and because as it is said before, such a man cannot repent of it: the prophet ieremy speaks of some men whose sin is written with a pēn of Iron, and the point of a diamond: all sin is dangerous, but this is most dangerous, for it is not onely unpardonable of itself, but being once committed, it makes all the rest of his sin unpardonable. The Iesuites in the Rhemish testament say the sin against the holy ghost may be forgiven, but very hardly, but mark, in saying it may be forgiven▪ they speak blasphemy affirming a flat contrariety to our saviour Christ, and giuing him the ly: but their drift is to persuade men that the Pope can forgive this sin, as if the Pope could do that which God will not, and where they say very hardly it is forgiven, they mean without performing the hard things of penance, or without paying a great deal of money, but wee must rest in these words of our saviour Christ, he that sins against the holy ghost shall never be forgiven: therefore it is a vain thing for the papists to give men hope where the● is no hope. The Papists say there are 6 sins against the holy ghost viz. desperation, presumption, obstin●cie, denying the truth, envying the brethren, and final impenitency, and they say only the last of these is unpardonable, but if ye mark the former d●scription of this sin ye, shall find that none of all these 6. is the sin against the holy ghost: desperation, presumption, obstinacy,& envy may be in those that never knew the truth, denying the truth of infirmity hath been pardonned, final impenitency is no sin at all, but rather a fearful effect of other sins, but they mean by final impenitency dying in contempt of the sacrament of penance▪ and refusing the priests absolution: but as their sacrament of penance is a counterfeit sacrament, so a man may perform true repentance without it; and those that repent in that sort and no otherwise, shall never be forgiven indeed,& therefore those that refuse such penance and absolution are like first to obtain pardon. Our saviour Christ here speaks not of a sin the Pharise● should commit, but of a sin they had committed, as mark plainly shows when he saith▪ this Christ spake because the pharisees said he had an unclean spirit, where our saviour Christ saith it shall not be forgiven, neither in this world nor in the world to come, the Papists would prove from thence that some sins may be forgiven in the world to come, that they might uphold their feigned purgatory: but seing there were no sacrifices for the dead in the old testament, nor prayers for the dead in the new testament, and seeing the scripture saith those that dy in the Lord ●est from their labours; we conclude ther is no purgatory, but it is a ●ained invention of their own to maintain the Popes kitchen. Saint Mark expounds these words and saith, this sin against the holy Ghost shal never be forgiven, al sins that shalbe forgiven are forgiven in this life either in youth, in age, or at the point of death, as Ezechiel ●aith, at what time soever a sinner repenteth he shal be forgiu; after death every one shall receive according to that he hath done in this body, a● Paul saith, ●he meaning therefore of these words of our saviour Christ is, he shall haue no comfort of the forgiveness of his sins in this world; nor haue them 〈…〉 itted at the day of iudgment. The third companion of this sin is in respect of the church, they detest not onely the sin but the person, for this sin they will not pray for him; Paul would not pray for Alexander, the church would not pray for julian, so we must not pray for those that commit this sin; for we must not be more merciful then God is, we pray Gods will may be done in general, therefore we must not pray against Gods will in this particular. Last of all we come to the effect● of this sin, the first is apostasy as it is said in the hebrews they fall away, not stumble but fall flat down, not into some particular sin as david, but generally from goodness, not tha● they will always forsake the place where religion is, but they forsake the love and obedience of it; as Peter saith they do with the dog returning to their vomit,& with the sow to their wallowing in the mire. Iudas when he had committed this sin, went and hanged himself; Paul saith of Alexander he hath done me much harm, not a little. julian when he had committed this sin scoffed a● Christ himself, when he spoyled the churches he said of the vessells, be these fitt for a carpenters son The second effect of this sin as is said in the hebrews, is a fearful looking for of vengeance, as our saviour said they are culpable of eternal damnation, so they look for it with trembling as the devils do, the books of election and reprobation are not in our hands, but there is a copy of them in mens hearts, which is the book of a mans owns conscience. I red of one who for some great sin, whether this or no god knoweth, fell into desperation,& when a good minister sought to comfort him, he answered him my damnation is as certainly sealed up to me, as your salvation is to you. Now because there be some are ready to fear this sin when they are far from it, for the satisfying of such tender consciences, and answering of doubtful motions, let us remember as hath been said before, those that commit this sin must sin of knowledge therfore if a man can say he hath sinned of ignorance it is not it, also we heard before he that committeth this sin must sin of malice, therefore if he can say he sinned of infirmity& not with a malicious mind it is not it, likewise we haue seen those that commit this sin cannot repent, therefore if a man can say in truth he is sorry that he hath offended God, it is not it: in like manners it is noted before, that the church will not pray for him that hath committed this sin; therefore if the brethren who know a mans offence and the circumstances of it will pray for him, let him think it is not it, Furthermore we heard those that commit this sin do fallaway and become Apostates, therefore if a man be afraid to commit other sins,& doth not without conscience fall from evil to worse, it is not it: last of all, though a man be so far carried by temptation as to commit diuers sins, yet if he doth not hate the truth, neither in words nor deeds persecute the church, but doth love and reverence the truth, and those that preach& profess it, be hath not committed this unrecoverable sin, nor never shal by the grace of GOD. FINIS.