The Governance of Virtue, Part 2 · Section 26
Against the most horible and damnable sinne, the synne against the holy ghost.
IF the Deuill which seketh nothing but thy des…ruction, labour so to harden thy harte that thou contrary to thy knowledge euen of a pretensed & wilful malice shouldst impugn the truth of Christs gospel, and persecute the same in his menbers, and so sinne against the holye ghost, and blaspheme the Lorde thy God vntounto the damnation both of thy bodye and soule, loke that aboue al thinges in this be halfe thou leauest not vntounto his wicked temtations if thou …enderest thyne owne saluation, but rather withal thy power resist him by calling these holye scriptures vntounto thy remembraunce.
Examples out of the olde Testament.
I will put him oute of the booke that…od. 33 sinneth against me.
A man that speaketh euill of his God,…. 33. shall beare his sinne, and he that blasphemeth the name of the Lorde…, let him dy… the death: All the people shall stone him, whether he be a citezen or a straūger: what soeuer he be that blasphemeth the name of the lord, let him dye the death.
If one man sinneth against another,…eg. 2 God maye be mercifull vntounto him: but if a ny manne sinne againste God, who shall pray for him?
The soule that dothe oughte presumt… …m. 15.ously, whether he be an Israelite or a straū ger, the same blasphemeth the lord. And that soule shalbe rooted out from amonge his people, because he hath despised the worde of the Lorde, and hath broken his cōmaundemente. That soule therfore shal perish, and hys sinne shalbe vponupon him.
They reioyce in doyng euil, and delight…o. … in wicked thinges.
They make boast of theyr sinnes them…ay. 3 selues as the Sodomites did, and hide thē not. Wo bee vntounto their soules, for they hauehave rewarded … vntounto thēselues. Byd the righteous do wel, for they shal enioy y• fruites of their study. But wo be vntounto th… vngodly and vnrigheeous, for thei shal be rewarded after their workes.
Thou shalt not praye for thys people,Iere. 7. thou shalte neyther geue thankes nor byd prayer for them. Thou shalte make no in tercession to me for them, for in no wise will I heare thee. Read… fourth.
This said the lord vntounto me, thou shalt notI…re. 4… ▪ praye to do this people good, for though… they fast, I will not heare their prayers: Though they offer burnt offrings and sacrifices, yet will not I accepte them. For I wil destroy them with the sworde and hunger and pestilence.
☞ Examples out of the olde Testament.
THe seruauntes and all the army of the4. Reg. proude Senacherib, were destroyed for their blasphemy agaynst god.
Holo…rnes blasphemed God when…t. 3 he sayde, that there was none other god of the earth but Gabuchodonosor, and therfore was he afterwarde slayne euen of a woman.
Nabugodonosor blasphemed god, whē he sayde to the three chyldren, who is the God that cā delyuer you out of my hands?
The children of Isarell blasphemed god…re. 44. & therfore perished, when they sayd to the Prophet Ieremy: As for the wordes that thou haste spoken vntounto vsus in the name of the lorde, we will in no wise heare them: But whatsoeuer goeth out of our owne mouth, that will we doo. We will do sacrifice and offer oblations vntounto the quene of heauen, lyke as we and our forefathers, our kyngs, and our rulers hauehave done in the cityes of Iuda and in the streates and fieldes of Ierusalem. For then had wee plenteousnesse of vitails, then were we in prosperytye and no mysfortune came vponupon vsus. But sence we lefte to offer and to sacrifice vntounto the quene of heauen, wee hauehave had scarsnesse of all thynges, and perish with sworde and honger.
Those Iewes blasphemed God, which…ach. 1. saide, let vsus goe and make a couenaunte with the Heathen that are rounde aboute vsus. For since we departed from them, we hauehave had sorowe inough.
Nicanor blasphemed god when he saide…ach. 1… Is their a mighty one in heauen that commaunded the Saboth daye to be kept. It was aunswered, yea euen the liuing god, the mighty Lorde in heauen, commaunded the. vii. daye to be kepte. Then sayde be: and I am myghty vponupon earth, to commaunde them for to arme themselues, and to performe the kinges busines.
Sentences out of the newe Testament.Math. 1… ▪
He that is not with me, is again me, saith Christe. And be that gathereth not with me scatereth abrode. Therfore I say vntounto you, all manner of sinne and blasphemy shalbe forgeuen vntounto men, but the blasphe mye agaynste the spirite shall not be forgeuen vntounto men. And whosoeuer speaketh a worde against the sonne of man, it shal be forgeuen him. But whosoeuer speaketh against the holy ghost, it shal not be forgeuen him neither in this worlde nor in the worlde to come.
If any men see his brother sinne not vntounto1. Ioh. 5… death, let him aske and he shal geue him life for thē that sin not vntounto deth. Ther is a sin vntounto death, for which I say that a mā should not pray.
It maye not be, that they whiche wereHeb. 6… once lightened and hauehave tasted of the heau…nly gifte, and were become partakers of the holy ghost and hauehave tasted of the good word of god, and the powers of the world to come: If they fall awaye 'that they should againe be renewed by repentaunce which in them selues do crucify the sonne of God making a mock of him.
If we sinne wilfully after that we hauehaveIeb. 10. receiued the knowledge of truth, there remayneth no more sacrifice for sinnes, but a feareful loking for iudgement, and violent fire whiche shall deuoure the aduersarie. He that despiseth Moyses lawe, dyeth without mercye vnderunder two or three wytnesses: How muche sorer suppose ye shall he be punished which treadeth vnderunder foote the Sonne of God, and counteth the bloud of the Testament, wherewith he was sāctified, as an vnholy thing, and dishonoure to the sprite of grace.
Examples out of the new Testament.
The Iewes spake blasphemie against…ke. 11. the holy ghoste, when they said of Christ: by the power of Belzebub doth he cast out Deuils.
They were blasphemers whiche sayde…ath. 27. to Christe hanginge on the cros, thou that destroyedst the Temple of GOD and buildest it againe in three dayes, saue thy selfe. If thou be the sonne of God, come down from the crosse.
They also spake blasphemy against the holy ghost, which now adaies of a pretensed malice condemne the worde of God as herey, and persecute the preachers therof as heretickes and sedicious persons.