Propositions and Principles of Divinity Disputed, Section 79
PRINCIPLES TOVCHING THE REMISSION OF SINNES, AND THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST. LXXIX.
1 THe Article concerning the Church is already inentreated of: it followeth nowe, that wee deale with thoſe benefites which our heauenlie Father doth beſtow vponupon his children, partly in this life, and partly in the life to come; which are remiſsion of ſinnes, reſurrection of the bodie, and life euerlaſting.
2 The Article touching the remiſsion of ſinnes, beeing already ſpoken of, (when as we dealt with the juſtification of man by Chriſt, & opened the firſt Petition of the Lords Praier:) we wil now briefly touch the ſame, and then come to that irremiſsible or vnpardonable ſin, which is called the ſinne againſt the holy Ghoſt.
3 Sinne in generall, we define to bee a tranſgreſsion or ſwaruing from the law, repugnant vntounto Gods wil, brought into the world by our firſt Parents through the inſtigation of Sathan, the fruit whereof is by the juſt curſe of God, the miſerie of the life preſent, and death aeternall.
4 Nowe remiſsion of ſinnes, is the free, and the moſt full pardon of all our ſinnes, obtained by Chriſt, apprehended by faith, in the place of which ſins, ſucceedeth the imputation of the righteouſnes of the ſaid Chriſt.
5 The fountaine of the remiſsion of our ſins is, the aeternall and conſtant louelove of God towards his Church. Eternall, becauſe he loued vsus from aeternity; for if he had begun to louelove vsus, hee ſhould hauehave bene ſubject vntounto change: conſtant, becauſe with God is no ſhadow of change.
6 Hence it appeareth, that remiſsion of ſinnes beeing once beſtowed, can neuer be diſſanulled: For it muſt needs be, that the counſel of God touching the ſaluation of his, ſhould be ſtable and firme.
7 The cauſe whereby, and for the which, we obtaine remiſsion of ſins is, the louelove of God towardes man in Chriſt, who draweth vsus from condemnation, deliuereth vsus from the power of darknes, and maketh vsus meet to obtaine the inheritance of the Saints in light.
8 The inſtrumentall cauſe is faith, wrought in vsus by the hearing of the worde Preached, and confirmed by the vſe of the Sacraments: whereby we now doe not onelyonly know, that Chriſt is our Sauiour, but alſo doe applie him and all his riches, which are indeffinitely offered vntounto the church, as ours, and euerie one of vsus in particuler are aſſured of our Election.
9 The faith therefore of the remiſsion of our ſinnes, is a moſt full and ſure perſwaſion, whereby, euerie faithfull man dooth aſſuredlie beleeue, that God the Father, hath pardoned him all his ſins, for the onelyonly ſacrifice of Chriſt, and in their ſteed, doth impute vntounto him the righteouſnes of Chriſt.
It appeareth out of the former things, that the opinion concerning the remiſsion of the fault, but not of the puniſhment, is altogether moſt deteſtable: from whence the doctrine, touching meritorious ſatisfaction in the preſence of God, touching indulgences, Purgatory, and praier for the dead hauehave ariſen.
10 Seeing God, who is offended with ſinne, is juſt: it followeth, that whoſoeuer doth not that which the Lawe commandeth: and whoſoeuer dooth that which the Lawe requireth not, maketh himſelfe ſubject vntounto the burthen of Gods wrath: whence it appeareth, that the verie leaſt tranſgreſsion of the Lawe deſerueth death, if yee conſider the nature of ſinne. Yet no ſinne is ſo hainous, but it is pardonable in Chriſt, that one ſinne excepted, which is altogeather vncurable and irremiſsable, whereof wee are now to ſpeake, ſeing we hauehave already dealt with remiſsible ſinnes.
11 This vncurable ſinne, is called ſinne vntounto death, blaſphemie againſt the holy Ghoſt; not ſimply in reſpect that the holie Ghoſt is the third perſon in the Trinitie, but in regard that it is hee onelie, who enlightneth the mindes of men, and openeth the way of ſaluation.
12 The ſinne againſt the holie Ghoſt, is the voluntarie deniall of Chriſt beeing truelie knowen, the falling away from the Goſpell, being ſealed in the heart of man by the holie Ghoſt enlightning the ſame, ariſing from the hatred of the truth, joyned with a ſauadge and more then barbarous tyrannie againſt the ſame, and the Sophiſticall opugning therefore, and alſo, with the contempt of the ſacrifice of Chriſt, which is the alone propitiation for ſinne.
13 This ſeemeth to be the manifeſt diſcription of this horrible ſinne; the cauſe thereof, is the minde and will of man opugning the knowen truth, by a Sathanicall kind of pride and cruelty.
14 This ſinne would the Lord therefore hauehave juſtlie to be vnpardonable, becauſe that they, who do after this ſort throw themſelues hedlong, do tread vnderunder foot the blood of Chriſt, whome they hauehave trulie knowen; without whom there is no ſaluation, and doe ſtop vp the way vntounto the gift of repentance.
15 PAVLE therefore did not ſinne againſt the holie Ghoſt, who perſecuted Chriſt and his members whome he knew not. 1. TIM. 1.
16 Although this ſinne bee voluntary, yet it followeth not, that eueryevery ſinne which is voluntarie, and committed againſt the conſcience is irremiſsible.
17 But contrariwiſe, although theſe ſins are horrible, whether they be committed of infirmitie or of malice, yet are they forgiuen vntounto thoſe that repent, as they were vntounto DAVID, PETER and others.
18 The counſel of God concerning the ſaluation of the elect cannot be diſſanulled, and therefore the elect cannot be guilty of this ſinne.
19 Neither doe all the reprobate neceſſarie fall vntounto this ſin, ſeeing originall ſin is ſufficient to condemne them.
20 This ſinne is placed in the heart of man, and therefore, ſeeing God is the ſearcher of the heart, diligent heed is to bee taken, leaſt that being carried away with a prepoſterous zeale, we raſhly paſſe ſentence againſt any in judgeing them to be guilty of this ſinne.
21 Yet are they to be ſeriouſlie admoniſhed, who continue to ſhewe themſelues diſobedient vntounto the admonitions and judgements of God, leaſt that being at the length hardened by the Lords juſt judgement, they run headlong vntounto this downe-fall.
Defended by IOHN HALBERIVS CORTRACENVS.