Willful Impenitency, Title page – Letter
WILFULL IMPENITENCY, THE GROSSEST Selfe-Murder.
All they who are guilty of it, Apprehended, Tryed and Condemned in theſe SERMONS.
Preached at Rochford in Eſſex not long before his death, by that able, faithfull and laborious, Miniſter of Jeſus Chriſt; Mr. William Fenner B.D. and made publick by one of his unworthy fellow laborers.
PROV. 1.24, 25, 26
Becauſe J have called, and ye have refuſed, I have ſtretched out my hand, and no man regarded: But ye have ſet at nought all my counſell and would none of my reproof, J alſo will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear commeth.
JOHN 5.40.43.
And ye will not come to me that ye might have Life, J am come in my Fathers name, and ye receive me not, if another ſhall come in his own name him ye will receive.
Velle meum Domine miſericordiae tale eſt de redeundo ad te, quale eſt velle tuum de meâ ad te reverſione.
Gul. Pariſ. de Rhetor. Div. ….14.
Quid agit liberum arbitrium? Breviter reſpondeo ſalvatur.
Bern. de Lib. Arb. & Gr.
Non velle in cauſâ eſt, non poſſe praetenditur Sen.
LONDON. Printed by E.G. for Iohn Rothwell, at the Signe of the Sun and Fountaine in Pauls-Church yard. 1648.
TO The Right Honorable ROBERT RICH Baron of Leez in Eſſex, and Earle of Warwick, abundance of ſpirituall bleſings in Jeſus Chriſt.
PAul being upon a propheticall wing (for the Lord had powred upon him, This know alſo (ſaith he) there's the infallible certainly of it.not onelyonly an Apoſtolicall but a Propheticall ſpirit) doth foretell in the 2 Tim. 3.1. That in the laſt dayes perilous times ſhall come, Thoſe who are full of carnall ſelf-love and unthankfulneſſe will, much increaſe the danger of this laſt Age of the World. (The Lord roote up all ſuch weedes out of our hearts.)
God hath I hope given Your Honour ſuch a meaſure of love to the publique, and ſo active a ſpirit to do good to others, as will helpe to leſſen the danger of theſe evill times. And I would be ſo thankfull for favours received, that I might not be ranked among this diſhonourable Catalogue which here Paul ſums up of ſuch as make bad times worſe.
It is your Honours happineſſe and advantage (as it was once ſaid of the Duke of Guiſe in France, that hee … put obligations upon all) that you can ingage very many, and amongſt the reſt, I muſt ever acknowledge my ſelfe one, who in one of the greateſt turnings of my life, by the good hand of God upon mee in your free conſent and noble bounty have had ſo much comfort in the neareſt and deareſt relation, Prov. 30.10 11, 12, &c.that I never envied any other, but finde matter of everlaſting praiſes to God for his goodneſſe to my ſelfe therein. And being under ſo great obligations, when I can produce nothing of my owne worthy your acceptance; I take leave to act the part of a Midwife to this happy Birth which may call your Honour Father, as will appeare by the following Letter, that it was ultimately intended for your ſpirit… all advantage; And it were … a kinde of ſacriledge to keep… that holy iſſue from you that is ſo much your owne. It joyes the ſoules of mee and many more of your praying ſervants that they have ſo much occaſion to prayſe their God on your behalfe, for ſo many able and faithfull Miniſters of the Goſpell of the firſt, ſecond and third magnitude, that your prudent, fatherly care hath fixed, where you, as Patron, have beene truſted.
2 Kings 13 14.Oh the many Chariots and horſe-men of Iſrael, that your noble Father and you have brought triumphantly into Eſſex (herein you did happily Patrizare) the Lord continue the like care to build and repaire his houſe in theſe who ſurvive you from Generation to Generation, that ſo your houſe may ſtill bee honorably ſupported.
Eccleſiaſticall ſtory ſpeakes of one Henricus Auceps, Vid. Simpſon. Eccl. Hiſtor. l. 3. cent. 10.when hee did fight againſt the Hungarians, made this vow to God, That if the Lord would give him victory againſt his enemies, hee would purge his Country from Simony, which at this time mightily abounded therein. Wee want men of ſuch an heroicall zealous diſpoſition in England.
Oh that all Patrons were more mindfull of their high truſt; then they would not ſo often betray the ſoules of people by putting off a friend &c. with a living to ſome unworthy Chaplaine. Doubtleſſe there is many a damned creature roaring in Hell, curſing covetous Patrons as well as unfaithfull Paſtors;1 Pet. 4.5. For whoſe Bloud (in part at leaſt) they muſt bee accountable to the Father of ſpirits and Judge of the quick and the dead. A moſt heavy reckoning, Note.when the ſins of ſo many Congregations, to which Patrons are acceſſary by ſending ignorant and ſcandalous Miniſters amongſt them are made theirs; whereas the leaſt of their owne ſins unrepented of will ſucke them eternally.
God who is faithfull will not forget your labour and coſt of love to the truely Reverend man of God Maſter Hooker (who is now ſinging Hallelujahs in Heavenly Manſions) when hee was perſecuted by the *There are many of great reading, who wil undertake to make it appeare that as Heathiniſh feaſts Bacchanalia et Saturnalia & were turned into Chriſtmas & ſuch other Feaſts hoping thereby to to win heathens to Chriſt; ſo were Archi flamines & Flamines ch…nged it to Archpraelates, & praelates o… of a good intention.Archi flamen of Canterbury. Hee will pay abundantly for the protecting and nurſing his Children, Heb. 6.10.
I know not how better to expreſſe my deepe ſence of your moſt reall favour (the comfort whereof I dayly enjoy) then by taking the humble boldneſſe, to beſeech your Honour to adde one thing more, which indeed is, the …num neceſſarium, whereby you will gaine that better part which ſhall not be taken from you;Luk, 10.42 Namely;Rev. 1.20. & 2.1. that you would ſtudy and pray that you may walke in the light, and heate of that glorious Goſpell constellation (for Miniſters are Starres and the *So acknowledged by by the Tranſlators in the contents▪ of the ſecond Cha. of the Revelation. They it ſeemes did not thinke theſe Angels to be Praelates.Angells of the Churches) which you have endeavoured to fix in your Orbe. Your Honour hath beene often at Sea, and there beholding the wonders of God in the deepe, have beene taught to wrestle with him for mercy. It is an old ſaying, hee that would learne to pray let him goe to Sea. Beſiege Heaven with your unwearied importunities,Qui neſcit or are diſcat navigare. Jonab. 1.5. that the Arke of the Goſpell, which you have provided for thouſands, may be your owne everlasting Sanctuary. And that you feaſting upon their danties, may bee fat and flouriſhing in your laſt dayes ▪ ſtanding ſtedfaſt in theſe ſhaking times, and immoveable, keeping Faith, Phil. 29.14and a good conſcience, (which too many having put away concerning Faith, 1 Tim. 1.19.have made Shipwracke) more and more abounding in the Worke of the Lord, 1 Cor. 15. Laſt.foraſmuch as you know your labour is not in vaine in the Lord,
This through the grace of Chriſt ſhall be the earneſt Prayer, of him who is My LORD, Your Honours moſt obliged ſervant. THOMAS HILL.
To the Right Worſhipfull my much Honored friend Sir NATHANIEL RICH.
I Have been often thinking what to ſend to you; at laſt this Theme, which I had lately treated of in the Pulpit, came into my minde; its of infinite uſe and neceſſity, and a truth little examined, conſidered or layed to heart, yet marvelous neceſſary for humiliation to all the children of God, and of great weight for the making the world guiltleſſe before God. I had thought to have ſent it to my Lord of Warwicke for his ſubciſive howers; and if you judge it profitable after your peruſall of it, to commit it unto him from me, you ſhall do well. J am ſory to hear of ſuch a worthies ſickneſſe or weaknes.2 Kings 13 14. Now Eliſha the man of God was fallen ſick, The very words are able to ſtrike through. The Lord lend you health and ſtrength, & peace and comfort and joy; it is not only a matter of courteſy to pray for ſuch as you are, but of debt, & our very neceſſities & duties call for it, and mine more eſpecially. The Lord be mercifull to me, and to many in rayſing you up, and make you plenus dierum, and ſerus in coelum redire; that's all the hurt that I wiſh you, And ſo I commend you to the word of his power that is able to keep you, and rest
Yours in the Lord Jeſus, WILLIAM FENNER.