The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, 29 (Loudun) · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. A Letter written by an Unknown Perſon, to Mr. Martin, upon his Apoſtacy from the Reformed Religion.
Friend,
IT is nois'd abroad, and I hear it from all parts, that thou haſt been at Tours, and renounced the true Religion, and took up that of the Romaniſts for the Sum of Eight Hundred Livres, whereof thou haſt already received Four, and that thou beareſt the Arms, and weareſt the mark of the Beaſt, and haſt ſworn thy ſelf a Champion againſt all his Enemies. What haſt thou done Man? What is the Party thou haſt abandonned? What Complaints canſt thou form againſt them? Of what Crimes wilt thou accuſe them? Is it true that thou haſt left us? Canſt thou think on what thou haſt done without terrour and horrour? Thou haſt quitted the Party of God; thou haſt forſaken his Inheritance; thou art gone out of his way, the way of Life. The bare knowledge of this muſt cauſe the Sinner to turn Quaker, for 'tis his utter ruin, his total deſtruction. Adam had no ſooner ſinned, but he was ſtruck with horrour and confuſion; but thou declareſt thy ſelf as the ſhameleſs Whoremongers, who boaſt impudently of their Sin, and hold up their Heads audaciouſly when they come out of the Stews. Saint Peter having denied his Maſter, was confounded, muffled his Face, went out and wept bitterly; but thou, as I am informed, and it toucheth me to the quick, art more Joyous than ever, the World can read an extraordinary Mirth and Gayety in thy Countenance.
Friend, do not take any thing amiſs that I ſhall tell thee; for I can ſwear it, that what I do, it is, if poſſible to regain and ſave thee. Thou knoweſt it was a Judas who betrayed the Son of God, his Lord and Maſter, and he betrayed him for Thirty Pieces of Silver: No ſooner had he receiv'd the Mony, but he betray'd his Maſter; yet he confeſſed his Treaſon. I have, ſaith he, betrayed Innocent Blood; yea, and he returns the Mony: Take it, ſaith he, take this accurſed Thing from me, 'tis the price of Blood, of the Blood of the Son of God. But it was too late; for thou very well knoweſt, that the Miſerable Wretch tortur'd with the furies of his Conſcience, utterly deſpairing of Mercy, went and Hang'd himſelf. Now inaſmuch as thou haſt been Partner with him in his Treaſon, though thou haſt betrayed thy Maſter for a greater Sum than Judas did, yet I beſeech thee be not Partner with him in his Deſpair: But go and return thy Mony, and throw it at their Feet who have ſeduced thee. Tell them, I have ſinned, I have betrayed my Saviour, I have left the way of Eternal Life, but I do now from my very Soul utterly renounce theſe matters, I abhor this my Sin, O look you unto it! and then come weeping and mourning for thy Sin, and give glory unto God in his Houſe, in his holy Temple, and reſolve with David, that thou wilt dwell in it for ever more. For the God of Glory, is a God of Mercy, and he will upon thy ſincere Repentance, and humble ardent Prayers, extend his Mercy to thee. Age igitur poenitentiam, & prima opera fac. I pray thee, Dear Friend, have compaſſion upon thy ſelf, pity thy precious Soul; never be aſhamed of Repentance, ſith thou waſt never aſhamed of Sin. That Royal Prophet David is a fair Copy for thee to write after, a moſt excellent example every way worthy thy imitation: For having fallen ſhamefully, he was not aſhamed to confeſs it unto God, nor to beg his Pardon; and rich Grace reſtored him. Tell God, I have ſinned; acknowledge thine Offence; own it to him with Compunction and Confuſion, with Remorſe and Godly Sorrow, and thou ſhalt be forgiven. 'Tis true indeed, thy Crime is heinous, thou haſt left the Fountain of Living Waters, to hew out unto thee Ciſterns, yea, broken Ciſterns that can hold no Waters. Thou haſt quitted God, that thou maiſt follow Men; thou haſt quitted Life to embrace Death. Thou haſt falſified thy Promiſes, and broken that Allegiance which thou hadſt ſworn in the moſt ſolemn manner unto God; thou haſt violated that Sacred Vow which thou haſt made to the God and Father of Spirits. Yet let not this fright thee into Deſpair; for thou canſt not but know (unleſs thou haſt forgoten it) that where Sin abounds, there the Grace of God doth much more abound; for he ſuperabounds in loving-kindneſſes and multitudes of tender Mercies. Conſider then from whence thou art fallen, be Zealous and Repent. Thou haſt not kept the word of Gods Patience, and therefore he hath not kept, but left thee in the Hour of Temptation, which cometh upon the Inhabiters of this Earth to try them. Thou haſt forſaken the true Riches, to take up with thoſe that periſh: Thou knoweſt not thy own Poverty and Miſery; Time hath not as yet diſcovered it unto thee. I counſel thee, my dear Friend, to buy of the Heir of all things, Gold tryed in the Fire, that thou may'ſt be rich. Thou haſt forſaken the glorious Son of Righteouſneſs, who, thou knoweſt, hath healing in his Wings: Thus haſt thou loſt both Health, Sight and Senſe. The Lord quicken thee. When the Sun ſets, the Night draws on apace, Darkneſs deprives us of Light. The Decays of thy Health are Evidences of the groowth of thy Diſeaſe; one follows ordinarily the other, unleſs Death intervene: I ſpeak this as to temporal matters. But as to ſpiritual, he that is blind abideth ſo; and he that hath loſt his Health, can never recover it without Sovereign Mercy, unleſs the great Phyſician do open his Eyes, do anoint them with his Heavenly Collyrium that he may ſee and do purge away his Sins, that he may recover his former Health. Conſider then what thou once waſt, and from whence thou art fallen; and O my dear Friend, Repent, Repent, or elſe God will come unto thee in his Wrath, and thy laſt Eſtate will be worſe than thy firſt, and my Affliction for thine everlaſting Perdition greater. O Friend, rouze up thy drowſy Soul, and from the bottom of thy Heart, and from the depths of that Dungeon into which thou art fallen, cry aloud unto him who hath the Keys of Death and Hell for Mercy; cry aloud unto him, for there is yet ſome hope: Hope yet in God, for he that is hopeleſs is helpleſs. Thou needeſt Divine Wiſdom, ask it of God; who giveth liberally and upbraideth none. Call upon him, and he will redeem thee, he will reſtore thee, and thou ſhalt refreſh my Bowels. Though Simoniacal Perſons who believe the Gift of God may be had for Gold and Silver, will periſh they and their Monies together; yet this great Redeemer who bought his Inheritance neither with Silver nor Gold, nor precious Stones, but with his own moſt precious Blood, hath no mind to loſe thee; he would not have thee to periſh with thy Mony. Thou knoweſt he hath not grudged thee any thing, he denieth thee nothing, he hath given his deareſt Heart Blood for thee. This is an Hour of Grace, a Seaſon of Mercy, an opportunity wherein God may be found: The Cock Crows, run out of the High Prieſt's Hall; flee out of Babylon and weep bitterly: Tarry not a Moment longer in it. Cry out mightily unto God, I have ſinned, Lord, I have ſinned againſt Heaven and before thee. Say unto thy Soul, O my Soul, 'tis the Lord who hath redeemed thee; 'tis the Lord who hath redeemed thee, and he will pluck thy Feet out of the Snare; he will draw thee out of the horrible Pit, out of the Miry Clay; even he will redeem thee from thine Iniquity. Thou knoweſt that it is natural for Man to ſin, and that he hath ſhut up all under unbelief, under the guilt of their Rebellions, that he might have Mercy upon all. Thou art included in the number of this All, thou art not excepted. Call then upon God humbly and penitently, fervently and fiducially, and thou may'ſt yet obtain a Pardon. Do not harden thy ſelf in thy ſin. Remember the Words of David, Abyſſus abyſſum vocat, the abyſs of thine Obdurateneſs, will plunge thee into the bottomleſs abyſs of Deſtruction, Pray then unto God with thine whole heart, that he would pour the Oyl of his Grace upon thy ſmoaking weik: Cry unto him earneſtly and importunately, and tell him, Lord, I will give thee no reſt Night nor Day, 'till thou haſt pardoned my great Iniquity. Thou knoweſt that the Kingdom of Heaven is taken by Violence, and that the Violent do take it by force Force thy Soul then to cry out unto God for Mercy. Cry daily, cry continually, cry without intermiſſion, without interruption, and God will be merciful. But my Friend, do not addreſs thy Oriſons and Devotions to He or She Saints; that's bootleſs, that's unprofitable. The Scriptures of truth tell us, thoſe Divinely inſpired Writings aſſure us, yea, and the Ancients alſo, that the Dead know not the things which are done here below, but God only, who as thou well knoweſt, doth pardon Sins for his own Names Sake. Are thy Sins as red as Scarlet? know it, if thou doſt not yet know it, that if thou call upon him, he will waſh thee and cleanſe thee, and thou ſhalt be as white as Wooll. But and if thou neglect this duty, this thy bounden duty, thy Sins ſhall remain in thee, thy Guilt and Filth ſhall abide upon thee. For he hath ſpoken it, That he who is Filthy, ſhall be Filthy ſtill; and becauſe thou wouldſt not be purged, thine Iniquities ſhall never be purged. O then do not live in thy Sin one moment longer, ſith God is well pleaſed with Repenting Sinners, Say as David, Lord, I have gone aſtray like a loſt Sheep: O ſeek thy Servant, and bring me back again unto thy Fold, with the Fourſcore and Nineteen Juſt Perſons. My Friend, O my dear Friend, I beſeech thee come out of thy Spiritual Sodom. Do not look behind thee, leſt thou ſhoul'ſt die there. Be grieved as David, that thou haſt ſojourned in Meſech, and dwelt ſo long in the Tents of Kedar. Thou knoweſt that without Chriſt thou canſt do nothing. Never object unto me, that 'tis in vain for thee now to return; having made Shipwrack of thy Faith, thou canſt be no longer a Miniſter. 'Tis true, thou haſt none other Calling whereby to ſubſiſt, to provide a Livelyhood for thy ſelf and Family; and among the Papiſts, whoſe Party thou haſt eſpouſed, thou maiſt poſſibly meet with Employment becauſe they have promiſed thee, and it may be as to this World an Employment much more advantagious and Beneficial. But mayſt not thou be cheated? I am very much miſtaken, if thou haſt not had already an Earneſt of their Fraudulent dealing with thee. Many Perſons, who like thee have left the Truth to be of their Religion, being inticed with a multitude of Golden Promiſes, can aſſure thee from their ſorrowful experience, how much they have been gull'd and chouſed by them But, my dear Friend, over-look theſe matters, and lay by all human Conſiderations, and ſay in this caſe, as the Father of Believers, Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide. Beſides, who ever ſaw the righteous forſaken, or his Seed begging Bread? Yea, contrariwiſe, they have been ever Lenders. Thy Soul, my Friend, is a moſt precious Jewel of ineſtimable Value. If thou loſeſt it, who can redeem it? What Ranſom wilt thou give unto God for it? Get it in a ſtate of Salvation. I ſay again, ſee that it be in a ſtate of Salvation. Fear not them who can kill the Body, but rather fear that God, who can caſt both Soul and Body into Hell Fire for evermore. Thou knoweſt, Friend, that the Church is God's Garden, that God himſelf planted it, and that every Plant which is not of his planting, ſhall be grubbed up by the Roots. This Conſideration ſhould make thee tremble, thou haſt plucked thy ſelf up, and caſt thy ſelf out of this Garden. I adviſe thee, that before thou haſt taken root elſewhere, thou intreat the Keeper of the Garden to new ſet thee, that thou mayeſt bring forth better Fruits hereafter than heretofore; that he would dreſs thee with his own Hand, that he would water thee with the Dews and Showers of his Grace, warm and quicken thee with the Eye and Beams of his Love. Then I ſhall rejoyce at thy Recovery, and glorifie God for his ſingular Mercies to thee. Thou knoweſt alſo, that he who having been once enlightned, and hath taſted of the Heavenly Gift, if he ſhall fall away, 'twill be impoſſible for him to be renewed unto Repentance. O! Labour hard that thou mayſt be reſtored. Seek God whilſt he may be found. Or elſe, there will a time come when thou ſhalt crie, Lord! Lord! and he will not hear thee, but as a Worker of Iniquity thou ſhalt be caſt off. Tug hard then at the Oar of Prayer, chaſten thy proud Fleſh with Faſting, give Alms of thy Subſtance unto the Poor, and ſay unto God, Convert me, Lord! and I ſhall be converted. Rend thy Heart to pieces before it grow callous, left God ſhould ſwear in his Wrath, that thou ſhalt never enter into his Reſt. The Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt is never pardoned, neither in this World, nor in that to come. Repent then, and be not obſtinate; do not harden thy ſelf againſt theſe wholſom Counſels of thy moſt Faithful Friend. Be zealous and believe in God. For whoſoever believeth in him ſhall never be aſhamed, ſhall never be confounded. Call upon him, not upon He or She Saints, but upon the Holy Name of Jeſus, and thou ſhalt be ſaved. Come, my Friend, conſider what thou haſt done. Thou are got out of God's Ark, and the Deluge is about thee. Where wilt thou pitch the Sole of thy Foot? Go then as the Dove, and return unto thy place. Salvation is not to be had any where elſe. Thou knoweſt it as well as I. Whether art thou gone? Where art thou a going? Doſt not thou know, that Jeſus Chriſt only hath the Words of Eternal Life? Thinkeſt thou to find it any where elſe? Why Man! He only is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Thou haſt changed thy Riligion, thou haſt quitted thy Party, thou haſt abandoned thy Flock. Good God, what haſt thou done? O Friend, I forbear to ſpeak my Fears. But once again, What haſt thou done? Thou haſt quitted the Rich Pearl, with the Cock in the Fable, for a Grain of Wheat. See from whence thou art fallen, and conſider I beſeech thee, Dear Friend, what thou haſt gotten by thy Fall. Thou embraceſt a Religion patch'd up of Human Ceremonies: Thou knoweſt it well, a Religion which is an Hodge-podg of Jewiſh and Pagan Ceremonies blended together. Thou haſt thrown thy ſelf into its Arms, thou lieſt in its Boſom, thou weareſt its Livery, and art marked with its Marks. And thou very well knoweſt why and wherefore. Thou waſt remiſs in thy Duty. Thou waſt not payed thy Sallary. This was thy frequent Complaint. Thou idle and ſlothful Servant, oughteſt thou to forſake thy Lord's Service and his Flock? Thou waſt not ſerious enough, nor caredſt to take pains in thy Calling. Inſtead of ſtudying, and giving thy ſelf to reading, thou hauntedſt wicked Companies, which thou knoweſt corrupt good Manners; and being ſuch an one thy ſelf, thou couldſt not chuſe better. Birds of a Feather will Flock together. More I might ſay, but I ſpare thee. Well, Man, what haſt thou done? Conſider, I beſeech thee, and I adjure thee to it by the Bowels of our ancient Friendſhip, that 'tis the true Religion which thou haſt forſaken, and that only in which Salvation is to be had, and that the very Church of Rome her ſelf believeth all the Articles that the Reformed Church believeth. And I can ſpeak it, and thou knoweſt it as well as I, that in caſe ſhe were diveſted of all her Jewiſh Ceremonies, and Human Inventions, and of Men's Traditions which are ſet up in the room of God's Word, the Romiſh Religion would be no longer Roman, but Reformed. What then haſt thou done? Thou haſt took the Shadow for the Subſtance, the Ceremonies for the Truth. I proteſt unto thee upon my Soul, that thou art out of the way. Friend, Give me thy Hand, and I will once more ſet thee in the right way, and thou ſhalt taſte how gracious the Lord is to them that fear him, that he is ready to forgive, moſt willing to ſhew Mercy, and if thou haſt recourſe unto him by Prayers and Supplications in the Name and Merits of his Dear Son, thou ſhalt certainly obtain the Remiſſion of thy Sins thro his Name. My Friend, thou haſt joyned thy ſelf to the Communion of Idols, and art a Partner with Idolaters, and doſt thou think in their Communion to work out thy Salvation? Be not deceived. God will not be mocked. No Idolaters ſhall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Ah! doſt not thou know, that our Religion which thou haſt quitted giveth the Glory of Man's Salvation unto the Chriſt of God only? That it aſcribeth the Salvation of Believers to the Lord Jeſus only? That it preacheth nothing elſe, but what the Elect Apoſtle of the Gentiles preached, even Jeſus Chriſt, and him Crucified? That it putteth Confidence in none but God? And as David, ſeeketh for none in Heaven but God? That it adoreth no Creature whatſoever, but adoreth God only, Father, Son and Spirit, Three Perſons in one God? That it invocateth God only, becauſe beſides him there never was, nor never will be, any that can help, ſave and deliver? That with the bleſſed Virgin, ſhe calleth him her God and her Saviour? That it teacheth not the Doctrin of Devils, nor forbiddeth Marriage, nor to obſtain from Meats, which God hath created, to be uſed by the Faithful, and thoſe who have not known the Truth, with Thanksgiving? That it is not Sacrilegious to rob the People of the Cup, againſt the expreſs Commandment of God? That it reacheth God to be a Spirit, and that ſuch as worſhip him, muſt worſhip him in Spirit and in Truth? That it teacheth to fear God, and to honour the King (whom may the Lord of his Mercy long preſerve?) To ſanctifie the day of Reſt, but not Feſtivals, which are only Men's Inventions? To keep Promiſe and Covenant, tho to a Man's Loſs and Hurt? Rather to ſerve God than Men? And foraſmuch as God hath ſpoken the Word, that he will not give his Glory unto another, nor his Praiſe unto Graven Images, it teacheth all to aſcribe Glory unto God only, and to give him the Thanks of all our Mercies, becauſe he is the ſole Author and Donour of them. Our Religion doth not take away any of God's Commandments, nor ſuffereth any Images to be made, nor Pictures to be hung up, that they ſhould be ſerved and adored. A Religion neither addeth to, nor taketh any thing from the Holy Word of God; for it well knows, that ſuch as do ſo, the Plagues written in that Word ſhall be inflicted on them, and their Names ſhall be blotted out of the Book of Life. It teacheth with St. Paul, that the Divine Scriptures can make us wiſe unto Salvation; and with St. John, that the Blood of Jeſus cleanſeth us from all Sin; and that there is none other Purgatory for our Sins than Chriſt's Blood. Time would fail me, and I ſhould but waſte it, if I told thee, That the Death of the Son of God is our Life, his Wounds our Health, and that there is none other Sacrifice for Sin, than that one only, and never to be repeated Sacrifice of his Death.
Friend, our Religion teacheth, that by this Sacrifice we have the Remiſſion of all our Sins, and that where the Remiſſion of Sins is, there is no more Oblation for Sin, and therefore no Maſs. Take heed unto thy ſelf, Friend; for if thou ſinneſt wilfully after Admonition, after that thou haſt received the knowledge of the Truth, know of a Truth, that there is no more Sacrifice for Sins. Do not then count the Blood of the Covenant a prophane thing, for thou knoweſt, that 'tis a moſt fearful thing to fall into the Hands of an incenſed God. Be zealous therefore and Repent. In ſhort, thou knoweſt that all the Doctrins of our Religion are contained in th… Holy Scriptures, and yet thou haſt quitted it. What haſt thou done? Thou art return'd unto Babylon, from which God hath brought thee forth in the Loyns of thy Fathers, that thou mightſt not participate in her Sins, nor in her Plagues. Thou haſt return'd with the Dog unto thy Vomit, and with the Sow that was waſhed, to wallow in the Mire. My Friend, my Bowels are troubled for thee. Believe, and follow my Counſel. Awake, and repent; rouze up thy ſelf out of thy Spiritual Lethargy. Awake then, and give Glory unto God, the God of Heaven and Earth, and he will raiſe thee up again, tho thou art fallen. Call upon him, for who knoweth but that he may have Compaſſion on thee? He hath not forſaken thee, but thou haſt forſaken him, and thou canſt tell in what place thou ſhookſt Hands with him. Don't conſult with Fleſh and Blood, go, ſeek, and find him out in the beginning of thy Sin, that yet he may recover thee. His Gifts and Callings are without Repentance. Thou haſt quitted the Paſtoral Office to be a wandring Sheep, a Sheep wandring after the Voice of a Stranger.
However, thou knoweſt what the great Shepherd ſaith by St. John on this occaſion; make uſe of it to thy beſt advantage, and if thou canſt not be a Paſtor, yet at leaſt become a Sheep of Chriſt's Fold. In the mean while, my dear Friend, I will humbly beſeech God from the bottom of my Soul, and with all my Heart, that he would recover thee from this thy moſt dangerous Malady by ſome proper and moſt effectual Remedy. For I know him by good Experience to be the beſt Phyſician, and that he can purge out of thee all thine Errors, all Humane Conſiderations, and corroborate the good infeebled in thee through the perverſeneſs of the former, that he can again enlighten thee, ingraft thee into Chriſt, tho thou haſt broken thy ſelf off from him, and give Reſt unto thy Soul in the Boſom of the Church Militant, that ſo in the Church Triumphant thou mayſt enjoy thoſe everlaſting Bleſſings, which he hath prepared for them, who perſevere unto the end. And I, being filled with Joy at thy Recovery, will take thee by the Hand, and we will go together into the Houſe of our God, there to render him, according to our poor Abilities, that Sacrifice of Thanksgiving, which is his Due, and our Duty. Now then under this Quality, and with this Hope, I ſubſcribe my ſelf,
Dear Friend, Excuſe, if my Superſcription do omit theſe Titles, which once thou hadſt; and I am ignorant of what thou now beareſt. Thy Humble Servant, Aide de Dieu. Help of God.
A Monſieur, MonſieurMartin, at his Houſe in Montoire.