A Discourse of the Sin Against the Holy Ghost, Part 2
The ſecond part. The Birth of this Sinne.
YOu have heard before how this Blaſphemy was conceived by the beames of a Divine Truth that ſhined to the Eye of their Conſcience, whereby theſe Scribes and Phariſees diſcerned indeed that Chriſt was the Sonne of God. This firſt quickned this Monſter, and made it to ſwell and grow in the wombe of their hearts. Now wee are to conſider the Birth of this Sinne, by what means it was brought forth of them.
This is ſet downe verſe 23. For when the Scribes and Phariſees did not only ſee the wonderfull works that our Saviour Chriſt wrought, but did alſo perceive that the people came thereby to the light of that Truth, which they laboured to the uttermoſt to ſmother and extinguiſh: as ſoone as ever they began to deſcry, that that the people were aſtoniſhed at the wonderfull workes of Chriſt; and that in this their aſtoniſhment they began to conclude, that he was ſurely the Chriſt: they could not then containe any longer, but preſently breathe out this fearfull Blaſphemy. So that the ſight of the peoples aſtoniſhment, and the hearing of their words, wherby they began to give glory to Chriſt, as the Meſſias and Saviour of the World, was the Mid-Wife that brough forth this Sinne.
Whence obſerve we theſe Concluſions concerning this Sinne.
The first Concluſion.
The cauſe that irritateth and provoketh men unto this Blaſphemy, is not within themſelves, but out of themſelves. The matter of this Sinne was within themſelves; but the irritating cauſe was out of themſelves For if this divine Light had ſhined never ſo brightly upon their owne Soules, howſoever they might have maliced the ſame, yet they would never in that manner have ſpit out Blaſphemies into the cares of men againſt it. For they knew well enough that it was not ſo as they ſaid; and therefore had it not been more in regard of others than themſelves, they would never have ſaid ſo. And thus it is in the extreme malitious ſpeeches of many concerning man: men are wont by ſeeing other mens reſpect unto him, to be provoked and ſtirred up thereto.
Vſe. This may ſerve to informe men truly in another point concerning this Sin; to wit, that thoſe thoughts and words that are ſuddenly begotten and hatched in man, himſelfe knoweth not how nor which way, cannot be properly ſaid to bee …his Sinne. For that which ſtirreth up a man to commit this Sinne, is an Externall cauſe out of himſelfe. Many have many times ſtrange blaſphemous thoughts and fantaſies; yea, they many times breake forth into words concerning God, concerning Chriſt, concerning the Scripture, &c. But for their heart-bloud, they cannot tell either how they come, or how they were moved unto them. Now, howſoever we have juſt cauſe to humble our ſelves for ſuch Sinnes as riſe out of our minds thus we know not how; yet have wee n… juſt cauſe therfore in regard of them to condemne our ſelves as guilty o… this horrible Sinne.
The ſecond Concluſion.
Thoſe that commit this Sinne, it the committing of it have a reſpec… to others. For others ſakes doing that they doe, and are in that regar… ſtirred up unto it. As in this Example, the Scribes and Phariſees i… blaſpheming Chriſt, had a reſpec… to the people, and in this regar… were they ſtirred up indeed, ſo t… blaſpheme. For their intent was to make Chriſt odious and vile in th… eyes of them that began to admin… & adore him. And this among me… is the height of malice and deſpite to revile men, and odiouſly to abu… them, not to themſelves onelyonly, but to others. This Sinne therefore is ſuch a malice and deſpight, as is in a man ſtirred up by others.
Ʋſe. The deareſt Saints and Servants of God having in them many remainders of corruption, the Lord many times leaving them to themſelves, ſuffereth Satan to buffet them, as hee did Paul, to the end they might bee humbled, and not puffed up with the graces of God …n them. For we carry about with us … ſtrange nature, that will make us proud that wee are not proud, and that is the moſt dangerous pride of …ll. And therefore when God hath given a Chriſtian grace to go before …thers in many holy exerciſes, to …ake more conſcience of the Word, …abbath, Sacraments, and Prayer, …han others ordinarily doe, and …ouchſafed in more than ordinary manner to reveale himſelfe unto …im; hee leaveth commonly a ſting … the fleſh to humble them,2. Cor. 12.7. he ſuf…eth ſuch ſometime to fall into …any ſtrange Sinnes; yea, ſuch as may have ſome reſemblance un… the higheſt and extreameſt Sin… againſt the Holy Ghoſt. But t… Children of God, in ſuch ſpirit… deſertions, are to take heed h… they boult out of their hearts … hope of mercy. For although … Sinne they have committed … have a ſhew of malice and ha… to God and his Truth, which i… every man in ſome degree ſo f… forth as he is fleſh; yet ſo long… is not a malice and deſpight … regarding others, but certaine … ſhings onelyonly, it cannot bee … Sinne.
The third Concluſion.
This Sinne is no Cloſet. Si… nor Chamber-Sinne, or Houſe. S… but a publique Sinne, a prof… malice and hatred againſt C… and his Truth; a Sinne procla… with the ſound of Trumpet, c… mitted in the market place.
That Blaſphemy therefore … is aſhamed to ſhew the head, … bluſheth to looke a Chriſtian in the …oe, is not this Sinne. This is an im…dent and a ſhameleſſe Sinne.
The fourth Concluſion.
The very end of this Sinne is a …litious purpoſe and reſolution to …tinguiſh the divine truth and love … Chriſt in others; and therefore it …ſireth to imprint that malice upon …hers, as theſe here doe; yea this is … very reaſon why it is commit….
The fifth Concluſion.
This Sinne is a Sinne of Oppo…on and Contradiction, when …n malitiouſly and ſpightfully op…e themſelves unto, and contra… the Truth of God profeſſed by …ers, and that to the face of the …feſſors of it; yea, and therfore, be…e it is profeſſed by others.
The ſixth Concluſion.
They that commit this Sinne, of all other things can leaſt endure … contrary practiſe and profeſſio… others; but according to the deg… thereof are the degrees of this … and by that very practiſe and p… feſſion of others are men thruſt were into it.
A man through the mali… Satan may have many ſtrange… blaſphemous thoughts runni… his mind; yea, ſometime brea… forth even in tongue againſt … againſt Chriſt, againſt the Wo… God, againſt this or that Arti… Religion; yet ſo long as ma… with any patience endure to … the contrary profeſſed, and … the contrary practiſed, and i… thereby provoked and ſtirred … more to that Sin, and to the … of thoſe perſons that profe… practiſe the contrary, ſo long i… farre from this Sinne. For th… a Sinne that breaketh forth by contrary profeſſion and pra… They therefore that are ſo far … being ſtirred up by the co… practiſe and profeſſion of o… …at they love the contrary practiſe …nd profeſſion in others, are very far …om this Sinne.
The ſeventh Concluſion.
This Sinne is a Sinne that will …dure no reaſoning, no diſputing, …o conference, no contradiction, no …erſwaſion, no authority, and by …onſequent, no remedy.
They therefore that hold and …aintaine, though affectedly, any …aſphemous Errours, and yet can …tiently endure contradiction and …poſition, or diſputation and con…ence; yea, that delight therein, …nd affect it, and take it in good …rt, eſpecially if thereby they bee …itigated and allaied, are farre alſo …om this Sinne.
The eighth Concluſion.
This Sinne is a Sinne committed … knowledge, in adviſement, in de…eration, in judgement; and not …ly in violence of rage & paſſion. Men commit it not in their b… bloud, incenſed by ſome perſon diſgrace, nor in any diſtracted f… or temporary madneſſe; but they … it adviſedly, deliberately, witting… freely. Thus was it here with the… There was nothing at all in … voice of the multitude that mi… provoke them to wrath. If the p… ple had taken occaſion hereby cry out upon the Scribes and Ph… ſees, that gave Chriſt no better e… tertainment: if they had deno… ced curſes and woes againſt the… Chriſt himſelfe ſometime did, … by this means had firſt inra… them, and they then in their … and fury againſt them had bro… out into theſe blaſphemies aga… Chriſt, it had changed the nature their Sinne. For a man in his f… and rage, provoked by another, … ſometime ſpeake very ſpight… words againſt them whom he bereth no malice unto in his he… eſpecially in his cold bloud. So th… this was no ſudden, raſh, hea… unadviſed, diſtempered Sinne …ut a deliberate, ſtaied, ſetled, firme …inne.
The ninth Concluſion.
This Sinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt is not a ſecondary malice, …ſing orginally from the hatred of ſome other; but it is a direct and immediate malice againſt Chriſt and the Goſpell. They did not thus ſpightfully ſpeake againſt Chriſt, …ecauſe they maliced theſe people …hat began to love Chriſt; but becauſe they maliced Chriſt, therefore they ſpake thus malitiouſly of him … the people, whom they had no …auſe to malice but for Chriſts ſake. This is not therefore a refracted, or a reflected malice. For what was there in theſe Iewes, or in their ſpeech, that ſhould make them in this manner to breake forth into blaſphemy?
The tenth Concluſion.
Every Blaſphemy is ſaid in the word to be a kinde of piercing o… God:foreign Lev. 24.11, 26. See Iun. notes. For that is one Hebrew nam… that is given unto it. So that thi… Blaſphemy is as it were a kinde o… diſcharge of a great Cannon-ſh… againſt the Lord. Now what is th… March that giveth fire to this Cannon? you may ſee it here; the zealous profeſſion of others. So that as the Light of the Goſpell turne… their thoughts as it were into a po… der; ſo the ſame light affecting others, is as it were a match to ſet theſe their thoughts all on fire.
And hence it may appeare, that even the Children of God, albe… they be ſo upheld, that they comm… not this Sinne; yet may feele i… themſelves a great inclination un… it, inſomuch as nought but the hand of God keepeth them from it. For how doe our mindes naturally riſe and ſwell at thoſe that wee ſee more forward in Religion than our ſelves? but in other matters if we ſee men go further than our ſelves, we cannot endure it.