A Sovereign Salve, Section 2
SECT. II.
The places of Scripture.
HEB. 6- 4, 5, 6. For it is impoſſible, that they, which were once inlightened, and have taſted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghoſt; and have taſted of the good Word of God, and of the powers of the world to come; if they fall away, ſhould be renewed againe by Repentance.
HEB. 10. 26. For if we ſinne willingly, after that we have received and acknowledged the truth, there remaineth no more ſacrifice for ſinnes, but a fearfull looking for of judgement, and violent fire, &c.
2 PET. 2. 20, 21. They that have eſcaped from the filthyneſſe of the world, through the acknowledging of the Lord, and of the Saviour Jeſus Chriſt; if they be intangled again therein, and overcome, the latter end is worſe with them then the beginning: for it had beene better for them not to have acknowledged the way of righteouſneſſe, then after they have acknowledged it, to turne from the holy Commandement given unto them.
The Concluſion which tender Conſciences draw from theſe places of Scripture againſt themſelves, is this.
THat if this be ſo, then certainly they muſt never looke to repent, nor to finde mercy with God, through Chriſt; but expect Hell fire hereafter, and ſome fearfull end here.
For their Conſciences do tell them, and they cannot deny it, that ſince their Converſion, and ſince the time that God hath revealed his Sonne Chriſt unto them, they have fallen ſhamefully, ſinned willingly; and have been often intangled againe in thoſe filthy, and prophane courſes of Life, in which they once lived before their Converſion, and which at their Converſion they ſeemed to renounce, and promiſed to forſake.
The fore-alleaged places of Scripture vindicated, and cleared.
THat place in the ſixt to the Hebrewes, and fourth Verſe, is not to be underſtood of any one, or more particular fallings into ſinne, but of an †Prolapſi, id eſt, prorſus lapſi. Anſelm. in loc. totaliter lapſi. Aquin. Totus, à toto in totum. Jun. paral. in loc. Wittingly, willingly, malitiouſly, totally. Decring. in loc.univerſall Apoſtacy, and falling from Chriſt: for the Apoſtle ſaith not, if they fall, but if they fall away, utterly renouncing Chriſt, (in whom they made a ſhew formerly to believe) and all hope of Salvation by him, not ſparing what lyeth in them, to crucifie him again unto themſelves, and to make a mock of him.
That place in the tenth to the Hebrewes, and ſix and twentieth Verſe is in like manner, not to be underſtood of any one, or more ſinnes voluntarily, and willingly committed (for ſo even the beſt of Gods children, even after regeneration, may ſinne; †See Mr. Edw. Raynolds Serm. in Rom. 6. 12. pag. 288, &c.there being as much of the fleſh ſtill, and ſinfull corruption in the will, as in any other part of regenerate men) but *foreign implyeth not a ſingle will, but rather a reſolute wilfulneſs. See Dr. Deniſons Serm. in loc. pag. 12.wilfully, that is, ſpitefully and maliciouſly committed againſt God, and againſt his Chriſt; treading under foot the Sonne of God, and counting his bloud an unholy thing, and even deſpiting the Spirit of Grace, as it is, v. 29. Beſides this, it is †Vide Animad. Rob. Abbot, Epiſc. Sarisbur. in Thomſoni Diatrib. cap. 21. See Dr. Fields Appendix, in fine, l. 5. de Eccleſia, part. 1. pag. 130. Mr. Perkins Workes in fol vol. 1. pag. 372. col. 2. d.one thing to have the whole conſent of the will unto ſome one ſinne, ſtollen away by ſome particular temptation; and another, to be wholly addicted and devoted to the waies of ſinne; to have the whole heart univerſally married to luſt, and filled with Satan, whereby it bringeth forth fruit unto death. Into the former of theſe, we grant Gods children may fall (and yet even in that caſe, the ſeed of God which abideth in them, though it did not operate to prevent ſinne, will yet undoubtedly ſerve to ſupply repentance in due time for ſinne) but that they ſhould fall into the latter, is repugnant to Scripture, and to the Throne of Chriſt in the hearts of his children.
And as for that place in 2 Pet. 2. 20. it is not meant of every re-enſnarement, and re-entanglement in ſinne after converſion: For which of all Gods children can ſo carefully looke unto himſelfe, but ſome of Satans nets and traps which he ſets in his way, may (if God leave him never ſo little to himſelfe) re-enſnare him? But it is to be underſtood of ſuch a re-enſnarement, and re-entanglement in ſinne, and ſinfull courſes, as that he is thereby ſo enſnared, and entrapped, as that he is overcome by it, and made the Servant and Slave of ſinne againe: For of whomſoever a man is overcome (ſaith Saint Peter) of the ſame is he brought in bondage to doe the will of ſinne, to Rom. 6. 12.they it in the luſts thereof; and to give up his members, as ſervants to uncleanneſſe, and Rom. 6. 19.to iniquity, to commit iniquity, and that with greedineſſe.Epheſ. 4. 19.
The Concluſion drawne from the formerly alledged places of Scripture, confuted.
HEre then is no reaſon, nor ground, (you ſee) of drawing any ſuch fearfull concluſion againſt your ſelves, as you imagine. I confeſſe, the child of God may fall into ſinne after his converſion; yea, he may ſinne (in ſome ſort) willingly too; nay, he may be re enſnared, and entangled againe, in ſome ſinnes, (if God leave him to himſelfe) in which he had formerly lived: But that any, or all theſe upon his true repentance, ſhould not be forgiven him; or that the ſacrifice of Chriſts death ſhould not be meritoriouſly available thereunto, or that he ſhould be left by meanes of theſe his ſinnes, in an eſtate worſer, then he is in, that never knew Chriſt, nor the meanes of his ſalvation; this is more then may be concluded from theſe, or any other places of Scripture. Nay, they doe aſſure us, that this is the portion onelyonly of Apoſtates, and wilfull ſinners, which do renounce Chriſt; and of thoſe that are ſo overcome again by ſinne, that they yeild themſelves over to be his ſlaves and vaſſals for ever.