A Sovereign Salve, Section 3
SECT. III.
Wherein are ſet downe ſome memorable examples of each particular, and the judgement of learned and approved Divines touching them.
OF the two firſt, we have the examples of one Mr. Chambers of Leiceſter, and of Francis Spira.
The †See the Book written of his death.former of which in his ſickneſſ…redge… grievouſly deſpaired, and cried out, Tha…redge… he was damned and ſo dyed.
And the *See the hiſtory, and relation of Francis Spira his miſerable life, and deſperate death, ſet out by ſeverall men.latter, even upon his bed o…redge… death, did ſo rave under the ſenſe of hi…redge… owne ſinnes, and Gods juſt deſertion of hi…redge… for them, that he often cryed out, utterin…redge… theſe, and the like ruefull expreſſions of hi…redge… deſperate and damnable eſtate; Oh that …redge… were gone from hence, that ſome body wou…redge… let out this weary ſoule! I tell you, there w…redge… never ſuch a Monſter as I am; never w…redge… there man alive a ſpectacle of ſuch exceedi…redge… miſerie—I now feel Gods heavy wrat…redge… that burnes like the torments of Hell with…redge… me, and afflicts my ſoule with pangs unutter…redge… ble: Verily Deſperation is Hell it ſelfe—The gnawing worme of unquenchab…redge… fire, horrour, confuſion, and which is worſt …redge… all, Deſperation it ſelfe continually tortur…redge… me: And now I count my preſent eſtate worſe, then if my ſoule ſeparated from my body, were with Judas; and therefore I deſire rather to be there, then thus to live in my body—The truth is, never had mortall man ſuch experience of Gods anger, and hatred againſt ſinne, as I have—If I could conceive but the leaſt ſpark, or hope in my heart of a better ſtate hereafter, I would not refuſe to endure the moſt heavy wrath of the great God, yea for 2000 yeares, ſo that at length I might attaine out of miſerie—He profeſſed, that his pangs were ſuch, as that the damned wights in Hell endure not the like miſerie. That his eſtate was worſe then that of Judas, and Cain, and therefore deſired to dye; with divers other ſuch like …ledge…peeches.
And yet of both theſe, Mr. Perkins, that …ledge…ound and judicious Divine, judgeth the …ledge…eſt, and perſwadeth others to doe the …ledge…ike.
Touching Mr. Chambers, *In his Declaration of Spirituall Deſertions.his words are …ledge…heſe, Though he thus grievouſly deſpaired in …ledge…eath, yet it is not for any to note him with the …ledge…lack mark of a Reprobate. One thing which …ledge…e ſpake in his extremity (viz. Oh that I had …ledge…ut one drop of faith!) muſt move all men …ledge…o conceive well of him: For by this it ſeemes …ledge…hat he had an heart which deſired to repent, …ledge…nd believe, and therefore had a repenting and believing heart indeed. For God at all times, but eſpecially in temptation, of his great mercy accepts of the will for the deed. Neither is it to be regarded, that he ſaid, he was damned; for men in ſuch caſes ſpeake not as they are, but as they feele themſelves to be.
And as touching Francis Spira, the ſame *Upon the Crced. Article of the Church.Mr. Perkins ſaith thus, It may be demanded, whether the common judgement given of Francis Spira, that he is a Reprobate, be good, or no?
Anſw: We may with better †In rerum judicio debet aliquis niti ad hoc, ut interpretetur unumquodque ſecundum quod eſt: in judicio autem perſonarum, ut interpretetur in melius. Aquin. 2. 2ae. quaeſt. 60. art. 4. ad 3. Semper quicquid dubium eſt, humanitas inclinat in melius. Senec. Epiſt. 81.warrant ſay▪ No, then any man can ſay Yea: For what gifts of diſcerning had they, which came to viſit him in his extremity? And what reaſons induce…redge… them to give this peremptory judgement? He ſaid himſelfe, that he was a Reprobate: Tha…redge… is nothing; a ſick mans judgement of himſelf…redge… is not to be regarded. Yea, but he deſpaired: A ſenſeleſſe reaſon: For ſo doth many a man…redge… yeare by yeare, and that very often, as deeply as ever Spira did, and yet by the good helpe of the Miniſtery of the Word, both are, and may be recovered. And they which will avouch Spira to be a Reprobate; muſt goe further, and prove two things; that he deſpaired both wholly, and finally; which if they cannot prove; we for our parts muſt ſuſpend our judgements and they were much to blame that firſt publiſhed the Booke.
And againe, ſpeaking of the ſame, h…redge… …ledge…ith †In his eſtate of a Chriſtian in this life.in another place, thus:
Francis Spira after his Apoſtaſie deſpaired; …ledge…et they are much overſeene, that write of him …ledge…s a damned Creature: For firſt, who can tell …ledge…hether he deſpaired finally, or no? Secondly, …ledge… the very midſt of his deſperation, he com…ledge…lained of the hardneſſe of his heart, which …ledge…ade him that he could not pray. No doubt then he felt his hardneſs of heart; & the feeling of corruption in the heart, is by ſome contrary grace: So that we may conveniently thinke, that he was not quite bereft of all goodneſſe, though he never felt in then, nor ſhewed it to the Beholders.
And of the third, and laſt particular, we have the example of Judge Hales in our *See Mr. Fox, his Booke of Martyrs, pag. 1393.owne Stories; who having for feare conſented to the Biſhops in Queene Maries daies, in ſome thing contrary to his conſcience, was afterwards ſo troubled in conſcience for it, that he would have killed himſelfe with his pen-knife, had he not beene prevented: But he could never be at reſt, till he had drowned himſelfe in a little brook near to his houſe.
And yet even of him (ſaith †See M. Charls Richardſon, of Peters and Judas repentance, pag. 279.a good Divine) we are not altogether to deſpaire of his ſalvation; for no man knoweth whether God that ſheweth mercy in a *Inter pontem & fontem. Auguſt.moment, did give him repentance in the inſtant of his death. The judgments of God are ſecret, and unſearchable; we cannot comprehend the unmeaſurable depth Rom. 11. 23.of his mercy, and therefore we ſhould leave the finall judgment of theſe caſes, to his determination, who is ordained of God to be the Judge Acts 10. 42.both of quick and dead.