Mary Magdalenes Tears Wiped Off, Objection 5
OBJECTION V.
… to relapſe into ſin, after not only Reſoluttions but Vows againſt it, as they who ſin after Baptiſm do, is intollerable and a ſign of one that hath forfeited the Grace, that is given him, and is judicially hardned by God.
SOLUTION.
10. TO ſin, and to relapſe into ſin after a Vow againſt it, is that thing indeed which every baptiſed Chriſtian doth: and in thoſe who are Adult, or at years of diſcretion (not invincibly ignorant of their Obligation) is infallibly not only a very great Aggravation of ſin, but a ſin it ſelf: and ſuch an Offendour is (in very truth) not only a great Diſhonor to the Goſpell of Chriſt, but a great ſcandol to the Communion of Saints; diſ-inherited (and that actually) of his intereſt in the Kingdom of Chriſt, whileſt he continues in that ſtate of Impenitency: but when the courſe is broken, the caſe is quite the contrary; and the Prodigal returning, capable of as benign and as hoſpital a Reception in his Fathers houſe, as was that other Son, able to boaſt of his good demeanour from his Childhood. This is the caſe of Repentant Sinners, and for ſuch it is, that when they (nay though but a ſingle one) return, There is joy in the preſence of the Angels of God. Luke 15.12.
But for the Ʋow in the Baptiſme, I am not for the preſent) of opinion, that it is any aggravation of ſin, till the baptiſed Perſon comes to years of Diſcretion, and hath either actually taken upon him the performance of his Baptiſmal vow, or elſe hath attain'd ſo much knowledge of his Profeſsion, as that he hath, or may have information, that he was initiated thereinto, and admitted under ſuch a ſolemn Stipulation. But when I ſpeak of Actual taking upon him the performance of this Vow, I do not mean that ſolemn, direct, oral, and publick tranſferring the Obligation on himſelf in Epiſcopal Confirmation: but alſo the doing any Chriſtian duty of Communion, whereby he doth (though but implicitely) own his Faith, and conſequently his Obligation thereto, made on his behalf by Suretyes in his Baptiſme.
And again, you muſt conceive, that every willfull ſin againſt Knowledge and Conſcience (even in thoſe who are adult, and have Actually put themſelves under the performance of the Vow) is no abdication of our Vow in Baptiſme, neither do I apprehend that Perſon which ſo offends to be guilty of Perjury, upon every Act of ſuch ſin of Wilfullneſs, no more than I believe, that every ſingle diſobedience of her Husband may be interpreted to be a perjury in the Wife, becauſe ſhe hath promiſed, and ſolemnly vowed to obey him in the Mariage Contract.
I confeſs, that an habitual courſe of wilfull ſin, in ſuch as do own their profeſsion; nay that any ſin preſumptuouſly committed againſt the Divine Majeſty, doth imply a breach of this vow, as well as final Apoſtacy; yea that the abnegation of any evident Fundamental of Religion, as the Reſurrection of the Dead, the Doctrine of the ever bleſſed and holy Trinity, (after firſt and ſecond Admonition, Tit. 3.10. &c. is) a breach of the Vow in Baptiſme, but that every Act of willfull ſin is ſuch, is to my Apprehenſion no more a truth, than for a Chriſtian of the Proteſtant perſwaſion to deny Chriſts local deſcention into Hell, (which hath no undenyable ground in Scripture) and for that error (for to that Perſwaſion the Church is not infallible) to be held guilty of perjury in breaking, the ſecond clauſe, or branch of this Vow in Baptiſme, requiring him to believe all the Articles of the Chriſtian Faith, as well as doth the firſt and third, exact from him a forſaking of the Devil, the World, the Fleſh, and the keeping of Gods holy Will and commandements all the days of my life.
But let the moſt that you fear be granted, & you be held guilty of as many perjuries, as you committed other ſins, and this not only in your own eſteem, but in the opinions of learned Divines, yet ſtill this may render that condition to be more lamented, but it cannot make it irrecoverable; for is there any thing in Scripture more frequent than Gods Meſſages by his Prophets to the People of the Jews, calling them to repentance, & that after Covenant-breach, and promiſing them pardon if they would repent, and convert unto him? The Prophet Jeremy may ſuperſede your ſearching any other Scriptures to this purpoſe who indeed is abundant in thoſe promiſes of Mercy, and therefore a Book very fit to comfort every penitent Soul, and likewiſe as fit by reaſon of the Threatnings therein to convert the Impenitent.
As for that you ſpeak concerning judicial induration, or Gods hardening mens hearts in Judg ement;Mat. 25.28. Luke 8.18. I confeſs, that there is a taking away the Talent from the ſloathfull Servant, a withdrawing of Grace from him that doth not uſe it, to that end for which it was given him by God: but that ſuch a judgement is not (ordinarily) revealed, ſave by the treaſuring up of wrath againſt the day of wrath, the final impenitence of him who is thus judicially hardened by God, will be difficult to prove, there being no very ſure example of this Induration in Scripture, ſave that of Pharoah, in whom thoſe conſequents were moſt viſible, and of thoſe obſtinate and incredulous Jews to whom our Saviour preach'd, or in whoſe preſence, or Country he wrought ſo many Miracles, mentioned in Mat. 13.14, 15. but that you are in danger of ſuch judicial Induration as this, is a very remote fear, and to my judgment wholly inconſiſtent with your preſent Chriſtian Deportment.