The Cure of Misprision, Section 22 – Section 23
Sect. 22.
2. Secondly nor do they determin of any ones finall eſtate, be he never ſo wicked. Well may ſome ſenſuall …gnoramous, or enemie to Religion: who hath no more skill in Scripture, then a beaſt hath in muſicke doe … calling others that are leſſe civill, or more vicious …h…n him…elfe r…probates. But I never heard a knowing …h…ſ…ian uſe the Phraiſe in ſuch a ſence, of any … perſon.
Secondly, … profeſſor of Religion anſwer a …c…ing … that ſets …is wi… and learning upon the …nters to argue againſt the t…uth, and floute at … that he ſ…mes to be of a reprobate judgem…nt, in calling good evill, and evill good: Iſay▪ 5. 20. Or oth…s▪ that oppoſe and perſecute the truth; that they …re …or the preſent in a reprobate condition: (which may be affirmed of all the Elect, before their c…nv…rſi…n▪ …t being a true rule, whoſoever is co…v…rted ſhall be ſaved: but all that ſhall b… ſ…ve… are not converted.)
Or laſtly, they may happen to t…ll ſuch as are ignorant of the principles of Religion, or ſuch as are meerely civi…l: that they are yet in their naturall condition, and enemies to God. And that they are no way fit to …ye▪ before they are able to y…eld a r…aſon of the hope that is in them: and can prove a manifeſt change in themſelves, which is a truth undeniable, for except wee be borne againe, we can never enter into the Kingdome of God, John 1. 13. and 3. 3. 6. 1 Pet. 1. 23. Rom. 8. 13. 1 Cor. 15. 50. Gal. 6. 8. 1 John 2. 29. and 3. 9. and 5. 4. 5. 19. Yea, theſe are not only truths, but …uch profitable truths, and wholeſome Items, ſuch faithfull, friendly and ſoule ſaving offices, that had they eyes to ſee it, and hearts to make uſe of it, they would more love us for this our love and faithfullneſſe; then Jonathan did David, for his fortitude. And heartily bleſſe God, that ever they met with ſuch plaine dealing people.
I know (and that by experience) our e…emies are either ſo ignorant, that they cannot diſtinguiſh betweene theſe expreſſions and the former. Or ſo malicious, that upon all occaſions they will wreſt our meaning ſo, as may make moſt to our reproach. I know alſo, that it is a dayly ſlander caſt upon th… religious▪ and beleeved through a combination, and …onfederac… of their envie and ignoranc…, that we doe judge them reprobates, & damn them to the very pi… of Hell. And that we are like thoſe paſſion…te ſpirits Luke 9. 54. 55. who ſeeing the Samaritanes, leſſ… cou…tious to our Saviour then they expected: would have fire from Heaven in all haſt to conſume them. But it i… altogether falſe, and they who have thus affirmed are bound to repent of it. For firſt we thinke leſſe …ale, more …arity and diſcretion fa… better: and doe acknowledge, that his deteſtation is too deep, who will burne his linnen becauſe tis ſoul….
Secondly, there is ſo little truth in the other p…r… of this calumny that I could never yet heare of …ne …a… ▪ that (being a profeſſor of religio… ▪ or any whit verſt in the Scripture) durſt in the leaſt meaſure undertake to determine of any ones fin…lle eſtate. Yea take one that is the mo… raſhly ſenſorious and ridged, the moſt ſtrict, or indiſcreet Novice in Chriſtianity that ever was: And he will confeſſe, that what the moſt vile are, he ha…h been: and what himſelfe is, the other may be before to morrow. As who can be acquainted with the hiſtories of David, Solom…, … Peter, Paul, Mary Magdalen, the T…i…f… ▪ &c. And not acknowledge; that the ſtreames of …ue …p…ntance▪ fl…wing from Faith in Chriſt: wil… w…ſh cleane, a…d qu…te remove the fouleſt ſinnes▪ w…th… Th…ft, w…o …ed…me, pride, murther, perſecu…ion of the …uth, ſ…r…ry, idolatry and the like. Yea, they know from the word, that even the ſinne against …he holy Ghoſt were not unpardonable, if the partie could but repent▪ And that Gods mercy is often ſuch, that where ſinne moſt abounds, there grace may as much abound. As in St. Paul, Mary Magdalen, &c. Luther was a Monk…: St. Auſtin a Mani…hee Yea, one fright changed Sa…l, a bloody perſ…cuter, into Paul a moſt famous Preacher.
And not ſeldome doe they prove the rareſt Chriſtians, who have longeſt continued in Satans ſervice: that they may with double induſtry, redeeme the time they have loſt, and the evill they have committed. As it is o…ten obſervable in Scripture, that the children of women long barren, proved moſt famous and excellent. As Sara brought forth Iſaac, Rachel Joſeph, Hannah Samuel, Manoa Sampſon, and Elizabeth John the baptiſt. Not that any ſhould preſume to ſinne, or continue in ſin, that grace may abound: For we read not of a pardon for ſuch a ſinne.
Briefly to ſhut up, and ſtop the mouth of this ſlander: Let the malicious know, that as it is with trees whereof ſome are fruitfull in the beginning of▪ Summer, ſome a little after, ſome iu the midſt, and ſome at the latter end thereof: So it is with Gods Elect, and only they are counted barren, and unfruitfull by us, which beare no fruit at all: neither in beginning, middle or end. Or as it fares with women that are a long time barren. who notwithſtanding may afterward prove fruitfull, and happie in child bearing. Though I could ſay more to make thee aſhamed, for ſo ſlandering the ſervants of God, if it were profitable for thee to heare it: But I feare leaſt when I have reſcued them, thou ſhouldeſt cut thy owne throat with the ſame weapon. And yet I know no warrant I have, to bawke any particle of divine truth: Wherefore heare it, and in caſe it doe prove thy bane thanke thy ſelfe, I am guiltl…ſſe. The caſe is this, Thou thinkeſt we judge every notorious ſinner, or malicious Perſecuter a very reprobate, though he be but in the midſt of his way: But this is ſo far from truth, that we can call God to witneſſe, we dare not pronounce definitive ſentence, upon the wickedeſt man ali…e: though we even ſee his departure to be never ſo ſuddaine, or deſparate, knowing that the mercy of God may come, between the bridge and the brooke, betwixt the knife and the throat. And that repentance may be ſuggeſted to the heart, in a moment, in that very inſtant. But this only may be, there is no promiſe for it. Many threatnings againſt it, like that Proverbs 1. 24. to 32. little likely hood of it. And certainly ſuch an one, leaves behind him to his friends but ſmall hope and comfort of his ſalvation. And ſo much of the ſecond particular.
Sect. 23.
3. Thirdly, Neither can it be proved, that any one of them dares judge the worſe of another for: what he hath been▪ provided he is now a convert▪ For they well know and conſider, that the ſinnes which went before our converſion, can nothing prejudice us having repented. For true repentance, and faith in Chriſt: wipes and waſhes away all the ſtaine and guilt of them, even out of the ſight of God, much more ſhould it doe ſo, out of the ſight of men.
True they are the greateſt of …inners in their own …pprehenſion, or of ſinners the chiefe as St. Paul ſtiles himſelfe, but others ought not ſo to judge of them. For as holy Barnard expreſſeth it, a ſinner upon his repentance, is a ſinner and no ſinner: A ſinner in his owne apprehenſion, none in Gods account. For which ſee a booke caſe or two, Luke 15. 24. 32. 1 Tim. 1. 13. Acts 26. 10. 11. 12. Where we heare the Prodigals father, ſpeaking as ſparingly, and gen… …y, and lovingly to him as is poſſible: but not a word of his groſſe demeanors, while the repenting ſinner himſelfe, thinkes he cannot have tearmes odious enough, wherewithall to aggravate his offences. And the ſelfe ſame difference of expreſſion, you have between what the Holy Ghoſt uſeth of St. Paul, and what St. Paul uſeth of himſelfe. And ſurely thoſe ſinnes are not ours, whereof wee have truely repented: The skin that is once waſhed, is as cleane from ſoyle as if it had never beene foule.
And indeed, if the man be new, why ſhould the old names of his ſinnes remaine, and be caſt in his teeth? In a mans converſion, Old things are paſſed away, and all things are become new, 2 Cor. 5. 17. A new life, and a new courſe ſhould not be diſgraced▪ nor diſcouraged with the odious rehearſals of a mans old ſinnes. Neither does the mercy of our God meaſure us by what we were, but by what he hath new made us. Otherwiſe it would be wide with the beſt, for ſhould the eye of God looke b…cke to our former eſtates, he ſhould ſee Abraham an Idolater, Paul a Perſecutor, Manaſſes a Nigromancer, Mary Magdalen a Curtizan▪ and the beſt vile enough to be aſhamed of himſelfe. Now if God have remitted why ſhould we retaine? why ſhould not we pardon where he doth?
And yet how common is it with our malicious enemies (when they can find nothing elſe to lay to our charge) to caſt in our teeth our former failin gs? reſembling the Prodigalls elder brother, Luke 15. 28. 29, 30. whoſe evill eye, envyous tongus, churliſh and malicious …arriage, paints them out to the life. Though no great matter▪ for if the world condem…e us, and God doe acquit us: ſinne may grieve and trouble us, but the Divell himſelfe ſhall never hur t us.