A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

They bring upon themselves swift destruction. We have anatomised the fault of •hese false teachers, in denying their Redeemer. Which haply was not with an open and manifest recusancy, for then orthodox Christians would have refused conversing with them, and the Church excommunicated them. But rather, because such a denial did arise by just consequence out of their dogmatical, stigmatical assertions. For if we understand Saint Peter by Saint Jude; the very parallel •nd harmony one of the other: we find these heretics challenged for Turning the grace of God into licentiousness, Jud. ver. 4. Whereupon is inferred, that they deny the only Lord God, and Jesus Christ. So that to turn Grace into wantonness, is to deny CHRIST. Neither was this only exemplary in their practise, but also doctrinal in their profession. For he that calls himself Christian, and teacheth that in CHRIST is granted liberty of sinning, denies the Redeemer. Luk. 1.74. We are delivered out of the hands of all our enemies, that we might serve him without fear. That we might serve him without fear, not sin without fear. CHRIST came to unbind us from Satan, and to vex him at our new goodness, not to make him laugh at our wickedness: that we should sin less; not sin more, and more securely. Rom. 6.1. Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. An sit, quia sit? absit. Shall there be presumption in sin because there is abundance of grace? God forbid. This is a true position: Quicquid Christus operatur pro nobis, hoc •peratur in nobis. Whatsoever the Lord Jesus worketh for us, that he also worketh in us. If he hath freed us from the damnation of sin, then also from the dominion of sin. If with his blood he hath quenched the fire of hell for us, he hath quenched the fire of lust in us. They are miserable men, qui luxuriantur in Christo, that are wanton in Christ: as if the Law had lost it self in the Gospel: and the Statutes against blasphemy, adultery, idolatry, covetousness, were now repealed, to stand in no more force: but like an Almanac out of date, to be sacrificed to forgetfulness. This is a left-handed taking of Christ: Non consolatur Christi infantia garrulos, non Christi lacrymae cachinnantes, non panni ejus ambulantes in stolis, non praesepe amantes primas cathedras, Bern. Christs humility doth not comfort the proud: