A01980:162
A recovery from apostasy Set out in a sermon preached in Stepney Church near London at the receiving of a penitent renegado into the Church, Octob. 21. 1638. By William Gouge D.D. and min. in Black-Friars London Herein is the history of the surprisal and admirable escape of the said penitent.A recovery from apostacy Set out in a sermon preached in Stepny Church neere London at the receiving of a penitent renegado into the Church, Octob. 21. 1638. By William Gouge D.D. and min. in Black-Friers London Herein is the history of the surprizall and admirable escape of the said penitent.
London: printed by George Miller for Joshua Kirton, 1639London: printed by George Miller for Ioshua Kirton, 1639
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
5. Eternal life is forfeited by purchasing temporal life after such a manner. In this respect whosoever will save his life shall loose it, as Christ saith, Math. 16.25. Whosoever denies Christ to save this temporal life is like to loose eternal life.
5. Eternall life is forfeited by purchasing temporall life after such a manner. In this respect whosoever will save his life shall loose it, as Christ saith, Math. 16.25. Whosoever denies Christ to save this temporall life is like to loose eternall life.
6. Temporal life is not a valuable consideration for the loss of the soul. For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Math. 16.26.
6. Temporall life is not a valuable consideration for the losse of the soule. For what shall a man give in exchange for his soule? Math. 16.26.
If it be said that life being preserved,1 an Apostate may find opportunity of escaping out of persecutors hands, and so repent, and return unto the Church, and glorify God: as a soldier by flying in time of danger, may again return into the field, and get the day: I answer that
If it be said that life being preserved,1 an Apostate may finde opportunity of escaping out of persecutors hands, and so repent, and returne unto the Church, and glorifie God: as a souldier by flying in time of danger, may againe returne into the field, and get the day: I answer that
1. It is but a may be. Not one to a thousand find such an opportunity. This Penitent here before us found such an opportunity. But many thousands surprised by Turks as he was, spend all the remainder of their life in the state of Apostasy.
1. It is but a may be. Not one to a thousand find such an opportunity. This Penitent here before us found such an opportunity. But many thousands surprized by Turks as he was, spend all the remainder of their life in the state of Apostasie.
2. If they find an opportunity of escaping, it will not necessarily follow thereupon that they will or can repent having once denied their Saviour. As it fell out with the ten Lepers, so it falleth out too too usually with Renegadoes: but one of the ten returned to give glory to God: which caused Christ to say, Where are the nine? Luke 17.17. Here is now one before us, that by a right course of penitency is admitted into the Church again. About ten years now past there was another in like manner received at Minhead in Somerset-shire. But are these two the tenth, or tenth of ten times ten of them that having played the Renegadoes are returned into their country, yet never gave any public evidence of their true repentance?
2. If they finde an opportunity of escaping, it will not necessarily follow thereupon that they will or can repent having once denied their Saviour. As it fell out with the ten Lepers, so it falleth out too too usually with Renegadoes: but one of the ten returned to give glory to God: which caused Christ to say, Where are the nine? Luke 17.17. Here is now one before us, that by a right course of penitency is admitted into the Church againe. About ten yeares now past there was another in like manner received at Minhead in Somerset-shire. But are these two the tenth, or tenth of ten times ten of them that having played the Renegadoes are returned into their countrey, yet never gave any publike evidence of their true repentance?
13. It is a most undue and impious inference from Gods grace to sinners, to take occasion of sinning: which the holy Apostle doth with much indignation detest. For where to the magnifying of the grace of God, and comfort of such sinners, as almost to despair felt the intolerable burden of sin pressing upon their souls, he had said, Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, 2some thence took occasion of turning the grace of God into lasciviousness: with whom the Apostle thus expostulates the case, Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 3Having noted their impious inference, with a vehement detestation he thus rejects it, God forbid. Far be any such conceit from a Christians mind.
13. It is a most undue and impious inference from Gods grace to sinners, to take occasion of sinning: which the holy Apostle doth with much indignation detest. For where to the magnifying of the grace of God, and comfort of such sinners, as allmost to despaire felt the intolerable burden of sinne pressing upon their soules, he had said, Where sinne abounded, grace did much more abound, 2some thence tooke occasion of turning the grace of God into lasciviousnesse: with whom the Apostle thus expostulates the case, Shall wee continue in sinne that grace may abound? 3Having noted their impious inference, with a vehement detestation he thus rejects it, God forbid. Farre be any such conceipt from a Christians mind.
That the non-consequence of such an inference may be the better discerned, the gross mistakings thereof are wisely to be weighed. They are manifest in these three particulars.
That the non-consequence of such an inference may be the better discerned, the groffe mistakings thereof are wisely to be weighed. They are manifest in these three particulars.
1. There is non causa pro causa: the cause is grossly misapplied. For they make Gods grace a cause of committing sin, whereas the Apostle produceth it as the cause of remitting and removing sin.
1. There is non causa pro causa: the cause is grossely misapplied. For they make Gods grace a cause of committing sin, whereas the Apostle produceth it as the cause of remitting and removing sinne.
2. There is non subjectum pro subjecto: the subject matter, or thing whereupon Gods grace exerciseth it self is mischievously mislaid. For they make sins to come, or a resolved purpose to continue in sin the subject of abundant grace, whereas the Apostle intendeth sins past which can not be recalled: and thereupon ⟨p. 43⟩if they be not through grace remitted, the sinner that hath committed them is most miserable.
2. There is non subjectum pro subjecto: the subject matter, or thing whereupon Gods grace exerciseth it selfe is mischievously mislaid. For they make sinnes to come, or a resolved purpose to con•inue in sinne the subject of abundant grace, whereas the Apostle intendeth sinnes past which can not be recalled: and thereupon ⟨p. 43⟩if they bee not through grace remitted, the sinner that hath committed them is most miserable.
3. There is non objectum pro objecto; the kind of sinner, who is made the object on whom abundant grace is conferred, is wretchedly mistaken. For they take the Apostle to speak of such as delight in sin, and retain a purpose of living and lying in sin: whereas he meaneth such as find and feel themselves to be sinners through sense of the heavy load of sin pressing sore upon them: even such sinners as Christ came to call to repentance, Mat. 9.13.
3. There is non objectum pro objecto; the kinde of sinner, who is made the object on whom abundant grace is conferred, is wretchedly mistaken. For they take the Apostle to speake of such as delight in sinne, and retaine a purpose of living and lying in sinne: whereas he meaneth such as finde and feele themselves to be sinners through sence of the heavie loade of sinne pressing soare upon them: even such sinners as Christ came to call to repentance, Mat. 9.13.
Thus we see how pretence of returning to God afterwards is a most wicked pretence of denying God for the present.
Gods faithful Martyrs in all ages have made little or no account of their temporal life,1 when it came in competition with Christ, and a profession of the Christian faith.2 The Apostle giveth this testimony of them, they would not accept deliverance. He means deliverance from death or preservation of life: this, though offered they would not accept, namely on persecutors terms or conditions, which was to deny the truth of God, or renounce their faith in him.
Gods faithfull Martyrs in all ages have made little or no account of their temporall life,1 when it came in competition with Christ, and a profession of the Christian faith.2 The Apostle giveth this testimony of them, they would not accept deliverance. He meanes deliverance from death or preservation of life: this, though offered they would not accept, namely on persecutors termes or conditions, which was to denie the truth of God, or renounce their faith in him.
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were ⟨p. 44⟩threatened to be cast into an hot fiery furnace, unless they would worship Nebuchadnezzars idol, they make this reply (Dan. 3.16, 17.) O Nebuchadnezzar we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace: and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King. But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship thy golden image which thou hast set up.
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were ⟨p. 44⟩threatned to be cast into an hot fiery furnace, unlesse they would worship Nebuchadnezars idoll, they make this reply (Dan. 3.16, 17.) O Nebuchadnezar wee are not carefull to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace: and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King. But if not, be it knowne unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship thy golden image which thou hast set up.
When Eleazar was promised to be saved from torments, and death, if he would but make show of yielding, he courageously answereth, It becometh not our age in any wise to dissemble whereby many young persons might think that Eleazar being fourscore and ten years old, 1were now gone to a strange religion.
When Eleazar was promised to be saved from torments, and death, if he would but make shew of yeelding, he couragiously answereth, It becommeth not our age in any wise to dissemble whereby many young persons might thinke that Eleazar being fourescore and ten yeares old, 1were now gone to a strange religion.
Thus also one of the seven brethren in the name of the rest, We are ready to die, rather then to transgress the laws of our Fathers: 1meaning such laws as God of old had given to their Fathers to be observed by them, and by their posterity age after age.
Thus also one of the seven brethren in the name of the rest, We are ready to die, rather then to transgresse the lawes of our Fathers: 1meaning such lawes as God of old had given to their Fathers to be observed by them, and by their posterity age after age.
