A01980:98
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.
13. The liberty attained by leaving the true Christian Church, may be some external, temporary freedom from prison, from chains, from galleys, from bondage and slavery under cruel men. But the liberty lost thereby, is that ⟨p. 26⟩divine, and iglorious liberty of the Sons of God, kwherewith Christ hath made them free: which is a freedom from the wrath of God, the curse of Law, the dominion of sin, the tyranny of Satan, and eternal damnation. Is the rage of man more to be feared then the wrath of God? chains of iron more then the bonds of the law? Bondage under Turks more then slavery under Satan, whose work which he enjoins is villainy; whose wages, which he gives is damnation? are blows and stripes on the body,4 more then galls and wounds of conscience? The anguish of a tormenting conscience is much more intolerable then of scourges, whips, bastinadoes, strappadoes, racks, or any torturing instruments on the body. There needs no other Accuser of an Apostate then his own conscience: no other Witness to convince him: no other Adversary to aggravate his crime: no other Jewry to find him guilty: no other Judge to condemn him: no other hangman to execute his doom upon him. There needs no other to work his woe, then his own conscience. Instance all these in that great Apostate Judas.
13. The liberty attained by leaving the true Christian Chur•h, may be some externall, temporary freedome from prison, from chaines, from gallies, from bondage and slaverie under cruell men. But the liberty lost thereby, is that ⟨p. 26⟩divine, and iglorious liberty of the Sonnes of God, kwherewith Christ hath made them free: which is a freedome from the wrath of God, the curse of Law, the dominion of sinne, the tyranny of Satan, and eternall damnation. Is the rage of man more to be feared then the wrath of God? chaines of iron more then the bonds of the law? Bondage under Turkes more then slavery under Satan, whose worke which he enjoynes is villany; whose wages, which he gives is damnation? are blowes and stripes on the body,4 more then gawles and wounds of conscience? The anguish of a tormenting conscience is much more intolerable then of scourges, whips, bastenadoes, strapadoes, racks, or any torturing instruments on the body. There needs no other Accuser of an Apostate then his owne conscience: no other Witnesse to convince him: no other Adversary to aggravate his crime: no other Iewry to finde him guilty: no other Iudge to condemne him: no other hangman to execute his doome upon him. There needs no other to work his woe, then his owne conscience. Instance all these in that great Apostate Iudas.
Who accused Judas, or brought in the bill of indictment against him? Did any of his fellow Disciples? No: none but his own conscience.
Who accused Iud•s, or brought in the bill of inditement against him? Did any of his fellow Disciples? No: none but his owne conscience.
Who did bear witness against him? Did any of the Priests of whom he received money to betray his Lord, or any of their officers who ⟨p. 27⟩saw him accomplish his treason with a kiss? No: none but his own conscience.
Who did beare witnesse against him? Did any of the Priests of whom he received money to betray his Lord, or any of their officers who ⟨p. 27⟩saw him accomplish his treason with a kisse? No: none but his owne conscience.
Who aggravated his crime? Did Nicodemus, or any of the Lawyers that believed in Christ? No: none but his own conscience.
Who aggravated his crime? Did Nicodemus, or any of the Lawyers that beleeved in Christ? No: none but his owne conscience.
Who found him guilty? Did any of the common people, who followed Christ from place to place, and received sundry kindnesses from him? No: none but his own conscience.
Who found him guilty? Did any of the common people, who followed Christ from place to place, and r•ceived sundry kindnesses from him? No: none but his owne conscience.
Who gave sentence against him? Did Annas, or Caiaphas, or Herod, or Pilate? No: none but his own conscience.
Who gave sentence against him? Did Annas, or Caiphas, or Herod, or Pilat? No: none but his owne conscience.
Who brought him to the place of execution, and there hung him upon a tree? Did any of the Governors soldiers? No: none but his own conscience.
Who brought him to the place of execution, and there hung him upon a tree? Did any of the Governours souldiers? No: none but his own conscience.
His conscience was his Accuser, Witness, Adversary, Jewry, Judge, Executioner.
His conscience was his Accuser, Witnesse, Adversary, Jewry, Judge, Executioner.
What the Poet said of envy, may be applied to a guilty conscience, —Siculi non invenere Tyranni1 Tormentum majus— Ne'er did the fiercest tyrant Invent a greater torment.
What the Poet said of envie, may be applied to a guilty conscience, —Siculi non invenere Tyranni1 Tormentum majus— Ne're did the fiercest tyrant Invent a greater torment.
If it be said that all Apostates have not such torturing consciences, I answer,1 that then they have a seared conscience, which is much worse. A restless conscience, though for the time it be even an intolerable burden, yet may it prove a means to bring the tortured soul to deep humiliation for his sin, to sound repentance, ⟨p. 28⟩to an earnest desire of pardon, yea and to faith in Christ Jesus: and thereupon be pacified, and quieted, as his was, who came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas,2 and sa•d, Sirs, what shall I do to be saved? B•t a senseless conscience never works any remorse, or restraint: but is an occasion of mens giving themselves over to work all wickedness with greediness. Thus after their hardness and impenitent heart they treasure unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath (Rom. 2.5.) In this respect a conscience past f•eling casts a man into a more desperate condition,3 then a conscience destitute of all comfort. And of the two, it is better to live and die in despair, then to live and die in an impudent remorselessness: greedily committing sin without any trouble of conscience. Surely in the day of judgement it will be easier for the conscience which is restless here, then for the senseless conscience.
If it be said that all Apostates have not such torturing consciences, I answer,1 that then they have a seared conscience, which is much worse. A restlesse conscience, though for the time it be even an intolerable burden, yet may it proove a meanes to bring the tortured soule to deepe humiliation for his sinne, to sound repentance, ⟨p. 28⟩to an earnest desire of pardon, yea and to faith in Christ Jesus: and thereupon be pacified, and quieted, as his was, who came trembling and fell downe before Paul and Silas,
1Be wise now therefore all ye that may be brought to the trial of cruel mockings and scourgings. yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment, and of all manner of tortures: be well instructed in the difference betwixt such things as man can inflict upon the body, and such as God can inflict on body and soul: that ye be not worse then the foolish fish, which leap out of the warm water into the flaming fire. Such are they, who to escape the hands of mortal men, fall into the hands of the living God, not considering the weight of that which the Apostle ⟨p. 29⟩saith (Heb. 10.31.) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
1Be wise now therefore all yee that may be brought to the triall of cruell mockings and scourgings. yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment, and of all manner of tortures: be well instructed in the difference betwixt such things as man can inflict upon the body, and such as God can inflict on body and soule: that yee be not worse then the foolish fish, which leape out of the warme water into the flaming fire. Such are they, who to escape the hands of mortall men, fall into the hands of the living God, not considering the weight of that which the Apostle ⟨p. 29⟩saith (Heb. 10.31.) It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
The fears which usually most affright men, and draw them to be Renegadoes are but of such things which the Apostle (1 Cor. 10.13) styled [Greek or Hebrew] humane or common to man: Such as by man are inflicted, such as by man may be endured.
The feares which usually most affright men, and draw them to be Renegadoes are but of such things which the Apostle (1 Cor. 10.13) stiled 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 humane or common to man: Such as by man are inflicted, such as by man may be indured.
I suppose greater and crueller tortures cannot in these days be by mans wit invented,1 then were of old inflicted by spiteful persecutors on the Jews in the days of Antiochus, and on Christians in the time of the ten notorious persecutions under the Roman Emperors.
I suppose greater and crueller tortures cannot in these daies be by mans wit invented,1 then were of old inflicted by spitefull persecutors on the Iewes in the daies of Antiochus, and on Christians in the time of the ten notorious persecutions under the Romane Emperours.
bSo cruel was the sight of those tortures which persecutors inflicted, as exceeds all expression.
bSo cruell was the sight of those tortures which persecutors inflicted, as exceeds all expression.
cConstant Christians had their flesh torn from their backs with rods, scourges, whips, and cords, so as their bones lay bare, and the raw parts of their body were washed with vinegar and salt.
cConstant Christians had their flesh torne from their backs with rods, scourges, whips, and cords, so as their bones lay bare, and the raw parts of their body were washt with vineger and salt.
