A09364:59
The first part of The cases of conscience Wherein specially, three main questions concerning…The first part of The cases of conscience Wherein specially, three maine questions concerning…
The first part of The cases of conscience Wherein specially, three main questions concerning man, simply considered in himself, are propounded and resolved, according to the word of God. Taught and delivered, by M. William Perkins in his Holy-day lectures, by himself revised before his death, and now published for the benefit of the Church.The first part of The cases of conscience Wherein specially, three maine questions concerning man, simply considered in himselfe, are propounded and resolued, according to the word of God. Taught and deliuered, by M. William Perkins in his Holy-day lectures, by himselfe revised before his death, and now published for the benefit of the Church.
Cambridge: printed by John Legat, 1604Cambridge: printed by Iohn Legat, 1604
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.
And herein doth the endless mercy ⟨p. 28⟩of God notably appear, that he vouchsafeth to accept of our repentance when we repent, though not in particular as we ought to do. Nevertheless, this must not encourage, or embolden any man to live in his sins, without turning unto God. For unless we repent in particular, of all the sins we know, not only our known offences, but even our secret sins shall condemn us. Many sins are committed by men, which afterwards in process of time be quite forgotten. Others are committed, which notwithstanding are not known, whether they be sins or no. And in doing the best duties we can, we offend often, & yet when we offend, we perceive it not: and all these in the regenerate, through the mercy of God, are sins of Toleration, in respect of particular repentance. The third kind of sins of Toleration, are certain particular facts of men reproved in Scripture, and yet never punished. Such was the fact of1 Zipporah, in circumcising her child, in the presence of her husband, he being able to have done it himself, and she having no calling, to do that which she did. For though the hand of God was against him, yet was he not sick, (as some would excuse the matter) neither is there any such thing in the text: but it is rather to be thought, that she her self circumcised her son in hast, to prevent her husband: for the deed was done in some indignation, and she cast the foreskin at his feet. ⟨p. 29⟩And yet, because this fact was some manner of obedience, in that the thing was done which God required, (though not in that manner that he required,) God accepted the same, & stayed his hand from killing Moses. Thus God accepted of Achabs humility, though it were in hypocrisy,2 because it was a show of obedience: and for that deferred a temporal punishment, till the days of his posterity. God sent lions to destroy the Assyrians,3 that dwelt in Samaria, for their Idolatry: yet […] soon as they had learned to fear the Lord, after the manner of the God of Israel, though they mingled the same with their own Idolatry, God for that half obedience, suffered them to dwell in peace.