The doubting believer, or, A treatiseThe doubting beleever, or, A treatise

1. The Information which I would commend in this case, is fourfold.

1. The Information which I would commend in this case, is fourefold.

First, that the sin against the holy Ghost, is not any sin which a man commits through ignorance: Whatsoever the sin or sins have been, (whereof the party stands guilty) whether against the Law, or against the Gospel, suppose it be one, or many heinous sins, yet if the person be in a state of blindness ⟨p. 365⟩and ignorance, if there is a nescience of the fact, if he knows not what he doth, this ignorance privilegeth the sinnings thus far, that therefore they are not the sin against the holy Ghost.

First, that the sinne against the holy Ghost, is not any sin which a man commits through ignorance: Whatsoever the sinne or sinnes have beene, (whereof the party stands guilty) whether against the Law, or against the Gospel, suppose it be one, or many hainous sinnes, yet if the person be in a state of blindnesse ⟨p. 365⟩and ignorance, if there is a nescience of the fact, if hee knowes not what he doth, this ignorance priviledgeth the sinnings thus far, that therefore they are not the sin against the holy Ghost.

Secondly, the sin against the holy Ghost is not any sin against the Gospel, which is elicited and acted through a mis-belief or mis-persuasion: If the sin be a slighting of Evangelical doctrines, nay a persecuting of them, and of the professors of them, yet if these acts of opposition depend totally on error in the judgment, on a judgement mis-persuaded, (i.) rather believing them not to be truths, rather thinking those ways to be false ways; I say this mis-belief preserves such sinnings yet from being sins against the holy