A73023:9
M. Perkins, his Exhortation to repentance, out of Zephaniah preached in 2. sermons in…
M. Perkins, his Exhortation to repentance, out of Zephaniah preached in 2. sermons in Stourbridge Fair. Together with two treatises of the duties and dignity of the ministry: delivered publicly in the University of Cambridge. With a preface prefixed touching the publishing of all such works of his as are to be expected: with a catalogue of all the particulars [sic] of them, diligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word.M. Perkins, his Exhortation to repentance, out of Zephaniah preached in 2. sermons in Sturbridge Faire. Together with two treatises of the duties and dignitie of the ministrie: deliuered publiquely in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge. With a preface præfixed touching the publishing of all such workes of his as are to be expected: with a catalogue of all the perticulers [sic] of them, diligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word.
London: printed by T. Creede for William Welby, 1605
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.
Amongst the many reasons (Worshipful Sir',) which have persuaded me that Popery cannot be the true religion, this is not the lest: the insufficiency of their doctrine of faith & repentance: which two things though they be the chief & principal points ⟨image 3⟩in Religion, and so necessary that he, who doth not, both know, and practise them aright, can never be saved yet I dare avouch, that the faith and 1repentance of the Romish Church, as they are taught by many of the best approved Papists, are no better then such a faith, and such a repentance as an hypocrite, and a very reprobate may attain unto: Indeed, to insist upon repentance only (they make many fair flourishes, they call it penance, they make it a sacrament, & say it is a board that saves a man after shipwreck, and write great volumes of it, and of confession, and of Cases of 2conscience, (as you good Sir in your own reading know better then I) & yet alas, when all is done, it is but a shadow of repentance; and indeed how can they teach aright the doctrine of repentance: which err so foully in setting down the justice of God, and the vileness of sin, which 2. ⟨image 3⟩points a man must know, else he will never repent: but Popery misconceiving the justice of God, teaching it not to be infinite in as much as it needs not an infinite satisfaction, & misconceiving the nature of sin, teaching every sin not to be damnable, […] to offend Gods Infinite justice, ••ring (I say) in these 2. how is it possible they should conceive aright the nature of repentance? by which a man seeing his sins, their foulness their punishment, and his own misery by them, confesseth them, bewails them, fearing Gods justice, flieth from it, and craves forgiveness of his mercy, and lastly purposeth, & endeavoureth to leave them all, and to lead a new life. The serious consideration hereof, hath often made me wonder, why many Popish treatises being in some sort exhortations to repentance should be so accounted of, as they are by some: for though I confess there ⟨image 4⟩are in some of them, good and wholesome meditations, and many motives to mortification, and good life, yet would I gladly learn of any man but this one thing, how those exhortations can be pithy, or powerful, sound or any way sufficient to move a man to repentance, when as, not those books, nor all Popery is able to teach a man sufficiently what true repentance is.