Paragraph 16.1

1. Euery sinne committed after Baptisme, is not the sinne aganst the holy Ghost.

2. The very regenerate may depart from grace giuen, and fall into sinne, and yet rise againe, vnto newnesse of life.

3. No men vtterly are to be cast off, as reprobates, which vnfainedly repent.

The proofe from Gods word.

Though euery sinne in it selfe considered deserueth damnation: yet is there a sinne which shall be punished with many; and a sinne, which shall be punished with few stripes:^a a sinne vnto death and a sinn not vnto death,^b a sinne against the Father, and the Sonne, which shallbe forgiuen; and a sinne against the holy Ghost, which neuer shallbe forgiuen.^c

So in their extant confessions witnesse the Churches in Bohem.^* Saxonie,^† and Heluetia.^‡

Errors, & adversaries vnto this truth.

Diuerslly hath this doctrine bin oppugned. For

Some haue thought all sinnes to be like, and equall, as the Stoikes, Pelagians,⁴ and Iouinians.⁵

Some haue taught, as Manes the heretike,⁶ how none of the godly fathers, and others from the beginning of the world, till the 15. yeare of Tiberius the Emperour (though earnestly they did repent, were saued; but were all punished alike with vtter confusion.

Some giue out that such persons be vtterly out of Gods fauour, and condemned, which depart out of this world, either afore they are baptized, as the Papists doe,⁷ or afore they come vnto yeares of discretion, as Hieranites did.⁸

The proofe from the word of God.

That the Regenerate may fall into sinne, and yet rise againe, it is a doctrine grounded vpon the Scriptures. For in them wee euidently may see, that fall they may, partly by the admonitions of our Sauiour vnto the man healed of the Palsie,^d and vnto the adultresse;^e of S. Paul, vnto the Ephesians,^f Colossians,,^g Hebrewes,^h and Timothie,ⁱ and of S. Peter vnto all the godly,^j and partly by the examples of Dauid,^k Salomon,^l Peter,^m who egregiously, and very offensiuely did fall, and that they doe fall, it is most euident by the fift petitiō of the Lords praier were nothing els to prooue the same, but see afore 9. art. Prop. 3. art. 12. prop. 2. art. 15. propo. 2.

Next, that being fallen they may rise againe, and be saued, it is apparent both by the exhortations of the Angell vnto the Churches of Ephesus, Pergamus, and Thyatira,ⁿ and by the examples of Peter, who denied,^o and yet afterward confessed his master Christ;^p and of all the disciples, who fled,^q and yet returned.

This both granted is, and published for truth by the Churches.⁹

The adversaries vnto this truth.

Vnto this truth subscribe will not

Either by the Catharans,¹⁰ Nouatians,¹¹ Iouinians,¹² which thinke Gods people be regenerate into a pure, and Angelicall state, so that neither they be, nor can be defiled with any contagion of sinne.

Either the Libertines, whose opinions were that.

Whosoeuer hath Gods spirit in him, cannot sinne.

Dauid sinned not after he had receiued the holy Ghost.¹³

Regeneration is the restoring of the estate wherein Adam was placed afore his fall.¹⁴

Or the Papists who are of minde that

The workes of men iustified are perfect in this life.¹⁵ No man which is fallen into sinne, can rise againe, and be saued without their Sacrament of Penance.¹⁶

S. Francis attained vnto the perfection of holines, and could not sinne at all.¹⁷

Such as doe fall from grace, and yet returne againe vnto the Lord by true repentance, are to be receiued as members of Gods church: and this by the Scripture is verefied. For there wee read, that

God would haue all men saued.^r18

God is alwaies readie to receiue the penitent into fauour. For there is ioy in heauen for the sinner that conuerteth.^s

Christ is grieued when sinners will not repent.^t

He shall saue a soule from death, and hide a multitude of sinnes, which conuerteth a sinner from going astray out of his way.^u

The Lord would haue no man to perish, but al men to come to repentance.^v

If wee acknowledge our sinnes, he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes, and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse.^w

Hee exhorteth his erring people to repent, and doe their first workes:^x neither refuseth hee the sinner that repenteth, as appeareth in the example of the Prodigall sonne,^y and of the debter.^z

God then being so gratious, and mercifull, man after his ensample is both by all good meanes to prouoke sinners vnto repentance, and they testifying the same to receiue them into fauour.

So did S. Paul will the Galatians. Brethren (saith hee) if a man be fallen by occasion into any fault, yea which are spirituall, restore such one with the spirit of meekenes, considering thy selfe, least thou also be tempted.^aa

So did hee enioyne the Corinthians, when hee saide

If anie hath caused sorrowe, the same hath not made me sorie, but partly (least I should more charge him) you all. It is sufficient vnto the same man, that he was rebuked of many. So that nowe contrarywise yee ought rather to forgiue, and comfort (him) least the same should be swallowed yp with ouermuch heauinesse.^bb

When also he said, Receiue him (meaning Ouesinus.^cc

And so teach the Churches.¹⁹

Errors and Adversaries vnto this truth.

Adversaries vnto this truth are they

First, which leaue nothing but the vnappeasable wrath of God to such as doe sinne after Baptisme, as as did both in old time the Montanists,²⁰ and Nouatians,²¹ and of late yeares Melchior Hoffman, the Arch Heretike of his daies,²² and the Anabaptists in Germaine,²³ and the Barrowists among our selues in England.²⁴

Next, who say that being once regenerate, sinne is cut away, as with a Rasor, so that the godly cannot sinne, and therefore neede no repentance: so did the Messalians,²⁵ and doe the Familie of Loue.²⁶

Lastly, the desperate, whose sinnes being either most infinite, or abominable, they thinke how God hee neither can, nor will forgiue them: such in times past were Kaine,^dd and Iudas,^ee in our fathers Franciscus Spira,²⁷ and one Doctor Kraus,²⁸ and in our daies, Bolton euen hee that first hatched that sect in England, which afterward was tearmed Brownisme.²⁹