14. and their neighbour, Mark v. 19. and an example unto others, which they may fear and reverence. 1 Tim. v. 20.

Last of all, the whole matter is shut up with this or such-like clause of admonition, "That every one shall be condemned, whosoever he be, which in this life doth not repent in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to that sentence pronounced by Christ, "Except ye repent, ye shall all in like sort perish," as they did, who were slain with the fall of the tower of Siloam. Luke xiii. 4, 5.

Chapter 20. Of the Time of Grace.

Furthermore, among all other things they teach concerning the time of grace, and the fatherly visitation, that men may learn to consider, that all that time of age they lead in this life, is given them of God to be a time of grace, in the which they may seek their Lord and God, his grace and mercy, and that they may be loved of him, and by this means obtain here their salvation in Christ. Whereof the Apostle also made mention in his sermon, which he preached at Athens, saying, "God hath assigned unto men the times which were ordained before, and the bounds of their habitations, that they should seek the Lord, if so be they might have groped after him, and found him." Acts xvii. 26, 27. And by the Prophet Isaiah the Lord saith, "In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in the day of salvation have I helped thee." Isa. xlix. 8. "Behold now," saith St. Paul, is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. vi. 2. Therefore, at all times the people be admonished, that whilst they live on the earth, and are in good health, and have in their hands, and do presently enjoy, the time of grace offered by God, they should truly repent, and begin the amendment of their life, and be reconciled unto God; that they would stir up their conscience by faith in Christ, and quiet it by the ministry of the Gospel in the Church, and herein confirm themselves, that God is merciful unto them, and remitteth all their sins for Christ his sake. Therefore, when they are confirmed in this grace, which is offered them to establish and confirm their calling, and do faithfully exercise themselves in good works, then at the length they are also in an assured hope to look for a comfortable end; and they must certainly persuade themselves, that their souls shall assuredly be carried by the Angels into heaven, and eternal rest, as was the soul of that godly Lazarus; Luke xvi. 22. that they may be there, where their Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ is; John. xii. 26. and xiv. 36. and xvii. 24. and that afterward, in the day of resurrection, the soul

shall be joined again with the body, to take full possession of that joy and eternal glory, which cannot be expressed in words. For "they shall not come into condemnation," John. v. 24. but by making a way through it, they shall pass with great joy from death into life. The epistle to the Hebrews, to stir us up to use such exhortations, saith, "Exhort yourselves among yourselves:" Heb. x. 25. Exhort ye one another daily, so long as it is said, To-day: let no man among you be hardened by the deceit of sin:" Heb. iii. 13. "For we enter into the rest, which have believed;" Heb. iv. 3. that is, which have obeyed the voice of God, while we had time given us. On the other side, we must also hold this most assuredly, that if any man, being polluted with sins, and filthy deeds, manifestly contrary to virtue, do in dying depart out of this world without true repentance and faith, his soul shall certainly go into hell, as did the soul of that rich man who wanted faith; in the bottomless pit whereof there is no drop of grace; and that in the day of judgment,' that most terrible voice of the Son of God, sounding in his ears, shall be heard, wherein he shall say, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels." Matt. xxv. 41. "For they which have done evil, shall come forth to the resurrection of judgment." John v. 29.

Therefore in teaching, they do continually urge this, that no man defer repentance and turning unto God, till he come to be old, or till he lieth sick in his bed; and in the mean time boldly practise his wantonness in sins, and in the desires of the flesh and the world: because it is written, "Do not say, The abundant mercy of the Lord will purge my sins: for mercy and wrath do hasten with him, and his indignation shall lie upon the sinners. Make no tarrying to turn unto the Lord, and put not off from day to day. For suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord break forth, and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed, and thou shalt perish in time of vengeance." Ecclus. v. 6, 7.

But that especially is a most dangerous thing, if any man, after he hath received the gift of the grace of God, (and that in the testimony of a good conscience,) doth of set purpose and wantonly sin, and contemn, and make no account of all those exhortations and allurements, proceeding out of a loving heart; and that to this end, that he may in time think on that which is for his health, and repent; and moreover doth persist in a bold and blind persuasion of the mercy of God, and, trusting thereto, doth sin, and doth confidently abuse it, and goeth forward in that sort without repentance, even

unto the last pinch, and then beginneth, being forced thereunto by the terrors of death and the fear of infernal punishments, so late to convert himself, and to call for the mercy of the Lord, as when the severe and intolerable anger of the Lord waxeth hot, and punishments rush and break forth, as doth the great violence of floods which cannot be resisted. Prov. i. 24-31. Isaiah xxx. 12-14. Therefore, of such a man (which thing we speak with sorrow) it is hard to believe that he can truly repent; and therefore it is to be doubted, lest that be fulfilled in him, which the Lord doth threaten by the Prophet Micah, that instead of grace he shall feel the wrath of God, and that it will come to pass, that the wrath of God shall slay him. For in a fearful speech doth he say thus, "Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear them, but he will hide his face from them at that time, because they have continually lived wickedly." Mic. iii. 4. Yea, the Lord himself saith, "Although they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them;" Ezek. viii. 18. "seeing they would not hear my voice; Jer. xiii. 11. “when as all the day long I spread out my hands unto them," Isaiah lxv. 2. and gave them large time and space for grace. For the which cause, the Holy Ghost crieth out, and saith, "To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the grieving in the day of that temptation in the wilderness." Psal xcv. 7, 8.

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Therefore, according to all these things, our men do diligently, and out of the grounds of the Scripture, exhort that every man do in time use and follow this faithful counsel and necessary doctrine; that so he may turn away the fear of this most heavy danger, yea, that he do not betray the health of his own soul. For undoubtedly this horrible danger is greatly to be feared, lest whosoever he be that doth rashly or stubbornly contemn or neglect this time of grace, so lovingly granted of the Lord, he do receive, and that worthily, that reward of eternal punishment, which is due thereunto: even as St. Ambrose also, amongst many other things which he handleth diversely to this purpose, doth thus write, and in these words: 'If any man at the very point of death shall repent, and be absolved, (for this could not be denied unto him,) and so departing out of this life dieth, I dare not say that he departeth hence in good case: I do not affirm it, neither dare I affirm or promise it to any man, because I would deceive no man, seeing I have no certainty of him. Do I therefore say that he shall be damned? Neither do I say that he shall be delivered. For what other thing I should say, I know not. Let him be commended to God. Wilt thou then, O brother, be

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freed from doubting? repent whilst thou art in health. wilt repent when thou canst not sin, thy sins have left thee, and not thou thy sins.' De Pœnitentiâ. (qui Augustini esse putatur.) Lib. 3.

Yet that no man may despair, they teach this also, that if any man in the last hour of his life shew signs of true repentance, which thing doth fall out very seldom, (for that is certainly true which is written in the Epistle to the Hebrews, "And this will we also do, so that God give us leave to do it ;" Heb. vi. 3.) that such an one is not to be deprived of instruction comfort, absolution, or remission of sins. For the time of grace doth last, so long as this life doth last: wherefore, so long as we live here, it is meet that we should think of that Prophetical and Apostolical sentence, "To day, seeing ye have heard his voice, harden not your hearts." Heb. iii. 7 ; 15. Now herein do our men labour, and endeavour themselves most earnestly, that all men may obey this loving commandment and counsel, and that they speedily repent, before the sun be darkened after a strange manner, and the hills be overwhelmed with darkness; and that, laying sin aside, they would turn themselves to God, by flying unto him in true confidence, and with a constant invocation from the bottom of the heart; and that they do their faithful endeavour, that they not be repelled from the glory of eternal life, but that they may live with Christ and his Church in this life for a time, and in the other life for ever. Amen.

III.--FROM THE CONFESSION OF SCOTLAND.

Article 12. Of Faith in the Holy Ghost.

This faith, and the assurance of the same, proceedeth not from flesh and blood; that is to say, from no natural powers within us; but is the inspiration of the Holy Ghost; Matt. xvi. 17; John xiv. 26; xv. 26; and xvi. 13; whom we confess God, equal with the Father and with the Son; Acts v. 3, 4. who sanctifieth us, and bringeth us into all verity by his own operation; without whom we should remain for ever enemies to God, and ignorant of his Son Christ Jesus. For of nature we are so dead, so blind, and so perverse, that neither can we feel when we are pricked, see the light when it shineth, nor assent to the will of God when it is revealed, unless the Spirit of the Lord quicken that which is dead, remove the darkness from our minds, and bow our stubborn hearts to the obedience of his blessed will. And so, as we confess that God the Father created us, when we were not; Psalm c. 3. as his Son our Lord Jesus redeemed us, when we were enemies to him; Rom. v. 10.

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so also do we confess, that the Holy Ghost doth sanctify and regenerate us, without all respect of any merit proceeding from us, be it before, or be it after our regeneration. Rom. v. 8. To speak this one thing yet in more plain words: as we willingly spoil ourselves of all honour and glory of our own creation and redemption, so do we also of our regeneration and sanctification; for of ourselves we are not sufficient to think one good thought; 2 Cor. iii. 5; but he who hath begun the work in us, is only he that continueth in us the same, Phil. i. 6. to the praise and glory of his undeserved grace. Eph. i. 6.

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IV. FROM THE CONFESSION OF AUGSburg.

Article 11.

Touching repentance, they teach, that such as have fallen after baptism may find remission,* at what time they return again and that the Church is bound to give absolution unto such as return by repentance. Now repentance, or the conversion of the ungodly, standeth properly of these two parts. The one is contrition; that is, a terror stricken into the conscience through the acknowledgment of sin, wherein we do both perceive God's displeasure, and are grieved that we have sinned; and do abhor and eschew sin, according as Joel preacheth, "Rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God, &c." Chap. ii. 13. The other part is faith; which is begotten in us by the Gospel, or by absolution, and doth believe that the sins are undoubtedly forgiven for Christ's sake, and doth comfort the conscience, freeing it from fears. Of which faith speaketh St. Paul, when he saith, "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God." Rom. v. 1. Afterward there must follow the good fruits of repentance, that is, obedience unto God; according to that saying, "We are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh for if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die but if by the Spirit ye mortify the works of the flesh, ye live." Rom. viii. 12, 13.

Yea, and it may indeed be given to those which do truly repent.

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+ That is, the presbytery, or the college which doth represent the Church, as Matthew xviii. 17. Therefore, this cannot be fitly understood either of all kind of sinners, or else of private absolution; but only of those which were first bound by the presbytery. For certainly the whole assembly of the Church cannot be said to absolve the penitent, (which thing is part of the holy ministry, as shall hereafter be made evident in the Eleventh Section;) but to gather together to itself those who make satisfaction, so much as in it lieth: to wit, by its own consent and approbation.