many; and a sinne, which shall be punished with few stripes : a sinne vnto death and a sinn not vnto death, a sinne against the Father, and the Sonne, which shallbe forgiuen; and a sinne a∣gainst the holy Ghost, which neuer shallbe forgiuen .
So in their extant confessions witnesse the Churches in Bo∣hem . 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 , and Iouinians .
Some haue taught, as Manes the heretike , 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 fa∣uour, and condemned, which depart out of this world, either a∣fore they are baptized, as the Papists doe , or afore they come vnto yeares of discretion, as Hieranites did .
2. Proposition. The very regenerate may depart from grace giuen and fall into sinne, and yet rise againe vnto newnes of life.
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 admoniti∣ons of our Sauiour vnto the man healed of the Palsie , and vn∣to the adultresse ; of S. Paul, vnto the Ephesians , Colossians, , Hebrewes , and Timothie , and of S. Peter vnto all the god∣ly , and partly by the examples of Dauid , Salomon , Peter , who egregiously, and very offensiuely did fall, and that they