Mary Magdalen's tears wip't off. Or The voice of peace to an unquiet conscience.: Written by way of letter to a person of quality. And published for the comfort of all those, who mourn in Zion.

SOLUTION.

10. TO sin, and to relapse into sin after a Vow against it, is that thing indeed which every baptised Christian doth: and in those who are Adult, or at years of discreti∣on (not invincibly ignorant of their Obliga∣tion) is infallibly not only a very great Ag∣gravation of sin, but a sin it self: and such an Offendour is (in very truth) not only a great Dishonor to the Gospell of Christ, but a great scandol to the Communion of Saints; dis-inherited (and that actually) of his in∣terest in the Kingdom of Christ, whilest he continues in that state of Impenitency: but when the course is broken, the case is quite the contrary; and the Prodigal returning, capable of as benign and as hospital a Recep∣tion in his Fathers house, as was that other Son, able to boast of his good demeanour from his Childhood. This is the case of Re∣pentant Sinners, and for such it is, that when they (nay though but a single one) return, There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God. Luke 15.12.

But for the Ʋow in the Baptisme, I am not for the present) of opinion, that it is any aggravation of sin, till the baptised Person comes to years of Discretion, and hath ei∣ther

actually taken upon him the perfor∣mance of his Baptismal vow, or else hath at∣tain'd so much knowledge of his Profession, as that he hath, or may have information, that he was initiated thereinto, and admit∣ted under such a solemn Stipulation. But when I speak of Actual taking upon him the performance of this Vow, I do not mean that solemn, direct, oral, and publick trans∣ferring the Obligation on himself in Episco∣pal Confirmation: but also the doing any Christian duty of Communion, whereby he doth (though but implicitely) own his Faith, and consequently his Obligation thereto, made on his behalf by Suretyes in his Bap∣tisme.

And again, you must conceive, that every willfull sin against Knowledge and Consci∣ence (even in those who are adult, and have Actually put themselves under the perfor∣mance of the Vow) is no abdication of our Vow in Baptisme, neither do I apprehend that Person which so offends to be guilty of Perjury, upon every Act of such sin of Wil∣fullness, no more than I believe, that every single disobedience of her Husband may be interpreted to be a perjury in the Wife, be∣cause she hath promised, and solemnly vowed to obey him in the Mariage Con∣tract.

I confess, that an habitual course of wil∣full sin, in such as do own their professi∣on;

nay that any sin presumptuously commit∣ted against the Divine Majesty, doth imply a breach of this vow, as well as final Apostacy; yea that the abnegation of any evident Fun∣damental of Religion, as the Resurrection of the Dead, the Doctrine of the ever blessed and holy Trinity, (after first and second Admoniti∣on, Tit. 3.10. &c. is) a breach of the Vow in Baptisme, but that every Act of willfull sin is such, is to my Apprehension no more a truth, than for a Christian of the Protestant perswa∣sion to deny Christs local descention into Hell, (which hath no undenyable ground in Scrip∣ture) and for that error (for to that Perswa∣sion the Church is not infallible) to be held guilty of perjury in breaking, the second clause, or branch of this Vow in Baptisme, re∣quiring him to believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith, as well as doth the first and third, exact from him a forsaking of the Devil, the World, the Flesh, and the keeping of Gods holy Will and commandements all the days of my life.

But let the most that you fear be granted, & you be held guilty of as many perjuries, as you committed other sins, and this not only in your own esteem, but in the opinions of lear∣ned Divines, yet still this may render that condition to be more lamented, but it can∣not make it irrecoverable; for is there any thing in Scripture more frequent than Gods Messages by his Prophets to the People of the Jews, calling them to repentance, & that after

Covenant-breach, and promising them pardon if they would repent, and convert unto him? The Prophet Jeremy may supersede your searching any other Scriptures to this pur∣pose who indeed is abundant in those pro∣mises of Mercy, and therefore a Book very fit to comfort every penitent Soul, and like∣wise as fit by reason of the Threatnings therein to convert the Impenitent.

As for that you speak concerning judicial induration, or Gods hardening mens hearts in Judg ement; I confess, that there is a taking away the Ta∣lent from the sloathfull Ser∣vant, a withdrawing of Grace from him that doth not use it, to that end for which it was given him by God: but that such a judgement is not (ordinarily) revea∣led, save by the treasuring up of wrath against the day of wrath, the final impenitence of him who is thus judicially hardened by God, will be difficult to prove, there being no very sure example of this Induration in Scripture, save that of Pharoah, in whom those consequents were most visible, and of those obstinate and incredulous Jews to whom our Saviour preach'd, or in whose pre∣sence, or Country he wrought so many Mi∣racles, mentioned in Mat. 13.14, 15. but that you are in danger of such judicial Indu∣ration as this, is a very remote fear, and to my judgment wholly inconsistent with your pre∣sent Christian Deportment.

Notes

• Mat. 25.28. Luke 8.18.