(*) Zvyfrau καὶ ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρTINY, TOY WANμμελημάτων ἡμῶν παPÅ TY RUPIN WITHœμs da Refp. Пαβασχε κύριε• Lit.S. Chryf. Bafil. Pro remiffione pecca. torum, & pro venia erratorum nofirorum Part.I. and this always ends in Peace and joy,and lays a Foundation for Faith, and bleffed Expectations, and not without cause, Pray we therefore to him, who can foften the hardest hearts, and bring the moft obdurate to Repentance, remembring that if we can prevail in this we shall not fail in the next, which is II.That He will forgive us all our Sins, negligences and ignozances, and grant us a full and free Pardon for all our greater and leffer Sins; which is a Petition allo to be found in moft of the antient Liturgies(z): Only in this of ours, we have a more particular enumeration of the feveral kinds of our Sins, which do all come under one of thefe three Heads. 1. Sins, properly fo called, are thofe Evils which are done deliberately, by the approbation and confent of a vitiated Judgment, and with the Choice of a mifguided Will. 2. Negligences are thofe offences, which are committed for want of care and confideration, being done rafhly and while we minded fomewhat else. 3. Igno3ances are thofe faults, which we run into by Error and Miftake, and fhould not have acted them, if we had known them to be Crimes: Which doth exactly answer that threefold Divifion of Evil Deeds, which both Philofophers (a), and · Lawyers (b), have given us, and ferves here very well to put our pe Dominum oremus. S. Ut remiflionem omni- (α) Αδίκημα, αν μάρτημα καὶ ἀτύχιpa ap. Arift.de art. Orat.& Themift.in Orat. (0) Delinquitur, aut propofito, aut impetu, aut cafu. Marcianus. Jurifconf. nitential reflexions into Order, and to aflift our Memo ries in recollecting what kind of Sins we are guilty of. 1. The first and worft fort of our Tranfgreffions are those which are ftrictly called Sins, that is grofs and wilful acts of Iniquity, either against God, our Neighbour,or our felves, and there are very few, who are not guilty even of these moft heinous enormities fome time or other; and if we have not often offended thus, yet they are fo grievous, that one or two of them deferves a great Repentance, and needs abundance of mercy in order to their Pardon. II. But though Negligences be leffer, they must not be thought to be no Sins, for though there be no Malice in them, yet there is intolerable carelefnefs, and abominable Difobedience; for fince we are the Servants of God by fo many Bonds, we ought to attend his Commands always, and to try every Action before we do it, whether it be agreeable to his Will, and to live at random is to disown our Subjection, affront our Lord defpife our Rule,and to be unconcerned for our own Salvation. It is hardly poffible indeed for us to attend what is our Duty always, the moft vigilant may be furprized fometimes, and once or twice it may partly excufe, but if want of Confideration would always make us innocent, then they who leaft regarded God would have the feweft Sins; wherefore when we neglect our Duty often, and live at all adventures without observing what we should do, then Negligences are great Sins, and will foon introduce greater, and that which first came in by inadvertency, will foon be entertained with delight and choice. We have a diligent Adverfary I am fure, and if our Negligences were no Sins, they would be unaccountable follies, for befides the guilt of them, they give him all the advantage he can defire against us, who feeks our Eternal ruine; and yet good God, how often do the better fort of men neglect to watch watch their thoughts and words, their Company and actions? How often do we think, fpeak and do, we know neither what nor why? And have we not reason then to advife all to be more careful, and to pray to God to forgive them all their former neglects. Lastly, follows our Ignozances, which must not be omitted neither in our Repentance,nor Petitions,for Pardon: For St. Paul calls himself the chief of Sinners, though he acted out of ignorance, and accounts it a great Mercy, that he found a Pardon for it, 1 Tim.i. 13. There are many things which God accounts Sins, that we perhaps never knew to be fo, and a good Child would not ignorantly do what was difpleafing to his Father, but thefe are not all our gnozances,for through prejudice and affection, or evil Education and Example we do often call evil, good, and good, evil. How do we know,but many things, which we omit as Sins, may be very good and pleating to God Almighty? And many things which we act without fcruple may yet be real Sins? So that we fin oftner than we are aware of: And belides, although we do not know what is really good and evil in many Cafes,the reafon perhaps may be, becaufe we do not (cfeek to know it. Some are ignorant out of choice, becaufe they decline the trouble of Inftruction, and are willingly ignorant,as St.Peter fpeaks, 2 Pet.iii. 15. Yea, fome do really hate knowledg, and defire not to underftand their Duty, left they fhould be compelled to do it (d), and love ignorance, that fo they may fin without Controu!. Now whoever does wickedly out of fuch an ignorance, is not at all excufed by it; but his fault (c) Non tibi deputatur ad culpam quod ignoras, fed quod negligis que cre quod is noras. Aug.de liber. arbitr.l.3.c.19. (d) Impia mens odit etiam ipfum intelleɛtum, & homo aliquando nimium mente perverfatimet intelligere, ne cogatur quod intellexerit facere. S. Salvian. is is double, firft that he doth evil, and fecondly, that he hates the light, which would guide him into better ways; and verily fince we have fo much means of Knowledg thining among us, there are scarce any except Ideots,but they either do know their Duty,or might know it, and therefore scarce any now do fin out of ignorance, but it is a voluntary blindness, and fo an aggravation of all forts of Crimes. Let us therefore not pafs by our very 3gnozances, but beg pardon for them as well as other Sins, faying We beseech thee,&c. III. The laft requeft is,that it may please God to endue us with the Grace of his Holy Spirit, to amend our Lives according to his Holy Wozo: For this amendment of Life is the teftimony of our unfeigned Repentance, and the affurance of our Pardon: In vain do we confefs our Sins, negligences and ignorances,and defire Remiffion of them, unless we do at the fame time defire and refolve to amend them (as hath been obferved before.) Wherefore that we may live better hereafter, we do in this Petition both beg it of God, and mind our felves how it may be effected, for here is, 1. The power by which this Reformation must be wrought,viz. The Grace of Gods Holy Spirit. 2, The Pattern according to which it must be framed, viz. The directions of his Woly W 020,the hand which muft help us,and the rule that muft guide us in it,both which deferve to be confidered. (e) Non dicit fine me parùm, aut fine me difficilius fed facere.Aug.& Can.5. fine me nihil poteftis First, we ask for the Grace of Gods Holy Spirit, which is neceffary to every good Work, much more to a compleat amendment. Without it we cannot do the leaft good, John xv.5.(e), and how fhould we imagine we can do all Gods Will, unlefs we have his Grace? This, this is that which muft inftruct us against our Concil.Carth.contr. Ignorances, Ignorances, quicken us to shake off our negligences, and enable us to refift all Sin. It is this grace that muft hallow our defires, purifie our hearts, and rectifie our affections, and make Sin odious and uneafy, Holiness fweet and pleasant: This must give us new apprehenfions,and new refolutions 'ere ever we fhall amend our Lives. Wherefore we moft earnestly pray for this grace, whereby this great and neceffary Work may be finished to our infinite advantage. (f) Non eft bonitas peffimis effe meliorem. Sen. Epift.79. Secondly, We lay before our felves the rule,by which we must be directed in this Reformation, viz. accozding to Gods Holy Mo20. When we go about to amend our Lives, we must not imagine we are fufficiently reformed, when we have done as much as Custom calls Piety, and practised as far as the remifness of this Age, or the Example of our Neighbours goes (f): But then we are reformed aright, when we have done what God requireth in his Word. The Word was indited by the Spirit, the fame hand which aids us in our amendinent, did write that rule to direct us therein, so that if it be the grace of the Holy, which helps us to amend, no doubt it will reguJate us by the Measures of Holy Scripture,and that is the Divine rule of our Actions: Nothing more in Effential good and evil is neceffary, and nothing lefs is fufficient to an acceptable Religion, here we have Injunctions for all neceffary duties, here we have prohibitions against all Sin, and that by revelation from the mouth of God himself: So that if we act by this rule we do just as he (g) In ea facies in defires we fhould: This is the imterna videtur ibi fnti- partial glafs, wherein we may fee as amus quantum profeci- well what we are, as what we ibi quantum fhould be, James i.23.(g); so that we must look into it stedfaftly, and -mus ; à profectu dift. mus. Greg. moral. lib. 2. cap.1. often, |