Robert Russel

“ A man may be a whoremonger, an adulterer, and work witchcraft, and deal with familiar spirits, and yet, at last, he may repent and be saved. And yet I have heard talk of some that are so foolish as to take the sin of fornication for an unpardonable sin, from God's own words, in the fourth commandment: "I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation." From whence they say, that children that are base born, are not saved unto the third and fourth generation. ”

“ The next thing to be considered is, That all other sins and blasphemies, whatsoever may be forgiven. Be our sins ever so great and many, though we be the vilest wretches that ever lived, yet there is hope of pardon upon repentance. ”

“ This is that light and knowledge that lays a man open to the committing of that unpardonable sin: But yet a man may sin against all the light and experimental knowledge and yet do it through the weakness of the flesh or through some violent temptations, as Peter did when he denied Christ: Therefore,
4. He must oppose the known truth wilfully. He must wilfully fall away, after he hath received the knowledge of the truth; other sins are committed through infirmity, but this sin is wilful, the will is the chief actor in it ”

“ This sin unto death is an opposing sin. Now, to oppose a thing, is to contradict it, or gainsay it; as when a man says a thing is so and so, he denies it, and says it is not so; or when a man says a thing must be done, he says again, It must not, or it shall not be done ”

“ It signifieth the universality and the fulfilling of all times as appeareth by the consideration of the 7 Seals the 7 Trumpets, and the 7 Vials; because that number denoteth the whole train of things which the seals, Trumpets, and Vials, foretell are to come to pass till the very destruction of the Antichristian empire,
2. Christ appeareth, having in his hand 7 Stars, which are the seven Pastors of the seven Churches; and walking in the midst of 7 Candlesticks, which are the seven Churches, that we have mentioned. But why Seven? ”