Resipiscence

And I haue already ſayd how ſinners for obteyning of pardon haue neede of repentance, which ſome like better to call Reſipiſcence, or amendment, and of change of minde: and the Lord promiſeth that he will pardon ſinners if they repent, if they amend and turne their hartes from their naughtie liues vnto hym.

[T]hey vvill not haue to ſignifie a ſorrovvefull repentance, but a Resipiscence, or vvaxing vviſe againe vvhich God graunt they may doe vvithout any ſorrovve, or affliction of minde for that vvhich is paſt.

[R]ecollect your conduct paſt, / That reſipiſc[e]nce may at laſt / Effectuate a change.

Amid these enlarged measures, the papers tell us of one by the legislature of New York, so much in the opposite direction that it would puzzle us to say in what, the darkest age of the history of bigotry and barbarism, we should find an apt place for it. It is said they have declared by law that all those who hereafter shall join in communion with the religious sect of Shaking quakers, shall be deemed civilly dead, their marriage vows dissolved, and all their children and property taken from them; without any provision for rehabilitation in case of resipiscence.

The church of England was no longer exasperated against them; if there was ever any prosecution, it was to screen the king from the reproach of the puritans. They drew a flattering picture of the resipiscence of the Anglican party; who are come to acknowledge the truth in some articles, and differ in others rather verbally than in substance, or in points not fundamental; […]

[G]reat intellect knows no resipiscence and high art has nothing to repent of.

Seven bishops arrayed him [Jan Hus] in priestly garb and warned him to recant while yet there was time. He turned to the crowd, and with broken voice declared that he could not confess the errors which he had never entertained, let he should lie to God, when the bishops interrupted him, crying that they had waited long enough, for he was obstinate in his heresy. […] There had already been afforded ample opportunity for resipiscence, and the convict could always still recant up to the lighting of the fagots.

[I]f a king preach a gospel to you other than that which you have received, close your ears. For I still hesitate to say, as did the Apostle (Gal[atians] 1:8), let him be anathema, as long as I see any possibility of resipiscence … it does not belong to kings to legislate for the Church … to kings belongs the maintenance of civil order, but the administration of the Church belongs to the shepherds and teachers.