Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ghost_n	holy_a	scripture_n	19,615	5	6.1818	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04503	An excellent treatise touching the restoring againe of him that is fallen written by the worthy, Saint Chrysostome to Theodorus a friend of his, who by leud liuing, was fallen from the Gospell; fit to read for reclaiming their hearts which are in like case. Englished (out of an auncient Latin translation, written in velume) by R.W. With an annexed epistle of comfort from one friend to another, wherin the Anabaptists error of desperation is briefly confuted, and the sinne against the holy Ghost plainly declared.	John Chrysostom, Saint, d. 407.; Cottesford, Thomas. Epistle of comfort.; Wolcomb, Robert, b. 1567 or 8.	1609 (1609)	STC 14631; ESTC S121653	61,720	216

repent and returne againe vnto Christ For albeit his faith was weake and faint as was the faith of all the Apostles yet it was not vtterly extinct Luk. 22. for Christ had said vnto him before Simon I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not And in any wise take heede and note this well Christ saide not hee that denyeth mee I shall deny him though he repent and returne but remember well that Christ said Mat. 9. I came not to call the righteous but sinners vnto repentaunce Peter therefore repented and returned vnto Christ againe and so was receiued vnto grace and was saued Question VVherefore good Madam in this hard text of Saint Paule vnto the Hebrewes way wel this condition if they fall away for they onely fall away which commit that most horrible crime which is called in the holy scripture the sinne vnto death blasphemy against the spirit and the sinne against the holy Ghost which neuer shall be forgiuen neyther in this world neyther in the world to come But here it might bee demaunded what the sinne against the holy Ghost is and wherein it differeth from all other greeuous sinnes Answere VVhereunto I answere that there is difference in sinnes it may clearely be gathered of Christes wordes saying Mat. 12. I say vnto you all sinne and blasphemy shall bee forgiuen vnto men but the blasphemy against the spirit shall not be forgiuen vnto men Loe here is the matter plainely opened by our Sauiour Christ what kind of sinnes shal be forgiuen and what neuer forgiuen blasphemy against the spirit shall neuer be forgiuen all other sinne and blasphemy shall be forgiuen And Christ in saying all sinne shall be forgiuen compriseth both originall sinne Three sorts of sinnes Sinne Blasphemy Blasphemy against the spirit and also actuall sinne moreouer Christ speaketh here of three sorts of sinns the first he calleth sinne the second blasphemy and the third blasphe● against the spirit which the scripture also calleth the sinne vnto death and the sinne against the holy ghost These three kindes of sinnes and the difference of euery of them I intend by Gods helpe seuerally to declare vnto you so shortlie as I can and so for this time tommit you vnto God And first consider well what sinne is Sinne Sinne. is euery wilfull disobedience act or deede that is done contrary vnto the Law and commaundements of God without murmur grudge or euill speaking eyther against the Law commaundements or God himselfe which is the maker and giuer of the Lawe As is Idolatry superstition periury swearing vnaduisedly breaking of the holy day dishonouring father and mother murther malice hatred enuie wrath strife treason sedition slaunder whordome theft and such like All these and such other are called and are indeede sinne so long as the dooers of them doe neyther murmur repine grudge nor speake euill against God or his holy lawe neither allowe in their conscience the thing and euill that they doe but rather doe vtterly disalowe accuse and cōdemne in their own conscience those their owne damnable acts as euil and detestable The second kinde of sinne is blasphemy marke it well and consider howe it differeth first from sinne and then from the sinne against the holy ghost Blasphemy Blasphemy is more heynous then is sinne alone for all blasphemy is sinne but all sinne is not blasphemy for truth it is that blasphemy compriseth in it selfe both sinne also a murmure grudg reuiling euill speaking slaunder and reproach of God and godlinesse but it is alway couple● with ignoraunce and vnbeleefe and proceedeth not of such obstinate malice as continueth to the end of the life as doth the sinne against the holy Ghost In this sinne of blasphemy Saint Paule offended before his conuersion vnto the faith of Christ Iesu For thus he speakkth of himselfe before I was a blasphemer 2. Tim. 2 and a persecutor and a tyraunt but I obtayned mercy because I did it ignorantly in vnbeliefe Lo here it is plaine and euident that this blasphemy thogh it be a great offence yet it is remissible and forgiueable and is not excluded from grace and mercy because it proceedeth of ignorance and not of knowledge nor of obstinate malice that doth endure to the liues end neyther is it the sinne vnto death and therfore we may lawfully pray for such blasphemers As Saint Iohn saith 2 Iohn 5 if any man see his brother sinne a sinne not vnto death let him aske and he shal giue him life In this simple blsphemy for so wee may call it many of the Iewes offended takinge Christ to be nothing lesse then the sonne of Dauid or Messias because his parents were very poore and himselfe supposed to be but a poore carpenters sonne which bare but a simple port in the world yea and some of them that crucified Christ were ouerwhelmed in this simple blasphemy and therefore Christ prayed for them saying father forgiue them for they know not what they doe Luc. 23. So Peter in his sermon excused the crucifiers of Christ saying now deare breethren I knowe that you haue done it through ignorance c. Act 3. Repent you therefore and returne that your sinnes may be done away So did Saint Steuen also pray for his persecutors whome before hee called stifnecked Act 7. aduersaries of the holy ghost traitors and murtherers of Christ doubtlesse he would not haue prayed for them so earnestly vnlesse their sinnes had bene forgiueable and therefore their sin and offence was no more but simple blasphemy The third kind of sinn is blasphemy against the spirit They commit blasphemy against the spirit Blasphemy against the spirit or sin against the holy ghost which willingly vpon knowledge and aduisedly contrary to their owne conscience doe deny forake impugne slaunder reuile and persecute the plaine open manifest and knowne truth stifly malitiously and obdurately perseuering and continuing without vnfayned repentaunce in that their willfull blindnes and obstinate malice so long as they liue in this world as did Pharaoh Saule Herod Iudas the traytor Iulianus Apostata Porphirius Himeneus and Alexander the copper-smith with other But marke this diligently that wee cannot as farre as I can perceiue certainely iudge of these blasphemers against the spirit before the time of their departure out of this present life because wee cannot certainely knowe whether at the end of their life they can repent and by faith returne and take holde of the mercy of God or not Coniectures are vncertaine Luc. 23. VVee may coniecture but we can not as I suppose certainely define of them Let vs consider that the theefe that hung on the right hand of Christ euen at the last houre repented and with a strong faithful prayer committed himselfe wholly vnto the mercy of Christ and was saued In consideration whereof let vs thinke it to be our bounden duty as the Prophets Christ and his Apostles did to reuoke and call

in many things and assisting them often that conuersion on the sudden may not be vnpleasant to them and that they may not goe againe to lewdnes for the difficulty of returning But not this parable onely declareth the moderatenesse of alteration but that likewise which is written of the prodigall sonne Luke 15. He was a sonne also no aliant his naturall brother that neuer went from his father he I say was a sonne that went far in the borders of iniquitie for he went into a farre countrey and farre from the Lord he that was rich and of good name was made baser then a seruant and hireling but sorrowfully returning he was taken into his ancient estate and inuested in his former glorie Now if he had lost hope and had beene ashamed to come againe to his father because of his mischanches and had a●ode alway in a straunge and forren countrey hee had not gotten that he gat but perishing for want of food had died a miserable death You see therefore how great necessitie repentance hath what force in turning hope hath by repentance the prodigall sonne recouered the olde condition of his glory which the elder brother had without repentance And if I might speake that I would in these matters me seemeth he gat more by conuersion than the other had ver 26.30 For so he himselfe saith loe these many yeeres haue I done thee seruice and yet thou neuer gauest me a kid that I might make mery with my friends Sinners conuerted get more thē they which stumbled not But when this thy sonne was come which hath deuoured thy goods with harlots thou hast for his sake killed the fat calfe Why should I not then think that he that turneth by repentance obtaineth more then other sith he had neuer a kid giuen him but for this the fat calfe was killed Wherefore beloued hauing these examples of repentance let vs not persist in euils nor despaire of attonement he will neuer put affiance in me turne his eyes from the conuerted if we our selues remooue not our selues from God Hier. 23.23 Our sins separate vs from God Isai 59.2 For he saith I am a God at hand and not a God farre off And againe by the Prophet * Or your iniquities haue separated betweene you and your God Your sinnes separate betweene me and you If then our sinnes disseuer vs from God let vs take away this barre and nothing may let vs to be brought into the fauour of God Will you that I shew it not onely spoken in parables but formed in deed There was a man among the Corinthians by all likelihood of no small calling he had committed such a sinne as was not committed amongst the Gentiles being of the numbe of ●he faithfull and Christs his ●riends for some report mee ●hinketh that he was of the ●mage of the Priests What ●hen Paul neuer parted him ●rom the number of those that ●ope to attaine saluation But when he had sufficiently rebu●ed the Corinthians for him ●urposing to shew that there ●s no wound nor disease that may not bee cured and made whole by repentance he commaundeth to deliuer him ouer ●nto Sathan 1. Cor. 5.5 for the destru●tion of the flesh that the spirit may be saued in the day of the ●ord Iesus But this he commaundeth before he was done ●o wit of his repentance for when he had sorowed it is ●ufficient saith he to him 2. Cor. 2.6 that ●e hath beene rebuked of many and addeth 8. Wherefore I ●ray you that you would con●irme your loue towards him ●est Sathan should circum●ent vs 11. for we are not ignorant of his enterprises The nation of the Galathians after it had perfectly beleeued in Christ and had receiued the holy Ghost insomuch that it wrought signes and miracles by the spirit after for the faith of Christ it had susteined many things after al these things I say it fell from the faith and was renued againe by the exhortations of the Apostle And that thou maist know that by the spirit they had done wonders and miracles heare howe the Apostle saith hee therfore that ministreth to you the spirit Gal. 3.5 and worketh miracles among you doth he it by the workes of the law or by the hearing of faith preached And againe that they had susteined many things after the receit of faith he testifieth where he saith Vers 4. Haue you suffered so many things in vaine Now after so great a steppe in faith they committed a sinne which was able to abalienate them from Christ of which the Apostle himselfe saith Gal. 5.2 Behold I Paul say vnto you that if you be circumcised Christ shall profite you nothing And againe Verse 4. whosoeuer are iustified by the law yee are fallen from grace And notwithstanding after these slides in faith after so grieuous a fall hee reclaimeth them and as I may say with motherlike compassion reformeth them saying My little children Gal. 5.19 of whom I trauell in birth againe vntill Christ be formed in you What else therefore by all this is there taught but that it may be that Christ may be formed anew in him that hath solde himselfe to worke iniquitie for he will not the death of a sinner Eze. 18.32 but that he should be conuerted and liue For this cause most intirely beloued let vs goe about to fulfill the will of God therefore hath God created vs and caused vs to be that we were not that he may bestow euerlasting good things vpon vs Heauen was made for man hell for the diuils and enfranchise vs into the heauenly city for hee made vs not faggots for hell fire The kingdome of heauen was ordained for vs and hell for the diuell And that this is true the Gospell teacheth for the Lord shall say to them on his right hand Mat. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my father inherite yee the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Vers 42. But hee shall say to them on his left hand depart from mee yee curs●d into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his Angels By this reason the kingdome of heauen was made for man and hell fire for the diuell euen from the foundation of the world So much doth it concerne vs that by preseruering in euils wee doe not frowardly exclude our selues from the entrance of goodnes Repentance in this life profiteth much after this life nought And while we are in this life how great soeuer sinnes we commit it is possible by repentance to purge them but when we are once dead then though we sorrie and we shal be very be sorrie yet there will bee no profite of repentance Although there be gnashing of teeth although there be howling and lamenting although we pray and begge with innumerable petitions yet none shall heare vs none shall helpe vs no not our tongue tormēted in flames shall be wet

Mat. 26. and so he was accepted vnto grace againe and Christ appeared vnto him to his great comfort after he arose againe from death to life and afterwards sending downe his holy spirit indued him with wonderfull gifts of grace from aboue And then Peter became a strong champion setting forth Christ to be the onely Sauiour of the whole world preaching and openly confessing him before all men wtout any feare either of the Scribes Pharises or Magistrates Now good sir lay this example of Saint Peter to this text of Saint Paule to the Hebrewes It cannot be that they which were once lightned c. If they fall away c. that they should be renued againe by repentance If a man would apply the aforesaid example of S. Peter vnto this text of Saint Paule hee would thinke that Peter should vtterly haue bene cast away from Gods fauour mercy and grace For first it can not be denyed but that he was once lightned that is endued with the true knowledge of Christ to be the onely Messias Sauiour of the world Secondly he had also casted of the heauenly gift which wes a true faith in Christ Iesus openly confessing the same before all the Apostles being fully perswaded in his owne conscience what Christ was Thirdly that Peter was become partaker of that holy Ghost had tasted of the good word of God it appeareth euidently by Christes sentence saying Blessed art thou Simon for flesh and bloud that is man shewed thee not that but my Father which is in heauen VVhich was by the inspiration of his holy spirit Finally Peter had a tast of the world to come For he did see in the mountaine the transfiguration of Christ Mat 17. and so did Iames the more and Iohn the Euangelist also VVhere in the presence of them all Christ was transfigured and shewed himselfe vnto them in the forme of a glorified body so that his face did shine as the Sun and his cloathes appeared as white as the light there appeared also among thē Moses and Elias And euen there the cleare voyce of God the father of heauen was plainely hearde among them out of the cloud saying vpon Christ this is my dearly beloued sonne in whom I delight heare him Loe all this and much more Peter both heard and saw being almost continually in Christs company eating and drinking with him hearing dayly his heauenly Doctrine preaching and teaching seeing euery where as occasion serued his great and wonderful myracles And yet for all this what a great fall Peter had it appeareth plainely by his deniall of Christ his louing master and Sauiour and the circumstances thereof which I touched before But yet to make Peters fall more horrible Christ said vnto him and vnto all other his Apostles when he sent them forth to preach the Gospell of saluation He that denyeth me before men I shall deny him also before my father Alas good Peter what case standedst thou in now How doth this saying of Christ now touch thee Remembring this saying of Christ art thou not at thy wies end Is it not most certaine true that thou hast too horribly fallen after that thou haddest tasted of al these gracious gifts before rehersed Hast thou not contrary to thine own cōscience most shamfully denyed thy master Sauiour before men Ah good soule what shall become of thee how wilt thou answere for thy selfe For it seemeth here plainely that both S. Paule in the afore aleadged place to the Heb. also Christ himselfe in the scripture afore rehearsed haue giuen sentence of cōdemnation against thee VVherefore the Anabaptists grounding vpon these scriptures wil plainely pronounce thee to be a reprobate and that thou art dispatched and vtterly cast away from all hope of saluation But here let vs not too lightly passe ouer but earnestly and deeply consider what may be said in this matter on Peters behalfe And first it may be rightly answered that that place of S. Paule vnto the Hebrews Heb. 6. maketh nothing against S. Peter neither yet against any Christian man how grieuously or how often soeuer he hath sinned so that he hath not vtterly forsaken Christ and fallen cleane away from him For S. Paule saith It cannot be that they which were once lightned c. If they fall away c. that they should be renued by repentance Marke here diligently It is not all one thing to fall and to fall away that S. Paule saith if they fall away He saith not if they fall but if they fall away for it is not all one thing to fall and to fall away For Peter did fal but did not fall away from Christ but returned vnto him againe And old prouerbe A prouerbe it is a man runneth very farre that neuer return●th againe All wee Christians doe daily fall for we daily breake Gods commandements but yet we doe not fall away from Christ neither refuse wee him to be our Sauiour but acknowledging our manifold sinnes and offences we daily turne vnto him againe by true repentance faith and amendment of life nothing doubting of his great and vnmeasurable mercy towards vs. They fall away from Christ that vtterly forsake him and refuse him Who falleth away frō christ to be their Sauiour and neuer returne vnto him againe to obtaine his mercy but are become plaine apostaes vtterly forsaking the christian faith making but a mocke of Christ perseuering in their obstinate apostacy and vnbeleefe euen to their liues end As did Iudas the traitor 1. Tim. 1. 2. Tim. 4. Iulianus Apostata Simon Magus Porphyrius Hymeneus and Alexander the Copersmith Mat. 10. A good generall rule to be noted Secondarily as touching that saying and threatning of Christ saying He that denyeth mee before men I shall deny him before my father c. It is to be considered that all the terrible threatnings that are in the holy Scripture threatned against great sinners are threatned conditionally that is to say if the sinners do not truely repent and returne vnto God by faith and amendment of life this plague or punishment or that shal light vpon them But if they at the preaching reading or hearing of Gods holy word do repente and returne vnto God by faith and godly life then that plague threatned shal not once touch them Example be the Niniuites vpon whom Ionas Gods minister and preacher or rather God by him pronounced this terrible iudgment saying Ion. 3. there are yet forty dayes and then shall Niniue bee ouerthrowne But there as the scripture saith the people of Niniue beleeued God earnestly repented them of their great sinnes and so was the sentence of God retracted and the Cittie saued and not ouerthrowne So likewise this terrible sentence of Christ he that denyeth mee before men I shall deny him before my Father must needes haue this cōdition ioyned with it if he doth not repent neyther returne againe A conditon but Peter did both