Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A28660
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A relation of the fearful estate of Francis Spira, in the year 1548 compiled by Natth. Bacon, Esq.
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Bacon, Nathaniel, 1593-1660.
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1649
(1649)
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Wing B357; ESTC R9731
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21,936
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82
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said he that God will be mercifull to you Nay answered he for because I am in this ill estate therefore can I believe nothing but what is contrary to my salvation and comfort but you that are so confident of your good estate look that it be true for it is no such small matter to bee assured of sincerity a man had need be exceeding strongly grounded in the truth before he can be able to affirm such a matter as you now do It is not the performance of a few outward duties but a mighty constant labor with all intention of heart and affection with full desire and endeavour continually to set forth Gods glory there must be neither fear of Legates Inquisitors Prisons nor any death whatsoever many think themselves happy that are not it is not every one that saith Lord Lord that shall go to heaven They came another day and found him with his eyes shut as if he had been drouzie and very loath to discourse at which time there came in also a grave man from Cittadella who demanded of Spira if he knew him or not hee lifting up his eye-lids and not suddenly remembring him the man said to him I am Presbyter Antonie Fontamia I was with you at Venice some eight weeks since O cursed day said Spira O cursed day O that I had never gone thither would God I had then died Afterwards came in a Priest called Bernardinus Sardoneus bringing with him a book of Exorcismes to conjure this divell whom when Spira saw shaking his head he said I am verily perswaded indeed tnat God hath left me to thh power of the divels but such they are is are not to be found in your Letany neither will they be cast out by spells The Priest proceeding in his intended purpose with a strange uncouth gesture and a loud voyce adjured the spirit to come into Spira's tongue and to answer Spira deriding his fruitless labour with a sigh turned from him A Bishop being there present said to Spira brother God hath put vertue into the word and Sacraments and we have used the one meanes and find not that effect which we desire shall we try the efficacie of the Sacraments surely if you take it as a true Christian ought to receive the body and bloud of Christ it will prove a soveraign medicine for your sick soul This I cannot do answered he for they that have no right to the promises have no right to the seales the Euâ—harist was appointed onely for believers if we have not faith we eate and drink judgment to our selves I received it about a moneth since but I did not well in so doing for I took it by constraint and so I took it to my deeper condemnation Here Vergerius began to importune him earnestly to beware that he did not wilfully resist grace and put himself out of Heaven charging him vehemently by all the love that was between them by the love which he bare to his children yea to his own soul that he would set himself seriously to return to that faith and hope which once he had in the death of Christ with many such like words Spira having heard much of the like matter formerly and being somewhat moved said You do but repeate Vergerius what should I hope why should I believe God hath taken faith from me shew me then whither I shall go shew me a Haven whereto I shall retire you tell me of Gods mercy when as God hath cast me off you tell me of Christs intersession I have denied him you command me to believe I say I cannot you bring me no comfort your command is as impossible for me to obâ—y as to kâ—ep the Morall Law if you should perswade one to love God with all his heart soul and strength and God gives him not the power can he perform your desire doth not the Church teach us to sing direct us O Lord to love thy Commandements hypocrites say that they love God with all their heart but they lye for my part I will not lye but tell you plainly such is my case that though you should never so much importune mee to hope or believe though I desire it yet I cannot for God as a punishment of my wickedness hath taken away from me all his saving graces faith hope and all I am not the man therefore that you take me for belike you think I delight in this estate if I could conceive but the least spark of hope of a better estate hereafter I would not refuse to endure the most heavâ—e wâ—ight of the wrath of that great God yea for twenty thousand yeares so that I might at length attain to the end of that misery which I now know will be eternal but I tell you my will is wounded who longs more to beleeve then I doe but all the ground-work of my hope is quite gone for if the testimonies of holy Scripture be true as they are most certainly true is not this as true whosoever denies me before men him saith Christ will I denie before my Father which is in heaven is not this properly my case as if it had purposely been intended against this very person of mine and I pray you what shall become of such as Christ denieth seeing there is no other Name under heaven whereby you look to be saved what saith Saint Paul to the Hebrews it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost if they fall away to be renewed to repentance what can be more plain against me Is not that Scripture also if we sinne wilfullly after we have received the knowledg of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin but a certain looking for of judgment the Scripture speaks of me Saint Paul meâ—hes me Saint Peter tell me it had been better I had not known the way of rightteousness then after I have known to turn from the holy Commandement it had been better I had not known and yet then my condemnation had bee most certain do you not see evidently that I have wâ—lfully denyed the known truth may justly expect not onely damnation but worse if worse may be imagined God will have mee undergoe the just punishment of my sin and make me an example of his wrath for your sakes The company present admired his discourse so grievously accusing himself of his fore-past life so gravely and wisely dilating concerning the judgments of God that they then were convinced that it was not frenzie or madness that had possessed him and being as it were in admiration of his estate Spira proceeded again in this manner Take heed to your selves it is no light or easie matter to bee a Christian it is not Baptisme or reading of the Scriptures or boasting of faith in Christ though even these are good that can prove one to be an absolute Christian you know what I said