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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	faith_n	hear_v	preach_n	3,029	5	10.8817	5	false

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

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

regenerated and hath tasted of the grace of God and hath embraced Christ and his holy word if he fall to sin againe he is without remedy of saluation Vndoubtedly this is a very damnable error enough to bring all them that are infected therewith to desperation But albeit they ground this their error vpon this afore alledged text of Saint Paule certaine other texts yet they misse the cushion because they take this scripture too straightly not referring it to many other places of scripture which shew that whensoeuer how often soeuer a sinner repenteth him truly of his sinnes and committeth himselfe with a sure faith vnto the mercy of God through Christ God receiueth him again to grace and saluation Doubtlesse no prophecie in the scripture hath any priuate interpretation 2. Petri. 1. but must needes be expounded according to the generall articles of the Christian faith and agreeable to other texts of holy scripture and so must this text be also Now truth it is that there is almost innumerable texts in holy scripture that most plainely doe declare that whensoeuer a true repentant sinner by vnfayned faith returneth vnto God asketh mercy for Christs sake he shal vndoubtedly haue it And albeit the holy scripture is full of such places yet here by Gods grace I will shew and rehearse to you some of them to giue you occasion to marke them such like places as you shall find almost in euery leafe of the Bible A iust man falleth seauen times Pro 2-4 and riseth vpp againe Marke the scripture saith he riseth vp againe The wickednesse of the wicked shal not hurt him Ezech. 33. whēsoeuer he conuerteth Note that it saith whensoeuer he conuerteth Let the vngodly man forsake his owne way Esa 55. and the vnrighteous his own imaginations and turne againe vnto the Lord so shall hee be mercifull vnto him Thou disobedient Israell turne againe sayth the Lorde and I will not let my wrath fall vpon you Iere. 3. Thus saith the Lorde Jere. 8. doe men fall so that they rise not vp againe Or if Israell doe repent wil not God turn againe to them Zacha. 1. Turne you vnto mee saith the Lord God of hoastes and I will turne me vnto you Remember from whēce Apoc. 2. thou art fallen and do the first workee Marke in the Gospell of Luke the example of the vnthrifty sonne Luc. 15. Also Christ said vnto Peter Peter I haue prayed for thee Luc. 22. that thy faith fayle not and when thou art conuerted strength thy brethren Marke he saith when thou art conuerted Lo if you weigh these places of scripture afore alledged and almost innumerable mo of the same sort you shall perceiue euidently that though a christian haue sinned neuer so oft as who doth not daily offend God yet whensoeuer he returneth vnto God by true repentance which consisteth of inward cōtrition and a sure faith in Christ Iesus he is assured by the word of God to recouer and receaue againe the grace fauour and mercy of God which through his disobedience he had worthely lost and immediatly to enioyfull absolute and perfect remission and forgiuenes of all his sinns throgh Iesus Christ in whom he reposeth all his faith trust and confidence of saluation The Gospell assureth him no lesse saying Iohn 3. So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Moreouer if you marke well the examples of godly men which are registred in holy scripture you shall playnely perceiue that albeit they were highly in Gods fauour yet for all that many of them had great fals and committed very heynous offences but they did rise vp againe returning to Gods mercy by true repentance and faith and so recouered againe their former grace which they through their owne folly had lost Aaron was so much fauoured of God Aaron that by Gods calling he was made the high bishop and curate ouer his people And yet at the light request of the Israelites hee let them make and worship the golden Calfe contrary to his conscience by reason whereof both hee and they committed that most detestable sinne of Idolatrie and yet he by true repentaunce and faith returning to grace was saued Dauid Dauid Gods deare darling after he had that knowledge of God and had much tasted of his grace being endued aboundantly with the holy Ghost and gratious gifts from aboue fell both into the sin of adulterie and murther And yet by true and vnfeyned repentaunce returning to Gods mercy was accepted and receiued againe into Gods fauour Manasses Manasses also contrary vnto his conscience fell willingly to Idolatry but yet he rose againe by true repentance and faith and recouered again the grace of God So likewise that wicked man of the Citie of Corinthus whome Saint Paul straightly charged the Corinthians to excōmunicate The sinfull Corinthian 1 Cor. 5. and exclude out of the holy congregation of Christian men and that they should neyther eate nor drinke with him because of his open and abhominable crime of incest and outragious whoredome and yet when he declared himselfe to be truely repentaunt for his great and infamous sin 1. Cor. 2. Saint Paul admonished them with all gentlenesse and christian charity to receiue him againe into the congregation as a christian brother and so to esteeme him and take him VVhat shall I say of Peter Peter Christs Apostle had not he a sure knowledge of Christ confessing him openly before all the Apostles to be very Christ the sonn of the liuing God was not hee euen then endued with the holy ghost grace from aboue Mat. 16. vnto whome Iesus Christ said Blessed art thou Simon the sonn of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not opened that vnto thee but my father which is in heauen And yet after all this hee had such a fall that contrary to his owne conscience willingly without any cōpulsion threates or imprisonment he did most cowardly and shamefully forsake and deny Christ not without blasphemy swearing that he neuer knew him cursing and committing himselfe to the deuill if euer he had to doe with him VVhat would the Nouatian and Anabaptist say vnto this was it not a fal could there be any greater sinne then this was it not done of knowledge was it not done willingly was it not against his owne conscience Yes doubtles it was no lesse but against his owne conscience But yet thankes be vnto Almighty God it was not the sinne of blasphemy against the holy ghost neyther the sinne vnto death the which Saint Iohn speaketh of for he continued not therein vnto his end 1 Iohn 5. but immediatly hee went forth of the bishop● house and wept bitterly very much lamenting his heynous offence and by faith he returned againe vnto Christ knowing his mercy to be infinite and without measure