Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	blasphemy_n	forgive_v	ghost_n	1,829	5	9.1420	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

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

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

backe again open sinners and blasphemers to earnest repentaunce for their owne sinfulnesse and to haue a sure trust in the mercy of God and in the merit of Christs passion and death though they be euen at the departure out of this presēt life for it is neuer too late so long as life lasteth Let vs therefore with all feruentnesse call vpon them and exhort them in any wise with a good courage and a sure and vndoubful faith aske call and cry for Gods mercy for his sweet sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ his sake and vndoubtedly they shall haue it For since the beginning of the world hitherto was there neuer one that in faith asked mercy heartely but he had it through the gratious goodnesse of our aforesaid most mercifull sauiour Iesus Christ vnto whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour laude and praise world without end Amen Yours at commaund to his power T. C. Giue all the honor laud and praise to God onely 1. Tim. 1. The prayer of Daniel turned into metre and applyed vnto our time Daniel IX O Lord thou high and fearefull God By whom all things do moue Thy mercies great are sure to such As thy precepts doe loue We sinfull men haue sore transgrest Against thy lawes deuine Full frowardly we haue fled backe From these precepts of thine Thy Prophets deare to speake were prest In setting forth thy name Both rich and poore as bold were bent For to gainesay the same To thee therefore thou Lord of hoastes All iustice doth belong To poure on vs such shame and griefe In this we haue no wrong Our shame is great and due to all Our flight is but in vaine To tread strange lands our sin hath sought Our shame doth still remaine But though such shame a reward iust To all in common be Yet mercy Lord and to forgiue Doth still belong to thee Indeede O Lord as for our selues No lesse confesse wee can But that thy lawes wee set at nought Much lesse haue kept them than Thy Prophets spake wee would not heare Ne of thee stand in awe Strange plagues from time to time we felt For breaking of thy lawe The force whereof so fiercely bent Was such as hath not bene For all the plagues in Moses lawe Fell on this Realme for sinne And yet to thee who made his sute His path way so to guide That flying vice might learne thy lawe And therein to abide Wwerefore thou sawest all would not helpe And couldst not hold thine hand But haste thy curse which now doth fall Vpon this sinfull land For as thou art a righteous God Thy workes doe soe appeare Consuming such as scorne doth take Thy louing voyce to heare But yet O Lord thou broughtest forth Thy flocke from Egipt land Whereby thy name was largely spread So now stretch forth thine hand But we haue sinned more then they Oh Lord yet stay thy rod. As for this land was sometime thine And thou also our God Our sinnes and eke our fathers faultes This day to passe hath brought That all which border vs about They set vs cleane at nought Now then O Lord hide not thy face Oh heare thy seruaunts cry Behold thine house sometime full rich How wast it doth nowe lie Thy truth is fled thy flock fast bound As sheepe led to be slaine Thy foes preuaile and prosper much Though mischiefe they maintaine And wilt not thou thy foes confound That thus thy workes reproue At least yet for thy great names sake Their vile intents remoue For why as for our owne deserts We can no such thing haue It is for thy great mercies sake That we such thinges doe craue Forgiue vs Lord intreated be To heare vs make no stay We beare thy name it is thy cause Oh Lord make no delay A Prayer against Despaire O Eternall God most louing and gratious father in Iesus Christ who art alwaies praysed and magnified by thy children in theyr great deliuerances and preseruation from their perils and daungers but especially when they perceiue themselues freede from the power of Satan death and hell from the which no creature can saue and deliuer them but thou onely O Lorde And because no chaine of the deuill or euill temptation is more strong to fetter the body and soule of man then despaire which is a wilfull forsaking of faith and confidence in thee O God it arising springing from fear and doubt as if thou wert not faithfull in thy promises or able in thy power to preserue vs Helpe Lord I beseech thee and free and deliuer me thy poore seruaunt from this temptation thraldome of Satan and soe strengthen I humbly pray thee my faith and confidence euer more in thee that in al my perils necessities wants sorrowes and griefe in this world I may haue a strong and stedfast hope in thee whereby I may ouercome repell and keepe backe the dangerous and subtill suggestions of Satan the world and the flesh to thy great glory and praise and my eternall and vnspeakable comfort through Iesus Christ my onely Lord and Sauiour Amen ¶ A Prayer for the Morning O Lord thou which couerest the night with darkenesse and causest man therein to take his rest and by euery day and night doest shew thy great glory in the heauens and also thy wisdome and power by gouerning and preseruing all thy creatures vpon the earth O Lord I thy poore seruaunt and creature doe most humbly thanke thee from the bottome of my heart for my sweete and comfortable rest this night past and for watching ouer mée by thine eye of prouidence and kéeping both my body and soule by thy grace from sinne and death beseeching thée O Lorde God my father Sauiour and comforter to blesse to sanctifie direct and preserue me in this thy new day and that I may become a newe creature vnto thée O God in holinesse and righteousnesse labouring faithfully and painfully in my calling that so my laboures this day may be sanctified and blessed vnto mée and mine and that I may shew forth thy praise in al my waies and declare my loue and charity vnto men in all my works that after the dayes of this my life and pilgrimage finished and ended here in this world I may liue with thee for euer in the world to come throgh Iesus Christ my Lorde and Sauiour who liueth and reigneth with thée and the holy Ghost euer one God world without end Amen ¶ A Prayer for the Euening O gratious and mercifull God I am most bound vnto thy heauenly Maiesty for my preseruatiō this day because I and al men are continually subiect vnto all dangers and perils griefes sorrowes sicknesse and death yea we lie open vnles thy grace and might doe defend vs vnto the temptations tyranny of the world the flesh the deuill which daily seek and desire our hurt and confusion both of body soule for euer Wherefore O gratious and euerliuing God as thy right hand and sauing health hath bene with mée this day and thou hast directed blessed and comforted mee thy poore seruaunt in all my wayes and labours for the which I most hūbly thank thée so I most earnestly entreat thy Maiesty in thy loue and mercy for Christ Iesus sake to keepe mée and al mine in safety this night and to couer vs vnder the shadow of thy winges from all perils and dangers whatsoeuer and that our soules as well as our bodies may take their swéet and comfortable rest and ioy in thée and likewise that thou wouldest grant that whensoeuer thou shalt knocke at the doore of our hearts to call vs vnto thee O God we may with the wise Virgins be watchfull haue oyle in our lamps that we may be receiued into eternall rest through Iesus Christ thy deare sonn and our onely Sauiour Amen FINIS