A15859:313
Speculum Christianum
Speculum Christianum or, A Christian survey for the conscience Containing, three tractates of that eminent, grave, and learned divine, master Hierome Zanchius. 1. Of the end of the world. 2. Of the perseverance of the saints. 3. A summary abridgement of his protections. Englished for the good of Gods church, and for a warning to wicked and impenitent men. By H.N.Speculum Christianum or, A Christian suruey for the conscience Containing, three tractates of that eminent, graue, and learned diuine, maister Hierome Zanchius. 1. Of the end of the world. 2. Of the perseuerance of the saints. 3. A summarie abridgement of his protections. Englished for the good of Gods church, and for a warning to wicked and impenitent men. By H.N.
London: printed by George Eld, 1614
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Here I do find three ranks of men; Apostates, Hypocrites, and licentious livers, or notoriously wicked.
Heere I doe finde three rankes of men; Apostats, Hypocrites, and licentious liuers, or notoriouslie wicked.
The fourth, which is of the Saints, that is of such as which neither in perfidy do revolt from the faith of Christ to Judaism or Turkism, neither ⟨p. 287⟩do repose their confidence, either to tall or in part, in their own merits, but fully and entirely in sole Christ alone, neither yet either lead a wicked life, or give over themselves captives to sin, but rather study for sanctity of life, and resist sin: And although, while they walk aright, they do slip and offend sometime, yet never do they either love sin, or commit sin with a full consent of will, or persevere in sin. Therefore he either holdeth opinion, that men truly holy, and truly believing in Christ do always remain in Christ; and therefore never to fall utterly from faith and from Christ; or if he think that even the very Saints can fall from Christ, then did he not recount all sorts of such men as do not abide in Christ: or finally, if he will have even this same kind that is of the Saints, to be comprised in any of the three former, he hath done great injury to the Saints, that he hath not distinguished them, and ⟨p. 288⟩severed them by some marks, from those most vile sorts of men. But it is most probable, that such a man would either make no difference be tween the Saints and those three conditions of men, Apostles, Hypocrites, and notoriously wicked; or in that his distribution not to comprehend all the kinds of such, as do not continue in Christ. Therefore it followeth according to that partition of D. Brentius, that this fourth rank of men, that is, of the Saints, seeing it differeth from these three in quality of faith and life, that they in like sort differ herein, That whereas they do not abide in Christ; these do never fall from Christ.