Lo, all this and much more Peter both herd & saw, being almost continually in Christs company, eating and drinking with him, hearing daily his heavenly doctrine, preaching and teaching, seeing every where (as occasion served) his great and wonderful miracles. And yet for all this, what a great fall Peter had, ⟨p. 85⟩it appeareth plainly by his denial of Christ his loving master and saviour, and by the circumstances thereof, which I touched before. But yet to make Peters fall more horrible, Christ said unto him and unto all the other his Apostles, when he sent them forth to preach the Gospel of salvation: He that denieth me before men,1 I shall deny him also before my father. Alas good Peter, what case standest thou in now? How doth this saying of Christ touch thee? Remembering this saying of Christ, art thou not utterly at thy wits end? Is it not most certain & true, that thou hast to horribly fallen after that thou haddest tasted of all these gracious gifts before rehearsed? Hast thou not contrary to thine own conscience most shamefully denied thy master and saviour Christ before men? Ah good soul what shall become of thee? how wilt thou answer for thy self? For it seemeth here plainly, that both S. Paul in the afore alleged place to the Hebr. & also Christ himself in the scripture afore rehearsed have given sentence of condemnation against thee. Wherefore, both the Novatian & the Anabaptist groū ding ⟨p. 96⟩them selves upon these two places of holy scripture, will plainly pronounce the to be a reprobate, & that thou art dispatched & utterly cast away from all hope of salvation. But here let us not to lightly pass over, but earnestly way & deeply consider, what may be said in this matter on Peters behalf. And first it may be rightly answered, that that place of S. Paul unto the Hebrews,2 maketh nothing against S. Peter, neither yet against any christen man, how grievously or how often so ever he hath sinned, so that he hath not utterly forsaken Christ and fallen clean away from him. For S. Paul sayeth: It can not be that they which were once lightened. &c. If they fall away. &c. that they should be renewed by repentance.
Loo, al thys and muche more Peter both herd & sawe, beyng almost cō tinually in Christes company, eating and drynkyng wyth hym, hearynge daylye hys heauenlye doctrine, preachyng and teachynge, seynge euerye where (as occasion serued) hys great and wonderful myracles. And yet for al thys, what a great fall Peter had, ⟨p. 85⟩it appeareth playnlye by hys deniall of Christ hys louyng maister and sauiour, and by the circumstances therof, whych I touched before. But yet to make Peters fall more horrible, Christ sayd vnto hym and vnto al the other hys Apostles, when he sent thē forth to preache the Gospel of saluacion: He that denyeth me before men,1 I shall deny hym also before my father. Alasse good Peter, what case standest thou in nowe? How doth thys sayeng of Christ touche the? Remembringe thys sayeng of Christ, art thou not vtterly at thy wyttes ende? Is it not most certain & true, yt thou hast to horribly fallē after that thou haddest tasted of al these gracious gyftes before rehersed? Hast thou not contrarye to thyne owne conscience moste shamefully denyed thy maister and sauiour Christ before mē? Ah good soule what shal becōe of thee? howe wilt thou answer for thy selfe? For it semeth here playnly, that both S. Paule in the afore alleged place to the Hebr. & also Christ himselfe in the scripture afore rehersed haue gyuen sentence of condēnaciō against the. Wherfore, bothe the Nouacion & the Anabaptist groū dyng ⟨p. 96⟩them selues vpō these two places of holy scripture, wil plainly pronoūce the to be a reprobat, & that thou art dispatched & vtterly cast away frō al hope of saluacion. But here let vs not to lyghtly passe ouer, but earnestly waye & depely consyder, what may be sayd in thys matter on Peters behalfe. And fyrst it may be ryghtly answered, that that place of S. Paul vnto the Hebrues,2 maketh nothynge agaynst S. Peter, neither yet agaynst any christen man, howe greuously or howe often so euer he hath synned, so that he hath not vtterly forsakē Christ and fallen cleane awaye from hym. For S. Paule sayeth: It can not be that they whych were once lyghtned. &c. Yf they fal awaye. &c. yt they shulde be renued by repentaunce.
- 1Mat. 10.
- 2Heb. 6.
