The riches of Gods love unto the vessels of mercy, consistent with his absolute…The riches of Gods love unto the vessells of mercy, consistent with his absolute…

2. From the Comedy I come to the Tragedy, I mean the story of Spira. Sleidan saith of him, that Incredibili ardour caepit complecti puriorem doctrinam: & cum indies magis magisque proficeret, non domi tantum apud amicos quid sentiret de singulis dogmatis, verum etiam passim apud omnes explicabat. Tidings hereof coming to the Popes Legate then at Venice John Casa Arch-Bishop of Beneventum, he convents Spira, who confesseth his error before him, entreats pardon, and promiseth obedience for time to come. The Legate not contented with this, commands him to go home, and publicly to revoke his error. Sleidan writes no more here of but this, Accipit ille conditionem, & licet etiam tum inciperet ipsum paenitere facti, tamen urgentibus amicis, qui non ipsius modo, sed conjugis etiam & liberorum & facultatum ipsius spem totam in eo positam dicerent, obtemperavit. Osiander writes that pessimo consilio obsecutus, abnegando veritatem caelestem perrexit, eamque publice ut haeresin blasphemavit & abjuravit. The distress of conscience which overtook him hereupon is notorious, the issue whereof was to end his woeful days more woefully in despair. But nothing more strange then his discourses and meditations in the midst of this his desperate condition. As for the particulars following, 1: Touching the greatness of his sin, and that he was taken off from that by the example of Peter, I find no such thing neither in Sleidan, nor Osiander, nor in Goulartius; but rather in this latter, who makes the largest relation thereof taken out of the discourse of one Henry Scringer, a learned Lawyer who was then at Padua, who did see, and many times talk with this poor Spira; I find that which makes to the contrary, namely, that the sin which he laid to his own charge was the sin against the Holy Ghost. And no example I trust neither of Peter, nor any other was sufficient to take him off from despair in such a case. 2. And as for the discourse here suggested of his absolute reprobation, which he opposed against their comforts ministered unto him, no mention thereof, neither in Sleidan, nor in Osiander; nay Osiander writes that he was wished to revoke doctrinam Lutheranam, and this was it which he did (as he sayeth) blaspheme as an heresy, and abjure.

2. From the Comedy I come to the Tragedy, I meane the story of Spira. Sleidan saith of him, that Incredibili ardore caepit complecti puriorem doctrinam: & cum indies magis magisque proficeret, non domi tantum apud amicos quid sentiret de singulis dogmatis, verum etiam passim apud omnes explicabat. Tidings hereof coming to the Popes Legat then at Venice John Casa Arch-Bishop of Beneventum, he convents Spira, who confesseth his errour before him, intreats pardon, and promiseth obedience for time to come. The Legat not contented with this, commands him to goe home, and publiquely to revoke his errour. Sleidan writes no more here of but this, Accipit ille conditionem, & licet etiam tum inciperet ipsum paenitere facti, tamen urgentibus amicis, qui non ipsius modo, sed conjugis etiam & liberorum & facultatum ipsius spem totam in eo positam dicerent, obtemperavit. Osiander writes that pessimo consilio obsecutus, abnegando veritatem caelestem perrexit, eamque publice ut haeresin blasphemavit & abjuravit. The distresse of conscience which overtooke him hereupon is notorious, the issue whereof was to end his woefull dayes more woefully in despaire. But nothing more strange then his discourses and meditations in the midst of this his desperate condition. As for the particulars following, 1: Touching the greatnesse of his sinne, and that he was taken off from that by the example of Peter, I find no such thing neither in Sleidan, nor Osiander, nor in Goulartius; but rather in this latter, who makes the largest relation thereof taken out of the discourse of one Henry Scringer, a learned Lawyer who was then at Padua, who did see, and many times talke with this poore Spira; I find that which makes to the contrary, namely, that the sinne which he laid to his owne charge was the sinne against the Holy Ghost. And no example I trust neither of Peter, nor any other was sufficient to take him off from despaire in such a case. 2. And as for the discourse here suggested of his absolute reprobation, which he opposed against their comforts ministred unto him, no mention thereof, neither in Sleidan, nor in Osiander; nay Osiander writes that he was wish'd to revoke doctrinam Lutheranam, and this was it which he did (as he sayeth) blaspheme as an heresy, and abjure.