r', ,'`i' , ts ` THE XXXIX. SERMON. Mn'r26 MARC. 4. Lv c.22. Iort.IS. Of St. Peters Veniall, andTeares. F Peters deniall,thereare twoopinions, as oppofite, as faIle. The one, That Peter had loft his Faith. Grounding the famevpon the teftitnonic of Saint elmbrof,Pojlquam Petrie. ftdem/eperdiáiffedefluìt,matoremgratiam reperit,quam am :t, lfterthat Peter had bewailedhie loffaith, thegracehefound was morethan that he loft. And in that our Sauiours repre- henfionto h s Di Cciples at his departure to heauen, Hee re- prooaedtheir vnbeleefe and bardneffrofheart, Wherehe excepted not Peter. This opinion is primarily contrary to thole words 000ur Sauiour Chrilf, Ihaueprayed for thee(Peter) that thyfaithmight notfade thee. Secondly, it is conrrary to naturall reafon. For, topaffe fodainly from one extreameto another, though God Both it by extraordinary wayes, yet neyther Nature, nor Art, nor the Dwell doth it, be it eitherfrom ill to good, or from good to ill. Ñemo repenté turp/iimats, laid the Poet. The fan titieof Peter lure was one of the greateft; and to paffe fodainely from a Saint, to an Infidell, (which is numbred amongft thole fins that are themofahainous) it cannot finke into my head. Befides; Faith is like vnto yourErmine, whohad rather mori, Teamfa;dati; ra- ther dye, than durtie itfelfe. And therefore Faith is cloarhed in white 3 a colour wherein the leaftfpot or foyle fhewes fotileft.Correfponding with that ofSaint Paul,Hawing the myllerieoffaithin apureconfience.Theconfcience whereinFaith isto refide,mull be pureanddeane: and as it goes foyliug, fo it goes leffening and lofingitfelfe. Andas is the bloodofthefoule, and the laifhumour which isvomired forth, as it is to be feene in thofethat are fea-ficke ; fo is it in the ver- tuesof Faith, Peruenitgladiva (faith leremie) vfaueadanimam,Thefvordhathen- tredeuen votemyfaule. Saint Jerome, That the fivord is come vnto the foule, uandonibilinanima vitalereferuatur, When there is notany vital!thing that isre- Jeruedin the(oe.le, when all goodneffe is gone out of it. But SaintPeter was not come ro that defperatepaffe, his cafe was fame otherwife. And ifSaint Ambrafe fay, That he loft his Faith , he vnderftood thereby, that loyaltie and fidelitie which Peter ought better rohaue kept, orthat confeflîon ofhis faith, which vp- on that occafion he was bound to hauemade ; according to that ofSaint Paul, With the heart webeletueunto righteoufnef, but with, the mouthwee confef vetofal.. Nation. Two opinions concermno Pacts deniall. Mar.r6. Lu!¿.s 2. How Peter may be laid to haue loft his faith.
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