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COPYRIGHT, USE OF THE WEBSITE & PRIVACY POLICY FRANCISCO-RIBERA.com is a HAIL & FIRE WEBSITE and is a part of our section of books called 'CATHOLIC APOLOGETICA' and "DOGMATICA DE FIDE CATHOLICA (Dogma of the faith Catholic)." Works such as this have been placed online so that those of a Catholic as well as a Protestant and Gospel faith might become more familiar with the points of controversy, the resources and methods, the debate itself and the manner in which the Church and her theologians have historically managed the discourse in defense of tradition and Church law over the simple faith of the Gospel that was originally preached. Some of those laboring in this work were born and raised Catholic and became Gospel-Christians ('gospellers,' as they were called in the early Reformation era) by placing hope in the promises of God and by receiving all the Words of God spoken by Jesus Christ, the Apostles and prophets (1 Thessalonians 2:13). God's Word is called "light" - not darkness, obscurity, or confusion (Psa 119:105; Isa 8:20), and such a light as "enlightens every man that cometh into the world," John 1:9. We entreat others to read the Gospel and to become more knowledgeable in the history and the doctrines of the Roman Church in her dogmatic statements and apologetic works that perhaps some might be moved to consider the effects, fruits, and intentions of that religion that they too might, by comparing and contrasting the traditions and dogmas of the Church to the Word originally preached, come thereby to choose the witness of Jesus Christ over all these. HAIL & FIRE - a resource for Reformed and Gospel Theology in the works, exhortations, prayers, and apologetics of those who have maintained the Gospel and expounded upon the Scripture as the Eternal Word of God and the sole authority in Christian doctrine. Copyright Images and Materials All copyrights and all other rights of intellectual property worldwide in the Images and the Materials on this website and in the Hail & Fire Online Library are reserved to Hail & Fire. Images and Materials may be downloaded and viewed on the understanding that they have been made available for purposes of private study only. A single copy may be printed for personal use. Images and Materials may not be duplicated in any medium or distributed for any professional or commercial use or purpose. The user may display his/her single downloaded copy from his/her personal computer for personal use. User agrees and understands that a LINK to any image, book, article or manuscript in the Hail & Fire Library may be freely used and distributed, but Images and Materials in the Hail & Fire Library may not be copied or distributed in any medium. No copy of the Images or Materials may be retained on any other site or server for online viewing, downloading or distribution. Interested individuals should be referred to www.francisco-ribera.com or www.hailandfire.com via a URL or LINK to ensure that Copyright of the Images and Materials is respected and no copying or distribution occurs. Any other use of the Images and Materials in the Hail & Fire Library requires specific written permission from Hail & Fire. Other uses include publication, duplication or presentation to the public in discussions groups, sermons, teaching exercises, or display in any form including hard copy, film, digital, or online format, or any other format. Inquiries must include your full contact information and should be directed to: webmaster@hailandfire.com for reply. Hail & Fire reserves the right to charge a fee for use of Images and Materials from the Hail & Fire Library. If you have received permission to use Image(s) or Material(s) from the Hail & Fire Library for any professional or non-personal use, you agree to ensure that the Hail & Fire Copyright is displayed with the Image(s) or Material(s) and in the form that appears at the bottom of the Hail & Fire source webpage. USE OF WEBSITE The Gospel, because it is a calling to repentance, is offensive in the implication of sin and culpability on the part of individuals and in things which are accounted natural, permissible and good to some; and the Gospel is the more offensive in that it offers salvation and sanctification, which tends to offend those who cherish as 'good' that which is denied by the scriptures. The Gospel little moves and its preachers greatly offend those who cherish their sins (whatever they be) and who want above all else to both enjoy those things in which they delight and for all men to call that good and approved which they call good and which they approve. To those who are offended at the Gospel, we apologize - not for our faith, "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16), but that we do and attempt no more, for we have but the Gospel to preach, which Gospel begins with the calling of repentance, and repentance begins with and is according to the law of God by which men are converted: "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul," Psalm 19:7. It is not then, to those who stand fast against having their favorite and cherished sins or unbelief exposed as sin, that we address ourselves, but to those who acknowledge sin and are burdened by the working and the power of sin in themselves, for to such the Gospel is preached even according to the word of Christ: "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance," Luke 5:32; even to those who may be touched by the message of repentance, that they might turn to God who loves them and to Christ who died for them. To such we address all our efforts and may the God of grace so work upon your hearts to the acknowledging of the truth. DIALOGUE - if you choose to dialogue with us, please consider the following: We are not interested in argument for argument's sake, nor do we believe that argument between opposing sides whose minds are set in a chosen theology is necessarily convenient or productive, nor that every challenge must be met or even responded to; we firmly believe that there are people who do not believe and we absolutely acknowledge their unbelief, and respect their freedom and right to follow their own consciences, for our faith in the Gospel is fully in the Gospel (1 Corinthians 1:18-29). We recognize that the faith of some is to seem to "win" argumentative discussions, but from such we turn, being resolved that the Word of God is true and needs no man's authorization or approval or interpretation; that the preachers of the Gospel are sent not by men but by God; and that those that are Christ's both hear and understand the message of the Gospel and they speak and live the Gospel in the full assurance of the wisdom and knowledge of God revealed in the Gospel. We are fully assured of the sufficiency of the Gospel in doctrine, in the instruction of righteousness, and unto salvation through Jesus Christ. We are assured even as those all are and ever were who have experienced the truth of the Gospel in the power of its message working obedience from their hearts; we are assured even as those who once heard and did only perceive dimly, but who pursued as being poor and hungry and naked and blind, even as those to whom the Word of God shone as a light and they, desiring to walk in the light, pursued unto the dawning of the light upon their hearts and in their minds: so also commanded Peter, saying, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts," 2 Peter 1:19. We entreat all to consider that the truth of God and of Christ, of the Bible, of the things of the Bible, of Antichrist and of false doctrine, of tradition and of grace, of salvation and of judgment, of the world in its beginning and in its end, of the law and of the Gospel, of what Jesus did or did not say, or meant or did not mean, are not a matter of the opinions of men, or the decisions of councils, or the expositions of theologians, but of the truth - which truth is in the Scriptures alone, "Sola Scriptura," and which understanding is distributed throughout the ekklesia by the common gift of faith and by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Consider then whether you love the Word of God and believe it in truth and obey it from the heart, for it is in all men to believe in God and to know that an Almighty and Sovereign God exists, and it is in all men to comprehend the principles of law in goodness and godliness, but to believe God's Word and to obey his commandments is the form of faith that is alive unto God: it believes more than that God exists and is God - it receives the Word of God and obeys God: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous," 1 John 5:3. What have we that follow Christ to do with those disputes and arguments that attempt to prove against God or against his Word and Gospel? - there are many who judge according to their own thoughts and opinions and their own inclinations and understanding. God, who cannot be seen, is yet known by all people through his attributes clearly seen and is known in particular by as many as believe upon him through the faith of Jesus Christ even according to the work of God through his Spirit, which, though not seen, is known of them by the manifest declaration of their hearts. As a man knows by what he sees and hears, so is every individual's sense and knowledge of God and of the world - so also is every man's faith or lack of faith: some believe in free and abundant grace (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 4:2-5) and others place faith in penances and Mary; some believe there is one Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5) and some trust in many; some believe there is no God - though their own hearts testify of God (Romans 1:19-21); and some adhere to their own understanding and teachers (Proverbs 3:5; 2 Timothy 4:3; 2 Corinthians 10:5) while others believe the Gospel by faith. It is through the hearing of faith (Romans 10:17) that God ordained that men should be saved: "God hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel," 2 Timothy 1:9-10." We are among those who believe the Gospel. Our faith is this: that Christ, who came from God, though he had the truth that God commanded him to deliver to all the world, and though he had power over all things, did not "win" conversations or arguments; neither did he force any to believe even the truth itself; neither did he convince all his hearers nor convert all who heard him - nor did he try, but from some he hid even that which they would have had from him; neither did he by the power of his presence convict men of sin or persuade them to repentance and conversion, or even humble the proud, nor did he answer every person who demanded proof of him, as if they might then have believed; but, he knew his own and his own knew him, and as many as were his heard his voice and followed him. And Jesus, who delivered the truth of God as God delivered it to him (John 12:49), did so even before those who did not receive it, those who made a pretence as if only in need of proof to believe it, those who thought his words foolish, those who called him divisive, and those who accused him and sought opportunity against him, and all the while he showed that his doctrine was plain to as many as believe God and know God and are called of God, for such are taught of God (John 6:45) and are the children of God, manifesting in themselves a love of the truth written upon their hearts and in their minds: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall be all taught of God.' Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me" John 6:44-45. "Let him," then, "that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely," (Revelations 22:17). CONTACT INFO Contact information and any other information that you may provide to us through this website will be maintained for internal use, and may be used at our sole discretion in the promotion of our primary goal; contact information that you provide will not be shared, sold or rented to any party for any purpose or use. In writing or corresponding with HAIL & FIRE, you do thereby give your consent to this Notice. |
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copyright, use of the website & privacy policy
"In sacram beati Ioannis Apostoli & Evangelistae Apocalypsin Commentarii" by Francisco Ribera, 1602 edition
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HAIL & FIRE - a resource for Reformed and Gospel Theology in the works, exhortations, prayers, and apologetics of those who have maintained the Gospel and expounded upon the Scripture as the Eternal Word of God and the sole authority in Christian doctrine.
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