Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	abraham_n	faith_n	justify_v	1,422	5	9.0902	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68595	A briefe and piththie summe of the Christian faith made in forme of a confession, vvith a confutation of all such superstitious errours, as are contrary therevnto. Made by Theodore de Beza. Translated out of Frenche by R.F.; Confessio Christianae fidei. English	Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605.; Fills, Robert, fl. 1562.	1565 (1565)	STC 2007; ESTC S101755	149,544	418

the roote or fyrste springe of that lytle goodnesse which is in vs vtterlye there is no beginning at all of any naturall disposition in vs to receyue the grace to the ende that suche disposition shoulde bee assysted by the seconde grace But cleane contrarie there is naturallye in vs nothinge but darknes and enemitie against God wherfore it was néedefull y ● god should of his onelye mercie fyrste of all drawe vs that is to saye to make vs altogether newe creatures concernyng the quallyties lyghtning those which be not onely partlye blynded but vtterlye darknesse it selfe geuinge vs hartes to vnderstande chaunginge our steny heartes into fleshie heartes creatyng in vs pure hartes that is to saye makinge newe altogeather that is within vs of a wycked wyll a good and godlye wyll briefelye workinge in vs to wyll and also to doo So that the Apostles woordes be verified that we cannot only thinke of our selues any thing that is good and that the children of God haue nothing but that which they receyued by grace So then for asmuch as grace must make vs good trées before wee can beare good fruite it foloweth that there is no méeting together of grace and free wyll for the spirite of God by his pure grace hath made vs free from sinne in vnyting vs by fayth to Iesus Christ from whome we get a new life to bring foorth fruite to God and lykewyse when our wyll being made free worketh thorowe grace there is no merites but onely frée rewarde geuen not being due For on y e contrary the best workes that we can doo deserue eternall payne were it not for the grace of God for the best workes of them selues doo but pollute the grace which God hath put in them 18 The thirde difference of the matter of good worke is to knowe wherto they be good THe thirde difference is yet greater that is to saye touchinge the worthinesse of good workes for our parte to speake in fewe wordes that for to vnderstande by what ryght or tytle we bee assured of eternall lyfe onelye Iesus Christ contenteth vs being geuen to vs and applyed to vs by fayth onely by the onelie grace mercie of God as we haue sayde before more at large And therefore wee detest and abhorre this woorde merites or to merite and confesse with harte and mouth that concernynge the beste woorkes whiche we can doo we count our selues vnprofytable seruauntes and that eternall lyfe is altogether of the pure and frée mercye and gyft of God Wherefore I make this argument more then hath béene sayde before in the tenthe article Good woorkes commeth from Iesus Christe dwellinge in vs by whose power and vertue we do them by grace as the corrupt nature of Adam in the whiche we were borne bryngeth forth in vs sinne For we must possesse Iesus christ which is y ● good trée before we can bring foorth good fruite in him For the cause ought to go before the effect And as S. Paul declareth that whatsoeuer is done without faith is sinne it foloweth then consequentlie that faith goeth before good works For by it onely we embrace Iesus Christe Nowe he which hath true faith is immediatly iustified being fullie quieted and pacified in his cōscience Howe then can good workes Iustifie vs and consequentlie saue vs. For we must of necessity be iustified and so consequentlie haue iust tytle to Saluation before wée can doo any one good worke In this lyeth all our consolatiō that we haue our onelie refuge to the speciall grace and mercie which is presented to vs in Iesus Christ onelie which is not our Sauiour and redéemer in part but all altogether 19 To vvhat ende good vvorkes doo serue vs before God and before men BY this it appeareth plainelie howe wrōgfully they charge vs as though we did disalow good workes where as on the contrarie we doo with all our powers endeuour our selues as muche as is possible for vs to declare which be the verie true good workes and from what spring or fountaine they procéede that the symple people be not deceyued ignorauntlie Notwithstanding we do not groūd our selues in any respect vpon our workes neither in part nor in al whē we come to declare by what tytle eternal life is giuen vs but content our selues with Iesus Christ only And also we acknowledge our regeneratiō with the fruites proceedinge to our synguler comfort as foloweth Fyrste good workes serue to profite our neighbours and also to prouoke the verie Infidels to geue glorie to God Secondlie they assure vs more and more of our Saluation not as causes thereof but as testimonies and effectes of the cause to wéete of our fayth as wee haue declared in the thirtéenth article Beholde also whye it is sayde that God rendereth to euery manne accordyng to his workes and also that Abraham was Iustified by his workes not that our workes bée causes of our saluation in no wyse for that our a feeble foundation and vncertaine neyther dooe oure workes make vs righteous before God but because our good workes bee Testimonies and effectes of oure faythe the whiche apprehendeth Iesus Christe oure true and onelye ryghteousnesse as hath béene sayde heretofore Thirdelye wée knowe that water is of the nature of his firste Spryng So lykewise for that oure regeneration is neuer accomplyshed nor fullye perfecte here on earthe but there is continuall battayle betwéene the fleshe and the Spirite and there remayneth I saye greate and grosse darckenesse in oure vnderstandynge and lykewyse greate rebellyones in oure fleshe It followeth then that the beste workes whiche maye proceede from the perfectest man in the worlde if they were strayghtlie examined they shoulde bee founde none otherwise but de●●lynge the graces of GOD lyke as wee see a cleare running water whiche is of it selfe pure is defyled and polluted by runninge throughe some vyle or filthie place Wherefore Dauid sayde that no lyuinge creature is founde iuste before GOD by his workes Also Sainte Paule cryed ▪ out and saide I doo not the good whiche I woulde doo and the euyll that I woulde not doo that doo I. O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer mée from this boddie of death Beholde howe the Saintes of God teache vs to speake of our beste workes in steade to vse this woorde meriting and of merites Notwithstandinge wee confesse the goodnesse of our GOD to be so great that in consideringe his Chyldren not in themselues but in Iesus Christe his welbeloued Sonne with whome they be vnited and ioygned by Faith and also regardinge the fruites of his Graces not as they be polluted by our infirmities and weaknesse but because they be as it were procéeded or issued from him he doth accepte them and allowe them yea euen so farre as to recompence them as well in this lyfe by many blessynges bothe

by fayth and he that hath Iesus Christ hath all it foloweth that by him onelye our consciences haue wherein to be so pacified and so well contented and fullye satisfyed that namely we haue wherein to reioyce in our afflictions for as much as we knowe and be assured that they come not to vs at aduenture but bee sente of hym whoe hath reconciled vs vnto hymselfe by Iesus Christe entreating vs in the fame wyse that hee hath done hys owne Sonne and so by lyttle and lyttle to learne vs to hate sinne and despyse the worlde and moreouer by this meanes hee moueth vs to praye and call vnto him more earnestlye and deuoutlye and also chasticeth vs in trying and prouing our fayth and in fine maketh vs a shewe or a marke for all the world to looke at to declare how great is hys vertue and power in those which he hath armed and strengthened with his holye sririte Of the Church The fyft poynt 1. That there hath alvvaies beene and euer shall be a Church out of the vvhich there is no saluation ALl those thinges whereof we haue spoken to bee established and performed by the goodnesse of God be in vayne if there were not certaine people which felt and tasted of the fruict and commoditie hereof But for as much as Iesus Christ hath an eternall kingdome he can neuer be without subiectes it was meete then from the beginning of the world that there should be a church that is to saye a Congregation and assemble of people such as it hath pleased God to chuse by his grace y e which haue acknowledged and serued the true God according to his wyll by the meanes of Iesus Christ onely attayned by faith as it hath bene amply declared And wee must confesse moreouer by the same meanes that his Church and assemblye shal last for euer what soeuer assaults that all the Deuyls in hell can inuent or prepare against them Finallye it must be confessed necessarilye that wythout Iesus Christe there is no saluation And whosoeuer dieth not being a member of this congregation and assembly is excluded and locked out from Iesus Christe and from his saluation For the vertue to saue whiche is in Iesus Christ appertayneth not but to those whiche acknowledge him for their God and onely sauiour 2. There can be but one true church AS there is but one God ▪ one faith and one onelye Mediatour betwene God man euen Iesus Christe heade of his Churche So lykewise there can be but one Churche 3. VVherefore vve call the Churche catholyke FOr as much as God hath spred forth his Gospell that is to saye the preaching of saluation whiche is the Scepter of his kyngdome thorowe the vniuersall worlde and hath chosen of all nations such as séemed good to him For this cause there ought to bée confessed one catholike Church that is to saye a vniuersal Church Not that it comprehendeth al men generally for the greatest parte be not of it but because the faithfull be dispersed ouer all the earth according as the Lord hath chosen them not beyng restrayned to any certaine place tyme nor nation 4. In vvhat thyng lyeth the communion of sainctes BEcause the churche hath but one onely Lord soueraigne prince all the faithful in what place soeuer they be dispersed be conioyned knyt together as y e burgesies or inhabitants of one communaltie being all partakers of y ● same pryuiledges that is to say of the goods and treasures of Iesus Christ who for this cause is called their head as they be called the members of hym for that hee only by his vertue vniting and ioyning them to himselfe doeth quicken them iustifie them and sanctifye them wherfore none maye lawefully vse thys title head of the Churche but hee onely And beholde this is it that we call the communion or communaltye of sayntes For in the scripture this worde Sainte is attributed to all faithfull lyuing yet in this worlde for as much as they haue attained to Iesus Christ by fayth their onely righteousnes and sanctification 5. The churche hath but one heade that is to saye Iesus Christe to vvhome there needeth no lieu tenaunt IEsus Christ head of this Churche for the reason which we haue sayde wyll haue no companyon as the wyse woman in the scripture to the whiche the Church is compared hath but one Husbande and one body hath but one heade He hath no néede of any Successor for he is God lyuing eternallie nor any Vycar or Lieuetenaunt for wée haue all hys wyll by wrytinge And moreouer being God hée is euer present hym selfe in the myddest of hys Churche by his infinite power neuer departing from it as he him selfe hath promised ▪ which neyther Vycar nor Lieuetenaunt can doo And in déede the blindest man in the world may see whether those men hée toumbled and fallen beadlonge which woulde robbe or depr●ue Iesus Christe of this preheminence where as in déede they haue scarce one lyttle ●●rner of the worlde to gouerne in comparyson of the whole worlde 9. The commu●ion of the Saintes letteth nor hind●r●●h not the diuersity of offyces amonge the faythfull IEsus Christe gouerneth his Churche so by his holye spirite that notwithstandyng he vseth men as instrumentes for to plant and to water as S. Paule speaketh moreouer be distributeth his giftes and graces diuerlly howe when and to whome seemeth good vnto him for the entertainment gouernment of all the bodye of the church in the whiche he wylleth all thynges to be done by good order and pollicy It is not Gods pleasure nor wyll that we should accept all the members of y ● church equal in their charges and offices and by this meanes brynge a confusion into the house of God But contrariwyse one of the principall differences that we haue with oure aduersaries is we require that the ecclesiasticall pollicie be established and set vp agayne according to the woorde of God with the aduyse and counsell of the auncient fathers whiche haue left vs theyr Canons for testimonies of the conduction and gouernement which they held in theyr tyme yet notwithstanding all thinges to be ruled by the worde of God ▪ and consider dilligentlye what thinges are expedient to be reteyned or to be altered for the edifycation of the Church For in matter of policye euerye man knoweth well that all thynges bee not conuenient in all tymes nor in al places marke I saye this is it that wee haue alwayes required and we yet earnestly require it But seing the negligence of manye and the small hope that we haue to bee prouided for in a generall or common consent force hath constrained certrine princes Lordes hauing knowen and seene the common disorders to prouide and sette orders in theyr owne countreyes as we doe sée Now they doe not well that fyll the eares of