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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	according_a	grace_n	work_n	1,598	5	6.0605	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05093	A treatise of the excellencie of a christian man, and how he may be knowen. Written in French by Master Peter de la Place, one of the Kings counsel, and chiefe president of his court of aides in Paris. Whereunto is adioyned a briefe description of the life and death of the said authour, to the end that euerie one may knowe what he was. Translated into English by L. Tomson; Traité de l'excellence de l'homme chrestien et manière de cognoistre. English	La Place, Pierre de, 1520-1572.; Tomson, Laurence, 1539-1608.; Farnace, Pierre de. aut	1576 (1576)	STC 15231; ESTC S106746	64,194	137

he thought it not enough I say to giue them all these so great and honorable titles but goeth on further and sayeth they are made partakers of the diuine nature which is so excellent a condition that the head of man is not able to imagine or wishe an higher For in dede what can a man desire more then to become like to God surely the spirit of man is not sufficient able to comprehend the greatnes of this grace how it might be that God should vouchsafe to honour man so highly as to make him a God as it were if we may so say by making him partaker of his diuine immortalitie and blessed glorie And therfore S. Paul writing to the Coloss and speaking to them as to Christians saith that they were cōpleat in Christ when he had said a litle before that al that fulnes of the godhead dwelleth bodily in him shewing therby that this perfect essence of the Godhead which is in Iesus Christ did auaile thē in that that they receiued thereby their perfectiō also And in that that God is wholy in him is to the ende that when they once possesse him they might obteine such a perfection in him as none of vs is able to atteine vnto by all the wit vnderstanding we haue Yea so farre forth that this knot bond is such an one that Iesus Christ who worketh all in al vouchsafeth the Christian thus much honour that he coūteth him self after asort imperfect if he be not ioyned with him as S. Paul witnesseth saying that the Church is the filling vp of the bodie of Christ And therefore there is no marueile if the Prophet Dauid rauished with great admiration of this so wonderfull goodnes loue of God towards mankinde and being as it were rauished besides him selfe cried and saide Lorde what is man that thou so regardedst him that is to say that of thy gracious goodnes thou hast made hym so excellent a creature For if he should consider seeke his first beginning from whēce he came where shal he finde it but in the durt dust of the earth if he marke the place of his abode he shall finde him selfe scrauling here vpon the earth below if he looke to his end he shall see that his bodie shal be meate for wormes And yet notwithstanding saith he thou hast so highly honoured this poore creature Man that the Angels serue him as if he were a god for thou hast made him a litle inferior to God hast crowned him with glorie and honour and placed hym ruler ouer the workes of thine handes and hast put all things in subiection vnder his feete As if he would saye what occasion did durt giue thee that of it thou shouldest make a creature to thine image and likenes whom thou wouldest make Lord and Master of all the worlde and put in subiection vnder his feete what so euer is vnder the compasse of heauen speaking of the man that is restored in Iesus Christ For in deede it is he onely and none but he amongest all liuing things that is the only Lord of the world by recouering that interest in Christ which was before lost in Adam who was at the beginning made heire and Lord of all Gods blessings but was afterwardes dispossessed of them through his rebestion and disobedience so that all his posteritie hath no other interest nor title in the blessings of this world then theeues robbers haue whiche take awaye other mens goods the Christian onely except to whome of right belongeth the vse of all things as S. Paul saith whether it be the world or life or death or things present or things to come al things in a word are his because they were made for his profit And there is nothing but God maketh it serue turneth it to his profit in so much that by a speciall dispensation of his prouidence he causeth that the very sinnes them selues which man committeth turne rather to his saluation then to his hurt in that that by them he humbleth them and maketh them better taught and more aduised To be short this mā is a creature that from euerlasting was in Gods heart through Iesus Christ therfore a thing so riche precious that it may well be called Gods treasure But seeing I haue begun to dilate this excellencie of a Christian man by the euerlasting counsell of GOD whiche he determined and appoynted within him selfe before the worlde was according to his gracious goodnes fully set forth in IESUS Christ to al them whom he hath coupled togyther with him It shall be good nowe to come lower and to treat of the matter as it were by descent from heauen to earth and to shew this excellencie more particularly in a Christian beginning at his regeneration and so going on from point to point to shewe howe miraculously he is formed nourished brought vp to rype age what maners he is of what his life is and what his cōuersation to set him out after this sort in his coulours markes as he is For in dede he is a newe creature whom the world knoweth not and an hidden treasure in a vile and contemptible vessell hard to knowe if he be not well marked out set forth with liuely colours And lest in discoursing of it we fal headlong into the same errour which the wise fooles of the world fal into in their discourses vpō his excellencie it shal not be amisse if at the entrie of the matter I warne euery man to beware he presume not so much of him self as to imagine that he hath ought of his owne as though he had in him selfe any piece of a cause meane or ayde to set forwarde this worke Therefore as I sayde before that we haue not to seeke the cause or ground worke or matter of this excellencie any where els but in the mere grace of God according to his euerlasting prouidence so say I againe to shut out all worthines of man that al the goodnes vertue that may possibly be foūd in man proceedeth from the fruict of Gods election and therefore to be a Christian that is to say the best of all creatures procedeth wholy from the gift of our heauēly father in that that whatsoeuer he hath giuen to Christ cōmeth to Christ and in that that no one whit of the worlde belongeth to the Creature were it not that the grace of god plucketh a fewe out of destruction which otherwise should haue perished the world being left in that destruction whereunto it is moste iustly appoynted And for this cause Iesus Christ protesteth that he prayeth the Father for them onely whome the Father hath giuen him For in deede the grace of God findeth no cause in any man why hee should be good vnto him but man receiueth all of his mercy because it is Gods worke onely to saue his and for that ende and

A TREATISE of the Excellencie of a Christian man and how he may be knowen Written in French by Master Peter de La Place one of the Kings Counsel and chiefe President of his Court of Aides in Paris WHEREVNTO IS ADIOYNED A BRIEFE description of the life and death of the said Authour to the end that euerie one may knowe what he was Translated into English by L. TOMSON MATTH V. Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Imprinted at London by Christopher Barkar dwelling in 〈◊〉 Churchyard at the 〈…〉 the Tyg 〈…〉 To the right worshipfull Mistres Vrsula Walsingham grace mercie and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Iesus CHRIST ACcording as your Worships pleasure was I haue perused this booke and as wynde and weather would serue for passage haue brought it out of France into England The cause of your liking can not be misliked of any and the iudgement of the right honourable my Master may stande as most grounded in trueth and iustice whereby he sentenced him not onely to bee of the Religion of Christ but also truely a religious Christian For surely if I be not deceiued in iudgement who so shal reade this booke shal finde there was a Christ in the man such a Christ as made him in deede a Christian not for a daye or two not for fayre and calme weather onely but from the first beginning of his entrance into the knowledge of God to his very last breth in most sharpe and stormie tempestes as witnesseth his happy and blessed martyrdome in that most horrible slaughter of the Sainctes of God on Barthelmewes daye in Paris that wicked murderesse of Gods people against whome their innocent blood crieth to God for vengeance against the daye of wrath As he felt so he wrote and his feeling was with such spirituall vnderstanding as that we may well see hee was one of them of whome hee wrote and by so well knowing himselfe to his euerlasting comfort gaue vs a waye to knowe our selues for the ioyous assurance of our saluation The greatest comfort we haue is to knowe that we are of the citie of God and who so would honour vs the most could not better perfourme it to our liking then to assure vs we are the childrē of that heauēly Father brought into that honour and dignitie by Christ that died for vs and gaue himselfe for vs and in whome we dwell and he in vs if we deceiue not our selues As for the cōfort we might reape by being made mē and not beastes though it be great God is therfore greatly to be magnified yet considering what God did for vs what we haue done against him where he set vs by grace and where we finde our selues through sinne and rebellion we haue cause rather to sorowe then to ioye of heauines then of comfort and in that respect the veriest varlet caitif that goeth vpon the earth hath as muche to triumphe in as hath the best man of God the dearest child of our heauenly Father For they are mē as well as we made to the image of God as well as we haue as great light in them of natural reason vnderstāding as we witnes the Heathē that neuer knewe God no worse sinners in Adam thē we but we as bad as they both of vs for our sinne and rebellion against him in that man Adam iustly blinded iustly condemned This the blind wyse Philosopher did not see and this the obstinate Pelagian Papist at this day will not acknowledge and therfore they bothe lift vp their heeles against God haue wicked thoughtes and speake blasphemous wordes against heauen and against their owne saluation And because this prerogatiue ouer other creatures but equalitie of and in mankinde had not that in it that might in deede comfort the heart of man but rather cast him down his minde and purpose was to lay forth the other to vs which is proper to vs I say proper to vs that are of the houshold of faith of the common wealth of Israel citizens of heauen felow heires with Christ the children of God and I say proper because the Heathen and Barbarians be they neuer so wyse the Pelagians and Papistes be they neuer so superstitiously deuoute haue neither part nor portion in it And this is the preeminence not to be called but to be a Christian which whosoeuer feeleth in himselfe with a right feeling of true vnderstanding which neither of the two before named hath for the one fighteth against the name of Christ the other can not abide to heare of any certaine persuasion assurance of the cōscience that it is beloued of God and that God is without doubt our Father hath the greatest preeminēce that man can haue vpon earth and the greatest ioye and comfort that can be felt by man All of vs at this day in this part of the world do ioye in this name Christian and it is taken for the greatest dishonour that can be done to man to saye he is no Christian And yet sure it is that euery man is not a Christian that is called a Christiā euery man is not a Christian that is Christened not euery one that sayth Lord Lord shal enter into the Kingdom of heauen no more then euery one that was circumcised was a true Iewe or all that descended of the race of Abraham were true children to Abraham There was amongest them Ismael who persecuted his brother and yet was he circumcised there was Esau whom the Lord hated and yet was he circumcised So are there heretikes amongst vs Christened and yet not Christians for neither the cutting of of a piece of skinne in them did make thē true Israelites neither dipping in a litell water maketh these true Christians ▪ both of these standeth in the spirit not in the letter in the inward worke by grace and that of God not in the outwarde worke of man So that he that hath this honorable name to be called a Christiā hath more cause to tremble then to reioyce vnlesse he haue a sure testimonie both within and without that he is in deede a Christiā for the abuse of Gods name can auaile man nothing at all nay it furthereth and increaseth his condemnation as great credite committed to a seruant and abused by that seruāt procureth greater displeasure Howe we shal come to the knowledge of this preeminence and excellencie which is in vs this booke sheweth and because it is so plainely and shortely set forth I will not stande here to make any discourse of it vnto your worship onely I most humbly beseche you to reade the booke it selfe and there shall you finde it so well layd forth as shal be to your contentment and comfort I could very willingly haue bene cōtent to haue entred somewhat into the matter but I feare I should haue ouerslipped my self for I must needes confesse of my selfe and to the

vertue of the ayre yet we knowe not the beginning and the cause of it Wel then if in this transitorie life which is gone in a moment we see a marueilous vertue whereby God worketh so mightely in it that it passeth the reache of our senses howe is it possible to fetch within the compasse of our vnderstanding this secret worke in the heauēly life whiche passeth the reache of nature as though we were not to beleue any more thē we are able to perceiue by the vewe of the eie But the chiefest point that is to be considered in the excellencie of this generation is this that euen as the word of God is an vncorruptible seed of life which bringeth forth fruite like to it selfe and suche a budde as neuer drieth vp euē so when the Christian mā is once made partaker of this light it cā neuer be so put forth and choked vp in him but there remaineth still some sparke alway in him such is the force of the worde when it is once kindled in the heart of man by the holy Ghost who beareth him witnes that he is the childe of God and causeth him to folowe his gouernement and conduct with a stedy heart and holdeth him in a stedy and continuall obedience of iustice And therefore GOD sayeth by his Prophet Ezechiel That hee giueth them that are his a newe heart and promiseth thē that they shal walke in his ordinances for his holy spirit pursueth his grace in them euen to the ende For though there be sometime some breaches cracks in their faith as we haue alteratiōs in vs by reason of our frailenes moued therūto such violence as Satan worketh against vs and though the brightnes of our faith be daseled with the thicke and obscure darkenes of tentation yet notwithstanding it ceaseth not to haue alwayes an eye to God and that more is though it so fal out as we know it befell to Dauid that the Christian man be for a season so dead on sleepe with suche a blockishnes of sume that there appeareth not any one sparke of the spirit in him as Dauid prayeth for this cause that it may be restored to him yet notwithstanding this seede whereby God regenerateth his elect as it is incorruptible dieth not though it be for a season as it were choked so that a man would thinke that all reuerence and feare of God were cleane put out Yet there is a cole vnder these asshes whiche kindleth and taketh fyre againe and this roote commeth to spurt forth when a man would haue thought it had bene cleane dead For the vertue and goodnes of God is such that it surmounteth our malice so that that man may be sure of his saluation whom God hath once touched with a liuely faith though it were but a very short whyle for he is constrained to say that that which he belieued is a trueth seeing it can not be by fleshe blood but by the light of God wherein there is neither lie nor deceit and so consequently that that hath bene once founde true shal be euer true For this is certaine that God who began this worke of regeneration will perfit it in the day of the Lorde and will not leaue the worke of his handes vnperfect for his gifts and callings are without repentance looke what he hath once giuen he neuer calleth it back being faithfull constant in his deedes and keepeth his trueth euerlastingly without any alteration or change for it is impossible his worde should faile and it can not be but Gods decree must remaine according to the election so that whomesoeuer he hath once knowen and appointed to saluatiō that man can neuer fall from his saluation The stedfastnes of his counsell is shewed to the heyres of promesse that it shall endure for euer by two thinges whiche can neuer be changed to witte his worde and his othe whereby he hath confirmed his promisses it is impossible he should lye in them To this purpose Iesus Christ sayeth that al that the father hath giuen him shall come to him and he wil not cast out one of them that shal come to him For this is the will of my father sayth hee that I leese not one of them whom my father hath giuen me but I will rayse them vp all in the latter day And againe My sheepe sayth he heare my voyce and followe me I knowe them and giue them euerlasting life and no man shall take them out of myne hande So then seeing he hath promised that that man which hath once taken liuely roote in him shall neuer be plucked vp all that are of the flocke of his sheepefolde are out of daunger to be euer cast away because the purpose of God which he hath decreed vpon them is stedfast and the sentence of peace is ratified to them and therefore hee taketh them apart and sayeth vnto them in this wyse feare not litle flock seeing it is giuen to you to know the mysterie of the kingdom of heauen for to whom soeuer the gift of beleuing is giuē to the same man is also giuē the gift of cōtinuance according to the vertue of the holy Ghost which is euerlasting wherby the Christian man is renued his force remaineth for euer for otherwise were it not continuing for euer the grace of God could not be alwayes sure and stable And on the other side it were to great doltishe blockishnes distrust to doubt whether the Sonne of God in his prayers for the Elect that their faithe might not fayle them were heard or no seeing he sanctified him self for them so that their hope which is as it were a sure anchre for the soule extendeth it selfe beyonde our death and though the infirmitie of the fleshe be great yet seeing their fast holde hangeth not vpon their owne vertue but vpon the vertue strength of God seeing their saluation is kept vnder his secret garde as vnder a seale and authēticall signet they are out of all danger written as it were inregistred by the Almightie and euerlasting God in the booke of life so that all their synnes are not able to stoppe the course of Gods election nor quenche or diminishe the lest wyse that may be the loue of God seeing that euen by our verie sinnes hee taketh occasion to shewe vs farre greater loue hee hym selfe beyng vnchangeable and his decrees euerlasting so that it is not in mans power to change his decree nor to make him goe awaye from that whiche he hath once determined And in deede it were no meete thing for his vnchangeable nature neither might it be truely sayde of hym that hee lighteneth men to blynde them or buyldeth to pull downe or planteth to roote vp Hereby now may euery man see that the spirit of God is the true marke of a Christian man whereby he is knowen from all other and is of greater accompt then all other not that Spirit whereby