Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A13311
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An apologie or defence agaynst the calumnacion of certayne men which preferring wylfull wyll and carnal reason before the playn trueth of Gods gospel, (do sclaundre those men, which for the better seruinge of God with a more pure conscience, according to his holy word) haue abandoned theyr liuinges and vocacion, abydinge as exyles in poore estate oute of theyr natyue cou[n]trye.
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I. T., fl. 1555.
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1555
(1555)
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STC 23619; ESTC S103238
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12,085
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24
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labor which I neuer had done nor was brought vp in such extremitie wherfore they feared I should not be able to endure it I aunswere them with S. Paul I haue learned in what estate soeuer I am there with to be content I can doe all thinges thorough the helpe of Christ I also saye with S. Paul Phil. iiij Rom. viij shall tribulacion or anguishe or persecucion eyther hunger or nakednesse perill or sworde separate vs from the loue of God Timo. vi Mar. viij More the same Apostle sayth Godlines is great ryches yf a man be coÌ„teÌ„t with that he hath for we brought nothing into the world and it is a playne case that we can carye nothing out What should it auayle a man to winne the whole world lose his owne soule I most hartely reioyse in god that I haue not receyued his gospell in vayne For I had rather with Lazarus enioy a poore estate Luke xvi begging my bread in myserye with a quiet coÌ„science theÌ„ with dyues to wallow in welth and for pleasure sake lose the lyfe euerlasting Christ Iesus the alone Sauiour Philip. ij our Lorde mayster thought it no robberye as S. Paule sayth beyng very God to take our nature vpoÌ„ him and for our sakes to become man in moste lowe degree Who as a most pure paterâ—â— and godly example for vs to folow walked in this vale of miserie in great humilitie and poore estate saying the foxes haue holes Luke ix the byrdes of the ayre haue nestes but the sonne of man hath not a place to put his head in O my frend these places of Scripture are not written in vayne but for our learninge Roma xâ— that we through pacience and comforte of the Scripture might haue hope It is geuen vs as S. Paule sayth not onely to beleue on Christ but to suffre for his sake yf Christ Iesus my Lord and maister walked in such poore estate Wall I a wretched sinner beyng but earth wormes meat hauig no certeÌ„tie of my life Rom. viij ij Tim. 7. for a litle pleasure in this worlde lose the life euerlasting â–ª God forbid remeÌ„bring the yf we wil raigne with Christ we must suffre with him Now my freÌ„de yf I other men should doe as you other do what nede we to suffre with christ For yf wheÌ„ as the gospel by god his special mercy auctoritie of the king is set forth I theÌ„ embrace it as a truth in those daies there is no cause why I should suffre for the gospel as in the time of the godly Price king Toward the sixt Psal lxvi Gapien 3 Lcclesi 2 But wheÌ„ for our vnthaÌ„kefulnes wretched liuing god doth take his gospel away froÌ„ vs as it is come to passe in our laÌ„d at this day to make trial of his elect according to this saying As gold is tried in the furneys so god doth trie his elect yf I then as you most men doe now i these daies dissemble with the trueth which before I embrased coÌ„firming my selfe to the impiete of this time There is theÌ„ no cause why I should suffre with christ no maÌ„ wil lay any matter to my charge yf externally I obserue the law and theÌ„ were these wordes of suffring with christ in vayn the gospel such a trueth as I liste to make applie it Yf I shal perswade my self to please christ to be in fauor with God yet wil not suffre with christ My freÌ„de in mine opinioÌ„ it is not in our chose to take vp christes crosse as we lift the way we would but as god our he aueÌ„ly father in christ hath destined appointed vs vnto wel let the maÌ„ be ware which obserueth the ordre of this time maynteyninge his owne doyng coÌ„deÌ„ning other meÌ„ for not doyng the same yet wil say he is gods seruâ—â—t Truely I wil not coÌ„deÌ„ne hi for God shal be his iudge But surely I thinke he might aswell saye there were no god for god is none otherwise knoweÌ„ honored of him but as his fleshly wyll list to knowe serue him not captiuating his iudgemeÌ„t to the word of god by the which word god is truly serued worshipped not pleased as we imagine Mat. xvij We are coÌ„mauÌ„ded to harkeÌ„ to the voyce of christ to heare him which sayth he the wyll be my disciple let him forsake himselfe take vp his crosse folow me Now yf the maÌ„ which wil liue â— al securite pleasure of this life wheÌ„ God maketh trial of his church wil nether suffre with him Mat. xvi nor take vp his crosse folow him yet wil say he hath right in his doyng surelye this place may be verified of him Not al they which say lord lord shal entre into the kingdoÌ„ of heaueÌ„ Iames .i. Roma ij but he the doeth the wil of my father which is in heaueÌ„ not the hearers of the law but the doers shal be iustified Christ sayth Zroade is the way that leadeth to destructioÌ„ many go in therat but narow is the way the ledeth to saluacioÌ„ Mat. vij Luke xiij few ther be which find it Christes flock is bâ—t a litle flock The cause my freÌ„d why it is but litle the narrow way not fouÌ„de out is because the of our nature we are sinful delight in the corrupcion thereof pleasing our selues with corruptible thiÌ„ges not delighting in heaueÌ„ly misteries for flesh bloud is not capable of heaueÌ„lye knowledge Therefore hath God geuen vs ouer to a lewde mynd perswading oure selues to be in the righte when as manifestlye we are in the wroÌ„g according to the saying of S. Paul Roma i. wheÌ„ as they knewe God dyd not worship him an god the lord gaue theÌ„ ouer to their own lustes And because that wheÌ„ we had the light of Gods Gospel among vs we embraced not nor walked in the same Therefore hath God suffered darkenes errour to ouerwhelme vs yet we wyll saye we are in the right may dissemble for the time saying God knoweth our hartes My frende be not deceyued God requyreth the whole maÌ„ withall our powers to serue him according to the fyrst coÌ„maundemente Exod. xx Mat. xxij where it is writteÌ„ Thou shalte loue the Lorde thy God withal thy harte soule mynd withall thy powers How we obserue this precepte when as we prostrate our selues before an Idol partaking with the vngodly the Lorde at the last day shal reuele make openly knoweÌ„ It is like as yf a maried womaÌ„ should submit her body to the vse of another maÌ„ when her husbande layeth the offeÌ„ce to her charge she auÌ„swereth husband be not angrie for my so doyng for although I abandoned my body to that maÌ„s vse yet I reserued my hart wholy to you My freÌ„d I thinke there is no man beynge of any godly knowledge could digest that