Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	believe_v	faith_n	word_n	3,386	5	4.6780	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13819	Saint Peters rocke vnder which title is deciphered the faith of Peter, the foundation of the church, Christs sacrificehood, and the comfort of the holy Spirit. Done by Alexander Top Gent.	Top, Alexander.	1597 (1597)	STC 24122; ESTC S102450	49,647	124

may trust in another or one may aduaunce himselfe aboue his fellowes but the one and the other do both fall Gen. 14. 11. as when the children of Israell murmured against Moses being a man supposing the punishment to be his that was inflicted on them shewing that in their prosperitie they beleeued in him only wherefore they perished infinitely through their misbeleef for as they were obedient to man so died they in their own corruption Otherwise if man could be saued by beleeuing in man or in mans works there is not one that would be disinherited of eternall life and the promise of saluation would seem meerly friuolous Numb 20. 10. Moses and Aaron lifted vp themselues at the rock whose honor was abased by extreme punishment Gen. 10. 8. Nimrod began to be mighty vpon the earth and erected a kingdom by his owne might to wit the cities Babel Erech Accad and Calne Gen. 11. 4. all built in the land of Shinar Who said com let vs build vs a citie and a tower whose top may reach vnto heauen that we may get vs a name lest we be scattered vpon the earth He had spoken more prophetically if he had said that we may be scattered vpon the earth seeing it becam suddenly the cause of their horrible confusion so that they were made as aliens in their country and citie one not vnderstanding anothers language euen so are the arrogant depriued of their glory when their most prouident securitie turneth to destruction By this is shewed what it is to beleeue what manner of creature is bound to beleeue and who are misbeleeuers Now followeth the necessary vse of it and to what end we so constantly vse the same Vnderstand therfore that it is the ioint of all the articles of our faith nay without it can be made no effectuall article at all but all the whole speech becommeth a confused heap of faithlesse syllables By beleeuing we are discerned from Infidels and barbarous people that are as bruit beasts without any hope or knowledge our religious constancy is manifested our bond of amity and league of humane societie sealed It is the fire hammer and touch to purifie mally and try vs it is the winde that diuideth the wheat from the chaff it is a most comfortable meditation in all seasons a salue against all offences and scandals whatsoeuer A man may in his mind beleeue and not vtter it but then cannot his faith appeere vnto his brethren So that he shall becom a stumbling blocke vnto them and thus much for the very protestation of the word Now concerning the end of beleeuing it is to be saued and touching the cause why we must not beleeue in the vanity of the aboue recited powers it is that there is no safetie or saluation in them for man hath no power of his owne saluation neither is any man to put trust in the strength of his owne arme to deliuer him from death We beleeue therfore that the subiect of this our spirituall faith shal liue for euer and that the spirit that now is imprisoned in this our flesh shall mortifie our corrupt members by an vnwauering faith which before it vanisheth to fly vnto that eternall dwelling place may so sanctifie our fowl and sinfull nature that we bee made fit vessels to comprehend eternall life For seeing there is no manner of saluation with flesh wood or stone or any other thing that our earthly senses can perceiue we must inuent a thing subiect to our vnderstanding which being a college or digestion of all senses and meer spirit and life the subiect must be wholy spirituall and liuely Wher then is this subiect to be found for we see it is neither in the treasure of the earth nor in the glory of the world Let vs therfore lift vp our eies vnto heauen and behold the habitation of life the euerlasting author of spirit in all creatures The Greekes termed it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which most like commeth of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an high and prosperous wind among the heathen but in the creation it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the light spirit vapor of waters remaine that seasoneth all liuing creatures in the aire This is the most excellent dwelling place of that ghostly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or euerlasting AEVVM AETAS ALTERNA or AETERNITAS SOLVM EXISTENS God All-good SVMMVM BONVM PRIMVM MOBILE the first thing that mooued the author of al things whose highest seat is heauen Aristot. de mundo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to wit Gods highest house of the whole world is called heauen Kal. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the firmament of faith Therfore this is that eternall spirit that we are to beleeue in for it is the very issue of all things the breth of his mouth created all maintaineth all yea and destroieth all at his will him are we to worship as Lord of all who in the first toong that men spake gaue himselfe a name declaring his eternity to wit that he was alwaies one and the same Isai 41. 4. infinite without beginning or end IEHOVA who euer was only is and euer shall be whom no time changeth for a thousand yeeres with the Lord is but as one day he himself is the root of time the point therof his beginning is vnsearchable his presence vnmeasurable and his continuance euerlasting in him then we must beleeue that will be saued or delight to liue for euer and euer not liply only in words but with our whole hart and soule duly conceiuing that his infinite maiestie and power that giueth our vnderstanding matter to worke vpon before him standeth the end of all flesh the relaxation of spirit the volubility of all soules is in his power 1. Sam. 2. There is none holy as the Lord nor any God besides him or like him therfore speak no more presumptuously let not arrogancy com forth of your mouth for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him enterprises are established The bowe and the mighty men are broken and the weake haue girded themselues with strength they that are full are hired foorth for bread and the hungry are no more hired so that the barren hath borne seuen and she that hath many children is feeble The Lord killeth and maketh aliue bringeth downe to the graue and raiseth vp the Lord maketh poor and maketh rich Psal. 113. 7. bringeth down and exalteth he raiseth vp the poor out of the dust and lifteth vp the begger out of the dunghill to set them among princes and to make them inherit the seat of glory For the pillars of the earth are the Lords and he hath set the world vpon them he will keep the feet of his saints and the wicked shall keepe silence in darknes For in his owne might shall no man be strong the Lords aduersaries shall be destroied and out of

Lord as mount Sion cannot be mooued the gates of hell shall not preuaile against the building on this rock for the true faith in Christ shall continue for euer yea euen as an euerlasting building that the fire neither wasteth nor consumeth There was no cause why Peter should haue receiued a speciall blessing but in regard of his reuelation from God for it is said Happy art thou bicause my father hath shewed thee this Vpon this rock will I build my church and the gates of hel shall not preuaile ouer it and I will giue thee the keies of the kingdom of heauen and whatsoeuer thou bindest on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest on earth shall be loosed in heauen Indeed Christ shewed that he himselfe had the keies when he saith very comfortably to Iohn Fear not Apoc. 1. 18. I am the first and the last him that Isai prophesied of which am aliue and was dead and behold I liue for euer and euer verily I haue the keies both of death and hell And in another place Let him that hath eares hear what the spirit saith vnto the churches and write to the angell of the church in Philadelphia Apoc. 3. 7. these things saith the true and holy one that hath the key of Dauid who openeth and no man shutteth who shutteth and no man openeth And in the next verse I know thy works behold I haue giueu before thee an open gate and no man can shut it bicause thou hast little power and thou hast kept my commandements and not denied my name The key of Dauid is manifested vnto vs when he saith Open ye euerlasting doores and the king of glory shall com in Heer was his faith as a key and therfore called the key of Dauid He foresaw the lion of the tribe of Iuda that came of the root of Dauid the lambe of God who was the only in heauen and earth that could open the book and loose the seales Heerby we see that Christ only openeth Apoc. 5. 5. and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth It is plaine by testimony of scripture that there is but one key to open heauen to mankind and that is Christ the king of glory who is entred in and there is no other door-keeper but he Therfore wheras our sauiour saith I will giue thee the keies of the kingdom of heauen that is to say the spirituall knowledge to preach my word which thou didst but now testifie in these words Thou art the annointed the sonne of the liuing God The knowledge heerof is to the beleeuers a key of entrance to life eternall but to the wicked and reprobate vnbeleeuers a key of exclusion to condemnation for euer and such is the binding vp of the faithfull as sheaues into the barne and the loosing or vndoing of the wicked as the stubble to be burnt in vnquenchable fire Otherwise if Christ had giuen him his owne whole authority on earth or had made him porter of the kingdom of heauen no doubt he himselfe in a verse or two after as it seemeth might had lost his inheritance in heauen for if Peter had been able to haue disswaded him Christ had not gone to Ierusalem nor suffered much of the high priests and elders nor been slain nor the third day risen againe Wherby it seemeth that he was as great an enimy to saluation as might be when he said Go not master haue pity on thy self it shall not so com vnto thee Heer fell he so extremely in faith that he receiued a greater rebuke for ignorance Math. 16. 23. than euer Iudas did Get thee behind me sathan for before it seemeth he made him a companion thou art mine offence thou sauorest not of the wisedom of God but of the wit of man wherfore now I am to thee as Isai prophesied Isai. 8. 14. a rock of offence 1. Pet. 2. 8. a stone to stumble at But admit he had been the iustest man that euer was and so liued vntill he should go the way of the fathers yet was not his righteousnes inheritance for it came from God and he could leaue nothing to his posterity that claimeth more than his authority by succession thus much concerning the catholike church THE COMMVNION OF SAINTS I beleeue that there is communion of saints and that I my selfe am one of the communion elected by the spirit through faith in Christ. THE FORGIVENES OF SINNES I beleeue also that there shall be a forgiuenes of sinnes through the passion of Christ as is already shewed by his passion THE RESVRRECTION OF THE DEAD I beleeue there shall be a resurrection of the dead and that I shall rise againe with glory vnto life euerlasting These last articles I handle not in this place bicause each of them is already seuerally prooued in my treatise All that remaineth is to conclude my purpose which was to shew the nature of beleeuing that by the faith of his owne hart euery man is saued what he is to beleeue in the cause why and lastly the vnspeakable comfort that euery true beleeuer hath by his faith in God the father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost to whom be all power ascribed both now and euermore Amen FINIS