Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	see_v	soul_n	2,772	5	5.0753	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10615	The golden chayne of salvation. Written by that reverend and learned man, maister Herman Renecher. And now translated out of Latine into English; Aurea salutis catena. English	Rennecher, Hermann.; Allibond, Peter, 1559 or 60-1628.	1604 (1604)	STC 20889; ESTC S101212	181,755	288

CHAP. 23. FVrthermore that every man may the more safely exercise himselfe in this doctrine of Predestination and profite soundly in it these foure heads must alwayes be knowne and considered First that eternall and free Election in Christ be accounted to be the onely ground-worke of all Salvation and that so that not the least part of Salvation be sought elsewhere then from that one doctrine of Predestination which if it should be sought elsewhere the true naturall meaning of the Scripture in many places will not onely be missed and the conscience out of quiet and tormented being vexed as well with continuall feare as doubting but also Salvation it selfe will bee hazarded But seeing that I have spoken more fully of this matter in the Chapters fore-going and that this doctrine is confirmed by testimonies of Scripture I thinke there neede no more to be spoken of it in this place Secondly that concerning God he conceive nothing but a most sure and strong hope of his salvation and be most certainely perswaded in himselfe that he is one of the number of the elect and let no sinnes or continuall slippes weaken his faith or discourage his hope concerning his election For oftentimes many are of the number of the elect which live a very bad life and yet by the goodnes of God are brought to repentance through whose patience they are not taken out of this life in the very committing of their wickednes that it might be made knowne vnto them and their fellow heyres out of how great a mischiefe the grace of God can deliver them as Augustine speaketh Moreover Tom. 7. Colum. 170 Rom. 8. although the holy spirit do governe the children of God yet many times it suffereth them to fall into great sinnes that they might be more and more humbled and being so humbled they might repent the more hartily and have a fellow feeling of others that fall and yet afterwards he bringeth them againe into the right way to salvation by true repentance and if a man beleeve not that he is of the number of the elect he shall surely do great iniury against God as if he would mock any man or call any man vnto Christ in vayne Agayne although many more be ordeyned vnto destruction then to salvation yet that ought not to move or trouble any man because that the Scripture doth no where say that this or that man in particular is a reprobate therefore let not this or that man thinke himselfe of the number of the reprobates which if he shall do and beleeve that he is a reprobate he is iniurious against God and envious of his own salvation but let him much diligently betake himselfe vnto continuall prayer and give himselfe to the reading of the Gospell and exercise his faith in Christ by the study of holynes and say with the Apostle Luke 17.5 Lord increase my faith and then in the end he shall truly feele in his soule more and more that he is of the number of the elect Furthermore let no man presuppose that he is hated or detested of God by reason of any afflictions how great or how lasting soever they be For God is then most ready to bestow life everlasting when he sheweth himselfe to be contraryly minded as Augustine else-where well observeth So that whē he afflicteth Christians with these or those troubls he doth either chastice their sinnes or else they are exercised in a spirituall tryall and such are proposed vnto others as valiant and worthy captaynes eyther for their willing obedience or else for their invincible patience and strength and they being striken with these afflictions as with Gods rod are reduced vnto a more sober cariage and right-course of life So the fatherly love of God striveth with the perverse wickednes of man vntill at the last it softneth it and maketh it better And so S. Augustine rightly witnesseth elsewhere The common crosse and calamity of the godly is not a sentence to punish but an affliction to heale therefore he often punisheth his children to drive them to repentance and draw them to himselfe Hether apperteineth that of S. Austine which sayth elsewhere The afflictions that oppresse vs compell vs to go to God To this also belongeth that of the Prophet Amos Amos. 4.9 who sayth I have smitten you with blasting and mildew your great gardens and your Vineyards and your figge-trees and your olive-trees did the palmer-worme devoure yet have ye not returned vnto me sayth the Lord. By these things therefore it appeareth that God afflicteth his children that he might amend them and he amendeth them for this cause to save them Therefore let all the godly not onely submit both their hands but also their whole body and soule vnder his rod especially seeing that the afflictions that are sent vnto them are as Gods hammers by which as vpon an anvile they are fourmed and made fit for his kingdome and celestiall glory Seeing then that afflictions are as spirituall chariots to carry men into heaven they do minister much better matter to trust wel in God then any matter at all to despaire so that they are to be accounted the medicines of our sinnes and the remedies of our falls Againe out of them the godly learne that God doth not grant nor promise vnto his childrē a freedom from punishment but that he only promiseth them a fatherly moderation in their punishments that he will not execute vengeance on them in the highest degree So that betweene this great gentlenes of God which otherwise might be some alurement vnto sinne and his extreame rigor which would cast men hedlong into destruction this midle chasticement of his is put as wholesome temperature So also must we iudge of the inward temptations with which as often as God doth prick and vrge his children so often doth he try their faith prove their patience and stirre them vp vnto earnest prayer Therefore God will have his children to live heere vnder a continuall crosse both that being convicted of theyr owne infirmitie they might be humbled and that beeing humbled they might learne to seeke strength and helpe from God for if things went alwayes well with them according vnto theyr owne minde they woulde not acknowledge theyr owne weakenes nor thinke that they stand in neede of Gods helpe and also that the stubbornes of the flesh might dayly more and more bee subdued and brought vnder by the remedie of the crosse And lastly that they might be withdrawne from the desires of the world and the concupiscences of the flesh and be incited to the meditation and search of heavenly things knowing that their felicity consisteth not in the things of this world By this it may be playnely gathered that the afflictions of the godly are vnto them as it were spirituall provokements to call vpon God and most wholesome remedy and medicine for their sinnes In which respect those things which men thinke many times to be noysome evils

theyr most vayne imaginations but wee for our opinion have the mouth of God himselfe and the whole Scripture as the onely most faythfull teacher Moreover wee separate good workes from iustifying and not from the party iustified but they place them as well in the act of iustifyng as in the person iustified We do this iustly because man can bee iustified by no other meanes nor acquited of his sins but by the onely Acts 4.12 free mercy of God and merit of Christ alone But the Papistes doe vniustly because all and each of those works which they bragge of and the Monckes dreame of are rather an hinderance then a furtherance vnto iustification Therefore those workes which follow a iustified man flow from true fayth are wholy to be embraced and done as farre as mans weakenesse can performe These workes are necessary vnto every Christian because they cannot be separated from true fayth For on whomsoever God doth bestow and inspire fayth by his spirite through the word him also doth hee renew and make willing and fitte for the performance of good workes so that workes doe follow fayth as the effects doe follow the cause And as effects cannot be separated from the cause so neyther can good workes from fayth Here by evident reasons is shewed how great both publike and private commodities doe flow from the studious care of good works And the vnsavory slaunders of the Papists which say that good workes are reiected by the Protestants are refuted CHAP. 32. ANd why these good works should be done the reasons which follow in order will declare Amongst these reasons some appertayne vnto God some vnto our selves some vnto our neighbour Therefore good works ought chiefely to be done for Gods cause for he commandeth that we should depart from evill and doe good Psal 37.29 So that first of all good works are to be done because God will have it so that in this life we should begin our new obedience that is due vnto him and finish it in the life to come We are not left vnto our owne selves to do what seemeth good in our owne eyes but it standeth vs vpon to do his will vnder whose iurisdiction we are Hence it is Ioh. 15.12 that Christ in S. Iohn sayth This is my commandement that yee love one another as I have loved you This therefore is the chiefest end to obey God and his commandements for God is glorified by a godly life and an holy conversation For he that liveth godly honoureth God because hee performeth obedience vnto him and expresseth and resembleth his image and giveth occasion that others may glorifie God also Mat. 5 16. On the contrary they which live a dissolute and an vngodly life do dishonour God for albeit they prayse him with theyr lippes and tongue yet by theyr wicked deeds and vngodly life they speake evill of him though they keepe silence and say not a word Secondly good workes are to bee done for the Gospels sake that it may be beautified and adorned with good manners and vertuous and honest actions Tit. 2.10 For a godly and blamelesse life is an honor and ornament vnto the Gospel So by godly endevours and holy workes it is brought to passe that the doctrine of the Gospel is approved and well spoken of among the adversaries For often it hapneth that they by this meanes are allured to the imbracing of the Gospel Further good works are to be done for the cause of our thankefulnesse for it is a iust and equall thing that we should love and prayse him by whom we are redeemed from the power of sinne and of the divell and of whom we have receyved and dayly do receyve so many benefites which cannot be done without a pure mind an holy life and chast body For an impure and wicked life is rather the dishonouring then praysing of God Agayne as we are iustified by fayth through the grace of God and merit of Christ and freely made heires of the heavenly kingdome so also by a carefull desire of good works we ought dayly and continually to shew manifest our selves to be thankfull vnto God for so great a benefit These are the reasons why good workes are to bee done for Gods sake Now the reasons follow why they are to be done for our owne sake First therefore we ought to do good workes because they are sure and vnfallible signes of our faith For as the tree cannot be knowne what manner of one it is but by the fruites thereof so also is faith knowne by a godly and holy life For although faith hath her secret abiding inwardly in the heart yet there it remayneth not idle but bringeth forth good workes outwardly and sheweth it selfe vnto men So that where honest actions and a godly conversation is and appeareth in the outward worke there must true faith needs be likewise for dissimulation hipocrisy doth not long deceive and keepe itselfe close Therefore in whose minde soever a sincere care and desire to do good dwelleth let him know that he hath true fayth For without fayth there raigneth in man no care nor desire but onely how to sinne On the contrary fayth is exercised and strengthened by good workes 2. Pet. 1.10 so that continually by dayly increase it is augmented and groweth greater Therefore Paul admonisheth Timothy 2. Tim. 1.6 to stirre vp the gift of God that is in him that it might encrease more and more and make larger proceedinges Also it is seemely for a man to adorne and garnish his life and calling with holy and religious manners Therefore the Scripture admonisheth and exhorteth Ephes 4 1. that every one should so walke as beseemeth the Calling wherewith he is called Likewise temporall punishments are often avoyded by good workes For where sinnes are committed and heaped vp with a strong hand there also the iudgements of God against them sleepeth not For that tree which bringeth forth no fruite is wont to be cutte downe Mat. 7.19 and cast into the fire by which saying wee are taught that punishment is an vnseparable companion of an vngodly life For the more securely that man sinneth the more severely God punisheth Lastly by the serious and sincere study of good works the goods both of the body and of the soule are augmented For the more earnestly that a man giveth himselfe vnto godlinesse and striveth vnto integritie the more is his corrupt and sinfull nature amended and hee the more renewed vnto the image of God For this cause the Prophets and Apostles doe so greatly exhort and vrge men vnto all godlinesse and innocency of life Likewise good workes are very profitable and much avayleable to the attaynement of prosperity in this life For God suffereth not that his children should languish and die beeing consumed with want Of which thing there are many testimonies of Scripture extant in divers places wherein hee promiseth many and sundry good turnes