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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	election_n	good_a	work_n	4,641	5	6.8470	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19367	A supplication exhibited to the most mightie Prince Philip king of Spain &c. VVherin is contained the summe of our Christian religion, for theprofession whereof the Protestants in the lowe Countries of Flaunders, &c. doe suffer persecution, vvyth the meanes to acquiet and appease the troubles in those partes. There is annexed An epistle written to the ministers of Antwerpe, which are called of the confession of Auspurge, concerning the Supper of our sauiour Iesus Christ. VVritten in French and Latine, by Anthonie Corronus of Siuill, professor of Diuinitie.	Corro, Antonio del, 1527-1591.; Corro, Antonio del, 1527-1591. Epistle or godlie admonition, to the pastoures of the Flemish Church in Antwerp. aut	1577 (1577)	STC 5791; ESTC S116690	149,833	422

speake o● Christe Whether thys propositio● bée true Christe was from the béeginnyng whether it bée more aptely● sayde that hée is compounded o● bothe natures or consysteth or is commixte or knitte togyther and combined or as it were gellied or moul●ed or coupled and conioyned Howe muche better were it to omit these moti●ns and vaine questions and to content ●ur selues with that which the Apostles ●aue taught vs whiche affirme vnto vs 〈◊〉 plaine termes that Christe accordyng ●o the fleshe was made or begotten of the ●éed of Dauid and is the true son of God ●lmighty according to the spirite and so ●y thys meanes contenting our selues with this simplicitie of speach should en●euour our selues to expresse Christ him ●elfe that is to say practise moste perfect ●olynesse and innocency in our liues and ●onuersation Besides this in how darke ●nd doubtfull termes do these blind Sco●istes dispute and reason of the foure in●tants of nature as also where they goe ●boute to proue that this worde person ●oth not signifie relatione Origenis neyther ●he common relation c. Many more examples of like impious and wicked dis●utations procéeding from the idle curio●itie of this Scotist might here be alledged but bycause the matter it selfe is blasphemous and too vnreuerent in r●spect of the person of Christe but also 〈◊〉 vttered with suche termes as the common people can in no wise vnderstande for our mother tongue will not ministe● words to vtter so fond and nice conce●● withall I haue thought good to retourn● to matters more euident leauing the● and other such like toys as the religio● is full fraught For to what purpose is 〈◊〉 vainely to spende the tyme aboute disputing of Gods greatenesse and howe infinite he is of soch motions and mere imaginations as these be or of the relation and foundacions of the Trinitie and th● vnspeakeable beginning of the worde whether it tooke being at an instant o● by processe of tyme by waye of procéeding or generation These and such other like what vse I beséeche you can the● haue either to the building or beautifying of the Church of God notwithstanding sée the mischiefe how this their philosophie preuaileth and those ioyly diuines thinke vs altogither vnlearned bicause we hold our selues contented onl● with the pure and perfect word reiecting ●homas Aquinas with his curious questi●ns Scotus with his subtil and sophistical ●rgumentes Durandus with his follies ●nd diuers others of that sorte with their ●oste impudent vanities Of the lawe of God and the force therof AFterwards when god perceiued that mankinde was become almost sense●esse in so much that he neither was tou●hed with his own misery and calamity ●or of himselfe vnderstoode what should become of him except their mindes were cherished and comforted with the hope of his promisses besides to the ende that hée might chose vnto himselfe a people as it were specially and peculiarly apart from the rest After he had deliuered the Israelits out of the captiuitie and bondage of Pharao he made a lawe which he established and published in mount Sinay The force wherof was to awake such as slept securely in synne to accuse and reproue them to proue whole mankinde guiltye before the throne and Maiestye of God that thereby they mighte learne to séeke righteousnesse and innocencye whereof they were altogither destitute at the onely mercies of God when euery one should acknowlege in his own cōscience know by his own experiēce the naturall corruption deprauation of his minde by the iudgement and manifestation of the lawe Secondarily to the end that the faithfull and chosen of God shold be taught by the law as by a most excellent and learned schoolemaister what exercises and dueties God requireth at the handes of hys children bycause no man shoulde deuise of his owne fantasie and imagination any newe seruice of God other than was by the law of God prescribed and appointed The summe and effecte of whiche doctrine albeit the holy Apostle hath plainly and sufficientlye declared in hys Epistles yet haue these vnlerned doctours broughte in méere Iudaisme and Paganisme into Christian religion For they teache vs that the lawe was giuen vs onely to this intent that we shoulde ●alke in good workes by the which men night not only be acceptable in the sight ●f God but iustified also before him And herevpon they take occasion to ●aunder vs as though we should affirme ●ood workes to be néedelesse and shoulde withdrawe men from the studye and ex●rcise of vertue and lette them loose to all ●icenciousnesse Whereas we studye all we can and vse all our endeuour to shew ●he people that suche as bée regenerate oughte duely to beée conuersaunte in good workes and in godly exercises bothe to tame the lustes and concupiscences of their myndes and to engender a mutuall loue and charitie among men as also confirme and establish euery particular mans conscience in the perswasion of his election and to retaine Gods spirite the better in their mindes by whose good motion and direction their willes mighte the rather bée alwayes pliable and conformable to doe all good and godlye exercises of true godlynesse and vertue And yet wée flattely denye that these works be the cause of our iustification but rather the effectes the fignes and tokens of true faith settled in our heartes euen as by good fruites it appeareth tha● the trées bée good where they doe procéede Of the Ceremonies and Sacrifices of the olde Testament MOreouer whereas the corrupte and peruerse nature of man was suche that of hymselfe hée coulde not putte hys whole affiaunce and truste in God thinking it a matter of very great difficultie almoste of impossibilitie to bée delyuered from the bondage and slauerye of Sathan the tiranny of sinne and the yoke of the lawe whiche required a paye aboue his power to wit puritie sinceritie and holinesse bothe of mynde and bodye the Lorde did institute Ceremonies and sacrifices and burnt offerings by the whiche men shoulde be admonished and putte in mind that he standeth in néed of some mediatour and redemer by whose means he might bée loosed out of all the bondes and snares wherein he was entangled ●taine true and perfect libertie And to ●e intent that he might be led as it were ●y the hand to the knowlege of his Mes●as and Sauiour he set before his eyes ●sible ceremonies wherein as in a Ta●le wée mighte beholde the person the ●ffice and the moste singuler and super●●cellent effects of the said Sauiour and ●edemer Christ Iesus to wit the sacri●ice and order of sacrifying the Sanctu●ry the propiciation the vaile the table ●he shewe breade with other suche lyke Of the Popishe Ceremonies ANd now I beséech you compare the Popishe Ceremonies and these togi●her and no doubte ye shall well perceiue ●t to be true that Augustine complayned of in his time that they are growen to so great a multitude and swarme that they are not onely equall in

that we be the mēbers of his misticall body The same Paule doth likewise testify in the epistle to the Corinths that Christe dothe speake in him whose power and vertue the Corinthians also did perceiue in his speache and warneth thē that they shoulde giue eare vnto Christe dwelling within thē for otherwise saith hée Christe will reiecte and refuse you Moreouer our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christe did likewise make his earnest requeste vnto his father and no doubt but he obtained it that those which were his might bée so coupled togyther in so sure and faste a bande that as hée and his father were one so they might also be one The manner and order of whiche societie Cyrill a very auntient doctour dothe very largely entreate of in hys treatise vppon the .17 Chapter of the Gospel after Iohn whether I referre the reader concerning the same And now I cannot otherwise thinke but that these phrases of speache vsuall in Paule and diuers auntient writers in the Churche shall in these our dayes be thought somewhat absurde and vnapte forasmuche as all labour now adays not to profite religion with the true and perfecte exercises of the mind but with ceremonies and suche like trashe deuised rather for vaine shewe and ostentation thā vppon any godly purpose Wherevppon it groweth the oure aduersaries acknowledge no other communion of the body of Christe saue onely that whiche they say is exhibited in the holy supper vnto vs al. As they likewise know no other regeneration than that whyche they thinke is giuen in baptisme nor any other righteousnesse or iustification than that which is hid in Christe who is so farre distant from vs as heauen from earth wheras notwithstanding he that hathe not putte on Christe is voide of all iustice and innocencie the only pathes that leade vs vnto God neyther is it meruayle that these sayings of the Apostles and other the faithfull haue béene vnknowne vnto diuers For it is as easye a matter to teache the blinde to conceiue the brightnesse of the shining Sun beames by the comparison of other creatures which he hathe neuer séene as to teache men these things and perswade them therein whiche are onely addicte to the naturall diseases of the fleshe and therefore I doe moste hartily pray and beséech those that moue and prouoke youre Maiestie to persecute vs by all kind of torments and cruelties that they woulde firste learne the reason and cause of oure Iustification in the schoole of oure sauiour Christ before they procéed to condemne vs to be heretikes vnworthy this life or the societie and fellowship of men Of good workes after the doctrine of the Papistes AFter they haue thus fowly shamefully erred in thys chiefe foundation of our faith touching satisfaction and iustification they cannot possibly deliuer vnto vs anye true and certayne doctrine of good workes and yet notwithstandyng wée haue better cause to bewaile their blindnesse and vnmercifulnesse thā to ieste thereat who falsely slaundering vs with the reiecting of good works haue taughte a doctrine of theyr owne deuise cōcerning the same most pernicious and hurtefull vnto man. Therfore this they lay for the ground worke of this their doctrine that a man ●ustified maye safely and lawfullye per●ourme that which is riquired in the law ●f God after their owne fantasie and ●ccording to the power and strengthe of ●heir owne will that they by the aide and assistaunce of Gods grace are able to do workes meritorious de condigno as they call it In the mean while not one word of Christe Iesus and the presence of hys holye Spirite in the heartes of the faithfull wherevppon procéedeth all oure power and strength whatsoeuer the fruites of which fréewill they cal merites digna and therof do make thrée sortes The first sort they terme to be of congruence wherby we prepare our selues to receyue the grace of God The second of c●ndigniti● as they call it or of deserte for bicause that the doer and worker thereof is worthye the grace of God and the increase therein The thirde kinde comprehendeth both the other two sorts of merits the whiche being compared with the rewards propounded for the same do easyly match thē in worthinesse excellency Cōcerning the first sort they teach v● that a man of his ownefrée motion wil● may without the grace of God prepar● and able himselfe to receiue the grace o● God so that a man onely doe hys endeuour and good wil. Again this preparation contayneth thrée partes The first● that a man shoulde ceasse to committ● sinne Secondly to abate his lust and w●● to sinne Thirdely to endeuour hymself● to imbrace righteousnesse likewise the● saye that thrée things are requisite in a man to the doing of a meritorious acte the minde that worketh it the frée will that moueth the minde the intention and purpose respecting a good end but of God and of hys holy spirite not one worde I warrant you And the workes that issue out of thys roote deserue thrée things remissiō of sin encrease of grace and possession of life euerlasting the which we merit by meane of charitie the excellencie of the work likewise of good works ther be two sorts either of commaundementes or but only of counsell or supererogation as they terme them bicause a man is not bound 〈◊〉 doe them but that Gods will is that 〈◊〉 shoulde merite so much the more And ●ese be the workes saye they whyche ●hriste taught hys disciples in the .5 of ●athew in this wise Blessed be the poore 〈◊〉 spirite for theirs is the Kingdome of ●eauen Blessed are they that mourne or they shall receiue comforte Blessed ●re the méeke in harte for they shall in●erite the earthe Blessed are they that ●unger and thirst for righteousnesse sake ●or they shall be satisfied Blessed are the ●leane in hearte for they shall sée God Blessed are the peacemakers for they ●hall be called the children of God Bles●ed are they that suffer persecution for ●heirs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are ye when men persecute and reuile you and speake all euil vppon you slaundering you moste falsely for my sake reioice be glad for great is your rewarde in heaue for so hauen they persecuted the Prophets in olde time But by these and other like places of holy scripture vncōstrued they gather the order and lyfe of Monkerie the vowes of chastitie ob●dience pouertie full of all superstition 〈◊〉 this kind of life say they is perfecte an● most acceptable vnto God insomuche 〈◊〉 they cōtemne al other things in respect and call al other Christians worldlings and secular and lay people The residue of their good workes ar● to fast in the holy time of Lente to abstein frō the eating of flesh at certain tymes in the weke which they cal the ho●● wéeke to whip and scourge themselues to buylde Chappels found Chauntries giue lampes candle-lights to set before saints in

foure certaine pointes and that more to reueale the slender edification that their readers may hope for of such lessons than to encumber our selues with the confutation of such vanities Touching that which you say of our inheritance of the originall sin and frée will lost the worlde it selfe doth declare well inough at this daye that euery one hath gotten a good lumpe of the inheritance of the corruption of Adam and the originall sinne as they call it and your writings shewe that you haue had youre parte thereof And I beléeue as you say that men nowe a dayes haue not any Frée will séeing it maye be further beléeued that there be a great many that haue slender sense and well worse vnderstanding as being altogither ruled and caried ouer by their affections Touching the matter of the incarnation of the sonne of God and redemption of man I coulde well haue pardoned you the obmission of the subtill questions you vse therein searching curiously the house wherein Christe dwelleth Item what make we of ascension or the signification of this worde heauen or the righte hande of God so that you woulde teache vs the true meane to receyue Iesus Christ into our selues séeing it pleaseth him in respecte of his goodnesse to make his dwelling in the hearts of the faythful and regenerate Otherways of what vse is Iesus Christe to vs being so far from the hart of man as you make him B. 4. Touching youre place of iustifying fayth I vnderstande not your language where you say that only fayth by meane whereof we take as of a hande the benefite of Iesus Christe to obtaine iustification regeneratiō and health the whiche indéede is true but immediatly after you say that by the Sacramentes are imputed and applied to vs the iustice and merite of Iesus Christe B. 4. Item in the same doctrine of Iustification you say it is a moste harde question to know what is that true Iustice which makes vs iust and agréeable to god with atteinment of eternall life but I had rather that without so many argumentes confutations and subtilties you hadde shewed to the poore and ignorant people what is the christian iustice and by what meane shée is giuen to vs B. 5. In the tractate of good workes you saye that the workes which men oughte to call good are those whyche God demaundes in hys worde and that those which be regenerate and guided by the spirite of God are they whiche shewe the fruites of a good Trée I beléeue it well and conclude vpon your saying that who hath not zeale loue charitie who suffereth not all things with pacience taketh euery thing in the best part couereth the faults of his neighbor and laboureth not to put peace in place of dissention can not haue regeneration And touching the rest of your questions whether good workes concurre in iustification as a cause formall or efficient the simple people haue not to doe contenting themselues wyth this beliefe that regeneration and faith without good works is a méere hipocrisie thing dead and that it is necessary that our new obedience serue as witnesse of our reconciliation and iustification Nowe deare brethren as I am voide of intent herein eyther to examine or exaggerate the newnesse of youre confession and much lesse to confute it by argumentes so I will leaue to the consideration of the Reader youre excuse in cutting off the commandement of the liuing God vnder pretext of certaine gloses and distinctions vnworthy to be vttered for here we doe not dispute whether the commaundement not to make anye images of veneration be a commandement particular or an appendix of an other whether it be ceremoniall or morall but wée will here mayntaine that it is an audacitie moste cursed to cut off from the law of oure God any one worde séeing specially that that summe and content of cōmandement is so shorte and compēdious that it conteineth but ten commandemētes the which if god woulde haue abridged he knew better how to do it than wée and therfore such as vndertake to correct his stile and accuse him of prolixitie giue sufficient proofe of their abhominable temeritie But let vs nowe come to the principall poynte of your debate and auncient question the which vpon a brauery you séeme to renue vppon euery purpose and place without hauing respect to the gret slaunder of those that bée weake Firste you vtter the summe of your confession of the Supper in these wordes Credimus igitur Christo affirmante quòd corpus sanguis eius verè ac realiter in sacra Coena adsit deturque externo modo accipiendum cùm Pane vino non fide tantùm aut spiritualiter idque tam ab indignis quàm à dignis sumantur contraria docentes cum Augustana confessione consentiendo damnamus That is to saye Wée beléeue in Chryste who assureth vs that his body and bloud be truly and really in the sacred Supper and that it is gyuen vs in taking it outwardly wyth the bread and wine not only with faith and spirituallye the whyche body is eaten aswell of the vnworthy as of those that be worthy And those that shall teache the contrary wée sticking to the confession of Auspurge do condemne them Sée here my brethren youre goodlye entrie of the article of your supper whiche we may not improperly liken to that of the newe inquisitors who condemne anathematize excommunicate and call Heretikes and cut off from the communion of the Churche all those whiche receiue not their cōfession which me think you doe also as of purpose to maintayne yours of Auspurge as though it were a fifth Gospel or new article of the Créed What shall we say brethrē to these matters haue you no shame that men of good iudgement and vnderstandyng shoulde reade suche arrogant and rashe wordes Who are they that haue se● the authour of the confession of Auspurge or that of yours in such aucthoritie or degrée of the Churche that they may pronounce sentence of damnation agaynste suche as will not admitte theyr interpretation vppon a place or Texte of the Scripture What is hée of anye iudgement at all who will not feare to forsake the tyrannie of the Papistes to euer into an nther almoste of like condition Wée call the Pope Antichriste tyrant and butcher of mens consciences bycause that wythout libertie to heare men speake he cōdemneth and excommunicateth them and yet your doings are nothing inferior to his crueltie in pronouncing condemnation not onely agaynste your enimies but also againste suche as you receiue for youre brethren and companions in the worke of the Lorde and w●o no lesse for the duety of Christians than to take away the slaunder from the Churche of Christe doe searche by all theyr possible meanes to lyue in loue and friendshippe with you I coulde willingly say to the authour of youre confession as the Apostle sayth my brother my friend what art thou that condemns the seruants of another

●ne iudgement and opinion may remem●er that we are called to be members of ●ne body wherof Lord we acknowledge hée to be the chief and supreme head and so detesting in ciuill partialities we ma● be of one opinion agrée in one mind an● vse one mutuall and charitable directio● touching the matter of our religion Thou hast left vnto vs O Lord the cel●bration of thy holy supper as a memora●● of oure communion and spirituall vniti● with thée and also to instructe vs in suc● lawes of charitie as ought to be of fam●liar conuersation amongst vs all And ye we such is the nature of our fragilitie 〈◊〉 condition of our vnworthinesse as we abuse the excellēt benefit of that most hig● fauour séeing that in place to tye and cōioyne our selues with thée we doe more estrange vs from thée and that by reasō o● our quarrells and questions of contentiō In place to cōsider that we are one body one church and one bread made of sundry graines we shewe our selues proud and giue sundry proues of our ambitiō in séeking to establishe a speciall estimation o● our peculiar priuate opinions in handling very often thy presence in thy holye supper by subtill disputation we become farre from thy true and liuely presence in contending whether the sinners and vn●●ithfull may cōmunicate thy bodye we ●ake our selues sinners incapable to ●eceyue and enioy thy benefites lastly ●nd in effecte oh Lorde our zeale is so ●●discrete that in stryuing to entertaine ●he puritie of the doctrine of fayth we ●reake the league law of charitie yea ●nd in persecuting with rebuke such as ●e accoūt to be heretikes in the doctrine ●f fayth our malice with want of dis●retiō makes vs séeme transnatured into heretikes of charitie corrupting the mea●es of cōmunication brotherly vnitie I beséech thée therfore oh son of God ●et thy gracious pitie fal vpon vs and so opē the eies of our vnderstanding as we may discerne the true fruite of thy holy in●titution ordinance take from amōgst vs all sectes varieties of opinions and reduce vs at last to the obediēce of thy holy only worde reueale vnto vs thy holy spirite with this priuiledge of grace that by his vertue he may drawe vs all into one corporation and bodie whereof thou O Lord mayst be heade and lette him breath into vs strēgth and power to perseuer in workes of true Iustice innocencie and holynesse during our course i● this tragicall and miserable pilgrimage and in the ende let we beséeche thée th● same holy spirite translate vs into the eternall life purchased to our vses by th● sacrifice and oblation of thy most precious death wherein thou raignest now gloriously with the father and holye Ghost and there shalt remaine infinitely Amen To my most dearely beloued in our Lord Iesus Christ the onely redéemer and aduocate of men towardes the heauenlye Father my brother Ministers and Pastours in the Churche of ●ntvvarpe naming themselues of the Church of Au●urge Grace and peace from God and hys sonne Iesu Christe to the ende that by the bonde of his holy spirite vve may all be knit in the vnitie and Confession of the Gospell of Christ AT my first comming to this towne of Antwarpe right honourable in Christ and that at the request of certain the Faythfull there I founde cause of singular comforte in the vewe of the wonderfull worke raysed vppe by the Lorde by meane of his seruauntes and that in so shorte tyme as sauing to such as haue assisted it it maye séeme no lesse impossible than incredible For if wée wonder in certayne Trées and Fruits who somtimes yéeld encrease aboue custome or against the cōmon course of Nature when as the Lorde were of purpose to releue and restore some cou●trie afflicted with hunger what may w● say of these spirituall plantes which th● father of mercy so sodenly and agayn● all hope of man hath set and planted 〈◊〉 these Low countries speciallye in th● citie of Antwerpe Truly we are boun● to acknowledge it as a worke of strang● maruell of our God and to say with t● prophet this incredible increase hath b● made by the Lord whō we find worth● of admiration in our eyes it is the rig● hande of God which hath reuealed h● vertue it is the right hand of God th● hath exalted vs it is the right hande 〈◊〉 God that hath manifested his power 〈◊〉 shall not die at all but we shall liue 〈◊〉 declare the doings of the Lorde whereas as I entred more déepely into the vie● and consideration of these things so 〈◊〉 thought it also an office and dutie in 〈◊〉 to crie with the sayd Prophet Confir● Lord and aduaunce the worke thou h● begon in vs build vp again the wall of thy holy temple restore the ruines thy heauenly Ierusalem to the ende th● the Kings and Princes of the earth may come to doe thée homage and offer presentes gather togither againe O God the dispersed of Israel This was the cause wherein I reioy●ed for certayne dayes with glad conti●uance till vpon further viewe of the matters of estate within the Citie I ●ounde occasion to mixe some sorrowe with this my ioye as séeing on euerye ●ide with what diligence Satan labou●ed to hynder the aduauncement of this Church not onely by meanes of open ●nimies but also by the indiscretion and ●ant of regarde in such as name themselues maister Masons in the house of God for such as feared God and wished a publication of his glorie cryed oute and exclamed that the chaire of truth was become the chaire of dissention ser●ing no more as a Pulpit to preach Ie●us Christ the appeaser of troubled cōsciences to pronoūce an vnity a brotherly charity nor the mortificatiō of the old Adam with the wicked motiōs of cōcupiscence but rather it was vsed as a place of inuectiues iniuries with wordes of malice tending to a mutual hate of one towards another dissention of doctrine wherein vpon inquirie of such fault with the circumstance authors of the same I finde your side not least guiltye as being such amongest you who in open assemblye with words and libels of malice are not ashamed to call the other Ministers of the Gospel Heretikes Sacramentaries rebels against the state and people vnworthie of place in the common wealth with other wordes improper and vnfitte for the maiestie of such a place which is consecrated purposely to teach the word and will of our God. Nowe brethren if such or such lyke matter of reproche should be pronounced in the Pulpit of certain Monks or monstrous Friers the very organs of the Romane Antichriste sent of their suppostes to trouble the Church of Christ to darkē his glory and resist the aduancement of his kingdome we woulde endure them with pacience as knowing well inough that such sorte of Prophetes be the disciples of Balaam who sell their toungs to curse the people of God yea somtimes against

heauenly word that we haue witnes in our conscience that God calleth vs to do it for thē he himself will cloth vs with the affectiō of his Apostle who to gaine and reduce his brethren would not sticke almost to abandon his proper helth euen so when we féele such a zeale moue in vs euen then also shall we proue in our selues that God will blesse our enterprises Let vs thē embrace peace entertaine mutuall accord seing that as there is nothing that leuyeth a more sharpe warre within vs than our owne discordes disdaines partialities so of the contrary if we marche vnder the ensigne of charitie supporting one another in our infirmities it shall be moste hard either to breake our aray or put vs to flight For as Salomon sayth the accord of thrée strings is very harde to breake My litle childrē I am yet for a litle time with you you shal serch me but as I said to the Iewes that whither I go they could not come I saye also the same vnto you now giuing you this new cōmandemēt that you loue one another as I saye I haue loued you to the ende also that you loue one another By this all men shall know that you are my disciples if you loue one another That is the principall mark of our christianity all others that we may inuent may be folowed of the hipocrites but this is inimitable bicause it is peculiar only to the regenerate and those that be renued by the spirit of god Be you desirous of the most excellent giftes I wil shew you a way yet more excellent If I speak the languages of mē and Angels and haue not charitie I am as the mettall that soundes or Cimball that tinks And if I haue the gift of prophecie and know all secretes and euery science if I had such faith as I might transport the mountaines and haue not charitie I am nothing if I distribute al my goodes to the reliefe of the poore deliuer my body to be burned and haue not charity it profiteth me nothing Charity is not easily incenied to anger but she is mylde Charitie is not enuious Charity is not insolent she swelleth not with anger she doth not vse hirselfe dishonestly she searcheth not hir profit she is not despitefull she thinkes no euill She taketh no pleasure in iniustice but reioyceth in the truth she endureth all beléeueth all hopeth for all and suffreth all Charitie neuer falleth And a little after he sayth These thrée things remaine Faith hope and charitie wherof the greatest is charitie Those be the effectes of Christian charitie which is neyther vaine opinion nor curtesie in outwarde shewe but rather a vertue bringing forth wonderfull fruites Touching brotherly Charitie there is no gret néede I write to you therof seing you are taught of God to loue one another for euen so you do towards all your brethren which be in Macedonie Brethrē we exhort you to surmount more more with diligence to liue peaceably If the vnction of the spirit of God haue not yet taught you to loue your neighbors let vs feare that our doctrine is not rather learned of men than in the schoole of God. He that sayth he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkenesse to thys houre who loueth his brother remayneth in the light and falleth not but he that hateth his brother walketh in darknesse and knoweth not whither he goeth for the darknesse hath blinded his eyes By this are manifested the children of God and the children of the diuel Who soeuer doth not iustice and loueth not his brother is not of God for this is it you haue hearde preached frō the beginning that we loue one another not as Caine which was called wicked and killed his brother for what cause did he kil him for that his works were wicked and his brothers were iust Brethren maruel not if your brother hate you in that we loue our brethrē we know we are transferred frō death to life who loueth not his brother dwelleth in death who hateth his brother is a murtherer And you knowe that no murtherer hath eternall life remayning within him by this we knowe his charitie that he hath giuen his life for vs we ought also to hazard our liues for our brethren And this is a most certaine and ample explication of the mark of our christianitie which may serue as a touchstone to assure vs of our adoption Hate maketh quarels but charity couereth all grudges This witnesse doth teach vs that the roote of dissentions and debates is the default of christian charity which doth not only couer outward sins but also the ignorances of the vnderstāding The furious man moueth contention but the pacient man appeaseth quarrell this is a looking glasse wherein we may beholde the troublesome mindes of our time who vpon small causes will stirre vp straunge quarels and debates Welbeloued let vs loue one another for charitie is of God and who loueth is borne of God and knoweth God and he that loueth not knoweth not God for God is charity In this is manifested the charitie of God towards vs that he hath sent his only son into the world to th end we may liue by him In this is charity not that we haue loued god but bicause he hath loued vs sent his son to be the appointment for our sinnes Welbeloued if God haue so loued vs we ought also to loue one an other Neuer any mā hath séene god If we loue one another God dwelleth in vs his charitie is accomplished in vs by this we know that we dwell in him he in vs that he hath giuen vs of his holy spirit And a litle after If any say that he loueth God hateth his brother he is a lyer for if he loue not his brother whō he séeth how can he loue God whom he séeth not And we haue this commandement of him that he that loueth God loueth also his brother this text hath no néede of interpretation but rather of proofe examinatiō wherin let euery mā sound and proue his heart whether these wordes be with him or against him Thou shalt not sée the oxe or shepe of thy brother straied out of the way hide thée from them but thou shalt bring thē againe to thy brother And if thy brother be not thy neighbor thou knowe him not then shalt thou leade thē within thy house suffer them to remaine with thée vntill thy brother demaund them then thou shalt restore thē to him thou shalt doe in like maner to his Asse to his garments al the lost things of thy brother which he hath lost thou founde neither must thou hyde them thou shalt not sée the Asse or oxe of thy brother falne in the way hide thée from them but thou shalt helpe to lift thē vp with him If the Lord commaund that