Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	evil_a	good_a	know_v	2,974	5	4.2147	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05360	An excellent treatise of Christian righteousnes, written first in the French tongue by M.I. de l'Espine, and translated into English by I. Feilde for the comforte of afflicted consciences, verie necessarie and profitable to be reade of all Christians, as well for establishing them in the true doctrine of iustification, as also for enabling them to confute the false doctrine of all Papistes and heretickes; Excellent traité de la justice chrestienne. English.	L'Espine, Jean de, ca. 1506-1597.; Fielde, John, d. 1588.	1577 (1577)	STC 15512; ESTC S106720	64,303	130

giuen and that it be established in a perfection of vertue which we must more loue esteeme and honour then any other good and apply our whole spirite and all our vnderstandinge to atteine to it and possesse it without thinking at any time that this is any meane to make vs to be accompted righteous before God in whose presence and iudgement all our workes shal euer be found imperfect and damnable if they be examined according to the rigour of his righteousnes To vnderstande then what this Christian righteousnes is and in what it consisteth it is meete to note that Righteousnesse and iudgement are corelatyues and for the better vnderstanding of the one it must be layde and ioyned with the other The which thing maye easely be obserued in many places of the newe Testament where righteousnes is ioyned with iustification and iustification with righteousnes In such sorte that comparing these places one with on other a man shall finde that righteousnes is no other thinge but the meane whereby we are iustified before the iudgement seate of God. And that iustification is nothing else but a release of our sinnes which we obteine there through the fauour and in the contemplation of the merite of Iesus Christ who hath there discharged vs. But here it is to be noted that there are many kindes of iudgements differing one frō the other that is to wit there is the iudgement of God the iudgement of the Law the iudgemēt of men and of our owne conscience we must know whether our owne righteousnes be sufficient to satisfie answere to euery one of these iudgementes and whether the same in any of these can stande vs in steede to obtaine an acquitement and deliuerance of the accusations that are propounded by our enemies there against vs. Concerning Gods iudgement which is the first of the foure we must answere that it is impossible there that we can defende vs if we haue no other thing to bring forth and alleage but our owne innocencie forasmuch as our thoughtes our affections our wordes our actions generally our whole life and nature being examined it shal be found that in man is nothing else but vanity and to be shorte the very matter of death and damnation for how can an euill tree bring forth any good frute how can rotten and wormeaten seede engender any thing but like it selfe In like maner how can a man frō a poysned infected vessel draw one drop of good wine let vs conclude thē that we neither do nor can doe any thinge that can be able to susteine the rigorous examinatiō of the righteousnes of God and that in vs and in our whole life there is nothinge that can in this case defende deliuer vs but his mercy alone Because we are as the Prophet sayeth a wildernes altogether couered with thistles brambles and bryers which are good for nothinge but to be burnt and a very dunghill of corruption where there is nothing as S. Augustine saith but euen the very sincke and aboundance of miserie and filthines The beginning then of our righteousnes is that we accuse and condempne our selues and that we confesse before God that which he knoweth well enough to witte that we are nothing but dust and corruption The prodigall childe being farre from his fathers house neuer thought that he coulde returne thether or attaine to righteousnesse and vertue from which he was departed but by the knowledge and feeling which he had of his faults the sure perswasion which he had conceaued to confesse them The publican comming to the temple loaden and couered with vice sinne had remembraunce of his vice and wretchednes which he with great griefe and deepe gronings confessed whereupon it came to passe that he returned righteous into his owne house After Dauid holy Peter were falne from God through a great vnkindnes ignorance as well from him as from those graces which they had receaued of his large liberality had they any other meane to be recōciled vnto him but by the acknowledgement cōfession of their sinnes whereupon we must conclude that by this we must approche before god And that there is nothinge that doth more allure knit vs to him then a penitent heart which as S. Augustine sayth feeleth and continually complaineth for his sinnes and imperfections This humility is not onely the foundation of our righteousnesse as Iohn Chrisostome saith but also of all our religion the which decayeth as soone as we begin to conceaue any opiniō of our selues or of our owne vertues He sayth S. Augustine will not be any longer of the body that refuseth to be humble and to make himselfe litle with his head for ordinarily as the valleyes are more aboundant and bringe foorth more frute then doe the mountaines by reason that being more low they receaue more commodiously all the fatnes which falleth and descendeth from the hie hilles euen so it behoueth that we be more low and humble in our owne eyes if we will that God fullfill vs with his graces the which may finde no place in vs if we presume any whit of our vertues The same which Christ sayth to those Scribes and Phariseis when he saw them arrogant and presumptuous and puffed vp with a vaine and false opinion that they had conceaued of their owne righteousnesse you iustifie your selues before men sayth he to them but God knoweth your heartes within before whom they are most abhominable that are in greatest credit and reputation in the world Wherfore where there is any question concerning righteousnes we must diligently take heede that we be not like those that are sicke of the dropsie who by reason of the grossenesse of their bodies seeme to be in good estate notwithstanding they be full of nothing but water and such euill humors which in the end are the cause of their death That then the outward appearance which we may haue of any vertue do not abuse deceaue vs let vs know that all the vertue whereof we may be furnished can no more endure before God then waxe before the fire And as it can not be but that one pinne or needle is enough to pearce a bladder and to make all the winde therein inclosed incontinently to come foorth euen so it can not be but that euen a litle tentatation is enough to drawe the vizard from hypocrites to discouer them to euery one who shall knowe after that they shal be sifted that there was nothing but a colour and an imagination of all the reputation of righteousnes vertue which they had gotten amongest men Lette vs not make then any accompt of all the righteousnes which can be in vs nor let vs not bring it to the iudgemēt of our God to better our cause or to winne there by lawe any thing for vs