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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	faith_n	good_a	justification_n	4,282	5	9.4615	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19362	An epistle or godlie admonition, of a learned minister of the Gospel of our sauiour Christ sent to the pastoures of the Flemish Church in Antwerp, (who name themselues of the Confession of Auspurge,) exhorting them to concord with the other ministers of the Gospell. Translated out of French by Geffray Fenton. Here may the christian reader lerne to know what is the true participatio[n] of the body of Christ, & what is the lauful vse of the holy Supper.	Corro, Antonio del, 1527-1591.; Fenton, Geoffrey, Sir, 1539?-1608.	1569 (1569)	STC 5787; ESTC S108710	46,646	132

I could wel haue pardoned you the obmyssyon of the subtill questions you vse therin searching curiously the house wherin Chryst dwelleth Item what make we of ascension or the signification of this woord heauen or the right hande of God so that you woulde teach vs the true meane to receiue Iesus Chryste into oure selues séeing it pleaseth him in respect of his goodnesse too make his dwellyng in the hearts of the faithful and regenerate Otherways of what vse is Iesus Chryst to vs being so farre from the hart of man as you make hym B. 4. 42 Touching youre place of iustifying faith I vnderstande not your language where you say that only fayth by meane whereof wée take as of a hande the benefite of Iesus Chryste too obteine iustification regeneration and health and immediatly after you saye that by the Sacramentes are imputed and applied too vs the Iustyce and merite of Iesus Chryste B. 4. 43 In the doctrine of iustification you say it is a moste harde question to knowe what is that true iustice whiche makes vs iuste and agréeable to God with atteinement of eternall lyfe 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 she is giuen to vs. B. 5. 44 Touching the point of good works you say that the works which mē ought to cal good are those which God demaūds in his word and that those which be regenerat and guided by the spirit of God are they which shew the frutes of a good Trée I beléeue it well and conclude vpon youre saying that who hath not zeale loue charitie who suffereth not all thyngs with pacience taketh euery thing in the beste parte couereth the faultes of his neighbour and laboureth not to put peace in place of dissentiō can not haue regeneration And touchyng the rest of your questions whether good woorks concurre in iustification as a cause formall or efficient the simple people hath not to do contenting themselues with this beléef that regeneration faith without good works is a mere hipocrisie and thing dead and that it is necessary that our newe obedience serue as witnesse of oure reconciliation and iustification 45 Nowe deare brethren as I am voyde of intent herein eyther to examin or exaggerate the newnesse of your confession and much lesse to confute it by argumentes so I will leaue to the consideration of the Reader your excuse in cutting off the cōmaundement of the liuing God vnder pretext of certeine gloses and distinctions vnworthy to be vttered for here we do not dispute whether the commaundement not too make any images of veneration be a commandement particular or an appendix of an other whether it be ceremoniall or morall but we will here maynteine that it is an audacitie most cursed to cut off from the law of oure God any one woord séeing specially that that summe and content of cōmaundement is so short and compendious that it conteineth but ten commaundements the which if God woulde haue abridged he knew better how to do it than we and therfore such as vndertake to correct his stile and accuse him of prolixitie giue sufficient proofe of their abhominable temeritie 46 But let vs now come to the principall poynt 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 First you vtter the summe of your confession of the Supper in these words The opinion of Mathias Yllyricus and his companions touching the Supper Credimus igitur Christo affirmanti quòd corpus sanguis eius verè ac realiter in sacra Coena adsit deturque externo modo accipiendum cum pane vino non fide tantùm aut spiritualiter idque tam ab indignis quám à dignis sumatur contraria docentes cum Augustana confessione consentiendo damnamus That is to say Wée beléeue in Chryste who assureth vs that his body and bloud be truly and really in the sacred supper and that it is giuen vs in taking it outwardly with the bread and wyne not only with faith and spiritually the which body is eaten as wel of the vnworthy as of those that be woorthy And those that shall teache the contrary wée stickyng to the Confession of Auspurge do condemne them 47 Sée here my brethren your goodly entrie of the article of your Supper which we may not improperly liken to that of the newe inquisitors who condemne anathematize excommunicate and call Heretikes and confounders of the church all those whiche receiue not their confession which me thinke you do also as of purpose to maynteyne youres of Auspurge as though it were a fyfth Gospel or newe Symbole of the Crede What shall wée saye brethren too these matters haue you no shame that men of good iudgement and vnderstandyng shoulde reade suche haultie and rashe woordes Who are they that haue set the authour of the Confession of Auspurge or that of yours in suche authoritie or degrée of the Churche tht they may pronounce Sentence of damnation ageynste suche as wyll not admit theyr interpretation vppon a place or Text of the Scripture What is hée of any iudgement at all who wyll not feare to forsake the tyrannie of the Papistes to enter into an other almost of lyke condition Wée call the Pope Antechryst tyraunt and butcher of mens consciences bycause that without libertie to heare men speake he condemneth and excommunicates them and yet your doings are nothing inferior to his crueltie in pronouncing condemnation not onely ageinst your enimies but also ageinst suche as you receiue for youre brethren and companions in the woorke of the Lorde and who no lesse for the duetie of Christians than to take away the slaunder from the Churche of Chryste do searche by all theyr possible meanes too lyue in loue and friendship with you 48 I could willingly say to the author of your confession as the Apostle sayth my brother my frend what art thou that Rom. 14. condemnes the seruāts of an other Who hath giuen thée such power Art thou his redemer Art thou his iudge Art thou he in the name of whome he hath bin baptised Hath he not a maister who if he fall wil raise him agein and hath the power to do it But of what purpose are these words when we finde our harts so hardned that wée féele not at al the very chastisements which God lets fal vpon our heades 49 Let vs marke and consider what miserable issues our prechings confessions wrytings and commentaries bring forth Let vs also behold what frutes are brought to oure audience by oure words what reformatiō of life in our churches wherin raign still wātōnesse lubricities gluttonies dronkennesse vsurie deceits with a thousād such like vices which we let passe making our selues many tymes by winking companions to

it were better that such a one had fastned to his necke a great Mylnstone and cast into the bottom of the sea than to be suffered to offende and put dissention in the church which the Lord begins to norish in this towne and who now being in hir cradle is in more necessitie to be fed with the true woord of god releued in hir afflictions and comforted in hir persecutiōs than to be disquieted with subtil and curious questions diuisions and debates vpon the matter of our confession wherin as we both féele and sée the wonderful benefits which the Lord hath layde both vpon you and vs hauing drawne vs out of the miserable quagmier and marish of superstition and idolatrie amongest the Papists so let vs wish that as true Ministers of God we may employ our selues with one accord to set foorth the glorie A mean to accorde questiōs cōcernyng the doctrine of him who of prisoners of darknesse hathe made vs happie members of his moste cléere lyght If there be any thing which you iudge not well vnderstanded of vs were it not better to come to conference with vs or vse brotherly admonition than to exclaime in the Pulpit and fill the Bookebinders shoppes with Inuectiues and Apologies of spite were it not better with inuocatiō of the name of the Lord to entertaine quietly the affaires of the aduauncement of his glorie than to leuie warre against oure selues with the shot of the pen whose wounds are farre more daungerous and incurable than the smitings eyther of the bow or crosbowe bicause the one offends but Warre of learned men most slaunderous the body and flesh and the other pierceth both depely and bloudily the renoume of the person whiche euery one holdeth in value more deare and precious than eyther golde or siluer with all the riches in the worlde 5 Alas miserable and wretched that we are what cōdemnation what iudgement do we heape vpon our heads when we preach to the Souldiers to lay away their armes and forbeare to offend common wealths and wée euen we our selues doo carie in our Inkhorns weapons most sharpe with arrowes of poyson to thunder vpon such as doo not offer themselues wholly to our aduise and opiniōs and refuse to hazarde theyr Faythe in the interpretations whiche wee make of Gods woorde 6 Thys arrogante ouerwéenyng is Whereof it cōmeth that the audience in the reformed church bee deformed in lyuing the cause why the Lorde suffereth that the frute of oure preachyngs is eyther none at all or at least of so little effect that oure Audience in theyr lyfe and conuersation doo declare what slender knowledge and feare of GOD they learne by oure Exhortations God suffereth also to fall vppon vs Inquisitours and Persecutoures in the verye same sorte that wée presume to bee the Censors of the Faythe of others And bycause wée wyll rule all the worlde by the touche of the Sentence and aduise of this or that man the Lorde incenseth the very Children them selues to calle vs Parciall Sectatoures and Admiratours of the opynions of men namyng some Martinistes some Caluinistes some Ozeandrines some Melancthonystes and some Brentiens wyth diuers other like names and that with good ryghte bycause wée haue not oure eyes fixed on the onely aduauncemente of the glorie of Iesus Chryste and his Churche whyche is Catholike and vniuersall But euery one wyll deale aparte euery one entice and drawe hys audience aparte euery one maynteyne the renoume of his institutour and that which woorse is euery one as supreame Iudge giues sentence of condemnation without appeale ageynst others 7 Of thys myserable cause it commeth to passe that this Churche béeing at this day deliuered from the insupportable inquisition and tyranny of the Papistes and that by the grace of GOD and goodnesse of oure Kyng and Soueraigne Magistrate wée haue notwithstanding amongest oure selues supreme inquisitors who with an arrogancie aboue the Pharisies call the other doggs and worldlings not considering belike such is their arrogancie that this word worldlyng or of the worlde carryeth wyth it an vnreuerent spyte to the body of Christe according to that he hymself doth say that the world is his enimie and that he wil not pray for it Al which condemnation is founded vpon that that the worldlings as they call them will not accommodate themselues to the administration of the Sacraments in their fashion nor florish in imaginations and questions of subtiltie but are contented in the simplicitie of the woorde of God with direction of the holy Spirite to instruct their consciences 8 Other there be who of their confessions Catechismes Commentaries and traditiōs make as it were a fifth gospel giuing no lesse authoritie to their particular interpretations than if they were of the Articles of Faith not refusyng to call all them heretikes who poynte by poynt doo not folow their imaginations whiche although were good and substanciall to edifie yet are they none other thā the breath of men and therefore vnwoorthy of cōparison with the eternall woord 9 These things Brethren with the consideration of them mouyng no small sorow in my mind foreseing as it were the breach whiche Sathan myght make in the house and troupe of God by such a mean procured me to attempt familiarly one of your brethren and companions in the woork of God who as he séemed of some superintendence and authoritie amongst you so I imparted with him the M. Yllyryc great slaunder growyng to the neighbor churches thereabout by suche differences and dissentions manifestly published not only by bookes of infamie but also in iniurious inuectiues in open assemblies whome I requested in the name of the Lorde to exhorte his companions to forbeare their further procéedings in suche sort with discontinuance of their slaunderous order of dooings altogether vnworthy of the ministerie of Chryst 10 His answer hereuntoo argued his sufficient forwardnesse complaining albeit ageynst others and saying that the best meane for accorde were to bryng in disputation and to hādle chiefly the question vpon the Lordes Supper vpon the diuers and sundry construction whereof sprong bothe the disorder and dissention I sayd there was slender hope of present accorde this way if bothe the one and other would not disclaime their stout and straunge order in proponing their opinions and interpretations For sayde I if they obserue no more modestie in their woordes than they haue vsed temperance in their bookes and wrytyngs neyther can the cause bée determined nor the erroure reduced for whiche respecte I accoūt it not out of purpose to take a Confession of Fayth and imparte with the people those Articles wherein wée all agrée leauing the reste that maye bring likelyhood of dissention or slaunder to the Church 11 Herein hée séemed to aprpoue my aduise with persuasion that to take the Confession of Auspurge were most necessarye to enforce thys accorde subsignyng suche Articles as with good conscience wée myghte receyue and interprete the

be of the Romish religion or reformed church praying always to the Lorde that he willighten vs in oure ignoraunces whiche wee ought to shew to euery one with all modestie and gentlenesse according too the example of oure maister and Redéemer Iesus who hath not disdained to receyue gently and teache myldely his very Iohn 3. enemies persecutyng him dayly and makyng coniurations to take from hym Luke 7. his life Let vs remember that being euē vpon the crosse pinched with the extreme pangs of death not mynding his owne paines he had remembraunce of his enimies with prayer to his heauenly Father to pardon their offences let vs imitate the Lorde our creator whose mercy and goodnesse are so plentiful that he maketh his sunne shine bothe vpon the good and the euill Let vs not vse regarde that this man hath suche an ignoraunce nor that man will receiue any article of our confession Let vs loue all helpe all embrace al and support the ignorances and infirmities of al. For better were it that we failed in this point if it be a fault at all than to make vs iudges of the conscience of an other and giue out sentence of condemnation ageinst those that agrée not with vs. 90 For ende deare brethren I besech you take in good parte this my epistle or letter mouing no otherwyse than of an affectioned hart towards you wherof the Lorde is my witnesse and I assure it in myne owne conscience and let it not I pray you be an occasion to you to write bookes nor Pamphlets séeing I haue no meaning too enter into armes or warre with the pen neither doth the time serue for it but rather of neede to vs all to apply oure selues to better things and let vs labour to encrease oure knowledge in that which we want to be doctors of the gospel for the acknowledging of our ignoraūce oughte rather to incense vs to a wil to learn than to make our selues inquisitours and censors of the Faythe of others with employing the time to fill bookes and papers with questions altogither impertinent to edification 91 I humbly beséech the soueraine maiestie of our good God heauenly father that it will please him too furnishe youre iudgements and vnderstādings with the knowledge of his holy woord to the ende that by the meane of youre preachings youre audience may learne a true faithe an assured hope in Iesus Chryste and a carefull mortification of the olde Adam and that the same Lorde so renue youre harts enflame your wills in the affection of charitie towards your neibors that from hence forth wée being ioyned with you and you with vs may liue in peace and tranquilitie of body and spirite in the assembly of oure Lorde Iesus soueraigne pastor of our soules who hauing bought vs by the inestimable price of his obedience and bloude moste precious it may also please hym too garde vs ageynst all dissentions make vs liue in the vnitie of himselfe vntill that béeing spoyled of this corruption wée may perfectely reioyce in the coniunction of him and the eternal glorie promised vs by his meane of the which in his own person the rather to make vs inheritors therof he hath alredy takē possession sitting on the right hād of God with all power in Heauen and earth To whome bée all glorie and empire for euer Amen In the towne of Antwerp ij of Ianua 1567. Your affectioned brother in Iesus Christ and humble companion in the work of GOD Anthonie de Corro called Belle Riue To the Churche of Antwerpe THis only deare brethren was intended by this Epistle or Sermon to imparte it by conference with the prechers of the church naming themselues of the confession of Auspurge without meaning to communicate it by publication albeit bycause diuers written copies are comen into the hāds of sundry and seuerall persons I thought it to better purpose to spread abroad and deliuer it in print than to suffer it to be argued in secrete leaste the same mighte moue cause of sinister iudgement ageinst the simple and sincere integritie of my meanyng wherein as the labour was peculiar in my selfe without the enteruiew or counsell of any so if it include any matter to edifie or confirme your cōsciences it may please you to be thankfull to the Lorde as author of al goodnesse And for the errors I beséech you let them be layde wholly vpon me as vpon a man who liuing yet in the peregrination to our heauenly countrey where wée shall haue perfect knowleage may erre and faile in many things For wée know that we are 2. Cor. 5. trauailers and iorneymen in this body we are absente from the Lorde and walke by Faith and not by view For ende I wipe my hands afore God and you all of any intent eyther to redarguate or confute the articles presented by those that call themselues of the Confession of Auspurge but rather to let them sée vpon what small causes they haue formed greate quarels maynteinyng dissention for a thing of small importaunce and forbeare too deale in matters more necessary SEing also good brethren that vppon the impression there remained certeine leaues voyde and vnfurnyshed of matter I thought it not oute of purpose to fyll them wyth certeine places of Holie Scripture persuading the Faythefull to actes of Charitie wyth brotherly vnitie one to an other yea not to forbeare to loue oure proper enemies and suche as pursue vs with persecution a vertue at this day moste importaunt and necessary the rather for that Sathan employeth a wonderfull diligence to sowe séedes of dissention and quarrell with speciall endeuour and strange meanes too corrupt the league of charitie lefte vnto vs by Chryste of suche commendation and all thys vnder a pretence of diuersitie in religion wherein as wée oughte to stand vppon our garde ageinst the subtilties and policies of the Diuel so assuredly God hath not lefte vs eyther lycence or lybertie once to thinke that it is lawfull for vs to hate any man in respect to maynteine our religion séeing wée are expresly enioyned by the wordes of the same to loue suche as despise vs and pray for those that persecute oure bodies and doings But alas wée are slipte into a time so miserable and infected with such corruption and blindnesse that in the maynteyning of the integritie of oure faith we become preiuditiall to the league of charitie with a negligent care of the vertue of the same For my part I allow iustly such diligence as is vsed in the purgation of abuses and errors to the end our holy faith and Religion may the rather be purifyed and remayne without spot albéeit I wishe a precyse obseruation of Christian charitie least in making warre ageynst the Heretikes of oure fayth wée become not heretikes ageynst charitie For which cause and to the ende that euery one be priuie to the bond and obligation which God in this purpose demaundes at our handes I haue heere