Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	faith_n	good_a	salvation_n	3,234	5	7.4195	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08833	The benefite of Christs death, or the glorious riches of Gods free grace which euery true beleeuer receiues by Iesus Christ, and him crucified. First compiled and printed in the Italian tongue: and afterwards translated and printed in the French tongue: and out of French into English, by A.G.; Beneficio di Christo. English	Benedetto, da Mantova, fl. 1534-1541.; Flaminio, Marco Antonio, 1498-1550.; Golding, Arthur, 1536-1606, attributed name.; Paleario, Aonio, 1503-1570, attributed name.	1633 (1633)	STC 19117; ESTC S107303	48,174	106

Abraham beleeued God and it was reckoned to him for righteousnes And therfore he saith a little before We beleeue that a man is iustified by faith without the deeds of the Law And in another place he saith So then in that time shall the remnant be saued according to the election of grace and if they be saued by grace then is it not by workes for then were grace no grace And to the Galatiaus he saith It is a manifest matter that no man becommeth righteous before God by the Law because the righteous liueth by faith And the Law consisteth not in beliefe but he that performeth the things that the Law commandeth shall liue by that performance And further he saith that a man cannot become righteous by the deeds of the Law but onely by beleeuing in Iesus Christ Againe a little after he saith that if a man can become righteous by the Law Iesus Christ dyed in vaine Moreouer to the Romanes making comparison betweene the righteousnesse of the Law and the righteousnesse of the Gospel he saith that the one consisteth in the doing of workes and the other in beleeuing For if thou confesse our Lord Iesus Christ with thy mouth and beleeue in thy heart that God hath raised him vp from death thou shalt be saued For the beliefe of the heart maketh a man righteous and the confession of the mouth maketh him safe Loe how this good teacher Saint Paul sheweth euidently that faith maketh a man righteous without any workes And not only Saint Paul but also the holy Doctors that came after him haue confirmed and allowed this most holy truth of Iustification by faith among whom Saint Augustine is the chiefe who in his booke of faith and workes and in his booke of the Spirit and the Letter and in his booke of fourescore and three questions and in his booke which he did write to Boniface and in his Treatise vpon the xxxj Psalme and in many other places defendeth this article shewing that we become righteous by faith without any helpe of good workes howbeit that good workes are the effects of righteousnesse and not the cause of it And he sheweth that the words of Saint Iames being soundly vnderstood are nothing contrary to this article Which thing Origen doth also affirme in his fourth booke vpon the Epistle to the Romans saying that Saint Pauls meaning is that faith onely is sufficient to make men righteous insomuch that a man becommeth righteous onely by beleeuing although he haue not done any good worke at all For so it is that the thiefe became righteous without the workes of the Law forasmuch as the Lord sought not what good workes he had done in time past nor waited vntill he had done any after he had beleeued but hauing accepted him for righteous vpon his onely confession tooke him for his companion euen when he should enter into Paradise Likewise that so renowmed a woman in the Gospel of S. Luke while she was at the feete of Iesus Christ heard it said vnto her Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And a little after he saith vnto her Thy faith hath saued thee goe thy way in peace Afterward Origen saith In many places of the Gospel a man may see how our Lord Iesus Christ hath spoken in such wise as he sheweth that faith is the cause of the saluation of the beleeuers Then is a man made righteous by faith and the workes of the Law further him nothing at all On the contrary where faith is not which faith maketh the beleeuer righteous although a man doe the workes which the Law commandeth yet notwithstanding forasmuch as they be not builded vpon the foundation of faith albeit that to outward appearance they seeme good yet can they not iustifie him that doth them because he wanteth faith which is the marke of them that are become righteous before God And who is he that can boast himselfe to be righteous when he heareth God say by his Prophet Esay that all our righteousnesse is as a defiled cloth of a menstruous woman Then can we not iustly glory in our selues but in the onely faith of the crosse of Iesus Christ Saint Basil in his Homily of humility saith that the Christian ought to hold himselfe for righteous through beliefe in Iesus Christ and his words are these The Apostle saith that he which glorieth should glory in the Lord in that God hath made Iesus Christ to be our wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and redemption to the end that he which would glory should glory in the Lord because that the perfect and sound glorying is to glory in the Lord. For in so doing a man presumeth not vpon his owne righteousnesse but acknowledgeth his want of the true righteousnes that he is made righteous onely by beleeuing in Iesus Christ And S. Paul gloryeth of the despising of his owne righteousnesse and of his seeking of Christs righteousnesse by faith which commeth of God Saint Hilary in his ninth Canon vpon the exposition of St. Matthew saith these words The Scribes considering Iesus Christ but onely as man were troubled that a man should forgiue sins and pardon that thing which the Law could not doe because that onely faith iustifieth Saint Ambrose in expounding these words of Saint Paul Vnto him that beleeueth in him which iustifieth the vngodly his faith is accounted for righteousnesse according to the purpose of Gods Grace like as David also saith That the man is blessed whom God accounteth righteous without workes writeth thus Saint Paul saith that vnto him which beleeueth in Iesus Christ that is to wit to the Gentile his faith is imputed for righteousnesse as it was vnto Abraham In what wise then thinke the Iewes to become righteous by the workes of the Law and yet to be righteous as Abraham was seeing that Abraham became not righteous by the deeds of the Law but onely by faith Then is not the Law needfull forasmuch as the sinner becommeth righteous before God through only faith according to Gods gracious purpose as David saith The Apostle confirmeth that which he hath said by the Prophets example saying Blessed is the man whom God accepteth for righteous without workes whereby David meaneth that those men are very happy whom GOD hath determined to accept for righteous before him by onely faith without any paines-taking or obseruation of the Law on their behalfe Thus sheweth he the blessednesse of the time wherein Christ was borne insomuch as the Lord himselfe saith Many righteous men and Prophets haue coueted to see the things that you see and to heare the things that you heare and haue not heard them The selfe-same thing saith St. Ambrose in expounding the first Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians affirming openly that whosoeuer beleeueth in Iesus Christ is become righteous without workes and without any desert and receiueth forgiuenasse of his sinnes by faith alone

of purpose to iustifie them and to glorifie them and to giue them euerlasting life according as our Lord Iesus Christ witnesseth saying This is the will of him that sent mee euen that euery one which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp againe at the latter day And like as Moses lifted vp the Serpent in the Wildernesse so must the Sonne of man bee lifted vp to the end that euery one which beleeueth in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting Also he saith to Martha He that beleeueth in me shall liue although he were dead and euery one that liueth and beleeueth in mee shall not dye for euer And to a company of the Iewes he saith I am come a light into the world to the end that euery man which beleeueth in me should not abide in darkenesse And S. Iohn in his Epistle saith Herein appeared the loue of God towards vs for that God is loue and sent his onely begotten Son into this world that we might liue through him And herein is loue knowne not in that we loued God but in that he loued vs and sent his Son to make atonement for our sinnes And moreouer he sent him to destroy our enemies For the bringing whereof to passe he made him partaker of our flesh and of our blood as saith Saint Paul to the end that by his death hee might destroy him that had the dominion of death that is to wit the diuell and set all such at liberty as were subiect to bondage all their life long for feare of death Seeing then that we haue records of the holy Scripture concerning the promises whereof we haue spoken heretofore and concerning many other promises that are dispersed in diuers places of the same wee cannot doubt of it And forsomuch as the holy Scripture speaketh to all in generall none of vs ought to distrust in himselfe that the selfe-same thing which the Scripture saith should not belong particularly to himselfe And to the end that this point wherein lyeth and consisteth the whole mistery of our holy faith may be vnderstood the better let vs put the case that some good and holy King cause the Proclamation to be made thorow his whole Realme by the sound of a Trumpet that all Rebels and banished men shall safely returne home to their houses because that at the suite and desert of some deare friend of theirs it hath pleased him to pardon them certainly none of those Rebels ought to doubt of the obtaining of true pardon of his rebellion but rather ought assuredly to returne home to his house to liue vnder the shadow of that holy King And if he will not returne he shall beare the penaltie of it because that through his owne vnbeleefe hee dyeth in exile and in the displeasure of his Prince But this good King is the Lord of Heauen and Earth who for the obedience and desert of our good brother Iesus Christ hath pardoned vs all our sins and as we haue said afore hath made open Proclamation thorow the whold world that all of vs may safely returne into his kingdome Wherefore he that beleeueth this proclamation doth straight-wayes returne into Gods kingdome whereout we were driuen by the offence of our first parents and blessedly gouerned by Gods holy Spirit And he that giueth no credit to the said proclamation shall neuer inioy the said generall pardon but for his vnbeliefes fake shall abide in banishment vnder the tyranny of the diuell and liue and dye in extreme misery liuing and dying in the displeasure of the King of heauen and earth and that iustly For we cannot commit a greater offence against this good God then to account him as a lyer and deceiuer which verily wee doe in not giuing credit to his promises O how passing heauy is this deadly sinne of vnbeliefe which so farre forth as is possible bereaueth God of his glory and perfection besides the great harme that it doth to a mans selfe which is his owne damnation and the endlesse torment of his soule which the miserable conscience feeleth euen in this life But on the contrary hee that commeth vnto GOD with assurednesse of this faith beleeuing him without any mistrust or doubt of his promises and warranting himselfe for a certaintie that God will performe all that euer hee hath promised him giueth all the glory vnto God and liueth continually in rest and endlesse ioy euermore praising and thanking the Lord God for choosing him to the glory of the eternall life And hereof they haue an assured earnest penny and gage that is to wit the Sonne of God whom they take for their most louing Bridegroome the blood of whom hath made their hearts so drunken that through this passing holy beliefe there is in the Christian heart ingendred so liuely a hope and so certaine a trust of Gods mercy towards vs and such an operation is wrought in vs as we rest our selues wholly vpon God leauing the whole care of vs vnto him in such wise that being throughly assured of Gods good will wee are not afraid neither of the diuell nor of his ministers nor of death Which holy and stedfast trust of Gods mercy inlargeth our heart cheereth it vp and with certaine marueilous sweet affections directeth it vnto GOD filling it and setting it on fire with an exceeding feruent loue And therefore Paul incourageth vs to go with all boldnesse to the Throne of grace and hee counselleth vs that wee should not shake it off nor make light of our trust which hath great recompence reward But this so holy and diuine affiance is gendred in our hearts by the working of the H. Ghost who is cōmunicated vnto vs by faith which neuer goeth without the loue of God And hereof it cōmeth that we be prouoked to do good works with a certaine liuelinesse effectuall cheerefulnesse whereby we gather such a strength inclination to do them as we be throughly ready forward to do suffer all intolerable things for the loue glory of our most gracious mercifull Father who hath inriched vs with so abundant grace through Iesus Christ and of his enemies made vs his most deare children This true faith is no sooner giuen a man but hee is by and by indued and imprinted with a certaine violent loue of good works to yeeld right sweet and amiable fruits both vnto God likewise to his neighbour as a very good and fruitfull tree And it is no more possible that he should be otherwise then it is possible that a fagot should be set on fire not cast light immediatly This is the holy faith without the which it is vnpossible that any man should please God whereby all the holy men as well of the old Testament as of the New haue bin saued according as S. Paul witnesseth of Abraham concerning whom the Scripture saith That

to Paradise By this false conclusion thou mayest know my brother in what an errour thou art for thou weenest to haue the faith that maketh men righteous and thou hast it not Thou sayest thou art rich and hast no need of any thing and thou seest not how thou art poore wretched blind and naked I counsell to buy gold of God that is throughly fixed with fire that is to say true faith set on fire with good works to the intent thou mayest become rich and to cloath thy selfe with white rayment that is to wit with Christs innocency to the end that the shame of thy nakednesse which is the great filthinesse of thy sins be not seene to the whole world Then is the iustifying faith as it were a flame of fire which cannot but cast forth brightnesse And like as the flame burneth the wood without the helpe of the light and yet the flame cannot be without the light so is it assuredly true that faith alone consumeth and burneth away sinne without the helpe of workes and yet that the same faith cannot be without good workes Wherefore like as if we see a flame of fire that giueth no light we know by and by that it is but vaine and painted euen so when we see not some light of good workes in a man it is a token that he hath not the true inspired faith which God giueth to his chosen to iustifie and glorifie them withall And hold it for certaine that S. Iames meant so when hee said Shew me thy faith by thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes For his meaning was that he which is plunged in ambitiousnesse and worldly pleasures beleeueth not though he say he beleeue forasmuch as he sheweth not in himselfe the effects of faith Also we may liken this holy faith to the Godhead which is in Iesus Christ who being very man but without sin did wonderfull things healing the sicke giuing sight to the blind walking vpon the water and raising vp the dead vnto life againe and yet these marueilous workes were not the cause that he was God For before he did any of those things he was God and the lawfull and onely begotten Son of God and he need not to worke those miracles to make himselfe God by them but forasmuch as he was God therefore he did them And so the miracles that Christ wrought made him not to be God but shewed openly that he was God In like wise true faith is as it were a Godhead in the soule of a Christian which doth wondrous workes and is neuer weary of well-doing and yet those workes are not the cause that a Christian is a Christian that is to wit that he is righteous good holy and acceptable vnto God neither needeth he to worke all those good workes to become such a one But forasmuch as hee is a Christian by faith like as Iesus Christ being a man was also God by his Godhead he doth all those good workes which make not the Christian to be righteous and good but shew him to bee good righteous and holy So then like as Christs Godhead was the cause that he wrought miracies euen so faith working through loue is the cause of the good workes that a Christian man doth And like as a man may say of Iesus Christ that he hath done this miracle or that and that those miracles besides that they glorified God were also a great honor vnto Iesus Christ as he was man who for his obedience euen vnto death was recompenced at Gods hand in his resurrection and had giuen vnto him all power both in heauen and earth which he had not afore as in respect of his manhood but deserued it by the vnion which is betwixt the Word of God and the manhood of Christ So doth faith in a Christian which faith by reason of the vnion that it hath with the soule attributeth that thing to the one which is proper to the other whereupon it commeth that the holy Scripture promiseth the Christian euerlasting life for his good works because good works are the fruits and testimonies of liuely faith and proceed of it as light proceedeth from a flame of fire according as I haue said heretofore And by this holy faith which imbraceth Iesus Christ it comes to passe that our soule is ioyned with Christ and is so vnited and knit to him that whatsoeuer Christ hath merited and deserued the same is imputed vnto the soule as though it had merited and deserued it And therefore S. Austin saith that God crowneth his owne gifts in vs. Of this vnion of the soule with Iesus Christ Christ himselfe beareth good record where hee prayeth to his Father for his Apostles and for such as should beleeue in him by their preaching I pray not saith he for them onely but also for all those that shall beleeue in me through their word to the end they may be all one thing that like as thou my Father art in me and I in thee so they also may be one in vs and that the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me and that I haue giuen them the glory which thou hast giuen me so as they should be one selfe-fame thing like as thou and I are one Whereby it appeareth euidently that if we beleeue the word of the Apostles who preached that Iesus Christ dyed for our sins rose againe for our iustification we become all one thing with him and forasmuch as he is all one with God we also become all one with God by the meane of Iesus Christ O wonderfull glory of the Christian to whom it is granted through faith to possesse the vnspeakeable benefits which the Angels long to behold By this present discourse a man may plainely perceiue the difference that is betwixt vs them that defend the iustification by faith and workes together Herein we agree with thē that we stablish works affirming that the faith which iustifieth cannot be without good workes and that those which are become righteous are they that doe the good workes that may rightly be called good workes But we differ from them in this that we say that faith maketh men righteous without the helpe of workes And the reason is ready namely because that by faith we put on Christ make his holinesse and righteousnesse to be ours And seeing the case so standeth that Christs righteousnesse is giuen vs by faith We cannot be so thanklesse blind and vnhappy as not to beleeue that he is of sufficient ability to make vs acceptable and right before God Let vs say with the Apostle If the bloud of Oxen and Goats and the Ashes of a Cow sprinkled cleanseth the vncleane as touching the cleansing of the flesh how much more shall that bloud of Iesus Christ who by the euerlasting spirit offered himselfe vndefiled vnto God to cleanse our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God

Abraham in whose seede hee promised to blesse all Nations and accepted his off-spring for his peculiar people vnto whom after their departure out of Egypt and deliuerance from the bondage of Pharao he by the meanes of Moyses gaue the Law which forbiddeth all lusting and commandeth vs to loue GOD with all our heart with all our soule and with all our strength in such wise as our whole trust be reposed in him and we ready to leaue our life for his sake to suffer all torments in our members and to be bereft of all our goods dignities and honours for the loue of our God choosing to dye rather then to doe any thing that may dislike him be it neuer so little and doing all things in that behalfe with a merry heart and with all forwardnesse and cheerefulnesse Moreouer the Law commandeth vs to loue our neighbour as our selfe meaning by the Neighbour all manner of men as well friends as foes and it willeth vs to doe to euery man as we would be done vnto and to loue other mens cases as our owne And so by looking in this holy Law as in a cleere looking glasse man doth out of hand espy his owne great imperfection and vnablenesse to obey Gods Commandements and to render him the honour and loue which he ought to yeeld to his Maker The first office of the Law then is to make sinne knowne as Saint Paul affirmeth And in another place he saith I had not knowne what sinne is but by the Law The second office of the Law is to make sinne increase forasmuch as we being quite gone from the obeying of God and become bond-slaues to the diuell being full of wicked workes and inordinate affections cannot abide that God should forbid vs to lust which increaseth so much the more as it is the more prohibited by reason whereof Saint Paul saith that sinne was dead but the Law came and raised it vp againe and so it became out of measure great The third office of the Law is to shew the wrath and iudgement of God who threatneth death and euerlasting punishment to such as keepe not the Law throughout in all points For the holy Scripture saith Cursed is hee that performeth not throughly all the things that are written in the booke of the Law And therefore Saint Paul saith That the Law is a ministery and that it bringeth forth wrath The Law then hauing discouered sinne and increased it and shewed forth the wrath and indignation of God who threatneth death executeth his fourth office which is to put a man in feare who thereupon falleth into sorrowfulnesse and would faine satisfie the Law but forasmuch as hee seeth cleerely that he is not able he waxeth angry against God and would with all his heart that there were no God because he feareth to be sore chastised and punished by him according as Saint Paul saith That the wisedome of the flesh is the enemy of God Because it neither is nor can be subiect to the Law of God The fifth office of the Law which is the principall end and the most excellent and necessary office of it is to constraine a man to goe vnto Iesus Christ in like wise as the Hebrewes being dismayed were constrained to appeale vnto Moses saying Let not the Lord speake vnto vs lest we dye but speake thou vnto vs and we will obey thee in all things And the Lord answered Verily they haue spoken exceeding well Yea they were not praised for any other thing then for their desiring of a Mediator betwixt God and them which was Moses who represented Iesus Christ that should be the Aduocate and Mediator betweene God and man In respect whereof God said vnto Moses I will raise vp a Prophet among their brethren like vnto thee and I will put my Word in his mouth and he shall speake vnto them all the things that I shall command him and I will punish all those that will not obey my Word which he shall speake in my name CHAP. III. How the forgiuenesse of our sinnaes our iustification and our saluation depend vpon Iesus Christ VVHen as our God then had sent the said great Prophet which he had promised vs who is his only Sonne to the end that he should set vs free from the curse of the Law and reconcile vs vnto our God that he should make our will fit for good workes healing our free-will and repairing in vs the foresaid Image of God which we had lost through the fault of our first parents forasmuch as we know that vnder heauen there is none other name giuen vnto men whereby we may be saued but the name of Iesus Christ Let vs runne vnto him with the feet of liuely faith and cast our selues betweene his armes sith he allureth vs so graciously crying Come vnto me all you that labour and are heauy laden and I will refresh you What comfort or what ioy in this life can be comparable to this his saying there when as a man feeling himselfe oppressed with the intolerable waight of his sinnes vnderstandeth so sweet and amiable words of the Sonne of God who promiseth so graciously to refresh and rid him of his great paines But all the matter lyeth in acknowledging our owne weakenesse and misery in good earnest For he shall neuer know what is sweet who hath not tasted of the sowre And therefore Iesus Christ saith If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke as if he had meant to say If a man know not himselfe to be a sinner nor thirst after righteousnesse he cannot taste of the sweetnesse of Iesus Christ how sweet it is to talke of him to thinke of him and to follow his most holy life But when we once throughly know our owne infirmitie by meanes of the Law let vs hearken to Saint Iohn Baptist who pointeth vs to the Soueraigne Physician with his finger saying Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world For hee it is that deliuereth vs from the heauy yoke of the Law abrogating and disanulling the curses sharpe threatnings of the same healing all our infirmities reforming our free-will returning vs to our ancient innocency and repayring in vs the Image of our God insomuch that according to Saint Pauls saying like as by Adam wee bee all dead so by Iesus Christ wee are all quickened And it is not to be beleeued that the sin of Adam which wee haue by inheritance from him should be of more force then the righteousnesse of Christ that which also we inherit by faith It seemeth that man hath great cause to complaine that without any reason why he is conceiued and borne in sinne and in the wickednesse of his parents by meanes of whom death reigneth ouer all men But now is all our sorrow taken away inasmuch as by a like meane without any occasion giuen on our behalfe