Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	father_n	ghost_n	holy_a	5,369	5	5.6194	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13257	A confession of fayth made by common consent of diuers reformed churches beyonde the seas: with an exhortation to the reformation of the Churche. Perused and allowed accordinge to the Queenes Maiesties iniunctions.; Confessio Helvetica Posterior. English.	Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605.; Bullinger, Heinrich, 1504-1575.; Old, John, fl. 1545-1555.	1568 (1568)	STC 23554; ESTC S118060	120,110	316

to be Canonicall and a moste certaine a Psal xix viii and. ix Psal 12. 7. rule of our faithe not so muche because of the common agremente and consente of the Churche as through the witnesse and inwarde perswasion of the holie spirite whiche causeth vs to discerne them from the Ecclesiasticall bookes On whiche although thei bee profitable wee maie not grounde any article of faithe 5. We beleue a 2. Tim. iii. xv and. xvi 2. Pet. 1. that the worde contained in these bookes proceded frō God b Ihon. iii. xxxi 34. and. v. 34. of whō it taketh aucthoritie and not of men c Iho. 15. 11. Act. 20. 27. and for asmuche as it is the rule of all truthe containyng al thynges necessarie to the Seruice of God and our saluacion that d Deut. 12. 32. and. 4. 2. Gal. 1. 8. Apo. 22. 18. and. 19. it is not lawfull for any man no not for Angelles to adde diminishe or chaunge any thing therein Whereby it followeth that neither e Mat. 15. 9 Actes 5. 28. and. 29. antiquitie custome multitude mannes wisedome iudgement statute proclamacion decrée counsail vision or miracle can bee compared with the said holie scripture f i. Cor. 11. 1. 2. and. 23. but that contrariwise all thynges ought to bée tried ruled and reformed by the same And accordyng thereunto wee allowe the thrée Simboles or Credes that is the Apostles Crede the Crede of Nice and Athanasius Crede because thei be agreable to the worde of God .6 This holly scripture a Deu. 4. 12 Mat. 28. 19. i. Ihon. 5. 7. teacheth vs that in this onely and simple substance diuine whiche we haue confessed there are three persones The Father the Sonne and the holie ghost the Father the firste cause beginnyng and original of al thinges the b Iohn 1. 1. 17. 5. Act. 17. 25. Rom. 1. 1. Sōne his worde and euerlastyng wisedome the Holie ghost his vertoe power and efficacie The Sōne from euerlasting begotten of the Father The holie ghoste procedyng from bothe The three persones not confused but distincte and neuerthelesse not deuided but of one onely substaunce eternitie power and equalitie And therein wee also allowe the determination of the auncient Councelles and deteste all suche sectes and heresies as haue been reiected by the holie Doctors as fainct Hillarie sainct Athanasius S. Ambrose S. Cirill 7. We beliue a Gene. 1. 1. Iohn 1. 3. Iud. 6. Col. 1. 16. Hebr. 12. 14. that God in three persones together woorkyng by his vertue wisedome and incomprehensible goodnes hath ereated all thynges not onelie heauen yearth and eche thing therrein containe dibut also the inuisible spirite b 2. Pet. 2. of whiche some are fallen hedlong into perdicion c Psal 103. 20. 21. other some continue in obedience d Iohn 8. 44. That the first beyng corrupt by malice are enemies to all goodnesse and consequentlie to the whole Churche The seconde beyng performed by the grace of God e Heb. 1. 7. 8. are ministers to glorifie the name of GOD and serue to the sauetie of his chosen 8. We beleue a Psal 104. that not onely he hath creater all thinges but that he gouerneth and cōducteth b Pro. 16. 4 Mat. 10. 29 Rom. 9. 11. Actes 17. 24. 26. 24. disposeth and ordaineth according to his will all thinges that come to passe in the worlde c 1. Iohn 2. 16. Ose 13. 9. 1. Iohn 3. 8. Not that he is the aucthour of euill or that any faulte maie be imputed to hym d Psal 5. 5. 119. Iob. 1. 22. seyng his will is the seueraine and infallible rule of all rightuousnes and equitie e Act. 2. 23. 24. 27. But he hath suche wonderfull meanes to vse the seruice of Deuilles and wicked men that he can conuerte to good the euill whiche thei dooe and wherein thei are culpable And f Rom. 9. 19. 20. 11 23. sa confessing nothing to be doen without the prouidence of God we reuerence with all humilitie those secretes that are hidden from vs without further searchyng for that whiche is aboue our reache And rather applie to our vse that whiche is declared vnto vs in the holie scripture to bee the better in quiet safetie g mat 10. 30 Luke 21. 18. because that God to whō all thynges are subiecte so watcheth ouer vs with a Fatherly care that one heare can not fall frō our heddes without his will h Iob. 1. 1. Gene. 3. 15. And in the meane while so bridleth the Deuil and all our enemies that thei can not harme vs without his leaue 9. We beleue that man a Ge. 1. 26. Eccls. 7. 30. Rom. 5. 12. Ep. 2. 2. 3. beyng at the beginnyng created cleane perfite and like to the Image of God is through his owne proper fault fallen from the grace whiche he receiued b Gene. 6. 5 and. 8. 21. and is so estraunged from God who is the fountaine of rightuousnesse and all goodnesse that his nature is whollie corrupt and beyng blinded in spirite and corrupt in harte hath loste all perfitenesse without hauyng any residewe thereof c Rom. 1. 21 and 2. 18. 19. 20. And though he be yet able to discerne good from euil d i. Co. 2. 14 we safe that that light is tourned into darkenesse when he goeth about to knowe God For that by all his reason and vnderstandyng he is not able to reache any thyng nere therevnto e Iho. 1. 4. 5 and. 8. 36. Rom. 8. 6. 7 And although he haue a will that moueth hym to do this or that yet that it is so thrall to synne that he hath no libertie to dooe well but suche as God geueth hym 10. Wee beleue a Gen. 8. 21. Rom. 5. 12. Iob. 14. 4. that all the ofspryng of Adam is infected with suche contagion whiche is the originall synne and naturall vice and not onelie an imitaciō as the Pelagians go about to proue whom wee deteste with their errours And thinke it not néedefull to enquire how synne cometh from one man to an other seyng it suffiseth that that whiche God gaue hym was not to hym alone but to all his posteritie And so that in the persone of hym wee are spoiled of all goodnesse and ouerwhelmed in all pouertie malediction 11. Wee beleue also that this vice is verie synne a Psal 51. 7. Ro. 3. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 5. 12. whiche is sufficiente to condenme all mankinde yea euē new borne children and to so reputed bofore God b Rom. 7. And after Baptisme it remaineth synne as concernyng the fault though the condemnacion be taken awaie from the children of God who of his free goodnesse imputeth it not to them Further c Rom. 7. 5. that it is a peruersitie bringyng for the continuallie the fruites of malice and rebellion so d Rom. 7.

seates of the scorners the whiche we are commaunded to flie that we may be blessed Moreouer if Doctors and Councels may be called as vvitnesses so that vve do iudge by the vvorde there be any doubte of the interpretation of the woorde writen I doo not refuse thē to be witnesses as I haue said but I suppose that first of all we muste diligently discerne the true Churche from the Synagoge of Satan the Fathers that are not suspected in Faithe nor cōdemned from such as either are mē manifestly without knowledge or Heretikes or otherwise suspected and the lawfull and vndoubted faithfull Councels from the Synodes and conuenticles assembled against Christes truthe finally the true bookes must be warely Iudged from the forged and counterfaite These thinges beinge determined God is only iudge by his vvorde then doo I saye that all these are to be hearde not as iudges for God is only the iudge by his written woorde but as witnesses cited and sworne and that certainely after the same maner as witnesses are heard by skilfull Iudges in publike controuersies euen so verely that they shew the causes reasons of their testimonies causes I say not borowed any where els but foorthe of the same woorde of the interpretation wherof the questiō is moued For Augustine renouncinge humaine reason saith very wel by the holy Scriptures we walke much more safely the which Augustine beinge shadowed with borowed speaches when we wil search them either that cōmeth foorth whiche is without controuersie or if it haue any doubte it may be determined by the same Scripture by the gatheringe and finding of testimonies witnesses of euery side Thus saith he and that very wel For if we must onely haue our wisdome by the onely writen woorde then may not the interpretation of this woorde be fetched any other where For as the same Augustine saith so hath the holy spirite tempered ordered the Scriptures the that thyng which is spoken in some place somethinge darkly in some other place is declared more plainly Finally what other man shal we folow VVho rather to be folovved then Christ and the Apostles Heretikes ouercome by the Scriptures then Christ him self and his Apostles and Christe did confute Satan abusinge the Scriptures by no other meanes but by the same Scriptures The Apostles confirme their doctrine by the writings of the Prophets And the Iewes of Beraea are praysed that whē they had hearde the doctrine taught by Paule they cōpared it with the writinges of the Prophetes to trie whether those thinges were so or no. Certainely the Councels of Nice did with none other weapon cut the throte of Arrius nor that of Cōstantinople Macedonius nor the Ephesine Nestorius nor the Chalcedonian Eutiches nor Augustine Pelagius Donatus wherfore they that counte the Scripture so doubtfull and darke that it standeth néede to haue light brought thereunto some other wayes are woorthie of all good men to be spitted vpō as blasphemers and vtterly to be abhorred Yet doo I not disprayse the writings Doctors allovved of God of the Doctors and their interpretations seinge that he that hath ordeined pastors and doctors to the edificatiō of the bodie hath Authorised them bothe by woorde and by writinges to interpretate the same but I declare howe farre we must sticke vnto them euen so farre as they doo bringe nothinge of their owne no not at that time when as the controuersie is of the sence and interpretatiō of any place of Scripture but that they by the Scriptures doo interpretate the Scriptures accordinge to the proportion of Faithe the whiche who so dothe whether he be newe or olde a Priuate person or Publike officer in the Churche whether he come alone or with many whether he be an olde man or a yong man let hym bee heard For though order Order is necessary but not so that we binde Gods grace to persone place but measure all by the rule of gods word must nedes be kepte in the Churche of God yet are no men so farre deceiued as thei that dooe binde the grace of the holie ghost to certaine places and persones For who murdered the Prophetes Who crucified Christe Thei vndoubtedlie that should haue been the chief pillers of true religion Therfore doeth not the Prophete sende the people of God to those godlesse Priestes but to the Lawe and the Prophettes Neither assuredlie hath the condicion of the Churche a long while béen any otherwaies whiles the corner stone hath been reproued by the verie chiefe builders and Antichrist hath sitten in the temple and place of God hym self What shall we now conclude Verelie that by the woorde of God all controuersies muste bee ended and that it is necessarie that the false and forged The worde of God ende of all controuersies woorde bee iudged from the true like as also the true churche from the false and adulterous and the Synodes and coūcelles gouerned by the holie ghost from those wherein Sathan was presidente Finallie the truthe from lyes and errours by Gods holie woorde For we muste beleue that in thynges concernyng our saluaciō we haue no The want of the word the original of all errours where els the truthe reueiled The whiche thynges beyng true if followeth that that thyng is moste certain whiche I said in the beginning moste noble Prince to bee the originalle whence all these euils did flowe wherwith in our fathers daies the churche was almoste oppressed and therefore that this onelie is the waie and mean to raise it vp again if by the pure word of God these controuersies maie bee decided For so will it come to passe that of the moste parte of those thynges there shal bee no question at all aboute the whiche yet at this daie verie many partly by ignoraunce partly through malice and frowardnesse dooe moste stubbernely contende and striue And those thynges whiche shall seme to be staied by the testimonies of scriptures if thei be iudged not by custome which when it departeth from the woorde hath no aucthoritie at all in matters of religion neither by the bare aucthoritie of certaine menne bee thei newe or olde but by the comparison of the places together all the interpretaciōs beyng examined by the proporcion and rule of faithe then finallie no thyng shal bee founde so harde that shall not easily be vnderstand nothing so darke that shall not be made cleare nothyng so doubtfull that shall not bee made plaine and euidente But who shall binde men to this order who shall directe this action and who finallie shall treate these thynges by common aucthoritie It is not our purpose to prosecute these matters at this presente although whiles I often and many times dooe thinke of this matter some thynges dooe come into my mynde of the whiche it maie be that I shal haue occasion to speake at some other time Now lette vs treate that wee haue in hande Seyng then all these controuersies must be

But to vse fewe woordes thei are stuffed with many absurdities wherfore thei bee well omitted and other thynges more profitable for all Gods Churche put in their places ¶ Of holie daies faslyng and choise or difference of meates Chapiter 24. ALbeit Religion is tied to no tyme yet cannot it be planted or exercised without conueniente Times apointed to come to churche diuidyng and appoinctyng of tyme. Euery Churche therefore hath chosen a certaine time for publike prayer for preaching the Gospell and celebratyng the Sacramētes Eche mā may not breake this order of the churche at his pleasure And excepte there bee graunted competente leasure for this exercise by outwarde dooyng to declare our Religion surely men will be withdrawen from it by their owne priuate businesse Wherefore we se in aunciente Churches that there were not onely certaine houres in the weke appoincted for the godlie congregaciō but that the Sabboth daie was made holie to assemble to praie and to hear God his woorde whiche euen now also veric wel is obserued in our Churches for the better seruyng of GOD and increase of brotherlie loue But wée allowe not Iewishe obseruacions Iewishe obseruations of dayes of daies and suche like supersticions For wée beleue not one daie to bée holier then an other Neither thinke wée that our reste is allowed of God for it self sake But we kepe the lordes daie called Sūdaie not the Saboth or Saterdaie The Lordes daye therein vsyng frée libertie Moreouer if Chuches as thei maie by Christian libertie kéepe religiouslie Feastes dates of christ may be kept the remembraunce of Christe his birthe Circumcision Passion Resurrection Ascention into heauē and sending his holie ghost vnto his disciples we well allowe it but holie daies dedicated Holy dayes for sainctes to be disalowed to men or sainctes wée discommēde And certes holie daies partaine to the firste table of the lawe and belong onely to God to beshort the feast daies instituted for sainctes which we haue abrogated confirme many foolishe vnprofitable thynges not to bee suffred Howbeit we cōfesse that frute fully the memorie of sainctes maie in A memory of sainctes due place and tyme bee recited to the people in godlie sermons and the holy examples of theim maie bee proposed as paternes to be followed of all men The more sharpelie the Churche of Christe reprehendeth glotonie dronkēnesse Publike and Priuate faste is requisite lasciuiousnes and all intemperauncie the more earnestlie it commēdeth christian fastyng For fastyng what fasting is is nothyng els but an abstinence and temperaunce of the godlie with chastenyng of our fleshe as presente necessitie requireth wherby we humble our selues before God and withdraw from the fleshe her nourishementes that it maie easelier and wittynglier obeye the spirite Wherefore thei faste Counterfet fasters not who haue no regard of these thinges but thincke thei faste if but once a daie thei fil their bealy and for a certaine prescript tyme abstaine from certaine meates thinckyng for this workes sake thei please God and doe a good deede Fastyng is the aide and helpe to all godlie menne to praie the feruentlier and to liue the vertuouslier That fast pleased not God as we Note maie reade in the Bookes of the Prophetes wherein the Iewes fasted frō meate and not from their wickednes There is a Publike a Priuate fast Our forefathers kepte in tyme paste The cause of publike fastes Publike fastes in lamentable tymes and when the Churche was afflicted Thei abstained altogether from meat vntill euenyng spendyng the tyme in the meane season in holie praier and worshippyng of GOD and in repentyng for their synnes This did little differ from mournyng Often menciō is made hereof in the Prophetes specially in the seconde of Ioell Suche a faste ought to be kept euē in these our daies the Church beeyng in so greate daunger Priuate fastes are obserued of eche man as euery man feeleth the The cause of priuate faste vertue of God his spirite to bee plucked frō him For so long he abstaineth from the nourishemente of the fleshe as he perceiueth God his spirite to bee withdrawen from hym All fastes oughte to come of a free The ende of fastinge willyng and a true humbled spirite not to gette praise or fauoure of men muche lesse to merite rightuousnesse thereby But lette euery manne faste to this ende to tame the pride of the fleshe to serue God more earnestlie Lenten faste maie bee proued by old testimonies but by none of the Apostles Lent fast not to be allowed writynges Therefore it oughte not nor maie be enioyned to the faithfull to keepe It is moste certaine that in tymes paste there were diuers kindes The time of fastynge and customes of fastyng Wherevpō Ireneus an auncient writer saith Some thinke that the faste muste bee Ireneus kept one daie onely some others many daies and others fourtie daies which varietie began not now in our tyme but longe before our daies by their meanes as I iudge who obseruyng not simplie that which was at the first taught theim vsed other maner of fastynges either through negligence or ignoraunce Socrates also the historigrapher Socrates saieth Because there is no aūciēte writyng foūde of this matter I suppose that the Apostle lefte it free to euery mannes mynde to dooe that whiche is good not by feare and necessitie Now as touchyng choise of meates Choise of meates is a doctrine of deuyls In fastyng we thinke that all is to be with holden frō the fleshe whiche maketh it more vnrewlie and wherein it taketh more delighte or whereby it is nourished or pampered whether it bee fishe fleshe pleasaunt fruites in sauor and tast daintie disshes or fine wines Otherwise wee knowe that all God Heb. ii his creatures are made for thuse and seruice of manne Al that GOD hath made are good without choise moderatly to be vsed with the feare of the Lorde For the Apostle affirmeth all thynges to bée cleane to them that bee Tit. i. cleane And again whatsoeuer is sold in the Shambles eate ye and aske no i. Cor. x. question for conscience sake The self same Apostle nameth their doctrine whiche commaunde to abstaine from meates the doctrine of Deuilles For i. Tim. iiii GOD made meate to bée eaten with thankes geuyng of the faithefull and them whiche knowe the truth bicause whatsoeuer God made is good and nothyng is to bee refused if it bee taken with thankes giuyng c. He also writing to the Collo reproueth those who Collos ii by ouer muche abstinence will purchace to thēselues an estimaciō of holines We therfore altogether disalowe the Tatians Encratites and to be short Heretikes Eustacius his scholers against whom was assēbled the Gangrens counsaite ¶ Of Cathechisyng or instructyng youth in the articles of their faithe of comforting or visiting the sicke Chap. 25. THe Lorde charged his people of