Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	just_a	law_n	2,761	5	4.7834	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14366	A moste necessary treatise of free wil not onlye against the Bapistes, but also against the Anabaptistes, which in these our daies, go about to renue the detestable heresies of Pelagius, and of the Luciferians, whiche say and affirm, that we be able by our own natural strength to fulfil the law and commaundementes of God. Made dialoge wyse by Iohn Veron, in a manner word by woorde, as he did set it forth in his lectures at Paules.	Véron, John, d. 1563.	1561 (1561)	STC 24684; ESTC S101311	58,715	178

oughte to be kepte and wyth suche a perfection as God dothe requyre syth that he is a transgressour of it afore he come in to thys worlde and a synner from his conception dothe not Dauyd wryte thus My mother hath conceaned me in synne Psal ii I saye vnto you that excepte manne be conceaued of the holye ghoste he shall neuer be able to kepe the whole lawe of God as he doth wyl and requyre ALBION Nowe truly I do perceaue in deede that it is a greate blasphemye agaynst Christ to saye that man is able to fulfyll the hole lawe of God of hys owne selfe and by his owne strengthe and to do it with such a perfection as god doothe requyre For that were to say that man is conceyued of the holye ghost But I pray you now tell me Question whether God be vnryghteous or not in commaundynge man to do that thing whiche he is not able to do and fulfil PHILALETHES Aunswer What error or blasphemy were it to saye so I aske you Similitude if a man wer bound vnto you in a hundreth pounde and dyd owe you them in dede though the same manne were not able to pai you shuld ye do vniustly to ask him your C. pounde ALBION No manne I trowe would say that I did him wronge in asking him my duety PHILALETHES When the kyng did aske of his seruaunte the ten thousand talentes Mat. xviii that he dyd owe vnto him did he vniustlye or wrongfullye ALBION I wyl not say so PHILALE Know ye then that all the hole law of God is nothing els but a commaundement wherby we are commaunded and biddē to pay that vnto god that we owe vnto hym For man is bounde of duetye to loue God wyth all hys hart wyth all hys soule and with all his strength and his neighbor as hys owne self Therefore Sainte Paule saythe Ro. viii brethren we are debtours but not vnto the flesh Shall we saye then that God is vnryghteous or that he doth vniustly asking that thing of vs that we do owe vnto hym of bound duety It is so farre of that he should do vniustly in askynge vs of his duety Why god dothe demaunde of vs his dutye that rather he doth most iustly godly and ryghteously to demaund such thynges of vs for the causes that I wyll now rehearse and aledge Fyrste and foremoste he doth it for to declare vnto men hys ryghteousnesse holynesse and bountuousnesse For in this that God doth commaund vs nothing in his lawe but that whych is iuste and good he dothe declare therby that he him self is righteous holye and good Secondly least men shoulde seke and go aboute to excuse them selues by ignoraunce before the iudgemente seate of God sayinge that they knewe not hys wyll and pleasure therfore dyd he setforthe hys law and commaundementes for to declare vnto men what he wyll haue them to do and what he wyll haue them to leaue vndone For we are such that we wold styll plaid ignoraunce before God except we were conuicted by hys playne and manifest lawe and expresse commaundementes that he hathe lefte vnto vs. Thirdlye the law was geuen because of transgression gala iii. to the intent that they that wold not for the fear of God and loue of heauenly thynges refraine from doinge of euill should at least for fear of the punyshment of the lawe be dryuen to keepe a good order and to lyue quietlye among them selues Els they wold haue kylled one an other no man hadde bene able to haue kepte hys owne but all should haue gone to hauock Forthly God did setforth his law that by it man shoulde be brought into the knowledge of his owne self That is to say The law is a mirrour or lookinge glasse the law was geuen and setforthe to thys end that it might be a lokinge glasse or mirrour wherein man shoulde behold hys owne weakenesse imbecilitye and vnablenesse to fulfil and perfourme the thynges that God dothe require of him that so he may haue an occasiō to humble and submit hym self For if it were not for the law that doothe dyscouer open and shewe yea and set before our eies our owne filthynesse abhomination we wold neuer acknowledge oure selues to bee sinners nor yet thyncke that we haue nead of the grace and mercy of God God therfore least men should swel against hym dothe demaunde and ask the same of them that they owe vnto him of duety As if he shoulde saye by his law O man thou seest howe muche bound thou art vnto me Marke this diligentely and how that thou art not able to paye the tenth part of that which thou dost owe vnto me therfore submit thy selfe and acknowledge thine own imbecillity and weakenesse and so flye vnto my mercy whyche is alwaies prepared for them that beinge of no reputation wyth them selues do hang al together of me And here may be gathered the fift cause Gala. iii. whye the lawe was geuen which is that it myghte serue vs for a schole mayster for to brynge vs vnto Christe Rom. x. who is the end or perfourming of the law for to iustify al them that do beleue For when we haue once learned by the Doctryne of the lawe that of oure selues wee bee not able to escape the dāpnation that we do deserue by the breakyng of the commaundementes of God then are we fayne to put awaye all vayne confydence and truste that we had in our own strength and in our owne merytes and to flye vnto Christe who was made accursed for vs that is to say was punyshed and slayne moste oppropryouslye for oure sakes that wee myght be delyuered from the curse of the law and so receyue the blessynge of Abraham and the promyse of the spirit through faithe EVTRAPE I perceaue that god doth by his lawe Similitude as a good scholemaster is wonte to doe when he hath a scholer that for a lytle learning that he hathe thincketh hym self to know as much as hys master doth And therfore doth swell against his master and beginneth to despise him Nowe when the master seeth that he geueth vnto the same scholer som difficult and hard lesson wherin he vnderstandeth nothing or wherein he is as blinde as a beatell and thys dothe he that the scholer maye acknowledge the ignoraunce that is hydden in him vnder such vain arrogancy and pryde Euen so is it of man For excepte God shoulde geue hym Commaundementes whyche he is not hable to fulfyll he would compte hym selfe as holye and as perfecte as God is yea he woulde saye playnelye that he hadde no neade of God nor of hys healpe But God for to stop all mennes mouthes he geueth them a lesson wherein they be as blinde as beatles that so they maye be dryuen to knowe them selues and to acknowledge theyr owne infirmity and weakenesse PHILALETHES Saint Augustine speaketh of thys matter very godly saying ad hilarirp●s●o lxxxix

of Gods promises both in the godly and in the vngodly they haue their effect and working in them bothe For as God dothe by his commaundementes pricke the consciences of the vngodly lest putting away altogether the remēbraunce of his iudgementes they shoulde haue to much pleasure in synne so by his promises he doth testify and declare vnto them how vnworthy they are of his liberality goodnesse For who woulde saye that it is not mete and conueniente Marke this diligentely that the Lorde shoulde do good vnto them that do worship him And that againe he shoulde accordinge to his seueritye and iustyce take vengaunce of theym that are despisers of his maiesty Therfore it cā not be said but that God doth iustlye when in his promises he dothe prescribe and geue suche a law and condition vnto the vngodlye whiche be wrapped in sinne that they shall receiue and enioye hys benefites if they doe forsake their wickednesse althoughe hee shoulde do it onlye for thys cause that they maye vnderstande that they are iustlye and deseruinglye put from those thinges that are due vnto the true worshippers of God Again sith that God dothe by all meanes prouoke the faithful to cal for his grace why shuld not he as wel attempte the same by his promisses as by his law and cēmaundements being taught the wyl of God by his commaundements we are warned of our owne miserye because that of oure own nature we do all together dissent and disagre from it and also we are moued to cal vppon the spirit of god for to bring vs into the right way But because that oure sluggyshnesse is such Why promises are made vnto vs. that it can not be put awaye nor shaken of by the lawe and commaundements of god promisses are added that so by some swetenesse we might be prouoked and allured to the loue of heauenly things Now the more desirous that we are of the true ryghteousnes the more feruent are we to cal for the grace of God These thinges beynge well considered who would say that suche promises be vnprofitable though we be not able to fulfil the conditiōs that are annered vnto them EVTRAPELVS No manne I trowe What the reprobate do learne by the promises of god that hathe anye cromme of godlye vnderstandinge in hys bellye For by them the reprobate vngodlye do learne how vnworthy they are of the bounteous liberality and goodnesse of almighty God the godlye What the godly do learne by the condition annexed vnto the promyses when they see in the conditions that be annexed vnto them their owne misery weakenesse infirmitye and vnablenesse are stirred and moued by the same to cal more earnestly for the grace of God and for the assistaunce and help of his holy spirit ALBION Obiectiō The Lord doth laye to the Israelites charge that it was only longe of them that they did not receiue all kinde of liberality and goodnesse at hys hande As when the Prophet sayth Amaleck and the Cananites are before you numbers xiiii Iere. vii with whose swordes ye shall be destroyed because ye wolde not obey the Lord. Because I haue called you and ye haue not aunswered nor obeyed therfore will I do vnto this house as I haue don vn to Silo. Again This people hath not harkened vnto the voyce of the Lord theyr God nor receaued hys doctrine Therfore the Lord hath caste them of Item Because that ye haue hardened your heartes Ier. xxxii woulde not be obedient vnto the Lorde All these plages haue happened vnto you Howe coulde the Israelites be cast in the tethe with such thinges except it had lyen in them to shonne and auoyde those thinges that be there laied to their charge For they might haue aunswered by and by We had a mind to prosperity How the vngodlye do alwaies go aboute to excuse them selues and did fear trouble and aduersity but that we did not obey the Lorde nor harcken vnto his voyce that we might obtayne the one and eschue the other it was because that we are vnder the bondage of synne and can not doe frely the thinges that we would Those thinges then are not iustly laid to oure charge whiche it lyeth not in our power for to shonne or auoid PHILALETHES As for the pretence of necessity Aunswer wherby sinners go about to excuse thē selues it hath ben al ready declared what pore healpe can be had in it sythe that the cause Originall and of spring of it is in our owne selues by oure naturall corruption that we haue of our first parent Adam Therfore I do aske whether they can proue them selues to be wythout faut or not For if there be any faut in them it is not wythout a cause that God did caste them in the teethe that it was throughe their owne wickednesse that they did not feele the frute of his goodnesse and mercy Can they say nay but that theyr wicked and corrupted will is the cause of their rebellyous contumacye and stubburnenesse If they fynde that the fountayne and well sprynge of theyr owne euyl and miserye is wythin them selues what do they trauail to finde out outwarde causes and all because that they wil not seme to be the authoures of theyr owne destruction If it be true then that synners throughe theyr own faut are both depriued of the benefites of God and also punished and plaged there is a good cause whye they shoulde heare suche vpbraydynges and reproches at the mouthe of the Lorde That if they doe obstinately perseuer and continue in synne they may learne in theyr miseries and calamities to accuse and detest theyr owne wickednes rather than to lay any vniuste and cruell seueritye vnto God or if they be not vtterlye geuen ouer they may beinge wearye of theyr synnes wherefore they see theym selues thus extreamelye plaged come into the way again acknowledginge the same wyth earnest confession that the Lord doth laye to their charge Note this This effecte haue the chidinges and rebukinges of the prophets amonge the godly as it doth appere by the solemne prayer of Daniell Dani. vi which is wrytten in the ninthe chapiter of hys prophecye But how such sharpe rebukinges of the prophets of God take place amonge the obstinate sinners we haue an example of it in the Iewes vnto whome Ieremye was commaūded to shew the cause of their miseries and calamities Iere. vii although it shoulde be none otherwyse than God had appoynted told before Thou shalt saith the Lord speke vnto thē al these wordes and they shal not hear thou shalt cal them and they shal not answer DYDIMVS Obiectiō For what purpose were those thynges spoken vnto them that would not hear PHILALETHES Aunswer That wold they nild they they should be fain to vnderstande that the same was true that was told vnto them and that it was a plain sacriledge and robbing of the glory of God to adscribe vnto

infyrmitye and weakenesse ▪ For if Moses had spoken there of the bare commaundementes onlye he shoulde haue puft vp the people with a most hurtfull and pernitious confydence wherby they must nedes to haue caste them selues headlonge in to vtter destruction if they had attempted to obserue and kepe the lawe by theyr owne strengthe For when they hadde felt them selues vnable to doo it woulde they not haue taken to playne desperation if they hadde knowen none other waye or meane for to obtayne saluation and to escape death but by the perfecte kepinge of the lawe Sainte Paul then hauing then a perfect vnderstanding of this place doth applye it altogether vnto the doctrine of fayth For hauinge spoken of the righteousnesse that cometh by the lawe and how that they that obserue and kepe the commaundementes shal lyue by them he doth adde immediatelye these wordes But the righteousnesse that cometh of faith speaketh on this wyse Rom. x. Saye not in thy hearte Who shall ascende in to heauen For that were to fetch Christ downe Or who shall go down in to the depe For that wer to fetch vp Christ from death But what sayethe the scripture The worde is nyghe thee euen in thy mouth and in thy hearte This is the worde of fayth which we preache If thou shalt confesse or knowledge wyth thy mouth that Iesus is the Lorde and shalt beleue wyth thy hart that God raysed him vp from death thou shalt be safe For the belyef of the heart iustifyeth and the confession of the mouth maketh man safe Who would requyre a more sounde exposition of Moses wordes than this is ALBION This exposition can in no wyse mislyke me syth that it cometh from the same selfe spirit that Moses did writ by Nowe therefore come to the sayinges of Christ and of Iohn the euangelist PHILALE Such sayinges are moste true as it dothe appeare by that How the sayinges of Christ and Iohn the euāgelist ought to be vnderstāded which hath ben sayed before For the cōmaundements of god of them selues are easy and if there be any dyfficultye or hardnesse in them it cometh not of the nature and propertye of the commaundementes of God but of the corruption of manne Heare what Saint Paule sayethe what so euer the lawe coulde not fulfyll Ro. viii in as much as it was weake because of the flesh that same did God perfourme sendinge his sonne in the similitude of synneful flesh and by synne damned sinne Two thinges to be learned in Pauls sayinge Two things do we learne in thys saying of the Apostle Fyrste that it commeth not of the law that menne are not able to fulfil it but of the imbecility and weaknesse of the flesh The lawe then and the commaundementes be easy and if ther be any difficultye or hardnesse in the fulfilling of them it commeth of our naughty and corrupted nature Secondly we do learn that God dothe by his sonne Iesu Christe supply the same that by reason of the weakenesse of our flesh we be not able to fulfyl Again the commaundements of god are easy and lyght vnto hym that is graffed in Christ and that hathe fellowshyp wyth him For those thyngs that afore were harde vnto manne are made easy vnto him bi faith wher by he is graffed in Christ as saint Paule doth testify saying I am able to do all thinges through him that doth comforte me And so the saying of S. Augustin shal be true where he sayth I can not thincke that God hath commaunded anye thing that is impossible Phi. iiii Elsse S. Augustine doth graunte in many other places that God hathe commaunded thinges that it is impossible for man to fulfyll as in the boke of the spirit and of the letter and in his thyrde treatyse vppon Ihon. And so ought al to be vnderstanded How Chrisostō and Ierome ought to be vnderstanded that they aleadge bothe oute of Chrisostome of Ierome that is to saye that the commaundementes of God were easye to kepe For the faithful man is perswaded dothe beleue that whatsoeuer is wanting or lackynge in him the same is supplied by christ with whome he hath felowshyppe through faith Whyche working through chariti loue causeth the commaundements of god to be easy vnto the inner man whyche is borne of newe or which is renued by the holy ghost God hauynge a chief respect vnto the wyll and desire that such a man hath to kepe them actually if it dyd lye in hys power and wherby he doth endeuor him self daily to fulfill them For it is the duety of him that is renued What is the duety of him that is renewed to study daily and hourly to kepe the commaundementes of god though he be not able by him self and of hys owne strength to attain to the perfect keping of thē For we must not because that we are not able to kepe the law of god as it ought to be kept be slack therfore to do that whiche lieth in vs beinge sure that oure obedience though it be vnperfect shal be accepted before God as longe as we be true members of hys sonne Iesu Christe Why the auncient fathers spake as they did For thys cause did the auncyent doctours speake as they dyd that so they myght take away from men the vaine excuses whiche they be wont to make because of the impossibility of the law DIDyMVS The foolishe and found obiection of the enemies I was once in a place where I hard a stout champion of the Romish church say that there haue bene not one nor two but many that dyd besydes Christ fulfyll the law of God wyth a moste consummate perfection as Iosua and zacharie Ihons father saying that this is wrytten of Iosua As the Lorde commaunded hys seruaunte Moses and as Moses commaunded Iosua Iosu xi euen so did Iosua so that there was nothing vndone at al of those things that god commaunded Moses PHILALETHES I aske you whether was Iosua a man that was conceiued after the common sort of other men or not DIDyMVS I beleue that he was a man and that he was conceiued betwixt man and woman as other men are PHILALETHES Ye beleue wel for it is so in dede We muste then confesse and graunt that Iosua did go a stray from the law of God that he was a lyer and that he was filled wyth manye myseryes For it is sayd of all menne Ro. iii. that be borne of man and woman that they haue all gone oute of the waye that they be also al lyers Psal cxvi howe dare then youre bragginge marchauntes be so bold to affirm that Iosua hath kept the hole law of God For these be two contrary things to be a lyer and to haue kept the law of God perfectlye Againe I woulde fayne knowe of you whether Ihon Baptyste or Ihon the Euangelist was not as perfect as Iosua Or whether Iosua was more perfecte than anye