Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A06955
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A new yeares gyfte more precious than golde worthy to be embrased no lesse ioyfully than tha[n]kfully of euery true christe[n] man, newly published by Theodore Basille.
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Becon, Thomas, 1512-1567.
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1543
(1543)
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STC 1738; ESTC S109206
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72,867
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228
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sayth if we say that we haue fellowshyp with Christ yet walke in darknes we lye do not y e trueth But if we walke in the lyght as he is in the lyght we haue felloweshyp one wyth another and the bloud of Iesus Christ gods owne sonne maketh vs cleane from all synne This texte prouethe manifestly that we haue no feloweshyp wythe Christ so long as we walke in darkenes that is in synfull lyuynge agayne that the bloude of Christe profytethe vs nothyng at all excepte we walke in the lyght of Gods worde laboure to fulfyll hys holye preceptes For sayth S. IohnÌ„ by this do we know y t we haue known hiÌ„ if we kepe hys coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes He y t sayth I know hiÌ„ kepeth not hys coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes is a lyare and the truethe is not in hym But he that dothe hys worde trulye in hym is the loue of God perfecte By this do we knowe that we are in hym He that sayth he abydeth in hym oughte to walke euen as he walked Of this all the other textes which I haue hitherto rehearsed we may easly learne what is our duty and howe earnestly we oughte to seake occasions for to do good Seyng we are y e peo-people of God yea hys peculiare oute chosen people we muste nedes shewe oure selues earnest followers of good workes or elles haue we no fellowshyp wyth Christ. God the father is not oure father nether are we christes brothers nor yet fellow heyres wyth hym if we seake not to lead a godly and vertuous lyfe Let vs neuer crake of the iustificacioÌ„ of fayth of y e fre mercy of God of christes pashoÌ„ bloud death merites c. we lead a lyfe worthy the kyndenes of God Lette vs neuer reioyse that we are delyuered from the power of SataÌ„ synne deth hell for so long as we coÌ„tinue in our olde synnefull lyuynge and wycked manners we pertayne not vnto Christ but are y e bonde slaues of Satan very fyre brondes of hell For as y e good preste Zachary father to S. IohnÌ„ Baptist sayth God hath perfourmed the othe whiche he sware to our father Abraham for to gyue vs that we delyuered out of the haÌ„des of our enemies myght serue hym wtout feare all the dayes of oure lyfe in holynes righteousnes Hereto agreeth the sayng of s. Paule the bloud of christ whyche thorow the euerlastyng spirite hathe offered hymselfe pure to God shall pourge youre conscience from dead workes for to serue the lyuynge God Here learne we y t christ hathe delyuered vs from the power of our enemies that we should serue him in holines and righteousnes all the dayes of oure lyfe Nowe if ony be not giuen to the seruyse of God surely he is not free but abydethe styll the miserable captiue bonde presoner of his enemies Let all meÌ„ therfore take hede prepare theÌ„ selues to lede a godly lyfe y t they maye be earnest followers of good workes or elles nether theyr baptisme nor Christ nor yet ony thyng that euer Christ dyd shall profytte them ony thynge at all Chri. O good Lorde how greatly be many deceued whiche put theyr trust in Christ crake muche of fayth yet continue styll abhominable lyuers thynkyng not with stondynge all this theyr great wyckednes to be saued Phil. To repeÌ„taunce â—aythe and amendement of lyfe mercy is neuer denyed But be not you deceaued neyghbours For not they whiche heare the lawe are righteous before god but they that expresse the law in dedes shall be coÌ„ted righteous Be ye the doers of y e worde and not the hearers only deceauyng your selfes Theo. God gyue vs grace thus to do that we maye garnysh the doctrine of God our sauioure in all thynges Euse. Amen I beseche the good Lorde Phil. Uerely there are many causes yea those vrgent and necessary why Christen men shoulde bryng forth good workes if they dyd consider theyr vocacioÌ„ callyng wel Fyrst because it is the wyll of God God hath coÌ„mauÌ„ded so by his holy worde For what chylde accoÌ„plysheth not his fathers wyll for the loue that he beareth towarde hym What seruaunt fulfylleth not his masters coÌ„maundemeÌ„t if he do but onely feare hym â–ª Hoâ—â— muche more than ought we wâ—â—che haue so louynge a fatheâ— and so puyssauÌ„t a Lorde and beneficiall a master for the loue 〈◊〉 â—earâ— that we beare toward hym shewe our 〈◊〉 obedient to his holy wyll fulfyl it to y e vttermoost of our power â–ª Where ether â—earâ— or loue of God is there must the â—ulfyllynge of Gods lawe nedes followe If so doth not neuer let vs confesse oure selues eyther to feare or loue god truly The sonne honoureth his father and the seruaunte his Lorde If I than be youre father where is my honoure â–ª And if I be your Lord where is my feare sayth y e Lord or Hoâ—stes Not euery one that sayth vnto me Lord Lorde shall enter into y e kyngdome of heauen sayth Christ but he thaâ— doth the wyll of my father which iâ— in â—eauen The holy 〈…〉 bryng forth frutes of repentaunce And christ sayth as my father gaue me commaundement so I do Agen I haue not spokeÌ„ of my selfe but he that sent me that is to saye my father he gaue me commaundement what I shoulde do what I should speake A christeÌ„ man therfore must do good because it is the commaundement and wyll of God Secondely we ought to do good workes that God may be glorifyed thorowe them as Christ sayth Let your light so shyne before men that they may se your good workes and glorify your father which is in heauen Also S. Peter se that ye haue as honest conuersacion amonge the Hey then that they whiche backe by tâ— you aâ— euell doers may sâ— your good workes and prayse God in the day of visitacion For what greater dishonour â—â—ther be done to god thaÌ„ to professe the name of God iâ—nominâ—â—usly to deface and obscure the glory of it thorowe our wycked and vngodly conuersacion Theyr rulars do vnrighteously sayth y e lord and by this means my name is blasphemed coÌ„tinually euen all y e whole daye longe S Paule also sayth the name of GOD is euell reported for you among the Hethen Agen what greater honour can there be gyueÌ„ to God of vs thaÌ„ to lede a godly lyfe to expresse the manners and lyuysh Image of our heuenly father in all our lyfe By the one God is dishonored by the other he is greatly honored praysed and magnified Thyrdely it is oure dutye to do good workes that we maye be certeÌ„ that our fayth is right true lyuysh and workynge For as there is not a more certen argument sure tokeÌ„ that a tree is good thaÌ„ by bringing â—orth good â—â—â—te so is ther not a better probacioÌ„ that our fayth is true 〈…〉 than whan we worke the
wyll of God and brynge forthe the sentes of the spirite WhaÌ„ we worke the wyll of God and fashon our lyfe â—â—â—â—rdynge to the rule of Christes gospell than may we be certen that â—ur sayth is ryght and that we are the sonnes of God fellowe enheritâ—â—rs w t Iesus Christ. Nether nede â—e doubte of ony thynge that God hathe promised in his holy scriptuâ—â—â— but beleue stedfastly y t we shall â—aue al thiÌ„ges accordiÌ„g to hys promises in asmuch as we bryng forth the frutes of faythe But if we lyue 〈◊〉 carnally and do the fylthy worâ—â—â— of the 〈◊〉 as droÌ„ckeshyp whore 〈◊〉 theafte couetousnes amp c. than 〈◊〉 we no cause to reioyse nor yet 〈…〉 of our faythe For the true 〈…〉 the great maruelous thynges as we maye se in AbrahaÌ„ whiche truly beleued in God therfore wroughte many godly workes He obeyed the word of God he lefte hys owne natiue countrey he was contented at the commaundement of God to kyll offer hys owne soÌ„ne to what soeuer the spiriâ—e of God moued hym to do Of this nature are so many as truely beleue They y t thus worcke not haue not Abrahams fayth neyther are they y e sonnes of Abraham For Christ sayd to the Iewes if ye were the sonnes of Abraham ye woulde do 〈◊〉 workes of AbrahaÌ„ Therfore after that we are persuaded of the goodnes of god towarde vs and beleue fâ—ythfully y t god for his promises sakâ— which hâ— hath made vs in christe 〈…〉 be bouÌ„teous and mercifull vnto vs we must note that the scrâ—pture coÌ„maundeth workes to be dne of the faythfull For after that we be once iustifyed by fayth before GOD we must expresse that faythe whiche is knowne to god alone by externall outward workes y t we may appere â—â—ghteous both before God man Nether is there ony better sygne or more manifest argument as I sayd before y t our fayth is ryghâ— true lyueth than whan it produceth and bryngeth for the good workes euen â—s there is not a more manifest probacion that a tree is good than by the bryngynge forth of good frute I faythfull man therfore is not coÌ„pared without a cause of the Psalmographe to a tree planted by the ryuers syde which bryngeth forthe 〈◊〉 fruyte in due season I beynge 〈◊〉 a frtefull Olyue tree saythe Dauid in the house of GOd haue trusted in the mercy of god for euer 〈◊〉 euer A christen man is compared to a grene Olyue for he is euer full of fruyte and neuer barren all waye grene neuer seare â—â—er workyng and neuer idle He y t truly beleueth hath no nede of lawes to coÌ„pell hym to do good workes as the scripture sayth the lawe is not gyuen vnto a ryghteous man but vnto the vnrighteous disobedieÌ„t c. For of hys owne fre wyll sâ— lyuyshe and myghty in operacion iâ— faythe whan God gyuethe an occasion he wyll bryng forth good workes euen the frutes of faythe vnto â—he glory of God and the health of hâ—s neyghbour The sonnes of God are not coÌ„tent to syt ydle sayth Chriâ—ostome but the spirite prouokethe them to take some great and commendable worke in hande Hereto agreeth the sayenge of S. Gregory The loue of GOD is neuer idle for it worketh great thynges if it be y e loue of God in dede but if it cease the to worcke than is it no loue The vnfaythfull is lyke vnto a dead stocke which briÌ„geth forth no frute at all but is vnprofitable altogyther and therfore shall he be hewen downe and cast into hell fyre To be shorte in this matter they that are frutefull bryng forthe good workes pertayne vnto the chyrche of God and they whych are vnfrutefull and bryng forth no good workes belong vnto y e chyrche of the Dyuell for there is a double chyrche and shall be cursed as the â—ygge tree was Fortely we ought to do good worâ—es that we may wynne our neyghâ—our also vnto Christ as S. Peter â—ryteth you wiues be ye obedieÌ„t to our husbandes y t they also whiche â—hey not the worde maye be wonne â—y the conuersacion of theyr wyues â—ythout the worde whyle they consydre your chaste and pure conuersacion ioyned wyth reuerence For as christ came not iÌ„to thys world to wynne the fauoure of hys eternall father for hymself but what so euer he dydde was done for vs so in lyke maÌ„ner what so euer we do we must do it also for oure neyghboures to wynne theÌ„ vnto Christ to make th â— professours of Christes Gospell anâ— the perfecte chyldreÌ„ of GOD our father Let that same affeccioÌ„ be in you saythe S. Paule that was in Christ Iesus whyche beynge in the shape of God thought it no robber to be equall wythe God Neuerthelesse he made hymselfe of no reputacion and toke on hym the shape of â— seruaunt and became lyke vnto in was founde in the figure as a maÌ„ He humbled hym selfe beâ—ame obeâ—dient vnto the death eueÌ„ the death of the crosse Fyftely we must do good workes that the mouthes of y e vngodly may be stopped as S. Peter sayth thys is the wyll of God that by well doyng ye shulde stoppe the mouthes of folysh and ignorant parsonnes Do all thynges wythout murmurynge and disputyng sayth S. Paul that ye maye be fautlesse and pure and the sonnes of God wythout rebuke in the myddes of a croked peruerse nacion among whome se y t ye shyne as lyghtes in the worlde holdynge faste the worde of lyfe Uerely if it ware euer expedient that Christen meÌ„ shoulde lede a godly lyfe it is at thys tyme moost necessary For whaÌ„ the aduersaries of Goddes trueth se them y t professe the Gospell of Christ lyue dissolutely not fast not praye not gyue almes not mortify the affectes of the flesâ—he but lead a more vngodly lyfe thaÌ„ the other sorte do than blaspheme they the gospel thaÌ„ call they the worde of God heresye than hate they extremely persecute presonne condemne and vtterly destroye so many as cleaâ—â— purely to y e doctrine of christ And all this come to passe thorowe the wyckednes and vngodly conuersacion of the grosse Gospellers the raylyng readers of the scripture the â—aye lâ—ke ianglers of Gods worde and brâ—yneles bablers of y e gospell whych â—able muche of gods trueth and yet â—yue no part therof Oh what a great hinderauÌ„s is this to goddes mooâ—â— holy wordâ— God giue vs grace both to loue and lyue the gospell Finally we ought to do good workes seynge it is none â—nprofitable seruice neyther shal our laboure be loste in so doynge but we shall hyghly be rewarded for doynge of them not only in thys worldâ— but muche 〈◊〉 pleÌ„teously in y e worlde to come Reioyse and be mery saythe Christ to all that do good workes for great is your rewarde in heauen Agayne he that receaueth a Prophet in the name of