Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	know_v	knowledge_n	see_v	2,585	5	3.6782	3	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

all the other parts so ought wee to determine with our selues that our brother feeleth not any inconuenience which should not mooue vs to compassion With such manner of thoughts must we prepare our selues to this holy Sacrament quickning vp our spirits with a feruent loue to our neighbourward For what greater spurre can we haue to pricke vs to loue one another then to see that Iesus Christ by giuing himselfe vnto vs not only allureth vs to giue our selues one to another but also by making himselfe common to vs all maketh vs also to be all one selfe-same thing in him In respect whereof we ought to couet and procure that in all of vs there may be but one minde one heart and one tongue accorded and vnited together in thoughts words and deeds And wee must marke well that as oft as wee receiue this holy and worthy Sacrament wee bind our selues to all the duties of charitie as not to offend any of our brethren nor to leaue any thing vndone that may bee profitable and helpefull in their necessitie But if there come any to this heauenly Table of the Lord that are diuided at variance with their brethren the same must assure themselues that they eate vnworthily and are guiltie of the body and blood of the Lord and that they eate and drinke their owne damnation for that there wanted nothing on their behalfe but that the body of Iesus Christ was rent and plucked in pieces againe whilest they by hatred are diuided from their brethren that is to wit from the members of Iesus Christ and haue not any part with him and yet neuerthelesse in receiuing this holy communion pretended to beleeue that their whole saluation consisteth in the participation and vnion with Iesus Christ Then let vs goe my brethren to the receiuing of this heauenly bread to celebrate the remembrance of our Lords passion and to strengthen and fortifie the beliefe and assurance of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes with the remembrance thereof and to quicken vp our minds and tongues to praise and exalt the infinite goodnesse of our God and finally to cherrish brotherly loue and to witnesse the same one to another by the straight vnion which all of vs haue in the body of our Lord Iesus Christ Besides prayer and the remembring of Baptisme and the often resorting to the most holy communion there is one other very good remedy against distrust and fearefulnesse which is no lesse friend to Christian charity namely the remembrance of our predestination and election to eternall life grounded vpon the Word of God which is the Sword of the H. Ghost wherewith we may beat backe our enemies Reioyce ye in this saith the Lord that your names are written in heauen There is no greater ioy in this life nor any thing that more comforteth the Christian that is afflicted tempted or falne into any sinne then the remembrance of predestination and the assuring of our selues that we be of the number of them whose names are written in the Booke of life and which are chosen to be fashioned like vnto the Image of Iesus Christ O how vnspeakeable is the comfort of him that hath this faith and museth continually in his heart vpon this exceeding sweet predestination whereby he knoweth that although he fall often yet notwithstanding God his Father who hath fore-ordained him to euerlasting life holdeth him vp and reacheth out his hand vnto him continually And he saith continually in himselfe If God haue chosen me and predestinated me to the glory of his children who can hinder me If God bee with vs saith S. Paul who can be against vs Nay rather to the end that the Predestination may be accomplished in vs he hath sent his deare-beloued Sonne who is a most sure earnest penny and pledge vnto vs that we which haue receiued the Grace of the Gospell are Gods Children chosen to eternall life This holy Predestination maintaineth the true Christian in a continuall spirituall ioy increaseth in him the indeauour of good workes and inflameth him with the loue of God and maketh him enemy to the world and to sinne Who is so fierce and hard-hearted which knowing that God of his mercy hath made him his child from euerlasting will not by and by be inflamed to loue God Who is of so vile and base courage that hee will not esteeme all the pleasures all the honours and all the riches of the world as filthy mire when he knowes that God hath made him a Citizen of heauen yea these are they that worship God rightly in spirit and truth receiuing all things as well in prosperity as in aduersity at the hand of God their Father and euermore praising and thanking him for all as their good Father who is righteous and holy in all his workes These being inflamed with the Loue of God and armed with the knowledge of their predestination feare neither death nor sin nor the diuell nor hell neither know they what the wrath of God is for they see none other thing in God but loue and fatherly kindnesse towards them And if they fall into any troubles they accept them as tokens of Gods fauour crying out with S. Paul Who is it that shall separate vs from Gods loue shall tribulations shall anguish shall persecution or hunger or nakednesse or perill or sword as it is written For thy sake are we killed all the day long and counted as sheepe appointed to the slaughter But in all these things we get the vpper hand through him that hath loued vs. Wherefore it is not for nought that Saint Iohn saith how the true Christians know right well that they must be saued and glorified and that by reason of the same affiance they make themselues holy as Iesus Christ is holy And when Saint Paul exhorteth his Disciples to a good and holy life he is wont to put them in remembrance of their election and predestination as of a thing of very great force to stirre vp the minds of the true Christians to the louing of God and to the performance of good workes And for the same cause our good Lord Iesus Christ speaketh openly of this holy predestination as one that knew of how great importance the knowledge thereof is to the edifying of his elect But perchance thou wilt say to me I know well that they whose names are written in heauen haue cause to liue in continuall ioy and glorifie God both in word and deed but I know not whether I am of that number or no and therefore I liue in continuall feare specially because I know my selfe to be an exceeding weake and fraile sinner from the violence whereof I am not able to defend my selfe but that I am ouercome of it daily And furthermore forasmuch as I see my selfe continually afflicted and troubled with diuers temptations mee thinkes I doe as it were behold with mine eyes the wrath of God scourging

righteousnesse and euerlasting life are come by Iesus Christ and by him death is slaine whereof Saint Paul maketh a very godly discourse which I purpose to set downe here following Wherefore saith he like as by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne euen so death went ouer all men forasmuch as all men haue sinned For vntill the Law sinne was in the world but sinne was not regarded as long as there was no Law Neuerthelesse death reigned from Adam vnto Moses euen ouer them also that sinned not after the like manner of the transgression of Adam who was a figure of him that was to come But yet the gift is not so as is the offence for if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded vnto many Neither is the gift so as that which entred in by one that sinned For the fault came of one offence vnto condemnation but the gift is of many offences to iustification For if by the offence of one death reigned through one much more shall they which receiue the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse reigne in life through one that is Iesus Christ Likewise then as by the offence of one that fault came on all men to condemnation so by the righteousnesse of one the benefit abounded toward all men to the iustification of life For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be also made righteous Moreouer the Law entred thereupon that the offence should abound neuerthelesse where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more that as sinne had reigned vnto death so might grace also reigne by righteousnesse vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. By these words of St. Paul we manifestly perceiue the thing to be true which we haue said heretofore that is to wit that the Law was giuen to make sinne knowne which sin we doe also know not to be of greater force then Christs righteousnesse where-through we be iustified before God For euen as Iesus Christ is stronger then Adam was so is his righteousnesse more mightie then the sinne of Adam And if the sinne of Adam was sufficient inough to make all men sinners and children of wrath without any misdeed of our owne much more shall Christs righteousnesse be of greater force to make vs all righteous and the children of grace without any of our owne good works which cannot be good vnlesse that before we doe them wee our selues be made good as Augustine also affirmeth Hereby a man may know in what errour they be who by reason of some great offence despaire of Gods good will imagining that he is not willing to forgiue couer and pardon all sinne hauing already punished and chastised all our sinnes and iniquities in his owne onely begotten and dearely beloued Sonne and consequently granted a generall pardon to all mankinde which euery body enioyeth that beleeueth the Gospell that is to say which beleeueth the happy tydings that the Apostles haue published through the whole world saying We beseech you for Iesus Christs sake Be ye reconciled vnto God for he that neuer knew sinne was made a sacrifice for our sinne that we might become righteous in him The Prophet Esay foreseeing this great goodnesse of God writeth these heauenly words which doe so well paint out the passion of our Lord Iesus Christ and the cause thereof as it is not to be found better described euen in the writings of the Apostles Who saith he will beleeue our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed But he shall grow vp before him as a branch and as a root out of a dry ground he hath neither forme nor beautie when we shall see him there shall be no forme that wee should desire him Hee is despised and reiected of men he is a man full of sorrowes and hath experience of infirmities we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and wee esteemed him not Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes yet we did iudge him as plagued and smitten of God and humbled but he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities The chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed All wee like sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquity of vs all he was oppressed and hee was afflicted yet did hee not open his mouth He is brought as a sheep to the slaughter and as a sheepe before the shearer is dumme so hee openeth not his mouth O great vnkindnesse O thing abominable that wee which professe our selues Christians and heare that the Sonne of God hath taken all our sins vpon him and washed them out with his precious blood suffering himselfe to be fastened to the Crosse for our sakes should neuerthelesse make as though we would iustifie our selues and purchase forgiuenesse of our sins by our owne works as who would say that the deserts righteousnesse and bloodshed of Iesus Christ were not enough to doe it vnlesse we came to put to our workes and righteousnesse which are altogether defiled and spotted with self-loue selfe-liking selfe-profit and a thousand other vanities for which we haue neede to craue pardon at Gods hand rather than reward Neither doe we thinke of the threatnings which S. Paul vseth to the Galatians who hauing beene deceiued by false Preachers beleeued not that the Iustification by Faith was sufficient of it selfe but went about still to be made righteous by the Law Vnto whom Saint Paul saith Iesus Christ shall nothing profit you that iustifie your selues by the Law for you be falne from Grace because that wee through the Spirit of faith waite for the hope of righteousnesse Now if the seeking of righteousnesse and forgiuenesse of sinnes by the keeping of the Law which God gaue vpon Mount Sinai with so great glory and maiesty be the denying of Christ and of his Grace what shall wee say to those that will needes iustifie themselues afore God by their owne lawes and obseruances I would wish that such folkes should a little compare the one with the other and afterward giue Iudgement themselues God mindeth not to doe that honour not to giue that glory to his owne Law and yet they will haue him to giue it to mens lawes and ordinances But that honour is giuen onely to his onely begotten Sonne who alone by the sacrifice of his death and passion hath made full amends for all our sinnes past present and to come as S. Paul and S. Iohn declare Wherefore as often as wee apply this satisfaction of Iesus Christ vnto our soules by faith out of all doubt we obtaine forgiuenesse of our sinnes and become good and righteous before God through his righteousnesse

man to deserue so great a gift and treasure as Iesus Christ is This treasure is giuen only through the grace fauour and mercifulnesse of God and onely faith is the thing that receiueth such a gift as to make vs inioy the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And therefore when S. Paul and other Doctors say that onely faith maketh men righteous without works they meane that it maketh vs to enioy the generall forgiuenesse of our sinnes and to receiue Iesus Christ who as saith S. Paul dwelleth in our hearts by faith and ouercomming and pacifying the troubles of our consciences satisfieth Gods iustice for our sinnes Furthermore it appeaseth Gods wrath iustly moued against vs quencheth the fire of hell whereinto our naturall corruption did throw vs headlong and cheerefully destroyeth and ouerthroweth the diuell together with all his power and tyranny Which things all the workes that all the men in the world can lay together are not able to deserue nor to bring to passe That glory and that prerogatiue is reserued all onely to the Sonne of God that is to wit to the blessed Iesus Christ who hath power aboue all the powers that are in Heauen in Earth and in Hell and giueth himselfe and his merits to all such as distrusting in themselues doe set their whole hope of being saued in him and in his merits And therefore let no man beguile himselfe when he heareth it said that onely faith iustifieth without workes and thinke as false Christians doe who draw all things to liue fleshly that the true faith consisteth in beleeuing the bare story of Iesus Christ after the same manner as men beleeue the story of Caesar or Alexander Such manner of beleefe is but an historicall beleefe grounded meerely vpon the report of men and vpon their writings and lightly imprinted in our conceit by a certaine custome and is like to the faith of the Turks who for the like reasons beleeue the fables of their Alcoran And such a faith is but an imagination of man which neuer renueth the heart of man nor warmeth it with the loue of God neither do any good workes insue or any change of life which faith should bring forth And therefore they falsly hold opinion against the holy Scripture and against the holy Doctors of the Church that onely faith maketh not men righteous but that they must also haue workes Vnto whom I answer That this historicall and fond beliefe and all the workes that insue thereof are not onely vnable to make a man righteous but also doe cast the parties headlong to the bottome of hell like vnto those that haue no oyle in their lamps that is to say no liuely faith in their hearts The faith that maketh men righteous is a worke of God in vs whereby our old man is crucified and we being transformed in Iesus Christ become new creatures and the deare beloued children of God This heauenly faith is it that graffeth vs into the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ and consequently mortifieth our flesh with the effects and lusts thereof For when we by the operation of faith doe know our selues to be dead with Iesus Christ wee are at a full point with our selues and with the world and are throughly resolued how it is meet that they which are dead with Iesus Christ should mortifie their earthly members that is to wit the sinfull affections of their minde and the lusts of the flesh and forasmuch as wee know wee bee raised againe with Christ we bend our selues to the leading of a spirituall and holy life like vnto that which we shall liue in heauen after the last resurrection This holy faith making vs to inioy the generall pardon that is published by the Gospell bringeth vs into the kingdome of our good God and pacifieth our consciences maintaining vs in continuall ioy and holy and spirituall sweetnesse This selfe-same faith knitteth vs vnto God and maketh him to dwell in our hearts and clotheth our soule with himselfe so as thenceforth the holy Ghost mooueth vs to doe the same things whereunto hee mooued Iesus Christ while he was in the world and was conuersant among men that is to wit vnto lowlinesse meekenesse obedientnesse vnto God louingnesse and other perfections where-through wee recouer the image of God For these selfe-same causes Iesus Christ did rightly attribute blessednesse vnto this inspired faith which blessednesse cannot bee without good workes and holinesse of life And how can it be that a Christian should not become holy seeing that Iesus Christ is become his holinesse through faith Therefore by faith we be iustified and saued and therefore S. Paul doth in a manner alwaies call those Saints whom we call now Christians who if they haue not Christs Spirit are none of Christs and consequently no Christians at all But if they haue the Spirit of Iesus Christ to rule and gouerne them we must not doubt but that although they know well that they bee made righteous through faith onely yet for all that they will become neuer the more slothfull to do good works For Christs Spirit is the Spirit of loue and loue cannot be idle nor cease from the doing of good works But if wee will say the truth a man can doe no good works except he first know himselfe to be become righteous by faith for before he knoweth that his doing of good works is rather to make himselfe righteous then for the loue and glory of God and so he defileth all his works with selfe-loue for the loue of himselfe and for his owne profit But hee that knoweth himselfe to be become righteous by the merits and righteousnesse of Christ which hee maketh his owne by faith laboureth happily and doth good works all only for the loue and glory of Christ and not for loue of himselfe nor to make himselfe righteous And thereupon it commeth that the true Christian that is to wit he that accounteth himselfe righteous by reason of Christs righteousnesse asketh not whether good works be commanded or not but being wholly moued and prouoked with a certaine violence of godly loue he offereth himselfe willingly to doe all the works that are holy and Christian-like and neuer ceaseth to doe well Hee therefore which feeleth not the marueilous effects by his faith which we haue heretofore declared that the inspired faith works in the heart of the Christian Let him assure himselfe that he hath not the Christian faith and let him pray earnestly vnto God to giue it him saying Lord helpe mine vnbeliefe And when he heareth it said that only faith maketh men righteous let him not deceiue himselfe and say What need I to weary my selfe in doing good works faith is inough to send mee to Paradise To such an one I answer that only faith sendeth vs to Paradise but yet let him take good heed for the diuels doe also beleeue and tremble as saith Saint Iames O miserable man wilt thou goe with them