Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	witness_v	work_n	wrought_v	18	3	7.5583	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17706	Sermons of M. Iohn Caluine vpon the Epistle of Saincte Paule to the Galathians; Sermons de M. Jean Calvin sur l'Epistre S. Paul apostre aux Galates. English	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Golding, Arthur, 1536-1606.	1574 (1574)	STC 4449; ESTC S122190	610,760	704

staues end too the intent too humble him as he doth all the rest of the faithfull Then could not Abraham bring aught of him selfe for looke what goodnesse so euer he had he hild it of God and of hys free goodnesse And moreouer the same was yet still vnsufficient too saue him for by nature he was vtterly lost and damned as all the rest of Adams lyne is Therefore it stoode hym in hand that God shoulde receyue him through pardoning of his sinnes and looke vpon him singly in his faythe But let vs marke also that Gods iustifying of vs is by fayth that is to say by his owne meere and alonely goodnesse and that thervpon it behoueth vs to rest in his promise by the vertue wherof he alloweth and accepteth vs yea and our works also not in respect that they come of our selues but for that we do thē by the grace of his holy spirite and therfore dooth he accept them and allowe them as righteous yea euen so farre foorth as to rewarde them as the whole scripture doth plentifully witnesse And yet dooth all this also proceede of fayth For when wee bee iustified that is too say accepted for righteous before God then also are our works iustified that is to say God accepteth them for rightfull although there be not any worthinesse in them nor any cause at al why he should receiue them Then like as wee our selues are iustified by Gods onely free goodnesse when wee receyue his promises by fayth euen so bee our workes iustified by the selfe same meane After that maner was Abraham iustified in his person and then likewise were his workes also iustified before God But howsoeuer the world go if yee consider the originall cause and welspring of all yee muste needes conclude that nothing else was made account of but onely fayth For had God listed to sift Abrahams life he had bin cōdemned as all other mortall men are But his intent was to take him for his owne and nothing perswaded or moued him thervnto but his own mere mercy Also Abraham had his eyes shut agaynst all vayne trustes wherewith men deceyue them selues he knewe there was nothing able to bring him to lyfe saue the onely mercy of God To bee short like as Abraham had no regarde but of Gods meere mercie so God had no regarde but onely of Abrahams fayth and by that meanes was he iustified So then let vs leaue all things that men imagine to bring them selues in fauour with God by mingling this and that with fayth for they are all but falshods and illusions of Satan and let fayth haue such foundation as this that is too wit that with al humilitie we acknowledge our selues to bee then righteous when God forgiueth vs our sinnes and that by the same meanes our works also are reckned for good and righteous bicause God listeth not to sifte them narrowly but taketh them in good worth of his fatherly goodnesse Thus yee see what wee haue too gather vpon that text Now that the blessednesse of Abraham belongeth vnto vs and is ment vnto vs it appeareth by that which I haue touched alreadie and by that S. Paule auoucheth that all nati●ons should be blessed in Abraham And nowe remayneth too see the reason that S. Paule addeth on the contrarie part For men by their good wils can neuer finde in their harts too giue ouer the opinion which they haue of their owne righteousnesse excepte they bee compelled and inforced too it For althoughe wee bee saped in so many vices as is oughly to beholde yet the worst and deepest rooted vice in our nature is pride or presumptuousnesse whiche is a selfewilled weening that there is somewhat in vs in so muche that although God tell vs that we be right nought and that there is nothing in vs but leaudnesse filthinesse and vnclennesse and that all the vertue which we dreame vpon is but vanitie leasing yet can he not compasse to humble vs til we our selues perceiue our owne neede and haue it proued to our faces And therfore it behoueth vs to marke well the reason which S. Paule addeth heere to drawe vs to the pure fayth and to turne vs away from all the vayne trustes which we can haue in our owne deseruings All they sayth he that are of the law are accursed For it is written Cursed be he that continueth not in all the things that are written and conteyned in this booke too doo them VVhen as S. Paule sayth that all they which are of the lawe are cursed he meaneth that so long as men rest and muse vpon their owne works and thinke to obteyne grace by that meane before God they be cursed For as I haue declared heeretofore like as he that forsaketh him selfe and renounceth al that he hath of his owne and groundeth him selfe vpon the only mercy of God is of fayth so contrariwyse hee that thinketh too bring any seruice wherewith too binde God vnto him or imagineth to recompence him with his merites is of the Lawe But sainct Paule saythe that suche are cursed And why He alleageth the saying of Moyses Cursed bee hee that perfourmeth not all that is written heere It had beene sayde afore Cursed bee he that serueth straunge Gods Cursed bee he that blasphemeth God Cursed be he that breaketh the Sabboth day Cursed bee he that is stubborne agaynst his father and mother Cursed bee he that defileth another mans wyfe After the rehearsing of all these Curses and after the solemne vttering of them it behoued the people too answere Amen Amen as if there had passed some couenaunt and that God on hys side had made demaunde saying I wyll haue you too serue mee after thys maner yea euen without fayling in any poynte and in suche wise as yee keepe touche wyth mee through stitche in all things that I commaunde you and the people on theyr side shoulde answere Amen yea Lord we be contented to be all damned if we serue thee not and then afterward God should come and conclude Cursed bee he that performeth not all that euer is conteyned in this booke that is too say which misseth in any one poynt and the people should answere agayne sobeit Nowe seeing that the lawe curseth all suche as performe it not to the full let vs see if there bee any one that dooth it It is certayne that al men frō the greatest too the least are gyltie For why let vs consider the summe of the Lawe which is that wee should loue God wyth all our hart with all our minde with all our power and with al our strength and our neighbour as our self and then let euery of vs try his own life he shal neede none other iudge than him self to cōdemne him For although we loued God with an vncorrupted and sounde hart vnfaynedly yet can it not bee but that wee must bee drawen diuersly with many vanities Yea put the cace that a man were as perfect as an Angell

why For he beareth with vs as a father with his childrē That therfore is the freedom wherein we must stand except we wil be separated frō our lord Iesus Christ For as I haue sayd alreadie if we beleeue not assuredly that God loueth vs though we be vnworthie of it and that his louing of vs is bycause our sinnes are buryed by the death and passion of oure Lord Iesus Christ what will become of vs what shal Iesus Christe boote vs Ageyn if we be in doubt and vnquietnesse not knowing whether God accept our seruice or no and therwithall be bounde to the keeping of this or that at mennes appoyntment the intangling of our selues in so many debatyngs will neuer suffer vs too haue any rest Neyther is it without cause that Saint Paule hauing exhorted the faythfull to continue in the freedome that was purchased them so dearly addeth that Iesus Christe shall not profite them at all vnlesse they know the thing that he hath purchased for them and suffer not themselues to be in any wise bereft of it by men Nowe we see heere that the freedome which Sainct Paule speaketh of is not to giue vs leaue to doo what we our selues thinke good as though he layd the reynes of the brydle vpon our necke and that will he also protest in place conuenient Then intendeth he none other thing than that we might serue God quietly without greef of mind without constreint and without any continuall tormenting of our selues with diuersitie of debatings doubtfull scruples as wee see the vnbeleeuers do namely such as haue not their trust wholly settled vpon our Lord Iesus Christ Therfore besides that which hath bin sayd alredie we haue to mark further that the end of that freedome is too bee able too carie a cheerfull and quiet minde before God For without that wee shall neuer haue the hart to obey him but wee shall alwayes bee in trouble and not bee able too call vppon hym which is the cheefe seruice that he demaundeth and alloweth of VVe see thē that this matter concerneth the cheef point of oure welfare if it bee well vnderstoode VVhen wee speake now a dayes of Christen libertie the Papistes say wee go aboute too abolishe all the ordinances and traditions of the Churche and that we passe not what commeth 〈◊〉 so euery man may liue as he listeth to eate flesh on all dayes alike without let and to despise all other such ordinances But their saying so is bycause they neuer knew that it is no obeying of God vnlesse it be done with an vnconstreyned will For let the Papistes be throughly sifted all the packe of them yea euen the deuoutest of them and it is certayne that they chafe vppon the bitte when they tyre and ouerlabour themselues most to serue God For all that euer they do is but vnwillingly and if they could plucke their heads out of the collar they would full fayne do it Furthermore when they haue toyled after that fashion in their fond deuotions they beare themselues in hand that God ought to like well of it And if a man tell them that they cannot do any thyng that God shoulde accept and furthermore that although their works were good yet they deserue not aught before hym ye shall see them spew out their poyson as they do and fall to blaspheming of God vnlesse yee beleeue them that they be able to worke wonders by their owne merites Howsoeuer the cace stand they are neuer able to know and to tast what it is to obey God For why they vnderstand not what it is too bee quiet namely that it is an vnconstreyned offering of their dooings vnto God with a free hart and an assuring of themselues that he accepteth the same euen bycause he handleth them gently and beareth with them as with his children The Papists know not this and therefore it is not too be wondered at though they thinke it straunge that we should striue for that freedome for they wote not what it meeneth But yet doth not Sainct Paule speake it without cause and by those words we see how precious that libertie is and that it is not a thing to be despised For Iesus Christ did not iest in hys death and passion when he offered vp himselfe vnto God hys father but wrought a worke that in excellencie and worthinesse passeth the creation of heauen and earth Now if Sainct Paule bring in this libertie for an excellent frute purchaced to vs by the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ it must needes followe that it is a high and precious thyng And to the intent wee may conceyue what the nature and power of it is wee must learne too gather in ourselues vnto God when wee bee spoken to of it As for example if we be commanded or enioyned of necessitie too do such a thing or such a thing very well the doing thereof too the worldward hindereth not our freedome before God for the thynges that concerne common policie may bee bidden or forbidden bycause that otherwise they might turne too the hurt of the common weale or else such things may be expedient and thē must one of vs serue anothers turne in common Therefore let vs haue a regard of the things that concerne the policie bycause it behoueth vs to be knit and vnited togither and to haue suche an onement among vs that euery of vs serue his neighbours turne and none of vs be addicted to himselfe But when the cace concerneth the spirituall libertie then must euery of vs draw home into himselfe too consider the nature and propertie thereof Euery of vs say I must draw home himselfe as it were before God For our account is too be made to the heauenly iudge and therefore it behoueth vs too enter into ourselues to say thus How may I present my self before Gods iudgement seate If my life come to be tried by the lawe wo worth me For I am giltie after so many sorts yea euen withoute number that if I should suffer a Million of deaths it were too little for the offences that I haue committed Neuerthelesse God will be fauourable to me and take me to mercy for our Lord Iesus Christs sake and when I resort to him I may come with my head bolt vpright as hauing my quits est and cleere discharge which was gyuen me in the sacrifise that he offered vp for vs bycause that therein hee hath made full satisfaction for me and set me at full libertie Marke this for one point that I must serue God and it is good reason that I should dedicate my life vnto him But at which end shall I begin I cannot bring such perfection as is requisite no nor the hundreth part of it Yet for all that God beareth with me and ceasseth not to take the things in good worth which are vnperfect and weake yea sinful too And why doth he so Bycause he admitteth me as one of his children for our Lord