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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	word_n	work_n	wrath_n	74	3	7.1972	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12703	The high vvay to Heaven by the cleare light of the Gospell cleansed of a number of most dangerous stumbling stones thereinto throwen by Bellarmine and others In a treatise made vpon the 37. 38. and 39. verses of the 7. of Iohn: wherein is so handled the most sweete and comfortable doctrine of the true vnion and communication of Christ and his Church, and the contrarie is so confuted, as that not onely thereby also summarilie and briefly, and yet plainly all men may learne rightly to receiue the sacrament of Christs blessed bodie and blood, but also how to beleeue and to liue to saluation. And therefore entitled The highway to Heauen. By Thomas Sparke Doctor of Diuinitie.	Sparke, Thomas, 1548-1616.	1597 (1597)	STC 23021; ESTC S102434	161,682	384

his inner man he consenteth vnto the lawe that it is holie and good yet he doth sometimes the euill that he hateth and findeth no meanes as he shoulde to performe that which is good Vers 14. c. And by workes done after grace flowing as they say from our owne freewill in great part if iustification should come at all how then could we be excluded from all reioyeing in that respect in our selues how coulde our iustification come freely and of sauour and not at all of debt as Paule teacheth it must how could it be but in some sorte we shoulde be heires by the lawe and not onely by faith and the vertue of the promise neyther of which can be sure and certaine if they rested vpon the condition of the workes that we at any time can doe which we can neuer be sure that we haue attained vnto eyther in that measure or manner as they themselues are driuen to confesse as is required of vs. Yea if thereby at all our iustification coulde come why then was not the promise made vnto vs in the plurall number in seedes and not in seede to warrant vs as especially to looke for the benefitte thereof by the merites of the seede of the woman of Abraham Isaac and Iacob so partly and secondarily at least by our selues and our owne merits or workes ioyned with his But to ende this point what can be more cleare to put vs out of all doubt that Paule shuts not from this office of iustifying onely workes of the lawe done before grace but also the best workes done in grace then that he himselfe in the third of the Philippians as we heard before in this respect doth not onely in the time past disable his own good workes done according to the lawe before his conuersion vnreproueable but also in the verie present time when he wrote that Epistle which was not long before his death his workes or righteousness which he then had as dung that so he might be iustified by another righteousnesse to be founde and attained vnto by faith in Christ In that also 1. Cor. 4.4 First he confesseth that he knew nothing by himselfe speaking then of himselfe as he was in the state of grace and then by and by he addeth that he was not thereby iustified he plainely shewed that though he had liued so in the execution of his Apostleship that his conscience accused him not of transgression therein any way within the compasse whereof laye moste of the workes that he had done in grace yet he thought not thereby to be iustified at all Wherefore from whom soeuer these our aduersaries haue sucked or learned this glose or interpretation of Paules wordes euidentlie heereby it appeareth that it is a cursed glose for that it so directly corrupteth the text and therefore vpon whom soeuer they would father it to put the enuie and shame thereof from themselues both of them must giue vs leaue rather to forsake them heerein then the plaine euidence of the scriptures themselues which I am fullie perswaded though they hardlie or neuer will be brought vnto they ha●●e so vowed themselues obstinately to resist the trueth that yet the ancient writers in whose writinges sometimes they finde something that soundeth too much this way if eyther they were in these times or when they liued had heard but halfe so much as they haue to the contrarie they would most readily and willingly haue retracted and recanted the same For so we finde they were willing to doe when eyther by their owne further reading or learning or by the information of others they had cause giuen them to see wherein for lacke of further aduise they haue erred and neuer did any of these by farre thus interpret Paules wordes to aduance mans merits and to darken and obscure the glorie of Christ as they doe yea if they coulde haue but foreseene that euer after any woulde haue come after them thus to abuse their wordes to driue men from seeking at all to be iustified by the imputation of Christes righteousnesse to the beleeuer in him that then they might trust to their owne righteousnesse inherent in themselues inhabit as to the formall cause of their iustification and in worke wrought as to the meritorious cause of another iustification euen of saluation it selfe I dare be bolde to say they woulde neuer by any meanes haue beene drawen to haue left one sillable behinde them in their writinges sounding that way And this sufficientlie may appeare to any that hath but red their workes therein they are elsewhere so plaine full and pregnant to aduouch iustification freely by faith in Christ through the imputation of his merits and righteousnesse vnto men as in sundrie places of an answere of mine in printe to Iohn de Albïne I haue at large shewed whereunto I therefore nowe referre the Christian Reader And whereas by grace whereby Pauls faith we are iustified they woulde beare men in hand that there by grace is not to be vnderstood the free sauour of God towardes man in Christ Iesus but that speciall gift of that grace the habit of charitie infused or powred into them that beleeue all the reasons and places vsed to confute the former shift of theirs serue also as pregnantly to ouerthrow this And hereof also as of the other their onely ground is sophistrie taking aduantage by the diuerse acceptions and significations of the worde grace here to teach men to vnderstand thereby an effect of grace whereas in deede the verie fountaine it selfe of all these effectes which is the free fauour of God towardes man in Christ is meant in deede To discerne their iugling and treacherie herein let a man but in steede of grace vsed by the Apostle in this argument in these fewe places following place but the habitte of charitie and then againe weye what a violence thereby is offered both to his woordes and sense We are iustified freely by his grace that is by his infused habit of charitie through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Rom. 3.24 By grace are you saued through faith that is by the habite of charitie infused through saith and not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes least any man should bost him selfe Eph. 2.8.9 to the praise of the glorie of his grace wherewith he made vs accepted in his beloued that is to the praise of the glorie of his infused habitte of charitie c. who seeth not both the absurdnes and ridiculousnesse of this interplation of grace and withall perceiueth not indeed nothing else in these places can be vnderstood by grace but the free fauour of God had towards his elect in Christ Iesus before the foundations of the worlde were laid Which grace as it was grounded before all times onely vpon the person and office of the sonne of God our fauiour so to shewe vs that in the reuealing of the same vnto vs and communicating the same vnto his he respects not any

the price thereof not according to the worthinesse thereof but according to mens purses will euer seeke to get heauen And further seeing that the lawe is the lawe of God who for that he made vs able at the first to keepe it may by good right still call for the keeping of it at our handes though before he call for it he knoweth now that such is our corruption of the one side and the perfection of it of the other side that we can not keepe it thereby we are to learne to fall downe before him and with the teares of our soules to confesse our debt that therin he demaundeth indeede to be due debt vnto him in regard of the state wherein he created vs but that by our owne fault we are growne now vtterly vnable to pay it and therefore that there is nowe no other way for vs to escape the danger of his infinite iustice but by flying to the throne of his mercy in his sonne Christ Iesus O if we would breake vp the fallowe landes of our heartes as we are counselled to doe Iere. 4.4 by causing this sharpe plowe of the law to make deepe forrowes in it For then so much good feede of the gospell as is woulde not daily be spilt and lost vpon vs for that our heartes for lacke heereof are either like the high way or like to stony or thorny ground But finding that the hardnesse of our hearts is such that this plough alone wil not pearce deep inough to breake them vp let vs adde thereunto the weight of Gods threatned iudgementes against the transgressours of the lawe Entering into which meditation we shall finde first generally Gods curse denounced against all those that doe not obserue and keepe all the words of the law Deut. 27.26 And to goe no further then to that Chapter and the next in particular we shall finde so manie most fearefull iudgementes threatened to all transgressours of the lawe as that thereby wee may easelie perceiue that to all transgressours thereof the Lorde would haue vs to vnderstande that infinite and most intollerable are the plagues both in this life and that which is to come that be threatned and due And in verie reason we must needes see it must bee so for sinne or transgression of the lawe beeing as it is an offence against the almightie and so a meanes directlie to deserue the seueritie of his iustice to be shewed against the same who is so simple but he must needes see that all miseries in this life and eternall death and damnation in the life to come are but iusty threatned against all that breake the law Nowe these thinges thus beeing may we thinke that those beeing both due and threatned that the infinite iustice of GOD is such that it will not inflict or execute the same when or vpon whome he list To what end tende all the fearefull examples of Gods vengeance executed vppon men that wee reade of in the scriptures and in other bookes and daily seeby experience but to teach vs that God is not a bare threatner but that he both can and wil be as seuere as his threatnings come vnto if there be not a iust and sufficient stop to stay the fiercenesse of his iust wrath from breaking out against all the generation of mankind Yf al this will not serue to make vs haue broken and contrite heartes for our sinnes and so to hunger and thirst after Christ let vs further yet behold the vglinesse of our sinnes and the extreeme danger that we were in by the meanes of them in this that God hath not spared his onely begotten sonne to giue him to vs to be borne and to liue and die for vs as he did For heerein as the loue and bountifulnesse of our God towardes man hath most gloriously appeared as Paule noteth Titus 3.4 so therein and thereof we may say with the Psalmist that mercy and iustice haue most notably mette and kist each other Psal 85.10 for doubtlesse such was the loue of the father towardes the sonne that if in his wisedome any other phisition or any other meanes could or woulde haue serued to haue recouered and cured vs of our sinnes he woulde neuer haue so farre debased his sonne as beeing God to appoint him to become man and in his manhoode to haue endured liuing and dying for vs that which he did O then in that the office of a sauiour was committed vnto him in that he taking vppon him to goe through therewith as he did beeing as he was in person not man onely but God also yet found it so heauie and difficult a thing we haue most iust cause to see and beholde that it is a thing of the greatest difficulty that may be to satisfie the iust wrath of God for sinne In him we knowe there was no sinne and in his mouth there was no guile Esay 53.9 1. Pet. 2.22 for such an high priest it became vs to haue that was seperate from sumers and needed not as the priestes of the olde Testament first to offer for his owne sinnes and then for the peoples Hebr. 7.26.27 And yet in that he bare our infirmities he was surely driuen to carrie our sorrowes insomuch that he was debased as he was and wounded and broken as he was for our transgressions and iniquities Esay 53.3.4.5 In that therefore his pure and holy manhoode though it had personally vnited vnto it a Godhead to enable it to goe thorow with that which it had to doe and suffer going vnder the burthen but of our sinnes was driuen into those bloodie sweates and agonies that it was in the garden Luke 22 44. and both there and after vpon the crosse before he coulde say all is finished Iohn 19.30 to say Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me my soule is heauie vnto death Math. 26.39 and 38. and my God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Mathewe 27.40 it was made manifest vnto the whole worlde that infinite is the seueritie of Gods iustice against fin that none but such an one was euer able to haue borne the burden thereof and to haue gotte from vnder it againe to triumphe ouer it as he hath proued that he did by his most glorious and comfortable resurrection and ascention into heauen after his death and passion when thus the iustice of GOD and his wrath against sinne was manifested in his suffering thorowe astonishmente thereat from the sixte howre vnto the ninthe there was darknesse ouer the whole earth the vaile of the temple rente from the toppe to the bottome the earth did quake and the stones were clouen and the graues did open themselues Math 27 45.51 52. if these then and all the former laide togither will not or cannot so astonishe or amaze vs at the sight of our sinnes and of all Gods wrath due vnto vs and most surely ready we cannot tell how soone to destroy vs if it be not stayed by this

desert or merit of man but onely the deserts and merits of his said sonne by faith through imputation made to the beleeuers therein the Apostle saith as he doth not onely that we are iustified by grace but also addeth freely not of our selues it is the gift of God not of workes least any man should boast himselfe How it is possible if God should haue studied of purpose to crosse and to preuent for euer all these popish gloses and trickes that he shoulde haue spoken more plainely or pregnantly to aduouch iustification freely and only by faith in Christ Iesus and not for the worthinesse or merit of any thing in our selues first or last And who be so simple that hath any thing had his spirit exercised in the word of God and knowledge of Christ Iesus as by any means to be brought to thinke that Christ comming to be the meritorious and satisfactorie cause of mans saluation as he did that yet so farre off is it that he hath gone quite thorowe with this worke in and by himselfe that in verie deede by the things accomplished in his owne person he hath enabled and dignified thinges to be founde in man and to be done and suffered him at the least to finish vp and perfect by the meritorious and satisfactorie cause of mans saluation For this were not onely to leaue the worke of mans iustification and saluation to be vnperfect for all that hath beene done by him in his owne person but also most vncertaine whether euer it shoulde be finished or no because if the matter be thus to be deuided betwixt Christ and mans owne selfe howsoeuer man might be sure that Christ hath done his part he coulde neuer be sure that he hath or shall hit in iust manner and measure of all that is left for him to doe to perfect the same Yea if this were thus that amongst otherendes that Christ had in his merits and sufferinges he had this thereby so to die our doings and sufferings therewith that they nowe shall be meritorious of and satisfactorie for our owne saluation though by thus saying they would seeme to attribute vnto Christs merits more then we doe in that we denie them this effect in deede and trueth in thus dealing they with Iudas giue him faire wordes saying vnto him haile maister when in secret cunninglie they most vnkindlie and wickedlie seeke to betraye him Heeretofore when they taught this doctrine of mans merits bluntly and flatly without this new colour of their so doing we iustly charged themselues to be the sacrilegious robbers of Christ of that chiefe and speciall honour that appertaines vnto him but now whiles they haue sought to auoyd to put frō themselues the grieuousnes of this charge by this their new deuise in steed of making Christ some restitution and amendes for the wrong they did him they nowe are flatly come to this obstinately to continue in the doing of him the same old wrong still but nowe they will no longer be the onely doers thereof them selues but he himselfe must bee if not the plaine and full principall yet at the least an open and notorious accessary and helper forward of them in this their robbing of him But whatsoeuer they say or doe herein let vs with the apostle beleeue that he is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them and hath an euerlasting priesthoode Heb. 7.24.25 For as we haue often heard before an other of them writeth his owne selfe bare our finnes in his body vpon the tree and so that thereby we are both deliuered from sinne and so healed thereof that thenceforth we shoulde liue in righteousnesse 1. Pet 1.2.4 And with all our heartes let vs shunne and detest all these their popish demses tending as we see all more or lesse to the robbing of Christ of this speciall honour to be a full and a perfect sauiour in That he is King Friest Prophet of and by him selfe To proceed therefore as thus in these two pointes particularly you haue heard howe the gospell sheweth you this to be his office so for the rest before mentioned if we looke into it it will teach vs that in this his office he is our Christ that is our annointed and appointed kinge priest and prophet in and for his Church King to rule gouerne and to protect it from all the enimies and dangers there of priest to redeeme it and to make full and perfect atonement and reconsiliation thorowe his eternall intercession betwixt God and it and prophet to teach and instruct it by his worde from time to time So that he hath of his Church a priestly kingdome which he hath purchased not with gold or siluer but with his owne preticus blood as Peter speaketh 1. epist 1.19 which he gouerneth and ordereth by the scepter of his worde and perfecteth by the powre of his spirit Of the title and right of his kingrick Paule Heb. 4.8 vnderstandeth that Psal 45.6 and 7. as spoken of Dauid thorow the spirit thy throne is for euer and euer the scepter of thy kingdome is a scepter of righteousnesse thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquitie wherfore cuen God thy God hath annointed thee with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy fellowes And touching his priesthoode to proue him to be a farre more excellent priest then euer was any of the tribe of Leui. Cap. 7.12 he saith that he was made priest with an oath by him that said vnto him as it is written Psal 110.4 The Lord hath sworne and will not repente thou art a priest for euer according to the order of Melchizedech And lastly concerning his office of a prophet and teacher of his Church Mathew sheweth vs that when he was transfigured in the mount this voyce was heard from heauen vttered of him doubtlesse by his heauenlie father to establish him heerein This is my welbeloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him Cap. 17.5 And to teach vs that all doctors teachers must alwaies stoupe to him and learne that first of him which they teach others he saith be not called doctors for one is your doctor euen Christ Math. 23.10 thereby not forbidding the title but the abuse thereof which is when any dare take vpon them as doctors and teachers onely of trueth to vrge that for trueth vpon the Church or to Gods people which they cannot warrant so to be by the vndoubted voyce and word of Christ His kingdom is not of this world for so he himselfe told Pilate Iohn 18.36 and yet he is such a king as that he is king of kings and Lord of Lords Reue. 19.16 And as king he is lawgiuer vnto his people in whose power it is to saue and destroy Iam. 4.12 As king he gouerneth and guideth his Church both heere and in heauen as the head thereof Ephe. 1.22 As king he liberally bestoweth thereupon from time to time those rich