Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	church_n	faith_n	unity_n	2,037	5	9.1432	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05400	A treatise of the right way fro[m] danger of sinne & vengeance in this wicked world, vnto godly wealth and saluation in Christe. Made by Th. Leuer, and now newly augmented. Seene and allowed, according to the order appointed.	Lever, Thomas, 1521-1577.	1575 (1575)	STC 15552; ESTC S106915	50,750	138

no holinesse nor nothing holie vnto any man For it is not only the holy ghost in the heart and minde of man that sanctifieth that maketh and kéepeth pure and holy The holy catholicke church I knowe and thinke assuredly that I and all Christians be one church one congregation in suche vnitie of liuely faithe whiche worketh by charitie as dothe euer kéepe vs togither as members of one bodie in Christe although wée be farre asunder by reason of diuers times and places in the worlde and by the holy spirite worde and sacraments of God in this church is such holinesse as doth euer striue and preuaile against vngodlines such holinesse as is the continual purging of men from their sins to furnishe and garnishe them with godly righteousnesse in christ This Church or congregatiō is so catholike so made one of many so made one mysticall bodie in Christ of many men in all places as is one mannes naturall body of diuers members euery one seuerally hauing their own places and proportions all together ioyned accordingly in one body of one person And so the communion of Sainctes The vnitie of them that be sanctified redemed and deliuered from the seruice of the Diuell the flesh and the worlde to glorifie God in holinesse and righteousnesse is by Christ and in Christ a common comfort and cōmoditie vnto al them of euery thing that is good or profitable vnto any of them which although many times they cānot bée séene and perceyued of worldely men nor well knowne one to another yet being all of one faith be euer altogether afore god in one mind as members of one body to haue communion comfort and commodity euery one with al other in Christ their head And as it was sayde they haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them so haue wée always in this holy catholike Church the foundatiō of the Prophets Apostels Christ being the beade corner stone albeit not their personsin bodily presēce yet their examples of liuing and truthe of doctrine in their wrytings so that euer therein wée may sée and perceyue that face and fashion of the holie catholicke Churche which God hath ordayned to be so shewed as moste expedient and sufficient vnto all men at al times and all places The Remission of sinnes In this Church of Christ and companie of Saintes I knowe and receiue freely by fayth forgiuenesse of sins which be so great and gréeuous debts as do deserue death and damnation and as the least of them could neuer haue bene dyscharged but onely by the precious passion and oblation of Christ once for all The resurrection of the body I know and loke that our bodies by sin of man deseruiug death to decay in corruptiō shall by the might and merite of Christ be raised to receiue glory immortalitie And life euerlasting And finally that bodies and soules in ioy and glory shal liue for euer in the kingdome of god when as we shall receiue our inheritaunce with Christ in whom according vnto Gods promises and our fayth al these things be most sure and certaine that is to say Amen So be it Now thus beleuing and comparing the kingdome of heauen with the pleasures of Paradise and the holinesse of regeneration with the purenesse of creation I finde and féele how that I do get more and better by faith in Christ than that which I did loose by sinne in Adam Yea I haue good vnderstanding and comfortable experience how that God hath concluded al men vnder sin to be mercyful vnto all how that the scripture truely describing declaring the righteousnesse of God and the sinfulnesse of man hath concluded all men vnder their owne sinnes that righteousnesse which cōmeth of the faith of Christ might be giuen vnto the beléeuers howe that through the righteousnesse of the lawe and infirmities of mannes flesh God doth make greate aboundance of sinne to appeare in all mens beedes and deseruings that more aboundaunce of grace might bée graunted and giuen by the merits of Christ vnto all that receyue and beleeue the Gospell O blessed be God for the gifte of this beléefe by the which he maketh the losse of the plesures of Paradise through mās sinne to serue vnto the inheritance of the kingdome of Heauen by gods grace And the sinfull sorowes in mans conscience to be cōfortable signes and tokens of sauing health by Christes Phisicke and medicines And all dangers plagues and vengeance for sinne in the world to driue men to assurance of health and wealth by faith in the Lorde There can be nothing so sure certaine as this faith which commeth by hearing of Gods worde which is the worke of Gods spirite whiche is confirmed by the life doctrine and death of al that euer were Prophets Apostles Euangelists Martyres to teach and witnesse Gods truth For this faith is not only a knowledge of the grace mercy goodnesse of God but also an assurance of the same vnto mannes self by the word sprite of god So that it is the ground worke stay of al good hope the argument and euidēce of all such mysteries as be hid and couered from worldlings to be reserued and reueled only vnto Gods children Therefore any man may easely learne to speake these wordes but the goodnesse of God towards mā by these words signified is such as can not be knowne or perceiued of them which be of bloud or of the will of the Flesh or of the wil of man but only of them whiche be borne of God whiche be priuiledged by Christ to be the children of god For this beléef is not of the fréewill of man ●ut of the holy spirit of God not by keping customes or traditions of men but by hearing the word of God by hearing or reading the glad tidings of the Gospell in such sorte as can not be reueled but onely in Christ of the heauenly father by the holie ghost vnto Gods children The blind eyes of wittie worldlings in séeking for worldely wealth contemning Gods worde can sée and finde in déede nothing but the wrath and vengeance of God in al things and especially in sicknesse plagues wars and losse of any lands or goods but the cleare eyes of faythfull christians by the light of the Gospell seeking the kingdome of god and the righteousnesse therof in all things and especially in losse of anie góodes or suffering any paynes do euer sée the mercifull pitie and tender loue of their heauenly father alwayes keping them vnder the rodde of correction and the crosse of persecution ▪ as his most deare children All Iewish persons wil haue such a Messias as shall make them Princes and prelates in a worldely kingdome faythfull christians haue the sonne of god their Lord and sauior which hath bought and brought them from this world to bee a holie people and kingly priesthode vnto God in his heauenly Hierusalem The Crosse the passion death of Christ is an offence vnto all such

as be delited and drouned in Iewishe ceremonies and superstition and a foolishnesse vnto such as glory in Gréekish learning and wisedome but for all faithfull Christians whiche beléeue the Gospell of the same crosse death and passion it is the power of God vnto their euerlasting rest and saluation Grosse idolaters do boldly and blindly imagine a presence of God in imagerie or vnder the forme of some maner of bodie to be kept and honored of them according vnto their fantasie but the cléere light of the Gospell doth euidentely vnto the faithfull shewe EMANVEL him which is God with vs so that they most comfortably sée by fayth Christ God and man so in his naturall bodie glorified in heauen that in power of his spirit with the ministers of hys worde and members of his mystical bodie vpon earth he is alwayes present amongst men bestowing suche giftes of his grace vpon them and receiuing suche honoure thankes seruice of them as may be most for his honor and glory and their comforte and commoditie Uoluptuous ▪ Epicures be alwayes wery of the time present and voide of all good hope of that which is to come but faithfull Christians chéerefully bestowe their time in honest godly study labors and exercise with most comfortable hope and desire of Christ to come in Maiestie to receiue them into his eternall ioy and glory Coniurers and Charmers doe imagine suche a vertue too be in their wordes and waters circles and crosses brethinges and blessinges as shoulde poure aboundance of holynesse into any thing as pleaseth them yea as coulde force the deuil from hell and God from heauen to appeare vnder some likenesse presently vnto them Faithefull Christians by Gods worde doe learne and knowe how that the holy Ghost by faithe in Christ doth purge mennes hartes from al vngodlynesse and replenishe them with such gratious goodnesse as sanctifieth them and all things as causeth them with all manner of Gods good creatures euer too serue God in holinesse and rightuousnesse without any presumption or desire to coniure either God or the deuill Superstitious hypocrites can sée no face of that Churche whiche they wil cleue vnto but in solemne shewe of Ceremonies and pompe of Prelates faithfull Christians do euidently sée in the holy Scriptures suche a foundation of the Prophets and Apostles ioyned vnto Christe the heade corner stone as is moste necessary commodious and sufficient for them in faith doctrine and conuersation to be framed ioyned and made members and partes agréeable vnto that head foundation They sée by faith that face of Christes church which god by his word hath shewed to the faithful Desperate persons can neuer trust nor desire of God forgeuenesse of sinnes resurrection of their bodies nor life euerlasting But faithfull Christians by glad tydinges of the Gospell be taught and encouraged to desire and beléeue that their sinnes shall be vtterly abolished their bodyes from corruption and deathe chaunged and raysed that they themselues vnto the image of God in Christ reformed may in life euerlasting with Christ be glorified For in the light of the gospel of Christ is the vncouered face of Christ the euidente example and doctrine of Christ so shewed to be séene as doth transforme the faithfull beleuers into the same image of godlinesse which is in Christes doctrine and conuersation as doth moue and make men to put of olde Adam that they may become newe creatures in christ So they be taughte of the father to know the sonne they be drawen of the father to come vnto the sonne they be transformed from the custome and trade of this world to be framed and fashioned like vnto the sonne of God as vnto the heade corner stone of a spirituall house of a holie temple to offer spirituall sacryfices acceptable vnto God to offer as Paule teacheth the Romaines their owne bodies a sacrifice holie liuely and acceptable vnto God and as Paul calleth the charitable bestowing of the Philippians goods odours of swéete sauour acceptable sacrifices plesaunt vnto god So that fayth which commeth by the Gospell maketh mens bodies and mindes landes and goods and al that they haue to be sanctified sacrificed and offered vnto god For the Gospell teacheth howe that God ordeyneth and gyueth all things vnto mannes comfort and commoditie and howe that men should do all thinges vnto Gods honour and glorie So by the Gospel al holinesse and godlinesse ▪ all gracious goodnesse all true treasures and riches be giuen abundantly vnto man and all honour and seruice all thanks and prayse be rendred duely vnto god But vnto all manner of men lacking the lyghte of the Gospell all manner of things be vnprofitable yea al their owne dooings be abhominable afore God ▪ and damnable vnto thēselues For nothing can be good or profitable vnto man which doth offend and displease god Nothing can please God without faith in Christe and it is vnpossible to haue fayth in Christe and not to haue the Gospell of Christe Therfore it was verie necessarie and expedient that afore the cleare lyghte of the Gospell did fully shine vnto the world that the experience of other thinges shoulde be well tried and knowne in the world For suche is the good ordinance of God to vse all maner of meanes to bring mē frō vaine hope in any other thing vnto a sure faith in christ only which cōmes by hering of gods word according to Christes gospel For of all the good creatures of God and of the habilitie of fréewill man had sufficient experience in paradise afore there was any infirmitie and corruption of nature by reason of sinne And afterwardes the promisses made vnto the fathers the lawe giuen by Moyses with all Sacrifices and ceremonies in the Tabernacle and in the Temple dyd serue for a season to make men myndefull and desirous of the commyng and kingdome of Chryste whyche should performe the promisse and satisfye the Lawe beautifying his Churche with suche cleare lyght of the Gospel as shoulde vtterly abolishe all shadowes and figures of Sacrifices and Ceremonies with the Tabernacle and the Temple And Christ himselfe did in bodie depart from the earth to be glorified in Heauen so as by sending from thence the holie Ghoste was most expedient for men to haue Christe in spirite alwayes present with them vppon earthe So therfore after all other good thinges as the last and the best God hath thus in the ende of the worlde set vp the kingdom of Christ with the clere lighte of the Gospell and comfortable presence of his spirite Seeing therefore that man in Paradyse amongest all Goddes creatures hauing a pure nature did not then by the habilitie of his Fréewill nor by the goodnesse of other creatures continue and stande in vprightnesse he should not imagine that now in the vanities of this worlde and infirmities of his fleshe being drowned in sinne he can finde any thing able to rayse him vp vnto rightuousnesse Also it is a cruel thing by the heauie