Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	flesh_n	life_n	spirit_n	9,701	5	5.4408	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05034	The minde and iudgement of maister Frau[n]ces Lambert of Auenna of the wyll of man declarynge and prouynge howe and after what sorte it is captyue and bonde, and not free: taken out of hys commentaries vpon Osee the Prophete, wherin vpo[n] the. iiii. chapter of the sayd prophet, he most godly, plainlye and learnedly, entreateth and writeth of the same, as hereafter euide[n]tly shal appere. Newelye tra[n]slated into Englishe by N.L. Anno Do. M.D.xlviii. the xviii. day of Dece[m]bre.	Lambert, Franz, 1486-1530.; Lesse, Nicholas.	1548 (1548)	STC 15178; ESTC S108240	76,171	160

shall preserue vs. For to kepe them without his spirit is no keping of them ▪ but playne hypochrisie and dissimulation The Lorde hath set before vs both fyre and water lyfe and death good and euyll that is asmuche to saye as he hath set before vs the kepynge of his diuine wyll and pleasure and also the transgression offendynge of the same wyll He hath set before vs eternall health and euerlastynge perdicion To whether of these we wil le● vs reache furthe our handes Yf so be that we do chuse to apprehend the transgression of the lawe being bounde in the wynges of the spirite of fornicatiō falsheade we shall haue death and perdition of our soules withoute remedye If we do applie oure selues to the wyll and commaundementes of the Lorde by the cōfort drawyng of the holye spirite of God health lyfe euerlasting shal folow By the spirite of the Lorde we do apprehende seke after the lyfe prepared for the faithfull By the spirit of our flesh and of falshed we loke after no goodnes but al wickednes traūsgression of the cōmaundemētes If we haue the spirite of the Lorde wee shall not faile of lyfe most happi and blessed If we be led by the spirite of fornication of the fleshe what remayneth but death vtter destruction There is no man which can mislike this exposition except it be those whyche are led wyth a peruerse spirite which holde opinion that the wyll of man of it selfe can wyl that thyng whych is good and also of his owne power kepe the cōmaūdemētes Hereby you mai perceiue that nether this text of the scripture nor any such like doth make any thyng at al for this forged fained libertie of oure fre wil. Obiection Against this do they argue reason saying If man had no knowledge nor iudgmēt of him self to know good and euyl to iudge also what is the wyll of the Lorde It oughte not to be imputed to hys faulte if he did chuse and take that way whyche is euil Obiection An other reason If so be mans wil be not fre at libertie wherefore should he be blamed for sin for as muche as sin is to him no sin if it be done by coaction not voluntarie of hys owne wyl Solution of the fyrste ob ∣ iection To the fyrste reason we saye that if their obiection be true thē must it folowe of necessitie that all the reprobate persons are punished wrongfully whych dyd neuer know perfectlye the wyl of the Lorde for as much as they are blynde for the whyche cause the Lorde prayinge his father for them whyche dyd crucifie hym sayed Forgeue thē father for thei do not know what they do And trulye they dyd not know For euery euil persō is ignoraūt blind And therfore it was spokē of them whiche did murmure speake againste the lawe of God in Deuteron .xxxii. I woulde to God they were wise had vnderstandyng Deut. xxxii as though he would haue said they haue nether wit nor knowledge Wher fore to our owne destructiō are we so busye serchers of the heauēlye maiesties hidden secrets syth that we know that he is in al thinges iust true our selues wretched blind ful of lies He doth iustly reiect cast from him the reprobate blind whō he hath suffered to be blind and indurate that in no wise they can cōfirme thē selues be agreable to the cōmaundemēt wyl of the Lorde The profounde and hyghe depenes of hys iudgement what manne can vnderstande I wyll holde my lyppes therefore togyther kepe scilence worshyppynge the inscrutable iudgementes and decrees of the Lorde Solution of the second obiection To theyr second reason I saye that sinne is voluntarie in the wicked whyche syn cometh not of a free wyll but frome that will whyche is bounde and captiue by the spirite of fornication whych is the sence and vnderstandynge of the fleshe For the wyll of the fleshlye that is to saye of theym whyche do lacke the spirite of the Lord is nothyng lesse then free and at libertie bycause it is not vnder the lawe of God nor neuer canne be as to the Rom. viii Chapter Rom. viii It doth not folow therefore after theyr reason that sinne should not be imputed to the reprobate and wicked which syn is imputed to thē that most iustly To the faithful to thē which do beleue Rom. iiii Psalm xxxi The author doth lamente the fall of certayne men which are gon from syn that is to say cōcupiscēse is not imputed for theyr faith sake as Paule teacheth to the Romains the .iiii. Chap. and the Psal in the .xxxi. Psal beareth also wytnes But Alas there be certaine howe they haue bene deceued the Lord knoweth which sometime as al the worlde almost can testifye abhorrynge and detesting the fowle and stinkynge synagoge of Antichriste wyth all the abhominable rites and craftes and lyes therof wyth all theyr vaine curiouse phātasticall maner of speakynge are nowe turned to theyr madnes forsakeynge the veritie of the Lorde Christe to Antichrist in preachynge and teachinge of men those thynges whyche by the power of the worde of God hath hytherto bene reiected and forsaken bicause they myght therby stablishe and confirme theyr opinion which is that the wil of man is fre and at libertie The which men peraduenture in theyr selues shal fynde true by experience Yea they do fynde it alreadye what a pore and small libertie that is whych is in the wyll of man or rather howe certayne a bondage and seruitude it is for as much as by no studye no crafte no knoweledge they are able to vanquish or to ouercome theyr own propre affectiōs Yt had bene better for thē more profitable for al men yf they had not so vndiscret lie and vnwysely as they did confirme their blynd libertie brought and leyd forth before men the folyshe phantasies dreames particions and distinctions of Duns It can not be spoken how much hurt these brablyng questionaries do of Thomas of Aquine of Capireold wyth suche other brabling and scoldyng sophisters in whom a man can fynd no substance nor pyth of substanciall matter but a fewe folyshe and idle termes and wordes as these be which do folowe It semeth to be so it maie be so it may be saied c. Which wordes to the godly and faithful sorte are nothing els but the strong deadlye and deceauable poyson of the deuil spokē and writtē without good foundation It a uidetur fieri potest dici potest without substance strength of godlie confirmatiō which do knowe that to cleaue and stycke only to the eternall word and testimonie of the veritie of God is the only shote anchor of oure healthe ❧ The secōd text of the scripture wrōgfully taken and alleged THey do alledge forthe of the fyrste boke of Moyses called the Genesis in the iiii Cha. these wordes

made the sonnes of god For as sone as a manne beleueth straight waye he is made the sonne of God so that whē they do beleue they do receyue the said power to be therbi without delaie made etc. Then is the spirite of fornication and all vncleannes crucified in theym and bounde that he shall not playe the tyrante anye more nor presume to rule in the herte of manne where the spirite of God oughte to be ruler and gouernour The fayethfull manne is deliuered from the wycked and deceyuable spirite and the sens of the fleshe wherto he was before subiecte and bonde and nowe is gone to serue and folowe the commaundemente of the spirite of God whyche hath bounde man with the swete and pleasaunte bondes of charitie Thys text therfore of Iohn doth make full littel for theyr purpose to confyrme and stablyshe that thing whyche they do go aboute ❧ The .x profe THe Lorde demaunded thys questian of hys Apostles sayinge Wyll ye also depart and go from me By the which wordes they do reason that it had bene a uery foleish demaund of Christe if they were not at libertie and at choise whether they woulde go frome hym or byde and styke by hym styll I answere that God had bound thē with hys spirite and therefore they coulde not go from hym but rather sayed Lorde to whom shoulde we go Thou haste the wordes of eternall lyfe There were other whyche beynge also bounde with the euyll spirite that wroughte in theym sayed These are verye hard wordes what man can heare him So at the laste they dyd forsake hym I doubte not but that Christ did demaūd this questian of them whether they would depart c. Principally bycause that after it was suffitiently perceiued what the wycked spirite had wrought in the vnfaithful that men I saye myghte perceyue and se what the spirite of God had wroughte in the fayethfull that it shoulde be putte in writyng to the instruction and learnynge of other men in tyme to come Thys texte maketh little or nothinge for theyr libertie by the whyche texte it is made open how these .ii. spirites do alwaies worcke cōtrary thynges one to the other in the fayethfull and in the vnfayethfull ❧ The .xi. texte HE shall render and geue to euerye man after hys worcke Psalm lxi Whereby they wyl cōfyrme stablishe not onelye the fredome of mans wyll but also the iustice of workes which is light to be answered Eyther our worckes be of oure owne naughtye and deceyuable spirite and then they are wycked and dānable worckes or els they be of the spirite of God and not of oure fleshlye and carnal spirite wher fore they are good worckes beinge vnpossible to be any otherwyse You se that by this texte they do proue nothynge lesse then that which they do purpose pretēd The whych wordes do declare nothing els then that the Lorde doeth geue euerlastynge lyfe to them whyche haue the worckes of fayeth and of the spirit of God and those whych haue the worckes of fleshe he rewardeth with euerlastynge paines and punishment ❧ The .xii. profe IT is wrytten the .i. Epistle and syxt cha to Timothe Fayght a good fayght Laboure as a good souldiour of Iesu christ the seconde Epistle to Timothe .ii. Cha. To hym that ouercommeth I wyll geue c. Reuelation of Iohn the seconde thyrd Chapt. We saye that thys fayght againste wyckednes and thys laboure in the war of the Lorde and thys Victorye canne not be but by the spirite of God Ergo not by our owne wyll and industrye Then canne not thys libertie be proued and stablished by thys texte of the scripture ¶ The threttenth text IN the seconde Epistle and fyrste Chap. of Peter Bryngynge al diligence se that you do minister in your fayth vertue c. Wherfore brethrē rather endeuour your selues to make stronge and affirme youre vocation and election If you do thys you shall neuer fal By thys place they do proue that Peter would our industrie and diligēce should worcke with the spirit If they do vnderstād by this industrie diligēce that diligence whyche the spirite of God worcketh in vs then they do make a good exposition For of hys greate goodnes he calleth those dedes our dedes whyche he worketh in vs. The which spirite of him doeth worcke and draw our wil making it obediēt agreable to the cōmaundemētes of the Lord. The wil of vs beynge so drawē cānot chuse but run straight way after the Lorde not of it selfe that is to say of mans wil but by the wil of God If they do hold opiniō that this place is to be vnderstand of our propre industrye or natural inclanation motiō as though a mā of him selfe might worke any thing at al or be coadiutor with god it is boeth a wicked also a pernitiouse opiniō For of hym selfe mā is altogither flesh therfore he can not rise vp to those thinges which are of the spirite of god wherefore these textes whiche are rehearsed for frewyl in this place muste be thus takē vnderstād You brethen beynge adourned and decked with the spirite of God by God made partakers of hys veritye in that fayeth whyche you receyued of the Lorde minister wyth al diligence and vertue c. And endeuoure to make your vocation and election stable and fyrme that is to saye do all that you maye to declare wyth good worckes that youre vocation election is substanciall stronge ¶ The .xiiii. texte OVt of the thyrtye Chapter of the fyfte boke of Moyses they do obiecte Wher as the Lorde had laied before Israell good bad life and death It was sayd Electe and chuse to you lyfe cete Whyche wordes they do thynke verye slender and of small effecte if mannes wyl were not fre We haue oft tymes saied that the lawe doth require of vs thinges vnpossible to be done for oure owne strengthe whyche the spirite of God doeth make possible For Christe is the fulfillynge and perfectnes of the lawe Therefore lyke as it is vnpossible to obserue and kepe the commaūdementes wythoute the spirite of God so is it impossible for vs to chuse life with out the spirit of god For we can not chuse life except the spirit of perfecte libertie were in vs that is to saye of Christe and where as often tymes wee do offende and cleane to the euyll oure election whereby we be elected of God is not the cause thereof but the workynge of our captyue and bond nature ❧ To diuers obiections whyche are obiected and layed for the defence of free wil we haue answered somthing briefly but so that hereby anye man maye dissolue and put a syde all maner of obiectiōs whiche for this matter the defēders of frewyll can deuise Therefore with fewe wordes we wil cōclud al the whole matter so procede further ¶ The fyrste conclution OVr opinion and certayne beliefe is that the wyll of man is

aboundaunt and plentifull fulnes of ryches in al goodnes to whom only euery good gyft and euery perfect gifte from heauen aboue from the father of lyght is to be attributed ascribed as witnesseth Ia .i. Thou must be also in this case lyke a man which through long sicknes is so feble and weeke and brought so low that he is not able to stand without a staffe fearynge to set his foote to the ground least he shoulde fall doune not able to ryse agayne of hymselfe without the helpe of another This mā getteth to him a staffe to stande vp or to go by or els he leueth on another mās arme which is stronger than he and so goth furth by lytle and lytel euer fearing to fal So doyng thou shalt not fal nay though thou dost stōble or trippest a litle with thi fote that is the carnalconcupiscēce of the flesh yet shalt thou not fal to the ground the spirite of the Lord is so strong that he wyll holde the vp But if thy staffe be weake or rotten or that man whom thou dost trust be not altogether thy frynd thou canst not chose but fall and that miserably to thine vtter confusion with out another takyng compassion and pitie on the of his goodnes wyll come and take the vp Lykewise is thy doyng whē thou dost trust and put thy confidence in thyne owne merites in thyne owne workes in thyne owne strength in thyne owne wit and power thē is thy fall moost greatest when the truste of thyne owne power semeth moost strongest and when thou art most inflamed wyth the loue of thy selfe that is of thyne owne deades and workes which are altogether flesh if they be not wroughte by the spirite of the Lord the which spirite of the Lorde being in the the Lord doeth make althy wayes godly straight be fore his eyes so that thi sinne is not imputed to the nor thou art not fleshly yea though the fleshe hath some pryckyng in the. For to the iust man the lawe is not made as witnesseth Paul that man I saye whose iustice is Christes iustice which alredy in his hert hath done al that thing which the law requireth not of hymself but by the power of the spirit of the Lord which worketh his wil in hym What hast thou saith Paull that thou hast not receiued if thou hast receiued wherfore art thou proud of it as thoughe thou hast not receiued it but as it were thyne owne of thy self For asmuch then as al godlines is receiued we must cōsider cōfesse that ther is a geuer in whose hande and power it dothe rest whether he wil geue it yea or nay so that we must say not vnto vs Lord not to vs. but to thi name be glory prayse What worke dyd Paull worke to optayne the fauoure of the Lorde When he was most strongest in persecutiō and sheddyng of the christian bloud sodenly he was taken from hym selfe that is to say the Lord alterid him of his owne goodnes and mere mercy his cruel affectiōs and in the steade of the spirite of persecution he put in hym the spirite of mekenes the spirit of loue of preaching his glory of preaching Iesu Christ crucified and in the steade of a persecutour of Christ he became a sufferer for Christ When Peter was most stronge to fyght wyth dente of sworde as appered by his bolde and manly deades and great crakes how sodenly became he in the stead of a defēder a denier And wher as he wold dye with Christ he would not so much as once knowe hym nay he denied him vtterly Who did subdue the naughtie spirite of Paul when he was in his most rage fury agaynst the preachers of Christes glory Was it ani other thā the power of the lord vnder whose fete all thynges are made subiect yea from the reasonable to the vnreasonable as oxen and sheepe At the whiche tyme of persecution Paull was in durate because he had not in hym the spirite of the Lord and therefore he coulde not chose but with al extremitie persecute the lord as far as the fleshe woulde geue hym leaue The flesh alway as Paul wytnesseth resystyng and strinyng agaynst the spirit The cause then why that Paull had not the spirite of the Lord was only the pleasure of the Lord whiche taketh mercye on whom it pleaseth him selfe Paul myndyng nothing lesse thā to be called it pleased the Lorde to cal hym frō dishonour to honor to the setting furth of his glory Paull for this tyme of persecution was indurate none otherwyse than was Pharao in the persecution of the children of Israel If it had pleased the Lord to haue taken Paull as he dyd take Pharao the one shulde haue perished as well as the other Yf the Lord had lefte Peter in his deniall and styll to hym selfe if he had not loked on hym wyth the eye of fauoure it had ben euyll with hym as it was with Pharao But to declare that all men are lyars and God only true as the prophet saith The Lord toke the spirit of stedfastnes and knowledgyng of God from hym leauyng hym to hymselfe to fraylenes to the verye counsel and motion of the flesh which flesh had rather lyue a whyle and dye for euer than to suffre a smal temporal death and al way after to lyue Therfore if any manne do fall let not hym dispayre for the Lorde is merciful It is not the fall whiche declareth induration it is the contempte of the Lord when thou dost delyght in thy synne not fearyng the Lordes iudgement that is a fearful token of induration What canst thou tel whether the Lorde wyl take the in this tyme of thy wyckednes and vnfaythfulnes yea or nay as he dyd Pharao in the mydest of hys madnes If he so doo what shall become of the Thou caust not denye but that he may if it please hym so to doo Thou hast a good cause therfore alway to fear and mystrust thy wayes for thou arte altogether of thy selfe fleshe thou canst do nothyng of thy selfe but synne And lykewyse as the trust of the mercy of God promysed for Christes sake whiche foloweth streyghtway the hatred of vyce and synne with ful intent and purpose to liue after the wyll of the father is a certayn token of election and of the fauour of God wherin so long as thou doste remayne and continue thou art sure that thou art of the ryght fort Euen so the loue to lyue vngodly to wallow in all kynde of vyce and to lye styll in impuritie of lyfe declareth to the that for that same season thou art nothing ells than the chyld of wrath curssed of God indurat as was Pharao This is a good cause to make the to be alway in feare to make the suspect thyne owne selfe and begyn to hate synne the deuyl and the fleshe with al concupiscence then the spirit of God beginneth to worke his worke in the to crucifie thi spiritual

mooste perfecte and vnfayned loue as Let him kisse me with the swete kysse of hys mouth as Plucke me after the. as Come hyther my beloued as Shewe to me hym whome my soule doeth loue wyth suche other lyke sayinges The sinagoge of Antichriste in the daye whych is dedicated and hallowed to the natiuitie of the Lorde do graunt thys pronoūcynge wyth theyr owne lyppes The prayer of the church on Christmas daye the holye prayer of the churche of God sayinge after thys wyse Graunte to vs good Lorde we pray the that thys newe natiuitie of thy son in fleshe maye deliuer vs and make vs fre whom the olde seruitude and bondage doth hold fast bownd vnder the yoke of sinne The yoke of synne c. The yoke of synne is the yoke of concupiscence As Paule in manie places but speciallye to the Romayns communelye vseth to speake By synne cōcupiscence sayeth he c. The whyche concupiscence maye well be named a yoke bycause it holdeth manne in moste cruell seruitude in so muche that excepte he be fyrste deliuered from that he can do nothynge that canne be pleasaunte to the Lorde Thys is the yoke of bondage to the beleuynge people Thys is the rod of hys shoulder and the scepter whych the litle child borne into thys worlde and geuen vnto vs hath ouercome The names of god Whose empyre is aboue his shoulder which is called by these names The marueilouse the counseler The strōge and myghty Lord. The father of the world to come The prince of peace Esai ix As Esay ix O moste ioyfull libertie to the electe which is annexed ioyned vnseperablye wyth the most blessed seruitude bōdage of the Lord. This libertie is far from the power of Satan most miserable sinagoge of Antichrist whyche is departed fallen from the Lorde and sauiour The sinagog of antichriste hath not this lybertie that the faythfull maye do seruice to the Lorde without impedimente and afterward one to an other for Christes sake This holy and sacrete seruitude bōdage of the Lord is not a bitter hard or heauy yoke Math. xi it is lyghte amiable and swete As Christe wytnesseth Mathew xi Chap. My yoke is swete my burthen is lyghte By thys yoke whyche is to be coueted of all men and by thys bonde al men do kepe the commaundementes of the Lord frely gladly diligentlye For they be neuer wythout the spirite of the Lord and hys gyftes whyche are these Wisedome vnderstandyng counsel strēgth of the spirite knowledge Godlines feare of the Lorde ioyfulnesse peace of conscience a sure and certayne hope c. After these thinges foloweth the loue of the Lorde Confidence in hym onelye charitie and loue towarde thy neyghboure pouertie and lowlines of the spirite mournyng and lamenting thy neyghboures hurt griefe full of compassion and all other goodnesse Wyth thys yoke very necessarie for vs wyth these amiable bondes it pleaseth the goodnesse of the Lorde to bynde vs so that therby we should attayne to perfecte libertie in him ❧ The fourthe parte wherein you are taughte howe to vnderstande those textes and places of the scriptures whyche do applie to permit and geue libertye to the wyll of man WE haue sufficiētly taught and proued to you what the wyll of man is Secondelye that it is verye captiue and bond Thyrdly that it is in Christe boeth fre and also moste ioyfully and pleasauntly bonde You haue sene and learned in the same thyrd parte how and in what thinges the wyll of man is fre and howe likewyse it is bonde Nowe there remaineth nothynge els behynde but to make playne certayne places and textes that you maye vnderstande them The which textes the maisters and founders of free wyll do falselye alledge and as them thynketh do sufficiently proue theyr purpose and entent ❧ The fyrste text IT is wryten in the boke of Iesus Syrach the .xv chap after thys wyse The Lorde from the begynnynge dyd make man and left hym in the hande of hys owne counsell and minde he hathe gyuen him cōmaundementes and preceptes sayinge if thou wilt obserue my commaundemētes and kepe acceptable faythfulnes for euer they shall preserue the. He hathe set water and fyer before the reache out thy hand to which thou wilte Before man is life and death good and euel that whiche dothe lyke and please hym beste shal be gyuen to hym By this authoritie they do thinke that they can proue man to haue fre will from his first creation If they wyll vnderstande and also graunt that the holy spirit was also at the beginning geuē to mā we wyll striue no lēger wythe them ther in But if they do saye that god made the nature of manne to be alwaye fre of hir owne selfe and at lybertie it is altogether agaynste god and his honour that they do speake wherfore in fewe wordes we wyl declare and open to your eares the plain and true vnderstandynge of thys texte The lorde from the begynnynge created manne deckyng and adornynge hym wyth hys spirite this do I graunt to them though we be be not able to proue it leauinge man before he dyd fall in the hand of hys owne counsell that is to saye to hys own selfe to his owne nature whyche is the most greuouse fearfull iudgement that can be For he whyche is so lefte in the hande of hys owne counsell is forsaken and made a straunger to the spirite and counsel of the Lorde And so becommeth strayght waye indurate blynded and brought into temtatiō c. and can not chuse but erre from the waye of the Lorde Therefore as sone as oure fathers were lefte to theyr selues in the handes of theyr owne counsell they strayghte waye traunsgressed the commaundemente of the Lorde Mankynde dyd fall by little and little to synne Wherfore the lawe is gyuen in so muche that synne so increased that they could not deserue and iudge good frome euyll For the whyche cause that men myght haue the knowledge of synne and of that whyche is euyll and naughty the Lord gaue to theym a lawe or preceptes whyche lawe was and is vnpossible to be kepte and obserued of vs but wyth hys spirite it is made not onelye possible but also easye and lyghte The lawe is spirituall What is the worke of the lawe For the lawe beynge spirituall can not be kept but by the strēgth of the spirite The lawe teacheth what is euyl what is good what we ought to do and what wee ought to refuse But the lawe doth not gyue to vs a spirit to do that whiche it commaundeth It doth sende vs to Christe that we beleuyng in hym maye be made parteners of his spirit The lawe sendeth vs to Christe for helpe The kepyng of the lawe wythout the spirit of god is hypocrisie by the whiche spirit we maye kepe the lawe Wherfore if we do kepe these cōmaundementes and preceptes by the spirite of God then they