Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	circumcision_n	righteousness_n	seal_n	13,716	5	9.8320	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17698	The sermons of M. Iohn Caluin vpon the fifth booke of Moses called Deuteronomie faithfully gathered word for word as he preached them in open pulpet; together with a preface of the ministers of the Church of Geneua, and an admonishment made by the deacons there. Also there are annexed two profitable tables, the one containing the chiefe matters; the other the places of Scripture herein alledged. Translated out of French by Arthur Golding.; Sermons de M. Jehan Calvin sur les dix commandemens de la loy. English	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Golding, Arthur, 1536-1606.; Fleming, Abraham, 1552?-1607.; Ragueneau, Denys.	1583 (1583)	STC 4442; ESTC S107166	2,969,750	1,370

haue a desire to followe it and to giue our selues ouer vnto it And that is the cause why hee sayeth that we bee drawen vnto him Iohn 6.44 And indeede Moses sayth not The Lorde will circumcise thyne heart to the ende that thou mayst bee able to loue him but hee sayth to the ende that thou loue him Hee sheweth that GOD doeth not onely giue vs the power to will well but also doeth throughly fashion vs to the same And that is a further point wherein the Papistes doe abuse themselues too grossely for when they speake of the grace of the holy Spirite they vnderstande that GOD in deede giueth vs the power if it seeme good to vs but yet that all the same lyeth in our discretion and that GODS woorking in vs is not in such sorte as that both our listing and our performing proceede both thereof But it is too nygardely a speaking of the grace of GOD that he should say vnto man Well I wil giue thee power that thou mayst doe well if thou wylt but I will lay the brydle on thy necke and when thou hast a good will and that of thy selfe if thou hast constancie and power to put it in execution thou mayest well doe it and I will helpe thee therein If GOD shoulde doe so what shoulde become of our saluation For can men in such frayltie as wee doe feele and amiddest so many combattes as Sathan doeth deliuer vs haue one onely firme and constant will It is impossible Moses therefore sayeth not that GOD will circumcise our heartes to the intent wee may haue power to feare him but hee putteth the thing in effect to the intent that wee shall feare him after which manner also hee speaketh by his Prophetes as well Ieremie as Ezechiel Ier. 31.33 Ezec. 36.26 Hee sayeth that hee will put his feare in our heartes Hee sayeth not that hee will giue them power And then will I make them sayeth hee to walke in my commaundementes This is it that GOD doeth attribute vnto himselfe to wit that hee will so imprint his Lawe in our heartes as wee shall haue a will agreeable vnto his and then hee will guide and gouerne vs in such sorte as wee shall ouercome all temptations and accomplish that which hee commaundeth vs. It belongeth not to vs then to challendge such prayse to our selues Thereby wee see that the Papistes deale treacherously in all the doctrine of freewill for all their whole seeking is to robbe GOD of all that euer the holy Scripture declareth to bee his and which hee reserueth to himselfe and to spoyle him of his honour vsurping it euerie man to himselfe Let vs therefore beware of this diuelish arrogancie and let vs vnderstande that Saint Paule hath not sayde without cause Phil. 2.13 That it is GOD that woorketh in vs both the wyll and the deede Saint Paule sayeth not after the manner of the Papistes that when God giueth vs the meane wee may bee able to will that which is good but hee sayeth that hee will put the will in vs. And then hee addeth that GOD in likewise doeth woorke the matter that is to say hee accomplisheth the good woorkes in vs and the whole is perfourmed sayeth hee after his owne will Therefore whereas the Papistes saye that GOD hath respect whether wee bee able to vse his grace well or no and that according as euerie man behaueth and gouerneth himselfe GOD dealeth with him thereafter Saint Paule sayeth that it proceedeth altogether of GODS good pleasure And yet it is not therefore to bee sayde that wee bee blockes of wood But let vs marke well what Saint Paul concludeth that is that wee must walke in feare and warinesse Phil. 2 1● woorking our saluation What Is it in vs to doe it No but hee sheweth that wee bee instrumentes of GOD and that when hee giueth vs the wyll and power to perfourme it is bycause that euerie one of vs shoulde offer himselfe to doe his indeuour howbeit vnder the leading of the holy Spirit acknowledging that all of it proceedeth from aboue and Saint Paule sayeth that wee must doe it with feare and carefulnesse to the intent wee bee not vnprofitable and yet that in the meane while there bee not any drop of presumption in vs to suppose that wee haue any abilitie or power of our selues but that GOD bee honoured as hee deserueth Nowe wee see what is the naturall sense of this Text where Moses promiseth vnto the Iewes that GOD will circumcise their hearts Thereby hee sheweth that it is not ynough for men to haue the Lawe preached and to haue their eares beaten therewith and to vnderstande what their duetie is for all that will be but as a dead thing vntill the time that God doe chaunge their heartes and reforme them and woorke within them and that the affections of men and their thoughtes bee guided by the holy Ghost And by the way hee sheweth heere the vse of Circumcision which is another poynt worthie to bee marked For the fantasticall fellowes of our dayes which woulde take away the Baptisme of little children neuer vnderstoode the vse of Circumcision It seemed vnto them that it was but a temporall matter yea and a tryfling thing and that it was not spirituall for the auncient fathers in so much that the cursed heretike which was punished in this Towne mocked all the Sacramentes of the Lawe of Moses Abraham sayd hee had but a shadowe of the heauenly lyfe and albeit that hee was named the father of the faithfull● and it appeareth that hee did altogether stay himselfe vppon the celestiall heritage yet was hee not touched therewith neither dyd the fathers knowe GOD but worshipped an Angell which was there in a visible shape in steade of GOD. These bee the horrible Blasphemies which insue when men doe so separate the Lawe from the Gospell In deede wee haue at this day a grace which surpasseth that grace which GOD shewed to our fathers but yet must wee not so bereaue Abraham of the spirituall kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christ as to make Circumcision to bee but an earthly Sacrament Therefore let vs beare well in minde that when GOD ordayned Circumcision besides that it was a seale of the righteousnesse of fayth as Saint Paule sayeth in the fourth Chapter to the Romanes it did also shewe vnto men that they ought to bee mortifyed and renewed by regeneration to the obedience of GOD. Whereby wee may gather that Circumcision signifyed the same thing vnto the Iewes which Baptisme importeth vnto vs at this day What haue wee in Baptisme That wee bee blessed in our Lorde Iesus Christ and that whereas wee haue nothing but accursednesse by the heritage of Adam wee be sanctifyed to bee adopted into the celestiall heritage so as God by iustifying vs doeth accept them which were not earst woorthie to bee numbred amongest his creatures Againe wee haue also a similitude and a portraiture of death that wee myght

with their turning away from his word when it is preached vnto them is that their so doing is through a diuelish stubbornes y t euen by y e witnes of their own consciēces it is a worshipping of gods which they haue not knowwen For our faith must not be vncerteine it must not be an opinion or weening but it must bring a sure knowledge with it And what maner of knowledge Truely as in respect of our own wit reason if we intend to come vnto god we must worship him w t all humilitie remēber that his secrets surmount our vnderstāding But yet here withall it behoueth vs to stande vppon so sure a ground euen by knowledge as our owne consciences may beare record of it wee bee able to say with S Iohn 1. Iohn 3.2 we wote well y t we be y e children of God Lo here what the true Religion is It is not an vnaduised zeale or a liking that men cast to this thing or that but a sure knowen doctrine grounded vpon Gods trueth wherethrough we be able to say y t it is he which hath spoken to vs y t he is a faithfull witnesse of y e things y t are for our welfare saluation And againe whatsoeuer we alleage wee shall alwayes abide conuicted of our malice So that when wee haue once beene taught y e word of God if wee afterwarde worship gods whom we haue not knowen if we swarue aside to any superstition or if we continue not in y e pure simplicitie of y e holy scripture surely we shal iustly be accused to haue had strange Gods to haue bin forgers of them as folke y t loue the vntrueth better than y e trueth According wherunto S. Paul speaking of all such as obeyed not the Gospel 〈◊〉 1.25.28 saith it is good reason they shold be striken with horrible blindnes that forasmuch as they honored not the creator it was meete that they should become vnderlings to the creatures y t is to say to the things which they had dreamed in their own fond braine foolish fancies Now thē seeing y t our God hath taught vs let vs learn to hold our selues at a stay to his word to vnderstand in what maner he hath shewed himself vnto vs let vs benefite our selues by al the records which he giueth vs beware y t we wander not one way or other ne followe not our owne leasings For there wil be no excuse for such as would not be certified of God when he was readie to do it Now in the end Moses addeth that when the people were come into the land of promise they shoulde diuide their companie in two partes the one halfe vpō mount Garizim the other halfe vpon mount E●all that they which should bee vppon mount Garizim should pronounce the blessings that those which should be vpon mount Ebal should pronounce the curses which thing wee see was done accordingly For this commandement shal bee rehearsed yet againe in the 27. Chapter of this booke De●t 27. ●● Ios. 3. ●● And Iosua in his eyghth Chapter declareth y t he had obeyed the cōmandement of Moses The effect of y e storie is that when y e people were entred into y e land they should meete with two mountaines y e one called Hebal y e other Garizim Now god had commanded y t one part of y e people namely certaine tribes shold be on y e one side on mount Garizim y t the rest of the tribes should be vpō mount Hebal y t the Leuites shold stand in the middes of y e host bearing the Ark of God to shew y t God was chiefe souerein there that the Leuites were as witnesses or sureties to vndertake matters in y e behalf of the people like as if there were two parties to make som solemne match or couenant a notarie or register is present to take an othe betwixt them euen so God had ordeyned y t the people shoulde be there to heare receiue y e doctrine of saluation y t they should answere on their part as in y e passing of som solemn contract to y e end they might knowe vpon what condition God had chosen thē preferred thē before al other nations of y e earth as shal be shewed hereafter in the foresaid 27. Chapter And what were y e blessings They were a rehersal of y e same thing that God had spoken afore namely al such as keepe my law shal be blessed Al such as worship me with a pure conscience shal be blessed all such as hallow my name shal be blessed al such as obey their fathers mothers shal bee blessed all y t liue chastly shal be blessed all y t abstaine from deceit extortion al maner of euil shal be blessed God then on his parte promised blessing after y t maner Hereunto the people answered Amen Amen y t is to say So be it whereby they ratified y t which had been spoken by the mouth of God Again on y e contrarie part y e curses were vttered on mount Hebal in this wise Cursed be he y t turneth aside after strange gods Cursed be he y t dishonoreth his father or his mothe● Cursed be hee that offendeth in theft or in whoredom Cursed be he y t performeth not all y e cōmandements conteined in this booke Amen Amen said y e people When the curses were vttered after y t fashion it behoueth euery man to answer Amē And so ye see what is said in this text Now let vs mark y t by that meanes god ment to touch y e people neerer to y e quicke by their agreing to such a couenant And the same belongeth vnto vs. For although wee haue not y e same cerermonie y t was obserued at y t time yet haue we y e trueth howsoeuer the world go whensoeuer Gods word is preached vnto vs although we receiue it not yet shal it not fal to y e grounde but it shal light vpō our heads spite of our teeth it shal be an intolerable burthen to sink vs down to y e bottom of hel Therfore when we receiue gods word into our harts let beware y t we like wel of it y t we ratifie the promise of our saluatiō which he maketh vs. Nowe hee adopteth vs to be his children and if we be his children we be also his heires Therfore when we imbrace the preached word by faith obedience although our mouth speake not a worde yet doe wee confirme Gods truth to our saluation according to this saying of S. Iohns that as many as beleeue in the only sonne of God Iohn 3.33 haue set to their seales that God is true Thus ye see howe the full measure of our saluation and of the promise is accomplished hath his full effect power when we on our side do aunswere rightly Amen And

truth substance of things must depart the signe must remaine y t were a goodly matter Again they haue retained other like things as is lent This is the fast y t is to be kept say the Papistes The reason forsooth is because Iesus Christ fasted Yea but did he which is y e fountaine of all perfection and the mirror of all holines fast euery yere No he fasted but once in his life The Papists say y t wee must fast euery yeere and y t there is great deuotion holines therin Yea but therin they would exceed Iesus Christ. But in deed it is a diuilish superstition to fast 40. dais after y t maner vpō opiniō y t by this means we may make ourselues like to Christ. Matt. 4. ● 1. King 19.8 For we know y t our Lord Iesus ment to shew thereby y t he was then exēpted frō al condition of man as the same was done in Elias by miracle likewise in Moses when hee published the law And did y e Iewes follow Moses and Elias therein Or did any of so many holy prophets euer fast y t fast No for they knewe wel it was not cōmanded thē of God and y t he made no cōmon rule of it nor would haue y t thing drawen into example which he had once ordained for y e authorising of his law So then we see y t it is very profitable to consider what God hath for one onely time cōmanded to the intent we peruert not al nor desire without any difference to do whatsoeuer is contained in y e holy scripture w tout knowing first whether it concerne vs be spoken vnto vs or no. This is one point to be noted A second point to be obserued is y t we ought as much as we may possibly to maintaine vnitie agreemēt among vs as shal by by be declared It was Gods will there should be no mo temples but one And why To y e intent it shold be as a bond to hold the people together in y e purenes and soundnesse of faith We haue one only God which is called vpon among vs wee must come into one certaine place to sacrifice vnto him all of vs must there gather ourselues together It is true in deede y t we are not nowadaies tyed vnto any such bondage but howsoeuer it be yet y e substance is remaining still vnto vs. Let vs therfore take heede vnto all those ayds which we haue to holde vs in this communion of faith and in this vnitie which God requireth let vs keepe them well and let no man turne aside from them And as touching the outwarde order we knowe that our Lorde Iesus christ would haue men to assemble them selues together I graunt wee are not bound to be al in one place mē also preach in diuers churches of one toune And why Bicause al the worlde can not heare one sermon but yet for all that because of our slownesse wee are so bounde that we must gather our selues together in the name of God He that wil keepe him selfe in his howse despising the cōmon order and will say I can reade at home edifie my selfe sufficiētly there y t man asmuch as in him lieth breaketh in sunder y e vnitie of faith teareth in pieces the body of our Lord Iesus Christ. We know y t baptisme was ordained to y e intent it should be as a cōmon seale y t we are the church of God are gouerned with his spirit Now if euery man wil haue his baptisme a part what a wicked disorder were it The holy supper of y e Lord also is distributed as a cōmon food to y e intent we should all cōmunicat of it We are wa●ned by it that we are one body And as one loafe is made of many graines of corne which are so mingled together y t they make but one substāce euen so ought we to be knit together if we will be accoūted for the children of God Therefore if euery man should haue his priuate supper were it not a w tdrawing of ourselues frō the agreement brotherhoode which Iesus Christ would haue vs to keepe In Popery euery mā must haue his altar his chappell Yea they were of opinion that God was much bound vnto thē for so doing There should haue bin one cōmō table for I wil not say y t they haue turned y e cōmunion table into an altar to sacrifice vpō which thing in it self is a diuelish abhominatiō but in y e meane time although they retain the word yet wil they not haue a cōmon table for all the church For euery man thrusteth in himself to say O I wil haue a chappel there I will haue my deuotion by my selfe When men be come to y t point it is an horrible wasting of the Church of God the building of so manie seueral altars hath bin y e cause of the bringing in of so many sectes diuisions Although y e papists had placed no idols in their churches althogh they had not such a nūber of superstitiōs Idolatries as wee see they haue yet in doing of this one thing they haue broken y e vnity which christ hath solemnly set betweene his mēbers in the whole Church What must we do then Let vs indeuor to keepe ourselues in brotherly agreement and vnder the signes tokens which God hath giuen vs and let vs continue therein and make al those meanes which he hath giuen vs to serue vnto that ende That is the doctrine which we haue to gather vpon this place But let vs returne now vnto y t which we sayde in the beginning that is y t God hath here required of his people a solemne acknowledgement how much they were bound vnto him We are therfore exhorted to acknowledge y e benefits of God yea to occupy ourselues therein so as we neuer forget thē The people in deed had already giuen thanks vnto God after they were come out of Egypt in the wildernes where they sacrificed continually vnto him but yet after they are passed ouer Iordā they must begin to giue thāks again And why Because mē would alwaies discharge their dutie towards God by halues and they haue soone forgotten it thinke no longer what they owe vnto God And y t is the cause why they must be occupied continually in y e self same thing So then let vs note well y t euen all y e time of our life we must apply our whole indeuour to magnifie set foorth the name of God For although we be not lodged in this land of Canaā yet y e fauor of God ought to be asmuch or more esteemed of vs than y t earthly inheritāce which was giuen to ȳe children of Israel For god hauing plucked vs out of the dungeons of death out of y e bondage of Satan declareth y t we are blessed of him and y t we are a