Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	believe_v	faith_n	reason_n	4,345	5	5.9961	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14105	A matter of moment: or, A case of waight As great as euer was any, to be pleaded and examined in the hall of the heart and conscience of euery Christian at all times, before the receiuing of the Lords Supper. Touching that waightie charge of the Apostle Paul, in the I. Cor. II.28. Let euery man examine himselfe, and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. Set forth dialogue wise.	Tye, William.	1608 (1608)	STC 24414; ESTC S101785	23,867	76

vnto exhortation to manners and integritie of life thereby plainely affirming as much as you say Namely that Christians must adorne their faith and profession with good workes and that a true iustifying faith is euer abundantly fruitfull in the same good workes Nay that which is more I doe know that many zealous christians euen now in our times doe confirme the same doctrine by their liues and liuings who as they do dayly pray for a true iustifying faith and constantly professe themselues to haue the same so do they also walke in all christian and dutiful obedience to the commandements of God euer endeuoring themselues to doe well and to do good So that when I do lay their outward profession of a iustifying faith on the one side and their liues on the other side together me thinks it doth strongly proue this doctrine to be alwayes infallibly true That a true iustifying faith and good workes are inseperable and not to be found asunder no more then the Sunne can be without his light or fire his heate This I say I do heare this I do know both by the Scriptures and examples of these times and this I do hold for truth But the truth is my selfe as many thousands moe do not yet in reason see how it doth come to passe My last suite therefore vnto you is that you would prooue by some-sound reasons that a iustifying faith whersoeuer it doth rest must needes bee effectuall and fruitfull in holinesse of life good workes For doubtlesse though it be the truth yet because they do not clearely see it by manifest arguments and reasons a great number cannot tell whether they should beleeue it or not And therefore though they haue but only a bare Historicall faith without all respect vnto workes and manners yet they flatter themselues that the same is a true iustifying faith whereas if they were able to conuince them selues by sound reasons many of them I am perswaded would be as ready to forsake their error they would be as willing to embrace the true iustifying faith and to expresse the same by all dutifull obedience to the commandements of God in their liues as euer they were to maintaine a bare Historicall faith with loosenesse of life And now I atend your answer Ans If you desire my answer for your resolution then marke it well None can throughly know what a iustifying faith is but he onely that hath it As no man can vnderstand or comprehend what hony and his séetnes is though you speake neuer so much thereof saue he only that hath séene and tasted it 7. So no man can vnderstand or cōprehend what a iustifying faith and the force therof is saue he onely that hath it and doth beléeue And as hee that hath séene and tasted hony A iustifying faith it selfe is the best reason of all other to proue the effectual working of the same We beleue not thorow the light of naturall reason and vnderstanding but we vnderstand by beleeuing néeds no reasons to proue vnto him the swéetnes thereof so he which hath a iustifying faith and doth beléeue néeds no reasons to proue vnto him the effectuall force and working of the same it will proue and shew it selfe Neither comes a man by reason and vnderstanding to faith and to beléeue but rather by beléeuing hée comes to vnderstanding For in humaine Phylosophy and matters of the world we will first by the light of reason vnderstand the matter to be so and then afterward wee will beleeue it But in spiritual things and heauenly mysteries faith goes before reason and vnderstanding comes after For here by the light of the word we doe beléeue those things which neither sence can perceiue cogitation conceiue nor vnderstanding of the mind comprehend without the word And hence it was Iohn 3. Iohn 20. that Nichodemus and Thomas were so sharpely reprooued of our Sauiour Christ euen because they would not beléeue except they might bee brought vnto it by their naturall reason and sence Now therefore the summe of mine answere to your demaund is this First if a iustifying faith doth not ground it selfe vpon the light of naturall reason to doe that it doth and to beleeue that it doth beléeue but doth effectually worke and do that it doth of i●●●e without reason beyond the c●●●city of man Then surely it is impossible to shew the effectuall force and working of the same by arguments and proofes of any reason Secondly if none can comprehend what a iustifying faith and force thereof is but hee onely that hath it and doth beléeue then doubtles he that hath it not cannot comprehend the sanctified force and operation of the same in the life and conuersation by all the reasons in the world to him they are all in vaine Thirdly if a iustifying faith bee reason sufficient of it selfe and the best reason of all other to proue the effectuall working thereof in the life of that partie whomsoeuer it doth possesse Then what needs a man to seeke further Then for him which seekes reasons to proue that a iustifying faith must néeds be fruitful in a godly life and workes The best course is to procure vnto him this iustifying faith it selfe which as all other good graces and gifts besides is had and obtained by that strong and euer preuailing meanes with the Lord faithfull feruent The neglect of praier is the Canker of Religion and diligent prayer the neglect and colde practise whereof is the decay and Canker of all religion FINIS A Prayer and meditation before the receiuing of the holy Communion in no wise to be forgotten in thy Chamber priuatly O Eternall almightie and most mercifull Father which of thy tender mercie to thy children hast alwaies fed them with spiritual and heauenly food féeding to blessed immortalitie which is the bread of life and this bread of life is thy sonne as it is written Iohn 6.5 ver 35. I am the bread of life which came downe from heauen he that cometh to me shall not hunger in any wise and hée that beléeueth in mee shall neuer thirst and the bread which I shall giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world O most swéet bread heale thou my sicke soule and féeble heart that I may tast the swéetnesse of thy loue heale mee of all mine infirmities that I delight in no fairenesse besides thée I doe acknowledge O Lord that I am not worthy the least of all thy mercies and most vnworthy to receiue thée vnder the roofe of my soule by participating thy most precious body and bloud For horrible are the sins wherewith I am defiled Woe is me Lord for I am a man of polluted lippes and dwell among people that haue vncleane hearts And yet againe my heart is wonderfully lightned when I call into mind that thou the déere sonne of Almightie God camest not into this world to call the righteous but the sinners to