Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	fruit_n	good_a	tree_n	4,708	5	8.6623	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18193	The lamentacion of a synner, made by ye most vertuous Ladie, Quene Caterin, bewayling the ignoraunce of her blind life: set furth and put in print at the instaunt desire of the righte gracious ladie Caterin duchesse of Suffolke, [and] the earnest requeste of the right honourable Lord, William Parre, Marquesse of North Hampton	Catharine Parr, Queen, consort of Henry VIII, King of England, 1512-1548.; Burghley, William Cecil, Baron, 1520-1598.	1547 (1547)	STC 4827; ESTC S108944	34,896	122

great zealebearers to god Yf this were the greatest euill of these younglinges it were not the moste euyl but I feare they be so blynde and ignoraunte that they are offended also at good thinges and iudge nothing good but suche as they enbrace esteme to be good with murmuringe against al suche as folow not their wayes Yf there be any of this sort the lord geue thē light of his truth y t they may encrease grow in godly strength I suppose if suche yōglinges vnperfect had sene Christ and his disciples eate meate w t vnwashed hādes or not to haue fasted with y e Phariseis they would haue ben offēded seīg him a breaker of mēnes tradiciōs their affections dispose their eies to se through other men they se nothing in thēselues where charitie although it be moste fullest of eyes to see the faultes of others whome it coueteth to amēde thinketh none euil but discretely and rightly interpreteth all thynges by y e which more iustly truly euery thing is takē Now these supersticious weaklinges yf they had ben cōuersaūt with Christ seen him leade his liefe sumtime with wemē sumtime with Samaritanes w t Publicanes sinners with the phariseis they woulde haue murmured at him Also yf they had sene Mary powre vpon Christ the preciouse oyntmente they would haue sayde with Iudas this oyntmente might haue bene solde and geuē to the poore Yf they also had sene Christ with whippes driue out of the temple those that bought and sould they woulde furthwith haue iudged Christ to haue ben troubled and moued with angre and not by zeale of charitie How would they haue bene offended yf they had seen him gooen to the Iewes feast heale a syckeman vpon the Saboth daye practyse with the woman of Samary ye and shew vnto her of his moste diuine doctrine and life They woulde haue taken occasion to haue hated and persecuted hym as the Scribes and Phariseis dyd And euen so shoulde Christe the Sauioure of the worlde haue bene to them an offence and ruine There be an other kynde of litleones vnperfect which are offēded after this sorte and maner as when they see one that is reputed and estemed holy to commit synne furthwith they learne to doe that and worse and waxe colde in doing of good and confirme thēselues in euil then they excuse their wicked lyfe publishyng the same with the sclaūder of theyr neyghbor If eny mā reproue them they saye suche a man dyd this and worse So it is euident that suche persōs would denye Christe yf they sawe other men do the same If they went to Rome and saw the enormities of the prelates whiche is sayde to reigne there emonges I doubte not yf they sawe one of them sinne which were reputed and takē for holy theyr fayth shoulde be loste but not the fayth of Christ which they neuer possessed but they should lease that humayne opinion whiche they had of the goodnes of prelates For yf they had the faythe of Christe the holye ghoste shoulde be a witnes vnto them which should be mighty in them that in case all the world would denye Christ they woulde remayne firme stable in the true faith The phariseis also toke occasion of y e euil of others to waxe hautie proude taking thēselues to be men of greater perfection thē any other bicause of their vertue euen as the Pharisei did whē he sawe the publicanes submission and so they be offended with euerye litle thinge iudging euill murmuring agaynst their neyghbour and for the same they are of manye reputed and taken for the more holy and good wheras in deade they be the more wicked The most wicked persons are offended euen at themselues for at their litle stabilitie in goodnes and of their detestable and euill lyfe they take occasion to despayre Where they oughte the more to commit themselues to god asking mercye for theyr offences And furthwith to gyue thankes y t it hath pleased him of his goodnes to suffer them so lōg a tyme. But what neadeth it any more to saye the euyll men are offended euē at the workes of god They see god suffer synners therfore thinke they sinne displeaseth him not And because they se not the good rewarded with riches oftentymes they imagin that god loueth them not it seameth to them god is parciall because he hath elected sum and sum reproued And therfore they saye that the elected be sure of saluacion takyng by y t occasion to do euyl ynough saying whatsoeuer god hath determined shal be perfourmed Yf also they see the good men oppressed and the euill men exalted they iudge god vniust taking occasion to lyue euelly saying inasmuche as god fauoureth the naughty men let vs doe euyll ynough to th entent he dooe vs good Yf then the wicked be offended euen at god it is no wondre yf they be offended at those that folow walke in his pathes and wayes Nowe I will speake with greate dolour and heuynes in my harte of a sorte of people whiche be in the worlde that be called professors of the gospell by theyr wordes doe declare and shewe they be muche affected to the same But I am afrayed sum of them do builde vpon the sand as Simon Magus did making a weake foundacion I meane they make not Christe their chiefest foundacion professing hys doctryne of a sincere pure and zelous mynde but eyther for bycause they woulde be called gospellers to procure sum credit good opinions of the true and very fauourers of Christes doctrine eyther to finde out sum carnall libertie eyther to be contencious disputers fynders or rebukers of other mennes fautes orelles finally to please and flatter the worlde suche gospellers are an offence and a ●klaunder to the worde of God and make the wicked to reioyce and laugh at theym saying behold I praye you theyr fayre frutes What charitie what discrecion what godlynes holynes or puritie of life is amongst thē Be they not great auēgears foule glottons slaunderers backbyters aduouterers fornicatours swearers and blasphemers yea and wallow and tumble in al sinnes These be y e fruites of theyr doctrine And thus it may be seene how the worde of GOD is euill spokē of through licencious and euil liuing and yet the worde of God is all holye pure sincere and godlye beyng the doctryne and occasion of al holie and pure liuing It is the wicked that peruerteth all good thinges into euill for an euil tree cannot bring furth good fruite And whē good seed is sowen in a barreyne and euill grounde it yeldeth no good corne and so it fareth by the word of god For when it is heard and knowē of wicked mē it bringeth furth no good fruit but when it is sowē in good ground I meane the hartes of good