Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	according_a	good_a	word_n	1,736	5	3.9879	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01210	The forbidden fruit· or A treatise of the tree of knovvledge of good & evill of which Adam at first, & as yet all mankind doe eate death. Moreover, how at this day it is forbidden to every one as well as to Adam; and how this tree, that is the wisedome of the serpent planted in Adam, is that great image, and that many headed beast, mentioned in Daniel and the Apocalyps, whom the whole world doth worship. Lastly, here is shewed what is the tree of life, contrary to the wisdome, righteousnesse, and knowledge of all mankind: with a description of the majestie and nature of Gods Word. By August: Eluthenius [sic]. Translated out of Latine into English.; De arbore scientiae boni et mali. English	Franck, Sebastian, 1499-1542.	1640 (1640)	STC 11324; ESTC S102619	62,776	198

where and wherefore he will Julian th' Apostate ignorant of this secret against whom Civill writes was greatly offended at this that God would have man to know neither good nor evil or rather that he would have Man to have teach be and will nothing at al c. He I say was offended at this But if the matter be brought unto the light of truth we shall finde that all this happened because of us even as a Father forbids and detaines a Sword from his Son knowing that if he had it he would hurt himselfe upon it or otherwise abuse it In the same manner God denyed unto Adam and also unto us that Tree of Knowledge for our profit and good Neither did hee envy us therein but only did it to prevent the future evill into which he foresaw we should fall For he knew that assoone as Adam like God should know Good and Evill hee would challenge the same to himselfe desire to be his owne God otherwise God had not cared though Adam had eaten of that tree for satiety For assoone as Adam had eaten of it there followed thereupon selfelove and arrogating all things to himselfe praise and all other vices So God in all his commandements hath respect not so much to himselfe as to us and our salvation which not he but we enjoy as Iob himselfe doth manifestly confesse that God is neither hurt by our sinns nor profited by our righteousnesse but still remaineth an eternall perfect and impassible God to whom nothing can be added or any thing detracted though we try yet can we not make a Heaven neither put the Sunne out of them nor dry up a Fountaine but all these things remaine in the same estate and condition wherein God hath placed them He that assumes to throw a stone against Heaven it will fall upon his owne head Therefore we can make God neither richer nor poorer greater nor lesser no he is no way advantaged by us though we all adhere unto him only he hath a care on us to helpe us we never deserve to be what we are therefore we ought to attribute the cause of all our good to him only and give him the glory he hath an open hand more ready to give then we are to receive rich to all those that call upon him Neither doth he desire any thing at our hands but only this that we quietly receive of him that which he is willingly pleased to give for he that with quietnes doth not receive can have no h●pe that he shall receive all our witt we ought only to imploy to this end to the denying of our selves This should make us nothing children Fooles and prostrate low at the feete of God And to the effecting of this denying of our selves all our knowledge ought to be directed but that knowledge only which proceeds from God can effect it it can make a man nothing a Child a Foole and casts him downe at the feete of God But that knowledge that puffs up a Man making him great and wise in his owne conceit such being the wisdom of the World comes not from God but is rather the Serpents Seed forbidden fruit Now every one that eateth of the forbidden Tree for no other cause eateth hee thereof but only that he may obtaine a great name honour titles and glory that he may have preheminence to bee counted the light of the World And by this meanes he eateth death in stead of life This the holy Scriptures testify unto us for whereas we ought to know and learne nothing every man learnes to know and be wise in all things Now here some man might enquire why therefore did God create the Tree if he foreknew that both Adam and wee would eate death thereof and not rather hinder our sinne I answer that God at the first made us of earth and assuredly did know that we would not constantly abide in the estate of our creation and yet he suffred Adam to take his course make tryall of misery that forced through sorrow death he might hast to God again for so it was to be that God would create him againe out of sorrow and make him againe a new not as before of nothing but with grace of himselfe this God foresaw from all eternity and therefore suffred his fal and gave way that man should first tast of the bitternes of death before that he would give him the sweetenesse of eternall life by which he might know the better what he hath in God and what that life is compared with death which before he tasted Besides it was meete that God suffered the freedome of sinne rather then restrained it as well for many other causes as more speciall for this that otherwise it had beene coaction and force and not libertie and also the goodnesse of God his mercie having no other obiect could never have been manifested in his Creature Therfore it behoved that things should come thus to passe by the providence of God and yeeld without necessity or any fault in God Read Brentius lib. 4. Ambros. in Rom. 9. CHAP. VI Of the 2 kinds of knovvledge and Will and how the one allwayes resists the other THere is nothing under the Sunne but it may be said to be twofould that is Just and wicked Good and Evill Now just and also that which is evill and wicked may in like manner be said to the twofould the one according to the judgment of God and the other according to the estimation and opinion of men And now seeing God is a spirit and Men flesh contrary to the spirit it followes that all their judgements wills knowledges and actions be contrary and repugnant one to the other Whence it is what man calleth good right sweete light life knowledge wisdome justice c. God esteemes that to be evill wicked bitter darknes death foolishnes and sinne according as the Scriptures testify of God and of the World Therefore there is nothing in the world but it may be called good or evil according as the judgement of men are disposed to whom it is proposed What God is unto the world the same is the Devill unto God and so on the contrary So that nothing can be called Evill but all things are in their order right and good and evill and wicked according as the Touchstone is by which they are examined If I say that the Word of God is false foolishnes and Heresie the same is true in the judgement and opinion of the world and thus all things are twofould either good or evill good is twofould as also evill the one truely good or evill in the sight of God the other apparantly good or evill in the sight of Men or their opinion so that there is a two-fould fasting praying willing c. to witt one that is really good in the sight of God so as is God himselfe the author and teacher of all goodnesse the other in the sight

old word beeing growen out of use And againe the old words are received the new being thrust out so farre forth that nothing is durable or constant in this life And if any man would observe he shall finde that our mother Tongue in England is dayly changed that at this day they speake otherwise then they did a few yeares since yea and such a curiositie nicenesses there is in the word and tongues that what men have a while made use off suddenly they cast away as disdaining the same Every man endevouring to bring out some new and rare thing that he seeme not to imitate the words of any other insomuch that the cheife inventour of words doe now obtaine the chief praise and estimation of Art And by this meanes all things are confounded in the earth and what now is new is presently growen old and anone become new againe and the hearts of men the Kingdomes peoples and Languages of the World like to the course of the yeare In times past France spoke the Dutch language as Beatus Rhenamis writing of the Germaine affaires most elegantly proves but now it hath gathered a proper speech to it selfe out of Italie Germaine Spaine but most specially from Italie which thing of the tongue was caused perhaps by their warre because divers people being mixed together they made and used a mixed kind of Speech Hence it came to passe that as yet they retaine some of the Germain words as Suppen Sacken kushen which they almost according to the Nether Germains pronounce after the bastard Germaine Souper Sacen Cuysten This I speake that we may see that nothing is constant or new in the earth and that is true which Terence writt Nothing is spoke now which was not spoke before So nothing is done which was not done before So that Cornelius Agrippa thinkes the invention of Gunpowder and ●uns was no new invention of which opinion in the Historian Volatiramis and this may be gathered out of the sixt of Virgils Eneads where thus he writes of Salmon I Salmon saw with paine torment late Who would loues flame thunder imitate For caried by foure steeds with torch in hand Through Elis Cittie all Grecian Land Did ride in triumph and command that all Sh●uld give him honour and a dietie call O mad man he who with his Chariots noyce Would imitate the mightie thunders voyce And Solomon shewes the same all along in the 3. chapt. of Eccles. as also to the first that what hath beene that shall bee what hath beene done the same shall be done neither is there any thing new under the Sunne There is something which is as if it were new yet was that in auncient times which hath beene before us There is no memory of former ages neither shall there be of those that are to come amongst who are to be and a little after things past and things to come are all forgotten and the wise together with the fool doe dye In which words what other thing would the preacher show then that all arts are subiect to oblivion and death Neither can they alwayes remaine in the soule but together with the body departs or perisheth by death For nothing I say can adhere unto the Image of God I meane the Soule which is like unto God and consist in death and fire but what is onely God and his word this is the onely endure able creature and the meate of Eternall Life Not that opinion and Art of Philosophers but the true good of the minde and Soule which can happen to no other thing but the word although I doe not denye but that word appeared to some of the Gentils and taught them because God is no respector of Persons but as a common Light of soules as the Sunne is the Light of the whole world neither is the hand of God shortned nor his eye envyous that he should not looke upon the whole VVorld With the same love eye and grace since we are all alike the same workmanshipp of God all of the same love estimation and authoritie with him Hence thou mayst collect that all arts invented by men are death and fruits of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evill For assoone as Adam had eaten of that Tree the same day he dyed in the eyes of God as the historie declares although afterwards according to the flesh hee lived many yeares as from heavenly matters the same day was his eyes shutt up and he eat death although in his owne judgement his eyes were opened and he seemed to himselfe to be a living God knowing Good and Evill Then began he to exercise his art his cunning to expound dispute and seeke out a malitious sutle and captious meaning in all things and also to deale deceitfully with God and in all things to hide himselfe to cover himselfe with Figge leaves to kisse his owne hand in a word to worship himselfe by inventing many arts amongst his posterity And out of this Roote spring up all the precepts of men their expositions their arts and so excellent a foundation have they as both the inventour and the authour of them was the Devill and the first Scoller that learned them did eate death therefrom And this Science and Art is utterly to be abhorred being no other then a Diabolicall perswasion conceived in Adam formed and hid in the Seede of the Serpent And yet all the World as Adam did thinkes that Life is placed in it neither doth it receive any instruction from Adam neither indeed understand the historie of Adams fall or his rising againe and that whole matter at this day doth live yet accounting it but a Historie long since acted done and afterwards dare say the word of God endureth for ever Therefore wee must needs confesse that nothing is past which in its kinde is not yet extant Whole Moyses is urged upon Christians neither is one jott of the word of God lost which shall not be fulfilled in every moment in spirit truth Therefore the fall of Adam happeneth dayly dayly doth Adam in his posterity eate of the forbidden fruit And therfore his Sonnes in Adam as in the roote are damned dead Now this our fall as Adams is amended and repaired if we spirt out and vomitt up this knowledge of good and Evill as poyson and become as Adam was before his fall Children Fooles and innocent Turttles that wee may eate of the Tree of Life and suffer the Seed of the woman to be ingrafted in us This is not the Seede the art witt and counsell of the Serpent but the Seede word will the minde of God the Tree of Life which whosoever eateth and suffreth himselfe to be fedd therewith is indowed with Eternall Life Now in us there is a Medicine with poyson For as by sinne the Tree of knowledge of good and Evill was planted into the heart of Adam so by his conversion rising againe and Seede of the Woman the

with the people who having a shew of piety have so lived as that they were esteemed Patrons and Examples for others to imitate These righteous men of the world the Scriptures call wicked who want nothing but onely this that they have wicked minds void of Faith and grace yet they so cloake their wickednesse with a forme of godlines that they seeme nothing lesse Neither thinke we that the times of Christ and David were onely pestered with these kinde of people But we may rather conceive that if those goulden dayes of theirs were full of such these Iron ages of ours are much more abundant All times and ages have had their Dissemblers Pharises and Scribes these our last ages since are the worst for seldome comes best things last For the world as it growes more aged so it growes more wicked as both the Scripture and experience doe testify Wherefore it is behovefull that every man endeavour that hee be not of the number of those men who wresting the word of the Scriptures apply and interpret them on others as most men doe but in them behould himselfe as in a glasse if he desire to see a wicked man and one that is a capitall enimy against God And let him but question with his owne conscience it is as good as ten thousand witnesses and then hee shall easily knowe what a one hee is For this cause the Scriptures are so fyerie against these Godly Wise Men of the World Yea denying all good to them God in his just judgement striking them with blindnesse So that they erre in their owne way hiding himselfe and his word from their understanding Besides the Scriptures doe brand them with a thousand infamous names Calling them Wolvs a generation of vipers Beares Bulls Sonnes of Beliall painted Sepulchres who are glorious in shew in the sight of men and set forth themselves as righteous before men by their sage manners modest habits and graue gestures when in the sight of God they have their hearts full of nothing but filthines and sinne Of whom Christ saith that unlesse we be more righteous then they and exceede them we shall never enter into the Kingdome of God Neverthelesse they would not seeme to be what they are indeed but cover themselves with a shew of Sanctity Wherefore it pleaseth the spirit of God to checke and rebuke them to the discouering of their secret houlds and vizards of their faces But he who accuseth himselfe and denyeth himselfe before God and in his presence shall obtaine pardon as the Scriptures testify which reprehend those carnall spirituall spirits or men who place their state with God and will be ignorant of nothing and they are admonished by God in Solomons Proverbs that they would desist from this their arrogancie Otherwise they shall be so oppressed with the glorie and Majesty of God that they shall not be able to endure and stand But those who humbly submitt themselves and creepe unto God and willingly know nothing nor are nothing but what God knowes and is in them they in not seeking finde that which the other seeking with great auxiety of minde shall never obtaine For all things are theirs and they know what God is hath or knowes because they in God and God in them inhabits and dwels Hence it is that Paul saith the spirituall man searcheth all things yea the secret things of God which is denyed to the foolish flesh according as we may reade in the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes for in counsell of the wicked there is no health no word of God knowledge or love To the same purpose is that saying of Solomon God made man at the first upright but he found out to himselfe many inventions many difficults many labours with which he doth weary and vex himselfe God that is good simple just commandeth him that he should know nothing but him and follow and be obedient to him as all the rest of the Creatures He should I say be so obedient to him as to doe know will love omit and speake nothing but onely what God doth know will love omitt and speake in him by which as in all other Creaturs so in the heart of man he might enioy a plenary Kingdome and ruling and governing him according to his own will neither should man have any title claime power or priviledge over himselfe Satan suggestion it was that man found out so many ambushes curious questions with frivilous difficulties by which he is degenerated from that simplicity wherein God created him and subordinated him being transported with an ambitious desire to become a Lord God to himself and so remained in the power of his owne will but how just this is let man that hath reason judge that the clay should desire to know or be any thing contrary or besides that which the maker thereof would have it know or be such similitudes doth not yet fully expresse the matter Therefore it happens deservedly unto us that our wisdome knowledge and vvill should bring upon us all punishment due unto sinne and also make us utterly disquieted bringing unto us nothing but torture and vexation since besides and contrary to the will of God we have deserved them Hence it necessarily followeth that sinne is the punishment of it selfe and Fooles are destroyed by their owne wisdome and knowledge This is that which Solomon experimently complaines off when he sayes where there is much knowledge there is much vexation And he that increaseth learning sorrowes And these wise men are Fooles for whosoever endeavoureth to be wise above measure this man shall endure greiffes and sorrowes and by how much they become more wise by so much they are more disquieted For God will have us to finde rest in him onely Neither must we rise come goe or doe any thing before him For whosoever commeth before him is a theefe and whosoever speaketh or doth any thing of his owne accord without him is a Devill Therefore it is that all men are deluded deceived and fooled by their own witt yea even because they professe themselves to be wise therefore they are foolish And as God did the Caldean Philosophers and wise men so he suffers those to be seduced by their owne knowledge and to be wearied with their owne inventions actions and arts Hence it is that Christ would not have his disciples desire to be esteemed some bodies or couett that men should call them Masters Lords Doctors or Rabbins but onely Ministers Brethren and witnesses of him Ioh. 15. Ye are my witnesses CHAP. VIII Of the great Deaster of humane wisdome and knowledge and how all men doe kisse their owne hand and all the World adores it selfe and its owne worke that is inventions actions and deliberations of Fleshly reason and wisdome What other thing is the worshipping of Images Superstition and the Institutions of men then the reason witt art invention and prudence of man Therfore the worshipping of Deasters is nothing but the adoring of the

the contrarie should be fall in us Therefore they are much deceived who thinke that nothing is the word of God but what altogether differeth from our minds and therefore compell themselves only to beleeve those things which in their inward man they can perceive feel comprehend to be far wanting in them and contrary to them Indeed the word of God invadeth our hearts with an exceeding force because it is spirit our hearts are flesh but where the beleeving heart addicts it selfe to the worship of God the word is soone incorporated in us and our heart made one with it is converted into spirit so as now the truth it feeleth yea and what more it witnesseth that to be true which the spirit doth speake unto it and is so bound that it necessarily must assent unto it Neither doth it so compell or force it selfe to beleeve but it is so compelled that it cannot but beleeve and would a thousand times make a losse of its body rather then beleeve otherwise So again the mind cannot be beleeved and as long as the minde doth not assent it is a sure argument that as yet is hath not comprehended nor as yet is the word incorporated in thee nor the Sonne of God borne For he who comprehendeth the word as he is comprehended feeleth the same yea testifieth knoweth that the same is true Wherefore compare or examine all learning with the testimony of the spirit For if thou art a beleever God dwelleth in thee and thou art sealed with his word and Spirit but if thou dost not beleeve this examinatiō nothing belongeth unto thee For it is spoken to the beleeving Thessalonians try the Spirits If in a wicked man the spirit were to be compared with his heart and with the letters he could never rightly judge how he doth understand them because hee taketh that to be the word of God whatsoever pleaseth his wicked and perverse heart and eyes On the contrary it is commanded to the Saints that they try and prove all Spirits and Doctrines by the word of God which divinely taught they have approved in their soules not to the wicked who are unfitt to every good work and whose judgement God doth not approve off But if they say they are to be brought to the touch-stone of the word the holy Scriptures J willingly grant the same so that you understand that of the minde of the Scriptures which is the onely word of God which also onely those who are of God doe understand but if the Doctrine and Spirit be compared with the Letter of the Scriptures it will be compared diversly every one according to his owne understanding in which they are deceived neither is this the true trial as more cleare then Light wee may see it Since all desire the Letter to be this judge and thinke them of themselves to be the same Therfore that which hath not the examination I speake off which I but now spake off is as easily confuted as it is admitted as Gregory sayth Here are casheered all the arts explanations orations and comments of men which are boughes and fruits of the forbidden Tree in the Paradise of this World from which as yet all men doe eate death and yet neverthelesse with Adam and Eva thinke themselves to eate life and hope to be Gods Therefore all mens arts are no other then a plant of the Devill who thinketh by this meanes to change men into Gods from hence promiseth life immortality when neverthelesse death is before their eyes so soone as they have eaten of this fruit Now that Sentence standeth firme Every plant that my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be cutt downe Therefore all those Arts must againe in their original be brought to nothing That J confesse is the only Scope of the holy scripturs which is the word of God knowne of them who are of God But that the literall and grammaticall sence is this I doe not think which wicked men doe understand and also follow and yet by Christ are denyed to understand the Scriptures but as they expound themselves in the Godly out of the Doctrine of the Holy Ghost And this meaning cannot be comprehended in open Commentaries and rules but the Holy Ghost will have this book mistery reserved to himself neither wil he have it imprinted but will shew teach open to all according to the measure of every mans faith as much as is necessarie neither will he have it so committed that one may teach another and so incroch upon the priviledge of God but will teach it himselfe that all and every one of us may be divinely taught and may glory that wee have learned the Word of God from God and not from men with pleasant docility yet so as men ought and every one may one to another give that testimony which hee hath learned from God So it commeth to passe that with Christ and his Apostles we are witnesses of the Word not Ministers of the Spirit For who hath commaunded the Wind but onely the Master of the Winde To this belongs that which Job Jeremie and Esayas say that we shall all be taught of God so as it shall not be necessary for us to be taught of any other but that so its true as the holie vnction shall teach us And whereas God is onely true and all men are lyars it cannot be but it must be a lye and errour whatsoever commeth not from God and that cannot come from God which all wicked know and understand Since they are not of God but are seperated from him by the partition wall of sinne Now what commeth not from God is sinne and not good and what shineth not from his Light is altogether darknesse although it seeme to be Light and wisdome as Esay upbraideth the Caldean Philosophers their owne witt hath deceived them and they were wearied with the multitude of their owne inventions c. God speaketh this against all arts except the art of God formed in us by his word which exhibits unto us nothing to be meditated upon and vewed in the Light but onely God to know and understand God because that word is verily God without any distinction of nature there as God cannot be defined described or divided but if we speake properly God is all in all things and yet nothing of all these things which can be felt conceived or comprehended by sence reason or understanding spoken written or heard so is the Word of God infinite infallible incomprehensible eternall by it selfe existing and farre exceeding all the writings and words of men because it as God cannot properly be written read or spoken Since it is God and was before writing or man was and shal be when man is deceased writing are ceased Therefore all things are subiect unto vanity For which cause the nature of all things are called vaine and vast by reason of the accident of vanity although in it selfe it be good onely the