Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	know_v	sin_n	sin_v	3,589	5	9.2751	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19412	Tvvo very Godly and comfortable letters, written ouer into England The one to a Godly and zealous Lady: wherin the Annabaptists errour is confuted and the sinne against the Holye Ghoste plainly declared. The other an answer to a Godly merchants letter: written for his comfort, being greeued with the heauye burden of sinne wherin is declared the true confession of sinne: Written by T.C.	Cottesford, Thomas.; Cartwright, Thomas, 1535-1603.	1589 (1589)	STC 5841.5; ESTC S116355	22,933	120

into the Congregation as a Christian Brother and so to esteeme him and take him What shall I saye of Peter Christes Apostle Peter Had not he a sure knowledge of Christe confessing him openlye before all the Apostles To be very Christe the sonne the liuing God Was not he euē then indued with the holy Ghost and grace from aboue vnto whom Iesus Christe saide Blessed art Math. 16. thou Symon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not opened that vnto thee but my Father which is in heauen And yet after all this he had such a fall that contrary to his own conscience willinglye wtout anye compulsion threates or imprysonmēt he did most cowardlye and shamefullye forsake and deny Christ not without blasphemy swering that he neuer knew him cursing and committing him selfe to the Diuell if euer he had to doo with him What woulde the N●●atian and Annabaptiste saye vnto this Was it not a fall Could there be anye greater sinne then this Was it not doone of knowledge Was it not doone willinglye Was it not against his own conscience Yes doubtlesse it was no lesse but againste his owne conscience But yet thankes be vnto almightye God it was not the sinne of blasphemye against the holy ghost neither the sin vnto death the which Saint Iohn speaketh of for hee 1. Ioh. 5. continued not therin vnto his ende but immediatly he went foorth of the Bishops house and wept bitterly very muche lamenting his hainous offence and by faith he returned again vnto christ Mat. 26. knoweing his mercye to be infinite and without measure and so he was accepted vnto grace againe Christ appeared vnto him to his greate comforte after he rose againe from deathe to life and afterwards sending downe his holye Spirite indued him with wonderfull giftes of grace from aboue And then Peter became a strong Champion setting foorth Christe to be the only sauiour of the whole world Preaching and openlye confessing him before all men without any feare either of y● Scribes Pharises or Maiestrates Now good Madam lay this example of S. Peter to this text of S. Paule to the Hebrewes It can not be that they which were once lightned c. If they fall away c. that they should be renued again by repentance If a man would apply the aforesaide example of S. Peter vnto this text of S. Paule he would thinke that Peter should vtterly haue béen cast away from Gods fauour mercy and grace For first it can not be denied but that hee was once lightned that is indued with the true knowledge of Christe to be the onely Messias and sauiour of the world Secondlye he had also tasted of the heauenly gift which was a true faith in christ Iesus openlye confessing the same before al the Apostles béeing fully perswaded in his owne conscience what Christ was Thirdlye that Peter was become pertaker of the holy Ghoast and had tasted of the good woorde of God it appéereth euidētly by Christes sentence saying Blessed art thou Symon for flesh and bloud that is man shewed thee ●●ot that but my father ●hich is in heauen Which ●as by the inspiration of ●is holy spirit Finally Peter had a taste of the world to come For hee did see in the mountaine the transfiguration of Christ so did Iames Mat. 17. the more and Iohn the Euangelist also Where in the presence of them all Christ was transfigured and shewed him selfe vnto them in the forme of a glorified body So that his face did shine as the Sun and his clothes appeared as white as the light There appeared also among thē Moyses and Elias And euen there the cleare voice of God the father of heauen was plainlye hearde among thē out of y● cloud saying vpon Christe This is my dearlye beloued sonne in whom I delite heare him Loe all this and much more Peter bothe hearde and sawe béeing almoste continuallye in Christes companye eating and drinking with him hearing daylye his heauenly doctrine preaching and teaching seeing euerye where as occasiō serued his great and wonderfull miracles And yet for all this what a great fall Peter had it appeared plainely by his deniall of Christ his louing maister and Sauiour and by the circumstaunces thereof whiche I touched before But yet to make Peters fall more horrible Christ saide vnto him and vnto al the other his Apostles when he sent them ●●●rth to preache the Gospell of saluation He that denieth Math. 10. me before men I shall denie him also before my Father Alas good Peter what case stand●● thou in now● How dooth this saying of Christ touch thée remembringe this sayinge of Christe art thou not vtterly at thy wits end Is it not most certaine and true y● thou hast too horriblye fallen after that thou haddest tasted of all these gratious giftes before rehearsed Hast thou not contrarye to thine owne conscience moste shamefullye denyed thy maister sauiour Christ before men Ah good soule what shal becom of thée How wilt thou answere for thy self for it séemeth héer plainly that both S. Paule in the afore alleaged place to y● Hebrewes and also Christ him selfe in the scripture afore rehearsed haue giuen sentence of condemnation against thée Wherefore bothe the Nouacian the Annabaptist grounding them selues vppon these two places of holy scripture will plainelye pronounce thée to be a reprobate and that thou art dispatched and vtterlye cast awaye from all hope of saluation But héere let vs not too lightlye passe ouer but earnestlye weigh and deepely consider what may be said in this matter on Peters behalfe And firste it may be rightlye answered that that place of S. Paul vnto the Hebrewes maketh Heb. 6. nothing againste S. Peter neither yet againste any Christian man how gréeuouslye or how often soeuer hée hath sinned so that he hath not vtterlye forsaken Christe and fallen cleane awaye from him For S. Paule saith It cannot be that they which were once lightned c. If they fall away they should be renued by repentance Marke héer diligentlye that S. Paule saithe If they fall away He saithe not If they fall But if It is not all one thing to fall and to fall away they fall away For it is not all one thing to fall and to fall away For Peter did fall but hee did not fall away frō Christe but returned vnto him againe An olde prouerb it is A man runneth A Prouerb● very far that neuer returneth againe All we christians do daily fal for we daily break Gods cōmandements but yet we do not fal away frō christ neither refuse we him to be our Sauiour but acknowledging our manifold sinnes and offences wée daylye returne vnto him againe by true repentaunce faithe and amendmēt of life nothing doubting of his great vnmeasurable mercy towards vs. They fal away frō christ Who falleth away frō Christe y● vtterly forsake him refuse him to be their sauiour neuer

is an humble and lowly confession of sins made vnto God euen from the hart As when a sinner examineth his life by the commādements of God so findeth his conscience burdned and encombred with sinne and feeleth thereby what danger of damnation that he is in this feeling of his sicke conscience wil greatly moue him to séeke a Phisition And when hée perceiueth that there is no medicine will heale his disease but onely the mercye of God he will not cease to make all the suite that hee can to obtaine it Hee will without any delaye prostrate him selfe before God and with an humble lowlye and contrite hart minde acknowledg him selfe gréeuouslye to haue offended his Godlye maiesty in thought consent delectation woorde and déede He will neuer leaue off his lamentable suite and faithfull praier and requeste of this his bountifull mercye till he obteine it The swelling rage of his putrified conscience will neuer be asswaged till the precious oyle of Gods mercy haue suppled it mittigated it quieted it and vtterly cured and healed it Of this maner of confession the holye Scripture doth many times treate both by plaine authoritye and examples By authority If we knowledge our sinnes Authoritie 1. Iohn 1. saith S. Iohn God is faithfull and iuste to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse Examples there bee manye Of which I will at this time content my selfe with two or three King Dauid féelinge the Dauid intollerable burthen of his sinnes cryed out saying Haue mercy vpon me O God after thy greate goodnesse Psal 51. and according vnto thy great mercies doo awaye mine offences Washe me againe from my wickednesse and clense me from my sinne For I knowledge my faultes and my sinne is euer before me Against thee onlye againste Psal 24. thee haue I sinned for thy names sake O Lord be mercifull vnto my sinne for it is great The Publican also The Publicane Luke 18. saith Be mercifull O God to me a sinner This confession and knowledging of our sins vnto God if with a contrite and sorrowfull hart it be doone in faith God which knoweth the secretes of euerye mans minde will accepte and allowe though the repentant sinner vttereth not one woorde with his mouth Example of the sinfull The sinfull woman Luke 7. woman that came vnto Christe She spake nothing but wepte and lowlye fell down at christes féete and washed them with the teares of her Eyes and dryed them with the haires of her heade and annoynted them with oyntement All which thinges were euident witnesses of her true and vnfained repentance of her sinnes and fruites of her sure faith that she had in Christes goodnesse For whose comfort Christe saide thy sinnes are forgiuen thee thy Faith hath saued thee goe thy way in peace This earnest confession of sinnes vnto God should euerye Christian daylye practise and exercise vnfaynedlye Of this aforesaide confession to God springeth out the Confession of our owne sinfulnesse before men For he that felt a taste of the mercye of God as hée shall sée occasion to Confession of sinnes before men glorifie God by his example will not be ashamed either priuatelye before one man or openlye before manye men yea thoughe all the whole worlde were present to confesse him selfe to haue béene an horrible transgressour of Gods Holye commaundementes He will nothing doubte but that hée with this his meeke Confession shall muche glorifie God and mooue the Hearers by his example to abhorre sinne and chaunge their euill life Of this wée haue an euidente example in Gods chosen vessel S. Paule which after his conuersation vnto the faith of Christe was not ashamed many times openlye to confesse before Act. 22. 16. men what an vnmercifull Tirant vngratious graft he was against the Holye Congregation of christe before his conuertion to the Faithe This thinge also ashamed hée not to write and set forth to the whole world sayeing I am not woorthy to be 1. Cor. 15. 1. Tim. 1. called an Apostle because I persecuted the congregation of God And in an other place he sayth I was a blasphemer and a tirant c And after Christ Iesus came into the Worlde to saue sinners of whom I am cheefe This example of Saint Paule verye fewe of the Papistes in Englande haue followed vnlesse it Few of the Papists of England follow this example were by constrainte for feare of bodilye punishment And therefore for my parte I suspect them to remaine Papistes still in their heartes For if they had vnfainedlye abhorred Papistrye they woulde after this example of S. Paul with al their harts haue confessed thēselues to be deceiued and also to haue with false doctrin deceiued the people and therfore haue openly and hartelye asked them mercye for the same by dooing wherof doubtlesse they shoulde very muche haue glorified God The thirde manner of Confession of sinnes is a priuate Confession to man And that is of two sortes The fi●ste is for the direction establishement and comforte of a mans owne Conscience Priuat confession of sin is needful to many for knowledg counsell and comfort towardes God The other is touching the reconsiliation and confession of a mans faulte and trespasse to his Neighbor whome he hath offended And as touching the first waye of priuate Confession to man I thinke it is a good and holesome maner and fashion conuenient and néedefull to be vsed and obserued of manye of Gods People for three causes that is for knowledge counsell and for comfort Firste for knowledge For knowledge as when a simple man or womā that hath heard little or no preaching of Gods woorde by reason wherof they haue almost no knowledge of God or his Commaundementes neither of the profession of Baptisme neither of faith neither haue they in a manner any knoweledge at all of the way of Saluation by Christes death Is it not needefull thinke you for suche ignoraunte Personnes to hunte and séeke out some discrete and learned minister of Gods woorde and to acknowledge vnto him their greate ignorance and to require at his mouth the knowledg of the Lawe of the Lord and of the waye of saluation Is it not written That the Priestes lippes Malac. 2. shoolde be sure knowledge that men maye seeke the law at his mouth for he is a messenger of the Lord of hostes It is méete therefore that Préestes shoulde haue good knowledge in Gods woorde for they are appointed to be shepheards ouer the flock of Christe to féed the soules of gods People with the delicate food of Gods woord specially with the holy bread of life Christe Iesu that came down from heauen to saue al his people from their sinnes But alas for pitie the spirituall shéepeheardes in many places of the world and speciallye in England are verye rude vnlearned and vnable to teache other men because they themselues lacke the knowledge and righte

is no lesse thē cōmaunded of Christ to be doone he estéemeth it so necessarye to be doone y● he profereth it and will haue it doone before wée doo anye outwarde seruice sacrifice honour or woorship vnto him selfe For this he saith If thou offerest thy gifte at the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath oughte againste thee leaue there thine offering before the Altar and goe thy way first and reconcile thy selfe to thy brother and then come did offer thy gift L●● h●●re may we see that Christe so muche regardeth the attonement of them that are at variante y● mutuall redresse of charitye vnitye peace and concorde betweene them that hee will haue that doone before we shall ●●● allowed of him to doo any acceptable seruice or outward woorshippe vnto him And truelye I am muche afraide that the transgressing of this commaundement of Christe wil condemne almoste all the whole world because there is so muche breache of Charitye and so little regard of mutuall reconciliation and attonemēt Howe be it they that are of God regenerated by his holye spirite will be verye circumspect and take good héede that they giue no iuste occasion of anger vnto their neighbour But if they chance at any time as all men are fraile by their occasion to offend and greeue their euen Christian yet they wil seeke all meanes to their possible power and with al the spéed that they can to be reconciled again vnto them For who knowinge that he can by no meanes obtain Gods fauour vnlesse he be at one with his neighbour wil not in this poynte laye all worldlye shame apart and submitting his obedience vnto the commaundemente of Christe goe to his neighbour knowledg his fault vnto him and humbly desire the forgiuenes of his tr●space Trulye he that vnfeinedly feareth God and intendeth earnestly● to auoide his displeasure will not sticke to do● this godly woork but wil be glad to do it and much more Also I think it not vnprofitable for you if I inserte the Iudgemente of some of the Auncient Fathers touching the Confession of sinnes Chrysostome sayth I say not vnto thee that thou Chrysostō vpon the 12. to the Heb. the 31. Homely shouldest bewray thy selfe abroade openlye neither yet accuse thy selfe before other But I will that thou obaye the Prophet which saythe Shewe vnto the Lord thy waye that is thy maner of liuing therfore confesse thy sinnes before God Confesse thy sinnes before the true Iudge with praier for the wrong that thou hast d 〈…〉 e not with thy tongue but in the memorie of thy conscience And rhen at last beleeue that thou mayest get mercye if thou haue them continuallye in thy minde thou shalte neuer keepe anye euill in thine heart against thy neighbour And furthermore saith Chrisostome If thou be ashamed Chrisostō vpon the 56 Psalme to tell anye man thy sins tel them daylye to thy soule I say not to thee that thou shouldest confesse thee vnto thy fellowe seruaunt that hee might rebuke thee for them tell thy sins vnto God which healeth them and if thou doo not tell him them he knoweth them for hee was by when thou diddest them Chrisostom vpon the in comprehensible nature of God in the 5. Hom. Again he saith I desire and pray you most deare brethren to confesse you ofte vnto the immortall God and after that yee haue reckoned vp your sinnes aske forgiuenesse and that God will bee mercifull I doo not lead thee into the common Hause of thy fellowe seruants I compell thee not to open thy trespasses vnto men rehearse thy conscience before God declare and open thy selfe Shewe thy woundes vnto the moste excellent Phisition and aske of him a medicine Shew vnto him that will vpbraide thee of nothing but wil most gentlye heale thee It is the office of God onelye to quicken within and to take awaye sinne which faithe by the Prophet Cyrillu● vpon Iohn the 11. Chapter I am hee that putteth away your iniquities And the same Cyrill saith vpon Iohn in the ●0 Chap. and in the 12. Booke 56. Doubtlesse it beelongeth onelye vnto God to bee able to loose men from sinnes for to what other man is it lawefull to deliuer and quite the breakers of the Lawe from sinne but to him that is the Auctor of the Lawe And it followeth For when they forgiue and holde the spirit which dwelleth in them forgiueth holdeth thorough them It app●rtaineth onlye to God to forgiue sinnes Ambrose vpon the l●tter of the Corinth●ans 12. Chapter and to giue the Holye Ghoste if God haue the effecte and ende of our health man can haue no praise in this thing And the same Ambrose saith The woorde of God forgiueth sinnes the Preest is the Iudge And the same Ambrose sayth He alone forgiueth sinnes which alone dieth for our sinnes Austen in the b●oke of wholesome teachings ● Austen sayth All euill vices oughte to bee far awaye from vs whiles Christe will be our heritag● Therefore because that we be vncertaine of ●●che thinges let vs fall downe lowlye in the sight of our onlye Sauiour and let vs bring foorthe our sinnes roundlye at once that our heauenlye Father maye take them away and when wee haue confessed vs let vs not iustifie our selues in our Prayer least we goe away condemned as the Pharisee did Let vs remember the Publicane and let vs praye so that wee maye deserue to get forgiuenesse of our sinnes let the crying of our hart beat and ascende vnto the ●ares of almightye God For with a pure mind he will be pleased in the time of Prayer It is not now necessary Chrisostom in a sermon of Confession and repentance to confesse other beeing presente which mighte heare our Confession let the seeking oute of thy sinnes be in thy thought let this Iudgemente bee without the presence of any bodye let onlye God see thee making thy confession God which dooth not vpbraide thee for thy sinnes cast them in thy teethe but loseth them for thy Confession Goe and shew thee to a Preeste c. who is the Ambrose in the third Sermon vppon Beat● imaculat● true Preest but he that is a Preeste for euermore after the order of Melchisedech What haue I to doo Austen in the tenth booke of Confession in the third Chapter with mē that they should heare my Confessions as though they should heale all my diseases Heere is a curious and a busie kinde of 〈…〉 to knowe another mans life and a slowe sorte to amende there owne Wherfore seeke they to heare of me what man I am which will not heare of thee O Lorde what they be Christe could not haue Theophelactus vpon Luke in the first Chapter beene knowne any other waye but by forgiuing the people their sinnes for it is the office of God to forgiue sinnes Of a surety it belongeth to the vertue of Christe to deliuer men from the