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A14450 A learned and excellent treatise containing all the principall grounds of Christian religion Set downe by way of conference in a most plaine and familiar manner. Written first in French by maister Mathew Virell, after translated into Latine: and now turned into English for the vse of our country-men.; Religion chrestienne declarée par dialogue. English Virel, Matthieu.; Egerton, Stephen, 1555?-1621? 1594 (1594) STC 24768; ESTC S119631 209,162 292

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not of the ceremonial Likewise also in the Epistle to the Galathians where he doth especially entreat of the ceremonies hee alleadgeth both the sentences of Moyses namely the curse to those that fulfil not the whole law and life to those that keep it And in the former indeed hee teacheth that so many as trust to the workes of the Law to be iustified by them be vnder the curse because they cannot wholly and fully keepe it But in the other he declareth that there is so much differēce betweene the law and faith that if any man bee iustified by faith hee cannot in any sort obtaine it by the Law But it is certain that as well the curse threatned to the transgressors of the Law as the promise to eternal life made to such as fulfill it are not to be restrained to the ceremonies alone but also are to bee referred to the morall Law and that too by more right for as much as God as Hosea saith preferreth mercy before sacrifice Hos 5. 7. Moreouer after the Apostle in the secōd chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians hath affirmed that wee are saued by grace through faith and that not of our selues he addeth but of the gift of God not of workes least any man should boast himselfe Which wor is do most euidently shew that the Apostle speaketh not of the ceremoniall works but of morall which giue men far more large matter of boasting then the ceremoniall doe Finally when he writeth to Titus Tit. 3. ● that wee are saued not by the works of righteousnesse which we haue done but by the mercy of God who seeth not that the Apostle doth especially entreate of morall works to whom the title of righteousnesse agreeth far better then to the ceremoniall Which things being so there is no doubt but that the Apostle whensoeuer he speaketh of the workes of the Law to proue that we are neither saued nor iustified by them doth no lesse meane the morall then the ceremoniall yea rather that he doth shut out both from the cause of saluation and righteousnesse Theoph. But why be they so often called of him the workes of the Law Matth. To teach that if the workes commanded of God and euen contained in his own law be to no purpose to iustifie vs that the works commanded and deuised by men are much lesse able and fit to do it Theoph. Why God gaue a Law that we cannot keepe Now do I agree vnto thee For I perceiue that we are neither iustified nor saued by workes neither in the whole nor in part as hath beene diligently proued by thee And verily vnlesse I be deceiued there is great iniury done to the glory of God while mē go about to darken the force power of his grace and mercie mingling the same with the filthinesse of our works But seeing the matter is so why did God giue the morall law Mat. Of the vse of the Law The Apostle witnesseth Gal. 3. 21. 12. that it was not to the end we should be iustified or saued by it For he sayth If there had bene a Lawe giuen that could haue giuen life surely righteousnesse should haue bene by the Law But the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuē to them that beleeue Notwithstanding it is not vnprofitable to the faithfull nay rather they do reape a double commoditie by it wherein bee comprehended the ends for the which God gaue it vnto vs. I sayd to the The vse of the Law in respect of the vnfaithfull faithfull because it hath this onely worke toward the vnbeleeuers that their condemnatiō may be the more heauie for as much as comming to the knowledge of Gods will by it they do willingly run into the contrarie Theoph. Let vs consider of that double commoditie which thou saydest the beleeuers reape by it declare the first Mat. It is noted by the Apostle in the Epistle to the Galathians For after that he hath shewed that we can Gal. 3. 19. not attaine saluation by the Law he addeth wherfore then serueth the Law It was added because of the transgressions that is that by the helpe of it we might acknowledge our sinnes as the same Apostle in another place expoundeth it in these words By the Law Rom. 3. 20. commeth the knowledge of sin For if we do examine our works by that perfection which the Law requireth of vs then it shall appeare most euidently how manie waies wee be guilty before God and therefore what fearefull condemnation we haue deserued Theoph. But what profite haue we by that Mat. Much. For as a sicke man except he throughly feele his sickenes and perceiue present danger will not go to the Phisition euen so the feeling of our sins and the danger of eternall death which we see hangeth ouer our heads driueth vs to seeke for that true Phisition of our soules Christ Iesus from whome by faith wee may receiue the remedie offered vs in the Gospell which otherwise we would haue neglected Therefore Paul saieth The Law was our schoolemaister Gal. 3. 24. to bring vs vnto Christ And in another place Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse vnto Rom. 10. 4. euerie one that beleeueth And this is the first commoditie which we haue by the Law Theoph. Shew briefly the other Math. After that wee be regenerated and therefore made fitte to do good workes then the Law teacheth vs whatsoeuer is to be performed of vs that we may obey God For although we can not come to the perfection whereunto it leadeth vs yet we must set it before our eies as a marke whereat we are to leuell continually that daily more and more we may striue to hit it Hereunto appertaineth that exhortation of Christ Bee ye perfect as your father which is in heauen is Mat. 5. 48. perfect The Law therefore is as it were a glasse wherin we may behold the spots of our soule and so indeed be compelled by faith to wash them away in Christes bloud Moreouer it is a lanterne vnto our feete which guideth vs that wee goe not out of the right way from the path of righteousnesse Theoph. Seeing good works be not the cause of saluation it seemeth to follow that they bee altogether vnprofitable and therefore that we neede not to bee greatly carefull of them Matth. It followeth not For God hath deliuered vs out of the hands of our spirituall enemies namely the Deuill and sinne saieth Zacharie Luk. 1. 74. that we should serue him with holinesse and righteousnesse in his sight all the daies of our life Paul also cōfirmeth the same thing in the Epistle to the Ephesians Ephes 2. 8. 9 10. For after that he hath affirmed that we are saued by grace through faith and that not of our selues it was the gift of God not of workes presently he addeth For wee are his
the grace of God and benefite of Christ Let vs now go forward to the rest concerning the first part of this point namely the lawfull calling of Ministers I require no more Let vs speake of the other namely of the word of God which they are to preach How many principall parts be there of it Matth. Two the Law and the Gospel Theoph. What vnderstandest thou by the name of the Law Matth. The Law That doctrine by which is taught what is to be done to obey God which indeede is contained in the ten commandements lately expounded of vs. Theoph. But what is the Gospell Matth. The Gospel The word of it selfe signifieth good tidings but in this place it is taken for that doctrine which cōtaineth the promise of for giuenesse of sinnes euerlasting life made vnto vs of God in the word by his sonne And it is called good tidings because it is the most excellent message of all that can be brought Theoph. To what end must the law be preached Math. That men by the knowledge of their sinnes may bee brought to Christ and to repentance and amendment of life For therefore God gaue it as wee haue said in his place Theoph. Whereunto is the preaching of the Gospell to be referred Matth. That the penitent may be assured of the forgiuenesse of sinnes and the enioying of eternall life For this cause Christ saith Luc. 24. 46. that so hee ought to haue suffered and rise againe the third day and that in his name repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes should be preached vnto all nations But he saith expresly in his name because as well repentance as the forgiuenesse of sinnes haue their ground and foundation in the force of his death and resurrection without the which we can neither repent nor obtaine forgiuenesse of sinnes as it hath also beene said in his place Theoph. What is the cause that Christ maketh mention of repenetance before the forgiuenesse of sinnes Mat. Not indeed to teach that repentance goeth before forgiuenesse of sins forasmuch as this rather goeth before that for no man can repent except his sins being pardoned the holy Ghost be giuen him by the helpe whereof he may repent but to teach the Ministers that the doctrine of remission of sins is not to be applied but to the penitent seeing that faith by the which wee are made partakers of Christ and his benefites maketh it selfe apparant and to bee seene by repentance which also was shewed in the proper place Theoph. The agreement and disagreemēt of the Law and Gospell Seeing repentance is to bee preached with remission of sinnes it followeth that the morall law is not contrarie to the Gospell of Grace Matth. Neither is it indeed contrarie but in respect of them which seeke their saluation either in the whole or in part by their good workes for the Apostle saith Gal. 5. 4. As many of you as bee iustified by the law are made voide of Christ and are fallen from grace But in respect of the faithfull who know that their saluation dependeth vpon the onely mercy of God in Christ there is a good agreement betweene the law the Gospell For the Law sheweth vs sinne the damnation that we haue puld vpon our selues by it and so it leadeth vs to the Gospell by the which sinne is put away and we be discharged of condemnation Secondly the law sheweth what is to be done but the Gospell by the spirite of regeneration ministreth vnto vs power both to will and to do Theoph. Seeing there is so good a consent betweene the Law and the Gospell wherefore doth Paule say You are not vnder the Law but vnder grace for it seemeth he would say thus much that the Law is abolished Rom. 6. 14. and taken away by the Gospell of grace Matth. And indeed he vnderstandeth it of the abolishing of the Law by the Gospel but only concerning How the law is takē away the condemnation and curse of it as he himselfe in another place expoundeth in these wordes Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the Law when hee was Gal. 3. 13. made a curse for vs. Howbeit concerning the vse of it it is no way abolished for Christ him selfe saith Mat. 5. 17. I came not to take away the Lawe but to fulfill it Which also the Apostle confirmeth in the Epistle to the Romanes for after that he had taught that wee are iustified not by the Law but by faith in Iesus Christ he presently addeth Do we therefore make the Law voyde through faith God forbid yea rather we establish the law And indeed why should that most excellent benefite which the Gospell yeeldeth vnto vs discharge vs from worshipping and seruing of God by the which we are rather to be stirred vp to giue it vnto him more more Theoph. Is the Lawe therefore neuer to be separated from the Gospell Mat. The law neuer to be separated frō the Gospell The one indeed is to be distinguished frō the other that we cōfound not the mercy of God with our workes which they do corruptly that will mingle the righteousnesse of faith with the righteousnesse of the Law that is to say heauen with the earth neuerthelesse they are not to be separated neither yet to bee preached a part Theoph. But Christ sending foorth his Apostles to preach the Gospell throughout the whole world maketh mētion only of the Gospel for he saith Mat. 16. 15 Go preach the Gospell to euery creature Mat. The word Gospell set by it selfe comprehēdeth also vnder it the doctrine of repentance and therefore the law no lesse then the doctrine of remission of sins Which indeede is plaine by the place of Luke alledged euen now who expoundeth these wordes of Marke his words be these Luc. 24. 46. Christ ought to suffer in his name repentance forgiuenesse of sinnes to be preached A right maner of preaching It is therfore the dutie of ministers in their sermons by the preaching of the law to bring men to the true knowledge and feeling of their sinnes to ioyne therewith the threatnings denounced against the breakers of the law and to exhort them to true repentance and amendement of life Then they ought to set before them the forgiuenesse of sinnes from the doctrine of the Gospell of grace But cōtrariwise they ought to propound wrath and the iust iudgement of God against the disobedient stubburne except they conuert repent The keyes of the Church And these indeede be the keyes of the Church which Christ had promised to Peter and in him to the other Apostles and to all Pastors which also after his resurrection he deliuered to his Apostles whē he sent them to preach the Gospell throughout the whole world Theoph. But why did he then promise those keyes to Peter alone which neuerthelesse as thou sayest he meant to giue to the other Apostles also Matth. Because