Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	sin_n	sin_v	transgression_n	4,837	5	10.4181	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01258	The reformed politicke. That is, An apologie for the generall cause of reformation, written against the sclaunders of the Pope and the League VVith most profitable aduises for the appeasing of schisme, by abolishing superstition, and preseruing the state of the clergie. Whereto is adioyned a discourse vpon the death of the Duke of Guise, prosecuting the argument of the booke. Dedicated to the King by Iohn Fregeuille of Gaut.; Politique reforme. English	Frégeville, Jean de.	1589 (1589)	STC 11372; ESTC S102664	75,347	102

aunswere that the Mosaicall gouernement is spirituall first because the spirite of God penned it secondly because S. Paule saith that the law is spirituall but the part is of one kinde in his course and there is as great difference betweene this gouernement and a gouernement simply externall as there is betweene Gods law and mans traditions For the law is spirituall and mans traditiōs are carnall and purge no more but the outside of the cup whereas Gods word is penetratiue euē to the partition of the soule and the spirite of the sinewes and marow and this gouernement is Gods word which clenseth the whole cuppe as well within as without and therefore can not be called simply externall but internall whose principall end tēdeth to rule the inward man Againe S. Paule saith that the law is good if it be lawfully vsed Then must we without question seeke out the lawfull vse therof that is we must take it after the spirite newnesse therof and not after the old letter Now the spirite of the law is the equitie thereof but the letter is the rigour of the wordes And therefore we must not after the rigour of the wordes take eye for eye or tooth for tooth neither do I thinke that the iudges that liued vnder the law did in such points folow the letter Thus we may see wherefore S. Paule in his Epistle to the Ephesians inuiteth vs to the gouernement of Israell when he laid open the vanitie of the righteousnesse of the law against the merites of workes and the abolishment of the law against such as constituted righteousnesse in outward ceremonies whom he teacheth that the new Testament abolisheth the old howbeit that is to be vnderstood concerning the old letter whereto is opposed the newnesse of spirite A third reason will I also adde for that S. Paule saith that the law was giuen for the transgressions for by that we know that we are to vse it to correct transgressions and that selfe place serueth for a farther explication of the lawfull vse of the law whereof we spake in the former article For the law consisteth in Commandements commanding naturall equitie and thereof doth S. Paule call it the law of Commandementes but the Gospell requireth a supernaturall perfection wherof the creature man who is naturall is vncapable which perfection is expounded by instructions admonitions counsels and examples Now he that fulfilleth not the law is by the law punishable as hauing sinned for sinne is the transgression of the law as S. Iohn teacheth saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But there be things concerning the profession of the Gospell which who soeuer fulfilleth not is reproueable and yet not punishable and therefore the law remaineth to bridle and punish transgressions The thinges belonging to perfectiō are not to looke vpō a woman to couet her after a blow on the one cheeke to turne the other to him that requireth but thy coate to giue both coate cloake to do good to our enemies to be perfect as our father that is in heauen is perfect who so doth not these thinges is neuerthelesse not subiect to punishment but he that contrarie to the law defloureth a maiden must according to the punishmēt of the law giue her a dowrie or mary her he that hath stolen foure sheepe must according to the punishmēt of the law be taught by his pastor to restore fiue I omit that which concerneth the Ciuill Magistrate and speake onely of that that toucheth the gouernment of the Church and this satisfaction which the pastor is to impose taketh place when the man cōmeth of him selfe to cōfesse his sinne Here may some man obiect vnto me that the law was a schoolemaister to bring vs to Christ to whō I answere in this place S. Paule speaketh of the ceremoniall law which setteth a distinction betweene cleane and vncleane things grounded vpō the elements of this world and were neither tasted of nor eaten but were shadowes of things to come vnder Christ In the law was to be considered gouernement and ceremonie also that there was two kindes of gouernement the Ciuill the Ecclesiasticall where Moses had the Ciuill Aaron the Ecclesiasticall likewise in the Priesthood of Aaron there were two things the Ecclesiasticall gouernemēt and the ceremonie some Priests there were that medled rather with the ceremonie then with the gouernement but there were likewise Leuites that were not Priestes but dealt onely in Ecclesiasticall iudgementes being Doctours of the law of whom some remained in the sanctuarie townes there to iudge of murthers by chaunce medley howbeit they could not iudge by tradition but by law Deut. 17. Vpon the estate of the Clergie depended these fiue thinges 1. ceremonie and the right of the sacrifices 2. The reuenues 3. possessions 4. dignities and fifthly the lawes whereby they should iudge the people For the ceremonie they had sacrifices For their reuenues they had the tenthes for their possessions they had 48. townes their cattell and the houses that they purchased also the vowes and in stead of this the French Clergie haue their demaines tenthes for their dignities they had the order of Iethro Exod. 18. Deut. 17. And the lawes that they were to obserue were the lawes conteined in the law Deut. 17. Act. 23. Now it is to be noted that the law gaue the Priestes authoritie to iudge that in such sorte that who soeuer did not obey them was denounced worthy of death howbeit hereto were added two bonds The one that the Priest could not cōdemne but in specifying the law of God whereby he did cōdemne the other that the person condemned dyed not but by the Ciuill Magistrates handes who had authoritie to looke whether the man were iustly condemned according to the law cited in his condemnation Deut. 17. I say therefore that the Christian Clergie liuing holily may possesse their reuenues neither will I be a more seuere censurer of their estate thē Iesus Christ was of the state of the Pharisies But alas if Iesus Christ bewailed the wretchednesse of the Pharisies because they tithed the mint and had left iustice or mercy how much more lamētable is the wretchednesse of that Clergy which termeth it self Catholick which possesseth these holy reuenues to the end to mainteine Gods lawes and yet haue not onely forsaken them and cleaued to traditions but also do mainteyne superstition contrarie to Gods lawes yea and persecute such as will not cleaue to the like How much better were it for them to possesse them holily in liuing according to God whereby they might liue honestly with lawfull wiues where as now they wast them vnworthely vpon harlots Hetherto haue men thought that the part of the God of this world was fauorable to the Clergie and that Gods part was contrarie to them but in deede Gods part is more fauorable to the Clergy then the contrary part and not to the Clergie onely but to all the

his superstitions hath troubled the whole state of Europe and God being offended therewith doth punish vs. Hath not God in his law promised that if his people doe obserue his law he will poure vpon them plentie of blessings as a land flowing with milke and honie with peace and quietnesse in the land that he would be vnto them a wall of brasse and would ouerthrow their aduersaries so as he would put a thousand to flight and make a thousand to pursue ten thousand Likewise that if they forsooke his lawes he would send them a heauen of brasse and infinite other calamities such as this day we see in Fraunce Being thus scourged we ought to acknowledge the hand of God the horse knoweth the riders hand that tameth him euē so should we know that it is God that chastiseth vs and knowing it we ought to seeke if there be any euill in vs that we might amend it namely whether there be any thing repugnāt to his lawes that may prouoke his wrath Then shall we finde that superstition is repugnant to him and therefore that his wrath can not be appeased but by abolishing this euill and cleauing to his ordinances so shall we haue experience of the value of Gods fauour I know that some do thinke those promises are become old but they can not waxed old it is our old Adam that is growen old not Gods promises True it is that the literall ceremonies are growē out of date but Gods promises depēd not thereupon but cōtrariwise God him selfe faith I neede not your sacrifices your Sabaoths or your new Moones But his promises are made to those that shall obey the lawes of the Lord whereby the worship of God is kept pure all contrarie superstition taken away It is the fulfilling of his lawes which bringeth his blessing and peace vpon a people the transgression thereof that bringeth destruction vpō Nations It is also to be noted that God in Ieremie doth say When I brought your fathers out of Egipt I spake of no sacrifices but commaunded them to obey my voyce As also we see that England who hath mainteined the puritie of Gods lawes these 30. yeares hath enioyed an assured peace vnder the handes of a woman and yet such Realmes as be gouerned by men haue bene troubled for that kingdome hath God preserued frō both secret opē enemies to that natiō hath bene a wall of brasse Euen when the League couered the Ocean with Galiasses and ships of both rocke and Canon proofe God sent the winds his angels as S. Paule termeth them to scatter his aduersaries In summe wheresoeuer a people is that obserueth Gods lawes the same shall euery where finde a land of Chanaan that floweth with milke and hony and Gods protection to serue for a wall thereto As also when soeuer a people shall turne from Gods lawes and follow superstition repugnant thereto the same shal finde a brasen heauen and Gods wrath against it So as I doubt not openly to auouch to the French Nation that they haue no more to doe but to chose whether they had rather languish in perpetuall trouble prouoking the Lord with their superstitiōs or to attaine to peace of conscience and state by obeying Gods lawes and shaking of the yoke of the Pope and his superstitions Then if they thinke good to abandone superstition their supplications may greatly moue the Kinges harte and induce him to minister that iustice to his people Now will I come to the Queene of England she I say is a wise a vertuous Princesse her vertue and wisedome hath appeared in these three thinges First that she hath mainteined her people in peace when all Europe was in trouble Secondly that she hath gotten the victorie of her enemies both open and secret domesticall and trayterous and thirdly that her selfe hath bene a partie and fauorer of the Clergie which may be a most beautifull miror and example to Fraunce and other Nations when soeuer God shall vouchsafe to call them to Reformation yet in all this are we to confesse Gods fauour who hath endued her with such wisedome and vertue and accompanied the same with his blessing which hath bred her peace giuen her the victorie ouer her enemies and mainteined the estate of her Clergie she is a second Debora triumphing ouer Sisara and iudging Israell vnder a Palme tree The Palme tree doth in deede belong vnto her I say the victorious Palme tree sith she triūpheth ouer her enemies which are enemies to God and his people and vnder this Palme tree doth our Debora iudge Gods people hauing mainteined the gouernement and state of the Clergie which God hath ordeined by his law and confirmed in the Gospell The Pope hath presumed to commaund both in heauen and earth he hath endeuored to open heauen with S. Peters kayes and to make himselfe feared with S. Paules sword And the king of Spaine hath thought to become Monarke of the world to commaund alone vpon earth and to possesse the seas alone as well East as West And these two are come into the North to be ouercome by a woman Thus doth God chastise his enemies and thus doth he crowne his chosen The Giant Goliah was ouerthrowne by a shepheard yet was that shepheard a man and behold here two Goliahs the Pope and the King of Spaine armed from top to toe to cause them selues to be beaten by a woman I will therefore celebrate the praise of the Christianly Reformed Debora who with her Atlanticke shoulder leaning vpon the Deuine fauor hath vpholden the Reformed Ecclesiasticall heauen I say the heauen of the Clericall estate vnder the Reformation Neither call I her the English Debora but the Christian Debora because the good that she hath done to the Church in vpholding the state of the Clergie redoundeth not to England onely but to all Christendome sith we are to looke that Fraunce should grow to the same Reformation whereto it can not come but by taking example of this Princesse to preserue the state of the Clergie and the like wil al other places do that shall conuert to Reformation And this was wisely considered of her Maiestie for the state of the Clergie is the honour of her Realme one piller thereof She hath no enemie but the Pope who had the state of the Clergie bene ouerthrowen had had more fauourers fewer resistants able to withstand him Thus hath God made the portion of Leuy equall with his brethrē as well for that he would not that they whō he hath chosen for his inheritāce should be in worse state thē others as also because it was requisite that Leuy should in part be the vpholder of his brethrē Thus also the Clergy ought to be in part a piller of the estate Two notes of the gouernment of this discreet English Elizabeth and Christian Debora be these first that vnder her first had Reformation free and full course throughout