Selected quad for the lemma: master_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
master_n	john_n	knight_n	william_n	7,386	5	8.7021	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B00888	The Christian manuell, or of the life and maners of true Christians. A treatise, wherein is plentifully declared, how needefull it is for the seruaunts of God to manifest and declare to the world: their faith by their deedes, their words by their works, and their profession by their conuersation. VVritten by Ihon VVoolton minister of the Gospel, in the Cathedral church of Excetor.	Woolton, John, 1535?-1594.	1576 (1576)	STC 25976; Interim Tract Supplement Guide G.1999[2]	81,916	210

¶ THE CHRISTIAN Manuell or of the life and maners of true Christians A Treatise wherein is plentifully declared how needefull it is for the seruaunts of God to manifest and declare to the world their faith by their deedes their words by their works and their profession by their conuersation VVritten by Ihon VVoolton Minister of the Gospel in the Cathedral church of EXCETOR Imprinted at London by I. C. for Thomas Sturruppe dwelling in Paules Church yarde at the singe of the George 1576. To the r●●●te worshipfull Sir VVilliam Cordell Knight Maister of the Rolles Iohn VVoolton wissheth prosperus suecesse in al worldly affaires and in the life to come ioy and immortall felicitie AMongest those seauen wise Men of Greece there was one that commēded to his hearers this Posie Follow God Which sentence he willed them to haue continually before their eyes to the end that they might be stirred vp with an earnest desire to know loue and serue God who is the last and perfect ende of true wisdome For whereas there be two principall partes of trew wisdome after the opinion of Philosophers the firste that a man shoulde know himselfe the second that he should know God wherein true felicitie is as it were a marke or goale proposed and offered vnto vs the wise man had good cause and great reason in that pithie clause to commende the last and perfect ende of true wisdome vnto his Schollers and disciples The precept therefore is most commendable profitable but when he came to the actiō and execution of this immitat●●● the wise man swarued very much from that scope mark which hīself had purposed He could not by his wisdome attaine to the knowledge of God neither finde out the right way neither yet had he any guide to lede him out of that deep darknes in the which he was more then drowned wherby it came to passe that he wandered miserably somtime on the left hand and somtime on the right hande from God whom he willed his disciples to follow For the wisdome of this world is so weake and infirme that it cannot bring man vnto the soūtaine of goodnes felicitie euen whose fruicion is his righte and perfect blessednes VVhich thing is found true both by experience in all worldly wise men also by the testemonie of Saint Paule who speketh out of Gods mouth I will destroye the wisdome of the wise will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudēt Although thē the wise man gaue a good precept yet no man came to blessednes therby which thing should haue commen to passe if hee had bene hable to point out the way vnto his followers This true wisdome the Churche of God onely hath and knoweth VVhereof the same apostle speaketh after this manner For after that in the wisdome of God the world through their wisdome knewe not God it pleased God through folishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue That is to saye because that men in the frame and woorkemanship of the world wherin the singuler wisdome of God is ingraued and open to the eies of men dyd not know God It pleased God of his free and infinit goodnesse to deliuer vnto the worlde his wisdome before time vnknowne euen the gospell of his sonne Jesus Christe whereby he purposed to saue al beleeuers that thei might ther by through Grace atteine to the perfect end of their condicion whiche by reason of their corrupt nature through original sinne they could of them selues neuer come vnto Of this light spake the prophet Dauid saying In thy light shal we see light and Christe himselfe more plainly I am the light of the world he that followeth me shal not in any wise vvalke in darknesse but shall haue the light of life In which sentence our sauior Christ calleth his seruants frō the immitation of all others and vvilleth them to set him before their eies as a perfect patterne and absolute example for them to follovv The ancient writers and best expositors haue vvell obserued that in the holy scripture Christ is proposed and set out as an example rule to follow two maner of waies First they teach vs that he is the author giuer of remission of sins iustice life and eternall saluation to all beleeuers VVhich thing is so proper and peculier vnto him that no part or porcion therof may be in any respect imparted vnto others vvithout manifest sacralege and blasphemie Secondly they discribe him as an exquisyte tipe and rule of a godly and christian life framed after Gods moste holy lavv vvhich as he taught vvith mouth and voice so did he fulfil the same in his owne life and proposed him selfe as an example to al those that would be accoumpted and be in deede Christians whereof we haue a plaine testimonie in the gospell of Saint Iohn I haue geuen you an example saith Christ that you shoulde doe as I haue done vnto you This our heauenly Maister was much vnlike those whom Saint Paule describeth to haue a fourme of godlinesse but denie the power therof and againe Thou knowest Gods will and allowest thinges that be excellent and hast the fourme of knowledge and of the trueth of the law thou therfore which teachest another teachest not thy selfe and makinge thy boast of the lawe through breaking of the law dishonorest God. But Christe saide and did taught and followed to th end that all his schollers might learne to performe in worke that vvhich they professe in vvord The Apostles of Chrste also the best expositors of their masters will as they alwaies teache men to beleeue and trust in him being the fountaine and welspringe of iustice and life so doe they euery vvhere vrge them with earnest exhortations to follow his life and conuersation Saint Paule sayeth That he hath not caled vs to vnclenenes filthynes of life but to holines Neither was he made to beleeuers wisdom and iustice only but also sāctification and redemtion For as by his wisdom and iustice he hath expelled darknes naturaly bred in mans brest and hath kindled the true light of the knowledge of himselfe and his father and forgeuing our sinnes doth adorne vs with his ovvne iustice wherwith we being couered and clothed please God his Father euen so doth hee giue vnto vs the holy gost vvho doth regenerat and renew our mindes whereby they doe conceiue holy desires and affections vvhich at the laste are plentifull and fruitfull in bringing foorth good woorks A godly life is alvvaies conioyned with a liuely faith in sutch sorte that these two cannot be seperate one from another no more then light can be deuided frō the sun or heat from the burning fire For Christ as the apostle saith gaue himself for vs to purg vs a peculier people to himselfe reasons of good woorks and to redeeme vs from all iniquititie And if Philosophers giue rules precepts of maners not