Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	glory_n	prepare_v	vessel_n	3,783	5	9.2997	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69054	The institutions of Christian religion, written by the reuerend father, M. Iohn Caluin, compendiously abridged by Edmond Bunnie Bachellour of diuinitie; and translated into English by Edward May; Institutio Christianae religionis. English. Abridgments	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; May, Edward, b. 1546 or 7.; Bunny, Edmund, 1540-1619.	1580 (1580)	STC 4426.8; ESTC S115884	203,289	560

Gods righteousnes is higher then that it is either to be measured by the measure of man or comprehended by the slender capacitie of mans witte 5 This same he confirmeth by Augustines authoritie setteth it out with an excellent confirmation Augustine sayeth Thou being a man séekest an answere at my hande and I also am a man therefore let vs heare him that saieth O man what art thou Better is a faythful ignorance then rashe knowledge Séeke merits thou shalt find nothing but paine O depth Peter denyeth the théefe beléeueth O depth séekest thou a reason I wil tremble at the depth Reason thou I will wonder Dispute thou I will beléeue I sée depth but I reach not the bottome Paul rested because he found wondering He calleth the iudgementes of God vnsearchable and art thou come to search them Hée sayeth that his wayes are impossible to be traced out doest thou trace them With procéeding further we shall nothing profite c. 6 Their seconde obiection is when they demaund why God should impute those thinges for sinne to men whereof he hath by his predestination layd necessitie vppon men Pro. 16.4 whome that he may fully satisfie hée bringeth foorth two answeres and reiecteth he approueth the third taken out of Valla. 7 It was decreed of God that man shoulde perish by his falling away this he confuteth by two reasons and the authoritie of Augustine Augustine sayeth Ad Laur●n● we must holsomely confesse that which we most rightfully beléeue that the God and Lorde of all things which created all thinges very good and foreknewe that euill thinges should spring out of good and knew that it more perteyned to his almightie goodnes euen of euill thinges to doe well then to suffer them to be euill that he so ordered the lyfe of Angels and men that in it hée might first shewe what frée will coulde doe and then what the benefite of his grace and iudgement of iustice coulde doe 8 Neither did God onely permit this thing but also willed it and appoynted it neither yet doth this necessitie wherwith they be bounde by Gods predestination make them excused Gen. 1 3● séeing it is nothing els but a dispensation of the righteousnes of God which is hidden in déede but yet without faulte And man deserueth eternall death not by Gods creation but by his owne willing corruption 9 This answere may suffice to take away not only all reason but also all coulour of gainesaying howsoeuer impietie doe grinde and murmure 10 That which in the thirde place they obiect that by this doctrine of predestination doeth followe that there is with God acception of persons hée answereth two wayes first by enterpreting what acception of persons is secōdly shewing that there is no contrarietie herein By the name of person is signified not a man but those thinges which being séene with eyes in man are wont to procure either fauour grace and dignitie Act. 10.34 Rom. 2.10 Gal. 3.28 or hatred contempt and shame as riches wealth power nobilitie office country excellency of beautie and suche other on the other side pouertie neede basenesse vilenesse contempt and such lyke Where God choseth one man refusing an other this commeth not of respecte of man but of his mercy alone which ought to haue libertie to shew foorth and vtter it selfe where and when it pleaseth him 11 Hée wipeth away the confirmatiō which they alledge for their opinion not only by reason but also by the authoritie of Augustine Epist 106. d● praede gra whose words are these Sith in the first man the whole masse of mankinde fell into condemnation those vessels that are made of it to honour are not the vessels of their own righteousnes but of the mercy of God and where as others are made to dishonour the same is not to be imputed to vnrighteousnes but to iudgemēt That to those whome hée refuseth God rendreth due paine to those whome he calleth he giueth vndeserued grace that they are deliuered from all accusation after the maner of a Creditor in whose power it is to forgiue to the one aske of the other Therefore the Lorde also may giue grace to whome he will De bono Pers● Cap. 12. because he is mercifull and giue it not to all because he is a iust Iudge He may by giuing to some that which they doe not deserue shew his frée grace and by not giuing to all declare what all deserue for where as Paul writeth Rom. 11.31 that God enclosed all vnder sinne that hée might haue mercy vpon all it is therewithall to be added that he is dettor to no man because no man first gaue to him that he may require the like of him 12 That which they obiect in the fourth place that all carefulnes and endeuour of well doing falleth away whyle the doctrine of predestination standeth Ephe. 1.4 it is not true although certaine Hogges wallowe them selues by that coulour in their filthinesse 1. Thes 4.7 Ephe. 2.5 13 The same also is very néere this that they maliciously slaunder that this doctrine doeth subuert all exhortations to liue godlily howe false it is he manifestly sheweth out of Augustine 14 The order of true teaching must so be tempered that offence bée wisely auoyded so farre as it maybe lawfull Cap. 24. That electiō is stablished by the calling of God but that the reprobate doe bring vpon them selues the iust destruction whervnto they are appointed IN this Chapter there are two parts Rom. 8.29 Rom. 8.15 yea he plainly sheweth the argument it self in the first wherof hée treateth of the elect frō the 1. to the 11. In the last of the reprobate from the 12. to the 16. 1 This election which otherwise God hath hidden with him selfe he doeth at length disclose it by his calling and in the same is nothing to be required besides the frée mercyes of God that is as he hath fréely chosen them whom hée woulde so doeth he fréely call whome he hath chosen Euery one that hath heard of the Father and hath learned commeth to me but there is none that heareth and learneth of the Father commeth not to mée for if euery one which hath heard of the Father Aug. de praedest sanct Cap. 8. and learned commeth truely euery one that commeth not hath not heard of the Father nor learned for if he had heard learned hée wold come This grace which is secretly giuē to the hearts of men is receiued of no hard hart for it is therfore giuē that the hardnes of hart may first be taken away when therfore the father is heard wtin he taketh away the stony hart giueth a fleshy heart for so he maketh the children of promise and vessels of mercy which hée hath prepared to glorye Why therefore doeth he not teache all that they may come to Christe but because all whom hée teacheth by mercy he teacheth whome he doeth not teach by

holy thing vndoubtedly commeth from them but vtterly damnable first out of Haggee Hag. 2.12 8 Moreouer out of Esai Augustine who sayeth Esai 1.14 Pro. 15.8 That fauour with God is not procured to any person by workes but contrariwise that workes do then please and neuer til then when the person hath first founde grace in the sight of God 9 Comming to the fourth place that is to say of them which being regenerate by the holy Ghost doe meditat true holines he confesseth that they do walk in the way of the Lorde by the guiding of the holy Ghost 1. Kin. 8.5 yet there commeth nothing so perfecte from them which is not sprinckeled corrupted with some rottennes of the fleshe especially when we haue to deale with the iudgementes of God 10 Moreouer although it might bée that wee shoulde haue some thorowly pure and perfect workes yet one sinne is enough to blotte and quench out all remembrance of the former righteousnes Eze. 18.24 Iam. 2.10 and therefore we can be iustified by no meanes by our workes 11 Last of all the Scripture doeth manifestly teach that the faythful Rom. 4.13 Hab. 4.7 Rom. 4.7 how so euer they excell in good workes are iustified by only Fayth and frée imputation of righteousnes 12 The starting hole wherwith the schoolemen séeke to escape by when they say that good works are not by outward worthines in themselues of so great value that they be sufficient to purchase righteousnes but this that they be of so great value is of grace accepting thē is confuted 13 No workes of ours can of themselues make vs acceptable and pleasing to God for it is proper to Christe only And by so much more are they deceiued in those things which they teach about making satisfaction Leui. 18.5 Gen. 3.17 Phi. 3.13 first by the works of satisfaction because satisfactions being once takē away those things must néedes fall downe 14 Moreouer because that saying of Christ doeth betoken farre otherwise Luk. 17.10 When you haue done all c. 15 He sheweth that the obiection which they take out of Paule that among the Corinthians he did of his own wil yeld of his right which otherwise hée might haue vsed if he had would maketh nothing for them first by enterpreting the place secondly by a generall doctrine taken out of Chrysostome Lu. 17.7 Esai 1.12 That all our works are due to the Lord euen as the possessions of bondmen thirdly that their supererogations are nothing els but vaine trifles 16 In this behalfe there are chiefly two pestilences to be driuen out of our mindes Psal 143. ● Iob. 10.11 that we put no affiance in the righteousnes of workes and that we ascribe no glory to them but whē our affiance is driuē away al glory also must necessarily depart 17 It is seuerally shewed that in the foure kindes of causes none doth accord with workes in the establishing of our saluation but the cause of procuring the eternall life to vs is the mercy of the heauenly Father and his frée loue toward vs. Iob. 3.16 Rom. 3.23.24 The materiall cause is Christ with his obedience by which he hath purchased righteousnes to vs the formall or instrumental cause is Faith and the finall cause is the shewing of the righteousnes of God the praise of his goodnesse 18 Hée taketh away two obiections that may be obiected first that holy men doe oftentimes strengthen and comfort themselues with remembrance of their own innocency and vprightnes sometyme also forbeare not to reporte of it which although it may two wayes bée done yet it maketh nothing for them first séeing the godly ones doe not this to rest vpon the affiance of workes and to derogate any thing from frée iustification Gen. 24.10 Pro. 14.26 2. Kin. 20.4 Ephe. 3.18 19 Moreouer bicause they do nothing but by the fruites of their vocation call to minde that they are adopted of the lord into the place of children 20 Therfore he concludeth that they attribute nothing to their desertes nor derogate any thing from the frée righteousnes which they obtaine in Christ which also he sheweth by a notable example of Augustine which is this I do not say to the Lorde despise not the workes of my handes or I haue sought the Lord with my hands and haue not bin deceiued But I doe not commend the works of my hands for I feare least when thou hast loked vpon them thou shalt finde more sins then merits Only this I say this I aske this I desire Despise not the workes of thy handes behold in me thy worke not mine for if thou beholdest mine thou damnest me if thou beholdest thine thou crownest me for whatsoeuer good workes I haue they are of thee 21 The other that the Scripture sheweth that the good works of the faithfull are causes why the Lorde doeth good to them they are causes truely but inferiour causes Rom. 8.3 Rom. 6.13 and those thinges which depend of frée iustification are not against it Moreouer in these spéeches he rather noted the order then the cause Cap. 15. That those thinges that are commonly boasted concerning the merites of workes doe ouerthrow as well the praise of God in giuing of righteousnes as also the assurednes in giuing of saluation AFter he hath shewed that works are not auaileable to iustification he now setteth to be discussed whether they deserue fauour with God or no. 2 The name of merite was euill applied to workes by the old fathers yet they had a godly meaning as appereth by Augustine Chrysostome Bernard Augustine sayeth Psal 88. Eze. 36.31 when man seeth that what so euer good he hath he hath it not from him selfe but from his God he seeth that al that which is praised in him is not of his owne merites but of the mercy of God 3 Good workes doe both please God and are profitable to the doers of them that they may receiue for rewarde the most large benifits of God not because they so deserue but because the goodnes of God hath of it selfe appointed this price vnto them as that which bestoweth good workes and their commendations vpō vs that they may neuertheles séeme after a certain maner to remaine with him 4 How two places must be vnderstood which the Papists abuse to cōfirm their error and except they take that sense they offend two waies against the common doctrine of the scripture the verie wordes of Ecclesiasticus are these Eccle. 16.14 Heb. 13.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hée shal make place to euery mercy and euery man shal finde according to his works In the words of the Apostle is nothing els but that such sacrifices do please and are acceptable to god Mat. 25.21 Esai 55.1 And albeit Christ sayeth that to him that hath shal be giuen and that the faithful seruant shall be set ouer many thinges that hath bin faithfull ouer litle

that he wil be fauourable and beneficiall for them for Abraham Isaac and Iacobs sake In that which was spoken of Dauid the couenaunt is rather considered then the man and vnder a figure the onely intercession of Christ is affirmed 26 Last of all Psal 22.4 Psal 142.7 he wipeth away that which many doe obiect that the prayers of the Saints are oftentimes heard preposterously reasoning that none shall be heard but they that haue once bene heard this first he enterpreteth secondly he confirmeth his interpretation by the authoritie of the Scripture and sheweth it by examples Psal 44.10 Iac. 5.8 27 And so he cōcludeth that this calling on of Saintes is many wayes sacriledge The beginning of praying rightly springeth out of Faith Faith commeth of the hearing of the worde of God therfore prayer must be made according to the worde of God where no such superstitious intercession is mentioned Iac. 4.14 Es 30.1 28 Prayer wherof hitherto hée hath spoken albeit properly it be restrayned to vowes and petitiōs and so all those thinges which hitherto he hath taught doe belong chiefly to that speciall sort yet is it not restrayned to those things only but they ought also to bée extended to prayse and giuing of thankes for this is an other kynde of Prayer and it ought continually to bée vsed of vs to our profite no lesse then the former of vowes which hée plentifully proueth by many reasons testimonies and examples 29 When he hath spoken these things of euery one seuerally 1. Cor. 15 Matth. 6.7 now knitting together both the speciall sortes hée speaketh of publike and priuate prayers Continuance 1. Tim. 2.7 Esay 25.7 albeit it belong most to priuate Psal 65.2 yet it also belongeth and is expedient to publike that for them wée may haue appointed houres Vaine babling ostentation must be taken héede of and a secrete place must bee sought out we may pray in all places yet priuate or publike are not to bée neglected but both alwayes to bée ioyned together 30 The common assemblies are to bee had in honour Esay 66.2 the vse of Churches is lawfull that holy assemblies may be executed in them but we must take héede of a double superstition 31 A lowd voice and singing in praier are of no value Esay 29.13 Matth. 15.8 vnlesse it procéede from the déepe affection of the hearte a loude voice doth more belong to publike praiers then priuate 32 It is an old custome to bée taken heede of 1. Cor. 14.13 but it ought to bee disposed to that grauitie which becommeth the presence of God and Angels and wée must diligently take héede that the tyme leade vs not from spirituall sense 33 Both publike and priuate praiers must bée vsed not in a strange but in a vulgar tongue 1. Cor. 14.16 A lowde voyce and knée bending are then cōuenient when they procéede from the earnest affection of the minde 1. Sam. 1.13 To bende the knée and to vncouer the head are exercises by which wée endeuour to rise vp to a-greater reuerencing of God Matth 6.9 Luke 12.2 34 Comming to the Lordes prayer hée prooueth two wayes that the same doth paint vnto vs gods vnmeasurable kindenesse towards vs and that great fruite of comforte doeth come thereby Exo. 32.32 Rom. 9.3 35 The same consisteth of sixe petitions onely and may bée diuided into two partes The first thrée are peculiarly appointed to Gods glory the other haue care ouer vs and are properly assigned to aske those thinges that are for our profite 36 In that he wil be called our father it ought to deliuer vs from all disstrust Iohn 1.12 Esay 43.16 neither may wée séeke helpe any where else but from him vnlesse wée reproche him with pouertie want of abilitie or with crueltie or too extréeme rigorousnesse When we name him father truely wée alledge for vs the name of Christ for by what boldnesse might any man call God father who shoulde burst foorth into so great rashnesse to take to himselfe the honor of the Sonne of God vnlesse hée were adopted to bee the childe of grace in Christ which being the true Sonne is giuen of him to vs to bee our brother that the which he hath proper by nature may by the benefit of adoption be made ours if we doe with sure faith embrace so great bountifulnesse 37 Neither may we alledge that we are worthilie made fearefull by the conscience of sinnes which may make a father be he neuer so merciful and kinde dayly to bee displeased at vs first hée confuteth it by reason then by the example last of all in that he would be called our father Matth. 23.9 Ephe. 1.24 38 Wheras we are taught euery one in common to call him our father therby we are put in minde howe great affection of brotherly loue ought to bee amongst vs which also he setteth out by a similitude 39 Yet this withstandeth not but that we may specially pray both for our selues and for certaine other specially so that yet our minde depart not from hauing an eye to this cōmunitie in bestowing of goodes albeit this reason differ a little from praier Act. 7.24.49 Heb. 11.6 Esay 33.18 40 In what sense he may be saide to be in heauen and as well howe muche comforte as also instruction doth thereby grow vnto vs He is saide to bée in heauen not that he is enclosed and compassed with the circle of heauen but because our mindes coulde not otherwise conceaue his vnspeakeable glory It is signified to vs by heauen than which there can nothing come vnder our sight more able or fuller of Maiestie 41. 42. 43 Hée openeth the thrée first petitions adding that also in the ende that in asking therof 1. Cor. 15 2● we ought to haue the only glory of God before our eies and they are not his children that endeuour not as much as in them lieth to set foorth his honour Ios 24.14 Gods name is sanctified when wee acknowledge his strength power goodnesse wisedome righteousnesse mercy and trueth and when all vngodlinesse is destroied Eze. 36.20 Rom. 2.24 all slanders driuen away sacriledges subdued and his glory more and more set abroade The kingdome of God then doeth come when hée correcteth with the power of his spirite Matth. 9 3● all corrupt desires of the fleshe which doe by multitudes make warre against vs 1. Iohn 3.8.9 Psal 103.29 and when hée frameth all our senses to the obedience of his gouernement and then the will of God is doone when willingly in all thinges wée resigne our selues to Gods will without murmuring and grudging 44. 45. 46 The thrée other hee seuerally declareth In the fourth petition we desire God to geue vs all things necessary for our necessitie and where we are commanded to ask our daily bread thereby is ment that wée must bee content with the quantitie which our heauenly father vouchsafeth to geue