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	vessel_n	wrath_n	3,740	5	9.3244	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14366	A moste necessary treatise of free wil not onlye against the Bapistes, but also against the Anabaptistes, which in these our daies, go about to renue the detestable heresies of Pelagius, and of the Luciferians, whiche say and affirm, that we be able by our own natural strength to fulfil the law and commaundementes of God. Made dialoge wyse by Iohn Veron, in a manner word by woorde, as he did set it forth in his lectures at Paules.	Véron, John, d. 1563.	1561 (1561)	STC 24684; ESTC S101311	58,715	178

¶ A moste necessary treatise of free wil not onlye against the Papistes but also against the Anabaptistes which in these our daies go about to renue the detestable heresies of Pelagius and of the Luciferians whiche say and affirm that we be able by our own natural strength to fulfil the law and commaundementes of God ¶ Made dialoge wyse by Ihon Veron in a manner word by woorde as he did set it forth in his lectures at Paules ¶ To the righte honorable Lorde my Lorde Robert Dudly master of the horses and knight of the most honorable order of the Garter Ihon Veron wisheth grace peace of conscience with encrease of honor from God the father through his son Iesus christ our Lord. FOr as much as I haue all ready set fourthe the doctrine of predestination and of the deuine prouidence of God wherein I haue strongly proued by manifest textes of the scriptures and sufficient authorities of the aunciente wryters of the primitiue church that God hath from the beginninge ordayned and appoynted some for to be felow heyres with his sonne Iesus Christ of his heauenly kingdome and some again to be euerlastinglye dampned in hell fire and that whome he hath ordeined before to enioy and possesse euerlasting life them he hathe chosen in hys sonne Iesu Christ afore the foundacions of the worlde were laide whiche thynge he dyd of hys free mercye and goodnesse and withoute anye respecte at all of their owne deseruinges or merits for to setforthe the glory of his grace to declare hys mercy throughe oute al the whole world but whome he hath apoynted to be the vessels of hys wrathe them he hathe accordinge to hys ryghteous and vnserchable iudgemente styrred vp for to be the examples of hys iustice and for to be glorifyed by their dampnatyon wherin he dothe them no manner of wrong sithe that he rewardeth them accordinge to theyr naturall corruption whiche they haue of their parent Adam wherbi we are all in generall subiecte to euerlasting damnation so that if he shoulde damne vs all he shoulde do vs but right and no iuste occasyon at all could we haue to complain of him or of his most righteous iudgemēt I haue thought it good and expedient for to adde vnto it the mooste necessarye doctrine of free wyll Whiche as it dothe altogether depend of the other and is most surelye grounded in it so it can not be substantially vnderstanded wythout some sight and knowledge of the same as it doth euidentlye appeare by those which plainely affyrme that onlesse we haue free wyl vertue shall not be rewarded nor the workes of the saints crowned which if they would consyder from what beginning the doctrin of Predestination dothe fetche the glorye of the saintes they shoulde sone espy out theyr owne erroure Whome sayeth the Apostle God hathe chosen them did he cal whō he hathe called them did he iustifye and whome he hathe iustified them did he glorify Wherfore thē by the sayinge of the Apostle are the faythfull crowned wyth eternal and euerlasting glory Why the faithfull are crowned with euerlasting glorye because forsothe that by the fre mercye of God and not by theyr owne industry they be both chosē called and iustified Heare doe we learne in these fewe words that all the hole glory of our saluation ought only to be geuen and attributed vnto the free election of God whereof doth proceade come and sprynge bothe the will and power that we haue to do any thing that is good and acceptable before the maiestye of our heauenly father Yea before we be renewed by the holy ghost and made newe creatures in oure sauioure Iesu Christe we are the seruauntes of synne What fredome then canne we iustlye boaste or bragge of Vbi spiritus domini sayeth saynte Paule ii Co. iii ibi libertas where the spirite of the Lorde is there is libertye and fredome Ioh. viii Againe Si vos filius liberauerit vere liberi eritis that is to say If the sonne doth delyuer you ye shall be free in deede What we are as long as we be voide of the spirit of God These sayinges do sufficiently declare that as long as we are voide of the spirit of God and are not yet set at liberty by the sonne we are nought els but the bond slaues of Sathan the dyuell of syn of deathe Many other places of the scriptures might I heare aleadge which do teache that of oure selues we be not able to think a good thought But lest I should be tedious vnto your honorable Lordship I wyll omytte them and shew brieflye what the Concil of Myluente did most godlye and catholikely decree and determyne touching this matter Sinodus mileuentana If any man saye the holye fathers gathered in that Concyll dothe affyrme Note ye wel those things ye free wyll men that we canne by the vertue and strength of oure owne nature thinke or chuse as it is expedyente anye good thynge that pertayneth to oure saluation or agree and consent to the wholesome preachinge of the gospell without the illuminating and inspiration of the holye ghost who geueth vs a pleasure or swetnesse in consentinge and the truthe in beleuinge he is deceaued with an heretical spirit not vnderstanding the voyce of God sayinge in the gospell without me ye can do nothinge Iohn xv nor the sayinge of the Apostell ii Co. iii. where he sayeth Not that we be able to thinke any thinge of oure selues as of our selues But our suffiencye or ablenesse is of God Again If any man doth contentiouslye maintaine that God doth tarye for oure wyll that we maye be purged from synne and doth not confesse that by the infusion and working of the holy ghost it is wrought in vs that we be willing to be purged he doth resiste withstand the holy ghost him self sayinge by Salomon The wil is prepared of the lord And also the Apostle Philip. ii which preacheth wholesomelye that it is God August ad Simplici that worketh in vs both the wyll and the worke according to his good wil. Wher the Apostell doth sufficientlye shewe that the wil it selfe is made good in vs by the workinge of God For if we shuld aske whether the good wil is a gift of god or not I maruail if any man dirst say nay Here we do learne that we can not pray vnto god withoute the especiall grace of God Esa lxv Rom. x. Moreouer say the fathers afore reherced If any man dothe saye that the grace of God can be geuen by humaine inuocation or mans calling vpon god not that the grace it selfe dothe worke or bringe to passe that God is called vppon of vs he dothe gaynesaye Esaye the prophet or the Apostell speaking the same I am founde of them that soughte me not and dyd appeare playnely vnto them that dyd not aske of me What canne be spoken more playnelye of the vnablenesse of

that we may as we haue done here to fore mynister vnto you the salue of Gods worde ALBION I am muche bounde to you brother Philalethes for the great kindnesse that ye shew vnto me beyng so ready at al tymes to healpe and succoure me in thys great perplexity of mynde that I am in God I trust who is the author of all goodnes and who hath inclyned your hart vnto me shal reward thys your paynfull labor that ye take about me O moste mercyfull and bountious father A thanks geuinge ioigned with a faithfull prayer geuinge thee moste hartye thankes for these thy benefyttes wherewith thou hast so graciouslie refreshed vs we do humbly beseche thee to sende thy holy spyrit in to oure heartes that we may in this our communycation and talke set-fourth thy glorye onely to the vtter confusion and ouerthrowe of al the shamefull enemyes of thy free mercye and grace EVTRAPELVS God of his goodnesse vouchesafe to graunte vs all The enemies of goddes grace that we may so do For there be manye in the worlde which are suche enemyes of the free mercy and grace of God The papistes that whosoeuer doth accordinge to the scriptures affyrme or say that we are saued only by his free mercye and grace they are most ready to persecute them wyth fyer and swerde as most pernicious and abhominable heretykes and as vtter enemies of all truth DIDYMVS The Anabaptistes and free wil men Ye shall not onely fynde of them amonge the papystes but also amonge them that wyll be coumpted most perfect christians most earnest fauourers of the gospel ALBION Where so euer they he found my faythfull guydes dyd tel me that we haue fre wil whiche thing ye do all denye Therefore I would fayne hear what ye can say concerning that matter PHILALEEHES What doe they vnderstand by fre wyll For they are wonte to speake of it many and sondry wayes Some do by it vnderstand one thyng and some an other ALBION They tolde me What scole men vnderstande by fre wyll that by free wyll they do vnderstande a certaine facultye or power beynge in seperably in the will of manne wherby he mighte do or leaue vndone any maner of thinge as wit and reason dyd thinke or iudge it expediente For saye they manne by hys wit and reason dothe consyder weyghe and ponder a thynge and dothe examyne and trye whether it be good or not and then by the vertue of hys free wyll eyther he dothe it or leaueth it vndone euen as it pleaseth hym PHILALETHES What meaned they thynke ye After the papistes iudgemēt we are masters of oure wyll by that defynition ALBI. As it appeareth both by that difynition and also by other talke that they hadde afterwardes their meaninge was that we are masters of oure owne wyll and iudgement and that therfore we canne by oure owne strengthe turne oure selues whiche waye we lyste that is to say that we be able by our owne vertue to do good or euil how blasphemous popishe doctrine is concerning free wyll to saue or damne our selues EVTRA. O what blasphemye is this against God and his worde If ye do well marke this defynition ye shall easely perceiue that it is rather the difynition of prophane and heathenyshe Philosophers than of Christen doctours Ye maye well vnderstande that if this definition wer true we shuld not neede to pray vnto God for his helpe assistaunce nor to call vpō him for his holy spirit We shoulde haue no nede to saye if it pleaseth God we wil do this thing or that thing Do thei not thē bi their definitiō place mā in the stede roume of god PH. If these faithful guids of yours had any zeale to setforthe the grace of God his free mercy goodnesse they wold haue geuē an other definitiō vnto free wil. AL. Which I praye you PHI. They wold at least haue geuen the definition that s Augustine doth vse Which is this Liberum arbitrium The defynition of free wyll after Sainte Augusti est facultas rationis et voluntatis qua bonum eligitur gratia adsistente malum vero ea desistente That is to saye free wyll is a vertue or power of the reasonne and wyll whereby the good is chosen when the grace of God dothe adsiste and the euill when it is awaye or is wythdrawen The meaninge is The meaninge of Augustines defynition that by free wyll if we haue the adsistaunce and healpe of the grace of God we are able to chuse that whiche is good but if the grace of God be awaye or be withdrawen we can no more but embrace that whiche is euyll and hurtefull to oure owne soules DIDY Question And is there none other definition of fre wyll PHILALETHES Aunswer The master of sentences Li ii senten distin xxv Yea verelye For the master of Sentences dothe wryte that it is not sayed that man hathe free wyll because that he is as able to thinke and doo good as he is to thinke do euyll but because that he is not subiect vnto necessitye or compulsyon Lombardus his meaning DyDIMVS What shuld he mene by that PHILALETHES Hys meanyng is Scholemen that the euyl which man doth he doth it frely and wythout compulsion And therefore the schole men saye that this fredome and libertye is not letted thoughe we be wicked and seruauntes of sinne and can no more but synne stil and offend But truely this cānot be vnderstanded of a man that is regenerated or borne of newe For the holy ghost that is in him dothe wythstande the euil that he would do And likewise by this definition or determinatyon of the master of sentences it myghte be said that a man which is regenerated or borne of newe hathe free will How it maye be saied that a man which is regenerated hath free wyll Ecclesia cus xv chapi because that the same lyttle good that he doth he doth it frely and frankly ALBION They dyd brynge in a place out of Ecclesiasticus otherwyse called Iesus the sonne of Sirach wher it is thus written God made man from the beginning and lefte him in the hande of his counsaill He gaue him his commaundementes and preceptes If thou wylt obserue the commaundementes and kepe acceptable faythfulnesse for euer they shall preserue the. He hath set fyer and water before thee reache oute thine hande vnto whiche thou wilte Before manne is life and death good and euyll loke what him liketh shal be geuen him Episto ad ctesiphontem They did also aleadge many doctours as Ierome against the Pelagians where he sayeth thus In this doo we dyffer from brute beastes that we haue bene created with free will Li. ii contra martio home ix in gen Ei xii mora They did aleadge Tertulian Chrisostome and Hilary Which all do affirme that man hath suche free wyll as they did declare vnto me afore

consyder the causes Why Abels sacrifice was accepted before god and Cains sacrifice reiected Heb. xi Ro xiiii why Abell and his offring did please God and why againe God had no pleasure in Cain nor yet in his offringe Forsoth because that Abell did offer wyth faythe and the other wythoute faythe What soeuer then Cain did was synne For wythoute faythe it is vnpossyble to please God what soeuer is not of faythe is synne Therefore Caine had more iuste occasyon to be angrye wyth hym selfe and wyth hys vnbelief than wyth hys brother Abell who was both innocent and dyd walcke vprightlye before God doing al that he dyd wyth a synceare and pure fayth That therfore Cain might the better perceyue hys own saut the LORDE doothe playnlye declare vnto hym that all that he dyd was synne Elsse if he had done well shoulde not he haue ben as well regarded as hys brother Abell But his vnfaithfulnesse that dyd lie in his hearte did witnesse that he did not walke vprightly before god Which thing he vnderstode when he saide if thou doste euyll doth not thy sinne lie open in the dore That is to saye if thou doste the thing that thou dost vnfaithfullye dothe not thy conscience beare record of the same and is alwaies readye to condempne thee What cause haste thou then to be angrye with thy brother In thinges that pertain to the true worshippinge of god we must be subiect vnto noman but vnto the word of god onely because that he doth walke vprightly before me and with a pure and sincere faith shal he be subiect vnto thee in such thinges or shall he be ruled by the in thinges that pertaine to the true worshippynge of me Some do reade it withoute an interrogatife poynt on this wise he shall be subiecte vnto thee and thou shalt rule him Wherby they do vnderstande that when Caine did see that his brother Abell was in such fauour with God he was affrayed least he shoulde lose the righte of the first borne and that Abell should be his Lord and master And for this cause he did conceiue a deadly hatred against him seekinge all maner of meanes to rydde him oute of the waye The Lord therfore for to put him out of that foolyshe feare that he was in did certifye him that notwithstandinge the fauoure that he dyd beare vnto Abel he shuld not lose one iote of his dignity and honour but that Abell shoulde accordinge to the ryght and order of his byrth be subiecte and obedient vnto hym styll Thus doth Chrisostome expound thys place of Genesis Chrsost in genesim Whose words but for tediousnesse I wold haue here aleadged as they doe lye in his exposition vpon the first booke of Moses DIDY If both vertu and vice do not come of the free election of Obiectiō the minde Whye shoulde man be punished for vice or rewarded for vertue PHILALETHES This argumente did the Pelagians vse also as Sainte Ierome dothe write rehercinge their very wordes which are these Episto ad ctesiphontem dialo i. Quod si gratia dei in nobis agit illa ergo non nos qui non laboramus coronabitur That is to say If the grace of God dothe worke in vs therefore it shall be crowned and not we that laboure not As touchinge punishementes I saye that we do deseruingly suffer thē What we ought to iudge of the punishment for synne sythe that synne cometh of oure selues For what dothe it skyll whether we synne throughe free wil or other wyse syth that of our owne nature we be synne altogether yea and the bounde slaues of fynne doth not Sainte Paul saye that of oure owne nature we are the chyldren of wrathe Ephe. ii If we be the children of wrathe what are we elles but chyldren of damnation and fyre brondes of hell And as touching the rewards of righteousnesse what absurditye were it to saie that they come of the free mercye of God What we ought to iudge of the towards of righteousnesse Rom. vi rather than of our owne merytes and deseruinges Doth not Saint Paule saye that lyfe euerlastynge is the gyfte of God How could lyfe euerlasting whyche is the most sure rewarde of good woorkes be the gyfte of God excepte it were freelye geuen But yf they woulde heare of what begynninge the holye Apostell dothe fetche the glorye of the Saints they shoulde easely espye out their own errour Whom sayeth he he hathe chosen Ro. viii them did he call whome he hath called them did he iustifye and whom he hathe iustifyed them dyd hee gloryfye Wherefore then by the sayinge of the Apostell are the faythfull crowned wyth eternall and euerlastynge glorye because forsouth that by the free mercye of God and not by their owne industrye they be both chosen called and iustifyed Whye should any man fear then that ther shoulde be no more merites if free wyll were ouerthrowen Or why shoulde any manne flye from that thinge that the srcipture doth call vs to What haste thou sayeth saint Paule that thou hast not receyued i. Cor. iiii And if thou hast receaued why dost thou boast as thoughe thou haddest not receiued Ye see that he dothe therfore take awaye all thynges from free wyll because that he wold leaue no place vnto merites But God as he is rych in doyng good vnto all men so the gyftes that he geueth vnto vs l e maketh them oure owne and so rewardeth them as oure owne And therefore Sainte Augustine sayeth Epist lii Nihil es per te Peccata tua sunt merita autem dei Supplicium tibi debetur et cum premium venerit sua d●na coronabit non meritae tua that is to saye Thou arte nothing by thy selfe The sinnes are thyne owne but the merites are of God Punishment is due vnto the and when the reward dothe come he shall crowne his giftes In Psal lxx and not thy merits And in an other place these be also his woordes Si reddetur tibi quod debetur puniendus es Quid ergo fit Non tibi reddit deus deb●tam penam sed donat indeb●tam gratiam Si vis esse alienus a gratia ●acta merita tua Whiche we maye English after this manner if that be rendred or payed vnto thee that is due thou muste bee punyshed What is done then God dothe not render or paye vnto thee the punishment that is due or deserued but he geueth vnto thee the grace that is neyther due nor deserued If thou wylte be putte from the grace boste forthe thyne own merites But what nede I to aledge any more sayings of his syth that all his workes be full of suche sentences Whereby it dothe appeare that he dothe adscribe nothinge at all vnto the merites of men but all together vnto the free mercy and goodnesse of God And therfore the argument that ye did brynge maye rather be called the argumente of an heathenish philosopher than