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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	divine_a	person_n	unity_n	11,351	5	10.1140	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19216	The humble and vnfained confessio[n] of the belefe of certain poore banished men grounded vpon the holy scriptures of God, and vpo[n] the articles of that vndefiled and onlye vndoubted true Christian faith, which the holy Catholicke (that is to say vniuersal) Churche of Christ professeth. Specially concerning, not only the worde of God, and the ministerye of the same: but also the church and sacramentes therof. Which we send moost humbly vnto the Lordes of Engla[n]d, and al the commons of the same. ... Lorde increase our faith.; Humble and unfained confession of the belefe of certain poore banished men.	Ponet, John, 1516?-1556, attributed name.	1554 (1554)	STC 5630; ESTC S111154	26,257	72

the loynes of our forefather Adam to whom he was promised immediatly after his offence but opened vnto the worlde whan he became incarnate So that this felowship was entred with vs in that parte whyche was properli ours In respect wherof the father of heauen through fayth operation of his holy spirit vouchsafe to make vs partakers of that whiche was properly his namely the breade that came downe from heauen which is lyfe it self optained by Christes death whereby his merites are become ours So that then was this felloweship fully ioyned whan the heauenly mariage betwene our nature and his was made in the vnitie of persone in him not by cōfusiū of substance no more thē ether his deuine or humayn nature is confounded thoughe he be both very God and very man Thus thorow faith wherunto this heauenly matter is offered and by the workyng of the holy gost we haue our felowship with euerlastynge life in his body and bloud which he tooke of vs and which now sitteth in glory wher also our soule is present through faith so that we be one with him The fruitful knowledge and vnderstandyng of this heauenly mistery is euidently setfurth to the eyes of faith ▪ not onely by the fyrst institution and practise of y e Lordes holy Supper but also by his most comfortable wordes afore in the Gospel where he sayth it is God the father that doth graūt vs his true bread namely his owne sōne which came downe from heauen and geueth life vnto the world For he only deserued that the father should geue vs agayne this lyfe that was loste And like as the sonne sayth that the father should geue vs the breade that came from heauen that is to saye his owne sonne whō he also calleth lyfe because he is the life it selfe Euen so the sōne saith that the bread which he wold geue shuld be his flesh which he would geue and offre to the father for the lyfe of the worlde Namely that the worlde by his death myght haue that lyfe whyche he sayde the father woulde geue and that is euen the very true breade that came downe from heauen So y t in the Gospel the sōne touchynge his deuinitie which came from heauen is called bread And like wyse his vmanitie whiche he offered vp vpon the crosse he calleth bread Thus through faythe we haue the perfourmaunce of that whiche was promised namely of y e deuine nature which is life after a more aboundaūt sort then it was lost in Adam So that this is and may wel be called a verye felowship and so in dede both Saynt Iohn and S. Paule termeth it The worthy Sacrament of the body and bloude of the Lorde was instituted only by himselfe in the Parler wher thei did eate the Easter lambe the same night wherin he was betraied And as cōcernyng the maner how the Lord and thei that receiued it with him did vse it Howe he also himselfe willed others his deputies and ministers of his congregation and church to do the same for whom like wyse for what intent and purpose he did institute ordayne it it is sufficientlye mencioned by the thre Euangelistes and by the Apostle Paule Touching the which we must consider that forasmuch as Christ did institute this to be a Sacramente and taughte by his most worthy worde and practife a ce●taine ordre in the ministration therof Therfore as the thynges therein contained ought Sacramentally to be vnderstand without anye absurditie or interruptynge either of the action or mistery So if the ordre and fourme by him prescribed and commaunded to be vsed by suche as are appoynted for the ministratiō therof be omitted Then is that no Sacrament of his For Sacramentes are as substancial couenauntes agremētes whose nature is to declare vnto vs some righte title priuiledge or gifte that we haue or shal receiue thereby whether thei be grounded vpon a commen custome or commaūded to be obserued by such as haue authoritie to make a lawe or ordinaunce for the same For whi should the ordre prescribed in this holy Sacramēt be worse kept or lesse obserued then was the rule that God appoynted in the Sacramentes of the olde lawe Their sacramentes had orders which wer kept and whi should not the rules of our Sacramentes be obserued likewyse Circumcision had a prescribed day what persons should be Circumcised and what part of the fleshe shoulde be cutte away c. The Lorde callinge it both his couenaunt and the token of his couenaunt The celebration of Easter had like wise of the Lorde a time appointed in the which euery houshold hauynge a lambe or a kydde of one year olde being a Male without blemishe should slaye him And not onely take strike the bloude of him vpon the two syde postes and on the vpper doorepost of the house but also eate the lambe or kydde the same nyght with vnleauened bread and with sower herbes nether rawe nor sodden in water but rosted at the fyre the head the feete and purtenaunce together with theyr loynes gyrded shooes on theyr feete sta●es in theyr handes and to eate it in haist nothing remainyng ouer vntyll the mornyng The scripture callynge it the Passouer and the sacrifice of the Lordes Passoeuer And diligently is this to be noted Namely that lyke as y e fathers in olde time did faythfully obserue and kepe the sayde rules nether omyttyng any of them nor minishyng theim nether addyng ought vnto thē that the Lord himself had not appoynted Euen so albeit that the cuttynge awaye of the fores●ynne of the fleshe in Circumcision had the name of the Lordes couenaunt and though the other sacramēt was called the passeouer of the Lorde Yet were they neuer the lesse without any strife brawlyng or contention about the names obediently and thākfulli in godli quietnes vsed obserued The Sacrament of Baptisme also hath his ceremonies and rule appointed of the Lorde as to putte water vpō the childe or to dy●p● him in water to pronoūce him baptised in the name of ●he father the sonne and the holye gost c. The scripture namynge it the newe byrth the baptisme of remission of sinnes the fountayne of the newe byrth c. Where as is likewise to be noted that thei do horribly abuse the Sacrament of baptisme that ether mynishe from it anye of the rules prescribed by the Lord himselfe or adde ther vnto their owne rites and supersticions whether it be salt spittle creme oyle or any such thinges as may deface the worthines of Christ. Yet hath there no suche mischaunce happened vnto this holy sacrament as ether to teach or beleue that ther is any transsubstanciatiō of the water in baptism or that it looseth the nature of water though it be appointed and turned to a very holy vse Nowe to returne agayn to our purpose The worthy Sacrament of the ●ordes body and bloud hath his

faithfully called to remembraunce For man in hys firste creacion was made to the similitude and likenes of almighty God endued with perfectnes wisdome rightuousnes and lyfe euerlastynge Of the which incomparable kindnes mercye to the intēt he might styl be mindful and keepe the same euer in thankful remembraūce God prescribed vnto him a rule law or cōmaundemēt whych to obey was euen to continu in the felowshyp of the same immortal lyfe that was geuen hym But to disobey it in followyng his own wil contrary to the cōmaundement was to be in seruice to euerlasting death and to lose hys porciō in euerlastyng life So when man was fallen from the obedience of the commaūdemēt hys owne nakednes appeared vnto him selfe so horrible by reason it was not couered wyth the image of lyfe that he began to dispayre and durste not shew himselfe in the sight of god How beit in this terrible distres and most woful stare of man Almightye God who euer was and is merciful dyd promis him againe euerlastynge lyfe which was laied vp in his owne sonne ▪ but so that accordyng as he euen God hymselfe by an euerlasting decree had appointed he wold be sati●●yed recompenced and pacified againe in the obedience of al his commaundementes by the same nature of man whych because of the corruption of synne that had entred in to it by disobedience could not fully satisfye the law and therefore God made an euerlasting couenaunt of mercye with mankinde promysed the blessed seede namely that hys owne son should put vpon him our nature and therwith in innocency satisfi the law and bryng vs agayne into the felowshyp of that euerlasting lyfe whyche was lost thorow Adams disobediēce God now to kepe his people in remembraunce of thys his great merci requyred continual sacrifices to prouoke them vnto thankfulnes and to geue them occasion frō tyme to time ▪ to setle and reast theyr cōsciences stil 〈◊〉 hope vpon the sayde promes And for thys cause he reneued the said couenaunt of mercy so oft and sondrye ●imes by outward Sacramentes and ceremonies in the which the death of Christ was so present to the faith of y e fathers that thei beleuing the promis made in the blessed seede apprehēded the sayd life that was lost in Adam In Circumcision whiche was not only an outward visible signe but also a very seale of the rightuousnes of fayth a testimony of his grace fauour ●ewardes them thorow Christ the holy Ghost certified theyr consciences of theyr porcion in the sayde euerlastynge lyfe In the Sacramēt of the Passeouer whē the bloud of the Lambe was striked vpon the postes of theyr doores and the fleshe therof eaten rosted and with such other ceremonies as therto wer appointed They geuing faith credite to the said promis made in the blessed seede saw the worthynes and merites of Christes bloud by the cōfortable swetenes wherof in the operacion of the holy Gost they wer assured of the sayd lyfe euerlastyng In the wildernes Manna was geuen them from heauē to declare that the very true nourishment and foode to life euerlasting must come frō heauen which mākind by stedfast beliefe thorow the merites of Christ should taste and be partaker of and in al the sacrifices slayne offeringes of y e law was the same misteri represented and set forth to the eyes of faith amonge the people of God Thus the benefite of Gods mercy hath bene alway frō time to time most louingli opened in hys Sacramentes and holy ordinaūces certifying vs by faith thorow the death of Christ that we haue our porcion againe in euerlasting lyfe which was lost thorow Adams disobediēce Now to come somewhat nerer vnto the sacramēts of y e new law we do hartely agree and cōsent to the iudgement of S. Augustine not only when he affirmeth y t our Lord Iesus Christ hath knyt together the felowshyp of his new people by Sacramēts which are very few in nomber very easy to be obserued and very e●cellent in signification as is baptime thesupper of the Lord but also when he saieth y t a Sacramēt is the signe token or representacion of an holy thing the visible fourme of an inuisible grace and a visible word of God Moreouer the Sacramentes that are of the Lordes holy institucion we do reuerently esteme to be no vain or bare signes neither only euidences of the profession of Christen mē but also certaine assured and effectuous testimonies or rather seales of the rightuosnes grace and good will of God towardes vs wherby he working in vs supernaturally after an inuisible maner doth not only styrre vp our faith towards him but also establisheth and con●yrmeth it the more in the assuraunce of euerlastīg life Wherfore like as stedfast faith in the operacion of the holy Gost doth certify vs euen so the Sacramētes by propre similitudes being vsed according to the Lordes institucion testyfye the same For the holye Gost who glorifyeth his owne ordinaunces with his blessed presēce and also the word it selfe assureth vs that nothing though it be outward external appointed and appertainīg to the right whole and perfect vse of Gods holy sacramentes is in vaine or but a bare signe for asmuch as when the minister doth execute the Lordes wil according to his holy ordinaunce in the ministration of the visible Sacramēt by an outward action The holy gost not only certifieth the faithful ●eaceiuers y t they are partakers of the thing promised that is to sai euerlasting life which life euerlasting is euen God y e sonne whose diuine nature is ioyned with the humanitie nowe syttyng in glory not only we say certifieth but also inuisibly worketh in them those vertues wherby thei be vndoubtedly ioyned vnto Christ and one towards another hys mistical membres partakers of eternall lyfe So that to be partaker of that euerlasting lyfe is to be as verely ioyned vnto him to be a member of his glorious bo●y of his flesh of his bones as his own diuine nature is ioyned vnto his humanitie O worlde howe mad o man howe blinde art thou that seest not this precious treasure and taistest not the incomparable swetenes and moste heauenly comfort of this greate mistery betwene Christ and his cōgregation ▪ Thou gnawest vpon the harde shelle but vpon the swete kernel wherein is spirit and life thou fedest not Wolde God his truth coulde perswade vs y t to be worthy pertakers hereof is thorowe fayth by the operatiō of the holy gost to be assured and fully certified that followyng also the Lords will in the outward actions of his holy ordinaunces and framynge our lyues accordyng to his wholsome doctrine taught vs therein we haue vndoubttedly the thinge that ther is promised which is euerlasting lyfe in his bodye and bloude For first as concernyng fleshe and bloude we were in felowshippe with Christ in