Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	law_n	light_n	moral_a	3,394	5	9.2992	5	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68210	A Christian letter of certaine English protestants, vnfained fauourers of the present state of religion, authorised and professed in England: vnto that reverend and learned man, Mr R. Hoo requiring resolution in certaine matters of doctrine (which seeme to ouerthrow the foundation of Christian religion, and of the church among vs) expreslie contained in his fiue books of Ecclesiasticall pollicie.	Willet, Andrew, 1562-1621, attributed name.; Cartwright, Thomas, 1535-1603, attributed name.	1599 (1599)	STC 13721; ESTC S107562	38,506	52

faith professed by the English church is this There is one true and living God c. And Although we acknowledge the three persons to be God and Lord yet the Godhead of the Father and the Sonne is all one c. Here we craue of you Maister Hoo. to explaine your owne meaninge where you saye The Father alone is originallie that Deitie which Christ originallie is not Howe the Godhead of the Father and of the Sonne be all one and yet originallie not the same Deitie And then teach vs how farre this differeth from the heresie of Arius who sayeth of God the Sonne There was when he was not who yet graunteth that he was before all creatures of thinges which were not Whether such wordes weaken not the eternitie of the Sonne in the opinioÌ„ of the simple or at the least make the SoÌ„ne inferior to the Father in respect of the Godhead or els teach the ignorant there be many Gods Another foundation of our beleef The Sonne is the Worde of the Father from euerlasting begotten of the Father c. and the holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne Where we holde the coeternitie of the Sonne with the Father by expresse litterall meÌ„tion in the Scriptures found in these wordes The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way c. And agayne In the beginning was the Worde and the Worde was with God and the Worde was God c. And againe Glorifie mee thou Father with thine own selfe with the glorie which I had with thee before the world was And we holde the proceeding of the holy Ghost from the Father and the Sonne by like expresse wordes of holy scripture namelie When the Comforter shall come whom I will send vnto you from the Father euen the spirit of trueth which proceedeth of the Father c. Shew we pray you your full meaning where you say The coeternitie of the Sonne of God with his Father and the proceeding of the spirit from the Father and the Sonne are in scripture no where to be found by expresse litterall mention Whether there bee not expresse litterall mention of these two pointes in the former alleadged places and whether such maner of speeches may not worke a scruple in the weak christian to doubt of these articles or at the least so vnderproppe the popish traditions that menne may the rather fauour their allegations when they see vs fayne to borrow of them The Church of Englande professeth Holye Scripture contayneth all things which are necessarie to saluation so that whatsoeuer is neither read in it neither can be proued thereby is not to be exacted of any man that it should bee beleeued as an article of faith or should be thought to be required vnto the necessitie of saluation You on the other side saye In actions of this kinde speaking of direct immediate and proper necessitie final to saluation our chiefest direction is from scripture and agayne The insufficiencie of the light of nature is by the light of scripture fullie and perfectlie supplied And in another place It sufficeth that nature and scripture doe serue in such full sorte that they both iointlie and not seuerallie eyther of them be so compleate that vnto euerlasting felicitie we need not the knowledge of anie thing more then these two c. Where you seeme vnto vs that although you exclude traditions as a part of supernaturall trueth yet you infer that the light of nature teacheth some knowledge naturall whiche is necessarie to saluation and that the Scripture is a supplement and making perfect of that knowledge Which being coÌ„pared vnto pag. 127. where you affirme that the wante of moral vertues exclude from saluation And pag. 82. where you make faith hope charitie to be taught only by supernatural trueth It seemeth to vs that naturall light teaching morall virtues teacheth thinges necessarie to saluation whiche yet is not perfect without that which supernaturall knowledge in holy Scripture reveileth Heere wee pray you to explane your owne meaning whether you thinke that there be anie naturall light teaching knowledge of things necessarie to saluation which knowledge is not contayned in holy scripture if you thinke no How then say you before Not the scripture severallie but nature and scripture iointlie be compleate vnto euerlasting felicitie If you say yea how then agree you with the beleef of our Church which affirmeth that holy scripture contayneth all thinges necessarie to salvation And here we pray you to shew vs whether nature reach anie thing touchinge Christ whether without or beside him any thing be necessarie whether that in him we be not copleate Lastlie whether you meane that the knowledge of humane wisedome concerning God haue anie thinge not expressed in Scripture or that morall virtues are any where rightlie taught but in holy scriptu or that whersoeuer they be taught they be of such necessitie that the wante of them exclude from salvation and what scripture approueth such a saying or that cases and matters of salvation bee determinable by any other lawe then of holy scripture And then tell vs howe you vnderstande these places following and howe they agree with this your position of the light of nature and morall virtues A man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law Neither is there salvation in anie other For there is no other name which is giuen vnder heauen amongst men by which we must be saued The naturall man perceaueth not the thinges of the spirit of God for they are foolishnes vnto him c. Except a man be borne againe hee can not see the kingdome of God The Reverend Fathers of our church to avouch our forsaking of the Antichristian sinagogue of Rome cleauing to the scriptures of God doe so farre make the iudgement of the scriptures aboue the Church that with the auncient Fathers they say In time of dissention it is most behoofefull for the people to haue recourse vnto the scriptures and that wee may in no wise beleeue the Churches them selues vnlesse they say and doe such thinges as bee agreeable to the Scriptures The triall of scriptures is necessarie to discerne the true church from all false congregations which all boast of the spirit of trueth as much as the true church And Only scriptures are a sufficient warrand to euery Christian to trie what is the word of God and what is the worde of man c. But you Maist. Hoo. doe saye It is not the worde of God which doeth or possiblie can assure vs that we doe well to thinke it is his worde And againe By experience we all know that the first outwarde motiue leading men so to esteeme of the scripture is the authoritie of Gods Church And a litle before Scripture teacheth vs that sauing trueth which God hath discouered to

and heereafter more aboundantlie their full ioy and felicitie ariseth because while they liue they are blessed of God and when they dye their workes follow them And yet againe you say I will not dispute whether truely it may not be sayde that poenitent both weeping and fasting are meanes to blott out sinne meanes whereby through Gods vnspeakeable and vndeserued mercie wee obtayne and procure to our selues pardon which attaynement vnto anie gracious benefite by him bestowed the phrase of antiquitie vseth to expresse by the name of merite Heere wee desire to bee resolued how these your assertions can stande with the doctrine and beleef of the church of England Fayth only iustifieth To which the holy Scripture accordeth saying If there had bene a lawe that could haue giuen life surelie righteousnes had bene by the law but the scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the fayth of Jesus Christ might be giuen to them that beleeue And againe David declareth the blessednes of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnes without workes For if from sound and sincere virtues as you say full ioy and felicitie ariseth and that we all of necessitie stande bounde vnto all partes of morall duetie in regarde of life to come and God requireth more at the handes of men vnto happines then such a naked beleefe as Christ calleth the worke of God alas what shal we poore finful wretches doe who can haue no confidence in the flesh being farre from those sounde and sincere virtues and from manie that we say not all partes of morall dutie in such measure as the holy iust good law of God doeth require them yea our verie righteous workes we finde to be stayned like a filthie cloth when we coÌ„pare them vnto that absolute righteousnes which is indeed pure vnspotted before the eyes of God therefore we clayme nothing by any duetie we doe or can doe or anie virtue which wee finde in our selues but onelie by that naked faith which is the work of God in vs and maketh vs beleeue in him whom he hath sente and by his stripes onelie we hope to be healed Tell vs therefore by sounde and plaine demonstration what wee may trust to whether the English beleefe be imperfect without some necessarie additament whether you thinke that not faith alone but faith hope and loue be the formall cause of our righteousnes whether a man that hath faith can also doe all the works of the law and so make vp that which is waÌ„ting in his naked faith or that if he cannot but falleth into sinne seuen times yea sometimes into great sinnes whether his faith may not saue him Lastlie whether there bee not other sufficient causes to induce a christian to godlines honestie of life such as is the glorie of God our Father his great mercies in Christ his loue to vs example to others but that we must do it to merit or to make perfitt that which Christ hath done for vs. And lastlie shew vs that phrase of antiquitie whether it were in the Apostles time among the sounder christians or in what time immediatlie following or doe you not closelie make the popish doctrine of meritt by workes at the least to be tollerable to the disgrace of our English creede The church of England professeth that Good workes the frutes of faith and following the iustified cannot abide the seueritie of Gods iudgement and that The workes which are done before the grace of Christ are not onely not acceptable to God but also haue the nature of sinne You say The most certayne token of evident goodnes is If the generall perswasion of all men doe so account it And againe Only mans obseruation of the lawe of his nature is Righteousnes only mans transgression sinne Gods verie commaundements in some kinde as namelie his precepts comprehended in the law of nature may otherwise be knowen then onelie by scripture and that to doe them howsoeuer we know them must needes be acceptable in his sight Here we desire to be instructed howe the goodnes of these actions done by the light of nature are to be vnderstoode eyther simplie in them selues as nature onelie declareth and teacheth or as men following the light of nature iudge of them and so doe them if you answere onelie as nature teacheth without regarde of man doeing according to nature then can we not vnderstande your discourse which seemeth to vs to teach that by doeing such operations of goodnes as nature teacheth though he haue no further teachinge it is righteousnes and pleaseth God If you meane this second then I pray you in what sence can you call that righteousnes in man which our Church calleth sinne and doe you not establish the Romish doctrine of pura naturalia and workes of congruitie And if that be true which you say that men doing such workes be acceptable in Gods sight doe you not make the Church of England to holde an errour when they say they are not acceptable to God The church of England professeth that Works of supererogation cannot bee taught without arrogancie and wickednes And you say God approued much more then he commaundeth Open vnto vs then that seeing you seeme to teach that the order and course of all things supernaturall naturall sensible and reasonable is a diuine lawe and so by it he commaundeth accordinge to euerie kinde and that in the former articles you appeare to vs to scatter the prophane graines of poperie whether we may not iustlie iudge that in thus speaking you sow the seede of the doctrine whiche leadeth men to those arrogant workes of supererogation If not shew your own meaning and howe you esteeme of this Article of our beleefe The Church of England holdeth that Christ onely being the immaculate Lambe was without sinne and that we which are baptized and regenerated in him doe all offende in manie things You say Although we cannot bee free from all sinne collectiuelie in such sorte that no parte thereof shalbe found inherent in vs yet distributiuelie at the least all great and greeuous actuall offences as they offer themselues one by one both may and ought to be by all meanes auoyded So that in this sense to be preserued from all sinne is not impossible Heere we demaunde to be informed that if all offende in manie things and to say otherwise be a lye as our English creede affirmeth how your saying can be true that it is possible to avoyde all great and greeuous sinnes And what manie things they bee whereof the scripture speaketh Whether it meaneth not actual offences great and greeuous but that some may be excepted in regard of great sinnes or whether you meane that it is possible for all christians to be preserued from all great sinnes and if so why should it not bee as possible from all small offences and if from small and great why doe

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