Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	faith_n	grace_n	remission_n	6,633	5	9.4205	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19412	Tvvo very Godly and comfortable letters, written ouer into England The one to a Godly and zealous Lady: wherin the Annabaptists errour is confuted and the sinne against the Holye Ghoste plainly declared. The other an answer to a Godly merchants letter: written for his comfort, being greeued with the heauye burden of sinne wherin is declared the true confession of sinne: Written by T.C.	Cottesford, Thomas.; Cartwright, Thomas, 1535-1603.	1589 (1589)	STC 5841.5; ESTC S116355	22,933	120

Two very Godly and comfortable Letters written ouer into England THE ONE TO A GODly and zealous Lady wherin the Annabaptists errour is confuted and the sinne against the Holye Ghoste plainly declared ¶ THE OTHER AN answer to a Godly Merchants Letter written for his comfort being greeued with the heauye burden of sinne wherin is declared the true confession of sinne Written by T. C. AT LONDON Printed by Edward Allde for Edward White 1589. A comfortable Letter written to a Godly and zealous Lady Wherin the Annabaptists error is breefly confuted and the sin against the holy Ghoast plainlye declared MADAME where as it pleased your good Lady ship to require me to writ vnto you my minde concerning the true sence and meaning of this place of S. Paule in his Epistle to the Hebrewes Heb. 6. 4 It cannot bee that they which were once lightned haue tasted of the heuenly gift and were become pertakers of the holy Ghost and haue tasted of the good woord of God of the power of the Worlde to come if they fall awaye and as concerning themselues crucifie the sonne of God a fresh and make a mocke of him that they should be renued againe by repentance Madame many in time The errour of the Nouatians and now of the Anabaptists past and at this present day mistaking this text and not truly vnderstanding it bothe haue béene and are incombred with the Nouacians erroure which is That after man by Baptisme and the holye Ghoste is regenerated and hath tasted of the grace of God and hath embraced Christe and his holye woorde if he fall to sinne againe he is without remedye of Saluation Vndoubtedly this is a verye damnable erroure inough to bring all them that are infected therewith to desperation But albeit they grounde this their errour vpon this afore aleadged texte of S. Paule and certaine other textes yet they misse the Marke because they take this Scripture too straitlye not referrng it to manye other places of scripture which plainely shew That when soeuer and how often so euer a Sinner repenteth him truely of his sinnes and cōmitteth him selfe with a sure faith vnto y● mercy of God thorow Christ God receiueth him again to grace and saluation Doubtlesse No prophecy in the scripture hath any priuat 2. Pet. 1. 20. interpretation but must néedes be expounded according to the generall articles of the Christian faith and agréeable to other textes of holy scripture and so must this text be also Now trueth it is that there is almost innumerable texts in holy scripture that most plainlye do declare that when so euer a true repentaunte sinner by vnfained faith returneth vnto God and asketh mercy for Christs sake he shall vndoubtly haue it And albeit the holye scriptu●● is full of such places yet heere by Gods grace I will shew and rehearse to you some of them to giue you occasion to marke them and such like places as you shal finde almost in euery leafe of the Byble Pro. 24. 16. A iust man falleth seauen times and riseth vp againe Marke y● scripture saith he riseth vp againe The wickednesse of the Ezech. 33. wicked shall not hurt him whensoeuer he conuerteth Note what it saith when soeuer he conuerteth Let the vngodly man forsake Esay 55. his owne waye and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and turne againe vnto the Lord so shall he be mercifull vnto him Thou disobedient Israel Iere. 3. turn again saith the Lord and I will not let my wrath fall vpon you Thus saith the Lord doo Iere. 8. men fall so that they rise not vp againe or if Israel doo repent will not God turne againe to them Turne you vnto me sayth Zach. 1. the Lord God of hostes and I will turn me vnto you Remember from whence Apoc. 2. thou art falne and doo the firste woorks Mark in the Gospel of Luke 15. Luke the example of the vnthriftie Sonne Also Christe said vnto Peter Peter I haue prayed Luke 22. for thee that thy faith fayle not and when thou art conuerted strengthen thy Brethren Marke he saith When thou art conuerted c. Lo if you weigh these places of scripture afore alleadged and almost innumerable moe of the same sorte you shall perceiue euidentlye that though A Christian haue sinned neuer so ofte as who dooth not daylye offende God yet when soeuer he returneth vnto God by true repentance which consisteth of inward contricion a sure faith in Christ Iesu he is assured by the woorde of God to recouer and receiue againe the grace fauour and mercy of God which thorow his disobedience he had worthely lost and immediatly to enioy ful absolute and perfect remission and forgiuenesse of all his sinnes thorowe Iesus Christe in whome he reposeth all his faith truste and confidence of saluation The Gospell assureth him no lesse saying So God loued the world Ioh. 3. that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that who so euer beleeueth in him shoulde not perishe but haue euerlasting life More ouer if you mark wel the examples of godlye men which are registred in holye scripture you shall plainelye perceiue that albeit they were highly in Gods fauour yet for all that many of thē had great falles and committed very hainous offences but they did rise vp againe returning to Gods mercye by true repentance faith and so recouered againe their former grace which they thorowe their owne folly had lost Aaron was so muche Aaron fauoured of God that by Gods calling hee was made the high bishop and curate ouer his People And yet at the light request of the Israelites he let them make and worship the Golden Calfe contrarye to his Conscience by reason wherof bothe hee and they committed that most detest able sinne of Idolatrye and yet he by true repentaunce and faithe returning to grace was saued Dauid Gods deare darlinge Dauid after that hee had the knoweledge of God and had muche tasted of his grace béeing indued aboundauntlye with the holy Ghost and gratious giftes from aboue fell both into the sinne of adultry and murther And yet by true and vnfained repentance returning to Gods mercy was accepted and receiued againe into Gods fauour Manasses also contrary Manasses vnto his Conscience fell willinglye to Idolatrye but yet he rose againe by true repentaunce and faithe and recouered againe the grace of god So likewise that wicked The sinfull Corinthian 1. Cor. 5. man of the Citie of Corinthus whom S. Paule straitlye charged the Corinthians to excommunicate and erclude out of the holy congregation of Christian men and that they shoulde neither eate nor drinke with him because of his open and abhominable crime of incest and outragious whordome and yet when he declared him self to be truelye repentant for his great and infamous sin Saint Paule admonished 2. Cor. 2. them with all gentlenesse and Christian Charity to receiue him again

is an humble and lowly confession of sins made vnto God euen from the hart As when a sinner examineth his life by the commādements of God so findeth his conscience burdned and encombred with sinne and feeleth thereby what danger of damnation that he is in this feeling of his sicke conscience wil greatly moue him to séeke a Phisition And when hée perceiueth that there is no medicine will heale his disease but onely the mercye of God he will not cease to make all the suite that hee can to obtaine it Hee will without any delaye prostrate him selfe before God and with an humble lowlye and contrite hart minde acknowledg him selfe gréeuouslye to haue offended his Godlye maiesty in thought consent delectation woorde and déede He will neuer leaue off his lamentable suite and faithfull praier and requeste of this his bountifull mercye till he obteine it The swelling rage of his putrified conscience will neuer be asswaged till the precious oyle of Gods mercy haue suppled it mittigated it quieted it and vtterly cured and healed it Of this maner of confession the holye Scripture doth many times treate both by plaine authoritye and examples By authority If we knowledge our sinnes Authoritie 1. Iohn 1. saith S. Iohn God is faithfull and iuste to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse Examples there bee manye Of which I will at this time content my selfe with two or three King Dauid féelinge the Dauid intollerable burthen of his sinnes cryed out saying Haue mercy vpon me O God after thy greate goodnesse Psal 51. and according vnto thy great mercies doo awaye mine offences Washe me againe from my wickednesse and clense me from my sinne For I knowledge my faultes and my sinne is euer before me Against thee onlye againste Psal 24. thee haue I sinned for thy names sake O Lord be mercifull vnto my sinne for it is great The Publican also The Publicane Luke 18. saith Be mercifull O God to me a sinner This confession and knowledging of our sins vnto God if with a contrite and sorrowfull hart it be doone in faith God which knoweth the secretes of euerye mans minde will accepte and allowe though the repentant sinner vttereth not one woorde with his mouth Example of the sinfull The sinfull woman Luke 7. woman that came vnto Christe She spake nothing but wepte and lowlye fell down at christes féete and washed them with the teares of her Eyes and dryed them with the haires of her heade and annoynted them with oyntement All which thinges were euident witnesses of her true and vnfained repentance of her sinnes and fruites of her sure faith that she had in Christes goodnesse For whose comfort Christe saide thy sinnes are forgiuen thee thy Faith hath saued thee goe thy way in peace This earnest confession of sinnes vnto God should euerye Christian daylye practise and exercise vnfaynedlye Of this aforesaide confession to God springeth out the Confession of our owne sinfulnesse before men For he that felt a taste of the mercye of God as hée shall sée occasion to Confession of sinnes before men glorifie God by his example will not be ashamed either priuatelye before one man or openlye before manye men yea thoughe all the whole worlde were present to confesse him selfe to haue béene an horrible transgressour of Gods Holye commaundementes He will nothing doubte but that hée with this his meeke Confession shall muche glorifie God and mooue the Hearers by his example to abhorre sinne and chaunge their euill life Of this wée haue an euidente example in Gods chosen vessel S. Paule which after his conuersation vnto the faith of Christe was not ashamed many times openlye to confesse before Act. 22. 16. men what an vnmercifull Tirant vngratious graft he was against the Holye Congregation of christe before his conuertion to the Faithe This thinge also ashamed hée not to write and set forth to the whole world sayeing I am not woorthy to be 1. Cor. 15. 1. Tim. 1. called an Apostle because I persecuted the congregation of God And in an other place he sayth I was a blasphemer and a tirant c And after Christ Iesus came into the Worlde to saue sinners of whom I am cheefe This example of Saint Paule verye fewe of the Papistes in Englande haue followed vnlesse it Few of the Papists of England follow this example were by constrainte for feare of bodilye punishment And therefore for my parte I suspect them to remaine Papistes still in their heartes For if they had vnfainedlye abhorred Papistrye they woulde after this example of S. Paul with al their harts haue confessed thēselues to be deceiued and also to haue with false doctrin deceiued the people and therfore haue openly and hartelye asked them mercye for the same by dooing wherof doubtlesse they shoulde very muche haue glorified God The thirde manner of Confession of sinnes is a priuate Confession to man And that is of two sortes The fi●ste is for the direction establishement and comforte of a mans owne Conscience Priuat confession of sin is needful to many for knowledg counsell and comfort towardes God The other is touching the reconsiliation and confession of a mans faulte and trespasse to his Neighbor whome he hath offended And as touching the first waye of priuate Confession to man I thinke it is a good and holesome maner and fashion conuenient and néedefull to be vsed and obserued of manye of Gods People for three causes that is for knowledge counsell and for comfort Firste for knowledge For knowledge as when a simple man or womā that hath heard little or no preaching of Gods woorde by reason wherof they haue almost no knowledge of God or his Commaundementes neither of the profession of Baptisme neither of faith neither haue they in a manner any knoweledge at all of the way of Saluation by Christes death Is it not needefull thinke you for suche ignoraunte Personnes to hunte and séeke out some discrete and learned minister of Gods woorde and to acknowledge vnto him their greate ignorance and to require at his mouth the knowledg of the Lawe of the Lord and of the waye of saluation Is it not written That the Priestes lippes Malac. 2. shoolde be sure knowledge that men maye seeke the law at his mouth for he is a messenger of the Lord of hostes It is méete therefore that Préestes shoulde haue good knowledge in Gods woorde for they are appointed to be shepheards ouer the flock of Christe to féed the soules of gods People with the delicate food of Gods woord specially with the holy bread of life Christe Iesu that came down from heauen to saue al his people from their sinnes But alas for pitie the spirituall shéepeheardes in many places of the world and speciallye in England are verye rude vnlearned and vnable to teache other men because they themselues lacke the knowledge and righte

suche Persons as are hothe chaste honest vertuous and godly Beside that to remēber dayly what painefull passion and death Christ suffered for our sinnes and filthy affections To consider also the certaintie and suddainnesse of death and what a straite account and reckoning must be giuen of euery idle woorde much more of filthye actes and vncleannesse But speciallye to vse daylye faithfull and feruent suite Praier and supplication vnto God for the grations gifte of chastity and cleannesse of heart And finally if these ●e practised and will not serue nor suffise for the auoiding of Whordome then in any wise to take a wife for when all other remedies faile that with the practising of the other will serue For that is the moste present medicine and natural remedy that God hath properly ordeined to cure the disease of filthye concupiscence whordome and adultrye after the doctrine of S. Paule which fayth To auoyde Wh●●do me let euerye man take his own wife and 1. Corin. 7. euerye woman her own husband Thirdly this priuate ●●●●lession is chéefelye néedefull for them that are tormented in their Consciences and are not fullye perswaded y● their sinnes are forgiuen them by reason whereof they are halfe in desperation These I say haue muche néede of a discrete spiritual Phisition to comfort them For vnlesse their weak faith ●e staied and lifted vp by some comfortable restoratiues of the swéete promises of grace and mercy in Christs Iesu it is to be feared that their ghostly enemy Sathan will shortlye bring them to desperation and finallye to euerlastinge damnation Therefore héere the discreece ●oule Phisition will laboure with too the and nayle to beate into this spirituall pacients minde remembraunce the most swéet plain and euident promises of Gods aide and assistance to be alway ready to them that aske it in faithfull praier Wherfore it is verye néedefull to such weaklings in the Faithe that are so sore brused in Conscience to make all the haste that they can possible to the Heardman of their souls and plainely to open and acknowledge their gréefe vnto him desiring to here of his mouth the comfortable promises of grace in Christe Iesu to staye and lifte vp their weake and féeble Consciences Sainte Iames saythe Pray one for another that ye may bee healed For saith Iames. 5. h● the feruente Prayer of a righteous Man anayleth much If the praier of one godly person be of muche value then is the prayers of two good Christians agréeing togither in prayer for any Godly purpose of more value For Christe sayth If two of you shall agree vppon Math. 18. earth for what thing soeuer it bee that they desire they shall haue it of my Father which is in Heauen For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest among them Marke that Christe sayth If two of you shall agree vppon earth c. And where two or three are gathéred togeather in my name there am I present among them And I pray you is not this weake faythed person and his curate consulting of these matters gathered togeather in Christes name If they be as vndoutedly they are then is Christ in companye with them by the assistaunce of his grace and presence of his God head Againe if they two thus assembled doo agree to pray together to God for the increace and establlshmēt of the fayth of this Spirituall patient then sayth Christe vnto them thus If two of you shall agree vpon earth for what thing so euer it be that they would desire they shall haue it of my Father which is in Heauen Good Lord what a comfortable place of scripture is this For we may learn by it that if there be but two persōs gathered togither in Christes name for any good and godlye purpose then is Christe presente with them And if they agrée to aske any godly requeste of God they shall haue it graunted what thing soeuer it bee saith Christ so it be a godly requeste contained within the lymits of faith charity and agréeing vnto 1. Iohn 5. the will of God For ●● Iohn saithe If we shall aske any thinge according to his will he heareth vs. But heere one will say Obiection Sir me thinke you take the scriptures too straightly if you would binde vs to cōfesse our faults only to a préest or onely to our owne Curate For albeit S. Iames saith Iam. 5. Knoweledge your faultes one to another Yet he saith not one lay man vnto a Préeste nor one Parishione● vnto his own Curate and to no other but he saith generally one to an other Therefore I thinke that I may aswell make my confession to anye other man as vnto a Préeste or vnto mine own curate Answere Trueth it is that thou mayest freelye chuse anye discreete Christian man that is well learned in the holye Scripture and resorte to him for learning counsell and comfort but yet for all that there is none so meete for thy purpose in that behalfe as thine owne Curate if he be no Papist neither or corrupt iudgement in y● scriptures but be honest discreete well exercised in Gods holye woord For he is appointed of God to be heardman of thy soul at whose mouth thou maiste lawfullye require learning counsel and comfort yea hee is called and appointed of God to preach vnto thee and to all other his Parishioners both priuately and apertly secretlye and openlye the Gospell of Christ to comforte thy soule when néed is Which preaching of What is the true absolution Gods mercy freely giuen to the faithful for Christs sake what other thing is it then the true absolution of their sinnes For what other thing is the priuate absolution of the préest but a priuate or secret preaching of Christs Gospell What can the Préeste more promise the sinner by his absolution but therby to declare vnto him that if hee repent him of his sinfull life and vnfainedlye purpose to amend reposing his whole faith trust and confidence in the promises of grace and mercy in Christe Iesu that then Gods trueth shall saue him for Christs sake Can he promise the sinner anye other thinge then to bee saued if hée from the hart doo repent beleeue and purpose to walke in a newe life I think not Resorte therefore to thine own Curate if he be honest discréete and well learned as I saide before and thinke him to bee that person that is appointed of God to minister Christs Gospell and his Sacraments vnto thee at suche conuenient times as shall be needefull to the comforte of thy troubled conscience There is also another kinde of priuate Confession Confession of reconciliation which may aptly be called the confession of reconciliation As when I haue offended my christian Brother and haue prouoked him to anger It is my bounden duetye to reconcile my selfe vnto him and to acknowledge my faulte and desire of him forgiuenesse thereof This Confession