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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	begin_v	excellent_a	great_a	97	3	2.1571	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13257	A confession of fayth made by common consent of diuers reformed churches beyonde the seas: with an exhortation to the reformation of the Churche. Perused and allowed accordinge to the Queenes Maiesties iniunctions.; Confessio Helvetica Posterior. English.	Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605.; Bullinger, Heinrich, 1504-1575.; Old, John, fl. 1545-1555.	1568 (1568)	STC 23554; ESTC S118060	120,110	316

other halfe of the word of God Surely he that denieth this denieth the Sonne to shine at the middaie And I praie you what common wealthe what citie what house or familie shall not straight waies bee dissolued vnlesse it be knit together with The churche the scolehouse of honestie maie not bee the denne of vnthriftes the bondes of Lawes and Order What Shall wée suffer the Churche of Christe that teacheth all holinesse and honestie to bée transformed into a schoole of wickednesse and licencious life But if we take awaie this discipline that wée speake of if euery one bee permitted to preache publikely if there be no examinacion of the doctrine and maners of the Pastours if euery man bee receiued without difference vnto the Sacramentes if it be not lawful to reproue those that synne with the offence of others and seuerely to correcte those that resiste stubbernely and also in the ende if nede be by the example of the Apostle to thrust suche forthe of the flocke leaste thei infecte others and also vnlessé there be prouision for the poore and almoses bée distributed by the order appoincted by the holy ghost vnlesse finally all thynges bee rightly and orderly dooen in the house of God what will the Churche bee streight waies for the moste parte but an assemblie of men geuen to libertie and all licētious life But will some saie these An obiection The answer are the duties of Magistrates As though wée wee would haue temporall and yearthly thinges suche as are onely for this world to come into question by any meanes in the Ecclesiasticall Consistorie or that we would exempt either Pastours them selues or any others from the aucthoritie or commaundemente of the Ciuile Magistrates as those doe whom men call Catholikes Christ aunswered vnto them that called Christe hath established the discipline of the church vpon hym to deuide their heritage who saieth he hath appoincted me youre Iudge But he saieth also he that heareth not the Churche let hym bee as an Heathen a Publicane wherfore those thynges are to be disseuered that GOD hath deuided but thei maie not be takē awaie that he hath established Naie certainly it is so farre from the truthe that this Discipline dooeth hinder or lessen the ancthoritie of the Magistrates if it bée lawfully that is to saie by the worde of God onely placed and ordered that contrarywise it dooeth as muche as maie bée establishe it séeyng that nothyng is able so muche to maintain publike tranquilitie as this one thyng that the conscienses of all maie bée retained in the feare of God But it is to bée feared least that olde Popishe An obiection tyrannie bée brought again into the Churche So it is howbeit this is greate The answer foolishenesse saieth the Poet so to auoide vices that thou doe fall into the contrary extremities Wherefore wee maie not auoide Christs yoke of Discipline moste sweete to the godlie mannes tyrannie shake of Christes yoke but we muste receiue it for it is onely vnpleasaunte vnto the wicked and prophane persones and is to the good and godlie moste swéete and comfortable And wée are so farre from coumptyng the Magistrates The Magistrates the sheldes of the Churche and you whom God hath made the foster fathers of his Churche by the Kinges Maiesties Decrees Laie men as certaine dooe and so to separate you as straūgers frō this discipline that I speake of that contrary wise wée doe iudge that this poinct chieflie belongeth vnto you to punishe most seuerely those troublesome contemners of the Churche and by your aucthoritie to procure that the worship of God maie moste purely bee maintained And seyng this regimente of the Elders must bee appoincted not onely of the Pastours but of suche also by whom the pastours theim selues if néede bée maye bée corrected who is so madde but that in the chusyng of the Elders he muste thinke that greate consideracion must bee had of those that besides the commendacions of their godlinesse haue also aucthoritie and proeminence in the Churche But paraduenture I haue spoken to muche of these thynges vnto you especially of whose good willes I can nothyng doubt Therfore I make an ende besechyng the moste merciful and mightie God that he would strengthen thee moste noble Prince with his mightie power and you the rest of the renouned Lordes endued with his holie and excellente spirite and with the true knowledge of his soonne and vouchsafe to adorne you cōtinually more and more with all his moste excellente giftes that he maie finishe that greate worke that he hath begonne in you to the full restoryng of his heauenly kyngdome moste blessedly with your immortall praise and glorie At Geneua the .x. of the Calendes of Marche The yere from Christes incarnaciō for vs. 1565. To al the faithfull Christians whiche are in Germany and other foraigne Nations the Ministers of the Churches throughout Heluetia vvhose names are subscribed wishe grace and peace from God the Father by Iesus Christe our Lorde MAny and sundrie cōfessiōs and declarations of our Faith haue béene heretofore writtē but chieflye in this our age set foorthe in Printe by Kingedomes Nations and Cities wherby in these our latter daies in so vnhappie increase of pernicious Heresies which euery where sprynge vp they shewe and testifie that they thinke beleue and teache purely plainely and according to the vnfallible truthe all euery Article of the Christian faithe and Religiō to be short that thei are farre from Heresies or erronious opinions Albeit therefore we haue done the like alreadie in our writinges whiche we haue published yet bicause they are now perhaps out of minde scattered in diuers places intreate of the matter more at large then that euery man can haue leasure to peruse and reade them through we beinge incoraged by other faithfull mens good example doo our indeuour in this briefe declaratiō to comprehende and set foorth to al that beleue in Christe the doctrine gouernment of our Churches whiche they frō the beginninge of their reformation these many yeares wadinge through sundrie perils haue taught euen to this daie and now also doo retaine with one full cōsent Hereby also we witnesse to all men our generall agrement which the Lord hath wrought emong vs that in our Churches wherein God hath apointed vs Ministers we al speake one thinge not disagreynge amonge our selues but are a perfecte bodie of one minde of one iudgement Moreouer we declare by this our woorke that we sowe not such séede of corrupte doctrine in our Churches as many of our aduersaries falsely and vndeseruedly goe about to laie to our charge to thrust violently vpō vs specially in their hearinge to whome our writinges come not and before suche as know not our Doctrine Indifferent Readers therefore shall most manifestly perceiue by this our writinge that we doo in no wise allow any Heresies whiche heresies that it might the better appeare how greatly

for it shoulde not be done if he woulde not suffer it to be done neyther doubtles doth he permit it vnwillingly or by force but willingly Neither woulde he beynge so good a God suffer any thinge to be euell done except beinge omnipotent also he coulde turne the euell to good thus much Augustine Other questiōs Curious questions whether God woulde that Adā should fall or whether he cōpelled him to fall or why he staied him not from falling and such like we compte to curious to be discussed excepte perhaps the wickednesse of Heretikes or some importunate men enforce vs to declare these things out of the woorde of God as oft times godly doctours of the Churche haue done For we know that the lord Reg. 2. did forbidde man to take of the forbidden fruite and that he punished the breach of his commaundement Neither are we ignorant that those things whiche are done are not euell in respecte of Gods Prouidence will and power but in respect of Sathan our will whiche rebelleth againste Gods will ¶ Of free will and of the strength or force of Man Cap. 9. WE teach in this controuersie whiche hath alwaies bredds much cōtention in the Church 〈◊〉 that the condition or state of man is thrée waies to be cōsidered First what The state of man before his fal mā was before his fall that is to wit that he was righteous and had freewil to continue in goodnes or decline to il howbeit he choose to doo wickedly whereby he intangled himselfe and all mankinde in the snares of sinne and death as it is before declared Secondarily we muste consider in what case VVhat mā vvas after his fall man was after his fall he was not berest of his vnderstādyng his will was not taken frō him he cleane chaūged into a stone or a blocke yet those giftes were so altered diminished in him that they were not so excellent or able to doo so much as they were before his fall For his knowledge was darkned his will was made bonde whereas before it was frée for nowe it serueth sinne not vnwillingly but willingly for it is called Will not Will therfore as touching wickednesse or sinne Man dothe euill not by cōpulsion but of his ovvne accorde Man hath freevvill to euill man not cōpelled either of God or the Diuell but of his owne motion doth euell and in this behalfe hath fréewill to doo mischiefe Whereas we sée it full oft come to passe that God hindereth the wicked enterprises and councels of man that he hath not his purpose we must not therby gether that he taketh from man the libertie he hath to doo euell but that he preuenteth him by his might and power of that intēt whiche God disapointeth mans deuises otherwise man had fréely determined to doo as Iosephs brothern did by their owne fréewill apointe to dispatche Ioseph out of his life howbeit they could not doo it because God had otherwise by his councell determined As touchinge goodnes and vertue mans knowledge doth not as of it self Man cānot doo good of himself iudge well of diuine matters For the Scriptures writen by the Euangelist and Apostles require of euery one of vs whiche would be saued to be borne anewe So that the former birth by Adam dothe nothinge profite vs to obtaine saluation Paule saieth The naturall 1. Cor. 2. man perceaueth not the thinges of the spirit of God And in the. 2. Cor. 3. He denieth that we are sufficient of our selues to thinke any thinge as of our selues but our sufficiēcie is of God It is manifest that the minde and vnderstanding guideth the will but if the guide be blinde it is euidēt how farre will wandereth Wherefore man not yet being regenerated hath no fréewil to doo good no strength to bringe any good thinge to passe The Lorde in the Gospel affirmeth Verily verily I say Ioh. ● vnto you that euery one that committeth sinne is the seruaunte of sinne And Paule the Apostle writeth The Rom. 8. wisdome of the flesh is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the lawe of God neither indéede cā it be Furthermore man after his fall had muche knowledge of earthly thinges For God of his mercy lefte him witte but much differing from that which he had before his fall God biddeth man sharpen his wittes and God himselfe increaseth his giftes in man It is manifest Knovvledge in all sciences is Gods gifte how litell or nothing we profite in any arte without the blessing of God Truely the Scripture witnesseth that all sciences come of him yea euen the Ethnickes ascribed the first beginninge of artes to that Gods as inuētors therof Last of all we must cōsider whether they which are regenerated haue fréewill The strēgth of men regenerate and after vvhat sorte they haue freevvill and after what sorte they haue it In regeneration the minde is inspired with the holy spirite to vnderstād and know the secretes will of God And the will is not onely chaūged by Gods Spirite but is made of habilitie also of her owne accorde to be willing and able to doo good Except we graunt this Rom. 8. we shall denie Christian libertie and shal bring in the bondage of the lawe The Prophet Ieremie speaketh thus in the person of God I will putte my Ierem. 31. lawe in their mindes and write it in there hartes The Lorde also sayeth Ezech. 36. Ioh. 8. in the Gospell If the Sonne of God shall make you frée ye shal be frée in déede And Paule to the Philippians 1. Vnto you it is giuen for Christe that not onely ye shoulde beleue in him but also suffer for his sake And againe I am perswaded that he whiche hath begonne this good woorke in you will performe it vntill the daye of Iesus Christe Also Philip. 2. It is God whiche woorketh in you bothe the will and the déede Here notwithstanding twoo thinges are to be obserued First that those whiche be regenerated in electiō Tvvoo thinges to be noted and doo good both not onely passiuely but also actiuely for they be driuen of God to doo that whiche they doo Wherfore Augustine doth wel alledge the God is called our helper nowe none can be helped except he take in hande somthinge The Manicheis spoyled mā The Manicheis madnes of all action made him as a stone or blocke Secondarily we must note that an infirmitie and seblenes remayneth in them which be regenerated In seinge Freevvill in them that be regenerate is feble and very vveake that sinne dwelleth in them and the flesh although thei be borne a new striueth against the spirite as longe as they liue thei doo not altogether without comberaunce bringe that to passe which they determined these thinges are confirmed by the Apostle Rom. 7. Gal. 5. Therefore weake is our frée will by reason of the dregges of old Adam and the

a name The preaching of the gospell is called The spirite and the letter ii Cor. iii. also by the apostle the Spirit the seruice of the Spirit because that it is made of great efficacy liuely by faith in the eares or rather in the hartes of beleuers by the holy ghost illuminating thē For the letter whiche is contrary to the spirit doeth surely signifie euery outward thyng but chiefly the doctrin of the lawe whiche causeth wrathe to vnbeleuers and prouoketh to synne without the aide of the spirit and faith woorkyng in their mindes For the whiche cause the Apostle calleth it also the ministerie of death For here vnto belōgeth that saiyng of his the letter killeth but the spirite quicekneth The false Prophetes preached the gospell corruptly mingelyng the Lawe therewith as though Christ could not The heresies saue vs without the lawe Suche as the Hebionites are said to be who sprang of the heretike Hebeō Suche wer the Nazareans whiche were in olde tyme called Minei whom euery one we cōdemne Preachyng the Gospell purely teachyng that by the spirite alone and not by the lawe beleuers are iustified But of this matter we will intreate hereafter more at large in the title of Iustificacion And albeeit the Preachyng of the Gospell compared with the Pharises The doctrine of the Gospel is not newe but a moste auncient doctrine doctrine of the Lawe séemed when it was firste preached by Christe to bée a newe doctrine whiche Hieremie also prophesied of the new Testament yet in verie déede it was not onely then and now is olde doctrine as now adayes Papistes call it newe comparyng it with their longe receiued doctrine but also is the moste auncient doctrine in the worlde For God from the beginnyng predestinated she worlde to be saued by Christe Whiche predestinacion and eternall counsaile of his he hath opened to the worlde by the Gospell whereby it is manifeste that the Religion and doctrine of the Gospell is the eldest of all that euer was is or shal be Wherefore we saie that all thei are fouly deceiued and speake vnsemelie of Gods euerlastyng counsaile whiche affirme that the Gospell and this religion is sprong vp of late and is a faithe scase thirtie yeres olde In whō that saiyng of Esay the Prophete Esaie v. is fulfilled Wo be to them that speake good of euill and euill of good whiche put darkenesse from light and light from darkenesse and that putte bitter for swéete and swéete for sowre ¶ Of repentaunce and the conuersion of man Chap. 14. THe Gospell hath ioigned vnto what repentaunce is Luke xxiiii it the doctrine of Repentaūce For so saied the Lorde Repēpentaunce and remission of synnes muste bée preached in my name to all nacions By repentaunce we vnderstande the amendement of the mynde in the sinfull man prouoked therevnto by the preaching of the Gospell and inward woorkyng of the holie ghoste and receiued with true saithe wherby the synner doeth straite waie acknowledge his naturall corrupcion and all his synnes reproued by the woorde of God and beeyng hariely sorie for the same doeth not onely bewaile his iniquities but beeyng ashamed thereof confesse theim but also with disdaine deteste them mindyng earnestlie to amende and alwaies indeuouryng to leade an innocent and vertuous life as long as he liueth And this assuredly Repentaunce is a true conuersion from satan to God is vnfained repentaunce to wit a true conuersion to God and all goodnesse with a spedie departure from satan and all euill We also plainly affirme that this repentaūce is the mere gifte of God and not the worke of our Repentaunce is the gifte of God ii Cor. ii strengthe For the Apostle biddeth a faithfull minister diligētly to instruct theim whiche resiste the truthe assaiyng if God at any tyme will giue thē repentaunce that thei maie knowe the truthe Moreouer the synfull woman mencioned in the Gospell who wasshed Christes fete with her teares and Peter who wept bitterly be wailyng Luke vii and. xxii his deniall of Christe doe plainly declare vnto vs what maner of minde the penitent should haue when he earnestly lamenteth his sinnes which he hath committed The prodigall sonne also and the Publicane mencioned in the Gospell and compared with the Pharisie are fitte examples for vs to imitate in confessing our sinnes The prodigall sonne saied Father I haue synned against heauen in thy sight nowe I am not worthie to bee called thy soonne make me as one of thy hiered seruauntes The Publicane not beyng so bolde as to lifte vp his yies to heauen knockyng his breast cried O God bee mercifull to me a synner These penitent offendours we doubt not but that God receiued againe to his mercie and fauour For Ihon the Apostle saith If we acknowledge our i. Ihon. i. synnes he is faithfull and iuste to forgiue vs our synnes and to clense vs from all vnrightuousnes If wee saie we haue not synned wée make hym a lier and his woorde is not in vs. Wée beleue that this plain and frée confessiō which is made onely to God either priuately betwixte God and the offendour or openly in the Churche when the generall confession of synne is recited dooeth suffice and that it is not necessarie to obtaine remission of synnes by confessyng our offences Popishe confession with whisperyng in a Priestes eare or by hearing his absolucion while he laieth his handes vpō our heddes For of suche maner of repentaunce there is founde in the holie scriptures neither any commaundement ne yet example Dauid protested saiyng I acknowledged Psal xxxii my synne vnto thée neither hid I myne iniquitie from thée I thought I would confesse against my self my wickednesse vnto the Lorde and thou diddeste remitte the punishmente of my synne The Lorde also teachyng vs to praie and eke to confesse our iniquities saied Thus shall ye praie Our father which art in heauen c. Math. vi Forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue theim that trespas against vs. It is therefore necessary that wée confesse our faultes and that wee reconcile Note our selues to our brother if we haue offēded hym Of the whiche kind of confession Iames the Apostle speaketh saiyng Acknowledge your synnes Iames. v. one to another How bee it if any what priuate Confession is allowed man beyng oppressed with the burthē and temptacion of doubtfull synne would aske counsaile and seeke comfort priuately either of the minister of the church or any other learned in the Laws of God wée disalowe it not In like maner we greatly commēde that Publike confession generall and publike confession of sinnes whiche is accustomed to be rehersed as we saied before in the Churche and holy assemblies Many babble maruelous thynges of the Keies of the kyngdome of God The forged keyes of the kyngdome of heauen and forge thereby swoordes speares scepters crounes and absolute auctoritie ouer the greateste kingdomes to