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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	bless_a	jesus_n	lord_n	6,161	5	3.6174	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05360	An excellent treatise of Christian righteousnes, written first in the French tongue by M.I. de l'Espine, and translated into English by I. Feilde for the comforte of afflicted consciences, verie necessarie and profitable to be reade of all Christians, as well for establishing them in the true doctrine of iustification, as also for enabling them to confute the false doctrine of all Papistes and heretickes; Excellent traité de la justice chrestienne. English.	L'Espine, Jean de, ca. 1506-1597.; Fielde, John, d. 1588.	1577 (1577)	STC 15512; ESTC S106720	64,303	130

AN EXCELLENT TREATISE OF CHRISTIAN RIGHTEOVSNES WRITTEN FIRST in the French tongue by M. I. de l'Espine and translated into English by I. Feilde for the comforte of afflicted consciences verie necessarie and profitable to be reade of all Christians as well for establishing them in the true doctrine of Iustification as also for enabling them to confute the false doctrine of all Papistes and Heretickes ANCHORA SPEI Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautrollier dwelling in the Blackfriers 1577. To the Reader Loe here the ioy of Christians all laid vp within this booke To teache the way that leades to life whereon ech man may looke It is not we but it is he that freely giueth life That none but he may praised be without gainesay or strife TO THE VERTVOVS AND MY VERY DEARE FREND THE LADY ELIzabeth Terwhitte I. F. wisheth encrease of godlines and constancy in the true religion of Christ to the ende and in the ende RIght vvorshipfull my very good Lady after I had perused this litle treatise of Christian righteousnes as it vvas first vvritten in the Frenche tongue I tooke great cōfort in it thought it to be very necessary to be turned into Englishe for the benefite of Christes poore Church I therefore as occasiō serued at conuenient times performed that I purposed vvherein I haue studied to be as simple and plaine because of the vnlearned as possibly the matter phrase of that tongue vvould suffer me I am not ignoraunt vvhat an hard thing it is to translate vvell and contrarivvise hovv easie a thing it is for euery carping Momus or ignoraunt zoilus to finde fault but herein I shall as God shall asist me arme my selfe vvith paciēce to beare vvhatsoeuer hath bin is or shal be layd vpon me This only shall cōfort me that I vvalke not before men but before God in vvhose presence I protest that according to the simple knovvledge he hath giuen me I haue dealt simply and sincerely Of all vanities I esteeme it the greatest to hange vppon the blastes of mens mouthes They that are that vvaies caried highest and haue not the testimony of good consciences neither seeke to approue themselues to God to vvhom they must stand or faule they shall finde no comfort in it in the day of death It litle auaileth a man to be iustified of the vvhole vvorld and to be condemned before god Therefore God giue vs grace to vvalke as in his presence that vvhatsoeuer vve take in hande it may be consecrated to him haue an excellent blessing vpon it I haue dedicated my labours herein to your good Ladyshippe for sundry causes thogh I deny not but my meaning is to make them common to the church of God first that they may be a testimony to all posterity of your forvvardnes fidelity sinceritie in the religion of Christ Iesus Then of my bounden duety and good vvill tovvards you And I most humbly beseeche you in the eyes and sight of the vvhole vvorlde that you constantly and inuiolably holde and keepe that blessed hope of your best inheritance And as God in mercy hath dravven you out of the sincke and mier of Poperie and of the false vvorshippe of God vvherto as to all other vices vve are most apt by nature to the true religion of Christ so goe forvvards and most humbly and continually thanke him for it Acknovvledge it the greatest benefit that euer in mercy he coulde haue bestovved vppon you Bevvare of the vvorld that maketh least accompt of this most excellent and vvaighty thinge Study by all meanes to ansvvere this holy excellent callinge that your religion may shine as vvell in vvorkes as in vvordes in an holy conuersation as in a sincere professiō Knovv assuredly that vvhere the truth of God raigneth there the kingdome of Sathan decaieth the strength of sinne abateth the pleasures of the flesh are restrained Iesus Christ by the scepter of his holy vvord blessed spirit cōtinually vvorketh to the daily mortifying of the outvvard man and quickening the invvard to the brideling maistering of the affections of the mind till it be renued reformed chaunged into his holy obedience and so by litle and litle be translated into his kingdome And till this be brought to passe you shall neuer feele vvhat Christes righteousnes is vvhich is our only happines vvherof this booke so notably comfortably entreateth The Lord Iesus open your heart and giue you vnderstanding in all his misteries that you may see his great glory till you may comprehende vvith all Saincts the height depth vvidth and length of his glorious righteousnes laying holde vpon it through aliuely faith and so be sealed vp through him as I doubt not but you are to euerlasting happines fare you vvell most humbly from my poore house this seconde of Nouember 1577. Your good Ladyships bounden in the lord I. F. AN EXCELLENT TREATISE OF CHRISTIAN RIGHTEOVSNES Made by M. I. de l'Espine Minister of the worde of God and newly put furthe for the instruction and consolation of the children of God. THERE is not any one article in all our Christian Fayth the knowledge whereof canne be so helthfull and necessarie vnto vs as this of Christian righteousnesse Nowe forasmuch as of this righteousnesse dependeth euerlasting life and of Faith dependeth this righteousnesse and of Faith cometh that knowledge which we haue of the promises of our God and of Iesus Christ who is the onely meane that they are applyed and freely accomplished towardes vs without hauinge any respect to any of our workes It behoueth for the better vnderstanding of all these thinges aright that we laye them furthe in order beginne with the definition of Christian righteousnesse But it must be noted that in the holy Scripture the signification and vse of this worde Righteousnesse is farre different from that which is vsurped in the bookes of the philosophers and schoolemen because they take righteousnesse for a certaine habite and qualitie which being enclosed in our minde enclineth vs to liue honestly and in such sorte to order the course of all our actions that they be entirelie conformable to reason and to those rules that are sette out vnto vs in the Lawe A thinge that we can not doe perfectly seeing that we are loaden and compassed about with so greate infirmitie and for that our nature beinge so diseased and corrupted it yrcketh vs and wholy turneth vs from the loue study and exercise of that which is good and disposeth and stirreth vs vp to the quite contrary to embrace and followe vice with a meruelous will and readynesse Adde hereunto that we are driuen and ledde in this case by many tentations and assaultes wherewith the flesh the worlde and deuill doe continually assaile vs Wherfore we must conclude that in the whole worlde there can neuer be founde a righteous man if righteousnesse be to be measured according to that definition which the philosophers haue

we must note that being vnited by faith in our Lorde Iesus Christ and graffed in him as members in their body that he is then become our heade and we are ioyned to him as the housbande to his wife By meanes whereof he chargeth him selfe with all our debtes and appointeth him selfe to be the aunswere and pledge for vs to the ende he maye paye all for vs and throughly acquite vs of all that we are indebted and bounde for offring him selfe to satisfie the righteousnes of God by his owne death to the which death we were bounde by reason of our sinnes and to deliuer vs by his Crosse from the cursse to which we were likewise subiect for hauing disobeyed the will of God and broken his lawe in a thousand and a thousandes thinges he hath also rased out our disobedience by his obediēce which being so perfect accomplished in all pointes he hath supplied and made amendes for all our faultes and imperfections and for the dutie wherewith we were bounde to God with all our might being his creatures children and seruaunts The death then which Iesus Christ hath suffred the sacrifice which he hath offred the cursse which he hath borne the obedience that he hath rendred all this was done in our name and for our discharge and is receaued before the iudgemēt of God for acquitall in ful payment and discharge of all our debtes in such sort that no more can be demaūded againe of vs he hauing through his innocencie fully satisfied that promise which he had made for vs Beholde the first reason why the righteousnes of Iesus Christ is imputed vnto vs and accepted of God in his iudgement The second reason is that being knitte and vnited together by mariage both we and he are but one body and one flesh and there is a mutuall communion between vs And as he participateth with our afflictions miseries pouerties and infirmities so when we are persecuted by tyrans he complaineth with vs and lamenteth our aduersities and sorrowes likewise when we are houngry sicke diseased in prison c. he beareth and endureth all our calamities with vs We also on the contrary part are partakers of all his benefites graces and giftes which his father hath bestowed vpon him and in generall of all that he hath done and suffred for our saluation and redemption we are anointed as he was with the oyle of his holy spirite we are deade and buried with him and we are raised vp and caried into heauē with him where we are sette at the right hande of God his father as he is We are inheritours together with him and we haue part in his glorie in his rest in all his felicity by meane of his righteousnes obedience innocencie of all which through his grace we are made partakers Also of his death sacrifice and satisfaction And to conclude as marchantes which are of one companie become parteners are partakers alike of all the profittes and damages which growe of their marchandise euen so Iesus Christ by reason of that societie we haue together with him giueth vs a parte and we likewise giue him of all that we haue and possesse The difference that is in this is that the gaines losses that come of the traffique that is exercised amongest men is equall and common amongest them all but here we gather vp all the fruites that arise of the righteousnes of Iesus Christ he on the contrary parte taketh vpon him and chargeth himselfe with all the damages and losses that came of our disobedience The third reason for which the righteousnes of Christ is imputed vnto vs is that being knitte to him as the members of a bodie are to their heade the which by meanes of this coniunction receaue thence one influence which giueth them life and distributeth to each their motions senses according as is fitte for their nature and as is requisite for their actions we receaue from him as S. Paule sayeth our life our nourishment our grouth our force and strength for the enabling and disposing of vs to doe those good workes that belong vnto our vocation And by reason of this coniunction there is such an vnion betwixt him and vs that as he communicateth with vs in our afflictiōs so we likewise on the other side communicate with him in his riches we are righteous by his righteousnes we are acquited by his satisfaction we are quickened to life by his death and obaye God through his obedience And euen as in a naturall body the power that the eye hath to see serueth more to the vse of the other members then for it selfe because that seeing and marking them all it is watchfull rightly to guide them and to direct euery one of their actions not being able in the meane time to see them selues nor to serue it selfe euen so the righteousnes innocencie obedience of Christ Iesus stande vs in more sted then him seeing that notwithstanding he had all these thinges and it was in his nature life and whole conuersation absolut and perfect yet for all this he was condemned and crucified We on the contrary part albeit his righteousnes innocencie and obedience be onely imputed vnto vs yet for all that by meanes of this imputation we are absolued iustified and discharged of all our sinnes and of all accusations that all our enemies can bring against vs. The other part of the righteousnes of Iesus Christ consisteth in the sanctification not only of vs but also of our works For although that there is not as Paule sayth any fellowshippe between righteousnes and vnrighteousnes between light and darkenes between the temple of God and Idolls yet for all this whē Iesus Christ will ioyne vs with him selfe and will choose vs and consecrate vs to the ende to dwell in vs as in his temple he sanctifieth vs first by his spirit prepareth the house where he will dwell And because it is ouer streight to entertaine so great a lorde he enlargeth it and whereas it is olde and ruinous he repayreth it and buildeth it newe againe whereas it is stincking and full of filthe he sweepeth and clenseth it And to be briefe where as it is naked and vnfurnished he furnisheth and decketh it And euen as when he woulde be borne of the Virgin Marie and before he woulde be lodged in her wombe he sent his seruauntes before him that is to saye his spirite to the ende to take it vp for him and to sette his marke there so also when he wil be conceaued in our hartes and be borne of vs he prepareth and regenerateth vs before sanctifying the place where he will make his abode Now this sanctification consisteth in fower pointes The first is that we feele and confesse our sinnes and that we accuse condemne and deteste our selues before God as miserable and accurssed in all pointes The

as S. Iames sayeth He that sinneth in one point of the law he is giltie of all Which thing euery one may acknowledge in himselfe if he will well examine the bottome and secrets of his owne conscience and consider by pecemeale all the circumstaunces of euery sinne For as among the vertues there is such a chayne as entertaineth and embraceth each other as men that are in a roūde or that hold one an other by the hande euen so among vices there is such a conspiratiō as lightely they are neuer sondred one from the other Whereupon we must think that we can not be giltie of any one vice but we must also in like manner be giltie of all the other These then be not those humilities being counterfait and bastardlike that it becommeth vs to bring to the iudgement of God to defende vs forasmuch as Dauid sayeth that the cause of all reprobates shall there be quite ouerthrowen and all their actions condemned being strange from God. But the true humilitie which God requireth and which is necessarie for to make vs appeare with confidence before his face is a true knowledge which we ought to haue of our selues and which engendreth in vs a true feeling of our vices and imperfectious and causeth vs to bewaile and lamente to accuse and confesse them before God and maketh vs alwaies ashamed and confounded before his maiestie in such sor●●hat when we appeare before him we dare no more lifte vp our eyes to heauen then that publicane but looking downe to the earth we saye with him Lorde be mercyfull to me poore and wretched sinner and with Dauid wash me O Lord from my iniquitie cleanse me from all my sinnes Also as he sayeth else where Enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunt For no man liuing shal be instified in thy presence and with Daniel O Lord to thee belongeth righteousnes and to vs shame and confusion for we haue sinned we haue committed iniquitie we haue bene wicked and rebellious and haue alwayes bene contrary to thy commaundementes and iudgementes With such an humilitie and confession we maye at all howers present our selues before God and be assured that he will not reiecte vs from his presence because as Dauid sayeth he neither despiseth nor reiecteth sorrowfull soules hearts that are humbled and cast down and penitent spirits I say sayeth vpon whom shall the spirite of the Lorde rest but vpon the humble and vpon him that trembleth at his worde S. Augustine sayeth that men ioyne them selues and seeke out such as are their equales and maye match them in greatnes dignitie and riches but contrarywise God who is the soueraigne in maiestie and highnes he ioyneth him selfe to none but to those that are humble and lowly in their owne sight Let vs conclude then that there is nothing so necessary and expediente as to humble and throw downe our selues as hath bene said We see that reedes and young osyers which bowe and yeelde to the wind abide stable for the time of the tempest where as the greate trees that seeme to be so strong and so wel rooted can not resiste the violence and force of a great winde so as many times they are blowen downe shiuered and rooted vp by the rootes euen so there is none loste condemned destroyed and ouerthrowen in the iudgement of God but he that will be there compted good and will defende him selfe there with the vertue strength of his own righteousnes For this is as a great thunder that neuer putteth forth his might but against thinges of resistaunce but against any heape of earth or against a wolle packe or some such other flexible yeelding substaunce the blow is broken and it streight waies dyeth It is a great reproch and shame amongest men for a man to breake and become bankeroute for worldly goods but before God it is a great glorie and honour and we know not how to do any thing more profitable and honorable for vs then as a man woulde saye to laye the keyes vnder the dore and to forsake all confessing that we haue no meane to paye to discharge our selues towardes his righteousnes We had neede in this case to be like couetous men who alwayes thinke that they are poore how great substaunce soeuer they haue because they haue more regard to that they desire thē to that they haue Moreouer they thinke alwayes as the Poete sayeth that their neighbours vineyeard feelde is goodlier more fruetful then theirs We in like maner considering both our selues and the whole estate of our life shall finde that that which is maymed and wantinge in vs is more then that which either we haue or canne haue heere in this worlde Let vs not thinke therefore to be rich before God or that our neighbors are poorer then we as the Pharisie thought and saide but let vs be certaine and resolued in this opinion that before God we haue not any thing wherof we make sure accompt neither righteousnes nor wisedom nor vertue that we may set out or alledge before his iudgment And touching our neigbours we must alwayes thinke that we haue so litle that we maye not dare preferre or compare our selues to any of them Nowe being thus prepared to presente our selues before God to witte through a right knowledge of our selues through an inwarde feeling of our vices and corruptions and by an humble confession of our errours and imperfections it is meete yet to seeke out a righteousnes that we maye bring it out there and such a one as is not onely sufficient so susteine the rigour and seueritie of that iudgement but also to obteine full forgiuenes and iustification of all sinnes and offences and of all accusations which our aduersaries can allege there against vs which we can not finde in our selues nor in any mortall man as we haue shewed and declared before For all haue gone astraye and are of thēselues abominable before God there is not one that doth good no not one Noah was drunke Moses murmured at the waters of Miribah Abraham was an Idolatrer Dauid a murtherer and adulterer S. Paule a persecutour of the Church S. Peter denied Iesus Christ S. Iohn with his brother Iames and the other Apostles were ambitious To conclude there was not any among all the fathers and Sainctes that haue bene since the foundacion of the world to whome it hath not come to passe to committe some one notable faulte or other in their life time who not continually acknowledged his great sinnes as occasiō hath bene offred vnto him So as no flesh hath wherof to boaste it selfe or to glorie before God who hath shute all men vnder sinne and infidelity to the ende that he may haue mercy on all and that euery one may acknowledge and confesse that his saluation in and through all consisteth in

Being then very God and very man of two diuerse natures the one diuine and the other humaine which are conioyned and vnited together inseparablie without any confusion or diuision in that he is God we must goe vnto him to be in saftie and to liue happely and on the other side in that he is mā he is the way by which we must march on to attaine to euerlasting life So thē we must go to Iesus Christ that is God by Iesus Christ that is man by the worde that is made flesh to the word which was in the beginning with God and by the breade which men eate vnto the breade which Angells eate And there is no neede that we seeke for any other but him whether it be to reste our selues in or to leade and directe vs thither For being God he is the soueraigne God and the ende whereunto all our appetites and desires ought to be directed And when we are come thither there is the place where we must rest and altogether repose our selues forasmuch as he is perfect and replenished with all vertue righteousnes which he communicateth vnto vs by means of that communion and fellowship that we haue with him To conclude then he is the waye that must leade vs to our felicitie and the only meane to make vs attaine thither When we are washed with his bloude this is it that preserueth vs from that destroyer this is the cloude that shrowdeth vs from being burned consumed with the extreme heat of the wrath of God and the libertie whereinto we must retire from the furie of the enemy that pursueth so harde after vs To be shorte this is the gate of saluation and the hauen where we must harborre and saue our selues in the time of tempeste This is the cloke vnder which we maye obtaine the blessing of God as Iacob obtayned that of his father Isaake being disguised with the apparell of his elder brother Esau And as the high Priest neuer appeared before the face of God without his holy embroidred garmēts his Ephod his robe and his other priestly apparell without which he coulde not fynde any fauour when he appeared in his presence Euen so to follow the truth of this figure we ought neuer to presente our selues before God if we will be accepted and receaued of him but we must be clothed and decked with the righteousnes and innocencie of his sonne wherwith if we be once couered we neede not feare that we shall be reiected and despised of him or that there is any enemy whosoeuer he be that hath any power to hurte vs For such armour can defende vs euen from the wrath of God it selfe against which no other thing can resiste It is written that Alexander hauing conceaued a great hatred against the cittie of Ierusalem was fully resolued vtterly to destroye it because that laying seidge to the cittie of Tyr the inhabitauntes of Ierusalem had refused to helpe him with victuals and other munition which he had demaunded of them Nowe after that he had taken Tyr he marched forth with all his armie against Ierusalem with full purpose vtterly to destroy it The which thing whē the highe Priest named Iaddus vnderstood he apparailed him selfe with the holy garmentes of the highe Priest and so presented him selfe before Alexāder who vpon the suddaine when he sawe him in this habite alighted from his horse and bowed his knees before Iaddus and reuerenced him and shewed him great honours and great loue to the countrey and gaue great giftes to the temple Nowe if an enemy so furious and terrible were so suddainly appeased at the onely sight of this highe Priest so apparailed who was but a figure of Iesus Christ what shall it be when Iesus Christ shal appeare in his glorie and all his members with him clad and couered with his righteousnes and shewing them selues to all the worlde in such and so magnificall and glorious apparaill Shall not the deuills and hell bowe their knees then for feare when they shall see him in his maiestie and in such excellent glorie Let vs conclude then that beinge garnished and couered with the righteousnes of Iesus Christ we can haue no lacke of strength and might to vanquish and ouercome our enemies nor of any other thing that may make vs perfectly happy what soeuer As S. Ambrose writeth verie elegantly in his seconde booke of Virginitie that Iesus Christ is vnto vs all in all things If we be sicke he is our phisition If we haue an Ague and that we are altered he is our fountaine If we be laden with iniquitie he is our righteousnes If we be weake and weryed he is our strength If we feare death he is our life If we desire to mounte vp to heauen he is our ladder If we haue byne darkenes he is our light If we haue houngred he is our breade and nourishment Wherupon we may perceaue and knowe the great riches and commodities that Iesus Christ bringeth vnto all them that possesse him Now hauing shewed that there is no other righteousnes but the righteousnes of Christ which can be sufficient to beare the rigour of the iudgement of God and that maye enable vs to appeare and aunswere there it remayneth now that we declare vpon what matter it worketh and where it resteth dwelleth how it maye be obtayned and in what sort a man maye assure him selfe of it finally hauinge obteyned it what fruits it bringeth forth in vs. First the righteousnes of Christ hath two principall partes to witte Iustification and Sanctification that is to saye when it is communicated vnto vs although that before we were the wickedest in the worlde and guiltie of death before God and moreouer that our nature was altogether corrupted and teynted in euery parte of it notwithstanding all this we are holden and reputed for righteous before God and are allowed and receaued of him for his children and heires when we are prouided of this righteousnes and when we are clothed with it he giueth vs his holy spirite to leade vs and conducte vs as a schoolmaister doth his children and for to sanctifie instructe and strengthen vs in all his wayes And that this is true S. Paule writeth not onely that it was sayde of Abraham that his faith was counted to him for righteousnes but also that we shal be accompted righteous before God as he was if we beleue in Iesus Christ Also God was in Christ and reconciled the worlde to himselfe not imputinge their sinnes vnto them And ioyning both these partes together in the first Epistle to the Corinthians he sayed to them speakinge of their life that they had bene altogether led in wickednes and were dissolute in all kinde of mischeefe but that they were now washed iustified and sanctified in the name of Iesus Christ and through the spirite of God. Now if we will know by what meane this is done