Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	holy_a	nature_n	8,877	5	5.8462	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11054	A godlie and short discourse shewing not onely what time the inhabitants of this land first receyued the Christian faith: but also what maner of doctrine was planted in the same. Whereby may appeare, howe the reformation at this day in England is not a bringing in of a newe religion, but a reducing againe of the olde and auncient fayth.	Rosdell, Christopher, b. 1553 or 4.	1589 (1589)	STC 21320; ESTC S101597	36,383	98

testimonies of these ancient fathers Ambros li. 5. de orat Ambrose sayth it is not the lawe but the faith of Christ that congregateth the Church for the lawe is not of faith but the iust by fayth shall liue It is fayth therefore and not the law that iustifieth for righteousnesse commeth not by the law but by the fayth of Christ and he that refuseth fayth and prescribeth the workes of the law Ambros de vita beata lib. 1. cap. 6. declareth himselfe to be vnrighteous for the iust by fayth doth liue And the same father in another place sayth This is that which profiteth me namely that we are not iustified by the works of the law therefore I haue not wherein I may glorie or boast in my workes and for this cause I will glory in Christ I will glory not for that I am iust but for that I am redéemed not for that I am without sin but for that my sinnes are forgiuen me not for that I haue profited any or any hath profited me but for that I haue an Aduocate with the father euen Christ that shed his blood for mée Cyprian de passione domini Saint Cyprian writing vpon the passion of Christ sayth The gift could doe more than the transgresson and grace more then sinne for grace through the benefite of loue hath fréely without any merite absolued vs that were bound with the debt of condemnation Origen lib. 3 in epist ad Romanos Origen also vpon these words of the Apostle We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the déedes of the lawe sayth The iustification of faith onely is sufficient so that if a man beléeue onely he is iustified albeit no worke as yet hath bene fulfilled by him and so hee alledgeth the example of the théefe August super Psal 70. Augustine vpon the 70. Psalme sayth The grace of God wherby we are fréely saued with out any our merits is commended in this Psalme And a little after Séeing then we are deliuered not by our merits but by his grace let vs praise him vnto whom we owe our selues wholy whatsoeuer we be Hiero. ad Galat. 4. Hier. writing vpon the Epistle to the Galatians saith that neither Moses nor any other famous man amōg the ancient fathers could be iustified before God by the law Gregor super Ezech. Hom 7. Gregorie vpō Ezechiel sayth Let vs not trust in our wéepings nor in our workes but in the allegation of our Aduocate who liueth and reigneth with the father in the vnitie of the holy spirite Fulgentius Fulgentius saith the God crowneth in his saints that righteousnesse which he gaue thē fréely and wil preserue fréely and will fréely make perfect Maxentius saith Maxentius we verely beléeue that from Adam to this day none hath bene saued by the strength of nature but through the gift of the grace of the holy spirite in the fayth of the name of Iesus for there is no other name giuen vnto men vnder heauen c. Item all the faithfull from Abel vnto Christ as many as haue beene saued haue béene saued by the same grace whereby we are saued Chrysost in serm de fide lege naturae Chrysostome fayth I can shew thée a faithfull man who without his good déedes both liued and obteyned the kingdome of heauen but none without faith hath had life c. And least here thou shouldest say hee wanted time c. I will not contende with thée herein but this one thing I dare boldly say that fayth onely by it selfe did saue him Basil in cōtione de humilitate Basile likewise saith this is perfect true glorying in God when any is extolled not for his owne righteousnesse but acknowledging him selfe to be void of true righteousnesse is iustified by fayth onely in Christ Bernard orat prim omnium sanctorum And finally Bernard sayth What can all our righteousnesse be before God Shal it not bee as the Prophet sayth like a menstruous cloth And if it should bée strictly iudged all our righteousnesse should bée found vnrighteous What then shall become of our sinnes séeing our righteousnes is not able to answer for it selfe Therefore let vs earnestly cry with the prophet O Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant and with all humilitie let vs flée vnto that mercie which onely is able to saue our soules By these testimonies gentle reader thou maist soone perceiue what was the iudgemēt of the godly learned in old time touching iustification And in this faith the Bishops of Rome with their Romanists should still remaine if they were such ancient Catholiks as they pretend and if they would follow the olde mother Church of Rome and hold the first liquour wherewith they were first seasoned But the sweete verdor sent of that liquor is now cleane put out through other vnsauerie infusions of the Popes thrusting in so that almost no taste nor péece remaineth of al that primitiue doctrine which Saint Paul and other Apostles planted among the Gentiles The ninth Chapter Of good workes ALbeit the godly fathers in auncient dayes as hath beene in the former Chapter sufficiently declared nowhere could find any sure cōfort for the soule or rest peace of conscience with God the Lord but through grace and swéete promises of God giuen to mankind in Christ Iesus his sonne Yet notwithstanding they were not only abundātly fruitfull in good workes themselues but also most vehement and earnest in calling vpon all true faithfull people to serue the Lord in true holinesse righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their life as by their liues and sermons may sufficiently appeare For to this end are we elected created called and fréely iustified to do all such good works as God hath prepared for vs to walke in Hereunto tend many exhortations both of Christ and his Apostles and also of the Apostolicall fathers which succéeded them not onely by order of place but also veritie of doctrine The like example of whose teaching if we doe not now folow let our sermōs preachings writings exhortations and liues also beare record For although we exclude good works from the office of iustifying yet we exclude them not from the practise and conuersation of Christian life but most earnestly call vpō all the faithful in Christ to walke worthie their vocation to lay downe their old conuersation to giue their members seruants of righteousnesse to offer their bodies to God a liuely sacrifice c. In déed we do not after the maner of our new found Romanes set foorth for good works the deuices of men as prayer for the dead going of pilgrimage to dumbe idoles reckoning vp of a certaine number of prayers to some certaine Saints giuing of rewards or building of Monasteries for to pull soules out of Purgatorie and such like which because they neitheir haue commandement nor promise in the worde of God Matt. 15. our

written against vs in decrées and hath nailed it vpon the crosse triumphing ouer all c. So that as the kingdome of Christ first began vpon the crosse euen so vpon the same crosse and at the same time the kingdoome of the lawe expired and the malediction of the lawe was so crucified vpon the crosse that it shall neuer rise againe to haue any power against them that be in Christ Iesus For like as a woman when her first husband is dead being nowe maried vnto another is quite discharged from her first husband euen so we being espoused to our seconde husbande Christ are vtterly discharged from our first husband the law Rom. 7. Rom. 6. and are no more vnder the law that is vnder the dominion malediction of the law but vnder grace that is vnder perpetual remissiō of all sinnes committed not only before baptisme but also after baptisme during all our life long For therein properly cōsisteth the grace of God in not imputing sin vnto vs so often as the repenting sinner rising vp by faith flieth vnto christ Psal 31. Acts 10. apprehendeth Gods mercie remission promised in him This difference of the law and the Gospel as it is necessarie cōfortable for troubled consciences to be well instructed in the same so is this later Church of Rome much to blame in this behalfe because it confoundeth togither these two being in nature so diuers and contrarie one from the other imagining the Gospel to be nothing els but a new law giuen by Christ binding to the promises therof the condition of our doings deseruings no otherwise then to the olde law and so diuided they the whole after this distinctiō into thrée parts to wit the law of nature the law of Moses and the law of Christ And as for the Gospel they say it was reuealed for no other cause but to shewe to the world more perfect precepts and counsailes then were in the olde law to the fulfilling whereof they attribute iustification and so leaue the poore cōsciences of men in perpetuall doubt and induce other manifold errours bringing the people into a false beléefe of Christ as though he were not a remedy against the law but came as another Moses to giue a new law vnto the world The xiij Chapter Of freewill FOr the better vnderstanding of this question we are to consider three estates or conditions of man in this world The first of his creation in respect wherof man was a most frée creature for hee was created according to the image of God to whom nothing is more agréeable than true or perfect fréedome and libertie and albeit he were in his first estate subiect not onely as Angels and all other creatures were subiect to the will seruice of God whose seruice is fréedome it selfe but also to some kinde of necessitie as namely to eate drinke and such like yet was he frée from all calamities which might bring death Hauing his will frée not onely in respect of all coaction or forcing to that which was euill but also in respect of all retraction impediment or withholding frō that which was good So that by his creation as there was nothing in him that might drawe or force him to will that was euill so was there nothing that might retract withdraw or hinder him from willing and also performing that was good And therefore in respect of this estate it is written of him that God had crowned him with glory and honour And in Ecclesiasticus we reade Eccles 15. that God at the beginning made man and left him in the hand of his counsell and gaue him his commandements and precepts c. he set fire and water before him that he might stretch out his hand to which he would August de nouo cant cap. 8. Which place August expounding of Adam saith God left him in the hand of his counsel that is he made him frée both in counsel and abilitie or ablenesse and power of counsell that hee might after his owne will either choose the good and refuse the euil or els refuse the good and choose the euill c. And hereof hee giueth this reason August de liber arbit cap. 2. saying God gaue vnto man in his creation fréedome of will that he might declare his goodnesse and iustice towards him goodnes if he had done right but the seueritie of iustice if he did euill The second estate or condition of man is in respect of his fall By the which fall as August witnesseth August in Ench ad Laurent ū cap. 30. man lost both himselfe and his frée will For when sinne in the conflict had gotten the maistrie it brought man into seruitude and bondage For although in respect of ciuill and mortall actions there remaineth in man a naturall knowledge and power of will yet euen therein men find and proue great difficultie in themselues whiles furious iust resist morall rectitude entisements and pleasures prouoke their sences Satan with wicked councellours dayly vrge and enforce them and God by his wonderfull prouidence disposeth their councels to a farre other end then they had purposed For as Ieremie saith Mans way is not in his owne power neither can he direct his owne goings Yet concerning those workes which are good workes in déede and may bee pleasing and acceptable to God man by nature hath no fréedome and libertie of will For such woorkes as appertaine vnto the seruice of God and so may bée acceptable and approoued in his sight depende vpon these two pointes namely knowledge and appetite affection or desire both which are wanting in man by nature And first touching knowledge Notwithstanding all men by nature haue in them a certaine fourme of knowledge reason and vnderstanding yet concerning those thinges which belong either to his owne saluation or to the setting foorth of Gods glory the Apostle saith the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God 1. Cor. 2. Iohn 3. whereof we haue a singular example in Nicodemus a man not onely indued with good gifts of nature but also furnished with the helpe of art yet when he heard our sauiour intreating of the misteries of God stood as a man amased vnderstanding nothing And if by nature as you sée wee are rude ignorant of the things that appertein vnto God how shal we then or howe can wee either fréely will or rightly performe that wee knowe not Nowe secondly for our naturall appetite affection will and desire True it is that all men by nature haue in them an appetite affection will and desire For as Augustine witnesseth Agust lib. 3 Hypognost Omni creaturae inest illa volūtas qua appetitur quod placet declinatur quod displicet That is euery humane creature hath in himselfe a will whereby he desireth that hee liketh and fléeth that he disliketh But how this will or appetite of the natural man that is the man vnregenerate