Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	abraham_n	believe_v	faith_n	1,678	5	6.0737	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08849	[A Paraphrase vppon the epistle of the holie apostle S. Paule to the Romanes ...]	Palfreyman, Thomas, d. 1589?; Zwingli, Ulrich, 1484-1531.; Borrhaus, Martin, 1499-1564.; Somerset, Edward Seymour, Duke of, 1506?-1552.	1572 (1572)	STC 19137.5; ESTC S4810	168,483	223

whiche be borne vnder the Lawe of Moyses should haue the promise of god pertaine only vnto thē as their inheritaunce then it should seeme that the promise of God were vayne of none effect Forasmuchas it is euidently knowen that the benefit of God cōmeth to no man for the lawes sake yea so farre the lawe is from iustification and the giuing of thys so high a benefyte that it rather threateneth vs with the yre and indignation of god whereas contrarywise fayth maketh the vngodly righteous Neither can there be any inheritaunce of peace and reste for the children to haue where as nothing else is ministred but sinne and indignation And if you demaunde of me how it chaunceth that the law rather ministreth yre than righteousnesse I will declare thus vnto you you can make no man gyltie of any crime onlesse in laying the law agaynst him you open his fault vnto him the knowledge of which faulte the lawe ministreth and declareth Also the lawe of Moyses prescribeth many things of circumcision of the Saboth dayes of the feast of the new Moone of the difference of meates of mortuaries of the strangled of bloud of washing all which be of that condition that though they be obserued yet they do not make a man righteouse but he that transgresseth them is gyltie and subiect to punishment by meanes of the law But the law of Moyses seeing it chargeth no body but onely the Iewes and agayne séeing the inheritaunce of all nations is geuen of God vnto Abraham to be their father it is impossible that the promise of God shoulde appertayne vnto all Nations through the benefite of the Law which is onely giuen to the Nation of the Iewes It concludeth therefore that the inheritaunce commeth by fayth that our iustification may be séene to procéede of the onely grace and fauour of God and not of any couenant or obseruation of the law And thus it is knowen how the goodnesse of Gods promise descendeth to Abrahams posteritie And I doo not meane all them onely to be of Abrahams posteritie which be eyther of his kinred or else ioyned with him in the law but much rather all such as expresseth Abrahams fayth For it is muche more expedient that the alliaunce and similitude of fayth shoulde be of more efficacie by which he deserueth to receiue the promise of God than the alliaunce and coniunction of the law which engendreth offences and maketh men gyltie of them Therfore the Iewes are deceiued to boast so muche of Abraham as of their only and proper father seeing he is the father of al such Nations and of all men of what countrey so euer they be that beleeue in our Lorde Iesus Chryst which thing appeareth by God him selfe in the .xvij. Chapter of Genesis when God chaunged Abrahams name and sayd I haue appoynted thée to be the father of many nations surely it must néedes be true that God him salfe sayeth But howe I pray you shal he be the father of many nations if he only belong vnto the Iewes wherefore as the Lord is vniuersall to all men that beléeue in him so he will that Abraham which is a figure of God and as Isaac is also of Christ should be the vniuersall father of all men that do represent him in the affinitie of his faithe And Abraham could not be deceiued of his beleefe which trusted to the promisse of him that did not only giue fertilitie to the barraine but also life to the deade Which being commaunded to kill his onely swéete deare sonne Isaac in whome was all his ioy and comfort did without any tarying or once questioning at all beléeue the words of the promiser and knewe that he could reuiue him againe and make them that be not to be againe at his will and pleasure The Iewes do glory in them selues and accompt them selues woorthy men and abhorre the Gentiles as nothing woorth at all but yet the goodnesse of God standeth in better steade to the Gentiles than Abrahams kinred dothe to the Iewes Truely the faith of Abraham was notable and therfore God fauoured him which doubted not in him neither mistrusted his truthe in suche things as by nature were to be dispaired of a in which be did not only declare the suretie and constancie of the promiser but also his mightinesse and omnipotencie Neither did he mistrust thoughe he him selfe was past the strengthe and power to beget a childe and his wife also barraine to be for al that the father of many nations and to be the aucthor beginner of so great a multitude of people as God shewed him the same time starres in the firmament For God brought him into the field let him sée an innumerable multitude of starres round about the whole world and saide As it is impossible for thee to number those starres that thou seest so it shall be impossible for thée to number them that shall come of thy séede Which thing though it séemed not of reason to be true partly for the debilitie of his body being an hundreth yeares of age and partly for that his wife was very olde and past the bearing of children yet all this notwithstanding he asked no question howe or what way it mighte come to passe but constantly beléeued the truth of God. And thus Abraham mistrusted nothing neither was doutfull in any thing but with al his hart beléeued the promisse of God and was made as strong in his faith as he was weake in his bodie which though he dispaired in his owne vertue and strengthe yet he toke moste sure holde through hope in the only vertue of the promiser And thus vsurping nothing in this poynte to his owne renoume he referred all to the glorie and laude of God whom he testified by this his great faith to be both true which will deceiue no man and also almightie which can performe what so euer he promiseth though it passeth neuer so much the strēgth of men With this sorte of Sacrifice is God pleased which standeth in néede of no mannes helpe neither of his cunning or handie wor●e And for this cause the scriptures saithe that Abraham was imputed rightuous Yet this thing was not written only for Abrahams sake that his faithe was imputed vnto him for his iustification neither doth scripture affirme that it was done only for Abrahams praise commendation but that it mighte be an example vnto vs that be Abrahams nephewes to do haue the like and that it might be knowne to all men that like as Abraham obtained to be called of God rightuous without the helpe of the lawe so shoulde we also obtaine of God to be called rightuous for our only faith with out kéeping of the lawe We sée héere that Abraham was called rightuous only bicause he beléeued god Wherefore we sée none other way to come to iustification to be saued but to beleeue in the same God throughe

kéepe suche good order by reformation among the people that the slaunderous persons rebellions and séekers of disorder may not haue place through sufferaunce whereby the name of God shoulde be blasphemed And as touching the first I minde not to declare vnto you what doctrine ought to haue place but rather giuing thanks vnto almightie God for that he hath not onely giuen vnto you the lighte of his pure knowledge but that he hath also giuen vnto you good counsell and discretion to cause his pure veritie to be preached So that God bée thanked you bee not to teache what is the true fayth of Christian men and the doctrine which they ought to receiue seing that by your meanes the puritie and truth of the christen fayth is agayne restored that is that wée beléeue God to bée the only gouernour of our soules that wée kéepe his lawe for the onely rule and spirituall gouernaunce of our consciences not to serue him after the fantasticall and foolishe inuentions of men Also that according to his diuine nature he will bée accordingly serued in spirite and in all puritie of heart Of the other parte acknowledging that there is in vs nothing but all euill and wickednesse and that wee be in all our knowledge and affections in such wise corrupted that our soules béeing dispayred in our selues be lyke vnto a bottomlesse pitte or a world of all abhomination and iniquitie And all the presumption of our wisdome dignitie or power to do wel be taken away we may haue free recourse to the fountaine of all goodnesse which is Iesus Christ receiuing that which he giueth vnto vs that is to say the only merites of his death and passion to the end that by the same meane we may be reconciled vnto the Lorde our God that being washed with his bloud we shoulde not feare that our faultes shoulde impéeche vs but to finde grace before his celestiall throne that being assured our sinnes be fréely forgiuen vs and pardoned by the vertue of his moste blessed sacrifice we shall put therin our whole trust and assurance and not to dout at any time of our heauenly comfort and health and that we be sanctified by his spirite in giuing our selues to the obedience of the iustice of God that being fortified by his power and grace we shall be valyant conquerors of Sathan the world and the fleshe and finally that being members of his body we feare not but that God will take vs for his children and that we may haue confidence to call vnto him as vnto our father And that we be aduertised to bring to this ende all that is saide and done in the churche that is being retired from this sinnefull world and other our deadly aduersaries we may be lifted vp to heauen with Christ our head our Lord and sauioure Wherefore then séeing that God hath wrought in you and giuen you the grace to restore againe the knowledge of this moste sounde and holy doctrine which hath bene so long time buryed by curssed Antichriste I leaue to kéepe you with longer purpose and that which I haue touched of the manner of teaching is only for that the people may be rightly instructed and to féele that which the Apostle sayth that is that the woorde of God is a sworde cutting with two edges piercing the thoughts affections euen vnto the marowe of the bone I say this my Lord for that I thinke there is very few liuely preachings in the realme but rather that the moste part reciteth them as it were by lector I wel perceiue the necessitie that constraineth your Lordship therunto for ●●rst yée haue not commonly as I thinke your Pastors so good and apte as you would lawfully wishe and desire wherfore it is néedefull for you to séeke diligently and to supplie that lacke Secondly there might chance to be many light spirites which would peraduenture leape beyonde their boundes sowing corrupted and foolishe fantasies as oftentimes they doe in newe things But all these considerations impéecheth not but that the ordinaunce of Iesus Christe ought to haue his course as in preaching the gospell Nowe this preaching oughte not to be deade but quicke and liuely bothe for to teache exhorte and to reprehende as S. Paule saith to Timothe in suche sorte as if any infidell do enter he may be wounded ouercome and taken as he saith in another place to giue glory and praise to god You knowe also my Lord how that he speaketh of the liuelynesse the ought to be in the mouthes of them which would approue them selues good and faithfull ministers of the Gospell of Christe that they ought not to haue or vse woordes of Rethoricke or muche curiositie entending therby to be in the greater estimation but that the spirite of God oughte to sounde in their voyces for to woorke in power and vertue All the daungers that are to be feared of men ought not with humaine policies so appeare at any time or in any place that thereby the spirite of God be impeached or let to haue his libertie and due course in them in whome he hath so plentifully distributed of his graces for the edifying of the church of god It is true that in the meane time nothing were better nor more expedient than to stoppe the lightnesse of fantasticall spirites which taketh ouer much licence Also to shutte and close fast the gates of all curiosities and newe wicked doctrines But the best and moste conuenient meane shall be such as God him selfe hath appoynted and shewed vnto vs that first bicause there be some resolute of the doctrine that all oughte to preache the which all Prelates and Curates should sweare to folow that none be receiued into any Ecclesiastical charge onlesse he promisse to obserue the same true concorde and vnion After that to haue a formall and common instruction for to instructe the yong children and the ignorante people which should make them acquainted with the true Doctrine in such wise that they may discerne it from lies and corruptions which else might be brought in To the contrary beléeue me my Lord that the Churche of God shall be neuer well conserued without Cathechisme For it is as the séede to be kept that the good graine perisheth not but that it may growe and encrease from age to age Wherefore if your grace desire to builde a woorke long to endure which shoulde not shortly be in decaie cause that the children in their yonge age be instructed with a good Cathechisme that may learne them bréefely and according to their small capacitie to knowe wherein consisteth the true christianitie or most perfect religion of Christe This Cathechisme shall serue for two purposes that is to say for an introduction to all people to profitte well in that which shall be preached vnto them and also the rather to descerne if the wicked shal at any time presumptuously set forth any vnsound or straunge kindes of Doctrine In the

alredy you haue almost holily professed and vowed to sanctifie in the ways of righteousnes Expresse him therfore in the beauty of holynesse whō you haue digested into your harts by faith He is chastity he is peace he is faithful he is meke he is charity and so forth And this is the very vesture of al comlynes that best beséemeth you to weare in the clere light of the Gospell Agayne all suche things which heretofore you haue abused in voluptuositie pleasure superfluously chargeably very vainly most vnséemely with gret deformitie to your shames the same vse you now only according to the necessitie of your bodies remēbring always the vertue of temperance and to be bountifully liberall vnto the poore Those things also which heretofore you haue dispended corruptly filthily in your sēsualities wicked lustes the same frō henceforth vse you according to the moderate proportion of nature The body is to be fed only norished vp to the end it shold liue and not to be pampred pricked vp to the prouocation of sin wantonnes And so let your apparell your meates drinks be thankfullie receiued at the hands of god that as they may be a meane with comelynesse to couer your bodies and to qualifie your hunger thirst so they may also be none occasiō of prouokement to lasciuiousnesse pride and vaine filthy pleasure The .xiiij. Chapter The weake ought not to be despised No man should offende anothers conscience Agayne for outwarde things no man should condemne his brother MOreouer although the vse and occupying of all suche necessaries as appertayne to mans body be indifferent and without scrupulositie of question with all those that be earnestly stayed in their faith towards Iesus Christ so that they vse the same as I said before for the onely vse of necessitie and not for lust and pleasure yet this notwithstanding if there bée any man in your méetings togither or companies that is a Iewe borne which by reason of long custome olde traditions and fourme of lyfe is giuen the more to superstition neither hath as yet such perfect faith grounded in him that he dare put away from him all the obseruances of the olde law the same is not forthwith to be reiected and had in despite among you but he is rather mildly to be allured and drawen forwards of you vntill suche time as he may encrease in Chryst and come with ioyfulnesse to the perfection of his fayth Which thing shall be doone much more easily and profitably through your frendely beneuolence and gentle entreatie than by roughnesse contentious and brawling disputations For you may not in suche maner of men take all things in the worst parte if it may possibly be done with more easinesse and without the committing of a greater vice And to the end that peace and concord may be alwayes continued amongest you many things are to be dissimuled and as though it were not to be espied Many things are to be borne withall many things agayne to be louingly interpretate though they be not yet worthy thereof Verily this same order of leuitie and mildenesse of harte maketh muche to the obtayning of mutuall peace and semblable liuing amongest men Christian peace and vnitie can neuer be stable and of continuaunce amongest men and many in company excepte that of many one of them will interchaungeably submit him selfe to the verdite and sentence of another and so to suffer that there may be a mutuall consente and vnitie of minde among them For he that is frée and voyde of all superstition thinketh that it is lawfull for him to eate indifferently and without choyce of all kinde of meate inasmuche as he respecteth herein nothing else but onely the necessitie of his body But he that is more weake in his conscience and not yet frée from superstition contenteth him selfe with hearbes and rootes bicause he dare not attempte the eating of flesh or fysh eyther for that it is forbidden by the lawe of the Iewes or else bicause the same at some tyme was offered vnto Idolles For it was forbidden that any suche thing shoulde be eaten that was offered vnto them Howbeit you shoulde not in suche wise be affectionate to these things that for the loue of them you doo breake at any time suche concorde and christian vnitie as ought to be alwayes amongest you And he that is strong in Chryst and eateth of all things that commeth to hande as the same ought in suche sorte to vse his gifte and strength that by reason thereof he doo not despise him that is more inferiour and weake than him selfe euen so he also that is weake in Chryst and vseth abstinence from certayne kinds of meates ought in no wise to iudge and condemne him that eateth indifferently of all things And in this case the strong man in Chryst ought to beare with the weake and not descante to muche vpon his faulte but moste gently after this maner to consider of it saying This errour yet remayneth in this our brother from the auncient custome of the old life which at the first time will not be rooted out of his hart but by little and little through Gods grace and our good vsage towards him it will moste happily vanish away And alwayes the more also that the truth is shewed vnto him the more wil his superstition decrease and vanish to nought Euen so likewise let the scrupulous felow when he shal sée another man to eate of all sorts of meate according to the strength of hys fayth let him consider the matter on this fashion saying to him selfe It skilleth me nothing at all what this man doth but reason also would that I be of an honest iudgement towards him in asmuch as God him selfe hath made him one of his owne children by whose onely prouidence he liueth and whom only he offendeth if he doo amisse in al such things as be not euill of them selues for séeing it is a great pride to disdayne the superstition of the weake and of him that ignorantly erreth how muche more pride shall it then be for the weake man in his fayth and for him which lacketh the vse of perfect knowledge to iudge condemne the man that in Gods sight is more perfecte than him selfe May not a man say well vnto suche a felow Syr what meanest thou to iudge and condemne another mans seruaunt that nothing appertayneth vnto thée for all men hath belonging vnto them one onely lorde which is Iesus Chryst to whom euery man standeth if in his fayth he be strong and to whom also he falleth if he offende in these things as thou suspectest him to doo Yet he shall not fall by occasion of these tryfling things but shall be rather established and made stronger by them in the perfection of his fayth for his Lorde and onely sauiour is of sufficient mighte and power to fortifie and vpholde hys

amongest you that be Gentiles and in thys maner of exercise to offer a pure sacrifice vnto him of my faythfull and diligente labours And I thinke verily that this kinde of sacrifice shall be moste acceptable to him if I shall offer all you as a sacrifice worthy of him not suche as are pourged and clensed by carnall Ceremonies but by the spirite of God which is the onely author of perfecte sanctimonie and the furtherer of holy Religion The which thing inasmuche as I see it already come to passe in you I may of good righte bée gladde yet not in boasting my selfe therefore among men but to reioyce onely in God for the good and prosperous successe which I haue of my preaching and not imputing the same vnto mine owne industrie trauell but vnto the only goodnesse of Chryst Iesus whose only matter I now treate vpon and through whose strength and consolation I do with diligence execute my holy office And herein I dare not rehearse at all the actes of any other man least peraduenture I should séeme therin to apply to my selfe the cōmendation of their déedes I will therfore only rehearse those things that Chryst wrought by me in mine owne mynistery to the ende that the Gentiles which heretofore were miserably giuen to the most grosse sinne of idolatrie superstition may now obey to the time in truth and apply them selues to the holy gospell of Chryst whervnto they are well moued partly by my doctrine déedes of charitie and partly also through the might and power of God wrought by me in signes and wonders to confirme amongest them the fayth of my doctrine I say yet agayne that the same are not wrought through mine owne vertue and power but through the onely might and power of the holy Ghoste of whom I am through grace but onely and organe an instrumente and poore Minister And I in that I doo glory in the luckie procéeding of my preaching I doo if to declare therein the glory of my Lorde Chryst and not to set foorth myne owne glory And euen so verily I glorying in my preaching doo attribute the onely prayse and commendation thereof vnto almightie god Neither will I in this behalfe become inferiour to any other for I haue not preached the Gospell of Chryst as the common sorte vse to doo that is euer in one place but vntill this present houre I haue preached in those Regions moste specially where the name of Chryst was not before spoken of yea and for the furthering of Gods onely glory and prayse I haue desired helpe at hys holy hande that the foundation of the Christian Religion mighte be caste into a greater compasse and that the limites of his moste worthy renoume might more amply be spredde and stretched foorthe abroade vppon the whole earth For which cause as I thoughte it not beste to buylde vppon the foundation of the other Apostles bicause euen as it is a more difficill and harde thing first to appoynte and limitte the beginning of Religion than well to repayre and kéepe the same in safetie which is already begonne euen so I thought it muche better to make for the progression of the Gospell to preache the name of Chryst in suche places onely as none of the Apostles yet came vnto namely forasmuche as I perceiued the same thing to haue bene prophecied long before by the moste holy Prophet Esaias which saith They that of him had nothing declared vnto them they shal yet see and they that hard not yet of him shall also vnderstand And this same ardente desire within me to set foorth the christian fayth religion was the only cause that hath hitherto withholdē me from you though no man could more hartily haue wished to be with you than I my selfe haue done Therfore séeing I haue now in such sort ranged ouer all the whole countreis of Achaia Macedonia that I sée therein no place lefte which is destitute of the knowledge of Chryst or in which I haue not alredy laide the fundation of the christian faith and religion and forasmuche also as I haue wyshed most gladly many yeres since for a cōueniēt time to sée you I trust now shortely to haue occasion happily giuen vnto me to satisfie in this poynt my glad desire towards you Wherfore when I shall passe on my iourney towards the countrey of Spayne I will take you in my way and so remayne with you vntill suche time as I shall somewhat haue satisfied my minde amongest you in vsing moste ioyfully your christian and godly company Which thing I trust shal shortly come to passe if it be the good will of Chryst and that from thence I shall most gladly desire you to accompany me on my way and to guide me into Spayne But at this present I doo you to wit I am taking my iourney towards the Citie Ierusalem there to distribute vnto the necessitie of the christian Iewes disciples of Chryst the bountifull liberalitie of the Macedonians and Achaians which they haue committed vnto my charge to bée doone For to that ende and purpose it hathe so pleased their godly mindes to make a collection of money throughoute the whole Countreys declaring thereby the fruites of their change and perfection to the reioycing of the poore christian brethren at Ierusalem which although they haue not among them selues the vse of worldly sustentation or wante things sufficiente to relieue their poore and néedie bodies yet touching their riches and reliefe which they haue in Chryst through their perfection in Religion that is otherwise wonderfull large and inestimable In consideration whereof and bicause they firste receiued from them and by their testimonies their entraunce and beginning into chrystian Religion they thought them selues of duetie greatly bounde vnto them and to bestow fréely and without inforcement vpon them that which I doo most worthily allow which is their very bountifull and christian beneuolence Therefore considering I say that they which be now at Ierusalem did firste worke the meanes that the doctrine of Christ descended vnto the Gentiles It is now reason also that the Gentiles in like maner doo minister vnto them agayne some of their temporall and worldly goodes that they may yet at the least with that which is but earthly recompence that thing which is most preciouse and heauenly fréely and without all charge communicated vnto them the effecte and full summe of their whole health and saluation Wherfore as soone as I according to good order and duetie shall haue discharged mine handes of this their sayde christian beneuolence which without commoditie to my selfe I fréely receiued and will as fréely deliuer it them I will take my iourney into Spayne And although I hasten forwardes my selfe as muche as I possibly may vntill I bée in Spayne to preache therein the Gospell of Chryst yet for all that it repenteth mée not in this maner for a whyle to be stayed from thence And when soeuer