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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	age_n	church_n	time_n	2,142	5	3.6322	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10250	Propositions and principles of diuinitie propounded and disputed in the vniuersitie of Geneua, by certaine students of diuinitie there, vnder M. Theod. Beza, and M. Anthonie Faius ... Wherein is contained a methodicall summarie, or epitome of the common places of diuinitie. Translated out of Latine into English, to the end that the causes, both of the present dangers of that Church, and also of the troubles of those that are hardlie dealt vvith els-vvhere, may appeare in the English tongue.; Theses theologicae. English	Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605.; La Faye, Antoine de, 1540-1615. aut; Penry, John, 1559-1593.	1591 (1591)	STC 2053; ESTC S101754	189,778	296

gentlemen of the nobility of POLAND of whome not a few liued heere in times past very Christianly and religiouslie And this I doe by reason of the excellent gifts wherewith God hath endued you the which I beseech and pray him for our Lord Iesus Christs sake to increase and multiply Fare you well from Geneua the tenth of the Kalends of September 1586. Your Honors at commandement ANTHONIE FAIVS TO ALL THOSE THAT WISH WEL VNTO THE LORD IESVS and his poore Church wandring here vpon earth the Translator wisheth the powerful assistance of Gods Spirit while they are heere and the speedy injoying of their sure though deferred hope AS the mercies goodnes of God beloued in the Lord towards his deare Spouse and Church hath especiallie manifested it selfe in this last ruinous age of the world So hath Sathan in these very times brought his whole munition into the field with full purpose intent one way or other to bring either a ruinous fal or a confused deformitie where the Lord intendeth to build his sure grounded and well ordered house And therefore all those who haue giuen their names vnto the profession of the Gospell are to consider what it is that thereby they haue taken in hand For as it hath bin true in all ages so shal it be verified in these our daies that all shal not walk with the lambe for euermore who for a time seemed to bee of his traine And alasse we knowe that he earnestly entreateth ouer many to open vnto him who yet shall not be partakers of the supper of the great King Reuel 3.20 For such is the deceitfull wisedome of mans nature and Sathans powerfull delusion that euen professors themselues neuer want great and waightie reasons why they should denie Gods opressed truth heere vpon earth that the Lord may deny them in that day when hee shall come not to suffer in his members but to judge as the most magnificent King and shal come in that glorious majestie whereat heauen and earth will be astonied Now because his judgement shall bee Luke 9.26 Go you cursed vpon as many as shall be found not onely the defacers of his glory but euen the deniers of anie point of his trueth and worde as the holie Ghost hath forewarned vs. Therefore I thought it my dutie vnto his majestie and his Church to publish this booke in the Englishe tongue that men and Angels may beare testimonie against the moderation and discreet wisedome of this age in defending the trueth that the Lord hath made knowne vnto it and that by many witnesses what that trueth and what that worde of his is which he will haue at all times and in this age especially maintayned by all men with out exception that meane to be partakers of his eternall fauour The which trueth as it is largely contayned in Gods most sacred written word of the olde and newe Testament so is it briefely set downe in this booke by the whole consent of the godly learned in the Churche of Geneua and especially by that famous learned man vniuersally reuerenced in Gods Church M. THEODORE BEZA Out of this booke also shall appeare for what cause the Churche of God is at this day persecuted wheresoeuer the same be hardly intreated For this I may boldly affirm that ther is no church or priuate man at this houre in any affliction for the maintenance of the trueth but the cause of his trouble is contained and defended in this Treatise So that although all the persecuted Saints of God now pilgrimes vpon earth be not included within the walles and narow dominions of Geneua yet doth this booke manifestly prooue that as that Church is barbarously assayled by the Duke of Sauoye within the boundes thereof so is this doctrine therein professed hardly delt with vnder their gouernment though it may be they are ignorant of it who woulde be loath to be founde at the siege of Geneua or any wise to fauour such godles crueltie And I would wish that this were made knowne vnto them And herby also it will be manifested that there is great cause why the estate of that now distressed Church shuld be respected For surely if there be any loue in men towards Christ Iesus laboring faynting as it were in his pore members vnder the burden of great crosses and tryalls they cannot shut vp their compassiō towards him crauing their help in the person of that poore Church I beseech thee therefore good reader in the mercies of God not to shut vp thy compassion towards the same and be assured that the Lord Iesus will for that thy kindnes say vnto thee nay say of thee vnto his Father his Angells and Church Mat. 25.33 I was poore hungrie thristie naked sick and besieged in Geneua and beholde this man enriched me fed me clothed me visited me and defended me as farre as lay in him wherefore come thou blessed of my Father and possesse thy neuer ending rewarde I know beloued that thou hast many hinderances to do this in this backsliding age but knowe yet that Mathew saieth Ver. 33.40 that it is a king who requireth this at thy hands and will be exceedinglie angrie with thee to thy woe if thou deniest his request as he will reward thee most bountifullie to thy comfort if thou graunt the same And in any case take heed in this as in al other points touching thy dutie of the wisdome of this age whose warines tendeth to noe other purpose but warelie to starue and forsake the Gospell The shame pouertie and discontent of the Gospell I tell thee is a glorious ignomynie All the crownes in the world are not worthy to stand in the ballance with the same Thou art also to knowe that the Gospel is whatsoeuer is according vnto wholesome doctrine as the Apostle teacheth 1. Tim. 1.11 and therefore if thou wilt stand vnto the same thou must wholie cleaue vnto it otherwise the fierce anger of the God of trueth will bee against thee for shrincking from any part of his testimonies And thou must knowe that thou art not to choose what to defend but thou art bound to maintaine according vnto thy calling whatsoeuer thou seest to be oppugned by any be they frends or be they enemies of the truth And thou needest not regard herein whatsoeuer power opposeth it selfe against thee for he whose truth thou maintainest is no respecter of persons but is terrible as the Prophet saieth Psal 110.5 euen vnto the kings of the earth and thou shalt find that in thy defence defending his truth he will breake the great men in the daie of his wrath except they submit themselues vnto the scepter of his word In conclusion for necessitie is laid vpon me that I cannot write what I had purposed say with the holy man EZRA Ez. 8.22 vnto thine owne heart and bee assured thereof that the hand of God is vpon all those that seeke him in goodnes and

beleeue this 3 We also distinguish this Faith from the assent wherby some haue peculiarlie applied some peculiar promises made vnto themselues that were diuerse from the promises of aeternall life who notwithstanding were neuer made pertakers thereof 4 The Faith therefore whereof we now speake we doe define to bee that assurance whereby beyond the former assent the godlie are caried vnto Christ and so particularlie apply vnto themselues the promise of saluation offered in him We do condemne therefore all such sophistrie as doth confound these two sorts of faith and especially those who taking Faith for the obedience that is yeelded vnto Gods commandements doe by that meanes mingle the one of them with the other 5 We affirme this Faith to be the meere guift of God peculiar only to the elect and such a guift as in no wise cā be repented off or called back or beeing the most sure immoueable remedie vnto the saluation of all the elect Wee detest therefore all those who imagine that Christ and his sauing grace may be receaued by any merite either praeparatorie or fore-seene And especiallie all these who dreame that Christ may be conuaied vnto vs with the hand or mouth of the bodie 6 We denie also that this Faith can euer vtterly be lost although at some times euen in the most holie men it bee a sleepe as the minde is in those that are ouercome with drinke and notwithstanding that some haue as it were a shadow thereof begun in them 7 This faith doth God creat at what time and in what measure it pleaseth him strengthening and increasing the same by little and little though neuer perfecting it while wee are heere yet graunting so much of it in this life as is needfull for the elect to obtaine the victorie Nowe in the life to come he doth fulfill in deede that which we beleeued and hoped for while wee were heere on earth We doe execrate and detest therefore the CELESTINIANS and the ANABAPTISTS who dreame of a perfection of faith and righteousnes in this life and doe abollish the dailye growth of repentaunce and our continuall praiers which euen vnto our last gaspe we are to make for remission of sinnes Defended by BENIAMIN C●ESSONIVS of Burgundy PRINCIPLES CONCERNING THE CAVSES AND EFFECTS OF FAITH XXIII 1 THe efficient cause of faith indeede and to speake properlie is one to wit the mercie of God that is if the Father in the Sonne by the holie Ghost that the same Coessentiall power of the Father and the Sonne by the which man at the first was created in the image of God should restore in vs the same being left 2 The ordinary meanes whereby the same is wrought that is wherby both the vnderstanding of man is framed vnto a sauing knowledge of God in Christ and a particular receauing thereof and also the will powerfullie disposed vnto a right order of the affections is the preaching of Gods worde deliuered vnto vs be the Prophets and Apostles and for that cause so farre as it concerneth the elect appointed to be in the Church 3 But here two extremities are to be taken heed vnto the on of the ENTHYSIASTES who do not only distinguish but also separate the internall word as they call it that is the worke of the Spirite of God in our soules from the preaching of the written word whence followeth not any faith but rather a meere dotage The other is of those who after the manner of Sorcerers do transfer the efficacacie which is the proper and incommunicable worke of God onlie either vnto the ministers which speake or to the Sacramentall elements wheras notwithstanding they haue no other effect then to represent these things to our vnderstanding which according vnto Gods ordinaunce they are appointed to signifie Wheras then the ministers are said to worke together with God it is so to bee taken as they are vsed but for the outward planting watering when as in the mean time the whole force which worketh in the vnderstanding and the will doth flow from God only 4 Now that which we haue spoken of the Ecclesiastical ministerie is so to be taken as in the meane time wee are to know that God as often as it pleaseth him is able in a moment by the inward operation of his Spirit extraordinarily to regenerate his elect 5 But this extraordinarie worke of God is neither to be expected for of vs nor yet rashlie to be admitted 6 Now the most sure way to try it whether it be trulie from God or no is this namelie that whether it be by the ordinarie hearing of the word or which hath beene alwaies most seeldom whether God worketh by extraordinarie inspiration it must needes euermore teach the verie same doctrine which the written word of the Prophets and the Apostles do teach 7 There is not at all times the like majesty of the good order of this sacred Ministerie because the Lord doeth as often and as farre as hee thinketh good reuenge the negligencie and wickednes of the Sheep-heards and the contempt of the sheepe in such sort that sometimes it is darkened by spots of filthinesse and otherwhiles for a time it goeth as it were cleane out of sight as it came to passe in the former ages 8 Yet the Militant Church either priuate or publicke from others or by means of priuate reading hath euer enjoyed and euer shall enjoy the hearing of the worde and the vnderstanding of the trueth that ariseth therefrom 9 Nowe that true and liuely faith whereof wee speake is no lesse made knowen by the perpetuall and necessarie effects thereof then is the life of the bodie by motion and sense 10 But these effects doe not giue beeing vnto faith or informe the same as the Sophisters doe most absurdlie dreame but they are the vndoubted and sure signes of it 11 These effects are partly caried out of vs vnto Christ with whome we are vnited by faith and partly they do beget some things within vs. 12 The outward effects in asmuch as they doe peculiarly apply Christ and his benefits vnto those that beleeue are therefore the most excellent and of greatest account And they are both the full remission of all sinnes as well originall as actuall by the blood of Christ and also the bestowing vpon vs of all righteousnes fulfilled by him together with the most full restoring and repairing of our nature in the flesh of Christ All which are freelie by faith in Christ imputed vnto vs who take holde both of him and his gifts 13 Another effect of our spirituall joyning togeather with him by faith is that he gouerneth by his holy Spirit both our vnderstanding wil being sanctified and broght out of darknes vnto that marueilous light so as we begin to thinke to will and to doe the thinges that are of God This selfe same Spirite encreasing faith in vs being now not vnder the authoritie of the law and the flesh but vnder the grace

fall of mankinde by the mercifull voice of God haue and will vnto the end of the worlde consent together in the profession of his true worship 4 Nowe in asmuch as all those who haue giuen their names to bee of this meeting haue not either doone the same vnfainedlie or shewed that constancie that had bene meet by reason that Sathan neuer ceaseth to sowe tares in the field of the Lord Hence it came to passe that men haue beene alwaies enforced to take the Church sometimes in a more generall sometimes in a more speciall signification 5 The Church therefore is generallie called the congregation of all those who professe true Religion whether they do it vnfainedlie and perseuere therein or hypocriticallie and fall away from the same In speciall it is taken for all those onelie whome God of his infinite mercie hauing elected before all worldes doth effectuallie call when he thinketh good in such sort as they being endued with true faith and perseuering vnto the end may be justlie accounted to be of Gods flock 6 Hence sprung that distinction of the visible and inuisible Church of the visible which is so accounted by the notes of the outward profession without any differēce betweene the faithfull and the close hypocrites of the inuisible which is restrained vnto those onelie who trulie and constantlie beleeue to the end therfore called inuisible because true faith can assuredly be discerned by none saue by the Lord and them in whome it is 7 This inuisible Church is only one as there is but one God the Father one Christ the Mediatour and head of his mysticall bodie one faith one hope by the holy Ghost and one aeternall life and it is therefore called Catholicke that is vniuersall both because it hath bene is and shall be alwaies the one and the same and also because GOD hath alwaies gathered them into one bodye out of all sorts of men and people as it seemeth good vnto his mercie whereas before the comming of Christ the Church was particularly called out of the nation of the Iewes onelie 8 And although God for many ages had seperated the Gentiles whome the Apostles therefore affirmeth to bee without God strangers from the couenant of grace frō the seed of ABRAHAM yet was there almost no age wherein he called not some of the Gentiles vntill that the particion-wall being broken by the preaching of the Apostles that promise made vnto ABRAHAM was accomplished namely that all the nations should be blessed in his seede because they were to become ABRAHAMS seed by Christ 9 The particuler assemblies of this bodie dispearsed throughout the world considered either generallie or speciallie as it is visible or inuisible are as it were the members that make vp one mysticall body 10 And this is that Catholicke Church whereof mention is made in the beliefe therfore called holie because it is by the holy Ghost seperated from the rest of the worlde and consecrated vnto God 11 This same Church is rightly deuided into the Militant and Triumphant By the Militant is vnderstood the company of the true beleeuing yet remaining vppon the earth and striuing with Sathan and the remnants of their fleshe By the Triumphant are meant those whose blessed Spirits are already gathered vnto the Lord euen vntil both the one and the other at that glorious comming of Christ hauing receiued their glorious bodies shall triumph with Christ their head for euermore 12 That holines wherby this Catholick Church which is also inuisible in that sense that we haue spoken is seuered from the world if it be considered in respect of the puritie of the doctrine of the truth is altogeather without spot or wrinckle Or if it be considered not as it is in it selfe but according vnto the beliefe that is yeelded vnto this true and wholsome doctrine we holde againe that the force of that truth is so great that it is alwaies declared and obeied in the Church vniuersally considered Wherefore the Apostle calleth the Church taken in this sense the piller and ground of truth 13 But if the Church be respected not vniuersally but particularlie that is according as it hath diuers assemblies here and there gathered togeather then indeed it may often come to passe that some particular Churches may err yea in some fundamētal points either in part or in whole yet so as the elect do alwaies returne vnto the way neither can those particular spottes that cleaue vnto it for a time make the vniuersal church to leese her naturall beautie 14 We confesse to speake nothing here of the corruption of manners that this may come to passe much more if wee seuerally consider the members of particuler Churches for such is the weaknes of mans judgement euen in the deare Saints of God that you cannot find any so indued with the perfect knowledge of the trueth but hee doth stagger in some things especially when the Lord being prouoked by the sinnes of men doth giue efficacie and force vnto the spirit of error 15 Although that the Catholicke Church can neuer fall away from the truth yet both the Prophets and Apostles together with the holy storie in generall both before and after the comming of Christ haue foretolde and these very times wherein wee liue doe testifie that it hath often come to passe that the greatest part of particuler churches and men falling away yea and striuing against the truth the light of the Church seemed for a time though not vtterlie yet in a manner to be cleane extinguished 16 The true markes therefore of the visible Church can not bee the multitude or personall succession but the doctrine truly taught out of the written word of God and the lawfull administration that is such as is agreeable vnto Gods ordinance of the Sacraments to wit of Baptisme and of the Lords Supper 17 These two notes doe depend vpon the lawful forme that is such as is prescribed in Gods worde of the holie Ministerie constituted as it ought to be But in asmuch as the Church sometimes is brought to that passe that not onely Wolues doe supplie the place of lawfull Pastors but also the whole forme of the ordinarie Ministerie is turned into a plaine confusion that somtimes the externall Ministerie being for a time altogeather broken of the church is extraordinarilie fed as it were in the wildernes therefore is not this marke simplie and absolutelie necessary to point out the Church here vpon earth 18 Now wheresoeuer the Doctrine of the Apostles is taught ther is no question to be made but that the church is there though there bee fewe that giue eare vnto the same with fruit 19 That therefore is a true Church be it vniuersall or particuler which heareth the worde of God contained in the writinges of the Prophetes and the Apostles in suche sort as it canne adde nothing therevnto detract nothing from the same nor chaunge anie thing therein either in respect of the Doctrine it selfe or