Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	church_n	faith_n	scripture_n	9,703	5	6.2087	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08964	The tranquillitie of the minde A verye excellent and most comfortable oration, plainely directing euerye man, & woman, to the true tranquillitie and quyetnesse of their minde. Compyled in Latine by Iohn Barnarde, student in the Vniuersity of Cambridge, now lately translated into Englishe by Anthony Marten.; Oratio pia, religiosa, et solatii plena, de vera animi tranquillitate. English	Bernard, John, d. 1567?; Marten, Anthony, d. 1597.	1570 (1570)	STC 1925; ESTC S101618	90,089	234

but the same which I commaund you to doe that onely doe vnto the Lorde neyther adding nor diminishing anye thing Let vs heare the voyce of our sauiour Search the Scriptures sayth he c. they are the same that testifie of me Let vs follow the example of those which were conuerted vnto Christ in the beginning when the church first sprong vp who examined the doctrine of the Apostles by the Scriptures and out of them searched forth throughly the preaching of the Apostles whether it were true or no. The same way whereof I haue now giuen aduertisement I iudge méete among other things that the louers of the truth shoulds chiefly doe Thus did Chrysostome aduise vs And faint Ierome also by the wordes of the Prophete gathers and foreshewes that the people in the ende of the worlde should no lesse doe of their owne accorde whose wordes although they be somewhat long yet bicause they haue very great relation to the matter I will recite them in thys place When ye shall sée sayth he the abhomination of desolation standing in the holye place as much to saye as wicked herifie which is the hoste of Antichrist standing in holy places of the Church at those dayes let them which be in Iewrie flie vnto the Mountaynes that is let them which be of Christianitie repayre to the scriptures For euen as a true Iewe as saint Paule sayth is a Christian not he which is a Iewe outwardly but he which is a Iewe inwardly in the heart so true Iurie is christianitie vnder which name is to be vnderstand confessing And by the Mountaynes are signified the scripture of the Apostles and Prophetes Of which it is sayde wonderfully doest thou giue light from thy holy hill And agayne speaking of the Church Hir foundation sayth he is layde vpon the holy hils And why doth he will all Christians at this time to repayre to the scriptures Bicause neuer to this verie day since heresies haue entered into those Churches there could be any prouse of true Christianitie nor any other refuge can there be for the Christians which woulde know the truth of the fayth but to the scriptures of god Wherefore bicause verie herisies themselues in shew of wordes haue all those things which are peculiar to Christ in the truth aswell churches as the godly scriptures themselues Bishops and other orders of Church men Baptisme the Eucharist and all the rest and finally euē Christ himselfe Whosoeuer therefore is willing to know which is the true Church of Christ how shall he knowe the same in such a confusion of likenesses but all onely by the scriptures euen as in tymes past they were knowne by signes and tokens who were the true Christians and who were the false But nowe the working by myracles is all taken awaye and it is spide rather to be a trade among those which be false Christians He therefore that will learne whiche is the true Church of Christ howe shall he know but all onely by the scriptures The Lord therfore knowing what a great confusion of things woulde happen in the latter dayes willeth the Christians which be in Christianitie and would vnderstande a sertentie of the true fayth that they should flie to no other thing than to the Scriptures For else if they haue respect to other matters they shall fall and perishe not vnderstanding which is the true Church For the Deuill which could not with diuers afflictions ouercome the saintes being ouercome in his owne crueltie armed himselfe with deceyt and vnder the name of Christ and the Prophetes attempted to seduce them saying by his Ministers Behold here is Christ which is the Church Beholde there is Christ which is the Church For the false Preachers of the truth doe the verie same things in dissimulation which the faythfull doe in the truth For they studie chastitie they celebrate fasting they doe almes déedes and fulfill all ecclesiasticall rules And do they not séeme to be great matters to seduce and lead men from the right way when thou séest the Deuill worke the workes of God Thus farre Saint Chrysostome in his Cōmentaries vpon Mathew which if they be not Chrysostomes yet are they the doings of some other learned and cloquent man one so exercised in the Scriptures as in Erasmus opinion his iudgement in this poynt néede not giue place to Chrysostome And Saint Hierome wryting vpon the thirde Chapter of the Prophet Nahum foresheweth most truely that it woulde come to passe in the ende of the worlde when as the Pastors being sléepie and secure in ydlenesse the people shoulde séeke after the scriptures of their owne accorde For woe be to them saith he which bée schoolemaisters of peruerse doctrine in Niniue And aptly is it sayde to them Thy Pastors haue slumbred for to sléepe haue they betaken their eyes and their eye lids to slumber And therefore being brought a sléepe by the King of Assyrians they haue not founde a place for the Lorde nor a tabernacle for the God of Iacob They haue not hearde of Ephraim the fruitful church nor haue founde out the thicke woodes For the King of Assyrians knoweth that hée cannot beguile the shéepe vnlesse he first rocke the pastors a sléepe It is alwayes the Deuills practise to bring a sléepe vigilant mindes And moreouer in the passion of our Lord he filled the Apostles eyes wyth deadly sléepe Whome our Sauiour waking sayde vnto them watch and praye that you enter not into temptation And agayne that I say vnto you I say vnto al watch And bycause he seaseth not at any time to bring a sléepe those which be watchfull howe many soeuer they can beguile and intise to sloth with the faire flattering and deadlye tune of the Marmaide The worde of God rayseth them vp saying rise thou that sléepest and lift vp thy sefe and Christ will lighten thée In the comming therefore of Christ and his worde and ecclesiasticall doctrine and at the consumation of Niniue sometime the beautifull harlot the people which before were brought a sléepe vnder their teachers shall be wakened and shall make hast to go to the mountaines of the scripture and there they shall finde the hilles Moyses and Iesus the sonne of Naue and the hilles of the Prophetes and Apostles togither with the Euangelicall doctrine and hill of the newe testament And when they haue fled for succor to these mountaines and haue béene occupied in the reading of these hilles If they shall finde none to instruct them bycause the haruest is great and the laborers but few yet shall both their studie be well allowed bycause they fledde to the mountaynes and the maisters for their partes blamed by reason of their sluggishnesse For he brought them in but there was none to receyue them Wherefore they that be studious and desirous of the truth first of all must here the worde of God euen the verye same worde which Adam Abraham the fathers

became weake and sicke and sléepe till the iudgement of the Lord which thing Paule testifieth in the .xj. to the Corinthians to haue hapned most iustly in his time what haue we wicked generation a people loden with iniquitie a deceytfull séede the lost children deserued who haue forsaken the Lorde our God and prouoked the holye one of Israell trayterously reuolting from him The Nobles haue béene vnfaythfull and companions with théeues they gaue no iudgement with the orphane the widowes and poores cause hath had no place before them Euery one from the least to the greatest hath loued taking of giftes They haue gaped after filthie gaine and couetousnesse Ambicion and robbing of the poore haue had their swinge Charitie and liberalitie towardes the destitute haue waxen colde Euerye one hath néede to beware of his next neighbour No man can safely giue credite to his owne brother for fayth honestie and conscience haue béene banished Among the whole multitude of the flocke there hath scarcely béene found one plaine friend of the truth But euen as before the destruction of Ierusalem for that he desired to spare his people and the place of his habitation he sent his Messengers betymes in the morning which seased not to cal them backe saying Returne ye wandring children confesse your iniquitie and your starting a side will I heale againe Euen so did the Preachers of Gods worde before this sodaine chaunge of state neuer more often more earnestly more boldely and vehementlye crye out and preache repentaunce fearing the people from theyr sinnes But neuerthelesse wyth theyr threatning they haue not made our hearts to yéelde We haue not thought vpon turning to the Lord in all our heart with wéeping fasting and lamenting We haue not repented earnestly and in good fayth In acknowledging our faultes we haue not giuen the glorie to God but being past shame with a stiffe necke with vncircumcised hartes and eares haue abidden still in our smnes We haue not submitted our selues vnder the mightie hande of God nor disposing our mindes to vnderstande what his life is haue bewayled our owne miserable condition saying from the bottome of our heartes we haue sinned Lord we haue wickedly departed from thée we haue done vniustlye we haue committed iniquitie In thy wrath O Lorde remember thy mercie space vs Lorde spare thy thy people and let not thine inheritance be a reproch to the worlde c. Nay rather we haue followed the example of the Iewes which scorned the messengers of God mocked his Prophetes and derided their Sermons vntill such time as the wrath of God was kindled against his people and no remedie could be founde Likewise we haue most shamefully derided the worde of God haue dispised the Ministers of Christ and haue counted them as madde men their prophecies being the true Oracles of God as the successe and ende of them haue verified we haue wickedlye esteemed to be but vaine fables and lyes Iustly therfore are we scourged For the Lorde hath taken away his kingdome from vs and gyuen it to a people working their owne workes He hath taken from vs the cléere light and sent darkenesse among vs Hée hath taken the candlesticke from vs and appoynted a hunger of his worde But not pacified onely with this punishment he hath also threatned desolation of Cities distructions ouerthrowes wastings and ruynes vpon which ensue losse of goods committing of adultry defloration of daughters besides the miserable leadinges into captiuitie by barberous nations Ye and more gréeuous than al these he assigneth vnto such as be obstinate and vngodly contemners of his worde and doe omit charitie and other good workes aboue mentioned And if for all this they will not repent he pronownceth that it shal be worse to them in the day of iudgement than to Sodom and Gomorrha But the sincere louers of the truth when contrarie wise the stubberne and disobedient by Gods iust iudgement are blinded shall sée light in darckenesse and among déepe errors shall spye out the light of the worde which worde shall be their guyde and shall make the way plaine vnto them least the féete of the Sainctes stumble against the darke mountaines These men shining in good works before the blindnesse of mortall men shall by shewing the true worde of the Gospell shake off the darckenesse of errors and by warning exhorting and reproouing the workes of darkenesse shall bring backe the shéepe of Christ often straying from the right course pathway vnto that one blessed flocke of true Christians These men also that the Deuill if it be possible may suppresse he stretcheth out his threates and terrors of gréeuous persecution against them that the preaching of the Gospell eyther by ridding such out of the way or by their consent vnto an vntruth might vtterly be put to scilence But he finally preuayleth by his violent meanes Lyttle doth he aduantage by his cruell and blouddie assaults to ouerthrow Gods seruants and to vanquish the truth For the Church of God and christian religion haue euermore augmented thorowe persecution and by the verye same meanes that other things haue bene extinguished and brought to nothing they haue growne and increased Which thing Saint Augustine excellently well declareth in a certaine Epistle of his to Volusyan When tyrannous infidelitie sayth he speaking of the first famous professors and teachers of Christs religion rageth against them they wayte for things foreshewde they hope vppon promises they teach the commaundementes of a small number they are spread ouer the worlde they conuert the people with maruellous facilitie they increase amongst their enimies they waxe more and more with persecution through grieuous affliction they are caryed out to the endes of the earth By those which are most vnlearned most abiect and least of number they are brought to fame to renowme and are multiplyed The most excellent wyttes the trymmest eloquence the wonderfull cunning of wise eloquent and learned men of the worlde they doe bring vnder Christ and conuert to preache the way of godlynesse and saluation Through aduersitie and prosperitie which chaunce in the course of times they throughly exercise themselues both in pacience and temperaunce The worlde drawing nowe towardes an ende and declaring manifestly by the féeblenesse of things the last age of the same men doe wayte for eternall felicity in the heauenly habitation and with much greater confidence bycause the same is porficied of before Also amongst all other things the infidelitie of wicked nations stormes against the church of Christ but she through pacience and stedfast professing of faith amidst the crueltie of resistaunce hath the ouer hande Wherefore rightlye did one vtter that noble sentence boldelye and without feare he declared it that the bloud of Martires is the seede of Christes religion But now that wée haue largely inough set forth how and in what maner euery man ought to behaue hymselfe to finde out the truth in the troublesome time

paine due for the same For otherwise how shoulde either they which be iustified by their faith be at peace with God when as peace may in no wise be conuersaunt with feare of punishment if they shoulde be in perplexitie for feare of greater punishment Eyther else how shoulde the Saintes receyue here the full forgiuenesse of sinnes if they should be recompenst with paine due for sinne in an other worlde being departed out of this life Wherefore the holy fathers and that consonaunt to the scriptures were of the opinion that all remission of sinnes is here in this life yea and so fullye as no parte thereof is differred till any other life to come For so writeth blessed Cyprian Here is saith he the soule eyther lost or saued Here doe we prouide for eternall saluation for the worshipping of God and for the fruite of faith Neyther let any mans sinnes or yeares be a hinderaunce to hym from the attaynement of saluation To him that hath as yet any being in this lyfe there is no repentaunce to late To mercy the waye is open and frée accesse is therevnto for such as seeke and vnderstande the truth But when we are departed from hence then is there no place of repentance nor any satisfaction to be made And of the same opinion was Ambrose and other godly writers which were exercised in the holy scriptures did set forth treatyes and interpretations vpon the same The Lorde increase the faith of many and giue them a better minde that they may truely beléeue in the sonne of God and earnestly repent from the bottome of their heart who in their wordes professe christian religion but neuerthelesse in their déedes kicke and spurne against the Gospell and denye the same set sorth to so godly a purpose Who count the bloudde of the Testament but a prohpane thing and reprochfully vse the spirite of grace Who although they doe not openly scorne this holy misterie which we haue so much intreated of yet they doe not reuerently imbrace the same and with such feare and dreade as they ought to doe In the dayes of Paule Christ was to the Iewes an occasion of fall but to the Gentiles a méere foolishnesse In our dayes Christ is no lesse wonderfully spronge vp againe than in olde time he was borne and bredde at Beathlem in Iurie Nor no lesse reuiued nilling the aduersaries then when he rose vp agayne man earthquake the Sepulker being close shutte I am a fearde least Sathan the fleshe and the worlde doe driue a number to be so peruerse as Christ becommeth vnsauerie to them that they cannot taste howe swéete the lord is and how plentifully the streame of the Riuer makes glad the citye of god A sensible person cannot so muche as dreame what the ioye of the Children of God is and how daye and night without intermission they sing lifting vp their voyces and gyuing thankes vnto the Lorde their god Rightly doe we attribute vnto Christ that he will ease and refreshe our soules and will not onely discharge reuenge and set at libertie them which bée captiuated with the tirannie of Sathan but also wil leade the very same captiuitie captiue Although our troubled consciences many times are more greeuously dashed with terror of the law then they be appeased with comfort of the Gospell of peace Of verye right also doe we impute it to his bountifulnesse that he is the remedie of our woundes the rest of our afflicted consciences and the true tranquillitie of our minde This we knowe by the worde of God which is the light of our eyes and the lanterne to our féete wherein as we liue so ought we continually to be occupied therin both day and night for the finding out of such thinges as maye further vs to the attainement of blessednesse to the gouernment of our life to the comfort of our soule and the abandoning of cares from vs Howe often in the holy scriptures are they pronounced blessed which be diligent hearers and readers of this worde if vpon the same they amende their maners and applie the actions of their life to the will of God as for example Blessed are they that heare the worde of God and kepe the same Blessed are the vndefiled in the way and that walke in the lawe of the Lorde Blessed are they that search his testimonies they séeke him with their whole heart Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law will exercise himselfe both day and night And is not he of verie right to be counted blessed that hath altogither vowed himselfe to become Gods seruaunt in whose heart is hidden the lawe of his Lorde when as both things aboue and things beneath are put vnder him and serue him For the euilles which so many wayes so oftentymes light vpon vs happen for no other cause then for that we addict not our selues as meete we should vnto the will of our Creator Moreouer the Apostle doth prudently commend vnto vs the holy scripture and doth very well kindle our mindes to the studie thereof by these wordes All scripture sayth he giuen by inspiration from God is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect prepared to all good works And againe What so euer is written the same is writtē for our learning that we through pacience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope For we as it were in the middes of the sea are tossed and fast bound will we or nill we to an innumerable sort of sinnes We stand continually in battell and verie often beare away the woorst We are besieged aboute in all places and the dartes flie about vs on euery side as well through diuersitie of occasions as for the necessitie it selfe of cares troubles griefes boastings and swellings Also we are so tossed as we were in the middes of waues so drawne hither and thither with variable and diuers cogitations so shaken with stormes of temptation and so often conquered and ouerthrowne in the conflict that wée haue alwayes néede of often and continuall consolation out of the Scriptures and bicause we receiue wounds euery day therefore to séeke for medicine and remedie euery day out of the same Artificers whatsoeuer they take in hande to make they perfourme the thing with such instrumentes as they haue And we if our mindes bée corrupted decaied amend and repaire the same by the scriptures of the Apostles and Prophetes and whatsoeuer else is giuen by inspiration from God and if it fal in decay we renue it againe thereby They by their Art onely adde a certaine fashion to things but to chaunge the verie matter whereon they worke as of siluer to make golde they are not able But we shewe and bring to passe a greater matter For we chaunge the vessell of wood into golde Whereof S. Paule witnessing

and Prophets and finally that the gentiles and whosoeuer else in the vniuersall world which through beléefe obtayned saluation did here This worde as it was reuealed to the fathers so the will of God makes it knowne vnto vs by expresse declaration in Bookes Wherevnto if we giue no credit neyther will we beléeue if one shall ryse againe from the deade With this worde is the Church of God made and ordayned and the same is buylded vpon the rocke Christ who is the foundation and precious stone therof For take away the scriptures of the Church and thou shalt also take the Churche quite awaye For euen as the Church did neyther founde nor make anye certaine or vndoubted scripture but receyued it in olde time with great reuerence being erected before by the holy ghost the author therof and deriued from Christ and his Apostles by perpetuall succession into all Churches and after she had receyued the same allowed it which being allowed circumspectly kept it for the instructing of euerye age so did she specially take care that nothing vnder the name of Scripture which dyd beare no certaine signe of scripture should be allowed in it ye that if an Aungell in heauen shoulde preach any other Gospell condemned him accursed This one holye catholicke and apostolicke Church that is which is gouerned by the scripture of the Apostles and Prophetes doth seuer after the example of Paule and set apart those things whereof It hath no commaundement by God from the excellent preceptes of Christ making a great difference betwéene them to the intent it may will the things which be of Christ to remaine vnuiolate and suffer nothing contrarie therevnto to be admitted But those matters which be of the churches owne constitution although they be sounde and the spirite being author of thē are set forth amongst vs yet It leaueth them at such libertie as testifiyng in plaine termes that it woulde none to cast anye doubtes in those things whereof they haue no expresse commaundement from god Whatsoeuer things It findeth in the holy Scripture which containe the lawe of the Lorde and doctrine of fayth perfected and throughly finished aboue the rest wythout any sticking It commendes allowes receyues and estéemes and also reuerenceth all things therein without choyse and election shunning al that may be the crime of new deuise that most vainely might be layde to hir charge In assuring hir iudgement It accounteth none more wyser than Christ more holy than the Apostles nor more auncient than the Primatiue Church And next after these It placeth the monumentes of such as teach thinges concerning the religion of Christ and innocencie of lyfe but alloweth nothing without iudgement and without dilygent examination thereof with the law of god Wherevpon It compelled Augustine hir most seruiceable childe to set forth this confession folowing I confesse to thy charitie saith he that I haue learned to attribute this feare reuerence onely to those bookes of the holy scriptures which are now called Canonicall so as I stedfastly beléeue that none of the Authors of them haue erred in wryting And if I shall finde any thing in those bookes which may séeme cōtrary vnto the truth I will make no doubt but that eyther the booke is faultie or that the interpreter hath not followed the matter as it is spoken or else that I my selfe vnderstand not the same Other Authors also I réede in such sort as howe great a porte soeuer they beare of holinesse and learning I may not therefore thinke them true bicause such was their opinion but for that they coulde eyther by those Canonicall bookes or else by good probable reason perswade me in a thing that swarueth not from the truth Wherefore if we make the scripture subiecte to the iudgement of men we therewithall disanull the doctrine of most holye men For it is not the worde of God but the worde of men that is gouerned after the opinion of men But this is that holye sacred treasure of the Church this is that excellent consolation of faith that high and stedfast knowledge of life that the Scripture being planted not by men nor in the hande of men but by God in the hande of God through his sonne Iesus authorised by the holye Ghost was deliuered to the Church and by the same Church published and set forth to the instruction of all posterities Wherefore such as be members of the church doe not attribute to themselues any authoritie against their heade Iesus Christ but being subiects to their heade as méeke shéepe giue eare to no other voyce then to their owne pastor to whome they owe their faith conscience and subiection and the same as the voyce of Christ doe acknowledge here and follow from whence soeuer it be vttered and whatsoeuer thing it commaundeth that is righteous and iust to be done For by iudging of holsome doctrine they know also the contrarie making a difference betwéene them that it which is sounde right and lawfull may be allowde according to the saying Proue all take the best and things contrarie and straunge therevnto maye be reiected and disprooued The iudgement wherewith we discerne approue instruct and reproue must be supported with knowledge Knowledge springeth chiefly by exercise of the spirite of fayth in the worde of god Whereby with a sensible vnderstanding we sincerely accorde those places togither which appeare contrarie to a likenesse and resemblance in themselues according to the proportion of our fayth We way the beginning with that which followeth and by diligent comparing euerie thing in it selfe we indeuour to attaine to that knowledge of the Lordes meaning For this cause Paule mooueth Timothe that he continually exercise himselfe in reading exhortation and teaching These things sayth he exercise in these remaine that thy profiting maye be knowne in all things Hereby we finde out the difference betwéene the spirite of truth and the spirite of error that whereas the spirite of Christ searcheth and séeketh for nothing but the glory of God ioined with the care and safetie of our neighbor contrariwise the other being set on and inflamed with the loue of it selfe with ambicion couetousnesse pride reuenge tyranny the immoderate loue of things priuate defileth polluteth and corrupteth all thinges so wresteth and turneth the scripture from the sense and meaning thereof as it can by a counterfeyte way séeme to defende and maintaine the verye same thing which it doth repugne and stande agaynst By this reading and exercise the traditions of the godly which of right we call the holy séede being taught may both cause a man to take héede to himselfe and by reclayming of himselfe may conuince errors which Christ prophecied should be so great and aboundant before his latter cōming that he doubted whether the son of man at his comming should find fayth vpon the earth shewed before that the verse elect if it were possible should be deceyued by them

of controuersie concerning our fayth and haue intreated of euerie thing in order as matters necessarie for our purpose did fall out There resteth that by all wayes and meanes we can we searche more dilygentlye and when the place serueth better for the purpose to trye out vppon whome Christ is woont to bestowe that excellent peace which he promosed at his departing hence to giue to his Apostles and wyth them to leaue it Shall all persons enioye this peace shall euery one possesse thys so high a benefite I woulde all Christians woulde so wholye dedicate themselues to Christ and so dyligently obserue the rule prescrybed to them by him their onely maister that they might aspire to that most plesaunt ioye of a quyet minde But the way to this so firme a peace is cut off from an infinite multytude through their owne default who starting from the purenesse and integritie of lyfe are defiled in their sinnes and serue their owne lustes Farre from thys are they kept which laying aside the feare of God set great store by themselues which walke in this world according to the tyme according to the spirite that workes in peruerse children and according to their owne concupiscence and which studie not wyth all indeuour and resistaunce to purge the olde leauen but doe whatsoeuer pleaseth the fleshe and their owne fansies To be short all such as are excluded there from as wittingly and wyllingly repugnaunt to the Table of the ten commaundements with all pronenesse of minde rushe hedlong into all mischiefe naughtinesse A great way also are they seuered from thys peace to recken euery sinne more perticularly which be whoremongers adoulterers delicate persons théeues couetous folke drunkardes raylers extorcyoners vniust and wicked men mankyllers lyers periurers enuyers whisperers backbyters spightfull highe minded and glorious men and al vncleane persons which obstinatelye contynue in their sinnes and boldly followe whatsoeuer is enimy vnto the wholsome doctrine of the Euangelist and vnto the glory of the blessed god For those men cannot but tremble in their mindes and quake with inwarde dreade when they vnderstande the wrath and vengeaunce of God towardes them when they perceyue before hande that they shall haue him to be a Iudge and reuenger of their naughtinesse And all those which be prophaners of his temple and runne hedlong into vice the Lorde will destroy and iudge except they repent For he will punishe them with a seconde death casting them into the lake burning with fyre and brimstone and condemning them to euerlasting paine For they obtayned not the spirite of promise eyther by reason of their vnbeliefe pride and wantonnesse eyther for that they were apparelled with no workes of righteousnesse nor practised the worde of God as they ought to haue done but lyued after their owne wayes or rather after the maner of Dogs in gyuing themselues to vncleanesse ryot and other vices And bicause they walked on still after the maner of men in their owne concupiscenses not agréeable to reason therefore hath the Lorde whyle they yet liue called them deade the Apostle named them fleshely and beastlye the Prophete termed them cattell and brute beasts common experience counted them no better than cattell voyde of reason and finally the lawe it selfe hath iudged them vncleane persons Therefore they only are taught by Christ and finde rest vnto their soules which detest sinne and turne to their God by fayth especiallye with the desire of their heart which crucifie the flesh with hir lustes and kill the déedes of the same by the spirite and being deade to sinne liue to righteousnesse and innocencie The which being buried togither with Christ liue againe with him and studie to walke in newenesse of life They which after a sort worke violence to theyr owne nature to take away dominion of sinne in them and they also which reposing their trust in God endeuour to liue in the fleshe as if they were not in the fleshe that the old man being shaken of they may dayly put on the new and the Image that in Adam was lost they may recouer again by renuing the same more more in there mynde euery day They only ascend to that blessed kingdome wherein is ioy and peace in the holy ghost which perceiue the loue of God towardes them and imbrace the same from the bottome of their heart with thankesgiuing helping their poore brethren as farre as their habilitie wil stretch both with their trauell councell and substance They also which spare no labour to serue in their vocation but hauing taken a function in hande do passe through the same to the glorie of god They which couet not riches which compasse not honors nor hunt after pleasures but with a stayde mynde dispise all humaine and earthly things and fixe the same vpon the high and celestiall treasure And they moreouer which in wishing for the Lordes comming doe rather lyke the same should come than dread and abhorre it Such persons as thus renounce all impietie and bestowe the course of this lyfe in godlinesse righteousnesse holinesse and sobrietie of verye right are called men both pure spirituall and liuing to God bicause they haue the spirit of the father which maketh man pure exalteth him to the life of god Whose quietnesse what is it the can impaire when they perceiue féele the louing kindnesse of God so great towards them as he doth not onely of his fatherly affection appoynt them among the number of hys children giues them plentie of his spirite and as the Apostle sayth richely endueth them styrres vp new desires in their harts and such as are correspondent to the will of God inflames vs to loue God and to haue charitie towards our neighbour driues vs to prayse God continually to confesse our sinnes to aduaunce the Gospell to call for helpe to render thankes to haue true and stedfast confidence in God mooues vs moreouer to all dueties of godlinesse to pacience in aduersitie to sobrietie in aboundaunce to dexteritie towardes our neighbor to diligence in our calling to meeknesse in behauiour to the indeuour of peace and concorde to vertues méete for a Christian to liue friendly to the life of man and profitably to the Church of Christ to the reposing of our sure and stedfast saluation in Christ But he also beholdeth vs with hys fatherly countenaunce kéepeth vs carefully as it were the apple of his eie and brings vs to that glorious kingdome where wée being ridde from the burthen of necessitie and turmoyles of this lyfe all the blessed shall inioy the continuall beholding of their god Vnto which blessednesse let no man thinke he shall attaine which vnder the cloke of fayned holinesse and colourable chastitie of life shal for a time bleare mens eyes and hyde his secret filthinesse wyth craftie and hypocriticall dissimulations vnlesse he shall inwardly also before God appeare such a one as he outwardly professeth and shall in déede liue continently temperately soberly