Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	faith_n	justify_v	object_n	1,744	5	9.2095	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03519	Certayne sermons, or homelies appoynted by the kynges Maiestie, to be declared and redde, by all persones, vicars, or curates, euery Sondaye in their churches, where they haue cure. Anno 1547.; Certain sermons or homilies appointed to be read in churches. Book 1.	Cranmer, Thomas, 1489-1556.; Church of England.	1547 (1547)	STC 13640; ESTC S110029	106,479	184

representacion of the thyng it self and is with out life or any maner of mouyng so be the workes of all vnfaithfull persones before God Thei do appere to be liuely workes in deede thei be but ded ▪ not auailyng to the eternall life Thei bee but shadowes and shewes of liuely and good thynges and not good and liuely thynges in dede For true faith doth geue life to the workes and out of suche faith come good woorkes that be very good woorkes in dede and without it no worke is good before God as saieth saincte Augustine wee muste set not good workes before faithe nor thynke that before faithe a man maie do any good worke for suche workes although thei seme vnto men to bee praise worthy yet in deede thei bee but vain and not allowed before God Thei bee as the course of a horse that rūneth out of the waie whiche taketh great labor but to no purpose Let no man therefore saieth he reckē vpon his good workes before his faithe Whereas faithe was not good woorkes were not the intent saieth he maketh the good workes but faith must guide and order thintent of man And Christ saith if thine iye be naught thy whole body is ful of darkenesse The iye doth signifie the intent saith sainct Augustine wherwith a man doth a thyng So that he whiche doth not his good workes with a Godly intent and a true faithe that woorketh by loue the whole body beside that is to saie all the whole nūbre of his workes is darke and there is no light in it For good deedes bee not measured by the factes theimselfes and so disseuered from vices but by the endes and intentes for the whiche thei bee doen. If a Heathen man clothe the naked fede the hongerie and do suche other like workes yet because he doth theim not in faithe for the honor and loue of God thei ●e but ded vain and fruitles workes to hym Faithe is it that dooth commende the woorke to god for as s. Augustine saith whether thou wilt or no that worke that cōmeth not of faithe is naught where the faith of Christ is not the foūdacion there is no good worke what buildyng soeuer we make There is one worke in y t which be al good workes that is faithe whiche worketh by charitie If thou haue it thou hast the ground of all good woorkes For the vertues of strength wisedom temperaunce iustice be al referred vnto this same faith Without this faith we haue not thē but onely the names and shadowes of them as s. Augustine saieth All the life of them that lacke the true faithe is syn and nothyng is good without hym that is the aucthor of goodnes where he is not there is but feined vertue although it be in the best workes And s. Augu. declaryng this verse of the psalme the Turtle hath found a nest where she may kepe her young birdes saith that Iewes heretiques and pagans do good workes thei clothe the naked fede the poore and do other workes of mercy but because thei be not doen in the true faithe therfore the birdes be loste But if thei remain in faith then faith is the nest and sauegard of their birdes that is to say safegard of their good workes that the reward of them be not vtterly lost And this matter whiche s. Augustin at large in many bokes disputeth s. Ambrose concludeth in fewe wordes saiyng he that by nature would withstand vice either by naturall will or reason he doth in vain garnishe the tyme of this life and atteineth not the very true vertues for without the worshippyng of the true God that whiche semeth to be vertue is vice And yet moste plainly to this purpose writeth s. Ihon Chriso in this wise you shall finde many which haue not the true faith and be not of y e flocke of Christ and yet as it appereth thei florishe in good workes of mercy You shall finde them full of pitie compassion and geuen to iustice and yet for all that thei haue no fruite of their workes because the chief worke lacketh For when the Iewes asked of Christ what thei should do to worke good workes he aunswered this is y e worke of God to beleue in hym whom he sente So that he called faithe the worke of god And assone as a mā hath faith anone he shall florish in good workes for faith of it self is full of good workes and nothyng is good without faith And for a similitude he saith that thei whiche glister and shine in good workes without faithe in God be like dead men whiche haue goodly precious tōbes and yet it auaileth them nothyng Faith may not be naked without good workes for then it is no true faith and when it is adioyned to workes yet is it aboue the workes For as men that be very men in dede first haue life and after be norished so must our faithe in Christe go before after be norished with good woorkes And life maie be without norishment but norishment cannot be without life A man must nedes be norished by good workes but first he must haue faithe he that doth good deedes yet without faith he hath no life I can shew a man that by faith without workes liued cam to heauē but without faithe neuer man had life The thiefe that was hanged when Christe suffered did beleue onely and the moste mercifull God did iustify hym And because no manne shall obiecte that he lacked tyme to doo good woorkes for els he would haue doen them truthe it is and I will not contend therin but this I will surely affirme that faithe onely saued hym If he had liued and not regarded faith and the workes thereof he should haue lost his saluacion again But this the effecte that I saie that faithe by it self saued hym but workes by theim selfes neuer iustified any man Here ye haue heard the minde of sainct Chrisostome wherby you maie perceiue that neither faith is without workes hauyng opportunitie therto nor workes can auaile to eternall life without faithe Now to procede to the third parte whiche in the former Sermon was noted of faithe that is to say what maner of workes thei be whiche spring out of true faithe and leade faithfull menne vnto eternall life this cannot bee knowen so well as by our sauior Christe hymself who was asked of a certain greate man thesame question What woorkes shall I do said a Prince to come to euerlastyng life To whom Iesus aunswered If thou wilte come to the eternall life kepe the commaundementes But the Prince not satisfied herewith asked farther whiche commaundementes The Scribes and Phariseis had made so many of their awne lawes and tradicions to bryng men to heauen besides Gods cōmaūdementes that this man was in doubte whether he should come to heauen by those lawes tradicions or by the lawes of God therfore he asked Christe whiche

be the lesse to be passed vpon so that the rest maye profite which wil be more desirous to know the truth then when it is playn enough to contende aboute it and with cōtencious and capcious cauillacions to obscure and darkē it Truthe it is that out awne woorkes doo not iustifye vs to speake properly of our iustificacion that is to saie our workes do not merite or deserue remissiō of our synnes and make vs of vniust iuste before God But God of his mere mercie through the onely merites and deseruynges of his sonne Iesus Christ doth iustifie vs. Neuerthelesse because fayth doth directely sende vs to Christe for remission of our synnes that by faithe geuen vs of God we embrace the promise of Gods mercie and of the remission of oure synnes whiche thyng none other of oure vertues or woorkes properly doth therfore scripture vseth to say that faith without workes doth iustifie And for asmuch that it is al one sentēce in effecte to saye Faithe without woorkes onely fayth doth iustifie vs therfore the olde auncient fathers of the Churche from tyme to tyme haue vttered our iustificacion with this speache Onelye faythe iustifieth vs meanyng none other thing then sainct Paule meant whē he sayd faith without workes iustifieth vs. And because al this is brought to passe through the onely merites and deseruinges of our sauior christ not through our merites or through the merite of any vertue y t we haue within vs or of any worke that cōmeth frō vs therfore in that respecte of merite deseruyng we renoūce as it wer altogether agayn faith workes and all other vertues For our awne imperfeccion is so greate through the corrupciō of original synne that al is imperfect that is within vs faithe charitie hope dreade thoughtes wordes workes and therefore not apte to meryte and deserue any parte of our iustificacion for vs And this forme of speakyng we vse in the humblyng of oure selfes to God and to geue all the glory to our sauior Christ whiche is best worthy to haue it Here you haue heard the office of God in oure iustificacion and how we receyue it of him frely by his mercie without our desertes through true and lyuely faythe Now you shall heare the offyce and duetie of a christian man vnto God what we ought on oure parte to rendre vnto God agayne for his greate mercye and goodnes Oure offyce is not to passe the tyme of his present lyfe vnfruictfully and idlely after that we are baptised or iustified not caryng howe fewe good workes we do to the glory of God and proffite of our neighbors much lesse it is oure office after that we be once made Christes mēbres to lyue cōtrary to thesame makyng our selfes membres of the deuil walking after his inticementes and after the suggestions of the world and the fleshe wherby we know that we do serue the world and the deuill and not God For that faythe which bryngeth furth without repentaunce either euyll workes or no good workes is not a right pure and liuely faithe but a ded Deuilishe counterfeit and feyned fayth as sainct Paul sainct Iames cal it For euen the deuilles know and beleue that Christ was borne of a virgyn that he fasted forty dayes fortye nightes without meate and drynke that he wrought all kynde of myracles declaryng hymself very God They beleue also that Christe for oure sakes suffered moste paynfull death to redeme vs from eternal death that he rose agayn from death the thyrde daye They beleue that he ascended into heauen and that he sitteth on the right hand of the father and at the laste ende of this world shal come agayne and iudge bothe the quicke and the deade These articles of our faith the deuilles beleue and so they beleue all thinges that be writtē in the new and old Testamēt to be true yet for all this faith they be but deuilles remainyng styll in their dampnable estate lackyng the very true christian fayth For the right and true christiā faith is not onely to beleue that holy scripture all the forsaied articles of our fayth are true but also to haue a sure trust confidence in Gods mercifull promises to be saued from euerlastynge dampnacion by Christe wherof doeth folowe a louyng harte to obey his cōmaundementes And this true Christian faythe neyther any deuyll hath nor yet any man which in the outwarde profession of his mouth and in his outward receiuyng of the Sacramentes in commyng to the churche and in all other outward apparaunces semeth to be a Christian man yet in his liuyng and deedes sheweth the cōtrary For how can a man haue this true faith this sure truste and confidence in God That by the merites of Christe his synnes be remitted and he reconciled to the fauor of God and to be partaker of the kyngdom of heauen by Christ when he liueth vngodly and denieth Christe in his dedes Surely no suche vngodly man can haue this faith trust in God For as they know Christe to bee the onely sauior of the worlde so they knowe also that wicked men shall not possesse the kyngdō of God Thei know y t God hateth vnrighteousnes that he will destroye all those that speake vntruly that those that haue doen good workes whiche can not be doen without a liuely faythe in Christe shall come forth into the resurrection of lyfe those that haue doen euill shall come vnto resurrectiō of iudgement and very well they know also that to them that be contencious to them that will not be obedient vnto the truth but wil obey vnrighteousnes shall come indignacion wrathe and affliccion c. Therfore to conclude considerynge the infinite benefites of God shewed and exhibited vnto vs mercifully withoute oure desertes who hath not onely created vs of nothyng from a pece of vile clay of his infinite goodnes hath exalted vs as touchyng our soule vnto hys awne similitude and lykenesse but also wheras we were cōdempned to hel death eternall hath geuen his awne natural sonne beyng God eternall immortall and equal vnto himselfe in power glory to bee incarnated and to take our mortall nature vpō oim with the infirmities of the same and in the same nature ▪ to suffre moste shamefull and paynful death for our offences to thintent to iustifye vs to restore vs to lyfe euerlastyng so makyng vs also his dere beloued chyldrē brethren vnto his only sonne our sauior Christ inheritors for euer with him of his eternall kyngdō of heauē These greate and mercifull benefites of God if they be well considered do neither minister vnto vs occasiō to be idle to liue without doyng any good workes neither yet stirreth vs ▪ by any meanes to do euill thinges ▪ but contrarywise if we be not desperate persones and oure hartes harder then stones they moue vs to rendre our selfes vnto God wholy with all

our wil ▪ hartes ▪ might and power to serue him in all good dedes obeyng his commaundementes during our lifes to seke in al thinges his glory and honor not our sensuall pleasures vaynglory euermore dreadynge willingly to offende suche a merciful God louyng redemer in worde thought or dede And the sayde benefites of God depely considered do moue vs for his sake also to be euer redy to geue our selfes to our neighbors and asmuch as lyeth in vs ▪ to study with all oure indeuour to doo good to euery man These be the fruites of the true faythe to do good asmuche as lieth in vs to euery man And aboue all thynges and in all thinges to auaunce the glory of God of whom only we haue our sanctificacion iustificacion saluacion and redempcion ▪ To whome be euer glory prayse and honor ▪ worlde without ende AMEN ¶ A short declaration of the true liuely and Christian Faithe THE firste entrie vnto God good christian people is through faith whereby as it is declared in the laste Sermon we be iustifyed before God And least any mā should be deceyued for lacke of right vnderstanding thereof it is diligently to be noted that faythe is taken in the scripture two manes of wayes There is one fayth whiche in scripture is called a dead faythe whiche bryngeth furth no good workes but is idle barrain and vnfruitefull And this faith by the holy Apostle sainct Iames is compared to the fayth of deuilles which beleue God to be true and iuste and tremble for feare yet they do nothynge well but al euill And suche a maner of fayth haue the wicked and naughtie thristian people whiche confesse God as saincte Paule sayeth in their mouthe but denye hym in their deedes beynge abhominable and withoute the righte fayth and to all good workes reproueable And this faith is a persuasiō and belief in mānes harte wherby he knoweth that there is a God and assenteth vnto all trueth of Gods moste holye worde conteyned in holy scripture So that it consisteth onely in beleuing of the woorde of God that it is true And thys is not properlye called faythe But as he that readeth Cesars Commentaries beleuyng thesame to be true hath thereby a knowledge of Cesars lyfe and noble actes because he beleueth the history of Cesar yet it is not properly saied that he beleueth in Cesar of whome he loketh for no helpe nor benefite Euen so he that beleueth that all that is spoken of God in the Bible is true and yet liueth so vngodly that he cānot loke to enioy the promises and benefites of God although it maye be saide that such a man hath a faith belief to y e wordes of God yet it is not properly saied that he beleueth in God or hath suche a fayth truste in God wherby he may surely loke for grace mercy eternall lyfe at Gods hand but rather for indignacion punishment according to the merites of hys wicked life For as it is written in a boke entituled to be of Didimus Alexādrinus forasmuch as faith without workes is ded it is not now faith as a ded man is not a man This ded faith therfore is not y t sure and substancial faith which saueth synners Another fayth there is in scripture whiche is not as the foresayde faith idle vnfruitfull and dead but worketh by charitie as S. Paule declareth Gal. v. Whiche as the other vayn faith is called a ded faithe so maye thys be called a quicke or liuely faith And this is not onely the cōmon belefe of the Articles of our faith but it is also a sure truste and confidence of the mercy of God through our lorde Iesus Christ and a stedfast hope of all good thynges to be receiued at Gods hande that although we through infirmitie or temptaciō of our ghostly enemie do fall from him by synne yet if we returne agayn vnto hym by true repentaunce that he wyll forgeue forget oure offences for hys sonnes sake our sauior Iesus Christ will make vs inheritors with him of his euerlastyng kyngdom and that in the meane tyme vntyll that kyngdom come he will ●e our protector and defendor in all perils daungers whatsoeuer do chaunce and that though somtyme he doth sende vs sharpe aduersitie yet y t euermore he wilbe a louyng father vnto vs correctyng vs for our synne but not withdrawyng hys mercy finally from vs if we trust in hym and commit our selfes wholy vnto hym hang onely vpon hym and call vpon hym ready to obey and serue hym Thys is the true liuely and vnfayned christian faith and is not in the mouthe and outward profession onely but it liueth and stirreth inwardly in the hart And this faythe is not without hope and truste in God nor without the loue of God and of our neyghbors nor without the feare of God nor without y e desyre to heare Gods worde and to folowe thesame in eschewyng euill and doyng gladly all good workes Thys faith as sainct Paule describeth it is the sure ground and foundaciō of the benefites whiche we ought to loke for and trust to receyue of God a certificat sure expectacion of them although they yet sensiblie appere not vnto vs. And after he saith he that cōmeth to God must beleue both that he is that he is a mercifull rewarder of wel doers And nothyng cōmendeth good men vnto God so muche as this assured faith trust in him Of this faithe iij. thinges are specially to be noted First that this faithe doth not lye ded in the hart but is liuely and fruitful in bringing furth good workes Second y ● without it cā no good workes be doen y t shalbe acceptable pleasaūt to God Thirde what maner of good workes thei be y t this faith doth bryng furth For the first as the light cannot be hid but will shewe furthe it self at one place or other So a true faith cannot be kept secret but when occasion is offered it will breake out shew it self by good workes And as the liuyng body of a mā euer exerciseth suche thinges as belongeth to a naturall liuyng body for nourishement preseruacion of thesame as it hath nede opportunitie and occasion euen so the soule that hath a liuely faith in it wyl be doyng alwaye some good worke whiche shall declare that it is liuyng and will not be vnoccupied Therfore when men heare in the scriptures so high cōmendacions of faythe that it maketh vs to please God to liue with God and to be the children of God if then they phantasie ▪ that thei be set at libertie frō doyng all good workes and may liue as thei liste thei trifle with God deceyue themselfes And it is a manifest token that thei be farre from hauing the true and liuely faith also farre from knowledge what true faith meaneth For the very sure liuelye christian faith is not