Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	faith_n	godliness_n	temperance_n	4,219	5	11.6041	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11377	Dorcas: a true patterne of a goodly life, and good end With a pithy exhortation to the practice of faith and good works. In a sermon preached at Totnes in Deuon, Ianuary 14 16[...] at the funerall of Mrs. Mary Bab, widow. By Thomas Saltern, sometimes lecturer there; and preacher of the word at Bradford. And now published, at the request of sundry godly persons.	Saltern, Thomas, b. 1579 or 80.	1625 (1625)	STC 21636; ESTC S112139	17,242	24

fruits of faith the many branches growing out of the tree of holinesse and righteousnesse the seuerall Commandements of the two Tables are not more wide thē the name of good works is Whatsoeuer is commanded in any of those precepts faith it selfe alone excepted which is included in the first Commandement is comprehended vnder the name and title of good workes euen as the proper branches of our faith doe spread themselues as far as the Articles of our Creed doe the sum of that which a Christian ought to beleeue to his soules health Let no man therefore thinke it enough for him to bee carefull and zealous in performing the Commandements of the first Table while those of the second Table are neglected by him if not by his open or actuall transgression of the letter yet by too ordinary violating the sense of them in his truely disobeying vnder an vntrue pretence of greater obedience by his pride and malice and couetousnesse breach of charity of Christian yea of naturall affection hypocrisie double-dealing and deceitfulnesse into which crimes many I feare that thinke well of themselues and would be so thought of others do yet run headlong and doe not heed it nor on the other side will it serue our turnes to abstaine in some good measure from violating the precepts of the second Table which fear or worldly shame or other temporall respects may make vs carefull in while wee make no conscience of the Commandements of the first perning our Religion with the Weathercockes of the time diuiding our affections betweene God and Baal allowing Dagon a roome as well as the Arke gracing as wee thinke our speeches with oathes and blasphemies making our selues Gentiles on Gods Sabbaths for feare of being Iewes God hath ioyned these two tables together the first he calls the great Commandement and we make least account of it and of the second he saith that it is like vnto it and no man must if he wil be a true Disciple seuer the things which God hath ioyned they may be distinguished in our bookes and learning they must not bee diuided in our practice and liuing Now workes are then good when first the ground of them is good and that is the word of God the touchstone by which we must try the compasse by which we must direct the square by which we must frame and the rule whereby we must order all our actions if wee will bring them within the compasse of religious good workes Secondly when the roote of them is good and that is faith without which whatsoeuer hath the name of a good worke hath yet as our Church speakes art 13. seeing not done as God hath willed the nature of sin in it and all such things though they appeare specious and beautifull in the eies of men yet are as S. Austin speakes but splendida peccata they are not gold though they do glister And thirdly when the end of them is good that is Gods glory therefore sayth our Sauiour Christ Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heauen And the Apostle Whatsoeuer you doe do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 And from good works thus vnderstood and thus qualified none are exempted all haue their peeces of money all haue their talents giuen them Luk. 19. to some in one measure and to other some in another but to all to imploy according to the Law of their Master and all to giue an account for their vse of them euery man hath his burthen and hee must beare it himselfe Gal. 6.5 Works of supererogation are works of superarrogation and he that wanting righteousnesse himselfe hopeth to be saued by another mans doth but mock himselfe as Pope Symmachus did when he said and as the Canonists doe the Pope in saying so too as it is dist 40. c. non nos that In Papa si desint bona acquisita per meritum c. If the Pope haue none or little goodnesse of his owne as it seemeth by this it may bee in that most holy Father himselfe he shall haue enough deriued vnto him from his Predecessor if none in possession enough by succession if little by purchase enough by inheritance no no the Saints in heauen though they haue Crownes to weare yet they haue none to spare And God shall reward euery man according to his not according to anothers workes Euery man is a tree and should be a good tree whose root is faith whose sap is hope whose branches the seuerall branches of Gods Commandements and of euery tree without exception that bringeth not forth good fruit it is said Mat. 3.10 it is cut downe and cast into the fire And vpon euery soule of man that doth euill shall bee tribulation and anguish Rom. 2.9 O now if I would looke about the world for a Dorcas and in the troope of Disciples too should I not need with the Cynicke Philosopher to light a candle and yet should not find not many The fruits of the spirit are loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse c. Gal. 5.22 These are fruits of faith these are workes of righteousnes But where are these And in stead of these what are the too common fruits of faith is your swearing and blasphemy a fruit of faith is your lying and periury a fruit of faith and what say you to your riot and drunkennesse to your chambering and wantonnesse to couetousnesse and oppression to vsury and extortion to strife and contention to enuie and malice in one towards another and the like to these If these were the signes of Christian profession if these were the badges of Christs Disciples if these were the works that God did looke for God might come when he would hee should finde these things amongst vs find vs full of them O iudge with your selues B. is this the way to make your calling and election sure as S. Peter willeth you or is it not the way rather to seale vnto your soules the assurance of your condemnation in the day of iudgment No no if you will as all good Christians ought to doe striue to attaine to a certainty of your future blessednesse these things ought not to be so among you the workes of darknesse are not the way to heauen the workes of righteousnesse are though no meritorious cause of our comming thither You must giue diligence saith the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.5 c. and all diligence for all will be little enough to adde to your faith vertue for faith without workes is dead to vertue knowledge or else you may doe that which is good but you shall not doe it well to knowledge temperance otherwise your knowledge will puffe you vp rather then edifie you to temperance patience for as you must doe so you shall suffer for your wel-doing to patience godlinesse for you may else giue your bodies to bee burnt in the fire and it shall