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	hope_n	theological_a	1,178	5	12.4996	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01883	The fall of man, or the corruption of nature, proued by the light of our naturall reason Which being the first ground and occasion of our Christian faith and religion, may likewise serue for the first step and degree of the naturall mans conuersion. First preached in a sermon, since enlarged, reduced to the forme of a treatise, and dedicated to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie. By Godfrey Goodman ...	Goodman, Godfrey, 1583-1656.	1616 (1616)	STC 12023; ESTC S103235	311,341	486

THE FALL OF MAN OR THE CORRVPTION OF NATVRE PROVED BY THE light of our naturall Reason WHICH BEING THE FIRST GROVND AND OCCASION OF OVR Christian Faith and Religion may likewise serue for the first step and degree of the naturall mans conuersion FIRST PREACHED IN A SERMON since enlarged reduced to the forme of a treatise and dedicated to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie By GODFRFY GOODMAN her Maiesties Chaplaine Bachelor in Diuinitie sometimes a member both of Trinitie Colledge in Cambridge and of Saint Peters Colledge in Westminster Ne laeteris quia cecidi resurgam MICH. 7. 8. AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston and are to be sold by Richard Lee. 1616. TO THE QVEENES MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTIE OVR MOST GRACIOVS Soueraigne Lady and my most honoured Mistris Queene ANNE May it please your most excellent Maiestie THE scope and intent of Christian Religion seemes onely this to raise vp man from the deapth of miserie and sinne to the state of happinesse and saluation from whence he is fallen in effecting whereof the onely powerfull and all-sufficient meanes is Christ crucified God in our nature our nature with God God man reconciled in the person of Christ who was both God and man here is the great propitiatorie sacrifice For particular application whereof there is requisite in euery one Faith which supposing our naturall blindnesse and ignorance takes our selues from our selues placeth vs in God seeing him and beholding him we see no more then he himselfe hath reuealed Hope supposing our naturall distrust and fearefulnes notwithstanding the number and weight of our sinnes yet casts a sure and strong anchor vp into Heauen and there laies holde on Gods promises Charitie supposing mans naturall disobedience and rebellion desires a conformitie of the head to the members and of the members betweene themselues Thus Faith looks to the wisdome and truth of Gods nature stands astonied at the mysteries and takes all the articles of our Creede for her lessons Hope fastens on the mercy and goodnesse of God by the feruencie of Praier and the strong apprehension of the spirit making the Lords Praier her patterne and president Charitie considers the rule of Gods iustice desires to square all our actions according to leuell and lookes to the tables of the Lawe as her obiects Here is the fabricke of the Church Faith laies the foundation Hope buildes vp the walles Charitie giues it a couering for Charitie doth couer a multitude of sinnes but how shall mans naturall weakenesse attaine to these Theologicall vertues As in all great buildings so likewise here there are instruments and tooles appoynted to supplie our defects and these are chiefely and principally Sacraments and whatsoeuer else God hath commanded for his reasonable seruice This is in effect the summe of Christian Religion this is the summe of our ordinarie Catechisme Thus before wee can raise man he must first acknowledge his fall he that shall intend to make any buildings in Gods Church must lay the foundation in mans fall for this is the porch or first entrance which leades vs to Christian Faith and therefore speaking hereof I thought fit to speake to the capacitie of the naturall man herein I shall not need to straine his vnderstanding to impose a yoake of faith when as his owne reason shall reueale it in the substance though not in the circumstance This fall of man appeares in the miseries of man which being truely discouered may teach vs what wee are in our selues The greatnesse of our woe shewes the large extent of our sinne this world which we inhabit is but a vale of miserie the happinesse of this world is onely a painted miserie in this miserie we may acknowledge the great mercy of God who first created vs in happinesse and notwithstanding our sinnes hath still ordained vs to happinesse and in these miseries he hath giuen vs some ease as much as is befitting our present state and condition in sustaining these miseries hee hath inabled vs with patience and the holy comfort of his spirit and euen our greatest miseries hee hath taken vpon himselfe the more to teach him compassion and with his miseries to satisfie for ours Thus not onely the blessings and good gifts of God but likewise our miseries set forth his goodnes And thus as I haue endeuoured to shew the mercy and prouidence of God in generall to whole mankinde especiallie for our soules health and saluation so here making bolde to write vnto your Maiestie I could doe no lesse then take some notice of the temporall blessings wherewith God hath blessed vs aboue other people This blessing especially consists in gouernment whereby we receiue the fruites of peace of plentie of happines and liue securely vnder the protection of our Princes this blessing seemes to bee proper to this nation proper to this present age wherein wee liue for I will not speake how in former times this our Land was distracted with small principalities and gouernements when it should seeme the greatest part lay waste in borders and confines when the strength was diuided within it selfe I will onely beginne with the last age of our forefathers When as the dissention had long continued between the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster it pleased God so to permit that the house of Yorke staining it selfe with his owne blood when a cruell and mercilesse tyrant did murther most innocent and harmelesse Children and thereby vsurped the Crowne this tyrannie being likewise extended to others and a most reuerend Bishop being committed to safe custodie God remembring Ioseph in all his troubles his prison was his castle of defence and his close keeping did serue as a counsell-Chamber for secrecie where this reuerend Prelate together with the greatest lay subiect as it were a representatiue Parliament consisting of Lords Spirituall and Temporall Church and state together conspiring did there contriue the happy means of their deliuerie to bring in Henry of Richmond to suppresse this tyrant And God blessed the successe accordingly that so still the same goodnesse of God might appeare vnto vs which was once manifested to the Israelites vnder the tyrannie of Pharaoh where the poore innocent children were likewise put to death the crie of my afflicted people is come vp vnto my eares Exod. 3. 7. This Henry of Richmond being descended from the house of Lancaster did therein seeme to promise vnto the world all happie successe for men were well perswaded of that familie being all of them most eminent for great vertues and qualities as may appeare Hen. 4. for his behauiour and courtesie the Fifth for his valour and magnanimitie the Sixth for his iustice and pietie Now in the person of this Henry it is strange to obserue the prouidence of God whereas the Cambro-Britaines whom we improperlie call Welsh were the most ancient inhabitants of this Iland being excluded and exiled into the most remote and barren parts and there not suffered quietlie to rest but brought vnder yoake and subiection

and enlightened by faith sanctified by grace it serues to confirme and strengthen the grounds and principles of faith and therefore our Diuines suppose reason to haue the same reference to faith which sometimes leauen had to the sacrifices of the Law and indeed Scripture signifieth one by the other Beware of the leauen of the Pharisees Matth. 18. that is to say as the Interpretors expound beware of the humane wisdome and subtiltie of the Pharisees Now leauen it was excluded from the sacrifices Leuit. 2. And in the seuenth of Leuit it was commanded that the sacrifices should bee laid and offered vp vpon leauened bread Super f●rmentatos panes the intent of the law-giuer was that leauen should be no part of the sacrifice and yet no sacrifice to be performed without leauen reason or humane knowledge must not enter into or comprehend the mysteries of faith and yet the mysteries of faith must necessarily presuppose the ground-worke and foundation of reason Principia religionis sunt nobis innata reason informes man that the end of mans creation consists not in man himselfe who vndoubtedly shall tast and see corruption but in the glory and seruice of his maker to him there is due not onely the subiection of the body with humility and reuerence but likewise the obedience of the soule the will denying it selfe and made conformable to Gods law the vnderstanding acknowledging his own blindnesse prostrating it selfe to the light and information of faith there must be a totall and absolute subiection befitting the infinite and absolute Empire of the diuine Maiesty and hence it is that neither the vegetatiue nor the sensitiue but onely the reasonable creature is made capable of religion and hence it is that the inuisible God appearing by the visible creatures the vnbeleeuing man is made vnexcusable That I might herein giue all men some contentment and satisfaction as farre forth as it lies in my power I haue made choyce of this text wherein I will consider the two extremities 1. the naturall man 2. the things of the spirit of God and then 3. the disproportion which consists as in dignity power eternity and all other the diuine attributes Finiti ad infinitum nulla est ratio seu proportio so likewise in knowledge non percipit hee cannot conceiue the things of the spirit of God that I may deale with him vpon equall tearmes that no aduantage or iust exception should be taken I doe heere protest that I will vse no other weapons to conuince this naturall man but only the light of his owne naturall reason I will lay aside Scripture Fathers Councels the vniforme and Catholicke consent of the whole world I doe onely appeale to himselfe and to his owne knowledge I stand vpon the goodnesse and equitie of my cause and therefore I doe not feare to make him that is the aduerse partie in the suite the iudge of my cause Thus farre indeed I must excuse my selfe I can doe no lesse then sometimes vse the phrase of Scripture considering my profession my habite bred brought vp in the Schooles of the Prophets speaking to a Christian Auditorie in a religious time and place Againe sometimes you must giue me leaue to suppose that for a truth which afterward I will bring to the touchstone for all cannot be proued in an instant Haue patience and forbeare mee a while and I doe heere promise that if my whole and entire speech shall bee duly examined the burthen and waight of my arguments shall onely relie vpon naturall reason In the first part of my text concerning the naturall man I will speake of these three things first that by the light of nature we doe discerne and acknowledge the corruption of nature Secondly that by the light of nature we are sufficiently instructed that nature is no competent guide to conduct vs to a supernaturall end Thirdly that nature being thus defectiue there is some higher stare and condition whereunto being once admitted wee may bee directed to happinesse So in the first part in the naturall man I will consider nature corrupted nature defectiue and imperfect nature supplied by grace Secondly in the other extremitie I will consider first how farre the naturall man may wade into the knowledge of the Deity Secondly what is exempted from his knowledge and wherunto he must not approch videlicet to the things of the spirit of God Thirdly in the disproportion consisting in knowledge I will first consider the reason why these things are concealed from reason Secondly how man shall satisfie the curiosity of his owne minde notwithstanding his owne ignorance in the humble submission of his owne soule together with a sufficient warrant for our faith and security I shall not here neede to describe the naturall man for it is not vnknowne vnto you that God by vertue of his promise to preserue and continew the same excellent order which was first instituted in the creation hath tied himselfe to impart some things vnto the creatures as necessary and essential to the being without which the creature cannot subsist other things are added as onely accessary to the nature and these depend vpon the free-will and choyce of the giuer Hence it is that there are seuerall kindes and sorts of creatures and to euery kinde there are seueral and peculiar properties allotted 〈…〉 betweene the vegetatiue 〈◊〉 and the reasonable creature so of reasonable creatures some haue onely an instinct of nature a reasonable and discoursiue ●oule wherein the principles of humane knowledge are ingrafted others besides this little sparke of reason are further enlightened by the assistance of Gods spirit as children taught by their Schoole-master Now conceiue man onely consisting of nature without hope of happines or any further direction of grace such as were the morall Heathen the vncircumcised Gentiles which stare and condition euery man claimes by vertue of his first birth and here you haue the naturall man described Now that there should bee such a difference betweene man and man that grace should be distinguished from nature I wil not here insist vpon the proofe for by Gods helpe it shall easily appeare by the sequell of my speech It cannot be denied but nature in generall is much corrupted which doth more argue the corruption of māin particular being that whole nature is directed to man First it appeares in that shee is more plentifull and abounding in euill then in good Vna est recta linea curuae infinitae there is but one straight and direct passage but there are many infinite by-waies and pathes there is but one truth answerable to that eternall truth which is but one and one alone aboue the Sphere of the creatures but there are diuers and infinite falshoods there is but one state of a sound and whole constitution but diseases and distempers are numberlesse to euery vertue there are many vices opposed to euery meane there are many extreames If nature were indifferent and indifferently