Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	godliness_n	love_n	temperance_n	1,495	5	11.3666	5	true

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

liue according therunto such a man clerely deceiueth himself seeth not hys awn harte if he thinketh y t he either knoweth god loueth him feareth him or trusteth in him Some peraduēture phātasie in themselfes y t thei belōg to God althouh they lyue in synne so they come to y e Church shewe thēselfes as Gods dere childrē But s Ihō sayth plaīly if we saie y t we haue any company with God and walke in darkenesse we do lye Other doo vainly thīke that thei know loue God although they passe not of his cōmaundementes But s. Ihon saieth clerely he y t saieth I know God kepeth not hys cōmaūdementes he is a liar Some falsly perswade thēselfes y t thei loue God whē they hate their neighbors But s. Ihon saieth manifestly if any mā say I loue god yet hateth his brother he is a liar He that saieth y t he is in the light hateth his brother he is stil ī darkenesse He y t loueth his brother dwelleth in the light but he y t hateth hys brother is in darkenesse walketh in darkenesse and knoweth not whether he goeth for darkenesse hath blynded hys eyes And moreouer he saieth hereby we manifestly knowe the childrē of God from the children of the deuill He that doeth not righteously is not the childe of God nor he that hateth hys brother Deceiue not your selfes therfore thinkynge that you haue faith in God or that you loue God or do truste in hym or do feare hym when you lyue in sinne for then your vngodly sinfull life declareth y e contrary whatsoeuer ye saye or thinke It perteineth to a christian man to haue this true christian fayth and to trye himself whether he hath it or no to knowe what belongeth to it how it doeth worke in hym It is not the worlde that we can trust to ▪ the world and all that is therin is but vanitie It is God that muste be oure defence and protection against all tēptacion of wickednesse sinne errors supersticiō ydolatrie al euill If al the world were on our side God agaīst vs what could y ● worlde auaile vs Therfore let vs set our whole fayth and trust in God neither the worlde the deuil nor al y e power of thē shal preuayle agaynst vs. Let vs therfore good christiā people trie examyne our faith what it is let vs not flatter our selfes but loke vpō our woorkes and so iudge of our fayth what it is Christe hīself speaketh of this matter saieth The tree is knowen by the fruicte Therefore let vs doo good workes therby declare our faythe to be y e liuely christian faith Let vs by suche vertues as ought to spryng out of fayth shew our elecciō to be sure stable as s. Peter teacheth Endeuor your selfs to make your calling electiō certain by good workes And also he saieth minister or declare in youre faith vertue in vertue knowledge in knowledge tēperaunce in tēperaunce paciēce again in pacience Godlinesse in Godlinesse brotherly charitie in brotherly charitie loue So shall we shew in dede y t we haue y e very liuely christiā faith may so both certefie our cōscience the better that we be in the righte faith also by these meanes cōfirme other men If these fruictes do not folowe we do but mocke with God deceiue our selfes also other mē Wel maye we beare y e name of Christiā mē but we do lacke the true faith that doeth belonge thereunto For true faithe doeth euer brynge furthe good workes as s. Iames saieth shewe me thy faythe by thy deedes Thy deedes workes must be an opē testimonial of thy fayth otherwise thy fayth beyng without good workes is but the deuils faith y e faith of y e wicked a phantasy of faith not a true christian faith And like as the deuils euil people be nothyng the better for their counterfet faith but it is vnto them the more cause of dāpnacion so thei y t be christened and haue receiued knowledge of God of Christes merites and yet of a set purpose do liue idlely without good workes thinkyng y e name of a naked faith to be either sufficiēt for thē or els settyng their mindes vpō vain pleasures of this world do liue in syn w tout repentaūce not vtteryng the fruites y t do belōg to suche an high profession vpon suche presūpteous persōs wilful synners must nedes remain y e great vengeaunce of God eternal punishmēt in hel prepared for y e deuil wicked liuers Therfore as you professe y e name of Christ good christian people let no suche phantasy and imaginacion of faith at any time beguile you but be sure of your faith trie it by your liuyng loke vpon the fruites y t commeth of it marke the increase of loue charitie by it towades God and your neighbor so shal you perceiue it to be a true liuely faith If you fele perceiue suche a faith in you reioyce in it be diligēt to maintein it and kepe it stil in you let it be daily increasing and more more by wel workyng so shal ye be sure y t you shal pleace god by this faith at the length as other faithful mē haue doen before so shal you whē his wil is come to him receiue thēde and final reward of your faith as s. Peter nameth it the saluacion of your soules the which God graunt vs that hath promised thesame vnto his faithfull To whō be al honor and glory worlde without ende Amen ¶ An Homelie or sermon of good woorkes annexed vnto faithe IN the last Sermon was declared vnto you what the liuely and true faithe of a christiā man is that it causeth not a man to be idle but to be occupied in bringyng furthe good workes as occasion serueth Now by Gods grace shalbe declared the seconde thyng that before was noted of faith that without it can no good worke be doen acceptable and pleasaunt vnto God For as a braunche cannot beare fruit of it self saith our sauior Christ except it abide in the vine so cannot you except you abide in me I am the vine and you be the braunches he that abydeth in me and I in hym he bringeth furthe muche fruit for without me you can do nothyng And S. Paule proueth that Enoche had faithe because he pleased God For without faithe saieth he it is not possible to please God And again to the Romay he saith whatsoeuer worke is doen without faith it is sinne Faith geueth life to the soule and thei bee asmuche ded to God that lacke faith as thei be to the world whose bodies lacke soules Without faith al that is doen of vs is but ded before God although the woorke seme neuer so gaie and glorious before man Euen as the picture grauen or painted is but a ded

CERTAYNE Sermons or Homelies appoynted by the kynges Maiestie to be declared and redde by all persones Uicars or Curates euery Sondaye in their churches where they haue Cure Anno. 1547. ❧ A TABLE of the Sermones or Homelies conteined in this presente Uolume j. A Fruitefull exhortacion to the readyng of holye scripture ij Of the misery of all mākynde iij. Of the saluacion of all mankynde iiij Of the true and liuely faithe v. Of good woorkes vj. Of Christian loue and Charitie vij Against swearyng and periurie viij Of the declinyng from God ix An exhortacion against the feare of deathe x. An exhortacion to obedience xj Against whoredom and adultery xij Against strife and contencion FINIS THE PREFACE THE Kynges moste excellent Maiestie by the prudente aduyse of hys moste deere beloued Uncle Edwarde duke of Somersett Gouernor of hys Maiesties persone and Protector of all hys hyghnes Realmes Dominions and Subiectes with the reste of hys moste honorable Counsayll moste graciously considerynge the manifolde enormities whiche heretofore haue crept into hys graces Realme throughe the false vsurped power of the Bishoppe of Rome and the vngodly doctryne of hys adherentes not onelye vnto the greate decaye of Christian religion but also if Gods mercy were not vnto the vtter destruction of innumerable soules whiche through hypocrysy and pernicious doctrine were seduced and brought from honoryng of the alone true liuynge and eternall God vnto the worshippyng of creatures yea of stockes and stones from doyng the commaundemētes of God vnto volūtary workes and phantasyes inuēted of men from true religiō vnto Popishe Supersticion considerynge also the earnest and feruent desire of his derely beloued Subiectes to bee deliuered from all errors and supersticions and to be truely and faythefully instructed in the verye worde of God that liuely foode of mannes soule wherby they may learne vnfainedly and accordyng to the mynd of the holy Ghoste expressed in the scriptures to honor God and to serue their Kyng with all humilitie and subieccion and Godly and honestly to behaue theim selfes toward all men Agayn callynge to remembraunce that the next and moste ready waie to expell and auoide aswell all corrupte vicious and vngodly liuynge as also erronious doctrine tendyng to Supersticion and Idolatrie clerely to put away all contenciō whiche hath heretofore rysen through diuersitie of preachyng is the true settyng furthe and pure declarynge of Gods woorde whiche is the principall guyde and leader vnto all Godlinesse and vertue Finally that all Curates of what learnyng soeuer they be may haue some Godly and fruitfull lessons in a readines to reade and declare vnto their parishioners for their edifiyng instruction and cōfort hath caused a booke of Homelies to bee made and set furthe wherein is conteined certain wholsome and Godly exhortacions to moue the people to honor and worshippe almighty God and diligently to serue hym euery one accordynge to their degre state and vocacion the whiche Homelies his Maiestie commaundeth and streightely chargeth all Persones Uicares Curates and all other hauyng spirituall cure euery Sondaye in the yere at hygh Masse when the people be moste gathered together to reade and declare to their parishioners playnly and distinctely in suche ordre as they stande in the boke excepte any Sermon bee preached and then for that cause onely and for none other the reading of the sayde Homelie to be differed vnto the nexte Sondaye folowyng And when the foresayde boke of Homelies is redde ouer the Kynges Maiesties pleasure is that thesame be repeted redde agayn in suche lyke sorte as was before prescribed vnto suche tyme as his graces pleasure shall further be knowen in thys behalfe Also hys maiestie commaundeth that the sayde Ecclesiasticall persones vpon the firste holy daye fallyng in the Weke tyme of euery quarter of the yere shall reade his Iniunccions opēly and distinctely to the people in maner and fourme in thesame expressed And vpon euery other holy and Feuall daye through the yere likewise fallyng in the weke tyme they shal recite the Pater noster the Articles of our fayth and the tēne commaundementes in Englishe openly before all the people as in the sayd Iniunccions is specified that all degrees and al ages may learne to know God and to serue him accordynge to hys holy woorde AMEN ¶ A fruitfull exhortation to the readyng and knowledge of holy scripture VNto a Christian man there can be nothynge either more necessarie or profitable then the knowledge of holy scripture forasmuche as in it is conteyned Gods true word settyngefurth his glorie and also mannes duetie And there is no truth nor doctrine necessary for our iustificacion and euerlastyng saluacion but that is or may be drawen out of that fountain and welle of truth Therfore as many as be desirous to entre into the right and perfect way vnto God must applie their myndes to knowe holy scripture without the which they can neyther sufficiently knowe God and his will neither their office and duetie And as drynke is pleasaunt to them that be drie and meat to them that be hūgery so is the readyng hearyng searchyng ▪ and studiyng of holy scripture to theim that be desirous to knowe God or them selfes and to do his will And their stomackes onely do lothe and abhorre the heauenly knowledge and foode of Gods word that be so drouned in worldly vanities that they neither sauor God nor any Godlines For that is the cause why they desire suche vanities rather then the true knowledge of God As they that are sicke of an ague whatsoeuer they eate or drinke though it bee neuer so pleasaunt yet it is as bitter to theim as wormewoode not for the bitternesse of the meat but for the corrupt and bitter humor that is in their awne toungue and mouth euen so is the swetenesse of Gods woorde bitter not of it self but onely vnto them that haue their myndes corrupted with long custome of synne and loue of this world Therfore forsakyng the corrupt iudgement of carnall men whiche care not but for their carcasse let vs reuerētly heare reade holy scriptures whiche is the foode of the soule Let vs diligently searche for the welle of life in the bokes of the new and old Testament and not ronne to the stinkyng podelles of mennes tradicions deuised by mānes imaginacion for our iustificacion and saluacion For in holy scripture is fully cōteined what we ought to do and what to eschewe what to beleue what to loue and what to loke for at Gods handes at length In those bokes we shall finde the father from whome the sonne by whome the holy Ghoste in whome all thynges haue their beyng and cōseruacion and these thre persones to be but one God and one substaūce In these bokes we may learne to know our selfes how vile and miserable we be also to know God how good he is of hymself and how he cōmunicateth his goodnes vnto vs and to

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