Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	bring_v	faith_n	justification_n	4,461	5	9.1163	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29317	The rise, spring and foundation of the Anabaptists, or re-baptized of our time vvritten in French by Guy de Brez, 1565 ... ; and translated for the use of his countrymen, by J.S.; Racine, source et fondement des anabaptistes ou rebaptisez de nostre temps. Book 1. English	Brès, Guy de, 1522-1567.; Scottow, Joshua, 1618-1698.	1668 (1668)	Wing B4381; ESTC R62	47,994	64

the finger at Christ saying Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of of the World Isai 53 7. Isaiah witnesseth and testifieth that Christ hath surely born our languishing and sustained our dolours what can be more plainly said then when he saith He hath born the pain and punishment which was due unto us and that we are healed by his wounds the same is affirmed by the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 2.24 and Jesus Christ himself saith Joh. 3.16 God so loved the World c. The Apostle John testifieth 1 Joh. 2.2 If any man sin c. so Paul Col. 1.20 He made peace and reconciled us by the blood of his cross Read to this purpose 2 Cor. 5.21 and Rom. 5.19 and divers other Scriptures testifie unto this truth so as nothing is more clear and yet Muntzer dareth to accuse the Prophets and Apostles with the Ministers as those that flatter mens Consciences because they teach not righteousness by works It is a marvel how that sentence of the Apostle is forgotten who saith That if we be justified by the works of the law Gel 2.22 Christ is dead in vain We teach to do good works and live holily but not to be justified by them and that we live only by faith in Jesus Christ Muntzer thinketh to mend the matter by saying That thus to preach Christ Preaching of justification makes not careless of well-doi●g is the way to make men careless of doing well but on the contrary to preach Christ who dyed for our sins and that he gave himself out of perfect love a sacrifice for our Redemption is the way to be stirred up with burning zeal to good works Furthermore we must not preach the Gospel as we please but as it is appointed of the Father and as the Scripture testifie that the Apostles preached it of such men the Apostle Peter warneth us saying That there shall arise false Prophets c. 2 Pet. 2.2 Let notice be taken whether Muntzer and his companions be not of that number who dare not plainly say as much but they will say as we do but being put unto it they make Jesus Christ but an half Saviour by bringing in good works We say That faith without works is dead but they justifie us not before God neither blot out our sins As the flame is not without light otherwise it were not flame Simile yet it 's light burneth not it is the fire and the flame only that doth lighten so faith is not without works but works burn not i. e. take not away sin it is faith in Christ only thus we speak of the vertue of the property of faith shewing that those who have this true faith cannot be lazie so as out of love to God they should not do good works to glorifie God c. He likewise fell upon Marriage in a foolish and villanous manner saying Rails against Marriage That the Marriage of Pagans and other ignorants and unbelievers was polluted and unclean and that it was fornication and a very shew of Satan so as many light spirits being moved and spurred forward by this woful doctrine took occasion to break many marriages leaving houses desolate 2 Tim 3.6 and drew after them silly poor women laden with lusts to leave their husbands perswading them that the believing wife i. e. after their account the re-baptized ought not to abide with the unrebaptized husband Holding that a wife dwelling with her Gentile husband is polluted and defiled and cannot be saved They called the marriage of those that were not of their Sect whoredome and the fleshly bed and their marriages were spiritual The Apostle was of another minde when he saith Marriage is honourable c. But it may be they will say H●b 13 4. This is to be understood of the Marriage of such where both parties are believers and not of the believer with the unbeliever But the Apostle Paul taketh off all objection when he saith unto the married I command them yet not I but the Lord 1 Cor. 7.10 12. c. what could be more plainly said to prove the marriages of believers with unbelievers to be true marriages though they were joyned together in the time of their unbelief See how these poor people are become shameless in laying open their filthiness before all the world who would not wonder to see such spiritual people as these pretend themselves to be to live upon the goods and riches of whore-mongers this is the honour that they put upon their Fathers and Mothers that begat and brought them forth yea and upon themselves Apostolical Anabaptists As for the Apostolical Anabaptists they are so called because they follow as they say the Apostles and Apostolical Church step by step They regard the naked letter of the Scripture They walked as Vagabonds through the Country and Regions without shoes without staff without girdle and without money they said that they were sent by God and because Christ saith He that will enter into the Kingdom of heaven must become as a little child they said We must play the children with Children and therefore they so did and because our Lord saith He that leaveth not all that he possesseth whether Wife Children Father Mother Lands and Inheritance c. they often took slender occasions and left their Country leaving their wives and children and went as spiritual Lanskeneths they said that a Christian ought not possess any thing as his own and that it was impossible for any to be both rich and a Christian Who would not wonder to see the foolishness of these poor people they would carry neither shoes staff nor money in their purses like begging Friers they consider not the meaning of that Scripture The use and practise of the Apostles declare fully that our Lord said that to prevent his disciples from being solicitous for things needful for their journey seeing they should not want because the labourer is worthy of his hire this Christ instructed them in when he said When I sent you without purse without scrip without shoes lacked you any thing Luk. 22.35 They said unto him Nothing he saith unto them Now he that hath a purse let him take it c. As for preaching upon house-tops what he had told them in their ears it is no more but that what he had told them in secret they should preach openly And as for washing of their feet he would signifie nothing else thereby but that out of love we should be helpful one unto another for then they had other kind of shoes then we have now so as their feet were soiled with travelling and therefore they rightly washed their feet which now we have no use of being shod after another manner Our Anabaptists who practise this I would have them to consider how comely this is for it may fall out through want of women that men must wash their feet which how seemly it would be

babish and childish thing They say It is the Spirit of God but it is plain mockery so to speak For they must needs grant us that the Apostles and the faithful in the P●●mitive Church were inspired by the Spirit of Christ yet none of them durst contemn the Word of God and the holy Scriptures but rather each of them had them in very great reverence as we may see it by their writings which are furnished with many testimonies from the Old Testament and certainly thus was it promised by God through the mouth of the Prophet Isa 59.21 where we see that the Lord joyned these two together his Word and his Spirit wherefore should we separate what God hath by an inviolable bond conjoyned Moreover Paul who was rapt up into the third heaven 2 Cor. 12.4 and there heard things unlawful for man to utter notwithstanding gave not over diligent reading nor profiting by the Books of the Old Testament Commanding Timothy to bring with him the Books which he had left at Troas with Carpus 2 Tim. 4.13 2 Tim. 3.15 1 Tim. 4.13 Yea he exhorts Timothy who though he was an excellent Teacher and well instructed in the holy Scriptures to give himself to reading and what praise doth he put upon the Scripture 2 Tim. 3.16 I would ask these men whether they have received another Spirit then our Saviour promised to give his Disciples they will not dare to vaunt of another spirit now what Spirit our Saviour promised to send unto his Disciples he sheweth plainly when he saith John 14.26 This Spirit shall not speak of himself but should bring to their remembrance what they had formerly heard of him It is not the Office of the holy Spirit that which Christ promised to dream of dreams of new and unknown Revelations or to hold forth new Doctrine but it is the work of the Spirit of God to confirm us in that which he hath already spoken by the Prophets and Apostles seeing also that the Lord promiseth not to send us another Doctrine saying Hold fast that which thou hast untill I come Revel 2.24 Gal. 1.8 9. whereby it appeareth that we ought diligently to travel as well in hearing as in the reading of the holy Scripture if we will feel the benefit and fruit of the Spirit of God Luke acknowledgeth the diligence of those of Berea in searching the Scriptures Acts 17.11 To this purpose tend these Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.19 John 5.39 Luke 4.21 Matth. 4.4 Eph. 6.16 Mat. 22.19 Luke 24.27 John 2.22 And Paul would have a Bishop to hold fast the faithful word Titus 1.9 c. Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures c. Acts 14.24 28. If it were otherwise how could we take heed to the deceits of Satan who daily transformeth himself into an Angel of light whereupon should our faith rest we should be carried to and fro without any stability Object But they do alledge It were a great absurdity to subject the holy Spirit unto the Scriptures to whom all things are to be subjected Answ As if it were a shame and ignominy to the holy Ghost to be alway like unto himself and to be constant in the same word without wavering at all If any should reduce the Spirit to an Humane or any other Rule it were debased yea brought into servitude but when we say That the holy Ghost having once spoken is not mutable and changeth not discourse now speaking one thing and then another as men are wont to do who will say that we offer any injury to the holy Ghost Object But they say He is by this means examined which belongeth not unto men to do Answ It is very clear that it is such an examination as he hath pleased to establish in the Church that we may not receive the spirit of Satan instead of him wherefore it must needs be that the Spirit abide for ever such as once he hath revealed and manifested himself to be in the holy Scriptures It is no shame nor opprobry to the Spirit for any to say of him That it is no dishonour for him not to be mutable nor to renounce himself As for that which they tax the Ministers to be Ministers of the dead letter one may plainly see the Lords taking vengeance upon the outrage offered unto his holy Word smiting them with a spirit of giddiness for having despised the true and only means of coming unto God which is the Scripture and the Word of God In the passage of the Corinthians where Paul saith The letter killeth and the Spirit quickeneth let any closely consider against whom the Apostle disputeth 2 Cor. 3 6. and they will understand his drift It is very evident that Paul in this place had to do with false Apostles who preached and extolled the Law without Christ and caused the people to recoil from Salvation purchased by Christ and the grace of the new Covenant whereunto the Lord had promised to write his Law in the heart of the faithful Jer 31.33 Ezek. 11 19. Ezek 36. Heb 8.10 the Law then being separated from Christ as a body without a soul and nothing cometh from it but death to those that are under it it doth nothing but beat and strike the ears without any quickening the soul until by faith we are sent from it unto Christ as from the Usher unto the Master and then the Law will be found such as David sings it The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul Psal 19 8. the testimony of the Lord is faithful making wise the simple the commandments of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart c. Thus must we understand how it is said The Letter killeth Paul calleth the Law The killing Letter and saith The Spirit quickneth i. e. The Ministry of the Gospel which he opposeth unto the naked Law and he himself calleth his preaching The Ministry of the Spirit we must not understand this place as those dreamers who as often as they meet with an obscure place that maketh against them say The Letter killeth i. e. According as they say to understand the meaning of this Scripture this killeth but we must come to the Spirit i. e. to forge Allegories Paul never thought of such fopperies Luk. 24 27. as we may see in reading the same Chapter 2 Cor. 3.8 It is then wretchedly and wickedly done to cast off the Scripture upon such pretence of the Spirit seeing our Lord giveth us his Spirit to understand his word as we see Christ opened the understanding of the two Disciples not by making them wise in themselves nor setting them to look for a new kinde of word or natural and innate in them in rejecting the Scriptures but that they might understand the Scriptures After this manner the Apostle Paul exhorteth the Thessalonians not to quench the Spirit he would not have them fly in the air after vain and unprofitable speculations without the word of God but consequently