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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	declare_v	faith_n	justify_v	10,426	5	8.9257	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11054	A godlie and short discourse shewing not onely what time the inhabitants of this land first receyued the Christian faith: but also what maner of doctrine was planted in the same. Whereby may appeare, howe the reformation at this day in England is not a bringing in of a newe religion, but a reducing againe of the olde and auncient fayth.	Rosdell, Christopher, b. 1553 or 4.	1589 (1589)	STC 21320; ESTC S101597	36,383	98

testimonies of these ancient fathers Ambros li. 5. de orat Ambrose sayth it is not the lawe but the faith of Christ that congregateth the Church for the lawe is not of faith but the iust by fayth shall liue It is fayth therefore and not the law that iustifieth for righteousnesse commeth not by the law but by the fayth of Christ and he that refuseth fayth and prescribeth the workes of the law Ambros de vita beata lib. 1. cap. 6. declareth himselfe to be vnrighteous for the iust by fayth doth liue And the same father in another place sayth This is that which profiteth me namely that we are not iustified by the works of the law therefore I haue not wherein I may glorie or boast in my workes and for this cause I will glory in Christ I will glory not for that I am iust but for that I am redéemed not for that I am without sin but for that my sinnes are forgiuen me not for that I haue profited any or any hath profited me but for that I haue an Aduocate with the father euen Christ that shed his blood for mée Cyprian de passione domini Saint Cyprian writing vpon the passion of Christ sayth The gift could doe more than the transgresson and grace more then sinne for grace through the benefite of loue hath fréely without any merite absolued vs that were bound with the debt of condemnation Origen lib. 3 in epist ad Romanos Origen also vpon these words of the Apostle We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the déedes of the lawe sayth The iustification of faith onely is sufficient so that if a man beléeue onely he is iustified albeit no worke as yet hath bene fulfilled by him and so hee alledgeth the example of the théefe August super Psal 70. Augustine vpon the 70. Psalme sayth The grace of God wherby we are fréely saued with out any our merits is commended in this Psalme And a little after Séeing then we are deliuered not by our merits but by his grace let vs praise him vnto whom we owe our selues wholy whatsoeuer we be Hiero. ad Galat. 4. Hier. writing vpon the Epistle to the Galatians saith that neither Moses nor any other famous man amōg the ancient fathers could be iustified before God by the law Gregor super Ezech. Hom 7. Gregorie vpō Ezechiel sayth Let vs not trust in our wéepings nor in our workes but in the allegation of our Aduocate who liueth and reigneth with the father in the vnitie of the holy spirite Fulgentius Fulgentius saith the God crowneth in his saints that righteousnesse which he gaue thē fréely and wil preserue fréely and will fréely make perfect Maxentius saith Maxentius we verely beléeue that from Adam to this day none hath bene saued by the strength of nature but through the gift of the grace of the holy spirite in the fayth of the name of Iesus for there is no other name giuen vnto men vnder heauen c. Item all the faithfull from Abel vnto Christ as many as haue beene saued haue béene saued by the same grace whereby we are saued Chrysost in serm de fide lege naturae Chrysostome fayth I can shew thée a faithfull man who without his good déedes both liued and obteyned the kingdome of heauen but none without faith hath had life c. And least here thou shouldest say hee wanted time c. I will not contende with thée herein but this one thing I dare boldly say that fayth onely by it selfe did saue him Basil in cōtione de humilitate Basile likewise saith this is perfect true glorying in God when any is extolled not for his owne righteousnesse but acknowledging him selfe to be void of true righteousnesse is iustified by fayth onely in Christ Bernard orat prim omnium sanctorum And finally Bernard sayth What can all our righteousnesse be before God Shal it not bee as the Prophet sayth like a menstruous cloth And if it should bée strictly iudged all our righteousnesse should bée found vnrighteous What then shall become of our sinnes séeing our righteousnes is not able to answer for it selfe Therefore let vs earnestly cry with the prophet O Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant and with all humilitie let vs flée vnto that mercie which onely is able to saue our soules By these testimonies gentle reader thou maist soone perceiue what was the iudgemēt of the godly learned in old time touching iustification And in this faith the Bishops of Rome with their Romanists should still remaine if they were such ancient Catholiks as they pretend and if they would follow the olde mother Church of Rome and hold the first liquour wherewith they were first seasoned But the sweete verdor sent of that liquor is now cleane put out through other vnsauerie infusions of the Popes thrusting in so that almost no taste nor péece remaineth of al that primitiue doctrine which Saint Paul and other Apostles planted among the Gentiles The ninth Chapter Of good workes ALbeit the godly fathers in auncient dayes as hath beene in the former Chapter sufficiently declared nowhere could find any sure cōfort for the soule or rest peace of conscience with God the Lord but through grace and swéete promises of God giuen to mankind in Christ Iesus his sonne Yet notwithstanding they were not only abundātly fruitfull in good workes themselues but also most vehement and earnest in calling vpon all true faithfull people to serue the Lord in true holinesse righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their life as by their liues and sermons may sufficiently appeare For to this end are we elected created called and fréely iustified to do all such good works as God hath prepared for vs to walke in Hereunto tend many exhortations both of Christ and his Apostles and also of the Apostolicall fathers which succéeded them not onely by order of place but also veritie of doctrine The like example of whose teaching if we doe not now folow let our sermōs preachings writings exhortations and liues also beare record For although we exclude good works from the office of iustifying yet we exclude them not from the practise and conuersation of Christian life but most earnestly call vpō all the faithful in Christ to walke worthie their vocation to lay downe their old conuersation to giue their members seruants of righteousnesse to offer their bodies to God a liuely sacrifice c. In déed we do not after the maner of our new found Romanes set foorth for good works the deuices of men as prayer for the dead going of pilgrimage to dumbe idoles reckoning vp of a certaine number of prayers to some certaine Saints giuing of rewards or building of Monasteries for to pull soules out of Purgatorie and such like which because they neitheir haue commandement nor promise in the worde of God Matt. 15. our

sauiour testifieth of them saying in vaine doe they worshippe me teaching for doctrines mens precepts And the Lord by his Prophet sayeth who hath required these things at your handes But such we commende vnto the people as are prescribed vnto vs of God in his holy worke As it is saide What works are good Deut. 6 5 Thou shalt kéepe the commaundements of the Lord thy God Deut. 12. and thou shalt put nothing thereto neither shalt thou take any thing there from neither shall ye goe there from either to the right hande or to the left Ye shall not doe euery man what séemeth good in his owne eyes And therefore as S. Paul saith Rom. 12. Ephe. 5. wee exhort men to prooue what is the will of God acceptable and perfect which is in déede the reasonable seruice of God and besides the which all other seruings are vnreasonable For looke whose workes we doe his seruants we are if we doe the works of mans inuention then are we the seruants of men but and if we doe the workes which God hath required then are we the seruants of God Now touching the workes which God would haue vs to walke in some of thē are specified by our Sauiour saying Whē I was hungry ye gaue me meat Mat. 25. whē I was a thirst ye gaue me drinke when I was naked ye clothed me in prison and sicke ye visited me c. And by the Prophet Esay Esay 1. saying Cease to do euill learne to doe good séeke iudgement reléeue the oppressed iudge the fatherles and defend the widow Likewise the Apostle Peter saith 1. Pet. 3. Be ye all of one minde one suffer with another loue as brethren be pitifull be curteous not rendring euill for euill neither rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse knowing that ye are thereunto called 1. Pet. 2. that ye should be heires of blessing And in another place Lay aside all malice guile dissimulation enuie and euill speaking To be briefe therefore these such like are the workes which the holy Apostle haue taught christian people to bee conuersant in loue ioy Gal. 5. peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse fayth méekenesse and temperancie Concerning which vertues whiles our Popish doctors in these later dayes haue incombered themselues much about the workes of their owne inuentions they haue scarsely so much as once thought vpon them And not this onely but also that which is more absurd they ascribe the goodnesse of their workes to the power of mans fréewill or to the habit of vertue or strēgth of nature c. Wheras in old time men were taught to ascribe all the dignitie worthines of their workes to the faith of Christ For this is the nature office propertie of faith The nature of faith not only to reconcile vs to God by procuring vnto vs through the mediation of Christ the forgiuenesse of sinnes and so to iustifie vs before God in heauen but also here in earth by renuing our hearts to bring foorth good workes and to make the same workes acceptable in the sight of God which otherwise through the infirmitie and corruption of our nature were impure and execrable in his sight For whatsoeuer is not of faith Rom. 14. Heb. 10. is sinne and without faith it is impossible to please God To this effect our Sauiour saith Make the trée good and his fruit good For like as an euill trée cannot bring forth good fruit it may bring foorth faire fruites and such as to the eye may séeme good but when they come to the triall of the taste then it appeareth they are nothing lesse euen so an euill man such as all men are by nature and without faith cannot bring forth good works he may well bring forth such workes as may séeme faire and good but when they shall come to the tryall of the Lords taste they shall be found vnsauerie Paul before his conuersion liued after the strict maner of the Pharisées and did many faire and goodly workes yet had he no good works in déed before the grace of Christ had rooted faith in him The efficient cause of good works As touching the efficient or formall cause therefore of good workes next vnder God there is no other but faith For as a man séeth and féeleth by faith the loue and grace of God towards him in Christ his sonne so beginneth hee to loue againe both God and man and to doe for his neighbour as God hath done for him Whereunto Saint Augustine beareth witnes in these words saying August super Ioani ē Like as in the roote of the trée there appeareth no shew of beauty and yet whatsoeuer beautie or comelinesse is in the trée it procéedeth from the roote so from the roote of fayth as from a foundation procéedeth whatsoeuer merite or beautie the soule shal receyue Thirdly whereas the word of God doth not only teach men that their good works are euer vnperfect therefore are so farre from iustifying them that they haue néede dayly to pray vnto God that he may remit their imperfections The end vse of good workes Mat. 5. 2. Pet. 1. 2. Tim. 1. 2. Cor. 9. Heb. 10. but also that we are to doe good workes to set forth Gods glory to assure our consciences of our election to exercise our faith to relieue our neighbours and to prouoke others by our example to do the like They contrarily and most falsely teach men not only to doe good workes to the ende they may be iustified by them in the sight of God saying Tho. Aqui. Hosius in a. tom confes cap. 1. that Christ suffered for originall sinne or sinnes going before baptisme but the actuall sinnes which follow after baptisme must be done away by mēs merits so assigne vnto Christ the beginning of saluation or obteining of the first grace as they call it but the perfection or consummation therof they ascribe to workes and our strength against the truth of holy Scripture saying There is no remission of sinnes without blood Heb. 9. 1. Iohn 1. and the blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne Also that man being holpe by grace is able not only to doe all that the law requireth but more also And hereof come the workes of supererogation contrarie not onely to that principle of holy Scripture which sayth 1. Iohn 1. If we say that we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and truth is not in vs but also to the institution of Christ who hath not onely commanded but also taught his whole church and euery member of the same continually to pray saying Forgiue vs our trespasses Thus they derogate frō the benefite of Christ and attribute vnto works a great or the greatest part of our iustification directly against the veine of S. Pauls doctrine and first institution of the auncient Church of Rome and against all the principles of holy Scripture The tenth Chapter