Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

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

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17218	Looke from Adam, and behold the Protestants faith and religion evidently proued out of the holy Scriptures against all atheists, papists, loose libertines, and carnall gospellers: and that the faith which they professe, hath continued from the beginning of the world, and so is the true and ancient faith. Herein hast thou also a short summe of the whole Bible, and a plaine manifestation, that all holy men who have pleased God, have beene saved through this Christian faith alone.; Alte Glaube. English	Bullinger, Heinrich, 1504-1575.; Coverdale, Miles, 1488-1568.	1624 (1624)	STC 4073; ESTC S108889	66,495	116

because we may not describe it after our owne judgement we will rehearse the words of the Apostle which writing to the Hebrewes saith after this manner Faith is a substance of things to be hoped for an evidence or certaintie of things which doe not appeare By the which definition it is manifest that when we set forth or teach this faith we meane no vaine faith no false opinion of faith no fond imagination of faith no dead faith no idle faith but a substantiall thing even a sure beleefe of things that are to be hoped for and a proofe experience or knowledge of things that are not seene This faith then is the instrument whereby we feele and are certaine of heavenly things that our corporall eye cannot see Now because none other vertue can so apprehend the mercy of God nor certifie us so effectually of our salvation as this living faith doth therefore hath the Scripture imputed our justification before God only unto faith among all other vertues not without other vertues following but without any other worke or deed justifying This is the faith of Christ which all the Scripture speaketh of This is the faith that S. Paul preacheth to justifie in the sight of God as S. Iames teacheth that works justifie in the sight of men and that it is but a dead faith which hath no works This is the faith without the which it is impossible to please God and of the which whatsoever proceedeth not is sinne This is the faith whereby God purifieth our hearts and whose end is salvation This is the faith that worketh by charitie or godly love is of value before God This is the faith whereby the holy fathers which were afore Christs incarnation did in spirit eat and drinke enjoy the same mercy of God in Christ that we are partakers of To be short this is the same faith whereby God saved those his elect of whō S. Paul maketh mention in the foresaid epistle to the Hebrewes and rehearseth many godly fruits of the same in their conversation This then is no new-fangled faith no strange faith no faith invented by mans braine but even the same that Gods holy spirit teacheth in the infallible truth of his Scripture and that Adam Abel Enoch and all the other servants of God were saved in Why doe men therefore either call it a new-fangled faith or report evill of us for setting it forth Why I feare me this is one cause The old faith that all those servants of God had whom the Apostle nameth in the eleventh to the Hebrewes had a life and conversation joyned unto it which was rich and full of all good works Therefore seeing there be so many bablers and pratlers of faith and so few that bring forth the worthy fruits of repentance it giveth the world occasion to report of us that our faith is but new-fangled They see us not fall to labour and taking of paines as Adam did They see not the righteousnesse and thankfulnesse in us that was in Abel They see us not walke after the word and will of God as Enoch did They see us not take Gods warning so earnestly as Noe did They see us not so obedient to the voice of God nor so well willing and content to leave our friends to forsake our owne wils our owne lands and goods at Gods calling and dwell in a strange country to doe Gods pleasure as Abraham did they see that wee chuse not rather to suffer adversitie with the people of God than to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season They see us not esteeme the rebuke of Christ or trouble for his sake to be greater riches than all the treasures of this world as Moses did To be short they see not in our garden those sweet flowers and fruits of Gods holy Spirit which were in them that had the old faith Ashamed may wee be therefore as many of us as either write teach preach speake or talke of the old faith if wee endevour not our selves to have those old heavenly vertues that were ever plentifull in all Gods true servants in every one I meane according to his calling Not that it is evill to teach or talke of the true old faith but this I say because that according to the doctrine of S. Iames they are but deceivers of themselves that are not doers of Gods word as well as hearers thereof And through such slender receiving of Christs holy Gospell it is now come to passe that like as we haue need of such an Apostle as was holy S. Paul to rebuke this vaine confidence that men put in their workes and to tell us that no worke of our doing but faith of Gods working doth justifie us in his sight Even so have wee no lesse need of such another Apostle as was holy S. Iames to rebuke this horrible unthankfulnesse of men that professing themselves to bee Christians and to hold of Christs old faith are yet dead unto all good workes receive not the word of God in meekenesse cast not away all uncleannesse and malitiousnesse are swift to speake to talke to jangle and to take displeasure are forgetfull hearers of the Word and not livers thereafter boasting themselves to be of Gods pure and undefiled Religion and yet refraine nor their tongues from evill visit not the poore the friendlesse and the desolate in their trouble neither keepe themselves undefiled from this world Reade the first chapter of his Epistle What an occasion might such an Apostle as holy Iames was have to write another yea a sharper Epistle seeing so many pretending to be of Iesus Christs old faith are yet so partiall have such a carnall respect of persons are not rich in faith despise the poore practise not the law of godly love talke and jangle of faith not having the workes thereof clothe not the naked helpe not the poore to their living regard not their necessitie have but a dead faith declare not by good and godly workes the true and old faith of Christ are but vaine beleevers have not the eflectuous the working and living faith that Abraham and Rahab had Reade the second chapter of his Epistle How would holy Iames reprove these bringers up of strange doctrines blasphemers backbiters belie●s of good men false teachers against Gods truth dissemblers with the same cary fire as they say with the one hand and water in the other pretend to be learned and yet bring not forth the workes of good conversation in meekenesse out of Gods wisdome but in frowardnesse and out of carnall doctrine How would he take up these that delight in malice and strife belie Gods truth are given to earthly fleshly and devillish wisdome are unstable full of all evill workes are not in the schoole of Gods wisdome and learning are not given to unfainednesse of heart are not peaceable are churlish uneasie to be intreated c. Reade the third chapter

are delivered from the power of the devill and from everlasting death through Iesus Christ and brought into the land of promise even to eternall joy and salvation which God promised unto our fathers Adam Noe Abraham Isaac and Iacob Now when the Lord had caried his people out of Aegypt and brought them thorow the red sea drie shod and had drowned Pharao with all his people he commanded his folke to prepare and cleanse themselues at mount Sina For he would binde himselfe unto them receive them as his owne people and give them his law and ordinance Which thing he also did and appointed his law himselfe spake it with his owne mouth and wrote it with his owne fingers in two tables of stone In the one and first table hee ordained foure commandements concerning the worship and love of God namely that wee should take him only for the true and right God and none else beside or except him That wee should worship and honour him only and in no wise to have any other God comfort or hope Item that we should in no wise make any image or picture of any things and neither to worship them nor serve them Moreover that wee should not take the name of God in vaine or lightly And that wee should hallow the Sabboth day In the other table ordained he six commandements concerning man And like as the foure first are comprehended in these words Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. Euen so are the six contained in these words following Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe The commandements are these Thou shalt honour father and mother Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not breake wedlocke Thou shalt not steale Thou shalt beare no false witnesse Thou shalt not l●st In all these commandements is comprehended all that serveth for a godly life and that any where is written of God of true serving of God and of right vertue towards this world Who so now doth well ponder these ten chapters or commandements and compareth them to the doings and workes of the holy Patriarks and old Fathers which had no law in writing he shall finde that the Lord now with this his written law began no new thing neither ought that was not afore in the world but rather renewed the old and the law that he hitherto had written in the hearts of holy men now when the people had gotten them stony hearts he wrote the same in tables of stone For that wee ought to worship and serve God onely and to have none other Gods the same did the holy fathers so beleeve and keepe that all their conversation and doing beareth record thereof Concerning images or idols it is evident that Iacob buried the Idols of Mesopotamia under an Oke beside Sichem Gen. 35.4 We may perceive also by the oathes of Abraham Isaac and Iacob how the name of God was had in reverence among them of old and not taken in vaine The Sabbath did not the Lord ordaine here first but on the seventh day of the Creation Gen. 2.3 The same did the fathers keepe aright no doubt Iohn 7.22 Whereas Cham had not his father Noe in reverence he was cursed for it Gen. 9.25 Advoutry did the heathen rulers forbid under paine of death as we may see Gen. 26.10 11. Whereby it is easie to understand how the blessed friends of God kept holy wedlocke How contrary the holy men were unto theft and deceit it appeareth in the parting of Abraham and Loth Gen. 13.6 8 9. And in Iacobs faithfulnesse and handling with Laban his father in law Gen 29.37 30 33 31.6 Lying and false dealing was so farre from the holy fathers that for keeping their credit and truth they obtained very great commendation Notwithstanding they were tempted with evill as all men be but they resisted the wicked lusts For manifest is the chaste act of Ioseph which would not touch his masters wife nor desire her Wherefore in these commandements is nothing written or required that was not also required of the fathers afore the law and performed through true faith in Christ The Lord therefore began no new thing with his people when hee delivered them the tables of the law Only he would bring into a short summe and set in writing all the law that the Fathers had but not together nor comprehended in a summe to the intent that they should the lesse be forgotten of the people which through their dwelling in Aegypt among Idolaters and false beleevers were brought into sore offence and slander This must now be rectified againe after this manner As for all the lawes and ordinances which afterward were added unto these two tables they were not joyned thereunto as principall lawes but as by-lawes for the declaration and better understanding of the ten Chapters or Commandements For the perfect summe of all lawes the very right rule of godlinesse of Gods service of righteousnesse of good and evill conversation is comprehended alreadie in the two tables But here might some men make objection and say If all truth be contained in these ten Commandements how happeneth it that by no token there is mention made of the blessed seed promised unto the Fathers Hitherto is it declared and promised unto the holy Fathers that they shall be saved through the blessed seed out of the very grace of God and for none of their owne deservings but now are written lawes which command and forbid us as though we through our owne workes and deserving as namely if we keepe these Commandements should be saved and acceptable unto God Where is now Christ Where is the faith of the Patriarkes Here is nothing heard of faith but much yea only of workes Answer This objection hath deceived many that they have had no right opinion and faith of the grace of God and our righteous making Therefore will we now give no answer out of our selves but set forth holy Paul and let him answer that the answer may be the more sure and the better esteemed Paul in the third chapter to the Galathians writeth after this manner Deare brethren I will speake after the manner of men When a mans Testament is confirmed no man doth lightly regard or despise it nor addeth ought thereto Now were the promises made unto Abraham and to his seed He saith not In the seeds as in many but as in one And in thy seed which is Christ All these are Pauls words and the meaning of them is For as much as the Testaments or workes of men are of such reputation in the world that when they are made ordained and confirmed no man dare adde ought to them or minish any thing from them but every man must let them be as they are of themselves It is much more reason that Gods Testament or bequest remaine still and that nothing be added to it or

they that in their estate are noted according to their generations to reckon backward from Abraham unto the first man though they had not the name of Christian men for at Antioch certaine yeeres after the ascension of Christ was that name given to the faithfull Acts 11. yet as pertaining to the religion and substance they were all Christians For if this word Christian be as much to say as one that putteth his trust in Christ and through his doctrine fastned unto faith unto the grace and righteousnesse of God doth cleave with all diligence to Gods doctrine and exerciseth himselfe in every thing that is vertuous then verily those holy men whom we spake of first were even the same that Christian men boast themselves now to be All these are the words of the foresaid old Christian Doctors But to the intent that no man shall thinke that we build upon men and upon a strange foundation therefore wee will first declare our minds out of the Scriptures and alleage somewhat more for the better understanding of the matter CHAP. II. Of the goodnesse of God and wickednesse of man GOd which hath ever beene sufficient to all perfection and needeth nothing of the creatures to his perfectnesse onely of his owne kinde and nature which is good that is to say of his owne grace and mercy yea even because he would doe good created man for himselfe But before he created him he provided first for him wonderfully and furnished him with unspeakable riches of his goodnesse For when he devised the creation of man and the time was now come which his godly wisdome and providence had ordained he first of all appointed a wonderfull lodging for man and garnished the same yet much more wonderfully At the beginning when the goodly and cleere light was made the Lord prepared the instruments which he afterward sundred one from another and ordained every one to some purpose Over the deepe that is over the water and earth which yet was in the water made he a firmament and spread out the heaven above as a pavilion Afterward out of the water he called and brought forth the earth as much as served for the habitation of men and appointed the water his bounds and markes which it may not overpasse And these three things the water the earth and the firmament that is to say the aire and clearenesse above us unto the height of heaven are the essentiall and substantiall parcels of the world and serve as an house for the habitation of men Neverthelesse as yet all this was but rough and unfinished and nothing garnished at all Therefore did the wise and faithfull master put forth his hand wider to performe and pleasantly to garnish that wonderfull worke yea not onely to garnish it but also to make it fruitfull and profitable for man which was the guest and inhabiter for to come And first in as much as man should inhabit the earth he garnished it aforehand and cloathed it with a goodly greene garment that is with a substance which hee deckt first with flowers and all manner of herbes which not onely are pleasant to looke upon and wonderfully beautified of a pleasant taste and goodly colour but also profitable for food and all manner of medicine To the same also did he first adde sundry trees and plants Then watered hee the earth with faire springs rivers and running waters And the ground made he not like on every side but in many places set it up pleasantly And hereof have wee the vallies plaines mountains and hills which things all have their due operation fruit and pleasantnesse After this also began he to garnish the heaven and firmament and set therein the Sunne and the Moone the Planets and Starres which things all are goodlier and more wonderfull than mans tongue can expresse As for their office and the cause why they are set in the heaven it is to give us light and with their up and downe going or motion to declare the times yeares moneths and daies dividing the daies and nights asunder Thirdly he laid his hand likewise in the water in the which hee had wrought no lesse wonders than in heaven and upon earth For in the water and especially in the sea doe the wonderfull workes of God appeare in the fishes and marvels of the sea if a man consider the nature and disposition of them And in the aire also hath hee created and ordained great tokens of his goodnesse power and wisdome even the fowles that pleasantly according to divers commodities doe sing unto man and refresh him At the last endued he the earth yet more richly and filled it with all kinde of profitable and goodly beasts and sundred one from another pleasantly When the Lord now had prepared this goodly and rich pleasure then first after these hee made man that he might bee Lord of all these things Him also endued he above all other creatures and created him after his owne image He made him of body and soule which should have endured for ever if he had not fallen into sinne Now hath he a fraile bodie and an immortall everlasting soule But the first man made he altogether perfect and without blemish so that verily he was called the image of God not without cause The Lord also was not sufficed in garnishing the earth goodly but first also builded upon the earth a speciall garden of pleasure even a Paradise and therein set he man his deare beloved creature And for as much as he being solitary and alone could not conveniently dwell without a mate he appointed him first to plant and keepe the Garden of pleasure and provided for him a wife even out of the bones of his owne body that she might bee the mans helpe Thus would the goodnesse of God finish and make man perfect to the intent that he should lacke nothing which served to a right wholesome and perfect life Therefore was it equall that man which was endued with reason and high understanding should shew thankfulnesse and obedience unto God for such high gifts Yea God himselfe which is not onely good but also righteous requireth the same of him and that by the meanes of the commandement That he might eat of all the trees of the Garden of pleasure Only he should eschew the fruit of knowing good and evill And this commandement was not grievous nor unreasonable Onely it required obedience and love of God the maker unto whom only the creature even man should have respect and looke for all good at his hand and not to take the forme of good and evill out of himselfe but onely to hold that for evill and forbidden which God inhibiteth as evill and to account that as good and righteous which God alloweth or forbiddeth not For a representation visible token and sacrament God shewed him a right visible and fruitfull tree in the Garden of pleasure and forbade him with earnest

Baruch and Hieremie in whose daies Israel had such misfortune that Hierusalem with the Temple was destroyed and the people that remained over and perished not were caried away captive into Babylon In the same captivitie did Ezechiel and Daniel write their prophecies And after the captivitie when Israel was delivered againe and came home to Hierusalem then preached and wrote Esdras Haggeus Zacharias Malachias and Nehemias Beside these Prophets no doubt there were other moe of whom no mention is made But these are the chiefe by whom it pleased God to open unto us all that appertaineth to our salvation And though we had also the writings of the other yet should we reade no other thing in them than we finde in our owne Prophets for as much as these whom we have agree so together all in one Now whether they be our own Prophets whose writings we have or the other whose writings we have not yet have they all preached the summe of the doctrine and knowledged the faith that wee spake of afore and wrote in one summe which faith Adam Noe Abraham Moses and David had And this did they the more evidently because they applied themselves to open the Law and to drive away the misunderstanding which was risen up among and in the people therefore point they every where from the letter unto the spirit from the outward sacrifice unto Christ Iesus from all idolatry unto the onely God which saveth us through his mercy onely in the blessed seed and through none of our deservings This did Paul see and therefore said he Rom. 3. Through the workes of the law shall no man be iustified in the sight of God For through the law commeth the knowledge of sinne But now is the righteousnesse of God declared without the law for as much as it is allowed by the testimonie of the Law and the Prophets The righteousnesse of God commeth by the faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all them that beleeve So saith Peter also in the third of the Acts All the Prophets from Samuel and thenceforth as many as have spoken have told of these daies And in the 10. chapter To this Iesus Christ give all the Prophets witnesse that whosoever beleeveth in him shall through his name receive forgivenesse of sinnes Who so now is learned in the writings of the Prophets knoweth well that there is nothing read concerning the Lord in the New Testament which the Prophets have not prophesied of afore He that is then any thing instructed in the Prophets hath no doubt considered this in the New Testament that the Apostles prove all their doctrine of the Lord Iesus out of the Law and the Prophets yea that the Lord himselfe confirmeth his owne doings with the Scriptures of the Prophets and that the Euangelists thorowout the holy Gospell set unto the doctrine and miracles of Christ these words And this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets Neverthelesse for their sakes that are not yet instructed I will now declare the principall articles of our Lord Iesus Christ out of the holy Prophets As touching the true Godhead and manhood of our Lord Iesus Christ and that he should be borne at Bethlehem in the land of Iewry of a pure virgin and maid out of the kinred of David the Prophets testifie after this manner Esay in the seventh chapter saith Behold a virgin shall conceive and beare a sonne and shall call his name Emanuel that is to say God with us Micheas saith in the fifth chapter Though thou Bethlehem Ephrata art too small to be reckoned among the principall cities of Iuda yet out of thee shall there come one unto me which shall be ruler in Israel whose forth-going is from everlasting In the ninth chapter of Esay it is written Vnto us is a childe borne and to us is given a sonne upon whose shoulders the kingdome shall lie and he shall be called after his owne name even the wonderfull counsell-giver the mighty one of Israel the eternall father the prince of peace his kingdome shall increase and of his peace there shall be no end and he shall reigne upon the seat of David his father In the 23. of Hieremie it is written thus Behold the time commeth saith the Lord that I will raise up the righteous blossome of David he shall be king and reigne and prosper iudgement and righteousnesse shall he execute upon earth In his time shall Iuda be saved and Israel shall dwell without feare and this is the name wherewith he shall be named even God our righteousnesse Concerning the comming of Iohn the Baptist which was the forerunner of our Lord Christ and prepared the people for him hath Malachy written in the third chapter after this manner Behold I will send my messenger which shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom yee long for shall shortly come to his temple and the messenger of the covenant whom yee would have Behold he commeth saith the Lord zabaoth And afterward Behold I will send Helias the Prophet afore the comming of the great and fearefull day of the Lord. Of Christs preaching of the grace of God of the forgiving of sinnes of the wonders also and tokens of the Lord speaketh Esay in the 61. chapter after this manner The spirit of the Lord God is upon me and therefore hath the Lord anointed me to preach the Gospell to the meeke hearted hath he sent me to heale the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the captive to open the prison to such as are in bonds to proclaime the yeere of Gods gratious will and to bring consolation to all them that are in heavinesse In the 34. chapter of Ezechiel it is written thus Over my sheepe will I raise up one onely shepherd which shall feed them even David my servant which shall feed them and he shall be their shepherd I the Lord also will be their God and David shall be their Prince even I the Lord have spoken it In the 35. chap. of Esay it is written thus Say unto them that are of a feeble heart Be strong and feare not behold our God commeth to take vengeance and to reward God commeth himselfe and will deliver you Then shall the eies of the blinde be opened c. Then shall the lame man leape as an Hart and the tongue of the dumbe shall give praise Of the kingdome of Christ in the which he himselfe alone is king all the world being subject unto him declaring his dominion and royall majestie writeth Esay thus in the second chapter And it shall come to passe in the last time that the hill of the house of the Lord shall be exalted upon the height of mountaines above all little hils and all nations shall come together unto him the people shall goe to him and say Come let us goe up to the mount of the