Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	faith_n	james_n	justification_n	13,736	5	9.8404	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12351	Gods arrovve against atheists. By Henrie Smith	Smith, Henry, 1550?-1591.	1593 (1593)	STC 22666; ESTC S119953	81,568	135

was Prince of the Apostles and had authoritie ouer them all when as indéede it is manifest by all the Scriptures and course of his life he neither claimed nor had any authoritie ouer the rest more than the rest had ouer him and consequentlye the Pope of Rome can neuer claime that as successour to Peter which was neuer in Peter his supposed predecessour The Papists perceauing that the scriptures make nothing for them but against them because they would haue the matter coloured with some Antiquitie or shew of Antiquitie at the least haue deuised some counterfet and forged Authors as Amacletus and Amissetus and such like to speake somethinge for them But the falsehood of all those is discouered by other writers if they bee well marked In Cyprians time it was déemed a matter odious for any to take vpon him to be a Bishop of Bishops as appeareth by that voice which he cryed in the Counsaile of Carthage It was likewise decréed in the Affricans Counsell that none should be called Prieste of Priests or Archpriest or any such like The Counsel of Nice did decrée that the Bishop of Rome should kéepe himselfe within the compasse of his prouince and not excéed his bounds as likewise the Bishop of Antioch Ierusalem and Constantinople were ●● doo the like Other Councells did affirme as much which because they are sufficiently knowne I néede not to recite But they all shewe that at those times the Bishop of Rome had no greater Jurisdiction than within his owne Prouince and that hée coulde not meddle within the Prouinces of other Bishops And Ierome of his time sayth that the Bishoppe of Engubium or any other the least Sea is equall to the Bishop of Rome The Title of Uniuersall Bishop was much desired of John Bishop of Constantinople and much contention there was about it But it was neuer obtained of the Bishop of Rome vntill the time of Boniface the third who procured that Title of Phocas that wicked Emperour of Rome after which the Bishops of Rome neuer ceased still to augment their dignitie and increase the pride of their Romish Sea And euen at that very first time when John Bishop of Constantinople sought to get that Title of Uniuersall Bishop to his Sea Gregorie then Bishoppe of Rome did himselfe stand against it mightily and affirmed that hée could bée no lesse than Antichrist whosoeuer did take vnto him that Title First therefore it is manifest that vntill the time of Gregorie Bishop of Rome an vniuersall Bishop was not heard of in the Church and Boniface the thirde was the first Bishop of Rome that got this title which was aboue 600. yeares after Christ. And besides how will the Bishop of Rome that now is avoid himselfe to be Antichrist Sith by the expresse determination of Gregorie Bishoppe of Rome his predecessour hée is condemned for Antichrist in as much as hée hath this Title and is not ashamed thereof For what is this else but to come in the place of Christ and consequently to bee Antichrist vsurping the prerogatiue Title of Christ Jesus But the Pope saith that though hée claime thus to bee the heade of the Church yet hee doth not name hims●lfe to bee otherwise than a Ministeriall head to bée Christs Vicar on earth But why will he be so arrogant as to challenge this Title without ●●●full ●onueyance made vnto him from Christ which hee cannot show For who dare take vppon him to bée a ●i●uetenant to an earthly Prince without S●st●rs Pattents first had from the Prince Againe the Church of Christ on earth being as a chast Spowse to her Husband and head Christ Iesus neither can or ought to acknowledge any other for her head than that her husband to whom shée hath plighted her troth Lastly there can bee no successour but when the Predecessour is gone and absent but Christ is alwaies presente with his Church according to his owne words Beholde I am with you to the ende of the world Matthew 28.20 And therefor hée can haue neither Successour nor Vicar to represent his person or to guide his Church For his spirit since his bodily ascention is the guide and gouernesse of the Church in his roome Iohn 14. 15. 16. For no man mortall is appointed thereunto I conclude therefore that for all these causes the Church of Rome can not possibly be the true Church 7 The Church of Rome doth not ascribe Justification to faith in Christ Iesus onely but saith that mens works be meritorious and to them partly is Iustification to bée ascribed and so they make mens imperfect works to be causes of saluation which is a grosse errour euen in the foundation or fundamental point Saint Paul saith That all are iustified freely by his grace Rom. 3.24 If they be Iustified gratis freely as hée affirmeth then are they Iustified withoot any desert of theirs And Saint Paul setteth downe the Axiome in the Conclusion VVee holde that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the Law Rom. 3.28 And the Apostle in very many places whereof mention shall hée made hereafter doth expressely exclude Weekes from being any causes of our Iustification 〈◊〉 indéede they are the effects thereof And therefore it appeareth to bée a true position that Faith onely doth Iustifie in as much as Iustification is in the sight of God imputed to our Faith not to our Workes For Abraham beléeued God and that was imputed to him for righteousnes as Paul speaketh Rom. 4.8 And hée sheweth that Abraham was not iustified by Works before God for if Abraham were iustified by works then should hée haue wherein to glory but not before God and because hée had not wherein to glory before God therefore hée was not iustified in the sight of God I graunt that saint Iames in his seconde Chapter doth say that Abraham was iustified by his Works when hée offered vp his Son Isaac at Gods commaundement And likewise that hée saith that a man is iustified by Works and not by Faith onely But before whom is hée iustified by Works Not before God but before men that is to say his works doo declare vnto men that saith whereby hée is iustified before God And that this is the meaning of saint Iames may appeare by that his saying where he saith Shew vnto me thy Faith by thy VVorks thou saiest thou hast faith that is not inough thy words doth not proue it thy works will therefore saith hee shew me thy faith by thy workes This word Shew mee doth manifest what manner of iustification hée speaketh off namely that he speaketh of a iustification before men For it is God that respecteth the faith of a man whereby onely hée is iustified in his sight And it is men which respect the workes whereby indéede they testifie vnto the world their faith to be good before God For as saint Iames saith truely faith without works is but a dead faith and not good nor found nor

auaileable But faith and works must goe together and indéede where a true faith is there good works will shew themselues as the fruits thereof And thus Paul and Iames are to bee reconciled which thing Thomas Aquinas a schooleman of the Papists doth himselfe plainely testifie saying that Christ Iesus doth iustifie effectiuè effectually Faith doth iustifie apprehensiuè by taking hold of Christ and good works doo iustifie declaratiuè that is doo declare vnto men their iustification before God And so it is cleare that howsoeuer a true faith cannot bee without workes as fire cannot bee without light and heate yet our iustification before God is to bee imputed to our faith not to our works as warmth is to bee imputed to the heate of the fire not to the light of the fire For so saith saint Paul expressely That God imputeth righteousnes without works Rom. 4.6 And againe That it is by grace not of workes Rom. 11.6 And againe Not of workes Rom. 9.11 Againe saint Paul telleth the Saints at Ephesus that God hath ordained men to walke in good workes yet he saith that they may not trust to be saued by them for he affirmeth and assureth them That they are saued by grace and not by their works Eph. 28.9.10 Againe he speaketh in the person of himselfe of all the children of God and saith that wee are saued not by workes but by his predestination and grace 2. Tim 1.9 And againe God is our Sauiour not for any-workes which wee haue done but according to his owne mercie hee hath saued vs Tit. 3.5 And diuers other like places bée Wherefore saint Hillary hath these very words which we hold Sola fides iustificat Faith only doth iustifie And Ambrose among other sentences hath this Non iustificàri hominem apud Deum nisi per fidem That a man is not iustified before God but by Faith Which is as much as Faith onely doth iustifie before God Saint Basil doth say that this is perfect and sound reioycing in God when a man doth not boast of his owne righteousnes but knoweth that he wanteth in himselfe true righteousnes and that he is iustified by faith onely And Gregory Nazianzen saith that to beléeue onely is righteousnes And therfore it is euident both by the expresse testimony of the Scriptures and of the Fathers that wee holde the truth in this behalfe and that the Church of Rome is in a maruellous errour It is true which is written that euery man shall bee rewarded according to his works because the faith of men is estéemed and estimated by their workes as the frée is knowne by the trust But there is no Text of scripture to shewe that any man is saued propter merita for his works or merits but many Texts of scripture to the contrary as before appeareth For when we haue done all that we can yet we must say as Christ commaundeth Wee are vnprofitable seruaunts Luke 17.10 And therefore the Papists which teach workes meritorious yea workes of supererogation availeable to saluation as well for others as for themselues holde not the right faith and consequently are not the true Church 8 But if I should shew all the corruptions of the Rómish Church I should be infinite neither am I able to number them I will therefore conclude all this discourse onely with this argument following The Pope of Rome being the head of that Church is that famous Antichrist that was foretold by Paull the Apostle and that is presignified in the reuelation of Saint Iohn Ergo it is impossible that the Church of Rome should be the true Church for the Church of Antichrist though it boast neuer so much cannot bée the true Church though it would faine bee so accounted as many an harlot desireth to bee reputed an honest woman one marke of that Antichrist Paull sheweth to be this 2. Thes. 2.8 that he should exalt him selfe aboue euerie one that is called God hee doth not say aboue God but aboue euery one that is called God Iohn 10.34 Nowe those whome the Scriptures calleth God we know to be such as be the Iudges Magistrates of the earth Psa. 81.6 who for that they bee in the place of God and his Lieutenants are vouchsafed in Scripture this high and Honourable title is to bee called Gods That the Pope of Rome is such a one as doth exalt himselfe aboue any such God of the Earth namely aboue all Princes and Magistrates is a thinge so well knowne as I néede not to prooue it himselfe by his wicked practises and his Iesuits Seminaries and Patrons doe in their bookes manifest the same vnto the world 2 An other marke of Antichrist Paul setteth downe to be this namely 2. Thes. 2.4 that hee should sit in the Temple of God as God shewing himselfe to be God And I pray what doth the Pope els but sit in the Temple of God as God When claiming the Apostolike Sea he taketh vpon him to bee the head of the Church and to rule it as he list to erect Princes and to depose them againe from their thrones that hee cannot erre that hee can forgiue sinnes matters that belong peculiarly to God and to no other What doth hee els but by these demonstrations shew himselfe to be God insomuch as hee arrogateth to himselfe most proudly the authority of God himselfe which things the Sixt booke of the Decretals the Clemantines and the Extrauagants doe abundantly testifie For these men were not content with that which Angelicus wrote in his Poetry the beginning whereof is Papa stupor mundi the Pope is the wonder of the world Nec Deus es nec homo sed neuter inter vtrumque Thou art not God ne art thou man But neuter mixt of both But these Popes were bold to take vnto themselues the verie name of God and to accept it giuen of others according as Pope Sixtus the fourth when he should first enter into Rome in his dignitie papall had made for him a Pageant of Triumph cunningly fixed vpon that gate of the Citie he should enter at hauing written vpon it this Blaspemous verse dedicated vnto him Oraclo vocis mundi moderaris habenis Et merito in terris crederis esse Deus By Oracle of thine owne voice the worlde thou gouernest all And worthy lie a God on Earth men thinke and doe thee call Yea shall I say more The Pope if any man in the world doth take vpon him such more than Luciferian pride howsoeuer to deceaue the worlde with wordes he calleth himselfe seruus seruorum Dei a seruant of the seruants of God that he exalteth himselfe aboue God himselfe and his worship for hee taketh vpon him to bée aboue the Scriptures and to dispense with them at his pleasure and to allow matters contrarie vnto them which God himselfe whose will is immutable and reuealed therein will not doe for he and his worde will not be contrarie Againe héereby it is manifest that he exalteth