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A19743 A godlie and fruitfull treatise of faith and workes. Wherein is confuted a certaine opinion of merit by workes, which an aduersary to the gospell of Christ Iesu, held in the conference, had in the Tower of London H. D., fl. 1583.; Dod, Henry, attributed name. aut 1583 (1583) STC 6168; ESTC S114042 37,853 104

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plaine woordes of Christ how he ouerthroweth all the workes of man as meritorious to deserue anye thankes from God He sayth playnelye to all the world aswell as to his Apostles When you haue done all those things which are commaunded you yet say you are vnprofitable seruants and deserue nothing for that which we do is but our bounden duetie being bound to do the commaundement of God vpon paine of damnation As if a maister commaund his seruant to do a thinge and the seruant doeth not that which he is commanded to doe doeth not the mayster lay him on with stripes Then must the doing of his maisters commandement be not onely for obedience due according to the duety of a seruant towards his master but also to saue him from many stripes which hee should deserue according to the saying of our Sauiour Christ He that knoweth his masters will and doeth it not shal be beaten with many stripes Now not that the seruant in doing his masters commādement should therfore deserue to haue his masters inheritance as the Papists do maintein that by their good works they merite the kingdome of heauen And so standeth it with vs towardes God yea much more for no earthly master coulde euer doe for his seruants that our master Christ hath done for vs and therefore though we doe all that euer we are able to doe to the vttermost of our power yet are we still vnprofitable seruants and deserue nothing at the handes of God And behold the wisdome of the lord what person he hath chosen by whome to make this similitude touching this matter A ploughman a seruant plowing or seruing his cattle which kinde of people of all men in the world best deserue their hire and yet vnprofitable seruants deserue nothing For the Lord saith Doth he thank that seruant because he did that which was commanded vnto him I trowe not Here is a question demaunded by the Lord whether thanks be to be geuen to a seruant that doth his masters commandement the Lord making the answere himself said I trowe not Then is it thus much to say if a temporal master is not to geue thāks vnto his seruant for doing his commandement much lesse our Lord and God vnto whome no temporal master is to be compared is to geeue thankes to any person that is bound to do his commandement But if there be no thankes to be geuen by god to man for doing his com maundement which man in duetie is bound to doe then is it cleere that man doeth not merite heauen by his good workes nor deserueth thankes for the same And thus hath the Lord him selfe ouerthrown the popish error of meriting heauen by workes done after grace And now for finall conclusion if to much obstinate wilfulnes do not remaine within the brestes of the aduersaries that if the Lord haue not vtterly cast them of as reprobates it is not possible but that these wordes so plainely set down and written with the pen of the holy Ghost by the hand of the holy Apostles and saintes of God and here incerted must needes perce their flinty hartes and mollifie the same which if grace be allotted vnto thē wherby they may haue fleshie hartes and yeelding spirites to Gods truth It can not be possible for them to hold out against this truth but will yeeld them selues vnto Christ acknowledging him to be the only sufficient sauiour of all the elect without any helpe of man And so reposing their whole trust and confidence onely in Christ and casting off their good works as not meritorious and thinke that if they could fulfill the lawe in greater perfection then the best that liueth is able to doe that yet they should do no more but that which in dutie they ought and are bound to do No doubt but as the Lord is altogither mercifull so will he in mercy receiue them and bring them into his fold euen vpon his shoulders as he did the strayed sheepe and imbrace them as hee did the forlorne sonne if they can departe from their errors and imbrace this truth which leadeth to eternall life And for that the Lord God hath made prayer a meanes to obtaine any thing that shall be asked of him by faith and according to his will And also for that prayer may be made for such as we know not but may yet stande in the state of grace whereby the Lord maye drawe them to him selfe And for that also manye numbers of papistes haue willinglye departed from their popish religion and turned to the gospell of Christ Iesus And hoping that a great number of them by prayer and by reading the word of God and such good bookes as be agreeable to the word of god may be brought to the acknowledg ing of their errors to fall frō the same I pray and desire al Christians to pray to the eternall almighty God for their good conuersion and reformation and that they may haue the spirite of GOD to guide them into the way of trueth that they may cast off their heresies and vaine popish opinions either of merit by works or whatsoeuer els not agreeable to the word of God and so to cleaue to Christ Iesus our only Aduocate Mediator Intercessor Sauiour and Light of eternall life Vnto whome with God the father and the holy ghost be all honor praise and thanks for euer and euer Amen Rom. 5 12. 18. 1 Cor. 15 22. Rom 5 19 Ro. 6 23 2. Cor. 5 21. 1. Pet. 2 24. Esai 53. Mat. 8 17 Rom. 8. 29. Mat. 25. vers 12. Galat. 4 4. Esai 53 9●… 1. Pet. 2 23. 1. Pet. 2 24. Esai 53. 5. Ioan 17 4. 17 30. Luk. 24 26 27. Ioh. 17 4. Esa. 25 8. Cor. 15 54. Osee. 13 14 Ephe. 1 4. R. 9. 11. Ro. 11 29. Sam. 15 29 Ioh. 17 12. Nom. 23 19. Cor. 1 7 10 13 Thes. 5 24. Ephe. 4. 1. Ephe. 1 4. Ioh. 3 16. Luk. 17 10. Heb. 11 6. Esai 64 6. Luk. 23 42. Luk. 10 28 3 ●… Pet. 2 ●… 1. ●…oh 13 15 Ephe. 5 1. 4 Gen. 1 26. 27. Mat. 4 9 August contra Adamantū Cap. 12 5 Mat. 3 17. Mat. 5 16. Phil. 2 1●… Cor. 3 2. epist. 2 5. Phil. 2 12. Deu. 7 13. 14 Aug. conf li. ca. 13. Greg. cap. 9 of Iob. Barnar in festo om sanct ser. 1. Mat. 9 20. Mar. 5 25. Mat. 9 22. Phil. 2. 13. Ioh. 1. 29. 36 Esa. 53. 7. Act. 8. 32. Esa. 53. 9 1. Pe. 2 22 Esay 53 6. 2. Cor. 5 21 Luk. 12 32. Esay 53 7●… Rom. 3 2●… Psal. 14. 〈◊〉 53. ver 2 〈◊〉 Rom. 3 10 ●…1 12. Gal. 3. 10. 11 12. Deut. 27 2●… Abac. 2 4. Rom. 1 17 Heb. 10 3●… Le. 18 5. Eze. 20. 11 Rom. 10. 5●… Rom. 3 12. Rom. 3 20●… Rom. 3 10 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. Rom. 3 19. I●… v. 2 10. Rom. 3 27. Rom. 3. 31. 1. Pet. 2 22. Rom. 2 13. Luk. 10 18. Iam. 2 10. Deut. 27 26. Iam. 2 21. 22. Answere to the obiectiō Ia. 1 26. 27 Iam. 1 27. Iam. 1 17. Rom. 3 20. Rom. 2 6. Rom. 2 13. Iam. 1 22. 23. Answere Ro. 2 17. Rom. 3 10 12. 13. 14. Rom. 4. 2. 3. 4. 5 Gen. 15. 6 Gal. 3. 6 Iam. 2. 23 Obiection Rom. 6. 2. Answere 2. Tim. 4. 14 Rom. 2. 7 Rom. 3. 2●… Rom. 8. 21. 22 Act. 13. 38. ●…9 Rom. 8. 3●… Rom. 9. 11 Aug. can 1 ●…m 1. 17 ●…ph 1. 4. 5 Rom. 9 16. Rom. 9 31. 32. 33. Esai 28 8. 14. 16. 1. Pet. 2 6. Gal. 2 15. 16. 21. Iob. 25 4. Gal. 5 4. 5. Tit. 3 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Tim. 2 1. 9. Ephe. 2 9. 10 Phil. 3 8 9. Phil. 3 7. Phil. 3 8. Rom. 7. 24 Gal. 3 19. 〈◊〉 22. 23. ●…4 Luke 17. ver 7. 8. 9. 10. Luk. 12 47
whole lawe as well the morall as the ceremoniall yea and rather the morall law then the ceremonial law Let vs consider of S. Paule in how many places where he of purpose writeth touching this matter of iustificatiō It is to be considered that S. Paule was the Apostle of the Gentiles amongst whome there was no part of the ceremoniall law vsed and then had S. Paule no cause to write in that sort of the ceremoniall law onely but of the morall lawe also Againe mark wherevpon S. Paule doth entreat before he come to those words By the vvorks of the lavve there shall no flesh bee iustified in Gods sight In the second Chapter to the Iewes he saith Beholde thou art called a Ievve and restest in the lavve and makest thy boasts of God or gloriest in God knovvest his vvill allovvest the thinges that are excellent in that thou art instructed by the lavv Then in the 21. 22. and 23. verse he saith Thou that preachest a man shoulde not steale Doest thou steale Thou that saist a man should not commit adultery doest thou commit adultery c. Thou that gloriest in the lavv breakest thou the lavv Is not this ment trowe you of the morall lawe And so proceeding to the 3. Chap. where he proueth that al are sinners both Iewes Gentils And that there is none righteous none that doth good Their threates an open sepulclre c. VVhose mouth is full of cursing bitternes c. Now when he had thus laide abroad the wicked estate of man and breach of the moral law and seeing a man not able to fulfill the law in that sort as he may bee iustified therby before God Therfore saith Saint Paul in the same chapter By the works of the law shal no flesh be iustified in Gods fight Forby the law commeth the knowledge of sin which lawe must needes bee the morall lawe the law of the x-commandements For that is it that bringeth the knoledge of sinne And moreouer the ceremonial law was cleane taken away by Christ and was no more a law among the christian Iewes after Christes death and ther fore there was no cause why Saint Paule writing against iustification by workes should write as meaning only of the ceremonial law but of the moral law also And therefore master Papist you must yeelde your selfe conuicted and ouerwen in mainteyning that S. Paule doth meane onely the ceremoniall Law and not the morall Lawe Againe to your iustification by the workes of the lawe which S. Iames and Saint Paul speak of this is to bee vnderstoode that Saint Iames doeth meane iustification before men and it must nedes be so taken or els he must be flat against S. Paul who hath a number of places for this one place of S. Iames as before is set down and hereafter shall be if God permitte And if it should bee so that the writer of that epistle that beareth the name of saint Iames shoulde meane as the Papists take it that in plaine meaning workes done by the children of men doe iustifie before god yet I must rather preferre Saint Paule writing in so many places to the contrarie before that one place of Saint Iames and the rather because none doubtes of S. Paules epistles but to be his owne but the learned haue doubted of this Epistle which beareth the name of S. Iames whe ther S. Iames were the author writer therof or not but let it be S. Iames epistle yet he doth not say Ye see then that of works a man is iustified before God He leaueth out before God so that the meaning is then to be takē that good works may iustifie before men but not before God because of imperfection For there is iustification before God iustificatiō before men And the iustification before men is that which S. Iames meaneth Again S. Iames saith was not Abrahā our father iustified through works when he offred his sonne vpon the altar This iusti fication must nedes be taken to be before men and not before god and that it must be so taken let vs see what S. Paul saith of the said Abrahā For if Abrahā saith he wer iustified by works thē hath he wherin to boast or to reioice but not before God For what saith the scripture Abrahā be leued god it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse To him that worketh is the reward not reckned of grace but of duetie To him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is coūted for righteousnes he saith if Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to boast or to reioyce and so he hath if he were iustified by workes But yet with God good working Abraham could not boast in his good workes for though Abraham were one of the best among the children of men yet how he had beene able to haue stoode in tryall with God if his workes should haue beene wayed in the righteous ballance of Gods iustice without Christ no question but Abraham must haue fallen to the grounde And who will doubt but that Abraham in offering of his sonne whome hee so entirely loued to bee a sacrifice and to kill him who was begotten in their old age when they were past all hope to haue children and being his onely sonne and he to be the killer of him him selfe must needes haue inwarde conflictes passions combats and grieues in which sinne no doubt appeared before God inough to haue condemned him if God without mercy would narrowly haue looked vnto him And therefore to shew that Abraham was not iustified by workes Saint Paule saith if Abraham were iustified by workes which word if importeth a plaine negatiue in this place that Abraham was not iustified by his works and therfore that it might bee knowen that Abraham could not be iustified by his works before God but was to bee made righteous by faith he saith For what saith the scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse But Saint Paul saith that God will rewarde euery man according to his works And therefore wil you say good works merite rewarde But Saint Paul vseth not these words here to teach that works doe merite rewarde And though God doth rewarde of his free mercy yet is it not of duetie or by desert when he rewardeth For he teacheth that Abraham could not be iustified by his works before God Then much les any man els which is not of his perfection The hipocriticall Iewes againste whō S. Paul wrote those words woulde take vpon them to iudge others of those vices which they themselues did cōmit which caused saint Paul to write against them those threatening words that God would rewarde them according to their deedes The like phrase praierwise thogh in the other place threatning wise hee vseth in his praier to the Lord against Alexander the Coppersmith and saieth The Lord rewarde him according to his deedes that is
an outcry and with a pittifull lamentation saith O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death Where is now Saint Paules righteousnes wherein he is to repose as the Papist say his hope of merit by his righteous works He crieth out on it accounting and iudging all things as afore to bee but dung in respect of the excellent knovvledge of Christ. Thus you see S. Paul beholdeth nothing but Christ onely and laieth all his righteousnesse aside hauing no hope at all therby to merit heauen Then if S. Pauls righteousnes bee laide aside as not meritorious to purchase heauē vvhat shal become of al your popish righteousnes but euē be laid aside as S. Paule hath laid his nay rather cōmit it to the dunghill as not vvorthie to bee compared vvith S. Pauls righteousnesse But methinks I heare one demand a question the same that vvas demanded in the 3. to the Gala. vvhich is this VVherefore thē serueth the lawe if whē we haue done the works of the law we shall not merit by them nor be iustified by thē S. Paule maketh the answer It was added saith he because of the transgressions till the seede came vnto the which the promise was made c. Is the law thē against the promise of God God forbid for if there had ben a lawe giuen which could haue giuen life surely righteousnes shuld haue bin by the law But the scripture hath concluded al vnder sin that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to all that beleeue but before Faith came wee were kept vnder the law and shut vp vnto the faith which should afterward bee reuealed wherfore the lawe was a schoolemaister to bring vs to Christ that wee might be made righteous by Faith Now heere you see wherfore the law serueth it is as a glasse for vs wherin to behold our sins for our sins were the cause that the lawe was added And the lawe shewing vs our sinnes we finding no helpe therby but damnation because no man can fulfil the law in such sort as it can giue life Therfore it teacheth vs like a good schoolmaster to whō we shall resort for life pointing vs as with a finger vnto Christ Iesu. For the scripture hath cōcluded all vnder sin man all his works no hope in our selues nor in our workes but to runne to Gods promise by Faith in Christ Iesus And this is our last refuge and the verie vpshot of our game wherby the kingdō of heauen saluation is woon for euer And to make an end of this little worke I will ioine 3. verses of Te Deum which the Papists sing daily in their Churches but in the lattin tongue so as neither the singers nor the hearers can vnderstād the same But blessed bee our God that hath planted amongst vs such teachers who hath giuen vnto vs which are vnlearned the same in our naturall tongue so as we may vnderstand the same to our comfort and find therin that you Papists do teach vs false doctrine when you teach vs that by the workes of grace saluation is merited wherby you make Christ no redeemer nor Sauiour but the meanes whereby we receiue grace and by which grace we doe good workes by which works saie you but falsly wee merit saluation But you shall heare vvhat Te deum teacheth you to say to Christ thus it teacheth VVhen thou tookest vpon thee to deliuer man thou diddest not abhor the virgins wombe when thou haddest ouercome the sharpnesse of death thou didst open the kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers we therfore praie thee helpe thy seruants whome thou hast redeemed with thy most precious bloud In the 1. verse of the three vvee say to Christ Whē thou tookest vpon thee to deliuer man c. So that Christ tooke vpon him to deliuer man from the iustice of God from death hell and damnation before he vvas cōceiued in the vvombe of the blessed virgine and before any of you Papists vvere created vvhich vvill bee iustified by your works And deliuered you from the pain of hell if any of you bee deliuered before you did anie good vvorkes And it is not to be saide that he vvoulde deliuer those vvhome he knevve not he knevv them vvhom he vvould deliuer that before the creation of the vvorld And vnto this I am sure you agree but the difference is in this as aforesaide that you Papistes will say that Christ tooke vpon him to deliuer man because hee knew before that they would doe good works to merite to bee deliuered from perpetuall death to eternall life But we by Saint Paul doe maintaine the contrarie as before is sufficiently proued But if it were as you say then should it haue bin said thus When thou with the helpe of our good workes tookest vpon thee to deliuer man c. But it is not so said but when thou tookest vpon thee to deliuer man c. And therfore Christ alone toke vpon him the deliuerance of man without mans works but if the workes of grace merite saluation thē no doubt but the works of grace doe set open the king dome of heauen to all good workers by grace and then what neede haue wee of Christ But because this is false therfore wee say to Christ in the seconde verse when thou hadst ouercome the sharpnes of death Thou not thou and the workes of grace but thou diddest set open the kingdome of heauen to whom I praye you to whom to all good workers by grace no but to all beleeuers that beleue in the passion and death of Christ Iesus In the third verse we pray our blessed sauiour to helpe his seruantes whō what that hath merited heauen by the workes of grace surely that is forgotten No no but those whom thou haste redeemed with thy precious bloud here is not with thy precious bloud and the workes of grace but with thy precious bloud alone without the workes of grace And to confirme all this most true and vnreprouable doctrine of iustification by faith onely in the passion and death of our sauiour Christ Iesus And to stop the mouthes of all the aduersaries of Gods truth from caueling any more against the same Let vs heare the words of the Lord Iesus himselfe which he spake vnto his Apostles saying VVho is yet also of you hauing a seruant plowing or feeding cattell would say vnto him by and by when he were come from the field goe and sit downe at the table and would not rather say to him dresse wherewith I may sup gird thy selfe and serue me til I haue eaten and dronken afterward eate thou drinke thou Doth he thanke that seruant because he did that which was commaunded vnto him I trow not So likewise ye when ye haue done all those things which are commaunded you say we are vnprofitable seruants we haue done that which was our duety to doe Note here the most