Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	body_n	heaven_n	soul_n	16,244	5	5.2792	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09918	An euident display of Popish practises, or patched Pelagianisme Wherein is mightelie cleared the soueraigne truth of Gods eternall predestination, the stayd groundworke of oure most assured safetie by Christ. Written in Latin by that reuerend father, mayster Theodore Beza, and now lately Englished by VV.H. preacher of the Gospell.	Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605.; Hopkinson, William.	1578 (1578)	STC 2018.5; ESTC S113313	179,020	284

commaundements and not that onely but that they are gouerned with Gods hande and that all things are done by his power So when we beholde the course of earthly things al things to be attributed to God but the creatures are to be iudged as instruments in hys band which he will apply to the worke howsoeuer it pleaseth him The Scripture oftentimes toucheth this vniuersall prouidence that we may learne to giue glory to God in all his workes And God especially commendeth to vs this his power that we may acknowledge the same in our selues to the ende we may be ridde frō arrogancie which so soone as we forget that we be in his hande dothe vse by and by to surmount in vs To this it is that Paule sayde at Athens In him we liue moue and haue our beyng for he doth testifie vnto them that excepte he do sustayne vs with his hande for neuer so litle moment of time we can not continew seing we remayne in him and as the soule disperseth his power thorowe all the bodie dothe inforce the members that so we be quickened of God of whome we obtayne whatsoeuer strength and abilitie is in vs Yet this vniuersall working of God dothe not let but that all creatures bothe in heauen and earth may receyue their qualitie and nature and folowe their proper inclination The other way whereby God worketh in his creatures is that he compelleth them to the obedience of his goodnesse iustice and iudgement euen as be will nowe helpe his seruaunts nowe punishe the guiltie nowe trie the patience of the faythfull or chasten them with a fatherly affection So when he will bestowe aboundance of fruytes he giueth Raynes in his time sendeth warmth by his Sunne and lightsome and sayre dayes then also he vseth other naturall meanes as instruments of hys louyng kindnesse But when he dothe withdrawe his hande unto himselfe the heauen becommeth as it were brassie the earth as ironie Therefore it is he that maketh Thunders Froste Hayles and Tempestes and he causeth barrānesse Therfore whatsoeuer the Ethniques ignorāt attribute to fortune we must ascribe to the diuine prouidence not so much to that vniuersall power wherof we haue spoken but to his speciall moderation wherby he gouerneth al things as seemeth best and most to his glory And that he teacheth when he sayeth by the prophets that he createth light and darkenesse sendeth lyse death that nothing good or euil cōmeth but from his hand in so much that he saith that he gouerneth also lots and other things which séeme casual But if some one be casually slaine not by fore practice that he is cause of hys death and hath so appoynted least we shoulde denie any to fall by chaunce but all things by the determination of his counsell And he is vehemently offended when we thinke that any thyng rōmeth from other where and do not looke upon him that we may acknowledge him not onely as the principall cause of all but also as the Author determinyng by this or that meane all things by his counsell So therefore let us conclude that as wel prosperitie as aduersitie Raynes Windes Hayles Froste Brightnesse Aboundance Famine Warre and Peace are the workes of God and that the creatures whiche be inferiour causes be onely instruments whiche he hath in use to execute hys will and therfore vieth thē at hys pleasure turneth those thyngs which way soeuer it pleaseth him bringeth them to that passe that that vndoubtedly may be done whiche he hath determined There is further to be noted that he vseth not onely sencelesse creatures in thys sorte that by thē be may worke and performe his will but euen men themselues also the Diuel In so much that euen Sathan and the wicked are executers of the Diuine will. Euen as he vsed the Egyptians to afflict hys people and a litle whyle after he stirred up the Assyrians and others lyke that he mighte punish theyr offences We sée he vsed the Diuell that he might torment Saule deceyue Achab and when néede is to exercise his iudgements against al the wicked or on the otherside to proue the cōstancie of his owne people wherof Iob is an example unto us Whiche things when the Libertines here rashly and vnaduisedly breakyng out nor lookyng any further they conclude that the creatures doe nothyng else So they horribly confounde all things For they confound not onely heauen with earth but God with the Diuell And that commeth so to passe bycause they obserue not twoo exceptions muche necessarie The first is that Sathan and the wicked are not so Gods instrumentes but they also play there owne partes For wée muste not so immagine that GOD worketh so by a wicked manne as by a stone or blocke but as by a reasonable creature accordyng to the qualitie of nature which he hath gyuen hym When therefore we say that God worketh by creatures that booteth not why the wicked for there parte shoulde not worke too whiche also the Scripture dothe manifestly shewe For as it pronounceth that GOD will hysse and as it were sounde with a Trumpette that hée maye brynge out the Infidelles to battell that he will barden and inflame their hartes so it ceasseth not to shewe theyr owne counsell and of what will they are and ascribeth vnto them that worke which by Gods decrée they execute The other exception wherof these vnhappie men haue no vnderstanding is this That there is great oddes betwirt the worke of God and the worke of a wicked mā sich God vseth him but insteede of an instrument The wicked is incited to his worke with his couetousnesse or ambition or enuie or crueltie and he regardeth no other end Therefore of that roote that is of the affection of minde and ende whiche he respecteth the worke taketh his qualitie and is worthely iudged cuill But God hath altogither respect of contrary things that is to witte that he may exercise his iustice to befend the good that he may vse his grace and mercie towardes the faythfull and correct those that deserue euill Sée in what sort we must discerne betwirt God and men that hence we may beholde in the selfe worke his suffice goodnesse and iudgement thence the malice of the Diuell and Infidels but let vs take an excellent and lightsome glasse wherein we may beholde these When worde was brought to Iob of so great losse of his goods of the death of his children and of so many ●uils which vefell him he acknowledged that God did vid visits him saying the Lorde hath giuen me all these things and he hath taken them And in déede so the truth was but in the meane time did be not know that the Diuell did cause this euill vpon vnderstoode he not that the Chaldées had briuen away hys heardes and cattle did he commende those robbers and théenes or did he excuse the Diuell bicause that affliction came out from God No I trowe For he vnderstood

wrath I may therefore agrée with thée for once if I shoulde excepte that the Lord in that place doth only speake to hys elect as he who rather sheweth himselfe worthelie and of good right terrible and inexorable to the rest But least thou exclayme that I doe wrangle I confesse that the Lorde dothe vse an incredible fauoure and lenitie euen towardes the verye vassals of wrath ordeyned to destruction Whence is it that he should not destroy Cayne by and by Whence is it that he shoulde protracte the floude so many yeares Whence is it that he shoulde blesse Esau with the plentifulnesse of the earth That Ismaell shoulde growe to a greate kindred That hée shoulde suffer the Cananites and the Amalachites so long That he shoulde not take away Saule by and by but suffer hym so long to enioy the benifyte of thys life and also the renoune and benefites of the Kyngdome of Israell Finally that wée prosecute not antiquities whence is it that he so nourisheth and so fauourably susteyneth so manye wicked Turkes suche tyrannie of Antichriste and finallie thy selfe wyth so manye false Prophetes who ceasse not to seduce whomesoeuer they may from Gods truth Greate yea greate and incomprehensible is thys goodnesse of GOD towardes hys enimies whyche woulde God they coulde once acknowledge whosoeuer are electe among them and bée not knowen that they myghte at the last returne to hym who truely sheweth hymselfe fauourable and slowe to wrath euen to hys aduersaries In expoundyng the other of the same Moses or rather testimonie of the Lorde thou offendest in lyke sorte for the vse of thys Doctrine solely apperteyneth to the Churche to whome alone the lawe is properly assigned and the Gospell Preached And there bée diuers dispositions of menne and there is a twofolde nature in the very men regenerate therefore is there added threatnings with the promises that the fleshe of them and whatsoeuer is seruile may be restreyned but the spirite and whatsoeuer is frée and at libertie in these confyrmed Nor bée these threatnings onely vayne scarecrowes sayeth the Lorde eftsoones stayeth not in the wordes but sharpely correcteth euen hys owne chyldren and tameth in theyr sight the aduersaries wyth terrible wrath yet in the meane tyme I graunte that hys mercye dothe excell but I affirme it especially in his Churche But sée howe sottishe thou arte who abusest these testimonies to the ende thou mayest auoyde that eternall and secrete mysterie of the deuine decrée Why doest thou not rather abyde in the nexte causes of destruction and persist in the Apostles pathes for so should it come to passe that thou shouldest rather reuerence the louing kyndnesse of GOD towardes hys enimies then thou shouldest not yéelde hym whyche is lawfull to euery potter no man withstanding it when as yet a certayne proportion of the clay and potter may be intended and of God and things created whatsoeuer yet these be there holdeth no comparison except so much as God adopteth men vnto himselfe of mercie for that we maye ascend vnto Adam what proportion is there of the similitude and the thing it selfe yet I graunt that Gods benefites towards men be innumerable especially if they be considered in Adam but thou art wonderfully deceyued when thou déemest that therefore God hath spoyled himselfe of his deytie that it shoulde not be lawfull for him without the note of crueltie to create how many men it pleased him in whose iust condemnation for albeit hée hathe ordeyned whome he woulde to destruction yet he boweth none to death but the deseruers of it to manifest his vpright iustice and his hatred against sinne Do trées and plantes at this day conspire against the Lord as thou doest that they are deuoured of men Do all liuing creatures expostulate with God bycause they are appoynted to the slaughter and set forth to the gréedinesse of men no I trowe for so saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the creature doth sigh and grone not as though it did expostulate with God but bycause it doth frette against the enimies of God and in déede so it is for if the earth it selfe if heauen and the starres and the beginnings of all things if almost the infinite kindes of beastes fishes and soules if stones and rockes coulds speake although their estate may séeme miserable to mans reason yet would they not only not expostulate with God as fierce and cruell but they will voluntarily haue bin thankefull to him that they were accompted worthy to serue his glory but thou Sycophant art found who would accuse God of cruelty except he hadde ordeyned all to eternall life albeit thou makest not mention of all in this place yet it must be so for if there should but one be ordeyned to eternall punishment if thou mightest be iudge God shall not escape the note of crueltie For albeit he is more cruell that damneth many then that damneth one yet he therefore ceasseth not to be cruell that damneth but one by thy iudgemente who eyther wilt not or canst not discerne the iust purpose of damnation from damnation it selfe But that we may omitte all those things whyche thou sayest the people can not conceyue I saye that thou in wresting thys testimonie of Moses arte lyke to them who maruell why moe Drunkardes than Phisitians doe come to olde age and thynke not in the meane tyme that it is chance that there bée by many degrées moe Drunkards than Phisitians So albeit as thou falselie déemest God shoulde saue the issue of euery faithfull man to the thousanth degrée not one onely excepted and shoulde destroy the Infidels children onely to the fourth Generation yet for all that shoulde there bée moe that shoulde bée damned bycause there haue bin euer more in the Worlde that dyd hate GOD than dyd loue hym But thou arte both deceyued in that that thou déemest that the Lorde hath béere sette the consideration of hys nature eyther in the multitude of those that are to be saued or damned also in that that thou takest those things in suche wise as if the Lorde hadde bounde hymselfe to saue some mans posteritie to a certayne number without exception both whyche continuall experience dothe teache to bée most false What then is the Lorde vntrue no in déede but in these wordes he onely sheweth howe muche he is more frequente in well doing than béeyng kéeping and mindefull of iniuries in persecuting his aduersaries but so that finallye he doth well to them of whome he is beloued and hateth them of whome he is hated and maketh it frée to hymselfe to haue mercy on whome he wyll and whome hée will to harden as he hathe manifestly shewed and proued in effect in the historie of Helie the Priest that I may omitte Ismaell and Isaac Iacob and Esau and innumerable others Sée how wisely and to the purpose thou disputest against the truth The second sclaunder GOD hath not only predestinat Adam to damnation but to the causes of damnation