Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
grace_n	number_n	perfection_n	unsearchable_a	63	3	16.3162	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19460	A iust and temperate defence of the fiue books of ecclesiastical policie: written by M. Richard Hooker against an vncharitable letter of certain English Protestants (as they tearme themselues) crauing resolution, in some matters of doctrine, which seeme to ouerthrow the foundation of religion, and the Church amongst vs. Written by William Covel Doctor in Diuinitie, and published by authority. The contents whereof are in the page following.	Covell, William, d. 1614?	1603 (1603)	STC 5881; ESTC S120909	118,392	162

what there I receiue from him without searching or inquiring of the manner how Christ performeth his promise let disputes and questions enemies to piety abatements of true deuotion and hitherto in this case but ouer patiently heard let them take their rest Let curious and sharpe witted men beate their heads about what questions themselues will the very letter of the word of Christ giueth plaine security that these mysteries doe as nailes fasten vs to his Crosse that by them we draw out as touching efficacy force and vertue euen the blood of his wounded side that this breade hath more in it then our eies behold that this cup hallowed with solemne benediction auaileth to the endlesse life and welfare both of soule and body i● that it serueth as well for a medecine to heale our infirmities and purge our sins as for a sacrifice of thanksgiuing which touching it sanctifieth it inlightneth with beleefe it truly conformeth vs vnto the Image of Iesus Christ. What these elements are in themselues it skilleth not it is enough that to me which take them they are the body and blood of Iesus Christ his promise in witnesse hereof sufficeth his word he knoweth which way to accomplish why should any cogitation possesse the minde of a faithfull communicant but this Oh my God thou art true oh my soule thou art happy To dehort then from violence of disputing and curiosity of seeking in a matter needlesse to know being as Maister Caluin saith incomprehensible what fault can you finde in Maister Hooker Doth he not disswade from this in zeale only to draw vs to a better contemplation Can this in reason be termed any gentle construction of popishe opinions or priuily to rob the truth of our English creede of her due estimation thinke not so vncharitably of one whose principall care was in the midst of all his knowledge only to follow that truth soundly and vncorruptly which was auaileable and sufficient to saue himselfe Many itch with curiosity they are not few that doe blow contentions to make them kindle some desire to know only that they may know some others that they may be knowne he doubtles with humble sobriety both in this and in all other points to comprehend that which was most auaileable for the true direction of others and the saluation of his own soule And therefore to your obiections in this article which are neither great nor many I haue framed my answere most out of his mouth who fulliest vnderstood this cause and ought to be esteemed the best interpretor of his owne meaning ARTICLE XVIII Of Speculatiue doctrine AS wise Phisitians in the curing of some diseases neglect not that habit of the body which when the disease is cured may threaten a relapse because euils past leaue a disposition for the like to come and by returning are so much the more daungerous by how much the strength of the sick is lesse able to make resistance so fareth it with vs in the labour imployed about these articles that follow wherin if you had wel considered the serious superscription of your letter that it was for resolution in matters of doctrine those of no small moment but such as seeme it is wel you said seeme to ouerthrow the foundation of Christian religion and of the church amongst vs these articles that follow might very fitly haue bin omitted by you For though all that you obiect be far frō that mature iudgment which ought to bee in such as you desire to seeme yet these concerning speculatiue doctrine the naming of Maister Caluin Schoolemen or Maister Hookers stile how can they bee called matters of doctrine or in any construction be thought to weaken the foundation of the Church amongst vs But seeing in the former we haue done somwhat to cure that distemper the effect of too much choler which being suffered to increase might grow dangerous it is not amisse gently to apply some thing euen to these which wanting the malice of any dangerous discase yet are infallible tokens of a distempered habit Neither neede we in this to make anie other defence for the right vse of those sentences which you reprehend sauing only to set downe to the readers eye the sentence at large which you haue maimed by seuering and challenging him in those things which are incomparably excellent you haue manifestly discouered your weaknesse of vnderstanding But as in anie curious workmanship where the parts are not disiointed there appeareth the admirable effects of a skilfull hand which rudely being seuered and rashly pulled in peeces blemish the beautie of the former work and make manie things seeme in the eye of ignorance to be idle and of no vse so fareth it with those speeches which in this Article so vnseasonably are distasted by you which if any indifferent reader will but compare with the places from whence you tooke them he must needs be amazed that things set downe with so much eloquence and iudgment should be called in question by so great a weakenesse of vnderstanding The sentences by you alleaged of speculatiue doctrine as you call them are onely eight which if you had set downe at large with that coherence that hee did doubtlesse you could not haue deuised to haue done Maister Hooker a greater honour but being pretermitted by what reason I know not you haue hazarded the suspition of intolerable ignorāce And vndoubtedly this Article alone giueth full assurance that this Letter could not possibly be the act of many nor of any one that had either charitie leasure or learning in any great abundance The first Theorem so you terme them in derision not familiar to you common Christians is this Ten the number of natures perfection In which place Maister Hooker speaking of paying of tythes saith as Abrahā gaue voluntarily as Iacob vowed to giue God tithes so the law of Moses did require at the hands of al mē the self same kind of tribute the tenth of their corn wine oyle fruit cattell and whatsoeuer encrease his heauenly prouidence should send Insomuch that Painims being herein followers of their steps paid tithes also Imagine we that this was for no cause done or that there was not some speciall inducement to iudge the tenth of our worldly profits the most cōuenient for Gods portion are not all things by him created in such sort that the formes which giue their distinction are number their operations measure and their matter weight three being the mysticall number of Gods vnsearchable perfection within himselfe seuen the number whereby our perfections through grace are most ordered and ten the number of Natures perfections for the beauty of nature is order the foundation of order is number and of number ten the highest we can rise vnto without iteration of numbers vnder it could nature better acknowledge the power of the God of nature then by assigning vnto him that quantity which is the continent of all that she possesseth Now let the

the free will both being the rationall power of desiring but that the one respecteth the end and then it is called will the other respecteth the meanes and then it is called free-will So the same power of vnderstanding as it respecteth the first principles is called vnderstanding as it respecteth the conclusion which is gathered by a discourse from the principles it is called reason Now this reason concerning things doubtful hath naturally in it selfe a way to both opposites but leaneth to that for the most part wherunto either appetite ignorance or grace sway it So that though freely and without constraint it follow naturally the wisedome of the flesh yet without a supernaturall grace the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God For it is not subiect to the lawe of God neither indeed can be This being duly weighed with vnderstanding and considered of with a charitable humilitie such as the cause requireth euery man may see notwithstanding your accusation that our Church in this neither differeth from the truth nor Master Hooker at all from our Church ARTICLE VI. Of Faith and Works WHere charity hath not power enough to guide reason there malice out of ignorance is able to make conclusions against sense For the eies being blinded which naturally are to perform the best offices of seeing the colours that are discerned otherwise are litle better then the false errors of a troubled fancy For where the light is darkenes how great must that darkenes be To attaine by a supernaturall power to that felicity which is an acte of the greatest mercy as infinite numbers faile in the thing so there are not a few which vtterly mistake the meanes And whilest all that are Christians acknowledge it to be a grace eager contentions are stirred vp whether it be imputed or inherent in vs. And seeing in this acte of iustification by the consent of all man doth receiue from God what he hath the question is what vertue must be in that hand to inable weakenes to receiue such strength and how that faith must be accompanied that is able to clothe our soules with the righteousnes of anothers merit Heere we haue aduersaries whom peraduenture we mistake as they mistake vs making as in other points a misconstruction to be the ground of a great difference and the strongest opposition to arise from hence that nether part is willing to vnderstand each other Heere if we should but discouer the least meanes of reconcilement some hasty spirits would not stick to accuse vs as more then partiall and that treacherouslie we sought to betray the cause In that we purpose to set downe what truth warranteth in this behalfe it is rather to free him from suspition whom you doe accuse then that hee in that wherein you accuse him any way standeth in neede of our weake defence If man rightly value but the merit of the Sonne of God and how so humble and innocent obedience to so lowe a state must needes in iustice make a full satisfaction for so great a sin he cannot chuse but confesse that onely for the merit of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ through faith and not for works and our merits we are accounted righteous before God If the soule of man did serue only to giue him being in this life then things appertaining to this life would cōtent him as we see they doe other creatures which creatures inioying those things by which they liue they doe seeke no further but in this contentation doe shew a kinde of acknowledgement that there is no higher good which any way doth belong vnto them With man it is far otherwise for although all inferiour things were in the possession of one yet he would euer with a desire thirst for some thing aboue all those so that nature euen in this life doth claime a perfection higher and more diuine then any thing in it selfe which man must receiue in the reward now rewards doe alwaies presuppose such duties performed as are rewardable our naturall meanes vnto blessednesse are our workes nor is it possible that nature should euer finde any other way to saluation but only this Yet seeing that no man can say since the foundation of the world that his workes are pure but that all flesh is guilty of that for which God hath threatned eternally to punish there resteth either no way vnto saluation or a way which must needs be supernatural and aboue mans reach Had Adam continued in his first estate mans absolute righteousnes and integrity in all his actions had bin the way of life to him and to all his posterity though peraduenture not in so large a manner as heauenly felicity doth import the possession whereof euen the least moment were too abundant a retribution Yet now we fayling in that which was our dutie it were a thing impossible in nature to obtaine the other The light of nature is neuer able to find out any way of obtaining the reward of blisse but by performing exactly the works of righteousnes Therfore God hath prepared a supernaturall way namely that we doe beleeue not that God doth require nothing vnto happines at the hands of men as Maister Hooker sayth sauing only a naked faith for Hope Charity we may not exclude but that without faith all other things are as nothing this being the grounde of those other diuine vertues The principall obiect of faith is that eternall verity which hath discouered the treasures of hidden wisdome in Christ the highest obiect of hope is that euerlasting goodnes which in Christ doth quicken the dead the final obiect of charity is that incōprehensible beauty which shineth in the countenance of Christ the Son of the liuing God The first beginneth heere with a weake apprehension of things not seene and endeth in the beholding of God in the world to come The second beginneth heere with a trembling expectation of things far remoued and as yet but only heard of and endeth with a reall and actuall fruition of that which no toong is able to expresse The third beginneth heere with a weake inclination of hart towards him vnto whom we are not able to approch and endeth with an endles vnion the mystery wherof is higher then the reach of the thoughts of men And howsoeuer the apprehension of that righteousnesse wherby man is iustified be properly but the worke of one yet we dare not neither doe any learned in our Church make faith to be naked of other vertues and therefore it is so much the more strange that you follow the error which our aduersaries haue accused vs for as though it were an opinion holden by our Church In this article against Maister Hooker you say that God requireth no more at the hands of men vnto happinesse then a naked beleefe And a little after We claime nothing by any dutie we do or can do or any vertue which wee find in our selues but onely by