Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	faith_n	hope_v	see_v	1,650	5	4.5568	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11256	The key of David that openeth the gates to the citie of God also, of faith and repentance, and how they are wrought, and brought to passe, and whether faith be commanded in the law or not.	T. S.	1610 (1610)	STC 21520.5; ESTC S4869	26,727	88

foulely committed such loathsome abhominations against nature it selfe as are not to be named After he hath thus brought vnder the haughtinesse of the Gentils he then setteth vpon the Iewes also whom with two encounters hee vtterly ouerthroweth First because they had wickedly falsified with their corrupt interpretations and had transgressed or broken that Lawe of God which in expresse wordes was deliuered to them by the hand of Moses Secondly hee confoundeth them plainely by alleadging the testimonie of the Prophet who being ordained a King and a Prophet to them which were vnder the lawe thus he writeth vpon them in a certaine place of the Psal There is not a good one Psal 14.53 surely not one There is not that doth good not so much as one Thus at the last all workes of mortall men vvhich they made as it were their props and staies to rest themselues vpon beeing quite cast away hee draweth to an end in this manner Therefore wee conclude that a man is iustified by faith Rom. 3.28 without the works of the Lawe viz. without any workes or deeds of our owne whether they beframed according to the lawe of God written in the fleshly tables of our hearts or directed after the will of GOD engrauen once in stone or fashioned by any other writing and rule of diuine ordinances When as therefore B. did perceiue that all saluation and righteousnesse of mankinde was placed wholly in the alone grace of Iesus Christ Viz. in the free fauour of God insomuch as hee taketh pitie vpon them and loueth them in Christ Iesus And that also God setteth forth vnto mankinde one onely way one onelie meanes which indeede is faith by which as by a certaine ladder they must get vp to the attainement of this grace When hee saw that these things were so the man was presently inflamed with a passing earnest zeale thorowly to informe his hearers concerning this so diuine and wonderfull benefit or gift of faith and for that end took vpon him to vnfold this verse or sentence of the Apostle Viz. We conclude that a man is iustified by faith c. In explication whereof hee promiseth that he will obserue two things First what this so precious and excellent faith is by which the righteousnes of God is said hold vpon or apprehended Secondly touching the workes of the lawe and amongst all other points thereof that which is the chiefest of the rest whether faith is to bee reckoned amongst those things which are commanded in the lawe This large vnder-taker of so great a charge will we pursue the very same way that hee is gone And first wee will consider what faith it selfe is what bee the causes and parts thereof and after what manner it is wrought and bred in men In the next place we will discusse that point whether it bee commanded in the lawe or not But if a definition of faith bee required saith B. I suppose that worthy to bee preferred before all other which the Apostle deliuereth writing to the Hebrewes when he saith that faith is the ground of things hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene In which assertion to speake nothing of the rest I finde fault with B. for two things First and chiefely because this word faith beeing of many significations and carying diuers senses or meanings in holy scripture hee did not afore all other things distinguish that kinde or nature of faith which hee would define vnto his hearers from all the rest by which meanes surely that faith whereof our question is beeing set apart by it selfe and freed from all inconuenience of commixture with other matters would then bee kept in our open sight plaine single vnconfused and alwaies like it selfe How much better is the aduertisement Tertul. contra Marcionem of one that giueth much good aduise when it is so saith he The difficultie ariseth as well from the ambiguitie and doubtfulnesse of meaning as from the obscuritie or hiddennes of matter Then there must be first a distinction after that a definition for as the same writer saith very well The faithfull interpretation or true meaning of words and names of things doth affoord a safe and sute way rightly to vnderstand what bee their due properties The second reproofe which I cast vpon B. is because hee hath affirmed that the Apostolique writer doth in this place giue a definition of faith as if belike the man were ignorant that it is a farre other matter to make a description of a thing or to extoll it with some high commendations then it is to expresse the same by a definition For euery definition is a short and limited declaration of that thing which thou wouldest define from the nearest and most proper causes therof For if any shall say that a man is most excellent of creatures that hee is a breefe or mappe of the whole vniuersall world and that for the structure or fashioning of him the most mighty and blessed GOD did fould vp as it were in one lumpe a certaine representation and notable resemblance of all things whatsoeuer are either by our sight discerned or else be farre aboue our view and past our knowing hee that should thus speake might elegantly indeed and wisely describe a man neuerthelesse all this yeelds vs not the definition of a man nor sheweth properly what he is And after the selfe-same manner euen here our Apostlelike writer forasmuch as he was to deale with a nation that euer was enemy to true godlinesse which at all times refused the righteousnesse appointed by GOD euen the faith of Iesus Christ hee doth so much the more aduance or set forth at large the dignitie and worth of faith telling them that therein consisteth full and wholly both the promise and inheritance and what benefit soeuer a godly and blessed life requireth togither with all the substance of things eternall which by hope are to bee expected Neither could their fathers saith he haue euer pleased God by any other good parts or vertues of their owne but by this faith onely In which discourse verily hee makes a well garnished description of faith setting it out with honorable words of great commendations well beseeming the excellency therof yet doth hee not define it for if hee had done that then thou must needs bee a man very ill aduised to goe and seeke another definition thereof as thou hast done But now at length let vs come to the question of faith which wee haue taken in hand and before I doe define the nature thereof what it is lest I should fall into B. errour I will plainely shew the diuers significations of it This word faith therefore how it is taken in humane learning I will not busie my self at this time to declare But in holy scriptures it hath reference sometimes vnto God sometimes vnto men if to God then it importeth nothing else but the stedfast and vnchangeable truth of his decree and promise if vnto men