Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	believe_v	eternal_a	receive_v	4,060	5	5.2212	4	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

then it signifieth either the doctrine of the Gospell it selfe or the faithfull discharge of their office that preach the same or else some speciall gift which the holy ghost vouchsafeth vnto vs Now of those gifts of the holy ghost there are but three onely which are intituled by the name of faith For sometimes the knowledge of that great mysterie which the holy ghost reuealeth and the certaine vnderstanding of the truth of GOD is called faith which may fitly be named either historicall Faith or the faith of knowledge Now for this Faith although al the Saints haue it in some measure yet is it not peculiar to them alone for vsually many wicked and filthy doe excell in this yea euen Satan himselfe doth goe farre beyond all others in this kind of Faith For hee beleeueth that God is the creatour of the world that hee is Lord ouer all and acknowledgeth himselfe vnder his dominion And that God made all things by his word as it is written Gen. 1.3 Psal 33.9 He spake the word and they were made he beleeueth this word to be that which is both called the Son of God and is so indeed by whom and for whom all things were made begotten before all time the immortall and wise God alwaies blessed for euer and euer Who after diuers maners appeared to the fathers and spake by the Prophets Hee beleeueth that the same Word in fulnesse of time came downe into the Virgin by the power of the holy ghost was made flesh and of her was born that annointed Sauiour thence-forth called Iesus Christ that the same wrought great miracles preached that hidden mystery of the will of GOD which beeing at that time almost buried in obliuion was long before foretold by the Prophets and hee likewise sealed and confirmed it by his Apostles Hee beleeueth furthermore that the same Word or sonne of GOD Christ Iesus after all this was nailed to the crosse dead and buried according to the Scriptures the third day rose to life againe and was taken vp into heauen sitteth there at the right hand of the Father which hath put all things vnder bis feete Because hee alone is worthy Hee is also most vndoubtedly perswaded that the Lord Iesus Christ did for supplying his own place send down from heau en the powerfull efficacie of his holy spirit to guide and gouerne his Church which past question is nothing else but the company and societie of his holy ones in all places here and there scattered ouer the whole world And hee beleeueth that this companie of Gods owne people is sanctified by the lauer of repentance and the word of faith to bee an holy nation for euer to the Lord himselfe Hee beleeueth moreouer that the same Lord Iesus shall at the last day come in the clouds with greatest power and shall then take vp the Saints to receiue reward of eternall life and to enioy the promises of heauen But as for the vngodly and wicked his comming shall bee to condemne them vnto euerlasting fire yet both sorts shall in that day receiue their fleshly bodies with restauration whereof they shall from the first death returne againe And with thus much faith the very skirmigers of Satan Bribers promoters hypocrites witches heretickes reprobates couetous persons whoremongers and filthy fellows of which kinde of beleeuers at this day the whole world is full betwixt whom and Infidels this is all the difference the one by not beleeuing like wretches as they are doe come vnto perdition the other by beleeuing in such wofull manner as they doe bring themselues to most damnable destruction This kinde of faith if any one would define he may well expresse his minde in saying that it is nothing else but a sure knowledge and a setled assent of the minde by which any man most vndoubtedly beleeueth such things to bee reuealed for the saluation of mankind Secondly that gift of the holy ghost by which any one causeth great admiration to be amongst the people at his great signes and wonders is very often in holy writ called by the name of faith which not vnfitly wee may call miraculous faith But this faith neither haue all the sanctified nor they onely For Iohn wrought no miracles although on the contrarie Iudas did excel therin And with this faith are sometimes notably indued and made famous those witches deceiuers and Iuglers which Rome that head of abominations both calleth Saints and worshippeth them also with altar praiers and Images of whom our Sauiour hath foretold saying And they shall doe great wonders Math. 24. works of great power so that they would deceiue if it were possible the very elect And this kinde of faith may one sitly define in this manner namely that it is a certaine vndoubted confidence whereby one beleeueth that God will by him doe this or that miracle Thirdly that the gift of the holy ghost which any one receiues to eternall life is called by the name of Faith and that most often of all the rest which very same the scripture calleth the Faith of God The faith of the son of God The faith of Abraham The faith of Iesus The faith of Christ and the faith of Iesus Christ The professors of diuinitie haue significantly named it Iustifying Faith Now for this kinde of Faith both all the Saints and they onely haue it for this kinde of faith cannot befall any but such as are sanctified This faith if wee will wee may fitly define in this manner Namely that it is a certaine full and firme confidence engrauen by the power of the holy Ghost in the heart of such a one as is penitent whereby hee assuredly beleeueth that all his sinnes are remitted and that hee is reconciled and made one with God in an euerlasting loue through Christ Iesus See now B. this is the Faith which sanctifieth him that hath it and of one miserable maketh him Blessed as it is written Psal 32.1 Belssed is the man whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose God is the Lord Iehouah Behold B. this is the Faith which Iustifieth the wicked and by which the Iustified liueth as it is written The iust shall liue by Faith Abac. 2.4 This is that faith which ouercommeth which excelleth and which the diuine writer to the Heb. setteth forth with such ornament and inuironeth on euery side with such a multitude of praises this is the faith vvhose worth and fairenesse so cleerely shineth throughout the scripture that as it is to bee wondred how euer it could be so grossely darkned by the vnskilfulnesse of some wise diuines of this our age so much more maruellous is it that the ignorance of such a great benefit especially in this cleare light of all things should not hitherto by Gods most righteous iudgement be seuerely punished And this is that faith concerning which is all the controuersie this day betwixt me and B. which also the Apostle commendeth to the Romans in these words

whole confidence and hope of saluation in me Here therefore saith he is faith commanded As if B. these pronounes Mine Thine are notes alwaies and necessarily of a fatherly power and not rather of Lordship and superioritie What authoritie is this Or what are you haue you power ouer words that thus make and marre them at your pleasure But you say Not I only but many learned men before mee Melanct. Martyr and other As if it skilled whether you of your owne accord and of your selfe erred or following other suffer your selfe to bee seduced euen as cattle goe headlong after the flocks of cattle going before them The 2. reason of B. is thus framed All pietie towards God is commanded in the Decalogu but in faith onely all pietie is conteined therefore faith only is commanded in the lawe Here this Proteus doth delude vs by ambiguitie for if by all pietie towards God hee ineane all those duties of godlinesse which respect the perfect righteousnesse of the lawe viz the righteousnesse of workes then his proposition is true and agreeing to the maiestie of the Lawe but his assumption is manifestly false for faith neither conteines nor performes that spirituall obedience of the lawe viz. the righteousnesse of workes for it cannot it onely laies hold vpon the righteousnesse of God viz. the grace of Iesus Christ Wherby it no lesse attaines the inheritance then if hee had performed the spirituall righteousnesse of the law But if by all pietie towards GOD hee vnderstand all those duties of pietie which the faithfull their nature being now sold vnder sinne doe performe from faith and that no other obedience is required in the lawe besides this of faith if this hee hold I say then his proposition is erroneous no lesse opposite to the maiestie of the lawe then is the furthest part of the East to the vttermost corner of the West for the decalogu requireth that piety of the faithfull which none of them can fulfill neither doth it by the righteous sentence thereof condemne that righteous man that falleth 7. times a day lesse then any wicked one that neuer beleeued for the lawe is deliuered to the delinquent and transgressor not to this or that particular but to all of what mould so euer thou art made that sinnest of what stock vertue pietie saith in what fauour with God it passeth not if thou fault neuer so little it adiudgeth thee to death for the lawe of the decalogue is a spirituall lawe contrariwise euery one euen the most holy is sold vnder sin and so that if God had not found out another lawe of grace and promise by which hee might freelie giue the inheritance to holy Abraham and his seede then blessed Isaak should aswel haue been dishinherited as abiect Ismael and Iacob beloued had perished with Esau that was hated What then wil some say is God vniust that hath giuen such a law to men as none can performe God forbid What is God vnrighteous because thou art wicked made hee not thee holy and graced thee with that perfection that thou mightest easily if thou wouldest performe those things which the lawe commandeth contrariwise thou wittingly and wilfully casts thy selfe headlong into such a forlorne estate as that novv thou art vtterly vnable to pay the debt I will somewhat asswage the sadnesse of this argument by the lenitie of a similitude A certaine master committed to two of his seruants 1000. peeces of siluer vpon a bill at a certaine day in the meane space the seruants through idlenesse aboūding in riot excesse wasted al The day comes the master calls one of them sheweth the bill requires the siluer The seruant on the other side confesseth the bill of his hand but saith that all the money is spent and accuseth his master of vnmercifulnesse and cruelty because hee doth so hardly exact a 1000. peeces of siluer of a poore miserable man that hath not one penny to pay To whom his master wondering at the shamelesse boldnesse of the man answeres Aske I thee any thing but mine owne may I not by right require of thee that which freely and of my owne bounty I put into thy hands am I vnrighteous because thou art riotous or am I cruell because thou art prodigall So his master angerly bids that hee be carried to prison there to bee punished and takes a great oath he shall not come from thence till hee haue paide the vttermost farthing Also hee cals for his fellow with whom after the same manner hee deales by his bill But hee beeing priuie to his riot and prodigalitie quakes euery ioint and hanging down his head saith I acknowledge the bill indeed and confesse all the debt to bee due But my sinne hath brought mee to that extremitie of misery that I am not able to discharge it ô master haue pitie on mee saith hee and weeping falleth at his feete This was the controuersie This also is the issue of it Now B. bee Iudge your selfe for this Lord and master dreadeth not to commit his matter to any vmpire Nay I thinke there can scarce any debtor bee found so impudent and past shame that durst speake in this manner against any couetous base lawe-breaking vsurer as that wicked minded debtor and desperat spend-thrift spoke against his master But B. goeth on God saith hee would first of all haue his people beleeue in him which is the principall part of religion Therefore it followes that hee commanded them faith in his most perfect law ô poore blind cōscience as if forsooth hee had not from the beginning giuen another law viz of promise and life no lesse perfect then this most perfect law of the Decalogue whereby he commanded his people to beleeue place all their affiance in him Here then by the doubtfull termes of the lawe hee deludes both himselfe and others for God in this Decalogue hath inioined that righteousnesse to vs alone which the worthinesse of the worker obtaineth as it is writtē The man that doth these things shal liue in them But by the lawe of grace he hath first twice thrice yea alwaies commended to vs that righteousnesse which is onely obtained by the faith of the beleeuers as it is written Hee that beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed But B. still proceedes to speake perplexedly If saith hee God haue not commanded faith in the law why hath hee commanded other things which without faith are vaine friuolous I would know B. what you meane by this word Other things meane you the ceremonies Thē master Doctor you dispute not the point for the controuersie is not of the ceremoniall but of the moral law for we know and euery one doth thinke except I bee deceiued that the law is Synec vsed for the ceremonies that was our schoolmaster to Christ and that howsoeuer it set not out Christ in expresse tearmes yet in obscurer sort it shadowed him out But if by that word Other things you vnderstand the duties