Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	call_v	ghost_n	holy_a	2,960	5	5.1813	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68595	A briefe and piththie summe of the Christian faith made in forme of a confession, vvith a confutation of all such superstitious errours, as are contrary therevnto. Made by Theodore de Beza. Translated out of Frenche by R.F.; Confessio Christianae fidei. English	Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605.; Fills, Robert, fl. 1562.	1565 (1565)	STC 2007; ESTC S101755	149,544	418

temporall and Spirituall as is declared in the symmilitude of the Talentes as also in this celestyall kingdome accordinge to his good pleasure not because it is dewe to our workes as though wee deserued them but by his pure grace and mercie onelie according as God sayde in his Lawe p not that he wyll paye theyr merites as dewe to those whiche loue him and keepe his commaundementes but that he wyll shewe mercie to them Fowrthlie good workes be certaine testimonies of our Faith and also doo assure of our eternall Election for fayth is necessarilie ioyned to Election Nowe that this is so muche more necessarie as the worlde maketh lesse accoumpt of it supposing that the doctrine of election were a certaine curious and incomprehensible thing which is contrarie Fayth is no other thing but an assuraunce whiche wee haue that the promyses of eternall lyfe appertayneth vnto vs because we were predestined and elected therevnto Wherefore all that is spoken of fayth and of the fruytes of faythe is spoken in vayne and vnprofytable excepte wee Ioyne this poynct of election as the onely staye and foundation of all that is aforesayde Nowe when Sathan putteth vs in doubte of oure election wee maye not search first the resolution in the eternal counsel of god whose maiesty we cannot comprehende but on the contrarye wée must begin at the sanctification whiche we fele in our selues to ascende vp more hier for asmuch as our sanctification frō whence procéedeth good works is a certaine effect of the faith or rather of Iesus Christe welling in vs by faith And whosoeuer is vnited to Iesus Christe is necessarilie called and elected of God to saluation in such wise as he shall neuer be reiected nor forsakē So it appeareth that the sanctifycation with the fruites therof be as y ● fyrst step or degrée wherby we begin to ascende vp to the fyrst true cause of our saluation to wéete of our frée eternall electiō For whosoeuer saith that he beleueth notwithstanding gouerneth not his life by the spirit of God declareth wel that he is a lyar deceiueth himself For this cause Saint Peter admonished vs to make our vocation Election sure by good workes Not that they be the cause or y ● foundation of our vocation Election For S. Paule declareth plainly the contrarie But for asmuch as good works bring a certaine testimony to our conscience that Iesu Christ dwelleth in vs consequently we cannot perishe beinge elected to saluation 20. Remedies against the last and most daungerous temptation vvhiche is ▪ vvhether vve be saued or not HEre resteth yet the last and moste daungerous temptations of all Sometime it hapneth that Iesus Christ deferreth to call some of his elected vntyl y ● last howre of their life so y e it séemeth y ● they be not very well furnished with these vertues wherof we haue spoken neither did euer féele them for that y e cause was not as yet working in them and the cause must goe before the effect And also sometimes the perfectest and most holyest persons fall into this extremitie sorrowing and lamenting for that they feele not these good mocions but séemeth that it is vtterly quenched in them and then Sathan bringeth in these doubtes that where as before they thought they had faith but was not but a shadow or vain appearāce of faith Or elles that whereas they beleued before nowe by theyr owne fault the gift is taken from them Nowe wee muste take heede to resist thys temptatyon as most daungerous of all Concerning those whiche feele theyr vocatiō to be long ere it come to thē yet their assurance is neuerthelesse grounded and established vppon some of these articles and effects aforesaid And as for their interior testimonie of cōscience of tentymes it worketh more lyuelye then in some of those which are called muche sooner as the experience is well declared in the poore théefe that was hanged by Christe And concerning the workes of regeneration it is to be vnderstande that the gretest and most eccellent workes whiche the holye ghoste worketh in vs is the hate of synne the loue of God the assuraunce of our saluation in Iesus Christe and the inuocation of hys name Wherefore he that feeleth these mocions in hym selfe although it bée not vntyll the houre of death hathe a certayne testimonie of hys true faythe ▪ and consequently of his election and saluation And for those whiche féele those good mocions quenched in them sorowing and lamentyng as it happeneth sometimes to the holiest most perfectest persons Let them consyder these pointes folowyng to ouercome suche temptations First for as much as the two operations and effectes aforesayde bee as the two Ankers to holde vs fast and when one fayleth to sticke the more surer to the other vntyll wee haue gotton strength on bothe sydes againe As when Dauid and Sainct Peter fell so beastly yet there is no doubt but they lamented and sorrowed vntyll they felt the workyng of theyr regeneration and sanctification But béeyng in theyr temptation they stayed them selues vpon the Anker of the testymonye which the spirite of God broughte into their conscyence whyche caused them not to doubte not withstandynge theyr fall but that they were the children of God and that theyr fault was forgeuen them Secondly although both these operations and effectes bee verye féeble and weake yet ther is no cause to be discouraged For it is not required of vs for to beleue fullye and perfecttlye but to beleue onelye in suche wise as if one lytle sparke of fayth and so folowyng one lytle mocion of the workyng of it so that it be true and vnfaynedly that is to saye comminge from the true roote of fayth bee sufficient to assure vs of oure saluation The reason is for that oure saluation is not onely stayed vpon oure fayth although without faythe none can be saued but vpon hym whome we apprehende by fayth that is to saye Iesus Christ And fayth is of suche vertue that accordinge to the promise of God one lytle sparke thereof how lytle so euer it bee doth apprehende Iesus Christ fully and perfectlye Yet not withstandyng the greater our fayth is the greater power it hath to ioyne vs nearer nearer and to graffe vs déeper in Iesus Christe And wee ought to be displeased and to lament when in steede of goinge forewarde we recoyle and slyde backwarde and yet the Diuell hath not wonne his processe Although we slyde backe so that our slyding bring vs to steppe vp againe and go the better forwarde Thyrdlie when we be so lamenting and troubled for the feelynge of our neclygence and synnes let vs séeke to the lyke examples of the Saintes which were as deepe in as wée or rather deeper yet neuerthelesse they ceased not to pray with assurance to be hard because they were the chyldren of God howe great and beastly sinnes soeuer they

subdeweth by lytle and lytle this cursed corruption of oure nature so that it becommeth vnhable to bryng foorth her effectes in vs which bée moouynges prouocations consentynges and other actions contrary to the wyll of God The burying of the ● olde man is lykewyse the woorke of Iesus Christe by whose force thys olde man whiche receyued the stroke of death doeth continually by lytle and lytle diminishe and weare awaye And briefelye as the burying or sepulture of our bodyes is a proceedyng after death so is the sepulture of the olde man a proceedyng after the death thereof wherevnto the afflictions wherewith GOD doth dayly visite i vs are a great helpe with spyrituall and godlye exercises whiche we ought continuallie to labour in for to subdue and kyll continuallye this rebellion k which is called fleshe in the Scripture that stryueth continually against the spirite Finally ● the fyrst death to the faythfull is but the fynishing of this mortification and burying of synne making an ende of the whole battayle m. The resurrection of the newe man is a worke of the same Iesus Christe lyuing and raygning in vs whiche in kyllinge our corrupte nature geueth vs incontynent newe force and strengthe makyng it newe concernyng the quallitie thereof so that our vnderstanding and iudgement is lyghtened by the pure grace of the holye ghost and gouerned by the power which we haue of Iesus Christe begynneth to approue and esteeme those thinges which before were counted holye and abhomination And also for the seconde parte the wyll is cleansed and purified to hate fynne and desyreth righteousnesse Finallye all the powers in man begynne to flye and eschewe those thinges whiche God forbyddeth ▪ and to followe that whiche hée commaundeth Beholde nowe both these effectes which if we feele working in vs the conclusion is infallible that we haue faith and consequently Iesus Christ in vs vnto eternal life as is aforesayde Wherevpon it appeareth that all faythfull ought most chiefely to haue a respect to this and to hold fast this precious iewell which is y ● testimony of the spirite of God which he geueth to his elect by continuall inuocation and prayer to him and to make their profite by continuall exercising of good workes according to their vocation and the gift of regeneration which they haue receyued In which sence it is sayd he that is borne of God synneth not that is to say geueth not ouer him selfe to sinne but resisteth it more more the better to assure them selues of their election and vocation for asmuch as to knowe certainely this generation wée must come to the fruites therof For as I sayde before man being made frée from sinne that is to saye from his naturall corruption by the vertue of Iesus Christe dwelling in him beginneth to doo those thynges whiche we call good workes Wherfore we say as the trueth is that this fayth which we speake of can bee no more without good workes then shining Sunne without lyght nor the fyre without heate 14 Those do slaunder vs falsely which saye that we disalowe good works THey that do saye that we disalowe good workes because we saye that we be iustified by Iesus Christ only apprehended by onely faith do plainly and falsely slander vs. But we confesse that to geue God all the glorie and confirme our selues to his holye worde ▪ we differ from them in the matter of good works in three principall poyntes For in the rest● it is so farre from vs to saye that Christians ought not to do good works ▪ and abstaine from euyll that contrarywise we say that he lyeth falsely which calleth him selfe a Christian and doeth not studie to esche we the euyll and doo good But this is it wherein lyeth our difference of this matter 15 The first difference in the matter of good workes is which be good and which be euyll FIrst in the distinction of good workes and euil works before God we do content our selues with the onely wyll of God and take that for a most certayne rule of those thynges whiche pleaseth or displeaseth him and so consequently that which is good or euil neither desyre we concerning this poyncte any better wytnesse of the wyll of God then his holy lawe a to the whiche it is not lawfull to adde or diminishe b any thing Wherefore we hold not those for good woorkes whiche be not stayed but vpon the fantasies of men what soeuer they bee and we saye c moreouer that it suffiseth not onely to haue the worde of God expresly to commaund to do or not to do things but we must also in doyng the workes haue a respect to gods wyll and being assured therby to go forward in good workes for otherwise nothing can be acceptable to God d For as saint Paul saith y ● which is don without faith that is to saye all y ● is done ● in doubt of conscience whether it please God or not and so consequently whether God commaunded it or not is but sinne 16 vvhich be the most excellent works the qualities of true praier according to the vvord of God and the authoritie of the auncient doctours of the Church PRoceding as we haue said before y ● as the lawe whiche wée call the ten commaundementes is deuided in two tables y ● one comprehending those thinges whiche we owe to God and the other that we owe to our neighbours so lykewyse there are two sortes of good workes the one concerning the seruice and loue of God the other to our neighbours The first doth excell the seconde euen asmuch as God doth excel any creature But amongst all the fruites that fayth bringeth foorth vniuersallye in all Christians we thinke that y ● inuocation of y ● name of God by Iesus Christ is the chiefe which we cal praier and is to god most acceptable Whether it be that we desire any thing of him or that wée render thanks to him But we desire in our prayer these which followeth First y ● our prayers procéede from such a spirite y ● trusteth assuredly to be heard as far foorth as shalbe expedient for vs. For s Iames sayth a we must aske with assurance without doubting for he that doubteth is lyke to the foo●e of the sea tossed and throwen of euerie winde Let not suche a man thinke to receyue anye thing of y ● Lord. Thus farre S. Iames. Then foloweth the seconde poynte ▪ that is to say y ● all prayer which is not ruled according to the word of god is nothing woorth considering y ● those praiers that be made without fayth are but sinne wher there is no word of God there can be no fayth but onely a foolysh vaine opinion as we haue saide here before in the. vi article That praier thē which is made in an vnknown language to him that praieth is a very mocking of

of our sinnes which is the first step or degrée to saluation as in the sicknesse of the bodye it is needefull aboue all thynges for the recouering of health to knowe that we be sicke and howe greeuous our sicknesse is and what maner of sicknesse it is The seconde effect or worke of the holy ghost is vtterly contrary to this aforesayde For it afflyeteth vs because it declareth to vs our damnation by the law and how the hels be open to deuoure vs. But this agayne doth comfort vs when the certayne and onelye remedy of saluation is applyed to our conscience which is declared vnto vs by the other parte of the scripture which is called the Gospell that is to saye the happy and blessed message of saluation fréely in Iesus Christe as wee haue declared here before in order at large Now this remedy is applyed by a double effect and working of the holy Ghost For first the holy Ghost disposeth our intellygence to the vnderstandyng of the doctrine of the Gospell which otherwyse séemeth to the worlde verye foolyshnesse and so incontinently after it maketh our spirite beléeue that this doctrine of saluation freely in Iesus Christe is not onelye true for the Diuels know also that this doctrine is most true and yet therfore be not saued but also that it appertayneth to vs and thys is it that is called fayth the which is so highly commended in the scripture which is to be vnderstand whē any man doth perswade himself certaynly that saluation eternall lyfe doth properly and partycularly appertaine to him selfe because Iesus Christe is declared to vs in his word vnder thys condition that we doo taste of him and apply him to our selues by fayth It followeth then that fayth is the only instrumēt by the which as by ones hand saluation may be felt and taken in Iesus Christ And therefore S. Paule sayd that we be iustyfied by fayth onely and also do lyue by it only not that fayth is our righteousnes and life but because that by onely fayth we embrace Iesus Christ and be certayne that he is our ryghteousnesse and lyfe For when any man beléeueth that hee is appoynted and ordained to saluation and eternal lyfe in Iesus Christ incontinent he is made partaker of all the benefites of Iesus Christ to eternall lyfe for Iesus Chryst is offered to vs vpon this condition The thyrd effect and worke of the holy ghost is fixed and set on our harts on this maner that as he doth vnite and knyt vs into Iesus Christ as is sayde before and that Iesus Christ can not be ydle within vs it is necessary that the same holy gost which engendreth fayth in vs as is sayd do sanctifie our hartes that is to say doo consecrate vs to God Now this sanctyfication hath two partes that is to saye the abolishing of this corrupt nature and qualytie which before caused the lawe of God to dysplease vs and the creation of the new nature or qualytie maketh vs to beginne to wyll and to do cheerefully and couragiouslye those thynges whiche wee know do please God Nowe this abolyshing is first begun in the vnderstāding by the which the darknes is lightened in such wise that we begyn to know and approue that which we dyd thinke before was foolyshnesse Then after in the wyll which is consecrated to God in such wyse that it hateth sinne not for the payne but for the loue of God and loueth ryghteousnesse not because of rewarde but because that righteousnesse of it selfe pleaseth God so that if there were not yet death appointed and prepared for sinners or eternal life appointed and prepared for those which study to do ryghteousnes yet had hée rather for the loue of God to folow righteousnes that is to say to serue God holyly to loue his neyghbour as his lawe commaundeth and to endure and suffer all maner of paine for his names sake then to serue the Diuell and his couetousnes Wherefore to the ende that I may gather all sumarily together howe onely in Iesus Christ we find all that is necessary to saluation lykewyse onely by the holy Ghost we aply Iesus Christ to our selues by fayth But because this fayth in the beginning is very small in vs it is necessary that it be increased in vs dayly wherefore now we must declare by what entertainment or meanes it is nooryshed for to encrease more and more in vs. Fyrst as it is created in vs by the holy Ghost thorowe the meanes of the woorde of God ▪ which is sowen in our harts and for that cause is compared to séede So lykewyse it is noorished and encreased by the same word when wée heare it dilligentlye and truly preached in the Church of God and also when we reade it in our houses and thinke vpon it diligently meditate in it day and nyght forsaking all humane and worldly affections which mought turne vs from God and holde vs in worldlynesse Therfore Dauid sayd he was happy who not the ritch not Kings or princes or Marchauntes or any other Cittizens of this worlde but he that thynketh continually and meditateth diligently in the doctrine of God Therefore they be called straungers in this worlde wandring and marching toward the celestiall countrey Secondly we must knowe that God aydeth and helpeth oure debylyte and weakenesse in such sorte that not being content to declare vnto vs by his woorde with what loue he loueth vs in his sonne Iesus Christ but would also ioyne to his word certain outward marks or sygnes to the which also he added certayne ceremonies or maner of doings representing by a certayne manner to our eyes and geuing into our handes his sonne Iesus Christ with all his goodnes and vertues of the which we haue before spoken to the ende that our faith being ayded supported by these helpes shoulde bée more and more confyrmed in vs to drawe vs nerer to Iesus Christ Now these marks be called in Gréeke mysteries that is to saye secreetes because that God doth signifie and represent to vs by them thinges whiche be verye secreete in déede because man shoulde neuer doubt in them that is to say Iesus Christ with all his vertues and goodnes vnto eternall life But in latine they be called Sacramentes because of an other manner of vse of them of the which we shall speake hereafter Now there is in the Church of Christe but only two sacraments that is to saye Baptisme and the Lords supper because that after the abolishinge of the Ceremonies of the law and that the sonne of rightousnes is sproong vp God woulde not againe wrap vs in a multitude of figures and shadowes but onelye hath ordayned two Sacramentes and wylled that they should be composed made of most simple things that is of water bread and wine and that they shoulde be celebrated with most symple Ceremonies that is with sprinkling of water in eating of bread drinking of Wine least that man which of