Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A06719
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Dauids harpe ful of moost delectable armony, newely strynged and set in tune by Theadore Basille
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Becon, Thomas, 1512-1567.
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1542
(1542)
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STC 1717; ESTC S110422
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64,503
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192
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ChristeÌ„ religion seyng that infidelite vn faythfulnes is the destruccion and vtter decaye therof For so long as fayth remayneth so longe doth the Christen religion continew prosper well but let faythe be exiled vnfaythfulnes once inuade the har tes of Christen men theÌ„ goeth all to hauocke as we maye se in oure fyrst parentes Adam Eua which so longe as they beleued the worde of God walked therafter prospered liued ryght wel but wha they once gaue ouer y t fel vnto incredâ—… lite beleuyng the wordes of y e crafty serpente rather then the gentle admonicioÌ„s of so bouÌ„teous a lorde they became subiecte boÌ„de thraul to all kynde of miserye wretchednes so that thorow theyr vnfaythfulnes coÌ„ioyned w t lyke disobedieÌ„ce not they them selues only fell into captiuite but also all theyr posteri te Nowe to be made free from this thrauldome to recouer the libertie whiche before we loste thorowe disobedient vnfaythfulnes y e next moost redye waye is to beleue as Dauid teachethe here or els by no menes can we come vnto God nor yet please hym For he y t coÌ„meth to godsayth s. Paule must beleue So y t if we wyll come agen to God we must beleue But what shall we beleue certes not only y e god is which thynge the dyuels also do but that he is a rewarder beneficial father to theÌ„ that seke hym as the Apostle teachethe For althoughe we were dead thorowe synne walked after the fashon of this world eueÌ„ as meÌ„ altogyther vngodly and whollye estraunged froÌ„ all goodnes yet hath God which is rytche in mercye for his great charite wherwithe he loued vs quickened made vs alyue agayne yea that thorowe Christ in whome he hath shewed the exceâ—… dynge abundance rytches of hys grace for whose sake also he is well pleased with man so that he spared not his owne soune but gaue hym euen vnto the very deathe for our sake that by that one oblacion of his moost blyssed body an omnisufficient perpetuall sacrifice for euer to endure all alone sufficiente shoulde be offred for them that are saÌ„ctified These thynges to be true the holy scriptures shew euidently Therfore yf we wyll be of God and come vnto hym we muste not only beleuâ—… y e God is but y t al these thyn ges are true shall vndoubtedlye chaunse vnto vs as God hath promysed For the true christeÌ„ fayth cleaueth faste to the worde of God only doubteth nothynge therof as S. Paule sayth fayth coÌ„methe by hearynge hearyng by y e word of God Nowe as we ware loste before by beleuynge Satans deceatfull promises so the only way to be saued is to beleue the swete coÌ„fort a ble and infallible promises of God which he hath made to vs so plente ouslye in y e moost precious bloud of his derely beloued son oâ—…re Lorde sauiour Iesu Christ. For this fayth maketh vs of the chyldren of the di uell the soÌ„nes of God as S. IohnÌ„ testifie the so many as receaued hiÌ„ he gaue theÌ„ power to be made y e son nes of God in as muche as they be letted on his name Also S. Paule ye are all y e sonnes of God bycause ye haue beleuedi Christ Iesu. Now yf by fayth we be y e sonnes of God than are we also heyres Yea verely we are y e heyres of god fellow hey res with Christ. Agayne by faythe are we maried vnto god as god hiÌ„selfe witnesseth by his Prophet say enge I wyll marye the vnto me in fayth By fayth also are we iustified made ryghteous as S. Paule sayth we brynge iustified by fayth haue peace with god thorowe oure Lorde Iesus Christ. Thus se we what an excelleÌ„t tresure this true christen fayth is howe by y â— all good thynges chauÌ„se vnto vs without y t all that euer we do must nedes come to nought worke to vs damnacion But seynge that I haue spoken muche of faythe in all my workes almooste which I haue hytherto set forth I wyll nowe cease to speake ony more of it at this preseÌ„t go forth with the residue of Dauids Harpe only addynge this one thynge that the fayth which the scripture so hyghlyauaunceth is no dead vnfruit full fayth but lyuysh myghty in operacion beyng alwaye bent and seakynge an occasion to do good whaÌ„ tyme coÌ„meth is no lesse ready to brynge forth good workes than a womaÌ„ bygge w t chylde is redy to brynge forth her chylde whan her tyme of delyuerauÌ„ce is once come as it followeth ¶ The seconde strynge And therfore haue I spoken VUe heard before that fayth is the foundacion of the ChristeÌ„ religion the mother nourse of all godly workes Which thynge to be true our Mynstrell prouethe here For after he hath made mencion of faythe he syngeth also of good workes I beleued sayth he therfore haue I spoken Here se we that the true christen fayth worketh euer by charite whiche extendeth bothe vnto god our neyghboure What was y e cause that Dauid did speke Uerely his fayth I beleued saythe he therfore haue I spokeÌ„ Faythe goeth before workes followe For fyrst he beleued al thiÌ„ges to be true which god promised hym in the holy scriptures or otherwyse as by y e mouthe of his holy Prophetes and therof afterwarde ensewed a verye earnest feruent loue toward god which made hym to loue god agen to speake those thynges wherby the glory of god was set forth the health of his neyghbour sought so y â— by this menes he shewed hymselfe perfectely faythful both before god and man And this is it that saynt Paule wryteth it is beleued wyth the harte vnto ryghteousnes but with the mouth is confession made vnto helth A christen man setting before the eyes of his mynde the vn mesurable goodnes of God toward vs thorowe his sonne Christe gyuynge earnest fayth therunto can none otherwise but loue God agen seake all meanes possible to please hym to worke his wyll to do that which he requireth of him He is re dy at al tymes to bryng forth good workes after the exaÌ„ple of Dauid as to speke the misteries of God to set forth y e glory of God to publysh his moost holy worde to brynge all men to the true knowledge of God euen to engraffe theÌ„ in the bodye of Christ. All these thiÌ„ges worketh y â— quicke lyuysh fayth in him thorowe the spirite of God For fayth wyl not suffer him to be idle but al though thorowe fayth he be deliue red out of captiuite made the soÌ„ne of God iustified alredy in the sight of God before he bryngeth forth ony outward good workes yet doth thys true christen faythe kyndle such a loue in his hart