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book_n	believe_v	scripture_n	write_v	2,819	5	5.7819	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14258	The hundred and ten considerations of Signior Iohn Valdesso treating of those things which are most profitable, most necessary, and most perfect in our Christian profession. Written in Spanish, brought out of Italy by Vergerius, and first set forth in Italian at Basil by Cœlius Secundus Curio, anno 1550. Afterward translated into French, and printed at Lions 1563. and again at Paris 1565. And now translated out of the Italian copy into English, with notes. Whereunto is added an epistle of the authors, or a preface to his divine commentary upon the Romans.; Consideraciones divinas. English	Valdés, Juan de, d. 1541.; Ferrar, Nicholas, 1592-1637.; Herbert, George, 1593-1633.	1638 (1638)	STC 24571; ESTC S119070	234,477	356

spirit then that of the Appetites Furthermore I consider that in the eyes of humane wisdome he is reprehended and defamed that is unbridledly aliue in his Appetites And he is praised and honoured that is moderate and temperate in them and hee is esteemed to be a Saint that hath altogether mortified thē And on the contrary he is esteemed and prized that keeps liuely his Affections of honour and his own particular esteem and he is esteemed vile and of no worth that is in all these things mortified Now it being true that to the eies of humane wisdome that alwaies appears great which to the eyes of the holy Spirit seems litle that alwaies appeares litle to humane wisdome which appeares great to the holy Spirit it will easily follow that humane wisdome holding the Appetites more dammageable then the Affections the holy Spirit will hold the Affections more dammageable then the Appetites Many other things might be considered to confirm this but these abundantly suffice to come to my intent which is this that that pe●…son who studies to be like unto Christ and like unto God and to comprehend the Christian perfection in which he is comprised by the incorporation whereby he stands incorporated in Christ must attend to the Mortification of his Affections and Appetites alwaies keeping strict account with them to kill them in that wherein hee shall see them aliue But principally hee ought to attend to the mortification of his Affections as well for that respect which we haue spoken of as also because in the death of the Affections the Appetites dye But the Affections doe not at all dye in the death of the Appetites nay it comes to passe that in the death of the Appetites the Affections revive For as hath been said in in the eyes of humane wisdome the mortification of the Appetites is very highly esteemed of Hereby I understand this that when any Person kills his Affections by Humane wisdome and industry despising Honour and reputation of the world he growes Vicious and Licentious for the Appetites live and grow unbridled And when another Person kills his Affections by the Holy Spirit hee doth together therewith kill his Appetites by which proofe a man may judge of many designes and motions pertaining to the despising of the world whether they be of humane spirit or from the Holy Ghost I would that in mee the Affections were altogether dead and likewise the Appetites so that neither my minde should be delighted with any thing that were not spirituall and divine nor my body should take of the things of the world more then that which sufficeth to maintaine and sustaine them in the world the time that God hath ordained that it should live here But if so be I must runne out in any thing and that some kinde of Livelinesse is to be kpet That of the Appetites would lesse displease me then that of the Affections I would say I should hold it for lesse inconvenient to see in me some Livelinesse of Appetites and to satisfy my selfe in them then to see in my selfe any Livelinesse of Affections and to satisfy my selfe and others in them Nay verily if the shame of the world and the ill example I should give to spirituall persons did not restraine me I could scarce containe my selfe sometimes from suffering my selfe to be transported to the satisfaction of my Appetites holding it for certaine that by that meanes I should sooner mortify my Affections and that my Affections dying my Appetites would also dye w●…th them I will adde this that the Affections are mortified when a man having opportunity to grow in Honour and reputation and in much credit with men will not but renounceth all And that the Appetites are mortified when a man properly may satisfie them and doth not satisfie them He that mortifies his Appetites doth kill his flesh and he that mortifies his Affections crucifieth himselfe entirely with Iesus Christ our Lord. In saying that sometimes satisfying my Appetites I should think to mortify my Affections I meane that the shame and confusion which I should deserve in having satisfied my Appetites would be a cause that I should not think to put in execution my Affections and that I should be wary from any more satisfying my Appetites as I hold for certaine many of those persons prove in themselves who attend unto the Spirit of which Persons only I speake CONSID. XXXII In what consisteth the abuse and in what consisteth the use of Jmages and of Holy Scriptures I Vnderstand it that learned men being without the Spirit doe suffer the selfe same deceit in the Holy Scriptures which unlearned men without the spirit of God doe in Images in this manner An unlearned man keepes a Crucifix of Christ in his Chamber by meanes whereof alwaies when he enters into his chamber hee remembers that which Christ suffered And finding Piety and Religion in this remembrance he puts in all other parts of his house other Images like unto that and knowing well that alwaies as he walkes up and downe his house and as he goes into the Churches and also through many parts of the City hee shall finde such like Images which will reduce unto his memory that which Christ suffered he cares not to imprint in his minde Christ Crucified contenting himselfe to see him Painted And as long as he doth not keepe him in his minde hee neither feeles nor tasts the Benefit of Christs Passion And it comes to passe that when this unlearned man is moved to demand any thing of Christ it seeming sufficient to him to behold him painted with his Bodily Eyes hee careth not to lift up his minde to behold him with Spirituall Eyes in such sort that a man may say that he doth not pray unto Christ but unto that Picture In the selfe same manner a learned man without the Spirit keepes written in Holy Scripture the things that pertaine to a Christian man that which hee ought to believe and that which he ought to doe in such sort that when ever he gets his book he understands both the one and the other And this seeming sufficient to him he imployes all his study and all his diligence in having many bookes that may declare unto him Holy Scripture not caring at all to imprint in his minde that which hee reads and that which he studies in Holy Scripture nor to forme his opinions nor his conceits in things pertaining unto Christian Piety according to that he there reads and studies And it comes to passe that being desirous to understand some secret of God and of spirituall matters applying himselfe to seeke it in Holy Scripture he doth not lift up his minde to pray God that he would shew it him and that hee would teach it him in such sort that he doth take for his aime the spirit of God but that which by his owne proper nature and his owne proper wit he learnes from that which was written by them

who had the spirit of God And if so be they suffer this deceit that handle the Scriptures which were written by the holy spirit what may wee think is the deceit of them who handle the writings that are written by humane spirit The unlearned man that hath the spirit serveth himselfe of Images as of an Alphabet of Christian Pietie forasmuch as hee so much serves himselfe of the Picture of Christ Crucified as much as serves to imprint in his mind that which Christ suffered and to tast and feele the benefit of Christ. And when hee hath imprinted him and tasteth and feeleth him hee cares no more for the Picture leaving it to so serve for an Alphabet to other beginners And when he hath Christ in his minde when he is inspired to demand any thing of Christ hee careth not to set his corporall eyes on the Picture but sets his spirituall on the impression which he keepes in his minde In like manner a learned man that hath the spirit serveth himselfe of holy Scriptures as of an Alphabet of Christian pietie wherein hee reads that which appertaines to pietie untill such time as it penetrate into his minde so that he tasteth and feeleth not by Iudgment nor by humane Wisedome but by his own proper minde in which he imprints those conceits and those opinions of God which are there written in such manner as when there comes unto him a desire to understand any secret of God first he goes to the booke of his minde first he consults with the spirit of God and afterward hee goes to prove that which he hath understood with that which he findes written in those holy books in such sort as having at first served himselfe of holy Scriptures as of an Alphabet hee afterwards leaves them to serve for the same effect to other beginners hee attending to the inward inspirations having for his proper master the spirit of God and serving himselfe of holy Scriptures as of an holy conversation and which causeth refreshment unto him altogether putting from himselfe all those writings which are written by humane spirit And so as well in the unlearned with the spirit as in the learned with the spirit as I understand it in this manner is fulfilled that which was prophecyed of the time of the Gospell where it is said they shall be all taught of God accordingly as they experiment in themselues who obtaine the spirit which is communicated by Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XXXIII In what manner through the patience and through the Consolation of the Scriptures we maintain our selves in Hope ACcording to S. Paul wee who in this life abide in the kingdome of God Maintain our selves in the hope of eternall life through patience and consolation of the Scriptures The patience consisteth in this that although the accomplishment of that which we desire seem long we doe the more fortifie our minds to hope more and more no waies departing from confidence And the consolation of Scriptures consisteth in this that reading in them the promises of God we doe anew confirm and fortify our selves in Hope there betiding unto us that which betides to one to whom a Lord promiseth by his Letters a thousand Duckets of In-comes who maintains himselfe in the Hope to haue that revenew through patience fotti●…ying his heart more and more through hope when it seemes to him that the accomplishment of the promise is delayed no waies departing from his hope comforting himselfe with the Letter of the Lord in which reading the promise he doth anew comfort himselfe in hope and anew confirm himselfe in the confidence which hee hath to obtain the revenew which is promised him I would say that like as he supporting the delay and reading the Letter conserues himselfe till the promise be made good unto him So wee on the other side bearing the delay of Christs second comming and reading the holy Scriptures confirm ou●…selves untill we come unto that eternall life which is promised us by Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XXXIV In what doth consist the benefit which men haue obtained from God by Christ. A Certain rich man hath a woman slaue vitious and ill inclined who hath her children also vitious and ill inclined as her selfe is He because they be such will not for some time keep them in his house but at another time for some other occasion hee contents himselfe to keep and maintain some of them in his house and moreover to the end they may more willingly stay with him it pleaseth him to use them as sonnes And because hee sees their evill inclination and sees that if so be he goe by the way of rigour with them it will be impossible to keep them in his house he doth not onely pardon them for being born of a vitious and ill inclined slave For for as much as concernes this point he did set his minde at quiet when he took them into his house but he likewise pardons all that which they shall doe being vitiously and villanously drawn and overcome by the evill inclination with which they were born And they by the good usage of their Lord who hath made himself a Father unto the and by the good customes that they learn being in his house goe leaving that which they inherit from their old and evill mother and goe getting that which they see in their new and good Father and in this manner they come to be heyres of the goods of their Lord who is become unto them a Father By this similitude I understand in what Christs benefit towards men doth consist The rich man is God The evill slave is humane nature depraved by the first transgression Her sonnes are all mankinde The house of God is the kingdome of God The time in which God admits men into his kingdome is the time of the Gospell The occasion is the justice of God executed on Iesus Christ our Lord For this God is content to admit into his kingdome them that come unto him and to hold them for sonnes and to use rhem as sonnes And because he knows their evill inclination sees that if he use rigour with them it will be impossible for them to keep themselves in his kingdome he pardoneth them not onely the fault of their depraved nature with which they are born which is originall sin for as much as belongs to originall sin he pardons it when hee admits them to his kingdome but also all those things which they shall doe vitiously and villanously being drawn and overcome by that evill inclination with which they were born which is proper and naturall unto them whilst they goe combating and contrasting with it Whereupon they by the favour of God who of a Lord is become unto them a Father making them sonnes of slaues and by the good customes which they learne continuing in the kingdome of God goe by litle and litle forsaking that which they hold of their old evill and vicious mother and goe

many words cannot want much vanity Next these great Writers have drawne all the Sriptures to Questions and Disputations and made as it were an Academy thereof raising such doubts in every thing as they have made the Doctrine of the Son of God and of his Apostles and our most certaine and infallible hope of Eternall life to become a matter altogether doubtfull And this which I shall now adde is not of lesse importance then the other inconveniences and that is that with their ample and infinite volumes they have withdrawn and estranged men from the study of the truly holy Scriptures and from the Contemplation of simple verity and instead of Christ's Disciples have made them mens Scholars So that we are come to that passe as more and greater credit is given to those which are termed Doctors as if so be Christ and his Apostles were not the true and Eternall Doctors and masters of the Church then to the simple Doctrine of Christ himselfe This is the benefit and the edification that the Church hath reaped from these huge volumes which our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ seeing the safety of his Church being more deare unto him then his owne life hee hath stirred and raised up some and opened their eyes to the intent that they should by litle and litle reduce his sheepe to the greene and healthfull pastures of holy Scripture and to the pure cleare and sweet Fountaines of God's Word And herein every one hath busied himselfe according to his talent that is the gift which hee hath received But to me it seemes and I hope it will doe so likewise to a●… that have a true relish of Christs Doctrine that this our Author in these divine Considerations and some other writings of his hath so well considered and propounded to all our Considerations the duties of a Christian man that there are but a few very few that can goe before him He hath not indeed writ so huge a Volume nor scribled so much paper No the Bookes which he hath written are litle and few but pure cleare and truly Divine Many have written of the vertues manners and duties of a wise and good man as Aristotle Panetius and Cicero and amongst Christians Ambrose and in our age Thomas Venatorius But none of all these hath intreated with such sublimity nor made such effectuall demonstration nor discoursed with such sweetnesse nor with such Maiesty nor with such authority nor with such grace as our Valdesso This this is that which truly deserves to be entitled the Booke of Christian duties the Booke of Christian demon●…rations and of truly divine speculations Herein is shewed the Originall the Cause the Progresse and the End of every motion of every action of every event that is done under heaven either by God or the Divell or by the godly or by the wicked man and all this from cleare certaine and unquestionable Principles of holy Scrip●…ure accompanied with so good and proper examples and similitudes and compassions and divisions and definitions that unlesse we will be too too obstinate and out of common sense we must needs come to agreement touching that which a man owes unto God to himselfe and to his Neighbour And further what the benefit of Christ is and to whom it is profitable what the infirmity and what the Power of Christ is his abasement an●… his exaltation our owne Mortification and our Vivification Election and Reprobation and a thousand other like good and profitable heads are here to be clearly learned in such manner as growing practique in this Booke you shall come to understand all things necessary to holy Scripture better then by the great and many Commentaries of many others Now for this great and heavenly treasure we are all debtors to M. Peter Paul Vergerius as the instrument of the divine Providence in causing it to be printed for the view enioyment of every one He comming from Italy and leaving his feigned Bishoprick to come unto a true Apostleshippe whereunto he was called by Christ brought with him many excellent compositions doing herein as men use to doe when their houses are on fire or their City sack'd and ruin'd every one endeavours to escape away with the best and most precious things that he hath so our Vergerius esteeming nothing more deare then the glory of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ brought away with him those things which might best serve to the illustration and enlargement thereof Hee abandoned therefore the earthly treasures and brought away with him the heavenly and divine treasures amongst which this is one of the best and most rare that can be imagined And knowing that good and excellent things become so much greater better and more praise-worthy as they become more common hee left unto me these hundred and ten Considerations that I should cause them to be put in print which I have as you see accordingly performed with as much diligence as I have known or beene able to use These Considerations as many well know were first written by the Author in the Spanish language but afterward by a certaine pious and worthy person translated into Italian Yet have they not beene able altogether to quit those forms of speech which are proper to Spain And besides there are some words though not many of the language of the Author For Iohn Valdesso was by Natiō a Spaniard of noble kindred of an honourable degree and a resplendent Chevali●…r of the Emperour but a much more honourable resplendent Chevalier of Christ. True it is he did not much follow the Court after that Christ had revealed himselfe unto him but abode in Italy spending the greatest part of his life at Naples where with the sweetnesse of his Doctrine and the sanctity of his life hee gained many Disciples unto Christ and especially among the gentlemen and Cavaliers and some Ladies he was very eminent and most praise-worthy in all kind of praise It seemed that hee was appointed by God for a Teacher and Pastor of noble and illustrious Personages Although hee was of such benignity and charity that hee accounted himselfe debtor of his Talent to every me ane and rude person and became all things to all men that he might gaine all to Christ. And not this alone but he gave light to some of the most famous Preachers of Italy which I very well know having conversed with them themselves He never had wife but lived most continently nor did he attend to ought else as much as he could then unto tru●… Mortification in which death overtaking him hee became perfectly mortified so to b●… perfectly quickned in the Resurrection of the Iust and to enioy our Lord Christ. He died in Naples about the yeare 1540. Hee hath left behinde him also certaine other good and pious Compositions which as I hope shall by Vergerius his meanes be communicated ●…nto you Goe to then Brethren and Sisters in the Love of God and in the precious blood of