Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	world_n	writer_n	writing_n	46	3	8.2018	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12622	An epistle of comfort to the reuerend priestes, & to the honorable, worshipful, & other of the laye sort restrayned in durance for the Catholicke fayth.	Southwell, Robert, Saint, 1561?-1595.	1587 (1587)	STC 22946; ESTC S111067	171,774	436

the Pope fayth of Rome haue bene by the Arrian Emperours banished and put to death Did not S. Alban dye for receiuing a Clergye man and S. Thomas of Canterburye for defendinge the libertye of the Churche agaynst vsurped authoritye Were not diuerse put to death in Coproninus tyme for defendinge Images finallye how manye monckes heremites and religious men whom our aduersaryes disclayme from their religion how many I saye haue ben martired for their faith as Palladius and S. Damascen write Nether doe I recken these in perticuler to exclude all the other Martirs for dout lesse as by their historyes is apparent in all persecutions none died Martirs but of our fayth But I cite these perticulers to shew that those generally in former ages haue ben accoūted as Martirs that haue suffered for these selfe same poyntes for the which we are now chieflye persecuted So that it sufficiently appeareth that both all the generall persecutions haue ben raysed agaynst our churche and that not withstanding all their crueltye it yett endureth and shall to the worldes end But now on the other syde two hundred archheretickes brochers of new sectes that haue ben since Christes tyme though they haue for a season florished and preueyled hauinge Emperours Bishopes and Potentates to defende them infinite bookes and writings to diuulge their doctrine and all temporall aydes to sett them forwarde Yet we see that their memory is quite abolished their names cōmonlye vnknowen theire bookes perished and no more mention of them thē the condemnation and disproofe of their errours recorded by Catholicke writers The same doubtlesse wil be the end of Luthers noueltyes which being but parcels of their corruptions reuiued and raked out of obliuion as heretofore they vanished with their prime deuisers so will they now with their late reuiuers And we see this almost euen alreadye verified seeing that amonge so manye of Luthers progenye ther are founde scarce anye and peraduenture none at all that dare aduouche or take vppon him the patronage of all his articles Yea and his schollers are alredy so straungelye sondred into most contrarious and diuers sectes that it is a most manifest token and proofe that God is not the author of theire opinions seing he is only the God of peace and not of dissentiō For Lindanus long since in his Dialogue named Dubitantius reckeneth vpp threescore eyghtene diuerse sectes sprong all since Luthers first preachinge and with those that are of later grouth they are now well nere a hundred all different from others in essentiall poyntes of faythe as in moste of them Prateolus sheweth Which doubtlesse is the prouidence of almightye God in this as it hath bene in all other heresies of former dayes that the vnconstancye varietye and sodeyne chaunge the dissention of doctrine and diuision of schollers both from theire maisters and among them selues should be a manifest argument that their assertions proceeded of the spirite of error were maynteyned with the spiritt of pryde and obstinacye and should be quicklye ended by the spiritt of discord contradiction This doth Ireneus obserue of Simon Magus and of Valentinus S. Augustine of the Donatistes Maniches Epiphan of the Marcionites Montanistes Ruffinus Hillarius of the Arrians and Euagrius of the Eutichians who were scarce so soone sprong as they were spread into most cōtrarious branches or as S. Austine speaketh in minutissima frusta into very small māmocks For why when they once swarue from the compasse of the Catholicke Churches censure onlye allowing and interpreting the scripture in the sense that their single spiritt susgesteth as they be of diuerse fancyes and humours so fall they into diuerse and sondrye perswasions and then not yeldinge to anye vmpiershipp but their owne they are past all meanes and possibillity of agrement Wherevppon Origines expoundinge the signification of that acte of Sampson when he bound three hundred foxes by the tayles tyed fyer in the middest and sente them to burne his enemies corne so sayeth he must the true Catholike Doctor take the repugnant opinions and contradictons of heretickes and by conferring them together deduce therby a conclusiō against them which maye serue as fyer to burne vpp their owne frutes And in deed there is nothing of more force to shew their madnesse thē this presumptiō vpon their selfe arbitrement which is the cause of all their discord For as S. Chrisostome noteth As we would iudge one madd that seinge the smithe take a red hott iron with his tongues would aduenture to take the same in his bare fingers so maye we deeme both of the Philosophers that went about to compasse our faith in their bare reason of the heretickes of our tyme that aduenture vppon the creditt of their single spirits to decyde all controuersies and interprete Gods worde which the cunningest smithes of all antiquitye durst neuer handle but by the tongues of the Catholike Churches censure And therfore as one takinge the Kinges image sett forth with exquisite conning and with most choyce precious stones by a rare workman should change it from mans shape and the seemelye fashion that it had to the likenesse of a fox or dogge vsing still the same mettall and the same pretious iewels though rudelye and groslye disposed and shoulde then vaunt that this were the Kinges true portrature so artificially wrought by the first worker deluding the ignorant with the beautye and glisteringe of the pretious stones so doe the heretickes sayeth Ireneus that changinge the fayth of Gods Church into the fables of their owne phansie seeke to set forth their follyes with the authorityes and sayinges of Gods worde applyed and wrested by their peruerse spirittes agaynst the true meaning so the easier to blynde the simple And as the Pirates vse in the darcke nighte to sett lightes in the shallow places and hidden rockes that the shippes by that directinge their course and thinckinge to fynde some sure hauen may be thus guilfullye drawne to their owne ruine so the Deuill sayeth Origines setting the light of the scripture and counterfaite pietye vppon the rockes of heresyes allure the simple passengers of this lyfe to their owne perdition vnder colour of truth And therfore are we warned not to beleue euerye spiritt whereuppon Catholickes the better to auoyde this variance presumption and malicious fraud of heretickes alwayes standing to the verdict of the Church and her chiefe Pastour to whom God hath promised the vnfallible assistance of his spirite haue euermore defended with one accorde one onlye fayth agreable to it selfe in all tymes places and persons which is the selfe same which we now suffer persecutiō for Wherof we cal all auncient writers to witnesse who by their bookes many by their bloode haue before vs laboured in the same quarell confirmed the same faith though assaulted by other kynde of enemyes But if comparison with sayntes be not presumption this for our greater comforte

pedibus eius nouissima eius amara quasi ab sinthium Her filth is in her feete and the last of her pleasures are as bitter wormewoode Seeing therfore that all our troubles penaltyes restrayntes afflictions be but meanes to remember vs of our place state daungers and profession and but seedes of comforte and eternall glorye howsoeuer they seeme here couered and corrupted in earth Lett vs solace our selues in hope of our ioyfull haruest We are but pilgrimes and haue no citye of aboade but seeke a future place of rest If the waye had bene besett with pleasures with true delyghtes with vnfadinge odoriferous flowers we should haue easilye bene slacked in our iorney towardes heauen beinge drawen and with-helde with the pleasant view desire of these allurementes And therfore god hath made our throughfare tedious vncomfortable and distresfull that we hasten towardes our repose and swyftly rūne ouer the cares of this lyfe imitatinge the dogges of Aegipt that of the riuer Nilus drincke runninge lest if they stayed to take their full draughte at once they should be espyed and stunge by venemous serpentes Whereuppon S. Peter warneth vs Tanquam aduenas peregrines abstinerenos a carnalibus desiderijs quae militant aduersus animam Like strangers and pilgrimmes to absteyne from fleshlye desires which fyghte agaynst the spirite remēbring that this world is a deluge of miseries and heauen onlye our arke of securitye out of which though the vncleane crowe can vppon carren and dead carcases finde footing and litle care to returne yet the cleane and chaste doue abhorring such a lothsome abode without this arke can not fynde anye rest but with the wynges of penitent harte and longing desire flickereth still at the wyndowe vntill it please our Noe to put out his mercifull hand and receyue it into the Arke of his heauenlye felicitye Cap. 5. But suppose that the pleasures of this world place or state of our lyfe were such that they rather inuited vs to comforte and ioye then to sorowe and patient sufferance yet if we consider what our lyfe hath ben what our sinns are what punishments therby we haue deserued we shall thinke god to deale moste myldlye with vs and be moste ioyfull of our troubles which be allotted vs in liew of most vntollerable chastisementes What hath our whole lyfe bene but a continuall defiance battayle with God Our senses so manye swordes to fyght agaynst him our wordes blowes and our workes woundes What haue our eyes and eares ben but open gates for the deuill to sende in loades of sinne into our mynde What hath our sente taste and feelinge ben but tinder and fuell to feede and norishe the fyer of our cōcupiscence Our bodye that ought to haue ben a temple of the holy ghost a chaste cleane harbour of an vnspotted soule a bed of honour and a gardeyn of delyght for him that sayde delitiae meae esse cum filijs hominum My delyghte is to be with the children of men What hathe it ben but a haunt of deuils a stewes of an aduoultresse and a filthye sepulcher of a corrupted soule as full of carrein and venome as any poysened carcas What hath it ben but a forge of Satan wherin the fyer of our passions kindled with his wicked instinctes he hath enflamed our soule and made it so plyable to his purposes that vppon the Anduyle of euerye pleasure and sensuall delighte he hath wrought it to most vglye and detestable shapes And as for the soule that was betrothed and espoused to Christ in baptisme that was beutified with grace fedd with the repast of Angels and a treasurye for all gods riches that was a receyte of the blessed Trinitie and ordeyned to the felowshipp of Angels in eternall blisse What hath it ben but a most ryetous disloyall and vngratefull losell Our vnderstandinge hath ben lyke a most lewd Priuado to prsent vnto the will incentyues and instrumēts of sinne Our will a most lewd common curtesan coueting lusting after euerye offer that she aliked Our memorye a register and record of wicked and abhominable sightes sayings and deedes for our sinfull thoughtes and phansies to feede vppon Finallye what parcell of our bodye what power of our soule wherof god hath giuen vs the vse haue we not abused to his dishonour warring agaynst him with his owne weapons employing our lyfe motion and beinge to the continuall incensynge of him In quo viuimus mouemur sumus In whome we lyue we moue and we are Seeing therfore we haue not onlye bene sinfull but euen a lumpe masse of sinne what thinke you was due vnto vs if god had dealte with vs according to his iustice Which the better to consider lett vs call to mynde how odious a thing vnto God sinne is and then maye we the better perceyue how mercifullye we are dealt withall to haue our heynous faultes rather chastised here then in hell and how worthy we may thinke our selues of all our heauye scourges Of God it is sayde that nihil odisti eorum quae fecisti Thou hast hated nothinge of all that which thou hast made Onlye that nothinge of which as S. Augustine expoūdeth it the Gospell speaketh sine ipso factum est nihil without him was made nothing that is sinne this nothing I saye is the cause that to some things he beareth an vnplacable hatred The deuill in his nature is more amiable thē man beinge of nobler substance of higher excellencye and endewed with higher prerogatiues then we Yett who knoweth not how muche God doth hate him We knowe what tender affection God hath alwayes shewed to mankind for whose sake he hath made this world and enriched and garnished it with so glorious ornaments besydes other infinite tokens of a moste tender loue howerlye shewed vnto vs. And yett it is sayed Odisti omnes operantes iniquitatem Thou hast hated all that worke iniquitye And in the booke of wysdome Odio est deo impius impietas eius Hatefull is to God the impious his impiety If therfore both the wicked man and the deuill him selfe is so deepelye of God detested and for no other cause but onlye for sinne How abhominable must we thincke that sinne is When we will make a comparison of a thing that is euill in the highest degree we can fynde nothing to lyken it vnto worse then the deuill And when we haue named him we thincke to haue reckened the last and greatest euill that can be imagined For the which cause of Tertullian and the auncient fathers he was called Malum the euill it selfe As who would saye that no other name was sufficient to expresse his noughtinesse And as badd odious and detestable as he is more odious detestable is sinn which is the onlye cause of his odiousnesse of which if he were ridd he were a more glorious and louelye creature then anye