Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	abandon_v	avoid_v	curiosity_n	16	3	10.8288	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20760	Foure treatises tending to disswade all Christians from foure no lesse hainous then common sinnes; namely, the abuses of swearing, drunkennesse, whoredome, and briberie. Wherein the greatnes and odiousnesse of these vices is discouered; and the meanes and remedies, which may either preserue, or weane men from them, are propounded. Whereunto is annexed a treatise of anger. By Iohn Dovvname Batcheler in Diuinitie, and preacher of Gods word.	Downame, John, d. 1652.; Downame, John, d. 1652. Spiritual physicke to cure the diseases of the soule, arising from superfluitie of choller, prescribed out of Gods word. aut	1609 (1609)	STC 7141; ESTC S110222	260,958	336

and cloyed appetites and consequently our meates being saused with hunger our tastes would not bee so want only curious that no ordinary cookery can please them If with Abraham we dwelled in tents like Pilgrimes we would not be so nice in decking our houses nor so angry for a copwed If with Iacob we had the earth for our bed a stone for our pillow and the skye for our Canopy wee would not be so much displeased for the hardnesse of a fetherbed or vneasinesse of a doune lodging take away therefore luxurious nicenesse and you shall take away also the most common cause of vniust anger The fift cause of vniust anger Sect. 6. 5. Curiositie is vaine curiositie in desiring to heare and see all things If therefore we would auoid anger we are to abandon this troublesome companion needlesse curiositie For many things will neither grieue nor hurt vs if we neuer heare nor see them Whereas he that busily inquireth what is said against him in euery company he that listneth at euery doore and vnder euery wall he that rippeth vp ill words spoken against him in secret doth both disquiet himselfe with anger and make his owne faults more publike Antigonus when he heard two of his subiects speaking euill of him in the night neare his Tent called vnto them willing them to go further off least the king should heare them Whose example if we would follow our anger would not so much vexe our selues nor trouble others The sixt cause is to haue open eares to euery tale-bearer Sect. 7. 6. Credulitie and credulous hearts to beleeue them For it is the nature of men to be most desirous of hearing that which most displeaseth them Et libenter credere quae inuitè audiunt Senec. de ira lib. 2. cap. 22. willingly to beleeue those things which they are most sorry to heare But if we would auoid vniust anger wee must auoyd this vice also Senec. de ira lib. 3. cap. 29. Multos absoluemus si caeperimus ante iudicare quam irasci wee shall acquit many if vve will not be angry before we iudge Let vs not therefore suffer execution to goe before iudgement but rather deferre our more seuere censure till time haue reuealed the truth considering that it is most vsuall with men to report vntruthes some that they may deceiue thee some because they are deceiued themselues some because they would set friends at variance some in their accusation will faine an iuiury offered vs that they may take occasion to shew their sorrow because it was offered but scarce any of them will stand to that which they haue spoken And therefore let vs not be angry before wee iudge nor iudge before we heare both parties for what iniustice is it to haue both eares open to an accusation and both shut to an excuse to proceed to sentence of condemnation before we aske the party accused what he can say for himselfe what greater wrong then to beleeue in secret and to be angry openly The last cause of vniust anger Sect. 8. is want of meditation concerning humaine infirmities 7. Want of meditatiō concerning humaine infirmities eyther those which are common to all mankinde or those which are more proper and peculiar to our selues If therefore we would be restrained from anger we must often thinke of this contagious leprosie of originall sinne which hath so generally infected all the sonnes of Adam that there remaineth nothing in vs but pollution and filthines And then as one infected with the plague is not offended with him that is subiect to the same infection As the Lazar doth neyther with scorne nor choller but rather with pittie and compassion behold the sores of his fellow so the plague and sore of sinne which wee see in another will not make vs angry with the party vvhich is infected and visited but rather in commiseration and pittie to vse all good meanes vvherby he may be cured if vve consider that this plague and sore of sinne is so vniuersall that it hath infected all mankinde When vvord vvas brought to Anaxagoras that his son vvas dead Plutarch de cohib irac he vvas not much moued with the newes because as hee said he knew and had considered long before that his sonne vvas mortall so if vve vvould consider and meditate on humane frailtie and infirmities wee should not bee so much vexed when they shew themselues because they vvould not happen beyond our expectation If he that hyreth a seruant vvould thinke with himselfe that he hireth one vvho is not free from faults if he that choseth a friend vvould then consider that he hath his wants and imperfections If he that marryeth a vvife vvould remember that he marryeth a woman and therefore one subiect to infirmities neither the small faults of his seruants nor imperfections of his friends nor infirmities of his vvife vvould easily prouoke him to choller and fury seeing he did not come short of his reckoning Moreouer vve are to meditate vpon our owne peculiar infirmities and vvants and before wee are angry with another to enter into our selues Plutarch de cohib irac and to say vvith Plato Nuncubi ego talis haue not I also offended in this or in that which is worse am I cleare from offering the like iniuries or greater to my brethren Alas no but though I were yet how often haue I prouoked God to anger by my sinnes for which great debt how can I craue pardon if I cruelly exact euery trifle of my fellow seruant Thus if we would speake vnto our owne consciences in the presence of God we would not so easily be incited to anger and reuenge seeing we our selues doe many things which neede pardon and our greater faultes might serue to excuse those which are lesse in others if we would but looke vpon them for no man without blushing could extreamely punish those faults in his neighbour for which he shall neede to craue pardon himselfe And so much concerning the first remedie of anger which is by remouing the causes thereof The second meanes to subdue anger is to labour for patience CHAP. VIII THe second meanes to subdue anger Sect. 1. All things happen by Gods owne prouidence Rom. 8.20 is to labour for the contrary vertue of patience and long suffering And to this end we are first to confider that nothing happeneth vnto vs without Gods all seeing prouidence who if wee bee his children will dispose of euery thing for our good Why therefore should we vexe our selues with anger seeing God will turne the iniuries of men into blessings let vs rather when any wrong is offered vs which we cannot by iust and lawfull meanes auoyde say with our sauiour Christ Ioh. 18.11 Iohn 18.11 should not I drinke of the cup which my father hath prouided for me should I be angry with the cup because the Phisicke is bitter or with the hand whereby it is conuayed vnto me

7 The fourth cause nice luxuriousnesse is nice luxuriousnes or luxurious nicenes which cōmonly being the fualt of women or at least a womanish fault is especially to be seene in domestical matters For if you come into the house of one who is nice and curious you shal easily perceiue how soone they are incited to great anger vpon little cause If the decking and adorning of their house bee not fullie answerable to their mindes if their costly cates be not so daintely cooked that they may delight their curious-learned tast and cloyed appetite if a spot or wrinckle be vpon their garments or but a glasse broken if their nice eares be offended with the least displeasing noyce though it bee but by some chance they are so enraged with anger that the house will scarce hould them or at least not containe their clamorous voyces These curious folkes are not onely offended with iniuries Seneca de ira li. 2. cap. 5 but also with shadowes and apparances Nam vbi animum simul corpus voluptates corrupère nihil tolerabile videtur non quia dura sed quia molles patiuntur for when voluptuous pleasures haue corrupted both minde and bodie nothing seemeth tolerable not that the things which they suffer are grieuous but because they that suffer them are nicely effeminate And like as they who are tormented with the gout are angry if a man come but towards them cry out if they be but touched so but a shew of iniury moueth these voluptuous wantons to choller and anger and the least iniury offered in truth inciteth them to rage and furie Whereas others who haue not their mindes effeminated with this luxurious curiositie they can easily passe ouer such trifling imperfections A Prolepsis and repell anger in far more violent assaults If any thinke these toyes too small to vndergoe a publicke censure I would haue such know that the lesser the occasion is which prouoketh to anger the greater is their sinne who are so easilie prouoked and the rather they deserue a sharp reprehension for that anger which is incited by euery light and trifling cause then if it were waighty and of some importance for howsoeuer the occasions are but small yet their sinne is not small nay their sinne is therefore great seeing the occasion which moueth them therevnto is but little especially considering that the same parties who are fire-hot in these trifles which concerne themselues are key cold in those things which much concerne Gods glory and their own spirituall good For I appeale vnto their own consciences whether they are not prouoked vnto more violent anger for these trifling toyes then when they dishonor God by most grieuous sinne or see him dishonoured by others and if their consciences plead guiltie let them rather bee offended with their owne corruptions then with the Phisicion which desireth to cure them The fift internall cause of vniust anger is curiositie Sect. 8. The fift cause of vniust anger Curiositie whereby men are tickled with a vaine desire itching appetite to see and heare all things how their friends behaue themselues in their priuate meetings what their aduersaries doe and say behind their backes how their seruants bestow themselues in euery corner whereof it commeth to passe that desiring to know all things they know many things which displease them and prouoke them to anger for which they may thank their vaine curiositie for if with the wise man they would thinke it their glory to passe by infirmities Pro. 19.11 or follow his counsaile Prou. 19.11 Eccle. 7.23 Eccl. 7.23 Giue not thine hart to all the words that men speake least thou doe heare thy seruant cursing thee They might haue lesse cause of anger more contentation of minde Whereas by inquisitiue inquirie after euery rumour and curious prying into small domesticall faults they inflame their hearts with great anger For as the looking vpon a small Print doth more offend the fight then a greater because we hold it nearer our eyes and more intentiuely behold it the Letters standing thick and neare together so oft times it commeth to passe that these small domesticall faults being curiously pryed into do more offend and anger vs because they are neere vnto vs and fall out thicke and as it were one in the neck of another then greater iniuries offered abroad which fal out more seldome and are not so much subiect to our view The sixt internall cause Sect. 9. The sixt cause credulitie and listning to tale-bearers is to haue an open eare to euery tale-bearer and a credulous heart to beleeue them Pro. 26.20 Without wood the fire is quenched and without a tale-bearer strife ceaseth So that as wood is the fires fit nourishment so is a tale-bearer fit to nourish anger Prou. 26.20 An example hereof we haue in Saul who giuing a credulous eare to those lying suggestions of that pickthank Doeg was incensed to such raging anger that the bloud of the innocent Priests was not sufficient to quench the heate therof vnlesse he spilt also the bloud of all the inhabitants of Nob 1 Sam. 22.19 yea of the Oxen Asses and Sheep with more then brutish fury And therefore Dauid speaking of Doegs tongue Psal 120.4 Psal 120.4 compareth it to coales of Iuniper that is to hot burning coales because it so furiously inflamed Sauls anger 2. Sam. 16 Yea Dauid himselfe giuing eare to the false report of Ziba was moued to vniust anger against innocent Mephibosheth and therefore hauing experience of those manifold euils which followed credulitie and listning after tale-bearers he professeth that he will destroy him that priuily slandereth his neighbour Psal 101. 5 7 Psal 101 5.7 And hence it is that Iames compareth the tongue to a fire because nothing more inflameth the hart to furious anger Iames. 3.6 Iam. 3.6 The last internall cause of vniust anger Sect. 10. The last cause want of meditation concerning humane infirmities is want of meditation concerning the common imperfections wherunto we are all by nature subiect for if we did but consider that in many things wee offend all and that we our selues haue the same faults or greater then those which we espye in others wee would not hastely be moued to choller vpon euery trifling occasion Iam 3.2 But it is the custome of men addicted to anger to imitate the Lamiae who as the Poets faine vse their eyes abroad and put them into a box when they come home so these are but too quick-fighted abroad in spying the faults of others but starke blinde at home in discerning their owne faults and though they haue a great beame in their owne eyes yet they can easily discerne a small more in the eye of another And the reason is because they put their owne faults into that part of the wallet which they cast behinde their backs and therefore neuer looke vpon them but the faults of others into that part