Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	action_n	good_a	sin_n	1,408	5	4.8951	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09668	The mirrour of religious perfection deuided into foure bookes. Written in Italian by the R. F. Lucas Pinelli, of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English by a Father of the same Society.	Pinelli, Luca, 1542-1607.; Everard, Thomas, 1560-1633.; Wilson, John, ca. 1575-ca. 1645?, attributed name.	1618 (1618)	STC 19938; ESTC S114703	239,460	604

occasion of sinning another while by giuing them hart and courage to shake off tentations at another tyme by auerting their desires from hurtfull things And now what Law commaundeth or permitteth that euill should be rendred for good What wild beast is so cruell that would go about to hurt his Benefactour If ingratitude alone be worse then a wild beast because it repayeth the Benefactour with ill if the forgetting of benefits be a thing infamous and worthy of reprehension what will it be to offend the Benefactour There haue beene seene many Religious who at the tyme of their death haue much lamented their owne ingratitude and haue made a firme purpose that if it should be their hap to recouer they would be most thankefull and would be most diligent in seruing of God heere after But these men became wise when it was too late 7. Sonne hast thou a desire to auoyd the detestable cryme of Ingratitude Then differre not thy good purpose but begin euen now to answere thy receyued benefits for this is to be grateful He is grateful who is as much afraid to offend his benefactour in the least thing as he is of death it selfe He is gratefull who imployeth his life hea●th strength body and whatsoeuer besi●s to his benef●ctours honour and glory He is gratefull who is diligent in his deuotions and in all his actions seeketh to accomodate and conforme himselfe to the diuine will Contrariwise that Religious man is vngratefull who carryeth not himselfe towards his Religion as towards his mother and mistresse The Religious that respecteth not his Superiours neither yealdeth them fit honour and reuerence as vnto my substituts is vngratefull And no lesse is he who prayeth not deuoutly for his benefactours by whose help meanes and industry I prouide necessaryes for the intertaynement of the Religious Finally gratefull is he who desireth to shew himselfe gratefull in all thinges Of Patience necessary in a Religious man CHAP. V. SONNE sith this life is the vnhappy banishment of Adams children a man cannot passe it ouer without much trouble and many afflictions and therfore my Church calleth it the Vale of Teares because there is not any state therin nor any place in which there is not occasion of lamentation Let a man make an election of whatsoeuer state he liketh best and let him haue al temporal goods and contentments at will yet he shal not want troubles miseryes and disgusts and whence he least expecteth thence will molestations and afflictions come vpon him For to excell in 〈◊〉 a●ng to abound in riches to haue the fauour of all to commaund others do not exempt and free a man from this banishment and vale of teares and therefore as long as a man liueth there is not wanting matter of sorrowing All haue a will to fly from the Crosse but it hideth not it selfe from any neither is there one only Crosse in this life but they are infinite No place no tyme no state is without aduersityes and therefore better it is to seeke a remedy against them then to fly from them Some whiles they put one Crosse by do fal into another greater then the former where they thought to haue found quiet of mind they find perturbations and troubles both of mind and body The only and present remedy of all these calamityes is Patience which preuayleth not by flying away but by resisting 2. And for the vnderstanding of the offi●e of Patience thou must know that of the contrary accidents that befall men in the banishment of this life there ariseth in a mans mind so great an heauines and grief as it obscureth reason and troubleth the mind And as a feuer in the sicke hindreth the actions of the body so doth sorrow disturbe hinder not only the good actions of the mind but further openeth the gate to many inordinate desires and sinnes And for this cause it is written of the Wiseman Sorrow hath kill● many not only by a corporall death but by a spirituall also And Patience is a vertue that tempering moderating the grief and heauynes that is occasioned by tribulations conserueth and armeth Reason that she be not put from her standing and ouerthrown by the inordinate desires and passions of the mind And this is nothing els then to stop the entrance against many errors and defaults that befall whils the mind is vnquiet and the Reason troubled And therfore in my Scripture it is sayd that Patience hath a perpetuall work for that when the sorrow grief of mind is once moderated all the hatred indignation reuenge and other the euills which are wont to rise of those perturbations are the more easily diuerted and put by And when the Reason is once free from all perturbations it hapneth that a man executeth the workes of vertue after an entiere perfect manner Hence it is that some call Patience the keeper and conseruer of vertues and not without cause For vertue cannot exercise their power when Reason is troubled and the mind disquieted and therfore they need the help of Patience that keepeth the reason free from perturbation and the mind from disquiet consequently the vertues be conserued also The house that hath not one within to keep it is easily spoyled 3. For to cure the deseases of this present life there be vsed three kinds of Antidots The first is that which the Phisitians prescribe and this doth not alwayes cure or help yea sometymes it hurteth For the Phisitians often find not the cause of the sicknes and therfore they cannot well apply any cure vnto it The second is prayer whereby recourse is made to the heauenly Phisitian who as most wise hath a perfect knowledg of all diseases and being omnipotent is of power to take them away in an instant And this medicine though it doth euer good doth not for all that restore the health at all tymes For the heauenly Phisitian euer prescribeth a remedy that is expedient for the sicke person but corporall health is not euer good for the sicke therfore God doth not at all tymes giue it him The third Antidote is Patiēce which alwayes cureth being healthfull both to body and soule and helpeth not the sicke alone but the standers by also for the good example that is giuen them And this third Antidote is so proper to Religion as the Religious who either make little esteeme therof or vse it not be alwayes sore sicke The sicknes and infirmity is euill inough when the mind is disquieted by impatience 4. Sonne what is the cause when any thing befalleth troublesome vnto thee in Religion when some great labour is to be vndertaken or aduersity to be borne thou doest not vse Patience but art troubled murmurest and afflicted Hast thou not giuen ouer the world to suffer aduersityes for the loue of me Hast thou not resolued with thy selfe to endure all thinges though sore and painefull for the good of thy soule Whence is it then that when

bestowing of benefits then seuere in exacting obligations and debts 3. Neither is there cause that the greatnes of my Maiesty should put into thee any feare or confusion so thou be not wanting on thy part in louing and seruing me not so much as my worthines requireth but as thine owne forces be of ability to beare sith I haue neuer exacted more of a man then he can well do That person hath indeed iust cause to feare who when he is able doth not what he ought and is required of him to do 4. There is but one thing for thee greatly to be afraid of and that is that thou offend not me thy benefactour by some greiuous sinne who of my singular grace haue raised thee vp to so high an estate of holy life and am ready to raise thee higher if thou be not a let therunto thy selfe That religious man offendeth me most of all who thinketh that he may liue a more holy life in the world then in religion that is the cause he maketh so light esteeme of the benefit of his vocation For he who affoardeth me little honour respect and seruice in myne owne house will not doubtles yeald me greater where my enemies haue to do This is a manifest and notable abuse and deceit and the very origen of all perturbation For if a man could serue me more perfectly in the world I would neuer haue inuited him to religion All good proceedeth from me I wish and counsaile true and solid perfection to all and I know best what most profiteth and is necessary for euery one towards the attayning of his saluation 5. A religious man must not cast his eyes vpon that which best pleaseth him and highly preferre it before another thing as more excellent but what shall please me Those also offend me sorely who when in religion they obtaine not all things as they list or haue their part in some discommodities do easily murmure and as it were sorrowing and greiued that they haue forsaken the world do thinke a religious life hard and painefull So were some of the children of Israel affected when they were out of Aegipt For so soone as they began to want their former commodities and to endure the troublesome labours of trauayling they murmured reflecting vpon the flesh-pots of Aegipt they wished themselues againe in their former bondage I did not call them out to rest but to take paines neither did I appoint them recreations and great commodities of life but from the very beginning diligently inculcated that many things were to be endured for Christ that the flesh is to be mortified togeather with the desires therof and this condition they accepted and vndertooke to performe What cause then haue they to complaine And though none of all this had happened yet if their Lord suffered so great matters for them what great thing shall they do if they also being seruants shall suffer somewhat for their Lord 6. A religious man who is afraid to suffer any thing looseth his reward and because a man must needs suffer many things if the labour and affliction be doubled it maketh the burden the more intollerable Others make light esteeme of Religion their Mother for that they thinke themselues not bound to their religion but their religion to them But they are deceyued For if they examine the matter well they shal find that they haue receyued very many benefits of religion and religion none at all by them For to be religious and Gods feruant is so noble a gift of God and of Religion as it ought worthily to be preferred before all the good works that are done for religion For there is not any earthly dignity in the world that may enter into comparison with the dignity of religious life It is an argument of a base and vnthankeful mind if a religious person busy himselfe rather in thinking vpon the commodityes that he hath brought to religion then those that he hath receyued from it 7. Againe that religious man displeaseth me not a little who careth not how he imployeth the talent he hath receyued of me for by that he manifesteth what small reckoning he maketh of it and hath no will to satisfy his office when he may is able How many be there who being able to my great pleasure do vndergoe some exercise for the good and helping of soules but because they see they be not able to do them with so great applause as some others can they giue them cleane ouer Is not this an ambitious prid Is not this to hide the talent vnder ground which I gaue him to make his gaine therwith I cannot be ignorant what is good and healthfull for euery one and therfore I giue fiue talents to some two to others but one to another And though to negotiate with one talent doth not cary so great applause and credit amongst men as to negotiate and trafficke with fiue yet it is not so with me For I consider not how much euery one negotiateth but how well and carefully And if to negotiate with the help of many talents should redound to the soules good of many and to the greater glory of my name it would be a worke worthy of commendation 8. But this is that which I find fault withall that many haue a desire to haue many talents and much negotiation that they may be the more admired at and the better esteemed of men whiles to me the authour of all good they leaue either no place at al or very litle My beloued seruants did not so at other times who ascribed the imperfections and lapses to themselues and the fruit of their good works to me that they might transfer the praise and glory of all their labours to me they would be said to be vnprofitable seruants for the commendation of an excellent worke returneth not to the instrument that wrought it but to the craftesman himselfe 9. Sonne of the contempt of thy vocation or religious profession there groweth another euill and that is a negligence or carelesnes of attayning the end of thy vocation and a neglect of obseruing the rules of thy proper Institute And this vice offendeth me so highly as I am forced euen to punish such persons in this present life I abundantly affoard them health and strength of body witt and all helps both naturall spirituall that they may cheerfully hold on in the course of vertue which they haue begon and at length come to their prefixed end And if they by neglecting and contemning all this reape no fruit of their good works at all what meruayle though like vnto the accursed fig-tree that did indeed beare leaues but yet no fruit at al they somtimes decay and wither away The trees that I haue planted in a religious garden ought continually to yeald the fruite of good workes els as vnprofitable they are to be accursed and being once withered are to be throwne into hell fire For whosoeuer

haue byn miserably thrown down into hel For as the Wiseman sayth Who maketh of another mans house his owne seeketh ruine Wherfore if thou desire to be raysed to glory whereunto thou art created thou shalt not vse any either more secure or more commodious way and meanes for the attayning therof then if thou practise Humility This way held I this way followed the Apostles in this walked all the blessed in heauen He that shall take another way shall surely misse of his marke 13. Sonne suffer not thy selfe to be beguiled attend now to the exercise of Humility which of hūble persons maketh Angells as contrarise Pride of men maketh Diuells Other vertues take away particuler vices that be the cause of some sinnes only but Humility taketh away Pride which is the roote and head of all sins Humility causeth that the humble are dearely beloued acceptable to all True it is that I make no great reckoning when the Religious man doth humble himselfe to those who yeald him honour respect for that is easy and done of all But I hold it for a great matter if he also submit himself to them who afflict persecute him It is not a thing worthy of great prayse if a man humble himself to others in his aduersityes or whiles he is in great necessity distresse but that he be humble whiles all matters succeed and prosper well with him 14. There was neuer any Religious man yet who hath not wished the vertue of humility but al do not possesse the same because all do not labour for it as it deserueth nor vse the best meanes for the compassing therof How is it possible for thee to get Humility if thou neuer or seldome vse the company of the Humble when thou well knowest that examples worke greater effects then do words How canst thou be humble if thou seldome humble thy selfe sith the habits of vertues cannot be had withou frequented acts Sonne hast thou a desire of true Humility Then lay before thyne eyes thy own defects and busy thy mind rather in examining those things that be wanting vnto thee then in those that be in thee for an humble person concealeth his own good to himselfe It helpeth also often to call to remembrance that thou art to dye O how many haue there been more noble and more honorable then thou art who be now nothing but dust ashes which thou shalt also be ere long It profiteth to contemne the dignity and honours of the world and to hold them for meere vanityes as they be indeed It is good for them who be in place of dignity not to glory or be puffed vp but to feare a fall for that it is not so great a pleasure to climb high as it is dolefull and hurtfull to fall downe againe 15. Sonne hast thou a desire to make an experiment of thyne owne Humility Thou shalt know it thus It is proper to the humble to shunne their owne prayses as it is a manifest signe of pride to seeke them The humble is sory to heare himselfe praysed and the proud reioyceth at it The more excellent gifts the humble hath the more carefully he concealeth them thinking himselfe vnworthy of them and he earnestly desireth that they should be attributed to God and that himselfe be reputed vile and contemptible The humble giueth place to all serueth all as well his inferiours and Superiours The humble conuerseth willingly with persons of the meanest condition 16. Sonne wishest thou for the tyme to come to know how much thou hast profited in Humility Consider the crowns that Humility presenteth her followers for she is wont to giue three crownes to the humble The first and that which is of the lowest price is when a man truly and in his hart thinketh himselfe worthy to be contemned The second is of greater price when he beareth the contemning of himselfe with patience The third and richest crowne is when he is glad he is contemned and loueth him who contemneth him And now consider which of these three crowns thou hast deserued Of a Religious mans Loue towards God CHAP. II. SONNE Charity is a fruit-bearing plant which the deeper roote it taketh in the Religious mans hart the sweeter fruite it bringeth forth Two branches do spring therout the one mounteth vpwards and imbraceth God the other boweth downewards imbraceth the neighbour it imbraceth thee with both for the sauing of thy soule For thou by louing God and thy neighbour louest and gaynest thy selfe euen as by hating God and thy neighbour thou hatest and vndoest thy self Of louing ones selfe much there is a special commaundment as there is of louing God and our neighbour for he who loueth God his neighbour loueth himselfe Of these two branches dependeth the whole Law yea they be a short summary of all that is written eyther by the Prophets or Euangelists Charity is sayd to be a celestial vertue and that not without cause because amongst the Theologicall vertues that only mounteth vp to heauen wheras other vertues only enioy the fruits but Charity enioyeth both the fruit and tree togeather Charity hath a different effect from Humi● For this being founded in the knowledge of mans basenes misery so far depresseth and humbleth a man as it causeth him to esteeme himselfe for nothing at all but charity relying vpon the maiesty of the increated goodnes raiseth a man vp to heauen and maketh him to enter into the very bosome of his Creatour the Ocean of infinit goodnes 2. My Scripture mentioneth many prayses of Charity thereby to induce all to loue it One while it is called the Band of Perfection because it so strongly bindeth mans will with me as we become as it were one for that is proper to loue to transforme him who loueth into the beloued this is the greatest perfection that a man can haue in this life Another while it calleth it the life of fayth the forme of all vertues the prime fruit of the holy Ghost and to comprehend all the praises of it togeather in a word it sayth that God himselfe is Charity and he that is in Charity is in God and God in him And what excellency is to be compared with God What more security is there then to be in God and what greater pleasure can a man haue then to haue God with him Charity worketh great matters in a man that is possessed of it as contrarywise when a man is without it he sustaineth great detriments and hurts and occasion is giuen him of many and sore falls When the soule is by death separated from the body life instantly leaueth a man and all the beauty of the body ●s gone euen so charity is no sooner dead in 〈◊〉 man then that the spirituall life ceaseth the actions of life euerlasting fayle and the spirituall seemelynes so pleasing vnto me perisheth cleane away Without Charity I acknowledge none for my friend neither be any vertues pleasing to me

cannot proceed of any thing but pride and to say truly he is such a one and of the number of those Religious mē who haue no will to practise either Humility or Mortification The poore man who knoweth his own need and necessity taketh willingly the almes of any one whosoeuer it be that giueth it be he maister or seruant and humbly thanketh him for it the very same doth euery Religious man who hartily desireth perfection and loueth euery one who helpeth him to the attayning therof 9. Correction and reprehension is an act of Charity and as Charity is common to all so may euery one vse a modest reprehension and he who omitteth to do it when he ought and hath an hope of doing good by it though he be not a Superiour doth not well displeaseth me also How much then shall I be displeased and how much greater shall that mans sinne be who knowing an imperfection of his brother doth not only not admonish him touching it but also commend●●h him for it saying that he hath done very well and that he did as he should do therby inducing an imperfect Religious man to become more bold and to confirme himselfe the more in his imperfection And this we may affirme to be the pestilent oyle of sinners wherof the Prophet speaketh and vnhappy is that Religious man who hath his head annoynted therwith I do my selfe the correction otherwhiles and send inspirations to the end my seruants may by that occasion find out and discouer their owne imperfections and amend them sometymes againe I admonish them by some affliction or other that they may enter into themselues and correct what is amisse sometymes I permit one whole order of Religion to be afflicted persecuted that the negligent and bad Religious men that are or may be in it may become good and the good better but the end indeed is that they haue a desire to be holpen They want not the helps and meanes of doing well so much as a firme resolution to put thēselues into a course of doing well and to hold on the same as they ought My sonne to differ and put that off till the morrow that may profit thee to day is not an argument or signe of a man well aduised And the more thou shalt neglect to amend thy selfe and to differ this happy resolution the more and the greater will thy losse be How a Religious man ought to carry himselfe in his scruples CHAP. XIII MY sonne thou knowest well that to please me and to receiue a recompence from my hands it is not inough to do a good work but it must be done well That one for feare of offending me standeth vpon his gard and endeauoreth to do all the best he can this is to do prudently neither must he thinke this to be a scruple but a filiall feare a iust feare and an holy and meritorious feare They be scruples when one is in his actions perplexed and full of anxiety without hauing any lawfull cause thereof but only by light coniectures and suspitions ill founded and tha● he feares that he sinneth in the thing tha● he doth or that he hath done or that he ought to do whence it commeth that he afflicteth himselfe and continueth altogeather troubled in mind These scruples which be no other to say truely then vaine and fearefull imagi ations displease me very much and be in the soule of him who is seazed and taken therewith as it were with an hoate and burning feuer which tormenteth him both night and day 2. Wilt thou vnderstand my Sonne in few words what is the nature of scruples when he who is molested with them retayneth them in mind and stayeth vpon them when he should contemne them they are vnto him as many ropes by which the Diuell bindeth him and draweth him which way he listeth but when he con●emneth them he standeth firme and stable ●nd the enemy hath no power ouer him at all 3. Lord these scruples displease me I desire nothing more then to be rid of them but it is not in my power I know right well my Sonne that it exceedeth thy power to shake of the scruples that arise of a melancholy complexion which continue as long as continueth the cause whereof they proceed and that is the melancholy humour it selfe Againe thou art as litle able to free thy selfe from those scruples that I send thee or permit thee to fall into to the end thou mayst enter into a true knowledge of thy selfe or for the hūbling of thee or for the better purging of thy soule or for thy greater merit for as I send these scruples so it is in me to remoue them and I take them away when it best pleaseth me But thou mayst well assisted with my grace ease thy selfe of those scruples that haue their beginning of proper loue when by occasion of the ouer great affection to thy selfe thou becomest ouer anxious and art more afraid then thou shouldst least some inconuenience impediment may befall thee for the d●ing of what thou hast or oughtst to do The good Religious man ought to be ci●cumspect and haue an eye to himselfe y●● rather by a desire to please me then for fea● of any trouble or paine to himselfe In li●● manner it is in thyne owne power to di●charge thy selfe of these scruples that a● occasioned by the suggestiō of the enemy the end thou mayst be there afraid whe● no cause is of feare at all and these scrupl● be nothing els but a vaine apprehensio● proceeding from meere fancy 4. O how much domage do scrupl● cause and how much good do they hinde● For first they depriue the person who molested with them of that inward peac● which euery one ought so much to desir● seeing without it a man can neither hau● any true deuotion no do any meritorio●● act And more then this they marre an● ouerthrow the complexion of nature an● trouble the humours of the body whence hath hapned that many by such scruples haue broken their braynes and some hau● made themselues vnprofitable both fo● themselues and for Religion Scruple cause a man to loose his tyme that migh● otherwise be imployed in profitable things and in good workes For how much tyme doth a scrupulous man loose in saying one prayer or in reading of a psalme He beginneth againe and againe he repeateth what he hath formerly sayd and neuer maketh an end and which is worse when he hath all done he remaineth lesse satisfyed then he was at the very first and if it happen that notwithstanding all this he maketh no more repetitions it is rather in regard of a certaine yrksomenes and loathing he findeth then out of any perswasion to himselfe that he hath satisfyed what he should do Againe the scrupulous doth not only loose his tyme himselfe but he further causeth the losse thereof to his Superiour or to his Ghostly-father with whome he conferreth touching his scruples and if they yeald him