Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	life_n	soul_n	5,160	5	5.5664	4	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10791	A guide vnto godlinesse moste worthy to bee followed of all true Christians: a treatise wherein is set forth the folly of man in prolonging the amendment of his sinful life, togither with the chiefe causes thereof, and souereigne remedies againste the same. Written in Latin by Iohn Riuius: Englished by W.G.; De stultitia mortalium, in procrastinanda correctione vitæ. English	Rivius, Johann, 1500-1553.; Gace, William.	1579 (1579)	STC 21064; ESTC S100606	51,601	134

to day especially seeinge it is vncertaine whether wee shall liue vntil to morowe As concerning the clemencie gentlenes of God let that alwaies remaine in our mind which Cyprian sayth in a certaine place As fauourable saith he gracious as God alwayes is by the loue of a father so much is he to be feared by the maiesty of a iudge So shall it come to passe that the feare of Gods punishmente wil reclaime vs from sinning hope of Gods pardon will not lull vs a sleepe in ouer much securitie It is too much to say howe Priestes in the papacie doe flatter themselues with this hope of Gods clemency who al their life time kepe concubines and vnder a pretence of single life company with harlots freely without punishment neuer thinking of reforming their life or putting their concubines away And in the meane season knowing themselues guiltie of this dishonestie vnclean and wicked life they doe notwithstanding almoste euerye day celebrate diuine seruice and come to the misticall and holy table feeding vnworthely of y breade of the Lord vnworthely drinking of his holy cuppe Now how horrible a thing is it and how ful of peril and danger alwais to liue in that state in which if death come vpon thee there is no hope at all of thy saluation In vaine therfore do they flatter themselues with hope of gods mercy who so kepe coÌ„cubines do with an obstinate mynd perseuer in wickednes neither euer go about to put away their strumpets or to amend their life neither do repent truely from their heart neither with weeping sighes craue pardon of God for their wickednes coÌ„mitted But will some maÌ„ say they aske pardon of God oftentimes they often beseech his clemency to forgiue them For in the end of their euening prayer they say almost dayly Conuert vs O God and turne thine anger away from vs Also in the end of morning prayer Thou O Lord say they haue mercy vpon vs So at other times also they often pray that God wil haue mercy on them that he will be fauourable vnto them forgiue them I heare it neither doe I here stand to decide with howe earnest attention of mind with what zeale ferueney of spirite they doe that But be it that they pray with a mind ardent lifted vp vnto God and with a most serious and earnest affection what then What doth this auaile if they put not away their concubines with intent neuer to receiue them againe and do persist in a setled purpose and determination to liue chastly afterward doe also perseuer in endeuouring to amend their life and in continuall repentance for their wickednes committed Now because they doe not this as the thinge it selfe plainly sheweth who can doubt but they either beleue those things to be a fable with the holy scriptures tech of the last iudgemeÌ„t or els do too much flatter theÌ„selues with a vain and false hope of Gods pardoÌ„ O horible face of y popish church They which oughte to ouersee guide gouerne and teach others and that as wel by example as word they behaue themselues so that others are meruelously offended by them When the laity come to the Lordes table with what reuerence with what feare trembling with howe deuout loue and godlines doe they the same Howe doe they prepare themselues to confesse their sinnes and to aske pardon of God How doe they endeuour to their vttermoste that no scruple or doubt remayne in their minde conscience how certainely and firmely do they determine with them selues to amende theyr maners and reforme their life Now what doe the Popish Priestes These forsooth as one of their owne profession sayth make hast from the wicked company of their concubines to go to the alter and this they doe very often vnpunished without all shame They haue no care to amend their life they thinke not of putting away their harlots finally they are touched with no greefe in their mindes by considering their sinne and not to vse many woordes they seeme christians in name onely and word but in very deede are plain heathen Howe many occasions haue they to repente and turne vnto goodnes they visite such as are afflicted with greeuous diseases they heare theÌ„ confesse their sinnes they coÌ„fort theÌ„ giue them wholesome exhortations and are oftentimes present with them when they yeelde vp the ghoste Moreouer they celebrate their funerals exequies and with great ceremony burie them commit their bodyes to the earth they walking in the temple oftentimes reade Epitaphs and verses grauen vpon tombes sepulchers they oftentimes heare and reade of the comming of the lord of the resurrection at the last day of the voyce of the Archangell of the trumpe of God c. So that by these meanes they may remember not onely the dead but euen death it selfe hanging ouer their heades euery houre they may remember also the laste iudgement the tribunall seate of the Lord and many other thinges which mighte moue them to amend But seeing by all these they are not brought to repent one of these two must nedes be true eyther that they count a fable those things which they reade in the holy scriptures of the iudgement to come and are with the Epicureans perswaded that the soule is extincte and dooth perishe with the body or els as I haue said that they flatter themselues with a vaiâ— and false hope and trust of Gods mercy Of the third cause why men driue of to reforme their life THe third cause why we prolong the amendment of our life is the custome of sinning which hath now almost the force of nature Now as it is very hard for euery one to ouercome his owne nature so the force of custome also is almost inuincible which men truely say to be as it were another nature Neither is it said amisse of one that those vices are hardlye cut of which do as it were grow vp with vs Howe tenderly gently parents bring vp their children froÌ„ their infancie we al do know From their tender age they are accustomed to delights pleasures They abstaine not froÌ„ foule silthy words and suche as are wicked blasphemous against God they weare sumptuous gorgeous apparel they do al things stoutly boldly impudently nothing modestly or reuerently They honour not their parents they reuerence not old folkes they disdaine their equales briefly what soeuer they list they think is lawful for theÌ„ to doe They are reclaimed froÌ„ naughtines neither with shame of men nor with feare of god They haue no care of religion pietie toward God much lesse of vertue honesty among men What should I vse many wordes Parents doe at this day by their owne example marre corrupt their children that they can with no aucthoritie correcte their maners Whereas in dede it becoÌ„meth parentes neither to say any thing before their children with is vnsemely to be spoken

of concerning hel the riuer in hel that alwayes burneth the iudges Minos and Rhadamanthus the place abode punishmeÌ„t of the wicked wherupon came that saying of Seneca The poets deluded vs saith he and put vs in vaine feare so many count for trifles and fables vtterly conteÌ„ne as vayne threats those thinges which at this day are read in the holy Scriptures of hel of eternal death of the fiery lake wher shal be weeping gnashing of teeth also of the resurrectioÌ„ of the soule bodye either to euerlasting paines or eternal glorye WheÌ„ as al these things without doubt strike horror into theÌ„ that be godly in deede do feare god aright as one saith they are almost afraid to heare theÌ„ once named or spoken of Thus hast thou the chiefe principall cause as I thinke why all of vs almost do so prolong the amendment of our life Of the second cause vvhy man differreth to amende his lyfe LEt vs nowe come to the second whiche is hope of Gods pardon and fauour a hope great in deede but surelye false and altogether vncertaine With this hope the continuall enemy of mankind the Deuil holdeth man in sinne and by dayly setting before him Gods lenitie and gentlenes keepeth him from fearing his iustice But as God doth easily pardon the penitent and fatherly forgeiueth such as returne vnto goodnes so he leaueth not vnpunished neither suffereth vnreuenged suche as with an obstinate mind perseuer in wickednes In vain therefore doe they hope for pardon who do not hartely repent for their sinnes committed The deuil notwithstanding by setting this hope before man bringeth to passe that he sinneth securely and neuer hath any earnest cogitation of amending his lyfe but despiseth the riches of Gods bountifulnes patience and long sufferance not knowing that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth him to repentaunce that I maye vse the wordes of the Apostle Paul writing to the Romans Let man here call to minde that which our sauiour sayth in the gospell of Matthew Repent saith he your former life for the kingdome of heauen is at hand And that which the Lord saith in Esay Which of them shall I then regarde EueÌ„ him that is poore of a lowly troubled spirite and standeth in awe of my words Christ saith moreouer in the gospel of Luke Vnlesse ye repent ye shal al likewise perish And Peter in the Acts sayth Repente ye therefore and conuert that your sinnes may be put away I omit sixe hundred other places in the Scriptures which tende to the same ende that is which teache that none can hope and trust for pardon of his sinnes but he that repenteth For in vaine as I haue sayde doth he hope to haue remission and forgiuenes whose hearte is not touched with true repentance Now albeit no repentaunce be to late before God which the example of the theese mentioned in the gospell doth declare for God desireth not the destruction of sinners but rather that they repent and liue Who notwithstanding seeth not how daungerous a thing it is to differre the amendment of our life Well was it sayd of one that none hath euer had God so fauourable vnto him that he coulde promise himselfe to liue till the morowe Death oftentimes coÌ„meth vpon men vnawares so that they haue no time so much as to thinke of repenting and amendinge their life I will not here rehearse those thinges whiche Plinie declareth in hys natural history of sodain deathes farasmuch as nothing almost is more common vsual euen at this time also It is not many yeeres since there were two olde men in this country both inhabitants of one and the same citie who the same night they dyd lye with the strumpets to whoÌ„ they vsed to resort that one lost his life by an Apoplexie the other was stabbed in with a dagger so both of them died sodenly with how great peril of their soules let euerye one thinke with himselfe I confesse it in dede to be true that it is coÌ„mon to the godly as wel as to the wicked to die sodenly that that is true also with the wiseman saith that the righteous man with what death so euer he be preuented shal be in rest How dreadful a thing is it notwithstanding that the impenitent person should sodenly be ouertaken with death after such a sort Of how many haue we heard ofteÌ„times who euen when they were tipling and making god chere falling vnto strife brawling amoÌ„g themselues haue bin thrust through one of an other Of howe many who being taken in adultery haue by the sword lost their liues Of howe many who playing at the dice haue bin slayne of them that played with them That I may say nothing of them who falling froÌ„ their horse haue brokeÌ„ theyr neckes who haue perished sodenly in the sea by shipwracke finally who either byfalling of houses or by some other chance haue died a sodain death Although then y God doth desire rather the repentaunce then death of a sinner as in deede he doth it is notwithstanding a very perilous thing by reason of the vncertaine chaunces which be incident vnto vs to differre the amendment of our life vppon hope of Gods mercy Thou must repent in time while thou doost yet liue and art in good health But thus standeth the case A younge man takethe hys pastime and pleasure geueth himselfe to banketting and riotous liuing promiseth himselfe to liue manye yeeres and therefore thinketh nothing of reforming his life but differreth this thing vntill olde age whereunto notwithstanding it is vncertaine whether he shall euer come For what one among manye thousandes liueth vntill olde age Nowe what doth he that is become verye olde and is as it were euen at deathes dore To morrowe saith he it shall be done and againe it shall be done to morrow so he willingly deceiueth vaynly flattereth himselfe seeing as I haue sayde no man can promise himselfe to liue till the morrow no no man knoweth whether he shall liue vntil the euening In the meane season meÌ„ so dayly differring prolonging the amendmeÌ„t of their life death oftentimes commeth vppon them vnawares as we may see almost euerye day and yet can not other mens harms make vs to beware so doth the deuill alwayes drawe vs on and allure vs with a vayne hope of Gods pardon and of a long life Now although it neither ought nor by any meanes may be denyed that the peniteÌ„t obtaine gods grace and fauour at all times neither may it be sayde that he who is nowe about to yeeld vp the ghost in that very agonye of death should despeire of pardon who notwithstanding is so vnwise that he doth not rather desire that which is safe and boyde of all danger then that which is ioyned with exceedinge greate perill Wherefore rather then there shoulde be any scruple or doubte let vs thinke in time of amending our life let vs not differre it from day

godlines doth vndoubtedly proceede from a sincere faith as the fruite froÌ„ the tree the effect from the cause Nowe in vvhome soeuer such a faith is they are free from the curse of the lawe from the tyranny of Satan from the daunger of death from the horror of hell they haue God to theyr father Christe to their brother they shall inherite the kingdom of heauen as the word of God vvitnesseth Forasmuch theÌ„ as the Guide vvhich vve haue spokeÌ„ of doth leade froÌ„ that vvhich is foule filthy vvhich kinde of things vve are vvont coÌ„monly to detest and loth froÌ„ that vvhich excludeth vs from the fruition of Gods benefites from that vvhich hath so bitter and grieuous an end euen eternall death and destruction and not onely thys but also directeth vs to that vvhich is so precious and profitable whiche proceedeth from the grace of God the fountaine of all goodnes which is not subiecte to worldâ—y mutations vvhich is an vndoubted fruit of a true faith and therefore they that bee endued therewith are the sonnes of God and heyres of eternall blessednes Forasmuch I say as this Guide doth thus leade direct who oughte not to be moste willing to follow the same to their no small commoditie and profit Thus haue I right reuerend father bin briefe short in a matter wherin I might haue bin larg long Howbeit I thinke those things which I haue entreated of sufficient to cause the Christian reader the better to loue like the more vvillinglye to reade and peruse this present treatise and also to embolden me to presume to publish the same vnder the protection of your reuerend name forasmuch as by the premisses is proued that it conteyneth matter very good and godly and therefore is agreing to your Christian conuersation not for any instruction vvhere right graue and greate learning aboundeth but onely for vvell liking vvhere good vvill is not vvanting which I earnestly desire and heartelye wish being little or nothing doubtfull thereof And nowe to conclude the Lord God graunt for his Christes sake that after yee haue runne the race of this mortall life ye maye reape the fruite of an vnfeyned faith euen the saluation both of body and soule Amen Your Lordships to commaund and vse in the lord W. Gace A Guide vnto godlines most worthy to be folowed of all true Christians IF they that wil be couÌ„ted Christians did so much dreade and mislike the thing it self as they doe at thys day detest the name and profession of EpicureaÌ„s or Sadducees they would no lesse surely refraine themselues from all euill doing and embrace vertue and godlines then they doe now with an obstinate mind follow vice and naughtines and liue lewdly and vngodlily neither woulde they any lesse keepe the commaundements of Almighty God then they are now voyde of all feare of his diuine maiesty But truly all of vs almost doe beare a mind not so much alienate and estraunged from the thing it selfe whiche our life deedes and conditions doe witnes as we doe dread the disdayne of the worde and vtterly mislike the bare name of the thinge For what Either can they beleeue the immortality of the soule who liue almost like beastes or can they be perswaded that there are rewardes prepared in heauen for the godlye and punishments appoynted in hell for the wicked who almoste in nothing sticke to breake the commaundements of God and runne hedlong vnto al vice either as though they verely thought that God is a thing vayne and fayned or did beleeue that the soule is extinct and doth perish with the body Now to confesse that there are some which both feare God and doe nothinge doubte that hee will in time to come either punish or reward euery one as he hath deserued of which sort surely ther are very few what one is there among a great number whom the fear of Gods iustice doth either reuoke from sinne euill doing or induce to amend and reforme his life Wherein thou mayst worthelye lament and bewayle the case of vs all maruell at our folly blindnes and madnesse who in such shortnes and vncertaintie of this life doe so behaue our selues that being nowe become euen verye olde when as our dying day is not farre of wee doe not so muche as thinke of amendinge our manners much lesse goe we about to doe the same being yet younge and in our flourishing yeeres I oftentimes entring in to consideration of this folly as it were dotage of men in deferring the amendment of their sinful life doe thinke it good to search out the causes why in so waighty a matter wheron dependes saluation wee behaue our selues so slacklye and slothfullye For these being once found out and made manifest it will not be afterward hard as I thinke to find some remedy to cure this euill Of the first cause vvhy men differre the amendment of their life FIrst therefore the chiefe principall cause hereof I thinke to be our incredulitie For if we did beleeue those thinges which are conteined in the holy scriptures of the iudgement to come of the voyce of the Archangell and the trumpe of God of the iudgement seate of the Lord before which we muste all appeare also those thinges that are mentioned of the punishments in time to come of the wicked of the life and immortall felicitie of the godly of the resurrection of the bodyes to gether with the soules either vnto assured glorye or certaine paine If I saye wee did beleeue these thinges not to be a vayne or fond fable we would surely endeuour to liue farre otherwise neither woulde wee so daily differ and prolong the amendment of our life For who liuing wickedly is not eyther striken with horror in his whole bodye or dooth not altogither tremble in his minde and hearte as often as he remembreth the last iudgement In which men must giue an accounte before the tribunall seate of God of all their thoughtes purposes sayinges and deedes and euery one must for himselfe pleade the cause of his lyfe O iudgement worthelye dreadfull to the wicked the memory whereof oughte neuer to slippe out of our minde For if the righteous shall scarcely be saued as sayeth the Apostle where shall the vngodly sinner appeare The sonne of God himselfe shall sitte the iudge of all men whiche haue bin from the creation of the world being then seuere sharpe and inexorable who is now an aduocatâ— wyth the father for them that be guiltie All shall be called to the examination of the life which they haue led the secretes of all heartes shall be opened euerye mannes conscience shal accuse reproue and conuince him In fine God wyll with iuste seueritie and rigour punish the wicked and graciously and mercifullye saue the godly that is he will reward euery man according to his works as the Apostle Paule sayth Neither shall euill deedes onely be iudged here as adulterie fornication incest sorcerye murder

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