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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	call_v	holy_a	lord_n	1,489	5	3.6721	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05371	The treasure of vowed chastity in secular persons. Also the widdowes glasse. VVritten by the RR. Fathers Leonard Lessius, and Fuluius Androtius, both of the Society of Iesus. Translated into English by I.W. P.	Lessius, Leonardus, 1554-1623.; Androzzi, Fulvio, 1523-1575. aut; Wilson, John, ca. 1575-ca. 1645?	1621 (1621)	STC 15524; ESTC S108506	57,293	362

be a thing so necessary that he sayd It was no lesse then a passion of lust to a vertuous Virgin euery tyme that she exposeth her selfe to publique view to wit because that therby she with her face open casting her eyes freely about to see to be seene is easily corrupted in spirit that the very gazing it self is a signe of an vnchast mind And againe afterward The desire not to be veyled or couered is not a chast desire but admiteth somwhat that belongeth not vnto a Virgin as also the desire to delight others inbeholding her for true entyre and pure Virginity feareth nothing so much as it owne selfe yea it endureth not the eyes of other women that delight in gazing since the eyes of it selfe are farre different from such it flyeth to the veyle of her head as to a helmet as to a buckler which defendeth her it is a protection against the blowes of temptation against the darts of scandals against suspitions whispering and emulation yea and against Enuy it selfe After this put on the armor of bashfullnes entrench thy selfe within the bull warke of modesty build vp a wall for thy sex which keepeth in thyne own eyes and letteth not the eyes of others to enter Thou hast marryed Christ and deliuered thy body to him thou hast espoused the maturity of thy yeares to him Goe according to his will and pleasure it is Christ that biddeth those who are marryed to others to veile themselues much more those which are espoused vnto him For this purpose the womens attyres of Brabant are very fit which are called by them Huekes which the very noblest Matrons of that Country vse when they would not be knowne in any publike assembly Let vs now come to the exercises which holy Fathers prescribe to be vsed by virgins These are fasting prayer reading of spirituall bookes and handy-worke in the dayly vse and variety wherof they may spend all their tyme most profitably Fasting is as it were the foundation ground of al other vertues for by this the roote of many temptations and by consequence of many vices is cut of the minde is made more fit to conuerse dayly with Almighty God with great comfort fruit from whome it conceiueth all its good frō whence al Saints for the most part haue deriued the begining of a spiritual life By fasting I meane not such fasting as should weaken or impaire nature but such wherby the body becomes more healthfull the mind more quicke and the concupiscence more subiect S. Hierome commendeth greatly this exercise in his 8. Epistle to Demetriades de custodia virginit After saith he diligent taking heed of impure thoughts you must put on the ornament of fasting and sing with Dauid I haue humbled my soule in fasting c. And then afterwardes Fasting is not a perfect ve●tue of it selfe but the foundation of others and is both sanctification chastity without which no man shall euer see God It affoardeth staires to such as wil ascend to the top yet if it should be alone it is not sufficient to crowne a virgins c. In which words it is to be noted that fasting is tearmed by S. Hierome Sanctification and Chastity of other vertues It is called Sanctification because it maketh others vertues florish and works their effects the better and by this meanes it sanctifieth It is called Chastity becanse it procureth cleanesse of body and hart wherin consist all other vertues without which no man shall see God And that this fasting must be moderate such as may not weaken the body but refresh quickē the mind S. Ierome warneth vs in these words when he saith Neither do I prescribe to yow immoderate fasting or such abstinences as should be altogether without meat by which bodyes that are tender and delicate may be quickly brought out of health and grow sicke before they haue layde the foundation of this holy conuersation S. Ambrose in his first book of virgins saith that the sparing of meate and abstinence from drinke maketh a man to be ignorant of vice for it maketh him to be ignorant of the causes therof Therfore let this be rather a fast of sobriety thē affliction Prayer also vnder which is conteyned the meditatiō of heauenly things and the mysteries of our faith is principally necessary First because by this wee must obteyne dayly supply of Grace wherby we may both resist temptations and fulfill Gods diuine Commandements and perseuere to the end wherfore our Lord warneth vs that we alwayes pray to wit as much as conueniently we may and as far forth as the fraylty and necessary affaires of this world will permit vs for our perseuerance and eternall safety dependeth on Prayer Secondly by Prayer Meditation we list vp our mynd to Almighty God we place our selues in his sight and presence wee cōsider his Maiesty his Power and his Wisedome his Goodnes his prouidence his Mercy and his Iustice we adore him and praise him we giue him thankes and blesse him there we deale with him about the busines of our Saluation and call to mynd all things which he hath both done and suffered for vs. For this cause especially a Virgin must abandone Marriage and secularity imbrace the state of holy Virginity according to the Apostole to wit that she may thinke of these things which belonge to our Lord that she may be holy in body and spirit that she may behaue her selfe worthily in the presence conuersation of Almighty God that she may sticke so close vnto him that she may neuer be drawn away and as our Interpreter translateth it that she may haue free leaue to beseech any thing of our Lord without hinderance Heere are delights and spirituall comforts in this consisteth as it were the Paradise of our soules by these things our conuersation is in heauen and we are made to enioy the society of Angels without these whatsoeuer we do is dry barren for all comfort and spirituall ioy proceedeth from the attentiue consideration of diuine matters From whence it commeth that those who apply not themselues with great loue and desire to Prayer and Meditation they must needs remaine dry or at leastwise they shall neuer tast the most excellent delights of the spirit By Prayer meditation the mind is exercysed and groweth zealous in the function habit of other vertues because the guift of grace is more aboundantly obteyned by it whereby the labour of vertue is made more easy and delightfull Hence the Royall Prophet saith Viam mādatorū c. I haue runne the course and way of thy commaundements whilst thou dilatedst my hartwith ioy And why because the vanity of the world the worth of vertue and the Charity of God and the reward of life to come are shewed therby vnto vs. The consideration of all which must needs greatly stir vs vp to all offices of vertue and to a diligent care of our owne

heyres vnto vs being chosen thereunto by vs freely thē those whome wee are constreyned to haue whether we will or no though indeed it be a for more assured inheritance to make our selues our owne heires by doyng good workes whilst we liue for otherwise we do but abuse the same then to leaue it being gotten all by our owne industry and pains to the vncertein vses of any others whatsoeuer These reasons and the like Theophrastus discussing what good Christiā might he not make ashamed of such vanities and troubles whose conuersation ought to be in heauen and who dayly sayth Cupio dissolui c. I desire to be dissolued and be with Christ as though he who may be a coheyre with Christ himself should desire to haue man to be his heire and should wish for children and be delighted in the succession of his posterity whome perhaps Antichrist shall peruert when notwithstanding wee read that Moyses and Samuel preferred others before their own children Neither yet did they account thē children whome they sawe displease Almighty God Thus farre are S. Hieromes words who afterward confirmeth the same with examples out of the old Testament By which it is manifestly shewed how far single life in the world is to be preferred aboue Marriage and out of how many discommodityes cares it doth deliuer a man and what aboundance of helpe it affoardeth to a man to passe ouer pleasantly and quietly this temporall life and obteine a high degre in the euerlasting All which things if they should be exactly weighed and considered of most men I doubt not but there would be farre fewer who would so much admire loue and imbrace the seruitude that Marryage oftentimes bringeth with it CHAP. VI. Of the Merits of both States of life to wit of vnmarried and married SOME one will obiect That if the paines and troubls of mothers be great in bearing and breeding their children and in supporting the conditions and iniuryes of their husbands great also are the merits of enduring them which merits such as are virgins cannot haue Whence the Apostle also 1. Tim 2. saith Saluabitur c. She shall be saued by bringing forth children c. I answere that Parents may be moued with a double affection to beget and bring vp children to wit with a meere humaine and naturall affection with a spirituall or diuine A naturall affection is when any one desireth children for the conseruation of his name family that he may haue heires to whome he may leaue his goods that he may out-liue his owne death in his posterity that he may be honoured in thē that he may haue comfort and help by his children All these are humaine respects and affections and therfore of no merit or esteeme before God yet of their owne nature they are not ill but indifferent Wherfore those who out of such affection do contract Marriage or beget childrē or bring them vp begotten merit nothing before Almighty God and loose all their labours and charges which they are at as far forth as this to wit that they shall not receiue eternall reward for them but onely a temporall comfort or comodity For as an humaine affection is not meritorious before Almighty God no more also is the work which followeth out of it although it be frequēt and laborious In like manner to loue and follow Honours Riches Magistracy Dignityes and Pleasures for the commodity splendor and sweetnes which we perceiue in them although of it selfe it be no sinne neither likewise is it of any desert but rather apperteineth to the delight of such things as are the concupiscence of the flesh of the eyes and pride of life and which proceede out of a corrupt nature not out of the inspiratiō of diuine grace The same likewise is to be sayd of the affections of Parents whereby they wish and procure these cōtents pleasures vnto their children For euen as whē they desire and obtayne these things for themselues they deserue nothing at the handes of Almighty God no more likewise doe they when they doe the like in their childrens behalfe yea this affection is not onely not meritorious before Almighty God but also it is not so much as a worke of any vertue For first of all that it not a worke proceeding out of any diuine or infused vertue it is manifest since it may be foūd also in Heathens themselues and the most wicked persons that liue Also that such affections proceed not out of any morall or Philosophicall vertue it is plaine for they respect not their obiects as they are honest and reasonable as the natures of such vertues require but as they are delightfull cōmodious or honourable Whence it is that no man by such an affection becommeth praise worthy which is the propriety of vertue As no man is worthy of prayse for that he loueth or getteth riches honors plea sures or for louing his child because he is fair or because he is like him for singing wel dancing wel speaking well or being indewed with such like ciuill ornaments or qualityes Al such affections are only naturall and indifferent and therefore of no desert or merit in the sight of Almighty God before his Tribunall seate Therfore as he which giueth almes to the poore prodigally and vaynegloriously to make himself honoured and esteemed the more of men according to the wordes of our Sauiour shal haue no reward before Almighty God but receaueth all his reward in the prayses which he getteth of men in so doing So those which marry for respect of pleasure or riches those which desire to haue children or to bring them vp to haue contentment who day and night onely take care how they may leaue them a large and ample inheritance that they may promote them to honours offices dignityes or wealthy marriages deserue nothing before God but receaue their reward in the temporall contentements which by this meanes they procure either to themselues or to their children Therefore to speake truely their labours and cares are all lost neither do they reape any fruit at all to be accounted of from all this for nothing is to be esteemed of any great valew but that which is euerlasting All temporall things are of small account passing away as shaddows therfore most vnworthy to spend al the vigour principal acts of our soule about thē which were ordained for things eternal Heerupō holy Scripture euery where calleth vs from the loue and desire of riches honours and pleasures and telleth vs that such as are poore meeke oppressed are only happy Neither are all these labours and paines of Parents onely vnprofitable but they are also hurtfull and the originall cause of infinite euils From hence it is that there are such an infinite nūber of men in the world who damne there owne soules which otherwise might haue been saued for their childrens sake to mak them rich or to promote them to Honours For those that wil