Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	day_n	good_a	great_a	2,831	5	2.5730	3	true

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

THE TREASVRE 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. Permissu Superiorum 1621. TO THE HONORABLE AND RIGHT vertuous Gentlewomā Mrs Anne Vaux HONORABLE AND RIGHT VVORTHY The constant report of your vertuous life in the State whereof this little Booke entreateth hath inuited me to entitle the same vnto your Name in particuler which was written for the profit of all in generall who haue a true desire to imbrace the State of vowed Chastity and yet remaine in the world among secular persons If the subiect seeme new or strange to any I doubt not but hauing attentiuely read considered the seuerall passages therein they will remaine abundantly satisfyed For it was no part of the Authors intention who is knowne to be famous both for learning and piety thereby to derogate frō other Stats of life but rather by shewing the good commodity which may proceed by imbracing of this those that be more perfect in themselues might heerby be the more honoured and reuerenced of all Neither indeed is there any thing at al proposed in this ensewing Discourse which hath not been practised in the Primitiue Church by persons of both sexes for that cause so much admired and extolled by the auncient Fathers of those dayes Howsoeuer the same may seeme not to haue beene in some later ages so much in vse and therefore thought now behoofefull to be again renewed to our memory in these tymes of so great necessity for the spirituall good of soules and increase of Charity now halfe extinguished in the Christian world The profit that may doth redound to such as desire to practise this state of vowed Chastity remaining in the world will neither be small or vncertaine if the same be imbraced with that sincerity of hart and vertuous manner of life as it ought wherein I know your selfe to haue made good proofe these many years by reaping a plentiful haruest of the fruits and heaping vp a masse of Treasure against the comming of your heauēly Spouse to present him withall to the vnspeakeable comfort and consolation of your soules eternall Happynes To this little Treatise I haue adioyned the WIDDOVVES GLASSE the which I humbly intreate you to present in my Name to your two most worthy Sisters who for the long constant most exemplar professiō of that noble and worthy state of chast Widdowhood may seeme to clayme a iust Title therunto But I deemed not my labour in translating it worthy to be presented to so honourable Matrons in a Dedicatory a part not doubting but the same wil be more grateful comming through your handes who are so neere a kin vnto them both by Nature Grace seeing Virginity and Widdowhood haue euer been accounted Sisters and betroathed to the same Eternall Spouse Christ Iesus Accept then Right worthy Gentlewoman these few sheets of paper by me translated out of Latin as a future earnest of som better gift wherwith I intend to present you ere it be long And in the meane tyme among the many of your pious and deuout exercises forget him not who will euer remaine Your deuoted seruant I. W. THE GOOD AND COMMODITY Of the state of life which some professe liuing in the world and vowing Chastity THERE be not wāting in these our dayes amongst secular persōs very many as well Widdowes as Virgins who aspyring to perfection haue a desire as farre as they may conueniently to sequester themselues from the troubles and incombrāces of the world thereby to imploy their mindes more freely and securly in the seruice of God For whome notwithstanding to liue in Monasteryes either it is not so cōuenient or els grounded vpon sufficiēt reasons they may be otherwise resolued For the wayes manners of seruing God are diuers those who cannot aspire to the highest most perfect are not therefore constrayned to content themselues with the meanest least noble Wherfore many there be who liuing in the world reiecting the vanity of rich and costly apparell and taking a plaine simple habit consecrate their Virginity to Almighty God and auoyding the conuersation of secular persons as much as they may do imploy thēselues wholy in the offices of Charity and Deuotion Yet neuerthelesse because there be not wanting som who I know not out of what zeale carpe at the Institution of such manner of life I am for this respect wonne at the intreaty of a special friend to declare out of holy Scripture and ancient Fathers in what degree such kind of life in the Catholike Church is to be esteemed for the satisfaction of whom in a matter of such importance and so much pertayning to the good of soules I haue purposed to handle it in eight little Chapters following where in the first it is proued out of holy Scripture that this kind of life is pious and laudable In the second the same is proued by Exāples out of holy Scripture and Ecclesiasticall historyes In the third the same is conuinced by the Authorityes of holy Fathers In the fourth the same is confirmed by Theologicall Arguments In the fifth the same is also confirmed out of the good commodity which ensue of Chastity The sixt contayneth a solution to certaine obiections made concerning the merits of Marriage Chastity The seauenth setteth downe certaine admonitions aduices to be exactly followed in this estate The eight sheweth that this manner of life is truly and properly called an Estate CHAP. I. VVherin it is proued out of Scripture that that kind of life wherin some Men or VVomē liuing in the world leauing of costly apparrell vsing plain and modest attire doe vow Chastity is laudable and meritorious before God THERE be many in this age who vsing ouer much the liberty of their owne Iudgments disallow of this kind of life yet by what reasons or vpon what grounds they are moued so to do besids those which Iouinian the ancient heretike those also of his coate euen in these tymes hath alleadged I cannot imagine Neither do I think they haue any other vnles perhaps they consider the difficulties which this māner of life is subiect vnto are terrifyed with more dangers of liuing chast in this then in the state of religion For which cause they may thinke it more secure to vow Chastity in the one then in the other But neuerthelesse it is to be held as a point of faith that this State is not only lawful but also commendable and of great merit before Almighty God and the same practised not only of men and women but also of youth it selfe This is euidently conuinced out of holy Scriptur wher our Lord himself Matth. 9. doth openly cōmend this Institution For first when the Apostls hearing the speaches of our Blessed Sauiour cōcerning Marriage answered Si ita est c. If such be

Humility is extreme deformed and the vices with are couered ouer with the veyle of Vertue are insupportable odious in the sight of God Do not preferre thy self before another eyther for that thou art Noble Rich or Fayre or for any other exteriour ornament of thy body but rather esteeme thy selfe the more base and abiect therby to be truly greater in the sight of God For we are all borne of the same parents Adam Euen and all redeemed with the selfe same bloud of Iesus Christ. Do not regard the conditions of persons but their affections for their māners and carriage make them as well base as noble It is true liberty and noblenes indeed according to God not to be a slaue to sinne Who hath byn more famous or illustrious then S. Peter who was euē but a poore Fisherman Who among women hath been more noble then the B. Virgin who was neuerthelesse espoused but to a poore Carpenter To this Fisherman God notwithstanding gaue the keyes of Heauen and this humble Virgin was made worthy to be the Mother of God himselfe and her spouse S. Ioseph his Foster-Father Haue some conuenient retyred place in thy house whither thou maist repayre often to talke trait with God alone as well about that which belongeth to thy selfe as to thy family Content thy selfe to haue lost the first degree of Virginity that by the third thou art come to the secōd to wit that by the endeanour of marriage thou art come to the continency of Widdow-hood Many women whilst their husbands are aliue make vowes of Chastity are continent And shall not others who are freed from their husbands and are become widdowes much sooner performe the same God gaue thee a husbād and God hath taken him from thee againe therby made thee free from the seruitude of men Do thou therfore rēder him due thākes by thy chast and vertuous liuing in widdowhood Let the yong widdow who cannot or rather will not liue chast rather take a husband then the diuell Yow know by experience how many troubles cares anguishes of mynd marryage drawes with it Now that you haue vomited vp al the bitternesse therof wherfore will you be againe caught with the same The byrd that hath once had her foot in the limetwigs wil take heed for comming there againe I trow Make a Vertue of Necessity and leaue not a thing certaine for an vncertayne if you be wise Take heed of the coūsells of your Nurse and others of your house and family for that they do alwayes set before your eyes somthing that may please yow and that may turne to their owne profit cōmodity If in doing well your Father or carnal friends be heauy and grieued your Spouse Christ Iesus will reioyce And if your family weepe the Angells will singe You do not so much belong to those of whom you were borne as to him of whome yow were regenerat borne a new redeemed by his pretious bloud and death Let the yong Widdow if her stomacke be weake vse a little wyne but let her take heed of meates that be hoat of nature A Heathen women once said He that had my first loue was my husband and he that hath takē it away let him keep it with him still in his graue If an Infidell did so much dispraise and dislike a second marriage what shall be expected that a Christian widdow should do All these sayings are of good old S. Hierome in gathering wherof I haue byn the longer for that I hope they wil be pleasing cōfortable to widdows Now let vs see a little what S. Augustine will say vnto vs concerning the same subiect CHAP. VI. Documents for VViddowes out of S. Augustine THE widdow that hath Children ought to bring them vp and instruct them in the feare of God And this must be her principall care Neither ought she so much to glory that she hath children as that she hath indeed good and vertuous children If she resolue to keep her dowhood let her giue thankes to good who hath by his holy inspiration put this resolution into her hart let her in all things praise his holy Name Let her not despise those who haue not the intentiō to remayne widdowes but let her know that it is a speciall gift of God and that he giues it to whome he pleaseth and in diuers manners Let her imploy as much tyme to please and serue God as she hath done to please and serue her husband and by how much the more she shall please him by so much more shall she be happy Let her seeke to please God with the beauty of her soule as she hath done before to please the world with the beauty of her body to wit with her humility Chastity wisedome loue c. In place of carnall worldly pleasures let there succeed spirituall to wit prayer reading good thoughtes good workes frequēting the Sacraments hope of eternall life eleuation of the mind to God continual giuing of thanks to his diuin Maiesty These and the like are the true delights and pleasures of a true and vertuous Widdow Let her haue a speciall care that the loue of riches and Honours succeed not in place of the loue of her husband For many haue there beene who haue vanquished and ouercome the lasciuious wantonnes of the flesh and yet haue been themselues ouercome with couetousnes and haue loued riches so much the more disordinatly by how much they haue repressed the cōcupiscence desires of the flesh Let her exercise her selfe in all true vertue as well in her young age as in her old as much as her health and ablenesse of body will permit When she loues God with her whole hart all kind of labour and toyle seemes sweet and light And if it seeme pleasant vnto a hūter to follow a wild and sauage beast with so great labour toyle yea and danger of his life to take him what should it seeme vnto a soule inflamed with loue to take paynes for the getting of God himselfe Let not a Widdow though neuer so rich noble fayre yea and though she haue neuer so fayre an issue of children for this cause reioyce but accompt her selfe as one desolate in this world not relying vpon any other consolation but wholy vpon God esteeming her selfe but as a pilgrime vpon earth banished into this world from her heauenly Countrey subiect to many perils and miseryes a great way distant from eternall happynes most vncertaine euer to attaine therunto And therfore let her lament with King Dauid S Paul who had the like thoughts and cogitations If she do abound in riches yet let her not set her affection thereon And aboue all things let her contemne couetousnes and auarice the holy Scripture saying There is nothing more pernicious then couetousnes nothing more wicked then the loue of money since that for money the Couetous man will sel his own soule And the

Apostle sayth That couetousnes is the roote of all euil Our Sauiour also in the Ghospell telleth vs. How hard a thing it is for those that be rich to enter into the kingdome of heauen And that a Camell shall ēter more easily through a needle then a richman into the Kingdom of heauen By riches are vnderstood all earthly things and goods disordinatly affected or sought after When a widdow hath done her deuotions let her neuer be idle let her take in her hand either wooll or flaxe let her card let her spinne let her wind the yarn that others haue spon let her twist it let her see there be no fault in the worke and if there be any let her mend it do what is necessary Being thus continually occupyed the longest dayes will seem very short pleasant For the soule that is idle is full of bad desires as the holy Scripture insinuateth And nothing can be so pretious in the sight of God as to giue to the poore the labour of her owne handes Let a VViddow take heed of adorning or attyring her head with pearles Iewells or pretious carcanets nor vse frizeled hayre for these be the true signs of hell-fire but let her seeke another sorte of pretious stones and weare them to wit Humility Feare of God and other vertues to the end she may buy therwith that inestimable pearle margarite Christ Iesus the spouse of the soule Finally let a Widdow vse discretion maturity prudence in all her actions let her consider who she is who he is to whome she hath consecrated her Widdowhood to the end she may obtaine his earthly benediction for her selfe and her children in this world life eternall in the next CHAP. VII Diuers memorable Examples of true VViddowhood VVE haue spoken already of the Famous and glorious Widdowes Iudith and Anne the Prophetesse before the cōming of Christ. Let vs now set downe some other examples And first of all occurs that most noble and illustrious Roman Widdow Paula of whom S. Hierome writeh That so soone as her husband was dead contemning the pompes pleasurs of the world euen in the middest of so great wealth and aboundance of riches chose the state of perpetuall Continency in widowhood Blesilla likewise renowned for her beauty wealth and honour her husband desceasing she being left a young and noble Lady chose the holy State of widowhood by which she became renowned to al posterity Melania was no lesse prayse-worthy who when her husband being dead not as yet buryed she caused the bodyes of two of her sonnes of very great hope and expectation a little before also desceased to be brought vnto her husbands body where after extreme weeping sighing drowninge of her selfe almost in teares and euen loathing as it were marriage for the cares troubles torments that it bringes without any longer deliberation consecrated her selfe vnto God by vowing perpetuall Widdowhood Eufrasia likewise a Roman Lady is not inferiour to the aboue named whose husband dying she being in her young flourishing age fayre noble rich contemned a second marriage wherūto she was as sollicited by the Emperour himselfe And so dimissing her seruants and retinew retyred her selfe into Thebais where she liued most Saintly in perpetuall widdowhood The same did Elizabeth daughter to the King of Hungary who being depriued of her Lord and Husband presently contemned the pleasures of the Court and vanityes of the world giuing her selfe wholy to the seruice of poore sicke needy people not enduring that any man besides Iesus Christ should be called her Spouse which she truly acknowledged in the poor The noble and most worthy example of Constantia daughter to Cōstantine the Great Emperour is admirable who whilest her husband was yet liuing deserued to receaue the crowne and merit of Continency For that her Father the Emperour marrying her to Halicarnus Captaine of the Roman Army she first perswaded him to be a Christian afterward to giue ouer the warres to lay aside his purple and finally for the loue of Iesus Christ to vow perpetuall Chastity The same did Chunegundis wife to Henry the Emperour who perswaded him also to liue in perpetuall Chastity as she had vowed to do whereby they both became Saintes of Gods Church renowned to all posterity Neither must we passe ouer in silence the most worthy and noble example of Galla daughter to Simmachus a Consul of Rome whose husband deceasing and she left a yong and beautifull widdow was so assayled with infirmityes that her body became ful of botches and soares She consulted with her Doctours who all agreed that if she would be cured she must marry againe Whose counsell she so much disliked that she sayd She would rather endure the same all the dayes of her life yea death it self then marry againe which purpose she truly obserued most Saintly in holy Widdowhood to her dying-dying-day Ania also another Roman Lady and widdow of great worth and nobility yong fayre her husband being dead which he had enioyed but a small while was earnestly sollicited by her friends to a second marriage which she vterly refused Being by them demaunded the cause why she said If quoth she I should marry again find a good hubād like to my former I should liue continually in feare to loose him by death and least I should chāce to light vpon a bad husband I will not aduenture vpon such a disgrace An act and purpose surely wise and graue worthy to be considered attentiuely by widdowes that desyre to liue out of danger As nobly and prudently did Olimpia of Constantinople disciple of S. Iohn Chrysostome and the widdow of Nebridius Prefect of the Army a man of most noble Renowne who hauing byn married but twenty moneths only was exhorted by Theodosius the Emperour to marry againe since she was both yong fayre noble rich learned and held of euer one for a virgin She made this Answere If my Lord the Emperour quoth she would haue me to marry againe why did he so soone depriue me of my husband for he was slayne in the Emperours warres who was so agreable to my nature and myne to his But because his Highnesse knows me to be vnfit for a marryed Estate it seemes he hath quickly deliuered me from that seruitude and made me print in my hart the delight of Continency in widdowhood And let no man meruaile that the continency of widdowhood is so much recōmended to Christian women seing that among the Gentills specially the old Romans the same was so greatly honoured that when a widdow died her head was adorned with a Crowne of Continency and to caryed in solemne triumph to her graue The said Romans did also attribute another honour to the Continency of Widdowhood which was That on the wedding day there were no women suffered to come neere much lesse to touch the Bride but only such as had beene the wiues of one husband to wit such as had beene