Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A09510
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Morbus epidemicus, or The churles sickenesse In a sermon preached before the iudges of the assises. By T.P.
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Pestell, Thomas, 1584?-1659?
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1615
(1615)
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STC 19790; ESTC S114584
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15,123
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30
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as an Asse which all day carries treasure and is much galled and bruised with his burthen but enioyes no comfort in his carriage And therefore Chrysostome compares a couetous man to a man possest with a Deuill who is vext and anguished in his body So that if a man will haue but so much care as Peter wished Christ to haue to be good to himselfe it will bee cause inough to draw him from this cursed euill which is not onely an euill of sinne but an euill punishment for sinne But because many euill and couetous worldlings esteeme themselues notwithstanding all this euill to bee yet in good estate and in health it now followes that wee proue it to bee a sicknesse and all such men in danger of their soules health There 's an euill sicknes The couetous man imagines himselfe a possessor but himselfe indeed is possest and wee may as truely say this sicknesse hath the man as this man the sicknesse A disease then it is euen by Tullies confession Illi morbo qui permanat in venas inharet in viâ—ceribus nec erelit potest nomen est Auaritia quae it a mentes hominum asirictas tenet vt cas nullo modo respirare permittat That disease sayeth hee which sinks into the veines and bowels and cannot be drawne thence giuing a man no time of breathing is couetousnesse So that it seemes to bee no acute sicknes as Physitians speakes for foureteene dayes but rather a Chronicall disease for longer continuance and where all other diseases haue commonly foure parts this hath but two a beginning and an encrease but neyther State nor Diminution and therefore in this there is no place left for a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee expected Now as all weakenes and diseases of the body are from some wickednesse eyther from some defect in our conception or disorder in our conuersation so this last giues being and beginning to this of the soule for it rises vpon a repletion a suefet an ouercharging not caused by the intemperature of the Heauens or any externall violence A repletion not of digestible food but as if if a man should eate stickes and stones and fire and brimstone no maruell if they make him sicke nay it is a dangerous sicknesse a sickenesse vnto death and if a man bee taken with it wee may iustly seare his life for wee are taught that he which hates couetousnesse his dayes shall bee prolonged vpon earth Prou. 28.16 And this sinne it hath all the signs and symptomes of a disease First vomiting Hee hath deuoured substance and shall vomit it for God shall bee his Physitian and purge him and shall draw it out of his belly Iob. 20.15 Secondly want of sleepe and rest All his dayes are sorrowe and his trauell is griese his heart also takes no rest in the night Eccles 2.23 Whose estate is therefore more base sayeth Olimpiodoras then the most wretched seruants for the couetous mans money which is his Master will not allow him sleepe Hee cannot indeed possibly take any rest but is euer tumbling tossing as King Achab when desire of Naboths vineyard had once pierced and possest his soule the Text sayeth Hee came home heauy and euill apaied throwes himselfe vpon his bed and there hee languisheth and winds himselfe turnes away his face and would eate no bread for he was maw-sick stomacke-sicke of couet ousnes Thirdly to shew apparantly that couetousnes is a disease be the dreames of the â—â—men who are sicke of it As the hungry man dreames and be hold hee eateth and when hee awakes his soule is empty or as a thirsty man dreawes and loe he is drinking and when hee awakes behold hee iâ— faint and his soule longs Isaiah 29.8 So sayeth David When these men haue slept their sleepe and haue awaked they haue found â—othing in their honds And as sicke men are 〈◊〉 by troubled with fantâ—sticall and terrible dreams 〈◊〉 no question but these mens dreames arâ— ful◠〈◊〉 horror and affrightment still thinking oâ— th◠〈◊〉 and robbers that came to despoyle them of their goods their gods of siluer and golde or if theyr dreames like allusions of the Deuill seeme merrie yet they are sadde and sorrowfull in the euent and interpretation The rich man in the Gospell speaks betwixt sleeping and waking Soule take thy ease Thou hast goods layde vp instore for thee for many yeeres This was his dreame and it was a very fine one and a merry but when Christ comes to expound it you know what hee sayeth Thou foole this night wil they fetch thy soule from thee then whose shall those thinge bee that thou hast gathered together Luk 12.20 Thus you haue heard it proued an euill and a sicknes Now put them both together and you shal find it an euill sicknesse For first it is a Leprosie a spirituall Leprosie though it turnde to a reall and a corporall Leprosie in Gehezi who by Couetousnesse became a Leaper as white as snow 2 Reg. 5. vlt. And as in the Leper there is an vniuersall deprauation and corruption of all the humours and a generall infection of all his members so in this sicknes all the humours that is all the good affections of his soule are corrupt especially the Humidum radicale the moysture of his roote and heart his Charity that is consumed and dryed away Nay in all the powers and saculties both of soule and body hee is altogether corrupt become abhominable Againe it is an euill sicknes for it is a perpetuall inward wasting and Dysentery and therefore the phrase in Iude is that such men are powred out or cast away by the deceit of Balaam wages so violent is this euill so raging is this sickenes that it makes men dissolute and cast-awayes It is an euill sickenes It is the Spleene for as that increasing all other naturall partes decrease so the encrease of Couetousnes is the downefall and decay of all Christian vertues Liberality Iustice Charity c. Which swelling couetous Spleene so growes vpon a man that it hardens it selfe against all soft and supple medicines All their gentle pilles will not moue him tiâ—l hee come at length to a consumption that hee may say with Dauid My dayes are like a shadow and I am withered like grasse Psal 102.11 An euill sickenes for its a Lethargie a dull and sleepy disease causing a man to take no true comfort in heauen and heauenly things but setting and setling and rooting his affections on the earth neuer enioying one dramme or scruple of contentment alwayes drooping and heauy For the Diuell hath giuen him such a drousie Opiate that all their Electuarium Exhilarans cannot rouse him from his Melancholy nor their Latificans Galem shake him from his dumpes and make him merry It is yet worse to witte the Greedy-worme For the heart set on fire with couetousnesse cannot bee satisfied or quenched with boughes and wood of riches but onely with the earth of the graue This is
MORBVS EPIDEMICVS OR THE CHVRLES SICKENESSE IN A SERMON Preached before the Iudges of the Assises BY T. P. 1. TIM 6.10 The desire of money is the roote of all euill which while some lusted after they erred from the faith and pierced themselues through with many sorrowes LONDON Imprinted by Thomas Creede for Arthur Iohnson and are to bee solde at his shoppe in Paules Churchyard at the White Horse neere the great North dore of Powles 1615. TO MY NOBLE AND worthy Patrone Sir Thomas Beamont Knight of Coleorton in the County of Leicester NOble Sir I shall need I hope neither long-winded Periods nor circklings and trauersings to discouer how much I am in duty for euer engaged to you since it 's apparant enough that my whole maintenance hitherto hath beene from you alone nor thereby to draw you to thinke that I meane as I speake which I am already fullie perswaded you doe Let it suffice then that I protest there was no other motiue or inducement of publishing this Sermon but onely a desire the world should take notice that if I could doe any thing it should bee to you principally directed God knowes I am farre from thinking any thing in this worth a good thought it being a thing fashioned and begotten in the extremity of my sickenesse and so will seeme I know to all of sound iudgement and in the minority and infancy of my studies in Diuinity yet it is by iust title yours whose I was then and am still and for Whose seruice it was then deliuered And I trust you are able to quitte me from any peece of pride or ostentation in this matter So that all my ambition in this publication is next Gods glory to please you who perchance in not assenting to their opinion do many times affoord mee the commendation whereof I confesse my selfe altogether vnworthy vnlesse it deserue any prayse that I am and euer will be a faithfull honourer of you and your Noble Lady beseeching the highest not to take his blessings from you nor from your children after you THOMAS PESTELL MORBVS EPIDEMICVS OR The Churles Sicknes ECCLESIASTES 5.12 There is an euill sickenesse I haue seene vnder the Sunne A Reuerend opinion Right Honorable Right Worshipfull and beloued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ is exacted fiem vs in regard of the Author of these words T' is a King that speakes a wise apreaching King King Solomon the Preacher Nay loe a greater a wiser then Solomon is here He was a wise King the wisest had a wise Spirit giuen him of God Here 's the King the spirit the God of wisdome himselfe Solomon onely the Penne-man who winged with this heauenly spirite did ouersoare and escape the vaine things which are done vnder the Sun One of which hee here entreates of and call's it Nalum Infirmum a sicke ilnesse or an euil sicknes There 's an euill sicknes I haue seene vnder the Sunne This Text hath two parts First an Assertion There 's an euill sicknesse Secondly a Probation or euidence and that 's double First I haue seen 't saies Solomon Secondly the place where Vnder the Sunne The Assertion is a Description of Couetousnesse It 's an euill it 's a sicknesse and ti 's an euill sicknesse Couetousnesse sayeth Austine is in all things in euery desire as of honour knowledge c. and so is term'd the root of all euill but more strictly taken t' is defin'd by the three causes First the formall an immoderate desire 2. the material riches 3. the efficient a diffidency or distrust in Gods prouidence Which vice sayes the Philosopher consists especially in three things 1. An ouer-earnest and couetous desire of getting 2. A griping and ouer-carefull keeping 3. basenesse and beastlinesse in dispensing Now though Solomon speake principally of one or mixtly of two of these namely the anguishing Now though Solomon speake principally of one or mixtly of two of these namely the anguishing and torturing of the couetous soule receyuing no ioy in the enioying of his wealth no quiet or contentment but on the contrary is hurt and endammaged For so it followes in the verse I haue seene an euill sicknesse to witte Riches reserued to the owners thereof for their euill Yet since hee speakes in the 15. verse against this vaine desire in generall and calles it there by the same name Anouill sicknes Therefore I purpose to discourse of the wordes as a generall description of this sinne And indeed I may discourse and handle it at my pleasure but to small purpose For what should this assemblie heare of couetousnesse Is this a fitte Text for the Assises I might haue kept this Sermon for the Citie among Tradesmen and Vsurers But I will rest a while and shew you the fitnesse of such a Theme for this time place and persons First then I must intreat you to vnderstand and remember Right Honourable and Christian audience that Couetousnesse as it is an immoderate desire of riches in the interior affectiōs of the soule so it 's opposed to liberality but as it imports an exorbitant and vnmeet acception and keeping vp of money so ti 's contrary to Iustice and in that regarde not vnfitte for the time Againe because this sinne is a superfluous loue of hauing riches it exceedes in two things First t' is excessiue in retayning and on this part arises hence an obduration and hardnesse of heart against mercy when a man turns clemency into vengeance and is not relieuefull to the poore Secondly it exceedes in taking and so it fals two wayes into consideration eyther as it is in the affection and so thence arises anguish and disquietnesse superfluous cares and busie distraction 2. or as it is in the effect and thus whiles it couets other mens goods it vses somtimes force which belongs to violence and sometimes craft which craft if it bee committed in any businesse then as it respects the things themselues it is deceipt but as it concernes the persons t' is betraying as in Iudas But be the craft vsed in word onely then t' is cousonage in a simple and bare word and if an oath bee added periuty And all these saies Gregorie are the spawne and brood of Couetousnes Now wee all know that these vermine this generation of Vipers will bee very busie at euerie Assises violence and oppression crafty deceipt and cousonage betraying periury Which being true I feare me the cursed damme will likewise finde a roome amongst vs. Especially if wee call to minde that Encomion of Basil concerning this sinne which is sayes he the mother and mistresse of all sinne and mischiefe which commits sacriledge theft and rapine makes warres and slaughters sels and buyes by Simony askes and receiues wickedly does commerce and take vsury vniuflly dealing falsly by craft and cousenage dissolues couenants and violates lates oaths corrupts testimonies peruerts iudgement And to come to examine the present times What 's now the reason that almost halfe the worlde