Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	great_a	think_v	4,338	5	3.9369	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01420	An abridgement of Christian perfection Conteining many excellent precepts, & aduertisments, touching the holy, and sacred mysticall diuinity. Written in Italian, by Fa. Achilles Galliardi of the Society of Iesus, &translated into English, A.H. of the same society; Breve compendio intorno alla perfezione cristiana. English	Galliardi, Achilles, 1537-1607.; Percy, Mary, Lady, 1570-1642.; Hoskins, Anthony, 1568-1615, attributed name.; Berinzaga, Isabella Cristina, 1551?-1624, attributed name. aut	1625 (1625)	STC 11539; ESTC S120493	51,187	200

extinguished Thirdly that there may increase cōtinue in the soule the knowlege of her basenes little worth Fourthly that she may attayne to a new light and know that perfection doth not consist in being free from temptations and in hauing peace betweene sensuality reason for it may so fall out that these temptations wil be more vehement then those that she had before and that she shall suffer much by them and therefore she ought to hold her self assured that our Lord by such meanes will bring her to greater vertue Wherfore when she beginneth to enter into such afflictions or troubles she ought before al things to humble her selfe descend into her owne nothing and acknowledge herselfe worthy of all temptations and in the same manner as she was already before accustomed to receyne with contentmēt the contempt and afflictions outwardly so ought she to inforce herselfe to reioice in that our Lord is pleased to humble her and to permit her thus to be buffeted of the diuell Secondly she ought to be willing to want the peace and repose that she felt when she had no great temptations and likewise all the contentment which she had therein And how much the more such repose is a high and excellent good so much the greater sacrifice it is more pleasing vnto God to be willingly depriued thereof for the l●ue of him Thirdly she ought to admit with the same affection and promptnes as is spoken of before the subtraction or withdrawing that our Lord doth vse which cōsisteth in this that he doth not permit the vertue or power of the superiour part to redound worke in the inferiour by giuing it such force as that it shold not feele these temptations which would be if God did concurre therein as before but our Lord withdraweth such concourse and from hence proceedeth anxiety and affliction Fourthly she ought not to inforce herselfe to d●…ue away these temptations with great pennance and mortification of nature as she did at the b●ginning when she was a No●…ce for by that way as is read of some Saints the temptations increase rather then otherwise but she ought to submit herselfe vnto God with humility for to suffer them willingly as long as it is in his will pleasure and then not to care for them but to contemne them Afterwardes of this followeth the conformity to the diuine will greater then euer seeing that to conforme her selfe vnto him the soule is content to be left comfortlesse and to suffer such paine and confusion which is most pleasing to his diuine maiesty besides that it is very cōformable to that which our Redeemer did when being in the garden he would that the inferiour part should find difficulty to suffer neuerthelesse he said non mea sed tu● voluntas fi●t not my will o Father but thine be done And of this conformity riseth in the soule not only a loue of vnion that trās formeth it into God more highly but also a loue and desire of the crosse in conformity with our Sauiour when as to accōplish the diuine will she is content to suffer temptation And heere she doth not only offer and dedicate herselfe vnto God but doth also sacrifice herselfe vnto him THE SIXT Degree CHAP. IX BESIDES all this that hath beene sayd the affliction and payne is accustomed to passe further and come euen to the superiour part where vertue and spirit make their residence And so she shall perceaue her selfe to fayle want light in her vnderstanding and good purposes and desires in her affections promptnes to doe well strength and patience the like in such sort as where before she did fight with great force and vigour now it will seeme vnto her that she is without strength and vertue and that she cannot resist and euery little straw will seeme vnto her a blocke and so shall feele and perceaue nothing but obscurity and blindnes great darkenes aridity or drinesse grief tepidity rebellion pusillanimity confusion and great oppression seeming vnto her vnpossible to returne to her first designementes good purposes And heere in very truth is great danger if she do not inforce herselfe to remedy it as she should to the end she fall not into sundry great inconueniences whē she is thus abandoned which happeneth in diuers manners First in apprehēding too firmely all this that hath beene spoken of to be a great misery for this cause afflicting her selfe growing sad Secondly too earnest setting her selfe to thinke of what cause they proceed attributing all to her owne defaults and inforcing herselfe to look curiously into them Thirdly of set purpose procuring with great diligence to free herselfe of them to take order to remedy all and returne to her first estate esteeming the present to be miserable and yet neuerthelesse leesing all this labour for this being not the true way nor the remedy of her euill she findeth the trouble to be thereby increased Fourthly for this cause the soule is accustomed to fall into impatience feare and pusillanimity in danger to despayre it seeming vnto her that nothing doth help her and that she goeth from euill to worse Supposing thē the soule to be exercised in these foresayd degrees it is needfull she consider with her selfe principally with the help of him that guideth her the secret and me●uaylous mysteries that are hidden herein For the first thē let her know that the true cause of all that is sayd is the diuine prouidence who willing to make proofe and to purify a soule after he hath enriched her with vertues and great strength in the supe●iour part is wont to retire his accustomed succours without the which these vertues cannot work whe●of it commeth that although she haue them yet do they seeme to her that she hath them not and from hence followeth darkenes aridity and other miseries already spoken off notwithstanding the graces and foresayd vertues remaining in the soule as before For the second this subtraction or diuine withdrawing doth not proceed of the absence of vertues giftes and graces seeing that they remayne entierly in the soule it doth lesse proceed from the action of thē for so much as indeed the soule is depriued thereof But we must consider that in internal and spirituall actions there is a direct act that tendeth directly to God to wit the same internall act or operation touching his obiect as for example the practicall knowledge and election or lawfull desire to haue a wil to suffer to haue a will to loue God to haue a will to be temperate chast obedient not to consent vnto sin c. There is also the act reflectiue that turneth to wardes it selfe to wit to discerne iudge whether he doth such an act whereby he may receaue contentment and reioyce therein for the glory of God for that he discerneth himselfe by the same to be strong and victorious ouer temptations with great repose of the soule Of

these two the first is the pure act of vertue the secōd is the fruit that redoundeth in vs the fruition of the same vertue this is most cleare that the act of temperance doth not consist to perceaue that he ●ath it or to reioyce in it or content himselfe therein but to desire it and effectuate it Now God concurreth in the first and by that meanes the acts of vertue are performed but he withdraweth the second to wit our knowledge reflection iudgment and satisfaction to haue done thē and therfore it seemeth to vs that we do them not in the place of the knowledge withdrawne hapneth darknes blindnes in place of the ioyfull affection succeedeth aridity drynesse euen as it hapneth to him that is almost starued who receyuing food into his stomacke neyther feeleth nor tasteth it it is cleare that he eateth and notwithstanding it seemeth vnto him he eateth not and hath in a manner no more satisfaction of such an act then if he had not done it Seeing then that it is not properly vertue to perceaue our interiour actions and that therin doth not consist vertuous effects and operations being only satisfaction vnto our selues our Lord pretending to bereaue vs of all our proper tast interest as a hinderance betwixt him vs. leaueth vs the purity of vertue which is no other thing but to desire it put it in effect and taketh away the second which is a certayne selfeloue more subtile then those that haue yet beene specifyed an interest with the which the soule nourisheth it selfe and such as diuerteth vs from greater vnion with God and this being so it is plainely to be seene that there is not only no euill heerin nor any danger to be feared but that the soule by such a diuine work is purifed the more in vertue and is purged from all proprieties and selfe interest although it be very hidden and is raysed to a degree and disposition of greater grace much more vnion with God then before For to make all this manifest the soule that is come to this estate must be aduertised of two pointes The first that if she will examine the purity of vertue she shall see the same in her actions more then euer she did For if one should demaund of her in these griefes obscurities and rebellions if she would offend God she would presently answere that Sauiour Iesus Christ of whom it is written in the beginning of his dolorous passion Coepit pauere ●adere moestus esse that is to say he began to be troubled to feare and became sad and after he said Tristis est anima mea vsque ad mortem my soule is sorrowfull euen vnto death Now we must consider three pointes First the greatnes of the paine torments that he was presently to endure Secondly that then was with drawne from him the concurrence of strength patience magnanimity the like vertues concerning the feeling of them in the manner aforesaid and for that cause he presētly fell into so great anguish feare heauines that the least of his sorrowes seemed vnto him insupportable wherof before he reioiced so much in thinking of them saying Baptis●… hab●… baptizari qu●m●do c●arctor vsque dum perfici●tur I haue to be baptized with a Baptisme how am I straitened vntill it be dispatched Thirdly that with all this the stedfastnes of vertue was most firme more stable thē euer seeing that in these words to his Apostles Surgite ●amu● arise let vs go that is to meet them that came to apprehend him he discouered a meru●ilous promptnes to suffer patience strength and a generosity of hart not to be ouercome or quailed by such a withdrawing or subtraction before mentioned● by which the holy Doctors say that our Lord merited then for the holy Martyrs other Saints who in their torments and paines were so richly armed with patience strength magnanimity other vertues in the superiour part that by the same vertues they did so triumph reioyce euen in the middest of their paines tormēts as we read of many holy Martyrs When thē it shall please our Lord to take away bereaue a soule for the loue he beares it of this garment with the foresaid subtraction or withdrawing as he doth in this estate then it is cleare that he bringeth her to a higher imitation of himselfe then was the other seeing that the same subtraction was vsed to him by his eternall Father And besides this reason of the most liuely imitation of our Lord there followeth others also to wit that how much the superior part is more noble then the inferiour or then the body so much more the suffering of it or both together is more noble then any martyrdome whatsoeuer of body only if it be without the other And moreouer to suffer with this fredom liberty or sensible force of vertue with which the Martyrs were indued was as easye vnto them as if they had bene in the middest of roses But with this subtractiō or withdrawing it seemeth not only difficult but also impossible So that with all this difficulty to be thus magnanimous and couragious with all efficacy maketh vs more apt and prepared for higher vertue and greater merit And finally to find our selues so freely highly raysed vnto vertue naturally it is an occasion of perill danger of pride wherfore vnto S Paul Ne magnitudo reuelationum extelleret eum least the greatnes of his reuelatiōs should extoll him there was giuē to preserue him the temptation of the flesh so to counterpoise the daunger which might follow by this height of vertue the soule is plunged into this extreme low estate by the feeling which she hath of troubles feares c. And therfore she is secure that is she is preserued from danger which is a signe of higher estate for that she hath a great foundation of humility and knowledg of her owne basenes This as it seemeth may be gathered of the temptation of S. Paul which was giuen him for auoyding the perill wherin he was wherof it followeth that the hauing of that temptation of the flesh was a higher estate then the first seeing that by this meanes the hinderances and imperfections of the first are taken away and he is made more secure therby in such sort as this estate is a certaine probation that God maketh of his elect a liuely imitation of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ a more excellent Martyrdome then the exteriour founded vpon profound humility which is more sure then any other whatsoeuer and is of greater merit and a disposition to receiue greater gifts graces which is more an enemy to proper loue for that it taketh away the satisfaction and contentment that is receaued of vertues and so by consequence increaseth commeth to be of greater conformity with the diuine will is enkindled more in loue towards God then the others

worke to wit that as there is an Angell appointed ouer proper loue to rep●esse it and fight against it so there is another ouer the loue of God to conserue increase and augment it who from the beginning of their creation were deputed to this function the one the other not passing further then their charge S. Gabrid was deputed ouer diuine loue by the meanes whe●of he was chosen to be the messenger of the sacred m●stery of the Inca●nation of the God a work of most singular loue of Almighty God towardes mankind vnto whome it was especially reuealed in heauē by the most Bl●ss●d ●…mity when the diuine persons made their actes of reciprocall loue S. Michael was also appointed ouer proper loue and therfore whē Lucifer rebelled in heauen against God seeking to be like to the most high equalling himselfe with him he was ordeyned by our Lord to resist him as one that had a great zeale of diuine loue contray to this selfe-loue Our Lord then reuealed this secret to this holy Lady and sayd vnto her Aduertise thy spiritual Father that he may learne that when any one would heale a soule infected with Selfe-loue he demaund my aydand succour by the prayers intercessiō of S. Michael the Archāgel and when any soule shal be touched surprized with diuine loue it is needfull that she implore the fauour of S. Gabriel to the end that by this meanes she may more easily attaine vnto the soueraigne perfection of the said loue of God AN APPENDIX TO THIS ABRIDGMENT whereby to ascend to a most high Perfection THe perfectiō presupposed of all the estates before declared euen vnto this present cosisteth in an vtter forsaking of al pretēces whatsoeuer not to pretend any other thing but God only in a most excellent and a most perfect manner in all our actions whereby we may attayne vnto a most high perfectiō which consisteth in the examen following distinguished into seauen points 1. The first is when the soule apprehendeth any trouble or afflictiō that of new is presented vnto her For that then by the suggestiō of the inferiour or infirme part the apprehension of such a crosse is accustomed to be very vehement and with this a thousand exaggerations wil be presented that will cause it to appeare more violent wherby the soule is accustomed to take this affliction with much difficulty and many repugnances To remedy this and to prouide for it throughly it is necessary that the superior part of the soule propose all this before her as a iudge doth who before he giue his sentence harkeneth to the reasons of both parties prouided alwayes that she be not mooued any thing with their reasons but that she remayne without passiō or any kind of alteration suspending her iudgement vntill she find out what may be according to reason and that she may the better vnderstand it these two meanes will ayd her The one is that she enter into herselfe and consider how Almighty God knoweth and seeth all her troubles and whatsoeuer she endureth and therfore she ought to remit it wholy into his hands to dispose thereof as he seeth most expedient The second is to consider belieue assuredly that euen as the diuine boūty desireth nothing but our good euen so his diuine prouidence which is hid from vs not being permitted vnto vs to seeke too curiously into it knoweth very well how to prouide remedy all in time and manner as it shall seeme best vnto him and not as best liketh vs nor as it may best please vs. Of this suspension and repose of spirit follow two things the first that she putteth away and reiecteth all the hinderances and trouble and the deceytes that might happen by this apprehension and secondly it wil follow that she shall come to conceaue a true pure sincere and mature apprehension of all her affayres The second point is that when the soule is come to receaue and accept this affliction as comming from God REMEDIES SHE must not rest herself heere or permit herselfe to accept of it as often many soules are accustomed to doe to wit basely with an infinit number of difficultyes of excuses and seeking of themselues but she must accept thereof ●o offer it returne it vnto God accepting it only in him and for him 4. The fourth point is to know in what manner the superiour part must suffer with the inferiour and with the exteriour senses in the repugnances contrarieties which they feele as hath bene said before REMEDIES THE superiour part ought to doe all that hath bene said before in the behalfe of the inferiour and weakest partes in such sort that it be not with a certaine excessiue violēce which may cause thē wholy to loose their strength and vigour or so as may trouble or make the soule pusillanimous and fearefull or els vtterly vnable to support so great a blow but she ought for this cause somthing to suffer with them and encourage them with all the reasons the can imagine and she must doe all this with the greatest discretion that she can possibly in giuing now and then some relaxation vnto their trauailes and afflictions in seeking the most conuenient remedies that she can aduise herselfe of Euen as one that would haue a horse or any other beast to serue his turne will giue him more meat to the end he may be strong and able to trauaile better when there is need And when by reason of diuine subtraction she cannot vse the force of any act of cōsola●iō or ra●sing vp of her mind she ought to repose in this and procure the partes that are inferiour to repose in the will of God and this by meanes of the diuine conformity which will bring much more true and strengthning consolation although it doth not seeme so 5. The fift point is how she ought to comport herselfe with selfe-loue in this case or the like REMEDIES SELFE-Loue is accustomed to pretend seeke in all thinges her owne interest and particuler cōmoditie directly or indirectly and it doth so also in this vnder pretence of many good reasons yea euen of vertues and purposeth many thinges that are not to the purpose for this cause the soule with the purity of a right intentiō ought to discouer by the light of the loue of God all his deceipts oppose herselfe against this selfe loue very freely and effectually by the force of a pure cleane loue she ought to reiect all particuler and selfe respect and follow purely that which God shall inspire and teach her 6. The sixt point is how that the superiour part ought to answere to the propositions or offers that our Lord will make vnto her concerning these paines and afflictions or other greater REMEDIES AFTER this that hath byn aboue said our Lord is accustomed to make many propositiōn to the soule as for example that he will send her many other afflictions or els make her