Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	place_n	see_v	2,893	5	3.1798	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00762	A Godlie treatisse declaryng the benefites, fruites, and great commodities of prayer and also the true vse therof. Written in Latin, fourtie yeres past, by an Englyshe man, of great vertue [and] learnyng. And lately translated into Englyshe. 1560.; Tractatus de orando Deum. English	Fisher, John, Saint, 1469-1535.; Montagu, Anthony Browne, Viscount, ca. 1528-1592.	1560 (1560)	STC 10888; ESTC S114263	34,037	100

The translatour to the Reader A Man that lyste diligentlye to consider deeply to weygh the wonderfull chaunge whiche vniuersallye euery age bryngeth and woorketh in all worldly thynges shall perceaue that it seemeth in maner not to be the worlde that before it was but rather in comparyson the firste consummate and ended a newe substitute and succeedyng in the place therof And whither a man lyke to obserue the same in matters of great waight or els of lesse importaūce he shall not want cause to wonder to see such mutation in all thinges But were it so that this chaunge were for the better than might man iustly receaue comfort by the consideration thereof But alas it is so farre from that that on the contrary parte we maye beholde in so many and so often mutations decay in euery one eche one worse then other so the last worst of all the rest Which thyng ryght well appeareth aswell by diuine as prophane wryters in euery age amongste whom the poetes not without great consideration esteemed the first to be lyke golde the next so decayed that it was from golde abased to syluer the thirde to brasse the fourth of lesse price and halue and was become lyke iron whervpon they all lament the decay of vertue loue and feare of God decay of charitie decay of true fayth decay of mutuall loue decay of fidelitie good conscience decay of obedience decay of humilitie and finally and chiefly decay of deuotion prayer and heauenly contemplation whiche ought to be the roote out of the which all the rest should growe and flooryshe as proceedyng frō a perfect loue and reuerent feare of God For by the decay therof God is not called vppon for his grace and assistaunce he is not thanked praysed for his mercye and great benefites the rewarde of his mercy is not desired the horrible punyshement of his iustice is not feared whereby we lyue as though we had no nede of God and as though we hoped for no better nor mistrusted no worse than we fynd here as though God were not the rewarder of vertue and punysher of vice and finally as though there were no God at all no resurrection no heauen nor hell So as in this tyme these olde verses are more than trulye verified here Eleu viunt homines tanquam mors nulla sequatur Et velut infernus fabula vana foret Men lyue and yet beleue not That death wyll ouertake them And paynes of hell they feare not For fables they accompt them For if God be why acknowlege not we his power maiestie and omnipotencie and honour hym thereafter If God be mercyfull why craue we not his mercy If God be iuste why feare we not his vengeaunce and begge his pardon If God be the spouse of the soule of man why do we not loue hym why be we not desirous to be conuersant with him and continually to delight in hym who 〈◊〉 farre in loue with the soule of man that yf man do but faythfully craue his mercy pardon grace fauour and assistaunce he doth louyngly graunt the same yea he doth preoccupate and prepare our hartes to call on hym yf we frowardly and wylfully put not awaye and refuse to folowe his holy inspiration so as of his only mercie he ●eaueth no meane to drawe man vnto hym yf he lyste to applie his owne endeuour Which yf it folowe not than doth man turne the vnmeasurable goodnesse of God so reiected and refused to the multiplying of his owne synne And than doth the wonderfull vnkyndenesse and too too muche vnthankefulnesse of man vnspeakablye set foorth the mercies of God who wylleth all men to be saued who restrayneth his grace from no man excepte he harden his owne hart eyther by presumption dispayre or wicked securitie in synne yea who knocketh and beateth at the dore of our conscience desireth to enter and dwell with vs onlye he requireth to be let in and his habitation prepared for hym and yet doth he that hymselfe too For yf we do but admit hym in he clenseth the house of our soule yea he hath alredy wasshed and made cleane the same with the bloud of his deare sonne so as we vse the due meanes to applie the same vnto vs. But the more God seeketh vs the mor● we shunne him the more he desireth v● the lesse we care for hym the more w● neede hym the lesse we thynke of hym ▪ So as he is by our ouergreat vnkyndenesse and wylfulnesse much more nowe weryed than when he complayned by the Prophete Esaye of the Israelites saying Laboraui sustinens I am ouer weeryed with bearyng and long sufferyng your sinnefull lyfe and abhominable doynges And therefore this decaye must needes be the greatest wheresoeuer it happen as by the want whereof all the rest consequentlye do folowe of necessitie and losse of that whiche onelye is to be desyred in this lyfe whiche is the heauenlye comfort of his diuine inspiration growyng to manne by the often consideration of the benefites of Christ incarnate crucified and rysen agayne and not only that but also the consummation of that ioye and felicitie in heauen neuer to ende Howe sore this greateste vertue is decayed and what cause we haue iustly to lament the same it may wel appeare by this litle treatisse ●ritten in Latin by an Englyshe man ● Bishop of great learning and maruei●ous vertue of lyfe suche one as seemed perfe●●ly to taste and sauour how sweete and pleasaunt the spirite of GOD is Who in his worke so profoundely doth penetrate the comfort ioy and consolation commyng by true prayer that any man readyng the same with diligence may easily perceaue what he loseth that frequenteth not prayer And so farre instructeth all men not only to pray but also so to pray that the● lose not the fruit therof shewyng both howe prayer best pleaseth God and how it most profiteth our selues And in that his tyme more than fourtie yeres past lamented mooned yea cryed out vppon the decaye of prayer contemplation and the want of the true vse therof in all degrees and the lousse lyfe of men and vntowardnesse to praye whiche be so frayle so weake so peruerse of nature so beset with daylye enemies so prone to the worst that they ought asmuch as might be continually to praye continually to arme them selfe with strength and constancie of the grace of God to fight with theyr enemies synne the deuyll the worlde and the fleshe weepeth vppon the euyll examples of Byshoppes Priestes and Cleargie who shoulde moue other by the perfection of theyr life wayeth the hardnesse of our hartes that beyng well taught lyste not to folowe the same complayneth that the world prayeth not no nor knoweth what prayer is nor howe to pray sheweth how prayer is abolyshed and the fruite thereof lost yea by them that do praye for that eyther their prayer is not pure and pleasyng God or els theyr lyfe and workes disagreeing and

vtterly false and deceytfull For yf it myght be true than were it by the same reason neyther needefull nor wysedome for the sicke to seke phisicke nor the husbande man to labour to manure and tyll his grounde Wherefore as the husbande man may not loke for fruite of his fieldes except he tyll and sowe neyther yet the sicke man atteyne his health except he be content to folow the aduice of his phisition Euen so can no Christian man atchieue the fruition of perfecte felicitie vnlesse he fyrste haue the grace of God to lyue well and thervnto can he not at any time come without the helpe and meane of continuall faythfull prayer And like as we do most commonly see for trueth that those sicke men must needes peryshe that refuse the medicines councell aduice of their phisitions and that those fieldes be without all doubt barreyne and fruitlesse whiche want manuryng and good husbanding Euen so maye we be well assured that without prayer good workes it is not possible for vs to obteyne euerlastyng felicitie And therefore albeit that God hath ordeyned that eternal beatitude as the supreme last ende to all good men yet was it not his wyll that man should atteyne vnto the fame but by such iuste meanes as he had appoynted And therfore first and principallye if a man do not first begyn with a good lyfe let him neuer loke to end with that glory which is to come and therewith lette no man thynke to obteyne the grace to lyue wel excepte he do by daylye and continuall prayer craue begge the same of God Begyn therefore we must with prayer from the whiche no doubt wyll folowe good lyfe by the whiche we shall at the last be brought to the glorious blysse of heauen euen vnto the present syght and fruition of the omnipotent maiestie of God hym selfe the want whereof is the moste extreme losse and miserie whiche doth moste manifestlye appeare by the vnsatiable desyre of our myndes For we seke in euery corner a felicitie which may satisfie vs and fulfyll our desyres and we foolyshly thynke that it may be gotten eyther of worldely pleasures of riches of honours or at the least of them all ioyned together wherby it foloweth that we neuer make an end in desiring sekyng for them yea for the gettyng of thē groweth the disturbaunce of al good orders and the confusion of all thynges thorowe the worlde And yet when we haue them there is nothyng in them that can or is able to satisfie our mindes forasmuche as they be with none other thyng satisfied sauyng only the supreme felicitie and glory of God Haue we not than greate cause by all meanes and wayes possible to seeke and trauaile for the beholdyng and fruition of this ioye and felicitie whan by the want thereof we fall presently into perpetuall calamitie and miserie But forasmuche as the only redy and assured high way to bring vs to that iourneyes ende is good lyfe and the only way to good lyfe is prayer it foloweth necessarylye that all those that are loth and vnwyllyng to want● and l●●e that most happy fruition must wyllynglye fre●●●nt and applie them selues to this aforesayde pure and continuall prayer And this may now suffyse for the seconde reason The thirde Reason FOR a thirde reason it shall marueylously moue vs if we do cal to our remembraūce that we bee putt in mynde and cōmaunded by the mouth of Chryste hym selfe to be alwayes redye and wyllyng to pray in these his wordes Oportet semper orare For who was better able directly to instruct vs in those thynges that shoulde further our saluation than God the sonne of almyghtie God the father in whom the same God the father hath reposed the treasures of his wysedome and knowledge whom he sent downe into this worlde to this ende to shewe the same whole worlde a ryght waye to heauen Or who coulde with greater zeale and more earnest affection studye to teache vs the same waye than he that for the vnspeakable loue whiche he dyd beare vnto vs wyllyngly susteyned the most bytter shamefull and horrible death of the crosse And he dyd not onlye admonyshe vs of the necessitie of continuall prayer but he dyd also promyse that we shoulde obteyne any thing that by true and earnest prayer we should require saying Petite accipietis querite inuenietis pulsate aperietur vobis Aske and ye shall haue seeke and ye shall fynde knocke it shalbe opened vnto you This promyse was made by the mouth of Iesus Christ the sonne of God who is trueth it selfe seduceth no man Let vs therfore with an assured confidence approch vnto the throne of his great clemencie where we may both dayly praye for the grace to lyue and do well and also for a constant vnmoueable perseueraunce in good workes nothyng doubtyng but he wyll muche more liberally imparte the same vnto vs than we can be able eyther to require or thynke of Wherefore forasmuche as he hath taught vs the necessitie of prayer and that we must alwayes continue in the same no man ought to doubte but that accordyng to his lesson the same is for vs moste necessary and expedient And therefore it is so requisite for vs Christian men that wander amongste the miseries of this worlde farre from the face of our Lorde God to obey folowe and practise this healthfull and profitable commaundement of our Sauiour Christ that whosoeuer determineth with hym selfe that he wyll not pray or maketh an obiecte and let in his owne minde against prayer synneth damnablye and to death yea and he that is ouer negligent to frequent prayer hauyng often oportunitie and specially seyng the peryll of his saluation to depende thereon that negligence may be deadly albeit negligence in his owne sense and vnderstandyng is no mortall crime but lesse or greater accordyng to the qualitie thereof But yf we woulde somewhat more diligentlye search forth and discusse the perfect meanyng of the aforesaide wordes of Christ we shoulde playnelye see howe greate the necessitie of prayer is Doubtlesse the health of euery Christian dependeth principally of God of whom of necessitie as hath ben sayde euery man must require the same And because this our health may be euery moment in daunger and that there is no man whiche is not bounde to prouide and take care for his owne health It foloweth necessarylye that euery moment we haue present neede to pray and call to God For inasmuch as our health can neyther be obteyned nor continued at any other hand than by GOD hym selfe it appeareth what neede we haue continuallye to exalte our eyes to heauen ▪ and alwayes our hartes to God and that not only for our selues but also for the health and well doyng of our neyghbours whiche we are also bounde to doe· For lyke as euery man is bound to succour his neybour when he seeth hym trauayled with pouertie and miserie and

beholding of god And therfore whensoeuer we maye perceyue our selues to haue atteyned vnto this ende than must we apply al our endeuour and diligence that as muche as may be the same be continued in vs whiche thyng shal doubtlesse much better proceede by the guiding operatiō of the holy spirit than by any words vttered by our neuer so great industry diligence And therefore we must now with al our power folowe the motion driuing of the spirite of God whyther soeuer it wyll leade vs and so nede not to vtter any mo wordes In lyke maner as yf a man whan after muche trauaile he hath passed the Seas and hath obtayned harborowe and his desired Hauen leauyng his shyppe whiche brought him to the hauen intendeth nowe to thende and purpose for the which he arriued and thinketh nowe no more of his ship Euen so veryly he that by the vse of pronounced prayer as by a meane is caryed into the inwarde consolation of the minde and commeth to the spirituall feruencie in God ought nowe to haue his principall care and study bent on this that this heate in no wyse waxe colde and leauyng nowe the prayer of the mouth he must folowe the spirite of God the minister of this feruent deuotion whyther soeuer it doth dryue hym And nowe let hym not vse any more his owne wordes but onlye those whiche be suggested inwardly in the hart by that holy spirite of God and let him aske that of God with vehement and feruent deuotion of mynde without any pronuntiation or sounde of wordes But to the ende thou mayest more playnely assuredly perceyue that this maner of prayer whiche is done by the spirite and minde is much more excellent than that whiche is vttered in wordes heare what our Sauiour Christ sayeth in y e Gospell Spiritus est deus qui adorant eum in spiritu veritate oportet adorare God is a spirite and they that adore him must adore him in spirite and trueth Lo as God is a moste spirituall thyng euen so requireth he a moste spirituall sacrifice And therefore that prayer is more gratefull vnto hym whiche is offered by the spirit and the minde than the only grosse vtteraunce of the voyce whiche can not be framed without the bodyly breath And let not this moue the that Adorare is named in that place and not Orare for the one of them shall neuer well be without the other but whan God is prayed vnto than is he also adored and whan he is adored he is also prayed vnto And therefore God wylbe intreated with spirite and mynde of the moste chosen and excellent myndes whiche he moste spirituall and desireth such as in his Gospell he noteth to honour and adore hym in spirite and trueth Wherfore I nothing doubt but many godlye and spirituall men whiche haue diligentlye exercised them selues in prayer and haue accustomed dayly to eleuate theyr hartes vnto GOD and haue at some tymes tasted and conceiued the sweetenes of that feruent affection haue much more profited by that prayer of their hart than yf they had sayd an endlesse numbre of prayers and Psalmes with theyr mouth whiche thyng some do ouerchargyng theyr mindes yea and rather excluding them selues from the very ende of prayer for that in that case they can neuer be able to tast the spirituall sweetenes of perfect praier And out of doubt that desyre and trauayle to perfourme the saying of so great a number of Psalmes doth many tymes hynder and turne away the gratious visitation of God from the hartes of them that labour in them whiche otherwyse he would willingly and redylye exhibite vnto them For lyke as the sonne doth euery way disperse and sprede abrode the beames of his lyght euen so is God redye on euery syde to powre forth vpon vs the sweetenes of his grace and goodnes except by suche lettes and hinderaunces all excesse and entry to our myndes be stopped and the way hidden from vs as it were with a thicke darke miste For he that desireth to be partaker of that sweetenes maye in no wyse geue heede to any other thyng whatsoeuer it be but attende only and wholly to God hymselfe yea and that withall his harte But those other attende neuer a whit to God but onlye regarde howe to vtter out those numbre of wordes which they minde to say Neither do thei cōsider the present Maiestie of god but only how they may most speedyly runne ouer their number of psalmes with the care whereof they do so occupie and ouercome theyr mindes that no drop of heauenly sweetenes can in any wise enter into them And yet do thei thinke perswade themselues that by so doing they shall specially please God and can not be quiet or satisfied in conscience vntill they haue by one way or other ouerrunne and finished that huge number of Psalmes Yea and yf they chaunce by forgetfulnes to pretermit any part vnsayde of that I meane not which the Churche appoynteth to be sayde but whiche they of theyr owne wyll haue taken in hande to say they fynde theyr conscience greeuouslye therewith offended wherewith they be miserably tormented and theyr hartes torne and rent Those men truely do not sufficiently waygh the saying of S. Ierome whiche is this that the saying or singing of fiue Psalmes with a pure and sincere hart and spirituall ioy and gladnes is more worth than the whole Psalter ouerrun with an vnquiet and troubled mynde And yet is it more meruayle that they heare not or at the least marke not Christ himselfe in the Gospell geuyng admonition and instructing suche as pray not to bende theyr labour to speake much saying in this wyse Orantis nolite multum loqui Whan ye pray do ye not speake muche not to this ende that by those wordes it were to be vnderstanded or thought that Christ misliked a long continued prayer whereas we reade that he himselfe continued very long in prayer But he would not in any wyse that we shoulde put a vayne trust in a number of wordes by one waye or other made vp and multiplyed speciallye whan they vtterly wanted all deuoute affection of the minde and that we should not hope that he would sooner be moued with a multitude of wordes than with a well affected mynde For God is muche more inclyned to heare our petitions by the onlye feruent affection of the harte than by neuer so great a number of wordes pronounced without suche affection For the whiche cause Sainct Augustine sayeth thus It is one thyng to speake much and farre an other to be much and well affected It is one thing sayeth he to continue speach long and much another to continue deuotion long That man speaketh much to God that thinketh his mercy is to be wonne with a numbre of wordes onlye But truely he vseth not to be moued with the multitude of speach but with the quantitie and aboundaunce of deuotion and