Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	sin_n	suffer_v	suffering_n	2,120	5	9.4937	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07608	A treatise of mental prayer· In vvhich is briefly declared the manner how to exercise the inward actes of vertues by Fr. Ant. de Molina Carthusian. Whereunto is adioyned a very profitable treatise of exhortation to spirituall profit. VVritten by F. Francis Arias of the Society of Iesus. Togeather with a dialogue of contrition and attrition. All translated out of Spanish into English by a Father of the Society of Iesus.; Exercicios espirituales. English	Molina, Antonio de, d. 1619?; Sweetnam, John, 1581-1622.; Everard, Thomas, 1560-1633.; Arias, Francisco. aut; Haller, Richard. Breve apuntamiento acerca de la contricion. English. aut; Wilson, John, ca. 1575-ca. 1645?	1617 (1617)	STC 18000; ESTC S112795	94,576	370

merits which he gat with them as if for him only he had suffered And so thou oughtest to cōsider this one thing which was so indeed that when Christ suffered he had thee as present in his memorie as if thou hadst beene there really present he had also present before his eyes all thy sinnes and that he set his eyes vpon thee and said with great loue and tendernes For thee o man and for thy sinnes I suffer this and I suffer it willingly for thy saluation and remedy of thy Soule with great desire that thon profit thy selfe by it and know certainly that if for thee only it were necessary to suffer all this and much more I loue thee so dearly that it is sufficient to suffer for thee alone And this being so it is most iust that euery one take to himselfe that which Christ suffered and make account of it so did the glorious Apostle S. Paul when he said I liue in the sayth of Christ Iesus who loued me and dyed for me §. IIII FOR WHY 1. THE fourth circumstance is to consider For VVhy that is for what cause our Sauour suffered all this The President who gaue the sentence after he had very well examined his cause did affirme thrice that he found no cause at al either to condemne him or giue him any punishment and indeed it was so that he had not any fault for he was most innocent not knowing what sinne was neuer did harme to any but good to all so that the cause being well examined it is found that there was no other of his part but his bounty and mercy and those bowels of infinite charity with which he tooke compassion of the misery of men who were all condemned to eternall death and had no possibility to be deliuered from this sentence And all that he suffered was only to do good vnto men to deliuer them from the euills of their offences and from eternall paynes which they deserued for them without any necessity profit or interest of his part 2. And conformable to this you must consider very well as you meditate any thing that our Sauiour suffered that he suffered it of his owne free will might haue excused it if he would and he would not but suffer so great payne and torments only for our good This is the cause which was of his part for which he suffered to wit his bounty his mercy his charity and loue but of our part there were our sinnes the cause of his suffering And so when you meditate how they apprehended our Sauiour accused him besett him spit vpon him whipped and scourged him with all the rest consider that thou art the cause of all that and that they be thy sinnes that accuse him and abuse him and giue testimony vnto the processe that he may be iudged to death and put vpon the Crosse §. V. OF VVHOME THE fifth circumstance is to consider Of VVhome he suffered that is who be they that inflict those paynes vpon him and in this we must cōsider the points following 1. First that he suffered of his owne Chosen and Elected people of whome he in particular was Lord and King to whome he had been promised so many yeares since whome he brought out of Captiuity of Aegypt with so great myracles and prodigious wonders to whome himselfe gaue the Law written with his finger whom he sustayned fourtie yeares with bread from heauen to whome he gaue the Land of Promise whome he honoured so much as to take flesh of their linage and came in person to preach vnto them and teach them 2. The seçond that he suffered of them to whome he had done so great good and giuen so many benefits raysing their dead deliuering their possessed during their diseased and conuersing amongest them with such loue and beneuolence 3. The third that he suffered of his cruell enemyes who for the space of two yeares had sought his life and to dishonour him would haue drunke his bloud so great was their hatred and detestation towards him and to these he cōmitted himselfe willingly to the end they might vse him at their pleasure 4. The fourth that he suffered of most vile base Vassales of no account at all without any shame measure or any other respect for doubtles they who did torment him were the publike executioners who were wont to punish the malefactors if it be not that perhaps the Chiefe Priests did commit this to some base seruants of their owne that they might torment him with the more cruelty Of him that gaue him the buffet saith S. Iohn the Euangelist that he was a seruant of the High Priest and so we may thinke others were also who tormented him But howsoeuer wee see they were base fellowes and slaues very poore and abiect for they parted his poore garments in foure parts amongst them 5. The fifth that our Blessed Sauiour suffered of all kind of people Gentiles and Iewes of great and small of the principall of the cōmon sort all it semeth concurred against him and those who six dayes before had done him so great honour receiuing him with palmes and crying out that he was King of Israël now they perswade themselues that all his myracles were deuises craftes and that he pretended to vsurpe the Kingdome and now they desire to haue him crucified and that the thiefe and homicide Barabbas should be set free 6. The sixt that he suffered of his owne Disciples which was not the least of his payne to see that the Disciple whome he had taught so long and brought vp vnder his wing and done him so many good turnes should sell him betray him to his enemies and another Disciple whome he had honoured about the rest making him Head of the Church that he should deny him publickly with an oath and that all the rest should forsake him and runne away leauing him in the hands of his enemies And finally he suffered euen of his owne mother for although the most Blessed Virgin Mary had no fault at all but very great merit in being present at the passion of her sonne yet with her presence she did increase greatly his griefe payne in so much that he would haue suffered them double not to haue seene that which his mother suffered and notwithstanding he would passe all this that our redemption might be more copious although so greatly to his cost and cost of his most Blessed Mother §. VI. HOVV THE sixt circumstance is How he suffered in the which there be three poynts to be considered 1. The first that he suffered with exceding great charity in so much that although the works he wrought were so excellent and great and so excessiue the paynes he suffered yet we must rather ponder the manner how he suffered them then what he suffered For how much soeuer it was he suffered far greater was his charity by the which he was prepared to suffer much more if it had

the wisdome of God who could find such an inuention and remedy for men for when all the Angels should put themselues to consider the conueniences of it they would neuer cease to wonder And euery passage of the life and Passion of Christ and all that he hath done for man haue so many things worthy of admiration that it is not possible to reduce them to a summe but leaue it to that which euery one findeth by experience hauing considered them with attention 5. It causeth also admiration to see the blindnes of the world and the ingratitude that the Son of God comming to help it it would not receaue him but laid handes on him euen vntill it killed him The hardnes of Christians who after they haue fayth and knowledg of these mysteries they are so litle gratefull for them and profit themselues so litle by them 6. The excellency of the glory of heauen that God would suffer so much to gaine it for men The grieuousnes of sin that God did so much to distroy it The rigour of iustice since so he punished his owne sonne for others sinnes and offences The greatnes of his mercy for least men should perish he tooke their sinnes vpon him The sharpnes of the payne of hell for to deliuer man from all this the sonne of God suffered These and an innumerable company of others are things which do cause admiration in the consideration of the mysteries of Christ 7. And the manner of excercising this affect is this when the soule considereth these or such like things worthy of consideration after he hath pondered as well as he can the reasons of the mysteryes to cause admiration let him looke as one astomished to see so meruailous a thing And desire to haue more light and cleare knowledge of it to prayse loue our Lord more worthily who would worke such things and to cry out with the Prophet saying O Lord I haue heard thy words and was astonished and in a maze O Lord my God how meruailous is thy name in all the world And with this affect to breake into the praises of God extolling his greatnes §. V. Of the Affect of spirituall Ioy. IOY and spirituall gust is of great importance to conserue the spirit and perseuere in vertue as also on the contrary a great inconueniency trouble in spirit is too much sorrow and inordinate griefe especially that which groweth of temporall respects and also the vayne too much ioy which is taken in externall things is hurtfull to the spirit very much for it distracteth it and draweth it to externall things and is cause of laughter and idle words iests curiosityes playes and such like things 2. Against al this is the holy affect of ioy spirituall delight and for this Saintes haue commended much that Religious persons and spirituall men should procure to acustome themselues to carry great ioy and spirituall gust in their soules which maketh a man more composed and more modest in the exteriour and more recollected in the interiour and maketh him despise all the ioy of temporall things and endeauour to do exercises of pennance and mortification and casteth out from his soule all idlenes sloth which commeth of vicious sorrow and griefe and doth many other great profits 3. For this affect of spirituall ioy is to be exercised in the mysteries of Christ in this manner first in those mysteries which haue in themselues any ioy or prosperity to reioyce and be glad at his content and all his glory as if a man should see some prosperous fortunate thing happen to his Father or Brother or other person which he much esteemed as it is sayd in the Ghospell of those persons who with good sincere intention followed and heard our Sauiour his doctrine that they reioyed and were glad at al those things which they saw him do with glory and honour 4. So the soule must reioyce with Christ himselfe to see the feast the Angels make at his Natiuity how the Sheepheards come to adore him and also the Kings how they do prayse him and glorify him and how S. Simeon S. Anne do publish his greatnes afterward how the Doctors admire in the Temple at his doctrine In his Baptisme how his eternall Father did honour and authorize him in the desert how he ouercommeth the Diuel and how the Angels serue him and in all the tyme of his preaching how the people honoured him how the Diuells obayed him the power and authority wherewith he wrought so many miracles the maiesty wherwith they receiued him on Palmes sunday and finally in all the passages of his life yea and in those of his passion as often as any honourable thing shall happen vnto him of authority or prosperity the soule must be glad and ioyfull of it because it is done vnto our redeemer or of the content and pleasure he receiueth by it 5. Also in the sorrowfull things troublesome and paynefull although considered according to the paines griefs despects and aduersities which our Sauiour suffered they must cause sorrow in vs and passion as we said in the first affect but on the other side and cōsidered in another manner they must cause vs great Spiritual ioy for the respects following 6. First considering the glory of God which from thence ariseth more then any other works done in the world and that they were the most gratefull seruices euer done or shal be done heereafter and in which are manifested his power his wisdome his bounty iustice mercy and the rest of his perfections and this is a title very sufficient for a soule that loueth God to reioyce and be glad 7. Secondly for the glory of the Humanity of Christ who in all the passages of his life gaue most excellent demonstraction of his vertue and therfore it is great reason that a soule receaue great spirituall ioy to see their redeemer with that fortitude of mind to ouercome all those torments with that inuincible patience to withstand all the cruelty of his enemies and their malice to see that order modesty and grauity amongest so many mocks and scornes that wisedome in answering so many demands and calumniations that power he shewed when he would throwing downe his enemies with one only word and not consenting that they should so much as hurt any of his disciples that benignity and vnspeakable charity in praying for those who tormented him and in healing the care of him that came to take him 8. Of al these things and many such like it is iust and fit that the soule reioyce spiritually to see their Redemer how gloriously he proceedeth in all things as it would be iust that a souldiar should reioyce to see his Captaine fight valourously against his enemies and to see him also weary himselfe and labour much and although for this cause he should take pitty of him yet on the otherside he would reioyce much if he saw him ouercome his enemies and destroy them and

veniall sinne and I will deny nothing to any one who shall aske me although it be needfull for my selfe and so in like things 4. God giueth him a desire to content our Sauiour in all things he must not be content to propoūd it so in generall but come in particuler to cōsider But in what can I content him In fullfilling better my profession being more obedient to my Superiours more obseruant in all things of the Religion in giuing good example to my brethren in performing those things that obedience commands me which more diligence and deuotion in louing my neghbours from my hart in seruing them with great charity and in procuring to giue them content in whatsoeuer I canne for Gods sake and propound to do all these things with constancy 5. God giueth him a desire to go forward in vertue see presently Well what is it that hinders me And he shall find that selfe loue hindreth him and too much affection to himselfe his slouth negligence in the exercise of vertue his selfe will not hauing mortified his senses and appetits and many other thinges which eueryone in himselfe will find by experience Then to propound to amend al this and euery thing in particuler And in the same fashion he must make actes of all the rest of the vertues particularizing of them according to his manner of proceeding and marking all wayes the thing he hath most need of to put there most force 6. But marke well that these particuler actes be not made so that they deuert him from his prayer occupying his imaginatiō in framing the things which he must do or the persons with whome he is to conuerse For in this there must be much regard that in such sort he attend to that which is vertue that he distract not his thought to things that be impertinent and not to the purpose in this sort this exercise is the most profitable that is done in prayer for all prayer is ordayned to reforme bad customs and perfect vertues and this is not gotten with such efficacie in the generall acts as descending to the particuler 7. For it is a thing very easy for a man to desire yea and to propound with himselfe purpose to be humble and temperate in generall and as it is easily purposed so it is easily left But where the profit doth consist is to come to the particuler and make the acts as is before said And afterward when he shall make the examine of his conscience see how he doth fullfill those purposes to amend that which is wanting and desire grace of our Sauiour to fullfill it CHAP. IIII. Wherin briefly is repeated and declared all that is aboue said BECAVSE it is of great importance for those who begin to pray to learne and know how to discourse of the circumstances which they are to cōsider and to excercise the affects which they gather out of them that they may the better be kept in memory and all that we haue said before I thought it would be of great profit and commodity to reduce it all to a briefe Summe as followeth A Summe of the generall circumstances which may be considered in the mysteryes of Christ our Lord. §. 1. 1. THE principall circumstances be six signified by these words VVho VVhat For whome For what Of whome How and the declaration of them is this The first circumstance VVho is he that suffereth That it is Iesus Christ God and Man in as much as he is God he is the Eternall Word of his Father second person of the most B. Trinity which created all things and conserues and gouernes them and whome all serue and obay In as much as he is man he is King and vniuersall Lord of all that is created to whome all creatures owe obedience and subiection According to his body he is conceiued by the holy Ghost and so is the most beautifull and perfect of all men that God created and the most delicate and sensible of all that euer were or shal be According to his soule he is full of grace charity and of all vertues and giftes of the holy Ghost full of meruailous science wisdome by which he seeth and knoweth most perfectly euery thing that is were or shal be and that most holy soule is full of glory and blessednes Beside this he is a great Prophet a most holy man who made such excellent sermons and wrought such great miracles whome all people had in great veneration and esteeme 2. The second circumstance VVhat is that which he suffereth That they were the greatest torments paynes and griefs that euer were suffered in the world ioyned with most grieuous iniuries scoffes and mockeries and besides that which he suffered outwardly it was far more that he suffered inwardly in his soule in the inferiour part of it First for the representation al the sinnes of the world particulerly those of that people in putting him to death Secondly by reason of the knowledge he had and the memory of all the soules that were to be condemned and especially of those that be Christians Thirdly by reason of the liuely representatiō that he alwayes had of the griefs of his passion by the which he alwayes suffered them altogeather interiorly Fourthly for the most bitter griefs and panges which he saw his most holy Mother to suffer the which he selt more then his owne with these foure nayles he was crucified all his life and tormented interiorly with them 3. The third circumstance For whome doth he suffer That is for all men generally as well enemies as friends and for those who are actually accusing of him tormenting and killing him and for thee thy selfe so in particuler as if only for thee he suffered which if it had been necessary he had charity inough and more then inough to suffer for thee only and had thee so present in his memory all thy sinnes as if for them only he had suffered and such desire he had that thou mightst profit thy selfe 4. The fourth circumstance For what cause he suffereth That is only for his owne goodnes and mercy and his infinite Charity to deliuer men from great Euills from which none but himselfe could deliuer them and to do them very much good not hauing any need of his owne part nor profit at all but of his owne will and liberality And of mans part the cause of his passion were all our sinnes these were they which did torment him crucifie him and bring him to death 5. The fifth circumstance Of wome he suffereth First of his owne chosen people of whome he was King and naturall Lord and whom he had honoured so much taking flesh of their linage Secondly of those to whome he had done so many and great benefits Thirdly of most cruell enemies who did deadly hate abhor him Fourthly of most vile villaines discourteous without all kind of pitty or good respect Fifthly of all kind of people Gentils Iewes great

and little the very same that a little before had honoured him so much Sixtly of his owne Disciples for one sold him another denied him and all fleed from him and euen his Mother with her presēce did increase his torments and griefes although without any fault of hers 6. The sixth circumstance How or in what manner he suffereth First with very great charity and loue of men desiring very inwardly that those merits might be profitable vnto them and being ready to suffer for them much more if it had beene necessary Secondly without any kind of comfort or consolation but forsaken of heauen earth Thirdly with most profound humility patience mansuetude silence obedience fortitude perseuerance mercy pouerty and despect of the world and finally giuing them a most excellent example of all vertues 7. To these six principall circumstances may be added two more The one of the place where he suffered to wit a Citty so populous and religious and amongst the people where be had wrought so many miracles and made so many sermons and receiued such honour in the mount Caluary which was a most infamous and publike place of execution for malefactours The other circumstance is the tyme whē he suffereth that is at Easter for which had come to Hierusalem people from all parts of the world and in the tyme when euery one thought of feasting and reioycing §. II. A Repetition or summe of the Affects which must be exercised in the meditation of the mysteries of Christ our Lord. THE first affect is of Compassiō Considering that we see a person so noble so venerable so worthy to be serued and reuerenced and so delicate to suffer so many and great labours so many discomodities all the space of his life and so great griefs torments and abuses in his passion not only exteriorly in his body but inwardly in his soule farre more and that he suffer all without fault for he neuer knew how to wrong any but to do good to all and that he is a person which commeth so neere vnto vs and toucheth vs so neere that he is more them our father brother and friend and that of his owne will he would subiect himselfe to suffer that for vs. 2. The second Affect is of Contrition Considering that sinne is so bad a thing and so horrible that for others sinnes Almighty God did deliuer his only begottē Sonne to such cruell torments that our sinnes be the ministers of Iustice which abuse him take away his life from him and gaue him far more then al the tormēts he suffereth 3. The third Affect is of Thanksgiuing Considering that by any passage of the life or passion of Christ we are deliuered from sin and from al the losses that by reason of sin we had incurred which are eternall death the paynes of hell the subiection and tyranny of all out enemies and we are restored to the fauour and friendship of God and made his children and members of Christ and heyres of the kingdome of heauē And that all these benefits Christ our Lord did for vs with exceding loue and much to his coste and for euery one of vs in particuler as if only for one he had done it with this the soule must be encouraged to giue him thankes and desire that all creatures do the like and purpose to be answerable in works to so great a benefit seruing him in all that he can giuing thankes to God for all that he did to the humanity of Christ our Lord. 4. The fourth Affect is of Admiration Considering the perfections of God which are discou●red and knowne in the mysteries of Christ the inestimable charity wherwith the Father Eternall loued men that he gaue them his only begotten Sonne and the sonne himself for he offered himselfe to death for them and al the Blessed Trinity for it was occupied in this behalfe the wisdome of God that could find a remedy so conuenient to deliuer man the dignity of the soules the excellency of glory the grieuousnes of sinne the rigour of Diuine Iustice the greatnes of his mercy all these things are discouered in these mysteries and all cause admiration when they be considered 5. The fifth Affect is of Ioy and spirituall Comfort For although considering the toyles and payns of Christ our Lord we must take compassion of him feele them as our owne on the other side we must reioyce much in the same things not only in those that be prosperous ioyfull and glorious which he wrought in the whole course of his life from his natiuity till his ascension but also in the sorrowfull wearisome and paynfull first for the glory of God which resulteth and ariseth therof and the great seruice and so pleasing that is done vnto him Secondly for the glory of the humanity of Christ for the excellent vertues that he shewed and exercised for the victory he gott of his enemies and because by those labours he deserued great reward honour and exaltation that can be imagined Thirdly for the great profit that theron ensued to all humane linage and mankind and to all the Church as well militant as triumphant and so a man considering as a member of all this mystical body must reioyce and be glad at al the good of the whole body 6. The sixt Affect is of Hope For a Soule considering how much God doth for it and the willingnes he sheweth that it should be saued especially hauing brought it to his Church and made it partaker of al those goods by means of faith and the sacraments it must conceaue great hope of saluation and that God will fulfill that which wanteth and must it force it selfe to help as much as in it lyeth for this worke of it Saluation 7. The seauen Affect is Loue of God Considering the vnspeakable loue that he sheweth in doing suffering so much for vs it is iust that we should be moued to loue him who loued vs so much and this loue cōsisteth first inioyning al the goodnes perfections that God hath secondly in desiring that he may be knowne loued serued glorified of all creatures thirdly in proposing also on our part to serue him and please him in all we can and conforme our selues in all things to his diuine will as well in aduersity as in prosperity being glad that in all things his will be done 8. The eight Affect is Imitation of Christ The soule considering the Charity Humility Patience Pouerty Mildnes Obedience and the rest of the vertues of Christ our Lord which doe shine in all the passages of his Life and Passion to inflame the soule in great desires of these vertues and make many purposes to apply the necessary meanes to attayne vnto them and this not only in generall and commonly but descending in particuler to the acts of those vertues conuenient to the condition estate and occations that are wont to occurre putting the principall studie and care in that