Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	body_n	holy_a	soul_n	6,930	5	4.9898	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17988	The life of Bernard Gilpin a man most holy and renowned among the northerne English. Faithfully written by the Right Reverend Father in God George Carleton Lord Bishop of Chichester, and published for the sake of his common auditors, by whom it was long since earnestly desired.; Vita Bernardi Gilpini. English	Carleton, George, 1559-1628.; Freake, William.	1629 (1629)	STC 4647; ESTC S125899	43,782	70

distracted me but troubled nine or ten more who were sworne with me men farre better schollers then my selfe For my part ● resolved to be sworne to no writings but with this exception so farre onely as they are agreeable to the word of God Now how much it distressed my minde that an oath should be exacted in doubtfull ca●es I haue explain●d in another discourse for the quiet of my conscience And this I may boldly say that since ● tooke the ●●urse to explaine mine infirmities by writing not fearing who tooke notice of them so that it might benefit my selfe or others I haue found exceeding peace and quiet of consci●nce and ● am day by day more edified and consumed by the reading of Scripture And in this case ● praise God that when I found my selfe most distressed and weake my faith in the mercies of God was so firme as ● assure my selfe that if at that very instant I should die yet I haue had a●d doe retaine that confidence that these distractions could nothing hind●r my salvation I am resolved with St. P●●l I 〈◊〉 obtained mercy for I did it ig●orantly and vvith Iob Although the Lord kill me yet will I trust in him Yet I haue full many a time asked God mercy for these offences infirmities ignorances and all other things and will ever doe so whiles I shall liue in this world God be mercifull vnto vs all Thus farre Mr. Gilpin THou seest Reader Mr. Gilpins vpright dealing He speaketh nothing of his owne vertues but he is wholly taken vp with the acknowledgement and enumeration of his weaknesses Perhaps some Criticks will laugh at the simplicity of the man but I herein admire his Apostolick spirit who after the example of blessed Paul dare not boast of himselfe but boasteth in his infirmities that Christ may dwell in him Neverthelesse howsoever he is wholly taken vp with declaration of his owne infirmities and hath of set purpose spoke nothing of his owne vertues yet this is apparant that he was twice accused by his back-friends to Bishop Tonstall in the dayes of Queene Mary But Bishop Tonstall who abhorred to shed blood was a sweet defence to Mr. Gilpin against the divers informations of his enemies At the last he was accused to B●nner Bishop of London who gaue order to a Messenger for his apprehension Mr. Gilpin perceived the imminent danger for he had notice that a Messenger was dispatched to attach his body and perceiving the reliefe which he had found in Tonstalls clemency would now faile him he prepared his holy soule for Martyrdome commanding William Airy the Steward of his house to provide him a long garment that he might goe the more comely to the stake But the sodaine death of Queene Mary freed the man from this danger After the publication of the Councell of Trent when by chance there happened some discourse betwixt Mr. Gilpin and Thomas Levery and Levery had asked the question what Mr. Gilpin thought touching that Councell The Fathers of the Councell of Trent saith he haue done the Church a very shrewd turne for that which was indifferent before times they leaue not so now I remember that Bishop Tonstall often tolde me that Pope Inn●cent the third had done very vnadvisedly in that he had made the opinion of Transubstantiation an Article of faith seeing in former times it was free to holde or refuse that opinion Moreover the Bishop tolde me that he did not doubt but that himselfe if he had beene in that Councell could haue prevailed with the Pope to haue let that businesse alone And what he iudged concerning Transubstantiation the same may a man resolue touching all Popery after the publication of the Councel of Trent for that which was indifferent before now they doe not suffer so to be Therefore I suppose that the times of our forefathers though oppressed with much ignorance were happier farre then the ensuing Ages can be vnder the Papists because they haue now altered in the Councel of Trent many institutions of the auncient Church For whereas they haue placed a part of the rule of faith in Traditions that is a thing which was never done in the Church before Many things which were permitted to be taught in the Church formerly touching Iustification and the Sacraments are not now tolerated And vpon these occasions the Fathers of the Councel of Trent haue laid vpon other Churches a necessity of making a seperation from the Church of Rome wherein me thinks that they haue not dealt advisedly For the Church is thereby distracted into differences and factions and whatsoever was formerly indifferent in doubtfull points the Fathers of Tren● haue made it all necessary and tooke vpon them a very hard taske There were some Papists who perceiving Mr. Gilpin quite alienated from the Popish religion which he had first beene of in the dayes of his ignorance in his youth tooke many courses to haue recalled him if they could possibly Amongst them was one Thomas Gelthrop a man well descended and a kinsman of Mr. Gilpins This man wrote a letter to Mr. Gilpin wherein he dealt earnestly with him not to forsake the religion of his forefathers In that letter Gelthrop amongst other things inserted these words You haue a great and a good report both at London and in all other places And I am of this opinion that either you will doe the Church a great deale of good if you adhere vnto it or else which God forbid you will stirre vp more mischiefe in the Church then ever Arrius did That sinne aboundeth it is not the fault of the Masse or of the Mattins but the pernicious doctrine and filthy life of the Clergy and of others They haue already reformed the Communion and haue published a booke of the reformed Leiturgy But this reformation hath not removed the evill because we see the people growne farre worse then before These things I found out amongst M. Gilpins papers but I could not possibly get any more out of them the most of them were so exceeding worne and defaced Vnto this letter Mr. Gilpin made answer which I found entire The Letter had this superscription To his Coozen THOMAS GELTHROP And thus it was GRace and peace Your large Letter was brought vnto me when I had small leisure to answer it as he can tell you who bringeth back this vnto you Howbeit I thought it not fit to let him come back without an answer albeit the conclusion of your letter gaue me small incouragement to write For who would take the paines to write vnto you seeing you are fully resolved and determined as you affirme never to be perswaded from your opinions by any argument a man can bring It could not chuse but be a most grieuous thing to the Prophet Ieremy vvhen he cryed out to the people Hear the word of the Lord that they should ansvver vvith a stiffe necke we will not heare But let vs leaue these things to the divine operation vvhich is

overruleth vs all so that the truth may be propagated and God glorified Gods will be done concerning me After the Sermon they met all together at dinner all men were afraid that the Bishop would haue done Mr. Gilpin some shrewd turn for his Sermon and silently expected what would become of the matter After dinner Mr. Gilpin commeth to the Bishop to see him and to take leaue of him and so to returne homewards It shall not be so said the Bishop for I will bring you to your house And so Mr. Gilpin returned home in the company of the Bishop And when they were now come to Mr. Gilpin●● house and walked within into the parlour the Bishop vpon a sodaine caught Mr. Gilpin by the hand and vsed these words vnto him Father Gilpin I acknowledge you are fitter to be Bishop of Durhams then my selfe to be Parson of this Church of yours I aske forgiuenesse for errours passed forgiue me father I know you haue hatched vp some chickens that now seeke to pick out your eyes but so long as I shall liue Bishop of Durham be secure no man shall injure you Mr. Gilpins friends that is all good men began to rejoyce and to giue God thanks acknowledging the powerfull hand of God in that the Bishop being so offended with him was so prevented by the power of God as that the thing which he had purposed for his disgrace should turne to his greater credit In the meane while Mr. Gilpin reaped the fruit of a pious life in all plentifull manner After that age began to grow vpon him there was in the towne of Newcastle one Genison who had received to home a sonne of his owne brothers lately returned from the parts beyond the seas This Genison was much aggrieved for that his brothers sonne was as hee vnderstood made a Iesuite whereupon hee sent the young man to Mr. Gilpin intreating him to haue a care of him and to disswade him if he could possibly from his wicked and dangerous opinions After that Mr. Gilpin had often conferd with him he found the young fellow most insolently proud and armed with boldnesse and impudence corrupting the holy Scriptures with certaine new and vnheard of expositions Whereupon Mr. Gilpin wrote to his vncle Mr. Genison that he was a most audacious young fellow and c●me not to him to be instructed but to teach him rather The young fell our saith he thinking I know not how a great deale too well of himselfe had an hope to draw me at these 〈◊〉 no acknowledge certaine abrurdities I see that the Iesuites have found out 〈…〉 away all respect and set vpon men with impudency They dare proue the Invocation of Saints from Abraham Isaae and Iacob This fellow doth obstinately affirme that the Church of Rome hath not erred in any one thing Their most horrible errours touching Indulgences falsified Miracles falsified Reliques Pilgrimages worshipping of Images and the rest of the same sort all these this wonderfull man findeth out in the Gospell And hee standeth vpon it stiffely that all these things are good and holy I desire not to haue any more to doe with such a monstrous kinde of men with such fierce natures who open their mouths against heaven for what is it to open their mouthes against heaven if this be not so violenty and disgracefully to handle the holy Scriptures They haue devised and daily doe devise horrible strange expositions such as were never heard of before in the Church of Rom● I therefore desire to rid mine hands of this fellow as of a scabbed sheepe for feare he might infect my whole flocke After that his leane body was quite worne out with diversity of paines-taking at the last even feeling before hand the approach of death he commanded the poore to be called together vnto whom hee made a speech and tooke his leaue of them Afterwards he did the like to others He fell sick about the end of Febr●ary and after many exhortations vsed to the schollers to his servants and to divers others at the last he fell asleep in the Lord in great peace the fourth day of March in the yeare of our Lord 1583. and in the 66. yeare of his age He was tall of stature and slender being hawke-nosed His clothes were ever such as cost not very deare He could never away with gay apparell In things belonging to his owne body he was very frugall and retained the austerity of the auncient In things which might tend to the good of others he was exceeding bountifull especially towards poore people and schoolers He desi●ed still to keep his dores open for the intertainment of any poore 〈◊〉 In his owne house he 〈◊〉 and ●ent at the most foure and twenty scholler● sometimes fewer but seldome The greater 〈…〉 boorders were poore m●ns sonnes vpon whom he bestowed meat drink and cloth and education in learning He was wont to enterteine his Parishioners and 〈◊〉 at his table not only at the Christmas time as the custome is but because he had a large and wide Parish and a great multitude of people he kept a table for them every Sunday from Michaelmas to Easter He ha● the Gentlemen the husband men and the poorer sort set ●●very degree by themselues and as it were ordered in ranks He was wont to commend the marryed estate in the Clergy howbeit himselfe li●ed and dyed a single man He bestowed in the building ordering and e●●●blishing of his schoole and in providing yearly stipende for a Schoole-master and vshe● the 〈…〉 hundred pounds out of which schoole he supplied the Church of England with great store of learned men He was carefull to avoid not onely all evill doing but even the lightest suspicio●s thereof And he was accounted● Saint in the iudgements of his very enemies if he had any such Being full of faith vnfeigned and of good workes he was at the last put 〈◊〉 his grau● as a heap of wheat in due time swept into the 〈◊〉 FINIS