Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	flesh_n	life_n	spirit_n	9,701	5	5.4408	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20438	Euerard Digbie his dissuasiue From taking away the lyuings and goods of the Church. Wherein all men may plainely behold the great blessings which the Lord hath powred on all those who liberally haue bestowed on his holy temple: and the strange punishments that haue befallen them vvhich haue done the contrarie. Hereunto is annexed Celsus of Verona, his dissuasiue translated into English.	Digby, Everard, Sir, 1578-1606.; Maffei, Celso, ca. 1425-1508. Dissuasoria. English.	1590 (1590)	STC 6842; ESTC S105340	139,529	251

our face most apparantly I will not long discourse on that part pardon me the glasse is cleare what should I write That prouerbe was vsed of auncient time and we prooue it true Suis quisque malis blanditur euery man flattereth himselfe in his owne humor and though the glasse do shew thee plainely that thy face is foulie spotted in diuers places with vncleannesse of thine owne hands and full of puffed pimples by reason thou drinkest lyquor not ordained for thy stomacke yet to the ende that those small scabbes without may breede great sores within and that thine ende may bee the lue of thy desert flattering thy selfe with thine owne deformrtie and loath to bee corrected by an other thou castest away the glasse which once abandoned qui semel verecundiae limities transilient without all blushing thou affirmest boldly a mould a wart a wrinckle a ●reckle a spotte a wheale is but a toye in a mans face I count but little of the foolishe glasse And shew me reason why not why not if it be not seene it is no blot but if it be no more hid then the nose on your face or the sight in your eye if all men loath the sight thereof and count you carelesse of your health for neglecting the same then knowe that the time is nowe come of which it was foreshewed that men should bee loouers of themselues more then of the Lorde and you are a childe of the same nowe therefore sith the glasse is gone and reason is the rule by the which you leauell knowe yee that your deformities are great and sith you loue to feede on meate forbidden two men of your complection know this for a trueth that all meates are not for al mē It were a straunge vnnatural kindnes if the little child sucking on his mothers brest shold pull the meate out of her mouth as she is feeding yet much more vnholsome to be eaten of the child then straunge to the beholders If this vnnatural vnkindnes doe seeme so vntollerable in the flesh how much more in the children of the spirite wee must knowe that man as Hermes writeth consisteth of two natures of heauen and earth of bodie and of soule of the fleshe and of the spirite The fleshe is of earth earthlie the spirite is from heauen heauenlie first is that which is spirituall and then that which is bodilie The bodie is quickned last and dieth first but the spirite is that which is first and laste As the spirituall is first so wee ought first of all to walke after the spirit and not after the flesh to become like our spirituall father and to nourish our spirituall mother and brethren redeemed with the same spirituall sacrifice renewed with the same spirituall grace confirmed by the same spiritual pastours vnto sanctimony holines of life reading first aboue al other knowledge science contemplacions and reuelations the true heauenlie doctrine of the spirit Seking with our bodies liues and goods to preserue keepe the volumes the pastours the temples of the spirituall worship of the Lord where the breade of life is broken to those which hunger and thirst after righteousnes and the spirituall foode of the soule After the body followeth the shadowe and next to this spirituall foode of the soule the food of the corruptible bodie is to be prouided Both are necessarie but the former first Therefore let vs not seeke after the foode which perisheth but seeke the foode which preserueth both bodie and soule vnto eternall life knowing that as our sauiout Christ saith man liueth not by bread onely but by euerie worde which proceedeth out of the mouth of God This word is the conduit of the spirit whose substaunce is perfect trueth this word was in the beginning by it all thinges were made It created all thinges of nothing in weakenes strength in vilenes honour in the dust it placed a liuing a heauenly and an vnderstāding soule erecting the bodily chariot where in he placed it right vp to heauen that he might aboue al things continually haue his face his eie his hart and cogitacion fixed on heauen and heauenlie conuersation But man would not abide in honour the spiriual grace of the heauenly fountaine infused into him was corrupted with the vncleanes of the vessel Frō the beginning his enemies prouoked him to offend his maker to leaue y e heauenly spirit to incline to her handmaid this sinful filthy coruptible flesh Therewith he lusted after his sensuall appetite he rowled his eie to fro according to y e wauering of fleshly sensuallity leauing the mistris in most degenerate sort he bound himself to serue the pleasurs of the body with the los of life he brought in death in affecting the losenes of the flesh he lost the freedome of the spitit in seeking lands honor on the earth he left the spiritual Canaan the heauēly Ierusalē perfect lawe of the libertie Sith therfore the essence of man is his spirit according as it is written Mens vniuscuiusque is est quisque as the minde is so is the man eyther good or bad and that our first and chiefest constitution is spirituall Let vs vnderstand thus much of our selues that it is most consonant to our creation to our constitution to our saluation that aboue all other things we frame all our thoughts and meditations our calling and conuersation our goods and landes our liues and liuinges our bodies and our soules to the nourishing of the doctrine of trueth and the maintaining of the nurses the true teachers and preachers of the same This is the key of knowledge whereby wee must open the doore of heauen the tree of life which feedeth the soule the cleare light which lighteneth euery man which commeth into the world Now the windowe beginneth to open the day spring from an highe now visiteth vs teaching vs truely that as we consist of two natures so we are of two beginnings spirituall and earthly of a spirituall father the creator of heauen and earth a spirituall mother the holy catholique Church on whome hee hath sent his holy spirite visibly descending So we must first and principally apply our selues to the maintaining of the health peace and safety the reuerence renowne and glory of this spirituall father and mother leauing our earthly father and our earthly mother in regard of them because hee created redeemed and sanctified vs vnto himselfe our holy mother She nourisheth vs with the spirituall milke of the holy ghost that wee should be an holie religious generation vnto the Lord. Therefore after wee haue truelie confessed that wee beleeue in the most holie blessed and glorious trinitie three persons and one God next vnto our heauenlie Father wee acknowledge our spirituall mother the holie catholique Church in whose custodie at his departing out of this world he left his will and testament plainlie written and subscribed with his owne hand and the handes of

deinceps parentum solatio delectari Omnia pro Christi amore contempsi coepiiam esse vt Melchisedech sine patre sine matre sine genealogia Solum Deum patrem agnosco matrem non habeo nisi Ecclesiam It is not conuenient that I should hereafter take comfort in anie naturall parentes I loath all other thinges in regarde of the loue of Christ and nowe I am become like vnto Melchisedech without father without mother without kindred I haue no father but God neither anie mother besides the holy Church In these words he signifieth thus much that who hath created vs first and loued vs most wee ought to seeke him first and most to loue him and therfore sith our heauenly father is a liuing spirit and our mother trulie spiritual sith there is no loue comparable to his which leauing all creatures in heauen in earth gaue his life for vs or to hers which though she were ten times persecuted euen vnto death for our sake yet she louingly embraced vs In louing our spiritual parents before all other things let vs render like for like Let vs willingly reiect the sensuall entisements of the flesh disarming our selues of riches goods lands honour office authoritie yea our owne father and mother according to the flesh that wee maye serue our spirituall father and mother in the vnitie of the spirite This is a cleare glasse in which a christian maye beholde the degrees by which wee must passe thorow this vale of miserie vnto the kingdome of heauen and the rule is like vnto it for the first rule or direction of a christian soule vnto heauen is aboue all thinges to meditate with himselfe whether he be in the true way of eternall life or no. And therewith to consider with himselfe what he hath done what hee hath not doone and what hee ought to doe which who so wiselie weigheth hee shall finde it true that before all care and prouision of our sinfull bodies we ought most painefully to prouide for the health of our soules knowing assuredly that we must passe this earthly pilgrimage with suche religious care of our spirituall father and mother that therewith wee must restraine our affections from the woonted wishes of the worlde and weane them so from fleshlie corruptions with the true discipline of our spiritual nurse that neyther riches nor goods nor dominion nor power nor freinds nor enemies nor life nor death can once separate vs from the true worship of his holie name and the daily maintenance of the same This is the way easie to bee found out of all those which heede the same The ground is euen the path is plaine the degrees not many the passage easie O that the foote could bee content to follow the direction of the eye that the handmayd would be obedient to her mistrisse or that the flesh would but cease a little to resist the good motions of the spirite If wee could but a little yea I saye but a little sequester our selues from this worldly securitie which with her manifold charming pleasures hath lulled vs so long in the cradle of the flesh that wee are almost all fallen into a daungerous deade sleepe If we could but once beholde the Lorde as hee is in himselfe truth and equitie or but once thinke of him aright of his woonderfull maiestie supported with eternall sanctimonie holines and righteousnesse If the Lorde of his great mercie would but once open our eyes and let vs see this heauenly obiect we should be so farre from offending his maiestie and decaying his church that for euer after wee would loath this earthly dungeon of our bodie ful of deadly destructions and pleasaunt miseries wee shoulde then more truely know God and Iesu Christ whom hee hath sent wee should bee able to discerne the honourable the blessed the singular prerogatiue which hee hath giuen to his spowse And therwith wee should striue to yeelde her the first fruits of our best and greatest endeuours wee shoulde looke about vs a●d see more clearly how farre the heathen haue gone before vs in their kinde concerning religion how farre we are fallen in these daies from the rules of nature and true philosophy from the examples of the holy fathers the olde patriarkes the true prophets the blessed apostles the christiā emperors the reuerend Bishops whilest we embrace this present worlde and make desolate his holie Church with the ministerie thereof Let vs knowe that wee are heere placed in a strife of obtaining double pleasure and double paine the pleasure of the sense worketh sinne and sinne is the parent of death but the minde flieth higher vnto the heauenly hilles euen to the top of that high Olimpus from whence commeth our health These two contrary desires bee the cause of mans disquietnes in this life shewing plainly that the flesh euermore striueth against the spirite with such perfect discord that whatsoeuer maintaineth the one destroieth the other that which delighteth the one displeaseth the other that which exalteth the one depresseth the other So that though the spirite bee willing yet the flesh is verie weake and vnable to walke this straite and narrow way of eternal life yea so weake that Saint Paule in the middest of this battell crieth out that which I would doe that I doe not and that which I would not that I do O wretch that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of sinne euen the grace and mercie of God thorowe Iesu Christ our Lord. Let vs therefore cast of this coate of sinne with the workes of darkenes and put vpon vs the armour of light now in this most daungerous day wherein charitie is waxen so colde and iniquitie so hoat that we scarse count it any sinne to take away the maintenance of the Church of Iesu Christ. The naturall Philosopher teacheth trulie that euerie compound bodie consisteth of two parts of matter and forme affirming that the forme is the more excellent part of nature The Logitian considering with Plato that matter is a note of corruption affirmeth that the forme is worthie to rule The morall Philosopher writeth thus Animal autem primum constat ●x animo corpore quorum illud quidem imperat natura hoc quidem paret animus imper at corpori herili imperio mens antem appetitui ciuili regio a man consisteth cheefelie of minde of bodie the minde by nature dooth rule the bodie by nature dooth obaie concluding thus Imperet sapiens let the strong in bodie take paines but let learned wisedome rule In Aegipt the best Astrologers were had in greatest honour and as it appeareth by Hermes the first lawe giuer of the Aegiptians such were commonly chosen Kinges So likewise with the Chaldeans with the Assirianes with the Romanes and Indianes the heauenlie vertues and giftes of the minde were in highest honour so that as Plato writeth they counted that common wealth happie in which either Kinges were

riches pleasure and dignitie vile earth springing out of the earth and destinate with your bodies to the earth againe be yee not so enchaunted with the humming swarme of worldly pleasures and delightes that yee loose the ioy eternall And now a litle seclude those painted showes of worldlie vanities besmeared with glistering vernish which dimmeth your eies and looke vppon your selues your soules and bodies Neither is it sufficient to consider with that holie Father vnde vbi quo from whence wee came where wee are now and whither wee shall returne the true answere whereof is that treble anxesis of the prophet earth earth earth But in this iourney according to the counsell of saint Paule we must shake of all which hangeth heauie on and presseth vs downe we must learne to weane our selues from our infirmities and to know our disease with fixed eies we must behold our wounds how many how dangerous how deep they bee how they are to bee cured and how the stroke of the enemie here after is to be auoided Though al our battaile and strife is not directed against flesh and bloud onelie but also against spirituall powers and enemies of our soules yet the enemie of flesh and bloud oft times so daunteth our harts with his proud defiance and in such sort that through the too much caring and carking for our selues hee maketh a plaine and readie entrance to the wounding of our bodies and so much the rather because the shield and brestplate with which wee chuse to defend our selues though at the first sight it sit fit vpon our breast and outwardly seeme well steeled to the eie yet inwardlie it is most dangerouslie impoisoned infesting the bodie with strange contagion sinking into the vaines and synewes so deepe that it weakneth our iointes it dulleth the spirites and daunteth the courage of the heart This is the contagion wherewith as Celsus wri●eth the Venetians seeking to ouercome their enemies were made a praie vnto them This is that two edged sword with which whilest wee rashlie fight against our enemie and striue to reach him a sore blow with lifting our hand vp too hastilie too rashlie too high with the other side wee cut our owne faces This is the rule which teacheth vs that when we are prouoked to battaile by outward foes we must not make flesh our strength or put any confidence in riches but if wee hope to ouercome our bodilie enemies wee must first conquere the spirituall aduersaries of our soules now ruling in our mortall members and that is by flyflying to our most louing captaine and victorious conquerour Iesu Christ who hauing conquered our great enemies death hel and damnation is ascended vp on high leading captiuitie captiue and giuing great spoiles and giftes vnto men His louing voice doth sound from heauen and biddeth all men come Come vnto him all yee that are loaden and he will refresh you The spirite and the spouse say come and hee which heareth let him saie come hee which thirsteth let him come and those which hope to see their desire vpon their enemies let them come and all which loue Iesu Christ and his louing spouse come and see touch and tast how sweet the Lord Iesu is But how shall wee come and which is the way hee which biddeth come hee calleth them which thirst opening to them the fountaine of eternall life And though I am vnworthie to aduise anie yet my purpose is to admonish those which erre that they come into the true way And how shall wee come by true repentance of our former wickednes and sinnes committed against God And how shall we repent not in only saying Lord Lord or onely God forgiue me and so going on in our sinful life but if thou hast offended thy Lord and louing father thou must bee heartelie sorie for thy misdoings with fasting with praying with shewing thy penitent mind and sorrow for thy sins in thought in word in deed If thou haue taken thy neighbours goods restore double and with that good Zacheus in signe of true repentance giue halfe thy goods to the poore In this habit of a true Israeli●e forsaking all that ●hou hast follow our Lord and sauiour who hath walked the same waie before vs. If thou haue sinned in fleshlie lustes and desires fast and praie instantlie strew ashes on thy head put on sackcloth in stead of silkes returne from the view of courtlie troupes entring into thy secret Chamber cast downe thy selfe before the Lord euen vppon the could ground Mourne and lament before the Lord crie out alowd Adsum qui ●eci in me conuertito ferrum It is I O Lord it is I wretched mā which haue sinned against heauen and against thee haue mercie vppon me O Lord according to thy great goodnes and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences This is the beginning of repentance for these sins of infirmitie and the end is like vnto the same These were the wordes and deedes of Dauid and was there nothing else yes verilie after due consideration of his sinnes and sorrow for the same he sought to please the Lord he fullie purposed to take the arch out of the simple tent and to build a faire temple vnto the Lord God of Israell this was his holie life wherewith he sought to win the Lordes fauour and his sinnes were the sinnes of his bodie euen the sins of infirmiti● but if thou once lift vp thine hand against the Lord and his holy temple if thou take away the goods of his church and the maintenāce of his holy ministers preachers of his word who first tooke thee vp in their hands and brought thee into the Church who haue washed thee with the baptisme of repentaunce vnto eternall life who haue taught thee the true Christian faith and cloathed thee with the stole of righteousnesse and leade thee by the right hande vnto eternall life who pray dayly for thy sinnes and the sinnes of the whole people then knowe thou assuredly that though thy armye of souldiers bee huge and monstrous Though they bee verie manye and their courage great Though thy chariots be nine hundred all of iron as were the chariots of Sisera though thy barred horses bee raunged foorth by thousandes and thy Iennets by tenne thousandes Though thy riches be incomparable thy strength aboue al estimation yet if thou haue taken anie iote of maintenaunce from the seruice of the high God if thou weaken the walles of his Church and by vnlawfull exactions impouerish his ministers I speake a truth and I call heauen and earth to witnes the same that which you accoūt your strength shall breede your destruction The Eagles feather once thrust in shall eate to dust all the feathers in the bedde the lyons haire shall consume the mixture of other peltes adioined thereto and Achanes forbidden spoile shall cause the Israelites with losse of life to flie the