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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
head_n	body_n	member_n	mystical_a	10,421	5	11.0632	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08282	A pathvvay to patience in all manner of crosses, tryals, troubles, and afflictions: inwardly for sinne, or outwardly by sicknesse, pouerty, enemies, imprisonment, banishment, slaunders, disobedience of children, houshold-crosses betweene man and wife, &c. With necessary prayers for euerie of them; as also for diuers other necessarie purposes. By I.N.	Norden, John, 1548-1625?	1626 (1626)	STC 18615; ESTC S119966	125,732	476

discontented Wife IT is before shewed and there is none that is or ought to be of either sex ignorant that the man and the wife are of two distinct persons made one entire misticall body The man the head of the woman and the woman a principall member of that head whom she ought to obay In the head is or ought to be reason wisedome iudgement and all other gifts whereby it may rightly guide and direct the inferiour members and the whole body Therfore thou man that hast taken a wife and made her a member of thine owne body thou art bound to loue her with a perfect loue according to the counsell of the counsell of the Apostle who spake by the spirit of God Let euery man loue his wife as himselfe And this loue consisteth in cherishing her in giuing her competent maintenance in defending her from danger as thou thy selfe desirest to cherish maintaine and defend thine owne person Thou must dwell with her thou must doe vnto her all such duties as that holy estate whereunto you haue beene both called and as the faith plighted each to other requireth And thou husband thinke not that because she is the weaker and made subiect vnto thee that thou therefore shouldest neglect her or tiranize ouer her but to be so much the more tender ouer her by how much she is weaker Thou must loue her as Christ loueth the Church whereof thou art a member and gaue his life for it And thinke not that because thy wife hath some infirmities that therefore it is lawfull for thee to loathe her or leaue her for if Christ should so deale with his Church or with thee a member of it as to cast it or thee off for the blemishes of it who could be loued of him Let not therefore euery fault that she commits in her weakenesse cause thee to be bitter vnto her in words gesture or deedes for by this meanes thou mayest cause the meekest woman to become like one of the furies But dwell with her as a man of knowledge in passing by her infirmity for if thou loue her thou wilt not obserue at least reproue all that shee doth through weakenes against thy liking If her faults be wilfull and in thine opinion grosse and intollerable such as by nature thou seemest not to be able to beare Shew not in thy hastines a more grosse infirmity in being too furious but reproue her with meekenesse admonish her gently Let thy corrections be comfortable counsell strike her not for it is the greatest reproach in the world for a man to beate his wife And it is the way in deede though she loued thee before to cause her to hate thee And what gaynest thou by thy seuerity but a heape of coales vpon thine own head If thou canst reclaime her by counsell thou shewest great wisedome If thou canst beare with her faults so they be not capitall against God thou shalt be commended of all good men for thy patience If neither reproofe nor counsell nor conniuencie will bring her to obay thee yet art thou not to leaue her But consider seriously with thy selfe whether the cause or some great part of it be not in thee whereby shee is moued to speake or doe that whereat thou takest offence Art thou not a Gamester art thou not Prodigall of thy purse art thou not idle in thy calling art thou not often in Tauernes Ale-houses in lewde and suspicious companies consuming that vpon strangers which should maintaine thine estate and family when peraduenture thy wife and children languish in penurie at home hast thou not or dost thou not purpose to make away some things that thy wife brought thee goods or lands against her will If any of these occasions moue her thou hast reason to beare with her and more reason to reforme thy selfe for commonly men thus giuen ouer to these vngodly courses are most apte to abuse their wiues if thou be innocent free from these and thy wife through her vnciuile and immodest cariage towards thee doe abuse thee and neither counsell nor kindnesse gentle intreatie nor seuerest threates will calme her thou must sit downe by it in silence and saye It is my crosse and I will beare it The best course thou canst take to remoue this inconuenience is for thee to giue good example to liue vertuously to serue God and to praye with her and for her to repent thee of thy sinnes vnfainedly and suffer these domesticall and houshold crosses patiently Be not wilfull nor too wise in thine owne conceite as to thinke thou canst tame thy wife more by tyrannie then tractability search and peraduenture thou shalt finde thine owne faultes as great or greater then hers If thou could as well see thine owne as thou obseruest hers thou wouldest acknowledge thine owne sinnes hath caused her to become a trouble vnto thee reforme therefore what is amisse in thee and thou shalt finde a comfortable issue of thy good endeauours and prayer A Prayer to be said often of a man who hath a wife of refractarie conditions O Gratious Lord God mercifull and euer-louing Father in Iesus Christ who hast the disposing of all hearts the working and setling of all good affections in man and wife the one towards the other Thou art the Father of all that loue thee the keeper and helper of all that come vnto thee in a liuely faith who receiue comfort of thee in whatsoeuer trouble or affliction I humble my selfe before thee and pray thee in the name of Iesus Christ to pardon and to forgiue me my sinnes the ground of all my troubles the greatest whereof O Lord I finde to be the vnquietnesse of my wife and her infirmities thou gauest her me and I tooke her for a helper but thou seest she showeth her selfe rather a crosse then a comfort vnto me to the griefe of my heart and the more by reason we offend thee by our contentions Lord consider her weakenesse and her infirmities and giue her wisedome and grace to reforme them The corruption of nature O Lord is strong in vs both in her to commit things grieuous vnto mee in me too great and vnaduised reproofe of her Lord vouchsafe vnto vs both thy holy Spirit worke in vs conformitie and obedience to thy will patience to beare one the others weakenesse I cannot Lord excuse or cleere my selfe of deseruing thy iust displeasure towards me by reason of mine owne sinnes but must and doe confesse my selfe worthily crossed by her that should haue bin my comfort for how can I expect obedience of her that is by nature weake when I my selfe that shoulde showe more strength obey not thee O Lord reforme in me whatsoeuer thou seest imperfect then maist thou in mercie be pleased to reforme her We came not together Lord without thy prouidence wee were conioyned by thee and by thee commanded to loue and to cherish one the other

miserie and what comfort this comfortlesse place affordeth where I can neither sleepe nor wake but vnder locke But Lord as Paul and Ioseph through thy onely loue towards them and thy prouidence ouer them found grace and fauour with their keepers so worke in the hearts of them vnder whose custodie I am that they vse no stricte seueritie towards me that I may call vpon thee more freely and feruently O Lord I am poore and my Creditors haue no pitie there is no compassion in man but with thee is mercie and timely Redemption thou hast thine owne time to correct and thine owne time and meanes to comfort a time to cast downe and a time to rayse vp though thou seeme to forget thy poore prisoners in permitting them to suffer long and to endure much yet hast thou a fatherly care of them and in thy good time doest euermore deliuer them I beseech thee in the loue thou bearest to Christ thy Sonne my Mediator that when thou seest the measure of mine imprisonment is sufficient to satisfie the seueritie of my Creditors worke their hearts to that compassion towards me though I bee vnable to pay them all as that they may remit my restraint and admit me to my former libertie that I may the better follow the meanes by mine owne lawfull industrie and thy blessings whereby I may attaine vnto such a portion as I may be able as I am willing to pay them all and to owe nothing to any man before I goe hence and bee no more seene but loue If it bee thy good pleasure Lord to take me out of this life before I can make ful satisfaction to my Creditors impute it not vnto me as a sinne but accept my will to doe it as the true performance of it that in peace with thee and as much as in mee lyeth with all men I may surrender my soule into thy hands which though my body be my soule is not so imprisoned as to be restrained from comming vnto thee nor preuented of it ascention to the place of libertie and glorie where Christ my Sauiour is ascended notwithstanding the crueltie of them that now couet to retaine my flesh whereof it may be if they could they would wish to make some profit for their satisfaction which I must then leaue vnto their wils to be disposed Most humblie comending my selfe my soule and my body into thy diuine and heauenly custody vntill the time In the name of Iesus Christ thy Sonne to whome with thee and the holy Ghost be for euer as hath beene from the beginning eternall glorie Amen O Lord increase my faith endue me with perfect Patience and in thy mercie timely deliuerie A Caueat for cruell Creditors that keepe poore men in prison whom they know vnable to pay that for which they keepe them in prison THE practise of Christian charity hath euermore beene to doe to other men as a man desireth others to doe vnto himselfe and is grounded vpon the words and strict commaund of Christ himselfe who willeth all men that whatsoeuer they would that men should doe vnto them they should doe vnto others And againe by way of caueat he saith Take heede what ye doe and how ye deale with other men for what measure ye met to them the same shall be measured to you againe this is the truth yet are ye so hard hearted as for a little money or other matter to keepe a poore man in prison depriue him of his liberty preuent him of the exercise of his calling disable him to prouide for his owne and the reilefe of his poore wife and children and yet account your selues Christians If ye be Christians in deede and not in name onely you cannot but commiserate the necessity of your brethren and approue your selues Christians by louing them by helping them by relieuing their necessities and that freely for Christes sake whose they are as he hath commanded Be not such louers of your selues as onely to respect your owne priuate profit and to encrease it by oppressing your poore brother for so he is howsoeuer base and howsoeuer your selues are glorious And in steed of comforting ayding and relieuing him to imprison him the more to impouerish him doth not this show you are none of the houshold of faith who loue one another helpe one another relieue one another as fellow members of one body whereof Christ is the head There is a prouerbe in deed Charitie begins at home And so it seemes and where it begins there it ends where it is bred there it lyes at least it neuer goes abroad to the comfort of the comfortlesse to helpe the poore to relieue the Widow and the Orphan This keeping charity in a mans priuate bosome is the cause that man is become a deuill to man Wolfes deuouring one another by vsurie by extortions by fraud by deceitfull contracts and vncharitable bargaines in wrapping poore innocent men that stand in neede of the helpe of your aboundance in bands morgages and such griping and cruell conditions as poore men are not able to performe and vpon breach of payment or not performing some vnreasonable conditions you vnconscionably exact the penalties take the forfaitures and all aduantages that the seuerity of the Law will allow you thereby vndoing husband wife children and many times the friends of a distressed man and many times not satisfied with all that the poore man and his friends are able to make you keepe the poore body of the party in prison for the vttermost farthing and content your selues oftentimes to passe by the Grate where you heare the poore crie for bread bread O wofull and most impious vncharitablenesse fearefully condemned by the sentence of God himselfe Nay who hath not heard with his eares hatefull to be heard some cruell man say hee would make dice of his debters bones he were as good to say hee would eate his flesh like a Caniball And what lesse doe they that enforce a poore debter to perish in prison there to leaue his bones and flesh too for the satisfaction of the Creditor to make vse of both his bones for dice and his flesh for Mummy fit Relicks for cruell creditots sweet odours for their consciences and wholsome Phisick for their hearts Alas what will a poore mans carkasse profit you what vse can you put it vnto being dead in prison if you retaine him till he pay that he cannot pay dye there he must But your policie is there to keepe him in miserie to draw compassion towards him of some of his friends to engage themselues for your satisfaction It sauours indeede of policie not of piety Is not one mans vtter vndoing enough but the ouerthrow of two or three more and their families for company as often times it happeneth by your extreame crueltie O miserable Creditors can you truly pray to God that is mercifull forgiue my debts as I forgiue my debtors your selues so vnmercifull

to frame thy heart to more obedience to the Lawes of God and man for the time thou hast yet to spend in this life If God haue ordained the Magistrate in Iustice to take away thy life iustly deseruing it thou through faith by true repentance and prayer maist enioy a farre more glorious life for thy present ignomi●ious death If any other punishment be by the Lawes due for thine offence that it may be satisfied with the depriuation of any part of thy body according to the qualitie of thine offence or to inflict any other corporall punishment vpon thy flesh thinke it is in fauour and that God seeth it better for thee to suffer here a little smart then hereafter perpetuall torments and therefore seeing thou hast offended and made thy selfe guilty of crime so seuearely punishable submit thy selfe to the will of God and to the authoritie of the Magistrate in obedience faith and faithfull prayer A Prayer to be said of a Prisoner accused and like to bee condemned to death for some facte against the Lawes or to any other corporall punishment O Mightie omnipotent and most righteous Lord God I acknowledge thy Iudgements to bee iust and thy Wisedome and Prouidence vnsearchable wherein thou hast found me out and discouered my sins which I haue done as I thought in secret but thine all-seeing eye pierceth through the cloudes no darkenesse can hide sinne and sinners from thy presence Lord seeing thou hast found out mine iniquities and brought my grieuous sins to light I doe appeale from thy Throne of Iustice to thy Seate of mercie for I doe confesse that in thy iust Iudgement I am worthy to bee perpetually condēned but in thy mercie I may find fauour and in the merits of Christ thy beloued Sonne I may yet be saued though my mortall body here perish Thou hast power O Lord to worke the hearts of the seuearest Iudges of the earth with Iustice to ioyne mercie not to extende the seueritie in punishing of me as the Lawe for mine offence may iustlie require But aboue all earthly Iudges I stand most affraid of thy displeasure which I doe confesse I haue iustly deserued by mine offences many in number but this for which I am now restrayned is not the least yet not so great but thou canst forgiue and pardon it But before I can bee assured of thy fauour in pardoning mine vngodly deseruings for which I lye here vnder thine and the hand of the Magistrate in bandes I must and I doe humbly and heartily seeke to bee reconciled vnto thee But alas what am I dust and ashes what am I a meere worme what am I the vilest of all sinners that thou shouldest vouschafe to accept my reconciliation with thee the Almightie God Creator of heauen and earth betweene whose sinceritie and my sinnes betweene whose goodnesse and my vilenesse and betweene whose greatnesse and my weaknesse is so infinite difference euen as betweene heauen and hell O! how can I thinke that although thou canst thou wilt bee reconciled vnto me that haue so grieuously offended How can I expect any fauour of thee whom by the breach of all thy commandements I haue so highly incensed against me I haue sinned Lord I haue sinned and many wayes transgressed thy Lawes and had it not beene of thy meere mercy I might haue beene as I haue often deserued confounded long agone I doe acknowledge O Lord and thou knowest that this is not the first grieuous offence that I haue committed and therefore were I innocent in this for which I am apprehended and imprisoned I cannot but confesse that I haue deserued the punishment in Iustice due for this But Lord call not all my former sinnes to thy remembrance cast not vp the whole account of all mine impious actions knowing that I am of the seede of him that first was in thy sauour holy and that first rebelled and became and I in him disobedient and rebellious yet as hee fell of himselfe and I in him together with all his posteritie So was the seed of the woman promised to come he is come hath suffered according to thine owne will to reconcile euen me the greatest sinner and all beleeuers into thy fauour againe the shedding of his blood hath made the attonement and he it is yea euen hee alone in whome I beleeue I shall finde thee reconciled vnto me Then Lord doe with my body here which is the actiue part of all my sinnes what seemeth good in thine owne eyes for as one haire of the head of thy children falleth not without thy Prouidence how much lesse can his life bee taken from him without thee My life and my death are in thy hands though the sword be in the Magistrates yet it is not his but thine and he but thy Minister therefore if thou saye strike he striketh if thou saye spare he spareth Seeing therefore Lord I am thus in thy disposing onele and haue learned out of thine owne promises that all things worke worke together for the good of them whom thou hast chosen my sinnes Lord that hath caused mine apprehension mine apprehension mine imprisonment mine imprisonment the knowledge of mine owne wicked deseruing and my deseruing death may all worke together for my good for except I had beene restrained I had not thought vpon but had runne on still in my sinne had I not beene punished I had not felt thy displeasure for my sinnes so should I neuer haue sought to thee for succour and pardon for my sinnes O the incomprehensible depth of thy Wisedome and mercy in thus visiting me for before I was restrained I forgot my selfe thee my selfe what a wretched creature I was and thee what a powerfull and iust Iudge thou art yet louing to them that repent which is also thy guifte I know and confesse my selfe now to be an offender and in danger and that thou art a iust God and an auenger of sinne Lord dispose of mine offending body as it pleaseth thee it is dust turne it to dust when and how thou wilt and punish it in what manner and measure thou wilt yet seasoned with thy compassion As for my soule Lord receiue it when through Iustice by the Magistrate or otherwise it shall be enforced to leaue this my sinnefull body which graunt for Iesus Christs sake Amen Lord encrease my faith and prepare mee ●o obey thee in what soeuer it pleaseth thee here to doe with me A Prayer to be said of a penitent offender going to his execution or to any corporall punishment O Lord God Almightie though thou be iust in punishing thou art mercifull in forgiuing and sauing sinners among whome there is none so great O Lord as I am who haue long liued in the practise of infinite impieties neuer thinking of the danger which now is deseruedly fallen vpon me I am worthily condemned to what thou wilt inflict vpon mee Lord giue me patience to take it without repining or grudging