Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	light_n	lord_n	praise_v	2,749	5	10.0376	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61733	The life and gests of S. Thomas Cantilupe, Bishop of Hereford, and some time before L. Chancellor of England extracted out of the authentique records of his canonization as to the maine part, anonymus, Matt. Paris, Capgrave, Harpsfeld, and others / collected by R.S., S.I.	Strange, Richard, 1611-1682.	1674 (1674)	Wing S5810; ESTC R14349	107,722	368

made him waue all humane respects when he was about it not admitting any interruption whatsoeuer not euen from the King himselfe though otherwise most obseruant and submissiue to his Commands It happend once that while he was ready to vest a Messinger came in all hast from the King to call him to Councell without delay vpon matters of great importance and it was his office to attend he being of the Priuy Councell What must he doe after a short pause he calls the Messinger who was a Priest wishing him to tell his Majesty if he pleasd in these tearmes That he was now engagd in the seruice of one greater then himselfe who requird his present attendance but when I haue sayd he dischargd my duty to him I will not fayle to wayt on his Majesty After all done and his deuotions ended he repayrd immediately to Court then keept at the Pallace at Westminster and receiuing a gentle rebuke for his delay the matter was proposd and discus'd in the handling wheroff he deliuerd his aduise so pertinently and suggested beyond the rest such expedients so patt and fecible that all without reply embracd them as sent from heauen And the King ouer-ioyd heer with is sayd to haue spoken to him in these words Many blessings my Lord light vpon you and euer praysd and magnifyd be that highest master whome you serue and long may you serue both him and vs. So true it is that if we seek in the first place the Kingdome of heauen and its justice not fayling of our duty in that all these secondaryes will be cast into the bargaine I will conclude the loue he shewd to God by the religious performance of these his Spirituall obligations with the deuotion he carry'd to his Saints and chiefly to the Queen of Saints the Virgin Mother The Prouerb sayth loue me and loue my friend and God sayth loue me and loue my Saints my dearest friends and deseruedly for how can they be sayd to loue him who loue not those that are one with him In his loue to our B. Lady I will comprize all the rest and although this were notedly great that is so great that he was publiquely noted for it yett we haue not much left vpon Record wherby to illustrate and amplify it This not withstanding if we may measure the Lion by his Clawe and guess at Hercules by his foot we haue sufficient hynts or grounds both to informe and inflame vs to his imitation in this particular I haue shewd aboue out of authentique Records that in his younger dayes he was wont to fast the Vigills of her feasts with bread and water which custome he continu'd till want of health disabled him therto and what greater expression of a tender deuotion could he exhibite The expression is as extraordinary as is the fast and the fast speakes as much deuotion as a fast can doe and ranks it with the tenderest He chuse her Natiuity as I noted aboue for his Episcopall Consecration receiuing that sacred Character vnder her patronage and diuers apparitions of her with him after death in a ioynt Concurrence of both to the cure of many shew how deare he was to her during life And I find that abroad he carry'd the Common esteem of one singularly deuoted to her and was poynted at as her particular client and this perswasion wrought so farr with some that they vsd it for motiue of mediation to obtayne what they desyrd beseeching him for the loue and deuotion he bore her to grant theyr request And to this purpose it is recounted of one who before had bin of his houshold and falling into a great fitt of sicknes for ten weeks space 3. wheroff he passd sleeples turning himselfe to the Saint he earnestly besought him for the loue he bore to the Mother of God that he would obtaine for him the benifitt of sleeping This sayd he fell into a slumber and in it thought he saw two men bring into his Chamber a very fine bed in which being layd by them he sleept soundly and quiettly till the morning when being awakd and missing the bed though he was more then a little concernd that it should be carryd away yett neuer the less he found himselfe quite Cur'd of his infirmity and vpon the score of the Saints deuotion to our B. Lady As for his loue towards his Neighbour I had rather waue then mention it as not able to treat of it in that due manner I ought and it deserues not but that it was mainly great in it selfe but time and records haue bin so injurious as not to conuey the particulars to our knowledg and in these things we must not goe by guess but certaine relation Who can rationally doubt but that he who was a flaming furnace of loue towards God was enkindled with the same towards his Neighbour for loue of God Or he that playd the good Sheapard for 7. yeares to geather in feeding his flock had not a tender loue for the same flock without which he had prou'd himselfe rather a Mercenary hyreling then good Sheapard Or if he were so zealously couragious for the maintenance and Recouery of his Church Lands and Libertyes would he not be much more sollicitous for her childrens soules and saluation If he took her dead Concerns so much to hart how much more would he her liuing if he were so charitably charitable after death in the cure of theyr bodyes how much more while he hu'd in curing theyr soules We know that he was assiduous in preaching and teaching in reconciling enmityes in hindering debates in administring justice in promoting piety in depressing vice in redressing abuses in administring the Sacraments c. but what 's all this to his boundles zeale which not contenting it selfe with obligatoryes would branch into supererogatoryes and none of these latter are come to our knowledg besydes what is already specifyd I cannot satisfy my selfe as to what I would and ought to say on this poynt and therfore I pass to the next XXIV CHAPTER Of his Purity of body and mind AMong all the vertues which like so many Starrs embellishd our Saint 3. seem Conspicuously eminent aboue the rest and as I may say of the first magnitude One was his zeale and courage in the vindication and maintenance of his Churches Libertyes and of this we haue treated in the 15. Chapter The second his parsimony and sobriety of dyett to such a degree of Sparenes and mortification of his appetite that he might be sayd as we mentiond a little before to haue obseru'd for many yeares of his life a strict Ecclesiasticall fast and of this in the 22. The third was a wonderfull innocency of life by which he is thought to haue preseru'd the baptismall garment of his soule pure and vnspotted all his life long at least from any mortall stayne a priuiledg granted not to many and this I call his Purity of body and mind and shall be the subjectt of

in certain summary and compendious lineaments then in any exact and distinct expression of each seuerall part or perfection When a hidden Sanctity is scarce taken notice of till it be blaz'd abroad with a full noyse of Miracles these so convince the owner to be a Saint that no body needs to look after any other prooffs of his gests or vertues to attest it and therfore these latter are scarse lookd after or regarded And if a more diligent search by publique autority had not bin made and left on record in order to his Canonization wee might still have group'd in the dark as to many particulars which it tells vs and I recken it among none of the least providences that an authentique Coppy theroff came to my hands while I had thoughts of prosecuting what a devout Client of this Saint had to his honor rather scarce well designed then halfe finishd There was not a Saint of our English Nation whose memory was receiu'd with a more vniuersall applause both of Prince and people then that of this glorious Prelate though the times when he liu'd were most unquiet turbulent and the employments wherin he was engag'd were of highest dignity and necessarily combind with the publique interest which in such a condition of times can haue no more settlement then the waues of the Ocean in a raging storme In the which to steer such an eeuen course as to runn vpon no rock of offence argues a great deale of prudent dexterity in the Pilot nor indeed was there found an enuy which yet neuer spares vertue especially the highest which durst fasten tooth on this B. man Which may well be numbred among none of the least of his miracles wherwith it pleas'd Alm. God to honour him which were so conspicuous both as to multitude and quality that he may with rearson beare the name of Thaumatourge or wonder worker of the wersterne Church Now he being as I may say the Darling Saint of his age soe highly reuerenc'd by all conditions why no learned pen should set forth his vertues and interiour perfections as well as pencill paynt his exteriour Lineaments I can say no more but that those actiue times more employd with swords then books had not the Conuenience to performe this duty to so great a merit Or that they thought it not so considerable in those dayes to preserue his memory in ink and paper as in monuments of brass and marble Which honour was so fully payd our deseruing Saint by pious antiquity that one of these latter writers eyther out of a criticall or perhaps more moderate motiue speaking of his Tombe in the Cathedrall Church of Hereford affirmes Cambd. ●● that in former times the place and our B. Saint Thomas was held in so high Veneration that it did almost eclipse the glory of the King and Martyr Saint Ethelbert in whose honor the sayd Cathedrall had bin built many yeares before and dedicated to him as to a titular Patrone and Protectour at the expenses of Milfrede a man of great Command and power in those parts But those zealous and Religious times were not more forward to sett vptrophees of piety then our unfortunate age hath bin to pull downe and ruine them Impiety and errour vnseparable twinns borne at one birth and which euer goe hand in hand togeather hate nothing more then light which makes them see what they most abhorr theyr owne Uglynes and the beauty of vertue to auoyd both theyr desire is to bury themselues and the world in darknes They haue not hands long enough to reach heauen yet doe theyr vtmost with as much folly as fury to blot out those names on earth which stand vpon record in the book of life In fine theyr malicious attempts haue no other effect but to make us digg under ruines for treasure and as they were wont to gather theyr gold in Spaine and Barbary they force vs to pick vp here and there a graine out of sand and grauell Howeuer what concerns the life of our glorious Prelate S. Thomas Cantilupe nothing shall be produc'd euen in the midst of this confusion and darknes which is not warantable both by Ecclesiasticall and profane history and especially by the vndoubted record of his Canonization Where besydes a large list of his Miracles an exact but short summary of his vertues is amply deposd by seuerall wittnesses which though it giue vs not a full narratiue of the same yet affords sufficient grounds as will be shewd heerafter in the 22. Chap. to build an indubitable humane beliefe of theyr truth If it be necessary to giue an account of my undertaking this task I shall onely offer for motiues first my deuotion to Gods Saints and one so vniuersally beneficiall and deseruing in the honouring of whome God is honoured and in this age especially in which many make it apart of theyr sanctity to vnsaint Saints 2. a desyre through respect to my friend to take vp a designe laudably by him begun and therfore I hope not vnlaudable in its prosecution But chiefly to vindicate the pious memory of the Saint and preserue it in a due veneration among the faithfull which by continuall Miracles preseru'd it selfe so long as they faythfully venerated him His Tombe then was a monument able to preserue the memory of him now we must endeauour to erect another able to preserue the memory of it the graces receiu'd requiring this gratitude hoping that as his honour and veneration fell with the last for it lasted as long as did the Catholique Religion in our Iland so it will rise with the first in its restauration when euer it shall please god in his mercy to send that happy houre I. CHAPTER The time and Circumstances of his birth THe Church of God since the primitiue times of Christianity scarce euer flourish'd vnder a happyer Constellation of Saints then in the thirteenth Age when conversation with heauen was not confin'd to caues and deserts but found admittance both in Cittyes and Courts When Christian humility sate as well upon the thrones of Kings as in Cells of Ermites and true pouerty of spirit knew how to vest it selfe as in sackcloath so in purple This was the age and it was a golden one in this respect when Virginity was preseru'd and florishd not onely in the Sanctuaryes and enclosd gardens of Religious Cloysters but like a lilly among thornes in the very midst of word'y delights Salomea Cune gundis Kinga Bzou Annal 1234. greatnes euen in the state of wedlock and highest fortune Then it was when Princes had no other interest of state but the Glory of God nor any other ambition but to dilate his Kingdome which they endeauourd at the expenses of theyr Crownes and liues and were more employd in fortifying theyr country with Religious Conuents then forts and Cittadells When they held it a greater strength and honour to theyr Royall Familyes to espouse theyr daughters to Christ Crucifyd in

a Religious man It was a speciall prouidence of God that this great person was chosen to be the Spiritual guide and Gouernour of our holy Saint from his tender yeares which we may esteem a mutuall happynes and honour to them both being the wise child is the fathers ioy as the fathers worth is the Childrens glory The learned and wise Prelat seeing how pure and generous a soule he had to mannage omitted no care and industry to sett him forward to the highest perfection Wherin finding his Angelicall pupill so ready and pliable and euen to out-runn his wishes he conceiud such vnspeakable ioy and comfort that all the dayes of his life he could neuer name him with out excessiue admiration and praise He neuer mett with stone or bramble in that soule to choak or hinder the full fruit of the heauenly seed he neuer found weed in that bed of Lillyes he neuer saw spott in that virgin stole which he had receiud in baprisme Noe flashes of leuity frowardnes or vnconstant giddynes so incident to that age All his soule in fine Apoc. 4. 6. like that chrystall sea of the Apocalipse without waue or wind not disturbd with the least blast of disorderd passions yett still in motion abhorring nothing more then that canker and bayne of vertue sloath and idlenes He neuer omitted to be dayly present at the holy Sacrifice of Mass with all reuerence and attention which he took for a common duty of all pious Christians and therfore would oblige himselfe to a greater task reciting dayly as young as he was the Canonicall houres or Priests Office which in him was a remarkable act of piety and not onely a presage of his future intentions but also a token not improbable that euen then as much as lay in him he deuoted himselfe to a Clergy life hauing otherwise no tye at all eyther of Benefice or Orders his yeares being vncapable of the one and the discipline of those better times not allowing Ecclesiasticall fruits and titles to any other but such as for ability and age could worthily performe the functions In this manner did our B. Saint pass his first course of litterature with such success and profitt in the Latine tongue that it gaue him new appetite and courage to apply himselfe to the study of higher sciences As they who discouer the first veynes of a rich myne work on with more alacrity to attaine the mayne treasure Wherfore though at that time Oxford florish'd with all aduantage of learning both for knowledg and discipline and could furnish other nations with choyse masters in all sciences yett considerable motiues drew S. THOMAS out of his natiue contry into France and inducd him to chuse Paris for his schoole of Philosophy V. CHAPTER S. Thomas his Study of Philosophy THat Antiquity plac'd the Temples of theyr goddess of learning and wisdome in forts and Castles seated vpon a higher ground and at a cōpetent distance from the common habitation of theyr Townes and cittyes did not onely signify that wisdome and knowledg is the chiefe protection and safeguard of men and a thing highly eleuate a boue the vulgar reach but also that the proper seat of learned Exercises is to be at a conuenient distance from the throng and tumult of the world this being no less an enemy to speculatiue and studious mindes then smoak and dust to the eye and a confusd and iarring noyse to a delicate and harmonious eare This considerd the most populous Citty of Europe and the greatest court might seem very impropper for the improuement of S. THOMAS in his studyes especially for his particular hauing more occasion of distraction then any other by reason of his neer relation and allyance with the greatest Princes of that Court namely Reginald Count of Dammartin and Boulogne great vncle to our Saint and Matilde Countesse of Clermont daughter of the foresayd Reginald marry'd to Philipp onely brother to Lewis the 8. and vncle to S Lewis who raignd at that present time These circumstances might well haue putt a youthfull Spiritt vpon other thoughts then serious and paynfull studys and forcd him euen against his will to spend the greatest part of his time in receiuing and paying courtly visitts But the generous resolution of the Saint and the great light which he receiu'd from heauen to make a true estimate of things gaue him strength and vigour to prosecute his course without diuersion And such were those happy times that he found rather helpe then preiudice in court where the king a Saint taught the world this truth that the disorder of courts is not the fault of the place but men and that vertue is euer at hand where it finds admittance Neyther did the court and Army the two propper spheres of this great Prince and Soldier of Christ onely partake of his holy influences he was as great a Patron of learning as Armes and as piety and discipline is the chiefe support and aduancement of both his powerfull example and industry and the concourse of so many great persons renownd for learning and Sanctity inuited thither by the fame of that happy raigne gaue such life and vigour to the vniuersity of Paris that it neuer flourishd more then in those holy times The famous Colledg of Sorbone so esteemd euen till this day that it is a speciall mark of honour to be a member therof was then first founded and owes the glory of so prosperous a continuance to that happy beginning which made them heyres not onely of the name and patrimony butt also of the eminent learning of theyr worthy Founder Robert de Sorbona The persons also who then eyther taught or study'd in that vniuersity are a sufficient testimony of the flourishing state of these times which bred them whome the Schooles euer since haue reuerencd and admird as chiefe Masters and mirrours of humane and diuine sciences and observe continually theyr method and forme of teaching as the ready and onely way to attaine solid and perfect knowledg That S. THOMAS made the best vse of these aduantages appears euidently by the effect and that publick testimony of his singular ability and learning when hauing finishd that course of studyes he proceeded Master of Arts which honour in those impartiall times was not to be bought with fauour nor vpon any other account then desert Neyther did he satisfy himselfe with that specious ornament of his youth as commonly persons of his ranke and quality are wont to doe and then apply the rest of theyr life to the designments of ambition and pleasure As after his returne into England he changd not his mind with the place but still continu'd like a faythfull louer his constant affection to wisdome whose amiable beauty had so possesst his hart that it wip'd away all other impressions And that he might enioy his happynes without disturbance he retyrd from court and the restles noyse of the world to his knowne repose and first nursery of his

he did Those great talents and abilityes which renderd him so recommendable to this did the same to Ecclesiasticall promotions It is a prerogratiue which God hath annexd to vertue that it meets though not allwayes with many euen temporall rewards when it looks the least after them and indeed who deserues them better or when they haue them can vse them with more integrity His nobility also and great allyance gaue no small furtherance whence it was that he enioyd at the same time by dispensation many and fatt benifices all which according to the Collatours intention he turnd not so much to his owne interest as to the maintaining and recouering of theyr rights vpholding priuiledges conseruing buildings and relieuing the poore of the respectiue neighbourhood He was at the same time Canon and Chanter of York Archdeacon and Canon of lichfield Archdeacon of Stafford Canon of London and Hereford all which I rehearse not as soe many Certificates of his Sanctity but as rewards of his meritts and pledges of respect and honour from such Chapters ambitious to haue him a member of the same and it were to be wishd that such were allwayes in theyr hands who would vse them to theyr improuement While things were in this course John de Breton a worthey Prelate grouernd the See of Hereford one well seen both into the Canon and Common-Law of the Land which latter he illustrated with his writings This man dying in this interim left his chayre vacant to a successour and the care of prouiding a fitt one to the vigi lancy of the Chapter the carriage of things as to the Election as we find recorded in the Process of his Canonization was after this tenour It chanc'd while the Chapter was deliberating about that poynt S. THOMAS a canon of the same though his ordinary Residence were at Londen was accidentally calld downe thither vpon the score of other affayres The day prefixd for the election before his coming happend while he was there and he as a member theroff and of great regard both for his vertue learning and nobility was desyrd to preach before the Chapter and so giue a happy entrance to the work All proceeded Canonically according to method but yett the result of the votes was not so cleare and absolute that day as to decide the question and tell them positiuely this is the man The next meeting did it and all the Chapter by ioynt decree sayth the Process did conclude first that the party to be elected should be a THOMAS and next that the ambiguity of that name should be resolu'd to the indiuiduall THOMAS Cantelupe whence follow'd an vnanimous acclamation of all desyring and accepting and voycing him theyr Bishop Hence he was carry'd to the high Aultar and a TE DEUM solemnly enton'd by way of thanksgiuing with the Uniuersall applause and good liking of all besydes himselfe For he like one surprizd at vnawares and expecting nothing less then what happend broke forth into teares bemoand his condition deprecated the burden alledg'd his owne insufficiency and usd all the arguments he could diuise to reuerse the Election He did as Saints vse to doe who measuring themselues by the ell of theyr owne mean-conceytednes and poyzing the burden which such a charge drawes after it the eyes of theyr humility makes them deem themselues weaklings and the burden like an Aetna insupportable well knowing what it is to be accountable for so many soules He did like an humble Saint and they like a wise and and Sage Chapter who knowes those to be fittest for Prelacy that are least ambitious of it and them ablest to answere for others who are most carefull ouer themselues for he that is knowne to neglect his owne soule how can it be presumd that he will be vigilant ouer those of others synce charity beginns at home Farr was our Saint from those ambitious motiues of preferrment which possess euen good soules and though Tim. C. 3● the Apostle sayes he that desyres a Bishoprick desyres a good work yett great Saints find good reasons why to waue yea suppress such desyres especially when they find them to arise more from selfseeking then Gods honour or the good of soules No body ought Hebr. 5. 4. to emulate this honour but he that is calld by God as Aaron it is want of interiour light that makes many more forward then considerate in this kind who seeing onely by the glimmerings of selfloue a false light issuing from an ignis fatuus think that often gay which has nothing suchbut what it borrowes from false reflexions Wher as Saints who are of a more refind sight as seeing things by true lights and measuring them accordingly by the Weights of the Sanctuary make a farr different estimate and proceed quite contrary As we ought not to censure the former vnles theyr Sinister intention and self endednes condemne them first for Mercenaryes so we cannot but admire those others who preferr an humble security before a splendid danger and dread the honour by reason of the burden As the H. Ghost the great President of the Church and its affayres presides influentially in all its Canonicall Elections so we cannot doubt but that Fingar digitus pat dextera of the Fathers right hand did heer as it is his office inspiringly poynt out this Sheapard whome he designd to gouerne that flock and sett vpp as a light in the Candlestick of the Church of Hereford to shine to all in learning and vertue That this was an assured Decree of heauen not onely as all Canonicall Elections are but also peculiarly preordaynd by a speciall prouidence may be shewd both by the whole steerage of his life whose actions and behauiour seemd to be squard and moulded for such a course as also by seuerall predictions and prognosticons which intimated the same The saying of Walter Cantilupe Bishop of Worcester and his kinsman vtterd in our Saints childhood concerning his future state of life cited in the 3. Chapter seemes by the euent to haue bin Prophetique and as such was receuid by his Parents who ther vpon directed the whole education of theyr child to a perpetuall aduance in knowledg and piety the two ornaments and supports of Prelacy It was no less remarkable what passd while he study'd the Law at Orleans and for his excellency in that science supplyd the absence of his Professor When the night before he was to read one of his fellow Students beheld him by way of dreame not onely in the Chayre or Pulpitt but also Carrying a Bishops Mytre on his head the circumference or border wherof was full of Crosses as ominating that he was to walk by the way of the Cross full of hardship and contradiction We may add to these a third prediction of his immediate Predecessour who two yeares before his owne death and the others election fore-told he should succeed him in his charge The choyse being made and ratify'd to the satisfaction of