Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	world_n	worldly_a	worship_n	86	3	7.5212	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00412	The contempte of the vvorld, and the vanitie thereof, written by the reuerent F. Diego de Stella, of the order of S. Fr. deuided into three bookes, and of late translated out of Italian into Englishe, vvith conuenient tables in the end of the booke; Vanidad del mundo. English	Estella, Diego de, 1524-1578.; Cotton, George.	1584 (1584)	STC 10541; ESTC S101688	253,878	566

OF GOD exceedeth all the depth of mans vvisdome the vvisdome of the vvorld being foolishenes before God and by the contemnynge of the vvorld is that other vvisdome gotten CHAP. 34. IF any be wyse amongest you let him be as a foole to the intente he may be wyse this sayeth the Apostle There is not a higher poynte of wisdome then to become a foole for Christ. The wisdome of God which consisteth in true mortification and denying of our selues the worlde taketh for foolishnes The wyse man sayeth I am the most foole of all and the wisdome of men is not with me The children of this worlde be wyser then the children of light And therefore sayed the wyse man that the wisdome of men was not with him but the wisdome of Christ which the worlde esteemeth follie The wisdome of Christ exceedeth all our vnderstandinge and therefore the worlde calleth it follie as we call commonly all that follie which exceedeth our capacitie The Captayne in the fielde sometyme so o●dreth his armye and setteth so his battayle in array contrary to the common custome that the souldiers vnderstanding nothing thereof doe take the enterprise for vayne and the Captayne for a foole And because the wisdome of God exceedeth all our capacities it is called follie As the wyse man saide in the person of worldlie folke The sonne of Iustice hath not shined vpon vs. He speaketh not here of this materiall sonne whiche shineth both alike aswell vpon the iustice vniust But they were not lightened from aboue with the light of his highe celestiall wisdome because the weake eyes of mans vnderstandinge can not endure to beholde the great light of gods wisdome All the while that Moyses was in Egypte he was both wyse and eloquent with all but when he was to speake vnto God him selfe he confessed his insufficiencie of speach for before God the wisedome of man becometh starke dumme Salomon was a vearie wise man but comparinge his wisdome with the wisedome of God he called him selfe the most foole of all others This is greate wisdome in vs to despise the world for god He knoweth much that knoweth how to saue his owne soule and he his onlie wise for all other are but foolish and ignorant In the true despising of our selues consisteth the altitude of Christian wisedome And before this high wisedome is euerie great knowledge verie perfect ignorance All though thou wert neuer so perfect in al the liberall sciences what profiteth it thee yf thou be ignorant in thyne owne estate That exterior knowledge is to be accompted no knowledge in deede Happie is that soule that is replenished with the wisedome of God and perfect happie is he that seeketh to be wise before God and maketh no accompte of the wisdome of this world One droppe of this wisdome of God is more worth then all the huge Seas of worldlie wisdome In this schoole must thou studie day and night seeking for true mortification The more that thou hast of true perfect knowledge the more ignorant thou shalt be toward● the world and as it were one deade in it Iacob after he had wrestled with the Aungell remayned lame of one of his legges and was after called Israell whiche is as much to saye as man that seeth God and so he that seeth knoweth God must be lame outwarde to the world If thou doe see therefore worldlie mē goinge carefullie and diligentlie to get honour and worldlie riches doe not thou marueyle thereat yf they goe not lamelie nor haltinglie aboute that busynes for they haue but a small knowledge of God The iust men that doe see God as Iacob did throughe the knowledge that they haue of our Lorde are as it were lame in the knowledge of earthelie thinges And those doth the worlde thinke fooles because they be wyse before God VVhen the superiour and cheefe parte of thy soule is ful of the wisdome of God by thy firme fixing of thy mynde therevpō it fareth by it as by the moone which in the coniunction thereof with the sonne is so fullie possessed with the beames and light thereof that it casteth no parte of her owne lighte towarde the earth No more the soule of man being fixed vpon the loue of God and fast ioyned therevnto can haue any light lefte in it to cast or to bestowe vpō the earth or earthly thinges but hath that parte cleane emptie that sholde looke that waye The foole sayth Ecclesiasticus chaungeth like the moone for leuing the diuine light and the cleare shynynge of the sonne of iustice doth wholly conuerte hym selfe to the inferior thinges of the earth This worldlie wisdome is comfounded by the wisdome of Christ. The serpent of Moyses deuowred all the serpentes of Pharaos magitioners So doth the wisdome of God swallow vp and consume all the wisdome of the world In the olde law God promysed riches and such thinges as men naturallie doe desire in the world but there were at that tyme very fewe that wolde turne to the Iewysh religion the verie true worship of god But when our sauiour of the world came promysed vnto men persecu●iō afflictiō which men doe naturallie hate all the world was conuerted vnto God The wisdome of God is of that force that it tooke the vearie weakelinges of the worlde to conuince the stronge and the ignorant to confute the greatest learned vnto the wisdome of God all thinges are subiect And they that called them selues wyse were the most fooles of all sayth the Apostle This wisdome wold the diuell take from thyne vnderstanding as Amon wold pulck out the right eyes of the Israelites which is the knowledge of heauēlie thinges The eyes of a wyseman be in his head which is Christ hym selfe for the wysemā seeketh to knowe God and in that knowledge doth exercyse hym selfe and take delight according to the sayinge of Sainct Paule I confesse that I knowe nothing but Iesus Christ and hym crucified Behold and reade in that booke and let all thy exercise be in the reading of the Passion of Iesus Christ to the intent that by thy knowing of hym here in earth thou maiest afterward perfectlie knowe hym in heauē OVR LYFE IS SHORTE AND passeth avvay like a vvynde And it is lesse also then yt seemeth to be for yt is no perfect lyfe but a shadovv of the lyfe to come CHAP. 35. THE dayes of our lyfe be shorte sayth Iob they passe away like flowers and our yeares consume away like dewe vpon the face of the earth And S. Iames sayth That our lyfe is but a vapor which soone appeareth and in a moment is gone agayne And like a clowde in the ayer which as soone as the sunne shyneth is dispersed This life so much esteemed amongest men seemeth for a tyme to make a statelie shew and to carrie greate countenance in the world abroade but what it is in truth may easlie appeare by the

●HE CONTEMPTE OF THE VVORLD AND THE VAnitie thereof written by the reuerent F. Diego de Stella of the order of S. Fr. deuided into three bookes And of late translated out of Italian into Englishe vvith conuenient tables in the end of the booke In nomme Iesu omne genu flectatur Philip. 3 Anno domini 158● O maiestas domini quantū inclinaris Cum Deus ex femina oriri dignaris Nūquid in palac●s rex coeli locaris Non sed in praesepio breui reclinaris Iesus qui angelico coetu veneratur Vestibus purpureis natus non ornatur Sed in satis vilibus pannis inclinatur Sicque mundi gloriā pauper detestatur TO MY DEARE AND LOVINGE countreywomen and sisters in Christ assembled together to serue God vnder the holie order of S. Briget in the towne of Rone in Fraunce THis discourse treating of the vanitie and contempte of the vvorlde after I had perused and in myne ovvne opinion conceyued a speciall liking thereof I fell into some desire vvith my selfe to haue it made common to certaine of my freindes and vvelvvillers such as I vvist vvell vvold like of the argument and vvold be delighted to see it vvell cōningly handeled And because I cold not haue the effect of my desire nor they the fruite of that good I vvished them except it vvere made cōmunicable by some mans trauayle and industrie in reducing it out of the spannishe or Italian language vvherein it vvas first vvritten into our vulgare mother tongue I thought good since I vvanted not goodvvill and therto had store of good leysure beinge at that tyme secluded from all companye rather then to leaue so good a vvorke vndoone that might tend to the benefite of many to aduenture vvhat I cold doe my selfe therein and by myne ovvne experience to make triall vvhat a meane diligēce vvas able to doe euē in the most vnusuall exercises vvhereinto vvhen I vvas entred being daylie dravven vvith desire to see so good a vvorke at an end continually entised forvvard vvith the svveetenes of the vvorke soundnes of the matter and the good handelinge thereof I founde no greate difficultie in the attempt but passed throughe the same in a moch shorter time then I supposed it possible for mee at the first to haue done Thus loue maketh labor light and harde thinges are made easie by delighte yea euen the vearie thing it selfe that this booke intreateth of vvhich to vs vvordly men is of all others the most hard as that vvhich our corrupted nature most misliketh abhorreth is made by loue not onely easie but most pleasant and delectable VVee see daylie hovv the vvicked and vngodlie leaue no mischeefe vndone vvhat daunger so euer they incurre in the doing thereof to haue their pleasure and satisfie their desire vvhich is caused onely by the peruerse loue and levvde affection ouer firmelie fixed vpon the thinges that they fansie and desire It seemeth that loue alone is the directer guyde of all our actions eyther good or euill so as the vvell or euill orderinge thereof doth make vs eyther good or euill Nothing then can be more conuenient for vs ●hen to haue a good order and methode proposed vvhat is meete to be beloued and folovved and vvhat is meete to be detested eschevved This ●ath bene the teachinge of almightie God hym ●elfe from the begynnynge of the vvorlde It vvas ●he first lesson that hee taughte our father Adam 〈◊〉 Paradise vvhen hee gaue hym order vvhat ●e sholde take and vvhat hee sholde refuse Both ●he lavve the prophets tended to no other end ●ut to instruct the people vvhat they shold loue ●lovve and vvhat they shold hate and auoyde Our Sauiour Christ hym selfe comminge in ●●she to redeeme mankinde preached no other ●octrine to the vvorld but this His holy Apostles ●●d teachers sithence haue trauayled aboute no ●●●er thinge The scope of all that hath bene ●●ther vvell taughte or vvritten in the vvorlde ●●till this day hath bene to no other effect but ●●●ly to instructe vs aright vvhat vvee haue to ●●vve and vvhat to flie and to prescribe vs or●●●lie meanes vvhich vvay vve shold doe it best Amongest those that haue labored in this ●●d busines and haue bestovved their trauaills ●●framyng and cōpilinge some necessarie vvorke ●●hich mighte aptlie teach the vvaye to lyue ●●ell and to rectefie the mynde of man in the ●●fect and true loue of God and contempt of the ●●orld vvhich be as it vvere tvvo inseperable cō●●ions and haue their connection alvvayes together so as vvee can not loue God but if vv● contemne the vvorld nor contemne the vvorld 〈◊〉 vvee ought if vvee loue not God Amongest 〈◊〉 I say that haue taken paynes in gods Church 〈◊〉 teach the readie vvay to a good lyfe none hat● in my small iudgemēt more happelie atchieued that vvhich hee hath gone aboute then the auth●● of this booke vvho leadinge a most religious an● contemplatiue lyfe hym selfe hath by due obser●uation and diligent labor chosen out so man● good rules preceptes for that purpose hat● as aptlie applied them and in so good order digested them so bevvtefyinge them vvith apt sim●●litudes and sentences of holie scripture to ma●● them asvvell h●dthfull as gratefull that heard 〈◊〉 vvere I thinke any vvhere to finde a vvorke● better fruite and more likelie to profit the re●●der And as it is novve made familier to oth●● christian nations abrode and vvell receyued 〈◊〉 thē so can I not thinke but that it shall be asvv● vvellcome to you vvhen you are once made a●●quaynted therevvith but if the habite that 〈◊〉 cometh clothed in doth seeme ouer rude ho●● for so good a guest remember I pray you fir●● from vvhome it cometh and at vvhose handes hath receyued this simple aray next to vvho● it goeth that is to them that haue vvholie both 〈◊〉 acte and vvill vtterlie cast of the desire 〈◊〉 ●vorldlie conuersation so as to you the difference 〈◊〉 not greate betvvixt a kendall coate and a pur●e Roabe the substance not the shevve is that ●vhich you desire Lastlie the booke it selfe is such as asketh 〈◊〉 outvvarde settinge out nor glorious shevv of ●vordes the vvhole argument thereof entrea●ge of nothing els but onely of the contēpt of the ●vorld and the vanitie thereof so as it vvere nei●●er agreeable vvith the matter nor conuenient 〈◊〉 the persons to come either richelie arrayed or ●y better then meanelie appareled If the letter selfe be trulie expressed and the authors minde ●●thfullie delyuered I haue that I sought for ●●s it that vvhich I trauayled to doe both for 〈◊〉 ovvne honestie and the readers satisfaction ●●vv vvell I haue fulfilled it let the learned ●●der be Iudge vnto vvhose examination and ●●sure I referre it My trauayle herein I haue ●ore others dedicated vnto you for that I ●●ughte it a meete vvorke for you and the ar●●ment thereof so vvell agreeing vvith your pro●●ion VVherein if you fynde any

at all in it neuer yet make thou any accompte of his wordes for although it be true that there is no sinne to lyue in highe degree and statelie honour yet doe they lyue in greate daunger of fallinge into the fowle sinne of pryde which doe lyue in the prosperitie and ioli●ie of the world The world seemeth goodly and fayre to the eye being in deede fowle filthie like an image made of a peece of wood which is set out well and fayre paynted to the sighte and within is there nothing but a peece of olde rotten timber The fisher vseth to couer his hookes with bayte to catch and kill his fish withall All this worldly flattering is but to doe thee harme with all And vnder the greene grasse doth the serpent lurke and hyde her selfe The woman mentioned in the Apocalips gaue poyson to drinke in a cuppe of gold O how many hath the world slayne with the poyson of his deceytes And how many doe drinke their owne death out of the cuppe of honours riches and vanitie with this golden cuppe he deceyueth the simple which know not the poyson that is conteyned therein flye from his deceytes if thou wilte escape death THE FALSE PROMYSES OF the vvorld are not to be trusted vnto for it giueth the cleane contrarie of that vvhich in shevv it pretendeth CHAP. 4. MANY haue bene cast away through vniust promyses sayeth Ecclesiasticus Let euerie man be well examyned and let them declare the truth of their owne knowledge and they will say that in all their lyfe they neuer sawe ioye without some sorowe Peace without discord Rest without feare Health whithout infirmitie nor myrth without mournynge The world maketh still his promyses of all good and prosperous thinges but in perfourmance they proue all contrarie It promyseth ioye but it cometh accompanyed with sorowe It promyseth to abyde still with thee but when thou hast most neede of his helpe it wil be furthest from thee It promyseth quyetnes and it gyueth perturbations and troubles It promyseth mirth and perfourmeth mournynge And when it promyseth honour it bringeth shame Finallie it promyseth lōge lyfe when their foloweth a shorte lyfe a miserable and subiect to much euill That lyfe which it promyseth rather seemeth a lyfe then is in deede a trew lyfe To some it maketh a shewe of a longe lyfe for to deceyue them in the end It shortneth againe the liues of some others to the ende that thoughe they wold conuert them to God yet shall they haue no tyme therunto To others it promyseth lēgth of life because they shold doe what they listed be made worse thereby And vnto other it sendeth a shorte lyfe that they shold haue no tyme to doe good All these doth it deceyue depryuing them of the knowledge which they ought to haue of God of the world and of them selues Iacob serued Laban seuen yeares to haue his daughter Rachell to his wyfe but his deceytfull father in law in the darke night gaue hym Lia to wyfe So playeth the world with thee It promiseth thee one thing and intendeth an other These worldlie men doe neuer take knowledge of these things vntill the mornynge come and that the darkenes of this present lyfe be passed away and gone that is vntill death doe come which doth opē the eyes of our vnderstanding and maketh vs to behold the falsehood of the worlde as Iacob in the mornynge perceyued the guyle of his false father in lawe Then shall they perceyue the bitter ende that the honors and pleasures of this worlde doe bring with them and then shall they see how much tyme they haue lost in the seruice of this false lyeng world Many althowgh they see well enough the falsehood of the world yet are they contented to be deceyued thereby As Baalā did who fell downe at noone dayes whē his eyes were open The three frēdes of Iob drew neare vnto hym like frendes to gyue hym comfort at the first but afterwarde they iniuried hym gaue hym many fowle wordes of reproche So doth the world draw neare vnto thee at the first with fayre wordes like a frend but afterward thou shalt well perceyue hym to be an hard aduersarie against thee It cometh flatteringe with pleasant speaches vnto thee to offer thee frendship but shortlie after y● becometh thy cruell enemy Let not his sweete wordes enter within thyne eares for thou shalt shortlie after finde a fowle chaunge yet are there many for all that which doe gyue it credit and holde all that for true that it telleth them and by beleeuing his false promises they deferre their pennance perswading them selues that they shall lyue many yeares and then cometh he sodenly and taketh their lyfe away from them They lyue so carelesly and vpon such truste of those false promises as though they were very sure that the worlde tolde them nothing but truth But thou must not beleeue his wordes nor what so euer it shall tell thee for thou shalte finde in the ende that all his promises are false THE MEMORY OF THEM that haue despised the vvorlde continueth but of those that haue bene louers of the vvorld the remembrance is soone gone avvaye CHAP. 5. THE memorie of these wicked worldly folke perisheth lyke the sounde of a voyce in the ayer sayeth the prophete Make not any accompt of this world who soone forgetteth his frendes and of his enemies keepeth a perpetuall memorye If thou wilte that the world shall haue thee still in remembrance thou must despise it and so it will remember thee And who be they thinke you that the world remembreth most Good S. Hierome and others lyke vnto him that fled from all the pleasures of this worlde and lyued alone in desertes Of these who were enemies vnto it and set nothing at all by it the worlde hath yet as freshe a memory as if they were liuing still That is most true which the holy prophet telleth The iust man shall be had in memory for euer The worlde hath yet in good memory S. Paule the heremite that was faste shut vp in a caue ninetie yeares together VVhom hath Rome cheefely in remembrance at this day Not the famous princes and greate men which florished so much there but the poore fisher S. Peter whom the worlde despised and made no reckening of The kinges and emperors of the worlde doe adore and haue in reuerence those most of all that fled from and forsoke those great honors and riches which them selues do lyue in They be more honored of the world which doe hate it then they which doe esteeme it They which hate the world those doth God loue and they that forsake the worlde God receyueth and he honoreth those that despise it here in the worlde doth he make also an euerlasting memory of them It is a notable thing that the seruante of God liuing in a caue farre from the company of men sholde haue his glory manifested