Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	air_n	earth_n	element_n	2,483	5	9.5484	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00391	Here folowith a scorneful image or monstrus shape of a maruelous stra[n]ge fygure called, Sileni alcibiadis presentyng ye state [and] condicio[n] of this present world, [and] inespeciall of the spiritualite how farre they be from ye perfite trade and lyfe of Criste, wryte[n] in the laten tonge, by that famous clarke Erasmus, [and] lately translated in to Englyshe.; Adagia. Chil. III Cent. III. English	Erasmus, Desiderius, d. 1536.	1543 (1543)	STC 10507; ESTC S120657	18,269	72

worlde to pocesse that that in olde tyme the reulers of Rome vaynely went about to win to passe christ in nūbre of his garde that euer was to excelle Cresus in riches ye and stoppe the wysest philosophers mouth that euer was yet thys kynde of shape and ymage pleasyd him best whome he wold that hys disciples and frendes that is to saye christians shuld alway haue before ther face this phylosophy did he chufe chyefly for that on euery syde varyeth from the phylosophers decrees and worldely wysdom whyche alonly geuyth vs that thynge that they by sondry wayes goo aboute to get that is felicite Such Images were the prophetes whiche lyued as outelawes wanderynge in wyldernes whose meate where vyle herbes and rootes their drynke water ther clothing shhepes felles and gotes skynnes but he that loked in the inner partes of the Images sayde that the worlde was not worthy to haue them Suche an ymage was Iohn̄ the Baptyst whiche couerid with a Camels skynne and gyrde wyth and heryn gyrdell passed all the riche appereyl of kynges and eatyng hony focles excelled all the deyntye fare of prynces for veryly he knew what treasure was hyd vnder that rude and vyle garment whiche with his incōperable prayse sayd amonge the chyldren of wome there hathe not rysen one greter then Iohn̄ the Baptyst suche Images were the apostels poure yl shapen vnlerned of lowe byrthe weake nothyng setby To be shorte scorned and hated al most of al the worlde but open the se Images beholde the iner parte and what kyng or tyrant maye in mighte or power be cōparyd to thē whiche with a worde ouer mayster dyuels the cruell tempestes of the rageyng see and call the dede to lyfe agayn what Cresus semyth not poure in cōparison of them which euen with the shado brynge helthe to the sycke whyche also wyth the only touche of theyre handes gyue the holy gooste what Aristotle ys not coūted a foole vnlerned and a tryfeler in respecte of them whiche haue drawen the heuenly wysdom gyuen from the very fountayne to the regarde of whiche all mennes wysoom is more folysshenes Suche an Image was the buss hoppe Marten coūtyd scorned Suche pmages were the olde byss hoppes hye in mekenes ryche in pouertye and Gloriouse in disposyd glory There are also now a dayes suche Images but O Lorde god ouer few for the most parte of men sheweth this Image out of hys nature If a man wolde throwly beholde the iner strength nature of thing es he shal fynde none farther from the very wysdom then those which with magnified tytles furred hoddes shynyng gyrdels and rynges set full of precious stones processe absolute wysdom In somoch that a man shall ꝑceyue more very treu wysdom in one named of the comō people A wretche an ydiot or halfe a foole whose mynde hathe ben instructed not with the argumentes of the subtyll Doctor as thy calle hym Scotus But with the heuenly spririt of christe then in many of our hye doctours of diuinite and greate wyse masters whose belyes swellyth with the Aristole and are full of the rafle of the magistral definicions conclusions preposicions A man shal also fynde now here lesse true noblenes then in those Thrasoes whiche far the olde Auncestres for the golden chaines and for theyr glorious names boste not a lytel of theyr hye noblenes And that none are farther frome trew strengthe then they for ther folyshe hardynes and prowde ferce lokes are estemed of the people most myghty not vanquysshable None more abiecte nor bonde saruantes then they whiche reken them selfe goddes and lordes of al other men None so wrechedful then they that seme moste welthyest None more beggarly begars whome the com munaltye reuerence as ryche men None more vnlyke to bysshoppes then they whiche amonge bysshoppes couet to holde y e chyefe rowme And that none ar more oftentimes farther from trew relygion which thynge I wolde were vntrue then they whiche in name apparral and ceremonyes professe absolute and parfyt relygion So now what noblenes excellentnes goodnes so euer be in any thinge that is alway leste in syghte and sylden myste apperyth outewardely In trees the flowres and leuys shew fayre outwardly to the sighte The stocke or stemme apperyth very greate and large but the shade in whome ys the strēgthe of all how lyttel thing is yt how preuely hyd how lyttell cōfortyth se we how lyttell bostyth yt or shewyth yt his bare Nature handes hid golde preciouse stones in depe vaynes of the erthe Amōg es the elementes as they call them whiche so euer ys moste noble and of moste valew that ys farthest set from our feleyng parceuerance as the ayre and the fyre amongest bestes what so euer beaste and moste effectuell that ys hyd in the inner ꝑtes in a man what is most goodli and immortall that onely can we not see In euery kynde of thynges the vylest parte moste apperith to the sentence And that that is moste chyefe is farthest from the sētence Nowe may we also fynde many suche Images in the sacramentes of the churche Thou seest the water thow seest the oyle salte thou herest the wordes that ys but the outwarde partie of the Image for yf thou nether here nor see the heuē ly strengthe and vertue sente from aboue in to the īner partes of these ymages all the resydue or no other thynges be but very tryfles and of no value The holy scripture hathe also suche ymages yf thou staye in in the vtter parte the matter is often vyle and scorneful but yf thou serche the inner parte thow shalte wonder and reuerence the goodly wysdom For veryly to speake of the olde testament yf thou marke nothynge but the hystory And herist Adam formed of claye Eue preuely taken oute of the sleapeynge manes syde the serpent entysynge the woman to eate the apple god passyng by the ayre The tow egyd swerde hangynge before the dore leaste the banisshed shulde entre in agayne woldest thow not thynke that yt were one of Homers fables If thou red the Incest of Loth the adultry of Dauyd The woman lyyng on the breste of the colde olde man Osees mariage to an harlot wolde not they that lytell force the hereynge of suche shamefull matters not retorne them awaye dysdaynyng to here so bawdy a tale But vnder this shamefull foly O Immortall god how excellent and florysshed wysdom is hyd If thou regarde but the vtter parte of the Euangelyke parables who wolde not reken them to be som foles sayynge But yf thow breke the nutte vndoutydly thou shalte fynde the preuy and very wisdom And to be shorte the more excellent any natural or mystical thyng is the farther hyd is sett in the inner parte farther from the outwarde syghte lykewise in knowlege of thinges the kyndely truthe alway lyeth preuy in depthe whiche nother lyghtely nor of many is foūde out The grose multytude bycause yt hathe a ꝑuerse iugement estemyng al