Selected quad for the lemma: opinion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
opinion_n	find_v	zeal_n	zealous_a	23	3	8.4602	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00659	Golden epistles contayning varietie of discourse both morall, philosophicall, and diuine: gathered as well out of the remaynder of Gueuaraes workes, as other authors, Latine, French, and Italian. By Geffray Fenton.	Fenton, Geoffrey, Sir, 1539?-1608.; Guevara, Antonio de, Bp., d. 1545?	1575 (1575)	STC 10794; ESTC S101911	297,956	420

preached and receyued by the greatest part of the world by which the wisedome and goodnes of God disclosed manifestly that that which floated and florished in despite of the industrie crueltie and power of the worlde was come from Heauen from whence was ministred vnto it all fauour succour and ayde The Originall of tirrannie and Idolattie together with the punishments of tirantes and Idolators how Abraham was chosen chéefe of the Hebrewes YOur letter no lesse full of modestie and swéetenesse then replenished with doctrine and iudgement bringes no small delight to me for that to your déepe science already in thinges I finde remeyning a zealous desier yet to know more wherin I can not but accompt it to belong to my office to adde to your zeale and trauell my faith and diligence though not able to teach you further yet as touching the request of your letter to shew my opinion leauing it to be controlled by that fauour and wisedome where with you are wonte to measure and iudge the errours of your frendes But touching the matter as you haue to remember that out of the race of Cain issued Nembroth the great tirant Who by his ambition and pride subdued all men and Nations of his time enforcing them to liue vnder his tribute and customes So there is no doubt but these tirranous spirittes are most hurtfull to the world and by the Scriptue reputed as ennemies of God For their desier to heare rule makes them breake all order of iustice bearing no regarde to lawes nor ordinaunces Yea in respect to encrease maintaine their principallitie they giue suffrāce to all men to be insolent with liberty to committe disordered actions In the time of Nembroth were many possessed with this wicked spirit of pride and ambition who assemblinge together conspired to builde a tower of incomparable rate of height and measure to the ende to perpetuat their name and reputation amongst men But God beholding their arrogant intentions and willing to manifest the wickednesse of that tyrannye and presumption of that pryde bréeding so many miseries and euils let fall his anger vpon them confounding in such sort the Tongs of the builders and workmen that one vnderstoode not an other since they all spake vnknowne and straunge Languages Afore the foundation of the Tower of Babilon there was but one language in all the world God then inflicting vpon the earth a wonderfull punishment by the confusion and diuersitie of speaches But thus it happened that the first men hauing lyued but vnder the vse knowledge of one tongue and now béeing in confused deuided into many dispersed themselues thorow the worlde by whose posterities haue bene continued all those diuersities of languages that now reigne This diuision of tongues was the cause that the Tower of Babilon was not ended by which occasion also the Princes of the earth leauing their tyranie were driuen to search new coūtreyes to inhabite euery one following his language as an ensigne sunder the which they might plant and multiply By this diuision of men and Countreys people fell into so great erors that forgetting the doctrine of God together wyth the promises he had made to men the most part of the world became Idolators declining to such superstitions as the deuill inuented dayly to aduaunce his purposes So that Idolatry toke his beginning of infidelitie and the wicked inclinations of men deliting leaue the right way to folow that that leades to perdition To this was much helping the forgetfulnesse of the trueth and the negligence of men caring not to folow religion and doctrine and much lesse to teach it to others An other originall or fountaine springes of the loue of our selues called Selfeloue together wyth an insaciable will which men haue to put themselues in libertie inducing them faythfully to searche a thousand waies for their satisfaction and by some meane to inuent abhominable Superstitions whervnto the deuill is so readie to minister assistance wythall the art and fauor he can that poore sinners to make them the more hardened and desperate fixing vpon certaine faulse and deceitfull experiences attribute in the ende dignitie to any thing of the which according to their coniecture they had receiued ayd or answere In other places they haue a certaine feare in their consciences which restraines them to demaund of God the things which themselues estéeme to be wicked dishonest By that it comes to passe that they are pleased with the seruice of these faulse gods who care not but only to be serued as gods wythout regarding whether the men be iust or vnrightful For seing these dissembled Gods be deuils in déed passible to all actions councels of deuils they are of cōmon congruency enemies of iustice frends to wickednes those be the preparations that the deuil finds in the harts of such as he hath enchaunted abusing them with perswasion that there is a god of battels another of robberies a God of drunkenes another of whordome all these Gods béeing most delyted with such as most are giuen to dishonest acts infidelity also the root of al sinnes was one cause why those miserable people were ignorant of the greatnes power of god yea they could not be brought to beléeue that one God was sufficient to furnish perticulerly al things necessary to the vse of men seruice of the world of this came the plurality of gods men belieuing that they were restrained to precinct and limit that euery god had his perticuler estate to gouerne Of which sprang the first Idolatry for some worshipped the Sunne with many other triffling and dishonest things others did worship to deuilles which abused them by illusions oracles yea somtimes by certaine aparances of remedies tending notwithstanding to their ruine This blindnes was suffered by the iustice of god to punish such as leauing the light run after darknesse making themselues iudges of their proper affections ruled their hartes according to the same how good or euil so euer they were in which respect god willing to punish those vices excesses suffered the deuill to raise faulse signes miracles euen to aduance the destruction of such as fell into spoyle by their infidelitie and multitude of their transgressions And albeit Idolatrie was great before the flud and that the worlde pursued alwayes his first corruption béeing stirred vp by the Deuill who induced men to a forgetfulnesse of God Yet the mercie of God who had not forgotten his Promises made to mankinde so prouyded for the effect of his Promise that he chused a People particular to reestablish wyth him the trueth of his Promises and alliaunces To them he gaue a perfecte lyght to guyde them agaynst those Darkenesse and obstinacies which the Deuil raysed agaynst them he established lawes and ordinaunces touching the Seruice of Religion wyth expresse Commaundement that they obserue them and bée attentiue to the worde of God the better to arme

proper affections that albeit fortune make vs forsake our natiue coūtrey yet nature will neuer suffer vs to for get it yea so great a vehemencie hath the loue which most men beare to their naturall clymates that they wil rather endure any iniury against their personnes then to heare their countreys euill spoken of the same parcialitie proceding for that men do not acknowledge that they are of the earth liue in the earth and must returne to the earth when there is nothing belonging to them but the which they cary with them to their graue Socrates instructed his disciples not to atribute to themselues any particuler place or countrey for sayth he albeit the eternall prouidence giues vs peculiar meanes to cloath vs priuate houses to defend the iniurie passions of the ayre yet nature hath left to vs all in common the vniuersall earth which since by the ambicion of men hath bene diuided into Cantles Plutarke in his booke of exile reports that Hercules the Thebain being asked by the Sidoniens of what countrey he was aunswered I am neyther of Thebes Athens nor Licaonia but naturally of the whole countrey of Greece Socrates séemes to be of the same opinion to the great Sacrificator Architus by whom being asked of what place he was he aunswered that he was borne in the world a natural heire of al the world Plutarke rehearseth also that in the I le of Cobde in Greece was a Linage of Grecians called Agites discended of the notable Greeke Captaine called Agis the good amongst these Agites this law was specially obserued that none durst call himselfe natural of the I le vnlesse he had done some valiant act meaning the it is the countrey that ought to be commended for bringing forth such men not the people to be praysed to be eyther of this or that Region So that Sir for my part ioyning my selfe to the maner of these Ilande men me thinkes I haue greater reason to estéeme you a valiant Affrikan Captaine then a verteous Spanishe knight seing that the honour which you lost in Spaine you haue recouered in Affrika yea if you conferre the vanities which you vsed in Spaine with the exercise you follow now in Affrika you shall finde that banishment better then ease doth lead you to iudge of the precious value estimation of time yea it will minister this discretion to you that if you féele any passion it will appeare to you more by opinion then by reason In Spayne you wer noted to be a painefull follower of the pleasures of the fielde a pleasaunt deuiser with Ladies a swéete companion at sumtuous Banquites giuen ouer to the disorders of the Court to go to bedde at midnight and rise at mid day all which though they be delightes of a young courtier yet they are no exercises of a valiant knight for the titles and vertuous renownes of our Auncestors were not gotten by enterprises of Hawking and Hunting but with seruing theyr kings in the daungers of warres The exercise which we are tolde you follow now in Orane as to be sturring earlie to breake your fast standing and whilest your Armour is in lacing to be readie with the formost to distresse the Turkes to acquaint your eare with the Musicke of the tromppet to be painefull to march and discréete to follow and in all enterprises to giue example of courage to your Soldiours out of these differences you may gather whether it is more agréeable to your renowne and profitable to your estate to be estéemed a valiant Captain or an Amorous Courtier besides in Spaine you could but recyte the déedes of others now the whole court is in discourse of the daungers you escape Writers of histories are tied to the factes of perticuler men and to expresse in their Cronicles that in such a time such a thing was done in such a season such an enterprise perfourmed but it belonges to the honour of a good knight not only to say I was a leader in such a war but also to bear vpon his body the signes of the perilles he had past So that in consideration of the Successe of this Banishement I sée not but it is a Fortune necessarye and an Estate working glorye to your Howse and géeues no occasion of gréeffe to your personne For right Blessed is that Marterdome by whose Paynes wée are passed into greater perfection The Consull Siluanus holding part wyth the SILLANS in full Senate reproched Marius scornefully that he was to ambicious of honour being so base of linage To whome Marius aunswered I confesse sayth he that thou art more aunciently discended then I euenso I cannot deny but that I am betrer man then thou because where thy house is not furnished but with painted Armories which thou hast inherited of thy Auncesters thou mayest sée in mine many streaming ensignes which I haue woonne with the perill of my lyfe Then thinke your selfe happie for that in Spaine you were no better then Siluanus but in Affrika you are equall in Prowes with Marius with whome in place of painted Armories where with you were woont to hang your house in Spaine you shall now retourne not onely with ensignes besprent with bloud but also expressing your triumphes ouer the common enimie of Christian fayth There hath bene in the Ages past many great Personages who no lesse desirous of renowne then willing to win it by vertue did not onely not grudge when they were Banished by Authoritie but also of themselues and for themselues made a willing choise of exile following the opinion and example of the right worthie Captaine Alcibiades who in his Familiar deuice was woont to say that fewe men in their naturalitie or simple nature become verteous but the most sort following the passions of nature slide into many vices according to the experience of a trée farre brought and newe replanted which bringes forth fruite of farre more swéete and precious tast then others euenso more glorie renowne doe follow Noble men and mindes resolute in straunge and farre regions then in their proper naturall countreys yea they had rather die poore abroade then returne home loaden with wealth and light with honour Was not king Pirrhus borne in a village of Athens and afterwardes was called Pirrhus the Epirote for that he vanquished that people was not the good Scipio bredde vp in a towne of Campania to whome after was added the Surname of Affricanus as subduing those Regions Octauius Augustus wss nourished in village of Belistre and after was raysed to the title of Octauius Germanicus because he triumphed ouer the Almaines the good Titus was found in a poore village of Campania and after was called Titus Palestinus for preuailing ouer the Palestines infinite is the number of such as haue sought fame in forraine regions but more immortal perpetual is the memorie of the enterprises which by the greatnesse of their courage they atchieued For as no Fortune can

vouchsafe then oh mercifull Lord the as thou hast pardoned thē who without any submissiō crucified thée so thou wilt also remit our sinnes the prostrate afore thée accōpany our petitions with teares humilitie beseching thée to communicate vnto vs during the vse of this life thy spirit of grace feare in the other world the fruition of thy maiesty in glory A discourse afore the Emperour wherein is touched the Conuersion of the good Théefe Domine memento mei cum veneris in regnum tuum TO euery Christian iudgement ought to be acceptable this notable saying of Boetius Nihil ex omni parte beatum as if he had sayd there is nothing in this worlde so perfect wherein cannot be found imperfection nor any thing so vniuersally blissed which is not subiect to his bale error reprehension yea few things conteine their iust measure being brought to the yard fewer are founde to holde equitie of weight when they are paysed in the balance Man of himselfe is so small a matter and by reason of his frayltie of so weake power apprehension that there was neuer prince so mighty Philosopher so wise Captaine so valiant nor any one so established in blisse in whose condicion could not be found occasion of correction in their lyfe amendment of behauiour what is he to whom god hath geuen creation the earth disposed her natural sustenance which hath not sorrowed which hath not sinned whose doings haue not ben entangled with error yea if we beholde our selues with eyes of our selues besides that we shall sée in our common actions nothing but imperfection error and sinne yet also we shall finde that the men of the worlde doe many mo thinges wherein are mo occasions to repent them then meanes to worke their commendation Justus es domine et rectum iudicium tuum sayth the Prophet Righteous is the Lord in all that he doth and iust in his iudgements yea there is more certeintie in the iustice and iudgements of the Lord then eyther in the course of the Sunne the reuolution of the heauens or stabilitie of the earth Little honour had Dauid attributed to God in naming him iust if he had not also sayd that his custome was to doe iustice as in lyke sort it had not ben enough to ascribe vnto the Lord the action of iustice if withall he had not geuen him the name title dignitie and reputation of Righteous For many there are who are iust in their persons but doe not administer iustice to others as of the other side there be such as are instruments in the distrubution of iustice to others and are not righteous in themselues By reason whereof we may saye that so high and noble is this priueledge to doe all thinges wel and in their perfection that God hath reserued it to himselfe and not vouchsafed to communicate that deuine prerogatiue to any Creature And therefore all thinges vppon the which the Lorde bestoweth his eyes and countenance are not onely good but also we ought to beléeue that in them is no imperfection or error Quia vidit Deus cuncta qua fecerat et erant valde bona which falleth not out so in the Actions of man because in whatsoeuer he enterpriseth or bringeth to passe is founde good occasion of correction and iust reason of amendement For the dayes of our lyfe are so short and the Art which we learne of so longe studie and time that when we thinke we haue learned anye thinge it is then we stande euen in the Iawes of death and are ready to pearce the Pitte prepared for our corrupt Boanes In all the workes of man there is imperfection according to the Sentence of Socrates who confessed he had learned no other thing in Athens but to know that he knewe nothing wherein sure he sayde truely For how Rude Vile or Base so euer the Art be we finde in it alwayes more thinges to learne then we haue learned the same being the occasion of the Ciuill controuersies now a dayes wherein the Philosopher reasoneth agaynst the Philosopher the Mayster agaynst the Mayster and the Scholer agaynst his mate disputing and mayntayning opinions onely to séeke out and know which is he that vnderstandes most all which procéedes of the litle we know and the much we presume and that noane will confesse to be Inferiour one to an other Omnia in pondere et mensura fecisti sayth the wise man speaking of God thou hast made all thinges Oh Lorde by weight and measure which being aboue the power and prerogatiue of man falls out contrarie in all his actions For all thinges in this wretched worlde being guided more by opinion then by reason it happeneth most often that we cutte of and abridge that we ought most to encrease and lengthen and of the contrary geue continuance and amplyfication to thinges which deserue to be discontinued and deminished But in the house of God is neyther faction in opinion nor parcialitie in reason no who can reasonablie haue occasion to complayne séeing that all thinges that he geues to vs are layde out by weyght and measure when God had Promised to Abraham the Lande of Promisse he séemed forthwyth desirous of the possession of it which the Lorde woulde not agrée vnto afore thrée Hundreth yeares were past and finished saying vnto him that Nondum completa erat malitia amorreorum meaning I am the great God of Jsraell the Iudge of the Quicke and of the Deade and of the good and of the Wicked and being he to whom belongs the Rodde of righteous iustice and in whome onely is the propertie to doe Equitie to euerie one it is méete to expect yet in thrée Hundreth yeares to the ende the Cananites may deserue to loase theyr Lande and thy race procéede to be more worthie of it from the time that Kyng Saule was forgotten of GOD vntill Dauid was Elected ouer Jsraell there passed Forty yeares afore the Scepter was taken from the one and the other ioyned to the Throane of the Kyngedome In which respite of tyme the Lorde taried till wicked Saule became worse and Dauid increased in vertue and goodnesse Since therefore the giftes and doings of God are administred by weight and measure this ought to be the thought iudgment of euery Christian that when he sendes aduersities it is to exercise vs if he visit vs with pouerty it is with this intentiō to make vs deserue better whē he blesseth our estates with plentie by so much more ought we to retribute vnto him thankes seruice glory and obedience And if he chastiseth vs oh let vs thinke that he hath meaning to amend and make vs better so that as al things in the world and elswhere within the circuite and circumference of heauen and earth were established by his preordinance and foresight and guided to their effects by his omnipotent deuine and infallible prouidence So there is nothing that he doth administer or disperse