Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	doctrine_n	interpret_v	use_v	11,973	5	11.7453	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61420	Asceticks, or, The heroick piety & virtue of the ancient Christian anchorets and coenobites. Part I exemplary asceticks.	Stephens, Edward, d. 1706.	1696 (1696)	Wing S5420; ESTC R34602	71,275	162

loves us with a pure and indissoluble Charity we also may be joyned to Him in a perpetual and inseparable Charity cap. 7. For the Attaining and Practice of this he recommends from Experience of the Seniors the continual or frequent mental repetion of that verse Psal 70. Deus in adjutorium meum intende Domine ad adjuvandum me festina in our Liturgy O God make speed to save us O Lord make hast to help us and largely shews the use of it at all times and upon all special occasions Abbot Theodore concerning the right Knowledge of the Scriptures Cassian lib. 5. HE was indowed with very great Sanctity and compleat Science not only in the Active Life but also in the Knowledge of the Scriptures which he acquired not so much by Study of Reading or Humane Learning as by Purity of Heart for he could hardly either understand or pronounce so much as a few Greek Words When he sought the Explanation of a certain obscure Question he persisted indefatigably in Prayer seven Days and Nights until he knew the Solution of the Question proposed by the Revelation of the Lord. cap. 33. When certain of the Brethren admiring his eminent Light of Knowledge inquired of him the Sense of certain Scriptures he said A Monk desiring to attain to the Knowledge of the Scriptures ought by no means to imploy his Pains upon Books of Commentators but rather restrain and keep all the Industry of his Mind and bent of his Heart to the purifying of his Carnal Affections which being expell'd presently the Eyes of his Mind the Veil of his Passions being once removed will begin as it were naturally to contemplate the Mysteries of the Scriptures For they are not published to us by the Grace of the Holy Spirit that they should be unintelligible and obscure but they become obscure by our Fault the veil of Sins over-clouding the Eyes of our Mind which being again restored to their Natural Sanity the Reading of the Holy Scriptures will even alone abundantly suffice to the Contemplation of true Knowledge nor will they need the Instructions of Commentaries as these Eyes of Flesh need the Doctrin of none to see if they be free from Suffusion and Dimness of Sight For therefore is there so great Variety and Errors arisen amongst Interpreters themselves because the most running to Interpret them without using any Diligence toward the Purgation of the Mind by reason of the Grossness or Uncleanness of their Heart thinking things divers or contrary either to Faith or to themselves they could not comprehend the Light of Truth cap. 34. For this see in Smith 's Select Discourses The true Way and Method of attaining to Divine Knowledge Abbot Serapion of Discretion Cass Coll. 2. cap. 11. WHEN I was a Child and lived with Abbot Theon this brutish Custom was imposed upon me by the Enemy that after I had eaten with him at the ninth hour I did every day secretly convey one Bisket into my Bosom which I did after without his knowledge eat in secret Which Theft though I did constantly through my accustomed Incontinence commit yet when I had gratified my Appetite coming to my self I was more tormented with the Guilt of my Theft than satisfied with what I had eaten And when I was every day compelled to the grief of my Heart to perform that most troublesome work imposed as it were by Pharaoh's Task-Masters instead of Bricks upon me nor could extricate my self from this their most cruel Tyranny and was ashamed and confounded to discover the secret Theft to my Senior it came to pass by the Hand of God who was pleased to rescue me out of the Yoak of this Captivity that certain Brothers desired to come to the Cell of the Senior for Edification sake And when they were refreshed and a Spiritual Conference was begun the Senior answering to their Questions discoursed of the Vice of Gastrimargy or Gluttony and of the Domination and Slavery of Thoughts kept secret and did explain their Nature and most dismal Power so long as they were concealed I by the power of this Conference being prick'd and terrified with an accusing Conscience as believing that these things were spoken for that Cause that the Lord had revealed the Secrets of my Heart to the Senior I began first secretly to sigh then the Compunction of my Heart increasing breaking out into Sighs and Tears I pull'd the Bisket which by that evil Custom I had secretly stolen to eat out of my Bosom where it was conceal'd and proferring it to them I did prostrate upon the ground with Supplication for Pardon confess how I did every day eat in secret and with abundance of Tears did implore them to beg my Absolution from this hard Bondage of the Lord. Then said the Senior Be of good Comfort Child Thy Confession hath obtained thy Absolution though I hold my Tongue For thou hast this day gotten the Victory of thine Enemy more powerfully beating him down by thy Confession than thou thy self wert cast down by him through thy Concealment Whom not at all checking either by thy own or any others Reprehension thou didst suffer to domineer over thee till now But now after this thy Confession that wicked Spirit shall not be able to disquiet thee nor shall the filthy Serpent any longer hold a hiding place in thee being drawn-out into the Light out of the Darkness of thy Heart by a salutary Confession The Senior had not finished these Words and behold a Burning Lamp proceeding from my side so filled the Cell with the smell of Brimstone that the Stink of it would not suffer us to remain in it And the Senior resuming his Admonition Behold saith he our Lord hath visibly proved to thee the Truth of my Words that thou shouldest see with thy Eyes the Instigator of thy Affection driven out of thy Heart by a salubrious Confession and shouldst know that the detected Enemy should no longer at all have place in thee by his manifest Expulsion And so it is according to the Sentence of the Senior the Domination of that diabolical Tyranny in me is by the Virtue of this Confession extinct and for ever layed so that the Enemy never after attempted to inject so much as the memory of this Concupiscence nor have I ever after felt my self assaulted by any Instigation of that thievish desire In this manner therefore may we most easily come to the Science of true Discretion if following the tract of the Seniors we presume neither to act any thing new nor to determin it by our own Judgment but walk in all things as their Tradition or Probity of Life shall inform us In which Institution being settled any one may not only come to the perfect reason of Discretion but remain safe against all the Snares of the Enemy For by no other Vice doth the Devil draw a Religious person so headlong to Destruction as when he doth perswade him neglecting the Advice of the Seniors to

And they have a Law amongst themselves that whosoever will embrace their Sect he must make his Goods Common for so neither any amongst them seems abject for Poverty nor any great for Riches but they have as it were all equal Patrimonies like Brethren This is a Custom worthy Admiration and such as is not to be found amongst any other either Greeks or Barbarians that make account of Vertue which they have practised from all Antiquity They account it a Shame to anoint the Body with Oyl and if any Man though against his Will be anointed therewith they use all diligence to wipe it away And they account themselves fine enough if their Cloaths be white They have amongst them Stewards to oversee all things for their Common Benefit who are chosen from amongst themselves by a Common Consult Their Revenue is distributed according to the Need that every one hath They have not one certain City but are dispersed in many Cities and if any of their Sect though a Stranger come to them from another Place they give him any thing they have as if he were their ancient Acquaintance In like manner they go boldly to those whom they never in their Lives saw before as though they were familiarly acquainted with them And therefore when they take a Journey they only arm themselves against Thieves and carry nothing with them else In every City there is one appointed whose Office is to entertain Strangers to receive and lodge those of their Sect that come thither and to see that they neither want Cloaths nor any thing else necessary for them All Children under Government brought up by them go apparelled alike and they never change their Apparel nor Shoes except they have worn out their first Apparel Amongst themselves they neither Buy nor Sell but every Man that hath any thing which another wanteth giveth him it and taketh that of him which himself needeth yea every one of them may take any thing he hath need of from whom he pleaseth without any Change Above all towards God they are very Religious They attribute to Him the Government and Disposition of all things They say that the Souls of Men are immortal and all the uttermost of their Endeavour and Delight is to maintain Justice and Equity They send their Offerings unto the Temple yet Sacrifice they not with other Men by reason they use more sacred and different Ceremonies for which they are secluded out of the Common Temple and Sacrifice apart Otherwise they are Men of most composed Behaviour Before the Sun rise they speak of nothing but Holy things and then they make certain Vows and Prayers after the Custom of their Countrey as it were praying that God would please to make it rise upon the Earth After this every one is dismissed to work or practice the Art he knoweth And when every one hath diligently laboured till Eleven a Clock they all meet together again and being covered with Linnen Cloaths they wash their Bodies with cold Water and having thus purged themselves they go to their Cells into which no Man that is not of their Sect is admitted And then they come to the Refectory as into a Holy Temple where all sitting down with Silence there is set before every Man in order a Loaf of Bread and a little Mess of Pottage all of one sort Before they eat a Priest giveth Thanks and no Man may eat any Meat till his Prayer be made to God Likewise when Dinner is ended they pray again for both before and after they give Thanks to God the Giver of all And then putting off the Apparel as Sacred they apply themselves to their Work till Evening At Supper they do as before causing their Guests to sup with them if by fortune any come Their House is never troubled with Cries or Tumults for every one is appointed to speak in his turn so that their Silence produceth respect in Strangers The Cause of this Moderation is their continual Sobriety and that every one is limited how much to eat or drink And although that in all other Matters they are ruled by their Superiour yet in these two to wit Compassionating and Helping they may do as they think good for every one may when he pleases help those whom he thinketh deserve Help and when he pleaseth give Meat to them that are in Need. Yet may they not give any thing to their Kindred without the Leave of their Superiour They take great care to suppress their Anger they keep their Promise and maintain Peace and People account every Word they speak of as much force as if they had bound it with an Oath And they shun Oaths worse than Perjury for they esteem him a Lyar who is not to be believed without he call God to witness They study diligently Ancient Writers chiefly gathering out of their Writings what is most convenient for the Soul and the Body Out of them they learn Remedies for Diseases and the Virtues of Herbs Stones and Metals Those who are desirous to be of their Order do not strait-way converse with them but for a Year before live out of the College and have the same Diet a little Hatchet and such a Girdle as is before spoken of and a white Garment But at the Years end if they perceive such a Person to be continent they give him a Diet more agreeing with their own and he is permitted to wash himself in cold Water to the end to purifie himself yet he is not admitted in common amongst them till for Two Years more they have observed his Life and Manners And at last when he is thought worthy he is admitted to their common Company But before he is received to the common Table first he is to protest solemnly to honour and serve God with all his Heart to observe Justice and Fidelity towards all Men never willing to hurt any Man nor injure any for another Man's Command but always to hate the Wicked and assist the Good to keep his Faith to all but especially to his Superiours because they hold their Power from God To which they add that if he be put in Authority over others he never will abuse it to the Prejudice of those who are under him and neither exceed the rest in Apparel nor any other ambitious Pomp that he will always love the Truth and severely reprove Lyars and that he will keep his Hands and Soul pure from all Theft and unjust Gain and that he will not conceal any Mysteries or Secrets of their Religion from his Companions nor reveal them to any Strangers although he should be threaten'd thereto by Death Adding moreover that he will never deliver any Doctrin save that which he hath received and diligently preserve the Books as well as the Names of those from whom they received it These Protestations they oblige those to take solemnly who enter into their Order to the end to fortifie them against all Vices Those of the Society who