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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	faith_n	pray_v	prayer_n	7,073	5	6.7309	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08047	Of the eternall felicity of the saints fiue bookes. Writen in Latin by the most illustrious Cardinall Bellarmine, of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English by A.B. Permissu superiorum.; De æterna felicitate sanctorum. English	Bellarmino, Roberto Francesco Romolo, Saint, 1542-1621.; Everard, Thomas, 1560-1633.; Bellarmino, Roberto Francesco Romolo, Saint, 1542-1621. De gemitu columbae English. Selections. aut	1638 (1638)	STC 1841; ESTC S113735	165,177	472

on forward By how much a man draweth more neare to the Prize by so much he better knoweth the greatnes of the Prize which greatnes inspireth strength and causeth that a man though spent tired out do not intermit his Course Whosoeuer therefore aspireth to the Celestiall Prize let him not depart or decline from the race of the Precepts of our Lord let him run ardently and constantly and he being Vnited with Christ by true Fayth and Charity let him neuer turne the Eye of his Hart from the Pryze it selfe Of the Crowne CHAP. VIII THe last Name or Appellation of eternall Felicity is the Crowne of Iustice of which Crowne the Apostle speaketh thus in the same place where he speaketh of the Prize saying 1. Cor. 9. Euery one that striueth for the Maistry refraineth himselfe from al things that he may receaue a corruptible Crowne but we an incorruptible Neither can it be heere doubted whether by the word Agon the Maistry Race or Course may be vnderstood So as this similitude should be the same with the former or rather that a conflict or contētion be to be vnderstood thereby Now those words a litle after following do demonstrate that by the word Maistry a Fight or Contention is meant to vvit I therfore do so runne not as it were at an Vncertaine thing do so fight not as it were beating the ayre The same do those words of the Apostle shew 2. Tim. 4. I haue fought a good fight I haue consummated my Course I haue kept the Fayth concerning the rest there is laid vp for me a Crowne of Iustice. For in both S. Paul distinguisheth a Course from a Fight vsing in the one the name of Brauium in the other the name of Corona which two words are in sense euidently distinct and diuerse Certainly by the name of a Crowne eternall felicity is signifyed which by the Apostle is called 2. Tim. 4. The Crowne of Iustice because it is giuen as a Reward for workes proceeding from Iustice With S. Iames it is styled Corona vita Iac. 1. in that it cōtaineth euerlasting lyfe With S. Peter An incorruptible Crown 1. Pet. 5. seeing it comprehendeth in it selfe the splendour and beauty of Eternall Honour To conclude in Esay God himselfe is sayd to be heereafter A Crowne of glory to the residue of his People Esa 18. From which place of Scripture we are to vnderstand that the Crowne whereof S. Paul speaketh and which is allotted for the Ouercōmerrs or Maisters in the fight is most honourable most sublime since God himself vouchsafeth to be the crowne encompassing adorning and glorifying the heads of the residue of his People that is of those few of his People who in their spirituall Warre haue become victorious For as often I haue sayd out of the testimonies of the Scripture Many are called but few elected and at the day of Iudgement the Crowne of the Saints shall so much the more become glorious by how much the fewer can iustly entitle themselues thereto In this place we must to obserue in what kind of fight we are to exercise our selues and what is incumbent to vs to doe whereby to gaine the victory And without doubt the fight which we are to all vndergoe is most cruell and fraught with danger especially if comparison therewith be made to the fight which men heere vpon the earth do sustaine for a corruptible Crowne For the Apostle speaketh of a sportfull fight openly perf●rmed in the eye and sight of the People Therfore the Agonists or Chāpions heere did fight with men lyke vnto themselues with equall weapons and but for a base Crowne and becam● subiect eyther to a popular applause or ignominy But Christians are to enter in combat with those enemies whome they see not yet by whome themselues are seene and who are in number many being most strong and most subtile who fight with vnlyke weapons in the sight of God and his Angells and for a Crowne of eternall lyfe and this vnder the danger of eternall Damnation To conclude Christiās here fight not in a sportfull game but in a most true most fierce and cruell Warre Our Antigonists or Enemies in this battell are the Diuells whome the holy Scripture sometimes calleth Lyons sometimes Dragons at other tymes Basilisks who haue Traytors euen within our owne houses I meane the Concupiscences of the flesh vvhich are our Bodies which do wage war against our soules in behalfe of our Enemies as S. Peter teacheth saying 1. Pet. 2. I beseech you as strangers and pilgrimes to refrayne your selfes from carnall desires which war against the Soule We may add hereto which is most miserable and calamitous that this fight is to be vndertaken euen at that very tyme at vvhich the Course in the Race is to be performed And therefore the Apostle hath conioyned these two different Points togeather that therby we may vnderstand that those who are running for the Pryze or Reward are hindered throughout their whole Course by their Enemyes and ●●at therefore it is necessary that such men do at one and the same tyme run with their feet and fight with their hands O if Christian men would haue a full resent and feeling of these things and of their owne dangerous estates they would not so willingly rauell out their time in trifles sports playes in banquetting and good fellowship in heaping vp togeather of riches in seeking after Honours and dignities as if the mayne matter of all were secure and in safety But let such men heare the Apostle preaching and crying out in these words Eph. 6. Take the armour of God that you may resist in the euill day being cloathed with the Breastplate of Iustice in all things taking the shield of fayth wherewith you may extinguish all the fiery darts of the wicked One. And Take vnto you the Helmet of Saluation and the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God In all prayer and supplication praying at all tymes in spirit and in the same watching in all instance Good God vvhat an Exhortation is this how full of feare terrour and vehemency especially if a man do throughly ponder these former words In all prayer supplication at all tymes in all instance And yet many of vs do beare our selfs in leading our liues as if vve had no occasion either to run in the Race nor fight in the Conflict But alas what are we to doe that in this dreadfull ware we may come of with victory against our enemies The Apostle dispatcheth and declareth this very point in few wordes whē he saith 1. Cor. 9. Euery one that striueth for the maistry refraineth himselfe from all things they indeed that they may receaue a corruptible Crowne but we an incorruptible Of which Words the sense and meaning is this All those Champions that they may gaine a corruptible Crovvn do abstaine from al such things vvhich may debilitate or weaken the Body make it lesse

r●quisite for all those who couet to be ●u●●t vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets vnder the supr●me Corner stone Iesus Christ so as they may not only be in the Citty of God but themselues may be that high and most happy Citty of God Three things concurre to the end man may be built vpon so noble and worthy a foundation First that he be a stone Secondly that he be a liuing ston● lastly that this stone be curiously polished and squared First then we ought to be stones not Wood not Hay not straw that so we may make a solid and firme Wall that is we ought to be graue and stab●e Men perseuering in Fayth in Charity in Humility in obedience of the Commandements and not suffer our selfs to be carryed away and blowne to and fro with euery wind of doctrine as Heretiks are accu●tomed to be neyther violently to be possessed with seuerall desires and Passions as some light and vnsteddy Catholiks are wont to be For not any of these Men are admitted by the builders of the eternal Citty but only serue to make poore and weake cottages which are after presently ouerthrowne and ruines We ought also to be liuing stones as S. Peter admonisheth that is to be full of Charity of the Spirit of lyfe as the Corner stone Christ is who though he once dyed in flesh yet he euer liued in Spirit and accord●ng to the flesh did reuiue after he had tasted death and is neuer after more to dye Dead stones do buyld and make dead howses I meane corporall howses whereas the spirituall howse or rather the Citty of the great King wh ch is both spirituall and Heauenly requireth spirituall stones and in this respect liuely stones To conclude it is necessary that we be stones artificially wrought and squared not stones vnpolished and without forme because such building is best sorting to the most noble Citty of all Citties So we read in Iudith 1. that Arphaxad the King did build the Citty Echatanis of squared and cut stones And if King Salomon built the Temple of our Lord heere vpon earth of polished carued and curious stones what stones then ought to be vsed for the building of that Eternall Citty which infinitly is exalted aboue all other Citties But this squaring working is to be performed in this life and not in Heauen The figure or Type wherof was the building of the Temple of Salomon for thus we read in the third of the Kings cap. 6. VVhen the House was building neyther hammer nor hatchet nor any toole of Iron was heard in the House Because the stones were hewed cut and so perfectly and euenly squared far from the house of the Lord as that when they were brought to the Temple they were put in their place without any noyse or sound of the Hammer Therfore we gather from hence that no sound or blow of the striking Hammer shal be heard in the Celestiall Ierusalees for ther shal be no persecution no tribulation no pen●tentiall labour no complayning no dolour no heauines And therefore the stones designed to the glory of this Heauēly house ought in this vale of misery and teares to be polished with strokes and pressures for thus the Church singeth Tunsionibus pressuris Expoliti lapides Suis cooptantur locis Per manus artificis Disponuntur permansuri Sacris edificijs That is The stones being polished with knocking 's pressures are made apt for their places by the hands of the VVorkeman And so they are disposed for euer to remaine in the sacred buildings Thus heer in this world the burden of pennance is necessarily to be vndergone since we all offend in many things as S. Iames affirmeth cap. 3. Heer our carnall concupiscences are to be tamed Here our proper Wills are to be ouercome Heer our Body is to brought into seruitude Heere the buckler of fayth through an indefatigable labour is to be interposed against the fyery darts of vncleane Spirits Since otherwise if we cannot endure the stroke of the Hammer how can we then expect to be admitted by the Heauenly Architect vnto the structure of the Celestiall House O! that Men would vnderstood and conceaue of how great a good they depriue themselues whiles they do auoyd and decline the Hammer of persecution and cannot at least will not suffer any incommodity or losse any asperity any thing bitter and aduerse vnto them they would then doubtlesly change their courses they would ruine banquettings and good fellowship into fasting delicate and costly apparell into hayre-shirts and idle discourses and vnnecessary words into watching and prayer And if they suffered any iniustice or wrong at the hāds of false Brethren or open and professed enemies they would not in requitall meditate vpon reuenge but they would giue thanks to God and pray euen from their heart for their Calumniatours Persecutours because The sufferings of these tymes are not cōdigne to the glory to come that shal be reuealed to vs. Rom. 8. And in that Our Tribulation which is now momentary and light worketh aboue measure exceedingly an eternall weight of glory in vs. 2. Cor. 4. And certainly if we cast our eye backe vpon those liuing stones who are gone before vs towards the structure of this Heauenly edifice we shal behould ech one of them to haue b●n hewed with knocking 's or strokes and polished with seuerall pressures Christ himselfe the most precious Corner-stone who did not stand in need of any hammering or working vpon did so suffer for vs as that by such a sufferance he did leaue to vs an Example who when he was reuiled did not reuyle and when he suffered he threatned not 1. Pet. 2. In like sort all the Apostles could say with S. Paul vntill this houre we do both hunger and thirst are naked and are beaten with buffets and are wanderers and labour working with our Hands we are cursed and do blesse we are persecuted and sustaine it we are blasphemed and we do beseech we are made the out-cast of this VVorld the drosse of all 1. Cor. 4. What may we relate of the Martyrs did not they all being cut and wrought by many tribulations calamities and most bitter deaths ascend to the edifice of the Heauenly Ierusalem I passe ouer the Holy Confessours Anchorets Virgins Widdowes and all others gratefull to God who had not beene admitted to this Celestiall building if they had not crucifyed their flesh with their vices and had not proclaimed open warre and hostility euen against themselues Neither this refining and polishing of the liuely stones was necessary only after the comming of Christ but it was practised euen from the beginning of the world The first liuing stone was Abel who was cruelly slaine by his owne brother Cain The holy Patriarke Ioseph was sould by his Brethren Tobias receaued these words from the Angell Because thou wast acceptable to God it was necessary that temptation should proue thee Tob. 12. The Angell

to remaine and quiet Now this intense cogitation is two-fold For one part is that which the mynd frames and figures out to it self The other is necessary and such as no man can auoyd Of the first he saith Imagination of things to come of the other the day of their Ending A man doth imagine that is he doth frame to himselfe diuers expectations of future things and perils which do no lesse torment him then if it were certaine they should come to passe and take effect But the greatest torment to man is the cogitation and feare of death which Ecclesiasticus aboue calleth the day of mans ending the which day all men haue in so great an a horrour as that the Apostle Heb. 2. calleth it a continuall seruitude since the ineuitable expectation of death doth make better and as it were put wormewood into all the sweetnesse and delicacies of this life To conclude Ecclesiasticus addeth that this laborious occupation and trauell is so common to all the Sonnes of Adam as that euery one of them from the first to the last euen from him who sits enthroned in the Chayre of Soueraignty and weareth the Diademe and Hyacinth to the poore despicable man who liueth vpon the ground and weareth sackcloth is made thrall thereto Thus in all these things men after the sinne of Adam are made more vnhappy then beasts For beasts liue without feare are not sollicitous and forecasting for the morrow neither doe they remember the labour once passed neither are they affrighted with expectation of things to come And therefore the foresaid wise Ecclesiasticus doth heere teach that this burdensome yoke is layd vpō the Sonnes as Adan partly to exclude beasts as exempted from this yoke and partly to shew the cause of this misery which is the first sinne of the first Man But this is the height of all misery to those who labour and couer not to ascend to the Celestiall House or mansion to wit that in this life they suffer a grieuous yoake but a farre mo●● grieuous shall they find in Hell For here in this life no man is free from labour yet is his labour eased being ioyned with some consolation but after this life in Hell all labour and dolour is without any comfort or repose Only in the blessed House of God Rest is without any labour and consolation without any dolour Therefore the Prophet Psal 149. iustly pronounceth The Saints shall reioyce in glory they shal be ioyfull in their beddes Because they shall not rest as men sleeping who do not feele or perceaue their rest but they shal rest with great exultation and ioy well knowing and acknowledging with an eternall gratitude the good of their most happy rest and quietnes it being most free from all labour griefe feare or molestation Certainly if no other good were in the House of our Lord but only this euerlasting Rest were it not thinke you worthy to ouer-ballāce weigh downe all the labours paines and dolours of this life And if in Hell there were no other torment then an euerlasting and vnquiet watching did it not deserue to be redeemed with all daily and nighly Prayers other pennance whatsoeuer O how pleasant and gratefull will it appeare to the Saints at their departure out of the world to behould an end of their labours and other their paines and on the other syde how bitter will it be to the wicked at their lyke leauing this world to see that neuer after they are in hope for any relaxation or ease of their labours and dolours Death is said to be the greatest and last of all terrible things yet because death seemeth to haue some respiration or rest from paines therefore those miserable wretches who shall descend into Hell shall seeke for death and shall not find it they shall desire to dye and death shall fly from them Apoc. 9. Therefore the want of al Rest shal be iudged a greater euill and infelicity then the last and greatst of all terrible things And yet neuerthelesse such is the blindnes of Men in this world as that they repute in nothing to lose euerlasting rest quietnes and to descend to that place where torments shall admit no ease rest or intermission whatsoeuer Of the Princely Court of the House of God CHAP. V. IN a House there are seueral roomes designed for seuerall businesses and negotiations but in that supernall blessed House there shal be but one Office or businesse common to all the Saints to wit the praysing and lauding of the King of Heauen Here in this life diuers doe busy themselues to gather and heape vp money and riches others to aspire to honour and dignity others to adorne themselues with learning that so they may be able to teach others againe apply themselues to mechanicall Arts thereby to prouide things necessary for the sustentation of their life But in that region and habitation of Immortality there shal be no penury or want no ignorance no necssity no amb●tion since all being contented with their present state shall desire nothing more but shall be wholy occupied and busied in the fruition loue and prayses of their chiefe and supreme good But it may be some men will say that the office of praysing God in Psalmes and Hymnes and especially in reciting the Canonicall Houres is accompanyed with labour and of the Spirits and heerupon perhaps some will auerre yea accomplaine that a heauy burden is imposed vpon them in that they are commanded to spend daily so many houres in singing in the Church and in praysing of God To this I answere that to performe laudes and prayses to God by Prayer is in this lyfe a Merit in the Eternall lyfe a Reward and from hence it cōmeth that the exhibiting of laudes prayers is heer laborious and painful to many which in Heauen shal be most pleasant and ioyfull For now we read and sing many passages which we do not vnderstand besides during our tyme of prayer we are not a little troubled in driuing away idle vaine cogita●ions as so many most importune fl●●s To conclude the Body which now stands subiect to corrupt on cannot long be intent to the fūctions of the Soule without wearisomnes but in that blessed Country the Body shal be immortall it shall be impass●ble the flyes of d stractions and vnnecssary thoughts shall be absent A●d which is the chiefest the performance of diuine seruice and prayers shal be nothing els then the exercise of Felicity and therefore if eternall Felicity shall not be troublesome then shall not the eternall praysing of God become troublesome That our prayses and laudes exhibited in Heauen to his d●uine Maiesty sh●llbe the exercise of our Beatitude the Prophet teacheth Psal 82. saying Blessed are they that dwell in thy house O Lord for euer and euer they shall prayse thee For as it appertaineth to Beatitude euer to loue and haue the eye fixed vpon the

weake Architects and did want a solid and firme foundation did decay and became so ruinous as I may say in a short tyme as that scarcely their Names are now extant neither should we at this day take notice of their names had they not beene recorded in the Bookes of Catholike Writers who first impugned them as Irenaeus Philastrius Epiphanius Austin Theodoret and the lyke Now the Mahometans who so long and so wide haue so spread ab●oad their Sect that they haue destroyed and expunged almost all the most difficult po●nts of Christian Faith as the Trinity of the Diuine Persons the Incarnation of the diuine VVord the death and Resurrection of the Sonne of God the Sacraments of Pennance and of the Eucharist All which mysteries being taken away all straitnesse touching Faith is taken away And thus the Gate being enlarged admitteth entrance for an innumerable multitude But those men who say they preach the Gospell of Christ in these our dayes haue entred in by another way and those straites they haue wholy taken away which doe not so much conduce to the Vnderstanding as to the VVill and Practice Christian Faith teacheth that all sinnes are to be auoided and that an account must be rendred of euery idle word And that if a man doe fal into mortall sinne he must confesse the same to a Priest and wash it away by a vehement Contrition and satisfaction That good works though laborious and difficult are to be performed being prescribed and enioyned by the spirituall Pastours of mans soule That the Kingdome of Heauen may be obtained and purchased by good works as the Crowne of Iustice and reward of labour That single and vnmaried life is to be led by Ecclesiasticall Persons and such others of the Clergy That the Vowes of Monks and Nuns are religiously to be obserued These Catholike and Christian Articles and such others as seemed to straiten the Gate of the Celestiall house our Aduersaries in Faith haue so ouerthrowne as that they haue opened a most large and wide Gate to Heauen teaching in all these points the contrary to vs Catholicks But to proce●d Neither haue haue all Catholiks ouercome all the straites of Faith For although they belieue a●l those points which Faith teacheth yet whiles they liue otherwise then their Faith instructeth and bindeth them they range themselues in the number of those of whom the Apostle speaketh Tim. 1. saying They confesse they know God but in their works they deny him And so by this manner themselues doe fly from the straites of Faith and enter into the broad Gate which lead●th to the most deadly ouerthrow of their Soules Therefore so farre forth as concerneth Faith the answere to the question propounded to our Lord VVhether they be but few that are saued is That they are but few and therefore men ought to labour and striue to enter in by the narrow Gate Of Hope which is another part of the gate of the House of GOD. CHAP. VII NOw touching Hope it also is straitned and narrow on all sides whether we consider the greatnesse of the reward or our basenesse and littlenesse For if one should command an vnlearned clowne vnexperienced in humane affayres to hope for that in a short time he should arriue to the wisdome of Salomon or at least of Plato Aristotle withall should haue the Empyre of Alexander the Great or of Augustus deliuered vp to him when would this poore silly fellow be persuaded that from his dunghil state he should aspire to such height of Wisedome and Soueraignty Yet this is far more easy then that a mortall man should hope for the Wisedome and Power of Angells who are in Heauen and are pure Intelligences For that poore Countrey Pesant and Alexander and Aristotle were of the same nature and all were mortall men And the wisdome of Aristotle did not transcend humane wisdome and the Empyre of Alexander did not comprehend within it the third part of the world But the Hope of the faithfull commands them to hope for the equality of the Angells our Lord himselfe thus saying Luc. ●0 They who shall be counted worthy of that world and the resurrection from the Dead neither marry nor take wiues neither can they dye any more for they are equall to Angells and are the Sonnes of God In like sort if a man who only creepeth vpon the earth should be commanded to hope that w●thin few dayes he should be ab e to fly in the ayre or to continue a long time vnder the water when could he be brought to hope for these things And yet Birds though great as Cranes Storks Eagles doe most swiftly fly through the aire and most huge and loaded sh●pps doe subsist in the waters passing to and fro with great speedines as the Saylers shall gouerne them But the Hope of Christians without the least doubt or wauering commandeth that a Christian man shall Hope euen with his body to ascend aboue the Heauens and that he shall descend from Heauen to earth without any danger of ruine or fall and that in his po●●ing from the Ea●t to the West he shall striue euen with the Sunne and shall doubtlesly ouercome it in swiftnesse To conclude if any poore man who is depriued of his Parents should be commanded to Hope that a great King altogeather vnknowne to him should adopt him for his Sonne no doubt be would much struggle with his owne iudgement before he could be induced to hope for the true euent thereof And yet Christian fayth teacheth that euery Man who is baptized in Christ and keepeth the Commandements of Christ shall haue the spirit of Adoption from God shal be coadopted into his Sonne shal be truly heyre of all those goods which God himselfe possesseth shal be the Coheyre of Christ who is the natura l and p●oper Sonne of God whom the Father hath constituted Heyre of a●l things whatsoeuer This vigorous Fayth if according to its owne worth it were imbraced by Christians would make them so fearlesse and resolute as that they would yield to no peri ls and dangers but would confidently say with the Prophet Psal 117. God is my Helper I will not feare what Man can do against me And Yf whole armyes should stād against me my hart shal not feare And with the Apostle Phil 4. I can do all things in him that strenghn th me And againe Rom 8. Ys God he for vs who is against vs But there are very few who do hope for such high and hard matters as they ought since there are many who do expect to receaue only temporall and small matters from God but for the gayning of them doe confide and trust in their owne subtilties in thefts and lyes rather then in the help of the Highest Our Lord him elfe in Mathew 6. and Luke 12. admonished the faythfull by most forcing and mouing similitudes tha they should not be ouer sollicitous in seeking of meate and cloathing but that