Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A09510
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Morbus epidemicus, or The churles sickenesse In a sermon preached before the iudges of the assises. By T.P.
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Pestell, Thomas, 1584?-1659?
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1615
(1615)
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STC 19790; ESTC S114584
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15,123
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30
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and influence to th' inferiour worlde The Sunne the right Embleme of Liberality continually shooting forth his glorious beames of Light Nay yet lower the Moone and th' inferiour Planets are not couetous The three superiour Elements are all free from this euill For that Tralucent Fire aboue vs is no deuourer like ours fowle and foetulent heere below And if Rich men were so good to theyr emptie Bretheren saith one as the Ayre and water are to other empty things as there is no voyde place in the World So there would be no emptie person in the world T' is then thus lowe vnder the Sunne that it rests onely in the dull and Foggie Element of Earth for that indeed is Couetous neuer sayes Hoe neuer sayes It is enough So then t' is the earthly and muddie minde which is infected with this sicknes This disease is onely the Churls Sickenes no sprightly nature no vertuous or actiue disposition is subiect therevnto And giue me leaue I beseech you right honourable and Christian Auditors to follow this Allegorie yet a little because in it by way of application I purpose to shut and winde vp this discourse Vnder the Sunne The Sunne saith Macrobius is the King of Starres So wee may iustly say of our most gracious King and Soueraigne that hee is the Sunne amongst men Now then yet it holdes good that this disease is vnder the Sunne For though Couetousnes hath bene prou'd to be Principium malorum yet t' is not God bee thank't malum principis Though it bee captaine and king of euills yet hee 's free from it t' is vnder the Sunne Next vnder him and those Noble Staires of honour fix't aboue is your place right Honourable who like those Planetarie bodies doe moue and Circuite about for the preseruation and good of the whole O let not let not this vile and wicked Infection sticke in you as it is vnder our gracious King the Sunne so let it still descend farre beneath your Throne of Iustice Bee not like those wicked Iudges which Sophonie speakes of like Wolues in the Euening that leaue no boanes vntill the Morning nor like to Samuels sonnes which turned after Lucre and took reward and peruerted iudgement nor like to Falix who lock't to receiue some thing of Paule but such rather as Moyses elected by Iethroes counsell Prouide thou among all the people Men of courage fearing God men dealing truely and hating Couetousties and appoint such ouer them as rulers Exod. 18.21 Such indeede are fitte to rule For a couetous Iudge is but a blind guide For a reward puts out his eyes it blindes the wise Deut. 27.17 Nay it is a thing cleane opposite and contrary to Iustice as it should seeme by Saint Paules speech who when he had warned Tymothy to flie from Couetousnesse addes presently and follow Iustice Remember that you are here placed in Gods stead nay Ipse Dixi. I haue sayde yee are Gods God changes names with you for as hee is called a iudge by Abraham so a Iudge is stâ—led a God by Dauid Bee then in this like God This euill sicknes is not in him no it is Malum Infirmum an euill of infirmity of infirme weake and miserable men Thinke vpon this high and godlike function thinke that the inferior Iustices are in your hands to frame their consciences to stirre them to action And therefore in the name of the Lord take heed and beware of Couetousnesse O men of God flie these things and follow Iustice c. Let no cunning shift make offendors slide through your fingers grow not dim nâ— or thicke sighted with olde Isaacke lest you like him bee deceiued in the feeling of Iaacobs hands And the better to enforce this duety Learne Right Reuerend in the Lord to auoyde the respect of persons For obserue what Solomon hath in Prouer. 28.21 To haue respect of persons in iudgement is not good Why For such a man will doe euill euen for a peece of bread See a respecter of persons falles presently into this euill disease this rauenous and dogged appetite that hee will snap at a Crust do euill euen for a peece of bread Shunne then wickednesse for it is not good to haue any respect of persons in iudgement Hee thus sayeth to the wicked thou art righteous him shall the people curse and the multitude shall abhorre him and follow Iustice For hee that walkes in Iustice and speakes righteous things refusing gaine of oppression shaking his hands from taking of gifts stopping his eares from hearing of blood and shutting his eyes from seeing of euill he shall dwell on high his defence shall bee the munition of rocks bread shal be giueÌ„ him his waters shal be sure Isa 33.15.16 Giue not the people cause to take vp the complaint of the Prophet Iudgement is turned backeward and Iustice stands farre off Trueth is fallen in the streetes and equitie cannot enter but rather affoorde them cause to say with Solomon I haue seene vnder the Sunne the place of iudgement where was iniquity and the place of Iustice where was wickednesse And that this contagion may yet descend lower Let not the Iustices and Gentlemen suffer themselues to be tainted Let not them fall into a violent grassation and grinding of the poore racking and cramping and squeesing their poore tenants like the cruell Nero Hoe agamus ne quis quicquam habeat Let vs looke to this one thing that no man haue any thing falling vpon the poore like a tempest or a whirlewinde leauing nought behind it And you the sage and prudent Lawyers beware of this sickenesse take heed of tipping your tongue with siluer or rowling it in golden eloquence You are stiled by one of Gods own names Councellour Learne then to resemble him in Nature scorning this base and earthly disease of couetousnesse As for D uines I hope well the most part are free from this sickenesse because it is a foule shame for the soules physition to lye sicke of this vnseemely diseas One word to the Iurors Let nothing I beseech you friendship or fauour especially let not couetousnesse hinder your conscience in right verdicts neythâ—r bee too couetous of your Lords or Landlord 〈◊〉 â—or câ—untenance making him as that common yet fearefull saying is to damne a dozen but with courage and cleare soule proceed in iudgement Last of all let euery couetous man of what estate or condition soeuer that yet remaynes obdurate and hardned in this sinne of couetousnesse possessed with this Caco-daemon this euill spirite labour by hearty prayer and repentance in time to escape from the griping fangs and clawes thereof remembring that great and generall Assises when wee shall all appeare as the Apostle speaketh before the Tribunall seate of Christ to receyue our doome whose iudgement no writ of error can reuerse nor any attaint vndoe his verdict At which time all cruell and couetous oppressors shall stand enuironed with those poore Orphans and Widdowes whom they vniustly rooted out and solde for shooes now rising vp to accuse them the iudge of heauen and earth the Lord chiefe Iustice of all the world ouer them hell gaping vnder them when all their Pettyfoggers that now swarme will get them out of fight when no Councellor or Aduocate will dare to open his mouth and plead for them though they would giue him double and treble fees when his owne conscience shall bee a thousand clamouroâ—s witnesses to depose against him In what a fearefull estate will this man bee then who now goes on boldly committing daily this wickednesse in the face of heauen and vnder the Sunne Surely hee shall then wish himselfe vnder the earth and cry to the mountaines to fall downe and couer him I dare not longer presume vpon your patience onely if this which I haue already spoken seeme tedious I may in in some sort pleade excuse from the nature of this euill sickenesse whereof I haue discoursed it being infinite in it selfe and without end hath drawn mee likewise to bee a little couetous of the time and suffered mee no sooner to make an end To Ged Almighty onely wise the blessed Father Sonne and holy Spirite bee all prayse and glory both now and for euermore Amen Gloria Deo in excelsit FINIS