Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	darkness_n	light_n	shine_v	1,307	5	9.6147	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06472	The glory of their times. Or The liues of ye primitiue fathers Co[n]tayning their chiefest actions, workes, sentences, and deaths.	Lupton, Donald, d. 1676.; Glover, George, b. ca. 1618, engraver.	1640 (1640)	STC 16943; ESTC S108921	238,060	544

Table with his hand and said ja● contra Manichoeos conclusum esse that now the Manichees were foyled He was one that may be a perpetuall patterne for refusing and contemning worldly honours and wealth for though he was young and had great wayes to helpe himselfe yet he regarded them not nay insomuch that when Clement the fourth Bishop of Rome would have made him Arch-bishop of Naples he did refuse it and when great promotions were offered to him his usuall answer was Chrysostomi in Matthaeum Commentarios mallem that is I had rather have the Commentaries of Saint Chrysostome upon S●int Matthew He desired three things principally First that he might not be weary in well-doing Secondly that he might not dislike that calling though with poverty which hee had chosen thirdly what became of his brother Rainaldus who endured such a bloody death for the good of the Church and in this last he said hee was sure that his brother for that temporall death enjoyed eternall life In his teaching hee alwayes strove to frame his speech to the peoples capacity and that hee might avoid all pride and ostentation nay in his disputations he would seeme to yeeld that he might rather shew his humility than height of learning Hee had abundance of Auditors as Doctors Bishops Arch-bishops Cardinalls who counted themselves happy in being his hearers He was of spirit wondrous mild in his corrections and reproofes hee would hate the vice and spare the person When as he was deputed to be at the Councell of Lions hee fell sicke and was carryed on a Mule to Severinum where when he was entred into a Cloyster he writ his Commentaries on the Canticles and perceiving his death to draw nigh received the blessed Eucharist prostrate on the earth After when his sister asked him if he would have any thing answered he should within a little space enjoy all things This was his fiftieth yeare of his age He had many witty sayings as one asking him why he was so long silent under Albertus he answered because he had nothing of worth to say to him Another asked him what was the most pleasant thing to him Hee replyed to understand all he had read One telling him he was not learned as he was supposed hee answered I will study the more to prove his words false A woman reproved him that seeing hee was borne of a woman hee should so shunne them Yes said he even therefore because I was borne of them One asked him how he might live without blame hee told him if he would remember his reckoning to the great Judge of Heaven and Earth So when after great paines and studies hee had approved himselfe to the Church of God he yeelded to Nature and was honourably interred with all the Rites and Ceremonies due to so great a person as he was His Workes are of that value that he who hath them in his study is furnished for all manner of learning His Sayings A day will come when faire dealing shall be found a jewell and false dealing shall come to nothing when a good conscience shall be better than a good purse for the Judge will not then be put off with faire words nor drawne aside with hope of reward He that 's armed for the warres let him consider who it is that gives him strength and teacheth his fingers to fight then let him employ that strength to his glory so that by this means come life come death all 's welcome that God sends In all thy undertaking make much of time especially in that weighty matter of Salvation O how much would that man which now lies frying in Hell rejoyce if there were but possibility to obtain the least moment of time wherein he might compasse the favour of God and so be freed from those torments which seize upon him for evermore Thou that art young hast death at thy back whereas the old man hath it before his eyes and that must needs b● a more dangerous enemy that pursues thee than that which marcheth up towards thee face to face Remember therefore thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth and remember withall that though God promise forgivenes to repentant sinners yet he doth not promise they shall have to morrow to repent I have set down his Works as Cardinall Bellarmine hath registred according to the Roman Edition Tome 1. Contains his life upon the Perihetmenias and the Analatickes Tome 2. Containes Commentaries upon the 8 bookes of Physicks Vpon the fourth book De Coelo Mundo and of the generation Tome 3. Contains his works upon the books de Meteoris Tome 4. Vpon the Metaphysicks 12 books Tome 5. Vpon the 10 books of Ethicks and upon the 8 books of Politicks Tome 6. Vpon the 1. and 2. books of the Sentences Tome 7. Vpon the third and fourth of the Sentences Tome 8. Vpon Disputa●ions and Quodlibets Tome 9. Containes his summes against the Gentiles with the Commentaries of Franciscus Ferrari●nsis Tome 10. The first part of his summes of Divinity with the Commentaries of Card. Caietan and the Exposition of divine names by St. Denis Tome 11. Containes primam secundae secundam secundae With Cajetans Commentaries Tome 12. Containes the tertiam partem summae Tome 13. Contains Commentaries on Iob on the 57. Psalme on the Canticles Esay Jeremy Lamentations Tom. 14. Commentaries on St. Matthew and St. Iohn Tom. 15. Contains his golden chain on the 4 Evangelists Tom. 16. On all the Epistles of S. Paul Sermons de tempore and of the Saints Tome 17. Contains 73 little Tracts and a little book upon the foure book● of Sentenc●s THus farre have we brought the lives of these holy Fathers and Doctors in every Century of yeares wherein they lived downe to our owne Moderne Writers whose vertues have shined on Earth like starres in the firmament by illuminating the darknesse of the blinde world with the light of the Coelestiall Doctrine These holy men I say did willingly and chearefully offer their lives and bodies as a living sacrifice to God not grudgingly or piningly but with alacrity of spirit for though by the hand of envy and tyranny they were judged to death yet they willingly dyed for his cause and yeelded their bodies as a debt due to Nature for they thought so long as the soule was in the body it was no better than in prison for the body at the best is is but a Coffin of the soule as the grave is a Coffin for the body Therefore let us strive by their examples to goe to heaven like them through persecutions tribulations and all worldly temptations for wee ought to desire with ardency as these holy Fathers did that joyfull day which all the Elect have and doe still long to enjoy For when Death and Time shall both cease and tender downe their S●epters of authority as I doe now my self prostrate before God Almighty then shall I and never till then bee truely and really happy

Epistles and this was done in the time of Zepherinus so againe he did returne to Alexandria and admitted into his society Heraclas again He recald Ambrosius from the heresie of the Marcionites and caused him to embrace the orthodox faith He never affected wealth but contented himselfe with a low estate for being so beloved he might easily have ab●unded in riches if his mind had beene setled on them He was so studious that he would read at his meales It is said of Him to his credit and renowme that Origeni null a par ●aetatis periit à studiis that is Origens whole life was a continued study and another speaks thus of him Origenis ingenium sufficiebat ad omnia perdiscenda that is Origen had such a pregnancie of wit that he was apt to learne any thing Adfuit illi mira ex tempore dicendi facultas in obscuris dictionibus perspicuitas● that is He had a wonderfull faculty in expressing himselfe ex tempore and to explicate obscure places wondrous quick and able Quanti fecerit Originem Antiquitas c. How much did Antiquity account of Origen any man knows for Saint Ierome stiles him no lesse then Magistrum Ecclesiarum post Apostolos the Master of the Churches after the Apostles And Saint Augustine wished that His Works were turn'd into Latine Victorinus and Hilarius Bishop do mightily endevour to set forth his prayses And as one saith Quis ex Scriptoribus qui post Origenem vixere non insigniter ab eo est adjutus that is Who of all the Writers who lived after Origen was not singularly helped by Origens labours Nay to shut up all it is said of Him primus omnium glaciem scidit Hee was the first that broke the ice for the explanation of the Scriptures To conclude all Hee carefully employed His time endured a great measure of affliction faithfully preached the Gospel converted many to Christ having spent himselfe in holy labours for the good of the Church In the first yeere of Decius the seventh persecution being raised against the Christians in the 225 yeere after Christ. And in this persecution it is generally knowne what heavy and cruell torments this Origen then endured and indeed it was not so fierce against any as this Father for Hee suffered bonds tortures of his body being fastned by the neck with a great iron chaine and many dayes together his feet were kept in a paire of Stocks of wood and then were stretched foure paces wide with threatnings of fire and a most cruell Judge striving by all means to prolong his tortures but what pious Ejaculations and comfortable prayers and zealous exhortations he made and gave to the Christians is to be wondred at considering the length and extremity of his sufferings that he should retaine his valour and constancie untill the giving up of his spirit I know how some have sharply reprov'd him for that act of dismembring himselfe and others have condemned him and his Writings but these are not demonstrations so much as calumniations of so great a Light of the Church However if hee was in an errour the Mantle of Charitie should hide and conceal it I have read too that he died at Tire very old and poore But we are not to believe a private pen before so great a Cloud of Witnesses to the contrary However Hee lived to the seventieth yeere of his age and died a constant Martyr for Christianity Hee flourished in the Reigne of Antonius Caracalla Macrinus and others from the yeere of our Lord 213. to 240. Also I have annexed some of the famous Sentences of this Father Origen Let every man know his place and order and understand what doth become his place and degree and so weigh his actions and speech and moderate his gate and habit yet it may bee agreeable to his degree and profession Thou that art a sinner grieve not to encounter afflictions in the pilgrimage of this life for thou shalt not deserve compassion if thou sufferest with indignation but rather thinke thy selfe worthy of punishment and when thou hast humbled thy selfe and hast said that Gods judgements are just and right thou shalt obtain mercy from him who can restore thee to his favour Those that are humbled and cast downe whether worthily or unworthily let them leave the judgement to God and patiently beare his judgements for thereby they shall obtaine mercie from God and recover amongst men their former degree and glory which they lost Hee that hath exchanged poverty for riches that hee might be perfect was not made perfect at that instant when hee gave his goods to the poore but from that day when the speculation and consideration of Gods goodnesse drew to the perfection of all vertues Gods providence hath ordained all things to some end and purpose He made not malice and though he can restrain it he will not For if malice were not Vertue should not have a contrary it could not shine clee●e there would be no examination and vertue could not be tried and proved For the malice of Iosephs brethren was the meanes whereby God brought about the works of his providence effected by Ioseph I have annexed his Works as they are in two Tomes Tome 1. On Genesis homilies 17 On Exodus 13. On Leviticus 16. On Numbers 28. On Josua 26. On Judges 9. On the Kings 1. On Job books 3. On the 36. 37. 38. Psalms homilies 9. On the Canticles homilies 6. On Esaiah hom 9. On Jeremiah 14. On Ezechiel 14. De principiis 4. Threnes or Lament 1. Pamphilus his Apology for Origen Ruffinus depravation of Origen Tome 2. On Matthew Tracts 35 On Luke Homil. 39. On John 32. On divers places of the new Testament homilies 10. On the Romans books 10. Against Celsus books 8. Dialogues against the Marcionites book 3. An. Christi 233. Sanctus Gregorius Thaumaturgus GREG THAVMATVRGVS I Doe intend to describe the lives of foure famous Fathers of this name who have beene eminent in the Church for Piety and Learning for Action and Passion viz. Gregorius Nazianzenus then Gregory sirnamed Magnus Pope of Rome Gregory Nyssenus who was brother to Saint Basil the Great and this Gregory Thaumaturgus the greatest part of the Churches Historians have beene copious in setting forth the prayses of all these I now set upon this and what I doe expresse to the World shall be true and mayntaind by sufficient Witnesses He was called Theodorus before and hee got his name Thaumaturgus from the abundance of Miracles which hee wrought and great Wonders which hee did if wee give credit to Gerardus V●ssius in his Preface before this Fathers work that Saint Basil ranks him not inferiour to Moses the Prophets and Apostl●s and that hee was full of great Signes and Miracles that hee was indued with the spirit of prophecie that hee by prayer removed a great Hill which hindred the perfecting of a Church that hee dried up a great Lake

that is who out-stripped others for piety and doing other things which made him admired that was his Charity and Writings ●irtutibus vitam instituit Eleemosynis claruit that is ordering his life in vertues pathes He shined in Alms-deeds and of his charity to the poor I must not let slip what is recorded of him by Photius and Simeon Metaphrastes On a time there came to him a poore man who made his mone to him that he had endured ship-wracke at sea and had lost all his goods insomuch that he had not any thing to relieve himselfe nor his family withall Gregory presently moved with compassion gives him forthwith six Ducats So he having received them departs and yet the same day returnes to this blessed Father and told him his necessity was so great that what he had received hee had payed away and so desires some more of him Saint Gregory gives him other sixe Ducats well hee the same day came the third time and desired reliefe which was given him without gain-saying by this Father proportionably but this poore man comming the fourth time and Gregory having no more gold to give yet unwilling to send him away empty hee remembred he had a piece of Plate in his House of a good value and presently commanded that to be given and it was performed according to his desire Here was compassion that was beyond the bounds of a common man foure times in one day and of the same party to crave and at every request to receive a reward without reluctancy or repining Here was Charity and Liberality bestowed the right way for whom perverse Fortune long sicknesse threats and oppressors have brought unto poverty to those let men extend forth their compassion and charity This Saint Gregory by the wisedome of God so disposing it for his admirable endowments being made as I have said before Bishop of Rome by the suffrages of all good men it was a custome that upon the first day of his enjoying that preferment there should twelve poore men be called in to dine with him so hee that was chiefe over-seer that way did as was injoyned him Well this father being sate with these twelve he presently counting them reckoned thirteene and asking his Officer why hee had transgressed the custome hee presently replyed that there were but twelve but Gregory affirmed there were thirteene so looking well upon them he saw one of their Countenances often change and to shine so after dinner hee tooke the thirteenth into his study and seriously demanded of him who hee was he replyed that he was the poore man which hee foure times in one day so bountifully relieved with gold and plate which almes-deeds saith he of yours are so well-pleasing to God that I am sent being an Angell to you to preserve your life and to direct you in your studies At which words Saint Gregory was strucke with feare but the Angel vanished immediately and Saint Gregory fell devoutly to prayers and gave God thanks for his great favour shewed to him Here I may say as it is of Cornelius Act. 10. Thy prayers and thy Almes-deeds are come up before me and I wonder where can we finde such a pattern of Charitie in these dayes Rich men doe debar themselves of many a great blessing for not exercising themselves in Almesdeeds as Photius saith here was that saying of Saint Paul verified Harbour and entertain strangers for so many have received Angels so did Abraham and Lot But I will not insist longer upon this Now I will proceed This Gregory was of that acutenesse of wit that he easily overthrew Eutyches the Heretike in a publicke disputation concerning the resurrection and did so confirme it that the Emperour caused Eutyches his books to bee burned as hereticall as you may see and reade in his Workes as also in Beda Read Iohannes Diaconus in the life of this Gregory in his first book and foure and twentieth Chapter where hee shall finde with what solid places of Scriptures and invincible arguments hee doth establish it When as the plague did rage so furiously in Rome that the living could scarce bury the dead and when Pelagius was dead of it how worthily did this Gregory behave himselfe during that heavy visitation and judgment how did he stirre up the hearts of the people with all speed to turn to God with fasting prayer and by serious and unfained repentance What an elegant speech did hee make unto them is easily to be seen it is so full of piety and wisdome that it deserves to be registred in Letters of Gold and is able to make the hardest heart to weepe and lament his sins and to set himselfe to seeke the Lord. How powerfully did he by dextrous Counsels establish the Churches How did he cause the Ligurians the Venetians and Spaniards to be drawn from Schismes and to embrace the authority of the Chalcedon Councell How did he reduce the African Churches from the Heresie of the Donatists Sicily from that of the Manichees Spaine from that of Arianisme Alexandria from that of the Agnoetans by his deep learning and judgment And did hee not likewise free France from Symoniacks which did grow up in every place Did hee not so powerfully prevail with Brunichilda the Queen with Theodoricke and Theodobert Kings of France that he procured from them a generall Councell against these persons and anathematized all that should dare to practise that sin Yet in these Heroick proceedings the Devill did all he could to oppose him by calumniation but he left not off to proceed maugre all their malicious conclusions to effect that good to the Church of God for which he thought he was set up how Christianlike did he speake to the Emperour Mauritius against his making that unjust Law that none of those souldiers which were marked in the hand should ever be converted to the faith of Christ Did not this Gregory answer the Emperour in these words Ego te de Notario Comitem Excubitorum de Comite Excubitorum Caesarem de Caesare Imperatorem nec solum hoc sed etiam Patrem Imperatorum feci Sacerdotes meos tuae manui commisi Tu à meo servitio milites tuos subtrahis that is I have meaning God made thee of a Notary to be Captain of the Watch from that I have made thee Caesar from Caesar have advanc'd thee to be Emperour and not only so but I have made thee a Father of Emperours Have not I given thee my spirituall Souldiers which are my Priests and dost thou take f●om my service thy Souldiers Answer I beseech thee ô Emperour to thy servants What wilt thou answer to thy Lord and Judge when he shall demand this at thy hands a worthy speech and savouring of a generous and religious spirit How severely did hee reprove the Bishop of Constantinople who would have beene called Vniversalis for his prid● and doth he not directly call it No men istud