Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	faith_n	godliness_n	temperance_n	4,219	5	11.6041	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42732	The right honourable, Pourtraid. Or, the vizard taken off pretenders With perswasive reasons to allure the will, and reduce mens actiosn to obtain the title. As also a set boundary to the honour of saints departed. By Samuel Gilbert, Philalēthḗd.	Gilbert, Samuel, d. 1692?; White, Robert, 1645-1703, engraver.	1693 (1693)	Wing G718; ESTC R223675	16,536	72

Worship of the Martyr at first their Reliques were pretious at last they grew holy first the Saints were honour'd but after worshipped at first they but commend but afterwards enshrined so hard it is to subsist in a Golden Mediocrity we either shoot under or over not do or over do either not honour the Saints at all or too much being right English-men too many in this point never think we mend the matter till we marr it God gave the Israelites an express inhibition not to take his Name in vain at last the Jews out of a superstitious Reverence durst not so much as name the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Name Jehovah they ought not to name him in vain therefore afterward they would not name him at all the Brazen Serpent at first erected by God's Institution for Historical Commemoration onely of their delivery from fiery Serpents at last from Historical Commemoration it was translated to Religious Adoration so the Saints were first honour'd out of Affection at last worshipped out of Superstition The Persians in policy as Xenophon tells the story taught their Children to lye and not to lye but with this distinction to lye to their Enemies but to tell truth to their Friends but Xenophon tells us the issue of this Persian Education their Children forgot their distinction and made bold even to lye to their best Friends So the Roman Clergy teach the People to Worship the Saints and not to Worship them so long till they forget their distinction and entitle the Saints themselves to the same honour that is due to God but welfare St. Austin Sancti sunt honorandi propter immitationem non adorandi propter Religionem That is the truest honouring of the Saints which is a returning of their honour to God's greater honour The Saints that are alone to be honoured in Deo and propter Deum must be honour'd without impeachment and derogation of God's honour to be a follower of the Saints as they be or were of Christ is the truest Worship of the Saints It is most certain that the Blessed Virgin receives not so much Indignity from her Enemies that deny her as from such her Friends that Deifie her it is a Sin to give the Saints more than their due as it is to give them less to deprive them of all honour was the Errour of Vigilantius and many of this last Age to give them too much was first the Errour of the Collyridians and at this day of the Papists whereby they do not so much honour the Saints as dishonour God The truth is we honour the Saints triumphant in Heaven but we give them only honor Charitatis not honor Religionis we give them Veneration but not Adoration we honour their Memories but we erect no Idolatrous Shrine we honour them as fellow Servants now glorifi'd but not as demy Gods half deifi'd we honour them as Patterns for imitation not as Patrons for protection we know no Reliques but their Graces we observe their Festivals by the Anniversary Revolutions of the Year but we dedicate no Days to the Saints but only to the God of the Saints What is there no mean in giving honour to the Saints but we must deny them or deifie them Is it not enough to Commend but we must Adore them Is there no mean but we must be either ungrateful or Idolatrous or that we must make them either less than Saints or little less than Gods Is it not a dangerous thing to obtrude that honour upon them which must needs bring them into Emulation with God with aspiring Lucifer to be similes Altissimo Hath not God solemnly protested saying I am the Lord that is my Name and my Glory I will not give to another neither my praise to graven Images He that touches the least spark of God's Glory does he not touch the Apple of his Eye Of all other things God and the Throne brook no Corrivals Is it not the general Voice of the Church Non nobis Domine Not unto us O Lord. Do not the Saints in the Apocalips cast down their Crowns at the feet of the Lamb And in their Doxology ascribe all Honour Glory Praise to him that sits upon the Throne So Religiously Tender are they in this Point that they will not suffer the least of God's Honour to stick to their fingers but still shake it off with a non nobis Domine Let God have his due above all and the Saints their due give unto God the things that are Gods and to the Saints the things that belong to them Let the Saints have their due honour but so that by a necessary reflex and resultance it redound to God's Honour for else it is no honour to the Saints to share in their Maker's honour whose chiefest honour it is with denying of their own to bring Glory to God Thus have we discover'd the true Dignity of the Saints and if Saints tho' in Rags they are rich and honourable how honourable then are Saints in Silks that are all glorious within and without too both to Spiritual and Temporal Beholders that are rich in Graces as well as Garments in inward worth as well as outward wealth high in God's as well as the Kings favour where goodness and greatness joyn hands whose outsides belye not the furniture within that are not like rich Cabinets with empty Drawers or rather fill'd with filth or that which they are asham'd to own tho' not to keep but are richer within than without having their Caskets fill'd with the richest Rubies drops of Christ's Blood to adorn their Souls Repentance Tears shed for past Sins turned into the rarest Pearls the sparkling Diamonds of Grace set in the Golden Lockets of pure and refined Hearts having to their Faith Virtue and to their Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness to Godliness Brotherly-kindness and to Brotherly-kindness Charity St. Peter's choicest Collection of Heavenly Jewels which none but a Saint can possess those that have such Rarities within which God himself is delighted in the beholding and encompassed with outward Riches and Preferments too are those whom only the Spirit of God can to the full declare how glorious and honourable they are the finest Rhetorick too course to see their Beauty through and will rather cloud than shew their Lustre which can never be truly inspected by mortal eye But what shall we say to many of the Gallants of this Age whose honour hath no other Basis but the Herauld or Taylor or some Office that gives them liberty to Rant and Swagger in the newest Terms and Mode who make it their business if possible to unsaint others being such Devils themselves and bring Holiness into discredit by scoffing at and deriding it but sure it takes with none but what are as of little credit as themselves who race out Holiness and Saint out of the Titles of Honour and instead thereof practice Drinking Whoring

Swearing Cursing and Scoffing at the Saints as Qualities of a Gentile stamp and think the ascent of a pair of stairs in a Bawdy-house as necessary and equivolent as those of Virtue to arrive at the Temple of Honour and as Authentick being Licensed by the Imprimatur of the Times What shall I say why thus to such That God hath blotted their Names out of the number of those that shall possess Eternal Honour and marvel they are not ashamed to let them remain in the Church-Register so much to the disgrace of Christianity but where shame's laid aside no wonder they commit all manner of Sin with Greediness and Glory in their shame brag of their Debaucheries and would as fain stifle the Repute of Holiness as they have done the Checks of their own Consciences scorning that Men of their Parts and Knowledge should be prescribed Holiness by any nay even by God himself being spiced with that Pride that was in Lucifer and his fellow-aspiring Angels that made the first Schism and Separation in the purest Church even in Heaven it self among the Angels that were wholly perfect But let such know a Dram of Holiness is above a Talent of Parts a Drop of Grace above a Sea of Knowledge Though in Knowledge we are said to be as Angels of God yet in Holiness like God himself Therefore so much as God is above an Angel so much is Holiness above Knowledge and the more so because Knowledge may be without Holiness but never Holiness without Knowledge pluck therefore off the Plumes of your Pride and Self-conceitedness the deplorable Errour of most of our Seperatists and really is the Pest of the Church and Bane of Religion which is best preserved in Unity and Humility Who then is Wife and would have his Name Person and Estate flourish let him purge himself from Original Corruption Actual Transgression by Faith in the Blood of Christ Shame is the consequent of Sin but Honour ever attends on Holiness wherefore acquaint your selves with the Ways of Christ follow his steps walk as he walked stamping your Actions in the Mint of Virtue your Names shall be writ in Heaven and your Fame be Current if not in this lower in that upper Court of Honour and had in everlasting Memory while others are buried in Oblivion yours shall survive even Posterity If Honour be your Aim and Holiness the Path that you tread towards it you shall then indeed be right worshipful right honourable when such as by their Purses purchase Titles not by their Virtues shall be base and ignoble Would we have others that we esteem that are near and dear to us our Relations and Friends truly Honourable endeavour we by our Example and Advice to make them truly Holy doing as Zacharias and Elizabeth They were both Righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless endeavouring to Walk constantly in All the Commandments of God indifferently before God sincerely and as much as in us lieth before Men unblameably Non sine peccato sed sine querela Teaching our Children the Trade of Holiness betimes whilst they are Young that they may not forget it when they are Old resolving whatsoever others do that we and our Houses will serve the Lord that they and us living holily here may be truly honourable and eternally happy hereafter FINIS 1 Sam. 18 18. 2 Sam. 18 18. Cui servire est Regnare Psal 149. 9. 1 Sam. 2. 30. Heb. 3. 2. 1 Sam. 13. 14. Jer. 22. 24 28. 1 Sam. 13. 1. 2 Cor. 10. 18. Rom. 2. 29. St. Austin Psal 84. 10. Joh. 15. 14. Gen. 18. 17. Amos 3. 7. Psal 25. 14. Hosea 2. 18. 19. 20. Heb. 1. 7. Mal. 3. 14. 1 Cor. 6. 3. Hag. 2. 23 Jer. 22. 24. Deut. 32. 10. Zech. 2. 8. Isa 62 3. Ps 45. 13. 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 8. Ps 16. 3. Prov. 12. 26. Job 33. 23. Prov. 15. 33. 18. 12. Honour is like a Palace with a low Door into which no man can enter but he must first stoop As Ausonius of Otho Jer. 22. 19. 2 Chron. 1. 12. Prov. 3. last vers Rev. 14. 13. Prov. 10. 6. Prov. 22. 1. Eccles 7. 1. Joshua 7. 21. Ovid. 4. fast 'T is good for a man to have Praise when he deserves it but better to deserve Praise when he hath it St. Paul 2 Cor. 1. 12. Tac itus Tacitus of Agricola Isa 42. 8. 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. It is a base thing to erect Trophies of Honour to themselves upon the ruins of another's Reputation He that Sails by the Star of Virtue shall in time land himself upon the Shore of Honour Luke 1. 6.