Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	knowledge_n	lord_n	temperance_n	1,588	5	11.7145	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95692	Theologia Germanica. Or, Mysticall divinitie : a little golden manuall briefly discovering the mysteries, sublimity, perfection and simplicity of Christianity, in belief and practise. Written above 250 years since in high Dutch, & for its worth translated into Latine, and printed at Antwarp, 1558. Whereto is added definitions theologicall and philosophicall. Also a treatise of the soul, and other additions not before printed.	Randall, Giles, translator.	1648 (1648)	Wing T858; Thomason E1162_2; ESTC R210095	77,165	196

the plough As concerning my translation understand that I have neither added nor detracted any thing from the Author and I could no more avoyd obscurity in translating a book compiled with much affected brevity then the Author himself in writing of it yet I counsel the Reader that he would often and attentively read it which may ●●●ve in stead of a Comment I have used some words in it as these Egoity Selfness Meity Deified Disposence Personal●ity c. necessity compelling me thereunto because the Author useth that manner of speech wherein I ought to be thought no more blameable then Tidley who doubted not to be bold in using the words Appiety and Lentallity A Writer may make bold when necessity requireth it to command words and not to learn them The Inscription of this Book is Theologia Germanica the Author is not named only I find it written in a certain little Preface to the Book that he was one of those who are called Dun Teutonici or Dutch Lords the French call them Knights of the Rhodes and that he was a Priest and Governor in the house of Teutonici or high Dutch at Frankfort The Argument is of the new man or the new creature for he sheweth the manner how a man may be restored and return to God from whence he is faln by following his own will It is necessary that he bewilling to be restored because medicines are to be contrary to their diseases that he be deprived of his own will follow the will of God and no man can serve two masters but as a man may very well put out his own eyes or kill himself yet cannot restore himself to sight or life again even so man is in Adam prone to destroy himself and all his posterity by following his own will But neither he nor any who is guilty and overthrown by his sin can possibly save himself or repair the breach It was necessary again for the saving of the world that one should arise and exist who was holy harmless and undefiled separate from sinners to deliver others from sin and teach the way of life and this was Jesus Christ the Son of the living God to whom all power is given both in heaven and earth who doth not only teach man this way to salvation but also giveth them power by Faith to walk in it I would not hereby have you understand a dead Faith for that is no more Faith then a dead man is a man but a working and living Faith such a one as Saint Peter describeth together with the works and effects thereof saying Add to your faith vertue and to your vertue knowledg and to your knowledg temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity For if these things remain and abound in you they will make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledg of our Lord Jesus But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins Wherefore the rather brethren give all diligence to make your calling and election sure for if these things be in you you shall never fail S. Peter speaks of a true and lively faith which doth not only procure unto a man the forgiveness of his sins by the merit of Christ but also effecteth that as before be yeelded his members as weapons of unrighteousness unto sin so hereafter he may give them as instruments of righteousnes to do well And because S. Peter in this place doth describe a certain ladder to salvation I purpose to make it plain whereby we may more evidently perceive by which steps we may ascend to the top thereof lest that any man should be content to stand only upon the first step and yet think he had attained tosalvation from which he was distant many degrees Therefore according to S. Peter faith bringeth forth vertue that is strength and ability to perform those things which thou beleevest are to be done as so taught from God As for example Christ commands us to love our enemies and to do good to them which do evil to us Now there are some who beleeve that this cannot be done again they hate their enemies and do them all mischief others beleeve that it is to be done by the assistance of God and therefore do good to their enemies Consider all sects and kinds of men and you shall find that those who beleeve it is possible to be done do act the same and that Christ who hath given them power to beleeve hath given them power also to perform his Commandments for it is not said in vain that all things are possible to him that beleeveth And this I say generally of all other precepts of Christ As thou beleevest saith Christ so be it to thee this is generally to be taken look how much faith any one hath and so much strength of vertue he hath also And vertue begeteth knowledge for true knowledg consists in experience which comes to pass when a man is made able to perform something doth certainly know that that which before he did beleeve he did not certainly know might have been performed Examples hereof we have in Caleb and Joshua and the rest of the Israelites who did overcome the Canaanites for then did they certainly know that those might be overcome as they had before beleeved but the rest of the Israelites who did not beleeve that this could be done could not do it and again they knew it not So at this day such as do not beleeve that such a the power of Christ as that he is able to beat down the power of the Serpent under the feet of the faithful those men are not able to resist sin therefore they know not how it may be done and therefore deny it but those who beleeve can do it by faith and know certainly that it may be done and again affirm it to be true Knowledg bringeth forth temperance for a man confirmed with this knowledg goeth forward to the mark hoping for the same success in the rest and therefore with-holds himself from bodily lusts and pleasures which fight against the soul lest being hindred by them he be deprived of his Crown of victory Now as the Chaldeans did vex and persecute Jerusalem when it rebelled against them having before of its own accord served and obeyed them In like manner it falleth out in all rebellions of Subjects for the lusts and pleasures which before we voluntarily served when we rebel against them by temperance do vex us in renewing their desires and breed us grief as much as before they did delight which that we may bear manfully we stand in need of patience And because we know that this trouble which we must undergo in resisting these wicked lusts and affections in bearing of injuries doth far exceed our strength let us earnestly call upon God with

Impressions 2. Determineth what is to be followed and what avoyded His seat is the middle part or Cell of the brain whither the Imagination stretcheth his Impresses The Phantasie compareth Forms with forms as black with white Forms with Intensions as the form of a wolf with the flight of a wolf Intention with Intention as the feeding of her own with the rejecting of another His seat is betwixt the Memory and the Estimation because is concerns them both for it is enlightened by Estimation maintained by Memory Led by Phantasie Creatures Make them caves and nests Provide them sustenance a far off Know and distinguish this to be this Choose and refuse this and that Memory Doth receive the operations of all the Senses from the Common Sense Doth reserve the things receive as Imagination doth the Intents His seat is in the hinder part of the head Memory is Artificial got by litteral observation and practise Natural instilled in our composition The Reasonable Soul hath 1. Inbred Powers 2. Acquired Habits 3. Inferred Passions The inbred powers of the Soul are 1. Understanding Speculative to contemplate withall Practick to exercise and this is the Cogitative part of the Soul which apprehendeth withall 2. Will Natural which is directed by instinct Deliberative which is guided by reason and this is the Motive part of the soul which produceth all the operations both of body and mind The Soul Knoweth the good by the speculative understanding Affecteth the good by practick understanding Discerneth good and evil by Reason Chooseth the good from evil by free-will Consenteth to chosen good by rectified will Inventeth means to accomplish it by will Raiseth it self to vertue by the motive of the Conscience This is the order and degree of Understanding 1. Sense perceiveth 2. Imagination representeth 3. Understanding formeth 4. Wit deviseth 5. Reason judgeth 6. Memory preserveth 7. Intelligence apprehendeth 8. Contemplation perfecteth The Soul knoweth things Present by Sense Absent and to come by Imagination Absent and past by Memory It self by reflection upon it self God by elevation above it self Creatures by humiliation of it self The Soul is immortal 1. Because it is capable of felicity which is eternal 2. Because it is made after Gods similitude which is immortal 3. Because it hath no contrariety to corrupt it A Spirit doth unite the Soul unto a body whose Flesh bones are made of earth Humors to wit Blood Phlegm Choller and Melancollick are made of water Lights are made of ayr to cool the heat of the heart Heart containeth fire to temper the moisture of the brain The members of the body are 1. Radical wherein is the root of life as in the Liver Heart Brain Tests 2. Serviceable to convey the natural animal and vital spirits as the Veines Nerves Arteries 3. Official to perform the offices of the body as the Eyes Hands Feet The Soul was united to the body 1. To teach us the union of our Soul and God 2. To accomplish and perfect the work of God For as God made one creature meerly spiriritual as the Angels and one meerly corporal as the World so he hath made one both spiritual corporal which is Man The acquired habits of the Soul be 1. Vertues 2. Habitual Customs got by industry and use Vertues proceed from grace 1. Incoative which begetteth them 2. Continuing which maintaineth them 3. Perfecting which consummates and acteth them Vertue in respect of the 1. Giver is the operation of God in man 2. Subject is the habitation of a well-governed mind 3. Working is a habit bringing us to Mediocrity 4. End is a disposition to the best perfection 5. Quality a good faculty whereby we live well All Vertues consist in 1. Understanding hard matters 2. Enduring adverse crosses 3. Abstaining from pleasures The measure of Vertue is placed in Doing 1. Doing neither above Measure nor under Measure but in Measure 2. Having neither Excess nor Defect 3 Bearing Prosperity with hūblenes Adversity with patience The tree of Vertue hath his 1. Seed Fear 2. Irigation Grace 3. Root Faith 4. Bud Devotion 5. Growth Desire 6. Strength Charity 7. Greenness Hope 8. Leaf Heed 9. Flourish Discipline 10. Fruit Doctrine 11. Maturity Patience The condition of Vertue is to 1. Remove tentations this setles Vertue in the Root 2. Multiply vertuous actions this is the flower of Vertue 3. Delight in goodness this the fruit of Vertue There be four mother Vertues 1. Faith to conceive them 2. Charity to bring them forth 3. Wisdom to dispose and order them 4. Humility to sustain and uphold them Men are more inclinable to one vertue then to another 1. Because they have the gift of that special vertue 2. Because their complexion inclineth to that vertue 3. Because use exerciseth them in that vertue 4. Because that vertue is not suppressed by his contrary vice Vertues are 1. Intellectual conducing to God 1. Wisdom which ruleth our affections and will 2. Intelligence which guideth cogitations and understandings 3. Knowledg of the Spirit which governeth both the will and understanding 2. Consuetudinal to converse with men as 1. Honesty to order our private actions 2. Liberality to benefit our neighbours Consuetudinal vertues are 1. Moral to inform our manners 2. Oeconomical to dispose our family 3. Political to order Kingdoms and Cities Mans life is guided by seven Vertues By 3 Theological 1. Faith whereby we know God as Verity 2. Hope whereby we trust in God as in Eternity 3. Charity wherby we love God as the only Bonity 4 Cardinal 4. Prudence which rectifieth Reason 5. Fortitude which tempereth Anger 6. Temperance which moderates desire 7. Justice which confirmeth all our powers 1. Faith is either Historical to believe the histories of Scripture Miraculous to believe in Christ for Miracles Diabolical to confess of necessity without Hope Justifying to believe and confess with full Hope 2. Hope is either for Pardon Grace Glory 3. Charity is refered Naturally to our self this is called Love To our Parents this is called Piety To our Neighbours this is called Dilection To our follows which is called Friendship and contains 1. Familiarity 2. Society 3. Benevolence 4. Benignity To our Enemies which is called Exitation Love of Innocency To God which is properly called Charity 4. Prudence 1. Loveth all things by the line of Reason 2. Neither willeth nor doth any thing otherwise then right Prudence must be in the Heart to guide our thoughts and intents Mouth to order our speech Works to grace our actions Prudence may be divided into Intelligence to understand things present Prudence to guess at things to come Remembrance to recal matters past 5. Temperance 1. Brings the appetite under the Rule of Reason 2. Never exceedeth the Laws of Moderation Temperance may be divided into 1. Continency which refrain and restrain pleasures 2. Charity 3. Clemency which appeaseth anger 4. Sobriety which avoydeth excess in Eating Drinking 5. Modesty which escheweth vain-gloriousness in our words

that he were not all things nor above all things as he is and so should not be the true perfection wherefore he is God and yet is not this nor that which the creatures as they aye creatures are able to know name think or utter therefore if God as he is good were this good or that good he should not be all good neither should he be the simple and perfect good which notwithstanding he is Now if God be also light and knowledg it appertaineth to light and knowledg and is proper to it to be bright and to shine to appear and know And because God is light and knowledg it is necessary that he shine be bright and endued with knowledg and all this to shine and know is in God without the creatures because he is not here as an action but an essence and beginning And that it should be done as an action by doing it is necessary that it should be done in the creatures And therefore when this knowledg and light doth work in any creature there it doth know and learn what it self is and so it is good and therefore it is not this or that and further it doth not know this or that but it doth know and learn to know that one true simple perfect good which is neither this nor that but is all good and above all good Now it is here said that he must learn that only good but doth any man learn of himself observe and mark this well even as God is good knowledg and light so is he also will love justice and truth he is also all vertue and yet these are all one essence in God neither can any of these be brought into action or exercise without the creature for in God there is nothing but essence and beginning not any action But when this one which notwithstanding is all these shall gain any creature unto it self and hath power over it and doth so prepare it and fit it that it may know in it what belongeth to it self so far forth I say as that one is will and love and is taught of it self as it is light and knowledg neither willeth any thing but that one which is it self And furthermore here is nothing willed or esteemed but that which is good as it is good and that for no other reason but because it is good and not by reason it is this or that beloved of this man or that man and either pleasant or grievous to this man or that man sweet or bitter and the like and these things are not regarded nor sought either for self or as it self also all selfness and egoity I and to me c. are here left and fall to the ground so that it is not said I love my self or thee or the like and if love were asked what it loveth it would answer I love God and why because it is good and for good therefore it is meet and right that it should be most esteemed and if there were any thing better then God That were and ought to be loved for God Therefore God doth not love himself as himself but as good and if God knew any thing better then God he would love that and not himself so far is God from all egoity and selfness neither hath he any thing to do with it further then is needful in respect of the persons and this both ought to be and in truth is in a divine and truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 otherwise that man were neither divine nor deified CHAP. XXXI That a deified man knows nothing but to love HEnce it cometh that a deified man is indeed indued with pure and unmingled love and is kind and loving to all men and all things and therefore it is necessary that he should love all men and all things and that he should wish well to all men and all things and that he should savor and do them any good without putting any difference Besides whatsoever you do to a deified man whether it be pleasant or troublesome amiable or grievous or whatsoever it is yea I will further say although a man should kill such a one and he should so often return to life he would notwithstanding heartily love that man who had so often slain him and although he had done him so many injuries as you can devise yet he would notwithstanding from his heart wish him well respect him and desire all good to befall him yea and perform all good offices to him so as the other were able to accept and admit them This may be observed and plainly proved in Christ who said unto Judas that betrayed him Friend Wherefore art thou come As if he should say Thou hatest me and art mine enemy whereas I love thee and am thy friend and thou desirest and wishest and dost what evil to me thou either knowest or canst whereas I both desire and wish and will well unto thee and would give and do unto thee willingly all things that be good if thou wert able to take and receive them As if God should say out of his humanity I am the pure and simple good and therefore I neither can will desire wish do or give any thing but good And if I must reward thee for thy wickedness and ungodliness I must do it with good seeing I am nothing else nor have any thing else Hence it is that God in a deified man desires no revenge nor doth will or do any mischief wherewith he is or may be affected this may be seen in Christ who said Father forgive them for they know not what they do This also is proper to God that he compelleth no man to do or omit any thing but suffereth every man according to his own mind to do or leave undone as wel good as evil things Neither will he resist any man this we may see in Christ who would not resist his malefactors And again when Saint Peter would have made resistance he said Peter put up thy sword into thy scabbard for it is neither my custom nor yours who belong to me to resist by force strive or compel Neither yet can a deified man vex or grieve any man which is thus to be understood It never falleth into his will desire or mind to do or leave undone anything to speak or to be silent whereby he might breed pain or grief to any man CHAP. XXXII That the will of man is prone to evil and therefore to be forsaken SOme man will say If he willeth wisheth and doth the best unto every man he ought also to help every man and cause all things to befall him according to his hearts desire For example so as one might obtain to be made Pope another a Bishop c. I answer he that furthereth the will of man helpeth him to the worst things for the more that man followeth his own will and increaseth in the same so much the further he is from God and the true good Now God would willingly

things and because it is deceived it doth think and say that whatsoever is the best sweetest and most fit for it self that indeed is the best of all other things and it doth say that 't is the best of all that every man should seek do and will that which is best for himself it knows none other good but its own and that which is best for it self as it supposeth But if you speak unto it of the true and simple good which is neither this nor that it knows not what it is but only laugheth it to scorn which indeed is fitting to be so for nature as it is nature cannot attain to it Therefore seeing this light is mearly nature it cannot proceed so far This false light doth also say that it hath surmounted both Religion and Conscience and whatsoever it doth is right In so much that a certain false libertine spirit did say standing in this error that although he had slain ten thousand men he would make no more conscience of it then if he had killed a dog Briefly this false and deceived light doth fly all things that are contrary and grievous to nature and this is proper unto it because it is nature and being so deceived as that it supposeth it self to be God it doubted not to swear by all the Saints that it knoweth the thing which is the best and hath his existence in it so that it intenddeth only to extol and seek that which is the best of all Thus it cometh to pass that it never either is amended or taught more then the Devil himself Observe also that this light doth suppose it self to be God and arrogateth the same to it self and herein it is Lucifer the Devil and whereas it doth reject the Life of Christ and many other things belonging to the true good and such as were taught beloved of Christ it is Antichrist seeing it doth teach and live against and contrary to Christ And even as this light is deceived by its own subtilty so likewise are all things deceived by it which are neither God nor Divine that is all men who are not illuminated with the true light and the love thereof for whosoever they are that are illuminated of the true light they are never deceived but whosoever hath it not and yet is so affected as that he will walk with this false light and remain in it he is deceived And this comes to pass because all men that are in the light which is not true are turned into themselves and do esteem themselves and that which is profitable and fit for them to be the chiefest good and if any man will commend and propound that unto them for the chiefest good and will help them to it and teach them how to obtain it him they follow and esteem as their Master Now this false light doth teach all things belonging thereunto and therefore all men follow it who know not the true light so it comes to pass that they are deceived both together It is said of Antichrist that when he cometh all that have not the Seal of God shall follow him those which have it shall not follow him and that is the same light this is true indeed if any man can attain to that which is best for himself viz. that which is best to God ward that is excellent but this is not done so long as man seeketh and loveth that which is best for himself For to the end he may find and obtain that which is best for himself it is necessary that he first lose that whith is best for himself as hath been already said But if a man be willing to forsake and lose that which is best for himself to the end he may find that which is best for himself this again is false therefore there are but few that can come into this way This false light that a man ought to be voyd of Religion and that he is a fool and a block who maketh any account thereof and this it would prove from Christ who was voyd of Religion to the which answer is made that the Devil is voyd also of Religion yet he is no whit the better for being so Understand therefore what Religion is Religion is when it is acknowledged that man is averse or diverted from God by his own will which both is truly named and called sin and that this was mans fault and not Gods for God is free from all fault of sinning who is he therefore that knoweth himself to be guiltless except Christ alone and some few besides Know that whosoever is voyd of Religion is either Christ or the Devil In a word wheresoever the true light is there is also a true and upright life which is acceptable and beloved of God And although it be not the Life of Christ in perfection yet notwithstanding it is rectified and framed to the imitation of him and such a one loveth the Life of Christ and whatsoever properly belongeth to reason order and all vertues In this life I say all selfness I mine c. perisheth Lastly Nothing is in it admired or sought but only good for good and as it is good But where the false light is there is no regard had either of Christ or all vertues but that is sought and beloved which is fitting and pleasing to nature hence proceedeth false and inordinate liberties whereby man becometh secure and negligent in and of every thing For the true light is the seed of God and therefore brings forth the fruit of God The false light is the seed of the Devil and where it is sown there also the fruit of the Devil and the Devil himself increaseth This may be perceived and understood by the words and arguments formerly set down CHAP. XXXIX Who and what a deified man is IT might be demanded who is or what is a deified or a divine man whereunto I answer he who is illuminated and enbeamed with divine light and kindled with the eternal and divine love is a divine and a deified man And of this light we have made some mention heretofore But we must know that light and knowledg is fit for nothing nor is nothing without love which may here be perceived that although a man very well know what vertue or vice is yet except he love vertue he becometh not neither is endued with vertue but leaving vertue he followeth vice But if he embrace vertue then he followeth it and this love causeth himself to become an enemy to vice and in such manner that he cannot only not entertain nor commit sin but also maketh him to hate it in all men yea he doth so far love vertue that he cannot be at rest except he doth exercise or enjoy it as much as he may and that for no other cause but for that he loveth vertue and vertue it self is a reward to him with enjoying of which he rests so well contented as that he will not exchange