Selected quad for the lemma: woman_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
woman_n	child_n	mother_n	nurse_n	1,698	5	11.4284	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51300	Enthusiasmus triumphatus, or, A discourse of the nature, causes, kinds, and cure, of enthusiasme; written by Philophilus Parresiastes, and prefixed to Alazonomastix his observations and reply: whereunto is added a letter of his to a private friend, wherein certain passages in his reply are vindicated, and severall matters relating to enthusiasme more fully cleared.	More, Henry, 1614-1687.; More, Henry, 1614-1687.	1656 (1656)	Wing M2655; ESTC R202933	187,237	340

great severity and conspicuous signes of Mortification the close keeping to the light within and the not offending in the least manner the dictates of our consciences but to walk evenly and sincerely before God and man they intermingling I say these wholesome things with what is so abominable and dangerous viz. the slighting of the history of Christ and making a meer Allegory of it thereby voiding all that wisdome of God that is contained in the mysterie of Christianity as it referres to the very person of Christ this I say cannot proceed from any thing so likely as from the craft and watchfull malice of Lucifer who undoubtedly envies Christ his Throne both in Heaven and in Earth and therefore would bring one of these two mischiefes upon his Church that is either the slurring of the person of our Saviour or else of that without which he can take no complacency in his Church and that is true and reall Sanctity or Holinesse 17. Wherefore this is the perverse Dilemma he thinks he has caught us in That if this Leaven of the Quakers prevail the person of Christ will be outed and the mysterie thereupon depending cancelled and all that advantage to Life and Godlinesse therein comprehended taken away which he will be as able to effect as to pull the Sunne out of the Firmament But though it succeeds not this way yet he at least promises himself that these Instruments of his speaking so loudly for and acting so farre as many can discern so earnestly and seriously according to the stricktest rules of a Christian life and calling upon every one so vehemently to do the like to mortifie the old man with all his lusts and concupiscences and to put on the new man which is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse adding that God will enable us to do all this if we will but cordially set our selves to it and that unlesse we do this all the rest of our Religion profits us nothing which things are most true and precious he hopes I say that this their so lavish profession of these duties will make them be still mo●e coldly entertained by them that otherwise are zealous enough in that other part of Christianity they being thus blemisht and besmeared with the foul fingerings of such execrable persons as they must needs seem to be and indeed are that set so little by him whom God of a truth hath exalted above men and Angels and so like Children they will forsake their meat because some ugly body has touched it as Hucsters aud Victuallers in Turkie let go for nought what ever a slave as he passes by layes his hand on no body after vouchsafing to eat thereof Now in as many as this Stratagem takes effect the end of Christianity is supplanted as Christianity it self was endeavoured to be supplanted before For Christ gave himself that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works as was above rehearsed out of the Apostle 18. But the plot being discovered the mischief may be certainly prevented viz. If besides all that honour we otherwise give Christ we adde a faithfull and constant obedience to his will which will of his is that we become perfect as his Father which is in heaven is perfect And we shall be the better spurred up to mend our pace towards these accomplishments or be more forcibly driven thereunto if we seriously set our selves to enquire into the true causes why God permits such a Mysterie as this to work that tends in very truth to the utter ouerthrow of that warrantable though more externall frame of Christianity that the Scripture it self points out to us and which should be as a rich Cabinet wherein that Jewell the Diuine life is to be found viz. whether it be not that we hypocritically content our selves with this empty Tabernacle though the Presence and power of God abide not therein as it does not unlesse we find our selves purified from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit or at least hold our selves bound in duty with all earnestnesse possible to endeavour thereafter whether this I say be not the cause that God threatens thus unto us the utter overthrow of that Religion under which against the mind of our Law-giver we would shelter our selves with all our hypocrisies and abominations As for those that from this Passage of this aenigmaticall Colosse that my Imagination was transfigured into conceive me to affect divine Visions as you say and extraordinary Revelations and so to be sick of that Disease that I would pretend to cure others of I must confesse I was transported so farre in this place that it is pardonable if they do suspect me of some such distemper they not knowing of what frame of spirit I am But as for my self there is nothing at all in this that happened to me that seemed to me extraordinary and that onely I look upon as divine in it which such men as these in all likelihood would the least of all esteem as such which I think I shall easily make you understand by comparing what has hapned to me in my sleep with this that befell me awake 19. At the beginning of the late commotions here in England I dream'd thus Me thought I was at a friends house in the rode betwixt London and Scotland where having gone out into the outward court in a bright Moon-shine night a little before I returned in again I looked first towards the North where I saw in the heavens a Woman with a child on her lap holding her arm over it with that care and tendernesse that Mothers and Nurses usually do over young Children I afterward turned me toward the South and looking up I beheld the Effigies of a very old Man with a long beard lying on his side all along stretcht parallel to the Horizon This representation was as I easily discerned made of a very bright cloud that had imbibed plentifully the light of the Moon I looking steddily upon him he began to move his right arm but from the elbow onely and that very leasurely raising it but a little height and then let it fall to the same posture it was before He moved it thus so farre as I can remember some six or seven times lifting this part of his arm every bout higher then other and keeping the same distance of time in all but the last stroke was struck by his whole arm from the very shoulder When he had thus done I turned my face returning into the house but before I had reached the door he sent these words after me with an hollow voice much like thunder afarre off There is indeed love amongst you but onely according to the flesh 20. Not at all dismaid neither with the sight nor the voice I passed into the hall and told them what had hapned expounding the generall meaning of my dream in my dream advertising them that the Old man his manner of striking

themselves persons of honour Dukes Princes Kings Popes and what not Much to this purpose may you see in Sennertus and more in Democritus junior 13. That which is most observable and most usefull for the present matter in hand is That notwithstanding there is such an enormous lapse of the fancy aud judgement in some one thing yet the party should be of a sound mind in all other according to his naturall capacities and abilities which all Physicians acknowledge to be true and are ready to make good by innumerable examples Which I conceive to be of great moment more thorowly to consider I do not mean how it may come to passe for that we have already declared but what excellent use it may be of for to prevent that easie and ordinary Sophisme which imposes upon many who if an Enthusiast speak eloquently and it may be rationally and piously you may be sure zealously and fervently enough and with the greatest confidence can be imagined are so credulous that because of this visible dresse of such laudable accomplishments they will believe him even in that which is not onely not probable but vain and foolish nay sometime very mischievous and impious to believe as That the party is immediately and extraordinarily inspired of God that he is a speciall Messenger sent by him the last and best Prophet the holy Ghost come in the flesh and such like stuff as this which has been ever and anon set on foot in all ages by some Enthusiast or other Amongst whom I do not deny but there may be some who for the main practicall light of Christianity might have their judgments as consistent as those Melancholists above named had in the ordinary prudentiall affairs of the world but as for this one particular of being supernaturally inspired of being the last Prophet the last Trumpet the Angel in the midst of Heaven with the eternall Gospel in his hand the holy Ghost incorporated God come to judgement and the like this certainly in them is as true but farre worse dotage then to fancy a mans self either a Cock or Bull when it is plain to the senses of all that he is a Man 14. But it being of so weighty a concernment I shall not satisfie my self in this more generall account of Enthusiasme that it may very well be resolved into that property of Melancholy whereby men become to be delirous in some one point their judgement standing untouched in others For I shall easily further demonstrate that the very nature of Melancholy is such that it may more fairly and plausibly tempt a man into such conceits of inspiration and supernaturall light from God then it can possibly do into those more extravagant conceits of being Glasse Butter a Bird a Beast or any such thing 15. For besides that which is most generall of all that Melancholy enclines a man very strongly and peremptorily to either believe or misbelieve a thing as is plain in that passion of Suspicion and Iealousie which upon little or no occasion will winne so full assent of the mind that it will engage a man to act as vigorously as if he were certain that his jealousies were true it is very well known that this Complexion is the most religious complexion that is and will be as naturally tampering with divine matters though in no better light then that of her own as Apes and Monkies will be imitating the actions and manners of men Neither is there any true spirituall grace from God but this meer naturall constitution according to the severall tempers and workings of it will not onely resemble but sometimes seem to outstrip by reason of the fury and excesse of it and that not onely in Actions but very ordinarily in Eloquence and Expressions as if here alone were to be had that live sense and understanding of all holy things or at least as if there were no other state to be paralleld to it The event of which must be if a very great measure of the true grace of God do's not intervene that such a Melancholist as this must be very highly puffed up and not onely fancy himself inspired but believe himself such a speciall piece of Light and Holinesse that God has sent into the world that he will take upon him to reform or rather annull the very Law and Religion he is born under and make himself not at all inferiour to either Moses or Christ though he have neither any sound Reason nor visible miracle to extort belief 16. But this is still too generall we shall yet more particularly point out the Causes of this Imposture Things that are great or vehement People are subject to suspect they rise from some supernaturall cause insomuch that the wind cannot be more then ordinary high but they are prone to imagine the Devil raised it nor any sore Plague or Disease but God in an extraordinary manner to be the Authour of it So rude Antiquity conceiv'd a kind of Divinity in almost any thing that was extraordinarily great Whence some have worshipped very tall Trees others large Rivers some a great Stone or Rock othersome high and vast mountains whence the Greeks confound great and holy in that one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies both And the Hebrews by the Cedars of God the mountains of God the Spirit of God and the like understand high Cedars great Mountains and a mighty Spirit or Wind. We may adde also what is more familiar how old Women and Nurses use to tell little Children when they ask concerning the Moon ●●●ting at it with their fingers that it is Gods Candle because it is so great a Light in the night All which are arguments or intimations that mans nature is v●●y prone to suspe●t some speciall presence of God in any thing that is great or vehement Whence it is a stro●g temptation with a Melancholist when he feels a storm of devotion or zeal come upon him like a mighty wind his heart being full of affection his head pregnant with clear and sensible representations and his mouth flowing and streaming with fit and powerfull expressions such as would astonish an ordinary Auditorie to hear it is I say a shrewd temptation to him to think that it is the very Spirit of God that then moves supernaturally in him when as all that excesse of zeal and affection and fluencie of words is most palpably to be resolved into the power of Melancholy which is a kind of naturall inebriation And that there is nothing better then nature in it it is evident both from the experience of good and discreet men who have found themselves strangely vary in their zeal devotion and elocution as Melancholy has been more or lesse predominant in them and also from what all may observe in those that have been wicked mad and blasphemous and yet have surpassed in this mistaken gift of prayer as is notorious in Hacket who was so besotted with a conceit of his own