Selected quad for the lemma: evil_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
evil_n	darkness_n	good_a	sweet_a	3,257	5	8.2420	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19332	A warning for worldlings, or, A comfort to the godly, and a terror to the wicked set forth dialogue wise, betweene a scholler and a trauailer / by Ieremie Corderoy, student in Oxford.	Corderoy, Jeremy, b. 1562 or 3.	1608 (1608)	STC 5757; ESTC S123358	95,926	364

manifest vnto you giue mee leaue to prooue first that God is not the author of euils secōdly to shew whence they spring For the first point that God is not the Author of these euils God who is goodnesse it selfe whose propertie is to communicate his goodnesse to others made the whole world that his creatures might participate of his goodnesse Vnto the perfection whereof it was behoouefull that there should be diuers degrées of different natures He hath made foure degrées of things the are in the world The lowest degrée whereof hath only his being without life without sence or motion without reason and of this kinde are the foure Elements Fire Aire Water and the Earth Of the second degrée ●re those things which beside their being haue life as trées flowers of the field which somtimes grow and increase sometimes die A third kind are they which besides their being and life haue also sence motion able to moue from place to place as beasts foules fish The fourth and highest degrée haue besids these things before mentioned reason and wisdome and in this degrée of creatures are onelye men Angels In these foure degrées are comprehended al the creatures that God hath made and all these were created good Now euils haue no place among the things created neither can it because it hath no essence or being in it selfe but is a defect of that good which should be in things created by the default of the creature and not of the Creator As blindnesse is a defect of the eyes sicknesse an indisposition and disproportion of the foure Elements with their qualities with should be in the body whereby the members of the body are not able fréely to execute their functions Yet because euils serue for the greater commendations of those things that are good and things good do more apparantly shew their goodnes by comparing them with euils as sicknesse once tryed maketh health to be more gratefull vnto vs meates are then most swéete vnto vs when wée haue béene long hungrie the light more pleasant vnto vs better welcome after much darkenes heauie and gloomie weather Therefore although God doth not cause them yet he hindreth them not but suffereth them to haue a kinde of dependancie on his creatures for the greater good of the vniuersall yet thus far he hindreth euils to be that they breake not out but when and where he list else would the malice of the Diuell and wicked men quicklie bring all things to naught hée gouerneth and guideth them for his owne glory and good of his owne elect for he would no way suffer them to be except he vsed them to good purpose for the punishment of the wicked to shew his iustice and for the furtherance and behalfe of his elect This being shewen the God is not the author of them and that they haue no béeing amongst all the workes of God but are blemishes and defects of things created it now followeth to shewe you the first originall cause from whence they came which was the frée will of man wilfully disobeying his creator who had this excellēt gift bestowed on him that hée had an ability frée wil power either to obey his maker or if he would disobey him in obeying his maker consisted his felicitie in disobeying his misery and woe All the sinnes in the world which only can properly be called euill excepting the disobedience of the Diuell procéede from the frée will of man There is no cruelty no adultery oppression hatred malice or in a word no sinne but procéedeth from the frée wil of man But you say why doth God suffer cruelty oppression and wrong as that heroicall Brutus or sincere Cato should bee continually oppugned all their life long And why doth God suffer Dionisius and Harpalus and such mōsters to liue so prosperouslie To the first I answere that if God should haue suffered no oppressor of his common wealth to haue liued in Brutus his time how should Brutus haue shewed his vertues in withstanding Tyrāts if there had liued no wicked and lewd person in Catoes time Cato could not haue bin so vertuous Who so wil take away al wickednesse by consequent taketh away vertue for vertue consisteth in rooting out vice where there is no wrong done there can be no patience shewed where there is no resistance there can be no victory and where there is no victory no crowne Againe God suffereth wicked Dionisius Harpalus and such like to liue here on earth happily that in the day of iudgement they might bée without excuse Rom. 1.18 Psal 17.14 and this is their portion of ioyes which euer they shall haue so that we néede not enuie their short felicitie considering the euerlasting paines they are to endure And albeit such be their monstrous behahauiour that they deserue not the happinesse of one day yet such is the excéeding goodnes of God that he will haue euen the worst of his creatures to haue a taste of his goodnesse euen Sathan and all the wicked spirits of hell had a taste of Gods goodnesse before they fell from the good estate wherein God created them There is no wicked man so absolutely bad but that at some time or other hath at the least some shew or shadowe of some vertue or other now such is the loue of God vnto vertues that he will blesse with temporall blessings euen the shadowes of vertue Againe he suffereth such wicked monsters to liue for the good of his elect that they séeing the deformitie of vice in thē might be moued the more seriouslie to detestation of vice and to a more ardent loue of vertue Furthermore he suffereth such wicked creatures to liue for the exercise of the good to manifest their hearts whether they will oppose thēselues against vice or be drawne away vnto vngodlines by their entisements Lastly he suffereth such monsters to liue to manifest the hearts of his elect For to trie their hearts whether they loue him sincerely or no. For a true natural sonne cannot sée his father dishonoured but hee will be moued at it and oppose him selfe against those that dishonour him and no true elect of God can endure to sée God dishonoured by wicked men but he will bend himselfe against them The Lord himselfe saith that he will send false Prophets amongst you to trie your hearts Deut. 13.3 whether ye loue him or no. Whether wee will sticke vnto his word or be carried away by the false perswasion of wicked seducers or lewd liuers To this end God stirred vp many enemies against the childrē of Israell euen to trie their hearts whether they would trust in the helpe of God or seeke indirect meanes to bring thēselues out of troubles Deut. 15.11 To this end God who could haue made that no man should haue néeded the help of other men sendeth the poore amongst vs commanding vs to relieue thē to trie our harts whether we more regard our wealth then his commandement