Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A00381
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A lytle treatise of the maner and forme of confession, made by the most excellent and famous clerke, M. Eras. of Roterdame; Exomologesis. English
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Erasmus, Desiderius, d. 1536.
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1535
(1535)
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STC 10498; ESTC S109931
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61,733
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228
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Contrary wyse agayne there are certeyn synnes of that kynde and sorte that the very iudgement of nature dothe abhorre them that he whiche hath coÌ„mitted them dothe condempne and hate his owne selfe as for exaÌ„ple kyllynge of father or mother babeslaughter wonderous abhomynable kyndes of lechery suche as are not to be named coÌ„men theftes robberies whiche are done without any maner sleyght or crafte poysonynge collusion with wicked spirites blasphemy agaiÌ„st god and suche other lyke to these The greuous enormitie of these sayde offences and crymes doth otherwhyles brynge a man in to desperation whiche is the most greuous and sorest offeÌ„ce that may be of all other DesperatioÌ„ is the most greuous offence of all other For that man semeth lesse to offende god whiche is made negligent and careles thrugh ouermoche boldnes and trust vpoÌ„ his goodnes than he whiche despayrynge of forgyuenes of his synnes dothe denye god to be good and mercyfull whan he is euyn very mercy it selfe and dothe denye hym also to be true of his promesse whan he hath promysed without any exception to forgyue the synner that is penitent and sory which promesse doubtles he wyll fulâ—yl and performe yf he be true And finally denyeth hym to be omnipotent almyghty as thoughe there were some offence or synne of man whiche he were not able to remedy and heale Here therfore in this case the preeste shall leaue nothyng vnspoken wherby he may conforte and reyre vp the ê‘sone beinge thus out of conforte and despayrynge of hym selfe vnto hope of forgyuenes also wherby he may after that he hath brought him to that poynt so confirme and establyshe hym that he do not fall downe agayn in to the same The fourth vâ—ilite ANd ther are some ê‘sones also whose myndes ar so weyke and feble that they dare not hope nor ê“myse vnto them selues forgyuenes no not euyn of small and lyghte offences nor can haue their coÌ„science at quiete rest excepte by the preest suche solempne coÌ„men accustomed ceremonies be enioyned them to the whiche absolucion is gyuen Nowe do I suppose and wene it to be a poynt of christen humanite to beare apply our selues vnto the infirmite and weykenes euyn of suche maner persones vntyll they growe vp vnto the firmite of more stronge mynde wherunto it shall be mete conuenient often tymes amonge to styrre and exhort them I haue knowen certeyn ê‘sons whiche coulde not ê‘swade vnto them selues that they were assoyled from theyr synnes except the preeste dyd witnesse and recorde the same by his owne haÌ„de wrytynge Besydes this very many men do scrupulously carefully coÌ„fesse them selues euyn of those thynges whiche amonge venial synnes are of least weyghte yea and somtyme euyn of those thynges whiche are very tryfles as of pollutions in the nyght tyme whiche chaunce to come thrugh no vicious occasion but onely of naturall disposition of the body neither hath any coÌ„sent folowed or delectation in the same Of which thing IohnÌ„ Gerson hath wryten so diligently yea and so specially that he hath caused many mens consciences by reason therof to be very scrupulous Scrupulosite in sayinge of seruice and prayers In lykewise there are some men which in saying of theyr orisons and prayers do neuer satisfie theyr owne myndes they are greatly troubled euin with very small tryfles And often tymes it happeneth that to this weykenes is ioyned also peruersite a froward wyll and mynde They are onely carefull and do take thought whether they do playnly and distinctly pronounce and sounde out the letters and syllables but whether they do vnderstaÌ„de what they rede or whether they do worshyp and be styrred with the wordes of god whiche they do sounde with theyr mouthe they are excedyngly careles and hereof do take no kepe at all Semblablye they do so shryue them selues of sodeyn and fleing thoughtes whiche do but as it were only touche lightly skym ouer the ouermost or vttermoste part and skyn of the mynde and not synke or tary in it I say they do so coÌ„fesse these thoughtes as yf they had certeynly or stedfastly ben determined and purposed vpon that thynge whiche came in to their mynde or had also fulfylled it in very dede whaÌ„ other whyles suche thoughtes are of thinges euyn abhominable to be spoken of as whan there happeneth to come in to a mans mynde a certeyne doubtfulnes of the verite and truthe of the scriptures of the articles of the faythe or els a thought of incest or of monstruous formes or facyoÌ„s of fulfyllynge of fleshely luste or pleasure To confesse these thynges rehersed scrupulously and ê‘ticularly it dothe bothe charge and ouerlade the hearer with thiÌ„ges superfluous and nothynge neâ—efull and also dothe trouble the mynde of hym that is confessed with feare dreade vnprofitably They say it is a signe and token of a good mynde there to feare synne where no synne is Admit that it be a signe of a good myÌ„de yet certeynely it is no token of a a ê‘fecte mynde And albeit suche a thyng in yonge boyes or wenches do betokeÌ„ a nature or disposition mete to the lerning of vertue and good lyfe yet the same thynge in men is vnmete and vnprofitable yea pernicious also hurtful for that yâ— supersticious and superfluous fleinge eschewynge of one viceâ— dothe brynge a man in to another more greuous more weyghtie whiche thyng we do se brought to passe in many men by the subtilte and crafte of the deuyll This peruersite and lerned mynde is to be rebuked and simple and vnlerned inâ—irmite is to be instructed and taughte It is a poynte of christian vertue and godlynes to be sory for suche maner infirmities and fraylte of mannes nature and to withstaÌ„de them asmoche as a man maye and to laboure towardes more perfecte thiÌ„ges A man that is verely vertuous and godly wyssheth desyreth the perfecte integrite and cleÌ„nes of his bodye whiche he hopeth to haue in the generall resurrection and therfore he is sory that his vessel is polluted and deâ—iled with vnclene dreames but it foloweth not Not euery thyng yâ— greueth a good vertuous man is syn bicause it greueth hym and he is sory for it that it is therfore strayghtways synne For so a good vertuous man is greued also and sory that with huÌ„gre with thurst with slepinges with faintnes or werynes of the body he is fayne to breke vp the continuall feruour of prayer he is sory for the rebellious motioÌ„s of the membres agayÌ„st the mynd he soroweth that the fleshe doth lust agaynst the spirite But these thynges are so farof from being synnes that they be rather mater occasion of vertue yf a man do stryue agaynst them to the vtter most of his power whiche selfe same thyng I do iudge for to be done to wardes them whiche of lyke infirmite do often tymes repete reherse agayn the coÌ„fession of one the same offences both