Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	believe_v	faith_n	reason_n	7,057	5	5.8990	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64409	The flaming hart, or, The life of the gloriovs S. Teresa foundresse of the reformation, of the order of the all-immaculate Virgin-Mother, our B. Lady, of Mount Carmel : this history of her life, was written by the Saint herself, in Spanish, and is newly, now, translated into English ...; Vida de Santa Teresa de Jesus. English. 1642	Teresa, of Avila, Saint, 1515-1582.; Matthew, Tobie, Sir, 1577-1655.	1642 (1642)	Wing T753; ESTC R33913	394,344	744

course of naturall things or which surpasse a man 's owne capacitie and his explicit and deciding iudgement at the present time is not only as I was saying a very foolish but euen a childish and ridiculous kind of thing I must heer put you also in minde how particularly it is found in Holie scripture that there are innumerable instances and especially in the Reuelations of the Blessed and Beloued Apostle S. Iohn which are incomparably more repugnant both to reason and euen to Common sense then anie thing which is related heer And as how difficult and strange soeuer those things of holy Scripture be they must yet be as entirely beleiued and that vpon the price of a mans being otherwise an Heretique or a verie Pagan as the Blessed Trinitie it self because in fine the least tittle of Holie Scripture is as fully and entirely to be beleiued as the verie Diuinitie it self of Almightie God since the verie least and lowest point of our Faith depends vpon the self same formall reason and groūd with the highest greatest So also whosoeuer shall not receaue whatsoeuer is deliuered by the Saints and great Seruants of Almightie God concerning such things as passe in their owne Soules through the entercourse and commerce of his Diuine Maiestie cuius deliciae are to be cum filiis hominum vvhose delight consists in visiting and regaling the Soules of his dearest and most deuoted Seruants the same being considered by holie and wise learned Discerners and Tryers and Iudges of Spirit vvhereof there is neuer vvant in God's Church and so the Catholique Christian World growing by degrees to accept thereof in the vvay of giuing a iust admittance a pious Morall credit to vvhat is related that man I say shall be neither pious nor prudēt who reiects it and he shall be an ignorant foole if he deride it Nor is also anie of my Readers to be scandalized a whitt if he chance to heare Saints speake of some materiall and corporeall kindes of things vvhich are represented to them in their Visions as namely Rings or Crownes or Chaines or Mantles or Darts or the like whereof there is some little mention euen in this Booke anie more then he hath cause to be scandalized at the Horses Riders and Trumpets and Seales and Pretious Stones vvherewith the Celestiall Ierusalem vvas paued in the Reuelation of S. Iohn For though I say not that he is necessarily bound in the qualitie of a good Catholique Christian to beleiue the Particulars vvhich are represented in this Booke after anie grosse materiall way vvith the same kind of infallible Supernaturall Faith vvhich he is strictly and precisely obliged to allowe to all things vvhich are contained in Holie Scripture vpon the price as I vvas saying of being otherwise an Heretique or a Pagan yet I presume to say and it seemes to be most true and certaine that vvhen such particular Supernaturall Fauours as aforesayd are vouchsafed by Almightie God to his Saints and are also admitted and embraced by multitudes of the learnedst and vvisest and holiest persons of the vvorld that man vvill be neither holie no nor so much as learned or wise vvho not only shall reiect that vvhich he hath no vvill to approue but deride also that vvhich he hath not vvitt or grace to vnderstand In a vvord the Visions expressed in Holie Scripture must be all beleiued by Diuine Faith in their true sense vvhatsoeuer that falls out to be and not the Visions of Saints vvith that but vvith a farre inferiour kind of Faith till the Holie Catholique Church both haue defined them and propounded them also to be beleiued by her Children Nor yet are yow my Reader whosoeuer you may be to be idly scandalized by any meanes at the Formes vvhereby things are represented sometimes in the Visions and Reuelations of Saints and this vpon another and that a very substantiall reason vvhich followes heer For the important busines in those cases is that our Blessed Lord is pleased to imprint at such and such times vpon the Soules of such and such of his deare Seruants such or such a kind of vertue or Fauour or Strength as himself is pleased to designe for the comfort progresse and perfection of that Seruant of his And so that Seruant consisting both of a Bodie and a Soule his Diuine Maiestie is also gratiously pleased manie times to affect both the Bodie and the Soule togeather vvith a sensible kind of feeling of that grace Those outward demonstrations vvhich speake but as it vvere to the Bodie seruing cheifly but to denote and describe in that sort to the vvhole man the influences and impressions vvhich then are made and powred out into the Soule But now it vvill come fittly in ere long to show you that part of the Epistle Dedicatory or Preface vvhich the Famous Dominican Father Doctour Father Levvis de Leon thought fitt to write both in honour of S. Teresa herselfe of those Primitiue Daughters also of hers who were first Founded at Madrid For thereby you will easily discerne what a Race that Glorious Saint had runne eauen like some Gyantesse in the way of our B. Lord as also how close those Children followed their holy Mother Of which Mother I shall not heer haue roome to reflect though I should but touch goe vnless vvithall I vvould make this Preface as long as the very Life it selfe And therefore you must giue mee leaue to adiourne you for more ample satisfaction of this expectation to those dropps vvhich I may perhaps both be able and vvilling to deriue and draw out of that Sea of her Perfections if I shall finish another small Discourse and Description of the Saint vvhich I intend to make and place as by vvay of Preface both to certaine Exclamations or loude Aspirations whereby that enamoured Soule of hers found meanes to vent it selfe to Almighty God as also to two short Relations which she made for her Ghostly Father in vvriting concerning the Degrees by vvhich she passed on in the exercise of vertue and in the vse also of Prayer that so the said Ghostly Father might be the abler to direct instruct her In the meane time I shall only say in very few vvords by vvay as it vvere of Antepast till the Feast come in That she vvas Of very antient noble Birth Of choyce Breeding Of a gratious louely person Of an humour highly acceptable and agreable to the vvhole vvorld vvhich knew her Of a melting and bleeding Nature Of most Loyall true tender Freindship Of a sweet charming way in conseruation Of great significancy and elegancy of speech in her expression though naturall and round and vvithout affectation in particular her Talent vvas rare in abounding vvith the choycest Comparisons which can be found Her felicity vvas also great in negotiation for she vvas owner of a solid vvitt a steddy sound iudgement and deep vvisdome She had a hart as open as day

be able to suffer the difficulties and troubles of a Religious life because formerly I had been vsed so delicately and vvas so nice But yet against this also I defended my self as vvell as I could by the afflictions vvhich Christ our Lord endured for me and that so it vvould not be much for me to endure some for him I ought also to haue considered that he would giue me help to beare them Yet I remember not whether I had this last consideration or no but I am sure I had temptations enow about that time I then also grew to haue great fitts of fainting by a burning Feauer into wich I fell for I alwaies had little health But it gaue mee euen my life at that time that already I was growne to loue good Bookes and so I came to reade the Epistles of S. Ierome which holpe me to such hart and courage as to make me resolue that I would impart my purpose to my Father which in effect was euen as much for me as to take the verie Habit vpon mee For I was euer so affected to maintaine the point of Honour that mee thinkes I could neuer haue turned back againe vpon any tearmes when I had first engaged my selfe by speaking any one word to the contrary But he loued me to so strange a proportion that by no meanes I could winne his consent nor was the intercession of such persons as I procured to moue him in order to my end of anie power at all to preuaile The most that I could get at his hands was that when he should be dead I might doe what I listed with my self But as for me I was in doubt of mine owne great weaknes as fearing that I might loose ground and fall back againe And so I thought it was not fitt for me to content my self with the offer which he made and I procured therefore to obtaine my end by another meanes which I will now declare THE FOVRTH CHAPTER VVherein she relates hovv our Lord assisted her to force herself to take the Habit of Religion And of the manie infirmities vvhich he began to bring vpon her IN these dayes whilst I was walking on with my hart in such determinations or strong purposes as I haue heer described I perswaded one of my Brothers to become a Religious man discoursing to him vpon the vanitie of the world and so we both of vs agreed to goe very early together one morning to the Monasterie where that friend of mine remained who was she to whome I carried so great affection though yet in this last firme purpose of mine I was growne to be of such resolution that I vvould liue vvhereseuer I thought I might serue God best or my Father should desire most that I might be for now I sought more earnestly for the good of my soule and made no account at all of rest or ease And I remember to the verie vttermost of what I am able to call to minde and according to the verie rigour of truth that whilst I was going out of my Father's house I belieue not that the sharpnes of sense will be able to be greater euen in the verie instant or agonie of my death then it was then For it seemed to me as if euerie bone which I had in my bodie had been disioynted from all the rest And there being no such loue of God in me at that time as vvas able to quench that loue vvhich my hart carried to my Father and Friends all that vvhich then I did vvas vvith so mighty a violence that if God had not giuen me great help mine owne consideration would neuer haue beē able to carry me on but heer he allowed me such courage euen against myself that I had power to put my purpose in execution At the instant of my taking the Habit our Lord gaue me vvell to vnderstand hovv highly he fauours them vvho offer themselues violence for the doing him anie seruice though yet no bodie had found by me but that I entred into the vvay of Religious Obseruance vvith much facility and good liking But at that verie instant I tooke so great cōtentment to put my self into that manner of life as hath neuer failed me once till this verie hower And God changed that drynes vvherein my soule had formerly been into an extreame tendernes and all the obseruances of Religion gaue me great delight yea and it is a most certaine truth that vvhilst I vvas sometimes going vp and downe to sweepe the house at such howers as before I had been vvont to employ vpon the gallanterie and regalo of my person and vvent considering that now I vvas free from that subiection it gaue me a particular ioy and that so very great that it amazed me nor vvas it in my power to vnderstand from vvhence the same should come VVhen I remembred and cōsidered this there could be nothing how grieuous soeuer vpon vvhich if it vvere sett before me I should not haue ventured to attempt For I haue already good experience of things enow to assure me that since God did help me in the beginning to resolue to doe such things as these vvhich being only donne for the loue of God he ordaines for our greater merit afterward that our soules should be in some trouble and terrour at the first and the greater that trouble is the greater and the more sauourie also vvill the reward therof fall out to be if vve goe through vvith the busines his Maiestie vvil also be pleased to recompense them highly vvel euen in this life by such vvayes as he only vvho enioyes them can vnderstand This I say I haue found true by experience in manie particulars of great moment And therefore if I vvere a person vvho might be vvished to giue my opinion I vvould neuer aduise anie Creature that vvhen anie good inspiration did often moue and set vpon a soule it should giue it ouer for feare of not performing the vvorke For if one goe on meerly and purely for the onlie loue of our Lord there must be no feare at all of good successe since the same Lord is powerfull enough to preuaile in all things And let him be euer blessed Amen These fauours vvhich thou hadst hitherto bestowed vpō me out of thine owne meer goodnes and greatnes might vvell haue been sufficient O thou my Soueraigne Good and repose of my soule to draw me towards thee by so manie vvindings and turnings to so safe a vvay of life and to a House vvhere there are so manie seruants of thine of vvhome I might learne to grow vp in pleasing thee But heer I know not how I can passe on to thinke of anie thing els vvhen I consider the manner of my Profession and the great resolution and gust vvherewith I made it and the Espousalls vvhich I perfected vvith thee For I cannot speake of this vvithout teares which were to be euen of bloud and not vvithout the breaking of my verie hart vvhich

will of our Blessed Lord and for his glorie Now really and with effect all these things are wont to passe in this manner if the Rapts be true and the Soule is vested with those aduantages and benefits which are related and if these doe not follow I should be apt to doubt very much that they were not Rapts on the part of God but should rather be inclined to feare that they were of that kind of Rauings whereof S. Vincent speakes At least this is what I vnderstand and I haue seen by experience it self that the Soule is wont in these cases to become a Ladie and Queen ouer all Creatures and to acquire so much Libertie of Spirit in lesse then an hower that she cannot euen know her self but yet she well vnderstands that all this is none of her owne nor doth she know how she could come to obtaine so great a blessing but yet still she vnderstands withall the extreame great benefit and aduantage which euerie one of these Rapts bring vpon her There is no Creature who can credit all this but such an one as hath learnt it by experience and therefore men beleiue not the poore Soule which they haue seen to be wicked and now find so very soone to pretend to doe certaine things of so high importance for instantly she resolues not to be content to serue our Lord in small matters but in the very greatest she can Now the world is apt to conceaue that such endeauours are but impertinencies and temptations and yet if men would but vnderstand and consider that they are not things which grow from themselues but from our Blessed Lord to whome they had already deliuered-vp the keyes of their Will they would not so much wonder at it For my part I am of opinion that a Soule which comes once to this state doth already neither doe nor euen say anie thing of her self but that this Soueraigne King hath care of all that which is to occurr O my deare God! and how clearly doth a Soule see heer the sense and signification of that Verse and how it is to be vnderstood that both he had reason and that all the world should also haue it to desire the vvings of a Doue For it is easily and clearly to be vnderstood of that Flight which the Spirit makes whereby to raise it self aboue all Creatures and in the first place from and aboue her self But this is a sweet Flight a gustfull and pleasant Flight and a Flight without noise What kinde of dominion doth such a Soule possesse which our Lord doth once conduct to this pitch that she may be able to looke downe vpon all things without being once intangled by anie of them and how full of confusion will she be for that time wherein she was intangled before And how much will she be amazed to looke-back vpon that blindnes of hers How full will she be of compassion for such as doe yet remaine therin especially if they be persons of Prayer and such as it pleases God to regale She will heer be glad to cry out very lowd that so she may make men vnderstand how mightily they are abused and deceiued yea and so she also doth sometimes And then men are apt to rayne downe euen whole showers of persecutions vpon her head and they treat her as one who wants Humilitie and who employes her self to teach those persons of whome she might doe well to learne and especially if she be a woeman for then come they in to condemne her yea and perhaps they may haue reason because they know not by what impulse she is moued But yet as she knowes not how to helpe her self on the one side so also can she not forbeare on the other to vnbeguile those persons whome she loues whome she desires to see vnfettered from the Prison of this life for that state wherein she was neither seemes lesse nor is lesse then a Prison She is also much afflicted and tired out with the thought of that time wherein she tooke anie care of points of Honour and for the grosse false errour wherein she was to haue beleiued that to be Honour which the world calls Honour for she sees that it was an abominable lye and yet that euer ie bodie liues in practise of that false Doctrine But now this Soule vnderstands and knowes That right Honour is not false but true esteeming that to be worth somewhat which indeed is so and holding that which indeed is nothing in no account at all since all is nothing and lesse then nothing which once comes to haue an end and in the meane time doth not please Almightie God She despises also and laughes at her self for the time wherein she made anie account of Monie and of the couetous desires thereof though yet in this particular I doe not beleiue and certainly it is very true that I euer had anie fault to confesse but it will haue been fault enough to haue held them in anie manner of account If with them I had been able to buy these blessings which now I find in my self I might haue esteemed them very much But now the Soule perceaues that this blessing is gotten best by leauing all things But what in fine is that which can be bought with this Monie which we so much desire Is it anie thing of true worth Is it anie thing which is durable Or to what end doe we desire it A miserable kind of supply and repose doe we procure by that which costs vs so deare for we often goe with it to Hell and we buy no other thing by meanes therof then endlesse torment in euerlasting fire O that all men would at length resolue to hold it but for earth which is good for nothing How orderly would the world then proceed How free would all places be from vniust contracts how sincerely would all men performe acts of freindship if once there raigned no interest either of Honour or monie in the mindes of men For my part I conceiue that the world would be reduced to good order This Soule sees also then that there is a great blindnes in the conceipt which men frame about the delights of this world and how we buy nothing by their meanes euen for this very life which we leade heer but affliction and disquiet How great disquiet and how little contentment and in fine what a deale of labouring in vaine And heer is the Soule able to discerne not only grosse Cobwebs and great faults but euen anie poore graine of dust how little soeuer it may be and so how much soeuer she may haue laboured to perfect her self if once the Sunne shine bright and if the same Sunne strike it through with those beames in good earnest she will find it to be dustie enough It is like a Glasse full of water which you will hold to be very cleare and pure vnlesse the Sunne shine vpon it but if you see it once falne vpon