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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	flesh_n	soul_n	word_n	5,587	5	4.4264	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61733	The life and gests of S. Thomas Cantilupe, Bishop of Hereford, and some time before L. Chancellor of England extracted out of the authentique records of his canonization as to the maine part, anonymus, Matt. Paris, Capgrave, Harpsfeld, and others / collected by R.S., S.I.	Strange, Richard, 1611-1682.	1674 (1674)	Wing S5810; ESTC R14349	107,722	368

the good wheat and spoyle the haruest To recommend this vertue rhe high Priest in the old law carryd an Amythist enchac'd in his Rationall as a symbol of watchfullnes the nature of that precious stone disposing much therto and nature inculcates the necessity of it both by the lions sleeping with open eyes and the crane with a stone in her talon not to ouer sleep themselues as the foolish virgins did but be ready for the least alarme which lesson is taught vs by the spouse and may serue for a Motto to all Ego dormio cormeum Cant. 5. 2. vigilat Vpon the same score he considerd himselfe not onely as the Master of a great family which he was to feed with the bread of the word of God and keep in good order as beseemd the House of God but also which touchd him neerer to the hart a Common farher of so many children whome as such he was to embrace with the armes of a fatherly charity and tender theyr Spirituall wellfare as much as any parent for each one wheroff he was to be accountable to him who entrusted them in his hands This made him putt on the bowells of Colos 3. 12. mercy benignity humility modesty patience and beare with the faults and frailtyes of others becoming all to all that he might winn all to Christ This humble condescendence gaue him a powerfull ascendant vpon the harts of the good to incline them much towards vertue and piety and gaind him so much esteem in theyr affections that his words were tanquam potestatem Matt. 7. habentis as of one that spoke with an awefull autority Yett he lou'd them as his Children and was so belou'd by them and feard accordingly for that feare is best and most effectuall to good which is grounded on and arises from loue when it is otherwise it is not so much filiall as seruile that is propper to seruants rather then children This Retyrement as it sequesterd his hart and thoughts from the world and its affayres so it gaue him a fayrer prospect of vertue and its anduantages to Christian perfection and the necessity therof towards the due ordering both of body and soule To haue all well there must be a right vnderstanding and subordination betwixt these two the soule must be Mistress and good reason why the body handmayd and subseruient Reason must command sense obey this will not be done but by a true subjection of the inferiour man to the Superiour nor that but by frequent pennance and mortification interiour and exteriour both in macerating the flesh and subduing our passions and appetites To effect this the seruants of God make warr vpon them 1 Cor. 9. 17. selues by chastizing theyr bodyes least while they preach to others themselues become reprobate and to this purpose embrace the hardshipps of fasting watching hayr cloath and the like to further and compleat the conquest of themselues And this was the practise of our H. Saint as the Recorders of his life and gests doe testify and had also bin through his former age wearing a rough hayr cloath next his body for many yeares togeather pennancing his innocent flesh with frequent fasts and watchings But now he frequented all these in so much greater perfection as he conceiu'd the need he had of theyr present support to be more pressing though not to suppress any rebellious mutinyes yett to obtaine greater supplyes of grace Yea euen in the houre of his death and amidst the incumbrances of a long and tedious iourny he was found shrowded in one of these as in a coat of male against the stings of death as if he intended according to the Prouerbe „ clavum clauo pellere to driue out one nayle with another or make a cordiall for his sicknes of that which seemd as ill as the sicknes it selfe But Saints esteem those cordialls which we doe Corrosiues And his feruour in this kind was such that by these and other the like austerityes he incurrd great infirmityes of body and was much pesterd with most sharp fitts of the cholique and paynes of the Stomack which with other sicknesses gaue him a full exercise of his patience for many yeares with no small increase of meritt But the vigour of his mind Masterd all these which seru'd onely to render his body or inferiour part more pliant and supple in a due subjection wher by his Soule perfect Mistress of the family yealded a rationall obsequiousnes to God its Creatour by dilating it selfe in prayer and meditating the diuine perfections with the repose of so much deuotion and sweetnes that he seemd to be there as in his Center And it is recorded of him peculiarly that his exteriour Capgraue Composure and recollection in the same was such that the very sight of him was sufficient to stirr vpp both fayth and feruour in the beholders as also that in celebrating the H. Sacrifice of Masse his hart and eyes were so dissolu'd into teares as if he had actually beheld the bloody Mystery of the Cross represented to them so liuely was his fayth so ardent his deuotion He carry'd a great loue to this exercise of prayer and deseruedly for by it all spirituall enterprizes are atchieu'd that being the Source from whence we deriue both light to discouer and strength to act and courage to attaque and perseuerance to Crowne our vndertakings By this a soule conuerseth with God and he with it Conuersation we know breeds familiarity and this friendship or vnion of harts and when one is arriu'd to that „ amicorum omnia Communia what needs he more by way of supply then the store-house of God himselfe Vnion is the result of loue that making the louer and beloued one and loue consists in a matuall Communication of goods and talents if we giue we need not doubt but we shall receiue his very essence being goodnes and bounty All these are the effects of Prayer and chiefly this vnion which who soeuer has attaynd what wants he of perfection Perfection consist's in charity which is consummated in vnity for then euery thing is deemd perfect when it attaynes its end and unites it selfe to that which is its vltimate Consummation the Consummation of a rationall Creature is God and God is in vs and wee in him by charity Being thus vnited to God by charity or as S. Bernard calls it marry'd to his Word Charitas maritat animam Verbo the sequele is that as two Spouses are two in one flesh by Corporall Espousalls so God and a soule become two in one Spiritt by a spirituall and all the consequences aduantages participations of honours riches ennoblement allyance c. which are Communicated by the other are after a much more diuine manner participated by this What wonder then if our B. Saint endeauourd so earnestly an vnion with God and took prayer so much to hart as the begetter of this vnion To maintaine and highten the same was all his

all the day and place of his inauguration was pitchd on The day was to be the 8. of Sept. sacred to the Natiuity of the Virgin Mother of God nor could any other haue fallen more suitable to his desyres and the deuotion he had for that glorious Queen whose Natiuity as it brought a deluge of ioy and happynes to all mankind so he might hope it would betyde no ill presage to him who was now to be borne as it were a new man and most willingly did he come into this new world under her patronage vnder which he was to liue and dye as all they doe who liue and dye happily When he had resolu'd who was to consecrate him it was easy to conclude on the place of Confecration the former resolue was easily made according to his owne inclination for connaturally speaking on whome would he sooner pitch then on him to whome he was most beholding after God for what he had both in literature and piety who as he had honourd him in his commencement of Doctour of Diuinity so also Crowne and compleat all with the Character of Episcopacy This was Robert Kilwarby whome we mentiond in the precedent Chapter installd now Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and Primate of England who though so great shewd an humble readynes to comply with the desyres of his friend in order to a consecration what soeuer they were or wher soeuer to be performd sealing vpp as it were with this concluding act for shortly after he was calld to Rome all his former endeauors for the Saints aduance in spiritt and piety specifyd in the 4. Chapter onely it is to be noted in a word that the Consecration was made in Christ church Canterbury in the yeare 1275. and of his age about 56. In testimony of the common content receiu'd by this Election and the happynes as well as honour accrewing thence to his See of Hereford it was agreed by all concernd both Chapter and succssours and for an attestation of the generall Sentiment that thence forward all the Bishops of Hereford should giue his coat of Armes as the coat of theyr See to witt G. 3. leopards heads jeasant 3. flouwer de luces Or. So true it is that honour like a shadow followes those that fly it and that no pursuit besydes contempt is the ready way to its purchase XII CHAPTER His Retyrement and Union with God THis new Character made him a new man nor did he look on himselfe with the same eyes as before not puffd vpp like many with the fumes of a swelling exaltation but purely on the score of his new Character beholding himselfe as one consignd ouer therby to the seruice of God They are worse then purblind who look onely on a man as a meer man and make no distinction at all of states and callings being able to penetrate no further then the exteriour lineaments nor distinguish in theyr leuelling humour betwixt a man and a Priest one with a crosyer and a Sword Euen such themselues when qualifyd and raysd to honours look on themselues as some body and will not bate an ace of State why should not the same be done when raysd to a state of Sanctity Bishops are in a state of perfection and sett vpp as lights in the candlestick of the church to shine to others you are sayd Christ of them the light of the Mat. 5. 14. world nothing not squaring with perfection is expected from them This consideration makes them reflect on theyr duty attend to your selues and your whole flock and so did it our Act. 20. 28. B. Saint giuing him subject enough to busy his thoughts on in order to a due discharge of his trust Which the better to performe he recalls all his thoughts home and as he had now contracted a new Espousalle so he wedded all his endeauours to its interest A sheapard till he haue a flock of his owne may diuert himselfe more freely among his neighbours and spend some houres in visiting theyrs but when he himselfe is once Master of one he attends onely to that and may say as did the man in the Ghospell on another occasion uxorem duxi I●c 14. 20. ideo non possum c. When God calls one to a state he furnishes him with thoughts desyres affections sutable therto he giues him light to consider it to ponder its weightynes to see for what he must be answerable when „ redde rationem villicationis Luc. 16. 2. tuae „ calls vpon him All these employ his mind sufficiently and make him retyre with in himselfe and consequently with draw from less necessary exteriour affayres He neuer was in loue with the world nor taken with its fooleryes and therfore easily retyrd from it as from what he little car'd for he was long agoe like one glutted and surfeyting with its dilights euen the choysest of the court and saw too clearly its vanityes to be deluded by them The more he retyrd into himselfe the more he lou'd Retyrement its sweetnes being not knowne but by tasting it and one truth he discouerd therby that a gadding Spiritt wil neuer make a Saint nor wandering thoughts which goe all day on wool-gathering bring home much sanctity He found all in God and contented himselfe with him alone as well he might who to a holy Soule is all in all and it is in solitude that he speaks to such a hart where the choyser sort of vertues dwell not vpon Roads or marketplaces as Lions and Eagles and such generous Creatures are not found in common woods and fields but solitary Wildernesses where they may rule and enioy themselues vncontroulld by the vulgar of inferiour Creatures Heer vpon a great change was obserud in him and his conuersation he was and was esteemd a Saint before but now more noys'dly he had long agoe the world in contempt now in hatred What lay not a little heauy on his hart and was as I may say the burden of his thoughts was his new charge or the sollicitude of its good discharge To comply duly with this was all his care and to doe it well a great supply he knew of vertues was requisite and those chiefly which attend such a function Those he conceiu'd to be in the first place and aboue others Vigilancy he being now a Sheapard that was to keep watch and stand Sentinell ouer his Flock a vertue so propper to one thus entrusted that on it the whole wellfare and safety of the same Flock seems in a manner to depend as to its preseruation and integrity both for the preuenting of mischiefes and giuing redress when incurrd A vigilant Pastour withstands the incursions of wolues and other beasts of prey not onely when they appeare in theyr propper shape but also disguisd in the dress of sheep nor is it his duty onely to preuent and repell euill but also to implant good It happend when men were a sleep that the enemy man found opportunity to sow tares vpon

is mortifyd and the mortifyd humble humility by self contempt making way for mortification and mortification aduancing humility No man that is a self louer will sett vpon mortification vnles it be to destroy selfe loue and who aymes at that besydes the humble selfe denyer The aduantages of this vertue in order to sanctity as it makes one truly master of himselfe and all his passions appetites inclinations c. are very great for it is this vnruly and mutinous populace which giues vs all our disturbances and conflicts betwixt the spiritt and the flesh while these seruants will needs be masters and domineer ouer and against reason putting all into a combustion The Royall Prophett Psal 31. 9. bids vs bind fast theyr cheeks in bridle and bitt and this bitt or curb is mortification they must eyther be hamperd thus or there is no ruling them They are like fire and water good seruants but ill masters giue them an inch and they 'l take an ell but keep them short close to theyr task with in theyr bounds and they 'l doe you good seruice Our B. Saint in his light and experience found all this true and therfore resolu'd to keep a strict hand and watchfull eye ouer them and all theyr motions ready to suppress any insurrections in this kind And by internall mortification which is much the nobler he preseru'd his mind in such a peacefull calme that one could scarse discouer any commotion to the contrary in so much that he might seem to liue in a Region aboue flesh and blood where neyther winds nor tempests haue access And this is a thing fecible enough to the Seruant of God if he make it his busynes and take it to hart grace willingly seconding such endeauours and our Saint profited so much in this Kind that considering the equall tenour of his Conuersation one might say he eyther neuer had passions which is impossible in such a liuelynes of nature or else kept them in a perfect subjection to reason and vertue which is no more then truth To this interiour Mortification he ioynd exteriour as much facilitating the former and rendring the flesh duely subordinate to the Spiritt a thing necessary for those who ayme at a perfect conquest ouer them selues and this he practisd in a triple kind First by hayr cloath and other austerityes to which he accustomd himselfe many yeares and euen at his death not contenting himselfe with the incident sufferances of so long a journey he was found with a hayr shyrt next his body and that of the rougher size 2. by watching and subtraction of sleep euen necessary stinting himselfe to a very short pittance which was much felt by those about him as cutting theyrs too short also yett he made this a dayly custome spending the remnant of the night in prayer and reading of H. Scripture or other such like pious exercises 3. by a wonderfull abstemiousnes and sobriety of dyett the propper food of Sanctity and refection of vertuous soules by which they gather more strength and vigour then by the choysest dayntyes Experience teaches too truly what an enemy gluttony and fullfeeding is to deuotion how it indisposes the mind while it ouercharges the body and makes it think more on the fleshpotts of Aegypt then the manna of Angells A refection is necessary for the recruit of our decaying forces a repletion which rather oppresses then refreshes neuer he must content himselfe with necessaryes and euen retrench them a little who will auoyd superfluityes this was the prayer of the Wiseman and must be Tantum victui meo tribue necessaria Prou. 30 8 ours S. THOMAS knew well all the aduantages of a sober abstinence and therfore his dyett was so spare that his familiars did wonder how it could giue a competent sustenance to maintaine life and this vsually And thus much Bishopp Richard deposd in his Process vpon oath asseuering with all that his abstinence was such that one might truly say his whole life was a continuall fast He made but one meale the day and that with these short Commons not for want of an appetite but to curb and mortify it for being askd that question by the sayd his successour who then sate next him he confess'd ingenuously that his stomack seru'd him for much more and taking a good piece of a loafe in his hand sayd he could eat all that and with gust To this rigour of quantity he added another of quality if he tasted of any curious or costly dish that was all then made it be carryd eyther to the sick or poore his ordinary fare was of the homelyer sort such as would satisfy nature not please the pallat and his drink suitable to witt small beare He seldome drunk wine vnles in a very small quantity or much temperd with water he neuer willingly drunk betwixt meales and when the quality of the persons was such that it requird such a ciuility from him he vsd pretty sleights and artifices to euade it by seeming to drink when he scarse touchd the Cupp In his younger dayes and better health he was wont to fast good Friday and all the Eues of our B. Lady with bread and water but afterwards when his stock of strenght would not beare that rigour by the prescript of his Physitian he was for bid that and appoynted to take a little broth In Confirmation of this his temperance a pretty passage is related by the aforesayd Bishop Richard who then was present A Kinsman of our Saint and his Companion for 20. yeares and vppwards William of Albenack sitting once at table with him when all had done and it was taking away S. THOMAS espy'd him still eating some bread with which a little surprizd he sayd merrily to him Old man what art thou doing I am eating quoth he and why now replyd the Saint Because sayd the other I find an appetite What sayd S. THOMAS and are you wont to eat as long as you find an appetite yes I profess sayd William and all do so that I know All do so sayd the Saint in a chiding tone Marry God forbid I can assure you in very truth that for 30. yeares till this day I haue not rise from table with a less appetite then when I sate downe But this latter part he wisperd in his eare forbidding him to speak of it while he liu'd and another story much to the same purpose stands vpon authentique record and both are a great testimoniall of his abstemiousnes and sobriety XXIII CHAPTER His discharge of duty towards God and his Neighbour HIs humility and abstemiousnes fitted and disposd him rightly towards this discharge the former by withdrawing him from self-loue the latter from wordly and these are the great obstructers of the loue of God and cause of our slacknes in his seruice it being certainly certaine that no body can serue two Maisters This Religious discharge is the work of our whole life and consequently of greatest concerne

endeauour and he endeauourd it by employing to that purpose the 3. powers of his soule memory vnderstanding and will in a perpetuall presence of him His memory by recounting his great and dayly benefitts in a thankfullnes of hart his vnderstanding by meditating his diuine truthes perfections and attributes his will by louing him in all and conforming his to the diuine and this is the noblest employment of a rationall soule and an imitation of what the Saints doe in heauen The more straitly he vnited himselfe to God the more he did partake of his bountyes who scornes to be out-vy'd by any body in this kind and this participation increasd the flame of his charity which dilated it selfe both towards God and his Neighbour louing God for himselfe and his neighbour in and for God and as himselfe and this is the fullnes of the Law and Prophetts Hence he became soo Zealous both of the honour and House of God which is his Church and so sensible of the concerns of his neighbour both spirituall and temporall that he seemd to be borne for theyr reliefe and especially of the poore and needy of both which parts of charity we shall treat more amply in the ensuing Chapters and first XIII CHAPTER Of his Loue to the Poore TO think that one so groundedly maximd in perfection and the practise of all solid vertue as he was would rather impayre then improue by his Exaltation is a paradoxe Qui Apoc. 22. 11. sanctus est sanctificetur adhuc who is holy let him aduance in holynes sayd S. John and so sayes euery truly vertuous soule whose glory is to be allwayes mounting with the sunn to the topp of his Meridian All our Saints ambition and satisfaction was in a happy progress towards perfection knowing that as to its pursuit we are as it were in a streame where there is no standing still for the Rower not to ascend is to descend and to goe backward not to goe forward Euen while he was yett a Churchman or Canon he was very much deuoted to almes deeds and the reliefe of the poore how much was this pious practise aduancd when by the imposition of hands he had receiu'd the H. Ghost who is Father of the Veni Pater patiperum poore and made him such but whether before or after matters not the vertue being equally commendable in both states and we wil speak promiscuously of it in both Though good words giue but barren comfort to an empty stomack yett still it is true that out of the abundance of the hart the mouth speaks and then they are onely expressions of a willing mind and howeuer euen a Compassionate answer is in some sort satisfactory The poore were sure at least of that from him if nothing else though he seldome stinted his charity there and as he esteemd them the Patrimony of Christ so he spoke with all humility and respect to them as he would to Christ himselfe knowing that to be done to him which was done to the least of his members Vpon this account the esteem he had of them was such that he commonly calld them his Breethren a name of greatest loue and with his good will would haue had all his domestiques to haue calld them so too and chidd them that they did not Whence it is recorded that being sett at table with halfe a dozen such guests and finding yet place for more he sent one of the waiters to the Pallace gate te see whether any of his Breethren were there or no if there were that he should bring a couple of them along with him He returning told his Lord there were no Brothers of any Order what soeuer No sayd the Bishop not of this that sitts heer by me poynting to the beggars yes my Lord replyd he there are at least a dozen such goe then sayd he and bring 5. of the number along with you which was forth with done impletae sunt Matt. 22. 10. Nuptiae discumbentium But words be they neuer so good are still inferiour to deeds these latter being a better proof of charity as costing more and aftording more reliefe This was the substantiall part of his loue to the poore and he was not sparing of it he had to witt learnd the great lesson of his Lord and Master beatius est Act. 20. 35. magis dare quam accipere it is a more blessed thing to giue then to take and he was resolu'd to practise it in this behalfe The recommendation of his owne meritts and noble discent had furnishd him with a large proportion of Church Reuenues euen before the accesse of his Bishoprick which besydes a competency of maintenance beseeming his quality and the discharge of other incumbencyes he knew not how to bestow better then on the poore He knew that the goods of the Church are the Patrimony of Christ and where could he spend them better then on the liuing members of Christ eyther to his owne content of mind or satisfaction of conscience This is the way to grow rich in heauen and make friends of the Mammon of iniquity Luc. 16. 9. that when other meanes fayle these may receiue vs into the eternall tabernacles nay euen procure vs temporall Commodityes synce almes deeds layd vpp in the bosome of the poore this is the best way of honouring our Lord by Prou. 2. 10. them fill both the press with wine and barnes with Corne and the almes-giuer with other blessings He in deed had no great sinns of his owne to redeem by them as hauing probably neuer lost his baptismall innocence but he aymd at a treasure of meritts due to such works of Corporall mercy and was to be layd vpp in heanen against his reception there out of the reach of rust or moth Hence he took this vertue so to hart that it was very resplendent in his practise and the poore resorted to him as to a common parent from whome they neuer departed empty handed He found it no bad medium to work by the body vpon the Soule and true that to gaine this charity must be shewd to that an indisposd body is like an indisposd mind hard to be wrought vpon while necessitous fill the hand and you gaine the hart now flexible to any good impressions Our corrupt nature is more sensible of hungar then of deuotion and ressents want of sustenance more then want of vertue or grace It is as hard to hammer it to good as a piece of iron to a good shape vnles it be first made supple by the fire of a subuentiue charity this done you may forme it as you please Works of Corporall mercy must dispose for the spirituall Therfore his custome was to seek admittance to the mind by relieuing the body and made it a part of his care to order things so that while he refreshd this that should not also want its food partly by pious discourses and godly instructions partly by causing some good book