Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	grace_n	lord_n	soul_n	9,997	5	4.8770	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02187	Newes from Italy of a second Moses or, the life of Galeacius Caracciolus the noble Marquesse of Vico Containing the story of his admirable conuersion from popery, and his forsaking of a rich marquessedome for the Gospels sake. Written first in Italian, thence translated into latin by reuerend Beza, and for the benefit of our people put into English: and now published by W. Crashavv ...; Historia della vita di Galeazzo Caracciolo. English	Balbani, Niccolo, d. 1587.; Crashaw, William, 1572-1626.	1608 (1608)	STC 1233; ESTC S100534	64,277	90

renued daily His body pined away buthis minde and soule grew from strength to strength and as a by-stander feeles not the paines of him that is tormented or racked before his eyes so his soule and mind stood as it were a farre off beholding the paines and vexations of the body and being vntoucht it selfe did as it were laugh at Satan sinne death and damnation who by all their ioynt power could doe no more but onely to vex and racke this poore carcase with bodily disease but were not able to touch the soule to vexe the minde or wound the conscience If any man aske the reason why his mind and conseience were so quiet in this so great torment of the body the reason was for that his mind was imployed in holy meditations as of the singular loue of God his father vnto him in Christ Iesus whereby he assured himselfe vndoubtedly of saluation of the manifold holy graces wherewith God had adorned him by the force whereof he said he had borne off so many buffets of Satan had passed so many pikes of troubles and come away conquerer in so many fearefull fights as had opposed themselues against him in his conuersion These gifts and graces of God he weighed with the crosses of his sicknes and found them far heauier and he compared these momentany and light afflictions with that exceeding and eternall weight of glory which he said he knew was laid vp for him in heauen These and such like meditations cheered vp his spirit more then the force of his sickenes could appall him But aboue al things he felt vnspeakable comfort and sweetnes in his prayers to the Lord which he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feruently and with a zealous and faithfull heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often say that in the midst of his prayers his soule seemed to him to be euen rauished out of himself and to taste of the blessed ioyes of heauen So that the saying of the blessed Apostle was verified in him As the suffrings of Christ abounded in us so consolation by Christ abounded much more In his sickenes he wanted no helpe of the Physitions for they came to him out of all parts of the citie and willingly did they all do their diligence about his body whose soule they knew had Christ Iesus to be the Physition for it His friends also continually visited him who were of the chiefe men in the citie and they were all welcome to him rich and poore and it is hard to say whether he receiued more comfort by them or they more spirituall edification by him his speeches and behauiours were so full of patience and so well seasoned with all grace All his friends performed to him what duety soeuer was in their power but especially his worthy wife did then shew her selfe most louing and loyall for she was neuer from about him and saw that he wanted nothing which the world could yeelde for the recouery of his health But all was in vaine for the time of his dissolution was at hand and he had runne the royall race of a most holy Christian life and now nothing remained but a blessed death He might say as the Apostle did with much ioy of heart I haue run my race I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith from henceforth is laid vp for me a crown of righteousnes which Christ the righteous Iudge will giue to me and to all such as wait for his appearing After few daies the violence of his sickenes was such as it ouercame all power of physicke so that it was manifest that that blessed houre approched wherin the Lord had appointed to accomplish his owne good worke in him therefore he sequestred himself altogether from any more care of his body and from al worldly cogitations he renounced the world and all in it he tooke his farewell of his wife and all his Christian friends and said hee should lead them the way to heauen Hee fixed all his thoughts vpon his soule and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ixed on the Lord in heauen and cried to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hat as he had sought him al his life so he would ●● him and acknowledge him for his owne And thus as all his friends sat about him and as the Preachers and Ministers were occupied in holy praiers and reading of the Scriptures and applying to him the heauenly consolations of God word in the performance of these exercises he ended his dales wherein hee had taken delight all his life long and as hee reioyced to haue them in this life so it pleased the Lord that he should haue them at his death And so in the midst of all his friends in the presence of the Ministers euen in the fight of them all he peaceablie and quietly yeelded vp his spirit and rendred his soule into the hands of his mercifull God and faithfull Creator of whom he had receiued it who immediatly by the ministery of his holy Angels receiuing it at his hands and washing it pure in the blood of Iesus Christ crowned it with the crown of eternal heauenly happines And thus this holy man was translated from a noble man on earth to be a noble Saint in heauen and of a Marquesse on earth in bare name and title he was aduanced to be a glorious triumphing King in heauen where he now raignes in glory with that God whom he so faithfully serued on earth That God and mereifull father grant that all we that reade this admirable story may be allured to take vpon vs the same most holy profession that this thrice noble Marquesse did and may renounce and cast off what euer in this world we see doth hinder vs from the holy fellowshippe of Christ Iesus and strengthen vs that we may be faithful to the end that so we may obtaine the crowne of life in that glory where this noble Galeacius and all the heauenly host of Gods Saints do wait for vs. Amen This was his life this was his end let thy life be like his and thy heart walke in the same way then shall thy soule die his death and thy latter end shall be like his O Lord how glorious art thou in thy Saints FINIS Genes 47. Heb. 11. a The very yeare when Luther began to preach the Gospell * That is Pope Paul the fourth See how the first step of a mans conuersion from popery is true and sound mortification of carnall lusts and a change of life See also how the first meanes to bring a man out of error to the truth is study of holy Scriptures 1. Cor. 1. 26 27. Iohn Psal Psal Psalme Psalme 1. Chron. 28. Ieremy Phillip Hieronymus Fracastorius Sinus Adriaticus His seruants but two His attire plaine but comely His humilitie and lowly minde Euidences of nobility shining in his actions and behauiours How greatly he was esteemed in Geneua They stil called him by the title of Marquesse He was alwaies visited by strangers and trauellers especially Princes and noble men His company and conuersation His courtesie and affabilitie His rare perfections His eloquence and ability of speech His mildnesse to his inferiors His charity to the poore His good workes and charitable deedes His ordinary exercises of Religion publike and priuate His particular and personall calling His courage and iustice His loue of peace and continuall ending of contentions and setting men at vnity that were at variance

apparēt yet al which he saw he must leaue for Christ sake But one thing pierced his heart to see his wife and children and other his alliance standing on the shore who when they could not speake to him looked at him and when they could not see him ceased not to looke after the shippe as long as it was in sight neither could hee refraine but with a wofull countenance looke at them againe as long as hee could discerne them and withall he called to minde the bitter words and heauy farewell which the Marquesse his father gaue him at his departure all which cogitations running in his head did doubtlesse wring from his sorrowfull heart many a deepe sigh and heauy grone and many a bitter teare from his watrie eyes and yet notwithstanding all these the spirituall strength and courage of his minde was constant and inuincible And euen as a good Pilot in a raging sea when clouds and darkenesse thunder and lightnings storme and tempest runne together and tosse the shippe from waue to waue as lightly as a ball from hand to hand yet for all that he sits still at the helme with vndanted courage and markes his compasse and by his courage and skill together keepes on a right and stedfast course thorow all the rage of sea and weather euen so this our thrice noble Galeacius taking hold of the holy and heauenly anchor namely a liuely faith in Christ and a stedfast hope in God he surmounts the clouds and fixeth those anchor-holdes in heauen and looking stedfastly with a spirituall eye at the true load starre namely Christ Iesus and the hope of eternall happinesse he directs his course towards the same with an heroicall spirit and heauenly resolution thorow the tempestuous waues of those fearefull temptations and the shippe that caried his body did not so fast transport him from delicate Italy towards Dalmatia as the shippe of heauenly constancy and loue of God withdrew his minde and meditation from all naturall respects and worldly delights and made it mount alost in holy contemplation And thus the presence and grace of Gods spirit hauing ouercome the power of naturall affections he began to cheere vp himselfe after this tempest and first of all bending the knees of his heart to the eternall father in heauen hee yeelded his Maiesty most hearty thankes for that he had furnished his soule with such a portion of his grace as to withstand and conquere Satan in such a perillous battell and for that hee had deliuered him from the danger of Popish thraldome from the inquisition and from that perpetuall imprisonment both of conscience and body which the Popish Church would haue brought him vnto had he not thus escaped their hands Hee likewise praised God vnfainedly that he vouchsafed to giue him time opportunity and grace to discharge that duety to his wife the yong Marchionesse which at his first departure he had omitted and which oftentimes he had with great griefe bewailed and that he had enabled him to omit nothing which might haue perswaded her to haue left Sodome and to haue vndertaken with him this blessed pilgrimage towards the heauenly Ierusalem The remembrance of these things much refreshed his troubled minde It also much contented and satisfied his conscience that vpon that monstrous and vndutifull behauiour of his wife towards him spoken of before hee had made that protestation which hee did namely that he would vse the lawfull meanes to be diuorced from her who had first of al diuorced cut off her selfe from him by denying that duety of loue which the wife may not denie to the husband nor the husband to the wife he perswaded himselfe that this protestation would worke well with her and make her more confirmeable to her duetie when she had aduisedly thought of it CHAP. XXIII Of his iourney home againe by Venice and thorow Rhoetia Switzerland and his safe arriuall at Geneua and of the great ioy he brought to the Church by his safe returne REuiuing his troubled spirits with these cogitations he arriued at Lasina in Dalmatia which is the countrey ouer against Italy from whence he passed in a very quiet passage and calme sea to Venice where hee found many faithfull seruants of God and good Christians who hauing heard afore that he was gone to Vicum were exceedingly afraid for that imminent and ineuitable danger they saw he was in either to haue his conscience a slaue to Popish vanity or his person a prisoner to Popish cruelty therefore they ceased not to pray for him night and day and yet for all that they feared greatly what would become of him But when now at last they saw him returne both sound in conscience and safe in person such a glorious conquerer ouer Satan and ouer so many strong temptations with which the world and naturall affections had assailed him their feare was turned into comfort their sorrow into ioy and they all glorified the Lord for him And so after mutuall comfort giuen and receiued he departed from Venice and trauelled thorow Rhoetia and Switzerland where he visited the Churches of the Protestants and comforted them greatly with his presence and by telling them what great things the Lord had done for him and so by the good hand of his God vpon him he came in safety to Geneua the fourth of October in the yeare 1558. His safe arriuall brought exceeding ioy to the whole Church there but especially to the Italian Congregation for his long absence had brought them into some suspence and doubt not of any alteration of his Religion but of some cruell and false measures to haue beene offred him by the deceitfull Papists But when they saw him so safely returned vntoucht in conscience and vnhurt in his person and that he had passed so many pikes of temptations which they knew had beene pitcht against him they gaue great thankes to the Lord for him But when he had discourst vnto them particularly the whole course of the proceedings first what a strong battry of temptations and assaults the diuell and the world had planted against him then how manfully he fought and withstood and at last ouercame them all they fell into admiration of so rare constancy and thought him worthy of all honour to whom it is giuen as the Apostle saith to suffer so much for Christ and for Religions sake and in all earnest manner they magnified the singular grace and mercy of God towards him and towards the whole Church in him which had not suffred his seruant this noble Galeacius to be seduced out of the way of that holy calling whereto the Lord had called him and who had deliuered him from so subtile a traine laid by the policy of the enemy Satan to haue intrapt his soule and conscience by ouerturning him in the race of his Religion and they all acknowledged that this noble and godly Gentleman found it verified in himselfe which the kingly Prophet saith in the Psalme Because

dowrie sixe thousand fiue hundred pounds He liued with his wife Victoria vnto the yeare 1551. at which time he forsooke house familie and country for Religions sake and in that time he had by his wife six children foure sonnes and two daughters His eldest sonne died at Panorma in the yeare 1577. leauing behind him one sonne and one daughter the sonne obtayning by inheritance the Marquesdome of Vicum amongst diuers other things married a wife of noble birth afore his grandfather Galeacius died By whom as I heare he hath two children to whom this Galeacius is great Grandfather Now all these particulars doe I thus set downe to this end that the perseuerance of so great a man may appeare the better by all these circumstances which is no lesse then a most glorious victory ouer so many temptations CHAP. II. Of his preferment at Court and the first occasion of his conuersion THe Marquesse Calantonius seeing so good hope of the continuance of his house and posterity desiring not to preserue onely but to increase and augment the dignity of his house purposed therefore that his sonne Galeacius should seeke further honour and follow the Court. Wherefore making offer of him to the Emperour Charles he was most kindly entertained into the Emperours house and seruice and soone after was made the Emperours Gentleman-sewer In which place and office within short time he both wonne the fauour of the Nobility and the rest of the Court and grewe to be of speciall account euen with the Emperour himselfe for all mens opinion and iudgement of him was that there was not one of many to be compared with him for innocency of life elegancy of manners sound iudgement and knowledge of many things Thus Galeacius was in all mens opinions in the high way to all honour and estimation for the Prince whom he serued was most mighty and the Monarch of the biggest part of the Christian world But all this was little for God the king of kings of his singular mercy and grace did purpose to call him to farre greater dignity and to more certaine and durable riches And this so great and rare a work did the Lord bring to passe by strange and speciall meanes So it was that in those daies a certaine Spaniard a noble man did soiourne at Naplcs who had to name Iohannes Waldesius this Gentleman being come to some knowledge of the truth of the Gospell and especially of the doctrine of Iustification vsed often to conferre with and to instruct diuers other noble men his companions and familiars in points of Religion confuting the false opinions of our owne inherent Iustification and of the merits of good workes and so consequently detecting the vanity of many Popish points and the fondnesse of their superstitions by which meanes he so preuailed or rather the Lord by him that diuers of these noble Gentlemen began to creepe out of Popish darkenesse and to perceiue some light of the truth Amongst these was there one Iohannes Franciscus Caesarta a noble Gentleman and kinseman to this our Galeacius Of this Gentleman first of all did Galeacius heare diuers things in conference which seemed to him much contrary to the course of the vaine world yea much to crosse euen his age and estate and course of life as namely of the true meanes of our Iustification of the excellency and power of Gods word of the vanity of the most of Popish superstitions c. For Galeacius esteemed and vsed this Gentleman as his familiar friend both being neere of his blood and especially for that hee was a Gentleman of very good parts Now although the speeches of this gentleman did not at the first so farre preuaile with him as to make him forsake the vanities of this life notwithstanding it was not altogether in vaine for that God which had ordeined him to be a speciall instrument of his glory would not suffer so good seed to perish though it seemed for a time to be cast euen amongst thornes neither will it be beside the purpose to set downe particularly the meanes which it pleased God to vse for the working of this strange conuersion amongst which this was one CHAP. III. Of the meanes of his further Sanctification AT that time Peter Martyr Vermilius a Florentine was a publik Preacher and Reader at Naples This man was a Canon regular as they call them a man since then of great name for his singular knowledge in Christian Religion his godly manners and behauiours and for his sweet and copious teaching for he afterward casting away his monkes coule and renouncing the superstitions of Poperie he shone so brightly in Gods Church that he dispersed and strangely droue away the darkenesse and mists of popery Galeacius was once content at Caeserta his motion to be drawen to heare Peter Martyrs Sermon yet not so much for any desire he had to learne as moued and tickled with a curious humour to heare so famous a man as then Martyr was accounted At that time Peter Martyr was in hand with Pauls first Epistle to the Corinthians and as he was shewing the weakenesse and deceitfulnes of the iudgement of mans reason in spirituall things as likewise the power and efficacy of the word of God in those men in whom the Lord worketh by his spirit amongst other things he vsed this similie or comparison If a man walking in a large place see a farre off men and women dancing together and heare no sound of instrument he wil iudge them mad or at least foolish but if he come neerer them and perceiue their order and heare their musicke and marke their measures and their courses he will then be of another minde and not onely take delight in seeing them but feele a desire in himself to beare them company and dance with them Euen the same said Martyr betides many men who whē they behold in others a suddain and great change of their looks apparell behauiour and whole course of life at the first sight they impute it to melancholy or some other foolish humour but if they looke more narrowly into the matter and begin to heare and perceiue the harmony and sweete concent of Gods spirit and his word in them by the ioint power of which two this change was made and wrought which afore they counted folly then they change their opinion of them and first of all begin to like them and that change in them and afterward feele in themselues a motion and desire to imitate them and to be of the number of such men who forsaking the world and his vanities doe thinke that they ought to reforme their liues by the rule of the Gospell that so they may come to true and sound holinesse This comparison by the grace of Gods Spirit wrought so wonderfully with Galeacius as himselfe hath often tolde his friends that from that houre he resolued with himselfe more carefully to restraine his affections from following the world and his pleasures as

wheresoeuer he would without any molestation to be offred him about his Religion or conscience His father tels him that if he doe this this will bee a greater solace to his olde age then his departure and absence hath beene griefe vnto him besides all this the good old man most earnestly intreated him though hee was the father and spake to the sonne that hee would gratifie him in this his request and added many beseechings who in any lawfull thing might by his authoritie haue commanded him and euery word that he spake was so seasoned as comming from the affection of a father and at last with many strong reasons perswaded him not to reiect this so extraordinary a fauor offered him by the Pope in so speciall and rare clemency whereby he might without hurt of his conscience liue more commodiously then euer afore and be restored to his former honour and place and estate and recouer the former loue and estimation of all his friends yea and of many strangers who hearing of this his obedience to his father would loue him for it vnto which obedience to me saith the father to his sonne thou art bound both by the bond of nature and by the law and word of God which thou so much talkest of and vrgest to me therefore saith he if there be in thee either sparke of naturall affection or any Religion and conscience of thy duety thou wilt yeelde vnto me in this especially seeing thou maist doe it without hurt or endangering of thy conscience and Religion This talke and request of the Marquesse diuersly affected Galeacius for the thing he requested and the reasons he vrged seemed to be such as he could with no good reason contradict them and yet he durst not presently entertaine the motion besides that the presence authority and reuerent regard of his father the vehemency and affection of his mind and especially the naturall bond and obligation wherein the son stands tied to the father in things law full and indifferent especially when by that obedience no violence is offred to good conscience all these did greatly moue him Also naturall and carnall reason for their parts assaulted him no lesse violently with such kind of arguments as for the most part preuaile with all men For his father offred him yearly reuenues competent and fit for his estate the solace of his children and society of his wife which two things he desired aboue all other in the world So that to this motion and request of his father the Marquesse Galeacius knew not well what to answere on the sudden but stood for a time musing and doubtfull what to say and the rather for that he then wanted his speciall friend faithfull Caluine with whom he might consult in so waighty a cause It seemed to him impious and vngodly not to yeeld to his father in so lawfull and reasonable a request and he saw no way how he might denie it but he must needes incurre and vndergoe his fathers extreame displeasure and yet how hee might yeelde to it with safety of conscience he much doubted for he feared that more danger to his profession and Religion and consequently more hurt to his soule might hereupon insue then he could presently perceiue so that he stood altogether vnresolued in his owne reason what to doe therefore in this extremity he denied himselfe and renounced his owne wit and in humble and feruent prayer betooke himselfe in this difficulty to the blessing and direction of his God and Sauiour the author and true fountain of wisedome and constancy humbly crauing of the Lord to assist him with his holy spirit that in this extreamity hee might aduise and resolue of the best and safest course for Gods glory and his owne sound comfort O how truely sung that sweete singer of Israel King Dauid when he said How happy and blessed are they that feare God for God will teach them the way they should walke Galeacius found it most true in his owne experience for vpon this his submission and prayer the Lord from heauen resolued him in this sort That seeing the Pope did Antichrist-like directly oppose himselfe to Christ and his Religion and Church that therefore he might by no meanes sue for or accept any fauour at his hands nor be by any meanes beholden to him at all Because what shew of seruice soeuer was done to him by the enemy of Christ seemed to bee taken from Christ himselfe Further Gods spirit perswaded him it caried too great a shew of Apostasie or backsliding to forsake the company of godly professors and the fellowship of Christs Church and to liue amongst Idolaters in the midst of all abominations The same spirit of God set before his eyes that scandall and offence which this fact of his would breed in the minds of the faithfull which would thinke that he had taken his farewel at Religion and would now shake hands again renue his acquaintance with his old friend the world that he had lightly esteemed the spirituall blessings heauenly iewels of graces which God distributeth daily in his Church and would now betake himself again to the olde affections of his flesh The same spirit resolued him that thus to forsake the ordinary meanes and depriue himselfe of the true vse of the word and Sacraments and to liue in a place where was nothing but Idolatrie was to tempt God in the highest degree God likewise opened his eyes that he perceiued the sleight of Satan by this his fathers d●●t namely to entangle him againe in the net of worldly cares to wrappe his mind in the snards of Italian pleasures and so to dazle his eies with the honours and pleasures and sensuall delights which once he had bin brought vp in that his Religion might decay by little and little and that all godlinesse might by the heat of these new pleasures fall and melt away like as waxe before the fire and lastly the Lord vpon his prayer granted him the wisedome of his holy spirit to answere al his fathers obiections and confute all his arguments And amongst many other he earnestly intreated his father that he would not do that vnto him which afterward hee would repent that euer hee had done namely that he would not be a meanes to make him a prey to the Papists which had confirmed for a law and ratified it by many examples that promise faith nor oath is to be kept with any man whom they call heretikes Whereupon said he it is better for me and more ioy to you to liue as I doe with this poore estate then with hope of better to endanger my life and so our whole posterity By these and such like perswasions it pleased God so to worke vpon the Marquesse that hee was ouercome in this sute wherein he supposed to haue preuailed and therefore he yeelded against his will and so with a sorrowfull heart he returned to Naples And as he went he certified the Pope the obstinacy