Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bishop_n	call_v	rome_n	1,449	5	6.6115	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25447	Religio clerici	T. A.	1681 (1681)	Wing A32; ESTC R200747	38,573	248

not more generally embraced and admired is because the purity of its Doctrine the sobriety of its Devotion the moderation of its Discipline the largeness of its Charity are not more impartially and calmly examined more generally understood Our Church in its Spiritual State as you are Christians is most conformable to the rules of Christ to the Apostolick practice to the Primitive Institutions In its rational State as you are Men its Doctrines are very agreeable to the reason of Mankind its Precepts most becoming the purest and strictest Laws of Nature Vertue and Morality In its Political State as ye are Englishmen its Interest is inseparable from that of our Nation and Government We are therefore so far from being jealous of your most curious exact search into the Practice and Principles of our Church that we desire it nay we most earnestly beseech it We are in no danger from Mens most subtle inquiry into it we may be from their utter carelesness and indifferency towards it We are not against any Mans seeing Spiritual Truths onely we would not have the blind presume to teach others to see We would not have Men think they see when they do not which is the most certain way for them never to see at all we would have you know as much as you can onely we would have you believe that both you and we may know much more than we do we intreat you to strive to know all in a right way by sober Dr. Sprats Sermon at Whitehall before His Majesty degrees for right purposes uses and ends I will here be bold to subjoin by way of Corollary to the fore-going excellent words It hath puzled my nearest and nicest Inquisition and plunged my closest scrutiny in deep amazement when I have considered that so many of our Countrymen should out of an odd peevish humour and most unaccountable Caprice forsake that sober decent way of Worship which the Established Law presses which their gracious King and Governour himself strictly observes together with the Loyal Nobility and Gentry and the Reverend and Learned Clergy of this Land that they should I say leave these good these great these wise Examples contrary to the obedient humble temper of Christians contrary to the prudence and interest of rational men and contrary to the honest good nature of true Englishmen And all this out of a blind and ignorant complyance to the Insinuating hypocritical perswasions of a few leading prejudiced Presbyters For true scruple of Conscience cannot be said to urge them to this Non-conformity not one of five hundred understanding the intrinsick state of the Question or the true nature of the Controverted point any more than they do Arabick But granting that they could plead Christian Scruple how far would even that fall short of Justification seeing that the Commands to Obedience are so absolute so plain so positive and the reasons for Non-conformity even at best so obscure so weak so dubious In a word the Faith of our Separatists is as blind and implicite as that of the Papists the design of their Doctrines as Subtle Sensual and Secular But to return to the Romanists that the trick should pass upon the common Herd of the Ignorant and Credulous is not at all strange nor that the well-contriv'd Imposture should go down pretty cleverly with the middle sort of Mankind is it much to be wondred at but that so notorious so bold so sawcie a cheat should engage the Wise and Noble nay Kings and Princes to a complyance so mean and servile as heretofore especially this is a perfect Prodigie to me What depth of subtilty is implyed in the Doctrine of the Popes Supremacy and Infallibility the basis of implicite Faith indisputable obedience absolute dependance on the Church and Court of Rome What great and glorious Scenes of pomp pride and splendour are consequential to the necessity of making all deferences and humble appeals to his Holiness The Doctrine of Purgatory is a most excellent bait for a wealthy sinner on his death-bed how eagerly and zealously he exchanges his Bags for Masses that he may not be stopt at that hot stage but be immediately dispatch'd to the more agreeable warmth of Abraham's bosom Thus by a pretty kind of Platonick Chymistry the subtle Priest makes real Gold by an imaginary fictitious fire But above all to dive into and discover the Tempers and Inclinations Designs and Contrivances Actions and Passions nay the most retired Thoughts of Men and Women Auricular Confession is an unparallel'd device 'T is certainly the most impudent Incroachment and unnatural piece of Tyranny that was ever impos'd on Mankind I mean as 't is abused and disfigured by them from its first good designe and Institution I will now end these brief Remarks on the Romish Religion with one Trick more of theirs which appeared in the Death of Mr. Langhorne and the late Jesuits which hath afforded matter of much discourse to all and of no small wonder and amusement to some For my own part I verily believe that if the Depositions of the King's Witnesses as the Law always allows and supposes them to be so were not de facto true and evident if the Proceedings of the Court were not most impartial just and steady and by consequence the Parties brought in guilty by an honest and unbiassed Verdict if all this I say were not so then there is no Truth or Certainty under the Sun And therefore that Learned and Rational Men should at the point of Death fondly conceive that any Dispensation from Rome or their reciprocal Absolutions could possibly expiate the Guilt and Crime of a positive deliberate mortal sin I mean the stedfast Abjuration of true matter of Fact this is a Presumption of that Force and Contradiction to the Genius of Christianity and so contrary to the very Essentials and Fundamentals of Humane Nature that I know not what to resolve it into but a total dereliction of God Almighty or some latent Frenzy in those wretched Delinquents I have indeed heard some Learned Men urge the strong force of Education and Institution as a competent cause to rivet this Principle into the perswasions of the Romish Agents What e're it is it affords matter of mysterious difficulty to me and what Principle soever it owns certainly the resolute Effects it produces must needs belong to a very forcible Cause since we see this firm Obstinacy retains its Vigour in Attempts of the last danger and at the dreadful point of unavoidable Death too 'T is true that the Bishop and Spiritual Senate of Rome exhibit all the Machiavilian Maximes which they without exception call in to establish and advance their Secular and Ecclesiastick Politie under the specious stamp of Divine Authority and crown the most horrid Enterprizes and unnatural Villanies with the additional advantage of Merit this if firmly believed but there lies the difficulty must needs infuse as much Courage and Resolution as the Arabian