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	church_n	great_a	2,904	5	3.2705	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29475	A Brief relation of the persecution and sufferings of the reformed churches of France translated out of French, and published for more general information.		1668 (1668)	Wing B4628; ESTC R13961	14,115	26

no sorrows nor fears And yet the Clergy not contented to see them in this deplorable Estate must needs have them utterly destroyed and therefore will never give over their design until they have accomplished it 17. And to make this evident there needs no more but read an Oration made by the Bishop of Vsez before the King in name of the whole Clergy Wherein having first rendred thanks to his Majesty for what he hath already done against us and then petitioned him for a present Declaration prohibiting Catholicks to embrace the Protestant Religion and for another Decree Incorporating the mixed Courts which consisting of half Protestants and half Papists had been established in favour of the Protestants into the Courts of Parliaments in end he exhorts perswades and adjures him by all the most moving Arguments that he would now give the last blow toward our utter destruction seeing he was now able and in capacity to effect it I hope the King will beware to follow Counsels so terrible and violent and am sure would have been much more edified had he seen the Bishops more Human more Christian and more agreeable to their Profession But here we yet see their design and what we may justly expect from a Party equally powerful and maliciously inflamed against us 18. That our miseries may be yet more piercing to injustice they add derision and scoffs and by those who have done us the greatest injuries publish abroad that we are marvelously well used and have all reason to be satisfied with their Moderation This is evidence sufficient that they are far from repairing our losses when having left us but very little even that Little must pass as an Act of Grace In short Our Fears are doubled When upon the one hand we consider That all the Sharings of Churches and Determinations of Council against us have been made and concluded without any regard of the Titles produced by our Churches then which none could be better or more convincing such as The Books and Registers of Marriages and Baptisms the very years of the Edict Consistorial Acts Acts or Instruments of Notaries the Appearance of these Churches before Presbyteries and Provincial Synods 1596 and 1597 and I know not how many more Evidences of the like nature Notwithstanding all which they proceeded to Sentence against us And upon the other hand when we see the Province of Bearn so cruelly used by the Parliament of Pau that after innumerable Severities against both Ministers and their Flocks wherein they went so far as to make Acts against Ministers for not admitting to the Lords Supper flagitious persons Synodally suspended for their scandalous lives The said Parliament in end hath formally stated themselves their Opposite Party and among other things very strange and never heard of have petitioned the King for the Extermination of the Reformed Religion out of the whole Province And when we see that the Clergy of Bearn by their Petition agreeing with the Parliaments have required the very same things which the Clergy of France required in that Oration of the Bishop of Vsez made before the King and now published in Print When I say we see and consider these things have we not just cause to fear That more dreadful Calamities then we have yet seen are preparing for us Moreover is not the present Desolation of the Province of Poictou a most astonishing and terrible Object In all that vast Diocess of Luson they have not left so much as one Church So that the greatest part of our Brethren are forced to travel above Fifty and Sixty Miles to hear the Word and to expose their new-born Infants in order to Baptism to manifold Dangers And the rest of the Province is but very little better treated there being but Thirteen Churches allowed for above a Hundred thousand persons of our Religion In fine Are not our Fears very reasonable and well grounded when we see that the Protestants contrary to the very words of the Edict of Nantes and without regard of their Priviledges have been formally subjected to that great Court of General Sessions which the King hath erected in the City of Clermont and especially if ye add That the Heads of that Superstitious Cabal are now secretly at work procuring Subscriptions thorow all France unto a League for persecuting of us with all Severity These things make us justly apprehensive that in end they will break out in acts of open Violence there being nothing which they are not in case to undertake for accomplishing of our Ruine And unless we be wilfully blind we cannot but see that they design to drive us by Despair into some Insurrection But that we shall never do preferring rather to suffer the greatest Extremity and our very Blood to be shed then in the least to violate the respect which we owe to our Prince And if they cannot overcome our Patience as assuredly they never shall then their Resolution is By continual Importunity to prevail with His Majesty to drive us out of the Kingdom But we hope that the King is so Good and Just that he will never gratifie them in such a thing without a Parallel And if we should be called to such a Trial we hope God will give us such Strength and Courage as without regret to abandon our Native Land that we may serve him wherever his Providence shall call us And this in effect is the general Resolution of all the PROTESTANTS within the Kingdom FINIS