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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bishop_n	church_n	rome_n	6,168	5	7.0527	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53667	A brief and impartial account of the nature of the Protestant religion its present state in the world, its strength and weakness, with the wayes and indications of the ruine or continuance of its publick national profession / by a Protestant.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1682 (1682)	Wing O716; ESTC R11764	23,846	42

made use of unto this End and all in vain And it was for a while the Judgment of most Wise men that the Council of Trent had rendred all Reconciliations so much as by a pretence of any Condescention on the part of Rome utterly impossible For it hath bound it self and all the World that will own its Authority under Solemn Curses not to make any change or Alteration in the present State of the Papal Church though the Salvation of all Men living should depend thereon Yet notwithstanding the fixing of this unpassable Gulph between the two Churches or Religions some persons professing the Protestant Religion either angry at their Station and disappointments in the World or Ambitious above their Station in the Protestant Church though of the Highest Dignity attainable in it or out of an Itch or Curiosity of venting their Conciliatory Notions as they suppose them and so to entitle themselves unto the name of Peace-makers have in the foregoing and present Age revived the same fruitless Design but hitherto without success But it must be confessed that at present things are more prepared for the plying of this Engine and making it Effectual unto the Ruine of the Protestant Religion than they were in former Ages whereof I shall give some Instances Sundry Learned men who have made themselves of great Name and Reputation thereby have in their publick Writings granted a Patriarchal Primacy in the West unto the Bishop of Rome which is meet to be restored And therewithall they have relinquished the true Grounds of the Reformation For whereas the real Causes and Reasons of it were the Idolatry Heresies and Tyranny of the Church of Rome which every private Christian might understand and was bound to Separate from in his own Person were there no other of his Mind in the World but himself alone and had Right so to do they have resolved it into the Power of a National Church in that Patriarchate with their Supream Civil Ruler to reform it self from such things as they esteem abuses Now as this is a matter wherein the Consciences of the People or private Christians are not concerned so it is built on sundry Arbitrary presumptions that have not the least Countenance given unto them from the Word of God And as this Endeavour tends directly to divert the Minds of Men from the true Causes and Reasons of the Reformation whereon all the Martyrs died so it leads directly upon a Relief against the pretended abuses to return unto the Pope as an Head of Unity and Peace unto all Churches at least in these Western parts of the World which is all that at present is pleaded for by many of the Papists themselves For the Dispute they say about the Pope his Power and Infallibility you need not trouble your selves let the Bishop of Rome in his Succession from St. Peter be acknowledged as an Head of Unity and Peace unto all Christians with a Patriarchal Power and no more shall be required of you that is at present for the Pope will be Pope whilest he is so that is until he is utterly cast out of the Church But by such Concessions as these the way is preparing for a composition as unto the outward Order and Rule of the Church As unto the Internal part of Religion in Doctrines of Faith there is no small advance towards a Reconciliation in the Introduction of Novel Opinions into the Protestant Profession For although on their first entrance among us they were publickly protested against by the Commons of England in Parliament as introductory of Popery yet their prevalency since hath been so great as that their Abettors are ready to avow them as the Doctrine of the present Church Yet are they all of them opposite unto the fundamental Principles of the Reformation which were to exalt the Grace of God and debase the Pride of Men from the contempt of which Principles all the Abominations of the Papacy did arise And this progress towards a Reconciliation is daily improved by the endeavours of some to lessen all the Doctrinal differences between the Papists and Protestants and to make them appear as things not worth the striving or contending about The same work is carried on by the labours and endeavours of many in their publick Writings to divert the making Application of Scripture Prophesies and Predictions of an Apostatical Antichristian Church-State unto the Church of Rome The perswasion hereof as it is a most undoubted Truth wherein the Souls of Men are concerned is the Principal means of preserving the Body of the People in an aversation unto Popery If you can once perswade them that the Pope is not Antichrist that the Church of Rome is not that Idolatrous Tyrannical State foretold in the Scripture many would be very indifferent how you treat with them or what composition you shall make for your selves But it is hoped that the broad Light which ariseth from the Evidence the Pope and his Church for many Ages have given of themselves so to be by their Idolatries Persecutions Murders Luciferian Pride trampling on the Power and Persons of Kings and all sorts of Persons in conjunction with the Characteristical Notes of Times Places Rise Progress Nature and Actings of that Church State in the Scripture will not easily be extinguished There is no small prevalency in the World of an Atheistical Principle lately advanced namely of Resolving all respect unto the publick Profession of Religion into the Wills and Laws of Men in Supream Power It is supposed herein that Men may be in their own Minds of what Religion they please and be as Religious as they will But for the preservation of Society it is meet that the Wills of Law-givers in all Nations should be the Sole Rule of the outward Profession of Religion Now although this Atheistical Opinion be destructive of Christian Religion condemning all the Professors of it from its first entrance into the World of the highest Folly imaginable yet being suited to accommodate all the Lusts and Interests of Men profane and ungodly it is incredible what a progress in a short time it hath made in the World And those who have imbibed it are ready for all such compositions in Religion as may be supposed any way Commodious unto their Inclinations and Interests I shall only mention that which of all other things is of the worst abode namely the Loss of the Power of Religion in all sorts of Persons The Protestant Religion will not any where long maintain its Station any otherwise than by an Experience of its Power and Efficacy on the Souls of Men. Where this is lost through the power of prevalent vitious Habits of the minds of Men the whole of that Religion will be parted withall at an easie Rate For there is another continually proposed unto them with those entertainments for Mens Fancies and carnal Affections with those accommodations for their Lusts Living and Dying with outward Secular advantages that this

to commend and approve of what is so done because it is a kind of Relinquishment of things grievous and Tyrannical At the first Proposal few will judge these things to be sufficient but will encourage themselves in an expectation of further Condescensions and will be ready to assure others that they will ensue But yet when they find themselves defeated herein they will take up the Management of the Cause and contend that this is enough at present for sober Men seeing no more can be attained But in Reality this Reconciliation will prove a total Defection from the Protestant Religion For the Church of Rome neither will nor can part with any thing that shall change its Antichristian-State and Idolatrous Worship The whole of their pretension is but a Decoy to get us into their Power where we shall be made to understand both where we are and where we have been also And those which shall be most inclinable unto such a Reconciliation as is designed unless they also become flagitious Persecutors of those whom they have left as is the manner of most Apostates will find their former faults called over to the purpose and such base acknowledgements required of them as ingenuous Persons would rather choose to die than be brought unto But although universal Experience confirms this to be the certain and undoubted issue of a return unto their Power from which Men are judged to have broken away unjustly what ever Salvo's seem to be provided against it yet those concerned cannot think it shall be so with them but rather that they shall be dearly embraced and highly promoted if not for their Return yet for their being early and sedulous therein But if they find this Entertainment with them who have every thing which they think good as Conscience and Religion and every thing that is really evil as Pride Ambition and Revenge to oblige them unto the contrary I shall not be alone in being deceived But this one consideration is sufficient to cast out all thoughts of any Reconcillation with the Church of Rome For although they should never so earnestly desire it as that which would bring Dominion Profit Advantage and Reputation unto them yet is it not in their Power continuing what they are to make any such Concessions as shall alter their State or once touch the Reasons of the Protestants departure from them And seeing what they suppose they may grant will not be upon a Conviction of Truth that such ought to be as if before they had been in a Mistake but only to comply with a present Exigence for their Advantage it will be recalled whenever they judge it meet to take it away again Upon the whole matter the Reconciliation designed on the most plausible Terms that have ever yet been proposed is nothing but an hood-winkt Defection to Rome accumulated with a charge on the Consciences of them who shall comply therewith of the Guilt of all the Miseries and blood of them by whom it will be refused But there are on the other side certain considerations that may be laid in the Ballance against these Dangers or the fears of them as unto the Event And I shall briefly mention them also For 1. The Honour of Christ himself seems to be engaged for the preservation of the Light and Truth of the Gospel where it hath been professed And so it is undoubtedly unless the Sins and Ingratitude of the Generality of them by whom it is professed do require that they be dealt withall in his severity In that case the Glory and Honour of Christ are more engaged to remove and take away the Blessing of it from any Place or People than to put forth his Power for its preservation and continuance Now although it must be acknowledged that the Sins of these and other Protestant Nations have been of an high provoking Nature unto the Eyes of his Glory yet it may be hoped that they have not exceeded the bounds of his Patience and Forbearance And whether it be so or no there will be a speedy Discovery For if on the many intimations which he hath given them of his Displeasure his many calls to Repentance mixed with Threatnings they will now at last return unto him from the evil of their ways and make their Repentance evident by the Fruits of it he will undoubtedly continue his presence among them and his care over them But if notwithstanding all that they hear and feel and fear at present notwithstanding all Divine warnings and Indications of his Displeasure they will go on frowardly in their own wayes unto the high Dishonour of himself and his Gospel causing his Name and wayes to be Blasphemed among the Idolatrous Nations the Event must be left in the depths of Infinite Wisdom with Soveraign Grace and Mercy 2. Notwithstanding all that Profaneness and Wickedness of Life wherein Multitudes are immersed who outwardly profess the Protestant Religion there is a Remnant in the Nations where it is professed who manifest the Power of it in their Lives and glorifie Christ by their Profession and Obedience unto all his Commands walking worthy of the Gospel in all Holy Conversation Nor are this sort confined to any one Party or Peculiar way among them but are found in the whole Body or Community of the Protestant Profession What Influence these have on many accounts into the preservation of the Light of the Gospel in the Places Times and Nations wherein their Lot and Portion is cast by Divine Providence is not here to be declared the Scripture will give a sufficient account of it 3. There is evidently at present a Spirit of Courage and Christian Magnanimity come upon many whose other Circumstances render them considerable in the World to do and suffer whatever they shall Lawfully be called unto for the defence of this Protestant Religion This also is from God and if his purpose were utterly to ruine that Interest it is more suited unto former Dispensations of his Providence in like cases to send Weakness Faintness Cowardice and Despondency into the Hearts of those concerned than to give them a Spirit of Courage and Resolution for their Duty And hereunto also belongs that Revival of Zeal for their Religion and the Concernments of it which hath of late been stirred up even in the Body of the People taking occasion from the Opposition made unto it and the dangers whereunto it hath been reduced If these things are from God as they seem to be they will not be so easily run down as some Imagine For whatever means he will make use of be they in themselves never so weak and contemptible they shall be effectual unto the End whereunto they are designed And therefore there is no small Indication in them that it is in the Councel of the Divine Will as yet to preserve the Profession of the Protestant Religion though it may be sorely shaken 4. The strange Discoveries that have been made of the Plots and Designs