Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	world_n	write_v	zealous_a	13	3	8.2398	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34067	Friendly and seasonable advice to the Roman Catholicks of England by a charitable hand.	Comber, Thomas, 1645-1699.	1677 (1677)	Wing C5468; ESTC R1768	62,503	180

charged with And if it do not gain such persons yet it will teach them to censure mildly and to dissent from us with more moderation and as the volume is small and so may invite those to its perusal who are delighted with brevity so the style is as mild as the matter would allow and can give no just offence to any the particulars are so plain and so fully proved more at large by others that the Author resolves not to dispute but in pure charity to advise the Romanists not to resist apparent truth and reason having no worse intentions towards them than to set them into the best way to Heaven and if any be angry at him or you for this they are the greatest enemies to themselves and more concerned for their present Opinions than for their everlasting Salvation but it is to be hoped the sincerity of your intention to do good may oblige some kindly to accept this Manual at least as a testimony of your love to whom if you have the liberty of discourse you shall do well to clear those exceptions which Prejudice may suggest and at least to obtain from them a resolution impartially to enquire into the truth of that which they so confidently do believe and sure it is infinite pity that persons of excellent reason should be so much enslaved as not to dare to ask the right way to bliss of any but those who have an absolute dominion over them nor once to go about to judge for themselves in a case of so great Concernment I would be loath to think so hardly of their Superiours as to suppose they interdicted their Adherents from all converse with us for this were the exact parallel of the Muscovian policy where it is death for any to travel out of their own Kingdom without especial license for fear they should never endure their former bondage when once they have seen the freedom of other Nations and if once you can prevail so far that they will impartially compare their own Opinions with ours it is probable they may become our friends I shall add no more but to wish this Token may be as kindly accepted as it will be charitably offered by you and to assure you you shall never want his prayers for your success who is Sir Yours to serve you TO His esteemed Friend M r. W. R. Concerning this present Edition SIR YOVR account of the speedy dispersing of this Little Tract encourageth me to hope it hath not only been acceptable to the World but also blessed by God to the reducing some from the Roman Opinions and the establishing others in the Protestant Faith And that it may more effectually serve to these desirable Ends I have been content to obey your Request in reviewing it in order to another Impression which You tell me is now desired In which Review I have rectified the Method of the whole and illustrated and strengthened every part with the Addition of so many of the most convincing Instances and Authorities as could be put in without too much swelling the Bulk I confess I did suppose the things to be so evident and so plainly proved in larger Discourses that I was not curious before always to bring Proofs for my Assertions But now your Letter acquaints me both that some Romanists who resolve boldly to deny what they cannot otherwise evade have questioned the Truth of some parts of this charge And also that those Protestants whose Charity hath invited them to seek their Friends Conversion have desired I should add my Authors to confirm these Allegations Therefore for the full satisfaction of both Parties I have proved all the particulars by the Testimony of such Authors whose Evidence is unquestionable chusing usually the plain Confessions of Popes and Cardinals or other approved Writers of the Roman Church that so those of that Party may believe these Matters from the mouth of those whom they esteem their best Friends which they would suspect if we related upon our own Credit whom they unjustly account their Enemies And though their present Romish Priests should deny those things which the most Eminent Writers of their own Church have formerly acknowledged they are not to be doubted of upon that account since the Confession of former Writers against their own Party is better Evidence than the denial of the later can be for it for No man will lye saith Tertullian to his own disgrace but rather for his credit And it is more fit to believe such as confess against themselves than such as deny for themselves So that none can justly doubt of these Truths thus attested And he that once believes them and yet retains the Religion of Rome must be of a humor differing from the rest of Mankind who cannot chuse a known delusion nor delight in sitting under apparent abuses I must expect the Admirers of that once famous Church will entertain these just and necessary Accusations thereof with some little heats of Passion but I hope it will calm those hasty motions when they deliberately consider that since I say no more than Truth I do no injury to Rome and the Charity which I have for them obliges me to say so much And why saith the Philosopher art thou displeased at me who have done no more than a Looking-glass doth to the deformed having only shewed thee to thy self as thou art Shall the Physician be said to reproach him whose disease he discovers to him They will remember I hope that I have undertaken the office of a Friendly Counsellor whose duty according to the Graecian Sage is Not to advise that which is most pleasing but that which is most profitable And if in compliance with this Rule I shall somewhat displease them to their Advantage I shall not only obtain a Pardon but merit their Thanks also in the end However I ask no more than that laying aside their Prejudices they will put on so much affection to their own real interest as to weigh the Reasons and Arguments upon which my Advice is grounded and if they be convincing and perswasive I desire them not to resist their own Freedom nor despise him that sincerely seeks their good but if they absolutely resolve the most rational and just Motives shall not perswade them to alter their Old Opinions I shall pity and pray for them but can use no other Methods in this case for it is Counsel and not Command which I give since men should be reasoned and not forced into a right Faith and would God the Roman Church had never obtruded her Opinions upon the world by any other means but these gentle and rational perswasions her Neighbours then would not have had so just cause to complain of her And now Sir since I write and you and other zealous Protestants act by these fair Methods if our endeavours for our Countrymens Conversion be not maliciously misconstrued they cannot be censured to tend to the harm of any