Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	body_n	die_v	time_n	4,973	5	3.6216	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27390	Constantius the Apostate being a short account of his life and the sense of the primitive Christians about his succession and their behaviour toward him : wherein is shown the unlawfulness of excluding the next heir upon the account of religion, and the necessity of passive obedience, as well to the unlawfull oppressour, as the legal persecutour : being a full answer to a late pamphlet intituled Julian the Apostate, &c.	Bennet, John, d. 1686.	1683 (1683)	Wing B1884; ESTC R24199	39,779	97

away the title of Caesar from Iulian which was equivalent to that of H●ir-Apparent with us thereby shewing his design to dis-inherit him but leaving the prosecution of that War he had begun in Persia he carried his Army against Iulian to be reveng'd of that ungratefull Usurper and to secure himself in the Empire for he might kill Iulian as a Rebell and so his right would fall of course but he could not dis-inherit him as such because God though he gave the power of life and death to the Magistrate hath yet reserv'd the disposing of Kingdoms to himself But to proceed in the Narrative Constantius whether from inward grief or the toil of a long journey or both is not material fell ill at Mopsuecrene a place between Cappado●ia and Cilicia where in a very short time he died of a very high Fever for Marcellinus saith that he burnt all over like fire so that his servants could not so much as touch his body Socrates indeed gives us a far different account of his distemper attributing his Death to an Apoplexy I shall leave the reconciliation of these two Historians to those that think themselves concern'd in it for it is not material here of what death he died but it is certain the News of it was miraculously convey'd to Iulian for after he had consulted his Gods and Priests about the event of things and they had assur'd him of success above his hopes yet he was dissatisfied still he look't upon what they said to be rather slattery than prophecy and thought their predictions rather squar'd to his desires than truth but he was quickly satisfied by an extraordinary revelation for at the very same time the Emperour died in Cilicia a Souldier that lif●ed Iulian upon his horse he being seated suddenly himself fell down upon the ground and cried out in the hearing of all the company That he who had rais'd him up so high was fallen himself Marcel lib. 21. Having given this account of his Death I hope it will not be preposterous to speak a word or two of his Repentance Socrates is silent in this matter and the great Athanasius positively affirms that he continued in his damnable Heresie till the last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 907. And that dying he desir'd to be baptiz'd but not by a holy man but by one Euzoius this is also confirm'd by Socrates that had been depos'd for Arianism Ibid. If any one enquires into the credit of this great Father I shall refer him to Gregory Nazianzen's own Speech in commendation of him which he thus begins In praising Athanasius I praise Vertue it self c. Greg. Nazian in Land Athan. And to Constantius's Character of him who certainly might be believ'd when he commended one he hated in a Letter he sent to the people of Alexandria wherein he highly commends his integrity c. Athan. Works Epist. 2. ad Pop. Alex. Now which is to be believed Athanasius or Gregory in the account of Constantius's dying a Convert or an Apostate I leave the Impartial Reader to judge But the authority he useth to induce us to believe a Christian did that treacherous act is much to be suspected for Amm. Marcell lib. 24. is silent as to that who was concern'd in the expedition and an eye-witness of what past as likewise Eutropius But Aurelius Victor affirms the quite contrary viz. that he was kill'd by a Horse-man of the enemies and one that was ●lying too But Theodoret tells us positively cap. 25. lib. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who it was that struck this just stroke no man knows to this day And that it was not probable that a Christian would be guilty of this fact will manifestly enough appear from the passionate resentments they shew'd at his death See Marcell l. 24. CHAP. VII How they us'd his Memory THE Primitive Christians were so far from offering any injury to the Memory of Constantius that as if they had onely remembred he was their Emperour and now by his being dead own'd a new obligation superadded to that to speak well of Him they deplore his loss with all the demonstrations of a real sorrow the eyes that were wet when he persecuted them wept afresh at his funeral as if they had perfectly learn't that great lesson of their Saviour not onely to bear with but even to love their enemies The Souldiers you would think by the extravagance of their grief had forgot their Character and Constantine himself died not more lamented than his Son Iulian who had no great reason to be fond of his life if he consulted his own safety assisted at his Obsequies and made a very considerable figure in that sorrowfull procession and if we reade Gregory Nizianzen's description of his funeral we must needs stand amaz'd at the greatness of their Charity He tells us that he was carried forth with all the solemnity the Christians us'd to honour the Corps of a Pious Hero with and would fain persuade the people to believe that the very Angels themselves in reward of his unusual piety contributed their assistance to inhance the Glories of his Funeral but whether this is one of that Father's flights or really true I shan't contend this is certain from all the Histories of that age that he died generally lamented and that those that suffer'd by his Edicts did not presume to blaspheme the Memory of him that made them This was the Conduct of the Primitive Christian and if they ever acted contrary it was not to be imputed to their Religion but their Passions I shall easily grant that there are some severe reflexions upon Iulian to be met withall in Authours of very good note but I hope Mr. Iohnson will not infer from that that they are warrantable If he reades those very Fathers thorough he will find that their Theory runs sometimes contrary to their Practice and that they don't always act according to their own principles and I don't know why he should draw those passages into presidents for us which the Authours themselves in their cooler minutes were asham'd to own CHAP. VIII Reflexions on the Behaviour of these Christians wherein of Passive Obedience THat the Persecution under Constantius was much severer than any of the ten former is evident to any one that considers the Cruel●ies that were daily acted by the Arian Hereticks who as they were much more zealous for their Opinions than the Heathens so consequently they were more eager in prosecuting those that dissented from them The loss of a Trade or Profession was not the punishment of their Non-conformity but of Life too nay there were penalties inflicted where death was the least part of the punishment But all these heavy grievances did not make them question God's Providence or remonstrate to the Decrees of the Emperour they did not make their pressures just by impatiently submitting to them nor frustrate the reward of their sufferings by reviling their Persecutours thereby by rendring their