Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A62525
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The duty and comfort of suffering subiects. Represented by Peter Talbot in a letter to the Roman-Catholiks of Ireland, particulary those of the city and diocese of Dublin
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Talbot, Peter, 1620-1680.
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1674
(1674)
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Wing T115; ESTC R219689
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8,394
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12
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THE DVTY AND COMFORT OF SVFFERING SVBIECTS Represented by PETER TALBOT in a letter to the Roman-Catholiks of Ireland particulary those of the City and Diocese of DVBLIN Dearly Beloued in Christ I Should be very sorry there were any iust reason to beleeue that since my departure from that Kingdom any endeauors haue bin used to instruct you otherwise than I haue don as to the inviolable Duty and Obedience you ow to His Maiesty's Gouernment and the Laws you liue under And though your former unanimous and humble acquiescence to my constant Doctrin in this particular will not permit mee to haue the least doubt of your loyalty and peaceable behauiour yet because Aduersity is a strong Temptation and temporall necessities the most forcible of all motiues to our corrupt nature I thought fit to arm your soul against all such assaults by summing up in this Epistle the substance of what I haue so often inculcated unto you by word of mouth in my Exhortations I hope you remember that I alwayes endeauor'd to print this Great Truth liuely in your Minds that the Happines of Man in this present state consists more in possessing the riches of a good Conscience than the conveniencies of this world Good and Bad Fortune as they call them are but improper Nick-names and foolish Notions if by that language bee meant Riches and temporall Prosperity T is the depraued condition of human nature which makes us affectionately couet and unresignedly resent the loss of such paltry trash whose very Nature tells us ' t is of too base an alloy and of too mean and low a pitch of worth for a soul sprung from Heauen and wing'd by Christianity to fly at The apprehensions wee frame of our greatest and most important concerns of Eternity and of the proper Means for it's attainment are so dim for want of rendering our Faith liuely by attentiue consideration that wee are apt to miscall that Persecution which is indeed a sweet Prouidence of our Heauenly Father and to imagin that Pouerty and other Marks of Predestination are so many Misfortunes which make us miserable Neuer considering from how good a hand they com or indeauoring by Patience to make that excellent use of them for which they were intended to wit the Salvation of our Souls To confirm you there fore in these Truths and to settle you steadily in the submission you owe to the Laws of the Land as well as in the Charity you are by Christs sweet law obliged to bear towards your Protestant Neighbours and fellow-subiects I will state your case worse than really it is and suppose you were all driuen to that utmost and worst extremity of begging your bread I say though you were reduc'd euen to that staruing condition yet ought you not endeauour to better it by plotting or conspiring against His M. ty ' s Gouernment Person or Subiects or by disturbing the peace of the Kingdom You ought not I say once more do this and the reason why you ought not is as euident as it is that you ought not to sin to deny which Truth is to deny not some one point or some few single truths as do Hereticks but the whole intire Doctrin of Christianity and the Common Light of Reason to boot Rom. 13. Read the Holy Scriptures and you will find S. Paul tells us that Christians are bound in conscience to obey their Heathen Emperours and that vvho euer resisteth them resisteth the ordinance of God also that by so doing they purchasse to themselues Damnation Matt 22. Does not Christ himself command us to pay Tribute unto Cesar 〈◊〉 21. the badge and token of our Temporall vassallage and Obedience ◠Pet. 2. Does not S. Peter bid us be subiect to the King as hauing Preeminences their attainment of Eternall Happines Did Mortalls make sober and attentiue Reflexions upon the surviuency of their Soul and that the future condition which finally attends it stretches its duration to an endles Eternity their Reason which Custom and Passion hoodwink would readily discouer how iust it is to conform them selues to Gods holy will in this particular and euen to take content in their afflictions For tell mee I beseech you what is this world Truth makes answer for you and assures us all yt. t is onely â Theatre of foolish and false shows A short Comedy or rather indeed a short Prologue of euerlastlng sadnes to such as take most delight in it A perpetuall Conflict between life and Death Sicknes and Health Fear and Hope Ioy and discontent Again what is an Inheritance A parcell of land whereof our Ancestors were Masters as long as they liu'd which term of Life the onely interest any of them could pretend to is valu'd but at seauen years purchase Is it reasonable then think you to fix your hearts so unremouably and passionately upon that earth as if your Souls were to turn into it aswell as your Bodies Poor Souls After â mans death hee has no expectation of any good for his Temporall Estate being quite out of all circumstances of enioying the least conueniency from it Nor has any separated Soul the least Concern for any worldly Inheritance but those vahappy ones who hauing ouer-loud ' it here feel the fond affection to such â perishable and fleeting Good racking their wills with a bitter torment for the eternall loss of it Nor lastly do they concern themselues so highly for the Temporall Prosperity of their Children or Relations No no the blinding veil is then taken from their eyes and they see plainly nay feel experimentally that nothing is at all valuable but as it conduces to attain Heauen and that neither Riches nos Pouerty but onely virtue are the proper Means to compass that happy End both of them indifferent and unconcerning and onely good or bad as they are well or ill made use of but yet with this difference that Riches are by far a more dangerous incitement to lull our souls with the loue of this world and deturn us from virtue Nay euen the damned Souls are wiser than to concern themselues with wislshing those Friends whom they retain a naturall affection for such trifling aduantages That rich man who so much enuyd ' the Happines of Lazarus in Abrahams bosome was not sollicitons for his Brethrens worldly Interest but for their instruction which passage though it be a Parable yet t is a most sure proof of the Folly of such as lament the loss of their Fortunes more than the loss of Gods Grace and are more concernd ' for acquiring or conseruing an Inheritance in this world for themselues or their Relations than for that of Heauen what doth it profit a man to gain the whole Vniuerse if his Soul in the mean time suffers any Detriment And that soul suffers not onely Detriment but Eternall Damnation that will attempt to possess an Estate by so unlawfull means as Rebellion against Superior Powers and the Laws by them
Crosses aswell as Monks and Hermits Some Euangelicall Counsells and works of Supererogation are peculiar to the Ecclesiasticall state but God's Commandements are proper to all Christians I do not pretend that Lay-men are bound to sell their Lands and voluntarily embrace that Pouerty which Religious Orders profess but I must maintain that they are obliged in conscience to submit to Providence and to bear patiently the forfeiture of their Possessions without disturbing the Publix peace or the Priuate Rights of such as enioy them by virtue of de Laws of the Land They may haue recourse to the Cours of Iudicature and to His Maty ' s Iustice and Mercy but not to any other Tribunal upon earth Though the ancient Practice of Gods Church bee a sufficient and most conuincing proof of this Truth yet it were not amiss to confirm it with a reason deduced from the particular auersion which God hath to Rebellion and Disturbers of Gouernment Soueraigns are the Images of God as wee maysay according to his Prerogatiue Nor does their Soul onely naturally resemble him as hee is a Spirit but their Soueraignty and Office represent him under a Ciuill or Politique notion as hee is Supreme Lord and Master of his Creatures As sure as hee is King of the whole Vniuerse so surely they are his Vice-Roys in their respective districts And can wee think that this Great King will look on those with any other eye than as on Traytors who disobey and rebell against his Vice-Roy Does not the Order of the world plainly inform us that euery Superiour Power resents the contempt of a Subordinate one as avilifying his own which instituted it and in virtue of which it acts Or can wee think that God is not more offended when we disregard him under that character and Title than when wee commit other Sins Do not wee see that it stands with good reason that sublunary Kings pass by some disrespects and indignities which reflect upon them in other regards without inflicting very seuere punishments on the offenders But such Transgressions as touch their Supremacy or Power of gouerning are accounted Treason and punisht with the utmost of all Temporall Ills Death And this is the reason why Idolatry is so hainous in the sight of God because it dethrones him who is King of the whole creation and setts up an vsurper in his place to receiue that incommunicable honour which is so iustly and properly his Applying this then wee shall find that when subiects rebell against their King or his laws they contemn God who appointed them his officers to rule his world according to his Attribute of Supreme Lord and Master because Kings as such represent God's Soueraignty and are in that regard his Images as well as his Anointed and who so euer contemns the Image contemns the Prototype T is the known Doctrin of those of our Profession that wee ought to honour the former for the later's sake they onely therefore that hold no distinction between an Image and an Idoll may take an ombrage at this doctrin but the very grain and genius of our Religion obliges us to it strongly and leaues us no power to unrawell that ty of inviolable obedience to our Earthly Soveraigns which is so manifoldly interwouen in our very Christianity The summe of all is this that since Disobedience to our King necessarily implies a disobeying God 't is euidently consequent that wee can haue no more right to rebell against him than against God himself and that since God has so essentiall a hatred against sin as not to consent wee should commit the least veniall one though by so doing wee should conuert and saue the whole world how can it be imagin'd that hee will allow of so great a crime as rebellion upon any score euen of maintaining Religion or converting Souls much less upon that meer Temporall motiue of sauing or regaining an Estate And now Dearly-Beloued giue mee leaue to exhort you in Christ's name who is the Author and earnest Recommender of that best Soul-saving Virtue of Charity and in God's name as hee is the Soueraign Gouernour and Disposer of the Vvorld not to look with a maligning and spitefull eye upon your Protestant Neighbours as Vsurpers of Estates but as placed in Possession of them by the King who is God's Vicegerent and consequently by God himself as also to consider that the Diuine Goodnes doing euer what is best for the spirituall good of his Creatures if they make right use of it his holy Intention was by permitting your Temporall losses to lay more effectuall means for the salvation both of theirs and your own Souls Consider that their Souls are by creation the Images of God as well as yours for which reason alone were there no other you ought to loue and honour them and pray for their Conversion which doubtles has been God's design in this great Revolution In doing which you haue God's own word and who would not take his security t' is impossible you should bee losers if you practise the doctrin you profess and wee teach If any of them bee harsh to you bear it patiently if charitable bee thankfull I know there are many of them pitty your condition and offer to compound for your claym notwithstanding their Possession and the Legality of their Title I know also that euery man is apt to conceit himself to bee the best Iudge of his interest but giue mee leaue who ought to haue no other but the good of your Souls and am equally concern'd for the Saluation of all to wish with all my heart you did agree and liue together in true Christian Brotherly Charity lest your Dissension cause your damnation as it must ineuitably if it arriue to that height as to break that most excellent virtue without which all others are dead as wanting that which onely giues life to all the rest and bear no fruit of merit towards the attainment of Heauen Vvhat a happy man should I esteem my self if by my prayers and endeauours I could contribute any thing to so pious a work and so proper for one of my calling what pains and dangers would I not undergo How willingly would I leaue the contentmens and conueniencies I at present enioy in the best Climate and Country of Christendom to liue in that less happy soil not so favorable to men of my profession I shall not value any inconveniencies if you giue mee the least encouragement by receiuing cheerfully and heartily my aduice in this present matter which concerns so neerly the good of your Souls and the peace of that Kingdome I flatter my self and I hope not vainly with expecting your ready inclinations for so necessary à resolution and so becoming persons of your principles and therefore resting in this confidence I will make no farther delay but prepare my self as I hope I haue you by this letter for so Christian and meritorious a work Notwithstanding this only is my design I fear that if in order therunto I should once more implore and obtain with my Lord Lieutenants allowance a Iustice of the peace his warrant for securing a notorius malefactor though a Friar by profession falsely pretending papal priuileges of not being questioned for his adulteries rapes sedition exacting moneys by counterfeit Bulls as the supposed Vicar Apostoliks Collector and his Keeping a Community of vicious vagabonds upon poor peoples charges under the name and pretext of Religious Nouices I fear I say if I should in a legal way indeuor to haue such scandals and seditions punished by the Kings authority it will be represented again to the Parliament of England as an exercise of foreign iurisdiction and be made the ground of an other persecution Howeuer I coniure you most earnestly that if any should endeauour to teach you any doctrin contrary to this which I giue here under my hand and am ready to seal with my blood you will look upon them as Vvolues whatsoeuer their profession or habit seem to be You haue had experience of som Preachers who pretend great zeal to God and the Kings seruice and yet at the same time Rebellion and Murthers were proou'd against them These are the men you must not giue ear to nor conuerse with lest you bee infected with their Doctrin and peruerted by their Example Hear and follow the Pastors who are answerable to God for your souls not mercenary hirelings to whom the care of them does not properly belong And yet if either these or I or an Angell from Heauen should go about to persuade you that it is lawfull to molest your Protestant neighbors or defraud them of their goods or enter upon their possessions by any means or method which the Law of the Land doth not allow giue them no credit but let them bee to you as an Anathema God of his mercy grant you light to see strength to bear and a truly wise Christian Prudence to husband and make that excellent aduantage of your sufferings which God's All-seeing Vvisedome ordaind them for In the Iargon of wordly language they are call'd Misfortunes but beleeue mee they are the same measures which the sweetly-contriuing Oeconomy of diuine Providence euer took to make his Seruants happy Be of good comfort then and reioyce that your names are writ in the Book ef Life nay bless ' God that you are thought worthy to imitate Christ's Example and that you haue the surest Marks of Predestination which are wordly Pouerty and Contempt But to haue their due and full effect of benefiting your Souls these sufferings must bee accompany'd with Patience and accepted as fauours from that hand which alone can redress them here or else will surely reward them hereafter but it seldom does both I hope you will be so wise as to make choyce rather of the last and pray and endeauour that both your selues and your posterity may rather remain in the condition you are reduc't to than seek to better it for the moment o◠this life by hazarding that euerlasting Inheritance the loss whereof and of no other can possibly make you unfortunate The Peace of our Lord IESUS-CHRIST bee with you PETER TALBOT Patis May the 2d 1674.