Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	cause_n	great_a	life_n	4,477	5	4.3520	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34722	Serious considerations for repressing of the increase of Iesvites, priests, and papists without shedding blood written by Sir R.C. and presented to King James of happie memory.	Cotton, Robert, Sir, 1571-1631.	1641 (1641)	Wing C6497; ESTC R30275	19,787	48

with all endeavour to confirme his owne party in the best manner that may be 4. He that forbeareth to sowe his ground in expectance of good winde or a favourable Moone commonly hath a poore Crop and a leane Purse So shall it fare with this state if private whisperings of discōtented persons that neverlearnt to speak well be too nicely regarded yet ought they not to be slightly set at nought lest our credit grow light even in the Ballance of our dearest friends The Papasticall Libels informe against vs as if we were desirous to grow fat with sucking of their Blood the very walls of their Seminary Colledge at Rome are bedawbed with their lying phansies and in every corner the Corner-creepers leave some badge of their malicious spleen against vs crying out of cruelty and persecution But if the penalty of death be changed into a simple indurance of Prison what moate can they find in our eyes to pull out or with what Rhetorick can they defend their obstinate malipertnesse wch with repaying vs ill for good deserve to have coales of indignation powred vpon their heads Visne muliebre consilium said Livia to Augustus let severity sleepe a while and try what alteration the pardoning of Cinna mayprocure The Emperour harkened to her Counsell and thereby found his Enemies mouthes stopt and the malice abated some there are perchance that will terme this Clemency innovation and vouch the Precedent of that City who permitted none to propound new Lawes that had not a Corde about their necks ready for vengeance if it were found voprofitable But let such Stoyicks know that there is great difference between the penning of a new Law and advise given for the manner of executing it neither by their Leaves are all Jnnovations to be rejected For divine Plato teacheth vs that in all Common wealths vpon just grounds there ought to be some changes And that Statesmen therein must behave themselves like skilfull Musitians Qui artem Musices non mutant sed musices modum 5. That an evil weede groweth fast by example of the new Catholiques increase is cleerely convinced But he that will ascribe this generation simply to his Majesties Heroicall vertue of Clemency argueth out of the fallacy which is called Ignoratio Elenchi Was not the zeale of many cooled towards the last end of Queene Elizabeths Raigne hath not the impertinent heate of some of our owne side bereft us of part of our strength And the Papacy with tract of time gotten a hard skinne on their Consciences Parva metu primo mox sese attollit in altum But if we will with a better insight behold how this great quantity of Spawne is multiplied we must especially ascribe the cause thereof to their Priests who by their deaths prepare and assure more to their sect then by their lives they could ever perswade It were incivility to distrust a friend or one that hath the shew of an honest man if he will franckly give his word or confirme it with a sacred Oath But when a protestation is made upon the least gaspe of life it is of great effect and possesseth those that cannot gain say it upon their owne knowledge The number of these Priests which now a dayes come to make a Tragicall conclusion is not great Yet as with one Seale many Pattents are Sealed so with the losse of few lives numbers of wavering spirits may be gained Sanguis martyrum semen Ecclesiae And though these Priests having indeed a disadvantagious cause are in very deed but counterfeit Shadowes of Martyrs unto a true vnderstanding yet will they be reputed for such by those that lay their soules to pawne vnto their Doctrine with whom if we list to contend by multitude of voyces we shall be cryed down without all peradventure For the gate of their Church is wide and many there are that enter thereinto 6. By divers meanes it is possible to come to one and the selfe-same end seeing that then the some of our welwishings is all one Namely that Popish Priests may have no power to doe harme It is not impertinent to try sundry pathes which may leade vs to the perfecting of our desires Politicians distinguish Inter rempub constitutā rempub constituend According to the severall natures whereof Statists are to dispose of their Counsels and Ordinances Were now the Rhemists and Romulists new hatched out of the shell the former course of severity might soone bury their opinions with their persons But sithence the disease is inveterated variety of Medicines is Judiciously to be applyed The Romans did not punish all Crimes of one and the selfe-same nature with extremity of death For some they condemned to perpetuall Prison and others they banished into an Island or some remote Country even in the case of Religion they were very tender to dip their fingers in Blood For when Cato was Consul and it seemed good vnto the Senate to suppresse with violence the disordered Ceremony of the Bacchanals brought by a strange Priest into the City He withstood that Sentence alleadging that there was nothing so apt to deceive men as Religion which alwaies presents a shew of Divinity And for that cause it behoved to be very wary in chastizing the professors thereof lest any indignation should enter into the Peoples mindes that somewhat was derogated from the Majestie of GOD Others more freely have not spared to place Religion J meane that Religion which is ignorantly zealous amongst the kinds of Frensie which is not to bee cured otherwise then by time given to divert or qualifie the fury of the Conceit Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum Howsoever in valuing the power of a city or strength of Arguments quality and worth is to be preferred before number Neverthelesse where the uttermost of our force is not known it imports much to have it conceived that the multitude stands for us for doubts and suspitions cast in an Enemies way evermore make things seeme greater more difficulty thā they are indeed we have by Gods mercy the sword of justice drawne on our behalfe which upon short warning is able to disunite the secret Vnderminers of our quiet we have a King zealous for the house of the Lord who needeth not to feare lesse successe in shutting up of Priests then our late Queen had in restraining them in Wisbich Castle where lest their factious spirits should grow rusty they converted their Canker to fret upon themselves and vomiting out gall in quodlibets shewed that their Disease was chiefly predominant in the spleen Whattempests they have raised in their Colledge at Rome their owne bookes and many Travellers can witnesse The storme whereof was such that Sextus Quintus complained seriously of the vexation which he received oftner from the English schollers then all the Vassals of his Triple Crowne And untruly is the Magistrate noted of negligence or overmuch severity that layeth waite to catch the Foxes and the little Foxes which spoile the Vinyard

was objected against him yet it plainely appeares in his demeanure That hee would gladly have survived the possibility of that glory if any such hope had remained neither is it to be presumed that being in prison he would ever have conceived that we durst not touch his Reverence or that the Law was remisse which had justly condemned him and left his life to the Kings mercy it was the distance of the place and not persons that interpreted the sending over Seas of the Priests to be a greater Argument of their innocency then of his Majesties forbearance For had Father Parsons himselfe bin Coram nobis his song would rather have been of mercy then Justice It is truely said that we are all instructed Better by examples then precepts Therefore if the Lawes printed indictments recorded cannot controle the Calumniations of those that wilfully will mistake Treason for Religion By the execution of 2. or 3. of that Backbiting number I doubt not but the question may readily be decided Namque immedicabile vulous ense recidendum est ne pars sincera trahatur To dally with Pragmaticall Papists especially with those that by their example counsell pervert his Majesties Subjects I hold it a poynt of meere Injustice For what comfort may the good expect when the bad are by connivence freed to speake and imboldened to put their disloyall thoughts in execution For explaining therefore of my meaning it is necessary to have a regard vnto the nature of the Kings Liege people that are to be reformed by example of Iustice other forrayners who will we nill we must be censurers of our actions It hath been truly observed that the Nations of Europe wch are most remote from Rome are more superstitiously enclined to the dregs of that place then the neare neighbours of Italy whether that humour proceed from the cōplexion of the Northern bodies wch is naturally more retentive of old Customes then hotter Regions or that the vices of the City seated on 7. Hils are by crafty Ministers of that Sea concealed from the vulgar sort Ilist not now discusse but most certaine it is that the people of this Isle exceed the Romans in zeale of their profession Insomuch that in Rome it selfe I have heard the English Fugitives taxed by the name of Pichiapetti Inglesi Now as our Countrymen take surer holdfast of Papall Traditions then others so are they naturally better fortified with a courage to endure death for the maintenance of that cause For this Clymate is of that temperature out of which Vegetius holdeth it fittest to choose a valiant souldier where the heart finding it self provided of plenty of blood to sustain sodain defects is not so soone apprehensive of death or dangers as where the store-house of blood being small every hazard maketh pale Cheeks and trembling hands Angli say ancient writers bello intrepidi nec mortis sensu deterrentur And thereunto Botero the Italian beareth witnesse in his relations of many strangers therefore comming out of forraine parts among the Rarities of England desired to see whether report hath not bin too lavish in affirming that our condemned persons yeeld their bodies to death with cheerfulnesse And were it not that by daily experience we can call our selves to witnesse of this truth J could produce the Reverend Judge Fortescue who in commendation of our English Lawes made suteable as he well observeth to the inbred conditions of the Inhabitants of this Soyle avoweth that the English people in tryall for criminall causes are not compelled by Tortures to confesse as in other Nations it is vsed for as much as the quality of the English is known to be lesse fearefull of death then of Torments for which cause if the Torments of the Civill Law were offered to an innocent person in England he would rather yeeld himselfe guilty and suffer death then endure the horror of lingring paines Insulani plerumque fures saith one and so true it is that this Country is stained with that imputation notwithstanding that many are put to death to the end that others by their fall might learne in time to beware if then it doth appeare that terror prevailes not to keep men from offences which are condemned by Law and Conscience what assurance can there be to scare those who are constantly satisfied in their minds that their sufferings are either expresly or by implication for matter of Religion and health of their Soules In such a case to threaten death to Englishmen Quibus nihil interest humive sublimive putrescant is a matter of small consequence Purpuratis Gallis Italis aut Hispanis ista minitari to a setled resolution of death menaces to prolong a wearisome life prevaile much more in such cases Rightly did Clement the 8th consider that by burning two Englishmen in Rome for supposed Heresie he rather impaired his cause then bettered it Jnsomuch that many present at the resolute death of Mr. Marsh who was brought to dust in Campo di Santa Fiore spared not to proclaime him for a Martyr carried away of his ashes for a Relique wished their soules in the same place with his which newes brought to the Popes eare caused him as it was bruted about in Rome solemnly protest That none of the English Nation should publiquely from that time forward be consumed with fire On the other side if we read the volumes written in praise of their Priests constancy their Martyrologie or Kalender of Martyrs and Path way of salvation as it were chalked out vnto the Papists by sacrificing their lives for the Pope we shall find that by taking away of one we have confirmed and invited many whereof I could give particular instances if I thought any scruple were made in that point As for forraigne parts which hold with the Papall Supremacy it is cleere that they will be severe and partiall Judges in this cause For albeit that here in England it is well known to all true and loyall Subjects that for matter of Roman Doctrine no mans life is directly called into question But that their disobedience in reason of State is the only motive of their prosecution Neverthelesse where a great Canton of Christendome is rooted in a contrary opinion things in this world are for the most part esteemed by outward appearance this Land cannot escape malicious scandals neithet shal there be want of Colledges to supply their faction with Seminaries Therefore again and again I say that if the state of the question were so set that it were possible by a generall execution of the Priests and their Adherents to end the controversie J could in some sort with better will subscribe thereunto But seeing J find little hope in that course J hold it safer to be ambitious of the victory which is purchased with lesse losse of blood and to proceed as Tully teacheth his Orator who when he cannot wholly overthrow his Adversary yet ought he to doe it in some part and