Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	work_n	world_n	zeal_n	35	3	6.9829	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11464	A relation of the state of religion and with what hopes and pollicies it hath beene framed, and is maintained in the severall states of these westerne parts of the world.; Europae speculum	Sandys, Edwin, Sir, 1561-1629.	1605 (1605)	STC 21716; ESTC S966	125,256	184

imperfections from which neither the wisest nor perfectest have beene free what doe they but propose them as matter of scorne and abhorring whome God hath as it were marked out for patternes of honor to immitate Yea this age hath brought out those curst and these accursed wittes who by culling out the errours and shews of error by formalizing the contrarieties misinterpreating the ambiguities intangling the obscurities which in the most renowmed Authors for humane wisedome that were ever in the world their envious and malitiously fine braines could search immitating him therein who by his Labours of the very same nature though with lesse and no ground at all against the sacred Bible purchased the infamous name of the enemy of Christianity have doone that hurt vnto the studies of learning which nothing but the vtter extinguishing of their vnlearned works can expiate 31 The last meanes I will heare speak of were vsed in setting forward this reformation of religion was the deligent compiling the histories of those times and actions and especially the Martyrologie of such as rendered by their deaths a testimonie of that trueth which was persecuted in them These memories and stories presenting generally to the world the singlenesse and innocencie on the one parte the integritie of their lives the simplicitie of their devises the zeale of their desires their constancie in temptations their tolleration in torments their magnanimitie celestially inspired courage and comfort in their very agonies and death yeelding their bodies with all patience to the furious flames and their soules with ioy to the handes of him that made them On the other side representing a serpentine generation wholy made of fraud policies and practises men lovers of the world and haters of truth and godlinesse fighters against the light protectors of darkenesse persecuters of marriage and patrons of brothelles abnegators and dispencers against the lawes of God but tyrannous importunators and exactors of their own men false in their promises treacherous in their pretences barbarous in their executions breathing nothing but cruelty fire and sword against mē that never offended them save in their desire to amend them which they could not endure and much of this sett out in sundry places with pictures to imprint thereby a more lively sence of commiseration of the one parte and detestation of the other bred in mens minds a strong cōceit that on the one side Truth and Innocencie was persecuted on the other violence and deceit persecuting that the one part cōtrarie to al humane probabilitie being nourished with the only dew of divine benediction flourisht in the flames as camamile spread abroad being troad vnder feet the other notwithstanding al humane and infernall devises yet cursed from above faded not vnlike to come to ruine The Papacie being netled extreamly with these proceedings hath resolved to give over the kindling any more of those vnfortunate fiers save in some secure places to maintaine the vsage of that law the ashes of which they have perceived to have beene the seede of their adversaries but rather by secret making men away in their Inquisitions and by general massacres to extinguish them Then to affront them in the same kinde of Martyro●ogies and Histories they have first caused stories to be written also in their favour making in them a representation of authority and iustice proceeding by pollitick execution of Lawe in the necessarie defence of God Church and of all Catholike States and Princes against a company of base rebelles of vow-breaking-Friars of Church-robbing polititians Church-raizng souldiers of infected and infecting both Schismatiques and heretiques innovators of orders vnderminers of government troublers of states over-turners of Christendome against whom if they have not yet sufficiently prevailed it is to be attributed only to the force of popular fury and not to any strength and goodnesse of their cause much lesse to any celestiall and divine protection Next for Martirologies they have England for their field to triumph in the proceedings wherein against their late Papists and complices they aggravate to the height of Neroes and Dioclesians persecutions and the sufferers of their side both in merites of cause in extreamitie of torments in constancy and patience to the renowned Martyres of that Heroicall Church age whereof besides sundry other bookes they have published a great volume lately to the world in Italian compiled with great industrie approved by authoritie yea some of their bookes also with pictures illustrated in summe wanting nothing save onely trueth and sinceritie An easie thing it is without growing to the extreame impudency of palpable lying by leaving out the bad on the one side and the good on the other by inforcing and florishing all circumstances and accidents which are in our favour and by elevating and disgracing of all the contrarie by sprinkeling the termes of honour wholy on the one part and of hatred and ignomie on the other to make their tale turne which way shall please the teller But writers of histories should know that there is a difference betweene their profession and the practise of advocates pleading contrarie at the barre where the wisedome of the Iudge pickes the truth out of both sides which is intire perhaps in neither 32 And verily in this kinde both the Protestants and Papistes seeme generally in the greatest part of their stories to be both too blame though both not equally having by their passionate reports much wronged the truth abused this present age and preiudiced posteritie insomuch that the onely remedie now seeming to remaine is to read indifferently the stories on both parts to count them as advocates and to play the Iudge betweene them But partiallity seemeth to be the chiefe fault of the Protestant love dislike sometimes dazeling his eyes drawing him from an Historiographers into an Orators profession though some of them have carried themselves therin with commendable sinceritie even as some also of the other part have discharged themselves nobly But surely the Priests and Friars which have written in that kinde have strangely behaved themselves and disclosed how small reckoning they make of truth in any thing their devising their forging their facing their peecing their adding their paring having brought not onely their modesty but their wits also in question whether they forget not what it was they vndertooke to write a worke of storie or of poetry rather which Artes though like yet ought they to know are different And for these Martyrologies to speake of England as they doe let the trueth of Religion be indifferent on whether side vnlesse difference be made betweene men who suffer for their consciences onely their very adversaries having no other crime to obiect against them and those who eyther in their owne particular persons or at least wise in their directors whom they have chosen to follow and vowed to obey are convinced to have attempted against the Prince and state and to have practised the alteration and ruine of both If

now speak of where the Grecian who is counted by the corruption of his country to be naturally a crafty merchant a seditious person in all kinds of gouernment is now become humble obedient and peaceable and at divine service gives shew of more devotion than the Romanist in any place for ought I have yet seene But the lamentable calamity of this afflicted distressed Church once florishing in all worldly glory now such as it hath pleased the wild bore to leave it is able to dissolve a marble heart into streams of tears causeth me in true sense of compassion of their miserie to wish with the humble petition of a mind pierced with grief to the iust Iudge of the world redeemer of mankind and savior of his people to cast downe his pitifull eies vpon them to behold on one side his triumphing fierce enimies persecuting without measure on the other his poore servants troden downe persecuted without helpe hope or comfort to dissolue the pride and power of the one to comfort the astonished and wasting weaknes of the other with some hope of succour and finall delivery to inspire the hearts of Christian Princes their neighbours compounding or laying aside their endlesse and fruitlesse contētions to revenge their quarrell against their vniust oppressor to deliver now at length the Church of that bane the world of that ignominy mankind of that mōster of Turkish tyranny that hath too long raigned and laied the earth desolate A small thing were it if this revenue and treasure were only supplied and maintained out of their goods and labours or if their bodies and lives were onely wasted and worne out in his works slaueries it might be suffered for goods are transitorie and death the end of all worldly miseries But to be forced to pay a tribute also of soules to his Mahomet to have their deerest children snatcht out of their bosomes to be brought vp in his impious abhomination and to be imployed in murdering them that begat them and in rooting out of the faith wherein they were borne and baptized and which onely were able to bring their soules into happines This surely is a calamitie insupportable and which crieth out vnto God in the heavens for reliefe How long shall that hateful name of that cursed seducer vpbraid the glorious lovely name of our Savior How long shall his falshood insult ouer our faith how long shall his barbarisme oppresse our civility his tyranny affront the true honor of all lawful government but how long soever this stands firme for ever that the iudgmēts of God are iust directed in his sharpest chasticemēts to the benefit of the world and instructiō of men sound to vs that if those people amōgst which our Savior himself cōversed at what time his beautiful steps honored this world with those Churches which his Apostles so industriously planted so carefully visited so tenderly cherished instructed cōfirmed by so many peculiar Epistles and for whom they sent vp so many servent praiers yea to whom are remaining those particular letters which the spirit of the highest indited in the very heavens and sent downe vnto them Aforewarning of that plague which is since befallen them if besides these spiritual prerogatives and graces the puissance and glory of the great empire of the world the christian empire of Rome being translated vnto them seated in their lap and with promise of perpetuitie to their present prosperity such then was the strength thereof Notwithstanding when they fell away frō their first zeale charitie when knowledge the right mother of humilitie made them swell when they envied each others graces which they ought to haue loved whē aboūdance of all things bred wantonnes instead of thankfulnes In fine when they forgot the Author of all their blisse and fell to snarling and biting one another insteade of putting vp and forgiving of offences if not for the name of Brotherhood yet for his sake who was father and equall lorde of both it pleased God to suffer a base thiefe and a wicked with a traine of vagabondes to the eternall reproach of all their wisedome and pollicie to advaunce himselfe so by his industrie and their securitie and to grow to such an height in his successors and folowers as to be a terror and amazement to all the world and to themselues an vnexplicable vnsuccorable calamity to strip them of all those graces and blessings which vngratefulnes wold not acknowlege pride and wantonnes did abuse And to heap on thē as much miserie as the cruelty of a barbarous and mercilesse tyrant can infflict vpon such as haue no meanes to appease him save their calamitie alone or to withstand him besides their patience then surely wee who come short of them so farre in pledges of favor and equall them in our faults And they who have had in particular the like threatening caveats of cutting off notwithstanding the virtues of their honourable auncestors may thinke it high time to enter into a more serious cogitation of their wayes to turne all their pollicies contentiōs against others into an humble and sincere examination of our selues that repentance and amendment may prevent those punishments which our wickednesse hath deserued and obstinacie now highly doth prouoke 58 It remaineth that I should proceed to the churches reformed of which there are many things also to be saide But my length in my former drawne on by multitude and varietie of matter still freshly presenting it selfe contrary to my intention doth cause me to deferre the rest till some other occasion In the meane while it doth hūbly and gladly submitte it selfe to be censured and controlled by those of wisedome experience and iudgement For howsoever I have waded heerein with that vprightnes of minde which becommeth a lover and searcher of trueth And have also to my best avoyded that ras●nes and lightnes in beleefe which they that are subiect vnto shall swallow downe many a morcell which will fill them with winde insteade of good iuyce nourishmēt yet viewing on the other side in such a multitude at this day perhaps with like integritie equall warines more diligence and manifoldly more means of certaine informations have delivered either histories or other particular relations how few there are that have not stumbled vpon many an errour where they thought was nothing but plaine ground and trueth I cannot have anie affiance or presumption of my good fortune as to hope to be the man alone that should hit trueth in all things But rather as foreseeing almost an impossibilitie of not often erring in matter FINIS