Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	alexander_n	king_n	scotland_n	6,666	5	10.2419	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35568	A treatise proving spirits, witches, and supernatural operations, by pregnant instances and evidences together with other things worthy of note / by Meric Casaubon.; Of credulity and incredulity in things natural, civil, and divine	Casaubon, Meric, 1599-1671.	1672 (1672)	Wing C815; ESTC R21714	218,874	336

strange or so ridiculous but by the Devil's intervention to whom what rites or ceremonies are used or whether some or none but only to amuse is altogether indifferent is available sometimes and yet none as to mans judgment so plausible and so probable but is fallible and doth often deceive BUT that which in this matter of Divination most poseth my reason which also posed Aristotle so much that he could neither believe nor yet absolutely deny is that there be men and women but women especially in whom resteth a spirit of divination so expressed Acts 16.16 by which they foresee and foretel strange things and seldom miss All Histories afford notable examples so that even some that believe no Spirits whether a God or no I know not yet acknowledg There be such that foretel they say very certainly for the most part They impute it to a proper temperament an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any thing so neither God nor Devil be in it What great occasion they had to fear him should they grant him an existence I know not But one example every where obvious and well attested for in this also as in all things there is frequent mistaking and imposture I will instance in Innocentius the Eighth Pope of Rome who sent a man into England or Scotland rather named Adrianus famous for his singular wisdom judgment in matters of the world which soon after brought him unto Henry the Seventh King of England his favour and his favour to the Bishopprick of Bath and Wells in Sommersetshire Returned to Rome and in great imployment under Alexander the sixth he was made a Cardinal and after Alexander flourished under more than one but under Pope Leo the Tenth particularly It was his ill luck if not occasioned by any impiety and unthankfulness to God to grow acquainted with a woman in whom such a Spirit was Among many things which she foretold both publick and private which in all points and circumstances fell out accordingly she also foretold that one Adrian by name born of mean parentage preferred meerly by and for his worth should be Pope after Leo. This exactly agreeing with his case and having had he thought sufficient proof of the truth of her predictions he confidently applied it unto himself and made no question but he was the man that should succeed Pope Leo. In this confidence he began such a bewitching thing is Authority notwithstanding the sad examples every Age and Country when too eagerly coveted doth afford to think the time long before the Pope died and to hasten it with some others conspired against his life and though prevented and pardoned lived afterwards and ended his days miserably or if he had so much grace as to think so and to make a right use more happily because obscurely and never heard of more than before But Adrianus is not our business The womans prediction was verified by the event For Adrianus the sixth a man of mean parentage of excellent worth being then absent was chosen of purpose a man would think for no such thing was intended scarce believed when it was done to verifie the prediction But God forbid we should so think seriously but it fell out strangely that cannot be denied Now were it so that this Spirit of Divination were found in men and women such only who by their life and conversation did shew somewhat of either worth or godliness more than ordinary it is Aristotle's objection it would not be so strange or incredible But for the most part if not always true prophets excepted it falls out quite contrary And therefore by the law of God such were to be put to death Lev. 20.27 And happy is that Kingdom for there God hath promised a blessing where no such who take upon them to prophesie whether their predictions prove true or no are suffered to live But Credulity and Incredulity is the thing we have to do with What then shall we say First that Aristotle's objection is very plausible and worthy of Aristotle and the same objection lieth against the Salutators of Spain who for the most part are ignorant people of a leud conversation and yet are believed generally to do strange cures Franciscus à Victoria of whom besides Grotius divers Protestants speak with good respect is so put to it in this case that he doth not know what to pitch upon as himself doth ingenuously acknowledge Of four opinions which he doth propose he doth leave us free to chuse which we will Either that they cheat and impose or that what they do they do it by the Devil or perchance by a special grace for reasons best known unto God or lastly that it may be a secret of a proper natural temperament So still we are left in uncertainty But against manifest experience besides the authority from the word of God there is no arguing as to matter of fact It is not any part of our task to examine the reason But were the nature and divisions or kinds of Spirits better known unto us than they are or should be ambitious to know whilest we live it is likely we might say more to it than now we can I shall conclude that as I account great Incredulity not to believe that there be such predictions so to believe them before the event have confirmed them to enquire after them to regard them is little less than Apostacy from God and from the true faith If true sometimes yet false often but always dangerous if not pernicious to them that hunt after them SAINT Augustin in one of his books contra Academicos under the name of Licentius one of the Collocutors in that Dialogue doth tell us of one Albicerius a notable Diviner in his time well known unto him in his younger years an excusable curiosity in that age and profession long before he was a Christian Three or four notable stories he hath of him but first of all or before that what kind of man he was for his life A very rogue as any was in Carthage and such a whoremonger innumera scorta saith St. Augustin as scarce any age hath known the like The first story is that consulted about some silver Spoons that were missing by a messenger he presently told the owner of the Spoons the thief and the place where they were at present I believe some of our London-Prognosticators have done as much or near if publick fame though they may think it a credit do them no wrong Another time when St. Augustin or some of his familiar acquaintances went to him to be satisfied about somewhat which he doth not relate he not only satisfied them in that to the utmost of their expectation or desire but moreover acquainted them that their boy or servant by the way had stoln some money out of the bag of money which he carried after them even before he had set his eyes upon the said boy or servant and forced him to restore every penny before