Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	edward_n	king_n	year_n	23,738	5	5.6713	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28660	A relation of the fearful estate of Francis Spira, in the year 1548 compiled by Natth. Bacon, Esq.	Bacon, Nathaniel, 1593-1660.	1649 (1649)	Wing B357; ESTC R9731	21,936	82

A RELATION OF THE FEARFVL ESTATE OF Francis Spira In the year 1548. Compiled by Natth. Bacon Esq The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own waies Prov. 14. 14. LONDON Printed by I. L. for Christoph Meredith at the Crane in Pauls Church-yard 1649. A RELATION of the fearfull estate of Francis SPIRA IN the year 1548. when the glorious Sun of the Gospel was but newly risen in Europe in the days of the raign of Edward the Sixth of that name King of ENGLAND In the Territorie and under the Iurisdiction of the City of Venice being the very border of Italy in the town of Cittadella lived one Francis Spira a Civill Lawyer an Advocate of great rank and esteem being of known learning and eloquence of great experience of carriage circumspect and severe his speech grave and composed his countenance sharpe and austere every way befitting that authority wherunto he was advanced endowed with outward blessings of wife and eleven children and wealth in abundance what his worst parts were I have no other warrant then his own words which if not tainted overmuch with the bitterness of a desperate minde and bearing the countenance rather of passion then of sober confession may seem to adde a period to all further commendations I was saith he excessively covetous of mony and accordingly I applied my self to get by injustice corrupting justice by deceit inventing tricks to delude justice good causes I either defended deceitfully or sold them to the adversary perfidiously ill causes I maintained with all my might I wittingly opposed the known truth and the trust commuted unto mee I either betrayed or perverted Thus having worn out forty four yeares or there abouts and the news of the new or rather newly revived opinions of Luther comming into those parts represented an object of novelty unto him who being as desirous to know as he was famous for knowledg suffered not these wandring opinions to pass unexamined but searching into the Scriptures and into all books of Controversie that he could get both old and new and finding more then fame or opinion he began to taste their nature so well as he entertains loves and ownes them at length and with such zeal as he became a professor yea a teacher of them first to his wife children and family and after to his friends and familiar acquaintance and in comparison seemed to neglect all other affaires intending ever to press this main point that We must wholly and only depend one the free and unchangeable love of God in the death of Christ as the only sure way to salvation and this was the summe of all his discourse and this continued for the space of six years or thereabouts even so long as this fire could keep it self within private walles but at length it brake forth into publique meetings so as the whole Province of Padua dawned by the lustre thereof The Clergie finding the trade of their pardons to decay and their Purgatory to wax cold began to be stirre themselves glosing their actions first with calumnious aspersions upon the whole profession then more plainly striking at Spira with grievous accusation And to effect their purpose some promise labour others favour some advice others maintenance all joyn to divide either his soul from his body or both from God Now was Iohn Casa the Popes Legate resident at Venice being by birth a Florentine and one that wanted neither malice against those of this way nor craftiness to effect his malicious purposes To him these men repaire with out-cries against Spira that he was the man that condemned the received rites of the Church deluded the Ecclesiastical power and scandalized the policie thereof one of no meane rank being a man of Account and authority and therunto learned in the Scriptures elegant in speech and in one word a dangerous Lutheran having also many disciples and therefore not to be despised At this began the Legate to cast his eye on the terrible alteration that lately had hapned in Germany where by the means of one onely Luther the Romish Religion had suffered such a blow as that it could neither be cured by dissimulation nor defended by power but the Clergy must either mend their manners or lose their dignities on the other side when he saw how propense the common people inhabiting in the bordering countries of Italy were to entertain those new opinions he now thought it no time to dispute or perswade but with speed repairs to the Senate and procures authority from them to send for Spira Spira by this time had considered with himself of the nature of his carriage how evident and notorious it was and therefore subject to be envied by such as neither liked his person nor religion he perceived that his opinions were neither retired nor speculative but such as aimed at the overthrow of at the Romish Faction and a change of policie wherein at the best he could expect but a bloudy victory and that his enemies wanted neither power nor occasion to call him to account in publique when he must either Apostatize and shamefully give his former life yea his own conscience the lie or endure the utmost malice of his deadly enemies or forsake his wife children friends goods authority yea his deare Country and betake himself to a forraign people there to endure a thousand miseries that do continually wait upon a voluntary exile Being thus distracted and tossed in the restless waves of doubt without guide to trust to or haven to fly to for succour on the suddain Gods Spirit assisting he felt a calme and began to discourse with himself in this manner Why wandrest thou thus in uncertainties unhappy man cast away fear put on thy shield the shield of faith Where is thy wonted courage thy goodness thy constancy remēber that Christs glory lies at the stake suffer thou without fear he will defend thee he wil tel thee what thou shalt answer he can beat down all danger bring thee out of prison raise thee from the dead cōsider Peter in the dungeon the Martyres in the fire if thou makest a good confession thou maiest indeed go to prison or death but an eternal reward in heaven remaines for thee What hast thou in this world comparable to Eternal life to everlasting happiness if thou doest otherwise think of the scandal common people live by example thinking what ever is done is well done fear the loss of peace and joy fear hell death and eternal wrath or if thy flesh bee so strong as to cause thee to doubt of the issue fly thy Countrey get thee away though never so far rather then deny the Lord of life Now was Spira in reasonable quiet being resolved to yield to these weighty reasons yet holding it wisedom to examine all things he consults also with flesh and bloud thus the battaile doth renew and the flesh begins in this manner Be well advised fond man consider reasons on both sides and then