Selected quad for the lemma: nation_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nation_n	world_n	year_n	zeal_n	27	3	7.1386	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61428	A discourse concerning the original of the povvder-plot together with a relation of the conspiracies against Queen Elizabeth and the persecutions of the Protestants in France to the death of Henry the fourth : collected out of Thuanus, Davila, Perefix, and several other authors of the Roman communion, as also reflections upon Bellarmine's notes of the church, &c.	Stephens, Edward, d. 1706.	1674 (1674)	Wing S5426; ESTC R19505	233,909	304

Priest also shall answer for it as the Prophet saith But that which is the secret root and main prop of their delusion and most effectually deceives them is an unhahpy mistaken opinion deeply rooted in their minds of the infallible authority of the particular Church of Rome For as Cardinal Perron hath well argued V. King James Def. of the Right of Kings if these things be unlawful which have for so many ages been acted by the Papal authority that interposed with all the formality and solemnity that could be it would follow that the Pope hath been Antichrist and the Church of Rome the Synagogue of Satan for so many ages past This is it whatever other specious arguments and pretenses are alledged which makes them no less obstinate in their errors than the Jews are in theirs A deceived heart hath turned them aside and they cannot deliver their soul But if they will but 1. Lay aside the prejudice of Education 2. Consider the great evidence there is that these things are contrary to Christianity 3. And with that compare the little real ground there is to believe this pretended infallible authority it may be God's blessing be a good means to undeceive them but then as to the third particular they must deal candidly and impartially setting aside 1. Such proofs as concern only the perseverance of the Church of Christ in general 2. Such as concern only the authority of particular Churches over their own members for neither of these make any thing for the Church of Rome more than for any other particular Church then what else they can alledge will be found to be far short of what the Jews might alledge to prove that they are still the true Israel of God But the confounding of these things is that which imposeth upon their minds and judgments The ancient Apostolick Creed and what-ever other rule of Faith is mentioned by Irenaeus Tertullian or any of the Ancients and were held to contain the sum of the Christian Faith are to this day generally received and believed by all the Christian World so that Christ hath still a Church upon Earth what-ever become of the Church of Rome the like may be said of the sacred Scriptures but in none of these is the least mention of any such infallible authority of the Church of Rome no nor of any such authority of the Church of Christ as the Church of Rome does pretend to Nor is there any colour or pretence of proof that that authority was ever in any one age to this day the general belief of the Christian World no nor so much as of the Church of Rome it self for 700 years I may truly say for 1100 years and more 2. That they will likewise well consider the prudence of such undertakings the Nobility and Gentry especially of these Nations who embrace the Roman Religion They have had almost an hundred years experience of the ill success and unhappy consequence of such attempts to themselves and their party whereby they have only made a rod for their own backs provoking and exasperating the severity of Laws against themselves and when the Romish Agents had lately dissolved the Government and brought all things into confusion as is not a little apparent they did when they had crept into the Court and insinuated themselves into the several Factions of the Kingdom by underhand dealings incensing them one against another what did they advance their cause by it but only involved themselves in the same publick calamity wherein they embroyled the Nation The Emissaries are men who have neither Estates nor Fortunes to lose or hazard nor wives and children to suffer with them and if their attempts prove unsuccesful can easily retire to their Colledges again beyond Sea And their motions and actions are steered by foreigners who sit far enough out of all danger and in great security expect to make their profit and advantage of us all So that both these have hopes of advantage without any or any great hazard only the more honest and well meaning Nobility and Gentry do certainly run a very great hazard without any probability if things be rightly calculated of much mending their condition at the best For did they now suffer something in their Estates according to the Laws which certainly would never much be pressed did they not continually incense the Kingdom against them by restless attempts through the instigations of the Emissaries endangering the peace and quiet of it yet is that in some measure recompenced by their freedom from the trouble and charge of divers publick employments and the rest would be dearly bought off by enslaving the Kingdom again to the Roman Usurpations and that with so much hazard both to themselves as in respect of conscience and the justice of the undertaking for there is but little of true Christianity in him who will not readily suffer a greater loss rather than venture upon an unlawful or but doubtful action so also of the prudence of it for the higher they go in their attempts there is no doubt but it will fall more heavy upon them after so many and great provocations if they miscarry therein and of that the danger is greater than can easily be foreseen and to the Kingdom in general the peace and prosperity whereof they ought to desire and endeavour upon the account both of natural duty and of interest For whatever some who do not well consider it may promise themselves those who have Estates and Fortunes here be their Religion what it will are like to have their shares of whatever publick calamity or mischief is brought upon the Nation which they who at Rome and from other foreign parts do steer the motions of the Emissaries and other sticklers here in that cause are not much concerned to consider *** 4. And lastly to those who either through weakness and inconsiderateness are scandalized at these and such like wicked practices of the Romanists or any others professing Christianity or through wilfulness and wickedness do make use thereof to confirm or encourage themselves in their affected infidelity who having first sinned themselves into despair of any good by the observance of Religion at last seek to encourage themselves against all fear of evil by the neglect of it This last sort I intended not among Christians in general and yet do here joyn them with the other sort here mentioned because what is to be said to those may be said also to these The scandal and ill use that is made of these practices is either more particular from abuse of pretended miracles and martyrdoms whereby some may be induced to doubt of the ancient Christian Miracles and Martyrs and for satisfaction in this particular I shall here for brevity sake refer them to the writings already written and extant in print some in the English Tongue of the verity of the Christian Religion or from such practices in general of men in great place in Church

the pious use of such means 6. That they the Clergy especially will take example by their adversaries and not be less studious and industrious by just and proper means to promote and propagate the true Religion in its genuine purity and simplicity than they their errors abuses and corruptions of it by indirect and evil means They compass Sea and Land to make Proselytes c. and to that end have heretofore readily encountred all difficulties and dangers though now they cannot much complain of either and spare no pains nor cost We of this Nation particularly have long since had a large harvest proposed to us and nothing wanting to encourage us to the work but our own good will and zeal for our Masters service nay like sloathful servants have been whipped to our work and both Conformists and Non Conformists have had their turns It were well if at last we would be sensible of this duty before a third party come and drive both to that which neither of themselves would willingly undertake Can we believe a Divine Providence and yet think the discovery of that other World was a casual thing or can we acknowledge a Divine Providence in that and yet believe there was no other design in it than to employ our Sea men or furnish us with Tobacco we have reason to believe that this neglect hath not been dissembled hitherto nor will escape unpunished for the future unless timely amended 7. That they will not be less vigilant and active for the preservation of their Religion and with it of their lives liberties and fortunes and all that is dear unto them than these sons of Perdition are to confound and destroy them and to that end make diligent search and enquiry into their present mysterious practices for the discovery whereof much light may be taken from the due consideration of their former practices and of their principles Their end in general is pretty well known and what latitude they are like to take to themselves in the choice of means for attaining that end may not only be conjectured by their former practices but demonstrated unanswerably from their certain principles From which considerations though a man that is willing might easily satisfie himself what they are now doing yet because some who are concerned to be convinced of it will not perhaps be so satisfied and because to the more effectual prevention of so great a mischief a more particular discovery of the matter of fact and of the instruments and circumstances of it may be necessary all who have any love to their Country or regard to the interest and safety of themselves or their relations though the consideration of Religion should not move them are concerned to use their utmost endeavour in it But if neither the consideration of the horrid confusions and massacres heretofore raised in France by these Furies nor of their continual Treasons and Conspiracies against Queen Elizabeth and her Kingdoms which they then would have betrayed to the invasions of the King of Spain as now probably they would to the King of France that is those who steer their motions though their common agents may be generally ignorant of the design nor of that horrible Gunpowder Conspiracy against King James the Royal Issue and flower of the English Nobility and Gantry nor lastly of our late Civil Wars which may in time be justly proved and demonstrated to have been the product of the Romish machinations to which might be added their restless endeavors for the subversion of our Government and for the breaking of the great Metropolis of this Nation as the two main obstacles in their way if all this and besides all the safety of his Majesties person which perhaps may be further concerned in it than is commonly apprehended be not sufficient to a waken us of these Nations to a speedy vigilance and activity before it be too late to discover and detect their machinations and couragiously oppose their proceedings especially those who are in authority within their several Jurisdictions to look narrowly if not into their matters of Religion yet at least into their provisions of Arms and Ammunition into their correspondencies and secret negotiations and engagements and especially to discover those who under several disguises not only insinuate themselves into familiarity with persons of Quality and creep into their Families under the notions of Physitians Painters and other employments but also get into publick offices and employments and perhaps to be chosen into the Parliment it self it may be feared we shall ere long smart for our stupidity and supine negligence 3. To those who still continue of the Roman Communion and are in danger to be drawn in to engage in such undertakings for the promotion of their Religion by fraud and force by disturbance or subversion of Governments raising or fomenting wars between Christian Princes and States and such like means that they will well consider the justice and piety thereof For most certain it is and agreed on all hands that they are contrary to the means used by our Saviour and his Apostles and Disciples and their Successors for the original propagation of the Gospel Nor ought it to be replyed as some have impiously said that that was for want of force for he who could command legions of Angels is not to be thought to have wanted force if he had pleased to make use of it nor had the Christians for many ages before these Unchristian Doctrines were ever thought of less power in the World than they have had since or less occasion to have made use of it had they thought it lawful and besides it is no less contrary to their Doctrine than to their Practice 2. The use of such means is most injurious and scandalous to the most holy pure and innocent Religion which hath been always most propagated and glorified by the magnanimous sedate and constant sufferings of its genuine Professors but always most dishonoured by the furious violent and perfidious practices of the spurious Zealots of the abuses of it 3. It is contrary to the very nature of the true Religion and the express Doctrine of the sacred Scriptures 4. It is condemned by the judgment of God disappointing blasting and confounding all attempts of that nature in these Kingdoms for near an hundred years together Nor will their zeal and good intentions excuse them Paul had as much of both when he persecuted the Christians as they can have and of the Jews he testifies to the Romans that they had the zeal of God but not according to knowledge and our Saviou foretold that they who should kill his Disciples would think they do God good service in it Nor will their following of the probable opinions of their Confessors excuse them for when blind guides lead the blind both fall into the ditch as our Saviour saith Nor will it be much comfort to them who dye in their sins through the Priests default that the