Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	catholic_a	church_n	visible_a	1,576	5	9.2952	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25313	A præfatory discourse to a late pamphlet entituled, A memento for English Protestants, &c. being an answer to that part of the Compendium which reflects upon the Bishop of Lincoln's book : together with some occasional reflections on Mr. L'Estrange's writings.	Amy, S.	1681 (1681)	Wing A3032; ESTC R16932	26,021	36

have already discours'd is more than enough to prove the present Point viz That the Monarchy of England has gotten by the Reformation and that no body but a man who either understands not or cares not what he sayes would affirm the contrary The Compendianist possibly may here object as he seemes to do pag. 77. lib 9. That popish Princes abroad are not sensible of these Inconveniences in their Religion nor do they perceive any such ill Consequences to arise from the Profession of it as the Bishop of Lincoln's Book and this Preface charges it with but altogether the contrary For Who sayes He find themselves so flourishing and great as they I suppose he speaks this of the French King for I know no other popish Prince that is at present either flourishing or great and if he means that Popery has been the cause of his Greatness I shall not dispute it with him but this I will affirme and maintaine against all the World That 't was neither his owne Popery nor that of his Subjects though every Body knows the French Popery is much gentler and more converseable sort of thing than the Spanish or Italian more plyant and submissive to the Civil Magistrate and more hospitable to Strangers and Dissenters and consequently lesse prejudicial to the growth of Power and the greatness of a State than the other The Priviledges of the Gallican Church and the Doctrines of the Sorbonne together with the manners of the people and the Exclusion of the Inquisition have a little qualified this pernicious Imposture and temper'd the Malignity of her Influence as the most destructive Plants do sometimes lose the Virulence of their poisons by a change of Soyle and Mercury it selfe by a mixture of Ingredients is rendred innocent Physick I grant therefore that Popery in some places and under some Circumstances of alloy may not absolutely hinder but it can never be the cause nor of it self in any degree contribute to the prosperity of either Prince or people for 't is plaine That the Principles it teaches and the Consequences it draws after it do evidently tend as I have already made appear to the lessening of the one and the impoverishing of the other indeed to the ruine of both and if Popery have not at all times and in all Places so bad an effect it must be attributed to some such causes as I have now mention'd which do in France serve to take out the sting of this monstrous beast this Spawn of the Old Serpent and prevent the Mischiefe which it is otherwise so apt to doe the Blast it would infallibly bring upon the ordinary fruites of good Government and the common ends of Civil Societies To conclude this point if any Prince or State happen by some favorable conjuncture and fortunate Accidents to be great with or rather notwithstanding Popery there is no doubt but they would be either of them much greater without it 'T is now left to the Reader to judge upon a due considerat ion of the Whole what an excellent Engine this Popery would prove to buoy up a sinking Monarchy and make it again emerge as the Compendianist calls it in his pedantical Latin phrase were ours in that desperate low condition to need it which I hope 't is far from or if it do at present decline I am sure no man in his right wits except this Author will say 't is for want of Popery What kind of men are those Protestants then who if we may take the Compendianist's own word for it would recommend to his Majesty in a case of extremity this dry antiquated Drugge this uselesse Lump of Formality and Foppery this discover'd Cheat this Insulter and Braver of Crown'd Heads this Usurper upon the Rights of Princes this Enemy to God's Annointed I say what kind of Creatures must these be They are certainly a Species by themselves and have not the same common Faculties and wayes of understanding with other Christian people if at least there be any such which I will not be overpositive in upon the Authority of this Writer for some of his stories are as unlikely to use his own words about the Plot as any Romance Extant But Protestants does he term them It is impossible Why will he abuse his Friends at this Rate and call them out of their Names I 'll warrant them they are as good Catholicks as himself Does he indeed thinke to put this upon us that Protestants are for the bringing in Popery He may as well hope to make us believe Transubstantiation it self 't is a Contradiction in Terms an errant Bull. However upon this occasion I cannot but reflect that I have sometimes met with a sort of ridiculous Animals commonly call'd Protestants indeed whose Heads are giddy and whose Brains turn round with the Notion of a Catholicke Church and a visible succession of Bishops ever since the Apostles Who run stark mad in love with reverend Words holy Places consecrated Habits and godly Gestures who have abundance of odde superstitious Zeale with not one grain of true sence Disciples of Heylin and Thornedike in a word a kinde of L'Estrange Protestants men who have listed themselves in our Service and rank'd on our side only to betray our cause and give our Enemies the Victory They seem to have no other designe in the Church of England than Sampson had in the Philistines Temple viz. to pull it downe upon our Heads and bury us in the Ruines Now what discourse these sort of men have had with the Compendianist I cannot tell nor am much concern'd I will not dispute but that 't is possible they may have acknowledg'd some such thing as he affirms for their Politicks are much of a pitch with their Divinity and I know they will say or confess any thing that tends to undermine and weaken the Protestant Faith and Interest though it be never so foolish and absurd Yet do they take it hainously ill to be thought Papists and particularly Mr. L'Estrange seems more than ordinarily disturb'd when he finds himselfe charg'd with this Imputation how does he fling and flounce in his late Pamphlets like a gaull'd Hackney who can neither bear the whipp nor mend his dull Dog-Trot But let him bestow the foamings of his Rage never so fast among the Rabble and in hasty uncorrect Libells throw about the e●pty Froth of his Anger Let him fret himself never so lean and talk like a mad man in the overboyling of his Passion Let him make never so many professions of a Protestant Faith and never so many Good-Morrows to the Church of England we shall still believe him a Papist while he soe notoriously promotes the Designes and serves the Interests of that Party I think nothing is plainer than that the great Endeavour of the Papists ever since the Discovery of the Plot has been by all kinde of means and artifices to turn off the Publick Odium under which they have so justly suffer'd as much