Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	able_a	dangerous_a	good_a	28	3	2.1572	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05380	Heauen and earth, religion and policy. Or, The maine difference betweene religion and policy. Written by C.L.	Lever, Christopher, fl. 1627.	1608 (1608)	STC 15536; ESTC S108517	29,500	128

confirmed by the sentence of euerie mans iudgement For though the world be at this day and euer was diuided into infinite number of opinions euerie time and euerie place of men differing in their opinions of Religion yet neuer any would defend pluralitie of Religions euery man damning all diuersitie to that he himselfe maintained 9 And therefore it is both the iudgement of Nature of Sense and of Diuinitie that the true ancient and Catholique Religion is of the same nature with God one most absolute and sufficient which needeth no second neither can admit pluralitie Of the diuers natures of Policy CHAP. II. THE generall name of Policie like the double face of Ianus respecteth two seueral obiects the better hath regardful eie to honesty and lawfull warrant onely the other beholdeth all things with indifferent eie not respecting lawfulnes but conueniency in euery practise The better is the care of good men the worse the care of euill men the one doth merite no allowance the other the best allowance of our fauours the one deserueth to bee damned as a violence to the order of good gouernement the other to bee esteemed lawful and most conuenient in a Christian state being a most godly prouidence and a strength without which no State can stande in the flourish of prosperous fortune 2 For a Christian common weale and a Christian Church also hath often times very needfull vse of Policie the which may most lawfully be vsed the Policie being lawfull and proportionable to the rules of Religion For Religion is like the Sunne in the firmament from which all liuing creatures receiue light heat and Policy may bee compared to the Starres whose borowed lights serue the necessities of men in many weighty occasions And as at night the Sunne doth leaue vs to the direction of the Starres so according to the necessitie of time wee ought to resort to the Policy and directions of wise men especially then when our directors like the Starres order vs not by their owne light that is by their owne wisedomes but after the square of holy Religion the which like the Sun is the bodie and store-house of all light that is of all truth and lawfulnesse This is not the common vnderstanding of Policy which is euer taken in the euill and worse sense whereby the name of lawfull Policie doth often times receiue much iniury For the euill shiftings of leaud men are called Policy not that they are so but because their euil instruments are commonly men very cautulous of deepe apprehension and great spirit For spirit and the gifts of Nature in any one not gratious cannot be withheld from most dangerous and high attempting their spirits make them bolde and their prompt vnderstandings able to trauell with dangerous fortune in the affaires of highest state 4 The abuse then of euill men maketh that haue euil name whose Nature is not euill For the prouidence of God is a most diuine Policie and the cares of holy and good men are likewise politique preuentions whereby they both lawfvlly and to good purpose exercise their wisdomes euer obseruing that their meanes and end where to the worke be honest and allowable Against this policie I except not but commend it rather as the most necessarie prouidence in the best and wisest sort of people 5 But from this I must distinguish that common exposition of Policie vngracious and dishonest contriuements wherein the great polititians of the world haue proceeded so farre and with such varietie of precept and example as would require more time then a mans life to vnderstand them In which sense the whole world almost is become politique some of euerie place and of euerie qualitie coueting to be thought iudicious and of more then common knowledge in this secret and forbidden Art wherein it were much better to be ignorant insomuch as both the base the ambitious Spirit trauell alike to be learned in this kinde of policie And in the meanest and most vnworthy trades there are many principles of this secret Arte whereby the base professors many times raise themselues and fortunes to a wonderfull degree of estimation And this their speedie rising cannot be by honest and allowable meanes therefore by this Art of Policie which howsoeuer they would craftily excuse as the lawfull secret of their trades by themselues called crafts yet is that but a craftie cosening of their consciences and a politique inriching of their crafts 6 And this is that vnlawfull Policy which in this place I vnderstand when the subtill wits of craftie men contriue their subtilties for the better compassing of their vnlawfull purposes or when men pursue lawfull ends by vnlawfull dishonest meanes And this in men of great place hie attempting is called Policy In the baser sort cosenage or craft the diuers subiects giuing diuers names to that which is of one Nature wheresoeuer it be that is sinne wickednes and villany 7 It is therefore the circumstance in Policle that maketh the maine difference in the Natures thereof Policie being iudged good or bad according to the working meanes and not according to euent and prosperous fortune an opinion not of Religious but of damned Policie For it is not possible that a good cause should produce a bad effect but it is possible and very common that euill meanes doe often reach their desired ends which in the iudgement of prophane Policie is commendable but in the wisedome of Religion it is damnable and most vniustifiable 8 Thus then I diuide this name of Policie into these disagreeing Natures Holy and Prophane Holy Policie is that which is iustifiable by the law of God Prophane is that which respecteth neither Religion nor honestie but imbraceth the most base meane if it may aduantage the desired end The better policie is a seruant the worse is an enemie to the state of holy Religion The one doth make Religion the leuell of all that purpose whereto it aymeth the other maketh it a colourable meanes to reach other ends lesse godly And these two arein continuall faction the one offending the other defending the state of Religion Of the contrary workings of Religion and Policy in respect of the Catholike Church CHAP. III. IT is most true that there is no excellencie on earth which doth not suffer wrong by the enuie of euill For though vertue cannot be suppressed by the opposition of vice yet is it manie times much obscured by so bad a neighbourhood and like the Sun in his eclipse withheld from glorious appearing And this is naturall in the natures of all euill things to maligne the prosperitie of goodnesse in what speciall subiect soeuer it be This may be also a speciall obseruation from the Nature of all things that whatsoeuer is vertuous is directed by rules and by lawfull directions and whatsoeuer is vicious is not thus directed but helpeth it selfe by the cunning workings of Policie and bad practise 2 For God in the first creation made the world

in the maine purpose of his calling which is the common good and not his owne good the prosperity of State and not the thriuing of his owne state 12 And herehence it is that such as by these meanes raise their base beginning to an extraordinary degree of fortune haue their conscionable dealing much suspected because the lawfull profits of their place cannot so speedily nor so highly raise them And therefore let euery man in such place be assured that as the conscionable discharge of his office is a matter of high merit a Religious care and a seruice very gratefull in the eyes of God so to be withdrawne with the perswasion of any by-respect from the true purpose of his office is a practise of euill Policy whereof the seruice of his place hath no need and whereof hee ought to bee altogether ignorant 13 And let no man encourage himselfe in these vanities with the hope of prosperous fortune or with the loue he hath to the glory profits of this life For at the instant of dying al the profits and al the pleasures in the world cannot giue a man that comfortable farewell as al such haue who die with the witnes of good conscience for good conscience sweetneth the sorrowes of death maketh the pangs of death pleasurable whereas oftentimes the hauing of much causeth the loue of much a loathnes and extream sorrow to leaue our heaped pleasures And therefore in the discharge of euery duty let a man loue conscience rather then profit and Religion rather then Policie In respect of Honour Military Courtly CHAP. IX THE names of Honor are the rewards of vertuous deedes or the gifts of princly fauour They are giuen men for distinction that by them may be knowne who are gratious vertuous or of honorable merit And therefore do all men greatly desire these titles of honour because they giue men speciall reputation and perswade the world that such honours could not bee had without speciall deseruing And among the honourable there are none more noble then such as aspire the degrees of honour by the steps of vertuous reputation because they persue not the name but the nature of honourable action hazarding themselues thorow many dangers and difficulties to attain so faire a name 2 And this was the cause that in the old world the most forward and valiant spirits howsoeuer of noble or princely birth thought themselues dishonourable and but of common worth before they wonne their honorable name by some braue aduenture neither would those tims inuest men with dignities of honor that were not either braue in action or graue in consultation either Senators or Souldiers because such men are the onely weapons and armour of a kingdome whereby the enemy is both resisted preuented and vanquished 3 And as those times so these times make it the generall ayme whereto they leuell al their honors though there is no King or State but doth often misse in many particulars And therefore in respect the Nobility are of best estimation and commonly of best merit these respects of Religion and Policy are very considerable in them their affection to good or bad being of great consequence in a kingdome hauing authority and interest in the hearts and estates of many 4 If we should reduce to memory the honourable and famous men of former times and should number vp their memorable victories what charge what care and what trauel they haue spent for the honor of Christendome and the Christian Religion it will appeare that neuer any had better zeale to fight Gods quarrell then they many of them vowing the whole seruice of their liues to those holy warres the which they maintained with so much resolution and valour that their renowne is like their happines eternall 5 Againe if we search the records of time and inquire after the most worthy and famous Stats-men we shall finde their names in the ranke of honourable personages who in their counsell chambers haue preuented conspiracies and ouerthrowne huge Armies of resolued enemies For besides their gifts of Nature they are extraordinarily fitted for these affaires by speciall and painefull education 6 And therefore the great Empires of all times haue had care to elect such choice particulars from among their nobility as were of best sufficiency vpon whose wisedomes the strength and State of the whole Empire reposed Such was Vlysses amomg the Geekes and Quintus Fabius among the Romans such hath our Nation had and yet hath many vpon whose vigilancie and trus● the affaires of greatest State do principally depend 7 To vnderstand these titles of honour I will distinguish them They are either deriued or giuen deriued honours are such as descend by inheritance in a succession of vntainted blood Honor by gift is when any one for his honorable deseruing hath such command or place giuen him as for his owne life makes him of honorable estimation the which honour though it descend not like the former to posterity yet is it of very noble deseruing and doth conclude the worthinesse of him so honored 8 There is an honour also without name vnknowne and vnregarded which being hid in the darknes of aduersity and poore fortune cannot appeare to knowledge nor raise itselfe to deserued dignity For in many men who haue the formes of basenes and contemptible fortune there is a braue and noble disposition whereby they are fitted for all honourable exercise the which though it want the imployment of honorable action whereby their worth would be both knowne and honoured yet there is no power of fortune can depresse their generous spirits or disgrace them in their owne vnderstandings 9 And therefore some are honored by nature not fortune as these poore ones some are honored by Fortune and not Nature as many rich ones and some are honoured both by Nature and Fortune and such are both good and gratious in the eye of the world 10 To consider then how these import this purpose of Religion and Policy we must againe diuide the degrees of honor into Militarie and Courtly because their diuers imployments haue great dissimilitude And first for military honour the which in the Christian world hath had such noble exercise as that the prosperitie of Religion may seeme to haue marcht vnder the hope of their victorious colours 11 And this is euident in the view of former times when Religigious zeale did incense the noble spirits of generous and braue gentlemen to spend both their substance and liues in the seruice of Religious warres against all the prophane enemies of the name of Iesus both Turke and euery other mis·beleeuer by whose victorious hands the enemies of God were kept back from the spoile they intended on Christian Religion 12 And among these many may be specially remembred such as by speciall obligation did binde themselues to intend these holy warres onely and such were those knights of Rodes of Malta and Ierusalem and others who notwithstanding their knowledge