Selected quad for the lemma: state_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	bishop_n	sir_n	thomas_n	1,664	5	9.4136	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28474	Essays on several subjects written by Sir Tho. Pope Blount.; Essays. Selections	Blount, Thomas Pope, Sir, 1649-1697.	1692 (1692)	Wing B3349; ESTC R202032	58,794	183

light 'T is scarce within the reach of Arithmetick what vast prodigious Sums these several Doctrines the Popes Supremacy Purgatory Indulgences Auricular Confession and the Celibacy of the Clergy bring in to the Church And therefore as one wittily expresseth it They must maintain them because they are maintained by them 1. As to the Pope's Supremacy How slight a Foundation this Doctrine hath I think to any rational Man will soon appear for supposing St. Peter was Bishop of Rome though the Learned Dr. Barrow and many others are of opinion he never was there and that as Metropolitan thereof he had the precedency of the rest of the Apostles what then Could hence a sufficient Power be devolv'd on his Successor to raise a real Monarchy and to claim an absolute Jurisdiction over the whole World with a Power to dispose of Crowns and Kingdoms This is certainly a Non Sequitur Nor was St. Peter ever vested with any such Priviledges as these nor did his Successors for many Ages ever Challenge them And at last the only title the Pope had to them was Usurpation But how unreasonable soever this Doctrine may appear to those who get not by it his Holiness hath reason to keep it up since it serves to the filling his Cossers And if he should once part with it he at the same time Lops off the best Branch of his Revenue 2. As to Purgatory This Doctrine was never so much as thought of till St. Austin's time who both Said it and Unsaid it and at last left it doubtful Nor did it come into any sort of Credit till about two hundred Years after in the time of Pope Gregory the first The Papists themselves are so divided as to all the points and Circumstances of this Doctrine that possibly it will not a little entertain the Reader to see the foolish variety of Opinions relating to this Doctrine First as to the place where they suppose this Imaginary Goal to be Eckius will have it to be in the bottom of the Sea Others will have it either in Mount Aetna or Vesuvius But Bernard de Bustis places it in an Hill in Ireland Next as to the Torments Sir Thomas More will have them to be only by Fire but Fisher by Fire and Water Lorichius neither by Fire nor by Water but by the violent Convulsions of Hope and Fear Then as to the Executioners or Tormenters They do as little agree about them for Bishop Fisher will have them to be the Holy Angels but Sir Thomas More to be the very Devils Then as to the Sins to be there Expiated Some will have them to be the Venial only but others say the Mortal too And for the time of the Souls continuance in that State Dennis the Carthusian extends it to the end of the World whereas Dominicus â Seto limits it to ten Years and others make it depend on the number of Masses and Offices that shall be said or done on their behalf Lastly as to the extremity of the pains Aquinas makes them as violent as those of Hell but the Rhemists in their Annotations upon Revelations the 14th Verse the 13th say That the Souls there are in a very fine condition And Durandus de Offic. Mortuor Cap. VII between these extreams gives them some Intermission from those terrible pains upon Sundays and Holy Days So foolishly extravagant are these several fancies and conceits of Purgatory that it may not be altogether impertinent to enquire into the Original and Source of this Doctrine And this will presently appear to any one who is in the least vers'd in the Heathen Poets and Philosophers These were the first Hatchers of this Notion and from thence was it first derived Homer in the 2d Book of his Odyss entertains us with long Stories of Ulysses's descent into Hell the Dialogues of Ghosts the Punishment of departed Souls and the Sacrifices to be offer'd to relieve them And herein is he imitated by Virgil who in the Sixth of his Aeneids brings in Anchises discoursing at the same rate Nor were their Philosophers free from these sort of Dreams witness Plato who in his Book de Anima broaches the like Doctrine And Cicero in Scipio's Dream harps upon the same string Hence Bellarmin urging several reasons for this Doctrine of Purgatory his third is taken from the common opinion of all Nations Hebrews Mahumetans and Gentiles both Philosophers and Poets But to conclude this point as ridiculous as this Doctrine of Purgatory is there is not any one Opinion in the Church of Rome that the Romanists are more zealous in the asserting Nor is it to be wondred that they are so since herein they act upon Demetrius's Principle Because thereby they have their gain And therefore well may they be allow'd to be angry and displeas'd at all those who speak and write against it for by that means their Craft is in danger to be set at nought There being no Opinion in their Church which brings in a better and more constant Revenue by Masses Dirges Requiems Trentals and Anniversaries besides Casualties and Deodands by dying Persons or their Friends in hopes of a speedier release out of the pains of Purgatory So that if this Opinion were once out of Countenance in the World they would then lose one of the best Arts they have of upholding the Grandure of their Church And it is very remarkable That the fear of losing this Income was one main Impediment to restrain the Pope from yielding to a Reformation 3. As to Indulgences and Pardons In the Primitive times when the Christians had committed any heinous offence as for example either in denying their Faith or Sacrificing to Idols for fear of Persecution the Parties offending were enjoyn'd some severe and long Pennance And the rigour of this the Bishops or Pastors in their respective Congregations had power if they saw Cause to mitigate at their discretion which Mitigation or Relaxation of Punishment was called an Indulgence or sometimes a Pardon And this was derived from St. Paul who releas'd the Incestuous Corinthian from the bond of Excommunication upon his Humiliation and serious Repentance This manner of Indulgence was Ancient and of long Continuance in the Primitive Church The first account we have of perverting this Custom and the prostituting it to Secularends was in the time of Pope Gregory the first about the Year 600. And ever since that time 't is scarce credible what an immense Sum this Doctrine hath brought in to the Church And certainly of all the Arts that the Church of Rome hath for the raising of Money this is the cleverest and neatest Contrivance and therefore one wittily calls these Indulgences Emulgences and even by the Romanists themselves they are call'd in their truest Signification The Treasury of the Church The Pope is the sole Dispenser and Disposer of these Indulgences and therefore whenever he hath occasion or a Mind to fill his Treasury all that he needs to do is upon