Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	believe_v	faith_n	true_a	5,505	5	5.0466	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33486	The converted capuchin, or, The recantation of Father Basil after he had continued nigh forty yeares a fryer of that order and perswaded many Protestants to the Romish-beliefe : with his answers to those reports framed against him since he left his convent at Roüen to be one of the reformed church at Sedan / English according to the French copy.; Declaration du sieur François Clouet, cy-devant appelé Père Basile de Rouen, où il déduit les raisons qu'il a eues de se séparer de l'Eglise romaine. English	Basile, de Rouen, d. 1648?	1641 (1641)	Wing C4738; ESTC R23037	16,013	23

of him For can any man of judgement bee perswaded that he is no honest man that avoids Idolatry and superstition to embrace a true Religion the Reader may judge by this sparkle the rest of the Stuffe To conclude this small apologie and to refute what can be objected against the sincerity of my intentions in the work of my conversion I present unto you this last reason which deserves to be well weighed Adversity is a triall whereby God is acquainted with the fidelity of his children I have passed by it twice since my conversion the first by a feeblenesse of body which came upon me before I came hither the second by a violent disease a while since which brought me so low that I verily thought to dye 'T is then or never that we should deale sincerely with God and manifest the true resentments of the soule Is it credible that a man that hath separated himselfe from the Romish Church for no other end but to take a fuller swinge in dishonest liberty that he was not seazed at the instant with some terrour of Gods judgments or shewed not a misrule in his conscience tormented with remorse by some words or deeds But I may truly averre that I never before felt my heart at more ease which being filled with heavenly comfort seeing my selfe freed from papisticall heresie and brought into a religion wherein I could not dye ill since that I apprehended by a lively faith the merits of my Saviour the premisses of life eternall which he hath made to all them that confesse and beleeve his holy Name It is very true that in this estate I was seazed with an exceeding griefe for my life passed and the breaches I made in the Church of God in the time of my ignorance I cannot think on without great griefe and discontent the great number of those whom I have perverted in being the cause they deserted the true Religion But this confidence I have that if they be the chosen of God he will raise them up from their fallen estate and be mercifull unto them This disease was very profitable unto me for besides the exercise of humility and patience under the Lords fatherly chastisements the frequent visits of Pastors which came to comfort and pray with me made me sensible how sweet and powerfull are those consolations that are drawen from the doctrine of the Gospell in comparison of signing with the crosse anealing sprinkling of holy water among which there is not one sillable of true comfort But the principal effect of this triall is that by it I was the more strengthened in my resolution for I find my selfe more stable and more resolved than ever to persevere in that holy religion which I have embraced freely without constraint with a heart void of pride or ambition or malice Such issues are the undoubted markes of Gods spirituall calling And for so much as they who endevor to shake my stability by contumelious reports or make me bow by promises or flatteries shall doe better hereafter to consider their owne consciences and speedily seeke after the means to get forth from the errours wherein they are ensnared than to labour the change of this my unchangeable resolution protesting unto them that by the grace of God I will rather suffer thousands of tortures than breake the vow I have made unto my God to live and dye in the confession and profession of the faith into which he hath brought me of his pure mercy FINIS Answ {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} due to God only

Advents and Lents every Yeare and as often to live foure or five moneths together out of the Covent even the very last yeare The Provincials that have had attestation of my good manners and successe of my teaching may serve as witnesses to the contrary Had I given ill example at the places where I resided would the Communalty of the Townes the Lords of the Countrey who erected the Covents which I governed have written to the Provinciall Assemblies of Fathers of the Chapter-house Letters gratulatory for my being sent thither and to request my continuance there the yeares following this is publickly knowne I say nothing of a Bishop in great esteeme among the Capuchins who seeing me in my way to the Chapter and not knowing whether I should returne to the Cloyster from whence I went the yeare following which was in the principall City of his Dioces told my Companion that the Fathers were Reverend Coxcombs if they sent me not back considering the advantageable progresse I had made in being Superiour there Had I been an evill edifier by my vicious conversation could the Provincials have been compelled to have returned me where I had dwelt to dry the eyes of the better sort of that Order of the tears they so plentifully shed for my absence in the presence of them all I require no other testimony for this truth then the Provinciall himselfe 'T is reported that the Jesuites know all to the least of things even which passe betweene man and wife if so would they have selected me Preacher in their Temples for above six moneths upon their most Solemne Festivals and which is more the last yeare in the Church of Roüen if I had been held a man either dishonest or irreligious Had I not lived in esteeme in the Capuchin Order why should Father Joseph that great wit have by sundry Letters solicited me which I shewed to this my Defamer to accept the Superiority of the Covent of London which is the Queene of Englands Chappell And albeit the opposition of this Provinciall and the Custos of the Capuchins of Normandy t is possible I had consented but was willing to be judged more necessary for their Province being then both Guardian and Divinity Reader Had I not beene well reputed among the Capuchins and exemplary according to in my Profession would the Generals Provincials and Definers who better understood their people then any body else have continued me above twelve yeares successively in the Guardianship of the most eminent Covents in many whereof they placed Definers after I was gone If it be objected I was not Superiour when I became a Convert I answer I was such but the yeere before and that I could againe be the next For as the Constitutions of the Order ordaine that a Provinciall cannot continue in office above three yeares and after to be discharged for one whole yeare so is it ordered againe that a Guardian cannot be in place above six yeares and those ended is voided of his charge for one whole yeare So I had accomplished the six yeares of my Superiority and it then followed I must be quit of my charge by course But I can easily make appeare notwithstanding that I was still in good request among them for they assigned me for my abode the most honourable Covent of all the Province where the Provinciall and the Custos the two Principallists have their constant habitations I had there the Chaire of the Covent to Preach in all the yeare and a stage ordered in a Parish of the City where I preached every Sunday All Rouen can tell that I was the most imployed of all the Covent Let me give this Smut this last touch with the Spunge as the most considerable The Pope having destinated twenty Capuchins to send them with extraordinary authority to Preach and Confesse in those parts that had most need and charged the Provinciall to chuse them with mature deliberation and advice of the most noted Fathers of the Province had I not been thought to be of good cariage should I have beene chosen to this office without any contradiction in so compleat a number among whom Provincials Custos's and Definers were my fellowes The Priviledges the Pope conferred on me by vertue of this qualification are extraordinary and confirmed by an expresse Bull which be these 1 To heare confessions of the faithfull as well of one as the other sex c. Note that the Capuchins confesse not and I confessed all that came to their Church at Roüen even to the time of my going away 2 To absolve from Heresie Apostacie and Schisme 3 To absolve once every one of cases reserved to the Pope and also of cases conteined cleerely and doubtfully in the Bull of the Lords Supper provided that the penitents were ready to quit the benefits and restore the fruits ill gathered according to the will of the Holy Holy Holy that is to say the Pope 4 To reade the writings or books of Hereticks and all other forbidden with an intention to confute them 5 To commute for and change all simple vowes 6 To dispence with poore Priests for irregularity proceeding of private and hidden villany except wilfull manslaughter downright and reall Symony and Bigamy 7 To celebrate Masse upon an Altar portable in the middest of the fields in wind rain in presence of Hereticks excommunicate persons likewise upon an Altar shattered or broken 8 To use twice a yeare the prayers of forty houres and give plenary indulgence to the confessed and Communicants and those who in that interim communicate twenty times to give thē power for one such soul out of Purgatory as they please best 9 To give those penitents which came to me to confesse all Saints dayes and Sundayes ten yeares of indulgence with condition they come to my Sermons and those who communicate upon the Holidayes of the first rank pardon fully and wholly 10 To grant the Penitent on their death beds though but slightly contrite and not receiving the Communion plenary indulgence that is a passeport to go strait from their bed to Paradise 11 To gain for my self the same indulgence I gave to others 12 To deliver every Munday a soule from Purgatory or the next day if I did not say Masse upon the Munday for the dead 13 To impart the same power I had to other Priests whereof I might chuse as I would to helpe me in taking confessions when there was a great concourse of people I professed these priviledges and perform'd the functions of the Missionary of the Pope when I came from the Covent Had I lived a life averse to what is required of persons to whom this imployment is committed would they have continued me in it Or if in these offices they employ men infamous and of foule demeanour for want of others were to make the world beleeve that if these great bodies of Religions were opened there would be found abundance of filth In a

word had I been wicked as this man writes and had desired to live in dishonest liberty I should have remained whence I came rather then came away For having had the meanes to practice them among them I should have had much more meanes to continue them there then in the condition I now am The Fourth Calumnie THe last slander in the Letter aforesaid containes the most untruth as it is the most outragious and uncivill t is thus If the Church and our Order in particular used not the more purity and holinesse of life he would never have escaped us to have cast himselfe into Ministeriall bonds who have furnished him with what he sought a glut of his sensuall delights among them and a promise of assistance and protection in his vices This poore man must be pardoned for it appeares either he sinnes through ignorance or that his passion hath blindfolded him He shewes you that he knew not how I made my retreat nor how Ministers behave themselves upon those occasions for he never came so neere to know so much His Sword was somewhat of the shortest But to shew that he speaks as a man ignorant and to instruct them that desire to imitate me behold here the method I kept to atchieve the quiet of my conscience by a true conversion After I had a long time striven with the troubles and pricks of conscience which tortured and grievously afflicted my heart and urged my departure from the Romish Church where I observed the Hierarchicall and Priviledged ready to devoure one another and thousands of superstitions I addressed my selfe to the Father of Lights after whose heavenly assistance the reading of holy Scripture and the bookes of Mr du Moulin among the rest his Novelty of Popery and Buckler of Faith gave some stay to my tired soule and guided me in framing my last resolution But because I could not put it in execution without knowing what Order I ought to keepe of some one of the Religion nor was acquainted with any body at Roüen to whom in this case I might addresse my selfe I made use of the occasion of my going to Bresse neare Mount S. Michel whereof I have spoke before By the way I saw a Gentleman of the Religion at whose house I was halfe a day and learned from him how to comport my selfe therein I finished my voyage and a moneth after my returne to Roüen I went from the Covent without either seeing speaking or writing to any Minister whatsoever True it is that while I stayed a little at Roüen after my going from them I had the honour to see two Ministers who gave me the visit at my lodging but our discourse was so short that I had no leisure but to unfold my purpose and they to tell me I must prepare to beare the Crosse of Jesus Christ in professing the true Religion and that if I quitted the Monastery to finde more freedome or means to comply with evill appetites I was very ill bestead I was indeed extreamly comforted I went forth of Rouen at shutting the gate and in day and a halfe arrived at Paris whence I am hither come in the only protection of the Almighty Who report mee a man engaged in wenching or wiving shall accuse themselves of this sinne next Easter I regard not his prate as being usual among the Papists upon the like occasions See how the Ministers have furnished me with what satisfaction I sought not of my senses but my poore soule which sighed after its deliverance I would prolong the discourse to make apparant the cheats of this Detractor who speaks of the Ministers as of men who have furnished me with what I sought for among them sensual and beastly satisfaction and promised protection for my vices But because I cannot do it without I set forth the vertues I observed in them since I frequented them and knowing that their modesties would not approve it I will content my selfe with this onely since it is fit something be said That I observed nothing in their words and actions which did not tend to my spiritual edification and folly perswaded me that they are altogether free from that the Romish rabble doth like it selfe injuriously put upon them I protest I never saw any of them go from house to house to prattle with and court young maids and joyne under pretence of giving ghostly counsel if Ministers go abroad it is to visit the sick comfort the afflicted treat in consistory of the means for reliefe of the poore or else somewhat very beseeming their being or their callings when they goe from home I see them not laden with gay shewes Crosses Agnus Dei kneaded with relicks holy graines mother Lewis's crosse nor Medals nor any of that which they call Aucupia Monachorum Friers toyles to catch those who snatch at them wch nets they reach forth principally to those of the femall sex as the simpler and more enclined to superstitious devotion They cannot complaine of Ministers that in their common talke we never heare them use the Name of God so vainly in good or bad as divers Seculars have noted in the vaine discourses of Monks and complained thereof Nor doe we see them complement with wenches and women three or foure houres together in their portalls as doe the Friers but above all the begging ones The Ministers intents of discourse with any women are examined and if they give an ill example it is not borne with I marvell not that the Holy Ghost infuseth into them such profound notions of holy Writ and that it bestowes upon them such excellent illuminations in Divinity as the Professors of this University deliver unto all that will come to heare them I can never forget what I noted from one of them who handling in his Lecture the Commandement Thou shalt not commit adultery I never saw so grave a stayednesse in words nor so much carefulnesse in discovering this subject which gave mee occasion to detest the Romish Casuists and among other Sanchez a Jesuit who in a sordid manner turnes to and againe the filth that comes along with this uncleannesse for there is nothing foule or base in the most execrable excesses of beastlinesse and sensuality which is not tossed to and fro in his imagination and found in his most prodigious and horrible booke of Marriage See now what in my conscience I knew of them in whose bande they say I am cast Hee to whom this invective against them and my sele is written can judge of these impostures and of the truth of what I assever who forsooke the reformed Church at threescore yeares of age and therefore had time enough to be well acquainted with the behaviours of Ministers What this reverend Sir addes in his letter the Huguenots of Rouen themselves say if I had been an honest man I had not left the Capuchins is a lye by which he makes himselfe a laughing stock and abuseth him he writes to by making a baby