Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	false_a	true_a	worship_n	4,780	5	7.8086	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06425	The beginning, continuance, and decay of estates vvherein are handled many notable questions concerning the establishment of empires and monarchies. Written in French by R. de Lusing, L. of Alymes: and translated into English by I.F.; De la naissance, durée et cheute des estats. English	Lucinge, René de, sieur des Alymes, 1553-ca. 1615.; Finet, John, Sir, 1571-1641.	1606 (1606)	STC 16897; ESTC S107708	113,193	176

more industrious about their fortifications or more resolute in the field 3 The other occasion which hath withheld the Turke from making war long time together vpon one people is in mine opinion the feare he hath to incite their neighbour Princes to take armes against him For if the compassion fire which burneth our neighbours house doc not mooue vs the feare of the like to light on vs will make vs bestirre our selues 4 The Turke then following these steps one while assaileth the Venetians despoiling them now of a Prouince then of a good towne or place of strength And hauing there made vp his mouth he praieth next vpon the Hungarians doubting lest he might pull vpon his necke a generall league of the other of Italy He euermore pretendeth in shew that hee will attempt no further rather that hee meaneth to plant the vtmost of his limits at the place by him last conquered In the meane time he forgetteth not to be watchfull where he may sease himselfe of some other place of more importance more easily to incroch vpon vs. After he hath gotten from the Hungarians some peece of their country he retireth himselfe before their neighbours be assembled or that they haue meanes couragiously to reuenge themselues of their iniuries In conclusion he so well behaueth himselfe as he hath neuer suffered vs to fasten vpon him whatsoeuer wars he hath made vpon vs and he hath alwaies so timely made his retraite as he hath not enforced the neighbours of the country assailed to ioyne and be in league together he in the meane time resting vpon his aduantages of hauing a great number of souldiours well trained and entertained in continuall wars whereby they become more experienced in all occurrents then ours by these meanes attaining to the triumphes of so many crownes and estates The end of the first booke THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. I. Of Religion 1 Religion the principall bridle of the subiects 2 Excellencie of the Christian religion 3 The vainnesse and abhomination of the Mahometan religion 4 Disputation of religion forbidden amongst the Turkes 5 The great Turkes example is a confirmation of his religion 6 So are the calamities of the Christians and of others different from them in opinions IN like sort as by the disposing of what hath beene before handled we haue made it apparent by what wayes meanes the Turke is become great so are we now to deliuer the manner how he holdeth and maintaineth what he hath already gotten 1 All such as haue gone about to lay the foundation of souerantie haue begun with religion as that wherof princes must necessarily make vse to containe their people in obedience and worship of one God true or false if this were not it were impossible they should acknowledge one Soueraigne in earth were they without the feare knowledge of one Supreame in heauen We might alleage ancient histories whereby it would appeare that all such as haue gone about the establishment of a monarchy haue had an especiall care to grounde it on the pretence of religion by whose mysterie and ceremonies they helde in those whom they sought to range to their lawes by this scruple making them more tractable and pliant to receiue instruction Numa Pompilius Lycurgus Sertorius and others are sufficient proofes whose credit grew from the communication they gaue out they had with som Diuinity others that could not hit of the way to frame a new religion fortified themselues neuerthelesse with a pretence of it in reforming the old as did not long since Ismael King of Persia and his Coosine Harduellas who performed great matters in the partes of Asia by introducing a new superstition of religion 2 But to the purpose we must auow that as there is no religion more true so is there none more fauorable to Princes then the Christian for the quiet and preseruation of their estate and minde In somuch as this by way of conscience subiecteth to the king all other superiours howsoeuer peruerse and vitious the heart the person goods of the subiect what greater reason or instrument of state can we meete with then that which bringeth the people vnder a full and perfect obedience If our Sauiour Christ submitted himselfe to the law of the Emperour and paid taxe and custom for himselfe and Saint Peter who will doubt that his disciples are not to doe the like as true obseruers of his precepts I remember a discourse written by the Iesuites of a certaine Prince of a country newly dscouered in India who as one very politicke and wise perceiming the simplicity and purity of the Christian doctrine though himselfe were an Idolater permitted that his subiects should be baptized cathechized and instructed in our faith and was present at their baptisme furthering to his power all the actions of the Iesuites because said he I am assured if these men obserue their law as they are bound they will faile neither of loialty nor obedience and will pay me my tributes and reuenues without fraude or contradiction 3 Let vs now enter into the principall matter of the subiect which we haue vndertaken to handle The law of Mahomet is full fraught with fables and grosse absurdities and so far from reason to maintaine them as it would be an easie matter by way of some holy manifestation of their errors to alter the estate gouernment of the Turkish Empire What more strange impertinency can there be then that of their Alcaron It is impossible to deuise more absurdities dreames and cousenings then those their law giuer Mahomet hath introduced but he perceiuing well enough that the foundation of his falfe doctrine was such as it would be easie to ouerthrow it knew cunningly how manie ways to remedie it First he framed all the precepts of his law according to naturall sense and made them sutable to the course of things base and earthly therby to make their obseruation so much the more pleasing and easie to be admitted and maintained as being founded vpon the pleasures of the flesh and the world he could neuer better charm the reason and lull asleepe the spirite of that dull and wholly illiterate nation then to tie them to the performance of a law altogether sensuall 4 The other meanes he held to make his law lasting was the expresse forbidding to enter into disputation about any one point of it vnlesse it were with the edge of the sword In regard whereof he tearmed it the law of the sword Thus the Prince of the Turke who hath in his hand the sword force is also consequently the Arbitrator Iudge of the doubts and controuersies which arise in his law and determineth them as he seeth good so as he is wise enough to suffer any newe opinion to take footing For as soone as that hapneth he turneth his sword against the authours thereof and that with such rigour and cruelty as he vtterly rooteth them out not leauing so much as a

seed or any parcell of them The troubles and dissentions which heresies haue brought in amongst the Christians serue him for examples he seeth such histories daily verified he is very well informed of them and turneth them to the best vse beyond the experience his predecessors haue had of such fruites as spring from a new interpretation of their law Harduclles in a very small space wan such credit amongst that barbarous people that by means of a certaine new interpretation of the points of their sect he busied all Asia where he sowed so many troubles as he well neere indangered the whole estate of Baiazet the second 5 But that which maketh the law of this cursed race more durable is that the Emperour himselfe obserueth it with that deuotion honoreth it with that reuerence embraceth it with that religion and preserueth it in that credit and authority as it is hard to imagine a man more deuout and affected towards it 6 Againe the misery and vexations that the Turks depriued of all other light but that their mother sense affordeth them beholde other nations dispersed thorow their dominions and of a contrary beleefe to indure wholy weddeth their dull soules to this false doctrine neither is there that misery which that vile Mahometane race make not all those to suffer who embrace not their religion but aboue all the Christians CHAP. II. Of the direct dependency of the Turkes subiects vpon their Soueraigne 1 Subiects must haue their eies chiefly vpon their Soueraigne 2 Tyrants strength and guard of strangers 3 The absolute authority of the Ottomans 4 The Princes seuour the subiects safetie 5 His subiects exact obedience and the cause thereof 6 Rebllions whence procceding 1 THe best cement that can be made to giue long continuance to an estate is to worke so as that the subiects of whatsoeuer qualitie or condition they be may haue alwaies neede of him that is their Commander to the end they may immediatly depend vpon him and reuerence him but because it is hard to bring all the world to this passe especially in a great monarchy those at the least are to be drawen to it as farfoorth as is possible who should be the sinewes and supporters of the Princes power 2 This moued such Tyrants as durst not assure themselues of such people as they had subdued to haue about them Captaines Souldiours and seruants which were strangers and had neither kinsfolkes nor friendes in that country but relied absolutely vpon them This heeretofore was the maner of the Soldans of Egypt and though they be courses so violent barbarous and vnworthy of Christian Princes as they should neuer be set before them yet may they somewaies aduantage them in the consideration of their ends and aime of their intentions applying them and appropriating them so far forth as Christian policy and the interest of faith may permit 3 Now then we will deliuer what vse the Turke in these times makes of them He to establish his Empire and amplifie his greatnesse and authority intitleth himselfe not only Prince and Monarch of his estates but Lord also and peaceable Master of the persons habilities goods houses and possessions of his vastals neither is there inheritance or succession so assured be it neuer so lawfull but it dependeth of the disposition and free wil of the Turke so as if any aske of his subiects whose house it is wherein he dwelleth and to whom belongeth the land he tilleth he makes no other answeare but that they are the great Turks his Master moreouer they all tearme themselues slaues of their Prince whence followeth that they can not any waie maintaine the quiet possession of their goods nor account of any thing as of their owne but by his especiall fauour Much more if they aime at raising themselues to any eminent place of honour they are to beg it of the magnificence and pleasure of their Prince meanes which serue to curbe those barbarous people yet to be reiected of Christians and abhorred of lawfull Princes who receiue and hold their monarchies of the hand of God There are more honest precepts to be giuen whereby they may purchase and preserue the loue and obedience of their people without vsing such cruelties and tyrannies But because the argument propounded requireth that I relate the meanes this barbarons race hath obserued to become great and that I am fallen into that matter I will continue it yet not as approuing any such course or as indeuoring to set them downe by them to forme a receiuable example or to induce Christian Princes to make them their paterne of gouerning their estates 4 By this former discourse then we haue deliuered how the Turkes subiects haue neede of him some to preserue what they haue gotten others to attaine to dignities and places of honour And in a word their being and life depending indifferently vpon the Prince their principall care is to winne his fauour 5 Thi● dependency fortifieth it selfe increaseth by the obedience and gouernment of great personages imploied by the Turke in his seruice and fashioned by himselfe to this end who are from their infancy brought vp at the Princes charge and instructed euery one according as hee is naturally inclined either in the excercises of armes or any other laborious trade so as such not knowing other father or benefactor then their soueraigne from whom they receiue both goods and honours neuer thinke of kindred or friends neither haue they any touch of bloud or naturall alliance dedicating their body minde and whole deuotion to the only goood of their masters affaires whose creatures they acknowledge themselues to be to whatsoeuer degree of honour they be preferred neither is it in their power to amasse other wealth then that which is rawght them by the hands of the great Turke To make it more plaine to the Reader who these are they are the Spachi Spachioglani and Ianizzars in these consisteth the strength and guard of the Turkish Empire I hold it not amisse to discouer in a word as by the way what is the forme and condition of these bandes and companies so to deliuer a more cleare vnderstanding of their manner and power The Spachi and Spachioglani are horse men whereof there are a thousand in number which march at the right hand of their Lord. The Selactari or Soluptari are other thousand horse which accompany the great Turke on the left hand when he marcheth as the Spaihioglani on the right of these two companies are chosen the Gouernours of Prouinces and vpon these according to their merit the Turke bestoweth his daughters in mariage The Vlufezgi are other thousand which march after the aboue named who in part are called out of the bands of Ianizzars as men noted for their especiall valour or they are such as haue beene slaues and for their notable seruice performed toward their masters or for hauing saued the life of some Bassa or Beglerbee in the wars attaine to this degree of