Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	command_n	command_v	lawful_a	2,968	5	9.4987	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45429	Of superstition	Hammond, Henry, 1605-1660.	1645 (1645)	Wing H566; ESTC R9307	19,990	27

every sect or sort of people liking in themselves but disliking in others of a distant worship do either honour or defame with the Title as of Superstition so of Religion also Fourthly A trembling feare of Gods punishment due for every sinne which the Epicureans were willing to scoffe out of the world lest every man being a sinner every man should be left to terrors and astonishments of Conscience and so loose that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that tranquillity and ease of life which they proposed to themselves as the cheifest good To which I need only adde a fifth not yet tourcht upon The use of magicall Spells Ligatures Characters c. of auspicious and ominous dayes the not observing of which Hesiod makes to be impiety {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that whole booke being a direction to that purpose {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} all the observations and bookes of the Augures and Aruspices a Catalogue of all which Clemens Alexan Strom. 3. p. 312. tells us was to be seene in a Comedy of Maenanders called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in which he scoffes at those that make every Accident almost {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a presage or signe of something divining by the flight of birds {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in Homer by the feeding of chickens as in that famous story of Valens which cost so many men their lives for having names which began with those letters which the chicken peckt at on the table to which you may adde the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} by striking a stafle against the ground to which t is thought the Prophet referred Hos. 4. 12. and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and a many more collected by learned men out of their bookes and the rest of the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} auspicious signes such as {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} lightning on the right side in Homer Id. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The like with more ease you shall finde in Saint Austin de Doctr. Christiana l. 2. under the Title of Significationes superstitiosae superstitious significations which saith he Epist. 73. ad serviendum Daemonibus adhibentur are used to serve the Devils and thence it seemes are called Superstitious and they that use them {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in Suidas superstitious observers of signes All which being thus premised three things there are in our moderne customary use of this word among men that will appeare very inconsequent and improper at least First that Superstition simply and abstractly taken should be resolved in all Authors to signifie somewhat which is evill That sinne particularly of False-worship Whereas first those that use the word to expresse their owne worship either of God or Angels or Saints conceive that to be a creditable word or else would not call it by that name and the Etymologists even now affirmed that among the heathen {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 'T is taken for a good thing and for religion in generall And secondly When Saint Pauls Religion or Christianity it selfe is called by that name by Festus an heathen Acts 25. 19. it appeares not that he did use that word as an accusation or in an ill sence but only in generall to signifie Pauls Religion or somewhat in that different from the Religion of the Jewes and no whit lesse favoured by him then the Jewes Religion For he that reades the story shall see that he rather favoured Saint Paul's part against the Jewes or at most doubted whose side to judge on so farre is he from prejudgeing Saint Paul's cause or his Religion in comparison of theirs or expressing that by this word Thirdly Saint Paul himselfe Act. 17. 23. saith they do {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} worship the true God though ignorantly taking him for a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as the rest of their many Gods were whom he had called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Fourthly he calls them {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} more religious then other men not in relation to any vitious rite or performance where in they exceeded others but in relation to their worshiping the unknowne God which others worshipt not which saith he was the true God of heaven whom he preached though the truth is they knew him not A second inconsequence is that the use of Ceremonies or Rites in the worship of the true God if they be not distinctly prescribed either by the example or precept of Christ should 1 be called superstition then without farther matter of accusation be condemned only for deserving that Title Whereas first there is no example in the Scripture nor ancient Authour nor ground in the nature of either Greeke or Latine word to affix that Title to that matter Superstition to unprescribed Rites or if there were yet secondly no Authority to defame that Title being so applyed or to conclude every thing evill that were called by it unlesse it might appeare to be in it selfe evill abstracted from the Odium of that Title The Third Inconsequent thing is that men on pretence in the name of Piety should abstaine from some observances in themselves and their owne nature acknowledged to be indifferent as superstitious either because they are commanded by lawfull authority or at most because they are or have been used by Papists And yet themselves not expect to be accompted superstitious in hating and detesting and not daring to practice any one of them and that sometimes for no other crime but because they are by lawfull authority commanded to practice them but as strictly obligeing themselves to do the contrary sometimes that which Anabaptists and other Persons 1 not in authority secondly as much or as well condemned by our Church both for doctrine and manner of worship as the Papists are wont to doe Whereas in things indifferent first it is certainely as criminons and Superstitious to place piety in the Negative as the affirmative in not kneeling as in kneeling in absteining scrupulously from Ceremonies as in using them as scrupulously And secondly 't is as dangerous a kinde of dogmatizing to teach the necessity of abstinence from lawfull unprohibited Ceremonies as from lawfull unprohibited meates Col. 2. And thirdly it is not imaginable that the intervening of a command on one side and not on the other should leave the Superstition only on that side where the command lies for then the Superstition must consist in obeying lawfull magistrates or else the magistrates themselves be the only Superstitious Persons in commanding Either of which acts either of giving or obeying commands in things indifferent if it were acknowledged a fault might sure be Adultery or Witchcraft as well as Superstition If to all which hath beene said in this matter it be

higher powers command nor interdict us I say not the simple doing and abstayning for that may be simply lawfull nor the doing abstayning upon ground of command or prohibition from our lawfull superiours for if there be any such we are bound by the word of God to such obedience and the not paying thereof is as truly I will add as immediatly a breach of Gods Lawe and sinne against God as any act of theft or adultery or sinne against the second table for though the commands of the Magistrate are but mediatly the cōmands of God yet the disobeying of those commands is an immediat disobedience to God in the fifth Commandement which commands to honour i. e. to obey him and then to be most exact and praecise in caution never to sinne against that obedience cannot be superstition or fault though perhaps by being in a man that makes little Conscience of greater disobedience it be an ill Symptome of that Hypocrisy which consists in strayning at Gnats and swallowing Camels but the doing or absteyning religiously which is in effect dogmatizing Col. 2. 20. laying burdens upon our selves and others as from Christ where Christ hath wholly left us free As if a private man should thinke himselfe obliged by or a Magistrate presse upon others by virtue of the Mosaicall praecept the obligation of the Iewish Lawe long since abrogated by Christ or any other outdated or not-yet-given command This might be called Superstition under this Notion of Nimiety because that man add's to the Commands of Christ as the former to the Promises annexed to the Christian Religion to the Gospell Rule those things which belong not to it and so is an exceeder in the feare and service of God doth things in obedience to God which hee neither immediatly nor mediatly commands and so walkes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Ephes. 5. 15. Circumspectly but as a foole fearing where no feare is doing some things servilly that is fearing damnation if he should not doe them wherein Christ hath left him free and no authority of the Church or lawfull Magistrate restrain'd that Liberty And this is a culpable or criminous Excesse not in doeing what God commands not for that may be innocent enough but in affirming as a false Teacher God to command when he doth not command or to forbid when hee doth not forbid and so inthralling himselfe or others whom God hath freed Which way of dogmatizing or imposing as necessary such things as the lawe of Christ hath not made necessary no nor so much as the higher powers authorized by Christ nor the Primitive or universall Church of Christ which will have authority amongst all sober men and so proceeding to make such things marks and characters to condemn others and illustrate themselves by is the speciall kinde of Superstition which I have reason to beleeve any kinde of Protestants to be guilty of Yea and The only one unlesse it be that ridiculous one of making groundlesse observations of ominous things inauspicious events unlucky daies and such like old-wives divinations to which one part of Theophrastus his character of Superstition and of Agellius his notion of it and of S. Austins also referrs which yet is rather beleeving firmly what we have no ground to beleeve and so an excesse of credulity then doing what we are not bound to do so an excesse of Religion or if you wil a civill Superstition being not in any order to the worship of God in an affected retayning or embracing of some old Heathen traditions taken up by the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} first foolish in them and then of evill report for us to continue from them being so much better instructed then they were and if taken up upon their authority and continued under that notion then also possibly matter of scandall as the eating of the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Things offered to Idols was 1 Cor. 10. 29. But then still th is is rather an effect of naturall magick or Heathenish perswasions then an Excesse of the Christian Religion and not at all the thing which is now a daies prest with that odious title of Superstition and therefore it may suffice to have named this without farther enlarging on it As for those other things which are so ordinarily brended under this name by many that are now ill pleased with the legall state of things in our Church though I shall not descend to the particular consideration of them and vindication of each yet this it will not be unseasonable to have advertised in this place that that maine proofe and common way of evidencing the superstitiousnesse of some observances or performances among us only because either wee doe place or others have placed holynesse in them is whatsoever may be said of it in thesi in hypothesi or application to the particular cases generally very false or impertinent For whensoever in any such particular I shall be thus accused I shall first aske what is meant by holynesse any reall inherent virtue or only according to the * Hebrew and so Scripture notation of the word separation from common uses For the first of these that reall inhaerent holynesse no Protestant that I have heard of affirmes it of any created thing but only of persons as God in the high degree and Saints of his in a lower and imperfect degree by way of communication from him Either therefore the charge must be false or else by holynesse must be meant that second kinde of it separation to holy from common uses and thus times things and actions c. may be truly called holy and if we place no more of this holinesse in them then thus truly belongs to them then sure we offend not againe nor are to be defamed for Superstitious in so doing In this case the only thing behinde for inquiry will be by whom and how farre this thing what ever it is is thus separated and that I shall suppose will be found to be done either by Christ or the Apostles or the universall Church in the purest ages or the particular Church and rulers thereof wherein we live or if by none of these then being left free and at our owne disposing by our owne voluntary act or that confirmed with a resolution or vow perhaps in some cases Now if these or any of these be the authors of the separating any thing then to discerne whether we exceede in any of these and whether we place more holynesse then is due to them it will not be very difficult For if that which is thus separated by Christ I shall count holy in that degree and conceive my selfe obliged to it virtute praecepti divini by virtue of divine praecept I surely offend not And so in the second If I count my selfe obliged by the Apostolick pracept or in the third by the example or praecept of the primitive universall or in the