Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	author_n	publish_v	write_v	1,828	5	5.3252	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77921	State-maxims, or, Certain dangerous positions, destructive to the very natural right and liberty of mankind. Laid down in a book entituled, The grounds of government and obedience; by Tho. White Gent. / Discussed, and both by Scripture and reason confuted, by Will Ball Esq;	Ball, William.	1656 (1656)	Wing B595; Thomason E886_6; ESTC R207341	17,284	32

STATE-MAXIMS OR CERTAIN DANGEROUS POSITIONS Destructive to the very natural Right and Liberty of Mankind Laid down in a Book entituled The Grounds of Government and Obedience By THO. WHITE Gent. Discussed and both by Scripture and Reason confuted by WILL BALL Esq LONDON Printed by G. Dawson for T. Brewster at the three Bibles at the West-End of Pauls 1655. The Authors Motives inducing him to write and publish this small Treatise FIrst It hath in almost all Ages been too much the Practice of some able Wits to advance a boundless Interest of Potentates as if that Majestas Imperii not salus Populi were the adequate yea total object and end of all humane Government by meanes whereof Oppression hath overspread and Tyranny under yoaked many of the greatest and most flourishing Nations on the Earth But such men who have sometimes been Mercurialists sometimes Martialists sometimes both might be termed Humani Generis inimici for that either in hopes of their own Preferments or Applauses they exposed to sale I might say shipwrack the Natural or innate Liberty of all mankind Secondly There have alwayes been many too many churlish stubborn Persons who have hated and opposed Regular Civil Government although Prudent and Moderate even as exorbitant Tyranny and boundless Potency but such may be termed bruit beasts of the wilderness who by Irregular Licenciousness would destroy the well ordered and cultivated Proprieties of all civilized People Now the Author of this small and compendious Treatise was moved to write and publish the same to satisfie if it may be both the one and the other by candid and concluding Reason WILL. BALL OBSERVATIONS Upon a Book intituled The Grounds of Obedience and Government Printed 1655. OBSERVATION 1. Vpon the sixt Ground Touching Right or Due I Have perused a Book intituled The Grounds of Obedience and Government written by Thomas White Gentleman wherein self-end or interest is greatly implyed and though the Author seem to dislike blind obedience yet he endeavoureth to enslave free men under the Bondage of Boundless Government or rather Governors I shall instance and insist upon the Positions of the sixt Ground not the first but the fittest to begin withall The words are these We ought therefore to know that a man considered in pure nature looks on all other things men and beasts and insensible creatures as his subjects to work on his onely Rule being Reason which takes nothing to be good but what is good to himself I will examine this Position first according to the Rule of the Creator and then according to the Rule of the Creature All School-men agree that GOD worketh all things for himself but they do not all agree touching the formal Reason why he so worketh Some hold that GOD worketh meerly because he will so but this is gross to say that God meerly willeth without Non vult Deus quia vult sed quia velle sapit the Dictamen of his Divine Knowledge wherefore the Apostle saith Rom. 8. 29. Whom he foreknew he also predestinated as for that touching Esau and Jacob cap. 9. it onely sheweth that GODS eternal Decree precedeth matter of Fact not that his eternal Decree precedeth his Divine Knowledge Others hold that GOD worketh to the end he may manifest his Attributes but this is to say that GOD hath a self-end dissonant to his Greatness and Goodness For what doth the manifestation of Attributes add to GOD whose Greatness and Glory consisteth in Octjectum creationis est Bonitas ipsa Divina ut communicabilis participative Gen. 1. 4. 10. 12 c. Potuit Deus ulterius communicare Participative Bonitatem creaturis possibilibus Deo tamen visa est sufficieus Existentibus communi●atio self-Being not in self-ends Nor can an extrinsecal end be the adequate object of the infinite Greatness and Goodness of GOD. Others therefore say and that more truly that GOD worketh to communicate his Goodness severally and this is agreeable as to the Action of Creation Gen. 1. 4. 10. c. so to the mystery of Incarnation of which it is said John 3. 16. So God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son Now if GOD work to communicate his Goodness ought not man considered in pure nature work what he may to communicate good to others and not meerly or wholly to himself Ought he not also by the Rule of Reason to take that for good which is good to others as well as to himself Ought not the reasonable creature considered in pure nature to follow the Rule of his Creator Moreover can a man considered in pure nature and consequently in prudent Reason look on all other things men and beasts and insensible Creatures as his subjects to work on Is there not subjectum per quod which is the meanes whereby and subjectum ad quod which is the adaequate Term as well as subjectum quod the subject or ground whereon to work Certainly prudent Reason dictates so When GOD created Eve he said Let us make him an help ut subjectum per quod he said not let us make him a subject to work upon as subjectum quod And if Adam and his Posterity had persevered in the state of Innocence doubtless he and they had educated their children being the adequate Terms of their Propagation or Generation in holy contemplation and some bodily employment for certainly he and they should not have lived idly albeit This may be gathered from the 2. of Gen. v. 5. their employment or work should have been no toil or tediousness unto them so that Adam should not have looked on any of his Posterity in the state of Innocence or in pure nature as a subject to work on but rather as a subject to work for or to other creatures peradventure he might have looked on as subjects to work on wherefore it is improper yea dangerous to say that a man considered in pure nature looketh on men as well as Beasts and insensible creatures as his subjects to work on it is the way to make men wholly self-ended and to vilifie others In the same Section or Ground Mr. White saith It is true there is an inclination in man from Reason to do another any good I can so it is printed without my own prejudice and to have a desire to keep Peace with all men But if I do not it follows not that I wrong him even though I do him harm or seek his ruine But I wrong my self nature binding me to make my carriage to every one Rational and becomming a man for he is no otherwise to me than a piece of cloth or wood which I cut and shape after my own will sittingly for my use I would know of any Rational man whether prudent Reason even as Religion do not dictate this of St. Luke cap. 6. v. 31. And as ye would that men should do to you do ye also to them likewise Certainly prudent Reason no way over-byassed by pernicious will