Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	authority_n	church_n	reason_n	1,519	5	4.9993	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67268	Divine hymns, or, A paraphrase upon the Te Deum, &c. and the Song of the three children, or canticle Benedicite omnia opera, &c. as they are in the Book of common prayer by T. Walker ...	Walker, Thomas, 1658 or 9-1716.; Nicetas, of Remesiana, Saint, d. ca. 414. Te Deum laudamus.	1691 (1691)	Wing W415; ESTC R13384	12,832	40

thus that by the same way of reasoning a man might write Satyrs against all mankind who if they be not very Cyphers of the Creation are listed and to be reck'ned into some profession rank or denomination in which it will not be difficult to find many irregularities and offences but if upon this account men of different degrees and stations shou'd take the liberty to expose each others party to be worried with slanders and reproaches what strife disorder and confusion must needs follow from such inhuman and irrational proceedings it wou'd be more eligible to spend our lives in a retired solitude remote from all company and to forego all the advantages of human society rather than to be loaded with all the crimes and reproaches which perhaps one in some Hundreds may deserve to be accus'd off and with which he may without injustice be upbraided I shall close my reflections upon this point with the words of one of the best Poets Mr W. this age has produc'd which afford both matter of instruction and reproof He that proportion'd wonders can disclose At once his fancy and his Judgment shows Chast moral writing we may learn from hence Neglect of which no Wit can recompence The fountain which from Helicon proceeds That sacred stream shou'd never water weeds Nor make the crop of thorns and thistles grow Which Envy or perverted nature sow 'T is needless to enlarge in the commendation of divine Poetry especially to those who have any reverence for Religion seeing that God has been pleas'd that so considerable a part of holy Scripture shou'd be indited in this way of writing or to spend Time in setting forth its deserved praise to those who have any respect or esteem for Antiquity In other cases we have usually a great veneration for it and men pore upon the broken letters of an old and rusty inscription as if they had been written with the pen of an Angel whenas after much pains taken perhaps they find by the poorness of its fancy and expression that 't is some rude composure of an illiterate Monk or a barbarous relique of the Goths and Vandals how much more worthy of our study and regard are those divine Songs recorded in the Scripture which for Antiquity exceed the most antient Monuments extant and in sublimity of expression and profoundness of sense excell all human compositions as do all the other writings of their inspired Authors And thô the two Hymns I have at present undertook to paraphrase be no part of canonical Scripture yet are they so full of divine sense and affectionate devotion as to be thought worthy to deserve a place in our publick Liturgy The first beyond question being as antient as St Ambrose and a faithfull record of orthodox Divinity and sincere Piety The Church of Rome indeed without sufficient ground admits the Song of the Three children into the Canon of holy Writ and places it in the Third Chapter of Daniel where it was not to be found either in the Hebrew Text or Transtation of the Seventy Interpreters when St Hierom translated the Bible into Latin for he says himself in his Comments upon this song that he turn'd it from the version of Theodotion which he wou'd not have done if it had been to be found in either of the foremention'd copies of Hebrew or Greek which at the same time both shows that it is of good Antiquity and also disproves the pretences of the Roman party of its being an authentick portion of canonical Scripture But zeal and prejudice have so blinded the Vnderstandings of some in other respects Judicious men that rather then they will forego their false but preconceiv'd opinions and notions they run into gross mistakes and commit intolerable blunders and are so intent upon gaining their point that they skip over all the little niceties of probability and proof Otherwise how cou'd it happen that so learned a Man as Morinus in his Edition of the Septuagint at Paris with Nobilius his Notes shou'd place this Song in the Third Chapter of Daniel as part of the Seventy's translation without offering any reason or making any Apology for his so doing which he cou'd not but be convinc'd was a cheat put upon the world except he imagin'd that the vulgar Latin which stands over against it and is made the only authentick Text by the Council of Trent by the vertue of its usurped authority cou'd as Chymists are said to transmute Metals change the Greek of Theodotion into that of the Septuagint for as hath been show'd before this Canticle was not in the Seventy's Translation in St Hierom's time for if it had he wou'd certainly have translated his Latine from thence it being of more authority than the Greek of Theodotion A man may venture to guess at the reason without fear of being reputed a conjurer that induc'd the Council of Trent to receive those books into the Canon of holy Scripture which we according to the Judgment of the ancient council of Laodicea and the sense of the learnedest Fathers in the best ages account to be but Apocryphal because they being destitute of better proofs to maintain some doctrines in which they dissent from us and the Catholick church fancy they find a colourable authority to support them in these books as for Instance because Ananias Azarias and Misael are call'd upon in this Canticle to praise God therefore from thence they frame an argument for the Invocation and worship of Saints but it much betrays the badness of a cause to endeavour to establish it by such infirm props and invalid reasons which unlike to Rome of old don't ruin themselves by their own strength but by their own weakness for by a parity of reason they may as well bring an argument for the lawfulness of worshiping the Sun Moon and Stars which are likewise call'd upon and excited to praise God in this Song I am sensible of having trespass'd upon the candid Readers patience by prefixing so large a prelude to so slender a performance but whilst I was thinking to say sowewhat to the purpose one thing brought in another and I cou'd not without some reluctancy suppress the conceptions and resentments which offer'd themselves to my meditation I shall only beg the favour of adding a few Lines more concerning my present undertaking In the first Hymn I have endeavour'd to keep close to the sense of it and hope I have not omitted or misinterpreted any thing material therein Where the Song seems to begin afresh Thou art the King of Glory O Christ I have inserted Four lines to usher it in Thus whilst on Earth c. In the latter I have had respect to Horace his rule to which all other rules must be subject as to the most Essential as Rapin well observes viz. Reddere convenientia cuique Hor. de Arte Poet. by endeavouring to observe a Decorum in bringing in every creature praising God after that manner which seems