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Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
cause_n know_v let_v see_v 3,024 5 2.9158 3 true
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A45644 The notion of a God neither from fear nor policy a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of St. Paul, March the 7th 1697/8 : being the third of the lecture for that year, founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esq. / by John Harris ... Harris, John, 1667?-1719. 1698 (1698) Wing H852; ESTC R15402 19,178 32

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tell_v we_o that_o the_o true_a cause_n from_o whence_o superstition_n take_v its_o rise_n be_v preserve_v and_o maintain_v be_v fear_n ibid._n that_o if_o all_o thing_n will_v but_o succeed_v according_a to_o man_n mind_n they_o will_v never_o be_v enslave_v by_o superstition_n but_o because_o they_o be_v often_o in_o great_a straits_n and_o so_o put_v to_o it_o that_o no_o counsel_n or_o help_v will_v be_v beneficial_a to_o they_o they_o be_v toss_v and_o bandy_v about_o between_o hope_n and_o fear_v and_o at_o last_o have_v their_o mind_n so_o debilitate_a that_o they_o be_v prone_a to_o believe_v any_o thing_n ibid._n but_o that_o in_o reality_n all_o those_o thing_n which_o have_v be_v the_o object_n of_o man_n vain_a religious_a worship_n be_v nothing_o but_o the_o dreadful_a phantasm_n and_o mad_a figment_n of_o a_o sorrowful_a and_o timorous_a mind_n ibid._n and_o the_o reason_n he_o say_v why_o all_o man_n be_v thus_o subject_a by_o nature_n to_o superstition_n be_v only_o from_o fear_n and_o not_o as_o some_o have_v fancy_v from_o any_o confuse_a idea_n of_o a_o god_n which_o they_o will_v have_v to_o be_v impress_v on_o all_o mankind_n the_o author_n of_o the_o leviathan_n speak_v yet_o a_o little_a plain_o as_o to_o this_o point_n 51._o ignorant_a man_n say_v he_o feign_v to_o themselves_o several_a kind_n of_o invisible_a power_n stand_v in_o awe_n of_o their_o own_o imagination_n in_o time_n of_o distress_n invoke_v they_o in_o time_n of_o success_n give_v they_o thanks_o make_v the_o creature_n of_o their_o own_o fancy_n go_n this_o be_v the_o natural_a seed_n of_o religion_n which_o man_n take_v notice_n of_o have_v form_v into_o law_n etc._n etc._n and_o he_o tell_v we_o in_o another_o place_n 26.51_o that_o fear_v of_o power_n invisible_a feign_v by_o the_o mind_n or_o imagine_v from_o tale_n public_o allow_v be_v religion_n not_o allow_v be_v superstition_n so_o that_o according_a to_o mr._n hobbs_n religion_n and_o superstition_n differ_v only_o in_o this_o that_o the_o latter_a be_v a_o lie_n and_o a_o cheat_n stand_v only_o on_o the_o authority_n of_o private_a man_n whereas_o the_o former_a be_v support_v by_o the_o power_n of_o the_o government_n in_o these_o four_o thing_n say_v he_o elsewhere_o 54._o consist_v the_o natural_a seed_n of_o religion_n viz._n ignorance_n of_o second_o cause_n opinion_n of_o ghost_n devotion_n towards_o what_o man_n fear_v and_o take_v thing_n casual_a for_o prognostic_n these_o be_v the_o account_n which_o our_o modern_a atheistical_a writer_n give_v of_o the_o origin_n of_o religion_n and_o the_o notion_n of_o a_o god_n among_o men._n and_o this_o they_o with_o great_a assurance_n put_v off_o as_o their_o own_o new_a invention_n without_o be_v so_o just_a as_o to_o mention_v any_o of_o the_o ancient_n from_o who_o they_o have_v borrow_v every_o article_n of_o it_o that_o trite_a passage_n every_o body_n know_v primus_fw-la in_o orbe_fw-la deos_fw-la fecit_fw-la timor_fw-la and_o 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prevent_v and_o repress_v injury_n and_o rapine_n invent_v law_n to_o punish_v those_o that_o do_v amiss_o and_o then_o they_o feign_v that_o there_o be_v god_n also_o who_o take_v cognizance_n of_o all_o man_n action_n whether_o good_a or_o bad_a that_o so_o no_o one_o may_v dare_v to_o commit_v any_o secret_a wickedness_n when_o he_o be_v by_o this_o mean_v persuade_v 〈◊〉_d 〈◊〉_d 〈◊〉_d 〈◊〉_d 〈◊〉_d 〈◊〉_d 〈◊〉_d 〈◊〉_d 〈◊〉_d 〈◊〉_d that_o the_o god_n though_o unseen_a by_o man_n do_v yet_o inspect_v into_o all_o humane_a action_n and_o take_v notice_n who_o do_v well_o and_o who_o the_o contrary_a sextus_n also_o attribute_n the_o rise_v of_o man_n belief_n of_o a_o god_n to_o their_o ignorance_n of_o second_o cause_n as_o i_o show_v you_o before_o that_o lucretius_n do_v for_o he_o make_v democritus_n speak_v thus_o 〈◊〉_d when_o man_n of_o old_a see_v strange_a and_o frightful_a thing_n in_o the_o air_n or_o heaven_n such_o as_o thunder_n lightning_z thunderbolt_n eclipse_n of_o the_o sun_n and_o moon_n etc._n etc._n not_o know_v the_o natural_a cause_n of_o they_o but_o be_v terrify_v by_o they_o they_o straight_o imagine_v the_o god_n to_o be_v the_o author_n of_o they_o this_o therefore_o be_v prove_v to_o be_v the_o true_a sense_n of_o the_o ancient_a atheistical_a writer_n and_o from_o they_o copy_v by_o the_o modern_n viz._n that_o fear_n ignorance_n and_o cunning_a be_v the_o first_o original_n or_o cause_n of_o the_o notion_n and_o belief_n of_o a_o god_n let_v we_o now_o fair_o examine_v the_o case_n and_o see_v what_o ground_n there_o be_v for_o such_o a_o assertion_n and_o whether_o this_o can_v account_v for_o that_o universal_a notion_n of_o a_o divine_a and_o omnipotent_a be_v which_o we_o find_v every_o where_o in_o the_o world_n and_o 1._o i_o say_v that_o the_o notion_n of_o a_o god_n can_v not_o come_v from_o fear_n for_o if_o it_o do_v either_o this_o fear_n must_v be_v universal_o inherent_a in_o all_o mankind_n or_o else_o peculiar_a only_o to_o 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mean_v do_v they_o intend_v by_o they_o such_o as_o have_v power_n command_v and_o empire_n over_o other_o nothing_o be_v more_o certain_a than_o that_o king_n and_o prince_n have_v be_v equal_o subject_a to_o these_o fear_n of_o a_o god_n and_o of_o divine_a punishment_n with_o the_o mean_a and_o most_o contemptible_a of_o their_o subject_n and_o this_o 1217._o lucretius_n himself_o own_v as_o also_o that_o this_o fear_n of_o a_o deity_n be_v universal_a and_o we_o have_v example_n of_o it_o in_o the_o history_n of_o all_o age_n and_o part_n of_o the_o world_n but_o they_o will_v say_v it_o be_v like_a that_o by_o brave_a and_o great_a soul_n they_o do_v mean_v king_n and_o prince_n but_o the_o wise_a know_v and_o learned_a part_n of_o mankind_n these_o be_v they_o that_o first_o discover_v this_o cheat_n and_o who_o find_v its_o advantage_n to_o mankind_n have_v ever_o since_o continue_v it_o and_o carry_v it_o on_o for_o the_o public_a good_n these_o cunning_a man_n find_v the_o 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