Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	law_n	sin_n	wage_n	5,559	5	11.2143	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A38612	Popular errors, in generall poynts concerning the knowledge of religion having relation to their causes, and reduced into divers observations / by Jean D'Espaigne.; Erreurs populaires es poincts généraux, qui concernent l'intelligence de la religion. English	Espagne, Jean d', 1591-1659.	1648 (1648)	Wing E3267; ESTC R3075	73,280	230

of their conversation That so many naturall relations met in one man which might have brought the title of father and uncle together would have brought a thousand confusions in the world That the same proximity being disputed amongst them which are of the same blood would have produced divers strifes in families for the reason as that of the straight line which oblige the brother to marry his half sister that the woman who in case of injury or dissertion might find a refuge with their brothers had lost his refuge if the brotherhood had been confounded in the marriage And other reasons which one might alleadge for this law CHAP VI. Of the exercise of the mind in every point of Religion The default of the vulgar and of preachers herein The Scripture speaks by proofs GOd would that our knowledge should be discursive in part and that this faculty of the soule which passeth from one subject to another for to discern them compare them together and give judgement thereof might also be sanctified by this exercise in matters of Religion But because it is more difficult to reason upon a point then to conceive it nakedly and barely the common people is contented to heare that such a thing is true or good or just without searching why or how it is such The ignorant love onely to heare a thing affirmed or denyed insomuch that to the understanding of a proposition or assertion thus naked there is need of but a bare apprehension or understanding of words without other trouble of mind Whereupon they are delighted in maximes and proverbs because it is not needfull to conceive the sense thereof easie to whosoever understandeth the words For 't is to be presupposed they are grounded on reason and 't is enough to hold them for true without any other form of enquiry This same facility is the cause we have more talkers then preachers Provided they stretch out a point by a long train of equivalent tearms that they delate a text into Paraphrases that they heape togeather a great masse of sentences of Scripture they think they have worthily handled and the vulgar abide therewith satisfied But the interpretation thereof requires much more then this Certainly Jesus Christ himselfe and the most excellent instruments which have spok by his spirit have not contented themselves to pronounce the affirmative or negative upon any point but besides have shewed the reasons thereof If they teach that the worship of God ought to be spirituall they give this proofe thereof to wit that God is a spirit If the alleadge to make the Jewes see that the Messias ought to die and rise again the words of the Psalmest thou shalt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption they frame thereof an argument which imports that this Oracle cannot relate but to David or to Christ that the body of David had notoriously felt the same corruption which death brings to other men So that this prophecy could not belong but to Christ If they say that man is not justified by the Law they prove it by the end of the Law which is to manifest sinne If they declare that Circumcision doth not justifie they shew it by the example of Abraham who was justified before he was circumcised So that his circumcision being after his justification could not have produced it If they affirm that there was a Law before that of Moses they argue that where there is no law there is no sin Now we read that there was sin before Moses this is proved because that death which is the wages of sinne raigned from Adam to Moses If they maintaine free Election they produce the decree given before the infants had none either good or evil If they maintain that the Covenant of grace could not be disanulled by the Law they make it cleare that it did precede the Law foure hundred and thirty yeares If they publish that Christ is greater then the Angells they prove it by his titles which were never conferred upon them If they preach the weaknesse of the Jewish priesthood they take it from this that the Scripture hath substituted for it another of anorder altogether different to it after the order of Melchisedech for if perfection had been in the Leviticall Priesthood what need had there been that anothe Priest should arise which was according to the order of Aron If they teach that Jesus Christ ought to die they note that where there is a Testament there the death of the Testatour ought to intervene before the heires can have benefit thereof In brief if they speak of the resurrection or of other points of faith their discourse never consists in bare assertions but in reasons and demonstrative proofs CHAP VII Of Popular reasons as well in the Romane Religion as amongst the vulgar of the Orthodox Churches The difference betwixt the maximes of faith and those of charity THose which among the vulgar reason upon matters of Religion are accustomed to conceive them as reasons one may call popular These reasons are taken from the superficies not from the very substance of truth This is the reason why oft times they are found false although their facility render them plausible to the ignorant If it were needfull one might shew that the Romane Religion is for the most part propt up by popular reasons Popular is the comparison of Intercessours which are employed towards the Grandees of this world brought for the Invocation of Saints Popular is the question whether we ought to condemn our ancestours and so many souls which hold the faith we at this day disallow Popular are the marks under which they represent the Church For the antiquity multitude locall succession are not essentiall properties thereof Popular are the austerities fastings scourgings and externall mortification of the Monks profession Popular are the images and the title which is given them that they are the booke of Ideots The most ordinary reason which authoriseth the reason of the common people is that of charity Prayers for the dead have been covered under this pretence and many sometime have extended even to hell praying even for the damned not to deliver them wholly from pain knowing that is impossible but for to procure for them some diminution thereof whereunto charity carrieth them The maximes of charity are more persuasive and efficacious amongst the common people then the maximes of faith The reason thereof is because that those of faith are more removed from the appearance and have not so much relation with reason and naturall affection as those of charity which are more intelligible and more agreeing with the common notion of men Notwithstanding to say truth every act of Religion which is undertaken without faith is also without charity And the charity of the ignorant is a strange fire which is not acceptable at the altar But our discourse properly concerns them who being orthodox in points of Religion prop not up the belief of them but upon

And 't is likwise disputed whether faith depend on election or election depend on faith This turning topsie turvy is ordinary amongst the ignorant who believe that the person is acceptable for his works instead that the works are acceptable for the person CHAP. X. Of the ignorance of the vulgar who believe that one ought not to search nor give any other reason of the points of Religion then the will of God IF t were not the will of God that we should know why and how he worketh we could not know how our Lord could be born of a Virgin yet notwithstanding this is one of the prime Articles of our faith He hath not said why instead of causing the Hebrews to passe when they came out of Egypt by the Philistines country which was the straight way to enter into Canaan he led them by a great circuit full of wandrings and inconveniences Nor why having given to Abraham the land of the Amorites his posterity ought not to have possessed it but at the end of 400 yeares Gen. 15. Nor why the bill of divorce was permitted the Jewes Nor why he disapproved Davids designe touching the building of the Temple And a thousand other effects of his providence whereof he would have us know the causes Many think they know enough thereof when they referre all things simply to the will of God which they say sufficeth for all reason and that in every point be it historicall or dogmaticall when one asks why it is so one ought to content himself with saying that God would have it so or hath so ordained This Maxime teacheth ignorance under the shaddow of modesty By this meanes there 's no question but may be avoided in two words and the veriest idiot shall be capable to give a solution thereof 'T is true the will of God is the soveraigne cause of all things and the onely reason of a great part thereof But this answer suffiseth not for all questions nay in many matters it is impertinent When one asketh how Abraham was justified this would be an absurdity to answer that he was justified by the will of God instead of saying it was by faith An absurdity to shew the first cause when the second is demanded An absurdity to produce the will of God when the question is of the formall or instrumentall cause An absurdity to name the Architect instead of the matter This is to annihilate the dispensation which God hath established in his works and to breake downe those steps by which he would have us climb up unto him To think to leape over all at one leape is extreme folly A man that alledgeth nothing but the will of God upon a Subject proposed understands not what this will of God is For to understand it 't is necessary to know wherein it consisteth and how it concerns the matter in question Now the understanding of this point presupposeth the knowledge of second causes by which the will of God worketh He that alleadgeth the second causes and gives reasons thereof alleadgeth the will of God For God hath willed that such things should be so for such reasons and these reasons are one part of his will When the Disciples asked why they could not deliver the man possessed the vulgar answer would import because it pleased not God But our Lord notes their incredulity as a cause of this inability and shewes fasting and prayer as the meanes necessary to the expulsion of the Devill When Saint Paul was buffeted by Sathan he did not simply understand that such was the will of God but that his power was accomplished in weaknesse When we search the causes of our salvation This would be a dangerous proceeding to desire to mount up to Election without passing by the middle meanes The will of God is the first reason but the last answer one ought to give to a question CHAP XI Objections of the vulgar touching the reasons Scripture expresseth not and how we may know them THe Scripture is full of Lawes and mysteries whereof we know not the reasons We read of divers ceremonies divers points of history and doctrine the particular reasons whereof are not yet found out But oft times we abuse our selves by believing that the Scripture discovers not the reason thereof under colour that our ignorance hindreth us from seeing them This is a common objection in the mouth of the vulgar when they heare men reason upon any matter to alleadge that this reason is not at all exprest in Scripture Certainly the Scripture expresseth not why the Law permitted Homicides confin'd within the Cities of Refuge to return to their houses after the death of the high Priest And notwithstanding besides politick reasons which may be given for this Law It is impudence to deny that it meant to represent the efficacy of Christs death But to produce an example more formall to this purpose the reason for which our Lord was put in a new sepulchre wherein never any one was buried is notwithstanding lesse exprest Yet notwithstanding we say that the wisdome of God would prevent the malice of the Jews who not able to deny the truth of his resurrection might have disputed the cause thereof pretending that he had recovered life by touching the bones of some Prophet as he that was raised in the grave of Elisha This reason is not grounded but upon conjecture but of so great appearance that it were a shame to reject it In many things the very effect shews its cause If any man ask why Jesus Christ trusted Judas with the bag whose covetousnes he knew rather then another of his disciples the reason thereof is evident to him that considers that the convenience of this office rendered his treason so much the more inexcusable VVhen the Scripture tells not at all why God permitted sinne why he would harden Pharaoh why he suffers the vessells of wrath the effects which proceed thence shew that sin is the cause thereof CHAP. XII Of the prudence that is requisite in the examination of points where the cause is uncertaine Of a Ly. Whether Satan made Pilates wife speak for the innocence of Jesus Christ IT is true that one ought carefully to take heed of those causes and reasons which are not plain unto us but by a conjecturall appearance for the consequences thereof may be foolish and dangerous Some have thought that Jacob in all the proceedings he made to gaine his fathers blessing was inspired by the spirit of God But the consequence thereof sounds very ill For then it must be that the Holy Ghost had dictated the deceitfull words which came from Jacobs mouth Now God is an enemy of lies He may command to kill but not to pronounce a falshood although a barely be not so bad as manslaughter The reason thereof is that man slaughter may be sometimes an act of Justice but a ly can never be truth And therefore God himself may kill but he can never ly On the