Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	interpretation_n	reason_n	use_v	26,798	5	11.5946	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42819	Philosophia pia, or, A discourse of the religious temper and tendencies of the experimental philosophy which is profest by the Royal Society to which is annext a recommendation and defence of reason in the affairs of religion / by Jos. Glanvill ...	Glanvill, Joseph, 1636-1680.	1671 (1671)	Wing G817; ESTC R23327	57,529	244

They had not their conversation in fleshly wisdom we cannot think he meant humane Reason by that Reason directs us to live in simplicity and godly sincerity which he opposeth to a life in fleshly wisdom By this therefore no doubt he means the Reason of our Appetites and Passions which is but sense and imagination for these blind guides are the directors of the Wicked but not the Reason of our minds which is one of those lights that illuminate the Consciences of good men and help to guide their actions And whereas 't is objected 5. From Col. 2. 8. Beware lest any spoil you through Philosophy I answer there is nothing can be made of that neither for the disgrace of Reason for the Philosophy the Apostle cautions against is the same which he warns Timothy of 1 Tim. 1. 4. Neither give heed to Fables and endless Genealogies that minister Questions calling these prophane and vain bablings and oppositions of Science falsely so called 1 Tim. 6. 20. By all which learned Interpreters understand the pretended knowledge of which the Gnosticks boasted which consisted in the fabulous pedigrees of the Gods under the name of Aeones and it may be the Genealogies of which the Jews were so fond and the disputing Philosophy among the Greeks which was properly Science falsely so called and did minister Questions and endless strife I say 't is very probable these might be comprehended also But Reason is no otherwise concerned in all this but as condemning and reproving these dangerous follies THUS we see the pretensions from Scripture against Reason are vain But there are Other Considerations by which it useth to be impugned as 1. OUR Reason is corrupted and therefore is not sit to meddle in spiritual matters To this I say That Reason a●… it is taken for the faculty of understanding is very much weakened and impaired It sees but little and that very dully through a glass darkly as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13. And it is very liable to be misled by our senses and affections and interests and imaginations so that we many times mingle errors and false conceits with the genuine dictates of our minds and appeal to them as the Principles of Truth and Reason wh●…n they are but the vain Images of our Phansies or the false Conclusions of ignorance and mistake If this b●… meant by the corruption of Reason I grant it and all that can be inferred from it will be That we ought not to be too bold and peremptory in defining speculative and difficult matters especially not those that relate to Religion nor set our Reasonings against the Doctrines of Faith and Revelation But this is nothing to the disreputation of Reason in the object viz. Those Principles of Truth which are written upon our Souls or any Conclusions that are deduced from them These are the same that they ever were though we discern them not so clearly as the Innocent state did They may be mistaken but cannot be corrupted And as our understandings by reason of their weakness and liableness to error may take fals●…oods for some of those or infer falsely from those that are truly such so we know they do the same by the Scriptures themselves viz. they very often mis-interpret and very often draw perverse conclusions from them And yet we say not That the Word of God is corrupted nor is the use of Scripture decryed because of those abuses But here advantage will be taken to object again 2. That since our natural understandings are so weak and so liable to mistake they ought not to be used in the affairs of Religion and 't will signifie little to us that there are certain Principles of eternal Reason if we either perceive them not or cannot use them To this I answer That if on this account we must renounce the use of our natural understandings Scripture will be useless to us also For how can we know the meaning of the words that express Gods mind unto us How can we compare one Scripture with another How can we draw any Consequence from it How apply General Propositions to our own particular cases How tell what is to be ●…aken in the Letter what in the Mystery what plainly what in a Figure What according to strict and rigorous truth What by way of accommodation to our apprehensions I say without the exercise of our understandings using the Principles of Reason none of these can be done and without them Scripture will signifie either nothing at all or very li●…tle to us And what can Religion get this way This inference therefore is absurd and impious All that can justly be concluded from the weakness of our understandings will be what I intimated before that we ought to use them with modesty and caution not that we should renounce them He is a mad-man who because his eyes are dim will therefore put them out But it may be objected further 3. That which men call Reason is infinitely various and that is reasonable to one which is very irrational to another Therefore Reason is not to be heard And I say Interpretations of Scripture are infinitely various and one calls that Scriptural which another calls Heretical Shall we conclude therefore That Scripture is not to be heard Reason in it self is the same all the World over though mens apprehensions of it are various as the light of the Sun is one though colours its reflexes are infinite And where this is it ought not to be denied because follies and falshoods pretend relation to it or call themselves by that name If so farewel Religion too But 4. ' T is Socinianism to plead for Reason in the affairs of Faith and Religion And I answer 'T is gross ●…ticism to plead against it This ●…me is properly applicable to the enemies of Reason But the other of Socinianism is groundlesly applied to those that undertake for it and it absurdly supposeth that Socinians are the only rational men when as divers of their Doctrines such as The Sleep and natural mortality of the Soul and utter extinction and anni●…ilation of the wicked after the day of Judgment are very ob●…oxious to Philosophy and Reason And the Socinians can never be confuted in their other opinions without using Reason to maintain the sense and interpretation of those Scriptures that are alledged against them 'T is an easie thing we know to give an ugly name to any thing we dislike and by this way the most excellent and sacred things have been made contemptible and vile I wish such hasty Censurers would consider before they call names No truth is the worse because rash ignorance hath thrown dirt upon it I need say no more to these frivolous Objections Those that alledge Atheism and tendency to Infidelity against the reverence and use of Reason are disproved by my whole Discourse Which shews that the enemies of Reason most usually serve the ends of the Infidel and the Atheist when as a due use