Selected quad for the lemma: end_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
end_n	age_n	great_a	year_n	1,540	5	4.8299	4	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

convince the Apostolicall writings of falshood and so by consequence to annihilate C ristianity CHAP. 19. Why the opinions the most erronious are maintained with greater obstinacy then those which are lesse absurd The plea of these which burnt their children Pretexts for transubstantiation THe more monstrous is the errour the more pertinacious is the belief when once it hath taken place in the spirit the reason is because the falshoods the most enormous are made important by the highest pretexts of truth and are not authorised but by the most undoubted maximes of religion under the colour of this soveraigne power● they make men renounce their judgement of reason nay more disavow their own proper sences If ever there were an error incapable it was the impiety of the Israelites who burnt their own children as a sacrifice pleasing to God Neverthelesse neither nature which cried out against those horrors nor the threatnings frō heaven which condemned them could not hinder their practise But it needs must be that some violent passion which brake in sunder the strongest chains of naturall affections was moved with some powerfull engine cloaked over with some very specious pretext Their apology might be that the chiefest good of man consists in the remission of his sinnes that this remission could not be without the effusion of blood That it were a folly to go about to appease God by the blood of beasts and therefore some humane sacrifice must be offered That this sacrifice ought to be innocent and that a greater innocence could not be found then in a little infant That to be of the proper substance of the man which did present it and so it was necessary that his offering should be offered in expiation But if the sacrifice ought to be but Eucharisticall then it were but to mock God to present him a calf or a pigeon his Majesty requiring more noble offerings nay more demanding our own bowels and that they knew not how to offer him a more precious present then the life of their own children Under this pretext and such like this abomination passed for the most ardent piety which a man may show to God equallising or rather surpassing all which the Scripture extolls in Abraham for an action of this quality So that the excesse of errour augments the perswasion The article of transubstantiation is produced under the name of the most excellent and most dreadfull misterie of all religion bearing upon its front the expresse words of the sonne of God whose presence is fearfull to the Angels arming it selfe with the power of his omnipotency inclosing within its titles all the Majesty of heaven and the salvation of the whole world By how much the representation of this opinion is prodigious by so much the more it makes them believe it misterious From thence it comes that that belief is maintained with more pertinacity then any error whose absurdity is lesse apparant Also the believing hereof is esteemed so much the more meritorious by how much lesse the object is to be believed as indeed that man who firmly believes this transubstantiation should have were it true more faith then ever had all the Patriarks and Apostles together The third Section CHAPTER 1. What manner of knowledge or instruction is most naturall to the vulgar TWO men may know one and the same truth but in divers manners A Country man may know that an Eclypse ought to happen on such a day having read it in an Almanack but that is not called Science as an Astronomer who knows by demonstration foreseeing the Eclypse in his causes He is not learned in religion who knows all the matters but he that knows them in the manner they ought to be known on which many faults are to be observed There are two traditions or wayes of instruction on which the vulgar repose themselves Sentences and generall propositions 2 Histories in these two consists almost all the knowledge of the common people As for the first head the ignorant content themselves to know the generalities because the intelligence of particular points requires a sharper sight and a more fixed contemplation It s easier to an Idiot to say These Things then to restrain this generality to its species to know how to give each one of them its proper name To the other the instruction which is given them by history pleaseth them because of its facility for it consists in actions and circumstances perceptible to the imagination so that all their knowledge lodgeth either in copious generalities or in the single individuums but the points which are as it were mediums between these two wearies more the spirit obliging them to reason and to take the measure weight and number and the names of all things This is the cause the vulgar cast it off In the mean time many are Orthodoxall in the generality of a point who erre grossely in the particulars thereof witnesse the article of providence upon which the common people will give a cleare opinion in respect of the generality of this doctrine but in the particular points imagine a world of absurdities CHAP. 2. Of the superficiall knowledge of each point of Of religion Of their definitions and of their exact Knowledge An example in the doctrine of the Eucharist THE ignorance of generall as well as particular points proceed from this that popular spirits learn an infinity of descriptions but very few definitions I speak not in favour of subtil and artificiall definitions of which every one is not capable But certainly it is impossible to have the true knowledge of a point without knowing how to mark and define the essence if not exactly yet at least very near the truth When a man can say sinne is the poyson of the soule and knows how to give it a hundred epithites of this sort yet hath he not learnt what sinne is this ignorance is entertained by a multitude of Preachers who are content to declaim by descriptions and abundance of metahpots never showing but the superficies of matters in stead of setting forth the dimensions I leave the points which are elevated above all definition The imagination of Idiots who not understanding what is properly that eternity although they know that God hath neither beginning nor end believe him neverthelesse to have more age then he had foure thousand yeares since This point and many others are not the mark at which we shoot I could show that the greatest part of our differencies proceed from the ignorance of definitions If the Romish Church comprehended intercession to be a sacerdotall act and that Christ prayes in quality of a soveraign Priest dead for us and this function consists in the comparition of his person c. She would never transport to others the title of intercessor But to make you see how many excellent matters the exact intelligence of one point furnisheth in respect of a superficiall knowledge we will produce only one example In the words of the Lord

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