Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	false_a	religion_n	true_a	2,009	5	5.5293	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39866	The history of oracles, and the cheats of the pagan priests in two parts / made English.; Histoire des oracles. English	Fontenelle, M. de (Bernard Le Bovier), 1657-1757.; Dale, Antonius van, 1638-1708. De oraculis ethnicorum dissertationes duae.; Behn, Aphra, 1640-1689.	1688 (1688)	Wing F1413; ESTC R13813	80,690	254

he_o that_o write_v in_o defence_n of_o himself_o it_o be_v so_o little_a natural_a i_o confess_v that_o the_o low_a style_n be_v yet_o something_o worse_o but_o there_o be_v a_o medium_fw-la of_o a_o very_a great_a latitude_n yet_o it_o be_v mighty_a hard_a to_o take_v that_o pitch_n which_o be_v necessary_a and_o to_o keep_v steady_a to_o it_o the_o history_n of_o oracle_n my_o design_n be_v not_o to_o give_v you_o direct_o a_o history_n of_o oracle_n i_o only_o intend_v to_o argue_v against_o that_o common_a opinion_n which_o attribute_n they_o to_o daemon_n and_o will_v have_v they_o to_o cease_v at_o the_o come_n of_o jesus_n christ._n in_o do_v this_o it_o be_v necessary_a that_o i_o run_v through_o the_o whole_a history_n of_o oracle_n that_o i_o unfold_v their_o original_n their_o progress_n the_o different_a manner_n in_o which_o they_o be_v deliver_v and_o last_o their_o decay_n with_o the_o same_o exactness_n as_o if_o i_o be_v in_o these_o matter_n pursue_v the_o natural_a and_o historical_a order_n it_o be_v not_o at_o all_o surprise_v that_o philosopher_n shall_v have_v so_o much_o trouble_v in_o find_v out_o the_o secret_n of_o nature_n her_o principle_n be_v so_o hide_v that_o it_o be_v rashness_n in_o man_n to_o think_v to_o discover_v discover_v they_o but_o when_o we_o have_v no_o more_o to_o do_v but_o to_o inquire_v whether_o the_o oracle_n be_v a_o trick_n and_o artifice_n of_o the_o heathen_a priest_n or_o not_o and_o at_o what_o time_n they_o cease_v where_o lie_v the_o difficulty_n can_v we_o that_o be_v impose_v on_o every_o day_n imagine_v how_o far_o other_o man_n may_v have_v be_v deceiver_n or_o deceive_v but_o especial_o when_o the_o whole_a matter_n turn_v upon_o the_o time_n when_o oracle_n cease_v where_o can_v the_o difficulty_n be_v there_o be_v many_o book_n that_o treat_v of_o oracle_n let_v we_o see_v therefore_o in_o what_o time_n or_o in_o what_o age_n the_o last_o oracle_n of_o which_o we_o have_v any_o knowledge_n be_v deliver_v man_n be_v not_o willing_a to_o suffer_v the_o decision_n of_o thing_n to_o be_v too_o easy_a and_o therefore_o they_o mingle_v their_o own_o prejudices_fw-la with_o truth_n and_o so_o create_v great_a perplexity_n than_o be_v natural_o find_v therein_o and_o those_o scruple_n which_o ourselves_o frame_v give_v we_o the_o most_o pain_n to_o untangle_v and_o in_o my_o opinion_n this_o business_n of_o oracle_n have_v no_o considerable_a difficulty_n in_o it_o but_o what_o we_o ourselves_o have_v raise_v it_o be_v in_o its_o own_o nature_n a_o matter_n of_o religion_n among_o the_o pagan_n and_o become_v so_o without_o any_o necessity_n among_o christian_n and_o on_o both_o side_n it_o be_v load_v with_o prejudices_fw-la which_o obscure_a the_o clear_a truth_n i_o confess_v that_o prejudices_fw-la be_v not_o in_o themselves_o common_a to_o a_o true_a as_o well_o as_o a_o false_a religion_n for_o they_o reign_v chief_o in_o the_o false_a which_o be_v only_o the_o contrivance_n 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we_o any_o where_o that_o oracle_n be_v deliver_v by_o daemon_n and_o therefore_o we_o be_v at_o liberty_n to_o choose_v which_o side_n we_o will_v take_v in_o this_o matter_n for_o it_o be_v of_o the_o number_n of_o those_o thing_n that_o the_o divine_a wisdom_n have_v think_v fit_a to_o leave_v to_o our_o own_o decision_n now_o it_o be_v agree_v on_o by_o the_o whole_a world_n that_o there_o be_v something_o supernatural_a in_o oracle_n the_o reason_n of_o which_o be_v easy_o find_v as_o to_o what_o regard_v the_o present_a age_n for_o since_o it_o be_v believe_v in_o the_o first_o age_n of_o christianity_n that_o oracle_n be_v deliver_v by_o daemon_n this_o seem_v a_o sufficient_a cause_n for_o we_o to_o believe_v it_o now_o for_o whatever_o be_v the_o opinion_n of_o the_o ancient_n good_a or_o bad_a it_o be_v always_o favourable_o receive_v and_o what_o they_o themselves_o can_v not_o prove_v by_o sufficient_a reason_n be_v in_o our_o day_n prove_v by_o their_o authority_n alone_o if_o they_o foresee_v this_o they_o do_v very_o well_o not_o to_o give_v themselves_o the_o trouble_n of_o reason_v too_o nice_o but_o let_v we_o inquire_v after_o the_o reason_n which_o oblige_v the_o primitive_a christian_n to_o believe_v that_o oracle_n have_v something_o supernatural_a in_o they_o and_o we_o shall_v afterward_o try_v whether_o they_o be_v sound_a and_o solid_a or_o not_o chap._n i._n the_o first_o reason_n why_o the_o primitive_a christian_n believe_v that_o oracle_n be_v deliver_v by_o daemon_n and_o the_o surprise_v history_n that_o be_v publish_v concern_v oracle_n and_o genii_n antiquity_n be_v full_a of_o abundance_n of_o wonderful_a history_n and_o oracle_n which_o as_o it_o be_v believe_v must_v needs_o be_v attribute_v to_o spirit_n i_o will_v relate_v some_o few_o example_n which_o shall_v serve_v for_o a_o taste_n of_o what_o the_o rest_n be_v all_o the_o world_n know_v what_o happen_v to_o the_o pilot_n thamus_n his_o ship_n be_v one_o evening_n near_o certain_a island_n in_o the_o aegean_a sea_n the_o wind_n be_v hush_v on_o a_o sudden_a and_o the_o wave_n cease_v their_o motion_n all_o the_o passenger_n be_v awake_a and_o the_o great_a part_n of_o they_o pass_v their_o time_n in_o drink_v one_o with_o another_o when_o on_o a_o sudden_a they_o hear_v a_o voice_n which_o come_v from_o the_o island_n and_o call_v aloud_o thamus_n thamus_n suffer_v himself_o to_o be_v call_v thrice_o before_o he_o return_v a_o answer_n and_o then_o the_o voice_n command_v he_o that_o when_o he_o do_v arrive_v at_o a_o certain_a place_n he_o shall_v cry_v out_o that_o the_o great_a pan_n be_v dead_a there_o be_v not_o a_o man_n in_o the_o ship_n who_o be_v not_o seize_v with_o fear_n and_o dread_n at_o these_o word_n and_o they_o all_o consult_v whether_o thamus_n ought_v to_o