Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	devil_n	divide_v	satan_n	2,318	5	9.3446	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57956	A discourse of the use of reason in matters of religion shewing that Christianity contains nothing repugnant to right reason, against enthusiasts and deists / written in Latin by the Reverend Dr. Rust ; and translated into English, with annotations upon it by Hen. Hallywell.	Rust, George, d. 1670.; Hallywell, Henry, d. 1703?	1683 (1683)	Wing R2361; ESTC R25530	47,282	92

it seems most of all to make use of Reason But it were Impious to imagine that God who is most wise can be deceived or being most Veracious can deceive It is confest that nothing could be spoken truer for no Man is so incredulous or self-conceited but he will presently give credit to Divine Attestation But the Question is how we shall know when a thing is confirmed by Divine Testimony Will it appear from Miracles alone We shall find Pythagoras Apollonius Tyanoeus who endeavoured by Magick to keep up the Credi●… of decaying and sinking Idolatry was famous for these whose Contemporaries durst oppose him to Christ as may appear from the Books of Hierocles and Philostratus written of this subject I might likewise introduce the Magicians of both Worlds all which have acted diverse things exceeding the Powers of Nature only by Demoniacal Assistance If any one therefore shall pretend a Divine Commission there are Three things which he ought to prove his Authority by Miracles Holiness of Life and a Doctrine worthy of God and every way useful to Mankind If he bring all these things he is to be believed as sent from God But it no way comports with Divine Goodness and Veracity to bear witness to a Falsehood or to expose men in things of the Greatest moment to an Everlasting and inevitable Delusion Wherefore we are not only to look at Miracles but at the Life and Doctrine of the Person who pretends them to gain to himself the Belief of Divine Authority To this purpose our Saviour made use of an invincible Argument against the Pharisees who objected to him that he cast out Devils by the help of the Prince of Devils viz. That a Kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation Therefore since he both by his Doctrine and the mighty works that he did set himself wholly to pull down and overthrow the Kingdom of Satan it could not be that he should cast out Devils by the Assistance of Satan Therefore to make up a Right Judgment concerning a Divine Testimony the matter it self which is attested ought to come into Consideration which if it contain any thing contrary to the setled Principles of Nature those Miracles are not to be looked upon as Divine but as Diabolical Delusions The Beroeans were commended by the Spirit of God to be more Noble then those in Thessalonica i. e. of a more ingenuous and pliable Temper in that they searched the Scriptures whether those things spoken by Paul and Silas were so Why should not the same Commendation belong likewise to us if we put to a severe Scrutiny Trial whatever is deliver'd to us by any Person for a Divine Law 3. A third Argument may be drawn from the Nature of Religion which ought to be matter of Choice and Delight But now it is impossible that any one should please himself in that which is contrary to the Principles of his very Nature And indeed to know Conclusions themselves unless we likewise are ascertain'd from what Principles they flow yields but a slender Delight to the Understanding As the Pleasure of a Mathematical Genius results not from having Geometrical Problems as undoubted Axioms by Heart but ●…rom the being able to comprehend their Demonstrations deduced by a long Series of Propositions Wherefore it is most agreeable to the Divine Goodness so ●…ar to indulge and have regard to the Nature of Man under the Gospel that he may find the Harmony and Agreement of those things with Reason which are propounded to him as Objects of Faith For here lies the Principal Difference between Mankind and Bruits in their being capable of Religion And it is a thing abhorrent from all Reason that that which is most Natural and the sole Propriety of Man should yet be contradictory to his own Faculties Can it be imagined that God intended to perplex Humane Intellect with inexplicable subtleties Or is any thing the more excellent and Venerable because it exceeds all Understanding Is he to be deemed the fittest subject for Religion who is most Bigotical and carelesly credulous Are we to put off Humane Nature that we may become Religious Surely to entertain the least suspicion of such a thing were the very Reproach of all Religion Such ought to be every Man's Judgment of his Religion that it contain nothing in it absurd unbecoming or Repugnant to Right Reason for what a shame were it for Religion to be afraid of the Tribunal of Reason I have always looked upon that Religion most worthy of my choice which comes off Victorious when called to the Bar of strictest Reason Wherefore should a Gracious God bestow upon us the Faculty of Reason if we must not suffer it to do its Office when our concern is most in Question Or what other Faculty is there left by who●…e conduct we can search into the Truth of Religion If we once forsake the Guidance of Reason must not all Religion be owing either to Education Superstition or some Fanatical Impulse But you will say our Reason since the Fall is too much darkned and therefore we are not competent Judges of Divine things But are the faint and more languishing Rays of the declining Sun therefore contemptible and to be reputed Darkness because we are deprived of his Meridian and more Exalted Light Must he whose Eyes are somewhat dull be therefore accounted stark blind Or must we quite shut our Eyes because they want the sharpness and Perspicacity of Eagles Is not Religion of such a Nature as requires our greatest Care and Diligence as of a thing of the highest moment and in which to have erred were our greatest Infelicity And to what Purpose were our Faculties given if they be of no use in those things wherein we most need them Shall another Judge for us Or shall the Understanding of another direct my will Shall I fee with other mens Eyes Or walk only by the light that another carries before me Shall I mortifie my irregular Affections with Arguments that I do not understand Or govern my life by the mea●…ure of another Man's Principles Are not all these things to be done by a Man 's own proper Judgment Intellect and Light And can this be effected without the use of Reason Nay further is there need of any other Faculty in the choice of Religion and such Principles as tend to the Regulation of Life but only of Reason Religion is a free and ingenuous thing that forceth none but Captivates the Understanding with its own solitary Beauty Pulchritude And he that thinks otherwise falsly accuses Religion introduces Superstition into its Place 4. A Fourth Argument I take from the Nature of Right Reason from whence arises a clear Demonstration that no Divine Revelation can be contrary to it For the Souls of Men are derived from the D●…vine Mind and Right Reason is of a Celestial Original framed after the Image of Uncreated Wisdom and Knowledge It is a certain Beam

of it self with Corporeity Ibid. We are led by sense either External or Internal not by dry and insipid Reason It is 〈◊〉 Part of the Authors Design to prove that bare and dry Reason is a sufficient Criterion to discern the true and ●…ffecting rellish of Heavenly Things for as there is some Principle in us which has a Vital sense and sapid Gust of Corporeal Joys and Pleasures so there is a Principle likewise in the Soul of Man which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something better then Reason and which a Platonist would call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Flower and Summity of the Mind when by due Purification of its self from all Corporeal Dregs and Pollutions it arises to such a Measure of Participation of the Divine Life as that it perceives a Generous Rellish and G●…ateful and affecting Pleasure in Holiness and Virtue For till this inward Intellectual Sense be in some Good measure awakened Religion it self does but very little and weakly affect the Mind Therefore our Author adds That heavenly Things are not otherwise to be known but by such an inward rellish and affecting light as Divine Grace usually imparts to defecate and humble Minds And a little above he says That to render our selves Obedient to the Will of our heavenly Father is the only plain and easy way to the attaining a true knowledge and vital Sense of Divine Revelations Consonant to what our Saviour himself expresly affirms Joh. 7. 17. If any Man will do the Will of God he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self i. e. The true rellish and vital sense of Religion arises from a Conformity of Mind with the Will of God So that though Reason may furnish a Man with sufficient Arguments to assure him of the Truth of Religion yet the sapid gust and affecting sense of it flows from the Expergefaction of the Intellectual Powers into a Divine life Ibid. To admonish them that are going astray to illuminate the Eyes of the Mind to strengthen the Faith and to fix and impress the Argument of Godliness upon the Soul these and such like Things we owe to the benign Influence of the Holy Spirit It is a very great Indication of a Mal●…ous Mind or weak and crazy Intellectuals when Men shall load and burden their Adversaries with the opprobrious and Invidious Term of Heresie as denying the Aid Assistance of the Spirit of God to be Necessary when they only endeavour to make the Mystery of our Faith the Oeconomy of Christian Religion to appear in all its Parts Rational i. e. worthy and becoming of its Author the Eternal Wisdom of God It has been the ill Fortune of some Eminent and Inge●…ous Persons of late to be traduced for Pelagians Socini●…s and what not for no other cause that I know of but because they speak sense and care not to explicate Religion by unintelligible Words and Phrases quaint Allusions and odd Similitudes but instead of all this jingling noise they appeal to the Common and Rational Faculties of all Mankind And in this they are so far from laying aside or rendring useless the Aid of the Holy Spirit of God under the Gospel that they ●…eely acknowledge all their strength to derive from his ever-blessed Influence that of themselves they are nothing but that it is he who works in them both to will and to do and that he is not only the beginner but Finisher of every good work Although perhaps they may not think the Operation of the Spirit of God to be by an Omnipotent Power at large but Hypothetical and upon certain Terms and Conditions like the great Formative Power in Nature which produces not the Lineaments and Primigenial Rudiments of the Body of a Plant or Animal out of a Flint but requires a pliable Ductility and Sequaciousness in the Matter it works upon Pag. 14. Pythagoras Apollonius Tyanaeus who endeavoured by Magick Art to keep up the Credit of sinking Idolatry was famous for Miracles That Miracles may be wrought by wicked Persons for ill ends and designs is evident not only from the Prediction before cited Deut. 13. as also from the Miracles wrought by the Egyptian Magicians to invalidate those of Moses but likewise from the express Prophesie of our Saviour himself concerning false Prophets that should arise and shew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great signs and wonders to deceive if possible even the Elect. And the Apostles of our Lord Jesus foretelling the coming of Antichrist describe it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the effica●…y of Satan with all Power and Signs and Wonders or Miracles of a Lye And St. Iohn speaking of the same Person says that 〈◊〉 shall do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Great Wonders and deceive them that dwell on the Earth by the means of those Miracles which he has Power to do in the sight of the Beast Now ●…rom hence we may collect these things 1. That true Miracles may be wrought by wicked Persons not that God does immediately concur by his Almighty Power in assisting them to do Miracles to countenance Falsehoods and the open Violation of his Laws but that he may permit invisible created Spirits to exert their Energy and Power in producing Supernatural Effects Whence we have no Reason to think that the Miracles foretold to be done by Antichrist and his Followers or by false Prophets to be mere Juggles and Delusions of our Senses but that some of them may be real Miracles but because they are wrought to confirm Idolatry and to establish such Doctrines as are plainly repugnant to the Rational Faculties of Mankind therefore we are not to heed them but to look upon them as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Miracles of Falshood and a Lye And of this sort were the Miracles of Apollonius who though he might dazle the Eyes of some by the Glittering Brightness of his Counterfeit Virtues it being for the Interest of the Divels Kingdom that he should act that part well yet he never transcended the bounds of the Animal life but was an Archi-mago or Grand Magician as Moeragenes who wrote his life testifies 2. That God never permits false Prophets to do Miracles by the Assistance of evil Doemons but only in the Case of such Falshoods as are clearly discoverable by the Light of Nature or common Dictates of Universal and Right Reason because if he should it would be an Invincible Temptation But as our Author speaks a little below it no way comports with Divine Goodness and Veracity to bear witness to a falshood or to expose men in things of the greatest moment to an everlasting and inevitable Delusion 3. That Miracles alone are not a sufficient Confirmation of the Divinity of a Doctrine forasmuch as they have been wrought by Pagans and the same is asserted by Busbequius of some among the Turks therefore besides Miracles to perfect and compleat a Divine Testimony there is