Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	gain_v	jew_n	weak_a	10,116	5	11.7630	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B04702	An antidote against a careless indifferency in matters of religion. Being a treatise in opposition to those that believe, that all religions are indifferent, and that it imports not what men profess. / Done out of French. With an introduction by Anthony Horneck, D.D. Chaplain in ordinary to their Majesties.; Traité contre l'indifférence des religions. English	Pictet, Benedict, 1655-1724.; Horneck, Anthony, 1641-1697.	1694 (1694)	Wing P2153; ESTC R181787	77,076	145

him go in Peace as if by those words he gave him leave to do as he desired 't is necessary to observe in this Place 1. That the Terms in the Original may be understood as if Naaman after he had made a Vow never from thence forward to Worship or serve any other then the True God had deliver'd himself in this manner I beg of the Lord to pardon this thy Servant That when my Master enter'd into the House of Rimmon to prostrate himself there and that when he lean'd upon my Hand I also prostrated my self for that I say let the Lord pardon me Reading it in this manner there is nothing of Difficulty in the Story in regard that according to this Version he begs Pardon for what is pass'd but not for what is to come 2. That Elisha by those Words go in Peace gave no Permission to Naaman he only dismiss'd him with that same Complemental Form of Speech which was then in use among the Hebrews 3. That thô those words of the Prophet should imply a Permission it would only relate to the Request that Naaman had made The Syrian had only demanded of Elisha whether he could not give him two Mules lading of Earth of the Holy Land and after that he had begg'd of God that he would pardon him if the King leaning upon his Hand he should happen to prostrate himself together with him in the Temple of Rimmon Elisha therefore answers to the First demand but not to the Second 4. That thô the Words should include the Prophets permission we ought not to conclude from thence that a Man may be an Idolater and yet reserve his Heart immaculate for God For that was not the Thing vvhich Naaman desir'd of the Prophet and thô the Prophet had granted it nevertheless we never ought to do it Because it is certain that God has expresly forbid Idolatry and whatever has the least Relation to it so that if not only a Prophet but all the Angels of Heaven should say the contrary we ought to look upon 'em as Anathema's All that we are to infer from thence is this That they who serve Princes are permitted to be present at the Ceremonies of their Masters Religion when the Duty of their Employment obliges 'em to pay 'em any Service And this is that which Valentinian did in compliance with the Emperor Julian when he enter'd into the Temple of Fortune and what in the last Age the Elect. of Saxony did in respect of the Emperor Charles the V. I add to these Reflexions 1. That there is some Reason to doubt whether we may be allow'd to practise under the new Covenant what might be tolerated under the Old in a poor Pagan whose Knowledge was very small and who had had no other Instruction but what the Prophet had given him in his Familiar Conversation But we may be thought to be oblig'd to greater Duties We that have been bred in the School of Christ and are environ'd with such a Cloud of Witnesses who rather chose to dye a thousand times than to do any thing that might be ill interpreted 2. That No Man ought to do that which Naaman did in despite of his Conscience 3. That if any one be oblig'd to do it he ought not to give any occasion for others to believe that he approves what is done in a false Religion Quite the contrary he ought to let the World see that he detests it and abhors the Errors the Worship the Mysteries and Ceremonies of it This is that which Valentinian did For Theodoret observes that one day as he was attending upon Julian to the Temple of Fortune he gave a good Cuff to the Verger that sprinkl'd the Holy Water upon all that enter'd because he observ'd that a drop of Water had fall'n upon himself and cry'd out aloud that he was contaminated thereby instead of being purify'd Which so provoked the Emperor that he banish'd Valentinian But he remain'd not long in exile for within a year and some few Months afterwards he became Master of the Empire himself Lastly I conclude that it is much the safer way to renounce all those Employments then to engage our Selves in Actions contrary to our Belief and that it 's better to quit 'em then to scandalize our Brethren In the Fourth Place the Example of St. Paul is objected who as he teaches us himself 1 Cor. 9.20 21 22 And unto the Jews I became a Jew that I might gain the Jews to them that are under the Law as under the Law that I might gain them that are under the Law To them that are without Law as without Law being not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ that I might gain them that are without the Law To the weak became I as weak that I might gain the weak I am made all things to all Men that I might by all means save some After so fair an Example set who is there say they who would scruple to conform to the Times to the Place where he lives and the Persons with whom he converses I Answer that no Body denies but that we ought to conform to Time to Place and Persons provided we do nothing against our Conscience and that we acquit our selves of these Duties which the True Religion exacts from us We ought to conform with Time and Place in betaking our selves to flight when we are persecuted to quit our Country and change our Habitations till like Joseph Mat. 2. we understand that they who seek our Lives are dead We ought to comply with persons to avoid the exposing of Holy things to the Prophane and giving occasion of scandal to the weak Thus St. Paul became a Jew to the Jews observing those Ceremonies among 'em which were not contrary to the Christian Faith by circumcising Timothy and causing himself to be shaved at Cenchreas He was under the Law to those that were under the Law in abstaining from those Ceremonies that might offend the Gentiles Lastly he became weak to the weak by complying with their Infirmities Read upon this Subject Rom. 14.15 1 Cor. 8. But that Holy Apostle never practis'd any base or treacherous compliances with any body only he became all things to all Men in things Permitted and Indifferent you may Judge by his manner of reproving St. Peter who trode not aright but constrain'd the Gentiles to Judai●e Gal. 2.14 What then can our Antagonists prove from hence Let 'em become all things to all Men like St. Paul we will never blame ' em But does it follow from thence that we may embrace all Religions abandon the True one and profess a False one like that same Ecebolus who was sometimes Orthodox sometimes Arrian sometimes Pagan God preserve us from any such thoughts Had St. Paul been of our Indifferent Men's mind would he have undergone so many Afflictions expos'd himself to so many dangers would he have suffer'd himself to be loaded with so many Chains