Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	write_v	writer_n	writing_n	50	3	8.5021	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09977	Life eternall or, A treatise of the knowledge of the divine essence and attributes Delivered in XVIII. sermons. By the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, D. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Ball, Thomas, 1589 or 90-1659.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.	1631 (1631)	STC 20231; ESTC S115069	220,964	434

that testimony which is written in the hearts of men Now you know that all Nations do acknowledge a God this we take for granted yea even those that have been lately discovered that live as it were disjoyned from the rest of the world yet they all have and worship a God those Nations discovered lately by the Spaniards in the West Indies and those that have beene discovered since all of them without exception have it written in their hearts that there is a God Now the strength of the argument lies in these two things 1 I observe that phrase used Rom. 2.15 It is called a law written in their hearts Every mans soule is but as it were the table or paper upon which the writing is the thing written is this principle that we are now upon that there is a God that made Heaven and Earth but now who is the Writer surely it is God which is evident by this because it is a generall effect in the heart of every man living and therefore it must come from a generall cause from whence else shall it proceed no particular cause can produce it if it were or had beene taught by some particular man by some sect in some one Nation or Kingdome in one age then knowing the cause wee should see that the effect would not exceed it but when you finde it in the hearts of all men in all Nations and ages then you must conclude it was an universall effect written by the generall Author of all things which is God alone and so consequently the argument hath this strength in it that it is the testimony of God 2 Besides when you see every man looking after a God and seeking him it is an argument that there is one though they doe not finde him it is true they pitch upon a false god and goe the wrong way to seeke him yet it shewes that there is such a Deity For as in other things when we see one affect that thing which another doth not as to the eye of one that is beautifull which is not to another yet all affecting some beauty it is an argument that beauty is the general object of all and so in taste other senses So when we see men going different waies some worshipping one God some another yet all conspiring in this to worship a God it must needs argue that there is one for this law ingraven in every mans heart you will grant that it is a work of Nature at least and the workes of Nature are not in vaine even as when you see the fire to ascend above the aire it argues that there is a place where it would rest though you never saw it and as in winter when you see the Swallowes flying to a place though you never saw the place yet you must needs gather that there is one which Nature hath appointed them and hath given them an instinct to flye unto and there to be at rest so when you see in every mans soule such an instigation to seeke God though men never saw him and the most goe the wrong way to seeke him and take that for God which is not yet this argues there is a Deitie which they intend And this is the third The last argument is taken from the soule of man the fashion of it and the immortality of it First God is said to have made man after his owne Image hee doth not meane his bodie for that is not made after the Image of God neither is it only that holinesse which was created in us and now lost for then he would not have said Gen. 9.6 He that sheds mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed for in the Image of GOD made hee man The principall intent of that place is for ought I can see or judge of that Scripture speaking of the naturall fashion of things and not of the supernaturall graces it is to expresse that God hath given a soule to man that carries the Image of God a likenesse to the Essence of God immateriall immortall invisible for there is a double Image of God in the soule one in the substance of it which is never lost another is the supernaturall grace which is an Image of the knowledge holinesse and righteousnesse of God and this is utterly lost But the soule is the Image of the Essence of God as I may so speake that is it is a spirit immateriall immortall invisible as he is hath understanding and will as he hath he understands all things and wils whatsoever he pleaseth And you see an expression of him in your owne soule which is an argument of the Deitie Secondly besides the immortalitie of the soule which argues it came not from any thing here below but that it hath its originall from God it came from GOD and to GOD it must returne that is it had not any beginning here it had it from him and to him againe it must returne For what is this body wherein the soule is it is but the case of the soule the shell and sheath of it therefore the soule useth it but for a time and dwels in it as a man dwels in a house while it is habitable but when it is growne ruinous he departeth the soule useth the body as a man doth a vessell when it is broken he layes it aside or as a man doth an instrument whilest it will be serviceable to him but when it is no longer fit to play upon he casts it aside so doth the soule as it were lay aside the body for it is but as a garment that a man useth when it is worne out and threed-bare he casts it off so doth the soule with the body And for the further proofe of this and that it depends not on the body nor hath its originall of it or by it consider the great acts of the soule which are such as cannot arise from the temper of the matter be it never so curious As the discourse of the soule from one generall to another the apprehension of so high things as God and Angels the devising of such things as never came into the senses For though it be true that sounds and colours be carried into the understanding by the senses yet to make pictures of these colours and musicke of these sounds this is from the understanding within So the remembrance of things past observing the condition of things by comparing one with another Now looke upon bruit beasts we see no actions but may arise from the temper of the matter according to which their fancie and appetite are fashioned though some actions are stronger than others yet they arise not above the Well-head of sense all those extraordinary things which they are taught to doe it is but for their food as Hawkes and some Pigeons it is reported in Assyria that they carry Letters from one place to another where they use to have food so other beasts that act dancing and