Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	death_n	jesus_n	life_n	17,697	5	4.4530	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61457	An account of the growth of deism in England	Stephens, William, d. 1718.	1696 (1696)	Wing S5459; ESTC R19943	19,063	34

AN ACCOUNT OF THE GROWTH OF DEISM IN ENGLAND LONDON Printed for the Author MDCXCVI AN ACCOUNT OF THE GROWTH OF DEISM SIR 'T IS now three Years since you and I had a serious Discourse concerning the rise and progress of Deism which is an Opinion of late Years crept into England tho not so widely spread here as in other parts of Europe I well remember we were both agreed that there was no shadow of Reason why any one should suspect the Gospels of Forgery since the matter contain'd in them hath not the least savour of any worldly Interest or indirect Design but all the Lines of them do only center in the highest Improvement Humane Nature is capable of So that in conformity every Man may take great comfort in himself and all Mankind live well with one another Besides the Preachers of this excellent Doctrine had at first all the Discouragements which an irreligious and idolatrous Age could give them as is confessed by their Enemies insomuch that nothing but their own personal full Conviction of the Truths they professed could engage them to Preach 'em and the intrinsick Goodness of the Law of Christ was sufficient to gain mens hearts after Miracles had born down their Prejudices and gain'd their serious Attention In fine you and I could see no reason to doubt of the Truth of any matter of Fact contain'd in the Gospels which relate the miraculous Birth Life Death Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ but what would oblige us to deny the truth of all History whatsoever And from these Considerations laid together we concluded that the Doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ was undoubtedly sent to us by God This still made it appear more strange to us both how DEISM which is a denial of all reveal'd Religion should creep in upon us where the Scriptures are made so publick and where so many Learned Treaties are written which so strongly assert their Authority to be Divine I confess I was as desirous to know upon what Grounds Men rejected the Gospel as you your self were and therefore I willingly undertook the Task you laid on me viz. To collect and put together those Motives whereby some had been induced to lay aside all Revelation For which Performance I was the fitter because it doth not require any Learning and strength of Wit but only Observation and Inquiry which I might easily make because of the numerous Acquaintance I have contracted in Town where you know I spend the Winter and in the Country where I bestow my Summer Visits But all I shall do in this matter is barely to give you a Relation of those Prejudices and as I think false Reasonings which have drawn some of my Acquaintance from Revelation to DEISM 1. Now first I have observed that some who pretend themselves Deists are Men of loose and sensual Lives and I make no wonder that they dislike the Christian Doctrine of Self-denial and the severe threatnings against wilful Sinners You may be sure they will not alledge this Reason But having read Spinosa and Hobbes and been taught to laugh at the story of Baalam's Ass and Sampson's Locks they proceed to ridicule the reality of all Miracle and Revelation I have conversed with several of this Temper but could never get any of 'em serious enough to debate the reality of Revelation But a witty Jest and t'other Glass puts an end to all further Consideration These are meer Sceptics and practical Atheists rather than real Deists 2. But there are others who although they have not a due regard to Revelation are Men of Sobriety and Probity who with great freedom have let me into their Thoughts whereby I can very clearly and fully as I think at least discern the rise and progress of this their Opinion which is this 1. In the time of King Charles the First which confineth my longest acquaintance with Men 't was usual for Gentlemen to send their Sons abroad into Italy Spain France Germany c. to accomplish themselves by Travel But lest they should be prevail'd upon to change their Religion care was taken that their Tutor or Governour who travelled with 'em should shew them the Idolatry and Superstition of the Roman Religion and also let 'em in to see that Popery in all its Branches was only a device of the Priesthood to carry on a particular Interest of their own to encrease their Wealth Honours and Power over the Lay-people to exalt the Head of their Order above all the Crowned Heads in the World and equal one whole Order of their Clergy viz. the Cardinals to the Princes of Christendom Nay since all People were obliged to make their Confessions to and receive their Absolution from the Priest the meanest of which Order could create a God for the People's Worship 't is plain that their Religion was calculated for the Profit Power and Honour of the whole Order of the Priesthood in this World whatsoever advantages they might find by it in the other Now the Young Gentleman being throughly convinced of this Holy Cheat returneth to Old England where he meets with very zealous Contests about Religion as was pretended between the Church of England headed by Arch-Bishop Laud on the one part and the Presbyterian Kirk on the other and having carefully read the Debate as it appeared in the Prints on both sides with those very Eyes which he had so lately cleared up in Italy or France he could not forbear to see that both these Protestant Parties under the pretence of Religion were only grasping at Power and that the Controversy at bottom was not who 's Religion was best but only what Sect of the Clergy should make the best Market of the meer Lay-men And as this Young Gentleman had before resolved with himself not to become a Property to the Popish Priesthood no longer now will he be such to the Protestant Clergy of any Denomination since both pursue the same Ends. He perceiveth that our Protestant High-Priests do all of them rival the Sovereign Power the Bishop's House like that of the King must be called his Palace he must still keep up his claim to the Miter and Crosier to vie with the Crown and Scepter and as the Stile of the King's Courts is Anno Regni nostri i. e. In the Year of our Reign So that of the Bishop's Court is Anno Consecrationis nostrae i. e. In the Year of our Consecration the Year of the King's Reign being unknown in the Bishop's Court The King speaking to the People doth usually call 'em his Loving Subjects the Bishop doth not make himself so familiar but stileth the People of his Diocese barely his Subjects Jurisdictioni nostrae subditos The King is Inthroned and the Arch-Bishop Inthronized both derive their Power from a Divine Right but the Bishop is the higher Power because by the Principles of Episcopacy he can Excommunicate the King i. e. forbid him the very Conversation of his Subjects and