Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	esq_n	honourable_a	thomas_n	11,004	5	9.8448	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27428	The folly and unreasonableness of atheism demonstrated from the advantage and pleasure of a religious life, the faculties of humane souls, the structure of animate bodies, & the origin and frame of the world : in eight sermons preached at the lecture founded by ... Robert BOyle, Esquire, in the first year MDCXCII / by Richard Bentley ...	Bentley, Richard, 1662-1742.	1699 (1699)	Wing B1931; ESTC R21357	132,610	286

THE Folly and Unreasonableness OF ATHEISM Demonstrated from The Advantage and Pleasure of a Religious Life The Faculties of Humane Souls The Structure of Animate Bodies The Origin and Frame of the World In EIGHT SERMONS Preached at the Lecture Founded by The Honourable ROBERT BOYLE Esquire In the First Year MDCXCII By RICHARD BENTLEY D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary and Library-Keeper to His MAJESTY The Fourth Edition Corrected LONDON Printed by I. H. for H. Mortlock at the Phoenix in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1699. To my most Honoured Patrons TRUSTEES appointed by the Will of the Honourable ROBERT BOYLE Esq The Right Reverend Father in God THOMAS Lord Bishop of Lincoln Sir Henry Ashurst Kt and Baronet Sir Iohn Rotheram Serjeant at Law Iohn Evelyn senior Esquire Most Honoured GOD having disposed the Heart of that incomparable Person the Honourable Robert Boyle Esquire lately deceased the Glory of our Nation and Age whose Charity and Goodness were as universal as his Learning and Fame To settle an Annual Salary for some Divine or Preaching Minister who shall be enjoyned to perform the Offices following 1. To preach Eight Sermons in the Year for proving the Christian Religion against notorious Infidels viz. Atheists Deists Pagans Iews and Mahometans not descending to any Controversies that are among Christians themselves These Lectures to be on the First Monday of the respective Months of Ianuary February March April May September October November in such Church as the Trustees shall from time to time appoint 2. To be assisting to all Companies and encouraging them in any Undertaking for propagating the Christian Religion 3. To be ready to satisfie such Real Scruples as any may have concerning those Matters and to answer such New Objections or Difficulties as may be started to which good Answers have not yet been made You have been pleased to believe me able in some measure to perform these Offices and to command this First Essay to be made publick I am very sensible of the great Honour as well as the great Extent and Difficulty of the Task and shall endeavour to the utmost of my poor ability to answer the religious and generous Design of that Excellent Person and the good Opinion you have entertained of My most Honoured Patrons Your very obliged and humble Servant R. Bentley March 17. 1691 2. THE Folly of Atheism And what is now called DEISM Even with Respect to The PRESENT LIFE The First SERMON preached March 7. 1691 2. Psalm XIV v. 1. The Fool hath said in his Heart There is no God they are corrupt they have done abominable works there is none that doth good I Shall not now make any enquiry about the time and occasion and other circumstances of composing this Psalm nor how it comes to pass that with very little variation we have it twice over both here the 14th and again number the 53d Not that these and such-like are not important considerations in themselves but that I think them improper now when we are to argue and expostulate with such persons as allow no Divine Authority to our Text and profess no greater or it may be they will say less Veneration for these Sacred Hymns than for the profane Songs of Anacreon or Horace So that although I my self do really believe that all such as say in their Hearts There is no God are foolish and corrupt both in Understanding and Will because I see infinite Wisdom it self has pronounced them to be so nevertheless this Argument would at present have no force upon these men till in due time and method we have evinced the sufficient Authority of Holy Scripture But however there are other Books extant which they must needs allow of as proper Evidence even the mighty Volumes of visible Nature and the everlasting Tables of Right Reason wherein if they do not wilfully shut their Eyes they may read their own Folly written by the Finger of God in a much plainer and more terrible Sentence than Belshazzar's was by the Hand upon the Wall And as the impious Principles of these persons do preclude any argumentation from the Revealed Word of God so they prevent us also from speaking at present to the second part of the Text. The whole Verse hath apparently two Propositions the one denoting the Folly of Atheism The Fool hath said in his Heart There is no God the second declaring the Corruption and Flagitiousness of Life which naturally attend it They are corrupt they have done abominable works there is none that doth good Now this latter part to a genuine Atheist is meer Iargon as he loves to call it an empty sound of words without any signification He allows no Natural Morality nor any other distinction of Good and Evil Just and Unjust than as Human Institution and the Modes and Fashions of various Countries denominate them The most Heroical Actions or detestable Villanies are in the nature of things indifferent to his approbation if by secrecy they are alike conceal'd from Rewards or Punishments from Ignominy or Applause So that till we have proved in its proper place the eternal and essential Difference between Virtue and Vice we must forbear to urge Atheists with the Corruption and Abominableness of their Principles But I presume the first part of the Text the Folly and sottishness of Atheism which shall be the subject of this Discourse will be allowed to come home to their Case since they make such a noisy pretence to Wit and Sagacity and I believe several of them first engage in that Labyrinth of Nonsense and Folly out of an absurd and preposterous affectation of seeming Wiser than their Neighbours But before I proceed any farther it will be necessary to clear and vindicate this expression of the Psalmist The Fool hath said in his Heart There is no God For I know not any Interpreters that will allow it to be spoken of such as flatly deny the Being of God but of them that believing his Existence do yet seclude him from directing the Affairs of the World from observing and judging the Actions of Men. I suppose they might be induced to this from the commonly received notion of an Innate Idea of God imprinted upon every Soul of Man at their Creation in Characters that can never be defaced Whence it will follow that Speculative Atheism does only subsist in Our speculation whereas really Humane Nature cannot be guilty of the crime that indeed a few sensual and voluptuous Persons may for a season eclipse this native Light of the Soul but can never so wholly smother and extinguish it but that at some lucid intervals it will recover it self again and shine forth to the conviction of their Conscience And therefore they believed that the words would not admit of a strict and rigorous Interpretation but ought to be so temper'd and accommodated to the nature of things as that they may describe those profane persons who though they do not nor can really doubt in their