Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	word_n	world_n	zealous_a	76	3	8.4060	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28435	Great is Diana of the Ephesians, or, The original of idolatry together with the politick institution of the gentiles sacrifices.	Blount, Charles, 1654-1693.	1680 (1680)	Wing B3303; ESTC R11068	21,456	56

Great is DIANA OF THE EPHESIANS OR The Original of IDOLATRY Together with the Politick Institution OF THE Gentiles Sacrifices Cum sis ipse nocens moritur cur victima pro te Stultitia est morte alterius sperare salutem London Printed in the year 1680. THE PREFACE SElf-love which like Fire covets to resolve all things into it self makes men they care not what Villany or what Impiety they act so it may but conduce to their own advantage And from hence it was that the Heathens turned Religion into a Trade wherein the most gainful was their Sacrifices mendicantes vicatim Deos ducunt a God was then as fit an object for Charity as now a broken Arm or a wooden Leg nor did they consider their Gods any otherwise than for their own Interest Now as Musick hath that Sympathetick power to heighten that Passion which is most predominant in mens Natures whether of Mirth or Melancholy so likewise Religion if it meets with good Nature it makes it better but if with bad Nature it makes it worse not that true Religion is here to be blamed but only those ill constitutions wherein the most Sacred Instructions turn sower Obdurate hearts are ever most subject to Atheism whereas softer Natures are ever more inclined to Superstition in which latter Devotion is ever more prevalent than Judgment for as Philosophy applies it self to Reason so doth Religion to ` Passion and therefore none are so successful as those Fanatical sellers of words who are most quarrelsom with their Pulpits whereby they have a double advantage first they appear more zealous to the World and secondly the Nonsense they deliver is not so easily discerned by the credulous multitude who are ever ravished with the Tone and Noise and praise not the Lord but through the Nose The Immortal God is of too sublime a Nature to be comprehended by us Mortals wherefore no men are so great Atheists as those who make a livelihood by telling Lyes of his most Sacred Majesty converso in precium Deo How many Religions are there in the World which though of contrary Principles to one another yet all pretend themselves derived from one and the same Infinite Being Therefore he who would be of the most excellent Faith must try all and then as St. Paul advises hold fast that which is best He should do by the several Religions as Potamon of Alexandria did by the many Sects of Philosophy elect what was good out of each and relinquish the bad Now most Religions excepting ours being tainted with the Interest of the Clergy he must examine and consider them accordingly For if a Porter should come and tell me he had brought me such a Letter from my Father and the first part of the Letter should teach Obedience to Parents but the latter part of it should command me to give the said Porter half my Estate in this case I should notwithstanding the testimony of his brother Porters without some further demonstration believe the Letter a counterfeit as also that the first part of it which taught Obedience was only to make way for the second and principal clause viz. the giving the Porter money Now most of the Heathen Priests were such Proters and their Arcana Divinitatis but ridiculous Nothings wherewith they deluded the Vulgar As I have heard of a Country-Alehouse-keeper who being a crafty Knave devised this trick to get a ready vent for his Liquor He gave out a report at several Market-Towns that he had taken a monstrous Beast in such a Wood whereupon many Country-people flock'd into see this wonderful Beast which out of policy he kept in the dark corner of a Room withall advising the people not to approach too near him for fear of danger but this not satisfying the curiosity of one of the Clowns who had drank higher than the rest he runs into this Monster unties him and brings him out into the light where this Creature which had occasion'd so many lyes quarrels and disputes about the Nature of him whilst he remain'd in the dark proved after all to be nothing but a little Cur-dog in a Doublet Partusiunt montes nascetur ridiculus mus However the man had his design in selling off his Liquor Such were the mysteries of the ancient Heathenish Religions and what I have here written concerns them only for when Christ came into the World he deliver'd a Doctrine so pious just and necessary that even in its Infancy its own merits supported it without the assistance of Princes or Grandees What is more reasonable than to forbear those Lusts which will ruine us both here and hereafter or who but a mad-man would condemn that Law for unjust which prohibits him from murdering himself and Christ doth no more Now if the Law be good what must the Law-giver be for such as the Fruit is such must the Tree be also Some have even among the He athens been reported to have wrought Miracles as Apollonius Tyanaeus others have deliver'd good Doctrines as Plato Seneca Epictetus c. but what one man ever did both to that persection as Christ did Many in all Religions have dyed to justifie their Opinions but who like the Primitive Christians ever dyed to justifie the truth of Miracles which they beheld with their own eyes But this is unnecessary for that I write not to Heathens but Christians The general decay of Piety hath in most Religions what soever proceeded from the exemplary viciousness of their Clergy though perhaps less in ours than in others for I am unwilling to raise an unjust outery against a good Air because some few debauch'd persons dye in it Should a Physician prohibit all Mankind from Wine as poysonous and presently he himself should drink some I had reason to question the truth of his former opinion and should have cause to believe that he coveted to monopolize the best Wines for himself What Heathen Priests could with any confidence prohibit Murther when they themselves did safrequently sacrifice poor innocent men in their Temples with what justice could that Priest who assisted at the Rape of Paulina in the Temple of Apis proscribe Adulteries or Rapes If Shepherds go themselves astray How should their Sheep ere find the way If he that Teaches is to Learn How should the Scholar truth discern Vale. The Original of IDOLATRY Together with the Politick Institution OF THE Gentiles Sacrifices The Proem A Discourse concerning Heathen Religions in general were certainly a vast undertaking and vain it being too immense a labour for any one man either by reading sufficiently to comprehend the Ancient Idolatry or by Travel through both the Indies to discern that of this Age. Nor would it be less vain if possible to be attain'd For all Superstitions are to the people but like several Sports to Children which varying in their several Seasons yield them pretty entertainment for the time and when grown out of request deserve no further consideration but are