Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	law_n	light_n	moral_a	3,394	5	9.2992	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29781	The moralist, or, A satyr upon the sects shewing some disputing passages by way of dialogue, between a well-principled lay-man, and a professor of theology : with reflections upon some modern writings and actions, particularly the late absconding of a certain B--- / by the author of the Weesils.	Brown, Thomas, 1663-1704.	1691 (1691)	Wing B5063; ESTC R6855	10,347	26

Reason to her highest Throne do lift To stoop so low and make so poor a sbift As well may Scribble in the second place The Legend of the Scots from Chevy-Chase Or through the World the business of each State From the mean trifling heads of a Gazett Past. Your Criticisms I oft have weigh'd before But can have patience pray go on what more Mor. The next that from my Spleen did Laughter draw Is your Ridiculous Jargon about Law As for Example Legal powers declare That powers with Law-concurring Legal are But then there are strange different kinds of Law Which not confirm'd whoever Legal saw And when we speak of Law and Legal Powers Unless we know what Law that Law assures We never shall from thence Conclusions draw Nor Judge of Legal powers from powerful Law Past. As you have made i● 't is strange Stuff indeed You 've quite exchang'd my Flower and brought a Weed Mor. If with this Sense you think to baffle ours And your Tautologies must pass for Flowers ' Take this as from a Friend where e're they grew T is the worst Nose-gay e're deck'd your Pew Past. True Controversie in each Line appears And every Paragraph sound Judgment bears There are more Notions then the Case does need Mor. 'T is true much more then any one will read Unless he 'll sit six hours to doze and pore And be as Wise just as he was before For in Opinion almost all the Nation Agree it ne're was Writ for Confutation But for the Profit as the Sale begins To make your Court and treat your Spouse with Pins Past. Your Railery turns Spite and Nonsense now That I can Argue all the Town allow And tho my Logick bears too deep a Sense It will Confound if it can ne're Convince Dispute's a Gem to which I 've long pretended Mor. Defending too what cannot be defended Is equally your Talent for let him That e're had Sense and Reason in Esteem Turn o're the Pages and observe each place 'Twixt your ALLEGIANCE and RESISTANCE-Case And let me be the Idiot of the Nation If e're he thinks 't is fit for Vindication Past. Always one Tone is an ungrateful hearing Mor. T is this I strike at I ne're mind your Swearing Past. Already I have stated plain my Case I wrote according to the Time's Distress Perhaps my Judgment was erroneous too Mor. Right and perhaps it is erroneous now Our Souls mean while are in a happy Station To fix on what you preach for our Salvation The Canons of our Church too well are known Tenets and Methods are too plain set down To cause Mistakes in a fair shiny Day In him who long has travell'd the same way And if base Int'rest like a Cloud comes on To shade that Light which like a Planet shone The Case is obvious and must be thought Not as the Doctrin's but the Doctor 's Fault Past. Self-preservation the great Law of Nature Gives us a fair Excuse upon this matter Which at all Seasons will not let us do Nor write the things we yet confess are true Moral How much beyond you were the Ancients then When th' Sacred Priesthood those Immortal Men Rather than from their pious Morals swerve Would die a thousand Deaths burn hang and starve Firm Conscience trusting in their great Creator Thought preservation the worst Law of Nature But some of you think to attone for sins You must your selves indulge and save your Skins Let 's please our selves ye cry whilst we 're alive T is our best Moral to submit and Thrive Past. Tho 'mongst the famous Ancients some there were That did their Martyrdom with Glory bear Tho some disdain'd a King or Conquerors Frown Others there were that did Allegiance own And like me to submit themselves dispose When e're they found 't was senseless to oppose So Jaddus in his Pontisicial Robe The Conqueror having half subdu'd the Globe His Glittering Mitre veil'd and Homage paid Nor more his late unhappy Prince obey'd But Worship gave as all the rest had done Like a true Persian to the Rising Sun Mor. Tho with the Brave that gain'd but small esteem The Case is somewhat more excus'd in him Since in a Vision at his time of Need Th' Almighty told him how he should proceed Sacred Decree the Action did allow And Providence in Whispers taught him how From whose Commands Obedience right he knew Did any Saint descend to whisper you Past. Tho Angels mix not with our human Life Yet I had Whispers too Mor. From whom Past. My Wife Sweet as when Beauty did at first appear A Thousand Charms were sounding in my Ear Her close Endearments all my Senses fir'd Her Tongue her Touch her every part inspir'd Nor Could I cease but must in Judgment joyn Crying ah Love my Sense and Soul is thine Mor. And so this Fondness and uxorious Passion Produc'd your Reasons first then Vindication Hot Blood in Nonage of our Time may rage But should methinks be calmer at your Age For sure a Man of Learning and of Wit That had been bred at wise Gamaliel's Feet Should well have weigh'd the Censure of the Town Oh his first Error e're a second shown And not in tedious Prose unprofitable Fit only to amuse and dose the Rabble Publish a Jest to all the Men of Sense And ban●●● those it never can convince The wise Theologist half angry now Was answering sharply when the Maid below Inform'd him in the Room that 's next the Street Rogers staid for him to correct a Sheet The Bus'ness of Importance well he knew And from his teizing Disputant withdrew But how the rest o' th' the Argument went on In the next Section shall at large be shown The End of the First Section THE MORALIST The Argument of the Second Section The Pastor whips the Vicious Age And to a pious Life directs The Moralist diverts his Rage And th' Errors blames of differing Sects SECTION II. AND now the Disputant with speed return'd Whilst Glowing Rage within his Bosom burn'd Which tho he stifled to appear more wise The strugling Flame yet sparkled through his Eyes Perplex'd to see his blunt Antagonist Against him thus in Argument persist And now perceiving that he had mistook The Text in Vindication of his Book Thought it the wisest way to shift the Scene And tune his Mazor on another Strain T' attack his Opposite and thus begins To discipline with pious Rage his Sins Past. In coveting the Name of Moralist Your mean Thoughts of the Priesthood is express'd Partly through Ignorance and partly Pride Your own Opinion excels all beside And tho' 't is rather Atheistical Then tends to true Morality at all Since you usurp that Title for no Cause But thoughts that in our Doctrin you find Flaws Which though is as erroneous as your Sense And th' Wise or Pious never can convince Yet the bare Name you think will win the day And the weak Judgment of the Vulgar sway Whilst

comick Methods are absurd and vain Past. All this is right and Praises should belong To such sound Truths if from another Tongue But who Instruction can from you receive That weighs well how licentiously you live Your erring Soul o'regrown with Vanity Ruin'd does like unweeded Gardens lye Choak'd with Impiety and rank Offence The Tares once sown were never weeded thence What Vice is extant that you have not known Whose Crimes more vile and numerous than your own In all the deadly Catalogue who e're With weighty Sins had Burdens more severe How then without a Blush a lasting Red Our little Venial Crimes can you upbraid Which seem if with your own you them display But as a drop of Water to the Sea Moral I own the Errors of my Human Nature And know some of your Tribe are little better Only your Envy Avarice and Pride Under the black Robe you may better hide And open Crimes have still a less degree Than those hid under base Hypocrisy Past. Then you believe your self a Moralist Moral That I pretend to 't shall appear in this Justice and Honour with regard I prize And Virtues Laws have still before my Eyes And tho Offences cannot be withstood By the frail Government of Flesh and Blood Yet Reason daily glittering in my Sight Still makes me take in Folly less delight I would not wrong my Neighbour of his Coin Nor with the Tyrant in oppression joyn Th' unhappy Poor I would not rudely treat Nor let vain Pride affront the Man of Wit Pursue my Foe with an unmanly Hate Nor to be great be factious in the State Rebellious Tenets too I would not try Nor swear to things I could not justifie My Oath as sacred to my Soul should be As my Devotion to the Deity And since Regard which to my Soul is due Must principally be consider'd too To my Creator with an awful care I would confess my Sins and pay my Prayer Reflect on the srail Bliss of mortal Station And never seek by Proxy for Salvation Humanity is frail your sacred Gown In all Obedience I allow and own Revere the Morals of the pious sort And take their Counsels with a thankful Heart But since the general Error of Mankind As well your Tribe as ours may chance to blind Since you but weakly can your selves desend From Vices which you dayly reprehend I must believe an Interest may be made In Heaven and Souls be sav'd without your Aid Past. Without all scruple moral Vertue is A great step to the Souls immortal Bliss But why you should believe our help to bring You there is an unnecessary thing I can't imagine if you don't confess 'T is done to make the Priesthoods Fame the less For when by Heavens decree Priests first were made 'T was doubtless thought some Souls might want their aid Moral The Brood of Priests first were of Aarons strain Their Sence refin'd their Doctrines wise and plain A Soul might reach Seraphical degree Without being banter'd by sly Sophistry What once they preach'd was Orthodox they knew No Convocations lack'd to prove it true But solid Reason guiding their designs Instructed all and made 'em true Divines Past. Are they less skilful then in these our days Moral Yes if 't is true what half the Nation says Past. The People still have some by-ends for Railing Some other Sect that hopes to be prevailing In expectation to exalt their own Unite their Force to throw our Fabrick down Which yet will hardly fall at their command Some Pillars yet have strength enough to stand And the high Building firmly will sustain Spite of the Power that would the Conquest gain Of Jarrs and Civil Strife this is the Cause 'T is this our Country to its Ruine draws Moral If th' Church occasions this Intestine Rout. Pray grant me then to save my Soul without If from your Tribe instead of Righteous Peace Curs'd Feuds and Animosities increase If still about your Worship and your Forms The tortur'd Nation is Involv'd in Harms And proud Preheminence is still the thing That to us all does this Confusion bring Which tho it shews much Malice and more Pride The Jarring Party never can decide I think to stick to true Morality As precious a Soul-saving Grace must be And I as soon to Heaven may find my way As if I fram'd my Heaven from what you say For Doctrine oftentimes Erroneous is Faith and good Works are certain Rules to Bliss Past. Your Argument because it looks like Sense May tempt the Rabble and much ill commence And Atheistical Opinions be Drawn from your Tenets of Morality For if the People what you say should own 'T would be a means to cry our Function down Thus he that stiles himself a Moralist Will vilely think he does not need a Priest And argue why our Stipends he should pay Since he to Heaven has found an easier way Moral To hinder that take heed still what you do Look what you Preach and what you Write be true Be not to Pride nor Avarice inclin'd But give a good example to Mankind Consider you are always look'd upon With more regard than any other Man And any Vices that appear in you Look much more Horrid than in us they do But above all Write less yet if you cant Forbear tho now you no such profit want For our Instruction henceforth use your Pen And if you 'd rank amongst the Prudent Men Ne're try to Vindicate your last agen POSTSCRIPT IS only Necessary at present to let the Reader know that tho the Moralist makes bold to Censure a certain Learned and Religious Pastor for wasting his precious time about the worst piece of Work as most People believe that ever he took in hand yet I must inform him it was not the only Reason for setting his Morals against the others Arguments nor indeed could that alone give cause enough for the solid design of Morality tho it might for matter of Dispute and Argument But to deal Genuinely there was a double reason for Writing this Satyr first meeting with the Vindication of some Logical Divine and Historical Tracts at first ill enough Stated and then worse Resolv'd especially by leaving the main matter unanswered of which that Author is principally Accus'd viz. The reconciling the Case of Resistance with the Case of Allegiance And in the second place having the Misfortune lately to observe some who pretend to be Sons of the Church of England so Negligent of their Duty and Careless of their great Office that they are rather sit to be exposed as Scandals to their Holy Mother than to serve at her Altars particularly one that I am sure will find himself out when he views this Page and whom I could Uncase like a Rabbet and shew his Hypocrisie bare and naked to the World if the respect I had for some others of the Reverend and the Coat in general did not through good Manners hinder my Intentions for where I am sensible that a Preacher abounds in Malice Detraction Pride Lust and Hipocrisie 't is very difficult for me that profess my self a Satyrist and know my self wrong'd to spare him upon the account of good Breeding or think him a good Teacher of the Congregation in general that I as well as others have observ'd to make a whole Sermon for no other purpose but to influence a pretty young Gentlewoman how necessary it was for her Souls salvation to cleave to him and his feeling doctrine Now what the rest of his Flock had to do with his Amours I leave the Reader to judge who I know will only laugh as the Lady did to see him make his Grimaces and tell an Out-of-the-Way story so little satisfactory to the People and so very insignificant to her I confess I cannot well follow that Toping Country Vicars Advice who bid me not do as he did but do as he taught For my own part I love a good example and such to the great disgrace of the Church 't is believ'd have been very much wanted of late those that do show it are not concern'd here I 'm sure and those that do not 't is reason should have a gentle Reprimand for 't is that which causes our Enemies to get so much ground and makes Religion so little esteem'd and 't is this chiefly not Malice nor Impiety that has drawn this from the Pen of the Moralist FINIS * Vid. Vind. page 2. Vid. Vind. page 11. Vid. Vind. page 20.