Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	father_n	lord_n	preface_n	2,582	5	10.5359	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42822	Plus ultra, or, The progress and advancement of knowledge since the days of Aristotle in an account of some of the most remarkable late improvements of practical, useful learning, to encourage philosophical endeavours : occasioned by a conference with one of the notional way / by Jos. Glanvill.	Glanvill, Joseph, 1636-1680.	1668 (1668)	Wing G820; ESTC R14223	65,458	192

Imprimatur Tho. Tomkyns RR mo in Christo Patriac Domino D no Gilberto Divinâ Providentiâ Archiepisc Cant. à Sacr. Dom. PLUS ULTRA OR THE Progress and Advancement OF KNOWLEDGE Since the Days of ARISTOTLE In an ACCOUNT of some of the most Remarkable LATE IMPROVEMENTS OF Practical Useful Learning To Encourage PHILOSOPHICAL ENDEAVOURS OCCASIONED By a Conference with one of the NOTIONAL Way By Ios. GLANVILL LONDON Printed for Iames Collins at the Kings-Head in Westminster-Hall 1668. TO THE Right Reverned Father in GOD WILLIAM Lord Bishop of Bathe and Wells MY LORD T Is a common and vain pretence in Dedications That the Name of the Great Person is prefixed to keep off Censure And if it would do so in earnest the Author might secure himself upon easie terms and those that write Books need not complain so much of the Tongues of the Envious and the Ignorant But the worst on 't is they that use the Courtship intend it for no other and know that they are no more secure under the Title of their Patron than a Man in Battle is behind a Target made with a Paper-Picture of St. George But my Lord though I contemn those silly Romantick kinds of Flatteries yet I have a real need of your Lordship's Name which without this Vanity I may use in my defence since the Angry Gentleman that gave occasion to the following Discourse hath usurp'd it to give colour to his Reproaches What are the Particulars I have told your Lordship and have mentioned them in some of the nearest ensuing Leaves And since the Man of Disputations hath accused me for an Infidel and framed a Story concerning your Lordship to confirm it I think it not sufficient to confute the Charge but must also shame the Legend which no doubt your Name here prefixt and the Assurance you were pleased to give me that it was not true will do effectually It becomes not me my Lord to suggest any Reflections to kindle your displeasure for this Invention to which certainly your Lordship owes no great Acknowledgments But to decline all things that look like Envy or Revenge I humbly implore on his behalf your Pardon of the Forgery and on my own your Permission to deal with this Disputer This perhaps some may judge a bold Offer in one that pretends not great Matters to undertake the Man of Gath but I have no dread of the formidable bulk of his Name and Arms and some think Most of the famed Giants were indeed but Men of ordinary stature For the Reputation of a great Disputant which my Assailant hath in this Country it signifies no more with me than that of a good Cudgel-player or Master of Fence and what this Doughty Man 's Art and Force is I have seen so much as instructs me that there is no great reason to apprehend mighty Dangers from his Puissance My Lord I have no contempt of any Mans Parts or Person that keeps himself within the bounds of Modesty and Civility but for those that are confident imperious abusive and assuming I confess 't is hard for me to speak of them with much Complement or respect And having taken the boldness to say all this some perhaps may expect that I should have the Duty and Justice to say a great deal more and that I should celebrate your Lordship after the manner of Dedications But I began with reproving one of those usual Vanities and shall not end in the practice of another Those Epistolary Praises are mostly intended for little and go for nothing For Flattery and Poetick Youth have strain●d them to such a ridiculous height that Wise men judge of them by the same measures as they do the Courtships of Common Amours I dare not therefore offer your Gravity and Wisdom such vulgar● and obnoxious Trifles but instead of those Fooleries I give your Lordship the serious assurance of my affectionate Duty with the most grateful acknowledgment of your Favours And that your aged Head may be Crowned with all the Blessings of a long Time and after that with the full Glories of an happy Eternity shall ever be the Prayer of My Lord Your Lordships obliged and dutiful Servant Jos. GLANVILL THE PREFACE TO THE REVEREND CLERGY OF THE Diocess of B. and W. FATHERS and BRETHREN THE Respect I owe you and the Relation the following Discourse hath to a Reverend Man of your Number make me reckon my self obliged in point of Civility and Decorum to give you an Account of this Engagement Not that I think so meanly of YOU or of my Cause as to endeavour to bribe or flatter You into any partiality of judgment in my favour which no doubt You would disclaim and I hope I shall not need But I judge an Information in some Particulars may be necessary to a free and unprejudiced Examination of the things contained in these Papers And I begin with the desire That you would consider me as a Person that contemns all Wranglings and vehemencies of Dispute and there is somewhat of Hell in all Wars Especially I dislike and lament all Publick Controversies among those of the Sacred Function by which great disrepute and reproach have been brought both upon Them and It besides the other numerous Mischiefs they have done Religion and the Peace of Men. And in those Differences in which eager Theologues have been engaged I have much pitied the meanness and disorders of their Spirits in the disingenuity and violence of their Assaults ●●on one anothers Reputations in ●●hich the Question was not concern● but the Cause of each much dis●●ved by their respective abuses By ●hich Premisals You may perhaps ●●ink that I am drawing up a Charge against my own Discourse which relates a Controversie and one with a Divine that some possibly may judge too not to savour in the menage of it of so much Candour and modest Sweetness as I seem to recommend The Answer of this will be the first business of this PREFACE Therefore for the publishing the matter of a Dispute and that which was privately begun I have to say That the Grave Man gave me occasion enough of Displeasure and Complaint by the dreadful and most injurious Censure of Atheism charged upon me for saying no mo●● than that The Scripture not writ after the way of 〈◊〉 Methods and that God 〈◊〉 those Holy Oracles did app●● himself much to the Imagin●tion of the Prophets T●● former of which Sayings is so evide●● to one that considers the Inspire● Writings that it will no doubt re●● dily be granted by Wise men of a●● denominations in Religion and should much wonder it is by an● one made a question but that we ar● fallen into an Age in which n● Truth and Evidence can secure an●● thing from the Captiousness of Dis●puters For the other I have th● Suffrage of all that ever pretended to understand any thing of the Prophetick Spirit as I could at large make appear if I thought any needed information