Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	angle_n	equal_a	side_n	2,221	5	9.5367	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37977	Cometomantia, A discourse of comets shewing their original, substance, place, time, magnitude, motion, number, colour, figure, kinds, names, and more especially, their prognosticks, significations and presages ... : where also is inserted an essay of judiciary astrology, giving satisfaction to this grand question, whether any certain judgments and predictions concerning future events, can be made from the observation of the heavenly bodies : both occasioned by the appearance of the late comets in England and other places.	Edwards, John, 1637-1716.	1684 (1684)	Wing E199; ESTC R1452	91,449	318

Last represents the Hilt and the Train the Blade of the Sword which sometimes is streight and sometimes like a Falchion Several of this sort have been seen in the World It is very probable that That at the beginning of things I mean that Flaming Sword which turned every ways at the entrance of Paradise belonged to this Species Indeed this could not have been better expressed than by the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the Version of the Seventy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially with the addition of the Adjective 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anceps bipennis two edged representing a Sword which cutteth both ways i. e. Both the sides of that Comet 's Tail were alike and of equal make And whereas the Text saith that Cherubims were placed at the entrance of Paradise it lets us understand that Angles were particularly Administring in shewing this extraordinary Prodigy and perhaps for this Reason among others these Ministring Spirits are called a Flaming Fire Psal. 104. 4. This Comet as it is the Nature of them produced Barrenness the Earth according to the Curse brought forth Thorns and Thistles This likewise presaged all the other sad and deplorable Effects of our first Parents Expulsion out of Paradise Such a Sword-Comet appeared in the Year of our Lord 70 or 71 being the first Year of the Emperour Vespasian It hung over Ierusalem a whole Year before it was Taken and Sack'd by Titus as one who was an Eye-witness of it assures us But lest that should be thought to be God's peculiar and singular Ensign and not to be parallel'd or to be made use of in the present Case as some will not permit us to alledge this Instance of Ierusalem's Comet I will produce some others and the most remarkable I have read of are these which follow A terrible Xiphias or Sword-Comet appeared when the Civil War between Octavius and Mark Antony began which was 42 years before Christ's Birth Another of the like Figure shewed it self A. D. 383. or as others 392. in the Reign of Theodosius This appeared 40 days and was a little before Valentinian was slain and Eugenius invaded the Western Empire Such another Flaming Sword was seen over the City of Constantinople about the Year of our Lord 400. This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Historian calls it was so great that it reached from the Horizon to the Zenith Nicephor Eccl. Hist. l. 13. c. 5. and of this likewise speak other Historians This happened when the so much dreaded Gainas the Barbarous and Tyrannical Commander of the Gothes brought the Gothish Army into Thrace and miserably wasted the greatest part of Greece and was about to encompass Constantinople and take it An Ensiformis but of lesser size appeared 30 days in the Year 632 or 633. before Persia was taken by the Saracens These were no Fantastick shapes such as the feigned Images and Iconisms of the Constellations of the Dog and Bear c. but they were Real and Substantial and no man need nourish any lavish Fancy to make out these Shapes and Resemblances from which we may certainly infer that they are truly Significant and Presaging I must confess that Gaffarel in his Book of Curiosities and Cornelius Gemma de Nat. Charact. divin are too Fantastical in their interpreting the Figures of Comets and too punctual in determining the effects from such Likenesses and Shapes But as I am no Slave of these Cosmocriticks so I must needs profess that it is irrational and impious to disregard the Finger of God in the peculiar shape of some Comets because some idle Writers have indulged their Fancy and Humour and have shewed themselves conceited in the account they give of the Figures of Comets Thus far I have considered these Heavenly Bodies Naturally and as they are in themselves Now it remains that I treat of them Theologically as they are by Divine Appointment and Institution rendred Significative It is the Pleasure of the great Moderatour of all things and that is sufficient that these should be set up as Signs And This is acknowledged even by those who will not be brought to confess the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Heavenly Bodies are not constituted Causes but Signs of Wars saith a Religious Man Future occurrences are discovered by these Heavenly Lamps Non Naturali Causarum nexu ordine sed Dei Natu Auxilio saith another Nego Cometam saith Fromondus Meteor l. 3. c. 3. calamitatum Physicam causam non nego tamen Signum ex Institutione divina esse quam omnium temporum Historia affirmat But I will make it plain that Both these are very consistent and that the consideration of Comets in both these respects is Rational and Accountable We may treat of them not onely as Natural Philosophers but as pious Men and Christians I know God sometimes speaketh to the World by Supernatural Signs without making use of Second Causes and even against the course and order of Nature These are Divine Signs onely but now I am speaking of such as are Natural Signs and Causes i. e. produced in a Natural way wholly or partly and are Physical Causes of such and such Effects and yet are Divine Signs likewise For it may be worth your observing that the Same things may be Natural Causes and Effects and yet Divine Tokens The Rainbow signifies the Covenant between God and Man and therefore is styled the Token of the Covenant 9. Gen. 13. but withall it is a Meteor that hath a Natural Production and the Cause of it is made out by Philosophy Fire and Brimstone from Heaven burnt up the lewd Sinners of Sodom and Gomorrah and yet when I reade in Gen. 14. 10. and in profane Writers that these Cities were near to many Pits of Slime and fat and pitchy Clay I can well conceive also how that dreadfull Conflagration was carried on even by Natural Causes how the Fire broke out of the Earth to meet that which rained from Heaven and consequently how the Destruction of those places may partly be attributed to the Nature of the Soil and the Combustible Matter it afforded The Tower of Babel was without doubt demolished by the Signal Hand of the Almighty yet it may be true which Iosephus relates and after him Eusebius that that great Pile was thrown down by a Tempest and extraordinary force of Wind. With which agrees the Sybil's Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Elias his time the Drought which happened in Syria and Iudaea was a Calamity which is wont to be produced by Natural Causes and from it Naturally followed a Famine but both these were peculiar Signs of the Divine Anger and by these God shewed his Wrath against the Sins of the People The Thunder and Lightning which were procured by Samuel were in Harvest Time 1 Sam. 12. 16. which is supposed to be a warm Season and therefore according to the Natural course of things

the Suffrage of this Learned Church-man is the more to be valued because the Design and Aim of his whole Book is to invalidate the Presages of all other Heavenly Bodies so that it was the mere conviction of Reason and Truth that made him Except these and declare that they are really portentous Thus you hear what Poets Oratours Philosophers Historians and Politicians Mathematicians and Divines have said of this matter I have one Testimony more to add and it is of a Person who was all these I had almost said more than these For though he was no Divine by Function and Profession yet how vastly accomplished he was in the Study of Theology and the Scripture his Works have proclaimed to the World And it is as well known how excellent a Poet Oratour Historian Statesman c. and how great a Master of Reason and all usefull Learning he was This man who was Himself a Prodigy thus gives us his Thoughts in few but decisive words concerning these wonderfull Ostenta we have been treating of Solent magnas rerum Conversiones praecedere Cometae Gladii Ardentes aliáque Signa ejusmodi Comets and Fiery Swords and such like Signs are wont to be the Fore-runners of great Changes in the world I have done now with my Testimonies and truly I am heartily glad of it for I affect not to muster up the Writers and to see Authours stand in Rank and File I know that good Sense will defend itself without a Bead-roll of Learned Names But it was Necessary on this occasion to heap up Quotations because those of the contrary Opinion are pleased to brag of their Authours But I hope it will now appear that all the World is not of their side and that the assertion which I maintain is not onely the sense of the Many but of the grave and wise the sober and judicious and those whose Sedate Judgments over-rule their Imaginations Men of all Studies agree in this Humanity and Divinity concenter here heathens and Christians the Popish and the Reformed and some of every Persuasion are heard to declare that Comets are supernatural Signs and were appointed to terrifie and admonish this Inferiour World and to be Precursors of approaching Miseries But that which I most mind is that we have on our side the ablest Judges and best Advocates of this Cause for such I reckon the truly Pious and Vertuous to be I have observed both in Mens studied Writings and ordinary speakings that those who favour this Point are generally found to be Persons of a greater Inclination to Piety and Goodness than others are They seem to have minds more Divinely enlightned and more inwardly touched with the sense of Religion and the Providence of God in managing the World And who are they that defend the contrary Commonly I do not say always they are Men of greater Wit than Conscience they know how to blanch a bad Cause they delight to shew their Skill in maintaining an Argument and weathering a Paradox They are likewise great Flatterers and Parasites and love to humour the Age. They nourish the sottishness of People and give Narcoticks and Opiates to those that are of themselves drowsie and stupid And if this be done by those who are of that holy Functioon which engages them to give warning to their flock of imminent Dangers to discharge the Office of Watchmen and not to sow Pillows under a soft and Effeminate Generation of Men the Crime is yet more Black and Intolerable They carry on the Plot of Atheists and Epicures to root out the Notion of a God to extirpate Providence to debauch Mens Lives and Manners and to blot out the sense of another World I am now to enter upon the Fourth and Last General Part of my Discourse which is to Answer the Objections which are levelled against the foresaid Doctrine For so it is that there are a sort of People who in defiance of the Nature of things the clear Discoveries of Reason the Direction of Providence the Divine Testimony of Scripture and a Cloud of Humane Witnesses are resolved to maintain their Post and in order to that they discharge with great fury several severe Cavils against the opposite side and think thereby to fright others from coming over to Us and imbracing our Assertion First It is Objected that our Doctrine proceeds from Pride and a haughty Spirit These Men say they have an over-fond conceipt of themselves as if God took especial care of them in every thing that happeneth Can't a Star appear but it must be for their sakes What is the Reason they are so concerned It proceeds from no other bottom than this viz. The unsufferable Vanity which some abound with who think themselves such Persons to whom Prodigies forsooth must be sent I answer 1. That this is a gross mistake that Comets or the like Prodigies appear for the sake of one sort of Persons onely or that any Intelligent man ever said so 2. Whereas it is said that it proceeds from the Pride and vain Conceit of Men that Comets are thought to signifie I retort with undeniable Truth that it is the effect of Pride and Arrogance to reckon them as needless and Trivial and to despise the manifest Work of God Nay 3. This is an Argument of gross Profaneness as well as Pride This is clear from the present Cavil that the Patrons of that Cause carry on as I said the Plot and Design of Atheistical Spirits who would exclude God from the Government and Care of the World Whereas it is certain that all ranks of Beings but especially rational Creatures are under the Eye and Conduct of Heaven The Stoicks said well that as Man was made for God so all things were made for Man The whole Mass of the Creation is serviceable to this Darling and Delight of the Almighty Man is as it were the Centre of the World in respect of final Causes saith an understanding Person The Celestial Bodies as well as those of a lower Order administer to his best Advantages When the Man after God's own Heart had considered the Heavens the Work of God's Fingers the Moon and the Stars which he had ordained he cried out as himself tells us What is Man that thou art mindfull of him and the Son of Man that thou visitest him As if there were no greater Argument and Demonstration of the Divine Care and Providence over Mankind than what is to be observed in the Heavenly Bodies And if it be said that those words speak of the Natural and Regular Appearances in the Heavens as the Sun and Moon and ordinary Stars I reply that the Argument is the stronger on our side for if the usual and ordinary Luminaries are a proof of God's Mindfulness of the Inhabitants of this Inferiour World then much more the strange and extraordinary ones are such And this is sufficient ground to consider the Heavens as that Holy man did to regard and take notice

so great Plenty nay not onely a Famine of Bread but of hearing the Word of the Lord. We may look for Invasion from abroad when we are so divided and distracted at home and that under so Gracious a Prince And truly this seemeth to be the Vniversal and Epidemick Plague designed for all Christendom The Mahometan Crescent may in time grow to the Full. The Turkish Cymetar though often Blunted may be so Edged once and again as at last to doe fatal Execution over all those spatious Territories where Christianity is professed and which I am loth to add where the Professours of it dishonour the Religion it self by their Lives To be brief the Age we live in hath been already an Age of great and wonderfull Occurrences and we may expect that the remainder of it will produce great and tremendous Changes to the World so that if Diogenes were alive he might now more eagerly desire than once he did to be buried with his Face downward and that for the same Reason which he then gave viz. Because the World would in a short time be turned upside down But lest I should be mistaken and some should think I am Positive and Definitive in what I say 4. That which I have asserted before must be called to mind here in the close of all viz. That though Comets are certain Signs of God's Displeasure yet they are not Necessary Causes of the Evils they threaten Our Doom I hope is not irreversible Nay it is certain that He who sheweth us the Tokens of his Anger can divert it when He pleaseth How glad should I be if all the Intimations I have given of approaching Evils should be frustrated I shall not like Ionas be angry because Nineveh is not destroyed Lastly If all that hath been said amounts not to a Demonstration as I do not pretend it doth and above half the Subjects that are treated of in the World and that have evident Truth on their sides never reached to That If I have not demonstrated that Comets are Signs of impendent Evils yet this ought to be remembred that no Man can be certain that they signifie Nothing and that they stand for Cyphers in the Heavens The rashest Determiners have not concluded that it is impossible they should be forerunners of Calamities and Messengers of Divine Vengeance Now if they prove to be so as the abundant Reasons and Arguments above produced solicite us to believe it will be a heinous Offence if we take no notice of them However it will be best for us to look upon them as such and then if we are mistaken it will be on the safest side and we shall err with the wisest and soberest Persons At least it becometh us to suspend our Iudgments in a dubious Case It is inconsistent with the Wisedom and Piety of a Christian Philosopher peremptorily to deny what hath some shew of Probability Much less will it become him to make a Mock of that which may be a serious Truth and the greatest Reality in the World as Vespasian they say made himself merry with a Comet that appeared in his days for being told by one that it portended Ill to him he jestingly said that that Star with long Hair concerned the Kings of Persia who wore long shaggy Hair and not Bald Emperours such as he was Which is thus expressed by an Historian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Although Dio relateth that he spoke it of the King of Parthia yet it is most probable that he reflected on the Persians who were known by their long Hair and thence were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Father of History Far be it from us who are a Civilized People and which is yet higher a Nation professing Christianity to jest with Heaven and exercise our Drollery on those rare and stupendious Appearances which we have so great Reason to be persuaded are the Almighty's Messengers a sort of mute Prophets sent to instruct us in our Duty and to be forewarnings to us of the Wrath to come Let us rather be directed by these Heavenly Signs as the Magi were of old by an unusual Star that appeared to them to seek our Saviour Let us prepare for God's Judgments by Repentance and Amendment of Life and by these excellent Preparatives let us endeavour if it be possible to prevent them Let us abandon those Sins and Vices which we may justly believe are pointed at by these Signs from Heaven Those those are the direfull Prodigies which threaten Christendom at this day Those are as Ominous and Presaging as all the Glaring Comets that have shaked their fiery Trains over our Heads Let us therefore as we are desirous that God's Judgments may be averted and his Blessings conferred upon us as we are willing that Christianity should thrive and get ground in the World as we tender the Well-fare of the Church which is the Pillar and Ground of Truth as we hope to have the best and purest Religion derived from Christ and his Apostles continued amongst us to all succeeding Generations and as we wish well to our Countrey the most flourishing and Happy Region under Heaven let us break off our Sins by Repentance and a speedy Reformation of our Manners which was the principal thing Designed and I hope will partly be Effected by this Discourse FINIS Can. 74. Sen. Nat-Qu 1. 7. c. 29. Praelect de Comet Senec. Nat. Quaest. l. 7. cap. 19. Theatr. Natur. l. S 2. Paracels Iid. de Meteor Meteor l. 1. c. 7. Snellius de Cometa anni 1618. Cometograph l. 7. Nat. Quaest. l. 7. c. 22. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 25. Nicephor Eccles. hist. l. 12. c. 37. Aristot. l. 1. Meteor c. 10. Senec. Nat. Quaest. l. 7. c. 12 13 14. Ricciolus Almagest lib. de Cometis In Cometar Physiolog Phranza Chronic. l. 3. c. 20. Ricciol Almagest Aristot. Meteor l. 1. c. 9. manilius Piso's Specul Comet Astronom Instaur Progymnasm Manilii Astronom 1. l. Senec. Nat. Quaest. l. 7. c. 1. Cap. 30. Cap. 27. Tychon Progymnasm tom 1. Regiomontanus Kepler Optic Astron. Fromondus Meteorolog l. 3. c. 4. Franc Resta Meteorol l. 1. c. 5. Ricciol Almagest Tom. 1. pars poster Ricciol Tom. 1. de Cometis Fancisc Fernandez Tom. 1. pars poster Aristot. Meteor l. 1. c. 9. Lib. 2. 7. c. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ensiformis Gen. 3. 24. Joseph de Bell. Iudaic l. 6. c. 31. Nicephor Eccles. hist. l. 12. c. 37. Socrates Eccl. Hist. l. 7. c. 6. Sozomen l. 8. c. 4. Funccius Spondanus Damascen de Fid. Orthod l. 2. c. 7. Petav. Theol Dogm Tom. 3. l. 1. Antiquit. l. 1. c. 15. De Praep. Evang. l. 9. c. 4. Lib. 3. Orac. Horat. Mich. Glycas Annal. pars 1. Senec. Nat. Quaest. l. 7. cap. 1. Mich. Glyc Annal par 1. Prov. 22. 3. Platina in vit Calist. Kepler De Physiologia Cometarum l. 3. p. 3. Bapt. Ricciol Almagest Nov. Tom. 1. par poster l. 8. Signum Syr. Arab. Castal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seventy Interp. Significationem Vulg. Lat. Virgil. Georg 1. Aeneid 10. Manil. Astronom 1. l. Silius l. 1. Punic Punic l. 8. Lucan l. 1. Pharsal De Raptu Lib. 2. E. leg 5. Palingen l. 11. Zodiack Sibyl l. 8. Sueton. in Nerone Sueton. in Claudio Socrates Eccl. Hist. l. 6. c. 6. Cedren Hist. com pend Longomontanus Christoph. Clavius Piso. Specul Cometae Milichius Commentar Basil the great Hexaëmer Theodoret Quaest. 15. in Genes Fromond Meteor l. 3. c. 3. Campanella Astrolog l. 2. Dionys. Petav. Theol Dogm Tom. 3. l. 1. c. 10. Maraviglia Pseudomant Ex. plos Dissertat 13. Dissertat 22. Grotius in Proph. Joel cap. 2. v. 30. Gassend Meteor Bacon's Sapient Ve●er Psal. 8. 3 4. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 25. Senec. Nat. Quaest. l. 7. cap. 17. Cedren Hist. compend Tacit. Annal l. 15. Sueton. in Nerone c. 28 29. Theodoret de Cur. Graec. Affectib Serm. 3. J. Scaliger Exercitat 79. sect 2. R. Kimchi in Jon. Eginhardus in vit Car. Mag. Philo de Abrahamo Philo de Monarch Aratus Amos 5. 8. Job 9. 9. L. de mundi Opificio Lib. de Monarchia Basil. Hexa●mer Zanchius de Astronom Ovid. Metamorph l. 15. Virgil. Georg l. 1. Plutarch in Jul. Caesar Tertullian ad Scapulam c. 3. Sir W. Raleigh's Essays Aristot. Meteor l. 1. Ep. Jude 13. v. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 8. Albumasar Pomponatius Cardan Vaninus Albertus Magnus Lucas Gauricus Prelates Petrus de Aliaco Cusanus Cardinals Psal. 147. 4. Philo de Nomin Mutat Sir Christoph Heydon Def. of Iud. Astrol. p. 193. L. de Praesagiis Hackwell's Apol. l. 2. Sect. 4. Valer. Max. l. 1. c. 8. Cicero l. 2. de Divinat Gadbury's Collectio Genitur arum Ibid. Ptolem. Centiloq Aph. 1. Centiloq ibid. Alchish in 1. c. Job Decret 2. pars c. 26. Concil Tolet 1. Lateran Conc. sub Jul. Leone Codex de Malefic Mathemat leg 2. Leg. 5 7. Origen l. contra Fatum Greg. Nyss. l. de Fato Euseb. de Praep. Evang l. 6. Augustin de Gen. l. 2. c. 21. Liv. Tacitus Valer. M. Dio. Sepher Hammus Johan Sarisb de Nug. Cur. l. 2. c. 19. Joseph Antiq. l. 1. c. 3. Vossius de Scient Mathemat Joseph Antiq. l. 1. C. 9. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 25. Xiphilinus Aurel. Victor Sueton. in Vespas c. 23. Herodot l. 6. c. 19.