Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	body_n	soul_n	union_n	2,456	5	9.5499	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44635	The evil of our dayes with the remedy of it : a sermon preach'd at a visitation at Rothwell in Northamptonshire, Octob. 12, 1697 / by John Howard ...	Howard, John, 1647-1729?	1698 (1698)	Wing H2982; ESTC R8165	19,799	29

meekness and compassion in a civil and courteous behaviour towards all Men that must needs abate something of the most inveterate prejudices against the ways of God and win very much upon those that are in some measure prepar'd for them Yea they will give us such an interest in their affections as will make them more apt to consider and receive good Instructions from us And which is more than all this our faithfulness to God in such an holy Conversation will qualify us for his blessing upon the endeavours we use for the good of others The other means necessary to remedy the Evil of Sin are especially these following 1. We must endeavour to convince those that are guilty 2. We must warn and instruct others 3. We must pray to God for his blessing upon these things 1. We must endeavour to convince those that are guilty In order to which it will be necessary 1. To use the fittest arguments with such as err in Judgment 2. To reprove those that are guilty of other Sins 3. To shew kindness both to the one and the other as there may be occasion 1. To use the fittest arguments with such as err in Judgment The Principal of these if he be properly reckon'd amongst them is the Atheist but I think his Error is rather in the will Some Men if they deserve that name have so much improv'd their Natural Affection to Sin by indulging themselves in it that they cannot with any comfort think there is a God who will Judge and Reward them according to their deeds and therefore heartily wish there were no such Being Which seems to be the Psalmist's meaning when he says Psal 14.1 The fool hath said in his heart that is in the desires of it that there is no God and in the next words tells us whence this Atheism proceeds They are corrupt they have done abominable works And therefore while they talk as if Atheism was their belief it may be these bold Efforts against Heaven are intended only for some excuse of their Wicked Lives For it is hard to think that they who have the least remains of Reason in them should be able to resist all the plain and most sensible evidences of God's Existence While they open their eyes they see as many proofs of it as there are beings in their view or Motions and Properties in those Beings and if they shut them every thought of their Hearts is a demonstration of it So that one would think a Man must go out of the World and from himself too before he can be altogether insensible of the Divine Existence But if his mind can be so far besotted with Sensuality as to lose all sense of it it is in vain to use any rational Arguments to convince him Some indeed have taken pains to answer this fool according to his folly in shewing the inconsistence of his dreams and fancies it may be with respect to that Rule Prov. 26.5 that he might be no longer wise in his own conceit and have excellently set before him the most considerable Arguments of God's Being and Providence But he that can shut his eyes against all the visible Testimonies of these things will probably have very little sense of the force of their Arguments Yea it is like this way of dealing with him will make him but the more conceited of himself For while he is treated as a Man of Reason he will take encouragement to shuffle off all that can be said against his Principles and there is little question but he will find as good pretences for it as for his former unbelief But I confess these discourses are of great use to others to confirm their Faith and assist them upon every observation of those things from whence the Author's arguments are taken to be more sensible of God's presence with them and of the dominion he exercises in the World One would think the most proper Argument to work upon this sensualist if he be capable of any would be from the delight and safety of true Religion whose ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are Peace Of which if the little Reason he has left will not convince him he might at least make Trial and preser that course which he finds to be best But why do I speak of arguing with a Beast For if it be Religion which distinguishes Man from the brute Creatures as some great Authors have resolv'd the Atheist who is fallen from it must be reckon'd amongst them And I think the Wise Man does direct the proper method of dealing with him when he says A whip for the Horse and a bridle for the Ass and a rod for the fools back Prov. 26.3 It is sense through the pleasure of Sin that has betray'd him to this Error and it must be Sense through the smart of Suffering that will cure him of it 'T is therefore the Magistrates work chiefly to convert this Apostate And we cannot sufficiently lament it that while Humane Laws are so jealous of every invasion of our own Rights and so severely executed upon them the most bold and dreadful Impieties against God whose cause we should prefer a thousand times before our own do escape Punishment The next I shall mention are the Socinians who have shew'd so much confidence of late in publishing and defending their notions as if they might appeal to the reason of Mankind for the Justice of them These Men seem to own Revelation in the general but at the same time assert such Principles as overthrow it but whether this be owing most to their Reason or their Piety I leave it to themselves to determine Some amongst us who I believe have been far from their Opinions have notwithstanding paid a great deference no their Reason But though they themselves have set up this Idol in opposition to Almighty God to judge of his deep and holy Mysteries 't is pitty and others should fall down and Worship it And had these Men but carefully examin'd what they have blindly ador'd they would have been of a very different Opinion The fittest way I think to deal with these Adversaries is instead of magnifing their Reason to shew them the weakness of it Which seems no hard matter to do if they had but Humility enough to think it fallible For when there is an equal Evidence of the Divine Authority of several books of Scripture what reason is there they should receive some of these and reject others If they cannot deny there are unaccountable Mysteries in the connection and divisibility of the parts of matter in motion in the union of the Soul with the Body and many other things whose existence they are assur'd of with what Reason do they deny these in Religion which has for its object an Infinite God all whose Attributes must needs be incomprehensible to sinite Beings and the whole intercourse between him and our Souls as to the manner of it above the reach of