Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
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A29517
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A discovery of the impostures of witches and astrologers by John Brinley.
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Brinley, John.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing B4698; ESTC R24764
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37,372
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135
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a_o discovery_n of_o the_o imposture_n of_o witch_n and_o astrologer_n quicquid_fw-la dixerit_fw-la astrologus_fw-la credunt_fw-la à _fw-la fonte_fw-la relatum_fw-la ammonis_fw-la quoniam_fw-la delphis_fw-la oracula_fw-la cessant_fw-la et_fw-la genus_fw-la humanum_fw-la damnat_fw-la caligo_n futuri_fw-la juv._n by_o john_n brinley_n gent._n london_n print_v for_o john_n wright_n at_o the_o crown_n on_o ludgate-hill_n and_o sell_v by_o edward_n milward_n bookseller_n in_o leitchfield_n 1680._o to_o the_o honourable_a sir_n brian_n broughton_n of_o broughton_n knight_n and_o baronet_n sir_n those_o infinite_a obligation_n you_o have_v be_v please_v to_o lay_v upon_o i_o have_v embolden_v i_o to_o present_v you_o with_o this_o discourse_n not_o by_o way_n of_o retaliation_n for_o what_o proportion_n can_v this_o hold_v with_o your_o so_o many_o and_o so_o great_a favour_n but_o by_o way_n of_o protection_n that_o what_o be_v weak_a in_o itself_o be_v cherish_v by_o the_o ray_n of_o your_o kind_a aspect_n may_v be_v able_a to_o pass_v through_o all_o those_o affront_v which_o work_v of_o this_o nature_n usual_o meet_v with_o it_o have_v be_v easy_a to_o have_v varnish_v this_o work_n over_o with_o the_o fine_a colour_n of_o rhetoric_n but_o i_o well_o know_v that_o you_o who_o be_v so_o great_a a_o lover_n of_o truth_n and_o sincerity_n scorn_v all_o that_o fucus_n with_o which_o man_n common_o daub_v over_o their_o work_n the_o occasion_n which_o draw_v i_o on_o to_o undertake_v a_o work_n of_o this_o nature_n be_v those_o frequent_a cheat_n put_v upon_o honest_a and_o well-meaning_a people_n by_o these_o false_a pretender_n to_o arts._n if_o therefore_o i_o have_v contribute_v any_o thing_n in_o order_n to_o undeceive_v the_o world_n which_o be_v too_o fond_a of_o such_o trifle_n i_o have_v my_o end_n you_o patronise_a my_o endeavour_n may_v heaven_n ever_o prosper_v you_o and_o all_o those_o hopeful_a branch_n of_o your_o family_n and_o may_v i_o rejoice_v in_o your_o patronage_n who_o be_o honour_a sir_n your_o most_o humble_a and_o most_o oblige_a servant_n john_n brinley_n brockton_n in_o the_o county_n of_o stafford_n novemb_n 7_o the_o 1679._o the_o preface_n certain_o if_o the_o enjoyment_n of_o truth_n be_v the_o beginning_n of_o our_o happiness_n in_o this_o life_n as_o it_o be_v the_o perfection_n of_o it_o in_o the_o life_n to_o come_v there_o can_v be_v no_o great_a charity_n than_o to_o reduce_v the_o wanderer_n into_o the_o way_n and_o to_o undeceive_v a_o multitude_n which_o be_v always_o greedy_a of_o its_o own_o ruin_n and_o fond_a of_o every_o thing_n that_o carry_v in_o it_o any_o show_n or_o appearance_n of_o goodness_n for_o i_o sad_o observe_v that_o the_o common_a people_n be_v expose_v to_o the_o deceit_n of_o all_o profession_n they_o be_v the_o issachar_n of_o the_o world_n they_o bear_v the_o burden_n of_o all_o sort_n of_o people_n and_o few_o of_o they_o have_v the_o prerogative_n or_o the_o ability_n of_o balaam_n beast_n to_o reply_v be_o not_o i_o thy_o ass_n even_o in_o the_o concern_v of_o religion_n where_o we_o expect_v not_o only_o the_o most_o innocent_a but_o most_o infallible_a truth_n be_v strange_a deception_n and_o pious_a fraud_n and_o beside_o the_o little_a talk_a schismatic_n which_o fill_v our_o ear_n with_o the_o noise_n of_o sermon_n there_o be_v great_a head_n and_o more_o advance_a understanding_n who_o make_v it_o there_o business_n to_o abuse_v we_o the_o lawyer_n be_v grow_v delusive_a even_o to_o a_o proverb_n of_o which_o the_o narrowness_n of_o some_o man_n and_o the_o entangle_a condition_n of_o other_o estate_n be_v too_o great_a a_o evidence_n physician_n have_v their_o art_n also_o not_o only_o of_o gain_v our_o coin_n but_o even_o of_o deceive_v we_o into_o death_n itself_o from_o hard_a and_o unintelligible_a name_n pretend_v as_o strange_a effect_n astrologer_n cheat_v our_o unwary_a and_o too_o forward_a belief_n into_o a_o conceit_n of_o thing_n of_o which_o they_o even_o doubt_v themselves_o and_o impose_v upon_o we_o a_o belief_n that_o arbitrary_a event_n and_o accidental_a proceed_n of_o thing_n below_o have_v necessary_a cause_n above_o and_o the_o weakness_n of_o common_a judgement_n which_o be_v ever_o more_o greedy_a of_o thing_n to_o come_v than_o inquisitive_a of_o thing_n past_a or_o careful_a of_o those_o present_a be_v ready_a to_o swallow_v the_o prediction_n of_o the_o most_o ignorant_a man_n which_o consider_v the_o independency_n of_o their_o cause_n and_o uncertainty_n of_o their_o event_n be_v only_o in_o the_o foreknowledge_n of_o he_o to_o who_o all_o thing_n be_v as_o present_v hence_o proceed_v those_o swarm_n of_o fortune-teller_n geomancer_n diviner_n interpreter_n of_o dream_n who_o possess_v the_o common_a people_n with_o apprehension_n that_o they_o know_v all_o their_o fate_n the_o number_n of_o their_o day_n the_o casualty_n of_o their_o life_n and_o even_o their_o natural_a inclination_n and_o thought_n of_o their_o heart_n by_o this_o mean_n cheat_v the_o poor_a innocent_a soul_n into_o the_o gross_a superstition_n imaginable_a the_o consideration_n of_o these_o thing_n be_v the_o great_a motive_n that_o stir_v i_o up_o to_o these_o undertake_n in_o which_o i_o design_v nothing_o but_o the_o good_a of_o my_o poor_a illiterate_a countryman_n who_o i_o daily_o see_v impose_v upon_o by_o such_o deluder_n who_o be_v general_o person_n of_o break_a fortune_n have_v no_o other_o way_n to_o defend_v themselves_o from_o the_o misery_n of_o poverty_n and_o therefore_o be_v force_v to_o fall_v upon_o the_o honest_a plainness_n of_o the_o common_a people_n and_o by_o unnecessary_a and_o unlawful_a art_n patch_v up_o the_o breach_n of_o their_o fortune_n and_o herein_o i_o hope_v i_o shall_v not_o in_o the_o least_o disoblige_v any_o wise_a or_o good_a man_n of_o what_o profession_n soever_o chap._n i._n that_o most_o man_n be_v natural_o incline_v to_o superstition_n especial_o the_o ignorant_a sort_n a_o owl_n a_o hare_n and_o a_o old-woman_n be_v ancient_o the_o emblem_n of_o superstition_n and_o true_o if_o we_o shall_v diligent_o search_v into_o the_o cause_n of_o this_o error_n we_o shall_v find_v that_o ignorance_n and_o dotage_n vain_a hope_n and_o foolish_a fear_n groundless_a expectation_n and_o casual_a event_n have_v be_v the_o spring_n from_o whence_o this_o folly_n proceed_v which_o be_v the_o mother_n of_o all_o these_o omen_n and_o prognostication_n it_o be_v a_o ancient_a observation_n primus_fw-la in_o orbe_fw-la deos_fw-la timor_fw-la fecit_fw-la that_o fear_v deify_v the_o first_o god_n and_o without_o doubt_n there_o be_v much_o truth_n in_o the_o assertion_n for_o though_o the_o idea_n of_o one_o true_a god_n and_o first_o principle_n of_o all_o thing_n be_v at_o first_o imprint_v upon_o the_o soul_n of_o man_n yet_o the_o fear_n of_o after_o age_n canonize_v the_o multitude_n of_o false_a god_n it_o be_v a_o storm_n and_o a_o eclipse_n that_o consecrate_a romulus_n and_o jove_n himself_o have_v not_o be_v master_n of_o heaven_n or_o worship_v upon_o earth_n have_v not_o the_o terror_n of_o his_o thunder_n advance_v the_o conceit_n of_o his_o divinity_n among_o the_o ignorant_a and_o fearful_a multitude_n hence_o aulus_n gellius_n observe_v in_o noct._n att._n l._n 5._o c._n 12._o that_o he_o be_v not_o only_o worship_v as_o a_o juvans_fw-la pater_fw-la a_o friend_n and_o helper_n of_o mankind_n but_o as_o a_o vejovis_n and_o hurtful_a deity_n and_o therefore_o his_o image_n be_v place_v in_o a_o temple_n near_o the_o capitol-with_a dart_n in_o his_o hand_n to_o signify_v his_o hurtful_a power_n and_o therefore_o for_o this_o reason_n virgil_n in_o his_o georgic_n be_v think_v to_o deprecate_v these_o unlucky_a god_n in_o tenui_fw-la labour_n at_o tenuis_fw-la non_fw-la gloria_fw-la si_fw-la quem_fw-la numina_fw-la laeva_fw-la sinunt_fw-la auditque_fw-la vocatus_fw-la apollo_n upon_o the_o like_a ground_n the_o rest_n of_o the_o star_n and_o planet_n come_v to_o be_v reckon_v among_o the_o god_n for_o the_o ignorance_n of_o vulgar_a apprehension_n conceit_v that_o it_o lay_v in_o their_o own_o power_n to_o disperse_v what_o influence_n they_o themselves_o please_v be_v not_o only_o fearful_a to_o offend_v these_o new_a deity_n which_o themselves_o have_v create_v but_o also_o take_v great_a care_n to_o win_v and_o please_v lest_o they_o shall_v send_v forth_o such_o malevolent_a emission_n of_o their_o fury_n as_o may_v be_v to_o the_o prejudice_n of_o mankind_n or_o at_o least_o the_o ruin_n of_o those_o who_o neglect_v their_o worship_n hence_o also_o have_v it_o come_v to_o pass_v that_o the_o devil_n himself_o have_v have_v his_o votary_n and_o have_v still_o his_o devout_a worshipper_n and_o the_o cause_n of_o this_o have_v not_o only_o be_v envy_n or_o desire_v of_o revenge_n which_o prompt_v man_n sometime_o to_o the_o most_o wicked_a and_o unlawful_a practice_n but_o even_o cowardly_a and_o melancholy_a apprehension_n and_o this_o be_v evident_a