Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	aaron_n	abraham_n	pray_v	13	3	6.4219	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54811	The two first books of Philostratus, concerning the life of Apollonius Tyaneus written originally in Greek, and now published in English : together with philological notes upon each chapter / by Charles Blount, Gent.; Life of Apollonius of Tyana. Book 1-2. English	Philostratus, the Athenian, 2nd/3rd cent.; Blount, Charles, 1654-1693.	1680 (1680)	Wing P2132; ESTC R4123	358,678	281

of all mankind and Thirdly he must learn how to distinguish the True from the Likely the Possible and the False in all Religions First there are holy precepts for a good Life in honour of the Supreme God contain'd in the Alcoran Secondly which cannot come but from one extraordinarily endued with Gods holy Spirit Thirdly and were delivered to Mahomet by the conveyance of the Angel Gabriel Fourthly therefore constituted so perfect a Religion that without it none can be saved Here the first proposition is true The second a●most is but likely for Mahomet might have many of his Doctrines to that purpose 〈◊〉 ancient Philosophers and perhaps from Moses himself by the help of Sergius the Monk with whom it is said he advised The third is po●sible only since though God might if he so pleased by the ministry of the Angel Gabriel inform Mahomet of the Doctrines he taught yet this is not likely since there is no Testimony for it but Mahomet's single word who was no other than an Impostor as appears by his addition of divers points of his own invention and that therefore this Article is more remote than the former As for the fourth proposition it is absolutely false there being a more perfect Religion than Mahomets since it contains many absurdities and therefore not such as in it men can only be saved Mr. Hobbs tells us that in these four things opinion of Ghosts ignorance of second causes Devotion towards what men fear and taking of things casual for Prognosticks consisteth the natural Seed of Religion which by reason of the different Fancies Judgments and Passions of several men hath grown up into Ceremonies so different that those which are used by one man seem ridiculous to another Now the first founders of Religion amongst the Gentiles whose ends were only to keep the people in peace and obedience have in all places taken care First To imprint in their minds a belief that those precepts which they deliver'd might not be thought to proceed from their own device but from the dictates of some God or else that they themselves were of a higher nature than meer mortals thereby to have their Laws more easily received like the first King of Peru who pretended himself and his Wife to be the Children of the Sun Secondly They have had a care to make it be believ'd that the same things were displeasing to the Gods which were forbidden by the Laws Thirdly To prescribe Ceremonies Supplications Sacrifices and Festivals by which they were to believe the anger of the Gods might be appeas'd and that ill success in War great contagions of Sickness Earthquakes and each mans private misery came from the anger of the Gods and their anger from the neglect of their Worship or the forgetting or mistaking some point of the Ceremonies required And though among the ancient Romans men were not forbidden to deny that which in the Poets is written of the pains and pleasures after this Life which divers of great Authority and Gravity in that State have in their Harangues openly derided yet that belief was always more cherish'd than the contrary By these and such other Institutions they obtain'd in order to their end which was the peace of the Commonwealth that the common people in their misfortunes laying the fault on neglect or errour in their Ceremonies or on their own disobedience to the Laws were less apt to mutiny against their Governours Also being entertain'd with the pomp and pastime of Festivals made in honour of their Gods they not only imbibed their Religion by drinking the Founder's Health as is usual at such times but likewise needed only Bread to keep them from discontent and murmuring against the State And thus you see how the Religion of the Gentiles was a part of their Policy Leviath ch 12. part 1. CHAP. VIII Whether or no the Gods know all things And how we are to pray Also what things are due to men from the Gods And last of all the words of Apollonius to Aesculapius WHen upon the repulse given to the Cilician many flock'd to the Temple Apollonius demanded of the Priest whether the Gods were just The Priest answering they were most just Apollonius further ask'd him whether they were wise What said the Priest is wiser than God Then he again asked him whether they were acquainted with humane Affairs or whether they were ig●●rant of them To which the Priest replied that therein the Gods seem'd most of all to excel men for that they through the weakness of their Vnderstandings do not sufficiently know their own Affairs whereas the Gods know not only their own but also the Affairs of men You have answer'd very well and truly said Apollonius to the Priest wherefore seeing the Gods know all things it seems very reasonable that he who cometh to the Temple of God should 1 pray after this manner O ye Gods give me that which I ought to have Now to good and holy men good things are due but to wicked the contrary Accordingly the Gods when they find a man to be sound and untainted with sin send him away crown'd not with a golden Crown but with all manner of good things whereas if a man be polluted stain'd or corrupt they give him over to punishment being the more offended at him for daring to approach their Temples in his impurity Apollonius having spoken this and looking back upon Aesculapius he said Thou O Aesculapius dost practise such a kind of Philosophy as is abstruse and agreeable to thy self not permitting the wicked to have access here no not though they should present thee with all the wealth of the Indians and Sardians for they do not sacrifice or offer up these things because they honour the Deity but for that they would buy off that vengeance which because you are most just you will never yield unto them Many such pieces of Philosophy did Apollonius utter whilst he was but a Youth and lived at Aegas Illustrations on Chap. 8. 1 WE find in the holy Scriptures that Prayer was from the beginning for Abel prayed and so did Noah Abraham Isaac Iacob with the other Patriarchs pray unto God in all their doubtful Affairs and returned thanks for their good success Also Moses and Aaron with others as Hannah the Wife of Elcanah shewed us an example of Prayer But Christ was the first that ever instructed us in any set form of Prayer as appears by St. Matthew's Gospel Afterwards when men began to count their Prayers as though God were indebted to them for begging of him there were devised by one Petrus Heremita a French-man of the City of Amiens Beads whereby to number them Anno Domini 1090. Now for the custom of turning our faces towards the East when we pray that as Folyd Virgil observes lib. 5. ch 7. is taken from the Heathens who Apuleius tells us used to look Eastward and salute the Sun The actions of divine Worship are signs of our intention