Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	bright_a	eternal_a	good_a	34	3	2.1572	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65093	The works of the famous antiquary, Polidore Virgil containing the original of all arts, sciences, mysteries, orders, rites, and ceremonies, both ecclesiastical and civil : a work useful for all divines, historians, lawyers, and all artificers / compendiously English't by John [i.e. Thomas] Langley.; De rerum inventoribus. English	Vergil, Polydore, 1470?-1555.; Langley, Thomas, d. 1581.	1663 (1663)	Wing V596; ESTC R28374	121,672	340

Polidore Virgil by Birth an Italian the greatest Antiquary in his Time He was Arch-Deacon of Wells in the Reign of King Henry the Eighth THE WORKS OF THE Famous Antiquary Polidore Virgil. Compendiously English't by John Langley late Master of Paul's School London CONTAINING The Original of all Arts Sciences Mysteries Orders Rites and Ceremonies both Ecclesiastical and Civil A Work Useful For all Divines Historians Lawyers and all Artificers LONDON Printed for Simon Miller at the Star in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1663. Polidore Virgil. The First BOOK CHAP. I. The Originall of the Heathen gods WHen the spirits of the ayr whom the Scripture calleth Rulers of this world began to give answers of Prophecy out of Images made to resemble mortal men and by their wicked subtlety did pretend themselves sometimes to be of the number of good spirits sometimes gods celestial and sometimes the souls of valiant Lords they brought men into such errour and perplexity that in short space they did altogether alienate mens hearts from the religion and reverence of the true God And for as much as their spirituall nature is subtile they usurped the name of good Angels For according to the opinion of antiquity not onely to every man but also to every singular place and family were allotted two Angels Whereof the one went about to endamage them the other with all its endeavour studied to profit them These invaded particularly every house conveyed themselves into mens bodies and closely in their entrails imbezelled their health procured diseases illuded their hearts with phantasticall visions and dreams and by such mischief inforced men to repair to them for help and inquire their Oracles and answers which of purpose had doubtful understandings lest their ignorance should be perceived By these deceitful means they were so deified that sundry people after divers sorts chose them gods and with great reverence worshipped them For such men as a Nation had attained any speciall Commodity by to the furtherance or garnishing of their living or builders of Cities or Ladies excellent in Chastity or men puissant in Arms were honoured for gods as the Egyptians had Isis the Assyrians Neptune the Latines Faunus the Romans Quirine Athens Pallas the Delphians Apollo the Grecians Jupiter the Assyrians Belus and many Countries had divers other gods and some which is a shame to speak worshipped brute beasts and took them for gods by reason whereof the Grecians had the opinion That the gods had their beginning of men And thus when men withdrew their phantasies from Images to the spirits invisible they were perswaded that there were many gods and of no smaller number then mortal men Of this variety of opinions the Philosophers which layed aside all private and publique affairs employing all their study in searching out the truth took occasion to dispute of the nature of gods diversly Thales Milesius which first searched such matters said That God was an Understanding that made and fashioned all things of the water as matter prejacent Pythagoras called him A Lively Mind that pierced and passed through all things of whom all living creatures received their life And Cleanthes defined God to be The Ayre Anaxagoras esteemed him to be an Infinite Mind which did move it self Chrisippus thought he was a natural power indued with godly reason Some were of the opinion that there were no gods Diagoras and Theodorus affirmed plain That there was no God at all Protagoras reported That he knew no certainty of the Gods wherefore the Athenians banished him out of their Empire Epicurus granted there was a God but one that was neither liberal bountifull nor had any regard of things that is to say God is no God but a cruel and unkind Monster Anaximander supposed the gods to be born and not to dye till after many ages The Egyptians because of the Ancestry of their linage feign the gods to have begun among them and that they were but two and everlasting the Sun whom they called Osiris and the Moon that was named Isis Notwithstanding Lactantius writeth That Saturnus was the first Father of the gods which begat Jupiter Juno Neptune Pluto and Glauca by his Wife Ops. And for the benefits that they shewed to their Subjects they were deified But in such variety of opinions it is a thing difficult to determine the first off-spring of their gods both because they be but vain and also sprung out of mortal humanity And again to speak of God as he is in his supernatural essence is a thing dangerous because we can neither behold the resplendent brightnesse of his Majesty with our corporall eyes nor with any quicknesse of wit comprehend his infinite might as the Poet Symonides did declare very well For when he was required of King Hiero to shew him what thing and of what sort God was he desired to have one day respite when he asked him the next day he prayed to have two dayes and as often as the King required of him an answer he increased the number of the dayes of deliberation the King marvailing that he doubled so many times the dayes inquired why he did so For the more said he that I consider the thing and muse on it the more obscure and intricate it seemeth to me Which thing if the Philosophers which like to blind warriours wandring in darknesse had done they would not have devised so many lies to offend or displease their Creator For it is better to be ignorant in the truth then to teach error Therefore to conclude as Macrobius writeth There is but one God subject to no mutability who is One Eternall Being of all naturall things the cause principall who saith by his Prophet Esay I am God before me there was no other neither shall be after me without beginning onely everlasting of whom Virgil writeth thus Heaven and Earth and the Water large The bright circle of the heavenly sphere The Spirit all fostereth and hath full charge Passing through all to guide to every where And Plato saith There is but one God and affirmeth that this world was created by him and was called God because he giveth freely to men all things good and profitable and is the principal fountain of all goodnesse in this world CHAP. II. The Principles of natural things ALthough it had been convenient to have begun this present Treatise with declaring the principles of natural creatures and so consequently to have expounded the original of the gods forasmuch as they have their beginning of the same things yet the reverence that I have to the true God which was before all other creatures moveth me to begin at him as the cause principal of the rest Therefore as concerning the causes of things I will shew first the minds of the Philosophers that he most probable untill I come to the truth it self Thales one of the seven wise