Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
truth_n apostle_n holy_a teach_v 2,670 5 6.1174 4 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A85756 The grounds of soveraignty and greatness· 1675 (1675) Wing G2141A; ESTC R228404 14,133 28

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

eyes of their Imagination the Great encompassed by vast Troopes of Admirers who look on them as Personages infinitely Superiour to the rest Such is the Idea which Concupiscence createth in us of this Condition But a very little Light will serve to detect the Delusion For All these Opinions which lift the Great above others being only vain fancies and such as arise from the corruption of Man's heart it is evident that the Greatness founded thereon is meerly a Phantome and without solidity VII Thus far Philosophy is able to conduct us But if we have no other Light but what is borrowed thence we shall no sooner be delivered from one errour than cast into another by being made believe that the Great are not indeed worthy of any Honour or Respect And in effect such a Conclusion would necessarily deduce it self should it once be granted that Greatness hath no other foundation but this heap of false Opinions and Deceitful Goods ●t being certain that I am not bound to honour a Man because he is more miserable then my self And that Delusion which should make the Great to think their Condition happy only because it seemeth so to a Multitude of silly and abused People would deserve Pity instead of Esteem and Veneration VIII But the Holy Scriptures assure us that Honour is due unto the Great and the payment thereof an Obligation wherewith Christian Piety ought to comply Now Piety being inseparable from Verity cannot honour that which is not truly worthy of Honour It must then be said that there is Something of God in Greatness since the Scriptures on the one side commanding us to honour the Great and on the other teaching that Honour is due to God alone Soli Deo Honor Gloria It followeth that we honour God by honouring the Great and consequently that something of God is in them whereunto the Respect which is paid them doth relate But for the knowing what this is we must look back to the first Establishment and Origine of Greatness IX Concupiscence Reason and Religion unite themselves though diversly towards the composure of this Condition which is called Greatness Concupiscence desireth it through Pride Reason approveth it for its necessariness among Men And Religion confirmeth it by the Authority of God himself But for the understanding after what manner this cometh to pass we must consider That if Men had continued in the state of Innocence there had not been any Great amongst them but being born alike they would have remained alwayes in the same equality of Nature Man was not made properly to command Men as S. Gregory sayeth because one Mans will is not the Rule of anothers but all have for their only Rule the Law of God which before their Transgression they understood with such perspicuity as not to stand in need of being taught it by others X. Wherefore though Greatness cannot be said to be an Irregularity in it self yet it is at least an effect of the Irregularity and Disorder of Nature and a necessary Consequent of the first Sin Because as the state of Innocence could not admit Difference and Distinction so That of Sin could not suffer Equality Every Man would be a Master and Tyrant over the rest but being impossible that every one should succeed in this Design it was necessary either that Reason should induce Men to Order or Force compel them And so the Strong obtain the Mastery and the Weaker remain in subjection XI Reason knoweth that this Subjection among Men to one another is not only inevitable but also most requisite and useful It perceiveth that the Light of Man's understanding since his Sin is too feeble to direct him even in Matters regarding only the Civil life and that the Corruption of his Will is such as rendreth him incapable of behaving himself quietly in a regular Condition It seeth it therefore to be necessary that there should be some more gross and exterior Law which might oblige him to the performance of his Duty and such is That of Empire and Dominion It judgeth convenient that Laws and Policies should be established and that some Persons should have Authority to make them observed It approveth that Humane Affaires should be regulated and for the avoiding of Contests that Preference should be given to some above others In fine It doth not only consent to the constitution of Greatness but looketh on this Order as the Master-piece of Humane Wit and the most useful thing in the World XII But although Concupiscence desireth Greatness and Reason approveth the establishment thereof yet neither the one nor the other are sufficient to render it Lawful Men are not in their own Power and therefore cannot dispose of themselves much less of others God alone is their Soveraign Master neither can They unless by his Command set up or acknowledge any other without committing Treason against Him Should a Company of Slaves assembled in a Prison confer on some amongst them the Power of Life and Death over the rest it is not to be doubted but their Master would not only laugh at so bold and rash an Establishment but also punish him that should make use thereof as an Usurper and Tyrant since such Authority appertained to Him alone and therefore it was only He that could communicate and transfer the same to another This is our Case in respect of God We are all his Slaves and cannot dispose of our selves but by his Order It would therefore be in vain that Men gave to some amongst them the Right and Power of governing others did not God joyn his Authority to their Choice And for this Reason according to the Doctrine of St. Augustine all Capital Punishments Executions of Justice would be so many Homicides and Murthers if God who is the sole Master of the Life Death of Men had not given them the Power of inflicting Death on Those who should violate the Laws of Nature and trouble their Society We learn from the Scriptures that God hath done it That He hath ratifyed by his Authority these Humane Establishments That He approveth the binding and uniting Men together by Laws and Constitutions That He authoriseth them to make Choice of some for the procuring their Observance And lastly communicateth his Power to the Persons chosen for the Government of those that are under them XIII These are not vain Speculations but Truthes defined by the Holy Scriptures It is the Apostle S. Paul who teacheth us that all Power cometh from God Non est Potestas nisi a Deo That Authorities are established by God Quae autem sunt a Deo ordinatae sunt That whosoever resisteth them doth resist the Order and Appointment of God Qui resistit Potestati Dei ordinationi resistit That those who govern the People are the Ministers of God for the rewarding the Good and punishing the Evil. Dei Minister est tibi in Bonum Dei Minister est vindex in Iram And he giveth to Princes the