Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	esteem_n	gain_v	great_a	28	3	2.0643	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57730	The gentlemans companion, or, A character of true nobility and gentility in the way of essay / by a person of quality ...	Ramesey, William, 1627-1675 or 6.	1672 (1672)	Wing R206; ESTC R21320	94,433	290

without passion bumbast words or intricate speeches and with the greatest mildness that may be In all disputes that you may prevent prejudices in your Antagonist gain esteem in him and avoid needless Discourse grant all you hear him propose that you reasonably can and that may tend to the clearer detecting the Truth Superstition in Religion is worse than down-right Atheism and quite contrary to true Religion Illorum pietas mera impietas For 't is the reproach of the Deities It being most contumelious to have any opinion of GOD that is unworthy his Divine Majesty 'T is better to have no knowledge at all of him Atheism never disturbed the peace of the State or Church for an Atheist is an observer of Sense Reason the Laws of the Land his Reputation and Preservation But Superstition has been the overthrow of many a flourishing Kingdom Tyrannizing over the fancies minds and Reasons of Men. 'T is a wonderful thing to consider how mens minds are naturally inclined to Superstition than which nothing is more unbecoming a Gentleman Tot mundi Superstitiones quot Coelo Stellae The Superstitions of former times were innumerable Sacrifices and Ceremonies making Images of all matter and adoring them when they had done multiplying so many Rights Torments and Vexations as may well become the Devil to be the Author and maintainer of them 'T is strange to see it so Universal in time past and to continue even to this day That wise and knowing People should take more pains to go to Hell than we do to go to Heaven The Superstition of the Pagan Gentiles If we take a view of the Japans the Banians in Gusart the Chineses Idolatrys the Americans of old in Mexico especially the Mahometan Priests we shall find that the Papists vows Poverty Obediences Orders Merits Martyrdoms Fastings Alms good works as they call them Pilgrimages c. are no more than they do and that their blind Zeal and Idolatrous Superstition in all respects is much at one little or no difference Nay 't is hard to say which is the greatest which is the grossest He that shall read the Papists Golden Legend the Jews Talmud and the Turks Alchoran will conclude that such gross Fictions Fables vain Traditions Prodigious Paradoxes and Ceremonies could never proceed from any other Spirit than that of the Devil himself The Egyptians that pretend so great Antiquity three hundred Kings before Amasis and as Mela writes 13000 years from the beginning of their Chronicles that bragg'd so much of their knowledge of old of their Wealth and Power that vaunted of 20000 Cities yet at the same time as Diadorus Siculus Records their Idolatry and Superstitions were most gross worshipping the Sun and Moon under the name of Isis and Osyris and afterwards such * These Indigites were Men Canonized or Deified and so called Divi. Men as were beneficial to them or any Creature that did them good In the City of Bubasti they adored a Cat n Herodotus Ibis and Storks an o Pliny Ox p Macrobius Leeks and Onions The Syrians and Chaldeans had as many proper gods of their own q See Lucian Vera Historia de Dea Syria Morny Cap. 20. De veritat Relig Guil. Stukius Sacrorum Sacrificiorumque Gentil Descript Peter Faber Semister Lib. 3. Cap. 1 2 3. Selden De Diis Syris Purchas Pilgrimage invention The Romans borrowed from all besides their own gods which were Majorum Minorum Gentium Multitude of gods in all Ages and among all Nations adored as Varro holds certain and uncertain Some Coelestial Select and great ones others * Adopted gods Indigites and * Demi-gods Semidei * Were such as had charge over Mens Houses Lares * Ghosts or Spirits Apparitions Lemures Dioscuri Soleres and Parastatae Dii Tutelares among the Greeks the same as Boni and Mali Genii among the Latines Gods of all sorts for all Functions Some for the Land some for the Sea some for Heaven some for Hell some for Passions Diseases some for Birth some for Weddings Husbandry Woods Waters Gardens Orchards r Pax quies salus Libertas c. All Nations and Offices Kings Emperours and Valiant Men that had done any good Office for them they did likewise Å¿ In this manner he being dead his Body was carried with all Solemnity and Ceremony of the chief Nobility and Senate with Songs Hymns they performed to the gods themselves to a Tabernacle or Tent made with a great pile of Wood in form of a Tent with three other less Tabernacles one upon the top of the other the lowest being richly adorned with Gold outwardly but within full of combustible Matter where they lay him within the second Tabernacle so he that is next to be Emperour sets fire to the lowar Tabernacle and then le ts loose immediately a flying Eagle from the top of the Tabernacle as supposed to carry his Soul into Heaven Canonize and adore as gods 't was usually done and the Devil was ready still to Second their intents Statim se ingessit illorum Sepulchris statuis Templis aris c. He crept into their Temples Statues Tombs Altars and was ready to give Oracles Cure Diseases do Miracles c. As by Jupiter Aesculapius Tiresias Apollo Mopsus Amphiarus c. Dii Semidii for so they esteemed them gods and demi-gods Some were medii inter deos homines between men and gods as Max. Tyrius When a good Man dyed they held his Soul ex homine Daemon evadit becomes forthwith a Demi-god and in commiseration helps his poor Friends here upon Earth Informs Succours c. Punishes those that are bad and do amiss as a good Genius to protect and govern mortal men appointed by the gods so the Platonists will have it ordering some for Provinces some for private men some for one Office some for another for all intents places Creatures they assign gods Neither do they Deifie good men only but Tyrants Monsters Devils Nero's Domitians Heliogabalus's Beastly Women and Errant Whores Nay they make gods on such ridiculous occasions as Children make Babies As Mornaeus notes Their Poets make gods Et quos adorant in templis Ludant in Theatris as Lactantius scoffs Hesiod reckons up at least thirty thousand gods Varro makes three hundred Jupiters Flora was a Rich Harlot in Rome and for making the Common-wealth her Heir her Birth-day was solemnized long after and to make it a more plausible Holy-day they made her Goddess of Flowers and Sacrificed to her among the rest The Statue of Antinous the Emperour Adrians minion was ador'd by him Venus a notorious Strumpet as common as the Boggards to Mars Adonis Anchises and yet she as great a Goddess as the rest and as much renowned by the Poets who were their chief Doctors and Fathers of their Church Cuna was assigned to Cradles Diverra for sweeping Houses Nodina Knots Prema Promunda Hymen Hymenaeus for Weddings Comus

rather his Constitution 'T is more strange therefore to se● such not grave than grave But true Ingenuity and Wit is ever mixt with some madness or what the Vulgar account Levity As also that other which many are guilty of viz. When they are at a stand or loss colour over the matter with a nicity or some distinction and so while they proclaim their ignorance yet would have it taken for profound knowledge As also those other pityful shifts of either denying all to conclude the Argument or slighting all as impertinent or nice To speak pertinently to the thing in hand and agreeable to the Person with whom thou dealest is better than Eloquence avoid therefore the flashy frothy desire of advancing thy wit and ability of holding an Argument but choose rather a solid Judgment in discerning Truth In Discourse 't is good to be general and not tied to certain particulars and forms which argueth a great emptiness and when discovered is most ridiculous ever remembring to allow others also time to speak and reply Be not Dogmatical in thy Discourse argue rather to be Instructed than be obstinate in thy Opinion and if possible reduce the shew to demonstration which will be more perswasive than an hundred Syllogistical gingling Arguments whereby thy Reason rather than Wit will be seen In Seconding another add somewhat of thine own And in granting thy Antagonists assertion do it with some distinction If Discourse be by thee designed to edifie thy self 't is better do it by Questions than Positions provided thou suit them to the skill of the Person thou inquirest of for so shalt thou engage him not only to speak but to delight himself therein and thou shalt receive Instruction For he that abounds in Questioning shall at lengrh abound in Learning 'T is convenient however in all Discourse to mingle it with variety 'T is most Noble and Creditable to begin and be the occasion of the Discourse and then to moderate and pass to somewhat else and so thou wilt be the Ring-leader In all Discourse avoid Jests and Jeers which however much taken up of late nothing more unbecoming a Gentleman it being an effect of Levity and a flashy wit Besides as it makes Men affraid of a lash from thy Tongue so mayst thou from thence fear a scourge from their Revenge 'T is not good therefore to reflect on any one in Discourse but worse on Kings or Great Men or State-Affairs or any distressed case that deserves thy Commiseration For Jests in such cases are dangerous as well as injurious But especially when they are darted against Religion as I hinted before To discourse of or praise a Man's self is extremely ridiculous The best way of doing it and most becoming a Gentleman is through the sides of another in commending that virtue which is pretended to by thy self or that thou thy self art known to be possessor of Of Complements 'T is most sure there 's a knack in Complements which is of force to imprint real and effectual Passions in such with whom we converse that is of excellent use if thou canst be so lucky as to hit on 't Yet 't is not good to be too perfect in Complements for envy will convert all thereinto though thou beest otherwise never so virtuous and well qualified However there 's a kind of Necessity to use so much as may humour the fashion of the times or the parties with whom thou dealest in as much as if thou use nothing but down-right Honesty thou hadst need to be of more than ordinary parts and Estate to rub through the World whence we so frequently see the Virtuous and Honest put by preferments and oft-times poor when time-serving Fellows though Ideots are preferred as I have also noted else-where wherefore harbour not such partial and narrow affections but fashion thy self according to the Nature of the times wherein thou livest Live out of thy self study other Mens humours and observe them and thou shalt never be unfortunate But remember that thy own petty ends and envy carry thee not beside thy self and be so faithful to thy self as thou be not false to others be not so narrow-spirited then as to be selfish nor confine thy thoughts to so streight a Prison if thou wilt shun great Temptations and abundance of Evils What will not a self-lover do for his own advantage Yet in the end he becomes the scorn of Fortune and the reproach of all men Besides 't is a great addition to a Man's Reputation to have a good behaviour yet careless and without affectation or their Bon-grace is lost and which is worse Reputation lessened as to gravity and solidity On the other side wholly to neglect them is to cause every one to neglect thy self and not give thee that due respect thou deservest or expectest However they must be sure to be used to Formal and Ceremonious Constitutions and Strangers in point of Civility Lastly among Equals Familiarity will increase too soon and that oft-times as the Proverb is breeds contempt wherefore 't is not amiss sometimes to stand at a distance and not to be too frequently with them for that will render thee of small price with them and expose all thy parts and virtues to Contempt Of Honour Praise If thou aimest at Honour and Praise 't is sooner obtained in smaller things than great forasmuch as the former may be frequently reiterated the latter acted but seldome As Honour is obtained by revealing thy Virtue without disadvantage so Praise is but the reflection of thy Virtue which represents it self in so many various shapes as we may justly expect it but a Juggle and Deceit Proceeding either of Friendship and good-wishes and so it may be rather his Love than thy merit or from flattery and so cannot be confided in or from malice to excite anothers emulation and envy and so is dangerous or from the Vulgar and so is for the most part ever false as I have often hinted in other Writings blowing up bubbles and letting things of weight fall to the ground For they can reach but to the lowest degree of Virtue● being astonisht at those of the middle degree and quite blind and not able to behold the splendour of those of the highest sort Let thine aim at Honour be for merit not fame so shall Envy that Canker of Honour be it self consumed Attempt nothing in which thy failing may prove more to thy disgrace than the performing of it to thine Honour If thou performest any thing well unattempted by any before or attempted with ill success though it be trivial and of no great moment thou shalt gain more honour then by performing a greater of more weight Virtue and difficulty Rather carry thy self so as Honour may fall upon thee than to Court or pull it on thy self Temper if possible thy behaviour so as one or other of thy Actions will suit with most humours and thou wilt do well That Honour casts the most