Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	add_v	godliness_n	temperance_n	2,671	5	11.4834	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05370	Ravvleigh his ghost. Or a feigned apparition of Syr VValter Rawleigh to a friend of his, for the translating into English, the booke of Leonard Lessius (that most learned man) entituled, De prouidentia numinis, & animi immortalitate: written against atheists, and polititians of these dayes. Translated by A. B.; De providentia numinis, et animi immortalitate. English	Lessius, Leonardus, 1554-1623.; Knott, Edward, 1582-1656.; Raleigh, Walter, Sir, 1552?-1618.	1631 (1631)	STC 15523; ESTC S102372	201,300	468

suppressed that they hurt not the true worshippers of God the dead recald raised to life and the wicked and impious by the peculiar hand of God wonderfully chastised From all which it is a most cleare and illustrious truth that there is a certaine supernaturall and diuyne power which seeth all things gouerneth all things and weigheth all things in an euen ballance of iustice and Reason which seuerly punisheth the perpetrators and workers of iniquity vndertaketh a particuler charge and defence of the vertuous often effecting for their good and safety many things aboue the ordinary and setled course of nature Neither in these miracles can there be cōceaued the least suspition of any imposture or deceit first because the authour which wrot all these some few excepted was indued with extraordinary wisedome and grauity and was accounted the greatest Prophet that euer liued in any age among those who either florished for sanctity of life or praise of wisedome Secondly because there were many predictions set downe by him in his works as in Genesis 12. 49. the Numbers 24. Deutron 32. and 33. all which seing we fynd by the euent to be most true we may rest assured that he was most faithfull in his relation of other things Thirdly in that euery one of the things recyted aboue are so particularized with all their circūstances of tymes places persons names occasions effects with such an order and so sorting to the nature of things with such a consequence of matters and so agreeably to piety and probity of Manners as that euen an eye witnes of the same passages occurrents could not deliuer them with greater exactnes Now who forgetn things auoydeth for the most part many circumstāces or if he addeth them then is the fiction easily discouered by them for what he wryteth is either not agreable to the tyme place nature of things themselues or other more certaine and approued historyes or els some contradiction is found in the matter it selfe as falleth out in the fabulous historyes of Homer Nonnus Virgil Ouid Amadu many other such like Fourthly in most of the things aboue related the authour to wit Moyses was not only present at the performance of them but was the chiefe man in the action performing the same as the instrument of the holy Ghost and therefore had best reason to know them most precisely Fiftly if he had written differently from the truth especially touching the plagues of Aegipt the deuyding of the Sea and the actions performed in the wildernes he might easily haue bene conuinced of falshood by many hundred thousands of witnesses who were also then present with him For all these things were red openly before the whole multitude were also to be read ouer againe euery seuenth yeare in the presence of the people as appeareth out of the 31. chapter of Deuteronomy Sixtly all the former things as then being best knowne throughout all the East were recorded in Hebrew verse by Dauid who was a King and a Prophet and who was later in tyme then Moyses more then 450. yeares which verses euen from that tyme to this very day are continually sung in the publicke prayers almost throughout the whole world by the Iewes where they enioy the vse of their religion and by Christians for the space of 1600. yeares Yea after the dayes of Moyses there did almost in euery age rise vp among the people of Israell certaine Prophets and venerable Men who being guyded by the assistance of the holy Ghost did gouerne teach and reduce the erring people to the law of Moyses which men did euer worship Moyses as a diuyne Prophet and worshipper of the highest God All which as beinge worthy and pious Men and in what credit estimation they were had may appeare from the consideration both of their actions and writings For their actions were such as exceeded al humane forces and necessarily required the ayde of the Almighty such were those acts performed by Iosua Debora Gedeon Sāpson Samuel Dauid Nathan Salomon Ahias Silonites Elias Elizaus Esay Ieremy Daniel Ionas Iudith Esther the Machabees and by diuers others And their writings were replenished with diuers predictions and Prophesyes of things to come which through long succession of many ages had their answerable accomplishments and fulfillings a poynt so worthy of obseruation as that the lyke cannot be found in any history or writings of other nations Seauenthly euen during the law of the Iewes from the tymes of Moyses there was euery yeare an acknowledgment of the effecting of these former wonders celebrated by diuers ceremonyes festiuall dayes sacrifices and other rytes least the memory of them should in tract of tyme perish and be abolished for the feast of the Passouer and the Sacrifice or the Pascall Lambe was performed in thankesgiuing for the peoples deliuery out of Aegipt and for the preseruation of those Iewes who during their stay in Aegipt were saued from the slaughter which was made vpon the first borne of the Iewes And for the same cause was offered vnto God all the first borne of things The feast of Pentecost was in memory of the law giuen vpon the fiftith day after their deliuery The feast of the Tabernacles was celebrated in recordation that the people liued forty yeares in the desart in Tabernacles Furthermore the Arke of the Couenant was kept and preserued the which Moyses by the commandement and direction of God made and in the which the Rod of Aaron which blossomed and the vessell of the Manna and the Law written in two tables of stone by the hand of God and deliuered by Moyses were safely laid vp all which benefits of God and his wonderfull workes were celebrated with the singing of diuers Canticles and songs To conclude the very bookes themselues of the testamēt were with great diligence and publick authority in a holy publick and most secure place as diuyne Oracles preserued least otherwise they might by any deceit be corrupted and depraued Eightly for the greater accession of Reasons to the former it may be added that those wrytings of the old testament are full of wisedome piety and grauity in which are found no vanity or improfitable curiosity For all things there are set downe most seriously and most aptly for the informing and rectifying the mynd with vertue and piety for deterring it from all wickednes and for it voluntary imbracing of godlines iustice benignity mansuetude patience temperance and all this with wonderfull documents and examples of most excellent men alledged to this end a course far contrary to that which is taken in the wrytings of Philosophers in the which many vayne curious and improfitable passages are found as also sometymes many wicked prophane and impure instructions are to be read For they in their bookes by reason of the then commō vse do permit the worship of Idols though they were perswaded that there was but one supreme diuyne Power In like manner they permit ●ullination

supreme diuine power were not able to vndertake the charge of so great a multitude of affaires or had not sufficient power and wisedome to direct and moderate them all without any tedious molestatiō saying herein with Pliny Fraile and laborious mortality hath diuided all these thinges into parts being conscious to it self of its owne weaknes that euery one should attend to that which chiefly is needfull Now from all this it is I hope sufficiently demonstrated that there is one supreme spirit to the which all other spirits are sub●ect and at whose command they rest obedyent and of whome they are all procreated and made and this supreme spirit we call God THE TVVELFTH REASON TAKEN FROM the absurdities rising from the contrary doctrine CHAP. XIIII IF there were no diuine Power nor any Prouidence by the which mens affaires and negotiations are to be gouerned thē many absurdities and irremediable inconueniences and such as do mainly crosse all true iudgment and reason would follow which points do euidently conuince the falsity of this supposed doctrine And first supposing that there is no celestiall power or Prouidence it would from hence follow that the first supreme truth to wit that there is no such Prouidence should open the sluce to men to all impurity of life to all wickednes iniustice pryde arrogancy tyranny and briefly to all perfidy periury sacriledge and any other villany whatsoeuer For nothing is so facinorous hemous or wicked which taking away all feare of diuine power mā would not vndertake and do according to that of the psalmist Dixit insipiens c. The foole said in his hart there is no God they are corrupted and haue done abhominable wickednes c. See heere the fruite and successe of this doctrine and perswasion to wit all turpitude abhominable eno●mity of wickednes That this is true is most euident for as granting that there is a diuine power then the first and supreme truth is this That there is a God who gouerneth the world so one the contrary part supposing that there is no such power the first chiefest verity is that there is not a God which gouerneth the world For that must be acknowledged for a truth which is apprehended and taken by all mē for the first highest principle of all things Now this truth supposing it for such would extinguish and cancel in mens minds all feare and reuerence Which reuerence and feare being lost the way lyes open to all wickednes But what can be said or cōceaued more absurd then that the primitiue and supreme Truth and the chiefest secret mistery of all being acknowledged and apprehended of all men should giue passage to all nefarious and wicked courses whatsoeuer making men to exceed in all vice and impurity Secondly it followeth that that which is in it selfe false impossible and a mere Chimera or imagination should be the cause of all religion p●ety iustice temperance modesty benignity patience briefly of all vertue and honesty as also of all tranquillity in a Common wealth of all goodnes in mankynd For a perswasion that there is a God a loue feare of him produceth all these effects and by how much this perswasion and feare is greater and more vehement by so much it worketh more eminent and remarkable effects of vertue and goodnes in the soules of men and in a politicall state And hence it riseth that there was neuer common wealth well and peaceably gouerned in the which Religion and a perswasion of a diuine Prouidence was not well and soundly planted in the minds of men and the more that any one was priuatly denoted to Religion and to the reuerencing of a diuine Spirit the more illustrious and famous he became in all innocency probity of life as also on the contrary how much the more any one became irreligious by so much he also became more wicked detestable in conuersation as appeareth frō the testimonies of all sacred and prophane histories Now what madnes were it to belieue that there should be in a false impossible fiction or imagination so great a power to the procuring of all vertue and in a solid and vndoubted truth so great an incytement and prouocation to the perpetrating and performing of al flagitious outrages and wicked attempts Thirdly it followeth that the chiefest and most true Wisedome extinguisheth all vertue and maketh men most vicious that on the contrary part the chiefest Errour stirreth them to vertue and causeth them to become holy men For if there be no diuine power or deity then the greatest errour that can be is to belieue that there is a deity or Prouidence and the greatest wisedome to thinke that there is no such celestiall power at all but all what is deliuered thereof is but the fictions and figments of men In like sort it followeth from the said ground that truth and wisedome are to be concealed as being that which impoysoneth mens mynds and euery common wealth but Errour is to be aduanced by all meanes as the fountaine of all vertue and goodnes finally that the chiefest light of the vnderstanding begetteth the greatest darknes in the mynd and will touching maners the chiefest darkenes of the vnderstanding ingendreth the greatest light splendour and beauty of vertue in the wil and mind all which to affirme and maintaine were no lesse then incredible madnes Fourthly it followeth that all those who haue bene eminent and remarkable for wisedome sanctity of life prophetiall spirit and working of miracles haue bene deceaued in the chiefest matter of all as not belieuing aright touching the being or not being of a God since they al acknowledged a deity a prouidence and honoured the same but such as euer were most infamous for impiety turpitude of life all other wickednes haue only apprehended truly this mystery secret for al such haue bene euer contemners of God and his Prouidence therefore from this principle it may be inferred that the wisest men of all haue bene for manners the worst men of all the most simple ignorant and erroneous haue bene the best and the most vertuous Fiftly it followeth that to loue God to feare reuenge to honour the supreme power with due praises la●des to keepe an oath and the like are not in themselues good but vaine foolish wicked and aduerse to true reason that to do these things are indeed but to loue feare worship and adore a mere Chimera or a plaine fiction of mans braine for if all Diuinity be but a fiction as a Chimera is thē is it manifest that we ought to beare no more reuerence and respect to it then to a Chimera Sixtly it followeth that to be wicked sacrilegious blasphemous and a contemner of all diuine and supernaturall power is not euil in it selfe nor repugnant to the true vse of reason but that these things are good praise worthy as being agreable