Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	body_n	earth_n	element_n	7,308	5	10.1853	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96858	Gnōston tou Theou, k[a]i gnōston tou Christou, or, That which may be knovvn of God by the book of nature; and the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ by the Book of Scripture. Delivered at St Mary's in Oxford, by Edward Wood M.A. late proctor of the University and fellow of Merton Coll. Oxon. Published since his death by his brother A.W. M.A.	Wood, Edward, 1626 or 7-1655.; Wood, Anthony à, 1632-1695.	1656 (1656)	Wing W3387; Thomason E1648_1; ESTC R204118	76,854	234

proclaime the power and greatnesse of a God and so consequently lead us into the knowledge of him in whom all things live move and have their being for as pricks and quavers in Musick do commend the cunning of the Artist as well as louder and longer notes or as the least pinne or wheele in a watch both by its Use and Ornament doth set forth the art of the Watch-maker even so the meanest and least of Gods creatures doe sufficiently proclaime the Power Wisdome and Vertue of their maker Hence it is that the snow and haile are by the Psalmist brought in praising of God Psalm 148. 8. The whole world what is it else saith Cusanus but God Paraphased and exprest here is the onely difference betweene the smaller and greater creatures that in the one God is set forth in Characters as t' were in the other in more great and Capitall Leters But thus much concerning the first point which is to shew in generall that God is every where proclamed and set forth by his Creatures We shall now secondly shew you how and in what way God may be knowne by his Creatures Theodoret saith there be five wayes by which we may come to the knowledg of God the first is by considering the Heavens the Moone and the Starres which he hath ordained the various motions designes and influences the rankes and battalies as I may so speak of that Heavenly Host do abundantly shew that there is some Supreme Generall and commander by whose Wisdome and conduct they are thus managed His second way is by considering the Elements below that the wild raging Ocean should not presently overslow the whole face of the ground and that the Earth naturally the heaviest of all simple bodies should yet for all that be above the Waters doubtlesse this is not from any blind chaunce or fortune but from a God which stilleth the raging of the Seas and madnesse of the Waves and who from the creation for the good commodity of man gave the Earth the upper hand of the Waters His third way is from the structure of Mans Body wee neede go no further then our selves as you shall heare more at large for the knowledge of God he is the worse of Scepticks that will deny himselfe and the truth of his owne being and he the most ignorant of Atheists who cannot from himselfe conclude a God 4. From the invention of Arts and Sciences which doubtlesse are from God as being only the Authour of every good and perfect gift His fifth and last way is from the Command and Rule which men have over Other Creatures for doubtlesse 't is God alone and not chance that causeth beasts of farre greater strength then any man patiently to submit unto his yoke and dominion These are the five waies of Theodoret by the which saith he we may come to know God But I dare not trespasse so much upon you as particularly to explaine them I shall only therefore in generall shew by what degrees and steps or rather by what kind of workings the understanding may argue from the Creature to the Creatour and the first way by which we may thus know God is per viam negationis by denying that is such things to the Creatour which we find to be imperfections and defects in the Creature for when a Naturall mind shall consider that corruption which the Creature is subject unto those blemishes which it is sullied withall it must needs conclude some higher Being which is not incident to any of these As Errata's and faults in Printing doe suppose a more perfect copy so likewise the imperfections and defects of the Creature which are as it were the very transcript of God himselfe may put us in mind of a more Perfect Originall and Exact platforme of all things The Psalmist Psal 115. 8. saith of Idols that they that make them are like unto them that is as vaine mutable and perishing as themselves whereby likewise it implyes on the contrary that the true God is not like unto his Creatures in any such respect because they all participating whatsoever they have of him and depending on him are subject to be destroyed and altered according to the pleasure of him that made them for hath not the Potter power over his clay but now God being neither subject to any superiour or inferiour Cause must needs be in himselfe Incorruptible Immateriall and Unchangeable Many things are in God which also by way of Analogie and resemblance are in the Creatures as Goodnesse Truth c. and many things are in the Creatures quatenùs Creatures which cannot at all be Predicated or spoken of God such as are Locality Finitenesse a limited power and the like now as a meere Naturall man will conclude Positively that there is a God who is all goodnesse all truth because he sees the Creatures depending on him to have something of these in him so likewise may he negatively conclude that there is a God who is neither Finite of limited Power or in a Place because he sees these to be Imperfections and Impotencies in the very Creatures As for example to explaine my meaning in a curious Picture a man may not onely discover the eminent art of the Limner but also gather that though it be quatenùs a Picture very Exact and Perfect yet that it is withall very much deficient and destitute of those perfections of the Limner life sense and motion so likewise though the Creature sub ratione creaturae may be in it's kind perfect yet we may notwithstanding from it's being a Creature Finite and limited conclude that there is a God who is not subject to this Finitenesse and limitednesse but is an Infinite Incomprehensible God Blessed for ever The second way by which we may gather that there is a God by the Creatures is per viam causalitatis by way of causality and influence as I may so terme it for when a man shall looke out into the world and behold the admirable and beautifull Palace how stately it is roofed above with an Heaven every where spangled and adorned with shining Pearle-like Starres how curiously 't is paved below with an Earth alwaies teeming with Riches and Varieties how strongly fenced and walled about with an Ocean full of those scaly inhabitants the Fish thereof when we consider I say the World with the Glory thereof we must needs acknowledge some one as the First causer of it and unto whose glory as it 's ultimate end it is ordained even God Almighty From whom and unto whom are all things As in the viewing of a Clocke the hammer striking upon the bell leads us unto the next wheele that immediately moves it this wheele unto another that moves it also and so we are led on till at last we come to cōsider the Artificer himselfe that Originally caused them all thus to move so likewise from the dependences and subordinations which one Inferiour cause hath upon another wee are brought