Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	bind_v	law_n	nature_n	1,568	5	5.4669	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33772	The darkness of atheisme expelled by the light of nature, or, The existence of a deity, and his creation and government of the world demonstrated from reason and the light of nature only : with an appendix touching the most proper method of preaching the Gospel among the heathens / Englished by H.C.	Care, Henry, 1646-1688.	1683 (1683)	Wing C509; ESTC R7365	19,687	134

And so such other finite beings would likewise be the last end of that and they would mutually be causes to one another in the same kind which all Philosophers confess cannot be Besides the ultimate end is always extreamly desired by those things which tend thereunto because it satisfies them and having obtained the same they rest but if no finite being can so much as satisfy it self but stands in need continually to be produced and conserved least it should sink into nothing and cease to be Theorem the 30th Much less can it satisfy any other finite being especially Mans Appetite which can never be satiated with any thing finite so that we may safely conclude no finite being can be the last end either to its self or another Once more since a rational creatures is obliged which its whole understanding and entire will to tend to that last end for which it is ordained therefore if the same shall be any thing besides Infinite being it will be bound to turn it self from that infinite being which as we said before made such rational Creatures meerly that by them through understanding and will he might be known and loved nothing therefore but Infinite Being can be imagined tg the last end of all finite beings and which at last possest by every thing tending thereunto according to its proper Nature and that immediately through the understanding and will or knowledge and love by rational Creatures and through them by other things mediately Now this infinite only one most simple immutable independent eternal being the Creator Preserver most provident Governour and ultimate end of the World and all things therein is by the unanimous consent of all Nations called God who is infinite Goodness infinite Wisdom infinite Love infinite Justice infinite and whatever else is becomingly attributed to him to whom every creature for its being power of acting and preservation received whether immediately or by secondary causes doth owe it self and its being it power of acting and all its operations since the Causer original and maker of a thing must needs have a property in it nor can he be disseised of his right to a thing that caused it first to be But above all every rational Creature ought wholly to devote and consecrate to this Omnipotent and Ineffable Being the sole and intire use of its understanding and its will since so to do is both their duty and their chief perfection and supream happiness which consists in knowing and loving him To whose most sacred and infinite Majesty be thanksgiving Praise Honour Power and all Glory for ever and ever Amen THEOREM XXXIX God in Acting is not bound to the Laws of Nature but by his Power Infinitely excells Natures Power The first part is proved thus The Laws of Nature are that it can make nothing out of nothing nor any thing out of every thing Axiom 21. But only something out of something meet and idoneous for that purpose but God makes and does whatever he pleases Theorem the 29th And that out of nothing Theorem 35. Therefore much more out of any thing since there is a greater power shewn in producing a thing out of nothing at all than in making it out of some other thing The second part is thus evinced as a thing is in its being so is it in its Power Axiom the 9th But God is infinite being Theorem 38. And therefore his power is Infinite But Nature is a finite being Definition the 12th And so its power finite also Axiom the 10th Therefore the strength or power of God doth infinitely excel that of Nature Theorem the 13th Now those wretched votaries of Hell the positive and dogmatical Atheists who with a brazen Impudence and imparrallell'd Ingratitude disown their Creator by denying that there is a God do yet generally admit of Nature and confess it took its being from none and therefore are forced to confess that it is of it self Axiom the 6th And so that it is Infinite Theorem 19th And by consequence omnipotent Theorem 9. But this is absurd and against experience for we daily see that Nature is very strictly subject to rules and Laws so that it is not able to beget any thing out of every thing but only out of its proper seeds as Wheat from Wheat a Wolf from a Wolf c. Since Nature therefore is subject to Laws Who is the Law-giver If she be a Subject Who is the Lord Certainly he who is truly Omnipotent and did first impose these bounds and circumscribe her power in these Lymits To wit God the Infinite Creator of Finite Nature THEOREM XL. God can do whatever doth not imply a Contradiction For God can do whatever is possible otherwise he were not omnipotent but whatever implies not a contradiction is in it self possible Therefore God can do whatever implies not a Contradiction The Conclusion Thus far humane understanding is able to dart its proper beams what remains requires some more excellent opticks and can only be discovered by the assistance of Faiths celestial Tube yet though our Reason or that meer natural Light God hath planted in our Souls be not able of it self to fathom those adorable Depths and sacred Mysteries of the Trinity Hypostatical Union Resurrection and other verities of the Christian Creed yet in some measure it prepares for the entertainment of the same and when they are revealed by God and declared by his Ministers It enforces our consent to them by its proper light since thereby it knows First That God cannot Lye and Secondly That God in acting as well within as without himself is not bound by the Laws of Nature Theorem 39. And therefore able to do whatever implies not a Contradiction but in the premises and whole body of our Religion no contradiction offers it self and therefore the Soul lead on by a divine Faith and supported by right Reason embraces these sacred truths when proposed and yields an unfeigned and undoubting consent and obedience thereunto In Brief The belief of this proposition that there is one supream eternal independent Being infinite in Wisdom Power and Goodness and Maker Governour Preserver and ultimate End of the World and all Creatures therein viz. GOD is the first step to Religion and so asserted by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews He that comes to God must believe that he is where by coming to God according to the mode of expression ordinary with the Hebrews is meant worshiping him to which none or can address themselves without believing that he is So that a firm assent to the Existence of a Deity necessarily precedes all adoration of and obedience to him For the more ready disposing persons unto which especially such as have been seduced of Satan to entertain mean thoughts of those sacred oracles wherein God hath more fully and expresly declared himself and his will 't is hoped the premised Demonstrations may prove in some measure Conducive Since 't is certain that

and obey is not only their Duty but their glory perfection and chiefest Happiness To make it appear that Nature of it self doth so far enlighten and conduct us is our present design wherein the more to comply with their Humour which pretends so high a value for Reason we have chosen to proceed in a Synthetick Method familiar in Geometry whose Students glory in the infalibility of their Demonstrations and may justly boast more certainty than the Votaries of any other Science A happiness they principally owe to that excellent Mode of Arguing by Axioms and Theorems which in the subsequent Leaves we have endeavoured to imitate Not doubting but the same may be practicable in all other Learning as well as the Mathematicks and that with greater success than can be expected from the vulgar Logick or wrangling Sophistry of the Schools The Foundation is laid on Definitions truly stating the Nature of the Things treated of and certain Axioms or common Notions self-evident and universally necessary whence we are apt to conceive the succeeding Theorems by a due and continued connexion built hereon must be confest undeniable unless we shall abandon our Reason resolve absolutely to Dispute against Common-Sence and proclaim our selves rather Brutes than Men. And that we may proceed Orderly we will First give brief Definitions of the Terms which we are forced to make use of in the ensuing Discourse Secondly Lay down several Self-evident Axioms And Thirdly Deduce thence Theorems necessarily arising pertinent to our present scope DEFINITIONS 1. Esse is a Term used to signifie a Principle of Being or that whereby whatever Is or can be Is. 2. Ens or a Being is that which hath an Esse or such Principle of Being And is either Actual or Potential 3. An actual Being is that which actually doth exist 4. A Potential Being is that which may come or is able actually to exist hereafter 5. Nothing is that which hath no Esse or principle of Being 6. A Finite Being is that which is included bounded within some limits of Being 7. An Infinite Being is that which transcends all or is included in no bound of Being 8. Eternity is an infinite duration Or that which transcends all bounds of Continuance or Enduring 9. Creation is the production of a Being out of Nothing 10. Providence is the Method or Reason of Ordaining things for some end 11. A pure Act is the perfection of Being to exclude from it all Power to be another thing 12. Nature as here we take it is every Finite Being so far as endowed with its proper Virtue Or a concourse of Finite Beings to to effect something by their proper Virtues AXIOMS 1. Every thing either Is or Is not 2. It is impossible the same thing should at the same time both Be and not Be. 3. Nothing is before it is 4. That which is not can do or effect nothing 5. That which is is not in power to be that which already it is 6. Whatever is is either by or from it self or hath its Essence from another besides it self 7. That which Is by it self is Independant on any thing besides it self and so on the contrary 8. Nothing can give that which it self hath not 9. As a thing is in it self so is it in its posse or power 10. The power of a Finite Being is Infinite both its active power and also its passive so far as 't is reducible to Art 11. The Effect of a Finite Virtue or power cannot be Infinite 12. There is no finite thing but something more great or more perfect may be assigned or conceived 13. Nothing can be or be conceived greater than that which is infinite 14. To every finite thing another thing equal may be conceived 15. The whole is greater than its part 16. Those things which are the same with any third thing are the same between themselves in that Third thing 17. That which is the Cause of the Cause is also the Cause of the thing Caused 18. That which is not Eternal begins to be in Time or hath some other first beginning of duration proper to its self 19. Of that which is Eternal there can no beginning of duration be assigned 20. Everything that is compounded is dividable into those things of which it is compounded 21. Nature makes nothing out of nothing nor any thing out of every thing 22. There is no progress to be made in Cause or from Cause to Cause infinitely THEOREMS 1. An Infinite Being is all that which is or can be FOr otherwise Infinite being it self would be included in some Limits of being against our 7th definition and hence it follows that Infinite being in its self is every finite being but without or above all limits or as others express it Absolutely Incontractedly or Eminently Nor let any over captious head conceit that here at first step we stumble on a Paralogism and fall to Beg the Question by taking that for granted which is to be proved viz. That there is such a thing as Infinite being For we here only treat of Infinite being abstractedly as defined in our 7th definition whence this Theorem is necessarily deduced Now a definition doth not necessarily infer that there is exparte rei and indeed such a thing as is defined For Example The squaring of a Circle is the finding of a right line which may be equal to the circumference of a Circle this is a true definition yet there is really no such invention nor yet is it known whether 't is possible to be done since it hath not yet been found out by any the most laborious Geometricians But that there is really such a thing as Infinite being we shall prove by and by Theorem 23. THEOREM II. Infinite being is a pure Act. For otherwise it should be in power to be some other thing Definition the 12th And so would not be All that which is or can be against our First Theorem or would be included in some limits of being against our 7th Definition THEOREM III. Infinite Being is an Infinite Act or every Act that is or can be For otherwise it would not be all that is or can be against our first Theorem nor a pure Act against our Second Theorem Therefore Infinite being must be an Infinite Act and by consequence is good true potent wise and whatever else can be or be conceived under the notion of an Act or perfection and that in the highest degree THEOREM IV. Infinite Being is unchangable For otherwise it should be in power to be that into which it is changable and so would not be a pure Act against our second Theorem nor an Infinite Act against our third Theorem THEOREM V. A finite being cannot be the adequate subject of an Infinite For if it would The Passive Power of a finite being must be Infinite against our 10th Axiom THEOREM VI. There cannot be two Infinite Beings For suppose if it were possible A. and