Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	appear_v	day_n	heaven_n	2,805	5	5.2906	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B04702	An antidote against a careless indifferency in matters of religion. Being a treatise in opposition to those that believe, that all religions are indifferent, and that it imports not what men profess. / Done out of French. With an introduction by Anthony Horneck, D.D. Chaplain in ordinary to their Majesties.; Traité contre l'indifférence des religions. English	Pictet, Benedict, 1655-1724.; Horneck, Anthony, 1641-1697.	1694 (1694)	Wing P2153; ESTC R181787	77,076	145

in so many other Things Is it not a Proof that this is one of those Truths of which we come to the knowledge as soon as we begin to make use of our Reason and which we cannot withstand without renouncing the Light of our Intellects It would be no difficult Thing for me to prove this Universal Consent would I but collect together what the Pagans have written concerning the condition of Souls after Death of the Judges before whom they were to appear of the Punishments and Rewards prepar'd for Men in the other World all that Plato believ'd upon this Subject and Particularly the Plat. de Repub l. 11. Recital which he causes one Amnenius to make in his Republic whom he introduces return'd to Earth twelve Days after his Death to make a Report of all that is transacted in Hell and giving an Account that the Judges before whom the Souls of the Departed appear place the Just upon the Right hand and the Wicked upon the Left and cause the Virtuous to ascend to Heaven while the Latter are forced to descend I might add what Strabo relates of the Brachmans among the Indians what is recited to us by those who have Travell'd into Asia Africa and America And I might add to all these Proofs another which might be drawn from the Opinion of almost all Nations that there was a necessary Duty incumbent upon 'em to appease the Deity which prevail'd so far tha● many offer'd Human Sacrifices for that purpose I add to all these Arguments this Reflection That if there be no future Judgment Virtue is no more then a Fantom and that 't is a Folly to pursue her Maxims Men may give themselves over to all sorts of Crimes and Impieties without Reluctancy he may be a Traytor Perjur'd Wretch a Knave a Faithless Villain an Adulterer from this time forward he has no more to do but to make himself most powerful in Society and preserve his Life since he has nothing to fear after Death no more then if he had led a Life the most Exact and Virtuous that could be imagin'd But where is that Man to be found that wou'd not abominate an Opinion that favours in this manner the most Horrid of Crimes and most Impious Enormities Or if it were receiv'd what Man would be willing to brook that the World should be no other then a wide Receptacle of only Thieves and Robbers a meer Chaos where there was no Curb upon the Conscience CHAP. VIII Where it is prov'd that altho' we had no certain Proofs of a Judgment to come yet we ought to live in such a manner as if we were assur'd of one LET us press a little closer upon those against whom we dispute and put the Question to 'em whether they are well assur'd that all that is said of the Day of Judgment and Life to come are Fables and Stories as they loudly gave out Do they believe it to be a thing contrary to the Virtue of a most Perfect Being to punish those who have so often Violated his Laws those that refus'd to obey him and whom he spar'd in this Life Is it less becoming God to be Just then to be Merciful I question whether any Body will presume to uphold it tho' there are many who have doubted the Truth of the Day of Judgment and others who upon their Death-beds have said That they were going to be inform'd of three Things whether there were a God whether the Soul were Immortal and whether there were a Heaven or Hell a very Edifying Confession I will grant that our Indifferent-Men may not be absolutely convinc'd by our alledg'd Reasons or by any others which we could produce However they must confess that there is some cause to Question whether the Sentiment which they have embrac'd be true or no. They believe that all Remorse of Conscience proceeds from the Prejudices of Education But I believe they proceed from an Apprehension of being punish'd for what we have committed and from the fear of a Judgment which is not possible for us to avoid They say that I am deceiv'd yet they ought at least to acknowledge that it is not so clear that I am in an Error but that there may be some reason to doubt whether I am or no. This then appears to be their Condition that they know not certainly according to their own Confession whether they shall be Eternally Miserable as it is requisite for 'em to acknowledge that they have deserv'd to be by their Transgressions or whether they shall be annihilated Good God! What an Uncertainty is this Would it not then be better in the midst of this uncertainty to practise that which would gain 'em Eternal Felicity if it be true that there is a Paradise then to do those things that are rewarded with Eternal Pains if there be a Judgment or a Hell In the choice of Opinions which Men know not certainly whether they be true or false sound Judgment and right Reason require that Men should prefer that Steerage that leads 'em to gain if truth be on their side and where there is nothing to lose if they be deceiv'd and on the other hand reject that by which they can gain nothing tho' they were in the Right but much to lose should it prove their Misfortune to be deluded This is now our Case A Man who lives as if he were to be judg'd has nothing to be afraid of supposing he should be deceiv'd but every thing to hope for if he be not in an Error He has nothing to be afraid of if he has been mistaken unless it be that after Death he finds no God no Paradise nor meets any more with himself again I confess that this is to be look'd upon as a great Misfortune but at least he ought no more to be afraid of any suffering or that he shall be more Miserable then he who has liv'd as if there were no Judgment to be expected Both the one and the other must lose their Being and all the Consequences of Being as Pain Pleasure Felicity and Misery This is the greatest Mischief that can befall a Good Christian supposing him to be in an Error But if he be not deceiv'd he may be sure of enjoying Felicity Eternal and Infinite Happiness There is then great Gain attends him if he be not deluded but there is nothing to lose in case he be by the Confession of the ungodly themselves On the other side a Man who believes not a last Judgment and who lives in the unbelief of it has nothing to hope for if he be not deceived because his greatest Felicity is to be annihilated but every thing to be afraid of if he be under a mistake For if at his departure our of the World he finds there is a God that there is a Judgment or a Hell there cannot be imagin'd a Creature more miserable Now let any Man judge whether it be not the Accomplishment of

they study Human Sciences Let 'em consider 1. That the dispute is not here about a Thing of little Importance since it concerns their being Eternally Miserable if they are deceiv'd as we shall make appear in this Treatise 2. Let 'em not reject what we shall say under pretence of meeting with Reasons that are not fully convincing For thô there were but one good Reason in a Chapter 't were enough to oblige 'em to return from their Wandrings 3. That they ought not to despise the Arguments under pretence that they have heard 'em several times but let 'em carefully examine 'em and lay aside their Prejudices 4. Lastly That it is not enough to find some petty fault to reject the Reasons which are produced for that there is nothing so easie as to oppose some little Sophisms to good Arguments But let 'em consult their own Consciences I most Heartily beseech Almighty God to give a Blessing to my weak Endeavours ERRATA PAge 18. Line 18. for Sees read Seems page 30. l. 32. dele All. p. 31. l. ult for in r. with p. 34. l. 12. for no Confusion r. nothing but Confusion pa. 42. l. 33. for King r. Kind pa. 46. l. 22. for the first him r. us pa. 56. l. 31. for Proportions r. Propositions pa. 66. l. 19. for subscribe r. prescribe pa. 69. l. 12. for wearing r. drawing for upon r. from pa. 71. l. 2. for of her r. other pa. 74. l. 6. for has r. is pa. 77. l. 8. Insert Not. pa. 79. l. 18. for Animosity r. Animality pa. 89. Chap. XV. for they make r. they may make pa. 90. l. 8. after strong insert they pa. 93. l. 4. for long r. come pa. 94. l. 26. for the things of Consistence r. Remorce of Conscience pa. 130. l. 32. for assert r. asserts A TREATISE Against those that believe that all Religions are Indifferent CHAP. I. Wherein after we have suppos'd that there is a God we shew that God is most perfect That he is the Author of all the Good which is in the Creatures and that we ought to Fear and Honour him THE Being of a God is a Truth so Evident that no Man can deny it without combating his own Reason There 's no necessity of straining our Endeavours to believe it for that Man must put a Violence upon himself who dares to contradict it For proof of it there is no need of rommaging for Metaphysical high-flown far fetch'd Arguments scarcely within the Reach of most Men's Understanding The Consideration of this same spacious Universe expos'd to our Eyes and all the Creatures we behold within it together with the Correspondency the Symmetry and Relation of the several Innumerable parts to the Whole is sufficient to convince all people that will listen to their Reason For as for those that are not struck with the sensible Marks which the Author of Nature has imprinted on his Works they will never submit to the Force of Dispute The most Eloquent and most Learned of the * Cicero l. 2. Nat. Deorum Romans was so over-rul'd by this particular Proof that he makes no scruple to maintain after a great Philosopher that if Men should of a sudden start up from under the Earth where they had remain'd in Darkness from the Time of their Birth and all at once behold the Land the Sea and Heavens the Beauty the vast Body and wonderful Effects of the Sun they would not fail to acknowledge a Deity and to confess that the whole which they contemplated was the Workmanship of a God In short either we must believe that the Matter is Eternal or that the World is the Effect of Chance or else we must acknowledge that there is an All-powerful Being which made both the one and the other Now it cannot be said that a Dead and Insensible Mass such as was the Matter is an Eternal Being and without any Beginning because it would be the Greatest of all Absurdities to ascribe to the Vilest of all Beings the Chiefest of all Perfections which is to exist of it self Besides in regard that Motion is not Essential to the Matter tho' it should be suppos'd to be Eternal we should be still putting the Question when it began to have Motion Who it was that gave it the first Impressions Who it was that shap'd it into so many various Figures Who made this Motion so just and Regular and who it was that produc'd such an Infinite variety of Creatures out of one and the same Matter So that when all is done we must come to one Sovereign Being which we call GOD. It cannot be said that this Vast Universe is the Effect of Chance or that it was the Accidental Meeting of Certain little Bodies which produc'd it The Pagan Philosopher who maintain'd this Opinion that Nature muster'd together all the Atomes of her Wisdom to compose it seems to me no less Extravagant in this particular then He who beholding several Pictures wherein were to be observ'd all the Rules of Exact and Elaborate Painting and a great Number of Figures curiously drawn should say that it was the Workmanship of Chance or that the Colours mix'd so Artfully together of themselves What Man of sound Judgment can be so vain to think that it was Chance that made the Whole which we Contemplate the Heavens the Earth the Sun the Stars the Plants and Animals That it was Chance that in the Wombs of our Mothers form'd a Piece of Workmanship so perfect as that of our Bodies whose Structure Figure Organs Members their wonderful Symmetry and just Proportion is still the Admiration of Human Wisdom that it was Chance which produc'd our Souls that Soul which thinks which raises it self above our Sences and which corrects and govern 'em that searches after invents and finds out those things that seem'd impossible for Human Reach Lastly that it was Chance which united this Soul so perfectly with the Body that such and such motions of the Body stir up Thoughts in the Soul and such and such Thoughts of the Soul which produce variety of Motions in the Body Certainly we must no longer pretend to make use of our Reason if we once deny these to be the Works of an All-powerful most Wise All-understanding and most Perfect Being So that I shall not undertake to refute those who in defence of Epicurus adventure to bring some Examples of what Chance is able to perform For there is so little proportion between what they alledge and the Creatures which we speak of that 't is a wonder that People who pretend to Wit should employ it in such feeble Proofs I might as easily prove that because it so happens that three or four Letters may be so thrown together by chance as to form a word a Man might as easily make a Poem as accomplish'd as Virgil's Aeneads Nay thô I should grant that Chance might form some one of those Creatures which we every day admire Shall we from thence

God knows who believe that all Religions are Indifferent that the Chief Religion is to be Obedient to the Magistrates that Govern us that God is in truth the Center to which all our Devotion ought to tend but that it is of little Importance which way Men arrive at that Center provided they get thither and that there are several ways to be happy Vno itinere non posse perveniri ad tam grande Secretum according to Symmachus That we ought to be of the Religion of the People among whom we live and not to tye our selves to any one particular manner of serving God but to be initiated into all sorts of Religions Esse totius Mundi Sacrorum Antistitem as a Pagan said They who have given us Relations of the Belief of the Siamois or People of Siam report that they believe That God does not preserve the World but only for the sake of that Divertisement and pleasure which he takes in the Variety of Languages Creatures Habits and Religions that this same Medley produces the same Effect as the Diversity of Flowers in a Garden the difference of Meats at a Banquet or the Distinction of Offices in a Princes Palace for that in like manner God delights himself with inspiring into Mortals several manners of Adoring and Serving him and that we ought to believe 'em all to be good since they have all the same Object and bring Man home to his last End 'T is also said That the King of Siam made Answer to the Person who propos'd to him in the Name of an Ambassador from a Great Prince his turning Christian That he wonder'd the Prince should so much trouble himself in a business relating to God for which it did not appear that God did any way concern himself as having left it wholly to our Discretion For added he the True God who Created Heav'n and Earth and all the Creatures therein contain'd and who has given 'em Natures and Inclinations so different had he so pleas'd at the same time that he gave Men Bodies and Souls alike could have infus'd into 'em the same sentiments of the Religion which they were to profess and have Vnited all Nations under one Law But continued he 't is obvious that Providence permits diversity of Sects and Opinions because that God takes as much delight to be ador'd with different Forms of Worship and Ceremonies as to be glorifi'd by the Prodigious Variety of Creatures whose sundry Beauties publish his Infinite Power Now in regard there are too too many among those who call themselves Christians who with Banners display'd appear in defence of this Opinion concerning the Indifferency of Religion Our design is to Combat 'em in the following Chapters But first of all it behoves us to observe that they who are of this Opinion do not all uphold it after one and the same manner There are some who deny Providence others who will not have it to be concern'd in Matters of Religion There are some who assert the Mortality of our Soul Others aver that to speak properly there is no such thing as True or False Just or Vnjust but that every thing depends upon the Will of Man There are some who believe that Truth lies still in Darkness and that God has not reveal'd it Others that he has reveal'd it but so obscurely that there is no Heresie which may not be prov'd by the Word of God Others maintain that Peace is to be preferr'd before Truth and altogether cry up the great Good which would redound to the World from the Opinion of Indifferency in Religion Were but this Opinion every where receiv'd they say there would be no more Wars about Religion nor any more Contentions about Mysteries of Faith All Men would live together in perfect Unity and this Lower World would be a Little Heaven They extol the first Author of this Opinion as one that never can be too Highly applauded and erect Monuments and Statues to honour his Memory All Men they Cry ought to give God continual Thanks for sending such a Man into the World and at the same time are strangely troubl'd because he was not Immortal Let us now see whether this Opinion merits so many Elogies or rather whether it deserve not publick Execration And to the end that none may have reason to complain let us take all our Indifferents for I beg the favour that I may have leave to call 'em so one after another and let us impartially examine what they hold forth CHAP. IV. Against those who deny a Providence I Shall begin with those who not daring to maintain that there is no God yet presume to deny his Providence and assent with Epicurus that the Supream Deity never concerns himself with what is acted upon Earth That 't is a thing beneath the Grandeur of a Sovereign Being to take cognizance of the Petty Affairs of Mortals here below and so 't is very indifferent to Him of what Religion they are True it is that altho' the Love which it behoves us to have for Truth should always oblige us to ty● our selves up to the Belief of that Opinion which is most conformable to our receiv'd Idea's of God nevertheless it must be acknowledg'd that if there were no Providence we might conclude it needless for Man to torment himself about Religion and deem it lawful enough to make choice of that which best agrees with our Interests or with the Society with which we converse But 't is no difficult thing to refute this Opinion which with as good Reason might be call'd The Sponge of all Religions as a Persian Author once said the same thing of the Fatality of the Stoicks Nor shall I make use of any more then two or three Arguments to overthrow it without alledging any passages out of Scripture because I dispute with People that will not acknowledge it to be Divinely inspir'd First it must be acknowledg'd that they who deny a Providence never seriously consider'd what God is The Idea which we naturally have of God instructs us that he is the most perfect of all Beings that exist or may exist as already has been said Now can we believe that a God who should neglect his own Works and should shut himself up in Heaven without taking any care of what he has created can be a perfect Being seeing that among Men themselves those persons have been always look'd upon with the Highest contempt who neglect their own Affairs Fathers for example who never mind their own Children and those slothful Princes who like Sardanapalus abandon the care of their Dominions and leave their Subjects at liberty to do whatever sees good in their own Eyes How can such a sluggish Remissness a Negligence so unbecoming an imperfect Creature be thought to beseem the most perfect of all Beings At least it cannot be deny'd but that if God takes no care of his Creatures there must be a Being more perfect then he But this