Selected quad for the lemma: order_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
order_n	church_n	people_n	power_n	2,379	5	4.8524	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49908	A treatise of the causes of incredulity wherein are examin'd the general motives and occasions which dispose unbelievers to reject the Christian religion : with two letters, containing a direct proof of the truth of Christianity / translated from the French of Monsieur Le Clerc.; De l'incredulité. English	Le Clerc, Jean, 1657-1736.	1697 (1697)	Wing L827; ESTC R19200	151,596	339

them It cannot be said therefore that it was Interest which engag'd them in it or that confirm'd them in their first Undertaking Had Jesus Christ made a considerable Provision for such as would preach his Gospel as he might and his Doctrine be never the falser it must be confess'd that it would have been somewhat difficult to shew Unbelievers that the Apostles did not act at all by any Interest and we should want a most considerable Proof of their Sincerity and consequently of the Truth of those Matters of Fact which they preach'd Herein we have Matter of praising Divine Providence that has taken such Care about the first establishing of the Gospel as to prevent those disadvantageous Suspicions which People might nourish concerning any Establishment like the present State of Christianity If Jesus Christ himself had enjoy'd all the Conveniences of Life as if he had been exalted for example upon the temporal Throne of the Family of David from whom he was descended then his Morals as fine as they are and even the Sanctity of his Life had never made any Impressions upon Mens Minds because when any great temporal Advantage is join'd to Vertue or made the Reward of it we easily suspect then that such as adhere to it are more influenc'd by this Advantage than by Vertue it self Since that time the Christian Religion being well establish'd the Piety of its Professors has not only provided for the Subsistence of those who succeeded in the Apostolick Functions but also considering all Places for their Conveniences and a considerable Expence in which they were engag'd As soon as Persons of Quality became Christians and that the Emperors themselves embrac'd it it was thought fit that the principal Guides of the Church should live in some Splendor without which they must become contemptible and unable not only to keep up their Respect with the People but likewise with Kings and Men of the first Order To consider Mankind such as it is now and ever will be and not such as it ought to be it is evident that this Settlement was necessary after Christianity became the governing Religion Upon this it happen'd that many of those who aim'd at Ecclesiastical Dignities did look upon them as mere temporal Settlements whereby they might live great But the Worldliness of those People cannot without Injustice be attributed to the Christian Religion nor to the Founders of it as I have shewn Nor can they be blam'd neither who have augmented the Dignity and Revenues of Church-men because they did it with a good Design and that it is possible enough for such as enjoy those Dignities and Revenues to make a better Use of them than most do If after making as modest Expences as can be for the external Part they spend the rest of their Revenues to some good Purposes where is the harm of this Is there any Law in being that prohibits it No surely neither is there any thing that hinders them from being obliging humble and moderate or from remembring their former Condition before they came to these Dignities Who would not heap Commendations upon them if they did so manage themselves that it might appear as much as possible that it was not to satisfy their Avarice or any other Passion they endeavour'd to obtain the Dignities aforesaid but to edify the Church more and to lead the People to Piety and Charity by their Example which is of much greater Efficacy than their Discourses Have there not been in divers Places and Times some Clergy-men that behav'd themselves after this manner and who drew upon themselves the Respect and Admiration of the whole World Such were the Bishops whereof Ammianus Marcellinus speaks immediately after giving that Description of those Bishops of Rome which I mention'd before His Testimony is of so much greater Weight as he was a Heathen and shews every where clear Tokens of his Sincerity They might says he be really happy if despising the Grandeur of the City of Rome wherein they conceal'd their Vices they had imitated the way of Living of some Prelates in the Provinces whom the Frugality of their Tables the Simplicity of their Habit and their Eyes always fix'd upon the Ground did render acceptable to God and to his true Worshippers as vertuous and modest Persons Therefore it is unjustly done of Unbelievers to attribute to the old or modern Christianity the Faults of those who abuse the Ecclesiastical Dignities and to conclude from hence the Falsity of the Christian Religion is the worst Reasoning that can be The same thing may be answer'd to the Objections of Unbelievers drawn from the scandalous manner after which several Clergy-men have been preferr'd and spend the Revenues destin'd by their Founders for Men fit to edify the Church If they make a mere Trade of these Employments and look upon their Revenues as Pensions granted to their Importunities or Flatteries is this either the Fault of the Religion it self or of the Founders of those Benefices Do we not see many vertuous Clergy-men who have been advanc'd only by their Merit and that make an excellent Use of their Dignities and Revenues ' True it is indeed that those who abuse them are not proper Persons to cure the Incredulous of their Prejudices and that far from edifying such as know them they cannot fail almost considering Mens Dispositions of corrupting or scandalizing them 'T is the Duty therefore of all good Men to provide a Remedy against this Disgrace of the Christian Religion and to stop the Mouths of Unbelievers If the Author of the Christian Religion or those who first spread it throughout all the World had order'd their Disciples to suffer no Diversity of Opinions not even in things that are not essential and to persecute those who would not in every thing follow the Sentiments of the greatest Number the Libertines might then questionless justly attribute to them all the sad Consequences that proceed from that intolerating Principle whereof some Divines make Profession But 't is just the contrary the Founders of the Christian Religion recommend nothing so much as Moderation and Charity in such Dissensions The Jews and the Heathens that were converted to Christianity agreed not well with one another in the Days of the Apostles The Jews among other things would have the Gentiles observe the Distinction of Meats which the Levitical Law introduc'd and condemn'd all those who refus'd to do it The Gentiles who knew that God requir'd this Observation only from the Jews and that too but whilst they had a separate Government to themselves deny'd Submission to this Yoke and laugh'd at the Superstition of the Jews Now what did the Apostles in this Affair What Counsel does St. Paul give his Disciples Do they say that the one must follow the Practice and Opinions of the other in all things under pain of Excommunication Do they order the Christian Church to persecute as soon as she could be able all those whose Sentiments should

Christ viz. that there is no great likelihood that God would disturb the Order of Nature for so inconsiderable Matters as those are for which he is said to disturb it every day The Unbelievers who liv'd in the Apostles time and had not attentively consider'd the Circumstances which attend the preaching of the Gospel might perhaps have said then that they apprehended not how Providence was so much concern'd in the Establishment of Christianity as to work an infinite number of Miracles in its behalf seeing it made so little a Progress in the World But those who live now can't raise the like Objections against us having seen the Duration and Progress of the Christian Religion If it has not produc'd yet among Men all the Effects it should have produc'd if they had known their true Interest it can't be said that such a thing will never happen hereafter Those who would have conjectur'd at the beginning of Christianity that it should always be a contemptible Sect because it was then despis'd would have been grosly mistaken as we see at present and the Knowledg we have of the Time past ought to make us reserv'd with respect to the future 8. Let us see now what is the efficient and immediate Cause of Miracles We have seen already that they are neither Men nor other Bodies which act according to the Order of Nature It must be therefore some invisible Power that is either some intelligent Beings more excellent than we tho they are created or else God himself Some believe as I said already that Miracles are the Effects of an infinite Power and there is no doubt but God himself wrought several Miracles but the Question is whether they are all above the Strength of all other Creatures so that they have no other efficient and immediate Cause but God himself To deny that intelligent Beings more perfect than we are can work Miracles we should exactly know what is the Extent of their Power and distinctly see that Miracles are above it 'T is true we know they are above the Laws of Nature which God establish'd from the beginning but we know not whether he gives not to Angels the Power of altering sometimes that Order Tho it be originally the Effect of an infinite Power it follows not that none but an infinite Power can make some Alteration in it if the Power which establish'd it will permit it We can't therefore say that Angels work no Miracles in effect it appears from sacred History that God often made use of them when Miracles were wrought But I will not insist upon it because it belongs not to my Subject 9. It will perhaps be ask'd supposing Angels work Miracles First how one may know whether 't is God or an Angel that wrought a certain Miracle And Secondly how one may know that a Miracle was done by a good or bad Angel A Miracle being not of a Nature which necessarily requires a Cause whereof the Power is infinite I confess we see no Character in it if it be consider'd in it self whereby we may know whether it was wrought by God or an Angel But the more we see a thing above our Power the more it seems difficult to us and the more we perswade our selves that 't is the Effect of an infinite Power For example to foretel a contingent Event or depending upon Mens Will and which is to happen many Ages after seems to us to be a thing above the Knowledg of created intelligent Beings tho it be never so great But the raising of a Storm tho the Air is not dispos'd for it seems not to be a very difficult thing tho it be above our Power and we easily believe that Angels either good or bad can do it However it matters little to know whether God immediately wrought a Miracle or a good Angel seeing 't is certain good Angels do nothing but what is agreeable to the Will of God or is an execution of his Orders Whether God himself acts or an Angel 't is the same thing with respect to us seeing we neither see the Cause that works nor the manner of its Operation As for the other Question concerning the manner of knowing whether a Miracle was wrought by a good or a bad Angel one may say something more positive Truth being always the same contradicts not it self 't is a manifest Principle to all those who are not Pyrrhonians Wherefore the Miracles of God and good Anglels ought always to tend to the confirming or establishing some Doctrines agreeable to Truths that are known either by Revelation or Reason seeing 't is certain that God and good Angels always love the Truth If we see therefore that a Miracle confirms or establishes something contrary to a certain Truth we may be sure that Miracle is an Effect of a Power contrary to that of God and good Angels Thus the Design of a Miracle discovers its Author If we can't apprehend what 's the end of a Miracle we can give no certain Judgment about it nor draw from it any Consequence for or against Truth A bad Angel being not able to work Miracles which favour Truth and Vertue all those which contribute to it ought to be look'd upon as coming from a good Principle On the contrary a good Angel being not able to act for Lies and Vices all the Miracles which should favour either of them ought to be look'd upon as Miracles of bad Angels This is an infallible Rule to know by what sort of Angels a Miracles was wrought supposing it were known that an Angel was the Author of it 10. If the Miracles of the Gospel are examin'd according to those Principles it cannot be deni'd that they were wrought either by God himself or good Angels because their only Aim is to establish or settle Truth and lead Men to Vertue Now this is altogether inconsistent with the Notion one may form of a Power which delights in doing ill and deceiving Men. This Christ shew'd to the Pharisees who accus'd him of casting out Devils by virtue of a Power he had receiv'd from the Prince of Demons * Mat. 12.25 26. Every Kingdom says he divided against it self is brought to Desolation and every City or House divided against it self shall not stand and if Satan cast out Satan he is divided against himself how shall then his Kingdom stand That 's a convincing Proof of the Divinity of the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles against the Jews who were so extravagant as to ascribe them to an ill Power that was an Enemy to Vertue But because I write not against them I shall not longer insist upon it The Unbelievers who live among Christians are not more perswaded of the Power of the Devil than of God and deny all sorts of Miracles alike But I have shew'd from the Sincerity of the Apostles and the thing it self that they have no reason to deny those of Christ 11. Lastly If it be consider'd that Miracles