Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	false_a	true_a	worship_n	4,780	5	7.8086	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64226	A brief enquiry whether they who assert, and they who deny, the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, may have communion together at the Lords table By Joseph Taylor.	Taylor, Joseph, 17th/18th cent.	1698 (1698)	Wing T536; ESTC R220650	24,202	72

of the same Essence with his Father That the Mahometan Religion is preferable to the Christian and Mahomet was a greater Prophet than Christ Secondly That if Jesus Christ is not true God of the same Essence with his Father He was an Impostor and deceiver The Jews did justly in sentencing of him to Death for Blasphemy They do well in maintaining the sentence of their Sanhedrim in rejecting of the Preaching of the Apostles and Ministers of Christ That Christian Religion is Idolatry and Superstition and the Messiah is not yet come First If Jesus Christ is not true God c. the Mahometan Religion is preferable to the Christian and Mahomet was a greater Prophet than Jesus Christ And the Reason is this because the Christian Religion brings in Idolatry and the Mahometan abolishes it For if Jesus Christ be a Creature only as he must be if he be not of the Essence of God then that Religion that teacheth Divine Adoration ought to be given to him as is plain this doth brings in Idolatry and they who deny his Deity cannot but believe we are Idolaters Whereas the Mahometan Religion denies a Trinity denies Christ to be God teaches he ought not to be worshipped Now if these things are true the Mahometan Religion is the best for that Exalts God in the Throne and puts Jesus Christ in his due place viz. in the rank of Creatures only whereas the Christian Religion doth the direct contrary as will be proved in the following Discourse Objection It is objected His Religion is full of Fictions and Idle Fables Answer But we ask Since they have made the Christian Religion and his of so near a-kin how do they know which is the True from the False If Mahomet hath rid the World of Christian Idolatry for so is the worship of Jesus Christ if he is not God we ask by what Spirit he did this great Work by the Spirit of God or by the Spirit of the devil if it be by the Spirit of God then how is he an Imposter And how can it be supposed so great a thing should be done by the Spirit of the Devil It is a Rule Christ gives in his Gospel to know Teachers by their Fruits Matt. 7.16 and if Christ be not God how can we then but have a great Opinion of Mahomet and own him for a great Prophet of God For he hath taught men not to confound the Sovereign Being with a Creature and hath delivered many Nations for many Ages from this Idolatry and what is greater and more Holy than such a Design What can bespeak a Man more inspired of God than to undertake and be so successful in such a Work to disperse the darkness of this profound Superstition from so great a part of the Universe Surely if this were true as they must acknowledge he was a very great Prophet and all that he taught ought to be owned as Divine Yea hence it will appear that he is a greater Prophet than all the Prophets under the Law yea that he is preferable to Jesus Christ The Prophets under the Law they spoke only to the People of Israel But Mahomet hath spoken to the most Considerable part of the Universe they succeeded one another because they could not live long enough to instruct the People in different Ages he needed no Companion nor any Successor to banish Idolatry the Antient Prophets work'd many Miracles to ruine Idolatry But Mahomet hath ruined it without a Miracle yea if that Principle is true that Jesus Christ was no more than a Man Mahomet is preferable to Christ himself which will appear if you consider either his Doctrine or the Success of his Ministry If you consider the latter Jesus Christ hath spread his Doctrine in the Universe but it hath had no other effect than to pull down one piece of superstition and to set up another in its place to pull down Pagan Idolatry and to set up Christian Idolatry for the same Gospel as forbade them to worship Pagan Idols taught them to worship Jesus Christ But Mahomet hath established his Religion upon firm Foundations and hath taken far wiser Methods that Idolatry should not return after it was once destroyed And if we consider his Doctrine if Christ is not God we shall find that Jesus Christ hath a vast disadvantage to Mahomet the Doctrine of Mahomet hath a natural Character which is opposed to Idolatry and it is not so of Jesus Christ if you consider his Language spoken by himself or his Apostles We shall compare the Language of Christ and of Mahomet together and it will plainly appear upon this Supposition that Mahomet was much wiser and better than Jesus Christ Christ tells us by himself and servants That he was before John Baptist that he was before Abraham before the making of the World that he is Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the Ending the First and the Last That he was in the beginning with God that he was God in the beginning That all things were made by him and without him nothing was made that was made That he in the beginning laid the foundations of the Earth and the Heavens are the work of his Hands And that none might doubt of the sense in which these Expressions are used he and his Disciples which were inspired by his Spirit did apply to him such Scriptures of the Prophets which are only applicable to the most High God 1 Kings 8.39 The Prophet saith God only knows the hearts of the Sons of Men. Jesus Christ attributes this glorious Title to himself that he might beget to himself the Fear and Adoration of Men. Rev. 2.23 And all the Churches shall know that I am he which searches the reins and hearts and I will give unto every one of you according to your works It is said in the Law Deut. 6. According to the Exposition of Christ Mat. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Heb. 1.6 And the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews tells us That when God brought his Son into the World he said Let all the Angels of God worship him c. Now compare the Language of Mahomet with this and it will readily appear if Christ is not God Mahomet had greater Truth Wisdom and Charity to the Souls of Men and had greater Care of and Zeal for the Glory of God than Jesus Christ who when he speaks either by himself or his Disciples makes himself One with the most High God both speaking of himself as hath been instanced such things as can agree to none but the Supream Being and applying such Scriptures as can agree to none else Mahomet doth not thus he declares almost in every Page of his Alcoran That there is no other but the Eternal Father which is God he saith of himself he is a Prophet a Man inspired by God but he would not pass for God he acknowledges Jesus Christ was