A30249:191
Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the moral law and the covenants, from the…Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the morall law and the covenants, from the…
Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the moral law and the covenants, from the errors of Papists, Arminians, Socinians, and more especially, Antinomians in XXX lectures, preached at Laurence-Jury, London / by Anthony Burgess ...Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the morall law and the covenants, from the errours of Papists, Arminians, Socinians, and more especially, Antinomians in XXX lectures, preached at Laurence-Jury, London / by Anthony Burgess ...
London: printed by James Young for Thomas Underhill, 1647
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. This light of nature serveth for the instigation and provocation 1of men to many good actions and duties towards God and man. Hence still observe that phrase, They detain: reason and natural light is bound, as a prisoner, by the chains of lusts and sinful affections; which thing Aristotle doth fully set forth in his incontinent person, whom he describeth to have a right opinion in the general about that which is good; yet, being too much affected to some particular pleasure or profit, by that means the better part is over-born: and therefore Aristotle saith, the better part of the mind did provoke to better things. This agreeth with that of Paul. And as they bound captivated practical truths towards man, so they also imprisoned them about God. Plato had the knowledge of one God, yet he dared not to communicate it to the vulgar: Therefore (saith he) Opificem universorum neque invenire facile, neque inventum in vulgus promulgare tutum: It was not easy to find out the Maker of the world, nor yet safe to make known to the people him, when he was found out. Here for fear of the people, he detained this truth. And Austin hath a most excellent chapter, cap. 10. lib. 6. de Civit. to show how Seneca kept the truth in unrighteousness: he speaks of a Book Seneca wrote (which now is lost) against Superstitions, where he doth most freely and boldly write against the practices of their worship; but, saith Austin, He had liberty in his writing, but not ⟨p. 69⟩in his life, Libertas affuit scribenti, non viventi. I will name some passages, because they are applicable to Popish Idolatry, as well as Paganish. They dedicate their gods in most base materials, and call them gods, which if taking life, they should meet us on a sudden, we should judge them monsters. They do things so unseemly grave men, so unworthy free-men, so unlike wise sound men, that no man would doubt but that they were mad, if there were but few of them, whereas now the multitude of those that are thus mad is a patronage to them; Immortals deos in materia vilissima & immobili dedicant—Numina vocant, quae si spiritu accepto subitò occurrerent, monstra haberentur—Faciunt tam indecor a honestis, tam indigna liberis, tam dissimillima sanis, ut nemo fuerit dubitaturus furere eos, si cum paucioribus furerent; nunc sanitatis patrocinium est insanientium turba.
2. This light of nature serveth for the instigation and provocation