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book_n	write_v	writer_n	writing_n	274	4	8.6663	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B09989	A seasonable discourse of the right use and abuse of reason in matters of religion. By Philologus.	Philologus.	1676 (1676)	Wing S2227BA; ESTC R183656	138,457	248

in maintaining and promoting the doctrine and kingdome of Christ Seventhly That sweet and admirable harmony and consent which is found in the sacred Scriptures cannot be rationally ascribed to any but to the Spirit of God and the divine wisdome each part agreeing so exactly with it self and with the whole which sufficiently appears by comparing the Prophesies of the old Testament touching Christ the calling of the Gentiles the reception of the Jews and other remarkable things with the accomplishment of them as the same is plainly declared and revealed in the new Testament Such exact consent and agreement as is here to be found is impossible to be feigned of men or Angels from whom the things foretold were hid till they were revealed Nor could there be forgery in these writings if we consider in a way of reason the length of time in which these writings have continued and been judg'd Authentick that they were not written in one or two but in many ages that there was a multitude of Books and of writers imployed in this Service and that these writers were distant in place one from another so that they could not confer together and withal if we consider the deep silence of the Adversaries who in all that long time whilst the Scripture was in writing could never detect any thing in those books as false or forged whose silence in this case is of great importance because they were eye witnesses of those things which our Saviour taught did and suffered according as it was prophesied of him so that they knew the prophesies saw the accomplishment of them and were acquainted with that which the Apostles had written Yea many or most of the things relating to Christ and his Apostles and the accomplishment of prophesies are mentioned and recorded in the writings of some heathen Authors that lived and wrote not long after those times If the Prophets and Apostles in their writings seem to dissent one from another for it is but a seeming not a real dissent in any circumstances this derogates nothing from their Authority for in themselves they differ not the fault is in our ignorance and misapprehension for by a right and just interpretation they may be easily reconciled and that dissonancy that seems to be amongst them in small things doth free them from all suspition of fraud and their sweet harmony and consent in all matters of importance may in reason convince us that they wrote by the guidance and direction of one and the same Spirit of truth If they had all written one thing they might seem superfluous if each had written a new History there could not have been such a full harmony and agreement when they relate the same story with the same circumstances they have their use and benefit one sometimes speaking more plainly then the other and when they agree in matter and only seem to dissent in some circumstances the truth is the more confirmed and an argument of fuller credit and certainty may be drawn out of that seeming dissent for as it is truly and wisely observed too exact diligence in every little circumstance is neither approved by all nor doth it want suspition There is in the holy Scripture as a learned man writing in defence of their Authority saith a Majestick kind of security under many seeming contradictions which yet neither the honour of their truth nor that harmony which they have in and with themselves do or shall at all suffer by Nor do the Scriptures stand to excuse and purge themselves as if there were any cause to suspect them of any contrariety or contradiction No they speak from place to place whatever they have a mind to say with that liberty and freedome as if there were nothing said by them elsewhere that either was like to suffer the least prejudice by it or to cast the least prejudice on it To that sweet agreement and consent that is in the holy Scripture with it self we may further add that it agreeth with all other truths whatsoever there is nothing true in Divinity which is false in true Philosophy nothing in Philosophy is repugnant to the truth in Divinity but it may be overthrown by the principles of right and true Philosophy which are and ought to be subject to Divinity Eightly The matter treated of in the Scripture is divine and wonderful which may convince us that it is the word of the eternal God it opens and reveals the greatest and most glorious Mysteries as the nature properties attributes and high acts of God and how he will be worshipped and adored It describes the person natures virtues and excellencies of Christ so fully so clearly that if the mind of man consider it attentively he must of necessity acknowledge that it doth far exceed the reach of a finite understanding and humane capacity it discovers to us the corruption and misery of man by nature the great and unparalled love of God in Jesus Christ towards lost man and the happy agreement of his infinite justice mercy and wisdome in ordaining Christ to be our Mediator and reveals the covenant of grace which God made with man after the fall for restoring him again to Gods favour All which can be derived from no other fountain but the Spirit of wisdome and Revelation 1 Cor. 2.7 8 9 10. Eph. 1.17 18. The Scripture also contains the law of God which teacheth the whole duty of man towards God and towards men in the precepts of Scripture there are divers notes of a divine power and wisdome as First The surpassing excellency of the acts required of us namely that we should deny our selves and conform our hearts and lives to the Image of the word of God Secondly the wonderful equity that doth appear in every Commandment Thirdly The admirable strangeness of some acts and duties as regeneration self-abasement the renouncing of our own righteousness and parting with all we have for Christ which a meer natural man would count foolishness and madness yet prescribed as necessary Fourthly The manner how obedience is required to be performed by us it must proceed from an inward spiritual principle even from a pure heart a good Conscience and faith unfeigned Fifthly The perfection of the holy law of God commanding and allowing all good and forbidding and condemning all sin and wickedness whatsoever in thought word and action not only the filthiness of the flesh but also the filthiness of the Spirit and that with reference to all persons times and places without exception binding the Conscience and reaching the very thoughts and secrets of the hearts of men And do not all these things which would fill a great Volume if I should treat of them at large clearly and convincingly set forth the divine Authority of the Scriptures so as we should acknowledge no other Author of those sacred writings but God himself for who can contrive these things but he who is infinite in power and wisdome who can give eternal life

flourish more in Princes Courts than in the times of the Apostles why did not one or other step forth to vanquish or convict them before the Magistrates Origen not to mention here other Learned men that were converted to Christ was himself a great Philosopher and fellow-Disciple to Plotinus who is highly commended by the Philosophers can any sober man imagine that he and others of great judgment and abilities would suffer themselves like so many fools and mad men to be led with vain Illusions Or to attribute those things to God's special miraculous Operation which depended wholly upon Natural Causes Especially seeing that both Origen and also Cyprian before their Conversion to Christ had professed the Art of Magick If it be further said that the Apostles were influenced by pride and vain-glory in doing what they did how happeneth it then that each of them did not cause himself to be worshipped and adored as the Idol-gods and Mahomet did If they were so vain-glorious in their works as is pretended why did they not make use of their own Names and exalt themselves but refer all to Jesus and give him the power and glory of all who was so much despised by the great men of the World Surely this must needs be from God and from a divine power and not from Satan nor from Men. Fourthly Let a man but rationally consider the Life and Doctrine of Jesus who is the Author and substance of the Christian Religion and he will be convinc'd of the verity and excellency of it What was the Life and Conversation of Jesus upon Earth even by the confession both of Jews and Gentiles but the very pattern of Virtue and Piety What was it but the very Body of the Legal Types and shadows and the substance of the Predictions and Prophecies concerning the Messias How wise how patient how meek and humble how loving and compassionate to Mankind How holy and heavenly minded how diligent faithful and impartial was he in the Work of God He did neither flatter the greatest nor discourage the meanest but delivered the whole Counsel of God without respect of persons What a publick spirit what self-denial what excellent Virtues and Graces did Jesus shew forth both in His Actions and Sufferings His Enemies themselves being Judges Insomuch that Porphyry acknowledged Him to be a most Excellent Man though saith he the Christians are to blame to Worship Him as God And Pilate's Wife desired that her Husband might not meddle with that Just man To His painful Death which He suffered for us He went as a Sheep to the slaughter not opening His mouth and prayed most affectionately for His Enemies upon the Cross Father forgive them for they know not what they do Never was there such an Example of Virtue and Holiness as Jesus was and therefore how can any man of reason think that he should be the Author or Founder of a false Religion As for His Doctrine and Instructions there cannot be any found out or devised more excellent and precious Never man spake as He spake What was the continual subject of His Preaching and Discourse but the evil of Sin the vanity of this World the goodness and mercy of God in pardoning the Sinner the excellency of Holiness and Righteousness the glory and happiness of Heaven He teacheth not His Disciples how to obtain the Riches Honours and Pleasures of this World how to be great amongst men and to seek the praise and applause of men how to Conquer Kingdoms and subdue Nations by the material Sword But he teacheth them how to deny themselves and take up the Cross and follow Him how to be Crucified to the World and the Flesh to lay up Treasures in Heaven to forgive their Enemies and do good to them that despitefully use them Was there ever such Heavenly Doctrine such Excellent Instructions as proceeded out of His mouth If we look to the Precepts in Man's Laws as those amongst the Lacedemonians Athenians Romans they neither command all good nor forbid all evil The Laws of men are limited according to time place and persons As the Wise men of Persia answered the King who would have married his own Sister That indeed there was a Law that a man might not marry his own Sister but yet they found another Law That the King might do what he would and so by this means he shall have more liberty to sin than his Subjects But now on the contrary the Laws of the Christian Religion do command all that is good and forbid and restrain all that is evil the Precepts thereof are general and impartial to all persons to the King as well as the Subject to the Master as well as the Servant to the rich as well as the poor wthout exception No other Religion or Doctrine reacheth the Heart and inward man but only this Where can we find another Law that hath in it Non concupisces Thou shalt not lust which striketh at the very root and core of corruption Other Laws teach men to advance and enlarge their worldly interest and power and to be in favour with Princes But the Precepts of the Christian Religion teach us to forsake the world and not seek great things for our selves nor be ambitious of the favour of great men but to live above it And as God Himself is a Spirit and doth chiefly require the Heart so that Worship which pleaseth Him must be spiritual and such a Worship is prescribed and commanded by the Laws of Christ whereas all other Religions in the World as they proceed from man so man himself being Corporeal the Worship that he chiefly prescribeth must be Corporeal also and not Divine and Spiritual as the Christian Religion chiefly requires Other Religions attribute the praise to man either in whole or in part but the Christian Religion attributeth all to God as the highest Truth the chiefest Good and ultimate End of all Fifthly The nature and success of Christ's Kingdom may serve to convince any man's reason that the Christian Religion is divine and heavenly By what weak means by what contemptible Instruments hath Christ advanced and enlarged his Kingdom How hath he from time to time confounded things that are by things that are not Whereas men will have apt Instruments to every action and the Matter also well dispos'd to work upon Christ chooseth weak and unapt Instruments for carrying on His work in the World not the Wise and Noble and Learned of the World but Poor simple men to be His Apostles and Ambassadors and then for the Matter which they were to work upon namely the World it was altogether unprepared both Jews and Gentiles hating Christ and His Apostles Vlpian the chiefest Lawyer Galen the chiefest Physician Porphyry and Plotinus the chiefest Philosophers then living were desperate Enemies to them and wrote Books against Christ and the Christian Religion Julian the Emperour forbad Schools of Learning to the Christians in hatred of Christianity and the