Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	believe_v	divine_a	revelation_n	7,143	5	9.8233	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26785	The divinity of the Christian religion, proved by the evidence of reason and divine revelation by William Bates ...	Bates, William, 1625-1699.	1677 (1677)	Wing B1104; ESTC R33149	60,636	228

World otherwise than they received them This were to charge them with the most supine carelesness and unnatural cruelty Besides the great number of Copies disperst through all places and translated into many Languages and read in all Christian Assemblies make the attempt to falsifie them in things of moment to be morally impossible This will be more clear if we consider that among Christians there have been so many persons wise and good of excellent learning and vertue and of diverse Countries that by their office were establish't the Depositories of those precious Writings And is there any colorable pretence to imagine that they should suffer any notable alteration in them much less conspire to make a change in any Doctrines of Faith or Life therein deliver'd To give reputation and credit to a lye intitling it to Divine Revelation especially in matters of Eternal consequence is such a black crime that none can be presumed capable of but one that has utterly lost his Conscience I shall not here urge that the Immortal Providence of God is eminently interested in preserving the Scriptures in sufficient purity It were a vile imputation upon his Wisdom and Goodness to believe that he would permit them to be undiscernably corrupted in points important to his own Glory and Mans Salvation Thus a snare would be laid without possibility of prevention and the embracing Error instead of Truth would be innocent But this Argument though incomparably the best supposes that the Christian Doctrine descended from Heaven the proofs of which are to be considered 3. I will not insist on the proofs of all the mysterious points of the Christian Faith singly consider'd but propound the Arguments that evince the truth of that Religion wherein they are expresly and clearly contain'd and from thence conclude that 't is most reasonable to believe them As in besieging a Town the Assailants do not attack every particular House but vigorously press on to possess themselves of the Citadel that commands the whole and with that all the Houses are conquer'd That Divine Revelation is infallible is an acknowledg'd Principle by all Men for natural Reason dictates that unerring Wisdom and infinite Goodness are essential perfections of God so that he cannot be deceived nor deceive those that trust in his Word 4. The proofs of the truth of Christian Religion are of a moral nature and though not of equal clearness with the testimonies of Sense or a Mathematical Demonstration yet are so pregnant and convincing that the considering dispassionate spirit fully acquiesces in them A Mathematical Demonstration brings so strong a Light that the Mind cannot suspend its assent but is presently overcome by the naked propounding of the Object And hence it is that in Mathematical matters there are neither Infidels nor Hereticks But the motives of Faith are such that although the Object be most certain yet the Evidence is not so clear and irresistible as that which flows from Sense or a Demonstration And 't is the excellent observation of ‖ Grotius God has wisely appointed this way of perswading Men the truth of the Gospel that Faith might be accepted as an act of Obedience from the reasonable Creature For the Arguments to induce belief though of sufficient certainty yet do not so constrain the mind to give its assent but there is prudence and choice in it Not that the Will can make a direct impression upon the Mind that it should comply with its desire and see what it does not see It cannot make an obscure Object to be clear to its perception no more than it can change the colour of visible things and make what appears green to the Eye to seem red But the mind enlightned by sufficient Reasons that the Christian Religion is from God represents it so to the Will and the Will if sincere and unbiast by carnal affections commands the Mind not to disguise the Truth to make it less credible nor to palliate with specions colours the pretences of Infidelity And thus the belief of it results from conviction and love This moral evidence is as convincing as is requisit to make us steadfastly believe and obey the Gospel Moral Arguments produce as satisfying certainty though not so palpable as those drawn from Sense When there is a concurrence of Reasons proper to the nature of things and the strongest they are capable of by their united light they dispel all doubts and fear of the contrary For after the Understanding has deliberately and impartially compar'd the Motives and Arguments in favour of the truth of a thing and those that contradict it and finds the most weighty moments of Reason in one scale for it and in the other nothing but Air and emptiness it concludes without hesitation or suspence that such a thing is real And as it is impossible that a Physical demonstration concerning the existence of a thing should be deceitful because the two parts of a contradiction as of the being and not being of a thing cannot be true so there is as it were an equal repugnance that a moral Demonstration form'd upon the best Arguments the matter will admit should deceive the Mind It presents the object without a cloud so that the Understanding has an undoubted assurance of it To proceed the intrinsick excellencies of the Christian Religion will appear by considering the Doctrines Precepts and Promises it contains which are the essential parts of Religion And of them in general we may observe 1. The Gospel illustrates and establishes all the natural Principles of truth and goodness that are common to mankind the rule of moral actions and reveals all supernatural things requisit for the Glory of God and the supreme happiness of Man that rectified Reason upon the discovery must acknowledg it came from Heaven and infallibly leads those who believe and obey it to Heaven 2. There is such an intire agreement between all the parts of the Christian Religion for the accomplishing its great end as affords a clear conviction 't is no humane invention but from God As the Harmonious Composition the beautiful order and uniform preservation of the World is a sensible demonstration that it proceeds from a most wise powerful and good Cause In particular the Doctrine of the Gospel contains besides what may be known of God and of Man by Natural Light two principal points An account of the corruption and misery of mankind in its first causes And his Redemption effectually accomplish'd by the Son of God The discovery of both is equally necessary to Man The first makes him understand the depth of his guiltiness that he is incomparably more wretched than he feels himself clears the Purity and Justice of God in his dealings with Man and prepares him by the afflicted sense of his condition for Mercy And the knowledge of the Divine Redeemer powerful to restore him is as necessary in order to his Duty and Happiness For without it he would be always tormented with

errour does not lessen its benign influences still it shines and causes the Spring and Autumn 'T is of little importance that a Philosopher is deceiv'd in his search after the principles of mixt bodies for notwithstanding his mistake Animals still live and move and perform all the Functions sutable to their Nature But in Judgments that respect matters of Fact if the Truth cannot be known by testimonys the civil felicity cannot long subsist For the unjust distribution of Rewards and Punishments is necessarily ruinous to the Being of the State And is it credible the Divine Providence that reaches to the smallest parts of the World in such an admirable manner should leave the conduct of humane affairs even of the greatest moment to a deceitful Light And that after the most diligent search and caution has been used the result should be only wavering Conjectures This imagination is extreamly injurious to his Wisdom and Goodness In particular if we consider the Number and the Quality of the Witnesses of Christ's Resurrection and the Circumstances of their Testimony we shall have so clear conviction of its truth as may induce us most firmly to believe it I do not now speak of a Divine Faith that supernatural Light that makes us acquiesce in things because God has reveal'd them but of a rational humane Faith grounded on just and powerful motives which is preparatory for the Divine 1. The Law admits two Witnesses as a competent number in Causes of greatest moment Of this there were many The approved Integrity of a Witness gives weight to his Testimony as on the contrary a known Lyar forfeits his Credit so entirely that he is not believed when he speaks true When Demades the Orator addrest himself to the Athenians I call all the Gods and Goddesses to witness the truth of what I shall say The Athenians often abused by his impudent Lyes presently interrupted him And we call all the Gods and Goddesses to witness we will not believe you The bare word of an Honest Man in an important matter perswades more than the most exquisite Oaths and far-fetch'd Imprecations by which a Lyar would give credit to his Imposture Now we have strong proof of the Integrity of the Apostles If an inflexible Fidelity and constant Truth were qualities so remarkable in the Community of the Primitive Christians that the Pagan Judges themselves were constrained to acknowledg it certainly they were found more eminently in those by whose Doctrine and Example they form'd themselves And as it is impossible to possess this Vertue so strictly united to Justice in an excellent degree without having all the others so 't is evident they were adorn'd with all moral Vertues For their lives were above the least reproach and charge of their implacable enemies so that they were fain to make express Laws against their Profession to render them guilty in Appearance Besides the circumstances of their Testimony make it very valuable 1. 'T was not built on the report of others Mere hear-say is very deceitful and often like a Contagion passes from Ear to Ear and blasts the Reputation of the Innocent with easy and credulous persons But a Testimony from sight makes impression on the belief of wise considering Men. Now we have undoubted Assurance of Christ's Resurrection from the clear and concurrent deposition of their Senses What we have heard and what we have seen with our eyes and what we have handled of the Word of Life saith the Apostle St. John 2. The uniformity of their Testimony renders it convincing If any material contradiction be between Witnesses 't is an infallible mark of their Forgery But the Apostles agreed not only in the substance but in the particularity of the Fact In vain Porphiry and Julian rack'd their Wits to find some contrariety in their Relations An impartial Inquirer must acknowledge all their Objections to be mere Cavils and effects of Malice 3. There were no motives to corrupt them For the humane will is naturally moved either by attraction of some Good or aversion from some Evil. A Fiction is not maintain'd for pure love of it self but with respect to either of those objects whether real or in appearance The Roman Histories report that Julius Proculus solemnly swore that he saw Romulus ascend to Heaven but the motive of his Imposture is visible for it was to prevent a great disorder among the People But 't is very evident that nothing desirable in the World had the least influence upon the Apostles Nay on the contrary whatever was terrible to Nature discourag'd them They suffer'd all temporal evils even Death it self for this Testimony And this last proof confirms all the others They are called Martyrs by way of excellency who have seal'd the Truth with their Blood Now what can be added to give us full and entire Faith in their Testimony In great and difficult Cases suspected Persons are put to Torture for the discovery of Truth The Apostles were tryed by the sharpest Sufferings yet declar'd the Resurrection of their Divine Master with unfainting perseverance What shadow of doubt can remain after such clear evidence of their sincerity Let sober Reason judge whether the matter is capable of proof more strong and convincing If it be said they were deceived with an Illusion either being distemper'd or in a dream both the pretences are most absur'd and incredible For the operations of the External Senses may be infallibly discern'd by their proper caracters from those of the Imaginations Indeed if the mind be in disorder either from some more fixed and tenacious cause or from sleep the influences of Reason are suspended or only some faint rays appear and are suddenly extingush'd so that it can make no true judgment of things In this state the Imagination draws all the vigour of the Soul to it self and the Phantasms are made so bright by the heat of the Spirits in the brain that those painted Scenes seem to be as real as the substantial objects we see hear and touch But sound Reason can reflect upon it self and extend its veiw to the operations of all the other faculties and observe the just and certain difference between Chimaeras in the imagination and things really existant It comprehends distinctly and with assurance that it is not disturb'd and that the Internal and External Senses are dispos'd for their regular operations It considers that the Pageants of Fancy moving in a dream vanish in a moment upon waking But real effects perceiv'd by the Senses in their full exercise are more constant and durable One may be wounded in a dream yet feel not loss of blood or strength when he is awake But the wounds received in a Combat are sometimes rebellious against the most potent remedies Now to apply this to the present subject Is it in the least degree probable that a vain shadow in a dream should make an indelible impression on the memories of the Apostles and their waking thoughts should