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love_n know_v love_v see_v 15,121 5 3.6465 3 true
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A33780 An answer to the query of a deist concerning the necessity of faith. J. C. 1687 (1687) Wing C51; ESTC R24111 10,642 14

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for Mans injustice done by Sin But alas worthless Man could as is said before make no such Satisfaction therfore God becoming Man and Dying for Man made Satisfaction in the utmost rigor of Justice for the Sin of Man Moreover the End and Happiness of Man as hath been often said is the Fruition of God an infinite Good but Man was destitute of proper Self Merit and means whereby to attain to this inestimable End as hath been likewise said and proved therfore God becoming Man merited and purchas'd for Man what before so infinitely transcended his Reach The second Evidence or Motive of Credibility is taken from the Stupendious Miracles done by Christ whilst on Earth to prove himself to be God and his Doctrine or Gospel Suprem and Divine Miracles infinitely above the compass of any created Strength or Industry and only Commensurate to a Divine Power As are raising the Dead to Life healing the Lame giving Sight to the Blind curing the Sick of naturally incurable Distempers and all these suddenly and by his sole Touch Word or Command As likewise are Casting out of Devils Asswaging Tempests Walking upon the Sea as upon Dry Land Feeding to Overplus Five Thousand Persons with Five Loaves of Bread c. As also are Manifestations of the Secret of Mens Hearts a Knowledg of all things both present and distant both past and to come Miracles done in the Presence some of Thousands some of Hundreds and all of a sufficient Number of Eye-Witnesses Miracles undeniable by his then extent most malicious Adversaries Miracles universally attested and the Memory of them perpetuated by the unanimous harmony of Persons and Records of all Ages These Miracles I say are superabundant Evidences and Motives of Credibility that Christ our Saviour is God and his Doctrine or Gospel Divine The Third rational evidence of motive or Credubility is taken from the wonderful Propagation of the Gospel of Christ None who judge by Reason or even common Sense can imagine That a few in number and those poor illeterate and despicable Persons as were all the Apostles and Disciples of Christ sent and Commission'd by him to Preach his Gospel delivering a Doctrine not only above the reach of natural Science or Knowledg but repugnant and destructive to the Maxims of the World and Blandishments of the Flesh should nevertheless contrary to all Temporal or Carnal Interest superiour to all Human difficulties and invincible to all Oppositions spread and dilate this Doctrin throughout the World and transmit it indelible to all future Ages None I say of common Reason or Sense can imagin such a Doctrine so deliver'd and propagated could have any other than God for the Author The fourth and last rational evidence or motive of Credibility is taken from the Purity Sanctity and Rectitude of manners contain'd in the Principles and relucent in the Practise of the true Christian Religion and remonstrating the same to be no less than Divine We find Man's contaminated Nature transported and hurry'd with a strange deluge and impetuosity to Vice and Sin to Pride and Self-conceit to Avarice to Lust to Intemperance to Rage to Fraud to Malice to Injustice and all kind of Immorality Which contamination of Nature receives no small addition from the Temptations and Allurements of the World It was therfore highly necessary there should be an Antidot to the Poison healing Remedies to the Distempers and a Medicinal Law to repress the Misdemeanors and rectify the Disorders of deprav'd Nature It was necessary I say there should be apply'd to our Pride and Self-conceit Humility and Submission to our Avarice Poverty of Spirit to our Lust Continency and Chastity to our Intemperance Fasting and Abstinence to our Rage and Passion Meekness and Patience to our Fraud Sincerity to our Malice Charity to our Injustice Righteousness and to the Temptation of the World a Contempt and Disregard of it in what it Alienates the Heart from God its Creator That thus Man from Vicious might become Vertuous his Soul adorn'd and perfected with Holiness of Life his corrupt Nature reclaim'd and himself led as it were by Manuduction to his last end These are the blessed fruits and effects springing from Gospel Dictates which if impartially consider'd give a Moral assurance they flow from a Divine Fountain and Original It may be Objected There are Multitudes of Persons believing and professing Christianity upon whose Lives and Manners these Gospel dictates work no such effects as are here mention'd It is answered there are indeed too too many Professiors of Christianity whose wicked Practises are little answerable to the Purity and Sanctity taught and known in the Gospel Dictates however this Wickedness of Manners proceeds not from any deficiency in the Dictates but from a delinquency in the Professors which Professors therfore may fitly be stiled as to point of Practise no Christians My last conclusive Position is There is necessary to Salvation as it imports Remission of Sin and Fruition of God a Faith in Christ as the indispensable Condition or means introductive and Applicative of his Merits and Mercies to Man To prove my position I argue thus Upon the Reception of a Benefit Gratis and by Benevolence bestowed on a Rational Creature the very Law of Nature dictates there is required and due an Owning or Acknowledgment to be made of the Benefit Yes and a Love to be render'd by the Receiver to the Benefactor But it is impossible such an Acknowledgment shou'd be made or Love render'd without a previous Knowledg of the Benefit received For no Man can either Acknowledg or Love he knows not what consequently seing the Remission of Sin and Fruition of God are as hath been proved in the first and second position Benefits purely Gratis and by Benevolence bestowed by God on Man there is indispensably required and due to God from Man a reciprocal and grateful Acknowledgment of and love for these precious Benefits But this Acknowledgement can never be made nor love render'd without a Knowledg of the Truths and Misteries including the Benefits And this Knowledg can never be attain'd by natural Science but only by Faith For Faith is defined to be a Knowledg of certain Truths or Mysteries diuinely reveal'd relating to Mans Salvation and assented to because so reveal'd tho' not demonstrable by deduction from natural Causes and Effects Thus then Faith is indispensably necessary to Salvation Hence this main Article concerning the necessity of Faith hath been constantly Preached Divulged and received in all Ages and Places when or where soever the name of Christian hath gained admittance And all the Arguments and Motives of Credibility brought in the fifth Position to prove the Doctrine or Gospel of Christ to be True and Divine prove also this Article of the necessity of Faith to be True and Divine as being an Essential Part of the same Doctrin or Gospel Having thus given a distinct Proof to each particular Clause or matter contain'd in the general Assertion viz.