Selected quad for the lemma: mind_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mind_n	great_a	see_v	time_n	4,324	5	3.3569	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77348	Brevis demonstratio. The truth and excellency of Christian religion demonstrated against Jews, Mahometans, and heathens Publish'd at the desire of some learned men, and for the satisfaction of all rational persons in England.		1665 (1665)	Wing B4424; ESTC R170793	19,852	40

suspicion of fraud And they are first the Jews from whose both or all Confession and Talmudick Writings every one may know it Secondly The Mahometans in the Alcaron Thirdly the Heathens of whom are Celsus and Julian who although they detracted much from Christ in the Writings which they set out against Christians yet they did not deny his cruel death and miracles which appears from their resutation by Origen and Cyril 2. The witnesses of all those things which we have related concerning Christ were his Disciples who lived in that Age and especially his twelve Apostles to whom was added also a thirteenth who of a most fierce enemy became a Disciple of Christ being called from Heaven to give witness to him Neither matters it that his Disciples onely bear witness of his Resurrection and Exaltation for such things as these no one but his Disciples could witness For who could see Christ raised again and reigning in Heaven and not become his Disciple It sufficeth that the Testimony of those Disciples is beyond all exception XVIII But that their Testimony was such is proved 1. Because they confirmed their Testimony by most Divine Miracles in healing Diseases incurable by humane Art in raising the Dead and casting out Devils but that they did these things will by and by appear 2. Because it is certain that those witnesses could neither be deceived nor would deceive That they could not be deceived is manifest 1. Because they were not onely Ear but Eye-witnesses 2. Because they witnessed a thing not once onely seen but approved by frequent and often repeated Experiments for forty dayes together and not looked upon with the eyes onely but handled also with the hands 3. Because there was not onely one witness but besides five hundred together that at one and the same time saw Christ after he was risen and unto whom Paul appealeth 1 Cor. 15.6 which lyars are not wont to do there were thirteen chief witnesses in a special manner chosen and appointed to testifie this very thing So many persons could not possibly be deceived in things exposed to their senses It remains to be proved that they would not deceive which is hence manifest 1. Because they were honest men and of holy and unblameable life so that they were never accused much less convicted of any real crime no not by their most malicious enemies among whom they conversed 2. Because this Profession cost them the greatest sufferings and perils neither did they gain by this way either riches or honour or glory but on the contrary incurred the bitterest hatred of the whole world and drew upon themselves an Heap and Pile of most grievous Afflictions which by a bare deniall of this thing they might have avoided Well saith Ovid Cum sint praemia falsi Nulla ratam debet testis habere fidem When falshood reward has none That witness is a faithfull one How much more ought the credit of that witness to be held Authentick when the Testimony has not onely no reward but moreover draws along with it perils scourgings banishments contumelies imprisonments and all manner of most terrible deaths If they had been such perverse men as that they would lye on set purpose certainly they would not have feigned with so great damage to themselves a thing so odious and hatefull and would rather curry favour with the Nobles and People of the Jews whom they knew to hate Christ with a perfect hatred then by a false and so odious an affirmation to have provoked and stirred up their minds against them for this is the manner of Impostors and those that love lying to contrive nothing sooner then that which they think will be most gratefull to their Hearers and as Fishers are wont to bait their hooks with such things as they know the fishes like so these also that they may insinuate into the minds of men love to tell those things which they know will please them and accommodate their words to tickle their ears But these despising pleasures and contemning both the hatred and kindness of men underwent both an infamous life and death for the profession of this thing what place is here for suspicion of any the least untruth Neither may you think that this Argument is infringed by the example of those who even for the sake of a false Religion and Doctrine bear oftentimes cruel torments yea and stick not to spend their lives on it For it is one thing to die for a false Doctrine which thou believest to be true another thing to die for a salfe Doctrine which thou knowest to be false and feigned by thy self Of the first there are very many examples but of the later it is impossible that among men in their wits and not extreamly mad there should be any example at all But the most divine Writing of the Apostles and full of profond Wisdome which we have in our hands do more then enough vindicate them from the imputation of foolishness and madness XIX A second reason whereby the resurrection of Christ and his Divinity is proved is this namely That so many thousands of men in all Nations believed on him not onely of the common sort but also of the Learned Wise men and Philosophers And they so believed that they suffered not themselves to be deterr'd from this Faith by any Persecutions yea or cruel Death And this is so much the more wonderfull in that the obstacles to Religion were almost infinite They were hindred 1 By an inveterate love of the Religions of their Countrey received by long Custome Who knows not how zealous the Jews are and were alwayes in their Religion and no man can doubt the same of the Heathens that knows that Socrates was therefore condemn'd at Athens because he seem'd to introduce a new Religion 2. By the ignominious Death of Christ for how hard think you was it to believe in one that was crucified and to take him for Master and Lord whom the Jews hang'd upon a Cross as a wicked and heinous Offender tortured with all kinds of contumely and cruelty Hence Paul the Apostle not without cause writeth 1 Cor. 1.23 that he preached Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness 3. By the harshness of the precepts for the Doctrine of Christ bade open war to all carnal Concupiscences and confined men to a strait path 4. They were hindred by the incredibility of the things promised We declare unto you saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.9 things that eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have come into the mind of man which God hath prepared for them that love him But we do not easily believe things that we see not as one said Our hands are eyed they believe nothing but what they see Great happiness indeed is promised but not till after death In the mean time visible things that are present are to be forgone for the hope of invisible that are future 5. By the means