Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	divine_a	faith_n	revelation_n	3,413	5	9.3938	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63872	Testimonium Jesu, or, The demonstration of the spirit for the confirmation of Christian faith, and conviction of all infidelity a sermon preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and aldermen of the city of London, at the Guild Hall-Chappel / by Bryan Turner.	Turner, Bryan, 1634 or 5-1698.	1681 (1681)	Wing T3271; ESTC R24645	24,766	38

this day as foretold in the Conversion of the Gentiles nay all Events by Jesus the Prophetical Writings and Apostolical foretold answer their Predictions to instance in the case of the Jewish Nation Therefore not only Jesus and his Apostles had the Spirit of Prophecy but the Revelation or Doctrine by them preach'd is confirm'd by it to be Divine and that as certainly as the Divine Spirit can demonstrate St. Paul saies it did demonstrate and I think it can as effectually as any Mathematician in the Universe whence I conclude 't is no defect in the Argument but Brutality in the recipient obstructs its force Secondly I infer That seeing the design of this Testimony was and is man's Conviction in order to the Faith of Jesus there is something in man capable of Conviction even before he can be said to be converted Thirdly Nothing in Man being capable of Divine conviction but the faculty of Reason I infer That the Faith of Jesus is and ought to be a Rational Faith For the declining this Proposition has encourag'd men of Parts and lovers of Pleasures to decline Christianity or men of weak Reason and strong Imagination to convert it into an Enthusiastick and Phantastical thing And to give this account for the Mysteries of Faith that the Prime Verity has affirm'd them as 't is all we can without vanity give in this state so if consider'd 't is as good and rational as of any other knowledge we pretend to for 't is demonstrable that the last resolution of See Job 38. 4 5 c. and 24 25 c. our Knowledge of all other things must upon a through scrutiny be into the First Cause Many more than the Leviathan think the want of Miracles mitigates the Crime of Infidelity which to me seems but Dives's vain opinion for if men will not believe the Testimony of the Spirit of Prophecy neither will they believe Miracles as being a Conviction that 's easier shifted than this which considered is more argumentative because Reason may with some colour seruple the one as the Jews did than they can the other for the proof of which I refer to John 5. 49. For I can never conceive that Miracles are of any signification but as they address to Reason to give it satisfaction i. e. as they prove the attestation of the Divinity and argue the Commission to be from God because his Seal is to it For to think that Miracles are terminated in the senses or designs any further upon them than only to Excite the Intellect to a Judicious conclusion is to think that something may be wrought upon a Beast by a Demonstration Neither is the proper Mathematical Demonstration in Scheme of any signification as 't is terminated in sight alone for then the Elephant that was taught to draw Pliny Nat. hist lib. 8. cap. 3. the Greek Alphabet might have been taught as well to demonstrate but as thereby it helps to present convictive Truth to Reason so that whatever convinceth Reason satisfactorily attains the end of Demonstration Now all Divine Revelation though usher'd in by sense for the stupidity's sake of our dull Understanding which otherwaies will hardly be awaken'd yet ever made its application to Reason therefore saies the Prophet Shew your selves men with reference to this very Isal 46. 8 9 10. Luk. 12. 56. 2 Thess 3. 2. Argument of Prediction Why do ye not of your selves judge what is right saies Jesus Pray that we may be delivered from unreasonable men for all men have not Faith saies the Apostle Neither is this Pelagianizing at all I acknowledge the necessity of God's Supernatural Grace and that Faith is his gift 't is possible it may be rejected but the Arguments that induce to it are most cogent because of God's making not our own what we do is but to shew our selves men i. e. to exert the Faculties with which he endu'd us in the first Institution of our Nature and with which he is ever ready to concur by his Grace So then whatever convinces Reason most confirms Faith best and Faith being so confirm'd is the highest Reason in the World for because its light and discoveveries proceed as my Reason tells me from a more unerring Intellect than mine own 't is most reasonable that it should supersede all the opposit acts of my own Mind and leaves me no Inquiry but whether the Spirit of God has said so or no which sufficiently discountenances all Socinianism For it will not follow by any Rule of Reason That things are therefore true or false because I can or cannot comprehend them this were for our Reason to make it self God but because they are or are not attested by the Prime Verity how far soever they may exceed the Idaeal comprehensions of our own finite Faculties as the discoveries of Infinity necessarily must do and in these all Christian Mysteries consist So that Faith without Reason is fancy as Reason opposing Faith is phrenzy For all the Mysteries which Gospel Christianity has made necessary this is good and sufficient Reason God has plainly reveal'd them and other matters beside Mysteries are evidently true from their congruity with our own reasonable minds as the excellency and goodness of its Precepts and the nobleness of its End And now if upon these grounds we have that due honour for our Christian Faith to assert it Reasonable as well as Holy then 't will follow That no man of Parts that 's willing to consider and Demonstrations signifie nothing else the Testimony of Jesus is Irreligious but he that is Irrational For no Interest opposit to that of Jesus can produce this Testimony unless it be to its own overthrow And therefore the grand Interests opposit or destructive to those of Jesus will alwaies dissemble and pretend this Testimony Thou art Peter upon this Rock will I build To thee I give the Keys feed my sheep so the Papal on one hand or on the other hand though in truth they are coincident They shall be all taught of God and that 's Infallible so the Enthusiast My meaning is That which endangers true Christianity is some Evil within its own Profession or Pale And though there be a numerous brood of Offenders herein yet there are Three who mainly threaten that Religion amongst our selves which God's wonderful Providence has preserv'd so long and we seem solicitous that it might be longer and they are in my apprehension these Three the Atheists the Papists and the vicious Protestant i. e. the Vnbelievers the Ill-believers and the Ill-livers allowing Vice its due latitude And these Three serve the mutual designs of one another though as 't is very subtil Popery gets the last advantage for Vice begets Atheism and Atheism at length devolves to Popery for Ill-livers 't is their interest to be Unbelievers and they that through the vice of Opinions and Sects have been alwaies unstable are very near the brink of this Precipice so Vice begets

of Jesus was to restore it effectually which he did by Supernatural helps whereas others essay'd it by the strength of Nature alone which after the Fall was impossible so that though Jesus in this surpast all Mankind yet some Rivals have been set up against him as Apollonius by Hierocles 2. To be a Martyr for a Lie when a man believes it as the Apostle tells us some shall is neither unusual nor 2 Thess 2. 11. unreasonable 3. The Age of Miracles excepting the wisdom and conduct of Providence which is not regarded is worn out for all the Legendary Impostures of that Church that still pretends them But that which strengthens all the rest by its connexion with them The Testimony of the Spirit of Prophecy stands like a fixed Star to give light to every hour of time call'd therefore The more sure Word and the 2 Pet. 1. 19. 1 Pet. 1. 25. Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Word of God which abideth for ever to which we do well if we give heed My meaning is The Old and New Testaments are standing Witnesses to our Faith in Jesus all Ages may consult these Records and find the Testimony of the Spirit of Prophecy so interwoven in every part that it certainly evidenceth their Divinity and Truth Can any other Writing be produc'd that durst attempt to foretel such things and at such a distance to confirm any other pretended Revelation or Institution contradictory to this or doth not every Event in these answer its prediction Ex. gr Is not the disperst condition of the Jewish Nation a * On those words Psal 59. 11. Slay them not lest my People forget Scatter them by thy power St. Austin applying Them to the Jews has this excellent remark Ne obliti legem Dei ad hoc de quo agimus testimonium nihil valerent quoniam si cum testimonio scripturarum in suâ tantummodo terrâ non ubique essent profecto Ecclesia quae ubique est eos Prophetiarum quae de Christo pramissae sunt testes in omnibus gentibus non haberet De Civit. lib. 18. cap. 46. And then concludes Ideo nihil est firmius ad convincendos quoslibet alienos si de hac re contenderint nostrosque fulciendos si rectè sapuerint quam ut Divina praedicla de Christo ea proferantur quae in Judaeorum scripta sunt Codicibus Quibus avulsis de sedibus proptils propter hoc Testimonium toto Orbe dispersis Christi usquequaque crevit Ecclesia Ibid. cap. 47. standing Sign to all Ages of the World since the Gospels promulgation and a permanent Rule of Tryal laid before all considerative men that both Testaments which foretold it proceeded from the unerring Spirit of Omniscience Or was there ever any parallel Case to theirs to continue so many hundred years without any Ty of National Government and yet not to be lost in the crowd of the Nations where so many mutations have happen'd nor at all like the Ten Tribes swallow'd up in their Dispersions as wide as the Universe I must not insist upon other permanent Signs confirming the Scriptural Revelation as the Case of the Four Monarchies the Conversion of the Gentiles and many more foretold in the Old and New Testament which our Age and others may see fulfilled and therefore are under the conviction of this Testimony equally I mean We of this and every Age are under the Convictions of that Revelation which the Spirit of Prophecy has attested in the Scriptures and therefore because it has so attested as much as those who liv'd in the daies of the Prophets or in the Age of Miracles for else I see not how Abraham's answer to Dives is good nay certainly Posterity is better enabled to judge of Prophecy than the Age in which it first appear'd And this after the Canon of Scripture shut up and universally receiv'd renders all New light and extraordinary Inspiration not only suspected but perfectly needless The design of my Discourse is chiefly this to shew That the Spirit of Prophecy thus explain'd which so apparently runs parallel to the whole lines of Scriptural Revelation doth most rationally convince us and all Ages of the Divine Truth of that Revelation And if so we gain two Points not only of great advantage alwaies but most needful at this day when Christian Religion is either look'd out of countenance by Atheism and Scepticism or looks itself we know not whither by the distortions of Popery and Phanaticism The First Point we gain is To confirm our Christian Faith in general upon most rational and accountable grounds that it may endure the concussions and mutations of the World The Second is To confirm the Divine Authority of the Scriptures in particular as our Sure Rule both of Faith and Duty for if we confess as cannot be deny'd till some other be produc'd as able that the Divine Spirit was Author of the Predictions in Scripture what reason can we have against the Institution of life Reveal'd It being in all mens allowance unreasonably unjust To allow the Testimony of the Record in one part that it declares and not in another unless we can better than by bold affirming prove it in that part corrupted To draw these Points out to the greater advantages let me reflect upon this Discourse and infer Three things First That the great design of our Merciful Creator in giving this Testimony is mens conviction in order to the Faith i. e. the Obedience of Jesus For in its most plentiful effusion and powerful operation this was its first grand end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It shall convince the World John 16. 18. which when it has done the Revelation itself becomes the undoubted Rule as to Believers but they who disbelieve the whole Revelation are principally to be convinc'd by this Testimony which I have asserted to be most demonstrative and satisfactory and such surely our Saviour thought it himself I have told you before that when it s come to pass ye may believe Joh. 13. 19. and 16. 4. Whether then the Unbelievers who pretend to a Primogeniture in Wit and Reason having this conviction offer'd them under all the advantages of Predictions fulfill'd more than the Scribes and Pharisees had as the Atheists and Scepticks of our Age may not by ascribing all to a cheat sin against the Holy Ghost as well as they in Matt. 12. is a question I will not absolutely determine in the affirmative but ought not methinks to be carried in the negative so dogmatically as by the Authors of our Age it has who led I believe Hales c. by their own native tenderness and benignity have concluded there 's no Meridian for that Sin to appear in now the Age of Miracles is past To confirm the Faith of Jesus the Spirit both of Power and Prophecy was given Believers as the Prophets and Jesus foretold and the manifest effects of this remain unto

Eutychianus Whether it was Oraculum daemonum aut figmentum hominum he assures us not To me it seems grounded on some Opinions of the Primitive Christians concerning Antichrist's appearance but how miserably it fail'd St. Austin observes that in the very year Gaudentius and Jovius overthrew the Temples of the Heathen gods in Cartage Et plurimi Christiani facti qui tanquam verâ illâ Divinatione revocabantur à fide postquam eam completo eodem annorum numero inanem irridendamque viderunt De Civit lib. 18. cap. 54. the Papal or Mahometan under the Character of a divine Institution For certainly this he would have done had not the ability of his own Spirit fail'd him both as to the certainty and distance of such a contingency because nothing imaginable could have bruised the heel of the Womans Seed so dangerously confirmed Gentile Idolatry and staggar'd the Faith of Mankind so effectually as this by confronting a testimony for Antichrist out of the Heathen Oracles as good as that for Christ out of the Old Testament Prophecies And therefore all that the Serpent can do in this matter is to play the after-game as subtilly as may be and inspire Mahomet when he finds him Enthusiastick and amongst a People fit for delusion and so to club to perfect the Imposture or else to transform himself into an Angel of Light the only way to mischief the Christian Church as the Bishop of Rome doth himself into the Catholick or a Jesuit himself into a Christian or a Quaker himself into a man of Perfection And because I may not scan every objected Instance in Heathen Divination I shall in general only say that who so affirms any other than the Divine can be the Spirit of Prophecy seems to suffrage with them that blasphemed against him in leaving no distinctive Character to discern the Holy Spirit by and so may ascribe to Beelzebub what is the Divine Spirit 's prerogative And I call this of Prediction the Divine Spirit 's prerogative because God in the Prophet puts all other Diviners upon this Test Isa 41. 21 c. Produce your cause saith the Lord Bring forth your strong reasons saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth and shew us See Isa 47. 3 4 5 6 7. what shall happen let them shew the former things what they be that we may consider 'em and know the latter end of them or declare us things for to come Shew the things that are to come hereafter that we may know that ye are gods Allowing then that the sphere of Jesus's Interests is as large as the concerns of his Churches in all Ages the Prophecies of Enoch Noah Jacob and Others before his Incarnation or of Agabus St. John and Others after it make no Objection against this Truth That the Spirit of Prophecy is the Testimony of Jesus and nones else so that no cause distinct or opposite to his can produce it all divine Revelation centring in him to which give all the Act. 10. 43. Prophets witness 't is theresore called the Spirit of Christ in the Prophets 1 Pet. 1. 11. and 't is observable when this Divine Spirit was to convince the World of Sin for not believing it silenc'd all the Oracles in the World both true and false I mean both Jewish and Heathen Act 16. 16 17. 19. 16 19. which might be made use of in opposition to the Gospel And that 's my first Observation 'T is the Testimony of Jesus i. e. peculiarly and nones else Secondly 'T is not the Person employed Man or Angel on whom the validity of this Testimony depends but 't is The Spirit of Prophecy not only as revealing God's mind but as predicting to confirm the Revelation i. e. 't is the Testimony of Omniscient Veracity or of the prime Verity for nothing can furnish out the Spirit of Prophecy but a Science and Truth that is indefectible and infinite For the account of certainty in the Divine Prescience as to Contingencies and the products of Liberty must not be resolv'd into the Decree as if God certainly foreknew this would be the product of Liberty therefore because he decreed it for the Decree makes all Contingencies equally possible unless we introduce Fatality But the certainty of Prescience must be resolved solely into the Infinity of Science There is no searching of his understanding Isa 40. 28. So then whether it be Man or Angel that 's acted by the Spirit of Prophecy whether Moses or Balaam Simeon or Caiphas it matters not contrary to Maimonides's Rules about Qualifications the Testimony is the Spirits of Prophecy the attestation to the Revelation is made by the Prime Verity and the force lies in the presumptive truth of Nature's concession What God says is true or as St. John expresses it If we receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater 1 Joh. 5. 9. For all things in the World are true or false as they have or want the Testimony of the * Thus the Sun evidenceth it self by its own light and all other things visible by that illustration of Light it lends them either transiently as to the Air or permanently as to some Precious Stones c. Prime Verity whether that Verity record its Testimony in the settled Laws and Volumes of Nature upon which the study of Philosophy and all Secular knowledge depends or in the prescripts of Revelation called for distinctions sake Supernatural knowledge i. e. therefore this or that Knowledge is true in the nature of things because their causes and effects are apprehended as the first Cause and the Divine Truth did constitute them And so in Revelation this or that created Knowledge and Judgment is true or false which apprehends it according to the word and meaning of the first Revealer or otherwise We see this in Humane affairs where the grand decision of Truth depends entirely upon an Oath and therefore upon an Oath because an Oath is the attestation or appeal to the Prime Verity which Testimony upon Oath being ever esteemed most Sacred till the Licentious and Atheistical prophaneness of our Swearing Age essayed to unhallow and make it common Therefore it must follow That whatever is attested by the Prime Verity itself is true without any other or against any other contrary Evidence and 't is this that renders the Faith of Christian Mysteries reasonable Now the Declarations or Revelations of the Spirit of Prophecy Self-evidently appear to proceed from the Prime Verity because no knowledge but the Divine and Infinite can reach the Spirit of Prophecy i. e. can confirm Revelation by certain Prediction And if I mistake not this wounds the Leviathan who has taken his pastime in these waters of the Sanctuary and may shew him that Divine Faith may and ought to be resolved into Divine Truth that so its certainty might be stedfast as any knowledge in the World for whosoever may minister to this Faith its relyance must be upon