Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	body_n	bone_n	flesh_n	7,585	5	7.4908	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26063	A discourse against blasphemy being a conference with M.S. concerning 1. the rudeness of atheistical discourse, 2. the certainty and eternity of hell-torments, 3. the truth and authority of the Holy Scriptures : published pursuant to Their Majesties injunctions to suppress atheism and irreligion / by William Assheton.	Assheton, William, 1641-1711.	1694 (1694)	Wing A4030; ESTC R27660	15,382	49

he had the opportunity fully to inform himself of the truth of that which he pretends to attest Should any Man affirm That he saw a Thing done or heard a Word spoken and yet it shall be Deposed by as credible Witnesses as himself that he was at the same time Twenty Miles distant Such Evidence however confidently delivered must needs be false and ridiculous But now the Disciples of our Lord had all imaginable advantages to know the Truth of what they Witness whilst they affirm That Jesus is risen They were his constant Followers and Attendants And for the space of Three Years were the daily Observers of his Conversation And 't is worthy your notice That when by the Apostacy of Judas they wanted one of their Number they were very careful to choose such a one to succeed him as had been a constant Follower of Jesus and had taken exact notice of every thing they were to Witness Wherefore saith St. Acts 1. 21 22 23. Peter of these Men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us beginning from the Baptism of John unto that same Day that he was taken up from us must one be ordained to be a Witness with us of his Resurrection Observe here how exact they were in their Choice They would admit of none but one who had been with them from first to last That could speak Things as we phrase it not by Hearsay only but of his own knowledge That if any Man should ask him Did you your self See Or Did you your self Hear this which you do report That he might then truly answer that he did and that what he Preached was upon his own certain Knowledge Now the Disciples of our Lord were the constant Hearers of his Doctrin and amongst other Passages they heard him expresly Declare That he would rise again the Third Day Destroy this Temple Joh. 2. 19 21. and in three Days I will raise it up But he spake of the Temple of his Body And this Expression of rising the Third Day was so familiar and so often repeated that the Chief Priests and Pharisees took notice of it to Pilate Mat. 27. 63. saying Sir we remember that that Deceiver said while he was yet alive after three Days I will rise again Moreover The Disciples and Followers of our Lord were not only instructed in his Life time that he would rise again but they likewise saw him after he was risen And in such a manner with such Circumstances as might most effectually command their Belief They saw him not only once or twice but several times They saw him not only singly and a part and in lesser Numbers but all of them yea Five Hundred of them at once And therefore tho One or Two might perhaps be mistaken yet so great a Number could not possibly be imposed on Especially when we have consider'd further That they not only saw him but had likewise all other imaginable Evidences to convince them For when he had appeared to them and Discoursed with them which might also be done by a Spirit to give them a certain proof that he was no Spirit Handle me and see i. e. observe and satisfie your selves for a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as you see me have And least they might yet scruple that it was not the same Jesus that was crucified but some other Dead Body which being moved and actuated by an Angel did take his shape and appear in his likeness To remove this doubt Behold saith he my Hands and my Feet that it is I my self Those Hands and Feet which were pierced with Nails and fastned to the accursed Tree And if you will not believe your Eyes which according to the Vulgar Notion may have a Mist cast before them then to satisfie your selves further take the proof of another of your Senses Handle me and see And when St. Thomas was a little more distrustful then the rest Reach hither thy Finger and Joh. 20. 27. behold my Hands and reach hither thy Hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing Now recollect the forementioned Passages and then resolve me What could have been further either said or done to convince them That Jesus was risen They saw him he discoursed with them did eat before them they touched him and handled him And all this variety of Conversation they had with him not only once or twice but for the space of Forty Days together The Premisses considered you must needs grant That the Apostles were very sufficient Witnesses of our Blessed Saviours Resurrection in respect of their Knowledge i. e. They had all imaginable advantages to know the Truth of that which they witnessed and attested But 2. Supposing their Knowledge And that they had sufficient means of Information yet whether were they Persons of that Honesty and Integrity as to be Believed Or was there not just reason to suspect that they might deliver a Falshood instead of Truth And for this let me desire you to consider that known Saying Nemo gratis malus est There is scarce any Man so absurd as to be a Villain for nothing Or so impertinently Wicked as to do mischief for mischiefs sake Whoever therefore shall presume publickly and solemnly to deliver a False Testimony he must be supposed to do it upon some urging Cause As To raise himself a Name To please a Party To advance his Fortunes Or to gratifie a Revenge Now All that is in the World saith 1 Joh. 2. 16. St. John is the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life And whatever the Apostles could propose to themselves it will be comprehended under one of these Three Honors Riches or Pleasures 1. As to Honour They could not expect it since all Dignities and Promotions were then in the Hands of Jews or Pagans From whom they received nothing but ignominy and reproach And by whom they were accounted the Dung of the Earth and the Off-scouring of the World 2. As to Riches Instead of gaining an Estate they were forced to part with all that they had Either by a voluntary Resignation to supply the wants of others for at first they had all Things common or else by the fraud and rapine of their Oppressors They no sooner came to one City but they were Persecuted and forced to fly unto another And by this ambulatory Kind of Life without any fixt certain Being they were so far from being able had they otherwise designed it to have raised Estates and Fortunes that they lived upon the Alms and Charity of others And then 3. What kind of Pleasures they were to expect as their Master did foretel so they themselves did sufficiently experience In the World Joh. 16. 33. ye shall have Tribulation They shall Luk. 21. 12 16 17. lay their Hands on you and persecute you and ye shall be betrayed both by Parents

Works that I do bear Witness of me that the Father hath sent me Joh. 10. 24 25. And when the Jews came round about him and said unto him How long dost thou make us to doubt If thou be the Christ tell us plainly Jesus answered them I told you and ye believed not The Works that I do in my Fathers Name they bear Witness of me What these Works are the Evangelists have largely Recorded Some of them are briefly repeated by our Lord himself in his Answer to John's Disciples The Blind Luk 7. 22. see the Lame walk the Deaf hear the Dead are raised By such miraculous Works as these our Blessed Saviour doth justifie his Commission That he was the Messias i. e. that he was that Person who was sent from God to Publish to Purchase to effect the Salvation of Mankind These were the Credentials of this Heavenly Agent The Divine Seal to his Commission which made it Authentic Which unless he had produced he could not rationally have challenged any acceptance from the World If I do not Joh. 10. 37. the Works of my Father i. e. Works only imputable to Gods extraordinary Power Believe me not If I had not done among 15. 24. them the Works which none other Man did they the incredulous Jews had not had Sin i. e. had not been culpable for Unbelief Intimating plainly That if he had not confirmed his Doctrin with such convincing Miracles they were not to be blamed tho they did reject him as an Impostor But still you will say The Question is de facto How can I be assured that such Miracles were really done by him Had I lived in those Days and seen any of his Miracles I should then have known how to have judged of them But to tell me of Things done Sixteen Hundred Years ago is not much to the purpose There hath been Jugling and Collusion in other Cases and for ought I know there hath been in this To satisfie which trifling Scruple give me leave with some freedom thus to express my self That if Men will turn perfect Sceptics and Causelesly suspect the Truth of all such Passages as they did not actually see done with their own Eyes or hear with their own Ears they are not worthy of Conviction And if this be your Temper we must then Turn you to Grass and there leave you But if there is such a thing as Fides historica or any assurance can be had of those Transactions which are beyond and above our own Times there may then be given as great evidence of these Miracles as any matter of Fact is capable to admit For These things were not done in a Corner but plainly and openly and in the sight of many Witnesses and with such remarkable Circumstances as might best expose them to the strictest Examination To omit many others pray read the Stories of a Luk. 8. Jairus Daughter the b Luk. 7. Widows Son of Nain and of c Joh. 11. Lazarus The last of which viz. Lazarus had been Dead four Days and Buried till he flank and yet at the call of Jesus although bound Hand and Foot with Grave-Cloths he came forth all the Multitude beholding This last Miracle was so eminently convincing and did so startle the Chief Priests and Pharisees that they called a Council upon it and said What do we For this Man doth many Joh. 11. 47 48. Miracles If we let him thus alone all Men will believe on him All this saith the Deist were evidently true and must needs be granted if we had not just cause to suspect your Proof You tell us indeed that Jesus did such and such Miracles particularly That he raised the Dead But pray who are they that report these Things Were they not his own Disciples and Followers And have we not great reason to susp●ct they might forge these Stories for the Credit of their Master In Answer to which Cavil because Objections are endless we shall put the Matter upon this short Issue These Writers do tell us That J●sus did not only raise others from the Dead but also that he raised himself Yea further they acquaint us That before he Died he promised his Apostles that he would rise again And moreover gave this also as a Sign to all the People whereby they should know That his Doctrin was true and that he was sent from God If therefore I can evidently prove to you That Jesus of Nazareth did rise again from the Dead and consequently That the Penmen of the New-Testament did herein declare nothing but Truth you will then have no reason to suspect their Fidelity in any other Instance Now in order to your Conviction which is most heartily prayed for I must desire you to grant me this Postulatum viz. That the Resurrection of Jesus is Matter of Fact And consequently can no otherwise be proved then Matters of Fact use to be When we design to convince another that such a Thing was Done the surest Evidence we can give him is the Testimony of sufficient credible Witnesses who saw it done And he who is not satisfied with such a Proof we look upon him as a Person not fit to be Discoursed with Now there was never any Matter of Fact better or more strongly attested then the Truth of this Assertion That Jesus rose from the Dead And that Whether we consider the Nature of the Things to be attested Or the Number and Quality of the Witnesses attesting First The thing to be attested was of that Nature that it might be fully perceived by those who saw it i. e. It was an Object fit and proper to be judged of by their Senses As to the Death and Passion of Jesus the necessary Antecedents of his Resurrection they were plain Objects of Sence Done in the presence of the whole City of Jerusal●m and consequently of his greatest Adversaries That he truly Died all the World could testifie No Mans Death was ever more solemn or remarkable Nor was this ever disputed So that thus far we are fixt and certain That if Jesus did rise again his Resurrection was no juggling Trick but a real Miracle After his Resurrection those to whom he appeared were frightned at it supposing him to be a Spirit But he sufficiently assures them of the contrary by appealing to their Senses Behold my hands and Luk. 24. 39. my feet that it is I my self Handle me and see for a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as ye see me have q. d. Satisfie your selves that it is I the same who was Dead that am now alive again But Secondly Not only the nature of the Thing of which even our Senses are competent Judges but also the Witnesses attesting do sufficiently prove That Jesus is risen Now there are Two Things must concur to make a credible Witness Knowledg and Integrity 1. Knowledge No Man ought to be received as a fit Witness in any Matter unless it do appear that