Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	scripture_n	spirit_n	3,143	5	5.2045	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81551	A dispute betwixt an atheist and a Christian the atheist being a Flemming, the Christian an Englishman. Published according to order.	G. G.	1646 (1646)	Wing D1678; Thomason E1187_3; ESTC R15204	24,048	59

and spirituall wisdome as the Bishop and Cardinals of Rome are And the Scripture being of more Antiquity then the Romish Religion from whence he pretends to take it the Church of England being grounded on that and not on mans imaginations as the Church of Rome in what it differs from ours is the more ancient Church And it is authentically proved by severall Authors of our Nation when and at what time the Tenets of the Church of Rome which differ from the Church of England were brought into it and by what Councell most of them being within nine hundered yeares But we confesse there was a Church in Rome before there was one in England Rome to be the place from whence the Faith was generally established in England But sence the corruption that was drawn in for the advantage of the Romish Church hath altered it from the purenesse of it at its converting ours to the Faith which was the cause that we fell from it to the state we now are in which is the same with its first institution A. Well then let that passe But for multitude there is a greater number of Mahumetans then of your profession and therefore according to that Argument you should fall to that beliefe C. I say no For the Scripture sayth We must not follow a multitude to do evill A. Why we agreed on confuting or proving by reason the truth of the Scripture Therefore I le barr that as a Plea But answer mee to the Argument with your reason C Well then I say that there is as great a multitude of Christians as of Mahumetans for although most part of Asia be Mahumetans yet almost all Europe except some few in Greece and Hungaria are Christians And for Africa the Kingdomes of Prety Janni with the Territorie of the Spaniards and Portugueses here and converts of America may compare with the remainder Mahumetans A. Well but for the antiquity of your Religion what can be said but that if you would plead for that and because that great and mighty Princes have received the Faith and lived and dyed in it you say that is the signe of the truth of it C. I say one signe A. Well I shall answer that one and your other after and first for this Whereas you say that it is a signe it is the truth in regard of the long continuance of the opinion of Moses inspiration with a divine and heavenly spirit and so consequently of the Law he writ and of the truth of it I answer That look on the people of America and those of Japan and all the people of the South Sea and you shall find they will tell you that their Faith hath endured ever since the World was no History being able to contradict but the Scripture doth speak of Baals Priests that launced their flesh and cryed out Baal heare us and of the Heathens that lived about the children of Israel which made their children to passe through the fire to the God Moloch and many such like customes are spoken of there to be used among the Heathen which at this day are used amongst those of America and the other places abovesaid which proves the Antiquity of their Customs and therefore should they be followed No an anciēt custom is nothing to prove the truth or cōveniency of a thing but rather the weaknesse of those that live so long in sottish ignorance C. You speake now of a company of barbarous simple people A. To you they may seeme so but not to themselves nor to some others and they have greater reason to condemn Christians for barbarousnesse then we to condemne them For the acts of the Spaniards have been so inhumane with them they have overcome that it is certainly known there have been 1100000 of harmlesse Indians in America cruelly butchered without cause or offence given by them as their own writers report But as the Persians seemed to the Grecians to be barbarous so the Grecians seemed no lesse barbarous to them and as all fools think wise men to be so or else they would learn of them to be wise so all wise men think fools to be so by their foolish acts and who shall judge this controversie neither party but the stander by And if it be so why then shall we not take the opinion of the ancient Philosophers as of Diogenes and others that lived that course of life that they took not care for to morrow which is the custom amongst them and for a civill kinde of humane curtesie they equalled them in all passages being as is reported by the first discoverers the most gentle and courteous people living And indeed my opinion tels me that the Irish men in their Rugge and trouses which is their constant weare are not so barbarous as the French who alter their habit oftner then a Cameleon doth her colour But goe into China a place generally accounted to have as subtile in habitants and as great multitudes of them as are in any petticular Dominion of the World their Chronicles informing them their Religion is as ancient as the creation of the world and that they record to be of above 6000. years continuance counting the yeare as we doe and they have as good oportunities for their knowledge of the truth as we for they say Printing is as ancient with them as History with us Therefore if you will be of a Religion or an opinion because the wise are of the same the learned are of the same a multitude are of the same and the Ancients were of the same then you may be of the Religion or opinion of the Chinians and according to your own rule In England the more Southeasterly you goe the wiser the people are as the French are wiser then the English the Italians wiser then the French and the Grecians wiser then them then consequently it must follow the people of Turkie and of Persia and the Mogores Countrey men to be wiser then the wisest of Europe and the people of China lying most Sontheastesly without you will come home again by America to be the wisest of the World and therefore to bee followed in custome and Religion C. Although I doe not so much stand on the Antiquity of the Religion I professe as I doe on the reasons that I can give to prove the verity of it yet dare I maintain its antiquity maugre all opposition For the story of China to passe over that of America I say I conceive that the Religion there according as it is reported is the simplest Religion in the World their supposed gods being always in their houses made of wood or clouts to which they worship and doe reverence which is contrary to ours for we worship him that made us and they worship that which they have made and were they so wise as the report goeth of them they are I cannot thinke they would doe such ridiculous things therefore the report of their wisdom seems as strange