Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	affirm_v	certain_a	great_a	188	4	2.0716	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A22701	Saint Augustine his enchiridion to Laurence, or, The chiefe and principall heads of all Christian religion a most profitable booke to all those which desire to haue a most compendious briefe of Augustines doctrine, out of Augustine himselfe, when he was old, being repurged, by the old manuscript, of many faults and vnusuall wordes, wherewith it formerly flowed.	Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo.	1607 (1607)	STC 921.5; ESTC S1512	82,205	310

euill than to lie weighing therein the intention of the inward man yet is it much more tolerable in matters out of the compasse of religion to lie and dissemble than to bee deceiued and misled in those things without the beleefe and knowledge whereof God cannot bee worshipped as in many particularities it may more cleerely bee found out by him that will seeke after the truth Which to demonstrate by some examples let vs see what difference there is betweene him who in lying reporteth that a man is liuing who is dead and another who beeing deceiued beleeueth that Christ after many ages to come shall suffer a second death In which two things is it not without all comparison a lesser matter in that sort to be a liar than in this sort to be deceiued and it is a lesse euill to induce any man to that error than by any man to be induced into this CHAP. 19. Although wee are diuersly deceiued and misled in respect of the euent yet is it alwaies an euill in it selfe to be deceiued and misledd IN some particular matters therefore wee are seduced to our great hurt in certaine again to our lesse hurt in some also without any hurt at all and in some againe to our great good As for example that man is deceiued to his great hurt which beleeueth not that which bringeth him to his saluation Hee againe is seduced with little hu●t to himselfe who entertaining error for trueth falleth thereby into some worldly troubles and yet bearing the same with faithfull patience maketh good vse thereof As for example if any man by holding another man to be honest and iust who indeed is a bad man doth sustaine some hurt by him Thirdly hee which so farre-forth beleeueth an euill man to bee good as that hee suffereth no hurt by him at all is not thereby seduced to any hurt to himselfe neither doeth that detestation of the Prophet fall vpon him pronouncing a woe vnto those who affirme that euill is good For that saying is to bee vnderstood of the things wherein men do offend or commit euill and not of the persons themselues And therefore he which saith that adulterie is good is rightly taxed by that saying of the Prophet but he who pronounceth that man to be honest whom he taketh to be chaste not knowing him to be an adulterer that man is deceiued not in the true sense of that doctrine of things that bee good and euill but is deceiued by the close carriage of men in their manners calling him a good man whom he thinketh to be indued with that which hee knoweth to be good and yet affirming still that an adulterous person is euill and a continent person good howbeit saying that this man is good not knowing that he is an adulterer and that man to be euill not knowing that hee is an honest liuer Furthermore if any man doe escape mischief by error as it hapned to vs in our iorney which we formerly remembred by that it may appear that some good cōmeth vnto a man by error But whē I say that any man is deceiued either without any hurt to himselfe or else to his particular good I doe not therein affirme that error is no euill or that it is a good after a sort but I speake of that euill whereinto a man falleth not or of that good whervnto a man attaineth by erring expressing what doth fall out or not fall out vpon precedent error For error simply by it selfe beeing either a great euill in a great matter or a little euill in a little matter is alwaies notwithstanding an euill For who but a man that is ignorant will denie that it is an euill to allowe of vntruths for truths or adiudge truths to be vntruths embracing incertainties for certainties and certainties for incertainties But it is one thing to thinke a man to be good that is bad whereof error is the occasion and another thing by this euill not to bee endammaged or not to incurre another euill although wee receiue no detriment by an euill man who is deemed good Also it is one thing to thinke that to be the way which is not the way and another thing by this euill of ignorance to get some good as namely to escape the conspiracies of euill persons CHAP. 20. That euery kind of error is not sinne neither because we often erre in some things all assent in matters is to be abrogated and taken away as the Academical Philosophers would haue it YEt can I not certainely set downe whether it may bee called an error when a man holdeth a good opinion of an euill man not knowing what he is in manners and conuersation or else when in stead of those things which wee discerne by our corporall senses the like are presented vnto vs beeing either spiritually perceiued as it were with the body or bodily perceiued as it were in the spirit Much like vnto that which the Apostle Peter beleeued to be sor indeed when he thought he saw a sight beeing suddainely deliuered out of prison and fetters by the angel or in corporall things when that which is hard is accounted easic or that sweet which is sower or that which is vnsauourie to be pleasāt in smel or else that it thundreth when a chariot runneth or when one man is taken for another two beeing alike which oftentimes happeneth in twins whereupon the Poet affirmeth that mistaking in such cases is an acceptable error in Parents And so whether many other things of like condition be to be pronounced sinnes This question though it be most knottie and intangled hauing troubled the heads of the subt 〈…〉 t Academiees yet haue I vndertaken to vnfould it that is to say Whether a wife man ought to giue his approbatiō of any thing to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he should allow of falshood for truth seeing all things as they do affirm lie either hidden in the secrets of nature or els be ambiguous vncertaine Whereupon I composed three Books when I was first conuerted to take away those stūbling blocks which stood in the dore as it were to withstand me Also the despaire of finding out the truth was to be remooued the same beeing fortified by their reasons arguments With thē therefore all error is accounted sin which they defend to be ineuitable ●nles euery mans particular approbation in any thing be vtterly suspēded For they do hold that mā to be in error whosoeuer assenteth vnto things vncertaine affirming that nothing subiect vnto the eie of mā●s certain infallible because ther is no sensible difference betweene falshoode and truth in outward appearance although sometimes that falleth out to bee truth which seemeth to bee the same a positiō maintained with most impudent though ingenious arguments Howbeit with vs in diuinitie it is said that the righteous man liueth by faith But if assent and approbation be taken away faith also is destroyed Because without approbation or allowance wee beleeue in nothing

in something doth therefore erre nor yet that euery error is damnable ALbeit error therefore is with all diligēce to be eschewed not onely in greater but also in lesser matters and that error also cannot bee without ignorance yet doth it not follow● that hee should euermore erre who is ignorant in some particular thing but rather hee which thinketh hee vnderstandeth that which indeed hee knoweth not For such a kinde of person alloweth that for veritie which is false being alwaies the propertie of error Howbeit the matter wherein euery one erreth maketh all the difference For in one the selfe same matter both the man that vnderstandeth is to be preferred before the ignorant person and he that erreth not before him that erreth and that by the rule of reason Againe in diuers things that is to say wheras this man knoweth these things another other things and this man is seene in matters of greater vtilitie and another in things of lesse vtilitie or rather which be hurtfull who will not in these differences account him in better case that knoweth thē not than him that is skilfull therein For there be some things which were better vnknowen then knowen Also to many it hath beene sometimes good to haue erred and gone astray howbeit in the way of their worldly iourneys and not in the course of their life and cōuersation For it happened vnto ●●r selues that wee were deceiued by a double way whereby wee went not that way where the armed forces of the Donatists lay in wait for vs to shut vp the passages By which accident it fell out that we came to the place whither wee trauailed though wee went about out of the way hauing cause to bee glad and thanke full vnto God in that we erred and went out of the right way knowing the traines which were laied for vs. Who therefore will be afraid to prefer such a wandring trauailer before a theefe that neuer goeth out of his courses For confirmation whereof that forlorne louer is fained by that excellent Poet to say How was her sight my bane how did blinde error me mis-lead Because that error is good which not onely hurteth not at all but also is in some sort profitable To set downe the truth therefore herein for as much as error is nothing else but to think that to be true which is false that againe to be false which is true or to hold that for certaine which is vncertaine or on the contrary to take that for vncertaine which is certaine whether it be false or whether it be true Which mistaking beeing a great deformitie and blemish to the minde how beautifull then and seemly may we account it to bee when either in our assertion wee deale plainely and say either yea yea or no no to any questiō propoūded In respect whereof truely our life in this world wherin we liue is most wretched because error is oftētimes needfull in the course thereof for the preseruation of the same God forbid thē that such should be the estate of that life to come where onely truth is the life of the soule and where neither any man doth deceiue nor is deceiued But in this world men both deceiue be deceiued being the more ●amentable when as they rather beguile by lying than be beguiled themselues by beleeuing lyars Howbeit our nature beeing indued with reason doth by all meanes so eschewe the snare of deceipt and as much as it may shun error that euen they which loue to deceiue others will not themselues willingly bee deceiued For he which lyeth will not perswade himselfe that hee erreth therein but rather that hee seduceth him thereby who doth beleeue him Neither doth that man erre in that matter which he cloaketh with a lie in case himselfe did vnderstand the truth But he is deceiued in this that he thinketh that hee woundeth not himselfe by lying whereas euery sinne in it selfe is more hurtfull to the agent than to the patient CHAP. 18. Albeit it is not the part of an honest and godly man to lie yet in lies one is greater than another in respect of the minde and intention and so also in respect of the matters about which we doe lie one is more dangerous and pernicious than another BVt now out of this matter there riseth a most intricate and darke question whereof we did write a great booke at such time as we were necessarily inforced to answer Whether 〈◊〉 were the part of a iust man to lie or dissemble at any time Truely I am of opinion that any kind of lie is a sinne Wherein notwithstanding there is a great alteration of the case in respect of the quality of the minde and also of the causes moouing any man to lie For he doth not commit so great a sinne which lieth in aduising or directing another mā as he which lieth with an intent to doe hurt thereby As for example that mā doth not so much hurt which setteth a trauailer into a wrong way by lying as hee which corrupteth the way of mans life by deceiuing him with vntruths And againe no man is to bee held a liar who affirmeth a falshood taking it for a trueth because in as much as in him is he hath no meaning to deceiue but is rather deceiued himselfe Hee is not therefore to bee condemned for a liar but to be censured either for temerity rashnes who inconsiderately beleeuing vntruthes entertaineth thē for truthes But rather on the cōtrarie that man as much as in him is doth he indeede who affirmeth that to be true which he thinketh in his conscience to be false For as touching his minde and inward motion because his tongue declareth not that which his heart thinketh hee saith not the trueth although in examination it fall out to be true which he affirmeth Neither is he by any meanes to be freed from the guilt of a lie which with his mouth ignorantly vttereth a truth and yet wittingly lieth in his heart Setting apart therefore things themselues by occasion whereof any thing is auouched and onely setting before our eies the intention of the speaker that man is better of the two which through want of knowledge and capacitie affirmeth an vntrueth because hee taketh it for a veritie than hee which contrary to his conscience carrieth a minde to lie and deceiue although indeede hee cannot truely iudge of that to be truth which hee affirmeth For the first of these 2. hath not one thing in his heart and another in his mouth But the second no doubt howsoeuer it bee false or true which hee saith yet hath hee notwithstanding one thing shut vp in his breast and another thing in his tongue which euill is a propertie incident to the liar And now to come to the consideration of things which be held and maintained there is as great a difference in the matter wherein any man is deceiued or doth lie albeit that to bee deceiued is a lesse

penance and small offences by iteration or daily saying of the Lords Praier lest any man should take a liberty to sinne hearing that enormious sinnes might be redeemed by penance or on the other side should bee terrified and driuen to despair if he were inioyned penance for euery small fault and insirmitie Prayer therefore maketh way to the remission of both these degrees of sinnes by the blood of Christ alone howsoeuer the discipline of the Church teacheth vs to knowe how to obtaine forgiuenesse in either kinde Let not therefore this Chapter preiudice Saint Augustine in that point of doctrine nor peruert any other therein CHAP. 72. There bee many kindes of almes howbeit that best whereby we pardon our brother whē he hath offended vs. BY this it appeareth that that saying vttered by the Lord Giue almes and all things shall bee cleane vnto you reacheth to all good actions done out or mercie and compassion that is profitable For not onelie hee which giueth meate vnto the hungrie drinke vnto the thirstie apparell vnto the naked harbour vnto the harbourlesse a place of refuge to the persecuted to the sicke or prisoner visitation helpe to the weak conduct to the blinde comfort to the mourner physicke to the sicke direct●ō to him that is out of the way counsaile to him that doubteth and to euery one in want that which he needeth But also hee which forgiueth him who hath offended him giueth almes yea and hee who by stripes amendeth him ouer whom hee hath authoritie or reformeth him by any discipline and yet notwithstanding forgiueth him with all his heart the trespasse of him whereby he was either damaged or offended or els praieth that it may be forgiue him He doth not onely perform an almes deed in y ● he pardoneth and prayeth withall but also in that he correcteth or inflicteth some punishmēt that reformeth because therein he doth a deede of mercy For there bee many good offices done vnto men against their wills where their good is sought and their owne liking not regarded because they are found to bee their own enemies And they in verie deed become rather their friendes whom they take to be their enemies Through which errour they render euil for good wheras a Christian ought not to render euill for euill There be therfore many kinds of almes the performance whereof helpeth vs in the remission of our owne sinnes CHAP. 73. That euerie Christian ought to be such a proficient as that he can frame himselfe to loue his very enemies BVt there is nothing of greater excellencie than that charitie whereby wee forgiue from out hart that trespasse which any other man hath done vnto vs. For it is not so great a matter to bee kinde or liberall towardes him who hath done thee no harme But it is a more notable thing and effect of an heroicall disposition to loue thine enemie also and for thine owne part alwayes to wish well and to do wel when thou maist to him which wisheth euill vnto thee and would harme thee if hee could giuing eare vnto Christes saying Loue your enemies bee good vnto them which hate you and pray for them which persecute you But because these things be onely in the power of the perfect sonnes of God to performe to the attainement of which perfection euerie faithful person ought to extend his vttermost indeuour and by praying vnto God striuing with himself perswasion to bring his minde to that affection yet because this so great a vertue is not intertained by so great a multitude as wee may beleeue are heard in that part of the Lords prayer where it is saide Forgiue vs our trespasses as wee also forgiue our debters without all doubt the words of this promise bee fulfilled if a man which is not as yet of that perfection as he can vpon the sodain loue his enemy yet when hee is intreated by one that hath trespassed against him to forgiue him doth vnfainedly and from his heart forgiue him being led by the same reason that hee would in like manner bee forgiuen himselfe being a petitioner to God when hee prayeth and sayth Euē as we forgiue our debters That is to say So forgiue vs our debts when wee our selues do aske remission thereof as wee forgiue our debters when they desire the same CHAP. 74. They which forgiue not other men the trespasses done vnto them do not obtaine pardon at Gods hand in the like case NOw againe he that prayeth that man to forgiue him whom hee hath offended being inwardly stirred vp to that motion vpon a remorse of the offence or wrong he hath done him such a person is not now to bee accounted for an enemy so as it should bee as harde a matter to loue him in this case as it was whē he was a professed enemie And whosoeuer doth not vnfainedly forgiue another man which seeketh peace the iniurie he hath done him being penitēt for the same let him not think by any meanes to find remission of his owne sinnes at Gods hands because truth cannot lie For how can it be vnknowne vnto any that heareth or readeth the Gospell who it is that pronounceth this saying I am the truth who after that he had taught vs a forme of prayer doth exceedingly cōmend that sentence in the same prayer saying For if you doe forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly father will also forgiue you your offenses Hee that is not awaked with so great a thunderclap is not asleepe but rather dead and yet is it able to raise vp the dead CHAP. 75. That almes doth neither profite infidels nor those which obstinately continue in sinfull life TRuely they which liue most wickedly will not amend such a life and so bad conditions and in the midst of their highest offences and execrable sinnes cease not to multiply their almes deedes they do vainely flatter themselues presuming of that which the lord speaketh saying Giue almes behould all things shall be made cleane vnto you For they do not vnderstand how far this saying is to bee extended But to the end they may vnderstand it let thē harken to whom it was spoken For it is written in the Gospell that a pharisie desired Christ as hee was speaking that hee would dine with him and Christ being within his house set him down to dinner Now the Pharisie began to say within himselfe wherfore did hee not wash before dinner And the Lord said vnto him Yee Pharisies doe make cleane the outside of the Cuppe and dish but that which is within you is full of rapine and iniquitie Yee fooles did not hee which made the outside make the inside also Howbeit of your superfluitie giue almes all things shall be made cleane vnto you Are we so to vnderstand this saying as that all things were cleane vnto the Pharisies because they gaue almes as these sinnefull persons before spoken of thinke they are to do albeit the Pharisies beleeued not in the Gospell nor

And those inuisible things concerning our saluation bee most true and certaine though they be vnseene which if they be not beleeued it is impossible to come to euerlasting life which is not otherwise but eternall I know not therefore whether we may say as they say who bee so farre from thinking that they shall liue for euer as they know not whether they do liue while they be in this world wherein they doe plead ignorance although it bee a thing which they cannot but know For there is no man admitted in reason to say that hee knoweth not whether hee liueth or not because if hee bee not a liuing creature hee hath no sense or vnderstanding at all because not onely to know but also not to know be properties incident onely to the liuing Howebeit in denying that they doe liue they would seeme to preuent error when as in very deede by that matter of error they are cōuinced as by a consequence that they beleeue hee cannot erre which liueth not As therefore it is not onely true but also very certaine that wee liue so likewise bee many things true and very certaine whereof for vs to giue allowance and approbation God forbid but that it should bee rather accounted wisdom than madnesse in vs. CHAP. 21. Although to erre is not alwaies a sinne yet is it a perpetuall effect and note of mans infirmity and wretchednes IN certaine things therefore it is not materiall to saluation whether they bee beleeued or not as whether they be belieued indeed or reputed ●o to be or els be deemed false In which things to be deceiued that is to say to mistake or take one for another is not to bee adiudged a sin or if it be it is the least lightest sin Finally let it be of what quality soeuer it is no part of that way which bringeth vs to God which way is faith in Christ working by loue and charitie Out of this way were not those parents misled in that acceptable error and mistaking of their twinnes Neither did the Apostle Peter wander out of this path when as supposing he sawe a vision he tooke one thing for another in such sort as through the shadow of those bodies wherin he thought he was he did not know the true bodies wherein he walked vntil such time as the angel parted from him by whom hee was se● at libertie being a prisoner Neither did Iacob the Patriarke wāder out of this way in supposing that his son was s●aine by a wild beast when as he was yet liuing In these and such like falsities we be deceiued without shipwrack of our ●aith in God and goe also amisse althogh we leaue not the way which leadeth vs vnto him Which errors or mistakings although they bee no sins yet are they to bee accounted in the number of the euils of this life which is so prone to vanity as in this world vntruths bee entertained for trueths trueths discarded for lies and things vncertaine retained for certaine For although these things be set apart from that faith which bringeth vs to the true vndoubted and eternall felilicitie yet be they not separated from that miserie wherein we liue beeing in the flesh For we shall in no sort be deceiued either in any sense of the mind or body if we were once inuested in that perfect state of felicity CHAP. 22. That euery lie is a sinne yea euen that which is called an officious lie that is to say a lie made for the safetie of another albeit it is not so hainous as that lie which is made with an intent to doe hurt MOreouer euery lie is therefore said to be a sinne because euery man not onely when himselfe knoweth what is true but also if at any time hee erre and is deceiued as a man ought to speake as he thinketh in his heart whether it bee the truth indeed or a reputed veritie and yet not the same For euery one that lieth in any thing which his conscience telleth him to bee otherwise that man speaketh with a will to deceiue Words therefore were deuised not as meanes for men to beguile one another but whereby they might open their thoughts each to other To make therefore wordes the instruments of deceipt beeing not ordained to that ende is a sinne Neither is any kinde of lie not to bee deemed a sinne for that wee may thereby perhaps pleasure one another For we may happily do good to some by stealing from others as in case the poore man to whom that is openly giuen which we haue stolne ●eele benefit thereby and the rich man whom we haue priuily robbed feeleth not the losse hee hath sustained Let therefore no man hold that such a theft is not a sinne Wee may in like manner by committing adulterie make shewe of a good turne done vnto her who beeing in case to die for loue if a man doe not cōsent to her desire howsoeuer shee may be purged by repentance if shee happen afterwards to recouer and liue Neither by that reason shall any such sinne bee denied to bee adulterie For if chastitie doeth please vs in the strict obseruation thereof what doeth then that word truth I pray you imply that chastitie should not be broken by fornication beeing done for the good of another and that truth on the contrary should bee violated by lying in respect of any like sequel of profit to others A lie therefore cannot at any time deserue praise or allowance although wee lie sometimes for other mens safetie It is therefore a sinne although a veniall sinne beeing on the one side excusable by reason of our affection to doe good condemned on the other side because it is fraudulent For it cannot be denied but that men doe greatly further other mens profit and good who do not lie but for the preseruation of some other body Howbeit in that their actiō their kindnes and affection and not the fraude or deceipt vsed therein is vnworthily commended in respect of the fact or else is recompenced in this world which to bee remitted and pardoned is sufficient and enough although also it bee not made common especially to the heirs of the new Testament to whom it is said Let yea yea no no bee in your mouthes For whatsoeuer is beyond the limitation therof proceedeth from the motion of euil In respect of which euil neuer ceasing to vndermine vs while wee liue in the flesh the co-heires of Christ doe therefore vse this saying Forgiue vs our trespasses OF THE CAVSES OF good and euill CHAP. 23. The chiefe and onely cause of good is Gods goodnesse defection or falling from God beeing also the originall cause of euill THese matters therefore beeing thus handled according to that brru●tie whereunto I am tied forsomuch also as the causes of good and euill are to bee vnderstood and learned as also our selues so farre forth instructed touching the way it selfe as may suffice to lead vs to that kingdome where