Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	church_n	rome_n	2,013	5	6.8164	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61531	Christian magnanimity a sermon preached in the cathedral church at Worcester at the time of the assizes, September 21. 1690 / by ... Edward, Lord Bishop of Worcester.	Stillingfleet, Edward, 1635-1699.	1690 (1690)	Wing S5566; ESTC R2456	16,305	41

you will provide me all the things I shall desire in order to it After great Care taken in providing many things for him Darius asked him if he had all he wanted No said he there is one thing more I must have and you are the most likely Person to furnish me with it In short you must get me three Names to be put upon her Monument of such Persons who have gone to their Graves without Sorrow or Trouble and You said he have very large and populous Dominions and no doubt if such a thing be to be had you can procure it Darius was struck with this and after some consideration said he doubted he could not Why then said the Philosopher smiling Are not You ashamed to be guilty of so much Folly as to be so exceedingly cast down under such a Calamity as though you were the onely Person in the World that underwent it This was agreeable enough to his Humour in Exposing the Folly of Mankind which was a Subject large enough for his whole Life but he was too pleasant upon it I do not deny but the Moralists did find out some very Usefull Considerations to bear men up under the Common Accidents of Life but those of greatest Moment were such as are much improved by Christianity viz. the Wisdom of Providence the Usefulness of Trials the Benefit of Patience and the Expectation of a better State 2. As to Voluntary and chosen Sufferings We have in Scripture several extraordinary Instances of this kind of Magnanimity such was Abraham's leaving his Kindred and Country and going he knew not whither on God's Command and his readiness to Sacrifice his Son which argued an entire Sacrifice of himself to the Will of God Such was Moses his Choosing rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the Pleasures of Pharaoh's Court. Such was the Son of God's choosing to suffer for our sakes with admirable Resignation to the Divine Will and praying for his Persecutors under the greatest Agonies on the Cross. Such was the Apostles Resolution and Courage when they rejoyced to be accounted worthy to suffer for the sake of Christ when they were more than Conquerors in the midst of Persecutions And truely the Magnanimity of Suffering rather than Sinning was never so much shewn to the World as in the Case of the Primitive Christians There were some few Heroick Instances of Suffering for Truth among the Heathens but they were no more to be compared with the Numerous Examples of the Primitive Church than the Miracles of the Vestal Virgins were with those of the Apostles It could not but amaze the common sort of Spectators of Rome who were wont to see the Gladiators who were either hired or condemned to that Cruel Entertainment of others with their blood to behold a sort of Grave and Serious Persons expose themselves to so much Torment and Cruelty when so small a matter as burning a little Incense would set them free This was a New Spectacle to the World and it could not but put them upon thinking what strange sort of Philosophy this was which inspired ordinary Persons with such a Magnanimity in suffering They had never found those who pretended to Philosophy among them very fond of Suffering for the Doctrine they taught They rather liked the Example of Aristotle than Socrates who when the People of Athens were enraged against him withdrew to Chalcis and when he was upbraided with it made a witty Excuse that he had no mind the City of Athens should sin twice against Philosophy Whereas the Christians were so forward to suffer for their Doctrine that it was imputed as a Fault to them and it appears by Tertullian that some out-went the bounds of Christianity in offering themselves too freely to it This made such as Antoninus and others impute all their Sufferings to an invincible Obstinacy and a sort of Madness which possessed them which had been easily confuted if they would have had the Patience to have examin'd the Reasons and Grounds of their Religion as they did the peculiar Doctrines of the several Sects of Philosophers But this is not all which Christian Magnanimity doth imply for it is not onely a Spirit of Power but of Love and of a Sound Mind And so it hath II. A Respect to the Humours and Passions of Men. And truely there is such a Variety and Uncertainty in them so much Folly and Mistake so much Prejudice and Peevishness in some so much Wilfulness and Stiffness in others so little Regard to the true Interests of Religion and Vertue under all the pretences to it that those who sincerely desire to promote them had need of Magnanimity to bear them up against such Humours and Distempers of Mens Minds Aristotle hath well observed that Magnanimity doth go beyond the Consideration of Dangers It makes a man more ready to do Kindnesses than to receive them and to forget Injuries I add and to forgive them for else it is rather want of Memory than Magnanimity It is well he adds one thing viz. that he that hath Magnanimity is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contented within himself so he had need to be for he will find very little Satisfaction abroad especially in an Age when Sincerity is almost lost when men have used themselves to so much Hypocrisie and Dissimulation with God and Man that they can zealously pretend to Love what they would be glad to Ruine and cry up Peace and Unity onely to get an Opportunity to destroy them But still true Magnanimity keeps a Mans own mind at Ease and makes him to govern himself as the same Philosopher observes with due Temper and Moderation in all things Such a one is not onely Easie to himself but to all others as far as is consistent with his Duty For a Mind truely Great hath nothing of Bitterness or Sowreness Peevishness or Ill Will to the rest of Mankind All Malice and Cruelty argue a Mean and Base Spirit The more noble and generous any Tempers are the more tender and compassionate they are the more ready to oblige the more easie to forgive the more willing to be Reconciled But to be more particular there are two things implied in this Spirit of Love and of a Sound Mind 1. The making all Reasonable Allowances for the Infirmities of others It makes men to consider the Prejudices of Education the Variety and Weakness of most mens Judgments the Power of Perswasion the Bias of Parties and the Shame and Reproach which Persons undergo that break off from them after they have been once ensnared by them On these Accounts it makes them rather Pity than Triumph over the Follies of Mankind There are two things which a Great Mind doth most abhor in Religion and are most directly contrary to a Spirit of Love and a Sound Mind and these are Hypocrisie and Cruelty which make men false to God and Enemies to Mankind These two often go together and