Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	believe_v	faith_n	heart_n	4,626	5	5.3251	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01747	A treatise concerning the trinitie of persons in vnitie of the deitie Written to Thomas Mannering an Anabaptist, who denyed that Iesus is very God of very God: but man onely, yet endued with the infinite power of God.	Gill, Alexander, 1565-1635.	1601 (1601)	STC 11879; ESTC S118376	22,851	81

And wee see that in these things where a bare faith without knowledge might seeme to be most required because as a man would thinke there were no reason to be giuen of them namely concerning the maintenance of this life and the resurrection to the life to come both Christ and his Apostles vse no other reasons but such as euery reasonable man may easily be perswaded by though authorities of Scripture were not wanting to both purposes as it is manifest Mat. 6. and 1. Cor 15. yea Paul at Athens or wheresoeuer he perswaded the worship of the true God among the Gentiles hee perswaded not by authority of Scripture which amongst thē had bene very weake but by such argumēts as they knew to be sufficient euē in thēselues If these things were not so how thē could the Gentiles which knew not the Scriptures he without excuse for their ignorance of God Therefore I conclude that there is nothing which is beleeued but it may also be knowen Now knowledge we know is ingendred by such principles as haue truth in thē the which is euident of it selfe So that by plaine and reasonable vnderstanding a man may knowe whatsoeuer he beleeueth You wil say To what purpose then serue the Scriptures I answere That God infinite in goodnesse hath together with this vnderstanding light of Nature giuen vs withall his word as a greater light whereby our lesser lights might become more shining That he hath giuen vnto vs not only an inward word to wit our natural vnderstanding but also an outward worde as a most illustrious Commētary both of declaration and amplification of that text whereby we may the better vnderstand whatsoeuer wee ought to vnderstand without it But how thē commeth it to passe that all men haue not Faith And how is Faith sayd to bee the gift of God The first is answered Rom. 1 21. and Ephe. 4. 18 For hardnes of their heart who when they knew God did not glorifie him as they ought therefore their imaginations became vaine their foolish heart was ful of darkenes And for this cause is Faith also sayd to bee the gift of God First in respect of that knowledge whence it doeth proceede which knowledge is his gift Secondly because it is the onely worke of God to make that knowledge to become fruitful by laying it so vnto mans heart that the hardnesse thereof may bee remoued that when wee know God to bee good and iust we also beleeue and worship him as we ought Thirdly and most especially because that God oftentimes pardoning the ignorance which men haue of himselfe and the creature doth so illumine the heart with 〈◊〉 holy Spirit that it is suddenly 〈◊〉 without any previant knowledge to faith and obedience The trueth whereof neuertheles doth not any whit impugne that which I say That God hath giuen vnto euery man so much vnderstanding as to know what he ought to beleeue and to bee satisfied for the reasons of his Fayth if he could open his eyes to see in the middest of what wonderous light hee were placed This point is manifest both by many Scripture-authorities and by many reasons which I omit But taking this as either granted or sufficiently prooued that God hath giuen vs light of vnderstanding whereby to yeeld a reason of the Hope that is in vs a reason I say euen of euery article of our Faith let vs with holy reuerence come vnto the thing in question and see what reason wee haue for our defence I will therefore a while forbeare to vse the authoritie of holy Scripture not that I esteeme the waight or euidence of any reason comparable thereto but onely perceiuing by that talke I had with you that you had read the Scripture as one of those whom Peter noteth 2. Epist 3. 16. Not intending to wrangle about your wrested interpretations I wil first propone the euidence of reasonable proofe and afterwards bring in the assent of holy Scripture that you may perceiue in what wondrous cleare light you striue to be blinde And because I know not what your opinion is concerning God for he that denieth the Godhead of Christ may as well denie the Godhead absolutely that beeing one steppe toward the question I will proceed orderly and giue you also a reason of our faith concerning that matter taking this onely as granted which is rife in euery mans knowledge that both the termes of Contradiction cannot bee affirmed of the same Subiect that is that one and the same thing cannot be both affirmed and denied of the same Subiect at one time and in the same respect But first by the Name of God know that I meane an Eternall Being infinite in goodnesse in power in wisedome in glory in vertue and onely worthie of endlesse loue and honour My reason is thus If there be not a Being which had no beginning then of necessitie that which was first existent or begunne must be a beginning vnto it selfe by causing of it selfe to be when it was not But this is impossible that any thing should bee a cause and not bee for so should it both bee and not be therefore there is an eternall Being which is the beginning middle and ende of all things and himselfe without beginning and this eternall Beeing wee call God My reason is plaine to bee vnderstood and remember what I haue said that I may goe on Whatsoeuer is without beginning is also without ending because it hath no Superiour which might bring it to nothing therefore God is eternall Againe whatsoeuer comes to nothing is corrupted by his contrary but nothing can be opposite to God therefore hee is Eternall Or else I might thus reason Being and Not Being are such contraries as one of them cannot spring out of another for euery thing for the preseruations sake of it selfe doth represse and corrupt the contrary Seing then that there is Beeing which could not possibly raise it selfe out of Not Being it followes that Being had a primacy or prioritie before Not Beeing and therefore of necessitie must be eternall for otherwise there was a time wherein it might be said that Being is Not Being so Not Being should haue been first and contradictories might haue stood together but both these are impossible therefore there is an eternall Being and this eternall Being wee call God Furthermore wee know that the greatest excellencie or perfection of euery thing is in the proximitie or approch thereof vnto the first cause But euery thing is more excellent in the Being thereof then in the Not Being therefore Beeing was before Not Being and for that cause Eternall Now Eternitie is an Infinite Continuance therefore whatsoeuer is Eternall must of necessitie be Infinite and this Infinite Being we call God Moreouer whatsoeuer hath Infinite continuance hath Infinite Power to continue infinitely and this omnipotent or endlesse Power we call God I might reason likewise of his Goodnes of his Wisedome Trueth Glory c. but one