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	word_n	14,132	5	4.8692	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

to cast pearles before swine But yet I hope that God will not suffer you to bee ledde any longer by that Spirit of Antichrist against which S. Iohn doth so often warne vs. For I doe you to witte that this your heresie is no new thing but euen as ancient as the Apostles time For the reason of Iohns writing of his Gospell was to proue the Godhead of Christ against the Heretikes that denied it in his owne time And truely I maruell that you who haue receyued this Heresie from the rotten bones of Arrius should not prouide for your safetie as he did He denied the authoritie of S. Iohns writings to be authenticall And why because this earth-bred Gyant which would pul Christ out of the throne of his Deitie should with his lightening be suddenly burnt Beleeue you the Scripture Is Iohns authoritie sufficient then the case is plaine We are in him that is true in his Sonne Iesus Christ who is very God and eternall life 1. Ioh. 5. 20. Can you now confer this Scripture with that place I haue said ye are Gods and not be ashamed I and the Father are one The Iewes vnderstood that hee herein professed himselfe to be very GOD and are you his enemie more then they Read Ioh. 10. vers 30. and 33. and 34. and you may vnderstand the meaning of both places The diuels acknowledged him to be GOD of Infinite power I know thee who thou art euen that Holy one of God And wil not you cōfesse as much as the diuels But this is more then I thought to say only you may see hereby that we speake no other thing then Christ himselfe euen in his enemies vnderstanding said Now if you could see a little the folly of your owne opinion that were inough to cause you to put on a better mind I wil touch it as lightning doth touch the ground for if you be willing to be reformed there is no doubt but you may propound it to the learned Diuines and be fully satisfied You say Christ is onely man but yet indued with the infinite Power of GOD. Here first you doe iniurie to the Highest to make the Power of God to bee accidentall vnto him whereas hee is purus actus absolute perfection and without shadow of change his Beeing is most simple and pure not capable of accidents Then his Being is such as no addition can be made thereto to make it more thē it is therfore it is necessary that he be euer actually whatsoeuer he may be Besides His Being is infinitely distant from Not Being therfore his Power is inseparable Again if there come any thing to God as an accident it must come vnto him frō himselfe or els frō another not frō another for he is impassible or such as cānot suffer violence not frō himselfe for all such accidents do proceed a potentia that is frō the imbecillity or imperfection of the subiect but his Being is most simple infinitely perfect Again all accidents do rise frō the matter forme or composition of the subiect In him is neither matter forme nor composition Now all things we see in this world do consist ex actu potentiâ of Perfection from God imperfection frō thēselues for of thēselues they are non entia absolutely nothing Yea euen the very Angels and the soule it selfe are partakers of this compositiō for nothing is purus actus but God alone therefore are they subiect to accidents yet they which come neerest to perfection are most free from accidents as that which is meere perfection hath no accidents at al. Know then that all the dignities of God are in him essentially one God For the Goodnes of God his Power his Wisedome his glory c. beeing all infinite do of necessity concur in the nature of Infinity Whence it followeth that whatsoeuer is in him is essentially himselfe therefore the power of God is not accidentall or such as may be imparted to a man The learned Hebrues according to this do hold that Eusoph or Infinitie is not to bee numbred among the other attributes of God because it is that abstract Vnity wherinto they all essentially concurre from which they al essentially proceed And hēce by the way take another strong argument to the former question for if GOD bee essentially a Father then the terme correlatiue a Sonne must bee in the Godhead also and that essentially But now againe see another folly in your supposition The worke of our redemption is a worke of infinite goodnesse mercie power wisedome and glory therefore it followeth that Christ the worker had infinite mercie power wisedome c. Now I demaund had Christ this infinite goodnesse and power so giuen to him of God that the Father himselfe had in the meane time none This you dare not say for that were to say that GOD did cease to bee GOD which cannot stand with his Eternitie Now if GOD the Father had notwithstanding this absolute infinite Power of Christ of which he spake All power is giuen vnto me both in heauen and in earth then it followeth that either there were two infinities of Power or else that these two which had this infinite Power were all one Infinite The first is against the nature of Infinitie or that is absolutely infinite which so comprehendeth all things as that it leaueth nothing without it selfe and yet is not comprehended of any other Besides if you would say that the Father and the Sonne had each of them seuerall indiuisible infinite Powers it must follow that neither of their Powers were absolutely infinite because each of them had not the infinite Power of the other And besides that both these infinite Powers must bee conioyned with infinite weakenesse because they must be mutually subiected to the infinite Power one of the other but both these things are impossible So you see that two Infinities can by no meanes stand together therefore it followeth that these two to wit the Father and the Sonne are in Being one and that of infinite Power and this is that which I striue for which as you see I haue concluded by your owne assertion The time would faile mee to lay before your eyes the manifold vntrueths which would insue of your position which sauoureth neyther of witte iudgement nor learning And therefore I see how they which haue once departed from the trueth must of necessitie runne into infinite absurdities Therefore looke backe and be ashamed of such new-fangled toyes as you do dayly imagine which in trueth doe argue the great inconstancie and vanitie of your minde and withall such palpable blindnesse of vnderstanding as the darknesse of Egypt For tell mee without selfe-liking what sound iudgement doth this argue to be driuen about with euery wind of doctrine a Protestant a Brownist an Anabaptist an Antichrist What bringing vp what gift of learning and knowledge haue you that you should presume to oppose your sentence against the faith and doctrine of all the Christian Churches in the world Blush and learne with meekenesse the trueth of that Word which is able to saue your soule You may see by your owne miserable experience what it is to forsake the Vnitie of Faith and the Communion of the Saints who imbrace the trueth of Gods word and haue manifest tokens that they are the true Church to wit The word of God truely taught and the Sacraments duely administered What if there want perfection The Church militant must euer confesse I am louely yet blacke For it is impossible that any Church should be without imperfectiō so long as the world standeth but at the end it shall bee presented without spotte or wrinkle Therfore remēber from whence you are fallen repēt do the works of righteousnes lest Christ whō you so despite come against you shortly The worke of Christianitie is not in foolish questions and disputing about needlesse subtilties but in doing the workes of trueth and righteousnesse Pray and endeuour your selfe thereto And till such time as GOD for his Christs sake vouchsafe to haue mercie on you the enemie of his SONNE and giue you grace to repent of this great wickednesse I am neither your friend nor yet your foe Alecsander Gil. FINIS