Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	church_n	doctrine_n	teach_v	6,712	5	6.4919	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A38268	A defence and continuation of the Discourse concerning the period of humane life being a reply to a late answer, entituled A letter to a gentleman, &c. : to which is added, an appendix wherein several objections urged in private are considered, and Mr. Gales severe, but groundless charge is examined.	Allestree, Richard, 1619-1681.	1678 (1678)	Wing E27; ESTC R17144	30,062	111

much zeal but since the censure is altogether void of truth he must pardon me to say that the calumny is inexcusable but I love not to fling Dirt upon those who take the liberty to bespatter me with it it were easie to recriminate but our great Master never taught any such lesson BUT as I do not know of what Church the Author is a Member for it may be I oppose that Doctrin that is hotly taught in some particular Churches so neither do I know what Divines may be Orthodox in his account Sure I am that both the best and most learned Writers of this and former ages have maintained the sentiments I have embraced WHETHER the Authors opinion or mine does best agree with the humours of bad men needs but very little judgment to determin Pray how can it gratifie any wicked man to tell him that he may prolong his days a thing the most vitious and aptest to wish if he would obey the Laws of Heaven And upon the other hand that his days shall be shortened a heavy and unpleasant message to bad men who have no other heaven but what they enjoy upon Earth if he continues in his wickedness Methinks this principle is so far from encouraging men to sin that it quite opposeth it affording men most excellent encouragements to promote piety and to shun all manner of vices which lead down to the Chambers of Death BUT if we now enquire how the Doctrin of absolute and irresistible decrees do encourage men to be holy we shall weary our selves e're we find one reason to prove it There can be no Doctrine more pleasing to bad men for indeed hereby they labour to excuse themselves telling us that God has from Eternity absolutely determined every thing they should do and therefore they cannot help it O how luscious is the high relish of this Doctrin to bad men FROM all this it may appear that the Gentleman might have very well spared that Pathetick Query Shall we let it abroad to infect men without ever discovering the danger of it No sure Sir that were a great fault pray involve not your self by a sinful silence in so much guilt But alas if I should put the Author to tell me wherein lies the danger I could hazard ten to one that he should be puzled to tell But this must pass for current Coin and be as strongly believed as if it were proved by ten thousand Mathematical Demonstrations else we will be called credulous and not having so much Faith as a Grain of Mustard-Seed I CONFESS the Author pretends to be very unwilling to engage in the nice speculations of controversial Divinity but yet it seems he is of so good and condescending a nature that he cannot resist the great importunity of a noble Friend he will rather hazard one single look into things that as he says are hid than disoblige his Friend or and indeed this is a strong reason suffer the good cause to be ruined by his silence And thus we see that by his gracious condescension he luckily bestows a couple of favours one upon his friend and the other upon truth Sure never was there any man more fortunately happy but I forgot it was his fate to do so and no thanks to him for all this THE Gentleman needed not I think have troubled himself much with the state of the controversie since I had done it plainly enough and I leave you to guess if the Author has done it more clearly BUT passing lesser circumstances I come now to examin the Arguments he brings to prove that the Period of every man's life is unalterably fix'd by the Divine Decree this is the grand point he maintains a Doctrine long since introduced by the Stoicks and of a later date espoused by Mahomet and his followers AND yet if we will believe the Author this Doctrin is every whit consonant to Scripture and undoubtedly proved by reason Well then let us follow the Author in his search and see whether such an uncouth notion has a favourable aspect from either of the two AS for Scripture 1. he tells us there are many plain Texts which do upon that account express a kind of propriety that men may claim in this last Period O wonderful subtle disputer I know no man could argue so profoundly if not a Disciple of Voetius but let us consider the Texts of Scripture he brings to prove this the first is Eccl. 9. 12. Man also knoweth not his time Now the Author makes this to be the import of the words The Period says he of man's life is fixed by one absolute Decree and therefore he may call it his time This is indeed a very ingenious Comment only it is faulty in that it is singular for I dare promise few men ever thought this was the meaning of the Text If I had been in the Pulpit I had readily raised this Doctrin that the time of our Dying is very uncertain and I had proved it by Solomon's words man also knoweth not his time Another Text he brings is Psal. 39. 5. Lord make me to know mine end and the measure of my days But I remember I have already shewed how strangely this Text is brought to confirm a Doctrin it is utterly unacquainted with see The Period of Humane Life pag. 109. Edit 1. by this brief reply the Author may easily guess what strength is in these or the like Phrases to confirm his opinion THE next argument he urgeth is every whit as impertinent for it is an old and true saying Omnis similitudo claudicat this the Author seems to smell but he pretends that he is so wise as to press them no farther than the scope of the comparisons lead him but whether this be so or not I shall briefly examin First Scripture he says frequently compares the life of man to the Grass the flourishing and decaying of which is fixed and determined Answ. It will trouble the Author to prove that all Grass doth flourish in the Morning and decays in the Evening But I shall grant that there are some Flowers that do yet this can never prove that the Period of Humane Life is fatally determined If I remember well Commentators say such similitudes are made use of to denote the brevity of man's life I shall instance but one sacred Text to prove this is the import of the similitude the place is Iob 14. 1 2. Man that is born of a Woman is of few days and full of trouble he cometh forth as a Flower and is cut down Secondly He tells us that the life of man is compared to a Race Heb. 12. 1. Answ. It is so and that very aptly but not because the bounds are unalterably fixed but because of the noble price that is appointed for those who obey the Divine Precepts and who do not faint in well doing and the only intent of the comparison is that if we expect that Heavenly reward we must persevere in

A DEFENCE AND CONTINUATION Of the Discourse concerning the PERIOD OF HVMANE LIFE BEING A Reply to a late Answer Entituled A Letter to a Gentleman c. To which is added AN APPENDIX Wherein several Objections urged in private are considered and Mr. Gales severe but groundless Charge is Examined LONDON Printed and are to be sold by Enoch Wyer at the White Hart in St. Pauls Church-Yard 1678. THE PREFACE READER IF Custom had not made it common to prefix Epistles to Books I had freely permitted thee to read the following Discourse without the trouble of a preliminary Salutation but the truth is I like not to be either Singular or Uncivil And yet I confess I have but very little to acquaint thee with for as I intend not to court your kind acceptance of the following Discourse so neither do I designe to disparage it or discourage thee from perusing it Only if I can prevail I heartily wish thou wouldest read without prejudice and with that Candor that becomes an impartial and discreet Reader and then either give or deny it entertainment as you think fit for I assure thee The Author desires to impose nothing upon thy faith but what is able to abide the test If he has erred he is only ambitious to have no followers When I gave way to the publishing of the former Discourse I expected not to have met with so many Enemies But I see the old saying holds good veritas odium parit As for those severe censures some men have urged I have endeavoured to remove them in the following Discourse especially in the Appendix For personal reflections the only weapons others have made use of although they be as Ignorant who I am as I desire they should be these I may very rationally contemn without the fear of censure from the strictest Zoilus I confess next to no adversary a fair and ingenuous one is the most desirable but whether it has been my Good fortune or if you please to say Fate to be blessed with such after thou hast perused both what they and I say thou wilt be able to judge And upon this account though not only I heartily wish thou wouldest be pleased to compare the Reply and Answer and both with the First Discourse which accidentally I assure thee not designedly gave birth to them in doing of which if thou reapest no advantage thy self yet I am sure thou shalt oblige the Booksellers to give thee thanks FAREWEL A DEFENCE OF THE BOOK ENTITULED A Discourse concerning the Period of HUMANE LIFE THere never was any age in which the itching humour of writing many Books was more truly visible than in the present we may now with the Poet regrate that Scribimus indocti doctique every man thinks himself fit enough to spin out a discourse for the Press hence is it that the World is even ready to complain of the Burden I know it is usual to pretend the importunity of necessity a very fair and specious pretext but I much doubt if it be always real and true BUT least I seem accessary to the fault I so much condemn I here enter my solemn protest that as it was no piece of vanity that engaged me to write the former discourse so neither am I now acted by that principle to defend it If it had been any unworthy motive that did first animate me I should now have appeared in Sackcloth with a free and ingenuous confession of the crime BUT having in the Preface to that discourse already satisfied the World concerning the design both of the Author and of the Book I shall now forbear to give a more tedious account AND because I promised if the judicious should dislike any thing in the Book either to satisfie them or yield to the force of their clearer discoveries I am now come to tell them that I will keep my promise and stand to that engagement MUCH has been said in private Cabals against both Author and Book that the Author is an Arminian is but a modest censure which I assure them does not in the least offend me As for their more severe thundrings in condemning the Book to the flames and the Author to the Pillory it is good their power is not able to effect what they please I see if they cannot answer the Book they are resolved to make both it and the Author odious enough But all the slanders that malice can invent shall never discourage me from defence of the Truth IF the great Captain of our Salvation was said to be a Samaritan and to have a Devil It is but a small matter that I should meet with disingenuous men who yet brand me with more gentile crimes If my own familiar friends should carry themselves demurely towards me this is no harder measure than what better men than I have experienced It is an old but true saying Veritas odium parit The great Apostle of the Gentiles did find it so Am I become your Enemy because I tell you the truth And since this is also my lot I shall bear those various censures very patiently not intending to render reviling for reviling but Blessing for Cursing Lord forgive them for they know not what they do BUT that I may not be further tedious I shall pass by all private censures and now only consider an Answer which was sent me by the Gentleman who published my former Books with the following Letter SIR BEing informed that there was an Answer to your late discourse concerning the Period of Humane Life intended for the Press I ceased not 'till I had spoke with the person that had it And although I had but small acquaintance with him yet his ingenuity was such that I obtained a sight of it but finding it so long that I could not then peruse it I earnestly desired to know if he had the confidence to trust me with it freely adding that I knew how to communicate it to you not telling who you were at first he seemed to refuse but after I had shewed him the reasonableness of my desire he condescended Sir The Answer is thought to be no ways despicable therefore if your affairs of greater concern can allow I assure you your speedy answer to and return of these Papers will be very acceptable to SIR Your obliged Servant I have here set down this Letter that men may know by what means I obtained a sight of the answer before it was Printed The REPLY SIR SOME few days ago I received yours with the bundle of Paper I heartily thank you for the pains you have taken in that particular I have now perused those Papers which I find are bespattered with very much Gall and bitterness it is a severe challenge that I have fallen upon very bad principles and maintain a position contrary both to the Doctrin of our Church and of all sober and Orthodox Divines If this were true as it is false the Author might be excused for his over