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	religion_n	true_a	7,548	5	5.1593	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45639	The atheist's objection that we can have no idea of God refuted a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of St. Paul, February the 7th 1697/8 : being the second of the lecture for that year, founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esq. / by John Harris ...	Harris, John, 1667?-1719.	1698 (1698)	Wing H846; ESTC R15272	15,871	30

for the time to come since there is nothing in its self or in any thing without it that can possibly be the Cause of its Destruction Such a Being therefore will be properly Eternal and necessarily Self-existent without Beginning or End or any Possibility of Dying or Ceasing to be Such a Being also must on this Account be the Creator Author and Cause of all things because nothing can be the Cause of it self and therefore they must either be Eternal and Necessarily Self existent as we are assured they are not or else derived from and produced by this Eternal and Infinite Being And as the Beings themselves are derived from and produced by this Eternal and Self existent Being so must all their Perfections and Qualifications too for they are indeed the most Noble Things in their Natures Knowledge therefore and Wisdom Thought and Reasoning and all the excellent Powers and Faculties that are found in any Creatures must come from the same Power that produced those Beings and Natures in which they are inherent And if these Excellencies and Perfections are derived from this Necessarily existent Being they must certainly be in Him in the greatest Perfection for if they were not in Him they could not be derived from him since 't is unconceivable that any thing can give or communicate to another either what it hath not it self or a greater degree of any thing than it is Master of This Eternal and Self-existent Being therefore must have in it and that in the utmost Perfection all the Excellencies that we admire and value in any other things It must have the Power of doing all things that are possible to be done and therefore be Almighty it must know all things that are possible to be known and therefore be Omniscient In a word it must be All-Wise and Good Just and True Merciful and Gracious and contain in it all possible Excellencies and Perfections Now this may very well pass for a Description of the Deity and 't is such an One as is very Intelligible and Plain to the meanest Capacity that can but think at all And it gives us such an Idea of God as we see is easily attainable by an obvious and familiar Chain of Consequences and which puts our Minds not at all on the wrack to conceive As for the word Infinite which is often applied to God and which these Gentlemen quarrel so much at and of which they affirm that it is impossible to have any Conception or Idea I say that it is groundlessly and precariously asserted and that nothing but the wilful Darkness and Confusion which they have brought upon their own Minds can make it appear Unintelligible For as the Excellent Dr. Cudworth hath proved the Idea that we have of Infinite is the same with that which we have of Perfection And therefore when we say that God is Infinite in Power Wisdom or Goodness we mean by it that He is most perfectly or compleatly so and that he wants nothing which is necessary to render Him most Perfect and Excellent in that Respect of which we speak of Him Now a Being that any way is Deficient or Imperfect and that hath not all the possible Excellencies that are to be had is Finite and that in the same proportion as it is defective Thus for Instance those Beings which endure but for a time which had a Beginning and will have an end are finite or imperfect as to their existence But GOD who is was and is to come who is and will be from Everlasting to Everlasting He is properly said to be Infinite or Perfect as to Existence or Duration For there is no Restriction Limitation or Imperfection in His Nature in this respect as there is in that of all Creatures whatever A Being whose Power extends to but a few things is very imperfect or finite in Power and if there be any Possible thing that it cannot do 't is still so far imperfect in Power But a Being that can do all things that are not contradictory to his Nature or all possible things is properly said to be Infinite or Perfect in Power or Almighty so a Being that knows all things possible to be known is Infinite or Perfect in Knowledge and the like of any other Attributes or Perfections In all the Comparison or Proportion is the same A Being that wants no degree of Excellency or Perfection is God Infinite in Power Wisdom Justice Goodness and Truth But if a Being want any one or any degree or proportion of These Things it is Finite and Imperfect and that in the same degree or Proportion Now where is the Inconceivableness Confusion Absurdity and Nonsence of all This is it not as easie to conceive or apprehend that a Being may have in his Nature all possible Perfection as it is to have an Idea of one that is Imperfect and Deficient for how come the Idea of Imperfection into our Mind how come we to know that a Thing is Finite Defective and Limited unless we have also an Idea or Notion of Infinity or Perfection how can we know what is wanting in any Being unless we have an Idea of it that it is in some other Being Most certain therefore it is that we may have as true and clear an Idea of the Existence of a God as of any thing in Nature and in Fact it is most notoriously true that a clear and distinct Notion that there is such a Being hath and doth still appear in the Minds of all Mankind and it is impressed there I doubt not by the peculiar Care of that Divine and Merciful Being Himself And therefore those that assert that we have not nor can have any Notion or Idea of a God nor of his Attributes and Perfections and that on that Account deny his Existence discover such wretched Ignorance as well as Obstinacy that they are really a Disgrace to Human Nature For pretending to be over-Wise they become Fools they are vain in their Imaginations and their foolish heart is darkened Their vicious Inclinations have debauched their Reason and Understanding And though God be not far from every one of us since in Him we live move and have our being yet their Wickedness and Pride is such That they will not seek after God neither is God in all their Thoughts From which wilful Blindness and Stupidity may the God of Truth deliver them by the gracious Illuminations of his Blessed Spirit To whom with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be all Honour and Glory c. FINIS Books printed for Rich. Wilkin at the King's Head in St. Paul's Church-yard MR. Harris's Sermon Preach'd at the cathedral-Cathedral-Church of St. Paul January the 3d. 1697 8. being the First of the Lecture for that Year Founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle Esquire His Remarks on some late Papers relating to the Universal Deluge and to the Natural History of the Earth In Octavo Dr. Woodward's Natural History of the Earth in Octavo Dr. Abbadie's Vindication of the Truth of the Christian Religion against the Objections of all Modern Opposers in Two Volumes In Octavo A Serious Proposal to the Ladies for the Advancement of their true and greatest Interest Part I. By a Lover of her Sex The Third Edition In Twelves A Serious Proposal to the Ladies Part II. Wherein a Method is offer'd for the Improvement of their Minds In Twelves Letters concerning the Love of God between the Author of the Proposal to the Ladies and Mr. John Norris In Octavo An Answer to W. P. his Key about the Quakers Light within and Oaths with an Appendix of the Sacraments In Octavo A Letter to the Honourable Sir Robert Howard Together with some Animadversions on a Book entituled Christianity not Mysterious In Octavo a Two Essays from Oxford in the Apology a Adv. Mathem p 317 318 c. Genevae 1621. b Pensees diverses à l' Occasion de la Comete Tom. 2. §. clxxiv p. 531. c Anim Mand. p. 96. d Amphitheatr D. Providentiae p. 35. a Vid. Blount's Translation of the Life of Apollonius p. 34. b Anima Mundi in the Oracles of Reason p. 54. c Amphitheatr p. 151 334. Lugdum 1615. d Blount's Translation of Philostratus's Life of Apollonius in the Preface a Blount 's Anima Mundi in Oracles of Reason Pref. b Amphitheatr p. 124. c Pag. 152. Leviathan p. 208. c Sextus Empericus allows that there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common Notion or Idea of a God even when he dispu●es against him Adv. Math. p. 333. a Hob 's Leviath p. 11. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Vid. Sext. Empiric adv Mathem p. 164. b Sext. Emp. a Hobb 's Leviathan p. 51. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sext. Empir adv Math. p. 17. And a little after he asserts that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Leviath p. 11 190. d Leviath Par. iv c. 46. p. 374. e Pag. 150. f Adv. Mathem p. 333. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sext. Empir adv Math pag. 150. b Vid. Mr. Lock 's Essay of Vnderstanding P. IV. Ch. X

The ATHEIST's Objection That we can have no Idea of GOD REFUTED A SERMON Preach'd at the CATHEDRAL-CHURCH of St. Paul February the 7 th 1697 8. BEING The Second of the LECTURE for that Year Founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle Esq By JOHN HARRIS M. A. and Fellow of the ROYAL-SOCIETY LONDON Printed by J. L. for Richard Wilkin at the King 's Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1698. PSAL. X. 4. The Wicked through the Pride of his Countenance will not seek after God neither is God in all his Thoughts IN these words I have in a former Discourse taken notice of these Three Particulars I. The General Character or Qualifications of the Person here mentioned which is That he is a Wicked Man II. The Particular Kind of Wickedness or Origin from whence the Spirit of Atheism and Irreligion doth chiefly proceed and that is Pride The Wicked through the Pride of his Countenance c. III. The great Charge which the Psalmist brings against the Person here spoken of in my Text viz. Wilful Atheism and Infidelity He will not seek after God neither is God in all his Thoughts The Two first of these I have already dispatch'd and therefore shall now proceed to discourse on my Third Head viz. The great Charge here brought against this Wicked Person That he will not seek after God neither is God in all his Thoughts or as it is in the Margin with good grounds as I have before observed from the Hebrew All his Thoughts are There is no God Which appears to me to imply a wilful and malicious slighting and contemning of God and his Laws and an endeavour to banish the very Thoughts of his Existence out of their Minds And under this Head I shall make it my business to enumerate all the pretended Arguments and Objections which I have met with and are of any weight against the Being of a God in general and then endeavour to shew how Weak and Inconclusive they are and how miserable a Support they will prove for Atheism and Infidelity But first it will be necessary briefly to clear up one Point and to obviate one Objection that may be made against this very Attempt of mine of Refuting and Answering the Atheists Arguments and Objections It will I doubt not be said That there is not now nor ever perhaps was in the World any such Person as a Speculative Atheist or one that believes there is no God It is said with great assurance by some That the Ancient Atheists were only such as declared against the Plurality of Gods and the Idolatry and Superstition of the Heathen Worship And we are told by one very lately That he hath travelled many Countries and could never meet with any Atheists which are few if any and all the Noise and Clamour saith he is against Castles in the Air. To which I Answer That nothing can be more plain and clear than that both Ancient and Modern Writers do give us an account of such Persons as were known and reputed Atheists by those that were Contemporary with them and did well understand their Principles and Tenets I need not insist on Proofs from any of the Ancient Christian Writers for 't is sufficient that Plato Diogenes Laertius Plutarch Cicero and many others do acquaint us that such kind of Men there have been in the World Tho' I shall particularly produce the Testimony of two Authors one ancient and the other 't is probable now living to prove this Point and these are Sextus Empiricus and he that wrote the Thoughts on the Comet that appeared in the Year 1680. Sextus is express That Diagoras Melius Prodicus Chius Euemerus Critias Atheniensis Theodorus and many others were absolute Atheists and denied that there were any Gods at all And the French Gentleman saith the same of most of those mentioned by Sextus and other Ancient Writers and to the number adds some others of a Modern date And Mr. Blount saith that the Epicureans constantly affirmed there were no Gods Now the Evidence of these Authors will I hope be allowed because they seem Well-wishers to the Cause of Infidelity themselves To these I might add were it necessary That Vaninus himself tells us frequently of Atheists that he met with and no one will doubt but that he knew where to find one at any time and he calls Machiavel expressly Atheorum facilè Princeps But indeed this Assertion of these Gentlemen That there is no such thing as an Atheist in the World is like most other things that they advance Uncertain and Precarious and often contradicted by what at other times they deliver for though they are sometimes and in some Companies for Reasons that are very obvious unwilling to take the Title of Atheist on themselves or their Party yet they are often ready enough to bestow it on others and when it is subservient to their purpose will insinuate That the greatest Lights and Teachers of the Church believe as little of Religion as themselves But I say also 2. That 't is one thing to disbelieve the Existence of a God and another to declare so to the World And it doth not at all follow that a Man is not an Atheist because he doth not openly profess himself to be so at all times and in all Companies There are no Writers so insincere as these kind of Gentlemen they are very cautious and tender how they expose themselves to the just Punishment of the Law Vaninus himself though he did at last suffer Death madly for his Infidelity as one saith of him that died as madly himself yet is he very cautious and careful in his Writings how he renders himself obnoxious to the Censure of the Inquisition and he declares That he will submit all things to the Judgment of the Roman Church So a Gentleman of our own Nation though he endeavours as effectually as 't is possible under-hand to ridicule and undermine Religion yet he would fain appear to the World to be a good Christian and one that hath a mighty Veneration for God and his Laws but in the mean time 't is very easie to discover his true Principles and Design for he declares That he thinks it much safer to believe as the Church believes and to pin his Faith always on my Lord of Canterbury 's Sleeve as he saith he will do and subscribe to any ridiculous Legend rather than incurr the Censure of the Popish Clergy as he basely calls the Ministers of this most Excellent Protestant Church for the same laudable Reasons also he forbears communicating what he doth or ought to think Truth to Mankind as he tells us in many places Now if this be the case with these Men of Honour that they dare not speak their Minds nor discover their true Sentiments plainly to the World we must by no means conclude over-hastily of their Orthodoxy by what they say in Discourse at some times or publish in Print