Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	detect_v	falsehood_n	great_a	27	3	2.0640	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45356	A discourse of the excellency of Christianity	Hallywell, Henry, d. 1703?	1671 (1671)	Wing H461; ESTC R25404	37,770	96

Wonders by the help of Apostate Spirits which if it were so is a very pregnant Testimony that Jesus performed his Miracles by the Divine Power and Approbation for otherwise his Fraud would soon have been detected by that great Council 4. That there are prestigious and Satanical Miracles is an Evidence that there are likewise True and Divine as in Nature the being of Worse argues the existence of Better Sophisms and Falshood the reality of Truth and the operations of Second Causes lead us to the knowledge and being of a First wherefore if it be granted that evil and lapsed Genii can work Miracles it is apparent that the first and best Cause of all things may and does produce Effects of a Divine Power and Virtue and that the Miracles of the blessed Jesus were such appears partly from the Holiness and Purity of his Life and Manners in all parts of them blameless and irreprehensible and partly from the Design and Intention of his Miracles namely to confirm and give credit to that sublime and heavenly Doctrin he brought into the World whose End was to correct and reform the Lives of men and disseminate the blessed Life and Nature of God upon Earth which Considerations are sufficient to beget a firm and undoubted Perswasion that the immaculate Soul of Jesus was extraordinarily assisted and acted by a Divine Power and Efficacy which enabled him to perform those stupendious Operations that are recorded in the Gospels 3. We have reason to believe that there was a timely History of the Life and Transactions of Jesus compiled For we can no ways doubt but that the Disciples of our blessed Lord bearing so tender and dear a Love to their Saviour and being so fully convinced and satisfied in their Minds that he was the promised Messias who should regenerate and renew the World did compose and draw up an Abstract or Compendium of his Life And if we consider likewise how much it would conduce to the carrying on the Design they were setting on foot in the World that all men should believe in the Holy Jesus and imitate his immaculate and faultless Example we cannot readily believe that they were so stupid as to neglect such an effectual Instrument for the promoting their purpose or so uncharitable as to envy Mankind so great a Good 4. That the Histories of the Gospel were compiled by those whose Names they bear in the forefront And for this we have no greater Reason to doubt than we have to question whether the Pentateuch or five first Books of the Bible were written by Moses or whether those Writings which bear the Names of Cicero and Virgil as their Authors were ever composed by them Suppose now we would know who was the Author of some very antient Writing to prove this one Testimony must be taken from those who were contemporary with the Author or at least very little distant from him and from the perpetual Consent of wise and learned men and in this the sacred Volumes have infinitely the advantage above any other Writing whatever Tertullian affirms that the Archetypal Copies written with the Apostles own hands were extant in several Churches in his time Age jam qui voles curiositatem melius exercere in negotio salutis tuae percurre Ecclesias Apostolicas apud quas ipsae adhuc Cathedrae Apostolorum suis locis praesident apud quas ipsae Authenticae Literae corum recitantur And is it any more incredible that the very Autographa of the Apostler should be seen in Tertullian's time than that Cicero's hand should be shown in Quintilian's or Virgil's in Gellius his age But beside that we have the concurrent Testimony of Justin Martyr Irenaeus and Clemens Alexandrinus all of which were the very next to the Apostolical Age we never find any Controversie moved either by Jews or Pagans whether those Writings were theirs whose Names they bear Julian in Cyril acknowledges that the Epistles of Peter and Paul the Gospels of Matthew Mark and Luke are the very Writings of those Persons with whose Names they are adorned Add to this further that amidst the early Differences and Dissensions amongst Christians we never find any sober and grave Person questioning this Truth Indeed we read of the Ebionites a sort of Judaizing Christians who rejected the Epistles of St. Paul but yet they denied not that he was the Author of them but refused them because they thought St. Paul an Undervaluer of and Apostate from the Law of Moses But suppose the Author of any of the Books of the New Testament be to us unknown as it is of the Epistle to the Hebrews yet ought it not to be of any less Credit and Authority with us for either the Doctrin or History contained in it because the Matter and Substance of the Book is more to be regarded than the Name of the Author and therefore because for example we find nothing in the Epistle to the Hebrews which may rationally invalidate our Belief of the things contained in it and over and above have sufficient evidence that it was never repudiated by the Christians who succeeded the Apostles we deservedly receive it as Canonical Scripture 5. That we have all imaginable Reason to ground our Faith upon those Histories of the Gospel delivered to us And this appears 1. Because 't is not likely those who wrote them should be deceived 2. Neither is it probable they would deceive others There is no likelihood they should be deceived because they were either Eye-witnesses of the things they delivered to Posterity or else wrote them from the mouths of those who were Spectators of them and we never find a Miracle recorded which Christ did alone without the Company of two or three of his Disciples When he was transfigured he took with him Peter James and John when he raised the Ruler of the Synagogues Daughter he carried the same three with him Matthew was one of them who perpetually accompanied our blessed Lord and saw the greatest part of those things which he wrote Mark it is thought was an Associate of St. Peter and wrote his Gospel from his mouth And Luke beside that he was one of those who travelled about with St. Paul who had his Commission and Revelation from Heaven he also in his Dedicatory Preface to his Gospel professes himself to have had perfect Understanding of all things from the very first as they were delivered to him from those who were Eye-witnesses of them St. John was the beloved Disciple and always followed the Lord Christ where-ever he went and setting aside the Metaphysical Sermons recorded in his Gospel he relates very few miracles or new things but what are confirmed by the Testimony of some one of the other three As for that notable Miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead after four days burial omitted by all the rest it is capable of this account St. John lived long after all the rest of the Apostles and Evangelists even to the

and this Truth being of so high and great concern we not only believe but are ready to give all possible Satisfaction to the Jew and Heathen To the Jew we say that it was long ago declared by their own Prophets Isa ix 6. For unto us a child is born unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his Name shall be called Wonderful Counseller the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace This the more antient Rabbins always interpreted of the Messias and 't is but a groundless Conceit of R. Solomon's to transfer it to Hezekiah for who sees not that these Appellations of the mighty God and the everlasting Father cannot possibly agree to Hezekiah Again Chap. vii 14. Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel i. e. God with us God dwelling and conversing in Human Nature And by the Heathens this Mystery was not thought impossible since Julian believes that Aesculapius the Son of Jupiter descended from Heaven and was incarnate appearing first at Epidaurum then in many other places that he might cure the Bodies and restore the Souls of men to their pristine Rectitude and Perfection And is there any greater Difficulty in believing that the Word the blessed Son of God was once incarnate and dwelt among us But further to make out this great Truth to those that already believe the Histories of the Gospel to be true 1. We may take a view of those many Operations Jesus performed in the Nature he assumed some of which were incommunicable and only proper to the Deity such are to work a true and real Miracle to forgive Sins and to institute true and religious Worship He was hungry which shewed him to be a man and yet fed above five thousand with five loaves and two fishes whereby he manifested his Divinity He thirsted yet to others he gave rivers of living waters to fertilize their Souls and quench and allay their Thirst He was weary yet he calls to him all those that are weary and heavy laden and promises Refreshment though he were dumb and opened not his mouth yet was he that Word by which all things were made He lays down his Life yet had he Power to take it up again 2. There is nothing in the Divine Nature to contradict or prejudice this Union but very much to be drawn from thence for it For Divine Goodness willing universally to communicate itself in measures and degrees assisted by an eternal Wisdom found out this way of Union with Human Nature as most fit for an Universal Communication wherein the Divine Life is perfectly exhibited and all Perfection is as it were epitomized 3. There is a mighty Congruity and Sutableness in this Mystery with the Design of perfecting and restoring lapsed Souls For the eternal Logos bringing out of his Ideal Fecundity into actual Existence the whole Rational Creation it is highly agreeable with Divine Wisdom that by the same Word all fallen Beings should be again restored that the first and blessed Cause of their Existence should also be the Author of their Recovery and Return to the perfect Law of Gods own Nature And if beside we consider that all the Creatures are but the Effects and Emanations of that mighty and potent Word outwardly produced and brought into actual Life and Being the Conjunction and Union of the eternal Mind with Human Nature will appear exceeding congruous 4. No Dishonour can accrue to the blessed Nature of God by such a state in which there is no Evil Turpitude or Defilement The Brightness of the Divine Sun is no whit obscured by the adjunction of the Humanity but the Humanity is made more glorious and transcendent by being exalted into the Fellowship of the Divinity 5. The Obscurity and Incomprehensibleness of this Mystery ought not to prejudice our Belief of it since that many things in Nature are in the dark to us and that faint and glimmering Knowledge which we have of them is only cojnectural not demonstrative we know there is an Union between Soul and Body but the manner of it is unknown and hid from us and if we believe no further than we can comprehend we must be Scepticks in Religion as well as Philosophy Yet somthing we may collect from the Union of Soul and Body as also of other Natural Compositions that forasmuch as they are extremely distant and unlike in their Nature and Proprieties and yet united to the making of one Compositum therefore the Immensity of the Divinity can be no hindrance from taking Humanity into an Union and Association with it 6 We cannot doubt but that God who is immense and omnipresent may manifest a peculiar Presence in this or the other particular place as seems best to himself That infinite Nature which pervades and is extended through the vast Capacities of immense Space can as easily actuate inhabit and fill a Human Soul and Body nor is the Divinity contracted or diminished by being united to a Creature but being diffused through all places manifests itself by a more special Inhabitation in the sacred Temple of the Soul of Jesus We see the Soul of Man dilating itself through our corporeal Fabrick expressing its Activity and Presence by the exceeding quick Sensibility of every part and yet hath its peculiar Center and Residence in the Brain and cannot God in whom are found all possible Perfections manifest his peculiar and Divine Presence to the ever faithful and obedient Soul of the Messias Hitherto I have declared the great Excellency and Becomingness of the Truths of the Gospel and shall conclude this general Head with the Recitation of two or three Objections more made by the Jews against our Saviour and recorded in the Histories of the Gospel Object 1. The first we find in John vii 48. Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him But this People who knoweth not the Law are cursed Answ 1. To this I return that inasmuch as the great Synagogue and Rulers of the Jews rejected Jesus and would not acknowledge him to be the expected Messias the more reason had others to believe in him for their own Prophets long ago predicted the Rejection of the Messias by the Jewish Nation who should be so obstinately blind that they should not know him when he came into the world as we read in Psal cxviii 22. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner so likewise in Isa vi 10. Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed To which purpose is that Saying of R. Judas in the Talmud That when the Son of David shall come there shall be few wise men in Israel and the wisdom of the Scribes shall stink and the Schools of the Prophets shall