Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	doctrine_n	miracle_n	wrought_v	1,703	5	8.8085	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29780	Miracles, work's above and contrary to nature, or, An answer to a late translation out of Spinoza's Tractatus theologico-politicus, Mr. Hobbs's Leviathan, &c. published to undermine the truth and authority of miracles, Scripture, and religion, in a treatise entituled, Miracles no violation of the laws of nature.	Browne, Thomas, 1654?-1741.	1683 (1683)	Wing B5062; ESTC R1298	42,132	76

it is beyond their power and efficacy to Effect it But yet so far it is within our Capacity that it is possible for us to know whether it be an effect supernatural or not and when it is known to be such it is sufficient to demonstrate the immediate operation of God's Power and Providence To the Second nothing is more false or groundless than that Assertion It is so far from being true that a finite Effect cannot be a Proof of an infinite Cause that every finite Effect is so either immediately as when the Effect though finite exceeds the force and efficacy of any finite being in the Order and Sphere wherein it acts or mediately when the Effect is produced by a train of finite Causes which yet must have had their own being and their first motion or power to act from an infinite Agent The argument for an Infinite from the existence of finite beings proceeds thus every finite being is contingent and so might not have been therefore the reason of its being must not be in it self but in something else viz. the Cause that produced it Again every finite being has limits of Perfection these cannot be set by it self but by something else which gave it such a degree of Perfection and no greater and this must be the cause that produced it If this Cause be finite too it must proceed from another and the Question will recur till we stop at last in a Cause self-existent and infinite So much therefore may be said in answer to his Arguments from reason for the former part of his second Proposition viz. That by Miracles we cannot know the Essence Existence or Providence of God To what he says for the other part viz. That all these may be better known by the fixt and immutable Order of Nature the Answer may be shorter His reason is because the Laws of Nature are infinite eternal and immutable and therefore in some measure indicate to us the infinity eternity and immutability of God or rather to make him speak more plainly out of his Opera Posthuma because God and Nature are all one and the more I know of Nature the more I understand of the modifications of the Divine Essence But if he tells us that the belief of Miracles leads us to Scepticisme we may reply that this Discovery of the Divine Essence which he pretends to make from Nature will rather carry us either to Atheisme or Idolatry I proceed to his Arguments from Scripture which are two 1. He argues from Deut 13. v. 1 2 3. Because a Miracle as is plain from that place may be wrought by a Person that designs to introduce the worship of a false God 2. He argues from the corrupt notions the Israelites had of God and his Providence notwithstanding so many Miracles wrought among them The words in Deut. 13. v. 1 2 3. are these If there arise among you a Prophet or a Dreamer of Dreams and giveth thee a Sign or a Wonder and the Sign or Wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee saying let us go after other Gods which thou hast not known and let us serve them thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that Prophet or Dreamer of Dreams for the Lord your God proveth you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your Heart and with all your Soul And that Prophet or that Dreamer of Dreams shall be put to death c. From hence he argues a Miracle may be wrought by one that designs to introduce the Worship of a false God Ergo by Miracles we may be as easily induced to embrace the Worship of a false God as of the true E. God cannot be made known to us by Miracles This is a difficulty commonly propounded for these Words in Deut. viz. How Miracles can be an undoubted evidence of the authority of a Prophet and the truth of his Doctrine yet it be possible for a Miracle to be wrought by a false Prophet in the highest degree viz. a Preacher of Idolatry And the best way to give a clear and satisfactory Answer to it will be to consider the utmost force of it as it is urged from this place The Israelites to whom these Words were spoken had already a Law given them and the Authority of it attested by unquestionable Miracles the same Law repeated again in this book of Deut. with a repetition likewise of the History of those mighty Works which had been wrought for it's confirmation Their Religion therefore being thus settled to fortifie them against all Temptations that might draw them to the Worship of the Gods of the Nations round about them they are fore-warned in this place not to give ear to any Person that should entice them to Idolatry though he should work a Miracle to confirm the Authority of his false Doctrine for that God might possibly permit such a Person to work a Miracle meerly to try the stedfastness of their Faith and Adherence to his Worship This is the Case wherein those Words Deut. 13. must be understood to be spoken and this is all that can be rationally drawn from them that God may permit a Miracle to be wrought by a false Prophet after he has established the true Religion and fore-warned his people not to believe a Miracle against it We are to enquire therefore whether if this be possible Miracles can be sufficient evidences of a true Prophet The Argument is in form this If God after he has established the true Religion and fore-warned his people not to believe a Miracle against it may permit a false Prophet to work a Miracle to try the stedfastness of their faith then Miracles are not sufficient Evidences of a true Prophet But God may in this case permit a Miracle to be wrought by a false Prophet Ergo. If the consequence is That Miracles are not always sufficient Evidences or not in this particular Case I readily grant it If That they never are in any case which must be the Conclusion if to the purpose I deny it and the reason of my denial of it is this because notwithstanding an Impostor may work a Miracle in this case and so the Miracle he works be no evidence of a true Prophet yet in any other case notwithstanding the force of these words it may be and I may positively say is impossible for a true Miracle to be wrought by an Impostor and therefore all other Miracles which are not reducible to this Case may be certain and infallible Evidences of a true Prophet For Instance two sorts of Miracles are excepted from this Case 1. Those Miracles suppose that were wrought among the Israelites after this warning given them not to believe any person that would seduce them to Idolatry though he should work a Miracle by persons that did not attempt to seduce them from the Worship of the true God 2. Those Miracles which were wrought at any time by any