Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	faith_n	ghost_n	holy_a	4,742	5	4.9765	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70177	An account of Mr. Ferguson, his common-place-book in two letters.	Glanvill, Joseph, 1636-1680.; Sherlock, William, 1641?-1707.	1675 (1675)	Wing G798; ESTC R23394	20,014	66

to enquire a little further and in requital of your kindness I have here sent you some of his gleanings from other Authors though so changed and transformed and found in such ill Company that I fear those worthy persons will be ashamed to own them And because M. Ferg with the usual confidence of a bold Scot pretends a very particular Friendship with that excellent Person Sir Charles Wolseley I shall first take notice how bold he has made with him which I suppose he did upon the Authority of that old Saying All things are common among Friends and therefore he might challenge as good a right to Sir Charles his Writings as himself M. Ferg among other things shews the Use and Serviceableness of Reason in proving the Divinity of the Scripture p. 56 c. Sir Charles had done this before him and had managed that Argument like a Scholar and a Gentleman in his Book entituled The Reasonableness of Scripture-Belief from whence our Author has borrowed most of his best Arguments and many times his Words and Phrases M. Ferguson premises that the Testimony of the Holy Ghost in the Souls and Consciences of men is the most convincing evidence that such men can have of its the Scriptures Divinity but yet rejects it from being a proof of the Scriptures Divinity to others Interest of Reason p. 57 Sir Charles likewise tells us the Testimony of the Holy Ghost in the minds and consciences of men to the truth of the Scriptures though it be the most convincing evidence that can be given to them c. 't is not to be urged in proof of the Scriptures against its professed Adversaries Scripture belief p. 79 Sir Charles assigns two reasons for this Mr. Ferguson has divided the second Reason into two and set the first Reason in the third place M. F. 1. The Holy Ghost convinceth no man as to the belief of the Scripture without enlightning his mind in the grounds and reasons upon which its proceeding from God is evidenced and established There is no conviction begot by the Holy Ghost in the hearts of men otherwise than by rational evidence satisfying our understanding through discovering the motives and inducements that ascertain the truth of what he would convince us of Ibid. p. 57 Sir Ch. Wols Second Argument the latter part The Illuminations of the Holy Ghost in the minds of men are no other way to be conceived of than that he is pleased to propose the right grounds and reasons upon which things are to be believed and to convince and satisfie the understanding that they are so and to bring men to acquiesce in conclusions by ascertaining them of the truth of the premises M. F. 2. No mans particular assurance obtained thus in way of Illumination by the Holy Ghost is otherwise urged as an argument of conviction to another than by proposing the reasons which our Faith is erected on The way of such mens evidence is communicable to none unless they could kindle the same rays in the breasts of others which have irradiated their own and therefore they must deal with others by producing the grounds of their conviction not pleading the manner of it Ibid. Sir Ch. Wols The beginning of the second Argument Whatever evidence the Holy Ghost gives to any man to assure him of the truth of any proposition that evidence as such can never go beyond his own breast nor can I ever prove any thing by it as it is a Divine and infallible Evidence because such evidence is no way communicable to another but in an ordinary way Nothing is visible to another in such cases but the reasons I can produce the Divine Illumination I have within my self to convince me that such Reasons are cogent and prevailing can never be so demonstrated as to convince another that has no such Illumination Ibid. p. 81 I am now Sir perfectly satisfied of what great use that trick is of varying phrases which we learned at School for this has made Mr. Ferguson a famous Author who by the little arts of transplacing words of turning Nouns into Verbs or Verbs into Participles or converting a single word such as Illumination into the phrase of kindling Rayes can make other mens Writings his own But to proceed M. F. 3. The Holy Ghost as a distinct person in the Deity is not a Principle demonstrable by reason c. to prove the Divine Authority of the Scripture by the Testimony of the Holy Ghost when we cannot otherwise prove a Holy Ghost but by the Testimony of the Scripture is to argue circularly and absurdly Ibid. Sir Ch. Wols 1 Argument Because the Blessed Spirit it self is not a common demonstrable principle amongst mankind c. to go about to prove the Scriptures by any evidence arising from the Holy Ghost must needs be visibly absurd because there is no other way to prove that there is any such being as the Holy Ghost but by the Scriptures themselves Ibid. Master Ferguson having premised this proceeds to prove the Divine Authority of the Scriptures and First To justifie the necessity of some supernatural Revelation in order to the conducting us in Religion Ibid. p. 62 Sir Ch. Wols First I will endeavour to render it a thing reasonable to be believed that there should be some supernatural law revealed from God and given to mankind c. Ibid. p. 86 M. F. His first argument is taken from the imperfection of natural light p. 64 This is largely managed by Sir Charles p. 87 c. His second Argument That the Religion of men at present towards God is the Religion of sinners c. but natural light cannot instruct the world how God will be atoned Ibid. Sir Ch. Mankind in every age have applied to God in a sense of sin and of guilt contracted by it and upon that account have adjudged it necessary to make some further offering to God for their sins c. Now the reason of the world does not issue it self into any positive certainly about such things c. Ibid. p. 133 and p. 145 c. Argument 3. All mankind hath universally consented in this that besides the light of reason there ought to be some supernatural Revelation from God c. Sir Ch. Discourses this at large p. 123. c. to which M. Ferguson indeed refers his Reader as also to Camero de verbo Dei for which he is beholden to Sir Charles's citation of him in the same place Master Ferguson's next undertaking is to make it appear that it is expedient that this Revelation should be some where or other consigned to writing ibid. p. 68. This is but just mentioned by Sir Charles Wolseley and therefore he is forced to have recourse to some other and he has made a very good choice no less person than the Reverend Dean of Canterbury Dr. Tillotson in his Rule of Faith where you may find the sum of all Master Ferguson's arguments upon this head which are of any