Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	goodness_n	lord_n	merciful_a	1,997	5	8.9155	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52535	A discourse of natural and reveal'd religion in several essays, or, The light of nature a guide to divine truth.	Nourse, Timothy, d. 1699.	1691 (1691)	Wing N1417; ESTC R16135	159,871	385

where these are wanting Nor is this Doctrine of the possibility of Salvation for the Gentiles in such form as hath been already stated without its Abettours even amongst the most learned and impartial such as a in August de civit dei l. 18. c. 47. Ludovicus Vives and b Tract de salut Pagan Erasmus as Bishop c Apparat p. 36. Montacute reports Nay he tells us out of Baletus that the Divines of Colon were sometimes of Opinion that Aristotle was sav'd teaching farther that Aristotle was the fore runner of Christ in what related to Nature as John the Baptist was in what related to Grace But to pass by this Opinion touching Aristotle Andreas Vega and Dominicus a Soto in the Council of Trent openly defended the above mention'd Doctrine of the possibility of the Gentiles being sav'd and d Relect. 5. ●● Indis Sect. 8. Franciscus à Victoria lays it down as the Doctrine of St. Thomas of Aquin that the Indians who never heard of Christ were not guilty of the sin of Infidelity Amongst the reform'd Zuinglius in his Exposition of the Christian Faith declared to Francis the King of France whom Vossius e Disputat de Sa●ct 25. Thes 11. calls Maximi Nominis Expositor Fidei does by name place Aristides Socrates the Scipioes and the Çato●s amongst the Blessed Nor did many of the Primitive Fathers such as Justin Martyr Clemens Alexandrinus Epiphanius and Chrisostom stick to affirm it of many of the Ancient Heathens who liv'd before the Nativity of Christ as Isaac Casaubon f Ini●●● 1. 〈…〉 reports But on which side soever the Truth doth lie it is not a point of that moment as to dissolve the Bond of Charity amongst Christians especially when Charity the very Bond of Perfection inclines us to take side with Mercy God's Mercy is his Triumphant Attribute the Lord Merciful and Gracious long suffering and of great goodness is the old Stile and that by which God proclaim'd his greatness Exod. 3. 4. and whosoever shall consider the ineffable Mystery of the Son of God's Incarnation as also the Redemption of the World by his most holy Life dolorous Passion and glorious Resurrection and Ascension cannot but feel some holy Flames of divine Love whose light may extend it self to the Gentiles Nay though the Opinion which I have been now defending were false yet is it not dangerous or damnable For the Belief even of a Falshood to such as are not convinc'd that it is so may be pious and praise worthy 'T is certainly praise worthy and pious for a Man to believe his Parents or Benefactours to be happy in Heaven and yet peradventure they may be in the number of the Reprobate Of all Men Christians certainly are in the happiest Estate when we consider the assistance they have from the Gospel and yet are they in the unhappiest state too upon the same Consideration for where much is given much will be requir'd Great and infinite are the Advantages which the Gospel offers we are there taught in what a dangerous Estate we are in by Nature we are taught also by whom we are deliver'd from danger and how we may have the benefit of such Deliverance We have Holy Sacraments to purge our Sins and to encrease our Grace we have many glorious Examples of Piety and Vertue to encourage us and most heavenly Precepts by which to govern our Lives we have the recompense of Reward in sight and Promises of Help both for our Direction and Furtherance in the way The Church which is abundantly furnish'd with all these means may justly be compar'd to a well built Ship in which are all sorts of Provisions requisite for a long Voyage Suppose we then that a Man were to take his Voyage into a new World as indeed we are all going thitherward in a spiritual sense and that wanting the convenience of a good Vessel well rigg'd and furnish'd he should set forth upon his strength or perhaps embark himself upon some poor shatter'd leaking Boat or Junc such as are in use amongst the Indians 't is ten thousand to one but such a Man must perish though 't is not utterly impossible but that with great care and difficulty and by God's singular Providence he may arrive thither with safety and for ought we know the new World I mean America was Peopled some such way admitting Noah's Flood to have been universal since we cannot find from any Records of Antiquity that Navigation after the Deluge was in any perfection but that Men of that and of some succeeding Ages considering how they had escap'd the dangers of the Waters were fearfull to commit themselves to the boundless Ocean not daring so much as to put to Sea for a long time after and that too by little and little as Experience encourag'd them to make farther Trial. The Emblem holds good Analogy with the Voyage we are all making into the other World This Life is the Sea where we are expos'd to Tempests and Fatigues we have a bottomless Gulf under us and many Rocks Quick-Sands and Hurry-canes ever and anon threatning to destroy us and notwithstanding the good Provision with which the Ship is fraught if we live not temporately and with good conduct we may fall short of the desired Countrey whilst others by God's singular Providence and Mercy though destitute of such helps may find an extraordinary deliverance as we find sometimes to have happened to such as putting to Sea ill provided and for a long time given over for lost have after all their dangers arriv'd safely to the Haven Put the Case we were upon a Voyage to America or the New World as we call it and that others also should be bound for the same Coast but not perhaps in the same Bottom who though they should sail at some distance from us yet ought we to have compassion on them and so much the more the greater should their distance be and the weaker the Ship which carried them and if we could not take them into our own Vessel at least we were bound to succour them as far as we were able and where that could not be done to recommend them to the Mercy of Almighty God But instead of these Offices of Humanity if we should denie them Succour nay perhaps turn Pyrats and fall upon them and make them Prize and condemn all the Passengers to Chains and Slavery would not such Proceedings seem very inhumane and might we not fear that a justly exasporated God might bring our own Ship under some fatal Distress before it should arrive to the Land 't was bound for The Parallel is obvious Charity is an Heroick and Divine Grace in the Judgment of St. Paul far exceeding all other Gifts how excellent soever nay even Faith and Martyrdom without it would be to little purpose The Gifts of Prophesies and Tongues shall cease and Knowledg like a Dream shall vanish for we know but in part and that like