Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	hear_v	speak_v	word_n	7,138	5	4.4441	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26063	A discourse against blasphemy being a conference with M.S. concerning 1. the rudeness of atheistical discourse, 2. the certainty and eternity of hell-torments, 3. the truth and authority of the Holy Scriptures : published pursuant to Their Majesties injunctions to suppress atheism and irreligion / by William Assheton.	Assheton, William, 1641-1711.	1694 (1694)	Wing A4030; ESTC R27660	15,382	49

he had the opportunity fully to inform himself of the truth of that which he pretends to attest Should any Man affirm That he saw a Thing done or heard a Word spoken and yet it shall be Deposed by as credible Witnesses as himself that he was at the same time Twenty Miles distant Such Evidence however confidently delivered must needs be false and ridiculous But now the Disciples of our Lord had all imaginable advantages to know the Truth of what they Witness whilst they affirm That Jesus is risen They were his constant Followers and Attendants And for the space of Three Years were the daily Observers of his Conversation And 't is worthy your notice That when by the Apostacy of Judas they wanted one of their Number they were very careful to choose such a one to succeed him as had been a constant Follower of Jesus and had taken exact notice of every thing they were to Witness Wherefore saith St. Acts 1. 21 22 23. Peter of these Men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us beginning from the Baptism of John unto that same Day that he was taken up from us must one be ordained to be a Witness with us of his Resurrection Observe here how exact they were in their Choice They would admit of none but one who had been with them from first to last That could speak Things as we phrase it not by Hearsay only but of his own knowledge That if any Man should ask him Did you your self See Or Did you your self Hear this which you do report That he might then truly answer that he did and that what he Preached was upon his own certain Knowledge Now the Disciples of our Lord were the constant Hearers of his Doctrin and amongst other Passages they heard him expresly Declare That he would rise again the Third Day Destroy this Temple Joh. 2. 19 21. and in three Days I will raise it up But he spake of the Temple of his Body And this Expression of rising the Third Day was so familiar and so often repeated that the Chief Priests and Pharisees took notice of it to Pilate Mat. 27. 63. saying Sir we remember that that Deceiver said while he was yet alive after three Days I will rise again Moreover The Disciples and Followers of our Lord were not only instructed in his Life time that he would rise again but they likewise saw him after he was risen And in such a manner with such Circumstances as might most effectually command their Belief They saw him not only once or twice but several times They saw him not only singly and a part and in lesser Numbers but all of them yea Five Hundred of them at once And therefore tho One or Two might perhaps be mistaken yet so great a Number could not possibly be imposed on Especially when we have consider'd further That they not only saw him but had likewise all other imaginable Evidences to convince them For when he had appeared to them and Discoursed with them which might also be done by a Spirit to give them a certain proof that he was no Spirit Handle me and see i. e. observe and satisfie your selves for a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as you see me have And least they might yet scruple that it was not the same Jesus that was crucified but some other Dead Body which being moved and actuated by an Angel did take his shape and appear in his likeness To remove this doubt Behold saith he my Hands and my Feet that it is I my self Those Hands and Feet which were pierced with Nails and fastned to the accursed Tree And if you will not believe your Eyes which according to the Vulgar Notion may have a Mist cast before them then to satisfie your selves further take the proof of another of your Senses Handle me and see And when St. Thomas was a little more distrustful then the rest Reach hither thy Finger and Joh. 20. 27. behold my Hands and reach hither thy Hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing Now recollect the forementioned Passages and then resolve me What could have been further either said or done to convince them That Jesus was risen They saw him he discoursed with them did eat before them they touched him and handled him And all this variety of Conversation they had with him not only once or twice but for the space of Forty Days together The Premisses considered you must needs grant That the Apostles were very sufficient Witnesses of our Blessed Saviours Resurrection in respect of their Knowledge i. e. They had all imaginable advantages to know the Truth of that which they witnessed and attested But 2. Supposing their Knowledge And that they had sufficient means of Information yet whether were they Persons of that Honesty and Integrity as to be Believed Or was there not just reason to suspect that they might deliver a Falshood instead of Truth And for this let me desire you to consider that known Saying Nemo gratis malus est There is scarce any Man so absurd as to be a Villain for nothing Or so impertinently Wicked as to do mischief for mischiefs sake Whoever therefore shall presume publickly and solemnly to deliver a False Testimony he must be supposed to do it upon some urging Cause As To raise himself a Name To please a Party To advance his Fortunes Or to gratifie a Revenge Now All that is in the World saith 1 Joh. 2. 16. St. John is the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life And whatever the Apostles could propose to themselves it will be comprehended under one of these Three Honors Riches or Pleasures 1. As to Honour They could not expect it since all Dignities and Promotions were then in the Hands of Jews or Pagans From whom they received nothing but ignominy and reproach And by whom they were accounted the Dung of the Earth and the Off-scouring of the World 2. As to Riches Instead of gaining an Estate they were forced to part with all that they had Either by a voluntary Resignation to supply the wants of others for at first they had all Things common or else by the fraud and rapine of their Oppressors They no sooner came to one City but they were Persecuted and forced to fly unto another And by this ambulatory Kind of Life without any fixt certain Being they were so far from being able had they otherwise designed it to have raised Estates and Fortunes that they lived upon the Alms and Charity of others And then 3. What kind of Pleasures they were to expect as their Master did foretel so they themselves did sufficiently experience In the World Joh. 16. 33. ye shall have Tribulation They shall Luk. 21. 12 16 17. lay their Hands on you and persecute you and ye shall be betrayed both by Parents

and Brethren and Kinsfolks and Friends and some of you shall they cause to be put to Death and ye shall be hated of all Men for my Name sake Joh. 16. 2. Yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God Service St. Paul informs us That God had set 1 Cor. 4. 9. forth the Apostles as appointed unto Death and exposed them as Spectacles of scorn and obloquy to the World According to which it did in effect happen to them Even V. 11. to this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling Place being reviled we bless being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we intreat we are made as the filth of the World and as the Off-scouring of all things unto this day In short If Contumelies and Reproaches if Racks and Prisons if Flames Gibbets with other the most exquisite tormenting Deaths if these be Pleasures then indeed the Apostles and followers of our Lord who witnessed his Resurrection had their share of Pleasures And now Sir having seriously Debated these Things pray resolve me What just cause can be assigned why Persons of sober rational Deportment having the same Principle of Self-preservation with other Men should by Publishing Christ's Resurrection not only deprive themselves of all comfortable enjoyments but also submit to the greatest Severities and at last Death it self I say what cause can be assigned of such Self-denial if they had not the highest Convictions of the Truth of what they Published But yet further If the Apostles of our Lord were such Cheats and Impostors why were they not discovered and exposed as such If the Resurrection of Jesus was no better than a Legendary Story and a cunningly devised Fable why was it not then confuted The World at that time abounded with Learned Men both Jews and Heathens who wanted neither Wit nor Malice for such an Undertaking Why were not their Pens sharpned as well as their Swords The Reason is evident There were then such Authentic Records of these matters as could not be Disputed The a Euseb Hist L. 1. c. 9. True Acta Pilati to which b Apol. 2. pag. 76. Justin Martyr and c Apol. c. 5. p. 6 c. ana c. 21. p. 23. V. Euseb Hist Eccles L. 2. c. 2. p. 40. V. Not. Val. Tertullian so successfully appealed were then extant And these were such irrefragable Proofs that Malice it self was not able to ●iss against them There was indeed a very early tho ridiculous Attempt to stifle this Truth The Chief Priests and Pharisees having heard him say while he was yet alive After three Days I will rise again They not only Sealed up the Sepulchre but also procured a Guard of Souldiers to watch it That if any report were made of his Resurrection they might then effectually disprove it by producing his Body which for that end they had now got into their own Possession But observe the Malice of these Men not to be convinced no not by a Miracle For being told by the Watch with the greatest Consternation that an Angel had appeared that the Stone was rolled away and the Body was gone They then hired these Soldiers to report That his Disciples came by Mat. 28. 13. Night and stole him away whilst they slept What! All of them slept No Sentinel to watch for the rest This was such an extravagant Vn-soldier-like Allegation that nothing but the Impudence of a Jew could have imposed upon the World From these Premisses I hope it hath been competently proved 1. That it is very possible That God should Reveal his Will to Mankind And 2. It is no less possible that those Books we call the Scriptures should contain this Revelation of the Divine Will And therefore 3. If these Two Propositions being granted you can still be so extravagant as to affirm The Impossibility of Eternal Torments You must then prove it Impossible That any such Doctrin concerning the Existence or Eternity of Hell Torments should be revealed in Scripture Or else 4. You must prove That what God hath Revealed in Scripture cannot possibly be true As to this Fourth Proposition I should but trifle to expostulate it with you Truth being such an Essential Attribute of God that it never was Disputed If therefore God hath made this Revelation There is a Hell and the Torments of it are Eternal Who art thou O vain Man that disputest against God Let God be true but every Man a Lyar. And then the only Proposition for me to confirm and you to disprove is this It is very possible that the Holy Scriptures do reveal this Doctrin viz. That there is a Hell and that the Torments of it are Eternal For if this be Impossible pray then inform us what is the true sense and meaning of these following Words a Jude 6. The Angels which kept not their first Estate but left their own Habitation he hath reserved in Everlasting Chains under darkness unto the Judgment of the great Day b 2 Thes 1. 7 8 9. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming Fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Who shall be punished with Everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power c John 5. 28 29. Marvel not at this For the hour is coming in the which all that are in the Graves shall hear his Voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done Evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation d Dan. 12. 2. And many of them that sleep in the Dust of the Earth shall awake some to Everlasting Life and some to shame and Everlasting Contempt e Mat. 25. 41. Then shall he say unto them on the left Hand Depart from me ye Cursed into Everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels f Mat. 25. 46. And these shall go away into Everlasting punishment But the Righteous into Life Eternal g Mat. 13. 49 50. At the end of the World the Angels shall come forth and severe the Wicked from among the Just and shall cast them into a Furnace of Fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of Teeth h Mark 9. 43 44. If thy hand offend thee cut it off It is better for thee to enter into life maimed then having two hands to go into Hell into the Fire that never shall be quenched Where their Worm dieth not and the Fire is not quenched i Rev. 20. 10. The Least and the False Prophet shall be Tormented Day and Night for ever and ever k Luk. 12. 4 5. Be not afraid of them that kill the Body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear Fear him which after he hath killed hath Power to cast into Hell yea I say unto you fear him And now Sir having seriously perused these Places of Scripture pray resolve me Are not these following Truths as plainly therein delivered as any words can express them 1. That wicked Men are liable to a further Punishment after Death Those that kill the Body are not able to kill the Soul But God is able to destroy both Body and Soul in Hell i. e. as St. Luke interprets St. Matthew to cast them into Hell 2. This Punishment is very great and dreadful 'T is represented by Fire the most smart and pungent Torment and by wailing and gnashing of Teeth out of Anguish and Despair 3. These Torments are Eternal Everlasting Punishment Everlasting Fire Never shall be quenched Their Worm dieth not There are indeed some impertinent Criticisms urged by the Socinians and others to ener-vate these Texts But what then Was there ever any Truth so certain which hath not bin Disputed But what if these Critics are mistasten what if wiser Men then they have thought otherwise Pray then do not hazard an Eternal Concern upon such Niceties I did once think to have expostulated these Things largely with you And to have done it with all the warmth and vigour that the Concern for a precious immortal Soul could dictate But I must remember to whom I write For unless your Judgment is rectified the best things I can say will be but matter for your Sport If the Word of God shall still be Burlesqued and Ridiculed by you I have no reason to expect any great Reverence should be shewed to mine But I hope better Things and Things that accompany Salvation tho I thus speak God Grant that you may in this your Day consider the Things that belong to your Peace before they be hid from your Eyes FINIS