Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	know_v	life_n	spirit_n	4,772	5	5.1324	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30898	The possibility and necessity of the inward immediate revelation of the spirit of God towards the foundation and ground of true faith, proved in a letter write [sic] in Latine, to a person of quality in Holland; and now also put into English. By R.B.	Barclay, Robert, 1648-1690.	1686 (1686)	Wing B732; ESTC R214887	15,587	34

GOD speaking to the mind of Man is a supernatural Beeing and stirreth up in us a supernatural Idea by which we clearly know that inward Voice to be the Voice of GOD and not the voice or operation of another or of any evil Spirit or Angel because none of these has a supernatural Idea as the Voice of GOD and his Divine Operation hath for it is full of Vigour Virtue and Divine Glory as saith the Psalmist who had often experience of it and we also in our measures are witnesses thereof for the Voice of GOD is known to be his by its Divine Virtue Seventhly The senses are either Outward or Inward and the Inward senses are either Natural or Supernatural We have an example of the Inward Natural Sense in being Angied or Pacified in Love and Hatred or when we perceive and discern any Natural Truth such as the Natural Maxims to wit That the whole is greater then the part or when we deduce any Conclusion by the strength of Natural Reason that Perception also in a larger sense may be called an inward Sense But an Example of an Inward supernatural Sense is when the Heart or Soul of a pious Man feels in it self Divine Motions Influences and Operations which sometimes are as the voice or speech of GOD sometimes as a most pleasant and glorious Illustration or visible Object to the inward Eye Sometimes as a most sweet Savour or Taste sometimes as a Heavenly and Divine Warmness or so to speak Melting of the Soul in the Love of GOD. Moreover this Divine and supernatural Operation in the Mind of a Man is a true and most glorious Miracle which when it is perceived by the Inward and supernatural Sense divinely raised up in the Mind of Man doth so evidently and clearly perswade the Understanding to assent to the thing revealed that there is no need of an outward Miracle for this Assent is not because of the thing it self but because of the Revelation proposing it which is the Voice of GOD For when the Voice of GOD is heard in the Soul the Soul doth as certainly conclude the truth of that Voice as the truth of GOD'S Beeing from whom it proceeds These things being thus premised I now proceed to a direct Answer For what is said that GOD cannot make a contingent Truth to become a necessarie Truth I agree But when any Contingent Truth is manifest to us by the Immediat Revelation of GOD There is in it two things to be considered to wit the thing revealed which is Contingent And the Revelation it self which upon the Supposition that it is a Divine Revelation is no contingent Truth but a most Necessarie Truth And this all mankind will say that this Proposition Every divine Revelation is necessarly true is as clear and evident as that Proposition That every Whole is greater then its Part. But thou wilt say how knows thou that a Divine Revelation is a Divine Revelation I answer how knows thou that a Whole is a Whole and a Part is a Part Thou wilt say by the natural Idea excited in me of a Whole and of a Part. I answer again even so a Divine Revelation is known to be such by a Supernatural Idea of Divine Revelation stirred up in us and that by a Divine Motion or Supernatural Operation But it is no wonder that Men who have no Experience of Supernatural Ideas or at lest do not heed them doe deny them which is as if a man naturally blind denyed Light or Colours or a deaf man Sounds because they experience them not Therefore we cannot dissemble that we feel a fervent Zeal even Divinely kindled in us against such an absurd opinion as affirms That God cannot ascertain us of his will in any contingent Truth but by proposing it to the outward Senses This Opinion does in a manner turn Men into brutes as if Man were not to believe his GOD unless he propose what is to be believed to the outward Senses which the beasts have common with us yea it derogats from GOD's Power and imputes weakness to him as if he could not do that which not only both good and evil Angels can doe but which the meanest Creatures can doe and the most unsensible As for instance the heat of the fire the coldness of the Air Water worketh upon us yea if a Pinn prick us we feel it that by the outward Sense because the Objects are outward and carnal But since GOD is a most Pure and Glorious Spirit when he operateth in the Innermost parts of our Minds by his will Shall not he and his will be clearly felt according to his Nature That is by a spiritual and supernatural Sense For as the Nature of GOD is so is the Nature of his will to wit purely spiritual And therefore requireth a Spiritual Sense to discern it which Spiritual Sense when it is raised up in us by a divine Operation doth as clearly and certainly know the voice or revelation of the will of GOD concerning any thing which GOD is pleased to reveal however Contingent as the outward Sense knows and perceives the Outward Object And it is no less absurd to require of GOD who is a most pure Spirit to manifest his will to Men by the outward Senses else not to be credited As to require us to see sounds and hear Light and Colours For as the Objects of the outward Senses are not to be confounded but every Object is to have its proper Sense So must we judge of inward and spiritual Objects which have their proper Sense whereby they are to be perceived And tell me how God doth manifest his will concerning matters of Fact when he sends his Angels to men since Angels as is commonly received have not outward Senses or at least not so gross ones as ours are Yea when Men dye and apear before the Tribunal of GOD whether unto eternal Life or Death how can they know this having laid down their bodies and therewith their outward Senses And nevertheless this Truth of GOD is a Truth of Fact as is the historicall Truth of Christs Birth in the Flesh. And which is yet more near how do good and holy Men even in this Life most certainly know that they are in Favour and Grace with GOD No Outward Revelation doth make this known unto them but the Spirit as saith the Apostle beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of GOD. For the meer Testimonie of a human Conscience without the inward Testimonie of the holy Spirit cannot beget in us a firm and immoveable Testimony of our Sonship because the Heart of Man is deceitfull and if the Testimony thereof were true at most it is but a Human Testimonie which begetteth in us only an human Faith But that Faith by which holy Men believe they are the Sons of GOD is a Divine Faith which leans upon a Divine Testimony of the holy Spirit witnessing in them that they are the Sons

which contingent truth is matter of fact whence thou reasons That matter of Fact cannot be known but by the relation of another or by the perception of the outward Senses Because there are naturally in our Souls no Ideas of contingent truths such as are concerning necessary Truths to wit That GOD is and tha● the whole is greater than the part And since i● may without absurdity be said that GOD cannot make a contingent Truth to become a necessary Truth neither can GOD reveal contingent Truths or matters of Fact but as contingent Truths are revealed But matters of Fact are not revealed but by the outward Senses From whence thou concludes That Men are not even oblieged to believe GOD producing any Revelation ●n the Soul concerning matter of Fact whether of a ●hing done or to be done unless there be added some Miracles obvious to the outward senses by which the Soul may be ascertained that that Revelation cometh from GOD And this thou endeavours also to prove from the Scripture Rom 10. where the Apostle saith Faith cometh by hearing And because the Apostle speaketh afterwards of those who were ●ent in the plural number Thence thou concludes That to be spoken of outward Preaching by ●he Ministry of Men And since the Apostle uses Question saying How shall they believe unless ●hey hear Thou gathers from the Induction and ●onnexion of the Text that the Apostle treats ●nly of outward hearing thence concluding that ●ithout outward hearing Faith cannot be produced ●nd therefore that there can be no Immediat Revelation by the simple operation of the Spirit in the Mind ●nless there be somewhat proposed to the Out●ard senses Before I proceed to a direct answer to this Ar●ument some things are necessary to be premised First then That is falsly supposed that the ●ence of the Christian Religion consists in the ●istoricall Faith and Knowledge of the Birth ●eath Life Resurrection and Ascension of Christ That Faith and Historicall Knowledge is indeed a part of the Christian Religion But not such an Essentiall part as that without which the Christian Religion cannot consist But an Integrall part which goes to the compleating of the Christian Religion as the Hands or Feet of a Man are Integrall parts of a Man without which nevertheless a Man may exist but not an intire and compleat Man Secondly If by Immediate Revelation be understood such a Revelation of GOD as begets in our Souls an historicall Faith and Knowledge of the Birth of Christ in the flesh without the means o● the holy Scripture we do not for such a Revelalation as commonly given or to be expected by u● or any other Christians For albeit many other Evangelical Truths be manifested to us by the immediate manifestation of God not using the Scripture as the means yet the Historical Knowledge o● Christ is not commonly manifested to us nor t● any others but by the holy Scripture as th● means and that by way of a Material Object eve● as when we see the Person of Peter or Paul by th● help of the Suns light that light of the Sun re●veals the Person of Peter or Paul to our visiv● Faculty immediately yet not without the m●dium of that person concurring as a matterial O●ject to produce that sight while the light of th● Sun concurrs as the formal Object of that vision 〈◊〉 sight So that when we Livingly and Spiritua●ly know the History of the Birth of Christ 〈◊〉 the flesh the Inward Revelation or Illumination 〈◊〉 GOD which is like the Suns light proceeding from the Divine Sun doth shine into the eye of the Mind and by Its influence moves the mind to assent unto the Historical Truth of CHRISTS Birth Life c. in the Reading or Hearing the Scripture or meditating therein Thirdly Nevertheless we do firmly assert that GOD can most easily clearly and certainly manifest to our minds the Historical Truths of CHRISTS Birth c. when it so pleaseth Him even without the Scripture or any other outward mean And because this Argument seems to be formed against the possibility of such a Revelation therefore I shall proceed to discuse it But first thou may mind that the Prophets who foretold CHRISTS coming in the Flesh and being to be born of a Virgin and afterwards to suffer Death did know these Truths of Fact by the Inward Inspiration of GOD without Outward Means for which see 1 Peter 1.10 11. Now that which hath been may be Fourthly This Argument doth at most conclude that we cannot know Naturally any truth of Fact but by the relation of another without us or by the perception of the outward senses Because there are naturally in our minds no Ideas concerning contingent Truths and every Truth of Fact is a contingent Truth as there are of necessary Truths This then proveth that we cannot naturally know any contingent Truth but by the relation of another or perception of the outward senses But that hindreth not but we may know a contingent Truth by a supernaturall Knowledge GOD supplying the place of an outward Relator who is so true that he may and ought to be believed Sith GOD is the fountain of Truth Fifthly When GOD doth make known unto Men any matter of Fact by Divine immediat Revelation or Inspiration GOD speaking as to the Ear of the Heart of the inward Man or as by his Finger writting it therein Two things are to be considered in such an Immediat Revelation 1. Tòmateriale The matter of fact or thing revealed which is contingent 2. Toformale The forme or mode how the Revelation is made which forme is an Inward Divine and supernaturall Revelation which is the voice or speech of GOD inwardly speaking to the Ear of the inward Man or Mind of Man or a Divine writting supernaturally imprinted therein Now as to the matteriall part or the thing and matter revealed This is indeed a contingent Truth and of it self is not manifest to the Mind but because of the form that is because of the Divine mode and supernaturall inward operation the matter is known to be true For that Divine and Supernatural Inward Operation which the Mind doth feel and perceive in it self is the Voice of GOD speaking unto Man which by its Nature and specifick Property is as clearly distinguished and understood to be the Voice of GOD as the voice of Peter of James is known to be the voice of such Men for every Beeing as a Beeing is knowable and that by its own speci●●●k Nature or Property proceeding from its Nature and hath its proper Idea by which it's distinguishable from every other thing if so be it's Idea be stirred up in us and clearly proposed to us Sixthly Now as some Beeings are Natural some Supernatural so some Ideas are Natural some Supernatural And as when any natural Idea is excited in us we clearly know it So also when a supernatural Idea is raised we clearly know that whereof it is the Idea but the Voice of