Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A41688
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The court of the gentiles. Part IV. Of reformed philosophie wherein Plato's moral and metaphysic or prime philosophie is reduced to an useful forme and method / by Theophilus Gale.
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Gale, Theophilus, 1628-1678.
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1677
(1677)
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Wing G142; ESTC R25438
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525,579
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570
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found As it never punisheth any but for sin so it never rewards any but the Godly c. 2 Whereever these Conditions or Qualities are found it necessarily exerts it self It cannot but punish sin where-ever it be neither can it but reward holiness if sincere There is a necessitie not Physic but Moral attendes al its egresses and that from the free Constitution of the Divine Wil. § 2. Next to the Justice of God we are to discourse of his Veracitie and Fidelitie Gods Veracitie and Fidelitie which is not really distinct from his Ordinate Justice Thence we find the Justice of God frequently put for his Fidelitie So Psal 31.1 Deliver me in thy Righteousnesse Psal 31.1 i. e. according to thy Righteousnesse whereby thou doest declare thy self just in making good thy promisses Some make this distinction between Gods Veritie Fidelitie and Justice Gods Veritie obligeth him to this that he promise sincerely his Fidelitie that he keep his promisse and his Justice that he performe his promisse by giving the thing promissed Touching the veracitie of God we find lively Illustrations and Notices both in Sacred and Platonic Philosophie As for Sacred Philosophie it is most expresse in the asserting Gods Veracitie Gen. 22.16 So Gen. 22.16 By my self have I sworne assuredly saith Jehovah Assuredly saith or the faithful saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neum is peculiar to Gods Oracles which are al faithful sayings 1 Tim. 1.15 and 3.1 Of the same letters transposed comes also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amen which notes the faithfulnesse of God Thus Esa 25.1 Esa 25.1 For thou hast done wonderful things thy counsels of old are faithfulnesse and truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In faithfulnesse and firmnesse Gataker conceives the word here to note firme or firmnesse rather than true or truth because the word in the singular no where else found is used in the plural for pillars 2 Kings 18.16 The Veracitie of God is farther explicated 1 Sam. 15.29 1 Sam. 15.29 The Eternitie or strength of Israel wil not lie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both eternitie and strength which are both great pillars of the Divine Veracitie So Psal 33.4 Psal 33.4 The Word of the Lord is right and al his workes are done in truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in truth veracitie or constance So Psal 18.20 Psal 18.20 As for God his way is perfect This seems to be meant of the veracitie and constance of his promisses Thence it follows The Word of the Lord is tried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 examined i. e. pure sincere like Silver wel refined neither do they ever fail as Psal 12.6 Psal 36.5 So Psal 36.5 Thy faithfulnesse reacheth to the clouds i. e. it is Immense and Infinite The space between us and the Clouds is vast Psal 89.1 8. and seemingly immense Thus Psal 89.1 I wil sing of the mercies of the Lord. By Mercies Kimhi and Ezra understand Gods free Constitution antecedent to his promisse Whence it follows With my mouth wil I make known thy faithfulnesse Mercie makes the promisse but Fidelitie is ingaged for the performance of it So v. 2 3. and v. 8. O Lord God of Hosts who is a strong God like unto thee or to thy faithfulnesse round about thee He stiles God most potent in regard of his Veracitie and Fidelitie in making good his promisses and then he addes that Gods faithfulnesse is round about him which is a Poetic description denoting that God is alwaies and in every posture or regard most faithful And he procedes in the following Verses lively to describe the Fidelitie of God v. 33 34 35. particularly v. 33. Nor suffer my faithfulnesse to fail 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither wil I lie against my Truth or in my Truth i. e. I wil not violate my Veracitie by not performing my promisse So v. 34. My Covenant wil I not break 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I wil not profane my Covenant or offer violence to it Again v. 35. Once have I sworne by my Holinesse that I wil not lie unto David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 once i. e. irrevocably as Kinthi and Ezra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if I lie to David The particle if being used as a formule in swearing doth greatly denie For the ancient Patriarchs were wont under this formule by a kind of Aposiopesis silently to couch an Imprecation of evil on the head of him that swore if he did violate his faith The great God assumes this formule of swearing from human custome thereby to declare the firmitude of his Veracitie and Fidelitie in performing his oath Al this is lively explicated Hebr. 6.17 18. Heb. 6.17 18. God being willing more abundantly to shew to the heirs of promisse the immutabilitie of his counsel engaged his fidelitie by an oath That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie or to deceive for so Grotius conceives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ought to be rendred which signifies an event that frustrates expectation as Lev. 6.2 Jos 24.27 Esa 58.2 Hos 1.2 Hab. 3.17 Gods Providences ost seem to crosse his Promisses and so to frustrate our expectations but really there is not the least mutabilitie on Gods part he cannot lie or deceive being bound by two immutable things his Word and Oath which give abundant assurance of his Fidelitie Plato also gives very great and illustrious notices of the Veracitie of God and those not a little consorme to Sacred Philosophie Thus Repub. 2. p. 382. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doest thou not know that both God and men do truely hate a lie And then he addes the Reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That there is no mortal who would in his soul either deceive or be deceived or be ignorant or be involved in the darknesse of a lie as to Supreme Beings Thence he subjoins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truely a lie should be hated not only by God but also by men Then he addes shal we imagine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that a lie is utile to God What therefore because he understandes not ancient things c. Whence he concludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Wherefore God is both simple and faithful both in work and word neither is he himself changed neither doth he deceive others neither by phantastic delusions neither by words neither by signes neither by visions neither by dreams Plato here enumerates the several waies whereby God reveles himself in each of which his Veracitie is most illustrious Whence p. 383. he makes this Law for the right establishment of Religion That men speak and believe touching God that he is no Deceiver or Seducer of others either by Words or otherwise But to discourse more Philosophically of the Veracitie of God we must first distinguish of Veritie in the general which is either simple or complexe 1 Simple veritie is either in the mind or in things themselves 1 Simple Truth in the
mind consistes in the conformitie of our Notions unto things And in this regard the Truth of God importes the veritie of his Ideas or knowlege of things 2 Simple Truth in Things is nothing but their conformitie to their specific Idea or formal definition and nature So we say that is true Gold which conformes to the specific Idea of Gold This some Aristoteleans stile Metaphysic or transcendental Truth others Physic Truth it being no other than the real existence of things For as Aristotle or whoever were the compilator of that Book Metaph. min. l. 1. c. 1. observes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every thing has so much of truth as it has of existence Now the veritie of God in this regard is nothing else save the simple pure actualitie of his essence and existence 2 Complexe Truth is either Mental or Oral 1 Complexe mental Truth is the conformitie of complexe mental Ideas Notions or Propositions unto things which cannot be ascribed to God because he has no complexe knowlege but only simple albeit he knows al propositions yet it is not by any complexe notions but in the most simple glasse of his own essence 2 Complexe Oral Veritie is either Logic or Ethic Logic Oral Veritie is when Propositions or Discourses agree with things Ethic Oral Veritie is when our words agree to our thoughts which is termed Sinceritie or our deeds to our words which is Veracitie This Veracitie as to God regards al his words Gods Veracitie in fulfilling but in a more particular manner his Comminations or Threats and Promisses yet with this difference 1 Promisses 1 Promisses give a right to the persons to whom they are made which cannot be taken from them without injurie for albeit it be free to any to make a promisse yet having made it his fidelitie is obliged to see it performed So that in Promisses there is no room for Relaxation or Dispensation but the words must be taken in the largest sense and as most favorable for the persons to whom the Promisse is made according to that commun maxime in Civil Law Favors must be amplified And that which addes to the obligation of promisses is when they are confirmed by an Oath which renders them every way Immutable and Irrelaxable Such are al the Promisses of God as Hebr. 6.17 Heb. 6.17 18. Where God is said to confirme his promisse by an Oath whereby it became every way immutable as vers 18. 2 But now as to Comminations or Threats 2 Threats there is no right or debt accrews to the persons to whom they are made save only a debt or merit of punishment the threat renders them obnoxious to punishment if they break that Law whereto the threat is appendent yet in many Cases ' specially as to circumstances the Superior who made the Law and affixed a threat thereto has a libertie of relaxing or dispensing with the penaltie of his Law The Commination declares the Merit of punishment in the offender and the Power of punishing in the Superior offended but yet it doth not alwaies suppose a necessarie egresse or execution of vindictive justice for the punishing the offender at least not as to al circumstances threatned but stil there remains place in the breast of the Judge or Superior ' specially if he be Absolute and Soverain either to relaxe or dispense with the penaltie of his Laws either in whole or part Thus in Gods Threats and penal Laws he reserves to himself a libertie of Relaxation or Dispensation in many Cases thereby to make way for his Clemence or Mercie without the least violation of his Veracitie or Justice So in the first commination or penal Law Gen. 2.17 Thou shalt surely die Gen. 2.17 Heb. in dying thou shalt die Which Hebraisme denotes a certain immediate perfect and constant death And yet our Soverain Lord out of his Soverain rich Mercie was pleased very far to relaxe and mitigate the rigor of this commination or penal Law as to many circumstances by admitting of a Mediator and new Evangelic Covenant In this regard God is said to repent or turne from the siercenesse of wrath as Jonah 3.9 Who can tel if God wil turne Jonah 3.9 and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not God by reason of their legal imperfect faith and repentance turned away his fierce wrath for that time albeit afterward it came down with vengeance as Historie assureth us Neither is it to be feared lest the Veracitie of God should receive any injurie if al his Threats are not alwaies in al circumstances or parts fulfilled because al comminations and threats which have not some character or signe of irrevocabilitie assixt to them are according to their own nature so to be understood as not to diminish the right of the Superior who makes them to relaxe the same Thus we see what latitude the Divine Veracitie admits in the fulfilling Comminations and Threats beyond what can be admitted in fulfilling Divine Promisses as Grotius wel observes Gods Veracitie and Fidelitie in fulfilling his word Gods Veracitie demonstrated is founded in and may be demonstrated by 1 his essential Veritie Plato makes God to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first Truth yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth it self whence he cannot but be true and faithful in his words God is Truth essentially not participatively therefore nothing but Truth can passe from him Again God is pure Truth or Veritie with whom not the least shadow of Falsitie Hypocrisie or Fraude in word or deed can mingle Pure Truth and falsitie are incompatible There are no thoughts or ideas of mans heart so true but there is some mixture of error or falsitie in them no words or deeds so sincere and faithful but something of hypocrifie and falsitie mixed with them because there is no pure truth in mans thoughts or words But God being the first pure essential Veritie his Veracitie is most pure and perfect without the least shadow of falsitie 2 Gods Veracitie is founded on and may be demonstrated by his Eternitie and Omnipotence Thus in sacred Philosophie 1 Sam. 15.29 1 Sam. 15.29 The Eternitie or strength of Israel wil not lie Al lies are from impotence and infirmitie Truth and Veracitie is ever potent and strong but falsitie most impotent 3 From the Holinesse of God of which we shal immediately discourse I shal conclude this Divine Attribute with a pleasing observation I long since met with in the Life of Jansenius Bishop of Ipre that great Patron of Divine Grace who being demanded What Attribute of God was most in his heart whereby he was most awed Replied The Truth or Veracitie of God And he that writes his Life prefixed to his Augustinus assures us That in his Garden-walkes and solitary Meditations with his eyes fixed on Heaven he was oft seen and heard to break forth into this acclamation O Truth So great an Admirer was he of Divine Veritie and