Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	believe_v	jesus_n	lord_n	8,211	5	3.8236	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B04702	An antidote against a careless indifferency in matters of religion. Being a treatise in opposition to those that believe, that all religions are indifferent, and that it imports not what men profess. / Done out of French. With an introduction by Anthony Horneck, D.D. Chaplain in ordinary to their Majesties.; Traité contre l'indifférence des religions. English	Pictet, Benedict, 1655-1724.; Horneck, Anthony, 1641-1697.	1694 (1694)	Wing P2153; ESTC R181787	77,076	145

of Monsieur Justel by which every one is left at his liberty whether he will embrace the Christian Religion or not I could also quote several Emperors For example The Emperor Constantine who had desir'd that all his Subjects might be Christians without constraining any body The Emperor Jovian who is applauded for that he gave every body leave to profess what Religion he pleas'd The Emperor Valentinian who set forth Laws by which he gave Liberty to every body to profess the Religion wherein he was bred The Emperor Marcian who in the Letter which he wrote to the Archimandrites and the Monks of Jerusalem We will not hale says he or drag any Person whoever he be into the way of Truth either by T●reats or by Violence and the Emperor Constant in Pogonatus who in his Letter to the Bishop of Rome upon occasion of the Sixth Universal Council which he call'd at Constantinople expresly says We could invite and exhort all the W●rld to amend themselves and unite with the Christians but we will constrain no body 'T is true that Charlemaigne us'd violence towards the Saxons but his Conduct is blam'd be Ale●…n● his Tutor as was also that of King Chilperic by Gregory the First and that of King Sisebut in Spain by the Council of Toledo Lastly I could cite the Pagans themselves who have been of the same Opinion That no body has Right over the Conscience and that the Will is not to be forc'd as appears by what was written by an Indian Philosopher to Alexander Thy Friends advise thee to offer violence to the Indian Philosophers Thou mayst remove their Bodies from one Place to another but thou canst never force their Minds c. There is no Prince or King that can make us do any thing against our Will This is a most certain Truth and they who are of another Opinion talk against the Light of their Understandings Thus M. Le B●et Counsellor of State in his Treatise of the King's Sovereignty discussing the Question Whether it be Lawful sometimes to disobey the King Answers That in matters of Religion there is no wavering to be admitted between the Fear of God and Man And he also maintains That in austere and harsh Proceedings the Minister of the Prince's Cruelties participates of his Crime and that a Judge who pronounces an unjust Sentence resolving upon Injustice and condemns the Innocent upon privy Signet Letters transgresses in his Obedience because that being a Messenger of Justice he never ought to abuse it to colour over the Fury and Iniquity of a Prince who borrows the Formalities of it What think ye was the meaning of St. Paul when he teaches us that we ought to submit to Princes not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake No other without question but that we ought to submit to the Higher Powers in things which are not forbid by the Law of God not only for Wrath that is to say because there is no resisting 'em without punishment and without incurring their Indignation but also for Conscience sake that is because the word of God binds our Consciences to it For if we allow any greater Latitude to the words it must be said that St. Paul meant that we should sacrifice to false Gods if we liv'd under a Prince that should c●mmand it Which is that which no Man dares presume to say Since no Man can be ignorant of the Opinion of that faithful Servant of God in this particular We say no more of it here because we have already spoken concerning it CHAP. XX. Against those who believe it sufficient to live according to the Rules of Moral Honesty THere are many People who believe it to be sufficient to live well but that 't was no great matter what they believ'd that it was enough to reform their Manners but that there was no necessity of tormenting a Man's self about his Belief and that he may be Sav'd in all S●cts provided he abstains from those Vices which the Law of God and right Reason condemn But they who are of this Opinion are grosly mistaken nor will it be a difficult thing to evince ' em First if it be sufficient to lead an Innocent Life without ever troubling our selves what we ought to believe 't is a wonderful thing that Faith should be so often recommended to us and that the Holy Men of God should declare that without it there is no Salvation Amend your Lives says Christ but at the same time believe in the Gospel If thou believ'st said Philip to the Eunuch and he Answer'd I believe that Jesus is the Son of God If thou confess with thy Mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God has rais'd him from the dead thou shalt be sav'd But without Faith it is impossible to please him Heb. 11.6 He that believeth in him is not condemn'd but he that believeth not is already condemn'd because he has not believ'd in the name of the only begotten of God And this Faith is distinguish'd from good Works as you may find in the Epistles to the Roman● the Glatians and in other Places I confess that Faith alone without Charity is not sufficient to Save Thô I should speak with the Tongue of Men and Angels if I have not Charity I am become as sounding Brass or a Tinkling Cymb●l And thô I have the Gift of Prophecy and Vnderstand all Misteries and all Knowledge and thô I have all Faith that I could remove Mountains and have no Charity I am nothing 1 Cor. 13. I confess also that without Sanctification we cannot see God Heb. 12. But I averr in the First place that there is no Sanctification where there is no Faith 'T is Faith that purifies the Heart Secondly That Faith ought to have Charity for its foundation it ought to proceed saith St. Paul 1 Tim. 1.5 From a good Conscience a pure Heart and a Faith unfeigned Faith is dead without Charity but there is no true Charity without Faith II. If it be sufficient to live morally well I cannot conceive wherefore St. John 1 Epist cap. 4. would have us try the Spirits with so much care to avoid the receiving all Doctrines that are Taught us Beloved says He Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God And for fear lest Men should think that examination of the Spirits was recommended to 'em only to try whether they taught a strict or loose Morality the Apostle adds That every Spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God but this is that Spirit of Antichrist c. If no Man then can be of God unless he confess Christ come in the flesh certainly it cannot be sufficient to live morally well to be sav'd unless Men think they can obtain Salvation without being of God Moreover whence comes it that the same Apostle in his Second Epistle forbids the Faithful to receive into their Houses or

a Providence how is it possible that the World should subsist in the midst of such violent Concussions or that it should have held out so long time A Ship abandon'd to the Mercy of the Winds without either Helm or Pilot can never run a steady course without dashing against the Rocks or being swallow'd up by the Waves Whence comes it then that these subterraneal Fires these Earthquakes and these Inundations cause not that universal Havock which they might do By what unexpected Power are the Effects of these dreadful Accidents suspended or limited Who is it that corrects the distempers of a corrupted Air What Virtue purifies whole Cities and Regions infected with the Pestilence Certainly he must be very blind who sees not that 't is the same hand which made the Universe that preserves it and that after God has made use of these Unundations these Fires and Earthquakes for those ends which to us are for the most part unknown he stops 'em from going any farther and destroying the vast Machine of the World Lastly they are astonish'd that Good Men should be so often opprest and that the wicked should Triumph That Impiety and Vice should Reign predominant and that Innocence and Virtue should be overwhelmed This is one of their great Objections that has so much perplex'd the Wise in all Ages Claudian confesses ingenuously That he questions whether the World be Governed by a Wise Intelligent Providence or by Blind Fortune beholding Virtue under Oppression and Rufinus the most famous Criminal of his Age flourishing in High Advancement And it is reported of a certain Philosopher that he became an Atheist because he observ'd that God did not inflict immediate Punishment upon a perjur'd Person And the Wise Cato unfortunate in fighting for the Liberty of his Country could not forbear saying That there was a great Incertainty in the Government of the Gods To which I may add what is related of Domocritus That he put out his I●yes with the Reverberation of a Glittering Buckler because he would not behold the Prosperity of the Wicked Thô I must confess that this last Story seems to me very improbable For what likely hood is there that Domocritus who only made it his Business to ridicule all the World should be troubl'd at the Prosperity of the Ungodly Now tho' this Objection seems very plausible nevertheless it is very easily answered First it is not always true that Virtue is oppress'd and Vice recompenc'd Good Men are not alwas Afflicted and the Wicked are frequently punish'd No Man will presume to deny it Nor are there any Ages or Years that do not furnish us with Examples Thus the same Clandian who was offended at the Prosperity of Rufinus says That the Punishment which he receiv'd absolv'd the Gods Abstulit hunc tandem Rufini Paena Tumultum Absolvitque Deos. In the Second Place People who are not so are many times thought to be Virtuous and Good People because they carry a fair Outside of Probity and Piety 'T is needless to produce any Proofs of it 't is agreed upon by all the World there is no Person that has not been frequently deceiv'd and there are an Infinite number who deceive themselves But to unfold this difficulty more clearly I assert that they most grosly deceive themselves when they imagine the Wicked to be happy because they appear to be so because they are Rich because they are advanced to vast preferments and wallow in pleasure and delights How many are there that seem to enjoy a Perfect Felicity who are really most unfortunate and tormented with bitter Pangs of an accusing Conscience How many wealthy People are there whose Condition is much more sad then that of the most Miserable Wretches How many great Men are there who in their Elevated Stations enjoy no rest or quiet Day or Night I need no other Testimony then Tiberius who could not forbear declaring to the Roman Senate that every Day he dy'd a Cruel Death Could you but look into the Insides of those that you esteem Happy and Rich said Seneca you would find 'em to be Miserable to be Poor to be Infamous and that they resemble those Walls which are only Painted without side Such a Felicity is no solid and true Felicity 't is only an Image and slight Appearance of it For which reason it is that while they can stand upon their Legs and make a vain Bravado of Grandeur they appear what they are not and make People believe 'em happy But if any accident befals 'em that puts 'em out of Order and discovers 'em then you come to see the Filth and Infamy that borrow'd Splendour conceals And the Famous Historian Tacitus speaking of Tyrants could we but see their Souls laid open says He we should behold 'em torn and mangl'd by their own Crimes like the Bodies of Criminals cut with the Lashes of the Whip We must not wonder then to see the Wicked Potent and Rich in Grandeur and Reputation so far from thence concluding that there is no Providence that we have no reason to envy their Felicity I confess however that there would be some reason to be astonish'd at their appearing Prosperity were there no other Life but this and that we were not then to come to Judgment But before we blame the Conduct of the Almighty or before we deny a Providence we ought to be assur'd there is no other Life to be expected after this and that God will never punish those whom he now supports Now I know not whether there be any one to be met with who will presume to assert that he is clearly convinced that there is nothing to be thought of after this Life that there is nothing to be hop'd or fear'd after Death tho' there are several who endeavour to persuade themselves that it is certainly true with whom we shall enter the Lists in the sequel of our Discourse The Second Reflection is That 't is an Error to believe good Men Unhappy because they are afflicted seeing that Afflictions are so useful to those that are expos'd to 'em whereby to make 'em sensible of the Emptiness of this World and the Vanities of it to wean 'em from this Earth and make 'em think of a better Life to tame their Pride to reduce 'em from their Deviations and Wandrings and bring 'em back to their Duty These are the Benefits of Misfor-fortune of which it would be easie to convince the most obstinate Now for a Man to be convinc'd that Afflictions do not render the Sufferers unhappy he needs no more but to consider the Tranquility of mind which Good Men enjoy when they are most Afflicted One would think sometimes that he suffers in the Body of another person or that he is Insensible or if it happen that through the Violence of his Pain he discovers some Motions of Impatience and le ts fall some Murmurings he recovers himself presently again You shall see Sereneness and Joy reseated in

in so many other Things Is it not a Proof that this is one of those Truths of which we come to the knowledge as soon as we begin to make use of our Reason and which we cannot withstand without renouncing the Light of our Intellects It would be no difficult Thing for me to prove this Universal Consent would I but collect together what the Pagans have written concerning the condition of Souls after Death of the Judges before whom they were to appear of the Punishments and Rewards prepar'd for Men in the other World all that Plato believ'd upon this Subject and Particularly the Plat. de Repub l. 11. Recital which he causes one Amnenius to make in his Republic whom he introduces return'd to Earth twelve Days after his Death to make a Report of all that is transacted in Hell and giving an Account that the Judges before whom the Souls of the Departed appear place the Just upon the Right hand and the Wicked upon the Left and cause the Virtuous to ascend to Heaven while the Latter are forced to descend I might add what Strabo relates of the Brachmans among the Indians what is recited to us by those who have Travell'd into Asia Africa and America And I might add to all these Proofs another which might be drawn from the Opinion of almost all Nations that there was a necessary Duty incumbent upon 'em to appease the Deity which prevail'd so far tha● many offer'd Human Sacrifices for that purpose I add to all these Arguments this Reflection That if there be no future Judgment Virtue is no more then a Fantom and that 't is a Folly to pursue her Maxims Men may give themselves over to all sorts of Crimes and Impieties without Reluctancy he may be a Traytor Perjur'd Wretch a Knave a Faithless Villain an Adulterer from this time forward he has no more to do but to make himself most powerful in Society and preserve his Life since he has nothing to fear after Death no more then if he had led a Life the most Exact and Virtuous that could be imagin'd But where is that Man to be found that wou'd not abominate an Opinion that favours in this manner the most Horrid of Crimes and most Impious Enormities Or if it were receiv'd what Man would be willing to brook that the World should be no other then a wide Receptacle of only Thieves and Robbers a meer Chaos where there was no Curb upon the Conscience CHAP. VIII Where it is prov'd that altho' we had no certain Proofs of a Judgment to come yet we ought to live in such a manner as if we were assur'd of one LET us press a little closer upon those against whom we dispute and put the Question to 'em whether they are well assur'd that all that is said of the Day of Judgment and Life to come are Fables and Stories as they loudly gave out Do they believe it to be a thing contrary to the Virtue of a most Perfect Being to punish those who have so often Violated his Laws those that refus'd to obey him and whom he spar'd in this Life Is it less becoming God to be Just then to be Merciful I question whether any Body will presume to uphold it tho' there are many who have doubted the Truth of the Day of Judgment and others who upon their Death-beds have said That they were going to be inform'd of three Things whether there were a God whether the Soul were Immortal and whether there were a Heaven or Hell a very Edifying Confession I will grant that our Indifferent-Men may not be absolutely convinc'd by our alledg'd Reasons or by any others which we could produce However they must confess that there is some cause to Question whether the Sentiment which they have embrac'd be true or no. They believe that all Remorse of Conscience proceeds from the Prejudices of Education But I believe they proceed from an Apprehension of being punish'd for what we have committed and from the fear of a Judgment which is not possible for us to avoid They say that I am deceiv'd yet they ought at least to acknowledge that it is not so clear that I am in an Error but that there may be some reason to doubt whether I am or no. This then appears to be their Condition that they know not certainly according to their own Confession whether they shall be Eternally Miserable as it is requisite for 'em to acknowledge that they have deserv'd to be by their Transgressions or whether they shall be annihilated Good God! What an Uncertainty is this Would it not then be better in the midst of this uncertainty to practise that which would gain 'em Eternal Felicity if it be true that there is a Paradise then to do those things that are rewarded with Eternal Pains if there be a Judgment or a Hell In the choice of Opinions which Men know not certainly whether they be true or false sound Judgment and right Reason require that Men should prefer that Steerage that leads 'em to gain if truth be on their side and where there is nothing to lose if they be deceiv'd and on the other hand reject that by which they can gain nothing tho' they were in the Right but much to lose should it prove their Misfortune to be deluded This is now our Case A Man who lives as if he were to be judg'd has nothing to be afraid of supposing he should be deceiv'd but every thing to hope for if he be not in an Error He has nothing to be afraid of if he has been mistaken unless it be that after Death he finds no God no Paradise nor meets any more with himself again I confess that this is to be look'd upon as a great Misfortune but at least he ought no more to be afraid of any suffering or that he shall be more Miserable then he who has liv'd as if there were no Judgment to be expected Both the one and the other must lose their Being and all the Consequences of Being as Pain Pleasure Felicity and Misery This is the greatest Mischief that can befall a Good Christian supposing him to be in an Error But if he be not deceiv'd he may be sure of enjoying Felicity Eternal and Infinite Happiness There is then great Gain attends him if he be not deluded but there is nothing to lose in case he be by the Confession of the ungodly themselves On the other side a Man who believes not a last Judgment and who lives in the unbelief of it has nothing to hope for if he be not deceived because his greatest Felicity is to be annihilated but every thing to be afraid of if he be under a mistake For if at his departure our of the World he finds there is a God that there is a Judgment or a Hell there cannot be imagin'd a Creature more miserable Now let any Man judge whether it be not the Accomplishment of