Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	apostle_n	know_v	love_v	4,027	5	6.3882	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27589	Christianity, the great mystery in answer to a late treatise, Christianity not mysterious, that is, not above, not contrary to reason : in opposition to which is asserted Christianity is above created reason in its pure estate and contrary to humane reason as fallen and corrupted, and therefore, in proper sense mystery : together with a post[s]cript letter to the author on his second edition enlarg'd / by T.B.	Beverley, Thomas.; Toland, John, 1670-1722. Christianity not mysterious.	1696 (1696)	Wing B2131; ESTC R12817	48,779	66

the VVorld takes notice Job 11.12 That vain man would be wise He Aspires to the Reputation of being so tho he be Born like the wild Ass Colt the most Undisciplinable of all Animals so silly and so wild and yet the Emblem of Human VVisdom Notwithstanding this every Age hath Risen up in this presumption upon their own Reason This is that Gnosticism of every Age The Apostle says we know that we all have Knowledg that is we take upon us to have so 1 Cor. 8.2 But he adds If any man think he knows any thing he knows nothing yet as he ought to Know and therefore he prefers the Love of God and being known of him to our Airy Knowledge or Reason 2 Thes 4.2 He looks upon them as Men of no Topicks that is of no Reason who have not Faith who are not instructed of God by his Spirit in his Word Yet we Dwarfs of Reason of a Span long and Hand Breadth dare to measure Reasons with the Almighty Col. 2.18 vainly pufft up in our minds which are but Carnal while we think them so sublime as to measure Divine Things In the wisdom of God the World by wisdom knew not God The Lord knoweth the Thoughts of the wise that they are vain even the Discursive reasonings of the wise 1 Cor. 1.20 21. c. 3.18 19 20. The wisdom of this world is Foolishness with God Let a man become a Fool that he may be wise With innumerable such Scriptures that would put an humble Christian quite out of conceit with his own reason and make him rather cry out with Solomon All this have I proved by wisdom I said I will be wise but it was far from me That which is far off and exceeding Deep who can find it out Eccles 7.23 Prov. 30.1 Surely I am more bruitish than any man I have not the understanding of man viz. In his first Creation I neither learned wisdom nor know the knowledg of the Holy Rom. 12.3 The Great Wisdom is not to be wise above what is written but to be wise to Sobriety So little in all this and much more that might be Collected of the same Sense doth Scripture set by above or contrary to Human Reason as now current among Men For what the Reason of Man condemns as the Foolishness of God or Foolishness in Divine Things that do not commend themselves to Reason or the Wisdom of Men is yet wiser than that Imaginary Reason or Wisdom of Men. CHAP. IV. Of the Second Head proposed in this Discourse An Enquiry after the Nature of Revelation with an Answer upon it to Former Objections THere needs no Introduction concerning the word or sense of the word Revelation For it plainly signifies the uncovering and making plain visible and open what was before Covered Vailed Hidden and Concealed And this is the Apocalypsis every where spoken of in Scripture from God and his Spirit and herein the Discourse Christianity not Mysterious agrees and acknowledges Mysteries before Revelation as being of the Deeps of God which no Man can know seeing not the Deeps of a man But it is supposed that Revelation is recommended to Reason and is no more than Information or Testimony from any other Hand the certitude only of Divine Excells For in Human Information Reason Judges of the Credibility and if it finds cause disallow the Veracity of the Testimony and rejects the Things but in Divine Information it allows the Testimony but if it cannot receive the things as credible in such an appearance Reason changes them by Interpretation into other appearances wherein it can allow them altho it be never so plain by compare of Scripture and Reason guided by it Scripture intends what Reason Rejects but I shall endeavour to make plain by Scripture and true Reason according to it and the consent of Experience that this is a wholly mistaken Expedient as I go on thus to Remonstrate § 1. REvelation is a Manifestation of God to his Intellectual Creatures from the Secret of his own Purpose and the Deeps of his Counsel towards them or any of them above what was made known to them or might be found out by them according to their First Creation or Establishment but they being from an Holy Wise and Infinitely Gracious Being They are and cannot but be in every one of these Regards like to himself and as they are super-induced to Creation they are of Further and higher Grace for what-ever was necessary to the First Creation was given and made known by the Infinitely wise and good Creator who yet being Infinite and Infinitely Free had more to give than he gave at first but was not obliged to Give all at once Now these things could not be known but by Revelation For what man knows the things of a man 1 Cor. 2.11 but the Spirit of a man that is within him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God The Gospel on this Account is so often Stiled The Mystery hid in God kept secret since the World began hidden Wisdom the wisdom of God in a mistery Angels therefore Principalities and Powers could not by their Higher Light than that of the human Creation find it out but learn it by the Church This is indeed Agreed but yet ought to be set in its clearest and fullest Light § 2. The Intellectual Eye was in Creation enabled to see and behold only the Objects proper to such a Creation as it was Created even as the Beasts of the Field and Fowls of the Heavens have no higher a Light than that of sense as proper to their Creation So have the Higher Creations each in their Classe a Light Proportionable to such or such an Elevation of Creation For else such higher Light must be supposed to have lain Superfluous or might have known the mind of the Lord and been his Counseller before Revelation or could at least have immediately comprehended the secret Counsels of God whenever Revealed But Angels Learn and Desire to Look into them Further and Further and undoubtedly partake of that grand Priviledg of the Church the Spirit of Revelation to Enable them That which puts the matter out of all doubt is that the Apostle joyns and so Scripture throughout the Spirit of God Given and Receiv'd that we might know and Discern Now the Spirit is not an outward but an inward Revealer and Elevator of the Spirit of a Man as Elihu speaks in Job God Exalts Job 32.26 lifts up by his Power the Spirit of his Creatures whom he Teaches who therefore Teaches like him The Spirituality of this Higher New Creation is as much above Rationality as Rationality above Sense herein therefore differs Divine Teaching from all Created Teaching If any of the Angels be supposed the Higher to Reveal to the Lower or to men what they Know by the much Larger Sphere of their Creation and what is Mistery to those that are of a

CHRISTIANITY The Great Mystery IN ANSWER to a late Treatise Christianity not Mysterious THAT IS Not Above Not Contrary to Reason In opposition to which is Asserted Christianity is above Created Reason in its pure Estate And contrary to Humane Reason as Fallen and corrupted and therefore in proper sense Mystery Together with a Postcript Letter to the Author on his Second Edition Enlarg'd By T. B. DONDON Printed for W. Marshal at the Bible in Newgate-Street And John Marshall at the Bible in Grace-Church-street 1696. TO THE Truly Christian Readers I Have I hope through the Grace of God with a sincere Christian Zeal desired to Argue for the Glory of the Truths of the Gospel under the Honourable Title of Mysteries as they were once for All delivered to the Saints according to the best Methods of Discussion and Ratiocinative Debate from Scripture Reason But behold I first shew to my self and to you a more Excellent or Transcendent way That is Receiving the love of Truth or Truth in the Love of it and with those mighty Energies and Efficacies of it upon the Heart and Life David observing Men making void the Law that is the whole Doctrine of God in his word was Holily Enflam'd upon it Therefore I love thy Commandments above Gold yea above Fine Gold Therefore I esteem All thy Precepts concerning All Things to be Right and I hate every false way The best Antidote against the Poyson of an Infectious Air or Age is the inward Experimental Sense that God hath chosen us to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and Belief of the Truth The most distinguishing Test of Truth that it is of God is self-Resignation and Obedience in doing the Will of God The Witness of the Father the Word the Spirit when we have it in our Selves can alone enable us to set our Seal to that Truth The Conscience purged from dead Works to serve the Living God by the Blood Offer'd by the Eternal Spirit and the Blood of the Everlasting covenant making perfect in every Good Work to do his Will and working in us what is well pleasing in his Sight are the most Assuring Seals of the Eternal Godhead of our Lord Jesus Christ in such an Antichristian Time The Gates of Hell All the Reason Policy Wit Authority of it cannot prevail against a Christian so founded on that Rock The Work of Faith with Power according to that History of Believers Heb. 11. does above All display the Mysterious Efficacy of it which none know but they who have it That it gives a presence of its Objects above all that Sence can do of its proper Objects and a Demonstration of its Idea's above all that Reason is Able for For it can prevail Above both when they would carry contrary to its Scope and End and Impowers to Action far above them by vertue of that Hypostasis and those its Demonstrations Let us therefore Bow our Knees mutually that the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ would grant us according to the Riches of his Glory to be strengthen'd by his Spirit in the Inner Man that Christ may dwell in our Hearts by Faith that we may comprehend with All Saints the Heighths and Depths the Breadths and Lengths of what passes Knowledg That we may be filled with All the Fulness of Him who can to perfect Mystery do above All we can ask or think and yet to shew it no Blind Chimerick or Imaginary thing By a Power that Worketh IN us To Him be Glory in his Church by Jesus Christ throughout All Ages Amen And in Regard of so many Antichrists Enemies to the Glory of Christ and of his Gospel in this Age and in the midst of us Let us Hereby know to our Consolation It is the very Last of the Last Time the Time for God to Work for the Consuming the Grand Antichrist and all the Lesser Antichrists that come out of his Smoke with Him The Lord Hasten it in this his very Time So Joyn I beseech you in Supplication with your most Humble Affectionate Servant In our Lord Jesus T. B. THE PREFACE THere hath Lately Appeared in Print A Book Entituled Christianity not Mysterious And It Vndertakes to Shew There is nothing in the Gospel Contrary to Reason or Above it And that no Christian Doctrine can be call'd A Mystery The Writer Conceals his Name and I do not desire to make Enquiry after it For it is not a Name but Truth and Weight of Discourse I would Insist upon Nor would I if I could make Any Reflexion upon Persons Having All Reasons in my self for Humility in Regard both of Consciousness of my own Weakness and also of Vnworthiness I would deal onely with Things and Treat them as They Require to be Treated That All may Rest on the Merit of True Reason according to the Word of God and not on Sallyes of Wit or Satyre And that All may be Managed with a Gravity Condecent to the Mysteries of Christianity and with Reverence of Scriptures as All who Discourse in their Defence ought to Speak and Write I desire to observe the Apostolical Rule To give the Apology of the Hope of Christianity to Those who Ask for it with Meekness and Fear and in Meekness to Instruct If Any oppose Themselves If God Peradventure will Give them Repentance to the Acknowledging the Truth I could Have Heartily wish'd that even the Writer of the Treatise I Design to Review had Avoided any thing that Looks so Like Ridiculing and Exposing as that Dialogue between the Doctor and Parishioner p. 112 c. and Left his Reader to Bow before the Majesty of Evidence as He expresses it wherever he Found it and had Forborn that as Least Indecorousnesse of Expression towards Persons of so Great Veneration for their Accomplishments of Holiness and Learning as also their Early Profession of Christianity I mean The Fathers whom He calls p. 5. The Herd of the Fathers as if because of Their Reverence of the Mysteries of the Gospel above the Pretensions of Reason They were to be Look'd upon as Irrational not to say Worse A Vein of clear unsullyed Reason especially Bowing before a Greater Majesty then what we are too suddenly prone to call Evidence I mean the Authority of God in his Word I value above All Flourishes tha serve the Reader 's Diversion and Airyness rather then his Instruction and Benefit I am glad to find so many Reflexions on the Mystery of Iniquity and the Depths of Sathan as I hope they will shortly be Vniversally deem'd and spoken of I mean That of Popery or Antichristianism so Great an Eclipse upon the Glory of True Christianity because Scripture hath so often Doomed it to Impenitency and Perdition But I cannot but look upon it as most Injurious to Parallel in any Degree with it those Forms of Sound Doctrine so often Reproached under the Name of Systems or Systematic Theology wherein any have taken care to keep especially Close to