Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	father_n	lord_n	redeemer_n	2,002	5	9.8210	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46721	The third letter from W.J. to the Reverend Doctor Wallis, professor of geometry in Oxford upon the subject of two former letters to him, concerning the Sacred Trinity.	W. J.	1693 (1693)	Wing J53; ESTC R39010	9,224	19

being permitted only to the High Priest and but once a Year when he entred into the Sanctum Sanctorum This Name which to them was so sacred was thought to express the absolute simple Nature of God as he is in himself without Respect or antecedently to the whole Creation This they justly accounted very holy and sacred and plac'd it as it were in an inaccessible Light Now the Notion of the Trinity does not only contain this but exhibits also to us the great Arcanum of the Godhead if I may so say A most mysterious Triunity in the Divine Nature which was never before revealed to Mankind nor ever was or will be comprehended by any Mortal Ought we not then to place this in the Sanctum Sanctorum in the Adytum of the Temple and cover it with the Wings of Cherubims as a Glory too great for our Eyes to bear At least we ought to be reserv'd modest and tender in this Point more than in any other Part of Theology of adding or innovating any thing beyond the plain Words and plain Sense of Scripture SIR THese Instances and Considerations I have proposed to perswade us as I said at first to Moderation and Scripture-proof in all things that we assert and impose in the Doctrine of the Trinity But now it will be ask'd me what is good Scripture-proof seeing we do not allow in this case of Deductions and Consequences Or to be short what Creed may we with Safety propose concerning the ever-blessed Trinity according to the plain Words and plain Sense of Scripture 'T is not for private Persons to prescribe or pretend to Authority against establish'd Orders But if you will give me leave to put the Case in a new-found World or in a Nation newly converted and to be farther instructed in the Christian Faith to such a People I would not propose the Athanasian Creed but something more plain and simple as also more scriptural that should be manifestly grounded upon Divine Authority in all the Parts of it As suppose you should take so much of the Apostles Creed as relates to the Trinity and Incarnation and add to it some Articles more explicite and distinct to express our Belief in some such plain Form as this I believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary was crucified by the Jews rose from the Dead ascended into Heaven from whence he will come in Glory to judg the World I believe the Holy Trinity as it is revealed to us in Scripture Accordingly I believe the Father Son and Holy Ghost as my Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier Three after a mysterious and incomprehensible manner but one Eternal ever blessed Lord God by whose Mercy Power and Faithfulness I hope for a Resurrection from the Dead and eternal Life Thus much I think is unquestionably scriptural and I have left out the Word Person not that I should scruple it my self in that large Sense wherein we understand it but because I thought it would raise Scruples and Difficulties in the Minds of others or of these new Converts whereof we are speaking They would be apt to reason with themselves Can three Persons be one thing Or can our God who is one only God be three distinct Persons Are not three distinct Persons each being infinitely perfect plainly three Gods These and such like Doubts would naturally rise in their Minds and from these as from Seeds would grow up many more which by degrees would corrupt the Simplicity of their Religion and turn it into Opinions and Disputes But this plain Scripture-form as it would prevent Disputes and Controversies so it would render all Dissenters from it if there could be any inexcusable I mean all Christian Dissenters for as to Jews and Mahometans I do not suppose that it would satisfy them yet I think it would very much lessen that Offence which they take at the Christian Trinity as it is represented by Schoolmen and Polemical Divines and as it is dress'd up in one of our Creeds with all the Pomp and Affectation of Contrarieties and seeming Contradictions Neither I think is this Form defective though short and plain For distinguishing Father Son and Holy Ghost as our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier it thereby displays and casts a Light upon the whole Christian Oeconomy and is a Support to our Faith and Prayer Whereas those Metaphysical Subtilties that are superadded to this Scripture-Creed have no Influence that I know either upon a good Life or any Christian Duty In Religion all Superfluities are noxious and what does not good does hurt there amuses the Mind to no purpose and turns off our Thoughts from their principal Objects and Concerns whether in matter of Belief or in matter of Practice But why do I continue so long in this Digression I did not intend at first to propose or mention any thing but such Arguments as might incline us to Moderation in the Doctrine of the Trinity and proportionably in all other mystical Doctrines and in general not to lay much Stress upon Opinions in comparison of a good Life and the truly Christian Dispositions of Mind Those who least use their Understandings can the easiest comply with any Opinions their Superiours impose upon them but those who use Reflection and Meditation find it impossible to believe what they list or what is dictated to them by humane Authority without Reasons to convince them Now this Use of our Understanding which is the Candle of the Lord cannot be Matter of Demerit and Condemnation to us provided it be sincere and accompanied with Piety and Probity and therefore this ought not to be made a Snare or of penal Consequence to those that in all other Respects are good Christians Who can look upon the State of Christendom without Grief and Trouble when he observes which is too obvious that a certain Zeal for Opinions and Ceremonies hath eat out the Heart of our Religion I mean the vital and practical Part of it a good Life and a good temper of Mind whereas it is this only that will stick to us after Death and conduct us to Heaven and Bliss when all our Opinions and external Righteousness will fall off like rotten Rags To conclude let us be content to prove well from Scripture the Divinity of our Saviour and of the Holy Ghost and to leave the Modalities of those Doctrines to another State and Dispensation Neither can this Advice seem unreasonable if we consider what Differences there are about the Explication of the Trinity and how difficult it is to make any one Explication unexceptionable All Parties agree in this solemn Maxim That there is but one God And not only Christians of all sorts but also Jews and Mahometans join with us in this as the common Barriere betwixt us and Paganism or Polytheism Now this being a Conclusion agreed on and