Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	divine_a	person_n	personal_a	4,224	5	9.5510	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68610	A booke of Christian questions and answers Wherein are set foorth the cheef points of the Christian religion ... A worke right necessary and profitable for all such as shal haue to deale vvith the capious quarelinges of the vvrangling aduersaries of Gods truthe. Written in Latin by the lerned clerke Theodore Beza Vezelius, and newly translated into English by Arthur Golding.; Quaestionum et responsionum Christianarum libellus. English	Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605.; Golding, Arthur, 1536-1606.	1574 (1574)	STC 2038; ESTC S112801	79,360	184

vs chiefly on hande to knowe howe he is mynded towardes vs. Quest That thou maiest knowe this what considerest thou chiefely in God. Ans Perfect iustice and perfect mercye Quest VVhat callest thou iustice and what callest thou mercy Ans These thinges are not in God as qualities But by gods iustice I meane that Gods nature is so pure and sounde of it selfe that he vtterly hateth and most seuerely punisheth all vnrighteousnes And by the name of perfecte mercye I meane that whatsoeuer he bestoweth vpon vs and specially the benefit of euerlasting life procedeth wholy of his mere free gift and grace Quest But these thinges agree not together For how is he a most sore punisher for those thinges which hee giueth of his mere grace Ans That these thynges doo very well agree the father hath well shewed in his sonne who hath made full satisfaction for our sinnes and is giuen vnto vs fréely by the father Quest Did not the father then or the holy ghost aby the death for vs Ans No truely none of them both but alonely the sonne whom the father sent and whom the holy Ghost teacheth and sealeth fast in vs. Quest Is not the Sonne verye God by nature and consequently the immortalitie it selfe as well as the father and the holy Ghost Ans Yes Neither were he our sauior if he were not God. Quest How then could he die Ans Where as by his godhead he was the eternall life it selfe he became man that he might die in the flesh Quest But the sonne is god vnchangeable how then is he become man Ans Not by minglyng the natures or properties together nor by any chaungynge of God into man or of man into God of whiche thynges none of bothe is possible but by so straite and familiar knittyng of the Sonnes Godhead to the nature of man taken vnto it that the Sonne of God béeyng very God and very man is henceforth one person Iesus Christ Quest And what maner of vnion is this Ans In gréeke it is called hipostaticall and in English Personall and so it is in déede Quest. I pray thee describe it that it may be vnderstoode at leaste wise after a sorte Ans The thinges are sayd to bée vnited in nature whiche come together into one nature whether the same be done without any growyng together mixyng together or turnynge one into another like as the three persons of the Godhead are one moste single substance or whether it be don by only knitting together like as the soule and body méete together as essentiall partes in making that which is man or whether it be by meanes of som mixture or turnynge of the one into the other like as befalleth in the interchange of the elements in thinges that be mixed And thinges are saide to be vnited personally which are ioyned in suche wyse as there ryseth therof but one selfsame person like as the body soule are so vnited to make the one nature of man that they close together into one person or particular Of this sort is also the vnion of the two natures in christ which ioyne together not to make some one third thing as Eutiches misweened but to make both one person without any confusion either of the natures themselues or of the essentiall properties And I sayd an vnion of natures but not of persons least it might be surmised that two persons were growen into one whereas in Christ there is one nature whych a man may see is peculiar to the woord it selfe and in that nature resteth also the other nature that was taken to it that is to with the nature of man For the person of god tooke not to it the person of man but the diuine nature and that in the onely person of the sonne that is to saye in respecte that the same godhed was the sonne and not in respecte that it was eyther the father or the holy ghost toke vn●o it mannes nature destitute of it owne ●ersonship as I myght terme it Therefore to bee short lyke as in the Godhead ●here bee three persones coming together ●n one selfesame nature euen so in christ ●here be two natures ioyned together in the one persone of the Sonne so as the ●hree persons are not three gods but one God by reason of the most single vniting of the three persons into one selfsame nature neyther are there two Christes but ●ne Christ by reason not of two perfect persons but of two perfect natures ioyned together not to make some one third nature but vnited into the person of the ●onne in which person both the natures ●re vphilde Quest Neyther comprehend I this secrete Ans Then yet agayne reuerence thou the thing that thou comprehendest not For all the whole Scripture cryeth out that it is moste true And if it were not so he shoulde not bee a Iesus that is to saye a sauiour to vs nor yet Christ that ●s to saye annoynted as our Soueraigne ●nd euerlasting Kinge Prophete and Préeste Quest. But coulde not God haue saued man by som other meane lesse remoued from our capacities Ans Certesse he could But this was the moste conuenient meane for him to shew as well his singular iustice as his singular mercy Quect How so Ans Because that if he had either saued vs without full satisfaction or exacted the same satisfaction of any other than of the nature that was indetted he might haue séemed to haue béene vnmindefull of his iustice and therfore it was requisite that our sauiour should bée a man But had he ben but only man hée shoulde neuer haue discharged gods wrathe and so consequently he should not haue ben able to winde himselfe out of it and muche lesse to deliuer vs And therfore it behooued that the flesh whiche was taken shoulde be sustayned and borne vp by the nature of the godhead most perfectly vnited vnto it Furthermore as concernyng mercy could there be geuen any surer euidenter yea or more diuine assurance of most perfect mercifulnesse thā that the father hath euen his owne only sonne for his enemies and the sonne likewise geuen his ●wne life willyngly for vs that are most ●nworthy Quest It is euen so But was not Christ ●imselfe giltlesse An ▪ Yes forsoothe And therfore he was ●onceiued by the holy Ghost in the virgin ●ary not onely without any spot of vn●eannesse but also endewed with moste ●ingular sowndnesse and purenesse in his ●eash For otherwise he himselfe shoulde ●aue had néede of an other to bee his saui●ur neither could his oblation haue plea●●d God neither truely coulde God haue ●ounde in his hart to haue vnited himself ●o so vncleane a nature Quest Coulde it then stand with the na●ure of the soueraigne Iustice to exacte ●unishmēt for other folks sinnes at the ●ands of a man that was moste giltlesse ●ea and also most holy An. In déede the father might haue sée●ed

of the diuine nature that toke it 〈…〉 to it Therfore in this work of media●… that is to say of reconciliatiō or atto●…ment some doings are attributed to 〈…〉 who le person of Christ that is to saye both his natures working together s●… to his godhead seuerally by it self so● to his manhod seuerally by it selfe but conclude none of bothe his natures h●… the mediatorship by it selfe alone Quest But what shall we beleue conc●●ning the office of intercession for su●…ly he that maketh intercession for an●ther is inferior vnto him to whom t●… intercession is made An. Nay that is vntrue for what sho●… let but that one equall maye intreat a●●ther his equall or the superior maye 〈…〉 treat his inferior for another man A● therefore it should not follow y the son● were lesser then the father although 〈…〉 had taken this charge vppon him or 〈…〉 own will euen without taking any fl●… vnto him But I haue shewed alread● how the thinges that are writen of chr●… intercession must not bee restrained ●e reason that agréeth with the souerein●s degrées of this worlde Moreouer ●…w the worde is a meane betwéene the ●ther and vs in respecte of the vnion of ●…e twoo natures and howe he is the ●ediator betwéene the father and vs in ●…spect of his office I haue shewed euen ●…ow Quest They say also it shuld seme that ●…e Godhead maketh intercession to it ●…lfe if Christ should be called an inter●…ssor in respect also that he is God Ans They say so in déede but very vn●ilfully For although the Godhead be●…ge a thinge vndiuidable be whole and ●erfect as well in the sonne as in the fa●●er and in the holy ghost Yet notwith●tanding when we consider the godhead ●● the persons we consider it not with●ut relation of one person to another ●nd therefore put the case which thinge 〈…〉 most trew that Christ maketh inter●ession for vs to the father euen in his Godhead vnited to the manhod whiche ●…e tooke vnto it yet shall it not followe ●hat he maketh intercession to himselfe ●einge that the father is one and that sonne ●s another in seuerall person throughlye distincte albeit that the father and th● Sonne be both one thing and one god● if the Essence of them bee consydere● with out their persons For like as i● Christ incarnate there be seueral thing● and not seueral persons so in the god● heade there be seuerall persons but n●● seuerall thinges Quest What opinon hast thou o● praying vnto Angels and Sainctes deceased An. That it is wicked Idolatrie Quest Yet it may bee that they whic● praye vnto Angels and Sainctes deceased cannot awaye with the makinge o● any Images Ageyne yee shoulde haue made a distinction betwene suche a● pray to the trew and blessed Angelles or to the soules of them that were godlye and holy men in deede and suche a● worshippe counterfet Aungelles that is to saye feendes or whiche worshypp● suche maner of Goddes as although● they were Goddes yet shoulde they euen by their owne confession be bu● wicked Goddes Aunswere I graunt not onely that somme sin●es are more heynous than others ●ut also that suche as are giltye of one ●elfe same sinne are not alwayes a like ●iltye Neuerthelesse he that synneth ●he greeuouslyer dischargeth not hym that synned lesse heynouslye out of the ●umber of offenders And therefore ●et vs suffer all this geere to slip wher●f there is no question betwixte vs. ●dolles are conceyued by fonde fancye and broughte foorthe by the hand Therfore are they Idolaters also whose Idoll ●urketh like a shapelesse conception in ●he wombe of theyr imagination ney●her is there anye kynde of idoll more ●wglye than this which is set vp in the ●ery bowels of the mind Quest But why callest thou that thing Ido●atrie which leaneth vpon good rea●on Answere Fie on that reason whiche not onely ●eaneth not to Goddes woorde but also ●eyghteth fully against it And yet I see ●ot what good reason may bee alleged to defend so grosse a wickednes Quest I praye thee shew me why thou sayest so Ans To call vpon one that is absent whom thou canst not make priuye to the méening of thy mynd it is a poinct of extreame blockishnes And to suppose that the soules of suche as be deceased eyther be present euery where or if they be absent and heare mens woordes do neuerthelesse perceiue the thoughtes of their mindes I say that both of them are manifest and horrible sinnes of Idolatry atleast wise if it be Idolatrye to father that thinge vpon the creature whiche is proper or peculiar to god alone And wheras they make exception that God discloseth our peticions vnto the sainctes or else that the sainctes beholde all thinges in I wote not what a wonderfull glasse of the trinitie looke howe easie a matter it is for them to saye it so easie is it for vs to shake it of as a foolishe and grosse forgerie Moreouer as concerninge the angelles we héere in déede that the Lord● vseth their seruice in defendinge his children and no doubt but they execute their charge as it is inioyned them and are carefull after their maner for the welfare of the godly But what makes thys that wée shoulde pray to them for howe ●●aye that be doone in faith séeynge wée ●nowe not neither when they come nor ●hen they goe nor when they bée pre●ent nor when they be absent nor finde ●ny woorde or example of it in the holy Bible but rather that the Angelles haue ●ot admitted so muche as any outwarde ●eligious reuerencinge finally seeinge ●ere is none in the whole worlde to bee ●ompared eyther in power or loue to●ardes vs vnto Christ God and man ●hiche sitteth at the right hand of the fa●●er makinge intercession for vs as the ●●ely mediator betwéene God and men ●herevpon sprange the rable of pety in●rcessours but of manifest distrust in ●●m And as for the vnfailinge loue ●● the Sainctes which manie men harp ●●on althoughe it be trewe yet not●ithstanding it is so awklye applide for●●e proofe of prayinge to Sainctes as it ●edeth no disproofe at all Quest Yet notwithstanding wee pray ●e for another desire one of vs the ●●ayers of another and in so doinge the ●ostle hath gone before vs by his own example Ergo. to require the intercession of some others besides Christ it n● why timpeacheth the offyce of the onely mediatour vnto whom wee say not pray for vs but haue mercy vpon vs. Answere Fyrst wee are sure that the maynteyners of this praying to Angelles an● deadfolkes holde not them selues within those boundes but doo craue thei● healpe in their daungers and distresses no lesse than the openest Idolaters tha● euer were did in olde tyme craue help● at the handes of their petygoddes tha● were vnder the throne of their Iupite● Againe for the members of one body too requeste one of vs too praye for an● ther so longe as wée maye bée able

is to wit both to his soule his body but this maner of spéech ▪ Peter is the sō of Ionas agreeth to him as he is whole togither as he is considered to be some hole thinge y is to wete as he is considered by vnitie of person and not to bothe the seuerall partes of him sauyng in respecte of the one parte onely namelye of the body except perhaps thou thinkest that the soule also is begotten It is a like forme of speche when we terme any man a mortall creature or a reasonable creature ▪ which terme doubtlesse doe fitly agree to the whole man as he is whole by reason of the vnite of his person and yet that is but in respecte of some one of his partes only Yea truly the force of this personal vnion is so great that a man may speake of it in the same phrases of spech stil euē after it is dissolued as if a man shoulde say Peter lyeth buried at Rome for we wil put the case to be so the proposition shal be trew and yet but in respect of his body onely albeit that Peter that is to say the whole person be named Quest VVherfore dost thou then term it a comunicating of properties if there be no comunicating of natures and essentiall properties in dede An. By communicating of properties wee meane not the very personall vnion or the maner of the vnion but the report that is made by reason of the personall ●…nion of the two natures in whiche re●ort the essentiall propertie or the ope●ation that agreeth to some one of the na●ures is attributed to the person in ioint ●esse and not in seueralnesse And for●smuch as this report is true ther must ●eedes also be truth contained vnder it Howbeit in the aforesayd respect that is ●o saye of the whole persone considered ●oyntly together Quest Then cōcludest thou again that Christ as concerning his flesh is departed verely and in dede out of the earth vp aboue all the heauens and therefore is absent from vs that are vpon earth An. So is it And yet I graunt that Christ being man is still present wyth vs howbeit in another respect than of his manhod that is to wete in that the selfe same Christ which is man is God also yea and if thou wilt I graunt thee thus much more that Christes manhood also is present howbeit in other respect that is to wit not in it selfe or in it owne substaunce but in respect that it cleaueth by personall vnion vnto the word which is euery where therfore also is in verye deede in his supper Quest VVhat doth Christ then auail ●… now as touching his fleshe if hee hau● forsaken vs A. Nay he hath not forsaken vs in a● muche as euen now also in his glorifyed fleshe he disposeth althinges both in heauen and earth and hath receiued a nam● that is aboue all names at hys father● hand By vertue of which aucthoritie he quickneth cherisheth and gouernet● his church in this worlde by hys secret vnutterable power ▪ and ther withal reigneth in the mids of al his enemies And in heauen he maketh intercession to hys father vntill the time that the laste enemye namely death be vtterly put to flight Q. I pray you what maner of intercessiō is this that you speake of A. He maketh intercession first in pacifiyng the father towardes vs by the continuall freshnes of his owne innocencie and obedience and secondly because we cannot call vppon the father aright but in his name so as he steppeth euermore as an attonemēt maker betwixt vs and the father to the end that whatsoeuer we offer to the father may be well accepted 〈…〉 for the sute that som men dream that ●ist should make with knéeling down ●is fathers feete it is but fond deuic● suche menne as haue no skill to put a ●…erence betweene Christe when hée ●…s in weaknesse and Christe beinge ●…w in glory nor finally to discerne hea●…nly thinges from earthly thinges ●uest VVhat thinkest thou then of ●…em which do so wilfullye maintaine ●…at Christ is not a mediator in respect 〈…〉 both his natures ●ns I thinke them to be the deuils In●…uments prepared to hinder the work 〈…〉 the Lord whiche thinge experience yt ●…lfe hath taught vs. ●uest But to be a meane betokeneth a ●…ace beneath the highest and it belon●eth to the lesser persō to make meanes ●o the greater person Hereuppon I ga●her that they seeme too bee Arrianes ●hiche holde opinion that Christe is a ●eane and a meanemaker or mediator ●s touching his godhead also Ans I shoulde wonder that in so great ●…ght of the Gospell there coulde be any ●ound that woulde suffer themselues too be beguyled with so tryfling toyes if 〈…〉 deede it selfe bewrayde not that they n●uer folowed gods Gospell with a ryg●● zeale I speake of the wilfull sorte a●… of suche as are condemned by their own iudgement Quest But this is no answering An. The shamefulnesse of the matte● compelleth mee to bruste out into the●● wordes because I see so manye ha●… shrunke away vppon so small occasion 〈…〉 none first vnto the heresye of Arrius afterwards to the surmized opiniō of thr●… Gods finallye to the deuelishe dotag●… of Samosetane Go to therefore let v● enquire of them seuerally in order Quest Thinkest thou then ihat to be●… meane is another thiug than to be a m●…diator or meanemaker An. Yea truly For the word Meane ma● betoken but the qualitie or state of a persone and so the thinge that is betwixt● two vttermore thinges maye bee dee●med a meane or a middle thinge But ● mediator or meanemaker betokenet● an Vmper or attonementseker Whiche are thinges so far diuerse that one may● be a mediator or meanemaker whyche notwithstandinge is not of a meane or ●…ddle degree as when we seeke to set ●…en at one and contrarywise one maye of a meane or middle degree and yet shall not followe of necessitie that he is ●ediator Quest But Christ is both a meane and mediator An. I graunt it Quest If he be a meane in that he is the ●ord or the sonne thē it foloweth that ●●e sonne is inferior to the father name ●…e as if hee were endewed with some ●…ind of Godhead that were a mean be●wene the godhead of the father the ●ature of man. An. Then wilt thou haue Christe to be meane as touchinge the one of his na●ures onely that is to wit as touchynge is manhod or els to be no meane at all Quest Nay but aunswer mee first to my ●emaund An. I answere then that haue thou an ●ye to whither of his natures thou list ●lone by it selfe christ cānot be said to be ● mean for in that he is the sonne he is equal with the father and in that he is man he ●s equall with the residue of men Therfore stoode the manhood on hand of necessi●● to borow this effectuall workinge at 〈…〉 hand