Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	divine_a	person_n	unite_v	6,435	5	9.4739	5	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53386	The opinions of certaine reverend and learned divines concerning the fundamentall points of the true Protestant religion, and the right government of reformed churches Wherein is declared the plaine path-way to a godly and religious life. Published by authoritie.; Good counsells for the peace of reformed churches.	T. I.; Davenant, John, ca. 1572-1641.; Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.; Morton, Thomas, 1564-1659.; Ussher, James, 1581-1656.	1643 (1643)	Wing O356; ESTC R216583	49,936	153

duty It now remaine's that J proceed to set downe the way and meanes whereby such a Reconciliation may be compassed and the rents and distractions of the said Churches may with most conveniencie and speed bee made up which I shall doe rather to testifie that vehement desire zeale which I have to so good a work than out of any opinion that those famous Churches which alwaies have abounded with store of learned and pious Divines can any way stand in need of advice herein from me or any other forraigne Divine whatsoever Seeing therefore that the fore-mentioned Controversies may be agitated either betwixt severall and distinct Churches whereof one is no way subordinate to the other or else betwixt such particular men as are members of the same Church and subjects to one the same Prince J will speak first of divers Churches independent one upon another and afterwards of particular men in one the same Church and show how Peace and Unitie may be made and preserved amongst them For the first I conceive there 's no readier and better way for reducing of two different Churches to the same Communion than is that usuall one of procuring a faire and peaceable Conference amongst Divines of both sides authorised and appointed there unto by their Princes For if any one imagine that a Councell being once held of all the Reformed Churches there will out of hand within the compasse of some few moneths or yeares yea or in one age an end be put to all disputes whatsoever which have of a long time troubled and busied the Learned so as that they shall all joyne and agree in the same opinion about all such points of controversie this with submission to better judgements seemes to me very unlikely For so dull and dim-sighted is the eye of our understanding that it can hardly peirce into the depth of such subtle and intricate Questions no not when it is alone free and undisturbed in it's contemplations but being distracted by the stirs tumults of disputation so far unable are we to penetrate into the quick of them that many times we cannot so much as discerne and perceive them no not when we look upon them with a fixt and steddy eye And to speak plainly what I conceive in this matter the cheife use of Councells especially of Generall Councells is to maintaine and defend those necessary and plaine points of Faith against the oppositions of Hereticks rather than to discusse or determine nice controversies of lesser moment and use To returne then to that faire freindly Conference which but now I commended for the likeliest and fittest meanes of obtaining an Union if it could be undertaken with such an intention mannaged in such sort as it ought to be wee have good cause to hope that we shall in a short time see a blessed Peace and Union established amongst the Germane Churches This therefore must carefully be remeÌ„bred by all such as shall be present parties to such a Meeting that the end why they are called together is not that like Adversaries they should strive for the mastery but rather that they should like Brethren search out and make use of all lawfull and warrantable meanes for the setling of Peace and Unitie For if once they fall a crossing and contending one with another they will never be able to perswade much lesse to procure any agreement betwixt such Churches as are at ods and opposition Let them therefore carefully keep off and forbeare to enter the intricate Labyrinths of ordinary disputes let their meeting aime at this one end to make it appeare to their Churches how that there 's no just cause why they should any longer stand out and refuse to joyne hands and be united To effect this let it in the first place be set downe how farre the Church Catholike hath declared herselfe in each Controversie what hath been by her defined and required to be beleived generally by all sub Anathemate For about points fundamentall there may sometimes arise such doubts and disputes as are no way fundamentall and such as that the ancient Fathers of the Church had they been raised in their times would never have attempted a decision of them to the hazard of breeding or fostering a Schisme betwixt severall Churches For instance that God is One in Essence and Three in Persons distinguished one from another that the Sonne is begotten of the Father that the holy Ghost is the Spirit of both Father and Sonne that these three Persons are coeternall and coequall all these are fitly determined and reckoned in the number of Fundamentalls but now if any man should peremptorily affirme and maintaine that all those Schoole-nicities touching the manner of the Sonne 's generation and the procession of the holy Ghost are likewise fundamentall and of equall necessity with the former ought to be determined one way that man should deserve but litle thanks from Christ and his Church by such his rash and inconsiderate assertion So likewise that our Lord Jesus Christ is both God and Man that he hath both natures divine and humane inseparably united in one Person and that we have salvation onely by this God incarnate all this is fundamentall or rather 't is that firme immoveable foundation whereon the whole Catholike saving Faith is built but yet notwithstanding we must not think that whatsoever may be questioned and debated about the ineffable manner of that union betwixt the two natures or the manner how his body is present in the blessed Sacrament as also concerning the Communication of Properties unto the humane nature by vertue of its union with the Divinity or touching the actions and operations of his Humanity depending upon the said Union wee must not I say imagine that all these belong to Fundamentall Faith but rather to Theologicall Science or perhaps not so neither but onely to the vaine curiosity of some particular Divines Let them therefore make this their first and maine businesse carefully to distinguish betwixt fundamentall points and others that are not so and let them not think that whatsoever is appendant and bordering upon a fundamentall point must therefore forthwith be it selfe fundamentall When this is once done their next care must be that these fundamentalls be expressed and published after a breife and perspicuous manner and propounded to the publike acceptation and approbation of all the Churches Certa semper sunt in paucis saith Tertullian certaine and undoubted Trueths are not many and they are such as may be delivered in a few words whatsoever is necessary for a Christian man's salvation to be knowne by him and whatsoever is conducible to render us holy or eternally happy it is all of it plaine and obvious Here 's no use either of subtle acute distinctions or of any long and tedious explications which are oftimes used not for the building up of Christians in the fundamentall faith but rather to favour

Divines should be summoned and sought for by Invitatory Letters that the freindly laudable Conference which was begun at Liâ—swich should be reassumed and prosecuted with like modesty as it had formerly been be gun that all such Diâ—ines of note eminence as cannot be present at that meeting should send over their Opinions and advice that all the Fundamentalls of Religion necessary for Salvation should be determined and all other Points laid aside and turned over to the Schooles if need should require that in the meane time men's tongues and pens should be enjoyned moderation or else silence that lastly publike Prayers should be solemnly made in the Churches of both sides for the successe of this good worke Let but these things be done with an upright heart in the feare of God and wee need not doubt of a happy issue it is God's own Cause he will not be wanting to himselfe For you Mr Dury who have hitherto with such zeale such unwearied paines so many dangers so great charges prosecuted this Designe so well pleasing to God his Angells and men truly you have deserved so well of the whole Church as that all good men must acknowledge themselves much indebted to you Goe on worthy Sir with your great undertakeings and put a period to this good worke or rather may the great God of Heaven Earth doe this for you and us all and may he still preserve and prosper you in these travailes and labours of yours Farewell from Your loving freind JOS EXON THE OPINION OF THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD IAMES USHER Lord Arch-Bishop of ARMAGH and Primate of Ireland with some other Reverend Bishops in IRELAND REverend and much respected Brother in Christ Wee had long since by common consent made ready an Answer to your former Letters which you writ unto us severally some Moneths agon but being desirous to have likewise a generall Subscription to it according to that agreement which should be betwixt fellow-brethren of the Clergy we deferred the sending of it somewhat the longer in hopes of a meeting You desire us now in your second Letter dated from London March 20. that we would give you our Opinion concerning the Conference at Lipswich the rather because that Conference is likely to have some effect and influence upon the busines you have in hand Thus therefore that meeting though it was called for other ends and reasons yet seeing it was holden with such good successe and that the cheife Divines of both sides had so faire freindly a Conference heard one another with such patience parted with such love and brotherly affection it is a very good signe that this matter is from the Lord and from this good beginning who can chuse but hope for a happy and successefull issue But yet notwithstanding they parted differing about three Points it is well that they differd but in three 't is better yet that even in those three Points they agreed in most things and such as are of greatest moment nor was their difference so much about the thing it selfe as about some Formes of expression which for the most part we cannot so easily forget and cast off after we have been long accustomed to them For seeing it is confest on both sides that Christ hath two natures in one person so inseparably united that neither can they be divided nor are they confounded but still remaine distinct and severall without all mixture or aequality so much as of their Properties to what end is it to quarrell about improper and figurative Propositions so likewise in the Eucharist seeing they both agree that the Faithfull doe eat not only the fruit and benefit but the very essence or Substance of Christ's body and that on God's part the Sacraments are exhibited entire perfect the thing signified together with the sign what doe they contending about Hypocrites and unbelievers 't is all one as if Physiâ—ions should fall a disputing about a dead man whether or no the Potion he tooke hath any operation upon him There remaines yet that other much controverted Question touching Praedestination and yet even in this too it would be no hard matter for them to be reconciled were but spleen and partiality laid aside and in the roome thereof a reverent and modest feare how we pry too farre into God's secret Counsells placed and planted seeing the best and ablest Divines of both sides acknowledge that in many Questions about this Mystery we must be faine to take up St Paul's exclamation O the depth and that 't is both lawfull sufficient for them to rest and hold together in those cleare undoubted Trueths namely that the Election of such as shall be saved was made in Christ that the destruction of all such as perish is from themselves that Salvation is from God that Faith yea even foreseen Faith is not from our selves it is the gift of God that we may not boast of any thing seeing we have nothing of our own all must be ascribed to God as S. Cyprian of old devoutly and pithily spake Thus you have both what we hope conceive of the Conference at Lipswich But the most principall and speciall thing which should be earnestly prest and inculcated is this that in Divine matters espocially in such high and difficult mysteries as these are which are rather to be adored than pried into we ought to have a certaine and set Rule to speake by as S. Austin sometimes prudently and piously counselled therefore it would be a very safe and good course for us to refraine from all novell and new-fangled expressions and to confine the liberty of Prophecying to such Formes and Phrases as the holy Scriptures doe furnish us withall It remaines that wee earnestly beseech the God of Peace to bruise Satan under our feet that shortly unto which God we heartily recommend you Reverend Brother rest May 14. Anno 1634. Your most affectionate friends JAMES ARMAGH WILLIAM KILMORE JOHN ARDAGH THE JUDGEMENT OF THE same right Reverend Father the Lord Arch-Bishop of ARMAGH delivered in a Sermon of his preached before K. IAMES at Wansted Iune 20th 1624. IF at this day wee should take a survay of the severall Professions of Christianity that have any large spread in any part of the world as of the Religion of the Romane and the Reformed Churches in our Quarters of the Aegyptians and Aethiopians in the South of the Grecians other Christians in the Easterne parts and should put-by the Points wherein they differ one from another and gather into one body the rest of the Articles wherein they doe all generally agree wee should finde that in those Propositions which without all Controversie are universally received in the whole Christian world so much trueth is contained as being joyned with holy obedience may be sufficient to bring a man unto everlasting salvation Neither have we cause to doubt but that as many as doe walke accorto this

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