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	trinity_n	unity_n	2,602	5	9.3119	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67134	A view of the face unmasked, or, An answer to a scandalous pamphlet published by divers ministers and entituled The common prayer book unmasked wherein the lawfulness of using that book is maintained ... : whereunto are added also some arguments for the retaining of that book in our Church ... / by Sam. Wotton ...	Wotton, Sam. (Samuel)	1661 (1661)	Wing W3657; ESTC R34766	45,602	60

the Mass book and our Common Prayer Book together Between which they pretend there is such a consent that every piece and parcell of our Book is taken from thence but the falsity of this we shewed in the former Chapter in which they spake of this matter and named there what we have in our book which the Mass book hath not And we add now That if we had never a word but what is there yet we having none of the evil that is there it cannot follow that ours must be evil for having in it somewhat that is there Secondly For the mutual complacency they talk of I answer that to accuse all that like our Liturgy to be likers also of the Mass is so shameless and foul a slander as none can be more And of the other side for the Papists approving of our Liturgy it is more a commendation of it then otherwise it arguing our Service to be so good that our very adversaries which in all things else are so bitter against us yet can say nothing against that Whereas therefore they say That if the Papists like it it cannot be good because they are against all good I answer This is intolerable for thus they may as well condemn much of our Doctrine as well as our Liturgy as namely all Divine and necessary Truths which we hold and teach concerning the Unity of Essence and Trinity of persons in the Divine Nature all the Artributes of God and in a word all the first part of Divinity in Thomas wherein we and the Papists have hardly any difference So then this second argument makes more for our book then against it All those sound parts and doctrines in Divinity which we with them held joyntly not having their Original from them or their writings but from the Scriptures whence we and they also took them The rest of the words which they use in this Chapter concerning this second argument as having nothing in them but foul and shameful expressions of their rancorous and m●licious hearts against all those that are not of their strain I pass over as nothing to purpose for the business we have in hand And so I come to the last evidence they bring against us which they call The undeniable testimony of the King namely of King Edward the sixth and of his councel Where they bring in a piece of a letter telling us they have the rest by them which may be as true as all they say else but granting all they say if the King and State to draw the Papists back to us and win them to our Church did write to that purpose what is that to the prejudice of our Liturgy as long as all the evil in the Mass book is left out in ours If ours be no new Service but the old and what is in ours be theirs to assure the Papists hereof must needs be an especial argument to move the Papists not to abhor our Churches but too frequent them and joyn with us in our Liturgy though perhaps they cannot rest satisfied with it but will privately have their own Mass besides it also Thus I have done with their third proof also Now their Syllogism made hereupon is this That which is word for word out of the Popish Mass book is not to be offered to God as a worship but to be abolished as abomination to him But the Liturgy in controversie is so as hath been abundantly proved Therefore is not to be offered c. To this we answer briefly That which they here brag to be proved to the full we have by our answer shewed to be utterly false For if there be any thing in the Mass not in ours as abundantly there is or any thing in ours not in theirs then is not ours word for word out of theirs But both these we have already shewed and so their argument is fully answered Vainely therefore do they spend so many words following by several places of Scripture to prove that which no man denies And as needless is their following Invective against the Mass which we defend not and to no purpose concerning this business is their answering two texts of Scripture used in defence of the Mass by the Papists all which words helping onely to fill up their book and nothing touching our Common Prayer Book I pass by One onely thing more have I to add concerning this Chapter that for the original of our Common Prayer book whereas in this whole discourse thereof they seem to suppose that we went to the Mass and no further to frame a Liturgy from thence this is a meer fancy of theirs we follow the old Liturgy before the Popish Mass but the truth is when we having been a long time with the Mass amongst us and other Idolatrous ceremonies very notoriously faulty in the worship of God did according to our duties begin to reform our selves we did onely cast off such things as were inevitably offensive and did retain the rest concerning which whereas they tell us It was great incogitancy to speak the least in our Reformers in King Edwards days to take a Monke from among the Canaanites c. We answer for those our holy Ancestors that they took the most advised pious and Christian course that could be taken in that kind For first hereby they took the most likely course that could be thought on to draw many of the Papists to our Religion wherein we departed no farther from them then they had first departed from the word of God all other things we still retained that they that would but reform notorious abuses might still retain fellowship with us Secondly they hereby declared sufficiently to all the world that this alteration made was neither out of hatred to them or love of novelty or singularity or any high conceit of any excellency in fancies or devices of our own brains above our forefathers but would be content with what we had from them as far as it was consonant to the word of God or not contrary to it Thirdly by this means they avoided combustion in Church and State making as little stir or noise as could be in the reformation which is always especially to be regarded by all quiet spirits and lovers of peace in any change whatsoever Fourthly by this dealing they followed the Apostles rule by shewing their meekness softness and gentleness to all men as is required So that retaining thus much of the Mass book when we Phil. 4. 5. cast off Popery was so far from incogitancy or any other scandal to be layed upon our forefathers that we may rather admire or at least must much commend their wisdom meekness love of peace and charitable desire of converting others thereby For the conclusion then of this Chapter wherein they brag so much of success telling us That It will fall out as it did with the Scribes and Pharises envying that the people should follow Christ Perceive ye not say they how ye prevail