Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	father_n	son_n	subsist_v	3,592	5	11.9300	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54151	The guide mistaken, and temporizing rebuked, or, A brief reply to Jonathan Clapham's book intituled, A guide to the true religion in which his religion is confuted, his hypocrisie is detected, his aspersions are reprehended, his contradictions are compared / by W.P., a friend to the true religion.	Penn, William, 1644-1718.	1668 (1668)	Wing P1301; ESTC R15309	49,937	66

not because the Seed of God abideth in him As is the begetter so is the begotten It may be further observ'd that into the Kingdom of which they are called Children or Inhabitants other places will not allow an entrance for any thing that is unclean or makes a lye nor is it congruous with Scripture and common sense the same Temple should hold God and Mamon Christ and Belial or that any can witness a being dead and crucified with Christ whilst living in that which has no share in him And though he would imply a Salvo or Defence for the admission of all sorts to Sacraments so call'd under the notion of the Field's being the Church yet if he well observes it is call'd the World out of which the Church of Christ both as to Doctrine and Conversation was alwayes gathered otherwise those Heathens Turks Jews c whom he would exclude must be members of his Church and whilst he would intrude Tares or the whole rabble of unrighteous persons as members of Christs Church he has forgot the Testimony born by the Apostles concerning that spotless blamless and perfect Body of which Christ Jesus was the Head And if he would from Christs words of letting them alone cover his practice of admitting all as being ignorant who is a Believer since none knows but in plucking up the Tares he may pluck up the Wheat also for this Guide's a Latitudinarian what need his whole discourse for a particular constitution he might I am sure a let that alone as knowing it would be of little force yet may he better understand the passage if he please of Persecution for they were known to be Tares else how could the servant say Sir didst not thou sow good Seed in thy Field from whence then hath it Tares if he had not rightly discerned their nature and that the Wheat was to hold no communication in any religious sort with them nor were they to express severity or force but leaving them in supernatural cases to the determination and punishment of the great Judge live a self-denying example to the world In this sense Imperfection is granted I mean to the carnal and unregenerate but to the Redeemed of God and Children of the Kingdom Perfection I am now come to the examination of the essentials of his so much recommended Choice Sect. 12. His first Article is concerning the nature of God and what of him is to be believed by those that would be happy his words are these That there is one God of an infinit perfect and spiritual nature subsisting in three most glorious persons the Father Son and Holy-Ghost who is the Maker Preserver and Governour of all things and intends his own Glory in all his Works That the greatest concernment of reasonable creatures is to know and acknowledge this God fear love adore and glorifie him and their chiefest felicity stands in his love and favour in fullest conformity to his Image and in no earthly good separate from him Taking the former part of his Definition for granted to wit the perfection infinity and spirituality of his Nature how very unsuitable herewith is the Religion and practice of this Guide first in denying that Revelation by which only a knowledge of this glorious and invisible Deity can be obtained which was the Testimony Christ bore concerning him that no man knew the Father but the Son and him to whom the Son revealed him so that if such Revelation as gives to behold the Father see his shape and contemplate the excellency of his Nature be wholly rejected by this Guide methinks it is either arrogancy to intrude into things he doth not know or folly to tell a tale received from other people for infallible truth without a demonstration in himself Next If there be no other way to have communion with this invisible God that thereby the Conformity he talks of may be known for being a Spirit it 's preposterous to imagine a knowledge of him obtainable by other mediums than what are aedequate to his Divine Nature but by this Revelation of Himself through his Son Christ in us except we are Reprobates it will necessarily follow that he must either deny Christ's Doctrine or else confess himself ignorant of what he writes and since the God he would advise all to know fear and love is that perfect Spirit I fain would know what Worship can be termed suitable thereunto but the internal and spiritual one which is altogether void of those Ceremonies Formalities Will-performances and perishing Observations once used as condescending signs to the weakness of some seasons which at this day fills up the Sacrifices and in which stands the Religion of those called Christians through the World whose ignorance of God's once dispensing with beggarly elements for their sakes whose understandings were vailed and too weak-sighted to behold at first the glorious Light has put many upon the imitation of past generations though void of their spirit and not answering the end for which they were then practised vainly conceiting them an offering acceptable to the eternal Spirit when it were as well-pleasing to present a dogg's neck as anciently was said What shall I hence conclude but as the Almighty God is a Spirit so cannot he otherwise be known or served and since he has required homage from his creatures and yet 's so purely just as to but expect what he has impow'red them to do how absolutely necessary is it that all Worship Godward should stand in the ability given of him thereunto and reasonable to believe that the occasion of all the Apostacy Darkness Inventions and whole variety of Forms and Constitutions of Religion has been from the neglect of that pure spiritual capacity once given of God to act and order them in all things that did concern their duty both to God and man As for his strange distinction of the Deity which he inforces on the faith of all that value their eternal welfare I cannot find one Scripture that will bear him out and if they had been of so much credit with this Guide as to have been by them led into their undeniable form of sound words he would not have intruded Tradition for Scripture to the creed of any but rather have inserted the Text or phrase it self whose Authority might have commanded an assent And it had more become him to give the world a Reason for his requiring a submission to and credence of his Doctrine rather than barely to draw up so many Articles and thus impiously to call on all for a subscription as they would be saved especially since he cannot but know how strongly these very points have been debated in ancient Councils and not less controverted by modern persons of Reputation and Learning Some owning one Eternal God void of all personal relations as Arrius with many Prelates and some Emperors in former Centuries F. Socinus L. Socinus Crellius Slictingius c. of later dayes

of a Saviour to effect what after follows on the behalf of distressed mankind If the Father did appoint the Son than 't was not voluntary or an Act springing from his own arbitrium for that 's the strict and true signification of it but the Fathers so that by consequence Christ was not the cause but the effect of Gods love to man which contradicts the ground of that satisfaction many have conceived themselves secure by and interessed in But because this Doctrine has been much controverted and that the World of called Christians are bearing hard hereupon according to their variety of apprehensions as the onely support I shall a little query in the matter leaving it to this Guide to direct unto the end of what I ask for barely to lay down a Doctrine without the least proof is so irrational as I know none but would be rather forward to reject it though in measure true because void of a Reason to maintain it He sayes That Christ took upon him our sins and has given himself a Sacrifice or in other terms has satisfied the justice of the Father displeased with man Query 1. Whether he satisfied as God or man If as God Because no meer Creature can Then Q. 2. Whether this does not split the Unity of the Godhead which sayes this Guide is the same in Father and Son and make a duality in Natures as well as in Persons since the one is the Appointer the other the Appointed the one Designer the other Designed the one Satisfier the other Satisfied Q. 3. Whether since the Godhead is but one pure Act it 's not to say the Father sent the Son the Son the Father the Godhead the Godhead Q. 4. Whether the conception of the appointment preceeded not the 〈◊〉 of obedience in the appointed Q. 5. Whether Relatives are predicable of a Diety having their Primitives which supposes priority in time as well as Nature Or how commanding and obeying Acts can be soberly affirmed of the Divine Being Q. 6. Whether it is harmonious with reason or according to Scripture warrantable to say That Christ as God satisfied his Father Since 't is to make God resolved to have satisfaction somewhere and none being of ability that the same Godhead should pay it that his Mercy should pay it his Justice that one Attribute so called should deny an Acquittance till to ther had solv'd the Debt God the Father standing off in high displeasure and on his tearms and the same Godhead in the Son designed to satisfie Q. 7. Whether if there be not distinct properties and attributes in the Father and Son but are one pure Being and Godhead concurring in the Conception Progression and Perfection of all Acts it is less reasonable and necessary that the Justice of the Son should have an infinite satisfaction paid it than the same attribute in the Father If as Man Q. 8. Whether if the Justice of God be infinite his satisfaction ought not to bear a proportion therewith Q. 9. Whether Christ Jesus as Man could offer up an infinite Sacrifice to satisfie the infinite displeasure of his Father paying all due respect to his very great afflictions which were sustained by him in his fulfilling his Fathers Will and really were towards the Salvation of mankind as a pleasant offering If as God and Man Q. 10. Whether if two mediums be singly inconsistent with the Nature of the end for which they were propounded the conjunction of them does not rather augment than lessen the difficulty of atchieving it Q. 11. Whether 't is not to depaint the merciful God most revengful that not being able to have his satisfaction where 't was owing would take it where it was not due Q. 12. Whether it were not more suitable to Truth and Scripture Record to avoid all dark conceits Schoolmens quiddities and vain janglings and to believe That God was and is in Christ who is in us except we be Reprobates reconciling the World or men unto himself by removing that unrighteous and self-exalted nature which ruled as God in their hearts and by his Glorious Light giving them to know the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ Then must not Reader from my querying thus conclude We do deny as he hath falsly charged us those Glorious Three which bear record in Heaven the Father Word and Spirit neither the Infinity Eternity and Divinity of Jesus Christ for that we know he is the Mighty God nor what the Father sent his Son to do on the behalf of lost man declaring to the whole World We know no other Name by which Atonement Salvation and Plenteous Redemption comes but by his Name are according to our measures made sensible of its mighty Power but rather to let thee see how unsatisfactorily he has imposed Religion on the World and how exceeding open he layes his Principles to the objection of every reasonable Inquirer for whilst he undertakes to dress up a Religion that shall excel all others and boldly recommends it to such who are resolved to be of some Religion as if there did accompany it such undenyable evidence that though it might effect little upon the loose and dissolute Atheist to fix his moving mind yet questions not the good success it might have upon the Religiously inclined he in reality has not brought a Proof or solid Argument as encouragement for any to embrace them Sect. 15. His last Cardinal Doctrine I am come to after which it had been more proper some may think to have inserted the preceeding Caution but since this may not give so much occasion to such as watch for opportunities to raise their misty suspicions and that it might be too remote from those passages for the better explanation of which it purposely was mentioned I have the rather placed it here and now for the examination of this his last Fundamental That our Redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ having all power in Heaven and in Earth given to him hath made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and caused it to be proclaimed to the World wherein he promises Pardon and Salvation to all that shall sincerely accept him for their Saviour He boldly calls him his Redeemer not observing how unsutable his Life and Doctrine is with the Redeemed of the Lord for whosoever is redeemed by Christ is perfectly so inasmuch as all his Works are perfect but as this Guide's conversation manifests the contrary by his very great miscarriages so does his Book for Paul testifies to all That Jesus Christ was sent to redeem not onely from iniquity which might admit of a distinction by froward and unclean Spirits but all iniquity therefore this person has spoke too largely in calling the pure Jesus his Redeemer for such imperfect works would very much disgrace their Author nor is there any thing so much stumbles Infidels and brings a reproach upon the Christian Religion or dishonour to the Holy God is Priests and People writing talking and fighting hard

one let him but peruse his 17th page and tell me if he doth not find this amongst the many other contradictions that the Opinion or Dream that every man may be saved in his own Religion if he be true to it is more becoming Turks than Christians I must confess I have not met of late in any Author with such palpable confusion and can assure thee Reader I do avoid for brevity's sake the recital of much more I might instance in What Superstructure it 's possible for the best Artists to erect on a Foundation so imperfect and unsound he need be no exact Architecturist to determine but notwithstanding his mistake in his way to the true Religion he may prove Guide sufficient to his many following errors defects Sect. 7. I shall a little insist upon his second Chapter the head is this Shewing wherein the wise chusing ones Religion lys and acts concurring thereunto He needs must play the crack-Philosopher and imperfectly has manag'd his little distinctions in the pedantick phrase of the canting Priests and Accademists He tells us first what Election is in general and then divides the right-chusing of Religion into three Acts the Intellect precedingly discerning the nature of the thing that by the will is chosen And what in the 7th page he hath defin'd in the 8th he instances these following words to confirm his definition viz. Man being a Religious Creature by the common instinct of his natural conscience is mov'd strongly to worship a Deity as we see in all the Nations of the Earth much more when he is stirred up by a divine instinct Answ It hath been the unhappiness of many Ages as it is of this to darken and confound matters of Religion mostly with terms not more affected and difficult than very often impertinent of which this Guide is not a little guilty as must be obvious to such as will examine his most frivolous and contratradictory distinction betwixt Natural and Divine Not that I shall not allow them to be terms proper in their place but very improper where he puts them Let me perswade thee Reader to observe impartially the Confusion I have to do with one who characters himself a Christian and not a profest disciple of the Heathen Aristotle and I should therefore think it may become me best as it had him to use such a sound form of words as are warranted by and laid down in the Scriptures of Truth and that he with all others may know how far the Quakers are on all occasions ready to bring their Principles to be tried by that which the Spirit there declares I shall expose both his and theirs to the judgment of them and leave thee Reader to determine which holds the greatest harmony therewith although the contradiction of his own words might have been confutation evident enough Religion is by James a Prophet of the most high God thus defined Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world Also to believe as Paul has it in thy heart and confess with thy tongue in and to the Lord Jesus Or as he hath it in another place to wit A subjection and obedience to that Spirit Light or Grace manifested from God to all men teaching them that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts they should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Taking these passages for the clear and compleat signification of that term Religion as I shall till some more ample be produced and not the whimsical conjectures of men from their wresting of the Scriptures patcht up into a formal Creed by their eclipst understandings as this Guide must not deny if he will own Scripture then will it consequently follow that no man can be truly stiled Religious from a natural instinct or cause for since the one and true Religion or Primitive is divine Religious or the Relative must necessarily participate of the same Divine Nature and if by Natural Conscience he means Reason abstractively the Relative cannot amount to more than Rational for as what is simply Animal cannot generate what 's Rational so is it altogegether impossible for what is but simply Rational to produce what is Spiritual nor can I understand how he will secure himself from gross impertinency in nominating Man a Religious creature from a natural instinct or to assert any thing but what is divine can act Man to worship a Divinity How far he may to save himself extend the signification of natural I know not but if he means it in the sense Paul often us'd it methinks the very letter of the Scripture should have barr'd his unsuitable expression for saith that Apostle The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he because they are spiritually discerned But if he will take Natura 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro generatione viventium sive animalium id est nativitate or if he rather will accept it in the sense of him they call Divine Seneca that it imports a Deity or Divine Reason sown in all parts of the world he would do well to let us know for the incongruity of his Assertion with good sense lies very palpable He further confirms his opinion of the universality of that by him call'd Natural Instinct with his Parenthesis as we see in all Nations of the Earth much more when he is further stirred up by a Divine Instinct I must confess to the universality of it but how disguis'd it is through the various trims of mens Inventions and fore-fathers idle Traditions a person never so little spritualiz'd may see and easily discry the notorious foppery of most professions the cause of which vniversal darkness has been the Nations sacrificing their judgements to the implicite Faith of their deceitful Priests who have been and are a Monopoly to the Souls and Bodies of the whole Creation And what he ignorantly calls the father stirring of a divine instinct is not a difference from the former in respect of its nature or quality but measure or degree I have the longer insisted on this particular because most material as well to detect his weakness and grand inability to the work he forwardly has undertaken as from his own expressions to elucidate and maintain the Quakers Principles to be Orthodox although it was against them he mainly did design his Book but with what success the end will manifest I shall just hint upon his three branches into which he has split the first act of his Election 1 He advises to take a particular view of the Principal Doctrines and Misteryes of Faith and duty of Godliness taught in the Scriptures but doth not tell us by what infallible Expositor we ought to peruse them that might unfold those Mysteries he speaks of which imply a dubious intricate and obscure sense does he mean the Instinct

Authority to declare There is not another Leader by whom Salvation is attainable and in obedience to whom the Nations of them that are saved must walk Although I needs must say this objection of our Ignorance had much better become a person whose abilities surpass this Cantabrigian Sizer's education whose inexpertness in Story Tongues and Opinions might have barr'd him from these uncivil as well as untrue reflections and so much of Literature is to be found amongst the Quakers though it 's not their strength as does and very likely will remain unanswer'd by Scholars of a higher Form than this conceited Guide Sect. 2. 2. His charge of obstinacy we deny nor am I much solicitous to enlarge in our vindication since 't is the sense I know he has of all who withstand a Conformity to that Establishment his Interest leads him to imbrace and bow not with him to the Rising-Sun In this sense we own his Epichite and adjunct of Singular also being indeed most so in sufferings having by all Powers since we were a People separated by the Lord from their Inventions been killed all the day long in Reputation Liberty Estate and sometimes Life but in all other respects our Consciences excepted we are alwayes ready to express complacency and willingness to assist our very enemies Sect. 3. 3. He does accuse us with a total Apostasie from Christianity but if the definition Paul gives of a Christian ought to decide the case then he is one in whom Christ reigns and by the fruits of his Spirit manifests to the world he is redeemed from it and from fulfilling those lusts which once had absolute dominion over him But whether this Guide or the so much calumniated Quakers are fullest of self-denyal most separated from the World or in greatest subjection to that pure Spirit of Grace which teaches to deny all unrighteousness and to live soberly in this present World impartial Reader speak For if the preceeding qualities denote men truly Christian and that a pious diligent and inoffensive Conversation is the most express Character of Christ's Followers I make my appeal to thee and the whole World if there lives among the Sons of men a people less deserving to be called Apostates and consequently any that so visibly carry with them the badg of true and primitive Christianity as they And whereas he sayes we scarce retain any Article of the Christian Faith We do in so many words reject his aspersion being made partakers of that Divine Faith in Jesus which sanctifies and is held in a pure Conscience Sect. 4. 4. His next accusation is That they extol the Light in all men as the only sufficient Rule to walk by to the apparent slighting of Scriptures and Preaching Reader If yet thou art a stranger to this Light he thus explodes and vilifies let me beseech thee once to observe it in thy self and tell me then if it has not that Divine quality to discern betwixt the Precious and the Vile and manifest every Thought Word and Act whether it is well-pleasing or the contrary to the great God If it be criminal to own those Scriptures he falsly sayes we slight the case is chang'd otherwise we all confess that God is Light and that he hath enlightned every man by heeding and obeying the Dictates of which we may be preserv'd in that capacity as the same Scripture sayes shall bring us into the pure Fellowship and that the Blood of Jesus shall cleanse us from all sin Nor do they own a Principle in the Clouds but above all people have demonstrated the power and authority of their Principle by that Redemption it has wrought for them and alteration it has made from that condition which nakedly expos'd their immortal Souls to the snares and entanglements of this Worlds perishing glories to experiment the Blood which cleansed from all iniquity the unspeakable peace of perfect reconciliation with God And for his confident affirming we slight both Scriptures and Preaching I have this to say That as there is not any who discover more respect for them by a conformity of life to what they require so do they both read and as often quote them in Preaching or Declaration as any who profess them for their Rule And Reader that thou mayest the better be informed concerning the esteem we have them in taking but the pains to visit our Assemblies and that shall be a sufficient vindication of our innocency which also may answer him as to the advantage that 's confest the Jew had above the Heathen 5. His fifth reflection is Our openly denying the Doctrine of the Trinity but me thinks it would become him who is reproving others for not paying that respect they ought unto the Scriptures to be a little more exemplary in using their unquestionable phrase and sound expression for I am altogether ignorant of any Scripture that mentions that word Trinity and t is his own Opinion that Fundamentals should not be drawn from dubious and obscure places but rather that the Scriptures were evident and perspicuous as to what was necessary to be believed yet if by Trinity he understands those three Witnesses in Heaven Father Word and Spirit he should better have acquainted himself with what we disown than ignorantly thus to blaze abroad our open denyal of what we most absolutely credit and believe 6. His next slander runs thus The Person of Jesus Christ as to his humane Nature with all his Offices assigned to him by his Father they utterly reject though this is an Arcanum that is kept hard from their Novices Fain would he here insinuate to people by his most invective impostures hard thoughts concerning an inoffensive people whilst in reality they own no other name by which Salvation is obtainable than the Christ of God and all the Offices that ever were assigned him by his Father are by them acknowledged and so remote are they from hiding their sentiments or being jealous of exposing them to all that whosoever will but give himself the time of frequenting their Meetings or perusing their Books will soon perceive how very far this Character is wide of Truth 7. His next report is We call not upon God in the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ But Reader that thou mayest not thus be dogmatized upon and better satisfied in thy sober inquiries assure thy self the Quakers never knew an other Name than that of Jesus Christ through which to find acceptance with the Lord nor is it by any other than Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant by whom they expect Redemption and may receive the promise of an eternal Inheritance Sect. 5. He farther sayes They trust not in his death for Pardon and Salvation but in a pretended sinless perfection They are so far from disowning the death and sufferings of Christ that there is not a people in the Earth that so assuredly witnesse and demonstrate a Fellowship therewith confessing before Men and