Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	humane_a	person_n	property_n	3,952	5	9.4155	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39279	A defence of the Thirty nine articles of the Church of England written in Latin by J. Ellis ... now done into English ; to which are added the Lambeth Articles ; together with the judgment of Bishop Andrews, Dr. Overall, and other eminent and learned men upon them.; Articulorum XXXIX Ecclesiae Anglicanae defensio. English	Ellis, John, 1599?-1665.; Andrewes, Lancelot, 1555-1626.; Overall, John, 1560-1619.; Church of England. Thirty-nine Articles.	1700 (1700)	Wing E587; ESTC R1641	74,086	146

is an Union between Two absolute Things there ind●ed there is a Composition But in God his Essence is absolute and the Person relative And Persons do not differ from one another really and essentially but really and personally i. e. by relative Personalities Obj. 8. Where there are One and Three Beings there there are Four Buut in God there are One and Three Beings the Father Son and Holy Ghost are Three and yet Essence it self is none of these Answ. * We are not to imagine here that the Author meant to favour the Sabellian Heresie For though to say that Three Persons are Three Modes of Subsistence be Sabelliani● yet as an Answer to the foregoing Objection the fa●rest Interpretation is That though there be Three distinct Persons in the Godhead or Divine Nature the Divine Nature is not to be reckoned as a thing distinct and separate from them And this will give likewise an Orthodox Sense to the Comparison of Light There is one only Essence in God and Three Persons are only the Three Modes of his Subsistence Now Modes do not number a thing but they are numbered and included in it so that it cannot be said to be different from them So for Example if there be Three Degrees of Light the Morning Noon and Evening Light Light it self will not be any fourth thing in respect of these Degrees which are to be reckoned up and included under Light singly and simply considered Obj. 9. If there be Three Persons in the Divine Essence then there will be first and second before and after and so it will not be perfectly simple Answ. Before and after do not relate to the Essence but to the Modes of subsisting And though they generally suppose a priority of Time and Essence yet there is a priority of Order that does not exclude a Co-aeternity And Eternity has relation to the Essence of God Obj. 10. The Doctrine of the Trinity is contrary to Reason because it asserts the same numerical Essence to be wholly in One and wholy in Three which seems impossible Answ. The Divine Essence is One and Infinite and so is wholly in One Person and wholly in Three This cannot be said to be impossible since the Essence of a reasonable Soul is totally in the whole and wholly in every Part. Now the true Image of this thing is this That many Men are One Man only by a Participation of the Species or Humane Nature Obj. 11. This Doctrine introduces Three Infinites when it is impossible thsre should be any more than One. Answ. There is One Infinite viz. the Divine Essence however that Infinity is not a personal Property but an essential one There are not indeed Three infinite Gods but Three Persons make up One infinite Nature Obj. 12. The Father is said to be the only true God Joh. 17. 3. Answ. Hereby are excluded all fictitious Deities or Creatures but not the Son or the Holy Ghost Even the Father alone is God who has an Omnipotent Son Obj. 13. The Scripture does not make use of these Words and Phrases Trinity Person and to proceed Answ. Although these Terms are not to be met with in the Scriptures yet the Sense and Meaning of them are plainly to be fetched from thence ART II. Of the Word or Son of God which was made very Man THE Son which is the Word of the Father begotten from everlasting of the Father the very and eternal God of one Substance with the Father took Man's Nature in the Womb of the Blessed Virgin of her Substance So that Two whole and perfect Natures that is to say the Godhead and Manhood were joyned together in One Person never to be divided whereof is One Christ very God and very Man who truly suff●red was cru●fied dead and buried to reconc●le his Father to us and to be a Sa●fice not only for O●nal Guilt but also for the Actual Sins of Men. Obj. 1. That it does by no means agree to a Spiritual N●e to ●eget therefore Christ is not 〈◊〉 of God Answ. This is true Physically speaking in the manner that corporeal Substances be et their Likeness and Substance but it very well agrees in a Me a physical Sense as an Angelical or Human Mind begets Reason which is the proper Fruit of the Mind and in the most Spiritual Sense of all we may suppose one Person to beget another from and in himself as the Father begat the Son Obj. 2. That Christ has not all the Divine Perfections because he wants Paternity which is a Perfection of the Father therefore he is not God Answ. Christ has all the absolute Perfections that are common to the Three Persons which is sufficient although he has not the Chracteristical Ones which are proper only to One. Obj. 3. That if the Father and the Son are of the same Essence then if the Son be incarnate and made Flesh the Father is so too Answ. The whole Divine Essence is incarnate not absolutely but relatively inasmuch as it is wholly in the Son the whole Divinity originally undertook the Work of Incarnation This may be illustrated by a Similitude Three Sisters weave one Garment and the second wears it Obj. 4. If the eternal Son of God be incarnated it follows that he had a Being and was a Person before he was incarnate If this be so What is that which was conceived in the Virgin 's Womb and bo●n Not a Person for then there would be Two Persons and Two Sons of God If the Person is not born of the Virgin how does that deserve to be called a Man which is born of her since no body can be called a Man that is not a Humane Person For a Man is distinguished to be such by his Person and nothing else Answ. There is one sort of Individual which subsists of it self and is rightly called Person and another which does not subsist of it self but in another as the Hand in the Body But because it does not subsist of it self is therefore not to be called a Person So the Humane Nature of Christ never did subsist by it self but always in the Divine Logos and for that Reason was never of it self a Person Obj. 5. God sent his Son not in true Flesh but as the Apostle says Rom. 8. 3. in the Similitude of sinful Flesh And so Christ was not a true Man Answ. The true Flesh of Christ is called the Similitude of Flesh not simply so but as obnoxious to the Sin of the Flesh not that Christ did assume the Likeness of Flesh and as it were the Image of a Body and not a real one but only the Similitude of sinning Flesh This could not be for Christ was not a Sinner though he was like to Sinners Obj. 6. Christ and Melchisedeck are compared together because both of them were without Father and without Mother Heb. 7. 3. And therefore Christ was not born of a Virgin Answ. Christ is said to be without Father

and Mother in respect to different Natures not simply so For he was without Father in respect of his Humane Nature and in respect of his Divine without Mother Obj. 7 God was not angry with M●nkind but abundantly loved it and therefore out of meer Charity sent his Son for which Reason there was no necessity that the Father should be reconciled to us Answ. God was certainly angry with us although he sent his Son He loved us as Creatures and hated us as Transgressors God's Wrath excludes the special and particular though not that general Love of God wherewith as such he loves his Creatures ART III. Of the going down of Christ into Hell AS Christ died for us and was buried so also it is to be believed that he went down into Hell Obj. 1. The Evangelists that have mentioned the most minute Circumstances in the History of Christ do not speak one Word of this Descent into Hell Answ. The Evangelists desired only to relate those things of Christ whereof either they themselves were Eye-witnesses or else had it from others that were so but no Mortal could see Christ descend Obj. 2. Christ did not go down into Hell in his Deity which is every where nor in his Body which was laid in a Sepulcher nor in his Soul which was in Paradise Luke 23. 43. Answ. The Soul of Christ might be upon one and the same Day in Hell and in Paradise For why may we not say that Christ after his Death and the Union of his Soul and Body restored might in a Moment descend into Hell and in a Moment return from thence We ought to believe many things the Manner and Circumstances whereof we are not able to define Obj. 3. Christ did not descend that he might shew his Victory because his Resu●rection was but the beginning of his Triumph nor that he might further suffer because he said upon the ●ss It is finished nor finally that he might free the Fathers from Limbo since Limbo is a meer Tale. Answ. * The Opinion ●f Bishop Pea●on and other emment Men of our Church in this Matter seems to be safer and l●ss liable to Exceptions That by He● or Hades is meant rather ●he Place and State of the Dead after the Separation of Soul and Body when Christ as to his Humanity was willing to be detained ●ill his Resur● His Resurrection was the beginning of his Triumph manifested to us but perhaps not absolutely so for his Descent into the Lower Parts mentioned Ep● 4. 9. was before his Resurrection And this Place seems very strongly to prove the real Descent of Christ into Hell Nor by our Adversaries Confession is there any Impiety in this Opinion if it be said that Christ went to manifest his Victory to the infernal Spirits and then presently enter'd into Paradise as he promis'd the Thief Obj. 4. It did not become Christ to honour those with his Presence who had been unworthy of his Favour and were eternally damned Ans. It did become Christ and for the Demonstration of his Justice and Glory it was fitting that he should present himself a Conqueror to infernal Spirits that he might bring a Terror upon the Devils and reproach the damned with their Folly and Wickedness However it be let us believe that Christ went down into Hell although we are not fully and plainly satisfied of the Sense and Manner of it ART IV. Of the Resurrection of Christ. CHRIST did truly rise again from Death and took again his Body with Flesh Bones and all things appertaining to the Perfection of Man's Nature wherewith he ascended into Heaven and there sits until he return to judge all Men at the last Day Yet it should seem that Christ could not raise himself from the Dead For Obj. 1. It appears very unaccountable that any one should die and yet raise himself to Life again Answ. It is indeed very unaccountable that mere Man should rise again by his own Power but Christ is God as well as Man Obj. 2. The Scriptures generally ascribe the Resurrection of Christ to God the Father as Rom. 6. 4. Answ. His Resurrection is indeed ascribed to the Father but not to him alone It is attributed to both because of the perfect Unity of their Essence Whatsoever the Father does that does the Son do likewise Obj. 3. 'T is objected That Bodies after Resurrection are not Flesh and Bones but of a Spiritual Nature 1 Cor. 15. 44. how could Christ then reassume his Body with Flesh and Bones Answ. Bodies after their Resurrection are said to be Spiritual not as to their Substance and Essence but as to their Qualities and Endowments they will be like to Spirits immortal and wanting neither Meat nor Drink Obj. 4. Bodies of Flesh are not immortal because as the Praphet Esa. 4. 6. says All Flesh is Grass Ans. All Flesh of pure Man is corruptible and as Grass but the Flesh of Christ is not such The Prophet there speaks of the common and ordinary Condition of Mortals and not of a most glorious Saviour who is very God Obj. 5. The Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 15. 50. That Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God how then could Christ with both these ascend up into Heaven Answ. The Apostle speaks of Man as corrupted and not washed from his Sins by Christ or else of Flesh not yet freed from Corruption That such shall not inherit the Kingdom of God for the Body cannot enter into Heaven till it be freed from Corruption Obj. 6. Christ will not forsake us even to the last Judgment for he told his Disciples Mat. 28. 20. Lo I am with you even to the end of the World And in the way to Damascus he appeared to St. Paul Acts 9. 17. And again in the Castle he stood by him in the Night Acts 23. 11. Answ. Christ speaks of a Spiritual Presence by his Grace and not of a Bodily one by Nature And then what if Christ did promise his Disciples that he would be with them by a Substantial Presence if need so required We are not to fix Christ so to the Heavens as if he could not appear upon Earth as perhaps in an extraordinary manner he did appear to St. Paul although many understand that place of a mental Vision However Heaven is the ordinary place of his Residence Obj. 7. It is apparent that Christ will not judge all Men for he that believes shall not come into Judgment John 5. 24. The Prince of this World the Devil is already judged John 16. 11. And also he that believes not John 3. 18. is condemned already Answ. He that believeth shall not come into the Judgment of Condemnation but of Absolution But the Devils and all Infidels are already judged in God's Decree or in his revealed Word or by their own Consciences which is the beginning of their Punishment but hereafter they will be condemned accordding to the Revelation and Manifestation of Judgment already made to