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	union_n	11,677	5	9.6253	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A38076	Remarks upon a book lately published by Dr. Will. Sherlock ... entituled, A modest examination of the Oxford decree, &c.	Edwards, Jonathan, 1629-1712.	1695 (1695)	Wing E221; ESTC R17931	28,355	66

same reason there being but one God there can be but one divine essence and if more essences more Gods 3dly That when we speak of God the words Essence Nature Substance Divinity are Synonymous terms and signify one and the same thing Thus in the Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are promiscuously used to denote the divine nature or Godhead The Divine Nature Essence Substance being nothing else but the Deity or Divinity and the Divinity vice versa is nothing but the Divine Nature Substance Essence 4thly Therefore if in the Trinity there are three distinct Substances there must be three distinct Essences and Divinities and consequently there must be three Gods For that there is one God or more Gods than one must depend upon the Unity or Multiplication of the divine nature and essence If there be but one divine Nature Substance Divinity there is and for that reason it is impossible there should be any more than one God and if more distinct Substances and Divinities there must be more Gods As the former are numbred and multiplied so are the latter in the same proportion both as to number and kind If there be but three distinct Substances and Divinities there are but three Gods and if those Substances be only numerically distinguished then they constitute only three numerical Gods but if specifically distinguished then there must be three Gods of a different kind that is specifically distinguished from each other 5thly That the Unity of the Godhead is the most perfect and complete sort of Unity that can be imagined No Nature Essence Substance can in any sense be more one than the Divine Nature or Essence is which hath such so perfect and so peculiar a Simplicity and Identity as to exclude all manner of division and all sorts of Multiplication It is true indeed there is one peculiar prerogative of the Divine Nature and Substance founded in its infinite and therefore transcendent perfection whereby it is capable of residing in more persons than one and is accordingly communicated from the Father to the Son and holy Ghost But this is done without any division or multiplication so that the same divine nature is a singular but not a solitary nature being whole and entire in the three blessed persons in each of which it doth completely subsist tho with a different manner of subsistence yet so as to retain its most complete Identity excluding all plurality of essences whether equal or unequal like or unlike the Divine nature being but one and the same as was said before in the three divine persons without diversity and without distinction The Persons indeed are distinguished from each other by a true real proper distinction But this is not founded in the diversity or distinction of their natures but is taken from the different ways of subsistence which one and the same nature hath in the three persons whereby they have different properties characters and relations which are absolutely incommunicable to each other and whereby some things may be affirmed of one which cannot possibly be affirmed of either of the others Such as are the generation of the Son the procession and mission of the holy Ghost And in this different manner of subsistence is founded as the distinction so likewise the subordination between the divine Persons the Father being the first and therefore styled by the Fathers the Origine and Fountain of the Divinity with respect to the Son and holy Ghost Not by the production of a new divine nature but by a communication of his own which as the Fathers always speak is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one and the very same in all three without separation difference or distinction This is indeed a great mystery but we speak of the blessed Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity which hath bin always looked upon by the greatest and wisest men in the Church to be above all expressions and description If any man therefore will not be satisfied with this general account but will be putting new and nice questions and desire to be informed with Nicodemus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how can these things be Then I must acquaint him once for all that neither man nor Angel can give a satisfactory answer to such enquiries which are not only impertinent but dangerous proceeding from a wanton and impious curiosity which ought severely to be condemned As for us of this place I hope we shall always endeavor to regulate our apprehensions in the affairs of Religion by the discoveries which God hath made in the holy writings accounting that the truest wisdom when men are wise according to what is written And therefore in spight of all the objections and flouts of Arians Socinians Tritheists Atheists we will resolve to believe what is revealed and to adore what we cannot comprehend Lastly Since the Unity of the divine nature is such and so perfect as is before described therefore we may conclude that all those who attempt to explain it by a specifical sameness and identity are so far from confirming that they plainly undermine this great and fundamental truth For 1st hereby they destroy a true real Unity and in the room of it introduce only a notional Unity which may be consistent with nay indeed as the Dean hath bin told implys a multiplication of the divine nature So that when we say the three persons are one God they are no otherwise one according to this explication than as ten thousand individual men are one man or a myriad of Angels are one Angel Neither is it enough to say that the three divine natures and substances are United in the Trinity but are separated or divided in the persons of Angels and men For this will not alter the case for the three substances so united retain their true and real distinction from each other notwithstanding that Union and are still as much three as if they were not united And therefore this Union of natures will no more constitute one nature than the Union of the three persons in the Trinity who are most intimately and inseparably united to each other will make one person or than the Union of both natures Divine and Humane in our blessed Savior will constitute and make one nature Eutyches of old maintained such a senseless opinion but the Fathers told him that those natures were united it is true but yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without confusion alteration or conversion of either into the other So that each nature retained its own powers faculties and properties entire and distinct from those of the other without any mixture or change The like is to be said of the union of several essences and natures in the Trinity For should such an union be allowed yet still the natures must remain entire and distinct and so must their attributes likewise They must have distinct understandings and wills and distinct operations as flowing from powers and faculties essentially distinguished and