Selected quad for the lemma: order_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
order_n father_n son_n trinity_n 2,798 5 10.7863 5 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A64025 Two letters touching the Trinity and Incarnation the first urging the belief of the Athanasian Creed, the second, an answer thereto. 1690 (1690) Wing T3483; ESTC R1592 21,226 16

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

Contradictions are Orthodox if one doth but keep in his Mind the blessed Distinction of two Natures which directs the Intention and hinders a Man from telling a Lie By such Tricks as these you pretend to Orthodoxy and boast of a Principle that promotes Holiness and Piety and as you say hath a great Influence upon all the Parts of Religion But dear Cousin don't you know that the learned Dr. Hammond who made a large practical Catechism could find no Place in his Book for the great Spring of the Trinity No question but he look'd upon it as a thing altogether useless and uncapable of moving the Heart of Man Make no doubt of it it is a dry and empty Opinion a Bone without Marrow or Meat which can afford a Christian Soul no sort of good Nourishment in order to Piety I confess there is a Trinity that hath Influence upon the Life of all true Christians viz. that in which you and I have been baptized the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost But I must confess at the same time that it is very different from yours if understood according to Scripture We have the Doctrine of the Father revealed by his Son his Interpreter and Messias and confirmed by the Gifts and Miracles of the Holy Spirit This Doctrine hath so necessary an Influence upon the Practice of Christians that without a right Knowledg of that Revelation we could neither obey God's Commands nor hope for his Rewards And I confess that with respect to this primitive and capital Truth any Man to whom that great Object is proposed shall be no less accountable for the Faults of his Understanding than the Vices of his Will There is a plain Reason for it viz. that this Object doth not consist in Philosophical Speculations which the Simple cannot attain to and the Ignorance whereof must needs be excusable but in plain and sensible Facts for the believing of which nothing else is required but the same Honesty and Sincerity necessary to practise the Precepts For Example We believe a Father Creator of all things a Son born dead raised c. and a Holy Ghost setting the Seal of his Miracles to that Revelation Here is a Faith grounded upon undeniable Facts which doth not require from us a seraphick Understanding but some Honesty to receive the Testimony of those who relate them with as much Evidence as is necessary to satisfy an honest and reasonable Mind The Want of Faith or Understanding in this Respect is the Want of Probity and Uprightness and therefore the Fault is inexcusable But if instead of so simple and sensible a Faith you introduce your Athanasian Faith of three Eternal Almighty and Incomprehensible Ones you make Unbelief of all things the most pardonable nay and the most reasonable too because such a Faith is above the Reach of our Senses Reason and Revelation So that we must read in the Gospel I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from Babes and hast revealed them unto the Wise and Prudent I can assure you that not only many eminent Bishops and great Councils have rejected the Belief of such a Mystery as you confess it but that no good Christian knew it except perhaps in his Catechism or a Book of Controversy How many Monuments of Antiquity have we lost of which we could boast with great Reason Who can tell but most Fathers had been on our side if the Malice of their Enemies the Superstition of Monks and the Flames of the Emperors had not destroyed their Books As for those that remain nothing but this can be concluded from them viz. that the Party that prevailed History tells us by what means took Possession of Tradition and Orthodoxy However we have still in the Apostles Creed the Primitive Truths which unite all Christians the saving Truths wherewith God's Providence fed the Faith of Christians during the Quarrels of their Teachers and the only Truths for whose sake true Martyrs have shed their Blood I shall add that the same Providence hath preserved in all Sects and Ages a Body of Christian Morality which makes the great and whole Design of the Gospel Let us conclude here and seriously think dear Cousin that you and I shall be judged by Christ in the last Day only according to this Rule independently on those Opinions which now a-days make the Subject of our Disputes I rest Yours c. FINIS