Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	according_a	doctrine_n	holy_a	2,747	5	4.2655	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39357	A letter to the Honourable Sir Robert Howard together with some animadversions upon a book entituled, Christianity not mysterious / by Edmund Elys ...	Elys, Edmund, ca. 1634-ca. 1707.; Howard, Robert, Sir, 1626-1698.	1696 (1696)	Wing E678A; ESTC R18806	6,186	18

infinite Being absolutely INFINITE communicating it self to the Human Understanding produces that Conception which we call the IDEA OF GOD. This is REASON PARTICIPATED by all Rational Creatures The Humane Intellect or Understanding is that Power or Faculty of the Soul of Man by which he is capable of apprehending or perceiving that there is a Being absolutely infinite that is GOD and that all Finite Beings Natures or Essences and all natural Motions or Operations are deriv'd from him The Intellect is commonly call'd Reason The Ground of which Appellation is this that every Act of the Intellect or Understanding so far as it is not deprav'd or perverted by the Will is nothing else but the Perception of ESSENTIAL REASON in it self or in its Effects P. 23 24. No Christian I know of now expresly says Reason and the Gospel are contrary to one another But which returns to the same very many affirm that tho the Doctrines of the latter cannot in themselves be contradictory to the Principles of the former as proceeding both from GOD yet that according to our Conceptions of them they may seem directly to clash And that tho we cannot reconcile them by reason of our corrupt and limited Understandings yet that from the Authority of Divine Revelation we are bound to believe and acquiesce in them or as the Fathers taught 'em to speak to adore what we cannot comprehend Answ. We do not say that Reason and the Gospel do ever seem to clash or to contradict one another but only to those Men who by the Perverseness of their Will averting it self from the Divine Goodness avert their Understanding from the Truth of that Doctrine which is destructive to all their Lusts or Inclinations arising from the false Appearance of Good We say indeed that the Fathers have taught us according to the Holy Scriptures that we must adore what we cannot comprehend He that performs any true and acceptable Worship to Almighty GOD does most humbly and heartily acknowledge that the Object of his Worship has all the Excellency and Perfection that he can apprehend or conceive as signified by these Words Power Wisdom Goodness c. And that it is infinitely more excellent and glorious than can ever be any way apprehended or conceived by Men or Angels 'T is evident that though we know GOD in some measure he infinitely transcends the Comprehension of our Reason or Understanding But says our Adversary p. 78. to comprehend in all correct Authors is nothing else but to know Answ. Comprehension is Knowledge but all Knowledge is not Comprehension Comprehension is that Knowledge which extends to all that can be known of the Object P 88. As for GOD we Comprehend nothing better than his Attributes We know not t is true the Nature of that eternal Subject or Essence wherein Infinite Goodness Love Knowledge Power and Wisdom coexist but we are not better acquainted with the real Essence of any of his Creatures Here 't is manifest that this Man 's most prodigious Self-conceit and Affectation of SINGULARITY averts his Understanding from a due Reflexion upon the true IDEA OF GOD in his own Soul and in the Souls of all Men in the Contemplation whereof we may easily discern this Truth that the several divine Attributes are several Significations or Manifestations of the one Being absolutely Infinite and incomprehensible They are not in GOD or the Divine Essence as Accidents in a Subject To talk of the Nature of an Essence is an Absurdity which I think no Scholar was ever guilty of but the Author of this most impious Libel against the Holy Catholick Church There cannot be a more Notorious Contradiction than to say we COMPREHEND INFINITE Goodness Love c. We grant that every Pious Man is better acquainted with the Divine Attributes than with the Properties of any Creature But we know 't is absolutely impossible for any Man or Angel to Comprehend the Divine Essence and we know 't is not so impossible to comprehend the Nature or Essence of any Creature Therefore I think it my Duty to proclaim to all the World my just Abhorrence and Detestation of the blind Boldness of this insolent Writer I think says he I may now warrantably conclude that nothing is a Mystery because we know not its Essence since it appears that it is neither knowable in it self nor ever thought of by us So that the divine Being himself cannot with more Reason be accounted mysterious in this respect than the most contemptible of his Creatures Answ. If the divine Being be truly and really INFINITE then there is infinite more Reason that this Being should be accounted mysterious in this respect that it passeth Knowledge or the utmost Capacity of our intellective Faculty than the most glorious of his Creatures P. 91. Such Revelations of God in the New Testament are call'd Mysteries not from any present Inconceivableness or Obscurity but with respect to what they were before this Revelation as that is called our Task which we long since perform'd I shall here entreat the pious and learned Reader to employ his Thoughts in the deepest Search after the true and genuine Sense of these sacred Words 1 Tim. 3.9 Holding the MYSTERY of the Faith in a pure Conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The principal Object of Christian Faith is the Person of JESUS CHRIST so that no Man can ever know any thing contain'd in the Holy Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 8.2 As he ought to know but when his Apprehensions of it have Reference to the Love of CHRIST which though it be known in some measure PASSETH KNOWLEDGE that is to say is incomprehensible having no other Foundation than the INFINITY of the divine Goodness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 3.19 To have a due Reference to CHRIST in our Apprehensions of any Doctrine contain'd in the Holy Scriptures is to give a firm and immoveable Assent to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As the Truth is in Jesus who being GOD from everlasting did in time take on him the Nature of Man to save us from our Sins To be sav'd from all known Sin so that we would rather lay down our Lives than hold the Truth in Unrighteousness or knowingly and wilfully transgress the Law of our Maker Redeemer and Sanctifyer is to keep a pure Conscience And he that keeps a pure Conscience through CHRIST enabling him will easily conceive that this Expression of St. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of the same Signification with those Words of St. John 1 Epist. 5.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that hath or holdeth the SON hath Life And he that hath not the SON of God hath not Life If Jesus Christ the everlasting Son of the Father were not Reveal'd he could not be the Object of Our Faith But the clearest Revelation we have of him does not make him cease to be a MYSTERY Great is the MYSTERY of Godliness GOD was manifest in the Flesh c. The

SON OF GOD is reveal'd not only as the Object of our Knowledge but also of our everlasting Admiration His Name shall be called WONDERFUL Isaiah 9.6 I shall endeavour to give the candid Reader a further Illustration of this most important Truth by making some Reflections upon some other Expressions of the blessed Apostle Rom. 16 25 26 27. Now to him that is of Power to establish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the Revelation of the MYSTERY which was kept secret since the World began but now is made manifest and by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to the Commandment of the everlasting God made known to all Nations for the Obedience of Faith to God only Wise be Glory through Jesus Christ for ever Amen The holy Apostle calls the principal Subject of all his preaching viz. that JESUS CHRIST is the Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World a MYSTERY both with respect to its having been kept secret and with respect to its present Manifestation If the Word Mystery signified nothing else but a Matter kept secret viz. wholly secret or undiscover'd then indeed the Matter being Reveal'd there would be no Mystery But certainly if the word had no other Signification but of a Matter kept secret the Apostle would never have us'd this Expression the Revelation of the Mystery that was kept secret But says our Adversary Yes Even As that may be call'd our Task which we have long since perform'd Answ. A Task being a Work which we are enjoyn'd to perform we may properly say it was our Task but 't would be absurd to say that any Work is our Task which we have long since perform'd 'T is evident therefore that the blessed Apostle by the word Mystery wou'd have us to understand that the principal Subject of all his preaching viz. that JESUS CHRIST is the Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World though now it be made known or declar'd to all Nations still remains a Mystery being such a wonderful Contrivance and Effect of infinite Wisdom and Power to reconcile infinite vindictive Justice or Hatred of SIN to infinite Goodness and Mercy in bringing SINNERS to true Repentance and eternal Life that it passeth Knowledge i. e. that it infinitely transcends the utmost Capacity of any finite Understanding so that a pious Soul in the Contemplation thereof finds Matter of perpetual ADMIRATION Eph. 3.8 9. Unto me who am less than the least of all Saints is this Grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the UNSEARCHABLE RICHES of Christ and to make all Men see what is the Fellowship of the MYSTERY which from the Beginning of the World hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ. By the Riches of Christ we are to understand the Abundance of his Excellencies and Perfections communicable to those that OBEY him by Virtue of his being the Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World The blessed Apostle plainly shews that the Subject of his preaching is a MYSTERY in that he calls it the unsearchable Riches of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the following Verse he expresly calls it a Mystery The LORD grant that by the Illumination of his holy Spirit we may so clearly understand that CHRISTIANITY is MYSTERIOUS i. e. that the RICHES OF CHRIST are UNSEARCHABLE that all our natural Desires of Knowledge may be so sanctified as to be resolv'd into this one Desire that we may know the Love of Christ which passeth Knowledge that we may be fill'd with all the Fullness of GOD. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS