Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	ghost_n	son_n	36,902	5	6.3305	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42243	The grounds and occasions of the controversy concerning the unity of God &c. the methods by which it has been managed, and the means to compose it / by a Divine of the Church of England.	Nye, Stephen, 1648?-1719.	1698 (1698)	Wing G2135; ESTC R12220	49,121	55

Perswasion not only built upon sound Reason but also credited with the Authority of the most eminent Theologues antient and modern Vossius in his Answer to Ravensperger has quoted above a dozen of them and Calvin and Zanchy are two of the number But Mr. Edwards I will not say refines but corrupts the very Dregs the four Hypostasis the heavy Subsidence the thick Sediment of Calvinism I thought I had concluded the Topick on which I have dwelt I fear too long already but I beg the Reader 's Patience yet farther that I may call to mind a Gentleman who has engag'd in this Controversy and might take it ill if he should be neglected as one not worthy of our Notice He is a zealous Accuser and a strong Justifier of the Doctrine of the Unitarians but since his Courtesy is more beneficial than his Anger injurious tho perhaps he never intended it so I will do what I can to reconcile him to himself He is an irreconcilable Enemy to the Unitarians or Socinians as he calls them of New Atlantis and Vtopia but accords perfectly well with the European Unitarians both Foreigners and English He saith p. 58 There is a Distinction made in the Godhead under these three Names Father Son and Holy Ghost which the Church hath exprest all together by the Word Trinity and singly by the Word Person I conclude that there is something more than a meer Nominal Distinction I conclude that they are not three distinct different Spirits From these two Conclusions let 's hear what he infers p. 59. I infer there is in the Godhead something more than a meer nominal Distinction and something less than that of three different Spirits Some Men have such roving wild Heads that they 'll infer any thing from any thing because the Moon shines with Light borrow'd from the Sun therefore Kings hold their Crowns of the Pope But our Author keeps close to the Matter and infers from his two Conclusions nothing but what he had concluded before Well! if he is right in his Conclusions he is safe in his Inference But how came he by his Conclusions Why from some Passages of Scripture he found that there was a Distinction in the Godhead Well! be it so One might ask now what is the Distinction Is it a Distinction of Properties Relations Modes or what But for that we must hold him excus'd for says he I have not the least knowledg how strict the Union is or how great the Distinction He was well set on work then to write against the English Unitarians who oppose no Trin-Unity but a Trinity of Three distinct Essences in Numerical Unity But the Ignorance of this pert Academian is a small Fault in respect of that censorious and singular Boldness wherewith he takes upon him to censure his Superiors in the Church his Superiors for Learning and Dignity both who several of them have attempted to explain and have made it intelligible at least they themselves think so how the Three are distinguish'd and how united Mr. Peter Brown fears not to throw this Censure on their Undertakings p. 59. Any Man who strives to conceive it himself or takes pains to explain it to others is guilty of such a Folly that I can't think of any Action in nature extravagant enough to match it This is very agreeable to his Sense p. 173. where he intimates that neither Dominion nor Religion are founded in Reason So then his Loyalty and Orthodoxy are both of a piece Our Church of England in the late Reigns had much ado to be loyal enough for the Men of Dublin I am afraid they will have much ado to be Orthodox enough for them now Having now spoke what I had to say concerning the Causes which have rais'd the Disputes at present agitated among us I am next to consider what has inflam'd them to that dangerous Excess which in time may disturb the publick Peace Certainly it cannot be pure Love of God or a sincere Desire to advance the Happiness of Mankind which makes Religious Disputants manage their Controversies with that angry impatient Heat I know 't is not uncommon for Men to pretend the Honour of God and the Interest of Holy Religion when they whet their Tongues like Rasors and dip their Pens in Gall when they lay Plots to oppress and kill and are bent on Ruin and Destruction nay 't is possible for them while they are thus mischievously imploy'd to think they are doing God Service but they must have prodigiously debauch'd their Reason before they can entertain such Thoughts for it is not easy to believe that God delights in Uncharitableness Envy Hatred and Persecution It is not easy to believe that Persecution is not contrary to the obliging good-natur'd Precepts of the Gospel It is not easy to believe that Force is the way to convince Men of their Errors It is not easy to believe that Force is a proper way to move Men to consider It is not easy to believe that speculative Opinions which Men cannot help should be destructive of their Eternal Happiness It is not easy to believe that the Magistrate's Sentiments are rational and true meerly because they are the Sentiments of those who are in Authority It is not easy to believe that the Magistrate has a right to enforce his own Opinions when himself is confessedly liable to Mistakes It is not easy to believe that God would be worshipp'd in every Nation only by that way which the Magistrate shall chuse It is not easy to believe that 't is the Duty of Men to worship God contrary to their Consciences Is it not easy to believe that Persecution which naturally tends to set all Mankind together by the ears to destroy Trade and Commerce and to hinder the Improvements of Knowledg can be doing God good Service It is not easy to believe that Magistrates were appointed to ruin those for whose good we are told in Scripture they were ordain'd It is not easy to imagine that Authors who have publickly profess'd that in Matters of Faith every Man must judg for himself and that every Man using his own Judgment without Pride or affectation of Singularity is doing the best thing that he can do that simple Error is not Heresy c. it is not easy I say to imagine that such Authors can esteem Persecution a part of that reasonable Service which they owe to the Great God If Men of reviling persecuting Tempers could be perswaded deliberately and seriously to examine their own Minds and put themselves the Question What is it which prompts them to give bad Language to calumniate to form Designs against the Fame Estate Liberty and Life of their Brother to pursue him beyond this Life not as Brutus did Aruns which was the Wit of the Historian but with real Enmity to pursue him beyond this Life to hang him and burn him in order to damn him no doubt they might perceive that they were not mov'd by a