Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	good_a	jesus_n	lord_n	7,172	5	3.5622	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25775	A short history of Valentinus Gentilis, the tritheist tryed, condemned, and put to death by the Protestant reformed city and church of Bern in Switzerland, for asserting the three divine persons of the Trinity, to be [three distinct, eternal spirits, &c.] / wrote in Latin, by Benedictus Aretius, a divine of that church, and now translated into English for the use of Dr. Sherlock ...; Valentini Gentilis justo capitis supplicio affecti brevis historia. English	Aretius, Benedictus, d. 1574.; South, Robert, 1634-1716.	1696 (1696)	Wing A3629; ESTC R6675	62,571	156

decay of strength in Human Nature as rendred it utterly incapable of raising it self to such a degree of purity without a peculiar dispensation from above And tho' within the Church this Doctrine of God has always remain'd more uncorrupted and perspicuous yet nevertheless the most Religious have thought it a great piece of Wisdom to confess their own weakness in this Affair and have therefore been contented with those Discoveries God has been pleas'd to make of himself and have desisted from any farther search into this Sublime Mystery Hence in the Invocation of him this Phrase is made use of God of Abraham God of Isaac God of Jacob God of our Fathers c. And when Iacob made too curious an Enquiry after the Angel's Name he was repell'd by the Rays of the Divine Majesty and reprimanded by a Voice Wherefore is it that thou askest after my Name Moses also upon his asking after the Name of God who sent him to the Children of Israel received only this answer I am that I am and say I am hath sent me unto you We ought therefore in this business also to take notice of the Apostle's Advice Not to think above what we ought to think but to think soberly For it 's most certain when we cast our thoughts on things relating to God our Understanding sees as little if not less than the Owl at Noon-day But since there is a necessity still of Man's being instructed concerning God and this instruction is to be receiv'd from the Church alone 't is the best way to keep strictly to one form of speaking drawn from the Prophetical and Evangelical Writings because the Church has taken these from God's own Mouth whence the Apostle calls the Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or inspired And this the Church kept pure and undefiled till a parcel of Ambitious Men rose up who laying no restraint on their wild Fancies made a very ill use of the simplicity of the Scripture and began to affix New Interpretations to Texts To keep these Fellows within their Bounds and to shew that their Opinions were contrary to Scripture 't was necessary that better Men should limit the sense of things in other words Wherefore since Words were to be interpreted by Words and Phrases by other forms of Speech they referr'd themselves and their Writings to the Scriptures Forasmuch as no one can speak better of God than God doth of himself And therefore when we are to speak of him it 's our Duty to consult him first speaking of himself Moreover as it 's impious to deny the use of Scripture-Forms of speaking so it 's downright Malice to condemn those that are commonly receiv'd so long as reason proves not that they maintain any thing against Scripture In Ecclesiastical Histories and Acts of Synods there are abundance of Examples were they pertinent to be mention'd here of this Nature Our Age has seen one in Valentinus Gentilis who that he might destroy the Unity of the Divine Essence in his explication of the Three Persons quarrell'd first with the receiv'd Terms such as are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Persons For as long as they were made use of he saw 't was impossible to maintain three Spirits distinct in Essence and Degree This small Treatise shews the unanimous determination of the Church concerning this Doctrine together with the rise of that Corruption My Lords I present this History to your Lordships because you presided at the Tryal and it was to your grief that you heard this Corruption of the true Doctrine was brought into the Church And since the account might prove useful to the World 't was not fit it should be made publick so much upon my private Will as your Lordship 's publick Commands The Lord Jesus Christ govern you by his good Spirit that you may lead long and happy Lives in these Honourable Stations to the defence of the Orthodox Doctrine and the interest of your Country Amen M. D. LXVII Cal. Junii My Lords Your Lordships most humble Servant B. Aretius THE CONTENTS OF THE CHAPTERS CHAP 1. HOW and where Valentinus Gentilis fell into those New Opinions and what great mischief he did by spreading of them Chap. 2. Upon what account he was brought to Bern. Chap. 3. Concerning his Writings and the Heads of his Accusation Chap. 4. Whether he ought to have been heard as Plaintif Chap. 5. Containing some Propositions taken out of his Books of the Trinity which we judge to be false Chap. 6. An account of his Errors about the Article of the Blessed Trinity Chap. 7. Of these Words Trinitas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what they do properly signifie Chap. 8. What was the Opinion of Arius and wherein Gentilis and he do agree Chap. 9. Concerning the Generation of the Son of God and how we ought to understand the Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 10. Whether or no it be proper to the Father to be call'd the One only God Chap. 11. The Iudgment and Consent of Scripture with respect to this Article Chap. 12. Gentilis's Censure of the Fathers and their Writings Chap. 13. The Iudgment of Justin Martyr and Philosopher Chap. 14. The Iudgment of St. Ignatius Chap. 15. The Iudgment of Tertullian Chap. 16. Concerning the Fathers especially St. Austin Chap. 17. Concerning the Communication of Attributes or Properties Chap. 18. Containing some of Gentilis's Notorious Blasphemies Chap. 19. Of the vile Scandals he hath falsly thrown upon the Doctrine of our Church Chap. 20. Of the Cheats and Impostures whereby he indeavor'd to impose upon good well-meaning People A Brief ACCOUNT OF Valentinus Gentilis c. CHAP. I. How and where he fell into those New Opinions and what great mischief he did by spreading of them VAlentinus Gentilis a Campanian having lest his Native Countrey Cosentia Travell'd through Naples Sicily and Italy and at last arriv'd at Geneva There were at that time in the Italian Church of that City several Persons out of all parts of Italy who came thither upon very different accounts but were mostly such as being Banish'd out of their own Country for the sake of Religion had made this their place of Refuge Amongst them were several 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inventers of New Doctrines Such was G. Blandrata a Physician who had newly began to attack the Doctrine of the Trinity but as yet all he did was in private only and by way of Letters to some familiar Acquaintance The Dispute was concerning the commonly received Terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trinitas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. At the same time M. Gribaldus an eminent Lawyer and Paulus Alciatus a Milanese were engag'd in carrying on the same design Gentilis was no sooner come to Town and heard of the Controversie but he wholly applied himself to the Study of it And in a short

so many known Accusers Fourthly Because he had endeavour'd to undermine one of the prime Articles of our Faith an Article so essential to the very being of Christianity that in the worst and darkest times of Popery it still continued pure and uncorrupted And Lastly Because the leading Assertors of this new Doctrine had not yet agreed upon their Principles For according to his own Confession Blandrata turn'd Arian Alciat a Mahometan and himself and Gribaldus were still of different Opinions For when our Confession was tender'd him to which Gribaldus had formerly subscrib'd he disapprov'd and condemn'd it withall affirming Gribalaus to have committed a grievous Sin by subscribing it Upon these Accounts he was debarr'd from being a Plaintiff whether justly or not let the World judge and commanded to give in a particular Answer to the Articles preferr'd against him CHAP. V. Containing some Propositions taken out of his Books of the Trinity which we judge to be false AND now we desire the whole Church of God and the Piety of all succeeding Ages to judge of the following Positions wherein he does either by an impudent prevarication scandalize and bespatter us or which is far worse impiously blaspheme God And first He calls the Trinity a mere human Invention not so much as known to any Catholick Creed and directly contrary to the Word of God Secondly he affirms That the Father alone is that One only God set forth to us in the Holy Scriptures Thirdly That the Son is not of himself but of the Father to whom He is Subordinate as to his Maker or Essentiator Fourthly The Father Son and Holy Ghost are not only three distinct Persons but have also Three distinct Essences or Substances Fifthly The Son was begotten by the Father according to his Substance and differs from the Father as a Subordinate Spirit Sixthly There are in the Trinity Three Eternal Spirits each of which is by himself God Seventhly That these three Spirits differ from each other in Order Degree and Propriety of Essence CHAP. VI. An Account of his Errors about the Article of the Blessed Trinity THE adorable Mystery of the Trinity is the constant Subject that runs thrô all his Writings A Subject which he handles after such a rate as that he seems neither to have thought nor wrote of any thing else for the space at least of 8 Years last past In all which his principal design is to advance such a distinction in the Divine Essence as might make the three Persons three distinct Spirits of different order and degree As when we say The Father of our Lord Iesus Christ is a Person in the Individual Trinity Gentilis will have this to be false and that we ought to say The Father of our Lord Iesus Christ is that one God is God alone Again when we say Father Son and Holy Ghost are one God Eternal he here accuses us of Heresie telling us The Father alone is God of himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not begotten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maker of all things Essentiator But that the Son was made Essentiatus or received his Being from another is indeed God but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so likewise the Holy Ghost and by consequence that they are not One but Three Eternals Again when we affirm that one God is to be Worshipp'd in Trinity and Trinity in Unity this Pious plain Proposition he calls mere Cant and perfect Sophistry and plainly affirms pag. 20. of his Antidotes That there are three Spirits really Subsisting There are says he Antid fol. 27 and 28. therefore Three because three Eternal Spirits And explains himself pag. 70. They are says he Three Eternal Spirits distinguish'd by a gradual and due Subordination And though he grants the Father Son and Holy Ghost to be three Persons of the same Nature yet he adds They are distinct in Order Degree and Propriety to explain which he affirms That it is proper to the Father to be styl'd the One only God by which explication the Son and Holy Ghost are manifestly excluded from the Unity of the Godhead But he fancies there is a kind of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-existence which belongs to the Father only that cannot be attributed to the Son Hence it is he styles the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. God of himself as he is more eminently truly and properly God but the Son is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a secondary and different sort of God whence he infers That the Son is not of himself but of God the Father who alone is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God of himself p. 54. and p. 161. That God the Father is in the Scriptures call'd the only God Invisible most High and the God of Christ or of the Word Incarnate Again p. 82. the Son is Subordinate Essentiatori to him that gave him Being and so he makes the Father Essentiator and the Son Essentiatus and by consequence the Father to be properly God and the Son only a Subordinate inferiour God Whereas we on the contrary do admit of no degrees in the Godhead and do positively assert That the Essence of God is but one single Essence not Subordinate or capable of Superiority and Inferiority However to bring himself clearly off here he saith that when he affirms The Father is the One only God this ought to be referred wholly to his Self-existence not to his Numerical Substance But who can't easily discern that this pitiful shift is too weak to support his tottering Cause For still this Absurdity will remain to wit That the Son is not Self-existent and which is yet a plainer contradiction 't will follow that the Son with the Father is one God and yet that the Father alone is this one God likewise that the Essence or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Godhead is common to all three Persons and yet Self-existence or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is peculiar to the Father Farther when we say and yet they are not three Gods but one God he cries out upon this as an abominable Errour forasmuch as these Words one God are to be understood of and applied to the Father only exclusive of the Son Antidote 5. he pretends that we ought not to say these three are one God Unus Deus but only Unum For that all three have indeed but one Godhead but yet are not all three one God And shortly after he adds The Father alone is the One God and shews pag. 50. that the word One belongs not to the Unity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Substance or Essence but to the Self-Existence to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Father And then concludes pag. 59. that Christ is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or God of himself and scornfully upbraids us with wresting the Term Unus proper only to the Father to signifie the Unity of Essence belonging

Nevertheless tho they are not a rule for us to proceed by they may very well be a Rule for us to judg by so far at least as to Conclude That what upon the Maturest deliberation was accounted Capital in one Reformed Church and that a very great one too cannot without scandal continue Uncensured and Unrebuked in Another which yet this Detestable Tritheism has done for several years and not only so but the Publisher and Assertor of it has been hitherto so far from any thing like Censure or Rebuke that he has been Advanced Countenanced and Abetted to the utmost And some talk of no less matters than his being mounted shortly to the Episcopal Chair and Dignity tho some again think that it would be a very odd sight in a Christian Church to see a Tritheist in a Bishoprick and holding his Tritheism with it in Commendam for let this happen when it will I dare undertake that the Promotion of the man will be the Degradation of the Office However this is certain That the wounds which this man has given this poor Church are deep and dangerous and have been kept Bleeding so long that now they begin to Fester and threaten some further mischief and it is too late to dally any longer with the Cure For my Lords your Lordships cannot but know that Tritheism is worse and more Reproachful to Christianity not only than Sabellianism but even than Socinianism it self as being contrary to all Natural as well as Revealed Religion by destroying the grand leading and fundamental Article of Both viz. The Unity of the Godhead which Socinianism how much soever it impugns and denies the Revealed Article of three distinct Persons in the Godhead does not encroach upon And yet in a further degree is it worse than Arianism for tho Arianism denies the Essential Deity of the Son making him only a Glorious Deified Creature or the First-born of the Creation yet it still preserves the Unity of the Divine Essence entire and unmultiplied which the Assertion of Three distinct Infinite Eternal Minds or Spirits unavoidably multiplies and by consequence destroys Whereas the Unity of the Godhead is the very Foundation and Corner Stone of all True Religion and as Essential an Article of the Christian Faith as that of a Trinity of Persons it self Both of them together making up that great Depositum which God has committed to us to keep inviolably and to defend resolutely and in a word to save as well as to be saved by And therefore my Lords I shall recommend this important matter to your Lordships much in those words of Mordecai to Esther Who knows but that you are come to such high Place Power and Dignity in our Church for such a Time as This And that God is now Trying whether you will make good the Zeal you have so often professed for our Religion heretofore by doing something signal great and worthy of those Professions now In a word I look upon your Lordships as Persons of that Sincerity and Clearness of Principle that if you believed this Doctrine of Three Distinct Infinite Eternal Minds Spirits and Substances in the ever Blessed Trinity to be True you would boldly and openly Profess it which since you do not why should not so Scandalous a Corruption of our Faith receive a Check by some mark of your Lordships Disapprobation Hitherto I am sure there has been a Profound Silence in this matter and I heartily wish the Enemies of our Religion may not pass that nicking Reflexion upon it Tacent Satis Laudant For in good earnest it is very hard that Heresy should over-run a Church only because we must not call it Heresie But this is not the worst of our Case neither For a certain Socinian Writer by a Spirit of Prophecy coming upon him from some above positively tells the Nominal Trinitarians as he calls those who assert a Trinity of Divine Persons in opposition to that of Three distinct Infinite Minds Spirits or Substances that it will not be long before they be told by their Superiors in the Church That it will concern them to be Quiet that is I suppose to Write against Dr. Sherlock and his Tribe no more lest they themselves be censured as Sabellians Now this upon my word is very home and sounds dreadfully indeed and having been written about the middle of August last le ts us into a farther Understanding of the late Letter sent to the Vice-chancellor of Oxon and shews That there were Reprimands preparing for us long before that scandalous Sermon was Preached there and consequently before the Oxford Censure could be thought of And now if this be really so is not our Church think we in a blessed Condition viz. That first the Assertors of its received Doctrine are to be censured next That They are to be Censured by their Superiors in and of the same Church And thirdly That they are to be Censured as Sabellian Hereticks And lastly That the Socinians must be made privy to this Design while our Clergy knows nothing of it What a dismal Aspect I say must all this needs have upon our Church and Clergy But as for the Charge of Sabellianism which we are here threatned with I hope it will be proved against us before we are Censured for it and then we desire no greater security against such a Censure For does not Sabellius hold only one single Subsistence in the Godhead and no more And can those then be Sabellians who hold three distinct Subsistences in the Same And does not Sabellius allow only a Trinity of Names as of Father Son and Holy Ghost and that Founded in a Trinity of Offices as that the Father is the Creator of all things the Son the Redeemer of Mankind and the Holy Ghost the Sanctifier of the Church The Assumption of which Names and Offices having been a free effect of God's will might by Consequence had God so pleased never have been at all since nothing in the Divine Nature could make it necessary But what is this to us who maintain three such Subsistences in the Divine Nature as are Eternal Necessary and Inseparable even by the Divine Power it self both from the said Nature and from one another I protest I cannot tell whether there be more Malice or Ignorance in such a Charge as often as some have the face to make it But such is the Nature of Malice that while it opens mens Mouths it commonly shuts their Eyes In the mean time I would have this pert medling Socinian know That the Assertors of a Trinity of Persons against Three Distinct Infinite Minds or Spirits are neither grown so hoarse with Appealing to Universities and Bishops nor yet so weary and ashamed of so doing but that in case such a censure should pass upon them from those Superiors he speaks of they would have the Courage to appeal still not indeed to them but from them and that to the whole Nation and to all the