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A30855 Religion and reason adjusted and accorded, or, A discourse wherein divine revelation is made appear to be a congruous and connatural way of affording proper means for making man eternally happy through the perfecting of his rational nature with an appendix of objections from divers as well as philosophers as divines and their respective answers. Banks, R. R. (Richard R.) 1688 (1688) Wing B671; ESTC R23639 152,402 381

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sec 2. par 4 5 9 10. For wheresoever there is a Relative Opposition there is of necessity a Distinction Relatio being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sive habitudo vel respectus unius ad aliud and yet nevertheless it is not necessary that where there is such an Opposition there should be always different Subjects separate from each other wherein that different opposite Relation should abide For since Scientia and Scibile are Relatives where Knowledg is the Knowledg of ones self there is a Relative Opposition and yet but one Subject to sustain the same And the like is also true in respect of Love where it is to ones self Whence seeing there are no Accidents in God sect 1. par 6. it must be that the Divine Relates are all of them substantial and not otherwise distinct from the simple Essence of God but in regard of their Relative Opposition to each other Objection 3. The Father knows and loves himself the Son knows and loves himself and the Holy Ghost knows and loves himself and every one of these again knows and loves each other how then can there be only Three Persons and no more in the Divine Essence if so be the Distinction of Persons proceeds from the Different Relations which are said to be in God as you in Sec. 2. affirm it does Answer Each Person of the Blessed Trinity knows himself and the other two by the Second Person which is the Essential Knowledg of God se●● 2. par 4 5 for there is but one Essential Divine Knowledg And every one of the Three Persons loves himself and the other two by the Third Person who is Essential Divine Love sec 2. par 9. for there is One only Essential Divine Love so that there are no more Relatives or Persons in respect of Knowledg and Love than Two. And albeit in respect of being known and beloved there seem to be many several Relations in God in that the Father Son and Holy Ghost are each of them known and beloved of themselves and of the other two likewise yet that falling out by reason of the Circuminsession as the Schools term it or mutual essential Inexistence of all the three Persons and not in respect of a primary-immediateopposite-Relation which alone constitutes a Person sec 2. par 3 4 9. it rightly denotes no Pl●rality of Relations in God. For since the Divine Nature as Eternal Essential Truth is the alone primary-immediate Object both of Divine Knowledg and Love for Truth is the adequate Object of all intelligent Beings as knowing and loving or of the Intellect and Will as the sole perfection of them it is plainly consequent thereto that the alone Primary-immediate Divine Object known and beloved is eternal essential Truth the Origin and Fountain of the Divine Persons to wit Eternal Essential Divine Truth begetting the Eternal Essential Divine Knowledg of its self is God the Father the Eternal Essential Divine Knowledg begotten of the Eternal Essential Divine Truth is God the Son and the Eternal Essential Divine Love of the Eternal Essential Divine Truth known or which is the same of the Father and the Son is God the Holy Ghost notwithstanding that there is an innate mutual knowledg and love of all the Three Persons by Circuminssession whilst the Father is essentially in the Son the Divine thing known being essentially in the Divine Knower and the Son is essentially in the Father the Divine Knower being the essential Character of the Divine Thing known sect 2. par 5. And the Father and the Son are both of them essentially in the Holy Ghost and He in Them by reason of the essential Union of the Divine Love and the Divine Thing Beloved sect 2. par 9. Whence it necessarily comes to pass that whatsoever can be truly spoken or predicated of God is mutually in all the Three Persons and may be rightly spoken and predicated of every one of them as well as of the Divine Nature Essence or Being save only what the Primary-immediate-relativeopposition which as has been shewn is but threefold as such puts a Bar unto Objection 4. It is worthy of Consideration whether the men of this Age may not make the same use of your Discourse that the Mahometans and Jews do of others like it utterly to dislike the Trinity Answer Since the Reason why the Mahometans and Jews and other Antitrinitarians as have any real love and value for Truth disbelieve the Trinity seems chiefly to be this that they are fully perswaded there can be no part of Divine Revelation which is certainly opposite to right Reason and yet cannot apprehend but that the Doctrine of a Trinity of Persons in Vnity of Essence is contradictory in probability an Essay of this kind should rather do good than harm to men of such Perswasions if so be it afford any the minutest true though never so glimmering Light of the but possibility of the Truth of the Doctrin of the Holy Trinity to human Reason because the Revelation of the Divine Persons in Scripture would be apt to find a more easie reception in their Minds thereby than if they still remain'd strongly possessed with an Opinion that the Doctrin of a Trinity of Persons in Vnity of Essence was impossible to be true through the sense and perswasion they had of its absolute Contradiction to Reason being rationally prepossessed that one Truth cannot be really opposite to another Objection 5. Against what I find writ sect 3. par 7. namely that God ever does of necessity yet voluntarily what is best all things considered I offer an Objection from an ingenious Author in his Treatise of the Nature and Extent of the Divine Dominion and Goodness which is this God has power to take back from us all or part of what he has given us i. e. he can utterly destroy our Beings or take from us so many Comforts of Life and inflict upon us so many Calamities as shall leave us in a condition only preferable to that of Non-existence For all that we have to render our Conditions more valuable than Not-being is the free Product of the Divine Power But 't is a certain and undoubted Truth that every Authority has power to revoke all the free Issues of its own Power unless it have abridged it self from the exercise thereof by some special Compact or Promise For Compact or Promise lays an obligation on him that makes it and vests a Right in the Person to whom it is made and therefore where Benefits are bestowed without these Instruments of conveying Right there the Donor has the same Right to withdraw as he had to give them and therefore that God who has given us our Beings has full Power arbitrariously to destroy them Answer The presumed strength of this Discourse very ingenious and plausible I confess lies in the supposed Certainty of this That every Superior Authority has power to revoke all the free Issues of its own power unless it have abridged it self
it be accompanied with frequency of Prayer issuing from an affectionate Heart will in a longer continuance of time effect as much as an higher degree thereof in a shorter so that all devout Prayer constantly kept to will at length though some sooner than other procure the Habit of Virtue prayed for Object 3. Very few are so intent in Prayer but that their Minds are often distracted and turned away from their due Object to thoughts of Vanity and how then should Prayer be of that efficacy as either to beget in such an Habit of Virtue or to preserve and strengthen it if it be obtain'd Solut. He that when he goes to pray unfeignedly desires and really strives to pray without distraction and yet finds his Mind carried away to Objects not intended will certainly be troubled in Spirit thereat which shews that that distraction is against his Will and caused by the agitation of the Phantasms in the Brain which he can neither prevent the motion of there nor the vision of them in the Soul no more than a man can hinder or avoid the sight of a thing passing by him directly before his Eyes So that such distraction as is here mentioned is involuntary and nothing that is involuntary is sinful But to take away all scruple that it is involuntary let him that is distracted in Prayer repeat over such passages at least where his Thoughts wandered which in private Devotion any one may well do till he mind their Sense and then he may be assured his preceding distraction will prove no prejudice to the prevalent effectualness of his Prayer Object 4. Forgiveness of Sin is a thing necessary to Salvation but what absolute certainty is there that every one that begs the pardon of it how unfeignedly fervently and constantly soever he doth it shall obtain remission thereof when it is wholly in God's power and pleasure whether he will pardon the same or no Solut. Since Sin is an Aversion from God and a conversion to the Creature sect 8. par 3 4 5. when the Heart is truly converted to God from the Love of the world and really and sted fastly prefers the fruition of him before the enjoyment of worldly pleasures Mortal Sin is expelled out of the Soul and taken away and consequently the penalty thereof eternal Damnation is quitted and voided the forsaking of Sin and the pardon of Sin going always of necessity together sect 11. par 6 7 8. Whence it is manifest that since he who in sincerity of heart craves pardon of his Sins and strives in Prayer to God with fervency and constancy of Devotion for the same will continuing so to do abhor his former Transgressions and leaving off his sinful manner of Life turn by true Repentance unto God and take delight in him as his sole supream Good it is manifest I say that unfeigned fervent and frequent Prayer doth evermore obtain Remission of Sin. Nor doth this at all gainsay that absolute Verity that God only forgiveth Sin seeing he alone both instituted the Means which take away Sin and gives them also Virtue to do it But to think that God ever withholds his Mercy and Kindness when men are immediately disposed by due preparation to receive them is a gross Opinion vilifying the Nature of God who is essential Goodness and repugnant to plain Scripture which assureth us that when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed and doth that which is lawful and right he shall save his Soul alive Ezek. 18. 27. Yea we have Truth it self verifying and sweetly insinuating unto us from his own sacred Mouth how ready God is to embrace men returning to him by the comfortable Parable of the Prodigal Son whom repenting of his riotous wicked living the Father received with as free and kind an heart as if he had never in the least gone astray nor once done amiss Luke 15. But nevertheless it is very dangerous to defer the use of Means which lead to Repentance even omitting the Consideration of the hazard of sudden Death and that Habits the longer they continue stick the closer not only because without that there is no Repentance unless miraculously wrought which it is great impiety to presume upon but also because when men lie sick and in pain their Affliction though it may cause remorse for Sin will not especially if it be smart and pungent permit them to exercise Prayer as it ought to be and consequently the habit of Charity not got thereby they will die in their Sins Object 5. By the account that has been given of Prayer it should seem to be a vain thing to pray for others because our Prayers for them work not on their Affections as they are apt to do on our own and yet it is a Duty injoyned us to pray for a Neighbour as well as for our selves Solut. Although we do not always profit others in praying for them yet we constantly benefit our selves in the hearty doing of it for whilst we earnestly desire their spiritual or eternal Good the only things to be absolutely prayed for Par. 4. we cannot chuse but be affected thereby towards that which we wish for them And therefore the Commandment given to pray for our Neighbour is not in vain albeit our Prayers should do him no good For if every man in the World should often and cordially pray for every other man as he ought to do every one alive would have benefit in praying for his Neighbour by augmenting his own Love both to God and Man thereby But besides the Prayers of the Faithful do alway profit their Neighbour in due Circumstances for in case he be truly penitent and earnestly crave the Prayers of some holy Person or of the Church the Prayers offered to God for him will undoubtedly do him good whilst his Opinion of their Piety and consequently of their Favour with God will encourage his Trust and Confidence in God's Mercy for their Prayers sake and thence elevate his Affection to God for the hope of Mercy and Kindness from God and Affection to God go still hand in hand and mutually of necessity strengthen each other Yea though there be no Request made by the party prayed for the Prayers of the Godly when performed with very great ardency constancy of Devotion as the Prayers of the pious Mother Monica for her Son Augustine were will undoubtedly obtain their desired event because in that they are for certain the effect of the special Grace of God they cannot fail of an happy issue lest otherwise God's own Work continued in should not have the event which it designedly by the Divine Favour tended to Object 6. Miracles have been obtained by Prayer which because they interrupt the Course of natural Causes instituted by God seems to import a Change in God's Mind which has been said to be immutable or however that the influence such Prayer had was wholly upon God and not at all upon Man.