Selected quad for the lemma: word_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	humane_a	nature_n	union_n	3,114	5	9.7672	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40072	Certain propositions by which the doctrin of the H. Trinity is so explain'd, according to the ancient fathers, as to speak it not contradictory to natural reason together with a defence of them, in answer to the objections of a Socianian writer, in his newly printed Considerations on the explications of the doctrin of the Trinity : occasioned by these propositions among other discourses : in a letter to that author.; Twenty-eight propositions by which the doctrine of the Trinity is endeavoured to be explained	Fowler, Edward, 1632-1714.	1694 (1694)	Wing F1696; ESTC R14585	14,588	32

of it You say that the Hypothesis expresly acknowledgeth in each of the Two Persons not onely whatsoever Properties can make them to be distinct intellectual Beings and Substances but also all the Attributes that are necessary to Essentiate a God that is to make Him a Perfect God onely it saith the Father hath this peculiar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Priviledge that He is First in order of Nature He hath no Essential or Real Perfection more than the other Two Persons onely He hath this Honour that their Original is from Him And hence you Conclude that it is not possible to say what are Three GODS if this be not an Account and Description of Three Gods But Sir doth our Author's Hypothesis give the FATHER no other Priviledge above the Son and H. Spirit than his being First in Order of Nature and their Original Doth not the Fourth Proposition expresly say that he is Self-Existent too And His being their Original is so far from being the same thing with Self-Existence that simply in it self considered it doth not so much as necessarily suppose His Self-Existence Doth he who faith that the Sun is the Original of the Illustrious Splendour in the Heavens and of the Light which pervades the World in so saying affirm that it is Self-Existent And I shall wonder if Self-Existence be but an Imaginary Perfection I should rather Conclude it the very greatest of all Real Perfections How then can you say That this Hypothesis gives the Father no other Priviledge above the other Persons but onely that He is First in Order of Nature Again Is not Absolute Independence a Real Perfection and Being the First Original of all things another But doth not the Sixth Proposition considered with the Fifth ascribe both these too to the Father onely And whereas you say farther That this Hypothesis gives the Second and Third Persons all the Attributes that are necessary to Assentiate a God What Earnings will you make of this since it saith not that those which are ascribed to them viz. infinite Goodness Wisdom and Power are all that are necessary to Essentiate a God in the Absolutely Highest Sence which the Name of God is ever to be understood in in Holy Scripture And now you can need no Answer to what you say in the last Words of this Paragraph viz. The Perfections of the Deity that are Real are Gods infinite Wisdom Power Goodness Duration and such like Therefore the Son and Spirit are Gods in the Highest Sence of that Word if they have all those aforesaid real and positive Perfections of the Divine Nature tho' it be granted at the same time that they are Originated from the Father You need I say no Answer hereto since you were now minded that Self-Existence Absolute Independence and Being the First Original of All things are Perfections peculiar to God the Father and that this is part of the Explication And upon this Account Athanasius S. Basil Gregory Nazianzen and St. Chrysostom with several of the Latin Fathers interpret those Words of our B. Saviour My Father is greater than I to have been spoken not of His Humanity but His Divinity as Dr. Cudworth hath shewed in his 599 th Page of his Intellectual System of the Universe Nor certainly did our Lord ever say so little a thing as that the Infinite MAIESTY of Heaven and Earth is greater than any Mortal Man And having this Occasion to Mention Dr. Cudworth the Honour I have for the Memory of that Excellent Person constraineth me to say That the Account he gives of the Fathers Judgment of the Trinity is not Represented as it ought to have been in the former Socinian Treatise of Considerations on the Explications thereof And I so word that most Learned Performance of the Doctor because he was therein an Historian rather than an Explicator Your next Paragraph begins with this Question A Father begets Two Sons that have all the Properties of the Humane Nature in as great Perfection as their Father shall we deny that they are Men in the Highest Sence of that Word because they are Originated from their Father And this say you is the very Case before us But Sir this is not with your Leave the very Case before us 'T is nothing like it because 't is the Perfection of no Man to be Self-Existent nor are a Humane Fathers Sons immediately dependent on him for the Continuation of their Being as the Two Persons are upon God the Father as Light is upon the Sun and as Streams on the Fountain But if a Humane Father could be supposed to be Self-Existent and that his Sons had the now mentioned kind of Dependence upon him the Consequence must be that their Nature is short of the Perfection of their Fathers Nature notwithstanding the many Properties they agree in and therefore that they are not Men in so high a Sence as he is a Man seeing the Humane Nature would be supposed capable of Perfections which they have not but their Father hath What follows of this Paragraph is only applying the Point in Controversie to this Case but I have said enough to shew that there is not the least Affinity between these Two Cases The Substance of what you farther Object against this Explication is a Remark upon the Twenty Second Proposition And you say In these few Words consist the strength and Hopes of this Explication The unconceivably Close Union in Will and Nature between the Three Gods makes them to be One God I see Sir you as odiously word it as you can but you would have lost nothing by it had you kept to our Author's Words and said Three Persons or if you had pleased Three distinct Proper Persons instead of Three Gods Well Sir the unconceivably Close Union in Will and Nature between the Divine Persons is that as you say in which the strength and hopes of this Explication do consist But you Object That this is as much as to say that they are One God by that very thing which most incontestably declares them to be Three Gods And this you make out by this Question what is the Union of Will and Nature between distinct intellectual Beings and different Substances is it any other but this in plain English that they always will the same things and their Natures and Substances are united in the same Properties Attributes or Perfections That is to say as you proceed these Three intellectual Substances or Beings are each of them Almighty Omniscient most Good and the rest Why this is the very thing that makes them to be Three Gods Next you give us a Proof of this but you might have saved your self that labour for 't is readily granted if this be all the Union that is between them But in Answer to your Question it must never be granted you that the inseparably Close Union between the Three Divine Persons both in Will and Nature is no more than their Union in the same Will