Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	earth_n	fire_n	great_a	4,376	5	3.2677	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60978	Platonism unveil'd, or, An essay concerning the notions and opinions of Plato and some antient and modern divines his followers, in relation to the Logos, or word in particular, and the doctrine of the trinity in general : in two parts.; Platonisme déviolé. English	Souverain, Matthieu, d. ca. 1699.	1700 (1700)	Wing S4776	180,661	144

to ascribe to him a Nature very near and like to that of God for so Eusebius arianizing upon the Nature of the pre-existent Word calls him Hist Eccles lib. 1. cap. 2. The Prince of the Heavenly Host the Angel of great Counsel the Minister of the Will of God the second Cause of all things a God and a King who received the Government from the Father with his Divinity Ask him from whence he took all these fine Titles of the Word he 'll tell you from the Mystical Theology of the Scriptures The current Theology of the Scriptures says nothing of this 't is no matter for that some know how to feign and suppose a mystic Theology which does But 't was not an easy thing to make a God begotten before Ages of a Man born at Bethlehem There 's something that answers all difficulties and that 's another Expedient they have thought on which is to distinguish the two Natures in Jesus Christ the Divine Nature which they call Theology and the Human which they call Oeconomy and to frame hereupon a new Word which signifies nothing because it carries to the Mind at the same time two Ideas that destroy each other viz. Man-God or a God-Man They have left to the Man the History and Facts of the Gospel but for the God they have found out a nobler Gospel in the World of Ideas 'T is somewhat entertaining to observe what the Author of the 2d Homil. in diversos ascribed to Origen says to this purpose Having compar'd St. John to a Spiritual Eagle who soars with a swift Flight into the sublimest Regions of Theology and the greatest heights of Contemplation he afterwards draws a Parallel between him and St. Peter and distinguishes between Faith and Science between Practice which is common to all Christians and Contemplation which is a Gospel for Seraphic Souls He makes St. Peter the Type of Faith and Practice in his good Confession Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God But he makes St. John to be as it were the Model of Science and Contemplation with respect to the admirable Exordium of his Gospel In the beginning was the Word c. St. John says he resting himself alone upon the Bosom of Christ this Privilege or Favour was to him the Sign and Sacrament or Seal of Contemplation This John says he who was not a mere Man but more than a Man since by the Penetration of his Mind and his Wisdom he enter'd into the Secrets of one Essence and three Substances or of three Substances in one Essence This John who deified himself could not by his Penetration reach God himself till he had first made himself a God This is very loftily spoke the Fathers were not content to make a God of the Word they went farther and make a God of St. John too because he spoke so divinely 'T was a Transport of their Zeal and Affection to the Word when they deified the Apostle who had before in their Opinion so well deified the Word This Zeal of theirs extends it self even to the Divine Plato to whom they thought themselves no less obliged for they have done him the Honour to say that when Jesus Christ descended into Hell Plato was the first who came before the Eternal Word of whom he had spoken with that Magnificence in his Writings By virtue of the same true Platonic Zeal Eusebius de Vita Constant lib. 3. cap. 55. calls Constantine an Eagle and honours him with the same Elogy that was given St. John for how great must the Obligation be to this new Apostle for discovering the profound Mystery of Consubstantiality for which the Church was indebted to him 'T is for the same reason that he has the Character bestow'd upon him of being a profound Divine an Expounder of Mysteries the Bird of Paradise c. by the counterfeit Dionysius who has found Books stuffed with the most refined Platonism He who knew so much of the Secrets of the Celestial Court and has told us such News of the Hierarchy of the Angels might as well instruct us in the Nature the Number and the Order of the Divine Persons These mystical Eagles know how when they please to soar beyond the bounds of Revelation and to penetrate into the profound Secrets of the Deity I would say of the Vnity in Trinity and the Trinity in Vnity And what Prasses are due to them for such fine Discoveries Certainly the Author I am speaking of deserves himself the Character of an Eagle for observe how far he advances his Philosophy He will have the Scriptures ' to be an intelligible World made up of four Elements The Historical Part he calls the Earth the Moral Part the Water that Part which is the object of natural Science is the Air and lastly that which is the Object of the most exalted Contemplation is the fourth Element or Fire And 't is this Contemplation says he that the Greeks call Theology Whence he takes occasion to call St. John a great Theologue or Divine Because says he he raises himself far above the Historical the Moral and the natural Objects Thus Dionysius the Areopagite speaking of the same Gospel of St. John calls it supernatural and transcendental Theology In short Mons Daille de Libris suppos Dionys c. c. 16. tells you That one finds in the three other Gospels nothing but the Oeconomy of Jesus Christ but one sees in the Gospel of St. John the Theology of Jesus Christ Hence it appears that the Antients did not call by the Name of Theology that Science which treats of God in a plain obvious manner but such refined contemplative Discourses which speak of him in the abstract way so that their Theology was in a manner the same with what we call Metaphysicks that is the Philosophy of curious abstracted Minds How great an Abuse of the Word was this As if true Theology was not that which had for its Object a sensible Revelation and a plain Gospel suted to the Capacities of the common People which these Gontlemen are pleas'd to call a Gospel that is gross and corporeal How The Chimeras and the crude Imaginations of the Mind of Man shall be compared to the most noble Elements and the first Facts of the Gospel with the Precepts of a good Life that is History and the Moral upon which as upon two firm Pillars are founded our Faith and Practice shall in their account be no more than the terrestrial and grosser Element Is not that to reduce the Science of the Persect to carnal Rudiments I might as well like Homer's Theology who at the same time as he deified Men debas'd the Gods Agreeable to the Model of this noble Theology Eusebius Demonst Evang. lib. 4. and Origen Tom. 2. in Joan. have fancied a certain Son of God whom they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The theological Son or the Son who is theologized that is without doubt a Son in Idea the Object of

in the 33d and 45th Psalms which they made use of to prove that the term Word had no other Signification than that of Prolation properly so called For he supposes that these Words My Heart hath utter'd a good Word do not signify such a Prolation a proper and literal Generation but a metaphorical Prolation and that from this reason that the word Heart in this Text being figurative the term Word must also be figurative And that we may the better apprehend how far Origen carrys the Figure of this Word the other Text which he quotes from the Psalms so fully clears the matter as to leave no room for cavilling The Valentinians says he believe that these Words The Heavens were created by the Word of God and by the Spirit of his Mouth were said of our Saviour and of the Holy Ghost tho it be certain that one may give them this other Sense That the Heavens were establish'd by Divine Reason and Wisdom ratione Dei as we say that a House was built by that Skill which is the Art of building Houses I leave the Reader to judg whether an Vnitarian could more plainly remove all the Idea of Hypostasis from our Minds Therefore when the same Origen does elsewhere argue concerning the Word as if he himself believ'd it an Hypostasis his so speaking was according to the Principles of the Greek Philosophy For as Porphyry rightly observes Origen having continually apply'd himself to reading the Writings of the Platonists and the Pythagoreans and having therein learnt the allegorical way of those Philosophers expounding the Mysteries of the Greeks made use of it himself in his Interpretation of the Scriptures apud Euseb l. 6. c. 19. See likewise Bibl. univ T. 6. p. 50. That declared Enemy of the Christian Religion is not the only Person who has given that judgment of Origen Mr. Huet does not treat him more favourably in his Origeniana l. 2. c. 2. Origen says he was one of Plato's greatest Admirers insomuch that instead of suting the Platonick Tenents to the Christian Doctrine he regulated the Doctrine of Christianity by the Dogma of the Platonists And a little lower he adds That Origen had been carry'd to those Excesses by the example of his Preceptor Clemens Alexand. who us'd to embelish the Religion of Jesus Christ with the Academick Paint Can any one think that Justin did not discourse by the Principles of this Allegorical Philosophy when in his second Apology he calls the Reason which is in Man a Part and Seed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Divine Word The Divine Word is in his sense only that universal Reason that Source and Fulness of Wisdom-which resides in the Divine Understanding whereof ours is a Stream and a part Is our Reason an Hypostasis distinct from Man How shall we then imagine that this Father ever intended to say that Divine Reason is an Hypostasis distinct from God I may very well say that my Reason has taught me such a thing and that I consulted my Reason without supposing my Reason to be any other Person than my self Then why may we not say God made use of his Reason to create this Universe that his Reason was his Counsellor and his Minister without making a second Person of his Reason Certainly my Reason cannot be personalized any otherwise than by the Power of Allegory neither can that of God be any otherwise Nay it may be that Justin strain'd his Allegory yet farther and that he intended to say that Reason or the universal Seed is no other than the Gospel which is not a part of the Seed as the Precepts of Reason which enlighten'd the Philosophers are but the fulness of that incorruptible Seed which regenerates the Heart I will produce another Example of this allegorical way of interpreting the Scripture St. Cyprian explaining that famous Passage of St. John 1 Ep. 5.8 concerning the three Witnesses on Earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood has spoken of them as of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost which are the three Witnesses in Heaven now found in our Bibles but were not there in the days of that Father Some as Fulgentius having confounded St. Cyprian's Discourse with the Sacred Text did not doubt but that Holy Martyr had spoken literally and as words of the Scripture what he said only in Allegory not observing that what he asserted of the Father Son and Holy Ghost is a spiritual Sense which he had drawn from the Three Witnesses on Earth as if the Spirit were the Father the Blood the Son and the Water the Holy Ghost But Facundus did not suffer himself to be at all deceiv'd by it for he informs us Defens Trinit Capit. l. 1. c. 3. That St. Cyprian will have that to be understood of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost which St. John said of the Spirit Water and Blood which can be only an allegorical Interpretation And that Allegory was followed by St. Augustin contra Maxim lib. 3. c. 12. where he expresly says That the Spirit the Water and the Blood are the Sacrament of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost What 's the meaning of the Sacrament if it be not the Mystery and Allegory Now I pray who can warrant me that the Fathers who so strained the Allegory on the three Witnesses on Earth to find the Trinity therein have not also strained it on the Word of St. John to find in it their Favourite Doctrine Plato's second God If they misapplyed these Words My Heart hath uttered a Good Word and these I have begotten thee in my Bosom before Aurora how can I be assur'd that they have not deceived me or that their Infatuation for Plato has not deceived themselves when they Platonically interpret those other Places where it is said That the Word was God and that the Word was made Flesh However that be it must be granted me That the Fathers made no difficulty of seeking sublime senses in the Scriptures and of raising themselves up very high above its plain and natural meaning That appears by the use St. Cyprian and St. Augustin made of the Epistle General of St. John Now the same Fathers having expressed their Allegories in too absolute Terms without characterizing them by some Mark whereby they might be distinguished from a proper and literal sense it has in succeeding time happened that the literal sense of what they said has been followed We have seen it in the Example of St. Cyprian that Father expressing himself absolutely It is written says he of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost And these three are one Now that was written only of the Spirit the Water and the Blood Then the Allegorical Exposition has been taken for an express Text of Scripture I strongly suspect that the same thing has happen'd to that noted Text of St. Paul 1 Tim. c. 3. v. 16. The Mystery of Godliness is great God manifested in the Flesh

Platonism Unveil'd OR AN ESSAY Concerning the Notions and Opinions OF PLATO And some Antient and Modern Divines his Followers In relation to the LOGOS or WORD in particular and the Doctrine of the Trinity in general In TWO PARTS Anno Dom. 1700. ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER THE Author of this Piece as I may say was stopped in the very middle of his Course he intended to have added a third Part to the two others which were publish'd and in it to have examin'd what Divinity the Holy Scriptures attribute to Jesus Christ He would have confin'd himself to what the four Evangelists acquaint us concerning it and made it appear to the meanest Capacity that the Ideas those Sacred Writers have given us are very wide from such as the Antients put upon 'em and the Moderns have espoused But Death prevented the Execution of this Design and hindered the Publick from reaping the Benefit of it However if this Essay meet with the Approbation it merits the World may be oblig'd with a Dissertation the Author has left upon the Gospel of St. John It may be said of this excellent Man that he was a Person of very great Penetration as well as Piety and that he made the Study of the Holy Scriptures his greatest Entertainment He had nothing in view but a Search after Truth which when he had found he embrac'd it with all his Heart for he was incapable of betraying or disguising it for any secular Interest whatever This plain dealing drew upon him many Enemies but his Patience in a manner overcame all and the firm hopes he had of a better Life after this did always support him under all the Tryals thro which the Calumnies and Malice of his Enemies had forc'd him His Friends have this Comfort however That those very Persecutors could not refuse him when alive nor since his Death the Elogies that his Vertues drew from 'em and according to the Custom of this present Age they took care in his behalf to distinguish the Morals from the Doctrine The Publick will see by what is bere represented to 'em what Judgment ought to be made of the latter THE TRANSLATOR TO THE READER THERE are several Passages in the ensuing Discourse that are very uncommon and extraordinary which if they should happen to be true will be much surprizing to the World And if they are not the Author has to appearance supported them with such Authorities from Antiquity that besides the Importance of the things themselves it will deserve the Pains of some Learned Pen to confute this Discourse to reclaim some who have and others who may imbibe this Author's Opinions ERRATA PAG. 4. Col. 2. Lin. 26. for Love r. Power P. 13. c. 2. l. last save one r. in Isaiah according to the Hebrew P. 21. c. 1. l. 22. r. acquir'd P. 36. c. 1. l. 5. dele of P. 39. c. 1. l. 37. r. dwelt in him P. 42. c. 2. l. 29. r. it was P. 45. c. 1. l. 4. r. World P. 49. c. 2. l. 40. r. contained P. 64. c. 2. l. penult r. however P. 81. c. 1. l. 20. r. herself Platonism Unveil'd c. The FIRST PART CHAP. I. The true Idea of the Logos GOD dwelling in an inaccessible Light where no one can either find or comprehend him was yet willing to reveal himself to his Creatures either by the way of a Manifestation without or by the way of Communication within To manifest himself 1. He environs himself with a supernatural Light whence he causeth his Voice to be heard and declares his Will 'T is thence that he speaks to Angels For being invisible by his Nature even in reference to Angels it is necessary that whenever he is pleas'd to declare his Orders to these Ministring Spirits he should give them some marks of his Presence in some certain Place in the Heavens and make his Will known This Manifestation is so lively and luminous that the Eyes of Men cannot bear the Splendor of it in this mortal Life None but the glorified Spirits may enjoy this Privilege in common with the Angels and which St. Paul calls the seeing of God face to face It is thus without doubt that Jesus Christ beheld him Mr. Le Clerc hath very well observ'd on Exod. 34.18 that Moses who had such frequent Testimonies of the Divine Favour desir'd this as a singular advantage that God who us'd to shew himself in a Cloud would vouchsafe at last to discover to him his Glory in the same manner as he doth in Heaven But this is too much for a Mortal this Glorious Presence is an advantage reserv'd for the Angels as I said before And without doubt it was in such like Splendor that he presented himself before them when he design'd to create the World and pronounc'd these words Let there be Light At least this is the Sentiment of Basil of Seleucia in his first Oration upon these words In the beginning God created c. God said Let there be Light The Voice was heard and the World produc'd But could not he have perform'd what he design'd in silence and without uttering a word Would not the Work have obey'd the least token of his Will Certainly the Heaven and the Earth with the Waters were already produc'd without any preceding Voice But it was not so with the Light the Voice preceded the Production What sort of a Voice is this and what was the cause of it Let us learn to hearken to Scripture even when it is silent and instruct our selves when it speaks Behold here you have it The infinite Companies of Angels that were created saw indeed the things that were a doing but could not perceive their Author nor discover the Cause for the Divine Essence is really even above the Contemplation of Angels 'T is not then without reason that God usher'd in his Voice to make himself sensible to those Celestial Spirits and to stir up their admiration that seeing the Effect follow'd immediately the Word and Command they being astonish'd at the Prodigy should turn themselves wholly to the knowledg of their Creator and celebrate his Praises saying Is there any greater than this God himself teacheth us this Truth in his Discourse with his Servant Job Job 28.7 apud LXX When I made the Stars all the Angels prais'd me with a loud Voice For by reason of their astonishment proceeding from the Greatness of that Spectacle they repeated their Acclamations and redoubled their Applauses at every Work that God was a doing 2. God makes use of the Person of an Angel that bears his Name and speaks by his Authority 'T is thus that he appear'd and spoke to the Patriarchs and this is the reason why Philo calls Angels Words so often The Author of Questions and Answers to the Orthodox speaks thus of this Manifestation All the Angels saith he which appeared unto Men instead and in the Person of God have born the Name of God Men likewise have been call'd