Selected quad for the lemma: body_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
body_n	church_n	head_n	mystical_a	8,581	5	10.6663	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29526	The spirituall vertigo, or, Turning sickensse of soul-unsettlednesse in matters of religious concernment the nature of it opened, the causes assigned, the danger discovered, and remedy prescribed ... / by John Brinsley.	Brinsley, John, fl. 1581-1624.	1655 (1655)	Wing B4723; ESTC R25297	104,504	248

just Judgment hath given them over to be deceived and seduced by them And thus I have also done with this third Direction which bids you take heed of coming in the winds way Take a fourth Would you not be thus carried about take heed of beginning to turn You know how it is with a wheel I have hinted it once and again Being set upon a declivity if once it begin to turn going down the hill now it turneth alone being carried about of it self by its own force Object True will some say so long as it is going down the Hill But that is not our case We are going up the Hill and therefore though we do begin to turn yet there is no such fear no such danger A. This is the common plea of all Sects and Secturies in the world They all think they are going up the Hill tending to an higher degree of perfection then those have attained to whom they leave behind them But we know how it fared with the Syrian Army which was sent to surprize the Prophet Elisha being smitten with blindnesse whilest they thought they were going to Dothan they march into the midst of Samaria 2 Kings 6. 19 20. And even so fareth it with those Armies of Sectaries that are in this Nation and elsewhere Being all of them Blinded blindfolded in some of the waies aforesaid they all think they are going up the Hill climbing towards perfection whilest in truth they are going downwards declining in their spirituall conditions That none of you may be taken with this not more common then dangerous fallacie let me subjoyn to this Generall direction 3. or 4. particular Caveats every of which will informe you when you are going down the Hill 1. Take heed of turning from Iesus Christ of not holding fast the head as Paul cautions his Colossians Col. 2. 19. Such is Iesus Christ the Head of the Body the mysticall Body the Church Col. 1. 18. The Head of the Corner as Saint Peter hath it 1. 2. 7. borrowing it from the Psalmist Ps. 118. 22. The Head-stone as the Foundation-stone so the Topstone And being so it necessarily followeth that whosoever turn from him which way soever they turn they are gowing downwards And this take you heed of as being at all turns most dangerous of turning from Iesus Christ to any thing else In particular of turning from Christ to Moses This was the case of many in the Apostles time who turned from the Gospell to the Law from the doctrine of free Grace in Christ to seek Justification in whole or in part by the works of the Law So did the Galatians some of them whom Paul tells that they were fallen from Grace Gal. 5. 4. from the doctrine of Gods free Grace in Christ. And so do they who ever shall seek Justification and Salvation by the works of the Low by any morall performances much more by Ceremoniall observances which was the case of those Galatians or any thing besides Christ in so doing they fall from Grace and they fall from Christ who by this meanes is made of none effect to them So unsound is that seemingly politick Maxime which is made use of by many in the Church of Rome viz. That a man standeth surer upon two boughs then upon one Not so say we if so be that by standing upon a bough that is rotten he fall from that which was sound Which is the very case of all those who trust to Christ and Moses to Gospell and Law for their Justification and Salvation By resting upon the one in part they fall wholly from the other Christ will either be a whole Saviour or no Saviour So as this is a declining a going down the Hill with a witnesse So Paul looked upon it in his Galatians and would have them so to judg of it Gala. 3. 3. where he parlies with them about it Are ye so foolish saith he having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the flesh Where by flesh we are to understand the Ceremonies of the Law which were no other but external and Carnall observances especially after that the figurative and Sacramentall use which whilest it continued was as the soul and spirit putting life into them was now ceased being taken away by the death of Christ Now they were no other but flesh flesh without spirit And being so the Apostle censureth it as no small degree of folly in them that they should fall off to them that having begun in the Spirit having imbraced the doctrine of the Gospell the commands whereof are Spirituall and having withall found the effectuall work of the Spirit in their heart working faith and Regeneration in them that they should once think of being made perfect in that way This indeed was that which the false Apostles promised them that they should by this means receive some addition of perfection Even as the Doctors of the Church of Rome at this day do to their disciples But this the Apostle justly censures as folly and that no small degree of it as in the Teachers so in the receivers of this Doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Are ye so foolish And be you ware of falling under the like Censure A Caveat not unneedful this being a folly which some in this Nation at this day who pretend to the highest degree of perfection to be perfect as Adam nay for holinesse such is their Blasphemy perfect as God himself do openly proclaim whilest they professe to look for Justification and Salvation not by the Righteousnesse of Christ imputed to them but by the Righteousnesse of Christ inherent in them which is no other then inherent holinesse Now if this be not a falling from Christ and a falling from Grace surely we must conclude the Apostle in that Text forenamed Gal. 5. 4. to have been much mistaken Let this be a first Caveat under this Head Secondly whilest you thus hold fast the Head take heed of parting with the Body of falling off from the Church by severing and separating from it And that as from any part of it any particular Church which being sound in the faith wherein the Word is rightly preached and Sacraments duly administred though possibly labouring under some other imperfections and not so accomplished in respect of Order as it ought to be and some others are yet deserveth to be called and owned as a true Church so much more from the whole Body the whole Catholick visible Church This also is a Hill a Mountain Yea a Mountain paramount a Mountain established in the top of the Mountains So the Prophet Esay describeth the Church under the Gospel Isai. 2. 2. which in respect of spiritual glory is exalted far above all secular state and power And being so well may they who fall from it be said to go down the Hill And such a Declension such a Separation take heed of Such Separatists there

into others to make proselytes they thereby made them twofold more the children of Hell then themselves Matth. 23. 15. Thus do false and Heretical Teachers by their false and damnable doctrines they beget Children of Hell bringing men under the power of Satan to be taken and led Captive by him As therefore you love your selves beware of such seducers such seductions that you be not thus carried about with such divers and strange doctrines And in the third place whilest herein you have respect to your Ministers and your selves have the like also to the Church of God This is a thing which all Christians who professe themselves members of that mysticall Bodie ought to have a special regard unto so as not to despise it nor yet to shame it 1. Not to despise it This is one thing which Paul chargeth upon some of his Corinthians that by their disorderly manner of administring and receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and Celebrating their Love-feasts before or after it uncertain whether they in so doing despised the Church of God 1 Cor. 11. 22. Or despise you the Church of God Which though some and not a few learned Expositors and that not without some good shew of Reason for it interpret of the place of the Churches meeting which by a usual Metonymie vulgarly is and inoffensively may be so called Ecclesia The Church which place they might be said to have despised in that they put no difference betwixt their own private houses and that which supposing it to be set apart for Religious services ought not without necessary cause to have been imployed to other Civill much lesse Uncivil uses as it seemeth their meetings were Yet others not inferiour to them to whom I professe my self rather to subscribe understand it rather of the Mystical Church the coetus fidelium the Company of believers either in that particular Congregation or elsewhere This Church they by this disorderly carriage of theirs seemed to sleight not regarding the Custome of other Churches nor yet hearkening to the Admonition of their own possibly seconded by some others as Pareus conceiveth of it And this the Apostle there calleth a despising of the Church of God Which he chargeth upon them as a thing most blame-worthy in them Shall I praise you for this I praise you not And so is it in whomsoever shall do the like in any kind Despise the Church of God! that Church whereof they are members and others of the true Churches of Christ. Which they do without regarding the lawful and laudable usages and Customes of those Churches do without any just ground and reason differ from them in matters of concernment Paul in the Chapter last named taxing another undecency in that Church of Corinth viz. their women some of them having their heads and faces unveiled uncovered in the publick Assemblies he presumes this to be Argument sufficient to silence those who ever they were that should appear whether in defence of it or contest about it If any man list to be contentious saith he we have no such Custome nor the Churches of God 1 Cor. 11. 16. And if this be an interpretative despising of the Church not to regard the Customes thereof much more may it be so construed to recede from the doctrine thereof and to run after divers and strange doctrines such as the true Church of God hath not owned but renounceth and disclaimeth Surely this is no other but a despising of the Church of God which who so standeth guilty of let him not look for praise from God or thanks from men 2. Not to shame it This do they who professing themselves to be children of this mother yet desert her doctrine suffering themselves to be thus carried about with such divers and strange doctrines This is no small blemish in the Churches face Even as it is in a field of Corn to see such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a medly in it as sometimes we do in barren soiles such an intermixture of divers and strange weeds and flowers as Cockle and Darnel Poppies and Mayeweed c. all growing among the Wheat this variety of heterogeneous plants what ever their colour be and how pleasing soever they may be in the eyes of Children yet it is no small eye-sore to the husbandman or blemish to the field it self whose best beauty is to be all of one colour And truly so is it in the Church of God where there ought to be but one Faith as the Apostle speaketh Eph. 4. 5. to have divers and strange doctrines put up and take rooting there much more if they come to flourish and spread this is no small eye-sore unto God nor blemish to it Which have you a regard unto that you may not in this way either despise or shame the Church of God In the fourth place having an eye to the Church of God have a regard also to the Religion of God therein professed To the Truth of God which is but one Veritas unica error multiplex Errour is various and may be infinite Truth is but one and that semper eadem ever the same being constant and immutable like unto him who is the Authour of it the God of truth who saith of himself I am the Lord I change not Mat. 3. 6. Now what a dishonour then is this to have the Professours of it so unlike unto it self the children so unlike the mother such Changelings so mutable so changeable As if they were of Pilates race who when Christ spake to him concerning the Truth he replyeth not without some Passion And what is Truth Joh. 13. 38. Truly such Scepticks in Religion are some and many at this day as if they were as some call themselves Seekers not knowing what Truth no not Gospel-truth is which if they did surely they would be more constant in adhering to it and owning of it Fifthly and lastly let me beg this for the sake of your Lord and ours even for Christ his sake His Disciples and followers you professe your selves to be And are you so then hear his voice and no others This will his sheep do My sheep hear my voice Joh. 10. 27. Those that are truly given unto Christ by the Election of God the Father to be made partakers of the merit and benefit of his Redemption to be justified and saved by and through him they will hearken unto him speaking in the Gospel And thus hearing him they will follow him and onely him not so any other A stranger will they not follow saith the fifth verse of that Chapter speaking of the same sheep of Christ but will flee from him For they know not the voice of strangers False Teachers such as teach divers and strange doctrines and in that respect fitly called strangers Christs sheep know not their voyce viz. with a knowledge of Approbation so as to hearken to them to follow them And O