Selected quad for the lemma: body_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
body_n	nature_n	soul_n	unite_v	6,882	5	9.6339	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52038	An expedient to preserve peace and amity, among dissenting brethren. By a brother in Christ	Marshall, Stephen, 1594?-1655.	1647 (1647)	Wing M754A; ESTC R204591	29,957	42

power to judge in her these things are nor incompatible When she accuseth you cannot implead her for her bill is good in law When shee witnesseth you cannot disprove her for she was present at the fact when she judgeth you cannot appeal from her for there is no higher power on earth Therefore let us take the Conscience of man eyther in his estate corrupted or regenerated we see all humain Power is below and consequently can have no power to constrain her As the sight cannot be forced to discern that cloth black which is white nor the tast to judge honey bitter which is sweet no more can the Conscience be any way compelled to allow that which she condemneth or condemn that which she alloweth There bee two engines commonly made use of to b●tter the Consciences of men Sophistication and Persecution first to ensnare men with deceitfull shewes and arguments then if that will not serve to fright and terrifie men with violence and torments these two are exquisitely planted and practised in the kingdome of Antichrist by that old Engineere of all mischiefe the Divell Where the Iesuits and other Emissaries docompasse Sea and Land and are sent abroad like Frogs and Locusts to seduce and captivate poore Proselites making them seaven times more the children of the Devill And the Inquisition that Court of darkenesse and antichamber of Hell is set up as a chief piller of Popedome to torture mens bodies and rack their Consciences and drive men to death and desperation Yet all this can goe no farther then to force and afflict and kill the body but the Conscience still triumpheth shee is free though the hands bee bound and the feet be fettered this was well known by that constant Martir who stood out the brunt of both Disputare non possum mori possum Dispute I cannot but I can Dye and so refute both your Arguments and your torments Death is the uttermost that the power and malice of Man can doe and no man but hee may if he will as well dye with a free Conscience as live in it But some man may say have not many for feare of death or disgrace renownced the Truth against their Conscience Many have indeed but in doing thereof they have rather defiled their Conscience then forced it for still it is their own voluntary act judging by a false erronious light that it is better for them to forsake Christ then to lose their estates honours or their lives and that it is their own act appeareth by the punishment which the justice of God will lay upon them for their own sin and not for the sin of others who went about to constrain them 2. Neverthelesse the Conscience sitteth like a Queene i● the soule of man commanding over all and uncontrouled by any humane power Yet shee vaileth and submitteth to the higher Powers of God and his word by which she standeth bound to give full obedience under the fearfull penalties of Rebellion and sin The reason is because the word of God is infallible but the word of man very deceitfull any thing propounded without the word of God unlesse it bee demonstrative in it selfe is subject to Errour though it bee never so well meant But when the Conscience findeth in the word a bottome to fix and to stand upon shee judgeth it needlesse any longer to halt or hold off to doubt or dispute but shutteth her eyes and believeth The Conscience of her selfe hath in every man a naturall light though it bee but dim and clouded this was never quite extinguished by the fall By which divers Peoples and Nations who never heard of Jesus Christ nor had any glimpse of the light of his word have bin ble to discerne not onely the truth of naturall things but also groped after supernaturall acknowledging a GOD by his workes tho●gh not knowing how to worship him by his Word and by the improvement of this light they have attained to many excellent morall Precepts for the planting of vertue in the hearts of men and to admirable Lawes and Constitutions for the government of them in Societies and Statutes Whereof many of them in both kinds have been ratifyed and approved by the light of the Word revealed Which plainely declareth unto us that the naturall light of Conscience is a beame and remainder of that divine light which was at first infused into our Natures afterwards obscured by disobedience and againe restored by Regeneration in the soules of all true believers All light wee know transmitteth and disputeth it selfe Ad modum recipientis to the capacity of the receiver It leaveth stone Wals in darknesse but shadeth it self thorow glasse-windowes Now transparent bodies are like illuminated soules where Iesus Christ the light of the World entereth there is light indeed there the Consciences of men are so already enlightened that they can judge of all things and are judged of nothing forasmuch as they swerve not from the touchstone of judgement the word of GOD Now if any shall say that the word of GOD is called a Law of liberty rather freeing then binding us up I answer that it is truly so called because it freeth us from the bondage of Sinne the servitude of Lust and captivity of Satan But by the same reason that it releaseth us from sinne it bindeth us to obedience and to the service of GOD which is perfect freedome There is a friendly way in the conversation of men to bind those who keepe a loose governance of themselves from hurtfull things some from Wine some from fruit some from unwholsome foode to which they have an irregular appetite Such is the singular love of GOD towards us to tye up by the Law of his Word our unruly and inordinate Appetites from the pursuit of sinfull and unlawfull things which would prove our poyson and perdition in which regard we have great cause to rejoyce in these bonds which are not irons of imprisonment but bonds of perfection retaining and with holding us from relapsing into sin and leading of us into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God in these bones there is no constraint for God himselfe who made us by his word and can dissolve us at his pleasure will not use his power to constraine us he delighteth not in a forced worship but onely obligeth us to a willing obedience by setting of us free 3. The conscience therefore unconstrained in it self yet tyed up by the word standeth bound to obey these lawes and decrees of the Magistrate which are made by the light and the rule thereof for the voice of the Magistrate speaking according to Gods word is like the voice of God among men where God hath spoken clearly and expresly to the spirit and conscience of man there need no other lawes but his owne and so he hath done in all matters that concerne the substance of his owne worship or our salvation but in such things which he hath not punctually determined onely left them

there to be tried and examined by the spirit of the Prophets judging and determining by the word of God and if perchance they neither approve of his opinion nor yet be able to convince him then to refer him to the next Nationall Councell to which he must stand or fall In the mean time if he publish his opinion under hand to the breach of brotherly unity in the Church he ought to be taken as a disturber of publike peace and subject to the penalties mentioned in the third Article By these and such like means the power of the civill Magistrate may be preserved from contempt and the consciences of weak brethren from constraint till they shall pluck off their mask and discover themselves to be obstinate and unsufferable clamouring for toleration under pretence of weaknesse but indeed making a breach and separation in confidence of their own strength and perfection disdaining with supercilious eies the infirmities of their brethren by which falacie they think to blear the eye of the Magistrate and make the weak to overthrow the strong To such wolves in sheeps cloathing whether they be Papists Hereticks Schismaticks or whatsoever they be for a weak conscience is now-adaies become a cloak for all shoulders my meaning is not that any indulgence or connivence of the Magistrate should be extended to them who it is plain enough are employed in malicious designes working under-ground the divisions and ruine of the State Therefore to conclude with the same spirit as I began which is a spirit of unity peace and love In the fear and before the face of Almighty God and by the bowells of that love wherwith Christ Jesus loved us all I do beseech the brethren whether they be leaders or followers that agree with us in the same doctrine but dissent in government to lay their hands upon their hearts and examine what they would be at Is it at the advancement of truth the practise of holiness the purity of Gods worship Let them consider whether all these may not be had as they are all intended under the present government is it at spirituall perfection whiles they are present in the flesh Let them consider that the perfection of a Christian consisteth in humility love peace meeknesse sobriety and uprightnesse which are truly spirituall and none of them excluded by this government Is it at the setting up of the kingdome of Christ Jesus that he might raigne as Lord omnipotent upon earth Let them consider that the kingdome of Christ Jesus is not of this world he prescribeth no forms nor modells of civill government as he findeth them so he leaveth them where he is received he sublimeth and refineth them where he is not received hee doth not destroy them Let them consider that this present governmet doth no waies eclipse the kingdome of Christ Jesus for whither it be placed in a single Congregation or in a generall Assembly or in the last resort of the supreme Magistrate all are under the government of Christ Jesus who ruleth among them by his Word whereunto they conform their government is it at the setting up of any other government which they think is onely divine and necessary to salvation Let them consider that by such assertions they do not onely blast all reformed Churches at this day and leave them in a state of condemnation living under another government but also condemn multitudes of soules departed which under other governments lived Saints upon earth died martyrs for the faith of Christ and are now triumphants in heaven Or els is it at no government at all till they receive on revealed from heaven Let them consider whether any such promise be made us in Scripture which we ought to expect This wee find that God is not the Author of confusion but of peace order and government which ought to be setled in all Churches of the Saints Or lastly is it to set up an infallibility of private judgement taking themselves to abound in the spirit and be able to judge all above them Let them consider that the hearts and spirits of men are deceitfull above all deceits a●● that to strive and contend to make rents and separation for these things to despise the powers and ordinances of God are reckoned among the workes of the flesh rank and carnall But if it be as I will hope it is a pure and sincere weakness of conscience arising from a weaknesse of judgement not yet seeing the clearnesse of that light which hath in lightned the Magistrates and Ministers and greatest part of the Kingdome Let them be intreated in the fear of God to seek to him for further illumination and in the mean time to suspend their opinions and forbear contentions by Christian modesty and moderation becomming the Saints to maintain Christian charity which is the bond of perfection and make it manifest unto the world and to the Angells in heaven that they are not led by the spirit of error strife and vain-glory but by the spirit of truth which worketh by love and lowlinesse patience and meeknesse minding the same things and improving the gifts of faith grace and knowledge whereunto they have already attained And in other things of lesser moment concerning the formes of discipline and government and the outward face of order and decency in the publike worship whereunto perhaps not having yet attained they may be otherwise minded therein to wait Gods time with quiet and patience who hath promised to reveale even that also unto them that one may not be perfect without another It may be they may thinke themselves unkindly dealt withall and very ill requited that having so frankly adventured their lives and estates and done so valiantly against the enemies of God and the Land they should after all this be denyed any request especially that which so nearly toucheth their freedome of conscience and inward peace Truly it is on all hands confessed and no man that I know seeketh to cast a vaile over their worth or suppressed their atchievements God hath done wonderfull things by many of their hands and the lesse honour they take to themselves the more will be given them by the voice of the Nation and Rulers of the band who ought to take care that their names be written in the Registers of fame from generation to generation But what will our dissenting brethren say if Jesuits and Malignents converse among them in sheeps-clothing If transformed into Angels of light they carry on these workes of darknesse and by secret suggestions and insinuations of the Serpent make them blow this cole and widen this breach against their own intentions It is not for nought that there be so ma●y popish spies and Agents among us whose employment is to weaken the hands of the Magistrate by sowing factions and disobedience among the people They feele their blow and know well enough that their form is broken they are upon their last gaspe and their last refuge is this to compasse that by trechery and mischiefe which they could not do by force in the field If they can divide the civill and Military power and fling fire-balls of division into the tents of brethren they have yet a fainting hope to recover strength and destroy them both Let not our brethren think this to be an eary or empty admonition for there be men so finely spirited and rarified to the invisibility of the divell that if it were possible they would deceive the very Elect and weave their hypocriticall webbs with liberty that commonly the simple and many times the circumspect are involved and taken Happy it were that by some marke they might be known for then they were easily avoided but when they come to strike up division and separate the hearts of the brethren the safest remedy is to stop our eares as against Inchanters and Negotiators for the divell Return then ô Shulamite return return be not intrapped in the snares of division but return to the tents of peace what will ye see in the Shulamites we shall see when he returneth and joyneth his body to the State and his conscience to the Church that his countenance is faire as the Moon clear as the Sun terrible as an Army with banners and that his company united to the Common-wealth is like the association of two Armies linked together by one heart invincible and undissolvable by the powers of darknesse and of Antichrist Thus have I delivered my poor judgement and discharged my duty which I owe to the publike peace I pretend not to revelations nor an unerring spirit but being privy to the evennesse of mine own heart and unbyassed intentions my conscience is my testimony that I have not erred to cause any other man to erre In regard whereof I may hope that all men who are spirituall and dis-interessed in their ends will acknowledge this to be the mind of Christ so far-forth at least as it aimeth and tendeth to piety and peace Neverthelesse if any will be still contentions and dissent neither I nor the Churches of God have any such custome nor do I intend for this difference of judgement to breake charity and communion with them But I rather beseech them for a close of all to put on milde and gentle affections and whiles they approve of our faith not to disapprove our workes by excommunicating of us or separating from us till our workes go before us and condemn our selves Leaving them in this assurance that when our Lord Jesus Christ shall come the Judge and Master of us all to whom we must stand or fall it will be better for them and for us in that day that he find our hearts established in grace then our selves at variance about Church-government FINIS