Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	life_n	soul_n	5,160	5	5.5664	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39770	The confirming work of religion, or, its great things made plain, by their primary evidences and demonstrations whereby the meanest in the church may soon be made to render a solid and rational account of their faith / written by R. Fleming ... ; now published by Daniel Burgess.	Fleming, Robert, 1630-1694.; Burgess, Daniel, 1645-1713.	1693 (1693)	Wing F1279; ESTC R6736	83,701	146

men yea how visibly many are transformed into his Image by such prodigious and desperate acts of wickedness as we should think humane nature could not but tremble at IV. That none can question the certainty both of Sense and Reason which is in the truth of Apparitions and Bodily Possessions of Men in all Ages and in all places of the Earth and can need no demonstration for this that in many places of the Earth the Devil is both visibly and audibly known V. That he is so manifest in his appearance as a Spirit of Blasphemy which impetuously acts Men to War against Heaven with their Tongue in such Oaths and Cursing as have no sensual pleasure or gain herein yea as a Spirit of Delusion in so visible an excitement of others to such extravagancies under a shew of Religion as are inconsistent with any use of Judgment or Reason VI. That so innumerable a company of humane Race hath in all Ages been in a formal and express Covenant with these powers of darkness is undeniable upon the most severe and impartial inquiry herein Qu. II. What special assistance to your Faith doth the certainty of these Powers of Darkness bring therewith Answ I. It is plain that such a Party both in their Nature and continued Actings are in a stared opposition to the Kingdom of Christ II. It is visible that the Prey which these Mighty Hunters do follow after is not our Body or the things of this Life but it is the Immortal Soul and Future State that Man might be made sharer of the same Misery under which they are concluded III. All may see their being under restraint of a Supream Power above them and under such Chains as do irresistibly bound their rage and enmity against Man by an invisible Guard and Hedge which they cannot break over IV. Their greatest rage and strugling is against the Conversion of sinners to God and to hold fast his possession in such as the Spirit of God doth not more clearly move for their rescue than these do to cross that blessed design of the Gospel V. There are none that are serious in the Truth and Life of Religion but find themselves pursued by such an Adversary and have as discernably another Party than themselves or the World to conflict with as if they saw them in a visible shape VI. That by the Gospel and within the Precinct of the Church there is discernably a much greater restraint of Satans Dominion and Power than in all the Earth besides yea that the advantage of being within the external covenant of Baptism is so demonstrable that the least yielding or tendency to a renouncing of the same or any Acts of Homage for making use of his help hath ever made way for some more extraordinary Power of the Devil over such than others VII Thus is a most undeniable Confirmation given of an Invisible World and of such intellectual Beings there as are far above man yea and it is plain that there is an intercourse betwixt Men and Spirits such may clearly shew the interest that Man's Soul hath in another State and World than this Qu. III. Is that great truth of the Immortality of the Soul and its never dying state after Death as fully demonstrable to Reason as it is by the furthest certainty of Faith Answ Though it be so amazing a thing to believe an Immortal Soul and Eternal State wherein it must shortly enter as by few seems to be apprehended yet are its demonstrative evidences such that except men lose all sence and use of reason it is not possible to deny I. That there is such an Immaterial and Active Substance as the Soul which can admit of no cause either of its decay or dissolution from the Body yea that the greatest excellency of this visible Creation is here that such a vital Beam of Life Light and Immortality as the Soul of Man is therein II. Though we cannot see this rare and wonderful Being yet we fully perceive it to be something distinct from the Body and to have a distinct interest both in its griefs and comforts III. That it can have no dependance on the Body in its Being which doth no way depend thereon in its Actings and Exercise but is oft most vigorous and clear in its exercise not only when most separate and abstract from sensible things but when the flesh is under the greatest decay and near its dissolution to shew the Soul lieth not a dying with the Body but hath its distinct subsistence to live in a separate state when it dies IV. It s being peculiarly framed for converse and intercourse with spiritual Beings yea its being the only part of the visible Creation admitted to fellowship with the invisible God and to have reflex acts upon it self V. It is a Being of a higher nature and value than the Sun Moon and Stars which not only can know and conceive of things above the evidence and impressions of sense but make a rational choice of good though cross to any sensual pleasure yea to rejoice and have its proper delights when the body is afflicted and in pain nor can it be defiled from the most loathsome sores and defilements of the Flesh so as we must needs see both its Dominion and Preheminence over the Body and have assuredly a subsistence without the same VI. It is such a Being as is capable of a happiness beyond the whole extent of the World and hath these intellectual Faculties which cannot possibly want both objects suitable thereto and injoyments above the Senses VII The most choice and excellent are usually most afflicted and crushed under the feet of their oppressours whilst the vilest flourish in the Earth and have no bands in their death so that such were of all men the most miserable if in this life both their being and blessedness were terminated VIII That there is so universal a sense of Immortality that they who both fear and hate the evidences hereof yet under some constraint of Reason have the same for a continued terrour IX That it is sure the certainty of death makes it simply impossible for things only suited to this Life of Sense to be the ultimate good or fruition of Man since else the Beasts should have a greater happiness than such if it were not for respect to an after and Immortal State Qu. IV. What confirmation to your Faith does that great and amazing change by Death offer when it would seem to be something meerly natural Answ Though the only wise God moves herein according to the nature of second causes and it hath various ways of approach unto men yet may all see with the furthest conviction of rational evidence as well as certainty of Faith I. That Death in its first constitution is Penal and comes by a Divine appointment unto all not meerly as men but as sinners and to be no natural accident and result of our Primitive and Original Frame II. That it's

Visible Professours are destitute of any defence from internal motives and solid conviction of the truth they profess upon its own evidence and there was never more cause to fear some unusual apostacy from the very visible profession of Christ upon any violent tryal and assault this way When such find it more easy to render up their Religion than to adhere to the same under strong temptations who yet never knew that substance advantage or certainty herein as could preponderate with the want of all external motives for such a profession Posit II. That thus one of the highest services of these times for the publick good of the Church does convincingly lye here to have the faith of assent to the truth and doctrine of Christ in a clear and firm certainty of the judgment on its own evidence more vigorously promoted and the proper means and assistances which the Lord hath given for this end in some other manner yet improved than seems to be at this day for a more universal use The grounds to inforce the necessity hereof are these I. That it 's sure wherever the Gospel is revealed to men it comes with so full an assurance of understanding and sufficiency of objective evidence as can admit of no possible doubtfulness herein Which is the credit and glory of our religion that in no other way it doth require acceptance but with the furthest conviction of evidence II. Because the express design and tendency of this blessed revelation is no less to found such a rational assurance in the judgment of its truth than to ingage the will and consent for imbracing thereof and though such great demonstrations for this end can only in suo genere have a convincing influence to perswade the understanding yet are they of such weight here as next to the demonstration of the Spirit of God they are the greatest means to bring up mens assent to a full and quieting rest on that security to which they must trust themselves for ever and to let them see that this even here by the way is assuredly full though not yet their enjoyment III. Because this faith of assent should be first followed in the order of nature as being the very first principle of conversion to know and be sure that God hath sent his son into the world to save sinners wherein as the Holy Ghost is not the Obj●ctive but the Efficient Cause of our Faith so is not the internal work and Testimony he gives on the Soul the first Testimony but must still have respect to the revelation of the Word without and such demonstrative evidences thereof wherewith it is revealed to the world Nor may any ever separate that which God hath himself so indissolubly joyned IV. That there is so convincing a necessity and use hereof to the Church and in a special way with respect to the youth for a more firm laying of the groundwork of their Christian profession and for the seed-plot of a blessed and desirable growth amongst such in this day that they might thus know early something of these primary grounds and demonstrations of their faith so also is it a study of that high importance as I humbly judge should be of notable use for a Manuduction in the first place to Students of Divinity before they launch forth in that vast and immense Ocean of the speculative part thereof and for being at some greater advantage thus for carrying on such a confirming work in the Church in their future service V. Yea of what use might this be with respect to many who may be sore haunted with hidden and dreadful temptations to infidelity and to weaken them in the very foundations of their faith who are wholly unfurnished of any such grounds and arguments in their judgment to repel the same and it is certain that to believe firmly the History of the Gospel that God was manifested in our nature to save man is with respect to the object a much higher act of faith than to believe that he will save us since as the one doth unspeakably more transcend all human reason than the other so doth the Apostle thus argue from the greater to the less Rom. 8.32 that he who gave his own son to the death will he not also with him give us all things Posit III. That such a Confirming Work was most specially followed in the Practice of the Primitive Times and one of the great Ends of the Ministry of the Apostles and Evangelists to have this Faith of Assent and Doctrinal Certainty thereof on its proper Grounds and Evidences deeply founded in Mens Judgment is so clear as cannot come under Debate I. That this way did the great Author of our Profession himself take not only by the Authority of his Word and the Power and Energy of Grace but with that Convincing Evidence and Demonstration of his Truth to Mens Understanding as might found also a firm and rational Assurance hereof II. That for this End he did pray the Father Joh. 17.21 and was so much pressed herein that so great an external Demonstration of the Truth of the Gospel in the Concord and Unity of his People might be kept clear that the World might thus believe that he was sent of God and have a deeper Conviction hereof wrought in them by such an Evidence III. That one special Intent of the Gospel of Luke was for this end Luke 1.4 That men might know not only the things themselves by a naked Relation but the Certainty of these things wherein they had been formerly Instructed IV. That herein did the Ministry of Apollos so brightly shine forth Act. 18.28 And was then of most singular use to the Church by that clearness of rational Conviction and demonstrative Arguments for the Truth of Christ as the greatest gainsayers could not withstand V. That it 's sure it was then without Exception expresly required of the meanest within the Church to be always ready to render the Reasons of their Hope to all who asked and not only to know what they did Believe but why they did so as is clear 1 Pet. 3.15 This could not be by bringing forth of internal Evidences for Conviction of others but by giving them an account of the most cogent grounds and demonstrations of the Gospel as might be most prevalent and confirming to the weak and leave others inexcusable and seems to have been then specially pressed in these Primitive Times as a proper Test of their Christian Profession VI. And we see herein also how much these excellent Bereans were taken up and were so highly commended of the Holy Ghost Act. 17.11 To know the demonstrative part of Christianity and by its own evidence with that intire harmony and consent of the Scripture therein and their being thus diligently intent in that comparing-work of Religion to see the truth thereof not singly and apart by themselves alone but in that joynt-union coherence wherein they stand each in their own room for