Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	church_n	part_n	pastor_n	1,253	5	9.2889	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58850	The method and means to a true spiritual life consisting of three parts, agreeable to the auncient [sic] way / by the late Reverend Matthew Scrivener ... ; cleared from modern abuses, and render'd more easie and practicall.	Scrivener, Matthew.	1688 (1688)	Wing S2118; ESTC R32133	179,257	416

methodically yet could never be so really perswaded but that holy Men of old speaking and writing as they were moved by the Spirit contemned all order and Methods but what naturally arose from the bowells of the Subject they treated of and the occasion given them not contradicting or denying liberty to men to forme their matter by outward Methods as may agree best with the learning retaining and digesting what they finde there delivered 2. And answerable to this the more Mentall a mans Contemplations are the lesse methodicall are they wont to be So that if there be such a thing as may be called properly Prayer Supramentall as Authours speak it must be more strange to Order and Methode than either of the two other degrees of Prayer and be of the nature of Rapts and Extasies of which we have spoken For by such puritie of intention and such vehemencie of intension and ardour in directing a mans minde and heart to God and as it were delivering up his spirit into his hands the intellectuall facultie may cease which is that Absorption spoken of allso and such that can be approved onely from the goodnesse and Divinenesse so pored on and with its lustre confounding them carried away with it For it is apparent that Evill Spirits doe in like manner oppresse the mindes of the Persons devoted to them And therefore as I cannot condemne all such excesses mentall or supramentall rather so can I approve them no farther than they are consonant to the Law and the Testimonie and the Spirit of the Living Prophets I mean the Church truely so called and the peace and Charitie of the same So that as I cannot but think favourably of those extravagant passages and rulelesse while the Authours of them keep the peace of the Church and known principles of Christianity innovating nothing in the Faith but onely in their own supramentall Facts as we may terme them so can I no wayes justifie those presumptuous Spirits who not having attained to the true mentall Prayer dare obtrude their vocall and sensible Prayer upon the spirits of an whole Congregation and that without any good Autority so to doe 3. After the extraordinary gift of unprepared Prayer ceased in the Church of God together with unprepared preaching of the Gospell it lay upon the Governours of the Church to supplie that defect in the best manner they could by composing and prescribing formes for Publique Worship lest any scandall or indecencie should disaffect soberer and more prudent Christians And when the Bishop presiding in the Church committed any part of his wide charge to his Presbyter we never finde that he departed in the Publique Worship from what was in use in the mother-Mother-Church either as to matter or forme Nay the principall Pastour of any Diocese never was himselfe so imperious over his Flock as vain men of late dayes to offer a new and unknown Office to Believers every day or to God as more spirituall or acceptable to him but aymed at nothing more than a Common plain well-known well-approved and constant forme of sound words to which all intelligent Christians might safely and cheerfully give their concurrence and sett to their Seal of Amen And to denie liberty to Ministers to offer the Will-worship of their own inventions in Publique was never lookt upon as they say as Lycurgus-like to cut up all the Vines in the Country lest men should be drunk but rather cutting down the wild Vines whose fruit is ungratefull to judicious Palates and pernicious to the community of Christians Wherein the gift of Prayer consisteth we have touched before but sure we are it consisteth not in the volubility of the Tongue readinesse of Invention fluencie of Speech choice of Divine Phrases but in the grace of Prayer which the same men unhappily would distinguish from the Gift which is a certain pure intention and fervent intension of Spirit lifted up to God which may consist with a Prayer used ten thousand times Not but that it is very lawfull usefull and allmost necessary in some cases to utter the fullnesse of the minde by unprepared words in private Addresses but to lay the weight and worth of a Prayer upon the wording of it is a foul absurdity When sudden surprizing and extraordinary occasions are offer'd to blame is that man who will not strive to use proportionable Addresses to God neither staying for a Book nor the licence of his Ordinary But plying his heart while it is hot and full the best manner he can for his ease and comfort 4. And not onely in such extraordinary cases as may even extort an Ejaculation sutable but out of that common Habit of grace a man may have attained unto by Christian diligence it is most reasonable and pious he should lift up his minde frequently unto God in divine Contemplation Admiration of his Power and Wisdome thankfullnesse for deliverances and benefits bestowed imploration of his mercie and pardon for dayly Trespasses he is liable to and exercising that Communion that every Good Christian should have with God and all this not onely in usuall and constant Phrases and Formes though that be commendable but as the Spirit shall give him utterance All which notwithstanding ought to be regulated by the rule of Christian modestie justice and Charitie so as not to indulge to private satisfactions herein to the prejudice of others nor to phansie such an Edification to himselfe which should tend to the dissipation of the Church of God that Rule of Saint Paul binding incessantly such as otherwise would be boundlesse Let no man seek his own but every man anothers wealth 1 Corinth 10. 24. meaning rather spirituall than temporall wellfare And again the same Apostle 1 Corinth 14. 12. adviseth For as much as ye are zealous of spirituall gifts seek that ye may excell to the edification of the Church which whosoever violateth by private affectations in Religion may be said to indulge rather to his own carnall humour how divine soever it may appear to weaker judgements than to the edification of himselfe or others For as he that sings with the Congregation ought to lay aside his private Tunes though possibly far more excellent than that which is set for all to follow so must the singular Devotion of a higher strain than ordinarie complie with the meaner to avoid scandall and confusion as that which may better agree with the whole Bodie than sublimer strains or Tunes And this is the Case of that plain and easie recitative way of using the Psalmes in our Church which requires a cheerfull Spirit without difficulty or tediousnesse of modulating the Voice which for that reason might have been preferred before the more Artificiall and hard of private mens Invention had it not pleased men of designe and unquiet Spirits to bring it into disgrace for no other faults but which are found to be more notorious in that they have introduced in its stead From which frowardnesse of Spirit and

Christ continueth his wonted method to reveal such things to the ignorant and Babes which is commonly denied to the wise noble and Great ones in the world untill such time as the simple and unlearned shall proceed so far as to forget whence themselves derive that understanding they have for then suddainly it degenerates into folly and men priding themselves and transgressing the limits of modesty humility and subjection to which they are called become insolent and contumacious towards them that are over them in the Lord. For scarce can it be imagined that God like the foolish workman should pull down with one hand what he buildeth with another or as the wise Man saith Ecclesiasticus 15. 20. give any man licence to sin which he should doe if he allowed fruitfull Hagar to contemne her Mistresse Sarah not losing her dominion for want of what was given and that by God himselfe to Hagar And it is but too common to all presumers of gifts exempting themselves from the ordinarie method of Commander and Souldier Leader and Follower Teacher and Schollar what was mutinously uttered and murmuringly against Moses by Mirian and Aaron Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses hath he not also spoken by us Numbers 12. 2. Revelations may be and are given unto men but not to such as are the worse for them nor to them through whom the Church of God fares the worse But most probably such egregious abilities are given by the subtil and Evill Spirit who if men that are evill may give Good gifts unto their Children as Christ implyeth Matth. 7. 11. may also doe the same to his Children Children of pride of minde and disobedience of life being of the same nature and complexion with himselfe 2. S. Paul therefore sayes 1 Cor. 12. 7. The Spirit that is the truly divine is given to every man to profit withall And this profit is manifestly the profiting of the whole bodie of the Church of Christ the advancing of that and the thriving in Faith and Charity So that whatever knowledge as singular and admirable as it may seem to short-sighted Christians who cannot see afar off may be pretended prejudiciall to the Body of Christ largely taken and to the glory of God in generall but swelling the mindes of some particular persons is far from an edifying faith or knowledge whatever specious effect may be offer'd to the world thereby causing admiration 3. But notwithstanding such frequent mistakes scandalous to the prudent as insnaring to the simple such a Faith there is and such an inward Light many times is given and added by God unto the naturall perspicacity of man that the effect is wonderfull upon the minde and life of the simple above the Learned For the naturall man believes because he knows but the truely spirituall knowes because he believes and his belief is directed by a superiour power agreeably to that saying of the Auncient supposed to be in the Prophet Isaiah Vnlesse ye believe ye shall not understand For seeing a promptitude and preparednesse in the minde to receive all impresses from him without disputings or suspicions of errour he will not suffer such honest and devout simplicitie to want his influence disposing thereunto so that there should be no room or ground left for the faith of God to stand on the wisdome of men and subtile ratiocinations of sophisticall heads For many are the Mysteries of faith not intelligible and yet Credible divinely which may be compared to well composed and well performed Musick which as the common observation teacheth us is most sweet and pleasing in the next room or at a competent distance and yet we see few can content themselves so but must needs be pressing contrary to their own interest into the companie of them who make it and be viewing curiously and perhaps touching the Instruments which yield it though they have no skill in them But the honest and faithfull spirit perswaded of the necessity of things to be believed and conscious of its own infirmitie in making out the intrigues of Religion acquiesces with Humility and Charitie in the things propounded without endlesse discussions which render them lesse credible many times and bring lesse satisfaction than before For the more a man argues the more he may 4. I have not a little wonder'd at the expression and comparison apt enough to signifie the vertue of an easie Faith and the unhappinesse of curious enquirers into matters of Religion without faith It was of one who had the least measure of Christian faith of any of his age as his works declare intending to give a new scheme or modell of Philosophie and Religion both infinitely ambitious of applause and disciples to whom he promised great notions and them more rationall than former Ages or any Country but England had been acquainted with but with so foul failleur in his first principles which he begged and would with no patience suffer to be questioned as scarce any unlucky Sophister was subject to And surely suspecting that what he taught might be as coursely handled as he doth Scripture and the very Creeds of the Church i. e. with monstrous boldnesse he would divert men from such attempts by such a fine similitude as is very serviceable in other Cases As it is with him that is to take physicall Pills for the health of his body if he takes them into his mouth and considering of them will needs chew them before he swallowes them he will rather spit them out of his mouth as vehemently disagreeing to his palate than use them to his health In like manner he who having delivered to him by good and skilfull instructers the wholesome principles of spirituall life and salvation shall as it were grinde and chew them by his natural Reason to prove what manner of things they are before he will receive them by Faith will perhaps never take them down but cast them out again and with them more than them the greatest part of all Religion which before he disliked not If this comparison ever fitted any man it did the Authour 5. But Reason as the Renowned Romane Lawyer of old told us The greatest in the world is that which makes for Religion and if men would but reflect upon their ever doubting Wit and whither it at length hurries them they would never trust it so far nor give it so much rope and such loose reins as they doe For as is said there being nothing more agreeable to Reason than to acknowledge a Deitie it more strongly followes he should be worshipped And if a man should be free to take his choice amongst the great variety offering it selfe to a man methinks out of naturall reason he should preferre the Christian Religion with all its circumstances and difficulties before any other in like manner considered and examined And so I should think if by education having only common reason to guide him he were indifferent he should choose that which was revealed