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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	see_v	sin_n	soul_n	9,644	5	5.1376	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26895	The Christian religion expressed I, briefly in the ancient creeds, the Ten commandments, and the Lords prayer, and, II, more largely in a profession taken out of the Holy Scriptures, containing 1, the articles of the Christian belief, 2, our consent to the gospel covenant, 3, the sum of Christian duty, according to the primitive simplicity, purity, and practice, fitted to the right instruction of the ignorant, the promoting of holiness, and the charitable concord of all true believers ... / by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1660 (1660)	Wing B1221; ESTC R25270	38,730	88

everlasting life i 8 At Death the souls of the Justified go to happiness with Christ and the souls of the wicked to Misery a And at the end of this world the Lord Jesus Christ will come again and will raise the bodies of all men from the dead and will judge all according to their works b And the Righteous shall go into everlasting life and the rest into everlasting punishment c All this I do unfeignedly believe II. Our Consent to the Gospel Covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost by which we are Christians and members of the Catholick Church Quest Are you willing and resolved to Give up your self to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost according to the Gospel doctrine which your profess REpenting of my sins and renouncing the Flesh the World and the Devil a I do take this one God to be my only God b and do heartily give up my self unto him c Even to the Father d as my Creator and Reconciled Father in Christ And to his Son Jesus Christ as my Lord and only Saviour to Reconcile and bring me unto God e And to the Holy Ghost as my Sanctifier that he may further illuminate sanctifie and confirm me and I may hold fast and obey the doctrine of Christ which was revealed by his inspiration and witnessed by his gifts and Miracles and is now contained in the Holy Scriptures and that he may be in me the earnest of my everlasting Happiness with God f III. The summ of Christian Duty Quest What are 1 CHrist hath appointed that fit men shall be Ordained his Ministers to preach the Gospel to the Nations of the world a and make them his Disciples Baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost b and to congregate his Disciples c and to oversee and Guide the several Congregations and each member thereof d Particularly to Teach them the word of God e to Pray and Praise God with them and for them f to administer the Lords Supper in remembrance of him g h Especially on the Lords Day which he hath appointed for holy communion in such works i Also to Rebuke with authority the scandalous and unruly k and to bind and reject those that are obstinately impenitent and unreformed and to Absolve and Restore the Penitent and confirm the weak l It is therefore the Peoples Duty to joyn with such Churches for the aforesaid Worship of God a and to know hear submit to and obey these their Guides that are over them in the Lord b and to avoid Division and Discord and to live in Unity Love and Peace c 2 The Secret Duties of Holiness are these The exercise of Faith Repentance Love Hope Delight in God and all other graces a The mortifying of our sins especially Atheism Unbelief and unholiness hardness of heart disobedience and unthankfulness flesh-pleasing covetousness and Pride b The diligent Examining of our own hearts about our Estates our Duties and our sins c Meditating upon God and his word and works especially of our Redemption by Jesus Christ and of Death Judgement Heaven and Hell d Watching diligently over our Thoughts Affections Words and Actions e Resisting Temptations f And frequent and fervent Prayer to God in the name of Christ with Confession Thanksgiving and cheerful Praises g 3 Parents and Masters must diligently teach their children and servants the word and fear of God a and Pray with them and for them and hinder them from sin b and use all their power that they and their households may serve the Lord c children and servants must willingly learn and obey d We must seek instruction in the matters of our salvation especially of our Teachers e we must take heed of the company of tempting and ungodly persons and delight in the company and help of the Godly We must lovingly and faithfully give and thankfully receive admonitions and exhortations f Confessing our faults one to another g and by Prayer Psalms and edifying conference and a holy conversation provoking one another to Love and to good works h 4 Superiors must rule for God and the common good with Justice and Mercy a Inferiors must honour and obey them in the Lord b We must not injure but preserve the Life Chastity Estate Name and Rights of our Neighbour c Not seeking our Own against his welfare d but doing as we would be done by e forbearing and forgiving f and loving our neighbour as our selves g Yea loving our enemies and doing good to all according to our power h The Agreement of the Associated PASTORS I. WE do each one for himself profess our Resolution in the strength of Christ to be faithful and diligent in the works of our Ministry and to live an holy and exemplary life in Piety Justice and Charity according to the measure of our abilities Especially watching against those sins that tend to the corrupting or dividing of the Church and to the hindring of our Ministry and to the dishonour of the Gospel and of our holy profession II. We do profess our Agreement and Resolution in the strength of Christ to be faithful and diligent in publick Preaching the Gospel And in the personal instructing of all in our Parishes or undertaken limits that will submit thereto teaching the Ignorant the Principles of Religion endeavouring in Love Compassion and Meekness and yet with seriousness and zeal to convince the erroneous and opposers to awaken the presumptuous and secure and help them to try the state of their souls and to see and feel their sin and misery and return to God by Christ that they may live to strengthen the weak to raise the faln to edifie and confirm the strong and to comfort such as need consolation and to help them all to prepare for death and judgement and for everlasting life And all this as frequently constantly and orderly as our strength and time and greater duties will permit III. That the Churches may be capable of the Discipline of Christ and constituted and ruled according to the Word of God and the ends of our Office and Labours may be attained we are Agreed and Resolved to take none for Adult members of the Churches committed to our special charge nor admit them as such to Church-Communion and Priviledges but those that have first made some personal credible Profession of true Christianity that is of Faith and Obedience and as members of those Churches submit to our Pastoral over-sight according to the Word of God But all that make this Profession of Christianity and Consent to live in Communion with the Church and under the Ministry and Discipline of Christ we shall receive though they be weak in knowledge and utterance and duties

now in the end of the world to find out the certain practice of the Apostles better then all the Churches which they planted 53. Seeing the Lords Day is purposely set apart for the celebrating of the memoriall of the Resurrection of Christ and so of the work of our Redemption as the Sabbath was for the Commemorating of the work of Creation the work of the day must be very much Eucharistical and the Church should be taken up in the thankful admiration of the mysterie and mercy of our Redemption and in the affectionate praises of the Lord our Redeemer and an aspiring after the everlasting Rest which he hath purchased and promised and prepared for us with himself 54. Ministers must not only perform the publike worship of God upon this day but also exhort the people to improve the rest of it in private by prayer and meditation and holy conference and calling to mind the Word which they have heard especially the Parents and Masters of families who must instruct their children and servants and watch over them and restrain them from the violation of the day and call them to an account of the doctrine they have heard and the duties to be performed 55. It is lawful and a duty on other daies also according to our necessities and opportunities to Redeem some time for the publike worship of God And whenever the Pastors shall call the Church together to hear the Word or perform holy worship it is the peoples duty obediently and gladly to attend if greater duties do not prohibit them 56. When great afflictions lie upon the Church or any useful members of it or when any great sins have been committed among them it is meet that in publike by fasting and prayer we humble our selves before the Lord for the averting of his displeasure And on such occasions it is the Pastors duty to confess his own and the peoples sins with penitence and tenderness of heart and by his doctrine and exhortation to endeavour effectually to bring the people to the sight and sense of their sin and the deserts of it and to a firm resolution of better obedience for the time to come being importunate with God in Prayer for pardon and renewed Grace 57. Upon the receipt of any notable extraordinary mercies the Church having opportunity should Assemble for publike Thanksgiving unto God wherein the Pastors should stir them up to the livelyest sense of the greatness of their mercies and lead them in a joyful celebration of the praises of their bountiful benefactor And it is lawful on these daies to express our joy in feasting and outward signs of mirth provided that they be moderately and spiritually used and not to gratifie our sensual desires and that we relieve the poor in their necessities which also on daies of Humiliation and other seasons we must not forget 58. It is not unlawful or unmeet to keep an anniversary commemoration of some great and notable mercies to the Church the memory whereof should be transmitted to posterity 59. In all the modes and circumstances of worship which God himself hath left undetermined all Christians must take heed of making unnecessary things to be necessary and laying the unity and peace of the Church on things indifferent and laying snares for the consciences of others but must leave much to the prudence of the particular Pastors that are upon the place to whom it belongs to fit such circumstantials to their peoples state and the Churches in such things wherein they may safely differ must be left to their liberty Long and sad experience having taught us that the violent imposing of unnecessary things is the engine of the Devil to tear the Church 60. The marriage of Christians being a work of great concernment to themselves and meet to be publikely performed and accordingly to be sanctified by the Word and Prayer it is convenient that it be solemnized by the Minister or at least that he counsell and exhort them and pray for a blessing on them being first sufficiently satisfied of their capacity and necessary preparations Herein he is to acquaint them with the Institution Nature and Ends of their Relations and the duties severally and joyntly by them to be performed and the difficulties and temptations to be expected and provided for Especially they are to be directed to live together in holiness as the heirs of life and to be very carefull and diligent in the holy education of their children and governing their families for the Lord and to use the world as not abusing it remembring their approaching separation by death And he is to see that they solemnly enter into the Matrimonial Covenant engaging themselves to conjugal fidelity to each other until they are separated by death 61. The Pastors of the Churches must not only Teach the people and guide them in the publike worship but also must faithfully Oversee them in private endeavouring to know and watch over each member of their flock preserving them from heresies errours and divisions defending the Truth confuting gainsayers and seducers instructing the Ignorant exciting the negligent encouraging the despondent comforting the afflicted confirming the weak rebuking and admonishing the disorderly and scandalous and directing all according to their needs in the matters of their Salvation And the people in such needs should have ordinary recourse to them as the Officers of Christ for guidance and resolution of their doubts and for assistance in making their Salvation sure and procuring maintaining or restoring the peace of their consciences and spiritual consolation 62. Those persons that are known to commit any gross and scandalous sin should first by private reproof and admonition unless where the notoriousness and heinousness of the crime doth presently call for publike reproof be called to Repentance And if they hear not the Reprovers or will not Reform the Church must be told of it and therein it is most convenient that the Pastors be first acquainted with the case to avoid contention and confusion before it be brought into the publike assembly And to that end it is convenient that there be stated meetings where the Pastors and some chosen members of the Church not as Officers but the Deputies or Trustees of the rest should in their several capacities take cognizance of such offences that so a unity and full correspondence may be held between the Pastors and the flock and all things may be done advisedly orderly and concordantly but where this cannot well be done the Pastor or Pastors must do their work without it 63. Those persons that by more private means will not be brought to necessary Repentance and Reformation must by the Pastor be publikely reproved and admonished before the Church and there called to Repentance by the opening of their sin and the judgements of the Lord and pleading with them those Gospel mercies and motives that should melt them into contrition And if the success do not appear it is ordinarily meet that the

and Churches 73. Where the fixing of a stated President in each of these Associations is requisite for the peace and edification of the Brethren it may well be yielded to but however a special care must be had to prevent contentions and divisions and therefore perverse disputings must be suppressed and proud self-conceited domineering persons and such as are of fiery turbulent contentious spirits and also subtile hereticks and dividers must be watched against as the plague of the Churches and all possible charity humility meekness self-denyal and zeal for holy concord must be exercised 74. Those that through distance or impediments cannot or through mistakes or peevishness will not joyn in such stated brotherly Associations and Assemblies are yet to be allowed the due estimation and affection of Brethren and so much Communion as at a distance they are capable of if they do but agree with us in a sound profession of the faith and a holy conversation and Ministerial fidelity in the main but yet we must disown the sin of their dividing or neglect and as we have opportunity testifie against it 75. These Churches that cannot hold local Communion with one another through differences that destroy not the Essentials of Christianity should yet maintain a dear and tender Christian Love to one another and profess their owning each other as Christians and Churches of Jesus Christ and should agree together upon certain just and equal Rules for the management of their unavoidable differences so as may least prejudice charity and common good and least harden the ungodly or grieve the weak or dishonour God or hinder the success of Common great and necessary Truths upon the souls of men contriving and amicably promoting the Cause of Christianity and every part of it in which they are agreed and should open their disagreements to the people as little as they can 76. In cases of tolerable difference as Ministers and People must maintain a special holy Love and Communion as far as their differences will admit so must they desire the well-fare and the Peace of one another and not stir up hatred or persecution against each other by odious nick-names or exasperating the Magistrate or people against dissenters but should consent to the Liberty of each other and help to take off unjust hatred and to hinder all unmerciful violence or rigor against one another And all of us should watch against and abhor that proud self-conceited domineering disposition that would make us censorious malicious or cruel against the weakest servants of the Lord 77. Yet must we not under pretence of Charity consent to any such noxious Liberty as plainly tendeth to the wrong of the Church and the poysoning of the souls of others nor yet must we consent to the errours of the best Though we are not the judges of the secrets of mens hearts nor may not deal uncharitably with any yet must not heretical self-conceited persons be tolerated in the obstinate dispersing of their errours to the destruction or danger of mens souls nor to reproach and speak against the weighty necessary truths of God Nor should any be tolerated to kindle the flames of uncharitableness and contentions in the Churches by railing reproachful language against the tolerable dissenters But a healing merciful and profitable and not a destructive Toleration should be promoted 78. The Pastors of the Churches of Christ have the power of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven but not of the Temporal sword on earth And though we determine not whether in cases of Necessity it be lawful for Pastors to be also Magistrates yet it is certain that without Necessity it should not be allowed their work requiring all their time and strength and that as Pastors it belongeth not to them But as the Magistrate is the appointed officer of God to Govern even Churches Pastors and People in the way of outward force and Pastors are his Officers to govern them by Spiritual Conduct so must we be so far from desiring to usurp a secular power that we should still advise the Magistrate to keep the sword in his own hand and to take heed of putting compulsive power in the hands of Pastors or enabling them to execute their passionate displeasure against their brethren And as the Magistrate must not usurp the Pastors office but only see that we perform it our selves and punish us if we do not so must not the Pastors usurp the Magistrates office but humbly and modestly teach and advise him from the word of God and reprove him and threaten him and in cases of extremity denounce the Wrath of God against him and bind him over to the Tribunal of Heaven to answer for his obstinate impenitent contempt and then leave all the matter to that bar and patiently suffer if we be persecuted by him Not doing any thing in the management of any of our work without a due respect and reverence to his Authority and a care of the common good that dependeth on his honour but remembring what is meet for him to hear and for us as Messengers of Christ to speak 79. Those Churches of several Nations that through distance and diversity of secular Governours are uncapable of personal or local Communion with others should yet consent as neer as may be in their holy professions and practises not tying each other to any of their unnecessary modes or forms nor uncharitably censuring any tolerable dissenters but owning those Churches that agree with them in the great and necessary things holding such correspondence with them by Messengers as shall be needful to the promoting of their Unity Love and Peace and of the Gospel and common cause of Christ and the defence of each other against the common enemies of those as emergent occasions shall require and direct them 80. To the aforesaid uses the Councils or Synods of Pastors are lawful and convenient in cases that require them where the Pastors of several Churches and Nations may diliberate and determine in order to their Unity of Doctrines and Practices to be Agrreed in and may strengthen the hands of one another But yet the Canons of such Councils are rather Agreements then proper Laws to their several members or absent Brethren and bind in order to Unity and Concord by vertue of those General Commands that require us to do the work of God in such Unity and Concord and not by vertue of any proper superior Regimental power which that Council hath over the particular Bishops of the Churches of Christ And as for General Councils as we should to the forementioned ends regard and honour them above all other if really such were lawfully assembled so in this enlarged and dispersed state of the Militant Church we may easily see that full and proper Universal Councils are neither the Stated Governors of the Universal Church nor necessary to its well-being no nor Lawful to be attempted as a Course that would certainly destroy or grievously wrong the Churches

by the death and long absence of the Pastors through so many hundred and thousand miles travail and so long attending which the state and work of proper Universal Councils will require Yea the said distance with the age and weakness of the Pastors and the different languages and the poverty of many disabling them from such tedious voyages and journies and the dissent of the Princes many of them Heathens Infidels Mahometans under whose Government they live or through whose dominions they must pass these with many the like Impediments do make a true Universal Council like an Universal Parliament or Senate to be so far from necessary or desirable as to be Morally Impossible or next to Impossible as to the very Being of it The way that God hath appointed for Church-Government and deciding controversies is 1. That Princes and Magistrates govern by the sword or force and judge who are fit to be Punished by the sword And though most Princes on the earth by Infidelity have made themselves uncapable of this part of the work of their Office yet cannot that disoblige them from the Commands of God or free them from his punishments for not performing them nor make the Office of Magistrates another thing nor disable Christian Princes and Magistrates or disoblige them who have not made themselves uncapable 2. That these Princes and Governors of several Nations do hold a Loving Christian Correspondency for the management of their affairs and Government of the Churches under them so as may be most to the advantage of the Cause of Christ and the union strength and defence of Christians The General Rules and Ends of their Trust and Power do oblige them to hold such Assemblies by their Messengers as are needful for their Agreement and the Unity and Safety of the Churches under them as well as they oblige Pastors to such necessary correspondencies 3. That the Pastors of particular Churches be the Governors of those Churches by the word and holy Discipline not having the power of the sword or violence and that they Judge who is fit or unfit for Communion with that Church which each or any of them over-see and who is to be thence Excommunicated or there Absolved 4. That these Bishops Pastors or Elders of particular Churches should hold Communion among themselves with all their Brethren of other Churches as far as their natural capacity will allow and the need or benefit of the Churches require it and that they handle in common the causes that belong to all in common and settle and maintain Agreements for the Unity and Communion of the Churches And they are Judges as Associate who is to be received into their Associate Communion and who to be excluded from it and what Pastors or Churches they should hold such Communion with as they are capable of and which they should admonish or renounce 5. The Christian people have allowed them a Judgement of Discretion by which they must prove all things and hold fast that which is good and must discern and obey the Lawfull commands and directions of their Magistrates and Pastors 6. And as Men have thus their several shares alloted them in Government Judgement and decisions limitedly and not Absolutely judging even to the Execution which belongs to their several Judicatures So the Finall Absolute Judgement and Decision of all Controversies and Causes is reserved to the dreadfull Tribunal of the Lord to which we may make our last Appeal where all the world shall be judged in Righteousness and all the Judgements of men be themselves Judged and Truth and Error Good and Evil Right and Wrong will be more perfectly manifested unto all and it shall be irreversibly determined by Jesus Christ who shall go into Life Everlasting and who to everlasting punishment Come Lord Jesus Come quickly Novemb. 16. 1658. THE Author thought it not unfit here to annex the Description of that Order and Discipline which is exercised by him with his Assistant fellow-Pastors in the Parish-Church of Kederminster in Association with many Pastors of those parts who have Agreed to exercise so much of the Ministerial Office as by the consent of the Episcopal Presbyterian and Congregationall belongeth to them Which being published 1. May prevent mens injurious mis-reports of our Associations and Discipline which they may be drawn to by fallacious fame 2. And may be an example for those Churches that by the Magistrates are left at liberty to worship God in that Communion and Order which they judge most agreeable to the Word of God and the Vniversal Consent and Practice of the Primitive Church The Order and Discipline of this Church agreeable to the Word of God I. WE are willing to Teach all in our Parish the doctrine of Life that are willing to learn And desire them all to hear the Word publikely preached and to come to us to be Catechized or Instructed II. We own all those as visible Christians and members of the Universal Church that make a credible Profession of Christianity and destroy it not by Heresie or ungodly lives III. So many of these as also Consent to hold Communion with this Church as members of it submitting to the Ministers and Discipline of Christ we shall esteem our flock and special charge and faithfully perform the duties of our Office for their good as we are able IV. We desire that all the Youth of the Parish will learn the principles of the Christian Religion and as soon as they understand it and are heartily resolved to give up themselves to God in Christ through the spirit and to lead a holy life that they will come and acquaint us with their Faith and Resolution and before the Church will make a solemn Profession thereof and give up themselves to God in the personal owning their Baptismal Covenant either reciting the fore-going Creed or Profession or if they are unfit for publike speaking by Consenting when we propound it to them or by any other fit expressions That so we may publikely pray for their confirmation and if they Consent also to hold Communion with this Church we may know them as our Charge and Register their names V. Those Parishoners that desire us to Baptize their children or to be themselves admitted to the Lords Supper and are not members of this Church because they will not we desire to come to us some dayes before that so we may be satisfied of their Faith and Life And if they seem true Christians and either bring a Certificate that they are members of any other Church with which we are to hold Communion or shew that it is not from ungodliness that they refuse to live under Order and Discipline we shall Baptize their children and occasionally admit them to our Communion But if they are scandalous we shall require them first to Profess their serious Repentance And if they return to scandal we shall after stay till we see their Reformation or of one of the parents in case of