Selected quad for the lemma: head_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
head_n	body_n	member_n	mystical_a	10,421	5	11.0632	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61449	Thoughts about promoting the interest of Christ's universal church	Stephens, Edward, d. 1706.	1700 (1700)	Wing S5444A; ESTC R222028	4,383	5

Thoughts about promoting the Interest of Christ's Universal Church THE Interest of the Universal Church lyeth doubtless in the raising inlarging and adorning of that mystical building which is called the City of God Christs Spouse and Christs Body As this Body is made up of such members as are animated by the vital Spirit which Floweth from the Head and linkes them together with one another as well as with their Head Christ so real Christianity is without doubt the main point of the Universal Church and as real Christianity spreads and improves or shrinks and decayes the Universal Church must be looked upon as flourishing or declining Real Christianity consisting in following the steps of our Saviour and expressing by our life his pattern as far as Divine Grace inables every one of us we may term it a ressemblance to Christ the restorer of Gods image in the soul of man the Beginner and Fullfiller of our Faith Now the nearer we ressemble unto Christ and the more there is of those that ressemble him the more fully the glorious ends of his Gospel are answered and the Universal Church advanced As absurd as it is to think that Christ dyed for this or that sect and that heaven must be stocked onely out of one particular Church nevertheless notions of Christianity run so low that the greatest part fancy Christian Religion is the performing of divine Worship after this or that form and houlding such or such opinions Which false supposition hath betrayed some into Unchristian courses against those that differ from them and occasioned dolefull effects Wherefore divers pious Souls have endeavored to heal the wounds of the Church by reconciling the aforesaid differences It is but too much known how fruitless hitherto such endeavours have proved Nor can it be otherwise as long as that poisonous root of all dissension remains in the Soul namely the rebellious selfish tincture contracted by the first man in listening to te serpent and so declining from God to Satan the Prince of Pride It would not signifie much neither if all the men in the world resolved upon using the same expressions and the same Church service continuing all the while slaves to te Kingdom of darkness Whereas holyness or real Christianity sincerily pursued in the several particular Churches would approach people to that heavenly temper to which jarring and disquiet is a perfect stranger Wherefore I am of opinion that instead of studying for confessions to be received by all partys or arguing against one another's tenets the differing partys should vye with one another who could produce most instances of such as have in their Church arrived at the glorious renovation of Gods image in the Soul which is the sign and effect of that Faith which (a) 1 Joh. V. 4. overcomes the world (b) Eph. III. 17. and by which Christ lives in us inabling those that receive him (c) Joh. I. 12. to become childern of God Those that (d) 2 Cor. V. 17. are in Christ become such new Creatures and united with him need not study for a confession whereby thy might be united all of them together living as it were by one common Soul Though the number of such is very small nevertheless God hath some here and there which in his infinite mercy he hath left as the salt of the earth These Few ought to be the more thank-full to that goodness which hath snatch'd them out of the inundation of the Universal Corruption The greatest thankfulness to the great Donor of all good and perfect gifts consists in benefitting others by what we have received out of the unexhaustible divine treasure to the glory of the Liberal Giver Wherefore the aforesaid proficients in real Christianity will hardly make here on earth a better return to heavens Favors than if they heartily bestir themselves to communicate unto others that divine nature whereof in the new Creature they are made partakers After these premises I inferr that the Interest of the Universal Church might be promoted if the following points were heeded 1. Those that are in authority should study all possible means to provide such Guides for the people as have an experimental knowledge of the above-mentioned real Christianity and can say with St. Paul Follow me as you see me follow Christ At least ut-most care ought to be taken that a Preacher my not bring a reproach or disparagement upon his doctrine by his bad example Persons that have not themselves recovered life by Christ will hardly be able duely to lay before their hearers what is the (e) Eph. IV. 22. Old man depraved according to the desires of the Deceit and the (f) Eph. IV. 24. New man who is created after God in Righteousness and holyness of the truth what it is to be dead in sin and to be resuscitated with Christ Wherein nevertheless consists preaching repentance and Faith which two heads (g) Act. XX. 21. St. Paul rekones the chief towards the saving of Souls Without this foundation the learnedest discourses will avail little towards the inlarging of Gods Kingdom though they tickle the ears get credit and esteem to the Preacher and fill the minds of the hearers with never so fine notions Nay though they should convince the auditory of the advantages of a good moral life little will be practised as long as the principle of disobedience selflove and own will continueth the spring of the heart At the best a good moral life is not yet Gods Righteousness (h) 2 Cor. V. 21. which is the Scope of the Gospel Moral men are some times fallen into a conceit of themselves setting up their own righteousness for want of due instruction about the deplorable state of corrupted nature and the glorious advantage of a new birth from above (i) Phil. III 9. which formeth Christ in us and begetts at this rate Gods Righteousness which is by Faith 2. For the breeding many Guides duely qualifyed it would be requisite to order the Schools so that a solid foundation for true wisdome might be laid there by inuring youth betimes to a sincere regard to him who is the fountain of true understanding For want hereof we find so many Schollars that aim rather at fame by being versed in many hard authors than at the glorifying of God and advantaging their Neighbour by an experimental knowledge of the vast difference between Living to God and Living to ourselves I have met with some that took more delight in giving an account of an old manuscript than in turning of a Soul from the world to heaven Nor is it probable Heavens interest should be heartily espoused by those with whom the Love of the world bears the chief sway Though Providence hath contrived it so wisely that some smart for their vanity in desiring the reputation of vast Schollars because oftentimes they become unfit for thinking right themselves by wasting their lives in cramming other mens notions into their brains