Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	body_n	soul_n	unite_v	2,581	5	9.8377	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37064	A demonstration of the necessity of settling some Gospel-government amongst the churches of Christ in this nation held forth in an answer to a querie whereby Mr. Saltmarch did once endeavour to hinder the settlement of all church-government in the nation : written in the year 1646, and now published for the present use of these times, wherein it may be seasonable to be taken into consideration for the preventing of further confusion and disorder amongst the professors of the Gospell / by John Dury.	Dury, John, 1596-1680.; Hartlib, Samuel, d. 1662.	1654 (1654)	Wing D2851; ESTC R24917	50,485	74

chiefly in respect of the Word of God I say again I wounder he should dare to do so in respect of the Charge which the Apostle giveth him To hold fast the form of sound words delivered unto him 2 Tim. 1.13 For if this be his practise to alter the sound words of the Spirit I would tell him that in so doing he doth make his first words of his Title Page to be found fals wherein he doth pretend the advancement of Truth and Peace For if he dare presume to corrupt the Word of God for the easier Introduction of some opinion of his own what Truth can we find to be in him or what Peace can he expect from any that perceiveth this deceitfull dealing and how will he answer it to God that saith Add thou not to his Word lest he reprove thee and thou be found a lyar Prov. 30.6 He that doth alledge the Word falsely will have no great care to divide it rightly and apply it truly I speak this upon a supposall which I would have him to take away by shewing how the Word of the Text comes to be Changed For I rejoyce not in iniquity but in the Truth as Charity doth command me to do 1 Cor. 13.6 Now I will tell you how I purpose to proceed in Answering his Querie if God permit First I will reflect upon the Question in it self as a matter of serious Deliberation which may be considered for the advancement of Truth and Peace Secondly I intend to reflect upon the Question as he doth handle it to observe what Truth is in his Decision and how farre the Way which he doth suggest is like to produce Peace Thirdly I will endeavour by Gods Assistance to sughe● a Word of Advice upon the whole Matter which may be usefull to prevent the increase of Error and strife The first Part. The Querie is Whether it be fit yea or no according to the Principles of true Religion and State to settle any Church-Government over a Kingdome hastily or not and with the power commonly desired in the hands of the Ministers LEt us look deliberately upon this Querie and to that effect let us take it into peeces The parts thereof are three First The thing whereof the Question is made Secondly The Question which is made of that thing Thirdly The limitations of the Thing and Question The thing whereof the Question is made is of Church-Government over the Kingdome The Question made hereof or the thing sought after is to know Whether yea or no it be fit that any such thing should be hastily settled The limitation of the thing whereof the Question is made is Whether the Government should be with the Power commonly desired in the hands of the Ministers The limitation of the Question is Whether that Settlement can be according to the Principles of true Religion and State If now any will enter into a serious deliberation upon the Matter to resolve himself without partiality in this Question he must go orderly to work by a Rule and not let his mind rove at random to snatch at incident thoughts Therefore in the first place he must needs understand what is meant by all the words of the Querie for without this foundation all will be in vain because the matter not being known which is to be spoken unto nothing can be said of it to any purpose And in the second place he must be able to compare the particulars understood orderly one with another if need be but chiefly with the intent of the Question to find out by the result of the comparison what is to be answered upon the whole Matter Let us then endeavour to follow these waies First I conceive that by the word Church is meant a certain number of Souls called out of the world to be Saints and joyned together in the true profession of Christianity Or thus The Church is the Company of Souls as they are Christs subjects in the world I reflect here upon Men as souls not excluding their bodies because the soul is the immediate subject upon which Christ doth work and because men as they are bodies and have outward estates are properly the immediate subjects upon which worldly Kingdoms work Yet I do not deny but souls are also in some kind subjected to Superior Powers Rom. 13.1 but that is onely in relation to the bodily life which they have and so are Bodies in like manner subjects unto Christ namely in respect of that spiritual life whereby they are acted through their souls So we see that one and the same person is two wayes in subjection one way to Christ another way to the Civill Magistrate and if the distinction of this two-fold subjection be rightly understood and the true foundation thereof cleared many doubts otherwise insoluble will easily be decided concerning the limits and joynt consistence of the Civil Ecclesiastical Powers For as the Soul doth relate the Body in spirituall matters so doth Christs power in the Church relate to the subjects of a State and as the Body doth relate to the Soul in outward matters so doth the Civill Power relate to the Church of Christ that is to Men as they are his subjects The properties of these relations will determine the Spheres of these Powers according to the extent of the influence of their vertue each upon other and according to the subordination of their ends unto the happinesse unto the Whole Secondly I conceive by that which is called Government in General that is meant the right ordering and guiding of Subjects in the course of their life towards the proper end thereof and consequently by Church-Government in particular I must conceive the right ordering and guiding of mens souls by Christs power in the course of their spirituall life tending to settle them in a perpetuall communion of happinesse with God the Father and Himself Thirdly By the Kingdome I understand the society of English men as they are united in their outward life under the Government and Laws which are settled for their Peace and Safety therein Now when the Question is of a Church-Government over this Kingdome the meaning is of a Government that should be settled in and throughout the Kingdome namely in all the Churches thereof and not over and above the Authority and Power of the Kingdome For as the Soul is not properly over the Body but in it and this not under the Soul but united to it and both are in the same person so we may conceive of the Church and Kingdome that as the Kingdome is a worldly Society the Church is not over it nor it under the Church but both are united together in one Christian State as the life of the soul by the Spirit and of the Body by the outward senses are in one and the same Man Thus then the words are to be understood in respect of the matter of the Question in respect of the Scope or Thing questioned we must also