Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	affection_n	understanding_n	will_n	4,333	5	5.6834	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52038	An expedient to preserve peace and amity, among dissenting brethren. By a brother in Christ	Marshall, Stephen, 1594?-1655.	1647 (1647)	Wing M754A; ESTC R204591	29,957	42

known amongst us by the name of dissenting Brethren which are of two sorts Rigid Presbyterians Independants I know not how nor by whom these names were invented but I make use of them as current termes by which they are distinguished Though indeed in one seeming regard disclaiming as some say the power of the Magistrate they are both Independants in effect for so they both would hang on their own hinges nor have any other judge of their Religious actions but themselves a thing wholly inconsistent with our civil Governmen t Of the rigid Presbyterians we may account as of younger brethren men and minds ●eerer a kin to ours yet rather ayming to invest themselves with Will and Power then in humility submit to the Ordinances of the Magistrate who is the Ordinance of God Yea they seem to bee so greedy of this absolute power over the actions and Consciences of men that rather then want it they will derive their right from Jesus Christ making it Iure divino to be in themselves This was also the Bishops claime and these brethren seem to set up Episcopacy disguised for they drive at the same ends shunning to give an account of their actions to the supreame Magistrate and subjecting all men to a seperated government of their own erection but because I have already shown that no such divine sanction ratifyed by Christ or his Apostles can be found in the records of holy Scripture and I shall hereafter prove more at large that this pretence directly crosseth and supplanteth the Ordinance and obedience of the eivill Magistrate which are indeed Jure divino I shall desire these our brethren at their leysure to let us know whither Christ did ever appoint any thing to bee universally received jure divino which was not necessary to salvation and whither lawfull obedience to the Magistrate in outward government of the Church neither adding nor diminishing from the precepts of Christ necessary to salvation be an impediment thereunto or prejudice to any mans Conscience In the meane time be they intreated in the feare of God and by the love of brethren to lay aside these ungrounded opinions and prefer the Peace and Unity of the Church before any needlesse disputes which may breed a rupture in the Common-wealth The other sort called Independants goe a degree further most of them refusing to mingle with us in the Ordinances of Gods worship and Communion of Saints and when they are desired to shew their reasons their strongest plea is that so long as they are not convinced in their judgement they ought not to bee constrained in their Consciences nor forced to assent to that which they disapprove And this indeed is no unbrotherly plea but some say they slay not there requiring further a liberty of Conscience not only to be subject or not subject to the said Government but to have also a toleration to set up another government against it under the same authority that disallowes it telling us that wee ought not to bruise the broken reed nor quench the smoaking Flax nor offend our weak brethren for whom Christ dyed Whether this bee as some say only a popular flag to call in multitudes to the Standard of liberty or not I shall bestow a little time to search and sift this point to the Bran and for the more orderly cleering thereof I will lay down as I have formerly done some few assertions which I presume will not bee denyed on either side the opening whereof will discover the truth wee seek for and make the objections that obscure it vanish 1. That the nature of Conscience is so free in it selfe that it cannot be constrained by any Power of man 2. That there is no Rule to bind the Conscience but onely the infallible word of God 3. That the Christian Magistrate judging and decreeing by that Rule ought to be obeyed for Conscience sake FOr the first point it will not be amisse to looke into the nature of Liberty and then of Conscience from whence will appeare the unconstrainednesse thereof Liberty in generall is a faculty of the Will whereby it is enabled to accept or refuse any medium or object represented to it as conducible to its end This Liberty is taken divers wayes there is a Naturall a Civill and a Supernaturall or Divine Naturall Liberty wherein we are borne is a faculty of willing and nilling flying or following chusing or refusing doing or not doing any thing in order to the conservation of a naturall State The subject thereof is properly the Will and the objects good or evill in order to preservation Civill liberty is a freedome which we exercise under the constitutions of some Politicall society The Naturall liberty of every particular man would bee the greatest servitude of all Hence happily wee have Leges a ligando which doe not permit us the roving liberty of Nature to choose or refuse doe or not doe what naturally we list The Will cannot be constrained in the act of willing for it were a contradiction to will unwillingly but by a Civill power it may bee restrained from the effect in some penalty prescribed It 's to be observed that this Civill liberty in some respects is both larger and narrower then the Naturall It is larger because in a Civill constitution the preservation of all men is better caution'd and cared for And it is narrower because many things which wee might all naturally doe are restrained by the lawes of Society Here is therefore a Liberty but still under some power coercive or rather corrective of Naturall liberty So that wee may well say when a man is released out of Prison hee is set at liberty though he be still under the Civill tye of the Law and when he hath payed his debts that hee is freed of his bonds yet so as alwayes to be bound with those of civill Society And because we are exempted from the will and tyranny of the Prince wee are called Free-men having the liberty and protection of our Lawes though otherwise they bind us to obedience In this place all kind of Dispensations Pardons releasments absolutions exemptions and the like are said to give us a Civill liberty by taking of some restraint Supernaturall liberty is the restitution from Naturall servitude for pure nature wherein Man was created had a perfect Liberty but nature corrupted by sin fell into slavery from wh●nce it can onely bee restored by Grace Conscience is a faculty of the Soule which fitteth in the throne and hath a superintendency and dominion over the whole man as it were a Lieutenant deputy under God Nothing escapeth ●●e Court of Conscie●ce hither are brought the errours of the Vnderstanding the depravations of the Will the tumults of the Affections the distempers of the Mind the disorders of the Body to receive their doom to be approved or disapproved condemned or acquitted She is furnished with all things concurring to judgement She hath right to accuse credit to witnesse