Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	according_a	ghost_n	holy_a	5,624	5	4.7363	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A38042	Socinianism unmask'd a discourse shewing the unreasonableness of a late writer's opinion concerning the necessity of only one article of Christian faith, and of his other assertions in his late book, entituled, The reasonableness of Christianity as deliver'd in the Scriptures, and in his vindication of it : with a brief reply to another (professed) Socinian writer / by John Edwards ...	Edwards, John, 1637-1716.	1696 (1696)	Wing E214; ESTC R3296	60,720	171

time it is no doubt use the same discipline towards the latter i. e. lop off some of the Precepts of the Decalogue and diminish that Form and Pattern of Prayer which our Saviour hath left us Thus this Writer sees how sitly his book of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. was brought into my Discourse about the Causes and Occasions of Atheism which he seems to wonder at p. 2. It appears also that if I gave his book an Ill Name as he complains it doth deserve it and that it hath not only a Socinian but an Atheistick Tang. I have proved and shall yet further do it in this present Undertaking that he hath corrupted mens minds depraved the Gospel and abused Christianity And is there no Atheism in this To conclude if after all he will stand to his Proposition and assert there is but One Article of Faith just one and no more and it is sure there can be no less necessarily to be assented to he may enjoy his Confident Humour but it is to be hoped that there is not any considerable number of men in the world that will admit of such an Unaccountable Paradox and forfeit their Reasons merely to please their Fancy But because I design'd these Papers for the satisfying of the Readers Doubts about any thing occurring concerning the matter before us and for the establishing of his wavering mind I will here before I pass to the Second General Head of my Discourse answer a Query or Objection which some and not without some shew of Ground may be apt to start How comes it to pass they will say that this Article of Faith viz. that Iesus is the Messias or Christ is so often repeated in the New Testament Why is this sometimes urged without the mentioning of any other Article of Belief Doth not this plainly shew that this is All that is requir'd to be believ'd as Necessary to make a man a Christian May we not infer from the frequent and sole repetition of this Article in several places of the Evangelist and the Acts that there is no other Point of Faith of absolute necessity but that this alone is sufficient to constitute a man a True Member of Christ To clear this Objection and to give a full and satisfactory Answer to all doubts in this affair I offer these ensuing Particulars which will lead the Reader to the right understanding of the whole case 1. It must be consider'd that the believing of Iesus to be the promised Messias was the first step to Christianity and therefore This rather than any other Article was propounded to be believ'd by all those whom either our Saviour or the Apostles invited to imbrace Christianity If they would not if they did not give credit to This in the first place viz. That Iesus of Nazareth was that Eminent and Extraordinary Person prophesied of long before and that he was Sent and Commission'd by God there could be no hope that they would attend unto any other Proposal relating to the Christian Religion This is the true reason why that Article was constantly propounded to be believ'd by all that look'd towards Christianity and why it is mention'd so often in the Evangelical Writings It was that which made way for the embracing of all the other Articles it was the passage to all the rest But our Anonymous Author not thinking of this but observing that this One Article was usually required to be assented to in the Gospel-Writings he thence inconsiderately concludes that this is the Whole of the Christian Belief and that there is nothing else to be necessarily assented to to make a man a Christian. I am sorry to see that a person of some Sense can have so little a feeling of the True Nature and Import of Christianity that he can harbour such a thought as this that all the necessary part of our Belief is summ'd up in a bare giving assent to this Proposition Iesus is the Messias He mistakes a part of Christian Faith for All and the Entrance and Beginning of it for the full Consummation of it 2. It is to be remembred that though this One Proposition or Article be mention'd alone in some places yet there is reason to think and be perswaded that at the same time other Matters of Faith were proposed For it is confess'd by all Intelligent and Observing men that the History of the Scripture is concise and that in relating of matter of Fact many passages are omitted by the Sacred Pen-men Wherefore though but this One Article of belief because it is a Leading one and makes way for the rest be expresly mention'd in some of the Gospels yet we must not conclude thence that no other matter of Faith was requir'd to be admitted of For things are briefly set down in the Evangelical Records and we must suppose many things which are not in direct terms related The not attending to this hath been one occasion of the present mistake Hence it was that this Narrow-minded Writer shuts up all in belief of Iesus's being the Christ. 3. This also must be thought of that though there are Several parts and members of the Christian Faith yet they do not all occur in any One place of Scripture This is well known to those that are conversant in the Writings of the New Testament and therefore when in some places only One single part of the Christian Faith is made mention of as necessarily to be imbrac'd in order to Salvation we must be careful not to take it alone but to supply it from several other places which make mention of other Necessary and Indispensable Points of Belief I will give the Reader a plain Instance of this Rom. 10. 9. If thou shalt believe in thy heart that God hath rais'd him i. e. the Lord Jesus from the dead thou shalt be saved Here One Article of Faith viz. the belief of Christ's Resurrection because it is of so great importance in Christianity is only mention'd but all the rest must be supposed because they are mention'd in other places And consequently if we would give an impartial account of our Belief we must consult those places and they are not all together but dispers'd here and there wherefore we must look them out and acquaint our selves with the Several Particulars which make up our Belief and render it entire and consummate But our hasty Author took another course and thereby deceiv'd himself and unhappily deceives others 4. This which is the Main Answer to the Objection must be born in our minds that Christianity was erected by degrees according to that prediction and promise of our Saviour that the Spirit should teach them all things John 14. 26. and that he should guide them into all truth John 16. 13. viz. after his Departure and Ascension when the Holy Ghost was to be sent in a special manner to enlighten mens minds and to discover to them the great Mysteries of Christianity This is to be