Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	apostle_n	church_n	holy_a	6,886	5	5.0568	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60368	Christian instruction directing to a more perfect and saving knowledge of God, in the foundation-principles of true religion. By way of question and answer. Meet to be seriously considered by all true Christians, for their help and furtherance in the great concerns of eternal life. By W.S.	Saller, William, d. ca. 1680.	1670 (1670)	Wing S398C; ESTC R218598	19,270	28

Christ that we may be kept humble in working and withall thankful for what we obtain through believing Q. How ought we to exercise our Faith that we may become Saints or are we adopted without it A. No not without it John 1.12 Gal. 3.26 Heb. 11.6 but thus ought we to exercise our Faith First consider the Might Grace Wisdom and Faithfulness of God and hence conclude that you may well believe his words be all true Secondly consider the clearness of the Gospel held forth to sinners lost and helpless in themselves yet may scarcely rest upon the grace of God in Christ for grace to change the heart and life according to the promises made to such in the Gospel Isa 45.22 John 3.14 15 16 17. Heb. 7.25 with many like gracious promises in the Scripture and through the beholding the glory of the Lord in his Gospel thou shalt not only be adopted but also changed by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 Q. When a person is a Child of God by Faith is there any thing more for him to do in order to his enjoying eternal happiness A. Yea it is his duty and that in order to his safety to live by Faith Hab. 2.4 Heb. 10.38 Q. Is there eminent danger of a Believers falling away A. There is danger if a man be careless and decline but no such eminent danger but that he who is in the Faith may very possibly and well continue therein John 15.9 10. Acts 13.43 1 Tim. 4.16 Q. How comes it to pass that any do or may fall away Doth the Lord leave them to temptation and danger or comes it to pass through some wilful disobedience of their own A. Their own ungodly turning aside must needs be the alone cause thereof for the Lord on his part never fails to do all that is meet for him to do or that can honourably be done by him to preserve them from falling 1 Thess 5.23 24. 1 Cor. 1.8 9. Q. Do you think then that the Lord doth not save some men by an omnipotent arm seeing 1 Pet. 1.5 saith That they are kept by the power of God to salvation A. Compare that Text with Rom. 1.16 and you may see he means no more but the Gospel faithfully believed is Gods power to save men and he that so continueth is safe enough 1 Cor. 15.1 2. Q. But if men do fall from the Faith may they not be recovered again to repentance A. Yea doubtless if they fall not into the blasphemy of the holy Spirit they may 1 Tim. 1.20 1 Kings 15.5 but it is a very dangerous sinful estate and a recovery out of it harder than the first conversion Prov. 14.14 Q. But how doth it appear that any that do in truth believe with such a Faith as if they had continued in would have saved them may finally fall away and perish A. It appeareth plainly from the express testimony of the holy Scripture Ezek. 18.24 26 and 33.12 13 18. John 15.6 1 Tim. 5.11 12. Q. Do you think that all that fall away are such as once truly believed and should have been saved if they had continued in their profession A. No by no means for when men do fall off from the profession of Godliness especially in great numbers it is like they were never sound John 6.60 66. 1 John 2.19 For I believe it is not easie nor ordinary for a true Believer to come to fall from the Faith especially so low as from the profession of it but contrarily many that are not sound may stand in their profession to the last Mat. 7.22 23. Q. But is it not possible for a true Believer to secure both himself and his fears from the danger of falling away A. Yea very well God affords rich supplies of grace for that end and he that takes the direction the Scripture giveth shall be sure he shall never fall from the Faith 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8 9 10 11. and 3.17 18. and he that persevereth in the Faith to the end shall never miss of eternal Life John 5.24 Coloss 1.22 23. Q. How comes a People to be a Church or what Ministry is necessary to put them in Order and make them meet to partake of Ordinances A. Christ and his holy Spirit by the infallible Ministry of his Apostles and Prophets Ephes 2.19 20 21 22. Q. You speak as if men might put themselves into a Church Order and Fellowship do you think they may or can do it warrantably A. No I know it is impossible for men to make themselves an acceptable or a holy Church neither do men go about it of themselves when they are directed by the holy Scriptures in this work but they are without doubt upon the Apostles and Prophets truly built and Christ is the true corner-stone of the Building and the holy Spirit the Builder But if any men should come and say they are Apostles and should also work Miracles yet ought we not to leave the holy Scriptures one hairs breadth to follow them the true Foundation is laid already and no man can lay any other 1 Cor. 3.11 and we have Christ and his Apostles indeed in the New Testament Ephes 2.20 21 22. and Moses and the Prophets in the Old Luke 16.29 31. all which are a full and perfect guide to every good work 2 Tim. 3.16 17. Q. Hath not Christ appointed a continuing Ministry to feed and govern the Church A. Yea we are instructed what their work or office and their qualifications must be 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1.6 7 8 9. Q. But how shall men come by a power orderly to make or to be made Ministers now since the apostacy seeing there is not a succession of that true Ministry to ordain as Christ left A. First it is Christ and not men that makes Ministers if we had now the Churches the Apostles planted and the Bishops they ordained they could give him no lawful power to minister the Gospel that Christ hath not fitted for that work by his Spirit neither see I any reason to doubt of the lawfulness of his exercise of a Ministry that Christ hath fitted for that work Gifts to men for the Ministry and gifts of Ministers to the Church are both from him Ephs 4.7 8 11 12. therefore his Ministers and his Churches must take heed to his Word which is a safe and sure guide to them in all cases It is beyond doubt that Churches may and ought to elect or choose their Ministers Acts 6. which plainly sheweth that they are competent Judges of their fitness for the service they are to undertake and as for laying on of the hands of the Presbytery I can see no more but these two ends of it One to seek the Lords blessing and further assistance of the Spirit upon their Ministry another end to manifest their approbation of what Christ hath done in fitting of them for that work and what they do seems to me to be done as Servants for the