Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	body_n	life_n	soul_n	34,804	5	5.7811	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53999	Jerub-baal, or, The pleader impleaded being an answer to Mr. Croftons (lately published) plea for communion with the Church under her present corruptions, &c., entituled Reformation not separation by way of humble remonstrance thereunto : shewing, that non-communion with the Church of England in her liturgy and common-prayer, in those that (yet) joyn with her in the substantial ordinances and instituted worship of Christ, is no schism, and that such are unjustly called separatists : in a letter / written by T.P. for the private satisfaction of a friend, and by him published for common benefit.	T. P.	1662 (1662)	Wing P112; ESTC R7299	36,119	58

Jerub-baal OR THE Pleader impleaded BEING An Answer to Mr. Croftons lately published Plea for Communion with the Church under her present Corruptions c. Entituled Reformation not Separation By way of humble Remonstrance thereunto SHEWING That Non-Communion with the Church of England in her Liturgy and Common-Prayer in those that yet joyn with her in the substantial Ordinances and instituted Worship of Christ is no Schism and that Such are unjustly called Separatists In a Letter written by T. P. for the private satisfaction of a Friend and by him published for Common benefit In cujus perniciem aliquando convenimus hoc sumus congregati quod et dispersi hoc universi quod et singuli neminem laedentes neminem contristantes Tertul. Apolog. adversus Gent. LONDON Printed in the Yeare 1662. A Letter Written by T. P. for the satisfaction of a Friend in case of Non-Communion with the Church of England in her Liturgy and Common-Prayer Honoured Sir SChism being a dissolution and breach of Vnion 't will not be amisse if for the better understanding of the nature of the Schism in question we make some enquiry into that Church-Vnion whereof it is a breach Now from the distinct notions and acceptions of the Church the nature of Church-Vnion will best appear The Church of Christ even that which is Militant for the Triumphant comes not here to be considered is usually distinguished into 1. Catholick 2. Particular The Catholick Church again into 1. Visible 2. Invisible 1. The Catholick Visible Church is the Vniversality of Persons called by the Word into External Fellowship with Christ and Communion amongst themselves professing the true Religion the Faith Doctrine and Worship of Christ throughout the world called Visible in respect of Outward Administration and Profession 2. The Catholick-Invisible Church is the Collective Body of the truly Faithfull the compleat Quorum of the Elect Gods Chosen ones called out of the whole World of Mankind into an intimate Vnion with Christ and Communion one with another not only externally by the Word but effectually and internally by Gods holy Spirit called Invisible no● quá Men but quá Elect the Man is seen but not the Christian The Lord only knoweth them that are his 2 Tim. 2.19 The Church-Catholick is under both those considerations called the Mystical Body of Christ viz. 1. By League Outward Profession under the former 2. By true Faith and real Possession under the latter Christ is a Common Head both to the one and to the other 2. A Particular Church is a Society or Societies of Persons called to the participation of and subjected to the Ordinances and instituted worship of Christ under certain external Rules accommodated for Local Joynt-Communion therein in a particular place Such are the English French Dutch Churches and such like including Parochial Distributions and Congregations as the Church Catholick includes them viz. as a totum Integrale or Vniversale so as that nec totum recte de una praedicetur nec una totum sibi vindicare possit saith Junius lib. de Ecclesia though the Papists make a kind of Monopoly of their Romish Church obtruding it for a Catholick yea the only Catholick Church in the World and thus by a cursed Sacriledge impropriate as I may say the Church of Christ This Distinct Notion of the Church ariseth from the diversified Nature of her Members the Constitutive Matter thereof who may be considered either 1. as Professors of the Faith of Christ in obedience to an Externall Call by the Word those constitute the Church Catholick-Visible or 2. as Possessors of Christ by Faith true Believers in Obedience to an Internall Call by the Spirit those constitute the Church Catholick-Invisible or 3. as Partakers of the same Ordinances and instituted worship of Christ in a particular place in Obedience to a Providential Call and in answer to an Opportunity serving thereunto those constitute a Particular Church so that the same Persons may be Members of the Church under that threefold consideration at once Church-Vnion then must be threefold or considerable under a threefold Notion 1. The First is the Vnion of the Members of the Church Catholick-Invisible with Christ and their Communion amongst themselves wherein they are through the Inhabitation and Indwelling of the same Holy Spirit in all and by vertue of a true Faith joyntly incorporated into Christ and concorporated one with another as Fellow-Members of the same Select Fraternity the Son of God having assumed their Persons into a Mystical as well as their Nature into a Personal Vnion with himself Now Sir This Vnion admits of no breach Christ and his Elect Members the true Branches of that true Vine are inseperably conjoined their Persons as well as their Nature are eternally matched and married to Christ the Mystical Vnion of the one is indissoluble as well as the Personall Vnion of the other with him There is no fear of a divorce here neither can the Body be severed from the Head nor any one Member from the Body the Members may quarrel an Israelite with an Israelite thus we read that Paul and Barnabas did contest and contend so fiercely that their Paroxysme of strife ended in Separation Act. 15.39 Yea they may joyn to their breach of Society a breach of Charity in some degree but neither is the one nor the other a dissolution of that Internal Union whereby the truly Faithfull are coupled together one with another and all of them joyntly with their Common Head Christ The Vinculum Vnionis the Conjugal-Vnion-Knot viz true Faith or the spirit of grace in the Faithfull being altogether inviolable The Holy Ghost is the Fountain-Radical of Faith as of all other Graces and therefore of this Communion One Spirit quickening influencing both Head and Members in the Mystical as one Soul conveys life and sense to all the Members of the Natural Body and hence 't is I conceive that Christ and Beleevers are said to be not One Body onely but One Spirit viz in Esse Mystico 1 Cor. 6.17 Now this same Spirit may suspend his influences viz Comfortable and Augmentative not Vital as in the dark and solitary dayes of soule-desertion and Faith may in such a case be much weakened and impaired viz in its Graduals but True Faith being the Seed of God 1 John 3.9 is in Esse vitali as to its Truth and Nature intrinsecally permanent an irreradicable principle Perseverance and indeficiency being its Genuine property as well as Christs purchase Luke 22.32 there is a kind of Immortality in it So that as there is a weaknesse in the strongest Faith so there is truth in the weakest now this Vnion depends not upon the strength but upon the truth of Faith and not upon the Gradual Communications but upon the Radical Inhabitation of the Spirit Such a suspension then is unfitly termed a seperation David lost Comfort but not the Comforter Psal 51.11 12. or if we grant with some that it is a

Church of England in her Liturgy or Common-Prayer commonly called Divine Service is Communion with the Church-Visible in Solemn and Publique Worship and then the Conclusion must be Therefore Communion with the Church of England in her Liturgy and Common-Prayer is an Essential part of the sanctification of the Sabbath or Lords day and a positive indispensable duty c. and by consequence Non-Communion c. must be a breach of duty and therefore a sin viz SCHISM REMONS Honoured Friend My Answer to this shall be threefold Viz 1. By way of Concession 2. By way of Distinction 3. By way of Retortion 1. By way of Concession That the Church of England That is the Community of Christians in this Nation concorporated by Baptism professing the true God and Jesus Christ and subjected to the Word and Sacraments c. is a true Church cannot in justice be denyed Her Primitive Constitution being by History Times Index and our best Intelligencer touching Antiquity known to have been Apostolical administers to me no occasion of doubt in the thing But whoever were the Seminary Founders thereof whether Simon Zelotes or Joseph of Arimathea Christs Immediate Emissaries or Aristobolus or Augustine the Monk 't is no matter of Faith only let none despise-his Birth-right as Esau did his O what a happinesse is it that our Native Land should be a thus Consecrated Soil and that we should be by birth in this respect Sons of the Church Visible Church Members The Inroades of Popery into this Iland since the Sun of Righteousnesse first rose herein have been both various and violent and what they may further be God knows but God hath safe-kept his English-Ark in the midst of that Deluge the Rock of Ages hath hitherto been her Ararat By no Antichristian Inundations was she ever as yet totally overwhelmed Popery spoiled her Beauty but did not destroy her Being Mr. Crofton turning Confessor hath acknowledged this Churches present Corruptions as well in Things viz Worship and Ordinances therein administrable by as in Persons both Ministers and People Visible Members the Integral Parts thereof But a True Church is one thing a Pure Church another Here is the New-Creature Hereafter onely the Pure-Creature Now the question is not about Church-purity alas Adulterate Mixtures and Innovations in the Worship of God are a too too plain confutation of this now but Church-Entity the Truth and Being of the Church which our English Donatists Mr. Crofton may know whom I mean having formerly well nigh confounded did like their Progenitors most sacriledgiously monopolize the Church of Christ in this Nation confining the Formality and therefore the Truth and very Essence of a Church within the narrow compasse of their Confederate Members as if it had not been possible for their Ark to contain a Cham or for Tares to grow within their Inclosure God will I hope humble them for it Truth we must needs ascribe to the Church of England while She professedly owns the Faith of Christ and the True Religion For the Truth of Religion proves the Entity or Being as the Power of Religion the Purity of a Church while She owns the Head she must not be disowned for a Part of the Body the Church Catholick-Visible while She separates not from Christ we have no warrant totally and positively to separate from Her She may be Christs Spouse viz Visibly and Professedly though not a Chast-Virgin-Spouse a Wife though an Adulteresse retaining her Affinity though not her Virginity Corruptions in the Church are either 1. Personal or 2. Real Real again either or 1. Substantial and Intrinsecal 2. Circumstantial and Extrinsecal The latter is Mr. Croftons own distinction though possibly he and I may differ in the application of it Personal Corruptions in Scandalous Professors or Visible Church Members Ministers as well as others the Hophnie's and Phinehas's of our age defile a Church Corruptions Objective and Real though onely Circumstantial and Extrinsecal in Outward Rites and Ceremonies or corrupt Modes and Methods of Administration as the Antiquated Jewish Vestments Crosse in Baptisme Kneeling at the Supper c. adulterate a Church Corruptions Substantial and Intrinsecal which are Church-wasting Corruptions the very Vitals and Intrinsecals of Religion being by them destroyed do ipso facto actually divorce a Church from Christ those are the steps of Church-Apostacy when the Wife becomes a Lewd-Woman Single Fornication in the first Adultery in the second A Bill of Divorce in the last The Church of England is too truly chargeable with the two first but not with the last as is the Church of Rome she having not as yet I pray God she never may with her degenerated from a Christian Church into an Antichristian See nor her Members with hers from Professors to Persecutors of the Faith not holding the True Head but setting up ANOTHER NAME being in Doctrine damnably Heretical in Worship grossely Idolatrous in both Antichristian The Essentials Constitutive of a True Church are 1. the Head 2. the Body 3. the Vnion that is between them which three concurring in the Church of England Christ being her professed Head she being Christs professed Body and the Catholick-Faith being the Vnion-Bond whereby they are coupled together She cannot in justice be denyed to be a True though the Lord knows far from a Pure Church Vid. Jun. lib. de Ecclesia Herein I agree with Mr. Crofton 2. By way of Distinction Two things are here to be distinguished viz. 1. Communion with the Church-Visible 2. Solemn and Publick Worship 1. There is a twofold Communion viz. One by Profession Another by Participation 1. Church-Communion by way of Common Profession of the same true Religion Faith Doctrine and institured worship of Christ by vertue whereof all the Members of the Church Catholick Visible throughout the World are concorporated and embodyed one with another and all of them with Christ as a Publick Head Catholick Faith being the ground of Catholick Communion the main Ligament of the great Body Mystical is not only a Duty but a Priviledge too indispensably necessary to salvation Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus is a severe Maxim not more known then true no Salvation ordinarily without the Churches Line of Communication The Church is Gods Inclosure Cant. 9.12 his Nursery planted with the Trees of Righteousnesse without whose Pale and Boundaries all that die doe perish Ah my Dear Friend Let me rather be a Myrtle in the Vineyard then a Cedar in the Forrest 'T were better England should be unpeopled then unchurched A Church-lesse People is a Christ-lesse People and if Christ-lesse then Hope-lesse Ephes 2.12 Christ is the Head of the Body the Church Coll. 1.18 No Vnion with this Head without Communion with this Body Christ must be professed or else never possessed no Saint-State without a Church-State no Call by the Spirit without a Call by the Word first so that no Word no Life Rom. 10.13 14. Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord