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	soul_n	union_n	7,019	5	9.6724	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

AN EXPEDIENT TO PRESERVE PEACE AND AMITY AMONG DISSENTING BRETHREN By a Brother in CHRIST LONDON Printed for H. R. and are to be sold at his Shop at the Signe of the three Pigeons in Pauls Church-yard 1647. AN EXPEDIENT TO PRESERVE PEACE and Amitie among dissenting BRETHREN SEeing it hath pleased Almighty GOD 〈…〉 at this time to put a stop to the effusion of Bloud so prodigally powred out in our native Country and thereby given a hope of speedily stating the whole Kingdome in a firme and durable Peace It doth not a little grieve my soul that this happinesse should be clouded or retarded under the pretence of Religion which is the best cimenter of Peace But herein I take comfort that God hath his own work no lesse in these controversies then before hee had in the warres and will reap glory out of both We must neither start nor stagger when we see Schismes and Heresies rise in the visible Church They are the Tares which the envious man soweth among Gods Wheat and Christ hath fore-warned us and so hath his Apostles that through the rage of Satan and corruption of men there must of necessity in all times and ages arise scandals dissentions and Heresies in the Church for the exercise of the godly that their faith might be proved and manifested to the world by holding their ground and cleaving to the truth Yea the very Gospell of Christ which in it selfe is a Gospell of peace by the bloud of the Son reconciling of us to the Father Meeteth with such Malignancy and opposition in the world that to the true professors of it it becometh a Gospel of warre and hatred and persecution This is the condition of the faithfull to be alwayes in outward troubles wherein were they not supported with inward peace they were of all men most miserable Upon this ground Martin Luther that undanted champion of the truth being taxed by the Emperour in a great Councell that he was the man who by his Doctrine had disturbed the long continued Peace in Germany Answered that what others thought he could not tell but it rejoyced his heart to see that there was divisions about the word of God for Christ came not to bring peace but the Sword By all this it appeareth that as every true beleever must expect tribulation in this world so hee shall have peace with God and ought to have peace and communion one with another Christ when he left his Disciples left them Peace for a Legacy and a commandement to love one another we are also frequently exhorted to follow after Peace to bee of one mind and preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace How comes it then about that we see so many minds among brethren who will all passe for the Disciples of Christ and that from the diversity of minds wee see so many rents and separations whereby the bond of Peace is broken and the spirits of men disunited Certainly when it commeth so far it can proceed from no other root then from our lusts which war in our earthly members Otherwise difference of judgement among true beleevers in the sincere search of truth may well stand with unity of affections without breach of Peace For it is manifest enough that the true beleevers over the whole world are not of one mind in all things that concerne Religion and the worship of God Witnesse the severall formes of outward worship among all Nations no lesse various then their fashions And this may also happen among the faithfull aswell in the same as in severall Nations nay if we consider it home wee shall find the like difference in our selves that we need not wonder at it in others for what Christian is there who in pursuit and study for truth observeth not in himself degrees and diversities of judgement every day teacheth knowledge this life being a time of growth not of perfection neverthelesse no man hateth himself because he formerly knew not so much as now he doth but rather praiseth God for hauing revealed to him a greater measure of knowledge by this rule wee should deale with others as we do with our selves for that is the rule of Charity We are all Gods building and albeit they may chance to differ among themselves They are not for that to make a breach in the building but in Love and Peace suffer their opinions to bee tryed by the word of God making that the decider not the breeder of controversies This being premised I will proceed to the subject lying before me and take my beginning from the beginning it self Almighty God doing all his own works in order was pleased to make Man a sociable creature first in himself associating an earthly and heavenly nature that one might guide and governe the other and himselfe receive glory from both Then by ingrafting in that compounded nature rules of spirituall and humane duty whereby he might be fitted for a well-being in the society of others For as the conjunction of flesh and spirit though parts far differing in nature make one man so the conjunction of many men though of severall ages complections humors passions callings and degrees make up a common-wealth for the good of all in their temporall well-being Even so likewise the conjunction of many spirits and minds of men though dissenting in opinions wayes and strength of judgement yet ayming at the same end by faith in Christ to attain salvation Maketh a common union or a Church for the good of all in their eternall wel-being Flesh alone nor spirit alone cannot make a man but the union of both no more can a Common-wealth by it self nor a Church by it self make men temporally and eternally happy but the unity and harmony of both They are so conjoyned and intwined together that as the soule is in the body so is the Church in the Common-wealth single they cannot subsist For there never was nor can there be any multitude of men that bodied themselves into a Common-wealth who agreed not in some kind of Religion neither can any multitude of men body themselves into a Church but they must be subject to some kind of government These two cannot be separated without the ruine of both Seperation destroying Society wherein consisteth the happinesse of man for in heaven wee cannot bee happy alone nor on earth without society These principles are written by the God of order in the tables of humane nature which are commonly called the light or the Law of nature But sin and time having so fullyed that Character that it was scarce legible by posterity God was pleased to revive it againe to his peculiar people writing it with his own finger in Tables of stone to authorize and moralize it to all generations for their good therein giving power to the Magistrate to take care for the keeping and preserving of both Tables placing our duty to him between our duty to God and towards our neighbour that hee might