Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	call_v	church_n	holy_a	7,200	5	5.2401	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67825	A sermon exhorting to union in religion preach'd at Bow-Church, May 20th, and published at the desire of the auditory / by E. Young.	Young, Edward, 1641 or 2-1705.	1688 (1688)	Wing Y64; ESTC R39192	14,385	34

to be Sacred Christ may be left by those that hold together In that prospect that the Holy Scriptures give us of the Kingdom of Antichrist we do not learn that it should be a divided Kingdom but on the contrary that it should be a mighty Confederacy and extensive Union to the setting up of an Idolatrous worship In which case the Holy Spirit cryes Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins Whensoever therefore the Terms of Communion come to be sinful as they must be where Faith is innovated Inventions obtruded Corruptions past into a Law and Communion charged with such obligations as are not deducible from the Rule of Christ but bear a notorious inconsistence with it There it becomes a Duty to Divide and they are the Separatists that force to Separate not They who deplore the necessity of so doing 'T is our own Case to stand separated from the Church of Rome but we call Heaven to witness that it is not from any spirit of Division in us let but the Holy Scripture be the Rule and primitive Antiquity the Judge and we are ready to abide by the Award and unite in the issue of such a Determination And as they that will agree upon any other Terms must resolve to sacrifice Religion to a League whereas on the other side They that will not agree upon such Terms as these seem resolved to sacrifice Christianity to Faction 2. So I pass to my Second Proposition which is this That it is our Own Things and not the Things of Christ which makes us divide It has always been and always will be a pretence among Christians so long as they divide that Religion engages them to do so But Religion all the while mourns under and remonstrates against the slander Religion implores men to be both more Charitable towards one another and towards Her For it is not only a sin to divide but it is a greater sin to entitle Religion to the guilt of our Dividing The Things of Christ and of Religion are These as the Apostle tells us Gal. 5. Love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance Did ever these Graces engage men to divide the Charge of Religion is this as the same Apostle If there be any Consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye be like-minded having the same love being of one accord and of one mind Did ever such a Pathetical Adjuration as This engage men to divide If therefore the practice of men be found to run opposite to these fundamental Graces and most Sacred Obligations of Christianity 't is no rashness to conclude That they are moved by some other Springs than those of a well-weighed Religion Of those that separate from our Communion some pretend Conscience as if our Communion were unlawful and some pretend Edification as if our Communion tho' it were lawful yet it edified not Let us now fairly examine these Two Pretences and see whether they are bottom'd upon the Things of Christ or our Own. 1. As to them that plead Conscience for their separating from us give me leave to premise That it is not sufficient for any man's Repose to say that he is acted by his Conscience in what he does For we ought to consider that since Conscience is no other than our present Perswasion our Conscience must needs lye at the mercy of every thing that has power to perswade us and hence it oftentimes comes to pass that while Conscience acts us it self is acted by Passions and weaknesses and what then must become of the Regularity of what we do I know every man detests the Charge of being sway'd in matters of Religion either by Interest or Peevishness or Pride or Appetites or Aversions or any thing that is either avowedly evil or shamefully weak and therefore I shall not charge any man with being so swayed But yet I shall observe for the Caution of us all that all these things find a way to pass into our Consciences and there to act as securely as it were behind the Curtain even at that time when we should be ready to detest them in their own naked appearance And for the truth of this I shall appeal to some undeniable experience We have known some who out of wantonness of Wit and affectation of singularity have made a perfect new Model of Christian Religion have made a God without Eternity and a Saviour without Satisfaction and a Hell without Torments have first admir'd this their Scheme and then believ'd it and so become Masters of a numerous Sect And thus Vanity has past into Conscience We have known others of a moroser Complexion who falling as it were into dislike with that sweetness that Christianity obliges to and those Sacraments that are the Ties of Union and that Gospel that so instantly presses it have come to believe that the very Gospel-Institutions are but Type and shadow That every Man has a surer word of Prophecy within himself And that God must be serv'd without all Positive Ordinances And these have sprang into a numerous Sect And thus Complexion has past into Conscience Others we know whose Covetousness has first inclined them to teach and then the success of their Doctrine has inclined them to believe that the Merits of Humane Piety may be transfer'd from Person to Person and that the fruits of Repentance may be purchased at a price And thus Avarice has past into Conscience Others we know who having let their Minds grow gross and carnal and then finding themselves either too much aw'd or too much at a loss in their Devotions to a Pure and Invisible Being have introduc'd sensible Objects of Worship and humane Mediators to whom they might address both with more boldness and more carelesness And thus Carnality has past into Conscience Others we know who being of a temper more Zealous and fierce have perswaded themselves that all is Sacred that they do for the advancement of their own Opinions and so have allow'd and practis'd Persecutions Murders Outrages and thought that in these they have done God good service And thus Cruelty has past into Conscience We have known others who being uneasie in their Worldly circumstances and then reflecting on that mysterious intimation that Christ should sometime reign alone upon the Earth have believ'd as they were willing that the time was now accomplish'd and thereupon have cry'd down all worldly Government as Antichristian and hop'd to set up Christ and themselves together And thus Discontent has past into Conscience We know others who being bred up under Masters better skill'd in Affirming than Proving have been taught to believe That the most commendable Faith is that which swallows all things without examination and the more Reason a man hears against himself the more meritorious is his obstinacy And thus Credulity has past into Conscience Others who