Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	church_n	scripture_n	word_n	7,625	5	4.5069	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26946	The judgment of non-conformists of the interest of reason in matters of religion in which it is proved against make-bates, that both conformists, and non-conformists, and all parties of true Protestants are herein really agreed, though unskilful speakers differ in words.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1676 (1676)	Wing B1293; ESTC R1374	14,946	24

Order c. And if they will call any Lawful Assemblies of Pastors or orderly Associations by the Name of humane Churches so they will but distinguish them from Churches of proper Divine Institution and take away none of those Rights from such as Christ hath given them in Scripture we know no Party of Protestants that differ de re against them though many wish that the Name Churches were not made common to those of Divine and of Humane Institution lest it obscure the great difference of the things named and lest as in the Papacie Societies and Matters of Divine Institution should be thought to stand in a direct Subordination to those of Humane Institution and the Churches which Christ hath Instituted should be thought to be but as Parishes to a County Streets or Houses to a City Cities to a Kingdom meer similar parts of the Churches of Mans making which conceit is the strength of the whole Roman Kingdom called a Church Object 3. But some say that only the Spirit can assure us that the Scriptures are the Word of God Ans So we say all not excluding but including the Means and Evidence and Use of Reason That is 1. The Spirit in Christ and his Apostles and Prophets hath Imprinted Gods Image of Power Wisdome and Love on the Sacred Scriptures which is their intrinsick Evidence 2. And the same Spirit by that Word doth Powerfully Wisely and Gratiously Imprint an answerable Image on our Hearts 3. And he helpeth us by this effect and impulse to discern that it is Gods Word that did it And giveth us as the new born Babe to his Milk a discerning of and Appetite to this holy Word as Connatural or suitable to our Souls The Spirit giveth us such Reasons for our Religion as else we should not have and also helpeth our Reason actually to understand it and also maketh us Habitually more Rational herein And do not all agree in this Object 4. But some say that the Scripture is known propria luce Ans So say all but not by that alone Reason must discern the Divinity of Scripture partly by the evident Impulses of Divinity which are in it which are its proper Light and partly by extrinsick attestations in the due use of the means which God hath appointed Reason to make use of II. Our second Proof of our Common Agreement shall be by an Induction of the particular Points which we are all agreed in where if the enumeration be sufficient our Proof will be clear And if we seem to over-do in naming more than needs it is to avoid the charge of an insufficient enumeration 1. We are all agreed that all true Religion objectively taken is the effect of Gods Wisdome and subjectively taken also is the Gift of the Father of Lights 2. We are agreed that as Gods Wisdome is the first efficient so the Impress of Divine Wisdome by which it is eminently wise and reasonable is its very Constitutive Cause its Form and the proper Light by which it is to be known 3. We are agreed that objective Religion is to be received by Mans Reasonable Intellect and is when so received the light and guide the advancement and perfecting of our Reason And the most Religious are the most truly and nobly rational 4. We are agreed that it hath Intelligible evidence which sheweth it to be of God and true And that Mans Reason must by discerning this evidence know its Divinity and truth Seeing nothing is an Object of the Intellect but by Intelligible evidence as nothing is an Object of sight but Light and things by Light made visible 5. And as our own receiving it is by receiving the said evidence and knowing its Divinity and truth thereby so our Teaching it to others and proving it against Gain-sayers by defence must be by our manifesting the same evidence 6. The Reason or Intellect of Man in Innocency was apt to understand both the natural and supernatural manifestations of Gods governing Will and so to be Actively Religious and to increase herein by exercise and Divine help 7. The Reason of fallen Man before gratious Illumination is still the same essentially in the Faculty but is dispositively depraved called Blindness disposed to Judge carnally falsly and malignantly of things spiritual and holy and undisposed to discern savingly the truth and goodness of Religion 8. There are found in all Man-kind at Age some Natural notices which are an advantage to the Reception of Religion and make Men more capable of it than otherwise they would be And Grace giveth Men usually a common sort of external aad internal Light which is preparatory to that which is specially saving 9. The Christian Religion consisting of things partly naturally and partly supernaturally revealed the natural part of it hath its natural evidence either Rei ipsius or Medij naturalis by which without supernatural Revelation it may be known but is not without Gods illuminating Grace effectually and savingly known 10. The natural part of Revelation or objective Religion is in order of Time before the supernatural part and natural evidence and Religion is more common than supernatural We are Men before we are Christians in order of Nature at least 11. There is no Contradiction between the natural and supernatural Revelation or parts of Religion for God contradicteth not himself He therefore that thinketh that he findeth a Contradiction is deceived and must Correct the error of his own understanding and not accuse the Word of God 12. Things equally true are not equally evident and revealed and sure to us some things in Nature are much clearer than others and some parts of Scripture farr more intelligible than some others and so more evident to us 13. Ceteris paribus things sensible and the Common Natural notices have greater evidence to us and are of easier belief than Prophetical Revelations But some supernatural Revelations have extrinsecally and intrinsecally more ascertaining evidence than many Natural Revelations or Verities no small Number of these are very obscure 14. When the Understanding once discerneth a thing to be a Divine Revelation it hath therein a certain Medium from which it may infer the thing revealed to be true All known Divine Revelations are so far ascertaining as they are known For God cannot Lye Divine Veracity is the formal Object of Divine Belief 15. If we doubt of the evidence of any Revelation Natural or Supernatural whether it be indeed Divine we must hold that with the strongest affiance or belief which hath the clearest assuring evidence that it is Divine 16. Prophets and Inspired Seers had such Internal satisfying evidence whether by Intuition or abstract Species or internal Sense which no Man can formally and clearly conceive of but he that hath it But the Reason of others may know it by the effects and concomitant or consequent Proofs 17. Those that heard the Voice and saw the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles had sensible evidence thereof And those at

distance of place or time that saw them not may have certain infallible evidences of the Historical truth or report de facto that such things indeed were said and done 18. There are as is aforesaid Characters of Divine Authority in Religion and in the Sacred Scriptures which are their Inherent evidence or propria Lux even the Impress of Gods Power Wisdome and Love 19. There are evident unimitable effects of the Christian Faith which prove it to be of God even the Spirits sanctifying Work on Man which may by those that have it not be partly discerned in the holy Lives of Believers especially in the Sanctity of the Church that it should be holy in Comparison of the unholy World that is all sound Believers which are the real spiritual living Church for if one Letter might be made without Reason by chance yet so cannot a Learned Book And if an individual Christian might by chance be holier than Infidels yet so could not all true Believers But he that hath this Sanctification or Spirit in himself hath clearer and more assuring evidence and those most that have the greatest degree of holiness These all have the Witness in themselves 20. The Spirit of Christ thus sent from him as his Agent and Advocate in Mens Souls is the Author both of Common preparatory and of Special saving Illumination inlightening the Mind to understand the things of God and as is aforesaid giving the sanctified Will a new Relish to them as congruous and good And this Knowledge and Faith objectively and subjectively is the gift of God or a Beam from Christ the Light of the redeemed World But to some the same Spirit giveth far greater measures of Knowledge and Faith than to others and those are likest to receive most of that Grace who are most sincere and diligent in the Study of Gods Word and the use of all other holy means and not the idle negligent presumers 21. Neither corrupted no nor sound Reason can discern things without Supernatural evidence which Natural evidence doth not declare Therefore those that never hear the Gospel cannot know the Misteries of Christianity without a Miracle though they may know much of God as merciful and just by his Mercies and Government of the World 22. The Spirit is not given to ordinary Christians though it be to Prophets to bring them from God new Doctrines or Laws nor to make any supplements to the Gospel already revealed as if it was not sufficient in its kind nor yet to reveal the matter of Christs Gospel immediately to the Intellect or phantasie within by way of Inspiration Visions or Intuitions without an external Word or Revelation nor yet to cause them to work Miracles themselves But he is given to enable dispose and help us to understand believe love and practise the Doctrine and Law already by the same Spirit given to the Church by sanctifying our Power our Reason and our Wills by holy Life and Light and Love And as Christ is the Intercessor without us by whom we must receive all Mercies from God and send up all our duties to God so his Spirit is the Intercessour within us on Christs part as his Advocate and Witness pleading his Cause against our unbelief and other sin and working all Gods Graces in us and on our part teaching inclining and quickening us in all the Prayers and Praises which we send up to God in the Name of Christ Illuminating and sanctifying is not making us Prophets or Apostles nor equal to them as not being called to their Works 23. We must use our best Reason in diligent Meditation and Judgement to search the Works of God in Nature to know which are the true Canonical Scriptures to discern true Copies and Readings where the Copies differ to expound the Text to Translate it truly to discern the Order of sacred Verities that are dispersed through all the Scriptures to gather them into Catechismes and Professions of Faith discerning things more necessary from the less needful and the more clear from the more obscure to Compose our Sermons Prayers and Praises of God according to his Word To gather just and certain Inferences from Scripture Assertions To apply general Rules to particular Cases in matters of Doctrine Worship Discipline and ordinary Practice prudently to discern those Duties which are but generally commanded in the Scripture and left to be discerned by us in particular according to determining Accidents Circumstances and Occurrences which must be considered and compared And when Parents Magistrates Pastors Tutors or Masters shall so determine of such particulars in the Government of their Inferiours which belong to their several Relations or Offices to determine of according to Gods general Laws or Rules Inferiours must obey them in such determinations and in so doing they do obey Gods General Laws and obey God consequentially in obeying such Laws of his Officers as he authorizeth them to make For we are all agreed that there are some parts of Scripture which contain more necessary Doctrine than other parts and some great Duties of Prime necessity which are the end of many lower Duties and consequently a Rule to them as means and as subordinate and Actions otherwise Good become Evil when they cross these great final regulating Duties such a Canon is the Interest of the New Creature and Unity therein as to Circumcision or Uncircumcision Gal. 5.6 and 6.15 And such a Canon is the Love Peace and Concord of Christians in so much as they have attained while they seek after more Phil 3.16 such a Canon is Edification and order as to several Modes of Worship and Ministerial Acts and Discipline 1. Cor. 14.5.12.26 2. Cor. 10.8 and 12.19 and 13.10 Eph. 4.16 And the right ordering of a Christian Conversation doth much consist in discerning by true Reason when circumstantiated Actions are subservient or cross to these final regulating Canonical Duties that we may know whether pro hic nunc they are Duties or Sins Because affirmative Precepts bind not ad semper though no Sin must at any time be done lesser Duties when inconsistent with the greater at that time are no Duties but Sins And means are no means when they lose their tendency to the end or are against it So did Christ teach Men to difference between Tything Mint Anise and Cumine and the great things of the Law and between the least and the great Commandments and to judge of observing the Sabbath Rest and Conversing with Publicans and Sinners by this Rule I will have mercy and not Sacrifice Mat. 9.13 and 12.7 And to leave our gift at the Altar and go first and be reconciled to our Brother and then come and offer our gift Mat. 5. And to cast first the Beam out of our own Eyes before we take the Mote out of our Brothers Mat. 6. Thus to try circumstantiated Actions by their ends and greater Canon-duties and to try what Accidents do preponderate for the time and place is

certain truths and Texts by such as are more rare and more obscure and of smaller moment Much more their scandalous abuses who perswade Men that we can be no surer of the truth of Christianity it self than we are of every Lection Translation or Exposition when they are doubtful various or contrary And who tempt Men to Infidelity by obtruding their own Forgeries and Contradictions to be believed as the Word of God and of equal Verity with the essentials of our Faith VI. We all reject their errour who make every Circumstance of Religion unlawful which hath not a particular Command in Scripture as if Reason might not regulate such by the General Command As if Reason might not without express particular Precept choose a Text Method Words and Notes for remembrance in Preaching or might not Translate the Scriptures or turn the Psalms into Metre and put Tunes on each and many such things VII We all reject the Fanatick or Enhusiastical Opinion of them that pretend a necessity of immediate inspiration instead of Scriptures to teach Men inwardly Doctrines which they never outwardly heard or more than is before revealed in the Word And who thus equal their Revelations to those of the Apostles or feign this Immediate Light or Revelation to be the chief Rule to all Men of their Religion As if objectively there wereas many Religions in the World as there are Men of different degrees of Light within that is as there are Men. And that pretend that none are farther bound to believe the Gospel than they either see Miracles themselves to confirm it or else have this immediate Inspiration before described to attest it VIII We all agree in rejecting the fore-described Papal Fanatiticisme which maketh the Pope and Council though ne're so ignorant or erroneous to be secured of the gift of Infallibility as if it were by Miracle in judging of that which their Reasons are unmeet for and they do not understand especially their foresaid feigned World of Miracles by the sottishest Priests in Transubstantiation And especially their persecuting all that are not as unreasonable renouncers of common Sense and Reason and deposing Temporal Lords that will not exterminate them And their requiring all Christians to resolve their Faith into the Authority of this Fanatick Church as being bound to take that and only that for the Articles of their Faith and Word of God which they assert to be so and as needing no other Proof than the Pope and his Councils assertion And on whose Authority then doth the Pope and Council themselves believe it IX All Protestants disclaim that inhumane atheistical assertion that in Religion Inferiours must believe all that their Superiours assert and do all that they shall command and avoid all that they shall forbid them without using their own Reason to discern judicio privato whether it be agreeable or contrary to the Laws of God As if all Subjects must be of the Soveraigns Religion be it Heathen Mahometan Jewish or Christian Popish Socinian or what ever Or as if Man were above God from whom he receiveth all his power and might Command Men to blaspheme him or sin against him or forbid all to confess and worship him and God must ask Men leave whether he shall be God or be obeyed or worshipped And as if it were in the Rulers power whether any of the Subjects shall be Religious or be saved or as if Subjects were not reasonable Creatures or could obey without the use of Reason discerning whom and how far to obey If they have not a judicium discretionis how shall they know their King whom they must obey honour and protect from an Usurper or Traytor whom they must disown and oppose X. And we hope all true Protestants are agrreed against that impious Opinion that if an Inferiour be uncertain or doubtful whether the matter be Lawful or Sinful he must do it if his Governour Command it and forbear it if his Governour forbid it because an uncertainty must give place to a certainty and we are certain that the Ruler is to be obeyed but not that the thing forbidden is duty nor that the thing commanded is sin 1. For we suppose all agreed that it must go with a caeteris paribus 2. And that we are certain that no Ruler can oblige us to sin and therefore we are not certain that he is to be obeyed where we fear upon good reason that it is sin which he Commandeth For if I am justly fearful that it is sin that is Commanded I must be fearful that it is sin to obey by sinning And to be certain that I should obey and fearful that I sin in obeying are contradictory 3. And we doubt not but all Protestants are agreed that if all the Subjects or any can but be ignorant enough as to be uncertain whether there be a God a Christ or a Life to come or that it is a duty to relieve the Poor c. it will not therefore by any Mans prohibition cease to be all their duty to love or obey God or worship him or to relieve the Poor Or if Men be so sottish as to be uncertain whether Blasphemies Idolatry Persecution Murder Adultery Perjury c. be sins we all agree that no Mans Command can make it the duty of those uncertain Persons to commit them nor make them to be no sin whatever any Man of violence may say to the contrary in passion We conclude upon this Induction that till some omitted instance be produced this Enumeration of our Agreements will prove that not only Conformists and Non-conformists but all true Protestants are agreed really of the Interest and use of Reason in matters of Faith or of Religion Consectaries I. HEnce we see then that Divines have great cause to take heed of setting Christians together by the Ears by feigned differences where there are none and so destroying Love and Concord and tempting the ignorant to hate and falsly accuse their Brethren to the trouble of the Church and the hazard of their Salvation And therefore that while Men have not attained a through acquaintance with the matter and in discussing ambiguities of Speech and distinguishing Verbal Controversies from real if they forbear not their Censures and publique Controversies till they attain a more ripe distinct understanding they may greatly serve Satan while they think that they are serving Christ And how little the Church is beholden to those Men that either through factious worldly designs or ignorant Zeal against error have made the World believe by Pulpit invectives and voluminous Controversies that Christians differ really when it is but verbally experience might have satisfied us long ere this II. Those that have been guilty of such feigning of difficulties and wronging the Church should make repairation by open repentance and all Christians should study the difference between matter and expressive art and words and be desirous and skilful for the narrowing of differences as others are in widening them We are not in Love with the Spirit and Practise of Incendiaries Love-killers or Dividers We find too many contending in this case as if they thought the difference real but not any Party against another many Conformists as well as Non-conformists being jealous of giving too much to humane Reason But we suppose we have fully proved a real Concord among us all though unskilful word-warriours discern it not If any will be a dissenter he must be a stragler from all the Protestant Churches His Majesty in his Declaration of Ecclesiastical Affairs expressed his displeasure of such as pretended that the Church-doctrine needed reformation as if in Doctrine we were not agreed Seeing we all Subscribe the same Scripture and Articles of Religion and all agree in the twenty eight Conclusions and ten Rejections before express'd if any yet proceed in their Accusations we desire them for our Conviction to state the Case in which they suppose the difference is and prove their Charge and to remember what it is to strive about words and what have been and yet are the effects and that the Wisdome from above is first pure then peaceable and without partiallity and hypocrisie and that the Fruit of Righteousness is sown in peace and that blessed are the peacemakers for theirs is the Kingdom of God We whose Names are Subscribed not undertaking that no Individual Person is otherwise minded do our selves believe the real Concord of Protestants as it is here expressed Th. Manton W. Bates Tho. Case Gabriel Sangar Rich. Baxter Math. Pemberton Mat. Silvester Henry Hurst Roger Morice Edw. Lawrence Benjam Agas James Bedford Sam. Fairclough John Turner Joseph Read ERRATA PAge 5. line last for distance read difference P. 5. l. penult for theirs r. Men. P. 6. l. penult for neer r. neerer P. 6. l. 23. for Impulses r. Impresses l. 13. r. Impress P. 11. l. 26. for to r. of P. 12. l. 5. for be r. was FINIS