Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	faith_n	grace_n	receive_v	7,604	5	5.6899	4	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

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

Exercise or Act in the actual Reasoning of the Mind 3. For a Habit of Facility and Promptitude in Reasoning 4. For expressive Reasoning by argumentation or discourse by Word or Writing The reasoning Faculty is considered in Man I. As in statu informato vel instituto II. In statu def●●mato seu destituto III. As in statu reformato seu restituto In the state of Created Integrity the state of lapsed Pravity and the state of Sanctification or Recovery I. In the state of Nature or Innocency Mans Reason was 1. Sound in Faculty before its Acts. 2. Acted by degrees as Objects were presented to him And so as Christ himself increased in Wisdome as to Acts or Exercise for his Infant state was not capable of such Action as his Adult so did Adam 3. Habitually more prompt to Act upon such Acting II. In the state of Sin Reason was and still is in the unregenerate 1. Privatively blind or undisposed to the right and saving discerning of things Spiritual Holy and Heavenly partly through its own corruption and partly by the Wills unhappy inclination which is the exercitij principium And also disposed by both to false judging especially to practical errour 2. It is actually ignorant and erroneous and prejudiced against saving Faith and spiritual Good and holy Practice 3. It is by Custome in such sinful Acts habitually more and more depraved in its Privative and Positive Disposition III. Reason repaired is Illuminated by Gods Word and Spirit to 1. Common 2. Special saving 3. Special extraordinary Operations 1. The Common are 1. That Light or Common Knowledge and Belief which is preparatory to saving Light 2. That Light of edifying benefits by which Men are made useful to others 2. The Light of special saving Grace is 1. Initial in Vocation for the first saving Faith and Repentance 2. Increased in Sanctification by such a degree as kindleth in the Soul predominant Love 3. More increased in Growth unto the end All this is considered 1. In the first Disposition 2. In the Exercise 3. In the Habit. 3. The Extraordinary Illuminations are by Prophetical Inspiration Visions and Gifts of Infallibility proper to some few The perfection of all in Glory we may pretermit These things premised the Question is not whether Socinians Papists Antinomians Quakers c. differ from us nor whether any odd Person or Persons called Protestants have Ignorace enough to entangle them in an error in this Point nor whether any hasty Judges that are not skilled in discussing the ambiguity of words or for want of well digested Studies can neither understand others nor speak distinctly and intelligibly themselves or in uncharitable Factious passionate humour are disposed to misunderstand their Brethren or to put a sinister Interpretation on their words we say it is not whether such ignorant contenders do think that Men differ farther than they do nor whether any have used unmeet expressions justly blameable nor whether there are any that Write against or accuse each other on this account and would make the World believe that we are of contrary minds nor is it whether our Reasons really differ about the sense of some Texts of Scripture or Points of Religion nor is it whether Protestants differ about the extent of Humane Authority and the Obligation of their Wills or Canons But the sense of the Question is Whether it be a distance between Conformists and Non-conformists Lutherans and Calvinists or any other by-named Parties of Protestants whether and how farr we must have or give Reason for all our Religion or Exercise Reason in discerning it and in propagating and defending it by Proof And we shall prove the Negative I. By those Confessions of the several Churches and Parties which notifie their Judgements In all the Corpus Confessionum there is no Article on this Subject which is not commonly consented to by the rest of the Protestant Churches And as for the Conformists and Non-conformists they consent to Subscribe to all the same Doctrinal Articles of the Church of England though they differ about some other Subscriptions Declarations Covenants or Promises of Conformity and some Oaths and Modes of Discipline and Worship Besides that we all Subscribe to the same Creed and the same Canonical Scriptures And either the Point about the Interest of Reason in Religion is in the Creed Bible or Articles of Religion or not If not it is no part of our Religion nor necessary If it be then we Subscribe our agreement in it There is no Profession no Writing of either Party Conformists or Non-conformists Consented to by the Party which signifies any disagreement in this Point or contradiction of what both sides consent in Let them that will prove a difference cite any such Book or Profession of either Party if they can We deny not but some Non-conformists and Conformists did cast out their suspitions of two very Learned rational Men Mr. Hales and Mr. Chillingworth as if they had favoured Socinianisme because they so much used and Ascribed to Reason in Judging of matters of Religion And Knot the Jesuite would have Chillingworth therefore taken to be a Socinian But it was but particular Men and not a Party that was suspected and it was but particular Men that did suspect them Dr. Heylins aspersion of Mr. Hales was not the Churches Judgement And in all Parties there will be some suspicious uncharitable Men and some that will speak evil of what they understand not and take it as a neer way to get the reputation of being Wise and Orthodox by accusing others of Ignorance and error than by long and diligent well ordered Studies Object 1. But though they all Subscribe the same Bible and Articles they all understand them not alike Ans 1. No nor any two Persons in the World It is as probable that any two Men have spoken none but the very same words as that they have had none but the very same thoughts 2. Let any difference be shown as to the Point in question And such as is not equally managed by Conformists against Conformists as by them against any particular Non-conformists Object 2. You agree not whether the Reason of the Rulers or Bishops may make and impose any Form of Churches National Patriarchal or Provincial which Christ never made or any new Offices or Ceremonies of Worship Ans 1. This is nothing to the Point in question but of another thing 2. We are all agreed that circa sacra there are many undetermined Particulars and Circumstances which some call Ceremonies for which Scripture giveth only a general Command and Rule as Let all be done decently in order to edification in Unity c. which humane Reason in Rulers where it is their part and in Consenters where it is left to consent may and must determine And that they that have Power de rebus extrinsecis circa sacra may make humane Offices for such humane Works as Door-keepers Church-wardens Magistrates to keep Church-peace and

the great and hourly Work of Prudent Reason and of exceeding great use to our daily innocency and peace 24. The more the Understanding of a Christian discerneth the Evidences and true Reasons of all things in Religion the far greater advantage his Will hath for the Love of it and fixed Resolution never to forsake it and for seriousness and constancie in a holy self-denying Life and for patience in sufferings and joyful hopes of Heavenly Glory for Grace worketh on Man as Man that is as a Rational free Agent whose Will must be guided by the light of his Understanding And he must needs be the lowest and loosest Christian that hath least Knowledge and Intellectual apprehension explicite or implicite why he is a Christian 25. It is a great cause of the slight superficial Religion and weakness of all Grace which abounds among us that too many taking the Essentials of their Religion too much on the trust of those that educate them or with whom they live do labour only to build upward on such an ill-laid Foundation when as Trees grow downward in the Roots as well as upward they should be all their days still growing downward in the confirmation of their Faith and in the clearer and more orderly discerning of their Fundamentals and the Evidences of them It being an increased sight of Evidence of Truth intensively and extensively in depth and clearness of perception as well as material Evidences which is indeed the true increase of Knowledge and Belief And the ablest Christians should be not questioning but as long as they live growing clearer and stronger in the Knowledge of God the Immortality of the Soul and reality of the future Life and Misteries of Redemption and Sanctification where holy Reason will find the most necessary great and fruitful Work 26. Objective Religion being the thing which Reason must discern it is as vain to ask whether Religion or Reason should be preferred as to ask whether we should in seeing preferr the Eye or the Light or the material Objects which must all Concur to make one Act And they that ask Whether Reason and Religion be contray must know 1. That the Faculty of Reason as such is no more contrary to Religion than the visive Faculty to the Light or Object 2. That so far as Reason hath any pravity in Disposition or Act privative or positive ignorance or errour in the matters of Religion so far it is contrary to Religion 3. That so far as Reason is sound in Act and Habit it is agreeable to Religion 4. Therefore the worse any Mans Understanding is the more it is against Religion And not only the Learnedst and Wisest but also the Holiest and best having but an imperfect Illumination in this Life hath still some remnants in him of that which is contrary to Religion and every Man so far as his blindness and pravity is yet uncured 5. But as to the Objective parts themselves it is said before that none of them are contrary The Common Principles or Notices of Nature have nothing contrary to them in the Scripture There is nothing in the Doctrine of the Trinity Incarnation or Resurrection contrary to any Natural Verity nor any thing which true illuminated Reason by true Divine Revelation cannot prove 27. The blessed in Glory whose Intellects are perfected will see for ever such Reasons for all the parts of Religion even the Trinity Incarnation and Resurrection as will delight them everlastingly as seeing the admirable Harmony of all the sacred Truths and Works of God and the transcendant Wisdome of God manifested in all And Christ who is now both essentially in himself and o●jectively to Believers the Wisdome of God will as such be admired by Believers as he is now by Principalities and Powers in Heavenly places who know the manifold Wisdome of God by the Church Eph. 3.9 10. Even that Misterious Wisdome of God which seemeth Foolishness to the Worldly Wisdome of foolish Men 1. Cor. 1 2. And must be spiritually discerned 28. As the Devils believe and tremble so it is probable that the Judge of all the World will convince the wicked and Infidels at last that it was a Reasonable Gospel which they rejected and a Reasonable Faith and Service which God required of them and that they lived against Reason in their unbelief and sinning against God For the Spirit doth reprove the World of sin because they believed not in Christ John 16.8 And he that will come in flaming Fire to take vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and will punish them with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the Glory of his Power and will come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that believe in that day even because they believed 2. Thes 1.9 10. Will sure convince Men that Faith was a reasonable and Infidelity an unreasonable thing In all these particulars we have reason to believe that not only Conformists and Non-conformists but all true Protestants are agreed And they agree in the Renunciation of these contrary Opinions though we cannot say that any Man living is so perfect as to hold nothing that hath some remote Contrariety to the Truths which he doth profess not discerning the Contrariety I. They all reject the Infidels Opinions who think that the Misteries of Christianity and the Gospel are not to be believed at least as certain because Reason without supernatural Revelation cannot know them or who hold that the Gospel hath no Evidence of certain truth II. They all reject their error who take some part of Gods supernatural Revelation to be false and will judge what is true and what is false by the Conjectures of their Reason which ought to see the Truth and Concord of all And that supposing falsly a Contradiction do set up one part of Gods own Word against the rest III. They all reject their error who will not believe the difficulties of Faith upon the Reason or Proof of Gods Veracity and Revelation unless the thing revealed be evident in it self and may be proved by Natural Proof alone IV. They reject the proud conceits of those who when they find passages in Gods Word which they cannot reconcile or think not probable are readier to accuse or suspect Gods Word than their dark and erring understandings V. We all reject their impudent errour who feign Miracles where there was none or put false Constructions on the Text yea on the Articles of Faith and charge their own errours by misunderstanding on Gods Word even when those errours are contrary to the common Notices of Nature or the greatest clearest and most evident Doctrines and then tell Men that they must either deny those great Doctrines as cross to Gods Word or else that both must be believed as of God even the Canon Verities and these Mens inconsistent errours And we reject their Method that will try many plain great