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	work_v	7,291	5	7.3947	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64487	There be four heads of reasons by which the absolute necessity of a religious correspondency between the godly party of this common-wealth and forraign Protestants may be made manifest ...		1653 (1653)	Wing T861; ESTC R25644	11,606	18

THere be four Heads of Reasons by which the absolute necessity of a Religious Correspondency between the Godly Party of this Common-wealth and forraign Protestants may be made manifest 1. The first is taken from the truth of our Christian Religion whereof we make profession 2. The second from the present sad condition of the Churches 3. The third from the universall danger of the Publique States of Protestants 4. The fourth from the peculiar and weighty Engagements under which the Godly party of this Nation doth stand for the performance of this duty more then any people of the world Of the first IN the truth of our profession of Christianitie there be four things which oblige us mainly to maintain a Religious Correspondency with our Brethren of the same profession in forraign parts 1. First the Substantials wherein the truth of the Profession doth consist 2. Secondly the Ends for which the graces and gifts of God are given to us in the truth and received by us 3. Thirdly the Means by which we may attain to these ends 1. The truth of our profession doth consist in the soundness of the Doctrine of Faith and in the holiness of the life of the professors Tit. 1. 1 3 8 9. to advance and maintain both these towards one another and towards all men the professors of Christianity are obliged by the speciall commandment of God concerning the communion of Saints which consists not onely in the conjunction of Beleevers to strive together for the Faith of the Gospel Phil. 1. 27. Jude 3. but also in a reall endeavour by prayers to strive one for another Eph. 6. 18. and in the communication of their gifts and graces to provoke one another unto love and to good works Heb. 10. 24. Now these endeavours cannot possibly be put forth by us except ●ome Religious Correspondency for the maintaining of Truth and Holinesse be intended and upheld amongst Protestants therefore such a Correspondency is absolutely necessary to be minded by us and if we mind it not it is evident that we come short of a fundamentall duty and fall under the guilt of breaking the Communion of Saints of neglecting the fight for the faith and of carelesnesse to provoke others unto love and good works which God will certainly require at our hands if we continue to do so having so great cause and so much opportunity to do otherwise 2. The End for which God doth give the gifts and graces of his Spirt unto the Saints is that the members of the body of Christ should profit thereby one towards another 1 Cor. 12. 7 and that they should trade therewith to gain more graces for themselves Luk. 19. 12. 13. Mat. 25. 14. but it is no more possible to do this without maintaining an intercourse of spiritual Correspondency one with another then it is possible to the dis joynted member of a natural body to conveigh blood and nourishment each to other Therefore a course of religious Correspondency is absolutely necessary for this cause also and if this be not intended Gods aime in giving his gifts unto his Saints and Churches is not fulfilled and he will certainly deprive such of the gifts which they have received who continue under the guilt of not making a right use thereof For if the end of Gods giving should be answered by our receiving then we are bound in conscience to receive grace onely for the advancement of his glory 1 Cor. 10. 31. and of our mutual edification 1 Cor. 14. 26 Rom. 14. 19. and 15. 2. and if these two Ends are so subordinate one to another that God cannot be glorified otherwise by us then by this that we bring forth much fruit one towards another Joh. 15. 6 for our good cannot reach to him as David saith Psal 16. 2. but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent ones in whom ought to be all our delight ibid. v. 3. then it will follow that the main use of all grace is the improvement thereof towards others But it is not possible to intend this improvement of our goodnesse towards the Saints for mutuall edification except we use means to know one anothers spirituall condition by some course of spirituall Correspondency therefore such a Correspondency is wholly necessary to be setled and entertained if we will not deprive God of his glory and the Saints of the interest which they should have in us by the right use of our Talents towards them 3. The Means by which these Ends are to be attained is to endeavour to keep the Unity of the spirit in the bond of peace which we are commanded and by many reasons exhorted to do Eph. 4. 3 4 5 6. Now this endeavour being the effect immediately flowing from Charitie which is the chief edifying grace as appeareth by 1 Cor. 8. 1. chap. 3. p. totun Ephe. 4. 15 16. And seeing Charity cannot be maintained nor edification advanced nor the unity of the Spirit upheld except there be an eddeavour put forth to take notice of one anothers state therefore a Correspondency for mutual intelligence in spirituall matters tending to unity and peace in the profession of the Truth is a thing absolutely necessary amongst such as intend sincerely to uphold the Truth of the Gospel-profession or if they intend it not it is evident that they come short of the fundamentall duty of the life of Christianity by neglecting the means of mutual edification wherein God is chiefly glorified and such as continue in this neglect and order not their way aright in the profession of the Gospel shall never see the salvation of God Psal 50. 23. Of the Second THe present condition of the Churches comes under a two-fold Consideration the one is in respect of themselves the other is in respect of their common Adversaries The Churches considered within themselves are found to be in their particular relations not onely for the most part at a distance and strangers to each others affairs but many of them are even at open defiance and opposition to one anothers welfare which is the more to be blamed and lamented not onely because this behaviour is directly oppo●●te to the truth of the profession of Christianity to Gods end in giving and our dutie in receiving gifts and graces and to the means appointed to reach the ends we are bound to prosecute but because this mis-behaviour seems to me even contrary to common sense and reason so that it may be wondered at how it fals out amongst intelligent men that their understandings in fundamental matters of Faith being so fully consonant their affections should be so far dis-sonant and again in matters of duty their conscience being for the main bound up to one and the same Rule which is the word of God how they should be at so much division and strife about the application of that Rule unto lesser matters Furthermore it is no small wonder unto me that they having the

Oracles of God and there in two Rules of scriptural Interpreration prescribed viz. the Analysis of the Text and the Analogy of Faith that the scholasticall way of handling Evangelical debates should be so much in use and that in the debates about the depth of secret and unfear hab●e mysteries which all sides confesse to be such there should be so much Animosity And lastly that where the substance is agreed unto and in the outside of the profession onely there is some difference about prudential and circumstantial matters of Order Discipline Government there should be so little condiscention and mutual forbearance made use of notwithstanding all the acknowledged precepts and duties of Christian charity and long suffering for mutual edification Now that from this unreasonableness of division and he great want of moderation and discretion in managing the same scandals and offences should infinitely be multiplyed amongst the Churches is no wonder at all for how can it be otherwise when all charitable thoughts are laid aside and no bowels of compassion by reason of humane frailties entertained but that all manner of provocations to offences will on all hands be both given and taken whence prejudices will continually be more and more heightned and the Spirit of strife wil as we see it doth carry on the parties to embrace in their opposite courses wordly interests of a contrary nature that they may cross each others advantages by which means the world takes insensible possession of the hearts of Professors which makes them for the most part mind more the formality of their partial way then the simplicity of the Gospel and the power of Godliness so that the life of the spirit though much pretended unto by some and not altogether unknown to others cannot break through to work any sensible effects of holinesse and spiritual edification but all the means thereof and the wayes of holy communion being either neglected or obstructed and the prophane world observing our miscarriages the way of Truth and Holinesse is evill spoken of by them and the name of God is blasphemed for our sakes Now to Remedy these evils and to draw the Churches to some principle or degree of spiritual unity that the wrath of God may be prevented which may justly suffer us to devour one another till we be consumed one by another or the Candlestick removed from us all let us mind but one Apostolical Rule to be put in practise amongst us whereof the equity is altogether undeniable and there may be yet some hope of our pre●ervation in store This Rule is given to the Philippians to heal the breach which was between the Jews Gentile Believers Phil. 3. 15. 16 about the matter of Circumcilion and it is this If ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you neverthelesse whereto we have attained already let us walk by the same rule let us mind the same thing If then we could be so happy as to be able to perswade the Churches to observe this part of the Rule one towards another first mainly to bear each with others imperfection in knowledge till God reveal further his Truth and then if in the mean time they would own one another in that whereunto they have already attained and therein walk by one Rule and mind the same thing that is intend that good towards others which they would have others intend towards them the mischief which through the neglect of this duty is like to ensue might be prevented but how to make the Churches sensible of the necessity of observing this Rule and Precept is scarce imaginable except some Godly party would professedly own this as a duty towards them all in common and undertake to provoke them by some religious way of Correspondency to a reciprocall practise thereof Therefore again such a Correspondence is absolutely necessary for the Churches upon this Consideration namely to preserve them from the forenamed evils of their home-bred distempers and from the wrath which undoubtedly will follow thereupon if they continue therein But if the Churches be look't upon with respect unto their common Adversaries the Papists on the one hand and the Prophane the Hypocrites and the Atheists on the other all which enemies lay the Churches wast severall waies and undermine their Settlement this religious Correspondency to maintain the unity of the Spirit in that whereunto they have attained will yet appear more absolutely necessary For it is without all contradiction evident that nothing doth so much advance the wishes of Papists and the plots of Atheistical States-men against the profession of the truth as our Divisions amongst our selves And these Adversaries chiefly the Papists make it a great part of their work by subtile Emissaries of all sorts which the Colledge de propagande side as they call it doth maintain to foment these our divisions and disorders in hope that thereby we shall be made a prey unto them at last Now to take this advantage out of their hands and to stop the gaps whereby they break in upon us that they may cunningly heighten our passions and make our divisions irreconcilible there is no likely way but this that some Godly and considerate Party should stir up the rest to correspond with it self and each with another in these main and fundamental Duties Truths of Christianity wherein they are all united and whereunto they have all attained notwithstanding their different opinions in lesser matters And except some such course be taken there is no humane possibility to prevent the effect of the plots which the Papall Conclave hath against the Churches which it hath proscated and doth prosecute with indefatigable diligence with innumerable Agents of several sorts with immense cost and charge with all manner of crafty insinuations and fair pretences and with all the zeal that either the opinion of deserving heaven or the hope of temporal Greatness Power and Profit can breed in Superstitious in Ambitions and in Covetous minds Therefore to countermine these practises of the common Adversaries and to cut them short of the advantages by which they will at last work out their ends if no remedy be found this religious Correspondency in things whereunto the Churches have attained is absolutely necessary and without some intercourse between them to this effect it will be impossible as to men to prevent the mischief which will ensue Of the Third AS for the Protestant states in Germany and elsewhere through out Europe if we look upon the causes of their weakening and unsettlement hitherto we may easily read their destiny in time to come if these Causes bee not speedily removed For it is certain that the House of Austria and the Papall Conclave since the dayes of Charles the V. When the first warre about Religion was raised in the year 1546 have entered into a League for the Extirpation of the Protestant Party which hath been to this day maintained between them and the Design thereof constantly