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	heart_n	love_n	8,204	5	5.2375	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91794	The necessity of toleration in matters of religion, or, Certain questions propounded to the Synod, tending to prove that corporall punishments ought not to be inflicted upon such as hold errors in religion, and that in matters of religion, men ought not to be compelled, but have liberty and freedome. Here is also the copy of the edict of the Emperours Constantinus and Licinius, and containing the reasons that inforced them to grant unto all men liberty to choose, and follow what religion they thought best. Also here is the faith of the Assembly of Divines, as it was taken out of the exactest copy of their practise, with the non-conformists answer why they cannot receive and submit to the said faith. / By Samuel Richardson.	Richardson, Samuel, fl. 1643-1658.; Constantine I, Emperor of Rome, d. 337.; Westminster Assembly (1643-1652)	1647 (1647)	Wing R1409; Thomason E407_18; Thomason E407_19; ESTC R203392	10,835	16

that time upon that occasion that Dioclesianus and Maximinianus our Progenitors commanded the Assemblies and meetings of Christians to be cut off so that there were many of them spoiled and robbed Euseb ilb 9. cap. 10. Fix Act Mo●ib 1 pag. 113. least our Subjects should be spoiled of their goods and sustance which thing chiffly to prevent is our onely indeavour c. which thing was very well taken and highly allowed of the Romans and wisemen By reason of these Edicts great tranquility followed and long continued persecution ceased so as Fox declares that the Church continued without any open slaughter for a thousand yeers together till Anno 1300. and the burning of Iohn Huss and Ieremy of Prague for Hereticks by the Counsell of Constance caused the Bohemians to raise an Army against the Authors of their death and God was so with the Bohemian Army under Zisca that they always Conquered so that God hath caused much evil to come upon them who have compelled men in matters of Religion That Religion ought to be free 1. Because it is Gods way to have Religion free and only to flow from an inward principle of Faith and love neither would God be worshipped of unwilling Worshippers Ioh. 4. 4. 2. It is Gods Prerogative only to force to Religion by working Faith in mens hearts for though Religion be natural yet true Religion is supernatural and proceeds from the Spirit of God 3. Because the end why God hath a Church is that he might have a people separated from others in the world to glorifie him in a holy conversation to the convincing of those that are out of the Church therefore there must be a world before whom the Church must walk to whom such as walk disorderly are to be cast by Excommunication and the Church is to wait for their Repentance 4. Because if there should be an established Law for all persons to submit unto it would tend to the wounding of the souls and undoing the bodies of very many that could not submit to any one way because their judgements so much differ also if there should be any defect in the established Law as it is possible to be as we know by woful experience the godly shall suffer oppression for conscience of the truth against that defect by the execution of that Law which I suppose would be a grief to honest hearts seeing we finde that when Laws are made concerning Religion such as make conscience are catched as Daniel and the three children were 5. Because it is the best for the publick peace to give every one content for if there be set up an Order in Religion for a Law and thereby please one sort of people another sort will be displeased who it may be have as many good reasons for that they would have as the others and such as like not a Toleration it is to be feared they are not rightly principled themselves and so are not competent Judges And as for those who think otherways I desire they would seriously consider and answer these questions by the Scriptures Questions propounded to the Synod and all honest hearted and conscientious people whether Corporal punishments ought to be inflicted upon such as hold Errors in Religion QUEST 1. WHether corporall punishment can open blinde eyes and give light to dark understandings 2. Whether carnall punishments can produce any more then a carnall repentance and obedience 3. Whether the destroying of mens bodies for errors be not a means to prevent their conversion seeing some are not called untill the eleventh hour and if they should be cut off for their errors the seventh how should they come in Mat. 20. 6. 4. Whether those who would force other mens consciences be willing to have their own forced 5. Whether it be wisdome and safe to make such sole Judges in matters of Religion who are not infallible but as liable to erre as others 6. If a Father or Magistrate have not power to force a virgin to marry one she cannot love whether they have power to force one where they cannot believe against the light and checks of their own consciences 7. Whether the Scripture makes the Magistrate judge of our faith 8. If the Magistrate may determine what is truth whether we must not beleive and live by the Magistrates faith and change our Religion at their pleasures And if nothing must be preached nor printed nor allowed to passe unlesse certain men please to approve and give their allowance thereto under their honds whether such do not by this practice tell God that unlesse he wil reveale his truth first to them they will not suffer it to be published and so not to be known and whether the Licencer setting his hand to the booke to licence it he being a Priest by his ordination and from the Pope be not the mark of the Beast spoken of Revel 13. 17 And whether it be not worse then any of our former Patents before the Parliament is not this a Spirituall wickednesse in high places which strikes at the truth are they fit to be Licencers of the truth who when the truth hath been tendered to be licensed they have confessed the truth of it as they have been free to licence it but refused because they durst not And whether it can be made appeare that Gon hath revealed his truth first to these Ministers of England and so the first spreaders of it Instance who opposed the Prelats the Ministers or the people first And so of the rest 9. Whether it be not the command of Christ that the tares those that walk in lies and the wheat those that walke in the truth should be let alone and the blinde led in a false Religion which are offended at the declaring of the truth should be let alone Mat. 13. 30. 38. Mat. 15. 15. 10. Whether he was not reproved that would have fire from heaven to devour those that reject Christ Luke 9. 54. 55. 11. Whether the servants of the Lord are not forbidden to strive but to be gentle towards all 2 Tim 4. 2. 12 Whether the Saints weapons against errors be carnall or no 2 Cor. 10. 4. 13 Whether it was not Christs command that his Disciples when they were persecuted they should pray if cursed bless 14. Whether the Scriptures declare that the Saint should persecute others and whether the gentle lambs of Christ will or can serve the Wolves so seeing he sent his as sheep among wolves and not as wolves among sheep to kill and imprison Matth. 10. 16. 15. Whether Christ hath said He will have an unwilling people compelled to serve him 16. Whether ever God did plant his Church by violence and bloud-shed 17. Whether tares may not become wheat and the blinde see and those that now oppose and resist Christ afterwards receive him and he that is now in the Divels snare may get out and come to repentance and such as are idolaters as the Corinthians were