Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	jesus_n	lord_n	17,123	5	3.7490	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54946	An old way of ending new controversies in a sermon preached to the comptroller, and the rest of the gentlemen of the honourable society of the Inner-Temple, on Sunday the 8th of January 1681/2, and at their special desire printed / by Thomas Pittis ...	Pittis, Thomas, 1636-1687.	1682 (1682)	Wing P2315; ESTC R8604	14,972	44

it self into an actual Rebellion And when various and severe Contests about Religion have openly distinguished men from each other till they are hardly able to know themselves when private Dispensations shall in some cases vacat Publick Oaths by single Interpretations and in Equivocations and Mental Reservations men are able to out-strip the Jesuit himself this is a way to remove the Pope only by bringing him into our own Bellies and instead of a Union of Protestants among our selves is the direct way to introduce Popery in Masquerade that I may use some Rhetorical words and to imbrace what we declame against and every Protestant is bound in his own capacity to withstand But when Trade and Occupations determine our Option and past Acts though evil in themselves must regulate our present and future deportment when persons chuse their Articles of Creed as well as various ways of Worship suitable to what they gain from those with whom they seem Religiously to associate Conscience and Christianity do no longer guide them but they give away their choice to Clients Trade and amongst Divines to the preferments of this World and all this while 't is Earth becomes their Supreme God and Secular Interest governs their Religion When Affairs therefore through our own indiscretion or the wickedness of others are brought to this pass that men will violate their Oaths to preserve Religion or neglect Prayers to serve God or attend Prayers to serve the Devil and when by such methods as these the Prologue is made to the dismal Tragedy of a general Confusion 't is time to call for a solemn Consultation and for a Christian Magistrate to interpose by Law least the Disorders in what we call by the Ancient and Venerable name of Religion may have too severe an influence on the State and both be ruined by the same hands since these are like Hypocrates Twins that weep and laugh both together 'T is time therefore at such a Season to call upon our sleeping Laws to awake whose Penalties have an equal Sanction with themselves and more especially because punishment of Extravagant Offendors can be no Persecution when the Christian Religion is not concerned but the various Interests of this World and Penalties in this Case will only restrain the inordinate Affection of some men to their private Concerns in relation to their abode here and teach them how to be Crucified to this World that they may more easily ascend into Glory in the next 'T will keep them steady whilst they walk upon the Earth when the Wings of their Ambition are clyp'd and pois'd and cause them to grow better by Religion and Loyalty that by a peaceable departure out of this Life they may enter into the Joy of our Lord. This though to some it may seem severe can be no violence offered to Conscience where we plainly see there is none at all 'T will be at most no more than a limitation of Trade and Covetousness by restraining the Contentions and Ambition of mankind And now if upon all this Discourse a carping Protestant or angry Romanist should blunder upon this Objection that if the Church be infallible quoad nos so it was at the time of our withdrawing from the Roman Communion and therefore we then breaking the Principal Bond of Truth and Union must remain guilty of the greatest Shism unless we return to that Church from whence we have departed It is without any difficulty replied that he supposes that granted which we will not yield for we were never lawfully subject to the Roman Church in respect of Spirituals any more than we were to the late Monster of Traytors in respect of Temporals a prosperous Usurpation giving them no better Title over our Church which was distinct at its first reception of Christianity than the others possession gave him right to his Sovereigns Throne both being effected by Subtilty Force and Usurpation Thus having through this Discourse exhibited a great Character of Truth which is prime Antiquity and given some slender account of what has been heard from the beginning All that remains is to inforce the Apostles Exhortation to the duty and beg that ancient Truths may abide in you We have now had the Tryal of all things let us therefore hold fast that which is good we have been too long tossed in a storm but having at last arrived at a safe Harbour let us no more sail out among the Rocks nor put to Sea whilst the Winds rage and the Waves roar The True Ancient and Apostolick Faith was for some time like the lost sheep it wandred about in a Wilderness of Error and the by Paths of Heresie and Schism being torn and scratched with Briars and Thorns not only till it was smeered with blood but at last it became Naked Truth Naked indeed for being void of Hypocrisie it became Naked of Friends too But now since we have found the lost sheep no wonder that I Exhort you as he did his Friends in the Gospel Rejoyce with me for I have found the sheep that was lost And since the search has been no less tedious than in these times full of hazard let us no longer shift the Principles of our Religion nor permit the wry Face of a man to draw our Souls and Bodies asside but let those Truths abide in us which we have heard from the begining Why should I use any Rhetorick to persuade when there is the Authority of God to command Tacitus informs us of Caesar's Soldiers Imperium potius quam concilium sequebantur A word of Command was more to them than persuasion or advice in a formal Speech And shall we that march under our Saviours Banner be more disobedient than a Heathen Militia Why should we not for Edification submit to true Decency and Order that we may no longer be like Samaritans and Jews refuse kinder Correspondences with each other As the Apostle therefore Exhorts those Jews who though dispersed were united in Christian Faith and Discipline so let me with all Charity and Affection beg that you would hold fast your Profession Heb. 4.14 Can we reasonably part with the Glorious Gospel which promises Crowns and everlasting Rewards that takes care of us after we are Dead and leaves us neither in Purgatory or the Grave nay that free us from the Torments of Hell and advances us to the Joys of Heaven We cannot once depart from our Religion but at the same time we abandon our selves exchange our Reason for Folly and Madness and barter our precious Souls for trifles and what proportion in this exchange What is a man profited says our Saviour nay how is a man utterly undon if to gain the whole world he loses his own soul Matth. 16.26 Understand what you are capable of apprehending and when you have found a Doctrine to be sound take St. Pauls advice to Timothy Hold fast the form of sound words 1 Tim. 1.13 Many of our fierce and staring Seperatists like their Ancestors of another denomination the Papists I mean embrace Principles and Ways of Worship though they understand them not As Quintilian speaking of the Toscan Rights and the Soothsayings of the Salian Priests Vix Sacerdotibus suis intellecta sed quae mutari vetat Religio Scarce apprehended by their Priests themselves but yet their Principles and Religion forbid a change But that Gospel which has been heard from the beginning is no Airy Doctrine to be condensed into a Cloud nor so hot as to be raised into a Pillar of Fire we are not to be conducted as the Israelites were of old nor thanks be to God and a Christian Government is the Church yet in a Wilderness condition our Principles are as Plain as Honest and our Religion as Intelligible as it is Rational and the Doctrine and Discipline if our Practice Corresponds which the Church of England pretends a reverence for by Gods blessing being submitted to with meekness will be sufficient to save our Souls through him who first published it to the World and died to make satisfaction for our sins Let this therefore abide in you that you may not be like Waves of the Sea always rolling and driven which way a Storm pleases but setled and immovable always abounding in the Work of the Lord which let God Cooperate and strengthen you in for Christ Jesus's sake To whom with the Father and his Eternal Spirit be all Glory and Honour now and for ever Amen FINIS