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	true_a	truth_n	6,942	5	5.8699	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59578	Separation convicted of profanation, oppression, persecution, [brace] rebellion, self-destruction, and antichristianism being a further evidence of the mischief of separation, as asserted by the most learned and pious Dr. Edw. Stillingfleet, Dean of St. Pauls / by Lewes Sharpe, rector of Moreton-Hampstead in Devon.	Sharpe, Lewes.	1681 (1681)	Wing S3006A; ESTC R37382	32,652	45

endeavour that the Kingdom of God may come Mat. 6.10 that is that the government of God administred by Jesus Christ may more and more prevail and be every where erected or in the Apostles words that the Word of God which is the Scepter of his Kingdom may have free passage and be glorified 2 Thess 3.1 by opening mens eyes and turning them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26.18 and adding them to the Church Acts 2.47 This is one of the great Interests of the Church and whosoever sets himself to oppose it is an Oppressor of it You account that he which unlawfully obstructs anothers Trade and Commerce and hinders him from improving and increasing his stock doth as really oppress him as he that violently detains or takes his goods from him And this is the case of all Separatists as they do unjustly with-hokl from the Church what of right belongs to it so they hinder it from enlarging it self by begetting Scandals and laying Stumbling-blocks against its Communion and Fellowship 'T is a thing both good and pleasant for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity Psal 133.1 2 3. excites Admiration in the Beholders invites their Affections and encourageth them to a Commerce and Communion But can we reasonably expect to gain the hearts of Jews Pagans Mahometans Papists and Atheists to us perswade them to embrace our Religion and to joyn themselves to our Communion so long as we have such Variances are at such Distances from one another and cannot agree upon terms of religious Communion among our selves Do not our Divisions and Separations seem to proclaim to all the world that we understand not the intent and meaning of those Institutions Laws which Jesus Christ hath imposed upon us and are uncertain what that Religion is which we our selves profess and commend to others as the best in the world One Sect preacheth up that which another crieth down and the religious Communion of one sort is an abomination to another and what one justifieth another condemneth And did you ever know disagreeing Witnesses an effectual Proof Sect. 25. Besides will a considering man unite himself to that City which is divided against it self or chuse that house for his place of habitation whose materials are falling asunder and will not the Enemies of Christ think him an unmeet person to gather under his dominion and rule all the Nations in the world who seems not able to govern those in Unity and Peace which are already subject to him 'T is reported of Julian that he thought the fomenting of Divisions in the Church the most effectual way to suppress Christianity and to advance Paganism and he had reason to think so for the world will never believe that they are taught of God who divide from one another because the Spirit of Truth is never contrary to it self and the designe of all true Religion is to draw and binde men unto God and one another And therefore you shall finde that our Saviour prayeth again and again that his Disciples and followers might be one as he and his Father are one and to this very end that the world might believe that God had sent him Joh. 17.21 23. which implieth that their Unity would be of principal influence to perswade the world that he came into the world on Gods errand to destroy the works of the Devil and to restore man to Gods image favour and fellowship Sect. 26. And you shall finde that when three thousand were converted at one Sermon and added to the Church all the Christians were with one accord in one place and continued with one accord in the Temple and were of one heart and one soul Acts 2.1 41 46. 4.32 33. and then by the rule of contraries they which cause divisions cause offences Rom. 16.17 and prejudice the minds of men against the Church of God as if it were a Synagogue of Satan a Society to be shun'd and abhorr'd which obstructs the propagation and enlargement of it and consequently is a mighty Oppression to it Sect. 27. As Separation is an heavy Oppression to so 't is a grievous Persecution of the Church too Persecution in the strictest and severest sence is the prosecution of a person with a peremptory designe to ruine and destroy him And what is Separation less than the execution of a designe to dissolve and destroy that Community of Christians from which the Separation is made Persecutors think the persecuted so bad and hateful that they are not fit for the society of men And Separatists think that Church from which they separate so corrupt and degenerous that 't is not fit for the society of Christians And as Persecutors would not have the persecuted to continue in being and existence among men so the Separatists would not have the Churches they separate from to continue in being and existence among Churches They both act from the same inodiating and envenomed principle and the aim of each horribly mischievous Sect. 28. Yea I take the Separatists to be the worst and most cruel sort of Persecutors for by how much the Rights and Priviledges of Christians as such are better and dearer to them than the Rights and Priviledges of men as such by so much the more of Rigour and Severity is there in the rejection of Christians from their Rights and Priviledges Is it a very bad thing to suffer confiscation of Goods imprisonment banishment and death 't is much worse to be rejected from the love and fellowship of God and his Church the means of Grace and the hope of Glory Whatever some inconsiderate folk may think to be dealt withal as intolerable in the Church is much harder usage than to be dealt withal as intolerable in the Commonwealth for the outward earthly and temporal condition of the Body is onely concern'd in the one but the inward spiritual and eternal condition of the Soul is concern'd in the other When you unchurch a Society of Christians you account them in the expression of the Holy Text as Dogs Rev. 22.15 the basest and uncleanest sort of creatures a company of men so far sunk under the power of the animal life and given over to the power and tyranny of the Devil that they are alienated from the life of God enemies to all goodness to be shunned as the Prophaners of holy things and the Pests of Christian Commerce And if it be great cruelty without cause to be judged worthy of Death I am sure 't is a greater without cause to be judged worthy of Hell and Damnation Sect. 29. And I think 't is very ordinary for the Separatists to carry on their Separation by far worse methods than for the most part other Persecutors do their Persecutions for other Persecutors accuse those they persecute of some hainous and capital Crime implead and try them by the known Laws of that Community to which they do belong produce Evidences of their Allegations against them and