Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ghost_n	holy_a	scripture_n	19,615	5	6.1818	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33459	A treatise of humane reason	Clifford, M. (Martin), d. 1677.	1674 (1674)	Wing C4707; ESTC R21053	22,005	94

nature should still lament and tremble that the entrances to Heaven are so few and so difficult though they were yet far more and much easier than this opinion makes them There are enow obstructions from the frailty of our Flesh the subtilty of the Devil the tyranny of our Passions and the perverse crookedness of our corrupted Wil●s without the additions of any more from the imperfections of our intellect Sufficient is the danger we run in not performing those Duties which vve understand aright without making our mis-understandings damnable and condemning that as a Guilt which is to be pitied as a misfortune What then shall vve believe Turks Jews Heathens Atheists themselves if there be any such in an equal possibility of salvation with the unerring Christian Shall vve save all Beasts of what kind soever clean or unclean in that mystical Ark the Church of God Certainly in the two contrary excesses of belief in this matter that on the side of Mercy hath the appearance of greater safety and I had rather think with Origen That the Devils themselves by the excessive kindness of their Judge shall at last be exempted from damnation than that he himself shall be damn'd for that Opinion But as to this their Objection I believe first That Reason it self will declare to every Man in the World that he ought to adhere to the Christian rather than to any other Religion whatsoever if all things be propounded to him in a clear and impartial manner and this whosoever shall deny I dare confidently affirm it is impossible for him to be a Christian But because there are thousand accidents which hinder the greatest part of the world from the advantages of so fair a proposal hence it comes to pass that so small a part of Mankind hath submitted to the Obedience of the Christian Faith Now to condemn all those Millions of persons many millions for one that is to be saved is so wild an uncharitableness that few have been so barbarously severe as to be guilty of it and therefore those whose Ignorance in these matters hath been invincible they left to the hands of God without declaring a definitive opinion either of their safety or perdition Now if we consider rightly what Ignorance is to be accounted invincible we shall by this means restore the greatest part of Mankind into a hopeful and comfortable condition and none even amongst the worst Religions will be left to a certain ruine but such whose Consciences have been neglected or forced aside by those who ought to have been guided by them and such who can have no plea against the rigour of their sentence because they deserted themselves as well as God And the disobedience of Men to their own Conscience is not only in things of practice but also of belief and speculation though not in so evident and immediate a manner by suffering themselves to be deceived by the insensible operations of interest and prejudice Nor does it follow from hence that Christ is not the only source and cause of eternal felicity for I acknowledge there is no other Name under heaven by which men can hope for salvation But I may very well believe withal that there are secret and wonderful waies by which God may be pleased to apply his Merits to mankind besides those direct open and ordinary ones of Baptism and Confession which I have only advanc'd briefly in this place being a matter that will require a more ample and particular examination Now concerning the Salvation of all sorts of Christians except their lives disagree from their doctrines which is likewise a disobedience to their Reasons I know not why I should be terrifi'd out of my Charity by any Anathema whatsoever that shall proceed from the mouth of Man For I cannot see how any but God himself can certainly know that any man is an Heretick since it is only he who can discern by what close and unlawful means he corrupts his understanding and hardens his own will to the obstinate belief of any Errour for without that obstinacy there is no Heresie and without the perfect sight of the whole contexture of a mans Thoughts and Actions there is no knowledge of such an obstinacy and therefore when the Church declares any Opinion to be Heresie it is to be accepted as if the Law should say whosoever kills a man is a Murtherer which is a sentence not absolute but to be qualified with Circumstances even so the Church pronounces whosoever holds this Doctrine is an Heretick with an evident reservation of some Circumstances in the meaning thereof for no man can imagine that the sentence includes those who never shall hear of it nor no more say I those who though they hear of it yet cannot by any means bring their Conscience to the assent For to obey in matters of belief without being able to believe the thing commanded is no less and seems more a contradiction than simply to obey without knowledge of a Command Thus much briefly concerning Heresie which indeed is a Subject worthy a Treatise by it self But this will not suffice unless we can also clear our selves from the imputation of Schisme the ordinary railing word in all Controversies and a slander which is often fatal in making where it falsly accuses a separation of which they are truly guilty the word it self bearing witness against them who break the precious unity of the Christian Church but that is done not so much by them who differ in Opinions as by them who will not allow of such a difference Who knows whether that God who liked best that no mens Bodies should have the same complexion no mens Faces the same figures no Hands the same lines no Voices the same sounds nay not so much but their motions and gestures should be distinguishable has not likewise best pleased himself with no less variety in the parts of Men that are immaterial and even in the most immaterial Actions of those parts which is the worship and adoration of a Deity Does God gain any thing by our devotions does he receive hurt from one kind of worship and advantage by another is he pleased with any smell in the sacrifice besides that of Obedience and can a plain uniform unalterable obedience be expected without Commands of the same nature Without doubt he who gave Rules which might accept of so many several interpretations when he might have made them as plain to all in one sense as they seem now to every man in his own is likewise well contented that they shall be interpreted severally and as the Divines confess that the same words of Scripture admit of a Literal Typical Anagogical sense and that all those senses are both true and intended by the Holy Ghost that Spirit of unity that writ them so I say the Commands of God concerning Religion are equally obeyed and fulfilled by all the various kinds of Obedience which the Consciences of men conceive themselves bound