Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	gospel_n	law_n	life_n	7,267	5	5.2543	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80396	A pattern of mercy. Opened in a sermon at St. Pauls, before the Right Honorable, the Lord Mayor, and the Lord General Monck: February 12. 1659. / By Tobias Conyers, minister at St. Ethelberts, London.	Conyers, Tobias, 1628-1687.	1660 (1660)	Wing C5994; Thomason E774_8; ESTC R207295	28,966	47

An Enemy hath done this The servants said Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up Ver. 29. But he said Nay least whilst ye gather up the tares ye root up also the wheat with them The Parable is explained by Christ himself 38 vers The seed is the world wherein we all live observe it is not the Church but the World they may be censured in Ecclesia in that spiritual Court but not in the World The good seed are the Children of Truth or as Christ saith The children of the Kingdom The tares are the sons of Error the children of the wicked one The enemy that sowed them is the Divel and those his Emissaries whom he imploies God refers the burning of the Tares till the Harvest which our Saviour interprets the end of the world and the reason why the Tares must not be plucked out but let alone until the Harvest is this rendered by himself ver 29. Least while ye gather up the Tares ye root up the wheat also By the Tares here can be meant nothing more properly then erroneous persons no other sinners or offenders but sinners injudgment offenders in opinion For if by Tares we should understand Murtherers Adulterers Thievs or any such kind of transgressors then would our Saviour be understood to plead for a toleration of such sinners as his Father had expresly injoined to be punished He that sheds man's blood by man shall his blood be shed He that stole to make restitution and satisfaction To this we may refer the counsel of Gamaliel a great Civilian and though not endowed with an infallible spirit yet one as we may presume in a special manner moved by the Spirit to interpose in the behalf of Christ and his dear servants to rescue them from the bloody rage and malice of the Council The Apostles standing before the Council the Jewish Presbytery indeavoring to suppress their erroneous opinions for so the doctrine of Christianity was accounted Gamaliel stands up Act. 5. 38. And now I say unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stand off from those men meddle not with them let them alone for if this counsel or this work be of men i. e. if it be a fancy or an opinion of their own if it be of humane invention and contrivance it will come to nought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it will be dis-jointed broken it will suffer a dissolution But if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it i. e. it will stand all opposition to the contrary notwithstanding and yee your selves bee found fighters against God 2ly We are urged unto this duty by example and that by the greatest example even that of Christ himself Luk. 4. 55. in the story we have three things considerable 1. The churlish in hospitality of the Samaritanes refusing to give entertainment not so much as a nights lodging unto Christ and his Disciples and the ground of this was their difference in opinion as we collect from the 53. And they did not receive him because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem because he worshipped not in the same place with them upon Mount Girizim but seemed to hold communion with the Jewes in their Worship at the Temple at Jerusalem they would not so much as receive him into their Village 2. You have the fiery indignation of his Disciples that was kindled against the Samaritans ver 54. Wilt thou that we command fire to come down from Heaven and consume them as Elias did Here we have a notorious president how far the intemperate and untutor'd zeal even of good men may transport them it 's strange that nothing but fire from heaven can expiate the fault of the Samaritans incivility 2. We have our Saviours rebuke and discommendation of that rash zeal wherewith his Disciples were heated V. 55. But he turned and rebuked them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he angerly or sharply rebuked them Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of i. e. The Spirit of Christ and the Gospel is another manner of spirit then that of the Law another manner of spirit then that of the World Besides its contrary to the end of my coming that any man should be thus dealt with for any injury or affront done unto me The Son of man is not come into the world to destroy mens lives but to save them To come home We must not burn a Samaritan because he will not turn Jew neither must we destroy men because they will not be proselited to our Opinions the Jews must not call for fire from Heaven upon the Samaritans because they Worship not with them at the Temple at Jerusalem nor the Samaritans refuse to give entertainment to the Jews because they do not worship with them upon Mount Girizim Herein our Saviour was a great pattern of moderation forbearance and brotherly kindness and his Gospel is not Evangelium Armatum an Armed Gospel it is Mahomet's and not Christs way to propagate Religion by the sword Prayers and Tears and Sufferings and Fastings and Alms deeds and Love and Charity are those Forces by which Christian Religion became so victorious and triumphant in the World 3. Ab utilitate It is profitable to bear with our dissenting Brethren 1. It 's best for the Church 2. It 's best for the State 1. For the Church There is a twofold Unity an Unity in Judgement and that 's Truth an Unity in Affection and that 's Love If we cannot obtain the first we may the latter if we cannot have an Unity in Truth we may by this means have an Unity in Love It is yeelded and need not be made the subject of any mans Dispute That Heresies are damnable and pernicious but since as the Scriptures speak 1 Cor. 11. 19. There must be Heresies also amongst you not because that God ordained them to be for he cannot decree sin but because he permitted them and saw they would be held and maintained in the Church as the Astronomer prognosticates an Eclipse either of the Sun or Moon not that he hath any influence upon those Heavenly Bodies to cause the least change or alteration but because by the Rules of his Art he sees such and such things will happen We ought to follow St. Paul's advice unto Titus 3. 10. An Heretick after the first and second admonition reject Heresie it is the mutilation and maiming of some of the principal branches of Christian Faith and this pertinaciously defended and maintained contrary to the reproof and censure of a lawful Authority But as for those less differences in Religion and since there will always be such amongst us for faces do not more vary then understandings and conceptions it is best for the preservation of the Churches peace love and unity that we bear with and exercise a wonderful lenity towards those that dissent from us that we do not presently excommunicate unchurch and deliver one another up unto Satan for every difference in opinion and judgement

We complain much of the want of Love of that hatred malice and jealousie that we finde stirred up amongst the present Gospellers and Professors in Religion me-thinks it should be with us the Students in Divinity as it is with those Students and Proficients in Philosophy at the University who though they do often dispute their Opinions pro and con in the Schools and Halls yet do they love one another nevertheless though one be for Aristotle another for Ramus a third for Zeno a fourth for Epicurus yet doth it not occasion the least animosity breach or dis-affection We all acknowledge one God the resurrection from the dead salvation by Jesus Christ future rewards and punishments the necessity of Virtue Righteousness and Holiness that no man hath power of himself to do any thing that good is that all grace strength and suffic ency are of God These are every mans Concessions neither do I know any man living that does so much as dispute or question the truth of them We agree in the greater why do we differ in the less How much would it make for the Church its peace encrease and enlargement could we give unto one another some few Granes of Allowance in this case 2. It is best for the State for the settlement of the peace and prosperity thereof This I offer to humble consideration there wants nothing so much to make us happy and glorious as mercifulness one unto another there is nothing more tender then a mans conscience the Grashopper is a burden to it those that will suffer others to touch them in their Estates to touch them in their Dignity and Greatness both which are very dear to them will not endure to be touched in their consciences This hath broken us so oft in pieces that men are not content to secure their own Christian libetty unless it be with the infringement of othet mens May the Princes and Magistrates of this World to use the expression of a sober person take heed of coming too near that Mount which Jehovah hath sanctified for himself and for his Son Jesus to set their Thrones on We are for peace and settlement and that upon such a Basis as may stand to the good liking both of God and men till he come who shall call in the Commissions of all the Kings and Rulers of the Earth may the foundations therefore be laid in Principles of Justice Righteousness Moderation that the glory of our Nation may grow up in Renown The Consciences and Judgements of men are the proper Territories and Dominions of Christ whosoever shall enter by any other Authority then this upon these Sacred Demeans intrencheth upon anothers Right I passe this Use with these following Limitations In general by what hath been spoken we do not seek to infringe the Magistrate's just Power or to lessen his duty as he is a Christian we willingly yeild him the dignity of being Gods Deputy and if he please Custos utriusque tabulae 1. That they vouchsafe to see to the observation of the Lords Day not onely that men forbear their Callings but also that they come to Church or such places of Worship where Divine Service is performed that under a pretence of Liberty of Conscience men take not an occasion to transgress the Laws of sobriety and holiness For were this Lords Day an Ordinance onely of man it becomes every man to submit to it for the Lords sake 2. That nothing that hath been spoken extend to deter the Magistrate from punishing swearing profanation of the Lords Name all immodesty and violation of the Laws of Nature for these are things that all men have agreed in as worthy of punishment and if there were no warrant from the Word of God yet volenti non sit injuria he that is willing hath no injury done him 3. Nay I would even subscribe to punish blasphemy according to the Judicial Law if there were any persons lawfully appointed who could infallibly determine 2. Br. Let us imitate the mercifulness of God in pardoning Injuries and forgiving offences one against another let us take out our Saviour's Lesson Let us pray for our enemies do good to those that hate us so shall we heap coals of fire upon their heads But alas how far are we from this God-like temper Every man almost seeks to be Deus ultionem a god of revenge We write favours and benefits on the Sand but injuries in Marble never to be blotted out Though we crave and expect all forgiveness from Heaven daily yet we exercise very little upon the Earth Instead of extenuating one anothers offences we heighten and aggravate them in our bills of debts and trespasses for fifties we write hundreds and for hundreds thousands As God is prone to forgive so we are to take revenge one upon another I wish there were not that occasion for me to tell you how much you are unlike unto God For pity lo cruelty for love envy hatred and iealousie and for pardon behold revenge every man studies the Law of Retaliation to return like for like which our Saviour expresly abrogated Matthew 5. 38. Let me borrow an Apostrophe O cruel Revenge of a venomous and dangerous malignity which filleth the heart with Plagues the life with Furies and the World with Tragedies What havock dost thou make what flames dost thou kindle unless Grace and Reason give some temper and alleviation A spirit from beneath raised from Hell injurious to civil Society pernicious to States and Kingdoms kindled by pride nourished by flattery sharpened by insolent Tongues which makes their lives a continual crime and their memories that exercise it a perpetual execration Christians what shall I now say farther to perswade you to Moderation Clemency Pardon Forgiveness If the example of God the pattern of Christ the practise of the most eminent Saints If this will not do it what will Onely let me re-mind you of that great day which is ready to dawn upon the world when the Judge of heaven and earth shall come riding upon the clouds with ten thousand Angells in his company and shall take his seat in the air when that general Assize shal be kept wee shal all come to hold up our hands for mercy at his Bar. Let me tell you from God in whose name I now prophesie unto you that unless you here display the ensigns of your mercy on earth neither will God hold forth the Scepter of his mercy and pardon unto that day 3ly Let us imitate God in his bounty and liberality that I may speak a word for the poor who causeth the Sun to shine and the rain to fall both upon the just and the unjust I speak now to the rich thè great and mighty in this world You live upon the alms of heaven subsist by divine bounty and are maintained at his cost and charge he keepeth a plentiful house and hath made large provision for You onely in the disposition of things he hath left the