Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A93313
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Reformation and union recommended, as the present duty and interest of the nation in a sermon preach'd at the assizes held at Hertford August the 1st, 1698 / by Ri. Skingle, vicar of Roydon in Essex.
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Skingle, Ri.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing S3941B; ESTC R42554
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9,577
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19
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Declinings in Religion that are to be found in them truly reform these things and be always upon their Guard for the future even till they see every Egyptian dead upon the Shoar This is that which God expects from us and this is the way to have him go on to do us good And so I pass to the other Thing which I propos'd when I began this use which is That some offectual Course be taken for the uniting of us and the more to dispose unto this heavenly Work I beg that these following particulars be considered I. That Infallibility is not lodg'd with any Men we all know but in part and to bring it home to what I am speaking to let me use the Language of a Reverend Person before the King speaking of Dissenters Dr. Wake in a Sermon at Hampton-Court in 1689 p. 21. We saith he suppose them to be mistaken in the Things wherein they differ from us and perhaps they are so but yet we must consider that we our selves also are but Men and therefore may err and they as verily think us in the wrong as we do them and for ought I know we must leave it to the Day of Judgment to decide the Controversie which of us is in the right Amen good Lord Amen II. Consider the temper of the Gospel requiring Meakness and forbearing one another in Love when the Disciples were so fierce as to suspend one who was working a Miracle in Christ's Name only because he did not follow them our Lord immediately order'd a relaxation And for our Apostle we find the same mind was in him that was also in Christ Rom. 14. which whole Chapter if it were well consider'd would be of great use in this business and here let me give you the thoughts of a Right Reverend Divine of ours There is scarce saith he a more unaccountable thing to be imagined The Bishop of Sarum in his Preface to that excellent Book called The Life of God in the Soul of Man then to see a company of Men professing that Religion a great and main Precept whereof is mutual Love Forbearance Gentleness of Spirit and compassion to all sorts of Persons and agreeing in all the Essential parts of that Doctrine differing only in some less material and more disputable things yet maintaining those differences with a Zeal so disproportioned to the value of them prosecuting all that disagree from them with all possible violence and if they want means to use outward Force with all bitterness of Spirit This saith he must needs astonish every Impartial Beholder But III. If we are indeed what we esteem our selves to be the strong in the Faith then let it be remember'd that it is to such as we are that St. Paul addresseth himself Rom. 15.1 requiring us not to please our selves and in the seventh Verse of the same Chapter to receive one another as Christ also receiveth us to the Glory of God And in the third of Phil. seems to intimate that wherein any differ'd from them to leave them to God and as far as they were agreed to walk by the same rule and to mind the same things ver 15 16. IV. Consider the Mischiefs the want hereof brings the publick is deprived of the Labours of many Learned and Godly Men and upon this account also is it that instead of Loving one another as our Lord hath given us Commandment the one side crys out Persecutors and Men of cruel and bitter Spirits the other Schismaticks and as if Men of another Religion and no sooner is either side heated with this Coal but like a burning Candle whose Tallow is mixt with Brine spit up and down the Room And what advantages hath the common Enmity got by these Feuds And where are they so like to have an after-Game as from our Divisions V. And Lastly let the Things which are and have been the matter in Difference be well considered are they Things of absolute necessity to Salvation Dr. Wake in the formenticned Sermon Is Heaven at stake Indeed we must not destroy the Principles of Christianity out of Zeal to enlarge the Communion of Christians but it is always owned that these are Things that do not at all concern the Foundations either of Faith or Worship Let 's all then in what 's proper for our places shew a publick Spirit and contribute towards an Union yea he that can do no more yet by his Prayers for it And O Lord God help and give Men Underderstanding to consider the necessity of it I confess prudence must accompany our Zeal herein otherwise like ill order'd Physick it may exasperate the Disease rather than remove it but while we pretend Prudence let us take heed of Lukewarmness and indifferency herein There is too much Neutrality amongst us directly opposite to the temper of our Lord whose Zeal for Godliness and Purity of Worship even eat him up O that this were well considered by us And that we might also see Mens Zeal for Religion overpoise Ambition Secular Designs and Worldly Grandeur then would Christianity soon be reduced to this its Primitive temper And then the envy of Ephraim shall depart and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off Ephraim shall not envy Judah nor Judah yex Ephraim but they shall flee upon the Shoulders of the Philistines towards the West and spoil them of the East together they shall lay their Hand upon Edom and Moab and the Children of Ammon shall obey them and the Lord shall utterly destroy the Tongue of the Egyptian-Sea and then Glory shall dwell in our Land all Hearts Heads and Hands shall be at Work to promote the welfare of the Nation utterly to root out Popery and Prophaneness and to countenance real Piety and Good Living Yea the Kingdom to the dear Son O Lord will then come and all his Enemies be made his Footstool Come then thus O Blessed Jesus come quickly FINIS