Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	object_n	zeal_n	zealous_a	42	3	9.3646	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37042	The dying man's testament to the Church of Scotland, or, A treatise concerning scandal divided into four parts ... : in each of which there are not a few choice and useful questions, very shortly and satisfyingly discussed and cleared / by ... Mr. James Durham ... who being dead (by this) yet speaketh ; and published by John Carstares ... ; to which is prefixed an excellent preface of famous Mr. Blair ... ; together with a table of the contents of the several chapters of each part.	Durham, James, 1622-1658.; Blair, Robert, 1593-1666.	1659 (1659)	Wing D2810; ESTC R3845	315,038	466

former instances of men most tender of union and yet most zealous in this yea these two go together because zeal for the Churches edification constraineth to union and doth also presse the removing of corrupt unfaithfull Ministers which next to division in a Church is the greatest plague of a Church Therefore these things would be adverted 1. That the purging of the Church of such and the work of union would be joyntly respected otherwayes if union be sleighted it will hazard the falling in too nearly with the schisms of the Novatians and Donatists which have been so hurtfull to the Church 2. Union when it is in competition with the deposing of some unfaithfull men and both cannot be obtained together it ought to be preferred as we see the Apostle doth 2 Cor. 10. 6. who will not censure in such a case lest he state a schism for the continuing of such in a Church is indeed a hurt seing they are uselesse and in a great part hurtfull yet so honest Ministers may have accesse to do good beside them but when schisms enter the hurt thereof is more comprehensive and they do render unusefull the Ministery both of good and bad 3. It would be considered also that the division being in the case supposed where men are orthodox and pious on both sides it is not so exceedingly to be feared that either men palpably corrupt in doctrine or conversation should be entertrained upon the one side or that men useful in the Church and blamelesse in their conversations should be crushed upon the other 4. It would follow also that union should be no prejudice to the ridding of the Church of corrupt Ministers but that it should be studied where there is need because it is a fruit of the same spirit to be zealous against corrupt men from which meeknesse and moderation toward these who are not such do proceed and therefore if there be any such object of zeal as an unfaithfull Minister as it is not like that ever the Church was or shall be free of such then ought men to bestir themselves faithfully in the removing of such It is marked and commended in the Angel of Ephesus Rev. 2. v. 2 3. That he was eminent in patience and enduring and yet so zealous in this that he could endure no unsent Minister but tryed such as called themselves Apostles c. which contemperature or mixture is exceedingly commended And in reference to the scope which we are upon zeal in this is not only a duty as at other times but a speciall mean having influence on the procuring of union because so one of the great stumblings that hath been in the Church to make the Ministery contemptible is removed and a practicall evidence of mens zeal is given which tendeth to lay a ground of confidence of them in the hearts of others so also men are keeped from falling under the tentation of luke-warmnesse and forgetting of every duty but the supporting of the side at least that which usually is imputed in such a case is removed and also by this men would find the necessity of bearing with many things in others who may in the main be supposed to be honest And however it is the way to be approven before God and to have a testimonie in the consciences of others All which conduce exceedingly to union whereas universall cessation from this as if there were no such matter to work upon and obstructing formally yea or materially or virtually any thing thereof doth exceedingly tend to the fixing of division and cooling of the affections of many that look on without which that is warmed affections there is little accesse to hearty union 6. We say that this duty of purging would not be so in its vehemency pressed either under a division or while union is not confirmed as when a Church is in a good condition because that were to give strong physick to an unsettled weak body that might rather stir the humours to the prejudice of the whole than remove them Therefore we conceive that sobriety and prudence would be used here in moderating of the exercise of this duty till the union be confirmed and as it were by preparations the body be disposed for the same Therefore if faults be not grosse evidences clear and a persons unfruitfulnesse or hurtfulnesse demonstrable in which cases no difference amongst such parties as are to be united is to be feared It is safer for the Church to abstain the same than to hazard the opening or ruffling of a wound scarcely cured by the unseasonable pressing of such a duty The Apostle doth in severall cases spare consures of unfaithfull men out of respect to the Churches good as hath been formerly hinted and as the judicious divine Mr. Gillespy who yet cannot be branded with luke-warmnesse in this duty in his Aarons rod maketh out and doth give instances of severall cases wherein this forbearance is called-for In sum we suppose that having to do in such a case with such persons it is more safe for men to do their own duty keeping the peace of the Church and to leave others to do according to the manifestnesse of things as they shall answer before God as to their seeking the good of His Church and if this prevail not with such men for ordering them in their duty will any think that the keeping up or threatening of division will prevail Lastly It would be considered if such ends as any side would propose either in keeping in or purging out of men who are thought fit or unfit respectively can be attained without union so as with it Therefore seing that is a thing which belongeth to Government and men are to be swayed in such Acts by what conduceth most to edification when they cannot attain the length they would as we suppose men shall never do in this matter of purging they then are to walk by this rule of choosing what comparatively is most edifying as was formerly said Sometimes also difference hath been about the excommunicating of persons or readmitting again to communion but what concerneth this may be somewhat understood from the former grounds wherein extremities would be shunned and the Churches peace and the Authority of the Ordinances studied Also we have otherwayes beyond our purpose become so long and possibly ad nauseam usque in other things we shall therefore forbear particular descending into this but proceed in the generals proposed CHAP. XVIII The fears of mis-government for the time to come and remedies thereof THe last thing in Government which was proposed as that whereabout differences and divisions do arise is in reference to Government for the time to come and resolves in this Who shall have chief hand in the decision of matters that after may fall out supposing the union to be made up This resulteth from the present diffidence and prejudice which each hath in reference to other and from that impression that men have that there

mis-informed And it 's observable that the most peaceable Synods who did most for union as those in Africk and that of Spain who had received Osius because of the Churches of France their interposing by that to prevent a schism yet were they most peremptory as it were in this and refused to receive Barsilides and Martialis as that of Carthage did refuse Apiarius notwithstanding that Rome interposed for them giving this reason That there was a necessity of having the Churches provided with faithfull and holy Ministers 4. Sometimes and oftentimes men sentenced though possibly with too much rigidity if not with injustice have yet submitted with respect to the Churches peace either totally and upon that ground have again been admitted or partially by abstaining to act any thing contrary to such a Sentence but for reverence thereunto waiting for some legal redresse as in history is frequent and it is fit it should be so in such cases where the hurt is particular and proceedeth not from a common design of undoing all faithfull Ministers because the making of a schism doth more hurt than the contending for their particular Ministery doth edifie in such a case and therefore sometimes though some men have been pressed to under value an unjust Sentence and to continue to officiate notwithstanding Yet out of respect to Church-authority and order have refused till they should be admitted orderly unto the same Indeed when the Arians drave on the deposition of their most eminent opposers it was otherwayes because as is marked in the Councill of Sardica in bearing down of them they endeavoured to bear down the truth which they maintained But where the controversie is not such but the men orthodox and sound on both sides though possibly there may be some particular faults or mistakes in such a case it is safer for either side to cede in part or wholly than to keep up a division and we conceive when one side cedeth not if the other should cede wholly it would be most to the advantage of their cause and to the commendation and strengthening of their authority in the Churches of Christ. The other occasion of bebate in such Church-matters is upon the defect that is when some are really or are thought to be connivers at guiltie men or at least defective in putting of them to triall others again may be thought too forward and precipitant in that whereupon ariseth difference and if one cede not to another it becometh the occasion of division as may be seen in instances formerly given Concerning which we say 1. That men would remember this is but one particular of many that tend to the Churches good though indeed a main particular and so ought not to be the rise of a division nor of continuing thereof to the marring of the Churches peace in other things but men ought singly to do their duty and therein to acquiesce without partaking of the faults of others whether it be by being defective or by exceeding in that mater and seing there may be no corrupt design in either who may be upon these extreames it would not be so highly aggreaged on either side 2. We say that as often difference in this may breed divisions so again divisions do occasion mens differing more in this and it cannot be expected where division is that men who are men and subject to be byassed can be so single in receiving testimonies of the innocency of these that differ from them or of the guiltinesse of these that agree with them as if there were no division at all And again it is impossible that where there is a difference in some other thing that men can think others differing from them so single and unbyassed as they suppose themselves to be but are still ready to construct their differing from them in this to be occasioned from some former prejudice for as was said division breedeth jealousie suspicion and distrust among men and men are naturally inclined to suspect that others drive the design of strengthening themselves by the sentencing of such a person whereby they are secretly induced even unawares to disappoint such a supposed unstreight end which maketh them on both sides suspect every thing dispute every thing and readily reject every thing that cometh from the other 3. We say therefore that union would not be suspended upon satisfaction in this but rather union would be pressed that satisfaction in this may be attained because satisfaction in this cannot be expected till there be mutuall confidence of one anothers integrity and till there be some walking together and some further evidence of the sincerity of each other in the main businesse this mutuall confidence cannot be expected and again this cannot be obtained without an union and so consequently union would be laid as a foundation for attaining of satisfaction even in this 4. It would be considered that oftentimes such apprehensions of extremities which are imputed to honest and zealous men are most groundlesse but there being something in them as men it is conceived on the other hand because of secretly entertained jealousie to be much more There was nothing more casten up to the Orthodox by the Novatians and Donatists than that they were defective in this in admitting to and retaining in the Ministery men that were corrupt Yet after many trials they were never able to prove what they alleaged upon some eminent persons when it came to triall even when such things were generally accounted true amongst them This would be adverted that every general rumour be not accounted a truth especially in the times of division for so few of the most eminent on both sides should be innocent Again on the other side it occasioned much heat against Chrysostom that he had censured many of his Bishops and threatened many of his Clergie this did exceedingly provoke envy against him and made such men to vent many calumnies on him which were too much regarded even by some orthodox and good men who differed from him upon another account as Epiphanius did upon the occasion of Origens writings yet in no history it is recorded that he aimed at the censuring of any unjustly though he did censure with a naturall vehemency as he did every other thing but the history saith men spake much of the number of these that were sentenced by him and of the vehemency of his manner in reproving and censuring of their faults which they accounted to be pride not considering the faults for which he did censure them But men having conceived prejudice at him were the readier to admit of their accusations against him as if they had been unjustly dealt with by him and upon that same ground of prejudice at him were the more inclinable to restore them whom he sentenced 5. It is to be considered also That zeal against such as are justly censurable is most consistent with a spirit of union in the Church as appeareth by the