Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	scripture_n	true_a	word_n	7,836	5	4.4595	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60563	A pacifick discourse of the causes and remedies of the differences about religion, which distract the peace of Christendom	Smith, Thomas, 1638-1710.	1688 (1688)	Wing S4226; ESTC R3425	22,287	40

Christian doctrine is not violated so long as they are not ranked with the fundamental articles of faith so long as they do not impose them upon other Churches who are no way subject to a forraign jurisdiction much less upon the whole body of Christians in all the parts of the Universe under the pretence of Apostolical authority and under the heavy penalty of an Anathema But that there should be no difference put between the novel opinions of the Schoolmen and the Oracles of Scripture that the same deference and honour should be paid to humane authority very obnoxious to passion and error which only infallible truth can justly challenge that the phansies of private men as they were at first should many ages after by a pretended Church-power be reckoned as fundamentals and lastly that we should be obliged to profess our assent to rash sanctions and definitions which a corrupt part of the Church for secular ends and advantages hath decreed and established this this is that which scandalizeth Christendom and obstructs its peace This was the just complaint of the former century which made way for the Reformation and which a conviction of the truth and reasonableness of it extorted from the mouths of several Romanists who yet had not the courage to relinquish the communion of that Church though confessedly corrupt in matter of doctrine discipline and worship This was the trouble and heart-breaking of several excellently learned and pious persons in those times and doth still distract the minds of all good men even of considering Romanists not infatuated with superstition and furious bigotry who pray for the restoration of Catholick unity among all Christians But such a schism so detestable so deplorable and so big with dismal effects consequences and events has been brought into the Church by corrupt interest by base and disingenuous artifice and subtilty and by the highest immodesty and by downright force and violence and this confirmed by the free holy oecumenical council of Trent as they call it when God knows it was neither free nor holy nor oecumenical as that all hope of reconciliation among the different professions and perswasions of Christians is taken away unless the Authors of this schism shall offer terms of an accommodation fit to be accepted that is by annulling or suspending for ever the authority of the Tridentine council which is a thing not to be expected from them or rather unless the Princes of the Roman Communion shall force the Pope to call another Council and in case of refusal shall assemble several Bishops and Doctors of their respective countries to debate the controversies which are now on foot and to determine them by Scripture primitive Antiquity and Apostolical Tradition It will yield just matter of astonishment to the serious Reader to consider that the institution of the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist which Christ left to his Church in remembrance of his passion and death and for a pledge of his love and as a mark and token of the mutual love of Christians and of their faith in him crucified whom that Sacrament does truly and efficaciously represent and exhibit should by the subtilty of the Devil and the perverse disputings of interested persons be so far abused and perverted that they should hence take occasion of envying eternal salvation purchased by his precious bloud and of denying it too as much as in them lyes to such as are partakers of those holy mysteries according to his original institution For what other reason can be alledged for that fury which under the notion and pretext of zeal has taken up arms as if the cause of God were concerned in it and has brought that great confusion upon the world unless because they have different notions and sentiments about this tremendous mystery and disagree somewhat in their explications of it What great quantity of Christian bloud has been spilt by an enraged party upon the accompt of these unhappy Sacramentary quarrels which have ended in bloudy wars and Massacres What great havock and wast have they made both by fire and sword of thousands of their Fellow Christians beyond the fury and madness of the Heathen persecutions who were in all other points innocent and were therefore burnt and had their throats cut only for this one great crime because they would not admit believe and acknowledge contrary to scripture reason sense and experience the portentous and extravagant fiction of Transubstantiation There is no Christian but believes Christ to be really and truly that is spiritually and to all the real effects and benefits of his Passion and death and by the efficacy of his grace and Spirit present under the sacred Symbols which yet retain their true and natural substance as well as qualities and that he receives the mystical body of Christ after the consecration according to the words of the institution upon which the faith of all Christians is founded and what has been professed in all ages and justly esteemed the badge of Christian communion by all sober persons whose judgments have not been perverted by passion and unjust prejudice If every one without any curious enquiry into this mystery had contented himself with the plain and simple belief of it and with all due care had intended the worthy partaking of it if the Church of Rome had not first of all in the Lateran council and after that in the council of Trent rashly determined the manner of the presence of Christ in the sacrament if the Lutherans and others had onely determined for themselves without prescribing to or condemning others and if an explicite belief of this monstrous opinion had not been made a necessary term and condition of communion how might we have adored before the same altars from which we are now excluded as profane unworthy and excommunicate persons and from which we have reason to abstain and fly as the primitive Christians did from the sacrifices of Idolaters and have been present at the most solemn services of religion with the same zeal to the great advantage of Christian charity and devotion No Priest would then have been afraid to admit any devout lay-person approaching the holy sacrament with due preparation and no lay-person would then also have been afraid to receive it from the hand of such a Priest rightly ordained and constituted The like may be said of many other points of religion which without any prejudice to the doctrine of Faith are disputed and controverted but whilst all other interpretations and expositions being laid aside men boldly decree and determine this or that opinion to be de fide whilst the niceties of the Schoolmen and the positions of contentious and Polemical Theology which idle men relying too much upon their subtil wit and false and sophistical way of arguing have introduced are in such esteem and vogue with some as to be lookt upon as necessary appendages of the Christian religion and whilst articles of faith which were altogether unknown