Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	word_n	world_n	write_a	225	3	10.4941	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49890	Plain dealing, or, Nevves from New-England a short view of New-Englands present government, both ecclesiasticall and civil, compared with the anciently-received and established government of England in some materiall points : fit for the gravest consideratin in these times / by Thomas Lechford ...; Plain dealing	Lechford, Thomas, ca. 1590-1644?	1642 (1642)	Wing L810; ESTC R12846	46,269	88

or how God hath beene dealing with them about their conversion which at Boston the man declareth usually standing the woman sitting And if they satisfie the Elders and the private assembly for divers of the Church both men and women meet there usually that they are true beleevers that they have beene wounded in their hearts for their originall sinne and actuall transgressions and can pitch upon some promise of free grace in the Scripture for the ground of their faith and that they finde their hearts drawne to beleeve in Christ Jesus for their justification and salvation and these in the ministerie of the Word reading or conference and that they know competently the summe of Christian faith And sometimes though they be not come to a full assurance of their good estate in Christ Then afterwards in covenient time in the publique assembly of the Church notice is given by one of the ruling Elders that such a man or woman by name desireth to enter into Church-fellowship with them and therefore if any know any thing or matter of offence against them for their unfitnesse to joyne with them such are required to bring notice thereof to the Elders else that any who know them or can say any thing for their fitnesse be ready to give testimony thereof when they shall be called forth before the whole Church If there be matter of offence it is first heard before the Elders and if the party satisfie them and the offended in private for private offences and promise to satisfie in publique for publique offences then upon another day one of the ruling Elders calleth forth the party by name in the publique assembly of the Church and before strangers and whomsoever present most commonly upon the Lords day after evening exercises and sometimes upon a week day when all the Church have notice to be present The party appearing in the midst of the Assembly or some convenient place the ruling Elder speaketh in this manner Brethren of this congregation this man or woman A. B. hath been heretofore propounded to you desiring to enter into Church-fellowship with us and we have not since that heard any thing from any of you to the contrary of the parties admittance but that we may goe on to receive him Therefore now if any of you know any thing against him why he may not be admitted you may yet speak Then after some silence he proceedeth Seeing no man speaketh to the contrary of his admission if any of you know any thing to speak for his receiving we desire you give testimony thereof to the Church as you were also formerly desired to be ready therewith and expresse your selves as briefly as you may and to as good hearing Whereupon sometimes men do speak to the contrary in case they have not heard of the propounding and so stay the party for that time also till this new offence be heard before the Elders so that sometimes there is a space of divers moneths between a parties first propounding and receiving and some are so bashfull as that they choose rather to goe without the Communion then undergoe such * publique confessions and tryals but that is held their fault But when none speaketh to the contrary then some one two or three or more of the Brethren speak their opinions of the party giving instances in some godlinesse and good conversation of his or some other recommendation is made and that they are willing if the Church thereto consent for their part to give him the right hand of fellowship Which done the Elder turneth his speech to the party to be admitted and requireth him or sometimes asketh him if he be willing to make knowne to the congregation the work of grace upon his soule and biddeth him as briefly and audibly to as good hearing as he can to doe the same Thereupon the party if it be a man speaketh himselfe but if it be a woman her confession made before the Elders in private is most usually in Boston Church read by the Pastor who registred the same At Salem the women speake themselves for the most part in the Church but of late it is said they doe this upon the week dayes there and nothing is done on Sunday but their entrance into Covenant The man in a solemne speech sometimes a quarter of an houre long shorter or longer declareth the work of grace in his soule to the same purpose as that before the Elders formerly mentioned Then the Elder requireth the party to make profession of his faith which also is done either by questions and answers if the party be weake or else in a solemne speech according to the summe and tenour of the Christian faith laid downe in the Scriptures defining faith and shewing how it is wrought by the Word and Spirit of God defining a Church to be a company of beleevers gathered out of the world by the Word preached and holy Spirit and knit together by an holy Covenant that there are in the Church remaining such and such officers and members as aforesaid That is to say Pastors and Teachers ruling Elders Deacons and Deaconesses or Widowes and such and such are their offices and duties in particular viz. the Pastor to exhort and besides to rule the Teacher to instruct in knowledge and likewise to rule the ruling Elder to assist Pastor and Teacher in ruling as the Levites were given to the Priests for helps and to see to whomsoever comming into or to goe forth of the Church by admonition or excommunication the Deacon to receive the contributions of the Church and faithfully to dispose the same the Deaconesses to shew mercie with chearfulnesse and to minister to the sick and poore brethren the members all to watch over and support one an other in brotherly love Notwithstanding there was a Sermon lately made by Master Cotton in October Anno 1640. upon 1 Cor. 11.19 touching heresies which was since commonly there called the Sermon of the twelve Articles wherein was declared that there are twelve Articles of Religion which maintained by any the Church may receive them and keepe fellowship with them but the ignorant of them after instruction and scandalous sins unrepented exclude from the fellowship of the Church The said Articles were to this effect First that there are three Persons in one God the Father the Sonne and the holy Spirit Secondly that this God made and governs all the World and that he is a rewarder of the good and punisher of the evill Thirdly that this God alone is to be worshiped Fourthly this worship of God is instituted in his written Word not the precepts of men Fiftly that from the fall of Adam we have not so worshiped God but have all sinned and deprived our selves of the reward promised and therefore are under the curse by nature Sixthly that we are by nature utterly unable to rescue our selves from this curse Seventhly that

Jesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God in fulnesse of time took upon him our nature and was made flesh for us and by his death and sufferings redeemed his elect from sin and death Eighthly that Christ Jesus and salvation by him is offered and given in the Gospell unto every one that beleeveth in his name and onely by such received Ninthly that no man can come unto Christ nor beleeve on him except the Father draw him by his Word and Spirit Tenthly whom the Lord draws to him by his Word and Spirit them he justifies freely by his grace and according to his truth not by works Eleventhly where the soule is justified it is also regenerate and sanctified Twelfthly this regeneration and sanctification is still imperfect in this life And unto all is added this generall Article That such as walke after this rule shall arise to everlasting life and those that walk otherwise shall arise to everlasting condemnation in the day of Judgement That the knowledge and beliefe of these are of the foundation of Religion But things touching the foundation of Churches as Baptisme Imposition of hands ignorance in these may hinder the measure of our reward in heaven not communion with the Church on earth Exceptions against the Apostles Creed were these That it is not of necessity to beleeve Christs descent into hell in any sense That it is not in that Creed contained that the Scripture is the onely rule of Gods worship nor doth it so directly set forth the point of Justification And also I remember Master Knolles now one of the Pastors at Watertowne when he first came to be admitted at Boston never made any mention in his profession of faith of any Officers of the Church in particular or their duties and yet was received The party having finished his Discourses of his confession and profession of his faith the Elder againe speaketh to the congregation Brethren of the congregation if what you have heard of from this party doe not satisfie you as to move you to give him the right hand of fellowship use your liberty and declare your mindes therein And then after some silence if none except against the parties expressions as often some members doe then the Elder proceedeth saying But if you are satisfied with that you have heard of and from him expresse your willingnesse and consent to receive him by your usuall signe which is erection and extention of the right hand This done sometimes they proceede to admit more members all after the same manner for the most part two three foure or five or more together as they have time spending sometimes almost a whole afternoone therein And then the Elder calleth all them that are to be admitted by name and rehearseth the covenant on their parts to them which they publiquely say they doe promise by the helpe of God to performe And then the Elder in the name of the Church promiseth the Churches part of the covenant to the new admitted members So they are received or admitted Then they may receive the Sacrament of the Lords supper with them and their children bee baptized but not before also till then they may not be free men of the Common-wealth but being received in the Church they may Sometimes the Master is admitted and not the servant e contra the husband is received and not the wife and on the contrary the child and not the parent Also all matters of publique offence are heard determined in publique before all the Church and strangers too in Boston not so in other places The party is called forth and the matter declared and testified by two witnesses then he is put to answer Which finished one of the ruling Elders asketh the * congregation if they are satisfied with the parties expressions If they are he requireth them to use their liberty and declare their satisfiednesse If not and that they hold the party worthy of admonition or excommunication that they witnesse their assent thereto by their silence If they be silent the sentence is denounced If it be for defaults in erroneous opinions onely the Teacher they say is to denounce the sentence If for matter of ill manners the Pastor denounceth it the ruling Elders doe not usually denounce any sentence But I have heard a Captaine delivered one to Satan in the Church at Dorchester in the absence of their Minister Ordinarily matter of offence is to be brought to the Elders in private they may not otherwise tell the * Church in ordinary matters and so it hath been declared in publique by the Pastors of Boston The admonished must in good manners abstain from the Communion and must goe on to satisfie the Church else Excommunication follows The excommunicate is held as an Heathen and Publican Yet it hath been declared at Boston in divers cases that children may eate with their parents excommunicate that an elected Magistrate excommunicate may hold his place but better another were chosen that an hereditary Magistrate though excommunicate is to be obeyed still in civill things that the excommunicate person may come and heare the Word and be present at Prayer so that he give not publique offence by taking up an eminent place in the Assembly But at New-haven alias Quinapeag where Master Davenport is Pastor the excommunicate is held out of the meeting at the doore if he will heare in frost snow and raine Most an-end in the Bay they use good moderation and forbearance in their censures Yet I have known a Gentlewoman excommunicate for some indiscreet words with some stifnesse maintained saying A brother and others she feared did conspire to arbitrate the price of Joyners worke of a chamber too high and endeavouring to bring the same into civill cognizance not proceeding to take two or three to convince the party and so to tell the Church though shee first told the party of it and this without her husband I feare she is not yet absolved I am sure she was not upon the third of August last when we loosed from Boston There hath been some difference about jurisdictions or cognizance of causes Some have held that in causes betweene brethren of the Church the matter should be first told the Church before they goe to the civill Magistrate because all causes in difference doe amount one way or other to a matter of offence and that all criminall matters concerning Church members should be first heard by the Church But these opinionists are held by the wiser sort not to know the dangerous issues and consequences of such tenets The Magistrates and Church-leaders labour for a just and equall correspondence in jurisdictions not to intrench one on the other neither the civill Magistrates to be exempt from Ecclesiasticall censure nor the Ministers from Civill whether Ecclesiasticall or Civillpower first begin to lay hold of a man the same to proceed not