Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	work_v	worship_n	worship_v	125	3	7.6891	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37065	The earnest breathings of forreign Protestants, divines & others, to the ministers and other able Christians of these three nations for a compleat body of practicall divinity ... and an essay of a modell of the said body of divinity / by J.D. ... ; together with an expedient tendered for the entertainment of strangers who are Protestants, and by their means to advance the Gospel unto their several nations and quarters ...	Dury, John, 1596-1680.	1658 (1658)	Wing D2855; ESTC R3545	75,860	66

worshipping and glorifying God These truths ought to be cleared upon the ground of common Reason which all men are supposed to be made capable of and to this effect I suppose it will be necessary to handle these following or such like Positions Of the First That there is a God TO Demonstrate unto a Rational man that there is a God he must be made to acknowledge these following truths 1. That in this World besides the things which are visible there be other things invisible which though concealed from sense have a being and may be understood to be 2. That the Heavens the Earth and the things visible therein have not their being from themselves but from something else which is not seen but may be understood to be over all as the Governour and supream power thereof which is called God 3. That this supream power is before all things without beginning and ending infinite in all perfections most wise good and bountiful in giving all things unto all 4. That amongst all visible things as Man is the most perfect so he can least of all have his Being from inferiour Creatures or from himself but having it from the supream cause more remarkably then other Creatures he is more enabled then they to know God and respect him Of the Second VVHen upon these grounds a man is Convicted that there is a God then to demonstrate unto him rationally that this God ought to be feared worshipped and glorified by Man-kind these following or such like Positions are to be made out unto him 1. That Man hath a soul endowed with a Reasoning facultie whereby he is able to judge of his own actions and know his own aims though secret and hidden from others 2. That in this judging facultie there is something which universally in all ages Men have called Conscience which secretly accuseth or else excuseth Men concerning their actions and aims chiefly when others judge of them otherwise then they meant them 3. That this Conscience doth bear witnesse unto all men in whom it is awake from their own reason that they are under the power of God and that they ought to be thankful to God 4. That the reason which convicteth mens Conscience that they are under God will also convict them that they ought to shew their thankfulness unto God suitably unto the nature and properties of Gods being and not otherwise 5. That the nature and propertie of Gods being seeing in all things it is the first and supream is in it self infinitely perfect and to all other things the alone Author of all good and that therefore it ought to have the glory of this supremacie perfection and goodnesse given unto it by man in his use of all things 6. That in case he doth not shew himselfe thankful by respecting the glorie due to God in all things he doth then deserve to be cast off by God and deprived of the fruit of his goodnesse in all things 7. That it a man doth give unto God the glory which is due to his Name by being thankfull unto him he may assure himselfe that God as he is wise and all-knowing will take notice of him and as he is just and good will be mercifull and beneficiall unto him Of the Third WHen a Man hath acknowledged these truths that there is a God and that he is to be glorified by Man answerably to the properties of his nature then we must rationally induce him to believe that the Scriptures written to Jews and Gentiles by the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles are the Word of God And this may be done by the demonstration of these or the like Positions 1. That no Books in the World have greater evidences and arguments of truth in respect of their History then these have two things must be made out 1. That they were written by those Men by whom they are said to be written 2. That the Matters of fact recorded in them are as rationally credible as any other humane Records whatsoever 2. That the Writers of those Books whatsoever they were were undoubtedly the true servants of God inspired by him in writing the same 3. That all the Doctrines and Precepts of divine fear and worship contained therein are most sutable to the nature and property of Gods Supremacy Perfection and goodnesse and that they are more answerable unto the true Notions of duty written in the heart of Mankind towards God then the Doctrines and Precepts of any other Book and Religion whatsoever extant any where in all the World Of the Fourth VVHen a Man is rationally Convicted or at least induced to believe that there is no cause to contradict this truth that the Scriptures are the Word of God it will be no difficult matter to let him see by the substance of the matters contained therein and the ends for which they were written and given both to the Jews and Gentiles that they were written and given to no other end but to teach all Men the true way of fearing worshipping and glorifying God And to this effect these or such like Positions may be made out 1. That the whole summe and substance of the History of the Bible doth directly tend to this scope 2. That the Authors of the Holy Scriptures do expresly declare this to be the purpose of their writing 3. That the naturall Properties and effects of the things taught by them and their manner of teaching the same are wholly fitted to work upon the spirits of men those impressions and affections which lead them to feare worship and glorifie God To all which this Position at last should be added That there shall be a time wherein God will judge men according to the works wherein they have or have not feared worshipped and glorified God which is to be made out upon three Grounds which may be rationally evinced 1. Because God having made all things under a Law and Ruling all Men by a Law of Reason must needs also be acknowledged as a Judge over the observers and transgressors of his Laws and consequently have a time to exercise his judgement 2. That the rational Souls of Men are immortal and live when they are separated from the bodie and consequently can undergo a judgement after this life 3. That the Consciences of Men bearing witnesse to them of their wicked deeds even against their wills though they live in outward prosperitie put them in fear and bearing witnesse also of the vertuous deeds of good Men though they are in outward adversity yet comfort and support them which inward testimonies of the Consciences of Men are not vain notions but undeniable Evidences of a Judgement to come which the Soul within it self is sensible of When these things are thoroughly handled and all Scruples which may be raised concerning the same are taken away so that a Rational man who is without prejudice shall have no cause for want of the discovery of truths of this nature to make any further doubt

manifold disputes and inconsiderate heats of men about matters extra-fundamental and in the different practises of things which are but circumstantial a way of Peace and Unity should either be found for our selves or shewed unto others by any other means then by a demonstration of our agreement in all truths and duties which are necessary for Salvation in respect of God and profitable for edification in respect of one another And this is that which our Brethren in the Latter part of their letter hint at when they tell us that such a body of Divinity will not onely be serviceable for Schollars but even for Teachers to furnish them with more usefull matter in their Sermons then now they are able to find in the books of controversie whereunto almost all their Learning is reduced representing unto us the evil which befalleth most of their Churches viz. that they are overwhelmed with matters of Controversie that their controversal writings are void of Piety full of bitterness and no ways tending to edification And that their young Schollers of Divinity being trained up to this way of contentious Learning for want of better Teaching prove in the course of their Ministry very often void of all Charitableness and strangers to peaceable Affections Which evils by our Pious assistance and endeavours they hope may be remedied if we would gather out of our Authors who handle matters of Divinity in a Practical way as they relate to conscience a full and sound body of saving and savory truths which may be put into their hands to waken them unto Righteousness For they conceive not amiss that by Gods blessing such an Instrument of knowledge and way of Teaching which it will produce may not onely season their spirits with meek and humble thoughts concerning themselves and with loving kind and merciful affections towards their Neighbours which will make them peaceable but may work upon them the power of Godliness when they shall perceive how the Theoretical and necessary Truths of Faith which they make now matters of strife and have disregarded as to their true usefulness ought to be applied unto their own and other mens consciences to teach them to walk with God in all their wayes And indeed this is a sad matter which not onely those Churches groan under but all the rest more or lesse have cause to bemoan That because many in the Ministry do spend their strength and wit upon needlesse and curious dispensations about matters of private opinion rather then upon the application of known and necessary Doctrines unto conscience because these disputations are agitated with more provocation to heat and animosity then to regular and modest searches after the way to resolve doubts impartially and because the smallest differences of opinions beget ordinarily the extreamest differences of affections when men study no Rules of moderation in respect of Passions or of being wise to Sobriety in respect of contemplations or of mutual forbearance in respect of actions all which are things if not hated yet suspected slighted and neglected almost every where in this age I say because these disorders which like weeds in a Garden not weeded overgrow the Church have taken place almost every where it is very doleful to see that the main and great truths of the Profession are extreamly neglected and not at all Cultivated and that by this means the adversaries who lie in wait to deceive the simple and watch to discredit our Religion do get all the advantages which almost they can desire to bring their ends to passe upon us and disrespect upon our Profession for when the frames of matters are discomposed as now they are in all the Churches by reason of the alterations which are brought upon the States of the world it is no great difficulty for cunning men to work Sinister impressions and thoughts of contempt against our Profession upon weak Spirits who know not the substance and true grounds of our Religion but look onely as most men do superficially upon the outward appearance and the worst side of other mens behaviours and failings For these causes if we have any sense of Honour for the Truth and if we have any desire as in conscience we are bound to have to maintain the Credit of our Religion and to free it from the occasions of all these prejudices we should set our selves earnestly to hold forth upon the Common and undenyable grounds of Truth the substantial Excellency of the Doctrine of Piety which by the making up of this Practical Body of Divinity may be done and by none other way so effectually As for our own credit amongst our brethren in reference to the Profession if we study not to maintain it in Gods way by the Propagation of the Truth wherewith we are intrusted certainly God will blast it more then ever it hath been raised Nor can we expect that any thing will uphold our Reputation in Gods way amongst our Brethren so much as the satisfaction which they expect and we ought to give unto them in this their desire for herein they put us unto the real proof of our sincerity whether or no we are willing to do any thing for the Faith and for them and if in this we fail them we shall deserve to lose our Credit with them and that most justly The Ministers of the Churches of Great Brittane have always been esteemed by the rest of the reformed Protestants to be sound in judgement learned in the way of Piety and zealous in the practice thereof moderate in their affections and discreet in their writings against Dissentors Therefore in the work of reconciliation between the Lutherans the Reformed Churches they were never excepted against by either side but rather accepted as Mediators of the difference by both sides but chiefly by the side which is best reformed whose confidence towards us and esteem of us is clearly manifested by the tenor of this letter which hath been written to us about the body of Practical Divinity for therein with a great deal of modesty and humility they not only defer a great deal of respect unto the worth that God hath put upon us but they invite us to receive the Honour of being their leaders to Godliness and their Teachers unto after ages and although we may not without presumption think the better of our selves because others prefer us in Honour to themselves or have any high thoughts of our own sufficiency for who is sufficient for such things and Christ we know is the only leader and teacher because our Brethren esteem highly of us by submission unto the Grace of God in us yet if there be any truth of generosity in our Spirits or any resentment of duty towards such as love us in the Lord we cannot be insensible of so mighty a provocation as this unto love and good works but with all zeal in true Humility giving glory unto God we are bound to the utmost of our abilities to impart