Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	body_n	earth_n	live_v	4,806	5	5.4600	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51154	An apology for the clergy of Scotland chiefly oppos'd to the censures, calumnies, and accusations of a late Presbyterian vindicator, in a letter to a friend : wherein his vanity, partiality and sophistry are modestly reproved, and the legal establishment of episcopacy in that kingdom, from the beginning of the Reformation, is made evident from history and the records of Parliament : together with a postscript, relating to a scandalous pamphlet intituled, An answer to The Scotch Presbyterian eloquence.	Monro, Alexander, d. 1715?	1693 (1693)	Wing M2437; ESTC R20155	87,009	107

Opinions in a factious manner and not at all enclined to change the Pulpit into a Metaphysical Chair I think it is no disparagement to either of the Parties to say that every one of them cannot state such controversial differences fairly and reason about them closely nor is it necessary for every Country Minister to read Alvarez and Dr. Tuisse Arminius and Episcopius Those questions have been debated in all Ages of the Church and if we understand so little of our selves of our own soul and its union with the body the method and manner of its operations How daring a thing is it to pretend to gr●sp the infinite Mind that made Heaven and Earth and to methodize the Acts of that eternal Intellect in whom we live move and have our Being To read some of the School men is enough to make a modest man tremble when he considers that the incomprehensible Deity is thought to be fettered by the Laws Methods and confused Notions of our Mind this is learned Ignorance and the Presbyterians may think they wonderfully reform the World when they oblige Ministers to Swear their Systems of Metaphysicks It were infinitely better to leave them to their Liberty in things that are disputable in their Nature and past finding out after all our Endeavours Upon the whole matter the Objections against the Clergy from the Doctrine they Preach is vain and trifling and serves no other Design than to fill the Mouths of the People with words that they do not understand and yet have a mischievous influence upon their lives Another Topick by which he endeavours to provoke the present Powers against the Episcopal Clergy is that they are Enemies to King William and Queen Mary I have no Commission to give an account of particular mens Opinions in the Controversie that is now debated in Britain but I may observe that the Vindicator puts a mean Complement upon King William to tell the World in Print that the Interest of King William and that of the Presbyterians is embarqued together i. e. If King William does not punctually observe the Original Contract they know well enough what they owe all earthly Kings Again he tells us that such of the Episcopal Clergy as addressed to King William and Queen Mary never thought of any such Address until they had lost all hopes of King James and by this he thinks to disparage the Episcopal Clergy wonderfully whereas the Argument rightly turn'd is to their Advantage That they never treacherously betrayed King James when they were publickly Praying for him nor did they secretly undermine his Government when they were giving publick thanks for his Administrations as the Presbyterians did and such of the Episcopal Clergy as came over to King William ought to be treated with Civility and Protection at least if it were no more but that their Principles of Government are more agreeable to Reason and more favourable to Monarchy in General and the Common Peace of Mankind I know no Notion the Presbyterians can have of a King but that he should be Arch-Bedle to the Kirk and that he ought to employ his Power and Authority to execute their Decrees The Vindicator remembers no doubt the Act of the West Kirk A Specimen of Presbyterian Loyalty to K. Willian and Q. Mary we have lately from the Provost of Rutherglin who publickly owned that they would indeed Arm so many Forces and not Disband them until K. William had Established Presbytery to their mind and if he did not so settle it they would turn him out and use him as they did K. Charles the First But if the Episcopal Clergy in the West of Scotland are enemies to the present Government they are obliged to continue in that opposition by the Vindicators Principles so unfortunate is he in his Endeavours to serve the present Government For if the Clergy in those Shires never met with any thing but Acts of Hostility without any Law Tryal or so much as any the least Formality of Justice pray let the Vindicator tell me what Allegiance do they owe upon such Principles as he and his Associates were wont to propagate under the Reign of K. Charles the Second And therefore he himself not others deserves to have his Neck stretched for adhereing to such Principles as necessarily overthrow in their last consequence all Government and Order Another Topick upon which he and others found many of their Libels against the Clergy is that they were subservient in the late Reigns to advance Arbitrary Power by their Doctrine of Non-Resistance and Passive Obedience The Episcopal Clergy Preached no Doctrine but the true Christian Doctrine which can never be overthrown by all the Attempts of their Adversaries they Preached indeed that in every Government there was a Supreme Legal Tribunal from whose Decisions there lay no Appeal upon Earth That this Supreme Tribunal was not at all to be resisted and therefore that the Insurrections in the Western Shires against the King Parliament and Laws was Rebellion in its most rigorous Notion this indeed they did Preach and I hope they are not yet so degenerate as to think or Preach otherwise as for the other Branch of the Controversie whether the King of Scots may be resisted I will tell the Vindicator my Opinion when he and I stands upon a Level For where the Supreme Tribunal may be resisted and counter acted then there is something higher than what is already granted to be Supreme but the King and Parliament are with us Supreme and if they may be resisted what is it that may not be resisted If Sentences interfere there can be no Government because no final Decision of Controversies therefore there can be no Appeal from the Supreme Tribunal in any Nation and into whatever Figure the Government is molded some such Supreme Independent Tribunal must be acknowledged whence there is no Appeal and of which there is no resisting unless you so order your Government as to have one part of it fight perpetually against the other and in that case our Saviour tells us That a House divided against it self cannot stand And do the Presbyterians think to recommend themselves by asserting such Doctrines as necessarily overthrow all Government And Blowes up the Foundations of all Humane Society We have all the Governments in the World to defend us upon this Head for without this necessary truth no Notion can be formed of what is Law Government or Society do not we see every day such as opposed the Government any where Fined Confined or Executed And this carries with it the Unanimous Sentence of all Judges upon Earth declaring that the Government is not to be Resisted in its first and Supreme Authority neither ought the Secrets of Government to be so prophaned as to be laid open to the Censure and Objections of every petulant Medler It is not our business who live in private Stations to Canvass the Mysteries of State

hath been worshipped such Constitutions and Solemnities have been derived from the Apostles or Apostolick times When the World was enlightened by the knowledge of the Son of God he did not extinguish the light of Reason but he supposes it and reasons from it and strengthens it and there is nothing more strongly enclined towards God and the Communications of his Spirit than true and unbiassed Reason Therefore such Constitutions as the reason of all Mankind is agreed in have nothing in them contrary to the purity of our Religion If Anniversary days and Festivals have been profaned among the Pagans to the worship of Idols why may they not be sanctified by the true Object of Worship and the honour of Jesus Christ Publick Solemnities have nothing in their own nature that is reproveable no more than the motion of the Sun or the vicissitude of Seasons if any part of our time be abused to excess or riot or the worship of an Idol we are liable to the Justice of God But when we return from Idols to the true God when we change our excess into fasting and prayer and when the whole Scene is become pure what is there in all this that can be blamed Do not we see all Nations agree in this that publick Solemnities and anniversary Festivals and Fasts are necessary to the being and beauty of Religion even those Nations that are at the greatest distance from our Customs our Language our Laws and way of living upon the Conversion of Nations to the Christian Religion some of the places where they worshipped their Idols have been dedicated to the true God and was it not a happy Victory over the Kingdom of Darkness when the publick Solemnities of Idolatry times and places have changed their Objects their Exercises and their End It is true the great Anniversaries of the Jewish Religion were appointed immediately by divine Authority But had not they other Anniversaries not immediately appointed by God and do you read that ever the Prophets did reprove the Jews for such Anniversaries They did indeed reprove their negligence and indevotion in them but the thing it self was acknowledged reasonable and prudent and a very powerful instrument of true Religion when managed with Contrition true Simplicity and Piety Zach. Did ye at all fast unto me saith the Lord. The Fasts mentioned here are of humane appointment and yet anniversary Our Saviour was present at the Feast of the Dedication for which there was not any immediate Divine Institution and though he had not been present if it had been superstitious he had certainly reproved it and given directions against such usages in the general To shake off all the externals of Religion is as dangerous as the multiplying of them the one is the Error of the Romanists and the other the superstition of the Dissenters It is certain that nothing preserves Knowledge of Christian Religion amongst the Body of the People more than the Festivals of the Church for it is not left to the Arbitrary or Extemporary Fits of Devotion but the Church by her excellent Discipline orders the matter so that it is not possible to forget the Faith unto which we have been once Baptized but amongst the Presbyterians in Scotland the People are taught by their Leaders to despise all Forms such great souls ought not to be fettered to the Rules and Methods of the Universal Church and therefore it is very rare to find a Child in the West of Scotland that can repeat the Commandments or the Creed I mean the Children of Presbyterian Parents and by such Enthusiastick pretences Atheism is insensibly promoted and the Body of the People alienated from the simplicity of Christian Religion and scarcely will they allow any man to be acquainted with true Religion that mentions those first Principles of it It is not possible to tell how much their opposition to Forms and Festivals of the Church has infatuated their People there is nothing can make a Clown in the West of Scotland laugh so heartily as when the Curate recommends to their Children the Creed the Lords Prayer and Ten Commandments and therefore they have no opinion of any Mans understanding unless he entertain them with Discourses of Gods unsearchable decrees of Justification before Conversion and how the Convictions of natural Conscience may be distnguished from the Convictions that proceed from the Spirt of God to observe the Festivals of the Church is but a piece of antiquated Superstition But we ought to remember that the stated Festivals and Fasts of the Church do preserve and increase true Devotion and Mortification Fasting is acknowledged a necessary Instrument of Religion by all Nations who profess any Religion at all It is not enjoyned but suposed by our Saviour why may not then the Church regulate and direct the Publick Solemnities of Fasting as well as of Prayer There is nothing so proper to fix our attention as Fasting it delivers the Soul from the oppressions of the Body and restores it to its true and native Sovereignty over our Lusts and Passions The stated Periods of Fasting oblige the most stubborn and impenitent to think of his Soul and the visible Practice of the Church Preach Repentance more effectually and make more lasting Impressions than the loose and indefinite Homilies of self-conceited men The External Solemnities of Religion may be abused as the most excellent things are when they are left to the Conduct of humane weakness but it is not possible to preserve Religion among the Body of Mankind without those Vehicles of Form and Order Nothing hinders the Reformation of the Grecian Churches from the variety of their Errors and Superstitions so much as the open neglect of Fasting among the Protestants and this Practice is not to be defended but rather lamented and amended What a Cruelty is it in all the Sectaries to deprive the People of the Publick helps of Prayer and Fasting Who can justifie this that considers the many Incumbrances Tentations Weaknesses that we daily encounter They that set up Methods of their own in opposition to the Wisdom of the Church in all Ages may amuse the People for a while but can produce nothing that is solid or useful It is certain that the Grecian Churches had long ere now made an utter Apostacy from the Christian Religion if the ancient and fix'd Discipline of the Church did not retain them in the Faith and when we consider how much the Religion that we are Baptized into triumphs over Sensualities and Concupiscence we cannot but acknowledge the Wisdom and Beauty of the ancient Discipline The most useful things in Art or Nature may be sadly abused by Folly or Ignorance We are not to separate from the Roman Church further than they have separated from the Wise and Primitive Constitution of the first Ages of Christianity and all the Protestants abroad seem to agree in this Truth for they Preach and Pray Publickly upon the great Fasts and