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	food_n	life_n	5,913	5	4.9908	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26615	Protestancy to be embrac'd, or, A new and infallible method to reduce Romanists from popery to Protestancy a treatise of great use to all His Majesties subjects, and necessary to prevent error and popery / by David Abercromby, D., lately converted, after he had profess'd near nineteen years Jesuitism and popery.	Abercromby, David, d. 1701 or 2.	1682 (1682)	Wing A86; ESTC R6382	30,832	174

no more a true one than a bare frivolous and insignificant Ceremony what trouble then and turmoil of Spirit they must needs perpetually wrestle with while Protestants as to this point enjoy a perfect Tranquility holding Baptism independent on the Ministers good or ill will malice or intention provided he pronounce seriously the words and set form of Baptism which we cannot be but sure of 3. I was once eye-witness to the cruel torture of Conscience a Romanist suffered upon a doubt of his Baptism occasion'd by this Romish Doctrine We were in the same Ship together upon Sea press'd by a furious Storm to think on what was our only concern in that conjuncture In the mean time this Gentleman showing by his melancholy looks the inward distemper of his Soul cryes aloud as if he had been beside himself he fear'd to be damn'd I question'd him on what grounds he spoke so rashly because said he I know not whether I be Baptiz'd or not I doubt if the Priest had any such intention when he pronounc'd the words commonly used in Baptism I told him whatever I thought fittest to convince his understanding and quiet his Conscience but could not prevail because he knew the Council of Trent teacheth the Ministers intention to be absolutely necessary to the existency of Baptism 4. On the same grounds they may doubt if their Priests can absolve and be truly Priests because in their perswasion they are no Priests without the intention of the Bishop that ordain'd them which perhaps he had not when he utter'd the set form of Ordination This minds me of a Bishop lately deceas'd in France who confess'd at his last hour he had ordain'd many but ever without intention to ordain any I was intimately acquainted with one ordain'd by the same Prelate and I am fully perswaded if he were advertis'd of this last confession of his he would scruple to continue a moment in the function of Priesthood 5. Who can relish if he hath any sentiment of true Piety what they teach of their Purgatory and purging fires This Doctrine flatters sinners in their imperfections causeth them to live more loosely than otherwise they would do to make little scruple of these sins they call venial and never eternally punish'd On this account they are not so apprehensive of these Everlasting Torments we should ever remember of when we are sollicited to sin if no higher motive can withdraw us from it Hell I say enters not so deeply into their thoughts because they rely on this third place And the worst of them all after an absolution got from a Priest hopes to go to Heaven if not streight at least a little about by Purgatory The Protestants who believe no middle place after death out of Heaven or Hell walk more cautiously fear more God's dreadful but just Judgments certain if they dye in the Lord they shall rest from their labours if in sin they shall be liable to his wrath for ever 6. The Scripture is the true Spiritual book we should still have in our hands Nocturnâ versare manu versare diurnâ Here we are to gather that Spiritual Manna to nourish not our Bodies but our Souls while we travel through the Wilderness of this wild World These sacred Writings are capable to make us wise unto Salvation search the Scriptures saith S. John for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life Yet the Romanists deprive the people of this Spiritual Food forbiding them severely to read the Holy Scriptures as if they were more hurtful than profitable hence 't is they live in a deep ignorance of all true Christian Duty in indifferency and lukewarmness without relish of heavenly things without true devotion which is never more stirred up than when we hear God speaking in the secret of our hearts by the Divine Oracles of his Holy Word 7. They cause the People to contemn or at least to have less veneration for Divine Scriptures by teaching they contain not all things necessary to Salvation they are obscure they are imperfect They seem sometimes to question their Divine Original when they ask how we are sure they are inspir'd by the Holy Ghost as if that were not known to say no more by the Air Majesty and Simplicity of expression proper to God only as we know the Kings Letters and Commands to his Subjects by his Seal and proper expressions none but the King uttering himself after that manner So the Holy Scriptures being as God's Patents and Letters to us we need not enquire from whom they are let us only disclose them and we shall instantly know their Divine Original quasi dei sigillo as by God's own Seal and Characters proper to him only without having recourse to the pretended infallible decisions of General Councils as Romanists do who must run back to the Scriptures again to prove these decisions infallible and so in circuitu ambulant they turn round in a circle without advancing one step But 't is not so much my design to dispute and quarrel with the Romanists as to go on peaceably and in the Spirit of Christian Charity pointing out as with the finger the great Obstacles to perfection they meet with by following blindly the Maxims of Popery I add only here their Prayers in an unknown Tongue unfruitful as S. Paul saith to the understanding is not a small let to Piety and Devotion what Spiritual Consolation can the ignorant sort reap at Mass or as they call it Divine Service by hearing the Priest praying they know not what unless they hold against common sence and reason that ignorance is the Mother of Piety and Devotion 8. Their Doctrine of Transubstantiation is on several accounts dangerous and ensnaring First It destroys all evidence grounded on the experimental knowledge of our senses and makes void the proof Christ made use of to his Apostles in aim to convince them he was not a Spirit Handle me sayes he and see for a spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as ye see me have which can be no conviction to Romanists who both tast handle and see bread in the Eucharist if they will trust their own senses as our Saviour in a not unlike case desir'd his Disciples to trust to theirs yet deny flatly what they see tast and handle to be Bread against their own and the experience of all men not blind of both eyes Our Saviour's Proof I say that he was not a Spirit shall never influence a Papist to Conviction for though the Apostles could both see and handle our Saviour's Body nevertheless 't is no necessary inference by their Doctrine of Transubstantiation that Christ's Body was there may they not say the Apostles could touch handle and see the appearance only thereof as they handle and see the accidents of Bread and not really Bread in the Eucharist in their opinion of this Sacrament which taketh quite away the force of Christ's argument grounded on the meer Testimony of our senses and favours

blam'd because 't is not in the power of the will to force upon our understanding the belief of a known falshood or of what appears to us evidently false to conclude as I have begun paritate rationis by a parity of reason since the Romanists because of the foresaid invincible ignorance grant to some Protestants a capacity of being saved unless they belye themselves they will not refuse the same to those in whom we meet with a like invincible ignorance yea more and harder to be overcome as may appear by what I have said 21. I foresee the Romanist may reply that those Protestants he hath no charity for are such as resist the known truth for instance they are perswaded the arguments in favour of Transubstantiation are better grounded than these they oppose against it So they shall not be saved through their own misbelief wilfulness and obstinacy in error To which I make this short and satisfactory answer that such men are not true Protestants of whom only we speak but rather abominable Hypocrites professing outwardly a Doctrine they judge in their hearts false and erroneous This Objection than vanisheth as being de subjecto non supponente grounded on a false supposition SECT II. 1. I Have proved positively and I think to perswasion if preoccupation be laid aside the undeniable truth of my first Principle that Protestants may be saved For the Readers intire satisfaction I shall make out the same in a Negative way by showing to all not willfully blind there can be no let or hinderance to their Salvation what-ever Romanists can instance as inconsistent with their attaining to eternal happiness may be reduc'd either to Schism or Heresie and that either jointly or severally After an impartial scrutiny of their best grounds of such foul aspersions I found them all to be groundless unwarrantable and insufficient 2. Schism is a separation from the true Church of God Protestants are not separated from the true Church of God ergo they are not guilty of Schism they are not Schismaticks All generally confess the Christians of the three first Centuries to have been the constituent Members of Christ's true Church from these the Protestants are not separated either in belief manners or Ecclesiastical Discipline this I could prove to the conviction of the most obstinate had it not been perform'd abundantly and more than once by others The same cannot be said of the Romanists since they have admitted of many novelties never heard of in these Primitive times such are in invocation of Saints adoration of the consecrated Wafer Image-worship Popes Supremacy c. So if they stand to the same Fundamentals with the Church in her purest age 't is certain they have added thereunto and are guilty of divers Superstructures which the Protestants were never and cannot be accus'd of But 't is not so much my design in this place to charge Romanists as to justifie Protestants and those who embrace Protestancy 3. They will perhaps say we are Schismaticks because separated from the Church of Rome But 1. The Church of Rome is a particular one and a member only of the Universal Church 2. As it now stands 't is not our rule but that undoubted of Christian Church in the Primitive times without spot or blemish 3. This aspersion of Schism smites rather themselves For those only we call Schismaticks who are guilty of division and breach of unity by doing that which is the true cause thereof That the meanest capacities may understand this let them take notice of what follows If my body were united or closely joining to yours would ye not be judg'd the true cause of our separation if ye put any thing between you and me hindring this union so you are the true Separatist not I because you have thrust me from you by that middle Obstacle you have plac'd betwixt us both which unless first removed I cannot unite my body to yours again 4. This is downright our present case if well understood The Protestants and Romanists were once two united bodies in the pure age of the Church in these happy times when Superstition had not as yet gain'd a foot of ground amongst Christians they were one People anima una corunum one Soul and one Heart But at length the Romanists set up betwixt us and them murum aheneum an invincible obstacle a heap of errors destructive both to union and unity so if we be separated now who were formerly united 't is evidently by their fault we could not persevere in union with them because of this middle wall that did separate us let them throw it down as they are oblig'd in conscience to do and we shall draw up together and joyn them close again Since then they gave a just occasion yea and are the true causes of this separation they are the Separatists and true Schismaticks not we 5. As for Heresie let Romanists say what they please it can't with the least appearance of truth be laid to our charge He is not guilty of that crime who defends obstinately any opinion whatsomever else all School-men and Divines standing stifly to their own fancys in Doctrinal points would be reckon'd Hereticks Such be those only who deny flatly and with obstinacy Divine Truths or Articles of Faith which cannot be impos'd upon Protestants without injustice ignorance and calumny 6. They deny indeed General Councils to be infallible in their decisions but their infallibility is no Article of Faith else Austin was a Heretick asserting General Councils gathered out of all the Christian World are often corrected the former by the latter correction of a Council undoubtedly supposeth a precedent error and a Council to be errable as every one understands that knows any thing On the same account he speaks after this manner to Maximian an Arian Bishop Neither ought I to instance the Council of Nice nor thou the Council of Arimene to take advantage thereby for neither I am bound by the authority of this nor thou of that set matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason try the matter by the authority of Divine Scriptures 7. An Article of Faith must either be clearly contain'd in Scripture or according to the Romanists declared expresly by some of their General Councils But that General Councils are infallible in their Decisions is neither contain'd clearly in Scriptures let them tell us in what Part Book Chapter Verse nor is it determin'd in any of the eighteen General Councils they acknowledge as the rules of their Faith none can be instanc'd where this hath been decided Upon what grounds then hold they this as a Divine Truth which is nothing else but a fanciful opinion hindering them to follow Austin's advice to set matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason to try the matter by the authority of Divine Scriptures 8. The general Councils are so far from pretending to be infallible Judges of controversial Debates that in a set