Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	heart_n	spirit_n	word_n	12,735	5	4.2755	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55108	A plea for the late accurate and excellent Mr. Baxter and those that speak of the sufferings of Christ as he does. In answer to Mr. Lobb's insinuated charge of Socinianism against 'em, in his late appeal to the Bishop of Worcester, and Dr. Edwards. With a preface directed to persons of all persuasions, to call 'em from frivolous and over-eager contentions about words, on all sides.	Lobb, Stephen, d. 1699.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1699 (1699)	Wing P2521; ESTC R217330	67,965	145

are these impeach'd of insufficiency when Words and Phrases not to be met with here are obtruded upon the Church as Necessary so Necessary as that without them the most important Articles of the Christian Faith can neither be Orthodoxly nor Intelligibly express'd With modest minds it should surely suffice to say they are apt and may be useful but if their Necessity be press'd upon us they are at least equaliz'd with if not preferr'd to those of the Divine Spirit And can any one that has the Spirit of Christianity in him deliberately agree to this my words my Phrases are as Necessary as those the Holy Ghost has chosen He knew not how to convey his sense to the World so well as I If any will thus insolently set up themselves and traduce the sacred Oracles of our holy Religion my Soul come not thou into their secret 2. Nor will Christianity suffer that the Perogative of God should be thus invaded his Soveraign Rights are hereby usurp'd upon for asmuch as it is one of his Peculiarities to impose any thing upon the Church as Necessary He claims it as what belongs to him not only to be a Law-giver but to be the one the only Lawgiver in reference hereto and who are we that we should justle him out of his Throne 3. How disagreeing to the Spirit of Christianity is it to give way to and countenance such uncharitable censures that such an one is unsound Heretical no Christian because he dos not use my Words How common a guilt is this And by how much the more lately such an Over-magnifi'd Phrase was introduc'd so much the farther does the censure reach For Instance Christ's Suffering in our Person c. If no one may be allow'd for Orthodox that uses not this Phrase the whole Christian Church is laid under Censure except an inconsiderable bandful within this last Age. But can it consist with Christianity whereof Charity is a most Essential and inseparable part to reproach and unchristianize in a manner the whole Christian Church Besides 4. We do not only hereby revile Christians and so offend against the Generation of God's children but we do also debase Christianity it self how contemptibly mean and vile is it render'd in the eyes of By-standers when they see us with so unproportionate beat and Zeal contend for and against insignificant words and Phrases and labouring to proselite men to these as if the Kingdom of God was in these Letters and Syllables How do they hereupon ridicule and break their Prophane Jests upon Our Holy Profession and how are they fix'd in their Prejudices against it And is it nothing to us that the Name of Christ and Christianity is Blasphem'd through us by our means 5. Besides How are we hereby diverted our Minds diverted from intending the most amazingly great and awful Things that relate to Christianity Those Principles and Practices that do most truly Essentiate and Constitute it Those Truths which are according to Godliness and which are adapted to advance and promote it which do both tend to make the Temper of our own Spirits better and to excite us to do more good to Others These are forgotten and overlook'd hereupon being diverted from what should Animate and Nourish us what a Ghastliness and Languor appears in the Face of Our Profession How are we become as dead Men How little of the Life and Power of Godliness is to be found amongst us And should not this will it not be laid to Heart by such as have any serious Regard to the Welfare of Christianity or of their own Souls Will it not henceforward render Strifes of Words less Grateful and Relishing to such that they are likely to be attended with so pernicious Effects We cannot surely deliberately consent that One or Other Phrase should be to us instead of our God our Redeemer our Faith our Hope our Love Holiness and our Heaven nor place out the Zeal on that which should be reserv'd for these But again III. If this Spirit were not so disagreeing to Christianity 't is no way fit to be indulg'd on the account of those perpetual Quarrels it must necessarily introduce amongst us It would endlesly be Contested without the possibility of being ever decided what particular Phrases shall be admitted as necessary By what Rules their Necessity or no-Necessity shall be adjusted Or with whom the Judgment of this grand Affair shall be entrusted And IV. It would greatly tend should it obtain to discourage all Improvements in Knowledge Every encrease of Light will require more or less Alteration to be made in the old and customary Modes of Expression and consequently endanger a Person 's Reputation At how much easier Cost may Men learn a set of Phrases that they do not understand and save their Pains and their Orthodoxy at once V. And Lastly It has not the least Advantage attending it to compensate for and set against all its mischievous Effects That which is commonly pretended for it is that it may be a Security against Error But how utterly insufficient is it for any such Purpose How possible nay how common a Case is it for Persons to use the same Phrase and yet not mean the same thing So vain and so Pernicious does it generally prove when we leave the Methods God has prescrib'd and will needs prevent or remove the Churches Maladies by Ways and Means of our own devising But to draw to a Close there is one thing farther that I would add to avoid Offence and 't is in Reference to the mention of Mr. Cross's Name in the long Marginal Note When I wrote what you find there I was in hopes of his second Thoughts upon that Text and the Papers were out of my Hand sometime before I heard of his Death I not having seen 'em for several Months past Nor till I saw it in Print did I remember there was any thing in which he was concern'd otherwise I should at least have suppress'd his Name if not all that relates to him for I cannot but be averse to every thing that looks like trampling upon the Ashes of the Dead ERRATA PAge 5. l. 26. r. nostra p. 15. l. 8. r. as Errors p. 20. l. 16. r. alledge p. 28. l. 26. r. surely p. 45. l. 2. r. that p. 75. l. 14. r. strictius p. 92. l. 2. add it p. 114. l. 4. r. pursuing Introduction NOT knowing whether that Right Reverend and Worthy Bishop or the other very Learned Person in the great and constant Cares of a more publick Nature that attend their Stations may not account it rudeness for us to break in upon and disturb 'em with our petty Quarrels I have not thought fit so directly to apply to them and for this only Reason it is that I have not joyn'd in the Appeal to ' em Their Determination is not hereby intended to be declin'd there being no Reason to fear the Issue should they think fit to publish their Judgments to

require only that either Christ or we shou'd suffer not that both shou'd now then where is the danger the Psalmist was so apprehensive of And whence is it that he does elsewhere so earnestly deprecate God's Judicial Process Psal 143. 2. Enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justify'd It must needs be either that the Psalmist or these Men have very greatly misapprehended the Sense of that Law for that according to him if God shou'd judge us by that Law no man living cou'd be justify'd whereas according to them though God shou'd judge us by that Law we cannot but be Justify'd for when the threatned Penalty is inflicted the most rigorous Justice can go no further we are Recti in Curia when the Law is satisfy'd no further charge can have place against us 3. Yea further it follows That we never had as indeed we cou'd never need a Pardon The Case will be very plain by a familiar Instance Suppose two Persons jointly bound for the Payment of a certain Sum of Money or for the performance of any other Condition or Contract if either Party pay the Money or discharge the Bond the other is quit in Law and the Creditor cannot be said to have forgiven him Justice it self is so far from requiring that it wou'd not admit of double Payment Now then if Christ was in the same Bond with us if either He or we suffer the Debt is Paid the utmost Demands of Justice are answer'd what place is there then left for Forgiveness Can a Penalty be said to be forgiven that was not due or can it be yet due when 't is already paid and is it not in Law paid if either the Principal or Surety pay it Upon this Principle then it is plain That God cannot be said to have forgiven us to have been gracious to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For tho' Socinus did as Grotius has manifested Argue from those Terms with great weakness against all Satisfaction yet nothing can with greater force and evidence disprove a full and proper Solution What shall we then say to those numerous Texts where we and our Sins are said to be forgiven Hereupon the Gospel-Covenant as offering Remission Luke 24. 47. and the Sacraments of the Gospel as Sealing it to Sincerely Penitent Believers Acts 2. 38. Mat. 26. 28. are render'd meer Impertinencies and can it be thought these Persons do ever pray for Pardon or that they do account themselves beholden to God for it how they can consistently with this their Opinion I see not 4. Moreover this Doctrine renders our Repentance and all Obedience of our's needless and a continued course of the most enormous wickednesses wou'd hereupon be unhurtful to us If these Persons will be consistent with themselves it seems necessary for 'em to say as Dr. Crisp that Sin can do us no hurt and Holiness can do us no good Upon this Principle what hurt can Sin the grossest wickedness do us Suppose a Person an Atheist a Blasphemer an Adulterer that he live and die such in this case it can only be said The Law was violated and therefore the Threatning must take place But if this Notion be true that the Law threatens only that either the Sinner or Christ shall die it cannot touch such a Creature as this it having been already executed And alike needless must it needs render Holiness and Obedience in all the Instances of it for to what purpose is it can it be suppos'd to be needful if he may be accepted with God if he may be Rectus in curia without it 5. Again If this Principle be admitted none of our sufferings wou'd consist with the Justice of God for that according to them the Law did oblige only Christ or us to suffer if either suffer therefore full Payment is made the Law has no farther demands to make how is it then that we notwithstanding suffer that we are subjected to any Sufferings Spiritual or Temporal not to make any mention here of Eternal ones Whence is it that God with-draws the Quickning or Comforting Influences of his Spirit from any Whence is it that He gives up any to their own Hearts Lusts Whence is it that any are expos'd to the fiery Darts of the wicked one Or yet that the Arrows of the Almighty do wound do stick fast in any Soul Or if we shou'd yet come lower how unaccountable were it that we shou'd groan under pining Sicknesses noisom Diseases racking Pains and at length yield to Death It will perhaps be pleaded That God may inflict all these Evils and many more at pleasure as being Absolute Lord of his Creatures but it shou'd be remembred That having given us a Law He is become our Ruler and thereby He does declare That He will not however antecedently thereto He might have Arbitrarily inflicted any Evil upon us The very giving out a Law in and by which it is Enacted That such certain Evils shall be inflicted upon the Transgressors of it how plainly does it indemnifie-the Non-violaters of it from such Sufferings Such Threatnings otherwise cou'd answer no End if it were intended That whether they violated the Law or not they shou'd be alike obnoxious Now if we consider God as a Governour the Evils He inflicts come under another Consideration they are not meerly Afflictions or Sufferings but they are also Punishments and therefore they are not dispens'd Arbitrarily but according to a Stated Rule He does not punish any but such as by the Law are obnoxious hence is it that we read of his Righteousness in Reference to this Matter And as this does more generally evince That all Evils inflicted by a Ruler as such are Punishments so with Reference to the particular Instances above-mention'd it might be distinctly made appear that they are in the most strict and proper Sense Punishments In the last which is not the least doubted Case how plain is it that the Separation of Soul and Body is Penal that 't is a natural Evil no one doubts as such 't is abhorr'd of all and that 't is inflicted for or by reason of Sin is as unquestionable if the Apostle's account of the Matter may be allow'd for so he tells us Rom. 5. 12. By one man sin enter'd into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinn'd So that Death amongst Men has the nature of a Punishment in it but how then comes it to be inflicted if it be not due If we be not obnoxious to the Sentence of the Law it cannot be said to be due to us if the Threatning was disjunctive both Parties Bound cou'd not be obnoxious if Sentence be executed on either the other is clear how comes it then that we are punish'd and Christ too What shall we say Is God unrighteous that taketh vengeance Rom. 3. 5. Or is not this rather an unrighteous Doctrine that wou'd reflect

any one particular thing plainly intended by the Orthodox Grotius the Bishop of Worcester c. that use this Phrase against the Socinians I say Let him instance if he be able any one thing they intend by it that is not readily agreed to by us We have reason to suppose That he himself may intend some-what more by it than we are willing to allow and which in due place may be taken notice of But we cannot find that they thereby design in general to express any thing more than that the Sufferings of Christ had a respect to sin to our sins as the ground or reason of 'em they were the assumed Cause of 'em He suffer'd for or on the account of our sins Now whereas it may be difficult to conceive how or which way our Sins cou'd influence his Sufferings in such sort as that He shou'd be said to suffer for our sins to die for our sins What they say for the clearing this Relation that our Sins had to the Sufferings of Christ as an Antecedent procuring Cause for we meddle not now with the other Respect they bear to 'em as a final Cause though He also suffer'd for our Sins so as in a proper Sense to Expiate and make Atonement for 'em I say the whole of what they offer for the clearing the Relation our Sins had to Christ's Sufferings as their Antecedent Procuring Cause may so far as I have yet observ'd be reduc'd to the following particulars viz. Sect. 4. I. Our Sins both in the nature of the Thing and according to the Constitution of the Divine Law deserv'd Death Eternal Death Rom. 1. 32. This was what they had render'd our Due they were in the strictest and most proper Sense Meritorious of our own Sufferings Had we lain Eternally under the Avenging Wrath of GOD it cou'd not have been said with Truth that He had done us any wrong it wou'd have been but the Wages we had earn'd Rom. 6. 23. And what Apostate Angels do actually undergo II. Hereupon Death being the demerit of our Sin it follows That we must of necessity suffer unless we be forgiven for no one surely will or can imagine That it might be avoided by our own Power or Policy whether alone or in Conjunction with any other Creature or Creatures Is it possible we shou'd either hide from GOD's All-seeing Eye or prevail against his All-powerful Hand We cannot therefore escape against or without the Divine Pleasure Now a Liberation a Deliverance from deserved Wrath that does depend upon and derive from the Divine Will and Pleasure is most Proper Remission as has been before said And how is to be conceiv'd that the Miseries which the Law threatned and we had deserv'd by our Sins cou'd otherwise possibly be avoided than by vertue of such an intervening Act of the Divine Will whereby the Penalty is graciously remitted III. Several things concurr'd to render it unmeet that GOD should meerly Pardon that He should so forgive the Sinner as not to leave one way or other any severe marks of his displeasure upon sin He did retain in the heighth of his Displeasure such a Love of Benevolence as did incline Him to commiserate the case of lapsed sinful Man and in some befitting way to re-admit him into favour But it was highly fit and necessary it shou'd be in such a way as shou'd both duly provide for the Honour of GOD and be most apt to deter and affright Men from sinning Due regard must be had to both these the Sinner cou'd not be forgiven unless consistently therewith the Honour of GOD cou'd be secur'd and sin render'd frightful and to be dreaded by us Now in reference to The Former the Honour of God did require That if He Pardon Sinners it shou'd be in such a way as shou'd manifestly vindicate and acquit Him from the Reflections that are not uncommon upon such occasions 'T is a very usual and known case in Humane Governments that the Soveraign's Reputation suffers by too easie Pardons In the case before us it is exceeding plain That the Honour of GOD's Power and Wisdom but specially of his Holiness and Justice were to be provided for whilst He magnify'd his Mercy in our Forgiveness 1. Whereas nothing is more common than for too easie Pardons to be imputed to a Governour as an Evidence of his Weakness and want of Power it was a most condecent and becoming thing That GOD should Pardon in such a way as yet shou'd manifest his Power that it might appear He was not afraid or unable to vindicate his injur'd Law That He did not forgive through a meer want of Power to punish 2. It was equally fit and necessary That He should also vindicate the Honour of his Wisdom and not by a light and easie Pardon tempt the World to impeach Him of Levity and Folly as if He had rashly and unadvisedly made a Law of the Consequences whereof He was not aware and therefore was afterwards oblig'd to change his mind and indemnifie the Transgressors without any Compensation 3. Yea a meer Pardon would also have reflected upon his Holiness it was therefore necessary that GOD for the Vindication of his Essential Purity shou'd make it appear that He hated sin though He lov'd the Sinner that Men might not look upon Him to be a GOD that has pleasure in Iniquity the direct contrary to what He has declar'd of Himself Psal 5. 4. neither yet as if He was indifferently affected towards it He is as we are assur'd of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity i. e. So as to allow or not to be displeas'd at it Hab. 1. 13. This Holiness of his is that which gives a most adorable and conspicuous Beauty and Lustre to all his other Perfections He is Glorious in Holiness Exod. 15. 11. And therefore it cou'd be no way meet that the Honour of this Attribute should be neglected or post-pon'd to our safety 'T were better that Ten Thousand Worlds should perish than that the Glory of GOD's Holiness be stain'd But how shall it be vindicated if Sin be absolutely remitted That Connexion we find betwixt his Holiness and his not forgiving sin Josh 24. 19. does very plainly intimate That the Holiness of God is a Bar that lies in the way of Pardon that does as it were oblige GOD not to give out Pardons too easily not to Pardon absolutely or without due Provision made for the demonstrating his Antipathy against Sin that in his Eye as well as in its own nature 't is an abominable thing what his Soul hates Jer. 44. 4. 4. It was further necessary That the Reputation of his Governing Justice shou'd also be consulted GOD consider'd as a Governour is necessarily Just cannot but be so How monstrous a sound wou'd these two Words conjoyn'd carry in 'em an unjust GOD they do mutually destroy and subvert each other He that is GOD cannot be unjust and that Being that is unjust for that very