Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	heart_n	holy_a	power_n	6,059	5	4.5148	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36060	A Directory for church-government and ordination of ministers to be examined against the next Generall Assemblie.	Church of Scotland.	1647 (1647)	Wing D1542; ESTC R34740	14,967	36

established in his Church Those being publikely known to the just scandall of the Church the sentence of Excommunication shall proceed according to the Directory But the Persons who hold other errours in judgement about points wherein Learned and Godly men possibly may or do differ and which subvert not the Faith nor are destructive to Godlinesse Or that bee guilty of such sinnes of infirmity as are commonly found in the Children of God Or being otherwise sound in the Faith and holy in Life and so not falling under censure by the former Rules endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace and do yet out of Conscience not come up to the observation of all those Rules which are or shall be established by Authority for regulating the outward Worship of God and Government of his Church wee doe not decerne to be such against whom the sentence of Excommunication for these causes should be denounced When the sinne becomes publike and justly scandalous the offender is to bee dealt with by the Eldership to bring him to Repentance and to such a manifestation thereof as that his Repentance may bee publike as the scandall But if he remaine obstinate he is at last to be Excommunicated and in the meane time to bee suspended from the Lords Supper And whereas there bee divers and various judgements touching the power of Excommunication and the proper subject thereof we conceive that for clearing of difficulties avoiding of offences preservation of Peace and such like these following Directions are fit to bee observed In the great and difficult cases of Excommunication whether concerning Doctrine or conversation the Classicall Presbytery upon the knowledge thereof may examine the person consider the nature of the offence with the aggravations thereof and as they shall see just cause may declare and decerne that he is to be excommunicated which shall be done by the Eldership of that Congregation whereof hee is a member with the consent of the Congregation in this or the like manner As there shall bee cause severall publick admonitions shall bee given to the offender if hee appear and prayers made for him When the offence is so hainous that it cryes to Heaven for vengeance wasteth the conscience and is generally scandalous the censures of the Church may proceed with more expedition In the admonitons let the fact bee charged upon the offender with the cleare evidence of his guilt thereof Then let the nature of his sinne the particular aggravations of it the punishments and curses threatned against it the danger of impenitency especially after such meanes used the wofull condition of them cast out from the favour of God and communion of the Saints the great mercy of God in Christ to the penitent how ready and willing Christ is to forgive and the Church to accept him upon his serious repentance Let these or the like particulars be urged upon him out of some sutable places of the holy Scriptures The same particulars may be mentioned in Prayer wherein the Lord is to be intreated to blesse this admonition to him and to affect his heart with the consideration of these things thereby to bring him unto true Repentance If upon the last admonition and Prayer there be no evidence nor signe of his Repentance let the dreadfull sentence of Excommunication be pronounced with calling upon the name of God in these or the like expressions Speak this in the third Person if the party bee absent Whereas thou N. hast been by sufficient proofe convicted of here mention the Sin and after due admonition and prayer remainest obstinate without any evidence or signe of true Repentance Therefore in the Name of the Lord Iesus Christ and before this Congregation I pronounce and declare thee N. Excommunicated and shut out from communion of the Faithfull Let the prayer accompanying Sentence to be this effect That God who hath appointed this terrible Sentence for removing offences and reducing of obstinate sinners would be present with this his ordinance to make it effectuall to all these holy ends for which he hath appointed it that this retaining of the offenders sinne and shutting him out of the Church may fill him with feare and shame breake his obstinate heart and be a meanes to destroy the flesh and to recover him from the power of the divell that his Spirit may yet be saved that others also may be stricken with feare and not dare to sinne so presumptuously and that all such corrupt leaven being purged out of the Church which is the house of God Jesus Christ may delight to dwell in the midst of them After the denunciation of this Sentence the people are to be warned that they hold him to be cast out of the communion of the Church and to shun all communion with him Neverthelesse Excomunication dissolveth not the bonds of civil or naturall relations nor exempt from the duties belonging to them This Sentence is likewise to be made knowne Not only to that but to any other Classis or Congregation as occasion shall require by reason of his abode or conversing with them The order of proceeding to Absolution IF after excommunication the signes of Repentance appear in the Excommunicated Person such as godly sorrow for sin as having thereby incurred Gods heavy displeasure occasioned griefe to his brethren and justly provoked them to cast him out of their communion together with a full purpose of heart to turne from his sin unto God and to reforme what hath been amisse in him with an humble desire of recovering his peace with God and his People and to be restored to the light of Gods countenance the communion of the Church He is to be brought before the Congregation and there also to make free confession of his sinne with sorrow for it to call upon God for mercy in Christ to seek to be restored to the communion of the Church promising to God new obedience and to them more holy and circumspect walking as becometh the Gospel He is to be pronounced in the name of Christ absolved and free from the censures of the Church and declared to have right to all the ordinances of Christ with praising of God for his Grace and Prayer that he may be fully accepted to his favour and heare joy and gladues to this effect To Praise God who delighteth not in the death of a sinner but that hee may repent and live for blessing the ordinance of Excommunication and making it effectuall by his Spirit to the recovering of this offender To magnifie the mercy of God through Jesus Christ in pardoning and receiving to his favour the most grievous offenders whensoever they unsainedly repent and forsake their sinnes To pray for assurance of mercy and forgivenesse to this Penitent and so to blesse his Ordinance of Absolution that he may finde himself loosed thereby and that the Lord would henceforth so uphold and strengthen him by his Spirit that being sound in the Faith