Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	ghost_n	holy_a	inspire_v	2,844	5	10.2489	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32107	A letter to a non-conformist minister of the kirk shewing the nullity of the Presbyterian mission or authority to preach the Gospel.	Calder, Robert, 1658-1723.	1677 (1677)	Wing C277; ESTC R2364	10,942	118

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 14. The conclusion of the War makes it evident that the main Reformation intended was the Robbing the Church of its Lands and the abasing of Episcopacy into Presbytery but no necessity shall ever I hope drive me or mine to invade or sell the Priests Lands which even Pharoah 's Divinity abhorred to do If the poverty of Scotland might yet the plenty of England cannot excuse the envy and rapine of the Church Lands The next work will be Jeroboam 's Reformation Consecrating the meanest of the people to be Priests in Israel to serve their Golden Calves who have enriched themselves with the Churches Patrimony Again be pleas'd to reflect on your displeasure at the Liturgy of the Church of England Some of you are for no Forms at all others are for Liturgy but it must be reformed In the History of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth this passage is observable four Classes of Presbyterians complained of the Liturgy to the Lord Burleigh then Secretary of State his Lordship bad them go and make a better whereupon the first Classis went and fram'd a new one somewhat near that of Geneva this the second Classis dislikes and alters in six hundred particulars which alteration was excepted against by the third Classis and what the third resolved upon the fourth would not consent to Thus your Party expect a satisfaction about the worship of God which is impossible to be given you As to your praying by the Spirit there is a certain doubt in it which hitherto none of you would do us the favour to resolve Either you mean praying by the Spirit of God or by your own Spirits if you conceive the words and matter of your prayer by the dictate of the Holy Ghost then are your prayers as much the word of God as any of David's Psalms or as any part of the Bible and being written from your mouths may become Canonical Scripture If by praying with the Spirit you only mean that you are inspir'd with devout affections then there is nothing in your prayers but what others may pretend to as well as your selves In brief Since you do not pretend to entertain your people with immediate inspirations you oblige them to a Service they know not what to offer up prayers whereof they know not a syllable nor your self neither before you begin if you know them before hand either for matter or words then they cannot be extempore as you would have the people believe peradventure the reason why the people fancy your prayers is their variety they love not to go where they must be always entertain'd with the same expressions but if the sence of our own infirmities which are always the same cannot oblige us to pray why should a set of new words do it Consider those words of the blessed Martyr King Charles the First Some men are so impatient not to use in all their devotions their own invention and gifts that they wholly cast away and contemn the Lords Prayer I ever thought that the proud Ostentation of mens own Abilities for Invention and the vain affectation of variety for expressions in publick prayer merits a greater brand of Sin then that which they call coldness or barrenness nor are men in those novelties less subject to formal and superficial tempers as to their hearts then in the use of constant forms where not the words but mens hearts are to blame I make no doubt but a man may be very formal in the most extemporary variety and very fervently devout in the most wonted expressions Nor is God more a God of variety then of constancy nor are constant forms of prayer more likely to flat and hinder the Spirit of prayer then unpremeditated and confused variety to distract and lose it FINIS In vita Calvini His Commandments are not grievous 1 John 5. 3. In praefacione Monitoria About the Year 1585. See the friendly debate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉