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	interpretation_n	2,811	5	9.4838	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65358	The saints guide, or, Christ the rule, and ruler of saints manifested by way of positions, consectaries, and queries : wherein is contayned the efficacy of acquired knowledge, the rule of Christians, the mission and maintenance of ministers, and the power of magistrates in spiritual things / by Iohn Webster ...	Webster, John, 1610-1682.	1654 (1654)	Wing W1213; ESTC R17627	36,008	50

nor increase o● his Spiritual and Immor●al seed nor of the ●eaping of that Harvest which was not pu●chased with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious bloud of his d●ar Son bu● leave it to ignorant careless or malicious Husbandmen It is he that is the Begetter an● 〈◊〉 of this Spiritual Seed the Planter Waterer and Increaser of it For neither is he that planteth anything ne●ther he that watereth any thing but God that 〈◊〉 And as they are sent ●orth by Him and his Spirit onely so th●● authority and weapons are spir●●ual not ca●nal or 〈◊〉 they speak in the power evidence and demonstration of the 〈◊〉 and with authority not like Scribes and Pharisees for the weapon● of their warfare are not carnal but mighty in God ●heir power ariseth not from Commissions and Licen●● given or gran●ed from Magistrats Parliaments or numbers of person proudly and Lucifer like stiled Divines from Committees or Colledges Presbyteryes or Academye● nor from any such but from the Lord of Hosts the God of Heaven and Earth from Iesus Christ the Iudg of quick and dead and from that Spirit of his that searcheth all things yea even the deep things of God The strength and might of their weapons is not Academick and Scholastical Learning the ●otten rubbish of Ethnical and Babylonish ruines nor Fathers Modern Writers Expositors Commentators the ayery bubbles that ignorance corrupt 〈◊〉 and humane Tradition hath blown up and gilded over with the unsuitable and Heterogeneous title of Orthodoxal Authours nor their wit reason nor collected notes the rotten Crutches to support lameness no nor any of these or whatsoever can arise from the flesh but onely that Spirit of Truth that lends into all truth And as their Calling and power is onely from God so man hath no power to obstruct or hinder it for Peter and Iohn sayd unto the Council of the lews Whethe● 〈◊〉 be right in the light of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judg ye for we cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard If it be objected that though it be 〈◊〉 that God called many of the Apostles by his own power and Spirit on●●y yet that Calling was immediate and extraordinary and a●terwards those that were so called did constitute and ordain others in an ordinary way by Imposition or Extension of hands as divers places of Scripture do affirm For this cause left I thee in Cr●●● that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee And neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by Prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery And when they had layd their hands on them and fasted and prayed they sent them away And when they had ordained them Elders in every Church and had prayed with Fasting they commended them to the Lord on whom they beluved For those dist●nctions of Mediate and Immediate Ordidinary and Extraordinary I finde no mention of them nor ground for them in the Gospel and they are but the cunning and 〈◊〉 devices of the Schools and therefore need no further answer than rejection and denyal untill they be made good from a better ground than that fruitless and vain wisdom of man And though in the calling of many of his Ministers in divers ages there were divers circumstances used at the calling of some that were varyed or omitted at the calling of others which they have therefore made an Essential difference not knowing that Circumstantials do not absolutely change the nature of Essentials yet was it the same God that called and sent them and the same Spirit that enabled them and spoke in them as sayth the Record of Truth God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son So many of the Apostles were called by the External and audible voice of Christ in the flesh yet that verbal Call had signified little if the Spirit had not called them inwardly in their hearts for herein consisted their calling that to them it was given to understand the Mystery of the Kingdom but to others it was not given And yet were many others as truly called as they that never saw nor heard Christ speak in the flesh And Paul being called had a great light shined and a voice spake unto him which those that journeyed with him could hear though they saw no man and yet were Timothy Titus Barnabas and others as truly called as he in and by the power of the same Spirit though not in the same manner rela●ing to circumstances and yet did and do all the Ministers of Christ in all Ages speak from the same Principle and are sent forth in the same Power and Spirit so that Circumstance makes nor substantial Difference and so that part of the Objection is of no force for the Truth ●aith Knowing this first that 〈◊〉 Prophesie of the Scripture is of any private interpretacion For the Prophesie came not in old time by the will of man but Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and so do all his Ministers still untill the end of the World For the Imposicion of hands it is manifest that it was used in divers cases as first by our Saviour in ●●ring of Disceases and after by the Apostles in the like cases and likewise upon little children brought unto him And lastly by the Apostles and Presbyteries in laying on of their hands with Fasting and Prayer Bu● it is as manifest that by their layiug on of Hands Fasting and Praying gifts of Grace {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} were given and those upon whom they laid their hands and prayed with did thereupon speak with Toungs and Prophesie and so thereby received the Holy ghost and this was that gift that Timothy was exhorted not to neglect and this was it that Simon Magus would have bought with money Now to imitate an Ordinance or practise an Administracion without the same Power Spirit and ●ifts is but hypocritical and vain therefore unless that they that pretend to ordain by Imposicions of hands had the same Power or thereby could confer the same gifts they ought not to practise the same Administracion because without the pr●sence of the same Power and operacion of the same Gifts wherein the Essence of it stood it cannot be sayd to be an Ordinance of God but a Tradicion of men Again the falling of the Holy Ghost and the manifesting of its visible Power or Power visibly by Prophecying and speaking with Tounges was not as hath been commonly mistaken a peculiar Ordinance for setting men apart for the Ministry but was commonly used to Converts as Converts and belonged to

Beleivers as they were such Which is undeniably manifest For when Philip came to Samaria and had preached the Gospel many there beleived add were baptized both men and women And Peter and Iohn were sent down unto them who prayed for them that they might 〈◊〉 the Holy Ghost for as yet he was fallen upon 〈◊〉 of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Iesus Thou layd they their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost and these were both men and women and not all Ministers unless every Believer be one And again when Paul came to Ephesus he found there certain Disciples that had been baptized with the Baptism of Iohn but had not heard whether there were any Holy Ghost or not and these he baptized again in the Name of the Lord lesus And when he had layd his hands upon them the Holy Ghost came on them and they spake with tongues and prophesied And all these were about twelve But it is not apparent that this was done for Ordaining them for the Ministry but as they were believers unless where the Scripture is silent we must give it a tongue to speak out what we fansie and suppose And therefore Timotheus stirring up the gift that he received by Pauls hands and the hands of the Eldership was but that gift of the Holy Gost which he received as a Conve●t not as a Minister unless as I sayd all Believer● be 〈◊〉 as in some degree they are in truth and verity For God hath not given his the spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound minde And indeed there are two things concer●ing this very observable 1. That the Holy Ghost often ●ell upon those that were converted while the Word was in speaking somtimes before they were baptized with water and somtimes before praying with them or laying on of hands and yet these they usually baptized with water afterwards as is manifest that at Pentecost they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance And while Peter yet spake these word● the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the 〈◊〉 ● Those upon whom the Holy Ghost was thus faln we ●in●e that they did baptize them but not lay t●eir hand on them but those that had been bap●●zed and no received this gift upon such they put their hand● that they might receive it By which it is clearly manifest that imposition of hands was used to many that were baptized who had not received the gift and so was common to Believers as Believers as Peter 〈◊〉 saying As I began to speak the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning Then remembred I the word of the Lord how that he sayd Iohn indeed baptized with water But ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost For asmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us who believed on the Lord Iesus Christ What was I that I could withstand God So that heer it is clear that this gift and so the Type or Ordinance of Imposition of hands ●id belong to as many as believed on the Lord Iesus Christ and so was not peculiar to the Ministry onely And as to that Scripture Acts 13. where it is ayd and when they had ●a●ted and prayed and layd their hands on them they sent them away viz. and so urge that this Imposition of hands was then used for the setting of Barnabas and Saul apart for the Ministry and so was their Calling or Ordination there unto 〈◊〉 is manifest that these men were called before and did exercise the Ministry before and therefore in the same place they are called Prophets and Teachers {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which they could not truly have been sayd to be unless they had been before called and ordained of God 2. When the Holy Ghost desired to have them separated they were there to 〈…〉 unto the Lord and fasting so that they were 〈◊〉 to and exercised in the work before this their 〈◊〉 for Pan● preached presently after his Conversion at Damascus and a●so at Terusalem and it was three years after his Conversion before he came thither so that this laying on of hands was not a is commonly alleadged his Calling or setting apart to the Ministry 3. This separating or sending forth of Saul and Barnabas was for the accomplishing of that work whereunto he had already called them and so to imploy them in several places or Countreys And when they were to take this journey the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 did 〈◊〉 and pray with them and layd their hands on them that the Lord might strengthen them and prosper them in the work Which thing ought to be done and is usually practised by Saints when God sends forth any Minister to other places or Regions to preach his Word And also as to that Scripture alleadged in Acts 14. v. 23. Where the words are {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Quu●que ipsis per suffragia creassent Presbyteros and when they had ordained them Elders Where say some is understood Ordinacion and se●ting apart to the Ministry Others the choosing of Ministers for particular places by consent of the people i● extending the hand 1. The Apostles no where mencion any power or skill that they had to call or make men able Ministers of the New Testament but do witness that it is God that makes them and others so and he only sends them into his Vineyard and not men and therefore the Apostles practise cannot be understood to contradict their evidence in teaching and therefore this cannot be understood of Ordaining and Calling men to the Ministry but of appoynting men to particular places for order and conveniency sake that were already called and ordained of God 2. Paul oftentimes gives out his witnesse and commendacion of particular men testifying that God had gifted called and made them faithful for that work of the Ministry and so sends them to divers places to abide as Ministers So he do●h of Timothy Titus and many others Now if Timotheus come see that he may be with you without fear for he worketh the work of the Lord as I also do Whether any do enquire of Titus he is my partner and fellow helper concerning you or our Brethren they are the Messengers of the Churches and the glory of Christ And so he gives his witness of Tychicus that he is a beloved Brother and a faithfull Minister in the Lord and he testifies that he sent Timotheus to the Thessalonians as a Minister of God and a fellow labourer in the Gospel to establish them and comfort them concerning their faith So that what was done of the Apostles Presbyteries or Churches was but only a giving forth of their witness in behalf of such as God had called that by their testimony