Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	aaron_n	according_a	moses_n	46	3	6.7490	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04191	A treatise containing the originall of vnbeliefe, misbeliefe, or misperswasions concerning the veritie, vnitie, and attributes of the Deitie with directions for rectifying our beliefe or knowledge in the fore-mentioned points. By Thomas Iackson Dr. in Divinitie, vicar of Saint Nicholas Church in the famous towne of New-castle vpon Tine, and late fellow of Corpus Christi Colledge in Oxford.; Commentaries upon the Apostles Creed. Book 5	Jackson, Thomas, 1579-1640.	1625 (1625)	STC 14316; ESTC S107490	279,406	488

ratifies the Wise mans observation in Rome-heathen and Lampridius in Rome-Christian Whether we begin our accompt from the Law of Nature amongst the Nations or from the promulgation of the Gospell Images were not from the beginning Wisedome 14. ver 12. But after the Church which during the time of her infancy had kept her virginitie vnspotted began in her full age to play the harlot in vowing in praying in erecting Altars and Temples to Saints the instinct of her impurity did lead her to vse Images as secular wantons doe lascivious pictures for provoking lust They were rather the fewell than the beginning or first kindling of Rome-Christians spirituall whoredome Her down-fall into these dregs of Idolatrie or soule acts of more than brutish bestialitie was the iust reward of her wantonnesse with the Saints after shee had beene betrothed to Christ That which shee falsely pretends for her excuse is vsually true of secular adulterers or adulteresses These for the most part delight in pictures for their prototypons sake with whose liue beautie they haue beene taken And yet many deprived of their Minions reall presence by death or other separation haue been so besotted with doting loue of their resemblances as to loath the company of their lawfull Consorts Howbeit no vnchast doting lover did ever tye his fancie with so many loueknotts vnto his Mistris picture as the Romanist doth his soule and spirit vnto the Images which he adores The maine bond is Religion it selfe the lesser cordes are kissing bowing kneeling imbracements and powring forth his very heart before them Besides all these he suffers this peculiar disadvantage in respect of secular doteards these cōmonly haue seene their feature whose true resemblances they ioy in the Romanist never had any acquaintance by sight or other sense with the persons of those Saints vnto whose Images he makes all this loue but frames these materiall and visible representations of them out of his owne braine or fancie These and the like circumstances were they duely examined by the rules of true Philosophie or knowne experiment how quickly the pursuite of ordinary meanes doth in most cases alienate our desires from the end vnto which we seeke to be directed by them it would appeare to be without the compasse of any morall possibilitie that the Images which these men make their visible spokesmen vnto the Saints should not play false with both parties and betroth the soules of doating suiters vnto themselues or rather vnto the devill whose stales indeede they are 2. But what if some honestly minded vnderstanding Papist should solemnely sweare vnto me that he loues S. Peter not his Image or S. Peter himselfe much better than the Image which he loues onely for his sake shall not his religious oath be taken before any mans coniecture concerning his owne affections Can any search his heart better than his owne spirit can I will in charitie beleeue that he speakes and sweares as he verily thinkes and is perswaded But if out of like Christian charitie though not towards me yet towards himselfe he will giue me leaue to vnsold some practique fallacies with which his sceptique Catechizers seldome meddle I shall giue him iust reason to mistrust his owne thoughts or perswasions as altogether groundlesse and vncapable of any solid truth Can the most devout Franciscan or Benedictine conceipt either the truth or fervency of his loue vnto S. Francis or S. Bennet more strongly than the latter Iewes did the integrity of their zeale to Moses For that Moses sake which they had made vnto themselues they would haue died with greater patience than a Fryer could suffer imprisonment for S. Francis But from the true Moses and his doctrine no Heathen vnder the Sunne were so farre alienated in affection as were his successors in place and kinsmen according to the flesh the sonnes of Aaron and Levi. To haue enstamped their soules and affections with his true and liuely Image whereto alone so great loue might be safely tendered the onely way had beene to haue layd his sacred rules vnto their hearts to haue worshipped God in spirit and in truth as he did Quite contrary they fastned their proud affections vnto that false picture or Image of Moses which had surprised their humorous fancies before they had seriously consulted their hearts or examined their imaginations by the rules of his doctrine 3. And whether wee speake of Adultery carnall or spirituall the first acts of both are alwayes committed within vs betweene the fancie or imagination and the corrupt humor which sets it a working every predominant humor or corruption of the heart delights to haue its picture drawne in the braine The fancie is as a shop of devises to adorne it and so adorned it growes mad with loue of its owne representation as Narcissus did with his shadowe Thus corruption of heart and humorous fancie pollute each other before they can be polluted by any externall consort whose vse is onely to accomplish the delight conceived or to confirme this internall combination betweene the heart and the braine and this service every visible or sensible object well suited to delightfull fancies succesfully performes As imagine the Iewes might haue had some gaudie picture of Moses in the Temple wherevnto they might haue made daily profession of their loue by kissing kneeling and other like tokens which the Romanists vse vnto the reliques and Images of every supposed Saint how would this practise haue fortified their foolish imaginations every kisse bestowed vpon his picture would haue beene as a wedding ring or visible sacrament for confirming the internall league betweene their corrupt affections humorous fancies But Image-worship was a brood of impietie so base and vgly that the devill durst not so much as mention the match betweene it and the latter Synagogue though he haue espoused the moderne Romish Church vnto it Howbeit so inevitable are his entisements vnlesse we abandon all familiaritie with his visible baites when we come to doe our homage to God he hath stollen away the Iewes hearts from God and his servant Moses by drawing them to such dalliance with the booke of the Law as the Papists vse with the pictures of Saints Kissing and solemne adoration of Moses his writings vpon no other occasion than for testification of their allegiance to God by reverencing them are held no acts of wantonnesse no whorish tricks by the faithlesse Synagogue And to speake the truth her protestations of chast and loyall loue to God and his servant Moses will sway more with every indifferent arbitrator than any oath or other assurance which the Romish church can make of her fidelitie to Christ or sincere respect to those Saints whose liuelesse Images shee adores with no lesse devotion than the Iew doth the dead letter of the Law For though no protestation may be taken against a fact yet the fact is more apparantly idolatrous in the Romanist in as much as bowing down to carved Images kissing or worshipping