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	apostle_n	prayer_n	20	3	5.5511	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95843	The supreme povver of Christian states vindicated against the insolent pretences of Guillielmus Apollonii, or A translation of a book intituled, Grallæ, seu vere puerilis cothurnus sapientiæ, &c. Or, the stilts, or most childish chapin of knowledge upon which William Appolonius of Trever, and minister of the church of Middleburgh boasts, among such as are ignorant, in his patcht rhapsodies, which hee set forth concerning supreame power and jurisdiction in matters of religion. Against the book of the most famous Dr. Nicholaus Vedelius, intituled Of the episcopacy of Constantine the Great.; Grallæ. English.	Vedel, Nicolaus, 1596-1642,	1647 (1647)	Wing V168; Thomason E388_5; ESTC R201503	255,312	305

not I will make thee a God to Moses but contrarily I will make Moses a God to thee whence wee see that God from the beginning did not purpose to commit the supream care of the world and of the Church to church-men but to secular Magistrates for hee knew that things would not be well guided by church-men as appears by Aaron who when Moses was absent but 40. dayes was of such a soft and effeminate spirit that presently upon the prayers and menaces of the people turned the whole worship into Idolatry this was the cause that when Christ was asked of the Apostles concerning government hee permitted it to Magistrates but denied it precisely to church-men so that in this famous title of God all church-men are subject to the civill powers and all civill powers are to rule the church-men for these are called only Angels but they gods who will not confesse men to bee subordinate to Gods and Gods to have superiority over men I doubt not but Apollonius will here murmur with himselfe that the Prophet did so unwisely bestow this title upon Magistrates when out of the principles of Walachrian divinity this title of God belongs rather to church-men than to Magistrates for these as sheep should be subject to their ecclesiastick pastors Magistrates are only earthly Kings but cleargy-men are beavenly Magistrates are Legats of God the Creator church-men of Christ the Mediator exalted lastly Magistrates are carnall and worldly but churchmen are spirituall and holy who seeth not from hence that churchmen come neerer to God than Magistrates and that therefore the name of God belongs more justly to them So that wee need not doubt but in time the Stilt-walker will mend this magnificat as his predecessor the Pope did who not being content with the titles of Bishop pastor and president in which the Walachrian for the time rejoyceth hath assumed to himselfe also the title of God so that now hee is stiled our lord god the Pope but that our proud Ministers may not rise to this height among protestants I hope the Magistrate will take care whilst hee shall consider that hee alone by divine gift and right doth possesse this title of God which bee cannot without sacriledge impart to Ministers by which also is admonished that hee is subject to none but to God only and that there is nothing so spirituall so holy and so heavenly under his jurisdiction if it be humane but that it is subject to his power which will more appear by that famous place of Paul where not only hee is honoured with the name of God but also is endowed with the priviledge of Divine preheminence Among other elogies 2 Pet. 2.13 Rom. 13 1 that is notable one which is given to the Magistrate by Peter and chiefly by Paul where the great dignity of the civill power upon earth is described which hee placeth in three 1. That there is no supereminent power armed with the sword which is not subordinate to God and by him ordained for he saith that all powers which bear the sword are ordained by God and hee that resisteth them resisteth the Ordinance of God therefore every such by what name soever it is called bearing the sword hath God for its author so that the Apostle doth not permit any man to enquire who or what hee is that useth this power nor how hee hath attained to it nor indeed how hee useth it but absolutely commands to give obedience civill whether to the King as chiefe or to governours it was then known to the Apostles that the Emperors by fraud and violence invaded the Empire and that they used their power tyrannically against Christians so that if this generall rule had suffered any exception he would have mentioned it but both the Apostles do absolutely make this law That whosoever possesseth the sword he is ordained by God nor must any doubt of his power This did Abraham and Isaac well understand when they came within the jurisdiction of Abimelech Perhaps the fear of God is not in this place They doubted of the Kings piety and justice but yet they prepared themselves to obey even till death They will kill me for thy sake say they Thou shalt say thou 〈◊〉 my sister So Pompey when he went out of his own ship into the King of Egypt's barge in which he was treacherously murthered he rehearsed this sentence Whosoever entreth into the house of a Tyrant he is his servant though he entred a filee-man This then is sure wheresoever there is a superior power bearing the ●●●●d no man ought to enquire how he hath obtained it which is the form of it how he useth it at least not too curiously o● with an intent to resist For however the faults of his government are not from God but are displeasing to him yet the civil order is still from God So that whosoever out of his own private motion resisteth this he resisteth God himself and hasteneth vengeance upon himself The other is That he subjects every soul to the higher Powers Origen ●y every soul understands the Naturall man but he trifles Paul understands every man which in Scripture is ordinary Act. 3. 27 for every man hath a soul Now the Apostle said rather every 〈◊〉 then every body because men in respect of their bodies differ much but in respect of their souls they are all uniform Whence Chrysostome upon this place Though he be an Apostle though a Prophet though an Evangelist this subjection doth not overthrow piety Whence in appears that no man upon what pretence soever who is under anothers jurisdiction can free himselfe from the government of the Civil Magistrate whether he be Clergy or Lay rich or poor learned or unlearned no condition excuseth him from obedience These named famous Patriarks and as it appeared afterward more excellent then King Abimilech himself yet confessed humbly that even to death they were subject whilst they were under his jurisdiction Who more worthy then Christ yet he subjected himself to Caesar and Pilate impious Magistrates It is then an unworthy thing for any man to exempt himself from the Civil power under pretence of sanctity or religion or any prerogative for this is flat repugnant to Pauls generall maxime That every soule should be subject none excepted The third thing is That he commands subiection in all and obedience to Magistrates so that he will not have them resisted not only for punishment but also sor consoience because he that resisteth the Magistrate resisteth the ordinance of God and hasteneth judgement against himself which to do is against a good conscience All these are emphaticall and shew how absolute the Civil power is over all and in all things because absolutely it commands all without exception to be subject and absolutely commands subjection without any restriction Wherefore if there had been so many cases in which subjection was not to be given to Magistrates suppose in spirituall and ecclesiastick matters

Orthodox man but Apollonius for an Heterodox condemnes him He clears him from innovation this cries out that hee spreads abroad new Tares and poyson He saith that he asserts the truth but this that he defends sacrilegious falshoods He witnesseth by his hand-writing that Vedelius hath deserved well of the Church but this by many subscriptions shews that he is a betrayer of the Churches rites and a trampler upon the blood of Christ Lastly he saith that no Orthodox man should trouble him but this on the contrary by an Order of the Walachran Classis and of the whole Synod accuseth him as a destroyer of and a most bloody wolf to the Church Hath not then Apollonius in this somewhat of that lying spirit which deceived Kings so that he hath writ more of his Classiary brethren then they knew themselves which is ordinary among the Apollonian spirituall men One of these must be true to wit that either the Apollonians are convicted of ignorance negligence and false tenets or else that Vedelius Macovius Rivet were widely mistaken for my own part I had rather be sick with these men in divinity then to enjoy the best health with the Walachran Apollonius for he slights and despiseth all men weighing them in the ballance of his judgement as if he alone were the man that could hold the scales or were onely skilfull to note vice and to discern right from wrong Hee acknowledgeth that hee oweth much to Waleus and Thysius his Masters and yet he doth with Junius plainly reject them he contemneth Musculus he saith That Pareus and Gualter doe germanize it ●o much and that this cause is made so intricate by the Germans and Helvesians that you cannot finde any Idaea of exact divinity and that the English judgements are for the most part enslaved to great men and of our Di●mes you shall finde few that have handled this matter without admitting confusion and collaterall combination of both Powers In another place thus this troubles us that so worthy a man he understands Vedelius should esteem of the Reformed-Church-doctrine according to the testimony of some learned men c. Amesius Martyr Sybrand this honour he gives onely to Confessions Catechismes and formes of concord and yet he slights the Decrees of the Synod of Dort as humane and extorted from Ministers against their wills so that like a Snake feeding on naughty grasse he hisses at every thing as he pleaseth therefore the ghost of our famous Vedelius against which Apollonius pisseth hath no great cause to be angry since he is not ashamed to spit in the face of all learned men There is nothing that both sacred and profane Laws do more detest punish then the contempt of Princes and superior powers of which this Night-bird was not ignorant who presently in the preface desires the Magistrates good will for he saith that he carryeth a free spirit in the maintenance of their Magistracy and as it were calling God to patronize his dissimulation that with most fervent prayers he honours God for them when as notwithstanding with full cheeks he blows out contumelious speeches against Princes and Magistrates and as if he were another Rhadamanthus he assumes power to appoint what limits Magistrates must cont●ine themse●ves within beyond which if they offer to goe he calls them Symoniacks and wicked and like irreligious Princes that they break in upon the rights and prerogatives of the Church with tyrannicall lust and violence for which prerogatives he saith Christ did shed his Hood and such Princes he calls civil Popes But whilst he divides this booty and power he acts the Lion in Aesop who dividing the Veneson with the Asse and the Fox he killed the Asse affrighted the Fox and so took all the booty to himself Apollonius here playes the Jugler and with counterfeit superstition deterres the Magistrate from touching any of the modern Ecclesiastick affaires For he teacheth that the power of the Magistrate is not in but about the Church and that the internalls of the Church doth not belong to him either formally or eminently or totally or partially that his power extends onely to the externalls and not all these neither but only the externals externally but not the externals internally for in these distinctions he is very exact and seemingly carefull of the conscience of Magistrates He warnes them that they beleeve not the judgements of the learned nor the authority of man in exercising of their power earnestly urging his decisions as consonant to Scripture among which these are some The power of the Civill sword is without the Spheare of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction The Godly Magistrate is not the prime member of the Church but of the baser sort yea of the basest That it is dangerous to call the Magistrate the Keeper or nursing Father of the Church because it is impossible for him to nourish the Church with true milk which is onely proper for Church-men That the Magistrate is onely a separable accident of the Church which may be present or absent without destroying the subject That the end and intent of the Magistrate was not the saving of soules but properly and onely the temporall things of this life That the office of the Magistrate was onely of earthly not of heavenly things That the Magistrate as a Magistrate cannot execute any spirituall or Ecclesiasticall worke because it is impossible that hee should bee elevated above his own nature which is altogether worldly carnall and corporall Or if he seem to doe any Ecclesiasticall businesse that this hee doth onely objectively not formally imperatively not elicitively in respect of worldly circumstances and not in regard of the substantials of the Church And that they who will attribute more than this to the Magistrate incline to Pelagianisme Lastly he speakes every where of the Magistrate as of a naturall and carnall man of whom Paul saith That he is not subject to the Law of God nor can be nor doth he comprehend the things of Gods Spirit Hee cites often Gersom Bucerus who was to cunning in these trifles and withall insenced King James against him so that he was like to suffer had not the States protected him But this our Apollonius unwilling to yeeld to any man so bold is ignorance hee leapes over all the tearmes of Bucerus and railes against his own Magistrates and States subscribing to no mans opinion except Calderwoods the sum of which he else-where cites out of him Kingly authority saith he is onely measured according to the Churches benefit yet he doth warne Church-men that they should not trust too much Magistrates for he compares them to a crafty servant but Church-men to a generous Horse openly warning his fellow-Ministers that they suffer not the Magistrates to ride them any more and that their main aim was to bring them under subjection But if once they get the Mastery that Ministers shal never be able hereafter to shake off the civill yoak So then Apollonius thinkes

of Iustin Athenagoras Tertullian c. that nothing hath been more hurtfull to the Churches then that they were forced in times of persecution to exercise their worship privately and in vanite under ground for from thence were raised divers calumnies as that their wives were common amongst them in the darke that they had Thyestean suppers and did feast one with another upon a childs flesh whom they killed which seems to have arisen from misunderstanding the supper For cleering themselves from these crimes they found no better remedy then by publishing all the parts of their Church-businesse and therefore invited Princes themselves to be eye-witnesses of them The precise superstition of concealing and separating Church-businesse was the seed of Antichrist which by a fatall progresse at last exalted that Romish Out-law above all that are called gods 2 Thes 2. and Monarchs of the world which pride because the Walachrian doth admire and follow he thinks to walk in the same high Chapins but he is faine to fall to childrens stilts yet because he brabbles so much of his spirituality which we see is not to be found in the object that is in the Church-businesse it selfe I will go on to inquire whether there is any right of speciall sanctity in the Agents themselves that is in the Church-men For however Apollonius seeks for the lurking holes of sanctity in the object and businesse of the Church yet every where he stayes in the vocation and priviledges with which Church-Governours being adorned excell in sanctity all Christians whether private Lay men or Magistrates so that now we must inquire what prerogative of ●●●ctity there is in Church-Governours for performance after any singular manner these Church-functions which he believes ariseth from the dignity of moderne vocation this he presenting to all Magistrates as Minerva's target goeth about to turn them into stones that they may not see what the matter is whence it may be needfull to trie De vocatione what mysteries of holy Church spirituality lurketh in moderne vocation There is nothing that God recommends so much to men as Religion and his Worship which not onely hath he revealed to them but also prescribed and hath ordered that at all times there should be some which should preserve it and instruct men in it so that God in Paradise did not disdaine to be the first Preacher himselfe after this he raised up many at all times whom he imployed as his Ambassadors whom he adorned with so many badges of his Embassie that every one who was not wilfully blinde might see that these were truly Gods Vica● Extraordinaria whose words were no lesse to be obeyed then if God himselfe had spoken from heaven Among these excelled the Prophets and Apostles whom he exalted with extraordinary gifts above humane condition and after a wonderfull manner sent them abroad to preach I confesse that some things were ordinary amongst them when they were exercised in the Schooles of Samuel Esaiah Eliah and other Prophets the children of the Prophets for this function but in Amos and others GOD had oftentimes rejected all ordinary means and whensoever he sent abroad these ordinary men for this work he furnished them with so much power of his spirit that in the gifts of infallibility and miracles they were to be admired and feared of all the world for though wicked men would or might have doubted of their divine vocation yet by their effects and manner of preaching they could easily be convinced to confesse that which ●●●bornly these men dissembled so that hence Paul raiseth this generall Maxime How can they preach except they be sent Not as if he meant Rom. 16. that all those were sent by God as his Legats who could preach for this had been a starting-hole for innumerable Cheaters neither was this his meaning that no man though never so fit and furnished with Gods Spirit should be permitted to preach untill he were confirmed by the outward pomp of vocation as at this day the old and new Papists foolishly practise but that Christians might thence firmly gather that there was a true and divine vocation where there was a true divine inspiration and miraculous preaching such as the Apostles wondred was in many places among the Gentiles and the Jewes did not a little storm at This was an extraordinary vocation so divine and powerfull that such as God had chosen for this function were more then men and as it were the Gods of the world yet God did not binde himselfe to such a Law that all whom he designed for his worship should be still called extraordinarily and thus gifted whence it came to passe that the Apostles did accustome Christians to the ordinary way of calling least when this extraordinary manner of calling did faile there should want good Ministers and consequently Preaching and divine Worship or least for want of order wicked men should creep into the Ministery and so confusion should grow in the Church Ordinaria Hence were begot those ordinary rules of calling by which care was taken that none but fit men were admitted into Ecclesiastick Functions and all occasions of precedency or dominion were cut off against which mischief the chief and first builders of the Church could find no better remedy then that Ministers should be called by the consent and approbation of the whole Church in which we see the Apostles wonderfull moderation and spirituall modesty for such was their dignity in the Church and exuberance of all spirituall gifts that they could easily by reason of their authority and infallible judgement appoint and send abroad Governours to whom people might have safely submitted themselves without the suffrages of the inferiour sort and such as were not divinely inspired but yet because they had the spirit of modesty they took not upon them this prerogative nor did they account that vocation ratified except it had been performed by imposition of hands votes lots fastings prayers and by the concourse and consent of all the members of the Church This is so pregnant an example of modesty popular government in that most happy age of the Church Act. 1. Act. 6. part 1. p. 159. that Apollonius and his Bucer were troubled at it That the Apostles gave too much power to the people because of the Churches infancy But they smell too much of Popery who make that the infancy of the Church which was her manhood and greatest strength And this was the more to be admired when the complement and confirmation of callings was performed by imposition of hands this custome being borrowed from the ancient Jewes For though Elders and perhaps all could promiscuously lay on hands yet it was known that then great vertues did arise from the imposition of the Apostles hands which vertues were presently seen in him on whom their hands were laid For on them Christ had powred out such a plentifull measure of his Spirit that their garments handkerchiefs yea the

fitted according to Judaisme Apollonius seeks the like among the Protestants but hitherto for ought I know he hath not found them We should wish surely Par. 1 p. 391 that according to the liberty of the Walachrian heaven under which he is born and educated and accustomed to all kinds of boldnesse he had called a boat a boat and an egge an egge for it is not safe for us to be always in such danger Who will not pity Vzza who was struck dead by touching the Ark only which was not to be touched Was not Sauls fact destructive in daring to sacrifice partly out of feare and partly out of impatience for Samuels long staying whereby he fell not only into the displeasure of Samuel but also of God himself What Prince will not tremble to see Vzziah struck with leprosie for touching that which he should not have touched Quid apud reformates sanctum sanctorum whereby whilst he lived he was deprived of his kingdome and when he died of the Kings sepulcher So then the Stilt-walker will do a most acceptable work if he will hereafter unfold what things in his Church-government are not to be touched I could never yet find the place of holy of holies among Protestants except it be among the Walachrians Apollonius his study where with his Tertullus and other conspirators he is secretly plotting to overthrow the Magistracie of Middleburg and to erect a new Papal hierarchy Though the Consistory be a conventicle of superlative Spirituality there yet it doth not seem to me to deserve the name of the Holy of Holies because the Keeper with Women dogs do familiarly go in thither and then there must be also so many Holy of Holies as there be Churches therefore in this point the Walachrian Judaisme is fallen into a swound Now Levites have no externall sacrifices peculiar except they will have the Masse with Papists Spirituall sacrifices are Almes Prayers Psalms which are called the calves of the lips and the whole reasonable service of God which is commanded as common to all Christians So that we are sure Magistracie cannot be removed from all these by reason of any special sanctity For who will say that it is unlawfull for Magistrates to pray in the Church He may saith the Stilt-walker but not publikely Then sanctity here consisteth in a circumstance to wit the same prayers uttered in private are holy in a common manner but in a speciall manner holy if they be said by the Minister in publike This subtile difference is no where mentioned in Scripture but the Walachrian Levite differs much from old Judaisme their sacrificing was a speciall priviledge not only in publike but in private also for if they had granted to them that were not Levites to sacrifice privately in the temple reserving the right of sacrificing publikely to themselves the Levites had polluted their sacrifices But if it be so sacrilegious a thing for the Magistrate to pray publikely in the Church and like women to be silent why not only is leave given to Magistrates but also to women to sing openly and with a loud voice in the church for this also is a spirituall sacrifice of praise In this surely he seems to prostitute his sacrifices unlesse he will say that this liberty is also taken away from Christians because it is the Precentor whose singing hath the speciall priviledge of sanctity whose tune the whole Congregation followeth but so the Precentor also should be received among those that have the speciall right of sanctity but I think this Mechanical smell will be too Goatish for Apollonius to make him partaker of the authoritative and speciall right of preaching stacte I confesse there is small difference because this man only in of the book sings the Psalms and sacred hymns but the other not willing to be a clerk in the book prayeth there without book yea I believe oftentimes without the Bible whatsoever the Apollonian spirit is able in his heat to some out There are indeed very godly prayers set out by Calvin and other Divines in their Catechisme for this purpose that all the people may be acquainted with them and so may be uttered by one spirit the Pastor going before which use many times the Church in Synods hath established but these things are vulgar and come too neer that strait and bookish spirituality of the Precentors to satisfie the spirit of the Stilt-walker that most servent Zelot This lastly is a wonder That he placeth speciall sanctity in publike prayer when under the ancient Levites Anna Samuels mother Solomon at the dedication of the temple K. Ezek. in Christs time the Pharisee and Publican did pray publikely in the temple I confesse that the busines of prayer hath bin sometimes upon special cōmand cōmitted extraordinarily to some as to Isaac Moses Noe Daniel and Job but this was no Levitical or ordinary priviledge but proceeded from the person whether ecclesiastical or civil as he was most in Gods favour It were to be wished that all they to whom the Magistrate hath out of his bounty given charge to pray publikely may not be only fit to do that modestly but also acceptable to God for their piety for in many there is such a confused babling and such an impuritie in their hands that we may feare lest by such messengers the Church-prayers prove detestable to God I conclude that there was no speciall sanctitie in prayers under the Levites why then should it be under these new Levites He seeks for prerogative in Preaching and saith Praedicatio that it is lawfull in private for all men to preach but in publike only for Ministers for this is authoritative and potestative and by right of the Legat that is only edifying Much more such stuffe he hath devised upon this matter but without Scripture so that here again sanctitie consists in the circumstance much different from that of the ancient Levites for if the High-Priest had placed his special sanctity in this that he entred publikely and by day-time into the Holy of Holies but he granted to the rest of the people that privately and in the night-time like rats they should creep into the holy of holies he had certainly polluted his sacred mysteries This new Levite is no lesse ridiculous who gives leave to Magistrates Lay-men and women to preach privately the same Word but reserves to himself the circumstance of preaching publikely in the Pulpit This circumstance was not of such sanctitie among the Levites much lesse among the Apostles for they would not have been so bountifull as to grant to every one who was fit leave to preach publikely so that they did not forbid women to prophesie with their heads covered if occasion served otherwise let Apollonius resolve me how Paul who elswhere bids women be silent saith expresly A woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head For Paul doth not give charge of that which was never