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	time_n	50	3	3.3825	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30703	A warning-piece for the unruly in two sermons at the metropolitical visitation of the most reverend father in God, Richard Lord Archbishop of York, held at Preston in Amondernes in Lancashire, and there preached, the former on that day, the latter the day following / by Seth Bushell.	Bushell, Seth, 1621-1684.	1673 (1673)	Wing B6238; ESTC R24244	23,200	54

the careless neglect and breach whereof in the Apostle's sence denominates a man unruly The Precepts of the Lord Christ do set before us a rule of Holiness so does his practice too in whom we have a most perfect pattern and exemplar of all righteousness He told St. John Baptist that it became him to fulfil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all righteousness whatever had a shew or appearance of goodness So Grotius vox haec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 latissimè sumitur ita ut significet non modò 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed quicquid ullam aequi atque boni habet rationem In him we may learn our duty towards God our way with men and our demeanour in reference to our selves His Precepts are full and so is his Pattern too for as Blosius well hath it Lud. Blos Speculum spirituale cap. 10. Etiamsi codices omnes qui toto orbe habentur intercidissent vita passio Christi abundè Christianis omnibus sufficeret ad virtutem omnem veritatem perdiscendam Now they who will not attend to the voice of Christ by his Precepts teaching Holiness nor to the way of Christ by his Pattern leading to it what else can be said of them than that they are unruly Of these 't is to be feared there are too many and this charge does justly reach some both Priest and People And herein first the charge is against those who pretend to the Priesthood and are not duely called These are intruders into that Sacred Office and invade those bounds which they ought not to come within Psal 50.16 What have such to do to declare Gods statutes or Ministerially to take his Covenant in their mouths 2 Cor. 5.19 seeing the word of reconciliation was never committed to them Such climb up over the wall into the sheepfold Joh. 10.1 enter not by the door That order and polity which God hath set in his Church these what in them lies are the subverters of How presumptuously self-confident are these men who dare to adventure upon those things with such unadvised rashness for which the blessed Apostle apprehended in Mortals such an insufficiency and upon a sober and mature consideration crys out 2 Cor. 2.16 Who is sufficient for these things 'T is not gifts will authorize a person to step up into Moses chair neither because he 's excellently qualified with tongues and knowledge is he therefore a Minister of Christ These may perhaps puff up and make a man swell so as to appear something in his own eyes yea and in the eyes of others too but he travails with froth and wind and brings forth vanity who upon this ground dares to approach Gods Altar Methinks this piece of unruliness and enormity in the Church of God might be repressed and regulated by the countermands of sobriety modesty humility and self-denyal and other the like Christian graces were such gifted men but subjects of them but if these be not as 't is to be feared such spirits are too empty of soul seasoning graces yet surely the sad instances upon record of persons usurping the Priestly Office and the fatal issues thereupon should not only awaken but so terrifie as to reduce all such pretenders and affright them from the like usurpations for the future when 't is considered how God dealt with Korah and his complices for rising up against Moses and against Aaron but chiefly their design was to invade the Priesthood for this they did not die the common death of all men Numb 16.10 30 31. but the Lord made a new thing and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up a sign of sore and sad displeasure So we read the men of Bethshemesh were smitten with a great slaughter 1 Sam. 6.19 because they had looked into the Ark which was not for them but only for the Priests and Levites to have intermedled about The case of Vzzah may not be forgotten who was smitten to death by Gods immediate hand because he put forth his hand to hold the ark when the oxen shook it 2 Sam. 6.6 7. Doubtless his intent was good to secure the Ark from harm and to that purpose put forth a helping hand but a good intention will not acquit from the guilt of error when the act is cross to Gods command or the Agent not warranted by a due call unto it And who dares draw nigh to the office of Priesthood without a Call if the matter of Vzziah be considered 'T is said when he was strong his heart was lifted up to his destruction 2 Chron. 26.17 18 19. Ambition transported him to invade the Priesthood for which fact the signal mark of Gods high displeasure was notorious in his forehead and he became a leper unto the day of his death and dwelt in a several house and was separated from the society and communion of Gods people and this in Scripture phrase was accounted as destruction for so Menochius glosseth Lepra instar mortis erat quia ab hominum consuetudine tanquam mortuum separat Now all this as it evidenceth Gods special care of the Priestly Function not suffering it to be polluted by common hands so it shews his mindfulness of what he spake to Aaron and to his sons Behold I have given your priests office unto you as a service of gift and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death Numb 18.7 Those must needs be accounted irregular in their courses who walk cross to Apostolical rules and practice Were not the Ministers of Christ in the Primitive times separated unto the Gospel of God Act. 13.2 Did not St. Paul put his hands upon Timothy Rom. 1.1 and did not he enjoyn Timothy carefulness in the laying on of his hands and in the commitment of a Gospel trust to faithful men 2 Tim. 1.6 who should be able to teach others also 1 Tim. 5.22 that so there might be a good succession Mar. 3.14 None were then to preach but those that were ordained and sent No man took this honour unto himself Rom. 10.15 but he that was called of God as Aaron was Heb. 5.4 God gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists Eph. 4.11 and some Pastors not all And therefore to check as 't were this spirit of giddiness 1 Cor. 12.29 and unruly humour the question was fitly put by the Apostle viz. are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers Now from the first times to our days there has been a succession downwards and the work of the Ministery has been committed to distinct persons and they are and have been distinctly and severally enjoyned to wait upon their office Therefore as to Ecclesiastick Order and the outward Polity of the Church we may conclude that confusion in Religion will as certainly follow every mans turning Priest or Preacher as it will in that State where every one affects to rule as King

Articles of Religion and distinctly reduced to Heads into the Doctrine of the Church Now what Article of Religion is there but it has been impinged by some or other in the bosom of the Church There 's no Doctrine so certainly and surely laid down in Holy Scripture which hath not been impugned by men of corrupt minds and reprobate concerning the faith It might be shewed by an enumeration of particulars that all the doctrinal Articles of Religion have been struck at by some or other Some disputing one Article others contradicting a second some denying a third So that from the Alpha of mans Creation to the Omega of the eternal judgement with all the intervening passages of mans Fall Redemption and Resurrection there 's no Doctrine though otherwise never so plain and evident but has met with opposition Surely those must needs be unruly whom the Doctrine of our Saviour cannot rule How can they be acquitted from the just charge of rebellion who refuse to be governed by Christ's Scepter or from the guilt of disorder who will not be ordered by his Law The Apostle hints some such to step into the place of Teachers 1 Tim. 6.3 who consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the doctrine which is according to Godliness but teach otherwise And some such he hints to be hearers too The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine 2 Tim. 4.3 but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears Secondly those fall under this charge who will not submit themselves to the Godly Discipline of the Church The Church is compared in Scripture to a city compact together to an army with banners Psal 122.3 Cant. 6.4 and 4.12 13. Isa 5.2 to a garden enclosed a spring shut up a fountain sealed to an orchard planted a vineyard fenced sheep folded Joh. 10.16 and the like Now look what Government is to a City Discipline to an Army a Closure to a Garden a Door to a Spring a Seal to a Fountain a Wall to an Orchard a Fence to a Vineyard a Fold to the Flock such is Discipline to the Church of God It is a preservative against ruine and rapine and keeps the humble members thereof within their due bounds in safety When the hedge of Discipline is broken down then all that go by the way do pluck her Psal 80.12 and there 's occasion given for her luxuriant members to stray abroad But when the Fence of Discipline is well made up and yet persons will not be kept within the Churches pale what other account can be given of them than as unruly When they turn aside from the footsteps of the flock and will not feed their kids besides the shepherds tents Cant. 1.7 8. but violently break the Fold or wantonly leap over the Wall and pick out a Pasture of their own choice as they expose themselves to the greatest danger so they are the occasion of no small disorder Dum conventicula sibi diversa constituunt veritatis caput atque originem reliquerunt Cypr. de Vnit Eccles We have too many such 't is to be feared in these our days who are led more by a selfish humour than a ruling judgement by a floating fancie than solid reason who rather chuse to indulge a factious and self-espoused interest than to give up themselves to the sober conduct of humble Christian Principles And these would submit to no rule Extra Ecclesiam consistens contra pacem dilectiomen Christi faciens inter adversarios computetur Cypr. Ep. 6. but their own would own no Discipline but of their own framing And they cannot well tell what that is or would be neither but probably as multifarious in its shape as there are persons or interests to promote it We may look upon most of these out-strays as led more by the spirit of contradiction tempered with the two ingredients of pride and self-conceit than by any other principle and we shall hope that a little time through Gods mercy will produce more wisdom in them Nulla ab eis tanta potest fieri correptio quanta est schismatis pernicies Irenaeus lib. 4. c. 62. and that they will account as well the Churches Discipline the means of their safety as her Doctrine of their Salvation Thirdly those justly fall under this charge who obey not the good and wholesome Laws of Magistrates Magistracie is Gods Ordinance to which we are enjoyned subjection not only for wrath Rom. 13.5 but for conscience sake And the good and wholesome Laws they make are to be obey'd therein we yield obedience to God himself whose Vice-gerents they are upon the earth Now to resist these is to resist the Ordinance of God and to deny obedience to their wholesome Laws as it arrives at an high pitch of unruliness so of danger too for the Apostle tells us Rom. 13.2 that they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation When the Magistrate by his known and good Laws does command this to be done and forbids the other and your course is cross to his commands how can you acquit your selves from the guilt of unruliness and of the sin of impinging against Gods Ordinance in the fifth Commandment Do you not in effect say for mens actions are the surest expressions of their minds whatever your pretexts may be Luk. 19.14 that you will not have this man to rule over you The Apostolical command is to submit our selves to every ordinance of man for the 1 Pet. 2.13 Lords sake Tit. 3.1 And to be subject to principalities and powers to obey Magistrates to be ready to every good work as if obedience to Magistrates were the first of and a preparatory to all good works Fear as God's due 1 Pet 2.17 and honour as the Kings are by the Apostle joyned together How fondly conceited may those then be deem'd to be who pretend to Gods fear with the Kings dishonour I mean disobedience to his known and wholesome Laws For as there is no surer demonstration of a reverential respect to the Authority over us than by a humble subjection to their good Laws so there is no greater Argument of a dishonourable esteem towards our Superiours than by a capricious contradicting their constitutions Oh then as you tender the glory of God the quiet of your own estates the welfare of your souls the honour of the Christian Profession and the excellencie of its order take heed you be not presumptuous or self-willed to despise government or speak evil of dignities 2 Pet. 2.10 12. lest you utterly perish in your own corruption Fourthly those are unruly whose conversations are not ordered according to the rule of the new man Gal. 6.16 Irregularity in the Converse justly chargeth the Converser with unruliness He whose life is dissolute and inordinate cannot be said to live by rule to wit that rule