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	appoint_v	moses_n	37	3	6.6155	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42389	Moses and Aaron brethren, or, The excellencie, necessity, consistencie, and vsefulnesse of magistracy and ministery under the Gospel opened in a sermon preached at the assizes held at Darby the eighth of March, MDCLIII / by Samuel Gardiner ... published not for contention, but satisfaction.	Gardiner, Samuel, 1619 or 20-1686.	1653 (1653)	Wing G247; ESTC R30401	15,886	26

ye represent whose Judgement ye pronounce on evill doers for the Judgement is not yours but the Lords Deut. 1.17 This is that which makes ye truly honourable to all religious and judicious mindes Divinity is the mainteiner of your civill Honour and Religion beares up the Tribunall in reverence whilest men are taught to discern God as having the chief hand and stroke in Government by whom Kings reigne Princes decree Justice yea all the Nobles and Judges of the earth Prov. 5.16 Whilest men see and acknowledge God ruling by Rulers and leading by them that are Leaders Thou leddest by the hand of Moses and Aaron 3 But lest any should be so wrapt up into the consideration of Gods Sovereignty and providential rule of the World as to despise Moses and Aaron the Instruments he employs we must give them a just and due consideration and so the third particular the Instruments imployed by God in and for the handing down this heaven-borne blessing By the hand or Ministeriall service of Moses and Aaron It was the declaration of Corah and his Complices and I am sorry to hear some men use even the very same words the dumbe earth opened her mouth against and I thought had sufficiently confuted and buried unlesse we could expect stones should speak Are not all Gods people holy his Clergy lot and inheritance what need of Aaron the Priest And is not the Lord amongst us does not he guide and govern the World does he need any Vicars or Vicegerents what need of Moses the Magistrate But sober Christians and such as will may easily understand that God as at first he made all things of nothing alone by himself so he could if he so pleased preserve and cōtinue in being al things he has made alone by himself without the subsidiary and assistance of one creature to another And he could as preserve all creatures alone by himself so instruct and teach rule and govern all men by his own power and Spirit without the Ministery or service either of Moses or Aaron Magistrate or Minister yet we know notwithstanding Gods almightinesse he has appointed secondary causes meanes and instruments in order to preservation and it 's no trusting but tempting of God to expect preservation from him unlesse we use the meanes appointed by him under his blessing thereunto Now as for preservation so for instruction correction of evil doers God has appointed secondary meanes and instruments to wit Magistrates and Ministers And it 's no less presumptuous tempting of God to expect immediate revelations in order to instruction or miraculous executions of judgement from heaven on evil doers in order to correction no we must humbly use the means God has setled and ordeined thereunto Not as if he could not do these things alone by himself but in regard his wisdome has so determined partly to put the honour of employment on his creatures he has fitted thereunto partly to try our obedience to him by obeying them For it 's a truth appears every day more and more that such persons as contemn the Ministers of God and Magistrates are Ministers too Rom 13.4 He is the Minister of God to execute wrath will thereby be imboldened to contemn God himself and that they that despise the Ordinances and appointments of God as to the Church will hardly obey men's as to the State for Gods sake Power and Authority is as hath been cleared primarily and originally in God but he keeps it not in his own hands but delegates and deputes men over men in his room and stead to whose care and guidance he commits his people making use of their service and Ministery Thou leddest thy people by the hand of Moses c. And here we have two things considerable 1 The order Then the union 1 The order First Moses then Aaron Moses who is he the supream Magistrate the priority and precedencie is his Papists are for the Supremacie of Aaron Protestants are for the supremacie of Moses And surely herein we observe Gods own order In the prophecie of Haggai Zerubbabel the Governour or Prince of the Captivity is five severall times constantly set before Joshua the son of Josedec the High Priest 2 Kings 2 25. Solomon put Abiathar from his place S. Peter exhorts all Christians without exemption to submit to the King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to him that hath apicem authoritatis 2 Pet. 2.13 Tanquam praecellenti the supereminency over all persons whatsoever Surely Saint Peter better knew Christs order then his pretended successor Tertullian acknowledges the Pagan persecuting Emperour the next man to God greater then all whilest lesse then God onely Neither is any ignorant that have look'd into Ecclesiasticall History how this supremacy of power even in matters of Religion was inlarged and exercised by the succeeding Emperours when they became Christians Non eripit terrestria Colimus Imperatorem ut hominem à Deo secundum Tertul ad Scap. Omnibus major dum solo Deo minor Apologet Euseb vitâ Constant Socrates c. qui regna dat coelestia And what was the right of Emperours then holds proportionably true of all supream Powers now under their severall kindes and formes of Administration Protestant-Ministers were the revivers and chief maintainers of this ancient truth against Popish claimes with their inke and blood for which the Magistrate owes them a kindnesse who notwithstanding they differ among themselves as to the particular forme of Church-discipline do not Lawyers and Physicians differ in opinion yet they all agree in an acknowledgement of subjection to the supream Magistrate For Episcopall men their Judgement is known Presbyterians acknowledge themselves accountable to the Magistrate in theri Ministeriall Functions Papers in the Isle of Wight the last Considerat and caur of the Londoners upon Apologet Narrat And Congregationall men say they give more to the Magistrates power in matters of Religion then the former so that though there be an avowed distinction as to the right of Administration for we read not that Moses medled with the administration of holy things after the consecration of Aaron and we know how dear it cost Saul his sacrificing and Vzziah his incense burning yet seeing there is a profess'd subjection to the Magistrates superinspection regulation and censure there may well come in the second particular the Union By the hand of Moses and Aaron Not by the hand of Moses alone nor by the hand of Aaron alone but by the hand of Moses and Aaron both are instrumental in order to this mercie both are employed by God both useful and necessary for without Moses they would not have been a people a flock but as sheep scattered on the mountains of prey having no Shepherd and without Aaron they would not have been Gods people As men we need Moses as Christian men we need Aaron And better to be no men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diod. Sic. apud Just Martyr in Paraen

Exod. 4.14 15. then not to be religious men and to be no people then not to be Gods When Israel Gods people here were to be led out of Egypt Moses whom the very Heathen commend as a prudent and gallant man would not undertake this service alone wherefore for the facilitating the work God tels him Aaron the Levite his brother was comming to meet him and would be glad in his heart to see him They meet and kiss each other and both are commissioned by God to bring Israel out of Egypt Thou leddest thy people by the hand of Moses and Aaron And it 's here by the hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in manu in or by the hand in the singular not hands to intimate the unity and consistencie of these two persons and their functions distinct though not opposite together Moses and Aaron may be severall fingers and his may be the longest and yet they may well make up still one hand of Government Matth. 17.3 by the hand of Moses and Aaron There is no inconsistency 'twixt Moses and Aaron Magistracie and Ministerie There 's no jarring in the Mount 'twixt Moses the supreme Law-giver and Elijah the King-reproving Prophet Exod. 7.12 Revel 11.8 Moses his rod though it may devoure the rods of the Egyptian Sorcerers of Rome which is spiritually Egypt that draw people to the obedience of another supream Head yet not Aarons rod. Numb 17. 1 Cor. 4.21 And Aaron had a rod laid by the pot of Manna So had S. Paul Shall I come unto you with the rod The rod of information and correction are not inconsistent but subservient each to other Lightning should go before Thunder informe convince then think of punishing men Moses and Aaron we know were brethren and brethren naturally love one another and are helpfull each to other When Israel was intangled in the warre with Amaleck in the Wilderness Exod. 17.12 Moses's hands grew weary and heavy Aaron then held them up Had not Aaron helped Moses Moses had not held out nor Israel prevailed against their enemies They were led but still by the hand of Moses and Aaron Whether is it any hinderance to this so desirable and useful harmony that Aaron pleads a divine right for his office as Moses for his is it any wonder that brethren lay claim to the same Father Moses and Aaron are Brethren But to shew the weakness of this exception Are not all Magistrates by divine right as well as the Supream Does not the Apostle say There 's no power but of God Rom. 13.1 Beza in locum and Let every soul be subject to the higher powers The Apostle sayes not as Beza observes Let every soul be subject to the highest power but to the higher powers And inferiour Magistrates are higher powers in respect of the people as well as the Supream Will they therefore undermine the Supream or must the Supream Magistrate to shew his Supremacy over all perform all Offices in his own person Have not Masters a cleer divine right to rule their servants Parents to rule their children are they therefore inconsistent with the Supremacy of the civil Magistrate May they not with subordination and declared subjection mould up into one civil Politie Society and Government I have stuck a little in this in regard there are evil envious men who go up and down sowing the tares of division in the Nation betwixt Brethren even these two Moses and Aaron As if they were Cadmei fratres brethren that cannot stand together but must destroy one another surely there is no such antipathy as these men fearing their own shadow imagine 'twixt Magistracie and Ministery If so surely it would have appeared long ago in the government of Gods people but there 's no such complaint yea contrarily we have in this very text a thankful acknowledgement of Gods singular mercy in and by the government of both subscrib'd in the behalf of himself and all God's people by the undoubted Prophet Asaph Thou leddest amongst other special mercies thy people by the hand of Moses and Aaron And this leads me to the fourth particular the subjects of this divine Government Gods own people Thy people The people whom he chose out of all the Nations of the earth to be his peculiar people a people to whom he was not onely a God but a King for their Government was a Theocracy as Philo calls it The Lord was their Law-giver the Lord was their King as they acknowledge Esay 33.22 A people to whom he not only gave most excellent Laws without them to guide them for their Laws were all divine of Gods own framing but also his holy Spirit within to rule and govern them yea who enjoyed extraordinary manifestations of the Spirit in Dreams Visions and Revelations Vrim and Thummim Gods miraculous presence going before them and leading them by the Cloud by day and the Pillar of fire by night yet notwithstanding all this God would not leave even this people to their own private spirit and self-government but committed them to the guidance and publick direction of Moses and Aaron men subject to the same passions weaknesses and miscartiages with themselves Thou leddest thy people by the hand of Moses and Aaron By what hath been said honoured and beloved ye may easily discern the self-conceit or at least deceit of those who because they are as they say Gods people have his grace and Spirit within to teach and govern them despise all outward instruction or government as below them bitterly scorn and revile the Ministery both of Moses and Aaron For Moses the Law-giver they have the Law written in their hearts They need none of your outward dead killing letter They have the Spirit and no question the Spirit of God is as able to make a man on a sudden without study or meditation an accomplisht Lawyer Physician Husbandman c. as a Minister and makes in that manner in these dayes as many of one sort as another But for Aaron they are all Priests and why not Kings too as well as John of Leiden all Prophets taught of God and shall they be put to charges to be taught of men But such Anabaptistical fancies as these are sufficiently discover'd by the light of this Text to honest mindes that seek nothing but truth and the saving their souls not their tithes For we see here plainly that God setled this way of governing by Moses and Aaron ruling and teaching Elders over his own people it 's cleerly divine and dare any man think God setled a Government over his people tyrannical oppressive or prejudicial to their temporal or spiritual concernments yea though in those dayes the Canon or Rule of divine Writ not being fully compleated The true spirit of prophecie not that boorish apish sprite that scares Ranters and Quakers out of all sense and reason was more generally bestowed then now it is or need to be yet God would still

have a publick outward standing Magistracie and Ministery to rule and direct his people and he that presumptuously and contemptuously opposed their directions Deut. 17.12 was to die the death so far was God from leaving every one to his own humour and self-government even of his own people who were a Kingdom of Priests holy and deare unto God as well as any now under the Gospel But says the Socinianiz'd Anabaptist There 's great difference 'twixt the Jews and us Gradu non substantia Iten Euseb was the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 1. § 5. we are Christians You must not urge legal adminstrations and institutions in Gospel-times I answer The Jews were Christians as well as we were they not believers saved by faith Heb. 11. Was not Abraham one who was the father of the faithful The Jewish and Christian Church differ not in substance but in degree of perfection onely in time and growth not in nature Can they prove Magistracie Ministery or Tithes either Ceremonials things that have in them any thing peculiar typical proper to the Jews as such no way allowable under the Gospel if not their exception is vain and frivolous But who were they to whom Saint Paul writes Rom. 13.1 to be subject to the higher powers Were they not Christians Does he not enjoyn Titus to put Christians in minde Tit●s 3.1 to be subject to principalities and powers to obey Magistrates This is New Testament-doctrine and is not that a Christians 1 Thess 5.12 We beseech you Brethren to know them that labour amongst you and are over you in the Lord surely without self-exaltation and love of pre-eminency and to esteem them very highly for their work sake What work for admonishing you Isaiah 29.21 But men of this spirit most scornfully mis-esteem them hating them whose special ofice it is to reprove in the gate And no question they that hate Ministers for admonishing them of their sinnes and errours do however they hide it hate Magistrates much more in their hearts for punishing their persons But if such principles of levelling Anabaptisme prevail it 's no great matter whether men be Magistrates or Ministers they 'l make a perfect parity which if it be the Gospel-Reformation it 's just it should be a thorow one But I shall close up this with the serious and seasonable admonition of Saint Peter Wherefore Beloved seeing ye know these things before 2 Pe● 3.17 what they tend to take heed lest ye be carried away as with a land-flood with the errour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the lawless ones or as we read it wicked ones And they may well stand together for lawlesse persons are wicked persons either they must be so or the lawes Such they have formerly prov'd witnesse the Circumcelliones or rigid Donatists of old and the Anabaptists in Germany of late But lest any should surmise as the world is full of jealousie and mistake that I have spoken all this while covertly for ryranny oppression or persecution of quiet and harmlesse persons for insolent domination over Gods people either by Moses or Aaron Magistrate or Minister let me request your patience to the last particular The temper or manner of this Government which I have hitherto vindicated and commended expressed in this Metaphor like a flock There 's two things it Lenity Unity I am for both 1 Lenity like a flock not like an herd of Swine or drove of Oxen that are driven by violence and rigour but like a flock of sheep that must be gently and tenderly led The Romanes sometimes took their Generals from the Plough Duci volunt n●n cogi which rips up the bowels of our common mother the earth but God when he chose a man after his own heart to govern his people Flotu lib. 1. David from following the Ewes great with young a condition requiring all tendernesse he took him that he might feed Jacob his people Psal 78.72 and Israel his Inheritance He brought him up a tender Shepherd over sheep that so he might make him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Homer calls his Prince a fit Shepheard of men Moses was a man of the same occupation a Shepherd and of the same temper and disposition too Numb 12.3 the meekest man upon the face of the earth as soft as the wool on his Sheeps backs his gentle hand it is by which God led Israel no Phaeton's or Furius's Thou leddest thy people by the hand of Moses 2 It notes as a leading with lenity so in unity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sicut pecudem like one sheep in respect of unity like a flock in respect of society and communion Our Saviour often compares his Desciples to sheep it 's his usuall Hieroglyphick Joh. 10. Matth. 25. Sometimes to a flock Luke 12.32 Fear not little flook Heb. 10.25 Sheep are animalia aggregativa Love the flock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to synagoguize to assemble together Beasts of prey as lions and beares are solivaga love to wander alone It 's true sheep are apt to go astray and therefore Shepherds are necessary but it 's never more then when they leave the Shepherd and the sheep-fold I have gone astray like a sheep that 's lost Psal 119. ult We read in the Gospel of a sheep lost seldome or never of a flock lost There 's great security as well as comfort in the communion of found and honest Christians The communion of Saints is indeed an article of our faith but we have disputed it almost to nothing I care not to graspe shadowes But certainly God delights not in subtle nice and unnecessary separations and divisions It pleases him little to see his people scatter'd up and down in holes and hedge-bottoms He loves to see them tanquam gregem like a flock Thou leddest thy people like a flock And ô that Gods people would be like Gods people here like a flock And to that end that they would without peevishnesse or prejudice be led Ezek. 13.7 Matth. 26.31 as God in all ages has led his people by Moses and Aaron Magistrates and Ministers for seeing there is no infallible spirit to direct us in our dayes unlesse in the Popes chair or the Anabaptists stool it 's the surest and best way of government God has now left us to follow at least to submit to the judgements of such men as God in the way of providence has according to the judgement of men able to discern endowed with gifts suitable to places of publick instruction or direction For self-conceited fancy and pretended revelation or authorization by the Spirit onely is the mother of all confusion and delusion And ô that Magistrates whom God has designed to rule would lead his people like a flock in unity with lenity So as to be neither Jehu's driving too furiously lest they over-drive the sheep nor yet Gallio's ruling too negligently betraying their own authority together with the peoples security That Ministers would study Unity the end of their Office Ephes 4.16 Ephes 4.16 that the whole body of the Church being compacted not distracted into factions and fractions which we know hinder thriving by dislocation may grow to the increase of it self in love And that people would know them that are over them as Pastors and Shepherds in the Lord hearken to them Heb. 13.7 17. 1 Pet. 5.4 following their faith and sound Doctrine seeing they must render an account of their soules to the chief Shepherdat the last day that they may do it with joy not grief of heart which will not be profitable for them My Lords ye are this day to drive the chariot of the Sun of righteousnesse betwixt these two Tropicall points Lenity Vnity ye are to sing Davids song in the me●n of mercy and judgement will I sing Psal 101.1 Let mercy have the precedency go before but let judgement pursue and overtake evil doers To take out the Prophet Micah's lesson Micah 6.8 To love mercy and to do justice so to love mercy as to do justice so to do justice as still to love mercy To which purpose forget not Aaron he 's your brother The benefit of the Clergy as it 's commonly called is as I conceive under your Lordships favour a prudent mitigation of the severity of our Lawes wisely intwisted into the administration of justice by our fore-seeing fore-fathers Net totam se● vitutem ferre possumus nec totam libertatem who knew our temper that we could endure neither all lenity nor all severity Too much liberty will make us wilde too much severity will make us mad Medio tutissimus ibis the mean is safest best Lead us then in a word like a flock with lenity lest we be worried by our keepers with unity lest we worry one another So aime at unity as to use lenity so exercise lenity as still to preserve unity So shall ye be as gods knowing good and evill fit Instruments and Representatives of him that led his people like a flock by the hand c. FINIS June 25 1653. Imprimatur Edmund Calamy