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	ark_n	rod_n	37	3	9.1530	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77424	A Breife description or character of the religion and manners of the phanatiques in generall. Scil. [brace] Anabaptists, Independents, Brovvnists, Enthusiasts, Levellers, Quakers, Seekers, Fift-Monarchy-Men, & Dippers. Shewing and refuting theur absurdities by due application, reflecting much also on Sir Iohn Præcisian and other novelists. Non seria semper.		1660 (1660)	Wing B4573; Thomason E1765_1; ESTC R209656	17,102	54

Christs Name sent by his Vicegerents Such tumours and inflamed swellings they have of their abilities and self-conceited sufficiencies that they think themselves at the first instant fitted for every work of the Sanctuary their gifts knowledge and utterance are qualifications sufficient for them to challenge the right of ordination or publick Ministry they need no other patent or Commission So they will be ploughing and sowing when they are not apted to break the clods and harrow the seed and this self-sowing comes like to that which springs on the house top wherof the mower shall never fill his hand nor he that bindeth up the sheaves his bosom Like Apes in the Fable fancy they can build as brave houses Cities or Churches as the ablest men but when they come to the Wood they have not so much as Saws or Axes or any tools to begin the work withall Alass those poore but proudly gifted men these serious people as they term themselves who spread so large sailes hang out such faire streamers and seek to make so good a shew to the vulgar simplicity as if they were strong built well rigged and richly loaden Vessels fit to endure those rough Seas and stormes to which truth is frequently exposed are easily judged by all wise and learned Christians to be but light keels and flat bottomed boats by their floating so loftily by their running so boldly over any shelves and rocks of opinion which shews they have not the due Ballast weighty Knowledge and sound Judegment the want of which makes them so fool-hardy apt to be tossed to and fro with every winde of Doctrine so prone to grow leaky either letting in under water secretly corrupt and brackish opinions or shipping in above deck openly and boldly whole Seas of any finister and worldly interests that are abroad the stormes and waves and confusions of civil affairs And so by popular precipitances and licentious extravagancies are the likeliest to overthrow and bring all Christianity by Catholick and Mahometan Methods in Atheism illiterature confusion and barbarity for as they have the least skill so have they the most passion and unbridled violence and least able to distinguish between the Use and Abuse of things Whence I gather that saying of a wise man to be most true That it is better in Churches as well as in places of Civil Power to prefer corrupt men than weak and foolish men the one is as a thief in a Vineyard who will onely take ripe Grapes till he is satisfied the other is as an Asse eats ripe and green crops the Vines treads down much with his heels and when his belly is full tumbles amongst them To Civil Affairs its likely their spirit prompts them as much to be medling but there they know how to keep their spirit in better order being over-awed with evident danger attending tumultuary motions None of those fiery Zealots are powerfully enough moved to usurp any place in the Privie-Council to arrogate the Office or Authority of an Agent or Embassador or set himself in the Seat of Justice uncommissioned or to intrude into any place Military or Civil without warrant from other than their own spirits though their pride and ambition may whisper them in the ear they better dispatch businesses do exacter Justice and speedier than any in Authority yet the danger of penalty of intrusion cows their Zeal curbs their heady spirits and cuts their combs nor are they often so valiant as to act by their pretended impulses in any way but where they think there may be safety Of their Learning To speak of their Learning or rather ignorance I am ashamed to shame them so much if I should shew the world their emptiness shallowness penury nothingness as to Reason Religion Learning or common Sense how gross confused flat insipid affected they are in speaking or writing how dark in Doctrine how disorderly in Disputes how impatient in reproof what perfect Battologists they are what circles they make and rounds they daunce in prayings and sermonings strong onely in railing cavilling and calumniating How do their pamphlets cheat the buyers with the decoy of some very specious and spiritual Title and amuse the Readers with shews of rare notions as all were Manna and Aarons Rod in their Ark when there is nothing but Mice and Emrods spurious hypocritical and damnable dogmata strangely mutilating and deforming antient Theology in its Morals Mysteries and Speculations Not a dumb spirit but a silly prating illiterate one possesses them They would be counted Apostolical yet are so far from the gift of tongues miracles knowledge c. that they are scarce masters of their own mother Tongue neither knowing for the most part what they say nor whereof they affirm nor able with modesty charity gravity and humility to bridle or use their tongues They cry out against all humane Learning and Studies all Liberal Arts and Sciences against all Books but the Bible against the Schools and Universities as heathenish and Antichristian marks of the Beast as deformities and impertinencies where we have Scripture-light prejudicial to that immediate Divine teaching to which they pretend and by which they learn and teach all true Religion which needs not any of those rags and additional tatters of humane learning These witlesse Lack-Latine Zealots tell their Proselytes and silly Auditors that Latine and Greek are the Languages of the Beast perswade Christians to burne all Books that they better understand the Bible and the Bible too that they may better understand the mind of God which is all one as if the Israelites should have been perswaded to have rid themselves of the cumber of their Swords Spears and Shields that so they better defend themselves Christ did not disdain to converse with the Learned Doctors and Rabbies of his time amongst whom he was found after his parents had sought him sorrowing yet our wanderers and seekers are loth to seek him affraid to finde him disdain to own him among the Learned lest in so doing they should seem to confess they had lost Christ and true Religion in their illiterate Conventicles and ignorant presumptions These great sticklers against Learning confute their own Principles their folly falls on themselves for their despair of learning makes them despise it in others Lucifer-like they pretend light and intend darkness cry up the spirit which is easily done that they may cry down learning which is hardlier attained But O how do they seriously triumph and rejoyce when any man that is but a smatterer of Learning and smells a little of the pen and inkhorn seems to adhere and lean to them and stickles for their party and faction deceived with their shews of godliness and inspirations O how do they prick up their ears and march then with greater courage as the Hares did when they had got a Fox to lead them in whom they thought was more strength and cunning than their own fearfull feebleness could be guilty of even so these