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	bid_v	lord_n	18	3	3.3826	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85986	The libertine school'd, or A vindication of the magistrates power in religious matters. In ansvver to some fallacious quæries scattered about the city of Limrick, by a nameless author, about the 15th of December, 1656. And for detection of those mysterious designs so vigorously fomented, if not begun among us, by romish engineers, and Jesuitick emissaries, under notionall disguises ... (politicæ uti & ecclesiasticæ. axiom. Arabic.) Published, by Claudus Gilbert, B.D. and minister of the Gospel at Limrick in Ireland.	Gilbert, Claudius, d. 1696?	1657 (1657)	Wing G702; Thomason E923_4; ESTC R202210	61,982	75

THE Libertine School'd OR A VINDICATION OF THE Magistrates Power in Religious matters IN ANSWER TO SOME FALLACIOUS QUAERIES Scattered about the City of Limrick by a Nameless AUTHOR about the 15th of December 1656. And for Detection of those Mysterious Designs so vigorously fomented if not begun among us by Romish Engineers and Jesuitick Emissaries under Notionall Disguises Published By Claudius Gilbert B. D. and Minister of the Gospel at Limrick in IRELAND Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Let every soul be subject c. Zech. 13. 2 3 4 5 6. And I will cause the Prophets and unclean spirits to pass out of the Land c. Isa. 49. 23. And Kings shall be thy uursing Fathers c. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Magistratus in terra Coarctionis haeres quodvis improbum pudefaciens Judic. 18. 7. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Dei timor Principium Sapientiae Politicae uti Ecclesiasticae Axiom Arabic London Printed for Francis Tyton at the three Daggers in Fleetstreet 1657. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE Lord HENRY CROMWELL Commander in Chief of the Forces in IRELAND And to the Right Honourable HIS Highnesses Councel FOR THE Affairs of IRELAND Right Honourable THe Glory of the latter daies consists very much in their godly Magistrates and the Glory of those Magistrates in their promoting of Christs Glory When the Lords Spirit would give an abstract of heaven on earth he promises Kings and Queens for nursing Fathers and Mothers to his Church Thus Portion and Protection are assured to his people on the most honourable and happy tearms The Lord himself is pleased to put his own Name upon those persons to whom he gives a providentiall Commission to act in his Name with civil Authority in the managing of his interest on earth He hath said Ye are Gods by a providentiall voice that ye might act like God and for God in subordination to his providence Such Shields of the earth belong unto him in a peculiar way which are made by him and must act for him in a peculiar manner He needs no instruments about any work yet is he pleased to honour instruments about his greatest work It s Your Honour to be employed by him he makes it Your Happiness to be faithfull to him That he will employ Ministers of his Word to instruct his Church it 's from his Grace that he doth intrust Magistrates with his Sword for the protection of his Church it 's for his Glory Both Jewell and Case mans Soul and Body were framed by him as God of Nature both Soul and Body were by his Sonne redeemed as the God of all Grace Both the internall and externall man do need his Spirit for the good of both Magistrates and Ministers are called to Office and blessed therein by the same Spirit Moses and Aaron were joined of old in ordering Christs Law Zerubabell and Joshua were not severed in the restoring thereof Though Primitive Churches wanted for a season the Magistrates help yet in due season were they made partakers of that Royall favour They wanted them first that Gods glory might not on mistake be given to man they had them again that the same Glory might not be still abused by man No sooner did Antichrist make incroachments on Christs Ministry but he usurped as fast on his Magistracy he swallowed up that as the two horned Beast Ecclesiastically and he subdued this as the ten horned Beast Politically Christ recovered both from Antichristian Yoke in his great Reformation as both had been usurped from him by Antichristian defection When he took care to purifie his Church in its Ministry he shewed no less care about the Magistracy As some of both sorts have witnessed for him in a sackcloth condition so some of both sorts shall witness of him in a seasonable ascension When he gives his people Pastors after his own heart he gives them Rulers to govern in his waies Thus he acts by men after the manner of men because he deals with men in the things of God The world is his great house that must be well taught but it 's through sinne a discomposed house that needs a good Rule Gods interest is such in faithfull Rulers that Satan will be still attempting all means to blast their faithfulness if he cannot keep them from doing Gods work he will use instruments to marre that very work Much of it appeared in former experiences and we see it too sadly in these latter daies Good men shall be seduced to betray Gods work yea and perswaded that it 's Satans work That which the Lord doth tender with most zeal Error will perswade to slight with most neglect If God put much stress on the first Table of his Law Error will take it off from the Magistrates care What many other parts have sadly bewailed we finde now much cause to bemoan afresh That spirit that once disturbed Germany is gotten too deeply into our bowels Christs Ministers were first struck at by that hand which reached the next blow to the Magistrates Those Foxes and Wolves that would worry Christs Flock cannot bear good will to faithfull Shepherds They would first debauch the spirits of men and then their bodies will be surely theirs The Ministers first shall be Antichristian and the Magistrates shall bear that title next Munster had once many fair warnings but the things of their peace were hid from their eyes If we gain wisdom by our neighbours harm it 's a mercy of the choicest kinde That good hand of heaven that brought Your Honours into this wilderness hath much to do here for you and by you Israels condition in their wilderness is a most lively parallell of this Land They had Christ present in his Ordinances but wanted a heart to improve the same Signall redemptions the Lord wrought for them but his wondrous works they had soon forgotten Magistrates and Ministers he provided them but they slighted and scorned the one and the others Holy profession God called them to they soon abused it to self-exalting Moses and Aaron were easily despised when Corah and his crue had once got their hearts When Divine Ordinances were counted humane humane presumptions were counted Divine Their Levelling spirits that would equalize all soon met with a check from their Superior They sank alive into the earths bowels that bid defiance to the God of heaven The Lords jealousie maintained his servants who had zealously maintained his Name They were soon consumed by fire from Gods house who made it their work to fire Gods house They regarded not his daily provisions and they paid dear for foolish desires When the Lords servants were doing them most good they were then plotting to do them most evil Thus are they our glass and our pourtraiture that we may the better learn to mend our faults Moses had to do with a

sense is the harmonious agreement of things attending their orderly composure and motion Peace with God by Christ conjugally embraced produces peace of conscience in man and civil peace among men Our civil peace must still then have reflexion upon our Civil Law and that upon the Divine Law Whilst the Law is thus kept peace is not hurt so the Querist is answered But would not he insinuate that the Quakers and corrupters of our Religion break not the Law and therefore not the Peace Ingenuity it self can make no other construction of his dubious Query compared with his title and scope If so then we Answer 2. Our Lawyers can more exactly acquaint him with the many branches of our Common and Statute Laws which are continually broken by this lawless brood They that make so light of the Divine Law indited by the Spirit of God penned by the Prophets and Apostles of Christ and given to man for his eternal good in conforming him through grace to the Lords Image whose extract and representation it is are not like to be very carefull of mens Law in any sense The beams of that good just and holy Law which do shine through the several parts of our English Laws carry too much light for such birds of darkness who can like and will own none but their light within The light above and about them is so offensive to them and so little valued of them that the brightest beams of Scripture light finde no credit nor favour with them if not suted to their phantasticall light Their own light is their Law as it 's their God their Christ their perfection their righteousness their All All the Laws of God and men must be reduced to that standard They judge themselves still observers of the Law in the most egregious breaches thereof for indeed what Law can they break whose will is their only Law Sometimes they pretend that Will in them not to be their own but Gods Will But that easily appears to be but a cunning shift to father their will on God as they do their light and all As then their Law is in their breast though they be daily convinced by every one that speaks with them who hath not lost his reason and Religion at once and particularly by Authority of their foul transgressions yet are they still faultless They witness perfection You do but mistake them They cannot sin They cannot break the Law All Authority is tyrannical that humours them not The best Ministers are fools and knaves to them None knows and keeps the Laws but themselves and followers Dare you then after this charge or punish these men for breach of any Law No by no means They are but misunderstood Their railing and cursing their slandring and wandering their idleness and irreverence their disobedience and seducing their errors and blasphemies against God and Christ against the Divine Trinity and holy Spirit against the Scriptures and Ordinances of the Gospel their contempt and scorn of all goodness and good men not dancing after their pipe These are no breaches of Law but degrees and signes of their perfection Their pride and passion their malice and hatred their choler and rage their Atheism and ignorance their deceits and charms are but conformities to the light within Yea their Pharisaicall abstinence and fastings their formalities and ostentations their disorderly speeches and carriage their opposing of Orders from God and his servants their self-conceitedness and self-confidence must not be thought breaches of Law but fulfillings thereof In a word if you think they can break the peace by breaking the Law you are much mistaken for they are a Law to themselves and the utmost mischief they can do to us all that comply not with them is but the fulfilling of that Law Qu. 5. Whether corporall punishment either by imprisonment or otherwise for errours is not a means sometimes to destroy mens bodies and possibly prove a prevention of their conversion seeing some are not called till the eleventh hour and if they be cut off the seventh hour for their errours how shall they come in Matth. 20. 6. Ans. Errour is a crooked deviation of a mans judgement from the Truth of God That Truth is considerable either in the Divine Being or in the Emanation thereof Truth in Gods Essence is Essentially and Personally considered Essential Truth is God himself in the eternal Unity of his Divine Excellency Truth Personally expressed sets forth each of the three Divine Persons subsisting in the Divine Essence distinguished by their personal properties the Father is Truth Begetting the Sonne is Truth Begotten the Spirit is Truth Proceeding from the Father and from the Son Truth in the Emanation of the Divine Being or the Truth of God is the conformity of Gods expression to himself which is considered Intentionally Verbally and Actually in his Thoughts Words and Works I. The Truth of his Thoughts is called his Purpose and Decree pleasure and good will to signifie his eternal Councel fore-ordaining all future things This is an absolute entire perfect and unchangeable Act of the Divine Will about the good and evil of future Beings as of themselves especially about rational creatures men and Angels This Divine Truth or Act as it respects evil is called Permission and Regulation as it respects good it 's called fore-ordination As it respects the objects of Divine Benevolence it 's called Election and Predestination Election chusing them in Christ to glory Predestination fore-appointing them to conformity and Adoption by Christ Election called also his fore-knowledge which in the Hebrew imports affect and effect regarding chiefly the End and Predestination the Means to that End That eternal purpose as it regards the objects of Gods disowning is called Reprobation and Predamnation Reprobation being properly an Act of Sovereignty we cannot speak of God but after the manner of men with distinctions and denominations extrinsecal though he be one pure Act all the change being in the creature is also called Preterition non-Election and non-Predestination properly regarding their State and End absolutely Predamnation being an intended Act of Justice properly considers the Means with tendency to that End viewing such under the consideration of future sinners The like denominations may be given to Divine Purpose about Angels consideratis considerandis Thus of Intentional Truth II. The Verbal Truth of God is called his Word which is the declaration of his Mind and Will revealed to man concerning himself and all his creatures This he did manifest to Adam in his Creation writing it upon his soul in the characters of his own Image in perfect knowledge righteousness and holiness and by positive significations of his pleasure After his fall and successively to others this Truth of God about the salvation of his Elect in and by Christ alone with all things else needfull to be known he did variously reveal unto men

means which might prevent such evils of sin and sorrow Qu. 9. Whether he was not reproved that would have fire from heaven to devour those that rejected Christ Luk. 9. 54 55. Ans. 1. That we mistake not Christs meaning in this and other Scriptures we must wisely compare the context and scope with the Text and other Scriptures for through ignorance and unstableness Scriptures are wrested to mens perdition The scope here appears clearly to be a condemning of the Disciples rashness whose blind zeal would have carried Christ beyond his present work in that state of humiliation for the conversion of souls 2. Distinguish between Christs humiliation and exaltation In the former he acted as the son of man in all parts of humane weakness conforming to us sin only excepted Therein was he to act as a servant not intending to take on him the Magistrates Office in any such cases Luk. 12. 14. nor was it fit that harsh means should be used to those strangers at his first coming which might have scared them away from Christ and his salvation But in his state of exaltation he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords by him Kings reign and Princes execute justice who hath all power given him in heaven and earth and he gives his Witnesses whether Magistratical or Ministerial or both power to consume his enemies with fire out of their mouth 3. Distinguish between Samaritan strangers and Jewish rebels between the grosly ignorant heathens and the wilfully obstinate Christians Against Jewish rebels the Lord sent his Armies to destroy the destroyers and abusers of his Embassadors though he would not fetch fire from heaven against the mongrel heathenish Samaritans 4. Distinguish between Magistratical and Ministerial censures on offenders Christ would not have his Disciples and Ministers to usurp the Magistrates work in civil bodily censures but to keep within their sphere with spiritual weapons such as are answerable to the nature of their Ministry as admonition c. towards their members ordinarily The case of Ananias and Sapphira was extraordinary was extraordinary as also was the Call Abilities and Work of Apostles The Civil sword still being left to the Magistrates right use who is regulated about it so frequently in the Old and New Testament Qu. 10. Whether it 's not a burden enough for the Magistrate to govern and judge in Civil causes to preserve the subjects right and safety Ans. 1. The Magistrates burden is great indeed Honos and Onus Honour and Burden ever went together Providence orders all things so wisely that they who have most from God should be obliged to do most for God It 's more Royal to give than to receive in Christs account Magnates are Magnetes Great Men are Precious Loadstones They should be Optimi that are Maximi to answer Gods Title and Nature whom they represent The highest Spheres of heaven carry the most influence of light and life to all inferiours Magistrates have a greater burden of care and trouble of danger and account to make them the more humble and holy the more diligent and self denying the more active and zealous in their places 2. The choice part of the Magistrates business is to be most for God in being most like God whose substitute and Vice-Gerent he is What the Lord tenders most should be most rendred by him God begins still at his Glory in the matter and means in the manner and time of his Worship The first Table therefore should be the Magistrates first care Those that honour him he will honour but they that despise him though never so great shall be vilified Is it not most rational that the best things should have the best care from the best men Doth not Gods honour deserve the preeminence still Doth he not still appear against the neglecters and slighters thereof Even Pagan Monarchs could easily discern it Observe the special working of Gods Spirit directing Ezra to request and the King to grant that Magistratical power of corporal punishment against offenders of his worship by comparing Ezra 7. 6. with Ezra 7. 11 27. How little beholding is the Lord to those Rulers that care more for their honour than for his that defend their Word more than his that will not suffer personal injuries but regard not what affronts are put on Christ They that tender not his Name and Truth his Worship and Ordinances are like to smart dearly for it at last Can you think that those persons will spare you that spare not what is dearest to God Will they honour you that vilifie God Remember Eli's case that you may repent who have made light of Christs great concernments Did not Salomon find it the best way to Wisdom and Glory to peace and plenty thus to begin with God A Jove principium was the great Maxim even of Heathen Schools to the shame of most Christians Is not Christs interest the best way to settle yours Can you be safe when that miscarries The Lord awaken all our Magistrates to mind this in earnest This Principium is certainly dimidium totius yea dimidium plus toto Will not the late experiences of our English Worthies with those of the former Champions of Christ demonstrate fully this Was it not their zeal for God that made them great before God and good men Consult all Records Hebrew and Greek Latin and French German and English for proof Our famous Alfred our conquering Edward 3d in the very heat of continual Warres made it their chief work to preferre Christ in all and to cast all their Crowns at his feet Their glorifying of him so eminently made them truly glorious in their own and future ages Such a Whet will never prove a Let to any from any true good Are not the subjects right peace and safety the proper gifts of God Can we finde out any better way of procuring or preserving them than by keeping close to him and being active for him Whilst we cordially mind his interest will not he surely minde ours If we forget him can we look to be remembred of him Qu. 11. If Magistrates must judge and punish of matters of Religion the Magistrate must ever be troubled with such persons and such causes and if after his conscience be convinced he had no such power what horrors of conscience is he like to possess Ans. The Magistrate is the Lords Shepherd as he cals Cyrus and must look for contest against Foxes and Wolves from time to time He is Gods Lieutenant that must still be in a posture of warre against his Sovereigns enemies He is Pater patriae the Father of his Country who cannot but be often taken up in composing the differences of that great Family He is the Lords Gardiner and will not think much to be still troubled with weeding work He is a Nursing father and knows what renewed troubles attend that employment