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	call_v	law_n	37	3	4.0398	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

very thing as a speciall help to mans well being both for temporals here and a better state beyond death it self Their famous Legislators Charondas Solon Licurgus Zaleucus Plato c. their learned Philosophers Aristotle Socrates Seneca Plutarch c. their chief Poets and Orators Homer Tully Hesiod Virgill c. have many passages to that purpose they could not but observe the influence which Religion carries into the actions of men and how much providence hath been found in all Ages smiling upon those Persons and Societies who made conscience in a constant tenure of piety and justice of tendring and promoting the will and honour of the supream God Many hints thereof they have gathered out of holy Writs translated into Greek before that famous version of the LXX under Philadelphus and much used in Alexandria whither Plato and other Philosophers frequently resorted The Aegyptians also and Phaenicians and other neighbours of the Hebrews had learned much of the Patriarchs and Jews successively which they communicated to other Nations as appears by their Poeticall disguises of Scripture stories so abundant in their Works The severall Churches reformed in France Holland Switherland c. in their Confessions and Writings have unanimously owned this power of the Magistrate as of singular conducement to the suppression of evil and encouragement to the good Many of the Learned Papists * themselves though the Jesuites ascribe so much to the Pope and Councils as opposes it diametrally have in their sober mood acknowledged the foresaid Magistraticall Powers upon the said reasons to be very excellently usefull Thus the clear light of this Truth extorts acknowledgements from the very adversaries It 's so much the more sad a judgement to see so many professors of Truth prove opposers thereof These spirituall judgements so common among us are the worst of all and usually attended with temporall plagues When there was no King in Israel no Magistrate no heir of restraint to put the wicked to shame as it was at Laish Judg. 18. 7. so it fared with Gods own people they were soon exposed to desolations of all sorts 2 Chron. 15. 3 4 5. whilst every one did what was good in his own eyes very few could be found doing what was good in Gods eyes For want of such a Kingly exercise in the seat of judgement to scatter all evil with his eyes Prov. 20. 8. All kinde of evil gathered so fast that many a storm followed those dark clouds The power ordained of God for thy good saith the Apostle without exception Rom. 13. 3 4 5. is also a revenger of every evil without exception for which the Law distinguishes not we may not distinguish and if you except one sort of good or evil you may as well except the other and so null the Text and a terrour to all that do evil so that we must needs be subjects not for wrath only but also for conscience sake The conscience you see is bound though it be not forced to such an obedience As the Magistrates conscience is bound in his charge as Gods Deputy to regulate and promote every good of the externall man in Religion so is he bound in conscience to forbid and punish evil therein according to its degree As thus his conscience so is the subjects conscience bound by the Divine precept as the one in commanding so the other in obeying If any object this will bring tyranny and slavery Answer Where Gods Law is the Rule as here it ought to be there can be neither tyranny nor slavery 2. By the same reason you might deny his power about the second Table for fear of tyranny and so make him a Cipher If you say there is an Ecclesiasticall way of dealing with Christians We answer 1. All are not Christians 2. All Christians regard not Church censures 3. Christians are to be dealt with by the Church in matters of the second Table also Will you deny the Magistrates cognizance of that therefore that he may be vox praeterea nihil 4. The Church deals with offenders in its way Ecclesiastically the Magistrate in his Civilly without interfering with their respective members If any pretend conscience against either the Word of God is the Regula regulans that rules conscience and all things else Conscience is but Regula regulata which obliges not against Gods Word nor excuses from sinne David and Paul acknowledge their sins of ignorance and against a good conscience and very great Psal. 19. 12 15. Act. 26. 9 10 11. If a man suffer with an erroneous conscience it s for sinne not for conscience Is was and is still the great sinne of unregenerate conscience that it cannot be it s not subject to the Law of God Rom. 8. 7. even the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the wisest and sublimest conscience and judgement before conversion is thus fleshly and some of it remains in the best as farre as unrenewed The dictate of conscience cannot be plea for any sinne though sometimes it may lessen it it never can null sin Neitheir can any erring conscience discharge any from his duty required by Gods Word it can make none lawless as it self may not be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} without Law None therefore should plead for a generall Toleration of conscience because most mens consciences being wholly corrupt Tit. 1. 15 16 17. and the best retaining much corruption this were to plead for sinne yea to give publique allowance to sinne it were to proclaim rebellion against God to set up a Traitor in Christs seat to set up mans fallible conscience for an infallible supream Judge this were to invite the worst of men and spirits to settle among us under pretence of conscience What mischief so horrid in opinion affection or practise that such a Toleration would not countenance What if Moses by Gods command did tolerate Divorce for the hardness of their heart Christ tels us it was their sinne occasioned it the supream Law-giver may dispense therewith at his pleasure so may not any inferiour person We should not indeed be the slaves of men as Paul forbids 1 Cor. 7. 22 23. but to have our conscience bound to Gods Word and our externall man bound to the Magistrates Rule which still is to be ruled by the Word this is to be the servants of God in perfect freedom The Magistrate is bound to use all fit means of satisfying and rectifying mens consciences especially in things less clear to some but he must not neglect his duty because some will still be unsatisfied no more than the Church is to neglect theirs It 's the snare of an erroneous conscience that it sins either way it cannot avoid sin there is so much the more need that all means be endeavoured for the purging and clearing thereof It behoves the Magistrate as well as all other superiours not to make himself guilty of other mens sins

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