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	office_n	151	3	7.4001	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93702	Rome ruin'd by VVhite Hall, or, The papall crown demolisht: containing a confutation of the three degrees of popery, viz. papacy, prelacy, and presbitery; answerable to the triple crowne of the three-headed Cerberus the Pope, with his three fold hierarchies aforesaid. With a dispelling of all other dispersed clouds of errour, which doth interpose the clear sun-shine of the Gospel in our horrizon. Wherein the chiefe arguments each of them have, for the vindication of their erronious tenents are incerted, and refuted; with a description of such whem [sic] the true Church of Christ doth consist of: as also how, and by whom, they may be gathered, and governed, according to the will, and appointment of Jesus Christ, and his apostles, in the primative purity thereof. / By Iohn Spittlehouse, assistant to the Marshall Generall of the Army, under the command of his Excellency, the Lord Generall Fairfax. Imprimated by Theod. Jennings, and entred in the Stationers Hall.	Spittlehouse, John.	1649 (1649)	Wing S5013; Thomason E586_2; ESTC R203633	304,213	396

of them had I not been so well acquainted with them and their expressions of this nature yea I perswade my selfe that they are so well knowne to every Professor of Christ as that they think I have not spoken more then they would performe in case the Apostles were extant amongst us yea it is cleerly apparent that they have done now doe and hereafter will doe as much as I have spoken Christ telleth his Disciples that he that dispised them dispised him and is it not their daily custome to deride the Professors of Christ with taunting language and in so doing they doe not only reproach the Brethren who practise according to the example of the Apostles but the Apostles themselves who left us the examples to follow and in villifying them it must consequently follow that they doe the like to our Saviour himselfe who saith of them and so consequently of his Professors He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 10. 16. Now these being such a sort of people how is it possible they should be thought fit instruments to execute the Apostles office in the now gathering of the Church and people of God out of their Antichristian estate and condition being it selfe predominant over them as if a Devill would perswade a man to Christianity SECT 7. Obj. THey have the same calling that the rest of the Clergy of the Kingdome have and therefore why may they not be made use of as well as the other Ans All that are so called are under an Antichristian calling The Antichristian call to the Minist●y ought to be relinquished by all such as have taken it upon them whatever they be which ought to be relinquished for the calling you speake of viz. by Bishops may fitly be compared to a scarlet Coate lined with a course cotten the one shaming the other but there is a calling whose inside doth excell the outside viz. the calling by the Spirit by which he that hath it is inabled both to testifie himselfe and others and no man ought to take this calling upon him but he that is so called of God as was Aaron the other calling therefore is to be disclaimed of all that hath it whatsoever they be Obj. You formerly said that none are immediately called to that office in these times wherefore then speake you of the calling of the Spirit to that office Ans He must first have the Spirit of God or else he is utterly unfit for that office for he must have his calling from God as wel as from the Church or he can be no true Minister of Jesus Christ for the Church desiring his Spirituall gifts are thereby incouraged to accept of him as a Minister sent them by God The calling by the Bishops a delusion so that the other calling by the Bishops is a meere delusion because they judged only by the letter and not by the Spirit viz. by gifts in humane learning which is foolishnesse with God 1 Cor. 3. 19. it principally tending to ●dor●e the outward man touching their civill deportment to and for the State Obj. How are you able to distinguish who is called by the Spirit and who is not Ans By their fruites for otherwise our Saviour expresseth these words in vaine By their fruits you shall know them rendring also this reason for it Doe men gather grapes of thornes or figgs of brambles Mat. 7. 16. SECT 8. Obj. WHat are the simptoms or fruits whereby you know that Ministers are not called by the Spirit Ans There are many signes and markes to know them as I How such Priests may be known who have not the true calling viz. Such as preach out of envie or to cause contention have already instanced I will therefore only insist upon these foure particulars 1. They are such as preach Christ out of envie 1 Cor. 3. 3. or to cause contention amongst the people of God such as were the Pharisees which came from Judea to Antioch Act. 15. 1. 5. such were also the false Apostles of whom the Apostles of Christ much complained of for opposing their Doctrine as Himineus Alexander c. And such are the rayling Rabshakeys of this Kingdome whether Prelaticants or Presbiterians whose sole delight is to villifie such of the Members of Christ with their scurralous language as doe the nearest correspond with the Apostles both for paines in the Ministry as also in a contentednesse with what the people of God will freely bestow upon them for their paines in the labour of the Lord for their soules 2. They are such as desire to shew themselves rather Schollars Such as rather desire to shew themselves schollars them edificers then edificers such as will familiarly speake Greek and Latine to them that cannot read English that will dish up their Sermonds with such a garnish of Rethoricall elocution as the silly Auditors stand amazed at these be the boone Athenian-like blades who guild their Pulpit expressions with tearmes of Art these are the brave Aronicall Ruffians of these dayes which if their black Velvet and Satine were metamorphized into Chrimson which would farre better suit with their life and conversation there would be no greater Gallants in the Nation SECT 9. Such as esteem more of the fleece then of the flock 3. THey that esteeme more of the flesh then of the fleece that with the covitous Wooer inquireth rather what the woman these Preachers and casters out of Devils did was meerly for their owne advantage and selfe ends albeit they did it in pretence of doing Christ service instance in Judas Simon Magus VVhat the Priests of these times preach for and the Damsell which had the Spirit of Divination Act. 16. 16. and so it is with many of the Prelaticall and Presbiterian Priests who though they pretend that they preach to gaine Soules to Christ yet is it meerly for matter of maintenance by Tithes and the like Antichristian allowances which if once taken away it wil quickly be discerned how many of them wil preach for couscience sakes SECT 2. Obj. THese casters out of Devils did the parties good whom they released of the uncleane spirits although they perished themselves Ans I confesse that such sorts of people by Gods permission Carnall men cannot give spirituall comfort may doe many things which may tend to the corporall or temporall good of men as these casters out of Devils did to them who were possessed of them as also by them whom they terme Wise men or Wizzards who by their Art can helpe a man again to such things as are lost or stolne from him or the like albeit in the act they both indanger their Soules the one taking an unwarrantable course to gaine them and the other an unlawfull action to accomplish them but that such carnall people can produce spirituall good to the Soule I utterly deny Obj. The Apostle saith that he was glad that Christ

of it they possitively conclude that it must be so of necessity although in the truth of the assertion it is no way agreeable to the will and appointment of Jesus Christ and thus have the rude multitudes been deluded by their Orthodoxall men for many ages who have purposely and knowingly kept the people in this blinde obedience for their owne particular advantage SECT 5. OF the like stampe is the signe of the Crosse which they use in Of the Crosse in Baptisme Baptisme being no more practised by the Apostles then the former for if they had without doubt they would have left some president for it in their writings which is not in the least to be found as mentioned to any such purpose as their Orthodoxall men very well know Historians say that this Ceremony of making The first use of the Crosse Crosses tooke its rise in the Primative times upon this occasion viz. The Pagans having the predominant power over Christians did in derision of Christ whom the Christians adored erected Crosses because he was hanged upon such an one hereupon the Christians to shew themselves not ashamed of such a God as did not despise so ignominious a death for the love he had to his elect did also make Crosses themselves in signification that they willingly owned that God whom the Pagans so much derided Now there being no such cause for the continuance of such Ceremonies viz. no people so shamelesly impudent why should not the effect cease viz. materiall Crosses for otherwise it was never used in Baptisme untill the Idolatrous and Superstitious Papists brought it in as a Sacramentall and signifying signe which being scandalous and having no ground from the Word as also never so used before amongst Christians or at the least by Christs Apostles as also abolished by all the reforming Churches it ought not to be approved or tollerated by us SECT 6. THeir confirmation or laying on of hands is also of the same O● confirmation and laying on of hands linage for though the Apostles had power to give the Holy Ghost to whom they were directed so to doe by a secret inspiration of the same Spirit it doth not follow that the Mitered Bishops hath the like priviledge or power to grant the like strength of Spirituall grace in that manner and that for these reasons 1. Because they are usurpers of that Office and calling which Bishops usurpers of their office was conferred by Christ or his Apostles and so cannot any way justly claime any such power and anthority as the Apostles had which may appeare in that Christ did not commit the Government of his Church to dumbe Priests for whom he sent he sent to preach Luke 10. and not to make Crucifixes and blesse Altars or to observe mens traditions he meant not to play a Pagiant that men should disguise themselves by wearing Rochets Copes Surplices c. neither to preach his Gospel with windy eloquence but in the celestiall power of the Spirit as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2. 1. 4. but all these are done by these Prelates ergo not fit instruments to preach the Gospel SECT 7. Obj. PAul saith that he that desireth the office of a Bishop desireth a good worke Ans The Apostle in that place doth not meane a Bishop in his Bishop and Elder taken for one and the same Christ do●h not commit the government of h●s Church to dumbe Priests Palfrey standing like an Image but these words Shepheard Minister Bishop Elder c. are taken in holy Scripture for one and the same witnesse the Apostle Peter who termeth himselfe an Elder 1 Pet. 5. 1. he meant therefore such as are called into the Church of God to teach the people and to be a Watch-man over the Flock to preach the Word in season and out of season and not to put forth their owne Phantasiès and Dreames that calling is not an honour of idlenesse but a Soule-saving service and therefore to be a true Bishop is to be a faithfull Pastor to his Flock And certainly this dignity and superiority which they usurpe The originall of Bishops came to passe by some proud fellowes having a degree in humane learning above the rest of their Function and so took upon them that name of Bishop changing the tongue of the Holy Ghost for otherwise the same was a Priest which was a Bishop all executing the same office of Teaching and exhorting which Paul appointed for the Bishops yea it is most apparant that our Saviour gave no such power or preheminence to his Apostles as The Apostles of Christ did not usurpe authority on one another these usurpe one over another but contrariwise forbiddeth them to desire it Mat. 20. 26. It shall not be so amongst you As also Mat. 23. 8. where he exhorteth them not to be called Rabbi Rabbi as was the Scribes and Pharisees and that in regard he himselfe was their Doctor and they all Brethren and therefore ought not to Lord it one over another SECT 2. Obj. IF their calling be not from God whence 〈◊〉 it Ans From the Devill for they received it from the The Bishops calling originally from the Devill and so consequently those ordained by them Pope who is a Rebell to Christ and hath received his Calling from the Devill Rev. 17. 2. neither can these be said to be the Apostles Successors in regard they have not taken the Word of God for their guide but the traditions of Men and devices of their owne braine and the corrupt customes of their own Courts all which Christ abhorreth witnesse his sharp invectives against the Scribes and Pharisees for the like Mat. 7. 8. as also in that he termes it a vaine worship in regard he is only to be worshipped in Spirit and in truth Obj. They doe not deny the Word of God they would only have those Ceremonies and Customes of decency which hath been for a long time used in the Church still to be continued Ans To plead for Custome is dangerous Christ telleth us He A long and evill custome is not to be followed is the way the truth and the life he doth not say He is the Custome but he is the truth for in processe of time an evill custome may grow strong yea to be kept for a Law and yet it is not therefore the truth we ought then in matter of worship to apply our selves to Christ the truth and not to custome Again that they are not called of God may appeare in that Reason● why they are not called of God they have combined together for themselves and contrived for their owne sinister ends and usurpation though to the great dispersion and division both in Church and State moving and fomenting of Warre and afflicting of the people of God not respecting any thing more then their owne glory and sinister respects by which they have laboured to raise themselves to honour as also in that they