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	head_n	skirt_n	260	3	12.1871	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49114	An exercitation concerning the frequent use of our Lords Prayer in the publick worship of God and a view of what hath been said by Mr. Owen concerning that subject / by Thomas Long ...	Long, Thomas, 1621-1707.; Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1658 (1658)	Wing L2966; ESTC R2625	105,187	198

concern the matter or the method only and not the form of words also Quis discrevit what sufficient cause of divorce between these two can be assigned or what reason hath any to distinguish where the Law of God doth not had the Disciple asked our Saviour thus Master teach us what things to pray for give us some heads of Devotion then this inference might have some colour of truth but even then our Saviour giving and prescribing a form with the matter it would have been hard measure to exclude the form of words from the prescription when Christ had included it The proposition being thus confirmed the conclusion is granted by the Doctor viz. that out of question it is lawfull to use a form this Beedle infers The lawfulness of using a form indefinitely and in this the Doctor gratifieth him which we do here observe because the Doctor presently withdrawes saying His Conclusion must be that that forme ought to bee used not at all that any else may Dr. Owen But that is lawful not to use a form or that a man may use any Prayer but a form on that supposition will not be so easily determined Reply This is the Doctors Argument If it be lawful to use a form of Prayer then any other prayer But a form is unlawful As if forms and non-forms were as irreconcileable as light and darkness or Christ and Belial I know none that useth forms so to Idolize them as to condemn the use of Extempotary prayer especially in secret to which they doe earnestly exhort all Christians to aspire as to a degree of perfection in their devotion neither their principles nor their practice will own this conclusion of condemning all prayers that are not forms as unlawfull We who account it lawfull to read the Scripture in the form that we have received it do not make it unlawfull to meditate and comment to write or reade pious and learned discourses expounding the sense of it The people may be holy in a sense as well as the Priests although not so solemnly consecrated this Prayer indeed like its Maker is anointed with a holy Oyl above its fellows but yet that Oyl as from Aarons head runs down to the skirts of his garments to every private extemporary Prayer and ejaculation that is breathed out of a contrite heart Prayers are not therefore lawfull or unlawfull because they are formes or extemporary the Spirit may assist each and either may be performed without the assistance of the Spirit Therefore as Saint Paul said in another case I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with the Understanding also So I may pray by a forme and I may pray ex tempore also Dr. Owen The words of Christ are When ye pray say Our Father c. If in this prescription not the Matter onely but the Words also are attended and that Forme of them which followes is prescribed to bee used by vertue of this Command of Christ it will be hard to discover on what ground wee may otherwise pray seeing our Saviours Command is Positive When ye pray say c. This is the Center to which many of the Doctors Lines doe tend That which Master Beedle is to prove is That our SAVIOUR hath prescribed the Repetition of the same words ensuing and when hee hath so done if hee can his Conclusion must bee that that Forme ought to bee used not at all that any else may Reply There is a plaine Non sequitur in this Argument viz. If this Form be lawfull then the other formes are unlawfull The Standard was a rule to all other measures were other measures therefore which agreed with the Standard unlawful It is indeed the perfection of other prayers to be as like this both in matter and form as may be the contrary might indeed be more rationally inferred viz. If this form be prescribed and lawful then other forms especially prescribed ones are lawfull also which consequence seeing the Doctor did with good reason grant we will take him to his word not because we need it or shall account it as a gift but because we have right and just title to it Indeed if the whole mass of form had been corrupted and our Saviour had chosen and sanctified this one onely the Doctors consequence had been good but seeing they were originally lawfull and prescribed by God himself in the Old Testament and many of them approved by our Saviours practice as well as this by his positive precept in the New it seems harsh Doctrine pardon the Expression to leave them all under an absolute irrespective decree In a word our Saviour did not prescribe that which was unlawful before to make it lawfull but that which was lawfull to make it necessary Besides Christ doth not injoyn this Prayer exclusivè as if it were unlawfull to adde other but eminentèr as a visible Character of being his Disciples to be used occasionally pro hic nunc as a token that they owned him for their Master and were constant in the Faith delivered by him Dr. Owen If our Saviour have prescribed us a forme how shall any man dare to prescribe another or can any man doe it without casting on this the roproch of imperfection and insufficiencie Reply Our Saviour having prescribed us a form it is a dutifull no daring thing to follow him in so plain and practicall a part of Piety we ought to conform all our Devotions to this pattern in the mount They certainly are the daring spirits that neglect and slight this prescribed form All grant that we ought to conform our prayers to Christs this then will be the question Whether it is lawful to meditate and study that our prayers may be comformable to his or to presume of such a conformity at an adventure If you say as all sober Christians will that study and meditation are requisite I rejoyn study and meditation to compose our prayers and conform them unto Christs is the constituting of them forms therefore if study and meditation c. be lawfull other forms of prayer are lawfull and being lawfull the prescribing of them to such as need them for helps to their Devotion doth not make them unlawful Suppose I should argue from the Doctors supposition viz. that it is the matter onely that is prescribed thus If the matter of this Prayer onely be prescribed then the prescribing and using of any heads or matter of prayer more or less then are in this prayer is unlawfull I should not conclude rationally nor piously but cast a reproch on many devout supplications of private Christians and on publick Forms and Directories too But certainly the framing of our Petitions like to this is to honour it as our rule not to cast reproch on it as imperfect and insufficient let them look to that who reject the use of it and are so much enamoured with their own forms for forms they are to all but themselves as to abandon this