Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	abide_v	able_a	body_n	50	3	4.5041	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64576	A vindication of Scripture and ministery in a rejoynder to a reply not long since published by Thomas Speed ... : wherein sundry Scriptures are explained, divers questions (relating to these times) discussed, and the truth asserted against the exceptions of papists and Quakers : whereunto is adjoyned a postscript reflecting upon and returning answer to divers passages in Thomas Speed his last pamphlet / by William Thomas ...	Thomas, William, 1593-1667.	1657 (1657)	Wing T991; ESTC R1167	73,914	98

be asked profitably when they be asked sincerely yet these are the times wherein many men frame querie● to pick quarrels and in that respect better some silence then more strife If therefore I had answered none of his queries he had no reason to be querulous yet some I answered briefly because that was sooner done and by that all men may see how willing the wayward questionist is to be informed T.S. Did no● Paul and other Saints witness Jesus Christ to come whenas he lived in them Pag. 32 and was in them their hope of glory strength life peace W.T. A. Christ is come already in the flesh to us in the Spirit into us but is not come yet nor till the last day is to come in his power and glory Matt. 24.30 Of the Ministry and calling of Ministers T.S. I Judge those Ministers of Christ Pag. 32 who run not before they are sent of him and do abide in the Doctrine of Christ who have received that gift not by expence of money in a University but freely from the Lord by which they are made able Ministers of the New-Testament not of the Letter but the Spirit who preach him in words and own him by their works W.T. A. Thanks be to God that there are so many publike Teachers in this Nation to which this description may be justly applyed they having received a gift to be able Ministers of the New-Testament freely from the Lord though there were money expended in the University that they might receive it freely ●n God wa● that is in the obedient serving of free grace and doing their own endeavor in reading meditating studying to shew th●mse●v●s 〈…〉 as Timothy was charged to do who had that gift freely from God 1 Tim. 4.13 14 15 16. 2 Tim. 2.15 But how true his profession is that such men are precious in his eyes let his precious Epistle ●o ●ll the publike Teachers in this Nation shew As for the co●trary sort whom he describeth and judgeth not to be Ministers if his meaning were only to shew a dislike of men vitious in the Ministry there be Ministers enough that would join with him in that who yet cannot consent with him in saying such are no Ministers becaus even among men unquestionably call'd as te Priests and Levites were there hath still been a corrupt mixture But that any tell the people as he saith they do p. 33. that a heap of stones is the Churc● is I think his tale yet may the place where the Congregation meets which is not an heap of stones but is or should be a decent house be as properly called the Church as that place is called the Court where Tenants do at times meet together to wait upon their Lord when it is said that the Centurion built the Jews a Synagogue a Here this Writer comes and complains That the Elders of the Jews call an heap of Stones a Congregation for that the word Synagogue * signifies But he that complains without reason must go home again without relief T.S. Where is it written that one was made a Minister by ordinary call mother by extraordinary W.T. A. The thing is written Gal. 1.1 Act. 14.23 T.S. Is there so much as mention made i● either of those Scriptures of a Call ordinary or extraordinary and have you yet the confidence positively to assert that it is so written in these Scriptures Must your dreams and dr●wsie meanings passe for Scripture W.T. A. Its wonder that this quick-sighted youth that speaks so much here and otherwhere of dreaming and drowsinesse should be so dull and obtuse himself as not to see that I said The thing is written and not the words are written Why doth he not awake himself and prove that those two Scriptures do not in their true sense and meaning lay before us a Calling of two sorts one from Christ immediately and so Paul was called himself which we call extraordinary because it was but of certain persons and but for a certain time and accompanied with extraordinary miraculous gifts this the first Scripture shews Gal. 1.1 The other from Christ mediately by the Ministry of men and so Elders were ordained by Paul and Barnabas as the other Scripture shews ●ct 14.23 this we call ordinary as being common to all Ministers and to continue in all ages of the Church Nor doth this make two doors into the Sheepfold as this caviller would collect but two ways of entring in by the same door T. S You say This distinction hath ever ●een us'd in the Churches of God Pag. 34 w●en it was never us'd among any of the Churches mentioned in the Scriptur●● W.T. A. I said so in an usual way of speaking yet not meaning to extend it to all that time wherein God hath had a Church which hath been from the beginning of the world but to declare only that it hath been of long and continual use in the Churches of God and so the word ver is ordinarily used viz. to signifie a long and yet limited term of time as 1 Sam. 27.12 Exod. 12.24 21.6 Besides that in the Scripture-Churches there was as hath been shewed this distinction in the ground and thing it self though not in the form of words W.T. Our gifts abilities and fitnesse for the Ministry which are Gods inward call were first tryed Pag. 35 and testimonials of our carriage were given T.S. Doth the Scripture anywhere say That gifts abilities and fitness for the Ministry are Gods inward call or that any of the Saints sought Testimonials in order to their being made Ministers or did Pau● Peter keep any Chaplains to try men W.T. A. 1. Is it anywhere said in Scripture that faith love and holy desires are inward Graces Is there not enough therefore in Scripture to gather that they are so when as we find there that such vertues are placed in the i●ner and hidden man of the heart that in opposition to outward and bodily things Ro. 7.22 10.10 1 Pe●. 3.3 4.2 Co● 4.16 So it is in this case Paul describes the qualities of those that are to be made Ministers which are inward and whereunto are opposed other qualifications which are outward These qualities namely abilities for and strong desires to the Work of the Ministry are a Call because God plants them in the heart as pointing to putting them into a capacity for and as it were leading unto that Calling and they are an inward Call because they are seated in the inner man 2. Whatever Paul and Peter did in their own persons we are sure that Paul requires of T●mothy to see that the Deacons be proved and for the same reason the Bishops and Presbyters also before they could use that Office 1 T●m 3.10 why are the things required in Ministers so fully and distinctly prescribed Why is such a precise commandment given to lay hands sudd●nly upon no man but that diligent search was to be made into those that were

have the value of the Tithes in money This is subscribed by 18 hands of the Parishioners and Neighbourhood He may produce the Neighbourhood if he have a mind to it that will witness the contrary I am sorry I have detained the Reader with a matter of so small moment whereunto notwithstanding in these dayes wherein every tale will serve the turn with many to make a Minister odious there is some need to speak I shall passe from this remembring only this Replyer how disingenuous he is that cannot be content to live in prosperity himself in the calling of a Merchant into which he is laps'd but he must also grudge Ministers that maintenance whether by right or by gift without which unless they should intangle themselves in the affairs of this life which the Apostle forbids 2 Tim. 2.4 they are not able to subsist Was it not enough for him to make sure he would be no Minister himself but he must be so cruel to that calling which yet shall certainly stand firm with God when all his wood and hay and stubble that he opposeth against it shall be burned up As for those small and weak things which in the afore named Reply he objects against me I shall make a brief return to some of them that thereby the Reader may judge of the rest T. S. If fasting and prayer cast out all evils and Devils which were the words that upon occasion I had spoken before then there 's perfection in this life for where there is no evill uncast out there 's absolute perfection W. T. Ans. 1. Men of understanding know and ingenuous men will acknowledge that such general expressions are to be taken Rhetorically rather then Logically that is according to their general intent rather then the words precisely taken as Mat. 5.39 40. Jam. 3.2 and so the meaning is that Fasting and Prayer is a special medicine for special maladies in so much that any thing that will be done will be done effectually in that way 2. To walk with him in his own way I answer further That all evils are said to be truly cast out when they are cast out in regard of their grosse acts their reigning power their wonted prevalency over us our greater greater degrees of victory over them In these respects it 's true that Fasting and Prayer casts out all evill but I deny what he infers viz. That where all evill is cast out thus there 's absolute perfection Briefly I did not mean that Fasting and Prayer casts out all evill absolutely from whence only that which he infers will follow but according to our capacity here on earth which is such as that though all evils be cast out in regard of their dominion yet In many things we offend all and this writer must rule his tongue a little better a great deal better before he be a perfect man Jam. 3.2 T. S. William Thomas in the close of the 13th page is made to confesse as much of the Light as ever I heard viz. Christ lighteth every man that cometh into the world though not by saving illumination yet by saving revelation that is by Gospel revelation that is fit to save them though divers receiving the revelation do through their own fault lose the salvation W. T. Ans. I shall need to say nothing to this but only let the Reader know how dishonest and false he is in making me say what I never said by leaving out that explication and limitation of it that was before his eyes for my words are these and they are but a relation neither Christ lighteth every man that comes into the world and then it followes that is into the Church or into the world collected into a Church as world is taken Mat. 13.38 though not by saving illumination c. So that I did not speak of every one coming into the world absolutely as the Quakers do but of such only as are gathered into a Church T. S. Vnto those words of mine Our duty is to be alwayes perfecting but it belongs to our wisdom to know that we can never be fully perfected till our souls be among the souls of just men made perfect I say unto these words he replies Doth that Author say in the future tense they should come at the last day or to those that shall be perfect Doth he not say they are already come to those already perfect W. T. Ans. And what of all this May it not be as well said that we are come already viz. by our heavenly calling and spiritual consociation to the Saints that are now in heaven as to an innumerable company of Angels that are in heaven Heb. 12.22 Besides that he saith not they are come to the persons of just men made perfect but to the spirits now where doth he find that Saints on earth are called Spirits Luk. 24.39 So that the spirits of just men are in true and plain meaning their souls separated from their bodies and put into a perfect state and condition in heaven But when he hath abused this Scripture he must abuse another viz. Isa. 44.25 and the Diviners must needs be mad because he hath no skill in Scripture and in Divinity To speak only of one thing more When I had said that Paul and Peter were instructed by immediate revelation which we are not so presumptuous as to expect He replies T. S. Poor blind man my heart is moved with pity to him I could even weep over him Hath he been preaching 39 years and yet never expected instruction by immediate Revelation W. T. Ans. Here 's a pang of effeminate zeal But must a man needs either preach the history only of what others did and spake which he objects or else be immediately inspired Cannot he distinguish between the revelation of the Spirit and the immediate revelation If he knows not yet others do that the influences of the Spirit are abundantly put forth in the use of means as to Timothy in reading meditating studying to shew himself approved 1 Tim. 4.13 15. 2 Tim. 2.15 of all which there had been no need if Timothy had done all his work by immediate inspiration Now by the assistance of this Spirit of God in the use of means and the continual study of Scripture with Prayer I have I thank God not without some fruit exercised the Calling of a Minister this 39. years Whereas he sayes he could even weep over the poor blind man drowned in ignorance a taking passage with quaking people I am very well assured that I have much more reason to weep over him but he especially over himself for another matter which his Book mentions † I mean his desperate resolution in chusing rather the portion of an Heathen Seneca when yet we may say must say of such honest Heathens that they were honest worshippers of Devils 1 Cor. 10.20 then of the Christians and Ministers that he names † who