Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ability_n	able_a	father_n	28	3	4.2837	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59621	Antapologia, or, A discourse of excuses setting forth the variety and vanity of them, the sin and misery brought in by them, as being the greatest bar in the way to heaven, and the ready high way to hell : being the common snare wherein most of the children of men are intangled and ruined / by Jo. Sheffield ...	Sheffeild, John, d. 1680.	1672 (1672)	Wing S3061; ESTC R11053	145,253	322

indeed and I might have known where to begin but not where to end I have here gathered and set a many Stocks which a more skilful Hortulane would have set in a better and more comely Order and likely have graffed better fruit upon more pleasant to the Eye and Tast of the Reader by a more substantial handling a more smooth pithy and taking stile and a more gracious and spiritual strain of Spirit But I must say I write not to Scholars ●r quaint Citizens the Stile is as the Author Subrustick and Inurbane I write not to you Fathers and able Learned ones whose Unction and Abilities teach you in a much higher way I only say I write to you Children you weaker ones who look not for the strong meat of strong Lines and high Language but best relish the plain and uncompounded milk of the word Indeed Ornari res Sancta negat contenta doceri And without dissembling think that Title best becomes it which Reverend Perkins prefixed to one of his which he Inscribed To all Ignorant people which desire to be instructed And now it is gone out of my Hand say to it as once a Wit said to his Vade sed Incultus yet do I read that Samson once did great Execution with the Jaw-bone of an Ass and never was there a more unlikely Battle-Ax used and Gideon again with his Earthen Pitchers never such weak Ordinance employed and David with a Sling-stone never more contemptible Arrow shot But it was in the Name of the Lord that he went out And who knows what a day of small things may produce The Lord saveth not by Sword or Spear not by Might or Power Zech. 4. 6. not by Learning and Eloquence but he can make the feeble to be as David Zech. 12. 8. and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 1. 28. the base and contemptible things and those which are not just nothing accounted to bring down the things which are That no part of the glory may fall to the Instrument but the whole redound to the praise of the glory of his Grace who worketh all things according to the Councel of his own Will But to the matter it self Excuses are the Subject of this Discourse which I can look upon as no other then Satans Master-piece and can call them by no fitter Name then that Common Black Art wherein he doth instruct the most of the sons of men and by this he doth inveigle more and hold them almost as fast as he doth those whom he hath trained up to the study and practice of that which is so called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Black Art The Fox and Serpent have advantaged Satans Interest more with his Neq aquam moriemini and his Eritis sicut Dii ye shall not Die at at all but shall be as Gods than to appear a Lyon and Dragon in his own colours saying Cast thy self down head-long or fall down and worship and make a f●rmal Compact with me We find by Experience that our English Flocks the Glory and Wealth of our Land are more prejudiced by the subtle Foxes lurking in their Dens than by the more savage Wolves which our prudent Forefathers have happily rid the Land of And our spiritual Pastors find more prejudice done to the Souls of men our Spiritual Flocks otherwise the glory of the Christian Name by these lurking Excuses than by those ravenous Wolves of Rome Jesuites and Seminaries whom our pious Princes have formerly chased out of the Land by their just Interdicts These are the great Abaddon and Apollyon the Destroyers of Souls the Mice that near the Land 1 Sam. 6. 5. The Samsons destroyers of our Countrey that lay Heaps upon Heaps not of Philistins but Israelites The opprobria Theologorum By these is the Ministry of Gods faithful Servants baffled and rendred unsuccessful not by open contradiction but by a tacit reserve and resolvedness aforehand how far they will go no further Excuses they are Satans Off-spring Sins great Grandmother that came in with the Fall begotten between Sin and Guilt Sin the Father Guilt the Mother God created Man upright it is said but Man faln sought out many Inventions among which Excuses to cloke and cover Sin were the first and are the chiefest An Epidemical Evil and as General almost as Original Sin and ●ath as that Universal Deluge in Noah's time overspread the face of the whole Earth They are the old Primitive Language learnt of Satan in Paradise and though other Languages have been lost or so confounded that we hardly know what remains of them this remains entire and may be called the Universal Character of the World and the Mother Language of all Nations who as soon as born and learn to go and speak learn to go astray and speak Lies An Evil so much the more to be lamented because Hereditary Connatural born with us No Nation so barbarous Religion so gross Worship so impious Superstition so fond Manners so brutish Opinion so irrational but hath borrowed somwhat from Excuses to defend them No Age Sex Nation Condition sort and rank of men without them The youngest Child hath learned one and the elder Father more none so simple and ignorant as to be destitute of one and the more knowing and cunning the more the pity the more store Take any man without Excuses and you may say Rara avis that you have seen a strange Sight Peganisme and Idolatry had never been known in the World nor had continued had it not been for them Popery had never stood so long had it not been underpropt by them No Wars Murder Rapine Adulteries Witchcrafts False Wi●●ess Perjury Cheating Lying Equivocation Pride Revenge firing Towns and Cities Blowing up of Parliaments Assassination of Princes Butchering and Massacring of People had ever been in the World had it not been for this great Mother of Abominations No Heresie Schisme Doctrine of Devils Corruption of Worship had ever troubled the Church No Sedition Treason Rebellion Conspiracies Factions Innovations Oppressions Tumults had ever troubled the State had it not been for these the setters on or Abetters No such persecutions opposition and slighting of faithful Ministers and sound Doctrine no such scorn cast upon wayes of Godliness where the Gospel is professed no such backwardness as repent reform believe and obey and become true practisers of Godliness in the power but for them Nothing but Piety Charity Peace Love Concord Friendship Faithfulness Truth Sincerity in the World were it not for them Take away these and you take away all that is hurtful rid the World of them and what a World should we see weed these out of the Church and it becomes a Paradise a Garden or Well inclosed Yea take these from a man and you restore him to his Integrity and you have a real terrene Saint Take a view a little and consider what is the great Propugnaculum or Bulwark under which all Evil shelters it self against the weapons of