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	fit_a	31	3	5.7875	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44810	The true rule, judge, and guide of the true church of God discovered, and borne testimony unto what it is, and wherein it consisteth in opposition to the pretended Catholick Church of Rome her rule, foundation, guide, and judge, being returned in answer to Captain Robert Everrand his book, titled An epistle to all the nonconformists ... / by ... Francis Howgil.	Howgill, Francis, 1618-1669.	1665 (1665)	Wing H3185; ESTC R9586	60,220	70

all the Saints and would teach all Infidels to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live godly and righteously and soberly in this present evil world Howbeit all are not so taught because they heed it not and because they receive it not and so they make the free gift of God of no effect as to life to them but it is their condemnation yet however herein appears the equal merciful and universal love of God who is no respecter of persons but hath distributed a measure of this unto all to the intent that they might have power to fulfill his will and keep his Statutes and so the fault is not in God but in them who slight and dispise his gift and so condemnation is just of every one that doth not believe and is of himself and this reprehends that false erronious narrow pinching spirit which would shut it up in a corner and tye it to one sort of Men or Sect or opinion and the masters thereof would assume it to themselves as though the Spirit of God and Grace of God were only among them and must be conveyed from them to other people before they have it and the direction and guide of every man must be sought from their mouths as though God had not given a measure of his Spirit unto every man to profit withal and to be led and taught and guided by it into all truth out of error according to Christs promise and according to the Lords promise in the days of old that though his people might eat the bread of adversity and drink the water of affliction yet their teacher should not be removed into a corner and from this quieking enlightening enlivening spirit of God the Saints of God and Ministers of Christ in the Primitive times received power and authority to propagate Righteousness and to judge deceit and the mystery of Iniquity where ever it appeared and in this their ability stood for they were made able and fit Ministers by it not of the Letter nor of Mens traditions nor of foolish fopperies which hath been introduced since and shuffled in among Christians under the name of power and authority of the holy Church and the Church of God that had received this spirit walked in it and brought forth the fruits of it whereby they were a good savour in the nostrils of the Lord and by which they adorned the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by a holy Conversation which did manifest them to be of God and convince and stop the mouths of gain-sayers And thus we are bold to tell thee all that the Spirit of God which is given a measure of it to every man and more fulness of it to them that believe that it is the rule and the way and the means whereby all the actions words and works of all Men are weighed tryed measured and judged and Objections answered and is the alone Judge of all matters and answerer of all doubts and giveth only true and perfect satisfaction and therefore R. E. may blush and be ashamed to ever publish such a thing abroad in the World as to say that the Spirit of God is not a sufficient directer teacher and Judge but calls it a private spirit opinion humour and fancy to make the eyes of them blind who wait for its appearance only to trust to Men who pleads antiquity and power without verity And further he goes on and sayes in 22 th page of his said Epistle There is neither Jew Turk Pagan or Christian but he may put on confidence enough affirming that he is taught by the spirit of God many of all sorts doth this and yet teach contradictions and further saith that it hath no effect among them who pretend to it and that they can no more satisfie another that they are guided by the spirit of truth then many who are cast into Bedlam Answ. 'T is true many are confident and impudent enough but confidence without ground and impudence proves but little and he that saith he is a Jew and is not but of the Synagogue of Satan will soon be found out by his Doctrine and fruits and he that saith he is a Christian and led by the Spirit and keeps not the commands of Christ neither brings forth the fruits of the spirit is soon discovered to be a deceiver and deceived and such are like to teach contradictions but all such are denyed shut out with the spirit of truth but them that have the spirit of God witness a blessed effect among them for they are turned from Satans power unto God and doth witness remission of sin and reconciliation with God and are not at difference but at unity one with another and are brought out of the obstinate and perverse estate which all pretenders are in and as for contradictions they are more to be seen in the Church of Rome then many wheres else they who are but pleased and hath leisure to view over the Decrees and Constitutions of several Popes and Councils since he was elevated to be Universal Bishop over all Christian Churches by that heathen and cruel Emperour Phocus who slew his Master Mauritius to obtain the Empire he did gratifie the Pope so far that he might be cryed up as Emperour as that he should be Vniversal Bishop and this proved a better plea for the Pope because the Emperour had power to defend him and to compell all to receive his Decrees then that he was Peters Successor I say who will but look into the Constitutions and Decrees shall find such seting up and throwing down and such decreeing and such disanulling as twenty such Champions as Robert Everard will never be able to free his Catholick Church from contradictions although he is very forward to charge others though he is but a new Convert but let him not boast till he have put off his armour and it is that mad Bedlam spirit of thine that saith that among all the Nonconformists there is no one that can satisfie another that he hath the spirit of God I tell thee yes there are thousands satisfied in one another that they have the spirit of God besides he that hath it can speak to the witness of God in another which shall testifie the same and moreover their works and fruits shall and doth manifest unto others that they are born of the spirit because the fruits of it are seen as they are manifest to be born of God that do the works of God and thou must first know the spirit of God in thy self if ever thou look for it there and not hang all together upon others belief as thou doth upon thy Catholick Church before thou can know it in another and first be convinced by it and judged by it for thy ill deeds and ill thoughts and hypocrisie and time-serving and flattery and men pleasing before thou can be convinced of others Righteousness and also be convinced of the unbelief of thy own heart before thou can

world further then by preaching repentance in it for the Apostle saith what have we to do to judge them that are without and this Church as in God was secure to relie upon for she had the Oracles of God committed unto her and every one may relie upon this pillar if they dare trust it which I see R. E. dare not because he likes not to be tyed to their Doctrine declared of in the Scriptures but would have all to take what they say for granted without the Scripture or the Apostle example or spirit and is not this unreasonable in thee that would have the Church to be believed or that which calls it self so by name when she teacheth not conformable to Scriptures and to the faith which was once delivered among the Saints and would thou have a Church reckoned infallible and to be believed when she doth not her duty the Churches privileges is in speaking truth and judging righteously and the Devil was a lyer from the beginning and is out of the truth and where hath thou read that he teaches conformable to Scripture and so may be believed is not the promise of God to his Disciples as they continued to the end and as they kept his Commandements and were they not known to be the Church of God and Disciples of Christ by this and was not the promise to them that hungred and thirsted after Righteousness and to them that did overcome and was not the exhortation to the Church of Philadelphia hold fast that which thou hast that none take thy Crown Rev. 3. 11 12. Was there not a possibility of leting go that which they had and of loosing the Crown or else why is the exhortation But I see R. E. would lay claim to promises and privileges without all condition and will not be tyed to keep the commands of Christ nor would not have the Church tyed to follow the Doctrine of the Primitive Church nor will not admit of any possibility or probability of failing or erring nay not so much as a mistake but as to infallibility and certainty I have said enough before and the confidence or rather the impudence of R. E. is easily seen and to make up all he concludes the Apostles as Men were subject to error in their private affaires yet were they by the assistance of Gods Spirit infallible in delivering matters of faith I say as they were assisted by the holy Spirit of God they neither erred in private affaires nor matters of faith but as they were not assisted by this they were subject to err for in this stood their only ability to teach instruct exhort and judge and as they were guided by this Spirit they were infallible and so R. E. saith that the Prelats of the holy Catholick Church as Men they are fallible in their own private actions and affairs yet when they are assembled in a general Council with their supream Pastor they are still made infallible in determining matters of Faith It is well that R. E. will grant that there is any possibility for their Prelats to fail either publick or private but I say he that is not faithful in his own actions and affaires can never be faithful in the Lords but it seems a General Council cannot fail when the supream Pastor the Pope is there but if he be not it seems by E's discourse it is more doubtful the like he also judges if the eleven Disciples and the seventy too with the Brethren and Elders if they had all been to define matters of Faith if Peter had been wanting which this Catholick Church calls the Prince of the Apostles there had been some doubt of their infallibility in point of faith as though the promise of God and the Spirit of God had not been with the rest of the Apostles as well as Peter but a word or two and more hereafter of the infallibility of General Councils the Nicean Council decreed flat Idolatry about Worshipping of Images the Council at Constantinople condemned their Proceedings and made void their Decrees yet both these in E's account must needs be infallible the Council at Basil as Albertus Phigious saith decreed against all reason and against Scriptures the Council of Calcedon which was one of the four that Gregory the great compares to the four Gospels that their Decrees were as certain and infallible yet Pope Leo did not stick to condemn it and all them as unadvised Stephanius Bishop of Rome made void the Decrees of Formosus and Sabinian the Pope commanded that Pope Gregory's Mass and all his Writings should be burned Leo the fourth abrogated and made void the Acts of Adrian the Basil Council determined that the Council of Bishops was above the Pope but the Latterine Council under Leo determined that the Pope was above the Council and they decreed also that he that should think otherwise should be held for a Heretick but the Council of Basil aforesaid decreed that they that judged that the Council was not above the Pope they were Hereticks Innumerable more instances I might give but that I will not trouble my Reader with such unprofitable stories and all these Popes said they were Peters Successors and had the keys of binding and loosing and all these Councils and many more which were of the Roman faith which in E's account could not err but must needs be infallible and yet are as contradictory one to another as light is to darkness and black to white and looks with their faces several ways like Samsons Foxes and therefore let not R. E. nor none of his Catholicks think that the Church of Christ now coming out of the Wilderness again can receive all their contradictory Decrees and invented fopperies and constitutions of Men for infallible the day is broken the light hath taken hold of the ends of the Earth the Sun is risen which shall make all the foggy mists of darkness and clouds of ignorance to fly away But R. E. ceases not here but heapes up one peece of darkness upon another till blackness of darkness appear and he tells of a visible Church Mat. 16. which is builded upon Peter that visible Rock for that Rock there spoken of is not Christ saith he but Peter for immediately after he names Peter whereas saith he if he had meaned himself or Peters confession for that saith he is too remote or mediate and anticedent for if Christ had meaned himself or Peters confession he should have spoken according to the Grammer Rule and Construction Vpon that Rock or upon this Rock I have build I do build and not I will build in the 63. page and in the 64. page he tells of a Church visible having two heads of an Independent Head and a Dependent Head and in the 66. page he saith he hopes that it will appear clear to all as it did to him that the visible Church is that Rule and Judge appointed by God and all upon pain of damnation are to submit unto