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	saint_n	27	3	5.4167	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46373	Jus divinum ministerii evangelici. Or The divine right of the Gospel-ministry: divided into two parts. The first part containing a justification of the Gospel-ministry in general. The necessity of ordination thereunto by imposition of hands. The unlawfulnesse of private mens assuming to themselves either the office or work of the ministry without a lawfull call and ordination. The second part containing a justification of the present ministers of England, both such as were ordained during the prevalency of episcopacy from the foul aspersion of anti-christianism: and those who have been ordained since its abolition, from the unjust imputation of novelty: proving that a bishop and presbyter are all one in Scripture; and that ordination by presbyters is most agreeable to the Scripture-patern. Together with an appendix, wherein the judgement and practice of antiquity about the whole matter of episcopacy, and especially about the ordination of ministers, is briefly discussed. Published by the Provincial Assembly of London.	London (England). Provincial Assembly.; Calamy, Edmund, 1600-1666.	1654 (1654)	Wing J1216A; ESTC R213934	266,099	375

all things I have kept my self from being burdensome to you and so will I keep my self and what I do in this kinde that I will do and the ground of this practise he declareth to avoid scandall that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion and that he might stop the boastings of those false Apostles dececeifull workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ that wherein they gloried they may be found even as we 3. When Paul was neeessitated to labour with his hands he numbers it in the Catalogue of his sorrows as part of his sufferings To this hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and buffeted and have no certain ●welling-place and labour working with our own hands 4. Though Paul refused maintenance yet he still taught Beleevers that it was a Gospel-Ordinance to maintain their Ministers for Who goeth to warfare at his own charges Shall Souldiers have no pay because when they are lawfully called forth they offer themselves freely to serve the publike Who planteth a Vineyard and doth not eat thereof 5. When Paul in the cases and for the persons above-mentioned refused maintenance yet he telleth the Corinthians that he received much from others I robbed other Churchss taking wages of them to serve you for that which was lacking to me they which came from Macedonia supplied and he abundantly commendeth the Philippians who were careful for his outward subsistence And their supply sent unto him he calleth an Odour of sweet smell a Sacrifice acceptable well-pleasing to God and that hereby fruit did abound to their account The sixth Argument is drawn from the Promises If God hath made particular Promises to them that work in this Ministry then this Office is by Divine Institution For God did never promise to keep up that Office in the Church which he hath not set up but hath said the contrary that every Plant which our Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be plucked up But God hath made peculiar Promises to them that work in the Ministry 1. That his speciall presence shall be with them Lo I am with you in this work of Teaching and baptizing though many or most may be against you 2. His speciall assistance God alone is alsufficient to make them who are insufficient of themselves to think one good thought able Ministers of the New Testament not only of the Letter but of the Spirit God alone continues these abilities from the perpetuall supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. From this speciall assistance it is that they which have this Ministry faint not under all affronts and discouragements totally and universally because they receive new supplies of Mercy from the Lord. 3. His speciall protection of them in all assaults He is present with all his Saints to protect and preserve them He is in the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks and he walks in the midst of them These seven Golden Candlasticks are declared to be the seven Churches of Asia But God doth more then so to the Ministers of those Churches He is not only in them and walks in the midst of them but he holds the Stars in his right hand 4. Unto them he promiseth the power of the Keys and engageth himself that whatsoever they ministerially binde on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever they loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven And this promise first made to P●ter was not limited to Peters person alone for Christ after his Resurrection makes good the same promise to all the other Apostles Whose sins soever ye remit are remitted and whose sins soever ye retain are retained And that this promise was not liimted to the Apostles as Apostles but was given to the Apostles as Ministers of the Gospel is evident from Mat. 18.17 18. where the same power is given to the ordinary Church-Officers that was given to the Apostles and the same encouragement given to them to exercise that censure 5. Christ Jesus promiseth speciall sympathy with them whatsoever entertainment they meet withall in the discharge of this Office He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me And when the Ministers are despised hated and contemned Christ tels us he takes it is to himself as if these contempts were done to himself in his own person He that hateth them in reference to the r work hateth me He that despiseth them despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent m● which great promises though eminently given to the Apostles yet are not limited to the Apostles as Apostles but extended to all the Ministers sent to preach the Gospel for so Christ himself expounds these Promises Verily Verily I say unto you He that receiveth whomsoever I shall send receiveth me Now if the promise be to all whomsoever Christ sends then not only to the Apostles for besides them Christ sent other Pastors who were not immediatly called and sent as the 12. and the 70. yet they were proved before to have been sent and set in the Church by Christ. 6. Christ is so tender of the good or bad usage of his Ministers that he hath undertaken to recompence all that good done to them He that receiveth a Prophet in the Name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward And though this be true also of every righteous man and Disciple in his proportion yet our Lord doth evidently there distinguish betwixt the Prophet by Office and the righteous man or disciple as he doth also betwixt a Prophets reward and a righteous mans reward And so in all ages God hath taken it kindely when his faithfull Ministers have been protected and countenanced It stands upon record as a token of the sincerity of Obadiah that in that general persecution by Iezabel he had a hundred of the Lords Prophets and hid them fifty in a Cave and fed them with bread and water And of Hezekiah that good King who walked before the Lord with a perfect heart there is this testimony recorded that he spake comfortably unto all the Levites which taught the good knowledge of the Lord But those Kings and Rulers that abused the Ministers are noted as enemies to God himself Ahab and Amazia c. And contempt of Ordinances and Ministers sent from God is made the saddest fore-runner of ruine and desolation When they mocked the Messengers of God despised his Word and misused his Prophets Then the wrath of the Lord rose up against his people till there was no remedy The Lord was tender of the Ministry of the Law because glorious Now doth not the holy Ghost tell us that the Ministry of the Gospel doth exceed in Glory That among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater then Iohn Baptist Notwithstanding he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater then he not

so it was foretold that it should be also in the Christian Church consisting of Jew and Gentile It was Gods great Promise to be fullfilled in Gospel-times that he would take of the Children of them that should be brought into the Church for Priests and Levites alluding to the Officers that then were in being which cannot be understood of spirituall Priests such as all Saints are in some sense stiled for these are said to be singled out from the rest for such a speciall Office And that in the times of the Gospel according to the Promise such an Office was appointed by our Lord Jesus is beyond all question to all who reade and beleeve the New Testament Christ before his death appointed the Apostles to go and preach He ordained twelve that they should be with him and that he might send them forth to preach And after this the Lord appointed other seventy also and because the Harvest was great and the Labourers were but few therefore they are bid to pray the Lord of the Harvest that h● would send firth Labourers into hi● Harv●st To his Apostles he revealed himself especially after his resurrection and gave them commission and command to preach the Gospel to all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghos● And when Iudas being numbred with them had obtained part of this Ministry from which by transgression he fell the rest of the Disciples did not magnifie themselves to be Apostles but sought to the Lord that God himself would shew whom he had chosen to take part of that Ministry and Apostleship and the Lo● falling upon Mathias he was numbred with the eleven 3. The Ministry in the daies of the Apostles was not only dispensed by the Apostles the seventy Disciples and other Prophets and Evangelists whose Call Gifts and Works were extraordinary but by other ordinary Pastors whose spirits were not insallible and whose commission was not extraordinary The extraordinary Officers were commanded to commit the word to faithfull men who shall be able to reach others also And this Ministry dispensed by ordinary Pastors was by the Apostles themselves and the severall Churches of the New Testament esteemed as a Ministry by Divine Institution Paul stiles Ep●phras a dear Fellow-Servant who is for you a faithfull Minister of Christ Tychicus he calls a beloved Brother and a faithfull Minister in the Lord. And these ordinary Pastors distinguished from those extraordinary Officers the Scriptures do affirm to be as truly by divine appointment as the former though not so immediatly and eminently 1. The same God that set in the Church first Apostles then Prophets the same God set in the Church some to be Teachers Some by way of distinction from others and not all For the holy Ghost argueth as if it were equally absurd to have all to be Teacher● as all to be Apostles and appeals to their naturall conscience about it Are all Apostles Are all Prophets Are all Teachers And if God himself the Father of all mercies hath placed these Teachers in his Church what is man who is but ● worm that he should attempt to displace them 2. The same Redeemer the Lord Jesus who gave some to be Apostles some Prophets and some Evangelists the same Christ gave also some to b● Pastor● and to be Teachers 3. The s●me holy Spirit which said Separat● me Barnabas and Saul for the work of the Ministery and who committed to Paul th● Gosp●l of Vncircumcision as he did the Gospel of Circumcision to Peter The same blessed Spirit gave charge to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus to take heed to th● Flock of Christ And though they were no where recorded to have received a Commission extraordinary and a spirit infallible Nay so far were they from being infallible that the Apostle foretel● that some of them would speak perverse things to draw away Disciples after them v. 30. Yet is it said expresly that the holy Ghost h●d made them Overseer● over the Flock As the Saints converted to the Faith of the Gospel by the Ministry of Tychichus Epaphras and Onesimus and the Saints that in those daies were really added to the Church wer● no less● truly Saints then those which were converted immediatly by Paul and Peter and the rest of the Apostles So these ordinary Pastors and Teachers aforementioned did no l●sse truly receive their Ministry from the Lord for their ordinary employment then the Apostles did though they more eminently for their employment extraordinary As he committed to them the Word and Ministry of Reconc●liation and gave to them both Commission and Command to dispense his Ordinances so that to them it was not only lawfull or arbitrary but necessity was laid upon them and a Woe denounced if they preached not the Gospel So was it also to the ordinary Teachers and therefore Archippus no where mentioned to be an Officer extraordinary is commanded to fullfill his Ministry which he also received from the Lord. Now if the Father the God of Truth the Son the Way the Truth and the Life and the holy Ghost the Spirit of Truth hath designed peculiar persons to this Office then the Ministry by way of Office is necessary by Divine Institution The Second Argument is drawn from the peculiar Names or Titles whereby the Persons thus designed and distinguished from other Saints If God hath given peculiar Names and Titles whereby the Persons designed to this Office are distinguished from other Saints then this Office is by Divine Institution For as the judgement of God is so are the denominations which God giveth to things according to truth If Adam gave distinguishing Names to all creatures sutable to their beings Surely our only wise God will not distinguish where he himself hath made no difference But God hath given to the persons designed to this Office peculiar Names and Titles 1. These are called Pastors and the other Saints respectively are called the Flock Now is there not a reall distinction as well as nominall betwixt the Flock and Pastor the Sheep and the Shepherd 2. They are called Teachers and doth not the holy Ghost evidently distinguish betwixt them that do instruct and those that are instructed 3. They are called such as Rule well not in any civil way as State-Officers but such as labour in the Word and Doctrine 4. They are such as are Over the Saints in the Lord and the holy Ghost doth expresly distinguish betwixt the Officers in the Church which have rule and inspection over the Saints and all the rest of the Saints under that Inspection 5. They are called Stewards of the Mysteries of God all the rest of the Saints are of the Houshold of Faith and who may appoint Stewards in the House but the Master of the Houshold And if the Master call them Stewards let all Saints do so who

temporary but morall and so perpetuall All the Disciples of Christ now need the same means as the Christians during the Age of the Apostles that we also might be baptized into Christ to be baptized into his death buried with Christ by Baptism that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newnesse of life Neither doth the Baptism of the Spirit disanull the Baptism of water but rather confirm it For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles bond or free 3. If we consider the nature use or efficacy of Baptism it is called by the holy Ghost a saving Ordinance and is unto believers and their seed in the New Testament as the Ark was to Noah and his ●amily in the Old world who being in the Ark was saved from perishing in the waters when the rest were drowned so Baptism that doth now save us not only or mainly the outward part of it the putting away the filth of the flesh which yet is an Ordinance to further our salvation but when the Spirit of Regeneration effectually concurs so that we finde that there is a renewing of the holy Ghost and thereby the answer of a good Conscience towards God Thirdly For the Sacrament of the Lords Supper it is evident 1. That it is an Ordinance of God appointed by Jesus Christ for he alone who gives grace hath power to appoint the means whereby he will convey grace as no man can create new Articles of Faith to be b●●eeved so no man can appoint new Sacraments to be received Only Jesus Christ the Prince and Mediatour of the New Covenant the High Priest of our profession who hath all power in Heaven and Earth and who alone is able to fill all his own Ordinances which in externall appearance seem but mean with inward efficacy and sprituall fullnesse He hath first instituted this Sacrament and also administred it even the same night in which he was betrayed 2. This Ordinance was not only appointed to and for the Apostles to whom it was first administred but unto all believers both Jews and Gentiles by whom it is to be received not only once as Baptism for we reade no Institution to baptize the same person more then once But our Lord hath prescribed the frequ ent reiterated use of this Sacrament that we should often ●at this Bread and drink this Cup and accordingly the Apostles and the primitive Christians did frequently celebrate thiS Ordinance 3. It is evident that this Sacrament was appointed not only for that age but for all succeeding generations therefore Believers are commanded to frequent this Ordinance and in eating this Bread and drinking this Cup to shew forth the Lords Death till he come for our Lord that will have his Church to continue in all successions till the day of his appearance hath both enjoyned all Beleevers as their duty to perpetuate the use of this Sacrament in their severall generations and hath also foretold for their comfort that this Ordinance shall continue till the day of his last coming So then these Ordinances being appointed by God to continue to the end hereby it appears that the Lord hath designed the Office of the Ministry to hold up and hold forth his Ordinances to the end of the world If the Promises which Christ hath made to uphold the Ministry be perpetuall then the Office is perpetually necessary But these Promises are perpetual That Christ hath made promises to uphold the Ministry hath been proved in the former Proposition out of Mat. 28.20 c. The only doubt which can remain is Whether these Promises were limited to that age wherein the Apostles lived or whether they do reach all succeeding ages to the end of the world Wherein who can better resolve us then Christ himself in the words of the promise Go teach and baptize and lo I am with you alwaies to the end of the world 1. This Promise we grant was made first and immediatly to the Apostles but the Query is Whether solely and only unto them as they were Apostles It cannot be denied but many precepts and promises given to them were of a different nature 1. Some to the Apostles as Apostles and 2. Some to Apostles as Ministers and 3. Some to Apostles as Beleevers If any demand how shall we know when Christ spake to them as Apostles when to them as Ministers and when to them as Christians We answer That the best way to discern this is to consider the nature of these precepts and promises if they be of an extraordinary nature ●●ove what God hath commanded or promised to all beleever● o● to all ordinary Ministry Then these commands or promises are peculiar to Apostles as Apostles as extraordinary Officers For instance When Christ had called the twelve He gave them power against unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal all manner of sicknesses and all manner of diseases And these being extraordinary promises it appears they were made to the Apostles as Apostles and not to them either as Beleevers or as Ministers If they be of a common nature wherein all Saints and Disciples of Jesus Christ are equally concerned then though they were given to the Apostles yet not only to them as Apostles but to them as Beleevers who also partake of like precious faith with them through the righteousnesse of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ When Christ commanded them to watch for ye know not what hour the Lord will come this duty was laid upon them immediatly and apart from others as appears His Disciples came to him privately saying When shall these things be Yet this duty is of such a nature as is common to all beleevers and so elsewhere Christ expounds it What I say unto you I say unto all Watch When Christ taught his Disciples to pray in them he taught the same duty to all beleevers And all these commands to deny our selves take up the Crosse and follow him are so given to the Apostles as they also oblige all beleevers So when Christ praied for the Apostles that God would sanctifie them with all truth he prayed not for them alone but for all that were given to him of the Father which should also beleeve in him through their Word So all those great and precious promises which pertain to life and godlinesse whereby all beleevers partake of the divine nature having escaped the pollutions which are in the world through lust were given not only to the Apostles but to all Beleevers The ignorance or non-observance of this distinction hath led the Papists into many absurdities as when Christ gave the Cup to the Apostles because they all were Ministers therefore they do not conceive themselves obliged by that example to give the Cup to the Laity whereas Christ gave the Cup to the Apostles not

the Bottomlesse pit which were innumerable called two like their types Moses and Aaron who brought Israel out of Egypt or as Elias and Elisha which reduced Israel out of Baalism yet these Witnesses though in number few continue in their successions all the reign of the Beast for the daies of their prophecying in Sackcloth are One thousand two hundred and sixty years and so expire not till the 42 moneths of the Beasts Reign be expired Now fifthly we adde that these Sackcloth Prophesiers were not only Saints who mournfully bewailed the abominations of those times that the holy City should be trampled under foot but also that they were holy pious Ministers distinct from the Saints in Office and in the act of their Prophetical function which is intimated to us 1. From the power bestowed upon them the Lord gives to them not only to pray and to mourn but to Prophesie Rev. 11.3 Not so much by prediction of things future as by Preaching the everlasting Gospel It was a mighty power from on high that a few contemned persecuted Ministers should have gifts to be able and power to be couragious to preach against the son of perdition when all the world wondered after the Beast 2. From their effectual exercise of that power and that in their publick detecting those Antichristian abominations and denouncing the wrath of God against them It is said in the daies of their Prophesie though they were poor men and had no carnal weapons to defend themselves or offend their enemies yet in a spiritual sense fire proceedeth out of their mouths and devoureth their enemies Revel 11.5 For the Lord did make his words in their mouth to be fire and the people wood and it devoured them Ier. 5.14 and the holy Ghost adds further that these Prophets tormented them that dwel upon the earth v. 10. 3. The Spirit of truth doth not only call these two by the name of Prophets but elsewhere distinguisheth the Prophets and Righteous men He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward and he that receiveth a Righteous man in the name of a Righteous man shall receive a Righteous mans reward Where Christ incouraging poor Preachers of the Gospel against all the hard and harsh usage of the world intimates to us 1. That there are some who by way of Office and distinction from others are Prophets and Preachers 2. That there is some eminent reward due to Prophets 3. That they who do any good to Prophets even because of that Office shall receive a Prophets reward And in this very Prophesie concerning Antichrist the Spirit maketh these two distinct the Prophets and the Saints Babylon is therefore ruined because in her is found the blood of the Prophets and of the Saints Rev. 17.24 Now if we descend from the words of this Prophecy and come to observe the answerable event in History we shall finde that in every age there were Ministers opposing the tenents of Antichrist Their particular names times places and their manner of resisting the man of sin it will be too large to insist upon yet a brief Catalogue of Ministers is here inserted From the time of Christ and his Apostles for 600 years our famous Iewell against the Romanists hath abundantly proved that the truths professed in the reformed Churches were maintained by the Ancients And in the succeeding Centuries when the Man of Sinne began to prevail there were in their several Ages Godly and Learned Ministers who opposed the Popish Errours defending the sufficiency of Scripture Communion in both kindes Justification by free Grace disclaiming the defilements of worship in adoring Images Invocation of Saints praying for the Dead worshipping Reliques and openly testifying against the rising and swelling power of the Pope declaiming against his Supremacy and title of Universal Bishop as Antichristian From the 600 year of Christ to the 700 besides Isidore Hesychius and others there were in this Island these two famous Preachers Aidan who converted from Paganism the Kingdom of Northumberland which then contained not only the Country now so called but also Cumberland Westmoreland Lancashire Yorkshire the Bishoprick of Durham and some part of Scotland Also Finan by whose Ministry the Lord turned to the Christian faith the Kingdom of the East Saxons and of Mercia as our own Countryman doth testifie B●sides our famous Countrymen Bede Al●vinus and many others there were Adlebertus and Clemens and Sampson with many other Priests who did mightily withstand Pope Boniface Besides Taurinensis Agobardu● Rabanus Maurus there was Scotus accused by the Pope for an Heretique and murdered as is conceived by his own Scholars for his opposing the carnal presence And Bertram a Priest in France was so clear a Protestant in the point of the Sacrament in a Book that he set forth that some Romanists say it was writ by Oecolampadius under the name of Bertram And the most learned of the Papists confess that Walafridus Strabo Ionas Bishop of Orleans and Hin●marus Archbishop of Rhemes departed from the received opinion of the Church Catholique In this Age the most unlearned and unhappy are recounted Radulphus Flavia●ensis Stephanus Eduensis Smaragdus and our English Alfricke whose Saxon Homily was appointed to be read publikely to the people against the carnal presence In this Age more light began to appear even in the heat and height of Antichristianism not only by the Ministry of Fulbert Bishop of Chartres Anselme of Laon Author of the Interlineal Gloss Oecumenius Theophylact and others but especially by Berengarius and his disciples Besides Arnulphus the Martyr Hugo de Sancto Victore Robertus Tuitiensis Gulielmus de sancto amore Io●chim Abbas Niceas were Peter Bruis and his Scholar Henry of Tholous● two famous Preachers against Popish errours insomuch as Peter was apprehended and burnt In this Age the Waldenses appeared who were the famous opposers of Antichrist In this Age are recorded Al●●ssiodore Peter de Vin●is Arnoldus de nova villa and those two famous Preachers Gerardus and Dulcinus who preached that the Pope was Antichrist and Rome Babylon Besides our famous Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne the great hammer of the Romanists who wrote to the Pope that he was Antichrist In this Age appeared for Christ Thomas Bradwardin Richard Armachanus Taulerus a famous Preacher in Germany and that glorious instrument of the Lord Iohn Wickliff In this Century besides Peter de Alliaco Nichol. Clemangis and many others we need name no other but those great Worthies and Martyrs Savanorola a famous Preacher in Florence with Iohn Huss and Hierom of Prague whose memories are pretious throughout all the Reformed Churches In this Age the Father of mercies raised up Martin Luther and so many others and from that time the defection from Rome was so eminent that it hath visibly continued to this day and concerning the following times