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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	able_a	lord_n	zion_n	48	3	9.1901	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33945	The pulpit-guard routed, in its twenty strong-holds, or, A brief answer to a large and lawless discourse, written by one Tho. Hall ... intituled, The pulpit-guarded, with twenty arguments, pretending to prove the unlawfulness and sinfulness of private mens preaching ... his six arguments to prove their ministry free from anti-Christianism, rased, and six more asserted, proving them to be anti-Christian / written by Tho. Collier.	Collier, Thomas, fl. 1691.	1651 (1651)	Wing C5295; ESTC R9709	89,279	114

might be and were the better enabled to govern by this spirit but the spirit of government is nowhere called the spirit of prophesie then all good and wise Governours are Prophets and when they consult and talk about Government they do prophesie by this account These are a sort of Prophets I never heard or read of in Scripture its true many Governours were Prophets but not as Governours neither were they Governours as they were Prophets 3. Moses his wish was not that all might preach but that they might be able to rule oh that the Lords people had a spirit of government c. It seems by your words that Moses would have all the people to be governours who then should be governed for if all had the spirit of prophesie they must make use of it accordingly they must govern c. but I have told you already that there is a difference between prophesying and governing So that Moses desire is That all the Lords people were Prophets and then they might prophesie if Prophets He doth not desire to have Prophets and intend to forbid them to prophesie like the Priests of the Nation that pray that God would send Labourers into the Harvest and when they come are mad at them and would hang them if they could You say that his wish implies that none might prophesie till they were Prophets and men in office I say the contrary it implies that none could prophesie untill they had the gift and then they might and may prophesie but your selves it is who prophesie or preach if I may discoursingly give it that term without gift or office either as for gift you are enemies to it unless University gifts the smoke of the pit and so what you do is by art make it and then sell it this is your gift and as for office I have told you the rise of that already and from whence it came You conclude That to your apprehension it cannot hang together because Prophets in office might prophesie that therefore Lay-men might prophesie But I say all the Lords people are Kings Priests and Prophets and may Prophesie c. You say It will come no nearer together then St Jermans Lips which were nine mile asunder It s like this was the Saint that swallowed the Ox you mentioned but its strange he could not swallaw his tail too his lips being at such a distance It s like this Jerman was the great grandfather to the Saint Persons of England for they could never swallow so much as they do if their lips were not at a great distance each from other but its like Sir you do but tell a lye in jest his lips were not altogether at such a distance as you mention if they were he had a very great mouth its like and a body sutable to it he could digest Oxen Pigs and Geese nothing comes amiss it seems The third Objection From 2 Chron. 17. 7 8 9. 2 Chron. 19 to 11 29 25. Here saith Master Robinson are most pithy and exellent Sermons of Jehosophat and Hezekiah c. besides he sent his Princes to teach in the cities of Judah c. hence gifted persons may preach though not in office Your answer 1. Teaching is taken two wayes 1. Largely for Fathers c. Masters c. 2. For a Pastoral act so none but Priests c. might preach Answ Though not by way of Office yet by way of Gift they might c. Oh that Magistrates would promote the Ministry c. It seems you want promoting for so long you will promote the Magistrate but be sure no longer would bless our temporals exaltation and promotion is that you long for and the blessing of the Tithes But Sir its that we desire the incouraging of a faithful Ministry which is the ministry of the spirit in the Saints not a faithless self-seeking one 3. Princes say you teach Efficienter by causing the Levits to do their duty he sent Princes to see the people taught c. but that is but your word the Text saith He sent Princes to teach the People you say to see them who shall be believed the Scripture or your self should your Preaching brethren give such an Interpretation you would say that through ignorance they wrest the Scripture You say It is a rule that what I command my servant to do I am said to do it my self And is this a perfect rule may not you do that your self which you command your servant to do he that hath power to command may lawfully do that himself which he commands a nother if he hath ability to it If the Princes might command to Preach they might then as well and as lawfully preach themselves For any man to command that which is not lawful for him to do himself is sinful either in Civil or Divine affairs Your reason standeth good What I command my servant to do I am said to do it my self and if you do it your self by your servant you may do it your self by your self if the first then second is lawful 4. You answer That suppose you grant that Princes did Preach yet there is a vast difference between them and our Gifted Brethren 1. These were sent to teach by the Magistrates command but our Jehosaphats have prohibited our gifted brethrens Preaching Answ 1. Those prohibitions were but the fruits of your own hands gaining upon the Parliament in the time of their too high esteem of you and believe it for all that I know it may one day be laid to your account too and then I believe you will not boast of it 2. Our Jehosophats have of late rather incouraged the gifted Brethren for to teach to the people then prohibited them 3. If the Magistrate should in good earnest prohibit Whom should we obey God or Man judge you 2. These men were Princes and so men of choice Breeding rare Abilities c. As if the Lord could not furnish Taylors c. to that work but must of necessity be beholding to choice Breeding rare Abilities c. as if he could not as well furnish a Fisher-man a Publican as a Prince or a Priest 3. These had Levits to joyn with them who were men in Office but you scorn at Ministers c. No Sir we scorn not at Ministers neither own we Baals Priests whose work is to delude Souls there is never a tittle you mention that is given you but is truth Let such know say you that Christ takes indignities done to his Ambassadors as done to himself We own the Truth but we own you not to be his Ambassadors but such as usurp it to your selves hence it is that you know not your Message do not his work and you are like to have a bad reward in the end you would fain be Levits but you are but bastard ones Ambassadors but you are but ignorant ones you know not the Message Shepherds but you feed not the flock but kill them that are fed 4.

THE Pulpit-Guard Routed IN ITS Twenty Strong-Holds OR A brief ANSWER To a large and lawless Discourse Written by one Tho. Hall of Kings-Norton Intituled The Pulpit-Guarded with Twenty Arguments Pretending to prove the unlawfulness and sinfulness of Private mens Preaching Wherein the Arguments being weighed in the Balance of the Sanctuary are found too light and the lawfulness of Private mens Preaching as Tho. Hall calls them viz. Gifted Brethren is cleared and confirmed in opposition to all Gain-sayers My work in this Treatise hath been and is 1. To Rout him in all his Guards 2. To discover the weakness and invalidity of all his Answers to those Objections and Allegations by him there produced for the Preaching of the Gifted Brethren His six Arguments to prove their Ministry free from Antichristianism rased and six more asserted proving them to be Antichristian Written by Tho. Collier Isai 28. 20. For the Bed is shorter then that a man can stretch himself on it and the Covering narrower then that he can wrap himself in it Verse 21. For the Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perasim and be wroth as in the vally of Gibeon that he may do his work his strange work and bring to pass his act his strange act strange because so to the dark minds of men Chap 29. 14. Therefore behold I proceed to do a marvellous work and a wonder for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of the prudent men shall be hid Chap. 28. 22. Now therefore be ye not mo●kers lest your bands be made strong London Printed for the Author and are to be sold by Giles Calvert at the Black-Spred Eagle at the West end of Pauls near Ludgate 1651. The Epistle to the Readers DEar Country-men and Friends it s not my desire as I am a man to be medling with things of this nature but as I am a Christian and made partaker in a measure of the Heavenly Gift taking notice of this Pulpit-Guard it being so directly against the will of the Lord in the Gospel dispensation and the free operation of his Spirit in the hearts of his people for the good and comfort of the Church his Body 1 Cor. 14. 31. For Sions sake I could not hold my peace and for Jerusalems sake I could not rest without giving a check in the plain evidence and demonstration of the spirit and power unto this unrighteous Guard it is a very sad and dangerous thing when men under the pretence of Religion for self-ends and interests shall make use of their Wisdom Arts Parts against the Lord and his Truth What opinion or practice is there this day in the world that pretends for Christ but that men may and do put fair glosses and pretences of Scripture for the upholding of it though never so contrary unto it I have in that light God hath given me examined the particulars of that discourse and the Scripture grounds and found them too light not holding weight in the Ballance of the Scripture and have commended to thy view who art the Reader The substance of my apprehensions concerning them possibly thou mayst imagine that I have been too rugged in my expressions or sometimes too light or vain in my Answers I answer 1. Meeting with such a Spirit in that Book of Pride Reproach and Self conceitedness I was at some stand as to the manner of my Answer But when I considered the words of Solomon Prov. 26. 5. Answer a fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his own conceit And Chap. 15. 28. The heart of the righteous studyeth to answer but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things I was satisfied in giving an Answer sutable to the Spirit I found working in it 2. Being deeply sensible of the dangerousness of the way that thousands of souls are lead in by these kind of men and finding by experience their height and perversness in their way that they are without a miracle of mercy without the reach or bands of love I have therefore dealt the more plain and downright yet still in truth and love and it s no other then Christ and his Servants have done in the like case before me Mat. 23. throughout John 8 44. Act. 13. 10 1 King 18. 27. But you may say you look upon many of them to be honest and pretious men c. Answ The more need have they to be sharply reproved for their sins and miscarriages men may be honest the people of God and yet in Babylon I am not despairing in the truth of what you say yet their Office and Babylonish actions are never the honester for that Rev. 18. 4. And this I must minde you that God hath not left himself without witness of the truth by me declared and that by men of the same calling with them but when once inlightned they reject their callings administrations and all as Antichristian with shame to themselves for their ignorance I could instance in divers if it might add to the truth but I judge it needless at present What thou findest written contrary to thy mind try it by the Scripture waite upon the Lord to teach thee what weakness in expressions as to thy judgement thou meetest with let not the truth suffer rather impute it to him whose it is If thou finde any light shining forth in it through it to thy dark understanding give him the glory who is the Author of it so have I my desire Finally reade and judge and the Lord give you understanding in all things T. C. THE Pulpit-Guard Routed In his twenty strong Holds SIR I Meeting with your Book subscribed with this Title The Pulpit Guarded c. and perceiving the drift and end of the matter with the manner of it could not but judge my self bound as I tendred the honour of the Lord Jesus his Truth and Gospel his Saints and Servants especially seeing none else undertaking the work to rebuke this unclean spirit and to cast out this devil to enter the lists with and to rout this unrighteous Guard It possibly may seem strange that I should undertake this task especially because this Guard was occasioned as you say by a dispute at Henly in Warwick-shire But Sir finding your Discourse tending not only to reproach the Creature but the Creator likewise his Truth and powerfull free operation in his Saints all which I finde my self bound in conscience for to vindicate as far as light and truth in its power appeareth in me As for the manner of my proceeding 1. I shall not turn aside after every vain and unworthy passage and miscarriage in your Guard neither shall I meddle with your particular Epistles but I shall first give you some hints concerning the Title of your Book Secondly I shall discover your ignorance falshood and folly in your Looking-glass for Anabaptists as you call them Thirdly I shall encounter with you in all your twenty Guards and in the strength of the

intend by Learning Humane and Divine whether you minde a perfection of Learning for you set no bounds upon your terms if so it s to be doubted that your selves are but Ignoramus's in both in your best and most experienced Art of humanity you come short of many Heathens and Philosophers and I am very confident that many in this Nation who never knew what an Art or Science meant in its form or method in way of School Study have more natural Philosophy Logick Retorick in their heads then your selves who so much pride your selves in your shame But whether am I wandring into the bottomless Pit of mans wisdom take your honour in this blackness and darkness and go on spoiling souls by your Philosophy Col. 2. 8. till the Lord prevent you You say in the Minor of your first Argument That every gifted Trades-man nailer tailor c. is not able to divide the word aright c. And is every Priest of your Calling in the Nation able to divide the Word aright in your own judgement or is one in ten nay in twenty be the judge your self if not be ashamed to bring such Arguments any more because every gifted Trades-man is not able therefore none are able c. because every Priest is not able therefore none are able Artificers in their art of preaching And in your second Argument you say most of them want learning c. And may not your selves say most of your own Calling want learning humane and divine I am sure you want divine learning else you would not make such humane Arguments against the divine truth but we confess your Argument we want learning not humane but divine and we wait on the Lord for his teachings acknowledging with the Apostle Who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2. 16. You say Nor to convince a learned Adversary Truly now adays your selves are the learned Adversaries the Church of Christ hath to deal withall And this I must tell you and you 'l finde it by experience that the gifted brethren will in the light and strength of truth overturn all the wisdom of the flesh as it s exercised against the truth in you or any others God will make all fleshes wisdom and pride and glory vale it self and fall down at the presence of his truth in his Saints as Dagon before the Ark you are mistaken Sir to think its your humanity that makes you able to divide the Word aright and that makes you an able Disputant it s the power of the Spirit of Christ in his people that makes them able to divide the Word and to convince gain-sayers Therefore your Argument is weak and hath nothing in it if any thing it reacheth your selves as well as others nay more then others because you live in that sphear and yet want but the gifted brethren see their wants and acknowledge it not boast of their fulness like your selves and they see they may want learning both humane and divine and yet divide the Word aright be solid Disputants for the truth so far as they have received not walking without or beyond their line knowing the Lord is their light and strength who never fails those that trust in him and only one thing I desire to Query of you If ever the like was read or heard of in Scripture so much ado about humane Learning to beat down truth and prevent the free operations of the Spirit in Saints Did any seek to hinder Gods workings in this way Oh Sir you want learning humane Arts and parts Therefore prophesy not preach not unto us If Old or New Testament Law or Gospel Moses or Christ hath done the like pray produce it If not be ashamed for ever to account your self a Minister of the Gospel and to mak use of such an engine against truth and its Owners as never any in the world made use of but Babylon and Egypt You grant That Translations are excellent helps yet there is such an emphasis and fulness in the Original that the Translation is nothing to the glory of it Answ It s like that is the reason you are so filled and puffed up with this outward fulness as that the Original of all fulness the fulness of the Spirit is scarce ever spoken of by you as if the Spirit of the Lord was not sufficient for these things You complain What miserable wrakings and rentings of Texts have come into the world for want of this Learning Come Sir Let us now a little consider who are the greatest wrackers renters and tearers of Scriptures The learned Humanists or the preaching Brethren The preaching brethren they hold and say that salvation is through Grace and that without any relation to any qualification or good in the creature according to Isay 55. 1. Rom. 4. 5. The Humanists say no but there must be some creature qualification some good in the creature before the soul must presume to come to Christ The preaching brethren hold and say that none but believers are to be baptized because there is neither precept nor president for it The Humanists say Infants must though no Scripture for it and this is their practice The preaching brethren say That the Saints are the Church of Christ and that they dare not own any else to be members if they manifest the contrary 1 Cor. 1. 12. because they are the body of Christ chap. 12. 27. and compact together Ephes 4. 16. with carnal ones they can have no spiritual fellowship 2 Cor. 6. 15. 16. But the Humanists say nay to this They will turn the world into Church and make all Christians thus deluding them thus forming up a monstrous body for Christ if he would accept of it But you might with better acceptation present your Church at the feet of the Pope then at the feet of Christ Thus owning a communion with them rather in their Estates tythe Pigs Geese and Eggs then with their souls for some of you will confess they are no Christians but deluded ones for self-ends and would not own them nor have any fellowship with them were it not for their bellies their God is their belly and their glory will be their shame The preaching brethren they own none for Christians but those who are convinced and converted by the preaching of the Gospel The Humanists want the power of the Civil Magistrate to convert souls for them The preaching brethren they say That Christ is King of Saints and that its his work alone to accept or reject in matters of conscience relating to the knowledge or worship of him and that who so gets into his room is the Antichrist But the Humanists Pope-like and Queen Mary-like cry out imprison hang burn banish the Sectaries that will not do as we say c. The preaching brethren say That preaching is a Gift and that its the work of the Saints according to their measure to communicate having received freely freely to give But the Humanists say nay

to this It is an Art and a Trade and by this we have our gain it cost us much the attaining therefore we must sell c. The preaching brethren say That where the love of Christ is enjoyed it s a law sufficient to keep from sin and to conform to Christ But the Humanists say nay it s a Doctrine of liberty and that its the Law of Moses fear and wrath that must keep from sin c. Thus have I given some few brief hints amongst many that so it may appear who are the renters of Scripture the gifted brethren or the Linguists You Query How a man should expound and reconcile Scripture without learning To that end you produce many Scriptures you say hard to be interpreted I answer That the Spirit of Christ which is the original of all truth and dwelleth in the Saints is sufficient and doth teach them those things of which the Humanists are ignorant Joh. 15. 13. 1 Cor. 2. from the 12th to the end You conclude there is need of Retorick and Arts to understand the Scripture 1 Thes 5. 19. quench not the Spirit that is the Gifts and yet notwithstanding all your Retorick Arts Learning c. you are the men that understand not the Scripture you are the men who quench the Spirit in your brethren and despise Prophesying if it comes not out of your forge for that is it which is there intended quench not the Spirit that is the Spirits workings in the Saints which many will do out of a low and base esteem of their brethren in despising of Prophesy which is but an interpretation of the former How do men quench the Spirit Answ In despising of Prophesy c. Hence the holy Ghost you say commends learning By the way holy Ghost and for all your learning is there any such word in all the Scripture as Ghost But you instance in Moses Act. 7. 22. Who was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians And no wonder being naturalized unto it bred up in it Daniel and his companions had skill in all learning and wisdom Dan. 1. 4. 17. For what was it these children were to be looked forth that in it they might preach or to teach the tongues and learning of the Caldeans to those amongst whom they were Captives vers 17. God gave them understanding in all learning and wisdom and to Daniel the knowledge of visions This was the gift of God immediate not acquired by Arts that they might set forth the glory of their Creator not themselves and their own pride Apollo was eloquent and mighty in Scripture So are your gifted brethren able in the might and strength of the grace of Christ to hold forth truth and to convince gain-sayers though not mighty in humane Arts c. Paul could speak languages more then they all but what languages acquired gotten by industry or of the Spirit its the gifts of the Spirit the Apostle speaks of not humane this is but a trick and shift of the Devil and Antichrist now they have lost those gifts of the Spirit to set up humane in the room a mystery of iniquity You say The Apostle cites Heathen Poets to convince the Grecians c. So may the gifted brethren produce Turks and Heathens to reprove you and your Christians He useth Syriack and Hebrew phrases No wonder when it was his own native Language Hence we read say you of Schools of the Prophets and Colledges erected c. Answ This is but your own Learned Retorical Exposition there is never a word of School or Colledge in the Text but the sons of the Prophets that is every one who had received the same spirit of the Prophets if there were Schools and Colledges as you imagine it s like the Lord dealt with them as he doth with you now adays he never that we read of took a Prophet from that School but from their Callings that the work might appear to be of himself and and not man but the truth is there were no such Schools of Idleness and wantonness as you have erected for your selves Well say you But how shall a man be able to preserve the truth how shall a man be able to Analyse and open Scripture without Logick Retorick Tongues c. And do you not know in good earnest how to do it Is your Philosophy the mother of your Theologie Your gifted brethren can tell you how to do it it s the light of the Spirit of truth in which they preserve truth and it s in the light of the same Spirit in which they understand and open obscure and dark phrases And indeed as you say Great is the pride and wantonness of the Priests to tread all that learning of the Spirit under foot without which the knowledge of Scriptures is not to be had laying all upon humane endeavors undervaluing the Gifts of the Spirit c. But you conclude your self That Arts and Sciences are necessary not of absolute necessity Well Sir To say no more about this Argument your gifted brethren they stick to that which is of absolute necessity the Spirit of Christ You bless your selves with that you confess is not of absolute necessity a man may be a Minister without it make you much of it little good wil it do you and little will it avail you in the evil day The seventh Argument from the sinfulness of it Whatsoever is not of faith is sin Heb. 11. 6. But whatsoever we do if we do it not by vertue of some Command or Call is not of Faith Ergo 'T is sin But the gifted brethren have a word of Faith and a Call as I have already proved therefore it s no sin You refer the proof of this Argument to the Examination of their Objections I shall do the like in my Answer purposing there to meet you c. The eighth Argument If none may preach but such as be Ordained then every gifted person may not preach but none may preach but such as be Ordained Tit. 1. 5. I will that thou Ordain Elders c. Answ This is but the substance of what you have said already and I have given a full Answer unto it therefore shall say but a word or two to the nonsence of your Argument Because Titus was left in Crete to Ordain and because they ordained Elders in every Church c. therefore none else must preach but such as be Ordained Whereas first As I have already said and proved Paul and divers others did preach before they were Ordained And secondly That unless men did preach before Ordination there was no ground for which they should be Ordained if their Gifts be not manifest Thirdly Ordination was not upon any such account as that by it they might preach the more lawfully but that the Gift might first be increased upon them 1 Tim. 4. 14. Secondly that they might attend upon the work of watching feeding reproving ruling c. The ninth Argument If no man