Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	according_a	act_n	action_n	196	3	6.3010	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44305	A survey of the insolent and infamous libel, entituled, Naphtali &c. Part I wherein several things falling in debate in these times are considered, and some doctrines in lex rex and the apolog. narration, called by this author martyrs, are brought to the touch-stone representing the dreadful aspect of Naphtali's principles upon the powers ordained by God, and detecting the horrid consequences in practice necessarily resulting from such principles, if owned and received by people.	Honyman, Andrew, 1619-1676.	1668 (1668)	Wing H2604; ESTC R7940	125,044	140

Nec Samson saith he aliter excusatur quod seipsum cum hostibus ruina domus oppressit nisi quod latenter Spiritus sanctus hoc jusserat So he is accounted amongst heroick Believers Heb. 11.32 And of his fact Bernard saith lib. de precept dispensatione Si defenditur non fuisse peccatum privatum habuisse à Deo consilium indubitanter credendum est 2. Phineas had not only a large reward of his fact Numb 25.12 13. but an ample approbation of it Ps 106.31 It was accounted to him for righteousness i. e. as a righteous action both as to the intention of it Gods honour and as to the ground and warrand of it Gods direction God does not approve or remunerate any action which one way or another he doth not command there are none of these extraordinary actions mentioned in Scripture but either Gods stirring men up to the same or his approbation of the same one way or another is noted See Judg. 3.10 and 5.7 and ●0 23 and 3.9.15 and 2.16.18 he raised up stirred up mens spirits or afterward approved them expresly in these actions As for the private persons which this man will have to take the punishing Sword in their hand against all Magistrates as they cannot pretend extraordinary special commands So the real rebukes of God given them proclaims they have not his approbation 5. Divines have given it as a good rule Opera liberi spiritus non sunt exigenda ad regulas communes nec trahend● in exemplum vitae If once men come to make rules of the actions specially warranded beyond the common rule of the Word where will they stand As to instance this same example of Phineas If they will go on to presse the imitation of it 1. They must say that even when the Magistrate is godly and zealous and willing to execute judgement as Moses and the great Council were private persons may do it without them and not wait their warrand as they think Phineas did not 2. That any private person may go to mens Tents or Chambers and stab them without any legal Processe which Phineas they will say used not 3. That if such things be done inconsulto pro Magistratu such as Moses was yet the doer must not be challenged as Phineas was not challenged by Moses 6. The Libeller striving to parallel the Acts of his party which he justifies and incites unto with Phineas his act as he dare not say the acts which he justifies and instigates unto are extraordinary but only heroical so he asserts Phineas act was not extraordinary nor upon extraordinary warrant but heroical and imitable by others who may have such measures of zeal as he had He should in order to this laboured to have set some distinction betwixt heroical and extraordinary acts but this he doth not only labours to jumble the matter and speaks so confusedly that as others cannot understand him so he gives evience he did not understand himself in this matter only something he would gladly say to encourage men to irregular actions under the pretence of Phineas fact But the man if he would might have known the distinction betwixt extraordinary and heroical acts Philosophers and Divines too distinguish betwixt heroical vertues with the acts suitably thereto and common vertues and their acts 3● pars Thomae qu. 7 art 2ª ad 2 m ● and aggree in this that there is no difference between heroical vertues and virtutes communiter dictae nisi secundum perfectiorem modum A heroick act doth not deviate from the rule of a common vertue but only proceeds from a more intense disposition to a high pitch of vertue and of the acts thereof but yet keeps within the bounds of the ordinary rule of such or such a vertuous action But an extraordinary action goes beyond any ordinary rule of common reason or divine Word as that Abraham should kill Isaac without any hatred of him or cause in him was an act of extraordinary obedience to a special mandate of God Albeit the love that is due to God above all and the respect due to his Sovereignty should incline to obey whatever he enjoyns yet the particular act of slaying his harmlesse child meerly upon the declared will of God was an extraordinary act of obedience not comprisable within the lists of common vertues that direct our actings toward men under God Extraordinary actions are such as are done upon special mandate of God and are not within the compasse of ordinary acts of obedience according to the rule that is set Men may have heroick motions and actions within the bounds of an ordinary calling as sometimes though they have extraordinary calling they may want heroical motions Luther had no immediate nor extraordinary calling to reform the Church but within the bounds of ordinary calling he had special excitations of Gods Spirit and was elevated unto heroick actings for Gods glory in an exceedingly corrupt and collapsed state of the Church Peter had an extraordinary calling and immediate yet he wanted sometimes heroical motions and actions as when he dissembled Gal. 2. Phineas had not only excitations of zeal and heroical motions but supposing him a meer private Person he is to be looked upon as having extraordinary calling from God which is fully enough insinuated both by Gods approving and rewarding him Numb 25. and he rewards not our will-service nor approves it but what he hath enjoyned himself and also by Ps 106. where it is said emphatically it was imputed to him for righteousness though judging according to ordinary rules it might be imputed to him for sin supposing him a meer private man Yet having Gods warrand whose will is the rule of righteousness the deed was imputed to him for righteousness 7. Great gifts secret impulses heroical motions do not as this man suggests give men sufficient call to go beyond the ordinary rules God hath set to men in their callings though they dispose them to act eminently in their callings yet cannot give a new or another calling Every calling a man hath to any work God sets him about must be either mediate or immediate there is no midst betwixt these two as there is not between contradictories If men be not called to a work by the intervention of men and their allowance they must plead an immediate calling from God And we would gladly hear if this man will allow the private persons whom he instigates to insurrections against Magistrates an immediate calling by vertue of their secret impulses and excitations for we are sure they have no mediate ordinary calling If he will go on to say that great gifts of zeal c. great excitations and impulses allows people to desert their own calling and state like these spirits Jude 6. that kept not their first estate but left their own habitation and to intrude upon the Magistrates office alwayes when they think there is cause without an external vocation from men Where will he rest till he

confound all within Church and State If such gifts and impulses be sufficient call for intruding in the office of the Magistrate to execute justice why is it not also sufficient for the office of the Ministry without call from men externally And thus Anabaptists Enthusiasts Photinians and the like denying the necessity of external call to the Ministry avowing gifts and excitations to be a sufficient call shall gain the day a man may take the honour of a Ministry to himself without waiting mans call as well as the honour of Magistracy a self-called-Magistrate and a self-called Minister are very sib together And how shall the Libeller refuse to admit women to baptize children in case of necessity the thing it self being good and for a good end and there being none other to do it and the exigence great or how will he hold back any private persons from preaching and ministring all Sacraments though they have no external call It is easie to pretend as great need for this as for intruding into the Magistrates office 8. It is in vain for this man to tell us that Gods hand is not shortened and he hath plenty of the Sp●rit to give and is the same yesterday and to day and for ever and can give such gifts and excitations and such allowance in acting as Phineas had For our question is not anent Gods power or what he may do we adore that glorious Majesty who doth what he will in heaven and in earth and can do above all we can think But our question is if now after that the Canon of holy Scripture is perfected sealed and consigned we have warrand to look for any extraordinary persons having Gods secret and special mandates to do works which any ordinary calling they have by allowance and approbation of men according to the rules of common reason and the word doth not interest them in such as Phineas act supposing him a private man is to be esteemed The man falls out in wishing that all Gods people were as Phineas and had the same Spirit of holy Zeal that by removal of the cause his fierce anger against this poor Land might cease We shall easily concur with him in wishing and praying that Gods people may be filled with zeal to his Glory as Phineas was but not that they should have that same exercise of zeal that he had nor follow his fact unlesse they could be certified of their warrand and calling to do so as he was The Apostles of Christ are to us examples of zeal for God in their Ministery but who will say that the acts which they zealously did by vertue of their extraordinary calling are for our imitation albeit their zeal be Peter in zeal to Gods honour killed Ananias and Saphira who lied to the holy Ghost Shall therefore Ministers slay men that deal deceitfully with God or shed their blood the zeal was imitable but not the fact the fact is not justified meerly by the zeal that puts on to it but by the calling and warrand To follow all the facts of them who have been truly zealous for God is indeed a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an evil zeal like the zeal of the disciples Luke 9.54 Who knew not of what Spirit they were Peter Martyrs word speaking of imitation of extraordinary examples of zeal and facts done that way Loc. com● Clas 2. cap. 9. is good Nobis cavendum est ne illa quae vehementer extraordinario cupimus aliquo exemplo Majorum velimus constabilire cum inusitata volumus aggredi contra ordinaria Dei praecepta non est satis exempla produxisse Majorum sed excutiendus Spiritus quo ducimur ne sp●cioso quodam praetextu carnis affectum prudentiam sequamur And Perkins on the Creed pag. 194. sayes well If a man be zealous for Christ he must be zealous within the compasse of his Calling and not be zealous first and then look for a Calling but first look for a Calling and then be zealous Which thing if Peter had marked he would not have dealt so rashly in drawing his sword and smitting for being without compass of his Calling he could not but do amisse But yet this man urgeth Nap. p. 24 impiety shall quickly gain an universal Empire to the extermination of all goodness if for fear of accidental hazards vertue and vertuous actions of private persons shall be utterly neglected Ans None offers to hinder vertue and vertuous actions of private persons but only their vitious usurpations upon the Magistrate no evil should be done either that good may come of it or a worse evil prevented the exercise of the Magistrates office in executing judgement is good being done by him but it is evil being done by a private person that hath no calling so to do every man hath not a calling to do all good but only that good which is competent to him in his calling to do when iniquity is like to prevail it is my part who am a private person to mourn for it to pray against it to use fraternal loving warnings to others as I have occasion and to keep my self pure from pollutions in so doing I may sit down with contentment referring the remedy of evils to God in his own way and time but to break Gods order by intruding into publick places and the actions of Magistrates for preventing or remedying impiety is but to cure one sin by another And when we have invaded the Magistrates place being private persons others will do the like to us and there shall be no end of confusion Fearers of God would not listen to the charmes of vain talkers but beware of removing the ancient limits God hath set of mens callings were it for prevention of greatest idolatry or wickedness nothing that is either evil in it self or evil as circumstantiated in our hands from whom God hath required no such thing is to be done Will ye speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for him Job 13.7 But this Libeller insists upon the matter of private mens usurping the Magistrates place not only in the first part of his Book speaking in reference to our first Reformation and Way of it which he brings to justifie present insurrections but in the latter part p. 151.152 he will have private men taking the punishing and reforming sword in their hands against all Magistrates and sayes expresly people of inferior degree may step forward to occupy the places and assert the interests which wicked Rulers have forfeited and deserted And this he sayes is according to the Covenant where they swear in their places and callings to endeavour reformation c. which clause he sayes is to be taken not restrictively but as he speaks the clause is exegetick and ampliative and that the sense is that if others in their respective places concur in advancing the work every one shall confine himself to his own place and calling but if these in higher employment fail in their oath

pag. 105. that a Ministers external call is not in ordination by them who have power upon trial of gifts but in having such a visible evidence of the call of Jesus Christ as in reason and charity doth obliege all men to receive the person so called as truly sent These with several other points tending to Libertinisme yea and to the abolishing of the sense of grossest sins in people are vented here as may be seen in the progress But our maine work shall be to shew the face of this mans way and how Anabaptistical-like it looks in some particular practices wherein the similitude will hold without much halting that if he will not be he healed others may be warned 1. The Sect of Anabaptists laboured much as the learned men that knew them and dealt with them declare to overthrow Magistracy in the places where they lived they represented the secular powers unto the people as the ungodly of the world instigating and stirring them up to pull them all down as the oppressors of their liberty in spirituals and civils They denied all authority to Magistrates in Church matters averring they ought not to medle in matters of Religion or Faith nor use any compulsion on men so much as to urge them to the use of the external meanes of Gods worship And upon the ground Luke 22. The Kings of the Nations c. it shall not be so amongst you which is pressed against Superiorities amongst Church-men They pleaded with no less plausibleness against superiority of Magistrates amongst and over Christians although when they came to some strength at Munster they would have their own King John of Leyden the Taylor 2. As they studied to overthrow the ordinance of Magistracy so also the other divine ordinance of Ministery these being as it were the two great lights the Sun and the Moon which God hath appointed to guid the world These masters of confusion would extinguish them both that they might vent their wares in the world for destroying not only humane Societies but the Souls of men In order to the ruine of the Ministery they declaimed most bitterly against all of that function that were not of their way as Hirelings Thieves and Wolves Ignorant-beasts Priests of Baal cursed Creatures Servants of Sathan and what ever else their invenomd hearts could prompt them to utter against Christs Ministers to work their disgrace amongst the people and so to defame them that they might be useless in the service of God Their great work was to exclude faithful Ministers from the esteem of Gods people that they might affect them only and that they might have ready accesse to poyson them with their perverse Doctrines and Dictates of sublime unconceivable non-sense set forth under the garb of a glancing novelty of words 3. They bent themselves to work division in the Church of God and to move people to forsake the assembling of themselves together in Church-meetings and to follow them to seek Christ in private Conventicles where they might with freedom enough open their hearts and debauch them into their way The Church meetings they reckoned no better of then as of droves and herds of hoggs confused mixtures unworthy the name of Churches and wherein no blessing was to be expected to the Ordinances 4. They were above all men arrogant and proud despisers of such as were not of their way as being men without God in the world reprobate and wicked denying to them even common civilities 5. When any of theirs were punished either for their errors or for fellony murther or rebellion they heavily lamented the removeal of the dear servants of God crying them up for Martyrs and complaining tragically that truth and godliness was oppressed and that men who would have all things done according to Gods word were not suffered to live in a persecuting world How neer this man with his complices doth approach to the manners of that odious Sect in these particulars may some way appear from this Libell and the Apology When the spirit that stirreth in these furious writings especially in Naphthali wherein the evil man waxeth worse and worse is considered how much confusion may be seen to be portended to Church and State if hearts be infected with the Doctrines therein held forth It is greatly to be wished and prayed for that the Lord may give his people such understanding that they be not ignorant of the wiles of Sathan who drives a deeper design against this poor Church and Land then the subversion of this or that exterior form of Church-Government The controversie rests not in matters touching a Bishop or a Presbytery which if mens passions or prejudices might permit may be for the advantage of the Gospel well consolidated by their mutual paying of due respects one to another the episcopal inspection not abrogating but strengthening the due right of Presbyters and Presbyters not despising that lawful inspection but all concurring together in a kindly mutual assistance and amicable conjunction for carrying on the real interests of Christs Kingdom without imperiousness on the one side and without froward disorderliness on the other But this polemical Presbyterian as he would seem to be though he and his brethren in evil have ruined that way of Presbytery long ago accounts such matters too low to stand upon The design his Libel runs upon is to open a gap to endlesse rebellions under whatsoever constitution of Church-Government And not only to bring all our Magistrates from the highest to the lowest under disgrace which is the next step to destruction and to make them a sacrifice to the fury of the wicked people but to ruine Kingly Authority and Magistracy the Ordinance of God and to dissolve humane Societies and Kingdoms as shall be seen and especially to ruine this Kingdom There is a great noise made it may be it is not causles and it were to be wished Rulers looked to it of the increase of Popery but truly when the spirit of such writings as this is considered it will be found there is cause to fear unless the wisdom and goodness of God and the prudence of the King and Governors under him prevent That as one way the Roman Antichrist may come in So some furious successor of John of Leyden under pretence of a Phineas-like spirit come in another way upon our Church and Land to lay it waste and to make it a field of confusion and blood the seeds of future miseries being too visibly sowen by this man and his complices whose mouths are full of Blasphemies as their hearts and hands are full of blood That this Libell and the like are not more quickly followed with meet animadversions is not to be marvelled at by any who knowes they are like the Pestilence that walks in darkness and that hardly do they come to the hands of any but such as are willing to be deceived by them being intended for the blinding of these not for the opening the eyes of others

breaking the Scepters of Kings to be remembred and sayes such a thing had the approbation of divine Providence of his Word and of his People animated thereto by himself Albeit his speech be subdolous and double-faced leaving it doubtful of what times he speaks wherein this memorable instance of murthering Kings and dethroning them is to be found at the time of Reformation whereat he seems to hint no such thing was there yet it is too palpable he points at the horrid instance of the murther committed upon the sacred Person of our late King by the vile and desperate Sectaries the instance saith he of the times we now speak of is worthily recorded another instance in the times of first Reformation of such murther we know not But it is most falsly and wickedly said whether that particular be meant or not that Gods Providence or Gods Word approves the murthering or deposing of Princes or that he thereunto animates his people Gods Word never warranded any Subjects to take the Sword to destroy their Soveraigns or to adjudge them to death under any pretence they not being their Judges above them but under them and what Gods Word approves not his Providence doth not approve although he may and doth in his holy Providence permit many things to be which he approves not in his Word which is our rule and not his Providence And to say God animates his people to such horrid actions is blasphemy making God the author of sin he animates none to any thing that is against his Word the ordinary rule of our walking albeit extraordinarily he may stir up the spirits of some to actions not according to the ordinary rule as in the times of the Judges but they were sure of their warrand from him the like whereof none have ground to wait for now But God save the King from such people so animated as this man would have them he may call them the people of God that carry such murthering-hearts towards Princes but it is to be feared God will say to them Depart from me I know you not One of Naphtali's commended Pseudomartyrs the Apology labours to produce many instances of the Parliaments of Scotland punishing Princes for their enormities all which he sets forth as laudable and imitable presidents and examples Yet the most that all of them amounts to is nothing but the insurrection of Nobles Proceres as Buchannan calls them against the Kings and violent oppressions of such of them as have been flagitious and tyrannous such were several of them as it happens every where and was so in Judah where were more evil Kings then good by far But neither Buchannan nor this Apolog. can produce any one instance of our lawful Parliaments or Peoples taking on them in a judicial way in cold blood and under forms of process to punish or destroy their Kings howsoever evil Whatever insurrections have been wherein Kings have perished and not a few people also as oft-times the cure of Tyranny is worse to the people then Tyranny it self Minori cum periculo tyrannus toleratur quam ejicitur yet God hath since the foundation of our Kingdom to this day preserved our Parliaments and People from such a way against their Kings even when they were under Paganisme for some ages even when Popery did over-grow the Land choaking and darkening the light of the Gospel after it was come amongst us and when the Land was in many ages under much barbarity it never came in the hearts of Parliaments or People to sit as Judges on their Soveraigns in cold blood and advisedly with forms of Process to attempt their destruction however evil they were The more shame do they cast upon these who in the fair day-light of the Gospel endeavour to poison souls with such a Doctrine of devils or who instigate to or approve of such wayes against the Powers ordained by God But to pull out this Libeller and his Complices from the Sanctuary of the Word of God which he sayes does approve the destroying of Princes and makes void their exemption and impunity as to men their Subjects Let it be considered what colour there is for this horrid Tenet from the Word of God A little we must reflect upon his Magazine whence he borrowes all his stuffe printing that pretious matter that is there over and over again under different shapes L. R. quest 26. is bold to say That the Sanhedrim might and should have put David to death for the matter of Vriah For sayes he he sees no exception God makes in the Law of great or small but the murtherer should be put to death according to Gen. 9.6 Numb 35.30 31. and if men make difference be craves leave to say à facto ad jus non sequitur and though it be an humane politick constitution that the King be free of all coaction of Law because it conduceth for the peace of the Common-wealth Yet if we make it a matter of conscience I see no exception that God makes the persons of the Great must not be excepted Deut. 1.17 1 Chron. 19.6 7. Levit. 19.15 So also P. 348. and 428. and 238. And often elsewhere he will have the estates executing the moral Law as he calls it on the King and punishing him not only resisting him And why because he sayes most Thrasonically P. 460. I have unanswerably proved that the Kingdom is superior to the King and the people may be their own Judge in the Tribunal of necessity To which we say 1. What should he mean to make it conducible to the Peace of the Common-wealth that the King be free of the coaction of Law and yet not so if it be made a matter of Conscience Is the preservation of the Peace of the Common-wealth no matter of Conscience to him or Is not the constitution freeing the King from coaction of Law for that end warrandable 2. It is good that this Metaphysical Statist was no chief Priest or Levite or such a member of the Sanhedrim in Davids time for he would certainly have afforded a corrupt exposition of the Law in reference to the King that he might be cut off What sots or cold-rife senselesse men were the Priests and the Prophets of that time who did not instigate the Sanhedrim to execute the moral Law on David that wrath might be turned away from the Land this man could in his sublime speculations have instructed the Sanhedrim better in their duty and could have told them that albeit David was not bound to draw his Sword against himself yet the Judges under him should not accept his person because he was a great man he could have told them the Sanhedrim is above the King to punish him as well as another man for his sin and in point of Conscience and by Gods Law they were bound to do it 3. He utterly mistakes the meaning of the Word of God Gen. 9.6 as for the other Texts they clearly concern Magistrates only