Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	act_n	ghost_n	holy_a	9,599	5	5.7057	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B04844	The case considered & resolved: whether Mr. Brooks his pills to purge malignants were prescribed from ignorance, malice, or both, or, (Mr Tho. Brooks his inside turn'd outward). Wherein all godly, humble, and ingenious Christians, whether in a congregational way or other, are concerned, to inquire into the truth ... presented in generall to the inhabitants of Margarets New Fish-street, but more particularly for the consideration of himself, and those of his congregation ... also friendly advice to an unfriendly neighbour, desiring him for the time to come to abstain from reviling such persons as he never spake word to, nor they to him. / By Richard Parham, a parishoner of the said parish.	Parham, Richard.	1653 (1653)	Wing P356B; ESTC R187021	27,320	39

THE CASE considered resolved VVhether Mr. Brooks his Pills to purge Malignants were prescribed from Ignorance Malice or both OR Mr. Tho. Brooks his inside turn'd outward WHEREIN All godly humble and ingenious Christians whether in a Congregational way or other are concerned to inquire into the truth of those mens Commissions who pretend themselves to be Preachers of the Gospel Presented in generall to the Inhabitants of Margarets New Fish-street but more particularly for the consideration of himself and those of his Congregation to undeceive them of those grosse conceits that they may have of him or he of himself that he is appointed by Christ and hath a Commission to preach the Gospel and Baptize Also Friendly advice to an unfriendly Neighbour desiring him for the time to come to abstain from reviling such persons as he never spake word to nor they to him By Richard Parham a Parishioner of the said Parish Matth. 7.15 20 21. Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly they are ravening wolves wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Qui alterum incusat probri ipsum se intueri oportet London Printed by R. A. for William Larnar at the Black Moor's head neer Fleet-Bridge 1653. To the impartiall Reader Reader I Have observed that many times a good Cause suffers deeply through weak mannagement when some there are who by the strength of perswasive oratory and studied eloquent expressions are able and do commonly perswade most of their Auditors to believe any thing they tell them though contrary to truth and reason How prevailing a smooth and curious stile is to work on the affections it cannot but be obvious to most for who is it that hath not observed divers when reading of histories nay and some of those but fictions have been drawn forth exceedingly both to hope and feare to joy and sorrow accordingly as they have been variously inclined Therfore as from an untun'd Instrument you will not expect melodious musick so from an unlearned Pen you cannot look for delightfull straines or polisht lines But such as is tendred I desire may have as friendly acceptance and favourable construction as it is freely offered and faithfully intended And if you find truth in the Discourse own it though cloathed in rags For certainly were there not an excellency in truth none would be drawn to love and owne it on its own single account I confesse there are many pretenders to truth and the wayes thereof but it is with such pretenders as with those that followed Christ for the loaves How easie is it to find many men zealous to cry up truth Ordinances and the wayes of Christ when a fat Parsonage a Lecture a gathered Congregation and some outward preferment comes in the close But how few if any think you might we have to preach upon Christs allowance to his Apostles Luke 9.3 And he said unto them take nothing for your journey neither staves neither scrip neither bread nor silver neither two coats apiece And upon the same allowance to the Seventy he sent to preach Luke 10.4 Behold I send you forth as lambs amongst wolves c. Reader it is not strange to see because we have been foretold of it that in the last dayes some should arise that should make merchandize of the word And if ever there were a time to trie the spirits certainly it is when that is fulfilled spoken by Christ himself that many false Prophets shall arise and deceive many saying lo here is Christ lo there is Christ but he bids us not believe them and therefore if we are not willing to search the Scriptures to trie who are false there is little hope we desire those that are true And without controversie the Devill is most like to deceive when he is transformed into an Angell of light Why should it be thought amisse to question the truth of the Ministery and commission of those men that are continually questioning the truth of one anothers doctrine not only in forms of worship but in the very points of eternall salvation I need not instance in those that preach universall Redemption or Christ dying for all mankind without exception how hotly are they opposed by those that hold election and reprobation of particular persons in anoaher sense Again some that maintain childrens baptism others baptizing of believers only Again their difference in the manner of administration The cause of my setting pen to paper will be best seen in the following Discourse being briefly by Scripture to unmask the proud boastings of a pretended Minister whose last book many judicious men do conceive to be made up of ignorance of Christ and his wayes and malice towards his Neighbours Secondly that he and others of his stamp may understand that there are divers in and about the City that take good notice both of their doctrine and practise that can so long as they are quiet suffer them to enjoy their freedome in the largest manner they can desire because they plead it upon the account of conscience but if once they break the bounds of modesty in reviling and abusing the Parishioners they can soon strip them of their Canonicall Robes and discover their deceit and hypocrisie to all the world Again that the growing greatnesse of his selfe-conceit may be stopt for if by our silence we should grant him to be as he calls himselfe viz. a Minister of the Spirit we should unavoidably be tyed up to his Dictates as much as the Papists are to the Decrees of the Pope Reader be pleased to take notice what disadvantages I have in presenting this answer to his book when the gentleman boasteth in the nineth page thereof that be hath spent more money at the University in helps to learning then severall of the Parishioners are worth And therefore if the truth of what is written cannot supqort it self it is like to have but little help from my Scholarship not but that I have a high esteem of learning so long as it is used to its proper end but not to have it used as the Magitians did in Pharoahs Court to delude both him and the people onely be pleased to remember that those that were Ministers of the Gospell were fitted for the preaching of it after another manner then studying at the University as you may read Acts 2.4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance c. To conclude in writing this piece I have to the best of my understanding cast up the account what it may amount to and I hope I have not reckoned without my host which in short the reward I expect for my time and paines is First that divers ingenious honest and religious persons will accept it although it

the body of Christ till all come in the unitie of faith and the knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the Stature of Christ c. I will not enlarge farther at present expecting to have it debated at large in Publick And because he pretends much of having a commission to preach and Baptise 3. I Querie who appoynted him to preach or gave him a Commission to Baptise Which two things I expect to have substantially proved by Scripture 4. Querie Where we finde any in Scripture that did Baptize with water after Christs Ascension that did not also Baptize with the holy Ghost Acts 19.2 3 4.5 And he said unto them have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye beleeved and they said unto him we have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost and he said unto them unto what then were ye Baptized and they said unto Johns Baptisme c. And in verse 6. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them the Holy Ghost came on them and they spake with tongues and Prophesied 5. Querie Whether the Baptisme with water after Christs Asscension was the Baptisme of Christ or a contiouation of Johns Baptisme And consider these Scriptures and divers others of the same kinde Mat. 3.11 Mark 3.8 I indeede Baptize you with water but he shall Baptize you with the Holy Ghost Act. 11.15 16. And as I began to speake the holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning Then remembred I the word of the Lord how that he said John indeed Baptized with water but ye shal be Baptized with the holy Ghost c. 6. Querie What the Scriptures doe hold forth the Baptisme of the Spirit to be after the Ascension of Christ We finde the Disciples of Christ furnished with very great gifts while he was with them yet still he sixt their thoughts upon what they should expect to receive after his departure from them as Joh. 7.39 But this he spake of the spirit which they that beleeve on him should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified 7. Querie What command the Gentleman hath in his Commission to Biptize Infants 8. Whether Infants can possibly be capable of the Baptisme of the Spirit having neither knowledge faith nor repentance 9. Whether in Scripture we reade of any that did Baptize with water after Christs Ascension whose Preaching and Doctrine was not confirmed by fignes and miracles 10. Whether the Scripture holds forth that all the gifts of the Spirit were in particular Churches after the Ascension And these I hope will be a sufficient ground work for the beginning of such an inquiry as through Gods blessing thereon may much enlighten our understandings in the order method and practice of Gospell obedience I shall make bold to add two Queries more which are of an other nature which I would willingly know 1. Whether it be not jure Divino and agreeable to the practice of the Primitive Preachers for men nowadayes to receive money for Preaching from such as never intend to heare them 2. Whether it be not more reasonable for me to send the Gentleman an Answer to his booke then for him to send me a Paper of his Pills at adventure not knowing the constitution of my body and having never spake word to me in his life But to hasten to a Conclusion because I am straitned in time and have not a conveniency to answer to every particular which he calls Reasons especially that Prophane persons ought not to be admitted into a Church Society And instances in the case of Judas For the understanding whereof I desire to know whether Christ and his Disciples were a Church before the Administration of the Sacrament of the Supper Luke 22.19 if they were then certainle Judas was a Member though a wicked one But for that lamentable Lame thing which he calls his fourth Reason which is this That Christ acted in giving the Sacrament Ministerially as he was man leaving them a Pattern to walke by that should come after him and such was the carriage of Christ towards Judas all along Now from his own words if this be the Patterne that Christ left to his succeeding Ministery whereof he pretends himselfe to be one I Querie who granted him a dispensation not to follow it And for that bold affirmation of his in the following words that Christ did not act towards Judas as he was an all-seeing God or the heart maker or heart searcher c. Truly I suppose he would have the Reader to take that upon trust or it may be it is one of his Revelations for he brings not the least tittle of Scripture to prove it by But I wonder what he thinkes of Peters acting in the case of Ananias and Saphira Act 5. whether he acted in the Ministeriall office as God or man when all will grant that Christ was Master and Peter but Servant But that point of the lawfulnesse of refusing prophane Persons who desire to joyne themselves to a Congregation would aske a large debate and though I might draw divers Arguments from this case of Judas I shall offer one instance more Materiall which is Act. 8.13 where we finde Simon Magus though a Witch yet was he admitted into the Church by being baptized Though afterward Peter told him ver 23. That he was in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity Truly I gladly hasten to a Conclusion and I hope by this little I say you will easily judge what manner of Mettle the rest of the Gentlemans Discouse is made up of And though he may tell us of his leaving the Spirit yet I suppose he was not guided by the Spirit in the penning his last booke unlesse it were a Spirit of delusion for the Spirit which Christ promised John 16.13 Howbeit when he is come which is the Spirit of truth he will leade you into all truth But to my understanding I never read vanity in so large a Character and small a volume as in the booke intituled Pills to purge Malignants considering to what end he saith it was Composed Well let us rather pitty then provoke the Gentleman by discovering any more of his weaknesse at present remembring this charitable Motto Humanum est errare Thus having briefly gently and seriously as I may handled the Gentlemans discourse I hope he will as a loving Neighbour kindly accept it when he findes that he hath some Neighbours that are willing so farre as abilities will give them leave to requite his Courtesies And for a Conclusion I desire that some passages in Scripture which are of wonderfull worth and weight may be humbly earnestly and ingeniously considered which may tend both to the obedience and comfort of those that desire truly to feare God and walke in his wayes The Conclusion We finde in Scripture that there are two fearfull sinnes that most people have beene