Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	adoption_n	cry_v	father_n	9,732	5	5.0154	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33981	The vindication of liturgies, lately published by Dr. Falkner, proved no vindication of the lawfulness, usefulness, and antiquity of set-forms of publick ministerial prayer to be generally used by, or imposed on all ministers, and consequently an answer to a book, intituled, A reasonable account why some pious nonconformists judge it sinful, for them to perform their ministerial acts in by the prescribed forms of others : wherein with an answer to what Dr. Falkner hath said in the book aforesaid, the original principles are discovered, from whence the different apprehensions of men in this point arise / by the author of the Reasonable account, and Supplement to it.	Collinges, John, 1623-1690.	1681 (1681)	Wing C5345; ESTC R37651	143,061	307

Irregular use of Gifts might be restrained therefore the Regular use of them might I shall leave the Reader to judg of what I said and he hath here answered whether he hath taken off the least of my Answer Only adding That an Argument from the Power of the Apostles to the Power of any Superiours now till the Author hath proved those now impowred Possessed of the same Infallible Spirit and of the same Divine Right to make new Rules of Order for the Church is very inconclusive 19. In his 41 p. He tells us that This faculty of Expression in Prayer Vindication p. 41. is procured and enlarged by men who have a competent Natural freedom of Speech by use and exercise and advanced by various Methods I acknowledge saith he that in some an Affectionateness of Devotion doth contribute much thereto in others confident self conceit and an heated fancy and as I have read some particular Instances even Diabolical Contracts have promoted the same What he calls facility of Expression is the same with what I called an ability fitly to express our minds to God in Prayer and of this he speaks or he saith nothing to the purpose This he saith is procured and enlarged by use and exercise he saith true provided the Person hath first a due knowledge of God and of himself and of the Scriptures which till one hath acquired all Vse and Exercise is to no purpose This also must be supposed to Affectionateness of Devotion which he truly saith contributeth much thereto but how confident self conceit a meer heated fancy or Diabolical Contracts should do it which the Answerer it seems believeth he would never else have troubled us with a Romance are matters of wonderful subtil disquisition especially that How the Devil should help a Man if he would be so kind fitly to express his mind to God in Prayer I tremble while I mention such a thing as ever spoken by a Divine to help the already too much Atheistical and Blaphemous World with an Authority and that no less then Dr. Faulkners to say Godly Ministers do that by the Devil which they do by the assistance of the Holy Spirit of God The Answerers granting it may be will be warrant enough to harden hundreds in such Blasphemies How much Evil speaking soever I be charged with I hope I shall avoid that Evil speaking because of those Texts Mar. 3.28.29 and that Matth. 12.31 32. The Crime there was the Pharises asserting that what Christ did by the Spirit of God v. 28. Was done by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils The Doctor doth not indeed boldly assert such a thing but he hath so phrased what he saith that besides the Scurvy Innuendo in his words he plainly grants it nut be But surely the Devil fills none with the Knowledge of God or with Affectionate Devotion Now whether the Pharises guilt there were not an intituling the Devil to the Operations of the Blessed Spirit I leave to his serious thoughts Nor can I be so uncharitable even to the Pharises as to think that they in saying so Lied against the Holy Ghost speaking what they knew to be otherwise I do judge they thought as they spake which if they did I know no difference in the case but in the means of Conviction they had further then any can novv have that the People of God Praying in the use of their Spiritual Gifts Act by the Spirit because of the Miracles they saw wrought by Christ which indeed was a great means but the judgment of a true Miracle from the Phaenomenon of it in one of Satans lying Wonders mentioned 1 Thessa 2.9 is so difficult that I cannot see the heighth of their guilt lay there so much as in their speaking Evil with reference to the blessed Spirit in a thing which they knew not but had good Evidence to the contrary I pray God that it may not he laid to the charge of so Worthy a Person that by this unaccountable Suggestion He hath as David was charged in a case wherein the Holy Spirit was not so immediately concerned 2 Sam. 12.14 made the Enemies of God to Blaspheme That to Pray in the Spirit or with the Assistance of the Spirit is to perform the duty of Prayer with a pious mind as he tells us so many times over 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is what none denies but that this is the whole of it that it is not also with such words as the Spirit teacheth them to utter which Spirit is therefore called the Spirit of Supplication the Spirit of Adoption sent into our hearts by which a Child of God crieth Abba Father is what the Dr. neither hath proved nor ever can 20. He tells us p. 43. that he acknowledgeth a sober and due freedom of Expression to be a Gift of God in the same manner that the capacities of Mens Vnderstandings and all other Abilities of Mind and Body are Gods Gifts But it is plain this liberty of Expression is the product of the Natural Capacities Men receive from God which are improved in well disposed Persons by ordinary means under Gods Blessing c. Socinus in his Dialogue of Justification saith the same of Faith a Spiritual Gift of a more Salvifick Nature Faith saith he is such a Gift of God as God gives to all and a little before Hearing is the Gift of God c. I do not compare Faith and the Gift of Prayer I know Faith is a far more excellent gift But I believe he speaks as much truth with reference to Faith as our Answerer speaks as to an Ability to express our minds fitly to God in Prayer for Faith in the exercise is the exercise of the Natural Capacity of a Soul to put a confidence in a person or Assent to a Proposition which is evidenced to it to be truth and every man hath a Natural Power to Assent and Rely on proper Objects But to Assent to a Spiritual Truth above the Evidence of Sense and Reason to receive Christ and Rely on him for Life Eternal these are no Natural Capacities So to speak is but a Natural Capacity the generality of Men have a Natural Capacity to express their Minds by Speech but an Ability fitly to express our Minds to God in Prayer is no product of a meer Natural Capacity but of the Spirit of God having first enlightened the Soul with the knowledge of God 21. If he saith it is but such a Gift as Men may have and Perish eternally it is granted him but such were Prophecy the Mysteries of Knowledge Miraculous Faith Rom. 13.1 2. Yet I hope they were Spiritual gifts and not the meet products of Natural Capacities and different from such Natural Abilities as are necessary to make a Man perfect in Naturalibus and it is easie to prove that common gifts in the Service of God are of use and means to Spiritual Acts. I know none that ever called the Gift of Prayer a Spiritual saving Gift

generally very Learned Diligent and Sober Men. The good Lord put this thing into the Hearts of our Civil Magistrates 10. Hence it appeareth that what I said was no such Calumny as to be a Reflection on any one good man nor upon the Governours of our Church nor yet upon the Political Magistrate What makes our Adversary here in such a rage as for this twice to call me Devil once by craft p. 70. another time by Periphrasis p. 235. for we can understand the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that of The grand Accuser of the Brethren tho while he thinks not fit that Ministers in publick Services should use their Gift in Prayer he can yet think it fit to express his Charity by his two gifts of Tongues and Oratory Yet in thus abusing me he as much abuseth no mean persons of his own Brethren for he who wrote The Causes of the contempt of the Clergy and those who in their Sermons have complained of the Debauchery of the Clergy and they h●ve not been few have said as much possibly very much more then I have said I neither said that the main body of our Clergy were such nor yet that they were Learned Diligent and Sober Men I had no reason to say either because I do not know the tenth part of them but I know very many both of the one and of the other and amongst those that I know on either side those whom I know of the worser sort are most generally the greatest Zealots for Liturgies and greatest Railers against those that are of another mind I say most generally and the main body of them are so Tho there be some learned and sober men are warm enough too in this case and for the truth of this I appeal to the knowledge of all our English World 11. Certainly it had been more worthy of one who hath had the repute which our Vindicator hath had to have owned the thing which every eye seeth and declared his sad sense of it and acknowledge the defective Constitution of our Church having not had leisure and opportunity since our Reformation from Popery to provide against it and to have told us That altho the preparation of Ministers work for them had been or may be a Temptation to Men whose hearts are viciously inclined to indulge their Lusts yet a Liturgy is no necessary cause of this nor this a necessary consequent of a Liturgy This had been true modest and ingenious by what he hath here said he hath not exposed me but himself but if he had so spoke he had found me agreeing with him and saying the same thing p. 124. 12. As to the second Effect which I mentioned viz. The loss of Ministerial Gifts He dare not say That the totall disuse or general disuse of the Ministerial Gift of Prayer is not the next way to lose it But he tells us Blessed be God in our Church there 's no loss of any Abilities requisite for the due discharge of the Ministry No loss If he had said No want I should not have contradicted him But is there No loss Are there none or have there been none who before this tying themselves to Forms could have fitly expressed themselves to God in Prayer but now cannot without their Book Pray with a Sick Person or upon any Emergent occasion I appeal to the Experience of the World And as much as he in his next words and indeed all along in his Book contemns and slighteth an Ability fitly to express our minds to God in Prayer I believe there are thousands and ten thousands of Ministers and Consencious Christians that would not want it for all this Worlds good and perfer it to the knowledge of all Fathers and all Languages and take it to be one of the Best Gifts which every one who feareth God is obliged to Covet The Lord lay not to his charge his scorn and contempt of it I am afraid that when he and I shall appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ he will find it a graver thing then a Childish varying Phrases He hath read of words which the Holy Ghost teacheth 1 Cor. 2.13 Is he sure that none of the words which a Godly Minister or Christian powreth out from the Conceptions of his own heart first inflamed with the sense of his daily renewed Sins and Wants and Mercies are not words which the Holy Ghost teacheth It teacheth expressions in Sermons 1 Cor. 2.13 in Confessions before men and therefore our Saviour bids his Disciples take no thought before hand what to say for it shall be given you in that hour what you shall say Mar. 13.11 Luke 12.11 12. and Matth. 10.20 it is expresly said For it is not you that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you May it not be the Spirit of our Father that speaketh in a good Christian praying from the conception of his own Heart Or in a Pious Minister praying for the people of God Especially considering that that Spirit is the Spirit of Supplications and Rom. 8.15 the Spirit of Adoption by which we cry Abba Father and v. 26. The Spirit that helpeth our Infirmities for we know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered He can have no Plerophory that that Text restraineth the Operation of the Spirit there to Impressions upon the Affections The Spirit may as well speak in us in Prayer as which our Saviour asserteth Matth. 10.20 it spake in his Disciples in their Confessions which could be no otherwise then by prompting them what to say and so it is expounded Mark 13.11 Whatsoever shall be given you in that hour that speak ye They spake but yet the Spirit did so eminently influence their speech that Matth. 10.20 Christ saith It is not you that speak but the Spirit of your Father which s●eaketh in you The case standing thus I durst not for all this World have said This was nothing but a School-boys Varying Phrases which our Answerer hath often told us in his Book for fear all understanding Christians should have judged me Prophane and little understanding Communion with God in that duty What apprehensions or confidences others may have authorizing such expressions I know not but shall in secret mourn for 13. I had instanced in a thi●d Fruit or consequent of Liturgies universally imposed which I called a Flood of Iniquity I did mention some drops of that flood Bitter words in Pulpits and Sermons and Printed Books ungodly representations to Superiors of men of whom the World was not worthy suspensi●ns silencings of many godly Ministers Ruins of many eminent Ministers of Christ with their Families separations of Christians one from another Imprisonments of man to their undoing Revilings I might have aded Blasphemings of the Holy Spirit of God in his Operations much of which if not most had been prevented if Liturgies of Pra●er had not

judge not For the Jews had by Gods prescription a Worldly Sanctuary and as some Typical so many Carnal Ordinances as the Apostle speaks which are to continue but till the time of Reformation Musick which was one of the things directed by David by the Spirit of God upon him to be used by the Jewish Church was no Typical Ordinance but it was a Carnal Ordinance upon which the primitive Church disused it retaining singing only as Justin Martyr tells us Quaest Resp 107. where he calleth it a Service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Children with allusion to the Apostle who compareth the state of that Church to the state of Children under age therefore the Gospel Church threw it out but he tells us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plain singing was not so and it was therefore retained besides it was justified by our Saviour commanded by the Apostle c. In that very Chap. Joel 2. where at the 17. v. Our Vindicator thinks he hath found a Collect to be used in the Jewish Worship he might have also found a Promise at v. 28. relating to the days of Pentecost as appears by Acts. 2.17 I will power out my Spirit on all flesh and this Spirit Zech. 12.10 is a Spirit of Supplication a Spirit of Adoption teaching us to cry Abba Father and because we know not what to pray for helping our Infirmities with strong cries and groans which cannot be uttered Rom. 8. It is therefore very ill arguing to argue Divine Institutions under the Gospel and the modes or means of them from the Institutions under the Law But far worse to argue not from the Institutions of God but the Traditions and Practices of Men in the Jewish Church Are we then ignorant how severely Christ taxed the Traditions of that Church in his time Telling them they had by them made the Law of God of no effect For which tho our Saviour did not wholly desert their Church but was often with them heartily joyning with them in his Fathers Institutions yet he doubtless never approved nor joyned with them in such Traditions as he had so declared against 26. Our Vindicator in the close of this Section hath a passage out of Melancthon from whence he would make us believe that Melancthon judged that Forms of Prayer were always used and commanded in the Church I shall the more diligently examine this to learn my Reader not over much to trust the Vindicator without looking himself into the Authors he citeth and because it hath had so contrary an influence on me That whereas before I was something doubtful whether the Saxon Churches since the Reformation had not an universally imposed Liturgy knowing that Luther did at the beginning reform a Missal for them upon reading the common place of Melancthon from whence our Vindicator takes his quotation I begin to be of another mind and to think that even those Churches tho of all other most imperfectly Reformed had no other then a Book of Prayers composed and left at liberty The place he quoteth is in Melancthons common place De Precatione The words of our Vindicator are these And upon a view of what I have now produced in this Section the Reader may see reason to believe the truth of what was asserted by Melancthon concerning Forms of Prayer In loc Theol. de Precat Ecclesia semper eas proposuit publice private in eas exerceri jubet The Church of God hath always proposed them and thought them fit to be used both publickly and privately 27. Melancthon was a great Light and one of the first threes in the Reformation of Germany from Popery of the perswasion of Luther and the Saxon Divines who differed much both from the Suitzerland Churches and the five Imperial Cities and many others both as to the indifferency of Rites and Ceremonies which had been used in Popery and in the great point of the True Corporeal presence of Christ in the Lords Supper This is manifest in the whole History of those times wrote by Scultetus Hospinian and Sleidan He published two Editions of short Com. Places the one 1535 which he dedicated to Hen. VIII King of England the other largely printed 1543. In both which is a common place about Prayer but in the first no such passage as our Vindicator quoteth In the latter I find something like it p. 558. In these words Sed quia difficilis est Attentio in recitatione ideo ignavi fugiunt recitationes At Ecclesia semper eas proposuit et publice et privatim eas exercere jubet Ideo Psalmitraditi sunt summo concilio compositi Christus ipse formam precandi proponit ac nominatim inquit Luc. 11. Cum Oratis Dicite verba et Recitationem certam prescribit ut antea praescripserat Johannes Teneamus Ergo et recitemus formam Divino consilio traditam In English But because in recitation attention is difficult therefore lazy persons decline Recitations but the Church always proposed them and commanded them to be used both in publick and private The Psalms were therefore composed with the greatest wisdome and Christ himself proposeth a Form of Prayer and particularly saith Lu. 11. When you pray say He both prescribeth words and a certain Recital as before John had done Let us hold and recite that Form which our Lord hath given us Then he largely expounds the Lords Prayer 28. It is manifest that Melancthon here speaketh not one word of such Forms of Prayer as are within our question which are Forms composed and prescribed by other Men not divinely inspired or commissionated by God to order things in his Worship He neither here nor that I can find in any part of this common place mentions any but the Lords Prayer the Psalms of David or some other parts of Holy Writ the use of which we most freely allow even to the best of Ministers tho it may be we have no such opinion of the necessity of the use of the same words and syllables as some others have had or have 29. Neither doth he by Recitations which he saith the Church always commanded mean Forms of Prayer as our Author suggesteth it is a most unaccountable thing why lazy persons should as he saith decline Forms But the thing he is speaking of is Vocal Prayer in opposition to the Popish Practices of Priests in Publick Worship Muttering Prayers in secreto making the people believe that whether they heard what was said or no joyned in one Petition or no yet they were the Prayers of the Church and upon that account heard for them This is it he opposeth and saith the contrary was always ordered and commanded by the Church That Christ ordered it otherwise he bids them in Praying say not mutter to themselves only and that the Psalms were made to be sang out not mumbled over in secreto and this is all can be made of that Paragraph 30. From the whole method and structure and matter of

his affections fervent so as one may be und●r an obligation a divine obligation not to use Forms another for the present to use them So as I did not think this matter of a Superiours command because an Vniversal command here must necessarily trespass as to some upon a Divine Obligation which hath pre-obliged them to the contrary the command of Attention and Fervency in Prayer which they must not violate in obedience to any man as all Divines agree I think this is Sense and Divinity Now good Reader observe what our Answerer who hath so often told the World there is no weight no strength no truth in what I say replyeth to this 2. He tells us That He who seriously minds his duty must also have a conscientious regard toVnity Order and the Duty of due submission and the observing them are not the way to make him less devout and fervent That the Exercise of one duty will not hinder us in another That the Promises of Gods Grace and Presence are chiefly made to them who embrace Peace and Vnity I do very well know that there are Precepts for and Promises to Peace and Vnity and those that follow it and some of those Precepts which also direct us how to follow it as Heb. 12.14 Follow Peace with all Men and Holiness Rom. 12.18 If it be possible as much as lyeth in you live peaceably with all Men So that Vnity and Peace is no further our duty then it is consistent with Holiness which surely lyeth in the discharge of our Obligations to God No further then it is possible for us and as in us lyeth Now it is not Morally possible for us it lyeth not in us to be at Peace and in Vnity with them who will be in no Peace and Vnity with us unless we will consent to please them to quit what we verily believe is our Obligation to God viz. To Pray with the greatest attention of our thoughts and fervency of our Spirits Fathers and Authority of Men enough might be quoted in this case but that I fancy no such Ostentation There are Precepts also requiring order and due submission to Governours but they must both be expounded as the other Will any one then in his right reason urge us with Precepts to Vnity Order and Submission in a case where the question is Whether we can follow these Precepts with Holiness yea or no Whether they be morally possible or lie in us yea or no Or Whether before ever any such precepts of Men were we were not pre-obliged to the contrary by God 3. To as little purpose is his Text Matth. 5.23 24. brought for our Brother neither hath nor can have any thing against us tho he be offended at us if he be offended at us meerly because to be at Vnity with him or to please him we will not violate an Obl●gation which we believe was ever upon us from God Now that we have such an Obligation upon us this Argument was brought to prove Because we have an Oblition upon us to the greatest attention of thoughts and fervency of Spirit in Prayer and this we cannot discharge as we upon experience find by Praying by Forms But he promiseth us a discourse hereafter about Superiors power in this case To which time we shall adjourn this discourse only minding him that my instance of a command to Pray with our Eyes shut or open was not brought as a Comparison but as an Instance That there are some things ind●fferent that are not the object of Superiors commands Yet we cannot but judge such a command as momentous as a command one while to pray standing up another while kneeling down what speaking evil of Dignities this is I cannot understand but I am sure in this and many other things as causelesly he pleaseth himself to speak evil of me which speaks him not very confident of the Validity of his own Answers It useth to be the policy of Commanders in an Army when they know they have beaten their Enemy to multiply their Adversaries Numbers and magnifie their Couragious Fighting but I see my Adversary is ruled by other Politicks 4. He comes in the next place p. 10. to tell us There can be no Publick Worship in any Church unless it be first determined to be either with or without a Form we desire no other determination then That it may be determined lawful for Ministers to Pray with or without a Form and thus this point is determined by the Churches of God in France and Holland It is determined in New England and Scotland that it shall be without a Form I ask not so much yet surely there is with this Doctors leave Publick Worship in all these places and therefore if his meaning be that there can be no Publick Worship unless one way be fixed of them two and the other destroyed he condemns all the Publick Worship of France and Holland where either of them is at liberty There is therefore no necessity for the determination of all Men in this case before there can be any Publick Worship of God no not by him that officiateth unless he means as to a Particular Act and therein he saith true but in the same Congregation Publick Worship may for ought I know be this day performed by one that useth no Form and to morrow by another who useth a Form not having Gifts or being nor confident he hath or being hindred by God at this or that time as to the use of them 5. At length he comes to the two Testimonies that of the Divines of Leyden and that of the Walachrian Classis which he had brought to prove that they judged it lawful for all Ministers in their Ministerial Acts of Prayer to use Forms of Prayer composed tho by Men not Divinely inspired tho he tells us p. 3. he laid no great stress on them yet because he chargeth me with not giving a true account of them and calls it an high degree of Carelesness and not Faithful dealing I must examine the matter again 1. He agrees as I said p. 46. of the Reasonable Account that the Walachrians professed to agree with Amesius and he agrees that Amesius was not for preferring Forms before conceived Prayer Well then where was the Errour I committed shewing my self careless and unfaithful He tells us that the Walachrians only declared their Agreement with Dr. Ames in that Question Whether Forms were lawful for Prayer and administring the Sacraments or those Churches that used them were guilty of Superstition and Will Worship and whether men might retain Communion with those Churches that used them In these words the Walachrians state the Question and that in the very place quoted in Dr. Faulconers Libertas Eccles p. 121. Considerat Cap. 7. qu. 2. The very first words in Answer to this Question are Nos in hac controversia faciles accedimus iis quae ab Amesio super hac Quaest scribuntur What saith ou● Answerer I acknowledge