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	receive_v	6,371	5	5.4895	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17864	An examination of those plausible appearances which seeme most to commend the Romish Church, and to preiudice the reformed Discovering them to be but meere shifts, purposely invented, to hinder an exact triall of doctrine by the Scriptures. By Mr Iohn Cameron. Englished out of French.; Traicté auquel sont examinez les prejugez de ceux de l'église romaine contre la religion reformée. English	Cameron, John, 1579?-1625.; Pinke, William, 1599?-1629.	1626 (1626)	STC 4531; ESTC S107409	97,307	179

gift of God not by workes to the end that no man might boast They beleeue that we are saved partly by grace through faith partly by merits and workes that faith is partly the gift of God and partly an effect of our freewill Antiquitie beleeued that we are not saued by workes of righteousnesse which we haue done They beleeue that we are saved ex congruo by the workes which we doe before our regeneration and ex condigno by those which follow it Antiquitie prayed the Lord not to enter into iudgement with his servants because that before him no flesh shall be iustified They beleeue that the Lord shall enter into iudgement with them for they beleeue to be iustified by the merit of their workes Prim●tiue and Apostolicall antiquity beleeued that Gods election was every way free that election is of grace that if it be of grace it is no more of works otherwise grace were no more grace but if it bee of workes it is no more of grace otherwise workes were no more workes They beleeue that it is of grace and of works too Antiquity beleeued that it is God which effectually produceth in vs to will and to doe according to his good pleasure They attribute both the one and the other in part to their owne free will Antiquitie beleeved that we are not able to think any thing of our selues but that our sufficiency is frō God They attribute our sufficiency in part to our owne selues Antiquity beleeued that wee can doe nothing without Christ. They beleeue that we can without Christ while we are not yet engraffed into him doe workes which merit eternall life ex congruo as before our regeneration and that without the grace of God a man may for a time be without sinning Antiquity beleeued that of our owne nature wee are the children of wrath they beleeue that by the strength of our owne nature we are able to prepare and to dispose our selues for grace Antiquity beleeved that before Christ hath quickned vs we are dead in sinnes They beleeue that we haue freewill to good Antiquitie beleeued that the spirit fighteth against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit that they are contrary things in vs. They beleeue that we are able to fulfill the law of God perfectly that is to say without sinne Antiquitie beleeved that the lusting of the flesh is enmity against God and cannot bee subiect to the law of God They acknowledge even in the flesh a freewill to good Antiquitie beleeued that Christ prayed not for the world but for those whom the Father hath giuen him out of the world They beleeue that it is no certaine number for which the Lord hath prayed but that he prayed indifferently for all The Ancients beleeved that all they who haue heard of the father and haue learned of him come vnto Christ and that no man commeth vnto him vnlesse the father drawe him They beleeue that they who come not to Christ haue heard of the father as well as the other and that there is no grace nor particular election in the calling and conversion of a Christian. Antiquitie beleeved that it is Christ which chooseth vs and not we that choose him They on the contrary beleeue that wee choose Christ for they make that grace by which hee calleth vs to him vniversall and suppose it indifferently proposed to all so that in respect of Christ there is no election seeing he promiscuously calleth all but that we choose of our selues to goe vnto him Whence that is alwaies in their mouthes Fac vt praedestineris si non es praedestinatus Make thy selfe predestinated if thou art not Antiquitie beleeued that God hath mercy vpon whom he will haue mercy and compassion of whom he pleaseth to haue compassion that hee hath mercy on whom he will haue mercy and whom he will hee hardneth They bereaue God of this liberty and accuse them of blasphemie who attribute it vnto him Antiquitie beleeued that they who fall away who goe out from among the faithfull were neuer of the number of the faithfull for if they had beene of vs saith S. Iohn they would haue tarried with vs. They beleeue that they who are truely faithfull to day may fall away to morrow and that no man can be assured of his perseuerance Antiquitie beleeued that wee haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to be againe in feare but the spirit of adoption which cryeth in our hearts Abba Father They beleeue that the spirit of the faithfull is a spirit of feare that they must alwaies liue in doubt that to haue a setled assurance is presumption Antiquitie beleeued that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ hath everlasting life They say that he who beleeueth in Christ cannot be certaine of life albeit the Lord hath said it which is in effect to beleeue that wee must not beleeue in Christ for how shal he beleeue in Christ who doubteth whether Christ loueth him or not Whether Christ will loue him continually as they teach him to doubt Antiquitie beleeued that there is no feare in loue and that perfect loue casteth out feare They commend feare in those which ought to burne with loue not that feare of offending God that filiall feare but a feare of being damned a seruile feare Antiquitie beleeued that there is but one naturall body of Chri●t a●d that composed of the substance of the blessed Virgin They would seeme indeed to beleeue so too but by the infini●e multitude of their hosties or sacrifices each of which they s●y is Christs body attributing vnto him also b●dies ma●e of bread they betray their dissimulation and shew themselues to beleeue the quite contrary Antiquitie beleeued that the Sa●rament of the alt●r was broken bread they beleeue that it is the bodie of Christ which is not broken Antiquitie beleeued that the heavens must containe Christ vntill his second comming They beleeue that the body of Christ is evey where where their hostie● a●e Antiquitie be●eeved that those were not to be beleeued which should say Here is Christ there is Christ he is in the secret chambers They thinke and say the contrary every day when they haue him about the streets when they carry him to the sicke when they shut him vp in the Pixes Antiquitie beleeued that Iesus Christ is offered but once they beleeue that he is offered a numberlesse number of times Antiquitie beleeued that it was impossible Christ should be offered often vnlesse hee suffered often They beleeue that he is offered every day without suffering Antiquitie bele●ued that we haue but one Mediatour towards God They beleeue that we haue many Antiquitie beleeued that we ought to call vpon none but him in whom we beleeue They beleeue that we must call vpon many in whom it is not lawfull to beleeue namely the Saints and Saintesses of Paradise Antiquitie

Religion of their Ancestours forbade them to condemne so many braue spirits of ignorance to remoue the bounds which the renowned Ancients had fixed to tumble into the hazard of ruine and confusion so they imagined their Empire and Common-wealth which never receiveth such violent tosses nor ever feeleth such furious shaking-fits as when alterations in matter of Religion are stirring in it Having vpon these considerations conceived a hatred against Christianity it was easie for them afterward to invent more prejudices against it The Iewes for the most part blindly condemned Christ and his doctrine But if any one will doe the will of my father saith the Lord vnto them he shall iudge of the doctrine noting thereby that the primary cause of their malicious ignorance was the corruption of their hearts Yet they were not to seeke for pretences They opposed against him antiquity succession the promises made vnto them the strangenesse and novelty of his doctrine the contemptible condition of himselfe his disciples and followers But the cause of this evill lay deeper inveterated even with in their marrow an invincible hardnesse of heart an obstinate resolution not to let goe their hold of the superstition of their forefathers CHAP. IIII. That Passion in the cause of Religion produceth at this day the like effects and covereth it selfe with the like plausible pretences WHo doubteth but that at this day the same passions cause vs to conceiue the same prejudices against the same truths It s a very harsh point to condemne our forefathers for Heretickes this is to putrifie their memories it seemeth to be an impious and vnnaturall act towards them The Pagans had this consideration the Iewes had it and haue it at this day We who are men as they are subject to the same passions with them haue the very same inclination willingly to beleeue that the Religion of our Grandfathers was the only holy and divine Religion It● insupportable to nature because tempered with little sweetnes to incur●e disgrace to procure the displeasure of parents kindred neighbours countrymen superiours These respects are able to produce in vs at least this effect to make vs wish that the religion of those to whom nature and the civill lawes haue obliged vs were the true This desire afterward can it not stagger the iudgement and this staggering can it not terminat it selfe in a firme resolution to hold our selues fast vnto it and not to examine whether it be as sound as it is favourable Because that comming to discerne its imperfections our conscience will not suffer vs to be any longer at quiet vntill we change it for a better even vpon condition of running into inconveniences so cumbersome and vnwelcome vnto the sense of our nature So then when the ambitious spirit of man perceiveth it selfe taken vp already on the one side by a religion propitious to his ambition and invited on the other side by such a one as bindeth him to renounce the honour and embrace the infamy of the world shall we doubt of his partiality in the choice Is it not easie to iudge on which side he will turne the ballance Certainely man cannot strip himselfe out of all affection of religion in the same proportion he doth that he vnmanneth himselfe and is at best but a monster of nature in humane shape Perforce then he is to make profession of some kinde of religion the profession of irreligion being more infamous then that of a brutish stupid sensuality But amongst so many religions when he commeth to the choice of the True his affections his particular interests accompany him to the ballance and there sway all The truth how soundly soever propounded how evidently soever manifested how powerfully soever vrged is not able to make the counterpoise For this cause St. Paul recommending the Gospell and wishing the knowledge of it to King Agrippa excepted his bonds as knowing right well what a stumbling block the bondes and crosse of the Gospell are to Potentates Wee are wont to excuse at least if not to defend a wicked person if favourable and beneficiall vnto vs and wee thinke the cariage of a good man to be peeuish froward and cruell if hee oppose our ends thwart our purposes Iust so it is with our affection towards religion if it fauoureth vs and apply it selfe to our humours we are curious in inventing trickes to adorne it and artificiall colours to beautifie it If we doe already or are like to make profession of it vpon good advantagious hire in this case probabilities are vnto vs so many convincing irresistible demonstrations the grosser and more palpable heresies in it are but petty mistakes the horrible abuses and enormities are but such slips as should be borne with in the spirit of meeknesse But towards the religion crosse to his affections and which is is an enemy to his ambition man behaueth him selfe after another fashion he stretcheth and straineth his wits to espie some faults in it in it a small wrinkle a wart a superficiall spot seemeth vnto him an hideous deformity Oft times he will not or dares not so much as looke vpon it for feare of being captiuated by its beauty He willingly openeth the eare to him who is a deadly enemy of it to him who slandereth it he stops it against them who only can represent it to him in its natiue purity never considering but in hasty and prefunctory thoughts the firmenes of its grounds for feare least a truth so euident and powerfull should come to master and tame the rebellion of his vnderstanding CHAP V That to be throughly assured of the truth of a Religion it is necessary to examine the nature of the reasons vpon which it is grounded SEing that such is the inclination of our nature it concerneth him who desireth to bee throughly setled in the assurance of the truth of his Religion narrowly to consider whether they are bare prejudices plausible pretences respects meerely carnall which make it pleasing vnto him or whithe● the truth of it be so cleere and evident that the conscience remaines convinced with it the soule satisfied the minde resolued and content This disquisition this meditation will be of excellent vse in making way for the discerning in matter of Religion of truth from errour superstition from piety of the abuse from that which is legitimate custome from law For it will furnish vs with proofes not drawne from the circumstances of the accessory and that which is meerely accidentall but such as are grounded vpon the principall and which result from the nature essence of the thing it selfe Proofes infallible and inforcing a necessary conclusion whereas the other either conclude not at all or if they doe the most the conclusion can doe is to make the cause for which the proofes were produced plausible and g●acious the contrarie suspected and odious being nothing else if we esteem of them as they are but