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

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80158	Responsoria ad erratica pastoris, sive, vindiciæ vindiciarum. Id est, the Shepherds wandrings discovered, in a revindication of the great ordinance of god: Gospel-preachers, and preaching. By way of reply and answer to a late booke, called, The peoples priviledges, and duty guarded against the pulpit and preachers encroachment. And their sober justification and defence of their free and open exposition of scriptures. Published by William Sheppard, Esq. Wherein Mr Sheppards pretended guard, consisting of ten propositions and ten arguments, is examined, and found to wear nothing by wooden swords. And all his replyes to Mr Tho. Halls arguments, and Mr Collinges arguments in his Vindiciæ ministerii, brought against not ordained persons ordinary preaching, are found but cavils and too light. And the truth still maintained, ... in that, preaching and expounding scripture publiquely, are proper acts to gospel officers; not common to all. Wherein also the great question, how far the spirit of God ... dothïnable them to understand scripture is opened, ... / By John Collings, M.A. and preacher of the Gospel in Norwich.	Collinges, John, 1623-1690.	1652 (1652)	Wing C5331; Thomason E672_1; ESTC R207127	122,201	185

you have quoted none that doth You have indeed brought in many but you have brought them in against their wils so none of them speake to prove what you would have them viz. that it is any where prophecied that the guift of prophecying and understanding the mysteries of Scripture by an extraordinary inspiration of the Spirit should abound under the Gospel as a standing guift to all the Saints Indeed most of them prove an increase of saving knowledge practicall experimentall knowledge of God and of things necessary to salvation and possibly of the knowledge we are speaking of to be acquired by ordinary means and waies but none of them of such an immediate inspiration to make them understand the Scriptures so as to be able to expound them where they are darke and their sense not obvious Nor doth that place quoted by you Mat. 11.11 prove any thing at all it being clearly to be understood of Christ whom the Jews counted least in the Kingdom of Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl in loc V. Dickson in Matthaeum You bring another reason p. 9. to prove that the people are to abound in the knowledge of the Scriptures as well as the Preachers Because they have many uses to put it to viz. to teach reprove exhort c. But all this they may doe though they have not so full a knowledge of the Scriptures as Preachers are and ought to have I grant you they are to labour for a knowledge in the Scriptures but not that they are tied by duty to seek for such a measure of knowledge as the Preacher is bound by duty to seek after But I hasten to your fift proposition p. 9 CHAP. VII Wherein is examined Mr. Sheppards 9 10 11 12 13 pages and his fifth proposition scann'd and examined YOur fifth proposition is this That the guift of Scripture exposition and explication being a part of the prophecy which doth now remain in the Church is a guift common to all the people of Christ out of Office as well as the preachers of Christ in Office This now well proved were worth something to your purpose Here are two things to be proved 1. That the guift of Scripture exposition and explanation is a part of the prophecie which doth now remain in the Church 2. That it is a common guift I am mistaken if I finde either of these well proved You should have proved the former first but you begin with the latter and I will follow your method Now to prove that this is a common guift you would prove 1. That all Gods people have Gods Spirit Jam. 4.5 1 Thes 4.8 1 John 4.13 Rom. 8.9 2. That this Spirit is a Spirit of illumination and Scripture interpretation Zech. 12.10 Rom. 8.15 26. Eph. 6.18 3. That by this they are or may be enabled to see the sense and meaning of Scripture 1 Cor. 2 12. Eph. 1.17 18. Jer. 31.33 Psal 40.7 8. Jo. 3.27 Jo. 10.26 Jo 6.44 45. Matth. 13.11 12 16. This is the substance of your ninth and tenth pages For the first I grant it that all Gods people have the Spirit But Sir surely you were not guided by this Spirit in the interpreting of Scripture when to prove this you quote Jam. 4.5 The words are these Doe you think that the Scripture speaketh in vain The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy Is that meant of the holy Spirit of God think you But the thing is truth that all Gods people have the Spirit now let us make it into an argument Whoso hath the Spirit of God hath the guift of expounding Scripture But all Gods people have the Spirit of God Ergo they all have the guift of expounding Scripture Nego majorem Prove Sir your first proposition and to this purpose I suppose you bring your next medium and tell us that this Spirit is a spirit of illumination and Scripture interpretation in all that have it Your Logick is this If the Spirit of God in all that have it be a Spirit of Scripture interpretation then whoso hath the Spirit hath that guift But the Spirit in all that have it is a Spirit of Scripture interpretation Ergo. Nego minorem The latter proposition is false I grant you that the Spirit is a Spirit of interpretation that is that the Spirit can teach a man the meaning of Scripture for all Scripture is dictated by the Spirit and ejusdem est interpretari ac condere Yet let me tell you you are beholden to me for granting you this for you have not proved it You indeed bring in against their wils the Prophet Zachariah proving it Zech. 12.10 where are these words I will poure upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications c. Here is no mention of the Spirit of Scripture interpretation Your other place is Ro. 8.15 26. v. 15. For you have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear but you have rceeived the spirit of adoption whereby you cry Abba Father v. 16. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit maketh intercession for us c. Here is plain mention made of the spirit of bondage and adoption and supplication and intercession But you are a better Logician then I if you can from any of these Texts prove that the Spirit is a Spirit of Scripture interpretation though the thing be a truth Sir yet I say you are beholding to me to yield it you in arguing Nay I will grant you a little further that the Spirit of God in whomsoever it dwels doth so farre enlighten their minds in the knowledge of the Scriptures that they may see all that is necessary for them to know in reference to their own salvation But this the Spirit doth upon their reading and hearing imprinting a perswasion of the truth of what they heare and read upon their hearts But though I yield you easily that the Spirit is a Spirit of Scripture interpretation yet I deny that it is in all so Nay I shall question whether it be in any so as you would have it I grant you in these 1. That the Spirit doth dwell in all 2. That the Spirit can interpret Scriptures 3. That it doth doe as I have said But I conceive that which you would have is this That the Spirit by a secret immediate work doth enlighten men without the use of ordinary means such as are the understanding the tongues weighing consequences considering coherences c in the understanding of the Scriptures That a Saint quà a Saint by vertue of the Spirit dwelling in him is able to interpret any Scriptures so as to expound them to others This is a false and dangerous opinion I shall therefore spend a few words to shew you what assistance the Spirit of God ordinarily gives men in the opening of Scriptures That the Spirit of God hath by

upon all occasions to counsell them and they did so Suadendo 5. As the Spirit of God sometimes extraordinarily manifests it selfe in creating perswasions and confidences in the hearts of his Saints concerning truth and some things present or future thus the Spirit seales our justification and faith and hope of glory and hence it filleth the Soul with comfort so the evill Spirit perswades sometime concerning errours and wickednesse making impressions of perswasion and confidence upon the spirits of those whom the Lord permits him to seduce thus the evill Spirit perswaded Ahab 1 Kin. 21.21 22. Thus I have shewen you how Satan workes either ordinarily hardning the heart and polluting the soule and drawing it out to sinne or extraordinarily in his servants and children enlightning their minds strangely revealing to them things to come by extraordinary motions and impulsions and directions and by creating extraordinary confidences and perswasions of things present or future And having this physicall power of working though the wicked be his ordinary subject yet by Gods permission when he gives up formall professors to strong delusions or when he would try his Saints he may play these tricks with the Saints they being his highest temptations God thereby proving them and others 13 Deu. 1.2 3. this is my third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the devil is Gods Ape 4. Fourthly Sunt enim daemones quos pios appelles ad templa hi compellunt ad preces adigunt sed suo lu●re Drexel t. 4. c. 3. such is the subtilty of Satan the tempter that as he will sute all persons with temptations sutable to their naturall and morall dispositions so he doth the Saints of God 5. Fifthly The Genius of the Saints being sanctified and standing towards neare communion with God and his spirit there cannot be a more sutable temptation to them then if the Devill can turne himselfe into an Angell of light and counterfeit the Spirit of God in its great workings to their soules and make their soules take impressions and revelations and illuminations and perswasions and direction from him and his evill Spirit instead of the holy Spirit 6. Nor can there be a more dangerous temptation or more dreadfull sinne then for the Soule to receive impulsions and directions from Satan and obey them to receive impressions and perswasions from the Devill and believe them as if they came from the holy Spirit and to call such irradiations perswasions impulsions the appearances and manifestations of the blessed Spirit For thus 1. Faith and obedience the two great homages of of the soule to God are given to the Devill his great enemy 2. Thus all leud irregular actions and opinions which are the workes and doctrines of Devills shall be fathered upon the holy Spirit in one of the highest degrees of blasphemy Spirituum diversa sunt Genera est Spiritus carnis mundi diaboli And the holy one shall be entitled to blasphemies against himselfe and actions of highest natures intendency to the dishonour of his holy name 7. Hence I conceive it is That the Apostle bids us not believe every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God 1 Jo. 4.1 And the Thessalonians are commanded not to be troubled by Spirit or word or Letter 2 Thessal 2.1 And in regard that it is possible the Devil may enlighten direct Iam vero non facile arbitror posse discerni quando noster ipse loquitur spiritus quandó ve loquentem alterum audiat de trib●● i●is Sed quid refert quicunque loqu●●u● dum unum idem sint quod loquuntur quid refert loquentis nosse personam dum constat pe●nitiosum esse quod loquitur D Bernardus serm de septem spirit operum impr Parifii 1586. p. 491. perswade reveale things to come to the servants of God and make his impressions upon their spirits I conceive it one of the highest pieces of a Christians duty that hath or heares of such Revelations Illuminations extraordinary impulsions perswasions and confidences c. to examine From what Spirit they come whether from his own Naturall Spirit or Gods Holy Spirit or this infernall Spirit And it would be a good work for some more eminent servants of God to undertake a Tract of this Nature to deliver those many that are taken in this snare and cheated with this dreadfull cheat I have not ability or roome to speake much here onely let me 1. Give you some few Generall notes to know impressions revelations perswasions and directions extraordinary impulsions whether they come from God or the Devill 2. I will discover a little concerning the Spirit of God how farre it is ordinarily or extraordinarily a spirit of illumination to enlighten a Christian in the understanding of the revealed things of God and how it workes that worke in the Saints Whatsoever impressions that are made upon our spirits either perswading us of any notion 1. Rule Ex parte materiae inspiratae considera an visiones revelationes quicquid tibi inspiratur sit consentantum divinis literis or of the warrantablenesse of any action or whatsoever impressions of direction are made upon them or whatsoever impulsions or strong motions we finde in them to believe or doe any thing contrary to the word of God cannot come from the spirit of God whether it be contrary to any particular precept Nam si non fuerit scire debes non esse inspirationem divinam sed illusionem daemonis Vnde Christus salva●or omnes tentationes sibi à daemont in deserto factas quia non congruebant cum divinis literis testimoniis ca undem rejicit Busidus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 133. or any generall precept or the scope of it The Reason is plaine because the holy Spirit cannot say and unsay like men men are lyars that is a spirit of Truth Now all Scripture saith the Apostle was writ by Divine Inspiration Holy men wrote as they were inspired by an holy Spirit If therefore thou hearest others say that the Spirit hath perswaded them that their soules are in a safe condition and yet thou seest their lives such as the Scripture speakes children of wrath or if thou hearest others vent notions for truths and pretend the Spirit hath told them so and thou findest their notions contrary to the word of God Sciat me illud Apostoli libenter audire Omnia probate quod bonum est retinere salvatoris verba docentis estote probati nummulatu ut siquis nummus adulcer est figuram Caesaris non hab●t nec signatus est moneta publicae reprobetur D. Hieron t 1. ep 152. p. 375. H If thou hearest of or seest any doing strange unscripturall actions and then pretend the spirits impressions suggestions impulsions and the things are contrary to Scripture or if thou findest in thy selfe a strong perswasion or impulsion or motion of this nature and thou thinkest it comes from the Spirit know

such an immediate worke shewn its power in enlightning the minds of his Saints heretofore is true so he did in the Apostles daies But thus the Spirit doth not now Eam f●cultatem humana partim industria superveniens uberior spiritus gratia non dissolvit nec absolvit nec adimit sed adjuvat qui sicuti naturae ●otes egregias nactus magnificentius per eas exercet energiam suam non aliter quam insignis artifex li●entius accuratius ostendit artem suam in splendida tractabilique materia ita nostram industriam adeo non aspernatur spiritus ille coelestis ut exigat etiam nec indignatur sua dona nostro vicessimi studio adjuvari tantum absit impia nostri fiducia Erasmus de ratione concion l. 2. p. 202. Edit Froben 8. But thus far the Spirit assists God hath allowed us means to finde out the meaning of his word we have waies to come to the knowledge of the Languages in which they were writ and the labours of many eminent servants of God who have taken paines in it we may by study consider the coherence of the words and paralel Scriptures Now whosoever he be that with an humble heart takes up the book of God and in order to the finding out of the wil of God in any portion of his word shall first seek God by prayer that he would open his heart to understand the wonder of his law and then give up himselfe to study the word of God Sint castae deliciae meae Scripturae tuae nec sallar in eis nec sallam ex eis Vide pateaspice approba placeat in conspectu misericordiae tuae invenire me gratiam ante te ut aperiantur pulsanti mihi interiora sermonum tuorum q●i illi servo tuo dedisti hoc dicere da mihi haec intelligere D. Aug. confess l. 11. c. 2. c. 3. Optimus interpres hic est qui sensum è scriptura potius retulerit quam attulerit Hilari●s l. 1. de Trin. using the means that God hath afforded him considering the scope of the penman and of the words precedent and consequent and other paralel places and shall bring to this enquiry not discutiendi acumen a disputing head but discendi pietatem a pious heart desirous to be instructed This man shall be assisted with the Spirit of God 1. Raising up his naturall parts of reason and judgement to comprehend the will of God Secondly Possibly bringing to his mind such Scriptures as may paralel the place he seeks about and help him in the interpretation of that Scripture for the meaning of which he seeks 3. Working in him perswasion of necessary truths But for any other assistance I know not where it is promised nor how it can be expected 1. Nor doe I take the two first to be any speciall work of the Spirit for then it were incommunicable but we finde that not onely Saints but such as have left little evidence of the work of grace in their hearts have yet left us judicious and sound expositions of Scriptures which we have cause to blesse God for And besides secondly 2. If the Spirit by such an immediate work inspired Saints as Saints Hoc perpetuo debet animo observari homines illos fuisse carne circundatos nostri similes qui in multis labi potuerunt reverâ lapsi siat ●● Hyperius de ratione studii theolog l. 4. c. 9. then it were impossible their interpretations of any Scripture should be false but how much the holiest servants of God have erred in some expositions of Scripture and doe erre former times have evidenced enough And Sir I hope the Spirit of God dwelleth in you yet as I hinted before it did not thus assist you in the application of Iames 4.5 or Zech. 12.10 or Rom. 8.15 16. p. 9. There might be a quick experience of this Take a Saint and turn him to a difficult place of Scripture or two and try if he can give an infallible interpretation which he must doe if it proceed from the immediate work of the Spirit that dwelleth in him 3. Further yet if this were truth Let twenty Saints expound the same Scripture and they must all agree if all their interpretations proceed from the Spirit that doth not dictate to me this to be the sense and to another another sense But the contrary of this we see by daily experience Quot sancti tot sententiae 4. If this were a truth The same Saint could never alter his judgement upon any one text But I believe you will see cause Sir to alter yours as many Saints before you have done theirs in the application of some Scriptures which you have made use of and we live in times when most eminent Saints give this to be the sense of a Scripture now and another a twelve moneth hence 5. Nor doe I see how you can shift granting that every Saint must have this faculty for in every Saint the Spirit dwels But if this be true you doe well in the eleventh page to give us reasons why it doth not appeare But you tell us there that your meaning is That there is in all the people of God a seminall vertue and power more or lesse enclining and enabling them hereto some sparke of the heavenly fire of Gods spirit herein 1 Jo. 20.27 If you meant by seminall power and vertue an habit of reason and some degree of judgement c. I grant it you but you mean I perceive something else viz. a spirituall ability a spark of the heavenly fire of Gods Spirit herein that there is something of the Spirit in them I grant there is some sparks of that heavenly fire shewing them things necessary to salvation Quod autem omnia dicit novisse non universaliter capi sed ad praesentis loci circumstantiam referre debet Calv. ad loc V. Deodate ad loc and shewing them the things freely given them of God yet not that alwaies neither and serving to burn up their lusts and to enflame their hearts for God but the word herein I question yea and deny that in every Saint there is such a Spirituall ability Nor doth that Text you bring 1 Io. 20.27 prove it The knowledge of all things there spoken of must not be taken in the latitude for so we know the Scripture would not be true The meaning is all the parts of doctrine necessary to salvation saith Deodate but the interpretation of all the Scriptures or an ability to doe it is not necessary to salvation But you will quarrel with me if I leave behind what you have p. 9. That all the Saints are or may be enabled by the Spirit more or lesse to see and open the sense and meaning of Scriptures 1 Cor. 2.12 Now have we received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given us of

God This proposition now is so mollified that I know not how to touch it First it is minced with are or may be who can deny that so long as there is an Almighty God Then it is minced with more or lesse it were hard else if there should be any Saint that should not be able to tell the meaning of one line in Scripture Then I meet with the term Scriptures which I know not whether I should understand it of the Scriptures generally or so much of Scripture as is necessary for them to know in order to salvation If in the latter sense it is true enough if in the former sense the Author will understand it still he will save himselfe in the arms of his are or may be or else of his more or lesse But to prove this he brings 1 Cor. 2.12 onely he feares it will be objected against How he hath warded it we will consider by and by onely by the way I could have told him of a fitter place to prove this proposition which would have put it past disputing it is that Mark 10.27 With men it is impossible but not with God for with God all things are possible This proves his may be But let us heare what he concludes from 1 Cor. 2.12 the words I quoted before if he can argue from hence at all it must be thus Those which have received the Spirit which is of God that they might know the things freely given them of God those have the Spirit given them to interpret Scriptures But the Saints have received the Spirit which is of God that they might know the things which are freely given them of God Ergo. Num igitur ex his concludemus eos qui Spiritum Christi habent omnia noss● fatebimur sed quadantenus ut a deo condita sunt ad ejus honorem faciunt ad nostram salutem conducunt c. P. Martyr ad loc V. Pareum ad loc The Minor is unquestionably true but the Major is false and is sick of that fallacy that Logicians call Fallacia a dicto secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter The Spirit doth not teach all Saints all things that are freely given them of God Many Saints doe not know they are justified or sanctified that Christ or Heaven is theirs and yet are reall Saints and the text saith Mr. Leigh is to be understood chiefly of that knowledge All that the text proves is this that the Saints may know by the Spirit the things freely given them of God It doth not prove that they doe know all of them the things given them of God Nor that they doe know all the things given them of God But a word more Sir before you and I part with this text Doth not this text look as if it were to be understood of a reflex knowledge such a knowledge by which a man knows that he knows The originall word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and doth signifie a certain and infallible knowledge so Col. 3.24 Col. 4.1 and if it so signifie here you doe ill to apply it to a direct knowledge The words seem to argue such a knowledge as is infallible and thus surely every Saint doth not know the Scriptures I perceive you were afraid we should tell you that the things here spoken of are those good things which God hath prepared for them tha● love him So Pareus understands it as indeed the coherence tell you v. 9. and the knowledge spoken of an infallible perswasion of our right unto them And to defend your selfe you tell us That these things cannot be revealed to the soule but in and by the Revelation of the G●spel and word of God I am glad to heare you of that mind that God hath grounded you in his truth against Enthusiasmes But sir I must tell you they may be known to us by the hearing of the word of God opened to us and preached to us and usually are so And therefore it will not follow that a Christian in order to his knowledge of them must have in himselfe the spirit of interpretation You further tell us That the promises are the things freely given us of God some of them at least 2 Pet. 1.20 Truth Sir and the Spirit must make us to know that these promises belong to us but doth it therefore follow that every Christian must have an ability to open all the Scriptures Many of the promises those especially of greatest concernment are so plainly written that he that runs may read and understand them Some of the promises indeed are darker Nor doe I think every Christian hath an ability to understand all the promises fully but God is pleased to enable his Saints to understand the promises so many of them and so far as they are necessarily to be understood in order to his salvation But we Sir that are as much versed I believe and something more then those not in the Ministry with the workings of Christians spirits finde it by experience that Gods dearest Saints oft times put strange interpretations upon the promises which is evidence enough that the Spirit doth not enable all Saints to know the true meaning of them But I return again to the 11. and 12. pages Having laid down for a position that all the Saints have a seminall vertue enabling them to expound Scriptures you come to enquire the cause why it doth not appeare and you are pleased to charge it upon us saying The Preachers preach and the people believe there is no such power in them nor to be exercised by them and therefore the peopl● never look after it Upon this you dilate p. 12 13. shewing how gifts are improved by exercise and lost by neglect of it a thing no one ever denied that I know And there you take upon you to give us a fatherly advice Let the Preachers tell the people there is such a seed in them and presse upon them the necessity of improving it To all this impertinent discourse I shall answer briefly That the Preachers are charged falsely we doe desire all that fear God to stir up the guift that is in them to be much in reading and studying of the Scriptures to meditate upon them to instruct their families out of them Indeed we doe not presse them to preach for if you mean by guift 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the office in which sence the Apostle useth it 1 Tim. 4 14 we believe according to that Scripture that that guift is given them by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery That is that by ordination they are impowred to the exercise of that Office But you tell us That such as have this fire within them cannot well forbeare for it is like new wine or materiall fire within them which cannot be kept in but will break forth Amos 3.8 Acts 4.20 Jer. 20.8 9. Psal 39.2 Joh. 1 41 45. Jo. 4.28 29 Job 32.19 20. Severall Scriptures but strangely applied