Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	apostle_n	holy_a	prophet_n	5,466	5	6.3917	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80766	Hæreseo-machia: or, The mischiefe which heresies doe, and the means to prevent it. Delivered in a sermon in Pauls, before the Right Honourable, the Lord Maior, and the aldermen of the famous citie of London, February the first, M. DC. XLV. And now printed, for the satisfaction of the hearers, and others. / By James Cranford, pastour of Christopher Le Stocks, London.	Cranford, James, d. 1657.	1646 (1646)	Wing C6823; Thomason E329_1; ESTC R200684	45,138	61

that would not be drawn away with the wicked and the workers of iniquity unto perdition as David prayes must Psal 28. 3. learn to hate the congregation of evill doers as David Psal 26. 4. pleads There 's reason enough to disswade from their meetings m Dubitas illo momento quo in Diaboli ecclesia fueris omnes Angelos prospicere de coelo singulos denotare quis blasphemiam dixerit quis audierit quis linguam quis aures Diabolo adversùs Deum administraverit Tertull. ib. cap. 27. Do not the Angels think you look from heaven Do they not observe who speak blasphemy and who hear it who lend the Divell their tongues against God and who their ears May I not conclude this with the Prophet Though thou Israel Hos 4. 15. play the harlot let not Judah offend and come not yee unto Gilgal neither go up to Beth-aven n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. ad Trallens Avoid Atheisticall heresies they are the inventions of the Divell such fruit whosoever tasteth of shall die not a temporall but an eternal death I presse this upon you not for your selves onely but your families your wives children and servants for whom you are responsible It was Joshua's resolution I and my house will serve the Lord the elect Ladies comfort that her children were walking in the truth You would restrain them from taverns brothel-houses stage-playes restrain them from these meetings of which I may say as o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Orat 2. contr Jud. tom 6. Chrysostome of the Synagogues of the Jewes they are some of them worse the dens of theeves the Divels meeting-houses therefore betray not their salvation Thus you have directions for the people to prevent the spreading of this gangrene But O how are they neglected The publick ministery is forsaken opinions imbraced for truth not onely before they be tried but before they be declared what they be the inconsiderate people flock to the meeting-houses of Sectaries as swarmes of flies if it may not be offensive to use the similitude of Plutarch in an hot summers day to a gall'd back thence to suck out filth and corruption And is it a wonder that errours prevaile But of this hitherto Secondly To you my brethren in the Ministery I desire to speak something and to my self God expects at our hands as officers in the Church that wee endeavour with all our gifts all our power which he hath given us for edification and not for destruction not only to prevent the spreading but if it be possible the being of heresies And to this purpose it is required First That heresies be discovered that hereticks by sound doctrine be convinced As a word an erroneous word maketh the wound Their word doth eat as doth a canker so a word a sound word doth make the cure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The way to stop the further proceedings of seducers is to make their folly manifest to all men And 2 Tim. 3. 9. to this purpose God requires of Ministers not onely to teach the ignorant but to convince gainsayers Other men of abilities may do it ex charitate you must do it ex officio God hath made you watchmen not onely to warn when grievous wolves from without make havock of the flock but then to take heed when subtil foxes from within teach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crooked and perverse things to draw disciples after them God hath left unto all men the judgement of discretion to you is committed the judgement of direction every man is bound to see for himself you are commanded to see for others The commission of the Minister is They shall teach my people the difference between the Eze. 44. 23 24. holy and profane and cause men to discern between the unclean and the clean And in controversie they shall stand in judgement and they shall judge it according to my judgements and they shall keep my lawes and my statutes in all mine assemblies and they shall hallow my Sabbaths And it is the direction of the Apostle that the spirits of the Prophets be subject to 1 Cor. 14. 32. the Prophets The declaration of what is hereticall what orthodox what is lawfull what scandalous belongs to you you will be found as guilty of violating the law and profaning the holy things of God if you put not this Eze. 22. 25 26. difference as others if they confound them This is the Scripture way The Angel of the Church of Ephesus is commended Thou hast tried them which say they are Apostles Rev. 2. 2. and are not and hast found them liars Paul and Barnabas had Acts 15. 2. great dissention and disputation with them that corrupted the doctrine of the Gospel in Antioch This hath been the way of the Churches of Christ in all ages the Ministers have been imployed severally and in Councels in the discovery and confutation of all errours that have arisen This truth is so notorious to all that have had the least acquaintance with Antiquity that it would be lost labour and time mis-spent to prove it the writings of the Fathers the histories of the Councels bear ample testimony to it being for the most part taken up with this occasion Let him that hath a desire read Ambrose in his 32. Epistle to the younger Valentinian and in his 33. Epistle ad sororem This is our duty in the behalf of our people as p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 40. Nazianzene said sometimes to his Leave the battell to me Let me build the ship do thou sail in it Let the fight be mine thine the victory Let me grapple with the adversary be thou in peace O that in these times of defection we all of us had hearts to discharge in this particular our duties which we have never discharged till such time as we have discovered and convinced errours and that boldly plainly fully and with authority and in * Baldu de casi lib. 4. cas 2. cap. 7. some cases erroneous persons that the people may know of whom to beware as our Apostle Of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus I know this duty of a Minister is not more neglected then decried What needs so much fire Can you not preach Christ faith and repentance and let these points in controversie alone Do not they preach Christ that discover errours Did not the Apostle to the Galatians preach Christ Is it not time to speak when under a pretence of preaching Christ Christ is almost preached out of the Church This much commended Moderation in which many forbear this duty is no other then the old shift of Auxentius Ursacius Valens and other debauched Arians in the Councell of Ariminum revived of late by Papists in Germany Arminians in Holland Prelates in England who found the silencing of disputes the most efficacious and plausible way to advance their designes I desire wee may strengthen our selves against

not a way to peace as some men pretend but to disorder and confusion And yet I am not an enemy to peace but a friend to truth and holiness without which no man shall see God The third thing that heresies eat up is godlinesse they devour holinesse that is the power of it thus in the verse before my Text They will increase to more ungodlinesse Thus the Apostles Peter ch 2. 2. Jude v. 8. describe the hereticks of their time you may reade the places at your leasure Thus Paul informes the Romans that they that cause divisions cause scandals and serve not the Lord Rom. 16. 18. Jesus Christ but their own bellies An erroneous hereticall head and an upright pions heart are incompatible a good conscience and true faith like Hippocrates twins live and die together m Haeres 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Locus insignis Epiphanius observes concerning the Gnosticks of old That they did not onely pervert the judgements of their proselytes but brought their bodies and soules into slavery of fornication uncleannesse and such like monstrous abominations But manum de tabula I forbear It would make a volume to relate the observations of him and other Ancients in this particular Our Apostle 1 Tim. 4. 1. saith The Spirit speaks expresly that in the last times men shall depart from the faith c. and 2 Tim. 3. 1. speaks as expresly that the last times shall be dangerous for horrible wickednesses men shall have a form of godlinesse and deny the power of it It may be so with hereticks they may have a faire out-side but if you look for uprightnesse self-deniall righteousnesse peace joy in the holy Ghost in which the kingdome of God consists you shall finde none of these they have a form of godlinesse but deny the power of it This n Lib. 2. tom 1. Haer. 47. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphanius notes concerning the Encratitae They made ostentation of continence and yet conversed amongst women even unto scandall they were not indeed such as they desired to be accounted O what a full testimony is given to this truth by that generall apostacie from godlinesse to open profanenesse of many amongst our selves since the unrestrained inundation of our errours And this comes to passe for I touch upon the cause in transitu 1. Partly because that time which might be better imployed in the examination of the conscience is laid out in the examination of opinions all the care is taken up about the notions of the brain which ought to have been intended to the bettering of the heart As in children that have the rickats their heads swell and grow bigge but their bodies grow crooked their brests narrow their inferiour parts feeble and pine away so persons infected with errours for errours are the rickats of children in understanding may perhaps have great heads and be something for matter of dispute but their hearts are crooked their affections to goodnesse straightned themselves made so weak as not to be able to goe in the paths of holinesse 2. Partly because in times of such differences men are for the most part had in esteeme not according to their godlinesse but their faction Enquiry is not made concerning the precisenesse of walking and blamelesnesse of conversation but concerning opinion not How lives but What holds such or such a man As o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Athanasius concerning the Arians to their followers Oppose Christ and take no care to thy manners thy opinion sufficeth to thy commendation And p Haec omnia vultis nullius esse momenti at si tibi consenserit quem seducis unus consensus manus tuae porrectio pauca verba jam tibi Christianum faciunt de Christiano ille vobis videbitur Christianus qui quod vultis fecerit non quem fides adduxerit Optat. l. 3. cont Parm. Optatus against the Donatists declares their strange partiality All were unto them Pagans that were not of their way of separation but if any one consented to them and became of their way hee was presently a Christian though hee knew not what belonged to Christianity O that it was not so amongst our selves that not faction but faith was the bond of our affections not siding with parties but serving of God the compasse of our Christian love certainly opinions would not so much thrive nor godlinesse so much decay And so much of the second thing which was proposed What it is which heresies erroneous opinions devour Now of the third Why or How it comes to passe that they thus spread and devour c. The spreading and prevailing of heresies may be ascribed partly to the subtilty and activity of seducers partly to the curiosity and simplicity of the seduced partly to the justice of God for the manifestation of those that are sincere and the punishment of those that received not the truth in the love of it Of these in order First The prevailing of heresies may be ascribed to the subtilty of seducers Seducers are a subtill generation and this subtilty it is to which the Apostle ascribes their great successe Ephes 4. 14. Children are tossed to and fro and carried about with every winde of doctrine through the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in wait to deceive The Apostle in three words expresseth their deceitfulnesse 1. sleight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are cunning gamesters know how to cog a die and pack the cards and q Zanch. in loc pervert Scripture to their sinister purposes 2. Cunning craftinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they turn every stone watch all advantages 3. Lying in wait to deceive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they have all the arts of couzenage They bring in damnable heresies privily saith Peter I am afraid saith S. Paul 2 Pet. 2. 1. lest as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so 2 Cor. 11. your mindes should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Satan arms his instruments with his own arts fraud and couzenage and by these introduceth errours and cheateth men of faith peace piety r Vos estis aucupes illi aut illa sunt aves Illi vos aucupi similes dico qui post discessum noctis ante lucis adventum aridam arborem nullis radicibus fultam multiplici fraude componit cui adulterinos inserit ramos quae suas jamdudum succisa perdiderat alienas accipit frondes c. locus insignis Cont. Parmen l. 6. Optatus observed this of old in the Donatists whom he compares to fowlers that with exactest cunning and art insnare the birds And ſ Lib. 1. Ep. 102. Isidore Peleusiota compares hereticks to fishermen that conveigh their deadly hooks in the most pleasing baits The Scriptures and Ancients have been large in observing and describing those impostures by which they cheat men of truth and propagate errours but it would be a work too

that they are fit to hold the weaker Christians whilest the stronger break away and save themselves And let this consideration stay us that wee stumble not and seducers that they triumph not in the great defection unto severall opinions now amongst us They have deceived q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazian or 33. children Egregiam laudem and wee have lost r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athan. de incarnat Christ chaffe Spolia ampla what great prize that a stumbling-block hath been laid before a blinde man and hee hath stumbled at it Certainly such are they even children many in yeers most in understanding that amongst us are perverted by new opinions Secondly The curiosity of the people administers no small advantage to seducers Men are not content with sound doctrine and old truths but as the Athenians spend Act. 17. 21. their time to tell or to heare some new thing men that have itching ears heap to themselves teachers after their own 2 Tim. 4. 3 4. lusts and turn away their ears from the truth and are turned to fables saith S. Paul To be alwayes learning is that which 2 Tim. 3. 6. betrayes silly women to be led captive by seducers And the Apostle Peter tels us that not onely by the lusts of the flesh but much wantonnesse wantonnesse of the brain they that were clean esaped from them that live in errour are 2 Pet. 2. 18. allured It is a notable expression of ſ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. De Trinit Dial. 1. Cyril comparing some in his time to heifers that run at their ease leave the herd and wholesome pasture to gnaw upon briars and thorns and so possibly catch a prick in their foot that they never go upright after Sure I am it is so with many amongst us who in the wantonnesse of their wits withdraw themselves from the publicke Assemblies from the Ministers whom God hath set over them from the pastures in which they ought to feed and betake themselves to coppices to gnaw at the best on briars and thorns possibly if I may allude to the vision of Robertus Gallus on rocks and stones It is no marvell if they be lean and ill liking if many catch pricks and come halting home To passe from this the Apostle that hee might preserve intire in the faith gives especiall caution against curiosity that questions be avoided and oppositions of science falsly so called But of this hitherto The third generall head from which the successe of heresies ariseth is the providence of God justly permitting that it should be so First as a punishment of the luke-warmnesse of men and want of love to the truth The sin grievous the undervaluing of light the punishment dreadfull light is removed darknesse sent in stead of light God will not endure the despising of light The Gentiles held the truth in unrighteousnesse they delighted not to have God in their knowledge Rom. 1. God gave them over to a reprobate sense and when they professed wisdome they became fools their foolish hearts were darkened Thus God dealt with Ahab hee hated Micaiah with whom the word of the Lord 2 Reg. 22. was and cared not to hear him the Lord therefore gives commission to a lying spirit to seduce his prophets and prevail with him to his destruction Thus with Israel Prophesie not say they the people to them that prophesie They shall not prophesie saith the Lord but if a man walk Micah 2. 7 12. in the spirit and lie he shall be the prophet to this people Thus with the Jews They that would not receive Christ that came in his Fathers Name will certainly receive an impostor that comes in his own name Thus with Christians as saith the Apostle because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved and for this cause God shall send them strong delusions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the efficacy of errour errour in the strength that they may beleeve a lye This sin made way for Mahumetanisme in the Easterne Churches Popery in the Western was the punishment of this sin God is the same still the same in revenging his despised truth Truth hath been preached amongst us despised amongst us imbraced by very few in the power in the love of it God revengeth it and this revenging hand of God may be sensibly felt and discerned in our distractions Was it possible that a man should burn one piece of a tree and worship another if God had not shut up his eyes t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiph de Encratitis Haeres 47. A prudent man may see and wonder and be amazed at the tenents carriages c. of seducers how inconsistent they be how far from shew of truth and at the great defection to them Doubtlesse this is none other but the hand of God upon the seduced for their want of love to that truth which they had received Secondly as a triall of those that are sound There must 1 Cor 11. be heresies amongst you saith the Apostle that the approved may be made manifest It is the winde that discovers and severs the chaffe from the wheat u Ob hoc haereseωn non statim divinitùs eradicantur authores ut unusquisque quàm tenax fidelis fixus catholicae fidei sit amator appareat Et revera cum quaeque novitas ebullit statim cernitur frumentorum gravitas levitas palearum tunc sine magno molimine excutitur ab area quod nullo pondere intra aream tenebatur c. Vincent Lyrinens cap. 25. They that are carried about with diverse and strange doctrines never had any solidity if they had been of us they would have continued with us The house founded on the rock doth not fall though the winds blow the waters rise and waves beat upon the house yet is the rising of the winds and beating of the waves upon the house a sore temptation it had certainly fallen had it not been founded on a rock It was a seasonable question which our Saviour moved to his disciples upon the defection of the Capernaites Joh. 6. Will yee also go away It was a brave resolution that Peter put on Though all men forsake thee yet will not I though I die with thee yet will I not deny thee but hee could not performe it when his Master was taken hee followes a farre off a praeludium to his denyall Qui timidè confitetur negat when hee was in the high Priests hall hee not onely denied but forswore him the knowledge of him with execrations The rising of heresie is a great triall Deut. 13. 1 2 3 4. The Lord your God trieth you saith Moses the prevailing of heresie is a greater an hard matter it is to resist the sollicitations of the father of our flesh the sonne of our loines the wife of our bosomes the friend whom we love as our lives an hard matter it is to swim against

shee was not to die because no help was neer but he that ravished her was to die Beloved you are espoused to Jesus Christ as a 2 Cor. 11. chaste virgin x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Cyril de ador in spir verit l. 8. seducers are your adulterers they corrupt you from the simplicity that is in Christ if this be done in the city i. e. in the Church of God in the City of Christ where Ministers reside that may succour you when assaulted your bloud will be upon your own heads you cried not out for help you betrayed your chastity to the lust of your ravisher People that sit in darknesse where are no Misters if they fall may be excused à tanto they had none to help them but your bloud will be upon your heads Secondly Try all things This is the counsell of Saint John Beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits whether they 1 Joh. 4. 1. be of God or no for many false prophets are come into the world Try all things saith S. Paul and hold fast that which is good 1 Thess 5. 17. Farre be it from Christians that they should be the scholars of Apelles or Papists y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb lib. 5. 12. not at all to search the Scripture like infants to gape and swallow what-ever the nurse puts into their mouthes Consider that notable speech of Athanasius to this purpose z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Tom. 2. p. 325. Shall I beleeve unreasonably Shall I not search what is possible or profitable or comely or pleasing to God agreeable to nature consonant to truth c This hath been the sole and adequate originall of all errour to those that have been deceived Many want will to doe it they will not take so much pains and what needs so much adoe they we hear are honest godly c. But would you not tell mony after them and weigh gold and will you take doctrine upon trust without triall May not every man deceive and be deceived Is there not danger in being deceived Should your faith be built upon man Many pretend they want skill they cannot do it The most filly creature hath so much from the instinct of nature as to be able to know wholesome food if it be well and some of them their physick if they be sick and art thou a man a Christian a professour a forward one unable to discern between light and darknesse To what purpose serves the annointing which we have of God but to inform 1 John 2. and teach us concerning those that seduce us a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. ad Ephes Why are wee not wise seeing wee have understanding Why remaine wee ignorant that are taught of God Why neglect we the gift bestowed on us and perish like fooles b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Strom. lib. 7. Warinesse is not required in any thing more then in matters of religion Some errors are so like truth that they can hardly be discerned All desire to walk under the veile of truth have your eyes in your heads that you be not deceived It is besides my purpose to lay down cautions in triall rules of triall I onely assure you as c In compendio est apud religiosas mentes simplices errorem deponere invenire atque eruere veritatem nam si ad divinae traditionis caput atque originem re●ertamur cessat error humanus Cypr. ad Pompei contr lit Stephan Epist 74. Cyprian did another It is not an hard matter for godly and sincere people to escape out of the snares of errour and to find out and to discover truth If they bring all things to the touch-stone of the Scripture by an impartiall and unprejudiced triall errour will be dispersed as mists are dissipated by the beams of the Sun Thirdly Avoid those that are erroneous their congregationall meetings and as much as may be their personall converse In times of infection men doe not onely make use of antidotes but with all care shun places and persons that are infected that they may prevent the danger of infection the like caution is in this case commended I Rom. 16. 17. beseech you brethren saith S. Paul mark those which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which you have received and avoid them And S. John If there come any unto 2 John 10. you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house nor bid him God speed If with one called a brother being a fornicator a railer we must not eat how ought wee to shun such as adulterate the word of God and blaspheme the truth How d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. ad Smyrn comely is it not only to abstain from such things both the private and publick discourse of them but to shun the authours of infamous heresies and sects as the originall of all mischiefe St. John e Niceph. l. 4. would not endure the company of Cerinthus in the bath Policarp abhorred conference with Marcian as the first-born of the divell g Athan. in vit Antonius detested all communion with such as had corrupted the faith and divided the Church the Christians in the dayes of Basil h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas Epist 69. when Arianisme had so prevailed shunned their meeting houses as the Schooles of errour and is there not reason for it Consider those laid down by the Apostles First Such whatsoever their pretences be serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies they sin not of ignorance or being deceived but knowingly to adhere to them is to desert Christ They sin to serve their bellies as i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylact upon the place Every heresie hath its originall to be subservient to some lust and should not a brother of Christ blush to make such a servant to his own belly his master Secondly with fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple there is much danger of infection Can a man touch pitch and not be defiled Can he carry coals of fire in his bosome and not be burnt May not Satan seise upon thee finding thee amongst his own as upon the woman in the k Tert. de spect cap. 26. Theatre Thirdly Hee that bids him God speed is partaker of all his evill works thy sitting and eating in an idols temple may be a snare and scandall to thy weak brother may be an incouragement unto sectaries c. Thou maist bring upon thy head the guilt of blasphemies the bloud of soules Shall I adde one reason more Thou maist possibly perish with them I have often thought of the speech of l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad Philadelph Ignatius They that adhere to such as adhere not to truth shall not inherit the kingdome of God they that depart not from false teachers shall be condemned unto hell Hee