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	scripture_n	6,970	5	5.7262	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08206	The plea of the innocent wherein is auerred; that the ministers & people falslie termed puritanes, are iniuriouslie slaundered for enemies or troublers of the state. Published for the common good of the Church and common wealth of this realme of England as a countermure against all sycophantising papsts, statising priestes, neutralising atheistes, and satanising scorners of all godlinesse, trueth and honestie. Written: by Iosias Nichols, a faithfull minister of the Ghospell of Christ: and an humble seruant, of the English Church.	Nichols, Josias, 1555?-1639.	1602 (1602)	STC 18541; ESTC S101326	105,186	267

woulde haue bene farre worse then it is His holie name be praised And this verie thing you shall not obscurelie perceaue if you mark and consider well that which I am in hand to speak of The lawes and proceedings of the ecclesiasticall state much fauour reformation and weigh it well without partialitie namelie that the lawes proceeding of the Ecclesiasticall state doe verie much fauour and agree vnto those things which we desire And that the learneder sorte of the Clergie be of your iudgemēt for the most part although the earnest maintenaunce of the former controuersies haue made a verie greate rent in our agreement which especially you shall perceaue if you marke what contradiction one booke hath with another yea the same sometime with it self and how our learned Writers in defence of our religion do faithfully acknowledge and defende against the aduersarie those things which we do And heerein I will alleadge nothing but that which is eyther of some statute or iniunction or Canon of the Bishoppes or of such writers against the Papistes as are least to be suspected to fauour the parte of them who seek for reformation Booke of Canons 1571. Vt ipsorum famulis aduenis vsui esse possent And among the rest the booke of Martyrs which of al others is most authenticall being appointed for Bishoppes Deanes and Archdeacons to haue in their houses for the vse of seruaunts and strangers And first concerning ceremonies In the Queenes Iniunctions wee finde that Shrines couering of Shrines Tables Candlestickes Trindales Artic. 23. and Rolles of wax Pictures Paintings and al other monuments of fained miracles pilgrimages idolatrie and superstition shoulde be taken away This sheweth a verie godly purpose for abolishing of all thinges tending vnto or helping the remembraunce of idolatrie or superstition Such doe we take the surplice to bee not onlie because it is part of the character of the Popish priesthoode Act. mon● Pag. 857. 501. as may manifestlie appeare by their degradation but also because our reuerend Synode holden at London anno 1571. forbiddeth the wearing of the Gray Amice or anye other garment defiled with like superstition Heere let the indifferent Reader iudge if these three bookes compared together doe not fauour our opinion of refusing the surplice shewing no reason why the one shoulde be a monument of superstition or defiled then the other as namelie a table a role of wax a gray Amice a surplice what difference I see it not Secondlie whereas wee refufe the crosse in Baptisme for the symbolicall signification and would haue that reformed in Matrimonie which saieth God hath consecrated Matrimonie to such an excellent mysterie that in it is signified and represented the spirituall mariage beetwixt Christ and his Church And also in confirmation it is saide They lay their handes vpon them to certifie them by this signe of Gods fauour and gratious goodnes towards them and such like Because by this meanes there is attributed to these three thinges sacramentall signes of the couenant Artic. 52. De Sacramentis like Baptisme and the Lords supper Here the book of Articles fauoureth our iudgement First making it to be the nature of sacramentes to bee certaine sure witnesses and effectuall signes of grace and Gods good will towards vs c. Then that there are but two Sacraments Bapt. the Lords supper and thirdlie that those which the Papistes call Sacramentes as confirmation penance orders matrimonie and extreame anoyling are not to bee counted for Sacraments c. And that they haue no visible signes or ceremonie ordained of God Let wise men iudge whether this article doe not instruct vs to doe beleeue as we do To the which we may ioyne Maist Calfils iudgement of the signe of the crosse where he saieth Ans to the treat of the Cros Artic. 2. Pag. 49. Whereas you couple the beliefe in Christ and his signe printed in our fore-heads together what signe is that the Crosse with a finger If yee meane it so ye make an vnmeete comparison the one being necessarie the other idle and vnlawfull to Artic. 4. And of imposition of hands he also saieth Laying on of hands serued to good vse then when it pleased God at the instance of the Apostles prayers to conferre the visible graces of his spirit but now there is no such ministrie in the Church now that miracles bee ceased to what ende should we haue this imposition of handes the signe without the thing c Thirdlie whereas wee doubt whether we may read the Apocrypha vnder the name of holy Scripture especially because of the vntruthes in the same we are taught this in the said articles which say Artic. 6. by the name of holy Scripture we vnderstand the canonicall bookes of the olde and new Testament to which agreeth conference in the Tower with Campion and all other English writinges which alleadge the errors of those bookes to proue them not Canonicall or holy Scripture Fourthlie whereas we doubt that it is contrarie to the worde of God that priuate persons vtter the publick prayers of the Church or administer the Sacraments as namelie that the common prayer booke appointeth not onlie the Minister but also some one of the people to make the generall confession at the Communion and also if any childe in extreame necessitie be baptized at home the Minister is commaunded to say they haue done well and according to order The first we are taught by the articles to be contrarie to Gods word because they say Artic. 23. No man may minister in the congregation except he be called And the second wee learne of that reuerend Father B. Babington boldlie affirming Vpon Genel Cap. 17.12 God hath not thus enthralled his grace that there is such necessitie that either weomen or all sortes of people shoulde dispense the holy mysteries Fiftlie as touching discipline the booke of common prayer fauoureth our doctrine where it saieth In the commination There was a godly discipline in the primitiue Church which now is to be wished for And for the gouerment of the Church by the Elders and Pastor let vs heare that reuerend Father and faithfull Teacher Maister Noell in his Cate chisme Immediatelie after the Sacraments Pag. 7● Math 18. c. 15 16. Act. 14 d. 23. and 15.4.4.6 d. 22.24 20 d. 17. f 28. 2. Cor. 6. a. 5. and 12. d 28. 14 c. 26. g. 40. 1. Tim. 5.17 Tit. 1. b. 5. In the Church well ordered saith he and well manered there was as I saide before ordained and kept a certaine forme and order of gouernance There were chosen Elders that is to say Ecclesiasticall Magistrates to hold and keept the discipline of the Church to these belonged the authoritie looking and correction like censors * 1 Cor. 5.1.4 5 11. c. 16. d. 11. these calling to thē also the Pastor if they knew any that either with false

together to the disclosing of falshood and hypocrisie and to the aduauncing of Gods glorie so the contention betweene vs being onelie about ceremonies maner of gouernement we are all of one faith one Baptisme one bodie one spirit haue alone Father Lord and be al of one heart against all wickednes superstition idolatrie heresie and we seeke with one Christian desire the aduauncement so the pure religion worship and honour of God We are Ministers of the worde by one order we administer praiers Sacraments by one forme wee preach one faith and substance of doctrine we reioyce both of her Maiesties happie gouernement the freedome of the Gospell and are professed enemies to all her enemies to the enemies of Gods truth and Ghospell In writing against errors and disputing against Papistes we haue bene all one I preaching her M. supremacie confuting Popish primacie and in calling men from sinne disobedience to serue God and her M. we haue beene all one And shall men thinke that this vnhappie diuision shall seuer vs for euer God forbidde This life with out constant vnitie 2 And here me thinks I cannot but murne to think vpō mans frailtie our ignorance self-loue desire to preheminence many times casteth vs headlong into bitter dissention While men are loftie to acknowledge their ouersights therefore labour to keep their estimation by maintayning an errour they cause much disturbance to themselues with little credite among wise faithful men by ouerstrayning them selues to shadowe ouer mens vpright cause they stirre vp much gar-boile confusion in the Church of God And it is not so easilie stayed as it is vnaduisedlie begun Therefore it is verie wiselie said of Solomon The beginning of strife is as one that openeth the waters therefore ere the contention be medled with leaue of Prou. 17.14 Such doe we read to be the ciuil warre of the primitiue Church about Arius which is well known to haue continued many yeares and to be the death of many a faithfull Christian Of which Socrates Scholasticus writeth that in the very beginning it grew so hott Eccles Histor lib. 1. Cap. 6. with such diuision among the Bishoppes and also among the people inveying with such spitefull opprobrius tearmes one against another that it became so haynous shamefull into so lamentable a plight that the Christian Religion was openly derided of all men euen in the publike theaters solemne spectacles And such was the contention of Epiphanius and Iohn Chrysostome both worthy Bishoppes Lib. 6. Cap. 12.13 14. Yea euen in the very infansie of the church that no man shuld stumble at our contention as if it were a new thing when the blessed Apostles by a most excellent and perfite spirite planted the ghospel this humaine fraltie did shew it selfe verie greatlie For what thinke you was the cause of that solemne councill at Hierusalem Act. 15. what was the occasion of the Epist of Paule to the Romanes Corinthians Galathians Philippians Colossians c doe they not bewraye merueilous greate weaknes exceeding great contention some holding of Paul some of Cephas some going to Law and some contending about meate holy dayes some striuing for circumcision and the Lawe of Moyses other denying the resurrection of the bodie others iustification by faith onelie others brought in the worshipping of Angels and other will worshipp and volutarie religion of men in so much that it coste great labour and sweat vnto the Apostles and faithfull Ministers to hold vp the Church to keepe it aliue in the verie birth thereof So great were the waters of contention cōming out of the dragons mouth by the abuse of mans weaknes And this I obserue both in writings disputations of our forefathers of the primitiue ages of the Church also in these latter daies that it is a very rare thing to find any writer thogh he be learned wise sober who in his apologeticall writting can keepe himselfe pure from al gaule bitternes Few writers without bitternes For the vehement desire to defende that he vndertaketh manie times maketh him to sway beyond the mark his penn to breath out filthie smoak and vnsauorie There are manie prettie and wittie thinges which are founde in the studdie of humane learning in these men of great learning haue manie times delight so that when they are in writing of an argument or answer there falleth in some fine ironie or close quib by allusion sometime a bitter sarcasme before they be aware which whē it is red of the aduerse part it raiseth many hott humors vnseemly retaliatiōs which not only hinder the light oftētimes of a good cause but also maketh such a breach as will hardlie bee repaired againe in manie yeares And heere mee seemeth I am taken prisoner and locked vp in a darke and dolesome place to weep mourne to cry and howle for the miserable estate of mankinde thorough sinne How manie stumbling blocks are cast in the way of foolish This contention a plague for Atheists ignorant and peeuish Atheists who refusing the way of truth haue strong delusions of Satan to make them beleeue lyes Yet doth God turne all these contentions too good God turneth it to the good of his elect and his diuine prouidence maketh them profitable to his Church namelie for the elect as it is written There must be heresies euen among you that they which are approued among you 1. Cor. 11.29 may be knowen And this profit hath the Church by the primitiue contentions that in cleare plaine Scripture we se manie things taught as namelie The Christian libertie The doctrine of iustification the rising of the dead and diuers other waightie points which I can not tell if they woulde haue beene otherwise so fully largelie so plainlie written that we may know the loue and power wisdom of our merciful father to ouersway the mightie labours of Sathan which are against the Church to the good of Gods faithfull people Therefore the Apostle is bold to say in the like case I knowe that this shall turne to my saluation And againe We know that all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God The consideration of this might teach some men to looke vpon themselues and watch ouer their owne corruption to keepe it vnder that they giue no offence other might learne not to stumble at the truth for such a cause which cannot bee altogether auoided And we of our time countrie might vnderstand that we are not by and by seuered into two religions or broken of from being Christian brethren beecause some hote contention hath bene kindled among vs. For then we might say that Friers Monkes Seminarie Priests Iesuites are not Papists yea that Popes Cardinalls and other their great Prelates are no Papistes because those haue stirred vp among themselus most deadlie warre other maner