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	jesus_n	lord_n	6,954	5	3.4473	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88815	The Antichristian Presbyter: or, Antichrist transformed; Assuming the nevv shape of a Reformed Presbyter, as his last and subtlest disguise to deceive the nations. / By Richard Laurence, Marshal-Generall.	Lawrence, Richard, d. 1684.	1647 (1647)	Wing L674; Thomason E370_22; ESTC R201297	13,810	23

England from thence is not there a reverend Presbyter Nay further what do you think of the gathering together of those kind of creatures in the North we used to call Cavaliers are they all turned Presbyters think ye Were they not within this twelve moneths firing of Towns plundering of Houses murdering of people ravishing of women wherever they came in the Kingdome and went under the name of dammee Cavaliers and the Popish Army and are they so suddenly converted and altogether its time we had a nationall Church Government setled then Oh that ever men should thus delude themselves and be their own betrayers and murderets that at such a time as this when there is such visible treachery and wicked plotting tending to the ruine of the whole Kingdome that men should be silent which have so great an interest in it and so much cause to defend the liberty of it Have we not cause to feare that there is a lying spirit in the mouthes of our Prophets that at such time as this is can flatter these spirituall wickednesses in high places if they were the Lords watchmen they would not be stirring up Israel against Judah and Iudah against Israel but would tell Iudah of his sins and Israel of his transgression Oh that we may never see the day that those which Englands Parliament hath chosen out of respect to their learning and piety to be their familiar freinds and take sweet Councel together should in the dayes of Absolom rising up against David act the part of Achitophel Is it possible those which could fore-see things so long in the last plot if not partiall could be so blind in this and if seeing it if not deceitfull could be so dumb in not declaring it What 's the reason ye have such a noyse in the pulpits against such things as could never be sufficiently proved evill and the great crying sinnes of the nation hardly spoke of as if one sin against the Clergy were more dangerous then a multitude of the sinns of Sodom which this Kingdome is full of against that God of Heaven and Earth which destroyed Sodom for sin By this ye may clearly see they preach themselves and not Christ Iesus the Lord. But considering it is rather their infirmities then their qualities Let us earnestly desire the Lord would open their mouth● they might shew forth his prayse that seeklesse their own things and more the things of Iesus Christ that they may no longer call evill good and good evill but reprove the infirmities of their Brethren as the Apostle did with the spirit of love and meeknesse and when they are speaking against the prophanesse lewdnes and wickednesse of the Nation to cry aloud and spare not to lift up their voice like a Trumpet to preach as those that have authority and not as the Scribes I shall for a conclusion desire your consideration on the 33. and 34. Chapters of the prophesie of Ezekiel The Postscript Christian Reader I Shall desire thy Impartiall Censure on these few things Judge but Judge not false Judgement Though I have endevored to discover to thee that Antichrist is crept in amongst us in the shape of a Presbyter yet do I not in the least here strive to perswade thee that Presbytery is Antichristian for we have been too forwards to judge of men and things as they have been represented to us under good or bad names And from thence rose that true proverb among us a Iew would not have done such a thing But the Apostle tells them he is not a Iew that is one outwardly but he that is one inwardly Rom. 2.28 and this was the cause the Saints in the Apostles time differed so much by judging one another according to outward appearance as they were distinguisht by their names some of Paul and some of Apoll. s c. 1. Cor. 1.12 And therefore when Christ is prophesied on to come a Judge it is said he shall not judg after the sight of his eyes nor reprove after the hearing of his eares but he shall judge with righteousnesse and reprove with equity and though our Judges be forwardest to judge for the rich and speak in the proud mens Cause Christ shall judge for the poor and reprove for the meek Esa 11.31 Therefore take heed thou dost not by thy thus judging condemn that which Christ shall justifie and justifie that which Christ shall condemn especially in things that concerne Christs Kingdom and godly people because Christ himselfe is thereby either justified or condemned by them Luk● 10.16 Acts 9 4. Therefore that I would desire thee to observe in these few things is this that Jesus is Christ though Crowned with thornes and in a robe of mockery Mat. 27.29 that Jacob is not Esau though in his garment Gen. 27.15 and that Iosephs Coate is known to his Father though dipt in blood Gen. 37.33 And againe that Antichrist is a Wolfe though in Sheepes Cloathing Mat. 7.15 as much that beast when he appeared like a Lambe with two hornes Rev. 13.11 as when he had the seven heads and ten hornes v. 1. as false an Apostle when he is transformed into an Angel of light or is like the Apostle of Christ 2 Cor. 11.13.14 as when he is that great red Dragon standing before the woman ready to devoure her seede Rev. 12.4 If thou dost aske me how thou shalt then know him I answer by his workes for whatsoever his shape is his businesse is all one For there are some deceivers which are not Antichrist such were Peter Gal. 2.12 and the leaders of the Saints in the 1 Cor. 1. and severall others through infirmity or mistake and these the Apostle reproves as Brethren But the end of this decever is on purpose to destroy This is that roaring Lyon which goeth about seeking whom he may devoure 1 Pet. 5.8 Therefore of all decevers beware of the devouring destroying decever such as doth not onely come with their mouthes full of deeeit but with their hands full of blood who make it their businesse to root up pull downe and destroy for the businesse of Christs Ministers is to plant to build and set up Therefore saith Christ I come not to destroy mens lives but to save them It was the work of the theife Iohn 10.10 to steale to kill and destroy But I am come that ye might have life saith Christ and that ye might have it more abundantly Thus if thou art not one of those whom the God of this world hath blinded the eyes of or that have eyes and see not eares and heare not thou canst not but confesse that those decevers which are so much in blood that are all for imprisoning hanging and burning are of Antichrist what shape soever they are in For the Churches of Saints in the Apostle dayes were among Heathens and Pagans Turkes and Iews Such as held strange opinions such as worshipt the Host of Heaven would have worshipt the Apostles as Gods Acts 14.11

denyed the resurrection Acts 23.8 1 Cor. 15.12 such as were so farre from calling the Apostles Rabby or Master that they called Christ himselfe Belzebub and the Apostles deceevers and bablers thought them unworthy to live upon the earth Acts 17.18 Acts 22.22 such as had seducing spirits tast doctrines of devills speaking lyes in hypocrisie 1 Tim. 4.2 Boasters proud Blasphemers without naturall affection Truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of all good 2 Tim. 2.3.4 such as held damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2.1 And yet no persecution no imprisoning hanging nor burning If thou or any that tells them it is lawfull to destroy men for not believing can but shew me out of the word of God where the time place or person where Christ or the Apostles or any after them we have ground to take example by did endeavour by any outward compulsion to force men to believe or punish any further then excommunication for not walking in the faith receised when they have done if they can procure me letters I will away to Damascus presently But this was never the practise of Christ and his Church But of Antichrist and his tribe it is they that are guilty of all the blood spilt in this kind from Abel to this present day It is not the spouse of Christ that cometh up from the wildernesse leaning upon her beloved Cant. 8.5 But that great Scarlet whore that comes riding upon the beast with whom the Kings of the earth haue committed fornication and the Inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication Rev. 17.12 which is the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus vers 6. Not the Lamb slaine from the begining of the world But they which have been alwayes slaying the Lamb. Not the Shepard that have thus destroyed the Sheepe But the wolfe whose nature it is to destroy not from that God that so loved the world that he gave his Son but from the Divell which is come downe into the earth with great wrath having but a short time Now reader if there be nothing here discover'd but what you knew before consider it was never intended for thee but to informe the ignorant and conforme the weak to be a light to such as are blinded with the smoke that ascends out of the bottomlesse pit Rev. 9.2 from whence arose this High Priest Antichrist with all his tribe vers 3. compared with the 11. who are scattered up and downe this Kingdom endeavouring to deceive and destroy the people whose way of deceiving you shall finde to be after this manner to perswade the people that the Parliament had no cause to wage warre with the King at the first In answer to which I have pend the first part of my discourse and where that will not take then they transforme themselves into the shape or likenesse of Presbyters and then endeavour to perswade the people the Parliament are most of them Sectaries and that they with the rest of the Sectaries of the Kingdome in whom they conclude all the Parliament friends whether Presbyters or Independents will have no Church-Government but put down all religion as they call it Which baite is not onely taking with the scandalous and ignorant but with many knowing people because Church-Government is not for the present setled In answer to which I have endeavoured to shew the unfitnes of the generality of this Kingdom for Church-Government with some briefe discoveries of their Presbyterian practises and some probabilities of their ends and designes My end in penning of it is onely this to let all Syons friends see that the enemies of their peace have no such way to destroy them as to become some thing like unto them And that however they are now separated one from another by names of opinions Yet if they be Christs then are they Abrahams Seed and heires according to promise And though they be not all baptised into one Church fellowship or way of worship yet they are all baptised into that one body of which Christ is the head by that one eternall spirit and so are Members one of another 1 Cor. 12.13 And are thereby all imbarqu't in one Ship and must all sink or swim together So desiring thee what thou findest to be truth in it it may not fare the worse for the rudenesse of the style I referre it to your consi●eration and shall ever be yours in the Kingdomes Cause R. L. FINIS