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	speak_v	word_n	9,283	5	4.1967	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43226	Tythes no maintenance for gospel-ministers, or, A seasonable discourse concerning tythes wherein it is fully proved that those that urge the payment thereof for their maintenance are no true gospel ministers, but antichristian, and do concur with priests of the Leviticall order and institution ... / by T.H. and T.R.	Heath, Thomas.; Rosewell, Thomas, 1630-1692.	1652 (1652)	Wing H1344; ESTC R32342	26,306	36

those which live in Parishes far distant from you and yet come to hear you where for ought you can judge are godly Ministers and yet they leave their owne Parish and go to hear some in one Parish and some in another Again how can that be charged as sin for not coming to hear in the Parish wherein they live when as in the first place their tender consciences cannot eat or drink with those that are not as yet separated and come out of the world and joyned in a church fellowship and therefore where there is no Union there can be no Communion Secondly though they may live in your Parish yet the assembly whereof they are members meet two or three Parishes off and in the rule of equity how can you judge these sinners that goe out of your Parish to heare for their further edification and growth in the knowiedge of Christ in obediedce to the rule of the Apostle not forsaking the assembling themselves together as the manner of some is but with whom Heb. 10.25 with the Church where Christ hath promised his presence as that where two or three are gathered together in his Name he wil be in the midst of them but mind we pray you it must be in his Name that is according to his example in the order of the Gospell not with Babylon which signifies a confusion of mixture from whence the people of God are to come out 2 Cor. 6.17 Again If Christs presence be with his people so met together then where should they go but there Rev. 18.4 and out of such a people are Pastors and. Teachers to be chosen who have the teachings of the Spirit of God accompanied with the knowledge of the word of God which is able to make the man of God perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3.17 These are those Shepheards that come in at the right door spoken of in the tenth of John whose voice those which are sheep wil hear but those which are thieves and robbers or strangers which come in by other wayes these they will not heare But you say where a godly Minister is seated there we ought to heare But pray tell us whether God and Beliall can live to gether how came you by that Ministeriall Office had it not its rise from the Bishops and Prelates and they their rise from the Pope and though you have put on a faire glosse and assumed to your selves of late the name of Presbyters have you yet openly denied the other so as to have disclaimed that Ordination by which you stand is not the same language of the Beast sounded forth from your mouths as proceeded from the mouth of the first Beast did you not shew your selves bitter against those that could not submit to what you had agreed upon in the Classicall Assembly and when you had the power in your hands did you not vex molest and imprison the Saints of God and how far might your blind zeale have transported you had you not been strucken down by a mighty hand but blessed be God the great Reformer whose direction is far better and gives more light into his will then all the Presbyterian Directory could do therefore send us not we beseech you to the Directory but to the word of God but however we are by you judged or censured for not coming to hear you yet you will not judge them that come a mile or two to hear you sooth them up in their ignorance Again you make the forbearance of paying you Tythes to be a greater sinne then the not hearing of the Word of God We even blush to hear you but it is true covetousnesse will stretch the judgement many times to great and large sins as well of Error as of Practise had you not by your paper discovered so much grosse and almost unparallel'd and absurd hypocrisie which makes us even tremble to read it we should not have beene so pressed in our Spirit to enter upon these replies and we hope the Lord in his time as he hath so he will more discover the hypocrisie of your bitter hearts against those tender consciences that dare not yeeld obedience to that Law as yet not taken away by the power now in being but we hope the Lord will give them eyes to see the great oppression that lyeth upon the Nation in that particular But to proceed pray consider what you have affirmed to make the non-payment of Tythes a greater sin then the not hearing the Word of God Consider we pray the effects of hearing the word of God is it not the meanes by which Faith is begotten in the heart as saith the Apostle in the to of the Rom. 14. and whereby knowledge is encreased especially when those declare it that are the true dispensators of the Word of God and certainly if your love were more for the gaining of poor souls then it is unto money which is the root of all evill you would be of another mind and follow the example of the * Acts 20.33 34 35.1 Cor. 9.18 Apostle † Who without question did mind the fulfilling of the Commission of our Saviour Mat. 10.8 9. verse Freely ye have received freely give Paul which would rather work with his hands then be chargeable to the Churches and if your tongues were touched with a coal from Gods Altar as was Isayas the Prophets you would then be of another mind but the Lord open your eyes that if by any meanes you may see the hardnesse of your hearts But we have learned better of our Saviour Jesus Christ then to be of your judgment in that particular What maintenance is it that you mean is it Tythes that is cleare to be the wages of the Priest that served at the Altar But that hath been handled already and now we are not to look back to the Law for our rule nor to the Directory made by your Assembly For if an Angell from heaven were to declare us any other rule then the doctrine which our Lord and Saviour hath taught us we are commanded to eschew it c. But tythes are not the institution of Christ as you falssy affirm for believers to observe therefore on sin but to heare is the command of God Matth. 17.5 This is my beloved Son hear him Therefore not to hear is a great sin and we hope any judicious man which is of your own judgment will say a greater then the non-payment of tythes But for the third Objection which you have answered viz. But the Minister will not give us our due in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper therfore we may iustly deny him his due This indeed may by some of your Parishioners be objected who out of blind zeal may suppose they have a right to that Gospel-Ordinance when they have not and where it is not to be had And whereas you bring that Scripture 1 Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and in

order you may know there the Apostle speaks of prophecying one by one and therein order and decency ought to be observed yet not restraining the liberty of any from speaking but being a member of a true Church and gifted by the Spirit of God he may speak to edification The Apostle did not monopolize the work of the Ministery but exhorted all the Church to covet to prophesie 1 Cor. 14.31.39 and saith Ye may all prophesie one by one and Moses wished all the Lords people were Prophets But to come to your answer Numb 11 29. seeing this Scripture makes not for your purpose in that particular whereas you hold forth to the eye of the world that you would do nothing but what may be according to the order of the Gospel We should have liked your argument well if you would have declared an order from the Gospell for tythes but if you cannot prove from the Gospel your practise you will like those who are ready to sink catch hold of a straw to keep your head above water you will run to the lawes of man so from humane precepts infer Gospel-institutions So you bring the vindication of the Presbyterian Government as undeniable to prove your examining of persons But what rule have you from the Gospel for this your practice that we must search mens works and leave the Word of God which is the onely means of salvation Our Saviour sends the Jews to search the Seriptures not any learned Father or Treatise made by Synods The Bereans would not receive the doctrines or teachings of the Apostles before they had searched in the Word of God to know whether those things were so or no for which they were called more noble then those of Thessalonica but as it hath been held forth by the See of Rome that Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion See if you can perswade men to believe the worship you hold forth as to pay Tythes and come to be examined by a few ignorant men such who are chosen many times for your Elders who have more need of examination themselves oftentimes then many poor souls which you debar from that which you call the Supper of the Lord. Again we wonder you are not ashamed to charge us with scandalous sins as to tearm us Thieves and Robbers and that of God but we hope your Kingdome is falling and now seeing your time is short you begin to rage with open mouth yet all you can say will not adde one day to your continuation you have not in the least proved your selves Gods Ministers neither have you proved a command from God to pay Tythes how then can you call us robbers you learn not these rash censures of the Apostle who was free in the dispensation of the Gospell and thirsted more after the gaining of poore souls to the knowledge of the truth then after their moneys or inheritance it was not Tythes or great living that opened their mouths but love to the promulgation of the Gospell of Jesus Christ where is there that love in any of you that will rather leave whole Parishes destitute of meanes we mean of that which you call labouring in the Gospell and seek for greater livings Is this the right doore by which a true Pastor ought to come into the sheepfold but you are ratther indeed right thieves and robbers which rob not onely God of his glory by attributing to your selves the Priesthood but you also rob the people First of their souls benefit which they might receive from a true Minister Secondly of their moneys to which you have no right by the Law of God How many poor men are there in this Nation that groane under the great bondage of Tythes who have not so much as wil maintain their own charge with their great pains and industry and you will rack the tythe of all their labour the whole yeare and also of the fruit thereof think you not that the cry of this oppressing sin doth cry for vengeance and certainly the avenger of bloud will in his time avenge their cause and when that false Prophet spoken of Rev. 19.20 is taken he shall with all his false Teachers be judged and think you that then the Tythe-hunters shall escape what are their deserts we dare not judge though you are so rash as to judge poor tender consciences to hell fire Further to proceed to the third reason and to examine what weight or shew of truth is in it for the former he that hath but an eye of reason may discerne that covetousnesse hath so choaked them of your judgement that truth cannot be received by them Your third reason It is a complicated sin wherein fraud or cheating is added to theft for the Landlord lets his house to the Tenant upon this accompt namely that he shall pay the duties to the Minister As for example if the house be worth 21. l. per annum the Landlord lets is for 20. l. per annum on purpose perhaps that the Tenant may pay 20.5 to the Minister per annum the Tenant notwithstanding payes nothing but keeps it back from the Minister by frand and puts the Landlonds money into his owne yocket here is frand with a Witnesse Here take notice how you charge a duplicated sin we confeffe if you were as you look upon your selves to be a true Teacher of Instructer of a people it were your duty to inform them and dehort them from any known sin which they live or continue in but if the foregoing reasons with the Proposition have no force to prove the non-payment of tythes to be a sinne then of necessity this aggravating reason or conelusion must in like manner fall to the ground For our parts we are so far from conceiving it a sinne of such a nature that we should sin in so saying But to come home to your reason tearming it acheat or defrauding pray what is your intention in that you say they defraud First you say it is the Landlords money that he puts in his pocket though it was the Landlords intention he should pay the Minister his due First this is that which ever before we were ignorant of but if it be as you affirm the Landlord must also comply with the Parson and so are both as Simeon and Levi brethren in evill and what do you else then defraud the poor Tenant by ensnaring of him to do that which is a direct sin against his light and do as much as in you lye cause him to deny Christ come in the flesh in imposing upon him a ceremoniall Law which were all one as if you would teath Circumcision and burnt Offering but as the Apostle demanded in Gal. 3. who had bewitched them from the love of the truth So may we say who hath bewitched you O ye foolish Presbyterian Priests that you are so fallen into such a contrariety to truth that is that which God hates for men to halt between two opinions If the

Tythes no Maintenance FOR Gospel-Ministers OR A seasonable Discourse concerning Tythes Wherein it is fully proved That those who urge the payment thereof for their maintenance are no true Gospel-Ministers but Antichristian and do concur with Prietsts of the Leviticall Order and Institution Occasioned by a PROPOSITION with nine Reasons laid down for the proof thereof which was lately printed and published holding forth the dreadfull danger of Sacriledge and sin even in the highest nature in the with-holding of Tythes Which said PROPOSITION with the Reasons therein contained at large are hereunto annexed the grosse absurdities thereof briefly discussed and confuted and the Truth vindicated and cleered from those mists and foggs of Judaism and Antichristian darknesse which the Proposer bath darkened it withall By T. H. and T. R. 1 John 4.1 Beloved believe not every spirit but trie the spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world Rev. 2.9 I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not but are the synagogue of Satan Jer. 6.13 For from the least of them even to the greatest of them every one is given to covetousnesse and from the Prophet even unto the Priest every one dealeth falsly LONDON Printed by R. A. for William Larnar at the Black-Moore neer Fleet-bridge and Thomas Heath in Martins is Grand 1652. To all who love the Lord Iesus Christ in sincerity IF the mystery of iniquity did Login to work in the Apostles time 2 Thes 2.7 2. Cor. 11.13 14 15. if there were false Apostles deceitfull workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ If there were the Ministers of Satan who were transformed as the Ministers of righteousnesse whose end should be according to their works And if we are exhorted to try the Spirits whether they are of God 1 Joh. 4.1 upon this accompt because many false Prophets are gone out into the world Then no marvell is it that the factors and agents for Antichrist are so encreased and the Mystery of Iniquity grown to such maturity and ripenesse nay may we not rather say to such boldnesse and impudency that they are not ashamed to open their pack of Romish Trumpery we meane their unwritten Traditions and humane Constitutions in the sight and view of the whole world and these their musty and putrified wares for sound and substantiall commodities would they force upon tender consciences whom God hath inlightned to discover the slights and cunning craftinesse of these grand Impostors Eph. 4.14 whereby they lye in wait to deceive One piece of which their Merchantable stuffe most cunningly and artificially woven together with Scriptures absurdly applied and others as lamentably perverted is here presented unto your view whose eyes the Lord hath annoynted with his eye-salve to discern the wiles and workings of Satan in these men Rev. 3.18 And although evill men and seducers shall wax worse and worse 2 Tim. 3.13 deceiving and being deceived yet the righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Job 17.9 And although many deceivers are entred into the world 2 John 7. who confesse not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and such are all they who would bring us back again unto Moses and presse the Observation of Leviticall Rites and Ceremonies upon the conscience which are altogether abolished and done away by the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh And although Antichrist by his Sorceries hath deceived the Nations Rev. 8.22 19.20 Esa 44.20 and a deceived heart hath turned many aside that they cannot deliver their soul nor say Is 〈…〉 ot a lye in my right hand yet it is not possi●…e Mat. 24. ●4 that the Elect shall be deceived by them Beloved you are those who are taught of God Esa 54.13.1 Iohn 2.21 those to whom he hath revealed his secrets Psal 25.14 who have the gift of trying and discerning the Spirits 1 Iohn 4.1 and therefore we could not but recommend unto you this ensuing Treatise wherein we hope we have discovered the grosse absurdity of that Proposition and have vindicated the truth from that error and darknesse which the Proposer hath clouded it withall and truly our consciences do beare us witnesse that it was not out of any prejudice to the person of the Proposer but the love which we beare unto Truth that did stir up our spirits to this undertaking and the rather so that the Author of the said paper who being a chief man of the Presbyterian Sect and pretends himself a Minister of the Gospell hath said such high accusations against the most conscientious people charging them with sin in the highest aggravations thereof with temporall and spirituall judgements accompanying it threatning also no lesse then eternall death against them in a case where no Law is transgressed And to inforce his accusation and charge of sin and judgement how notoriously hath he wrested and perverted the Scriptures dishonoring the Lord and falsifying his truth which was so great a trouble unto our spirits that we could not be silent Nor would we be thought to be disobedient to that authority which God hath set over us and under which we live and through his blessing do enjoy much freedome protection and preservation We professe our subj●ction to Magistracy in all lawfull things that are commanded by them only in the matters of God and of his Christ our Lord and Saviour and wherin the glory of God is so highly concerned it is our desire to keep our consciences pure and undefiled remembring alwayes that the Laws of God must have the preheminence and all humane Lawes and Ordinances must and ought to be subordinate thereunto And in reference unto his House which is spirituall we can acknowledge no other King or Law-giver save Christ alone We look not to receive honour from men Joh. 5 44. but we seek the honour that cometh from God onely And if the Lord will vouchsafe to honour his Truth by such poor and unworthy Instruments as we are we shall account it honour enough Thomas Heath Thomas Rosewell The dreadfull danger of Sacriledge held forth in this one Proposition Namely The with-holding of Tythes from a Minister that labours in the Word and Doctrine or denying those accustomed rates upon houses which have been paid to the Ministers successively time out of mind is a great and grievous sin highly displeasing to Almighty God as appears by these Reasons 1. Reas BEcause it is a direct breach of the eighth Commandement which saith That thou shalt not steal and directly contrary to the Rule of the Apostle Rom. 13.7 Render therefore to all their dues Custome to whom Custome c. Yea Tythes are due to the Minister by the Law of the Land and the Minister hath as legall a right to the rates set upon houses as the Landlord hath to his rent therefore to deprive the Minister