Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	bear_v	flesh_n	kingdom_n	6,050	5	7.3681	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84069	The great earthquake, Revel. 16. 18. or, Fall of all the churches. Discovering the apostasie of purest churches, not yet sensible of their spiritual whoredoms, EZek. 43.9, 10. Or, The great whore made bare and naked before she be judged, and her flesh burnt with fire, Rev. 27. 16. Proving, that none indeed deny the ordinances of Christ, but present churches not being in a Gospel-order. By William Erbery.	Erbery, William, 1604-1654.; J. W.	1654 (1654)	Wing E3227; Thomason E806_7; ESTC R207174	48,514	64

THE Great Earthquake REVEL 16.18 OR FALL Of all the CHURCHES Discovering the Apostasie of purest Churches not yet sensible of their spiritual Whoredoms Ezek. 43.9 10. OR The Great Whore made bare and naked before she be judged and her flesh burnt with fire Rev. 27.16 PROVING That none indeed deny the Ordinances of Christ but present Churches not being in a Gospel-order The Pastors are become brutish and have not sought the Lord therefore they shall not prosper and all their flocks shall be scattered Jer. 10.21 By William Erbery LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the black spread Eagle at-the West end of Pauls 1654. To the truly Christian Reader THe Author of this ensuing Discourse was a person raised up by the Lord to bear his testimony against all formal and traditional waies of Religion Ordinances and Government in the so called Christian world a designe though seemingly managed by him with some eagerness and severity of spirit if you abstract some passages in this and his other discourses yet in much love and oneness of spirit with the worshippers themselves that their persons might be saved but so as by fire 1 Cor. 3.15 The Doctrine of Persecution for Conscience sake though erronious was a stranger to his spirit and principles which owned no compulsion in matters of Religion but that Scriptural one viz. the energy and effectual working of the spirit of God overpowring the soul and leading it captive by an holy violence to those divine and heavenly discoveries which our Author bore witness to And indeed if we consider the judging and persecuting spirit we shall ordinarily find it to ascend i. The weak are most apt to judge the strong Rom. 13.3 though the strong hath another temptation before him viz. to despise the weak so he that is born after the flesh i. the weak legal Saint persecutes him that is born after the spirit Gal. 4.29 The reason I take to be this The higher a mans spirit is raised in the knowledg of God and of divine mysteries the more large and comprehensive it is as coming nearest to that state of love which beareth all things 1 Cor. 13.7 Hence it is that such men comprehend and embrace all weaker Saints though in different forms as to outward observations in one and the same spirit but on the other side when the spirit of a Christian is captivated to this or that particular rite as to a day meat c. in the narrowness of his heart secluding all others he is carried out with a zeal kindled from the outward letter to the censuring reproaching persecuting such Doctrines as he is not able to comprehend An experiment of this we have in Christ himself who coming forth in the glory of God and holding out higher discoveries then the Saints had formerly attained was opposed by none so much as the religious ones of his daies Scribes and Pharisees that sate in Moses Chair And as the Disciple is not above his Master so the Apostle Paul whose errand was to raise up the spirits of Saints to high and evangelical discoveries was thwarted by none so much as by devout women Acts 13.50 The same measure was meeted to this our Author who in simplicity of spirit and love to all the Saints bewailing the bondage of the whole creation did cast in his mite for the deliverance and relief thereof how was he scandalized by some professors of all sorts having various reproaches heaped upon him to render him the more unserviceable for the great work he was upon hence it is that we have heard the brand of a loose person or a Ranter an Apostate and Blasphemer an Antiscripturist Antiministrist an Antiordinancist an Antitrinitarian Vniversalist and what notinured upon him It will not be amiss for the removing of prejudices out of the minds of some and the renewing of the memory of this worthy labourer in the hearts of others to give a brief account of his spirit and Principles as to every one of the abovenamed particulars 1. He was no friend to loosness and prophaneness either in himself or others his own strict sober and Christian deportment in the whole course of his conversation is his sufficient compurgator against all the reproaches and calumnies of this rank and name yea he bore publique testimony against a licentious spirit in whatsoever appearance in several of his private and publique discourses 'T is true some weaker spirits misunderstanding the Doctrines of this Author concerning the restitution of all things the liberty of the creation and Saints oneness in Christ with God c. from these excellent premises drew forth such conclusions as were agreeable to their own private conceptions rather then the truth which conclusions being seconded by a practice agreable thereunto gave just occasion of offence to those without of bewailing and lamentation to them within amongst which this Author bore not the least share 'T is no new thing This when the Lord holds forth any eminent and remarkable truth which is likely to be of signal advantage to the people of God for Satan to raise up much dust about it to cloud its glory yea somtimes by spreading temptations before the pretenders to it unto personal infirmities to abate the edge of other mens spirits from entertaining that which seems accompanied with so horrid and hideous effects But such men would do well to consider whether such conclusions do necessarily follow from such principles or rather are not the principles wrested to what they never meant Have not other mens Doctrines of greatest affinity to the letter of the Scriptures been as much perverted and abused Was not the grace of God turned into wantonness even in the Apostles daies May not new Wine be put into old bottles even to the breaking distempering and overturning of mens spirits All which things do rather evince the world not ripe for such discoveries which our Author held forth then conclude against the discoveries themselves for when the Lord purposes an effectual manifestation of some eminent truth he adds also a ballanced spirit able to entertain it 2. He was rather a presser forward then an Apostate Forgetting those things that are behind c. 'T is true he was formerly as strict and zealous in all literal observations as any of his equals yea he might have boasted herein as the Apostle Paul if it had been worth his labour But it pleased God to raise him up from all fleshly rites to a more near and secret enjoyment which took him from some outward performances which many Christians please themselves in it were to be wished that such persons could give as good an account of their diligence in these things as he could of his omission of them And indeed the prayers of the Saints in the primitive times before the Apostasie began which even then was appearing seem to have been occasional only pro re nata and not limited to times hours or seasons either in their more publike meetings or

set time or in a forme of words though Christ did use thus to pray being a Minister of the Circumcision and in the duyes of his flesh living under the Law yet I conceive that the private prayers of Gospel-saints was not in sound of voice or forme of words but waiting upon God in Christ for the supplyes of the Spirit and of all good things promised as may appeare Rom. 8.25 26. we know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities with groanings which cannot be uttered We know what to utter what to pray for in our formall prayers yea we have the forme and patterne of all our petitions framed in ous heads before we utter them we know what to pray for besides we have our set times of our houres of prayers our duty times as we call it We pray morning and evening as David and Daniel did use to do under the Law Psa 58 17. Dan. 6.10 sure such duty times were never heard of in the Gospel times therefore praying in the Spirit scarce appeares in these times much lesse among those who are most zealous for it Fourthly There is no preaching in all the Churches no preaching of that they pretend no Gospel preaching for neither the doctrine of free grace nor discoursing of Christ after the flesh is the preaching of the Gospel Eph. 3.5 the Gospel is a Mystery hid from ages and generations before and under the Law not manifested to the sonnes of men till 't was to the Apostles and Prephets by the Spirit but the Covenant of Grace free-Grace the forgivenesse of sinne c. was fully manifested by Moses and the Prophets of old Againe Christ after the flesh is not the Gospel 2 Cor. 5.16 Col. 1.27 Mar. 1.14 for the Apostles would henceforth know Christ after the flesh no more not Christ without us but Christ in us is the mystery of Christ and of the Gospell also yea though Christ after the flesh did present the Gospell in part preaching peace to the Jewes the Kingdome of heaven being then at hand yet the Kingdom was not come nor the Gospel fully preached till Christ came againe and preached peace to them that were a farre off and to them that were high Ephe. 2.17 this comming of Christ was not in flesh for that was crucified before ver 16. but he came in spirit that is t was Christ in the Apostles that afterward preached seeing you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me saith Paul he knew Christ living in him 2 Cor. 13.3.5 Phil. 3.8 9. and himself crucified with Christ all his flesh and the goodlinesse thereof crucified his righteousnesse his gifts and graces as dung in respect of Christ in him that is God manifested in his flesh did slay all that flesh to himself that God alone might appear to live or Christ living in him and this is also Christ crucified in him I bear in my body the dyings of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 Phil. 3.11 we see Paul preached nothing but Christ in him Christ dying in him Christ ●ising in him not as if I had attained to the Resurrection of the dead Indeed the Apostles did mention Christ after the flesh but yet so as therby to manifest the Mysterie of Christ in spirit of Christ in us of God in our flesh Christ suffered for sins the just for the unjust to bring us to God So that all the Ministers of the Churches come too short in these three things which the ministers of the Gospel had First they had the manifestation of the spirit in manifold gifts enabling them to preach the Gospel purely 1 Tim. 1.12 and with power they preach the Gospel by the holy spirit sent down from heaven 1 Pet. 1.12 which none of of our Ministers have Secondly They could clearly manifest the mysterie of the Gospel and preach glad tydings to every creature under heaven to every man and woman in the world Col. 1.23.28 presenting every man in Christ and Christ in every man Know ye not that Christ is in you except ye be reprobate that is 2 Cor. 13.5 men void of judgement to discern your spirituall estate and being in Christ God being in every man and every mans being in God Act. 17.28 Thirdly the Ministers of the Gospel could not onely manifest the mystery by scripture but without scripture they could make it forth in the works of creation from the writings of poets the mysterie of God even the Father and of Christ For in him we live move and have our being and we are his off-spring we that is mankinde for the Poet means that and the Apostle also he is not farre from every one of us yea in every Creature the Apostle could manifest Christ Act. 17.27 therefore the Gospel is said to be preached in every creature under Heaven Col. 1.23 The Heavens declare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea day to day uttereth speech Psa 19.2 c. So the Sun Moon and Stars their sound is gone throughout all the world v. 4. That is the sound and speech of every creature and as the Gospel is called the witnesse of God 1 Cor. so the rain and fruitfull seasons doe fully witnesse God Thus the Apostles though to the Jews they spake from scriptures because the scriptures were owned by them Act. 14.17 yet to the Nations who denyed all scriptures of the prophets and knew no other then the poets and their own prophane authors the Apostle I say never preached to them out of scriptures for to what purpose was it to tell the heathen of Moses the prophets and the psalms or to preach of their sinnes as out New England Ministers doe to their Sagamoores very simply but as the mystery of the Gospell preached by the Apostles could not be read in Scriptures nor learnt by man at all but only as it was Revealed in them by the Spirit so they spake yea the Speakings of Christ out of Scripture was onely as a Minister of the Circumcision Luk. 4.17 First reading a Text out of the Law c. as all our Gospell-teachers can doe they cannot preach without a Text out of Scripture they have not the manifestation of the Spirit neither can they manifest the mystery of the Gospell the mystery of Christ in us of God manifested in our flesh they cannot present every man in Christ and every man living in God and God the Saviour in all men c. these glad-tydings there is no Minister can preach to any people much lesse to every creature to all Nations Ioh. 1.9 having no gifts of tongues or interpretation they cannot preach the Gospel to those who deny Scriptures Ioh. 4.12 they cannot convince any man by the light in them which is no other then Christ in them nor hold forth Christ from the appearance of God in the world from the light of the world that is in them from inward

12.12 John 14.19 though a Saint may be so called also Christ being in every one and every one in Christ so Antichrist appears most visibly in particular Churches or in Saints joyned in that fleshly fellowship where the Spirit of Christ or Manifestation of the Spirit not appearing the Church must now be called Antichrist the Man of sinn the great Whore How the Church came to be thus Apostate and when the Apostacy began I have not time at present to declare this secret depending much on what the mind of the Spirit shall make out in the Saints and what may be learnt by Ecclesiastick History by both it is manifest that the manifestation of the Spirit in manifold gifts given to the Church ceasing with the Apostles was the first beginning of Apostasie the Apostle John lived about one hundred years after Christ and the seven Churches of Asia types of the apostate Churches stood up a little longer but before the two hundred years compleat the wisdom and power of man so prevailed in the Church the inventions and traditions of Men were so many superstitious and childish ceremonies in Churches that of the British in Wales being the first Christian Church in the world long before the Papall Church in Rome I say the Apostasie of those Churches was so visible the pride of their Ministers so vile Spelmanantiq Britanic the power of their Synods in Glamorgan and Monmouth-shire so prevailing over the Gentry and petty Kings of that Country the canons of their Clergy so potent yea the Churches there and then so carnall in all superstitious Ceremonies both Jewish and Heathenish as never was more gross in the midst of Popery afterward How this Apostasie prevailed and became so powerfull History will tell you that Antichrist never came to be great till Kingdoms began to be Christian and Christian Kingdoms because they were Christian would needs appear and act as Churches call Councels and Synods condemn Heresies Judg of the Truth and Mysteries of God by the gifts of Men. When Kingdoms came thus to be Churches then Churches began to be Kingdoms That is the mysterie of Antichrist and Man of sin was then also working when nothing but the Spirit nothing but the wisdom and power of God appeared in the Churches of Christ I say then the Mysterie of Man the Man of Sin did work then the Churches did begin to act as Kingdoms yea the very Apostles aspiring to a Prelacy would needs exercise authority as Kings and Rulers of the Nations Luk. 22.24 and the Elders not only to seek preheminence as Diotrophes but to Lord it over Gods heritage or Clergie for so the Church was called 1 Pet. 5.1 3. though afterward the Elders or Ministers appropriated that name to themselves for they indeed alone would be the Church as the Pope with his conclave Prelates in their Convocation and Presbyters in their classis call themselves the Church yea the Elders of Independent Churches also have all the power and doe Lord it over their Churches though the Churches carry the name But after that when He that did let was taken out of the way 2 Thess 2.7 that is when the Spirits presence and power from on high in manifold gifts then appearing which did let and hinder the wisdom and power of Man to be so prevalent in the Primitive Churches I say when that manifestation of the Spirit that which did then let was removed then the Man of sin was revealed then the wisdom and power of man appeared visibly in the Churches I will not mention now the Papall Churches where the Popes save raigned as Kings and Emperors yea were called Gods Neither will I mind the Episcopall Churches when Prelates domineered as Lords not only Lording it over Gods heritage but as spirituall Lords in the Civil State I pass by also the Presbytery their Sun being set at noon day their Directory of Worship Confession of Faith Classicall Government their large and little Catechism with all those great works being even at an end The Independent Churches are those my spirit hath been most carryed out against these two last years but could not come forth in a publique contest till now they are come to power carryed up in pomp and state and fleshly glory wherby they discover themselves by their delicacies to be indeed the Great whore deceiving a world of men their Forms being more refined and her flesh fairer for they are men of great Gifts and Grace too this being that purple and skarlet and precious stones Rev. 17.4 the golden Cup wherein they carry their abomination and cause the Kings of the Earth men of highest place and choicest parts to drink the wine of her fornication i. e. Their false worship and Forms of Doctrine which are the Fornications or flesh of the Whore I wil not repeat all that I have written but this with God I shall make good to the world that These are no true Churches of Christ not Zion but The whore though they seem and speak as the Spouse yet are they not like the Gospel-Churches neither in Spirit nor Form No Ordinance among them in the letter much lesse in spirit according to the Gospel For indeed the first Gospel-ordinance or that which constituted the Church in a Gospel Order was the baptism of the Spirit this being not the bare presence of the Spirit for so all the saints under the Law had the Spirit but the spirit in a Gospel-sense was not yet come or as it is in the Greek The Spirit was not yet John 7.39 til Jesus was glorified Again the abundance of the spirit was not this baptism of the spirit for the Prophets had thus the spirit of Christ and Christ breathed the holy spirit on his disciples after his Resurrection but the baptism of the spirit was not till after the Ascension 1 Pet. 1.11 Jhon 20.22 Act. 1.5 The Apostles with all the disciples 120 by name were assembled together yet were they not in a Church-state not constituted in the order of a Gospel-church till they were baptised with the holy spirit Act. 1.15 2 47. yea the Apostles themselves who had a call and a commission from Christ to teach all Nations and to baptize beleevers could not go forth to perform either till the baptism of the holy spirit was come upon them Act. 2.38 Therefore the baptised churches are very carnal in crying out to their ignorant disciples Oh you must obey the command of Christ and Christs command is that beleevers should be immediately baptized c. Act. 8.6 38. Act. 9.18 True if there were a Minister who had the manifestation of the spirit as all who baptized had But again the first command of Christ before baptism was this He commanded them that they should not depart out of Jerusalem till they were baptized with the holy spirit not many dayes hence Act. 1.5 If the saints could stay a while and wait for the spirit not

eat abundantly but when they awake their soul is hungry for indeed their best food is but ashes the fire of the spirit having consumed all that was substance strength and life in the means For behold the Lord the Lord of Hosts doth take away from Judah and from Jerusalem the Stay and the Staff the whole Staff of bread and the whole stay of water Esay 3.1 Judah and Jerusalem are all the Churches the purest of them bread and water are the least and lowest means of sustenance as breaking of bread and baptism of water hath been the best support of Churches the stay and the staff upholding their fellōwships and some food they have found formerly in those means though far short of their primitive institution but now the Lord even the Lord of Hosts God appearing in wrath as a man of war against them takes away all their provisions even the whole staff of bread and stay of water there shall be nothing in any means of grace to do them good or give them strength and not only the means but the men of strength men of parts and arts yea all the gods of the earth shall be famished the Lord takes away the mighty man and the man of war the Judge and the Prophet and the prudent and the Ancient and the Captain and the Counceller and the cunning Artificer and the eloquent Orator and the honourable all shall be so famished that neither gift nor grace shall appear nor gift to govern or rule others for they shall be babes and children in knowledg v. 4. nor grace to govern themselves for they shall be oppressers one of another v. 5. This is the extremity of Famin when men oppress and feed one upon anothers flesh when such want of food when mens gifts shall fail that they shall swear to be no Officers nor bear any rule nor take upon them ony place of preferment yea though they be sought unto yet shall they swear I will not be a healer make me not a ruler over his people for in mine house is neither bread nor cloathing 'T is much that men judged fit to rule and bear sway in the world should be so poor and naked as not to have bread nor cloathing This famin and scarcity may come in the letter upon those who are in highest places who are fullest fed and walk in Scarlet but sure 't will be in the spirit fulfilled on all the Churches and upon all their ruling Elders who knowing that all Authority and Power and Rule is going down at the coming of Christ yet contend still about Government the government of the Church is the onely controversie among the Churches not the great Mystery of Godliness God manifest in flesh no matters of Doctrine or worship are questioned by them but the Government of the Church whether the Church or Elders shall rule This the Independant Churches deny though their ruling and teaching Elders be as proud as Presbyters but sure the time is come that men who are so much for Government and Rule shall swear they will be no Rulers nor Ruling Elders any more for I have neither bread nor cloathing in mine house that is they shall confesse that they have scarce enough for themselves scarce so much knowledg and spiritual understanding as to satisfie and instruct themselves muchless to convince and teach others And as there is a famin on their gifts so in grace they are so famished that they fall to oppresse one another that is to eat each others flesh That 's the extremity of famin which comes upon the Churches as another Prophet phraseth it they shall eat every one the flesh of his brother Zaoh. 13. this is spoken of the whole Church and of all the Pastors or Shepherds v. who are called three Shepherds for that was the number of those that were eminent Teachers in the Jewish Church as Junius shews and these three the Prelatick Presbyterian and Independaut Ministers are the only men that have been Teachers in this Church and Kingdom now God will cut off all three in one moneth How By setting them one against another to oppresse and vex and eat the flesh one of another for as the Prelates have formerly eaten up the Priests and all that maintenance for the Popish Church which was in the Land so the Presbyters have eaten up all the livings and livelihoods of Prelates The Independant Ministry are now the third that feed on the flesh of Presbyters whose Preferment Places Priviledges and Parsonages is now become food for Independant Churches Yet the Famin is soarer for not only mothers eat the flesh of their tender babes but the Fathers eat their children and the children their parents Ezek. That the fathers eat the children is plain in the Churches for whereas the Apostle saith that the fathers ought to provide for their children as he himself would rather work and labour night and day with his hands then that the Gospel should be chargeable to the Saints especially the weak now not only the weak but the world must be at charge to provide for the Fathers of the Church for our Preachers of the Gospel But how the children can eat the flesh of their fathers is very strange seeing the flesh of elder men is wrinkled with age and watry humours and worse for food then the flesh of children But so it is though not in the Church yet in the Kingdom there are men counted children who eat up the flesh of fathers Divines Doctors Pastors Teachers and the flesh of Elders all their forms of Doctrine and worship with their professed holy walking is but food for babes and young beginners in the Lord to feed upon but to consume as fire which is fed with the fuel that it devours For indeed there is none whom the Lord feeds with understanding and knowledg there is scarce a knowing Christian this day that grows in knowledg though he be small simple yet he sees the vanity of Churches the emptinesse of their Ordinances then in the fall of their Officers their famin appears For as the Lord before takes away the whole staff of bread and stay of water so they eat their bread by weight and their water by measure This is much that water which is so common should be drank by measure and the measure so small but the sixh part of a hin a hin being no more then a pint Yea the Prophet himself the only Minister of the Church must eat his bread baked with mans dung which must needs make the bread unsavory and unclean v. 12 13. and though the Prophet complains of this to the Lord as a hard thing for him to undergoe to eat bread leavened with mans dung yet nothing is granted to him but this that instead of mans dung he might prepare and leaven his bread with the dung of a beast this was but little better All this shews thus much that the reprobate Churches eat their bread and drink their