Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A18922
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Henoch Clapham his demaundes and answeres touching the pestilence methodically handled, as his time and meanes could permit.
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Clapham, Henoch.; Re., Pere.
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1604
(1604)
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STC 5343; ESTC S108006
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28,520
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38
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HENOCH CLAPHAM His Demaundes and Answeres touching the Pestilence Methodically handled as his time and meanes could permit 1. Iohn 4. 1. Try the spirits whether they are of God 1. Thessa. 5. 21. Try all things keepe that which is good 1. Iohn 3. 16 Hereby haue we perceaved loue that the namely Christ layd downe his life for vs therefore we ought also to lay downe our liues for the brethren Phil. 2. 4. Looke not every man vpon his owne things but every man also on the things of other men 1604. To the Church of God wheresoever dispersed Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father vnto Sanctification of the Spirit through obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ apprehended with true faith Grace peace be multiplied vnto you all Amen CHristian Reader it was wy lot to light vpon these few leaves And being pervsed by som that had in times past bin acquainted with the author him self And so finding in this canvasing coÌ„ference such sound satisfaction for matters of doubt which in the other Epistle of the pestilence were short brief learned and scholerlike reasons still striving to bring out the kernel of knowledge which lay couched vnder the shell of obscuritie And the further he ripped and reached to make Gods glorious power knowen which others so long had masked it caused many questions to bee mooved which in this canvasing conference is answered to the full I my self being an eare-witnes to som part of that doctrine which was as strange to many at the first as it was to the men of Athens in Mars street which counted Paul but a babler because he preached vnto them Iesus and the Resurrection But I heare the Author is in prison And why Because som Ministers complayned that he preached a doctrine which they could neither begin nor end past the boundes of their knowledge But Henoch wher are thine accusers hath the finger of God written their faults easie to be read doe they not stand out to accuse thee Then I hope the learned will not condemne thee that haue trod out the corne before thee in the same path So was the doctrine of possession likewise distilled out of the cloudes and so high past every lay mans reach that the layety were driven to their Pastors for satisfaction in the doubt of that doctrine because the Priestes lippes should preserue knowledge but they being found nonresidence in those studies one made answer thus I am no Prophet I am no Apostle Miracles are ceased c. These hearers could not be at the beginning ending of all these Sermons which was the cause they rested vnsatisfied and so they began to expounde the doctrine them selues according to those parcels which they had gleaned by peece meale from the author never vnderstanding the Author as he meant But whosoever thou be that will take vpon thee to say all before thou heare all shall be sure to lye all And so damnable speaches were bruted abroad before either of the doctrines were finished but the last Sermon of possession made all plaine and so plaine that since that time to the glory of God be it spoken I never heard of any about London nor elswhere that were so extraordinarily possessed But ordinary wicked persons that are never dispossessed of a wicked tongue like the Athenians which gaue them selues to nothing els but either to tell or heare som Newes but in the end M. Marbery set in foot to maintaine the same doctrine vpon Christes Temptation in the Wildernes affirming that If no going in no coming out So did the last Sermon of the Pestilence make all attentiue hearers satisfied These circumstances considered I tooke it for duty once towards the Church who is the piller and ground of truth as also for profitable acquaintance heretofore had with the Author I could do no lesse but diuulge it And so much the rather for that therein is cleared what in all points is to be held touching the Pestilence A doctrine hetherto over-confusedly and slenderly handled of many If my iudgement fayle me not Thine in Christ Iesus Amen P. R. The Authour to the Reader THE last great Pest-time I speak of the Great plague in London for otherwise it is now the greatest Pest-time in the country and throughout his Highnes Dominions it pleased God to give me affection and strength to continue hold out my Ministerie to the end publikelie teaching and privately comforting the Lords poore flocke abyding in the Citie of London as occasion here and there night and day was administred what time the Citie was much infirmed for Civill governement and well-nigh emptied of due ecclesiasticall cure Satan The accuser of our brethren maligning the happy successe of my labors he gets som vnwise Spirits to bruite abroad that Clapham taught The plague not to be infectious and that All that dyed of the plague were damned as dying without faith The first accusation came readily to the present Lo. Bb. of London but the second it seemeth not so For about som 34. wekes after my first CoÌ„mitment the said Lo. BB. and Sir Edward Stanhope in Court did publikely affirme that they had not heard of that bruite before what time I my selfe then first vttered it in their court that so then in the face of all by-standers it might be checked so well as other slauÌ„ders forged only for obscuring myne innocency The BB. beleeving the first tale he without sending for me or talking with me caused me to be taken euen presently vpoÌ„ a Sermons ending wherin I had opposed to such insensible reportes and so was conveyed to the Clinck prison Passing by some inter-currentes which in som other my writings are layde downe he at the eleven weekes end convented me theÌ„ signifying that I had bene imprisoned for teaching That the plague was not infâ—ctious as also for publishing An Epistle concerning the Pestilence and that in contempt of the booke of Orders for the Wednesdayes fast authorized by the King To both I answered Negatiuely if so by Plague they vnderstood not that stroke of the Angel termed of the Holy-Ghost Deber but that which grew from corruption of the Creature Well to the Gate house prison I was sent and to my booke and the contentes I should answere in another place To passe by the second Convention it being to no other end then the former the weeke before the Archb. death I was called to Lamboth There after assurauce had of certaine Articles their compasse I tooke my othe to answer truly to them The next Monday at the Registers office I did so The answere was sent to the BB. of LondoÌ„ He seeing it made not to his purpose did not convent me but without all adoe he let me ly in prison still as afore My wordes nor writings prevayling any whitt I complayned to the King on Easter monday who appointed the same to be conveyed to the BB. And he thereto
in the Elect as two eyes in the soule to see by but often times as were Leahs eyes very tender yea with the poore man in the Ghospell do often behold meÌ„ but as Trees which caused another to cry I beleue Lord help my vnbelief In this distinction of Eternall and Temporary Faith I here rest as fittest to the present purpose as also to the meaning of such writers as already I haue vrged and againe must vrge My Answer so to the second question is that both these sortes of faith are commended and called for in the 91. Psalme The Temporarie is propounded in the first sence according to the Letter The Eternall and Iustifying Faith in the second sence and according to the mysterâ—e The first is the Shell the second is the Cranell 〈◊〉 having the promise of both and both the gift of God David could teach no otherwise seeing Moses gaue him his Text from Levit. 26. and Deut. 28. and can be construed no otherwise Our Saviour sends his hearers to Moses for triall of his wordes and workes and in Moses they could never be found but by seeking a mystery in his Historie a Spirit in his letter a substaÌ„ce in his shadowe an eternall blessing coÌ„veyed vnder a Temporarie They that teach otherwise must frame a man of only soule or only body or invent a Christ with the Familistes that hath litle or nothing to do with the body When our Saviour sayth All things are possible to him that beleeveth doth he by All things meane only the things of the soule no he meaneth also what so ever may be comfortable to the body And in that place the point is cleared seeing by the Fathers faith the Child then became dispossessed of an vncleane Spirit that bodily good being denied vpon his state of incredulitie A cloude of witnesses haue their faith extolled in Hebrues 11. and for what specially or at the firstâ—hand for apprehending temporary deliverances though sealing vnto them a Greater Daniell so stopped the Lyons mouthes Ananias Azari and Misael did quench the violence of fire David by faith escaped the sword Samson of weake was made strong c. But what saith a writer authorised by the Sea of London hereto He shall giue in both Demaund and Answere I demand quoth he whither Gods Ministers and good people now may not receaue as great mercies and blessings aswell corporall as spirituall by faith as the people of the Iewes did when Christ was conversant vpon the earth We know his knowledge his love his mercies are not diminished or chaunged his power and might is the same more glorified Surely then that which letteth the free course of his graces and mercies from vs must be in our selues Ignorance hardnes of heart and great Infidelity So farre He. If now Infidelitie hinder the course of corporeall blessings yea of so great blessings as were vouchsafed to peoples bodyes in our Saviours time then necessarily it followeth that the Lord in 91. Psalme any other such place doth make such promise And this was it which mooved another last pestâ—tymes to write thus If there he now such a faith as giveth credence vnto God be shall preserue him from wicked imaginatioâ—s and evill sicknesses Thus Clapham in Nothing wil be found odd singular let the Accusers therefore be abashed and leaue of their vnthriving transgression Quere Are they then to be held faithles that dye of the Pestilence CHAP. VIII Answ IT hath bene reported that Clapham should teach that such so dying had no Faith Hearke what his wordes be wherevpon such bruite was raysed In his said Epistles fourth Section he writes thus But seeing the Lord promiseth deliverance from the plague to all such as rest vnder his winges walke in his way it may be asked how comes it to passe that som Believers dy of the PestileÌ„ce The answere then is thus there made The Lords promise beeing ever fast to the Beleever for he is faithfull that hath promised There is in Beleevers so dying waant of faith for appreheÌ„ding this particular delivrance this temporarie mercy though they haue not lacked faith for their eternall iustification and finall salvation by vertue whereof their flesh resteth in hope of an happy resurrection and their spirit is gone to God that gave it So farre There In them wordes is the former question plainly resolved namely One may dy of the Pestilence having notwithstanding true faith in Christ to their eternall Iustification Salvation but such a one so dying wanteth that faith whereby that particular temporary deliverance might also haue been had It is not said that they haue No Faith for the contrary is affirmed namely that such a one may haue true Iustifying Faith but that in such a one there was A want of faith for apprehending this Particular deliveraÌ„ce this temporary mercy the veritie whereof may appeare by that which hath been said afore but here shal be vrged further Had such so dying such faith for apprehending that temporary deliuerance If they had it and yet so dyed it were to make God a deceaver for such faith so well as Iustifying Faith is the gift of God I graunt that such a one may haue som swimming conceipt of deliverance as a Reprobate may haue his vnrooted conceipt of soules salvation but virtually truly such faith they had not for God gives not faith without the thing faithed Walke before me saith he and be thou vpright I am EL-Shaddi the strong God All-sufficient â—or Answering thy faith and obedience And this was it which caused our Saviour in the Ghospell still to say According to thy faith be it If God in his Iustice do aunswere the wicked according to the Idol-inventions in their own heart even to the brawning of them in their witchery superstitions what mravayle is it though the same God in his mercy do answere his Children according to his owne grace wrought in their hearts by his owne spirit But let vs heare one speake authorized from the Sea of London In Psalme 91. it is thus The Plague shall not come neere thee It may be demaunded saith he how this can be true for that we read both in Elder ages and sâ—e dayly that the Pestilence where it is sent doth not only come neare the Godly but also smites dead c. The answer saith he is this that either they fayle in the Particular faith in Gods providence so much commeÌ„ded and Required in this Psalme 91. or they keepe not within the boundes of their callings So farre He with authoritie but in me it must be a Heresie He saith such faith for deliverance is required in Psalme 91. And many of our Cleargie haue deried it in me If faith for deliuerance from Pestilence bee not in every Christian Required why is our Church in the Collect on Trinitie Sunday inioyned to pray against All adversitie as also in the Letany to pray directly