Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	believe_v	faith_n	see_v	5,205	5	3.8267	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82528	A friendly debate on a weighty subject: or, a conference by writing betwixt Mr Samuel Eaton and Mr John Knowles concerning the divinity of Iesus Christ: for the beating out, and further clearing up of truth.	Eaton, Samuel, 1596?-1665.; Knowles, John, fl. 1646-1668.	1650 (1650)	Wing E121; Thomason E609_16; ESTC R205964	49,997	66

A friendly DEBATE On a WEIGHTY SUBJECT OR A Conference by Writing Betwixt Mr SAMVEL EATON AND Mr JOHN KNOWLES Concerning the DIVINITY OF IESUS CHRIST For the beating out and further clearing up of TRUTH LONDON Printed by T. N. for GYLES CALVERT at the black spread-Eagle at the West-end of Pauls MDCL presented Truths nor thine own Eyes to be too much weakned by over much use of the clouded spectacles of Ancient termes and opinions but in regard there must be some Oneness and Analogy between the Recipient and the thing received to make up an intellectuall and perfect conjunction as the Metaphysicks say be exhorted in the fervent Love of the Love-working Spirit to understand what you receive and to receive what you convincingly understand let not ancient Authority darken Truths glory though newly discovered nor new Errors shake Truth setled though anciently confirmed but as the Apostle saith in the Spirit of the Father Try all things The Treatise designes the confirmation of the Negative part of this Logicall Question Whether Jesus Christ the Son of the Most High God be that God the nature thereof is of high concernment and cals for the greatest the gravest consideration 'T is the exhortation of the Spirit Heb. 3.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 3.1 Holy Brethren consider the word is weighty Beloved Christians the Son requires the understanding of a sublimated spirit sunk down into the very Center of the Soul expunged from the Reliques of the dregs of vain delusions Professors of all sorts examine principles already taken in try it with your own hands especially this heer presented it is matter of moment and that for these Arguments 1. In regard of the Excellency of this Knowledg Phil. 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Paul cals it Phil. 3.8 't is the knowledg of him that lay in the womb of Eternity that received that revealed the bosom-secrets of glory 1 Ioh. 1.18 'T is the knowledg of our friend that is crowned King in the Assembly of Heaven and contains the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Psal 2.6 Col. 2.3 2. In regard of the Mysterie of this Knowledge Every Truth is a secret and that in regard of its proximity that I may not say Identity to the highest Then that sure more eminently which the Spirit of God intentionally signes so The Sons name is a secret as that Angels Judg. 13.18 Phelij a secret a wonderfull name a wonderfull name indeed would it be were his name in the number thereof made known And Col. 4.3 Eph. 3.3 Col. 2.2 Col. 4.3 Ephes 3.3 Col. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The disquisition and search of things remote separate and transcendent is a work for Spirits generated in the Divine Love and tinctur'd with the Divine Nature which enobles them above all acts seemingly glorious in the worlds view especially 3. In regard of the Utility thereof The Knowledge of the Son is very profitable by the right understanding whereof many prophecies concerning the Church lye either chained up in darkness and undiscovered or appear so mighty that they are by most too too rashly censur'd condemned 'T is no less then eternall life in all the parts thereof John 17.3 1 John 5.20 Nay John 17.3 1 John 5.20 John 14.9 't is to know the Being of all knowledg and the center of every Being John 14.9 Friends sit down no longer in deadness in darkness but consider these things in your selves once and again and then judg according to the spirit of Oneness and divine Revelation that works in you See more by your own Eyes that the Babel of Traducall Doctrines authoriz'd only by man may fail and fall To beleeve this or that to be without a spirituall light and intelligent perswasion is but an implicit faith and comes under the Roman condemnation He knows best that hath truth written upon his own soul But when on the one hand I weigh the wantonness of these dayes in lifting up the heel against many Truths pressing near and the facility on the other hand to entertain without knowledge and understanding it prompts me to premeditate the various effects this ensuing Treatise will produce Some Luxuriant and heady spirits will peradventure draw the curtains before they know 't is night and sit down in their retired their forced darkness Others whose ears stands always open and Athenian-like are wandring are waiting for some new thing wil too easily welcom it as an Angel of Light and lodg it with them without so much as quaering What are you But are afterwards as soon drawn out of it as dallied to it Yet is it my hopes that some Valiant one in spirituall Israel whose sword is on his thigh Cant. 3.7 8. will enter the List with her to the discovery of her strength or weakness and endeavour the settlement of this point in Question Happily this may be the time that the Truth of these Mysteries of the Father and of Christ shall be manifested who sees not the multitude of divisions haesitations acceptations concerning God Christ and the Spirit The smoke of the pit ascends very high me thinks it proclaims the glory of the Lord to be rising for the breaking of the cloud to the ushering in of the day But why are such things brought forth to trouble the people 'T is not I can assure thee blazon'd with singularity or effected publicity but that that Doctrine formerly received might have better foundations then the Philosophers Jus Rationis or occulta qualitas to palliate their ignorance that things might come to a particular scrutiny and that the seemingly fair face of many mentall buildings may be searched and their body examin'd to the very Basis Let no man be offended at the style thereof plainness of language may be no hinderance to her entertainment she may happily make better provision in that kinde when humane Eloquence is made the Watchword in the Lords Army and yet if any shall wonder why it adventures abroad in such a cloathing give me leave to Apologize a little for her Garments and tell you that she rose in haste and intended onely a visitation to a private friend upon a more then earnest invitation but by the way meeting with some adventitious Salutants she was unwillingly arrested and now prest to hazard her self upon the doubtfull multitude Lastly for I am writing an Epistle if any Man from its pretence to Light and claim to Reason especially the Gentleman for whom it was intended and to whom 't is committed shall daigne to descend the Sands with it Let him in Love and in the Spirit know That reviling is no reason and that he addes nothing to Truth that belcheth forth bitterness from a distemper'd spirit Let him teach himself in the Doctrine of Luther Non convitiis sed argumentis errantis conscientia est erigenda And if yet any man shall indiscreetly and scornfully handle his weapons the return of the Author I

the ground of his confidence was anothers assistance Psal 16.8 9. I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope c. Also in Esay 50.7 The Lord God will help me therefore shall I not be confounded therefore have I set my face as a flint and I know that I shall not be ashamed c. The Minor being made clear the Conclusion will not hide its face Therefore whole Christ is a Creature Thus I have done with the third Position and so have brought my Answer relating to John the 8. 58. unto a period WHerefore I shall now scan the Scripture which meeteth us next which is Rev. 1.8 Answ From this Text you would inferr Rev. 1.8 Answ that Jesus Christ is the most High God and that doubtless for this cause Because Christ here speaking of himself doth appropriate to himself terms equivalent to that of most high God But Sir how can you demonstrate that these are the words of Christ and that they are here appropriated and do relate to him You peradventure will say that the thing is evident in that he is called the Lord who here speaks and to whom those Titles are applied If this be your demonstration it is full of darkness and helps nothing to resolve the scruple For God or the Father distinct from Christ is called the Lord Acts 3.19 20. chap. 4.26 And frequently in this Book of the Revelation To this Title you will it may be add the testimony of learned Interpreters who take the words as spoken by Christ and of himself Confirmatio salutis praecedentis à dei ipsius verbis quae suā operationem in res creatas singulas aeternitatem immutabilè in s●se in omnibus suam omnipotentiam asserit illam trinitatem quae ante lict a est divinibus concluditur essentiae suaeunitate Bez. Non negamus quosdam etiam Orthodoxos Interpretes Lyranum item Riberam Jesuitam haec Deo absolutè seu Trinitati tribueri hoc loco Par. It is true that some so conceive of the words but not all Beza conceives that these words are spoken of God absolutely taken Pareus confesseth that certain Orthodox Interpreters do attribute the word to God as they consihim absolutely And therefore if our faith be built upon the sayings of men we shall not here know what to believe Wherefore we must betake our selves to Reason whereby the spirit may convince us of whom the Text in controversie is to be understood That it is to be understood of the Father these Reasons may help forwards to satisfaction 1. Because this Text declares the principal Authour of those things which John the Divine was to communicate to the seven Asian Churches For these words begin a new matter and are no part of the salutation They speak of God even the Father who is of highest Authority and from whom originally this Revelation was Christ he is spoken of verse the 11. and is to be considered as the Principal Instrument in conveying this Revelation to the Churches for God gave it to him to shew unto his servants those things which were shortly to come to pass verse 1. 2. Because those Titles are no where in the Scripture attributed to Jesus Christ He is indeed call'd Alpha and Omega the first and last verse 11. but not Alpha and Omega as signifying the beginning and the end 3. Because the terms in the Text are elsewhere apparently and professedly given to God the Father distinct from the Son He is called Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end Rev. 21.5 6. And he that sate upon the throne said behold I make all things New And he said unto me Write for these words are true and faithfull And he said unto me it is done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end c. The Angel useth the same phrase Rev. 22.13 And doubtless in the same manner In the fourth verse of this first Chapter the Father as all men acknowledge is said to be He that is he which was and he which is to come THe Scripture which follows and is now to be considered of is John 1.1 In the beginning was the Word John 1.1 and the Word was with God and the Word was God Expositors on this Text usually bring forth Platoes invented terms whereby they do not a little cloud the simplicity of the Word of Truth The words may be thus read In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with the God and the Word was a God And they may have this sense In the beginning in the first part of time was the Word Iesus Christ according to the spirit of holiness did exist And the Word was with the God This Jesus Christ was a delight to the most high God and did converse with him and the Word was a God This Iesus Christ had power committed to him whereby he might represent the Most High God Now for your inference from the Text that Iesus Christ is the most high God 1. I answer that nothing is found in the Text that doth assert Iesus Christ to be the most high God He is called GOD 't is true but what of that Will necessity bring in this Conclusion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Just Mart. p. 490. that he is the most high God Nothing lesse For the name as it hath been shewed before is common with God and Creatures To what hath been said I shall onely add a saying of Justin Martyrs Whatsoever Angels saith he have appeared in the place of God or acted with men they have obtained the name of God as he which spake with Iacob and Moses Yea and men also are called Gods but this appellation is granted to both for some Office committed to them c. 2. That something may be found in this Text to deny Iesus Christ to be the most high God he is here distinguished from God for the Text saith the Word was with God and so he was distinct from God That the Phrase notes out a distinction all men grant I shall leave Reason to draw up the Conclusion therefore Jesus Christ is not the most high God God cannot be distinguished from himself therefore he that is distinguished from God must be considered under another notion But some do infer from this distinction that which they call personality which hath already been spoken to taking God in the first place to signifie the Person of the Father who is wont say they to be called God in way of eminency a strange saying in the mouths of those who hold Co-equality amongst the Persons in the Trinity And also Christ is here differenced from the most high God in that he is called a God but he with whom he was The God in way of eminency the omission of the Article is not a little considerable