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	heart_n	word_n	5,244	5	4.1630	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95803	Novemb. 18. 1642. The unlimited prerogative of kings subverted. Or a short treatise grounded upon scripture and reason, to prove that kings ought as well as others to bee accountable for their actions. By a well wisher to the church of God, his King and countrey. And dedicated to all such as love the truth.	Well wisher to the Church of God, his King and countrey.	1642 (1642)	Wing U84; Thomason E127_32; ESTC R16462	22,383	17

up Armes for their own protection they do not resist the ordinance of God nor come within the reach of the Apostles censure as those that for so doing shall receive damnation Here is one thing yet more that I have to say concerning the Unlimited Prerogative and so I shall finish this Discourse and that is What good can there come by ascribing such a Power For every circumstance in point of Government must have respect unto some good or other either for the glory of God or for the benefit of the People if so be that they conduce not to these ends they are utterly to be rejected as sinfull and obnoxious For God never gave Magistrates any such power as to be unlimitable in breaking his Commandements or to become terrible and dreadfull to their People but this He requires that they especially whom He and His People have trusted with power and Magistracie should by their example honour God in a holy and godly conversation and be comfortable and profitable to their People through their pious peaceable and Religious government But how or which way doth it appear that the unlimited Prerogative hath or can have respect to any such ends nay reason tells us the contrary and We have learned asmuch by the best of Schoolmasters to wit experience And if the Spirit of God say true a great deale of evill and mischief may come by it but no good at all as ever I could read Thus much we may perceive if we will look into that place in the 17. Deut. 18. where the Spirit of God speaking concerning the King when he shall come to sit upon the Throne of his Kingdome He shall write saith he a coppie of this Law in a Booke out of that which is before the Priests the Levites and it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learne to feare the Lord his God to keep all the words of this law and these Statutes to do them Here we see the rule which God would have Kings apply themselves unto in governing of their People but here is no grant or Charter that God at all hath given them to rule them according to their wills and pleasures and he binds them within the compasse of His Law And it cannot be denied but that these Statutes and Commandements of God before spoken of require passive as well as active Obedience For what is here said unto Kings is oftentimes in this Book and else where said unto the People and I beleeve there is none will say but that they are required therby to obey in both kinds why not Kings then as well as others for here is no exception Nay the Spirit of God here gives us a sufficient reason that they ought so to doe in the words following for so it is said least his heart be lifted up above his brethren He foresaw what mischief would come of it if Kings should have any such Unlimited Power allowed them And indeed how can it otherwise be but they must needs exceedingly swell with Pride when they shall be made like God subject to no Laws And what doe they else that ascribe such a power unto them as that they are no waies accountable or punishable for any actions that they doe Is not this the very next way to cause them to despise and trample their People under their feet as if they were so exceedingly beneath them though in truth they be the same and equall with them in respect of their nature and being therfore the Spirit of God here calls them their Bretheren the difference only lying in their power and Magistracie and to make them forget themselves and their humane condition as if they were a degree above Men by exalting them above all Laws as if by vertue of their place and Dignitie their very nature were changed into the Divine Besides this it is further worth the marking what other evill consequence will be readie to follow if such a power as is said before should be ascribed Therfore it is said in the next words that he turne not aside from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left as who should say to give Kings such a power as is Unlimited and disresponsable it is the very next way to cause them to presume and take liberty to themselves how they list and when they list to break the Commandements of God and to cast his Precepts behind their backs Here we see now the evill that comes by this Prerogative I would any one could shew me what that good is that doth from it arise or where in all the Scripture it is said that Kings shall not be accountable for what they doe I perswade my selfe that it will be a taske too hard for any man to undertake By this it appeares what Enemies they are to the Common-wealth and what a deale of mischief they doe that teach such Doctrine as Kings Unlimited Power and how abominable they must needs be both in the sight of God and Men that teach men to erre from Gods Commandements and to conclude all in a word I may here say to such as our Saviour doth Math. 5.19 Whosoever shall break one of the least of these Commandements and shall teach men so to doe shall be call'd the least in the Kingdome of heaven And here also I may well remember them of the words of that prediction of the Apostle 2 Thess 2.11 which are truly verified in these men God shall send them strong Delusions that they may beleeve a lye that all they might be damned that beleeve not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse I doe not much question but that this paper may light of those that will not spare to lay Censure hard enough upon it and it is not unlikely but it may suffer under that terrible name of Treason yet I say it would be well for them before they shoot their bolt to consider wisely with themselves what they doe least otherwise they prove to be such as fall foule upon the Truth of God and so be found to be such as fight against Him which if they doe let themselves judge how it is like to be with them But let it be as it will yet the comfort is it is not the first time that Truth hath suffer'd under as bad a Censure as this can be and let them that are enemies to this Truth doe what they can yet let me tell them that Truth is strong and shall prevaile and that howsoever it may be blamed by those that hate it yet it shall never be ashamed And as all Truth ought to be known so especiallie every Truth in its chiefest time and season for as the Wise man saith Pro. 25.11 A word spoken in due season is like apples of gold in pictures of silver then it is most like to do good and then most acceptable and delightfull I have spoken a few words upon this theame the rather that hereby at least I might provoke those of better judgements and are able to say farre more of this point then my selfe according to the necessitie of the times to speak in this behalfe if they be lovers of their King of the Truth and of their Countrie And so I commend it to the blessing of GOD. FJNJS

Actively or passively If not then surely they that would attribute thus much unto them doe exalt and set them above the Laws and Commandements of God for you must understand that the judiciall Laws in those times whereby God would have his people to bee governed were immediately ordained of God as well as any other Laws whatsoever which therfore for my own part I conceive to be no lesse then blasphemy at least I am sure it is a high contempt of Gods ordinance Wherfore now with submission to better judgements wheras it is said Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords anointed and be guitlesse I suppose this to be the meaning of it That this is a thing not to be rashly or unadvisedly done by any and that it belongs to none but to the Magistrates only and that in a legall way having herein an awfull and reverentiall regard of the Commandement of God Yet further I will not deny but that it may probably be that there may be somwhat extraordinary in the case of these 5 Kings before mentioned their persons being of Gods immediate choice and by his especiall appointment inducted into that Function as the rather it seems so to be because this term of the Lords anointed I find it applyed in Scripture to no King else that was anointed with Oyle but only these though we read of divers Kings else besides these that were anointed with Oyle Then for the other in that Kings are called Gods anointed with respect to the authority which by their people they are elected unto whereby they become Gods Deputies and Vicegerents here on earth in ruling and governing of his people Thus and no otherwise then thus are our Kings call'd the Anointed of the Lord Now as much as this is proper and belonging to other Rulers as well as to Kings to be called Gods Deputies and Vicegerents and therefore it is that they as I shewed before are cal'd Gods as well as Kings which little is applyed unto them in this regard because they represent the place of God and have his Image stamped upon them in a more especiall manner by meanes of that authority that God by the consent of his people hath conferred upon them for their good From hence therefore neither doe I see any ground why Kings should not be accountable for their actions For if so be that they are not accountable in this regard because they are Gods Deputies and Vicegerents why then I say nor any other Rulers nor Magistrates besides because they are Gods Vicegerents as well as Kings The which I thinke there are none will be so simple as to affirme So now by what hath been said we see that even Kings in a legall way may bee resisted neither do we want examples among our selves of this kind and yet it is thought no grievance or unlawfull thing or unbeseeming the profession of good Christians as some doe say For it is not manifest that the King himselfe is impleaded by his owne Subjects and hath many times tryalls at Law with them at the Kings bench and is divers times too overthrowne And if this be done in slighter matters then certainely much more it ought to be done in matters of farre greater weight and consequence as in cases of oppression Tyranny or Destruction of his People But here againe say they should wee grant you this that other Kings may be resisted as you have declared and may Legally bee accountable for their actions yet the case is not alike betweene other Kings and ours of England for as much as they have their right to the Crown by Conquest as is evident by William the Conquerour whose Successors they are and therefore there is no other way for us now but either to obey what they command us or else to submit our selves to suffer Answ It goes beyond my apprehension to coneive how this kind of arguing can hold good and I do admire upon what ground it should be built But besides it is not here amisse to take notice of the basenesse and servility of the spirits of these men who can be so well content to argue themselves into a very vassalage and slavery Therfore for satisfaction in this point as well as in the rest wee must take notice that there is a two fold conquest one is Absolute and the other is Conditionall For the first of these will they affirme it that we are absolutely conquered and so overcom by an altogether over-ruling and Tyrannicall power that our Lives Persons and Estates lie at the mercy of the Conqueror all that ever we have being at his will and pleasure that hee may make a prey of them how he list and when he list without any bonds or ties at all on his part towards his people but that by vertue of the Conquest we are wholly become his Vassalls and slaves I say in this case a people may by force of Armes nay they are bound to doe it for as much as all people ought both by the Law of God and nature to provide for their owne welfare and salvation when they have a fit and convenient opportunity and strength sufficient to rescue themselves from under the power of such a Tyranny and free themselves from such a Yoake though it should bee even with the personall destruction of those Kings that should usurpe such a power over them And I prove it clearely by the examples of the people of God in the times of the Iudges approved by the Spirit of God as Iudg. 3 8. Israel there rebelled against the Lord by turning unto Idolls whereupon it is said the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel and he sold them into the hands of Cushan Rishathaim King of Mesopotamia and the Children of Israel served Cushon Rishathaim eight yeeres that is to say they served him in a servile slavish way then it followes that the Children of Israell cryed unto the Lord and the Lord raysed up a deliverer unto the Children of Israel who delivered them even Othniel the brother of Kenaz Kalebs younger brother and the spirit of the Lord came up●n him and he judged Israel and went out to warre and the Lord delivered Cushan Rishathaim into his hand and his hand prevailed against Cushan Rishathaim and so the Land had rest 40 Yeeres By which words you see that the people of God by force of Armes were violently overcome and kept powerfully under a Tyranny for the space of eight yeeres but see when God had raised up unto them a deliverer that is to say one that would stand up in defence of them against the King of Mesopotamia who had them under and they now had a convenient opportunity to redeeme themselves from under this Tyranny they take it and by force of Armes recover their liberty againe It is needlesse to instance in any more particulars at large I will therefore onely point out the severall places that for your better satisfaction you may read them