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	speak_v	word_n	6,573	5	4.5953	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29830	Catholick schismatology, or, An account of schism and schismaticks in the several ages of the world : to which are prefixed some remarks on Mr. Bolde's plea for moderation / J.B.	J. B. (J. Browne)	1685 (1685)	Wing B5116; ESTC R37483	61,193	209

it is well setled Needless Alteration doth so diminish the venerable esteem of Religion and lessen the credit of ancient Truths break Ice in one place saies he and it will crack in another And twenty years smart Experience of the ill consequences of giving way to such fraudulent Pleas for Moderation and little Alterations hath made it necessary to deny without being real Papist or superstitious Fool that such Alteration should be made in consideration of the Church of Englands being as great a Bulwark against Popery in the Alteration as without it especially considering 2. The great advantage it would give the Papists the ill Reflection it would make on the Protestant Reformers and the Scandal it would cast upon the Protestant Reformation to see men make no difference between intolerable Superstitions and innocent Rites and Ceremonies we have instance of this in Bishop Hooper's scrupling the Episcopal Vestments of which said Peter Martyr Such needless scrupulosity will be a great hinderance to the Reformation and 't is certain that there was scarce any thing gave so great check to the Reformation in France especially among moderate and learned men as the putting no difference between the Corruptions of Popery and the innocent customs of the Ancient Church For when those of France that were inclined to the Reformation saw that the Reformers opposed the undoubted Practices of Antiquity equally with the Popish Corruptions they cast them off as men guilty of an unreasonable humour of Innovation And so at this day when men contend about things indifferent as tho unlawful and would have such Ceremonies as are of truly Primitive and for the most part ‖ Can. 30. Apostolical Practice equally disused as things perfectly Superstitious the vulgar Papists at least that cannot distinguish must conclude that we alter or abolish such innocent Ceremonies as Standing Kneeling c. on the same grounds as we do the rest of their detestable Corruptions and so by seeing our unwarrantableness in reforming from those innocent Ceremonies are easily if not necessarily induced to believe the unwarrantableness of our departing from the whole Mass of Popery especially considering that it is the business of their Teachers to instruct them in this That we reform from both on the same grounds and what can this tend to but to harden Papists and scandalize Protestants and so endanger the Reformed Religion And for these and perhaps many more weighty Reasons than Mr. Bolde or my self can apprehend Our Rulers have thought fit in point of Moderation to retain the Ceremonies now in use in opposition to Enthusiastick Innovation on the one hand and Popish Superstition on the other hand And therefore Mr. Bolde doth very ill in calling every one a real Papist or superstitious Fool that will not consent to the Alteration or Abolition of our Church-Ceremonies on the supposal of the Church of England's being as great a Bulwark against Popery in the Alteration as without it I say he doth very ill to call every such one by such odious Names especially considering that the King and Parliaments are most immediately concerned in it Mr. Bolde having told us in the following lines of the fruit and effect of Impositions and the want of making some Concessions and Abatements for the sake of those that are yet unsatisfied adds more particularly that there are yet two dreadful events which have followed these Impositions 1. Many worthy pious and otherwise every way qualified Persons have been hinder'd from either entering into or continuing in the Lords Vineyard to labour and work there 1. They hinder themselves All that the Law doth is but to hold forth one common Rule which Mr. Bolde cannot deny but that they may conform to without Sin 2. There are as many worthy and well qualified men of the Churches Communion as there are Dissenters who are yet destitute expectants of being called into the Vineyard I heard a Reverend Prelate but t'other day speaking of an account which the Arch-Bishop said was lately given in to him of above two thousand such in England And tho it cannot be denied but among the Dissenters there are many who Preach well yet take a great part of those who are most admired by the Vulgar and you will find that the excellency of their Preaching lies chiefly in a faculty they have of moving a Passion either by transporting or confounding the Imagination with some Mystical Representations or by thundering into mens ears the most formidable or dreadful Expressions or by smiling out now and then a soft Similitude or a chiming Cadency a curled Metaphor or some such Pseudotrope and with insinuating Harmony of voice and gesture tickle the Soul up into the Ear of the weakest Sex especially and those of shallow Judgment and warm Affection but are more like to provoke the Scorn and Laughter of a sturdy Profligate than to convince his Judgment or work upon his heart But among the conforming Clergy the business in preaching is not to stand fluttering in mystical Nonsence and Stentorian Noise but to deliver themselves gravely and considerately rationally and judiciously calmly and modestly to enlighten the Hearers minds with such substantial and nervous Discourse as is fitted to stop the mouths of Gainsayers that they shall not be able to resist that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Spirit and Power of Reason and Religon with which they speak And of these since God has spoke the word great is the company more by some hundreds than the Vineyard will hold And therefore 't is not to be believed that the hindering Dissenters on such dangerous and unreasonable terms on which they would come into the Vineyard is such a dreadful event or effect of Impositions as Mr. Bolde speaks of especially considering as has been shewn that the hindrance is of themselves 2. Another dreadful event or effect of Imposition that he instances in is this P. 12. The constant imposed use of these things has almost unavoidably begot in the minds of Ignorant People a belief that they are indispensably necessary and undoubted parts of those Ordinances to which they are annexed c. The 30 Canon yeilds sufficient Answer to this in these two particulars 1. That the abuse of a thing doth not take away the use of it Comm. Prayer Preface concerning Ceremonies 2. The Church has positively declared against the retaining any Ceremony in use which may be abused to Superstition 3. Why may not the ignorant People as well believe them indispensably necessary to be used as indispensably necessary to be disused the Superstition of the one is just as much as the Superstition of the other But 4. I know no Error in the belief of Ceremonies being indispensably necessary and undoubted parts of the Ordinances they are annexed to Mr. Calvin himself seems to be of that belief when he calls those Institutions which are founded in Scripture Instit lib. 4. c. 10. prorsus divinas altogether Divine Divine because a part

are in a late Book called Ravillack Redivivus Now either we must say That the Devil has Power of disposing of the gifts of Gods Spirit which is Blasphemy or that this Extemporate way of praying is no infallible sign of Gods Spirit and therefore that it is Phanaticism to ascribe it to him In a word as Miracles ceased so did the gift of inspired Prayer and ever since has the Church Worshipped God by allowed Forms or Liturgies not only in the Bohemian and Lutheran Churches but in the Presbyterian Churches of Geneva France Holland c. and that not only allowed but advised by Mr. Calvin himself till of late some Jesuits in Masquerade first set up the way of Extemporary Prayer on purpose to break good Order in the Protestant Churches and especially here in England Foxes and Firebrands as is lately made evident beyond all reach of scruple by a good credible Author 5. 'T is rank Phanaticism to resist Lawful Authority on pretence of Religion or to pretend Conscience for Disobedience to Magistrates hereby God has been intituled to as barbarous Massacres and as horrid Rebellions as ever were committed and this sort of men are so far Phanatick as they intitle God to self-inconsistency in opposing his Will to his Will and his Word to his Word by pretending his Authority for Disobedience to his Commissioners For Conscience is no less than a Divine Authority and therefore not to be pretended without much less against a Divine Law The pretence of Conscience is that we are afraid to displease God and therefore chuse rather to displease men but if we displease men to please God where God has forbid that Displeasing or Disobeying of men as in the case of Disobedence to Magistrates in things not sinful in that case the pleasing of God is but pretended and that pretence is but Fanaticism it being Disobedience on the account of Conscience or Duty to God where there is no Word or Law of God commanding it 'T is eternally true That a Conscience informed and governed by a Divine Law ought not to stoop to the greatest Prince That the Authority of God is to be opposed to the greatest Power upon Earth And that all the Powers in the World cannot deliver us from the Obligation of CONSCIENCE that is when it has Gods Law for its Rule But where that is wanting it is not properly Conscience but Humour and Fancy and pretending that Law and that Divine Authority when we have it not is plain intituling Gods Majesty not meerly to Humour and Fancy but to that damnable Sin of Disobedience which is properly called Phanaticism This Account have I given not to justifie that ill practice of giving odious Names to any Party but meerly to instruct the Vulgar Reader a little in that great evil of Schism and Faction which is so little discerned by such and less made Conscience of by most Remarks on Mr. Bolde's Plea for Moderation THE Arch-Pagan Celsus having wrote a most Pestilent Book against Christianity gave it this specious Title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in imitation of him it was that * Not Pythago Commontat Hierocles an Egyptian Governour wrote two Books to prove the Scriptures guilty of Falshood and Contradiction The Apostles to have been Cheats and Impostors The Miracles of Christ to have been the Effect of Magick and not comparable to those of Apollonius Tyanaeus Yet this hellish Book he did Intitle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As tho its damnable Errors had been Divine Truths and not against but for the Christians In like manner Mr. Bolde a Conformist Minister who declares himself satisfied in the lawfulness of every thing required in the Church of England in imitation of Mr. Baxter's Pleas for Peace has published a Book which he calls A Plea for Moderation to'ards Dissenters which is indeed such a Plea for Licentiousness and Confusion such a piece of Hypocrisie and Church-Treachery and such a perfect Satyr upon the Government as deserves a worse Shammatha than what is ipso facto pronounced against him in the Sixth Canon for impugning the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church Or at least 't is a Plea for such Moderation as Dr. Taylor ‖ Ductor Dubit l. 3. c. 4. says has something of Craft in it but little of Ingenuity that may serve the ends of outward Charity or Phantastick Concord but not of Truth and Holiness Moderation saies Bishop Lany cannot be but between two Extreams Sermon on 1 Thes 4.11 and what Extreams are there in a setled Church as in England unless the Church be one Extream and the Schismatick the other saies the Bishop But to shew further the vanity and emptiness of his promising Title if you take the word Moderation in its forensick and primary Acceptation for that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or gentleness which is placed in relaxing the Rigour of the Laws when they press too hard upon Criminals I do undertake in these following Lines to make it evident That the Moderation of our Church and Church-Rulers is such that it is plain want of Moderation to question their Moderation and that they are utterly lost to all Moderation who attempt such Pleas in that behalf If you take the word Moderation in its Scripture-Acceptation it is no more than Meekness under Sufferings Persecutions c. as appears by the Context of that one and only place where it is used in Scripture Phil. 4.5 Let your Moderation or as the Geneva Translation let your Patient mind be known unto all men q. d. however immoderate your Persecutors are let your Moderation Meekness and Patience be known to all men not only Fellow-Sufferers but your Enemies and Persecutors Shewing plainly that the word Moderation in Scripture-Acceptation is accommodable to none but a suffering or persecuted Party Which makes it a contradictio in adjecto to call this Book a Plea for Moderation to'ards Dissenters And as the Title so the Book Dignum patellâ operculum For there 's scarce a Paragraph in it not fairly reducible to one of these Heads 1. Fraudulent Pleas for Compliance with Dissenters in the Disusance or Non-imposal of Church Ceremonies 2. For Indulgence to'ards them in relaxing the Rigour of the Laws 3. Scandalous Reflections 4. Impertinent Jorgon Remarks on Mr. Bolde's Plea concerning Church-Ceremonies TO see how in this he doth in limine impingere He begins his Book with this Fraudulent Insinuation concerning them Vnnecessary Rites and Ceremonies P. 1. 4. 8. 18. 20. and Zeal about them a Stratagem of the Devils Invention whereby to hinder the Progress of true Christianity humane Devices old Rites and Ceremonies trifling and frivolous Things with much more to the same purpose How far he hath hereby incurr'd the Penalty annex'd to violation of the 6th Canon which saies of the Impugners of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England Let them be excommunicated And of the 10th Canon which calls them maintainers of Schismaticks who shall