Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	bless_a	jesus_n	lord_n	6,161	5	3.6174	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05193	Two sermons The first preached at St Maries in Oxford Iuly 13. 1634. being Act-Sunday. The second, in the cathedrall church of Sarum, at the visitation of the most Reverend Father in God William Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, May 23. 1634. By Thomas Laurence Dr of Divinity, and late Fellow of Allsoules Colledge, and chaplaine to his Maiesty in ordinary.	Laurence, Thomas, 1598-1657.	1635 (1635)	STC 15328; ESTC S108386	42,208	80

Chrys speakes a captiue to his riches and a prisoner to what he keepes there is no temptation more powerfull then this and therefore 't was the Divells last assault for if any promise can seduce our Saviour 't is that of the earths kingdome and glory hee is the sonne of God indeed which for such a gaine will not cast himselfe from the pinnacles of the Temple 3 Perhaps they are sicke of an envious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor can their eyes beare any lustre in another 't is not so much the opinion they oppose as their corrivall and because Alexander prevented him in a Bishopricke L. 1. c. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Theodoret speakes Arrius cannot stifle his envy but will shew how weak his Lordship is by opposing his tenents 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas Append. orat 18. Paris 1618. venting his fury against the Bishop by accusing his innocent truths of absurdity and errour by calumniating his writings as the Leopard shews his naturall hatred to man by rending his image in paper If so suspend thy judgement for such envious malignants as these square not their Creede by their conscience but their malice 4 If none of the former they may be of a too high spirited and stately a temper and then hauing possest the world with the conceit of their abilities they afterwards study to defend what formerly they delivered Ad Quod vult haer 33. and reade not to maintaine the truth but their reputation This was the cause of Theodotio's heresy as S. August relates for by the heat of persecution being driven to a deniall of his Saviour he thought it a disparagement to confesse his fault and therefore laboured to defend it maintaining one deniall by another It had beene a strange sinne to deny a God none to deny a man and therefore this was an argument of Theodotio's judgement no proofe of his Apostasy hee is wise and innocent too si non Deum negâsse sed hominem videretur if he deny not the sonne of God but the sonne of Mary Follow not easily men of this nature for such Achabs as these desire Micaiah to prophesy good though never so false nor doe they when their religion and credit lye in the scale incline ever to what weighs most but what advantageth 5 Lastly if free from the rest they are not vnlikely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. orat 26. p. 444. great fiery spirits and then if their heat be joyned with ignorance their zeale is wildfire and like mettle in an vnway'd horse serues only to tire and endanger the rider Or if with learning this makes not their errours lesse but more dangerous for then you shall haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ib. p. 458. charmes of eloquence and curious agitations though vnusuall because they are not sworne to any mans expression keepe they must that good thing committed to their trust 2 Tim. 1.14 and the same faith may bee preseru'd in different tearmes for so they meane well it matters not what they speake the trodden way is too easy for them these must goe where other cannot and S. Paules forme of sound words was not prescribed to the strong 2 Tim. 1.13 but the crazy If the Church haue modestly deliuered her selfe at large these will vndertake to misinterpret her meaning by their owne and force her to speake for their particular phansies which studied to expresse her selfe in generall Where there is such presumption on our owne strength the field is maintained to the last man for like illiterate Advocates when their arguments are spent these Rabshakehs beginne to raile and that in the Iewish language to the shame and weakning of such as stand on the walls betaking themselues ad argutam malitiam Inst l. 1. c. 1. as Lactantius speakes to the saucy liberty of a scolding pen as if they wrote by the Churne or the Distaffe Polla argentaria Luc. vit ex claris auctor Bersm or that Lucans wife corrected Lucans Pharsalia When thou hast thus examined their temper suspect their disease and feare their infection or least thy selfe should beginne a Schisme avoide the occasions Thinke godlinesse the greatest gaine and let it be thy ambition to be Orthodoxe know that the safest treasure is in Heaven and the surest honour thinke how short thy life is how neere thy sun is to the West and be not so childish to cry for thy best clothes when thou art going to bed Doe not make thy envy a meanes of thy errour nor trip thy brothers heeles when he is running to preferment for every man may haue entrance if one giue way to another whereas in a throng all sticke at the doore If through weaknesse thou hast erred bee willing to retract it be not alwaies mad because thou wast once blinde allay thy choler with the mildnesse of the spirit and though thou writest and speakest for the truth forbeare thy brother Leaue that womanish eloquence to such as haue nothing to defend them but invectiues for know there is a murder without bloudshed Iugulast is non membra L. 2. p. 69. sed nomina saith Optatus yee slay not their bodies but their names and what credit or ioy is it to outline the decease of their honour and reputation Besides this is not the way to cure a patient but to distemper him the meanes to calme these stormes being for the strong to beare the infirmities of the weake Rom. 15.1 So haue I seene a lesser fire by reason of a too violent suppression breake forth into vnquenchable flames whiles a greater not stirred nor medled with though it threatned for a while ere long sunke into ashes If thou art a hearer long not for meates aboue thy digestion if a teacher learne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rightly to divide the word and to suit thy discourse to thy auditory Corinth can informe vs that as a disproportionate diet causeth a mutiny in the body so doth it in the Church the vsuall fruit of such Schoole discourses in popular auditories either for thy deficiency in expression or theirs in apprehension being Schisme or blasphemy as Constantine observes in his letter to * De vit Constant Orat. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The cause of most schismes being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alexander and Arrius u Naz. orat 26. p. 416. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keepe thy selfe to those ancient hereditary expressions remoue not those Landmarkes thy Fathers haue set for what likelyhood is there one man should be wiser then so many thousands Thinke meanely of thy owne wit and mistrust even what thou knowest for how hardly can man wade into those inscrutable misteries which is ignorant of those motions hee every day feeles which is a stranger to himselfe if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be in thy Creede admit not the change of a letter with Athanasius in x L. 3. c. 4. Sozomene this strange attire of faith or as y Euseb de vit Const orat 2. Constantine stiles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this ●oyish idle curiosity this patching an old garment with a new piece hath ever beene the cognisance of heresy and such contentious Ephramites may still be discerned by their lisping Sibboleth Againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When the Church hath spoken in generall make her modesty an example for thine bee not wiser then her Canons nor streighter then her rules T is enough for thee to hold the foundation or if thou buildest thereon take heede thou preparest nor fuell for the last fire The Apostle assures thee that if thou shalt confesse Iesus Christ and belieue that God raised him from the dead thou shalt haue eternall life z Naz. orat 26. p. 446. a Naz. ib. p. 438. and what wouldest thou more then this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is nothing more vniust more dangerous then thy faith if thou measurest it by the daring subtleties of refined witts by the cleanely conveyance of some cheating distinctions though in the modus thy owne reason sway thee another way keepe it to thy selfe better an vnnecessary truth should be lost then the vnity of the Church deliver not a novity though in the reservedst tearmes for what can wee expect but a Babell when one vnderstands not anothers Language Belieue only what the Lord requires and his Church consider what the rest for to follow mans direction is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in S. Pauls phrase 1. Cor. 3.3 to walke in a circle to goe about not to goe forward and in matters of this nature the safest way is to be a scepticke Naz. 16. p. 446. if some turbulent zelots 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through a fiery precipitation run out of themselues first and then out of the Church beseech them with S. Paul that they bee perfectly ioyned together in the same minde and the same iudgement that all speake the same things v. 10. if thy prayers are sleighted coniure them with the same Apostle if there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of loue if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowells and mercy bee like minded hauing the same loue being of one accord and of one minde Philip. 2.1.2 if they yet persist threaten and let them know that we haue no such custome neither the Churches of God c. 11.16 if after all this they resolue to leaue thee leaue them not without S. Paules Prayer Rom. 15.5.6 the God of patience and consolation grant vnto them to be like minded one towards another according to Christ Iesus that they may with one minde one mouth glorify God even the father of our Lord Iesus Christ to whom with the blessed Spirit bee ascribed all honour glory dominion and power now and for ever Amen FINJS

earth be so high and Heauen so low Let me rather be like my God that commanded out of darknesse on mount Sina here and my Saviour that concealed his glory vnder darknesse on mount Olivet there Mat. 16.6 the higher I am the lesse may my shadow be Let me never confute my humble penitentiall Sermon by my prowd vaineglorious Cassocke nor attend my Lord by being dislike my God let my oraisons be without noise in the darke and my dominion without imperiousnesse in the darke and my goodnesse without proclamation in the darke and my charity without vaineglory in the darke and my honour without bravery in the darke and my retinue without prodigality in the darke let this darknesse disguise my light here as it did his that this darknesse may raise me to light hereafter as it did him for a cloud saith the Evangelist Act. 1.9 received him out of their sight let me creepe on earth that I may clime to Heaven Whether the Father of Mercies bring vs all for the merits of his Sonne to whom with the blessed spirit be ascribed all honour and prayse dominion and power for ever and ever Amen FINIS 1. COR. 1.12 Now that I say that every one of you saith I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ. HOW little haue the best to glory in which are bad enough to abuse the chiefest blessings or what confidence is it to purchase heauen by our selues which are hardly drawne thither by the labours of others which make the readiest meanes of our salvation the greatest hinderance from it pretend such as exhort vs to peace for the authors of a schisme 'T is the disease of our times and it was Corinths too an inveterate malady and therefore the more incurable Shee fell asunder into as many divisions as her Church had teachers happy lights in coniunction but in opposition most dangerous wherein euery faction sailes by a severall card and is carried by a peculiar bias Praefat. de gubern This side admires Pauls plaines and mistrusts Apollos structures for the gaudy varnish non lenocinia volumus sed remedia as Salvian speakes they desire the cure nothing to sweeten their physicke and could wish Apollo were confined to the deske Paul to the temple Another magnifies the powerfull eloquence of Apollo sleighting St Paul as too flat and heauy Caiet Musculus thinke these intitled Ct. to their faction nor can any thing charme this evill spirit but the spells of Apolloes rhetorique a third is taken with S. Peters keyes and because hee is called a rocke supposeth all the rest laid their foundation on the Sand a fourth likes none their sublimated iudgement thinkes meanely of Paul because he persecuted Christ and of Peter because he denied him their faith shall not shipwracke on that rocke nor their soules bee committed to Cephas keyes The cunning disputes of Gamaliels scholler shall not sway them nor the commanding straines of the Alexandrian oratour Christ only redeemed and therefore no reason any else should dispose them May others miscall themselues as they list these will bee nothing but christians Well resolved were yee as charitable as wise did yee loue your brother with your Saviour did yee not intitle Christ to your faction and hazard your interest in the head by disioynting your selues from the members T is well ye thinke Christ your owne but ill yee thinke he belongs to none besides you for hee that saies I am of Christ divides himselfe as well as he that saith I am of Paul and I of Apollo in the next verse of this chapter This was Corinths distemper and vntill it bee cured the Apostle can proceede no farther greater misteries were to bee imparted had not these divisions disabled them to heare For then the contentious man none saies more or vnderstands lesse and contentious they were their businesse and employment now being little else 'T is no private jealousie of his owne Chloes family saies so nay themselues say so and therefore he saies so too Now this I say that every one of you saith c. My Apostle chargeth Corinth with a schisme wherein he discovers 1 The pretended leaders Paul Apollo Cephas and Christ 2 The parties some Pauls disciples others Apolloes a third multitude appropriated to Cephas and a fourth to Christ. 3 The cause this was the issue of contention v. 11. and contention the spawne of the flesh Gal. 5.20 for while they are so they are nothing but carnall in the third of this epistle at the fourth verse ambition or gaine or pride or envy overruled their wills and misguided them into factions sensuall they are and such are their actions 1 I beginne with the pretended leaders of this Schisme Paul Apollo Cephas and Christ It hath ever bin the policy of Satan to gild schismes and heresies with the names of specious leaders intressing the learnedest and best of the Church in the worst opinions and desperatest factions as men doe great persons in broken titles that being vnable to beare a triall in themselues they might receiue esteeme from the credit of their Patrons this was the cheat which gull'd Corinth a Church enriched with the grace and knowledge of Christ setled and confirmed in the same v. 4.5.6 vnlikely to miscarry vnlesse by that fondnesse and dotage on her Pastors Men they were of extraordinary worth greatest eminency in the Church Paul for his learning his zeale the multitude of his sufferings his miraculous conversion his heavenly rapture where hee saw that hee could not speake Hee out of an humble modesty acknowledgeth himselfe the least of the Apostles and yet beleeue but his owne relation and you must confesse him the greatest Apollo for his sanctified rhetorique eloquent mighty in the Scriptures for his fiery devotion fervent in spirit for his vnwearied industry he taught the way of the Lord diligently for his powerfull disputations he mightily convinced the Iewes Act. 18.24.25.28 Cephat deservedly stiled princeps Apostolorum as c Catalog Script Saint Ierome or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Chrysost calls him the primate and chiefe of the Apostles either for the priviledge of his age or the liberty of his speech or the honours conferred vpon him by our Saviour his individuall companion in raising the dead his transfiguration on the mount his last vigils in the garden his speeches ever directed to him as a person representing the rest his favorite and darling So that if the Divell intitle these to a division hee cannot want proselites the grossest errour will passe if their seale be on it for it is impossible hypocrisy should lodge with so much zeale or deceipt with such knowledge illumination Each man thinkes his owne opinions canonicall because his supposed leader is so nor can he endanger his faith while he steeres by such a starre he is first perswaded of the truth of his leader then of his owne vnderstanding and lastly

nō intelligetis that I must belieue before I vnderstand though I vnderstand that I cānot know thee thou hast told me this by the meanest of thy creatures by the spider I see this screw himselfe vp by a thread which I cannot see I wonder how so many ells of bread so much tiffany should bee piled vp in so little a shop that this miracle of nature should spin courtaines for a large window out of a bottome no bigger then a pins head and thou hast told me this by the vilest of thy creatures by my selfe 't is beyond my guesse to say how joy dilates my heart how sorrow contracts it how pride swels and envy wasts mee by what way I remember or dreame how feare should infect my cheekes with palenesse and shame should dye them with red and seeing I vnderstand not what I see how shall I thinke to see what I cannot vnderstand Thou art ô God a center without a circumference and a line without an extremity and a breadth without bounds and a depth without bottome and an originall which cannot be coppied and a beauty which cannot be drawn and a way which is not known and a light which is not seene He that sets me vpō a farther discovery may as well advise me to ramme the earth into a musket or empt the sea into a violl or weight he fire or measure the winde or recall a day that 's gone as the Angell bad Esdras to inclose the world in my hand or comprehend the Heavens with my span It may suffice that this God is a light and because so great a light therefore of vs not seene that this darknesse is no darknesse to him because he vnderstands what we cannot that he hates not the modesty of ignorance but the tympany of knowledge and although there be no darknesse in him he may bee in it the condition of this limitation and my last generall 5 God was especially with Moses here which is essentially every where as my soule is diffused through every fraction of my body which yet principally resides in my heart and what an honour was it for the Priest to be company for God That presence consecrated this cloud and this consecration caused that reverentiall distance that supple adoration of the people for as the chaire of State and court is where is the King so where God is there is a Propitiatory and an Altar Wee are therefore no more idolatrous by our prostration towards the table of the Lord then the Iewes were by theirs towards the Tabernacle of the Lord towards the cloud in the desert here or the mercy seate in the Temple because wee doe it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that Constantinopolitane Councell speakes vpon another occasion to God which is there not to a similitude of God which is not there and our faith points at Heaven while our eyes are fixt on the Altar nor know I any which applaude that base damnable metaphor that resemblance of this to a dresser but such as stumble in a levell not because the rode of the Church is vneven I. P. but because their discretion is lame such as would feigne slay their beasts and set on their crocks againe in the courts of the Lord as the Iewes once did or lay their Saviour in a cratch by translating his Chappels into stables 2 God was in a cloud and in a showre mists and thunderings and tempests there were Heb. 12.18 c. 19.16 and seldome these without raine for ever since the spirit of God moued on those waters the spirit of God hath beene moved by these waters because the Lord forgives my transgressions by blotting them out saith the Prophet what my impenitency hath written being wiped out by my teares and is then most affected with the wounds of my soule when they bleede at my eyes but Lord what Libertines are wee growne to the severity of elder times fiue yeeres pennance for consulting witches seaven yeeres for adultery ten yeeres for voluntary abortion twenty yeeres for some offences in the Ancyrane counsell c. 19.20.23 con Nic. c. 12. during life for others and 't is to be feared we are out if they were in for why should it be thought such a prodigie to see man in a dew when God was so often in a cloud c. 19.9.18 Heb. 12.18 3. God was in a showre and in a fire in a fire to shew he can be enflamed in a showre to shew this flame may be quenched in a fire against presumption and in a showre against despaire for hee never inflicts a wound before hee provides a remedy draws not a sword which he rebates not first proclaimes not war before he profers conditions of peace and is therefore vsually deciphered in Scripture by his justice and his mercy together nor meane I to divorce those attributes the Holy Ghost hath married by making him all mercy to my selfe 1. Cor. 3.9 Rom. 15.26 all justice to others every hearer is a building and every teacher is a builder saith the Holy Ghost and he shall meddle with no house of mine that throwes downe my walls because they want pointing that cannot repaire Exod. 4.3.4 and mend vnlesse he ruine and destroy for I can with Moses endure a rod though I flee from a Serpent God was in a fire and in a darknesse to shew c. 19.18 c. 20.18 Heb. 12.18 Dan. 3.49 Secund. vulg ed Io. 10.22 that as there was a fire without heate so there may bee a fire without light and such is the fire of that Land of darknesse ignis sine luce fluvius a darknesse wherein they shall see nothing that can comfort and yet wherein they shall see any thing that may torment them God comming here at the giuing of the Law as he will come against the transgressors of the Law in flames to punish but no light to refresh them so that vision in Bede so our Saviour shewes § L. 3. c. 19. goe yee cursed into outer darknesse Math. 8.12 and yet goe yee cursed into everlasting fire too in the fiue and twentieth of that Gospell at the one and fortieth verse 5 God was in a darknesse and a thicke darknesse too demaunding thereby what a madnesse it is from that omniscient God which is in the thickest darknesse to hide in the darke or present this sinfull flesh in the arreare of plushes and tishues for impotent man to embroider and bespangle himselfe with the orient brightnesse of firmament and starres whereas that omnipotent God was apparelled with the gloominesse of a cloud Shall the creature arrogate more glory then the Creator or this shadow then that Sunne Must I that am all vilenesse expose the luxury of my pride to the ostentation of a publique view and my God that is all glory hide in a shade Must the Lord of light bury himselfe in darknesse And these sonnes of darknesse sparkle in the light shall