Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	body_n	holy_a	soul_n	16,669	5	5.2335	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05093	A treatise of the excellencie of a christian man, and how he may be knowen. Written in French by Master Peter de la Place, one of the Kings counsel, and chiefe president of his court of aides in Paris. Whereunto is adioyned a briefe description of the life and death of the said authour, to the end that euerie one may knowe what he was. Translated into English by L. Tomson; Traité de l'excellence de l'homme chrestien et manière de cognoistre. English	La Place, Pierre de, 1520-1572.; Tomson, Laurence, 1539-1608.; Farnace, Pierre de. aut	1576 (1576)	STC 15231; ESTC S106746	64,194	137

his Apostles as of a true marke wherby his are knowen sayed that it is the wedding garment whereby as by the bridegromes cloth liuerie those that are bidden to the mariage feast are knowē from other And the Apostle sayth to the same purpose that without this cleannes no man can see God nor be ioyned to him to cleaue fast to him And it is impossible for the spirit of adoption to be in one but the spirit of sanctificatiō must also nedes be in him for by it it is that the faithful are called Saincts as sanctified made holy of God consecrated set apart frō prophane common vse separated from al earthly filthines defyling of the flesh as the vessels garments temples swete sinelling sacrifices were which might not be applyed to any other vse but that that was holy and dedicate to the glorie of god For it is meete that they that are lightened with the doctrine of saluation should shewe them selues an other sort of men then they that walke after the vanitie of their owne braines being ouercouered with darknes because they neuer felt any light of trueth so that to finde an holy mā in deede which is the Christian man we neede not seeke him in an heremitage or desert or in some close place that is walled about separate from the conuersation and common life of men eyther in garments meate ceremonies or what other obseruation soeuer of corruptible things and other forme of holynes inuented by men with a kinde of wisedome in superstition and humblenes of spirit and contempt of the body vnder a cloke of fayned obedience pleasant in shew to mans reason but in the onely working of the holy Ghost which transformeth soules into that holynes which he hath him self and frameth them in such wyse to newe thoughts and affections that we may welsay they are other then they were before as wrought in his knowledge and to his image that made them Which thing appeareth not only within through an inward and spirituall feeling of a pure conscience cleansed from wicked affections assisted thereunto with a feare of God and faith and hope and patience and inuocation but also without through a cōtinual exercise of godlynes voyde of all superstition which might lessen or darken the glorie of God by giuing that to other which is propre to him as also by peace and ioy of cōscience meekenes goodnes vpright dealing iustice sobrenes temperancie other fruites of the Spirit contrarie to the fruites of the fleshe whiche are vncleannes filthines idolatrie sectes heresies dissolutenes enimities seditions outrages murders theftes other such like which are cōtrary to brotherly charitie which Iesus Christ telleth vs is an other marke tokē wherby they that are his are marked knowē to be his disciples not only by a cōmon loue towards al men as al men are one fleshe and al created and fashioned to the image of God but also by a special mutuall loue the one towards the other so much the more straight and precise by how much the image of God shineth more clearely in thē whom he hath before regenerate And therfore as by mortifying of him self the Christiā man forgetteth himself whatsoeuer is about him to liue in God referring the partes of his life to him as to their onely end without further searche of things that please him selfe but suche onely as please him and as he well lyketh of for the aduancement of his glorie and so by this way effect of mortification he casteth of al consideration of him self and layeth aside all fleshly affectiō to giue him self wholly to his neighbour and preferreth the profit of his neighbour before any respect of him self So that this loue is an other manner of loue thē that naturall loue which is common to all men which is nothing els to speake truely but a loue of our selues accordingly as euery man is inclined to haue a care of him selfe and so to seeke his owne profyte and gayne neither is there any more agreement betweene them then is betweene fyre and water for the loue of our selues keepeth all our senses so well occupied that this Christian and brotherly loue is wholly banished And therefore S. Iohn sayeth playnely That all they that haue a right feeling of it knowe that they are passed from death to life and they that haue no feeling of it remaine in death that is to say thei that are not regenerat And in deede the bond of perfection consisteth in loue for loue is the marke and end whereat the Lawe shooteth and wherin the end of sanctification standeth as whereby euery one of vs hath to witnes to the world what loue we beare to God whom we loue in our brethren Considering that this loue is so ioyned and coupled with the loue of God that it can in no wyse be separate from it because it procedeth from the loue of god as the effect from the cause and in this it is to be short wherein stādeth the right rule of life whereby the Christian man frameth all his actions and moderateth the right vse of the giftes of god And therefore whatsoeuer is not squared by it is false and all vertues be they neuer so excellent are without it nothing els but a wynde that puffeth men vp with pryde and vanitie and a vaine painting or vnprofitable sound that is to saye a thing of nothing and that more is a stinking and abominable thing before God. And therefore we must not thus thinke of a Christian man that he is a man withdrawen a side from all other men liuing in a solitarie place or so dedicate to a contemplatine life as they call it as that thereby he is distract from such actions of conuersatiō as are behoueable and necessarie for the interteinement of the societie of men Seing that men are borne one for an other to communicate one with an other for the maintenance of the societie of mankinde and not to bereue our neighbours of that duetie we owe them if we wil not be taken for theeues before god Considering that we were not placed here in this world to liue solitarily as wylde and brute beastes but to liue amongst companie and to make other men partakers of that which God hath bestowed vpō eche of vs and there is nothing wherein men are said to followe God so muche in as in employing them selues charitably one for another for the profit of one an other as in deede that vertue is the best of all that is profitable to the most Therefore the Christian is a man that hath dayly conuersatiō with other men that applieth him selfe indifferently to all conditions and trades of life whereunto he findeth him selfe rightly called and therein employeth him selfe faithfully to the profit of the societie of mankinde whether it be in respect of a priuate life and the dealinges thereunto belonging or in regarde of the

Paul writing to the Thessalonians is so bolde as to assure them that their election is of God speaking as it were vpon a certaintie of knowledge grounded vpon notable signes and markes of the vertue of the holy Ghost which he sayeth he sawe in them by euident effectes of fayth the carefull and paynefull charitie towardes their neighbours the sure hope and stedfast continuance in wayting for the manifestation of Iesus Christe with pacience which surmounteth all wearines both of the length of time and of all afflictions of the world whatsoeuer The like he doeth particularly in Timothies respect to whome he writeth That he assureth him self that faith and true religion dwelleth in him iudging so of the certeintie of the cause which is hidden to all men by the apparant effects thereof euen as if it were visible And so we in like sorte by a charitable iudgement may iudge or at the least perswade our selues wel of our brethren in whom we perceyue like fruites and actions of the Spirit of God to take accompt them for Christians For as we iudge by the outward motions of the bodie that there is a soule in the bodie so may we perceyue by his workes whether the spirit of God be in man or no seeing that euen as the soule which liueth not idle within mans bodie sheweth it self by that vertue and vigour which it distributeth to the members and to eche part of the bodie euen so the Spirit of God that is in man is not idle but sheweth what power it is of in the man in whome it is and sheweth it selfe effectually by a conformitie with Christ who liueth in him and gyueth life to his members whiche he communicateth with them and powreth out vpō them by the vertue of his Spirit which is as you would say the general soule of al the childrē of God not respecting the substance but the grace so that euen as we thinke that the graffe is well ioyned to the substance of the tree which it is graffed into when we see it bring forth fruite out of the same tree by that strength which it receyueth of the same roote euen so we know that a man is truely ingraffed and made one body with Christ when through one selfe same force of the Spirit he bringeth forth fruit in Christ But as for the knowledge of a reprobate man it is a thing so secret and hidde to men that they can neuer iudge of it certeinly vnlesse they haue some extraordinarie reuelation for be it that we finde neuer so euil signes and tokens in any man what is he that can tell whether God haue reserued mercy for him in store or no vnto the latter ende of his lyfe though he haue spent it wholly in wickednesse Therefore seeing in deede it was not expedient nor mete for vs to haue knowledge to discerne the one from the other lest that thereby we shoulde become to colde in charitie towardes all as we owe to all as though all men were our brethren in Christ it is sufficient that this chaffe shall be separate from the corne at the latter day So then this onely remayneth that we knowe distinctly and particularly what the operations of the holy Ghost in man are because there is no other way to knowe a Christian man outwardly by but by them And seeing it is so as we haue saide that a Christiā man is a man made a new creature as touching his nature by a seconde byrth it is euident that that can not be done vnlesse the first nature dye and this man put of the fleshe that is to say his first nature which is corrupt euen that which we bring with vs from our mothers wombes which is called the old man For he can not in any wyse be capable of the kingdome of heauen vnlesse he be destroyed and brought to naught by the sworde of the Spirit to the ende that death may make a riddance of all the operacions of the fleshe which sinne woorketh in him For as long as we are Adams children and nothing els but men we are suche slaues to sinne that we can do nothing but sinne vntil we be made new men by the death of the first man and haue passed by meanes of the communication of the death of Christ to the participation of his life These two pointes to wit Mortification and Viuification whiche can not be separate the one from the other are out of doubt the chiefest operations of the holy Ghost in a Christian man so that euen as Christe dyed to destroy sinne passing by death to euerlasting lyfe in that fleshe which he toke of vs euē so this man is dead in him selfe and renued to a better life accompanied with meete conuenient workes for it and such as may witnes that he is a trewe member of Christ by casting downe of him selfe of his owne wisedome and reason and al his affections and passions which casting downe of him selfe proceedeth from a liuely tast and feeling of the goodnes of our heauenly Father whereby man is knowen to be Gods chylde and inheritour of al his blessings for this can not be but forthwith his vyle base carnal and earthely affections vanishe away and become dead in him by reason of the great light of fayth which darkeneth putteth out all the false light of our corrupt nature Wherefore a Christian man doeth then in deede shewe him selfe to be a right Christiā when the death of Christ which hath a certayne force in it to expell and cast out the wickednes of our fleshe and his resurrection whereby there is raysed vp in vs the state condition of a better nature shew their fruit in him as by Baptisme we are made partakers of this grace So that al knowledge of Iesus Christe that hath not this vertue to followe it is naked and bare and al baptisme without it vnprofitable and nothing worth for there commeth no man to Christ or is receyued into the grace of Christ but the efficacie of his death appeareth in him beareth about a shew and token of it in him by mortification of the flesh and quickening of the spirit as hauing passed out of this first nature into the nature of Christ by a spirituall renewing which sheweth it selfe by framing the course of our life anew wherein who so is formost sheweth that he hath profited most in the knowledge of God And we may not thinke that the benefit of the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ belongeth to any other saue onely to them which shew forth a new lyfe of a right affection of heart some sooner some later giue them selues to holynes and cleannes wherein standeth the band of the coniunction that is betwene God and vs and the certayne badge and marke of a Christian man wherby the children of God as S. John sayth are knowen from the children of the deuill For which cause Iesus Christ speaking of this sanctificatiō to

glorie of GOD I speake it that I can easelier enter into it then come forth so great comfort I receiue of the doctrine which is the chiefest part of the ioye of my saluation Were it not that I had good assurance and feeling of these markes whiche hee setteth downe and are in deede the true markes of our saluation both in vs and to vs that we are saued I should despayre rather then hope and bende my selfe wholly against God then euer bee subiect or submit my selfe to god And therefore so oft as euer I enter into consideration of the wicked doctrines whiche the reprobate and condemned Church of Antichrist giueth out and teacheth I finde none so detestable as this poynt that laboureth to take away from vs all perswasion of Gods loue towarde vs and of our moste sure and certaine redemption by the blood of Christ They call it a presumptuous doctrine a desperate doctrine a doctrine that leadeth man to all kinde of dissolutenes an enemie to godlynes of lyfe and deuotion a furtherer of all sensualitie all lust all wickednes and rebellion agaynst god Though we are taught by the Scripture that none can beleeue but such as are appointed to saluation and none can receyue Christ and beleeue in his name but they which haue this prerogatiue giuen them to be sonnes of God though the Apostle say Knowe ye not that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you and agayne The Temple of God is holy which Temple you are though Christ him selfe saye Reioyce that your names are written in the booke of lyfe and Of those whom my Father hath giuen me I will not leese one yet cease they not agaynst so manifest trueths of the Spirit of God witnes of the Sonne of God yea and euident speaches of God him selfe to disgorge their blasphemies tending to the subuersion of soules because they enuie at other mens saluation not passing as seemeth by their doctrine for their owne though I iudge them not Is it a presumption for a Christian man to say as Christ hath commaunded vs and taught vs to say Our Father which art in heauen Or may I say Our father in doubt whether he be so or no No man can call God his Father but in fayth and fayth is nothing but an vndoubted perswasion that we are beloued of God in Christ beloued as children because he gaue his Sonne for vs because he the righteous dyed for me the vnrighteous whereby as he became a sinner by setting him selfe in my place so doo I become righteous in that that God setteth me in his place And because our condition and state is such with God Iesus Christ our Sauiour willed vs in praying to pray thus Our Father For if this grounde go not before we are lyers in so praying Nay we blaspheme him in so praying for he will not be called Father of the reprobate no more then he will accept the sacrifice of the wicked whereof he sayeth by his Prophet that it is an abomination to him for our prayers are sacrifices and if they be the prayers of his children then are they sweete smelling sacrifices but if they be the prayers of the wicked and reprobate then are they an abomination to the lord Do we not euery one of vs in the Confession of our fayth say I beleeue in God the Father what do we lye when we say so Or must we doubt whē we say so Wel this is the doctrine of the enemies of God the Papistes who say it is presumption for any man to say that he is saued Then I say it is presumption for any man to saye that he is the childe of God then is it presumption for any man to saye that God is our Father then is it presumption for any man to say that he is a Christian then is it presumption for any man to say in a good and true faith I beleeue in god And so by this meanes shal the whole Catholike Church be condemned for charging vs to say so then is Christ a lier and a master of heresies in teaching vs to pray so then do we all wickedly to call and professe our selues Christians with such confidence as we doo And seeing their profession and doctrine is so that no man can assuredly saye that God is his Father let them set it downe in flattermes as they meane it and let the style of the confession of fayth and the Lords prayer go as their doctrine is after this sorte I doubt in God the Father almightie I doubt in Iesus Christ I doubt in the holy Ghost and If thou which art in heauen be our Father halowed be thy name and so forth What a diuelish doctrine is this yet it is the doctrine of the church of Rome what a desperate doctrine is it and yet it is the doctrine that we must confesse to be true or els we be heretikes we must be burned wee must be condemned Christians I say must be condemned because they say they are Christians for it is nothing els we say we say we are the children of God that is an heresie say they and yet they will graunt vs to be Christians A strange kinde of Christian that hath not the Spirit of Christ and if we haue the Spirit of Christ are we not Children The Apostle teacheth vs all this why then what is it els to say we are Christians then to saye we are the children of God and is there any chylde of God that is not faued Paul sayeth if sonnes then heires heires of the kingdome yea felowe heires with Christ So then it is no more presumption to say I am saued then to say I am the the childe of God neyther any more presumption to saye I am the childe of God then to saye I am a Christian Oh but say they this doctrine maketh men desperate for if they stand vpon those termes once that they are saued they will care no more for good workes they will abandon them selues to all kinde of sinne In deede they say as they feele for if thei felt what it were to haue this persuasion groūd they would knowe that as they are freed frō sinne so are they to liue in righteousnes The true Christian and chylde of GOD is more fearefull to sinne because he loueth God and is beloued of God then all the wicked haue for feare of punishment He knoweth and is perswaded that as he is dead with Christ so must he rise againe with Christ in newnes of life to liue after the Spirit not after the fleshe and that God hath prepared his wayes to walke in which are good workes If the liues of all men were looked into it would easely appeare where were the greatest abundance of sinne whether in the true Christian who is a witnes of the trueth of this doctrine or in the enemie of trueth which can not abyde this doctrine And why can he not abyde this doctrine because he can not abyde to

the world for as much as the world which hath receiued nothing but the spirit of the world hath no vnderstanding of those things which sauor of the spirit of god For saith S. Paul euē as no man knoweth the things that are in mā but only the spirit of man euen so no mā knoweth the things of God but the spirit of God. So then a man can not iudge no not of him self whether he be a Christian or no vnlesse it be by the light of this spirit of God that is giuen him as S. Iohn witnesseth speaking in the persone of euerie Christian saying after this sort Hereby we know that God dwelleth in vs euen by the holy Ghost whom he hath giuen vs And this he sayeth vpon certaine knowledge not by gessing according to that that S. Paul sayeth That the same spirit beareth recorde with our spirit that we are the children of God and that it is not by the spirit of the worlde but by the spirit of God that we knowe those thinges which are giuen vs of God to wit our adoption hope of euerlasting life and more that we are able to say and to say truely that they are none of Christes which haue not this inward witnes of the spirit and againe that they beare about them a witnes condēnation against themselues which doubt whether they possesse Christ and be of his bodie or no hauing no assurance by certaintie of faith to be out of doubt and vpon sure ground both for this present and for the time to come and suche faith as Iesus Christ assureth vs that al that are his shall haue saying in this wise to his Apostles the spirit of trueth which the world can not receiue because it seeth him not ne knoweth him but you knowe him for he dwelleth in you and shal be in you And in deede seeing that continuance is a necessarie thing for saluation what faith were it if it had not with it assurance and certaintie to continue Nowe the trueth is so that whosoeuer hath the gift of faith to beleeue hath also the gift of perseuerance to continue considering that faith is not a persuasion for a daye and a thing that sodenly vanisheth away but a stedfast and well rooted persuasion in the heart to continue all the life long as saint Paule boasteth boldely in many places of his election and persuadeth other to doe the lyke vpon a glorie whiche is not grounded vpon any thing that is in man but in the goodnes of God saying That hee knoweth whome he beleeueth and that he is one of them whome Christ came to saue that hee wayteth for the Croune of glorie and is sure that nothing can separate him from the loue of God in Iesus Christe as one that was chosen before the foundation of the worlde was layed Whiche thing fleshly mē can not do because they know not what the spirit of God meaneth being not regenerate and for that cause hauing so base an heart so vite and abiect through sinne that they can not persuade them selues that God loued thē so well as to saue thē by the death of his only derely beloued sōne that he was so liberall as to giue them paradise vnlesse they deserue it by their workes and merites where as the regenerate haue within them such a feeling of the loue of God in Christ that they see them selues out of doubt most assuredly saued in him and can not persuade them selues that Christ to whom the father hath giuen all power to iudge can pronoūce sentence against those his brethren and mēbers for whom he died vpon the Crosse This christian mā hath a certaine knowledge by the effects which the same spirit of God bringeth forth in him that he hath this gift of faith for as sone as hee causeth him through his vertue and mightie working to feele a peace and vnspeakeable rest in his cōscience that appeaseth contenteth and satisfieth it he mainteineth him in a spiritual ioy increaseth the studie of good workes in him inflameth him in the loue of God maketh him delight in his word in the same word to behold the face of God gracious louing and fauourable with suche an assurance of his grace that he reioyceth and triumpheth with a bolde and cherefull countenance in the hope of euerlasting glorie in so muche that he is not afrayed to present him selfe before his God and call vpon hym as his father with perfect assurance to obteine at his handes what soeuer is necessarie for him whiche were impossible for him to do if he were not moued enforced thereunto through some heauēly and diuine working which surmoūteth all the force and strength that is or can be in man For from whence might this assurance of the good wil of God procede and that the man is colde and altogyther senselesse of him selfe voyd of al motion or bent to pray to him could be moued to repayre vnto him with such a cōfidence and yet godly notwithstanding hauing grieuously offended him were it not through his diuine and heauenly working whiche the Christian man may easely perceyue moreouer by this that it engendreth in him a loue of Iustice and on the other side a hatred of sinne by an alteration of affections pleasures and displeasures for other then before to wit suche as are in al them whose eyes the Prince of this worlde hath blinded And yet notwithstanding trueth it is that he feeleth a continuall combat of the spirit and the flesh in him self whiche hindereth him from perfecting his workes but yet so it is that though sin dwell in him yet it doeth not reigne in him And such are the effectes whereby the Christian man commeth to the experience and feeling of his fayth so consequently of his electiō For a Christian man striueth not to enter into the Sanctuarie of Gods wisedome to informe him selfe of Gods predestination secret counsell as some rashe headed more bold then godly wyse will nedes intrude and thrust in them selues most arrogantly in to the secretes of God finding nothing in the ende but a mase which they are neuer able to get out of for neyther is it meere that the height of the wisedome of God shoulde be subiect to the sense of man to seeke it out euen to his euerlastingnes But the Christian being once come to the way of fayth holding him selfe stedfastly there is led from step to step euen to the King of heauens chāber as S. Augustin speaketh there to beholde the treasure of his Election and yet for all that doeth not become thereby negligent and dissolute but cleane contrarie doth after that more diligently applie him selfe to God to be his instrument of righteousnes continuing most reuerently to make his election more steady and sure by good workes which God hath prepared for his Elect to walke in But we must vnderstande that this light whiche is in the children of God