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	sin_n	soul_n	13,963	5	5.3517	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65857	The conscientious cause of the sufferers, called Quakers pleaded and expostulated with their oppressors in this nation of England, and particularly in and about the city of London : and those in power that go about to transport, banish, or suppress them for their meetings, innocently informed, and impartially cautioned, from the innocent and oppressed seed of God, which herein calls for justice and equity, and utterly exclaims against severity and persecution for matters of conscience or religion : wherein first and principally is shewed, the use and end of the publick assemblies of the said sufferers, in answer to several objections against them, 1. with respect to their conscientiousness, as it being their duty to meet, 2. with respect to their innocency and peaceable deportment both to the nation and government therein / by G.W.	Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1664 (1664)	Wing W1918; ESTC R20036	11,816	16

THE Conscientious Cause OF THE SVFFERERS called QUAKERS Pleaded and Expostulated with their Oppressors in this Nation of England and particularly in and about the City of London And those in Power that go about to Transport Banish or suppress them for their Meetings Innocently informed and impartially cautioned from the Innocent and Oppressed Seed of God which herein calls for Justice and Equity and utterly exclaims against Severity and Persecution for matters of Conscience or Religion Wherein first and principally is shewed The Use and End of the Publick Assemblies of the said Sufferers in Answer to several Objections against them 1. With respect to their Conscientiousness as it being their duty to meet 2. With respect to their Innocency and peaceable deportment both to the Nation and Government therein By G. W. London Printed in the year 1664. The Consciencious Cause of the Sufferers called Quakers pleaded c. WHereas it is asserted by some in Authority and such as have a hand in persecuting us and some others That we might keep our Consciences clear and enjoy the Liberty thereof if we would reduce our Meetings into small numbers as to meet four together besides the Families so as not to come under the penalty of the late Act. And some charge it upon us as obstinacy or wilfulnes● for meeting in any considerable or great numbers publickly and thereupon conclude that our Suffering is not upon a Consciencious account in this Case And to others it is a question whether or no we may with a clear and safe Conscience reduce our Meetings into such small numbers as mentioned since that we have appeared so publickly to hold forth our Testimony To which I answer We have a Record in Heaven and amongst men which doth clear and justifie us in this Case and therein our Consciences bear us witness as to our intent and end in our meeting and assembling our selves together That it is singly in tenderness conscienciousness and obedience unto the living God in the leading of his own Eternal Spirit for the glory and advancement of his Name and Truth And this our practice of Assembling together in the Worship and Service of the living God must needs be a matter of Conscience to us because we know it to be our duty as he requires and according to the practice of the former Saints and Christians who did not confine or limit themselves to meet onely four or five together because the Truth of God among them and his Gifts were free and not to be limited to mans will either in respect of time or place and the Gospel was not to be bound but as it was manifest in the Universal Love of God which is of a general extent to all so it was not to be stopt or tyed by man but all ought to be left free to have the benefit of it and this we know is manifest in and amongst us and in our Meetings have been those opportunities which the Lord God hath made use of many times to publish and make known his Name and Power in which hath been evidently known and experienced by the blessed effects thereof As 1. In that many in our Assemblies have been effectually convinced of the Truth as it is in Christ by the Testimony of God held forth amongst us and turned from the gross pollutions and wickedness which formerly they lived in and so from Satans power to God and from darkness to Light and have known Repentance unto Life and come to live Godly and soberly in this present world as his Grace teacheth 2. In that many of the dear Children of God and Lambs of Christ have often felt the Lord's Presence accompanying them in that duty of Assembling together in his Worship and that many times to their great Refreshment and mutual Joy Comfort and Edification and therein we have had opportunities to stir up the pure minds in one another and to communicate what the Lord hath given us to declare to the building up of each other in the most holy Faith against sin and temptations and the Life and Power of God hath had its course and flowings forth amongst us in our Meetings as thorow one body to our refreshment enlivening renewing and rejoycing of our souls both when the ministration of words in the Spirit of Holiness hath been publish'd amongst us and when we have waited upon the Lord in silence and so the Rivers of living Water which flow out of his belly that believes as the Scripture saith John 7. 38. we have often drunk together of and this living Water which our God hath opened the Fountain of must run in its own course and channel and must not be stopt nor limited nor driven back nor have its course altered by man's will or by the persecuting spirit because the Lord hath sent it forth and made it as a broad River And it is the more evident and apparant that the Lord's Power and Presence is in our Assemblies and that he hath made use of them for the spreading of his own Name and Truth and for the furtherance of his own work of Righteonsness that many might be turned from darkness to Light and from Satan's power to God because that the enmity wrath and malice of Satan in his instruments and unrighteousness among them so highly appears against them and Satan is so strongly at work against them whose work was and is to cast the Saints into Prison for the Testimony of JESUS Rev. 2. 10. as knowing that if this Testimony of Truth go on which greatly is concerned in our Meetings it will weaken and overthrow Satans Kingdom in men But he is not troubled nor disturbed at the many prophane and ungodly Meetings in this Nation at which wickedness is stirred up and increased such as Fools with their antick and bruitish postures upon Stages in the great Fairs and other places do gather People to where they have their foolish Playes Sports Fidlings Dancings c. for both these and many other prophane Meetings and Gatherings of People do please Satan and make for his Kingdom And as it is objected against us for meeting so publickly that we might reduce our Meetings into small numbers and meet more occultly and yet be clear in our consciences c. In like manner it might as well be objected against the Prophet Daniel that he might have prayed more privately and not with window open and three times a day as before after that King Darius had sealed a Decree that none should ask a Petition of any God or man for thirty dayes save of the King upon the penalty of being cast into the Lions Den when yet for all this Daniel in obedience to God prayed and praised God as before Dan. 6. And so our Meetings being in obedience to the Lord God and according to that Liberty which he hath given us we must not lose our Testimony which is for God therein but be faithful in holding it forth as he requires