Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	call_v	church_n	holy_a	7,200	5	5.2401	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26830	The lawfulness and expediency of church-musick asserted in a sermon preached at St. Brides-Church upon the 22d. of November, 1693 being the anniversary meeting of gentlemen, lovers of musick / by Ralph Battell ...	Battell, Ralph, 1649-1713.	1695 (1695)	Wing B1149; ESTC R10687	9,816	28

the case and a sufficient Pattern for our Imitation And although I do not see but why even a Jewish Ceremony or Custom if it were either ornamental or significant or any way properly and naturally subservient to Religious Uses for instance Sackcloth and Ashes or the like might be assumed and adopted into the Christian Service if our Governors of the Church thought it fitting they having a power left them to do all things for Decency though they are not tied to the necessity of any thing in these matters as the Jews were and which is indeed the very formal Difference between Jewish and Christian Ceremonies Yet that none may be offended in this particular the Church has determined nothing in the case but left it to be taken as a voluntary and free Thing and as it comes recommended from Holy David a man after God's own Heart If the Authority of the Geneva Divines may yet sway with some let me only by way of Ballance to it give you the Authority of the Assembly-Divines in this case and I hope this may go at least as far as the other Now they have given us this different sense of these matters in their Exposition of the last Psalm of David David say they exhorteth men the better to stir up their Joy to praise God with Musical Instruments and if Musical Instruments as is granted had that power then how have they changed their nature since To this I will only add farther the opinion of Mr. Baxter a considerable man esteemed amongst those of the Separation from us in this Nation let his Authority prevail where it can most of his Arguments I verily think are unanswerable And thus he has set them down in his Cases of Conscience annexed to his Christian Directory As First God set up Instruments of Musick in his Service long after Moses's Ceremonial Law by David Solomon c. Secondly 'T is not an instituted Ceremony merely but a natural help to the Mind's Alacrity and under this argument he adds as it is lawfull to use the comfortable Help of Spectacles in reading the Bible so is it of Musick to exhilerate the Soul towards God Thirdly Jesus Christ joined with the Jews that used it and never spake a word against it Fourthly No Scripture forbiddeth it and therefore it is not unlawfull Fifthly Nothing can be said against it but what may be said against Tunes and Melody of Voice and whereas some say that they find it to do them Harm yet all wise Men say they find it to do them good and why should the experience of some prejudiced self-conceited Persons or of a half man that knoweth not what Melody is be set against the experience of all others and deprive them of such Helps and Mercies as these People say they find no benefit by Thus far and more to this effect is said by him upon this Subject which now leads me to the Second thing I proposed viz. The advantages that do redound from hence and how it is highly conducing towards the more magnificent and solemn Worship of God Musical Harmony whether by Voice or Instrument but especially by both together is so pleasing and agreeable to that part of man which is most Divine that some Philosophers have called the Soul Harmony all have agreed it to have a compleat Share of Harmony in it Hence it is that Melody is a thing which delights all Ages and becomes all States of Life 't is as seasonable in Sorrow as in Joy as suitable an attendant on publick Actions as diverting in private Recreations as capable to raise Devotion as to procure Delight and as subservient to the ends of Religion as conducive to the Pleasure of Society The reason hereof according to the judicious Mr. Hooker is An admirable Faculty which is in Musick to express and represent to the Mind more inwardly than any other sensible thing the Rising and Falling the Turns and Varieties of all Passions whereunto the Soul is Subject Yea and so to imitate them that whether it resemble the same State we are in or a contrary we are not more contentedly confirmed by the one than changed and led away by the other Hence it is that some sorts of Harmony are apt to move and stir our Affections others to draw us to a grave and sober Mediocrity and there is that will carry us into Extasies filling the Mind with a heavenly joy so that although we should lay aside the subject-matter of the Psalm or Hymn yet even the very Harmony of Sounds being carried from the Ear to the spiritual Faculties of the Soul is by a native power greatly available to bring to a perfect temper whatsoever is there troubled apt as well to quicken the Spirits as to allay that which is too eager sovereign against melancholy and despair forcible to draw forth Tears of Devotion and able both to move and moderate all Affections Boetius tells us this is wrought by vertue of the answerableness of the Notes in Musick to those in Nature And therefore a well composed Harmony shall have even a natural Efficacy to work changes for the better in humane Affections to enliven and stir up those that are dull and to compose and pacifie those which are irregular So that not only the Psalms of the Church but even the Voluntaries being suitably framed may have a good effect upon the Mind and even influence and dispose it to sober and Religious purposes Let me also give you a few Eulogies hereof from the antient Fathers of the Church who found the Benefits of it in their Religious Exercises and have thus commended it to us First Justin Martyr says of the single or plain Song which only was in use in his time That it stirs up the Mind with a certain Pleasure unto an ardent Desire of that which is celebrated in the Song that it allays the Desires and Affections of the Flesh that it drives away evil Thoughts and makes the Mind pregnant and apt to bring forth holy and Divine Fruits that it makes the generous Contenders in Piety Valiant and Strong in Adversity and brings a Medicine and Remedy to all the evil Accidents of our Life He also adds that St. Paul in his spiritual Armory calls this the Sword of the Spirit for it is all of it the Word of God that is celebrated in the Mind in the Song and in the Verse it drives away evil Spirits and the pious mind is by the Songs of the Church perfected in vertue The next that I shall mention is St. Basil and he also speaks after this manner Whereas the Holy Spirit saw that Mankind was difficultly drawn unto Vertue and that Righteousness was the less accounted of by reason of the proneness of our affections to that which delighteth it pleased the wisdom of the same Spirit to borrow from melody that pleasure which mingled with Heavenly Mysteries should convey as it were by stealth the treasure of Good things into