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	ghost_n	holy_a	25,488	5	5.6892	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91004	Syneidēsilogia ̇or, The doctrine of conscience, framed according to the points of the catechisme, in the Book of Common-Prayer. / By the Right Reverend Father in God, John Prideaux, late Lord Bishop of Worcester, for the private use of his wife.	Prideaux, John, 1578-1650.; N. Y.	1656 (1656)	Wing P3436; Thomason E1697_2; ESTC R203209	47,433	193

this life and can receive no benefit by our prayers others may have sinned against the Holy ghost and God's decree is past upon them for whom we are not to pray An evill man D. in an evill way petitioning for an evill thing may speed no better then Bathsheba did for Adeniah in her suit to Solomon to give him Abishag to wife charity in our praiers is to be understood to extend no further then Gods word doth limit it To pray for the dead who have their immutable doom we have no warrant It is sufficient ground therefore for our conscience in this behalf that God would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledg of his truth to make it a petition in our Litany that it may please him to have mercy upon all men we beseech thee to hear us good Lord. Wherein we expresse our charitable desires leaving it to God to distinguish for whom our prayers shall be effectuall A further direction may be that of our Saviour to his Disciples Mat. ●0 11 13. if ye come into a house salute it and if the house be worthy let your peace come upon it but if the house be not worthy let your peace returne to you So our devotion in prayer for all shall be acceptable to our father who maketh his sun to rise on the evill as on the good and his raine to fall on the unjust as on the just though the saving benifit thereof shall redound only to those whom God hath appointed it shall take with The second word in our Lords prayer is C. II. Father which sheweth to what person in the blessed Trinity we should direct our prayers This prayer then being not only a prayer to be used of all but also a patterne to all what warrant then hath a scrupulous conscience to direct its prayers not to Saints or Angells or any other creatures for that good Christians are easily satisfied in but either to the Son or holy Ghost in as much as we are precisely to keep to the rule which our Saviour hath left us and not to frame other devotions how religion soever they may seeme to be according to the model of our owne fancies This ground being laid in our Creed D. that the three Persons howsoever distinguished are but one God it will necessarily follow thereupon that whosoever prayeth to one prayeth to all and all the persons howsoever distinguished in themselves yet in relation to the creatures may be called Father And beside for the directing of our prayers to the Son we have that of Saint Stephen Lord Jesu receive my spirit Act. 7.59 And for that of the holy Ghost who gave a commandement separate me Barnabas and Saul to the worke which I have called them which must needs be taken for the command of a person that was God It follows after they had fasted and prayed 3. to whom can we imagine that they have prayed but to him who gave the command Matth. 28. This is confirmed by our baptizing equally in the name of the holy Ghost as of the Father and Son and by S. Pauls blessing taking in equally the Holy Ghost with the Father and the Son Where he maketh this as his ordinary blessing The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 13.14 and the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Where the putting of Jesus Christ before the Father plainly sheweth that as we have it in Athanasius Creed in this mysterious and sacred Trinity none is afore or after another none is greater or lesse then other That which is done therefore to one is done to all For which that attribute in the prayer of the Apostles may be taken for a further ground The Text is they prayed and said Act. 1. thou Lord which knowest the hearts of all men To him that knoweth therefore our hearts and to no other we may safely direct our prayer and who will deny that the Holy Ghost knoweth our hearts which is said to guide and lead into all truth That petition therefore in our Liturgy with the like O God the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son have mercy upon us miserable sinners and the Doxology so often repeated glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost cannot be excepted against but only by such wretches which deny the Sacred Trinity Notwithstanding as some prayers are private of or by our selves others publick with the congregation As private prayers are usually not necessarily directed to either of the Persons So publick are most orderly in the first place tendered to the Father through our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus that he will vouchsafe us his Holy Spirit to furnish us with all blessings to accomplish all our warrantable petitions And according to this are all or most of our Liturgicall petitions framed which in an uniformity shew the order of the Persons in the Trinity and prevent distractions which might arise amongst the weaker by reason of variety From the first petition C. III. hallowed be thy name may arise this doubt That in as much as our Saviour approved of such as cast out devills in his name yet followed him not and would not have them forbidden and the Jewes attribute even at this day a virtue to the name Jehovah that miracles may be done by it in regard whereof in reverence they dare not to utter it Why may not we thinke that the name of God used by Magicians and exorcists gathered by Cabala from the Scripture may worke wonders in casting out divills curing diseases and foretelling events and thereupon with a safe conscience have recourse to wizards for aid in that behalfe The name of God in the scripture especially importeth propriety authority and ability So that being baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost we are made Gods peculiar to submit to his authority under the protection of his omnipotent ability In this petition therefore it is as foolish as superstitious by the name of God to understand from the coupling of the letters the sound resulting from it or to imagine an hidden virtue to be in the characters or sound of words to terrifie spirits or worke other wonders The hallowing of Gods name is the setting forth of Gods glory in all his attributes to which all our petitions must be referred that his kingdome in his Church may be promoted here to be perfected hereafter in heaven and his will be done in order according as is prescribed in his word Which warrantable directions we have from that guide that will not deceive Saul will get cold comfort by consuting with the witch of Endor 1 Sam 28. 2 Kings 1 or Ahaziah by sending to Beelzebub of Ekron Our Saviour reproveth rather the aemulous jealousie of his disciples then approveth of the parties that made use of his name whom they would

Hebrewes he writ to the faith included not excluded good works follow peace and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 22.14 All then of any judgment grant that Faith and Works must be necessarily joyned but whether Works come in as necessary fruits of faith or co-partners with it in justification this breeds the quarrel And some have gone so far as to make Faith nothing else but obedience to the Commandements But no conscience should dare to appeare with works to justifie it before Gods Tribunall but only those of our Saviour which the Prince of this world could not except against As our faith therefore in Christ justifieth us so our workes must justifie or make good our faith We are delivered from the hands of our enemies saith old Zachary to serve God without fear but how in serving him in holinesse as to God-wards and righteousnesse towards our neighbour before him all the dayes of our lives Luk. 1.74 75. C. II. The second Commandement forbids not only all kind or idolatrous worship but the precise making of any sort of images pictures statues graven molten of Stone Brasse or other mettall pillars erected or the like with what conscience then may images be permited to remain in Churches where a full reformation of idolatry is pretended D. The Commandement forbids not the making or having of images in any places absolutely but onely for a religious use falling downe to at or before them by way of adoration as they represent the true object of our worship For as the first Commandement holdeth us to the true worshiping of the living God that only knowes the heart and can discerne betweene right meaning and hypocrisie so the second prescribeth the due manner he would be worshiped in not by images or imaginations or Chimeras the calves of man or poeticall inventions but in the beauty of holinesse in spirit and in truth as he hath appointed Images then not of God who is infinite and must not be confined to the idea of a peevish painter may be tolerated or made 1. for historicall use representative or memoriall as the structure of the arke temple and holy utensills belonging to it and the boundaries of places and Countries by mapps which our best bibles have 2. They may serve for ornament as the cherubims and palme-trees prescribed by God himselfe in Sacred addresses 3. By way of emblemes expressing sage parables and passages as make for instruction in faith and manners As the parable of the rich glutton and Lazarus the Prodigall or the like But upon these pretences to be taken in by a new title of relative worship and so to be crouched unto kissed and clothed also to be perfumed and prayed at this is that which is ever to be protested against and detested Our memorialls directions and praescriptions for Gods worship are set before us 1. in his workes 2. in his word 3. in his Sacraments Psal 19. The heavens declare the glory of God The word of the Lord gives wisdome unto the simple Images are teachers of lyes in this behalfe And for remembring the gracious worke of our redemption the direction runneth not get thee a material crucifix or an artificiall picture of it to stir up thy devotion but take Bread and Wine break it and drink it according to thy Saviours solemn institution Doe this in remembrance of me People amongst us are now so weaned from these babies that they are left in divers Churches without looking after But if they chance to prove scandalous the removall of them as of the brazen serpent in a lawfull way hath been alwayes thought taught amongst us to be necessary and laudable To the third Commandement may be referred C. III. the taking of Gods name in vain 1. by irreverent using of it in common talke or merriment 2. In not professing and confessing of our Faith upon just occasion 3. using asseverations obtestations or protestations to deceive 4. in imprecations 5. blasphemies 6. gallanting it in Oathes and Perjury 7. with the least or no consideration at all of the Penalty that lyes upon it The Lord wil not hold him guiltlesse that takeeth his name in vain In all which these cases should especially be looked after Whether 1. ignorance 2. passion 3. aequivocation 4. fraud 5. force 6. a good intention 7. the avoidance of utter ruine may excuse from Perjury D. For directing the Conscience herein it must be first taken for a ground That an Oath is a Religious Heb. 6.16 and necessary confirmation because not otherwise to be used but in cases of necessity of things doubtfull by calling on God to be a witness of our true meaning to end differences and a revenger of falshood if we swear falsly wherein the failing is Perjury not to pardoned but by God himselfe who in the highest degree is dismoured by it Secondly such an Oath to passe by other distinctions is either assertory or promissory The assertory is that which usually is ministred to and taken by witnesses for the affirming or denying of a thing past wherein the Perjury is apparent and inexcusable if the truth prove otherwise then the Oath hath asserted it to be The promissory is an engagement for performance or forbearance somewhat to come taking God to witnesse that that is truly meant which is sworne This as much lesse in the assertory Oath for things past ignorance cannot excuse for why wilt thou sweare that which thou art incertaine of Neither should passion as fury fear love hatred or the like For these overbearing Religion rather aggravate then extenuate the fault which the yeilding unto where it should not maketh voluntary And herein equivocation is such a deluding of God and Man that it makes it to be of a deeper tincture and lesse tolerable then more open fraud whereby though we cozen Men God will not be mocked A good intention and the avoidance of utter ruine may put one forsworn into a capacity of pity in regard of humane frailty but not of pardon for Perjury when the gaine of the whole world may not countervaile the losse of a Soule C. IV. Whether an oath taken by a party that is in a capacity to sweare wherein God is called on to be a witnesse in expresse or inclusive termes may be dispensed with by any created power or authority from the disburdening of a tender conscience A single answer cannot satisfie a question consisting of many distinct particulars yet this may passe for a rule in some sort generall That every oath upon what motive soever taken bindeth the taker to the possible performance of it if the thing be good or to a serious repentance for perjured rashnes if it be found otherwise In particular 1. an oath is to be distinguished from a simple asseveration promise vow protestation or engagement wherein God is not called to arbitrate but Man standeth upon his owne reputation and sincere dealing or true meaning and