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	gospel_n	law_n	6,005	5	5.3501	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30016	A testimony and caution to such as do make a profession of truth who are in scorn called Quakers and more especially such who profess to be ministers of the gospel of peace, that they should not be concerned in worldly government.	Budd, Thomas, 1648-1699.; Hart, John.; Society of Friends. Philadelphia Monthly Meeting.	1692 (1692)	Wing B5360; ESTC R19939	7,724	13

A Testimony and Caution to such as do make a Profession of Truth who are in scorn called Quakers and more especially such who profess to be Ministers of the Gospel of Peace That they should not be concerned in Worldly Government WE have for a long time been deeply sensible of the great hurt that many professing the same Truth with us called in scorn Quakers have received and do remain under in these Parts as to their Souls inward state in the growth and prosperity of Truth and the work and effect of it upon them so that to our certain Observation divers are come to a great loss and decay thereby as to their inward state in the Truth by their medling with Worldly Government in the several parts of it and respective Offices thereunto belonging as some being Judges wherein they are or may be concerned to pass Sentence of Corporal Punishment upon some as not only of an Eye for an Eye but of Life for Life the which although proper and necessary to be executed by Worldly Rulers and Judges yet seeing Christ hath forbid it unto his Followers Mat. 5.38 39. it is not proper for such as profess to follow Christ according to the most perfect and clear Gospel Dispensations and Ministration professed by us and as it doth not become any of our Profession to receive or undertake the Office of a Worldly Judge to judge in a matter of Life and Death or any degree of corporal Punishment so it is our Judgment and Perswasion that those of our Profession of the faithful People called in scorn Quakers should not meddle or be concerned with any other part or office of any worldly Rule or Government as to be Justice Sheriff or Constable or Jury-man in any Criminal Causes or to chuse or be chosen so to sit in an Assembly or Provincial Council to make Laws against Criminal Offenders extending either to the taking away of Life or any other corporal punishment And for this our Perswasion we give these following Reasons 1st Because Christ hath expresly forbid it to his Followers To take an Eye for an Eye or a Tooth for a Tooth nor to resist Evil for the same Reason not to take Life for Life or Limb for Limb or to use any Corporal Punishment towards any 2dly Because Paul said in behalf of himself and all good Christians according to that clear Gospel Dispensation that they were come unto 2 Cor. 10.4 The Weapons of our Warfare are not Carnal Ephes 2.12 And we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood 3dly Because Christ our Leader and Example said He came not to destroy mens Lives but to save them Luke 9.56 And when the Woman taken in Adultery was brought before him though by the Law she deserved Death yet he did not condemn her but said to her Go sin no more John 8.11 And when some of his Disciples asked him Wilt thou that we command Fire to come down from Heaven to consume them Luke 9.54 he turned and rebuked them and said Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of and these concerning whom some of the Disciples spake were Samaritains that belonged to a Village who would not receive Christ into their Village which was a great breach of Humanity and humane Society and by his words it appeareth that to call for fire from Heaven to destroy the Life of Man or kindle a fire upon Earth to do it belongeth not to the perfect Gospel Spirit or State but is of the Law 4thly Because Christ has expresly forbidden his Disciples To exercise Lordship or to lord it over their Brethren Luke 22.25 26. And he said unto them The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise Authority upon them are called Benefactors but ye shall not be so c. And since Christ hath allowed and appointed in his Church a spiritual Rule and Authority that some are to have over others by the Power of his Spirit in them that place Luke 22.25 cannot be understood to forbid amongst his Disciples Followers a spiritual Government and Rule in his Church and therefore what he forbids is Worldly Government among his Followers according to the World 1 Tim. 3.5 5.17 Heb. 13.7.17 2 Cor. 10.8 5thly From these other places of Scripture our Friends from the beginning have solemnly declared against all use of the carnal Sword or of any carnal Weapon to hurt the Body of any man or take away the Life of any man or men in any ease whether offensive or defensive and for our part we do see it very clearly and plainly that the use of the Sword or o● some carnal or bodily Weapons is so necessary to the Worldly Magistrate to punish such as deserve it as the executive part of his Office cannot in an ordinary way and without Miracles be done without it and Practice doth sufficiently confirm it in this part of the World where some professing the same Principle with us against the use of the carnal Sword or other carnal Weapons yet because of their Office some being Judges c. have passed Sentence of Death and other corporal Punishment upon Offenders and they could do no less to answer the Trust of the Office they had taken unto them and all rational men will judge that a pair of Stocks Whipping Post and Gallows are carnal Weapons as really as Sword or Gun and so is a Constables Staff when used as hath been by some to beat and knock down the Bodies of some obstinate Persons c. ●nd if Bodily Violence may be used by a Constable with his Staff against one if that one get Ten to rescue him from the Constable and his Assistance this doth necessarily engage into a carnal way of Fighting in the pursuance of Justice against Offenders for it is not the number being great or small that makes a thing to be right or wrong If it be a transgression of Christs Command to raise 1000 men with Clubs Swords and Guns to subdue bring under 1000 men that are unjust Pursuers and Invaders of other mens Properties and Liberties it is by the same Reason to raise ten or five And if any Invasion by Gods permission should happen by French or Indians against the Inhabitants in these parts if any of us be Magistrates at that time they cannot discharge the trust and duty that belongeth to them as such without raising force of Arms against them which would be a plain contradiction to the former Testimony of our Friends and to use any Violence to the Body of man by any Bodily Force is a Contradiction to that great and Gospel Promise They shall beat their Swords into Plo● Shares and their Spears into Pruning Hooks Isa 2.4 Mich. 4.3 And as for those Reasons we judge it altogether improper for any who are sincere to their Profession who are in scorn called Quakers to be any manner of way concerned in any part of Office-bearing in worldly Government

or Execution of Justice that toucheth the Body or Life of Man by any corporal Punishment so more especially to such it is most improper and unbecoming and and hurtful who profess to be Ministers of the p●●…ect Jesus who became our Example to suffer all thing patiently and not to do violence to any man to have a hand or part in the inflicting any corporal Punishment upon any for any Offence or Crime whatsoever for how improper and unsavoury is it for one and the same man to day to sit on the Beach bearing the Office of a Judge and to pass sentence on an Offender to take an Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth Limb for Limb Life for Life c. and to morrow to stand up and preach Christs words Mat. 5.38 39. Ye have heard that it hath been said an Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth but I say unto you Resist not Evil for scarcely in any other Protestant Profession of Christianity is it allowed for Ministers of the Gospel to be Judges in secular matters But to prevent all occasion of mistakes or offence we do solemnly declare our perswasion That we really believe and are perswaded that Magistracy and Worldly Government is an Ordinance of God and every Magistrate lawfully called to his Office is the Minister of God a Revenger to execute Wrath upon him that doth evil and that he beareth not the Sword in vain the which Sword is the Sword of Justice that ought to be drawn to punish Offenders with corporal Punishment greater or smaller according to the nature of the Offence Knowing Tim. 1.9 that the Law is not made for a Righteous Man but for the Lawless and Disobedient c. And also we●d sincerely believe and declare according to our sincere Faith and Perswasion That every one professing Christianity ought to be subject to all lawfull Commands of the Magistrate as all such are that neither contradict any of the Laws of God testified and recorded in the holy Scriptures nor incroach upon the true Liberty of Conscience in things pertaining to the Worship of God and that this Subjection to the Magistrate and his Commands ought to be given by all Christians from the highest to the lowest degree in the Truth not only for Wrath but for Conscience sake and that it is well consistent with the highest degree and growth in Christianty to give all due subjection to the Magistrate in all lawful things whether the Magistrate be Heathen or Christian so called or by any other Name Yet notwithstanding we judge that the bearing Office in any Worldly Government of Magistracy doth not belong to the perfect and clear Dispensation and Ministration of the Spirit under the clear Gospel Day of Christ that is dawned amongst us after the long dark Night of Apostacy And before the dark Night of Apostacy began the clear Gospel and perfect Day of Christ and clear Gospel Dispensation and Ministration of the S●i●… of Christ did shine in great Glory from the time immediately after Christs Ascention and giving the holy Ghost during which time of the clear Gospel and perfect Day of Christ we find not that any sincere Christians did bear the Office of a Magistrate under Kings or Princes of this World until the Night of Apostacy came upon the generality of Professors of Christianity the which Night came gradually upon them and not all at once and in this Night of Darkness there hath been a great Mixture of Truth and Error as well as of Law and Gospel that hath had place among the general sort of Professors and many or most that have been called Christians that have had a measure of sincerity integrity have been more of a legal or Law Spirit than of a Gospel Spirit and have been rather under the first Ministration of the Spirit than under the second in great part And Wars even in case of Defence and Worldly Government belong to the first Ministration of the Spirit that is of the Law common to pious Gentiles and many called Christians but are not proper nor belonging to the second Ministration of the Spirit that brings to perfection in the Christian Life and Vertues Therefore we caution and exhort all who have the perfect Life and State of Christianity and the Virtues ●●… as their mark aim before them not to meddle with Worldly Government or Magistracy or to act in it by way of Force and Rule but rather to leave it to others to whom it is more proper and yet to be subject to all lawful Commands of all Magistrates actively and if they command unlawful things to be passive and not to resist but patiently to suffer whatever may be inflicted upon them and pray for all men for Kings and all that are in Authority that we may live a godly and quiet Life under them Object 1. But if any say It is better for honest good vertuous men called Quakers to rule over their Brethren and others who may be expected that they will rule well and administer Justice impartially and mix Mercy with Justice in cases that may allow than by their refusing to bear the Office in Worldly Government to give up the Government to others that may do very unjust things and persecute yea exercise great Cruelty over the People To this we answer first Men ought not to do evil that good may come of it seeing Christ hath commanded his Disciples Not to exercise Lordship or Worldly Authority over men they must regard his Commandment hoping that all will be turned unto good to them that fear and love God 2dly There may be found men that are more fitted and qualified for Worldly Government to administer Justice in partially than the People called Quakers because they may be more knowing and expert in the Laws and may be men of a just Principle in whom the just Principle of Truth may in good measure rule though they be not of our Profession nor of our Faith or Perswasion in many things for there are just men that may be found and have been found amongst those called Heathens or Gentiles and why not much rather amongst the lower Professions in Christendom who though they are not come clearly to the second Ministration of the Spirit yet may be under the first Ministration thereof and may be both just men and better skilled in the Laws than them called Quakers and therefore more qualified for bearing Office in Worldly Government And as concerning Persecution and Cruelty there is a hand of God in suffering those things when they come either for the sins of the People or to try their Faith and Patience and for the exercise of their Christian Virtues and if Persecution and Cruelty be used or Injustice done to any it is more tolerable that others be the Instruments of it than any called Quakers for if any called Quakers do any unjust thing it is a great Reflection upon the whole Profession but if none of