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	holy_a	sin_n	5,626	5	4.4988	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77424	A Breife description or character of the religion and manners of the phanatiques in generall. Scil. [brace] Anabaptists, Independents, Brovvnists, Enthusiasts, Levellers, Quakers, Seekers, Fift-Monarchy-Men, & Dippers. Shewing and refuting theur absurdities by due application, reflecting much also on Sir Iohn Præcisian and other novelists. Non seria semper.		1660 (1660)	Wing B4573; Thomason E1765_1; ESTC R209656	17,102	54

A BREIFE DESCRIPTION OR CHARACTER Of the Religion and Manners of the PHANATIQUES In Generall Scil. ANABAPTISTS INDEPENDENTS BROVVNISTS ENTHUSIASTS LEVELLERS QUAKERS SEEKERS FIFT-MONARCHY-MEN DIPPERS Shewing and Refuting their Absurdities by due Application Reflecting much also on Sir Iohn Praecisian and other Novelists Non Seria Semper London Printed and are to be sold by most Stationers 1660. The Description of the PHANATIQUES In Generall PHanatiques in generall are fancifull men whose tongues are tipped with Sanctity and the name of the Spirit is this that they know not indeed what spirit they are of as to profession They are a people much given to dreames and to take fancies for revelations and eary presumtions for serious examination of truth Their Religion consists much in externe modes and fashions in adhering to some party or Faction in popular and specious insinuations and pretensions in admiration of some mens persons gifts piety and supposed Zeale in prevalencies of power in Worldly successes in verball assurances in loose confidencies of being elected and predestinated to happinesse of being called Saints Prohets preachers in a new extraordinary way in great Zealotries for some new forme or way of constituting discipline in boldness to affirme or deny or doe any thing presuming themselves able to doe whatsoever they fancy Owne nothing for religion in any man or any Church which appeares not just after that colour figure and notion which they are taken withal Many have little in them they can fancy or call Religion but onely a fiercenesse for that side which they take a consoriousnesse to all they count not theirs brand all they like not with the marke of Antichrist some of them make every thing a sin and errour to which they are not inclined Others count nothing a sin to which they have an impulse and are free to as they call it Some dote much on select and covenanting congregations others are onely for private illuminations solitary seekings raptures prophetick accomplishments c. blown up with their own breath and other mens applauses set off all that is done in their way with Epithets of rare holy Spiritual divine saint-like c. they have such self conceits of their extraordinary gifts and abilityes that they call their presumtions inspirations their darknesse light their dessolute licentiousnesse Christian liberty their fiercenesse Zeals selfe confidence a divine cal novelties rarities their opinions perfections distractions raptures their ravenings reasons their dreames oracles such specious and gilded idoles Teraphims of their owne imagination their fancy forgeth in the shallow plasnes and fowl puddles of their owne invention where their confused thoughts are oftentimes sooner out of their mouthes than in their minds They are meer slovens in their devotions have no decent peculiar places set a part for holy uses would have no heads bare in the Church but what in reverence to their Enthusiastick Spirit imitate the unmannerly Hugonots in France and preach with their hats on are content to have their religion hatched under the wings and seathers of any uncleane birds magnify what is most dishonest and uncomely in their foolish ringleaders even their ignorance set off meerly with impudence Wise men find much of these mens religion deformed with minicall affectations of words with studied tones antick gestures apish tricks and grimasses scurrulous expresions much in them is sulsome brutish tumultuary confusednesse in their duties all their Zeale tending meerly to profaness supinesse fordidnesse and slovenlynesse Nothing pleaseth their clogged stomacks that is old though never so true nothing comes amisse if it be dressed up with novelty they think even religion it selfe is never well unlesse it be set forth in some new mode and fashion or unwounted expressions silly delusions and babilike novelties delighting more in things gay and new then good and old fansiing all reformed which is but changed though much to the worse even old Christianity set on the new block of faction inplumed with the feathers of popular and passionate fancies seek to divide and destroy all ancient formes of Churches that they may new modell them to their popular way of calling to advance such opinions and practises as no holy men of old ever knew acted or owned for Religious as if no duties ceremonies or Sacraments were heretofore holy primitively or universally own'd before these new coyners had set up their mints to print their Idol of new dressed Spirituality and sanctity would seem wiser more perfect in their words and fancies than either pious antiquity tradition or scripture as if the private fancies solitary dreames and single imaginations of filly men and women were now more holy than Oracles Believe no Church or religion is sufficiently reformed till they are most diametrically contrary to every use and custome of the Roman abhorring many things as Popish Superstitions Antichrist because used by Papists affecting singularities and choosing rather to fall by standing alone in Separation of opinion and government than to seem to have any support by the assosiation with any former Assemblies You may sooner convert a Jew than make a Phanatique yeild to arguments that cross him their fancy is the God they worship faction is their Heaven peace their hell and the Papist the Divill they hate for all that helpe them not they hold Popish To be plaine so much bran filth and Drosse of pride popularity chisme malapertnesse and contempt of all men differing in opinion from them doe hitherto generally appeare in the face and manners of many of those who more affect the name of gifted men and Prophets than ever the Pharisees did the title of Rabby They will hardly ever make such loves as will be sit for shew-bred the corne being ground in such a new beaten mill proves full of grit and gravel These Histrionick players and vaporing preachers in many places seeke to fill the world with meer noise and clamours crying down all ancient Religion as Antichristian turning all into spiritual and new prophetick gifts to which they highly pretend like as those cheats wanderers do who swear they have found out can sell you the true Elixar the Philosophers Stone which will turn baser mettalls into gold while yet poor men their rags sords and beggery sufficiently confutes their rare skill proclaming to all they more need others charity then they are any wayes able to releive any man necessities Like the Gnosticks they pretend to be as perfect as the Apostles Like Comets Exalting themselves in high notions above the ordinary reach of reason in spirituall manifestations beyond plain and ordinary Christians that they are not easily calculated by common accounts Covet to be called spirituall who walk after the flesh study to cover their follies and hipocrisies with the Shewes of the spirit of God as if it were not enough to sinne against its manifest rules and examples in Scripture observed by the Church unlesse they impute also unto it their simplicities fondnesses impudencies filthy dreames extravagancies and

confusions counting it no shame to ascribe those unreasonable absurd motions to Gods most wise holy Spirit which any man of right reason common ingenuity and modesty would be ashamed to owne It had it been better for such not to have known the way of the Spirit in Scripture far mor evenial to erre for want of the Spirits guidance and light than to shut our eyes against it and to impute it to our errors dreames darknesses and hipocrisies It s better to have the heart wholy barren then to lay our adulterous bastards to the Spirits charge when indeed they are issued of nothing but pride joyned to ignorance forgeries and glistring novelties set off with insolence since neither the temper of their Spirits nor their workes or words are like the rules markes or fruites of the holy Spirit of Christ They challinge the spirit of Christ in such a plenary measure and power to themselves that they justifie their want of ordinary abilites and endowments by their needing none Excusing their not studing or preparing for what they utter by their being specially inspired colouring over their well known idleness illiterateness ignorance and emptiness by the Shews of special illuminations sudden inspirations and spiritual inablements You must not ask them where are their Miracles where their Empire over Devills where their gift of languages where their Prophesies these questions though just to be put where extraordinary Inspirations are pretended are too hard for them be they never so godly if you put them one pin above their pitch they either crack or sound like strings overstrained harshly and out of tune In their pretended Liberty and Levelling Principles they justifie the flagitiousnesse of their Villanies as if the zeale they had for Religion provoked them to such Outrages then the most crying Injustice must be thought the highest Iustice the most partiall Tolleration must be voiced for Christian Liberty the grossest Anarchies good Government and the most Novel and unjust Cause that ever was must needs be cryed up for the Good Old Cause The better to set off their Opinions and Practises their Retreat is as Foxes when eagerly hunted to earth themselves in This the Spirit hath taught and dictated those things unto them or interpreted or revealed the Scripture to them in this manner or impulsed and driven them upon such and such waies as are uncomely and unwonted This is done with the same Falsity and Confidence as Mahomet perswaded the credulous vulgar that his fits of Falling-sicknesse and the device of his Pigeon coming to his ear where he had accustomed to feed it were Monitions and Inspirations he had from God by his Blessed Spirit A vacuity with safety may be concluded in their Heads whose bodies and Discourse are filled with too much affectation and vain glory who like Atomes Volatle and unsetled justle whirle up down without incorporating any thing but Air. Their Holinesse is meer titular and verball like Montanists Catharists Gnosticks of old or the later cruel and rude Phanatiques in Germany who cryed Holy Holy Holy to their parties and factions as if there were holy seditions holy ambitions holy sacriledges holy cruelties holy ignorances holy confusions holy errors holy Schismes holy Hypocrisies in the hearts and spirits of spirituall men Under these disguises of extraordinary gifts of the Spirit Architophel and Iehu and Iudas and Symon Magus and the Sons of Sheva and Demus and the selfe made Prophetesse Iezabel and Diotrophes all false Prophets and Ministers of Satan studied to appear If any praies publickly in matter words or method approved by the practise tradition of the Church it is they say but a forme and stinting of the Spirit if they preach with exactness and Preparation it is not the Spirit but Study and Learning If they read holy Bookes t is but a dead Letter and Lip-labour if they celebrate the Sacraments with Reverence and Decency they quarrel at the Place or Time or Gesture or company or Ceremonies used of old If they use the ancient Doxology giving Glory to the Trinity as the Greekes and Latine Churches ever did their Socinian and Arrian Eares are so offended as if Christians should ask them leave to own the Blessed Trinity if any explicateth the Rudiments for Instruction the Principles of Christian Religion continuing summaries of things to be Believed practised and Prayed for as the Creed the Ten Commandements and Pater Noster these men fancy them as the Recitation of some Charmes and looke upon the Priest as some Exorcist confined to these Articles of stinted Spells and Formes If they name any Apostle Evangelist or other Christian of undoubted Sanctity with the Epithet of Saint they are so scared with the Popes Canonizing Saints that they start at the very name so used as if it were an unsanctified Title not to be applyed to the memory of the Blessed but only arrogated to some persons living who ambitiously call themselves and their party Saints If any of these Gloriosoes and New-Illuminates have any competent gifts of knowledge as to something of Religion yet they have commonly something monstrous odd extravagant either vaine or Morose defective or Superfluous light or Tetricall rude or proud popular or affectated and after all the cry and noise and glorying of these mens Inspirings at the best all amounts to no more then but a little Ordinary Knowledge new glossed and painted over whose Ignorance Weaknesse and Confusions will only serve to betray and destroy Religion and State but never to defend it being more offensive then defensive fitter for seduction then reduction to infect then cure Their New-Nursery of gifted Brethren and Prophets are so AEsopick and deformed rather fit to scare men from then to instruct them in Holinesse or Pyety and by their meer Formalities extemporary Pratings and Contempt to make wide Gaps and easie Inroads for Superstition and Atheisme These Pharaohs Dreame of none but lean Cattle in the Field of the Church the lesse wooll and flesh they have on their backs the more spiritual they must needs be fed by thredbare hunger-starv'd Teachers necessitious whining peices of impudent ignorance crowch and fawne on every plausible Errour on every powerfull Novelty on every proud fancy and high imagination prone to adorne by their gifts some odd opinion and set it forth as a Divine Truth Like Arelius a Painter in Iulius Caesars time who when he was to paint any Goddesse corrupted his art by alwaies making them like some of his Mistresses They lick the Sores of any mens Conscience or the Pollutions of any mens hands as they did of Olivers and the Rumps labour to turne all solidity of Truth into nothing but Fantasticall Whimsies empty Notions and sublimity of Non-sence Their Affections like the poor womans Wort is often hot in the point of Zeale when it is very small in point of judgement and apt to run out into much disorder and consusion in rusticall impertinencies and pittifull Rhapsodies of