Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A20465
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Certain reasons of a private Christian against conformitie to kneeling in the very act of receiving the Lords Supper. By Tho: Dighton Gent
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Dighton, Thomas.
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1618
(1618)
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STC 6876; ESTC S118440
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77,664
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164
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perfection even to haue our eyes opened yea and be as Gods by conforming to these novelties whose device is this marke deere mother upon my bare knees I beseech thee who that is that talketh such things with thee Do we sel Advowsions depopulate townes or houses do we keep two benefices or closely practise usurie are we partners in monopolies haue we a whore in a corner doe wee dissemble and deceiue or are we unmercifull uniust or any way dishonest then let thy holy Ceâ—sures cut us of from that blessed Communion of they heauenly familie and divine societie But oh thou sweetest among the loueliest who art the verie choice of all the fairest Inioyne us not wee beseech thee to forget the name of our God or to bow our knee or conforme to any thing which is not truely grounded on his word some thing indeed may be in these courses which we cannot discerne but no goodnesse or godlinesse can possibly be in them unlesse they bee his commandements But thou sayest or rather thy minions informe thee that the Lord did never forbid these things The cleane contrarie seems most plain to us and that out of thine own doctrines but suppose hee bee pleased to be silent to teach modestie and feare shall we bee bould therefore to fall into presumption Consider oh thou that bare us the appointed months and brought us forth in everie ones due season where did he forbid Adam to eate that particular fruit true indeed that the tree was forbidden and are not we in the same generall terms directly forbidden to worship him in any other manner in his publick service then he hath coÌ„manded is not this the very tener purpose drift of the second coÌ„mandement forbidden also to bow down or shew any Reverent respect to the likenesse of any thing which in his worship man hath devised Oh thou that are the mother of us all pluck up these fruits of distraction even by the verie roots and suffer them no longer to breed divisions and separations among thy true children deall truly with thine own soul and marke it well though it come from such as excell all other in learning and wisdome yet whether it be not a tare of that Enâ—ious-man and whether those Resolute disputers for the Iustifying thereof be not his professed Children for thou hast often taught us to take heed of sinning against our knowledge or certeine perswasion though it bee but in a matter of never so small consequence but especially in all things of Religious use seeing disobedience yea and Rebellion appeareth as well therein as in the grossest and foulest abomination of poperie yea this was the comely talke of thy scarlet lips that whosoever keepeth the whole law and yet faileth in one point hee is guileie of all and therefore though we haue cast quite away the grosser point of poperie yet wilfull conformitie to any humane Innvention of Religious use in the publick worship of God makes us guiltie of the whole masse of that damnable Idolatrie according to an other lesson which most carefullie thou didst often beate upon that a little leaven doth soure the whole lumpe yea whatsoever is borne of the verie wisedome of the flesh is notwithstanding verie Enmitie with God for howsoever Adam and all in his loyns were by creation the sonnes of God and whatsoever gestures they used in his worship were most pleasing and acceptable to him yet now by transgression hauing changed their father and nature all the ceremonies callings and gestures which they can possibly devise concerning the worship of God or government of his Church are without contradiction the very works of their new father and nature for who can possibly be ignorant of this that to whomsoeuer we giue our selues as servants to obey his servants we are to whom by conformity we do obey whether it bee to humane Inventions or Gods holy ordinances and the same rule holds in all matters of Religious use if they can not tell how to preach except they bee sent nor wee how to pray or call upon God as wee ought but by the spirit of God according to the Scriptures how is it possible for all the learning and wisdom in the world to tell what ceremonie calling or gesture is fit and lawfull in the service of God but by the same spirit Seeing then these devices at the very best the mocking yea some of them persecuting sonnes of Agar haue no warrant from the word and spirit of God what letteth but that safely we may yea ought to esteem them Vagabonds Runnagates in the earth howsoever not in the highest degree able to murder or make an absolute nullitie of religion yet not being borne of God or warranted by his word they must of absolute necessitie be confessed to be unrighteous because the Lord our Righteousnesse is not author of them and all unrighteousnesse in substance or ceremonie is sinne and therefore all that wittingly conform therevnto upon what terms of considerations soeuer though in the lowest and most tollerable degree that can be imagined are in the same degree that this their sinn is of verely and most certeinly of the Diuill VVhy should any woonder then or thinke it strange that though wisdome hane cried out and vttred her voice like a trompet in pulpits in prisons in words in writings in fierie zeale in most humble and meekest manner yet these carnall and worldly minded men loue foolishnes even the devices of fleshe and bloud and take pleasure in scorning whatsoever and whosoever is contrary to them therein and so despise all the counsell of the Lord shall not the end of these things be bitter yea will not Destruction ceize on them at length and will not the Lord reioyce and laugh thereat even make ioyfull the hearts of his people to see their cruel adversaries eate the fruit of their own way and be filled with their owne devices Yea most deare and tender mother hast thou not often told us that all that are disobedient unto or wilfully gainsay anie thing truely and evidently taught from the Scriptures were to be esteemed of all that desire sincerely to feare the Lord stiffeneked resisters of the Holy Ghost because by such proceedings they plainlie proclaime that in their hearts they say thâ—re is no God or which is all one that God is not so iealous of his worship and everie ceremonie calling and gesture therein so as he esteemes them onely his lovers and friends that subscribe onely to his commandements therein and holds them his enemies yea such as hate him that conforme to any thing therein which in his word hee hath not commanded as in the second commandement more at large it doth appeare be pleased therefore to remember from the verie word of our father thou hast often instructed us that though without all contradiction there is
things wherein there is any appearance or likenesse of evill ye 〈…〉 forme to nothing be it gesture action or ceremony in Gods publicke worship if it be not the commandement of Christ which hath any resemblance of Idolatry in it though the Idolatry it selfe be sent packing for verily such inventions haue in them though purified never so often an Idolatheous disposition Haue you no fellowship therefore with them and so I pray that the peace of God may be with you all that are in Christ Iesus Now unto him that is able to keepe you that you fall not in these times of triall and to present you faultlesse before the presence of of his glory with ioyes unspeakeable and glorious even to God onely wise bee glory and maiesty dominion and power both now and for evermore Amen T. D. CERTAIN REASONS OF APRIVATE Christian against Conformitie to keeling in the very act of Receiving the Lords Supper THE Eternall sonne of God our blessed Lord spake alwaies to his church euen from the beginning and directed all his seruants for their manner of worship as well outward as inward even to the fathers before the flood to the Patriarks Prophetts and holy men of God after and this he did in diuers and sundry manners but now since his comming in the flesh he hath tyed all Churches and all persons that desire to haue eternall life to the sole direction of his word which is his owne and onely personall voyce and doth testifie of him whatsoever is profitable for the Church to conforme vnto either for doctrine or gouernment or for whatsoeuer else that is any way or in any degree helpfull vnto godlinesse for this and this onely is the immortall seede or the seede of immortalitie all other doctrins for any Religious vses raised els where are meerly mortall or seeds of death and therefore vtterly vncapable of any good vse in the publicke worship of God Seing then we must wholy and onely depend vpon the scriptures for direction in all the actions of Gods publick worship which are to be conformed unto let us in these controversies about kneeling in the very act of receaving the Lords supper whatsoever else is in question being of Religious use diligently give heed to the things wee haue heard and learned therein being truely or evidently grounded thereon and by no means approove in any degree of any thing else for that will make us one time or other in one thing or other to run out and fall from our first love yea doe what possibly we can to decline scatter Harken therefore to that which the Lord Iesus himselfe did purposely speake in this his own voice concerning this very point I thanke thee ô father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise hast opened or as Luk renders it revealed them to babes euen so father because it so pleased thee VVhence he gives all his â—ervants plainly to understand that all the wit learning discretion experience and Iudgement in the whole world is not possibly able to find out the mysteries of Religion or to determine with what ceremonies actions gestures Gods publick worship service is to be performed no though they be Rabbies Doctors or the most absolute teachers in Israel but that this is a speciall peculiar priviledge or grace treasured up in the word and reserved purposely for such persons as will dig and search for it and rather desire and labor to have dominion over all their known corruptions and so to bee glorious within then to exercise any outward glorious pompous domination in the world for those that rest them selves and depend on Gods holy own ordinances shall have their hearts or understanding thereby opened or inlightned so made able to know the hope of their calling the riches of the glorious inheritance of the saints the exceeding greatnes of Gods power towards al which beleeue but those that depend upon the wisdom and learning of men can not possibly attain hereunto because Gods own ordinances though they do enjoy them yet are not esteemed of them further then the excelleÌ„cy of the outward gifts therin give coÌ„tent to their senses for though they heare yet they will not do or obey all such bee they never so wise and learned are in the flesh and therefore cannot possibly please God but those in whom the Spirit of God doth dwell shal be enlightned and made able to discerne all things which the other though of never so great learning most admirable parts having even the very spirit of the world in them can not do because they have but mans wisdom that perceiveth not the things of God nay they are foolishnes unto him here therefore for distinction sake and that every one might iudge his own heart whether he be of that number to whom God hath revealed these things or no our Saviour cals them Babes not in sanctification of life and power of Gods spirit but in their sence feeling being privy to their manifold weaknesses ignorances therfore in all humblenes of mind and meeknes of spirit they renounce their owne wisedom and submit themselves to the word of God as also being in the accompt esteeme of the world when they are compared with those that be contrary minded no better then very Babes even base contemptible persons not worthy so much as to carry their books after them yet these are the people and thus must they find themselves quallified men women or children whom Christ hath chosen to Reveale his holy and divine mysteries unto So that howsoever learning and wisdom are highly to bee reverenced as being very excellent gifts of God ordeyned for special helps in the ministerie of the Church both for the finding out of the truth also for the deviding of it aright therefore they that despise them cannot bee of God yet many times men of Belial doe enjoy them even false Prophets profane preachers who are many of them of most excellent parts so that from this place it is most evident that very often and not unusually learned and wise grave and understanding men yea famous and of principall note even Chiefe Rulers and principall pillars in the Churches of Christ having as much in them for all manner of learning in humanity in divinitie and in whatsoever as nature and industrie can possibly attaine unto are notwithstanding all this more then this if more can be teachers defenders maintainers of many grosse and horrible errors yea vise and damnable heresies which yet Babes do separate and fly from if any be pleased to restraine these words of Christ to the doctrines of faith and IustificatioÌ„ though every branch haue intrest in the priviledges of the tree I wil not contend about it but onely presuming on their patience be bould