Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	church_n	ghost_n	holy_a	15,335	5	5.3715	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49464	A sermon preached before His Majesty at Whitehall March 27th 1664 by ... B. Lord Bishop of Lincoln.; Sermons. Selections	Laney, Benjamin, 1591-1675.	1665 (1665)	Wing L348; ESTC R17615	15,955	41

the Son spake in those last days the days of the Gospel was in divers manners For first he spake by himself in person Luke 4.18 The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor That which he preached was certainly Gods word And when he left the world to go to his Father he sent the Holy Ghost from Heaven who in the mouth of the Apostles preached the same Gospel for those holy men spake not by the will of man but as they were mov'd by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.24 And therefore this also was truly the word of God And when the Church was thus founded by the preaching of the Holy Ghost for the propagation of it to all times after it pleased God to give it in Writing in a Scripture and that by inspiration of the same Spirit which before preached it So as now we need not ascend to Heaven to fetch Christ down nor the Holy Ghost as some pretend to do to know Gods will but to receive it onely from that Scripture Thus far we have the Word of God in Proper i. e. immediately out of the mouth of God and our hearing must be absolute for the matter we must say with Samuel Speak Lord for thy servant heareth But when it pleased God to commit the dispensing of that word to the Pastors of the Church for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes 4.12 Now the word of God was come into the hands of men subject to infirmities and error who may both deceive themselves and others And here our Saviours advice comes in season Take heed what you hear Before Gods word was in the Original but here onely in the Transcript or Copy and some Copyings are more happy then others and come nearer the Original and therefore not all of the same value and esteem All Preachers are not to be heard alike nor all Sermons The word of God in them is so the water of Life that it often tastes of the mineral through which it runs and hath a tincture from the earthen Vessel that brings it and therefore not to be receiv'd with that measure of trust which belongs to the pure and proper word of God For take a Sermon at the best the most you can make of it is that it is Gods word onely in a qualified sense because the Church intends it should be so and it is the preachers judgement and opinion that it is so and possibly it may be so indeed But then because possibly it may not be so we had need take heed what we hear We learn from St. Paul that it was more than possible it was truly so then for he warns Timothy of Preachers that will strive about words to no purpose but to the subversion of the hearers 2 Tim. 2.14 And ver 16. By prophane and vain bablings do increase to more ungodliness And v. 17. Their word will eat as doth a Canker or a Gangrain for so the Greek word is and that 's a dangerous Disease and by all means possible to be avoided and especially to be taken heed of Thus it was in the early times of the Church we have reason them to look for worse after and so we of late times found it by sad experience Not onely profane and vain bablings but Sedition Treason Rebellion were drest up and appear'd in the likeness of Sermons It is too plain we have but too much need of caution to take heed But alas what should private men do must they or can they call all Preachers and Doctrines to account The Scriptures indeed which are the undoubted Word of God would do it if well manag'd but how can that be hoped from every hand wherein wise that is learned men are mistaken and from whence every Sect seeks Patronage and perswades it self to have it What means is there then left by the help whereof we may take heed what we hear Truly none that I know but this still the Scriptures are the only infallible rule But how Not left loose to the prejudices and fancies of every man for then it will fall out as with those that look in a Glass in which every one sees his own face though not anothers the reason is because he brings his face to the Glass not because it was there before So every Sect sees the face of his own Religion in the Scripture not because it was there before but because his strong fancy and prejudice brought it thither he thinks he sees that in the Scripture which in truth is onely in his own imagination But how then can we have any help from the Scriptures to take heed what we hear Not as Gods word lies diffus'd through the whole body of them but as prepar'd and fitted up in a summary and short form of wholsom words by such to whom the care of the Church is committed If any shall think this a humane invention derogatory to the sufficiency of the Scriptures Let him implead St. Paul first who made the same use of it finding what mischief false Teachers had done charges Timothy with the care of it 2 Tim. 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me This form he calls in the last verse of the former Epistle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a depositum committed to his trust and for that very purpose that he might avoid profane and vain bablings and oppositions of Science falsly so called and that is plainly that they might take heed what they hear The same course was taken by the whole Church after considering how hard or rather impossible it was for every one out of the Scriptures to work out to himself an assurance of the knowledge of as much as was necessary to salvation and with that a consent with the rest of the faithful who are commanded to speak and think the same things which cannot be done but in a certain form of words 1 Cor. 1.10 Such a form if not the same with S. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the Apostles Creed the use whereof hath ever since continued in the Church to be a help to take heed what we believe The same course was of later times held by divers particular National Churches who weary with the insolence and domineering of their Sister at Rome did suo jure uti and provide for themselves which fell out in a time when the world was filled with Controversies and Disputes of Religion That the people might not be carried about with every wind of doctrine that blew from all corners it was their care and wisdom to compose a form of whole some words in their several Confessions to be a rule what to hear Now following our Saviours advice you have reason to ask With what measure of Faith are these confessions to be received for Quis custodi

ipsum custodem What credit must be given to that which must be a rule how far we credit others That we mistake not They are not to be received with that faith which is due to Gods word or any thing out of it as necessary to salvation but with such as wise men would give to the means of settling unity and consent in matters controverted as the title of our Confession imports that is That they are Articles of Peace not Articles of Faith They make no new Religion or new Faith This by the way gives an easie Answer to the Papists hard Question as they think Where was your Religion before Luther Where was your Church before the 39. Articles We do not date our Religion from those Articles The Church of England I grant is call'd so from their Confession but by an accidental denomination i. e. It is that Church which for preservation of unity and peace in it injoyns nothing to be taught or heard for God's Word which is repugnant to them in the particulars there mentioned But for the essential denomination of our Faith whereon Salvation depends it is the Faith of God's Word summ'd up in the ancient Catholick and Apostolick Forms as is evident from our Constitutions and Practise For when any is received as a Member into the Church by Baptism the Laver of Regeneration no other Faith is required but that which is comprised in the Apostles Creed And when by a confession of our Faith and Sins we prepare to receive the other Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord our Faith is that according to the ancient Nicene Creed And in the Office of Visiting the Sick the Absolution a Comfort at all times and most of all when we give up our Souls into the Hands of God is not to be administred but to those that make confession as well of their Faith as of their Sins and that Faith is only according to the Apostles Creed Thus are we born nourish'd and dissolv'd by the same Faith according to the ancient Catholick and Apostolick Forms A Faith of this age neither ought they to reproach nor we to be asham'd of To return to our particular Church Confession it hath another end and use they are Articles of peace and consent in certain Controversies to instruct and help us to take heed what we hear But it will not be so taken by all for the Churches Remedy is the Sectaries Disease who complain That by this means the liberty of the Spirit and of the Conscience are penn'd up in those Forms and which is a worse mischief if it were true a binding of God's Word which ought to be free But for that God's Word neither is nor can be bound The Forms are no more but the gathering together some of those Waters which flow all over the Scriptures into a stream to fit them for the ease and use of all But they say they take a better course to fetch all from the Fountain The Fountain indeed is purer but I see no reason why the Water should be purer in their Pitchers than in the Churches Stream seeing both claim immediately to the same Fountain They say again That these Forms are no better than snares to hinder many a painful Preacher of the Gospel They would seem careful to unbind God's Word but I see it is to set themselves at liberty As for painfulness in Preaching if it be not to some good purpose I shall not much reckon upon The Pharisees compassed Sea and Land Mat. 23.13 but it was to make Pharisees Proselytes of their Faction not of Religion Nay but they preach the Gospel The Gospel is a glorious Word but what Gospel A Gospel you may perhaps have enough of and too much 2 Tim. 3.1 S. Paul informs Timothy of perilous times to come when men will be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers without natural affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traytors heady high-minded How think you comes it to pass that there shall be such a general Apostacy was it not for want of preaching They had no Sermons or perhaps no great affection for them they were some cold hearers that were content with one Sermon a day No that was not the matter if we read on to the next Chapter we shall find they had hearing enough for they were such as heap'd to themselves Teachers and so had heaps of Sermons and affection for them too for they had itching ears What was it then They could not away with sound Doctrine but would have Teachers after their own lusts they had the Gospel in plenty but it was Evangelium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after their own lusts not of sound Doctrine But what is sound Doctrine S. Paul doth not say here because a little before he had given Timothy a form of it Keep the Form of sound words which thou hast heard from me and because their Gospel did not agree to that he chargeth him to avoid it So should we do too with such a Gospel as will not stand within our form of wholesom words Or if it be such as was preached here for twenty years together we have little reason to be fond of it or any pains that is taken about it If they will not hean the Churches Gospel what reason hath the Church to hear theirs To end my first point If it was wisdom in St. Paul to commend a form of words and in the whole Catholick Church to use one if the same was practis'd by every reformed Church and all that people might with peace and security know what to hear I do not understand what wisdom it can be to lay all common again for any mans pleasure for this is to legitimate Schism and entail division to the Church for ever As you love your selves your quiet and look to receive benefit by the immortal seed of Gods Word if you would be good Christians that is be advised by Christ and in that way which all Christians have used to Take heed what you hear We come now to the second point of our care Take heed how you hear and this no less necessary then the former for when we have provided for the Matter what we hear we may yet offend in the Manner how and so lose the benefit of both That which is here set down in proper words is by our Saviour illustrated in a Similitude ver 21. Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed and not to be set on a Candlestick that is and so St. Luke expresses it A candle is not brought to be put under a Bushel but to be set on a Candlestick This makes two points in the manner of our hearing one negative that we do not so hear Gods Word that we put it under a Bushel another affirmative that we set it on a Candlestick For