Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	common_a	deal_n	great_a	143	3	2.1542	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79569	Church-Levellers, or, Vanity of vanities and certainty of delusion: discovered in the pamphlet, called The vanity of the present churches, and uncertainty of their preaching. / By a friend to both true churches and preachers.	Friend to both true churches and preachers.	1649 (1649)	Wing C3995; Thomason E561_5; ESTC R206008	13,994	16

the Scriptures that snare is discovered as a meer delusion another while the Scripture only and solely without the spirit and this is the last and newest device of Satan Any thing either vilifying or over magnifying the Scripture to stupifie men into confusions that so he may both waies prey upon them And I pray Sir if your private persons may have this infallible teaching by the Scriptures and partake of the spirit by the word of the spirit as you seem to yield pag. 49. why may not our preachers in reading and studying the Scriptures have the like priviledge and be as able to hold it out at the publick meetings as your private men and women and so we shall finde preachers infallible either some in office or all in common 6. But let us hear his reason why our preachers have not the spirit Had they the spirit of God as they pretend would the need Pag. 7. as they do to go sit in their studies three or four daies together turning over their Authors to finde out the meaning c. no certainly the spirit could in an instant inform them the meaning of his own writings c. 1. May not this be as well applied to his disciples in their readings debates and conferences to which he advises and exhorts so often Had they the spirit at once reading what need they study the Scripture debate or confer about it to get or increase knowledge The spirit could in an instant inform them in the meaning of it Nay what need they the spirit to that end if the Scriptures only and solely and so easily and speedily can give them the understanding of them so that either he must as indeed he doth deny the spirit to be needfull for his disciples to understand the Scriptures but then it 's hoped our preachers having learning and tongues besides may understand them as well as they or if the spirit be needfull for them why may not the blessed spirit be pleased to give understanding to preachers as well as to them 2. There is which he conceals or confounds a two fold administration of the spirit the one immediate without the Scripture thus it was imparted to the Prophets and Apostles The other mediate by the Scriptures or by illumination of the Scriptures upon the heart and this is common to all Gods people Again there is a double understanding of the Scripture one of the letter or history common to reprobates another spirituall of the mystery and power of the Gospel and this is peculiar to Gods elect To you it is given to know the mysteries c. Paul bids Timothy a preacher give attendance to reading for to save himself and them that hear him But Paul himself had his without reading by immediate revelation but the same spirit 7. ●●…g 8. Observe saies he that when they have for some years preacht up a doctrine they are many times forced to preach it down again as most of them have done and that in very materiall points c. We say to this reproachfull aspersion first either it is not in materiall points especially not in necessary points for they he saith are clear and plain not at all hard to be understood nor require long time to learn them pag. 21. and that to his unlearned ones then much more to preachers or else if in materiall things any are thus inconstant they are not our preachers which do so but his own giddy sectaries and some perhaps Independents They indeed preach one while baptisme of all infants of infants of Beleevers only another while and at last of no infants or of any others of years for want of a true Ministry And hither I beleeve himself is fallen through all these opinions for if there be no true Church nor true preachers there is no Minister of Baptisme to be found and so no Baptisme Again the sectaries have their Pastors and Churches divided in election and reprobation in universall redemption free-will c. up and down down and up But so do not the Presbyterian Preachers Befides Who hath brought these planets to this uncertain motion but only those Cam●lian-like Jesuites who insinuate these delusions and false doctrines into the unstable Pastors and Churches and then make these outcries of divisions and inconstancy as he now doth Oh the damnable subtilties of Jesuiticall seducers They unsettle people and Pastors and set them on building of Churches on these uncertain doctrines and then cry out How can they affirm their word to be the word of God Is not a Church founded on such uncertainties 〈◊〉 9. founded on the sands 8. And now he lets fly at all The Pope and his Clergy bely themselves and blaspheme God in saying they have the true spirit of God whilst by their lying miracles 〈◊〉 10. art and sophistry they lead the poor deluded people into greatest errors c. The Bishops discover their faults The Presbyters they come and cry out of studied Sermons and common prayer as stinters and suppressors of the Spirit of God Then comes the Independent and pretends to erect a pure holy and undefiled worship c. and a great deal more of such stuff For our parts we say Let Baal plead for himself Only if we mistake not the man we think he is too saucy with his father the Pope but any thing is tolerated for the Catholick cause As for the Presbyters we must tell him plainly he flanders them They never cryed out of studied Sermons or set prayers as stinters and suppressors of the spirit nor do they differ at all in materials or minde their own honour and profit and least of all are they possessed with a persecuting spirit The Lord rebuke thee thou false tongue prosecution of or preaching against damnable heresies is no persecution That is only for truth and the Gospels sake But I pray Sir tell us Is not the world full of Atheists Antiscripturists your self complain of such in this book Antinomists Seekers Antispiritists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were called of old and may not we call a spade a spade are not you your self an Antispiritist in part denying the necessity of the spirit in the understanding of the Scriptures and will you complain of us for calling you so These these are they that have brought those infinite evils into the world which you cry out of Pag. 13. doubtings and sadnes in some in others wrangling envy malice wilde notions and opinions not examining their opinions by the text but interpreting the text by their opinions and experiences and the rest of that rabble mentioned of heresies blasphemies c. none of which blessed be God are found among the Presbyterians but all preached against by them so far that they are called persecuter without a cause And who are they that say the letter killeth and call the Scripture a dead letter but his sectaries who plead the immediate teaching of the spirit which the Presbyterians