Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	covenant_n	heart_n	new_a	6,959	5	6.8797	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77553	The power of God overpowering the creature. Which power came upon me William Britten, the 3d. day of the 11th. month, (called February) 1659. not suffering me to depart my chamber, until I had promised the Lord to answer a book, which I had then never seen, and but once heard of; set forth by William Prynne in defence of tyths, &c. and to present the answer in print unto the governing power of England for the time being. But making delayes, and Fran. Spira-like, consulting with flesh and blood, the Lord terrified me in conscience for neglect, yet in mercy did set me (like Jonah) the second time upon the same work.	Britten, William, d. 1669.	1660 (1660)	Wing B4824A; ESTC R170818	27,030	51

Luke 11.37 John 2.2 Luke 14. 1. Luke 19.5 Luke 19.31 Mat. 8. ●0 Nor did he claim either horse to ride upon or house to dwell in as his own all which pattern from him shews us if we are Gospe● Ministers how to wave the pomp and glory of the World which practise the Apostles followed wh● approved themselves the Ministers of God 2 Cor. 6 4 10. Yea Gods witnesses in the several ages were sufferers and went about as poor despised creatures yet of them the World was not worthy Heb. 11.36 37 38. Mat. 6.33 It is the duty of a true Minister to seek first th● Kingdome of God and trust unto his master for supplies who hath promised to add what is needful no● doing as the heathen Gentiles ver 24.32 taking care what t● eat drink c. looking for humane security to infor● his Salery before he sets upon the work and if o● living be small to study how a greater may be obtain for all these things are opposite to the Apostles practise who sought not the peoples wealth 2 Cor. 12.14 but their eternal welfare Object If some say Ministers having nothing for teaching but what is given them according to the Gospel manner that may make people worse which care not for teaching so they can save their Tyths Answ Although Gospel allows not Ministers to take maintenance of such filthy persons yet Gods Law authorizeth Magistrates to punish such offenders for their wickedness who sin presumtuously yea to make them as Israel did the uncircumcised to be drawers of water and hewers of wood Josh 9.21 be they rich or poor not suffering such to bear offices in the Kingdome and if godly persons only were put in office and authori●y and such Swearers Lyers Drunkards Whore-mongers and other beast-like people kept off and punished then Davids practise would be followed and a blessing follow upon the Na●ion yea Psal 101.1 c. then the one half of those nurseries and seed-plots of sin call'd Alehouses could not continue He useth Mal. 3.8 9. Wherein the Lord complains of the people robbing him in tyths and offerings upon which they were cursed and in Levit. 27.30 Tyths are called the Lords and Hag. ● 9 the curse is said to be upon the increase for neglect thereof also in Hag. 2.16 c. Answer As thus Tyths were the Lords and those that with-held them was said to rob God so were free gifts from Saints given to Gospel Ministers and others in want due unto Iesus Christ and owned by him as he evidently declares by the with holding or giving unto such as to himself saying I was hungry Mat. 23.35 c. Thirsty Naked a Stranger in Prison c. and thus you did unto me by which you may see First how Tyths were the Law-ministers pay and free gifts the Gospel Ministers pay Secondly How Tyths under the Law and free gifts under the Gospel are the Lords own Thirdly How those that with-held Tyths from the Priests or free gifts from the Gospel Ministers the Lord takes it as done to himself Fourthly How those Tyths and Gospel free gifts were never set forth by humane authority but God gave them to his Messengers by his own power under the several dispensations for their maintenance Fifthly How God never gave power unto man that one creature should Curse Fine Imprison or persecute another for refusing detaining or neglecting the payment of Tyths to the Levites or free gifts to Gospel Ministers but he reserved that to himself as the places before cited do evidently declare So that in all the Scriptures I find not any power God gave to man in setling a maintenance for Priests Levites or Gospel Ministers Ezek. 44.28 but the Lord did that work who being the Levites inheritance they had no possession in the Land nor humane Law to compel what God gave them nor did Christ give unto his Apostles any humane authority to enforce a maintenance from their auditors but they must go forth empty without money Scrip c. nor can we read of any in Scripture that assum'd a humane power to compel such things except Elies Sons of Belial 1 Sam. 2.12.16 He affirms in his Plea that Patryarchs gave Tyths before the Law and Page 53. tells us that then they vowed Tyths to God Answ The Scriptures speak no such thing For although Abel Noah Isaac and Jacob offered to God yet Abraham only paid Tyths Gen. 14.18 Heb. 7.1 c. in a voluntary way once unto Melchisedeck without any command to do it or to continue it yearly which free-will Act he did after the victory he obtain'd as Noah offered an offering after deliverance from the general flood Gen. 8.20 and so Noah and Abraham did hereby shew their thankful obedience to the Lord who gave them such deliverances as did those Converts when they had victory over sin and became Disciples of Christ in token of thankfulness they made their goods common to poor Disciples Acts 2.44 Acts 4.34 And as Zacheus when salvation was come to his house or heart to manifest his joy he gave to the poor and made restitution where he had been unjust Luke 19.8 all which actions of Abrahams giving Tyths Zacheus restitution and the Disciples community were a like free alike voluntary none of them forbidden to be continued nor none of them commanded to be imitated yet all were holy actions so that these things make nothing for a Gospel plea to settle Tyths or a yearly maintenance for Gospel Ministers neither was these works intail'd upon their posterity as Englands Tyths are said to be but left to the freedome of after generations also note how Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils taken by his Souldiery from the enemy so it was not of his own labour and of his Servants and Cattel whereby they had toiled in heats and colds all the year as Englands Tyth-takers do force it from many so that this free work in Abraham is neither warrant nor example for us to make a Law in our Nation to compel men by force and violence in paying the tenth of all their labour and increase unto a Ministry Yet these things and about the Jewish Tyths do much inlarge his book and of the Jewish warriers which gave of the spoils in time of Temple worship he seeking to model something from thence for us to imitate Heb. 9.9.10 not observing these gifts and sacrifices how they held until the time of reformation but if he had well weighed the Apostles discourse from Heb. 7.1 to Heb. 8.13 he might have seen the scope thereof to declare the excellency and clearness of Christs Kingdome Heb. 8.10 11. in the New Covenant wo● when all shall be taught of God Iohn 6.45 and he will write 〈◊〉 Laws in their hearts so that his teacher the anoint 〈◊〉 abideth within and there is no need of men to teac● 1 John 2.27 When by the Spirit of

his whence note if a man have this Spirit it must be immediate from God seeing man cannot give it but if he have it not then such a one cannot be a Minister of Christ for he is none of his therefore those Ministers not immedi●tely fitted and sent forth by this Spirit are not of God but of mens sending and how can they do the work of him that never set them When Christ called his Apostles then they followed him when he sent them forth to Preach they had authority to go and not before and when Paul was called of God Gal. 1 1 16. and had Jesus Christ revealed in him he conferred not with flesh and blood but went to preach the Gospel unto the heathen and we find no where that a cessation should be of this Spirit although the man of sin hath a long time darkned the truth and few have come forth in the persecuting times by this spiritual power yet the Lords Arme is not shortned nor his Spirit drawn back but he hath manifested himself herein by many called forth to warn and forewarn Rulers Governours and others in these latter dayes of which I am to give notice from the Lord That upon the fourth day of the third moneth called May last 1660. God shewed me that those Messengers called Quakers was sent forth by him and were to be owned as such Luke 9.1 Christ Jesus Commissionated His Twelve Apostles to Preach c. when he was with them in flesh yet they did not continue Preaching upon that authority after his death but received a new commission after his Resurrection when the vessel o● his body had been broken and the Spirit which filled it was to be shed abroad Mat 12.18 all power being given unto him he then authorizeth them as a risen conquerer to go forth yet they must not execute this commission until it was sealed by the Spirit of promise which he shed on them abundantly Acts 10.38 Ephes 1.13 Tit. 3.6 but this they must wait for at Ierusalem Acts 1.4 Acts 2.1 until the Lords time which they received at the day of Pentecost where we may observe how they waited in silence for this Spirit not running forth to Preach upon a humane call no not upon the first Commission although Christ gave it them but they must tarry for a new to Preach a Christ risen from the dead and risen by his spiritual power in their hearts when THE POWER OF GOD had overpowered the Creature At Page 60. He strives further to make their examples in time of Temple Worship to be presidents unto us as to have the Souldiers give the tenth of the spoile unto the Priests now as they did then telling us it was the opinion of Divines Councils and Canonists at his 70. Page Answ The opinions of those might be men that would share in the benefit thereof and such would seek their gain from their quarter pleading for their own ends Isa 56.11 but for this we have no Gospel example ye there may be a plot for if the Souldiers could be drawn to give the tenth part of the spoile unto the Priests then it was not for the poor farmer to contend seeing the Priests Power might equalize the Popes in Peters Keyes and Pauls Sword for what could not be effected for the Priests one way the Sword might compel it another way but everlasting praises be to God who hath kept England out of this condition Page 88. He terrifies people with fears and dangers if they refuse to pay Tyths alledging what befel Jeroboam in six evils for spoiling the Priests and Levites possession Answ He in so doing opposed the Law of God and so the Lord punished him accordingly but Christ gave us no law for such a Maintenance therefore our sin would be the greater if we should pay it and three evils would be committed as paralelling Jeraboams practise first he went the wrong way of Worship and so do those that own such to be Gospel Ministers which are not called of God thereunto yet force a Maintenance for them contrary to the Gospel practise Secondly He made Priests of the worser people and so do those that take such Ministers which are but carnally minded and Preach for gains Thirdly He shut out the Lords Priests and set up Priests of his own chusing and so do they that refuse Teachers called of God because they are Trades-men and set up of their own choice because they have humane learning All which caused ruin on Jeroboam's Posterity and this I am to give warning unto England's Powers that until Tyths and other oppressions be taken away and Gods Laws made our Laws both within us and without us the Lord will keep overturning and bring desolation if there be no amendment Page 113. He again sets forth his Ministry as Hirelings and that accordindly they should have Hire Iohn 10.13 Answ See his own confession and a Hireling careth not for the Sheep but for the fleece and gains yet we agree to maintain those Ministers which God sends and the Saints own being called and rewarded according to Gospel Law but to Force Compel Pull Tear Imprison Persecute c. about Religion to make Christians by bringing them into such a set form and then to do the like to hurry them into that form or else to punish those that refuse it was never taught us in Scriptures Page 138. He tells us there are three sorts of Priests First every sanctified Christian for his family Secondly The publick or national Priest Thirdly Christ Jesus Answ If a man be sanctified to act as a Priest in his Family where did God forbid him to do the like amongst other believers 1 Pet. 2.5 9. Revel 1.6 Rev. 5.10 the holy Ghost tells us how the sanctified ones are a royal Priest-hood which should shew forth Gods Praises yea Kings and Priests to Reign with him on Earth so the Lord makes no such distinction as W. P. doth but by the Holy Ghost informs us how all the Saints have liberty to prophesie or Preach one by one The Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anuntio or Praedico signifieth to Preach Shew Tell Publish or Declare and thus the Priest-hood of Saints should shew forth Gods Praises 1 Pet. 1.9 c. and this may be done two wayes First by speaking Secondly by writing and this W. P. would not have every sanctified Christian to do publickly but the Parish Priest should do it now according to his own law if none but parish Priests may shew or declare these things in publick then why doth he declare them publickly by writing see●ng he makes no such profession to be a publick Priest Thou art in excusable O man for where●n thou judgest another Rom. 2.1 thou condemnest thy ●elf Page 145. He pretends to answer William Thorps ●rgument how in the times of the Apostles and ●or 200. or 300. Years after they received no Tyths for Preaching but lived