Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	death_n	life_n	power_n	7,316	5	4.8859	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96686	Hypocrisie unmasked: by a true relation of the proceedings of the Governour and company of the Massachusets against Samuel Gorton (and his accomplices) a notorious disturber of the peace and quiet of the severall governments wherein he lived : with the grounds and reasons thereof, examined and allowed by their Generall Court holden at Boston in New-England in November last, 1646. Together with a particular answer to the manifold slanders, and abominable falshoods which are contained in a book written by the said Gorton, and entituled, Simplicities defence against seven-headed policy, &c. Discovering to the view of all whose eyes are open, his manifold blasphemies; as also the dangerous agreement which he and his accomplices made with ambitious and treacherous Indians, who at the same time were deeply engaged in a desperate conspiracy to cut off all the rest of the English in the other plantations. VVhereunto is added a briefe narration (occasioned by certain aspersions) of the true grounds or cause of the first planting of New-England; the president of their churches in the way and worship of God; their communion with the Reformed Churches; and their practise towards those that dissent from them in matters of religion and Church-government. / By Edw. Winslow. Published by authority.	Winslow, Edward, 1595-1655.; Gorton, Samuel, 1592 or 3-1677.; Williams, Roger, 1604?-1683.	1647 (1647)	Wing W3037; Thomason E409_23; ESTC R204435	90,941	117

brother I tro not I am now in a higher sphere then that though they be acknowledged coheirs with Christ can ataine unto therfore if witness be brought in and Oath taken though never so untrue your consciences are purged by law and your power must have tribute payd unto it so far an mens Names to bee branded with infa●●ie estates depryving women and children of things necessarie and precious lives of men can extend themselves to contribute any thing thereunto so that the professed mercie and Clemencie of your law to exercise censures only for amendment of life and recoverie comes unto this issue as much as in you lies to send both soule and body downe unto hell for ever without redresse and all hope of recovery But your houre and the power of Darknesse is known what it is either to have mens persons in admiration because of advantage or else to seek all occasions against them to brand them with all manner of reproch and ignominie but for the truth taught daily in the Temple y●● know not how to streatch out your hand or exercise your ministry against it lest it become leprous and you take it back again with losse when it appeares dried and withered And wherefore reason yee amongst your selves saying wee exercise the power of your ministrations against none but such as are Delinquents whereby we cleer the innocent and establish peace in all our borders Wee demand what think you of those two witnesses prophecying in Sackcloth a thousand two hundreth and threescore Dayes those two olive trees and two candlestickes standing before the God of the earth are these guiltie and vile persons out of whose hands by the power of your ministries you are delivering and releasing the world then indeed are your wayes justifiable But if these bee the Just Chosen and peculiar friends of God yea such as without which his truth and Righteousnesse are not justified his wisdom and holinesse maintained and upheld in the world in point of salvation by Christ then are your wayes wicked and to bee abhorred for in your professed Course you are they by whom these are slaine and put to Death and all your glory is to keepe their Corpes unburied in your streetes and yet you know not what you are doing no more then you know what these witnesses are whom you are altogether ignorant of for your Libraries never saw them and you see not but by their eyes for these are two and never more nor yet lesse yea ever the same they are olive trees else no witnesses and also Candlesticks else both the former faile yea are not at all Wee must tell you what these are else wee cannot declare how you kill them for it is not our intent to open unto you the house of the treasures the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oyntment nor the house of our armour because you take all as execrable and put all to a profane use that commeth from us but these two witnesses are the life and death of our Lord Jesus or in the true language of heaven also the strength and the weaknesse of Christ for hee was crucified through weaknesse but hee liveth by the power of God this is the word of the Lord in Zerubbabel Not by an army nor by power and so deprives him of all strength but by a spirit that the greatest mountaine or loftiest hill in the world cannot stand before but becomes a plaine which with facility and ease hee passeth upon thence it is that hee doth not onely lay the top or the head stone of all but also the lowest 〈◊〉 the foundation and then onely is the voice of shouting heard Grace grace in the house for ever and then doth the day of small things become the day of joy and triumph yea of parting the rich spoiles and prey of all the world for then hee that doth but turn and lift up his eyes he cannot looke besides that great flying book of the Curse that is gone forth over the whole earth Without these two witnesses jointly uttering themselves in every particular Scripture undertaken to bee divulged by any no evidence nor testimony of God is given or brought in at all but a meere refuge of lies for the soules of men to betake themselves unto without these two pipes of the olive trees emptying themselves into the bowle of the candlesticks no unction nor oyle at all is found in them and that being wanting the light of the Sanctuary is gone out so that the light appearing amongst you is onely the light of Balaam whose eye was open which you may read either Shethum or Sethum for that opening is nothing else but the shutting up of the holy things of God so that in seeing you see not but communicate onely in the light of that beast who puts the witnesses to death as Balaam did in the sight of that dumbe beast of his whose eyes were opened to see the angel before him so that while you thinke it is our wisdome to stoope unto you for light wee never come amongst you but see our selves in a regiment of grosse and palpable darknesse and discern you very plainly how you scrabble upon the wall to finde the doore of Lots house and cannot As also how you toil your selves to climbe up into the sheep-fold another yea so many other wayes and have no sight nor discerning of us the Door at all by the which whosoever entereth becomes a true seeder of the flock of God yea none entereth in thereat but the true Shepheard himself Most impious it is to put to death two such Noble witnesses that have power to shut heaven that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecying to turne the waters into bloud and to smite the earth with all manner of plagues as oft as they wil whom that spirit that is amongst you kills on this wise the life or power of the sonne of God as above which is infinite not admitting of circumsc●iption or containment for the heaven of heavens cannot containe him yet have you not dared to graspe and inviron that power in the heavens and therefore have resolved and concluded that hee onely rules upon the earth in these dayes by his Deputies Lievtenants and Vicegerents whereby you limit and so destroy the holy One of Israel for give him that in one time or place which afterwards or elsewhere you deny him and you make a nullity of him unto your selves and in so doing you kill that other witnesse namely the death or weaknesse of the Lord Jesus for you must have man to bee honourable learned wise experienced and of good report else they may not rule among you yea and these things are of man and by man as appeares in that they onely officiate so as man may disanull and take it away againe witnesse your change of officers constantly speaking for us herein thus have you slaine also the death or the weaknesse of Christ who

professeth himselfe to bee a worm and no man the shame and contempt of the people and these faithfull and true witnesses thus slaine you must of necessity deny buriall and keep them both in open view in your streets or otherwise all your pompe and glory falls to the dust whence it came and on which it feeds Nor can you send your presents one to another of your acts of Justice power to protect wealth honour and friends wherewith you gratifie each other and where these are thus slaine and their corps lie in open view none of the gentiles peoples tongues and kindreds suffering their carkasses to bee put in graves there is that great City which spiritually is Sodom and Egypt where our Lord is crucified but after three dayes and an half the spirit of life from God shall enter into them and they shal stand up upon their feet to the terrour of you all Nor doe you thinke that wee onely inveigh against the great ones of this world for thus doing for wee know that the basest peasant hath the same spirit with the greatest Princes of this world and the greatest of the Princes of this world hath the very same spirit wherewith the basest peasant hath laid himselfe open in the view of all men these wee say are the two witnesses if you can receive it and what a dishonour is it to trade so much by meanes of witnesses and yet not know what a true witnesse is which if you did you durst not attempt the things you doe whereby you cast reproach upon all the world in that you professe your selves a choice people pickt out of it and yet goe on in such practices as you doe maintaining them as your onely glory Our Lord gives you in charge not to sweare at all but it is your dignity to bring men to your seates of Justice with nothing but oathes in their mouthes why doe you not ballance the scriptures in this point viz. It hath beene said of old Thou shalt not committ adultery but I say unto you hee that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart already so also it hath beene sayd of old Thou shalt not forsweare thy self but I say unto you sweare not at all so that if it be adulterie to looke to Iust it is also forswearing a mans self to sweare at all if the one be adultery the other is perjury if one be admitted in some cases the other also so that in preaching the toleration nay the duty of an oath you preach the toleration yea the duty of adulterie it self So that our Lord plainly evinceth unto all mens consciences not onely the guilt but the folly and madnesse of the oath of man shewing how farre it is either from investing into place or demonstrating Causes so that hee that concludeth upon honour and power received from the oath of man or upon knowledge and bouldness to judge in a cause from that testimony without the which he could not have it is as vaine in his thoughts as if hee should herupon conclude I have now altered the frame of heaven which is no less stable then the throne of the great God or demolished the earth which is as firme as his foot-stoole for ever or made a fraction in the orders of Jerusalem that choice and peculiar City of the great King whose institutions no mortall breath can intrench upon or to professe his authority and skill to be such whereby he can make a haire of his head blacke or white cause his age to wax old as doth a garment or renew it with the Eagle at his pleasure hereby doth man in this point of swearing professe his folly to bee such that hee is become not onely vaine in his imaginations but unto that pride and usurpation therein as to intrude himselfe into the prerogative royall of his Maker So that however you boast of the Ordinances of God yet he tels you there is no more then yea yea and nay nay in them for what is once nay is ever nay in the Ordination of Christ and what is once yea is ever yea with him and according to his account however man reckoneth whose account shall be called over againe what is once curse is ever the curse and what is once the principality and power of Christ is ever the principality and power of Christ as that which is once the principality and power of Darkenesse is ever the same what hands soever it cometh into for manifestation measure your kingdome whether it bee eternall and your Jurisdiction whether it bee illimited for he hath given him the heathen for his inheritance the utmost parts of the earth for his possession and a kingdome of lesse extent hee professeth not nor can hee approve or acknowledge any that doe no more then light can approve of darkenesse or the Lord Jehovah of the Lord Baal Bee wise therefore and be thinke your selves while it is called to day harden not your hearts as though you would make your selves Meriba nothing but strife and contention against the Lord rather kisse the sonne if it bee possible lest his wrath bee kindled and you perish from the way for ever O blessed onely they that hope in him So that hee which professeth on this wise it is yea I am a pastour but it was nay at such a time I was none hee renounceth that spirit of the true pastour yet onely feeder of Israel professing onely that spirit that pusheth the weake with the horne and pudleth with his feet the waters where the flocke of God should drinke Hee with whom it is yea I am a Ruler but it was nay when I was none at all renounceth that spirit of him that rules in righteousnesse professing the spirit of him that rules according to the god of this world that Prince of the power of the Aire who is now working so effectually in the children of disobedience So also hee with whom it is yea I am a Captaine or chiefe slaughter-man but it was nay time was I was none at all renounceth that victorie and slaughter made by the Captaine and High-priest of our profession who as hee is a Lambe slaine from the beginning his victory and slaughter must bee of the same antiquity professing himselfe to bee a chiefe slaughter-man or superfluous Giant made in that hoast of the Philistims standing in readinesse to come out to defie the hoast of the living God yea it is evident that whatsoever is more then yea yea and nay nay not settlingeach upon its Base whereon it standeth for ever without controule but can remove create or make void offices and officers at their pleasure it of that evill or not of Jesus the salvation of his people but of Shedim that waster and destroyer of mankinde for ever know therefore that it is the oath of God which confirmes and makes good his Covenant and promise unto a thousand generations and it is the oath of

Necromancers Judasses men that live by bloud robbers and thieves men without mercy among whom Justice is dumbe delighting in the kingdome of darknesse and the devill like Herod and Pilate in administring Justice whose eyes are dazled with envie and eares open to lies stout maintainers of the man of Sin whose wayes are wicked and to bee abhorred worse then Indians like dogs c. This language speakes loud to what Countrey they belong and of what race they come II. Their reviling Language not onely against the Magistrates and Government here in particular but also against Magistracy it self and all Civill power IF any shall say for them as themselves now for their owne advantage doe that this ill language is directed onely against our particular Government and Magistrates but not against all Civill power it self the contrary may appear notwithstanding their dark language under which sometimes they seek to conceale it in these particulars 1 They expresly affirm that the Office to minister Justice belongs onely to the Lord and that therefore from their instance of Herod men make themselves Gods which themselve● interpret to be onely from the God of this world and to be in flat opposition against God pag. 26. by ruling over the bodies and estates of men and that the people receiving Herod to Government crying out that this was the ordinance of God and not of man that he was immediately smitten of God for it As also they tell us p. 26. that to set up men to Judge of good and evil for which all m●n are set up in that kinde that this is re-acting that ancient spirit of the Serpent If yee eate yee shall bee as Gods Now this strkes at all Magistracy for if the office of ministring justice and righteousnesse belongs to God onely then not unto any man for that is to make Gods of men and if to judge betweene good and evill bee to act over againe the ancient spirit of the Serpent then 't is not onely unlawfull but diabolicall to make Judges of what is right and wrong good or evill by any man If it bee objected is it possible that any men should bee so grosly blind and wicked as to abolish all ministration of Justice and righteousnesse Answ 1. These men seeme to acknowledge some way of ministring Justice but the mysterie lies in that word Office they would have no man set up in the Office of Magistracy distinguished from other men but would have such a power common to the B●ethren so that a man may judge as a brother but not as an Officer and therefore they slily justifie him who called one of our chiefe Magistrates in the open face of the Court Brother and condemne all our Magistrates because every man doth not sit there to judge as a Brother pag. 16. and their reason seems to bee drawne from this because that to bee a Brother and consequently a ●olicire with Christ is a higher sphere then to bee a Civill Officer as their owne words intimate pag. 16. Now the rule is evident à quatenus ad omne that if ministration of Justice and judgement belongs to no officer but to a man as a Brother then to every Brother and if to every Brother whether rich or poore ignor●nt or learned then every Christian in a Common-wealth must bee King and Judge and Sherif●e and Captaine and Parliament man and Ruler and that not onely in New-England but in Old and not onely in Old but in all the Christian world downe with all Officers from their Rule and set up every Brother for to Rule which the godly-wise may easily discerne to bee the establishment of all con●usion and the setting up of Anarchy worse then the greatest Tyranny 2. Although these may beare the world in hand that they allow ministration of Justice and righteousnesse by men as Brethren yet some Cakes of these mens dough have been so farre leavened and sowred against all Civill power as that in our Publike Courts being demanded how murderers theeves and adulterers should bee punished if there should bee no Civill power coercive they openly and roundly answered before many witnesses that such persons must be left to the judgment of God both which not long after God himself sate Judge upon being suddenly and barbarously slaine by the bloody Indians in the Dutch plantation First they exclaime against us for choosing men that are honourable learned wise experienced and of good report or else they may not rule among us and this they say is of man and by man and putting the second witnesse to death viz. the dea●h or weaknesse of Christ or in plaine English 't is a killing of Christ Now however the application is made unto our Civill State yet it manifestly strikes at all Civill States in the world who shall choose any Officers for rule and government and administring of Justice although they bee never so honourable learned wise experienced and of good report and consequently most fit for government and that in so chusing them they doe put Christ himself to death So that these men still harp on that string to have every man judge as a Brother whether honourable or not honourable whether wise or foolish whether of good report or evill report otherwise Christs weaknesse is slaine 3. They affirme that they who can create make void and remove offices and officers at their pleasure are of that evill one i. the devill and not of Jesus Christ but of Shedim that waster and destroyer of mankind for ever Their proofe is from that monstrous interpretation of Yea yea and Nay nay and they instance not onely in Church-officers but in Common-wealth-officers whether Rulers or Captaines Their words are these viz. Hee with whom it is yea I am a Ruler but it was nay when I was none at all renounceth the spirit of him that rules in righteousnesse professing the spirit of him that is Prince of the power of the aire who is working now so effectually in the children of disobedience so also hee with whom it is yea I am captaine or chief-slaughter-man but it was nay time was that I was none at all renounceth the victory and slaughter made by the Captaine and High-priest of our profession professing himselfe to bee a superfluous Giant made in the host of the Philistims to defie the host of the living God By which speeches ' ●is evident that they doe not onely oppose Civill officers chosen amongst us here but all such as are chosen Rulers Captaines and Officers at any time in any place and were not so before and such they say are of the Devill the destroyer of man 4. They say men limit and so destroy the holy one of Israel whose life is infinite and without circumscription and containment as they call it if men acknowledge that Christ rules on earth onely by his Deputies Litvtenants and Vicegerents i. by persons invested with Civill authority and office for so they are

these are coaparant now communicating in Christs sufferings in their meaning is onely spirituall and so is therefore all baptismes 2. As for the Lords supper scarce a greater heape of blasphemies in fewer words can come from the mouth of man against that blessed Ordinance wherein Christ is so manifestly and sweetly present for they call it your disht up dainties turning the juice of a sillie grape that perisheth in the use of it into the bloud of the Lord Jesus by the cunning skill of your Magicians which doth make mad and drunke so many in the world 5. Against repentance and humiliation for sinne they speake somewhat obscurely but they that know them may sonne understand their meaning which if it be this that in a way of compunction and sorrow for sinne a Christian is not to seeke for consolation and comfort from Christ and to affirme that this is to make the sonne of God Belial and Segnirim the Devill himselfe as they interpret it then t is most grosse blasphemy against not onely the preaching but practise of repentance and godly sorrow for which the Apostle rejoiced to see in the Corinthians ch 7 v. 9. 10. and which James and Peter command and commend James 4. v. 9. 10. 1 Peter 5. v. 6. and which way not so much Moses in the law but Christ in the Gospell hath sanctified to finde pardon of sinne 1 John 1. 9. 6. Against Christ Jesus himselfe they condemne our doctrine for affirming that Jesus Christ actually dyed and suffered onely in the dayes of Herod and Pontius Pilate when hee hanged on the Crosse and that hee was crucified in truth and substance onely when hee appeared borne of the Virgin Mary and for this doctrine wee are condemned as Wisards and Necromancers Now what is this but to overthrow not onely the being of Christ in the flesh making him no other then such an one as actually suffered from the begining of the world and shall doe to the end of it but also overthrowing all faith and hope of salvation in that Messiah who was incarnate in the dayes of Herod and Pilate and in his death and sufferings and that one perfect offering then once for all Heb. 10. 14. The reader may therefore be pleased to take notice that being asked in open Court what was that Christ who was borne of the Virgin and suffered under Pilate one of them answered that hee was a semblance picture or a shadow of what was and is done actually and substantially in Christians and hence the meaning of the words may bee gathered Pag. 11. which otherwise the wise reader may thinke to bee non-sence viz. that they are Wisards and Necromancers who raise a shadow without a substance viz. to make Christ to bee slaine in types since the world began or who raise the substance of him who dwels in light without a shadow making no more of Christ but a semblance and shadow as themselves call it for further explication of which they affirmed in open Court that as the Image of God in Adam was Christ for God they said had but one Image so the lesse of this Image by man was the death of Christ and therefore 't is no wonder if they deny Christ to dye actually onely when crucified under Pontius Pilate because man sinned actually which they make to be Christs death long before meane while the reader may take notice with a holy astonishment and horrour of the heavy curse of God in blinding these bold men with such a palpable and grosse spirit of delusion and mad phrensies who will make mans sinne and fall which is the cause of perdition of men to be the cause of the Salvation of man for so Christs death is which they blasphemously make mans sinne to bee For further proofe that they make little use of Christ and his death then as hath been said their owne interpretation of the slaying of the two witnesses Pag. 17. 18. seemeth to confirme for they make these two witnesses the life and the death of Christ in men the life of Christ they call his strength and the death of Christ they call his we●knesse viz. as it is and appeares in weake foolish ignorant unexperienced and ill-reported of men and therefore they blame us for killing of Christs death for it seemes it is such a death as may bee killed in that wee chuse honourable wise learned men and of good report to place of rule excluding others Now some of these blasphemies might have beene the better borne if they had let Christ and his death alone and his word alone but to call the holy word and Sermons of Salvation tales the Sacrament an abomination madding and making drunke the world to call the Ministers of Christ who dispense Word and Sacraments Necromancers and Magicians and they who hold and beleive him to bee the Messiah and Christ who suffered under Pilate Wisards and all this in coole bloud in the open face of the Court obstinately refusing to alter a title of what they had writ let the world judge if ever Antichrist that beast spoken of Rev. 13. 5 6. did ever speake greater blasphemies against God his name and tabernacle and whether such men deserve to live that live thus to blaspheme may not such civill states that tolerate such feare that sentence of God against them as was pronounced against Ahab for letting blasphemous Benhadab escape with his life thy life for his life however mens charity may enlarge it sel●e this way yet let wisedome preserve us and make the wise hearted wa●y of such impostors who want not their wiles to say and unsay as may best sute their advantage for they can hold forth at some time and to some persons wholesome and orthodox truths and beare them in hand that this is all that they hold but they have depths of abomination to give to drinke when they see their seasons in such golden cups they have hidden secrets which their young Proselytes shall not presently see much lesse others for so they tell us Pag. 17. that t is not their purpose to open to every one the house of their treasures the silver and gold and spices and precious ointment nor the house of their armour because they may take them all as execrable and put them to a prophane use nor can every spirit comprehend the breadth of the land of Emanuel as they call it Pag. 12. nor know the Cherubims of glory nor the voice of the oracle from the Mercy-seate and indeed their uncouth tumorous and swelling words as Jude cals them Jude 16. like swellings and tumours of the flesh are the undoubted signes of a secret and seducing humour whereby they are fit to deceive the simple and infect the strong if men bee not watchfull The Publisher to the Reader THE reason wherefore nothing is answered to the great charge in his voluminous Postscript is because it hath beene answered already by a former treatise printed