Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	divine_a	father_n	holy_a	8,117	5	5.1431	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30235	The difficulty of and the encouragements to a reformation a sermon preached before the honourable House of Commons at the publick fast, Septem. 27, 1643 / by Mr. Anthony Burges ...	Burgess, Anthony, d. 1664.	1643 (1643)	Wing B5643; ESTC R7338	25,238	35

that Nay is there not such folly in people that they are as willing to be without Gods Word as mans inventions It is a necessary truth which all Magistrates all Ministers all people should beleeve that Gods Word is perfect There is enough in it as a rule to direct and worke holinesse in us How wretched then are the Papists that will have Images the Lay mans Bible as if Gods Word were not enough and see their perverse disputings they will not have the Scripture read in the known tongue lest people through mistake make errours whereas Images are suffered by them though they doe naturally teach idolatry When therefore these traditions and ceremonies climbe up like Reuben into their Fathers bed let them lose all their glory The Word of God is Heb. 9. 15. alibi called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a Testament now you know to a mans Will nothing may be added nor any thing detracted And this you will alwayes find to be true all subversion of true faith and pure worship floweth from this either because something of Scripture is neglected or something that is not Scripture is introduced 5. It is adequately proportionable unto our faith The rule and the thing regulated must be fitted one to another Faith and the Word of God must runne parallel all that is written must be beleeved and all that is beleeved must be written and oh that the Church of God had in all ages kept to the Scripture as Ruth to Naomi where the one liveth the other would where the one dyeth the other will Non credo quia non lego I doe not beleeve it because I do not read it was a known speech in Antiquity Thou art to say Hitherto thou shalt goe O my Faith and no further hitherto thou shalt goe O my worship and no further Hoc primum credimus cum credimus quod nihil ultra credere debemus this we first beleeve when we doe beleeve that we ought to beleeve nothing beyond Scripture and this also is to be extended unto your practise and conversation As you are to take no other Religion then what the Scripture allowes so neither to live any other life then what the Word commands come therefore thou who livest a prophane and wretched life let us expostulate with thee thou art no Papist thou wilt not hold transubstantiation why because it cannot be proved true by Scripture And can thy profanenesse thy lusts thy oathes be proved lawfull by Scripture Doth not the same Scripture that bids thee beleeve thus bid thee also live thus Is not Gods Word against profanenesse as well as popery If this were attended to men would have holy lives as well as sound judgements 6. And lastly a rule must be first and before the thing to be regulated a rule is a measure and therfore must be first in its kind To question whether the Church should be before the Scripture is to question whether man be before God 'T is true Divines doe well observe that the Scripture may be considered either quoad formale externum in respect of the outward forme as it is a writing or quoad formale internum in respect of the inward sonne and sense of it as it is the Word of God Now in the latter sense Gods Word was alwayes before a Church because by the Word we are begotten againe and so made the Church Hence it is that Gods Word is more ancient then Churches and Fathers and this is the antiquity we should set up It is true the Church in regard of her Ministery and leading us to beleeve is before the Scripture but we never put forth a Divine holy Faith till the Spirit of God worke our assent to his Word because it is his Word so that to stay in the authority of the Church is to stay in Iohn Baptist that did beare witnesse of Christ and not goe to Christ himselfe Seeing therefore the Word of God is most ancient why should men presse us in faith or worship to go and see what was done 5. or 600. or a thousand yeares agoe and not rather goe to the Scripture which was before this But as the Owle and Thiefe cannot endure the light so neither can errour or superstition the Word of God Now take these Cautions First the Word of God is the onely rule In Popery they share with God in every thing to grace they joyne freewill to Christs merits their owne to God Angels and Saints to the Scriptures their traditions and Church authority and this is urged so precisely that if the Church doe determine an errour to be a truth yet they are bound to beleeve it yea that they doe mereri credendo merit by beleeving it even as it was among the Sadduces and Rabbins if their Elders said the right hand were the left or the left the right they must assent to it If we would be content with this that the Scripture were an halfe rule all would be well but as God is a perfect God so is his Word a perfect Word we must have no other Gods besides him so also no other Scripture or Word beside this Doe not then in matters of Religion make this thy Compasre to saile by What say others and what is the custome but What saith Gods Word Are not politique considerations a rule to many is not custome a rule to many Vae tibi flumen moris humani quis tibi resistet Woe to thee ô thoutorrent of custome who is able to resist thee cryeth Austin It is true if this be received here will appeare much nicety much singularity here must be loud cries for a Reformation which the world doth so much oppugne The world is not able to beare this exhortation Let the Word of God rule you let the Word of God reforme you 2. When we say its a rule it must be extended to that end for which it is a rule for as the Scripture is not a rule to Physicians or Mathematicians in their proper arts so neither doth it particularly tend to this or that individuall action for all essentials it is a rule and a generall rule for circumstantials Nor doth this detract from the perfection of the Scripture that it doth not command every circumstance because then a thing is imperfect when it wants some perfection that is due to it It is not an imperfection in the body that it s not every where because this is not requisite to the body so neither is it to be expected from the Scripture that all circumstantials must be by name commanded It s true the Church must take heed that under the name of circumstances she doth not bring in worship which hath beene alwayes the subtilty of Satan Thus Altar-worship and Image-worship were made but circumstances in mens bookes by distinctions but in their practise as much as Gods owne instituted worship Be sure to give enough to the Scripture Adoro plenitudinem Scripturae I adore the Scriptures