Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	dwell_v	ghost_n	holy_a	7,805	5	5.5260	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19412	Tvvo very Godly and comfortable letters, written ouer into England The one to a Godly and zealous Lady: wherin the Annabaptists errour is confuted and the sinne against the Holye Ghoste plainly declared. The other an answer to a Godly merchants letter: written for his comfort, being greeued with the heauye burden of sinne wherin is declared the true confession of sinne: Written by T.C.	Cottesford, Thomas.; Cartwright, Thomas, 1535-1603.	1589 (1589)	STC 5841.5; ESTC S116355	22,933	120

is no lesse thē cōmaunded of Christ to be doone he estéemeth it so necessarye to be doone y● he profereth it and will haue it doone before wée doo anye outwarde seruice sacrifice honour or woorship vnto him selfe For this he saith If thou offerest thy gifte at the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath oughte againste thee leaue there thine offering before the Altar and goe thy way first and reconcile thy selfe to thy brother and then come did offer thy gift L●● h●●re may we see that Christe so muche regardeth the attonement of them that are at variante y● mutuall redresse of charitye vnitye peace and concorde betweene them that hee will haue that doone before we shall ●●● allowed of him to doo any acceptable seruice or outward woorshippe vnto him And truelye I am muche afraide that the transgressing of this commaundement of Christe wil condemne almoste all the whole world because there is so muche breache of Charitye and so little regard of mutuall reconciliation and attonemēt Howe be it they that are of God regenerated by his holye spirite will be verye circumspect and take good héede that they giue no iuste occasion of anger vnto their neighbour But if they chance at any time as all men are fraile by their occasion to offend and greeue their euen Christian yet they wil seeke all meanes to their possible power and with al the spéed that they can to be reconciled again vnto them For who knowinge that he can by no meanes obtain Gods fauour vnlesse he be at one with his neighbour wil not in this poynte laye all worldlye shame apart and submitting his obedience vnto the commaundemente of Christe goe to his neighbour knowledg his fault vnto him and humbly desire the forgiuenes of his tr●space Trulye he that vnfeinedly feareth God and intendeth earnestly● to auoide his displeasure will not sticke to do● this godly woork but wil be glad to do it and much more Also I think it not vnprofitable for you if I inserte the Iudgemente of some of the Auncient Fathers touching the Confession of sinnes Chrysostome sayth I say not vnto thee that thou Chrysostō vpon the 12. to the Heb. the 31. Homely shouldest bewray thy selfe abroade openlye neither yet accuse thy selfe before other But I will that thou obaye the Prophet which saythe Shewe vnto the Lord thy waye that is thy maner of liuing therfore confesse thy sinnes before God Confesse thy sinnes before the true Iudge with praier for the wrong that thou hast d 〈…〉 e not with thy tongue but in the memorie of thy conscience And rhen at last beleeue that thou mayest get mercye if thou haue them continuallye in thy minde thou shalte neuer keepe anye euill in thine heart against thy neighbour And furthermore saith Chrisostome If thou be ashamed Chrisostō vpon the 56 Psalme to tell anye man thy sins tel them daylye to thy soule I say not to thee that thou shouldest confesse thee vnto thy fellowe seruaunt that hee might rebuke thee for them tell thy sins vnto God which healeth them and if thou doo not tell him them he knoweth them for hee was by when thou diddest them Chrisostom vpon the in comprehensible nature of God in the 5. Hom. Again he saith I desire and pray you most deare brethren to confesse you ofte vnto the immortall God and after that yee haue reckoned vp your sinnes aske forgiuenesse and that God will bee mercifull I doo not lead thee into the common Hause of thy fellowe seruants I compell thee not to open thy trespasses vnto men rehearse thy conscience before God declare and open thy selfe Shewe thy woundes vnto the moste excellent Phisition and aske of him a medicine Shew vnto him that will vpbraide thee of nothing but wil most gentlye heale thee It is the office of God onelye to quicken within and to take awaye sinne which faithe by the Prophet Cyrillu● vpon Iohn the 11. Chapter I am hee that putteth away your iniquities And the same Cyrill saith vpon Iohn in the ●0 Chap. and in the 12. Booke 56. Doubtlesse it beelongeth onelye vnto God to bee able to loose men from sinnes for to what other man is it lawefull to deliuer and quite the breakers of the Lawe from sinne but to him that is the Auctor of the Lawe And it followeth For when they forgiue and holde the spirit which dwelleth in them forgiueth holdeth thorough them It app●rtaineth onlye to God to forgiue sinnes Ambrose vpon the l●tter of the Corinth●ans 12. Chapter and to giue the Holye Ghoste if God haue the effecte and ende of our health man can haue no praise in this thing And the same Ambrose saith The woorde of God forgiueth sinnes the Preest is the Iudge And the same Ambrose sayth He alone forgiueth sinnes which alone dieth for our sinnes Austen in the b●oke of wholesome teachings ● Austen sayth All euill vices oughte to bee far awaye from vs whiles Christe will be our heritag● Therefore because that we be vncertaine of ●●che thinges let vs fall downe lowlye in the sight of our onlye Sauiour and let vs bring foorthe our sinnes roundlye at once that our heauenlye Father maye take them away and when wee haue confessed vs let vs not iustifie our selues in our Prayer least we goe away condemned as the Pharisee did Let vs remember the Publicane and let vs praye so that wee maye deserue to get forgiuenesse of our sinnes let the crying of our hart beat and ascende vnto the ●ares of almightye God For with a pure mind he will be pleased in the time of Prayer It is not now necessary Chrisostom in a sermon of Confession and repentance to confesse other beeing presente which mighte heare our Confession let the seeking oute of thy sinnes be in thy thought let this Iudgemente bee without the presence of any bodye let onlye God see thee making thy confession God which dooth not vpbraide thee for thy sinnes cast them in thy teethe but loseth them for thy Confession Goe and shew thee to a Preeste c. who is the Ambrose in the third Sermon vppon Beat● imaculat● true Preest but he that is a Preeste for euermore after the order of Melchisedech What haue I to doo Austen in the tenth booke of Confession in the third Chapter with mē that they should heare my Confessions as though they should heale all my diseases Heere is a curious and a busie kinde of 〈…〉 to knowe another mans life and a slowe sorte to amende there owne Wherfore seeke they to heare of me what man I am which will not heare of thee O Lorde what they be Christe could not haue Theophelactus vpon Luke in the first Chapter beene knowne any other waye but by forgiuing the people their sinnes for it is the office of God to forgiue sinnes Of a surety it belongeth to the vertue of Christe to deliuer men from the

returneth vnto him againe to obtaine his mercy but are becom plain Apostataes vtterlye forsaking y● christiā faith making but a mocke of Christe perseuering in their obstinate Apostasie vnbeléefe euen till their liues end as did Iudas the 1. Tim. 1. 2. Tim. 4. traitor Iulianus Apostata Simon Magus Porphirius Hymeneus and Alexander the Coppersmith Secondarily as touching the saying thretning of Christ saying He that de nieth me before men I shall Math. 10. deny him before my father It is to be considered that al the terrible thretnings that are in the holy scripture threatned against great sinners are threatned conditionally A good and general rule to be noted that is to saye if the sinners do not truely repent and return vnto God by Faith amendmente of life this plague and punishment or that shall light vpon them But if they at the Preaching reading or hearing of Gods holy woord doo repent return vnto God by faith godly life then that Plague threatned shall not once touch thē Example by the Niniuites vppon whome Ionas Gods Minister and preacher Ionas 3. or rather God by him pronounced this terrible iudgement saying There are yet Forty daies and then shall Niniuye bee ouerthrown But there as the Scripture sayth the people of Niniuy beleeued God and earnestly repented them of their greate sinnes and so was the sentence of GOD retracted and the Citye saued and not ouerthrowne So likewise this terrible sentence of Christe He that denyeth mee before men I shall deny him before my Father must néedes haue this condition ioyned A conditiō with it If he dooth not repent neither return again But Peter did bothe repent and returne againe vnto Christe For albeit his Faithe was weake and faynte as was the faith of all the Apostles yet it was not vtterlye extincte For Christe had saide vnto him before Symon I haue praied for Luke 22 thee that thy faith faile not And in any wise take héede and note this well Christe said not He that denyeth me I shal denye him though hee repente and return But remember wel that Christ said M 〈…〉 9. I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentaunce Peter therfore repented and returned vnto Christ again and so was receiued vnto grace and was saued Wherfore good Madam in this hard Texts of S. Paule vnto the Hebrewes way wel this condition if they full away For they only fall away which cōmit that moste horrible crime which is called in the holy Scripture The sinne vnto death blasphemy against the spirit and sinne against the holy ghost which neuer shall be forgiuen neither in this world neither in the world to come Question But héere it might be demaunded what that sinne againste the holye Ghost is and wherein it differeth from all other gréeuous sinnes Answer Wherunto I answere That ther is difference in sins it may cléerlye be gathered of Christes woordes saying I saye vnto you Math. 12. All sinne and blasphemye shall be forgiuen vnto men but the blasphemye againste the spirite shall not be forgiuen vnto men Loe héer is the matter plainelye opened by our Sauiour Christe what kinde of sinnes shall be forgiuen and what neuer forgiuen Blasphemye againste the spirite shall neuer bee forgiuen all other sinne and Blasphemye shall bee forgiuen And Christe in sayinge All sinne shall be forgiuen compriseth both originall sinne and also actuall sin Moreouer Christe speaketh héere of thrée sortes Three sorts of Sinnes Sinne. Blasphemy Blasphemye against the Spirite of sinnes The first he calleth Sinne the secōd Blasphemy and the third Blasphemye againste the Spirite Which the scripture also calleth The sin vnto death and the sinne against the holy ghost These thrée kinds of sinnes and the difference of euery of them I intend by Gods helpe seuerallye to declare vnto you so breefelye as I can and so for this time commit you vnto God and firste consider well what sinne is Sinne is euery wilfull disobedience Act or déed Sinne. that is doon contrary vnto the Lawe and Commaundementes of God without murmur grudg or euill speaking either against the Lawe commaundementes or God him selfe that is the maker and giuer of the law As is Idolatrye superstition periurye swearing vnaduisedlye breaking of the Holye Daye dishonouring father and Mother Murther malice hatred enuy wrath strife treason sedition slaunder Whoredome theft and such like All these and such other are called and are indéed sinne so long as the dooers of them doo neyther murmur repine grudge nor speake euill againste God or his holye Lawe neither allowe in their conscience the thing and euil that they doo but rather doo vtterlye disalow accuse and condemn in their owne conscience those their owne damnable actes as euill and detestable The seconde kinde of Sinne is Blasphemye marke it well and consider howe it differeth first from sinne and then from the sinne againste the holy ghost Blasphemy Blasphemye is more haynouse then is sinne alone for all blasphemye is sinne but all sinne is not blasphemye For trueth it is that blasphemye compriseth in it selfe bothe sinne and also a murmure grudge reuiling euill speaking slander and reproche of God and Godlynes but it is alwaye coupled with ignoraunce and vnbeleefe and proceedeth not of such obstmate malice as continueth to the ende of the life as doth the sinne against the holy Ghost In this sinne of Blasphemy S. Paule offended before his conuersion vnto the faith of Christ Iesu For thus he speaketh of him selfe Before I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and a Tyrant but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorauntlye in vnbeleefe Loe heere it is plain and euident that this blasphemye though it be a greate offence yet it is remissible and forgiueable and is not excluded from Grace and mercy because it procéedeth of Ignoraunce and not ●f knowledge nor of obstinate malice that dooth endure to the liues end Neither is it the sin vnto death and therfore we maye lawfullye praie for such blasphemers As S Iohn saith If any man 1. Iohn 5. see his Brother sin a sin that is not vnto death let him ask and he shall giue him life In this simple blasphemy for so we may cal it many of the Iewes offended taking Christe to be nothing lesse then the Sonne of Dauid or Messias because his parents were very poore and him selfe supposed to be but a poore Carpenters Sonne which bare but a simple port in the worlde Yea and some of them that crucified Christe were ouerwhelmed in this simple blasphemy And therfore Christe prayed for them saying Father forgiue Luke 23. them for they know not what they doo So Peter in his Sermon excused the crucifiers of Christe saying Now deare brethren I knowe that you haue doon it thorough ignoraunce c. Repent you therfore and returne Acts. 3. that your sinnes may be doon away So did S. Steuen also praye

for his persecutors whom before he called Stifnecked aduersaries Acts 7. of the holy ghost Traytours and murtherers of Christe Doubtlesse he would not haue praied for thē so ear nestly vnles their sinnes had bin forgiueable And therefore their sinne and offence was no more but simple blasphemy The thirde kinde of Sinne is Blasphemye against the Spirite They committe blasphemye againste the spirite or sinne againste Blasphemy against the Spirite the Holye Ghoste which willinglye vpon knoweledge and aduisedly contrarie to their owne conscience doo denye forsake impugne slaunder reuile and persecute the plaine open manifeste and knowne trueth stifly maliciouslye and obduratly perseuering and continuing without vnfained repentance in that their wilful blindnes and obstinat malice so lōg as they liue in this worlde As did Pharo Saul Herod Iudas the traitor Iulianus Apostata Porphirius Himeneus and Alexander the Coppersmith with other But mark this diligētlye that we can not as farre I can perceiue certainly iudge of these Blasphemers againste the spirite before the time of theire departure out of this present life because we cannot certainelye knewe whether at the ende of their life they can repent and by faith returne and take hold of the mercy of God or not We maye coniecture Coniecturare vncertaine but wee cannot as I suppose certainlye define of them Let vs consider that the théefe that hung on the righte hande of Luke 23. Christe euen at the last houre repēted him with a strong and Faithefull prayer committed him selfe wholy vnto the mercy of Christ and was saued In consideratiō whereof let vs thinke it to be our bounden duetye as the Prophets Christ and his Apostles did to reuoke and calback againe open sinners and blasphemers to earnest repentance for their owne sinfulnes and to haue a sure truste in the mercy of God and in the merite of Christes passion and death thogh they bee euen at the departure out of this present life For it is neuer too late so long as life lasteth Let vs therefore with all feruentnesse call vppon them and exhorte them in any wise with a good courage and a sure and vndoubtfull Fayth aske call and crye for gods mercy for his sweet sonne our sauiour Iesus Christes sake and vndoubtedly they shal haue it For sith the beginning of the Worlde hitherto was there neuer one that in faith asked mercy hartelye but hee had it thorow the gracious goodnesse of our aforesayde merciful Sauiour Iesus Christ vnto whom with the Father and the holye Ghost be all Lawde and Praise worlde without end Amen An aunswer vnto a godly Merchants letter wherin is plainlye opened the true way of confessing our sinnes THE grace and peace of GOD bee giuen vnto you thorough Iesus Christe c. Whereas in your last Letters to mee moste Trustye and assured Freende you instantlye desired me to write vnto you what I haue read and learned in holye Scripture touching The Confession of Sinnes Truelye Sir this your reasonable request I woulde if I were able right gladly satisfie But as you know I am farre vnable to pen this matter according to the woorthinesse therof Neuerthelesse when I consider with my selfe how muche I am bounden to you for your louing kindenesse dayly shewed to my poore kinsefolke and freendes in England I can-not but thinke it to bee my bounden duetye somewhat to gratifye you againe And albeit that ignoraunce rudenesse of stile and lacke of learning plucketh mee backe from the handling of this matter yet the consideratione of youre greate discretion and gentlenesse pricketh me forwarde to attempte what I can doo therein Certes I nothing doubte but that you will gentlye accept my simple rudenesse good will and endeuour in this behalfe no lesse then if the matter were Gloryouslye garnished with Eloquence and set foorthe with the moste profitable perswasions of the freshest Philosopher or Rethoritian in bothe Vniuersities in England I truste you will credite and imbrace the truethe though it bee neuer so basely and homelye written or declared vnto you For the trueth shall abide and flourish when al prophane painted perswasions and fond pharisaic all phantasies shall vanish awaye and be scattered abroad as drye dust before a whirle wind Wherfore to keepe you no longer from this matter I shall by Gods grace so breefelye as I can declare vnto you what I haue learned read in holye scripture concerning this article of confession of sinnes And that is this that followeth Of Confession of Sinnes THE holie scripture doothe diuerslye in sūdry places set forth treat of the Confession of sinnes In some places it maketh mencion of a general and A generall Confession sollemn Confession openly made of all the People being assembled and gathered togeather at the appointment calling and exhortation of their high Magistrate Byshoppe Curate or publique Minister of Gods Woorde The cause thereof was commonlye some greate plague vengeance or punishment wherwith God scourged them for theire sinfull hainous and abhominable offences committed and doon by them and their forefathers example thereof we haue in the second booke of Esdras where it is thus written In the foure and twenty ●eem 9. day of this moneth came the Children of Israell together with fasting and sackclothes and earth vpon them and seperated the seede of Israell from all the straunge Children and stoode and knowledged their sinnes and wickednesses of their fathers stoode vp in their place and read in the booke of the Law of the Lord their God foure times on the daye c. And after a solemne rehearsall of the iudgementes and greate mercifulnesse of God declared in holye scripture they conclude thus saying Thou O God art righteous in al that thou haste brought vpon vs for thou haste doone right As for vs wee haue beene vngodlye and our Kinges Princes Preestes and Fathers haue not doon after thy Law nor regarded thy commaundements thine earnest exhortations wherwith thou hast exhorted them haue not serued thee in thy Kingdome in thy greate goods that thou gauest them c. and are not conuerted from their wicked works Beholde therefore are wee in bondage this day Yea euen in the lande which thou gauest vnto our Fathers to enioye the Fruites and goodes therof beholde there are we bondmen c. Loe Héere is a solemne open Confession Would God that this example of publique Confession of sinnes were well practised through out all Christendome namely at this day séeing y● the plagues of God doo daily increase more and more vpon vs our sinful liues abhominations iustlye deseruing the same and much more There are also thrée Three more sort of confeson of sins more sortes of Confession of sinnes declared in the holy Scriptures The first is secret confession of sinne only vnto God The second is an open confession before men The third is a priuate and secret confessiō made vnto man Confessio● vnto God only As touching y● firste it