Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	eternal_a	life_n	soul_n	7,461	5	5.0564	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05034	The minde and iudgement of maister Frau[n]ces Lambert of Auenna of the wyll of man declarynge and prouynge howe and after what sorte it is captyue and bonde, and not free: taken out of hys commentaries vpon Osee the Prophete, wherin vpo[n] the. iiii. chapter of the sayd prophet, he most godly, plainlye and learnedly, entreateth and writeth of the same, as hereafter euide[n]tly shal appere. Newelye tra[n]slated into Englishe by N.L. Anno Do. M.D.xlviii. the xviii. day of Dece[m]bre.	Lambert, Franz, 1486-1530.; Lesse, Nicholas.	1548 (1548)	STC 15178; ESTC S108240	76,171	160

shall preserue vs. For to kepe them without his spirit is no keping of them ▪ but playne hypochrisie and dissimulation The Lorde hath set before vs both fyre and water lyfe and death good and euyll that is asmuche to saye as he hath set before vs the kepynge of his diuine wyll and pleasure and also the transgression offendynge of the same wyll He hath set before vs eternall health and euerlastynge perdicion To whether of these we wil le● vs reache furthe our handes Yf so be that we do chuse to apprehend the transgression of the lawe being bounde in the wynges of the spirite of fornicatiō falsheade we shall haue death and perdition of our soules withoute remedye If we do applie oure selues to the wyll and commaundementes of the Lorde by the cōfort drawyng of the holye spirite of God health lyfe euerlasting shal folow By the spirite of the Lorde we do apprehende seke after the lyfe prepared for the faithfull By the spirit of our flesh and of falshed we loke after no goodnes but al wickednes traūsgression of the cōmaundemētes If we haue the spirite of the Lorde wee shall not faile of lyfe most happi and blessed If we be led by the spirite of fornication of the fleshe what remayneth but death vtter destruction There is no man which can mislike this exposition except it be those whyche are led wyth a peruerse spirite which holde opinion that the wyll of man of it selfe can wyl that thyng whych is good and also of his owne power kepe the cōmaūdemētes Hereby you mai perceiue that nether this text of the scripture nor any such like doth make any thyng at al for this forged fained libertie of oure fre wil. Obiection Against this do they argue reason saying If man had no knowledge nor iudgmēt of him self to know good and euyl to iudge also what is the wyll of the Lorde It oughte not to be imputed to hys faulte if he did chuse and take that way whyche is euil Obiection An other reason If so be mans wil be not fre at libertie wherefore should he be blamed for sin for as muche as sin is to him no sin if it be done by coaction not voluntarie of hys owne wyl Solution of the fyrste ob ∣ iection To the fyrste reason we saye that if their obiection be true thē must it folowe of necessitie that all the reprobate persons are punished wrongfully whych dyd neuer know perfectlye the wyl of the Lorde for as much as they are blynde for the whyche cause the Lorde prayinge his father for them whyche dyd crucifie hym sayed Forgeue thē father for thei do not know what they do And trulye they dyd not know For euery euil persō is ignoraūt blind And therfore it was spokē of them whiche did murmure speake againste the lawe of God in Deuteron .xxxii. I woulde to God they were wise had vnderstandyng Deut. xxxii as though he would haue said they haue nether wit nor knowledge Wher fore to our owne destructiō are we so busye serchers of the heauēlye maiesties hidden secrets syth that we know that he is in al thinges iust true our selues wretched blind ful of lies He doth iustly reiect cast from him the reprobate blind whō he hath suffered to be blind and indurate that in no wise they can cōfirme thē selues be agreable to the cōmaundemēt wyl of the Lorde The profounde and hyghe depenes of hys iudgement what manne can vnderstande I wyll holde my lyppes therefore togyther kepe scilence worshyppynge the inscrutable iudgementes and decrees of the Lorde Solution of the second obiection To theyr second reason I saye that sinne is voluntarie in the wicked whyche syn cometh not of a free wyll but frome that will whyche is bounde and captiue by the spirite of fornication whych is the sence and vnderstandynge of the fleshe For the wyll of the fleshlye that is to saye of theym whyche do lacke the spirite of the Lord is nothyng lesse then free and at libertie bycause it is not vnder the lawe of God nor neuer canne be as to the Rom. viii Chapter Rom. viii It doth not folow therefore after theyr reason that sinne should not be imputed to the reprobate and wicked which syn is imputed to thē that most iustly To the faithful to thē which do beleue Rom. iiii Psalm xxxi The author doth lamente the fall of certayne men which are gon from syn that is to say cōcupiscēse is not imputed for theyr faith sake as Paule teacheth to the Romains the .iiii. Chap. and the Psal in the .xxxi. Psal beareth also wytnes But Alas there be certaine howe they haue bene deceued the Lord knoweth which sometime as al the worlde almost can testifye abhorrynge and detesting the fowle and stinkynge synagoge of Antichriste wyth all the abhominable rites and craftes and lyes therof wyth all theyr vaine curiouse phātasticall maner of speakynge are nowe turned to theyr madnes forsakeynge the veritie of the Lorde Christe to Antichrist in preachynge and teachinge of men those thynges whyche by the power of the worde of God hath hytherto bene reiected and forsaken bicause they myght therby stablishe and confirme theyr opinion which is that the wil of man is fre and at libertie The which men peraduenture in theyr selues shal fynde true by experience Yea they do fynde it alreadye what a pore and small libertie that is whych is in the wyll of man or rather howe certayne a bondage and seruitude it is for as much as by no studye no crafte no knoweledge they are able to vanquish or to ouercome theyr own propre affectiōs Yt had bene better for thē more profitable for al men yf they had not so vndiscret lie and vnwysely as they did confirme their blynd libertie brought and leyd forth before men the folyshe phantasies dreames particions and distinctions of Duns It can not be spoken how much hurt these brablyng questionaries do of Thomas of Aquine of Capireold wyth suche other brabling and scoldyng sophisters in whom a man can fynd no substance nor pyth of substanciall matter but a fewe folyshe and idle termes and wordes as these be which do folowe It semeth to be so it maie be so it may be saied c. Which wordes to the godly and faithful sorte are nothing els but the strong deadlye and deceauable poyson of the deuil spokē and writtē without good foundation It a uidetur fieri potest dici potest without substance strength of godlie confirmatiō which do knowe that to cleaue and stycke only to the eternall word and testimonie of the veritie of God is the only shote anchor of oure healthe ❧ The secōd text of the scripture wrōgfully taken and alleged THey do alledge forthe of the fyrste boke of Moyses called the Genesis in the iiii Cha. these wordes

made the sonnes of god For as sone as a manne beleueth straight waye he is made the sonne of God so that whē they do beleue they do receyue the said power to be therbi without delaie made etc. Then is the spirite of fornication and all vncleannes crucified in theym and bounde that he shall not playe the tyrante anye more nor presume to rule in the herte of manne where the spirite of God oughte to be ruler and gouernour The fayethfull manne is deliuered from the wycked and deceyuable spirite and the sens of the fleshe wherto he was before subiecte and bonde and nowe is gone to serue and folowe the commaundemente of the spirite of God whyche hath bounde man with the swete and pleasaunte bondes of charitie Thys text therfore of Iohn doth make full littel for theyr purpose to confyrme and stablyshe that thing whyche they do go aboute ❧ The .x profe THe Lorde demaunded thys questian of hys Apostles sayinge Wyll ye also depart and go from me By the which wordes they do reason that it had bene a uery foleish demaund of Christe if they were not at libertie and at choise whether they woulde go frome hym or byde and styke by hym styll I answere that God had bound thē with hys spirite and therefore they coulde not go from hym but rather sayed Lorde to whom shoulde we go Thou haste the wordes of eternall lyfe There were other whyche beynge also bounde with the euyll spirite that wroughte in theym sayed These are verye hard wordes what man can heare him So at the laste they dyd forsake hym I doubte not but that Christ did demaūd this questian of them whether they would depart c. Principally bycause that after it was suffitiently perceiued what the wycked spirite had wrought in the vnfaithful that men I saye myghte perceyue and se what the spirite of God had wroughte in the fayethfull that it shoulde be putte in writyng to the instruction and learnynge of other men in tyme to come Thys texte maketh little or nothinge for theyr libertie by the whyche texte it is made open how these .ii. spirites do alwaies worcke cōtrary thynges one to the other in the fayethfull and in the vnfayethfull ❧ The .xi. texte HE shall render and geue to euerye man after hys worcke Psalm lxi Whereby they wyl cōfyrme stablishe not onelye the fredome of mans wyll but also the iustice of workes which is light to be answered Eyther our worckes be of oure owne naughtye and deceyuable spirite and then they are wycked and dānable worckes or els they be of the spirite of God and not of oure fleshlye and carnal spirite wher fore they are good worckes beinge vnpossible to be any otherwyse You se that by this texte they do proue nothynge lesse then that which they do purpose pretēd The whych wordes do declare nothing els then that the Lorde doeth geue euerlastynge lyfe to them whyche haue the worckes of fayeth and of the spirit of God and those whych haue the worckes of fleshe he rewardeth with euerlastynge paines and punishment ❧ The .xii. profe IT is wrytten the .i. Epistle and syxt cha to Timothe Fayght a good fayght Laboure as a good souldiour of Iesu christ the seconde Epistle to Timothe .ii. Cha. To hym that ouercommeth I wyll geue c. Reuelation of Iohn the seconde thyrd Chapt. We saye that thys fayght againste wyckednes and thys laboure in the war of the Lorde and thys Victorye canne not be but by the spirite of God Ergo not by our owne wyll and industrye Then canne not thys libertie be proued and stablished by thys texte of the scripture ¶ The threttenth text IN the seconde Epistle and fyrste Chap. of Peter Bryngynge al diligence se that you do minister in your fayth vertue c. Wherfore brethrē rather endeuour your selues to make stronge and affirme youre vocation and election If you do thys you shall neuer fal By thys place they do proue that Peter would our industrie and diligēce should worcke with the spirit If they do vnderstād by this industrie diligēce that diligence whyche the spirite of God worcketh in vs then they do make a good exposition For of hys greate goodnes he calleth those dedes our dedes whyche he worketh in vs. The which spirite of him doeth worcke and draw our wil making it obediēt agreable to the cōmaundemētes of the Lord. The wil of vs beynge so drawē cānot chuse but run straight way after the Lorde not of it selfe that is to say of mans wil but by the wil of God If they do hold opiniō that this place is to be vnderstand of our propre industrye or natural inclanation motiō as though a mā of him selfe might worke any thing at al or be coadiutor with god it is boeth a wicked also a pernitiouse opiniō For of hym selfe mā is altogither flesh therfore he can not rise vp to those thinges which are of the spirite of god wherefore these textes whiche are rehearsed for frewyl in this place muste be thus takē vnderstād You brethen beynge adourned and decked with the spirite of God by God made partakers of hys veritye in that fayeth whyche you receyued of the Lorde minister wyth al diligence and vertue c. And endeuoure to make your vocation and election stable and fyrme that is to saye do all that you maye to declare wyth good worckes that youre vocation election is substanciall stronge ¶ The .xiiii. texte OVt of the thyrtye Chapter of the fyfte boke of Moyses they do obiecte Wher as the Lorde had laied before Israell good bad life and death It was sayd Electe and chuse to you lyfe cete Whyche wordes they do thynke verye slender and of small effecte if mannes wyl were not fre We haue oft tymes saied that the lawe doth require of vs thinges vnpossible to be done for oure owne strengthe whyche the spirite of God doeth make possible For Christe is the fulfillynge and perfectnes of the lawe Therefore lyke as it is vnpossible to obserue and kepe the commaūdementes wythoute the spirite of God so is it impossible for vs to chuse life with out the spirit of god For we can not chuse life except the spirit of perfecte libertie were in vs that is to saye of Christe and where as often tymes wee do offende and cleane to the euyll oure election whereby we be elected of God is not the cause thereof but the workynge of our captyue and bond nature ❧ To diuers obiections whyche are obiected and layed for the defence of free wil we haue answered somthing briefly but so that hereby anye man maye dissolue and put a syde all maner of obiectiōs whiche for this matter the defēders of frewyll can deuise Therefore with fewe wordes we wil cōclud al the whole matter so procede further ¶ The fyrste conclution OVr opinion and certayne beliefe is that the wyll of man is

the Lorde hauyng neither begynnynge nor endynge We wyl not haue before our eyes these later dayes 〈…〉 but the olde and auncient tyme although they do cal vs in despite the preachers and teachers of the newe Gospel as who shoulde saye that thys Gospel whiche we do preach were not the eternal Gospel whiche the holy Prophetes and Apostles dyd teache from the beginnyng The Gospel 〈…〉 But where as they do laye and cal it the newe Gospel and new learning they do not therin speake otherwise then the trueth For the Gospell whiche is of it selfe euerlasting and eternal to the olde bottels of their carnal and fleshly vnderstādyng it is newe boylyng wyue and swete muste Wherfore they are not able to conteyne and keepe it styl within thē excepte they be renewed wyth the spirite of Christe What thyng do we teache contrary to the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles We maye not folowe the errours whiche were more then .xiij. hundreth yeres paste But we must embrase those thynges which were taught by the Apostles in their tyme or there aboute of necessitie if we do wel if we wyl not erre be deceyued For it is a thynge very certeyne that they declared moste purely and syncerely the veritie and trueth of Goddes worde whiche they dyd leaue to vs in wrytyng hauing the spirite of God to their enterpreter gyuyng to them the ryght and perfecte meanyng But nowe as touchynge the spirite of God A most wycked doubte some men do doubte whether the gift of the spirite holy goste that is to say the gift of prophesy of exposiding the scripturs of healinge diseases and sicknes of the tonges is not now amōg mē as it was in that tyme of the Apostles Wherunto I answer that the gyfte of healinge of maladies doth not cease as I my selfe haue sene and do knowe of a suertie by experience But when fayth doeth fayle then that doth no lōger abyde And as touchyng the gifte of tonges it doeth remayne amonge vs styl The gyfte of tonges For the knowledge of the diuersitie of tōges which many men haue is the gyfte of the spirite of God It is not so openly perceyued sene as these nowe a dayes externe outwarde monstrous miracles for thys cause that the power of the worde of God maye be knowen by the whiche worde onely the high toppes of Antichriste his kyngdome shal be ouerthrowen and caste downe as I haue wryten in the boke entituled the causes of our great blyndnes God forbyd that we shoulde say that the spirite of God of prophesy is extinguised For what man can denie but the worde of God muste be preached And to preache is nothynge els then to prophesy To preach is to prophesie as Paule witnesseth the firste Epistle to the Corhin and .xiiij. Chap. Furthermore no man can preache wel wythout the spirite of the holy goste Who preacheth well for the deepe secretes of God nothynge but the spirite of God doeth or can search For lykewyse as no man knoweth what is in mā A goodly symilitude but the spirite of man which is in hym euen so the profounde misteries of God no man doeth knowe but the spirite of God as Paule i. Corhin ij Chapter Also If there be any of those giftes now in these dayes they woulde knowe In whom are the giftes of the holy gost on whō those giftes of the spirite are bestowed who hath them Whiche they with al their resoning can not fynde out nor once perceyue their vnderstandynge is so carnal sleshly But the trueth is that the gyfte of the spirite hath remained alway in the elected people al that longe tyme of blyndnes and of errour as well as the gyfte of fayeth although in many thynges the elected people were deceyued The lord hath had his elects and faythfull in the tyme of most blyndenes By the whiche spirite and puernes of fayeth they obteyned saluation as in the boke inscribed the causes of blindnes I haue declared sufficiently They dyd not al perishe whiche lyued in those erronious tymes they were not all caste awaye But likewise as in the tyme of Helias whē the saied Helias thought that there were no mo persons but hym selfe whiche worshipped the lyuing Lorde It was answered and sayd vnto hym as in the thyrde boke of the Kynges .xix. Chap. I haue lefte and kepte for my selfe seuen thousande men whiche neuer haue done so muche as to bende their knees no not before Baall So it was in those tymes whiche they speake of For what so euer the errours blyndnes was those whiche were reserued that is to saye the elected were saued as I haue sayed by the spirite and puernes of faith in the Lorde Who semeth to haue the spirite of god in their expositions But to our purpose where as diuerse persons do make sundry and diuerse expositions on the scriptures it is easy to perceyue whiche of those expositors haue in them the holy spirite The word of God is the witnes of the wyl of God None other veritie but he or they whiche do fetche their testimonies and authoritie out of the word of God For that worde is the certeyne testimonie and wytnes bearer The scriptures do opē them selues of the wyl of God Therefore the worde of God is called a testimony or wytnes Psalme Cxviij Besyde that one place of the scripture is declared by an other the darcker by that whyche seemeth more playne open To be shorte the more nighe the declaration or exposition cōmeth to the textes of the scripture the more pure and perfect it muste be of very necessitie Many of them whiche do teache shewe I wyl not saye the maners and facions of gentils the authorities of men the allegations of decrees thys ordre or that ordre thys holynes or that holynes thys or that miracle they do require that men shoulde beleue them in all their sayinges But oure preaching is after an other maner For we in the steede of mannes authoritie and so furth do declare the moste purest and vnchaungable worde of God whiche beareth true wytnes of his wyl towarde vs wisshynge and desirynge hertely that all those whiche do beare the name of Christ callyng them selues Christians A Christian lyfe is required to the settyng furth of of the Gospel professynge his moste holy worde that they woulde haue a lyfe confourme to that spirite It doeth greue and payne me I say to see many howe they do lyue by whose noughtines of lyfe the Euangel of the kyngdome of God is litle regarded or rather sclaundered Iustifyed by fayth onely For we do knowe although by fayth we are onely iustified yet the vnseparable fruites of fayth are the workes whiche are done by fayth Workes As for the promotions and degrees of scholes whereon they do brag wyth the authorities of men as of mē they be to be abhorred and detested

captiue and bonde and that of it selfe it can do thynge that is good or pertaynynge to eternall felicitie The choyse and electiō to do thys or that is the worcke and dede of the wyl and of the vnderstandynge That the wyll of man is captiue it commeth by the spirite of fornication that is of the naturall sens and knowledge of synne or concupiscence for as muche as the deceytful spirite doeth reynge in the hert And then the wyll can not be obediente to the worde of the Lord but in hypocrisie lies after a deceiuable maner fayre without and foule wythin For the wordes of the veritie can not be pleasaunte to it wherefore it is alwaie contrary and repugnaunte to them By the commynge of the spirite of the Lorde and by fayeth manne is deliuered and made fre from the spirite of fornication frō the whiche euyll spirite by no mans craft or wysdome he can be losed and set at libertie Then the spirite of God reygneth in the herte of the fayethfull bringynge the spirite of fornication euery daye in subiection more and more makynge it bond and captiue and crucifiynge it Then doeth the spirite of God worcke in man hys knoweledge and vnderstandynge causyng hym to know God and hys veritie of hym selfe vnable to either of them It worketh also the wyll of man whyche is bonde of it selfe makynge it to wyll the thynge whyche God wylleth and to be content wyth hys swete wordes Then man doeth wyl that thyng whiche God wylleth not of hys owne vertue but by the vertue and power of God him selfe And is set at libertie and made fre frome all traditions and inuentions of men to captyue and make hym selfe bonde altogyther to the obedience and seruice of God and his veritye And so he is made fre from the captiuitie and bondage of perdition and doth go into the bondage and libertie of the chyldrene of God Then he serueth the Lord most frely and fayethfully he runnneth forwarde the spirite of God workynge that same Alacritie and redines in hym All the preceptes threatenynges promises rebukynges and praysinges of the saintes and the cursses of the wycked do declare howe much God doeth loue the holye spirite and howe he doeth rule the spirite of fornication The wyll of the beleuer doeth worcke wyth the spirite worckynge in hym not of hys owne strengthe and vertue but by the strength and vertue of the spirite God doeth harden he doeth waken and styrre vp he doeth also excecate and make blynde and whom so euer he hath thus determined and iudged for to be that same mā must nedes go forth of the waie of God Yet do I not therfore conclude that God is vniuste nor that he worketh any iniquitie In thys matter mans sens and iudgmēte is dimme and manye there be whyche do searche these thynges not wythoute greate peryll of fallynge into heresie Whither thou wilt make ought or nought of free wyll yet this questian of the mercye and iustice of God is insoluble for it is so profound and depe that it can not be thorowlie persed and attayned vnto God hath no nede of our leasynges or lies that a manne shoulde thynke it to be lawefull for hym to deuise and inuent a frewyll agaynste the manifeste and opē textes of the scriptures thynkynge thereby to come the soner to the perfecte knoweledge of the questian concernynge the iustice and ryghtuousenesse of God whych he shal neuer come to so longe as he lyueth Those whiche mayntayne free wyll do speake directly contrarye to the marrke and ende of the lawe affirmynge that a man can so guide hym selfe that he canne of hym selfe kepe the lawe or that he can any thynge begyn of hym selfe towarde it when he can do nothynge lesse The schope and principall parte of the spirite bicause the whole lawe is spirituall and therfore may none otherwyse be kepte then by the onely spirite God Those same frewill makers do attribute and geue to fleshe and bloude that thynge whych is propre onely to the spirite of God that is to saye to wyll any goodnes whiche fleshe and bloude can do nothinge but stray from God in fornication whordome But these men whyche are instructed taught by the testimonies of God do saye that the wyll of man is captiue and bonde and that of it selfe it canne do nothynge lesse then kepe the lawe of God wherein they do saye truely bycause they speake not againste the marke and chefe parte of the lawe which is the spirit These men doe gyue to man in dede that thynge which is his properlie that he is the bondeman of synne that is to saye of concupiscence except he be made fre of god They do geue vnto the holye Goste that whyche is due to the holye Gooste that is to say boeth to thynke to wyll perfourme that thynge whyche is good and so they do geue to God not vnto man all vertu power and glorye The founders of free wyll are the founders of merites and of the iustice of worckes as they call it Those men whyche do stablishe mannes merites and the iustice of worckes do deny and treade vnder the fote the iustice and merites of Christe Christ only not our filthy iustice own rightuousnes hath merited to vs the fauour and grace of God and eternall iustice The confirmation of our captiuitie and bond wyll is the confirmatiō of the merites of Christ and of the iustice of God by him beynge the contempt of the vnworthy rightuousenes of our worckes I do not deny that a mā shoulde do good workes bicause it is neadful that a faythfull man should be alway wel doyng and neuer to be idle that he maye declare and testifie hys fayeth by his worckes For a true faith is neuer idle but spreadeth abrode in good worckes whyche are the testimonies wytnes of our fayeth But I saye that a faythful man doth not truste nor geue confidence to hys worckes therfore not to him self nor to hys own wil. The patrons and defenders of frewil cā not receiue and take the worde of God simply ryghtlye and in hys kynde for the free wyll of manne and the worde of God are contrarye He that defendeth the contrarye muste neades vnderstande the scriptures as they ought to be For in thys defēct he swarueth not from the worde of God No manne can saye in the spirite of God that the wyll of man is fre No manne can wyth a pure herte thynke that the wyll of man is bonde but in the holy spirite whyche speaketh in hym and worketh a Godlie loue and desyre of the knowledge of the veritie of Gods worde rather then curiouse reasoninge For he whych is of that opinion that the wyll of man is fre doeth so much minishe plucke frō the mercy and merites of Christ as he doeth permit and geue to the strength of mans wyl whych is cōtrary to the holye spirite He that is of the contrarye opinion doeth geue nothynge to the strengthe and wyll of man but altogyther to the mercye of God and gratiouse fauoure of Christe whych fauour and mercye thorowe Christe in whom they do beleue the fayethfull do obtayne And in so doynge they do confesse the Lorde Iesu Christe as they oughte to do geuynge to hym onely the prayse of our iustification and redemption whiche thynge they can not do but in the holye Goste The summe and finall conclution of this matter is that the defence of fre wyll is the begynnynge the role and fundation of peruers sectes of men of all impietie and wyckednes of all hypocrisie and counterfayted holines of al abhomination the very stablishinge of Antechrist hys sinagoge The contrarye opinion is the well and fountayne of all vertue of iustice and ryghtuousnes of grace and fauoure thorow Christ onelie and the kepe of knowledge of all Godlye and holsome doctrin Wherin the Lorde continue vs to his onely glory praise for euer Finis Nicolas Lesse ❧ ❧ ❧ ❧ Imprinted at London by Iohn Day and William Seres dwellynge in Sepulchres perish at the signe of the Resurrection a litle aboue Holbourne conduite ❧ ❧ ☞ ❧ Cum gratia priuelegio ad imprimendum solum