Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
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A32107
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A letter to a non-conformist minister of the kirk shewing the nullity of the Presbyterian mission or authority to preach the Gospel.
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Calder, Robert, 1658-1723.
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1677
(1677)
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Wing C277; ESTC R2364
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10,942
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118
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a_o letter_n to_o a_o nonconformist_a minister_n of_o the_o kirk_n show_v the_o nullity_n of_o the_o presbyterian_a mission_n or_o authority_n to_o preach_v the_o gospel_n london_n print_v for_o b._n tooke_n at_o the_o ship_n in_o st._n paul_n churchyard_n 1677._o to_o the_o reader_n reader_n it_o be_v not_o now_o the_o order_n or_o character_n of_o our_o clergy_n nor_o their_o power_n of_o bind_v and_o absolve_v sinner_n which_o the_o people_z have_v any_o great_a regard_n for_o but_o only_o our_o lung_n and_o faculty_n of_o preach_v hence_o it_o come_v to_o pass_v that_o by_o this_o curiosity_n after_o preach_v the_o people_n be_v betray_v to_o the_o cozenage_n of_o every_o new_a light_n and_o impostor_n in_o religion_n who_o be_v common_o a_o zealous_a and_o eloquent_a preacher_n and_o so_o profound_a a_o dissembler_n that_o we_o be_v not_o otherwise_o able_a to_o detect_v he_o but_o by_o inquire_v into_o his_o mission_n a_o letter_n to_o a_o nonconformist_a minister_n of_o the_o kirk_n show_v the_o nullity_n of_o the_o presbyterian_a mission_n and_o authority_n to_o preach_v the_o gospel_n sir_n i_o shall_v be_v very_o much_o oblige_v to_o receive_v a_o satisfaction_n from_o you_o which_o i_o can_v never_o give_v myself_o concern_v the_o validity_n of_o your_o presbyterian_a mission_n i_o conceive_v it_o to_o be_v the_o most_o material_a thing_n in_o difference_n between_o we_o and_o that_o it_o ought_v to_o be_v consider_v in_o the_o first_o place_n there_o be_v no_o imposture_n like_o that_o of_o assume_v to_o be_v preacher_n of_o the_o gospel_n without_o lawful_a authority_n i_o shall_v here_o trouble_v you_o with_o the_o reason_n of_o my_o dissatisfaction_n in_o this_o matter_n first_o then_o i_o must_v crave_v your_o pardon_n to_o look_v backward_o as_o far_o as_o your_o first_o reform_v ancestor_n from_o who_o presbytery_n do_v more_o immediate_o derive_v itself_o mr._n calvin_n in_o geneva_n mr._n knox_n in_o scotland_n etc._n etc._n and_o then_o permit_v i_o to_o ask_v a_o certain_a question_n which_o hitherto_o none_o of_o you_o will_v do_v we_o the_o kindness_n to_o resolve_v who_o send_v they_o to_o reform_v the_o church_n or_o as_o you_o phrase_v it_o to_o preach_v the_o gospel_n and_o how_o shall_v they_o preach_v except_o they_o be_v send_v rom._n 10._o 15._o which_o word_v of_o st._n paul_n seem_v to_o be_v a_o question_n but_o be_v indeed_o a_o full_a and_o peremptory_a affirmation_n that_o no_o ability_n of_o popular_a eloquence_n can_v qualify_v any_o person_n for_o preacher_n of_o the_o gospel_n without_o external_a and_o lawful_a mission_n this_o than_o i_o shall_v lay_v down_o as_o a_o foundation_n to_o what_o i_o have_v to_o say_v that_o lawful_a mission_n be_v essential_a to_o a_o preacher_n of_o the_o gospel_n and_o if_o so_o i_o shall_v endeavour_v to_o make_v evident_a that_o all_o your_o predecessor_n of_o the_o kirk_n how_o able_a soever_o as_o to_o other_o qualification_n want_v this_o essential_a and_o consequent_o yourself_o who_o derive_v a_o succession_n from_o they_o grant_v i_o sir_n a_o little_a of_o your_o patience_n and_o consider_v there_o be_v only_o these_o five_o imaginable_a authority_n from_o whence_o they_o can_v pretend_v to_o have_v receive_v it_o 1._o the_o spirit_n of_o god_n 2_o themselves_o or_o their_o own_o internal_a spirit_n 3_o or_o the_o people_n 4_o christ_n and_o his_o apostle_n 5_o or_o the_o church_n of_o rome_n other_o authority_n or_o mission_n as_o namely_o that_o of_o the_o greek_a church_n you_o will_v not_o pretend_v to_o first_o from_o the_o spirit_n of_o god_n this_o you_o know_v to_o be_v the_o matter_n in_o question_n and_o the_o eternal_a controversy_n and_o the_o allegation_n of_o all_o fanatic_n it_o will_v be_v therefore_o a_o reasonable_a demand_n by_o what_o evidence_n do_v it_o appear_v to_o the_o world_n and_o how_o shall_v the_o contemner_n of_o your_o gospel_n be_v leave_v unexcusable_a but_o by_o evidence_n of_o their_o authority_n who_o be_v send_v to_o reveal_v it_o in_o the_o affair_n of_o this_o world_n ambassador_n you_o know_v must_v not_o want_v their_o credential_n how_o much_o less_o the_o ambassador_n of_o religion_n doubtless_o that_o of_o your_o ancestor_n must_v needs_o have_v be_v a_o embassy_n extraordinary_a be_v to_o reform_v the_o world_n overrun_v in_o their_o sense_n with_o idolatry_n and_o superstition_n to_o this_o you_o answer_v that_o the_o powerful_a gift_n and_o sanctity_n of_o those_o person_n be_v sufficient_a evidence_n of_o their_o be_v inspire_a by_o the_o spirit_n of_o god_n and_o that_o the_o conversion_n of_o many_o thousand_o from_o superstition_n to_o godliness_n be_v a_o undoubted_a seal_n to_o their_o ministry_n this_o be_v the_o answer_n of_o all_o dissenter_n and_o party_n of_o what_o name_n soever_o anabaptist_n behemist_n etc._n etc._n that_o they_o easy_o convert_v many_o thousand_o no_o body_n deny_v but_o whether_o from_o superstition_n to_o godliness_n or_o only_o to_o pride_n censoriousness_n and_o contempt_n of_o all_o authority_n be_v the_o great_a controversy_n nay_o be_v it_o never_o make_v a_o note_n of_o a_o man_n convert_v as_o the_o excellent_a friendly_a debate_n observe_v that_o though_o he_o have_v a_o great_a many_o fault_n yet_o he_o be_v wrought_v to_o a_o antipathy_n to_o bishop_n common_a prayer_n and_o surplice_n and_o as_o to_o yourself_o i_o may_v appeal_v to_o your_o conscience_n whether_o you_o esteem_v any_o man_n a_o right_a convert_n that_o be_v a_o friend_n to_o these_o thing_n as_o to_o those_o powerful_a gift_n you_o speak_v of_o you_o do_v not_o mean_v any_o thing_n that_o be_v miraculous_a or_o that_o other_o sect_n will_v not_o as_o soon_o pretend_v to_o and_o true_o as_o for_o the_o sanctity_n of_o your_o whole_a party_n observable_a be_v the_o confession_n of_o mr._n calvin_n himself_o in_o his_o comment_n on_o the_o thirty_o four_o verse_n of_o the_o eleven_o chapter_n of_o daniel_n and_o i_o promise_v you_o not_o to_o injure_v he_o in_o the_o quotation_n say_v in_o illorum_fw-la exiguo_fw-la numero_fw-la qui_fw-la seize_v ab_fw-la idololatriis_fw-la papatus_fw-la subduxerunt_fw-la major_a pars_fw-la plena_fw-la est_fw-la perfidia_fw-la &_o dolis_fw-la praeclarum_fw-la quidem_fw-la zelum_fw-la simulant_fw-la sed_fw-la si_fw-la intus_fw-la excutias_fw-la reperies_fw-la plenos_fw-la esse_fw-la fraudibus_fw-la of_o that_o small_a number_n of_o person_n say_v he_o who_o profess_v the_o pure_a gospel_n the_o great_a part_n be_v full_a of_o perfidiousness_n and_o deceit_n they_o pretend_v a_o excellent_a zeal_n but_o if_o you_o inspect_v they_o narrow_o you_o shall_v find_v they_o abound_v with_o the_o fraud_n second_o themselves_o or_o their_o own_o internal_a spirit_n it_o be_v absurd_a for_o so_o all_o man_n may_v become_v preacher_n of_o the_o gospel_n that_o will_v assume_v the_o confidence_n three_o the_o people_n let_v we_o allow_v this_o authority_n for_o good_a and_o then_o i_o pray_v will_v not_o socinian_n anabaptist_n behemist_n five_o monarchy-man_n and_o who_o not_o enter_v in_o at_o this_o door_n and_o plead_v their_o call_n by_o the_o people_n to_o reform_v the_o presbyterian_o be_v please_v to_o tell_v we_o what_o people_n do_v you_o mean_v if_o those_o of_o your_o own_o opinion_n they_o will_v not_o in_o some_o place_n amount_v to_o a_o four_o or_o five_o part_n of_o the_o people_n and_o must_v all_o the_o rest_n be_v debar_v from_o elect_v their_o own_o preacher_n beside_o you_o know_v it_o be_v not_o the_o people_n election_n alone_o that_o can_v constitute_v a_o preacher_n of_o the_o gospel_n it_o be_v the_o mission_n and_o ordination_n of_o your_o predecessor_n that_o i_o be_o now_o inquire_v after_o you_o can_v be_v ignorant_a concern_v the_o popular_a election_n of_o minister_n that_o it_o have_v be_v disuse_v many_o century_n before_o calvin_n for_o the_o tumult_n faction_n and_o confusion_n that_o attend_v it_o the_o unstable_a people_n seldom_o or_o never_o agree_v about_o the_o person_n to_o be_v elect_v and_o i_o be_o sure_a there_o be_v no_o precept_n of_o scripture_n invest_n they_o with_o any_o such_o power_n four_o or_o will_v you_o derive_v your_o ministry_n from_o christ_n and_o his_o apostle_n but_o all_o dissenter_n proclaim_v their_o extraction_n from_o the_o same_o original_a which_o of_o they_o shall_v we_o believe_v from_o christ_n and_o his_o apostle_n give_v i_o leave_v to_o ask_v whether_o immediate_o or_o mediate_o immediate_o you_o will_v not_o say_v if_o mediate_o i_o pray_v inform_v we_o by_o who_o or_o from_o who_o hand_n do_v your_o puritan_n ancestor_n receive_v their_o mission_n and_o ordination_n well_o five_o some_o body_n must_v send_v they_o to_o preach_v the_o gospel_n be_v it_o the_o church_n of_o rome_n yes_o i_o have_v hear_v you_o say_v and_o be_v not_o this_o to_o confess_v yourselves_o the_o emissary_n of_o antichrist_n that_o man_n of_o sin_n the_o whore_n of_o babylon_n quid_fw-la christo_fw-la cum_fw-la