Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	ghost_n	holy_a	47,258	5	6.0438	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75922	Cheap-side crosse censured and condemned by a letter sent from the vicechancellour and other learned men of the famous Universitie of Oxford, in answer to a question propounded by the citizens of London, concerning the said crosse, in the yeere 1600, in which yeer it was beautified, as also some divine arguments taken out of a sermon against the crosse, a little after it was last repaired, by a learned and godly minister, M. Iohn Archer, sometimes preacher at Alhallows Lombardstreet about sixteen yeers past.	Abbot, George, 1562-1633.	1641 (1641)	Wing A64; ESTC R232350	9,020	16

Cheap-side Crosse censured and condemned BY A LETTER SENT From the Vicechancellour and other Learned Men of the famous Vniversitie of Oxford in answer to a question propounded by the Citizens of London concerning the said CROSSE in the yeere 1600 in which yeer it was beautified As also some divine Arguments taken out of a Sermon against the CROSSE a little after it was last repaired By a learned and godly Minister M. Iohn Archer somtimes Preacher at Alhallows Lombardstreet about sixteen yeers past 2 CHRON. 31.1 All Israel that were present went out to the Cities of Iudah and brake the Images in pieces c. untill they had utterly destroyed them all LONDON Printed by A. N. for I. R. and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Church-yard 1641. Resolved on this question being propounded by the Citizens of London Ianuary 23. 1600 viz. Quest Whether the Crosse in Cheapside should stand or be demolished Ans By George Abbot Vicechancellour of Oxford for the yeere abovesaid as follows COncerning the question of setting up againe the Crosse or other Crucifix in Cheapside I am of opinion First that the godly and discreet zeal of the worthy City is much to be cōmended who on just apparent grounds making a conscience of that which may be scandalous to many good Christians have not rashly nor tumultuously proceeded therein but are desirous to be informed by Divines of the Universities which are under the protection of Almighty God and her most Sacred Majestie● Schools of the Prophets what they may and ought to doe both unto the honour of Gods Name and to the setling of such their brethren as be in doubt Secondly I am fully perswaded that the ever-lasting God in his wisdome hath offered unto this reverend Citie this occasion to make tryall of their piety and devotion whether they doe love the intire service of himselfe withall their hearts and souls or no for which matter howsoever it seeme prima facie to contain nothing of much moment in it yet now since the expectation of the whole Realme and Church of England is what will become thereof it cannot be supposed of lesse consequence then that either our Religion which is established according unto the Canon of the Scripture or else that Papistry should receive a wound and blow thereby Being then orderly and fairly demanded my judgment therein I doe purpose according to the severall circumstances in their severall places to touch divers things Praying that God would guide my Meditations and pen aright to the glory of his Name and good of their soules who desire in this matter to be resolved First in these Crucifixes are resembled God the Father by an old man the Holy Ghost by a Dove which are both of them unlawfull in true Divinity because God is a Spirit and he himselfe forbids any similitude or shape of himself when he gave the law intending that he filleth Heaven and Earth Confirmed by Origen who saith we doe describe with no shape God who is without body invisible Ambrose saith God is infinite unmeasurable c. The Heathens and Numa in Plutarchs Lives did forbid his people to shape out any of their Gods with the forme of a man And this testimony Clemens Alexandrinus authoriseth Nay Thomas Aquinas part 3. q. 25. a. 3. But unto God who is without any body no bodily Images could be set up because as Damascen saith it is a point of the highest folly or impiety to figure that which is divine but because God in the new Testament is made man he may be adored with the bodily Image of himselfe this Aquinas saith So Christ the Frier thinketh in his humanity may be pictured and not God Long since some of the choicest learned Sorbonists directly say they desire therefore that Images of the Trinitie should be removed from all publike and private places because they are forbidden by the Scriptures by Councils by many men of excellent worth and holinesse This shortly I speak but who listeth to see more the refutation of Bellarmines Cavils speaking for those Superstitions as also the judgement of the Fathers let him read Doctor Reynolds de Idolatria Being then that the Image of the Dove for the Holy Ghost was upon the Crosse in Cheapside and the retayning thereof is unlawfull yea one of the highest points of Popery whereof many learned men of their side are ashamed I hold it a matter questionlesse in a reformed Church that the Crosse is in no sort to be set up again as it is was before with the Dove lest we should seem to persist in that palpable darknesse of Egypt And in this point I being undoubtedly and irrefragably resolved in that same burdensome office of a Christian Magistrate which now under my Lord I doe beare did upon sound and mature advice this last Summer burn and consume with fire in the Market place of Oxford amongst others a Picture wherein was the Image of God the Father over a Crucifix ready to receive the soul of Christ The next considerable matter is for the Crucifix it selfe what is to be judged of the Image and whether it may be retained at all I doe not certainly finde when the first use in that kinde was taken up amongst men although Constantine did cause somewhat to be made which represented the two first Letters of Christs Name as they are written in Greek and that which hee had made was to be used only in Standards but in this sort and to that use as now commonly is framed if it had never been began I think I may boldly say that the Church had been freed of a great deal of Superstition which afterwards grew to little lesse then blasphemy It is very likely that they that first used it had this to say for it that there might be an Historicall use to put us in mind of him that died for us and in as much as sensible and visible things do much affect us this memoriall might stir our devotion to remember him by whose stripes we are healed Now as this may be the only use thereof much may be disputed and held not to be simpliciter malus absolutely evill So in my opinion there are far more repugnant and direct reasons which may make against it altogether as First the wisdome of God which directed us to all things fit for our salvation hath given not the least touch nor semblance directly or by consequence of any such matter which might serve to direct us unto Piety but hath only appointed the Word to be the measure thereof and the Sacraments which are visibly but not so grosly as the Crucifix presented unto us as resemblances of Christs passion Secondly it implyeth great weaknesse of faith when we cannot think of our Saviour either by Meditation or Prayer or reading or hearing the word or by receiving of the Sacraments but wee must flie unto such means as for the use whereof wee have no warrant but on the other side

a Pyren or Temple dedicated to the fire the Persians god and refusing to build it again at Isdigerdes the Kings command Theodorets saying of him I doe admire him and thinke him worthy of a garland for in my opinion it is equall impiety to adore the fire and to build a Temple to it My advice therefore and judgement in the name of God is that the Crucifix should not be erected there but that upon this opportunitie advantage should be taken to give superstition a further blow which will be very joyous to all that are already sincerely affected and if there be any who truly love the Gospel and are not yet so fully perswaded in this point they also will in mildnesse yield to reason if the Superiour power shall be pleased to give countenance to this deed of the City But if it should be misliked of hollow-hearted Papists or maligned by professed Recusants it must be expected and not wondred at Now if it shall be demanded what should be set up insteed of the other Monument I thinke best to be some Pyramis or matter of meere beauty and not any Angell or such like whatsoever for although in truth that deserveth no reprehension yet by avoyding of that the moudies of the Adversaries may be stopped who would otherwise storme and say that the Creator is taken down and such a Creature is set up in the place where hee stood and whereas it is said that evermore it will be called the Crosse in Cheap side yet it may be possible that time may weare out the appellation or if it doe not the name shall hurt no more then the name of Christmas or Candlemas doth from which a godly man may make that use as to prayse the Lord that the matter of these Superstitions are removed and the name onely remaynes as a memoriall of Gods goodnesse who hath done so great good things for us And by reason of the sicknesse and weaknesse of him who more learnedly and judiciously might have resolved this point have I not after that hot and hasty humour of some men who are moved rather by fancie then reason but after Christian and setled looking into the cause and satisfying of my owne conscience fully therein set down my judgement upon the demand proposed unto me supposing that this shall also give accesse unto the honour of God her Majesty the Church of England and that noble Citie if it be so set up again as a matter of meere beauty or Pyramide But referring the direction execution and compleating of all to those honourable personages unto whom under our sacred Sovereigne the Lord hath committed the ordering of such affairs God Almighty blesse us that wee may still go forward in true Religion and his holy Spirit direct our thoughts words and actions to the honour of his holy Name AMEN George Abbot Vicechancellour An. 1600. The approbation of Master Vicechancellor's Letter by five other learned men then heads of the Vniversitie WE doe approve as sound and true the rather because hee followeth that which was done with the brazen Serpent after that it was superstitiously worshipped by the people and wish that the materiall Crosse now it hath been superstiously adored and is mayntained by Mart. in a Booke dedicated unto her Majesty and by all the Jesuits and Seminary Priests and all their Scholers this day in England to be worshipped and adored be not tumultuously taken away but in the same manner the brazen Serpent was by consent and authority of our gracious Hezekiahs them whom causes Ecclesiasticall have authorized under her Highnesse This only wee adde that as the example of Hezekiah be notably and sufficient to encourage her Majesty and such as be in authority under her zealously to remove such occasions of Idolatry and to remove them out of the peoples way for the example of Gideon is terrible if they be let alone and continued still Hee erected an Ephod in Ophra after his victory over the Madianites both to testifie his thankfulnesse unto the true God of Israel for his victory obtained and also to shew the Midianites that the God whose service in an Ephod without Idoll or Image they did refuse had given unto them the overthrow and thus farre Gideon is not reproved but when hee grew old and knew that the people did worship before the Ephod because he would not pull it downe nor take it away his posterity was grievously punished after him and the people became enthralled unto their enemies In 〈…〉 fact of 〈…〉 his victory over Moxentius in erecting the signe of the Cross in Rome was commendable because hee testified his thankfulnesse to Christ crucified for the victory atchieved and also it openly shewed unto the Heathen and Gentiles who fought against him that hee whom they so much despised because hee was crucified gave him victory But now this outward and materiall signe of the Crosse hath been and is abused to Idolatry and Superstition therefore if the chief Magistrates erect such things now when they be well taken away and if they pull them not downe when with peace and quietnesse they may be removed they leave unto the godly a fearfull expectation as of that which came to passe In Israel after the days of faithfull Gideon for so we call him notwithstanding his grievous fault for so hee is nanamed But the danger of such negligence is most carefully to be avoided From the Vniversitie of Oxenford January the 23. 1600. This Letter is in the hand of a Merchant of good credit in this Citie thus subscribed Thomas Thornton Iohn Reinolds Leonard Tailor Henry Ayray R. Kettley You have heard learnedly proved from Antiquity the unlawfulnesse of this Crosse Here follow some arguments from Scripture against Cheap-side Crosse as they were preached in Lombard Street THis 〈…〉 Minister preaching on Esay 10. Vers ● 6 Shews divers signes of Gods wrath against a Nation among others hee shews this to be one Plague token When God gives over a Land to hainous sins when hee suffers a Land that hath been delivered from Idolatry againe to bee given up unto Idols This is a certain signe of Gods wrath against a Land For this is a standing rule that when any Idoll is suffered to bee in a Land though it be not worshipped yet it is a remarkable signe that they are a people of his wrath See what the Lord saith Psal 81.8 9. Heare ô my people and J will testifie unto thee ô Israel if thou wilt hearken unto me there shall no strange god be in thee neither shalt thou worship any strange god Marke he doth not only say thou shalt worship no strange god but there shall be no strange god in thee as the Lord commands them Exod. 34.12 saying Take heed to thy self that thou make no covenant with the inhabitants of the Land whether thou goest lest they be cause of ruine among you but yee shall overthrow their Alters and break their Images in pieces and