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	son_n	36,902	5	6.3305	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73546	A discourse of the sinne against the Holy Ghost Grounded upon Matt. Chap. 12. vers. 22.-23. Tending to the comfort of such persons as, being afflicted in conscience for their sins, are, by the delusions of Satan, brought to the brinke of despaire, through feare that they have fallen into that unpardonable sinne. Written some space of time since, by that godly and judicious divine M. William Bradshaw, sometime fellow of Sydny Colledge in Cambridge; and publish'd by his sonne Iohn Bradshaw.	Bradshaw, William, 1571-1618.; Bradshaw, John, 17th cent.	1640 (1640)	STC 3515.5; Wing B4156; ESTC S91179	48,035	158

very grace by which he was reconciled to God See Gualter Also Perkins his Dialogue on 1 Iohn But to come to Argument In that Saint Iohn sayes it shall not be prayed for it shewes it must needes be some extraordinary haynous crime The Sinne of Simon Magus was very great Act. 8.23 which made Peter say he was in the gall of bitternesse c. Yet the Apostle there wishes him to pray for forgivenesse pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven The Sinne of them that stoned Stephen was great and fearefull it was peccatum aggregatum there was Envie Pride Murder and persecution all conjoyned yet Stephen prayes for them Therefore this sinne to death must exceed Pride Malice Envie Persecution and then what can it be lesse then the sinne against the Holy Ghost Concerning Hebr. 6.4 5 6. who doubts but this sinne is also there understood Yet with these two differences First our Saviour in the Evangelists speakes most especially of sinne in speech that is blasphemie against the Holy Ghost not excluding other kindes of Sinne for as he sayes all sinne and blasphemy shall be forgiven that is blasphemy or any other sinne in thought or deed so here againe this blasphemy shall not be forgiven nor any other sinne against the Holy Ghost in thought or deed It is sottish to thinke that this great sinne is onely confined to speeches sith a man may be as bad or worse in deedes as he can be in words But here in the Hebrewes the Apostle speakes more generally as well of other sinnes against the Holy Ghost as of blasphemy Secondly Musc comment in Mat. 12. Istisunt duplicis generu c. Musculus shewes a second difference Those sayes he that sinne against the Holy Ghost are of two sorts First such as doe oppose and blaspeme that truth which they cannot but inwardly acknowledge but have not at all given up their names to the profession of that Trueth so these Pharisees here in the Evangelists Secondly such as doe the like but have also given up their names to it and made profession of it and of these this Epistle to the Hebrews chiefly makes mention But notwithstanding this difference yet it is still the sinne against the Holy Ghost that is here spoken of which thus I prove The Sinne against the Holy Ghost is a malicious deniall of rage against a fundamentall Evangelicall truth inwardly acknowledged therefore it is contained in Hebr. 6. Heb 6 4 5 6. For the fourth verse containes in it an inward acknowledgement of such a truth aforesaid to which adde the fift verse and for the malicious denyall of it and rage and envy against it it is clearely contained in vers● 6 they fall a way and crucifie c. that is they so fall away as to crucifie Christ and doe what they can to cast all the disgrace and scorne they can upon Iesus Christ and the Christian Religion Not that every falling away is a crucifying for then had Peter been thus farre guilty but sensu diviso they so farre fall as to commit this horrible indignity Therefore I conclude it is clearely spoken of in this sixt Chapter And as clearely is it exprest in the tenth Chapter The 26 verse containes in it this inward acknowledgement of such a truth above mentioned after yee have received saith he the knowledge of the Truth The 29 verse containing a malicious rage against it Who hath sayes the Apostle troden under foot the Sonne of God and done despight to the Spirit of Grace not onely spoken but done not onely to Iesus Christ but to the Spirit of Grace that is the Holy Ghost which leades us forward to the fourth and last Difficulty Why seeing it is against the whole Trinity as all sinnes are and especially against Iesus Christ the maine of the Gospel it 's called a Sin against the Holy Ghost 4. Difficulty Why it is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost which admits of two senses For first either Holy Ghost stands in opposition to man and uncleane spirits to man as it is a Spirit to uncleane spirits as it is the Spirit of holinesse the Holy Ghost and so it must signifie the Holy God Or secondly it is taken for the third Person in Trinity in relative opposition to the first and second Persons the Father and Son The ground of the first sense and interpretation lies thus Our Saviour sayes that all blasphemy against the Sonne of man shall be forgiven but not against the Holy Ghost as if he had said so farre forth as you sin against me appearing but as a man I will forgive you but so farre forth as you sinne against me appearing to be God as well as man I will not forgive you And whereas the word Holy is added to the word Ghost or Spirit that say they is in direct opposition to that unholy and uncleane spirit of Beelzebub to whose power these blasphemers did impute Christs great and gracious worke of casting out devils * Hieronymus ep 149. ut cum videas in virtutib●● Beelzebub calumniera infactis post ea aliud est se Christ●anum nega●e allud Christum diabolum dicere Isidor Pelus epist 39. G●rgon●o circ fi●em 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And certainely what greater blasphemy can be framed by the wit and invention of the most maligne wretch in the world then to say that that is done by Beelzebub which a mans conscience tels him is done by God If nothing be so hateful● to God and distant from God as sinne and if nothing be so polluted with sinne as the Devill an● if amongst all the Devils non● so much as Beelzebub th● prince of Devils what a monstrous prodigious transcenden● blasphemy was this to impute and that wilfully the worke of the most Holy pure God to so fo● and impure a spirit a greater then which a mans thoughts cannot project This sense cannot well stand at least alone For if God in opposition to man b● here understood by Holy Ghost then all sinnes against the first Table are committed against the Holy Ghost The second Interpretation is that it stands in opposition to the Father and the Sonne and is taken properly for the third Person in Trinity Of which the Schooles give this as the reason because this foule sinne is properly against the goodnesse of God For say they power is properly attributed to God the Father wisedome to God the Sonne goodnesse to God the Holy Ghost Consequently sinnes of infirmity are against God the Father sinnes of Ignorance against God the Sonne sinnes of malice and wickednesse against God the Holy Ghost ●pon which notion of theirs they inferre a reason why the sinne against the Ghost is onely unpardonable because sinnes 〈◊〉 Infirmity and ignorance hav● some pretext but the last ha●● none In which positions 〈◊〉 theirs there is more subtilt● then sound verity It 's grant● that Christ is called the Wisdome of

or holdeth with another or that pursueth one that flieth away This Sinne therefore being a sinne of Opposition is not committed with those that are of the same wicked mind or that do not hold any contrary part 2 An open or publique Opposition is that which is not only proclaimed but acted before the faces of men It is a solemne opposition in the presence of others So that it is as a solemne combate 3 It is also confident not a fearefull and timorous opposition but with all resolution and boldnes Not such an Opposition as when a ●an is afraid of himselfe or runnes ●way from his owne shadow So that the Foole that saith in his heart ●here is no God Psal 14.1 but dares not say it 〈◊〉 words and that boldly too even ●o the faces of them that hold the contrary is not guilty of this ●inne 4 It 's against the professors of the Gospell the holy and religious men of God who in a speciall manner represent God these are the persons that in this Sin they oppose themselves against 5 For the Gospels sake this is the very cause of their Opposition not for any other by respect 6 Wherein they revile not the persons so much as the Gospel especially professed and embraced 7 Freely without force or constraint 8 Against knowledge and conscience not in simplicity and Ignorance 9 Wilfully against all good means to the contrary 10 Desperately contemning all the mischiefes that may follow 11 Malitiously from an heart in a speciall manner set on fire by Satan against God and all goodnes Now that this Sinne is such as i● here described 1 This description is agreeable to our precedent and to other precedents to wit that of Iulian the Apostata c. 2 This is such a Sinne as is no● possible for any that hath the least degree of grace and sanctification in him to commit 3 They that commit the Sinne here described are as farre from all grace and goodnesse as a man can imagine neither can the wit of man imagine an higher wickednesse The greatnesse of it may thus appeare 1 Not to love or respect the professors of the Gospell is a great Sinne and an injury unto Christ yea a kind of enmity unto him For. 1 They that so doe breake the speciall commandement of the Gospell Iohn 13.34 35. a new Commandement that Christ gave unto his Disciples and in them to all that looke to bee saved by him that they love one another as Christ hath loved them 2 There are no persons more lovely than they if men had eyes to see the same For they are not onely sacramentally but really washed from the guilt of all their S●●nes they are new Creatures born ag●●ne of the Spirit of God they are the living members of Iesus Christ they are quickned by the Spirit of God they are heires of the Kingdome of Heaven Temples of the Holy Ghost the Sonnes and Children of God What greater or more admirable matters can there be deserving love and admiration than these So that not to love the true professors of the Gospell is to professe a contempt and a light regard of Regeneration of the Spirit of God of the bloud of Christ of Christ of Heaven 3 No persons deserve more love than they if men were not wonderfully besotted The Husband of the Wife Semen sanctum statumen terrae Isa 6.13 the Father of the Childe cannot deserve so much For 1 Vnder God they are the very pillars and foundations of the Earth It 's for their sake that the Earth endureth when their number is fulfilled the World shall have an end 2 They are the causes of all the blessings that are in the places where they live They are men that love all hurt none are ready to do good unto all Their prayers pul downe from God many speciall blessings upon the very wicked They desire earnestly and seeke after the conversion and salvation of all men They rejoyce in the good of all they sorrow for the hurt of any wherein can there be greater desert But they that commit this Sinne doe not onely not affect them but set themselves against them are opposites and adversaries unto them And this is a greater degree to bee professed enemies unto professors of the Gospell than to be bare contemners of them yea this must needs argue much wickednesse in the heart For 1 All true professors of the Gospell are honest men and good men And for men to bee professed enemies and opposites to honest and good men must needs argue a wicked heart 2 A man cannot oppose himselfe and be an enemy unto a true pro●essor of the Gospell but hee must needs be an enemy and oppose himselfe some way or other to the Gospell it selfe and to Christ For these are so neere united the one to the other that one cannot touch the one but hee must withall touch the other 3 He that stands in opposition to the professors of the Gospell cannot but be in league and amity with the enemies thereof 2 For a man to hate the Children of God in regard of their personall infirmities or in regard of some injuries received at their hands were a sinne grievous and inexcusable For besides that it is evill and unwarrantable upon such grounds to hate any whomsoever there are those lovely parts and graces in all good Christians that may wel more than countervaile and weigh down any such wants and imperfections as may be in any of them and such wrongs and injuries as by occasion thereof they may offer unto any But to hate them as in this case not in regard of any such speciall quarrell against them or in respect of any private injury and wrong received from them but to dislike yea to spite and maligne them for their very profession it is not so much to hate Christ for them as to hate Christ himselfe and Christianity in them and to hate them for Christ 3 For a Turke or a Pagan that never knew better out of a love unto and zeale of that way and worship that he hath ever been trained up in to oppose himself in such sort to the professors of true piety were a fearefull course and likely to bring upon the head of such a one a farre greater than ordinary ●easure of Gods wrath the certainty wherof by many dreadfull judgements inflicted upon heathen persecutors of his people God hath sealed up in sundry ages at severall times But for one that himselfe hath acknowledged Christ been enlightened by the Spirit of Christ convinced in Conscience of the truth of the Gospell yea and outwardly made prof●ssion of obedience thereunto for such a one I say spightfully to oppose himselfe against the professors of that which hee hath formerly been instructed in possessed with convinced of and professed to imbrace what is it but wittingly and wilfully contrary to knowledge and conscience to goe out of Christs camp to turne head against him and

lo gnod not againe Presumption may be the way to it but is not the same with it 3 Concerning impenitency either it must be for small impenitency or that which is finall also if formall impenitency as it is such then all impenitency is irremissible for a quatenus ad omne valet consequentia and then who could be saved if finall impenitency it is granted indeed that is a property of him that sinnes that great sinne but yet it is proprium imperfectum because it doth agree omni temper peccanti in Spiritum Sanctum but not soli 4 Concerning Obstinacy it is all one with hardnesse of heart and is a cause of impenitency and is a property as is aforesaid of that great evill but not that sinne and so I conceive * Epist 50. circ finem hoc est autem daritia cordis usque ad finem hujus vitae quâ homo recusat in unitate corporis Christi quod vivi ficat Sp. Sanctus remissionem accippere peccatorum Augustine is to bee understood 5 The resisting of a truth knowne and acknowledged by the person resisting may easily lead him to this sinne Acts 26.11 ●xceeding mad against them but is not the same For Peter in denying Christ resisted a truth acknowledged yet was not guilty with these Pharisees 6 To envy at the Graces of another to fret that the Gospel is preached that beleevers increase that souls are converted when mens spirits boyle up against Gods Ordinances and the good successe of them in the world it is a neare degree to this fearefull sinne but not necessarily that sith all this may be out of ignorance as in Saint Paul before his conversion or out of other aymes and not out of any rancour or despight to the grace it selfe To the consideration of these six vices how farre they d●ff●r from that sin aforesaid I thinke it not amisse to adde somewhat that I meet within a * Raphael Eglino de peccato in Sp. S. Removetur primum ab hoc peccati genere quicquid legi contrarium propriè per ●e est cuj●s modi est primo● par●n● origi●ale c. ●hesi bus 21 22 23 24. German † First saye● he we must remove and ex●mp● from th●● sin whatsoever is properly and in ●t selfe contrary to the l●w as the originall si●ne of our first parents and of our selves also all actual sins of omission and commissiō against the first and second T●ble so that they be not joyned with this And after shewes that there is a broad difference between the sins committed against the Law directly and against the Spirit of Grace and the distinctiō is cle●rely la●d dow● in the ●o of the Hebrewes 28.29 The said Writer adde moreover that sinne committed against Christ the Son of man e●ther o● ignora●ce 〈◊〉 in Paul or out of sudden fear as 〈◊〉 Peter can●o● be s●●d to be this sin Writer The second Difficulty FOr the not pardoning it must be understood in one of these three senses 1 That though happily it may be yet it never was nor shall be pardoned in event Those that so understand it give this reason Our Saviour say they sayes not it is impardonable but shall not be pardoned Those that goe to hell for other sinnes their sinnes were unpardoned but not unpardonable So that their meaning is that there shall never be any instance example or experience of any in whom this foule act is pardoned But to this I answer that this very thing that there n●ver shall be any instance or example makes it unposs●ble in some sense to be forgiven For frustra est potentia quae nunquam producitur in actum It is a vain possibility that is never brought to effect and a vaine possibility is as good as no possibility and therefore no better then an impossibility Besides Saint Iohn 1 ep cap. 5. v. 16. sayes it shall not be prayed for which yet it might if there were any possibility of forgivenesse and Heb. 6.4 sayes it is impossible to renew them againe to repentance speaking of the same sinne or one not so bad Sense 2 The second Sense that some give is that our Saviour means it may be pardon'd but with a great deale of difficulty But this may not passe for sound There are two amongst the Romanists men of great judgement setting aside their affections and voluntary engagements to their own cause Iansenius in conc Evang c. 49 Iansenius and Estius who Estius in sentent l 2. distinct 43. §. 3. as in many other things here jumpe together in this interpretation The ground they build on they thus levell In that sense say they that our Saviour sayes that all other sins except this shall be forgiven in the same sense he sayes that this shall not be forgiven but hee meanes not that all those sinnes are forgiven to every one therefore he meanes not that this sin is not forgiven to every one Consequently say they hee must needes speake of facility of pardon in the former and of difficulty in the latter But under correction I thinke any indifferent man may see our Saviour speakes of possibility and impossibility For sayes Christ all manner or kinde of sinne and blasphemy else shall be forgiven to men not every particular sinne to every particular man for then who shall be damned But all sinnes in some men or other and by consequence this kinde of sinne in no man As if I should say all diseases in men shall be cured but the Pestilence taking the vitals shall not be cured it is manifest I speake of possibilities and impossibilities for else it were as much as to meane that some diseases are easie to be healed which are not easie as desperate Feavers desperate consumptions and many others which were a flat contradiction to the truth Sense 3 Therefore I take the third interpretation to be most sound that there is no possibility of forgivenesse and that not in regard of Gods power absolute who can doe wha soever he will but in regard of his absolute will who will not have it done and therefore it cannot be done The impossibility whereof seems grounded on 1 Iohn 5. Hebr. 6.4 Hebr. 10.26 and so I proceed to the third Difficulty The third Difficulty WHether this Sin 1 Sam. 2.25 Matt. 12. Mark 3. Luke 12 be the same with 1 Iohn 5. Hebr. 6. Hebr. 10. That it coincides with 1 Iohn 5.16 the current of Interpreters will tell you a Aug. lib. 1. de Ser. Domin in monte Peccatum fratris ad mortem puto cum post agnitionem Dei per gratiam Domini nostri Jesu Christi quisquam oppugnat frat●rnitatem adversus ipsam gratiam qua reconciliatus est Deo invidentiae facibus agitatu● So Beda Austin I thinke a brother then sinnes to death when after acknowledgement of God by the grace of Christ hee sets himselfe against the brethren and burnes in envie against that

against it selfe and that there is deadly feud amongst the Devils of Hell that they warre and fight in this maner as you are eye-witnesses of one against another among themselves This our Saviour Christ proves by a short reason For then Satans Kingdome could not stand and remaine but should be neere unto an end For that is the state of all Kingdomes rent with civill dissensions So that by this reason either they must herein speake malitiously and against Conscience or else they must of necessity maintaine the former absurdities And they were no doubt speciall positions of the Pharisees which Christ here frames his Argument of The second Argument is thus conceived By that Spirit which your Children cast out Devils by doe I cast out Devils But your Children cast not out Devils through Beelzebub Therefore neither do I cast them out by him In this Argument there is some doubt what is meant by their Children The best of our Interpreters hold it to be meant flatly of our Saviour Christs Disciples But I must crave leave to dissent with reverence from them For 1 there is no more reason to call his Disciples their Children than himselfe 2 In holding that Christ cast out Devils through Beelzebub they must needs hold that his Disciples must doe it by the same Spirit For it were senselesse to imagine that the Disciple should doe it by the Spirit of God and the Master by the Devill 3 By Children are not unusually meant Scholers and Disciples Hence by the Children or Sonnes of the Prophets are meant those that sate at their feet to learn as Paul might be called one of Gamaliels Children or Sonnes And therefore I take it that Christ means it of some of the Pharisees owne disciples and scholers that were no professed Disciples of Chris● which as it seemes in those times had speciall Gifts to cast out Devils for the grace and countenance and confirmation of the true Religion which the Pharisees sitting in Moses chaire professed and taught And of these I 'am perswaded Christ speaketh in this place 4 Hee speaketh of some neere unto them when hee saith They shall bee your Iudges meaning such as they could not with any honesty appeale from whereas they might from Christs Disciples 5 Some such are mentioned Mar. 9.38 Luke 9.49 whom the Disciples found casting out Devils 6 Except this be the meaning I am not able to discern what force in the world there should be in this argument For any man may see that our Savior taketh it as granted that the Pharisees did hold and maintaine that the dispossession that their Children used was the act of God and done by the finger of God And if it bee so understood there is great force in the Reason and it 's a stronger than the former And this is the sense of it If I cast out Devils to no other end and purpose in substance than many of your honored and renowned Schollers doe then I doe it not by Beelzebub But I doe it to no other end than they but to confirme the same doctrine and faith Therefore I doe it not by Beelzebub The proposition is evident for els their ends would have been as contrary as their Spirits The assumption no doubt was as evident For Christ wrought these Miracles to confirme no other Religion or Doctrine than what in substance the Exorcists did set downe in Moses and the Prophets howsoever there were some difference in the manner So that if the Miracles of Christ were as effectuall against the kingdome of Satan as their Exorcists were and as power●ull to confirme the Kingdome of God and had no other apparent ●se this Argument must needs be very good howsoever in their ●ormes there were some diffe●●ces ●or is it not absurd to imagine that Christ should use the very same●hing against Satan that the Iewes ●id and to the very same end to ●onfirme the Kingdome of God ●nd yet doe it by a contrary Spirit ●hough it were done after a diverse ●anner Suppose two persons set ●pon some notorious Thiefe the ●ne smites him with a Sword the ●ther with a Pistoll and both have ●o other end but to save men from ●bbing now were it not absurd ●hat for the very act doing the one ●f them should bee justified and the ●her condemned as a friend and ●elwiller to Thieves and Rob●rs The third Argument is this If I in your Conscience cast out Devils by the power only of Gods Spirit then have you spightfully blasphemed the Holy Ghost in avowing this publiquely that I did it by Beelzebub But I in your owne Conscience have ●●st out Devils onely by the power of Gods Spirit You have therefore in so saying spightfully blasphemed the Holy Ghost The proposition is cleere and cannot be denied The Assumption hee thus proveth That Spirit that offereth violence unto the Devill and by strong hand casteth him against his will out of his strong holds and possessions is only the Spirit of God But you in your Conscience know that that Spirit whereby I cast out Devils is no other than the Spirit of God And by consequent you herein wilfully fight against God and his Kingdome which in my workes have shined before you and have offered themselves unto you The Assumption he setteth forth by a plain and familiar comparison ●●sembling that Spirit to a strong and mighty man that goeth into another mans house and by force in ●espight of him binds him and robs ●im The fourth Argument is contai●ed in this Sentence Hee that is not ●ith me is against mee c. and is ●●us framed If the Spirit of God were not ●ith mee and did not build with ●e in the work that I labour in then ●ould the Holy Ghost set himselfe ●gainst me and destroy whatsoever doe But the Holy Ghost is not a●●inst mee nor destroyeth what build The Spirit of God therefore is ●●th me and buildeth with mee in ●y worke And this Argument must needs unanswerable if it be considered that if Christ had been an Imposto● indeed and a deceiver hee had bee● the most abominable Blaspheme● upon Earth and exercising these tricks only in the Church to pu● men from Religion the Spirit o● God would never endure it All these Considerations the● laid together it is too too apparen● that these Scribes and Pharisees di● most spightfully and malitiousl● revile and blaspheme the Hol● Ghost And thus you see how palpably our Saviour Christ by stron● and evident Arguments convince● them thereof Now this is the generall an● main use of this point To imita●● our Saviour Christ 1 In judging of the true nature of this Sin in generall 2 In being able to detect it i● speciall in those persons that sha● commit it Without the former man cannot doe the latter and wit●out the latter a man hath no use 〈◊〉 the former Now the knowledge of the Nature of this Sin hath these uses 1 It serves to shew us the horrible corruption