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	holy_a	soul_n	7,525	5	4.8126	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69511	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 a remarkable passage to the same purpose, in a sermon preached to an eminent and very great auditory in this city of London / by a very reverend, holy, and learned divine, a while after the crosse was last repaired, which was anno 1606.	Abbot, George, 1562-1633.; Archer, John, Master of Art.	1641 (1641)	Wing A63; ESTC R1013	9,028	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 a remarkable passage to the same purpose in a Sermon preached to an eminent and very great Auditory in this City of London by a very reverend holy and learned Divine a while after the Crosse was last repaired which was Anno 1606. 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 everlasting 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 I-mages 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 resolv●d 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