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	trinity_n	9,904	5	10.2376	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76698	The apostolical and true opinion concerning the Holy Trinity, revived and asserted partly by twelve arguments levied against the traditional and false opinion about the Godhead of the Holy Spirit. Partly by a confession of faith touching the Three Persons. Both which having been formerly set forth, were much altered and augmented, with explications of Scripture, and with reasons: and finally, with testimonies of the Fathers, and of others. All reprinted, anno 1653. By John Bidle, M.A. And now again with the life of the author prefixed, anno Dom. 1691.	Biddle, John, 1615-1662.; Irenaeus, Saint, Bishop of Lyon.	1691 (1691)	Wing B2868B; ESTC R211856	15,790	16

it appears that how distinct soever he might be in his Conceptions concerning the Trinity yet he was not determinate enough in his expressing of that matter as he became not long after For now proceeding sincerely in his search of holy Scripture and in earnest Prayer to Almighty God for his Assistance he attained that firmness of Understanding and Resolution and that distinctness of Expression that he set himself to confer with his Familiars and open his Mind freely upon those Questions of one God and three Persons And not only so but he also wrote some pithy Arguments against the supposed Deity of the Holy Spirit whom yet he held to be the third Person in the Holy Trinity Whereupon a certain unfaithful Person betraying him to the Magistrate and the Commissioners of Parliament there residing for then was there War between the King and Parliament he was committed Dec. 2. 1645 to the common Goal tho at that time afflicted with a sore Fever there to be detained till a fit occasion of presenting him before the Parliament at London which was then inflamed with Geneva-Zeal against such Hereticks to be punished as they should determine But now an eminent Person of Gloucester commiserating his Case procured his Inlargemert upon Security for an Appearance as aforesaid which Mr. Bidle made accordingly when summoned thereto about six Months after And the Parliament delayed not to take Cognizance of his Cause for they presently chose a Committee to examine him who freely confest before them that he did deny the commonly believ'd Deity of the Holy Ghost whereof he was accus'd but was ready to hear what could be oppos'd to him and to acknowledg his Error if he could not maintain it for Truth But being wearied with no less long than chargeable Expectation he wrote the Letter hereafter inserted dated April 1 1647 to an eminent Knight a Member of Parliament praying he would report his Case to their House that he might be either judged or discharged But what followed thence was the Commitment of Mr. Bidle to the Custody of one of their Officers which Restraint continued for five Years ensuing and the referring him to the Assembly of the Presbyterian Divines then sitting at Westminster for his Conviction Before some of which he often appear'd and gave them in Writing his Arguments against the Deity of the Holy Spirit but neither in Discourses nor in Writing could he obtain any pertinent much less solid Answer Instead of that they solicite the Parliament in whose hands was the supream Power at that time and procure a Draconick Ordinance May 2. 1648. for inflicting the Punishment of Death upon those that held Opinions contrary to the Presbyterian Points about the Trinity and other Doctrines whom they named Blasphemers and Hereticks and severe Penalties upon those that differ'd in lesser matters This seemed a Damnatory Sentence against Mr. Bidle which there was no escape from But it pleased the Almighty to make way for him by a Dissention in the Parliament it self to the better part whereof the Army joyn'd its Power as for other Reasons so for that there were in it many both Officers and Souldiers liable to the Severities of that mention'd Ordinance which therefore from that time for divers Years lay unregarded Before this he had published the Twelve Arguments against the Deity of the Holy Spirit and this Year his Confession of Faith touching the Holy Trinity which were both Reprinted Anno 1653. together with most clear and full Testimonies for the Unity of the Person of God in distinction from the Son and Spirit out of certain most celebrated Christian Fathers who lived in the first Ages after Christ and others Now the Zealots in Parliament against Dissenters being excluded he had more liberty allow'd by his Keeper who suffered him upon Security given to go into Staffordshire where he lived sometimes with a Justice of Peace who not only entertained him courteously but at his Death left him a Legacy which was a very seasonable supply to him who had already spent in a manner all he had gotten at Gloucester or elsewhere which was not inconsiderable in now about four Years chargeable restraint But he could not continue long here before notice was given to Judg Bradshaw President of the Council of State who caus'd him to be recalled by his Keeper and kept more straitly In this long Confinement that which was most grievous to this Sufferer devoted to the Service of Truth was that the Imputation of Blasphemy and Heresy to him had so alienated all People generally from him that he could have almost none to converse with and of the Divines whose Duty it was to have endeavoured his Information not one that I could ever hereof vouchsafed him a Visit in that seven Years time of his Confinement except perhaps one Mr. Gunning afterward Bishop of Ely Here he spent even all his Substance insomuch that instead of an Ordinary for repast which he could not pay for he was glad of the cheaper support of drinking a draught of Milk from the Cow Morning and Evening At length it pleased the Divine Goodness to succour him through the favour of a Learned Man who commended him to Roger Daniel the Printer for a Man qualified with fit Learning and Integrity for correcting of the Impression of the Septuagint Greek Bible which was then designed to be set forth with great Accuracy and was accordingly performed the Imployment being also most acceptable to J. Bidle because his delight was in the Law of God But in Feb. 1651 was promulgated by the Parliament a general Act of Oblivion which restored among others our conscientious Prisoner to his full Liberty which he now improves among those Friends he had at length gained in London in meeting together every Lord's-day for expounding Scripture and discoursing thereupon for the clearing of the Truths therein contained and detecting of common Errors by which means the Doctrine of one God and Christ his only Son and his Holy Spirit was so propagated that the Ministers at London were exceedingly offended at it but could not hinder it by Secular Power which then favour'd Liberty of Religion and Conscience In the Year 1654 he publish'd a twofold Scripture-Catechism In the same Year Dr. Gunning whom I named before afterward Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridg and no less famous for Subtilty of disputing than Learning thinking it seems he should do great Service to the common Doctrine if he put a Baffle upon the great Oppugner of it before even those who began to hearken to him he came one Lord's-day to Mr. Bidle's Meeting well accompanied with learned Witnesses and commences a fair Scholastick Dispute asserting the Deity of the Holy Ghost and the next Lord's-day in the same Auditory concerning the supream Deity of Christ the Son of the most High They disputed syllogistically and took their turns of responding and opposing wherein John Bidle acquitted himself with so much Learning Judgment and

the Heaven of Heavens with all their Host Thou gavest thy good Spirit to instruct them the Children of Israel John 16.7 8 c. Nevertheless I tell you the Truth It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the * So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Original perpetually signifieth amongst Greek Authors and is so rendred by the Translators themselves 1 Joh. 2.1 and ought to have been so rendred here especially because he saith in the following words that the Holy Spirit shall convince the World for it is proper to an Advocate to convince Advocate will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you And when he is come he will reprove in the Original convince the World of Sin and of Righteousness and of Judgment I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now Howbeit when he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he shall shew you things to come He shall glorify me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you All things that the Father hath are mine therefore said I he shall take of mine and shew it unto you Rom. 8.26 27. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our Infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with Groans that cannot be uttered But he that searcheth the Hearts knoweth what is the Mind or Desire of the Spirit for he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God Acts 19.2 And Paul finding certain Disciples said unto them Have ye received the Holy Spirit since ye believed And they said unto him We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Spirit Ephes 4.4 5 6. There is one Body and one Spirit even as ye have been called in one Hope of your Calling One Lord one Faith one Baptism One God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all 1 Cor. 12.3 4 c. Wherefore I give you to understand that no Man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed and that no Man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Spirit but there are diversities of Gifts yet the same Spirit And there are diversities of Administrations yet the same Lord and there are diversities of Operations yet it is the same God that worketh all in all Luk. 3.21 22. It came to pass that Jesus also being baptized and praying the Heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape like a Dove upon him 1 Cor. 2.11 12 13. But God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things even the Depths of God For what Man knoweth the things of a Man save the Spirit of a Man which is in him even so the things of God knoweth none but the Spirit of God he doth not add as before which is in him Now we have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God Rev. 22.12 17. Behold I come quickly and my Reward is with me to give unto every Man according as his Work shall be and the Spirit and the Bride say Come Act. 5.32 And we are his Witnesses of these things and so is also the Holy Spirit whom God hath given to them that obey him Gal. 3.5 He therefore that ministreth or giveth to you the Spirit and worketh Miracles among you doth he it by the Works of the Law or by the Hearing or rather Preaching of Faith He that ministreth or giveth the Spirit to you a strange kind of Speech if the Holy Ghost were God The Scripture is wont to speak more soberly of Almighty God than to say that he is given by another much less by Men as it is here said of the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 8.4 We know that an Idol is nothing in the World and that there is no other God but one For though there be that are called Gods whether in Heaven or in Earth as there be many Gods and many Lords yet unto us there is but one God even the Father of whom are all things and we unto him and one Lord even Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him You see here that the Apostle being about to set down who is the only God and only Lord of Christians maketh no mention of the Holy Spirit which could not have been done by so faithful an Apostle had the Holy Spirit been either God or Lord. Of these Places thus recited no Man tho never so subtile and tho he turn and wind his Wit every way shall ever be able to make Sense unless he take the Holy Spirit to be what I say Behold now the Cause for which I have lien under Persecution raised against me by my Adversaries who being unable to justify by Argument their Practice of giving Glory to the Holy Spirit as God in the end of their Prayers since there is neither Precept nor Example for it in all the Scripture and being taxed by me for giving the Glory of God to another and worshipping what he hath not commanded nor ever came into his Heart have in a cruel and unchristian manner resorted to the Arm of Flesh and instigated the Magistrate against me hoping by his Sword not that of the Spirit to uphold their Will-worship but in vain since every Plant that the Heavenly Father hath not set shall be rooted up And that this practice of Worshipping the Holy Spirit as God is such a Plant as God never set in his Word would soon appear to the Honourable House could they be but so far prevailed with as laying aside all Prejudice seriously to weigh the many and solid Proofs that I produce for my Opinion out of the Scripture together with the slight or rather no Proofs of the adverse Party for their Opinion which they themselves know not what to make of but that they endeavour to delude both themselves and others with Personalities Moods Subsistences and such like brain-sick Notions that have neither sap nor sence in them and were first hatched by the subtility of Satan in the Heads of Platonists to pervert the Worship of the True God Neither could this Controversy be set on foot in a fitter juncture of time than this wherein the Parliament and Kingdom have solemnly engaged themselves to reform Religion both in Discipline and Doctrine For amongst all the Corruptions in Doctrine which certainly are many there is none that more deserveth to be amended than this that so palpably thwarteth the whole tenour of the Scripture and trencheth to the very Object of our Worship and therefore ought not to be lightly passed over by any Man that professeth himself a Christian much more a Reformer God is jealous of his Honour and will not give it to another we therefore as beloved Children should imitate our Heavenly Father herein and not upon any pretence whatsoever depart from his express Command and give the Worship of the supreme Lord of Heaven and Earth to him whom the Scripture no-where affirmeth to be God For my own particular after a long impartial inquiry of the Truth in this Controversy and after much and earnest calling upon God to give unto me the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledg of him I find my self obliged both by the Principles of Scripture and of Reason to embrace the Opinion I now hold forth and as much as in me lieth to endeavour that the Honour of Almighty God be not transferred to another not only to the Offence of God himself but also of his Holy Spirit who cannot but be grieved to have that ignorantly ascribed to himself which is proper to God that sends him and which he no-where challengeth to himself in the Scripture What shall befal me in the pursuance of this Work I refer to the disposal of the all-wise God whose Glory is dearer to me not only than my Liberty but than my Life It will be your part Honoured Sir into whose hands God hath put such an Opportunity to examine the Business impartially and to be an helper to the Truth considering that this Controversy is of the greatest importance in the World and that the Divine Truth suffers her self not to be despised Scot-free Neither let the meanness of my outward presence deter you from stirring since it is the part of a wise Man as in all things so especially in Matters of Religion not to regard so much who it is that speaketh as what it is that is spoken remembring how our Saviour in the Gospel saith That God is wont to hide his Secrets from the Wise and Prudent and to reveal them unto Children In which number I willingly reckon my self being conscious of mine own personal Weakness but well assured of the Strength and Evidence of the Scripture to bear me out in this Cause and remain Yours in the Lord J. Bidle April 1. 1647. To the READER CHristian Reader I beseech thee as thou tenderest thy Salvation that thou wouldst throughly examine the following Disputation in the Fear of God considering how much his Glory is concerned therein and at any hand forbear to condemn my Opinion as erroneous till thou art able to bring pertinent and solid Answers to all my Arguments for thou must know that tho I have contested with sundry Learned Men yet hath none hitherto produced a satisfactory Answer to so much as one Argument Farewel J. B. ERRATA XII Arg. Pag. 13. Col. 1. line 2. read is not here Test Page 7. Just Mart. Col. 2. line 16. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Couf P. 9. Col. 1. l. 6. r. ver 27. P. 16. Col. 1. l. 15. for the r. his