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	truth_n	8,961	5	5.5986	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13963	A triall of subscription by way of a preface vnto certaine subscribers; and, reasons for lesse rigour against non-subscribers. Both modestly written; that neither should offend.	Bradshaw, William, 1571-1618.	1599 (1599)	STC 24273; ESTC S106214	16,203	40

as on 〈…〉 so on the iudgement of authoritie Let the reasons of remouing other ceremonies bee well considered which be these They obscured the glorie of God they were vnprofitable they blinded the people they turned to vanitie and superstition they were abused by the vnlearned and beseeme not Christes Gospell which is not a ceremoniall lawe as much as Moses was but a religion to serue God not in bondage of the figure or shadowe but in the freedome of the spirit To apply by particulars Piping and chaūting are said to haue displeased God so sore filthilie defyled his holy house and his place of prayer That for them he hath iustlie destroyed manie Nations And setting vp of candles couering of shrynes candlestickes and all monumentes of superstition yea in the glasse windowes not onelie of Churches but of houses too are saide as to be taken away so to be devised by mans fantasies not contrarie but besides scripture And therfore haue not onely no promise of reward but contrariwise great threatninges maledictions of God for that they be thinges tendinge to superstition If all these notes of condemnation may bee sett aswell on ceremonies reteyned as these remoued Then tender consciences which thinke them selues forbidden to be conformable to Idolaters aswell in cutting the haire as in vpholding altars haue at least probable cause to feare how they allow by acte or hand ceremonies reteyned To cōclude this first Reason wherin I am of necessitie longer thē I need to be in the rest I humbly referre to consideration That whereas resolved consciences are vncompellable her Maiestie of her own Princely clemencie did permitt among other Bishop Heath a popish recusant but of conscience not of a trayterous obstinacy to continew Lord Chauncellor Whether it were not cōvenient that faithfull Ministers should continewe their godlie and profitable Ministerie the omission only of ceremonies notwithstāding Prouided that such omission be with peace to others knowledge as it seemeth to be in truth to their own consciences Least otherwise the reuerend Fathers greeue the holy Spirit of GOD by whom they are sealed vnto the day of redemptiō and shew them selues to bee not brethren but Lordes ouer Gods inheritance SECONDLIE let it be supposed that their conscience all the premisses notwithstanding is erronious But let it bee withall considered that the errour is onely in ceremonies which by the nowe Archb. of Yorke since he was a L. Bishop were accounted the blemishes of our Church and in their best regard are but thinges indifferent And therfore the Church is not to be defrauded of the benefite of faithfull Ministers their sound instructions for only omitting such ceremonies and that of conscience with peace Except it be religion to tythe Mynt and Commyn and to neglect the greater things of the Lawe Saint Paul would not by his Apostolicall authoritie restreyne the libertie of disciples touching Mariage because it was an indifferent thing and he straitlie forbiddeth the weake to bee condemned for not eating of all thinges considering the Kingdome of God is not meate nor drinke and wee are to please our neighbour in that that is good to edification So that he wished them cut of who disquieted the Churche by vrginge Circumcision with Christ That they might reioyce in the fleshe of their brethren that is in their conformitie in carnall rites All this beeing true they bee no right followers of blessed Paule who thrust out of the Churche profitable teachers for only omission of indifferent ceremonies Againe if euerie particular Churche maye ordaine change and abolish rites or ceremonies It may bee adiudged no capitall offence for faithfull Ministers in their seuerall charges onely to omitte indifferent ceremonies And the lesse capitall considering vnitie in doctrine and conformitie in diuine service yea all ready obedience otherwise to the Prince State is faithfully obserued Lastly if such onely are openly to bee rebuked as opēly break the traditiōs of the Church through private iudgement and contemptuous wilfulnesse then onely omission and that of conscience with peace deserueth not so publique and extreame punishments as depriuation and suspension For the sentence of singularitie can not with wisedome and equitie bee pronounced against them who not only haue iustified their omissiō with arguments out of Gods worde which are published and thinke they vnaunswered write neuer so manie so long as Master Cartwrights second Replie remaineth vnconfuted but also haue the suffrages of reformed Churches Scottish Dutch and French round about vs which haue abandoned such ceremonies Yea by the obseruation of some Popish though politike there be fewe Protestantes in Englande besides such as depende vpon ecclesiasticall dignities which are not puritans that is such as desire to haue the Church throughly reformed As for cōtemptuous wilfulnes Their not inveying against ceremonies reteyned their brotherlie conversation with other of contrarie iudgement concerning them their patient enduring extremities for such omission their silence when they are suspended and mainteining the vnitie of our church these ceremonies and great affliction for them notwithstandinge besides the said arguments which testify their omission to be meerelie of cōscience doe sufficientlie cleare them of contempt and wilfulnes THIRDLY It may seme to them indeed no great Lawyers a quere Whether their so greeuous punishmentes be iustifyable by the statute which punisheth such as refuse to vse the forme prescribed for Prayers Sacramentes or obstinatelie vse anie other either forme or ceremonie but provideth not against discreet omissiō of the ceremonie though the forme be obserued As for enforcing general subscription all men may see and say It is besides lawe For the ende of the onely Statute for subscription is to Keepe Papistes and other heretiques out of the Ministerie As is evident by these words of the preamble That the Churches of the Queenes Maiesties dominions may bee serued with Pastours of sounde religion Bee it enacted c. Againe the Statute requireth Subscriprion to the Articles of Religion and not to all but such as onely concerne the cōfession of the true Christian faith and the doctrine of the Sacramentes Yea that the exception of some Articles might be more manifest and for no other cause is this word onely inserted Lastlie the Bb. of Canterburie would not haue made a speciall article for the approuing of the booke of common Prayer c. by subscription if such subscription were by that Statute required Nowe further where there is no commaundement there is no transgression wher no transgression no punishment But wishing the tollerating of peaceable and proffitable Ministers and not the hurt of our Church-gounernours I forbeare to shewe what danger they may incurre by lawe who punish faithfull Ministers and loyall subiectes without law for refusing to subscribe further then lawe requireth notwitstanding they willinglie offer to subscribe so farre Onely this I saye

A TRIALL OF SVBSCRIPTION BY WAY OF A PREFACE VNTO CERTAINE SVBSCRIBERS AND Reasons for lesse rigour against non-subscribers Both modestly written that Neither should offend ESAY 44. 5. One shall say I am the Lordes another shalbee called by the name of Iaacob and another shall subscribe with his hande vnto the Lorde and name himselfe by the name of Israell 1599. To such Ministers of the Gospell as would seeme desirous of reformation and yet haue subscribed to the Arch-Bishop of Canterburie his Articles REVEREND Fathers The reasons following were writen as I am perswaded vpon occasion of that godlie wise and peaceable motion which was made in the last Parliament for convenient fauour to be shewed to godlie profitable Ministers touching subscription and vse of ceremonies Whether the author be a Minister or no or what he is I am not for my part any whit inquisitiue and doe wish That all they who doe loue peace and trueth would diligentlie and charitablie consider the reasons without hearkening after the reasoner Least they occasion trouble to him who seemeth to desire the good of our Church But whosoeuer he bee I presume on his patience to publish his labours For that in the iudgement of sundry wise and learned both Preachers other they be thought worthy for their pith and modestie such publication and may prooue through Gods blessing an happie meane somewhat to calme that tempest which too long hath tossed the little Arke of Christe his Church And therfore I hope that none will be offended if I help forward that good which no doubt the author intended If none Then why should I feare that any of you will be offended with mee And yet I knowe the weaknes of the flesh bee the spirit neuer so willing to doe well For the wisedome of the flesh which is enemitie against God will readilie suggest That these apologeticall reasons will cause you to be worse thought of except yee either disclaime your subscription or publickly iustifie the same with sound reasons from Gods worde One of which I pray God ye may haue grace to doe That sincere teachers of the same trueth may either bee conformable togither or seeke reformacion togither I will not preiudice your iudgement much lesse with Aquila presume to expound vnto Apollos the waye of God more perfectlie Yet seeing Apollos humbled himselfe to the informacion of a tentmaker I persuade my selfe That ministers of the Gospell will giue me leaue being none of the greatest clearks to seeke resolutiō of this my doubt For I freelie confesse That as yet I cannot see but that ye haue sinned againste the trueth by your conformitie Yet so That I reuerence you as Fathers for your worke sake and regard you as brethren for your profession sake your sinne of conformitie if it be a sinn notwithstanding For we are taught to consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and good workes and not to forsake the fellowshippe which we haue among our selues as the manner of some is The groundes if I may so speake of my doubting be two First The euidence so seeming to mee of certaine scriptures Secondlie The weaknesse in my poore opinion of your excuses I meane not to quote manie places for my purpose and I cannot knowe all you pretend for your selues I must and will therefore content my selfe with some fewe yet the most pregnant as I iudge of either From the former quoted in the margent I take occasion and I thinke vpon good ground to speake to your consciences in these wordes If woe be vnto them that speake good of euill and euill of good If hee that subscribeth should subscribe to the Lorde that is By subscription professe himselfe to bee the Lordes If hee that buildeth againe the things that he hath destroyed maketh him selfe a trespasser If they bee foolish that after they haue begunne in the Spirite that is insinceritie of the Gospell as the Reasoner speaketh would now bee made perfect by the flesh and if halting betweene two opinions deserue a iust reproofe Then I may admonish you as Fathers to make straight steppes vnto your feete least that which is halting bee turned out of the way For in the wisedome of the flesh you speake good by subscription of carnall rites whiche heretofore ye haue reprooued in the spirite and yet mislike in your best iudgemente So that yee build againe the thinges yee haue destroyed and seeme with some scandall to halt betweene two opinions But I pray you let vs enter with humble heartes into consideration of your excuses First It is auowed by some That they haue not subscribed simplie but with protestations and exceptions Though they be not recorded Which say they is not their fault And say I vnder correction The Bb. of Canterburie and his associates doe well in not recording such protestations and exceptions For If they require a lawfull and godlie subscription Why then should they blemish their proceedings with recorded protestations But Suppose their vrged subscription bee vnlawfull doe ye not perceiue How the not recording of protestations doeth checke the weakenesse of subscribers who by protestation doe solemnelie accuse their present subscription Trulie me thinkes you should either subscribe without protestation Or if you protest you should not subscribe For Is not this Protesting againste some thinges and Subscribing to all to halt betweene two wayes and to haue an heart and an hearte One hearte for the mouth and an other for the hande If the wisedome of wise mē shall perish when people come neere vnto God with their mouth and remooue their heart farre from him May not I aduise you to repent That yee haue suffered your mouth to increase the sinn of your hand and to take heede That yee say not before the Angell That it was with protestation For why should God be angry with your voyce destroy the worke of your handes o blessed is hee that condemneth not himselfe in that thing which he alloweth Other woulde iustisie themselues Because as they say It is not affirmed by their subscription That all thinges in the Bookes of Common prayer and of ordeyning Bishoppes Priests and Deacons be agreeable to the worde of God but onelie saide That those Bookes conteyne nothing contrarie to the worde of God I might appeale to your consciences Whether you thinke not some thinges in those Bookes to bee contrarie to Gods worde But in my conscience as I am yet perswaded This distinction cannot satisfie your conscience For If Christ doeth say He that is not with me is against mee May it not bee saide That whatsoeuer is not according to the word in Gods publike worship and seruice is contrarie to the same And the rather because Esay hath set it down for a rule If any speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them I pray ye consider That howsoeuer hee bee a good subiect who