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	scripture_n	word_n	5,665	5	4.3306	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37399	A declaration on the behalf of the Church of Christ usually meeting in Coleman-street, in communion with Mr.John Goodwyn, against the late insurrection made in the City of London.	Pryor, Richard, fl. 1660.	1660 (1660)	Wing D777C; ESTC R213507	3,809	8

A DECLARATION On the behalf of the Church of Christ Usually meeting in Coleman-street in Communion with Mr. John Goodwyn against the late INSURRECTION Made in the City of LONDON Acts 26.1 Then Agrippa said Thou art permitted to speak for thy self Gen. 18.23 25. Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked That be far from thee shall not the judge of all the earth do right Rom. 13.3 For Rulers are not a terrour unto good works but to the evil LONDON Printed and are to be sold in Fleet-street 1660. A DECLARATION On the behalf of the Church of Christ usually meeting in Coleman-street in Communion with c. AS the notion is not more common then true that nothing ought to be dearer to a man then his reputation and he who hath out-lived his credit and honour amongst sober and judicious men may seem to have out-lived himself and hath little or nothing of any value more to lose And because nothing can be of worse resentment and reception amidst the publick endeavours to restore the peace and unity of the Nation then discords animosities tumults and insurrections we finding our innocency in the late disorders nor to be our full security and just protection in this kind are constrained to give an account of our selves in relation to those high misdemeanours and to make this our Declaration to the world We cannot but wonder what should bring us so much as into suspicion of being countenancing favouring abetting or any way accessary to the late extravagant and bloody attempt unlesse it were that meeting sometimes under the same roof we come meerly upon this account to be entitled to the same transgression wherewith notwithstanding in reason we can no more be charged then a man of one family might be with murder committed by a person of another only for that both of them were lodged under the same roof We have a record within us how zealous we have been from time to time against all such destructive principles as tending to the very ruine of the essence and being of all rule and Magistracy which we have alwayes looked upon and sought to uphold as the useful and necessary Ordinance of God and have endeavoured what in us lies to abate that unnatural heat and regulate that ill-nurtured zeal which in some men like Nebuchadnezzars furnace continually evaporated smoak and fire and this we did as became us out of the sence of our duty for their sake and for our own and for the sake of Religion and the peace of the Kingdom As for that strange and unparalleld act of turning their oratory into a Magazine and their prayers and tears the spiritual armour of a Christian into swords and helmets and under the pretence of Religion and the advancement of the honour and kingdome of Jesus after an hostile manner to enter the City force the guards and kill his Majesties good subjects doing their duty in keeping the peace we cannot sufficiently declare our utter dislike and deep detestation of such things neither will posterity believe that attempts of this nature could ever be made by true English men by fellow Citizens least of all by Christians professing the fear of God and faith of the Gospel For the Principles leading the late Actors to this sad Tragedy 1. We concurre with them in the common faith and general expectation of Christs coming again to the earth he is not removed from us for ever he is gone cum animo revertendi with a purpose to return to us again at his appointed time He is that Noble man mentioned in the Gospel Luke 19.12 Who is gone into a far Country to receive for himself a Kingdome and to return But to think to accelerate and hasten his coming by force and violence or precisely to limit his time and fix him a day either in his person or in his power for the erecting for himself a Throne here is the insolency and immodest presumption of some mens spirits yea and is not only irrational impious and absurd but as very many learned and sober men conceive contrary to the very letter of the Scriptures and expresse words of our Saviour Matth. 24.36 Of that day and hour knoweth no man no not the Angels of heaven but my father only And we wonder the rather at those who being Predestinarians in their opinions and holding all things to succeed by the secret force of an irresistable Decree should thus immaturo fato preposterously anticipate the heavenly determination which in due time of absolute necessity must have taken effect unlesse they thought themselves particularly decreed and designed ab eternò to this miserable enterprise 2. We enter our just protestation against their unchristian and unman-like principle after the custome of Mahomet to propagate Religion by the sword The Gospel we own and profess is not Evangelium armatum an armed Gospel the weapons of that warfare wherein we serve as Christians are not carnal but spiritual The Scriptures Reasons and Arguments are those offensive and defensive armes that we have taken up in the quarrel of Religion and with which and no other we seek to defend propagate and maintain it If it were their principle to reduce men to the obedience of Christ in a way lesse mild rational and convictive we assure the world it is none of ours And though we have made our selves enemies to them and many of our brethren in the Nation by our denying all external force and compulsion in matters of Religion as judging it eccentrick and disagreeable both to the divine Wisdom and the rationall creature man yet we cannot but be still of that opinion and are the more fixt and settled therein by the late violent and irregulat attempts amongst us 3. And further we declare to all the world by this publick paper what yet we presume hath been enough evinced already in our manners and deportment that we are far from disowning the present Powers and Dominions of the earth and inparticular that of his Majesty utterly renouncing that principle whether appropriately Papal or by whomsoever owned or professed That all temporal power is founded in grace since the present Kingdome of Christ is not of this world and that the Rulers and Governours that be hold not in capite of Christ as head of the Church but as we humbly conceive of God the Father whose Deputies and Vicegerents they are He it is that pulleth down one and setteth up another as it is said He removeth Kings and setteth up Kings Dan. 2.21 For by the same reason they might null and make void the titles of the present Kings and Princes of the earth to their respective Crowns and dignities they might destroy the right interest and title of all wicked men quatenus wicked men to all their earthly inheritances and estates lawfully purchased or descended upon them from their Ancestors then which nothing could be more subversive of weal-publick pernicious to humane society and destructive of all

right and property in the world The Kingdome of Christ that now is being spiritual seeketh not to intermeddle by outward force or violence with the Kingdomes of the earth that are worldly and external neither indeed being duely and orderly mannaged and promoted can it so different are they in their natures and qualities one from another Besides we look upon and follow both in our principles and practice Christ and his Disciples as our best teaching examples who in the administration of this Kingdome did not detract from or deny obedience to those in power and authority our Saviour himself injoyning tribute to be paid unto Cesar and the Apostles pleading subjection to Nero notwithstanding they were such as yielded no obedience or subjection unto Christ in his Kingdome There is no reason then we should either in whole or in part suffer under a crime we never knew of much less consented unto or that we should in the least be thought concerned in the guilt of those persons since they themselves upon their strict examination did fully acquit us as knowing right well how averse and contrary both in our principles and practises we have alwayes been to them in all their violent procedures And though our own testimony concerning our selves goeth not farre either in Law or reason towards our full justification yet the credit and authority of our known Principles diametrically repugnant to practises of this nature in conjunction with our loyalty never yet stained with any impeaceable or tumultuous deportment under the civill government of these Kingdomes but constantly testified by our ready subjection to all its just demands promoting the interest honour and safety thereof according to our power and opportunity will we hope upon serious reflection and calme deliberation be our sufficient vindication For we are sure we are so far from being enemies to government the usuall charge brought in against the people of God that if we have fallen it hath rather been on the other hand by a constant and uninterrupted submission to all that are or have been set over us for conscience sake we little question but our moderation in this respect is knowne unto all those whose eyes have not been either coloured with prejudice or weakened by looking on us in our Christian fellowship at too great a distance And thus we justly seek to vindicate and clear our selves from the fears jealousies and suspitions of the late tumults without further censuring or stigmatizing those who have already satisfied the Law and are gone to give an account of their actions and to receive their finall and more definitive sentence To close up all We doe not much complain of that restraint that was laid upon our Christian liberties in the heat of action and perplexity of affairs whilst a perfect discrimination twixt the nocent and the innocent could not easily be made but now that time which discovers all things hath mace apparent who those offenders were and brought them to examplary punishment we hope the Kings Majesty will heare and distinguish twixt the good and the bad and restore us to our pristine liberty purchased by the blood of Christ and confirmed by his Majesties voluntary promise and unextorred Declaration imitating the Judge of all the World who mingleth not the innocent with the guilty neither punisheth the righteous with the wicked shall not the Judge and Ruler of the Nation doe right And though we have intermitted our weekly course of joynt prayers and supplications to the God of Heaven for our selves for the King and for all that are in Authority and for our Country and for the whole people of God untill we have made this our just vindication we hope to answer it the better another day to the father of spirits and the God of our communion since we have not forfeited our liberty by abusing it in any unworthy or unchristian deportment no not to the best of our knowledge so much as by a careless syllable or undue expression Signed on the behalfe of the Church by Richard Pryor John Weekes John Wightman George Backlar Joseph Huchinson Edw Addenbrook FINIS