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	send_v	son_n	30,173	5	6.6540	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01730	A plaine declaration that our Brownists be full Donatists by comparing them together from point to point out of the writings of Augustine. Also a replie to Master Greenwood touching read prayer, wherein his grosse ignorance is detected, which labouring to purge himselfe from former absurdities, doth plunge himselfe deeper into the mire. By George Gyffard minister of Gods word in Maldon.	Gifford, George, d. 1620.	1590 (1590)	STC 11862; ESTC S118453	101,969	166

carnall wisdome loding him and the faithfull with opprobrious titles It is to no purpose that I should answer againe with words but when men shall once see throughlie into the fowlnes and dangers of Brow●isme and what filthie geare they spread abroade they will th●nke it requisite and necessarie to call a spade a spade Donatisme must bee called Donatisme schisme must bee called schisme and heresies and fantasies must haue their due titles And now touching the defence he maketh it is nothing but certaine ragges which he peeceth together to couer his nakednes which also must be plucked from him It seemeth he doth trust to the ignorance or rashnes of some which either cannot or will not examine things aright God is a spirit to be worshipped in spirit I did do cōfesse y t this scripture doth cut downe all carnall worship as disagreeing from the nature of God therefore may most fitlie be alleaged against such as shall maintaine that the verie bodilie action in reading is the worship of God But it is friuolous to applie it against praying after a prescript forme seeing a man may vpon a booke pray reading or after a prescript forme with sighes and groanes which procéed of faith Master Greenewood termeth this a bodilie distinction Doubtles if it be a bodilie distinction to affirme that the verie bodilie action of reading a prayer is not the worship of God which we maintaine against the Papists in their lippe labour I knowe not what Master Greenwood will allowe to bee spirituall What manner of spirit is his But now that he will put away all my distinctions by his affirming still for those bee his wordes and what Euen the whole matter in question betweene vs who cannot see what a valiant champion he is for how falselie he saith he hath prooued shall appeare Then hauing stoutlie affirmed that which is in question he saith and yet say you to applie this scripture thus against read prayer is friuolous How commeth in this word yet Doth it follow that I do not well in saying so notwithstanding you affirme the contrarie but you haue a reason of great force which is in these words I appeale to all mens consciences for the waight thereof Shall the consciences of all men bee made iudge whether that scripture bee rightlie applied Nay I appeale from the consciences of the Brownists Now in the next words where I affirmed that a man may pray by the Spirite of GOD with sighes and groanes vpon a booke or when he prayeth after a prescript forme and therefore the application of that scripture is friuolous his shiftes are as slender For touching this clause that I say or after a prescript forme he saith I goe about to alter the question at the first steppe For as much as all our prayers ought to be vttered after a prescript forme euen that perfect rule and forme our Sauiour gaue to his disciples and all posterities A great peece of work By vttering after a prescript forme I meane when a man hath learned a prayer eyther of the scripture or framed from thence and can vtter it without the booke as it is written And whereas it can not be denied but that many do pray feruentlie with sighes and grones and teares which reade the prayer vpon the booke or haue it as we vse to say by hart He answereth that I begge the question If a man do proue the cause by the effects which I doe heere it is no begging of the question but a firme proofe Where any thing is burnt there hath beene fire Where there be sighes and grones in prayer with inward comfort there is faith there is Gods spirit but these are in some that reade their prayers vpon the booke or vse prescript forme Maister Greenewood thinketh he hath disputed subtillie and couered himselfe when he can say ye alter the question ye begge the question ye assume the question Nowe touching the defence of his reasons he brought If those sighes and grones saith he were of faith that would minister matter of prayer without a booke This reason as I sayd is by connection drawne from the force and effect of faith and to make it strong and good I said these two things must be added y t faith needeth no outward helpe to minister matter of prayer and that it can not stande or be ioyned with any outward helpes which I said are both hereticall He saith he will lay the wordes againe before me if peraduenture I may haue grace to call my selfe backe I looke vpon them againe and although I did not two yeares as you vainely imagine nor yet two daies consider of that one saying yet can I not call my selfe back vnlesse I be conuinced with the light of truth and that ye say I shal be and will so confirme your sayings by scriptures that no peruerted spirit shal be able to gainesay or resist If the sighes and grones were of faith that would minister matter without a booke for the scripture ye affirme teacheth euerie where that in praying the spirit onely helpeth our infirmities no other helpes mentioned or can be collected in the present action of praier through the scripture He hath sēt into our harts the spirit of his sonne crying Abba father wee beleeue therefore we speake From hence now Maister Greenewood concludeth that I haue erred and from an idle braine godles heart haue coined those heresies because I constraine the proposition of the present action in praying vnto a generall sentence of all times and actions This is the summe of your answere that before prayer there neede helpes and outward meanes but in the present action of prayer onely the spirit doth helpe let vs see howe true this is and how it dooth excuse yee from those hereticall opinions which ye goe about to wipe away with this distinction First whereas yee say that in the verie time and action of prayer it is the spirit alone without any outward means because the scripture saith God hath sent into our heartes the spirit of his sonne crying abba Father I answere that howsoeuer the scripture doth extoll or magnifie outwarde helpes and meanes yet when they are compared with God which worketh all in all by them or when the scripture will set foorth the efficacie and worke to be his alone they are either not mētioned or else if they be mētioned so cast down as if they were nothing God buildeth his Church by the ministerie of men yet he saith Paule planteth Appollo watereth but God giueth y e increase So that neither he which plāteth is any thing nor he that watreth but God that giueth the increase 1. Co. 3. And therfore to gather frō those sentences of scripture where the spirit of God is only mentioned to work praier because the work is his alone y t there neede or there may be no outward helps or meanes in the verie instant and action of praying is farre awrie For I would haue master

y e Minister knowe what is in euery man doth he know euerie man womans particular wants He is to make the praier in which they are al to ioyne w t him in euerie request that he maketh Or is your meaning y t euerie man and woman shall come vnto him before euerie assemblie and make their state knowne what their seuerall neede is Or can the Minister beare in minde when he hath heard Ye may see into what absurdities blind fantasie doth cast men Men are to pray for nothing but that which they feele the want of and are prepared to aske are fit to receiue For these saith the Brownists there can be no set forme And I demaund whether the preacher doth know euery mans féeling how they are prepared how fit to receiue Will ye affirme this or will ye confesse that these grosse fantasies which yet you will father vpon Gods spirit doo quite ouerthrowe all publike prayer For if it bee sinne for any to pray for more than he commeth with the present feeling off if in the multitude the desires are seuerall if it bee vnpossible for the Minister to knowe them and how the hearts bee prepared and affected how shall he make prayer for them all how shall they all ioyne with him in euerie request How much better is it to confesse that the most things which all are to pray for and at all times are inuariable and that men come not only to pray for that which they feele their neede in but also to be stirred vp to pray for such things as either they thinke not of or be dull in I must needes here lament the state of our people which professe the Gospell and cannot espie the grossenesse of these thinges When the assemblies doo méet and holie petitions are made which men haue heard at euery meeting they ought to bee as feruent in praying as the first time they heard them For it is a grosse wickednes in men not to bee mooued with matter because they haue often heard it but accompt it stale as we see mans minde coueteth stil that which is newe If men haue not feeling it is their fault Touching the faults in any Leiturgie the question is not betweene vs which reason what should be That wh●ch I spake of the preachers not limitted in their praiers I meane the prayers before and after their Sermons which they conceiue That our Sauiour prescribed no forme I shewed the reason that it is not a thing of necessitie but to auoide inconuenience neither are men tied to one forme in all churches Against this the Brownist replying biddeth me stand to this and saith I will goe from it in the next argument I say all the Brownists vnder heauen shall neuer be able with force of reason to driue me from it He first opposeth that if I say it be at all times necessarie then the Testament is not perfect How can I say it is at all times necessarie when I say it is not of necessitie Christs Testament is most absolutelie perfect but yet all things touching comelines order and conueniencie which are variable and may bee changed are not expresselie mentioned And that is one chiefe thing whereby the Brownists doo seduce many a simple man For this Brownist doth confesse that there bee things contained in the generall rules of the Scripture which are not expressed but he will not haue any of those things variable that is such as may be for good cause altered For thus he reasoneth I it bee a part of Gods worship and all times conuenient then is it necessarie and if it be not necessarie put saith he such conueniencie in your cornered cappe or surplesse And a little after but you graunt saith he it is not of necessitie therefore it is not commanded in particular nor conteined in any generall rule Thus may we see that he holdeth there is nothing in matters of conuenience or circumstance in Gods worship which is not of necessitie The ground of his reason is this If it be either expressed in particular or contained in any generall rule it is commaunded of GOD and man hath not authoritie to alter Gods commandement therefore it is necessarie I grant that matters of conueniencie are commaunded of GOD by the generall rules and that men may not take authoritie ouer Gods commandement I say therefore the Church doth sinne either of ignorance or of negligence when it faileth in matters of circumstance which should serue for edification But herein the Brownist sheweth himselfe most absurdly ignorant that he will haue that which is commanded to be of necessitie at all times For that he may not winde out here with shift as his manner is when any grosse thing vttered by him is detected Let the reader obserue his words and he shall sée plainly he reasoneth for a necessitie at all times For he saith If it be a part of Gods worship and at all times conuenient then is it necessarie And to manifest that he holdeth it all times conuenient saying if it be not necessarie put such conueniencie into your cornered cappe And againe hée ioyneth commanded in Gods word and necessarie at all times together And a little after he saith Whatsoeuer is commanded either in particular or in necessarie collection from the generall rules are of necessitie to be obeyed and not to be altered This I note to stop his euasion for many matters of circumstance seruing for conueniencie and order are fit at some times in some places and for some persons and so by the commaundement of GOD then to be vsed who willeth that all things be done comelie in order and to edification Now as the times do varie with the circumstances of place of persons and of other occasions the same things which were conuenient may become inconuenient and so not necessarie at all times as the blinde Brownist dooth beare in hand but to be altered As for example in the time of peace it is most conuenient that the assemblies should meete in some Temple or Church built for the purpose the Church is then to ordeine that it may bee so In the times of warre and cruell persecution when the enemies raunge about and rage it may bee farre more safe for feare of intrapping to meete in the woods or secret places Kneeling is the fittest gesture of the bodie when men in earnest prayer are to worship the Lord the Church is to commaund it where it may fitlie be done but if the assemblies be driuen to meet in such places as the ground being wet and through the trampling of their feete doth become myrie it is inconuenient that the multitude should bee compelled to kneele in the myre and therefore the former ordinance is now changed I might runne through a number of particulars but these are sufficient to declare what a learned Deuine master Greenwood is and how perfect a spirit doth guide his penne He demandeth also full wisely whether wee doo not hold