Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A89813
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The plain mans defence against popery: or, A discourse, shewing the flat opposition of popery to the Scripture. By J.N. chaplain to a person of honour
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J. N.
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1675
(1675)
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Wing N22; ESTC R9788
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31,034
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79
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Gods Jer. 2.11 Note the Heathens did excuse their Idolatry with the same distinctions as the Papists now make use of so they did not worship their Images as God but God by Images This appears by the Testimony of many ancient Fathers especially Arnobius Lactantius Augustine Chrysostome in many places 20. Q. What reasons are given in Scripture against the religious adoration of Images and worshipping of God by Images A. I the Lord thy God am a jealous God Com. 2. God is a Spirit they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth John 4.24 To whom will ye liken God to what likeness will ye compare him he fitteth upon the circle of the Earth the Inhabitants thereof are as Grasboppers before him c. Isa 40.18 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you Deut. 4.2 Rom. 1.23 Note Gods glorious and incomprehensible nature cannot be represented to men by any Image but in a way of infinite disparagement to him Note All Popish Images are lyes their Images of God of the blessed Trinity of Christ for he is both God and man and cannot be truly represented and surely it is greatly unbecoming the glory of the Saints in Heaven to set them up in dul and senseless Images The Popish pictures and Images of Christs body are lyes for from whence should they have his true Effigies There being no Images or Pictures made of his body until many hundred years after his death and the Pictures of his body that they now have in several places are not alike in shape lineaments or colour Note Some of the most learned Papists affirm that no Image is to be worshipped properly with that worship which the thing represented is worshipped by for that is Idolatry other Papists no less learned say if an inferiour worship be given to the Image distinct from that which is given to the thing represented it is Idolatry so that which way soever you take you are guilty of Idolatry by their own confession 21. Q. Is the Toleration of Idolatry lawful A. Whosoever will not do the law of thy God and the Law of the King let judgment be executed speedily upon him Ezr. 7.26 If any entice thee secretly saying let us go serve other Gods thou shalt not conceal him Deut. 13.6 Josiah took away all the Abominations and made all in Israel to serve the Lord their God 2 Chron. 34.33 They enterd into a Covenant that whosoever would not seek the Lord God should be put to death 2 Chro. 15.13 Asa cut down her Idol and burnt it 2 Chron. 15.16 Thou sufferest Jezabel to seduce my servants Rev. 2.20 If thou do that which is evil be afraid he beareth not the sword in vain Rom. 13.14 I have something against thee because thou hast them that hold the doctrine of Balaam Rev. 2.20 Note The ancient Fathers observe that false Religions tolerated have a power to kill true Christianity in the Church and that this was the design of Julian the Apostate and valens the Arian in tolerating all Idolaters and Hereticks Note The Papists speak for toleration where themselves are under Hatches yet when they come to sit at Stern they judge and practise quite contrary witness the dayes of Queen Mary Note The Tares to be let alone Mat. 13.30 Signifie not Idolaters obstinate Hereticks for these are Briars and Thorns but such kind of evil persons as are like unto the good and come very near the truth as Tares do to the Wheat and so near that good men may be taken with them again let them alone may be a word of permission by way of providence God in his providence will permit some or other Tares ever to be in his Church not a word of precept by way of Ordinance Note No man is to be persecuted at all because all persecution is for righteousness sake 2. None is to be punished for his Conscience sake though erroneous unless his errours be fundamental or seditiously promoted and tend to destroy the souls of Gods people 22. Q. Is the Toleration of Popish Idolatry more perillous than of any other in regard of the civil peace and spiritual danger it being a mystery of iniquity and poyson in a golden Cup A. The mystery of iniquity doth already work 2 Thes 2.7 She had a golden Cup full of Abominations Rev. 17.4 Note Popish principles are utterly inconsistent with Government Their Councils Decretals and the books of their Divines teach that the Pope may depose Kings and Emperours transfer Kingdoms from one line to another absolve subjects from oaths of Alleigance that a King excommunicated may be killed by any one The Papists have murthered 4 or 5 Kings in this Realm since the Conquest that they are now quiet it is because they are not strong enough to carry a Rebellion Note The Papists pretend they are punished for serving God according to their Consciences but this plea is easily answered for 1. Treason is Treason though men think they are bound in Conscience to commit it one main point of the Popish Religion is Treasonable in it self and tends to destroy all evil Government and that is the Popes supream Authority and jurisdiction 2. The Papists have suffered for plain and evident Treasons and those Treasons were the occasions of making severe Laws à gainst them 3. The civil Government is bound to defend and maintain the true Religion and the publick peace and therefore may and ought to punish and suppress those persons that by any wilfull actions go about to destroy or disturb the true Religion or publick peace though such persons think themselves bound in conscience to do what they do 23. Q. Are there works of Supererogation can any do more than God requires or do all men in this life fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do A. When you have done all say we are unprofitable servants Luk. 17.10 How should a man be just with God if he will contend with him â—ob 9.2.3 Note The Papists distinguish between Commands and Evangelical Councils the doing of the former they account necessary to salvation the doing of the latter highly meritorious for that a man is not bound to do such things But this is repugnant to the Scripture which makes all Divine Councils to be commands Note The pride of Popery they teach that works of Supererogation are more noble and excellent than those of Gods Law Note There is much poyson in this Popish Doctrine 1. Hereby they debase the Law of God 2. Pretend to do all yea more then that the Law requires 3. Insinuate that by works of Supererogation they can help others 4. Affirm that their Monks and Fryars abound in these works c. And so shall have greater glory in Heaven and may satisfie for the sins of others viz. By their vow of single life of regular obedience c. 24. Q. Can any one in this life perfectly fulfill the Law of God did ever any man
contrary to Scripture 10. Q. Hath every Christian liberty and power to examine and judge of things belonging to faith and salvation of the true sense of the Scripture or is he bound absolutely to submit his judgment to Ecclesiastical Judges and to receive their doctrine without Examination A. I speak as to wise men judge ye what I say 1 Cor. 10.15 Try the Spirits whether they be of God 1 John 4.1 The spiritual man judgeth all things 1 Cor 2.15 Take beed of false Prophets Matth. 7.15 Not that we have Dominion over your faith 2 Cor. 1.24 Try all things 1 Thes 5.21 Note The Church of Rome deals with people as the Philistins with Sampson when they put out his eyes they have no hope that Christian people will receive their doctrine if they be not first blinded and the light of their reason and judgment taken away they are not ashamed to affirm 1. That private Christians must receive the doctrine of the Church without examination 2. That they do not offend God nor are blameable for holding any errour or heresie or committing any sin if by so doing they follow the Doctrine of their Pastors and Spiritual Guides 11. Q. Are the Books commonly called Apocrypha any part of the holy Scripture or were all the Books of Divine Scripture written by the Prophets and Apostles or by other Apostolick men allowed by the Apostles and do the Divine Scripture contain nothing but truth by reason of the immediate assistance of the holy Ghost afforded to the Pen-men of them A. Thy word is truth John 17.17 The Scriptures of the Prophets Rom. 16.26 Ye are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Eph. 2.20 Note The Apocrypha may not be received as Scripture for 1. The Apochryphal books were not received by the Jewish Church as Divine Scripture yet to them were committed all the Scriptures of the Old Testament Rom. 3.2 2. The Apocrypha was written after Malachie the last Prophet so that they could not be written by any of the Prophets and it is evident they were not written by any of the Apostles the Prophet swrote in Hebrew and did prophesie of Christ but these books were not written in Hebrew nor do they propose any Testimony or prophesie of Christ whereas all the Prophets speak of Christ Luke 14.27 Act. 10.13 3. The Apocrypha Books were not received as Divine Scripture by the primitive Christian Church as the ancient Fathers plainly testifie 4. These books are not cited and quoted by Christ and the Apostles as the books of the Old Testament are frequently 5. These books contain some things erroneous false superstitious and contradictious both to the Scripture and to themselves see Tob. 5.12 Tob. 6.7 Tob. 9.2 judith 9.2 Bar. 6.3 Ecclesiast 46.20 2 Maccab. 14.42 c. 2 Maccab. 12.9 2 Maccab. 12.42 43. c. Note Some of the Apocrypha the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners but it doth not apply them to establish any Doctrine 12. Q. Is the corruption of nature it self and all the motions of it truly and properly sin even in those who are regenerated hath concupiscence and lust of it self the nature of sin though a man doth not consent to act and fulfill it A. I had not known sin but by the Law I had not known lust except the law had said thou shalt not Covet Rom. 7.7 With the mind I serve the Law of God with the flesh the law of sin Rom. 7.25 Lust is not of the Father 1 John 2.16 The flesh lusteth against the Spirit c. Gal. 5.17 Note The Apostle in Rom 7. more than once calls concupiscence or lust sin and that not only because it is from sin and inclines to it but also because it is contrary to the law of the mind and lusteth against the spirit in which thing the true nature of sin doth consist viz. in non-conformity to the Law of God Note If concupiscence were only the punishment of sin St. John would not have said that it is not of the Father for from him is the punishment of sin Note The motions of the mind to evil are of three sorts 1. Such as are rejected as soon as they arise 2. Such as remain a while and tickle and affect the Soul with some delight 3. Such as both tickle the mind with pleasure and a man doth resolve to put them into practise There is no controversie about the first or third sort but the dispute is about the second sort which indeed are forbidden in the tenth Commandement for what else can it forbid for motions of the first sort are not sinful and motions of the third cause are forbidden in the other Commandements as is evident by our Saviours exposition in Matt. 5. Note The Papists deny concupiscence and the lusts thereof to be sin because otherwise their other errours are not defensible their doctrines of merits of perfection of superrogation yea they are so blasphemous as to say that concupiscence and the lusts thereof are so far from defiling the Soul that they make the operations of it more meritorious and if so then our actions are more meritorious than the actions of our Saviour Christ who had no manner of corruption or lust in him to wrestle or strive against the will of God 13. Q. Are some sins Venial that is so small that they do not deserve or bind over to the wrath and curse of God and everlasting death A. Cursed is every one that doth not continue in all things written in the Law Gal. 3.10 Whosoever shall keep the whole law and offend in one point he is guilty of all Jam. 2.10 The wages of sin is death and the gift of God eternal life Rom. 6.23 so Rom. 6.16 Note The Apostle saith all sin deserveth death that is everlasting as appears by the opposition of life everlasting which the Apostle joyneth in the same verse Note without this filthy distinction of sins venial and mortal the Popish doctrine of a regenerate mans perfect keeping the whole law and so meriting a heaven falls to the ground and it is the less wonder that some debauched persons turn Papists when they precisely mention drunkenness as one in their Catalogue of veinal sins Note The ground of this Popish mistake about sins venial is that they take the measures of sin from the Act which is finite and not from the Object which is infinite so God offended by it Now this must needs be a false rule for so no sin would deserve infinite punishment but all sins would be venial for all sin is finite in it self and yet becomes infinite in merit because it is committed against an infinite God 14. Q. Must we disavow all communion with and separate from the Church of Rome in their Idolatrous worship or is Idolatry a sin not so heinous but that it may stand with the fellowship a Christian ought to have both with Christ the Head and with his