Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ghost_n	holy_a	john_n	17,081	5	6.2026	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91895	Endoxa, or, Some probable inquiries into truth, both divine and humane: together with a stone to the altar: or, short disquisitions on a few difficult places of Scripture; as also, a calm ventilation of Pseudo-doxia epidemica. / By John Robinson, Dr. of Physick. Translated and augmented by the author.; Endoxa. English	Robinson, John, M.D.	1658 (1658)	Wing R1700; Thomason E1821_1; ESTC R203377	61,732	159

converted by the word translated which besides the various readings of the Originals is not wholly intrinsecally undoubtedly and meerly true I shall point at a few reasons 1. God in writing his holy Will would not give us bare husks of words but by them the solid kernel of his intended minde Neh. 8. 8. doth teach that what by right reason can be concluded from authority of Scripture is Scripture though no text we being endued with reason as well as the Beroeaus who for examining the truth in its self authentick were honoured with the Title of Nobility 2. The Holy Ghost frequently varieth the Text in quoting the Septuagint only keeping to the meaning of the Spirit 3. If private meetings be satisfactory then are all admonitions censures c. frustrated Mat. 24. 26. 4. Every first day of the week when ye are met together lay aside for the poor The objection which the Antisynusians make that this precept was but transient to last but for a while Christ meeteth withall Iohn 12. 8. That the poor therefore Deacons will be perpetuated 5. We may not withdraw from publick assemblies Heb. 10. 25. 6. Faith cometh by hearing By Hearing is meant any way of attaining knowledge and so is Reading Object If by hearing here be understood reading Answ I marvel what construction they will make of the subsequent words they must be sent and how this sending is competent unto books I cannot understand Reading I grant is an informing and perfecting of the understanding but that the will and affections the main wheels in faith are thereby as well as by a lively voice drawn into consent I utterly deny And because the clock of our love by the weight of our terrestrialls runneth down from God continually we need every day by the cords of our affections a new winding up of former truths Against these premised things there is a Object great and general Objection That the externall form of words in preaching praying the dayes and places instituted for fasting and thanksgiving with other circumstances are not distinctly set down in holy Scripture but may in a prudentiall way according to the exigence of occasions or persons be changed In the Worship of God two things are to Answ be considered The Substance and the necessary intervening Adjuncts That the word of God must be preached the Sacraments administred in time of danger Gods help must be implored after deliverances praises must be returned is an institution of God and so a law unalterable The intermixed adjuncts crowding into all our actions are naturall and no part of Gods worship The manner of expression the time is no more then the place nor the publick either time or place more than a private whiles I am with God in my closet-approaches or Family-duties they being such Circumstances without which nothing can be done A naturall necessity of adjuncts will follow without the spurre of a command nor need any curb of restraint If there be any holiness in them it is for the works sake and so but Relative The difference is worth observing when the work is done for the dayes sake or the day is used for the works sake If the Circumstance be determined by God it becommeth ☜ a necessary part of his worship which no man can extort out of his hand it being a Prerogative Royall belonging only to him to make any time place or person holy Besides because these circumstances are fortuitous they do overturn and interrupt the Celebration of anniversary-dayes many times to our long-prefixed humiliation a suddain victory will run counter and unexpected calamities will quench the feudejoy of a long-fore-set gratulation But these accidents being various we must from a general rule draw forth the particulars All God's dispensations are books of his appointment which we may and must read though in them there be many hard lessons But to erect and keep any thing for a holy use upon the authority of our own complacency is to build too near the banks of Superstition Neither do I mean by holinesse a sanctified use as many cavil for so is meat and drink but separated unto an holy end The Sabbath is excepted which give leave to a small digression being first instituted in relation to Christ Psal 118. 22 23 24. was an ordinance of grace and not of nature nor competent to Adam in innocency and is Geo. Walker of the Sabbath holy for it self sake though no body in the world should keep it Let it be no hinderance to the truth of these words that but little mention was made of it before the Law written in stones either in Marah or Alush No more there is of other long-lived Laws as that a man should marry his Brothers widdow or that whoredome should be punished with death and the like which easily might be proved to be in force before I speak of a civil Law under which rank these fore-mentioned do march not of the moral Law engraven in the heart of all mankinde They object further Many things are adiaphorous Object and indifferent the choice whereof is within the command of our will By what is said may be concluded that in Answ Gods worship there is nothing indifferent In natural things most actions do contemn the voice of our command To speak with the Schools I adde more presly Though in actu signato there may be yet that there is no indifferency in actu exercito I remember to have read with full satisfaction But to close more near Besides the Vniversall Church dispersed here on earth God hath appointed some particular Congregations to joyn into bodies for their mutuall edification which challenge right to all the ordinances left by Christ and his Apostles as is the receiving in building up casting out which actions not being competent to the Universall do justly descend to the Ministeriall Universalibus non competunt personalia or Oeconomicall Churches whose duty it is to see their inheritance not to lay waste The Antisynagogians do object that there Object is no crime in the Church which the Christian Magistrate is not to take notice of This title I understand in division not in a Answ conjunction Nor a Christian Physician or Mathemematician to prescribe pious rules of Health or Angels Morality not faith is requisite in a Prince Caesar was as essentiall and integrall an Emperour as was Joshua But what if he fall into scandalous errors or practises by what meanes shall he be moved or removed not as a Magistrate but as a commensall and fellow-commoner with the faithfull what if he neglect his duty shall all run to wrack Were there not in the Apostles and latter times Churches for their piety and purity as famous as ever But power being granted abilities for discerning heresies accomplishments for publick and private duties are neither allotted nor required in a civil power quà talis That sentence which goeth cheek by jowle

are conferred upon the place as glory holinesse c. These titles did indeed in some measure and for a certain time befit the Temple at Jerusalem because this sole place God had assigned for his solemn Worship But the Vaile being rent any place of service so it were in truth and spirit was agreeable unto him John 4. which hath of late made a just distinction between a meeting Templum quod teneat populum people and house But to the thing There being several opinions concerning a Church both ancient and modern I will endeavour what may be to build upon such general concessa drawn from Sacred page or reason as whereby the truth may be most manifest That God had a Church that is a selected company out of the World from Cain's time shall have unto the end is undeniable among all professing Christianity First in Families as in Noah Melchizedeck Abraham afterward in the Nation of the Iews and now under the Gospel dispersed throughout the face of the earth This Church as it is taken for an Universall Congregatum or Collective are all the believers past present and in some sense to come The Jews Gods elder daughter did not disdain to call the Church of the Gentiles their younger Sister though without breasts i. e. the sincere milk of the Word yea yet unborn Cant. 8. 8. This may be called as vulgarly it is the Universall or Catholick Church out of For which who prayeth prayeth for the dead which there is no salvation And of this many have been and are amongst the Pagaus Turks and remotest Hereticks saved by a way unknown to us as little Children are said to believe Math. 18. 6. i. e. onely passively having the root though not the form These hidden things are beyond the reach of any Ecclesiastical Consistory But that there are particular Churches and joyned into bodyes is past all controversie Now that the way of gathering of them as well as ruling is in a determinate manner unalterably set down either in the heart of man which none can averre or in the holy word by God himself let them especially look to this who urge an uniforme discipline upon all Churches might be gathered thus A Prince demanding obedience of his Subjects must needs set down positive Laws unalterable but by himself and not leave it to their prudentiall change Where When and How to obey This is a clear dictate of reason which God doth not ordinarily contradict Thus did Adam Noah Abraham before the written-Scripture teach their Families by the primmer of divine Traditions Not that every one by Enthusiasm was immediately inspired the teaching of their Children else had been frustraneous which God and Nature abhorreth Afterward God himself gave Moses a perfect pattern of every particular thing in the Tabernacle even unto the smallest bagatello's from the which he might not warp an Inch which did bind the Children of Israel immutably unto the time of Salomon who likewise did not in the least deviate from the expresse command of God in the meanest punctillo Hereunto were the Iews obliged untill Christ's time And what the Pharisees did in the worship of God either omit adde or alter was listed among the traditions of men and so rejected as spurious And is it reason that after Christs comming it should be left to prudence of man either Prince or Church to vary any way of worship of God according to the mutability of their own discretion The whole stream of both Testaments run irresistably this way God menaceth judgments to the Iews because their fear towards him was taught by the precepts of men Isa 29. 13. And the Temple speaking of Christian Churches is exactly measured by John Revel 11. which is far wide from any prudentiall way or which prudence importeth any alteration upon occurrences Moreover the Author to the Hebrews doth expresly teach the faithfulnesse of Christ as a Son above Moses as a Servant in setting down every particular concerning the ordering of his House which is the Church which no earthly power can or ought to change or silence the publishing of it but every one is bound faithfully to submit unto and in his place to divulge He is bound I mean in foro divino That God did at any time change the externall garbe of his Church was no mark of unadvisednesse in the Guardian but of weaknesse in his Ward He would in the twi-light and morning of the Gospel have his orphane put on her night-attire that the Sun being risen she might wear her Nuptiall Garment untill it with all outward services do set for ever What Politicians distinguish between Law and Counsell is granted between man and man but the introduction of this distinction into divinity doth look with the face of an encroachment For to despise either of these is sin and that is the breach of the Law The reason is clear because all his Commandements aime at our good and all his counsels are unquestionably profitable for us none of which quadrateth with those of men That Christ Mark 10. doth bid the young man sell all must not be taken in an absolute sense for a positive command or standing rule to him or any others but by way of probation If these things be true give a Testimony the selling of all thy goods To wade a little further the causes of a Church as being known I do but mention The Efficient God out of his love through the word and spirit perswading mens hearts to believe in his Son The Materiall are all the Saints and members of his mysticall body The Pormal Union with him and one with another The Final his own honour their revesting themselves into the formet or rather better image of Himself the edifying one another and their mutuall eternall blisse Now the way of gathering and rule of governing is the same namely the preaching of Ex quibus constamus iisdem nutrimur the word of God But because the manner of divulging the Gospel is by some of our age controverted and they would have nothing to be the word of God but the very text of the Old and New Testament because say they a concionatory way is not wholly intrinsecally undoubtedly and meerly true driving rather to content themselves with a private conclave worship by reading of the sole Scripture as it is and layeth than to be present at an assembly publickly serving God In a body Politick it is no wise to be tollerated much lesse in any Ecclesiasticall corporation that without mutuall help whilst every one sets up for himself the externall invasion of publick adversaries or the domestick pruning of rotten branches should be neglected Of these I desire first to ask one questiou Whether the Word in its original not being understood be able to convert souls Or Whether all to be converted must be masters of the Hebrew and Greek Languages Which both seem absurdities Or which necessarily must follow they must be