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	know_v	16,529	5	4.2676	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61114	A short treatise concerning the lawfullnese of every mans exercising his gift as God shall call him thereunto by John Spencer.	Spencer, John, Groom.	1641 (1641)	Wing S4954; ESTC R10777	5,909	8

Saule sent messengers to take David and when they saw the company of the Prophets prophesing and Samuel standing as appointed over them the spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul and they prophesied all see in the 24 verse and he stript off his cloathes also and prophesied now none of these were Church-officers But they further object and say that these had an extraordinarie spirit given them and therefore might To this I answer that none had this extraordinary spirit but those that pened the Scriptures or that was able to worke Miracles But these It is aparent in the Acts and in these places had not such a Spirit as worked Miracles or that pened Scriptures And yet prophesied Againe to this I answere that such a Spirit as that they had Is promised to the people of God in our dayes in the second of the Acts and the 18. And one my servants and one my handmaids I will power out in those dayes of my spirit and they shall prophesie but to this promise some answere that it was made good in the Apostles times and we must not looke for the making good of this promise in our days To this I answere that in the Apostles times they were called the last times but if then they were the last dayes much more now And so may look for the fulfilling of this promise and we ought also to pray for the making good of it The second obiect is this for none unlesse he be skild in arts and tongues Is fit for the worke of the menistrie to this I answere that the scriptures doth plainely affirme that the true understanding of scripture comes not by humane learning by arts and tongues but by the spirit of God in the first Cor. 2. 12. 13. Now we have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the thinges that are freely given us of God which thinges we speake not with the words which mans wisdome teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth us comparing spirituall things with spirituall Secondly I answer that the naturall man cannot find out these things be he never so well qualified with all humane wisdome and learning In the first of Cor. 2. 14. But the naturall man perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually deserned in the first Chap. and the 20. ver. where is the wise where is the Scribe where is the disputer of this world hath not God made foolish the wisedome of this world Thirdly I answere that the want of furniture in skill and arts and tongues Shall not hinder any from this knowledg when the Lord is pleased in the holy meanes apointed to send forth his spirit with such illuminations infusions into the soule in the first of Cor. 2. 10. or the spirit searcheth all thinges ye the deepe things of God in the 15 vers. But he that is spirituall Iudgeth all things Fourthly I answere that God counts it his glory sometimes to hide this thing from the wise prudent and to reveale them unto babes and sucklings Such that are distitude of humane learning in arts and tongues which must needs be the meaning of that plase in the 11. of Matt. 25. Fiftly I answere that there is not onely grounds and principles of saving truths given to such that are distitude of humane learning and the like but to understand a Proverbe and the interpretations of words of the wise and there darke saying Proverbs 1. 6. 7. Psalme 25. 12. Lastly I answere that the Apostles desiring that others might understand these things prayeth to God for them not that God would give them skill in arts and tongues though it might be desired in those that want it But that God would give them the spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of his sonne Ephes. 1. 17. Thus you have the second obiect answered as God hath inabled me The third obiect is this that none ought to excercise these gifts in such a publike way but those that have a call to it To this I answere that all the call mentioned of in holy scriptures was the peoples great necessity and their great willingnesse to heare them and receive them And the aprobation of godly ministers and all this I have had for my call but if none might Preach the Gospell unlesse he had the consent of all None should preach amongst us that is for the 3. obiect The fourth obiect is this that it may happily be lawfull in a mans family but not in a Church I speake in the worlds language their reason is because one is publike and the other private And God hath given a private spirit and this is to private men to excercise privately with He hath also given a publike spirit and this is for publike persons which they call themselves for a publike use To this I answere that there is no members of the body of Iesus Christ But is of the same nature of the whole a publike member of a publike body and the spirit proceeding from the head to every member is one and the same spirit and his gifts of like nature publike gifts of a publike spirit for the good of the whole body And so in its place according to its measure to be used what ever gift it be that so though the members be many yet the body is but on every on member of the head and all members one of another and though the members have severall officies yet every member in the body hath some officie and usefull gift and that not for its owne profit alone or the profit of two or three members next it but for the good of the whole body God having so placed the members in the body that the chiefest cannot say to the meanest I have no need of you nor the meanest cannot also say to the chiefest I am not to care for you but every member to have the same care one of another though this care bee manifested diversly according to the severall officies they have in the body and the severall gifts given it for discharge of the same for though in respect of the Politie of Congregated bodies the more part are out of officie yet as we are all one body in Christ and members on of another their is never a member out of office and that for the service of the whole there are now more private Christians then private members of Christ neither in any other sense can they properly be called private Christians then they may also be called private members of Christ Seeing that in the whole booke of God we finde no such phrase as private Christian or private spirit Thus have I laboured as the Lord hath helped me to discover the lawfulnesse of my practise both publike and private I have labouréd to answer all the obiections that I ever had against it unlesse it be this that though it be lawfull yet not at this time an 〈…〉 at for this reason because happily it might hinder the worke of reformation To this I answer that in the worke of reformation it is necessary that all errors should be brought to light and that all truths should be discovered this I finding out of Gods word to be an error that is held commonly amongst us that rather then any man should be a publisher of the Gospel of Christ unlesse he were skild in arts and tongues and sent forth by our Prelates thousands of our meeting houses should be shut up and the people starved for want of foode though God hath abundantly provided for them I thought no time so fit to publish this truth by my practise as now at this time when God hath given us such glorious hopes of a glorious reformation and when so many of those that pitties poore soules to see them lie in ignorance and blindnesse and have power in their hands to redresse it Therfore I thought no time so seasonable as this time and thus have you all the objections that are brought against me answered That which occasioned me to put these few lines forth to the view of the world hath beene by the importunity of many that beare good will to Sion to this truth also the evill aspertion● that are cast upon me for this my practise I have hard anoyse but I have seene as yet nothing out of the word of God that might disswade me but rather perswade me and to incourage mee in the way to go on by none that obiect against it to this day could I never procure any faire reasoning of any person whatsoever though I have exceedingly sought it to heare their grounds what they have had against it could it be made aparent out of Gods word that it were unlawfull for me to goe on in this way or that there were no neede of the discovery of Christ in the world or that the people did not earnestly desire it I should cease with Joy and reioycing of heart but so long as there can be nothing found in Gods word against it and seeing the great necessities of the people and their great willingnesse calles for it I shall bee willing to suffer what God shall please to inflict upon me for the same yet I am perswaded though I be trodden under foot yet this truth shall flourish spread it selfe forth in the world to the amasement of all that doe oppose it and thus according to what light the Lord hath bestowed on mee out of his free love in his Sonne I have for the satisfaction of some published these few lines to the world FINIS Iohn Spenser