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	scripture_n	19,615	5	6.1818	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00664	An ansvvere to VVilliam Alablaster [sic] his motiues. By Roger Fenton preacher of Grayes Inne	Fenton, Roger, 1565-1616.; Alabaster, William, 1567-1640.	1599 (1599)	STC 10799; ESTC S101956	37,337	52

it is subiect to errour being not able so steadily to looke backe frō euery conclusion to the first ground so the minds of Christian men holding the same commō grounds by them vnfolding difficulties and from them raising conclusiōs according to the variety of iudgements and apprehensions doe shape so many formes of opinions and controuersies of religion Thus farre I hope we haue gone hand in hand without crosse or variance in any poynt at all It remaines them since the vnderstanding euen of a christian man is weake and vnstable in his discourse and apprehension that we seeke the meanes to establish and confirme the same so far forth as may stay the conscience of one studious of truth in matters of religion Your aduise is that notwithstanding all truth in controuersie of faith be grounded chiefely vpon scripture yet the sence of scripture being diuersly taken by diuers therefore to vs vncertaine the question at last must be remoued from the text to the interpretour from the scripture to the men God forbid the question should euer be remoued from the ground of truth which truth is contained in the first principles which principles be euidently expressed in scripture not diuersly taken but agreed vpon of all Churches As that Christ is come in the flesh Christ is the sonne of the liuing God his second comming to iudgement the resurrection and such like the analogie of which truths is an infallible rule for expounding more obscure places and a sure ground to build vpon These principles being not doubtfull in varietie of apprehensions like other places of greater difficultie there is no shew of reason why a christians mans mind should in any controuersie be remoued from them no more then naturall reason will in any case forsake her common grounds notwithstanding any sect of Philosophers whatsoeuer but still labour to trie and examine all opinions by her first rules Thus much I will presume vpon as graunted if any exceptiō be taken I appeale to your own words It is best to goe aside and single out the two grand originals and foundations from the which all the other factions arise that by taking a iust estimat of the strength of either our iudgement may leane to the stronger part I demaund then when your selfe went aside to single out the two grand originals by what rules did you take a iust estimate of the strength of either If religion be to you a matter of conscience you must needes confesse that your rules of reason or religion or both did sway your mind and make your iudgement leane as you thinke to the stronger part So that euen by your own euidence that last remoue of the question from the text to the interpreter from the scripture to the men if it cary any shew of truth it must be interpreted verie tenderly First you meane not frō that plaine scripture wherein the first principles bee euidently authorized but onely from those obscure textes whose sence is doubtfull to vs in such varietie of apprehensions Secondly the remoue is not made from the scripture altogether to the men but so as still we keepe our sure footing vpon the first grounds in the strength and euidence wherof diuine truth both in it selfe and to vs is euermore established Now further to proceede because the Apostle commaunds vs not alwaies to sticke in our first principles we must needes confesse that the vnderstanding of priuat men vnsteedie in discourse and feeble in iudging such high and waightie matters is of it selfe aswell in expounding scripture as setting downe conclusions subiect to manifould errors and heresies And therefore besides those premised groundes from which we take our rise we must be confirmed by such meanes as Christ hath besides prouided for the members of his Church militant here vpon earth Which meanes are braunched into the assistance of Gods spirit within vs and the testimonie of the Church and holie men of God without vs. These speciall helpes God hath prouided for his Church ouer and aboue humane helpes common to Christians with the sonnes of nature The former of these I meane the assistance of Gods spirit for enlightning our vnderstanding and inabling our iudgments is purchased 1. by feruencie of prayer 2. religious exercise 3. holines of life and 4. studious indeuour Yet notwithstanding because both reason and religion ioyned with humilitie will easily perswade that Gods spirit is more fully resident in holy assemblies then priuat mens braines that spirit is to be suspected of singularitie which will not with all reuerence imbrace the testimonie of the Church So then a Christian man studious of truth doth rest his conscience vpon these three witnesses First the euidence of our first principles expressely propounded in scripture and written in the tables of our heartes by the holy Ghost Secondly the assistance of Gods grace and holy spirit promised to euery faithfull soule for confirming his iudgment so far forth as may leade to happines and performe the dueties of that place whereunto he is called Thirdly the testimonie of the Church and holy men of God And these three agree in one But in your last remoue of the question From the text to the interpreter from the scripture vnto the men passing ouer the two former you haue resolued your selfe wholy vpon the worth merit and authoritie of those which are the expositors So that according to your aduise hauing singled out the graund originals and foundations of our two religions and taking as neere as I can a iust estimate of the strength of either I find the odds three to one of our side For although these three witnesses bee so linked togither as rightly taken they be neuer seuered yet least singling them out one from another we should mistake any wee lay fast hold of all three conferring examining and confirming to our selues one by another You contrariwise leane your selfe and rest your conscience onely vpon the third the testimonie of the Church as vpon an infallible ground of all the rest Which if it proue a broken staffe by your mistaking of it either in taking the testimonie of some portion of the visible Church for the whole catholike or secondly an vnsound part for the sound or thirdly misconceauing the churches of former times it will not only deceiue you but the shiuers thereof wound your erronious and naked conscience which easily may befall such a one as is of no longer time or deeper studie then you and I are well knowne to be MOTIVE THe catholike part for the strength of their interpretation alledge the iudgment of the Church the definitions of councels the consent of fathers the harmonie of Churches the practise of all ages and the rule of Apostolicall tradition left by succession as the light through the heauens The Protestantes bring forth the seuerall founders of their sects Luther Caluin Melancthon and others of that straine whose exposition they cleaue vnto Lay this in the ballance and

principles of faith wherein consisteth the summe of all religion These first principles of religion assented vnto by this infused faith as the principles of reason by the light of nature haue taken a deeper impression in the mindes of the faithfull than the voice of the Church or an Angell from heauen could haue made For if we saith Paul the Apostles of Christ nay if an Angell from heauen confirmed in the state of happines should preach any other Gospell that is lay any other principles of religion then be all readie layd let him bee accursed Then somewhat there is of more certaintie to vs then Peter or Paul or any Angell Sinos aut Angelus Thus farre therefore you must of necessitie yeeld vnto vs except you withstand the streame of your owne Doctors that albeit the voice of the Church be a witnesse of this truth without exception yet aboue and beside this the minde of a beleeuing Christian is stroken with a lightning from Heauen inspyred with diuine reuelation enformed with that infused faith which farre surpasseth that former faith gotten by discourse and testimonie of the Church without vs. This is the last resolution of our religion into a principle that standes vpon his own ground to wit into an vndoubted assent of the minde informed by true faith fixed by the holy Ghost vpon the Axioms of Christian religion All that I would say to this point is by your Doctor Stapleton well concluded in one period Fideles enim omnes per vocem ecclesiae inducuntur ad fidem inducti autem lumine inspirationis diuinae illustrati non iam amplius propter Loquelam ecclesiae sed propter Lumen illud diuinum credunt But for more remote conclusions drawen from principles by discourse and tract of consequence because therein to rely vpon speciall reuelation were dangerous we most willingly imbrace the voice of the Church in manner as we haue said to your first motiue alwaies acknowledging Gods spirit to be more fully resident in holy assemblies then priuate braines promising to leade the Church into all truth to be resident where two or three are gathered together in his name which spirit for his part will neuer be wanting if the Church for her part be not defectiue But whether these promises made be absolute or with condition that is suppose the Church will not be led whether the spirit will perforce driue her into all truth Suppose her chieftaines assemble themselues with preiudicate and sinister affections not with that sinceritie which is required whether the spirit will therin assist them Or whether these suppositions be possible that God in regard of our sins will suffer such corruptions to creepe into Synodes as may lead thē into errour in some ages more in some lesse though euermore preseruing life in the principles of religion is the point in question Vpon which issue we denie such a power of not erring to the Church militant as should enforce the mind to giue assent to counsell decrees in the same kind and degree of faith as to the articles of beleefe which remaines more fully to be shewed out of your owne groundes MOTIVE FOr they affirme that the authority of the Church and ministerie of whom their followers receiue the sacred scriptures and their expositours be humane and such as may goe aside into errour and sometimes doe So that of necessitie whosoeuer standeth in the integritie of their opinion either haue no faith at all or else onely humane and errant For they that haue a possible impotencie of erring in one point of faith what assurance can they make of distinction that they doe not erre in all ANSVVERE WE affirme the authoritie of the Church and ministerie to be humane in the same sense as Saint Iohn cals it the testimonie of men If we receiue the testimonie of men the testimonie of God is greater Which testimonie of men was by all consent the testimonie of the Apostles themselues who ioyntly were witnesses of the resurrection of the Lord of life Then if the testimonie of the Apostles be humane I hope in the like sense we may call the authoritie of the Church humane I come at the last to that grand motiue whereupon all the rest depends the omnipotence of not erring Wherein that I may quickly touch the point I spare to proue what is granted for we go along certaine steps together without iarring First it is confessed that any counsell particular or general may erre if it be not confirmed by the Pope Secondly that Pope and counsell may erre in any by matter beside the definitiue sentence principally intended Thirdly that they may errein application of scriptures in illustrations in sequel of argument drawne from scripture to inferre that definitiue sentence Fourthly the definitiue sentence it selfe may be erronious if it be defined onely as a probabilitie not as a point of faith Fiftly though it be concluded as a matter of faith yet there may be errour in the proprietie of speech by superfluitie or want of termes by displacing of wordes or such like Only the verie bare maine sense of the conclusion it selfe is cocke sure from errour Into this narrow straite they confesse themselues to haue been alreadie pursued the consideration of which point me thinkes should cause an indifferent mind to pause a little and thinke it strange at the least that the euident truth of the Church testimonie whereupon all catholike faith must depend that the first principle standing vpon his owne ground into which all religion is to be resolued as into a pure element should be put to so many shiftes and hunted into such a narrow roome But further to vrge you with your owne I demaund from whence a counsels definitiue sentence doth receiue her infallibilitie Either it must be immediately from the spirit of God or else by means of consequence from the text of scripture or article whereupon it groundeth The first is by your selues denied for it is the first and speciall difference Bellarmine putteth twixt counsels Canons and canonicall scripture that the word of God is authorized by immediate reuelation from the spirit but counsels deriue their conclusions by discourse from the word Your champion answered me to this point that indeed God would haue his Church to vse those meanes of discourse and testimonie yet at the vpshot the spirit doth fortifie the conclusion and lets the rest go So I hope Paul did apply his bookes and parchments vsed the meanes of studie and discourse though that which he resolued vpon to put in writing was by the immediate motion of the spirit Therefore still this makes no difference at all Then belike if Bellarmine stand it is the discourse sequele of argument which the conclusion must rely vpon for her certaintie but that also proues a broken staffe euen in your owne iudgements Bellarmine saieth it is erronious and Stapleton resolues vpon it that from erronious arguments counsels doe