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
A07215	The anatomie of sorcerie VVherein the wicked impietie of charmers, inchanters, and such like, is discouered and confuted. By Iames Mason, Master of Artes.	Mason, James, M.A.	1612 (1612)	STC 17615; ESTC S112409	64,423	108

nay it is most certaine if they be not renewed by faith and repentance they shall fall both the sorts of them into the pit of euerlasting destruction By all this it is plaine that if we transgresse the commaundements of God in committing of any sinne it is not ignorance that shall excuse For then would not the Lord haue commanded sacrifice to be offered for the same as he doth in the 4. cap. of Leuit. ver 2 and 3. in these words Speake vnto the children of Israel saying if any shall sinne through ignorance in any of the commandements of the Lord which ought not to be done but shall doe contrary to any of them If the priest that is annointed doe sinne according to the sinne of the people then shall he offer for his sinne which he hath sinned a young bullocke without blemish vnto the Lord for a sinne offering The which law is repeated also in the Epistle to the Heb. cap. 9. vers 7. And the prophet Abacuck maketh a solemne prayer for ignorances in the 3. cap. of his prophesie Furthermore the same is manifest in the whole course of the scriptures by the punishment that hath beene laid vpon such like offenders as we may perceiue by the 17. cap. of the second booke of the King where when the Lord had cast out the ten tribes of Israell with their king out of their owne country for their wicked abominations that Shalmaneser had caried them away captiue with him he sent other of his own natiue people to supply their roome in ludea who because they were Gentiles and had not beene brought vp in true religion therefore it is said in the 25 and 26. verses of the same chapter That at the beginning of their dwelling there they feared not the Lord therefore the Lord sent lyons among them which slew them wherefore they came to the king of Ashur saying the nations which thou hast remooued and placed in the cities of Samaria know not the manner of the God of the land whereupon the king commaunded to send vnto them a priest of the Israelites to instruct them as it followeth in the next vers of the same chapter And in the prophet Esa. cap. 5. vers 13. the Lord hath these words Therefore my people goeth into captiuity because they haue no knowledge Out of which two places we may note that the Lord doth not onely not hold guiltles those offendours which haue the greatest meanes of knowledge in religion as were the Israelites in times past as it appeareth by the 13. cap. of the Epistle to the Rom. where it is said by Saint Paul that to them were committed the oracles of God euen as the Gospel of Christ Iesus is now vnto vs Gentiles but also doth punish those to whome it is not graunted to haue such oportunity to learne And truely no maruaile For if we account it lawfull for an earthly prince to punish those whosoeuer which doe dwell within his dominion if they offend against his lawes being once set forth though they doe it of ignorance why should not the king of kings and Lord of Lords exact the like obedience vnto his lawes set downe in his holy word of all those whome it pleaseth him to place in his visible church and kingdome heere vpon earth For the Lord hath giuen vs his word as a law wherein he hath set down whatsoeuer he would haue done learned or beleeued and likewise what he would haue vs to eschew as the Apostle Saint Paul doth say in the 1. epistle to Tim. cap. 3. vers 16. 17. that the whole scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect and prepared vnto all good workes So that whatsoeuer God would haue vs to know or doe it is contained in the same Howbeit we must as our Sauiour Christ saith Iob. 5. cap. v. 39. search the scriptures It is not enough for vs negligently and carelesly and as it were superficially to read them but we must with all diligence reuerence humility study them and as the prophet Dauid did meditating therein day and night conferring of one place with another and considering the drift of the holy Ghost in euery of them and aboue all things vsing humble and hearty prayer vnto God that he would graunt vs his holy spirit which may so enlighten vs that we may see those wonderfull things which are contained in his lawes that we may conceiue aright of the truth in his sacred word For as Saint Peter 2. epist. cap. 1. vers 20. saith no prophesie in the scripture is of any priuate interpretation that a man may expound it according to his owne mind and imagination but holy men of God did speake as they were directed and ledde by the holy Ghost as it followeth there in the next vers who as he is the onely author and inditer of the Scripture so he is the onely interpreter of the same as being alone priuie to his owne meaning And therefore the Euangelist Saint Iohn in his first epistle cap. 4. vers 1. doth bidde vs not to beleeue euery spirit but to try the spirits whether they be of God or not as if he should haue said There are many which will make a great shew of religion and godlinesse and will seeme as though they had warrant from God for all their dealings when as it is nothing so Wherefore beleeue note uery one vntill you haue first madetriall and examined their actions by the touch-stone of the scriptures whether God be the author of them or not The which precept if the prophet spoken of in the 13. cap. of the first booke of the King had obserued he had done well but because he did not so but beleeued the false tale of the old Prophet and came backe again contrary to the cōmandement of God and did eate and drinke in Bethel by his procuremēt when as the Lord had said vnto him that he should neither eate bread nor drinke water there Therefore the Lord said that his body should not come into the sepulchre of his fathers which came to passe presently for he was slaine of a lyon in the way as he returned home and so was brought againe to Bethel and there buried Whereas if hee had first examined the truth of the olde Prophets speech he had no doubt neuer fallen into that daunger For he had a sufficient warrant from God afore for that which he did vpon the which he might safely haue relyed if hee would haue gone forward according vnto the same and not haue hearkened to the deceitfull words of the said olde Prophet vnlesse the Lord himself had giuen him another contrary commaundement as otherwhiles he doth in particular cases as it may appeare by Genesis chap. 22. where after that God had giuen Abraham in charge to sacrifice his sonne Isaacke in the 2. verse of the same chapter afterward it is said that the angel of the Lord did bidde him not to doe it when he had prooued his faith and obedience therein till which time he could by no meanes be drawne from executing the former commaundement of God Euen so wee seeing that we are forbidden by the word of God to goe or seeke vnto any witches inchaunters charmers or any such like vaine and superstitious practisers and seeing that ignorance will not excuse vs as hath beene before declared it behooueth vs to trie and examine the dealings of euery one in this case whether they be of God or not by their calling in this behalfe by their meanes they vse and by the ende whereat they aime and by all other waies and meanes which it shall please God to minister by his holy spirit out of his word before wee giue credite vnto them whatsoeuer shew they make of religion and godlines in this point lest the Lord in his wrath lay vpon vs all those plagues punishments threatned in his word as hath beene said before against such persons There are many other things which might be fitly and profitably gathered noted out of this text which I haue willingly omitted both because they haue beene sufficiently handled at large by other men and also because it was my only purpose at the beginning to vtter that which I thought meetest concerning sorcery and such other like wicked vaine and diuellish abominations before spoken of It remaineth therefore now to exhort euery good Christian to consider diligently to make vse of it and to desire almighty God that he would make it profitable which hath beene said both to his owne glorie and to our eternall comfort in Christ Iesus to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost bee all honour praise and thanksgiuing now and euermore Amen FINIS