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

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76085	The second part of that book call'd Independency not Gods ordinance: or the post-script, discovering the uncharitable dealing of the Independents towards their Christian brethren, with the jugglings of many of their pastors and ministers, to the misleading of the poor people to the detriment of their own souls, and the hurt both of church and state, with the danger of novelties in religion; proving that Independency, is one of the most dangerous sects, that ever appeared in the world, since mortality inhabited the earth. In the which also there is a satisfactory answer given to the principall cavils of him that writ that railing pamphlet, stil'd The falshood of Mr Will. Prynnes Triumphing in the antiquity of popish princes and parliaments. With Doctor Bastvvicks just defence against some calumnies in way of preface. / By John Bastvvick, Dr in Physick.; Independency not Gods ordinance. Part 2	Bastwick, John, 1593-1654.	1645 (1645)	Wing B1069; Thomason E287_9; ESTC R200091	93,218	111

for righteousnesse sake saith he happie are ye and be not afraid of their terror neither be troubled but sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready alwaies to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and reverence And Saint Paul Phil. 1. vers 27 28 29 30. incouraging the Philippians in their persecution saith Let your conversation be as becommeth the Gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent I may heare of your affaires that ye stand fast in one spirit with one minde striving together for the faith of the Gospel and in nothing terrified by your adversaries which is to them an evident token of perdition but to you of salvation and that of God for unto you it is given in the behalfe of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake having the same conflict which ye saw in me and now here to be in me Here Paul animates the Christians in those times to suffer cheerfully telling them that it was a great honour to them and the gift of God to suffer for Christs sake That therefore which is one of the eminentest means of the increase of the graces of God and the degrees of faith and the gift of God that cannot hinder the growth of them but to suffer persecution for Christs sake is one of the eminentest means of the increase of the graces of God and of the degrees of faith and is the speciall gift of God Ergò persecution cannot hinder the growth of the graces of Gods Spirit in the Saints And for proof of this the testimony of S. Peter in chap. 5. vers 10. sufficeth The God of all grace saith he who hath called us into his eternall glory by Christ Jesus after ye have suffered a while make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you So that by Peters testimony persecution for conscience sake and for Christs cause doth perfect stablish strengthen and settle men it is a means to increase all the graces of Gods Spirit and therefore hindreth not their growth And in the Chapter going before vers 12 13 14. Beloved saith he think it not strange concerning the fiery triall as though some strange thing hapned unto you but rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings and if ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happie are ye for the Spirit of glorie and of God resteth upon you Here is a mighty increase of graces by reason of persecutions for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon sufferers by them And therefore in the conclusion of his second Epist speaking to his countrey men scattered here and there through persecution Grow saith he in grace and in the knowledge of our Saviour Jesus Christ c. Now if this Gentlemans second assertion be true That it is impossible that such as know but in part should grow in knowledge or from one measure of degree of faith to another if men should be questioned for matters of conscience which are his expresse tearms Then the exhortation of Peter to those that were under persecution that they should be alwaies ready to give an answer of their hope and that they should grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Saviour Jesus Christ were to no purpose And all that he affirmeth in his Epistles concerning their growth in all the graces of the holy Spirit and all that Paul testifies in 2 Cor. chap. 1. touching the benefit of persecutions and the good that redounds not only to those by them that suffer but to all the Saints who were encouraged by their example more willingly to endure affliction and were thereby the more strengthned got the more increase of all graces by them and whatsoever S. Paul writ in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians chap. 1. concerning the Christians growth in patience and faith through the persecutions and tribulations they then endured for conscience sake and whatsoever he hath testified to the contrary in his Epistle to the Philippians and in all his other Epistles and whatsoever the whole Scripture hath evidenced in this behalfe concerning the growth and increase of all the graces of Gods Spirit by reason of their persecution for conscience sake and for Christs cause all these witnesses I say should be nothing yea untrue and meer falsehood if this Cavillers assertion be true yea all the Independents themselves should be notorious lyars if these Positions be veritable for they brag exceedingly what increase there is daily of the Independents and of all their graces and what abundance of New-lights do daily appear by reason of their persecution for so they please to style every opposition of their errors and glory in all companies where they come what multitudes have lately joyned with thē in their New wayes by reason of the opposition of it and for that some of their Leaders have been questioned before the Committee about matters of conscience and this that I now say can be proved by an Iliad of witnesses So that I refer it to all judicious men whether we ought to believe Christ and the holy Ghost speaking in all the Penmen of the Scriptures who assert that persecution for religion conscience increase the graces of God in Christian sufferers or this wretched and temerarious Novice who boldly and impudently dares give the Spirit of God the lye and contradict the whole Scripture and which is much oppose all the Fraternity of the Independents For this man affirmeth that it is impossible that men should grow in knowledge or from one measure and degree of faith to another if they be persecuted or questioned for matters of conscience And yet the Spirit of God saith the contrary and the experience of all the Saints confutes this assertion And if the Independents themselves may be believed they also refell this Position boasting daily not only of the increase of their graces by opposition and questioning but of the increase of the mighty multitudes of them by reason of that So that every one of but shallow capacity may see the vanity of this Juglers two first conclusions For the four other following they are answered in this that I have now said Yet a word or two more to shew the nothingnesse and wickedness of them will not be amisse For whereas he boldly affirmeth That it is impossible that in a rationall way there should be a firme secure peace through the World nay not in a Province City or Towne so long as men make a point of conscience to compell one another to their opinions This I assert is to confute Gods own Word in Deut. 13. who hath commanded there that whosoever should teach a contrary Doctrine to that that was taught by Moses should be questioned and suffer death for it and that by this means a firme peace would be setled amongst Gods people through their borders for

and have undergone great persecution for Religigion as they publish to the world in their writings If it be tolerable therefore and praise-worthy in the Independents to oppose the Truth notwithstanding they have been sufferers will any rationall man count it an intolerable thing in me to oppose the errors and novelties of the Independents which they would impose upon the people of God as his lawes when they are but their own inventions and as things necessary to salvation And will any reasonable creature call this a persecution in any if in his own person to the uttermost of his abilities he labours to defend the truth and convince error and exhort all those that fear God to do the same because he hath been a sufferer I conceive upon deliberation he will have a more charitable opinion of such an one And if this be a crime in such as have suffered for Religion to resist Error the Independents are guilty of the same as deeply as any other for they also should remember they have bin sufferers yet they maintain their Novelties for truths and exhort all their followers to do the same and to oppose all gain-sayers which they do to the uttermost of their power in words and deeds and count this their honour and a great virtue yea valour and yet blame it in me and in all the Presbyterians and I know no reason why I or any Presbyterian should not be as valiant for truth as others should be for the upholding of their errours and Innovations especialiy when they fly so high in their Expressions as to make them the onely way to heaven and that whosoever is not in that their way they are in the broad street to perdition and exclaim against all such as oppose their opinions as persecutors of the wayes of God for this is their usuall dialect yea their ordinary language and custome to call all writing and preaching against the Errors and Heresies of the time Persecution in all the faithfull Ministers and people which duty notwithstanding they are bound unto by Christ and all the holy Prophets and Apostles who are by them commanded to lift up their voyces like a Trumpet to oppose and rebuke all gainesayers and to contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints And this is the language of that Author that writ the Arainment of Persecution and he that writ that malicious Pamphlet against M. Prynne who calls him and all the Presbyterians Persecutors whose wicked and vaine Cavils by which he laboureth to prove the necessity of a tolleration of all Religions are these following His words are these Six impossibilities which do necessarily accompany Persecution for cause of conscience 1. It is impossible that the Gospell should come to be preached unto all Nations if men may be questioned for matters of conscience 2. It is impossible that such as know but in part should grow in knowledge or from one measure and degree of Faith unto another 3. It is impossible that in a rationall way there should be a firme secure peace throughout the World nay not in a Province City or Towne so long as men may make a point of conscience to compell one another to their opinions 4. It is impossible to prescribe such a way for suppressing new and different opinions whatsoever which to any State or Church may seem Hereticall but there will still be left a gap a possibility of fighting against God even when such State or Church think they fight for him most of all 5. It is impossible that either the weak Believers mis-believers or unbelievers can be wonne by our godly conversation as is required 1 Pet. 2.12 and 3.1 2. and 1 Cor. 7.12.16 so long as we will not suffer them to live amongst us 6. It is impossble for a man to hold fast the truth or be fully perswaded in his owne heart of what he does of what Religion he makes choise of unlesse after he hath searched the Scriptures and tryed the spirits whether they be of God or no it be lawfull for him to reject that which shall appear to him as evill and adhere to that which seems good in his own judgement and apprehension These are the formall words of the Author that writ that Pamphlet by which he endeavours to maintaine that hellish opinion The tolleration of all Religions To the which I shall briefly answer after I have set down some testimonies out of holy Scripture concerning Persecution Yet before I go any further I desire all men by the way to take notice that whiles I labour to shew the vanity and invalidity of this Cavillers assertions I animate no man to persecute the truth For I know that persecution of the true Religion is the greatest sin in the world one only excepted and therefore that all men should ever be carefull to offend in this kinde lest they bring speedy distruction upon themselves by it but they must also be as diligent to take heed lest whiles they would shew a vice they neglect not their duty and decline a vertue which is to oppose all errors and falsehood in Religion for that is as great a sin on the other side But now I will produce some testimonies out of holy Scripture and reasons from thence to shew that to be questioned for matters of conscience or persecution as they call it for cause of conscience imposes not an impossibility as they would infer that the Gospel by this meanes should be preached unto all Nations nor hinders not the growth of grace in Christians nor the measure and degrees of faith in them which is the first and second of these Propositions and the which to speak the truth are the main and chiefest of all the Independents Arguments by which they labour to evince the necessity of a tolleration of all Religions that prodigious Tenent lest forsooth otherwise the course of the Gospel and the increase of grace in the Saints should be hindred if men should as they pretend be persecuted for cause of conscience which is no better then whiles they seeme to dispute to blaspheme and to give Christ and the Spirit of God the lye who teach the contrary and to fight against the holy Scripture and truth it self as will by and by appear First therefore I shall desire that Christs own words may be heard and then what the holy Apostles have spoken concerning these points Christ in Matth. 10.17 18 19 c. speaking to his Disciples saith Beware of men for they will deliver you up to the Councels and will scourge you in their Synagogues and ye shall be brought to the Governours and Kings for my sake for a testimony against them and the Gentiles but when ye are delivered take no thought how and what ye shall speake c. For the Brother shall betray the Brother to death and the Father the Sonne and the Children shall rise up against their Parents and shall cause them to dye and yee shall be

believe that grollish opinion of Independency For when the Lord divided the whole Earth to the severall families of the same he alwaies reserved a portion for his own children for he is the preserver of all especially of the Believers as it is related Deut. 32. and Acts 17. and 1 Tim. 4. Now as the Families of the Earth multiplied and increased they extended their habitations further and further from countrey to countrey till they had replenished all places according to Gods command and blessing Increase and multiply and as they seated themselves in any new Plantation for their safety and more secure habitation and to free themselves from incursions of any enemies they built themselves Cities and great walled Townes having learned that lesson of Cain the fruits of sin that made man both naked and afraid of every thing and that they might be furnished with all provisions and necessaries they allotted unto every City such a circuit and compasse of ground as out of the which they might have all their necessaries supplied and be accommodated with all things needfull for food and raiment and their bodily preservation which required a large extent of ground and of which they might take at pleasure there being enough and for this very end they stocked the grounds about their severall Cities with cattell and sent out as their families increased their Colonies and Semenaries as Bees use yearly to do their Swarmes and those they seated in the most convenient and fertilest places and fittest for habitation through the countries who manured and tilled the ground and planted Vineyards and built Villages and Towns all the which still were accounted Citizens as Merchants here in London that are Citizens that have houses and habitations in the countrey lose not their former denomination by their countrey habitation no more did the people in those dayes but were alwayes with all the inhabitants within the limits of that countrey reputed Citizens and call'd by the name of such a City because they were governed by the same lawes the City was and were derived from it and were under the command of the chiefe of those families who all lived as Kings at first And therefore into whose hands soever those Cities fell either by succession donation compact mariage or victory those that were the owners or conquerours of them still for the most part continued and preserved the divisions formerly made and kept all those Villages and Townes as far as the jurisdiction of those Cities extended under their command and all by the name of such Cities as at first and all the dwellers and inhabitants within that circumference or circuit were still accounted as part of the City as all Histories do relate both sacred and humane So that they that were Masters of those severall Cities were also Lords of all those Villages which were under the jurisdiction diction of those Cities and as far as the secular power of those severall Cities did extend so far did their Ecclesiasticall And as those severall cities we read of in the holy Scripture under the Kings of Juda and Israel had all their severall civill Presbyters and Elders or a Councell and Senate of Presbyters in them to govern them under their severall Kings so they had their Ecclesiasticall or Synagogicall Presbyters or a Colledge of Elders also whose authority extended over all their severall congregations Synagogues or assemblies as well within the Cities as without through all the Villages and Townes that were within the compasse and circumference of their severall jurisdictions as all imperiall Cities through the christian world were in the Primitive times governed and are at this day in many places And therefore we cannot conceive any other of the severall Presbyters placed in every City by Apostolicall institution as of those of Jerusalem Ephesus Corinth Galatia c. but as of so many corporations for we reade that both in Jerusalem and Ephesus they had both many Presbyters and many congregations under every severall Presbytery and as men in those severall Cities Parishes Townes and Villages were daily converted to the faith so those severall Colledges of Presbyters ordained them more Presbyters by common consent and took them continually under their government which congregations though many as far as their jurisdiction extended were all joyned together under one Presbyterie and made still in every severall Precinct but one church as that of Jerusalem and Ephesus and were all governed and ordered by the joynt consent and common-counsell of their severall Colledges of Presbyters the mistaking of the which kinde of government and the mis-understanding of the Scriptures was the cause of all the confusions in the Christian world and of those sad differences here in England at this day and the only occasion of that vaine opinion of Independency for so I may call it for divers reasons For the tenent of the Independents is this That in the Church of Ierusalem and in that of Ephesus and in all the other Churches spoken of in the New Testament there were no more Believers in each of them then could all meet in one place and in one congregation to partake in all acts of worship and that they were absolute within themselves and from the which there was no appeals which I affirme is a vaine and fond opinion contrary to both Scripture and reason and all antiquity and that it is both against Scripture and reason I have sufficiently as I conceive proved it in the foregoing discourse But for a further confirmation of it I shall here adde some other arguments that may if it be possible undeceive those that have by the falacies and craft of their Teachers been misled and seduced I must confesse it has been a wonder often to me to see that such multitudes of godly people and those that I had thought had been so well grounded in Religion should be so carried about with every winde of new doctrine under pretence of New-lights when they have so often been forewarn'd to take heed of deceivers by Christ and his Apostles and that in such a violent manner and with such exaspirated spirits against their Brethren that cannot assent unto those novelties For if they had ever read the holy Scriptures with understanding or been but a little acquainted with the Ecclesiasticall Histories they could never have been so suddenly deluded For if we but reade the Acts of the Apostles with attention or the Epistles of Paul and all the writings of the New Testament we shall finde in them all that by the powerfull preaching of the Gospel and by the wonderfull working of miracles of the Apostles whole cities and countries were converted unto the faith and that the Gospel was generally imbraced and whole Nations converted and brought to the obedience of the faith by it in a very short time and Saint Paul speaking of the Romans chap. 1 ver 8. saith that their faith was spoken of through the whole world and in chap. 10.

man never hears so much as the mention of them he may very well go to Heaven and hold fast the truth and be fully perswaded in is heart of the truth of his religion and this truth the Word of God holdeth out to all those the god of this World hath not blinded their eyes that they should not see the glorious Light of it so that there needs not a tolleration of all Religions for their illumination to finde out what Religion they will make choice of as this presumptuous gain-sayer infers who peremptorily concludes That it is impossible for a man to hold fast the truth or be fully perswaded in his own heart of what he does or of what religion he makes choice of unlesse it be left arbitrary to him to reject or chuse what seems good to him in his own judgement which if it be not a piece of blasphemy I never read any or any thing more tending to the overthrow of the authority of holy Scripture and to subject the Will and pleasure of God to the will pleasure and judgement of man then the which there 〈◊〉 be nothing more intolerable for God teacheth us one thing and this Doctor teacheth the clean contrary and by his doctrine leaves not only a gap a possibility of sighting against God but it is a doctrine in it self that fights against God and gives the Spirit of God the lye which confirmes the contrary And if such doctrines as these may be tolerated and such Teachers as these go unpunished they will in time reject the whole Scripture both Law and Gospell as many of the Sectaries have already attempted to do to the unsufferable dishonour of God and to the provoking of his displeasure against the whole Nation And such doctrine as this is is hereticall and so is a great deale more of the Independent doctrine which is one of the reasons which makes me so much oppose it For as the false Teacher Acts 15. vers 1. and Gal. 5. taught the Brethren besides the Gospell that except they were circumcised after the manner of Moses they could not be saved which was a Heresie and that that Saint Paul speaking by the Spirit of God told them would exclude them out of Heaven as is evident Gal. 5. vers 2 3 4. So now the Independent Ministers impose their own inventions and traditions upon the people as things necessary to salvation which makes it a Heresie And therefore when they preach up their own novelties as necessary to life eternall proclaiming unto the people that their way is the straight way to Heaven and that they that are out of it are in the broad path to destruction as can be proved by a cloud of witnesses and indeed their daily practise teacheth it and when they urge this doctrine upon the people as necessary to happinesse I affirme it is an hereticall doctrine and ought of all Gods people as much to be detested as any Popery for it is Popery it self in new clothes which all the faithfull in the Land have taken a covenant to expell and so much the more they ought to have a singular care that this doctrine spread not too far nor that this Faction get not a Head For I heard it not long since from the mouth of a very godly Gentlewoman of a good Family who affirmed it in the presence of an Independent Ministers Wife That to her knowledge there was an hundred pound at one time sent up to London or at least procured to be paid by some from Oxford for the gratifying of some here that were very great Sticklers and Promooters of the Independent party for their farther incouragement and animated them by any wise to uphold that faction for they conceived it would be one of the best means for the attaining of their own ends and the common design for the ruin of us all and the enslaving of the whole City and Kingdome Now I say if this Independent Doctrine be so prejudiciall to us all for soul and body and so dangerous in every respect it concernes not onely the Parliament and great Councell but the whole City and Kingdome to looke about them and take heed how they have their hands in supporting of it or any way how they soment it as they tender either the glory of God or the present or future good of soul or body of this Nation and the good of the Church and State And truely if there were nothing to bring a man into a detestation of their wayes but their uncharitablenesse unto their brethren it were enough to make any good christian dislike them for they never speak of them but with contumelious names and with vilifying and blasting language such as is too low for any people of virtue reputation and honour using to call them all at every word the enemies of Jesus Christ Presbyterian Persecutors dehorting people from hearing our Godly Ministers or for reading any thing written by them or any other against their opinions after the manner of the Jesuits slighting the most learned Preachers and their Orthodox writings as things of nothing saying that every boy and silly woman in their Congregations can answer any thing any Presbyterian can write and then set one or other of their confounded widdows or some such creature upon that imployment who scrible non-sense as familiarly as a Jackanapes cracks nuts and this is admired amongst all the Independents as an incomporable peece and their authorities are often cited in the Pamphlets of their learned Ministers Neither is it among themselves onely that they count all the Presbyterians the children of the Devill but publikely also and that in presence of Noblemen and Peers of the Kingdome and in the hearing of many Gentlemen of the Parliament and others and in their very Companies they can slight all the faithfull of the Land besides themselves for I being not many dayes since at Westminster where there was a Sagomore of the Independents amongst some honourable company I formerly mentioned and I taking an occasion to speak to him about Independency and the Noble man also speaking to him about it and others in the presence of them all he uttered these words That all the godly in the Kingdome and all such as were well affected to Religion were of that way and this I say he speaks in the hearing of them all to which the Nobleman and one of the Parliament men replyed Then it seems say they that all that are not Independents in your opinion are neither godly nor well affected to Religion and so the Noble man departed the roome and left the great Independent there Now if this their opinion of themselves be not a most Pharisaicall proud and uncharitable one I leave it to the judgement of any advised Christian so that they cannot look upon their brethren with any love who they think ungodly and men not well-affected to Religion and in their writings call the profest enemies of Jesus Christ and enemies of