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	time_n	8,209	5	3.7442	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33134	The Churches complaint against sacriledge, or, Sacriledge truely dissected and layed open wherein is briefly shewn 1. The just collation, 2. The unjust ablation of the riches and honours of the clergy.		1643 (1643)	Wing C4273; ESTC R35594	15,292	29

The Churches COMPLAINT Against SACRILEDGE OR Sacriledge truely Dissected and layed open Wherein is briefly shewn 1. The Just Collation 2. The unjust Ablation of the Riches and Honours of the CLERGY Thou that abhorrest Idols Doest thou commit Sacriledge LONDON Printed in the Yeer 1643. OF Sacriledge REligion is as the Poles of the World or that Atlas which the Poets say holds up Heaven The necessitie of Religion in State● it stands on Earth and reacheth God It is that which poiseth Societies and States below for without the opinion of a Providence to oversee and reckon with us might craft and falshood would sway in the world alike with Men and Beasts the conscience of good and evill would be all one And it is that which enobleth man erects his affections and estates him in a happinesse above nature and in a word it procures all blessings upon us So that whether we aime at a Spirituall or which is more to these times a civill weale only Religion is mainly to be magnified And as Religion upholds States the Priest usually after the inward vertue of the Doctrine it self Of the priest to Religion is he upholds Religion Religion can neither plant nor sustaine it selfe alone and what support soever it have from the Prince or the laws of a Nation the Priest is as the soule of that power all circumstance and Ceremonies have their life from him and it is our consent in his holy Calling that keeps us from the singularitie of our owne imaginations Though man of himself be Religious to make men conspire in one Religion they must have some thing singular to hold to Though there may bee Religion and a Congregation there can hardly be a Church where there is no Precentor Of the meanes to set up the Priest Now the gifts whereby the Priest retaines our reverence are either Spirituall or Supernaturall as of Prophesiing and working Miracles or Naturall Externall as the endowments and gloryes of this World whereof the former shew where God is the later where he hath been and the former proceed immediately from the Spirit in the later men may concurre The order of these meanes in all Religions However God deales in truth he seemes not at so much cost for maintaining the World as for making it In nature we see every thing for its Creation requires a miraculous and divine hand but planted once God is not so conspicuous but leaves it to the soyle as it were to stand and grow by it selfe and so it would seeme to fare even with Religion it selfe which is such a superstruction above Nature though it be planted by God men must conserve it The Church is like the Garden of Eden which God mad● and set our Parents to dresse and keepe it The severall formes of Religion which have swayed the world in their times in pretence at least have felt his arme and expected ours his arme of Divinitie and ours of munificence that the riches and braveries of this world whereupon men set greatest price might adorne their doctrine and not only the abstract and studious mindes but sensuall affections also thereby be musd and caught and all our lusts there find repose This is not only the mystery of Antichrist and Idolatry but the right of all Religion The Israelites at first had their Tabernacle and its attendants by Gods appointment glorious however Aarons inward devotion shone his Vestments and retinue too were very specious but the Temple of Ierusalem and the riches of the severall orders of the Priests thereof excessive and yet little enough to keep the people from Idolatry And Christianitie as much as it excels all other Sects for ought that wee know can but expect the same lot In planting of the Gospell indeed God shewed himselfe in signes and wonders hee powred forth his Spirit and accommodated it with a kindly soyle the munificent affections of men whereby it is growne in state and glory But though it was first propagated by such sedulity of the Spirit and God shewed himselfe therein as much as ever though Christ hath promised the Holy Ghost thereby to preserve to himself a Church upon earth unto the worlds end wee now want the sense and proof of Gods presence the Primitive times had and may conceive he lookes not still to be tempted to miracles Divine and humane meanes must concur That interest the Gospell hath gotten these outward worldly braveries after the plausiblenesse of the doctrine it selfe are the best evidence we have left for Christianitie the best at least we have to shew to one another Riches and honours now must serve for the Spirit The originall and right of our Hierarchy Those of the Ancient worthys that first propagated Christianitie had neither Diocesse nor Parish but the wide world before them they had nothing of their own yet such a Familiar had they of the Holy Ghost they could want nothing Then all planting the same doctrine every man had a care of all the Churches and looked to the watering too of what was planted and the people as conscious of the truth they heard took speciall order to preserve the same amongst them Heroicke mindes not knowing in the world better how to bestow their estates in testimony of their affection erected Churches and endowed them with priviledges gave them Tyths and Oblations unto a competence of maintenance they added superfluitie and with riches gave honour and sway to the Clergie Kings as was fore-prophesied became the Churches nursing Fathers and Queenes her nursing Mothers They made Religion the busines of States which now we make but a State instrument of They had a care to fortifie Religion against the corruption of nature and to recommend and seale their faith unto worse times as if by a holy kinde of Simony they would purchase the Holy Ghost and buy the Prince of darknesse out of his dominions They priviledged Churchmen to their owne cognizance to arme and hearten them against sinne that they might not only like Musitians play for a benevolence but that Magistrates themselves might not with more authoritie transgresse than the Priest rebuke them They held up degrees in the Church as objects still for industry in the Priest and reverence in the people a reverence which in a right way halfe performes Religion They constituted Bishops and Archbishops Churchmen for Church affaires one of most tryed trust and but one for expedition where the Law is agreed upon a single eye may see Justice or most easily answer for it Bishops for order at home and Archbishops further if we shall not seeme to be led by sounds as arches in metropolisses over other Bishops arches unto the King and unto forreigne Churches that though States differ the communion of Saints might be preserved the Church might keep at unitie and by united force repell heresie In no great Councell could the man of God bee baulked that they might be sure to serve God before themselves

that they maintain'd it after their dissolutions As the twelve were call'd first the Evangelists make speciall mention of their names and their families as whom they ought to honour They were more conversant with Christ and more instructed by him and continued with him unto the end And after his Resurrection he applyed himselfe especially to them Then hee renewed their Commission with a Sicut misit me Pater to boote which may extend to Jurisdiction and Ordination Ordination of the Clergie and Jurisdiction over the whole Church and to enable them for such service he made good his promise of the Holy Ghost and gave them power of binding and loosing sins Saint Paul I am sure assumed this Authority to himselfe hee counted himselfe a Master-builder whose office is to order the worke and command inferiour Workmen hee exercised a Legislative power hee excommunicated for instance the Incestuous Person and againe restored him as may bee seene in his Epistles which all abound with Canons and Constitutions Ecclesiasticall This power of ordering Church affaires hee further propagated to Timothy and Titus as appeares in the Rules and directions to them And so for it would be tedious to name particulars it would seeme to have beene derived to our times Whether our forme of Church Government came from the light of nature and the Iewish patterne for reason extols it See B. Andrews Anal. and * there is a correspondence between the Jewish and the Christian Hierarchie or from a speciall Illumination and motion of the Spirit of God which the former times exceld in it is as needlesse as hard to distinguish perhaps all concur'd however Christ we see See Archbishop of Armaghs Orig Apoc. 1.20 * approves of such Bishops and honours them with the Title of Starres and Angels as Diabolicall as some would make them and * Calvin and Luther themselves could not but approve of this Government See Masons additions and waveing the name came as neere unto an Episcopall forme as the iniquitie of their times would admit Though we determine not whether Iure Divino or humano It will suffice us Episcopacy is rightly constituted It were to be wished indeed our Doctrine had still the same Primitive Testimony The Primitive assistāce of the Spirit to bee wisht not expected and our Ministery that visible Assistance of Divinity the first times of the Church enjoyed which a Simon Magus could prize above riches which shewed men nearer favourites with God than riches make them with Kings which might confound and stop the mouthes of all gainesayers and all men be wholly convinced and compelled to obedience But we can no more expect these now than they at first could challenge our Priviledges Such assiduity and open violence of the Spirit though necessary for times otherwise anticipated where Christianity hath once advanced its banners and engaged the world would render our Faith not worth God ha' mercy That humble temper and exemplary lowlinesse of Spirit could our Church assuredly bee furnished with it hath a winning grace and bravery above State Heathens have seene its beauty and beene enamour'd on it But its chiefest efficacy is with minds already pious which God knowes is the smallest part of mankinde and such Ornaments being at no certainty no not in Church-men such supplements as may bee had for establishing Religion are to bee allowed it It was our Saviours owne Precept to his Disciples Be wise as Serpents but innocent as Doves Christianity and Policy the wisedome of Serpents and the innocence of Doves may stand together and while wee are but as sheepe amongst wolves it is but necessary they should The leaders that are upon such hard service had need have the best provision and the best order that may bee the best to preserve themselves and advance the Church Forreigne plants we know are choyce and require a speciall care and Christianity being such a supernaturall stem will need and being so Noble will deserve our best fostering When God sends Angels Embassadors to men hee puts them in humane shapes the better to comply with human nature But when men are to act Gods part they had need put on all the Divinity that may be Riches and honours are not opposite to humility but make more conspicuous Though a Divine shew more sacred without either staffe or scrip as hee that hath wholly cast off this world for his hopes in another a knap-sacke and sword now is thought no luggage whilst we are men and most part flesh and bloud the Elements we consist of would find some likely nu●riment and the supports of this life not wholly bee neglected It was a sad but sage consideration of the Poet Quis virtutem amplectitur ipsam Praemia si tollas We would have a Learned and Religious Clergie otherwise wee have small hopes they should make others such but we shall hardly find learning or Piety flourish without these encouragements To passe by the improbity of Poverty which is far above that of plenty Though knowledge as the light of the soule for it selfe be desirable men steare not thitherward unlesse their other desires be otherwise satisfied or learning seeme the meanes to satisfie them Or how forward soever they may bee to learne to make them teach they must yet have some further incentive Or though good natures might so farre exalt their mindes experienced Parents while it is in their power will be wary how they dedicate and breed up a son to a studious beggery We must expect Priests with a curse of the lowest of the people or the halt and the maimed out of greater families if Divinity and the service of God cannot advance like the Law or the sword or one of the twenty foure companies The gifts of miracles of infallibility and Prophesiing cease and expect wee the Spirit of selfe-denyall as fresh as ever The wisest Law-givers have beene wont to consider men In massa corrupta averse from all good and only to be reclaimed by reward and punishment and hath this last thrifty Age discovered a new way to put these accounts upon the world to come Or only to be liberall in her punishments Those that travaile to Rome or Ierusalem what satisfaction soever they promise themselves at their Journies end are glad to turne in sometimes by the way and refresh themselves in other Cities and meaner Innes and by such discreet stayes hasten their course Such a Journey have wee to that heavenly Canaan a Journey I account it not an anxious Pilgrimage though the rest we promise our selves there be above all the repasts of the way and those especially that convert sinners have the assurance to shine like Starres in the Firmament to support fraile nature and keepe a sense of what wee expect the hospitality of this world is intended us Though our devotion lye for Heaven Riches Honours and pleasures all the glories of this light may bee our bayting places so wee make this world but as the City