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
A79569	Church-Levellers, or, Vanity of vanities and certainty of delusion: discovered in the pamphlet, called The vanity of the present churches, and uncertainty of their preaching. / By a friend to both true churches and preachers.	Friend to both true churches and preachers.	1649 (1649)	Wing C3995; Thomason E561_5; ESTC R206008	13,994	16

renounce as a delusion of Satan but is not he himself in the other extream saying as much of the word without the spirit Pag. 19. that it forceth it self into our dead naturall understandings plants it self there makes us one with it and forms us new c. If he say in the same place he cals it the sword of the spirit I answer then it can do no more of it self to those effects specified then a sword without an arm to wield it which whether it be not a contradiction to what he said afore that men have their understanding only and solely by the Scriptures Pag. 7. and are not taught by the spirit let him at leasure consider 9. And now again pag. 18. he asserts it peremptorily that now in our times we have no preacher of the Gospel but the Scripture the infallible word of God c. This is another piece of non-sense Is the Gospel and the preacher of the Gospel one and the same When Christ seat his Apostles and Paul and they sent others to preach the Gospel did they send the Gospel or the Scriptures to preach themselves Are not the Scripture● and the preachers of the Gospel subordinate helps of understanding to the people Doth not the Apostle clearly distinguish the Gospel from the preachers of it Rom. 10.14 c. How shall they hear the Gospel of peace vers 15. without a preacher And how shall they preach except they be sent How beautifull are the flee of them mark that the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 twice Evangelizing bringing glad tidings of good things Hath the Gospel any feet to be sent to preach it self and do the preachers make people firsake those living fountains c. when as they call them to them and open those Wels of salvation for them and draw Waters thence for them which they cannot some at least draw forth for themselves Suppose the people be such as cannot reade must they not have some to reade the the Scriptures for them to expound them to them These are preachers in this mans opinion reading is preaching with him If they have no Scripture but in Hebrew Greek or Latine though they can reade how shall they understand them unlesse there be some learned to interpret them But is not that with the iniquity of learning so he cals it pag. 19. to make a gain of godlinesse ●●g 19. c. And though he seem to magnifie the word the precious word translated into English yet what certainty will there be in such translations especially if the Interpreters shall as the Church of Rome hath done make use of the iniquity not of learning but of their own sedueing hearts and designs to cheat and abuse the people And who I pray are the men arrived at so much impudence as to make a gain of godlinesse c. and to become rich by pretended not preaching but reading the Scripture and saying of Masle in Latine telling men they had the spirit at Rome and that the Scriptures were a dead letter a nose of wax c. These blasphemous aspersions some disguised Jesuites have cast upon the Scriptures again and now cry out of the same 10. But that there are both Churches and Preachers now according to the Scripture rules might easily be manifested from the Scripture it self and by his own confessions First The Scripture is most clear 1 Cor. 12.28 God hath set in his Church not only Apostles and Prophets extraordinary Ministers but Pastors and Teachers Where there are implied both Churches and Preachers and lest he should say those were in the Apostles times Churches planted by Apostolicall men and the Preachers extraordinarily inspired but we have none such now let him then consider another Scripture Ephes 4 1● 22. He gave to his Church some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry c. How long to continue Tell we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God unto a perfect man c. That is till the day of Christ to the worlds end Now hence it follows either that these Preachers and Churches were ordinary or if extraordinary that the Church of Christ hath failed ever since the Apostles decease for we have had no such extraordinary infallible Preachers for many ages which is contrary to Christs promise and the intoution of this Scripture Again if there be Preachers continued that there may be Churches either they must only reade the word written by the Prophets and Apostles which is needlesse seeing every man and woman may yea must by his way reade it themselves and by reading only understand it as he after speaks Or else they must interpret the word expound and apply it according to the rules of Scripture and that is nothing else but preaching and so we have found other preachers beside the Scripture I might adde many texts more I name but one Act. 20.28 where he shall finde both a Church yea severall Churches and Preachers many Elders set over those Churches by the holy Ghost to feed them not surely by extraordinary Revelations besides the Scripture None such were found at that or in after times and himself disclaims the immediate tanching of the spirit in people or Preachers Nor yet by bare reading of the word the infallible word of God there need no officers for such a work only the people could do that themselves Therefore there was an office of Preachers to continue to the worlds end according to Scripture Secondly His own acknowledgements import as much hear him speak Pag. 34. We reade of Apostles Evangelists Prophets Pastors and Teachers and of the order and regulating of Churches and of gifts given to all these from on high c. Where say I do we reade of these but in those and the like places to those before named And the reasons before are constringent to prove them to continue still extraordinary we finde none Therefore it must be meant of ordinary both Churches and Preachers All he excepts to this is either That these are not so plainly exprest as to leave the consciencious without dispute c. or that these Churches and Pastors are short of and not to be compared with those we reade of To which we answer first That there are Churches and Preachere to be continued is clearly exprest in the word their order and qualifications plainly delivered 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. 1 Cor. 14. c. where note that there is not one word for such a qualification of a Preacher that he must have an infallible spirit 2. That they are not to be compared with the Apostles and Prophers we easily grant but that they are not to be compared with the Pastors and Teachers is miserably begged It 's evinced then that there are both Churches and Preachers now and all he saies against it is lesse then vanitie 11. But he

the Scriptures that snare is discovered as a meer delusion another while the Scripture only and solely without the spirit and this is the last and newest device of Satan Any thing either vilifying or over magnifying the Scripture to stupifie men into confusions that so he may both waies prey upon them And I pray Sir if your private persons may have this infallible teaching by the Scriptures and partake of the spirit by the word of the spirit as you seem to yield pag. 49. why may not our preachers in reading and studying the Scriptures have the like priviledge and be as able to hold it out at the publick meetings as your private men and women and so we shall finde preachers infallible either some in office or all in common 6. But let us hear his reason why our preachers have not the spirit Had they the spirit of God as they pretend would the need Pag. 7. as they do to go sit in their studies three or four daies together turning over their Authors to finde out the meaning c. no certainly the spirit could in an instant inform them the meaning of his own writings c. 1. May not this be as well applied to his disciples in their readings debates and conferences to which he advises and exhorts so often Had they the spirit at once reading what need they study the Scripture debate or confer about it to get or increase knowledge The spirit could in an instant inform them in the meaning of it Nay what need they the spirit to that end if the Scriptures only and solely and so easily and speedily can give them the understanding of them so that either he must as indeed he doth deny the spirit to be needfull for his disciples to understand the Scriptures but then it 's hoped our preachers having learning and tongues besides may understand them as well as they or if the spirit be needfull for them why may not the blessed spirit be pleased to give understanding to preachers as well as to them 2. There is which he conceals or confounds a two fold administration of the spirit the one immediate without the Scripture thus it was imparted to the Prophets and Apostles The other mediate by the Scriptures or by illumination of the Scriptures upon the heart and this is common to all Gods people Again there is a double understanding of the Scripture one of the letter or history common to reprobates another spirituall of the mystery and power of the Gospel and this is peculiar to Gods elect To you it is given to know the mysteries c. Paul bids Timothy a preacher give attendance to reading for to save himself and them that hear him But Paul himself had his without reading by immediate revelation but the same spirit 7. ●●…g 8. Observe saies he that when they have for some years preacht up a doctrine they are many times forced to preach it down again as most of them have done and that in very materiall points c. We say to this reproachfull aspersion first either it is not in materiall points especially not in necessary points for they he saith are clear and plain not at all hard to be understood nor require long time to learn them pag. 21. and that to his unlearned ones then much more to preachers or else if in materiall things any are thus inconstant they are not our preachers which do so but his own giddy sectaries and some perhaps Independents They indeed preach one while baptisme of all infants of infants of Beleevers only another while and at last of no infants or of any others of years for want of a true Ministry And hither I beleeve himself is fallen through all these opinions for if there be no true Church nor true preachers there is no Minister of Baptisme to be found and so no Baptisme Again the sectaries have their Pastors and Churches divided in election and reprobation in universall redemption free-will c. up and down down and up But so do not the Presbyterian Preachers Befides Who hath brought these planets to this uncertain motion but only those Cam●lian-like Jesuites who insinuate these delusions and false doctrines into the unstable Pastors and Churches and then make these outcries of divisions and inconstancy as he now doth Oh the damnable subtilties of Jesuiticall seducers They unsettle people and Pastors and set them on building of Churches on these uncertain doctrines and then cry out How can they affirm their word to be the word of God Is not a Church founded on such uncertainties 〈◊〉 9. founded on the sands 8. And now he lets fly at all The Pope and his Clergy bely themselves and blaspheme God in saying they have the true spirit of God whilst by their lying miracles 〈◊〉 10. art and sophistry they lead the poor deluded people into greatest errors c. The Bishops discover their faults The Presbyters they come and cry out of studied Sermons and common prayer as stinters and suppressors of the Spirit of God Then comes the Independent and pretends to erect a pure holy and undefiled worship c. and a great deal more of such stuff For our parts we say Let Baal plead for himself Only if we mistake not the man we think he is too saucy with his father the Pope but any thing is tolerated for the Catholick cause As for the Presbyters we must tell him plainly he flanders them They never cryed out of studied Sermons or set prayers as stinters and suppressors of the spirit nor do they differ at all in materials or minde their own honour and profit and least of all are they possessed with a persecuting spirit The Lord rebuke thee thou false tongue prosecution of or preaching against damnable heresies is no persecution That is only for truth and the Gospels sake But I pray Sir tell us Is not the world full of Atheists Antiscripturists your self complain of such in this book Antinomists Seekers Antispiritists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were called of old and may not we call a spade a spade are not you your self an Antispiritist in part denying the necessity of the spirit in the understanding of the Scriptures and will you complain of us for calling you so These these are they that have brought those infinite evils into the world which you cry out of Pag. 13. doubtings and sadnes in some in others wrangling envy malice wilde notions and opinions not examining their opinions by the text but interpreting the text by their opinions and experiences and the rest of that rabble mentioned of heresies blasphemies c. none of which blessed be God are found among the Presbyterians but all preached against by them so far that they are called persecuter without a cause And who are they that say the letter killeth and call the Scripture a dead letter but his sectaries who plead the immediate teaching of the spirit which the Presbyterians