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	trinity_n	7,211	5	10.1332	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42048	The grand presvmption of the Roman Church in equalling their own traditions to the written word of God by Francis Gregory.	Gregory, Francis, 1625?-1707.	1675 (1675)	Wing G1894; ESTC R13146	76,854	132

Authour too 'T is certain that those Holy men who delivered the Prophecies of the Old Testament to the Jewish Church were inspired from Heaven and hence it is that the Scripture styles a Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of God i. e. a man commissioned authorized and informed by God St. Peter tells us No prophecie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of private incitation so our learned Hammond renders it the expression imports that the Prophets were not suae mentis sed Divini Consilii Interpretes as Cameron words it they did not reveal their own minds but God's Thus St. Paul God spake by the Prophets they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men carried acted and taught by God And what Person of the Trinity it was that inspired these Prophets St. Peter tells us Holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Thus Ezekiel The Spirit of the Lord fell upon me and said unto me Speak Thus saith the Lord c. There was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Cameron the Spirit of God did invade seise and enter the Prophets of old and upon that score those Messages which they delivered and left upon record are commonly styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Holy Writings or as Dionysius calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Discourses Sermons or Words of God And as the Prophecies of these Holy men with a respect to the whole Trinity are indeed the Word of God so likewise with a more particular Appropriation to the Second Person they may be justly styled according to the expression in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of Christ For that this Blessed Spirit by whom these Prophets were infallibly taught and guided in all their Messages is indeed the Spirit of Christ 't is an Article of our Christian Faith delivered to us both in the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds For although the Title that was expresly given the Spirit by the ancient Fathers of the Greek Church in the Creeds of Nicaea and Constantinople were onely this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit that proceeds from the Father yet that it was their constant belief that the Spirit did also proceed from the Son our excellent Bishop Pearson hath undeniably evinced from several expressions of Epiphanius who thus affirms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Spirit of God is the Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of the Son too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is from the Father and from the Son and that doubtless not onely as he was anciently termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receiving from the Father and the Son but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proceeding too And this Procession of the Spirit from the Son though the Scripture doth no-where deliver in expresse and open terms yet it doth virtually contain and justly warrant it For as he is styled the Spirit of the Father so is he as plainly styled the Spirit of the Son too so St. Paul God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son And as he is styled the Spirit of God so is he styled the Spirit of Christ too thus the same St. Paul If any man have not the Spirit of Christ c. So then 't is evident that this Blessed Spirit by whom the Prophets of old were inspired and acted is indeed the Spirit of Christ So much St. Peter doth yet farther assure us The Spirit of Christ which was in the Prophets c. And methinks if that Holy Spirit by whose immediate Inspiration all the Prophets did speak and write were and is the Spirit of Christ we may easily grant that every Truth which these Prophets by the Guidance of this Spirit have delivered and left upon record is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of Christ Thirdly The New Testament hath Christ for its Authour too 'T is often styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gospel of Christ St. Paul calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gospel of the Son and well he may for all the Sermons recorded by the four Evangelists are the Sermons of this Son all the mighty works registred in these severall Gospels are the Miracles of this Son all the Promises that are anywhere delivered by St. Matthew Mark Luke or John are the Promises of this Son and whatever Truth we find mentioned by any one or all the Evangelists 't is the Doctrine of this Son Thus St. Paul God hath spoken to us by his Son c. Under the Law God spake by Angels and Prophets that were his Servants but under and in the Gospel he hath spoke more immediately by Christ Who is his Son And as the main Passages recorded by the four Evangelists were thus immediately delivered by Christ in his own Person so likewise those holy men who were Amanuenses Dei the Secretaries and Pen-men of the Spirit to write what our Saviour did and preached and so to transmit his Truths his Commands and his Miracles to all succeeding Ages were provided and raised by Christ too So that Text informs us He gave some Apostles and some Evangelists c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He gave c. but who is that Idem ipse Christus so Estius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so St. Chrysostom 't is Christ 't is the Son that gave But what did he give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostles such as St. Paul Silas Barnabas c. to preach the Gospel and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evangelists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so St. Chrysostom he gave St. Matthew and others to write the Gospel and by so doing to convey it sincere pure and incorrupt to all Generations And this doth Saint Paul acknowledge By Christ we have received Grace and Apostleship hence doth St. Peter style himself thus Peter an Apostle of Jesus Christ c. Christ himself was known by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle of his Father but St. Peter and St. Paul were His. And as these Apostles received their severall Commissions from Christ so were they careful to preach those very Doctrines which Christ himself had taught them Thus St. Paul I have received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you Non confinxi pro Ingenio meo c. saith Cameron St. Paul did not invent but receive what Truths he preached and wrote they were not the Issues of his own Brain but the Revelations and Dictates of Christ And if so if the Evangelists and Apostles who preached and penned the whole New Testament were not onely raised by Christ but infallibly taught by his Spirit too we may conclude that this holy Gospell which was published and registred by these inspired Persons is indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of Christ But 2. The Scriptures are and may be justly styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of Christ not onely as he is the Authour of the whole but also as he is

upon record to the contrary If any man hunger let him eat at home Hence Luther tells King Henry the Eighth Apud nos non peccat qui modestè ederit biberit ante Communionem With us the man doth not sin who eats or drinks moderately before the Sacrament And 't is well known that the Primitive Christians who were very tender of all Apostolicall Institutions did at least in some places and upon some days in imitation of our Blessed Saviour receive the Sacrament after Supper So much may we collect from that expression of St. Austine who grants Institutum esse multis locis ut die Paschae post refectionem Deo offeratur c. that it was the Custom of many places to offer the Eucharist to God after meat And Sozomen tells us that some also dined before the reception of the Sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They coming together on the Sabbath towards the Evening and having already dined they partake of the Mysteries From this Authority Cornelius à Lapide is forced to acknowledge thus much Perduravit hic mos in nonnullis Ecclesiis per multa secula This Custom of eating before the Sacrament continued in some Churches for many Ages and yet is fasting an Apostolicall Institution is it indeed Consuetudo necessariò servanda a Custom that must of necessity be observed as Bellarmine contends But since Tertullian hath given us a fair Intimation in that expression of his Non sciet maritus quid ante omnem cibum sumas c. that in his time the Sacrament was received before all other food since Nazianzene hath assured us that the Eucharist was celebrated in his Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before Supper and since St. Austine hath told us Per universum orbem mos iste servatur The Custom of receiving the Lord's Supper fasting is observed by the whole Christian Church throughout the World we look upon it as a laudable Practice and use it as an ancient Rite though it will be hard to prove it an Apostolicall Institution For St. Austine's Placuit Spiritui Sancto c. urged by Bellarmine will not evince it no not upon the Principles of his own Church for 't is well known that the Pope and his Councils do commonly ascribe to the Holy Ghost as well their own Determinations as the Tradition of Christ's Apostles But although our receiving the Eucharist fasting were granted to be the Dictate of God's Holy Spirit signified to the Church either by the Apostles themselves or their immediate Successours in that Age wherein the extraordinary Revelations of the Holy Ghost were as yet continued though I say this Ceremony of receiving the Sacrament fasting were certainly of Divine or Apostolicall Institution yet doubtlesse severall Rites recommended and used by the Roman Church in the Administration of this Sacrament are not so For who commands that the Sacramental Bread must needs be broken into three Pieces as if there were some great Mysteries signified by a threefold fraction Who requires the Circumgestation of the Host Who commands the Priest to sign himself the Altar the Book the Elements and all the Congregation with the Crosse Was it some Apostle or their own Alexander which ordained that the Sacramental Wine should be mixed with Water What warrant can be pretended from the command or example of Christ or any Apostle of his for putting the consecrated Bread not into the Hand but the Mouth of their Communicants I remember that Canon of the Council of Altissiodorum a Town in France Non licet mulieri nudâ manu Eucharistiam sumere 'T is not lawful for a woman to receive the Sacrament with a bare and naked hand no if she want her Dominical her linen Gloves non communicet let her not partake of the Sacrament that 's their law I remember also another Canon established by a Council assembled in Constantinople which runs thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Communicant must frame his hands into the figure of a Crosse And how that must be done too there is a Jesuit who thus instructs us Dexterâ superpositâ sinistrae in modum Crucis c. Certainly these Canons are so superstitious that they savour of a Pope rather then an Apostle but however they give sufficient evidence that the Eucharist of old was received by the Communinicants with their Hands not their Mouths The truth is the Roman Church hath no more warrant from any Apostolicall Tradition for these and some other Ceremonies used therein about the Eucharist then they have for their half-Communion whereby against the Institution of Christ the Discourse of St. Paul and the Evidence of Primitive Practice the Laiety are unworthily robbed of half the Sacrament and are admitted onely to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dry Feast indeed 'T is very evident that these and many other Vsages and Doctrines received in the Roman Church are not the Doctrines and Practices taught and required by Christ or St. Paul no such they are as have no Countenance from any clear Text of Prophets Evangelists or Apostles and because 't is so because the Scriptures will never justifie those Practices and Assertions of theirs they are resolved and indeed much obliged in point of honour to seek out for other Arguments to prove them and what they are we shall now consider II. The Champions of the Roman Church do endeavour to prove their Traditions to be Apostolicall by the Testimonies of their own Bishops as if they were Infallible Thus that the yearly Renovation of their Chrism is an Apostolicall Tradition doth Bellarmine offer to prove by the Authority of Pope Fabian who in his second Epistle to the Bishops of the Eastern Church tells them thus Ista à Sanctis Apostolis eorum Successoribus accepimus Vobísque tenenda mandamus 'T is that which we have received from the Apostles and their Successours and so we require from you its Observation To this he adds the Testimony of Innocent the First who in his first Epistle to Decentius saith Si Instituta Ecclesiastica ut sunt à beatis Apostolis tradita integra vellent servare Domini sacerdotes c. If our Lord's Priests would entirely observe the Institutions of the Church as they were delivered by the blessed Apostles c. Now to these and the like Testimonies of the Roman Bishops which are cited in the defence of such and such Traditions we have two things to answer 1. The Roman Bishops that have pleaded for the unwritten Traditions of that Church are not competent Witnesses nor doth their Testimony deserve to be admitted in matters of this Concern 'T is notoriously known that there are severall Traditions maintained by the Roman Church that are very advantageous to their Bishop and others of their Clergy too and that upon severall accounts That Doctrine which teacheth the Pope's Primacy and Supremacy over all other Bishops and Secular Princes makes much for