Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	good_a	grace_n	lord_n	7,245	5	3.6848	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81232	A vindication of the Lords prayer, as a formal prayer, and by Christ's institution to be used by Christians as a prayer: against the antichristian practice and opinion of some men. Wherein, also their private and ungrounded zeal is discovered, who are very strict for the observation of the Lords Day, and make so light of the Lords prayer. By Meric Casaubon, D.D. one of the prebandaries of C.C. Canterb.	Casaubon, Meric, 1599-1671.; Grotius, Hugo, 1583-1645.	1660 (1660)	Wing C817; Thomason E1921_3; ESTC R209969	43,421	134

Lactantius or any other against it is very impertinent as to them that are versed in these things will appear Most antient Heathens when they treat of Superstition insist upon this particular of Parents Now if we shall appeal to davly experience How many Fathers and Mothers who prayed for such and such Children before they had them or when sick or in danger as the only thing almost that made them happy and which they would expect from God in this world at least afterwards have thought both themselves and those very Children had been very happy if they had never been born or dyed young and that God had been very mercifull unto them if he had not heard their prayers It is so of all worldly things habet has vices conditio mortalium ut adversa exsecundis ex adversis secunda nascantur Occultat utrorumque semina Deus plerumque bonorum malorumque causae sub diversa specie latent So the Orator very wisely and truly How then can it be otherwise The Comick therefore not less truly than elegantly Stulti haud scimus quam frustra simus quum quod cupienter dari Petimus nobis quasi quid in rem sit possimus noscere Certa amittimus dum incerta petimus atque hoc evenit In labore atque in dolore ut mors obrepat interim How much safer then as we said before when we have laid open our case and present apprehensions upon it before God to betake our selves to this Holy Prayer which from his authority that commended it to us and other good considerations that should endear it to us will both teach and help us to elevate our hearts from those wordly transitory petty things Wives Hu bands Children c. in comparison into better objects The glory of our Creatour in heaven the advancement of his Truth in the world humble submission to his heavenly Will and Wisdome in all things from whom all that is truly good and nothing but good doth proceed from which things so thought upon and desired as we are taught by this Holy Prayer our own eternal happiness doth depend And here it may be observed that whereas Mat 7.2 it is said If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your Children how much more shall your Father which is in beaven give things to them that ask him In St. Luke we find it If ye then being evil know how to give good things unto your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him as if heavenly things encrease of Grace that the only thing either considerable or that we can safely securely pray for And if we so use the Lords Prayer with these thoughts this preparation of heart we may I said before if occasion be use it often in one day to our great comfort and with less superstition I dare say than some others their Battologies or affected long prayers condemned both in the Old and New Testament All this while I have not forgotten what St. James saith The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much Elias was a man c. Though somewhat might be said to that particular case there be extraordinary times and occasions yea and persons too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same nature as we are Mortals similes aliis as the vulgar Latin very well Acts 14.15 not Gods yet endowed with extraordiuary zeal and raised of purpose sometimes for some extraordinary Act but we have said enough already to prevent Calumny as though we disliked others whilst we commend and vindicate the Lords prayer To tell us that this prayer hath been or is yet being mumbled upon beads in an unknown language and the like much abused and to make that an objection against the use of it after it hath been so cleerly proved that no one duty of Christian Religion can pretend to more evidence of either Scripture-authority or universal consent every man that is not very simple and ignorant must needs understand what will be the consequent of such an argument For what was ever or is yet more abused than the divine Scriptures what more than praying or preaching what more than Religion in genetal under the mask whereof what mischiefs what miscarriages both publick and private have been contrived What indeed is so generally abhorred among men that hath not been acted under that sacred name Neyther is it so among Christianr only Look into ancient stories when Paganism was the Religion of the world look into latter stories of the Turks or any other Nation even now the present divisions of the Turks among themselves as our News books tell us go under the name of Religion and Reformation Tantum relligio potuit suadere malorum in every mans mouth and observation And of Christian Religion particularly we are told in some late Relations that the Turks themselves some of them at least confefs Christian Religion to have been a good Religion for a long time till it came to be corrupted and abused by the Professours of it which they say made God to send Mahomes to establish a new This may serve for a warning to others sober men will not use such arguments We did promise Mr. Perkins before his words are these And whereas sundry men in our Church I must appeal to the knowledge of them that know more than I for in all my time I never heard of any except Mr. Perkins understood men that were borne of the Church of England but since divided from it by faction and singularity such as the forenamed Johnson and his adherents hold it unlawfull to use this very form of words as they are set down by our Saviour Christ for a prayer they are far deceived as will appear by their reasons First say they it is Scripture and therefore not to be used as a Prayer I answer that the same thing may be the Scripture of God and also the prayer of man else the prayers of Moses David and Paul being set down in the Scripture cease to be prayers again say they That in prayer we are to expresse our Wants in particular and the Graces which we desire Now in those words all things to be prayed for are onely in general propounded I answer That the maine wants that are in any man and the principal Graces of God to be desired are set down in the petitions of this prayer in particuler Thirdly they plead that the patterne to make all prayer by should not be used as a Prayer I answer that therefore the rather it may beused as a Prayer sure it is that ancient and worthy Divines have reverenced it as a prayer chusing rather to use these words then any other as Cyprian De Orat. Domini and Tertul. lib. de sugâ in persecut and August serm 12.6 de tempore Wherefore this opinion is full of ignorance and error So he You may see by the begining that Mr. Perkins had no

praestantissimo artifice eam orationem esse compositam praeformatam In another Treatise he saith Cum haec Oratio à Christo habeat originem debet indubitanter eminentissima nobilissima optimaque censeri quâ si meliorem scivisset integerrimus ac fidelissimus magister eam quoque nos ille docuisset I will not undertake for the exactness or propriety of the expression in those words si meliorem scivisset which the vehemency of his admiration and affection suggested unto him It would make a man suspect that even in those dayes he had met with some that thought they could pray as well if not better and perchance under pretence of imitation would have been content if they might to leave it out of their publike devotions But I do but suspect It is apparent he was a great admirer of it and had very great zeale to it and for it Luther's zeale to this prayer puts me in minde of Ludovicus Vives a Papist indeed not a Protestant but generally acknowledged a learned wise devout man he hath written a Commentary as he calls it upon the Lords prayer How zealously he was affected towards it and how much he had it in admiration his preface will shew it is well worth the reading But of Protestant Divines I make no question but a man might make a whole book that should collect their several Elogies and testimonies concerning this Prayer as it is a forme of prayer but that it is not our business here Generall consent is the thing that we contend for and upon which we have in part grounded our case in the stating of it And for that we have appealed to the Formularies that are extant of most Protestant Churches beyond the seas which is the most direct and pertinent proof that any man can expect And if we knew any thing objected by any body in opposition to what we mantaine we would take notice of it I find nothing of that nature in Johnson before spoken of though Carpenter had not omitted it but put it to him in direct termes Nullane Protestantium Ecclesia praeter vestram Synagogulam oculos habuit aut mentem An vos soli sapitis c. in St. Augustin's words against Donatus to which particular I finde no answer at all though the answer as called be large and tedious in general beyond measure It seemes therefore he could not deny it but all Protestant Churches were of another mind If he had known any certainly we should have heard of it What notice therefore I have taken of particular men as Luther and Calvin is over and above because of their eminency Perkins in England his authority would once have gone a great way with those men especially that pretended to more than ordinary strictnesse in religion What his opinion was in this matter shall be seen at the end where we take notice of some objections But now since we have named some particular men and have seen what devotion they had Luther especially to this holy Prayer with what zeale and admiration they speak of it let it not passe without some further observation I make no question but the like may be said and observed of divers others eminently pious and learned in all ages I have heard of some particularly in our age men of great fame that have professed to receive singular comfort of it which might also be gathered by their frequent use of it in time of sicknesse Now I would gladly know of those men and I wish they would take it into their serions consideration of those men I say who not only forbeare the use of it themselves but also forbid it to others and when used in their presence have shewed much trouble and indignation as it is reported of some and may be true for ought I know of many more whether it be likely or possible that such averseness and antipathy in them such zeale and devotion in others whom themselves perchance will not deny to have been pious and religious should proceed from one and the same spirit And if they cannot find in their hearts to say or to thinck that it was a spirit of illusion that led those good and godly men unto such esteeme and admiration of this prayer from what spirit can their antipathy proceed For my part and I doubt not but it is the mind of many thousand Christians in England besides though I know my self too great a sinner to expect that God should afford me those extraordinary ravishing contentments and delights of the soule which I believe he hath done and doth unto many more deserving in the use of this holy prayer Yet I should be very sorry it should be in the power of any man living to bereave me of that right and priviledge I have as a Christian unto it and the use of it whilest I live and I shall ever believe that a reverent use and high esteem of it as immediately proceeding from and commended unto us by such a ONE to whom all manner of adoration is due is no small part of that worship we owe unto God All things that have been said hitherto well considered it may perchance make some wonder in some what should induce men some learned and conscientious otherwise as it is to be hoped but however men that professe Christianity to be so set against this prayer that beareth the name of the Lord and Saviour of men and I remember an observation in Aristotle that to give full satisfaction in a doubtful busines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We should not only tell what is truth but also take paines to discover the ground of the error or that which is false First then it must be granted that even before these times there were some in the world that begun to hatch this monster but being but few and inconsiderable standing divided from all the Reformed Churches in Europ it leaves a wonder still their opinion should be embraced by men accounted sober and making profession of the protestant Religion We say therefore in the second place that the spirit of Enthasiusme since the reines of order and discipline have been loose and all liberty left unto men Papists and Prelaticall for so it pleaseth them to joyne us only excepted to follow their own fancies in all things belonging to Gods worship having much prevailed as it hath done in some ages of the world before this among us men have been very prone to think themselves inspired in the use of their extemporary faculty which formerly and it may be formerly too much neglected they had not been so well acquainted with and through ignorance of Nature and former times as hath been declared and proved at large elsewhere did apprehend a supernatural cause where indeed there was no cause at all and this probably might make them by degrees to loath and contemn this holy prayer A third reason may be the violence of opposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Basil