Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	grace_n	holy_a	power_n	7,010	5	4.6218	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19362	An epistle or godlie admonition, of a learned minister of the Gospel of our sauiour Christ sent to the pastoures of the Flemish Church in Antwerp, (who name themselues of the Confession of Auspurge,) exhorting them to concord with the other ministers of the Gospell. Translated out of French by Geffray Fenton. Here may the christian reader lerne to know what is the true participatio[n] of the body of Christ, & what is the lauful vse of the holy Supper.	Corro, Antonio del, 1527-1591.; Fenton, Geoffrey, Sir, 1539?-1608.	1569 (1569)	STC 5787; ESTC S108710	46,646	132

that we are of the Ambassadours of the holy Gospell of peace and yet our attemptes and councels are not but of warres murders and effusions of mans bloud Oh most wretched that we are we rayse and lifte vp our handes to praye and call vpon thée which notwithstanding are all sprinkled and goared with the bloud of those whiche thou haddest made liuely by thy wonderfull prouidence Seing that such is our wisdome sprong of oure bel●●fe that is to say earthly sensuall and diuellishe accompanied with enute wrath trouble with all workes of peruersitie giue vs Lorde by thy bountie thy wisedome from an highe whiche may be pure peaceable moderate tractable full of mercie and good frutes and far from debates dissentions and all hipocrisie bring to passe lord that the frutes of iustice may be sowen in peace for those whiche vse make peace and by those which be the true pronoūcers and shewers of the same peace bring to passe Lorde that we shewe our selues wise and well aduised not onely in vaine wordes and bable of Religion but let vs bring forth in our conuersation the frutes of the Gospell wherein we beléeue accompanying our faith with workes of humilitie and celestiall wisdome Take pitie on vs O Lorde by thy bountie and mercie for we confesse to haue offended thée greatly and withoute measure and we confesse that the rebukes whiche thou sendest vppon vs are but the iuste rewardes of our merites Thou Lord sufferest that we haue warre dissentions quarelles and debates and that we committe vnnaturall murder one vppon an other and that more for the cause of our particular opinions than in respect of zeale to thy glorie whereof notwithstanding we vaunte our selues thou sendest to vs the messangers and Heraldes of thy wrathe that is to saye infections of the aire contagious diseases pestilence famine shipwracks with other like arguments of thy heauy displeasure towardes vs and yet we harden our hartes thou sufferest that straunge Nations Barbarous and Idolaters do raise them selues against vs for the ouerthrowe of the Churches and Assemblies where thy name ought to be glorified and wée trusting in our owne forces industries and frayle wisdoms will not haue recourse to thée and therefore with good right oh Lorde thou leauest vs to the mercie of the infidelles and sufferest the superstitious to haue victorie ouer vs. Oh Father of mercie bestowe vpō vs thy pitifull eyes reforme our hartes and oure affections engraue in vs the only zeale of thy glorie graffe in our mindes the true trée of life whiche is Iesus Christe our Sauiour and Redéemer the fruts of whom do make vs liuely let vs be filled with true fayth liuely hope mutual and brotherly charitie that we exercising in works of true mortification iustice innocencie and holinesse may be in the ende possessors of the eternal life for the obteyning whereof we haue bin chosen predestinate to the prayse of thée oh father of mercy and of thy Christ our only sauiour to whome with thy holy Spirit be glorie prayse for euer Amen A prayer to Iesus Christ for peace and vnitie in the Church by Geffray Fenton O Soueraigne Lorde who beyng the eternall worde and true GOD with God thy father didst take our nature to visite in forme of man the poore children of Adam lost by their infidelitie distruste and peruerse opinion against their Creator And also by thy meane and remedie hast eftesones restablissed the confederation betwene GOD and vs approuing the same most painfully in the mortall martyrdome of thy most innocent body bléeding on the crosse for the expiacion of our sinnes we beseche thée oh Sauiour of the world that euen as thou arte come to consūmate and confirme our recōciliation thou wouldest also reconcile our hartes knitte oure wils and sende thy spirit of truth amongst vs to the ende that we all concurring in one iudgement and opinion may remember that we are called to bée members of one body whereof Lord we acknowledge thée to be the chiefe and supreame head and so detesting inciuill partialities we may be of one opinion agrée in one minde and vse one mutuall and charitable direction touching the matter of oure Religion Thou hast left vnto vs O Lorde the celebration of thy holly Supper as a memortal of oure communion and spirituall vnitie with thée and also to instructe vs in suche lawes of charitie as ought to be of familiar conuersation amongest vs all And yet we such is the nature of our fragilitie and condition of our vnworthinesse as we abuse the excellent benefite of that most high fauour séeing that in place to tye and conioyne our selues with thée we doe more estraunge vs from thée and that by reason of our quarelles and questions of contention In place to consider that we are one bodie one churche and one bread made of sundrie graines we shewe our selues proude and giue sundrie proues of our ambition in séeking to establishe a speciall estimation of our peculiar and priuat opinions in handling very often thy presence in thy holly Supper by subtill disputation we become farre from thy true and liuely presence in contending whether the sinners vnfaithfull may communicate thy body we make our selues sinners and incapable to receyue and enioye thy benefites lastly and in effect oh Lord our zeale is so indiscrete that in stryuing to enterteyne the puritie of the doctrine of fayth we breake the league and lawe of charitie yea in persecuting with rebuke such as we accompt to be heretikes in the doctrine of fayth our malice with want of discretion makes vs séeme transnatured into heretikes of charitie corrupting the meanes of cōmunication and brotherly vnitie I beseche thée therfore oh sonne of God let thy gracious pitie fall vppon vs and so open the eyes of our vnderstanding as we may discerne the true frute of thy holy institutiō and ordinance take from amongest vs all sectes and varieties of opinions and reduce vs at last to the obedience of thy holy and only worde reueale vnto vs thy holy spirite with this priuilege of grace that by hys vertue he may drawe vs all into one corporation and bodye whereof thou O Lord mayest be heade and lette him breath into vs strengthe and power to perseuer in workes of true Iustice innocencie and holynesse duryng oure course in this tragical and miserable pilgrimage and in the ende let we beséeche thee the same holy spirite translate vs into the eternall life purchased to our vses by the sacrifice and oblation of thy most precious death wherin thou raignest now gloriously with the Father and holy Ghoste and there shall remayne infinitely AMEN To my most dearely beloued in our Lorde Iesus Christ the only Redéemer and aduocate of men towards the heauenly Father my brother Ministers and Pastors in the church of Antwerp namyng them selues of the Churche of Auspurge Grace and peace from God and his Sonne IESV CHRIST to the ende that by the bond of

his holy spirite we may al be knit in the vnitie and Confession of the Gospel of Christ AT my firste cōming to this town of Antwerpe ryght honorable in Christ and that at the request of certeine the Faithfull there I found cause of singular comforte in the view of the wonderfull woork raised vp by the Lorde by meane of his seruants and that in so shorte tyme as sauing to suche as haue assisted it it maye séeme no lesse impossible than incredible For if we wonder in certeine Trées and Fruits who sometimes yeld encrease aboue custome or against the cōmon course of Nature as though the Lorde were of purpose to releue and restore some countrey afflicted with hūger what may we say of these spirituall plantes whiche the Father of mercy so sodeinly and ageynst al hope of man hath set and planted in these Low countreys specially in this citie of Antwerpe Truly we are bound to acknowledge it as a worke of strange maruell of our God and to say with the prophet this incredible encrease hath bin made by the Lord whom we find worthy of admiration in our eyes it is the right hand of God which hath reueled his vertue it is the right hand of God that hath exalted vs it is the right hād of God that hath manifested his power we shall not die at al but we shal liue to declare the doings of the Lord wherin as I entred more déeply into the view cōsideration of these things so I thought it also an office and duetie in mée to crie with the sayde Prophet Confirme Lord and aduaunce the woorke thou haste begon in vs buyld vp ageyne the walles of thy holy temple restore the ruines of thy Heauenly Ierusalem to the end that the Kings and Princes of the earth may come to doo thée homage and offer presentes gather together agein O God the dispersed of Israel 2 This was the cause wherin I reioyced for certeyn dayes with glad continuance till vpon further viewe of the matters of estate within the citie I found occasion to conuert my cōtentmēt intoo cōceites of sorowe as séeing on euery syde with what diligence Sathan laboured to hinder the aduauncement of this church not only by means of open enemies but also by the indiscretion want of regard in such as name themselues maister Masons in the house of God for such as feared God and wished a publication of his glory cried out exclamed that the chair of truth was becom the chaire of dissentiō seruing no more as a pulpit to preach Iesus Christ the appeasor of troubled cōsciences to pronoūce an vnitie a brotherly charity nor the mortificatiō of the old Adam with the wicked motions of concupiscence but rather it was vsed as a place of inuectiues iniuries with wordes of malice In the Pulpit oughte not be preached other words than of God to know serue Christ tending to a mutual hate of one towards another dissention of doctrine wherin vpon inquirie of such fault with the circumstance authors of the same I fynd your syde not least giltie as being suche amongest you who in open assemblie with woords and libels of malice are not ashamed to cal the other Ministers of the Gospel Heretikes Sacramentaries rebels ageynst the state people vnwoorthy of place in the common wealth with other words improper for the maiesty of such a place which is cōsecrated purposely to teach the word and will of our God 3 Now brethren if such or such lyke matter of reproche should be pronounced in the Pulpit of certein Moonks or monstrous Friers the very organs of the Romaine Antechrist sent of their suppostes to trouble the church of Christ to darken his glory and resist the aduancement of his kingdome we woulde endure them with pacience as knowyng well inough that such sort of Prophetes be the disciples of Balaam who sell theyr tongs to curse the people of God yea somtimes agaynst the sense of their propre conscience wée assure our selues that the mouth of suche hypocrites cānot bring foorth other than woordes of infection and full of tast of all euill for they as they are painted sepulchres so canne they not vomit vp other Description of the false Prophets and prechers of the Papistes matter than suche as is couertly couched within that is to say all infection and filthynesse And we are most certeine that those kinde of people bequeathed to Baall and contentement of theyr bellie séeing the fal of their Marmit by litle and litle will enforce them selues to exclaime agaynst them that discouer theyr abuses hypocrisies and villanous trumperies wee beléeue also that suche suppostes of Sathan who from the begynnyng hath bin the Authour of dissention a louer of murder with desire of effusion of bloud wil labor in the imitation of their father and maister and that vnder the pretence of the Gospell they will proclaime sedition trouble and as the Prophet sayth vomite furious matter agaynst suche as stuffe not their bellies according to their fansies and fashions of custome of suche sorte of railers wée receyue no greate care séeing wée are not ignoraunt with what iudgement and punishement God will visite them though hée be long for they be of that sorte of whome the Apostle Iude speaketh in his Epistle catholicke as vpon whom euill shall happen Reade the Epistle of S. Iudas the Apostle for they followe the trayn of Cain they abāden them selues into the error of the hyer of Baalam they shall perishe according to the contradiction of Corus They are stained at the Banket of the charitable and Faythfull feedyng them selues without feare they are cloudes without water caried away with euery wynde they be trées whose fruite is rotten corrupted and of no commoditie twice dead once by the vniuersall corruption of Adam wherewith all men be stained and the other by the death of theyr Monkery with the whiche they haue dedicated to Baal their bodies and theyr seruices they be ragyng waues of the sea skumming their villanies errant starres for whom is prepared the shaddowes of the euerlastyng darkenesse They are murmurers quarellers walkyng accordyng to theyr couetousnesse theyr mouthes pronoūcing words of venomous substance and louing men onely for their profite They incense diuisyons and are people of sensualitie impartyng nothyng with the Spirite They are the very paynter and portraite whiche the Apostle speaketh of in suche sorte of Preachers And therefore doe wée estéeme of them as they deserue not fearyng any harm they can do to the troupe or felowship electe of God for they discouer sufficiently their poyson and the leuyn of the Phariseys 4 But touchyng you deare and honourable brethren one woorde procéeding from your mouth pierceth the heart and giueth vs cause of singular sorrow with feare least the same stirre vp slaunder to the flocke of Iesus Christe And wo be to hym that shall bée the cause of suche slaunder ageynst one of the least

nature is most dul and farre from the true vnderstanding of these mysteries oure Redéemer Iesus Cause of the celebration institution of the Supper is not only content to propounde vnto vs the coniunction which wée ought to haue with him by these similitudes and comparisons of eating and drinking but also hath soughte to shewe vs by some visible Ceremonie the very same thing that hée hath taught vs by worde to the end that not only our eares myght receyue the instruction of his preaching but also oure eyes féede of some visible representation of that which we ought to be in Chryste and Chryste in vs that is to say that wée be members of him nourished with hys proper vertue and that hée hymselfe is our foode 22 Too this ende I beleue that oure soueraine doctour Iesus Chryste after he had supped with his Disciples and celebrated the ceremonie of the Pascal lamb according to the law to shew vnto the people and all the Churche to come a liuely representation of the coniunction whiche hée tooke with his membres by meane of the sacrifice of his death resurrection and glorification He tooke bread and hauing giuen thanks to God his father he brake it and distributed it to his Disciples saying Take eate this is my bodie whiche is deliuered for you And after hée tooke the cuppe and sayd This is the cuppe of the new Testament take and drink you all and doo this in memorie of mée that is as much as if he shoulde say to the end you vnderstand what I am on youre behalfe what remedie I bryng vnto you Interpretation of the wordes of Christe in the Supper what cōiunction it is necessarie you haue with me and I with you knowe ye that I am bread broken offered and sacrifised for the satisfaction of your sinnes whiche bread as I am my selfe so it is néedefull that it be in you and giue you heauenly nouriture euen as the materiall breade giues you corporall reléef And touching the Cup vnderstande you that the same doth shew you the newe Testament and confederation which I practise with you the which testament shal be ratified with my bloud and doo this in memory of me that is to say when you shall breake the breade as I do haue remembraunce that you certifie and assure youre selues that you bée myne and I am youres yea youres in suche sorte as the breade is youres whiche you breake eate and digeste and the Wyne whiche giueth you nouriture 23 Nowe brethren I beséeche you in the name of our redemer Iesus consider without affection if the interpretation of this holy Ceremonie and of these woords be true or not If it bée true to what purpose do we searche so many questions so many subtilties so many vbiquities with other lyke inuentions to entertain the world in blyndenesse To what purpose do we trouble the people with visible ceremonies with persuasiō that by that meane they may receiue Iesus Christe We leaue behind vs alas as it were altogither buried the doctrin of penance Iustification regeneration Sanctification mortification of the old Adam charitie The spirit of god is not linked to outward ceremonies of one to an other things moste important and necessarie and in the meane while we employ and bestow our selues and time in the interpretation of certein ceremonies without the which god is of power to shewe vs that whiche they doe teach vs. We know also that many holy men be deceased very deuoutly hauing receyued Chryst without receyuing the externall signes visible elements of the supper And to what ende would it serue The receuing of the sacraments serue nothing to such as will not receiue Chryst me to eate all the bread which is in Almayne giuen by the hands of the ministers with the words of the supper of Christ if I haue not experienced my renuyng if I haue not tasted my regeneration if I be not certified that God hath reconciled me with him receyued me to his mercy that by suche féeling or taste I do not assure my selfe to haue receyued Iesus Christ 24 This is the doctrine this say I is the preaching which we ought to preach and repreache repeate and remember alwayes to the people restore to the myndes of the ignorant and propounde to those that come to learne of vs not by the subtilties of the right hande of God vbiquities and suche like imaginations This is a thing very miserable in oure tyme that those which speake of the communication of Iesus Christe be suche as least proue such a cōmunication in themselues a thing to bée séene by their writings for they speake of Iesus Chryste either shut within an armorie or enclosed in past within bread vnder the bread or with the breade or from vs by .xiiij. or xv thousand iorneys as though the true Temple of Iesus Chryste is any other thing than the hearte of a faithfull man and he that sercheth it without shal both lose his paines and remayne frustrate of his hope 25 Let vs speake my brethren of Iesus Chryste and his communication as people prouing and féeling in our selues what it is to be nourished in oure consciences and soules with the presence vertue of the same otherwise to what vse will serue vs our subtill interpretatiōs particular declarations whiche wée bryng foorth In the ende the worlde is not so blynde but they can and will vnderstand and fynde that we are rather ledde by a spirit of stomack than of the true zeale of Gods glorie in the ende euery one will sée that those preachers searche no other thing than to mainteyne them selues in the friendship of the world 26 But nowe to returne to the confirmation of the vnderstandyng that wée The vnderstādyng of the wordes of the holy Supper haue giuen to this place of the holy Supper let vs consyder that if in all things that Christe our Lorde hath propounded to manyfest the necessitie that wee haue to be in him and he in vs wée shold serche a presence corporall and fleshly it should bée as who say neuer to come to ende for in the olde Testament Christe hath bin propoūded to vs in diuers creatures as a lamb Manna Water Stone Table meate bread feasts other things as may bée séene by suche as reade the holy Scripture Hée him selfe in his preachings doth cal him a way a doore bread of children a vyne with other like thinges Note the absurditie of the false interpretation of the wordes of the Supper Now if in place where Christ sayd I am the doore who entreth not by mée shall not be saued he had sayd this I am he shewyng with his finger a doore shal we say for al that that Chryst hath transformed or transubstanciate him self into the matter of a doore if our redéemer in place where he sayd I am the vine and you are the brāches had sayd this am I shewing Note the