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	love_n	soul_n	6,851	5	4.8704	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70503	A sermon preached before His Majesty at Whitehall March 9th, 1661 [i.e. 1662] by ... B. Lord Bishop of Peterborough.	Laney, Benjamin, 1591-1675.	1662 (1662)	Wing L345; ESTC R5541	15,960	44

we have for it nor the gentle conduct we have in it lay it aside as a thing of no use and that God hath provided other means to lead us many and more certain then any Shepherds can be We have first our own Reason to lead us 2. We have Scripture a surer guide then that 3. We have the Spirit besides and that will lead us into all truth Joh. 16.13 Lastly we have our own Consciences which in the commission of Leading is of the Quorum nothing can be done without it We can not deny but that all these have a part and share in the guiding of our souls But as no one of them doth exclude or bar the other so nor do all of them the Shepherds For allowing to every of these that which is peculiar to them there will be still found something to remain which is proper for the Shepherds to do I am now I confess in a discourse not so smooth and easie as best befits popular Sermons yet because many whom it concerns to weaken the hands and power of Church-governours do with their importunate clamours sill the Pulpit you will be pleased to allow of a short Answer from thence too ANd first for REASON It is not to be denied that it ought to be admitted even in matters of Religion where it hath least to do for Religion is the object and imployment of Faith and not of Reasoning yet naturally no man will believe any thing unless he sees Reason for it But how not a Reason of the thing that he beleives for that works Knowledge nor Faith but yet a reason of beleiving it for the credit of the author that relates it for nothing can be more unreasonable then not to beleive God that cannot lye But to admit reason in matters of Faith for any other use then that is to set up a Religion without Faith which would be as strange a thing as to have a Religion with nothing else There are in Religion some things to be known as well as believed and to these Reason and Discourse is proper for though the Articles of Faith and whatsoever shall appear to be contained in Scripture are without all doubt and reasoning to be received because God hath revealed them yet that this or that Article or Proposition is contained in Scripture is a thing to be known and lyes within the compasse of sense we may see whether it be there or no that is for the words And for the meaning of those words we must understand the language in which they are written the proper import and idiom of the phrase the force and consequence of the discourse the coherence and consent it hath with other points better known We must besides discover the fallacies inconsequences of those that would obtrude a different sense from that we receive All these difficulties though in matter of Religion are within the conduct of Reason but it is Reason so exalted with skill of Arts and Languages with Prudence and Diligence that we shall be forced to find work for the Shepherds too The greatest part of Christs flock I am sure must perish if they may not trust others in those things to which their natural inabilities or course of life hath made them incapable And for the best of the flock whom both Nature and Art hath fitted to master the greatest difficulties of themselves if they shall seriously consider how much and how oft Prejudice Education Custom Passion and Interest doth corrupt our Reason we would in prudence sometimes suspect our own and seek better security from the Church where though we shall not infallibly sind the truth we may alwayes safely presume it This will serve to reconcile our obedience with Reason THe next pretender against the Shepherds leading is the SCRIPTURE I confesse the Scripture to be a surer guide then Reason for the Authors sake and yet by what ye heard even now it works little without it but yet surer for all that The ignorance of Scripture is a cause of erring Ye erre Mat. 22.29 saith our Saviour not knowing the Scriptures And to keep us right in our way Gods Word is a lantern to our feet Psalm 119.105 and a light unto our paths We cannot say too much of the excellency and benesit of it It is a perfect record of all that concerns Heaven or the way to it It hath all the perfections that a law or rule can have to guide us yet those perfections are confin'd within the limits and nature of a law to do no more then is proper for a law to do which is very little without a Judge to apply it Though the rule be sufficiently straight and perfect yet it measures nothing out of the hand of him that hath skill to use it Bring what controversy you will to the lawes they pronounce nothing either for the Plaintiff or Defendant This is the true reason why though all sects pretend to Scripture there is yet no end of controversies because there is no common Judge to end them And the reason why every sect for all that seems to rest satisfied they are guided by the Scripture is because they carry their Judge along with them themselves So as if together with the Scriptures there be not a Shepherd too or some as little to be trusted our selves I mean it cannot lead at all It is indeed a two-edged sword Heb. 4.12 but cuts nothing but in the hand of him that useth it A Third pretender to avoid the Shepherds is the SPIRIT That without question will lead us into all truth John 16.13 But for the manner of the Spirits leading the Scripture points out two ways The one Divines call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other may be call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. as it led the Prophets of old by revealing to them the truth and matter of the Prophesy the object And by this way it led all the Apostles to whom the whole doctrine of the Gospel and mystery of salvation by Christ was reveal'd And thus holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 To this way of leading none can pretend that doth not prove his commission from God by a miracle who sends none of such an errand that cannot make it appear some way that he came from him If the Enthusiastick would have his dreams believed to be the dictates and revelations of the Spirit let him shew his letters of Credence from Heaven seal'd with a miracle and I shall not doubt to set him above all the Doctors and Shepherds of the Church Otherwise he may deceive himselfe by his spirit he shall not deceive me The other way of the Spirits leading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. not by revealing any thing to us but by co operating with us by fortifying the soul the faculties of it to all supernatural actions by assistance of grace to inlighten the

understanding to comprehend divine truth to inflame the affections with the love of it to support our indeavours in all difficulties and temptations To this assistance of the Spirit all the faithful have a right And though in this way the Spirit cannot deceive us yet we may be deceived in it because it never works but with us if we fail in what we are to do then that fails us And by this way not only private persons but publick Councells are governed To whom the Spirit doth not reveal the matter of their Decrees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by way of co-operation assists their indeavours to find out the truth from the proper Topicks of it the Scripture Antiquity for so all the force of their decrees depends upon the reason and grounds upon which they are made For if any Councel might pretend to that other way of revelation sure that first famous Apostolical Councel might Act. 15. But that did not otherwise determine the matter in controversy then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 15.7 v. 7. when there had been much debate and disquisition out of the Scriptures were the decrees made and sign'd accordingly It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us Verse 28. The Apostles and Elders were in joynt commission with the Spirit the same Lord that sent the Spirit sent the Apostles also and therefore no contradiction to be led by the Spirit and by the Shepherds too THe fourth and last leader which is brought in to avoid the Shepherds is the CONSCIENCF This is the Presbyterians strongest fort against Obedience If he can get his Conscience about him he thinks himself so safe that he may bid defiance to all Authority In the Commission of leaders I confesse as I said the Conscience to be of the Quorum We are to do nothing without it and much lesse against it But then we must be sure we mistake not somewhat else for the Conscience Every disease and distemper of the mind causelesse scruple slight perswasion groundlesse fear is not the Conscience against which we are bound not to act The tender Conscience for which so much favour is pleaded may prove in some no better then a disease of the Soul a spiritual Splene For though it be good to be tender of offending God in any thing where it proceeds from the good temper and constitution of the soul which is the same constantly in all cases and is not affected or taken up for a purpose as the sturdy begger carries his arm in a string that it may be a Patent to beg and be idle You may know it certainly to be a disease if it comes upon us by sits and starts as to be tender of offending God when we obey men and not to be tender of offending God when we disobey them If they be not an tender of one side as of another as I never find them to be it is but a Paralitick Conscience that is dead of one side For tell him the Church commands it he presently shrinks and startles at it and well so for possibly he may sin against God But tell him on the other side that God commands obedience to those that rule over us it moves him not at all you may thrust a needle into his side and he feels it not It shewes plainly the Conscience hath a dead Palsy on that side But a right and sound Conscience against which certainly we ought not to act is a constant and well governed judgement for not to amuse you as the manner is with frivolous distinctions and definitions of Conscience in this case the Conscience is nothing but every mans private judgement for he ought not to attempt the doing of any thing till he hath framed this judgement to himself that it is lawful for him to do it Now seeing our private judgement hath so great power and influence as to interrupt the course of publick it had need be a true and regular judgement As first It must not be arbitrary for that we think we have reason to decline in the publick Magistrate to govern by Will and not by Law Many a Conscience if it were well examined will prove to be nothing but will not judgement Every good judgement is upon a full hearing of the cause of both sides all evidences duly weighed and examined then resolves this is a Conscience against which we ought not to act though possibly it might prove to be erroneous yet for all that we must know that it doth not set us free from the guilt of disobeying our Governours And then this is all the benefit our Conscience will do us in case of error that it casts us into a necessity of sinning by obeying against our selves by disobeying against our Governours We shall do well therefore to take care that we make not every slight perswasion doubt or scruple a Conscience trusting to be discharged of our obedience by that which indeed binds it faster upon us for that is the very end and benefit for which is instituted the Pastoral charge that when we are so weak we can not safely trust our selves we may rely upon that unless we think it a good plea I am blind and therefore I will not be led I am weak and sickly and therefore I will not be rul'd by the Physitian Now to summe up all if not Reason nor Scripture nor the Spirit nor Conscience will discharge us of the duty we owe to the Church in the name of God let us not rashly fling away so great a blessing that in all our doubts and fears for our quiet and security we may have recourse to the Shepherds and Bishops of our Souls THis is the last point the Shepherds Flock or the Bishops Diocesse the Souls of men And here we meet with another quarrel from the Presbytery That they may be sure to spoil the Bishops of all authority they take away their Diocesse the cure of Souls that they may be Bishops sine titulo for Bishops they are not either of our bodies or estates And why not of our Souls Christ indeed the great Shepherd that purchased them may rule them but they are too precious for any other Shepherds to Lord over which they say is done by binding the Souls with Church-laws and censures which Christ hath set at liberty And thus they set up Christ against himself and Christian liberty against Christian duty St. Paul I confess doth earnestly press this point of liberty Gal. 5.1 Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not intangled again with the yoak of bondage But what liberty It is not simply from obedience either to men or Laws for that were destructive to Humane Society as well as Religion What then is it It is no more then that Christians have a liberty not to be Jews I dare be hold to say this is all that can be made of it And the reason why Saint Paul did so earnestly