Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	great_a	heart_n	soul_n	7,278	5	4.6511	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33973	A reasonable account why some pious, nonconforming ministers in England judge it sinful for them to perform their ministerial acts, in publick, solemn prayer by the prescribed forms of others wherein several of their arguments are modestly propounded, opended and justified against pretended answers given to them, either by Ireneus Freeman, or Mr. Falconer, in his book entituled Liberitas ecclesiastica, or others : the strength also of the several arguments brought by them, for the lawfulness of forms to be used universally by ministers, in their publick ministrations, is fairly tried.	Collinges, John, 1623-1690.; Freeman, Ireneus.; Falkner, William, d. 1682. Libertas ecclesiastica.	1679 (1679)	Wing C5330; ESTC R14423	97,441	180

he or they have said amounteth to a strict answer which may free us from the probability of truth which appears in this argument § 2 For the Proposition it is so evident from Scripture being indeed a branch of the commandment which our saviour calls The first and great commandment Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul all thy strength And inforced by so many Scriptures directly requiring Attention of thoughts and Fervency of Spirit in all the service of God especially in prayer That we never met with any bold enough to deny it For he who denieth it must affirm That though God hath commanded us to love him with all our heart soul strength yet if man commands us not to do it it is lawful though God hath commanded us to serve him with the Attention of our thoughts with Fervency of Spirit and commanding us to pursue this end hath also enjoined us to use the means most proper for it yet If our superiour commands us to use such means as are less proper we may lawfully do it Which to us appears very strange assertions neither becoming Divines nor good Christians nor indeed rational men For supposing that there is a God The light of nature is enough to shew us He must be served with all our hearts with the highest attention of thoughts intention fervency of Spirit § 3 So as all the Question can be is about the Minor proposition Whether he that performs his Ministerial act in Solemn Prayer by the prescribed forms of others doth not use a mean less accommodate to his own others Attention of thoughts and Intention Fervency of Spirit then he who deales with God immediately using his tongue to express conceptions first formed in his own heart To us it is next to a demonstration that he doth and that upon that account it is unlawful to which purpose we desire That these things may be wistly considred by any deliberate person § 4 Whether it be possible for any person to read any discourse be it a Prayer a sermon an Oration what it will with that degree of Attention of thoughts as he must pronounce the same discourse with by heart if he so pronounceth it as but to speak sense We do think none will find or say it is The thoughts of man are wild things impatient of a long intense abode upon any object we speak of the generality of men but never so busy to break prison wander as when we are employed in the holy services of God And that partly in regard That God is an insensible metaphysical object Partly Because of that natural aversion from communion with God which since the fall hath been the universal disease of human nature So that considering how human nature is stated since the fall we believe it a thing impossible We know it will be said and that truly that this argument concludeth not against the ministers use of forms prescribed by others if he reciteth them by heart but onely against his performing his ministerial acts in prayer by reading such forms We confess it and say That if but this post be gained much is done God would doubtless be served with much less distraction and divagation of thoughts then he ordinarily is on the part even of him that ministreth which was the Reason why the Reverend and very learned Author of Altare Damascenum allowing the use of forms at first to help those who have not attained the gift of prayer in any proportion fit for ministers would yet have them enjoined to recite them by heart § 5 Secondly Whether any thing can in reason be imagined more conducive to fix the thoughts upon the duty God in the duty Then when a minister hath attained to such a familiarity with the phrase of Scripture and such a knowledge in the body of Divinity That although he will always need a premeditation of the Greatness Majesty of God his own vileness nothingness and the weightiness of the duty yet he needeth not compose his form syllabically before he comes but can trust his Affections to thrust out words while his eyes may be shut sent to his heart as our Divine Poet speaks Or open and lifted up to heaven and fixed towards the place where his heavenly father is and while his heart is enditing a good matter And his tongue employed as the pen of a ready writer We think this is so evidently more conducive to the fixation of a mans thoughts and the commanding their attention to the duty That it is impossible for any who will not deny the workings of a reasonable soul to be able without a self condemnation to deny it § 6 A third thing which we would have considred is Whether considering the infirmity of all our natures any such attention is to be expected or hoped for from people to forms of prayer which they hear a thousand times over as to conceived prayer We lay no great stress upon it but think it at least an ingenious observation That God himself when he would Stir up his peoples attentions affections to what he was doing tells them He would do a new thing We are sure common experience teacheth us That none gives that attention to a discourse or story he hath heard an hundred times over that he giveth to a new discourse or story excepting onely to the holy scriptures for which God hath secured an abiding reverence in all pious souls And this is owned by M r. Falconer giving it in his Epistle as a Reason why after so many learned men he wrote upon this subject Because the humour of this age he might have said all ages is more apt to seek for new books then read old ones Whether this be the infirmity of our natures and if our infirmity whether our sinful infirmity or no are not much material to our present question Let it be the one or the other if not to be shaken off and if by a mean which Gods word forbids not it may in any measure be helped certainly considering how necessary it is to the duty that mean ought not to be neglected in obedience to any creature § 7 But Attention of thoughts is not all our duty in prayer Intention of spirit and fervency of Affections is also a prime requisite to an acceptable performance of it Rom. 12. 11. Jam. 5. 16. Yea It is so necessary as without it the soul plainly mocketh God and deceiveth it self now we cannot apprehend That either the person ministring should have the same intention fervency in reading the prescribed forms of others as when his prayer is first formed in his own heart or that the people should be so advantaged in their fervor and intention § 8 As to him that ministreth There is a great deal of difference betwixt words following the Affections and Affections following words This is an old Argument made use of

§ 13 But the same Author offers at a second answer he had granted both the Major Minor proposition The Major p. 22 in these words Every man is bound to pray with the highest intention of mind and fervency of Spirit which can be obtained by lawful means we dare say no Noncon will ask him more The minor he grants again again Sect 7. p. 25 26 27. What will he deny then nothing remains but the Conclusion He would fix this intention of mind in conceived more then in prescribed forms of prayer upon some as he thinks false bottoms He instanceth in 8. 1 Prejudice against the use of forms 2 Novelty of words and phrases 3 The exercise of gifts with which we are more delighted then the exercise of grace 4 The Natural delight men have in their own more then in others Inventions 5 The scope men have conceived in Prayers for glory ostentation 6 The tumults of bodily Spirits 7 The bending their minds in Invention 8 The straining their bodies by drawing out words Now to this we answer First § 14 Either these must be the onely causes of greater Intension fervency of Spirit in conceived then in prescribed forms of prayers or else this is nothing to the purpose and onely concerneth those to whom these alone are the causes of such greater fervor intention But we have before shewed these are not the onely causes but because the soul is not so much diverted c. as it must be in the use of forms § 15 But Secondly When we have reminded our Reader what we understand by fervor and intention of soul we will consider the eight particulars which the Author confesseth contributary to it By the souls Attention we mean It s immediate contemplation of God without diversions to other objects A thing so necessary that the soul which doth not its utmost toward it doth but mock God and cannot be serious with him A Schoolmaster if he can discern it will not indure the Omission of it in a boys saying his lesson to him It is in short for the soul hoc agere indeed to do what it pretends to do My heart is fixed ô God! saith David my heart is fixed By Intention Fervor of Spirit we understand That holy zeal heat which the soul should be in in all religious acts required of all Gods servants Rom. 12. 11. Commended in Apollos Acts. 18. 15. But especially in Prayer called crying unto God A pouring out of our souls hearts before him A wrestling with him as in Jacobs case Hos 12. 4. This prayer is that which St. James calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 5. 16. Thus Epaphras laboured in prayer fervently Col. 4. 12. We mean nothing less by it then the heat of the Brain or the body about which this Author trifleth at a strange rate we mean the heat of the Inward man which lies in the intense motions of the affection of Sorrow in confessing sin Desires in putting up petitions Joy in thanksgivings c. The eagerness of the soul to and in its work That which David calls The souls pressing after God Jacob A not letting God go The Prophet A not being quiet not holding our peace c. The duty required in the first commandment so far as concerneth prayer serving God with all our heart all our soul all our strength This being now every Ministers yea every private Christians duty We say Whatsoever means nature it self reason or our particular experience or Gods word dictateth as proper in order to it we must not we can not in Obedience to mans command barely omit And whatsoever either Gods word or nature it self or reason or our Experience sheweth us will in any degree hinder this it must be sinful let who will require it as being contrary to our Duty expressly required in the First and Great commandment And in many particular Scriptures referrable unto that § 16 This Assertion standeth upon that foundation confessed by all Divines That the precept requiring the end doth also include the means which surely must not be interpreted with an exception viz. Except superiours forbid the use of such means or commands the use of the contrary c. The precept legitimateth the means if another particular divine precept hath not forbidden them which it most certainly hath not § 17 To come then close to our Author 1 If the Bending of the mind to think what to ask of God how to ask it 2 If the exercise of gifts at the same time when grace is to be exercised will conduce to the farther exercise of grace and the not exercising them will in any degree hinder such exercise of grace 3 If the natural proness which is in man rather to have his heart dilate to be fervent in the use of words first formed in his own heart do evince that this fervor doth most usually attend conceived Prayers 4 If the tumult of bodily Spirits as he calls it being first occasioned by the souls intension upon its work being raised once will help the fervor of the soul nay 5 If the novelty of words and phrases will do it and these are five of the eight things which himself confesseth may cause it he must shew us they are sinful causes or he hath granted all we contend for § 18 If indeed as that Author would uncharitably enough insinuate the fervor of him who prayeth by conceived prayer be meerly from prejudice against forms though he should have done well to have opened to us that causation it is something hard to conceive or 2 from a sinful end of Vain glory or foolish ostentati●n we do wholly condemn it And for his Eighth particular to us it wants an Interpreter how straining the body by drawing out words should cause fervency of soul So as what this Author pretendeth for an answer to our arguments is but a bundle of impertinencies having no cognation to an answer And indeed he who had so justly before granted us both Major Minor had nothing to do but like a young Logician to deny the Conclusion or to amuse us what he could with long and impertinent discourses But let us further take notice of some other loose passages in him and see whether any thing in them or in his distinctions will save him harmless § 19 He telleth us This fervency must be obtained by the use of just means This is most true and is not the use of a Gift given us by God for that end a just mean Is it not Natural Rational Scriptural Such a mean as the servants of God have used Is not this a just means think we That which he would have us to believe is That though it be our duty to pray with utmost fervor intention of Spirit and though in order to this Praying in the use of our own gifts be more proper effectual yet if the Magistrate forbiddeth us the use of this Mean it

becometh an unlawful mean and lawful for us to omit it though we pray less fervently therefore he tells us p. 23. He that is by the Magistrate forbidden to go to the next church and therefore is necessitated to go to one more remote must needs be more indisposed to prayer by his long journy except some men of a temper by themselves so that he shall not perform the duty with so high an intention of mind or fervency of Spirit as might probably be experienced in case he came to the church less wearied and weather beaten but yet such a man may lawfully go to the farthest church and pray there though these hinderances of intention and fervency be consequent thereupon because they are necessary not voluntary he wisheth the case were otherwise with him but as the case standeth if he should go to the next church contrary to the Magistrates Prohibition he should sin and Evil is not to be done that Good may come of it especially when a greater evil might come of it then the good aimed at as in this Case § 20 To all which we answer God send his church in England better Divines then this Author The case is this The unlawfulness of ministers ordinary use of forms prescribed by others was indevoured to be proved because it hindred intention of mind and fervency of Spirit Two things from reason and by Gods special command and determination necessary to every good prayer He grants they are both necessary whence it followeth That he who omitteth any means given or allowed him by God being natural rational which may help him in this must needs sin against God whose law commanding an End always commandeth the use of all proper Means relating to it He granteth this a Mean in it self lawful he must acknowledge it proper and natural yet he saith It is no sin to omit it and so consequently no sin for one to serve God with a lesser intention and fervency when we have a natural power to serve him with a greater intention and fervency And why none Because he saith It is necessary not voluntary Is it not voluntary That is strange he did not put the case of the Magistrates forcing him to be draged to another place at such a distance where his Spirits must be exhausted before he could come How was it necessary then Not naturally not by coaction It remaineth therefore that it must be necessary by some divine determination In what leafe of Scripture shall we find it He offers no texts but what commands our obedience to Magistrates But is there any Scripture requireth an obedience to man in all things Or must those texts be limited to such things where we may obey them without disobeying God Thus this Author hath finely answered by begging the question which is Whether it be lawful to omit the use of a proper Mean given by God for the performance of an Act in his worship according to his will The Apostles surely determined better Whether it be better to obey God or man judge you To his instance therefore the Answer is easy If when we may with equal advantage to our souls go to a nearer church and to one farther but yet not at such a distance as before we come there we shall be spent our Spirits exhausted and we fitter to sleep then to serve God we think we ought to obey But if they will command us to go to a place at such a distance as we cannot reach in any time or without such a wasting tyring of our Spirits as when we come there we shall be unfit for the service of God we cannot obey He trifleth to say The thing is Inexpedient It is unlawful and he is a fallacious Sophister in Divinity who talkes of chusing lesser evils of sin before greater There can be no necessity of sinning § 21 In his p. 26. he seemeth to hint a time when a less intention is more acceptable to God then a greater That time we would gladly know for the Scripture saith nothing of it He tells us when the Over-plus ariseth from the gift not from the Grace This is a strange nick of time we always thought The grace exercised in prayer lay very much in Gods assistance of us to keep our minds attent to our duty and intent upon fervent with God in our duty so that to us it seems a strange piece of sense That the overplus of Attention Intention and Fervency should proceed not from the Grace but from the gift he goes on tells us p. 28. Seeing the same things are prayed for in the Litany which can be the matter of the longest conceived prayer though not in that variety novelty and elegancy of Phrase if the heat and the intention they speak of proceeded from the strength of their desire to the things themselves it would be equal in both cases but seeing it is not equal it must needs proceed from some other cause and probably from some of those assigned § 22 He saith true It must either proceed from some different matter or some other cause But 1 we doubt whether what he sayes of the Litany be true We think it far short of conteining the whole matter of ordinary Confession or Petitions or thanksgivings See what the Commissioners at the Savy in their papers since printed have said to this But suppose 2 The matter were ful Can there be nothing else frigidam suffundere to cool a Christians Spirit What if there be a mixture of something else which a Christian cannot in his judgment allow In the Popish Missal is much excellent matter but we should think him but a luke-warm Protestant that could be fervent in Spirit serving the Lord by it It is a great cooling to a Christians Spirit when his mind suggests doubts to him Whether this be a way mode or method of worship which God will accept because never directed by him Here we instead of stirring up exercising our own gifts and ministring them borrow the gifts of others and serve God with what costs us nothing but a little lip labour § 23 To conclude for this Author we need no more then Mr. Ireneus against Mr. Freeman Every man is bound to pray with the highest intention of mind and fervency of Spirit which he can by just means attain But he who having an ability to express his own wants wants of others to God in prayer in words first formed in his own heart doth in the exercise of prayer use the forms of other men doth not pray with the greatest intention of mind fervor of Spirit which can be obtained by just means Ergo. This is M r. Ireneus argument in his book called The Reasonableness of Divine service Let M r. Freeman answer it we profess we cannot The Major is made up of M r. Ireneus his own words in the aforesaid book p. 22. The Minor is not onely said by Mr. Ireneus but proved too