Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	heart_n	holy_a	lord_n	17,551	5	3.7649	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11423	A second and third blast of retrait from plaies and theaters the one whereof was sounded by a reuerend byshop dead long since; the other by a worshipful and zealous gentleman now aliue: one showing the filthines of plaies in times past; the other the abhomination of theaters in the time present: both expresly prouing that that common-weale is nigh vnto the cursse of God, wherein either plaiers be made of, or theaters maintained. Set forth by Anglo-phile Eutheo.; De gubernatione Dei. Book 6. English	Salvian, of Marseilles, ca. 400-ca. 480.; Munday, Anthony, 1553-1633, attributed name.	1580 (1580)	STC 21677; ESTC S105761	39,276	142

or to maintaine them For my part I disallowe al those antiquities which are contrarie to the Scriptures Those spectacles were vsed of the Gentils to the setting vp of idolatrie and to the honor of their false gods as Pesa and Elis. Such games were exercised in the honor of Iupiter worshipped on the hil Olympus Theseus ordained in the straightes of Corinth the Isthemian games in the honor of Neptune There were also Pythij ludi Ludifunebres Lupercalia Saturnalia and Circenses ludi and manie other deuised as wel by Romans as Greekes to the great charges of their Cōmon-weales The exercise whereof was both bloudie and beastlie and yet among them sufferable and allowed Notwithstanding these are not examples vnto Christians to allowe that for good which was sufferable among them For then one might slaie another one might wound another then should we encounter with wild beastes our hartes should then delight in shedding bloud and be al giltie of the death of the murdered As for the plaiers in these daies which exhibite their games for lucre sake as did those two Romans Esopus and Arossus who showed their wonderful cunning on the stage to gather welth and substance they are of the most part of men either of auctoritie or learning held for vagabondes infamous persons they maie aptlie be likened vnto droanes which wil not labor to bring in but liue of the labors of the paineful gatherers They are therefore to be thrust out of the Bee-hiue of a Christian Common-weale This vnhonest trade of gaine hath driuen manie from their occupations in hope of easier thrift What successe they haue had some of them haue reported finding the Prouerbe true that Il gotten goodes are il spent The citie Marsiles as Valerian writeth kept so great grauitie that it would receaue into it no stage-plaiers because their arguments for the most parte contained the actes and doinges of harlots to the end that the custome of beholding such things might not also cause a licence of folowing them I would to God the Magistrates of our citie of London would haue the like foresight The permission of plaies so long a time hath alreadie corrupted this citie and brought the Name of the citizens into slander the examples of Gods iudgement is at this present an example in this citie The sinne of whoredome being winked at by the children of Beniamin they were punished by the destructiō of their whole tribe If we slacke to punish offenders and giue our selues to maintaine the wicked in their lewdenes wee are to looke for none other than a general confusion For the Lord himselfe wil take part against the wicked to destroie them They maie be wel let alone for a time but yet that which is deferred wil one daie come In the raigne of Tiberius the Emperor the Lorde by ouerthrowing the Amphitheater in the citie of Tidena slew 20. thousand of the beholders A notable example of Gods iustice For notable offenders he appointeth strange notable punishments And looke wherewith a man sinneth by the same also shal he be punished Wherfore my deere brethren leaue these Cretan liers with their wicked inuentions Do not companie with the wicked facion not your selues like vnto this world but be ye changed by the renuing of your mind that ye maie proue what is the good wil of God and acceptable and perfect eschew euil and do good He that shal saie to the wicked Thou art righteuous him shal the people cursse and the multitude shal abhor him For the Lord is far from the wicked their house shalbe destroied there shalbe none end of their plagues their light shalbe put out Yeelde not your selues to them lest ye perish in their wickednes yeeld not your selues to those vaine pleasures and delights For yee shal find nothing more hurtful nor preiudicial to your soules they depriue you of al good cogitations enimies they are vnto virtue increasers of wickednes the nurses of al vice the corrupters of manners the subuerters of religion and so bring at the end vnto euerlasting sorowes and gnashing of teeth in the pit of hel The Lord of his infinite mercie looke vpon vs and direct vs with his holie spirit and so order our liues that wee maie be holie and acceptable in his sight The Lord open our eies that we maie see our sinne and loath it in our selues represse it in the wicked and condemne it in our Common-weale Lord increase our deuotion that our hartes maie be made zelous to heare the word of God which is a lanterne vnto our feete and a light vnto our pathes Preserue this Church of England increase thy flocke vniuersal be a safegard vnto vs against the force of our enimies for our trust is in thee Blesse our worthie Princesse renowmed soueraigne Queene ELIZABETH and establish her state as the seate of Dauid let thy spirit direct her doings in al things that she maie be as the zelous Iosias to vphold the state of the true Church to roote out superstition and idolatrie that she maie be as a continual enimie to the enimies of thy truth Be thou ô Lord her supporter that thou by her maist defend thine owne cause Merciful God inspire her honorable Counsel with the wisedome of Salomon that their counsel maie be wise and good and their harts linked vnseparablie together to the preseruation of her state and the welfare of this land Lord strengthen the hand of Iustice against the wicked that our Magistrates maie roote out the memorial of wickednes from the earth that our Realme maie florish our liues be as a lampe on a mountaine to giue light vnto other nations how to direct their liues after our good example Performe al wantes O God in thy Church increase our faith and loue towards thee continue thy Gospel among vs for thy deere Sonnes sake Iesus Christ to whome with thee and the holie Ghost be al honor and glorie worlde without ende Amen Ephes. 5 13. Al things when they are repr●oued of the light are manifest For it is light that maketh al things manifest 1580 OS HOMINI SVBLIMI DEDIT ¶ Imprinted at London by Henrie Denham dwelling in Pater noster Row at the signe of the Starre being the assigne of William Seres Cum priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis Schoole of abuse a 〈…〉 his inuectiue against plaies called ●he Schoole of abuse b 3. Blast of retrait 〈◊〉 plaies c M. Spark in his rehersal sermon at Paules crosse 29. of April Ann. 1579 d Clement Alexand. ● 3. Pedag. cap. 12. e Cyril Catech. 1. Mystagogica f 2. blast of retrait frō plaies g Tertul. lib. de spe●lach●is Author of y e second blast h Saluianus 〈◊〉 Episcopus lib. 6. de gubernat Dei i Gennadius de illustribus viris Rom. 1 31. God cannot fauor such as haunt plaies The Diuel delighteth in plaies God detesteth them Luk. 2 12. 13. 2. Cor. 8

of being so highlie esteemed of al sortes of men for that euerie man conceaueth of the goodnes or badnes of a thing according as it seemeth in his owne opiniō And therefore the thing which they discommend maie be both liked and allowed I confesse the iudgement of one or two is not to be allowed in such cases neuertheles the opinions of the rude multitude are not alwais the soundest which are mooued with vnconstant motions whereby manietimes they like of that which is most hurtful and dislike that which is most profitable because the one pleaseth their humors and the other restraineth their affections The censure therfore of them who carie best groūd from Gods worde and is most agreeable to reason most profitable for the Cōmon-weale least hurtful to our brethren and tending alwaie to the reformation of abuse is soonest to be allowed and followed Then whether this my iudgement to be admitted or no as being the soundest respecting the benefit of this our countrie I leaue it to the iudgement of the godlie wise and learned And that I maie seeme to write nothing without ground or to finde fault without cause I wil GOD to freend set downe nothing to prooue mine assertion good but what Scripture shal warrant examples confirme reason allowe and present experience ratifie Which mine arguments if anie by more colour of truth can ouerthrowe I am readie to recant and to allowe that for good which I can yet but condemne as wicked and thinke of al other to be the most intolerable abuse in our Cōmon-weale For otherwise I cannot thinke vnles I be constrained as Petrarch saith to iudge by other mens iudgements which who so doth iudgeth not of himselfe but reporters the opinion of others Manie run on their courses verie vainelie til it please God to cal them home by the Spirit of his grace vnto amendment of life For when it shal please him to touch the conscience of the wicked with repentance the whole state of their life doth alter from that it was before as maie appeare in S. Paule at his conuersion And assuredlie the Lord doth suffer vs manie-times to run past our selues that when he hath called vs home we maie become examples of virtue and godlines vnto others I confesse that ere this I haue bene a great affecter of that vaine art of Plaie-making insomuch that I haue thought no time so wel bestowed as when my wits were exercised in the inuention of those follies I might scarselie with patience heare anie man speake weare he neuer so learned godlie that thought to persuade me from them So far was I from receiuing of their good and godlie admonitions that I stopped mine eares and hardened mine harte against their counsaile Such is our peeuish nature we can like of nothing which doth dislike vs or seemeth contrarie to our vaine opinions And therefore it is God onlie that must turne our mindes otherwise wee shal neuer discerne profitable from hurtful things For able we have some about vs who counsaile vs the best seeke our profit yet for al that our nature is so peruerse froward that what is wel said wil take no place This found I by my selfe this I now perceaue to be in others but the Lordes purpose is good in al his dealings It might haue bene said of me then as it was written of the wicked that they considered not the waies of the Lord but after when it pleased God of his mercie to cal mee to the reading of his worde and diligent studie of the Scriptures I began to loath my former life and to mislike my owne doings and I was no sooner drawen with an hartie desire to returne vnto the Lorde but I found my selfe strengthened with his grace vnto good desires For the Lord neuer faileth them that seeke him Assuredlie his promise can neuer deceaue men but when they knock the gate shalbe opened vnto them and when thy seeke they shal find There is nothing more required in vs than a readie desire of wel doing who no doubt being trulie ingraffed in our minds shalbe so watered with the dewe of Gods holie spirit that it wil increase and growe vp in vs to a more ful grouth and perfection When I came to a streit examination of my life which I had vainelie consumed in those exercises and that I began to cal mine old doings into question and to trie them by the true tuch of Gods word I found what I counted for gold to be but drosse vile and of none account hauing the propertie to make their fauorers of their owne nature Then to the end that others should not be deceaued with that wherewith my selfe was ouertaken I thought it my part to laie open to al mens eies the horrible abuse aswel of plaies as of the Inactors the disorder of their Auditorie that the abuse being perceaued euerie man might reforme himselfe be weaned from their wickednes or otherwise that the Magistrats being informed might take such good waies that the intolerable exercise of plaies might be vtterlie put downe For I am verilie persuaded that if they may be permitted stil to make sale of sinne we shal pul on our heads Gods vengeance to our realme bring an vtter confusion What I shal speake of the abuse by plaies of my owne knowledge I know maie be affirmed by hundreds to whome those matters are as wel knowen as to my selfe Some citizens wiues vpon whom the Lord for ensample to others hath laide his hands haue euen on their death beds with teares confessed that they haue receiued at those spectacles such filthie infections as haue turned their minds from chast cogitations and made them of honest women light huswiues by them they haue dishonored the vessels of holines and brought their husbandes into contempt their children into questiō their bodies into sicknes and their soules to the state of euerlasting damnation Such is the nature and inclination that we run whether affection leades vs and are withdrawen by companie And therefore as Dauid saith VVith the godlie thou wilt showe thy selfe godlie with the vpright man thou wilt showe thy selfe vpright VVith the pure thou wilt shewe thy selfe pure and with the froward thou wilt showe thy selfe froward The repaire of them that are honest to those places of euil resort makes their owne good life to be doubted of for that the place breedes suspicion aswel of good as of bad For who can see man or woman resort to an house which is notoriouslie wicked but wil iudge them to be of the crewe of the wicked and vngodlie The most honest wife is the soonest assalted and hath such snares laid to entrap her as if God assist her not she must needes be taken When I gaue my selfe first to note the abuse of common plaies I found mine harte sore smitten with sorowe sinne did there so abound was so