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
A89682	An apology for the service of love, and the people that own it, commonly called, the family of love. Being a plain, but groundly discourse, about the right and true Christian religion : set forth dialogue-wise between the citizen, the countreyman, and an exile : as the same was presented to the high court of Parliament, in the time of Queen Elizabeth; and penned by one of her Majesties menial servants, who was in no small esteem with her, for his wisdom and godliness. With another short confession of their faith, made by the same people. And finally some notes & collections, gathered by a private hand out of H.N. upon, or concerning the eight beatitudes.	Niclaes, Hendrik, 1502?-1580?	1656 (1656)	Wing N1122; Thomason E1610_1; ESTC R210332	24,412	73

iniquity and with all Hypocrites receive their portion in the hellish condemnation consider advisedly of it for it is very true Citizen But wilt thou say that all those and such like are no Christian Exile Yes verily by signe or outward show and name they be Citizen And must not such preach the truth notwithstanding shew forth the many high knowledges and secret mysteries out of the Scriptures Exile Yea all what they heart spoken or chance to read in any writing that can they readily speak out againe But not like as all those true prophets of God and disciples of Christ have alwayes done out of any Godly understanding through the holy Spirit of God or Christ for that were impossible because the same Spirit is not with them For allbeit they have the Scriptures and the Godly witnesses wherethrough they mean to be understanding and wise yet forasmuch as they give not all their understanding over as captive under the obedience of the love of Christ and his holy word as under that same Being or life whereunto the Scripture witnesseth but run still forth with the knowledge so have they verily neither light truth spirit nor being of God Christ nor of his word And therefore they neither know nor yet understand any thing at all rightly of that whereof they then praie or speak forth unto others Citizen If all such as thou hast here spoken of were libertines having neither light truth nor spirit of God or Christ then God be mercifull unto us for then were it all in vain for many a one in these dayes to stand up or teach in a Congregation notwithstanding I cannot be perswaded as yet although I most needs grant that for the most part they do not live the same which they do teach to others like as they themselves have confessed but that they neverthelesse preach unto the people both Gods word the truth out of the right spirit be they themselves never to evil else God forbid And I pray you Sirs did not Judas amongst the rest of the apostles go and preach the Gospel and yet was not he a wicked one and betrayed his master And did not Peter which denied his master preach Gospel also And it is written The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses seat or Chair what they bid you observe that observe and do But as they do do you not for they sayd and do nor Therefore why may not wicked men preach the truth Exile Let us consider advised by of the Scriptures and be no longer deceived Forasmuch as it standeth written that Christ is the light of the world the Heavenly truth the right spirit yea and the word of God it self Then how were it possible that those which are void of Christ should preach or prophesie aright the true to inde or word of God contained in the holy Scriptures the whilst I say that the same spirit of truth is not in them for it is written that the Scripture never came by the will or mind of man but holy men of God did speak as they were inspired by the holy Ghost And it is written also that the naturall or fleshly minded man perceaveth not the things of God c. And again wisdom will not dwell in a froward soul nor yet in a body that is subdued to sin For where wickednesse hath the upper hand the holy Ghost doth flie from thence And yet note then moreover that after such time that man hath once entred into Judas he preached not 〈◊〉 Peter perceaving afterward what he had done he wept bitterly wherefore I am not against any one that will weep with Peter And as for such as sit in Moses seat or chair which teach the law uprightly I have not once touched I speak onely of them that sit in their own chair of pestilence which reach their own law or Imagination of their fleshly parts and good thinking but not the holy lan● of the Lord which is spirituall and containeth the truth the life or Christ it self And therefore for want of the true spirit of understanding there ariseth in these dayes great contention about the Scriptures Citizen The more is to be lamented But yet I pray thee answer me herein for I am not resolved in this matter Have we not now the truth amongst us Is not now the Gospel preached sincerely and received of all people thankfully to their salvation where through the bonds of Antichrist which is the Pope of Rome that had us long in captivity are now broken and we all by that means set at liberty Exile We have no doubt the holy Scriptures which bear witness of the truth and therein the minde or meaning of the truth is contained amongst us So have we many wholsome Sermons preached and declared unto us notwithstanding had we the truth amongst us so had we Christ amongst us and had we Christ amongst us so world we no doubt lo●e him or his word and neither would persecute him nor his members And then had he once a form or shape in us so should he likewise manifestly appear out of us in our good conversation and holy walking For it is written If Christ be in you then is the body dead or mortified concerning sin And again Whosoever hath not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his And were the Gospel preached sincerely out of the truth that is out of the spirit of God or Christ through a good conversation under the obedience of the word in all meek-mindedness and godly love so would many thousands in this land doubtless have repented them of their former life and amended their ways upon the preaching of the same Gospel and would have moreover followed the footsteps of such godly Preachers or Prophets as had even so imitated Christ and so then in very deed the people should have received the Gospel thankfully to their salvation and by that means should the bonds of Antichrist which is the sin the devil or will of the flesh which hath long time held us captive be broken in us and we then rightly through Christ should have been delivered there-from and set at liberty Notwithstanding how many in these days are set at liberty or have taken to themselves at liberty to do all manner of uncomliness both against God and man I refer that to the Testimony of their own Consciences Citizen I perceive then thou art not against any godly Preachers that walk forth in all obedience of the word and in whom Christ doth live and dwell which also do shew forth through the same meek-minded spirit all due obedience to God and Governours as likewise an upright lovely peaceable and brotherly life towards all men and that preach forth the same word of truth and life which they as then have both felt handled and tasted of unto others moe Exile No verily but I do reverence in the Lord all such as the true ministers and distributers of the heavenly riches and

it might even so come to pass we all do and will pray unto the Lord both night and day upon our knees Countrey-man Yet one thing more I have to demand of thee which is this For asmuch as our learned Preachers yea and especially those which have done you such injuries as aforesaid do in words advertise the people to love God and their neighbours obey the Queen and her Governours and to live under their Laws as also to lead an upright life like as H.N. doth admonish all the generations on earth in the same Service of Love What then is the difference between them and you Exile Look a little into the matter with me I beseech thee There are very many found in these days that believe of God and of Christ but yet very few that endeavour themselves through true repentance and newness of life under the obedience of Gods holy Word as is aforesaid for to believe rightly in God and in Christ that is so as God and Christ might dwell in them and they in him Lo hereby are the children of God known from the children of the devil and this is the very difference between them and us And therefore the holy Law of God or Commandements which they teach to be observed upon pain of damnation and yet have not any lust thereunto themselves and then again in the end confess it to be impossible for any man to accomplish or live the same That do we with all our hearts desire to observe and keep believing the possibility thereof to consist only in the Lord our God and that the accomplishment of the same shall in time come to passe in us and all that believe by the might of God the Father through Jesus Christ Consider advisedly thereof all you that be wise Countrey-man Now I do perceive that the difference betwixt them and you is not much to speak of and in few words this what they say the same you desire to do and this is not any more then is betwixt heaven and earth light and darkness flesh and spirit c. Selah And I think thou hast spoken all this out of the ground of three heart without either dissimulation or guile Exile Yea verily and even so the Lord increase his love in me and in many Amen Neither have I done this without cause as some both honorable and worshipful with others in her Majesties Court knoweth But like as I have sustained many great and grievous injuries so have I also according to Gods holy word expressed in the Ministration of Love humbled my self in all stillness and patience under the obedience of the 〈◊〉 of Jesus Christ and h●… Crosse And now again hath the same love constrained hee partly for the clearing of my self against so many odious and intolerable brutes and defamations that have been spread forth against me to my utter undoing and also partly for the satisfying of others which are brought there through into great mistrust fulnesse of us and our Religion to write this little devi●e 〈…〉 will to any one of the ignorant resisters of the Love of God his mercy towards them neither yet towards any one of any adversaries O no but I rather wish unto them as also to all people on earth gra●e so to humble themselves under the obedience of the word of God the Father which is ministred out of the love of Jesus Christ now in these las days that they with us and we with them through true repentance in one consent of godly love and one obedience might 〈◊〉 stones be coupled and fast builded up in Jesus Christ to one holy Tabernacle Temple Family Habitation or house of Love or of God for asmuch as God is Love and so henceforth to be no more but one God one Faith one Baptism one Christ one Lord one Saviour in us all over us all and amongst us all in all love Amen To whom with the Holy Ghost be all laud and thanksgiving for ever and ever Amen Countrey-man The God of love peace make us al meet to be of such an holy Family Amen In very deed Exile now am I fully perswaded and do find it in the truth that the obedience to the word of God the Father through the ministration of the Love of Jesus Christ which consequently requireth all dutiful obedience to Magistrates and Governors is the very way to attain to the right spirit of wisdom or key of the holy understanding without which spirit the holy Scriptures have alwaies been and so shall still remain for ever as a fast sealed Book which no man amongst all the wise of the world or Scripture-learned could ever open or unlock forasmuch as it appertaineth to the Lamb Christ only that meek-minded spirit fast grounded in Love to open the same But what shall I say more Alas Exile alas that ever it should be found true or recorded in writing especially in these days of our most gracious Queen Elizabeth that upright Christians and true-hearted subjects should suffer such cruel persecution Oh alas wo is me who shall give to mine eys tears sufficient that I might weep enough for the miseries cause which I now see coming swiftly over the face of the whole earth Alas how will it now go with all those Libertines and licentious Scripture-learned which have out of their good thinking knowledge and without the spirit of the Lord thus seduced the ignorant abused her Majesties Laws and Ordinances blasphemed the Love of God and her Ministers and persecuted simple and true hearted subjects which have not resisted them Now shall they be found happy which have done well and whose days are ended on the earth for they shall not see the misery which for the wickednesses cause that presently do abound must fall over all the children of men Alas whither then shall all the children of men fly that they might escape all those horrible plagues Well we are right sorry for thee and thy company and yet much more sorry for those which have brought this trouble upon you for we do well perceive that you have been injured slandered and persecuted overmuch God give them hearts to repent that have wrought you this injury and give you all in the mean time patience to bear the same God be merciful and gracious to thee and thy company which now are spoken evil of and give to the persecuted and Exiled such favour in the eyes of her gracious Majesty that they may in some convenient time have liberty to walk forth freely unmolested and that your orderly and good life may shew that you love God and his Laws That they all may at some convenient time have liberty to walk forth freely unmolested and your orderly and good life may shew that you love God and his Lawes and that your subjection may testifie that you live under her Laws obediently not disturbing any one about Religion but walking your selves uprightly and brotherly among all men as becommeth the Gospel FINIS