Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	holy_a	person_n	son_n	20,542	5	6.1434	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85329	Londons gate to the Lords Table. Where the eldership doth sit doing their office aright, in discovering and shutting out the ignorant, prophane, and meere civill honest man : in suspending the suspected formall, legall, and antinomisticall professor, and in drawing in the weakest humble beleeving soule. In a dialogue betweene a minister of the Gospell. Alexander an ignorant prophane man. Simon a proud professor. And Matthias an humble penitent. Imprimatur Edmund Calamy.	Fisher, Edward, fl. 1627-1655.	1646 (1646)	Wing F995; Thomason E1213_1; ESTC R210120	58,722	302

Well Sir I doe perceive by that which you said to me the other day and by your words to me now that you are somewhat jealous of me though I hope there is no cause but Sir may not both you and the Elders be deceived in a man though you doe examine him either in thinking a man hath faith in Christ when he hath not or in thinking he hath no faith when he hath Min. Yea indeed I thinke it is possible that we may be deceived both wayes for we have none of us the spirit of infalibility Sim. Why then Sir me thinkes it should be in vaine for a man to come before you to be examined Min. No not so neither for though it be possible that we may be deceived yet considering the course that we take in our way of examining I hope we are seldome deceived if at all Sim. Why Sir I pray tell me what course you take Min. Why when any one commeth before us to be examined we first of all desire him either to make some briefe Confession of his faith or else to answer us some Questions which we shall propound unto him and if a man give us satisfaction concerning his knowledge of Christ of himselfe and of the Sacrament then we aske him what evidences he can shew of his Conversion or New Birth and so consequently of his true faith in Christ and if he also give us satisfaction therein then if we know not his life and conversation we make inquiry of it and when we have satisfaction touching that also we doe admit him to the Sacrament Sim. Surely Sir I doe like this very well and therefore because you seeme to question whether I have true faith in Christ or no I am contented now I am here to give you leave to examine me if you thinke good to take the paines Min. Yea indeed I am very willing to doe it for your good and therefore I pray you in the first place tell me Who made the world and all things therein Sim. God Min. And what is God Sim. God is a most holy Spirit infinite and eternall Min. And how many Gods be there Sim. There is but only one true God distinguished into three Persons Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Min. And in what an estate did God create man at the first Sim. He created him holy and righteous Min. And did man continue in that holy righteous estate Sim. O no he fell from it by breaking of Gods expresse Commandment in eating of the forbidden fruit Min. And was the first man onely guilty of that sinne Sim. O no all Mankinde did also become guilty in that they were all of them then in his Loynes yea they are not onely become guilty by having his sinne imputed unto them but they are also become filthy by having his corruption infused into them Min. And what punishment are all Mankind made liable and subject unto by reason of their guiltinesse and filthinesse Sim. Even to eternall death and damnation in Hell fire Min. And shall all Mankinde then partake of that punishment Sim. O no for God hath from all Eternity elected and chosen some to eternall life and glory and all those shall certainely be saved Sim. And by what meanes shall they be saved Sim. Onely by Jesus Christ Min. And what is Jesus Christ Sim. He is the eternall Son of God who in time became Man for his Elect. Min. And what hath Christ done for their Salvation Sim. He hath fulfilled the Law and suffered death for them Min. And by what meanes are the elect made partakers thereof Sim. Onely by meanes of faith Min. And what is faith Sim. It is a speciall gift and grace of God bestowed onely upon Gods elect and wrought in their hearts by the power of his Spirit whereby they doe receive and apply Christ unto themselves particularly Min. And what is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Sim. It is a signe or a seale wherein by the Ministers blessing and delivering of Bread and Wine according to the institution of Christ is signified exhibited and sealed to the faithfull Receiver the nourishment of the soule to eternall life by the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ crucified and so his further confirmation in the covenant of grace Min. And doe you intend to come before me and the Elders when we are together and so to be admitted to the Sacrament the next time it shall be administred Sim. I doe desire to partake of the Sacrament but I am not yet very willing to be examined any more Min. And why doe you desire to partake of the Sacrament Sim. Because I doe conceive it is a duty which God requireth at my hands and which tends much to the comfort and benefit of my soule Min. Well neighbour Simon I like all these answers well except it be the last how ever such answers as these though 't is true they are all fundamentalls yet if as they come from you they be rather Catechisticall then experimentall if they come onely from your head and not also from your heart it matters not greatly whether they had been better or worse for in a Catechisticall manner a man may answer better and yet want faith in Christ and he may not answer so well and yet have faith in Christ and therefore for a more sure Testimony of your faith in Christ I would pray you to let me heare what heart knowledge you have let me heare what Evidences you can shew for your Regeneration or new Birth Sim. Why truly Sir whilst I was a young man and unmarried I was very wilde and given to much vanity and many sinfull courses but when I came to be a married man I left them all and betooke my selfe to a very civill course of life dealing uprightly and justly with all men not doing the least wrong to any being very diligent in my Calling endeavouring thereby to get where withall to maintaine my selfe and my Family and to bring up my children in learning and good manners and to keepe my selfe out of debt and danger and to live in credit and fashion amongst my neighbours and though I say it my selfe I did so and had the love of all that knew me especially of the poorer sort for the truth is I was good to them and I was also very carefull to goe to the Church every Sabbath day and to see that my wife children and servants did the like and when we came home I did usually read a Chapter either before or after supper commanding my children and servants to doe the like and afterwards we used to sing a Psalm together and then I commonly went to Prayer with them though I must confesse I then did it upon a Booke and this course of life I led for the space of full seven yeeres together and now Sir before I goe any further I would intreat you to tell me what state and condition you thinke I was in at this time

good I can to any of you And truly neighbour Simon I was sorry you went away the other day in such a discontented manner for I should have beene glad if you had tarried longer that wee might have had further conference together Sim. Sir I thanke you it may be we may have further conference together about those things before we part but first of all I pray you hearken to our neighbour Alexander for he hath somewhat to say unto you Min. Come neer neighbour Alexander and tell me what you have to say unto me Alex. Sir I do acknowledge that as my neighbour Simon hath said I am a very ignorant man and am now and then subject to drinke more then I should doe and to sweare now and then an Oath when I am vexed but I am sory for it afterwards Now Sir I doe desire to know the reason why I for all this may not be admitted unto the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Min. Because you being an ignorant and sinfull man must needs be an unbeleeving man and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was not instituted and ordained for any unbeleever Alex. But Sir though I be as I have confessed an ignorant and sinfull man yet I hope I am a beleeving man for all that Min. No no that cannot be Alex. Why Sir I pray you is every ignorant and sinfull man an unbeleever Min. No not so neither for there is a twofold Ignorance and a twofold sinfulnesse that is to say there is an ignorance and sinfulnesse in part and an ignorance and sinfulnesse in whole now a man may be ignorant in part and yet have true faith in Christ for the Apostle saith concerning himselfe and other true beleevers We know but in part 1 Cor. 13. 9. yea and a man may be also sinfull in part and yet be a true beleever witnesse the same Apostle when hee saith Rom. 7. 23. I finde a law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and bringing mee into captivity to the law of sinne But if a man bee wholly ignorant of Jesus Christ and of himselfe and of the Sacrament as for ought I yet perceive you are and wholly sinfull as by your own confession it appears you are then it is impossible hee should have true faith in Christ Alex. But Sir I hope I am not wholly ignorant of Jesus Christ nor of my selfe nor of the Sacrament Min. Well because you say so I pray you give me leave to aske you two or three questions and first of all I pray you tell mee what is Jesus Christ Alex. Why he is Gods onely Sonne who was conceived by the holy Ghost and borne of the Virgin Mary Min. But the Scripture saith That GOD hath more sonnes then one as it is written Galat. 3. 26. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus why doe you then say That Christ is Gods onely Sonne Alex. Why I say so because it is so set downe in the Apostles Creed which I am sure I say many a time and often and if it be not true me thinks the Apostles of Christ should not have so set it downe Min. And what is the holy Ghost which you say Christ was conceived by Alex. Why truly Sir the Holy Ghost I think is that good Spirit whereby we are guided and ruled when we live and walke according to Gods will and Commandments Min. And why was Christ conceived by the Holy Ghost Alex. Beleeve me Sir that is too hard a question for me to answer and it would trouble a man that hath much more knowledge then I to answer aright Min. And why do you say that Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary Alex. Why I say so because it is so said in my Creed Min. But why was it meet that he should bee borne of a Virgin rather then of another woman Alex. Truly Sir I know no other reason then that I am perswaded it was the will of God it should be so Min. Well you confesse you are a sinner therefore I pray you tell me how you came to be a sinner Alex. Why by yeelding to the Devils tentations and mine own wicked and corrupt heart as other sinners do I thinke Min. But was you born a sinner Alex. Yea I was shapen in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceive me Min. And was you a sinner when you were first created in Adam Alex. Yea surely or else how could I be borne a sinner Min. And what doe you beleeve that Christ hath done for you Alex. Why I do verily beleeve that he died for me Min. But what warrant have you to beleeve that Christ died for you Alex. Why Christ died for sinners and I am a sinner and therefore I doe beleeve that he died for me Min. And do you think that Christ died for all men Alex. Yea indeed if he died for sinners I thinke he must needs die for all men for wee are all sinners Mi. Do you then beleeve that all men shall be saved Alex. No indeed I am not so simple to think that all men shall be saved for as I doe beleeve there is a Heaven for some so do I beleeve there is a Hell for others Min. Why do you then thinke that Christ died in vaine for them that are not saved Alex. No surely I dare not think so Min. But if he died to save them and they bee not saved must it not needs follow that he died for them in vaine Alex. Truly Sir I cannot tell how to answer that it is too hard a question and therefore I pray you aske mee no more such Min. Well then I pray you tell me what is a Sacrament Alex. Why a Sacrament is the Lords Supper Min. And why do you desire to come to the Lords Supper Alex. That I might there worship and serve the Lord. Min. Well neighbour Alexander I might aske you many other questions touching these points but your Answers to these I have already asked you are sufficient to prove that you are wholly ignorant of Christ of your selfe and of the Sacrament for though some of your answers be true yet as wee use to say As good never a whit as never the better Alex. But Sir for ought I see those that have most knowledge in Religion and can talke best of it are as bad in their lives as they that are most ignorant and therefore if I have but a good heart and a good minde as I doubt not but I have I hope I shall doe as well at the last as if I could talke and prate more Min. I but whatsoever you thinke of your selfe and whatever your hopes are the Lord tells you Prov. 19. 2. That without knowledge the heart or minde is not good and although it be possible that a man of great knowledge may have an evill heart of unbeleefe and so perish yet it is without all question that hee who hath no knowledge hath an evil