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	scripture_n	speak_v	14,888	5	5.2608	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45328	An apologie for the ministry and its maintenance wherein is set forth the necessity, dignity and efficacy of a gospel-ministry against the Socinians, Swenckfieldians, Weigelians, Anabaptists, Enthusiasts, Familists, Seekers, Quakers, Levellers, Libertines and the rest of that rout ... / by Tho. Hall.	Hall, Thomas, 1610-1665.; Shaw, Samuel, 1635-1696.	1660 (1660)	Wing H425A; ESTC R28055	88,780	120

22. The Church Triumphant is the Church and the onely Church that needs no ministry ministers or ordinances For God is all this to them Instead of the word of God they read in the God of that Word instead of the representation of Christ in Sacraments they have the enjoyment of him without the help of shadows or types The immediate enjoyment of God in this life without the means is sure then a fancy onely beseeming the heady brains or rather brainless heads of Anabaptists It is the proper Priviledg of the Church Triumphant to serve God immediately without Temple or Ordinances Amongst them it is that Prophes●●s shall fail 1 Cor. 13 8. But in the Church militant they are to be highly esteemed 1 Thes. 5. 20● 7. It appeares by the care of the Apostles for the continuation of their Successors and the perpetuation of a Ministry in the Church Paul commands Titus to ordain Elders and Bishops in 〈◊〉 city describes the persons to be ordained and prescribes rules for the ordaining of them T it 1. 5 6 7 8 c. He command● and cautions Timothy also about the same thing and ●●ds him keep the commands relating to this Ministry till the appearing of the Lord Iesus Christ which Injunction is not onely laid upon Timothy in his own person but upon all the Ministers of Christ that shall be in succession to the end of the world 8. It appeares by that honor reverence and submission which by vertue of the command is due to the Successours of the Apostles 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. Phil. 2. 29. Heb. 13. 17. Which things so long as they are due must needs have and prove Ministers of the Gospel to whom they shall be given And if you take a way them that are over you in the Lord your Messengers them that have the rule over you and that watch for your soules I pray you tell me where will you bestow the high estimation and love the reputation obedience and submission which the great Apostle commands to be given in the fore-quoted Texts 9. It appears by that constant provision that God has made for his Ministers ordering them honourable stipends for their work Gal. 6. 6. 1 Cor. 9. 13 14. 1 Tim. 5. 17 18. which provision is laid up in the store-house of the Gospell not onely for the Apostles sake but all theirs that are Ministers of Christ in succession Now to what purpose should these commands of God remain in the B●ble if there should not be a remainder of Ministers still in the Church God needed not to have provided meat for his Ministers if he had been minded that men should have sewed up their m●uthes Away with the doting crew of Anabaptists then that despising the Word of God and Ministry of that Word and Ministers of that Ministry gape for the downfall of Revelations into their mouths and stare after New Lights Away with them to the Law and the Prophets Why stand ye gazing up into heaven for new discoveries to the Law and to the Testimony If they be not according to this Word it is because your new Lights have no light in them Isa. 8. 20. God hath ordained and established a publick Ministry and forbids the consulting of Diviners Observers of times Enchanters Charmers Witches Wizards Necromancers Deut. 18. 10 11 12. No nor must mens own Fancies lead them their own inventions be set up to give Oracles But in all doubtfull matters consult the Ministers of God vers 15. Is there no light in the Word of God or whether are your eyes out that ye cannot receive it Is that nothing but a dead letter now which in S. Pauls dayes was so quick and spirituall Heb. 4. 12. Is there no God but in the still voice of your spirituall conceivements and Revelations now adayes Well let 's hear what your spirit has to say against our Christ who has bidden ●o and teach and baptise CHAP. V. The Cavills and Fallacies of the Anabaptists Socinians Swend●eldians and Enthusiasts are blown away Obj. 1. THe first harbour of these Libertines Opinion in this thing is pretended to be in Ierem. 1. 34. They ●hall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from ●he l●ast of them even to the greatest of them saith the Lord Therefore such a thing as the Ministry of the Word is needless under the New Testament Answ. 1. Words are not properly Scripture but the sense neither does the Scripture properly consist in the leaves of words but in the root of reason the Word of God is not to be taken formally as it is described by words and syllables but materially as it declares to us the minde and counsell of God we must not stick in the bark for that hath involved the ●apist● and Anabaptists in many Errours 2. If we must needs have so much regard to the letter of the Text it rather takes away Private Instruction then Publick Preaching for God does not say there shall be no publick Preachers but They shall no more t●ach every man his neighbour and every man his brother But neither can we dis●ard private Instructions under the Gospell if S● Paul be a Gospell-man who presseth this duty Coloss. 3. 16. 1 Thes. 5. 11. 3. The Text is a Promise Now Promises must not shoulder out nor overthrow Precepts neither must the means be taken away because the primary cause is laid down and asserted God feeds all it does not follow therefore that tillag● is unnecessary or bread needless ●or by these means God ●eeds us No more does it follow that because God teacheth therefore the ministry of his word is unnecessary for God teacheth by the ministry of his Word 4. The genuine scope of the Text is to shew us that God teacheth his Elect not onely externally by the ministry of his Word but internally by the ministry of his Holy Spi●it Neither does the Prophet speak absolutely simply and inclusively but comparatively as the Holy Ghost frequently speaks Things spoken negatively in Scripture are oft times to be understood comparatively and are not to be expounded so much by not as by not so much which is plain in Hos. 6. 6. Psal. 50. 8. Psal. 51. 16. Iohn 6. 38. Iohn 7. 16. and many other places So that the sum of the Prophets words will easi●y be There shall be a ●uller and clearer knowledg of God in the times of the New Testament then there was in the times of the Old 1. Because under the Old Testame●t Christ was obscurely shadowed out in Types but under the New he is plainly preach'd and shewn openly insomuch that a very boy w●ll ca●echised and instructed doth understand the Gospell concerning Christ beter then many of the Priests of the Law did which is the accomplishment of that Promise Isa. 11. 9. The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. 2. Because there are farre more that are

blessed with the saving knowledg of God in the times of the New Testament than were in the times of the Old the Preaching of the Word not being restrained to one Nation now as it was then but common to all 3. By reason of the more plentifull Effusions of the grace of God there shall not need so much pains and trouble to instruct the Elect now as formerly there needed This is plain from vers 33. where it is said I will write my Law in their hearts not in their lips not in tables of stones not on the fringes of their garments as it was sometimes among the Iews but in their hearts by giving them pious affections and inclinations for the Law of God That of Calvin upon the place gives the substance of the Interpretation God who had more darkly represented himself under the Law promiseth a more glorious discovery under the Gospell in so much that the knowledg of God shall be then as it were familiar and common But it is by an Hyperbole that he commendeth this grace when he saies that no one shall need any Master or Teacher but every one shall be sufficiently instructed Neither yet does he say exactly that they shall not teach every one his neighbour but they shall not teach every one his neighbour saying Know the Lord i. e. there shall be such a measure of knowledg that men shall be no longer Abecedarians For this phrase know the Lord seems to point at the first beginning and rudiments of Religion The minde of the Prephet in this place which we willingly yield can be nothing but this that God will send out a greater light and greater measures of knowledg in the times of the Go●pell and will deale more freely and familiarly with his people then than formerly 5. If having given the naturall sense genuine scope of the text we may use an answer ad hominem I would fain know why the Anabaptists and Quakers that stand up for this litterall meaning and apply the promise to our days can make themselves these new lights and the heirs of this promise and yet goe about saying know the Lord. Certainly if this be the meaning of the promise these be the times of the accomplishment of it and they the persons to whom it belongs they contradict their interpretation and even break the neck of the promise in going from town to town from street to street from house to house teaching men to repent to turn to the Lord to know the Lord and a great deal more of this and so take Gods work out of his hands for they should be all taught of the Lord. And if they say true men shall be taught of the Lord but it shall be by the means of men then why are not we as fit to teach as they This now brings to my mind their 2. Obj. Which they build upon Is. 54. 13. where God promiseth that all the faithfull shall be taught of the Lord. Therefore the Ministry of the word is needlesse Ans. 1. This rather raiseth up then razeth out the Ministry of the word of which there shall be need in the New-Testament no lesse then in the old All know that Scripture is the best interpreter of Scripture Now Christ reacheth us what it is to be taught of God Ioh. 6. 45. God teacheth us two ways by the outward preaching of his word and by the inward revelations of his spirits God here promiseth that his elect shall be taught not only by the teachers of the Church from without but by the Holy Spirit from within Christians in this text of the Prophet seem to be put in opposition to the lews whose teachings under the old Testament were more externall then internall And it is here promised that the spirit of God shall be mightily efficacious by the Ministery of the word and that it shall be more free and liberall in distributing its gifts and graces under the New Testament So that these two kinds of teachings are rather united in this text than divided To be taught of God is not to be taught of him immediately but mediately by the preaching of the word as appears from Luk 10. 16. Act 10. 33. But further if this text of the prophet be interpreted for the overthrow of the Ministry of the word how will it agree with Ier. 3. 15. Mat. 28. 20. Rom. 10. ●4 And agree it must unlesse you will have the spirit of truth to give himself the lye Cal●● speaks appositely It is evident how miserably they dote who abuse this text for the overthrow of the ministry of the Word so much used by and usefull ●o the Church They cannot be owned for the Children of the Church that reject her education And it is in vain to boast the revelations of the spirit for the spirit teaches none save those who submit themselves to the ministry of the Word Account we them therefore the brats of the Devill not the genuine begotten of God who reject this holy ordinance of his own institution For we see these two the Children of the Chu●ch and the taught of God are so much the same that they cannot be the taught of God who will not be taught in the Chu●ch 2. If we may make an answer ad hominem It little becomes the Anabaptists to decrye a Ministry and forbid prophesying who otherwise bid all to do it plead the cause of the gifted brethren so stiffly and give them a licence for prophesying at their pleasure No wonder if they would set Scripture together by the ears and make contradictions in them who themselves do contradict themselves and whose latter opinions do fall out and quarrell with their former 3. Obj. Is grounded upon 1. Ioh. 2. 20 27. Ye have an unction from the holy one and ye know all things And ye need not that any man teach you The Objection fram'd for the purpose of our Libertines and New lights will be of this form who ever hath the spirit of God understandeth the Scriptures without a teacher But we have this spirit of God Therefore we understand them without any teacher Ans. 1. The Major proposition is false For whom the spirit of God teacheth it teacheth by teachers Eph 4. 11. and not immediately as was made to appear before This anointing teacheth you all things that is The spirit of God is efficacious and powerfull by the preaching of the word to enlighten the minds of the faithfull in all things necessary to Salvation These elect persons knew all things and so St. Paul could do all things he sayes and yet I dare say there were many things that they did not know nor he could not doe what shall we say then Why not that these elect persons were so many Gods which they must be if they know all things Ioh. 21. 17 Not that Paul was Omnipotent not that these were Omniscient But Paul's Omnipotence and their Omniscience must be limited The one could do all things

He that is first himself perswaded shall better perswade others and no one can prescribe so good Remedies as he that by experience knowes what is hurtfull It is the part of a faithfull Pastor to weep with himself before he call for the tears of others and to grieve more inwardly than in an expression He that would have my teares Must weep himself or else I 'le think he jeers That voyce pierceth the heart of the Hearers most effectually which the life of the Preacher commands For that Preacher loses his Authority whose words are not interpreted by his works Nay as Austine well observes A life unsuitable to the Doctrine is of a soul-killing ●urtherous nature VVhat a monstrous prodigious sight saies Bernard to Eugenius lib. 2. de Consider is a high degree and a low spirit a sacred Profession aud an execrable practice a laborious tongue and a lazy hand much leaves and no fruit a grave countenance and a light carriage great authority and no stability to look like a man and speak like a childe against such the Apostle thunders Rom. 2. 1 21. Thou that teachest another teachest thou not thy self c. Such derogate from the weight of their Doctrine they de●troy with their works what they build with their words they dedicate their tongues to God and devote their soules to the Devil VVhat is profound Science good for saies Dr. Staughton in Foelicit ult saeculi p. 91 92 93. without a pure conscience an Oratours tongue without an Angels life but to make up a Statue like unto Nebuchadnezzar ' s whose golden head ended in earthen feet as though it were for the present to be crowned and shortly to be broken in pieces or a toad with a jewel perhaps in the head but certainly poysonous all over the body which is more hatefull for the o●e than precious for the other let Eloquence therefore sit in the lips but let grace also give strength to Eloquence Let us therefore imitate our Master who was mighty in deed and word Luke 24. 19. who began first to do and then to teach Act. 1. 1. Himself was first meek and pure and peaceable and then he began to teach Blessed are the poor in heart the pure in heart the peaceable Matth. 5. As Iohn the Baptist was all voice so the all of a Minister ought to preach his eating drinking travailing entertaining clothing life and language should all breathe out holiness whatever he does or saies should instruct his flock Ezra the servant of the Lord was indeed a Scribe instructed unto the kingdome of heaven for he first prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord and to do it and then to teach in Israel statutes and judgements Ezra 7. 10. Lo the right way to attain to an excellent faculty of teaching 1. Prepare not the head onely but the heart also 2. Seek with all care and diligence viz. by hearing reading learning meditating praying 3. What must be sought not Civil Lawes not humane Statutes not scholastical niceties but s●ek the Law of the Lord converse in this meditate of it peruse it day and night He that will be a good Preacher must labour to be a good Textuist for Scripture is the best Interpreter of Scripture 4. For what end first that we may do it then that we may teach it Let us labour to be as Glasses in which the representations of all verture and grace may appear yea if we do and teach we shall be called that is we shall be great in the kingdome of heaven Mat. 5. 19. Such an one was holy Basil whose words were thunder and his works lightening He preaches saies Nazianzen with a lively voyc● who preacheth with life and voice making good his Doctrine and his Life the one by the other One and the same Apostle tells us that Ministers should not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divide and rightly distribute the word of truth 2. Tim. 2. 15. but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 walk uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel Gal. 2. 14. All our Nazarites should be purer than snow whiter than milk Lam. 4. 7. like unto Absalom in a more spiritual beauty in whom from the crown of the head to the sole of his foot was no blemish 1 S●m 14. 25. For if those that had any blemish upon them were forbidden the Priests Office under the Law Lev. 21. 17. c. how shall they whose mouthes hearts hands are full of sin and filthiness be admitted or accepted under the Gospel Wherefore let every Preacher teach by words and works by life and Language It is an easie thing to speak but a hard to performe easie to teach in words but preaching with the life is the life of Preaching for words make not such an impression upon the soul as works do A fighting Captain encourages his souldiers more then a prating coward The Apostle therefore will that Bishops be blameless Tit. 1. 7. unreproveable without scandall not without sinne As were Samuel Ieremiah Daniel Paul Zachary 1 Sam. 12. 3. ●erem 15. 10. Da● 6. 5. Act. 20. 23. Luke 1. 6. such were Bucer Bradford Latimer Hooper c. such ought we to be that evil men may be able to speak no evil of us without lying Tit. 2. 8. For he may truly be said to be unblameable not who is never blamed but who is not blameworthy Neither does the Apostle call for men devoid of all fa●lings such are not men but Angels such are members of the Church Triumphant not the Militant Many men as Austine well observes live without complaint or scandall but none without sin 2. Let a Pastor feed his people ministerialy by voice and sound Doctrine The bare Reading of the Scriptures seldom conduces much to Conversion the word preached by an Applicatory Voice hath some kinde of secret energy in it and being se●t from the Minister as from the mouth of God himself into the ears of the Audito●s it carries a great authority with it and fastens better upon their souls It is requisite that a Minister of the Gospel carry upon hi● breast both the Urim and the Thu●min have both the light of Doctrine and Integrity of life The servant of the Lord should be apt to teach 2 Tim. 2. 24. which aptitude denotes both a proneness and a fitness he should have both a will to communicate and a faculty of communicateing that which he knowes This sayes even the Councell of Trent is the p●imary office of a Bishop therefore Paul being now at the door of death adjures Timothy to preach the Gospel in every opportunity with all impor●unity 2. Tim. 4. 1 2. to instruct first himself and then others 1 Tim. 4. 13 c. Take heed to the self that thou compose thy behaviour according to the holy rule and to thy Doctrine that thou teach others Blinde Watchmen and dumb dogs are the worst of creatures Isa. 56. 10. If a dog whose office it is to watch to