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
A77147	Something concerning the proceedings of Thomas Willmate, vicar of the parish of Bromsgrove, in the county of Worcester, against me John Boweter, (who am a prisoner for the testimony of Christ Jesus) with a salutation of love to my loving and kind neighbours.	J. B. (John Bowater), d. 1704.	1681 (1681)	Wing B3870B; ESTC R221226	6,599	9

Something concerning the Proceedings of Thomas Willmate Vicar of the Parish of Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester against me John Boweter who am a Prisoner for the Testimony of Christ Jesus with a Salutation of Love to my loving and kind Neighbours MAny have been the Troubles of the Righteous but the Lord hath been their Deliverer who said I will not leave you Comfortless He hath been a Comfort unto us in the time of our Affliction who hath made a Prison like a Palace unto us as in faithfulness we have given up all for his Name-sake and suffered the spoiling of our Goods chearfully we have not lost our Reward we have had peace in the Lord when our Adversaries have been tormented and the Promise of Christ in the World to come which is Life Everlasting And the Apostle Paul who had a part in sufferings said I reckon the Sufferings of this present Life is not to be compared to the Glory that shall be revealed This is that which makes our Sufferings comfortable unto us this Recompence Moses had an Eye unto who refused the Glory of Aegypt chusing rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a season counting the Reproach of Christ greater Riches than all the Treasure of Aegypt But some may say Ye Quakers thrust your selves into Sufferings What matter of Conscience is it to detain your Tythe from a Minister To this I Answer Some years ago Thomas Willmate Vicar of the Parish of Bromsgrove a profest Minister of the Gospel but not in the Practice of the true Gospel Ministers in the primitive Times in which Parish I have had my abode from my Childhood he sending to me to demand Tythe I not being satisfied in my Spirit concerning paying Tythe in these Gospel times I went unto him expecting he might have satisfied me or he have been satisfied with my Proposal which was this If he could prove himself a Minister of the Gospel and Tythe a Gospel Maintenance I would pay him Tythe But being he neither did nor could make out to me by the Scripture I refused to pay him because Christ who is a Priest unto God and hath put an end to that Priesthood that Tythe was to be paid unto said Every Plant that my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Mat. 15.13 I never read in the Scripture of the New Testament that Christ ever ordained Tythe to be a Maintenance for his Ministers neither was Tythe established by his holy Apostles for a Maintenance for Ministers but rather in the time of Popery when that Apostatizing Spirit was entred of which Jude spoke Jude 11. Who run greedily after the Error of Balaam for Reward who were not content with such things as were set before them stirred up the Rulers to make Laws to compel a Maintenance being departed from that purity that was in the primitive Church and so not content to receive freely of the Lord and so to administer freely but in the steps of those Christ spoke of That should come in Sheeps Cloathing but inwardly ravening Wolves Tythe was not a Maintenance appointed by Christ nor his Apostles for Ministers for it belonged to the Tribe of Levi in the time of the Law who were for the offering up of Sacrifices they were to set open their Gates that the Widdow Fatherless and Strangers might be relieved But Christ being come and offered up became the compleat Sacrifice to God for us and a Reconciler betwixt God and Man and so no need of that Priesthood now The Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change of the Law also Heb. 7. But some may say Did not Christ say in Luke 11.42 Ye Tythe Mint Rue and all manner of Herbs these things ye ought to do Answ This was not spoke to his Ministers nor to Christians to establish Tythe amongst them but to those that were under the Law and were boasting of their Righteousness under the Law for Christ said Wo unto you Scribes Pharisees and Hypocrites for ye pay Tythe of Mint Annis c. and omit or neglect the weighty matters of the Law Mat. 23.23 These were not Christians but were under the Law which Law Christ came to fulfill and did fulfill the Law which was a Shadow of the good things to come Now Christ who is the Substance being come the Shadows were to pass away And so Christ being the end of the Law for Righteousness sake to every one that believes Rom. 10.4 Who being nailed to the Cross became a Sacrifice acceptable with the Father And so this acceptable Sacrifice being once offered up for all there is no need now of those former Shadows nor Ceremonies that were in the time of the Law No need now of those Priests to offer up Sacrifices No need now of offering as formerly for Christ is the Offering acceptable with God whom God raised up from the dead he hath led Captivity captive and given Gifts unto men by which Gifts of his holy Spirit many were furnished for the Work of the Ministry and were faithful Labourers in the Work and Service of the Lord not seeking their own Honour but the Honour of God and the Good of Souls Not coveting any mans Silver Gold or Apparel but labouring to bring them unto the Lord These freely received of the Lord and as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God administred freely these did not seek after the Fleece but to gather the Flock and to Feed the Flock of God taking the Oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready Mind not as Lords over Gods Heritage but Examples to the Flock But there were some in those dayes began to creep in amongst the Apostles such as Christ spoke of That should come in Sheeps Clothing but inwardly were ravening Wolves whom the Apostle said were Enemies to the Cross of Christ whose end was Destruction whose God was their Belly whose Glory is their Shame who mind Earthly things And the Apostle Peter in 2 Pet 2.23 said There were false Prophets amongst the People even as there shall be false Teachers amongst you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresie even denying the Lord that bought them who with feigned Words and fair Speeches and through Covetousness make Merchandize of you as the said Thomas Willmate hath of me in hunting after me with Writ upon Writ and hurrying me from Prison to Prison who contented not himself in keeping me a Prisoner in Worcester-County-Goal about a year and a half because I for Conscience towards the Lord could not pay him Tythe and Offerings to the Value of Six Shillings I could not so far deny my Lord and Master to be come in the Flesh as to pay Tythe and Offerings now in these Gospel times Christ being come who is a Priest forever and the Offering acceptable with the Father But this Merciless man hath removed me to London to the