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	sin_n	word_n	7,355	5	3.9910	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43822	Nevv lords, nevv lavvs, or, A discovery of a grand usurpation, in opposition to the Holy Laws of God and contempt of the good laws, and royal prerogative of the supream magistrate, as it hath been lately practised by the lordly Matthew Caffin, a pretended true apostle of our blessed Lord and Saviour, and ruling head of his congregation, usually meeting at Southwater near Horsham in Sussex. By R. H.	Haines, Richard, 1633-1685.	1674 (1674)	Wing H202B; ESTC R216445	62,553	67

that which is no less than a Damnable Erroneous Principle For if it be true as you have in words said That the Church of Rome he become a Harlot which once was the Spouse of Christ Then Vsurpation is a Damnable Error For if she had not Usurped Authority to Compel Persons to do and practise more or less then what is by their Supream Lord and Master required and appointed for Discipline and. Government of the Church according to the Holy Scriptures then no doubt but she had continued a true Church unto this day Again If the Church Officers had not through Usurpation been corrupted but had governed the Church according to the Will of our Lord and Saviour revealed in Scripture and not mixt their own Inventions with Christs Institutions Then doubtless the Officers of the Church of Rome had still deserved the Honour to be stiled The Holy Successors of the Holy Apostles But if as you say by usurpation she be now come a VVhore and her Officers none of Christs Ministers Then I infer that Usurpation is a Damnable Sin For ever since such Usurpation her Officers are ceased to be the holy Successors of the Apostles and are become the Antichristian Successors of Usurpers Tyran●s and Murtherers and notorious Enemies to all true Christian Emperours Kings and Princes Whence 't is evident that Usurpation is a Damnable destroying Sin and most dangerous to Church and State But you may possibly say That Usurpation cannot be the greatest and most damnable Sin since it is the Sin of the Holy Ghost that is the greatest Sin and never to be forgiven To which I answer That the Sin committed against the Holy Ghost in my opinion is that Sin only which is committed under the highest degree of saving means to wit God by his holy Spirit and Word opposing and the person persevering in his intended wickedness so that whether it be the Sin of Usurpation Rebellion Tyranny Hypocriste Idolatry c. any of these may thus be committed against the Holy Ghost and so become impardonable And therefore my Brethren look to your Consciences if Baal be God serve him but if the Lord be God how dare you go beyond his Word and unerring Rule Believe not trust not the best of men in matters of Religion in any thing that is not according to the Word of the Lord remember that a man of God was torn in pieces by a Lyon because he believed one who was not as then a Prophet an Example worthy the observation of those that incline to trust any private man rather than the Word of God Be no longer deluded Oh ye my Beloved although unkind Friends and bear with me for endeavoring at once to defend my own Innocent Just Cause and shew you your Delusions and how you are Betray'd For hath he not corrupted your Authority and Government so as to render it to be Lordly Arbitrary and Tyrannical contrary to the Will and Mind of Christ whom you suppose is the Head of your Church Yea and I do also believe That you think that you Act under Christ by vertue of Authority and Commission received from Him only and not otherwise which if really true then are you the true Church or part of the true Church and so ought to go no further than the Lords Commission which so long as you observe you are undoubtedly his beloved Children and true Subjects to him here and such as shall Reign with him in his Kingdom forever which I also believe is your hope and expectation And to this you are often encouraged by your pretended true Apostle and to believe that the Order of his present Government will bring you to this happy estate But if like a pretended Angel or Light he with smooth Words and hypocritical Speeches and Pretences of Tender Love to you and Honour to the Church have led you out of this good way and order in which you might stand and remain in safety and hath inveigled you into a Government under which you are become Servants to another Master and Rebels to Him whom you conceit you serve and honour like those grievous Transgressors of whom the Lord complains Isaiah 58. 2. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways as a Nation that did Righteousness and forsook not the Ordinance of their God They ask of me the Ordinance of Justice they take delight in approaching to God What I pray have you done more than they Oh! that you would lay it to heart and consider Whether you are not as much deluded as they were Which if so Then beware of vain Confidence and be sure that you are in danger wherefore for your Reformation I pray consider First That you ought to do nothing in obedience to your true Lord and Master but what you believe is your duty because Whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin Secondly That your Faith and Belief hath a firm and sure Foundation for what you do and especially for what you do compel in matter of Religion otherwise your Building may come to sudden ruine Add not therefore sin to sin but haste haste for Reformation apply yourselves to the Law and to the Testimonies In case he compells person to submit to his or your Wills without that Authority then know It is because his pretended Holiness is turned into VVickedness Haste then I say and do Justice when by the Lord it is required of you although it be to the cutting off of your right hand when by reason of a Gangrening malignant distemper it is destructive to the whole Body But if notwithstanding all that I have said you are so strongly deluded that he cannot appear in your Judgments a Rebel and an Usurper Then tell me I pray who it is gave him Commission and Authority to Accuse Condemn Judge and pass sentence against a member of the Church for that which is no Transgression and not suffer him to plead his Cause with the Congregation whom in words you declare are the proper Judges or reason with those that were offended in order to give them Satisfaction But contrary to the way of peace and peace-makers perpetually to Interpose with malicious Agravations So that we were not suffered to propose any Terms of Reconciliation each to other Do you verily believe Christ gave him Commission to Exercise this Arbitrary Government If you do shew me good grounds for such your faith and I will believe it also otherwise remember the Popes Acts of Tyranny are of as good Authority as yours and he as honest as your Apostle and not half so much an Hypocrite Secondly Who requires you to be so Slavishly at the dispose of this pretended Apostle as through his Instigation to Condemn a member before ever it was proved that he had Transgressed any known Law wronged Man Woman or Child or ever dispised any Admonition or indeed that he was ever so much as Admonished at all by any Two persons or that there ever was any occasion

for it Thirdly Who gave him Commission to say and affirm That Patents were of the Divel and that He could as freely have Communion or fellowship with Idolaters or unclean Persons as with those that should have a Patent Or to question the Kings Royal Prerogative and that meerly in Relation to Secular things Forthly Who gave him Commission to say If he hath a statute for it what is that to us VVhat have we to do with the Laws and Statutes of men And so be it with Law or without it is all one to the lawless and disobedient and by what Authority could he call those Laws and Statutes unjust Since they are for the praise and Incouragement of those that do well Fifthly Who gives Commission or Warrant for such strange partiality so as in Contempt of the Kings Authority To send a man most maliciously to Hell in his own Conceit for Justifying of the same and accepting a favour thereby only to secure a Just priviledg from being a prey to the Common sort of men as himself calls them and all this to be Condemned under the notion of Covetousness and rendred as odious as possible and yet in the mean time to allow of unlawful Covetousness and that defended by deceit and defraud He himself well knowing the same Sixthly By what rule did he walk who did Receive an acousation against me by one that was not of the Church and Condemn the thereupon when the accuser was both witness and party and yet refuse an accusation brought in against another who was guilty of Cruelty prophane Cursing and that proved by several honest and unintersted Persons I say what rule had he for this but his own will like Nebuchadrezzor that whom he had a mind to save he saved and whom he had a mind to distroy he destroyed Seventhly VVho gave him Commmission To rebuke a man and that in the face of the Congregation For keeping Company with great Persons As he calleth them who are known to be Sober men and much honester then himself And this before it was or ever could be proved That any Sin was by this means Committed Eightly VVho gave him Commission To appear like an Enemy to peace and good Neighbourhood so as to forbid me to make peace between Neighbour and Neighbour and to blame me for being often Concerned therein though he could never prove That there was any Acts of Injustice or disorder thereby knowingly Committed Ninthly VVho gave him Commission To move for the denying Communion to several Congregations Because some that were rich were suffered to were a Gold Ring or Silver Buttons or Ribbons c. Tenthly VVho gave him Commission To make it unlawful for those that are in subjection to his Corrective power to trade or have any Trade or Commerce with me so as they might not buy or sell for me though Servants Lastly VVho gave him Commission to Condemn the Counsel and Admonition of our London Brethren so as to say We do not own them nor are to regard what they say Now Sirs If for all these things he have not Scripture Authority for their Iustification Then remember henceforth that wholsome Advice When he speaketh fair BELEIVE him not BELEIVE him not for their are more than Seven Abominations in his Heart For are not such principles and Practises Dangerous both to Church and state and besides other wickedness do they not render the Government of the Church Lordly and Tyrannical and the Authority of the State Contemptible so as to make the one Dangerous to the well being of the other For as the Church doth increase the safety and Authority of the Civil Magistrate must proportionably decrease VVitness the like Usurpation of the Church of Rome makeing Kings and Emperours Submit And can you alleadg any better Authority from Scripture for these things than Papists can for their Ceremonies and Traditions If not VVhere are you my Beloved VVhere are you Got Are you not within less than a Sabboth days Journey of Rome And whilst he with a high hand opposes the Quakers pretended perfection and Condemns many others more honest than himself for Idolatry Superstition and Usurpation As though he himself were of a Holy lamb like Spirit hath he not in the mean time by fair flattering words and smooth pretences Subtlely and Slily under pretence of Holy Ends Crept into your affections before you are aware That now you are Conjured so to Rely on his Infallibility As to make it a Bridge whereby to Step over the Authority of the Holy Scriptures that Sacred Boundary which as a River of Life divides the Church of Christ from that of Anti-christ Thus my beloved Brethren But his weak Little Children whilst he is as it were Singing to you a plesant Song of Romes ruin being at hand and Rocking you into the peaceable sleep of vain Confidence in his Cradle of pretended safety Hath he not all on a sudden Lead you over this Bridge of Infallibility quite A CROSS Scripture Authority and Squat you down in the very Lap of the Great VVhose of Babylon Whence if you would but awake you need not VVonder why he doth not own those honest Christian Brethren that are in the City of London For now you may see That it is the order of his Infallible Brethren Citizens of Rome that he do● most Resemble and approve of Obj. But possibly you may say Why did you not before this time disown him for these things if you did not allow thereof Sol. To which I Answer That I was wholly ignorant of his great Office and Authority and also of his deceits and even when I had Cause in some measure to suspect him my Charity was such that I could not Conclude him to be thus dangerous and deceitful But if the Case on your side be otherwise and that you were acquainted with such his Authority and Order of Government so as to know he hath power to be at once both an Accuser and Judge and that an absolute Submission and obedience ought to be performed to this High-Brave Lordly-Person as aforesaid Then let me tell you That you your selves who pretend to be my weak Brethren are most strong and my self most weak and simple And therefore forasmuch as you have offended me who am so weak according to your own Law you your selves ought to be Excommunicated except you submit whether the matter for which I am offended be lawful or unlawful Civil or Religious The Case is as broad as long and as you are honest I hope you will not think it too much if you without mercy should be paid with your own Coyn especially when your Actions whereby you have so offended me were tyrannical and unmerciful Forget not forget not my pretended tender loving Brethren what measure you have made But further to demonstrate that his Lordship in his own conceit is in as great Power and Authority as any the Pope pretends to give me leave to say That at a certain

But if you shall will fully neglect the means and we be not Reconciled what will ANSWER when God ariseth up and in Iudgment shall say who hath REQUIRED this offering or Sacrifice at your hands Oh! forget not VVhat manner of measure you have made Therefore if you expect mercy and pardon for your Sins and Trespasses If you desire your iniquities to be Covered with the imputation of the Righteousness of JESVS If you would find Deliverance in Distress or Grace to help in time of Tryal are you not in the Exercise of your faith To offer up your prayers and performances of your Duties unto the Lord as a means in order to obtain these mercies But my Beloved When thus you do Then remember that Obedience is better and more acceptable than such your Sacrifice and forget not to remember your own Evil ways and to consider VVhether your abused Brother hath not ought against you Knowing that your Prayers are unacceptable to the Lord until you have done your Duty that is to say To be reconciled to your abused Brother If you will not perform this your first work or do not Believe it your Duty so to do Tell me I pray how can you believe that you shall obtain mercy Is not the Case Plain He shall have Judgment without Mercy that hath Shewed no Mercy If therefore you believe the VVord of God and that he will be as good as his VVord have a care you add not Sin to Sin but hast for Reconciliation that so the obstruction which hinders the acceptation of your Duties may be removed out of the way But there is yet one Objection behind for possibly you may say That he Preacheth up Holiness and Godliness of life and Conversation and Rebuketh and Admonished Persons many times that are worthy of Blame and therefore we cannot but in Charity Judg the best of Him and accordingly must Love Him To which I Answer That I know all this may be true for the most Counterfeit Coyn is guilded all over with some good mettal and the greatest Hypocrisy walks in a Masque of sanctity so is his Lordly Tyrannical Authority vailed with the fairest pretences of the greatest degree of Love and Humility I accuse him not for those things which are good But be not deceived what if he had Faith so as to remove Mountains Suppose he gave all his Goods to relieve the poor or which is more than all that should he give his body to be Burned If he hath not Charity what will all this avail him and do you not know that true Charity and solid Honesty are both wanting Are not all his plausible pretences like rotten wood in the dark of more shew than Substance A Pharisaical Holiness like painted Tombs finely varnished over but within nothing but stench and Putrefaction Let not then shews and outsides Words Titles and Gestures deceive you bring all his Practises to the Touchstone Compare all his motions with the Sacred Dyal and weigh his pretended Gold in the Ballance of the Sanctuary but let neither Superstition nor prejudice touch the Scales And let Sound Iudgment not your Affections hold the Ballance And then as you find him regard him still remembring that the before mensioned wicked Seducer Hacket did express as great Zeal for Gods glory as much Care to reforms the Church and defend it against its Adversaries nor was there any one thing whereby he might shew himself Famous omitted by him nor doth your Leader go beyond him in any respect But well do I know that he cannot be idle but will use all means Just and Unjust to maintain his interest in your affections But though he sould raise a thousand Reasons or if it were possible for him to make fire come down from Heaven in your sight to make you believe that his practises are approved of by the Lord on high yet if they are not warranted in Scripture Let it Signify no more to you than if he had a Thousand Leggs without Ground to stand upon For if he should venture to walk over the Sea notwithstanding all his Leggs he must sink to the Bottome So if his mighty reasons have not the word of God for their sure Foundation they cannot stand but in a little time must Sink into the bottomless Pit from whence he had them Nor think it my Friends notwithstanding your great Confidence a thing impossible or incredible That so many of you sould be mistaken 't is no new thing for a Congregation to be deluded And why may not you as well as others conceit That you are rich and have need of nothing and yet whilst you insult over others and justifie your selves take heed lest you appear in his presence who seeth not as man seeth wretched and miserable poor blind and naked Consider the state of the Laodicean Church and remember that if your Zeal for God be more then Lukewarm yet considering what you have done you may perceive your Zeal hath been much more servent for the Adoration of your Idol Be not overwise in your own conceits why should you who call your selves weak think your selves wiser than those knowing and eminent Brethren who at London had the hearing of the matter and though they knew not of half his Devices declared their dislike of his illegal practises Asking him How he dared to do such a thing having not one VVord of God for it How can you now call me obstinate because I will not conform when your selves slight all Admonition anb Advice and rather then acknowledg your Errors will create a Schism and Division so far as to contemn our City Friends and disown them Why should your Envy my Brethren be thus stirred up against me Have I been such an one as have to your discredit and the dishonour of the Truth which I have professed lived in any notorious Sins or have I through infirmities transgressed against my God and refused to be reformed Have I ever despised any orderly rebuke if any such hath been given slighted any Christian Counsel or cast Admonition behind me Have I not been careful to make good my Place at the Meeting to which I usually went insomuch that some in time of Persecution said If they could but perswade me not to come or were it not tor me they would not spare you but by means of my constant being there your Meeting was never yet disturbed whilst all those round about were visited Have I failed to supply your wants or came short of any one therein Have I carried my self loftily to the meanest or would I not willingly be in peace with those who without cause are my Enemies and envy my prosperity Or can you think that I now neglect my Business and spend my Time and Labour hereby to make a Party or for any self-ends to engage you to my self Be not mistaken my Friends it is the knowledg of your dangerous Condition into which you are betrayed that moveth me to perform my Duty of Love unto you These things my Beloved according to what I believe I am bound to do have I endeavored to lay before you and all others whom it may concern That it may if possible awaken and convince you and that the Iniquities before mentioned may not be laid to my charge for concealing thereof nor to the charge of the Innocent who do not allow of but abhor the same And now whether you my deluded Friends will hear or whether you will forbear I know not But if the Case should be with you as it was with the Church of God in the days of the Prophet who rebuked them for that they embraced Idols And you through hardness of Heart and blindness Eyes should Answer as they did and say There is no hope no we have loved strangers and after them we will go Yet I have discharged my Conscience and I hope done my Duty to my Ability which I trust may be-profitable to you and my self and all read it fea●ing the Lord so as they in spirit and truth do serve and obey him according to his own Word which is the alone infallible and unerring Rule But if notwithstanding all I have said and all the Admonition Chrisian Counsel and Advice of the faithful Ministers and Officers of the Church Of Christ you still persist in and justifie your Acts of Vsurpation Oppression Tyranny Cruelty c. or shall endeavour to defend or excuse what hath been done by Lyes Falshood and Deceit or by refusing to Testifie the Truth of the Case then again must I say Adieu to you my dearly Beloved although deluded and unmerciful Brethren whom my Soul mourneth for Adieu to you who were my Beloved Ones and to Him whom you have Adored and by your Actions declare to be Infalling I bid Adieu for ever unlesa he shall Repent and Acknowledg his VVickedness FINIS