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	speak_v	word_n	18,876	5	4.5025	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52688	A few words in answer to the resolves of some who are called independant-teachers whose gospel and ministry appears to depend upon tythes, or as full a maintenance secured to them by a carnal law, as appears from their own mouths in their judgements, and desires to the present rulers, delivered as followeth / by James Naylor.	Naylor, James, 1617?-1660.	1659 (1659)	Wing N278; ESTC R16745	6,557	9

A FEW WORDS in answer to the RESOLVES of some who are called ●NDEPENDANT-TEACHERS Whose Gospel and Ministry appears to depend upon Tythes or as full a maintenance secured to them by a Carnal Law as appears from their own mouths in their judgements and desires to the present Rulers delivered as followeth By JAMES NAYLOR LONDON ●●inted for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate 1659. FIRST we judge a Parliament the best expedient for the prese●vation of these Nations Answ The best expedient for the preserving of the Nation is for all people in the Nations to turn to God that with his light you may be led to repentance and newness of life that that may be done away in every heart for which the wrath of God comes upon Nations and People and whilest people are out from the Light of Christ in their own hearts such are looking to the Hills and Mountains for safty and peace some for Kings and some for Parliaments while wrath and lust encreases in your own hearts and it is that within you will destroy you while your eyes are abroad for safety 2. And withal we desire all due care be taken that the Parliament be such as may preserve the interest of Christ and his people in these Nations Ans The chief interest of Christ in these Nations and elsewhere upon earth is his spiritual dominion in the consciences of people And that there he be confessed to be absolute King and Law-giver to whom alone every heart is to bow and every Tongue confesle and that the Wills and Laws of men usurp not authority therein but that he by his spirit exercise the conscience in all things to God and men and this is his interest which he is now demanding as his birth-right in his people both from Kings Parliaments and such as was called Protectors and who ever Rules amongst men which being denyed him his wrath hath been kindled in their Kingdom and it greatly concerns all that come into authority as they look to stand before him that this his Interest be preserved and this interest of his people also which is to have free liberty to obey him in their conscience in all his spiritual motions though never so much contrary to flesh and blood and if the Parliament be such it must not be made up of old persecutors nor new but be men of feeling fearing God and tender in conscience and above all they must take heed of lending an ear to the wicked Councel of such Teachers as serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies which have been the cause of all the blood and persecution that hath been shed in this our generation who never cease to provoke the Magistrates to establish mischief by a law chiefly against this interest of Christ and his people of which number you appear to be in your following desires 3. As to Magistrates power in matters of Faith and Worship we have declared our judgements in our late confession and we heartily prize our Christian liberty yet we professe our utter dislike and abborrence of an universal tolleration as being contrary to the mind of God in his word A. What your judgment in your late confession was I know not but you might do wel to shew your judgment in plainnes what this universal Toleration is wch you dislike abhor whether it be that you abhor that any should be tollerated but your own Sect or such as are to near you to testify against your errors if this be it as like it is then it is too selfish to be sound judgment or safe counsel to be followed being against the rule of Christ do to all men as you would be done unto or would you have tolleration to none but such as are in the true power of Spirit and true form of found words written in Scripture this were to wipe out your selves and bring in those against whom you profess your enmity in your last particular to wit the Quakers who at this day have both power of Spirit and Le●●er against you as to both your call your whole form of Worship and the manner of your hire being such as no true Ministers of Christ ever practised wherein the Quakers and you differ or do you onely intend against tolleration of open profaneness which none that loves Christ or his interest will plead for in this I am one with you but if by Universal Tolleration you intend that the Magistrate should limit the Spirit of Christ in any of his Creatures because his way is not your way but against false wayes and false worships as he moves them to bear his testimony as in former times he hath done in the true Prophets and Ministers against the false then is your Spirit seen to be the same that theirs was who ever sought to stop the Mouth of Truth least their deceit should be laid open and that is that which ever was against the interest of Christ and the mind of God in his word and it will not be an easie thing for men to limit the Holy Spirit in its movings or to measure a way to him whose way you know not flesh and blood must be silent which would fill a cup to another which you would not drink your selves and the Spirit must speak ere you can know either mind or word that is in God 4. We judge that the taking away Tithes for the maintenance of Ministers until as full a maintinance equally secured and as Legally setled and much to the distruction of the Ministry and Preaching of the Gospel in these Nations Ans This is your judgement and you may be believed herein being now upon the mark you aim at and the price of your calling and Preaching in these Nations and you do but here declare in words what all the seeing people in these Nations did foreknow was in your hearts but the word Gospel you cannot bring in with this carnal stuff that 's taken from you and must no longer cover you what will the Gospel be destroyed for lack of Tithes or a maintenance secured from a forcible Law blush for shame it was never known that forced hire or agreement before-hand had ever the least place in the free Gospel Ministry This cannot stand with a spiritual call nor free gift nay it exceeds the Legal priesthood and false Prophets and goes beyond Balaam in errour what either Tithes or as full as Tithes so secured and by the same law must Papists laws up still or els the Gospel falls This is none of Christs Gospel that thus depends nor is this the hire of his Servants whose reward it is to make the Gospel without charge was it ever known that any of his seed came to the earthly powers to beg their bread or to take it by force doth he thus maintain his family doth not such a servant shame the Masters house yea Friends all who knows the power of his free Grace and the riches

of the everlasting Gospel denies your Gospel that wil not fill your bellies but must be kept from distruction with perishing food by a forcing carnal Law that is not the Gospel which is the power of God nor was the Ministers of the everlasting Gospel so maintained search the Scriptures and be ashamed and stop your mouth from ever pretending your selves to be Ministers of the Spirit or of the Letter who are gone out from both and neither will own your words and practise herein nor indeed no part of your worship as it now stands as will be easily made apparent by plain Scripture upon a fair occasion but are gone after times and rewards as your Fathers have done for many ages who to the letter are not yet come and yet would be maintained by a law contrary to Scripture or Saints practice And therefore the Parliament if they be such as would preserve Christs Interest as you say they must not force the Lambs of Christ to maintain Wolves in Sheeps Cloathing who are now known by their Fruits which is Christs Rule and Command to know them by and this is against his Interest and the interest of his People to be thus forced against Scripture and a pure Conselence for the Scripture tells of a Ministry which minded earthly things whose God was their belly who were Murmurers and Complainers runing greedily after the way of Cain and Error of Balaam Mark Cain and Balaam are put together and these are against Christs Interest and his People and if they who had the form of godlinesse without the Power were to be turned away from then by what law must those who are out of both be maintained as Christs Ministers under pretence of the Gospel destruction I know that without forced Maintenance and fulnesse of it and good Security the National Ministry would fall which hangs thereon it being their function as they call it And so if any see their Work worth it let such hire them and setting them on Work upon that account its fit they should Pay them that they labour for but that such as have received the Ministration of the free Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus should be forced against his law in their Consciences to maintain such as are out of the Doctrine of Christ and can do no work for them but against them Or that at all this is to secure Christs Interest Or that the destruction of the Gospel of Truth depends thereon that is utterly denied as a false judgement and absolutely against the Kingdom of Jesus in his Temples his law in their hearts and his divine Power and Spirit by which he upholds all things pertaining to life and godlinesse and this were the only way for the next Parliament or Power to run themselves against that Rock against which so many before their eyes hath been broken and few there be in this Nation except such as have hardened their own hearts and blinded the eye of a pure mind but they have seen it wherefore take heed you Rulers if it be not too late how you medle with Christs Kingdom but kisse the Son and yield him his Kingdom in tender Consciences touch not the apple of the eye which sees that to be sin and evil which yet you do not of which you have often been warned but if you will make Lawes let the Scriptures be your Rule without and a pure Conscience enlightned with the Spirit of Christ within that so you may become tender hearted in the fear of God that the edge of your Sword may be turned against open wickednesse being touched with a true sense of what grieves the Spirit of Christ in your selves being joyned to the Lord in one Spirit and Life and this will be your wisdom the interest of Christ and his People and from thence you will receive better Counsel and truer judgement then that which would stir you up to persecute and force tender Consciences against their faith and knowledge received of the Lord Jesus in matters of his Worship for serving men of corrupt minds having hearts exercised with covetous Practises who cannot cease from sin and stirring up Nations to devour one another to accomplish their own ends And had not the Powers of this Nation said a Confedracy to such Teachers and taken off their Counsel again which once God had discovered to be against them and set them free from then had they been established in Peace in their right Authority and Christ in his and far from Oppression had they been had they abode in Gods Teachings their hearts had been kept tender and that eye open which would have given them a sight towards the helplesse who have been wasted through the Oppressor from whom they should have been set free whose blood now lyes upon the Nations for which is now enquiry making 5. It is our desire that countenance be not given unto nor trust reposed in the hand of Quakers being persons of such Principles that are destructive to the Gospel and inconsistent with Peace and Civil Society Answ As for your desire that we should not have the Countenance of men we say the Light of Gods Countenance is much better and we cannot look for both while men take your Counsel and our trust is in God in whose hand we are and not in our own and from men we may not seek repose better it is for the present to Suffer with Christ then to reign in your kingdom or be honored with your Glory so in Patience stands our Peace with God even whilst our Names are cast out as evil with men But for your Accusation of our Persons and Principles to be Destructive to the Gospel and Civil Society take that back again to your selves our Persons we boast not in but our Principles are Truth grounded upon the Light of Jesus and leadings of his holy Spirit and whatever is contrary we condemne and this we certainly know will never be destructive to Christs Gospel onely your Gospel it will destroy whose foundation stands not upon the power of the Spirit of Jesus but upon Tythes or some setled Maintenance carnal as full as secure by a carnal law else it is lyable to destruction as your selves confesse And this know that your Gospel that must needs be destroyed if Tythes fall is not that Gospel which the Apostles preached for that Gospel begun most of all to flourish when Tythes went down the Priesthood that received them and the law that gave them which you may read of in the Apostles Epistle to the Hebrews which law never took tythes by force as the Papists law did And now you have often said That whosoever preaches another Gospel let him be accursed So take heed that your own words condemne you not and your own Weapon pierce not your own bowels for the Lord hath heard your words and this we know That the Gospel of Christ which the Apostles preached was upheld by the Power of an endlesse