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
A58499	Remarks upon a late pamphlet entituled, A brief and full account of Mr. Tate's and Mr. Brady's New version of the Psalms by a Divine of the Church of England.	A. B.; Tate, Nahum, 1652-1715. New version of the Psalms of David.; Brady, Nicholas, 1659-1726.	1699 (1699)	Wing R937; ESTC R2258	11,050	28

which he solemnly entered into at the time of his Ordination before the Bishop the Priests and the Congregation But I fancy the Persons will be but few who will be so hardy against their own Consciences and cancel all the veneration which is due both to their Diocesan and themselves if they hope that God should be their Helper And again p. 28 29. It cannot be inveterately opposed by any unless it be by some few Persons who may envy the Production because it is not their own or because it has met with such good Success or those that are prejudic'd against the Royal Allowance because William R. is on the front of it or such as look upon the Recommendatory Letter of a Diocesan as only a meer Matter of Form or lastly those who are such zealous Admirers of Antiquity that they will object against any thing barely for its being New These are some of the Instances of his Complement and Respect to the Clergy at whom the Reflection is directly aim'd though obliquely and by consequence at the People too who are not reconcil'd to the use of the new Psalms as I hear very few in this City are All which consider'd I leave it to the Reader to judge how justly the Vindicator's Book deserves the Title of A modest Vindication of the new Version of the Psalms A Word or Two of his 3d Argument and I have done And this is drawn from the Subserviency of the new Psalms to the Advancement of Piety and Devotion But how does it appear that they are more Subservient to this end than the old Version What is it because of the venerable Names of Mr. Brady and Mr. Tate the celebrated Authors of the new Performance who seem to be very unluckily coupled in this Enterprize a Divine and a Player a Christian Priest and a Stage Poet as unequally yokt as the Ox and the Ass which were forbid by the Law of Moses to draw together in the same Yoke But perhaps none was so fit for the Undertaking to give it Reputation especially amongst Pretenders to Wit as a Comic-Divine and a Poet Laureat But perhaps Mr. Sternold and Mr. Hopkins the Vindicator I hope will not be offended that I give them the usual Complement of Respect though he denies it them having I 〈…〉 no M under his Girdle perhaps I say Mr. Sterhold and Mr. Hopkins the Authors of the old Version were Men as famous in their Generation for Learning and Piety as the Authors of this new Translation can pretend to be And if I am not mis-inform'd they were so if not by many Degrees beyond them Let their Work praise 'em in the Gate The Thing speaks it self The Performance discovers them to be acted by a Divine Spirit and breaths a Celestial Sweetness like the droppings of Myrrbe and the Perfumes of Alloes and Cassia the fragrant Odours of the Sanctuary of which the Garments of the Spiritual Bridegroom smell Such an Air of Piety and Devotion Rapture and Extacy Spiritual Life and Vigour holy Flames and heavenly Transports appears through the whole Performance making allowances for some obsolete and uncouth Expressions that it speaks the Authors to be no contemptible Men that they studied not only the Psalmists Words but his Mind and Practice too and were Transform'd into a sort of likeness to the Royal Author and were perfect Masters of Divine Musick They had truly learnt to tune David's Harp with agreeable Notes and Accents sutable to the Nature of that Divine Poem and that in all the Instances of humble Penitence and holy Vows godly Sorrow and transporting Joy devout Supplications and heavenly Praises and Hollelujahs They bent their Minds to the Study of a Divine Poem which was compos'd with an Air sutable to Spiritual Psalmody and the Divine Subject and was not polluted with the wanton Strains of prophane Poetry they did not mingle the unhallowed Fires of the Stage with the holy Sparks of the Altar Moreover the Performance favours of Charity to the Unskilful in the Airs of the Original Text or the Translation In Prose which is sung in Cathedrals with sutable Notes and ravishing Accents bearing some Resemblance to the Hallelujahs above which the Vulgar may stare at and admire but cannot join or bear a part in that kind of Psalmody So that Thousands and Ten thousands since the Reformation had been depriv'd of the Benefit and Pleasure and Solace and Comfort of singing the Praises of God in the Psalms of David the sweet Singer of Israel had not those charitable Anthors condescended to their Capacities by composing a plain and familiar Metre So that 't will be a hard Task for the Vindicator to prove That the new are more subservient to the Advancement of Piety and Devotion than the old Psalms and that upon account of the genuine Excellence and Composure of the new Version which he says by many Degrees surpasses the old But it is objected The old Psalms are written in a plain and familiar Style So much the better being sutable to Scripture-Language which for the most part excepting some Philosophical Discourses in Job and the Lofty Flights of the Prophet Isaiab and the Ænigmatical Passages in Daniel and the Revelation is delivered in a plain and samiliar Style the Spirit of God delighting to express it self in plain and intelligible Words condescending to the meanest Capacity and withal most agreeable to the holy Text most of the Psalms being Prayers which are wont to be deliver'd in plain and familiar Terms though there are not wanting Rhetorical Flourishes in Eucharistical Psalms and more sutable to the Capacities of Parochtal Congregations where plain and unlearned Auditors are the most numerous But by the Vindicator's Favour there are some sutable Strokes to Psalms of Triumph some lofty Strains as well as humble Notes not only the Mournings of the Dove but the Soarings of the Eagle not only Shallows wherein a Lamb may wade but Depths wherein an Elephant may swim But in the old Version there are many obsolete and uncouth Expressions which offend the Ears of the Ingenious Who it seems p. 36. are well-disposed to the Liturgy of our Church yet frequently absent themselves from it a very good Evidence indeed of their Respect and Affection to it and that in Honour to Almighty God because it is rather a Contempt they say than a Respect to pay their Homage directly contrary to what his holy Word prescribes both in Psal. 47. 7. Sing ye Praises with Understanding And 1 Cor. 14. 15. I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with the Understanding also By the way let me ask the Vindicator Whether the Unlearned who are the more numerous may not make the same Objection against hard and to them unintelligible Words in our politer Modes of Speaking that the Learned and Ingenious do against those obsolete and uncouth Expressions which are in the old Translation But admit it That there are many obsolete and uncouth Expressions