Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	king_n	zeal_n	zealous_a	35	3	9.1756	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39199	A Free and impartial inquiry into the causes of that very great esteem and honour that the non-conforming preachers are generally in with their followers in a letter to his honoured friend H.M. / by a lover of the Church of England and unfeigned piety ; to which is added a discourse on 1 Tim. 4:7 to some of the clergy at a publick meeting.	Eachard, John, 1636?-1697.; H. M.; Lover of the Church of England and unfeigned piety.	1673 (1673)	Wing E47; ESTC R23207	51,018	205

little more strength to this instance you know we have been informed how Mr. Baxter hath sped among them for daring to justifie the Argument of that Book Though methinks this may be said for him to his Brethren that he hath done it with as great caution as many distinctions as studious a weariness of wronging the Palladium as wit can possibly contrive Yet for all this even he cannot escape a suspitious censure From whence 't is obvious to collect that this is the noli me tangere this is the Talisman that secures the peoples affection to them And therefore must with all possible care and secresie be preserved this is that great Diana against whom not a word shall be spoken but there shall presently be a tumult amongst these Silver-Smiths who live by making and selling shrines of this great Goddess For Sir I dare be confident and peremptory in this belief that it is utterly impossible for any person of true Christian Principles to quarrel or be offended with the great Assertion of that Book but that other considerations engage men into an opposition of it and particularly that which I have been all this while endeavouring to prove these men guilty of i. e. the love of a dry empty Notional easie way of Religion And this I assign as the first and indeed main Cause of what we are enquiring after In which if I have been too prolix forgive me and your trouble shall be shorter in the rest that follow 2. Another Reason of this may possibly be a mighty shew of Zeal in all religious performances Of this you will find these men always most careful and truly but for this there were nothing extraordinary in their Religion nothing to tempt men into an admiration of it And therefore by this they labour to conceal or supply the defects and imperfections of it that what is wanting in substance and reallity may be supplied by appearance and pageantry How successful a method this is to captivate the minds of the people he is of no observation that cannot tell you Pompous shews and fair appearances do mightily affect and work upon the multitude and more strongly enchant their admiration and charm their reverence than the most solid and excellent things when not attended with these advantagious representations It was not without good reason therefore observed long since by Tully and others before him that Gesture is the thing most principally to be regarded by an Orator since a man that is lucky in that and by it hits the humour of his Auditory shall prevail more thereby than by ten of the most rational Arguments that he can fortifie his designed perswasion withal The people generally judge with their eyes and the Comedian too truly represents many as beholding with their mouths and therefore cunning men use to intrap them by complying with this humour by treating them with things gorgeous and fair and instead of dealing rationally with their judgments entertain them only with such things as may cause them to stare and admire and by this means commonly are successful You cannot but oftentimes as you have walked out into the Fields about Oxford have observed one pretty sleight that the Fowlers have to catch Larks withal which is by fixing a red Cross set thick with little pieces of a Looking-Glass near their Nets in a bright Sun-shine Morning this mightily glistering and casting abroad a mighty appearance draws the poor Lark into its admiration which while the poor Bird stays to gaze upon himself is easily Captiv'd and made a prey I know you 'l pardon the homeliness of the Emblem for so have I seen the Hunters for Souls use a method not much unlike to this which is by all means to make a fair shew a very great amazing appearance which while silly people have stared at they have soon admired and by that means been easily ensnared not only to espouse the errours but revere and honour the persons of the subtil Impostors And that I may bring this discourse close to the present instance it is obvious to observe that among all the instances of pageantry in Religion there is none that Seducers have been more careful of and successful in than a mighty loud Zeal and extraordinary fervency of Spirit in all their religious performances In this you will find they have always endeavour'd to exceed the true servants of God and thereby hoped to disparage them Let me present you with one instance of this recorded in the Old Testament it is the carriage of the Priests of Baal in that famous Sacrifice of theirs wherein they contended for honour and respect with the Prophet Elijah before King Ahab and all Israel If you read the story 't is recorded 1 Kings 18. you will soon find how for all the marks and signs of a great fervent Zeal they far exceeded even Elijah himself who yet you know is looked upon as the great and chief instance of the Zealotick Spirit They addressed themselves to the Sacrifice with all possible signs of a great and grave seriousness performed it with all the marks of a raptural transported Zeal continue their supplications several hours even with the most passionate fervency nay seem so far besides themselves by the vehemency of their Zeal as to cut and gash themselves and turn cruel unto and regardless of their own flesh While on the other side the Prophet calmly betakes himself to the repairing of Gods Altar quietly and without noise orders his Sacrifice and offers up his devotion evenly in a Prayer more concise and short than that of our Saviour Tell me Sir which of these the people were most likely to slave at and admire Sure it s no difficult matter to conjecture How could they mistrust the Religion of such zealous devoters how could they chuse almost but admire the zeal and fervour of such worshippers prefer these Idolatrous Priests before the Lords Prophet and the glistering and amazing service and worship of Baal before the less pompous service of the God of Israel If the succeeding miracle had not umpired the contest I can easily foresee on which side the votes would have fallen How well the ignominious name of Baal's Priests which with so much virulency they have cast upon the Orthodox Clergy heretofore may become these Preachers themselves in other respects I shall not contend but in this I fear you may truly say Ovo prognati eodem they seem very near of Kin and both to have the same art and method of deceiving What have you thought of these men when you have beheld the strange antick gestures the ludicrous postures of some addressing themselves to Prayer the strange amazing violencies that some have forced themselves into in that performance So as even to hale and gasp for breath at every period while the poor admiring people below have taken these for mighty agitations of the Spirit and been as ready to adore when the men came down as the Israelites

were Moses after his glorious converse with God in the Mount How often have you seen a Preacher heat himself beyond the need of any vestments throwing off his Cloak nay and his Gloves too as great impediments to the holy performance squeeking and roaring beyond the example of any Lunatick Sometimes speaking in a tolerable tone and presently again crying out as if under some immediate distraction While the people with great amazement have gaped upon him and when he hath finished given him this honourable Encomium well hee 's a rare man a man mighty zealous for the Lord a powerful Preacher and one that hath taken abundance of pains that day to the cherishing and refreshing of whose wearied Spirits the female Proselytes are commonly very actively contributive If any man be so uncharitable towards me as to imagine me an Enemy to Zeal in religious performances upon the account of this period or that this discourse intends the disparaging a fervency of Spirit in serving the Lord I shall take the freedom to tell him he uncharitably mistakes both No man more heartily wisheth that all the Clergy would be grave and serious and zealous in all their publick services and you can witness for me how much I have lamented and sometimes freely blamed some mens remissness and coldness herein but this I will readily acknowledge to all such persons that as I have an Apostolick Warrant for commending of Zeal only in a good matter so I think I have the same for requiring the expressions of it in a due manner also with which I am apt to believe the theatrical ludicrous postures of some men do no way comport 3. Another thing that perhaps may be influential on this business is a very great specious seeming Sanctity in carriage and common deportment Sir the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sheeps-Cloathing hath always been worn by all the Wolves that have broke into the Church and the Spirit of Heresie and Schism hath ever been careful to appear in the garb of an Angel of Light If you should search all the Ecclesiastical Antiquities you would constantly find that allmost all the Herisiaerks that have disturbed the Church and its peace have ever been extraordinary pretenders to Sanctity sometimes in their Doctrines but allways in their carriage and under this vizard and disguise have done most mischief For though all novelties are strangely taking with the inconsiderate multitude who are even naturally new-fangled and changeable yet when they appear thus dressed and habited then they quite fascinate and strongly charm their high opinions and admiration they are quickly drawn to wonder at and extol them And truly when they are once brought into these circumstances they are then as heated wax ready to receive any impression that their admired Leaders shall please to stamp them with This our great Enemy knowing very well hath taken great care allways to send forth his Emissaries in this garb and therefore you know the great Apostle in his characterising of these Factors omits not to put this into the description that they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a very great and glorious form and shew of Godliness I shall not bring my Charity in question by disputing whether these persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may not well admit the diminutive attendant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or no. I am certain then if ever this came to the notice of any of them I should be exclaimed against as a condemnor of the Saints and one that spoke against the Generation of Gods Children But this I will tell you that if it be but a Form yet 't is well trimmed if all be only personated the Actors are excellent Comicks if it be not castè yet cautè it is if it be only a paint 't is very lively It would go near the puzling of you I think to instance in any pharisaick nicety in outward Conversation which I should not be able to match in these men No men ever were better studied in all the little things that make a fair shew in the sight of the vulgar and carry with them any appearance of piety no men ever were exacter at Oral or gestural Sanctity than they are What their hearts are God and their own Consciences know we will not judge them Now Sir I need not tell you of what mighty advantage this is to them in this instance of gaining respect from their followers I wish that some of our own Clergy would consider how possible it is that some of them may be contributive here and how by their carelessness they become foils the more to set off their Adversaries glory It is a wounding spectacle to see the carelessness of some of these they little consider besides their own heavy guilt what cause they give these Enemies to blaspheme their holy Religion and what advantage those gain hereby towards the assuring their own dear reputation they greedily gape for these falls and they know how there out to suck no small advantage 4. Another Method by which these Persons attract a great veneration from their followers is the suffering a seeming Persecution and that as they endeavour to make them believe for Conscience and Righteousness sake Among all the Saints whose names are eminent and famous in the Dyptichs of the Church there are none that have more justly been honoured with the highest Eulogiums than the holy Martyrs who have attested the truth of their holy Faith by their own blood He that can have the valour to suffer for his Religion is in the sure way to Fame and Renown amongst his Party Now Sir these persons appear evidently on the suffering side and providence hath cast them upon acting the sadder Scene the Laws are something smart against them and they may thank themselves for it I wish they would thank the goodness of a merciful Prince who hath been pleased to suspend the Execution of these Laws against them and keep off the penalties which they threaten to them However this act of Grace hath now rob'd them of this Plea they cannot now sure call themselves the persecuted Saints But I must tell you Sir you are deceived if you think so Alas they are sufferers and the persecuted party still Are they not branded with the odious name of Phanaticks of Schismaticks and is it not as good allmost to take away their lives as their reputation have they not many of them parted with good Livings to preserve their Consciences pure and untainted Yes and more of them than would we know had they not been trapan'd by the rich Cabal at London that could live without these Livings and call you not this a suffering now yes and a great one too here 's silence in Heaven upon it or at least they hoped there would have been Alas the Ark is gone and do not they suffer in its Captivity This is a sore Persecution such as the Revelation tells you was to befal the Witnesses and all that adored and