Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	know_v	scripture_n	speak_v	7,222	5	4.9707	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42357	Protesters no subverters, and presbyterie no papacie; or, A vindication of the protesting brethren, and of the government of the kirk of Scotland from the aspersions unjustly cast upon them, in a late pamphlet of some of the resolution-party, entituled, A declaration, &c. With a discovery of the insufficiency, inequality and iniquity of the things propounded in that pamphlet, as overtures of union and peace. Especially, of the iniquity of that absolute and unlimited submission to the sentences of church-judicatories that is holden forth therein, and most unjustly pleaded to belong to the being and essence of presbyterial government. By some witnesses to the way of the protestation.	Guthrie, James, 1612?-1661, attributed name.	1658 (1658)	Wing G2264; ESTC R221886	66,607	126

thereunto in the literall and genuine sense and meaning thereof which were propounded by the Brethren for the Protestation in the Conference at Edinburgh November 1655. as conducible and fit means to the making up of a solid Union and well-grounded Peace In the next place we desire it to be considered Whether these Overtures of Union and Peace propounded by these Brethren be not very unequall It hath been and is their manner to professe and print that they are willing to offer very equall tearms of Peace So in the ninth page of this Declaration That they have already offered that t●…ough they hold fast their own judgment yet they will not impose upon the Protesting Brethren their judgments in the matter of their first difference But these professions notwithstanding they do in sundry particulars impose upon their judgment As first in the matter of the Protestation They do require that these Brethren do declare that their Protestations against the two late controverted Assemblies and their Resolutions and Acts therunto relating shall not hereafter be made use of in any Judicatory of this Kirk for continuing as they are pleased to expresse it or holding up debates about the matter of our present differences So in their Paper of the sixteenth of November 1655. in the Conference at Edinburgh which in another Paper of the 24. of November at that Conference they expound thus That their meaning is that they shall not make use of these Protestations in any Judicatory to call in question and anul the Constitution and Authority of these two late Assemblies which if the protesting Brethren should consent unto would upon the matter make them to condemn their own judgement and infer their passing from and renouncing of these Protestations in so far as they might be a remedie against the corrupt Constitution of these two Assemblies in order to which they did conceive themselves bound in duty and conscience to make them yea it should with their consent make way to establish for the future the Constitution and Authority of these two Assemblies because it should with their own consent take out of the way all the legall barr that is standing against that Constitution and Authority Secondly What greater imposing can there be upon their judgements or what more unequal conditions of Peace can be propounded unto them then to require that they should engage themselves to an absolute and unlimited submission to the Sentences of the Kirk-judicatories especially when the Resolution Brethren are not only the plurality in most of the Judicatories but when many of them are not such for qualification and carriage as they ought to be What were this but to give-up their judgments and consciences unto the meer arbitriment and will of men to be imposed upon by them and ruled at their pleasure Thirdly How unequal a Proposal is it that the matters in difference shall be referred and submitted to the determination of the next General Assembly when most of the Ministers of the Land of whom that Assembly is in all probability to be made up how contrary to the Covenant and many Acts and Declarations of former uncontroverted Assemblies is already declared have engaged themselves many wayes for these Resolutions which are the ground of the difference These few particulars may make it appear that the Resolution Brethren do not walk with an equal and even ●…oot in their Proposals We mean they do not offer such tearms of Peace as are equally free of imposing upon either party or do equally ye●…ld as much as they require which we do not take notice of as if this were a commendable and approven way in the things of God we judge it but the effect of the wisdom of the flesh and to smell rankly of a carnal poltick spirit to half and divide the thiugs of God for making Peace amongst men But to discover that our Brethren do not walk up to their own professions in the matter of Union and Peace and that whilest they would make the Nation and the World believe that they offer equal Conditions and do not desire in any thing to impose upon their Brethren yet their Conditions are very unequal and that they would highly impose upon them But if the Overtures for Union and Peace propounded by these Brethren were insufficient and unequall only though upon these two branches there be just ground for the Protesting Brethren to deny them entertainment yet were they more tolerable if they did not involve injustice and iniquity which might be shewed in sundry particulars But this Answer having drawn to a greater length then was at first intended we shall now only speak to that one in which these Brethren assert the essence and being of Presbyteriall Government to consist and for denying of which they hold forth the Protesting Brethren as men that have receded from their former principles and have in their judgments and practises turned adversaries to the very being of the Government to wit That arbitary and unlimited submission to the Sentences of the Church-judicatories in matters of Discipline and Government which is required by these Brethren We have already spoke unto the state of the question and have shewed how far submission to the Sentences of the Judicatories of the Kirk is condescended and y●…lded unto by the Protesting Brethren as also how far it is urged and required by the Brethren for the Resolutions and what Reasons and Grounds they do bring for their judgement in that particular to which we have answered It now remaineth that we should bring these Reasons that seem to plead the unwarrantableness and iniquity of that Submission required by them that if they can conveniently satisfie therein they may be receded from or if otherwise that they may cease to urge that matter any further or at least that indifferent persons may know that it is not refused but upon weighty reasons Before we propound our Argument we shall premise some common and known truths concerning Church Judicatories and their Decrees and Sentences As 1. That to express it in Calvins words in the eight chap. of the fourth book of his Institutions whatsoever reverence or dignity is by the Spirit of God in the Scriptures given whether to the Priests o●… Prophets or Apostles or their successors all of it is given not properly to men themselves but to the Ministery wherewhtih they are clothed or to speak more expeditly to the Word the Ministery wherof is committed unto them Exod. 3. 4. Exod. 14. 31. Deut. 17. ●… Mal. 2. 46. Deut. 17. 10. Ezek. 3. 17. Ier. 23. 28. Ier. 1. 6. Matth. 28. 19. Acts 15. 10 c. 2. That as their Authority is founded upon and wholy derived from the Word of God so in the administration and exercise thereof thy are in all things to walk according to this rule Isa. 8. 19 20. Mal. 2. 6 7. Matth. 28. 19. 3. That Church-power is not a Lordly and Magisterialpower but a Lowly and Ministerial-power not

the Church And so seem to lay claim to all the publick resolution party as its father Yet is it a thing very doubtfull whose it is or who do own it certain it is that it did not proceed from any Church-authority but from some persons in an extrajudicial capacity whether these were intrusted by their Brethren in the several parts of the Land for that effect themselves best know In the mean while they must give us leave to tell what we know that sundry of their Brethren in several parts of the Country do professe themselves strangers to the contrivement of it and dis●…atis ed therewith some upon one accompt and some u●…on another And that a good while after it was published and going abroad in print as the Declaration of all that party many of them in sev●…rall parts of the Country were inquiring What is it and what saith it The truth is a Juncto of some few who use to meet at E●…inburgh do in these things what they judge convenient and that they may not seem to take too much upon them they would make the world believe that all of their party do it whilest it is evident enough many of that party being witnesses that most of them are not privi●… to it and many of them are diss●…tisfied with it A thing hardly tolerable in a publick Declaration that pretendeth to speak the mind and judgment of the whole and that in matters of such concernment and contradiction And we have the more reason to take notice of this because though after the publ●…shing of that Declaration it was con●…idently given out by some of the publick resolution Brethren and generally expected by these of the other judgment that it should have been owned by the Kirk-Judicatories of that judgment and tendred by them to the protesting Brethren in a judiciall way as containing fit means of union and peace Yet cannot we hear that the Presbyteries or Synods of that way have owned it or approven thereof yea sundry Synods being by men of the other judgement put to it to declare themselves whether they would own it or not did refuse some of them to declare themselves therein till the other Brethren should first declare themselves satisfied therewith which was in effect but to seek a shadow of some tolerable diversion thereby to wave the determination of the question upon which they would probably have divided in their votes and others of them would not do so much as to take the desire in consideration How then can the protesting Brethren own it as a Declaration of the other party or return any Answer to it upon that accompt as long as it is not able to fetch its descent but from a few private persons whose names also we are left to guesse at and is not only not owned by their Judicatories but by some not acknowledged and spoke against by other Brethren of that party These and such like considerations do sufficiently justifie the protesting party as to their sorbearing any common Answer to that unsavoury Paper Yet seing not a few of the other side do please themselves in the criminations contained therein as unanswerable and in the proposals of peace which it doth hold forth as very equal and reasonable whereby they heighten themselves in their own way and in groundlesse prejudices against others and endeavour to stumble such as are weak We trust that it shall be service not unacceptable to God nor unpleasant to the protesting Brethren nor unprofitable to those of the resolution-way nor unedifying to the Church and People of God if we shall give an Answer to that Paper not tracing it word by word or line by line but first by clearing innocent men and a good cause of these groundless prejudices that seem to be deeply rooted upon the spirits of the authors and owners of that Paper and are therein blazed abroad to the world against their Brethren 2. By discovering the insufficiency and inequality and iniquity of the proposals of peace that are made therein that if the Lord so will these miserable mistakes being removed they may see things as they are and attaining some right understanding thereof may be brought to allay their passions and cease from their persecutions and to redintigrate their affection to their Brethren and to proffer unto them such tearms of union and peace as do beseem the men of God who do indeed deny themselves and seek not their own glory but the glory of Him who sent them or if they will not see nor hearken yet we may according to our measure bear record unto truth and innocency And let unbyas●…ed persons know that the protesting Brethren are not men of that spirit and character whom that Paper pointeth forth Besides the inducements already mentioned there is one particular that hath in a special way prevailed on us to take notice of that Paper to wit that the authors thereof and of the late Representation do not only continue to plead for that absolute and unlimited submission to the sentences of the Church-Judicatories that was required by the resolution Brethren in the conference at Edinburgh Novemb. 1655. but carry it so high as to assert it to be of the very es●…ence and being of presbyterial Government by which instead of the sweet and gentle yoke of Jesus Christ in that Ordinance as it is delivered unto us in His Word they have laboured we fear to introduce into the House of God a Kirk-government that is too nigh of kin to that which is popish prelatical and tyrannical There could not have been a more unhappy assertion concerning the Government of the Kirk fallen upon and published in these times not only in order to the peace by them pretended it being sadly suspicious that there is no good intention under the o●…fer when the stronger party doth so much presse the absolute submission of the weaker to all their sentences whatsoever whether jus●… or unjust But also it being more than probable that men of a prelatical spirit will take hold thereof and presse it on as subservient to the re-introducing of their way and that those of the congregational and independant judgment will make use of it for rendring presbyterial Government hatefull and odious and bringing it in suspicion and jealousie with the godly And whether some of the resolution party who do retain their old love to the prelatical way or others of them who if good testimon●… ma●… be credited did since the beginning of these differences professe their dislike of the subordination of Kirk Judicatories and their respect to the congregational way have for their own ends had hand in this thing we leave it to wise men to consider But now to proceed in our work The first and great prejudice which that Paper and as it seemeth these Brethren's spirits are filled with against the Brethren for the Protesta●…ion is That they do not only dissent from but also have it in their thought and

from bearing charge in the House of God and how many such have been brought-in We do believe that it may be truely asserted that the resolution Brethren in one Synod since that time have brought in moe who were formerly publickly censured for their scandalous and malignant carriage then all the Synods in Scotland of that judgement have purged out There be in one Synod nine or ten such brought into the Ministery besides four or five others whose mouths are opened to preach publickly and likewise some others who are connived at to preach and administer the Ordinances notwithstanding of their being twice deposed formerly because of grosse offences Let them name us if they can so many purged-out by the Resolution-party in all the Synods of their way these seven years past Why then do they speak such big words of their willingnesse to and activity in purging Yea who knoweth not that many of their party oppose Union upon this very accompt and that even good men amongst them who were wont to be of another spirit are too slow and backward in this duty by which it hath come to passe that a few processes that have by importunity been set on foot against some naughty men in some Synods have by the Resolution Brethren their exercising their wits and inventions to find out and cast in legal shews of defence such as variety of exceptions against witnesses and glosses upon their depositions and such like been rendred more tedious and involved in moe notional debates than readily are to be found at the most litigious Civil Bar and after all these things have come but to a poor issue in the end very few if any of these men being deposed from the Ministery notwithstanding of many and gross scandals which they do lye under It is the sad complaint of the Godly that the simplicity of the Gospel and the good old way that was wont to be used in the Church in the trying of insufficient and scandalou●… Ministers is forsaken and such a way taken as rather giveth them ground and encouragement to cover and hold fast their iniquity than doth contribute to the convincing of their consciences and making them acknowledge their sin by which it comes to passe that poor souls who groan under the burden are discouraged to offer the grounds of their grievance as much dispairing to find any remedy thereof But say the Resolution Brethren they are so far from foreslowing or obstructing purging that to delare their readinesse and sincerity in that matter they are content if their Brethren be not satisfied with the Rules of procedure hitherto agreed upon that they condescend upon the strictest Rules can be desired in justice for trial and censure and that they shall be willing to observe them providing they be Rules binding for all and to which all will submit both we and they To which we answer first That they do not adhere unto nor put in practice the Rules already agreed upon to what purpose then should new Rules be agreed upon It was formerly agreed upon That Synods ought in the case of the negligence of Presbyteries to appoint Visitations for trial and censure in their several bounds but in very few of the Synods of the Resolution judgment have there been any such Visitations appointed or kept since these Resolutions had a being albeit Presbyteries be negligent of their duty yea sundry Brethren in sundry of these Synods shew themselves dissatisfied with and speak against such Visitations And as long as the Synods themselves do not practise them there being so much need of them how can we otherwayes judge but that they do dislike them Secondly It was formerly agreed upon That the Kirk-judicatories might in the trial of Ministers proceed by way of Inquisition but now this is dissented from and casten at by many of the Resolution Brethren who will have no trial some of them without a Libel and others of them without a Libel and an Accuser too engaging to prove his Alleageance under pain of being censured as a Slanderer Thirdly Sundry things such as drunkennesse swearing c. which were formerly proceeded against with the censures of Suspension and Deposition are now so ext●…nuated by many of these Brethren that they do refuse to censure them with these Censures unlesse the habits or many continued re-iterated acts of these things can be proven And yet the Authors of this Declaration do so talk as if all the Brethren of that judgment did strictly adhere unto and were unanimous about the former way of procedure in the trial and censure of Ministers but besides this departure from former Rules they do but trifle when they say that they are content that the Protesting Brethren condescend upon the strictest Rules can be desired in justice for trial and censure because it is alwayes with the supposal of this foundation which they have already laid to wit That these Rules shall be applied or executed by men of their own judgment who are the plurality in Presbyteries and Synods And what purging we may expect from them these seven years practice do now sufficiently manifest Thirdly The insufficiency of these Proposals doth appear from this That they do offer and hold forth no remedy for the grievance of the Protesting Brethren and of the Godly throughout the Land in the matter of planting Congregations upon the Call of the plurality in Paroches many of which are ignorant and disaffected and malignant by which it comes to passe that men get into the Ministery that cannot speak a word in season to a weary soul and who discountenance piety and godlinesse which if there be not some effectual remedy provided against it cannot but prove an evil very destructive to the Church and afflicting to all who do unfeignedly desire and seek the advancement of the Gospel and of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ Fourthly These Proposals do not mention any remedy against such Ministers Expectants and Schoolmasters who were deposed or silenced or removed from their Charges by General Assemblies or Synods or their Commissioners or by Presbyteries before these differences did arise and have again intruded themselves or are reponed into publick stations in the Ministery or Schools or have their mouthes opened by Presbyteries or Synods without confession and acknowledgement of and repentance for all the particulars contained in their sentence and otherwise then is provided in the Acts of uncontroverted General Assemblies Nor do they hold forth any thing as to the way of calling of a General Assembly and the electing of Commissioners thereunto and handling of matters therein all which as also the giving of mutual evidence and assurance in matters concerning the Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government of this Church and the enemies of Truth and Godlinesse and the work of Reformation for adhering unto these Articles of our Covenants and the solemn publick Confession of Sins and Engagement unto Duties and all the Acts of uncontroverted Assemblies relating

themselves told a whole Synod that they ought to esteem that best which seemeth so to superiours and that this is a sufficient ground to the conscience for obeying though the thing be inconvenient We say that Congregations ought indeed to be subject to Presbyteries and Synods yet not absolutely but in the Lord and in things lawfull and to this purpose the constitutions of Presbyteries and Synods are to be examined by the judgement of Christian discretion for a Synod is judex judicandus and regula regulata so that it ought not to be blindly obeyed whether the Ordinances be convenient or inconvenient Having now vindicated the Protesting Brethren from the Aspersions unjustly cast upon them in that Declaration and given a Reason why they cannot accept thereof as containing right and fit foundations of Union We have only to add That we know and are perswaded in our spirits that as the divisions of this Church are amongst the deepest wounds and greatest afflictions of their souls so there is nothing next unto communion and fellowship with God in his Truth which they do more earnestly desire than a sinlesse Union and Peace in the Church and would redeem it at any rate that shall not pollute their consciences and widen the breach with God And therefore as through the goodnesse and mercy of God these Brethren have a witness of their innocency and of the justice of their cause in the hearts of many of the precious and godly in the Land So we desire that none of the Lord's People will receive the accusations that are laid against them or look upon them as men of implacable spirits who hold up contention and division in the Church but esteem them such as stand for the defence of the Truth and are seeking and pursuing such an Union and Peace as may be not for the destruction but for the preservation of the Truth and Cause of God which they conceive themselves bound to and tender before their own Persons and Ministery POSTSCRIPT AFter that this Answer was sent to the Presse the Authors of the Declaration to which it doth contain a Reply together with several other Brethren of their judgment meeting at Edinburgh in an extrajudicial way two moneths after the first publishing thereof did resolve that the Declaration should be tendered to the several Presbyteries of that judgement for their approbation and thereafter offered by them to the Protesting Brethren in the several parts of the Country and that their Answer should be desired thereupon Whether the imputation which they conceived to be cast upon them by some Synods ref●…sing to declare themselves as to their approving thereof of which we have had a credible report or any other consideration did lead them hereunto we shall not determine but we cannot but take notice 1. That herein they have had little or no regard to the due liberty of Presbyteries and Synods notwithstanding of their great pretentions and professions unto the contrary in all their debates with the Protesting Brethren a few private persons having first without acquainting them with that Paper or desiring their approbation thereof published the same as the Iudgment and in the Name of the Brethren who are for the established Government of the Kirk of Scotland and then ex post facto a long time after it had gone abroad materially in their names to endeavour to engage them in the approbation thereof 2. That the Presbyteries of that judgment have walked in a very different and dissonant way in order to that without justifying the Narrative 〈◊〉 and others having approven the whole Paper Title and Body as it stands and in these tearms tendered it as a ground of Union and Peace 3. That sundry of these Brethren and Presbyteries of the Resolution judgment who have approven and tendered this Paper to several of the Protesting Breth●…en have done it in such a way as doth more savour of the customs of litigious men than doth beseem the Gospel and Servants of Iesus Christ to wit by Civil Notaries and Instruments required under their hand 4. That some Presbyteries of that judgment have because of some Protesting Brethren of the Presbyterie their refusing to joyn with them in condemning the practices and proposals mentioned in that Declaration as contrary and destructive to the Government of this Kirk declared them to be such as do dissent from the Government it self Besides any thing that is said in the body of this Reply it may by these things further appear what reason there was upon the one han●… to hasten forth an Answer to that Paper and upon the other how small reason from the Paper it self how lub●…ick grounds from the dissonant proceedings of the Resolution Brethren thereupon the Brethren for the Protestation have to imbrace the same as a foundation of Union and Peace Or if they do so in how great ●… cloud of uncertainty they must walk and what hard conditions they must swallow FINIS