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	truth_n	7,532	5	5.8743	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13158	A briefe examination, of a certaine peremptorie menacing and disleal petition presented, as is pretended, to the Kings most excellent Maiestie, by certaine laye papistes, calling themselues, the lay Catholikes of England, and now lately printed, and diuulged by a busie compagnion, called Iohn Lecey	Sutcliffe, Matthew, 1550?-1629.	1606 (1606)	STC 23452; ESTC S117870	127,037	159

vāts seing lay mē are little skilled in tōgs stānd prohibited to reade them in vulgar tongs with out licēce furthermore these felowes art not so far trauelled as to know what is cōteined in scriptures fathers coūcels aūcient writers concerning matters in cōtrouersy if they resolue thēselues by relatiō of the massepreests friars thēar they most simple ideots to beleeue matters vpon heresay and to found themselues vpon the reports of such lying compagnions Lastly they seeme to haue theire braynes distempred that are made to beleeue that the popish sacrifice of the masse for quick and deade their carnall eating of Christs flesh with the mouths of men nay with the mouth of bruit beasts their transubstantiation halfe communions and idolatrous worship of the sacrament the popes vniuersall and plenary power conteined in decretales their 7. sacraments and doctrine of iustification by orders mariage and extreame vnction theyr worship of saints reliques and images and all the rest of their abhominable doctrine may be proued by authority of scriptures fathers saints doctors councels Parliamentes and that the same is confirmed dy vnitie vniuersality succession and. antiquity beside the testimony of virgins and Martyrs This we may affirme of the Apostles creed and the Catholike fayth taught and published in auncient Councels but by no meanes of the fayth of the moderne sinagogue of Rome Nay in our abridgemente or suruey of Poperie we haue plainely demonstrated that the same is contrary to scriptures fathers councels auncient writers and is deuoyde of the testimonies of martyres virgins and decrees of Parliaments and all other authenticall proofes Secondly they alledge that neuer any vniversall innouation in matters of religion hath been made but that the commission and vocation of the messengers hath beene authorised by signes and wonders But this allegation as it concearneth vs nothing so it vtterly ouerthroweth the petitioners cause For we haue made no vniuersal innonatiō Nay we do not alter or abrogate-any one article of the Christian faith but as in Spaine true teachers in former tymes caused Arianisme to cease and true religion to bee receiued and as the Christians in the land of Palestine some 400. yeares sence for a time caused the impieties of Mahomet to be suppressed Christian religion to be taught and practised so do we onely abolish the corruptions false doctrines heresies and impieties of popery and reteine euery article of the Auncient christian fayth But the massepreests friars and monkes adhering to the Pope haue made an vniuersall alteration in the worship of God bringing in the idolatrous worship of saints of images of the sacrament and receiuing many old condemned heresies and new deuised schoole doctrines and decretaline deuises and yet neither shew signes nor wonders vnlesse a man list to beleeue the wondrous lyes of their legends and breuiaries Thirdly they take it as a matter most euident and that cānot be denied that the first apostles and conuerters of Englād Scotland Ireland France and Germany were sent from the Church of Rome and deliuered vs the same fayth which the Papists now professe But they take boldly and affirme impudently that which no man either giueth them or yeeldeth to bee true Parsons hath spent much idle talke in this argument and proueth nothing Coleton is as mute as if hee were turned into a Codfish and replieth nothing to that which is answered to the petition of Masseprecstes the last session of parliament and their discourse touching this poynt As for these petitioners they shewe themselues ignorant of learning that beleeue that the doctrine of Romish traditions of the Popes authority of the masse of the 7. sacramentes of Purgatory and indulgences and such like matters was known to the anciēt Bishops of Rome but suppose old Rome had sent true preachers abroade to conuert nations to the Christian fayth what is that to new Rome that sendeth out false apostles to corrupt the true fayth and assassins Cut-throates to murder such as fauour the truth this false doctrine and cut throate practise certes was neuer confirmed with true signes and wonders Fourthlie they require vs to shew a Commission from God if we meane to conuince the papists that they haue not true scriptures or interpret them not right or that they are idolaters or hereticks a deuise likely to proceed from such idle heades For neither did those fathers that conuinced the Marcionists Arrians Manichees Angelicks and other hereticks either of corrupting or misconstruing the scriptures or any other poynt of false doctrine shew a commission immediatly from god neither doe the masse preests that dispute nowe against Turks Arrians and Anabaptists shewe forth any such commission All Christians and not onelie publike teachers haue commission sufficient to descry to take heed of false Prophets that come vnto them in sheeps clothing but inwardly are rauening wolues What needeth then this extraordinary authority Fiftly they tellvs that we had our scriptures from Rome and had been scripturelesse if we had not receiued them from thence He sayth also that the same bible which Angustine brought into England is yet reserued by gods especiall prouidence But firste it is not materiall from whence Christians receiue holy scriptures The Romaines receiued them from the Iewes and yet I trow Parsons and Coletou as they are turned Romanists will not turne Iewes Secondly that the Britous receiued the scriptures from the Romanes it is not likely they being as the common report goeth conuerted by Ioseph of Arimathaea Neither doe these petitioners shew where the Bible is to be foud that was brought in by Austen the Monk nor doe they make proofe that this which they shew is the the same Bible which Austen brought in Jf it bee the old vulgar translation it is not likely that Gregory sent it For he doth not alwayes follow that translation Heere also they tell vs that we haue reiected and discanonized diuers bookes of scripture because they be expresse testimonyes againste our religion which it pleaseth them to cal new and negatiue But neither doe we reiect any booke of canonicall scripture nor can any argument be drawne from the bookes apocryphall added in the vulgarlatin translation to the old testamēt that doeth hurt vs. Furthermore if we do onely deny the heresies of the papists then doe we not frame any new religion vnto ourselues and if the papists affirme matters not known to fathers then is theire religion new positiue if not wicked in the superlatiue For the sence of scripture they tell vs that we haue onely the warrant of our priuate spirit and they the assistance of gods holy spirit promised to his Church But absurdly they talke of the interpretation of scriptures following therein the priuate sence of a sencelesse pope and neither the interpretation consonant to the meaning of gods holy spirit speaking in scriptures nor to the iudgement of fathers vpon whome they bragge most fondly Lastly they tell vs againe of parliaments and

that are enimies to the Pope and by all meanes seek to perswade men to take away their liues These fellowes caused Henrie the 3. of France anno 1589. to be most cruelly murdered by a Dominican Frier and the like they attempted against king Henry the 4. now raigning Jf God had not watched for the safety of our King and state Catesbie Percie Faux had by fire gunpowder destroyed the King the Queen the Prince and all the Lords Iudges and commons assembled in parliament How many they haue lately empoysoned we refer to Gods secret iudgement That the pope dooth entend the destruction of all Christian princes whom he excommunicateth it is not to be doubted seeing he armeth their subiects against them and promiseth not onely remission of sins but also rewardes to such as lay holde vppon them Whosoeuer therfore meaneth to reigne securely and to maintaine his regall authority must diligently prouide that his subiects professe not popish religion that is so opposite both to his authority and security Chapter 13. That popish religion is greeuous both to true christians and to papists themselues THat popish religion is greeuous to al true Christians it cannot wel be denied For who is not vexed especially if his hart bee enflamed with true zeale seeing the holy scriptures abused and accused of imperfection insufficiency and flexibility and popish traditions either aequalled or preferred before them what true christian can endure to see Christs honoure and office emparted to angels and saintes and idols worshipped more fre quently and deuoutly then the true and euer liuing god What zealous Christian doth not burne with indignation to see the man of sin to dominere in Christs Church to call himselfe Christes vicar the heade and spouse of the church and to exalt himselfe aboue al that is called god Finally who wold not greeue to see gods holy name and truth blasphemed as it is by the teachers of popery Furthermore as Christ was greeued to see the house of god made a denne of theues so it cannot chuse but greeue his disciples to see the house of god possessed by Antichrist and al true teachers chased away oppressed and murdred in places where his complices can preuaile there also scriptures in tōgs vnderstood of the multitude are suppressed and the Popes hests followed more diligently then the lawes of God Thirdly what can be deuised more greeuous to a christian soule then to see gods true worship suppressed idolatry superstition publikelye mainteined and of ignorant people so grossely abused Fourthly as nothing is more pleasing to trué Christians thē fréedome of conscience and liberty of true catholike religion so can ther be no greater vexation of conscience then to see the institution of Christ in his holy sacraments and worship violated and mens consciences forced to embrace errors and true professors cruelly persecuted Finally it is no small vexation of spirit for free Christians to see princes made the Popes vassals and his exequutioners to murder such as professe the truth for free mē to endure the Popes exactions and pillages to heare the vntruth and calumniations of his agents defaming innocent christiās with notes of heresy schisme and other most greeuous crimes Nay so heauy is the yoke of the popes tyranny that thē papists themselues are forced to complaine thereof and would noe doubte cry outlouder if they durst Petrus de Alliaco in his booke de reformat ecclesiae complaineth of the principall abuses which were most greeuous and burdensome The first was the multitude of the popes lawes the second was the frequent vse of excommunications and other censures of the Churche The third was the heauines of the popish prelates exactions beside these three he shewes that the multitude of religious orders and begging friars was a heauy and intolerable burthen in the church The Germans not long sence collected a hundred matters of grecuance offred them by the pope and his Clergy and officers and presented them to the pope desiring redresse The speciall poynts are set downe in their petition entitled centum grauamina Germaniae c. So many abuses reigned in the Church of Rome some hundred yeares agone that the bishop of Chems writing thereof a speciall treatise called it onus Ecclesiae the burthen of the Church Aluarus Pelagius also that liued some time before Martin Luther began to discouer the errors and abuses of the church of Rome and doth most greeuously compleyne of them intituling his booke de planctu ecclesiae that is the lamentation of the Church And this hath been the complainte of diuers Christians as we may perceiue by some Epistles of Petrarch and other writings of Arnold de villa nona of Nicholas Orem Thomas Bradwardine and many others The papists themselues feele the greef of auriculer consessions the fraudulent practises of the friars in theire absolutions and enioyning of satisfactions The multitude of the popes lawes the burthen thereof lyeth heauy vpon their consciences for their friars teach them that they binde the conscience The vow of single life in many youngmē women doth work desperate effects When they see thē selues haltred they runne into a greate dissolution of manners and grow carelesse what sinnes they commit The massepriests liue in great subiection to theire prelates and the rules of mōkish life ar greuous to al that professe those forged religiōs And therfore few obserue the rules of their profession none long doe well content them selues to liue vnder them Jn Italy and Spaiue they mure vp their Nunnes and yet neither walles nor lawes can keepe them in order The taxes imposed both vpon the clergy and laity are many and greeuous No act of religion almost is done without paying of these payments the pope rayseth great treasures If any transgresse the popes lawes out flye suspensions excommunications and interdictions and no release is graunted with out greeuous compositions especially if matters concerne the popes prerogatiue Finallie if any spurne either against the popes authority or agaynste any poynt of his erroneous religion then hee passeth through the hands of the inquisitors and to the racke if not to the fire he goeth if a man be suspected he is a long time imprisoned if he be conuicted then is he to passe to the fire his goods are seysed and his wife and children vtterly empouerished And of these cruel exequutions kings and princes are the ministers Neither dooth the father respect the child nor the wife the husband if the pope doe accurse him nay oftentimes without form of law eyther they cause such as they suspect to be empoysonned or massacred and vnder this gouernment do papists liue Is it not then strange that free men shold endure this slauery and that Christians shold not seek remedy for so greeuous oppressions Chap. 14. That the petition of papists for a toleration of popish religion is voide of reason IOhn Lecey in his preface doth vant that the petitiō of his cōsortes for

that we haue not so many books of Scriptures 6 We discanonise no book of canonicall scriptures but papists place apocriphall scriptures among the canonicall books discanonised and reiected because they be expresse Testimonies against their new and negatiue Religion If they stand vpon the sence and true interpretation we stand on that point more confidently then they they hauing no further warrant then their 7 The papists properly stand vpon the priuat iudgment of the pope vve folovv no mans priuat spirit priuate spirit and we relying on the assistance of the holy Ghost therein promised to his 8 But not to the Pope or his adhaerents Church for the instruction of all truth which is Columna firmamentum veritatis the piller and foundation of truth If they fly to the Fathers for one place euill vnderstood and somtime falsified somtime mutilated somtime wholy corrupted we produce a thousand not by patches nor mammocks as they do but whole pages whole chapters whole books the vniforme consent of all the ancient fathers and Catholike Church If they presse vs with their passed Parliaments and Princes for one of theirs we haue an hundred and for a Childe King and a 1 Better a vvoman Queen then a vvoman Pope Woman Queene wee haue for vs so many so Wise so learned so religious so Victorious Princes as our Histories without thē would be very barren our Names obscure our clergy miserable our Bishops beggarly our Parliaments confused our Lawes intricated our Vniuersities without Colledges our Colledges without Schollers our Schollers without maintenance Reason then the life of the law requireth to our vnderstanding more ample and 2 These suppose the Popes decretalls more authenticall then scriptures authenticall euidence before wee bee cendemned by lawe as superstitious or irreligious The faith we professe is that 3 It is no more like it then false doctrine to faith fayth religion which Saint Paul to the Romanes so highly commendeth The 6 reason Rom. chap. 1. which therefore is called Catholike and Romane because (a) The church of Rome euer was and is the Mother Church all the Churches in the world either did in their beginnings or doe for the present agree vniformely with the sea of Rome in vnion and communion of faith doctrine and fellowship hauing recourse thereto as to the 4 The old church of Rome vvas the Mother Church But vvhat is this to nevv Rome Mother Church From the Pastors and Prelates of this Church to witte from (b) S. Gregory the Pope S. Auhustine the Monke S. 5 That vvill hardly be proued further vvhat maketh this for such as subuert the state peruert Christians conuert none Gregory the Pope and S. Augustin the Monke we receiued the benefit of our conuersion and regeneration from them we receiued the 6 This selfe same vntruth vve haue refuted at large in our ansvver to Parsons his treatise concerning 3. supposed conuersions of England selfe same Doctrine Discipline Seruice Sacraments Feasts and laudable Ceremonies which are by vs held practised professed and defended with the 7 Note hovv they say they defend holidays greasings holivvater and such ceremonies vvith their bloud effusion of our bloudes at this very day and this we finde 8 You corrupt histories as much as you can and yet they shevv hovv much you are degenerated from true Christians verified by the Histories of (c) S. Bead Cambden Stowe Hollenshed and Sauell S. Bead Cambden Hollenshed Stovve and that Tripartite History set out by Master Sauell From this Curch of Rome we receiued our Bible our Gospell our Creed our Canons The 7 reason which are the same through the whole Christian worlde among Catholikes both for the translation sence and interpretation This Church is by your Maiesty and by the learned sorte of the Protestants 10 Not this later Rome that is figured by the vvhore of Babylon but the ancient Church of Rome that vvas praysed by S. Paul The 8. reason acknowledged to be the Mother Church we hope then we are excuseable 9 So the Gospell of Papists dependeth on the pope that reuerence and loue our dearest Mother from whose breast our forefathers and we haue receiued the sweet milk of our soules There was ueuer yet since the Incarnation of christ anie heresie that crept into the Church of God The 9. reason but we find the names of the 1 Name the authors of the Angelicks Nudipedals Col●yridians Messelians authors of such heresies we find by the Church of Rome Councells called to condemne them and Doctors imploied to confute them there is not the least Ceremonie or circumstance that hath been added for the greater 2 For meere scorn foolery Further you haue deuised nevv doctrines and nevv vvorships of god not only nevv ceremonies Maiesty and solemnity in Gods deuine seruice but the yeare is knowne when and the Pope by whome it was ordained If matters then of so small moment passe not without recording reason would that the lawes that must condemne our Mother church of Idolatrie and superstitions should tell vs the authors that first corrupted her integritie but if the first inuentors and institutors of the Masse of Purgatory of prayer to Saints and the like supposed errors cannot be produced doubtlesse we must attribute them as we doe indeed to Christ and his Apostles and as deriued from such infallible authoritie we are bound in all equitie to follow them But if by the fruits your Maiestie will giue iudgement of the tree The 10. reasō the fruits of our 3 Or rather seditiō vvars massacres empoysōments stevvs ribaldry heresy Religion at Loue Vnitie Concord Pietie acts of Charitie and Deuotion as Fasting Praier Almes building of Monasteries erecting of vniuersities founding of Hospitals cōuerting of Natiōs calling of Councels confuting of Heresies obedience to our Princes though they be Pagans and Infidells and that for conscience sake (a) Calu. lib. 4. Inst cap. 4. lib. 4. cap. 10.6.5 Whereas both practisers and professors of the Religion which we are so pressed to embrace do far differ from vs in those points 4 These fellovvs teache their tongues to speak vntruth teaching vnder colour of the libertie of the Gospell (b) Knox in his exhortation to Englād printed at Geneua 1559. contempt of power and authoritie (c) Luther in his book de potestate seculari in his comment vppon the 1. of S. Peter cap. 2 neglect of lawes (d) Goodmā in his book of obedience all which teache contempt of authority neglect of lawes in the places cited and obedience The examples are to late and lamentable in your Maiesties Realme of Scotland and in the persons of your gratious Mother and Grand-Mother Father and Grandfather to passe with silence the tragedies by such like plaied in sundry other 5 Can these mē iustly blame our brethren that