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
A93147	White salt: or, A sober correction of a mad world, in some wel-wishes to goodness. / By John Sherman, B.D.	Sherman, John, d. 1663.	1654 (1654)	Wing S3387; Thomason E1517_1; ESTC R203564	80,830	261

of person or parts or texts or expressions but be ready to hear what the Lord will speak by him He that hath a desire to chuse his Embassadour is to be suspected that he hath a minde to chuse the message too Take heed unless thou canst chuse whether thou wouldst be saved But when must we hear when others may preach in season out of season Be instant or insist in it or urge the word in season out of season 2 Tim. 4.2 which by some is to be understood proverbially that he should never give over this work or may be understood disjunctively as Isid Clarius notes namely thus in season if it may be if not for such a business out of season To be sure the command intends frequency of Preaching and consequently frequency of hearing And yet diligence in mens outward calling is to be considered as such a duty that if we be not able conveniently to be at Church on the week day in regard of trade and family we may conclude it not fit to leave the particular calling upon that account And the reason is because if the fourth Commandement be moral as they account it we are under a Commandement of working six days but we are not under a Commandement of hearing so often as there be a Sermon on the week day and therefore that which is negative cannot prejudice that which is positive And if there were a command for it yet it were reducible unto a ceremonial law which gives way to morals in a competition according to the rule I will have mercy and not sacrifice And therefore even upon the Sabbath as our Saviour said it was lawful to do good to heal and so to shew mercy And we doubt it not to be a duty even in time of publique Service to leave the Church to quench a fire or to be helpful to any in a necessity If thou beest therefore a Christian as thou wouldst be reckoned by the love of the Word remember to provide for thy family lest thou deny the faith and be worse then an Infidel To the third question somewhat is to be said besides what hath been said We touched formerly the duty of hearing Ministers as they were compared with Ministers And we thought it not arbitrary to us whether we will hear those which are appointed to us although they are not so excellent as others but now we compare Ministers with those who are by a very long prescription even from Ignatius's time called Laiques or Lay-men and the question is whether we should hear Lay-men preaching This is a question of the season but this is not necessary for me to determin It is enough here that it is no question whether we should hear Ministers I think also by their own confession then if others were wise to make sure of their duty they would hear Ministers and not them because there is no doubt of the one but there is as great doubt of the other or if you will let it be out of doubt in the negative State the case and take it That it is no act of piety for any of the people to hear them is plain upon their own principles at least most of them who are most sober because they say they do not preach authoritatively and if not authoritatively then not by any command If not by any command then it is no act of piety for them to preach or if it be an act of piety without any command then it is a will-worship which they so much impute to the Church of England But then the question will be whether it be lawful to hear them This may be also resolved by their own axiomes for if they say that nothing is to be done in the Worship of God which is their supposition against the Ceremonies without his command then this also is not to be done upon the same reason because they are not commanded it but they do it as an action of a free spirit and not of supererogation but perfection This is but a perstriction of the irregular practise of those who undertake to preach before they know the text and therefore are not like to understand what they say of what Our Saviour in the Revel 1.8 calleth himself the Alpha and Omega Is it fit that those should preach the Gospel who have not once read the Alphabet and know not one letter of Greek from the first to the last If they preach by the Spirit then let them speak languages as the Apostles by the Spirit and if they prophecy by the Spirit let them pretend revelation not gifts If he pretends revelation let him go to those who do not acknowledg the Scripture and confirm the truth of his revelation by miracles To be short he whom thou goest to hear being not a Mìnister is either ignorant or not If he be ignorant why dost thou hear him If he be not ignorant but speaks as a Clerk suspect him not to be a private man that follows Christ but a private one that followeth Jesus Such come up under the expectation of Lay-men to undermine the Ministery and the Church This the people will not see lest they should see their infelicity at the best of being helpers hereunto Lest they should seem to have been deceived they will be deceived further So at the end we may fear the accomplishment of that former saying If ever Popery comes into England the Puritane will bring it in If any one on the behalf of the gifted brethren will make a scruple of the authority of those to be Ministers who are bred Scholars and in orders it will give occasion to make use of such a kinde of answer as our Saviour did make when he was asked by what authority he did those things Mat. 21.25 He returns them a question The Baptism of John was it from heaven or of men and they debated amongst themselves saying If we shall say from heaven he will say unto us Why do ye not then believe him if we shall say from men we fear the multitude for all hold John for a Prophet So let me ask the people The Preaching of these private men is it from heaven or of men If of men why do you hear them if from heaven where is their Commission and why do they not baptize so John did and so the Apostles who were sent by Christ in the end of St. Matthew And as for the Preaching of those who are Scholars ordained is it from heaven or of men If from men why do you hear them at all for it is no Ordinance if from heaven why do you hear any other Hear Christ He that heareth you heaveth me You whom he had sent which excludes those whom he had not sent that which he said to them he did not say to all for why then said he it to them after he had called them and sent them So St. Paul How shall they preach except they be sent Rom. 10.15 Hear then but