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	true_a	truth_n	7,323	5	5.7216	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94735	Fermentvm Pharisæorvm, or, The leaven of pharisaicall wil-worship: declared in a sermon on Matth. 15.9 Novemb. 24. 1641. at Lemster in Herefordshire. / By Iohn Tombes, B.D.	Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons.	1643 (1643)	Wing T1808; Thomason E56_16; ESTC R20645	17,333	24

however they thinke of their actions they doe is vaine worship God who teach for doctrines mens precepts The selfe same truth is seconded by Saint Paul who in his Epistle to the Colassians ch. 2. v. 20 21 23. speakes thus why as though living in the world are ye subject to ordinances after the commandements and doctrines of men which things have indeed a shew of wisedome in will-worship In which you may clearely see that the Apostle condemnes dogmatizing that is either teaching urging or submitting to {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} orders and rites as the word signifies Col. 2. 14. Ephes. 2. 15. Luk. 2. 1. which are after the commandements and doctrines of men which he sayes have a shew of wisedome in wil-worship which hath no true wisedome nor pleaseth God That I may the more clearely and fully open the truth in this point I shall distinctly endeavour to declare what these doctrines commandements of men were and how the Pharisees taught them 2. How they did worship God in vaine 3. Why they did in vaine worship God Concerning the first of these It is plaine that these Pharisees and Scribes did many wayes teach contrary to the Law of God to wit in expounding the lawes of God as if they did onely prohibit the grosse externall act Matth. 5. 21 27 33 38 43. they urged the smaller matters of the law as tithing of mint and neglected the greater Matth. 23. 23. But in this place that which our Saviour objects to them is that they sought to establish the traditions of men though Gods commands were thereby rejected or neglected Particularly that a man was not to regard the honouring of his father and mother if he had taken on him the rash and impious vow of Corban which was directly contra legem against the law to allow men for an unjust oathes sake to breake Gods plaine precept But chiefely that they taught men to observe things praeter legem besides the law instead of Gods law as the washing hands afore meales the washing of cups and pots brazen vessells and tables with many such like traditions invented by men These things they strictly urged on the people excepting much at the omission of them conniving at yea countenancing the transgression of God precepts They ascribed so much authority to the traditions of the Elders that they made it a great crime to transgresse them they conceived and taught that the not observing of them made men unholy and uncleane else they would not have been offended with Christ when he taught that the eating with unwashen hands defileth not a man they conceived their observation of them did please God as if he were thereby honoured Now this teaching for doctrines mens precepts is worshipping God in vaine because it doth not please God Frusta fit quod non attingit finem That is done in vaine which attaines not its end wherefore sith such commandements of men are observed that God may be pleased and God is not thereby pleased they must needes be in vaine And indeed God is not pleased with such service sith he counts it no service to him yea he is much displeased with it as appeares by the threatning Isa. 29. 14. Because their feare towards me is taught by the precepts of men therefore behold I will proceede to doe a marvellous worke among this people even a marvailous worke and a wonder for the wisedome of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid All which came to passe when the Pharisees and Scribes who were accounted the onely {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or wise men Doctors of the Lawes Rabbins and Masters in Israel by reason of their placing religion in traditions of men washings long robes phylacteries and such like were delivered over to such blindnesse and sottishnesse of spirit as to be ignorant of their Messiah and his Kingdome the true righteousnesse of the Gospell spirituall new-birth and other heavenly truths of Gods profound Counsell in Christ A most heavy but most just judgement of God that like as when the heathens knowing God by his workes they held the truth in unrighteousnesse so these knowing him by his law but loving unrighteousnesse should become vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart be darkened professing themselves to be wise they should become fooles Rom. 1. 21 22. For what more foolish then to thinke that the onely wise God who is an immortall Spirit should be pleased with such toyes as washings phylacteries and such like observances when there is no Philosopher that is given to contemplation but thinkes such things to be rather babies for children to play with then bookes for men to reade Of this censure and judgement there may be many reasons given As first It is vaine to worship or to thinke to please God by the doctrines which are Commandements of men for God is not pleased with mans devices what is devised by man comes from a corrupt and foolish heart and such a corrupt fountaine must needs send forth but puddle water And this is true of the best of men in the things of God The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vaine 1 Cor. 3. 20. Whence the Apostle Col. 2. 23. when he speakes of the things devised by men who introduced {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a wil-worship sayes of them that they had a shew of wisedome they seemed to be wise inventions to beget reverence to God and humility in mens spirits but it was farre otherwise in truth For as children doe count many things wise which understanding men doe laugh at so carnall hearts of men esteemed as wise among men doe count many things to be wise as duckings bowings washings whippings creepings pilgrimages and such like gestures usages and rites invented by men to expresse humility devotion and reverence to God which the Almighty who is a most holy Spirit contemnes as childish apish theatrical and ridiculous Besides we may consider the vanity of such inventions for Gods worship by the event For whereas many things have beene invented and used by men out of a supposed good intent to further devotion experience hath sufficiently proved that they have corrupted the Church with superstition and Idolatry Thus Images thought fit by Gregory to bee made Laymens bookes became in time Laymens and Clergy mens Gods too the signe of the Crosse invented to testifie their faith in Christ before heathens became the object of faith and adoration instead of Christ among Christians the praying at the Tombes of Martyrs proceeded to the invocation of Martyrs monasticall orders and vowes highly commended for the promoting of chastity and piety became the chiefest meanes to further superstition ignorance sensuality and uncleannesse that ever the devill invented The like might be said of reserving the Eucharist keeping of festivals of fasting dayes preserving of reliques pilgrimages and innumerable other devices which

in processe of time though at first invented for a good use turned to the great detriment of religion and corrupting of the Gospell I thinke an instance cannot be given of a device of man pretending to advance piety and to edifie the Church when God hath provided other meanes to that end which hath not in the conclusion hindered piety and more or lesse destroyed the purity of Religion So sottish and blinde is the wisedome of man in appointing and directing the service of God Secondly in vaine is Gods feare taught by mens precepts because God is not pleased with Carnall observances and bodily exercises Bodily exercise saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 4. 8. profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable to all things where the Apostle opposeth godlinesse to bodily exercise and thereby sheweth that bodily exercise is not godlinesse and therefore profits but a little to wit among men getting esteeme with them but nothing with God whose promises onely are made to true Godlinesse which is a spirituall exercise For God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth saith our Saviour John 4. 23 24. Now mens precepts are altogether about bodily things as washings gestures garments fastings feastings processions buildings and such like All which reach no further then the body cannot rectifie or amend the Soule and make it more like to God Thirdly this teaching for doctrines mens precepts displeaseth God as being injurious to him and that in a double respect first teaching and urging mens commands in stead of doctrines whereby Gods worship should be taught intrencheth on Gods Prerogative who is the onely Lawgiver to his Church Jam. 4. 12. for his worship For as it is a prerogative of a King to appoint the wayes of his owne service and honour and he should be taken to be very presumptuous and arrogant that should take upon him to prescribe a fashion of attendance suite and service to his Prince without his consent when he hath otherwise declared his will so is it much more intolerable pride and presumption in a mortall man to appoint a way of service to God which he never consented to but hath otherwise directed his owne service And for the same reason it is a transferring of Gods prerogative on a man when he doth servilly consent by subjecting his conscience to such usurpation Secondly God is injured by the thoughts that such superstitious persons have of God when they conceive God to be such a one as will be pleased with humane Ceremonies to be so childish or simple as to be affected with pompes and shewes and gestures and carnall rites which he never appointed I remember the saying of a man of great wit to this effect That superstition alike injures God as Atheisme For as Plutarch sayes I had as liefe men should say there is no such man as Plutarch as to say Plutarch is a foole so saith the Author it is as injurious to God to say he is so childish as to be taken with superstition as to deny his being Fourthly this teaching for doctrines mens precepts produceth many other evill effects First it opposeth Gods word his Law his Gospell sundry wayes First Because it brings in another rule of worship then Gods Law to wit tradition of Elders custome example or opinion of seeming grave wise and pious men of affected teachers For these are the rules by which superstitious persons are guided not by Gods word Now it is a high crime against God to follow any other rule of our worship and obedience to him sith he hath injoyned Deut. 4. 2. Ye shall not adde unto the word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it that ye may keepe the commandements of the Lord your God which I command you Prov. 30. 6. Adde not thou unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou bee found a lier Secondly Because it opposeth the manifestation of the cleare light of the Gospell As shadowes darken the light of the Sunne that shines in the aire so carnall rites invented by men obscure the spirituall beauty and splendour of the Gospell so that by reason of such rites the Gospell is either not considered or understood carnally Thus the Ceremonies of Moses law were as a vaile before the eyes of the Jewes that they could not looke to the end of that which is abolished 2 Cor. 3. 13. And the popish ceremonies darkned the true light of the Gospell And let any man looke into those places in which there is so much preaching of ceremonies and Church orders and such a regular observation of them as in places where the Cathedrall and Canonicall Preachers and officiating Priests doe beare sway he shall finde little spirituall understanding and lively feeling of the doctrine and grace of Christ the highest pitch that they bring men to and there are but few that are brought by them so farre is some morall civility some outward regularity in the outward formes of devotion which yet is accompanyed as it was in the Pharisees with bitter and virulent enmity against holy and ardent zeale for Christ and shewes it selfe to be but Pharisaicall hypocrisie when it is brought to triall It is usually alledged that such Ceremonies are appointed for edification and that the text 1 Cor. 14. 26. Let all things be done unto edifying allowes men specially Prelates in a Synod to ordaine what they conceive may be for edifying But the occasion of these words plainly shewes that the Apostle meanes not every arbitrary devise which is conceited by men though the wisest most grave and pious to bee for edifying must be done for then the text would impose a necessity of subjection to such humane devices But the text is plainly meant of such things as are necessary to edification as speaking in a knowne tongue and without confusion And although I know Ceremonies invented by men are pretented to serve for edification yet I must professe that I never found in my reading or experience that ever any person by such rites or observances was wonne to the profession of Christ or brought to any spirituall knowledge of Christ any true faith or sincere obedience to him Possibly they may beget some kinde of raptures of carnall delight through melodious soundes or pleasant sights some kinde of womanish pity and teares such as the acting of a stage play will draw from some persons but that ever they begat sanctifying knowledge sound repentance holy mortification of sinne lively faith fruitfull living to God I assure my selfe cannot be shewed But it is certaine on the contrary that the teaching for doctrines commandements of men hath occasioned men to oppose the principall point of the Gospell of Chri●t to wit justification by faith in him and contrary to the covenant of grace in Christ to conceive a righteousnesse in themselves by the observation of mens commands as in the Pharisees and Papists and al sorts of superstitious