Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	law_n	life_n	power_n	7,129	5	5.5274	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93429	A short manifestation of the main end of outward government.	Smith, William, d. 1673.	1664 (1664)	Wing S4327; ESTC R229117	4,719	1

A short Manifestation of the Main End of Outward Government OH England how great is the Love which the Mighty GOD of Heaven and Earth doth manifest towards thee how doth he withhold his Judgements from thee for his own Names sake Surely he would not that thou shouldst utterly perish but graciously waits that thou mightest come to Repentance and turn from the evil of the doings that he might shew thee Mercy for the Love which he hath towards thee is in sparing thee and not in delighting in thee because thy wayes are grievous to him and thy Abomination provokes him daily and he hath raised up his Seed within thee to bear witness unto the Truth and all that are born of it they travel for thy good and welfare that thou mightst be a Land of Righteousness Justice and Equity and bear the name of Christianity in the nature of it above all Nations in the World this is the kindness of the Lord towards thee who for these several years hath warned thee to forsake thy sins and to put away the evil of thy doings but thou kickest against his Counsel and growest worse and worse and though he hath beheld the deep Sufferings and Afflictions that his People have endured under thy Cruelty and how thou hast made thy own Natives the Object of thy Severity yet he hath not speedily executed his Judgments to the full upon thee but unto this day had rather that thou wouldst turn from thy wickedness and live O therefore be not still rebellious against so gracious a God but hear and obey his Counsel that thou mayest love mercy do justly and walk humbly with God for whilst thou art at enmity against his Light thou exercisest thy self in cruelty and walkest proudly scornfully and disdainfully and with that spirit art striving to banish Truth out of thy Dominions and to rid the Land of Innocent People whose holy Conversation in all things is blameless towards thee for we that are called Quakers have a Witness in the Consciences of many that bears a sure Testimony to our peaceable life and did not the Execution of the late Act manifest the Intention to be against VS we could not have believed it from the express words of it neither are our Meetings any more concerned in it according to the form of it than the children that are yet unborn but seeing that the Execution is laid upon us by which it appears that it is Intentionally against Us we have clearness in the power of God to manifest our own Innocency that the Cruelty of such as put it in execution against us may lie upon their own heads and for this end it is that we are moved thus to write that all people may see and understand that our Meetings are free from any guilt according to the form of the said Act and that we ought not in Reason Truth or Righteousness to be suppressed or banished or any way disturbed in relation to our Meetings being that no manner of evil can be proved to have risen from them at any time but contrariwise very much good as many are witnesses and whosoever set themselves to act against us in this matter they out-run the form of their own Law and transgress the Righteous Law of God and unto God they must give account for such their doings therefore let none reject Counsel which tendeth to their eternal good for they that would be regulating others before they be regulated in themselves and clearly understand by the Inspiration of the Almighty what they ought to suppress and what to encourage they may in their undertakings suppress the Truth and encourage Error and so run themselves into irregular actions and proceedings and yet count them legal therefore to consider the ground which first caused the necessity of outward Laws is of great concernment for if all people were guided by the principle of God in themselves then they would not need any outward Law to govern them but the Principle of God being transgressed then the Enmity got up and governed and because of transgression the Law was added and Cain who was of the wicked one he transgressed the Principle of God and slew his brother about Religion and the just Law of God took hold upon him as a transgressor and his punishment was greater than he could bear and think you to escape whose hands are doing the same work do not deceive your selves with your Law for the righteous God is just in all his ways and your Law will not be a defence unto you when the Law of the Spirit of Life takes hold upon you in Judgment Now Religion is not a thing that falls within the compass or power of Nations Laws but wholly belongs unto God to order as he seeth good and man is only to extend his power unto such things as he is in a capacity to understand and that which appears to be transgression in Civil things he is to lay the Law upon it for the terror of evil-doers for whatsoever is ordained of God there is an end for which it is ordained and the End is only to be answered and so Outward Government hath its End and if it keep in its place and answer its end it is good and ought to be submitted unto for Conscience-sake if it relieve the Oppressed and judg the cause of the Widdow if it preserve the Nation in peace and the People in their well-being if it do right to those that are wronged and keep down vanity and profaness which is in the transgression then it answers its End and is to be submitted unto And as this is the main End of Outward Government so it is to be faithfully answered by all that are entrusted with it and they are not to intrude into any thing beyond it for where any do so either in making Laws or executing them they do that for which they were never ordained of God and so unrighteous Decrees come to be made and executed and that against an Innocent People that answers the End of the Law without the force of the Law and against whom there is no Law for the Law was not made for the Righteous but for Sinners mark for Sinners but to worship God in his Spirit is not sin to live peaceably righteously and soberly is not sin to speak the Truth and not to swear is not sin the Law was not made for such as so live but for sinners mark again for Thieves Murderers Drunkards Adulterers Swearers Lyars Sporters Players Rioters and wrong-doers proud heady high-minded vain and prophane people here are the sinners for whom the Law was made and have you any thing of this na●ure against us or doth not the Witness of God in your own Consciences clear us Now where doth your Sword fall do you not miss the Sinners and smite the Righteous Is not your Sword in your left hand that makes you strike so far wide of that which you should hit must our peaceable