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	sin_n	22,698	5	5.7840	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29185	The ministers of England which are called, the ministers of the gospel vveighed in the ballance of equity: by way of consideration, whereby it plainly appears, whether they be the ministers of Christ, or of antichrist. And also, whether to bear a testimony against a setled maintenance, either by tyths or any other way which may be invented to uphold that ministry, be any way dangerous to destroy the gospel of Christ; resolved. With a serious meditation upon the dealings of God with England, and the state thereof in general. Published for the satisfactiou [sic] of such as desire to prove all things, and are willing to hold that fast which is good; by a friend unto the faithful ministers of the gospel of Christ, John Braithwait.	Braithwaite, John, fl. 1660.	1660 (1660)	Wing B4206; ESTC R221651	16,773	40

Apostles Christ said Cor. 2.6 be ye perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect and the Apostle said Rom 8.2 we preach wisdome among them that are perfect mark that are perfect was not that in this life but do not these learned men say that none can be perfect in this life the Apostle said the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death Hath made me free mark that was not that in this life or while the Apostle was in the body John 1.9 8 12 but do not they say none can be made free from sin in this life John said that was the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World was not Christ that true light who said I am come a light into the World that whosoever followeth me should not abide in darkness but should have the light of life but do not they say that every man is not lighted Tit 2 11 except it be with a natural a created light the Apostle said the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared to all men but is not their Doctrine that it hath appeared but to some men And when I began to weigh these Doctrines of theirs in the equal ballance I found them very unsound and contrary to the Scriptures Matt 7 16 and then came into my mind that saying of Christ By their fruits ye shall know them or every tree is known by its fruits men do not gather grapes of thornes nor figgs of thistles and when I had thus considered the state of the tollerated Ministers or pretended Ministers of the Gospel in England and found them clear contrary to Christ his Apostles in these and many more things which I might mention then I saw it was the Lords righteous judgments upon them to strip them naked and bare and stain their glory for as much as they have sought honour to themselves and have dishonoured the Lord God of Heaven and Earth who is now risen in his power which they have denyed and in effect they have said his arme is shortned that it cannot save as in former ages and revelations is ceased and is to be expected no more and so the day hath been dark over them Prov. 29 18. and there hath been no vision and where there is no vision the people perish and for this cause will the Lord God let them know the revelation of his righteous judgments which shall shortly come upon them though they would put it far away and though they cry peace peace yet shall sudden destruction come both upon them all that willingly doe uphold them And then I began to consider upon the setled or rather forced maintenance which as it appears doth uphold them whether to bear a testimony against it be any way dangerous to destroy the Gospel of Christ yea or nay and when I had considered well upon this matter I could not see nor find that Christ had laid a settled or forced maintenance for the foundation of the Gospel but did send forth his Ministers freely Freely they had received Mat. 10.8 freely they were to give and he that preacheth the Gospel may live of the Gospel here the Gospel was to maintain them and not a forced maintainance to maintain it 1 Cor. 9.14.18 for the Gospel is the power of God to Salvation saith the Apostle whose care was not to make the Gospel chargeable but as it doth appear those men which are called Ministers of the Gospel now in England strive to make that which they call Gospel chargeable and that not only to them who receive their doctrine but also to them who deny it which is a most unrighteous thing what can be more unrighteous than that one Congregation or Assembly of people should be forced by a law to maintain the Minister and meeting place of another Church or Assembly which are clean contrary the one to the other in their Judgement in things appertaining to the worship of God and if it may be unrighteousness in the one is it not so in the other Seeing they both beleive or at least they say the way which they walk in is the way of God Object But if it could be certainly judged which of them is in the right way might not they that are in the right way compel and force them that are not to maintain them Answ Nay he that is in the right way must do as he would be done unto and that is just and right and that is the royall law Jam. 2.8 the Law of Christ now if thou wouldest not willingly maintain the Minister of an assembly that differeth from theein judgment then thou must not desire much less force a mantenance from them but if thou keep a flock eat the milk of the flock Cor. 9.7 if thou plant a Vinyard eat the fruit thereof mark he that plants a vinyard may eat of the fruit thereof he doth not say thou may eat of that thou hast not planted for how could that convince men or convert them unto God To eat them and to devour them would rather set mens hearts against thee and that way which thou dost professe and therefore as in this respect to bear a Testimony against Tythes or any other forced maintenance to maintain Ministers is no way dangerous to destroy the Gospel of Christ Object But if there be not a law to compel men to pay to the Ministers People are so hard hearted and Covetous they will not pay toward their maintenance and then preaching will go down and people will become heathens Answ It seems then that for all the Preaching that hath been in England people are yet hard hearted and Covetous what reason is there then that those that are yet hard hearted covetous should pay or maintain those men that they have not profited by when I consider this thing it appeareth to me to be greater covetousness in those men called Ministers to desire to have a maintenance from those people that have not profited by them than it is for the other to detain it And as for Preaching going down and people becoming Heathens this I say that Preaching which is grounded upon covetousness let it go down let their Preaching go down for they rather keep people in heathenisme then bring any to the true knowledge of God who themselves dare not trust God for their maintenance after which things the Gentiles seek Object But though those learned men have been Covetous and proud and made an evil use of their maintenance nevertheless is it not convenient that the law remain which compelleth men to pay to the Ministers for peradventure God may raise better men in their places as gifted men and such like Answ Let the Law of Christ remain let him that preacheth the Gospel live of it but let not any law remain which compelleth men Was not the first

Law for payment of Tithes since Christ came in the flesh made in the time of Pope Innocent the 3d. In the year 1215. and was not that in the time of Apostacy and night of darknes and is not that a bad foundation for the Ministers of the Gospel to stand upon and an uncomfortable Maintenance for them to live on contrary to their freedome to maintain a Ministry for while any such Law doth remain it drawerh covetous men to be Ministers is not the hope of a good maintenance as it it is called 100 l or 200 l Per annum that moveth the Father to set his Son to the Vniversity to be made a Minister cannot many in England tell this by experience and is not this Covetousness the root of all evil and is not this maintenance that which causeth the Jesuits and Papists desire to be in this land again hoping that the law which their Father the Pope made will maintain them which law if it were once made null void their hopes would be frustrated for if the people be once clearly freed from that yoake of bondage they would not easily be brought under it again and as for these gifted men so called hath it not been a snare unto them and the love to the money or maintenance hath inticed them to receive orders the Popes orders and have not many of them become as Cruel in prosecuting the Popes law for a forced maintenance as the learned Well this I must say from the Lord God unto you who say you are gifted men and have thus betrayed your Testimony Gods hand is stretched out against you above all other men for as much as you have professed to have the gift of his Spirit and that freely and now go to sell it and compell people to buy it O wicked abomination Was not the time once that you cryed against oppression and are you become oppressors are you so quickly gone in the way of Balaam for gifts and rewards the wages of unrighteousness and would have this burthen alwaies to remaine upon the people O greivous wickedness the Lords anger is kindled against you and it will be more tollerable in the day of judgement for the Pope and his company I mean the vniversity men than for you because the Lord hath shewed more of his loving kindness unto you than he hath done unto them and yet you have not prized it And when I had dilligently considered upon these things I saw it no way dangerous to destroy the Gospel of Christ To bear a Testimony against Tythes or to bear a Testimony against any other maintenance which may be setled upon Ministers by a Law which compels men to maintain a Minister which they beleive is not a Minister of Christ But rather to bear such a Testimony and to take away the Law that compels men to maintain those men Do not they make a setled Maintenance the foundation of their Ministry and Gospel is not the greatest striving by them about the greatest Benifices and the most preaching where their is the greatest gifts which they do not beleive are the Ministers of Christ is dangerous to destroy the ministry of Antichrist if the matter be considered well for have they not from one age to another from time to time throughout the dark night of Apostacy made this to wit a setled maintenance the foundation of their Ministry and where there was no setled Maintenance no Minister no Preaching may not England experience this But the Ministers of Christ that are so in deed truth will be contented with what Christ hath alloted to them for a necessity is laid upon them and they must preach the Gospel or else woe unto them and he that preaches the Gospel let him live of it and let every Church so called maintain their own Minister or Ministers so long as they think or beleive him or them to be Ministers of Christ but if any man in the said Church or Assembly be not willing let him not be compelled any otherwise than by love Let people do as they would be done unto and shew themselves to be Christians indeed throughout all Christendome Let their be no compelling of men to beleive seeing Faith is the gift of God and let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind for whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin and let there be good Laws to punish Wickedness as murder stealling whoredome drunkenness cozening false witness 1 Tim. 17 8 9. ver or any other thing which deserveth punishment by the Law of God and let it be done without partiallity or respect of persons or of the Religion they professe and let not Gods Spirit be stoped by a Law in neither male nor female but let that have freedome in all for Gods righteous Judgments will fall upon them that seek to hinder or stop that and therefore let there be liberty for one Society of people to dispute or discourse with another though different in their judgments concerning the things of God provided there be no violence used by one party to another with their hands or with weapons or with any other thing that may do hurt to the body or life of man or woman old or young and let there be moderation and if any pretend to be led by the Spirit of God and yet do wickedly let them be punished as their transgession doth deserve but let not that be called wickedness which is not so indeed but let every thing be weighed in the Ballance of Equity that judgment and Justice may be set up and righteousness and peace may run down that violence be no more heard in the Land For the day of Gods everlasting love is come and he is visiting the people in his tender mercy Luke 1.78 in causing his light to spring from on high and his day to dawn and he is discovering the skirts of the Whore and the hour of her judgment is come and all that do or seek to uphold her a day of wo and desolation is coming upon them a day of Sorrow and misery and therefore all people be advised to prize the loving kindness of the Lord who by his light doth and will let you see your states and conditions and the intents of your hearts are known to the Lord Is it not he that searcheth the heart and tryeth the reines Amos 4.18 and declareth unto man what is his thoughts Is not this Testimoony true that Light is come unto you and if it become to you why will ye not walk in it what can you expect if you prize not this loving kindness of God in Christ who comes a light unto you and letteth you see how it standeth between God and your own souls And therefore all people consider of your wayes and your doings and while you have a time and a day of visitation from the Lord prize it and weigh things in the Ballance of equity and see whether these

he will in those things will not this bring all into confusion do not we see that the granting the liberty of Conscience hath brought much distraction in this Nation of England and therefore we judge it best that all People be brought into a Conformity again at the least let there be limits and Laws that no man may question our Ministers Answ Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind Read Rom 14. Ephes 4.13 for whatsoever is not of faith is sin and the unity is in the faith and whatsoever is out of the faith is in the Confusion and it is not the compelling of men that brings into unity and fellowship but the love of God doth whose arm and power is stretched over this Nation through whose love Liberty of Conscience hath been proclaimed which was long waited for and this hath done no hurt to any but the Whore and the Merchants of Babylon and distraction and desolation is coming upon her from the Lord God Read Rev. 18. for strong is he that judgeth her And so you that would have People brought into a Conformity again and have Laws to limit the holy one again this I say you are such as have drunken of the Whores Cup of abomination and must drink of the Cup of the indignation of God poured out without mixture What have you forgotten since you your selves desired Freedome you that are called Presbyters would you not have been from under the yoak of Episcopacy and would you desire that your selves which you are not willing to grant to others O ye hypocrites how can you judge and speak against the Whore of Rome Rom 2.21 22. and you your selves guilty of the same thing who would rule over the Consciences Psal 78.41 42. and conform People to your faith limit the holy one that none may speak or question your Ministers what doth the Whore of Rome more she may laugh to see your folly and madness what are you and your Ministers afraid of that they may not be questioned what have they done that they are ashamed of if they have done evil is it not just that they should be confounded and if they have done well they need not be afraid Isa 33.14 but fear surpriseth the hypocrites and the sinners in Zion are afraid for the anger of the Lord is kindled and his jealousie burns like fire and the torment of the Whore is begun and her Merchants have cryed Alas that great City c. and both they that help Isa 31.3 and they that are holpen shall fall together for the Lords Decree is sealed against Babylon and her Merchants and his purpose is to exalt his own Name in righteousness and break the peace of the wicked Resol And having thus viewed and compared the Ministers of England I mean the Parish Teachers with the true Ministers of Christ in their Call Practise Doctrine and Maintenance and finding them clean contrary in all those things to the holy men of God Therefore in the fear and dread and presence of the Lord God of Heaven and Earth I bear my Testimony they be Antichristian Ministers their forced Maintenance is Antichristian for if it was such a great sin in the Sons of Eli in the time of the Law to force Maintenance much more now in the time of the Gospel And it is said concerning them 1 Sam. 2.16 17. because of this thing to wit because they said nay but thou shalt give it me now and if not I will take it by force wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord for men abhorred the offering of the Lord and besides Christ is come who is the end of that Priest-hood who had a Commandement to receive Tythes and the Priest-hood being changed there is made of necessity also a change of the Law Heb. 7.12 and therefore this forced Maintenance by Tythes is not to be upheld but testified against by the true Christians who worship God in the Spirit and in truth And to take away this forced Maintenance is no way dangerous to destroy the Preaching of the Gospel of Christ because he unto whom the Gospel of God is committed to Preach must Preach it 1 Cor. 9 16 or else woe unto him it is not then I will Preach unto you if you will give me such a price by the Year for a necessity is laid upon him and he must Preach or give in his Testimony whether People will hear or forbear he must not then confer with flesh and blood but as Paul said so the Ministers of Christ should do when it pleased God who seperated me from my mothers womb Gal. 1.15.16 and called me by his grace to reveale his Son in me that I might Preach him among the heathen immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood And therefore all People upon the Earth who understand and knows those Parish Teachers in England are Antichristian Ministers and their Cristening and many such like things are of no necessity as to the Salvation of the Soul but are inventions and institutions of the Pope in the dark night of Apostacy 2 Cor. 6.17 Come out from amongst them and be you seperated wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread Isa 55.1 2 3. and your labour for that which doth not satisfie Come buy wine and milk without money and without price hearken diligently that your Souls may live eat that which is good and let your Souls delight in fatness mind the Testimony of Gods Spirit whether that be for you or against you and weigh all things in the just Ballance wich God loveth and slight not the day of your visitation Prov. 11. i. 16.11 wherein God proffereth his love unto you to draw you unto himself with his loving kindness who is come to gather his sheep together with his everlasting Arme Ezek 34. and to stretch out his hand against those Shepheards that have fed themselves and not the Sheep his Indignation is kindled against them because they have ruled over the Sheep of his Pasture with force and cruelty therefore will he deliver his flock out of their hands and they shall be a prey to them no longer he himself will gather them together as a Shepheard doth his Sheep and lead them into good Pastures and feed them upon the Mountains of Israel by the rivers and he will make all the places round about them a blessing and they shall rejoyce in his goodness for evermore Many shall run too and fro Dan. 4.12 Isa 15. ● J● 3.23 and knowledge shall be encreased and it shall even be fulfilled that is writen the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the Earth as the waters cover the Sea and Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting Salvation and then shall people say Salvation is not in the Hills or Mountains but Salvation cometh from the Lord