Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	meek_a	zeal_n	zealous_a	40	3	9.1677	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79995	The civil magistrates povver in matters of religion modestly debated, impartially stated according to the bounds and grounds of scripture, and answer returned to those objections against the same which seem to have any weight in them. Together with A brief answer to a certain slanderous pamphlet called Ill news from New-England; or, a narrative of New-Englands persecution. By John Clark of Road-Island, physician. By Thomas Cobbet teacher of the church at Lynne in New-England. This treatise concerning the christian magistrates power, and the exerting thereof, in, and about matters of religion, written with much zeal and judgement by Mr. Cobbet of New-England, I doe allow to be printed; as being very profitable for these times. Feb. 7th. 1652. Obadiah Sedgwick.	Cobbet, Thomas, 1608-1685.	1653 (1653)	Wing C4776; Wing B4541; Thomason E687_2; Thomason E687_3; ESTC R206875	97,858	126

abuse their power contrary to the mind of God That abuse of their power must not invalidate and take away the due use of their power Churches are ecclesiastically to cut off such as trouble the Churches but they may abuse their power to cast out their best members for the truths sake yet this their sinne dischargeth not Churches from the dutie It is alike here abuse of civil power taketh not away this due use of it 2. Just persecution of men sinning against Gods Rules and the Dictates of a right guided conscience which require persons to obey Superiours in all their lawful commands is not to persecute men for attendance unto Gods Rules or to the Dictates of a good conscience and it were absurd to reason thus Men may not be persecuted for a good cause and conscience therefore they may not be punished for maintaining a bad cause and that which is interpretatively against their conscience The exercise of any such power by godly Rulers is cross to Object 9 the meek Spirit of Christ and to that merciful and peaceable Spirit which he requireth of his Saints Rom. 15. 1. Gal. 6. 1 2. Eph. 4. 32. 2 Tim 2. 25. James 3. 15. 17. 1. All that is required of Church Officers and Members Answ such to them so considered are those speeches in special wise directed as the contexts shew yet are Church Officers and Members as those of Ephesus commended also for their zeal when through zeal they could by no means bear with corrupt Tenents and Doctrines of the highest strain and held forth with the highest pretences of Divine Truth and no lesse then Apostolical Revel 2 2. Thou canst not bear them that are evil and hast tried them that say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them liars and they are required to avoid and reject and cut off such as vent corrupt doctrines and the l●ke Rom. 16. 17. Gal. 5. 10. Tit. 3. 10 11. 2. Zeal of God in sharp punishing of such like corruptions stood very well with Christs Dove like Spirit none so meek as he yet none so zealous this way The zeal of Gods House even consumed him and made him lay on so hard with his scourge upon those who polluted the Temple Iohn 2. 16. with 14. 15. 16. 30. so Moses that King in Iesurun the meekest of mere men in his own cause Numb 12. 3. yet how Lion-like in that cause of pollution of Gods worship Exodus 32. 26 27 28 29. So in Hezekiah who was such a shadow to the Saints Esay 32. 2. yet a very fierie flying Serpent against the enemies of God and the Church Esay 14. 29 30. This is contrarie to what was Prophesies of us Gentiles Object 10 That our swords should be beat into plowshares Esay 2. 4 and that none should hurt or destroy in all Gods Mountain 1. Although all sinful and rash quarrelsomness all self avengings Answ or means thereof and all injurious and unwarrantable slaughters should be excluded Gods Mountain yet this hinders not but that gentile Rulers as ordained of God must bear his sword not in their scabbards and at their girdles suffering it to rust for want of use for that were to bear the sword in vain contrary to Gods own order Rom. 13. 4 but to be used against all evil works coming under their Cognizance whether respecting God and Religion more specially or man and righteousnes whether in way of the vengeance of God against domestick offenders or in way of just war against other enemies of God his Cause or Saints If any reply hereto that this place in the Romans intendeth not any matters of Religion at all but onely matters of civil righteousness 1. Evident it is that as good and evil doing whereof the civil Magistrate taketh cognizance are opposed Rom. 13. 3 4. so are incouraging rewards to weldoers as by that of prayses and vindicative rewards to evil doing and to evil doers opposed now none will deny that the civil Magistrate is bound to incourage the Preaching Profession and practice of the Truth worship and wayes of God and therefore by paritie of reason is he to be an avenger of what cometh under his cognizance contrary thereunto 2. The persons more specially spoken to upon that ground to doe well because then they have praise of the same or in case they do evil then they are to fear the vengeance of the Lord to be executed by his Minister the Magistrate they are Professours Officers and Members of Churches such as they were at Rome Rom. 1. 7. and 12. 4 5 6 7 8. compared with chap. 13. 3 4. If thou do that which is evil fear c. which all will confess to be liable to evil doing against the first as well as the second Table 3. He is by Gods Ordinances to be a terrour to evil works indefinitely For rulers are not a terrour to good works but to evil vers 3. v. 4. He is the Minister of God the avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil be he who he will be coming under his power or be the evil what it will be coming under his view Now the Scripture reckons especially the doing of persons of corrupt judgements as persons so corrupt to be evil deeds Hence if a Christian bid God speed to persons who bring not the Doctrine of Truth he is partaker with him in his evil deeds 2 Joh. 10. 11. Hence Paul calleth those corrupt circumcision teachers evil works Phil. 3. 2. Beware of dogs beware of evil workers beware of the concision And the opposition Rom. 13. 3. evinceth this Rulers are not a terrour to good works but to evil whence the argument is strong Those good works and acts which ciuil Rulers are not to be a terrour unto unto the contrary evil works they are to be a terrour to good works and acts civilly such respecting the Truth worship and wayes of God civil rulers are not to be a terrour therefore to evil works contrary to the truth waies and worship of God are they to be a terrour If any yet reply that this in Rom. 13. is spoken with reference to the present power that then bare chief sway at Rome or at least with sole reference to such like civil powers that were christian and looketh not to civil powers becoming christian and so is no rule for christian rulers The Answer is ready albeit those who were in highest power when Paul writ this Epistle were Pagan and not Christian yet the context carrieth the words spoken about higher Civil Powers to be extendible yea especially appliable to Christian civil Rulers 1. When the Apostle saith Wilt thou not be afraid of the power do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same Who knoweth not that Nero then ruling was so far from giving encouragement to any Christian Romans either in a way of piety or honesty that he was a very Lyon rather cruelly to devour them 2 Tim 4.

who must say why doe you thus unclean practises respecting the flesh may be punished but unclean spirits and doctrines must be suffered in the Land they would not have such as rob and spoyl others of their goods escape but it s no matter what havock any make of Church Ordinances Privileges and Liberties by any Tenents of theirs If they rob us of the Law and the Prophets and take away a great part of the holy Scriptures which was all given by Divine Inspiration and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Isa 49. 23. 3. 7. Rom. 13. 3 4. Correction for Instruction in Righteousness or if they plunder and strip us of the office Political power and care of the Churches Civil Nurse-fathers Physicians and Shepherds for their best good none must punish them for such like outrages And if at a dead lift Magistratical power be with much ado permitted to come within the range and reach of the first Table yet they will have it under so short a tether and lay such strong chains and heavy bolts upon it that it s there rather as in its prison than any way as in its privileged place they shall be permitted to punish Witches Sorcerers and Inchanters else say they what mischiefs will befal our Estates Families and Bodies But as for those good those white Witches that out of pretence of conscience bewitch souls Gal. 3. 1 c. to death by their inchanting doctrines let not Civil powers meddle with them Men of our times will not speak these in so many words but in their tenents and practises they speak in effect as much But good Reader be thou ware of such false Prophets that come in sheeps clothing will carry it towards thee as fruitful and Matth. 7. 15. spiritual Christians as humble meek gentle harmless self-denying mortified persons for a season till they have attained their ends will tell thee it is new light what the Spirit revealeth to them it is the tenderness of their consciences which maketh them scruple such and such things which others have long held c. And all this while they are inwardly ravening wolves I hope pious Reader I speak to one who yet hath an ear open to hear what may be spoken in the defence of that truth so much questioned and opposed now adays That the Lord hath not left Christian regulated Civil Commonwealths without their respective ways of Authoritative Redress of such like mischiefs in Religion for which end read and consider in thy retiring hours and times this little Treatise and the Lord give thee understanding in all things Thine in Christ Jesus Tho. Cobbet The Method and scope of the ensuing Discourse concerning the Civill Magistrates Power in matters of RELIGION By way of Introduction THe example of our Head Jesus Christ Iohn 2. 13. ad 17. who made it one of his first works to reform matters amiss in Religion is opened and applyed in many pious and seasonable observations pag. 1. ad 6. That this act of Christ is presidentiall and imitable according to the judgements of the Godly Learned Pareus Bullinger Tossanus Marlorate Dyke Ainsworth Musculus Suecanus and Beza pag. 6. ad 9. 2. Objections answered pag. 9. ad 12. The Thesis and Position propounded to be cleared is this That Corruptions in Religion outwardly breaking forth and expressed may yea and must be restrained and punished by such as are thereunto called pag. 12. In handling whereof the Author first propoundeth some 1. Distinctions pag. 12. 2. Some Conclusions about it are laid down 1. Negatively what may not bee done this way pag. 13. ad 16. 2. Positively what may and must pag. 16 3. The main Assertion is explained pag. 16 17. And proved by Seven Reasons grounded upon Scriptures pag. 17. ad 34. Five Corollaries or Instructions drawn from the Premises 1. The first is by way of Refutation and Answer to sundry Objections tending to undermine the Cocrcive Power of the Civill Magistrate in matters of Religion pag. 35. ad 46. 2. The second Instruction chargeth Rulers with the Duty of Endeavoring the exact knowledge of Gods law word and rules pag. 46. 3. The Third Instruction or inference from the premises That then the Highest Civill Authority are to make Coercive Lawes about matters of Religion pag. 46. Touching this particular The Author distinguisheth 1. Of Civill Magistrates pag. 47 48. 2. Of Kingdomes or Commonwealths in which they rule pag. 49. 3. Of Legislative power in matters of Religion p. 49. 4. Of Lawes about Religion pag. 50. Conclusions are laid down about this weighty matter 1. Negatively pag. 51. ad 54. where it is proved that humane laws formally and as such cannot bind the conscience 2. Positively Positive Conclusions about this Nomothetique power are sour 1. That Politicall Laws properly such may be made about matters of Religion pag. 54. This Conclusion is confirmed by seven Reasons pag. 54. ad 58. 4. Objections against this Conclusion are answered pag. 58. ad 67 2. Conclusion That in doubtfull matters Ecclesiasticall Assemblies are to bee called whose Counsels unto the Magistrate are Ecclesiastically Authoritative pag. 67. 3. Conclusion Civill Magistrates are to call upon Ministers to expound the whole Counsell of God pag. 68. 4. Conclusion Civill Authority must establish their Lawes with the consent of their people or their representatives p. 68. 4. A fourth Instruction from the Premises Then are the Civil Authority in their Politicall way to Judge which things acted by the outward man in cases of Religion are contrary to the word and which are not pag. 70. For further clearing of this from all gainsayers 1. Some distinctions are laid down pag. 71. 72. 2. The Conclusion is stated and cautioned pag. 73. 3. Five Reasons for proof thereof and the Objections against them answered pag. 73. ad 82. 5. The last instruction from the premises Then are not persons to be left to the liberty of their own Judgements or consciences pag. 82. For the better clearing of this weighty Conclusion so many waies opposed now adayes 1. Some distinctions about it are propounded and Rom. 14. 3. c. cleared pag. 82. ad 86. 2. The Conclusion is stated against a set fixed Toleration and proved by 10. Reasons from Scripture all which are vindicated from the severall Objections against them pag. 86. ad fin Errata In the Epistle Dedicatory pag. 4. line first adde cor pag. 29. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 32. for 1 John 14. 1. read 1 John 1. 14. This Treatise concerning the Christian Magistrates Power and the exerting thereof in and about matters of Religion written with much zeal and judgement by Mr. Cobbet of New-England I doe allow to be Printed as being very profitable for these times Feb. 7th 1652. OBADIAH SEDGWICK A Discourse concerning the Nature and Latitude of Civil Powers in matters of Religion IF