Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	power_n	speak_v	word_n	8,214	5	4.2815	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43062	A sermon preached before the Right Honourable Sir James Edwards, Lord Mayor, in St. Lawrence Church on the feast of St. Michael, 1679, at the election of Sir Robert Clayton to be Lord Mayor for the ensuing year by Greg. Hascard ...	Hascard, Gregory.	1680 (1680)	Wing H1114; ESTC R12242	12,709	35

Edwards Mayor Cur. special tent die Lune in Festo Sancti Michaelis Archangeli 1679. Annoque Regis Caroli Secundi Angliae c. XXXjo. THis Court doth desire Dr. Hascard to Print his SERMON Preached this Morning at St. Lawrence Church before the Election of the LORD MAYOR WAGSTAFFE A SERMON Preached before the Right Honourable Sir JAMES EDWARDS Lord Mayor In St. Lawrence Church On the FEAST of St. Michael 1679. AT THE ELECTION OF Sir ROBERT CLAYTON TO BE Lord MAYOR for the ensuing Year By GREG. HASCARD D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty and Rector of S. Clements Danes LONDON Printed for William Crooke at the Green Dragon without Temple-bar 1680. JUDE v. 8. Despise dominions and speak evil of dignities THE care and tenderness of this Apostle over his new-baptized Christians was the cause of this Epistle well fore-seeing how these young Disciples like Adam in his first Plantation or Hercules in his Cradle by Serpents would be assaulted by men of subtle interest and sly designs who would pervert Christianity from its first simple and plain intention of reforming the Minds of Men and prescribing them methods how they should arrive at Immortality and cause it to degenerate onely into some wanton purposes of licentiousness and passion the little ends of earth and interest and tread upon their Saviours Body for a Temporal advancement For no sooner was Christianity planted in the Pagan world the busie spirit below and his Factors the Carpocratians here striving to blast Religion in its spring but so strange a change appears in all its Doctrines and the Lives of those Professors too that you might seek Christianity in such a Christian World and yet scarce find it for as the Apostle describes it here their Faith was changed into fancy and polluting dreams their unity and peace into Schism and Separation their Humility and Mortification into Pride and Luxury their resignation and sedateness of mind in all conditions into murmurings and complainings and all Religion so hugely changed as though it had washt an Aethiopian or the Pagan World with all its Vices and Idols too had onely wheel'd about again to be ador'd in a new Christian dress The apostle like a good Centinel standing upon his guard and discovering the approaches of the Enemy sounds an Alarm to his true Disciples v. 3. and bids them contend earnestly for the Faith that was once delivered unto the Saints And that they might know their Enemies the better he paints them out in their own colours that they were men for their wickedness so lively prophecy'd of long before they are said to be v. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pasted up that they were ungodly men who turn'd the grace of God into lasciviousness and denyed the onely Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ ⋆ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 M. 8. And notwithstanding the dismal Examples of Sodom and Gomorrha of Corah and his Company Cain and Balaam mentioned v. 10 11. they were resolute and incorrigible in their sins and added this more to their former crimes they scorn'd the power and authority which might correct them and despised Dominions and spoke evil of Dignities Despising and speaking evil of Dominions and Dignities is nothing else but by words and actions to disturb resist and defame our Governours By Dominions and Dignities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not Orders of spirits above of which these Hereticks told fine stories the Abstract for the Concrete is meant all sorts of Rulers and Governours equivalent to St. Paul's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ⋆ Rom. 13 1. the higher Powers Political Government and Authority being so clearly founded by Divine Commands and seconded by the absolute necessity of Humane Nature with the consent of all Mankind it seems a Miracle that among the lowd Vices of this degenerate Age Disobedience to Kings and Magistrates contempt of Authority and Trustees of power should be a crying one As though Men courted Anarchy and Confusion and were in love with ruine and disorder Some who will not pay Obedience to any Command that is not clearly drawn from Holy Writ 't is strange their own principle though false and stingy will yet countenance them in despising Government which is as clear in Sacred Volume as the Sun in his noon-day glory The Man of earth that measures all things by profit and design and nothing is just and Divine but what is useful and convenient 't is a wonder he should mistake his rule so far as to cast dirt upon Dominion and its several Orders which is the original of all his quiet and the onely security of his Temporal Interest However this comes to pass yet we sadly find that the Ghosts of these Carpocratians are come out of their Graves and haunt the world again and civil Government though confirmed by Christ yet like him is crucified between these two Enthusiasts and Men of Designs and Policies the one cries it princheth upon Conscience it entrencheth upon Christian Liberty that Magistracy becomes not a Christian man it degrades the priviledge of grace to found Dominions and justles with the Almighty Conclave and Consistory to whom all Government ought to submit The Son of Matchiavel that prostitutes every thing to his politick devices the windings of his brain and private happiness declaims aloud against the grandeur of Princes that acts of Magistracy are onely Force and Tyranny the abridgment of civil Immunities and natural Liberties that their Titles are high and Anti-Christian that they confound equality of nature and self-preservation that Tribes and Families with a whole Nation groan to support the Pomp and Retinue of Regal Power and are onely slaves to burthen and greatness Hence instead of Honour and Fame Reward and Duty that we ought justly to pay to our Governours for their care and faithful discharge the onely assurance of what we call our own we put lewd sences upon their Actions black censures upon their Persons Pasquils upon their Place and Authority making them all like so many Mock-Kings with a reed for a Scepter and Laurels about their brow a phantastick guard against the thunder of Tongues with an Hail King first to abuse and then to crucifie Firtst let us consider from whence this contempt doth spring To omit many others we shall onely mention these four 1. From a Principle of Vice Whatever the Names of these men were against whom the Apostle levels this Epistle to be sure they were ungodly men that abused Religion to all manner of Lust and Passion for so the Apostle expressly tells us v. 4. and the Learned say that this Epistle was wrote against the Carpocratians a lewd Sect in the early days of Christianity as Irenaeus and Epiphanius and others set them out who that they might be the more secure in their grosser Lusts affirm'd that nothing was good or evil in it self but in opinion and lookt upon all sort of Vice as their natural Freedome and lawful Liberty ⋆ Non

into Scene and Laughter when they are contradicted by the swelling Titles that their flattering Canonists and others bestow upon him as ⋆ Vide Fowlis History p. 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38. The Lord our God that he is far above all Principalities and Powers that every knee must bow to him both in Heaven and in Earth that he is Moses by Authority Peter by Power and Christ by Vnction that he is Day-star of Justice Arbitrator of all things Saviour of Christians and Image of Divinity that he can dispense with Laws and against the Apostle that he is Spouse of the Vniversal Church King of Kings and Lord of Lords that a priest excels a King as much as a man doth a Brute that a Priest is as much better than a King as God is better than a Priest and they are commanded to bow at the name of the Virgin Mary and the Pope as well as at the Name of Jesus These and many more are the great swelling words which these Carpocratians vented v. 16. far beyond what ever the Asiatick Princes in their greatest Luxury and Pride did ever affect Is not this plainly to tell the world that Conscience is interest the Altar is the Exchequer the Church and Court are the same and Christianity new policy contrived by Christ and communicated to St. Peter and his Successor Their Casuists with their nice Distinctions can debauch the minds of men into Treason and Murder Lying and Hypocrisie and the lewdest Vices yet can pass uncersur'd and sometimes rewarded yet question but his power and jurisdiction which he calls Articles of Faith the severest penalty in the Inquistion may be your doom And therefore very bountifully wisely he hath sometimes yielded some Articles of his Faith as the half Communion and the like upon condition they would admit of his Power and Authority as though the sole design of Christs coming into this world was to lay down new methods of Government to be a Publican himself as well as eat with them and gather Peters pence onely to be rich and great Though some of Romes Champions are more modest and assume this power onely indirectly in ordine ad spiritualia to serve Religion yet others more bare-fac'd challenge a direct power over Princes their Territories places of Trust and all their Regalities yet the other is very comprehensive and can at pleasure throw off the Mask and face to face tell the Sovereign that all his power in sending Embassadors in striking Leagues in making his Ministers and other Actions of State must now be devolved on him for the well-being of Christianity and the Prince hath little benefit by it that he is kill'd by St. Peters Keys knockt about his cars and not his Sword And such Canons and Constitutions whatever the gilded name and Constitutions whatever the gilded name and pretence is are as much of this world as the Edicts and Acts of Princes And whereas the Disciples of Christ were first called Christians at Antioch they were first call'd Matchiavilians at Rome the Seat of this new Christian Empire 2. Let this re-mind the Magistrate of a faithful discharge and our selves of Duty and Honour towards him and what more powerful Arguments to do this than to bid him consider who it is he represents what blessings he procures to Mankind and how he serves himself with infinite rewards and a publick Character of a good Servant worthy of his Masters joy This is the best way to silence scurrilous tongues to be as good in Life as high in Dignity for an eminent vertue and clear uprightness lays violence upon mens judgments and will push forward a just Character of a faithful Ruler But if this fail yet however like the Roman Senators when the Barbarians should enter Rome they put on their Senatorian Robes Curulibus sellis sese posuerunt ut cum venisset hostis in suà dignitate morerentur and plac't themselves in their Chairs that if this sight would not procure respect yet like men of honour and justice at least they might dye in their Dignities This is the design of all the powers and abilities that nature hath enricht men withal to serve their fellow-beings and make an universal spirit for the good of all mankind He that reacheth at dignity the better onely to drive on some petty pleasure or suck in vulgar air acts like Domitian makes it an Empire to hunt and kill a fly He that courts Power onely for an opportunity to return some injuries and serve his spleon doth blasphemously praise the Deity whose Deputy he is that he hath given him an occasion like a monster of nature only to poison and kill He that begs the place onely for the splendour of it like young Phaëton Currus miratur habenas admiring the gilded reins of Government yet putting the world on fire of serves only his private interest and like a dark Lanthorn only shines to himself abuseth his mighty Office heightens his own account to be call'd a god and do less than man But to the good Governours our esteem ought to be as high as their places are not weighing their worth by rigorous proportions but charitable allowances for the circumstances they are in 't is but a common grace we owe to the errors of all Mankind but a more peculiar debt of Charity we owe to our Superiours whose ways of conversation and place expose them to keener temptations and more fierce assaults which may make them yield sometimes But instead of prudent concealment and casting in the grains of charity and favourable Comments upon the Lives and Actions of our Governours we swell indifferent actions into errors every slip and infirmity we grime for a mortal sin and single sins we change into habits and these must needs pull down the person and his dignity too As though that Head had onely right to wear a Crown whose Life was as clear as the Jewels of it or as though he might not be an ill man and yet a good Governour or that Principalities like Estates of Ideots for want of Wit could be begg'd for want of Grace We scan the words and actions of our Superiours we anatomize their thoughts and designs and the spots of their Lives like those of the Moon by the glasses of our censorious fancies we swell into Mountains to serve our reputation our party or our spleen representing Beelzebub that Prince of flies that feasts on sores and is pleas'd with the errors and infirmities of men Such men are uncertain too dealing with their Rulers as the rabble with Sejanus or the Barbarians with St. Paul with their curses and their flatteries making no middle between a Murderer and a god far unlike that first Christian Emperour who would dis-robe himself to cover the errors of a Spiritual Father And now what can I recommend more seasonably that unity among your selves to serve the ends of your Choice and Government and Religion too Division among the antient Germans gave an easie Victory to the Roman Army Dum singuli pugnant vincuntur omnes Our Enemies greatest Policy is to divide us let not us execute our Enemies Councels and be fighting among our selves about the Bells and Pomegranats of the Temple when others are undermining the very Foundation or about the fringes of our Garments when the Enemies Dagger is at our brests Common dangers ought to unite us jam Caesar mitte canes When the Stags are fighting among themselves it may be kindness in Caesar to throw off his dogs upon them Providence many times makes a Forreign Enemy to appear to reconcile discords at home and now the Roman Eagle is upon the wing the separated chickens ought to run back to the wing of their Mother-Church 'T was said of the two brave Athenians Themistocles and Aristides that though they had great mis-understanding at home yet when they went upon any Forreign Expedition or Warlike design for their Countrey inimicitiam it finibus patriae deposuerunt they left their private quarrels behind them This would be the way to secure King and Country Church and State Religion and Property that sitting safely with our Lives and Liberties under our own Vines we might merrily sing our praises to the Lamb and him that sits upon the Throne ascribing all Power Might Majesty and Dominion both now and for evermore Amen FINIS