Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	pray_v	sing_v	understanding_n	6,386	5	10.0280	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52677	An account from the children of light (to them that askes) in several particulars why we have been kept from joyning to, or worshipping in those formes at law, and formes of worships, that have been imposed upon us against our consciences, in these late years, for denying whereof, we have so deeply suffered, with our lives, liberties, and estates. : Also what we owne as to those things, and can be obedient to for conscience sake, according to truth, and the practise of the church of Christ, and the Scriptures.	Naylor, James, 1617?-1660.; Hubberthorn, Richard, 1628-1662.	1660 (1660)	Wing N256; ESTC R27517	31,099	57

though persecuted But in all these we read not in all the Gospel worship of any Temple made with hands to bind men to nor Parish Churches nor preaching by the houre nor for so much a yeare nor that ever Minister of Christ tooke tyths nor their hearers gave them but confessed Christ come and a free Gospel and said ●oth the Priesthood that tooke tyths and the Law by which they received them was disanulled by the sufferings of Christ nor doe we read of sprinkling Infants and calling that baptizing them into the Church nor doe we read of their singing Davids words in a meeter nor praying in a forme nor a Clarke to lead the Psalme and say Amen And much more we might mention which was never used so in the true Church but is come to a forme since Popery came up the Scripture beares no testimony thereto as now these things are used and all that can be truely said for them is long custom but from plain Scriptures they cannot prove them Indeed we read in the Scriptures of truth of the Gospel preaching but it was not limitted to one house nor by a glasse but from house to house and Citie to Citie and that by the Spirit and their worship was in Spirit they prayed with the Spirit and they sung with the Spirit and h● that had a Psalme sung it with the Spirit and with understanding also And they worshipped and preached in fields and mountains and streets schooles and markets and they prayed by Sea-shores or in any place where God moved and led them by the Spirit of Iesus And all this we owne which the Scriptures testifies to in our measure And this is that we would have all brought to tryall and that worship owned which Christ and the Scriptures ownes and none forced against it by any meanes whatsoever which is come up since the Scriptures was written and the Apostles times And this motion is not unreasonable hurtfull or dangerous to any especially we may say in this Nation how can it be denyed wherein all other formes in words professe the Scriptures to be a rule for all to walk by And to you all ●his is our motion that the Scriptures may be heard what it saith without wresting and what sort of worship it testifies of let that have the name to be of God and then let none be forced from it and if you deny to be tryed in your faith and profession by that you have so long called your rule and touchstone and then reproach and persecute them that walke in it will not your own words judge you before men and shall not you walke under condemnation from God in your owne Consciences And thus in short have we shewed our desires and what we would have in this thing which might free every tender Conscience from oppression and the Magistrates of the Nations from the guilt thereof before God Will you call your selves Christian Magistrates and Christian Ministers and set your selves against what Christ hath wrought by the power of his Spirit and is now working and thinke you ●re doing him service when you are grieving his Spirit and persecuting him in his members for doing that to which he immediately leads them now as in the dayes of old Is not this in effect to say depart from our Nations we will have none of thy wayes nor shall any under our government or that will follow our teachings obey thy Spirit if we can stop them by our power is not this to withstand his appearance and resist the power that you professe to rule for Doe you not read in the Acts of the Apostles what labour and suffering they underwent to bring people out of carnall rudiments and ordinances of men and to bring them to the worship in spirit and truth alone both as to time place and order how did they run in hazard of their lives into Temples Synagogues and set places of worship to bring them out of Temples made with hands to worship where the Spirit should lead them without respect of places that so the words of the Lord Iesus might be fulfilled who had said Not in the Temple nor in the mountaine but in spirit and in truth should the Father be worshipped and did not Stephen lose his life for telling them that God that made the world dwelt not in Temples made with hands and Paul suffered fo● the same testimony and they told them the most high God could not be worshipped with mens hands nor carnall things but in s●irit ●nd in ●ruth And how often was they tumul●ed and beaten and their bloud shed for this test●mony against the beggerly rudiments 〈◊〉 ordinances of men both of Iewes who had their ordinances from the letter and ●●so the Gentiles who followed their customers That out of all carnall things they might bring them to follow God in spirit and therein alone to serve him And while you professe all this in words will you be the men that will deny the very same in workes and shall you be guiltlesse shall not both Iewes and Gentiles rise in Iudgement against you and condemne you who acts against knowledge Scriptures and your owne profession And is it not so with you Rulers and Teachers of this generation what force and cruelty hath been used to bring people back to your Idol temples made with hands there to worship and no where else and to repaire them and to bow to the customes of men there set up for which there is neither Scriptures nor example even too many to mention what imprisoning and ●ormenting of the spirituall worshippers of the living God hath there been in these last dayes for these things what sufferings have some gone through but for testifying against these traditious carnal saying the Church must be in God and that every one must come to be led by the spirit alone in all their whole worships and so give the kingdome leading of his people to the leading of Christ that spirit againe in all things pertaining to worship life and godlinesse hath not this been a dangerous thing in thi● age to beare this record of God in Christ 〈◊〉 to become his witnesse how ma●y 〈◊〉 lost their liberties their estates and 〈…〉 lives for this testimony in word 〈◊〉 ●●●c●ise which reconciles to God in all 〈◊〉 whole worship and yet the same is read and preached every first day among them that doe this to such as live the life thereof for Iesus sake these are not the workes of Christians indeed in the Apostles sence but of such as know not God nor the word of reconciliation have not How many have suffered in this age but for reproving sin in the gate cursing pride lying and swearing how have some been beaten puld and hailed and dragg'd through streets and channells and before Iudgement seats and to prisons for no other things how many have wofully suffered but for preaching repētance through streets towns and

estates and lives to see if they could provoke or drive us from his faith in our Consciences or tempt us any way to deny him and owne them in their wills And though we have dayly suffered thus under every severall power and people yet have we not ceased to warne them in love with much feare and plainnesse that if by any meanes they might have received his testimony and not have perished in their gain saying for our God in whom we trusted shewed it to us that they should not prosper nor be established without him his Spirit and anoynting to whom he hath given the government of all people that shall be blessed by him yea all the nations of them that are saved must walke in his light and receive his counsel for their stability and his resurrection for their glory and his anoynting for the strength of their kingdomes And this is the Cause why we have chused rather to suffer under every power that yet hath risen then to joyne in with them because we have not heard the voyce of the holy one in the midst of them neither hath his Spirit in them been the strength of their Counsells but they have sought to make flesh their arme and to strengthen their kingdome with flattery and deceit and not with truth and they have sought to make themselves dreadfull by violence and to rule with cruelty and not with the sword of God which is Judgement and Justice and have sought honour from men and not from the Lord and their Covering hath been vaine glory and not the Spirit of God So with the light of Christ we saw their foundation and their building and that they could not stand long in Gods sight and that all that joyned to them must fall with them and that the woes that are written of such must certainly overtake them And this is the Cause and no other thing why we have hitherto borne our testimony against them all even because they would not joyne to the Lord nor heare his voyce in their day but the more he called after them by the mouth of his servants the more they were ●ardned and the more provoked him to their own confusion so it hath not been prejudice to any mans person that hath kept us at a distance from them or their commands for we can truely say we have waited without prejudice if by any meanes we could but have seene any of them seeking the kingdome of God that therein they might have been established yea we have the witnesse of truth in us to this day how glad our soules have been before the Lord when we have but felt the least tendernesse in any of them arising ●rom the Spirit of Jesus or the least confession from his light in them And sometimes we have felt some tendernesse in some of them when they have been low little and in feare in which we have had some hope and gladnesse to heare the voyce of simplicity and truth though but brokenly so that we could then have said they was not f●r from the kingdome of God But turning away the eare from the Spirit of truth in them and consulting with fleshly wisdome and carnall reason likely to make wise and to accomplish their selfe ends how soone hath truth sallen in them and blindnesse and hardnesse of heart come over them againe worse then before which being shewed us of God we could not but deny them also to be of God Thus in generall an account is given to you that askes a reason why we have not yet owned any power that yet hath risen so as to joyne to them in all things Now to you who desire to know in what particulars we have differed from these governments that yet hath risen since we was a people we might say our lives practises and sufferings hath openly declared it through the most parts of these nations and in most and greatest of our differences Yet for the better satisfying of some that knows not so much as others and to take away all occasion of offence from all that would not oppose the way of truth if they knew it and to leave without excuse the wilfully ignorant and persecuters of the good old way of Christ I shall instance in some things and also shew our warrant for so doing both by Scripture and the practise of the holy men of God in their generation It being that so many are yet ignorant and unbeleeving concerning the present leadings of the Spirit of truth in them which is chiefe leader and corner stone in us by which we walke towards God and towards men in all these things And as to that first Though God hath laid it upon us as matter of Conscience to be subject to what outward government or governers soever he shall set up over us in outward things and also that with all willingnesse of mind a ready subjection be rendered at every just command not for fear onely but even for Conscience sake and that in all things we should seek the safety and honour and well-being of such governers to the utmost of our power even as we looke to account to God for it of whom the powers that be are ordained yet hath he begotten us unto himselfe alone and to the leadings of his own Spirit in all things concerning faith and worship as to matter manner time and place This is to be done and performed singly as to him in the leadings of Jesus and in the power of his Spirit alone else will he have no regard thereto And for this purpose hath he given the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to be our light and understanding and leader in all these things to which leadings and movings the father requires obedience in all things upon eternall condemnation in matters pertaining to our consciences That must be the throne of Christ alone and there will he sway the Scepter of eternall life and answer his people in all things and be their Saviour guide and lawgiver in all things that are just and holy So that is at any time their teachers have left the way of life and would l●ad people after them yet hath he through faith and a tender Conscience preserved a seed out of error to himselfe in such a day by which he hath reproved and made manifest the folly of such t●achers And to this the Scriptures doe fully testifie as in the dayes of the Prophets when they erred in vision and had not the word in them and so caused the people to erre through their lyes and through their lightnesse then had he men of enlightned Consciences to send to reprove their brutishnesse though otherwise they themselves was neither Prophets nor sons of Prophets but may be a heardman or a gatherer of siccomore fruite a plowman or a shepheard or some such which Englands pride would call mecannick fellows yet in these was the seed preserved else the

it is we live and bring forth to the praise of God and we are not our owne nor servants of men but we are bought with a price that we may serve him for ever by whom we are redeemed and by whom all men without respect of persons must eternally be judged or justified Therefore we say this is a priviledge that no man should be hindered of to wit the liberty of his Conscien●e towards his God but that an universall lib●●ty for all sorts of people to worship God according as Christ shall open mens eyes to see the truth and as he shall perswade their hearts by his Spirit seeing no man without Christ can doe any thing in this case acceptable to God neither can one man worship in the measure of another but in his owne measure as he receives of God in Christ Jesus faith and strength and Spirit for it must be in Spirit and of faith else it is sin in Gods sight what ever men thinke thereof And this is just and equall in the sight of God and all reasonable men and that which I know no understanding man or woman would be limitted in seeing all have immortall soules from God and to him alone must account for them and not to men That so every soule may stand and fall to his owne Master in this case seeing none can save his brother when he hath misled him nor account to God for him therefore he is no wise man in our eyes who will leave the light of Christ that once knows it to follow another mans opinion And seeing every man would have this libertie for himselfe why should he goe about to deny it to his brother how is that just or equall amongst men And how doth it answer the Law of Christ as Christians who hath commanded That all things whatsoever you would that men should doe unto you doe ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Now if you be not come so far in equitie as to answer the Law and the Prophets how will you answer Christ you that professe him in words And were it not that Nations and men were drunke and bewitched with the fornication of that Scarlet coloured whore they would foresee the danger of taking that upon them which belongs to Christ alone it being so many have been broken on the same Rock and reason it selfe might shew them how safe it is not to be too forward in things of that nature which God hath not called them to And also it being so much contrary to that just principle in man which would lead every man to do to another as he would be done unto And would teach every man that he ought to give up himselfe to his God in all spirituall matters And that so he should suffer every other creature also And seeing that there is no infallibilitie amongst ●en without the immediate manifestation of Christ Jesus his light and Spirit in them but that since men tooke that upon them even to sit as Lords and Judges over faith and conscience The Lord hath scattered them in this thing and confounded them into so many minds and judgements that he that is subject to follow every change in these latter dayes shall scarcely abide in one opinion a yeare to an end which things duely weighed might stay the hast of every reasonable man from forceing that upon the Conscience of another which himselfe is not infallible in and for which he must account to God for all soules that erre through him and so perish in gainsaying Gods witnesse And this would be wisdome with God first to search in themselves whether they have tha● Call from God himselfe to force any or they doe it to answer the desires of others or to hold up a tradition and so might they come to see what they serves and whether it will beare persecution or bloud-shedding at t●e day of Judgement And prove whether you have that which is infallible to force them to or it be but thought and opinion of your selves or others seeing its so common a thing for Rulers and Teachers to joyne in forceing people that are under them to erre and for which so many have been confounded and cast out and so that all might come to prove their worke and bring it to the light to see whether it be wrought in God and if he will owne it with his light which is pure in their Conscience which is an equall rule and try what power and Spirit it is that God hath made Lord King and Law-giver and Leader in all his worship and if they have not this then it is the old persecuter and murtherer which uses to set people on fire that know not God in Spirit And if you have that Spirit which God hath given the power to in his Church then its gentle drawing and powerfull without forceable imposing or killing nor doth he ever compell against faith and Conscience Now there be many particular things as to Gods worship and things thereto pertaining which the men of this age would impose upon us yea and force them upon great penalties which the Spirit of Christ doth not lay upon us as matters of faith or practise nor ever did o●daine them in any age nor command them to b● observed in his Church as men now impos●●hem but the contrary we find from the Spirit of Christ both in the oldness of letter and i● newness of life So these things we canno● bow ●o nor worship in for conscience sake ●onscience towards God conscience towards the holy men of God in the holy life and conscience towards the Scripture of truth for of all these we make conscience in their time and place in which God the Father of all hath brought them forth to serve him As men would impose upon our Consciences to come once a weeke to such a great house in their Parish which they call a parish Church and there we must observe what one man shall reade preach or pray for two or three houres that day by an usuall forme and this man will have a Clarke and he shall say Amen at the end of such a sentence or part of his prayer or speech and to this Church and to this worship must we be bound while we dwell in that parish And either the tythes of all we have or so much a yeare set maintenance must be payd to the man calling himselfe a Minister of Christ And so much a yeare to his Clarke for saying Amen after him in money and egges and the like And if this we doe constantly we may live peaceably by them and goe under the name of a good Christian and a religious man but if we faile in any of this but especially in that of tythes or wages then they call us heretickes and complaine of us to the Magistrate or sue us at Law till they have cast our bodyes into prisons and taken the

Conscience from dead works And will you not suffer him to reigne and governe therein hath not he quickned every living soule and created anew every free Spirit and would you take and keepe the kingdome therein out of his hand and rule there for another or your selves with force and cruelty Is not this he for whom the Sabbath was made and all the ordinances under heaven speakes his dominion And will you now read this and professe and withstand him in the Consciences of his tender people and deny him to rule in his Church alone have you not read what God hath said of him and his enemies in the second Psalme nay are not all the Scriptures his and testifie to him alone as head over all and ruler in all his Saints And as you have heard read and professed his dominion more then heathens and yet goe on to keepe it from him so to you is his first appear●nce to seeke his owne of you And if you persist to deny him it s you must drinke the Cup first that the heathens may heare and feare his name fr●m farre and his rising appeare to all the ends of the world that its he alone who is from everlasting at whose name every knee must bow and tongue confesse to the right of his inheritance And this further I lay before you people of this Nation who have long been crying for peace and settlement in the Nations and in your Religion and you cry out of so many divisions and so many religions I say to you all how should you be otherwise when you will not come to the one religion that is of God and was in the beginning with God and brought forth in time by Iesus Christ for the bringing all into God againe and reconciling all sorts of scattered people who are scattered in the imaginations and customes of carnall spirited men from God the one good thing into many things rudiments and traditions wherein you can neither be reconciled to God nor one to another for how is it like that ever that religion can reconcile to God which sets you a killing one another to uphold it are you like to obtaine peace in that Spirit which in your hearts is the cause of enmity and warre or obtaine unitie from that roote which hath thus scattered you in its fruits and off spring This is like the false Prophets of old who would bite with their teeth and cry peace Nay this is not the way of settlement or lasting peace THAT you must have in returning and making peace with the Spirit of Jesus you must kisse the Son and so make peace for this hath been seene concerning you of these Nations that if you owne not the light of Christ in spirit and truth that he may lead you out of these many things which are not of ●od and reconcile you to God in spirit and truth there to worship him alone who is a Spirit you will ere long be in bloud eyther amongst your selves one against another or else i● the bloud of the innocent Lambs of Chri●t which will not be for your peace with God for he that hath letted your peace and settlement is not yet taken away nor his power who is that old bloud-sucker and divider of Nations people and tongues abou● faith and religions and with which a fire hath often been kindled nor can his power be stopped but by the Spirit of the Lambe of God which takes away sin and breakes downe the wall of separation which is made about ordinances litterall ceremoniall and traditionall which can never cease but as men turne to the Spirit of the Lord Iesus That with the light of peace and truth you may be led into peace truth and unity that wrath may be done away and the ground thereof and you and your religion may be setled on the foundation of truth Christ Jesus the chiefe corner stone and not upon dayes times meats drinks and apparell and other things which will perish with the using and so will they that worship and not in the leadings of Christ alone and God will shake the Idolls of peoples minds and all the glory of flesh that he alone may be exalted in the earth as he is in heaven So if you will have peace you must come to the Son of peace and if you will have establishment you must come to the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles of God for I say many have been about to build a house for God to dwell in with carnall things and rudiments and this they would bind him to his people who is a Spirit and his house must be built of spirituall men and women who like living stones must grow up in his owne light and vertue into a holy temple in the Lord In which you must be builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Eph. 2.20 21 22. And this is Gods house built by Christ alone with that which is elect and precious not with gold and garments or observations of perishing things but with redeemed soules by the bloud of Iesus out of their vaine conversation and gathered into the Spirit of truth and life and power to worship God who is a Spirit in spirit truth and this is Gods house at this day which was his house in the Apostles dayes who dwells not in Temples made with hands as saith the Apostles nor with mens hands is worshipped but with him that 's poore in spirit and of a broken and contrite heart to him will I looke saith the Lord and there will I dwell And the bodyes of his holy people are the Temples of the living God as he hath said I will dwell in them and walke in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people 2 Cor. 6.16 And untill you come to this building of God in your selves God will not dwell with you in peace but all your buildings will he cōfound and not accept your sacrifice and then the Devill will enrage you against Gods house and spirituall building even his poore despised people them to destroy like Cain when his sacrifice was not accepted in his owne will But if you turne to the Lord who is that Spirit then will he cause his light to shine in your hearts to give you an heavenly understanding and he will put his Spirit in your inward parts and fill you with heavenly power and will let you see the lively Image of truth and peace and he will take away the vaile of the Covering that is spead over all Nations from which arises all their carnall comprehensions and carnall worships of the invisible spirituall God and he will also swallow up death in victory which now worketh in the Nations to kill one another about religion and worship without spirit and life so will you come to be taught his true worship who is a Spirit and become true worshippers in Spirit and so grow up in his knowledge and he will owne your worship whom as yet you have neither heard hi● voyce at any time nor seene his shape And Christ saith of such worshippers You worship you know not what but the true worshippers worship in faith and know what they worship and such the Father ● now seeking to worship him saith Christ Iesus John 4.22 23 24. And this is the thing oh England tha● concernes thy peace with thy God in thi● thy day who art Combred with many things about Christ and worship but neglects the one thing needfull for thy everlasting peace and establishment and to bring thee into that worship of Spirit withou● which God cannot accept thee and that religion which is pure and undefiled in the sight of God which will keepe thee unspotted in the world which till thou turn● to thou wilt be working against the Spirit of God through the darknesse of enmity that is in thee and he will certainly worke against thee except thou repent THE END J. N. R. H. 1 John 3.27 Isa. 5.6 2 Chro. 19.6 Isa. 6.9 Mat. 12.8 Heb. 2.10 Dan. 4.25 Acts 2.36 1 Tim. 6.15 Isa. 11.4 Isa. 40.11 Psal. 45.7 Jer. 23.5 6. Luk. 1.24 Isa. 6.3 2 Sam. 23.4 Isa. 32.1 2. Eccles. 10.16 17. Psal. 69.9 Lam. 3.14 Rev. 21.24 Isa. 5.21 Jer. 17.5 John 5.44 Isa. 30.1 Rom. 8.14 Gal. 5.18 Mat. 17.5 2 Cor. 10.6 Isa. 28.7 Jere. 23. Amos 2.4 Amos 7.14 Jerem. 23. Isa. 1.9 Hester 3. Dan. 6. Dan. 3. Acts 5.28 29. John 16.2.3 2 Tim. 1.13 Job 32.21 22. James 2. Dan. 3.21 Lev. 18.30 Ier. 23.10 Mat. 5.34 Iames 5.12 Lev. 19.12 Mat. 5.34 Mat. 5. Isa. 59.4 Isa. 28.15 Jer. 9.3 4 5 Pro. 12.19.22 Pro. 29.12 Psal. 40.4 Deut. 19.16 17 18 19 20 1 Cor. 7.39 M●la 2.15 Ma●h. 19.6 M●th. 19.8 Mah. 19.4 5. Rom. 8.2 Nom. 13. Acts 4.19 2 C●r 1.12 1 Tim. 3.9 James 1.27 John 4.23 24. Dan. 4.17 Heb. 1.8 9. Isa. 11.1 2. 2 Cor. 4.5 2 Cor. 1.24 1 Pet. 5.3 2 Cor. 10.4 Eph. 6.12 1 Cor. 4.5 Mic. 3.10 Col. 1.18 Phil. 2.10 Rev. 17.14 John 6.27 Col. 1.18 Mat. 1.21 Phil. 2.13 1 Cor. 6.10 Rom. 14.23 Rom. 14.4 Mat. 7.12 1 Cor. 2.10 11. John 3.20 21. Rom. 7.6 1 Thes. 1.1 Gala. 1.16 Gal. 1.11.12 1 Cor. 9.14 1 Cor. ● 17 18. 2 Cor. 4.5 1 Cor. 14 29 30 31. 1 Cor. 2.12 1 John 4.1 1 Thes. 5.21 1 Cor. 8.5 6. 〈◊〉 4 5 6. Heb. 7. John 4.21 24. Acts 7.48 Acts 17.24 Jer. 10.2 3. Isa. 55.4 Luke 1.79 Heb. 1.6 Mica 3. Col. 2.14 15 16 17 20 21 22. Heb. 10.11 Isa. 66.2 Isa. 25.7 8. 2 Cor. 3.16 17 18. John 5 37. Luke 19 42· Luke 10.41 42. James 1.27