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A37935 The doxology approven, or, The singing glory to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost in the worship of God its lawfulness and expediency proven from the Holy Scriptures, councils and Fathers, and the scruples of the weak thereanent cleared / by Mr. Robert Edward ... Edward, Robert, ca. 1616-1696. 1683 (1683) Wing E187; ESTC R31408 120,446 132

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were now Christians of understanding as they were Baptized presently in the name of Father Son and Holy Ghost and gave a Confession of their Faith in Father Son and Holy Ghost that they also in their publick worship did sing Glory to that Father Son and Holy Ghost in whose name they were newly Baptized Some asks the question upon what Text of Scripture the Doxology is chiefly founded for answer It hath two parts to wit The three Persons of the Trinity which are the object of that worship Secondly the Glory given to them which is the Act of worship in the Doxology accordingly the giving of Glory to God is founded on many Scriptures but there is one full and express Rom. 11. the last verse Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen But seing the object of the worship in three distinct Persons of the Trinity is most clear in the Words of the Baptismal institution Matth. last Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost therefore with Athanasius Bazil and the rest of the Greek Fathers we think that the Doxology is chiefly grounded upon that Text in Matthew It is true some of the Learned would build it on that Text Rom. 11. And that because they alleadge the three Persons of the Trinity insinuate here which though it Lombardus lib. 1. senten distinct 36. capitulo 3. putat cum Augustino in lib. 1. de trinitate cap. 6 in loco praedicto 11. capitis ad Romanos indigitari distinctionem trium personarum astibi certum est to loco non satis perspicuum datur fundamentum fidei trium personarum trinitatis pro argumento invincibili quod Eunomius Arianus istam textam citat ut patet Basilei lib. 1. contra Eunominium dum dat confessionem suae fidei pag. 7. Credimus inquit in unum Deum ex quo sunt omnia in unum unigenitum dei filium eundem verbum dominum nostrum Jesum Christum per quam sunt omnia in unum Spiritum Sanctum paracletum Haec Arij confessio fidei in trinitatem subolet hunc locum ad Romanos ipse Arianus prius rumperet quam consiteretur se credere in Patrem Filium Spiritum Sanctum aut ita proferret Doxologiam ut scribit Basilius were granted that the three Persons are there insinuat yet the other Text being full and express and the strongest Bulwark against the Arian therefore that Text in Matthew is the chief ground for the Doxology for to glorify God according to that Text in the Romans is so general that the Arian could easily subscribe to such a Doxology CHAP. VII The lawfulness of singing the Doxology proven by the Induction of all it's Parts 12. from the three Holies Isa 6. 3. IN this Chapter we prove by Induction that all the Parts of the Doxology are in the Holy Scriptures from whence we deduce this Reason that Divine Glory which in the Holy Scripture is given to Father Son and Holy Ghost that same Divine Glory is lawfull to sing to Father Son and Holy Ghost we prove the assumption that Glory is given to Father Son and Holy Ghost Rom. 11. v. last To God be glory for ever 1 Tim. 1. 17. To God be honour and glory forfor ever and ever Amen 2 Tim. 4. 18. To God be glory for ever and ever 1 Tim. 6. v. 16. To God be honour and power everlasting for ever Jude v. last To God be glory now and for ever Amen Galat. 14. 5. To God and our Father be glory for ever and ever Amen and the same Words Philip. 4. 20. Secondly Glory to God through Christ these words you shall find Rom. 16. v. last Eph. 3. 21. Heb. 13. 20 21. Thirdly To Christ be glory now and for ever Amen 2 Peter 3. v. last Revel 16. Revel 5. 12. He is the Lord of glory 1 Corinth 2. 8. James 2. 1. He is crowned with glory Heb. 2. 9. The Lords glorious branch Isaiah 11. 10. The Holy Ghost Pet. 14. 14. The Spirit of glory is glorified Thus we have proven from Scripture these parts of the Doxology Glory to the Father to the Son and Holy Ghost for now and ever There remains one word to be cleared in the Doxology to wit As it was in the beginning for clearing of which we wrot in the end of the fourth Chapter that these words were added to the Doxology because of Arian Hereticks and that in the fourth Century when Arius denyed that the Son was with the Father from all eternity but affirmed that there was a time when the Son was not and these Ancient Doctors of the Church knowing that the first Words in St. Johns Gospel in these three Verses were indited by the Holy Ghost and written by the Apostle John his Pen-man to assert the Co-eternity of the Son with the Father and that against Ancient Hereticks who lived in the Apostle St. John's time and were Blasphemers of Christ the Church therefore hath made choise of that same Text as fittest against the Arians a Alexander Alexandriae Episcopus Concilij Niceni Membrum Arij Blasphemijs infensissimus in sua Epistola ad omnes ubique gentium fratres scribit Arium asserere tempus aliquando fuisse cum filius Dei non esset quod sic refutat in initio Evangilij Joannis In principio erat verbum itaque non erat tempus cum non esset Socrates lib. 1. cap. 3. Syrmiense concilium in symbolo damnat eos qui dicunt erat tempus aut seculum quando 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non erat ibidem anathemate 25. Si quis dicat Christum ex quo ex Maria natus est initium accepisse ut Deus esset anathema sit ut Samosatenus Ebion Cerinthus Thus have we cleared that all the Words in the Doxology are express Scripture and according thereunto and if any object that it follows not to be lawfully sung in the Church except it were in Scripture all contiguous together as one of the Psalms of David to these in this place I only give this Answer That the reformed Church of France in their publick worship sing the Apostolick Creed turned in Meeter and is therefore printed and bound in with their Psalm Books and yet that Creed is far lesse continued Scripture then the Doxology And the Learned know that the Church of France is famous not only of old time for many glorious Martyres before the Council of Nice but also in the beginning of Reformation from Popery b Origines in hunc locum Is 66. 3. ait hic trinitatem insinuari Athanasius tom 1. operim pag. 154. 255. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proferunt glorificationem dicentes sanctus sanctus sanctus tres personas perfectas ostendunt sub una voce Dominus unam substantiam declarant idque 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in confuse indivise subinnuens nec Angelos
that addition is obscure and does not clearly assert the Eternity of the Trinity before the World began as for ever in the close of the Doxology asserts the Eternity of the Trinity for ever after the World I answer we have proven indenyably from the Church History that these words as it was in the Beginning in the Doxology are taken from the first Chapter and first Verse of St. John's Gospel which words the Holy Ghost there made use of to assert the Co-eternity of the Son with the Father and therefore that same Text was used by the Fathers of the Nicen Council against Arius who denied the preceeding Eternity of the Son with the Father and the Fathers of the Council of Syrmium against the Arians writ that Ebion and Cerinthus who were blasphemous Hereticks in the days of the Apostle St. John denied the Godhead of the Son and consequently his Co-eternity with the Father And therefore as the scope of all St. John's Gospel is chiefly to prove Christ's Godhead against these two Hereticks so albeit that first Proposition in the Beginning was the Word taken alone by way of separation from the following words will not prove any Eternity or Co-eternity with the Father yet joyn it in coherence with the following words and that will clear the right Sense of this Beginning in the first of John and the Beginning mentioned in the Doxology and ye will find it the same in Sense with the first words in holy Writ Genes 1. 1. In the beginning God made Heaven and Earth and the same work of Creation is here attribute to the Son in the third following Verse all things are made by Him c. so that the Sense of these words in the Beginning both in the beginning of Genesis and beginning of John's Gospel is clearly this as from the Beginning was the Word and that Word was God so is now and ay shall last And as in the Beginning all things were made by Him and so He was Eternal before the World that He made in the beginning of Time as in the beginning of Genesis God was Eternal before the making of the World for to take any single Proposition in Scripture and admit no Sense to it but that which that one single separate Proposition will afford and so admit no further clearing of its Sense from antecedent and consequent Scriptures The Fathers and Doctors of the Church have ever made that practice the mark of a Heretick or at best of a heretical and contentious Spirit so that the meaning of the words as it was in the Beginning compared with the rest of the Verse In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God is asmuch in Sense as if the Doxology had said as it was from Eternity is now and ay shal last a Vide sis Basil in Tomo primo in locum 1 John 1. Prov. 8. 23. CHAP. V. The cause of the continuance of the Doxology in after Ages viz. The continuance of the Churches Perfecution and Temptation from Arians and other Blasphemers of the Trinity as Eutichians within and Mahumetanes without the Church and the Rise and Growth of the Socinian Heresie notwithstanding Gods witness against them and the Church and Magistrats endeavours in many Kingdoms these Blasphemous Andtrinitarian Hereticks remained and nested with Anabaptists and Quakers all three Blasphemous Antitrinitarian Hereticks which gives sufficient cause for the continuance of the Doxology IN this fifth Chapter I intend to give a brief account of the Molestation and Persection that the Church of Christ suffered from the remnant of Arians and other Antitrinitarian Blasphemers beginning at the fifth Century and continued to this very present time therefore I divide it in two parts The first containing the Antitrinitarians for 1000. Years even to the sixteenth Century The second part containing a list of the chief Socinians Quakers and others who deny the Sacred Trinity In the beginning of the fifth Century the great Tempest of the Arian Power and Persecution was much abated in the Mercy of God who will not suffer the rod of the Wicked to ly always on the lot of the Righteous lest the Righteous put forth their hand to iniquity Psal 125. 3. And among the many other means used by the Church against these blasphemous Heresies the Lord blessed that mean especially of the Churches Councils especially these General Councils of Nice Ephesus Constantinople and Chalcedon which as Beza well characterizeth them holiest Meetings the Sun saw since the days of the Apostles who proved against these Blasphemers terrible as an Army with Banners and like a Rock on the Sea shore that breaks all the Waves that violently beat upon it but it self remains whole and immovable a Beza Epist 81. Amplissimus ille Nicenae Ephisinae Chalcedonensis Synodi concessus quo nihil unquam sanct us nihil Augustius ab Apostolorum excessu Sol unquam aspexit qui putat fundamentum omnis Religionis id est veri Dei cognitionem maximos illos praestantissimos angelos Dei non tenuisse san● indignus est qui in Ecclesia Dei sentiatur for why the Christian Faith of these General Councils was built upon the Rock against which the Gates of Hell shall never prevail Mat. 16. 18. In this fifth Century and some following not only the Arians were not altogether extinct but still remained a Prick in the side of the true Church especially these barbarous Nations who were not under the command of the Christian Emperours to wit Goths and Vandals who were turned Arians and persecuted the true Church so far as they had Power or Opportunity Secondly In the midst of this Century arose another sort of Hereticks called Eutichians Blasphemers against Christ who vexed the true Church about 300. Years and sometimes were cruel Persecuters b Beza Itidem exercuit Ecclesiam crassissimum illud Eurichis delirium annos plusminus trecentos subinde interpolatis novo quodam suco oblitis erroribus renascens Before the Arian and Eutichian Hereticks were crushed Satan stirred up the Mahumetans who are professed Blasphemers of the Sacred Trinity In the Year of Christ 441. The Vandals in Africk being Arians put to death the Orthodox Christians by cruel Torments c Prosper in chronico Anno Christi 447. arose a mad Monk who falsly taught the mixing together of Christ's two Natures and so destroying them both he was condemned by a General Council at Chalcedon of 630. Bishops Anno Domini 451. This Heresie continued the longer and prevailed the more because of two Emperours Anastatius and Heraclius favourers of the same d Evagrius lib. 265. cap. 8. cap. 10. lib. 3. cap. 5. add 22. lib. 4. cap. 9 10. Anno 489. Many Orthodox Bishops in Africa were banished by the Arians who were prevalent there e Palmerius in chron Honoricus King of the Vandals Arians in Africk banished more then 400. Orthodox f Antonius chronico
the Lord is His Word to obey the Magistrat in things lawful and also according to your refusal it is good Conscience to disobey the Magistrat therefore be pleased to consider that there is a twofold superstition First positive which is most ordinar to which the old Pharisees were much addicted There is also a negative superstition of which we have example Colos 2. 19. Touch not taste not handle not there is an other example of the same Rom. 14. 3. Where ye will find a superstidious eat not upon consideration of which two Texts see that your refusing to sing the Doxology come not in in that category sing not in which place ye may find a controversy betwixt two sorts of Christians the strong in knowledge and the weak the strong Christian believes that he may can any thing and not ask question or scruple for Conscience sake and him the Apostle approveth and alloweth for him the Apostle defends against the weak Christian in the end of the 3. verse God hath received him to wit the strong Christian and albeit the weak Christian who is stiff through his ignorance to eat not yet the Apostle condemns him because he proudly and ignorantly thought these things unclean whereas the Apostle sayes they were not unclean and therefore the strong made no scruple but eat and is approven of God So in the 14. verse of this 14. Chapter the weak thought that unclean which was not unclean and therefore refused to eat it then apply this to your own Consciences who sayes sing not because your Conscience thinks it unlawfull to sing when we have proven already that it is both lawfull and expedient See then that ye are not as wrong with your sing not as these weak Christian Romans were with their eat not The strong Christian thinks it clean to sing and dutifull and is approven of God ye think it unclean and unlawfull and are not approven of God because ye obey not the Magistrat in that which is lawfull and I pray you consider in the 14. verse of that Chapter the Apostles vehement and emphatick expression I know and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus Christ that there is nothing unclean of it self So I know and am perswaded with the universall Church that the Doxology is not unclean nor the singing of it an unclean Action and though ye judge him that singeth God hath saved him In these two ranks of Christians strong in knowledge and weak I perceive a fault in each of them mutually toward the other vers 3. The weak judged or condemned the strong for the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both as if they had been sinning in their eating and as people that made no conscience of their doings So beware it be not your sin proudly and ignorantly to condemn them that sings as it were a sin There was a sin also on the other hand in the strong that despised the weak for their refusing to eat because of their scrupulous and ignorant conscience therefore it is my humble request to all that sing the Doxologie that none of them despise or set at nought him that singeth not upon meer ignorance his conscience being sincere for despising is a sin against Christian love therefore even these who in great weakness sing not yet bestow Christian love on them and still the more if ye see any sign of Christ in them and be willing to instruct them in the spirit of meekness for which cause I have written these lines for your information and am to exhort you to tenderness with them in the last Chapter And if any object that there is some diversity and difference betwixt particular Churches which viosits not Christian union as in some Churches they kneel at the receiving of the Lords Supper in another Church they sit in the third they stand I answer albeit diverse Churches in diverse Kingdoms have diverse wayes yet no Church in one and the same Kingdom allows such a latitude as this receive the Communion standing or not standing as you please but every Church have their settled way and uniformity otherwayes it would violat the Apostles rule let all things be done in order and decency 1 Cor. 14. vers last and make confusion of which God is not the Author as it is vers 33. of that same Chapter and according a Justinianum lib 4. cap. 10. § 27. Si Ecclesiae incolumitati bene prospectum volumus diligenter omnino curandum est ut decenter omnia secundum ordinem fiant at cum in hominum moribus tanta in sit diversitas tanta in animas varietas tanta in ingeniis judiciisque pugna neque politia ulla firma est nisi certis legibus constituta nec nisi stata quadam forma servari ritus quispiam potest Calvin writes judiciously that there cannot be order and decency unless there be one certain state form so that this difference in some Churches one from another will not allow in the same Church some to sing the Doxologie some not For as Calvin did sing it to the day of his death so neither at that time nor never before it was the singing of the Doxologie called in question 2 Answer Albeit the universal Church hath judged some things of less moment then that the universal Church should be tyed to an uniformity in them because Church Communion might be kept firm amongst diverse Churches notwithstanding that they differed in some smaller particulars of which Socrates in his Church History lib. 5. cap. 21. writes at length which the Learned know yet there are some things belonging to the Church of so weighty and important concernment that the universal Church judged it no wayes expedient that particular Churches should be left to their own choise but that the universal Church should agree upon one certain way wherein all particular Churches might keep uniformity according to the rule of Gods Word for order and decency and peace and therefore the learned know what contentions fell out in the second Century betwixt the Church in the West and the Churches in lesser Asia for these in lesser Asia kept their Feast of Easter the same day that the Jews kept their Passover but the Christians in the West kept their Feast of Easter upon the first Sabbath day thereafter And albeit in this mean time the foresaid West and East Churches their judgement and practice was diverse upon that matter yet on both sides they who were strong in knowledge still kept Church Communion one with the other as Socrates proves learnedly in the foresaid Book and Chapter so that Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna afterwards a glorious Martyr of Jesus Christ albeit he did celebrat Easter in that same day with the Jews Passover as ordinarily did all his Neighbour Bishops in lesser Asia yet coming to Rome he Communicat with their Bishop upon their Christian Sabbath day which differed from his day of giving the Communion at home but because there