Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	truth_n	worship_n	worship_v	19,034	5	9.4594	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13025	A generall treatise against poperie and in defence of the religion by publike authoritie professed in England and other churches reformed. VVherein they that either want leisure to read, or that haue not iudgement to conceiue, or that are not able to buie the learned treatises of other concerning particular points of religion, may yet euidently see poperie not to be of God, and our religion to be acceptable in his sight. Very necessarie for these times, for the confirmation and strengthening of men in our religion, that neither by Iesuits, nor by any other, they may be drawne to poperie, or any other heresie or sect: and likewise for the winning of Papists and atheists to an vnfained liking and true profession of our religion. By Thomas Stoughton minister of the word	Stoughton, Thomas.	1598 (1598)	STC 23316; ESTC S113794	180,055	360

saluatiō by his own good works so that whereas the Scripture teacheth vs that a man is onelie iustified and saued by a true and liuelie faith in Christ Iesus Poperie teacheth that a man is iustified not by such a faith alone but also by workes partlie of himselfe and partly of other 4 So the Scripture teacheth that Christ Iesus is a perfect Sauiour which hath redeemed vs from all iniquitie and that with once offring vp of himselfe once I say for all and for euer but popery teacheth that he hath onely satisfied for sinnes before Baptisme and that he must dailie be offred vp by the hands of some greasie priest The Scripture teacheth that there is certainely no cōdemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus that they that loue the brethren are of the truth and shal before him assure their hearts that they shall neuer perish out of the handes of Christ Iesus c but poperie teacheth that it is presūption for any mā to say that he is assured of these things The Scripture teacheth vs that Christ his humanitie is in heauen and shal be in heauen till his second cōming vnto iudgement but popery teacheth vs that it is euen now vpon the earth that in manie places at one and the same time The Scripture teacheth vs that Christ his bodie glorified doth so retaine the essentiall qualities of a true bodie that it may be discerned to haue both flesh bones by our outward senses Luk. 24. 39. But poperie teacheth that it is so altered and chaunged that neither by sight nor by taste nor by touching and feeling it can be discerned to haue any more flesh and bone then a peece of bread yea then a wafer cake as thinne as a paper The Scripture forbiddeth all grauen or painted Images of any thing whatsoeuer and wheresoeuer to be made and worshiped or anie waies religiously to be bowed vnto but popery commaundeth the making and worshipping of Images of things in heauen and in earth materiall and spirituall visible and inuisible knowne and vnknowne liuing and without life euen of the materiall and woodden crosse of Christ The Scripture forbiddeth all detraction from and all addition vnto it selfe binding this prohibition with a commination of a fearefull curse to anie that shall so doe but poperie hath not feared to cut of the whole second commaundement and many other thinges neither to adde whole bookes to the Cannon of the Scriptures The Scripture condemneth all praiers of the mouth in anie vnknowne tongue without vnderstanding and affection but poperie teacheth that in praier and all other things opus operatum the worke done howsoeuer it be done with affection or without affection is meritorious and that all praiers of all persons and in al places must be in the latine tongue albeit they that pray vnderstand neuer a word and may as well be taught to say O Deuill which art in hell as Our father which art in heauen yea and so they oftentimes pray for ought they knowe to the contrary For howsoeuer the Pope hath canonized Thomas Becket as it is said Edmund Campian other of that traiterous nest for Saints yet their treasons for which they were iustly cut off by the sword of the ciuill magistrate and their damnable heresies and horrible blasphemies whereof they shewed no repentance doe rather condemne them for diuells in hell then commend them for Saints in heauen The Scriptures commend the obseruation of the Lord his day aboue all other daies condemning also the obseruation of any other day in like sort perpetuallie but poperie commandeth more holidaies now then were euer commanded by God himselfe in the time of the law and that to be kept as strictly as the Lords daie it selfe The scripture teacheth that al things are cleane to the cleane but poperie maketh such difference of meates drinkes apparell c. and teacheth that at some times all flesh is polluted that it defileth whosoeuer eateth thereof more then swearing fornication and such like things as God himselfe hath expressely forbidden The Scripture commaundeth to gather vp the basest of God his creatures that nothing be lost but poperie commandeth vpon Sh●oue-tuseday that whatsoeuer of the best flesh be left it should be cast vnto the dogges and ●o vtterly lost rather then saued for the good of any man The Scripture teacheth vs onely to call vpon God in the dare of our trouble and to praie onely to him when we may call Our Father which art in heauen but poperie teacheth vs to pray to the virgin Marie Saint Peter Saint Iohn Saint Swithin c. yea to the eyes nose mouth c. to the neckerchiffe girdle c. of the virgin Marie as is manifest by some of their olde printed praier bookes The Scripture teacheth by sentence and example of Priests Leuites Prophets Apostles c. that marriage is honourable in all men though as holy as Adam was before his fall but poperie teacheth vs that at sometimes of the yeare marriage is vnlawfull for all men and at all times for the ministers of the word in regard of their holy function The Scripture teacheth vs that euery soule ought to be subiect to the higher power and to honour the King c and that whosoeuer resisteth such power resisteth the ordinance of God but poperie teacheth vs that the cleargie is exempted from all ciuill power and may not be called before any such magistrates neither be punished by any ciuill laws To finish this argument drawne from the repugnancie of the matter of poperie to the Scriptures and that religion which they commend I must euen say as the Apostle saith Heb. 11. 23. What shall I say more the time would be to● short to tell of Gedeon Baruch c. so I say must I say what shal I say more long time would be too short and much paper too little to set down all the repugnancies and contrarieties of the matter of Poperie and of the matter of that religion which is commended vnto vs in the scriptures Can both therefore be of God and acceptable vnto God that is alvvaies the same and in whome there is no chaunge nor shadow of chaunge THE FOVRTH ARGVMENT touching the forme of true religion THat which hath beene said of the matter of poperie in respect of the matter of that religion which is commended in the scriptures may be said of the forme God is a Spirit and therefore to be vvorshipped in spirit and truth Ioh. 4. 24. But poperie prescribeth such a carnall and fleshly forme and manner of worship as if God were all flesh and no spirit God oftentimes commaundeth himselfe to be worshipped onely according to his owne word And truly if Princes may lawfully require obedience and seruice of their subiects according to their owne lawes with much more equitie may God the Prince of princes require seruice according to his owne statutes and ordinances Therefore he doth iustly refuse the traditions precepts and doctrines

note leauing the further consideration of them to the godly reader 5 First therefore sith all these things doe most liuely shew the extreame follie high abominatiō of poperie how ought all papists to be ashamed of their religion How ought all Protestants that sometimes haue bin papists to be grieued for their poperie How ought they likewise to mourne for any of their friēds yea for any other yet remaining in that estate yet shut vp in the shadow of death How ioyfull likewise and thankfull ought we to be that God hath opened our eies to see these things that he hath not sent his angel onely into our houses as sometime he did into the house of Lot to take him guide him out of Sodō before fire came frō heauen to destroy that citie but also hath giuē vs his holy spirit in our hearts thereby deliuered vs frō so ridiculous so grosse so horrible a religiō 6 Further we see by these things how dangerous it is not to beleeue the truth and how blockish we are if we be left vnto our selues Verily there is no errour so foolish so absurd so grosse so abominable so monstrous but that if God doe forsake vs if he take his spirit from vs if he leaue vs to our selues we are readie to beleeue it as truth yea to be zealous therein yea farre more zealous then any of Gods owne children are in the truth 7 O therfore let vs not deceiue our selues late vs hate poperie as such a monster ought to be hated let vs make that account of the truth giue such credit obediēce therūto that for our contēpt light account thereof God neither giue poperie any returne againe vnto vs. Let vs earnestly pray let vs keepe watch by night ward by day let vs alwaies with all carefulnes looke vnto our selues let vs take heede of all Iesuits seminatie priests yea of all papists and likewise of all other meanes whereby we may be entangled with this filthie sottish religion and be drawne thereunto Let vs delight in the communion fellowship of al them that loue the truth and are able to confirme strengthen helpe vs forward in this religion which now generally we professe vsing all other good means commended vnto vs for the same end Let vs take heed not onely of the maine stock of poperie but also of euery bough branch twigge yea of euery leafe for there is d●ungerous if not deadly poison in th● least patch of poperie And as the whole substance of popish doctrine was not hatched all at once but now one egge laide laide and then an other now one chicken and then an other now one opinion and then an other vntill all the whole brood was come forth and when it was throughly hatched brought forth it had not all the stature nor all the feathers nor all the strength the first day but crept and got vp by litle and litle so the deuil being stil as subtil as he was and seeing poperie now to be banished and grieuing that it is forced to liue so long in exile therefore daily laboureth as alas by too great experience we daily see by litle litle againe to winne vs thereunto Priuately indeede in many places of this land and it is to be feared in too many I pray God also that it be not in too great places and with too great persons he laboureth where the whole body of popery doth remaine there to vphold it and where it is not there also wholly to bring it in againe For we see many now to be Papists euen of both sexes yea some to be recusant papists whose fathers were little more then borne in the beginning of the raigne of her most excellent Maiestie But although Satan the olde aduersarie where he thinketh he may be bold and where he hath fitte instruments to worke by hath in some priuate places euen in this flourishing time and bright light of the gospel drawne some to the whole doctrine and religion of pope●ie yet he will not as yet be so bold as to attempt this publikely Notwithstāding he goeth about it by degrees by litle litle tunning as it were and filling his vessels here there one with strōg popish drink an other with small that is one with a maine point of poperie another with a smal point yea not onely tunning filling thē ther with but also tapping broching thē so filled giuing of the drink of thē by whole kannes to other to drinke And this he doth according to his old subtiltie hoping the more easily to bring in to broach all againe so to make all drunkē againe with the cuppe of fornications that is in the hād of the whore strumpet of Rome 8 Wherefore in the feare of God in the tender loue that I beare vnto the soules of all I doe admonish all to take heede of this euil Whatsoeuer hath bin accounted poperie by good reason shewed to be repugnāt to the truth cōmon consent of all churches reformed held as erronious heretical let all diligētly take heed they neuer cōceiue any good liking thereof again If we feare any more to embrace all poperie let vs take heede that in the mean time we neuer entertain any one opinion therof though neuer so litle If we feare to be drunken with the strōgest drink or with many cups of poperie let vs refraine from tasting therof For as with them that delight in strong drinke one cup draweth on an other so also may we feare it wil be with thē which begin to smel of any one point of poperie It is dangerous it is dangerous to drinke in any one errour of poperie though neuer so small especially to persist in the liking thereof to say when we haue tasted it This is good and most dangerous it is to cōmend the same to other to make them to drinke of the same cup with vs all this is very dāgerous whither we doe it for some good liking of the thing it self or in regard of our own estimatiō or in any other respect whatsoeuer For we may feare least the Lord harden our hearts euen to like of those errors which as yet our soules abhor 9 I write not this to gal or gird at any or to disgrace any one particular person my heart hateth all such hatred delighteth in loue peace as wel in the credit of other as of my selfe but in a general loue I do generally admonish all to take heede in this behalfe The Apostle speaketh in the like generall māner not admonishing some onely but also euery one to take heed least at any time there should be in any an euill vnfaithful heart to fal away Hebr. 3. 12. frō the liuing Lord. Yea after that he had testified vnto thē that he was perswaded good things Hebr. 6. 9. of thē such as did accompanie saluation yet he speaketh as generally exhorting thē to take heede that no man did fall away frō the grace of Hebr. 12. 15. God Adding further as a special means to take heede thereof that they should not suffer any roote of bitternes so much as once to spring vp amongst thē where by the root of bitternes all men know he meaneth errours and heresies Finally he addeth these reasons fitst that such roots or root would trouble thē secōdly that it would defile thē There is none therefore so strōg in the grace of God but that he may fal though not finally as hath bin shewed in my treatise if he be secure take not great heed 〈…〉 himselfe There is none so well 〈◊〉 with the sweet precious liquor of Gods truth but that he may becom bitter by suffering such bitter rootes to spring vp in his heart There is none at such peace with men and with his owne conscience but that he may be disquieted disturbed and troubled There is none so well was washed clensed by the pure water of Gods holy spirit but that he may be polluted defiled There is none therefore that may thinke this mine admonition of taking heede vnto himselfe to be superfluous and needles for him 11 To conclude I do again in all hūble māner beseech all whōsoeuer both all the reuerend fathers gouernours of our church also all other my learned and good brethrē as well remaining vnder our mothers wings in the Vniuersities of Cambridge and Oxenford as also alreadie called forth to labour in the ministerie of the word in particular churches all these I say I doe hūbly beseech earnestly exhort to be feruent in spirit in behalfe of the truth and with all zeale to vpholde defend maintaine and daily in the places where we liue and in the hearts of the people ouer whō the holy Ghost hath made vs ouerseers to further to encrease and to enlarge that sound and wholesome doctrine which hitherto hath bin taught by vs and heard like wise and in some measure receiued by those amongst whome we haue laboured THE ENDE

of men in his worship Isa 29. 13. Math. 15. 3. and in many other places doth he also condemne wil worship and such as is forged onely in the forge of man his wit but poperie prescribeth a forme of God his worshippe principally according to the doctrines of men and least of all according to the doctrine of God himselfe Yea to speake according to truth they haue brought such a darke cloud of the precepts of men into the worship of God that a man can hardly discerne whether they worship God according to any of his owne precepts Yea to speake yet more plaine they make so many images crosses reliques of saints they make so many praiers to Saints and offer so many gifts vnto them they haue so many pilgrimages in their honour they repose so much trust and confidence in all these things they bestow so much cost vpon them they so precisely and superstitiously obserue daies consecrated vnto them c. that a man cannot well saie that they worship God in any manner at all As for their foolish distinction digged onely out of that colepit from whence they haue digged their Images reliques and inuocation of Saints c. as none of their learned sort haue euer bene able to defend it so not one of fiue thousand of the vulgar people doe know or vnderstand it How then can they regard it or tell when they giue that vnto God which they giue vnto saints and images c. or that to these things which they should by their owne doctrine onely giue vnto God 2 Neither doe they onely worshippe these things but also a peece of bread which as soone as they haue adored goeth into the mouth from their mouth into the stomacke from the stomacke into the paunch and from the paunch out againe of the bodie all men know whither That this is so whatsoeuer the ignorant are perswaded to the contrarie is manifest because that if a man were driuen to that necessitie that he had no other meate to eate then their consecrated host as they call it as sometime Dauid was forced to eate of the shewbread I am sure they could not denie but that their host so eaten for a weeke or a moneth together would nourish the naturall man as well as other bread so as that their should be as good digestion and egestion of that as also of other bread or meate if it be so can the nature of it be so altered according to their doctrine and by their inchanting sorceries as that there should remaine nothing but accidents of bread It is most absurd it is most ridiculous For how can meere accidents nourish a materiall substance and make a materiall egestion If they saie that all this is done by the substance of Christ his very bodie they speake the more grossely in making that foode for this natural life and the more blasphemously in saying that that goes into the draught Againe in such a case I demand also whether a man forced to liue onely by such meanes for a time or so liuing voluntarily by getting some way or other all the Hosts to himselfe in a cuntrie could liue by them alone without drinke Certenly by their doctrine for the administring of the sacramēt in one kind onely it should be so For they say that one kind onely is sufficient because the blood of Christ is alwaies with the bodie per concomitantiam So then by this reason a man that should haue nothing but their host for a weeke or moneth or longer time to liue vpon should not onely haue meate but also drinke For they must as wel grāt the blood of Christ to be sufficient to quench thirst as his flesh to satisfie hunger Yet for all this let one of them trie but so litle a time to liue in this manner I meane onely feeding vpon nothing but vpon breade consecrated by some Papist and I doubt not but that he will be glad to aske his neighbour a cup of some other drinke beside that spiritual drinke which he hath by concomitance as they speak of his foode Yea if some Papist would trie this way to liue but a little while he should quickly finde the knauerie of transubstantiation and consequently also the impietie of all poperie 3 Nowe to returne from whence we haue made this digression the Papists doe not onely worship the crosse reliques and such like things but such as are no reliques of the Saints peeces of woode in stead of peeces of the crosse whereon Christ was nailed For if so many Churches should haue such large thongs of the very crosse of Christ as the Papists say they haue all gathered together would load the best shippe in England then no maruaile indeede though Christ were wearie of bearing his crosse what a gyant was Simon of Syrene whom they compelled to beare such a burthen O say they you doe not vnderstand the mysterie For the crosse of Christ was not so heauie as al the peeces now laid together would be How so because euer as one peece was cut off the remainder did grow to the former greatnes and was neuer a whit lesse then at the first but notwithstanding all the peeces cut off it still remaineth whole Let him that list beleeue this my name is Thomas and I will not beleeue it till I see it therefore I shall neuer beleeue it Touching their worship of reliques he that will haue sport let him read M. Caluin of that matter I meane his little booke of reliques where amongst other reliques he shall finde Christ his foreskinne cut off when he was circumcised his shooes the earth that laie vnder his feete when he raised vp Lazarus from the dead the title set ouer his head at his crucifying his thornie crowne the dish wherein he did eate the paschall lambe the napkin about his head when he was buried yea the very taile of the asse whereon he rode and many such morsels 4 By these things hitherto spoken we see how contrarie poperie is vnto the religion commended in the Scriptures both in matter and also in forme Who therefore that knoweth the constant immutable and spirituall nature of God can be perswaded in any reason that poperie should be acceptable vnto God If out of one fountaine cannot come both sweete and sowre waters can two religions so contrarie come from one and the same God If God approoue that religion which is commended in the Scriptures then he must needes disalow of that which is contrarie thereunto or if he allow of that religion which is contrarie to the Scriptures then he must also disallow of the religion commended in the Scriptures If therefore no man dare thinke that God disalloweth of the religion commended in the scriptures let no man dare to thinke that he alloweth poperie so contrarie thereunto Now as touching our religion both matter and forme agree with the Scriptures We commend knowledge we commend and teach all that the scriptures commend