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
A49524	The reformed Presbyterian, humbly offering to the consideration of all pious and peaceable spirits several arguments for obedience to the act for unifromity, as the way to vnity and endeavouring to demonstrate by clear inferences from the sacred scriptures, the writings of some of the ancients, or several old pastors of the reformed churches abroad, and of the most eminent old non-conformists amongst ourselves : as Mr. Josias Nichols, Mr. Paul Baines, and other learned divines : as for Mr. Perkins, Mr. Iohn Randal, and Mr. Rob. Bolton, that there is nothing required by the act for vniformity that is forbidden by the law of God / by Rich. Lytler ...	Lytler, Richard.	1662 (1662)	Wing L3573; ESTC R1525	139,662	290

doth belong to the Magistrate and Church-governour to command and appoint in matters of Religion pag. 8 CHAP. IV. The term Uniformity explained and this Proposition proved That obedience to the Act for Uniformity is the way to Unity pag. 12 CHAP. V. That indifferent things may lawfully be commanded and that to obey such commands is not onely lawfull but profitable for the Peace of the Church To refuse obedience to indifferent things as sinfull is Negative superstition with several considerations about the regulating of our zeal about things indifferent in themselves pag. 22 CHAP. VI. That to declare against the binding power of the Covenant according to the Declaration appointed by the Act for Uniformity is lawfull both by the Law of God and of the Land Wherein the judgement of reverend Mr. Perkins in six cases as to the not-binding power of on Oath is applied to the case in hand pag. 33 CHAP. VII That to declare That it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take up arms against the King and that we do abhor that trayterous Position of taking arms by his Authority against his Person c. is very warrantable by the Law of God and of the Land pag. 48 CHAP. VIII That Uniformity in publick Worship by obedience to an Imposed Form is lawful pag. 54 CHAP. IX The Vindication of the Common prayer of the Church of England be Mr John Ball from the aspersions of the Old Prownists and the Authors of the Temperate Discourse and Plus Ultra The lawfulnesse also of Conformity to it with its Rites proved by Bishop Jewell Martin Bucer and others pag. 60 CHAP. X That to subscribe to the 39. Articles of Religion and to declare an unfeigned assent and consent c. is not contrary to any command of Christ but lawful and warrantable notwithstanding all the objections made of old by Mr. Josias Nichols against subscription which are in this Chapter laid down and modestly removed Pag. 91 CHAP. XI That to subscribe to the use of those Ceremonies which have significancy in them as the Surplice and Crosse in Baptism is lawfull and warrantable proved by the judgement of Forreign and our own Modern Divines both Conformists and Non-conformists Pag. 106 CHAP. XII The general argument against Subscription to the Book of making Bishops Priests and Deacons because the Deacon we are to approve his description is not to be found in the Book of God answered The weakness of which argument is evidenced from the example of Christ and his Apostles also the great evil of urging this argument at large that nothing is warrantable but what is expresly commanded Pag. 110 CHAP. XIII The Order of Deacon excepted against by Mr. Nichols as exercised in the Church of England justified by Mr. John Balls argument for Lecturers Together with several directions from Mr. John Randal what is to be done in this present case of Conformity as to perswading of the Conscience Pag. 124 CHAP. XIV Contains the course that a Minister is to take as to Conformity Though scandal be taken by weak Brethren in which Chapter the Doctrine of scandal is considered and what is alleadged by the Author of the Temperate Discourse is answered and the Magistrate freed from what is charged upon him under this consideration Pag. 132 CHAP. XV. That to receive Ordination from the Bishop though ordained before by Presbyters is lawful Pag. 140 CHAP. XVI That for our Ministers to receive Ordination by Bishops though ordained before by Presbyters will not conclude the Reformed Churches that have no Episcopal Ordination to have no true ministers and consequently to be no true Churches Pag. 151 Bucer Scripta Anglicana pag. 455. I give thanks to God who hath given you grace to reform these Ceremonies in such a purity And of the Common Prayer thus he there writes I have found nothing in it which is not taken out of the Word of God or at least which is contrary to it being rightly interpreted Mr. John Ball 's Answer to Mr. Can part 2. pag. 9. If the Common Prayer be wholly taken out of the Mass-book how cometh it to have those things which are so directly contrary to the Mass that both cannot possibly stand together Peter Martyr's Epistle from Oxford Nov. 4. 1550. to Bishop Hooper pag. 8. How be it I will not grant that these diversities of Vestures have their beginnings of the Pope for so much as I read in the Ecclesiastical History Euseb lib. 3. cap. 31. How that John the Apostle wore at Ephesus where he dwelled a Bishops apparel terming it Petalum seu lamina pontificalis As touching S. Cyprian the holy Martyr Pontius the Deacon writeth that a little before he should be beheaded he gave unto him that was appointed to behead him his vesture called B●rrus after he had put it off and to the Deacons he gave his other Vesture called Dalmatica c. Chrysostom maketh mention of the white Vesture of the Ministers of the Church in Mat. cap. 26. homil 83. ad ●o●ul Antioch homil 60. c. But be it so let them be the invention of the Pope as you would have it yet notwithstanding for the respect of the Papistical invention in them I cannot be perswaded so much impiety to be therein that whatsoever it toucheth it doth by and by so corrupt that it cannot be lawfull for good and godly men to use godlily pag. 7. We read how that wine was consecrated unto Bacchus bread unto Ceres water unto Neptune oyle unto Minerva song unto the Muses and unto Apollo and many other things Tertullian rehearseth in his book intituled De Corona Militis Christiani yet for all that we stick not to use all these things freely as well in holy as in prophane uses although at one time or other before they had been consecrated to Idols and to Devils Perkins on Conscience of Oaths pag. 527. If at the first it were lawful and afterward by some means become either impossible or unlawfull it binds not conscience for when it becomes impossible we may safely think that God from heaven frees a man from his oath CHAP. I. Introductory and by way of Preface pressing the necessity of searching into the nature of the things commanded before suffering for the same Section 1. INquiries after Truth in matters controverted are not more difficult in their prosecution then pleasant and delightful in the satisfaction they afford For though it be a true assertion of Democritus that Veritas in puteo latet c. and cannot be drawn out but with much labour yet no dainties are so relishing and delicious to the taste as truth obtained is to our Intellectnals Sect. 2. But more especially ought we to desire to know the truth in matters doubtful which refer to our practice and especially such as refer to the purity of Gods Worship who is a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and truth And though this is to be done at all times yet

schisms and divisions The Apostle John 1. 4 6 7. layeth down a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a mark or character how we may know the spirit of Truth from the spirit of Error the spirit of Truth is a Fountain of love and consequently the spirit of Error is the spring of discord as we have found by woful experience Error in doctrine is by our Saviour compared to Leaven Mat. 16.6 compared with the 12. Verse now as Leaven diffuseth a sowrenesse into the whole mass or lump whereever it cometh so also doth Error diffuse a sowreness and moroseness of spirit whereby he becomes unsociable and apt to divide and separate himself from the rest of his brethren that is leavened with it even as the Pharisees did in our Saviours time whose name with the name of Nabal are symbolical Sect. 13. Now then that obedience to the Act of Uniformity is the way to unity as it is a blessed means for the mortifying of these grand ring-leaders of division and disobedience may be thus evidenc'd as it doth remove the occasions of committing these sins For did all that professe the true Reformed Protestant Religion observe an Uniformity in their publick Worship and in the rites and ceremonies thereto belonging all distinctions of men and parties would soon vanish away there would be no occasion given for the drawing forth those woful fruits of Pride before-named neither in Ministers or People Sect. 14. As the Minister by his obedience to these indifferent things acts and exercises those graces which are diametrically opposite to pride and self conceitedness viz. humility and self-denyal and declareth that he hath got the victory over that to which the reverend Calvin saith the wit of man is nothing more adverse and contrary to viz. subjection Sect. 15. So the People are thereby delivered from the occasion of putting forth those dividing sins before named in whom there is a natural aptitude upon the forbearance of the Ministers in these modes of Worship to atgue Surely those men do see more into the iniquity of the Common prayer the Surplice c. then all the Governours that enjoyn them or the rest of their Brethren that observe them and have therefore a more pure delicate and tender conscience and consequently their Ministry is like to be most soul-saving And thereupon all other Ministers are usually censured for Time-servers and men-pleasers by which means Christian love and charity is destroyed and divisions are contracted and continued That therefore which removeth these occasions as for all to be uniform in their external modes of Worship doth as I have before shewed must needs be the way to unity Sect. 16. Secondly as Pride so Error also is a dividing sin as I have before shewed Now that which taketh away one occasion and a great one too of diffusing and spreading Error must needs be the way to unity now Uniformity in prayer doth this and was therefore by the Church in the primitive times appointed for this end and purpose Because that Hereticks did convey and spread their poysons in their Prayers In the Council of Milva which was in the year 416. it was appointed That none should use any prayers but such as were appointed by a Synod Sect. 17. There is a desultory levity in the minds even of some good men whereby they are subject to offend in their publick Devotions without a great measure of humility and spiritual prudence which all Ministers have not and therefore it was the judgement of the reverend Calvin in his Epist ad Protector in the Reign of King Edward the Sixth that there should be a set form of prayer and Ecclosiastical rites saith he Quoad formulam precum rituum Ecclesiast valde approbo à quo pastori in functione discedere non liceat c. Observe he would have a set Form of prayer and certain rites and ceremonies but were they to be left to the Ministers choice whether he would conform to them yea or no I suppose not he was not of Mr. Baxters mind in his Disputations as to this point nor yet with the Petitioners for peace but saith expresly From which form of Prayer and Ecclesiastical Rites it may not be lawful for the Pastors in their function to depart They were then to be imposed by Law upon them and for what end for these three Reasons first that thereby provision may be made for the simplicity of some secondly that the consent that all the Churches have amongst themselves may more certainly appear and lastly also that the extravagant levity of some that affect novelties may be prevented So that it is very evident that this reverend person did approve of a Uniformity in prayer and other rites as the way to unity as it did conduce to concord and agreement as it prevented dividing sins Sect. 18. I proceed now to the second Branch for the proof of the proposition and that is this That which tends to the honour of our Religion the edification and building up of the Church that must needs be the way to Unity But now if all persons both Ministers and People would be Uniform and there were an universal agreement about these modes of Worship and Discipline the Reformed Protestant Religion which for our Non conformity and divisions amongst our selves by our Adversaries the Papists is very much reviled as you find Harding in his Answer to the Apology of the Church of England flouting them even for the Non-conformists that were amongst them in Queen Elizabeths dayes Sect. 19. I say how would our Religion be honoured nay not onely so but how would it strike a terrour into the hearts of all Romish Catholicks and fill them with despair of ever seeing the Church of England reconciled to the Church of Rome for to see these woful divisions that have been amongst us removed by an universal conformity amongst Protestants in these matters which are and have been the cause of such unchristian discords Now if this would not edifie and build up the Church judge you Besides how amiable then would our assemblies be and how delightful would Gods publick Worship be to such as desire to fear his Name and to reverence his Sanctuary to behold it celebrated orderly and uniformly while all that worship do sit and stand and kneel together as if but one body while all do speak the same things required of them as if but one mouth Sect. 20. This was the practice of the primitive Church long before Popery I remember I have read that the whole Congregation were then so uniform in publick prayer lifting up their voices so all together when they said Amen which affixed to our prayers signifieth a full consent and agreement to what is prayed for I say it was uttered with such uniformity that St. Jerome as I have read compared their sounding of Amen in the Church unto a clap of Thunder and St. Basil to the roaring of the Sea You see therefore that this Uniformity

that are members of our visible Church and I humbly conceive it to be a seasonable Truth to be treated on That obedience to this Act for Uniformity is the way to Unity Sect. 3. The reason in general why it is likely so to be is because that our chief discords dissentions and divisions which we so long have laboured under have been about our modes of Worship and Discipline That they have been so from the very first beginning of the troubles of Frankefort to this very day he is a stranger in our Israel that knoweth it not yet if you will not take it from me be pleased to take it from Mr. Baxter who in the Postcript of his Epistle to the Reader before his Treatise of the Vain Religion of the Formal Hyppocrite having cleared the Doctrine of the Church of England from being any matter of our most unchristian discord he sayes The more is the pity that the very modes of Worship and Discipline should be the matter of such sharp and uncharitable discords Now then if our sharp and uncharitable discords be and have been about the modes of Worship and Discipline then for all to observe one mode or form or rule in publick Worship and Discipline must needs be the way to unity and agreement Sect. 4. This at first view may seem to be Durus sermo a very hard saying who can bear it and I do the more incline to believe it by what I have read which discovers how contrary the apprehensions of some learned men are to this Truth Who have therefore pleaded very much for Non-conformity and a liberty for persons to chuse or refuse what form or mode of Worship they please as the way to peace Now this I say being the general argument against Vniformity with the means conducing thereunto as I find in the Petition for peace and also in Mr. Baxters sive Disputations I shall make bold with all tenderness and meekness and with much respect to those worthy persons to weigh and consider of the truth and strength thereof Sect. 6. The argument I find in the Petition for peace pag. 14. in these or the like words Nothing more affects us then to think of the lamentable divisions that have been caused and are still like to be whilest things unnecessary are imposed and on the contrary how blessed a unity and peace we might enjoy if these occasions of divisions were removed So that here in short lyeth as is said if I mistake not the ground of all these lamentable divisions about modes of Worship even since the Reformation begun in King Edwards dayes to this time That things unnecessary have been imposed And that this is the chief exception against our Superiours commands I find pag. 12 16 17. and others in the said Petition for peace that they are esteemed unnecessary but that I find them not to be charged as absolutely sinful in themselves in all that book is worthy of observation For this being acknowledged in the general by those persons of that moderation and piety which were to review the Book of Common Prayer c. That they are but unnecessary and not sinful Sect. 7. I humbly conceive that it should put a great stand to the thoughts of such who are methinks too forward to consider Whether onely for non-obedience to unnecessary things in their own judgment or in the judgment of some others that have taken up this tradition from the troubles of Frankfort it be lawful for them to lay down their Ministry or to do that which might by Law deprive them of the same Before I proceed further I shall crave leave to ask this modest question Whether or no this argument against obedience to the commands of our Superiours because we judge the things commanded to be unnecessary is not onely a principle of division but of confusion in all Government Sect. 8. I remember that I have somewhere read that Licurgus the Law-giver to the Lacedemonians being moved by one to establish a Democratical Government in the Commonwealth he bid him go home and exercise it first in his own family And surely if we do but seriously consider of it we shall find that were but this objection brought against our commands as we are Parents or Masters in the government of our Families that they are unnecessary what can be expected but disorder disobedience division and confusion Sect. 9. And had the converted Gentiles whom the Governours of the Church Acts 15. enjoyned to abstain from bloud and things strangled as necessary not to salvation but for the setling of the peace which was broken by the Jewish Teachers ver 2. and to propagate the Christian Religion which are the two professed ends of the framing this Act for Vniformity pag. 71. had they but pleaded This is an unnecessary Imposition and so have been non-conformable how had the Christian Religion been interrupted in 〈◊〉 first plantation and the dissentions and divisions occasioned by the Jewish Teachers been propagated and continued I humbly conceive therefore that this argument or objection against the commands of our Superiours That their Impositions are unnecessary is a very unnecessary objection and a principle of confusion and division in Church State or Family But now that a universal agreement in one mode and form of publick Worship and Discipline is the way to peace and unity and therefore no unnecessary Imposition I thus argue Sect. 10. First that which doth deliver us from dividing sins must needs be the way to unity Secondly that which tends to the Honour of Religion the edification and building up of the Church that must needs be the way to unity Now to have one form and to agree universally in the modes of Worship and service of God doth conduce to both these and therefore Uniformity is the way to Unity I shall begin with the first and shew what are these dividing sins naming but the principal ring-leaders amongst them and they are Pride and Error Sect. 11. First Pride that it is a dividing sin and the spring of division if not of disobedience the Wiseman tells us Prov. 13.10 onely by pride cometh contention as if this were the spring of all division and disobedience But besides from this root spring many more dividing sins as self-conceitedness and thinking of our selves more highly then we ought to think a sin forbidden with an unusual preface Rom. 12.3 a sin whereby we are apt to think our selves wiser then seven men that can render a reason Prov. 26.16 and more holy then the rest of our brethren as did the proud Pharisee From whence also floweth the judging censuring condemning and despising of each other which are all dividing sins and exceedingly tend to the tearing of that Badge by which Christ would have all his Disciples to be known even by their love to each other Sect. 12. Secondly as Pride so Error is a dividing sin for though Truth be but one yet Error is the seminary of all