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
A89757	A declaration or testimony given by Captain Robert Norwood under his hand, (the which was by him publickly read at a meeting in Ab-church before Mr. Sidrack Simpson together with many others;) April 21. 1651. Together with several his answers and desires, proposed to them for satisfaction after his excommunication; worthy the most serious consideration of all: now brought to publick view for clearing of truth, discovering of error, and his own vindication in reference to many unjust and untrue aspersions cast upon him.	Norwood, Robert, Captain.	1651 (1651)	Wing N1381; Thomason E632_1; ESTC R20899	10,098	16

yet you have not done as you ought to do before you make any such proceedings against any Now I do here solemnly promise before all the people that if you shall from Scripture prove the things such where of you did accuse me and I under my hand have asserted that I will so farre as God shall enable me truly repent turn from the same under my hand publish my recantation till which time I may not reced from the things least I be found in the sight of God man a desertor of that truth God by his spirit in the Scriptures hath made known to me as also an eminent and evident breaker of that first and great command which saith Thou shall worship the Lord thy God with all thine heart and him only shalt thou hear and serve and become a hearer server or worshipper of men or the false or lying spirit in men which is to worship the devil for not to worship God or truth is to worship he devil or a ly That which you did then charge me with as error or blasphemy was as I understand that I held the soul to be of the Divine essence or of the essence of God Now I earnestly desire begg and intreate Nay I do here in the presence of all this people require you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ whose Embassadour or Minister you say you are and whose mind you then must needs have and as you will answer it at the great day of his appearing that you tell decalre and prove to me from Scripture or any other way that holds Analogie therewith what in very deed and truth the soul is that so I may repent and recant this my error if it be found so and be delivered from the power of darkness and of the devil or snares of Satan the very end for which Christ his Ministers and Embassadors were sent and that in writing that it may be considered compared with and tryed by the Scriptures and true Analogie of our faith I being very desirous to forsake all and every error though carrying never so specious a shew of truth though never so old or new profitable or honorable in the worlds esteem knowing well what they are whence they come and also that true salvation is only and alone of and in the truth And that because it 's strong above all THINGS IT and IT onely being everlasting 2. Secondly that you prove to me from Scripture or sound reason what the spirit of man or man's naturall is 3. What the true and very heaven and hell is spoken of in Scripture and you from God or Christ as you say so much promise to and threaten the people with the very right and true knowledge whereof is of the greatest and highest concernment to be clearly made known and discovered to the people of all other things all things else being but as it were accessaries thereunto therefore certainely must needs be known to you if you be what you say you are yet it 's very much to be feared that very few of you have the true knowledge either of the one or the other but that most fancy both the one and the other as the Papists their Purgatory and the Poets their Elisian fields is a bundantly evident Both God and the Devill both death and life both heaven and hell being very much nearer to us all then we are aware of I do therefore again in the love and bowels of Christ intreat and beseech you for my own and others satisfaction as you are or pretend to be his Minister or Embassadour that I may speedily have answer hereunto in writing as also to those former Queries proposed that I may not longer continue in error and so under the power of the Devill or darknesse you have bound your self here unto not onely by your profession but especially by that act of yours against me for how shall I believe concerning that which I know not how shall I repent disclaime or revoke that you charge as error upon me except you prove it so from Scripture And do not say in excuse that I disown you as having any relation to you since your self have taken that authority upon you and you ought in this case to give an account or reason of the faith and hope that is in you as I have done who pretend not to any such thing as you do If you do not let me tell you I cannot in reason justice or judgement take or account you for any other then an impostor deceiver and deluder of the people nor will any other sober judicious man neither will they esteem your excommunications of any more worth then the Popes bulls which equally with those if not more in respect more is pretended to by you deserve to be together with your self excommunicated the Nation and the rest of your fraternity as the very plagues and pests of the Nation the very fire-brands of hell workers of all mischief I speak not to cast contempt upon any sober peaceable-minded man or men who seek and follow the truth in love no such I love and honor with my soul All you charged as crime upon me so farre as I can understand in reference to my outward conversation was that I should tell a ly in reference to a trust reposed in me to which I often and again before your selves and divers others did solemnly protest in the Presence of God if it were the last word I should speak I speake not the words as some present conceived I did and further did declare that if I did speak them I was a very knave rogue and lier therein and if I should say I did speake them I must sin against my own soul no falsifying or breach of trust was found or proved against me James saith that the tongue sets on fire the very course of Nature and that it is set on fire of hell where then is hell and what then are those criers out of Others for blasphemers hereticks and the like who indeed come nearer the truth and give a better account thereof then themselves can or will do Judge O England Nay Judge O all ye Nations who they have been and are that have thus set England nay all Nations on fire as at this day and at whose hands that abundance of bloud which hath been shed shall be required Where I speak of the spirit of man or mans natural spirit I do not meane it was made such as is there exprest no but no sooner made but it became such and remaines such until renued in lightned or born again wherfore Paul saith be renued in the spirit of your mind being in your own spirit in which you are fallen and gone from God from life and salvation and so become dead b●●stiall and devilish of sinne and hell be as you were at first return to your life this is indeed that Prodigall that having gotten his stock would now live and be of himself he would not that God should be all he nothing but in him but he would be in and of himself and this that god of the world that devill that beast that serpent that dragon that hitherto hath had the chief government of the world even mans naturall spirit which is at this day much heightned and improved but God is comming to destroy both it and all its seeming gloricus erections together with that Antichrist man of sinne and false Prophet ROBERT NORWOOD

A DECLARATION Or Testimony given by Captain ROBERT NORWOOD Under his hand the which was by him publickly read at a meeting in Ab-church before Mr. Sidrack Simpson together with many others April 21. 1651. Together with several his answers and desires proposed to them for satisfaction after his EXCOMMVNICATION Worthy the most serious consideration of all Now brought to publick view for clearing of truth discovering of error and his own vindication in reference to many unjust and untrue aspersions cast upon him LONDON Printed in the year 1651. A DECLARATION Or Testimony given by Captain ROBERT NORWOOD Under his hand the which was by him publickly read at meeting in Ab-church before Mr. Sidrack Simpson together with many others April 21. 1651. Wherein is laid downe his beliefe concerning God what he is who Christ is and what the Spirit is what the soul is what the body and spirit of man is and also his beliefe concerning the resurrection With certain quere's preposed concerning what the Divell Satan or Serpent is what Antichrist the false prophet or dragon is what the true and very Christ is Now brought to publick view for clearing of truth diseovering of erro and his own vindication in reference to many unjust and untrue Aspersions cast upon him I Do beleeve one God or one infinite eternal being which onely or alone gives a being to all things that are in whom from whom and by whom all things do confist exsist and subsist he to be unchangeable or immutable whose essence and presence is every where yet comprehended no where be onely having life in himselfe and is the alone life of all things whether visible or invisible in him I verily beleeve there is not the least variation or shadow of change for he I or I am That this same infinite eternal one hath given a three-fold declaration or manifestation of himselfe in One. I do farther beleev according to the Scriptures the declaration manifestation or outgoing of this infinit eternal being in or by the word in infinite wisdome and power in creation according to that which is written That by it all things were made and without it was made nothing that was made which is also called Christ or the first borne or onely begotten of the Father or the Anointed or anoining of God in which respect he is said to be the life and light of the world as indeed he is which I stedfastly beleeve and that this light as it 's written shineth in the darknesse though the darknesse comprehend it not and that he was in the world and the world was made by him though the world knew him not that he came to his own though his own received him not the same Christ I stedfastly beleeve to be my onely and alone light and life and salvation and so much and so far as I have attained him or it or rather he or it is risen up or brought forth it or himselfe in me so far I judge my selfe to live or be alive or saved or to have attained salvation and no farther and what ever else is in me I take to be of the flesh the devill or darknesse or sin or hell antichrist or of the false prophet for that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit That this Christ Word or Son is One with the Father in the Spirit I also stedfastly beleeve I do farther beleeve concerning the Spirit or Holy Ghost as it s called that it infinitely and eternally proceeded from the Father and the Son and that he is the immediate life and being of all things and is the alone true witnesse bearer to the father and the son John 5 6. and neither Father nor Son yet both Father and Son not three but One One intire simple undivided being in themselves whence in Scripture he is called sometimes the spirit of the father or God and sometimes the spirit of Christ in or by which spirit we have communion with the Father and the Son he in us we in him are by it made perfect in one which also is more or most properly called the spirit of truth or rather the spirit which is truth he onely and alone leading into all truth or the all of all truth which is God himselfe Concerning that we call main Paul distinguishes into three soul body and spirit The soul I take or beleeve to be of the divine essence for it 's said God breathed into him the breath of life and he or it became a living soul for so the Scripture renders the divine principle sometimes he sometimes it and indeed that which is there said to be breathed into man I cannot conceive to be lesse or other then his own essence or spirit there being nothing but himselfe to go forth from and in himself un●ous he in his Son by his Spirit stating himself in us though in weaknesse called elsewhere his Image or Spirit as where it s said My spirit shall not alway strive with man for that he also is flesh It 's called also the spirit of truth or which is truth true holiness or truth in holinesse and righteousnesse which image or life of God in man is confest by all or most if I mistake not neither was nor could be totaly or finaly lost though much defaced as they call it And truly as I conceive there must be and is a perfect truth in every created Creature according to its kind which is the invisible life and being of it the visibility being onely a representation or figure of the invisible life and glory according to that in the Romans That which may be knowne of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them for the invisible things of him that is hiseternal power and God-head are seen by the creation of the world being considered in his workes to the intent they should be without excuse By the God-head must be there meant Trinity in Unity Unity in Trinity yet every thing in its order kinde or end according to what he hath appointed every vessel to hold forth of himself according to that in the Corinths where it is said that there are bodies heavenly and bodies earthly and that the glory of the heavenly is one and theglory of the earthly is another and that one star differeth from another in glory yet all these but one in the union according to that Paul speakes in another place that there are several gifts and administrations yet but one spirit and all by one and the same spirit which perfect and invisible truth cannot be lesse or other then the divine essence Man carrying the beautious transparent splendor of the representation in this earthly creation yet is not God the Creature nor the Creature God for we must hold God and the created by God for could you speak all the invisible glories shadowed or held forth in the whole visible creation you could not speake God for

spirit in reference to my own and others satisfaction in a sober orderly way an answer to these following quere's 1. What that Devil or Serpent was that is said to deceive Eve his or its nature and property what it is 2. Whether properly and truly there can be said to have beene or is any more then one devil serpent Satan or deceiver though he or it manifest it selfe several wayes and after divers manners 3. What the true and very Anti-Christ or false prophet is their nature property or quality what it is 4. Where the true and proper seate residence power or dominion of the devil Satan Serpent deceiver or Dragon is or this false Christ or false prophet is 5. Whereby or wherewith they are said to deceive or wherein the power or strength of their or it's temptation or deceit lyes 1. What the true and very Christ is who is said in Scripture to be the onely and alone light and life of the world 2. How and in what sence he is properly and truly saip to deliver us from sin death and hell 3. The true reall and very ground cause and end of his sufferings death or desolution resurrection and ascension as also his incarnation and intercession what they sigfy or hold forth to us and how or in what manner or sence we are to look upon them and what use we are to make of them since the scriptures both old and new are very mysterious as where Christ saith Except ye eat my flesh drink my blood you have no life in you and that he was that rock that followed them and that Manna that came down from heaven And Paul saith although he had known Christ after the flesh which could not be meant of a corporal knowledge yet henceforth would he know him so no more and he farther saith That Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever An answer whereunto I desire on this day sennit here in this place before all the people in writing or else some other may in love peace and quietnesse have liberty to give answer thereunto And I do farther declare what ever man or men report accuse or charge me with blasphemy or any error or errors maintain●d countenanced orencouraged by me or any other thing or matter contrary to or against the laws of this Nation or prejudicial to this State or Common-wealth and do not duly prove the same against me is in the sight of God and man a slanderer back-biter and murderer and in case any the said crime or crimes be proved against me I shall desire no favour but shall willingly and readily give up my selfe to undergo and suffer what penalty or penalties soe ever by law is to be inflicted in such cases without the least partiality POSTSCRIPT To which Queres I could not obtain from Mr. Simpson any answer nor so much as whether he would or could answer them or no whether he did less then bely or blaspheme God before all the people I will not let them present judge And if I prove not him the Clergy of England generally who cry out of others for heresie blasphem●●●● greatest deceivers or falsifiers of the truth and Blasphemers as themselves call it in the Nation let me dy the death This I speake not to cast reproach disgrace or obloquie upon any ingenuous sober quiet peaceable-minded man or men but to stop the career of that spirit which drives more fariously to the ingaging the people more in blood then the Bishop did were their power and other advantages answerable Let therefore the moderation of your spirits appeare and judge not least you be judged for assuredly you are guilty of as great if not greater crimes then other men But stand still and be quiet in your selves that you may see the great sallvation the Lord is about to bring forth Be truly noble search as the Bereans did whether the things be so or no. It were much to be desired that the Clergy might once more be injoyned to assemble together to give an account to the people of whom and from whom they have received and taken so much of the sweat of their browes what that true very God and Christ is that they have so long talked of to the people It mayjustly be suspected from their preachings and practises that they have need of a Paul to shew them what that God and Christ is whom they ignorantly worship least the blind leading of the blinde both fall into the ditch To them all I propose these quere's hoping it will not be long before they shall receive answer under a known hand they being concerning such points in which they are daily conversant if not they must give the people leave to say there is little reason to continue the wages or stipends of such stewards who can give no account of their stewardship Or to beleeve them the true Embassadours of God and Christ when as they cannot tell us what their Lord and matter is Let them then forbear any more to binde the people to their faith and beleefe since themselves cannot give an account or reason of their own faith and hope that is in them Tell us also O ye dreamers where and what your Hell and Heaven is I acknowledge both Robert Norwood For Master SIDRACK SIMPSON SIR INstead of answering my Queries proposed or from Scripture duely proving my assertions errors I understand that you with your Church as you call it have excommunicated me I having long before come out from you having of my self left communion with you neither could I without sin any longer upon that account hold communion or fellowship with you the ground and reason whereof I forbear to publish at present because I will yet spare you You have also as I hear given me up to the Devill I therefore do here before all this people require of you whose duty I suppose they will all say it is to instruct teach and tell me what that Devil is to whom you have so given me up hoping you are not so ignorant as to give me up to him whom you know not or what his properties and qualities are And then what it is you have so given up whether the whole Soul body and spirit or what part power or saculty you have given up 3. What power right and authority you had so to do 4. Whether you have power again to deliver me from the devill Thereason why I require this is that I might get from under his power and dominion avoid and be delivered from his snares wiles and subtilties as I and all people ought to do Next I require for how long or untill what time you have given me up to the Devil If you say untill I repent you must then first prove from scripture that that which I have asserted is to be repented of and turned from and the contrary to be received embraced owned and walked in which is indeed true repentance which

he is all things yet nothing He is which short word if truly known and understood speaks him most And indeed were this light life or image or God in man wholly extinct man would become more brutish then the beasts which that it is not appears plainly to me from that place where it is written That the Gentiles who have not the law do the things contained in he law which shew the effects of the law written in their hearts their consciences bearing witnesse their thoughts accusing or excusing one another For the spirit of man or man's naturall spirit It 's that if I mistake not which is called the Devill or Satan or Serpent or Anti-Christ or false prophet or spirit of darknesse or death or sinne or hell James 1. 14 15. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and entised Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death Hence Christ tests the Scribes and Pharisees they are of their father the Devil and his works they do who was a lier or deceiver from the beginning hence also some are called dogs some foxes some wolves in sheepes clothing and Paul is said to fight with beasts at Ephesus Christ when tempted by Peter although a Disciple he calls him Satan Every one or every thing taking its denomination from the property or quality of that spirit which hath the major or most ruling power and dominion in and over him or it It 's said here are legions of divels we say there is a covetous devil an unclean devill an envious devil a wrathful deivl and the like And so it 's said there are many Antichrists no one carrying the whose fountain in him though each one be from one fountain so on the contrary no one hath the whole fountain of life or light in him if I may so speak but every one in measure according to the good pleasure of him who filleth all in all things Hence Paul saith there are babes and strong men in Christ and so John calls some children some fathers some young men and farther saith thus Little children let no man deceive you he that hath righteousnesse is righteous as he is righteous he that committeth sin is of the devil for the devil sinneth from the beginning For this purpose the son of God was made manifest that he might destroy the works of the devil Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is borne of God And hence Paul also It 's not I but Christ in me And againe It 's not l but sin in me And the Scripture every where comprehends all under these two states or termes of light and darknesse the natural man and the spiritual man children of light or life and children of death and darknesse according to the rule power or government each spirit hath in them Wherefore it 's said Know you not that to whomsoever you give your selves as servants to obey hti servants you are to whom ye obey whether it be of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousnesse Againe it 's written you who were darknesse are now become light you who were dead in trespasses and sins hath he now quickned and translated into the Kingdome of Christ and that we are risen together with Christ and that he is our resurrection glory and that he hath raised us up and made us sit together in the heavenly places or things in Christ And in the same 2. to the Ephe. This spirit in man is called the spirit or Prince that ruleth in the aire which indeed is an airy lying notion swimming in the head or braine of man having no foundation or roote in God who is truth but is alway at enmity with it We are also said to be dead whilst we live From all which I conceive the chief if not the onely resurection pointed unto and intended in Scripture is our rising up out of that death and darknesse or hell we were held in or kept under by or rather Christ who is our light our life our all in all arising in his owne life light power and glory in us swallowing up or destroying death darknesse sin hell and what ever else is contrary to or against him and us and so bringing us in and with himself into that glory he had in and with the Father before the world was Wherefore it 's said The kingdome of heaven is within you when they say lo here lo there beleev it not But I expect not neither think this will be in its height and full perfection till the separation by that we call death it be accomplished and compleated not whilst in these earthly tabernacles not until we have laid off all our earthly garments and be clothed upon of him who is indeed our true clothing which made Paul so grone with desire thereof indeed the Saints are unclothing dayly and marvelous unclothings and clothings are at hand For the body which is indeed beastial of the same nature and substance with the beasts I conceive and beleeve it also shall have its resurrection in its kinde together with other of the like kinde according to that in the first of the Corinthes 15. For to speak properly nothing dies that is annihilated as many do imagine but is changed from glory to glory but for the soul to be reunited again to this earth by beastial body of flesh blood and bones after separation and to live together in some one or more place or places some to enjoy eternall happinesse or salvation and other some eternal misery and damnation I find no foundation in scripture firme enough to build any sound belief upon for Christ saith In the resurrection there is no marrying nor giving in marriage but that they are as the Angels in heaven Then no eating nor drinking except of that spiritual rock or Manna Then sure no flesh blood or bones And as sure it is that in no proper or true sence whatsoever can flesh and blood inherit the kingdome of heaven for it lusteth or is at enmity against the spirit wherefore I say this doctrine deserves not only to be exploded the schools but excommunicated all Churches For he who maketh or worketh a ly shall be shut out of the new Jerusalem as also he who would sit in the temple of Christ as if he were Christ as if he were the true Anointed or Anointing who will have others to beleeve as he beleeves for no other reason but because he beleeves so forgetting that Christ as he is the life so he is the light of every one that comes into the world that none can come to the Father but by the Son nor none unto the Son but by the Spirit which 3. are one in the unione For farther manifestation and clearing of the truth I desire in all humblenesse of minde and meeknesse of