Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	word_n	worship_n	write_a	122	3	9.8588	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20187	The opening of heauen gates, or The ready way to euerlasting life Deliuered in a most familier dialogue, betweene reason and religion, touching predestination, Gods word, and mans free-will, to the vnderstanding of the weakest capacitie, and the confirming of the more strong. By Arthur Dent, preacher of the word of God, at South-Shoobery in Essex.	Dent, Arthur, d. 1607.	1610 (1610)	STC 6619; ESTC S116579	52,599	137

for there-vppon would al this packet of vntruth lustly depend viz. That the Church of God was drowned in the generall ouerflowing when al the world was drown'd and the church of satan saued in the Arke That the church of God perished-among the Sodomites and iust Lot and his family were y● church of the diuel y● the Iewes Scribes Pharisees were the Church of Christ and Christ him-selfe with the remnant of beléeuers the Church of Antichrist In conclusion that theyr Church is now the true Church because of the multitude and ours the false we wil demand but one thing of those multitude of men which if they truly tell vs and proue they shall haue our hand and our heart wée will become as true to them as stéele and consent to any religion of theyr forefathers which is that they shew forth at what time the estate of the world was in so good case that the best thinges did please the greatest number or when iniquity had not the most consent of adherents except at that time when all were drown'd except eight persons Alasse theyr proofe is euen as farre to séeke as heauen is distant from hell God graunt therefore the condition of consent be no nearer vnto vs. For it is written broad is the way that leadeth to perdition and many walk therein but narrow is the path to saluation straight is the gate and few do enter therat And further though the childrē of Israel were as y● sand of the sea yet shall but a remnant be saued This is yet more plainly verified by Elias the Prophet who saw not one man frée from Idolatry and the subiection of Belial besides himselfe in all the world yet did he willingly all regard of the multitude laid apart serue the Lord of heauen truly Wherefore though our fore-fathers serued those Gods on the further side of the flood or the Gods of the Amorstes or the gods of their owne handes Let it amaze vs no more then it did good Iosua who said and let vs also say with him we and our houses will serue the God of heauen And with Iudith we will not follow the sinnes of our fore-fathers which forsake their God and worshipped strange gods The holy Hrophet receaued from the mouth or secret inspiration of God all that doctrine y● they deliuered or taught the Apostles proued their Doctrine out of Prophets the godly of ensuing ages haue rested vppon them And shall wee alone be carelesse or accompt it ynough if many men haue gon before vs contrary to the Prophets and Apostles No no Al men haue sinned from the first except one and shall doe to the last yet it is nothing lawfull for vs to follow their steps therein Therefore although our forefathers were Idolaters yet must wee learne to serue the Lord And that wee may the better performe our duties in that behalfe it behoueth vs to be wise in the trying of spirits least we become clyents to our forefathers superstitions or superstitious in our owne fancies so ignorantly neglect the precepts of our God Let vs therfore looke vpon the iniunctions of Popery that we may be able to reprehend the Church of Rome but let vs call home theyr generall Councels with the rabble of theyr decretals to the same Prophets and Apostles And woe shal anon perceiue that we haue no cause to feare theyr times out of mind knowing that an euil custom is no better then a commō pestilence which by how much the more is old and ancient by so much the more it is rotten stinking nor yet their commō consents séeing the state of gods childrē is oftētimes to be desolate And because there is no heresie but will challenge som maintenance out of Gods word saying that theyr Church is the Church Apostolicall which the Papist as boldly sweareth taketh vpon him as if nothing were good but his Masse let them shew vs the Prophets and Apostles for their Masses Dirges Trentals praying to Saints praying with brads praying to help soules out of purgatory worshipping of Idols Bishopping of baptized children kissing of Pares Créeping to Crosses baptizing of bells coniuring of water coniuring of balme coniuring of hearbes buying of bulles and pardons and auricular confession the rest of their sacraments paying of vaine vowes going on pilgrimage pace-eggs manyples licking of rotten bones Auc-Maryes blessing with two fingers annoynting annoyling absoluing knéeling knocking whipping crouching kissing crossing shauing greasing and ten thousand such trickets moe I appeale to the iudgement of the wise-harted whether God abrogating the ceremonies of his own law did purpose that the Pope should institute and erect a new of such traditions as these If we hold them hard to the proofs of these and such other by the touchstone aforesaid namely y● word of God theyr next leape is longer then the passage betwéene Douer and Callice for they crosse the broad ss as to vnwritten verities But how colde theyr entertainment is there we would not much feare to make thē-selues the Iudges if shame grace had not forsaken them In déed wee know and confesse that more was spoken then is written And that whatsoeuer Christ the Apostles preached was the word of GOD were it written or not But we know also that if more had bene necessary to saluation then is written God would not suffer vs to want it least with them we might happen to runne a whoring after our owne deuises But aboue all wee are most assured that the Spirit of God neuer was nor will be contrary to it selfe Therefore let vs try how truly theyr berities vnwritten doe accord with the written word We finde in the Scripture that wee ought to worship God alone and not to make our selues any grauen Image but is it possible that the Word vnwritten should tollerate their prayers to saints theyr sacrificing to Idols and theyr falling downe before blocks In his word written it is called the Doctrine of dinels to forbid matrimony to any man and can it bee his word vnwritten that Ministers shall neuer marry it is his word written that all that depart this world in the Lord do rest from theyr labours and is it also in the word vnwritten that they bee purged of many torments in the fire of Purgatory before they do rest it is playne by the word written that wee haue no remission of sinne but in the blood of Christ without whome we are dead and condemned to the bottome of hell but is it as playne by his word vnwritten that the Pope can saue that who-soeuer shal die in a white fryers scapulary shal be saued or he that dyeth in a gray fryars frocke shall neyther come in Purgatory nor in hell and aboue all is it his word vnwritten that a man may get in s 〈…〉 heap of deseruings 〈…〉 superrerogation 〈…〉 s friendes w 〈…〉 against the hea 〈…〉 Is not this preposterous geare who would thinke that these men

y● prerogatiue of his first estate but God therin is slaundered that Annocēcy of Adam belied for yet again I say euil was not thē in y● world therfor I perceiue not how God did set before him fire water cōmit the acceptāce of either to his choise but I finde y● hee said vnto him thou shalt not taste of the tree if thou dost thou shalt die the death goe to thē the wil of God was alwaies righteous e●en so was Adams fréenesse fréely righteous according to y● righteousnesse of God saue that it was chāgeable but if the defendant wil not for shame say that sinful appetite is righteousnes either let him confesse that Adam had the same appetite y● did carry him frō hi● pure estate somewher else thē immediately from y● hand of God by creation or else let him cōclude against God that that vncleanenesse of Adam came from an vnclean● workemaister or at the least that Adam was neuer the image of the righteous God so consequently proue God a liar in that he did so call him If all this be to no purpose I desire to be resolued how the Papist hath not done open wrong to God and wherein my assertion is false they say perhaps that which they would not that only the nature of God I mean● his righteousnesse according to which he created Adā hath some respect of euill as also y● ther procéeded from y● hand of God a substāte corrupted naturally inclinable to inquity but moreouer most vntruly y● God by a palable indifferency and luke-warme affection hath giuen his owne outward consent to all the wickednesse of the world if this were true then shal we neuer haue néeded Jesus Christ to pay our debt for no remission néedeth if a commission be once granted but the word or commandment of God doth refraine vs of all manner of euill therefore may we stedfastly beléeue that God neuer gaue man frée-will to commit euill Now Sir let the indifferent giue sentence whether these men haue committed high treason against God or I haue cited them to answer for themselues by iust accusation if it be found that I haue done them iniury I will not faile to séeke some way to make them so large amends as my fault shall be adiudged to require and so to appease their charitable anger if they be found to haue retayned no more modesty or defence for the righteousnesse of God then his own word let their zeale a Gods name be condemned as foolish that I may vse the words of the Apostle without knowledge and they at last leue off their fréewill and meritorious righteousnesse and reuerently giue place to the word of God which is not ashamed thus bouldly to plead in the behalfe of his omnipotency and prouidence in ruling and disposing the actions of all things The Lord did harden the heart of Phara● He sent an euill spirit to vexe Saul He ●h appointed euill and put a spirit of ly●g in o y● mouth of the Prophets He cau●h man to depart from his feare He hath ●●t strong delusion that lyes might bee ●leeued Hee raizeth vp the euil in the ●●ses of his owne seruants Hee doth ●●ke peace and create euill He giueth vp ●o a reprobate minde He doth all the ●ll that is in the Cittie He deceaueth the ●●phets which bee deceiued stretcheth ●●th his hand vpon those Prophets that ●●-selfe hath deceiued and destroyeth ●●m from amidds his People and yet is ●aies all holy and Righteous Well not-withstanding these whole 〈…〉 ds of such like which crush in ●ces the frée-will of man and most ●ngly vnder prop the ordinance of ●●d yet may I not thinke thus to pack my pipes be trudging least I séem triumph before the victory and to ●st of a blast that shaketh no corne ●erfore hauing setled my selfe once ●●ne to my defence at length there ●ghteth this perilous stroke What ●a sayth maister Aduersary yf you will so malapertly auouch th● Adam had not frée-will it shall come passe that in that action of falling he h● no will at all and so consequently t 〈…〉 ● God did vse some actuall constrai 〈…〉 which being graunted how I pray y 〈…〉 could God punish him or his posteri 〈…〉 as being ●eiected in the same fall F 〈…〉 sooth I answere That after such ●i 〈…〉 as Adam had giuen eare to Sath 〈…〉 his heart began to swell and wa 〈…〉 so bigge with concupiscence that he would néeds strike saile to his own misfortune yee sée now I goe abo 〈…〉 nothing lesse then to robbe and 〈…〉 poyle Adam of a will that was s 〈…〉 vnto euill But my purpose is that Sath 〈…〉 be accompted the mediate Author th● of For surely it can in no wise 〈…〉 akinn● to that will which was giue him of God except it were possible 〈…〉 GOD to haue a sinfull will also whose likenesse he was framed as w 〈…〉 haue already proued Nay I say moreouer that as the w 〈…〉 of Adam before his fall was free vn 〈…〉 righteousnesse and to the seruice God euen so after hee had giuen his 〈…〉 ●nsent vnto satan that his will and 〈…〉 nsequently the will of his ofspring 〈…〉 as alwayes frée vnto euill and the 〈…〉 ruice of sinne not able of it selfe without the grace of God once o rise vp to 〈…〉 hold the beauty of righeousnesse nor 〈…〉 thinke a good thought for it is writ 〈…〉 After yee were the seruants of sinne 〈…〉 e were free from Righteousnesse All are one out of the way they are all corrupt 〈…〉 ere is none good no not one the Lord 〈…〉 w that the wickednesse of man was 〈…〉 eat in earth and all the imaginations of 〈…〉 s heart and thoughtes were onely euill 〈…〉 ntinually Héere if the heat of mine Aduersa 〈…〉 es were so farre past that they would 〈…〉 use and breath I might take oportunity to lette fall this one féeble stroake 〈…〉 f Adam in his righteous estate and 〈…〉 gh perfection had power to doe the 〈…〉 ill of God if he would and yet did fall 〈…〉 rough infirmity how shall the Papist that of him-selfe hath not power to 〈…〉 ink one good thought fulfill the whole 〈…〉 aw and deserue so bountifully for him-selfe and such of his friends as wil friendly consider his paynes Alasse poore soule hee had néed to stand hard to his tackling and to plye his stumps apace or else I feare me he wil be taken tardy with hyp ocrites and deceiuers of men Wel al this while doe I beap who● coales vpon mine own head for hauing graunted that the first mans fall did spring out of y● bosom of infirmitie now must I prepare my selfe to beare this counterbuff for saith the aduersary now are ye taken like a desperate Cockerel of your Father Manicheus own brood For how could infirmity destroy the lineaments and good