Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	work_n	world_n	young_a	57	3	5.7161	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89922	The Christian and Catholike veritie; or, The reasons and manner of the conversion of Francis de Neville; formerly a Capuchin, preacher, the Popes missionary, and superiour in sundry covents of the same order. A treatise very usefull for all Christians, and especially for such as are popishly affected, or not fully setled in their beliefe; and for the further confirmation of the faithfull. Wherein many secrets of the Romish clergy, heretofore unrevealed, are discovered. Dedicated by the author to the high court of Parliament now assembled, 1642. See the contents at the next page.	Neville, Francis de.; England and Wales. Parliament.	1642 (1642)	Wing N502; Thomason E144_15; ESTC R11352	153,461	187

temporall things and that with that subtiltie and craft which Bellarmine and other Romish Doctors call indirect jurisdiction and power whereby he maketh all the States Empires and actions of Princes liable to his authoritie it being impossible but some interest or pretext of Religion or spirituall good be alwayes mixed with it over which the Pope pretendeth direct authoritie c. And therefore it is a Maxime in the Romish Schooles that he may depose establish and excommunicate Kings interdict their Dominions and Kingdoms give all their estates in prey to the first Conquerour under the pretext and colour of Religion and if he think them not stongly addicted to maintain his faith and doctrine or rather if they shew not themselves zealous of the augmentation and conservation of his greatnesse and authoritie for this is the word of the Caballe and the true cause of the usurpation of such a power besides the infallible ambition which is naturall to every one And grounded upon this maxime the Pope hath made use of that authoritie upon all occasions and doth it yet so much as he can Witnesse that which the Pope hath lately done upon the Dukedomes of Ferrara and Vrbin in Italy which States he hath handsomely seized upon and would questionlesse do the same or worse with all other Princes if his power did equall his will But men are not now so simple as formerly and the Popes Canons fright now adayes but few for now they begin to crack and most Princes are too strong and wise now to be led so by the nose or submit their necks under his feet as some of their Ancestors did although I beleeve there would be many Pope Innocents found if there were any Prince like Frederick Barbarosse but they of our time are not so simple Neverthelesse he desisteth not as he did in ancient time to abuse timorous spirits and make the name and interests of St. Peter to resound loud every where if a Prince take back that which the Pope had usurped upon him he crieth that he robbeth St. Peter if he beg any thing from them to make up his greatnesse it is saith he for S. Peter and S. Paul if any refuse him they refuse S. Peter saith he Oh but St. Peter will be warie to take part in all those greatnesses and worldly vanities which are so contrary to his exhortations so far from his examples and so little beseeming the office of a true Pastor of souls and a Christian Priest But those pretexts have served him very much to deceive and cozen a number of simple Princes with whose goods he being once enriched thereafter becometh more potent and proud to make war against them and ruine them utterly and their successours or else hath inriched his kindred and increased and augmented his estate in such sort that it far exceedeth at this present that of the greatest Princes of Europe For what Prince is there at this present in Europe who hath 24000. crowns to spend every day as the Pope of Rome and all this either begged or usurped under the name and pretext of St. Peter But I would willingly demand if he worketh the works of St. Peter and liveth as he did so to borrow his name had St. Peter as great wealth did he make as great chear and keep such a Court or so much inriched his kindred did St. Peter govern his Church with so great state and pompe Yes truly with greater povertie zeal and modesty with greater sanctitie and edification and I fear much that those who use so wrongfully the name of St. Peter be condemned one day by the example of St. Peter whose name and cloke they use not imitating his works I know they find reasons to cover that magnificence and glistering vanity but there is nothing in the world how absurd and bad soever but the spirit of man can give some reason for it and if the foolish and ridiculous fashion should come in the world to walk with the feet upwards and the head downwards some reason might be given of it as did that people which cut off young girles feet in their Countrey but if those reasons be worthy to be received let men judge And if the Popes complain as they do of the contempt of the Princes of our age towards them let them live as did St. Peter whose name they carrie then Princes and all Christians will respect them as St. Peter Indeed every one now seeth and confesseth that the lay Lords have been in a manner too simple suffering themselves to be so easily cozened by the craft and insatiable avarice of the Romish Clergie who under pretext of devotion of Purgatory and long prayers as saith the Evangelist have snatched the pleasantest and sweetest part of all the wealth in Christendome But of this perchance in another place At this time men are wiser and go no more in procession from far countreys to kisse the Popes pantofle and if any go for the present it is more through curiositie than for respect and devotion though they cease not to transport many Millions of gold daily out of some Kingdoms to the great grief of many wise and good men and carry it to Rome to entertain the Popes Court in the pleasures and insolencies known to most men to inrich his Nephews and kinsfolks and whorle the Cardinals with a cortage of fourty or fiftie Coaches in a word to maintain the Romish Clergie in such abominations and dissolutenesse that S. Lewes King of France could never have the heart to see them they surpassing in excesse and dissolutenesse all the Cities of the world even those where Christ Jesus and Gods Name is not known Let the Pope of Rome have whereon to live and make good cheer if he will so long as he liveth that were sufferable but to have 24000. crowns to spend every day is a little too much for an old Priest and I beleeve that the over-plus would do an infinite of good to many poore Christians Priests and Prelates also both learned and understanding who are constrained to live poorely all the rest of their daies and I may say to fast that they may send excessive Annates to Rome to feed his hounds and maintaine his excesse Happy and wise are those Kingdomes and States who have freed themselves from that tyranny and withdrawne their necks from under that hard and unsupportable yoake I know the Pope is much grieved and fretteth daily for having by his presumption and obstinacy given occasion to those Princes to open their eyes and see the darknesse and captivitie wherein they lived and will beware to stirre so much another time for feare his throne should fall flat to the ground But there is no remedy for that which is past nor is there any appearance they will ever returne and come back to the ancient collection of Peters penny Mens eyes are too open now againe to be deceived and their noses too apt to smell out their plots

done by the grace of the Father of lights who is never deficient in necessitie and from whom I confesse doth proceed the great gift of faith And if a Pagan should be Judge of this controuersie and others betwixt us and the Romish Church I verily beleeve he would suddenly condemne that Church of an unjust usurpation and intolerable errour in this point as all the rest which by the grace of God we shall handle hereafter and give sentence in favour of my beliefe which I protest I have chosen as the holiest purest and most conformable to the doctrine and intentions of the Sonne of God and his Apostles Now all the question and difficultie of this point consisteth the knowledge of those two which of them is the most certain rule and sure Judge most to be beleeved and most proper for our faith whether the Word of God or the Pope of Rome and his traditions The Church of Rome saith it is the Pope but I hold with the Orthodox doctrine of this Kingdome of England and the reformed Churches that it is the Word of God We shall shew hereafter that our Saviour never gave that power and authoritie to the Pope and therefore he cannot pretend it but here I shall prove that the holy Scripture is and ought to be the sole rule and true Judge of our faith grounding my selfe upon these following reasons CHAP. II. That the holy Scripture is the onely Iudge and rule sufficient of Faith and not the Pope nor the Church THat man without question hath a true catholick and perfect faith and is in a true beliefe who beleeveth all that Christ Jesus hath caught and neither beleeves nor will beleeve more in the matter of faith for the Son of God being that divine and infinite wisdome and knowledge which came into the world to save mankinde and teach them true faith hath preached and taught all that was necessary to faith and salvation so he who beleeves all that Jesus Christ hath taught and nothing more hath a true and perfect faith and it is impietie to beleeve the contrary Now it is true that whatsoever our Saviour did preach necessary to salvation is in the holy Scripture and therefore the holy Scripture containes all the doctrine which is necessary to faith and out of the written Word of God nothing necessary to faith is to be sought For the Evangelists and holy Writers having undertaken by the motion and command of the holy Spirit to write the actions and doctrine of the Son of God for the instruction of all the faithfull that should come after it is not credible that they should have written but a part and omitted something that was necessary to the perfect faith and for the instruction and forming of a true Christian otherwise wee must say that the Gospel is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ but onely a part of the Gospel and the New Testament is but a part of the New Testament of the Son of God And note that they were inspired and commanded by the Spirit of God to leave to Christians and the whole Church the life and doctrine of Jesus Christ they being assisted and helped by his speciall grace to that end Moreover they have not onely within one chapter or two but every one of them a great number where undoubtedly they have had space enough to comprehend all the doctrine necessary to salvation and being foure that which one of them might have forgot and left out might be supplied by the other their purpose being specially to write the doctrine and precepts of the Son of God which were necessary to salvation and if there were any thing more to be beleeved than that which is in the Evangelists we must thinke that it should be found in the Epistles either of St Peter or St Paul or some others of the chiefe Apostles who all except St Paul were witnesses of the doctrine and actions of the Apostles for many years and many of their Sermons fully might have touched it a little So it is voyd of all reason to thinke that Christ Jesus did preach any other thing necessary to salvation than that which is contained in the holy Scriptures And if it were not in the holy Scriptures it would follow that the Evangelists were faultie and blame-worthy and their writings imperfect for that Author is greatly to be blamed who being expresly commanded to write of some important subject writes many things not necessary to his purpose and passeth by more important and principall things Now the Evangelists having undertaken by the command and motion of the holy Spirit to write the doctrine of faith and salvation preached by Jesus Christ for the instruction of the faithfull they have written many things not absolutely necessary to salvation as a number of Parables Histories and Miracles for illustration or farther confirmation of fundamentall doctrines and therefore wee must say that having written such things they have not omitted more necessary and important things otherwise they were blame-worthy and their writings would be imperfect Now seeing there was but one holy Spirit that moved them and guided their pens and their writings in this worke one of them might have omitted something which the holy Spirit would leave and teach us by the other or by the writings of other Apostles but that there is any thing necessary to salvation omitted by them all is more than can be beleeved by any Christian Furthermore we see that the Evangelists and Apostles have left us sufficient instructions in their writings to lead us to perfection and the practice of most excellent vertues wee must beleeve them with better reason that they have given us sufficient instructions to a perfect faith which is the foundation of all vertue and perfection and without which there can be no perfection nor vertue or otherwise it behooved us to say that they taught men to be perfect not giving them sufficiently instructions to be Christians which should be an intolerable foppery Even as if a Mason would teach his apprentise to build an excellent house not instructing him how to lay the foundation or if a Master would instruct his scholar to read not teaching him to know his letters We must therefore believe that they having left us so noble and sufficient instructions to become perfect they have also left us sufficient doctrine in their writings to obtain a perfect faith which is the necessary ground of all vertue and perfection and doubtlesse there are none but obstinate and blinde persons who will deny it 2. Tim. 3.15 Doth not Saint Paul also speaking to Timothy say Thou hast learned from thy infancy the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus We must say then that the holy Scriptures being able to make him wise to salvation contain all the doctrine necessary to salvation otherwise they could not make him wise to salvation that is sufficiently