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	write_v	year_n	101	3	4.2670	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79533	A whip for the lecturers of Lewis, and for all those Presbyterians, and others of the clergy which maintain that damnable opinion of absolute reprobation, according to the sense of the within written paper. With an exact copy of two several letters sent unto the the said lecturers, wherein the author desires satisfaction concerning the said opinion, with an answer to one of the said letters, being a true copy also. / By Edward Choune ...	Choune, Edward.	1657 (1657)	Wing C3929; ESTC R171318	20,781	29

to whose grace you are commended by your well wishing friends The Lecturers of Lewis and Brighthelmston I received this the 12 of March 1655. they sending it without dating A Copy of the Answer unto this Letter before written Sirs I Received a thing like a Letter with no mans hand unto it wherein you judge my Paper sent unto you concerning absolute reprobation needless to be answered in regard some learned Bishops and Doctors have answered my Authors fully as you say wishing me to read their works with a single eye and then if any scruple arise if I come unto you with the spirit of meekness you would by conference cleer the truth for what I have read and heard of Bishop Davenant Doctor Twisse and Doctor Prideaux it hath more confirmed and strengthened me in my opinion then otherwise it is above a year since that I did first speak and write unto many of you upon several Christian considerations to give me some satisfaction and now at the last you have sent me a piece of Paper which is little better worth then to wipe ones breech for any satisfaction I can see in it Now if this be all the advice you can give me let me desire you all that writ unto me for to accept of the same advice from me In the first place with an honest and consciencious heart read the word of God Austin and Tertullian being quoted unto me I will also put you in mind of their sayings Austin saith you must not contradict plain places of Scripture because your shallow brains cannot comprehend the obscure Tertullian saith A few testimonies must receive an exposition answerable unto the current of the Scriptures not contrary And as Mr. Pierce saith Is there no other way to understand those Texts in Rom. 9. then to make those Texts which sound severely to clash with those that sound compassionately let us not do so having a thousand compassionate plain places of Scripture unto one harsh and obscure read also Bishop Montague and he will tell you that you swerve from the Church of England in maintaining your erroneous point of absolute reprobation one of my Authors quoted Bishop Overal in his interpretation of the 39. Articles who saith the maintenance of absolute reprobation is precisely against the judgement of the Church of England pray read also Bishop Harsnets Sermon on Ezek 33. v. 11. which will tell you your blasphemous opinion is grown high monstrous that it is like unto Goliah that men tremble and shake at it and no man reacheth his hand to Davids sling to cast it down but in the name of the Lord of hosts we will encounter it for it hath not reviled the host of the living God but the God of hosts read also Doctor Jacksons Treatise on Gods attributes Doctor Hammonds Fundamentals who will tell you that your opinion is against the judgement of the Church of England read Doctor Potters Apology Mr. Goodwin his agreement and distance of the brethren read also Haggars Stoicks and Moalamb on Rom. 9. and many other books but beyond all compare let me commend unto you Mr. Hoord and Mr. Piercy's books for I believe they have so sufficiently maintained that doctrine against your blasphemous opinion as they call it of absolute reprobation both by Scripture by Antiquity and by Reason that the wit of man is not able to give any considerable answer by Scripture by Antiquity by Reason to gain-say it doubtless these men will give you satisfaction if any scruple do arise My desire is that any two of you Lecturers will give me a meeting five ten or twenty miles from home and I will meet you and by Gods help will give you better satisfaction for the maintenance of my opinion then ever I received from any of you against it provided you will come with an humble spirit keeping close unto the Scriptures and cast away all carnall inventions but to meet a multitude I will not be baited at or for fear I may be jugled out of my wits by such a company you would have me also utter and write against the Protestants beyond the Seas and the Framers of the Articles of the Church of England And in their words for the greatest part of the Protestants beyond the Sea holds against your wretched opinion as I have been well satisfied and will sooner close with the Papists in respect of their religion then with your selves as for the Church of England the framers of the Articles have left them in such a dubious way that some Bishops and Doctors and other inferiour Ministers do interpret the Articles absolutely against that horrid point of absolute reprobation and some Bishops Doctors and other inferiour Ministers do interpret the same articles making absolute reprobation a truth of God just as they do the Scripture framing it unto any fashion or shape Now if this be a truth as you maintain that God by his eternal and unalterable decree hath elected the smallest part of mankind infallibly unto glory and reprobated the greatest part of man-kind unto damnation I would fain hear any rational man give a reason why it should be an errour in me for saying I would not give three pence a dozen for all the Bishops Doctors and other inferiour Ministers in Christendome unless I had a commission to sell them to the great Turk and also for my wondering that our forefathers should so unadvisedly suffer these drones to suck so much of the good of the land as allowing in all places the Tenth of the Revenues and in many places to my knowledg at this day they enjoy the sixth part of the Revenues of the land and beyond sea amongst the Papists as I have read all sorts of their dronish Clergy enjoy almost half of the revenues of their lands now if this be a truth of God what is the Priests work both here and beyond sea but onely to enslave mens consciences whilest they live here on earth and I would fain see any judicious man who renounceth his believing because his Priest believes it to give a satisfactory answer why so many bagpipe players as there are Priests which may be competently maintained with an hundredth part of the Priests charge may not do God and man as good service in respect of mens salvation to keep one merry day in a week let it be Sunday or any other day either in this Nation or in any other part of the world provided that that judicious man shall grant that which all you maintain that is that all the Devils in Hell cannot keep one of the Elect from glory neither Christ Jesus nor all the Saint-like actions in the world that is possible for the creature to do can keep one of the reprobates from damnation this being granted if I am in an errour I have a longing desire to be convinced by Scripture and reason I have already written to you under my hand which opinion I suppose you maintain because I