Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	worship_n	worship_v	worshipper_n	4,806	4	12.4611	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B21542	A musick-lector, or, The art of musick (that is so much vindicated in Christendome) discoursed of by way of dialogue between three men of several judgments the one a musician and master of that art, and zealous for the Church of England ..., the other a Baptist ..., the other a Quaker (so called) ... / written by Solomon Eccles.	Eccles, Solomon, 1618-1683.	1667 (1667)	Wing E129	22,469	30

personal appearance or by a vocal voice that may be heard by the outward ear Mu. Then we must all conclude that he teacheth invisibly and in silence if not by voice nor personal appearance to the outward eye nor outward ear and by this methinks you seem to justifie the Quakers Silent-meetings Qua. We ask no favour of him nor thee nor any man living to worship our God neither any mans counsel or approbation whether we are in the right Worship or no but by way of Argument because the Worshippers in England do wonder and gaze so much at us in our Silent-meetings Now if the Devil do teach his to lye and swear by an evil spirit who is the father of all lyars how much more may the true God who is blessed for evermore teach his and lead his into all Truth as it is said and they shall all be taught of God Isa 53. 13. and in silence as to the outward ear the enemy of mans Salvation teacheth his all ungodliness may not the Lord that good Spirit teach his in silence to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts And as thou hast said and hast said true That the Devil is a spirit and comes not to man to speak to him by personal appearance or a vocal voice to mens outward ear but yet he layes baits before the eyes of their minds and snares to murder and to commit Adultery to steal and rob over-reach cheat and cozen and may not the Lord teach his to do to all men as they would be done by For where I my self had done wrong before Conversion came the Spirit of Truth brought it to my remembrance again where I had over-reacht and cheated and made me to make restitution again this teaching I witness and made me pay back again many a pound and that with advantage also Oh! I commend the teaching of the Spirit above all teachings O glory be to his Name for ever Exod. 22. 3. Numb 6. 7. Mu. Well but my Friend I cannot pass you by any longer pray let me know why you forsook so good a Calling Qua. While I was taught of men I could follow it viz. When the Church of England was govern'd by Episcopal Order I could follow it and call'd it the gift of God and when I became more strict a Presbyter I made a trade of it and never question'd it at all and after that I became an Independant I could follow it and when I came further and was baptized with water and eat Bread and Wine with them about the year 1642. they encouraged me in it and some of them had their Children taught on the Virginals but I went further and was an Antinomian so called and then I could teach mens Sons and Daughters on the Virginals and on the Viol and I got the two last years more than an hundred and thirty pounds a year with my own hands and lived very high and perceived that the longer I followed it the greater in-come I had but when Truth came I was not able to stand before it the Lord did thunder grievously against this practice and I would fain have pleaded the harmlesness of it but no pleading would serve it was nothing but vanity and vexed the good Spirit of God O it was hard to flesh and blood to give it up for it was not only my livelihood but my life was in it Now the Witness of God did often smite me for it before I could yeeld to the Lord to give up so that sometimes it put me to a stand and then reasonings arose whether it was a lawful Calling and while I with the wrong thing strove to prove it lawful that pure thing that was sent of God it took away my peace from me O the goodness and forbearance of the Lord to me for what was I that the Lord should strive so with me lest I should have gone on to my everlasting destruction Then was I at a stand what I should do for a livelihood but the Holy-One caught hold on me and said Am not I alsufficient give up for I have a great work for thee to do But my life was so much in the thing that he made me to feel his sharp Sword which divided between me and my lovers Mu. But Friend you undervalue Musick too much 't is true that if in case you had been a Fidler it had been no great matter if you had cast it off but to teach mens sons and daughters on the Virginals and on the Viol it is as harmless a Calling as any man can follow How say you Sir Bap. Truly I do not see but he might have followed it still as he us'd it and as you say me thinks it is a very harmless Calling there is sufficient proof of Scripture for the lawfulness thereof only in this one thing the Quakers must be singular Qua. I have heard divers men and some of all Religions and almost all people especially those of the Universities do highly commend Musick but O the Truth the Spirit of Truth nor the Children of Truth can never bear it but Truth and her Children do trample it under foot 't is Babylons Musick and down it must and shall for ever And since I through the good hand of God had an eye open in me to see where I stood I soon sided with the Truth and stood off from the reasoning part and then the Zeal of God rose up as hot as fire and I greatly loathed my self to see what cursed ground I stood in and I reckon it a happy day that I was redeemed out of a vain practice Acts 19. 19. Mu. But prethee thou mad Quaker hold a little for thou wrests the Scriptures as many of you do to your own destructions for they were Magicians not Musicians that burnt their Books of great price Qua. That which taught them taught me to deny ungodliness and will teach all that will turn to it to deny ungodliness and curious Arts and is not Musick a curious Art wilt thou deny it Mu. T is true Musick is a curious Art but will you say 't is ungodliness take heed what you say lest you pull an old house upon your head for we are no Fidlers but are sober men and in a sober Calling and that which delights the ears of Kings and wise men and grave sage men and the honourablest men and women in the Nation do highly esteem of Musick Qua. That which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination to the Lord reade Luke 16. 15. And why dost thou make such a difference between those called Fidlers and you who call your selves Musicians for my own part since I came to the Truth it self I do see indeed that I being a Teacher in Musick it might have this stile above the other for I count it was a civil Devil and the Fidler more prophane but both are for the Lake that practise it except they do repent Mat. 9. 23. Rev. 18. 22. Mu. Are they

Silence all flesh and that Tongue which could Preach and Pray and give Thanks must come to know a Bridle from good words and bad words Even as David said I kept silence even from good words though sore against my will For I had often praised God with that tongue that had told Lies before Truth came and Truth brought its Bridle and tied me up so I gave up that to the Famine which was for the Famine and with my tongue I had often called God Father before that was born that should call him Father as many Professors do this day but when they shall turn to the One thing that is needful and part with all for that One things sake then the broken heart will rise then no sleep to the eyes nor slumber to the eye-lids till that be felt born that comes to do the will of God and before this time or about this time men come to sit down and reckon what it will cost them for all is to be given up within and without and such come in at the right door yet were it not for the mercy of the Lord we could never hold out Luke 14. 28. Now we come to witness the saying of the Lord Jesus Without me ye can do nothing For indeed the way is very strait and the gate narrow but God hath laid help upon one that is mighty and he hath met us to go before us O blessed be the Lord Mu. But doth not the Lord say Buy wine and milk without money and without price Then why dost thou tell us of cost and charges Is not the grace of God free Qu. Yes verily yea and the Testimony of the Lord is true for no gold or silver can buy the Truth yet it is to be bought for saith Christ who is the Wisdom Buy the Truth and sell it not Prov. 23. 23. Mu. This is strange Doct●ine and methinks you are a strange People and your Language is strange and your Carriage strange You stand much upon Thee and Thou and Yea and Nay Qu. Come to the Witness of God in thy own particular and thou shalt know the reason why we are so fearful to displease the Lord Oh when the fear is over the heart lest we should offend with our tongue we are safe And as for thee and thou we had never learnt it except the Lord had taught it us for I could willingly have spoken the old Language which was from the Pope You to a particular but the Language of the Spirit is thou to one and you to many as thou mayest read from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelations though I could willingly have gone miles about than meet my old Companions to speak the plain language to them And as I was faithful in a little the Lord made me stronger and stronger But when I said to one you the Lord would smite and judge me for it And as yea and nay are faithfully performed in the power of the Lord and to stand faithful to it Men will as soon take our yea or nay as others Bonds But these little things cost me and others very dear and whoever will be his disciple he must not despise the day of small things but must take up the daily Cross and follow him This is true Mat. 10. 38. Mu. Indeed I have heard in the Gospel that we must seek the Kingdom of Heaven first and the Righteousness thereof and all other things shall be added That is a very plain Scripture but who is able to do so Surely but very few Qu. Many in this day of the Lord have denyed all and have taken up the daily Cross and have followed him and are well satisfied in what they have done Glory for ever be to the Lord Mat. 5. 20. Mu. O the way to heaven is a very hard strait and narrow way and few there be that find it What will become of me vile wretch Qu. That which presents thee vile in thine own eye and in secret reproves thee for sin O love that Rev. 3. 9. Mu. Friend Pray for me for now I begin to hate my self and my Calling but how shall I love that which reproves me would you indeed have me do so how contrary is this to our Religion Qu. Take heed to Gods Witness and give up to obey it and own the indignation of the Lord as David did because he had sinned against him So the Light of Christ will let thee see thy sin But believe the Light and follow the Light and look not so much at the sin as at him who will save thee out of the hands of all thine Enemies For a mans enemies are they of his own house But as thou mindest the Light it will judge and condemn sin and raise a desire in thee to do the will of God and thou must have a care not quench that desire Mu. Truly I think there is something in me I cannot be at peace nor at quiet for it and sometimes I am grievously affrighted Qu. 'T is the Witness of God this was my case once Give up in obedience to him and love his Reproofs for the reproofs of Instruction is the way of Life 'T is so Prov. 3. 11 12. Mu. Well Friend I have strove much to oppose you though in my self I have been reproved for it for I do believe that both God and good men love the honest Quakers But if I and all men do oppose you yet you go on surely there is a miraculous hand upholds you that you so hold your integrity truly Friend I have a good mind to hear you but I would not be seen Qu. 'T is meet for thee to try all things and hold fast that which is good but thou must not be afraid of men if thou wilt be a follower of Christ Take heed and agree with thy Adversary quickly while thou art in the way with him and he with thee Mat. 5. 25. Mu. But I have read that the Devil is my Adversary must I agree with him Qu. Nay Thou hast been at agreement with him too long already but thou must agree with him that reproves thee for thy sin and look well to thy precious time while the Spirit yet strives with thee and let all people take heed of deferring their time But hearken to his voice while it is called to day For now is the acceptable time now is the day of Salvation for Gods long-suffering waits to be gracious as it did in the days of Noah Therefore haste haste come out of all uncleanness and of all false Worships let all men take heed how they withstand their day for Gods Spirit will not always strive with men lest it should fail before him and the souls that he hath made S. E. THE END