Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	require_v	spirit_n	worship_v	1,990	5	8.9686	5	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02199	More vvorke for priests: or An answere to George Giffords pretended defence of read prayers and devised leitourgies comprised in the first part of his booke; intituled A short treatise against the Donatists of England: wherein is proved that the serving of God in such away [sic] and manner is a superstitious and vaine worship. Written by John Greenwood Christs faythfull martyr: here-unto is added by another man, many other argumers [sic] against stinted service and booke-prayer.; Answere to George Giffords pretended defence of read praiers and devised litourgies	Greenwood, John, d. 1593.	1640 (1640)	STC 12341; ESTC S103421	44,326	116

Priests GEORGE GIFFORD To condemne overthrow read prayer ye bring as the ground or foundation of al your matter this Sentence God is a Spirit to be worshipped in Spirit Iob. 4. This Scripture indeed is cleare strong to cut downe al carnal worship as disgreeing from the nature of GOD And if any maintaine that the very bodily action of reading is the worship of God it may fitly be alleadged against them c. IOHN GREENWODS Answer Wisdome is Iustified of her Children IT is agreed upon consented unto on both sides that seeing God is a spirit onely requireth such to worship him as worship him in spirit truth all carnall worship is cut downe hereby of what sort soever as disagreeing from the nature of God that all fantastical devises of men namely whatsoever is not warranted in his worde is carnall worship a wearisomnes unto him lothsome in his sight So that no man ought to intermedle attempt or practise any thing in shew of worship wher of they have not sure grounde of his worde For even our God is a consuming fire Now to put away all your bodily distinctions and earthly cavils I still affirme as I have proved the stinting imposing mens writings upon publique assemblies to have them read over by number and stint or any other way as a worship of God instead of true invocation is a meere devise of man so carnall worship as also all other reading of mens writings publiquely or privatly in this abuse for praying to God Yet say you to apply this Scripture Iohn 4.22.23 in this manner against read prayer is frivolous where I appeale to all mens consciences for the weight therof It is frivolous you say except I can prove that a man cannot pray by the spirit of God with sighes and groanes upon a booke or when prayer is uttered after a prescript forme c.. At the first step you goe about to alter the question All our prayers ought to be uttered after a prescript forme even that perfect rule and forme our Saviour gave to his Disciples and all posterities But this is nothing to the matter For the other which is nothing but a begging of the question I alleaged certayne reasoÌ„s to this effect First that those sighes groanes in reading instead of praying were not of faith seeing that those sighes grones that proceed of faith minister matter to pray without a booke 2. That you did but barely affirme the question in calling it prayer by the spirit when one doth read seing reading is not praying at all for as I then alleadged to invocate the name of God in spirit is by the worke of the spirit to bring fourth of our hearts prayer to God which is then in truth when it agreeth to Gods word But reading is another matter namely a receaving of instruction into the heart from the booke Out of the first Mr. GIFFORD maketh men beleeve he hath fetched two heresies the one a perfection of faith the other that faith cannot be joyned unto or stand with anie outward helpes for the encrease therof Litle marveile he found so many heresies in our whole writings that could finde two or three in my first reason but that you may remember your self better though you had two yeares to consider I will bring the wordes before you againe if peradventure you may have grace to call backe your self I said if the sighes grones in that kinde of praying were of faith it would minister matter without a booke this sentence I may confirme by many testimonies of scripture that no perverted spirit can gaine say or resist the scripture teacheth us every where that in praying the spirit onely helpeth our infirmities no other helpes mentioned or can be collected in the present action of prayer through the Scripture He hath sent into our hearts the spirit of his Sonne crying Abba Father we beleeve therfore we speake Yet here is not any shew of perfection of faith but of the contrary praying for our wantes But this may be gathered that God onely accepteth the fruits of his owne spirit in prayer and requireth no more of any but that every one according to the proportion of faith pray unto him as occasion in them requireth Now to conclude that because in praying we neede not a book to speake for us when the heart it self book of our conscience speaketh with God that therefore sayth never needeth instruction but is perfect were slanderous false and senselesse The cause then of these heresies proceed hereof that your sel fe Mr. Gifford would needs frame two syllogismes in the moodes of your malice constraine the propositioÌ„ of the present action in praying to a generall sentence of all times and actions though both our question here was of the very action of praying in the conclusion of that very point within six lines after this you ad these wordes Even in the time of their begging at Gods hands so that these heresies must be Mr Giffords and not myne seeing they are found to be coyned of his idle brayne and godles heart only to defame the trueth But say you the most part are ignorant weak short of memorie c. therfore need all helps to stir them up to pray c. where by your own confession reading is not praying but a help to stir up to pray And even hereupon al our errours arise that you cannot discerne the difference of spiritual gifts with the distinct use of theÌ„ We doubt not but before prayer al the daies of our life we have neede of helps of instruction to praye aright for the fitnes of the mind bodie often fasting reading meditating c. are great helpes to go before to humble our selves in praying but in the present action of prayer wheÌ„ the heart is talking with God the eies hands c. with attention lift up to heaven all the powers of our soules bodies conversant with God to take a booke read cannot be called in this action a help but a confounding of the mind of Gods ordinances and a doing we know not what though before and after it be an exeellent meanes ordeyned of God to instruct us to pray and al other dueties As for the conformation you talke of where I alledged that a troubled minde is the penne of a readie writer therefore needeth not a booke to speake for it in the action of praying By troubled minde I understood such a minde as is presently moved with the sight of some sinne or urged by other occasion a broken spirit a broken contrite heart not such a minde as in dispayre or doubt is perplexed and that the heart which is moved in faith with present occasion to cal upon God is the penne of a readie writer that is hath matter and wordes enough without a book to utter his own wantes we may reade throughout the Psalmes My throte

More vvorke for PRIESTS OR AN ANSWERE TO GEORGE GIFFORDS pretended defence of Read Prayers and devised Leitourgies comprised in the first part of his booke Intituled A short Treatise against the Donatists of England Wherein Is proved that the serving of God in such away and manner is a superstitious and vaine worship Written By JOHN GREENWOOD Christs faythfull Martyr Here-unto Is added by another man many other arguments against stinted service and booke prayer Luk. 16. 15. That which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God Printed in the yeere 1640. The Preface MY first writing being about that spiritual exercise of prayer and true invocation of Gods reverend name whereby the distressed soule of man loaden with the burden of sinne compassed also about with so many deceitfull enimies continual assaults of Satan rebellion of the flesh entisements of the world etc. seeketh daylie help of God the Father giver of all good giftes having thorough Iesus Christ free accesse by the direction of his holy spirit for all occasions to unburden it self of whatsoever grief or occasion of thankes it is moved with I ought stil and by Gods assistance shall keepe me in the meeknes of the spirit not withstanding his unchristian railinges slanders reproches against me the truth I then shewed that no other prayer could utter and ease the severall occasions distresses of this conscience and that no other mans writing could speake for this soule unto God but the heart and mouth of him that prayeth for himself or is chosen the mouth of many uttering to God his or their mindes for their present waÌ„tes or occasion urgeth and the spirit giveth utterance And I further proved that onelie this prayer pleaseth God and is grounded on faith to this effect I brought many reasons out of Gods worde admiring the ignorance of this age wherin having had the gospell of Christ thus many years in our owne language to search and try all things by whole congregations doe make no other praier to God theÌ„ reading over a certeine number of wordes upon a booke from yeare to yeare moneth to moneth day to day c. the same matter and words as they were stinted even out of that Portuis englished out of Antichrists masse booke besides private reading of menswritings instead of praying And seing this counterfeit shew of worship and pretended prayers was made common marchandize in every assemblie by this Antichristian preisthood and that al men every where were compelled to bowe downe hereunto and to offer up such counterfeit sacrifices I perceaved the first principle of Religion which is to invocate the name of the true God through the meditation of Christ in spirit and truth with heart and voyce for our present wantes according to the will of God was never yet sincerely taught by these time serving Priests But as an agreable service to the humors of earthlie minded men which have not the spirit of God this ware was thrust upon al people They wel knowing that such a ministery and such a Church of wordlings could never have stood without such a Samaritan worship Egyptian calf and like earthlie devises to counterfeit a Religion al men inclyned to some And long have I heard this pretended worship inveyed against by many sometimes zealous for the errours and confused order thereof Yet could I not heare anie to sett downe or teach which was the true prayer that only pleased God manie contriving divers formes of wordes as though they had knowen the heart of man counselled theÌ„ to reade them day unto day yeare unto yeare at evening morning dinner supper c. by portion measure and stint as an offering to God what state soever the soule was in not teaching the difference betweene reading upon a booke and prayer unto God all the tyme So that true and only prayer hath not beene taught all this tyme those that knewe how to pray aright neglect it this reading being most easie as they thinke and they aptest therunto compelled in the publique assemblies thus to mocke with God after the manner of the papists mattins true zeale no where founde but in the persequuted remnant These my first writings caryed abroode by such as desired true instructioÌ„ and willing to make others partakers of such benefits as God imparted unto them it fell into Mr GIFFORDS hand Who as it seemeth being a marchaunt of such ware fynding the gaine of the priesthood to depend here upon or as he saith the peace and uniformitie of the Church made head unto it and that not with purpose as the fruite of his labour sheweth to edifie others but standing himself a minister to this Liturgie having made shipwrack of that conscience he sometimes was thought to have with all bitternes of spirit and carnal wisdome having no more savour of grace in his writings then there is taste in the white of an egge fleeth upoÌ„ me with uncharitable raylings slanders c. And loadeth not only me but all the faithfull that walke by the rule of Gods worde with opprobrious titles of Donatists Brownists Anabaptists Heretiques Schismatiques seditious foolish frantick c. to bring not onely us but the truth of God into contempt with our Sovereigne Prince and all that feare God for he ceaseth not with laying al reproches he can devise upon our persons as one of those Locusts Rev. 9. whose similitudes are like unto horses prepared to battell whose faces like men but their teeth as the teeth of Lyons But also perverteth blaspheameth by all meanes defaceth the truth offered to him Welseing the natural maÌ„ perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God I wil speak not here of the giftes of the spirit but of the grace of God which sanctifieth the same many having Charismata that have not Charin And seeing I am alreadie thus rent Gods truth delivered by me troden under his feete I will followe the councell of Salomon who forewarneth me that he which reproveth a skorner receaveth to himself shame and he that rebuketh the wicked himself a blot And so tourne me from him leaving him to the consideration of his owne words where he sayeth in his Epistle to the reader He that seemeth most zealous in Religion and refrayneth not his tongue hath but bitternes in his heart in stead of heavenly Zeale And though nothing els can be looked for at their bandes that are Apostate from that light they have sometymes themselves published of vvhich sorte the worlde was never more full yet for the good of Gods chosen scattered abroade and for the defence of Gods trueth I cannot holde my tongue And for the more playnenes I will answeare as to him though I minde not to have anie more to doe with him till God give him repentance Wishing grace by the direction of Gods holy spirit to him that readeth to weigh both sides uprightly and to follow the truth to his owne salvation JO GRENWOOD More works for

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