Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	write_n	write_v	writer_n	58	3	7.7144	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61645	A stock of divine knowledge, being a lively description of the divine nature, or, The divine essence, attributes, and Trinity particularly explaned [sic] and profitably applied the first, shewing us what God is : the second, what we ought to be / by the late learned and laborious preacher, and worthy instrument of Gods glory, Richard Stock ...	Stock, Richard, 1569?-1626.	1641 (1641)	Wing S5693; ESTC R34616	191,839	352

write a letter to thee saith Gregory thou wouldst not rest till thou hadst read it but when God writes this letter of life and salvation wilt thou not read it how ungratefull art thou to God Thou wilt confesse the whole Church worthy to bee condemned if it should neglect the reading of the Scriptures then thou being a member of the Church condemnest thy selfe A man may read other books but hee must read this there is a necessity laid upon him therefore hee must read them And know thou man and woman thou art in a fearfull estate when thou maiest reade the Scriptures and yet neglectest them Brethren know it for a truth for you shall one day know it that though you have now excuses why you cannot reade as because you cannot neglect your callings c. yet the time will come when you shall have no excuse to keep you from being condemned If ever therefore you look to have salvation you must read the Scriptures Use 3. This must teach us that a man must not read onely but hee must apply also to himselfe hee must not read it for others but hee must apply it to himselfe to his estate and condition Wee have a common speech That that which is said in generall is spoken to none but it is not true here that which Christ said to all Watch hee said to every one that which God saith to all Read hee saith to every particular person as Tertullian saith in reading the Scripture Wee are to observe every severall occasion to make use of every sentence Doth the Word command any thing to bee done or doth it forbid any thing doth it threaten any evill or promise any mercy labour to know it that it may comfort thee that it may instruct thee c. and this is to read the Word profitably for every man to learne his owne lesson thereby many bad Schollers when they cannot read their owne lesson can read anothers so many can learne others lessons but they cannot learne their own as they can say This text meets with such a one See what a trewant thou art in this Schoole of Christ labour to know thy lesson as this threatning serves to terrifie mee this promise to comfort mee c. Brethren many men make a partiall application some will apply the promises but not the threatnings take heed of eating too much honey the promises will doe thee no good if first thou have not applyed the threatnings hee that takes not his part in the threatnings hath no part in the promises therefore take a view of the whole Booke of God Againe they that have a trembling conscience can see nothing but threatnings these are onely such as the Lord leaves for a while they cannot apply the promises to themselves but the other are in a worse condition then these for of these there is hope because the Lord is fitting them for himselfe but labour thou to apply the whole Word that thou maiest see thy selfe The holy Scripture is a looking-glasse saith Saint Gregory and a looking-glass we know is to see both what is comely and what is deformed so is the Word to distinguish things that differ and to discover good and evill by the Law is the knowledge of sin and duty therefore labour to make use of it All the Word is written for thee as well as for any every part of it as well as any part therefore apply it to thy selfe that thou maiest have comfort and mercy in this life and eternall happinesse in the life to come CHAP. IV. 2 TIM 3.16 All Scriptures are given by divine inspiration of God IT hath been shewed that the saving knowledge of God is to be found in the Word and that the Word is written It is necessary to be considered who writ it and for whom it was written Of the former of these By whom it was written is now to be handled at this time Quest By whom was this Word written Answ It was given by God by divine inspiration 2 Pet. 1.21 the proofe of which is manifest out of this text that I have read All Scriptures are by divine inspiration and in this respect it was called Scripture because that not onely the matter but the voice the stile the phrase was by inspiration from God Other writings may be the Word of God but this was by Gods appointment the writing was the writing of God Exod. 32.16 for Moses at first writ not the Commandements but God and after the Tables were broken they were no lesse the Word of God then before Exod. 31.18 others were the pen-men but God the hand others the instruments but God the maker and author of this Word Isa 30.8 Therefore it is that the Apostle Saint Peter hath it 2 Pet. 1.20 21. there is no Prophecie but it comes from God holy men of God writ them and they spake them not by the will of man but by the holy Ghost This truth because it is of weight and hath great opposition of men and breeds great doubts in men we will labour to establish and for further confirmation of it we will confirme it by internall and externall arguments internall I call those that are in the Scriptures themselves and in the minde of men externall those that doe confirme these Quest How doth this appeare that it was written by divine inspiration from God Ans By internall arguments that are in the Scriptures themselves First from the doctrine it selfe and excellencie thereof Secondly from the majestie of the stile Thirdly from the perpetuall consent of Christ and his Apostles To examine these Reas 1. The first argument is the doctrine which is so holy and divine that no man could write but a divine wisdome and that is thus manifested 1. From the greatnesse of these things written surpassing all humane reason 2. From the purity of the Word which convinceth men of injustice and yet teacheth all men to bee just 3. From the consent there is an admirable communion betweene justice and mercy betweene the salvation of men by the satisfaction of Christ and sanctification by the holy Ghost No man could think of any such thing till the Scripture did reveale it 4. Lastly The end of the writing which is onely the glory of God as the Apostle saith Let him that rejoiceth rejoice in the Lord this abaseth nature and advanceth grace therefore it cannot be but by divine inspiration Againe no writing can bring comfort to a man but the Scriptures Rom. 15.40 These things have beene written that wee through patience might have comfort of the Scriptures these are such things that a man could never attaine to but by God Reas 2. The second proofe that wee gave was the majestie of the stile Whosoever is exercised in reading the Scripture shall plainly see that no meer man was ever able to write it of himselfe The excellencie of the stile is so great that as Eusebius reports they thereby tryed the writing of hereticks

if the stile doth not agree to this of the Prophets and Apostles they are to be rejected If wee will know all true authority wee must know it by the stile for howsoever a false Writer may take to him the name and frame of another man yet hee cannot take his stile for as every man hath his severall countenance and severall colour that though two bee never so like yet there are some things whereby they may bee discerned so the writings of other men may bee knowne from the Scriptures on which the holy Ghost hath set such a stile as is not to bee found in all or any the writings of all the world besides Reas 3. The third ground was the consent of Christ and the Apostles with the Prophets that went before them the latter Prophets consent with the former and the former agree with them therefore this must needs be from a divine direction For amongst men who have written of the same subject wee may finde often variance but these did never really contradict one another there is no discrepance in them to bee found there were some thousands of yeers between the first Prophets writings and the Apostles and some thousands of miles betweene the Prophets and Apostles that wrote at the same time yet all doe agree together the ground is this because Truth as God is ever constant to it selfe Therefore the Prophet Jeremy reproves Hanani Jer. 28. because hee did not consent to the Prophets that went before him and the Apostle pronounceth an anathema against himselfe or an Angel or whosoever should teach any other doctrine All which shewes that there is a marvellous consent in the Scriptures and therefore they must needs be written by God and not by men Quest What other internall Arguments are there in the mindes of men to prove the Scripture the Word of God Answ It is proved first by the Spirit of God who witnesseth the same in the hearts of the Elect Secondly by the power and efficacie of the Word and the working it hath in the hearts of men To explaine this First the Spirit of God witnesseth this in the hearts of the Elect God is the best witnesse of himselfe so is the Spirit the best witnesse of the Word which is not beleeved untill it be settled in the heart of man by the Spirit that wrote it for till then wee reject it Some apply that of the Prophet Isa 59.21 My Spirit that I have put upon thee and my words that I have put in thy mouth c. In this manner the Spirit and the Word must agree together and continually bear witnesse each to other whatsoever is suggested by the Spirit and agreeth not with the Word is to bee rejected whatsoever is expressed in the Word is not beleeved till witnessed by the Spirit I add to these Christs owne speech to the Jewes John 8.42 43. who bragged that God was their Father if God bee your father why doe you not beleeve my words for if God be your Father then you have the Spirit of God but it is apparant that you have the Spirit of God because you beleeve not my words and therefore God is not your Father John 10.27 My sheepe heare my voice that is they doe acknowledge that this is my voice Ver. 16. I have other sheep that are not of this fold them also I must bring in and they shall heare my voice and ver 3 4. the shepheard calleth his sheep by name and they follow him and a stranger will they not follow where he sheweth that the sons of God have the Spirit of God in them whereby they are able to discerne the writings of God from other writings the Spirit of God giving them a cleare understanding to see and a perswasion to beleeve the truth of them and such a perswasion as no man knowes out of himselfe but in himselfe It is true as wee said before That the majestie of the stile and the consent of the Writers are great arguments to prove the Scriptures Gods Word but yet they give a man no assurance but onely breed in him a kinde of reverence as Salvian saith But if a man bee once enlightened with the Spirit of God hee rests not on his owne judgement nor on the judgement of all the world because hee hath inward judgement in himselfe which is the Spirit And thus much for the first internall argument The second argument is taken from the mindes of men and from the power and efficacie that the Word hath in the hearts and consciences of all men It hath a power to convert them to God to terrifie and awaken them and also to comfort them in distresses to wound them and to make them whole which no other writing can doe therefore it cannot be humane but divine This is manifest Psalm 19. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule No Philosopher can convert the heart though hee may bring men to outward civilitie like unto this The Word gives wisdome to the simple and therefore is divine It was that which made S. Paul to know that hee was dead for before the Law came hee was alive but when the Law came he was dead This the Apostle Saint Peter presseth to the Gentiles Act. 2.27 28. by which hee wounded them and with the same Word hee healed them no other Word could ever bring them to despaire of their owne righteousnesse no other could sustaine them despairing this is the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 Finally it is powerfull in operation Heb. 4.11 it is mighty to make a man at variance with himselfe the father against his sonne the mother against the daughter nothing was ever able to doe this but the Word of God Quest What externall proofes are there Answ First the fulfilling of the Prophecies in the Scripture in the same manner and the same circumstances in the same time and in the same persons things many hundred yeers before foretold are so accomplished as foretold this therefore cannot bee but a divine prediction Isa 41.22 The Prophet speaks of the Idols Come and let them tell us what shall come to passe hereafter arguing that to doe so must bee a divine thing The Divell cannot foretell things to come hee may ghesse at them but hee hath alwaies his shifting holes but the holy Scripture hath set downe in plaine termes the time and the persons and other circustances as 1 Reg. 13.2 Isa 45.1 Gen. 15.13 c. therefore it must needs bee a divine wisdome that did indite and inspire them Secondly The second externall argument is the antiquity of these they are ancienter then any other writings whatsoever the Egyptians indeed brag That they had writings before Moses but it is nothing but bragging and untruth Thirdly The great opposition that hath beene made against them and their preservation It is true that Aristotle burnt the books of his Master Plato a great Philosopher that himselfe might bee the more observed