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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	abandon_v	cause_n	oracle_n	12	3	10.7260	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09063	A Christian directorie guiding men to their saluation. Deuided into three bookes. The first vvherof apperteining to resolution, is only conteined in this volume, deuided into tvvo partes, and set forth novv againe vvith many corrections, and additions by th'authour him self, vvith reprofe of the corrupt and falsified edition of the same booke lately published by M. Edm. Buny. Ther is added also a methode for the vse of al; with two tables, and a preface to the reader, which is necessarie to be reade.; First booke of the Christian exercise.	Parsons, Robert, 1546-1610.	1585 (1585)	STC 19354.1; ESTC S114169	529,786	953

Cessant Oracula Delphis Al Oracles at Delphos doe nowcease etc. That also of an other Poete Excessere omnes adytis arisque relictis Dij quibus imperium hoc steterat c. That is the Goddes by whom this empire stood are al departed from their temples and haue abandoned their Altars places of habitatiō Strabo also hath thes expresse wordes The Oracle of Delphos at this daye is to be sene in extreme beggarie and mēdicitie And finally Plutarche that liued within one hundreth yeares after Christ made a special booke to search out the causes why the Oracles of the Goddes were ceased in his time And after much turning winding many waies resolued vpon two principal pointes as causes therof The first for that in his time ther was more store of wise men then before whos answers might stād in stead of Oracles and the other that peraduenture the spirits which were accustomed to yeeld Oracles were by length of time growen olde and dead Both which reasons in the verie common sense of al men must needs be false and by Plutarch him self can not stand with probabilitie For first in his bookes which he wrote of the liues of auncient famous men he confesseth that in such kinde of wisdom as he most esteemed they had not their equals amōg their posteritie Secondlie in his treatises of Philosophie he passeth it for a ground that spirits not depēding of material bodies can not die or waxe olde and therfore of necessitie we must conclude that some other cause is to be yeelded of the ceasing of thes Oracles which can not be but the presence and commaundement of some higher power according to the saying of S. Iohn To this ende appeared the sonne of God that he might dissolue or ouerthrovve the vvorkes of the deuil Neither did Iesus this alone in his owne person but gaue also power and authoritie to his disciples and folowers to doe the like according to their commission in S. Matheus ghospel Super omnia Demonia spiritus immundos c. You shal haue authoritie ouer al deuils and vncleane spirites Which commission how they afterward put in execution the whole world yeeldeth testimonie And for examples 〈◊〉 onlie I wil alleage in this place an offer or chalēge made for proof therof by Tertullian to the heathen magistrates and persecutcurs of his time his wordes are thes Let ther be brought here in presence before your tribunal seats some person who is certainly knowen to be possessed with a wicked spirite and let that spirite be commaunded by a Christian to speake and he shal as trulie confesse him self to be a deuil as at other times to you he wil falselie say that he is a God Againe at the same time let there be brought forth one of thes your priests or Prophets that wil seeme to be possessed by a diuine spirite I meane of thos that speake gasping c. in whom you imagine your Gods to talke and except that spirit also commaunded by vs doe confesse him self to be a deuil being indeed afraid to lye vnto a Christian doe you shedde the blood of the Christiās in that very place c. None wil lye to their owne shame but rather for honour or aduantage yet thos spirits wil not saye to vs that Christ was a Magician as you doe nor that he was of the common condition of men They wil not saie he was stolne out of his sepulcher but they wil confesse that he was the vertue wisdome and worde of God that he is in heauen and that he shal come againe to be our iudge c. Neither wil thes deuils in our presence denie them selues to be vncleane spirits and damned for their wickednes and that they expect his most horrible iudgment professing also that they doe feare Christ in God and God in Christ and that they are made subiect vnto his seruantes Hytherto are the wordes of Tertullian conteining as I haue said a most confident chalenge and that vpō the liues and blood of al Christians to make trial of their power in controlling thos spirites which the Romanes and other Gentiles adored as their Godes Which offer seing it was made exhibited to the persecutors them selues then liuing in Rome wel may we be assured that the enemie would neuer haue omitted so notorious an aduauntage if by former experience he had not bene persuaded that the ioining herein would haue turned and redounded to his owne confusion And this Puissant authoritie of Iesus imparted to Christians extended it self so farre forth that not only their wordes and commandemētes but euen their very presence did shut the mouthes and driue into feare thes miserable spirites So Lactantius sheweth that in his daies among many other exāples of this thing a seely seruing-man that was a Christiā folowing his maister into a certaine temple of Idoles the Godes cried out that nothing could be weldone as long as that Christian was in presence The like recordeth Eusebius of Diocletian th' Emperour who going to Apollo for an Oracle receyued answere that the iust mē vvere the cause that be could saye nothing Which iust men Apollos priest interpreted to be meant ironically of Christians therevpon Diocletian beganne his most cruel and fearce persecution in Eusebius daies Sozomenus also writeth that luliā th' Apostata endeuoring with many sacrifices and coniurations to drawe an answere from Apollo Daphnaeus in a famous place called daphne in the suburbes of Antioche vnderstood at last by the Oracle that the bones of S. Babylas the Martyr that laie nere to the place were the impedimēt why that God could not speake And therupō Iulian presently caused the same bodie to be remoued And finally here of it proceeded that in all sacrifices coniurations and other mysteries of the Gentils ther was brought in that phrase recorded by scoffing Lucian Exeant Christiani let Christians depart for that while they were present nothing could be wel accomplished To conclude the Pagane Porphyrie that of al other most earnestly endeuored to impugne and disgrace vs Christiās and to holde vp the honour of his enfeebled idoles yet discoursing of the great plague that raigned most furiously in the Citie of Messina i Cicilie wher he dwelt yeeldeth this reason why Aesculapius the God of Physike much adored in that place was not able to helpe them It is no maruailes sayeth 〈◊〉 this Citie so many yeares be vexed vvith the plague seing that both Aesculapius and al other Godes be novv departed from it by the comming of Christians For since that men haue bigunne to vvorship this Iesus vve could neuer obtaine any profite by our Godes Thus much confessed this Patrone of paganisme concerning the mayme that his Godes had receyued by Iesus honour Which albeit he spake with a malitious minde to bring Christians in hatred and persecution therby yet is the confession notable and confirmeth that storie

in the head and was warned in his sleepe not to proceede further in that worke after that sorte for that such manner of style was to base for so high matters as the scriptures conteined The other example was of one Theodectes a writer of tragaedies who tolde Aristaeus that once he attēpted to bring certaine matters out of the Iewes Bible into a pagan tragedie and that theruppō he was presentlie strikē blīd wherwith he being asto nished and falling to repentance for that he had donne and decisting from the enterprise as also Theopompus did they were both of them restored againe to their healthes And thus much did thes three Paganes confesse of the authoritie diuinitie and peculier sacred stile of our scriptures BVT NOVV further it insueth in order that after the subiect and phrase we should consider a litle the contentes of thes scriptures whiche will perhappes more clearlie direct vs to the vewe of their authour then any thing els that hytherto hath bene said And for our present purpose I will note onlie two special thinges conteined in the Bible The first st albe certaine high hiddē doctrines which are aboue the reach and capacitie of humane reason and consequētlie could neuer fall into mans braine to inuent thē As for example that all this wonderful frame of the world was created of nothing where as philosophie saith that of Nothing nothing can be made that Angels being created spirites were damned eternallie for their sinnes that Adam by disobedience in Paradise drew all his posteritie into th' obligation of that his synne and that the womas seed should deliuer vs from the same That God is one in substance and three in persons that the secōd of thes persons beig God should become man and die vpon a Crosse for mankinde that after hym the way to all felicitie honour should be by contempt suffering and dishonour Thes doctrines I say and many more conteined in the Bible being thinges aboue mans capacitie to deuise and nothing agreinge with humane reason most euidentlie doe declare that God was th' authour enditer of the scripturs for that by hym onlie and from no other thes highe and secret mysteries could be reueiled The second thing conteined in scriptures that could not proceede but from God alone are certaine propheties or fortellinges of thinges to come Wherin God hymself prouoketh th' Idoles of the Gentiles to make experience of their power in thes wordes Declare vnto vs vvhat shall insue hereafter thereby vve shall knovv that you are Godes in deed Which is to be vnderstoode if they could fortell particulerlie plainlie what was to come in thinges meerlie contingent or depending of mans will they should therby declare their power to be diuine For albeit thes Idoles of Gentiles as Apollo and other that gaue foorth Oracles which were nothing els in deed but certaine wicked spirites that tooke vpon them these names did some times happen vpon the truth and fortel thinges to come as also some Astrologers Southsayers and Magitians doe ether by forsight in the starres other elementes or by th' assistance of thes wicked spirites and deuils yet are the thinges which they pronosticate ether natural and not contingent so may be forseene fortolde in their causes as raine heate colde wīdes the like or els if they be meere accidental thes predictions of theirs are only coniectures and so most incertaine and subiecte to errours This testifieth Porphyrie the greate patron of Paganisme in a special booke of th' answers of his Godes wherin he sweareth that he hath gathered trulie without addition or detraction the Oracles that were most famous before his tyme with the false and vncertaine euent therof In consideration of which euent he setteth downe his iudgment of their power in predictions after this manner The Godes doe fortell some naturall thinges to come for that they doe obserue the order and coniunctiō of their natural causes But of thinges that are contingēt or doe depend of mans vvill they haue but coniectures only in that by their subtilitie and celeritic they preuent vs. But yet they often tymes doe lye and deceaue vs in both kyndes for that as natural thinges are variable so mans vvill is much more mutable Thus farre Porphyrie of the propheties of his Godes whereunto agreeth an other heathen of greate credit among the Graecians named Oenomaus who for that he had bene much delighted with Oracles more deceaued wrote a special booke in th' ende of their falshod and lies and yet sheweth that in manie thinges wherin they deceiued it was not easie to cōuince them of opē falshod for that they would inuolue their answers of purpose with such obscurities generalities equiuo cations and doubtefulnes as alwayes they would leaue them selues a corner wherin to saue their credites when th' euent should proue false As for example when Craesus that famous riche Monarche of Lidia cōsulted with Apollo whether he should make warre against the Persiās therby obtaine their Empire or no Apollo desirous of bloodshed as all wicked spirites are gaue his oracle in thes wordes for deceauing of Craesus If Craesus vvithout feare shal passe ouer Halys this was a riuer that laye betwene hym and Persia he shal bringe to confusion a greate riche kingdome Vpon whiche wordes Craesus passed ouer his armie in hope to get Persia but so one after he lost Lidia by euel vnderstanding of this doubteful prophetie This then is th' imbecilitie of both humane angelical power ī pronosticatig things to come which are mere cōtingēt In which kinde not withstanding seing that the scriptures haue manie and almost infinite propheties fort old manie yeares some tymes ages before they came to passe sett downe in plaine particuler and resolut speech at such tymes as there was nether cause to coniecture them nonprobabilitie that euer they should be true deliuered by simple and vnlearned persons that could forsee nothing by skill or arte and yet that all thes by their euentes haue proued most true and neuer anie one iote in the same haue fayled this I say alone doth conuince most apparentlie all proofes and reasons and other argumentes laid a syde that thes scriptures are of God and of his eternal and infallible spirite And therfore of thes propheties will I alleage in this place some few examples Abraham the first father and special Patriarche of the Iewes had manie propheties and predictions made vnto hym as of his issue when he had yet none nor euer lyke to haue of his inheritinge the land of Canaan and the lyke But this which followeth is wōderfull of his posterities discent into Egipt of their tyme of seruitude and manner of deliuerauce thēce the same being fortolde more thē fower hundreth yeares before it was fulfilled at that tyme whē no likelihode therof ī the world appeared The wordes are thes

svveet and merciful is our Lord and his miserations aboue al the rest of his mast vvonderful vvorkes Who wil maruail if the same prophet made a vowe that his euerlastīg song should be of the mercies of this his Lord and maker But yet this thing is made much more apparant by that which his deuine Maiestie did afterwardes to the same people in the daies of Ieremie the prophet aboue an hundreth yeares after this treatie in the time of Esaie at what time God being resolued to destroie them and their citie for their obduration in their sinnes when the hower of execution drewe neare his bowels of mercie were so touched with commiseratiō towardes them as he called to Ieremie and commaunded him once againe to goe vp to the temple gate wher al the people did passe in and out and ther with a loude voice to crie as foloweth Heare yee the word of God ò al you of Iuda that doe passe in and out by thes gates thus sayeth the Lord of hostes the God of Israel yet doe you amend your waies and I wil dwel in this place with you c. And when this exhortation and blessed indeuour of almightie God could not moue or profit them any thing at al then his vnspeakable goodnes began with sharpe threates in this maner My furie and indignation is gathered together vpon this citie and vpon the inhabitantes and vpon the very beastes and cattel therof as also vpon the fruite and trees of this region The carcases of this people shal be foode to the birdes of the aire and to the beastes of the filde their enimies shal come cast forth of their sepulchers the bones of the kīges and princes of Iuda the bones of their priestes prophetes and inhabitantes and shal drie them at the sunne and cast them out vnto the dunghil After al which lōg and dreadful cōmination he altereth his speech presentelie againe and saith with a very lamentable and pitiful voice And vvil not he that is fallen notvvithstanding al this rise vp againe VVil not be that is departed from me returne vnto me againe O vvhy doth my people runne from me so obstinatelie By which louing complaint and infinite other meanes of mercie that God vsed to that people when no amendment at al could be procured his diuine Maiestie was inforced to cal Nabuchodonosor king of Babilon before the walles of Hierusalem to destroy it But euen now also consider the bowels of his vnspeakable mercie For hoping that by this terrour they might perchance be stirred vp to conuersion he sent Ieremie the prophet to them againe with this embassage tel the inhabitantes of Hierusalem vvil ye not yet receaue discipline and obey my vvordes Wherat thos graceles people were so litle moued as they tooke Ieremie and cast him into prison for his message and therby exasperated most grieuoulie Gods further indignation against them Notwithstanding al which his incomprehensible clemencie would not thus abandon them but commanded holie Ieremie to write out al his threates and promisses in a booke together and to send the same vnto them forth of the prison wher he lay by his seruant Baruch to be read in their hearing and so he did Wherof whē Ioacim the king had vnderstanding he commanded Baruch to be brought into his presence and ther to read the booke by the fier side as the Scripture noteth And whē he had heard but three or foure pages therof he cut them out with a penne knif and threwe the whole booke into the fier and so consumed it At which obstinat and impious dealing albeit almightie God were extremely offended yet cōmanded he this same booke to be indited and writen againe in much more ample maner then before therby if it had bene possible to haue stirred vp gained that people vnto him But when this by no means in the world could be brought to passe then permitted his diuine Maiestie the whole citie to be destroied according to his former threate and that rebellious people to be lead away captiue in bōdage to Babilon In which place and miserie notwithstanding their demerites his infinit mercie could not for sake them but sent his prophet Ezechiel as also Baruch vnto them with extreme complaint of their obduration and yet offring vnto thē mercie and pardon euen thē if they would repent And what more wonderful clemencie then this can possibly be imagined deare Christian brother May in reason any man euer now enter into doubt or despaire of Gods mercie how great and greeuous soeuer the burden of his sinnes be when he considereth this proceeding of his eternal Maiestie with the people of Israel for so many yeares and ages together whom him self calleth notwithstanding Gentem Apostatricem dura facie indomabili corde an apostatical nation of a shameles countenance and incorrigible disposition Can God deuise any more effectual and forcible means to erect animate a sinner confidently to returne vnto him then are thes And yet gentle reader for thy further confort and encouragement in this behalf I wil adioine one thing more which doth exceed and passe al reason and reache of humane imagination and this is that God promiseth to a sinner that faithfullie wil returne vnto him not only to forget and vtterly extinguishe al memorie of his former iniquities but also to make more ioy and triumphe at his conuersion and to loue and cherishe him more tenderlie at his returne then if he had neuer fallen or departed from his seruice This God him self signifieth by the Prophet Esay when he saith cal vnto Hierusalem speake vnto her hart that is comfortably for that her iniquitie is for giuen she hath receaued dubble at Gods handes for al her sinnes committed And more plainelie in an other place by the same Prophet the light of the moone shal be as the light of the sunne and the light of the sonne shal be as the light of seuen dayes seuen tymes put together vvhen God shal binde vp the vvoundes of his people heale their fores And to this purpose doe appertaine directelie thos most wonderful parables of our Saueour in the Ghospel concerning th' extraordinarie ioye and feasting that the careful woman made when she had founde againe her grote that was lost the good Shepherd when he brought backe the sheepe that was astray and the merciful father when he receaued home his sonne that before had abādoned him And to the same purpose doth it also appertaine that in the Prophet Dauid God glorieth especiallie in the seruice of thos people that before had not knowen him And this shal suffice for this seconde pointe to shew what wonderful meanes almightie God doth vse in setting forth his mercie for allurement of sinners vnto repentance AND SO HAVING declared what exceeding great loue and mercie God beareth towardes man and how effectuallie he expresseth the same by his