Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	add_v	plague_n	prophecy_n	1,783	5	9.3203	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20766	The summe of sacred diuinitie briefly & methodically propounded : more largly & cleerely handled and explaned / published by John Downame ...	Downame, John, d. 1652.	1625 (1625)	STC 7148.3; ESTC S5154	448,527	580

and the order of the Text must be respected Seuenthly We must conferre it with other places of the Scriptures the darke and obscure ones with those that are more lightsome Eighthly We must alwaies hold the analogie or proportion of faith neuer framing any exposition to our selues that altereth or declineth from that The fourth and last qualitie is that in euerie age the the whole Truth of Christ whole Truth of God was deliuered by a liuely voyce as touching the substance of the Doctrine although in greater cleerenesse vpon the comming of Christ then euer it was before and lastly and perfectly wherein we are now to rest both for their substance manner of reuelation it is fully and absolutely comprehended in the Scriptures So as we shall not need to flye eyther to Visions and Reuelations Anabaptists Libertines that bring in Visions and Reuelations as if the Word of God were imperfect or to mens Traditions and Inuentions Papists that supply it by mens Traditions and Inuentions Vnwritten Verities Sentences of Fathers Canons of Councels c. to Vnwritten Verities Sentences of Fathers Canons of Councels c. for to helpe vs but all is to be had in the written Word for when our Sauiour saith p Iohn 5. 39. Yee erre not knowing the Scriptures hee manifestly teacheth that all Truth is to bee learnt from thence And the q 2. Tim. 3. 15 16 17. Apostle commendeth the Scriptures as being able to make vs wise vnto saluation for the whole Scripture saith he is inspired of God and is profitable vnto Doctrine vnto Reproofe vnto Correction vnto Instruction which is in Righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect perfectly fitted to euery good worke Which foure things comprehending all that can bee necessarie seeing the Word of God is able thorowly to furnish a Minister withall who is to disclose the r Acts 20. 27. whole counsell of God vnto the people it must needs be able to informe a Common Christian vnto saluation Iohn ſ Iohn 20. 31. also giueth this testimonie of the Scriptures that they are written to the end that beleeuing wee might haue euerlasting life And the Booke of the Reuelation hee shutteth vp with this most earnest protestation If any man adde to the words of the Prophecie of this Booke God will adde vnto him the seuen plagues written in this Booke and if any man take away from the words of the Book of this Prophecie God will take away his part of the Tree of Life c. Reu. 22. 18 19. Which if it be true in that one Booke alone how much more shall it hold in all the Bookes of the Scripture set together Fourthly In the Ministerie of the Prophets and Apostles and had power to worke Miracles for the confirming of their doctrine I obserue that they had the power of working Wonders for the confirmation and sealing vp of their Doctrine being innobled of God with a rare and Heroicall Spirit for the working of mightie and powerfull things As first touching the Prophets what great and wonderfull matters God wrought by their hands the Stories euery-where doe testifie when Elias as it were a pettie God could fetch t 2. Kings 1. fire from Heauen by his Prayer u 1. Kings 17. 1 Iames 5. 17 18. shut vp Heauen that no raine should fall but at his word as the Minister of the Lord before whom he stood and by his Prayers open them againe when those that escaped from the hand of Iehu * 1. King 19. 17 Elisha could cause to dye when x Exod. 4. Moses with his staffe was able to turne the waters into bloud c. The Apostles also haue their Commission in this behalfe recorded Marke 16. 15. Goe into all the World and preach the Gospell c. and these Signes shall follow them that doe beleeue In my Name they shall cast out Deuils they shall speake with new tongues they shall destroy Serpents and if they drinke any deadly thing it shall not hurt them vpon the weake they shall lay their hands and they shall be well And this is it which the Apostle saith to the Hebrewes y Heb. 2. 4. that God himselfe gaue testimony to the preaching of the Apostles both by Signes and Wonders and many powers or powerfull things and distributions of the Holy Ghost Wherefore Miracles wherewith it pleased God to grace the extraordinarie Ministeries Heresies and Errors The Papists which make Miracles a note of their Church are 2. wayes faultie First The Miracles they so bragge and boast of are false and fayned Secondly They vse their Miracles such as they bee to a wrong end for aduancing of erronious and lying doctrines and to shake the truth of the Gospell for confirmation whereof all Miracles ought to serue In which case their pretended Miracles though they should be admitted true are of no worth Deut. 13. 1 2 3 4 5. for the Truth of God shineth of it selfe so bright that no Miracles to the contrarie are of force to obscure it But added for confirmation as they were by Christ and his Apostles and by the holy Prophets they make the same more glorious of the Prophets and Apostles are All other Ministeries are to fetch their light from the Doctrine of those that were so inspired long since ceased neither could they nowadayes serue to any vse the truth being long agoe aboundantly confirmed by Christ and his Apostles Lastly all other Ministeries in the Church are and alwayes were to fetch Graces are Gifts for the discharge of those publike Functions their light from the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles that were so inspired To the Ministerie CHRIST hath added Gifts Gifts z 1. Cor. 12. 7. for profit as the Apostle speaketh that is for the Churches common good which is another of those rich endowments and necessarily coupled with the former for the Largesse of Christ vnto his Church had not beene so bountifull in the seuerall sorts of Ministeries vnlesse he had withall bestowed vpon them graces and abilitie to discharge the same for the glorie of God and edification of his people by giuing them knowledge to teach the Doctrine of Christ out of the Scripture by laying forth the Truth soundly and confuting of contrarie errours Wisdome to apply it also to all good vses of comforting casting downe stirring vp reproouing which in one word we terme exhorting and other the like graces for these also we haue not from our selues but all a 2. Cor. 3. 5. our sufficiencie to be Ministers of Christ vnto other is from God The Apostle calleth these kind of Gifts by the name of b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graces that make men apt and fit for the worke of the Ministerie 1. Cor. 12. 4. 5 6. Now there bee differences of Graces but the same Spirit and there bee differences of Ministeries but the same Lord. And there bee differences of

keepeth thē from sinning and after sinnes committed draweth them home againe So he saith in x Hosh ● 5. Hoshea of his Spouse which purposed to follow after Idolatry Hee would hedge her way with Thornes that she should not bring her desire to passe and by that meanes would bring her to Repentance that voluntarily she should say I will goe and returne vnto my former Husband And then hee saith Hee will receiue her home vnto himselfe Lo the certainty of the Saluation of Gods Elect through those certaine meanes and remedies wherby they are led forward into Saluation not violently compelled but by the sweet instinct of Gods Spirit returning willingly to the Lord whereas contrariwise vnto the Reprobate all things serue for the hardening of their hearts To conclude particularly of Election it is said The y 2. Tim. 2. 19. foundation of God remayneth firme hauing this seale The Lord knoweth who are his Why doth he set a Seale and a Badge vpon it but to close it vp firme and immutable vnto the Day of Iudgement Againe The z Rom. 11. 29. graces of God are without Repentance So as a Ier. 31. 3. Iohn 13. 1. those whom he loueth hee loueth to the end And our Sauiour b Iohn 17. 21. saith Of those whom thou hast giuen vnto mee none perish but I will raise him vp So Rom. 11. 29. the Apostle taketh this same as a most sure principle whereupon to build the whole truth of the rest of the Doctrine for to prooue that the Lord had not generally reiected his own people the whole Nations of the Iewes he relyeth vpon this as a most strong reason among the rest That it is not possible that God should change his minde to reiect those whom he once hath chosen c Rom. 11. 2. God hath not saith hee cast off his people whom he knew before predestinating and appointing them to life And afterwards d Ro. 11. 28 29 concludeth that God hath mercie in store for them which once were the people of God because the calling and graces of God are without Repentance Wherein although the Apostle speake of the Iewes in generall not of the singular persons yet the ground which he taketh is vniuersall and properly belongeth to this we haue in hand And therefore in this confident assurance doth e Rom. 8. 36. Paul cry out Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ And our f Luke 12. 31. Sauiour biddeth his little Flock the whole Church and euery member of it not to feare because saith hee it hath pleased your Father to giue vnto you a Kingdome And g Mat. 24. 24. againe that notwithstanding all the false christs and false prophets that shall arise all the signes and wonders that they shall shew yet it is not possible the Elect should be deceiued This is to vs the foundation of all our comfort that our Election being grounded vpon this brazen Hill of Gods eternall loue can neuer be shaken but remayneth fast for euer If it stood in our selues to bee the cause of our owne either Saluation or Damnation we should all vndoubtedly perish Now that it wholly and alone resteth in God who is most mightie to bring his counsels to passe notwithstanding all resistances wee haue a matter of firme comfort that in vaine doth Satan labour in vaine doth the World rage and our owne corruptions rise vp against vs for he to whom wee are giuen to keepe is stronger then all who will keep vs to that Day For this cause Christ is not content to say h Iohn 15. 16. I haue chosen you but addeth also You haue not chosen me shewing that herein indeed our comfort standeth that GOD whose Counsels are vnchangeable hath first elected vs. Against this Doctrine in vaine doe men obiect that which is said concerning the Booke of Life out of which i Exod. 32. 32. Moses desireth to be blotted out and k Rom. 9. 30. Paul to be an accursed and Christ promiseth l Reuel 3. 5. I will not blot out his Name out of the Booke of Life for the speech of our Sauiour Christ tendeth not to shew that any whose name is once genealoged in this Booke may bee blotted out but it is a phrase taken from the manner of men as where Repentance Anger and such like are attributed vnto God As for the example of Paul and Moses wee are not to esteeme that holy affection peculiar vnto them though they had it in a more abundant measure but a common dutie of all Christians to bee followed to whom the Glorie of God ought to bee dearer then the Saluation of their soules They therefore in a matter so nighly concerning the Glorie of God and the Saluation of many soules as it were forgetting and rapt beyond themselues wished to bee accursed and blotted out of the Booke of Life or which is all one to bee Cast-awayes and damned Creatures to saue as they thought the glorie of God Not but that they knew the same was impossible but carryed with zeale they did as it were forget it So Christ prayed that the Cup might passe from him yet he knew full well it was impossible And this vehemencie of spirit oftentimes appeareth not onely in speeches which are sudden but in writing which is more deliberate Although conditionally as I said this ought to bee the stayed affection of vs all that if it were possible Gods Glorie could bee put in ballance with the losse of our soules their sauing must bee thought but light that he may haue prayse Now if any man shall thinke this to bee a Doctrine to Gods Children of Securitie because howsoeuer they liue it is impossible they should perish and to the wicked of despayre because whatsoeuer they doe they can neuer come to bee saued whereby all good indeuours should be in vaine hee mistaketh the matter the case is farre another For no Doctrine more then this awakeneth mans securitie none more amazeth the dissolute and carelesse liuer since Faith and Sanctification bee ordayned for those that are themselues ordayned vnto Glorie and none can bee assured hee is elect but hee that is assured hee walkes in faith and newnesse of life Contrariwise this Doctrine serueth not to throw any man into despayre for none is so wicked nor sinneth so grieuously to whom God offereth not Grace if with an vnfayned heart he seeke it And if thou say it is impossible to seeke where the Lord hath once reiected yet thou must remember that Gods counsels are knowne vnto himselfe and he hath not communicated the secrecies of Reprobation so plentifully as hee hath of his Election considering that there is no certaine note of Reprobation either to a mans selfe or others saue onely That one sinne against the Holy Ghost which layeth hold but vpon a few And the reason is plaine and manifest for he that to day is obstinate and froward an enemie to God and to