Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	apostle_n	authority_n	church_n	1,814	5	4.2729	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64246	The confession or declaration of the ministers or pastors which in the United Provinces are called Remonstrants, concerning the chief points of Christian religion; Confessio sive declaratio sententiae pastorum qui in Foederato Belgio Remonstrantes vocantur super praecipuis articulis religionis Christianae. English	Remonstrantse Broederschap.; Episcopius, Simon, 1583-1643.; Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.	1676 (1676)	Wing T564; ESTC R10771	123,629	274

instructed and guided by Gods Holy Spirit such as in the Old Testament are the five Books of Moses the Book of Joshua Judges Ruth the two Books of Samuel two of the Kings two of the Chronicles or Paralipomena i. c. things omitted or past by Esdras Nehemiah Ehster also Job the Psalmes of David the Proverbs Ecclesiastes the Song of Songs the four greater Prophets to wit Esaias Jeremiah with his Lamentations Ezekiel and Daniel the twelve lesser Prophets to wit Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah and Malachi 4. In the New Testament there are the four Evangelists Matthew Mark Luke and John the Acts of the Apostles the Epistles of Paul to wit to the Romans the former and latter to the Corinthians to the Galatians to the Ephesians to the Philippians to the Colossians to the Thessalonians two two to Timothy to Titus to Philemon also the Epistle to the Hebrews one Epistle of James two of Peter of John three of Jude one lastly the Revelation 5. That all the said Books were written or approved of by Men Divine and not to be excepted against hath in former times been clearly found and proved by so many and so certain and evident Testimonies and Proofs that there can nothing further justly or reasonably be desired For though at sometimes there hath been made some doubt of some few of them towit whether they were penn'd or approved of by those very Authours whose names they bear yet at length the matter being more narrowly examined and the truth searcht into it hath been abundantly evicted that they were in deed and in truth penn'd or approved of by Divine Men and those whose Authority was infallible and credit undoubted of with all Believers 6. Besides the said Books of the Old-Testament there are others also which have been now long since had in great esteem with many commonly called Apochryphal the which although they are not of ●orce to confirm Doctrines of Faith yet may they though some more some less profitably be and are usually read for the proficiency of Faith and Life such as are Tobie Judith Baruch Wisdom Ecclesiasticus the third and fourth of Esdras three Books of the Maccabees and certain additions unto Esther and Daniel which are commonly known 7. That the Doctrine contained in the Books of the New-Testament by which also the Truth and Dignity of the Old Testament is abundantly establshed and confirmed is altogether True and Divine is not only clear and evident from its being written or allowed of by the said Divine Men we named before and its being delivered by them unto the Churches nor from its being confirm'd and establisht or ratified by divers and innumerable miracles and mighty deeds Signs and Prodigies exceeding all humane and Angelical Wisdom and Power and furthermore by the glorious Resurrection from the dead of the first Author of it even our Lord Jesus Christ and his Exaltation asserted by many irrefragable Testimonies and Proofs but also even chiefly from its containing precepts so transcendently perfect righteous just and holy that any more perfect just equal and holy cannot be devised or thought of and promises so exceeding Great Rich and Precious that neither the mind of Men nor Angels can conceive of any more Excellent more Divine and Worthy of God To which the admirable force and efficacy of the Doctrine it self addeth no small weight towit that it although such an enemy and so ungrateful to the slesh was by a very few Apostles and they plain simple weak Men Men most aliene or free from not only the crime but also the very suspicion of all simulation and forgery Men advantaged by no helps of Worldly Eloquence of no renown upon any accounts of humane Authority without force without arms only by the perswasion of Reasons and Arguments and demonstration of the Spirit withal by men armed meerly with Innocency Sanctity of Life and Patience in a very short time in all places though the whole Kingdom of Satan and all the World almost made resistance and head against it was wonderfully disseminated and so spread it self far and wide on every side into all quarters that innumerablemy riads of men of all ranks Orders and Conditions not only of ignorant or private men but of the most learned and wise not a few leaving their ancient and countrey-rites and Religions in which they were born and bred without any hope of any Earthly advantage nay but rather with a certain expectation of afflictions ignominy and all manner of dangers and miseries did most constantly adhere and cleave thereunto yea so far did the force hereof prevail that all other Religions else although every where establisht by humane power and force the Jewish only excepted because that was of God did almost wholly vanish and became extinct at the rising brightness of the same 8. And although indeed the primitive Church which was in the Apostles days might most certainly know and undoubtedly also did know that these Books were written or at least approved of by the Apostles and delivered as it were from hand to hand the knowledg hereof unto us and deposited or left the same with us as a certain pledg in trust yet do we not therefore hold these Books for True and Divine because the primitive Church hath by its uncontrollable Judgment judged them true or that they contain in them Divine Sences or Meanings and hath by its infallible Authority decreed that they be held or accounted for such For first it was not necessary that the Church by its Judgment should define and by its Authority determine that those Books which were written or approved of by the Apostles were true and Divine or of God or no for that both before and without all such manner of Judgment was altogether certain and undoubted of by all Christians both in general and particular insomuch that assoon as any one of them knew that any thing was written or approved of by the Apostles he might even thereby and of right ought to know that the same was true and of God or Divine and needed not any other Judgment in the case In the next place neither indeed could such a judgment of the Church suffice seeing no Man can be certain no not so much as probably of the being of any Church unto which such an Authority is said to belong except he be first assured that those books wherein the said Authority is said to be given or assigned to the Church are true Divine and seeing he cannot know and determine for certain that any Church is the true Church of Christ if he be not already undoubtedly sure and certain before that whatsoever is contained in the said Books the same is true and from God for by vertue of that very Faith or Belief whereby the Church embraceth or receiveth that as true she her self finally

obtains and hath her being a true Church And if indeed such an Authority as this agrees not with the very first primitive Church it self much less ought we to believe that it belongs to any Church at this day or any indeed succeeding that first and primitive one 9. The Doctrine therefore contained in these Books is of it self altogether Authentick and indeed of Authority Divine and uncontrollable and by reason of the infallible veracity of God deserves altogether and challengeth undoubted Credit and Belief and by vertue of its autocratorical or absolute and supream Power most humble Obedience from us And whatsoever Doctrine or Tradition wants this priviledg of being of a Supream and Divine Revelation it hath not by any Right either the same or the like Authority with it much less that which either decreeth any thing else either contrary to it or diverse from it and that by an usurpt Authority or at least otherwise than is contained in writing in these Books commandeth it to be declared or being declared to be believed upon the pain and peril of the loss of Salvation since God can neither contradict himself and no Authority either Humane or Angelical ought to be equalled to the Divine 10. And now because such Divine-like Authority as this belongeth unto and agreeth with these very Books only it is therefore even withal necessary that by them alone as by Touchstones and firm and ●●ovable Rules we examine and try all Controversies and Debates in Religion and by them only to reason discourse and judg of them and so to leave them to God alone and to Jesus Christ as the only supream and infallible Judg peremptorily to be decided for we are not to think that it was any ways God's will and pleasure in the least that they should be decided by any judicial or authoritative right by any visible Judg and one ordinarily speaking in the Church sith it hath pleased him to leave us in his Word a rule only directive or to judg only directively by and not withal coactively or by way of constraint but that there ought to be an infallible Judg always speaking in the Church he hath no where signified nor hath he in his Word pointed out who he should continually be but hath expresly commanded all every one alike to search his Laws or Judgments and Statutes to try the Spirits whether they be of God yea to try all things and to hold fast that which is good and moreover hath promised to such as search into his Laws and seek the understanding of them his Grace and Holy Spirit and those who have searched the Scriptures and examined Controversies of Faith by them yea who have diligently tryed by the Rule and Square of the Scripture those things which have been spoken by the Apostles themselves he hath commended and praised them with singular Elogies 11. Therefore they who do freely give themselves or suffer to be given by others this irrefragable Authority of peremptorily deciding of Differences and Controversies of Faith or Religion either all or some either to some certain Church or Synod of Doctors or to any Society of Men whatsoever or to any single Person who also may be ungodly and profane as to a visible and speaking Judg and will have Mens Consciences h●ld and bound by this decision they build upon no firm reason much less upon any Divine Authority nay rather they are to be thought to do it against both the one and the other alike Besides that they do by this means greatly weaken and wholly void that Christian duty of searching the Scriptures of trying the Spirits of proving all things c. and withall both the necessity and advantage of pious and devout Prayers 12. For this therefore at least most weighty and withall most just cause we suffer not our selves in Controversies indeed of Religion in the sacred concerns or causes of Faith to be prest with the bare Authorities of Men suppose with the Glosses and Opinions of the Fathers as they are called the Determinations of Councils or Synods the Articles of Confessions the Placits or Opinions of Divines or the Conclusions of Universities much less with long since received Customs or with the Splendor and Number or Multitude of Men of the same Opinion or lastly Prescription of a long times continuance c. For doubtless at this turn we ought not to mind what this or the other Doctor of the Church or Assembly of Doctors though never so renowned for their supposed Learning and Sanctity nor what this or that Synod or particular Church but what he who is before all and who alone can neither deceive nor be deceived our Lord Jesus Christ hath said and prescribed in his Word 13. Nor is it strange for in these very Books is perfectly contained a full and more then sufficient Revelation of all the Mysteries of Faith especially of those which are simply necessary for all Men in general and every Man in particular to know believe hope and do for to obtain everlasting Salvation so that there is no one point no not the least requisite for the right information of Faith or of a life pleasing unto God precisely necessary to be held by any Christian which is not abundantly contained in these very Sacred Books And by things necessary unto Salvation we only understand those things without which it is utterly impossible for any Man either to obey the Commandments of Jesus Christ aright and as he ought or firmly to believe his Divine Promises and which are therefore such that without a Man 's own manifest fault they cannot be denyed unknown or called in question by him 14. Furthermore the perspicuity of the said Books although in some places especially to the unlearned and less exercised they be obscure or dark enough is so great especially in Meanings necessary to be understood unto Salvation that all that read them not only the Learned but the Ignorant also that are endued but with common Sence and Judgment may as far as is sufficient attain to the understanding of them sobeit they suffer not themselves to be blinded with Prejudice vain Confidence or other corrupt Affections but search this Scripture diligenrly and devoutly which we believe is not only lawful for all though otherwise Rude Ignorant and of the common People or Laicks but also commanded and enjoyned them of God and study to be acquainted with those phrases or manners of expression which are peculiar to the Scripture and were most clear and significant at that time wherein those Books were written and whilst the same idiom or propriety of speech yet flourished that such as these we say may from them abundantly understand all things pertaining to true Faith and Godliness not only those things which are necessary but also under the very reason of their necessity towit that