Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	author_n	history_n	write_v	2,409	5	5.7363	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B22558	The Popish labyrinth wherein is made manifest, that the Papists are entangled in the fundamental article of their faith, that the church cannot erre / written in Dutch by ... Dr. Simon Episcopius, unto which is added, The life and death of the author ; as also, The life and death of James Arminius, both of them famous defenders of God	Episcopius, Simon, 1583-1643.; Bertius, Petrus, 1565-1629. Oratio in obitum reverendi & clarissimi viri D. Jacobi Arminii. English.; Chardon de Courcelles, Etienne, 1705-1775? Short and compendious history of Simon Episcopius.	1673 (1673)	Wing E3163	56,195	122

foolishly to believe by a Proctour to whom they perswade themselves the Matter is best known although he sometimes be void of all knowledge of matters or else foolishly and without Judgment to catch at all words and syllables which they deem do any way serve their Purpose and Design How tedious a thing it is to enter upon the Stage of Disputation with such every one easily perceives For who seeth not how hard and great a Labour it is to dispatch or put an End to those Questions which are to be demonstrated from the Memory of Ages and so great variety of Books and Histories and being demonstrated so that all way to any further Exception be shut up do produce no Fruit in the Minds of the contrary Party Wherefore those who trouble the People with suc● Things what do they else but involve them in an inextricable Labyrinth whereby the unskilful Multitude either despaireth of an happy Event or End or if they have any Hope they nevertheless cease not to stick fast in the same Mire of uncertainty to wit being dull'd and stupified with the overmuch labour of search This indeed is the readiest Way whereby any one may lord it over the Consciences of simple Men and having entangled them in a Gordian Knot perswade them any Thing But let us propose both these a little more clearly The first I prove thus None will be able to deny that for the asserting the Antiquity not only of the Church but also of a continued and uninterrupted Succession of Bishops in the Church there is necessarily required first a certain undoubted and accurate Knowledge of Authors both Greek and Latin and of all Histories that have been written of this thing And Secondly that to this knowledge there ought to be added a good and quick-sighted Judgment whereby exactly to discern their true and genuine Books from those that are supposititious and adulterate true Histories from those that are foisted in and interlaced those that were composed with Partiality out of Affection and fore-stall'd Opinion from those they composed void of Partiality and Prejudice to reconcile Repugnancies and faithfully to supply Defects How much Pains Trouble and Time it requires every one sees even amongst the most learned for the whole Space of a thousand and six hundred Years there hath been none hitherto who hath been able to perform it The first of them cannot indeed be so much as sought for much less found Shall then the unlearned and unskilful common People who are counted unable to turn over one Book of the Scripture be sufficient to undergo so great a Work as accurately to enquire into all Histories wherewith even whole Barns may be filled and Ships laden The Laicks or lay-People in the the Papacie who laying aside the holy Scripture alwayes talk of Antiquity and Succession bewray a mind stupid and foolish enough because they know nothing more yea happily much less of true Antiquity and Succession than they do of the Scripture indeed being alike ignorant of both It is true indeed that there may easily be drawn up a Catalogue and Index of Bishops where in their Course and Order wherein they succeeded each other they may be set down But that is nothing to the Purpose For the same do the Grecian the Ethiopick Churches and others The Constantinopolitan doth it sayes Bellarmine from the Times of Constantine Caesar in an uninterrupted Series as also Nicephorus who continues the Names of the Bishops even from the very Times of Andrew the Apostle And yet Bellarmine denies and all the Papists with him that the Grecians can of Right claim to themselves a Succession The Succession therefore of Persons is not enough but it is required withal that it be lawful and such as that among the Bishops who have succeeded one another there have been no Heretick Atheist or Apostate among them First it is requisite that it be lawful for as the Papal Decree hath it Dist 79. If any by Money or mens Favour or Popular or Military Tumult without the unaminous and Canonical Election both of the Cardinals and of the following Clergie shall be inthron'd in the Apostolick Seat let him not be accounted Apostolical but Apostatical Secondly it is required that among the Bishops that succeed each other there have been no Heretick among them For for this cause as Cardinal Bellarmine and other Pontificial Doctors affirm the Succession of the Constantinopolitan Bishops is not to be counted lawful because there have been Hereticks amongst them Lib. 4. of the Marks of the Church Cap. 8. He therefore that will judge aright of the Succession of the Bishops of Rome he must of Necessity be most certainly assured of both these even according to the Canons of the Papists themselves But how is this possible Who can undoubtedly know whether all their Bishops have obtained the Episcopacy lawfully Whether some have not obtained the Dignity of Succession by Simony that is by Mony and Gifts as Simon Magus desired to do or by Force Arts and Wiles by Factions and unlawful Suits and Bribings for the same Again if any desirous to read their Histories do find of a certain that even those Writers themselves who have been most devoted to the Pontificians do openly and roundly confess that not only one or two but that many and diverse Bishops of Rome have climbed to the Pontifical Dignity who having been condemned of manifest Heresie have been counted impious Villains Atheists Schismaticks Ruffians and Bands who by Gifts and Bribes by Force and Factions without any precedent Choice or consequent Approbation of the Clergie by dishonest and foul Devices and Guil●●●ve intruded themselves or by Harlots and their Whores have come to the Succession Who I pray can extricate himself out of this Maze of Doubts If you say the best and faithfullest Historians are to be credited in this Case you fall into a new Labyrinth For I demand who are they and by what are they to be distinguished Why shall he derogate from the Credit of the Pontifician Writers For they cannot be termed Hereticks or mortal Enemies to the Church of Rome because themselves were sworn Vassals thereunto and some of them the greatest Flatterers and fawners upon the Popes and the pontificial Dignity He is therefore forc'd to believe that these Writers were impell'd and constrained by the Truth of the thing it self to write these things And suppose that they were not Pontifician Writers What Reason shall perswade that Credit is to be denyed to them as not faithful Writers rather then unto others who were Favourers of the Pope and his Dignity Friendship is no less able to with-hold a Writer from writing the Truth than Enmity or Hatred is He that will deliver Truth to Posterity must write without all Affectation And by what solid Reason and which will convince the Judgment shall we perswade our selves that there hath been any such Writer especially if we live not in the same age and at the

An Apology of the Remonstrants confession An Answer to the Essay of the Leyden Professors with other Books In Dutch he wrote a Treatise of true Antiquity against the Papists Three Treatises against James Triglandius then Preacher at Amsterdam since Professor of Divinity at Leyden with other books In the second year after his return he entred into a Matrimonial state there being then hope of a more peaceable time marrying at Rotterdam that most choice and vertuous Gentlewoman Mrs. Mary Pesser the widow of Mr. Henry Niellius a Preacher of that City and the younger brother of Mr. Charles Niellius above-mentioned They lived together but without issue most piously peaceably and comfortably to the end of the years 1641 at which time she finished her course But before this in the year 1634 He went to Amsterdam to be President in the Remonstrants Scholastick Nursery or Colledge which was erected there to be as an University for the instructing of Youth in Divinity that were intended for Ministers of the Church How faithfully and diligently he exercised himself here we have an illustrious testimony from his copious learned and most usefull Theological Institutions and the Answer of 64 Questions proposed to him by his Disciples also from his learned and eloquent Sermons to the people also his true Remonstrant Divine and his Answer to the 10 Dilemma's of a certain Popish Doctor and other works of his Whilest he was thus labouring some occasions forced him to Rotterdam where Anno 1639 he fell dangerously sick and for some moneths kept his bed and so far was he gone that there was little hope of his recovery But at length God restored him to health and so strengthened him that he returned to his charge at Amsterdam and as diligently laboured among them as before After his return it seemed good to the Remonstrants to publish a plain Catechism for the instructing of the more ignorant sort Then Abraham Heydan at that time a Preacher at Leyden afterwards Professor of Divinity there published an Examination of this Catechism the defence of which our Episcopius undertook and finished in a considerable large Volume which came not forth till after his death For in the beginning of the year 1643 when he was well nigh 60 years old he fell mortally sick His disease is called Ischuria a dangerous suppression of the Vrine which was so pertinacious and obstinate that for eleven days he could not make one drop of water although some skilfull Physicians used the utmost of their art to master or at least somewhat to mitigate this his mercyless and stubborn enemy This Excrement of which he afterward avoided but little mixing it self with the blood of the whole body so corrupted the Crassis and temperature thereof that he could not possibly long subsist He lay sick two moneths and above and for some weeks before his death was deprived of sight Which loss whilest there was any hope of his recovery had been exceeding grievous unto him had not his deep and almost continual sleeping lessened the same For sometimes he complained of it to his friends that did frequently visit him saying that he should not be able any more to serve the Church of Christ At length on the 4th of April about the 8th hour in the morning at which time the moon was in the Eclipse he peaceably fell asleep in the Lord. And the 4th day after was carryed forth a great multitude of all sorts of persons following the herse unto the West-Church and was there interred by his wife His death many much lamented and many Epicedium's or funeral Verses of his praise and commendation were published both in Dutch and Latin Caspar Barlaeus the most renowned Poet of that time and who lived not full two years after him published a most excellent Latin Epicaedium in his commendation which is prefixed to the first Volume of Episcopius his works Thus we have taken a short view of Episcopius from his birth to his death His life was unblameable and illustrious for zeal to the glory of God and mans salvation His Love to the Churches peace and concord added much to his commendation He was indeed much conversant in Controversies not of choyce but through necessity He was often wont to complain of his constraint to this kind of exercise His patient bearing of jnjuries and readiness to forgive after the example of his Master Christ contributed not a little to his praise In alms-deeds he was to his power ready and cheerfull And such was his modesty and humble temper that his rare endowments and great Atchievments he esteemed as nothing On his sick-bed his Speeches were gracious full of piety towards God charity towards men and confidence in Christ His name now and memory is blessed with them especially that without prejudice peruse his works that in two considerable Volumes are now publick in the Latin tongue which I could wish that all men well understood were it but to read Episcopius I doubt not but there are many who have much improved themselves by his writings Our famous Hales is not doubtless without companions of whom this is reported by Mr. Anthony Farindon his familiar friend that he himself often told him that at the well pressing of Jo. 3 16. by Episcopius he bade Jo. Calvine Good-night It would be in vain for me here to inlarge who am speaking to those that through unacquaintance with Latin ● are uncapable to see the great knowledge and eloquence of our Episcopius as for those who converse honestly with his Writings they need not me But I would not that any should think of me that I take all his sayings for gospel No I believe that his Writings as well as other mens must be read with judgment for I nothing doubt but that Errata's may be found in his works not only such that are justly imputable to the Transcriber and Printer but such also that are the Authors who was subject to erre though much more free from errors than many FINIS Books Printed for Francis Smith at the Elophant and Castle without Temple-bar BAptism before or after Faith and Repentance largely discussed not onely in publick Disputations Managed by many Ministers before Thousands of people but also Mr. Baxter Dr. Holmes Dr. Featly Mr. Marshall Mr. Blake Mr. Cook Mr. Cotton Their arguments for and against truly controverted being a subject very useful in these inquiring times for general satisfaction in this point so much controverted in folio 10 s. 6. d. Hooles Latin and English Grammer fitted not onely for the use of all Schools but very usefull for any person desirous to Learn the Latin tongue being a more plain and speedy help then any yet extant Sixth Edition 8o. price bound 2 s. A Caution to Christians against Mistakes in their Faith opening the nature and difference of effectual faith that will not and of the Dead faith that will at last deceive men in their hopes of Justification by it shewing also that holiness in men as well as the happiness of men is Gods aim in Contriving the tearms of their Salvation in 4o 2 s. 6 d. bound One thing needfull or a serious meditation on the 4 last things Death Judgment Heaven and Hell unto which is now added Eball and Gerizzim or the Blessing and the Curse third Edition 12o. 6. d. bound The Young Scholars pocket Book containing the first Rudiments in Arithmetick with the Rule of 3. also the way to find the Content of Board Glass Land Timber Stone Globes third Edition 12o. 8. d. bound Youths Tragedy a Poem drawn up by way of Dialogue between Youth the Devil Wisdom the Nuncius Time Death the Soul for Caution and Direction of the younger sort third Edition 4o 4. d bound Symptomes of growth and decay to Godliness in 80 Signs of a living and dying Christian with the causes of decay and remedies for recoveries in Large 8o. third Edition at 1. s. 6. d. bound A new and usefull Concordance to the Holy Bible whereunto is added beyond any extant the chief acceptations and various significations of words contained in the Old and new Testament with marks to distinguish the Commands promises and Threatnings also a collection of those Scripture prophesies which relate to the Call of the Jews and the Glory that shall be in the Latter Days in 8º at 2. s. 6. d. bound in 120. at 2. s. bound where it is also to be had printed on a fine page and bound with the Bible in 80. or 12o. FINIS

lawful if the succeeding Pope had approved of the same But now forsooth it shall be unlawful because the Pope that was made by this Council said not of himself and those like him that he was subject to the Council but on the contrary Lucifer-like maintained that he was above the Council Howbeit it is altogether credible that the Decree of the Council was approved of by Him before he was chosen for Pope Who here sees not a Circle of Absurdities However it be if the Authority of the Council be no more than the Popes it could not depose the Pope and therefore those ungodly Knaves Popes are to be reckoned among the Bishops that lawfully succeed by a continual Succession not interrupted by Reason of their Heresie Atheism Simony Force and Villanies or if there be granted an Interruption there will now forthwith be no Succession at all upon the same Account that Bellarmine denies that the Succession of the Greeks is to be accounted lawful He that seeth not that the Papists are wholly at a loss in all these Things as in an endless Labyrinth of Errours he truly seeing is blind For howsoever the Case stands touching Succession the Question concerning Truth will alwayes remain To what Purpose therefore do they enter into so intricate a Labyrinth and take so great Pains for to prove a Succession One of these must necessarily be concluded either that the Truth is sufficient to constitute a true Church or that it is not If the former be true To what End is Succession by these endless Windings to and fro proved If the latter What doth Truth avail if it do not constitute a true Church It is contrary to the Nature and Propertie of Truth not to constitute a true Church whether those who teach the Truth have it by Tradition from others or no or at least know not the List of their Names from whom they have it delivered to them Gold will be Gold although it have been hid and buried in the Earth a thousand Years But you will say it is requisite that there be some before I know Gold to teach me that that is Gold But say I shall the Church thorowly do this But then there is required some one besides by whom I may be sure that that this Church which doth affirm that this is Gold doth know it most exactly and cannot err therein Who shall that be Here the Papists make a Circle We assert that the Scripture is Truth which the Church of Rome granteth us But yet it is the Prerogative of the Church saith he to tell us that the Scripture is Truth But say I who shall tell me that the Church that affirms this saith true She hath not this Priviledge by Succession unless it clearly appear that she never defected from the Truth This cannot appear unless I know what is Truth If the Church herself assume this she then singeth to us the same Song and so the Church will be both Plantiff and Judge and that in her own proper Cause Here will be no End of contending And that is it which Tertullian meant in that most known Place and commonly in the mouth of all the Papists which they quote in all their Writings with a very perverse wresting of the Sense thereof in his Book of Proscript against Hereticks Chap. 32. Where he thus speaketh But if any Heresies dare insert themselves in the Times of the Apostles that so they may be thought to have been delivered by the Apostles because they were in the Apostles Dayes we may say that is we may in such Case demand of them the Succession of which they boast saying Let them produce the Originals of their Churches turn over the Order of their Bishops so running down by Succession from the Beginning as that first Bishop had some one of the Apostles or Apostolical men who yet continued with the Apostles for his Author and Predecessor c. And a little after Let the Hereticks feign any such Thing which is to be noted as serving our Purpose yet though they shall feign it they shall prevail nothing For their very Doctrine compared with that of the Apostles by its Diversity and Contrariety will aloud declare that it hath neither any Apostle nor Apostolical Man for its Authour For as the Apostles would not have taught Things differing among themselves so also the Apostolical Men would not have published Things contrary to the Apostles except it were those who revolted from the Apostles and taught otherwise According to this Form therefore or Manner note it well shall those Churches appeal which though they can produce none of the Apostles or Apostolick Men as their Authour as being long after and which lastly are daily instituted yet agreeing in the same Faith to wit with the Apostles or Apostolick Men they are not the less deemed Apostolical by Reason of the cousanguinity or nearness of kin of their Doctrine That is according to Tertullians style because they agree with the Apostles in Doctrine These words of Tertullian which the Papists so shamefully abuse and so violently wrest do not obscurely confirm what we have said For Tertullian says three Things First that those Churches which have the Truth agreeable with the Doctrine of the Apostles are no less Apostolical Churches then others although they cannot shew their Succession for that only Cause for that they have the Truth on their side Secondly that those Churches which glory of their Succession and Original derived from the Apostles and cannot demonstrate it are justly to be rejected as those who obtrude upon us that which is false And Thirdly that those Churches which demonstrate their Succession whether lawfully or unlawfully are not to be counted for true Churches unless it appear that their Doctrine is agreeable to the Doctrine of the Apostles What Churches agree therein the same are Apostolical although they be destitute of Succession This is more clear then the Noon-dayes Sun The same affirmeth Augustine in that Place which is also quoted as unfaithfully and contrary to the Meaning of Augustine by the Papists in his Book which he wrote against the fundamental Epistle of Manichee Chap. 4. For when he had said that he clave to the Catholick Church wherein from the See of Peter even to his Time the Succession of Bishops and Priests had been deduced he addes these words which are altogether agreeable with our Judgment With you he speaks of the Manichees where there is none of these to invite and detain me there is onely the noise of the Promise of Truth which indeed were it so manifestly shewed that it could not be questioned were to be preferred before all those Things by Reason whereof I am detained in the Catholick Church What could Augustine have spoken more clear to prove and shew that neither Antiquity nor Succession can avail so as that any one should be able to quit himself of the Labyrinth of Doubts touching the true Church but that the Truth

of Antichrist Not because it is more dangerous for them to see Italy than neighbouring Antwerp or Brussel● or Brug● for in Italy there is much more liberty and in these places more superstition by far And it is safer to travel throughout all Italy than Brabant or Flanders but because it is expedient to take all occasions of evil speaking from the adversary and all occasions of evil-surmising from those that are unadvised and imprudent And it is better to prevent an occasion of offence than to excuse it Being come out of Italy he stayed at Geneva and some months after being called home he returned to Amsterdam to his Patrons and Masters furnished through the grace of Christ with a clear testimony from them of Geneva and with a mind very well fitted to do office if it might please the Lord God to use his ministry for his work in his Church For these are the very words of Mr. Beza's Epistle the original of which I have in remembrance At Amsterdam he did easily with grave and prudent men clear himself as to his Italian journey but indeed the weak brethren went on inveighing against it and in their assemblings blaming it till he himself began to be heard in the Church in which as soon as he was beheld it cannot be spoken with how much respect men of all ranks flocked together to hear him For there was in him as ye know a certain incredible gravity mixed with gracefull pleasantness His voice indeed was slender but sweet and loud and piercing but he had an admirable perswasive faculty If any thing were to be adorn'd he so did it as not to exceed the truth If he were to teach any thing he did it with clearness and perspicuity If he were to dispute any thing he manag'd the same distinctly Now the Melody and altering of his voice was so fitted to things that it seemed to flow from them And sith he did not use a Rhetorical dress and the Greeks boxes of pleasant ointment it was either because his nature did abhor them or because he judged it unworthy the majesty of Divine things to use curles and borrowed ornaments when as the naked truth is of its self sufficient for its own defence notwithstanding he so efficaciously perswaded by force and weight of arguments and by the pithiness of his sentences and by the authority of Scripture it self that no man ever heard him but confess'd that his discourses much affected him Some therefore at that time called him the polishing life of truth others the whetstone and sharpner of wits others called him the razor shaving off growing errors and nothing in Religion and sacred Theology was thought to savour well that did not relish with Arminius Also the Pastors and Preachers themselves of that City men both learned and eloquent did reverence him for his learning and ingeniously acknowledge themselves to have been daily very much advantaged by his Sermons And thus our Arminius with spread out sayles prosperous gales a full company of rowers and the good wishes of all that knew him was carried towards fame and glory when it pleased God to excrcise his servant even with adversity and to make a tryal of his patience and humbleness by the cross and afflictions Now 't is a thing worth the knowing to understand the beginnings and success hereof There was carried about as it chanced in the hands of some pious men a little Book written by some of the brethren of the Church of Delf against Mr. Beza with this Title An answer to some arguments of Beza and Calvin out of a Treatise concerning predestination on the 9. Chap to the Romans This little book was sent over to our Arminius by Mr. Martin Lidyus of blessed memory who had been formerly a Pastor in the Church of Amsterdam but then was professor in the Friezlanders new Academy and by him Arminius was requested to undertake the defence of Mr. Beza against the brethren of Delf For Arminius was verily thought a man very fit for this business by Mr. Lidyus who partly by report partly by experience knew the quickness of his wit the sharpness of his judgment and what a wonderful force and power he had both in preaching and in disputing Neither was Arminius altogether strange from this design being one that newly coming out of the School of Geneva carryed about with him in his ears the sound of Mr. Beza's lectures and arguments He therefore betakes himself to the work But whilst he endeavours a refutation whilst he weighs the arguments on each side whilst he confers the Scriptures whilst he torments and wearys himself he was overcome by the truth At first indeed he followed that same opinion which he undertook to oppose but he afterwards by the guidance of the holy Ghost was carried over to that doctrin which he constantly asserted even to the end of his life Which was this That Gods eternal Decree in predestination was not to elect or chuse precisely and absolutely some to salvation whom as yet he had not purposed to create which Mr. Beza would have neither was it precisely and absolutely to elect some to salvation after the decree of their creation and the foresight of their fall but without an antecedent consideration of Jesus Christ which the Delfian brethren held Bus it was To elect to salvation them of the created and fallen who in time to come would by true obedience of faith answer to God calling them thereunto Which by learned Melancthon and Nicholaus Hemingius and many more divines besides hath been asserted And although such in times past hath been the liberty of our Churches and even now is in very many places that in this Argument in which no ancient Synod hath ever determined any thing any one of the multitude and a Teacher might always without offence to any one choose this or that for to omit others Dr. Jo. Holmannus Secundus who by the very grave advice of excellent Divines and especially of the Lords Curators was called forth after Mr. Pezelius and Mollenius and others were sollicited in vain taught it out of this very place He imbraced as we know the opinion of Hemingius and sharply defended it Not withstanding there were not those wanting at Amsterdam that in this matter were troublesome to Arminius and that accused him for departing from the common and received opinion in our Churches but their vehemency and fiercness was suddenly repress'd and appeas'd by the authority of the Senate and the equanimity and moderation of the brethren so that he always lived with his Collegues at Amsterdam quietly yea friendly and brotherly without any cloud of displeasure or hatred or envy And also this man of God was not only naturally dispos'd to candor and gentleness but also was moreover so formed and fashioned thereto by the holy precepts and Spirit of Christ that he did quietly bear with him that dissented from him and did not easily despair of any one that