Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	authority_n	old_a	testament_n	2,803	5	7.9085	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70306	The true Catholicks tenure, or, A good Christians certainty which he ought to have of his religion, and may have of his salvation by Edvvard Hyde ...	Hyde, Edward, 1607-1659.; Hyde, Edward, 1607-1659. Allegiance and conscience not fled out of England.	1662 (1662)	Wing H3868; ESTC R19770	227,584	548

two sorts of Bibles in their Synagogues and accordingly did they deliver both sorts down to the Christian Church the one in Hebrew the other in Greek but though they delivered down a double text of Scripture yet they delivered not down a double Canon of Scripture as Iosephus himself doth testifie lib. 1. contra Appionem quoted by Eusebius Eccl. Hist. lib. 3. cap. 10. who affirmeth That the Church of the Jews had but twenty two books for the ground of their faith the Masorites say twenty four books counting Ruth apart from Iudges and the Lamentations apart from Ieremy and those that accounted Samuel Kings and Chronicles each two books made the number of the Canonical books of the Old Testament full out twenty seven and these books saith he were all written before the time of Artaxerxes and as for those which were written after that time as all that we call Apocrypha he tells us they had not the same authority with the others because when they were written there was not so undoubted a succession of the prophets as had been ever before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that though those other books came down in the Greek Bibles if at least they were in them at that time which is very questionable yet they came not down as a part of the Canon for that was the peculiar priviledge of those books alone which had been written in Hebrew or Chaldee and deposited in the ark by the prophets And indeed we do not read that the Jews would hazard their lives for any one book of all the Apocrypha but towards the Canon they were so zealously affected that as they embraced it for the Book of God so they would not be divorced from it by any terrours of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb. l. 3. c. 10. It is inbred in all the Jews from their very nativitie to account their Testament the word of God to stick close to it and if need require willingly to dye for it To this Canon of Scripture it is that St. Paul here appeals calling it the Law and the Prophets for so Christ himself had called it before Saint Mat. 11. 13. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until Iohn and again S. Luke 16. 16. The Law and the Prophets were until Iohn that is they were the Canon of the Scripture until John but after that time there was to be another accession to the Canon it is clear that neither under the Law nor under the Prophets did our blessed Saviour comprize any of the Apocryphal books because none of them is quoted in all the New Testament as prophesying of Christ a truth not denied by those who stand most upon the credit of the Apocrypha for even in the Greek Bibles printed at Paris by the authority of Pope Sixtus Quintus at the end of the second volume there is an Index of all the testimonies alledged in the New out of the Old Testament and not one of them is taken out of any part of the Apocrypha But you will say if this division be good of the Old Testament into the Law and the Prophets what is become of the books of the Kings Chronicles Iob the Psalms and all Solomons works even of that whole third part of the Canon called by the Masorites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for in Gen. 16. 5. The Masor a divides the whole Testament into three parts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law the Prophets and the holy writings I answer They are included in these for it is not imaginable that Saint Paul left them out of his Bible although here he doth not expresly name them and indeed the whole Canon of the Old Testament is sometimes called the Law onely sometimes the Prophets onely sometimes both together the Law and the Prophets 1. The Canon of the Old Testament is sometimes called the Law onely as Neh. 8. 8. so they read in the book in the law of God distinctly where by the Law must be meant the whole Testament unless we will say that the Jews in their captivity had contracted the heresie of the Samaritans whom they so much hated to admit onely of the five books of Moses for their Bible 2. The whole Canon of the Old Testament is sometimes called the Prophets onely as 2 Chron. 20. 20. Believe in the Lord your God so shall ye be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper his Prophets that is his word as it is recorded in his Book 3. The whole Canon of the Old Testament is sometimes called both together the Law and the Prophets as Saint Luke 16. 29. They have Moses the pen-man of the Law and the Prophets that is they have the written word of God or Canon of the Text. And those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those other books of the Bible are no less comprised in these two by Saint Paul then they had been by our Saviour Christ before him for indeed this was the most usual way of citing the Old Testament to call it the Law and the Prophets and there is but one place in the New Testament that seems to confirm the Masorites division of the Old Testament into the Law and the Prophets and holy writings and that we finde Saint Luke 24. 44. where our Blessed Saviour saith That all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning him where the Psalms are put for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof they were but one though a principal part The sum of all is this there is a difference betwixt the substance and the exercise of Religion that they may be separated in themselves but the difference is not so great that they may prudently and justly be separated by us either in our profession or in our practise for we see plainly that St. Pauls profession and practise contain in them the very substance of Religion so that it is impossible for any man that disesteems the exercise of Religion to have any high regard or esteem of the substance of it and it is observable in the first table of the Decalogue which wholly concerns our duty towards God that as the three first Commandments concern the substance of Religion so the fourth concerns the exercise of it The substance of Religion is nothing else but the knowledge and worship of God for Abraham being strong in faith gave glory to God Rom. 4. 29. whereby we may see and must confess that faith and consequently hope and charity do glorifie God as well as worship though perchance not so publickly yet sure as cordially for they glorifie God in the inner as worship and thanksgiving do glorifie him in the outer man wherefore in these consists the substance of Religion whose work it is to glorifie God either inwardly which is commanded in the first or outwardly which is commanded in the second and third commandments I say that as the three first commandments

Isaac and of Jacob onely we trust in him not by Moses nor according to the law but by Christ and according to the gospel for the law which was given in Horeb is now antiquated for it was given onely to you Jews but the law which we serve God by is a law given to all nations of the world and is to abide to the worlds end for Christ is given unto us as the law and as an everlasting law his Testament as a faithfull Testament to remain for ever after which no law no commandment is to be expected or may be received Thus far Justin Martyr to the Jew because thus far the Apostle had stated the question to the Martyr and indeed to all Christians in the epistle to the Hebrews the sum whereof is briefly this that Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God coequal and coessential with the Father and the holy Ghost is perfect God and perfect man in the unity of the same person and is that onely eternal King Priest and Prophet which God in the fulness of time gave unto his Church to govern instruct and sanctifie it for ever and this he proves by the promises before the law by the types and figures under the law and by the general consent of all the prophets And therefore in this same Christ the Christian Church hath already a perfect knowledge of God in this world and shall have a perfect enjoyment of him in the world to come and therefore may expect no other Doctrine either for sanctification here or for salvation hereafter Now in that the old Testament is alledged to prove and confirm the New it is evident that the substance of Religion is one and the same in both Testaments unless we will suppose the Spirit of God to have made use of unfit and unproper proofs a thing not agreeable with the spirit of a prudent man who gains his knowledge by succession of time and much less agreeable with the Spirit of the omniscient and onely wise God who seeth all things at once in the looking-glass of eternity and if the Spirit of God confirm the new Testament by the old and hath left both the old and the new Testament to confirm us then it is evident that no Christian can seek to weaken or diminish the authority of either Testament but he must be an enemy to his own confirmation in the Christian faith Wherefore among all the contestations contentions that have been in the Church of Christ that controversie doth least become Christians and doth most shake the foundation of Christianity which doth seek to undervalue the authority of the word of Christ for if there be no infallible certainty in the word of Chrst it is impossible there should be any infallible certainty in the Christian Religion therefore they are the greatest enemies to the certainty of the Christian Religion who seek to add to the Church by detracting from the Scripture for if the Scripture hath not a most undoubted authority the Church can have none at all for sure we are the Scripture was delivered to the Church without any faults or corruptions and therefore we are bound not onely in common charity but also in common prudence and justice to beleeve that the Church hath so kept it because all the faults of the Text are to be layed upon the Church to whose care and trust God did commit the keeping of the text for God requireth two things of his Church first to be a faithfull keeper then to be a faithfull interpreter of his word and if we will needs say she hath not been faithfull in the keeping how can we choose but say she may be as unfaithfull in the interpreting of the word of God So that they are the greatest schismaticks that ever were who under pretence of extolling the authoritie of the Church do question nay debase the authoritie of the Scriptures for these men have begun an everlasting schisme which must needs last as long in the Church as there shall be any Christians so well perswaded of Gods truth as to think it was worth the registring and of the books wherein it was registred as to think them worth the keeping And Cassander himself seems to be of this opinion in his consultation of Religion in the chapter of the Church I cannot deny but the chiefest cause of this calamitie and distraction of the Church is to be ascribed to them who being puffed up with an empty kinde of pride of ecclesiastical power did contemn and repel those who rightly and modestly admonished them wherefore I think there is no firm peace to be hoped for unless they begin the reconciliation who began the distraction that is unless they who are set over the ecclesiastical government do remit somewhat of their excessive rigour and do yield somewhat to the peace of the Church and hearkening to the instruction and advice of many pious men do correct some manifest abuses according to the rule of Gods word and of the ancient Church from whence they have lately swerved I will set down the words in Latine for their sakes who do understand the Authour as well as I have the sense of them in English for their sakes who do desire to understand their Religion Non negarim praecipuam causam hujus calamitatis distractionis Ecclesiae illis assignandam qui inani quodam fastu ecclesiasticae potestatis inflati rectè modestè admonentes superbè fastidiosè contempserunt ac repulerunt Quare nullam firmam pacem sperandam puto nisi ab iis initium fiat qui distractionis causam dederunt hoc est nisi ii qui ecclesiasticae gubernationi praesunt de nimio illo rigore aliquid remittant Ecclesiae paci aliquid concedant multorum piorum votis monitis obsequentes manifestos abusus ad regulam divinarum literarum veteris Ecclesiae à quâ deflexerunt corrigant Cassander in consult de Rel. ad Ferdin 1. Max. 2. Imp. cap. de Ecclesiâ His judgment is plainly this that the Scripture is to rule and govern the Church and that to advance the authority of the Church against the authority of the Scripture much more above it is to give the occasion of a calamitous if not of a remediless schisme and distraction a distraction not possibly to be remedied till this irreligious tenent which is the cause of it be renounced and it is high time though the tenent it self be yet scarce one hundred years old for all good Christians that wish better to Christs interest then their own to renounce it and leave raising objections against the holy Scripture thinking to set up the Church by pulling down the word of God for besides that both Scripture and Church by their joynt authorities can never make us too sure of our Religion it is not possible for the Church to stand if the Scripture fall but they must needs both fall together Whereas let the Church not be

can be more plainly spoken to set up Ordines Regni powers and principalities in kingdoms and yet not to set them up against much less above their King And this may serve to prove That no person or persons Civil but is and are inferiour to him in power It now remains that we prove the same of the Ecclesiastical And we must still have recourse to St Pauls Every soul Rom. 13. 1. where St Chrysostoms gloss is most irrefragable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 't is manifest that he requires this subjection of all not onely secular men whom he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as looking chiefly after the affairs of this life but also spiritual men Priests and Monks because he saith Every soul though you be an Apostle or an Evangelist or a Prophet or whatever else you must needs be subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for subjection doth in no kind impair Religion so St Chrysostome Subjection doth not impair Religion and why then should Religion seek to impair subjection and that not onely in Babylon but also in Jerusalem unless this impairing of subjection hath made it lately become Babylon Most admirable is that publick and open profession of all the Fathers in the fourth Council of Constantinople being the eight general in account to their Emperour Basilius in the ninth Action 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We know very well O Emperour that there are Arch-Prelates and Prelates and Abbots and Priests and Monks in your Dominions and that you are the Prince and President or Governour of them all but because these testimonies of the Greek Church may be thought of less validitie in this case which concerns the pretended Supremacie of the Church we will add a testimony of their own writers and that shall be Saint Bernards which if true concerning the Arch-Bishops examption from Papal much more true concerning his or the Popes exemption from Regal power for that is the power alone that bears the sword of which the Apostle speaks Rom. 13. 4. Si quis tentat excipere conatur decipere Epist. 42. ad Archiepisc. Senon He that upon the Apostles words will come with an exception must come with a deception Nay more then their own writers a testimony of their own Popes Nec animam Papae excipit he excepts not so much as the soul of the Pope saith Aeneas Silvius who was himself a Pope in gestis Concil Basil. A Pope indeed but so a Pope that he may well shame not onely Papists but also Protestants as some of their late principles and practices have been for never since Christs time was such a notorious scandal given to the Church of Christ by Church-men as hath been of late by some who would be thought the best of Protestants but in this have shewed themselves the worst of Christians that a whole Company of Divines should so forget if not renounce the Supremacie and Allegiance due to their King for which he had the Oath of God and their own multiplied oaths as to consult of Religion in his Dominions without his consent to change that Religion without his authority and as much as in them lay to force him to change it against his Conscience O Dear Jesu blot this sin out of the monuments of mens memories that it be not our lasting shame here and out of the Book of Gods remembrance that it be not their everlasting confusion hereafter Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ait Dositheus Graecus Concil Flor. sess 25. Addit Ecclesia Anglicana 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will ye that we betray our Divinity the Doctrine of our Church I will rather die then either Latinize or Scotize FINIS Errata prior numerus paginam alter lineam notat PAg. 33. l. 8. leg the. ibid 13. errours 40 9. del or 55 22. the. 109 9. usum sarum 20 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 155 7. imperfect 159 5. admirabiles amores 285 2. breasts 310. 19. salvatur 335 27. man 338 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 387. ● pro word leg which 391 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 397 19. leg in an high