Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	old_a	testament_n	6,574	5	8.1314	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25291	The marrow of sacred divinity drawne out of the Holy Scriptures, and the interpreters thereof, and brought into method / by William Ames ... ; translated out of the Latine ... ; whereunto are annexed certaine tables representing the substance and heads of all in a short view ... as also a table opening the hard words therein contained.; Medulla theologica. English. 1642	Ames, William, 1576-1633.	1642 (1642)	Wing A3000; ESTC R23182	239,577	422

Scriptures for the Scriptures are understood by the same meanes that other humane writings are many by the skill and use of Logick Rethorick Grammar and those tongues in which they are expressed except in this that there is a singular light of the spirit alwayes to bee fought for by the godly in the Scriptures 27. Yet the Scripture is not so tied to those first tongues but that it may and ought also to bee translated into other tongues for the common use of the Church 28. But among interpreters neither those seventy who turned it into Greeke nor Hierome nor any such like did performe the office of a Prophet so that he should be free from errors interpreting 29. Hence no persons absolutely authenticall but so far forth only as they doe expresse the fountaines by which also they are to be tried 30. Neither is there any authority in Earth whereby any version may be made simply authenticall 31. Hence the providence of GOD in preserving the Fountaines hath beene alwayes famous and to be adored not onely that they did not wholy perish but also that they stould not be maimed by the losse of any booke or deformed by any grievous fault when in the meane while there is no one of the auncient versions that remaines whole 32. Neverthelesse from those humane versions there may be all those things perceived which are absolutly necessary if so be they agree with the fountaines in the essentiall parts as all those versions that are received in the Churches are wont to doe although they differ and are defective in the smaller things not a few 33. Neither therefore must wee alwayes rest in anie version that is received but we must most religiously provide that the most pure and faultlesse interpretation be put upon the Church 34. Of all those bookes being delivered from God and placed as it were in the Chest of the Church there is made up a perfect Canon of Faith and manners whence also they have the name of Canonicall Scripture 35. The Prophets made the Canon of the old Testament and Christ himselfe approved it by his Testimony The Canon of the new Testament together with the old the Apostle Iohn approved and sealed up being furnished with Divine authority Rev. 22. 18 19. For I doe witnesse together to every one that heares the words of the prophesy of this booke if any shall ad to these God shall lay upon him the plagues written in this booke and if any shall take away any thing from the books of his prophesie God shal take away this part out of the booke of life 36. Those bookes which commonly we call apocryphall doe not pertaine to the divine Canon neither were they rightly enough joyned by men of old to the canonicall bookes as a certaine secundary Canon for first in some of them there are manifest fables told and affirmed for true Histories as of Tobith Iudith Susanna Bel the Dragon and such like Secondly because they contradict both the sacred Scripture and themselves Oftentimes Thirdly they were not written in Hebrew nor delivered to the Iewish Church or received by it to which notwithstanding God committed all his Oracles before the comming of Christ. Rom. 9. 4. Fourthly they were not approved by Christ because they were not among those bookes which he set forth when he commanded his to search the Scriptures Fifthly they were never received either by the Aostles or the first Christian Church as a part of the Divine Canon CHAPTER XXXV Of ordinary Ministers and their Office in Preaching 1. ORdinary Ministery is that which hath al its direction from the will of God revealed in the Scriptures and from those meanes which God hath appointed in the Church for the perpetuall edification of the same 2. And hence they are called ordinary because they may and are wont to bee called to Minister by order appointed by God 3. But because in their administration they have that Will of God which was before revealed by extraordinary Ministers for a fixed rule unto them therefore they ought not to propound or doe any thing in the Church which they have not prescribed to them in the Scriptures 4. Therefore also they depend upon extraordinary Ministers and are as it were their successors for although in respect of manner and degree exraordinary Ministers have no successors yet in respect of the essence of administration ordinary Ministers performe the same office toward the Church as extraordinary did of old 5. The right of his Ministery is wont to be communicated by men and in that respect the calling of an ordinary Minister is mediate 6. But this is so to be understood that the authority of administring Divine things is immediatly communicated from God to all lawfull Ministers and the appointing of persons upon which it is bestowed is done by the Church 7. But because the Church can neither confer gifts necessary for this Ministery nor prescribe unto God upon whom he should bestow them therefore she can only chuse those whom before she sees fitted for not as extraordinary Ministers so also ordinary are made fit by their very calling when they were unfit before 8. Hence in an ordinary calling it is necessarily required that a lawfull triall goe before the calling it selfe 1 Tim. 3. 10. Let them be first tried then let them Minister if they be blamelesse 9. Ordinary Ministery is for the preserving propagating and restoring the Church by ordinary meanes 10. There are two parts of this Ministery 1. That in the Name of God he doe those things which are to be done with the people 2. That in the name of the people he doe those things with God which are to be done with him 11. But in these the preaching of the Word doth most excell and so it hath beene alwayes of perpetuall use in the Church 12. The duty of an ordinary preacher is to propound the Will of God out of the Word unto the edification of the hearers 1 Tim. 1. 5. The end or preaching is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfained 13. But because there is chiefly required a serious desire to edify the Church therefore he cannot be a fit preacher who hath not prepared his heart to seeke the Law of the Lord and to keepe it and to teach Israel the statutes and judgements For he that teacheth another ought before and when he teacheth to teach himselfe Rom. 2. 21. Otherwise he is not fitted to edifie the Church 14. This duty is to be performed not only universally in respect of all the heare 〈◊〉 in common but also specially in respect of order and age whatsoever as of old men young men servants Tit. 2. 3. Of teachers 2 Pet. 1. 12. c. Yea of every one 1 Thess. 1. 11. We exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you not publickly onely but privatly also Acts 20. 20. Publickly and from house to house 15. He ought to have this scope

unknowne to the writer as doth sufficiently appeare in the History of the Creation past and in foretellings of things to come but some things were before knowne unto the writer as appeares in the History of Christ written by the Apostles and some of these they knew by a naturall knowledge and some by a supernaturall In those things that were hidden and unknowne Divine inspiration did performe all by it selfe in those things which were knowen or the knowledge where of might be obtained by ordinary meanes there was also added a religious study God so assisting them that in writing they might not erre 6. In all those things which were made known by supernaturall inspiration whether they were matters of right or fact he did inspire not onely the things themselves but did dictate and suggest all the words in which they should be written which notwithstanding was done with that sweete attempering that every writer might use those manners of speaking which did most agree to his person and condition 7. Hence the Scripture is often attributed to the holy Spirit as to the author making no mention of the Scribes Hebrewes 10. 15. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witnesse to us 8. Hence also although in the inscriptions of the holy Bookes it is for the most part declared by whose labour they were written yet there is sometimes deepe silence of this matter and that without any detriment of such bookes or lessening their authority 9. Neither yet doth it suffice to make a part of holy writ if a booke be written by some extraordinary servant of God and upon certaine direction of the spirit unlesse it be also publickly given to the Church by divine authority and sanctified to be a Canon or rule of the same 10. The thing it selfe which they committed to writing as touching the summe and chiefe end of the matter is nothing else then that reveale will of God which is the rule of Faith and manners 11. Hence all those things which in the first disputation were spoken of the doctrine of life revealed from God doe properly agree to the holy Scripture For the Scripture is nothing else then that doctrine with the manner of writing joyned to it which manner was not to be handled there but in this place 12. Hence the Scripture in respect of the thing and subject meaning that is as it was the doctrine revealed from God it was before the Church but in respect of the manner in which it is properly called Scripture it is after the first Church 13. It is called the holy Scripture and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scripture and the writers themselves are called holy partly in respect of the subject and object matter which is so called the true and saving will of God and partly in respect of that direction whereby it was committed to writing Romans 1. 2. Eph. 5. 5. 2 Pet. 1. 21. 2. 22. 3. 2. Rev. 18. 20. 14. But although divers parts of the Scripture were written upon some speciall occasion and were directed to some certaine men or assemblies yet in Gods intention they doe as well pertaine to the instructing of all the faithfull thorough all ages as if they had beene specially directed to them whence Heb. 12. The exhortation of Solomon which is used in the Proverbs is said to be spoken to the Hebrewes who lived in the Apostles time as to children and 2 Pet. 3. 15. Paul is said to have wrote to all the faithfull in that he wrote to the Romans Hebr. 13. 5. That which was said to Ioshua is said to be spoken to all the faithfull 16. All things which are necessary to salvation are contained in the Scriptures and also all those things which are necessarily required to the instruction and edification of the Church 2 Tim. 3. 15. 16. 17. The holy Scriptures can make thee wise unto salvation that the man of God might be perfect perfectly furnished to every good worke 16. Hence the Scripture is not a partiall but a perfect rule of Faith and manners neither is here any thing that is constantly and every where necessary to be observed in the Church of God which depends either upon any tradition or upon any authority whatsoever and is not contained in the Scriptures 17. Yet all things were not together and at once committed to writing because the state of the Church the wisdome of God did otherwise require but from the first writing those things were successively committed to writing which were necessarily in those ages 18. Neither did the Articles of Faith therefore increase according to succession of times in respect of the essence but only in respect of the explication 19. As touching the manner of delivery the Scripture doth not explaine the will of God by universall and scientificall rules but by narrations examples precepts exhortations admonitions and promises because that manner doth make most for the common use of all kinde of men and also most to affect the will stirre up godly motions which is the chiefe scope of Divinity 20. Also the will of God is revealed in that manner in the Scriptures that although the things themselves are for the most part hard to be conceived yet the manner of delivering and explaining them especially in those things which are necessary is cleere and perspicuous 21. Hence the Scriptures need not especially in necessaries any such explication whereby light may be brought to it from something else but they give light to themselves which is diligently to be drawne out by men and to be communicated to others according to their calling 22. Hence also there is onely one sence of one place of Scripture because otherwise the sence of the Scripture should be not onely not cleere and certaine but none at all for that wich doth not signifie one thing signifieth certainly nothing 23. For the determining of controversies in Divinity there is no visible power as it were kingly or pretorian appointed in the Church but there is laid a duty on men to enquire there is bestowed a gift of discerning both publickly and privatly and there is commanded a desire to further the knowledge and practise of the known truth according to their calling unto which also is joyned a promise of direction and blessing from God 24. But because the Scriptures were given for the use and edification of the Church therefore they were written in those tongues which mere most commonly vulgar in the Church at that time when they were written 25. Hence all those bookes which were written before the comming of Christ were written in Hebrew for to the Iewes were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 2. 9. 4. And upon lice reason they that were written afterward were delivered in the Greeke tongue because that tongue was most common in those parts were the Church did first florish 26. Hence there is some knowledge at least of these tongues necessary to the exact understanding of the