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	scripture_n	write_v	5,125	5	5.8373	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05416	The bruising of the serpents head A sermon preached at Pauls Crosse September 9. 1621. By Roger Ley Maister of Arts, and minister of Gods word in Shoreditch.	Ley, Roger, b. 1593 or 4.	1622 (1622)	STC 15568; ESTC S103082	34,316	56

misdoubting conscience no testimonie against them can be greater Their feares are more then Panike moued by great occasion Gods word directed aright is like the firy tongues wherein the holy Ghost did sit vpon the Apostles which tongues were diuided being a fire to burne vp the hay and stubble of false tradition and like enough to make a diuision whereof they complaine so grieuously The spirit in them commeth like that mighty wind which fild the house wherein the assembly was gathered But as antiquity fained of Aeolus he kept the windes vnder huge Mountaines least all should be ouerturned And the great commander of heauen and earth deputed an inferiour Lord to rule them Regemque dedit qui saedere cert● Et premere laxas sciret dare iussus habenas That King was appointed to stint their vnrulines so is the diuine word by a counterfeit shew of a diuine authoritie to be kept vnder and he below to play fast and loose expounding all after his owne law and counsell Thus the candle being put vnder a bushell as a darke night sometimes preuents a skirmish may keepe men from quarelsome protestations Vpon these termes their peace standeth and they are forced to hold with both hands least it ouergoe them Zanchie relateth a decree made in Italy Tom. 8. de scriptura Comment in cap. 1. ad Titum the Scripture is permitted to be read of the better sort onely with condition that they expound nothing but with the Church of Rome Claudius Espenceus one of their owne reports that an Italian Bishop told him that learned men in Italy were affraid to study the Scriptures least by them they might be drawne into heresie and they rather imployed their time vpon the Popes law bookes and the decretals A franciscan Fryer plainely said the Councell of Trent the Lutherans did preuaile vpon none so much as them which were exercised in the Scripture To shew what tyranny keepes their affaires in peace obserue one proofe insted of many Zanchie relateth it in his booke de Ecclesia One of the Regular Canons wrot a booke in which he prooueth the Pope may be called into question and censured by the Church the reason is because he is our brother and Christ saith If thy brother offend thee tell the Church That he is our brother hee prooueth for in saying the Lords prayer he calleth God father if then all be children in respect of God they must be brethren among themselues The booke for this fault was cald in an excommunication was sent out and the Authour had a checke yet was the argument so strong that none could answere it so well as one Courtier who wisht his holines neuer to say our Father so by not acknowledging a superiour with that Title he might put his greatnes out of question So strange a slauery is produced by this vsurped power that an eminence and prorogatiue must be claimed aboue the nature of man and the qualitie of a sinfull creature and a point of beleefe and conscience made not to mooue in it any question By ignorance then is the peace grounded and maintaind by tyranny not easie to be discernd whether more barbarous or ridiculous Well wereit if we could learne wit by their example that euery ignorant inuention did not forge out a new conceit against the present times Or that some crasie and misalledging braines soothed vp by an in bred curiositie did not so much sleight antiquitie and authoritie as not care what is generally established and hath bene vsed many ages in the Church euen in the purer time before corruption For vpon any dissention thoughts in a ceremonie or small ordinance we know what complaint the aduersarie raiseth Moreouer a small controuersie in a branch depends vpon a roote and adhereth to some question of great moment the same principles in disputation against an indifferent ceremonie if they should take place will ouerthrow whole frames of gouernment But to come to the last blow with our aduersaries Let truth be wayed in an euen ballance though quarrelers see not their owne blemishes so directly as they espy anothers peace is no such vniuersall blessing among them All of them or at least the more sober sort allow not the Iesuits practises and positions In free will and predestination the Dominicans the Iesuits consent not nor the Dominicans and Franciscans about the originall sinne of the Virgine Mary to omit the scruples of Thomas and Scotus with their followers in more subtile matters That of the Virgine Maries freedome from originall sinne was so hotly defended by both parties that the Councell of Trent durst not decide it for feare of a Schisme Where knowledge doth abound and men haue liberty to speake the corruption of many will abuse it Nec per se mala est eruditio sed plerumque gignit factiones dissidia saith Erasmus learning is not euill in it selfe but for the most part it ingendereth factions and diuision If knowledge then haue a freer passage for all sorts among vs their peace hath some aduantage Besides when a reformation is published all cannot haue one consent in clearing things of moment hid before and now come to more open light And if among so many that imbrace the reformed religion good and bad wise and foolish sober and curious had all consented it had beene a signe of false Doctrine rather then true for tares spring vp with wheate and God ioyneth some corrections with his blessings weeds may grow alone sometimes and heere our Sauiour speaketh of the deuill and maketh it one part of his strength His goods are in peace But see the face of former times did not some say at first I am of Pauls I am of Apollos and others of Cephas a new Doctrine came vp and ignorant people could not keepe a sober course in entertaining it As for the grossest deuisers among vs they are partly scattered and supprest but if we speake of setled Churches see worse then we haue had The Corinthians doubted of the resurrection The Galathians called for the ceremonies of the law so stiffly that S. Paul feared his labour had beene lost This one opinion of retaining ceremonies is called by Musculus perpetuum certamen an euerlasting contention of those times And the Apostles were enforced to call a generall Councell at Ierusalem to take it vp and yeelding to some infirmities for a time forbade eating of blood a thing in it selfe indifferent Reu. 2.6 Then came in Simon with his deuises and the sect of the Nicolaitans which God hated Ebion and Cerinthus denying the eternall God-head of Christ are supposed to haue giuen occasion to S. Iohn to write his Gospell All this while we find not among the Heathen any notorious breaches about the principles of their idolatry After this when Constantine had giuen peace to the Church and men might vse more liberty the Arrians their successors ouerflowed in such a number that it was sayd of Athanasius their

call the whole world as Aristotle doth a seruant instrumentum animatum a liuing instrument the great dealers in it are least of all themselues the more they are the greater their debt the more they stirre the more they are led and wrought vpon And so much of the second part of the Text our Sauiours power A compendious dispatch shall soone finish the last which containeth a vse for his Auditours First he strike that negligence He that is not with me is against me There are Neutralls in the world some it seemed at that time stood stedfast neither with Christ nor the Pharisees they gaue both the hearing but did according to their owne pleasures to shew it were no newes if after times and perhaps these of ours swarme with a like company But if some stay betweene good and bad how doe these words comprehend all vnder good and bad admitting none of a middle ranke Surely Psalme 69.28 as the Psalmist did pray that his enemies might be blotted out of the Booke of the liuing when in very truth they were neuer written there for then their names could not haue beene raced out onely in presuming hypocrisie they had written themselues there therefore he prayeth God would renounce them openly and proue them to be none of his so is it here no Neutralls but in opinion others may thinke them so or they themselues but Christ flatly discardeth all such Hee that is not with me is against me We neede not with S. Ieromie expound it of the deuill in particularly but including others with him referre it to those idle hearers which heard his words and saw miracles to no purpose so were enemies Quisquis non adiuuat quodammodose opponit saith Caluin hee that doth not helpe apposeth in a sort such negligence maketh the enemies more arrogant and the well willers more discouraged euen in humane affaires a man is more open for his enemies to play vppon if his friends faile him then if he had not any And what greater enemic hath religion then deuotion without practise this maketh all the world superficiall and Sermons heard like orations the vehemency of Gods command is let slip and this made a busines of the eare And when faults are commonly taxed the hearers account all but a wornesubiect and a beaten theame whereby the word is become as sounding brasse or emptie crackes to no end so these indifferent friends turne grieuous aduersaries August 1. de peccatorum meritis 28. Let vs thinke with S. Austen nec est vlli vllus medins locus vt possit esse nisi cum diabolo qui non est cum Christo There is no middle place for any he must needs be with the deuill that is not with Christ If then we be not Christs enemies we must doe two things that we may be with him maintaine his cause when wee see his commandement and vindicate his honour if any disgrace his words and offend him By the first we make confession of our faith vpon occasion speake his truth and practise it so we honour him as his followers saue our selues by the right course and gaine others to him by example This benefit is great Many stand with him that many doe stand for And example because it beateth vpon the sences by an open Oratory proues the strongest mouer As among plants that grow the seede lyeth in the fruit so the fruit of a godly life is as seed it propagateth religion and stirreth vp others to godlines Christ saith Let yourlight shine before men S. Austen reasoneth why Mat. 5.14 seeing else where he commandeth good workes should be done in secret and answereth not that any should praise you but conuersi fiant quod est may glorifie your Father which is in heauen and become worshippers of him by your example Secondly we must reproue sinne vindicate his honour account his enemies considering their wickednes our owne Nothing is more defaced then godlines one reason whereof is this men sufferit to rest securely vnder their nose and where sinne is not controld it waxeth shamelesse The Prophet Esay foretold of Christ Esay 53.2 He should grow vp as a tender plant and as a roote out of a dry ground the world should yeeld him small moistures and his truth would be bended and bowed like a tender sprig of small account One complained of nature that man the best creature was brought into the world weakest naked destitute and vnable to help himselfe So fareth it with the best cause of truth and honesty hauing plaine dealing for a companion when vice is armed and wants not the fence of a guardian and protector The earth is become a stage and the cheefe actors egregious hypocrites it yeelds the show of soundnes when the inward substance is rotten pretending much and performing little Men will fight rather pro focis then pro aris for their priuate respects then Gods glory Perhaps a religious cause may haue defenders but if it be opposed or procure hatred and crosse other mens humours that once it become a burden or a charge they cast it off though they loose Christ and all by the departure They follow sinne with the swinge of the time and will goe with the streame though they drowne in the end Ruffin vpon the Creede sheweth no disgrace can harme one for doing good Christ for vs stooped to infirmities and was borne of a Virgine which humiliation was no staine to his Diuinity or blemish to his person he prooueth it by a similitude Si quis vide at paruulum in profundo caeni necari c. If a man of worth see a child ready to be choked in the mud though he get some mire by plucking him out can we account him deformed or polluted in like case let a man doe good the aspersions cast vpon him can be no dishonour And how can he expect the fauour of Christ that playes the flincher or if he belong to him not sympathise in his disgrace Or to speake of conuenient regards how can he refuse iustly to vndergoe a burden for Christ that tooke so many loades of heauie cariage before for him Infinite commodity might redound to his Kingdome by this spirituall fortitude the stout reprehension of a sinner might perhaps recall him at last or make his proceedings more calme and coole him where it could not saue him The opposition of the wicked in a bad cause or the helping of the weaker side in a good may meete with iarres and rubs in the way but the end which trieth all shall crowne those attempts with honour But in standing thus firmly with Christ wisdome and discretion must be guides when there are apparent testimonies no good can come it is in vaine to stirre One may better spare the labour then put the Scripture to a swearing man in a drunken fit or counsaile a man bent to scorne and derision Deuotion without circumspection betrayes the truth and counsell then looseth the Maiesty