Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	day_n	read_v	write_v	2,752	5	5.2488	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20953	A letter vnto them of the Romish Church, by Peter du Moulin, minister in the reformed Church at Paris. Together with a true iubile or generall pardon of indulgence by the same author	Du Moulin, Pierre, 1568-1658.; Goring, Richard.	1621 (1621)	STC 7331; ESTC S118715	19,874	66

A LETTER VNTO THEM of The Romish Church By PETER du MOVLIN Minister in the reformed Church at Paris Together with a true Iubile or generall Pardon of Indulgence by the same Author LONDON Printed by H. L. for Mathew Lownes dwelling in Paules Church-yard 1621. TO The right worshipfull Master VVILLIAM HAKEVVILL Esquier R. G. Wisheth as in dutie he is bound all increase of grace and true happiness Sir THis little but excellent tract of Monsieur du Moulins being giuen mee to translate by your worthie brother who formerlie as your Worship may remember did once set me aworke in the like kinde vvith no ill successe and being desirous to haue it patronized by some good friend as the custome is I soone bethought mee how it might verie acceptablie passe vnder your name if so it would please you to grace my poore endeuour which in all humblenes I gladlie offer vp vnto you first as a thankfull remembrance of your manie charitable fauours towardes mee and then as an earnest of my willingnes to bee doing as I am able The discourse of it selfe in the originall is of worth enough to giue all good men content which loue Gods true Religion together with the propogation and increase thereof and as I hope hath receiued no greate soile or blemish by passing through my handes It seemes it was intended by that famous man the Authour especiallie for his owne countriemen of the Romish Church but alas who are so deafe as they that will not heare or blind like them that will not see Yet as hee saith in the end of his discourse that Animam suam liberauit in case it worke not amongst them his wished effect So likewise if it passe into English vnder your ●au●…ur vous aurez aussi Monsieur ad●…ncè une bonne oeuure So trusting to our Worships gentle acceptance I cease further to trouble you in your most worthie employments for the common good and remaine Your worships most humble and euer much bounden Ry. Goring A Letter to them of the Romish Church by Peter du Moulin Minister of GOD's Word in the Reformed Church of Paris Translated into English out of the French Originall My Masters THE things that I have to represent to you would perhappes bee more acceptable from any other hand than from mine and yet I may bee bould to say that never did any man speak to you more void of hatred or more desirous of your good and salvation The Word of God from whence wee draw our Religion commands us to love those that hate us and to beleeve that those which doo persecute us doo thinke they doo God good service Every spirit which seeketh after the truth ought thus to be disposed Without this it is impossible to gather anie fruit by our communication for never doth any wound cloze up again during the inflammation And even as in a house which is on fire those which speake are not understood so shall we never understand one another whil'st our spirits doo burne with hatred and spleen The study of the sacred Word of GOD requireth a quiet spirit which wisely waigheth things without exception against any mans person for what reason is it to hate any bodie because hee goeth astray or because wee think wee see more cleere than hee Now then even as blinde-men are commonly wranglers and cholerick so also such as are most violent receive least instruction therefore hee that shall remedy this ignorance shall likewise appease this furiousnesse But the evill is without remedy in him that endeavoureth to be ignorant and feareth to know the will of God lest hee should bee so much the more obliged to follow it This is my Masters the disease of this Age in which people make profession of following without knowing and to beleeve his Church without knowing what the Church ought to beleeve and resteth upon the faith of other being ignorant of the rule of faith which is the Word of God as if those that lead us ought to bee our warrants against GOD's judgement or as if it were a vertue to beleeve in God by Attorney Indeed people ought to obey their Guides in case God bee their Guide and beleeve that which they teach if so bee that which they deliver bee drawne from the Word of God The Index of bookes forbidden together with the rules which were made by the fathers that were chosen thereto by the Trēt Synod The fourth rule In as much as it is plainly seen by experience that if the Bible bee every where suffered to bee read in the vulgar tongue without any restraint more hurt then good will thence arise by occasion of mens rashnes Hee that without such like licence shall presume to read or have the Bible may not have an absolution of his sinnes vnlesse hee first deliver it up into the hands of the Ordinary The which if they hide from the people and hinder the reading thereof it is a signe that they find themselves guilty or that in stead of subjecting themselves to this rule they will have the soveraign rule to bee their authority For wherefore should the Word of God contained in holy Scriptures bee a suspicious thing unto us and as it were a dangerous book Wherefore should not children bee permitted to see their fathers Testament The Apostle Saint Paul hath written his Epistles to the people of Rome of Corinth and Ephesus to the end they might read them wherefore then should Christian people at this day bee deprived of the reading of them The Catholike Epistles of Saint Iames Where it is to be noted that there it is spoken of Bibles translated by Catholick Roman Authors S. Peter and Saint Iohn are written to all the faithfull in generall wherefore then should not Christian people read those Letters which are expresly directed unto them and are written for their instruction wherfore may they not read the writings of the Prophets as well as the people of Berea which coming from Saint Pauls Sermon went and conferred it with the Scriptures To what end are Texts alleaged in Sermons if it bee not lawfull for the Auditor to goe home and see in the Scriptures Acts 17. 11 whether they bee truely alleaged or no A horrible thing that in those Countries where the Inquisition raigneth it is a crime worthy the fire to have a Bible in the vulgar tongue whil'st not onely the reading of fables is tolerated but whoredome also established there by law and politick regiment If so bee the Translation bee not thought true by the Pope his Holinesse should give order for a Translation fitting his judgement To say that some abuse this reading is to accuse the Apostles of folly to have written their * The Apostles did write in a language most publikely understood Epistles to christian people without foreseeing that they might abuse the same by the same reason they might forbid the preaching thereof because many doo abuse it Men abuse even

the very goodnes of GOD. Nay which is more it was never seene that any of the people did ever forge any Heresie through reading of the Scripture All our Heresiarchs have been persons that have had place in the Church Now if to reade the holy Scripture wee must have speciall leave given us is it not a miserable thing that wee may not obey God but upon sufferance and that God can have no servants without the Bishop of Romes permission Or if they say it is not for ignorant people to read them I answer that all men are ignorant in religion before they read them and that men may not without impiety ascribe any skil unto themselves in religion besides or without the Scripture Shake off then my Masters this scrupulous feare by which God is wronged as if his Word were contagious and a snare laid for weake consciences lest upon you bee accomplished the Prophecy of Esay Esay 5. 13 My people are in captivity because they bee without knowledge and the saying of our Saviour You erre not knowing the Scriptures Let not this pretious treasure bee wrung out of your hands this contract of our spirituall marriage with the Sonne of God hould them as suspected persons who during this night of ignorance do hide this heavenly Light and in the mean time light up their owne candles at high-noon Hope not to bee saved by the faith of others for God declares unto us Hab. 4. 2 that The iust shall live by his owne faith Mat. 15. 14 and that If the blinde lead the blinde they shall both fall into the ditch Now that you may knowe that they take the Scriptures away from you not to keep you in sobriety but to detaine you in ignorance consider that in the Roman Church they read publikely unto you some chapters of the Bible in a tongue which you understand not If in these chapters GOD were spoken unto one might excuse it saying that GOD understands all languages but these chapters are divine Lectures in which God speaketh unto men Tell me in conscience wherefore should God bee a Barbarian unto us and speak to us in an unknowne tongue Wherefore speaks hee unto men but to the end they should understand him Wherefore should those things which every where else would be esteemed ridiculous and against cōmon sense bee thought good and comely in religion But is it not a sleight of the enimy of our salvation that he might make Christianity ridiculous and hinder the Word of God from beeing understood of you to the end likewise that the threatning may be accomplished which God useth to a people with whom hee is angry I will speak to this people by men of other language 1 Cor. 14. 21. in a strange tongue and so they shall not understand mee This evil hath produced another for in taking away from you the holy Scriptures which make men learned they have given you Images which they call the books of ignorant men because they nourish ignorance therewithall they busie the people in stead of instructing them in stead of teaching them they make them passe-time But because that against this same the second of Gods commandements is expresse which forbids in matter of Gods service to make any Image and to fall downe before any representation of anie thing in Heaven or earth and that his Law pronounced with thundering affrighteth even to this day this superstition these Doctours have imposed silence unto this Lawe of God and dare to raze out this commandement out of those books praiers and service-bookes which they appoint them to use A thing wherin wee may suspect our owne eyes and hardly beleeve when wee see it that very wormes of the earth have made so bould as to correct the Law of God pronounced with his owne mouth yea that same Lawe by which they shall bee judged at the last day Vnto such enterprises the holie sacred name of Church serveth as a cloak It is said that the Church cannot erre that she is soveraign Iudge of the points and doubts of faith that shee is the faithfull interpreter of the Scripture By which Church is understood not the Greek nor the Syrian nor the African although more ancient more pure than the Romane but onely the Romane Church which having never been but a particular Church cals herself the Vniversall By this meanes the Church of Rome is becomne Iudge in her own cause The Greek Chur. more ancient than the Roman complaineth that the Roman Church is revolted and separated from her producing against her her chaires her succession her antiquity In this contestation the Romane Church vanteth herself to bee Iudge and so will bee both Iudge and Party In the question whether the Romane Church can erre shee herselfe will be Iudge and which is more whē there is question of deciding what the Churches duty is the Romane Church will bee soveraigne Iudge to the end shee may have no other lawes but of her owne establishing and what shee will carve out for her owne self And moreover when the sense and interpretation of the Lawe of God lieth at the stake shee esteemeth herself the infallible expounder and reputes her owne interpretation of equall authority with the Law of God yet is it certaine that by this Law shee shall bee judged at the later day Now there is no rashnes so extravagant as to put sinners for infallible judges of the sense of the Lawe by which their sinnes are to be judged What obedience think you is the Soveraign Master to look for if his servants may say unto him Thou hast indeed commanded us that same but wee interpret it thus and doo judge that thy commandement ought thus to bee understood and thou knowest that wee are undoubted judges in such matters and that our interpretations are of equal authority to thy commandements By this reckoning it were better to bee servant than Master By which of these two thinke you shall the Prelates of the Church of Rome be judged at the last day whether by the Law of God or by their owne interpretations I referre this to the judgement of any man that hath but the remainder of common sense left him or any spark of free and unpreocupate conceipt which of the two ought rather to be supream Iudge in religion whether God ruling and teaching the Church by his Word or the church that ought to receive this Word and obey him Who shall rather be Iudge the scripture which cōmands there should be a Church and giveth it lawes or the Church which onely giveth attestation that that is the Scripture specially considering that even this testimony may be given by a corrupt Church and disobedient to this Scripture Who shall bee rather Iudge the Scripture which is one and judgeth without passion or the Church which is divided into cōtrary churches which cannot bee assembled and whose Pastors are subject to ambition and avarice and fitter to bee