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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	holy_a	read_v	scripture_n	8,342	5	5.9261	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20168	An exposition vpon the first chapter of the second Epistle of Peter with, the principall doctrines naturally arising from euery verse of the same chapter. By Stephen Denison minister of Kree-Church London.	Denison, Stephen, d. 1649 or 50.	1622 (1622)	STC 6603; ESTC S109588	124,709	220

I referre the Reader to that in 1. Corinth 2.14 But the naturall man receiueth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Now if he cannot know them then much lesse can he interpret them And to that in Marke 4.11 But to them that are without all these things are done in parables And to that in Reuelation 5.3 And no man in heauen nor on earth nor vnder the earth was able to open the booke nor to looke thereon Hence it is that the booke of Iob is termed a Parable Iob 27.1 Because indeede both it and the rest of holy Writ is no other but a very Riddle or Parable vnto the naturall man Hence it is that the Eunuch acknowledged that he was not able to vnderstand what he read without a guide Acts 8.31 And hence it is why so many thinking to vnderstand Scripture by the strength of their owne wit or learning fall into grosse and damnable heresies Obiection If any here shall obiect Yea but do we not see many carnall Ministers who by their gifts and learning are able notably to interpret the Scriptures Answ We deny not but carnall men may be enabled to interpret Scripture but then it is not by their owne carnall reason or meere naturall helps but either by the ministeriall spirit which may be giuen to a carnall man as it was vnto Iudas or else by the helpe of other holy Bookes which haue bene penned by such as haue bene spirituall indeed Obiection To what end then may some say should carnall persons reade the word seeing they cannot interpret or vnderstand it Answ Yes it is necessarie for euery man to reade the Scriptures but he must not trust to his owne natural conceits for the vnderstanding thereof he must reade and he must get spirituall helpes but especially he must desire the assistance of Gods Spirit for the vnderstanding of that which he readeth Vse The consideration hereof may serue to humble the learnedst men in the world for suppose thou hadst as much learning as euer had any naturall man yet behold here thou comest short thou art not able with all thy Hebrue and Greeke and Latine with all thy Logicke Philosophie and Rhetoricke to vnderstand this holie Booke I meane the Scripture This Booke surmounteth thy deepest and sharpest reason Vse It serueth also to reproue the presumption of many carnall persons which will wrest the Scriptures to their owne sence though they haue no other warrant for their interpretations but onely their owne naturall reasons Oh consider thou vaine man thy owne interpretation is vaine no prophecie is of priuate interpretation Thou must haue a better wit then thine owne whereby to be enabled to interpret Scripture or else thy presumption is vaine Vse This sheweth also what necessitie we haue to vndertake reading with prayer Reade we may but to vnderstand we cannot without the assistance of Gods Spirit Let vs therefore earnestly craue his assistance vpon all assayes Reading is sanctified by prayer Vse This teacheth vs likewise to see the necessitie of Ministers The Church of God hath need of an interpreter one of a thousand as Iob speaketh in his thirtie and third chapter How shall the people vnderstand without a guide They may reade and beate their braine but vnlesse they haue a guide they may come short of sound vnderstanding Vse Further it must teach euery one that haue any ability to vnderstand the Scriptures aright to giue the glorie to God if his Spirit had not assisted thee and taught thee thou couldst neuer haue attained the knowledge thou hast though it may be it is but weake in comparison of that which thou must labour for Vse Lastly this teacheth that we must giue no further credit to the glosses and interpretations of Councels and Fathers then we finde them agreeable to the rest of the Scriptures No man though neuer so learned can interpret Scripture further then he is assisted by the Spirit And that assistance which the Spirit giueth is light from the rest of the canonicall scripture Therefore as any is able to confirme their interpretations by scripture so farre we are to giue credit vnto them and no further Knowing this first Whence note that Doctrine None ought to be ignorant of this truth to wit that no Scripture is of priuate interpretation yea euerie one ought to know this in the first place or as a thing most necessarie to be knowne Reason And why first because it is a fundamentall point what point is there of greater consequence in Diuinitie then this concerning the interpretation of Scripture Now we must not be ignorant of fundamentall points Hebr. 5.12 Secondly because if we be ignorant of this truth we may easily be deceiued by Papists and others which wil be readie to obtrude vpon vs the priuate interpretations of the Pope and popish Councels I call their interpretations priuate because they come from their owne braine and inuention without warrant from the word of God Thirdly we must not be ignorant of this because it is written aforetime and whatsoeuer was written aforetime it was written for our instruction as the Apostle speakes Rom. 15.4 Vse This makes against Papists and others which are ignorant of this first point of Religion and therefore are readie to receiue the priuate interpretations of men concerning the Scriptures as of the Pope and others which are of an erronious spirit Vse If any shall here demaund How they may come to know that the Scripture is not of priuate interpretation The way to know it is first to know the words of this Text and to beleeue them Secondly to pray God to conuince our consciences of the truth of them that so we may beleeue them Thirdly to consider that the whole Scripture was giuen by the inspiration of God and being so then it must needs follow that none but God knoweth the meaning of them or can interpret them Vse In the next place let vs examine whether we know this necessary truth or no. And it may be tried by these signes and markes First if we beleeue not euerie interpretation but first trie it by the Scripture whether it be sound or no. Secondly if we depend not vpon the persons or gifts of men but haue maine respect to that which is written Thirdly if we be iealous of our owne interpretations and giue no further credit to them then we finde them agreeable to the written word Fourthly if we neuer reade the word but we still desire the assistance of Gods Spirit for the vnderstanding of the same Lastly let such as know that the Scripture is not of priuate interpretation be thankefull vnto God for this knowledge For how many be there in the world especially amongst seduced Papists which are ignorant of this point and being ignorant greedily imbrace priuate

spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began By all which places and many more the point is and might be proued Reason And the Prophets and Apostles are fitly termed holy men first because they were sanctified of God and set apart to this holy calling of prophecie and Apostleship Rom. 1.1 where it is said that Paul was separated to the Gospel of God Secondly because they were holy and deuout men they were not profane Esaus but true sanctified persons as Dauid acknowledgeth concerning himself Preserue thou my soule for I am holy Psal 86.2 Vse This should teach vs the more to delight in the word it is the writing of holy men Secondly it should teach those that are in authority in the Church of God what kinde of men they should especially admit for ministers namely holy men Thirdly it teacheth people what kind of men they ought to make choise of for their ministers if they haue the choice committed vnto them They ought to make choice especially of holy men alwayes prouided that those holy men whom they make choice of be also men of knowledge and duly gifted Fourthly it teacheth vs Ministers aswell to endeuour to be holy in our conuersation as to be sound in our doctrine We ought aswell to be holy men as to be good teachers Be cleane ye that beare the vessels of the Lord Esay 52.11 As they were moued by the holy Ghost Whence note that Doctrine The bookes of canonicall Scripture were giuen by inspiration They came not by the will of man but by the motion of the Spirit For the proofe of this I referre the Reader to that in 2. Tim. 3.16 All scripture is giuen by the inspiration of God and to that in Mat. 10.28 It is not you that speake but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you If any shall here demand what is meant by the inspiration of God the answer is By the inspiration of God we are to vnderstand the worke of Gods Spirit whereby he did suggest and dictate whatsoeuer the Prophets Apostles deliuered for doctrine in their preaching and writing Quest But how proue you that the holy Ghost did prompt the Prophets and Apostles in preaching Answer Surely this may be proued out of Acts 2.4 They beganne to speake with other tongues as the Spirit gaue them vtterance Quest And how may it appeare that the Spirit did indite or dictate that which the Prophets and Apostles did write Answ This appeareth by that in Acts 15.28 It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to vs c. Obiection If anie shall obiect that in 1 Cor. 7.12 But to the rest speake I not the Lord Answ The answer is Paul indeed had no expresse place of the olde Testament to prooue that which he did deliuer in that particular and therefore he saith To the rest speake I not the Lord But yet in giuing his aduice he had the assistance of Gods Spirit as is manifest in 1. Corint 7.40 But she is happier in my iudgement I think also that I haue the Spirit of God Vse This serues to put difference betweene hereticall writings and Scripture Hereticall writings are by the suggestion of the diuell but Canonicall scriptures are by the inspiration of God Secondly betweene other diuine writings and Scripture for other diuine writings are not without the assistance of Gods holy Spirit but the Scripture was giuen by extraordinarie immediate reuelation Vse It must teach vs to beware of reproaching the holy Scriptures in casting reproaches vpon the word we cast reproches vpon the holy Ghost himselfe who is the Author thereof Secondly it must teach vs to reuerence the Scripture aboue all other bookes in the world This is the onelie booke giuen by immediate inspiration Herein we must especially delight to reade and meditate all the dayes of our liues Vse This may serue also for comfort for if the Scripture came by the inspiration of God then certainly there is some extraordinarie vertue and power in it nothing can thus immediatly flow from God but it must be of some extraordinarie vigour As they were moued Or as it is in the Greeke As they were carried Whence we are to note that Doctrine The holy Ghost did strongly reigne in the Prophets and Apostles It did not onely moue them but as it were carry them with an holy violence This is manifest out of Acts 4.20 We can not but speake the things which we haue seene and heard and out of Acts 21.14 where Paul was so violently moued to go vp to Hierusalem that all the perswasion of his friends nor the hazard of his life could not turne him from his purpose And out of 2. Corinth 13.8 We can do nothing against the truth but for the truth for so the Text is to be rendred according to the Originall And out of Acts 16.7 After they were come to Mysta they assayed to go into Bythinia but the Spirit suffered them not Whence it is manifest that the holy Ghost did strongly order the very iournies of the men of God causing them to alter their owne intentions oftentimes and to go another way at his appointment It was with the Prophets and Apostles in this respect as it was with Christ himselfe For as Christ himselfe was not moued but driuen of the Spirit into the wildernesse to be tempted of the diuell for so are the words in the original Lu. 4.1 Euen so it was with the Prophets Apostles they were acted or driuen by an holy violence of the Spirit The holy Ghost is compared to a winde Iohn 3.8 yea to a great rushing winde Acts 2.3 because as it bloweth where it lists so he bloweth or worketh mightily where he listeth No ship is more violently caried by the winds then the Prophets and Apostles were by the Spirit Obiection But then it might seeme that the Prophets and Apostles did nothing willingly but as it were compulsiuely Answ Not so for there is difference betweene compulsion and holy Violence These holy men were carried with an holy violence but they were not compelled the holy Spirit finding vnwillingnesse in these men of God he subdued that vnwillingnes and of vnwilling made them willing This must needes be granted for if they had done that which they did absolutely against their will and by meere compulsion they had lost their reward as appeareth in 1. Cor. 9.17 If I do this thing willingly I haue a reward c. Vse This may serue to cause vs to bewaile our coldnesse of zeale at these daies where is this holy violence of the spirit which should vrge vs to Christian duties How often do we resist good motions withstand them which shewes what a poore measure of the spirit we haue as yet attained O my beloued shal the Prophets and Apostles be carried by the Spirit and shall not we be led by him shall they be vrged by holy motions and shall not we so much as be perswaded by them The Lord that is able to bow the heauens bow our mindes to good and perswade vs to that which is well-pleasing in his sight FINIS