Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	law_n	scripture_n	write_v	2,897	5	5.9324	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95413	The doubting conscience resolved. In answer to a (pretended) perplexing question, &c. Wherein is evidently proved, that the holy Scriptures (not the pope) is the foundation whereupon the Church is built. Or, That a Christian may be infallibly certain of his faith and religion by holy Scriptures. By William Tvvisse D.D. Prolocutor of the Assembly of Divines. Written at the desire of Samuel Hartlib, Esquire, for the satisfaction of his friends beyond the seas; and now divulged in print for more publick edification.	Twisse, William, 1578?-1646.	1652 (1652)	Wing T3421; Thomason E1321_1; ESTC R209067	47,995	167

only Gods Commands are his VVord but the revelations of the mystery of Godliness and these are the things most remote from our capacities As for the Law as a rule of life that is more or less written in the hearts of all men It is true the Author of the Book De Vocatione Gentium talks of such a manner of instruction by Gods VVorks but I pray do not compare that in clearness to the Word of God what ground have we for the right interpretation of signs and wonders beneath above Astrologers would make us believe they read strange things in the Constellations referred to mens Nativities but what ground have we for this Calculation what Abraham the father of the faithfull discoursed thereof in his Astronomicall Lectures read by him in the plain of Mamre we have received no tydings hereof from the hill Amarath in Aethiopia I know that in holy Scripture Thunder is called the voice of God I know also that the Lord-spake unto the Patriarks but that word is not written winds and storms also are said to fulfill his VVord by a Metaphor because what he will have done by them is done by them as if they were most obedient and faithfull servants unto their Master whom yet they know not any more than Ravens doe though in Scripture-phrase and by a figure of speech they are said to call upon him Now we are upon another point namely as touching the Scriptures the written Word of the Prophets and Apostles and the question is about the clearness of them or the intelligible nature of them to all such as will understand And to such faith Solomon knowledge is easie which I take to be spoken of the knowledge of God by the Scriptures whereunto I am sure our Saviour refers the Jewes and the Apostle would not have us affect to bee wise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above that which is written It is true when that was delivered thy Law is a Lanthorn unto my feet none of the later Prophets had committed their Prophecies unto writing much less were the Books of the New Testament written then But in reference to all the Books of the Old Testament our Saviour spake when he said Search the Scriptures for in them you think to have eternall life and they are they that testifie of me Joh. 5. And as for the Books of the New Testament the Gospels were written that men might acknowledge the certainty of those things whereof they had been instructed by word of mouth Luk. 1.4 which could not be were they not intelligible by a studious Reader and Paul was in bonds when he wrote of the whole Scripture that it was profitable to teach to convince to correct to instruct in righteousness that the man of God might be made absolute being made perfect to all good works 2 Tim. 3.16 17. Now if we deny the intelligible condition of Scripture the profitable nature of it therewithall must utterly be removed The Apostles we know by preaching converted many surely the Word preached was understood by the hearers otherwise it had wrought but a wilde conversion Now look what they preached that is committed to writing in the Acts of the Apostles and in their Epistles written unto severall Churches The knowledge of the figures of the Prophecies of the Revelation and the like is not necessary to salvation and great reason they should be carried in a mysterious way like as the mysteries of Christs Person and of his Office in breaking the Serpents head were carried a long time in the clouds of types and figures had it been known that the Messiah must be crucified before he reigned the Devill would not have been so forward to possess the heart of Judas with a project of betraying him into the hands of his enemies to procure his death So the Revelation in the New Testament and many of the like nature in the Old concerning the Devills and Antichrists practice no marvell if they be mysteriously carried that neither the Devill nor Antichrist should understand them untill they were accomplished Nevertheless the Lord by his Spirit which dictated them can inspire his servants with an understanding heart to know the meaning of them when the time comes appointed for the communication of this knowledge many shall pass to and fro and knowledge shall be increased as if the opening of the world by Navigation and Commerce and the increase of knowledge should meet together in one time and age as one wittily observeth we have seen of late yeers a strange progress made in opening the mysteries of the Revelation and other mysterious Prophecies of the Old Testament even to admiration The time when first Antichrist should be discovered and protested against is found out in Daniels Numbers lest we should wonder at the Fathers ignorance hereof For as Christians at their first conversion from Idolls to serve the living God did forthwith look for the Son of God his comming from heaven to deliver us from the wrath to come 1 Thes 1. last Yea and some were of opinion in the Apostles dayes that it should be within the age of a man whereupon Paul wrote his second Epistle to the Thessalonians wherein he gives to understand that an Apostacy must come first and the man of sin must be revealed and before that the Roman Empire must be broken 2 Thes 2. compared with 1 Thes 4.15 So in Austins dayes that good Father projects that the comming of Christ might be 400. years off nay suppose 500. he would not go further presuming that the Beast which slaughtered the Lords witnesses should not continue above three years and an half Now we have no cause to wonder at this when we consider what Daniel hath written concerning this and how blessed a thing it should be to live at that time when Antichrist should be proclamed to the world and revealed Dan. 11. For then nothing remained to be looked for but the blasting of him with the breath of the Lords mouth and the utter abolishing of him by the brightness of his comming The reconciling of Ezekiels measures of new Jerusalem with Johns measures in the Revelations is a great mystery and held to be desperate yet now it is made feisible nor so onely but cleared throughout So the number of the Beast 666. how long hath the Christian world groped after the meaning of it as a blind man after his way What various notions hath the investigation hereof produced in mens brains after that of Ireneus accommodated to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and at length for want of a better the best Stndents in these mysteries driven to come back thither again But now the vanity thereof nevvly discovered and that at full even by every Text calling us expresly to calculate this vvhich is not to rest in this number but by Calculation of this to finde out another number which will notably decipher unto us that Beast And indeed the number of the Beast 666. is opposed to

there no book at all written or Sermon preached in any point of Controversies or difference between us yet Papists should be Papists still and not Protestants and Protestants should be Protestants still and not Papists and the Whore of Babylon should bee the VVhore of Babylon still and no Spouse of Christ and Antichrist a false Prophet still and no true Prophet For the faith and profession of a Papist makes him a Papist whether hee writes Controversies or no the smallest part of them being able to perform the task so the Protestants profession and protestation against the corruptions of the Church of Rome makes him a Protestant tho' he never set pen to paper to contend for the Faith once given to the Saints though this be a duty I confess but no common duty belonging unto all but peculiarly appertaining to the man of God able not only to exhort with wholesome doctrine but also to convince them that say against it For Articles of Faith and their profession of them Lay-men have suffered with great constancy and patience but not for controversies though they have been ready to give a reason of their Faith to all that asked it and witness a good confession of it as our Saviour did before Pilate as the Book of Acts and Monuments recordeth of them and S. Paul of our blessed Saviour Doctor Bergius is acknowledged to say as much confessing the Controversies are not very necessary to salvation which I interpret thus not necessary to the being of the Church but onely to her well-being when the Christian Faith is oppugned by Heretikes Between Lutherans and Calvinists we acknowledge there is no difference in fundamentalls as appeareth sufficiently at the Conference at Leipsich Disc This I am perswaded is very true that had the Holy Ghost judged those Controverted Questions necessary to salvation it would have expressed and propounded them in the holy Scripture clearly and plainly seeing those Epistles were sent to simple and Lay-men especially Nor doth it seem likely to be true that ever there were so many Articles of Faith drawn out of them as are now to be read in the Catechisms Common-places and Compounds of Divines As yet there is no certain number of them determined seeing some Divines have propounded more and some fewer and some Religions have in process of time either added or abated whole Articles and after many miseries indured for the defence of some of them entring a way of moderation they have determined that for tolerable and indifferent which before they thought damnable But howsoever there are so many of them that a man may deservedly call in question the precise necessity of them and this seems the best Solution to disintangle and appease perplexed doubtfull and erring Consciences Consid It is a very uncouth speech proceeding from a wilde conceit to say that God would have expressed and appointed Controverted Questions plainly and clearly if they had been necessary It is not the proposition of Controverted Questions though never so plainly and clearly delivered that sets an end to Controversies but the clear and substantiall solution of them for herein that which hath any shew of being necessary is not the proposing of them but the deciding of them and it were a very preposterous course to talk of deciding Controversies before there were any Controversies moved right as if a Physitians wisdom and goodness shoud move him to heal a man before he is wounded rather hee should take care to preserve a mans health that he might not fall into sickness And so Gods wisdom and goodness hath sufficiently provided for the health of his Church through the integrity of Doctrine delivered in his VVord and that in a manner sufficiently intelligible and plain to them that come with honest hearts and studious desires to seek after truth and to imbrace it But S. Paul tells us of oppositions to the truth made by men of corrupt mindes plainly giving us to understand that they came with corrupt mindes to the reading of Gods Word and so pervert it as Peter speaks and thereby pervert themselves first and afterwards they speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wrested things to the corrupting of others and hinder them from that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be found in the faith Tit. 1.13 S. Peter exhorts us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 And S. Paul would not have us stand at a stay but grow forward unto perfection There is a plerophory and fulness of faith that we should strive unto and of knowledge as well as of holiness For this life is our way to heaven and still we must draw neerer thitherwards by knowing all that we can know by the Word Deut. 29.29 It is revealed to that purpose and it is able to make the man of God perfect to every good work 2 Tim. 3. last Add unto vertue knowledge saith Peter 2 Pet. 1.5 and Paul prayes on the behalf of the Colossians that they might be fulfilled with the knowledge of Gods Will in all wisdom and spirituall understanding Col. 19. that they might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing fruitfull in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God v. 10. Why then should we take offence at the multiplying of Articles In all professions men that delight in knowledge are never satisfied nothing is more congruous to our intelligent natures than light of knowledge while we live here on earth we shall never come to ripeness of age in Christ therefore we must be growing still and edifying our selves and one another in our most holy faith the body of Christ must be edified till we come to fulness of age and as we must increase in knowledge so being obnoxious to error it behoves us to labour for the discovery of it more and more That error in taking the number of the Beast 666. to denote onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath indured ever since the dayes of Ireneus that is from the next age after the Apostles and it is now lately discovered and the true meaning substituted in the place thereof as never the like before and it is commendable for men to see their former errors much more to confess them Of all Austins works there are none more tending to his honour and renown than his Retractations wherein he retracts the errors of his Faith and his Confestions where hee acknowledgeth the errors of his life and this is most Christian ingenuity and I think never was any man more renowned in this kinde than he It is necessary for every Christian to strive forwards unto perfection necessitate Praecepti by necessitie of Commandment but if he fail through negligence this is a very pardonable sin upon our confession of it As for things necessary to salvation they are but few but the knowledge of God and the things of God is so sweet to a regenerate tast having already tasted how bountifull the Lord is that he