Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	new_a	part_n	testament_n	2,730	5	7.9160	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66039	Ecclesiastes, or, A discourse concerning the gift of preaching as it fals under the rules of art shewing the most proper rules and directions, for method, invention, books, expression, whereby a minister may be furnished with such abilities as may make him a workman that needs not to be ashamed : very seasonable for these times, wherein the harvest is great, and the skilful labourers but few / by John Wilkins ...	Wilkins, John, 1614-1672.	1651 (1651)	Wing W2190; ESTC R22913	45,078	144

doubtful difficult expressions In the unfolding of which we must observe that if the natural most obvious signification of the words do manifestly disagree with other perspicuous Scriptures then we are to seek for some other meaning which must always be consonant with the words and other circumstances of the place In the finding out of this we are not so much to consult with our own fancies for no prophesie in Scripture is of any private interpretation but with the Holy Ghost himself who best understands his own meaning All difficult expressions should first be examined according to their original and most authentick translations which will give much light to the true meaning of them Though it will be needlesse to mention any various readings translations or interpretations of Scripture to a vulgar auditory because it is apt to stagger them and to raise doubts rather then to confirm and settle them But we should pitch upon that which upon serious consultation we conceive in our own judgments to be most congruous and pertinent The circumstances of the place will help much to illustrate any difficulty of it The Rabbies have a saying Nulla est objectio in Lege quae non habet solutionem in latere that is there is not any doubt in the Law but may be resolved by the context We must be careful that all our interpretations be agreeable with the Analogy of faith and other parallel Scriptures The consulting of these will be a good means to preserve us from perverting the Word of God by any dangerous heretical imposition Beware of that vain affectation of finding something new and strange in every text though never so plain It will not so much shew our parts which such men aim at as our pride and wantonnesse of wit These new projectors in Divinity are the fittest matter out of which to shape first a Sceptick after that a Heretick and then an Atheist There are divers Texts that have a double sense Historical and Literal Typical Allegorical So those places concerning the Brasen Serpent Numb. 21. 9. Iohn 3. 14. Ionah in the Whales belly Ionah 1. 17. Matth. 12. 40. Abraham two wives and sonnes Sarah and Isaac Hagar and Ishmael Gen. 21. Galat. 4. 22. The Law concerning the muzeling the Oxe that treads out the corne Deut. 25. 4. 1 Cor. 9. 9. In all which there is some typical allusion primarily intended Allegorical interpretations may lawfully be used also when there is no such natural reference but meerly a fitnesse by way of similitude to illustrate any doctrine Saint Paul gives example for this 2 Cor. 3. 13 15. Ephes. 4. 32. But here we must observe these three qualifications there must be Raritas Concinnit as Utilitas 1. We must use them sparingly and soberly 2. They must be short and pertinent not forced and farre-fetcht 3. They must be usefull not for aery and unprofitable notions being more proper for illustration then for proof It will be a great help for the understanding of the books of Scripture to know their several times references and order The five books of Moses are as the first bases by which the whole frame of Scripture may be more easily apprehended The other Historical books that follow will explain themselves The Psalms do most of them in their occasions and historical grounds referre to the books of Samuel The Prophets are ordinarily divided into three ranks 1 Those that prophesied before the captivity who referre to the history in the books of Kings and Chronicles especially the second book 2 Those that prophesied in the captivity concerning whose times there is but very little mention in the Historical parts of Canonical Scripture 3 Those that prophesied after the captivity unto whom the History of Ezra and Nehemiah hath some reference And so in the New Testament the Epistles do many of them referre unto the story of the Acts of the Apostles As for the ranking and succession of the books in Scripture they were not writ in the same order as they are placed But they are set down rather according to their bulk and largenesse then their true order 1. Those that were before the captivity are to be reckoned according to this succession Obadiah in the reign of Ahab 1 Kings 18. 3. Ionah   Ieroboam 2 Kings 14. 25. Amos in the dayes of Uzziah Isaiah   Iotham Hosea   Ahaz Micah   Hezekiah Nahum     Ioel about the time of Manasseb Habakkuk   Iosiah Zephaniah   Iehoiakim Ieremiah     2. In the captivity there prophesied Ezekiel   Daniel 3. From the return out of captivity till our Saviours coming is reckoned 559 yeers About the 18 yeer of this began Haggai and Ze●hariah and not long after Malachi And so in the New Testament though the larger Epistles are placed first yet they were not written so 'T is probable that they were composed according to this order 1 Thess.   Romans 1 Corinth 1 Tim. 2 Corinth Titus   2 Thess. Philip Coloss. Galat. Ephes. Hebr. Philemon   2 Tim.   So for the Canonical Epistles that of Iames is thought to be written first then those of Peter then Iude and lastly Iohn Thus likewise for other particular books that of the Psalms some conceive that the 108. should be first where David doth stirre up and prepare himself to this work of making Psalms O God my heart is ready I will sing and give praise And the 72. Psalm the last because it concludes with this passage The prayers of David are ended The ordering of them is not jure divino though it be of very great antiquity for Saint Paul doth expresly quote the second Psalm Act. 13. 13. The right apprehension of these general notions concerning the proper times and order of several Books may be one good help to the true interpretation of Scripture Next to the unfolding of any abstruse and difficult sense we are to consider likewise the very words and phrases amongst which if there be any ambiguous they must be distinguished and applied according to their proper signification in the text Tropes and figures being explained in their natural meaning As for the division of the text it will be needlesse unlesse either the explication of Terms or the deduction of Doctrines from the several parts do require it That common practice of dissecting the words into minute parts and inlarging upon them severally is a great occasion of impertinency and roving from the chief sense The text having been thus unfolded the next thing to be done is the inferring of Observations from it which should always follow from the words by a strong Logical consequence The wresting of Scripture unto improper truths may easily occasion the applying of them unto grosse falsehoods These Observations may be of several kinds either Mediate and more remote Immediate and principal Of the first kind are such as are

ovium Christi societ as in cujus medio Dominus ille est cui sol luna famulantur cui adsunt ministri ejus millia millium decies centena millia Quantae molis est regnum Christi erigere Satanae palatia demoliri c. But now because amongst those helps of invention which fall under the rules of Art this of Reading is one of the principall therefore it will deserve a more large and particular consideration There are two things which in our reading and study may be of great advantage 1. Good Books 2. A right Method and series of matter to be first and most exactly inquired into There is no externall help more effectuall to direct a man unto pertinent usefull matter upon all subjects and occasions then a weli contrived Library whe●ein upon any emergent doubt or difficulty he may have recourse unto the advice of other grave and learned men who it may be have bestowed a great part of their time and study in the resolution of that particular businesse which he hath occasion to inquire into There are many men whose naturall parts would extremely improve and grow very eminent if they had but the knowledge and help of such Authors as are most suitable to their genius and imployment whereas on the other side their abilities are much damped and kept low whilest they are confined only to a scant ill chosen Library There is as much Art and benefit in the right choyce of some Books with which we should be most familiar as there is in the election of other friends or acquaintance with whom we may most profitably converse And this knowledge of Books as it is in it self a very specious part of learning making oftentimes more pompous shew then the knowledge of things so is it likewise of very great use and advantage For the attaining of this the most proper effectuall way is by our own study and experience in the works of severall Authors But because that is a businesse of vast industry and much time scarce consistent with the frequent returnes of publike service required of a constant Preacher unlesse he be before-hand qualified for this by his education and leisure at the University therefore there is another help to expedite our enquiry in this kind namely the perusall of such Books as do give a particular account of all Authors the times when they lived the Works they have published with the several subjects they have insisted upon Their Editions Translations corruptions their esteem and authority of which kind there are severall Writers both Protestants and Papists Such are these Discourses Pauli Bolduani Bibliotheca Theologica Georg. Draudii Bibliotheca Classica Eufebius de scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis Gesneri Biblioth. cum Simleri supplemento Hieronymus de Scriptoribus Ecclesiast Fabiani Iustiniani Index Universalis Johan Molani Biblioth. Materiarum Photii Biblioth. Possevini Apparatus sacri Sexti Senensis Biblioth Trithemius de Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis Dav. Tossani Synopsis de patribus Gilberti Voetii Biblioth. Theolog. Amongst whom there are some that go by an Alphabeticall order of the Authors names as Photius Sextus Senensis Possevine c. Others observe an Alphabeticall order in setting down the severall matters and subjects they insist upon as Bolduanus Draudius Gesner Iustinianus c. So that if a man would know either what subject any particular Authors have treated upon or what Authors have treated particularly upon any subject he may in them see references to this purpose These are esteemed the most advantageous helps for the understanding of Books in generall but more particularly the Authors which are most proper and usefull for the study of a Divine are reducible to these three heads Those which concern the study either of Scripture   The Body of Divinity   Antiquity The understanding of Scripture being one of the chief businesses of a Minister to which all his other studies are subordinate 'T is to be supposed therefore in the first place that he is provided with the Old and New Testaments both in their originals and most authentick Translations The chief Translations of the Bible may be distinguished into those which are either in the Learned Language   Vulgar   The Translations of the Old Testament into the Learned languages are chiefly of five heads 1. Into Chalde commonly called the Targum or Chalde paraphrase which in the Historicall Books do for the most part render the true sence of the Originall but in the Hagiographa is exceeding full of mistakes and do seldome come near the right meaning 2. Into Greek the chief of which is the Septuagint by the 72 Interpreters as the Tradition goes which hath been alwayes esteemed ofgreat authority and repute The other great Translations by Aquila Symmachus and Theodosio are now lost excepting only some few fragments of them which yet remaine 3. Into Arabick This Translation hath been formerly published onely for some parts of the Bible as the Pentateucb Psalmes and is by some learned men rejected as being ignorantly done not from the Originall but out of some other Translation and by some corrupt copy It hath since been published for the whole Bible in the King of France his late edition 4. Into Syriake This hath been esteemed for genuine and faithfull 5. Into Latine of which version there are severall kindes but the chief of them are these five 1. The Vulgar commonly ascribed to St. Hierom though there be great reason to doubt of it 2. Pagnines Translation which is of good antiquity and esteem published Anno Dom. 1523. Altered by Arias Montanus in the Interlineary Bible 3. The Tigurine Translation begun by Leo Iuda and finished by other reformed Divines Anno Dom. 1543. published by Robert Stephens 1557. with Notes annexed which he ascribes to Vatablus 4. The Translation of Sebastian Castalio which is for the most part very elaborate and subtile but not without too much affectation of Elegance published first Anno Dom. 1551. 5. The Latine Version which is in most common use amongst us being performed by those learned men Fran. Iunius and Eman. Tremelius with very great diligence and judgment The Translation of the New Testament into the learned languages are either into Syriack Latine 1. The Syriack is of good antiquitie and esteem but was heretofore defective in some Books namely the 2d and 3d. Epistle of John the 2d of Peter Iude and the Apocalypse which have been lately supplied by Mr. Pocock 2. The Latine Translations are chiefly of three kinds namely 1. The Vulgar 2. Erasmus 3. Beza which are all commonly known and in their severall kinds of good repute Now for the translations of the Bible into our own vulgar tongue there are some of these so ancient as Henry the 8th his time by Mr. Tindall and Matthewes but these Translations were not so much from the Originall Hebrew and Greek as from some other Latine Version and therefore are not esteemed of