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	scripture_n	testament_n	8,305	5	8.0705	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05370	Ravvleigh his ghost. Or a feigned apparition of Syr VValter Rawleigh to a friend of his, for the translating into English, the booke of Leonard Lessius (that most learned man) entituled, De prouidentia numinis, & animi immortalitate: written against atheists, and polititians of these dayes. Translated by A. B.; De providentia numinis, et animi immortalitate. English	Lessius, Leonardus, 1554-1623.; Knott, Edward, 1582-1656.; Raleigh, Walter, Sir, 1552?-1618.	1631 (1631)	STC 15523; ESTC S102372	201,300	468

repyning and secret hate against ones Enemy as also fornications filthy lusts a vayne desire of glory and other internall vicious affections of the mynd And though sometymes in their wrytings they commend vertue reprehend vyce yet do they not bring any mouing and forcing reason therby to determen from vyce and perswade and moue them to the practice of a vertuous lyfe For the splendour and inward beauty of vertue as also the turpitude and vglines of vice which two sole points are vsually aledged by Philosophers are but weake incytemēts to the mynd therefore that Man may haue an absolute dominion ouer himselfe and his passions there is need of more vehemēt perswasions And hence it is obserued that very few men haue bettered their mynds so far forth I meane as concernes piety by reading of their labours though many by that meanes haue arriued to a great pryde and elation of spirit but it is certaine that from the wrytings and doctrine of Moyses from the other sacred bookes of Scripture innumerable men haue come to wonderfull holines and haue enioyed great familiarity with God himselfe so as they were most illustrious and celebrious for the admirable workes performed by them To conclude this poynt if any one will seriously contemplate and confer together the mysteries of the Iudaicall and Christian religiō he shall clearly see that such things as were done by the Iewes did serue but to adumbrate and shadow the mysteries of our Christian fayth according to the words of the Apostle 1. Cor. 10 ●a● omnia in figura c. All these things chanced to them in figure but they are written to our correction vpon whom the ends of the world are come Wherfore we are able euen from those poynts which Christians do daily professe and practise to proue that the Iewish discipline and doctrine was agreable to the truth From all which premises it is most cleare that credit and fidelity is to be giuen to the bookes of Moyses not in that degree only as is exhibited to the Commentaryes of Cesar the History of Liuy or any other prophane authours but as to certaine most vndoubted Oracles writtē by the speciall concurrency and assistance of the holy Ghost The like may be auerred of other holy bookes of Scripture whether they be historicall or propheticall seing the same reasons and arguments which are alledged for the writings of Moyses are also preuailing for them Now let vs descend next to the miracle● of the new testament good God how many and notorious did our Lord here liuing in flesh performe He clensed the ●●prous he raised vp the paralitick he cast our deuils in the possessed he cured all languors and diseases he restored sight to the blynd hearing to the deafe speach to the dumbe going to the lame and life to the dead He also commanded the wynds restrayned tempests walked vpon the waters and finally fed diuers thousands of men by a sudden multiplication of a small quantity of bread He wrought all these not in priuate but openly in the sight of the whole world so as all Iud●a tooke notice thereof neither could such as were emulo●s and maligning of his glory contradict the same He also did them not with much endeauour or with any long preparation aforehand but only either by his word or by the gentle touch of his hand To proceed further we know that in his death the Sūne was obscured the earth trembled rocks stones broke asunder the veyle of the tēple did cleaue in two and the dead did rise out of their graues many thousands of mē were witnesses hereof which might would no doubt charge the Euangelists writing these things in seuerall tymes and places with sacriledge if they had diuulged fictiōs and forgeries since to lye in poynt of Religion is s●c●●ledge in the highest degree But to omit all other things how stupēdious a miracle was it that our Sauiour cōuerted the world by the meanes of twelue men and these ignoble poore despicable and ignorant fishers notwithstanding the gainsaying of the power wisedome and eloquence of the whole world as also the great reluctation to flesh and blood mans corrupt nature and an inuetera●e and wicked custome For his doctrine was not to perswade men to an easy religion and such as was indulgent to sense but to a professiō most hard seuere and repugnant both to mans vnderstanding and his manners for it taught that he who was nayled vpon the Crosse was God that riches honours pleasures and what els is to be prized in this world ought to be contemned that we ought to ●ame our flesh bridle our desires beare our Crosses loue our enemies render good for euill spend our blood and life for Christs sake and finally pray for all such as do in any sort persecute or wrong vs. How difficult a labour was it to perswade the world blynded afore with Idolatry and placing all its felicity in riches honours and pleasures to the imbracing of these matters and this against the custome and authority of their forefathers against the vse of all Countries against the common iudgment of all mankind against the sentēces of the Philosophers against the edicts comminations and threatnings of Princes with a resolute neglect of all commodities or discommodities of this life of honour or contumely of wordly allurements or torments how great soeuer And yet Christ performed all these great affayres by his Apostles being but poore and ignoble men reducing by their meanes the whole power wisedome of the world vnder his yoake and gouerment Now the Apostles were afore most rude fearfull pusillanimous ignorant of heauenly misteryes ignorant of the tongues and indeed altogeather vnapt for so high an enterprise But behold after the Holy ghost once descended downe they instantly became most wise fearles magnanimous skilfull in all the tongues hauing the courage to vndertake so great an exployt and after performing the same most gloriously and happily These things are of such an infallible truth as that no man had the forehead to deny them all ancient Historyes recording thē for the whole world proclaimes and witnesseth that it was first conuerted to Christianity by certaine fishers that no torments how exquisite soeuer of Tyrants by the which themselues and infinite othe● were consumed could hinder the beginning progresse increase of so worthy and heroicall a busines Neuer did the like happen in another country Which miracle being deeply weighed is not only of force to the iustifying of the being of Gods prouidence but also of the diuinity of Christ of the truth of Christian religion Furthermore the Apostles had the guilt of working miracles which in some sort was most necessary since the world could hardly haue bene induced to entertaine so strange and displeasing a doctrine except in were waranted therunto by some most wonderful signes prodigyes Therfore they gaue sight to the blynd strengthned the Paralytickes raysed the lame cured all

suppressed that they hurt not the true worshippers of God the dead recald raised to life and the wicked and impious by the peculiar hand of God wonderfully chastised From all which it is a most cleare and illustrious truth that there is a certaine supernaturall and diuyne power which seeth all things gouerneth all things and weigheth all things in an euen ballance of iustice and Reason which seuerly punisheth the perpetrators and workers of iniquity vndertaketh a particuler charge and defence of the vertuous often effecting for their good and safety many things aboue the ordinary and setled course of nature Neither in these miracles can there be cōceaued the least suspition of any imposture or deceit first because the authour which wrot all these some few excepted was indued with extraordinary wisedome and grauity and was accounted the greatest Prophet that euer liued in any age among those who either florished for sanctity of life or praise of wisedome Secondly because there were many predictions set downe by him in his works as in Genesis 12. 49. the Numbers 24. Deutron 32. and 33. all which seing we fynd by the euent to be most true we may rest assured that he was most faithfull in his relation of other things Thirdly in that euery one of the things recyted aboue are so particularized with all their circūstances of tymes places persons names occasions effects with such an order and so sorting to the nature of things with such a consequence of matters and so agreeably to piety and probity of Manners as that euen an eye witnes of the same passages occurrents could not deliuer them with greater exactnes Now who forgetn things auoydeth for the most part many circumstāces or if he addeth them then is the fiction easily discouered by them for what he wryteth is either not agreable to the tyme place nature of things themselues or other more certaine and approued historyes or els some contradiction is found in the matter it selfe as falleth out in the fabulous historyes of Homer Nonnus Virgil Ouid Amadu many other such like Fourthly in most of the things aboue related the authour to wit Moyses was not only present at the performance of them but was the chiefe man in the action performing the same as the instrument of the holy Ghost and therefore had best reason to know them most precisely Fiftly if he had written differently from the truth especially touching the plagues of Aegipt the deuyding of the Sea and the actions performed in the wildernes he might easily haue bene conuinced of falshood by many hundred thousands of witnesses who were also then present with him For all these things were red openly before the whole multitude were also to be read ouer againe euery seuenth yeare in the presence of the people as appeareth out of the 31. chapter of Deuteronomy Sixtly all the former things as then being best knowne throughout all the East were recorded in Hebrew verse by Dauid who was a King and a Prophet and who was later in tyme then Moyses more then 450. yeares which verses euen from that tyme to this very day are continually sung in the publicke prayers almost throughout the whole world by the Iewes where they enioy the vse of their religion and by Christians for the space of 1600. yeares Yea after the dayes of Moyses there did almost in euery age rise vp among the people of Israell certaine Prophets and venerable Men who being guyded by the assistance of the holy Ghost did gouerne teach and reduce the erring people to the law of Moyses which men did euer worship Moyses as a diuyne Prophet and worshipper of the highest God All which as beinge worthy and pious Men and in what credit estimation they were had may appeare from the consideration both of their actions and writings For their actions were such as exceeded al humane forces and necessarily required the ayde of the Almighty such were those acts performed by Iosua Debora Gedeon Sāpson Samuel Dauid Nathan Salomon Ahias Silonites Elias Elizaus Esay Ieremy Daniel Ionas Iudith Esther the Machabees and by diuers others And their writings were replenished with diuers predictions and Prophesyes of things to come which through long succession of many ages had their answerable accomplishments and fulfillings a poynt so worthy of obseruation as that the lyke cannot be found in any history or writings of other nations Seauenthly euen during the law of the Iewes from the tymes of Moyses there was euery yeare an acknowledgment of the effecting of these former wonders celebrated by diuers ceremonyes festiuall dayes sacrifices and other rytes least the memory of them should in tract of tyme perish and be abolished for the feast of the Passouer and the Sacrifice or the Pascall Lambe was performed in thankesgiuing for the peoples deliuery out of Aegipt and for the preseruation of those Iewes who during their stay in Aegipt were saued from the slaughter which was made vpon the first borne of the Iewes And for the same cause was offered vnto God all the first borne of things The feast of Pentecost was in memory of the law giuen vpon the fiftith day after their deliuery The feast of the Tabernacles was celebrated in recordation that the people liued forty yeares in the desart in Tabernacles Furthermore the Arke of the Couenant was kept and preserued the which Moyses by the commandement and direction of God made and in the which the Rod of Aaron which blossomed and the vessell of the Manna and the Law written in two tables of stone by the hand of God and deliuered by Moyses were safely laid vp all which benefits of God and his wonderfull workes were celebrated with the singing of diuers Canticles and songs To conclude the very bookes themselues of the testamēt were with great diligence and publick authority in a holy publick and most secure place as diuyne Oracles preserued least otherwise they might by any deceit be corrupted and depraued Eightly for the greater accession of Reasons to the former it may be added that those wrytings of the old testament are full of wisedome piety and grauity in which are found no vanity or improfitable curiosity For all things there are set downe most seriously and most aptly for the informing and rectifying the mynd with vertue and piety for deterring it from all wickednes and for it voluntary imbracing of godlines iustice benignity mansuetude patience temperance and all this with wonderfull documents and examples of most excellent men alledged to this end a course far contrary to that which is taken in the wrytings of Philosophers in the which many vayne curious and improfitable passages are found as also sometymes many wicked prophane and impure instructions are to be read For they in their bookes by reason of the then commō vse do permit the worship of Idols though they were perswaded that there was but one supreme diuyne Power In like manner they permit ●ullination