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	testament_n	write_v	6,542	5	5.9777	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81842	Forgetfulness of God the great plague of man's heart, and consideration one of the principal means to cure it. By W.D. master of arts, and once fellow of King's Colledge Cambridge	Duncombe, William, fl. 1683.	1683 (1683)	Wing D2600; ESTC R230969	274,493	513

but that which is opposed to the Private Tradition of the Romanists and hath a certain Moral Universality and is built as to the Certainty upon Common natural and rational Grounds and not on the Romish pretended Authority or Infallibility See Mr. Baxter Pref. to his Book of Infidelity Argument the II. 2. THat Doctrine or those Writings that have been allways owned and countenanced by God ever since they were written must needs be Divine at least if they pretend so to be But the Doctrine contained in the Old and New Testament or the writings commonly called the Scriptures by way of Excellency are such therefore as God did own them in their very Conception and Birth by the many Miracles that did attest them so he hath owned them ever since they were conceived and brought forth in making them instrumental to so great a Change and Reformation in the world The hand of God doth appear most signally 1. In the Plantation 2. In the Propagation of this Doctrine The power and special Providence of God is observable First In the Plantation of this Doctrine if it be seriously considered 1. What instruments he made use of 2. What course they took to plant it 3. The Quality of the Doctrine they were to infuse and plant 4. The Mighty Enemies it had and yet 5. It took Root and prospered in despight of all And for the First viz. The instruments that God made use of that the effect might be acknowledged from him alone It was two or three poor despicable Fishermen and Mechanicks that first broached and planted this Doctrine which God so wonderfully watered and prepared room before it and did cause it to take deep root and it quickly filled the Earth The Hills were covered with the Shadow of it and the Boughs thereof were like the Goodly Cedars So that this Plant sent out her Boughs unto the Sea and her Branches unto the River Psal 80.9 10 11. Who can but ascribe the wonderful effect to God when the Planters of this Doctrine had neither first Learning 2ly Nor parts to carry on such a work 3ly Neither had they any worldly Interest or Authority Si fuerunt Homines rudes imperiti rerum quorum operâ deus est usus in tradendo verbo si non fuerunt summo loco nati si nullis humanis instructi praesidiis hanc rem aggressi sunt profecto oportet doctrinam ab ijs profectam esse plané divinam saith Camero Praelect de verb. dei p. 455. And for the 2d 1 The course that they took It was the certain way to ruin themselves and all their hopes in this world Before they undertook this work they were told by Christ their Master that they must be his Martyrs and bear witness to the Doctrine they were to preach by the Loss of their Credit Liberty and Lives And is it likely they would ever venture upon such a design if they had not good Security that they should be no losers in the End and that the Cause they managed was Gods who would infallibly succeed and reward them And for the 3d. 1 The Doctrine they were to infuse and plant It was perfectly contrary to the Nature and Inclination of those that were to receive it and would certainly expose them to sufferings in the world and make them the scorn and reproach of all Unbelievers which at this time was all the world except a few inconsiderable Idiots The very First Elements of this Doctrine were so cross and displeasing to flesh and Blood which before this Doctrine was received ruled all the world that without the concurring mighty power of God It was plainly impossible that it should be entertained For Men to deny themselves and to take up their Cross and follow Christ and boldly to profess themselves his disciples and glory in his Name who was so despised and hated of all Men To renounce the flesh with its Affections and Lusts To love their enemies and heartily to seek the wellfare of those that seek their hurt and rejoyce in their Calamity To live as strangers and Pilgrims in the world having their only delight and treasure above And to despise the world and all its glory as it draws away the Heart from God To prefer reproach and affliction with the people of God before the pleasures of sin which are but for a season And to chuse heartily to be a door-keeper in the House of God and to have the meanest Office in his Service before the most stately Palaces of vanity and wickedness and the highest Honour in any other Service To lay all down at the Feet of his Maker and Redeemer with the most humble submission being ready to part with the dearest and nearest Comforts when the Lord would have it so In a word to be wholly at his beck in an Active and Passive Obedience These are Doctrins plain and easie to be understood but hard of digestion that grate hard upon the Flesh And yet these were the very Essentials of Christianity which they were to proclaim and command Men in the Name of God with all Authority to receive And to threaten destruction from the Lord to all Refusers How unlikely was this Doctrin to take with Flesh and Blood unless it were accompanied with power from above And for the fourth viz. The mighty opposition that it met with even all the Potentates on Earth the Kings and great Men the wise Men and Philophers the Statists and Polititians counted this wisdom of God meer foolishness And therefore it was the great objection that the Infidels and Heathens assaulted the Doctrin of Christ with that none but the rude Multitude became his Disciples and Followers though afterwards Dionysius the Areopagite Polycarp Justin Irenaeus and learned Origen quite spoiled the Heathenish Hopes and undid this foolish Objection For they saw that it was not want of Learning that made them Christians For Origen had so much that the most learned Plotinus seeing him amongst his Auditors blush'd and after a few words abruptly brake off his Lecture And you know it was the Pharisaical Objection against Christ Have any of the Rulers believed on him But these People that know not the Law meaning those that embraced Christs Doctrin are accused John 7.48 49. Yea the Jews themselves whom God had so much obliged to himself by so many remarkable Favours were filled with bitter Indignation and Malice and did fiercely persecute all that entertained this Doctrin and wanted neither Spight nor Zeal nor Opportunity to crush all that went this way and to bring heavy sufferings upon them Moreover which was the grand Impediment of all to the Christian Faith there were then such swarms of Hereticks 1. Such as professed Christianity but hated it in their hearts and did their utmost to root it up And yet it prospered before their Faces whilst they stood and looked on gnashing their Teeth and fretting That naked simple and illiterate Men should prevail against all manner of