Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	old_a	prophet_n	testament_n	5,085	5	8.1969	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B00150	A short treatise: containing all the principall grounds of Christian religion. By way of questions and answers: very profitable for all sorts of men, but especially for housholders..	Ball, John, 1585-1640.	1617 (1617)	STC 1314.3; ESTC S124283	90,016	255

Sonne hath reuealed him Ioh. 1. 18. Matth. 11. 27. and the Gospel is an hidden misterie 1. Cor. 2. 7. 10. Rom. 16. 25. 26. so that we can knowe nothing of God vntill God himselfe manifesteth it vnto vs. Psal 103. 7. and 147. 19. 20. By the word of God we vnderstand the will of God reuealed to reasonable creatures teaching them what to doe beleeue and leaue vndone Deut. 29. 29. Q. What call you the word of God A. The d 2. Tim. 3. 16. holy Scripture 4 immediately 5 inspired which is contained in the books of the Old and New Testament Expos 4. This word of God hath heretofore been diuersely made known Heb. 1. 1. as by inspiration 2. Chro. 15. 1. Esa 59. 21. 2. Pet. 1. 21. Ingrauing in the heart Rom. 2. 14. visions Numb 12. 6. 8. Act. 10. 10 11. Apo. 1. 10. Dreames Iob 33. 14. 15. Gen. 40. 8. Vrim and Thummim Numb 27. 21. 1. Sam. 30. 7 8. Signes Gen. 32. 24. Exod. 13. 21. Audible voice Exod. 20. 1 2. Gen. 22. 11. 15. and lastly by writing Exod. 17. 14. This word so reuealed is by excellency called the Scripture Gal. 3. 22. Io. 10. 35. and the holy Scriptures Rom. 1. 2. in respect of God the Author Act. 1. 16. and 4. 25. the holy pen-men Luk. 13. 38. 2. Pet. 1. 21. the matter 1. Tim. 6. 3. Tit. 1. 1. and end thereof Rom. 15. 4. 2. Tim. 3. 17. The truth of God was deliuered to the Church in writing Deut. 31. 9. Hos 8. 12. Reu. 2. 1. that it might be preserued pure from corruption 2. Pet. 1. 12 13. 15. be better conueied to posterity Ier. 36. 27 28. Deut. 31. 9. be an infallible standerd of true doctrin and determiner of all controuersies Esa 8. 2. Mal. 4. 4. Deut. 17. 11. that our faith might be confirmed beholding the accomplishment of things prophesied 1. King 13. 2. comp 2. King 23. 16. Act. 17. 10. 11. and for the more full instruction of the Church the time of the Messias euer drawing on Mal. 4. 4. or beeing come Luk. 2. 3. 5. To be immediately inspired is to be as it were breathed and to come from the Father by the holy Ghost without all meanes And thus the holy Scriptures were inspired both for matter and words Luk. 1. 70. 2. Pet. 1. 21. Q. What are the books of the Old Testament A. Moses 6 and e Luk. 24. 27. the Prophets Expos 6. All the books of holy Scripture giuen by God to the Church of the Iewes are called the Lawe Luk. 16. 17. Ioh. 12. 34. and the Prophets Rom. 1. 2. and 16. 25. 26. because they were written by holy men stirred vp sanctified and inspired of God for that purpose 1. Pet. 1. 11. Heb. 1. 1. But ordinarily they are comprised vnder these two heads the lawe and the Prophets Matth. 22. 40. Act. 13. 15. Matth. 7. 12. or the lawe of Moses and the Prophets Act. 28. 23. or Moses and the Prophets Ioh. 1. 45. Luk. 16. 29. Moses beeing distinctly named from the rest because he was the first and cheife of the Prophets as the Psalmes are mentioned particularly Luk. 24. 44. because they are the choise and flower of all other Scripture Q. Which are the bookes of t●e newe Testament A. Mathew Marke Luke and the rest as they follow in our Bibles Q. How may it be prooued that those bookes are the word of God immediately inspired by the holy Ghost to the Prophets and Apostles A. 7 By the ● testimonie f 2. Pet. 1. 19. of the Church 9 constancie g Reu. 6. 9. of the Saints 10 miracles h 1. King 17. 24. Ioh. 3. 2. 1. Ier. 6. 16. Heb. 13. 8. wrought to confirme the truth and the 11 Antiquitie i thereof Expos 7. It is very expedient and necessary that all Christians of age and discreation should knowe that the Scriptures are the very word of God the immediate and infallible truth of God that is to be receiued obeied and beleeued For thereby we are the better fitted to heare read and rec●eiue the word with attention ioy reuerence submission Act. 10. 33. and assurance of faith which being a diuine grace must haue a diuine foundation 2. Tim. 3. 15 16. 1. Ioh 5. 9. and being certaine must haue a sure ground euen the word of God Ioh. 5. 46. Eph. 2. 20. Rom. 4. 18. Also it ministers no small comfort in affliction and temptation that we knowe whom we haue trusted 2. Tim. 1. 12. Act. 5. 29. This must be knowne not by opinion or probable coniecture which may deceiue but by certain and distinct knowledge whereby we conceiue of things certaine certainely as they are and are assured that we conceiue of them none otherwise then as they are that we may be able to stop the mouthes of Atheists and Papists who carp against the truth 2. Cor. 13. 3. We come not to the vnderstanding hereof by sense or discourse of reason this matter is to be discerned and beleeued by faith But for the fuller clearing of the point sundry rules are to bee obserued both concerning faith and concerning the Scripture it selfe 1. Distinction must be made betweene certainty of faith and certainty of sense or sight Things beleeued in themselues are more certaine then things seen but they are not alwaies so apprehended by vs. Certainty of sight excludes doubtings so doth not certainty of faith it is sufficient that it preuaile against them Gen. 15. 6. 8. 1. Cor. 13. 9. 12. Iud. 6. 36 37 38. 2. Implicite faith by which wee confusedly beleeue that such bookes are the word of God not vnderstanding the sense of them is to be distinguished from explicite faith which is euer ioyned with a distinct and certain vnderstanding of the thing beleiued Ioh. 3. 2. 10. 3. Historical faith which stands in the certainty of the mind and beleeues God speaking in his word must bee distinguished from iustifying and sauing faith which containes the perswasion and confidence of the heart whereby we not only beleeue the word of God to be the cheife truth but also do embrace it as containing the cheife good of man Iam. 2. 19. Ioh. 5. 35. Heb. 6. 11. 10. 22. Eph. 3. 12. for all things in Scripture are not alike to be beleeued neither doe the same arguments serue to beget each faith 4. Concerning the Scripture wee must put a difference betweene the doctrine therin contained and the writing for the signe is for the sense and the knowledge and faith of both is not alike necessarie The doctrine was euer necessary to be beleeued the manner of reuealing was not alwaies Ioh. 8. 24. 5. Of doctrines some are simply necessary to saluation containing the maine grounds and cheife heads of Christian religion others are expositions or amplifications of the same very profitable but not of such necessitie 1. Cor. 3. 12. 13. Col. 2. 18. 19. Phil. 3. 15. 6. A distinction is to bee put

betweene the Scripture generally considered in respect of the manner of reuealing and between the number and order of the Bookes it being one thing to beleeue that the will of God is nowe fully and wholly committed to writing another that this is the distinct order precise number of Bookes 7. Also it is one thing to beleeue that God is the author of this or that booke another to beleeue that it was written by this or that Scribe or Amanuensis so that a difference is to be made between the cheife Author of a booke and the Instrument thereof 1. Cor. 12. 3. Mat. 10. 20. 8. The substance of doctrine necessarie to saluation contained in Scripture is to be beleeued with an expresse historicall and sauing faith but the number and order of bookes is to bee beleeued with faith historicall 8. By the Church we vnderstand not the Pope whome the Papists call the Church virtuall nor his Bishops Cardinalls met in a generall Council whom they call the Church representatiue but the whole companie of beleeuers who haue professed the true faith whether those who receiued the bookes of holy Scripture from the Prophets and Apostles or those who liued after Vnder the name of the Church we comprehend not the Prophets and Apostles as they were immediately chosen and called to be the penmen of holy Scripture for they wrote not as men in the Church but aboue the Church The Church of the Iewes professed the doctrine and receiued the Bookes of the old Testament and testified of them that they were diuine To whose testimony these things giue force 1. To them were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 2. 2. In great miserie they haue constantly confessed the same when as by the onely denying thereof they might haue been partakers both of libertie and rule 3. Notwithstanding the high Priests and others persecuted the Prophets whiles they liued yet they receiued their writings as propheticall and diuine 4. Since obstinacie is come to Israel notwithstanding their great hatred to the Christian religion the holy Scripture of the old Testament is kept pure and vncorrupt amongst them euen in those places which doe euidently confirme the truth of Christian religion Esa 53. 3 4 5 c. The Christian Church hath embraced the doctrine of God and receiued the books both of the Old and new-New-Testament To whose testimonie two things giue weight 1. their great constancie 2. their admirable and sweet consent for in other matters we may obserue differences in opinions in this a singular and wonderfull agreement This testimonie of Christians is considered three waies 1. Of the vniuersall Church which from the beginning thereof vntill these times professing the Christian religion to bee diuine doth also professe that these bookes are of God 2. Of the seuerall primatiue Churches which first receiued the bookes of the old Testament and the Epistles written from the Apostles to them their Pastors or to some they knew and after deliuered thē vnder the same title to their successors and other Churches 3. Of the Pastors and Doctors who being furnished with skill both in the tongues and matters diuine vpon due triall and examination haue pronounced their iudgement and approoued them to the people committed to their charge This testimonie is of great weight and importance profitable to prepare the heart and to mooue it to beleeue of all humane testimonies wherby the author of any booke that hath is or shall be extant can be prooued the greatest both in respect of the multitude wisedome honestie faithfulnesse of the witnesses the likenes constancie and continuance of the Testimonie it selfe But this testimonie is onely humane not the onely not the cheife whereby the truth and diuinitie of the Scripture is confirmed neither can it be the ground of diuine faith and assurance 9. The Saints of God of all sorts and conditions noble base rich poore learned vnlearned old young married vnmarried c haue suffered the most grieuous torments vsuall vnusuall speedy slowe euen what hell could inuent or mans malice find out for the defence of this truth All these things a number numberles endured and that with great constancie and ioy euen with a cheerefull heart and merrie countenance so that none can thinke they suffered out of weaknesse pride vaine-glorie or discontent This the patient suffering of the Martyrs is not a testimonie meerely humane but partly diuine for that courage and cheerefulnes which they shewed in the midst of all torments was not from nature but from aboue 10. Many and great wonders such as Sathan himselfe cannot imitate such as exceed the power of any yea of all the creatures in the world such as the most malitious ene●ies of Gods truth could not denie to be diuine hath the Lord openly wroug●t by the hands of Moses the Prophets and Apostles for the confirmation of this truth Numb 11. 9. and 20. 10. Exod. 19. 16. 1. King 17. 24. Mark 16. 20. H●b 2. 4 Ioh. 5. 36. and 9. 30. 33. Act. 5. 12. These miracles were sufficient to confirme the diuinity of this truth and writing to them who were eie-witnesses thereof Heb. 2. 3. Ioh. 20. 20. Iudg. 2. 7. 10. The vndoubted and cleare narration of them is to vs an inuincible argument thereof 11. That which is most auncient is most true and diuine the purest religion is before all others there must needs be a law before transgression and a commandement giuen vnto man before there could bee place for the Deuill to tempt him But the religion taught in Scripture is of greatest antiquitie the doctrin of the creation and fall is their handled in all other stories whatsoeuer is omitted Q. How else A. By 12 the k Gen. 17. 1. Psal 50. 1. Esa 44. 24. Exod. 20. 1. 2. 1. Cor. 11. 23. Ioh. 3. 36. 1. Cor. 1. 23. Ioel. 1. 1. 2. style l Psal 19. 8. Rom. 15. 4. Rom. 7. 7. Zeph. 2. 11. Zach. 13. 2. Act. 5. 39. Act. 9. 5. 20 21. Phil. 1. 12. 13. Rom. 15. 19. 2. Cor. 4. 8. 9. 10. 13 efficacie sweete m Genes 3. 15. and 49. 10. Esa 9. 6. Dan. 9. 24. Matth. 1. 18. Act. 10. 43. 14 consent admirable n Psa 119. 129. 138. 172. Deut. 4. 5 6. 15 doctrine excellent o Ioh. 20. 31. 16 ende and the witnes p 2. Tim. 3. 16. 2. Pet. 1. 19. 17 of the Scripture it selfe Expos 12. By the style of Scripture we vnderstand not the externall superficies of words but the whole order character frame and comprehension which fitly agreeth to the dignitie of the speaker nature of the argument and is tempered according to the capacity and condition of them for whose sakes it was written Indeed euery Prophet and Apostle almost had a peculiar style Esay is eloquent sweet and more adorned Salomon accurate Ieremie vehement and more rough Amos simple but all are diuine These things declare the maiestie of the style 1. The titles