Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	open_v	seal_n	seal_v	1,844	5	9.6479	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04483	A viewe of a seditious bul sent into Englande, from Pius Quintus Bishop of Rome, anno. 1569. Taken by the reuerende Father in God, Iohn Iewel, late Bishop of Salisburie. Wherevnto is added a short treatise of the holy Scriptures. Both which he deliuered in diuers sermons in his cathedral church of Salisburie, anno. 1570	Jewel, John, 1522-1571.; Garbrand, John, 1542-1589.	1582 (1582)	STC 14614; ESTC S107782	85,989	232

mercies of God Which way soeuer wée looke we sée the workes of his handes His workes of creation and preseruation of all things his workes of seuere iustice vppon the wicked and of gracious redemption to the beléeuer If we desire pleasant Musicke or excellent harmonie it speaketh vnto vs the wordes of the Father and the consent of the Sonne the excellent reportes of the Prophets Apostles Angles and Saintes of God who haue bene all taught by the holy Ghost If we woulde learne it is a schoole it giueth vnderstanding to the simple In it there is that may content the heart the eare the eye the taste and the smelling It is a sauer of life vnto life Oh taste ye and see howe gracious the Lord is saith the Prophet Dauid So manifold and marueilous are the pleasures which are giuen vs in the worde of God God hath made them and wrought them all for the Sonnes of men Thus haue I perfourmed promise and simply and homely opened those foure things which I tooke in hande I haue declared what weight and Maiestie the word beareth what huge haruest of profite we may reape by it howe needefull it is for vs trauailing thorough the wildernesse of this life and what repast and pleasure wee may finde in it But all this notwithstanding some take exception and say the Scriptures are darke and doubtfull the matters are déepe the words are hard fewe can vnderstand them One taketh them in this sence an other in a sence cleane contrarie The best learned can not agrée about them they are occasion of many great quarels Iohn seeth this booke sealed with seuen seales and an Angel preaching with a loude voice who is worthy to open the booke to loose the feales thereof No man cā open it no man can read it S. Peter saith among the Epistles of Paul some thinges are harde to be vnderstande which they that are vnlearned and vnstable peruert as they doe all other Scriptures vnto their own destruction And S. Paul saith God dwelleth in the light that none can attaine vnto whom neuer man saw neither can sée Therefore although the Maiestie bée neuer so weightie the profite the necessitie and the pleasure neuer so great yet it is not good for the people to reade thē Pearles must not be cast before swine nor the breade of the children vnto dog● Thus they say In déede the worde of God is pearles but the people are not swine They may not reade them say some they are not able to wéelde them the Scriptures are not for the people Hereof I wil say something and a word or two of the reuerence and feare with which we ought to come to the hearing of them They say the Scriptures are harde and aboue the reach of the people So saide the Pelagian Heretique Iulian whom S. Augustine therefore reproueth Exaggeras quàm sit difficilis pancisque con●●niens eruditis sanctarum cognitio li●erarum Yee enlarge and lay out with many wordes how harde a matter the knowledge of the Scripture is and meete onely for a fewe learned men You say the Scriptures are harde who may open them There is no euidence or triall to be taken by them they are fit onely for a fewe learned men they are in no wise fit for the people Thus saide Iulian an Heretique But God himselfe and the auncient Fathers of y e Church said otherwise God saith in Deuteronomie this cōmaundement which I commande thee this day is not hid from thee neither is it farre of It is not in heauen that thou shouldest say who shall goe vp for vs to heauen and bring it vs and cause vs to heare it that wee may doe it Neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say Who shall goe ouer the Sea for vs and bring it vs and cause vs to heare it that we may doe it But the worde is verie neare vnto thee euen in thy mouth and in thy heart for to doe it Thou néedest not runne hither and thither nor wander ouer the Sea nor beate thy braines in searching what thou shouldest doe or by what meanes thou maist liue vprightlye the worde and commaundement of God will teach thée sufficientlye The Prophet Dauid saith The commaundement of the Lorde is pure and giueth light vnto the eyes And Thy worde is a lanterne vnto my feete and a light vnto my pathes Thy worde is not darke it is a lighte vnto my pathe it giueth lighte vnto the eyes What is cleare if the light be darke Or what can hée sée which can not sée the light Humaine knowledge is darke and vncertaine Philosophie is darke Astrologie is darke Geometrie is dark The Professours thereof oftentimes runne a masket they léese themselues and wander they knowe not whether They séeke the depthe and bottome of naturall causes the chaunge of the elements the impressions in the aire the causes of the rainebowe of blasing starres of thunder and lightning of the trembling and shaking of the earth the motions of the planets the proportions and the influence of the celestial bodies They measure the compasse of heauen and count the number of the starrs they goe downe and search the mynes in the bowels of the earth they rippe vp the secrets of the Sea The knowledge of these thinges is harde it is vncertaine Fewe are able to reache it It is not fit for euery man to vnderstand it But the holy spirit of God like a good teacher applieth himselfe to the dulnesse of our wittes He leadeth not vs by the vnknowen places of the earth nor by the ayre nor by the clouds he astonieth not our spirites with naturall vanities He writeth his lawe in our heartes hée teacheth vs to know him his Christ he teacheth vs that we should deny vngodlinesse and worldly lustes and that we shoulde liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present worlde hée teacheth vs to looke for the blessed hope and appearing of the glorie of the mightie God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. This matter is good and it is plaine the wordes are plaine and the vtterance is plaine Chrysostome sayth proprere à Spiritus gratia dispensauit illa temper auitqúe quo Publicani piscatores c. Therfore hath the grace of the holy Spirit disposed and tempered them so that Publicanes and Fishers and Tente makers Shepeherdes and the Apostles and simple men and vnlearned might bee saued by these bookes that none of the simpler sort might make excuse by the hardenesse of them and that such things as are spoken might be easie for all men to looke on that the labouring man the seruant the widowe woman and whosoeuer is most vnlearned may take some good when they are read For they whome GOD euer from the beginning endewed with the grace of his spirite haue not gathered all these thinges for vaine glorie as the Heathen writers vse but for the saluation of the hearers Some