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
A09109	A temperate vvard-vvord, to the turbulent and seditious VVach-word of Sir Francis Hastinges knight vvho indeuoreth to slaunder the vvhole Catholique cause, & all professors therof, both at home and abrode. Reduced into eight seueral encounters, vvith a particuler speeche directed to the Lordes of her Maiesties most honorable Councel. To vvhome the arbitriment of the vvhole is remitted. By N.D.	Parsons, Robert, 1546-1610.	1599 (1599)	STC 19415; ESTC S114162	126,552	136

Spiritus autem viuificat the letter or literall ●ound doth oftē tymes murder the reader the only spirit that is the internall true and spirituall meaning of the Scriptures doth giue lyf And albeit S. Augustin in his learned booke de Spiritu litera doth extend these woords of the Apostle to a farther meaning also yet he teacheth this too and so do the rest of the ancient fathers namely S. Hierom ●d Nepotianum handeling the story of king Dauid 3. Reg. 1. where the ●ong virgin Abisag was sought out to heat him in his olde adge S. Hierom sayth that if we should follow literam occidentem the mur●hering letter it seemeth a iest and fable but if we fly to the hidden spirituall sence and meaning it is most holy But now let vs aske of you Sir Knight how wil your vnlearned ●eaders those whōe you cal dim glimering people discerne these things without a guyd such as the Catholique Church doth appoynt for ●xpounding the Scriptures to simple people by Catechisms Sermōs Homelies teaching of pastors and the lyke without deliuering the whole Bible into their handes to be vsed or abused to their destruction Furthermore you cannot deny but that the vnderstanding of Scriptures is a particuler gift of God reserued especially vnto Christe who had the key to open the booke sealed with seuen seales as S. Iohn testifieth and to the same effect is it recorded in S. Lukes Gospel for a singuler grace bestowed by our Saueour vpon the Church tun●●peruit illis sensum vt inteligerint Scripturas Then after his resurrection did he open to them the sence wherby they might vnderstand Scriptures of thēselues For euer before he had interpreted the same lightly vnto them as in the Gospel apeareth He sent also S. Phillip the Apo●tle by commaundement of his Angell to goe and interpret a certain place of the Prophet Esay vnto the great Eunuch Tresurer of the Q of AEthiopia when he would conuert him And it is to be obserued that albeit Christe might haue opened the sence of the Scripture to himself immediatly yet would he send him a guide Yea though the sayd Eunuch were learned as may appeer by that being an AEthiopianred the Prophet in Hebrue and though he were also instructed in the Iews religion as it is proued by that the storie recordeth that ●he came to adoie in Hierusalem yetall this notwithstanding was he so far from the pryde of our peeuish prowd protestant people now a dayes which make no bones at any difficultie of Scriptures as when he was asked by S. Phillip Putasneintellig●s quae legis thinkest thou that thou vuderstandest the Scripture which thou readest he answered how can I vnderstand it except some body do expound the same vnto me which answere I beleeue many a good wife in London that goeth vp and downe with her Bible vnder her arme would be ashamed to giue if she were asked whether she vnderstand the whole Bible or no. These then Sir Knight are the reasons why some of those your glimmering and inlightened people were restrayned by Catholique discipline to read vpon Gods booke as you call it vulgar translations no● to bar them from light as you malitiously calumniate but rather leas● they being but half blynde should become whole blynde that is t●● say madd and obstinate blynde of ignorance and vnlearned blynde for such effects doe insew some times of the rash reading of this booke of God when therof is ingendred falshood and Heresyē that is the doctrine of the diuel for proofe wherof let vs consider whether in a● thowsand years together in England France Germany and other places of Christendome while this prudent restraint of Catholiqu● church lasted of not permitting all ignorant people to read Scriptures at their pleasures in vulgar languages without an interpreter there arose so many Sects Heresyes and alterations about Religion as there haue risen in fifty or threescore years since this reading was left open to all there is no comparison And if we consider only England the● matter is euidēt that more sects haue sprong vp of late by many degrees Yea though we leaue all other sects that are permitted or wi●ked at in England respect such only as haue bin punished openly by the magistrate namely such persōs as haue bin whipped or burned in London Norfolk and other places for Heretiques in the tyme o● her Maiestyes raign that now is for denying Christe himself or other● poyntes of the blessed Trinity being altogether vnlearned people as our Chronicles testifie of whome I ask had they euer fallen into such errors and obstinacie but only by reading Sciptures in the vulgar language had euer william Hacket dreamed himself to be Christe or william Geffrey before him but by this way we see then the inconuenience In King Henries tyme when Tindal had translated and printed the new Testament in English at Colen and began to seck meanes to haue them dispersed in England the laws and kings commandment being then against it there was a certayn foul fusteluggs dishonest of her body with base fellows as was openly reported whose name was Ioan knell alias Burcher if I forget not who beginning to be a great reader of Scriptures her self became a principall instrument also in that tyme to deuulge such Bibles as were sent especially in the courte where she became known to certayn women in authority and to conuey the bookes more safty she vsed to bynde them in strings vnder her aparrell and so to pass them into the courte but her neerest frēdship was with An Askew whōe king hēry afterwards caused to be burned for denying the reall presēce in the Sacramēt of the Aulter But this other scripturian profited so wel as in the fifth yeare of king Edwards reygn she was burned also by the protestants of that time for denying Christe to haue taken flesh of the Virgin Marie Who when she was codemned to dye spake very scornfully to the Iudges and saied It is a goodly matt●er to consider your ignorance it is not long agoe since you burned Ann Askew for a peece of bread and yet came your selues soone after to beleeue and professe the same doctryne for which you burned her now for sooth you wil needs burne me for a peece of fleshe in the end you will come to beleeue this also when you haue red the scriptures and vnderstand them and when she came to dye in Smithfield and D. Story endeuored to conuert her she skoffed at him saying he lyed like c. and bad him god read Scriptures And thus much may serue for the repelling those clowds mists and darknesse which this wach-woord-giuer wil needs imagin to be amōg vs for that all coblers do not clowt Scriptures in our commonwealth But let vs see now what positions and principles he sayth we haue for our direction amiddest this darknesse In these darke and clowdy dayes sayth he least