Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	people_n	read_v	scripture_n	3,073	5	5.7739	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44800	Mistery Babylon the mother of harlots discovered her rise, and when, with many of her sorceries, with her merchants of divers orders, and ranks, and merchandize of divers sorts this many hundred years, also her last merchants, with their delicate merchandise discovered : in answer to a book tituled The directory for the publick worship of God through England, Scotland, and Ireland, which now is the chief traffick her last reformed merchants trades with, in all these nations / published by F.H.	Howgill, Francis, 1618-1669.	1659 (1659)	Wing H3173; ESTC R16766	30,606	42

the Directory should be discommended as it is recommended and our form should go down and another thing should be established instead of it yet it were lawfull for us to joyn to another and though they should accuse us for time-servers and men-pleasers yet we have a cloud of witnesses as in Edward the 6. and Henry the 8. how many hundred of our Fellow-merchants denyed driving a trade with the Mass-book and likewise in the daies of Queen Mary many thousands owned the Mass-book as the publique worship of God which was then holden out Again how many thousands of our Fellow-merchants denyed the Mass-book our publick profession doctrine and discipline and joyned to the book of Common-Prayer and the Lateny as the publique profession of the worship of God and now of late years we have denyed it our selves and so we which are of this order can dispence well enough with this seeing that we trade with som of our mothers Merchandize under another name and so the matter is less grievous because the orders and ceremonies about worship is retained still in our Directory under another habit and guise and so having these Witnesses before mentioned for our example and if any seem to contend with us this will take the edge off People seeing it s no new thing with us to set our sayles which way soever the wind blows and it may be we may bring them a Scripture or two and an inference from it for a Cloak as to submit to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake and let every Soul be subject to the higher Power so Henry the 8th while he stood he was the higher Power and so Mary Elizab●th James and Charles they were the higher Power while they stood and they did ordain that sometime the Mass-book should be the publique worship somtime the Common-Prayer book should be the publick worship and now the Directory a Plat-form of publick worship it may be these and the like Arguments to them that are dim-sighted will take place for sometime But there is one thing above all which ought to be considered of by us who are allowed to be publick Merchants seeing that we must go under the name of Reformation for that is our flag we carry in our Ship that seeing that generally people of the most understanding will not allow of any preaching to be effectual to the converting of Souls but that which is ministred by or from the Spirit for the reading of old homilies which served in our Predecessors dayes will not serve now or if we should speak some Hebrew or Greek or Latin in an unknown Tongue they will conclude that is rather the wisdom of the flesh from natural wit rather then from the Spirit and therefore it is not much amiss if we conclude to let some of the Ancient Fathers pass and not mention them because it is holden generally that they lived in an Apostatizing time and so it will not be effectual in the audience of people And so for Austin and Cyprin Jerom and ●ead Origen and Damasen their traffique will hardly go off for they will conclude it s rather by art and study that we preach then by the Spirit and so we being fallen into such a dangerous time as this is now in the break of day when men begins to be quick-sighted and will not only espie hills but also moats therefore all we which are Merchants of this order and rank to our Mother Mystery Babylon had need to trade with the best Merchandize as gold and silver and precious stone and fine linnen and silk and scarlet and so let this be agreed upon by us all that we study hard and read the Scriptures and other modern Divines which are Orthodox that so if need require every one may preach ex tempore for else it will not go upon the account of the Spirit so have words to fit all times occasions seasons as before Protectors Parliaments and Councels or Noble men or Classis or Synods or the like and every one labour by study and art to raise many Doctrines from one Scripture and make many uses and trials and motives and so carnal peoples minds will be affected with such dexterity and readiness so that we shall clear our selves from clamour which some of our Merchants have fallen under because of their negligence and if any should accuse us for studying and patching up our Sermons out of divers Authors mixt with Scripture and our inventions then bring such a Scripture as that 2 Tim. 2 1● Study to shew thy self approved unto God it may be some blind people will take that for a good proof and such a word as that Study to be quiet and because the word Study is found in Scripture therefore with a consequence or two we may prove in the ears of people that studying of Sermons is lawful and if any question our set wages and hire be sure that all with one accord do study to vindicate this for this is the life and sinews of the Propagation of our Gospel And now Reader I shall give thee an account of the principal and chief traffique which is established for the Publike Worship amongst those that are called Gospel-Professors the general heads whereof is laid down in a Directory of the Publike Worship in these three Nations of England Scotland and Ireland and the general heads of that which they purpose to traffique with is laid down in their Directory so called and what traffique is of less moment may be ushered in time will make manifest and in their Preface to their Book they say as follows Directory That the Liturgy hath been a great means to encrease an idle Ministery from putting forth themselves for putting forth the gift of prayer which Christ pleaseth to furnish all his servants with whom he calls to that Office Answer So then by this conclusion all their former Fathers and fellow-Merchants were not sent out by Christ because they contented themselves with set forms of others made to their hands and if all whom Christ called to this Office be furnisht with the gift of prayer then this must needs follow that they that have no gift of prayer are no officers of Christ Well their part being acted and the Exit being come let them go off the Stage and thou shalt see the gifted men come on next Direct In the assembling of the Congregation together the direction is that the people do reverendly compose themselves to joyn in the Ordinance of God which is then coming in hand as it is written in the eleventh page of their Book Answ Here they are putting Self to perform the Ordinance of God which whosoever comes to perform aright or joyns with the Assembly of the Righteous they must deny themselves and all their own composings Direct The next thing is about reading the Scriptures and Exposition of them and in their Expounding they are to take heed that Preaching and other Ordinances

made many orders and sent out many Merchants to carry abroad her traffique and her merchandize to the Nations and whole ships were filled full of it vessels full of it which went upon the Sea and road upon the waters upon Kindreds Tongues Nations and Peoples who received of her merchandize and bought of several sorts of merchandize which the several Merchants traded with who had several orders prescribed then as Popes ●ardinals Jesuites Fryers of many orders and Monks of many orders Jesuites of many orders and all these carryed their several wares traffique and many more Tradesmen many more merchants whom she sent out with her merchandize who have been made rich by her merchandize and other merchants were Bishops Arch-bishops Deacons Arch-Deacons Pryors and Covents Vicars Comissaries Chapters Chancellors Vice-Chancellors Doctors of Divinity Batchellors of Divinity Doctors of Art Masters of Art Batchellors of Art Priests and Curats by which they were made rich and abounded in Treasure And the Beast whom all the world wondred after compelled all to worship him both small and great upon which the whore rides the scarlet-coloured Beast which hath guarded all her Merchants and made all Nations buy their ware and hath compelled all People to buy the whores Sorceries even all the invented and heathenish trumperies which the whore hath patched up and their Merchants painted over which they have patched up some from the Jews some from the Heathen some from the Saints words mixt with their own imaginations and deceit and has holden forth these as the publick worship in the Nations and Kindreds Tongues and Peoples their many Creeds many Confessions of the Faith many Catechismes and many forms of worship and when the people is weary of one sort of Merchandize then brings another in more deceitfull and worse and the Beast hath compelled the Nations to buy it and to hold it as the publick profession of the Nations though never so unsound and rotten though damnable doctrines and doctrines of Devils though invented and heretical opinions invented since the Apostles dayes yet cryes the Beast the Church hath ordained it and the antient Fathers has agreed upon it and the Councels has confirm'd it and the Devines has ratified it and the Bishops and Arch-bishops and reverend Fathers has confirmed it and recommended it for Orthodox and Authentick And therefore sayes the beast upon which the whore rides the false Church the mother of Harlots if you will not agree to it you are Hereticks for the Church has power to censure you to excommunicate you and to curse you and to deliver you up to Satan and then the beast having made Laws for the sale of the whores Sorceries and for the guarding of her Merchants and their ships if you consent not to the Articles of the Faith and Confessions you break the Law of the Nations and are not subject to Authority and now you are not punished for Religion sake nor for Christs sake nor the Gospels sake but as evill-doers and Transgressors of the Laws of our Kingdom or Nation and thus the mother of Harlots which got up since the Apostacy who hath drunk the blood of the Saints and shed the blood of the Martyrs and slain the witnesses and hath put to many cruel deaths She saith I am clear we kill none for Conscience sake we persecute none for the Gospels sake nor Christs sake nor for Religions sake but you suffer as Hereticks and you have transgressed the law of Kings Emperors Councels and Parliaments and are enemies to States and Governments and Rule in breaking their wholsom Laws cryes the Harlot who hath lost the savour and her Merchants which calls that which stinks and is corrupt wholsome and so saith the beast we persecute you not for Religion neither in persons liberties or estates but the Church hath recommended this Doctrine these Articles of Faith these Creeds and Pater-nosters this publick worship or that mass-Masse-book or that Common prayer-Prayer-book or this Directory and are not they the fittest to judge of Religion who hath the Tongues and the Original and is fittest to give meanings and interpretations of the Scripture And therefore we make a Law that the Masse-book shall be holden out for the publick profession of these Nations as the Pope Cardinals Jesuits and Fryers think fit and that the Common Prayer-book be holden forth as the publick worship which the Bishops Arch-bishops Deacons Arch-Deacons hath recommended unto us as that which is consonant and agreeable to the primitive times and to the Church which hath been established so many hundred years and whosoever will not consent and perform all the Rites and ceremonies let him be indicted and let him be presented and let him be cited to appear before a Bishop and let him imprison him and fine him and take away some of his Estate and excommunicate him and then its fit that the Secular power take notice of him for transgre●sing of their Law and pillory him or cut off his ears or stigmatize him and banish him and let his Estate be confiscate to the King or Prince against whom he hath transgressed for he suffers as an Evil-doer and hath brought this upon himself because he would not be subject to our Church orders and to the laudable Customs of our Nations or Country And saith some other of the whores Merchants who are of another order distinct from the rest and carries other sorts of ware and traffiques with other sorts of Merchandize and some newer fashion which is liker to bewitch people they cry out to the Rulers of the Earth to propagate their trading and their merchandize and saith it were fit that some Doctors and Orthodox men were called together to consider and consult about their trade and what sort of ware or traffique will most bewitch people and inchant their minds that so her Ships may go on the Sea for if Kindreds Tongues and People will not buy her ware her Ships cannot go and their trade will goe down if ever Nations come to the Rock or people come to some stability or know the precious treasure and the heavenly treasure in the earthen vessels they will buy no more of us if the Sea be dried up that no more a gallant Ship can passe thereon nor never a Gally with oars then we shall all turn bankrupts and then may we cry alas alas we that have been made rich are now become poor therefore what doe we do let us take counsel together and if any tell that they have obtained the heavenly treasure and are come to the durable riches and to the treasure that cankers not and that they have found it in themselves then let us cry out its heresie and damnable Doctrine and if any man shall say that they need no man to teach them but the annointing that dwels in them by which they know all things then let us give our vote with one consent that that 's a delusion and let us frame Arguments and say

Images and such other like merchandizes of the baser sort is all bought and received without question as merchandizes of great worth and things belonging to happiness and felicity but alas 't is almost day and the night is far spent and the people in these Nothern Regions are come past midnight some towards the dawning of the day and they question our merchandize and with some the night is quite over and they are come to the day-break and to the rising of the sun and with these there is no hope of trading though with the best of all our commodities though with Cinimon and odours and oyntment and frankincense yet they will buy none of our ware nor ther 's no hope of trading with them any more for they are come to know the Pearl which is more pretious than rubies and the heavenly treasure that doth not rust and the word which is sweeter than the honey and the honey comb ther 's no hope of them but this is the misery they will not be content with what they have found but imparts it to others and so begets a dislike in other peoples minds to the best of all our Merchandize However them that are gone from us and denies our mother and her golden cup and denies all her merchants great and small not onely them that trades in wood and vessels and brasse and iron but even them that trades with the best merchandize as gold and silver precious stones and pearls fine linen purple silk and scarlet however let us excommunicate them and give them up to Sathan and let us call to the beast with his seven heads and ten horns who is scarlet coloured dreadful and terrible and let us accuse them of heresie schism and blasphemy and call them seducers and deceivers and false Prophets and let us brand them with names of reproach as Sectaries and say they are seditious and rebellions and mutenous and they are enemies to Church and State and all good government peace-breakers factious and pestilent fellows that brings all the Nations into an uproar and if that will not do le ts petition to Kings Princes Dukes Parliaments Protectors and Counsels that some speedy and effectual course may be taken for suppressing of these hereticks and for stopping of these blasphemous doctrines as that the Steeple-house is not the Church and sprinckling of Infants no ordinance of Christ and singing of Psalms by tradition no part of the true worship of God and it may be we shall get some Law or Act of Parliament against them or call them vagabonds and get them whipt abroad and put in prisons while we take away their oxen and goods at home and so by this means it will stop others whom we traffique withal that they will not dare to hearken unto them for if they will not buy our wares and take our measures by a glasse in love to it yet because of fear of imprisonment or losse of their goods or estates they will be constrained to trade with us But alas it is otherwise with us now then it was in Queen Maries dayes when masse mattens and even-songs professionings Ave-maries Creeds and Pater-nosters took up most part of the time and went off ●mongst people for spiritual worship at a good rate neither is it with us now as it was in the days of Bishop Laud our great Metropolitan and the rest of our mothers merchants Then would common prayer translated out of the mass-mass-book into the English and Creed Letany Pater noster with a Lor● have mercy upon us or we beseech thee to hear us good Lord fourty times over in a quarter of an hour with some of Davids Psalms turned into meeter by Hop●●ns and Srer●hold masters of musick sung with Organs with Choristers and boyes with bowing to the Altar and such like merchandize which then was precious in the eyes of our mothers children Then whosoever would not be obedient to all the Rites and Ceremonies then we branded them with the name of Puritans and Non-conformists and haled them before Sessions Courts and Magistrates cited them to appear before the Bishops served them up to the High-Commission Court before the Lords Spiritual and Temporal falsely so called and there the flesh was gnawn to the bone and ears cut off stigmatizing and burning with irons imprisonment and banishment Now as people came nearer the day they began to suspect all this as not to be the spiritual Worship of God having no ground nor footing from the Spirit of Truth nor example from the Scripture nor from the primitive Churches then them over whom our mother once reigned began to question her whether she was the Lambs wife yea or nay And whether our Predecessors and Brethren were the messengers sent out by the true Church yea or nay And whether the Ordinances and Practises were the institution of Christ and his Apostles yea or nay in the primitive times and the day dawning upon them and the spirit came to be revealed and did shine into their hearts and they began to search the Scriptures and to compare the true Church which was cloathed with the Sun and crowned with the crown of twelve Stars with our mother mystery Babylon and they began to compare the Apostles and Ministers in the primitive times with our Predecessors Babylons merchants and also compared the Institutions and Ordinances which were delivered to the true Church with the Institutions and Rites and Ceremonies and inventions of our mother mystery Babylon And so they found all out by the ●evelation of the Spirit and by searching of the Scriptures they found out the rise of our mother after the woman was fled into the wildernesse and that she sate not as a Queen upon Nations Kindreds Tongues and Peoples till after the woman did fly away upon the wings of an Eagle into the wildernesse for a time times and half a time and likewise they found out that our predecessors and fellow-merchants were not like the Ministers of Christ in the primitive times neither our Doctrines and Ordinances like the Ordinances and Doctrines which were once delivered to the Saints before ever wee merchants set sail or floated in a ship on the Sea And so finding our City to be raised up in its glory since the glory of God was lost in the earth and finding our Queen mystery Babylon ruling in our City since the Lambs wife fled and finding us merchants to receive her traffique from her City since the faith was lost that once was delivered to the Saints and did see our Creeds and Beliefs and Pater-nosters our prayers and our hymns that they are quite another thing which was part of her traffique they have concluded and that upon infallible grounds warranted by a cloud of witnesses in the Prophets and Apostles that our mother is a whore and her predecessors are her merchants and that our Ordinances are and traffique have been invented by some of our mothers children which are Apostates and they have found

be not streightned Answ. As for reading the Scripture it is a thing so harmless and honest and just and good that I wish that all their whole Ordinances so called had been all waved and given place to this and if it were read oftner to the people without adding or diminishing the understandings of people would be more opened then by their cloudy and dark packt up speeches which is called preachin● but preaching I am not against that is to say to declare the mind of God as it is revealed by his Eternal Spirit to and in them that speaks and why do you pref●r one part of your Worship before another Was not a Psalm in the Church of Co●inth acceptable unto God when it was sung in the Spirit and with understanding as good as an Interpretation And was not Prophesie as acceptable as speaking with Tongues if your Expounding so called of the Scripture be by the Spirit of God why should that give way to a sprinkling of an Infant till the Spirit cease to speak in him that spake by it Direct The next pie●e of Merchandize is of their publike prayer bef●re Sermon and to pray after this manner to acknowledge your great sinfulness by your Original sin which makes you liable to everlasting damnatio● and doth defile your best ●ctions if it were not re●●roined by Gods grace as in page the fift●enth Answ. What is Original sin unwasht away and is a deprived nature alive that poysons all your faculties and defiles your best actions What is not this taken away yet then you have confounded your Orthodox Doctrine or else never have been bapti●ed when you were Infants For did not you use to say that when an Infant was sprinkled that he was regenerate and born again and ingrafted into the body of Christs Congregation And furthermore to give thanks to God on this wise we yeeld thee hearty thanks that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this Infant and to receive it for thy own child by Adoption and to incorporate this child into thy own Congregation then seeing that all that are baptized are regenerate as you say how is it that original sin and the guilt is not taken away and how is it that the best of your actions is defiled for Regeneration is a cleansing work and the actions of the Regenerate are pure and holy but your best actions are defiled then you are not Regenerate by your own Doctrine and if Sin be restrained by Gods grace then Actions do not defile for Grace is one that which restrains and that which saves for it s written by Grace you are saved and if you are restrained from Sin or saved by Grace then your Actions would not be defiled what ●ankered rusty merchandize is this but I shall proceed to shew more of the like nature Direct The next Doctrine is to conf●ss your actual sins the sins of your Magistrates Ministers and whole Nation and how that you have broken all the holy just ●aws of God doing that which is forbidden and leaving undone that which is injoyned and not only ignorantly but presumptuously against the light of our minds and checks of our Consciences but also despising Gods forbearance and standing out against all the offers of Grace in the Gospel Answ. Was not the baptized Infant incorporated into a holy Congregation and now you confessed you are a sinfull Congregation not only ignorant but presumptuous also and have sinned against the light of your minds and the light of your Consciences what is there any thing in your minds or consciences worth taking notice of what will the light in the Conscience shew sin and reprove for it then how is it that you Merchants of this Rank cryes out against it as delusion and heretical Doctrine when any exhorts them that they sin not against the light of their own Consciences and if you stand out against all Gods invitations and offers of Grace then are you none of Christs Ministers And never blame me for calling you Babylons-merchants for the Ministers and Disciples of Christ they came at Christs invitation and Peter and John left their Nets and followed Christ when he invited them and they resisted not the offers of Grace but received it when it was offered and were saved by it and if you walk so unworthy of him in your selves then repent and cease carrying abroad such trumpery as this to deceive the People withall Direct In the sixteen Page you Reformers say you ought to bewaile your blindness of mind and hardness of heart and unbelief impenitency secureness lukewarmness and barrenness and not endeavouring mortification nor to keep your garments unspotted Answ. You had need to bewaill your state indeed if this be it but see that you be not Hypocrites to confess that before the Lord and your Congregation and if any say you are hard-hearted unbelievers you deny it again and so ma●e your lives transgress and your ●ongues utter forth deceit what is such a company of blind minds and hard-hearted Impenitent unbelieving secure lukewarm barren whom God will spue out of his mouth who doth not so much as endeavour after mortification nor to keep your selves unspotted and have broken promises and vows and covenants That ever such a company as you should carry a Ship at Sea or think in your hearts to give directions to others to reform when you are unreformed your selves and full of unbelief what people will take directions at such a company of heart-blind Guides as you If this be Reformation what is Deformity the wise in heart may judge of this merchandize Direct Yet you say notwithstanding in the 18th page let us draw near to the Throne of Grace and incourage our selves with hope of a gracious Answer of our Prayer● Answ. He that sits upon the Throne of Grace before whose face the Heavens and the Earth shall fly away he will reject your Offering notwithstanding all the encouragement you may take to your selves and how can you have hope to receive a gracious Answer its but the hope of the Hypocrite you that are blind in mind and hard in heart and doth not so much as endeavour after mortificaon David a messenger of God said If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my Prayers and you that are so presumptuous and are so full of vain hopes as to think that God will hear your Prayers who are in unbelief and endeavours not after mortification he will send you empty away Direct The next Doctrine is about preaching the word the subject of his Sermon is to be some Text of Scripture sutable to some emergent occasions and he may go on in some Chapter or Psalm as he shall think fit Answ. Here Reader thou mayest take notice these Artificers of the last edition have traffique of divers sorts to fit the several places and occasions as when they come before some Princes or Courtiers or some Convocations or Councels then some great swelling words