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
B11278	The principle of all principles concerning religion. Or The summe of certaine sermons prooving the scriptures to be the very VVord of God.	Byfield, Adoniram, d. 1660.	1624 (1624)	STC 1021.5; ESTC S115754	21,438	69

THE PRINCIPLE OF ALL PRINCIPLES Concerning RELIGION OR THE SVMME OF certaine SERMONS Prooving The Scriptures to be the very VVord OF GOD. Ioh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures For in them yee thinke to haue eternall life LONDON Printed by I. D. for Nicholas Bourne At the South entrance of the Royall Exchange 162● TO THE WORSHIPFVL Mr HVMPHREY BROVVNE Increase of Grace and the saving knowledge of Iesus Christ. AMongst other Doctrines heretofore gathered from my Text viz Act. 24.14.15.16 We learned that Wee are to ground our Faith onely vpon the Word written Which Doctrine arose out of this Observation That Paul doth not say He beleeved all things whatsoever as directions of his worshipping the God of his Fathers but Beleeving all things written in the Law the Prophets so worship I c. This point is worthy due consideration in these prevaricating times wherein Papists doe so fearefully decline the Word written and runne vnto Traditions which they call Vnwritten Verities though indeede Traditionall very lyes they runne I say vnto these as vnto the rocke of their refuge For if they could but in shew iustifie their Antichristian Idolatry and Superstitions by the Word written how boasting they would then be may appeare by their catching at syllables thereof which sound in phantasticall eares to some of their purposes So that Christ his censure vpon the Scribes and Pharises may be iustly layd vpon them viz Yee haue made the Word a Mat. 15.1.6 written of none authoritie by your Traditions But whosoever speaketh not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them b Isa 8.20 For the whole Scripture that is The Word written is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to convince to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good works c 2 Tim. 3.15.16.17 Amongst other Vses of the sayd Doctrine this was one If we are to ground our faith only vpon the Word written then all who are wise vnto Salvation must diligently read the same or If they cannot reade diligently heare them read in publique Congregations els-where as they may For to what ende was the Word of God committed to Writing but that Gods people should reade or heare it read diligently Therefore let vs religiously take to heart and consider the wise exhortation of our Master Christ viz Search the Scriptures For in them yee thinke to haue eternall life d Ioh. 5.39 Wherein obserue that He calleth the word of God Scriptures that is Writings and not onely so but The Scriptures that is Writings incomparably excelling all other For indeed they are given by inspiration of God Therefore we are to search them Which word Search implieth Diligence As where we are exhorted e Pro. 2.3 ● to Search for the Knowleage of God as for Treasures But how are Writings searched otherwise than by diligent reading Thus did the Nobly-minded Baereans f Acts. 17 1● Search the Scriptures daily So that Christ his exhortation is this in effect If ye thinke indeed to haue eternall life in the Scriptures then shew your selues wise vnto salvation by your diligence in reading or hearing them read This point requireth much pressing in these times wherein too many are like those whom Isaiah taxeth g Isa 29.10 VVho being covered with a spirit of slumber dreame of eating but when they are awake their soules are emptie Yet when a Booke is offered them to be read they refuse saying either The Booke is Sealed as doe the Papists or They cannot Reade as doe thousands of irreligious people whose carelesnesse to heare the Scriptures read discovered by their late comming to the Church where the Scriptures be read and their readinesse to heare the reading of vaine Bookes and Ball●des doth manifest their want of religious zeale to supply their disability to reade the Scriptures by diligence in giuing attendance to the reading thereof But there may come a time of tryall when the Deafe shall heare the words of the Booke as ISAIAH Prophecieth in the same Chapter Vers 17 1● VVhich Prophecie implieth that he who sayd He could not reade should yet haue signified desire to heare the Booke read To prevent which tryall if it may so please our most gracious God let 's imitate yea emulate the religious Iewes h Acts. 13.14.15 And 15.21 who so diligently heard the olde Testament read in their Synagogues every Sabbath day that Christ and his Apostles saw it not necessary to quote Chapter and Verse when they preached or wrote And why Because by diligent hearing the Scriptures read their memory was so confirmed that they could presently acknowledge every allegation to be conteined in the Scriptures To which ende viz the confirmation of memory by reading was the Word of God written Yea so That the children of Israel were commanded i Deut. 11.19.18 as well to write Gods words vpon the posts of their houses and vpon their gates as to be speaking of them when they sit walke c. that they might lay them vp in their hearts These things I now write that thereby I may stirre you and others vp by reading to renew and confirme your memory that it may vnto your farther edification reflect vpon this ground of Religiō The Scriptures be the very Word of God VVhich indeed is The Principle of all Principles concerning Religion and therefore is as it ought to be esteemed accordingly of all that doe the Truth k Ioh. 3 2● Deut. 17.19 that is Obey God in Sinceritie so as they come to the light thereof that their deeds may be made manifest that they be wrought according to God Therefore not onely David a King and an olde man professed l ●●al 37.25 ●●9 105.9 Gods Word to haue beene a Light to his paths but the Spirit also by way of a Question doth with a strong asseveration affirme That young men if they feare God must redresse their wayes in taking heede to them according to Gods Word To which our most holy God and to the Word of his grace m ●ct 20.32 which is able to build further and to giue you an inheritance amongst all them which are sanctified I heartily commend you THE PRINCIPLE OF ALL PRINCIPLES concerning Religion Act. 24.14.15.16 14. But this I confesse vnto thee that after the way which they call heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers beleeving all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets 15. And haue hope towards God which they themselues also allow that there shall be a resurrection of the dead both of the iust and vniust 16. And herein doe I exercise my selfe to haue alwayes a Conscience voyde of offence towards God and toward men IN these three Verses may be observed 4. grounds of Religion whereof every one is prooved by the other three and is of that powerfull truth that if it be

his so wonderfull preservation Now it is time to proceede to the testimony of Scriptures Reason 4 But first I will answer this question Is the testimony which the Scriptures giue to themselues of sufficient credit Yes For the same reasons wherewith Christ m ●ohn 1.13.14.17.18 iustified the record which he bare of himselfe 1 We know from whence the Scriptures came even frō Gods spirit n Pet. 1.20.21 2 The Father as we haue proved is a witnesse therefore the testimony of two is true and consequētly of credit Now Christ saith o ●hn 5.39 The Scriptures that is the old Testament which were before Christ testifie of me If of Christ then of his Word that is his Gospell For the woman of Samaria could tell p ●●hn 4.25 that the Messiah that is Christ when he came should tell vs all things It may be she had heard that Moses prophecyed of Christ who was to be heard in all things q Acts 7. ●● Besides Christ is the corner stone of the foundation that is doctrine as of the Apostles so of the Prophets Therefore the Prophets giue testimony to Christ and his word As Moses and the Prophets that is the old Testament giue testimony to Christ and his word which is the doctrine of the new Testament So Christ in those words Iohn 5.39 doth giue an honourable testimony to the old Testament saying In them ye thinke to haue eternall life And two of the chiefe Apostles giue likewise testimony to the old Testament For Peter sayth r 2 Pet. 1. ● Wee haue a most sure word of the Prophets Here Prophets as Eph 2.20 is put for the whole old Testament And Paul sayth ſ 2 Tim. 3● The whole Scripture is given by inspiration Whereby the old Testament without doubt is signified the new Testament may be vnderstood Having finished this course of Testimonies to the word by way of imitation as well as I can I am now to shew how the other three grounds doe proue this ●●ason 5. The first is There is a God to be worshipped therefore there is a word of God to be beleeved There be many Gods so called t Cor. 8.5 Every one hath his prescribed worship whereby he is honoured according to his owne minde as Saturne had his Saturnalia and drunken Bacchus his Bacchanalia Yea the Scriptures intimate as much u ●cts 7.43 Moloch had his tabernacle and Remphan his Starre So that the true God forbiddeth his people x ●eut 12.30 to enquire how other Nations serue their Gods Now can we think that our great and onely true God is lesse zealous of his glory then false Gods be of their supposed honour Heathen men concluded otherwise For when they heard that the Samaritans were devoured by Lyons they deemed the cause was Not worshipping the God of the Land after his owne manner y 2 King 17.25.26 God hath made all things for his owne sake yea even the wicked for the day of evill z Prov. 16. that he may be glorified as by all things made so by the lust condemnatiō of the wicked Therefore he hath given a Word that by holy Worship according to it he may be glorified For by such worship especially is He glorified a Levn 10.2.3 and therefore the Glory departed from Israel when the Arke before which Israel worshipped was taken by the Philistims b 1 Sam. 4. ● Exod. 33. So that God did iustly forsake the Gentiles because when they knew him by his Workes of Creation c Rom. 1. c. they did not glorifie him as God by worshipping him according to his will That this consequence may yet better appeare to be good it is to be duely observed that immediately after God in the Decalogue d Exod. 20 3● required Worship as due to him onely he commandeth that worship to be according to his word and not by mans inventions And that where God forbiddeth to inquire how other Nations serue their Gods e Deut. 12.30.32 he commandeth to take heed to his Word And lastly that when God commanded his people to sanctifie him he presently commanded to binde vp the Testimony f Isa 8.13.16 and to seale vp the Law among his Disciples For indeed no Booke doth so glorifie God as doth the Bible therefore it is the true Word of God g Ioh. 7.18 All that is said being well considered this consequence is good There is a God to wit Iehovah therefore there is a Word of God viz The olde and new Testament The other ground Reason 6 and consequence is this There is a Resurrection of the iust and vniust to be expected therefore there is a Word of God that is the Scriptures to be beleeved For howsoever Cicero held the Immortalitie of the soule yet the Athenian Philosophers deemed the resurrection of the bodie to be an vnheard of point h Act. 17 1●.32 For indeed it is an Article of Christian faith and not a Tenet of naturall reason So that the Sadduces though Iewes reiected it i Mat. 22.33 Therfore if it be an Article of Faith then the Scriptures being the only booke that doth clearely avouch and proue it must needs be the word of Faith Againe Why must there be a Resurrection That the iust may arise vnto life and the vniust vnto condemnation k Ioh. 5.29 For the last day is The day of the generall declaration of the iust iudgement of God l Rom. 2.5 Dan. 12 2● Now that God may appeare iust when he iudgeth it is requisite that he make his Will knowne by his Word For where no Law is there is no transgression m Rom. 4.15 Therefore saith Christ If I had not come and spoken to them they should not haue had sinne n Ioh. 15.22 but now they haue no cloake for sinne The Gentiles had not the Law o Rom. 2.12.14.15 how can they be iudged Yes because they haue the effect of the Law written in their hearts The third ground Reason 7 and consequence is this There is a Conscience to be tendered therefore there is a Word of God to be beleeved For the Spirit of God which speaketh in the Scriptures so inlightneth the mindes of Gods people that the Word worketh vpon their Consciences That as face answereth face in Water p Prov. 27.19 So where the Spirit of the Lord is there is such libertie q Cor. 3.17 that is Freedome from the vaile over our hearts that we behold as in a glasse the glory of the LORD with open face and are changed into the same image So that the Apostle doth presently affirme r And 4.1.2 That having this Ministry he did not handle the Word deceitfully but in declaration of the truth he approoved himselfe to every mans Conscience In another place ſ ● T●es 4.8 he thus writeth He that despiseth these things despiseth not man but God who