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	word_n	2,947	5	4.1038	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03292	The doctrines triall shewing both the necessity and the way of trying what is taught, in a sermon vpon 1 Thess.5.21. By Sam. Hieron.	Hieron, Samuel, 1576?-1617.	1616 (1616)	STC 13406; ESTC S116279	23,396	110

the story bee ready to cast him out whom in the beginning they did magnifie Must I not heere say with the Apostle Shall I praise you in this in this I praise you not Now happie might I account my selfe if the doctrine which I haue framed out of this Text might become a purgatiue receit for the remoouing of these three malignant humors then the which I professe I know none which doe more preiudice the good concoction of that heauenly wholesome doctrine which is taught vs. If we can say this Text is not the word of God or that it hath no authority to binde vs or that it doth not directly make against these 3 corruptiōs I see no cause but wee may cherish them and maintain our selues in them but otherwise it becommeth vs vpon the paine of the most High his displeasure to cast aside all either frowardnesse or neglect in this matter and to labour to haue skill in the performance of this Trying dutie We disclaime all Lordship ouer your faith we are set set on work for the seruice of your faith not for commanding it We leaue it to Papists to tyrannize ouer mens thoughts in matters of Religion and to require the people to lappe vp their faith in the generall beleeuing of the Church Wee desire you to Try we beseech you to enquire wee would faine bring you to stand in the wayes and aske wee knowe you can neuer till then haue stablished hearts you can neuer attaine to that of beeing fully perswaded euery man in his owne minde and when you shall doe this you will say to vs who haue preached to you as the Samaritanes said to the woman Now wee beleeue not because of your sayings for we haue found it our selues and knowe that this and this is so indeed or after after some such sorte as the Queene of the South said to Salomon The sweetenesse which wee now feele in Religion farre exceedeth your reporte Now because if I should winne you all to a resolution of Trying doctrines and then leaue you doubtfull how and which way to performe it my course would be vnprofitable therefore you shall giue mee leaue to bestowe some paines that way and to giue some necessarie directions in that behalfe That there is a meanes to attain to some sufficiency for the discharge of this seruice why shold I go about to proue God would neuer bid vs Try if it were not possible for vs to be able to Try Now all Triall of doctrine must bee by some Rule The Greeke word here translated Try betokens such a triall as Gold-smiths vse touching metall for the discerning whereof they haue a touchstone at which that which will not hold is reiected and laide by as counterfeit A touchstone there must be sought for this businesse And when wee haue found it we must vnderstand how to make vse of it to that end The maine Touch by which all doctrine must be tryed and by which it must either stand or fall is the will of God reuealed in the Scriptures Bring them to the Law and to the Testimonie saide the Oracle of God of olde and consider whether they speake according to that word By this our Sauiour himselfe was content to be tryed By this the preaching of Paul and Silas at Thessalonica was tryed Religious doctrines are Gods matters and shall wee haue a better then God to be tryed by in the things of God and how shall wee knowe what is Gods minde in a matter of doctrine but by the Scripture Excellently spake he who called the Scripture the heart and soule of God and he who affirmed that God hath left for vs in the Scriptures a Fortresse against errours Let Papists if they will needes persist in their blasphemous disclaiming the triall of the Scripture accounting Traditions to bee the touchstone of doctrine the Foundation of faith and reputing the Scriptures to bee rather a kinde of Store-house for aduice in matters of Religion yet we will euer account them the Diuine beame and the most exact balance and approoue that course of that great Constantine exhorting the Fathers assembled in the Nicene Councell to take the resolution of things in question out of the diuinely inspired writings And let men learne heer by the way how necessary it is for them if they would be rightly grounded in Religion to be well acquainted with the Scriptures Our Sauiours rule can neuer faile You are deceiued not knowing the Scriptures God forbid we should vnder any pretext dishearten you in your care to turne ouer Gods book Let profanenesse and poperie cast reproches vpon diligence and ordinariness herein we the Ministers of Christ shall rather call vpon you as Chrysostome of olde did vpon his hearers Heare O you men of the world get you Bibles It is saith another of the Ancients of all torments the greatest to the diuells if they see a man giuen to the reading of the Scriptures We would reioyce to see those dayes spoken of in Storie wherein the secrets of the Scriptures should bee familiarly knowne to Taylors Smithes Weauers Seamsters Deluers Neat-heards c. and of which Hierome speaks wherein euen seely women were wont to contend who should learne without booke most Scripture Neuer will wee holde with that blasphemous Papist that it was the inuention of the diuell to permit the people to read the Bible but we will still presse you with that of the Apostle Let the word of Christ dwell plentiously in you Thus haue wee found the touchstone let vs now enquire how it must bee vsed A little childe or a foole may easily finde a touchstone and yet when he hath it not know what to doe with it more then with an other ordinarie pibble Though the Scripture bee not so common as it should yet it is conuersed with by more then can tell how to turn it vnto good This then shall be the next parte of my taske to shew how the Scripture may bee made vse of for the Tryall of doctrines And heere there are two things considerable 1 How he must be qualified who aduentureth to meddle with the Scripture 2 How beeing so qualified as is necessarie hee may be able to apply it to this vse First whoso puts his hand to the Scripture in desire to get skill by it so as that by the helpe thereof he may be able to examine doctrines it is meet especially that hee be a man of an humble spirit They bee the humble to whom the Lord giueth grace hee dwelleth with such hee teacheth his way to such to them he reuealeth his secrets a man must humble himselfe that hee may walke with his God It is a good speech of Augustines The doctrine of the Scripture is so tempered that there is no man but may draw thence sufficient for himselfe prouided that he