Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	prophet_n	scripture_n	write_v	3,727	5	6.1725	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48116	A letter of advice to a young gentleman of an honourable family, now in his travels beyond the seas for his more safe and profitable conduct in the three great instances, of study, moral deportment, and religion : in three parts / by a True son of the Church of England.	True son of the Church of England.	1688 (1688)	Wing L1566; ESTC R7895	45,890	138

't is not the Province nor in the power of private Men to reform Religion this being wholly lest to the prudent management of those Governours whom the divine Providence has constituted and appointed to rule over Us. Wherefore that precipitant and rash Zeal which some miscall Puty will more disturb the Peace of their own Consciences and prejudice the Interest of the Church than their charitable and peaceable Compliance with those seeming Error and Defects which they so much cavil at and complain of 7. 'T is the greatest Argument then of Imprudence and Indiscretion to run upon manifest and real Evils upon those Fears and Jealousies which are meerly groundless and only imagin'd to be so Will any Man of Reason and Religion dare to forsake Gods publick Ordinances and make a Schism in the Church of Christ because perhaps there may be some probable Defects in her Communion For Gods Commands to attend his Publick Worship and endeavour the Peace of the Church are plain and positive whereas the Errors objected against us are dubious and disputable And now to cast the Scales the far greater number of pious learned judicious Men are on our side so that for any thing they know they may be mistaken But granting 'em that we do err let our Governours see to it we have a sufficient Rule for our Obedience nor dare we substract it for the sake of an Inconvenience only if their Commands be not sinful but they have none for their Disobedience And therefore seeing they have no lawful Authority to reform the least Error or Mistake in Government it would be the greater Prudence and more Christian like to pray mourn in secret for what they apprehend amiss than to disobey and exasperate their Governours stir up Divisions in the Church run upon the dangerous Hazzards of a licentious and unwarrantable Separation 8. We should be always more concern'd for promoting the Interest of the Gospel and our own National Church than the gratifying of our own personal and private Fancies and Opinions For it has been a great fault in most of our Brethren of the Non-conformity who have been so wedded to their own private Humours and Conceits that they have almost quite forgot the Peace of the Church and the true Interest of the Protestant Reform'd Religion Hence have sprung those Heresies and Schisms and that Atheism and Prophaneness which have so strangely over-spread the whole Nation to the great scandal of our Religion and Government and have done what in their power lies to yield up themselves and us a Prey to our cruel and merciless Enemies Whereas if they had the least sense of their Duty and Interest they would keep close at this Time especially to our Communion which under God would be their chief Refuge and yield in some small Matters tho less agreeable to their own private Sentiments and Opinions for the greater Benefit of the Publick 9. No Prejudice should prevail with any Man so far as to make him unwilling to recant and disclaim his Errors upon a through Conviction and return to the ways of Truth and Peace from which he has formerly erred And therefore 't is a great Fault in many who are unwilling to retract those Errors which they have espoused lest they should be censured by their Party as Renegadoes and Apostates from their Religion Whereas if they would but seriously consider it 't will be their greatest Honour as well as Interest and a special Evidence of their Integrity to acknowledg recant their Errors Mistakes nor need any Man be asham'd or afraid to confess he has erred St. Aug. writ a whole Book of Retractations for which he was deservedly as much esteem'd as for any of his other Works Nor can any Man come under the vile imputation and scandal of an Apostate who changes only some mistaken Errors and Opinions not his Religion And Lastly Others have been extreamly to blame in setting up their own private Glosses and Interpretations of the Holy Scriptures as infallible Maxims and necessary Conclusions insomuch that they I rather disturb the Peace of the Community than be persuaded to recede from them For being ignorant of the scope and meaning of those sacred and lively Oracles they presently sancy without the least true ground that every Passage founding that Way must be a strong and forcible Argument to prove and confirm their Opinion The Scriptures indeed be allowed and are of important and necessary use for the Conduct of their Faith and Manners in the ways of Religion But then shall every Mechanick presume to be an Interpreter and Judge and think himself as infallible as the Pope in Cathedra of all the abstruse and difficult Passages in Holy Writ Now what can it be but meer Enthusiasm and Delusion in any one to pretend to interpret the dark Points of Scripture which neither concern Mens Faith nor Manners without the use of those Means which are out of the reach of the Vulgar They 'l readily grant that in all other Professions Arts and Sciences a Man must be a considerable time and take great pains to gain Experience ere he can be capable of managing and must be an approved Artist before any one will entrust him with Business in his way of Dealings in the World. Shall every Novice then who can scarce read a Chapter distinctly in the Bible presume to have as much Skill in Divinity and the Holy Scriptures as he that has been train'd up all his life in the Schools of the Prophets has the advantage of all useful Books understands the Languages wherein the Scriptures were originally written and makes this Study his whole Business and Profession These are such wild and extravagant Conceits as one would think that no Man of common Reason and Prudence should once pretend to And yet there are several illiterate country Hobs and conceited Tradesmen in Market Towns and of my acquaintance as there are in most places of this Kingdom who 'l undertake to interpret the Scripture and preach according to their way and yet with more boldness and confidence than the greatest Doctors of the Chair But we leave such to their own Fancies and Delusions which can neither concern you nor me more at present than to pity and pray for them that they may come in due time to a true sense of their unaccomtable Errors and whilst unretracted unpardonable Mistakes These I am persuaded are such Reasons as will puzzle our Dissenting Brethren to answer and obviate all their Pleay and Pretences to a warrantable Separation from the Church of England However Sir such as they are are humbly offer'd to your serious Perusal and probably they may be useful to you in your present Circumstances having calculated them primarily for that Meridian Yet let not these or any other so bind you up as to neglect greater and better of your own For it will be your great Interest and Advantage to weigh and measure the Drift and Design of all Counsels by the Dictates of your own Reason and Judgment I doubt I have wearied your Patience with a tedious Epistle the Subjects being so copious have drawn it out to an undue Proportion Yet when you have seriously consider'd the Scope and Design of it in its full Latitude and Importance I hope you 'l candidly excuse not only the Length but all other Mistakes and Defects in it without any further Apology Whatever Indiscretions I have been guilty of either in the Undertaking or management and composure of this Discourse are wholly imputable to my Self none of your Relations or Friends being yet acquainted with it For all which I do most earnestly and humbly beg your Pardon Now that God Almighty may ever bless preserve succeed and prosper you in your Progress and Return and that all your Endeavours may be acceptable to Him well-pleasing to your Friends and a comfort and benefit to your Self shall be the most earnest hearty and constant Prayer of Prayer of Honoured SIR Your humble devoted Servant March 6h Stylo vetere 1687 / 8.