Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	wont_a	write_v	year_n	84	3	4.3333	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81899	The life and death of that judicious divine, and accomplish'd preacher, Robert Harris, D.D. late president of Trinity Colledge in Oxon. Collected by a joynt-concurrence of some, who knew him well in his strength, visited him often in his sickness, attended him at his death, and still honour his memory. Published at the earnest request of many, for the satisfaction of some, for the silencing of others, and for the imitation of all. / By W.D. his dear friend and kinsman.	Durham, William, 1611-1684.	1660 (1660)	Wing D2831; Thomason E1794_1; ESTC R209698	30,977	127

pen from Paper or turn to any book till hee had written all In his younger time about twenty years together hee penned exactly and could without much ado preach the same verbatim hee was wont to say That hee had a fluid and waterish memory I can would hee have said quickly remember any thing of my own and as quickly forget it again yet doubtless his memory was very vast and tenacious for albeit sometimes hee had short notes in his Bible and that rarely yet did hee never use them more than when hee preached a Clerum of late years hee glanced once upon his Papers His custome was immediately after hee had heard a Sermon to set down the heads thereof I do not know that ever hee forgat any main head and seldome misplaced them upon Fast-nights hee would repeat two and sometimes three Sermons that day delivered in the same order as delivered Discoursing with a friend about memories hee said That his memory never failed him which hee presently explained because hee durst never trust it Hee would say that a Preacher had three Books to study first the Bible secondly himself thirdly the people Hee looked much to the Ordinance and Relation twixt Pastor and People and would say That preaching to them was but one piece of the Pastors duty Hee was to live and die in them as well as for and with them Hee complained much of the large insisting upon Doctrinal parts of points when little or no room was left for Application and found that few either in Cities or in the Universitie bended themselves to inlarge upon Uses which made Sermons to differ little from Divinity-Lectures and though all Preachers could not easily enlarge themselves there yet hee would still call upon them to accustome themselves to it Hee would relate a passage of Mr. Dod concerning Mr. Cartwright who often preached at Hanwell occasionally in his daies Mee thoughts said Mr. Dod whilst I heard him the Doctrinal part of his Sermon I was in Heaven but when hee came to Apply I sometime thought that had I been in his place I could presently apply his point more closely Many young Preachers resorted to him for counsel both for their private studies and the Pulpit Hee would perswade young men for many reasons to pen largely and to keep their Notes for all Emergencies often commending Mr. Dods words who professed That hee would rather preach an old Sermon ten times than speak any thing new without preparation Hee would say That hee would have a Preacher able to exceed himself upon just occasion and not alwaies to kee pthe same pace Although this held not alwaies in himself for generally his hearers commended those Sermons most which cost least and himself would say That hee never came off with worse comfort and content to himself than when hee was in appearance best provided and hee gave his reason not because hee had used diligence in preparing for that was duty but because then hee was aptest to presume upon himself and to neglect his dependence on God Many took his advice for books in Divinity to whom hee would open himself freely some hee would perswade to read Ames his Medulla Tileni Syntagma Bucanus and such like To some others hee would commend Aquinas his Summs which Dr. John Reynolds was wont to call that absolute body of Divinity Melchior Canus and of late Mr. Bowles his Pastor Evangelicus But still would hee call upon all to read the Text in the tongues and to Analyse Chapters This hee perswaded Mr. Pemble to and set him upon the Book of the Preacher Ecclesiastes which hee accounted a very hard Book till hee met with that brief but pithy exposition of that incomparable Divine Dr. Edward Reynolds and after that upon Zachary When hee was consulted with about Writers hee would ask what they aimed at in a Writer for men had their several excellencies For Acuteness hee would commend Mr. Baine and his second Dr. Ames Mr. John Ball Mr. Capel c. if they attended the spiritual part of Divinity hee would leave them to Dr. Sibbs If the Rational to Dr. Preston if the Historical to Bishop Usher For solid Preachers hee much prized Dr. Saundersons first works to his latter hee was a meer stranger Mr. Randall Mr. Hildersham Dr. Reynolds c. And for all the requisites in a Preacher both for matter method elocution pronunciation all hee would often say That hee seldome met with an abler man than his Brother Whateley of Banbury His judgement being asked upon Commentators hee would say that hee was now more of Dr. J. Reynolds mind than ever concerning Calvin for upon experience would hee say I finde that most of the late Writers do but descant upon his plain song and the Jesuites were very Plagiaries who will first rob him and then rail at him Next to him hee would commend sundry later men as Pareus Rivet Mr. Cartwright especially together with some Popish Writers as Maldonate whose wit and learning hee commended better than his spirit Before him Learned Masius Modest Ribera and for ought he found by him Honest Estius Being asked about the best Editions hee would say that what was said of Homer was true of the Fathers and the first Popish Writers viz. That was the best still which was least corrected Of the Antient Fathers hee would say that unless it were for their Polemical and Historical parts their writings were more for devotion and affection than for their judgement and understanding For Modern Authors this was his Opinion generally that what English-men did ex professo undertake they did best perform No men beyond them in expounding Scriptures in answering Papists Arminians c. None equal to them in the Pulpit or in Practical or Case-Divinity and herein hee held Cambridge very happy in her Whitakers Downhams Davenants Perkinses to omit many more and at Oxon hee would lay one J. Dr. C. Reynolds to pass in silence a younger Reynolds and his Son-in-Law born a Schoolman in the ballance with hundreds as a man never sufficiently admired for his humility as well as for his learning For Schoolmen hee liked many things in them but onely their awkward and ignorant quoting of Scriptures and multiplying useless Questions with needless obscurities For Lutherans hee commended divers of them for Learning and Industry but disliked their tartness Arminius though none of the best hee liked better than his Disciples and Successors who were more desperate and dangerous in the five controverted Points than many Papists As for Socinianism hee held it but a kinde of Blancht Mahometism Generally hee observed this That those Papists who were most conversant in the Scriptures came nearest to us the same of the Lutherans also as Chemnitius Gerrard Hemingius c. For our condition at home hee was sparing to say much yet some things lay much upon his spirit As 1 Hee complained that the Power of Godliness and Exercise of Love and Self-denial were much abated