Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	darkness_n	heart_n	shine_v	3,010	5	9.0570	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17244	The vvhole summe of Christian religion, giuen forth by two seuerall methodes or formes the one higher, for the better learned, the other applyed to the capacitie of the common multitude, and meete for all: yet both of them such, as in some respect do knit them selues together in one. By Edmund Bunny Bacheler of Diuinitie.	Bunny, Edmund, 1540-1619.	1576 (1576)	STC 4096; ESTC S118853	72,840	176

¶ The vvhole Summe of Christian Religion giuen forth by two seuerall Methodes or Formes the one higher for the better learned the other applyed to the capacitie of the common multitude and meete for all yet both of them such as in some respect do knit them selues together in one By EDMVND BVNNY Bacheler of Diuinitie It is God that commaunded the light to shine out of darkenes who also hath shined in our heartes to giue forth the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ See thou therfore that thou haue a pattern of sound doctrine that thou maist alwayes be ready to giue an answere to euery man that asketh thee a reason of the hope that is in thee 2. Cor. 4. a. 6. 2. Tim. 1. c. 13. 1. Pet. 3. c. 15. ¶ Jmprinted at London by Thomas Purfoote for Lucas Harison and George Bishop dwelling in Paules Churchyarde 1576. ¶ TO THE MOST Reuerende Father in God his very good Lorde and Master Edmunde by the prouidence of God Archbishop of Caunterbury Primate of all England and Metropolitane SInce the tyme THAT IT HATH PLEAsed the goodnesse of God that in our dayes Religion or the Faith of Christe shoulde be deliuered from the chaines of darkenes and come forth againe with her wonted glorie many of the learned godly disposed haue done their endeuour to make so plaine a way as they could to bring the same to the knowledge of others whose endeuour and godly purpose althoughe I gladly graunt to be such as is to be of all men not only receaued but also with all duetifull reuerence imbraced yet for the truthes sake muste I needes adde thus much thervnto that although diuers of thē haue done very well yet none hath so absolutely performed the same in all respectets but that others also may thinke of helping it forwarde put to their hād to do what they can Not that hereby I charge any of thē with error in some points of their doctrine but only that I finde not in then so good a Methode or maner of teaching as on the behalfe of all beginners were generally of vs all to be vvished And although I may seeme in the iudgement of some to make this complaint without any cause yet haue I the warrant of myne owne cōscience both that there is cause vrgēt inough that the cōplaint ought rather to be made on the behalfe of the truth thē to be suppressed in some priuate respect Of this am I sure that so lōg as we tye our selues to the very steps or footings of others neither can we vse the fredome of our owne pace neyther do we admit the benefit of a better way Vpon which occasion as I haue bene a while since perswaded that I coulde not better bestow my labour to the vse of those that wold gladly haue a groūd of religiō then if I should both contract interprete the institutiōs of M. Caluine who in my minde hath come nerest to his purpose sauing only that he is partly to long but especially to hard for a beginner thervpō set in hande with the worke accōplished the same so well as I coulde so haue I since that time vpon further aduice of that matter me selfe cōtriued the Summe of all religiō so far as it hath pleased God to prosper the same in my handes much shorter playner in my opiniō thē the other by any meanes might haue bene brought vnto following the order that he hath left vs and because the methods or formes of compacting religion together that yet are forth are not as I take it come to that perfectiō that were to be wished therfore haue I streightly followed none that yet is extant but coasted ouer to the aūciēt high way so nere as I could aesteming religiō so precious a thing that no mā cā bestow his labor better thē by adorning it so much as he can and by making it plaine vnto others whether he shall doo it by the leuell of those that haue written before him or by some other way of his owne so long as in substaunce he neuer swarueth from the auncient truth The misliking that I haue of those other Methodes that yet are geuen forth is not so absolute as some may take it and in effecte is no more but this Of Methodes we haue two principall sorts The first is the same vvhich goeth by the order of the Cathechisme the other that which the learned do for the most part follow in their Institutions or cōmon places of Christian religion That kinde of Method that followeth the order of the Cathechisme doth in deede disclose vnto all after their maner what is ment by the ten Commaundementes by the articles of the Fayth and by the Lordes prayer and by occasion therof doth also discourse of all Religion in suche sorte as occasion there is offered But seeing that the matter of these doth very muche mingle together the treatise that shal go by their leuell must nedes come short of a perfect Method Neuerthelesse they doo very well geeue foorth the true sense of the chiefest points and because these three thinges before recited are in a maner the onely bookes of the common people they are no doubt in that respect to singular vse for that they open those thinges vnto them That which the learned do commonly follow in their Institutions and common places doth come much nerer to the nature of a iust method but yet doth not fully attaine thervnto so farre as I am able to iudge many of thē discoursing but of particulars not sufficiently tyed together and the others following so much the receiued order that they also do not aptly ynough sort euery mēbre to his propre place examples vvherof I could geue ynovv but that so doing I might be tedious my conclusiō therfore shal be this that although both these sorts are to very good purpose doo very vvell disclose vnto vs the very substaūce of Religiō yet for the Method or maner of deliuering the same they haue yet so farre missed the marke that they shot at that there is row me for others to sticke betwixt them the marke who soeuer cā hit it although it be an easier matter to find that there is winning thē to shed those that are gone before yet what should let but that euery one may do his deuour howsoeuer it shall fall out in the ende As for me self although I know my skil iudgmēt to be but meane yet me think I haue espied a couple of wayes whereby religiō might be geuen forth some what more orderly thē yet it is And because it hath pleased god to bring the same to my knowledge I thought it my duty to impart the same vnto others not onely that I be not foūd to haue hiddē my talēt but also to th ende that such as God shall better furnish may put to their handes and helpe it forwarde The former

dayes to measure his eternitie or in the narrownes of our vnderstanding to comprehende him tha● is Infinite The mediocritie of this knowledge tha● I speake of or such as may come vnde● our capacitie may for a further playnenes sake be distributed into these three parts the first of such thinges as most properly concerne the person of the Godhead th● seconde of certayne other excellencies which are somewhat further of from the substaunce of his person the thirde o● suche thinges as concerne his will and pleasure Of the first sort are these First that there is a god Secondarily that there is no other but He alone Thirdly that he is not of any set compasse bodely shape o● earthly nature but Infinite Spirituall and Inuisible Fourthly that in the Godhead there bee three distincte Persons wherof the first is of the Father vnder which we consider the Godhead as he is in his owne nature not yet beeing made manifest or declaring him selfe The seconde of the Sonne vnder whiche Person we consider the selfe same Godhead made manifest or opening him selfe to be knowen of others who therfore is called the Speache the Image and the Sonne of the Father The thirde of the holy Ghost vnder whiche we consider the selfe same God but working in others that the Father may be knowen in hys Sonne or whiche is the same that the Godheade may be seene in his Image Fiftely that these three Persons are but one and the selfe same God for that there is none that can expresse the Godhead or bring to passe that he be knowē in others which are the properties of the Sonne and the holy Ghost but onely God and the selfesame which in other respect is the Father Sixthly or last of all that the Godhead is Eternal or Euerlasting that is hath euer bene without beginning can neuer haue any ending neither yet any chaunge or alteration Of the seconde sorte that is of those other excellencies that are euer somewhat farther of from the substaunce of his person and yet can neuer be seperated from the Godhead are very many but yet are suche as may very well come vnder one cheefe and generall title which is of his most excellent maiestie or incomparable glorie and this inestimable glorie of his appeareth two maner of wayes Firste because him selfe is incomprehensible then because he is of vnspeakable goodnes Incomprehensible he is found to be for that he is not of bodily shape earthly nature or set compasse but inuisible spirituall and infinite Good also he is two maner of wayes firste in him selfe then towardes others In the former respecte he is sounde to be good for that he is full of all perfection most holy moste mightie most riche and euer-lasting His holinesse is suche as that neither is therein him selfe any steyne or possibilitie to fall thereinto neither can he lyke of any sinne in others neither in the worse not in the better As touching his power there be two thinges to be considered howe greate or large it is and what are the braunches thereof The largenesse of his power appeareth in these foure poyntes that he made mayneteyneth and guydeth what so euer creatures there are in heauen on earth or in hell hath all thinges euer before hys eyes whether paste present or yet to come whether open or hidde hath all powers subiecte vnto him in heauen earth and hell and him selfe is almightie or so fully able to doe what soeuer standeth with his good pleasure that worthely he may be termed as in deede he is and none but he the onely Lorde or Master of all The braunches of his power are these two his vnsearcheable wisedome in diuising and ordering of all thinges and his inuincible strength in bringing to passe that euery thinge falleth out as his wysedome before ordeyned His Riches or treasures are most inestimable for that him selfe alone hath all good thinges in his owne handes whether Bodily or Ghostly momentaine or eternall Eternall or euer-lastinge needes muste hee be for that hee neuer hadde anye Beginning neuer can haue any ending neither yet is subiect to any chaunge or alteration As touching his goodnes in the other respect that is as it issueth foorth towards others there be two principall braunches thereof his iustice and mercy Vnto his iustice it doth apperteyne that he is Ielous on his owne behalfe Righteous towards others that is true in his sayings vpright in his iudgemēts in his vengeaunce seuere with cōuenient moderation Vnto his mercy doo apperteyne these three his patience or suffering when the offence is eyther great or els deserueth speedy vengeaunce his free pardoning and all other his fauourable dealing His fauourable dealing stretcheth to all but by diuers degrees very much to all inferior creatures much more to all mankinde but most of al to his chosen people Of the thirde and laste sorte are suche thinges as apperteine to his will or pleasure which will of his hath a double consideration First what it is in it selfe which is for the most part vnknowen vnto vs but yet is the rule of absolute equitie Then what it is towards others that he woulde ordeyne to guide according therevnto whiche also is declared to vs two maner of wayes First Summarily or briefly then more at large or more particularly Summarily his will is set foorth vnto vs in the Ten-Commaundementes and in other abridgementes or short summes Whiche kinde of teaching he sometimes vseth both that it may the better appeare what is the effect of particulars and better remayne in freshe remembraunce More at large he instructeth vs in the same throughout all the Scripture besides and that to this ende that we may the better vnderstande those short summes and knowe howe muche matter there is in them if they be rightly vnderstoode As touching the second that is in whō he would be knowne we haue to consider that this glorious knowledge of him can neuer go out of him selfe vntill he haue made wherein it shall shine and him selfe cast thither or therevpon or thereinto rather the beames of his glory And we finde that his purpose was to haue two sortes of creatures in whom this knowlege of him should be Some there should be that should haue it but printed on thē and so should be in steede of bookes vnto others as all other creatures are besides man whether they be Celestial Terrestrial or Infernall Others there should be that should not only haue this knowledge imprinted on them but also should haue the same in suche sorte inuested or grounded within them that they should haue power both in them selues and in others to beholde the Godhead Of this sort keping within the bounds of the workmanship of this world we find none but mankinde alone But as he would haue this knowlege in man so it is therwithal to be knowne that in some to whome it should be to lesse vse whō we terme Reprobates he would haue it but in very