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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	word_n	worthy_a	year_n	236	3	4.1440	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00742	The sacred doctrine of diuinitie gathered out of the worde of God. Togither with an explication of the Lordes prayer.	Finch, Henry, Sir, d. 1625.; Fenner, Dudley, 1558?-1587.	1589 (1589)	STC 10872.5; ESTC S102008	38,257	80

THE SACRED DOCTRINE OF DIVINITIE GATHERED OVT OF the worde of God Togither with an explication of the LORDES PRAYER 1599. A preface to the Christian Reader I ENTRED no sooner into meditation of some preface vnto the present booke but forthwith Maister Dudley Fenner of most happy and worthie memorie stood before me In whose remēbrance as his death renued my grief so it cōforted me that after three yeares as it were the third day in one of the same coūtrie of Kent in the same argument of laying down the whole body of the holy doctrine of God in the same methode and memorielike handling of it God had as it were raised him vp againe from the dead for supply of some of that worthy seruice vnto his Church which he if the Lord had added yeares vnto his life would manifoldly haue performed For cōsidering the forrestlike largenesse of matter it handleth and smal rowme the same is imparked and the good order euery doctrine standeth in before the reader ranged with others either going before cōming after as superiours and inferiours or siding it and walking hand in hand as sisters cōpanions it seemed to me that this treatise was like to be a seed that by the hand of the printer being cast vpon the field of our coūtrie might in good time bring vs home an haruest that might yeeld honor to God and edification to his Church which is the principall and in the second place some honest credit not altogether to be despised vnto this our countrie of Kent whilst it going before the most of other the Shires Counties of the Land in blessings of outward fruitefulnesse and wealth should not be found behinde all others in the fruits of the Spirit wherwith mens hearts yea the Lord himself after a sort is reioyced And in it me thought I sawe some gratious blush and good resemblance of the wisdome which Solomon speaketh of For as by writing shee lifteth vp her voice so by conuenient orderly easie maner of hādling the doctrines of God she standeth in the toppe of the highest places where all wayfaring men that are strangers in our countrie taking their voyage towards mount Sion may vnderstande what is said vnto them From thence shee steppeth to set her self in the place or mother of wayes wher one way cutting it selfe into many greatly hazardeth the wayfaring man vnlesse there be one as it were with the finger to point vnto him which is the right and ready way Approching vnto the citie of the heauenlie Ierusalem from whence soeuer he cometh East West North or South and to whatsoeuer of the twelue gates of the twelue tribes of our Land she is there also ready at the gate in the mouth of the Citie to tell him what streat he shall enter on what hande to turne what lane to goe down That done she taketh the winges of the morning and fearing the frailty of men least they should not see their happinesse when it is before them or that they should not discerne of it when they touch it or stumble vpon it she setteth her selfe euen at the very dore that openeth to the full and perfect possession of the promised felicity saying heere is the place you seeke after enter it This cōmendation notwithstanding that incōparably it doeth agree to the eternall sonne of God in his own and in his Propheticall and Apostolicall ministerie as that which is the perfect Iethro of our voyage from Th'aegipt of this world vnto the Lande of the heauenly Canaan yet may it also not vnfitlie in some measure more or lesse be spoken of the holy labours in this kinde which by description of the whole doctrine of God frō the foundation vnto the loouer thereof take vs by hande and entring vs into the way of God lead vs as it were to all the standinges and Camping places of the children of God in the wildernesse of this world vntill hauing cast away either weapons or walking staues we shall set vs downe in th'endles peace and rest of our God A labour as at no time vnseasonable and in no place vnworthy of a good welcome so in these dayes and especially in our countrie it is worthy of all good entertainment For beside that there are to many sectes and schismes there are also diuersities of iudgments in one and the same sort both which be in danger the former of schismes to grow to heresies the latter from some difference of iudgement to bee sorted and sected altogether if by such treatises as this which shortlie and as it were vnder one sight lay forth the sound doctrine of all the maine meane principall and secondarie pointes of our most holy faith the iudgment of men be not either called home where it is broken out or stayed where a breach is begun And albeit th'excellent vse hereof may clearly appeare to euery one that hath but halfe an eye to looke with yet is there that opposition in the world against all good endeuours of the seruauntes of the God of heauen that this also is not vnlike to fall into some riflers hands which will doe the vttermost of his wretched endeuour to despoile it of the garmentes of comelines whereby the Lorde would set it in the good grace well liking of his children If happelie it be said that it is therefore fruitles because it is a doing of a thing that is alreadie done by a worthy workeman of the Lord Maister Dudley Fenner it were sufficient answere that the same is made English which before was Latine and brought into the artificers shop which was before in the studies closets of the learned alone which deserueth praise at the handes of a thankful Reader It is more then sufficient aunswere that he hath brought M r Fenners booke for helpe of memorie into a great deale smaller rowme But I am and haue bene of that acquaintāce priuitie with the Gentlemen these many years that I am able before God and in trueth to professe that before he euer sawe M. Fenners booke he had written finished this with such grace as I louing him before did euer sithence reuerence him for the graces of God bestowed vpon him And therefore as the Lord gaue Maister Fenner the honour to be first so he would not let him haue it so farre as to be alone And notwithstāding th'authors both modestie and wisedome is such as he would not haue passed by the aduantage of a further garnishment of his worke by M. Fenners labours yet whosoeuer shall peruse the booke diligentlie shall easilie perceaue that hee hath for the matter a stock of his own and for the forme maner of deliuerie of it art and cunning of his own to haue finished some commendable worke in this kind if he had had no such paterne before his eyes Which beeing well considered will stop the mouth of some others which snatching vp the wise Prouerbs as of a man not medling beyond

his slipper and a Carpenter not dealing but with his chippes will bee ready foolishlie to throw them they know not where nor at whome And for my parte I am of that iudgement that it is so farre from beeing vnmeet for a Gentleman of the Innes of the Court to deale thus in these holy studies that I could wish of the Lorde that the Noble men of the Court it selfe and all others whose wits are either by nature or education more pregnant would fine file them vpon such endeuours as these are So should they fitt themselues not only to passe frō the Princes Court into the Lordes owne Court there to raigne for euermore but should able themselues ten thousand times better to all honorable seruices of their Prince Countrie in a wiser and more politique gouernment of the comon wealth then Machiauel that cursed helhound can furnish thē of For besides many notable draughts of policie here and there scattered throughout the whole Scripture especially the storie that one booke of the Prouerbes as it were the Lords owne Politickes is able to yeelde more sound precepts of sure safe gouernement then I will not saye Machiauell but then all the Machiauels in the worlde when they shall haue met vpon their bench and shall haue beaten out their braines about that consultation And if it be here asked what are you or who are you whose iudgment in this behalfe the reader should so greatly regard Peraduenture the reader may be such a one as if I were a mā of some marke with my word I should carie him away although I brought no reason if of no note at all hee would not beleeue mee although I should come vpon him with neuer so good reason Therefore concealing my name in a word I answere first out of Moses for whom when Ioshua was ielous least the gift of Prophesie of the declaratiō of the will of God being common Moses his Maister should be lesse estemed he answered would to God that all the Lords people were Prophets why lest the Lorde should bestow his Spirit vpon them Example hereof we haue in Ezechias raigne one of the godliest and most renowned Kings that euer raigned whose gouernement was also accōpanied with as much glorie and good successe both at home and abroad during the whole time of his raigne as any king whatsoeuer Dauid only excepted Nay I needed not in euery respect to haue excepted Dauid who met with more crosse handes of the Lord in his Sonnes and subiects then euer did Ezechias And of him to his cōmendation that shall neuer die it is written that his Courtiers gathered and suted diuers of Solomons Prouerbs in that Prophetical order wherein nowe they are left vnto vs by the holy Ghost And vnles Courtiers will iudge thēselues vnworthy of the kingdome of heauen there is no cause why they should esteme it to base or to vnworthie a thing for them to be occupied in seeing Dauid Solomō and Ezechias the most famous Kinges that euer liued haue no one thing so precious to garnishe and set foorth their Royall Crowne with as that their handes beeing taught of God to write some thing to his praise edification of his people the same as a diamond in their princelie Diademes remaineth to all posteritie Saul also albeit a wicked man yet beeing purposed of God to the Kingdome had this as a principall meanes to hide from the eyes of the people the basenesse of his birth and homelines of his education that hee was for some small time graced of the Lord with a gift of Pro phetie wherewith beeing ennobled he was so prepared for the kingdome But I am ashamed of the iniquitie of these times that should driue to the proofe of that whiche prophane and heathnish mē in the dim darke sight of their naturall reason haue both seene and professed that these cōmon wealthes were most happie where either Philosophers were Kinges or Kinges Philosophers And if Scepters were wel guided when men stoode at the sterne of common wealthes that stirred them by direction of that shadowe and carcase of Philosophie that was to be had in their bookes O howe happilie should they bee menaged if their course were set at the prescript and cōmand of the word of God which is the ladie mistres of all true wisedome or philosophie But I see there would be no end if I should set my self to answere whatsoeuer the crooked wits of wrangling companions might obiect And therfore assured of the fruitfulnesse of the booke in it selfe I commend the profite and succes therof to the blessing of God who only can direct the heartes and handes of men to lay houlde and make vse of it aswell for th'increase of their knowledge as for the prouoking of them to like endeuours 1. Ianuar. 1589. The sacred Doctrine of Diuinitie gathered out of the worde of God Theologie or the first booke of Diuinitie concerning God Chap. 1. Of God The Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost DIuinitie is a doctrine of glorifying God wherof there be two partes Theologie and Religion Theologie is the first part of Diuinitie concerning God 〈…〉 God is that infinite perfection whose being is of himselfe The Godhead notwithstanding the vnitie of the essence receyueth a distinction of persons A person is the Godhead diuerslie subsisting And sendeth forth or proceedeth Sending forth are those persons from whom another person proceedeth as the Father the Sonne The Father is a person which hath begotten the Sonne The Sonne is a person begotten of the Father Proceeding is that person which is sent out of the former namely the holy Ghost who is the Spirite of them both Chapter 2. Of the purpose of God God being thus in his nature and persons most glorious hath further glorified himselfe by two notes of excellencie which he taketh to him King dome Honour Kingdome is that whereby he dispenseth all thinges according to his own freewil The order wherof aunswerable to the relation betwene the persons thēselues is frō the Father in the Sonne by the holy Ghost To whō is attributed the immediat dispensing of them The kingdome of God is in his purpose and workes Purpose is his decree before all times of euery thing Chapter 3. Of Creation THe workes of God are the execution of his purpose And are Creation Gouernment Creation is his making all things of nothing Which of euery Creature was in excellencie of perfection Chapter 4. Of Gouernment GOuernement is his administring of euery thing Chap. 5. Of the Honour due to God SO much of the Kingdom of God The Honour due vnto him is that al his reasonable creatures Men Angels do with cheerefulnes his revealed will in all things The seconde Booke of Diuinitie concerning the Law Chapt. 1. Of Righteousnes and the blessednes belonging to it