Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	doctrine_n	scripture_n	word_n	5,154	5	4.5887	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62519	A defence of humane learning in the ministry, or, A treatise proving that it is necessary a minister (or preacher) should be skill'd in humane learning by H. Th., St. Ch. Ch.	Thurman, Henry, d. 1670.	1660 (1660)	Wing T1139; ESTC R22554	31,340	79

the wayne sometimes in the full and sometimes in the Eclipse B●t that I may not seem to build a portall too big for my house I come to the assertion the which I have taken upon me to defend viz. That it is necessary a Minister or Preacher should be skild in humane Learning This Thesis I shall prove by these ensuing Arguments 1. From the power of the tongue that 1. As 't is a naturall gift common to all 2. As 't is a speciall gift proper to the Priest or Minister 2. In that it is necessary that the Preacher should exceed the people iin knowledge since he takes upon him by his preaching to instruct them 3. Because learning is especially necessary for the understanding of the Scripture And under this head I shall speak concerning the Preachers knowing the Tongues the liberall Arts and Sciences under which is comprehended Philosophy then History and somewhat concerning Classicall Authors not forgetting the main thing of all the Civill Law 4. From the example of 1. Moses Daniel and Solomon in the old Testament 2. Paul Stephen Apollos Nathaniel Nicodemus in the New Testament 3. The Fathers that were the Pillars of the Church and instructed in humane literature 5. Because learning in a Preacher is necessary in a politique sence And to contemne it brings in disorder both to the Church and Common Wealth 6. From the Vse and End of learning 7. And lastly to take in all by answering all objections to the Contrary 1. As to the First Argument drawn from the power of the Tongue and that 1. As 't is a naturall gift common to all with a Preacher Of what power and prevalency a learned and well managed Tongue is of ancient writings witness sufficiently and dayly experience teaches us 'T is like the Achates which stone no painter can paint for the variety of its colours It peirces into mens breasts winding and turning and putting them into any posture captivating the Auditors as it pleases Serpent-like it can cunningly insinuate and enter at the smallest hole when it pleases can presently put its self into a posture of warre and falles upon the enemy with a lyon like violence It sights it makes peace it can highly commend and as bitingly disgrace ●t laughs it cryes it has the dominion over all and is the sole Paramont and Emperour of the Vniverse ●ut I may be silent since St. James does largly describe its qualities in his Epistle c. 2. ●nd as to my purpose more in hand I shall speak of it more particularly 2. As it is a spirituall gift proper to the Preisthood and the Organ or Instrument of the holy Ghost For as we know the gift of a Tongue is common to all sorts of men together almost withall sorts of Creatues and is used to deliver sounds if not speach but speach amongst those that are rationall And yet they that can naturally say Lord and Jesus cannot say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost as St. Paul speaks to the Corinthians 1. Cor. c. 12. v. 3. i.e. cannot speak honourably and reverently and preach his majesty and benefits but by a farther gift of the spirit which takes not away learning but lets it be with it as its servant and subordinate And seeing Moses could speak readily enough in civill matters and say to the Hebrew wherefore smitest thou thy fellow Exod. 2.13 Yet when he was sent on Gods special message to Pharoah saith O Lord I am not eloquent but heavy of mouth and of a slow tongue Exod. 4.10 And seing Isaith ●hen he should be sent to preach could say He was a man of unclean lips and he durst not use them till the Seraphin had toucht his mouth with a Coal from the Altar And seing Jeremy though God told him that he had ordained him a Prophet to the nations says Ah Lord God behold I cannot speak for I am a Child And seing David when he would sing praises cryes Lord open thou my lips when he himself before had opened them to wantonness and murder Finally seing St. Paul before his conversion could breath out threatnings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord but being sent to preach desires the Saints to pray for him that a doore of utterance might be given him that he might open his mouth boldly to publish the secrets of the Gospell All these considered It is manifest that it is one thing to speak and another to preach one thing to have a tongue by nature and another thing to have the gift of a tongue by the Holy Ghost And that is a speciall honour and priviledge granted to the Calling of the Ministry And here a little I must stand to obviate the pretences of the Enthusiasts who would have us beleeve that they have like those fore mentioned such a tongue from the Holy Ghost and what they speak is from the spirit within them ●o these I answere 1. That those single men of old that delivered Gods word were 1. publickly designed Prophets 2. Approved of by the high preist and Sanhedrim and 3 indued with a publick spirit and its doctrines were always agreeable to the other Scriptures But how farre they are different from these All men in their right senses can easily discerne But 2ly To expostulate the case with these men ●ither their spirit by which they say they preach is a private one or a publick one If private then 't is to themselves only and usefull to none else And how often have we read how mens malancholy tempers have deluded them and made them fancy such Chimeras But again If publick Then it must enter in at the doore of the ministry and divine Ordinances of Gods grace and mans Endeavours I repeat it again mans Endeavours which will take in also our Endeavours after knowledge and learning and it must be subject to the Prophets and their censures of it Else it must justifie its extraordinariness by miraculous effects the which none of us yet ever saw And such a spirit they must confesse they have not I think we never read of any Doctors that have been instrumentall in preaching the word since the Apostles but what had the ground-work of humane learning laid in them And no doubt God most extraordinarily giving the Apostles the gift of Tongues by the holy Ghost did infuse all those habits of Science which we are now put upon to acquire though they were not taught as we are to make a Syllogisme perhaps in Barbara or told there were ten Praedicaments I confesse our Philosophy Arts and all humane Sciences without Gods spirit are but some glimmerings but like the Starres that shine in the night they keep our reason from being quite in the darke True when Gods spirit is superadded like the Sun arising it out shines all those smaller lights but they are not put-out but remaine still as usefull Now of this gift of a learned tongue nothing is spoken but favours and blessings

the Councils Thus learned Sophocles the Father is reckoned a dotard by his yong Son Sophon But no wonder again Et sua riserunt saecula Meoniden Homer was contemn'd whil'st he liv'd But pray what 's the ground of these men Why For fear if they did not cry down parts in men of greater knowledge and merit they should catch nothing and they have as great a minde to be in as high an esteem as the best and therefore in Policy they cry up nothing in a Minister but the Scripture being willing to perswade us to know no more then themselves do and so as 't were to level Learning Else let no man use Art no man use Learning no man use the Authority and Judgement of the Fathers and so every man abounding onely in his own sense and his own fancy all alike ignorant we shall all be equally regarded and preferr'd And if there be any difference then let him be most honored that can most boldly perfricare frontem absterso pudore linguas volvere I use Erasmus his words in this Argument and not my own And I pray what is this but to bring in disorder which hath not onely brought our degrees into contempt but effected that Sheep take upon them the office of the Shepherds Mechanicks the Function of the Ministry Children and Women the practice of Preaching when they hear Preaching and speaking is all one and in Sermons nothing else delivered but that which is obvious to every Tongue Indeed they that are learned and wise now adays may complain with Seneca Nunquam potui populo placere nam quae ego scio non probat populus quae probat populus ego nescio And they that are unlearned knowing the favor of the People is acquired by ill means frame themselves to their humors commending them only as the true Successors of the ancient Apostles who of fishers unlearned crafts-men became Teachers and Preachers to the whole World For facit hoc illos hyacinthos ignorance begets such their esteem And some hereupon have said That if you should enter into a town or city and would know who are learned or unlearned in the Ministry you need no other expe●iment then that which Pliny the second taught Maximus to discern the unlearned Orators in Rome that were in those days in highest repute Si forte sayes he transibis per basilicam scire voles quomodo quisque dicat nihil est quod tribunal ascendas nihil est quod praebeas aurem facilis divinatio Scito eum pessimè dicere qui laudatur maximè Nor would I be understood to have spoken any thing to disgrace the Fathers of latter memory whom we ought to reverence and read also For as God hath not given all his gifts to one man so neither all his excellent men to one Age. Nay we have great cause to thank him for those very many learned and godly Preachers as almost ever were in this our age But all my intent is to shew the antiquity of receiving the Ancient the reason of their being contemned and the inconveniencies of Disorder Heresie and Ignorance that ensue thereon that so we may make the reading of them and other humane Learning subservient to the study of the Scriptures which is the end of all our Learning whose enemy is Disorder Tumult Faction and Enthusiasme 6. From the use and end of Learning As to the use and end of Learning Isaiah in the place first of all mentioned resolves all into this To be able to minister a word in season to him that is weary Ignorance and Error and Sin and Weakness and Imperfection are burthens And to ease them that are wearied under these burthens is the end the Prophet prescribes learning For curiosity vain-glory desire of fame desire of honor and riches are the abuses thereof And in relation to this end I might shew for a sample what use may be made thereof and what arguments may be drawn to this purpose out of Philosophy and prophane Authors As from 1. The necessity of Misery and Affliction 2. The commendation of patience in bearing it 3. The Testimony of a good Conscience 4. The Example of others 5. The hope of deliverance 6. The final cause or end why they suffer them 7. Lastly That which they call Collatio eventuum Of all these the Philosophers have spoken and used them as comforts to those that were afflicted and they that are unacquainted with them will never be able to enlarge and pathetically set home those other that may be drawn out of the Gospel To proceed Ministers are Pastors and so their duty is to preserve their Sheep from the Wolves abroad for which purpose they must be able respondere de jure to give accompt of their faith in defiance of the numerous Armies of Hereticks They are to watch for their flock and so must know all excellent arts and ways to arm them against all their weaknesses within and their enemies without And Learning highly conduces unto this as also to make them the abler to strengthen the weak confirm the strong compose the scrupulous satisfie the doubtful and readily to answer all cases of Conscience None but a learned man can resolve Kings and States their grand Questions whether their Designs are agreeable to Gods holy rule or no and to consult with such hath been the practice of the Princes of this Nation But this sixth Argument falls in with the third I say no more therefore but onely propose one that used his Learning to a right end seasonably and successfully Look we upon St. Paul that became all things to all men that he might win them to Christ How sometimes he makes himself an Abject sometimes raises himself even Lordly as I may say in Christ Jesus Sometimes he uses the authority of his Apostleship threatning the rod of severity Sometimes speaks fair playing rather a Nurse or a Mother then an Apo●●le Sometimes rebukes sharply sometimes mitigateth that which is hardly spoken Sometimes speaks in part referring the rest to a fitter place Consider how circumspectly he invites us to those things that are Consilii perfectionis as they term them being very wary not to entrap or ensnare any one How sometimes he bringeth not the Lords Commandment but gives a profitable counsel as a faithful dispenser How fitly he applyes the testimonies of the Scripture to the present cause How wisely he openeth the cloud of an Allegory when the letter is of little force unto godliness How unto the perfect he speaketh the Wisdom of God in a Mystery Among the weak he knoweth nothing but Christ Jesus and him Crucified How he hath Milk for them that are Infants and more substantial meat for them that are elder How he resists Peter the Apostle to his face and is suppliant to Philemon and becometh as it were a surety for Onesymus his servant How dealing with them that ascribed too much to the Ceremonies of Moses he so extolleth Faith