Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	book_n	new_a	testament_n	2,832	5	8.5204	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17017	The first part of the resolution of religion devided into two bookes, contayning a demonstration of the necessity of a diuine and supernaturall worshippe. In the first, against all atheists, and epicures: in the second, that Christian Catholic religion is the same in particuler, and more certaine in euery article thereof, then any humane or experimented knowledge, against Iewes, Mahumetans, Pagans, and other external enemies of Christ. Manifestly convincing all their sects and professions, of intollerable errors, and irreligious abuses.	Broughton, Richard.	1603 (1603)	STC 3897; ESTC S114320	118,360	300

to reade their bookes And Attilius himselfe Duum vir one of the two principall men to whome their custody was committed only because hee wrote them forth was sewed into a sacke and cast into the Sea If we make comparison betweene the writers of holy Scriptures and Diagoras and such Atheists as woulde deny them or the Panym Philosophers though wee single them forth that were accounted best there is no semblance of proportion The Prophets and writers of holy Scriptures were most holy and a spectacle of sanctity to all generations and many of them dyed for defence of those thinges they committed to writing Many of the Phylosophers were of such filthy liues that their sinnes are not to bee named and their errors intollerable and their chiefest men as themselues acknowledge did not as they did beleeue beleeuing one God with Scriptures and seruing Idols as Plato to Dyonisius giueth plaine witnesse of himselfe If we consider the efficacie of the doctrine of those holy writers although they entreated of harde most difficulte vnpleasing things to sensuall mindes and the Pagan Philosophers of pleasing and delightfull thinges yet the austere doctryne of them hath almoste conuerted the whole worlde to liue as they beleeued and these philosophers could neuer yet allure one Kingedome or Citie euen to thinke only as they taught And yet as I wil proue herafter they haue attempted it by all meanes they coulde If we talke of consent or disagreement in Wrighters vpon which in matters of Authoritie Trueth or Falsehoode may easilie be concluded No man is ignorant that not only all Pagan prophane Historians disagree amonge themselues and all Philosophers of the diuided Sects of Stoicks Peripateticks Accademicks and Epicures but the professors of euerie of these sectes were at warre among themselues and yet they entreated onely of naturall things proportionate to humane capacitie contrariewise not onlie the sacred histories of Scriptures agree but all theyr Writers Prophets Priests Euangelists and Apostles agree in one without any leaste difference or variance in doctrine and yet they all entreate of matters Supernaturall and aboue the reache of mans reason Wherefore I conclude in this Argument when so many holie writers as moyses Dauid Esdras Ieremie Ezechiell Dani●ll Zachary Malachie S. Mathew Marke Luke Iohn Peter Paule Iames and others were so diuided in time seperated in place as Egipt Hierusalem Babilon Rome and others where they wrote so distinct in natures and naturall conceits and iudgementes as all men are and yet in so many bookes as the Scriptures conteine and in so manie supernaturall misteries agreed vniformely together without the leaste dissent or contradiction this Direction must needes proceed of God who penetrateth al things and cannot lead into error When I see so miraculous agreement in the 72. that by the appointment of Kinge Ptolomy of Egipt translated the olde testament recorded by enemies and like assistance in later handlers of those sacred workes farther consider how in so many garboiles troubles of Nations many writings of the moste allowed Pagans haue perished yet these haue bin preserued in all the most famous languages of the worlde I cannot bee induced but they be the euidence of God and preserued by him Further when I perceaue the greatest humane Authoritie that can be cited for anie monument vsed for the crediting of these religious testaments as for the bookes of the first testament all Christians Iewes Mahumetans and many Gentiles consenting that they be holie and for euery booke of the new testament besides the authorities of all Schooles Vniuersities and thousands of p●ouinciall Sinods the whole Christian worlde in their moste learned Doctors and Fathers assembled twenty times in generall councells and confirminge them all by theyr sentence and neuer so any ten persons together iudiciallie agreeing to approoue any Pagan writer in all things I cannot be of opinion but these books were penned by holie instinct from God Moreouer when the light and law of nature and reason make me secure and all Philosophers Christians Pagans the learned of the whole world euer ageed togither in this giue it for a distinction betweene a limmited and infinite power that future thinges which haue no certaintie in their causes cannot certainelye bee knowne and foretoulde but by an infinite knowledge penetrating thinges more perfectly then they be in their causes and whosoeuer certainlie prophesieth of such things must needes receaue that facultie from God which can bee ignorant of no effect But the whole sacred Scripture is euidence that many things within their causes be moste vncertaine as depending of the freedome of mans will election and others more secret onlie to bee produced at the moste secret will and pleasure and by the Omnipotent power of god himselfe haue bin as certainely plainelie foretolde with their manner and circumstances manie years before they came to passe as if they had bin present witnesses of those things as so manye Predictions of Abraham Iacob Moyses Dauid Daniell Esaie Ieremie Zacharye Christ his Apostles and others and ●o●ie Scriptures of the Regiment of Iuda the diuisiō of the Land of Canaan the perpetuall desolation of Ierico of the birth and acts of Iosias three hundred years before he was borne the destruction of Babilon by kinge Cirus his name foretolde two hundred years before he came And two witnesses named of it Vrias and Zacharias which were not borne manie yeares after this was prophesied The captiuitie of the Israelites in Babilon the time of that continuance and their deliuery againe in the time of Esdras The destruction of Balsasar kinge of Babilon and the verie night of his desolation the time of the cōming of the Messias his life death resurrection ascention other misteries as they were effected in christ the miracles which happened then the reprobation of the Iewish people conuersiō of the Gentiles destruction of Ierusalem the pittifull miseries it did endure and the like which were vncertaine thinges and yet were as certainelie fortolde as they were certaine when they were performed therefore seeing these things be so vndoubtedlie come to passe we cannot make question of any other to be effected in his time hereafter the one being as difficult to be foreseene as the other consequently much more all other matters reuealed in those holye writings which be of more easie subiect are vnfalliblie true and so to bee beleeued Lastlie to put all out of doubt that euen from the firste time of committinge those misteries to writinge by the holye penne men of Sacred Scriptures euerie man might be secure they were spoken and reuealed of God which coulde neither be deceaued in himselfe or bringe others into error So manye miraculous workes and operations which none but a diuine power and such as had authoritie from him coulde effect were giuen vnto those chosen Scribes of this holye lawe and wrought by them to confirme the