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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	course_n	year_n	young_a	18	3	6.1999	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09911	The young divines apologie for his continuance in the Vniuersitie with certaine meditations, ritten by Nathaniel Povvnoll, late student of Christ-Church in Oxford.	Pownall, Nathaniel, 1583 or 4-1610.; Fletcher, Giles, 1588?-1623.	1612 (1612)	STC 20174; ESTC S103162	35,832	210

saith of physicke which concernes the health of the bodie is much more true in Diuinitie which concernes the health of the soule that vita breuis ars longa it is not the short span or scantling of any mortalls life can measure the length thereof but euen the Angels and Saints in heauen after this liues vnperfit glasse is broken find worke enough in this diuine study to employ themselues for all eternitie No wonder then if all our indeauours in compare can do no more then according to S. Augustines vision walking by the sea side in deepe contemplation of the Trinitie as if a child with a cockle shell should labour by continual lauing to empty the maine ocean sea into a little ditch the one if we looke here for exact comprehension beeing as endlesse as the other And though it be a fond ridiculous question that Velleius the epicure makes in Tullie that if God did indeed make the world how or whence had he ferramenta machinas instruments great enough for so great a worke yet it may with better reason be doubted how a mortall man can possibly frame fit instruments proportionate to the immensitie of such an immortall worke For when all is done as a Philosopher said all our knowledge makes not vp the least part of our ignorance yea as a father better obserued our highest degree of knowledge is to professe ignorance since what we see here we see but vnperfectly as in a glasse these imperfect shadowes beeing onely conueied as it were by setting perspectiue glasses from so farre a distance as the heauen and earth are distant Since then all our liues labour can attaine to little more then the alphabet and rudiments of this infinite studie blame me not if I hauing yet scarce dipt my foote nor gone vp to the anckles in that riuer of Ezechiel be somewhat timorous how I goe further on before I haue fathomed the depth thereof and found some foord or passage For if the greatest Orators at the Rostra beeing to speake but before the people in ciuil affaires as Tullie often professeth of himselfe did quake euery ioynt of them and according to the Poet Lugdunensem rhetor dicturus ad aram Palluit vt nudis qui pressit calcibus anguem were so appalled as if they walked among snakes because they ventured in triall the extreame hazard of their fame credit for euer after how much more ought we to feare and tremble standing in his Temple the place where his honour dwelleth and speaking in the sight of God Men and Angels And therefore I thinke I haue the same reason to borrow respite as that Philosopher had to deferre his resolution from day to day of Hieroes question concerning God because the further I goe and the more I thinke of these Diuine mysteries the more difficulties I meet withall I must confesse indeede there was a time heretofore when dulce bellum inexperto I thought I might with as great facilitie promise and performe a sermon as I had done heretofore a declamation but as while the sun shines not the house seemes cleare but the sunne-beames once shining in at the windowes so thicke of motes and dust that it hath gained a prouerbs place to make comparison of thicknes thereunto so now not before that I am a little inlightened and entred I see those wants and imperfections that before in the shadow of Philosophie I neuer dreamed of and those difficulties I heretofore did little thinke of Indeed if I could content my selfe with a perfunctorie performance as many doe it may be little ado would serue the turne but I dare not so take vp my rest when as my very soule and eternall life is at stake and pawne vpon it fully perswading my selfe that if my paines exceed not the complementall formalitie of these Pharisies I shall neuer come to the kingdome of heauen Wherefore as the shekel of the Sanctuarie as interpreters do gather from diuers passages of Scripture was double to the commō shekel so doe I well perceiue that double paines and space to that I heretofore bestowed in my other studies of Phosophie and humanitie is requisite to sanctifie me for the Lords Sanctuarie and howsoeuer it may be faultie in other ciuill and worldly affaires which Apelles was wont to reprehend in curious Protogenes Quòd manum de tabula continere non potuit thinking it neuer perfect enough yet in Diuinitie Zeuxis reason will answer any that is reasonable Diu pingo quia pingo immortalitati that as he was wont to be long a drawing because he desired so to drawe that it might last for euer so in this diuine studie we must haue the longer leaue to limate the lineaments of our portraicts because the impresses we make are to hold their impression for al eternitie Experience teacheth vs that euery triuiall mechanick trade doth ask at least seauen yeares apprentiship or learning for so the French word signifieth and that so much more time is allotted to each worke by how much the worke is more exquisite how then can they be excused that so farre abase the valuation hereof as though there were no difference betweene prophesying and selling doues in the Temple and in stead of polishing the corner stones of the Temple for hast daube it vp with vntempered mortar I feare I confesse the woe of such negligent workmen and feare withall I should prooue no better did I like those hot-spurres vnripe and vnready as I am make so suddain an adventure For as those captiue kings said of Gedeons young and therefore vnwarlike son Such as the man is such is his strength no wonder if as young Dauid I cannot yet march in compleat armour neither yet vpon the strength of a little meat dare Eliah-like vndertake so great a iourney neither yet in this weakenes venture in publike into the open aire to my further danger but rather keepe close within till I growe the stronger There was fiue yeares silent hearing enioyned a Pythagorist for the learning of his symbolls and therefore with safety may I a while awaite like Elihu vpon the words of the ancient thereby to aspire to the knowledge of our christian mysteries And indeed our Vniuersities hath well prouided in this case calling none to publique course of preaching till he be of fowre yeares stāding Master of arts which authoritie though it might iustly sway me since when we proceede we are bound by a formall oath to keepe the customes as well as the statutes and priuiledges of the Vniuersitie yet haue I also a greater authoritie then that for my warrant euen that of our Sauiour to passe the like example of Iohn Baptist his Coetanean born the same yeare who beeing the wisedome of his Father in whome is the fulnesse of all graces so that he could aswell haue preached at twelue yeares old as haue disputed with Doctors yet

THE YOVNG DIVINES APOLOGIE for his continuance in the Vniuersitie with Certaine Meditations written by NATHANIEL POVVNOLL late student of Christ-church in Oxford Printed by CANTRELL LEGGE Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1612. And are to be sold in Pauls Churchyard by MATTHEVV LOVVNES at the signe of the Bishops head ❧ TO THE REVEREND FAther in God IOHN L. Bishop of London RIght woorthie and reuerend Father in God Blame not your ancient Obseruer if nowe after he hath recouered in a manner at Cambridge that life which he lost at his departure from Oxford he rises aniew as it wear out of his ashes to do his humble seruice to your Lordship and indeede to whome can any fruit that comes from him bee with more right presented thē to him in whose garden and vnder whose shadow it griew Into whose hand should this small booke though wanting his owne Epistle be deliuered but vnto that to which it hath before giuen so many Epistles whear can it looke for protection with more hope thē whear it hath formerly with all fauour founde it If your Lordship thearfore will be pleased to be the defender of this Apologie and to breath as I may truely say the breath of life againe into his sequent Meditations that so beeing annimated aniew with those vnspeakeable sighs and alike feruent zeale of spirit whearwith they wear first as in fierie chariots carried vp into heau'n I doubt not but they will seeme beeing so quickned to any that shall reade them especially if as Iob wished in a case not much vnlike his foule wear in his foules stead no cold or dull or dead lettets and in so doing you shall not onely followe him into his graue but call him out of it with this so speciall a benefit binding with the dead in one knot of thankfulnesse all his Friends that yet liue and cannot but ioy to see your Lordships fauour out-liue the person on whom it is bestowed of whome my selfe being the least shal euer thinke I am most bound to be Your L. to command in all good seruice G. FLETCHER To the Reader THe Authour of this small discourse or rather giue mee leaue so to call him the Swan that before his death sung this divine song is now thear whear he neither needs the praise nor feares the envy of any whose life as it deserued all so it was covetous of no mans commendation himselfe beeing as farre from pride as his desert was neere it Yet because it was his griefe that hee should die before hee was fit to doe God the service hee desired and his freinds desire that beeing so fit as hee was for his seruice hee might if it had been possible neuer haue died at all thearfore his booke was bould to thrust it selfe into that world which the Authour of it had lately left therby to satisfie both his Makers desire in doing the church of God some seruice and his friends griefe in not suffering him altogether to lie dead And truely what better seruice can it doe then to persuade with reason since Authoritie forces not our young Neophytes to abide awhile in the schooles of the Prophets at Bethel before they presume to enter the Temple at Hierusalem and if reason can doe little with them because happily they want it yet let his Example an argument that prevailes much with the common People of whome such Prophets are the tayle make them at least see and confesse though they know not how to amend their fault Ten yeares had hee liued in the Vniversitie eight languages had hee learnt and taught his tongue so many seuerall waies by which to expresse a good heart watching often daily excercising alway studying in a word making an ende of himselfe in an ouer-feruent desire to benefit others and yet after hee had as it wear out of himselfe sweat out all this oyle for his lampe after hee had with the Sunne ran so many heauenly races and when the Sunne was laied abed by his labours after hee had burnt out so many candles to giue his minde light hauing alwaies S Pauls querie in his minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee neuer durst adventure to doe that after all these studies done and ended which our young Novices doeing nothing coumpt nothing to doe but still thought himselfe as vnfit as hee kniew all men weare vnworthy of so high an honour as to be the Angells of God I could wish that he had left behinde him if not all his learning yet some of his modesty to be deuided among these empty sounding vessels that want both but since in him so great examples of piety knowledge industrie and vnaffected modestie are all fallen so deepely a sleep as I am afraid we shall hardly find in any of his age the like which I speake not to deny iust praise to the liuing but who wil not affoard a fiew flowers to strowe the cophine of the dead thear was no way to awaken them and in them him but by layeing them vp not with him in his graue but in these immortal monuments of the presse the liuing Tombes proper to dead learning wherin these flowers may liue though their ●oote be withered and though the trunke be dead the branches flowrish Let rich men therefore in the guilded sepulchres and proud monuments of their death beg for the memorie of their liues the righteous shall be had in euerlasting remembrance without any such proud beggary nor shall he euer be behoulding to a dead stone for the matter and good reason Righteousnes beeing a shadow of that diuine substāce which hath in it no shadowe of change much lesse of corruption only I could wish that their liues wear as long as their memories that so this crooked age might haue as great store as it hath need of them G. F. AN APOLOGIE FOR YOVNG Students in Diuinitie why they stay in the Vniversitie to learne before they presume to teach abroad Written and sent by NATHANIEL POVVNALL for his owne defence to his Parents MOst gracious and deare Parents I could neuer yet perswade my selfe to be of Galbas mind who thought it needlesse that any man should be tied to giue an accoumpt of his idle time much lesse of Pericles that hauing ill stewarded the Common-wealths Treasurie did not thinke so much how to make his accompt as how to make no accompt at all but since the season doth in a manner now require that I send you some fruits of your so long and so well manured and so carefully planted yet so long barren vine as whose fruits you haue with patience for many more yeares expected then that Husbandman did the fruits of his barren figtree though as yet it beeing the first spring it can send forth but small grapes yet such as they are since they be not wild grapes I hold it honest so farre to serue the time though no time seruer as of mine owne accord vnlike those bad husbandmen in the Gospel to