Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	great_a	think_v	4,338	5	3.9369	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39389	To en archy: or, An exercitation upon a momentous question in divinity, and case of conscience viz. whether it be lawfull for any person to act contrary to the opinion of his own consicence, formed from arguments that to him appear very probable, though not necessary or demonstrative. Where the opinions of the papists, Vasquez, Sanches, Azonius, &c. are shewed, as also the opinions of some Protestants, viz. Mr. Hooker, Bp Sanderson, Dr. Fulwood, &c. and compared with the opinions of others; the negative part of the question maintained; the unreasonableness of the popish opinions, and some Protestants, for blind obedience, detected; and many other things discoursed. By a Protestant.	Protestant.; Collinges, John, 1623-1690, attributed name.	1675 (1675)	Wing E718; Wing C5314_CANCELLED; ESTC R214929	62,722	96

our private Opinion it utterly swerveth from that which i● right he understood Divinity a little better And this we think was his last Resolve in the Case If his first Conclusion reach not an Opining Conscience which we are sure it doth if probable Arguments be opposed to Revelation and Demonstrations for then a Moral certainty makes but an Opinion yet we weare sure the Second doth As to both he determines Acting unlawful which is all we contend for § 15. But there is another passage more usually quoted in this Case in a Sermon which that Reverend and Learned man hath on Rom. 14.23 which we will consider though not half so valuable as this 1. Because but in a Sermon where he spake to it collaterally 2. And in a Sermon Preached in his Younger Years But neither can we find any thing there to their purpose for having there determined concerning a Conscience fully Resolved about the unlawfulness of a thing viz. That a Man cannot without sin do the thing so by his Conscience judged unlawful He cometh in the next place to treat of a Mans Duty under a doubting Conscience where we desire the Reader to consider that he either comprehendeth the Opining Conscience under the Notion of the Conscience fully Resolved as one would think by that passage § 25. This is now where the Conscience apparently inclineth one way but say the Scales hang even c. Or else he quite leaps over the Opining Conscience as not so much concerned in his Text. § 25. He manifestly speaks not of it but of such a Conscience as he expresseth himself where the Scales hang even and a Man cannot resolve which way he should take And again § 29. Answering the Objection I cannot do it it is against my Conscience He saith It is not against thy Conscience for doubting is properly an indifferent motion to either part of a Contradiction when the Mind is held in suspence betwixt two ways uncertain which to take when the Scales hang even as I said before in aequilibro This manfiestly is not an Opining Conscience but perfectè dubia a Conscience which perfectly doubteth Now under such a Complexion of Conscience as to some matter of Practice he determineth That if the Liberty of the Agent be determined by a Superiour Power A Man is bound in Conscience to do the thing Commanded This is a very disputable point in Matters where the Soul is concerned but be it so or so it nothing concerns us in the present Debate That Conscience which we are speaking of is not a Conscience hanging betwixt the two contradictory parts of a Practical Proposition but upon Arguments which appear to it very probable though not demonstrative strongly inclining to judge one part unlawful and that the part Commanded and Morally certain of it The Question is Whether this Man can do it or no because he is not as Hooker saith fully and settledly perswaded or because as others say it is not plainly and demonstratively and apparently evil tending to debauch Men in their apprehensions of the God-head c. To this Dr. Sanderson either saith nothing or speaks quite contrary for indeed here the Conscience is repugnant in which Case like a good Protestant Divine he determines quite contrary to our Neotericks § 29. That no Repect nor Circumstance whatsoever can free such an Action from sin § 16. We find a late Casui●t speaking as honestly It is Mr. Fulwood whom the Author of Toleration not to be abused declares himself so much pleased with that he assures us he is much of his Mind and it is in one of the three Books he is in such Love with Entituled Some necessary and seasonable Cases 〈◊〉 126. though he adviseth That in such Cases where things are Commanded which the Inferiour Judgeth unlawful Men should suspect their private Judgments and read and search still yet at last saith he if the thing required appear to thee sinful still Thou art bound to the Peace of thy own Conscience Gods Vice-gerent within thee and thou mayest not Obey How come we then to be Felons de se and Sacrilegious Stealing our selves out of the Ministry when this is plainly the case Nothing could be spoken more truly or like a Divine and it speaks the more honesty in Mr. Fulwood because in saying this he spake against himself kicking down all the good Milk which his Conformable Brethren thought he had given in those three Books § 17. We find another Recent Doctor in a Pamphlet called Pulpit Conceptions Popular deceptions nibbling and but nibbling at this most important Question p. 61. He forms an Objection thus But suppose I should Scruple my Obedience thinking my Superiours impositions to be against the Command of God Why in this case I am Obliged to lay aside my Scruples and to bring such thoughts into Captivity to the Obedience of Christ who hath commanded me to Obey those that have the Rule over me Pulpit Concept p. 61. Right But had we been any of us at this Doctors Elbow who thus dictates we would have told him Doctors this none will deny you but they are not Scruples that are in our way but great Massie stones called Dialectick Arguments yea almost Mill-stones that is we have not o●ly a Jealousie or Suspition or Fear that the thing m●y 〈◊〉 unlawful But we are as sure or it as we can be of any th●●● that it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said in Scripture nor the Object of o●● Sense nor demonstrable from certain and necessary causes Good Doctor speak to the purpose may we Act against the Judgment of our Consciences made up from these or no The Men you deal with in that Boo●●●e many of them Men of great Learning and Reason whose Arguments none in in their wits will think you have Answered in that Book What shall be done in this case Doctor Speak to the point Is there nothing to do but up and ride your pace Where 's the Stirrup we see the Whip but we see not that Scrupulous Doctor you know it is a little stone a thing without the Foot much like an Ipse dixit for an Argument to prove an action Lawful if a Man indeed hath such a thing in his shooe vexing his Foot it is an easie thing for him to pull it out and case himself and run presently But suppose a Man hath the Gout or some intrinsick Humour which Lameth him is it no more than to say up and Run Good Doctor he must be cured first I hope The Divines which you have to deal with have such impediments intrinsick Arguments which maketh the unlawfulness of the things required very probable to them If you will call them Scruples they cannot help that but they are no more of Kin to ●hem than a grain of Sand is to a Mill-stone They are ready 〈◊〉 Argue the Case with you at any fair Barr of any Reformed Church in Europe You have their Arguments Against Set Forms of

non sit magis tamen videtur esse verum vel falsum saith the Logician Aquinas in his Summs Qu. 1. Art 4. Describes an Opinion according to the Second Notion thus It is saith he the Act of the Vnderstanding inclining to one part of a Contradiction not without a fear of the Truth of the other part Valentia as he is quoted by Sanchez Op. Mor. l. 1. c. 9. will allow no Man any longer to keep within the Latitude of on Opinion than while he perswades himself that although he hath probable Reasons to judge this or that Lawful or unlawful yet they are not such but if he could hit on it might be Answered by himself or some other But yet neither Sanchez nor Vasquez nor Azorius will allow this streightned Notion of an Opinion though we cannot see how they will avoid it till they put cum formidine alterius out of their own Descriptions for what should he who openeth be afraid of but that his Arguments are Answerable So as in effect they all agree That a Man perswaded upon probable Arguments of the Lawfulness or Unlawfulness of a th●ng no longer Opineth than he feareth his own Reasons may be Answered But to us Be it so or so it is all a case we call that an Opinion which is The Assent of the Mind to a Proposition upon Arguments not Demonstrably but Probably certain And we have here the Advantage for if we prove it not Lawful to act against an Opining Conscience in their sence they will yield it much more Unlawful to act against an Opining Conscience in this sence which with them is a fixed Conscience either in good or evil And that it is unlawful to act against such a Conscience Vasquez is so confident that he Disputeth against Almainus and Andreas de Castra who had reserved unto God a Liberty to dispense with a Man acting against a fixed Conscience so as that a Man may do it without guilt and contends That God himself cannot dispense with it because it is an acting against the Law of Nature Vesquez in 12. Disp 61. Cap. 2. § 6. There are besides Opinion some other terms Divines take Notice of Suspition which they make the Jealousie of the Mind or some light Inclination to one part yet without an Assent Aquinas makes it the Younger Daughter of an Opinion and calls it an Opinion with a very light Evidence Doubting is another which they make the Pendulousness of the Mind as to the Lawfulness or Unlawfulness of a thing after Debate Now from this variety of Propositions and the variety of Mediums through which a Light comes into our Minds discovering the Truth or Falshood of them and the variety of our assent consequent to such Mediums arise the various Notions of a fixed Conscience A Doubting Conscience An Opining Conscience A. Scrupulous Conscience These are but the several Complexions of Conscience caused from the variety or degree of that Light in which it seeth a Proposition as true or false § 7. If the Matter in Question be of that Nature that it thinks it can find a plain and particular Evidence for it in Scripture or can judge of it by the certain Evidence of sence or see it in the certain Causes the Conscience is fixed either truly or erroneously and as to this thing beareth the Name of a fixed Good or Erroneous Conscience as it is or is not deceived in its apprehension of the Medium If the Matter of the Proposition or that part to which the Soul adhereth be of that Nature that the Soul cannot find a plain Revelation in Scripture nor discern it by sense nor see it in the certain necessary Causes but hath many probable Arguments rather for the one part than the other Whether it thinks these Arguments Answerable or no or thinks that possibly they may be Answerable but as yet it can see no Answer to them which it judgeth sussicient this now is an Opining Conscience If the Mind be equally ballanced on both sides with Arguments that it hath as much to say why such a thing should be Lawful as why it should be unlawful or unlawful as Lawful this is now a Doubting Conscience and rarely happeneth to a knowing and intelligent Soul If the Soul be afraid that this or that is not Lawful or fancieth that such a thing is Lawful but hath none or if any very light Reasons for it possibly such or such Men say so or such or such Men do it or do it not this is a Suspitious or Scrupulous Conscience § 8. In short in Order to a Man's spotless walking There are infinite Propositions to be weighed God hath hung up a Beam called Conscience in every individual Soul in Order to the weighing of them upon this Beam is written 1 Thes 5.21 PROVE ALL THINGS hold fast that which is good The Weights which God hath allowed us to weigh things by are Divine Revelation Demonstrations Evidence of Sence Topicks or more probable Logical Arguments made up from Logical places and Conclusions formed from the comparing of Rational and Spiritual things 't is Evident with Rational or Spiritual things more Evident when any of these fully weigh down the Souls assent there 's a Fixed Conscience When they equally incline the Balance one way or another there is a Doubting Conscience When they strongly incline the Soul more one way than another ther 's an Opining Conscience When they cause a very light inclination of the Soul to one part rather than to the other there is a Suspitious or a Scrupulous Conscience § 9. Now what the Duty of Christians is under these various Complexions of Conscience is a point which hath justly exercised valuable Divines of all perswasions for as we are capable by any of our Actions to incurr the wrath of God so as to them generally our Consciences are Complexionated one way or another for if we Act we either do a thing being fixedly perswaded it is Lawful or unlawful or doubting whether it be so or strongly inclined to think it is so or so or suspecting and being scrupulous Concerning a Conscience that is fixed in that which is truly good none ever doubted of the Lawfulness of Acting according to it or unlawfulness to Act against it But concerning Conscience in all the other Circumstances there have many Questions been started as to the Truth in which the World is very far from being Universally agreed Whether a Man may Act against a Conscience fixed in an Error is a Question spoken to by most School-men and Casuists It is usually said that such a Conscience doth Ligare non Obligare It is not our business to dispute how well that distinction Ordinarily Father'd upon Durandus is worded but we do not remember we ever met with any Deliberate Divine that would affirm That in case a Man were fully though falsly perswaded that this or that thing was unlawful to be done yet he might Lawfully do it Though indeed if the