Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	king_n	power_n	3,921	5	4.7466	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16503	The anatomie of conscience Or a threefold reuelation of those three most secret bookes: 1. The booke of Gods prescience. 2. The booke of mans conscience. 3. The booke of life. In a sermon preached at the generall assises holden at Derby, in Lent last. 1623. By Immanuel Bourne ...	Bourne, Immanuel, 1590-1672.	1623 (1623)	STC 3416; ESTC S106813	35,564	48

by a second act of the vnderstanding therefore I am guilty or not guilty and shewed in the heart or will by feare or ioy or such kind of affections For first the vnderstanding knoweth or is enlightened with a rule or law by which it tryeth as gold is tryed with a touchstone the good or euill of euery action and according to the nature and strength of this knowledge the sense or stroke of Conscience is felt in the hart either by ioy or griefe by peace or trouble by feare or boldnesse or the like If the knowledge be naturall arising only from that light of nature or those sparkes of knowledge both of God and of his Law not quite extinct by Adams fall but left in man to make him voyd of all excuse then is the stroke or force of Conscience not so powerfull making answer onely to that knowledge with which it is enlightened But if besides this light of nature our vnderstandings are informed with the knowledge of God and of his Will as God in sacred Scriptures hath reuealed himselfe vnto his Church then is the force of Conscience much more powerfull affecting the soule with ioy or greife with peace or trouble according to the information of the vnderstanding and application to the will and heart of man And next this foundation being layd this rule and touchstone in a read●nesse the Memory giueth euidence of all our Actions and of the circumstance and manner how they haue beene done either openly or in secret of which the Vnderstanding taking knowledge by a second Act it layeth them to that Rule and Law of God with which it is enlightned and iudgeth whether the Actions be agreeable or contrary therevnto 4 A description of Conscience Vpon which there is presently a reflection and application to the Will by which the Heart as by a Diuine power is stricken and moued with affections according to the nature of that Knowledge Act and Application by meane whereof it is touched and affected For knowledge must goe before the feeling or stroke of Conscience thy heart can neuer feele that to be good or euill which thy mind knoweth not to bee so and according to the measure nature and quality of thy knowledge such will bee the testimony and feeling of thy Conscience a knowledge which is light or doubting or vncertaine makes a light and easie stroke affecting the Heart but little either with ioy or griefe with feare or boldnesse or the like But on the contrary part if the knowledge bee holy sound and good grounded on the word of truth rightly vnderstood then will it make a heauy stroke vpon the Conscience if the deed be euill as it doth a heauenly ioy and peace vnto the soule if that thy actions be good and answerable to the Word and Law of God And thus is Conscience not onely Lux intellectus the light of the vnderstanding as Saint Basil intimates but if it be rightly informed followed Norma vitae the rule and guide of all our life as St. Chrysostome obserues And now by what hath beene spoken you haue seene a glympse of Conscience though not a perfect sight and may remember it with this or the like description Conscience is not barely an Act or habit of the soule or will or vnderstanding for it produceth acts and acts may cease to be as habits may bee lost but Conscience can neuer cease to be nor can it be lost though it may lose the vse for a time as a man may lose the vse of Reason in the time of Drunkennes It is therefore rather an office or faculty or power of the soule created in man by God and set within him both as a witnesse and a Iudge yea a comforter to the godly and a tormenter too vnto the wicked Conscience is no Forraigner or strange Inhabitant but an In-dweller remaining with vs yea within us which after sinne torments and after righteousnesse co●forteth the soule of man Conscience is the Recorder the principall secretary to register all our thoughts our words and actions It is like a Chrystall-glasse wherein the soule beholds herselfe and seeth what she hath done what she hath left vndone It is Priuata Lex a priuate Law to iudge within herselfe from which there 's no appeale but vnto God For when the Ciuill Law and Common Law haue done then this begins It is the Lord-Keeper the Chancellor the Vice-Deus the Vnder-God who keepeth a Chancery in the soule of man and without all partiality being rightly informed of euery circumstance giueth iust and righteous iudgement of the cause The power of Conscience Great is the power and strength of Conscience It is vnder God indeed and subiects a man to God because God can binde the Conscience but it is aboue all men that are in the world for though Kings are bound in Chaines Psal 82.6 and Nobles in linkes of Iron yet Conscience can no man binde they may bind thy body and cast that into prison but thy conscience they cannot bind it is aboue their strength and beyond their power they are not able to doe it And yet Conscience is able to bind all not only inferiour persons but Kings and Nobles and Iudges of the earth It is aboue all and that in respect of a fourefold Office The Offices of Conscience The first Office is the Testimony of Conscience for a mans conscience is as a thousand witnesses to acquire or condemne before God or men and the voyce of conscience is far more sure then the report of many others Seneca lib. de Mor. for as Seneca well obserues Falli sapè poterit fama conscientia nunquam the report of others may oftentimes deceiue thee but for thine owne actions thy conscience neuer that will giue true euidence with or against thee for what thou hast done or left vndone Conscience hath a second office and this is the Examination or Tryall of Conscience and in this she exceeds all outward Tryals For men in tryalls often erre because the Truth is hidden from them and cannot easily be found but conscience in tryall of our actions knoweth the truth shee is an eye-witnesse one of which is better then a thousand and shee proceedes from grounds and principles within knowne to herselfe and therefore quick-sighted conscience soone perceiues which way the ballance draweth the thoughts meane while accusing or excusing for the fact as Saint Paul expresseth it Rom. 2.15 Tryall being made shee proceedeth vnto her third office And this is the Iudgement of Conscience in which she is also excellent for she hath the keyes of binding and loosing of absoluing or condemning If shee binde t is faster then with fetters of brasse if shee loose shee setteth as much at liberty as the Angell did Peter from his Chaines Act. 12.7 and if it concerne a matter of fact her sentence being past vpon euidence giuen and tryall made there is no recall she admits no writt of Error oftentimes

and carelesse running on to wickednesse without restraint But a good Conscience is so at peace that yet it is fearefull of the least impiety lest by admitting the pleasure of sinne it should procure the displeasure of God who is so good and louing a Father in Christ Lastly a blinde or dead or carelesse Conscience though it be quiet yet it comforteth not nor can it get any true or found ioy vnto the soule Rom. 5.1 2 3 4 5 6. But a Conscience pacified with the hope of pardon and assurance of Gods fauour begets a ioy of soule which is vnutterable cherishing the heart with diuine and heauenly mirth euen in the middest of many dangers Saint Ambrose hee obserueth an euill conscience is a Bed Ambros lib. de interpellat c. 3. that when a man should sleepe it giueth him torments feares and terrors in stead of quietnesse Bern. in Vigil Natiuit serm 3. Foelix conscientia in qua luctamen timoris laetitiae reperitur c. Etsi ●imet à Iudice sperat à Saluatore c. Quia non timor sempiternus sed laetitia sempiterna 1. Sam. 24 4 5. A Conscience that is good procures the contrary not that a Conscience good is alwayes free from sense of trouble for as Saint Bernard saith happy is that Conscience in which is found the combate of feare and ioy feare when it looketh on God as a iust Iudge punishing for sinne and ioy when it beholded him as a louing Father pardoning sinne to his Children in Christ and for the merits of his death and Passion And the tender conscience which is deare in sight of God is like a Spider that sitteth within the Center of her web and if a fly but touch the out-most thread shee feeleth it instantly Iust so the child of God is touched in Conscience for the smallest sinne like Dauid but for cutting off the lappe of Sauls garment This is a Filiall Feare which is and ought to bee in all the Sonnes of God and t is the meanes for to preserue a good and quiet Conscience Quest. But how may this good conscience be obtained what must we doe to get it that so we may take care to keepe it Answ I answer A good and quiet conscience is a speciall gift of God to him therefore we must pray from whom comes euery good and perfect gift Iam. 1.17 and vse the meanes which is the readiest to procure it But before I shew what this meanes is Christ Iesus the foundation of true peace of Conscience 2. Thes 3.16 obserue this by the way There is now but one foundation vpon which this peace is builded and without which there can bee no true peace vnto the soule Adam before his fall had a good and peaceable conscience because hee was free from sinne remayning in his perfection Rom. 4.25 But now onely Christ Iesus and the merits of his death and resurrection is the meanes of peace God the Father being well pleased with vs in him Mat. 17.6 and Christ purchasing and procuring our peace by the blood of his Crosse Coloss 1.20 And this if wee apply rightly vnto our selues by a true and liuely faith we are iustified and being iustified by faith we haue peace with God Rom. 5.1 There is nothing that can make a good and peaceable conscience but the vertue of his blood Gen. 8.9 the soule like Noahs Doue can find no rest but in this Arke Though our conscience condemne vs not yet is God greater then our conscience 1. Iohn 3.20 and can easily find a cause of warre against vs if he looke not vpon vs in his Sonne It is this blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then did the blood of Abel Heb. 12.24 It is this blood of Christ who thorow the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God that can purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God Heb. 9.14 It is this onely that begets a good and quiet conscience Rom. 8.1 Rom. 6.4.6 Philip. 2.12 2. Pet. 1.10 taking away sinnes guilt from vs and crucifying sinnes power in vs that we may walke in newnesse of life working out our saluation with feare and trembling and labouring to make our calling and election sure If thy conscience sting thee Numb 21.9 Christ is the brazen Serpent that can cure thee If the Law of thy conscience like Mount Sinai affright thee with terrors Exod. 10.23 worse then Egyptian darkenesse in Christ is the Gospell of light that can enlighten thine vnderstanding and lighten thy heart with ioy and gladnesse If the red Sea of thy troubled conscience hinder thy passage to escape thy enemies that follow thee and to come to the happiness before thee Christ is the way the truth Iohn 14.6 and the life by whom thou maist passe boldly through the middest of dangers to the Canaan of peace and freedome This is the good Physitian who can cure all diseases and therefore easily procure peace vnto a troubled Conscience The meanes to get and keepe this peace of Conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 First therefore to get and keepe this blessed peace of Conscience it is not to keepe merry company to driue away melancholy as some imagine but to keepe thy most holy faith and preserue the memory and application of this bloud of Iesus as a rich treasure in thy soule It is an Antidote to expell all the poyson of Satans temptations or thy owne corruptions there is no sinne thou hast committed can be more powerfull to plead against thee Orizen ●●ulla species peceati tanta est qua non sit superior Iesus 1 Iohn 1.7 then vpon faith and repentance the merits of this bloud is to plead for thee before the throne of Gods Iustice nor any thing more effectuall to clense thee from all thy sinnes and therefore being rightly applied to free thee from conscience of iniquity and settle in thee a most sweet and blessed peace A direction to peace Bern. super Cant. Serm. 46. 1. Emundes conscientiam ab omni inquinamen●o c. 2 Circundare tibi flores c. 1. Meanes to procure peace 2 Cor. 13.5 1. Hinderance of peace And to direct thee further follow Saint Bernards counsell first clense thy Conscience from all kind of pollution from whatsoeuer hath or may offend thy conscience or procure the trouble of it and next gather those sweet flowers of spirituall graces of faith and good workes of all heauenly vertues to decke thy soule that it may be a pleasant temple for the good Spirit to dwell it This is the way for to enioy a good and quiet conscience Remedy 1 And for the first of these to put it in practice trie and examine thy selfe search into the secret of thy heart and if thou find that thy sinnes vnseene or vnfelt haue procured thy woe then is repentance the meanes to take away the doubt and scruple of thy Conscience for as a