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	life_n	sin_n	2,554	5	4.5681	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29138	A moderate short discourse concerning tenderness of conscience by John Bradshaw ...	Bradshaw, John, 1602-1659.	1663 (1663)	Wing B4154; ESTC R32859	26,615	37

conscience are distinguisht without remorse or regard which conscience and the fear of God should restrain and are not punisht by humane laws or if so do not easily or speedily come to humane cognizance 3. Whence it follows that loosness of conscience is most discover'd in secret sins and consequently more discernible to a mans self then to another till it break out into open enormities without open signs of a wounded or troubled soul 4. That which some Divines call a sleepy or dull conscience is but a farther degree of a loose conscience for when men have inured themselves to sin against conscience this (a) Si autem vince●e imperare consueverunt laboriosa d fficultate superantur Aug. de civ Dei lib. 21. c. 16. custome takes away quickness of sense Yet is not a stupified conscience without some degree of feeling when God awakens it either with a powerful word Act. 2.37 they were pricked in their heart and said men and brethren what shall we do or with a powerful work as in Pharaohs case Exod. 9.27 I and my people are sinful For as such who are Lethargical are not easily awakened but by some great noise so neither is a sluggish conscience without a powerful word or work of God 5. The seared conscience seems to be the highest degree of a loose or wide conscience Eph. 4.19 who being past feeling c. 1 Tim. 4.2 having their conscience seared with an hot iron For as that which hath been seared feels nothing so neither doth a seared conscience till it feels hell fire and it is commonly the effect of an hypocritical profession of the faith or of a wicked departure from the faith 6. The cauterized conscience as it is of the same species with a wide and loose conscience may be called a degree of it yea the highest degree Cauterium est corruptio in carne per g●em ex qua egreditur continua putredo Aquinas in 1 Tim. 4. as it proceeds from loosness it may be an effect of it as it increases loosness and widens the conscience it may be a cause of it 7. Of all the judgments of God in this life it is the greatest to be given up to such a searedness or reprobate sense For however Desperation continued in cuts off from all mercy yet is a seared conscience no less desperate keeping off a sence of sin and therein any due sense of mercy From which miserable estate the Lord deliver us CHAP. V. Of the difference of a tender conscience from other graces nearest and likest to it 1. IT thus differs from the fear of God that this properly respects the (m) Job 1.1 fear'd God and eschewed evil Qu● hanc habet omnem odit iniquitatem per hunc timorem Dei universa deserimus mundo abrenunciamus nosque ipsos sicut Dominus ait abnegamus nobis Bern. de don sp sancti ser 3. c. 1. future Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear into their heart that they shall not depart from me but tenderness of conscience respects as well the time past as the future The fear of God seems to be the cause of a tender conscience Ecclesiastic 1.21 The fear of the Lord drives away sin Gen. 39.9 how can I do this great wickedness and sin against God 2. It differs from penitential contrition as this respects actions past but tenderness things also future and as in the former contrition seems to be some cause of tenderness 2 Cor. 7.11 that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you the heart never being truly tender till it be a broken and a contrite heart 3. It differs from vigilancy this being principally exercised about our temptations and such other dangers but tenderness about the good or evil of our actions 4. It differs not only from a scrupulous conscience but from a dubious this haesitating betwixt assent and dissent that firmly bent against any manifest evil CHAP. VI. Of the quick sense of a tender conscience being the formalis ratio of it A distinction somewhat like is in Aristot lib. 7. Ethic. c. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solum dicitur practicus dum ad factibilia agibilia inferiora convertitur Gerson 1. THis sensibility is a quick motion of the practical understanding in a suddain cheek of something done or a suddain stop at something to 〈◊〉 done 2. The practical understanding is a power of the soul which apprehends things in ordine ad opus in order to some operation as the speculative understanding in ordine ad scientiam in order to something to be known For example the speculative understanding considers of hearbs as having such virtues and operations in them the practical whether I should for such purposes use such simples and in what manner to use them The theorical intellect considers of marriage as it is the ordinance of God as a great mystery as a means of the propagation of mankind the practical intellect considers of entring or refusing such or such a marriage A Judge upon the Bench makes use of his theorick intellect when he discourses of the Laws and Statutes what they allow or forbid he makes use of the practick power when he examines and condemns malefactors by the law 3. Whence it is a rule in Philosophy Intellectus theoricus conquiescit in notitia principiorum intellectus practicus in notitia singularium Upon which is grounded the distinction of a (a) Vita humana in activam contemplativam dividitur quae quidem attenditur secundum intellectum Intellectus autem d viditur per activum contemplativum Aquin. 22. qu. 179. art 2. contemplative and an active life 4. The quick motion of this practical understanding is imperated by the will truly sanctified which lays a general charge upon all the faculties above all things what ever they do to keep all sin out of the soul Cum magna horreas Quoe posse fieri non putes metuas tamen Senec. trag in OEdip CHAP. VII Of the immediate object of a tender Conscience 1. THe object of this sensibility or tenderness is about (b) Conscientia est actus quo scientiam nostram ad ea quae agimus applicamus Aqu. 1. part q. 79. art 13. doing or having done any thing which is cleerly evil and consequently of omitting or having omitted any thing which is truly good 2. The absolute and primary rule of evil and good to a tender conscience is the express and clear Word of God rightly understood for every thing in some particular places forbidden or commanded is not the rule 3 I call Gods Word the primary and absolute rule because other rules there are which bind the conscience but they do it by the virtue of the absolute rule 4. Those secondary rules of conscience as some Divines both lately and formerly have noted are 1. The Laws Orders and Mandates of our Superiours 2. Our own spontaneous vows and promises 3. The consideration

Rev. 19.8 Yet the chief and leading men of that way did at certain times in the fight of many thousands wear Skarlet Gowns and Hoods in the Universities not only at Disputations and Congregations but at sermons yea if I mistake not did preach ad Clerum in their scarlet Copes one of the gravest habits in the world and much used in one of the Universities at solemn times Wherein a man may wonder as why they should not scruple as much at scarlet as as at white so much more why they should stumble more at white of linnen then at the white of miniver wherewith that habit is largely indorsed Of School-writers none that I know speaks more to the purpose then Antoninus from whom some Modern Writers seem to borrow that little that they have upon that subject A quibusdem vocatur erronea conscientia ab aliis timor consc entiae ab aliis pusillanimitas Anton. Sum. part 1. Tract 3 c. 10. Sect. 9. First he shews the several names given to scrupulosity some call it says he pusillanimity some fear of conscience some an erroneous conscience and gives this definition Est vacillati● quaedam consurgens cum formidine ex aliquibus conjecturis debilibus incertis i. e. A wavering of mind rising in us with fear upon some uncertain and weak conjectures He after distinguishes betwixt fides scientia opinio Secundum Albertum in libro de quatuor c●aevis differentia est inter scientiam s●dem opinionem dubitationem s●rupulum seu fusp cionem Demum scrupulus ex levibus conjecturis seu mediis multum debil bas movetur ad unam partium ibid. dubitatio and scrupulus and tells us that a doubting conscience is pendulous betwixt both parts but a scrupulous fastens upon one part drawn by weak reasons I see but little difference betwixt vacillatio and dubitatio nor is it necessary either to conceive of a dubious conscience as not fastning because when it doth so it may be doubting nor doth a scrupulous conscience seem always to close with one part Having after laid down the effects of scrupulosity Causatur quandoque ex complexione ad timorem idonea viz. frigidâ quandoque ex agritudine manica vel melancholicâ per quam laeditur imaginatio causatur ex tentatione diabolica ex societate timidorum he proceeds to the causes viz. melancholy hurting the brain temptation from Satan stirring up the melancholy humors and he produces Avicenna so teaching sometimes overmuch fasting and watching sometimes the society of scrupulous persons one being apt to possess another with scruples (a) Non debent scrupulosi durè corr●pi sed animari ad deponendum pusillanimitatem scrupalum Next he proceeds to the remedies of it As 1. That they should not be over harshly reproved he should have added (b) Of which danger our governours are Judges except the scruple be dangerous to Church or State 2. That they should be perswaded to lay it aside 3. (c) Debita ad gratiam Dei praeparatio Solli●ta sacrae Scripturae in dagatio orationis devota continuat●o opinionis alicujus tuta electio obedientiae humilis imitatio scrupulorum animosa abjectio discreta praeceptorum interpretatio Diligently search the Scriptures Jam. 1. If any man lack wisdome c. 4. By Godly sorrow to prepare for the receiving the grace of God 5. By subjecting their understanding and judgments to their superiors in wisdome and office Prov. 3. Lean not to thine own understanding He cites to this purpose the words of the learned Chancellour of Paris Vnum hoc damus generale documentum viz. facile credere sapientium bonorum judicio contra communes eorum sententias non leviter sibi formare scrupulos anxios timidos We give this general instruction easily to yield to the judgement of wise and good men and not lightly to frame to our selves troublesome scruples against their common judgement And if a scrupulous person shall say Vtinam talis esset praelatus noster qualis Bernardus crederem faciliter imperanti acquiescerem consulenti If our Church-governour were such a one as Bernard I would believe easily what he should tell me and rest in what he shall counsel me He answers Erras debes illi obedire non ut homini sed ut Deo cujus vices gerit nam Christus dicit qui vos audit me audit Thou errest for thou oughtest to obey him not as man but as God in whose stead he is thus far Antonine Arch-bishop of Florence 8. By what he writes or others from him themselves or others it is manifest there is such a thing as a scrupulous conscience that this conscience is anxious and no doubt in some degree dubious there being little difference betwixt dubitatio vacillatio that this scrupulosity is a sin in whomsoever it is as proceeding from evil causes viz. ignorance errour Say to them that are of a fearful heart be strong Isa 35.4 or instability of mind or pride some affecting and professing scrupulosity For by this they make that to be sin which else had been none faciunt sibi peccata ubi non sunt peccata says one It proceeds also from other ill causes aforesaid 9. There is a kind or rather show of conscience Disc de temp Conscientia mala est conscientia perversa quam habent qui peccata parva ponderunt magnanon curant minima observatis maxima contemnitis Aug. quaest evang lib. 1. qu. 35. which some call a perverse or preposterous conscience such was that of the Pharisees Mat 23.23 who paid tithes of mint annis c. and neglected c. who strained at a Gnat and swallowed a Camel Mat. 23.24 Or to give a more modern and too well known an instance to be so narrow throated as to strain at the Churches Prayers and to be so wide throated as to swallow the Churches Lands to scruple to give a penny to the building or repairing of a Church a thing laudable pious and necessary and to stick at no cost towards the dethroning and destroying of their Soveraign a thing unnatural and impious But this being but an hypocritical pretense of conscience cannot be referred to this head which treats of real scrupulosity CHAP. IV. Of the left hand extream viz. a wide loose and seared conscience Conscientia dilatata quam habent illi qui non ponderant crassiora peccata de communibus non curant Disc de temp Ser. 9. 1. A Wide or loose Conscience is that which is not tenderly sensible of having done nor tenderly wary of doing what is clearly and manifestly evil out of an inward principle 2. If a man forbear evil to be done or is troubled for evil done only because it is punisht or punishable by humane laws this is not tenderness And therefore loosness of conscience is chiefly seen and discern'd in the commission and admission of such sins Rom. 13. wrath and