Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	blood_n	bull_n	purge_v	993	5	9.4603	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08402	The sinne against the Holy Ghost discouered and other Christian doctrines deliuered: in twelue sermons vpon part of the tenth chapter of the epistle to the Hebrewes. By Sebastian Benefield ...	Benefield, Sebastian, 1559-1630.	1615 (1615)	STC 1872; ESTC S101615	138,488	190

best endeavours that your preaching be not turned into dumbnes your hearing into deafnesse your beliefe into infidelity Since you haue confessed your sinnes be ye not vnwilling to forsake them also For to confesse your sins with your lips and say with Pharaoh Saule Iudas We haue sinned will nothing profit you vnlesse your hearts also be ready to say with Shadrach Meshach and Abednego Dan. 3.18 We will not sinne For it is most true which Solomō hath Prov. 28.13 He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper it followeth but he that confesseth forsaketh them shall haue mercy Not he that confesseth only but he that confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall haue mercy And last of all since you haue beene sanctified with the blood of the Testament beware O beware that you account not that blood an vnholy thing for so doing you tread vnder foote the Sonne of God and despite the Spirit of grace It is without controversie better for vs 2. Pet. 2 21. never to knowe the way of righteousnesse then after we know it to turne from it THE SEAVENTH SERMON HEBR. 10. VER 29. 29 Of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall he be worthy wh●●h ●re●deth vnder foot the Sonne of God and coūteth t●e ●●●od of the Testament as an vnholy thing wherewith he was sanctified and doth despite the Spirit of grace IN my former Sermon the despiser of Christ and his Gospell was out of this 29 verse discovered by certaine markes First to bee somewhat like vs that loue Christ Secondly to be much vnlike vs. He is somwhat like to vs that loue Christ for hee is sanctified with the blood of the Testament Againe he is much vnlike to vs that loue Christ for 1. He treadeth trampleth vnder foote the Sonne of God 2. Hee accounteth the blood of the Testament a vulgar a cōmon an vnholy a prophane thing 3. He despites the spirit of grace The consideration of such his markes may occasion vs to touch two questions 1 Because the reprobate not all of them but such only as are deepest in Gods displeasure such as doe sinne against the holy Ghost are in this place said to bee sanctified with the blood of the Testament it may be asked How farre forth a man may be so sanctified how farre a man may goe in the profession of the Gospell and yet be a reprobate 2 Because they that haue giuen their names to the strumpet of Babylon do vpon this place build their doctrine for the finall relapse of the Saints of God I shall not erre from the meaning of my text if I answere this second demande whether a Sonne of God sanctified with the blood of the covenant may fall away Of these at this time The first marke wherewith men swallowed vp of so monstrous a sinne are here noted is common to them together with the elect and chosen of God They may bee sanctified with the blood of the covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some read it per sanguinem foederis in the Vulgar and Erasmus it is per sanguinem Testamenti Wee may not disallow of either of these read●ngs For though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe properly signifie a testament and is often so vsed Heb. 9. yet also it fitly answereth to the Hebrew wo●d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifieth pactionem viventiū conventionem inter ●i●entes an agreement or covenant betweene the living In which sense it is vsed by the expositors of the Old Testament in many places I cite only one 1. Sam. 11.1 When Nahash the Ammonite had besieged Iabesh Gilead the men of the citie said vnto him as the Seaventie doe expound it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make a covenant with vs and wee will be thy servants These two significations of this word doe very fitly agree with the respects of that covenant which God hath made with his people For it respecteth God it respecteth man God was displeased because man had sinned Hence was it necessary that an agreement should be made God was to be appeased man was to make satisfaction God required and that worthily the paine of death for satisfaction of which durst man haue adventured to make payment needs must he haue been swallowed vp thereof Nothing then remained for the making of this agreemēt betweene God vs but that the Sonne of God very God very man should interpose himselfe Which already is performed For he being in the forme of God Phil 2 6. and thinking it no robbery to be be equall with God hath made himselfe of no reputation hath taken on himselfe the forme of a servant was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and being thus humbled hee hath vndertaken to satisfie his angry Father for vs and in fulnesse of time became obedient to the death to that death of the Crosse and so hath wrought our reconcilement And now hee sitting at the right hand of his Father in the highest heauens holdeth for vs in possession an eternall inheritance and because the right of this inheritance is purchased by him for no lesse price then the shedding of his most pretious blood hence it commeth to passe that the agreement reconciliation and atonement the covenant made betweene God and vs that he will be our God and we shall be his people may beare the shew haue the name of a Testament For he that made it was dead though now he liueth and liueth for evermore It was not the blood of buls nor of calues nor of goats nor the ashes of a heyfer that could make vs acceptable to the Lord but the blood of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God that is it that purgeth our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God And for this cause is Christ the mediator of the new Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9.15 in which chapter this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often vsed in the same signification for this cause I say is Christ the mediator of the new Testament that through death which was for the redemption of the transgressions in the former Testament they which were called might receaue the promise of eternall inheritance In regard of Christ thē whose death hath made the covenant betweene God and vs to bee of force this covenant may very fitly be called a Testament and this respect of him that dyed for vs warranteth both those expositions that for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may read either Covenant or Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The blood of Christ which in the conceite of the Nestorians differeth nothing from the blood of any other creature and is in the iudgement of such as sin willingly after that they haue received the knowledge of the truth but common blood as it were the blood of any other man this blood of Christ is here called the blood of the Covenāt or the blood of the

high hand Num. 15.30 not only presumptuously and in secret but openly but perversly but contemptuously but maliciously they sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in the beginning of my text verse 26. purposely wilfully only because they will sinne neither fearing nor regarding God nor man These mē thus sinning sinning as I haue shewed against their consciences in the highest degree and sinning in contempt of God may iustly be said to tread vnder foote the Sonne of God And this if you remember was the doctrine put by Zanchius resolving the question made by Primasius Primasius asketh How we may be said to tread vnder foote him who being ascended farre aboue al Heavens now sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Zanchius thus teacheth Peccare contra cōscientiam seu peccare ex contemptu Dei hoc est conculcare pedibus filium Dei To sin against one's conscience or to sinne in contempt of God this is to treade vnder foote the Son of God Hitherto of this first mark by which men wallowing in that foule sin the sinne against the Holy Ghost may be made knowne to the worlde The seconde followeth in these wordes And accounteth the blood of the Testament as an vnholy thing wherewith he was sanctified WEE haue heretofore heard that the blood of the Testament is here put for the blood of Christ because as Theophylact and Aquinas haue both noted the New Testament was confirmed by the blood of Christ and wee haue further heard how farre a reprobate may be said to be sanctified with this blood of the Testament namely not truely nor before God but in the face of the Church and before men as it were sacramētally How men thus sanctified doe account of that blood wee may now see by the word which the Holy Ghost here vseth they count the blood of CHRIST the blood of the Testament wherwith they were sanctified to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Vulgar reads it pollutum a defiled thing an vncleane thing The expositors following that translation doe giue diverse constructions of this place One is that then wee account the blood of CHRIST polluted and vncleane when we are vnworthy receavers of his blood Another is that then we account the blood of CHRIST polluted and vncleane when being washed in baptisme through the power of his blood we fall to sin againe A third is that then we account the blood of CHRIST polluted and vncleane when we iudge it vnable to cleanse vs from our sinnes and to this purpose they alleage that Eccles 34.4 Ab immundo quis mundabitur Who can be cleansed by the vncleane Of these three the last construction hath the best shew and no marvaile if the rest doe pervert the true meaning of this place since they are grounded vpon a corrupt translation I know that sōetimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies that which is impure and vncleane So it doth Mark 7.2 where the Scribes Pharisees cōplaine vpon Christs disciples for eating with vncleane filthy hands In the text it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with commō hands explicated there by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word noting vncleane foule hands such as vnwashed hands doe vse to bee And so it doth Act. 10.14 where Peter being commanded to kill and eate of those beasts let downe vnto him in a certaine vessel from Heaven made answere Not so LORD for I haue never eaten any thing that is POLLVTED and VNCLEAN● the text hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which though generally it signifies common is there restrai●ed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to note that which is polluted and vncleane But for this place since it is not necessarie that every thing by and by should bee polluted which is common wee may content our selues with the proper signification of the worde and read here for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vulgar or common blood as it may bee the blood of any man for so is it expounded in the Syriacke or prophane blood and this is the interpretation of Pagnin Vatablus and others The exposition then that here I doe admit is the same that Beza hath in his greater annotations where he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 11.29 As if he should haue said They doe account the blood of the Testament to bee but a vulgar a common an vnholy a prophane thing whosoever they be that doe esteem the blood of CHRIST shed for sinfull mans ransome of no greater price of no better value of no more efficacie then they doe the blood of other men or sacrifices Hence we may gather the persons here noted who they are even such as were before described and found to tread vnder foot the Sonne of God that is such reprobates as in the highest degree doe sinne against their consciences and in contempt of God Gods elect I am assured haue no part with them it is not possible they should bee so farre seduced as to haue so vile a perswasion of the blood of their Redeemer Yet because many who doe thinke they doe surely stand in the state of Grace may be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne and so fall away from the liuing God let the elect here bee admonished to examine themselues whether they doe discerne the blood of Christ whether they esteeme it as they should whether they doe not account it common Is it true which St Iames hath that our faith must be shewn by our works Why thē surely our seldome celebrating of the memorial of the blessed death and passion of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ must be a witnesse against vs that we put not that difference which wee should betweene the blood of Christ and common blood A fault well worthy our amending that so at length discerning the blood of Christ as meet is esteeming it according to the worth thereof we would not dare as now we doe for every trifling not cause but excuse then absent our selues when occasion is giuen vs to offer vp our selues our soules and bodies a holy a liuing and an acceptable sacrifice vnto God Touching the wise ones Politicians of this age who discerne not at all the blood of Christ but doe account it common and prophane I only wish they could lay vnto their hearts the end of one of their chiefe captaines NESTORIVS Bishop of Constātinople if not for their amendments sake yet for their assured horror and astonishment This NESTORIVS filling his heart with delight to blaspheme the Sonne of God among others very detestable held this one opinion that the blood of Christ is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common blood such as the blood of another man may be Dan. in Aug. de haeresib c. 91 I need not belong in telling you how hee was summoned to a counsell held at Ephesus at the appointment of Theodosius the younger was there convicted in disputation by Cyrell was for his error depriued