Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	darkness_n	light_n	shine_v	1,422	5	9.5903	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36859	A vindication of the sincerity of the Protestant religion in the point of obedience to sovereignes opposed to the doctrine of rebellion authorised and practised by the Pope and the Jesuites in answer to a Jesuitical libel entituled Philanax anglicus / by Peter Du Moulin.	Du Moulin, Peter, 1601-1684.	1664 (1664)	Wing D2571	98,342	178

so was the Gospel But those whom God used to draw his Church out of the abuses of Popery were not Angels but men whom we hold not to have been infallible Wherefore if one alledge to the English Churches some hard Sayings of persons that had a hand in the Reformation to the Germane Churches of Luther to the Helvetian of Zwinglius they will answer They were men They are not the Pillars of our Faith Since those men have laid open the Holy Scripture before us which was shut up before it is no more for their word that we believe for our selves have seen the saving Truth of God and upon that we are built But that the faults of men may not be imployed or received to give a prejudice against the Doctrine of God I desire all judicious and sober minded to consider that in the midst of the Romish darkness it was not to be expected that the saving light of Gods truth and the Apostolical Government of the Church should be discovered upon a sudden by any man completely with all its parts As Rome was not built in one day no more was Sion Many were great helpers towards the knowledge of the truth who were themselves very short of it and nevertheless ought to be reverently remembred by us for doing more then was to be expected in that Age. Such were the Waldenses such was Wiclef such was John Hus men too severely censured by some of us as not thoroughly principled in many points of Religion But how much truth did they discover How much saving Doctrine did they bring forth What lasting seeds of Reformation did they sow which lying buried for some Ages sprung forth and had a happy growth to a greater perfection in the age of our Fathers Truly although the announcing of the Gospel by the Angels be called the Day-spring from on high because that light Luk. 1. 78. at Christs coming brake forth as it were from the Meridian not from the Horizon and was full at its very rising we are not to expect at every return of that light after a long night that there shall be no difference between break of Day and Noon No the Truth is compared 2 Pet. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto a Light shining in a dark place untill the day dawn and the Day-Starr arise In these last Ages of the world after a long darkness the Sun of Truth did rise by little and little It shone at the first with much fogg about it and cast long shades And we have reason to acknowledge with thankfulness and admiration that among those shades so much saving Light did shine as inlightened the understanding and comforted the conscience with the mystery of Gods reconciliation with men in Jesus Christ through faith and repentance which is the main substance of Religion For Grace as Nature begins with the noble parts which are perfectioned long before the outward be finisht Although I reverence very much the memory of those that were raised by God to discover the errours of the Court of Rome I will not justifie their errours if they had any nor all the words and writings of them that came after and brought their Work to a greater perfection To compass that great work among the highest contradiction and against the current of custome if men of stout spirits and there was need of such had let fall from their mouth or pen some less reverend expressions then duty required concerning the superiour powers that opposed them none needs wonder at it and yet none needs to justifie it and we are very far from it But though they had spoken treason it casts no blur upon our profession which is exprest in our publick confessions Neither do we acknowledge any private man to be the warrant of our faith I may then save my labour in examining whether our Adversary hath faithfully alledged the writings of Protestant Divines and truly represented their opinions since their opinions are not our rule And yet so much we will say for them that those very men whose opinions their Adversaries misrepresent unto the world were the Writers and Composers of those Confessions of Faith which were subscribed unto and acknowledged by the National Churches as the publick Declarations of their belief Which Confessions are so full and pregnant in asserting the obedience of subjects unto their Sovereigns as I will demonstrate God willing in the third Chapter of this Treatise that the greatest Adversaries find little to say against it And our Adversary to whom his Party owes this commendation that he hath carefully collected and epitomized all the objections made against us about the point of Obedience passeth by our Confessions of faith as being without the reach of his exceptions Onely he nibbleth a little at the 39. Article of the French Confession which is this We affirm that Laws are to be obeyed tributes to be paid and the yoke of subjection to be born although the Magistrates be infidels Thus far excellent well saith the Adversary but that which follows spoils all in his opinion The Sovereign Empire of God remaining alwaies entire Why here is a gallant latitude saith he for disobedience and rebellion But no such latitude is left by the Article All that good reason can infer out of it is that we must obey the Magistrates as long as we may do it without disobeying God There is great difference between not obeying and rebelling I see nothing else bearing the stamp of publick consent of any National Church among Protestants that this man excepts against in the point of obedience For his invective against the Geneva Bible is a wilfull mistake Some English exiles at Geneva printed there a Bible An Edition justly discredited by a Note in the Margin 2 Chron. 5. 16. upon that Asa put by his mother Maacha from the government for her idolatry And the annotation saith that he should not onely have deposed her but killed her Which impious Paradox this Gentleman imputeth to the whole Congregation of those Protestants of integrity as he calls us because saith he their holy Geneva Bible is admitted by their whole Kirk which we deny No English Translation of the Bible is authentical to be read in Churches but that which was made by the commandement of King JAMES of glorious memory Neither was that Geneva Bible translated or received by publick authority Neither is Geneva more to be taxed for it then London for printing the wicked libel which I am now confuting both being printed without Licence That Note put in by some Fanatick is rejected by all Protestants and the generality must not be charged with a private mans folly Although I answer not for any private man yet that the Reader may judge what credit he may give to this Gentlemans allegations I have set down here a sample Pag. 82 and 83. of his unsincerity in his alledging of Luther He sets down three passages taken as he saith out of Luther's I made