Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	day_n	keep_v	sabbath_n	1,672	5	10.1381	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55395	A seasonable apology for religion being the subject of two sermons lately delivered in an auditory in London / by Matthew Pool, minister of the Gospel in London.	Poole, Matthew, 1624-1679.	1673 (1673)	Wing P2852; ESTC R36683	40,512	78

daughters which have not known man let me I pray you bring them out unto you and do you to them as is good in your eyes only unto these men do nothing for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof Where abating the errour of offering his Daughters to prostitution ther● is so great a constellation of virtues as might command reverence from the most savage Barbarians so strict an observance of the Laws of Hospitality such fortitude and generosity in exposing himself to the utmost hazards for the defence of those whom he supposed to be helpless strangers such Heroical self denial in being more willing to receive the injury in a part and the fruit of his own body than to permit it to strangers such eminent charity in affording counsel to these wretched Miscreants and doing what he could to prevent the death of those that deserv'd not to live and the reproof too was managed with all sweetness and mildness I pray you Brethren and fortified with great strength of reason and arguments do not so wickedly as if he had said This action has a turpitude in it s●lf and will bring some mischief upon your heads and yet these virulent Adders turn a deaf ear to the counsels of this holy charmer though he charmeth so wisely vers 9. And they said stand back and they said again this one fellow came in to sojourn and he will needs be a judge Now will we deal worse with thee than with them Thus heartily did they censure and threaten him for no other crime but this that he did his duty and obyed Gods command and would have made them as happy as himself So it is a plain command of God that Christians should walk circumspectly Ephes. 5.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exactly warily precisely for so the word signifies That they walk according to rule Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this rule peace be unto them and mercy That they have a respect unto all Gods commands and hate every false way Psalm 1●9 128 and consequently that they make conscience of every yea the least duty and of avoiding the least sin that they abstain from all appearance of evil 1 Thes. 5.22 Now if a Christian really be this which he ought and pretends to be and do this which you see he stands obliged to do 't is incredible what clamours are raised against him If a man make conscience of remembring the Sabbath day to keep it holy and of abstaining from the doing of his own ways and pleasure and the speaking of his own words as is expresly commanded Isaiah 58.13 unless perhaps the Advocates of prophaneness will fetch relief from the Tents of Heresie and say that the Old Testament i● antiquated to Christians then he is a Praecisian foppish superstitious nay he 's a Jew and I must acknowledge 't is better be a Jew than such a Pagan Christian as to live in the gross violation of the known laws of that God whom he professes to serve and obey Thus if a man will not do all that his neighbours do if a man make a scruple of those actions and carriages which others can easily digest and and are generally esteemed but puny sins then he is nice singular fantastical though it be no more than God requires he should be Secondly They condemn religious men for those very things which their own conscience● approve of for mens consciences if they be not bribed are generally on Gods side For example Conscience will justifie that a man should strive to enter in at the straight gate and make Religion his work and end to which all other things should give place So as neither worldly business nor idle visits nor recreations should divert a man from it Conscience will justifie that a man should be governed by Religion in all his concernments that whether he eats or drinks or whatsoever he doth all should be done to the glory of God as we are expresly enjoined 1 Cor. 10.31 That a man should prefer the hearing of a Sermon before an unnecessary worldly occasion or the performance of a civility I had almost said before a dearly beloved Play This I say is no more than Conscience will justifie and 't is a case already determined by our Saviour Luke 10.41 42. But if a man will resolvedly and diligently set upon the practice of these things he shall certainly hear of it This is but pride to be thought better than his neighbours humour to do more than other men hypocrifie to make great shews of devotion design to cover some evil practices or at best but an intemperate and busie zeal I knew two persons of Quality that were censuring some of their near Relations and condoling one with another that they could have no more comfort in them They were so frequently in their Closets or at Sermons and Fasts c. that they could have no society with them but at last Conscience began to work and one of them said but the truth is Sir they do no more than you and I ought to do And believe it however men may stupifie their consciences now there will be a great number of that mind at the last day Thirdly They condemn Religion for the faults of irreligious men or such as are vai● pretenders to Religion For such the World has ever had and 't is reasonable to expect it especially if Religion happen to be in fashion and the way to preferment And a multitude of such persons there were in the late times that have since discovered of what complexion their Religion was being of forward pretenders to it grown implacable haters and persecutors of it and these were the men that contributed as much to our late sad and sinful enormities as any and now Religion must bear the blame All these mens brats must be laid at Religions door and Religion must needs be the cause of Sedition and Rebellion and what not More wise and just was that late Noble Lord who though a constant enemy to all either the real or supposed miscarriages of late times yet has left this passage upon record in his pious Letter That though Religion had been abused to very bad purposes it was not to be thought worse of for it A great sign of a truly honest mind and heart and the contrary speeches of other men do plainly discover a heart full of malevolence and ●ll-will to Religion We know the Devil some times transforms himself into an Angel of Light now it were as just to charge all the lies and wicked actions of the Devil acting in such a disguise upon all the holy Angels as it is to charge the faults of meer pretenders to Religion upon the sincere professors of it Fourthly They condemn Religion for the faults of humane nature If any person that professes Religion be morose or passionate if any of them be churlish Husbands perverse Wives slothful or heedless Servants Religion must suffer for it and you