Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	duty_n	good_a	note_n	1,053	5	9.6415	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03950	Certaine godlie and learned sermons Made vpon these sixe following parables of our Sauiour Christ, declared in the Gospell. 1. Of the vncleane spirit. 2. Of the prodigall sonne. 3. Of the rich man and Lazarus. 4. Of the vvounded man. 5. Of the vnmercifull seruant. 6. Of the faithfull seruant. By S.I.	I. S.	1601 (1601)	STC 14058; ESTC S119692	196,316	502

CERTAINE Godlie and learned Sermons Made vpon these sixe following Parables of our Sauiour Christ declared in the Gospell 1. Of the vncleane spirit 2. Of the prodigall sonne 3. Of the Rich man and Lazarus 4. Of the vvounded man 5. Of the vnmercifull seruant 6. Of the faithfull seruant By S. I. Nascimur in commune bonum At London Printed by I.R. for R.B. and are to be solde in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Sunne 1601. To the right Reuerend Father in God Ma. Doctour Babington Bishop of VVorcester a plentifull measure of Gods grace in this life and eternall ioyes in the life to come MAtter 's of learning are most fit to be presented to thē that excel therein For as the prouerbe is Scientia ●emi●ē habet inimicum prater ignorantem so by the same rule may I say Scientia nemi●●em habet amicum et Mecanatem nisi studiosum fa●t●re●●que honorum literarum Let wisdom grow in fauour with them that haue knowledge and waighty discourses be accepted of learned men Caluine and Erasmus making their Comentaries vpon the New-testament tooke choice to dedicate them to Kings and Princes Nobles which I take it was not only to make them in loue with religion but also to make them to fauour and further it to the vtmost of theyr power Though my selfe be nothing comparable not so much as worthy to carry their bookes after such learned men yet I may take example frō them And although Right Reuerend I know right well that you not onely fauour religion but are an earnest professor thereof that I need not to exhort and stirre you vp therein yet the principal scope of this my writing is of this my dedication in most humble earnest sort to desire you tha●●s you haue done much good already by your printed labors so you would vouchsafe yet more and more to further Gods church the ministerie by this means Among whom my selfe beeing but a mean member haue reaped great profit by your labors For the which as we of the ministery chiefly are to acknowledge gods goodnes for raising vp such an instrument in his church so as many as haue beene furthered bettered by your painfulnesse are also to account thēselues beholding vnto you as I am I speak it vnfainedly I heare being one of your neighbour Diocesse that you haue great care of a learned ministery and at the entrance of your honourable place in VVorster you shewed your selfe a forward man therein I beseech your Lordship to pardō my presumption and to take my meaning in good part For them that are vnlearned and eyther would or by any means are like to enter into the ministery where you haue to doe either you may aduice thē as no doubt you doe to stay a longer time till they be sufficient or debar thē or exhort and counsell them to take vpon them another course of life For those beeing vnlearned that are already placed who considering their ovvne wants and weaknesse might bestowe some part of their liuing vppon sufficient and able men to helpe to discharge that vvaightie dutie which lyeth vpon thē to performe in that behalfe if they be vnwilling this way of themselues wil be studious painful endeuouring to discharge a good conscience in their place and calling no better helps can they haue then learned bookes Who if they would but follow the direction which you haue already set foorth I d●●● a●sure them they may doe much good in theyr congregation Nowe as Kings and Princes desirous to gouerne theyr people well doe not onely commaund them to liue in due obedience and ciuill order but also doe prescribe lawes statutes that thereby they may be directed to liue as they ought to do so such men as your selfe vnder Kings and Princes beeing appoynted great Gouernours hauing a great charge doe well to perswade your Clergie vnder your iurisdiction that they haue especiall care to instruct the people cōmitted to them but they doe better that by all meanes they can deuise doe help and further them to make them able Ministers The example of your Lordshippes painfull preaching is a notable incouragement in this behalfe but if it would please you as yet further to preach to the by your painfull pen they might at good leyfare instruct th●●●el●●● 〈◊〉 by due meditatiō make good vse therof to the edification of others And that you may continue in your godly 〈◊〉 of a learned ministery as also the vnlearned may take heed what they doe 〈◊〉 much heerein they offend let mee further perswade by the words of that lerned and reuerend man Ma. Doctour Some who in a printed booke aunswering Penry his obiections sh●weth his great forwardnes in this matter I beseech you let it not seeme ●●d●ous vnto you though I recite vnto you that which there I haue r●●d The vvordes are these as followeth Doctour S●mes desire of a lerned ministerie I haue 〈◊〉 very earnestly and humbly by wri●ing● and speech for a learned ministerie I haue receiued very comfortable aunswere of very great and honourable personages who haue alreadie thanks be to God employed some and will no doubt imploy more in the churches seruice Penry maketh a speech as proceeding from vnlearned ministers chap. 25. vvhich make the ministery vltim●●●● 〈◊〉 They in their practise say Lord whether of soule or no we care not but rather then we should not haue the meanes to liue in this life for this is theyr onelie scope in continuing in the ministerie require the blood of soules and vvhat thou wilt at our hands And so sencelesse men they sell themselues body soule vnto euerlasting woe destruction To this speech Ma. Doctour Some aunswereth wisely and discreetly I am so far saith he from beeing a defence to ignorant eyther Leuites before or Ministers nowe that I confesse freelie that their entrance into the priest-hood and ministerie and ●●●●uance in it most absurdly vvas and is a g●eeuous sinne If the Lorde hath or shall punish them senerely for theyr intrusion into so high a calling they cannot plead not guiltie If they doe it is in vaine for at Gods barre they shall not be acquitted You write that the ignorant Ministers whom you call sencelesse men doe sell themselues body soule to euerlasting destruction Your speech is true Illi viderint Let them if they be not gracelesse and shamelesse looke into it All that I say vnto it is the Lorde for his Christ his sake heale that sore It is not so grieuous thankes be to GOD as it was I assure my selfe it will be lesse I would to God it were none So farre Maister Doctor Some who I am perswaded vttered this not so much addicted vnto learning beeing himselfe a man verie learned as principallie vpon a good conscience considering the vvaightie charge that lyeth vppon the Minister to performe to teach to confute to comfort vvhich cannot bee performed vvithout learning Novve

then the Maister God hath made all these earthly things for the body and the body for the soule the soule for himself that it might learn to know him loue honour reuerence him I wil praise the lord alwaies saith the prophet psal 33. and my mouth shal be ful of his praise Man throgh sin is dumbe and cannot prayse God I haue finned before thee that is in the inward receit of my soule where-into no mans eyes can pierce but onely God aboue many more hainous are our offences thē are openly known to the world As the prophet saith psal 50. Against thee only haue I sinned done this euil in thy fight He lay with Bathshabe secretly and more priuily did hee conspire the death of Vriah yet was it not so secret but it vvas most manifest to God there were fewe or no witnesses but onely God and his conscience Euery sinne before God is rather esteemed from the inward hart then from the outward worke For out of the hart come adulteries murders the like Mat. 15. And that thou maist know that Dauid finned priuily Nathan said from GOD Thou hast doone this in secrete but that which I wil doe in punishing thy sin shall be before al Israel Ananias Saphira finned before God We commit those things before God which we would be ashamed to doe before a prince or noble man yea before any meane man I haue finned before thee ô Lord my God what small account haue I made of thee howe little haue I regarded thee I shoulde haue considered that thou didst looke vpon me behold my doings that althogh I was much long prouoked by my sinful flesh yet the remembrance of thy presence authority scuerity in punishing should haue restrained mee Is God blind that he cannot see our offences psal 94.9 Eccl. 23.18 He. 4.13 nay our blindnes is lamentable which cannot see our blindnes is lamentable which cannot see our owne misery vntill it be almost past remedy and we in a maner brought to despaire as our first parents in paradice and Iudas after he had betrayed Christ The wicked Iudges that woulde haue defiled Susanna woulde not behold heauen Although sinners beleeue that God knoweth all yet they suspect that he is not offended with their sins or els they flatter themselues thinking that they shall escape scotfree because GOD dooth forbeare to punish them The forbearing of GOD which should prouoke thē to repentance dooth harden them in theyr sines That the eyes of God cannot be blinded let vs heare what the Word of God doth say to this intent 1. Sam. 16. GOD seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but God beholdeth the hart psalm 7. The righteous God tryeth the very harts and raines He fitly aptly saith that God searcheth for the smallest things that are cannot escape his sight he searcheth diligently as it is said of the vvoman that swept her house lighted a candle to finde her Iost groate The knowledge of God diueth into the bottome of the great deepe Ecclus. 24. so that that which neuer man sawe is manifest vnto him Let no man think his sinne to be vnknowne neither let him say with the wicked Iudges The Orchard doores are shut and no man seeth vs. The Iudge of all the world seeth thee before whose iudgement seate thou shalt stand Many are like the foolish beast which hauing his head hid thinketh all his body hid to Although we see not God ye God seeth vs is about our paths God willed Ezech. chap. 8. to dig through the hole of the wall that hee might see the abhominations of the house of Israell Then he said vnto me sonne of man hast thou seene what the auncients of the house of Israell doe in the dark euery one in the chamber of his imagery for they say The Lord seeth vs not the Lord hath forsaken the earth I haue sinned before thee so impudent and shamelesse was I like a beast before thee neither cōsidering thy secrete knowledge nor fearing the power of thy manifold punishments for diuers are the waies which thou vsest to punish offenders I haue finned before thee for thou onelie knowest my secrets Man doth not see the hainousnes of his sinnes till God do open his eyes The deuill blinded our first parents eyes to make them beleeue they were gods but when God opened theyr eyes they appeared to themselues to bee most miserable creatures and to be ashamed of themselues and their own nakednesse I haue sinned plenty made him wilde and vnciuill and like to a brute beast that hath no vnderstanding beeing altogether disobedient and vnruly therefore came this misdry wel vpon him as a fit meane to bring him to repentance So fit it is that God by great extreamities should violentlie breake our vnrulie nature and that miseries and despaire shoulde pull vs downe vppon our knees whom no other remedie can tame And happy is that distresse vvhich constrayneth a man to amend his cuill life Thys tenor and forme of speaking vnto his Father no eloquence or art of Rethoricke had put into thys young mans mind but his owne conscience beeing greeued and displeased with it selfe and yet not vtterly conceauing an extreame ill opinion of his Fathers goodnes For Gods mercie is not truly receaued till harty repentance become an humble suter which hath all his ground of cōfort in the hope of Gods mercy And the confession of our sinnes ought alwayes to be according to the nature of the offence Psal 32 5. if publique then publique confession if otherwise betwixt God and thy conscience I am no more woorthy to be called thy sonne make mee as one of thy hired seruaunts This is one effectual note of repentance when we are perswaded that we shall not be refused of our heauenly Father but that wee shall obtaine mercy and forgiuenesse although vvee be altogether vnwoorthy Though I am not worthy to be one of thy houshold vouchsafe me to be a hanger on Vnworthy hee was to be called his sonne because by sinne hee had many wayes defaced the Image of God and now beeing farre vnlike vnto him By sinne hee made himselfe the seruaunt of the deuill and of sinne For of whom-socuer a man is ouercome euen vnto the same is hee in bondage 2. Pet. 2.19 Thefore I confesse my selfe vnworthy of fauour or to be vouchsafed the name of a Sonne humblie request that I may bee as one of thy hired seruants So that prudent woman Abigaell knowing that Dauid requested her to wife 1. Sa. 25.41 saith Behold let thine handmaid be a seruant to wash the feet of the seruaunts of my Lord. The Centurion said I am vnwoorthy thou shouldst come vnder the roofe of my house And for this humble cōfession Christ praised the Centurions faith granted his request Luke 7.8.9 Depart from me saith Peter for I am a sinfull man Yet none more worthy then they