Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	eat_v	idol_n	weak_a	2,180	5	9.3570	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00011	Englands complaint to Iesus Christ, against the bishops canons of the late sinfull synod, a seditious conuenticle, a packe of hypocrites, a sworne confederacy, a traiterous conspiracy ... In this complaint are specified those impieties and insolencies, which are most notorious, scattered through the canons and constitutions of the said sinfull synod. And confuted by arguments annexed hereunto.		1640 (1640)	STC 10008; ESTC S101178	37,368	54

Synod Or will they call this adoration for adoration it is a civil worship This is no lesse an absurdity and grosse profanation of things Sacred to give them a Civil worship Therfore seeing the Synod will needs have a worship so exhibited and this is not say they with any intention of a religious worship let them tell us what kind of worship they meane Unlesse their meaning be this that it may passe for a religious worship as of the body so the intention of the mind be wanting that so a man may commit Idolatry not yeelding a religious worship to the creature outwardly with his body so as his mind be free from intention that he meant no harme by it And the like reason there is for bowing or kneeling at the Communion this is a religious worship or adoration and it is done as to some imaginary corporall presence of Christ on the Table or to the Elements themselves or to the Table But to be done as to Christs corporall presence the Sy●●d would have that opinion forborne It remaines then that the adoration or religious worship to be done though not intended either to the Elements or to the Table or to the Altar or to the East for now all the Communicants are upon their knees all looking that way But say they secondly this worship is for the advancement of Gods Majesty and to give him alone that honour and glory that is due unto him Is it so And is it not then a Religious worship that is so exhibited that is done for the advancement of Gods Majesty and to give him alone that honour and glory that is due un to him Certainly this must needs be a Religious and Divine worship and that in a high degree And being so shall the Synod be ashamed or affraid to allow men an Intention of performing this Religious worship when it is for the a●vancement of Gods Majesty Will God accept of a Sacrifice that wants a heart Or how is God honoured by our Service when it is done without an Intention But here is yet a worse matter in it that marres the Synods intention for the advancement of Gods Majesty And that is All this worship call it what they will is a meere will-worship of which before and so of which God saith * In vaine they honour and worship me teaching for Doctrines the precepts of men And the Synop cannot but confesse that all this Court-Ceremony is the upshot of this their Canon and Constitution a Commandement of men therefore and so abominable in Gods worship and Service But thirdly This say they to wit this outward reverence in Gods worship must needs be pious in it selfe profitable unto us and edifying unto others Must needs Upon what necessity For first can that be pious in it selfe which God hath absolutely forbidden and condemned as abominable to be used in his Service And such is all invention of man in Gods worship as before Secondly Profitable to us say they Wherein profitable to us to disobey and dishonour God in our fancifull devises Or profitable in that sense wherein the Pharisees taught children to cast off all honour to their Parents Saying unto them ‡ It is a gift by whatso●ver thou mightest be profited by me and honour not his Father or his Mother So how can that be ‡ profitable to us which is dishonourable to our heavenly Father And thirdly for Edifying unto others how Edifying Surely no other way but as the Apostle saith § If any man see thee that hast knowledge sitting in the Idols Temple shall not the Conscience of him that is weake dikodomethéseta be edified as the word properly signifieth that is imboldened to eat of things offered to Idols And just such Edifying unto others is this will-worship of the Synod whereby they being men of knowledge and learning doe edify or imbolden simple people to follow their practise and obey their Precept in giving reverence and obeysance in the Church that is religious worship to a stone Altar or wodden Table which is Idolatry though coloured over with never so specious and faire pretences as without any intention of a religious worship which is the ordinary apron of ●igleaves wherewith the woman of Rome would cover the nakednesse of such her † Spirituall fornications and filthinesse of her ●bominations But Fourthly This say they hath been the most ancient custome of the Primitive Church in the purest times and of this Church also for many yeares of the Raigne of Queen Elizabeth The reviving therfore of this ancient and laudable Custome we heartily commend to the serious Consideration of all good people How Hath this been the most ancient Custome of the Primitive Church in the purest times to common Idolatry with Stocks and Stones For what were those purest times of the Primitive Church Were they not the Apostles owne times Were not th●se the purest times of the Primitive Church And will they dare they say or much lesse can they prove that the Apostles or the Church in their time used any such custome Fy for shame that a Synod should dare without blushing to vent such abominable lyes For if they meane it of the times of the Church after the Apostles those certainly were not the purest times as wherein many Supersitions began quickly to grow up to strow the way for the coming of Antichrist the Mystery of Iniquity beginning to worke even in the Apostles dayes But this Devotion was of ancient custome in this Church also for many yeares of the raigne of Queen Elizabeth That 's true indeed I my selfe when I was a ●ad have seen old women very observant in such obesances towards the E●st both coming in and going out of the Church They would not misse it But ye must undestand this was a place where they had not Scarce one Sermon in Seaven yeares So as it was no marvaile if still they walked in darknesse when they wanted the light to shine forth unto them in the preaching of the Gospel which where it comes in the vigour of it drives away all darknesse of errour and spirituall blindnesse as the * Sun arising chaseth the wild beasts into their dennes as David saith Insomuch as we have seen and known by abundant experience blessed be our God that in all places of the Kingdome where sound preaching hath been all such Superstition hath been packed out of the Church But this riddance could not be expected for some of the first yeares of Queen Elizabeth when the Land was but newly crope out of Popery and Preachers were but Scarce and the old race had not could not put away the old leaven or cast off the Slough of Popish Superstition And therefore the Synod saith truth in this that for some yeares yea in some places many of the Raigne of Queen Elizabeth which was towards the beginning of her Raigne these Superstitious customes were in use And had the Royall Chappels and Cathedralls had as