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
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A17688 The mynde of the godly and excellent lerned man M. Ihon Caluyne what a faithfull man, whiche is instructe in the worde of God, ought to do, dwellinge amongest the papistes. Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; R. G. 1548 (1548) STC 4435; ESTC S1842 38,846 152

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

the worlde is come vnto suche an vnshamefastnesse for to mocke with god so I graunte that their intent be suche as they pretend and I wyll no further inuey against theyr hipocrisy Let vs now examyne the dede it selfe for feare to offend say they we be constrayned to make a good countenance in fasshionyng our selues vnto the superstitions of the papistes Now to see whether it be so or no we must fyrst vnderstand what it is to offende for when S. Paul vseth thys worde offende he signifieth the troublyng of a conscience wherby it is letted to come vnto Iesus Christ or cause to fall or drawe backe from hym now whē he handeleth thys matter of whiche we speake of he commaundeth vs to be well ware that we offend no man well how is that Take hede sayth he that thou eatest not of the Offerynges made vnto Idolles in the presence of a weake person that is scrupulous 1 Corin. 8 for that is an offence Wherfore For sothe in as moche as hys conscience is therby edifyed to do euyll for he thynketh that such meate is defyled and yet neuerthelesse he styckethe not to eate of it folowing thine example Beholde nowe how thou art cause of hys ruyne or else if he absteyn he is troubled in his harte thynkynge that thou displeasyste god in so doynge and is by this meanes set as it were on fier and in daunger to giue ouer bicause he is not wel grounded in the truthe of god We see then from what offence Saincte Paul calleth vs backe it is whē we through our rashnes be the cause that a weake parson doth so stumble that he fall vnto ruyne or turne from the ryght way or else be hyndered and to be shorte When we plucke hym backe or be a let vnto hym to profyte in oure lorde in the steade of that we ought for to further hym In lyke maner to the Romayns Rom. 14. After that he had shewed that it was an vnfryndly thyng agaynste charite for to trouble a weake person bycause he maketh hys conscience to eate of all maner of meates and that he shoulde not constrayn hym not to be to importune agaynst hys conscience Fynally that he shold not dyscōfort nor dyscourage hym And when he wolde conclude hys purpose he sayth Let euery mā please hys neighbour in well doynge vnto hys edyfyenge Now we see the marke whervnto we must haue an eye whē we go aboute to auoide offence it is that we gyue not an occasion vnto our neyghboure to be edyfyed in euyll nor yet gyue hym any euyll example neither to say or do any thynge where by he myght euer the soner go out of the ryght waye Where vpon it is easy for vs to iudge whether that they whych bow them selues vnto Idolles and by their dissemblynge of theyr christianyte dishonour god do by thys meanes auoyde offendynge Fyrste they shew them selues that they haue no great zeale vnto the glory of god the whiche they do dishonoure so Then do they entyce other to doe the same I speake of the feble and symple oons whyche haue already some taste of the truth And where as otherwise they wolde make conscience to defile them selues with Idolatry they do take courage and boldnes through their exāple Fynally they confyrme the vnbeleuers and harden them in their errours If this be not to offende I confesse that I am oute of my wytte It is very trewe in dede that they do not offend the worldly people or do runne into their displeasure neither do they prouoke any person for to persecute them nor giue thē any occasion for to murmur or crye out againste them But in norysshyng of all Idolatry thorow their faynyng they be the cause that breaketh his necke other be greuously hurte some do fall some be caused to halt or else to wander out of the right way And by this meanes they altogyther euen from the fyrst vnto the last be blynde and leaders of the blynd for in folowing one an other lyke Cranes they doo seduce or leade an other oute of the ryghte way For as moche as neuer a one of them doth folow the worde of God whyche is the onely true rule Moreouer we muste note that when S. Paule byddeth vs to condiscende vnto the rudenes or infirmite of our neighbours that we gyue thē none offence he wolde not that we should do any euyll thyng for to do them pleasure with al or else vse any dissimulacion that is not lawfull for vs but that in all indyfferente thynges whyche God hath lefte in our lybertye and whiche of them selues be but good we shoulde haue respecte vnto them and not to trouble thē Wherfore the fyrst foundacion shulde be euer to consydre whether the thynge where of we entreate be letfe vs free that we myghte vse it in one sorte or other puerly with out offēdyng god that is to say to do a dede or leue it vndone to vse a thing or to absteyn frō it Now to include ydolatry in this row it is to no purpose Therfore in as moch as to counterfaict in such sort that one shuld cōmit all abhomynation is agaynst the expresse prohibition of god there is no reason at all to brynge forthe offence to be an excuse in this behalfe Now they that see me to be more indyfferente perceyuyng them selues to be voyde of all lawfull excuses do not wholely defende that thys is well done or that it is no synne to commit Idolatry for the feare of men but do alledge that it is a small faulte and easy to be pardoned whē the hert is not there wyth and therfore that it is to passe all measure for to reproue it so bytterly And for to gyue some shewe vnto theyr sayeng they doo obiect that there be many vices remaynyng in the world moch more greuous then that the whiche ought to be reproued fyrste of all And therfore men ought not to begynne at thys smal infirmyte as they do take it yf we wyll not folow the hypocrisy of the Pharyses which swalowed vp an whole Camel and strayned the lyttle pieces there of throughe a seife Mat. 23. I will begyn to Answere at thys last poyncte grauntyng that there be now a dayes very horryble faultes in the worlde agaynste whiche there is moche nede to crye I confesse also that when one passeth ouer them lyghtly to tary vpon this onely synne of outwarde Idolatry that he goeth not well to worke euen as now I should spare whores dronkerdes theues disceyuers periured personnes and that I should wynke at couetuousnes that I dissembled wyth extorcioners fynally the pompes and pryde or this world beyng only altogither set to reproue this vice wherof I speke now For then I shoulde not do well and also a man myght by good ryghte reproue me of lacke of discreatiō as one that lefte many secrete wondes alone for to be occupied aboute the healyng of one But for as