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
A29750	The history of the indulgence shewing its rise, conveyance, progress, and acceptance : together with a demonstration of the unlawfulness thereof and an answere to contrary objections : as also, a vindication of such as scruple to hear the indulged / by a Presbyterian.	Brown, John, 1610?-1679.	1678 (1678)	Wing B5029; ESTC R12562	180,971	159

the force of this Argument but by affirming and proving That the Action at which offence is taken or may be taken is not onely lawful in it self but as circumstantiat is expedient and necessary to be done as all Orthodox in this matter know and as may be seen in the Disputes of our Predecessours against the Formalists especially in the English Popish Ceremonies and in the Debates of the Non-conformists in England this day with their Adversaries upon this Head Wherefore seing it will be easily granted that the accepting of the Indulgence was not a thing in it self necessary so as it could not be refused without manifest sin against the Lord and we have sufficiently by our foregoing Arguments proven the same to have been sinful And seing it will not be sufficient to say That it was a matter in it self Lawful or Indifferent seing what is Lawful in it self may become by reason of some Circumstances Inexpedient and what is Inexpedient in so far as Inexpedient is Unlawful and by what we have said we suppose it is apparent that none can with any shew of Reason affirme that it was Expedient Seing I say the matter standeth thus and seing withall it had such a manifest appearance of evil in it and that upon so many accounts as hath been cleared upon all which it cannot but be conceived to have been very Scandalous and Offensive In prosecuting of this Head I might here make a large recapitulation of the Particulars wrapped up in that complex Business considerable in the circumstances thereof and in their carriage at the receiving thereof and at their receiving of their Instructions and otherwayes and show how by all of these they gave offence But to shun prolixity I shall leave that knowing that the Judicious Reader will have observed these things in the perusal of what is said above All therefore that remaineth here to be done is to show what appearance of evil and real matter of scandal there was in the accepting of this Indulgence And while I am to do this I would have no man thinking that hereby I do in the least weaken my foregoing Arguments proving it sinful for it is a truth that the open committing of a manifest sin is scandalous and no man can say that the scandal arising from an action maketh that action indifferent and not sinful in it self or extra casum scandali But because we ought all to be tender of the Spiritual welfare of our Brethren and carefully to guard against the laying of a stumbling block before them or do any thing that may induce them to sin or tendeth thereunto or to retard them in their Spiritual journey c. Therefore ex superabundante an argument hence may be convincing In order therefore to the holding forth of the scandalousness of this action I shall only mentione the several Persons unto whom hereby scandal was given and cleare the same in a word 1. The accepters of the Indulgence did hereby give offence unto such of their Brethren as had the offer but were not clear nor convinced of the Lawfulness of the embraceing of such a favour at such a time for by their example these were encouraged and moved to do that which they judged sinful and unlawful for them to do And thus was there a stumbling block and an occasion to fall put in their Brother's way Rom. 14.13 And it is evil for any to do such a thing with offence even though it were in it self and as abstracted from circumstances Lawful and Pure Rom. 14 20. Nay suppose that those Brethren had scrupled out of meer weakness yet if the taking of the Indulgence be not said to be a necessary duty as I suppose it will not be said to be in this case it should have been forborne according to the Doctrine of Paul 1 Cor. 8 9.10 11. But take heed lest by any meanes this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak for if any man see thee which last knowledg sit at meat in the Idols temple shall not the Conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to Idols And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died 2. They gave offence unto others who had not this in their offer yet Judged the accepting thereof unlawful upon the ground last mentioned and t●erefore should have hearkened unto the direction of Paul in a like case 1 Cor. 10 28. But if any man say unto you This is offered in sacrifice unto Idols eat not for his sake that shewed it and for Conscience sake vers 29. Conscience I say not thine own But of the others And accordingly have refused that Indulgence seing there wanted not who told them of the evil they conceived to lye therein 3. They gave ground of offence unto the Godly Professours of the Land who looked upon that course as they do to this day as homologating the Supremacy and as strengthening the Erastian Invasion and so gave ground to them to think that they had departed from their Principles and to be grieved thereupon The consideration of which should have prevailed with them to have refused this pretended favoure according to the direction of Paul Rom. 14 15 16. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat now walkest thou not charitably Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died Let not then your good be evil spoken of 4. It was a great ground of offence unto the whole suffering Church of Scotland in them thus to withdraw from their Brethren and leave them in the furnace contrare to their former Engagements not to mention the other Particulars wherein we found their sacred Bondes hereby violated which necessarily became a ground of great offence unto all Nor to mention these Particulars whereby we manifested above that the accepting of this Indulgence was injurious unto Christ's Headshipe unto the Privileges of the Church to the Principles of Presbyterian Government and others from all which it is undeniably clear that a palpable ground of stumbling was laid before and offence given unto all the honest party 5. Great offence and matter of griefe was hereby given unto the few that continued at their Masters work in preaching in Houses or in Fields as occasion offered for hereby their hands were weakened the number of the bearers of burden waxing smaller even while the work was growing upon their hand and they were made out of a preposterous tenderness unto them who had thus stepped off to forbear preaching in such places where these were Indulged unto though formerly they used to meet with some encouragment in those places 6. Hereby was offence given unto the Prelates and to their under Curates when they were hereby confirmed in their Usurpation and Defection That action is indeed scandalous that edifieth not as the Apostles word is 1 Cor. 8 10. or emboldeneth or confirmeth any in an evil course the Particulars