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
A82002	A sober and temperate discourse, concerning the interest of words in prayer, the just antiquity and pedigree of liturgies, or forms of prayer in churches : with a view of the state of the church, when they were first composed, or imposed. Together with a discovery of the weakness of the grounds upon which they were first brought in, or upon which Bishop Gawden hath lately discoursed, the necessity of a liturgie, or the inconveniency of altering the English liturgie, the utility of church musick, and the lawfulness of ceremonies : in which are mixed reasons justifying those godly ministers, who forbear the use of the Common-prayer, against the late out-cryes of the said bishop. / By H.D. M.A.	H. D. (Henry Dawbeny); Collinges, John, 1623-1690, attributed name.	1661 (1661)	Wing D449; Thomason E1086_14; ESTC R208152	100,305	119

intention of him that doth it or both is made to sin against God It is true there are a generation of men whom the doing of our duty will make to blaspheme but our duty doth not ex conditione operis lay any such stumbling block before them This is what Aquinas calls Scandalum Pharisaeorum which our Saviour hath taught us to contemn But to make a true Scandal that vvhich vve do must be of that nature as may give a cause of stumbling to our brethren and this cannot be otherwise then in our ill use of our liberty as to things of their own nature indifferent but not appearing so unto all For if the thing done by us appear to our brethren a thing indifferent there can be no Scandal It is but a teachy humour in any to be offended at us for any thing which they grant we may lawfully do nor can the● by our practice in such things be possibly made to sin ex conditione operis But where a thing appears to us in its own nature indifferent to be done or not to be done and doth not appear so to other conscientious Christians which was the case amongst the Christians at Rome and Corinth here we conceive our selves obliged to restrain our own liberty out of charity to our Brethrens souls And as we conceive it our duty in practice to do so so we conceive it the duty of Superiours to restrain their supposed liberty in commanding the reason is because the liberty of a Magistrate or a private Christian is of far less value then a soul for which Christ died 5. Now our Brethren may be made to sin by our practice in such things many ways 1. When our action causeth them to vilifie censure and condemn us and to withdraw themselves from communion with us 2. When our example draws on them to do the like while their conscience is not satisfied which is the very case mentioned 1 Cor. 8.10 'T is their sin to do it not fully perswaded in their own mind 't is our sin buy our example to intice them to it Take heed least by any means that liberty of yours becomes a stumbling block to them that are weak for if any man see thee who hast knowledge fit at meat in the Idols temple shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldned to eat those things which are offered to Idols This is plainly our case Supporting that we vvere fully satisfied that it were lawful for us to use an imposed form and that it were no restraining in us the gifts of the holy Spirit no prejudice to our intention of mind nor to the fervency of our affection not to the affections of such as hear us nor any yielding of that liberty as to the worshipping of God with which Christ hath made us free not any addition to the rule of worship which God hath set us in his Word and that notwithstanding it be confessed that these or those Modes Forms and Methods have been used by Idolaters yet vve may lawfully enough use them yet we plainly see that they are so abhorred of many conscientious Christians that as those who have returned to the use of them have almost ruined their ministry by making themselves the scorn of some and the grief of others so should we do the like some would for it vilifie and censute us and condemn us and separate from communion with us Now suppose this would be their sin yet the thing being suppose in its own nature indifferent vve have learned our of the Apostle 1 Cor. 8.12 That when we sin against our brethren and wound their weak consciences we sin against Christ And far be it from us to gratifie men by sinning against Christ 6. Again whereas the Bishop of Exeter supposeth That our example would do much to bring over our people to hear c. We do ingenuously profess that we believe it would prevail with some vvho vvould at the present seeing us vvho they think have knowledge use those Modes of Worship though with some reluctancy be imboldned in their consciences to come and hear 't is no more than the Apostle supposeth 1 Cor. 8.10 but as they in doing of it should sin so we by setting them an example should directly act against the Apostles precepts and lay stumbling blocks before them and when they have done it the temper may Triumph over them and we be found too weak to relieve their consciences telling them That to follow us they have sinned against their light and the rebukes of their own consciences 7. Besides though it be apparent that those Scriptures which mention the precepts against scandal 1 Cor. 8.11.10 Rom. 14.20 v. 15. take notice of weak brethren only such for whom Christ died such in whom is some work of God which we must not destroy And indeed in reason these are chiefly to be considered For the end of the precept is to save the hazard of the soul of our Brethren by sin now there are a generation in the world whose constant course is a course of presumptuous sinning they drink they swear they curse they blaspheme they wallow in beastly lusts they will not be stopt in a full carreare for hell whose offence vve are not so concerned to reg●…d yet even to the vvorst of men vve conceive our selves so far obliged by the Law of Charity as nor vvillfully by our example to harden them in sin and make them justifie themselves VVe are fully convinced that there is nothing of more tendency to confirm the Papists in their way of vvorship which vve believe Idolatrous then for them to see us keep much the same nor are we alone in this opinion Tertullian of old and after him Augustine were both of the same mind Tertullian forbids Christians any of the Ragan usages or coming nigh to any of their devotions that if they would not be ashamed of their superstitions they might yet be ashamed of the thin company that attended them Augustine cryes out Quaeritis quomodo vincantur Pagani deserite eorum ritut VVe know how much some Papist-forreigners have triumphed listning at the doors of some places vvhere they have heard Service read and sung crying out this is the same with theirs And not to insist upon the Papists only vve have many called Protestants whom we believe most grievously to sin in their use of our Common-prayer be it never so lawful in it self they believe that their very repeating over the words of these prayers because as they f●ncy made by the Church is devotion enough they are taught so that 't is no matter for the Vice V. Dr. Sparrows Rationale p. 10. or Vertue of the persons praying the prayers are the prayers of the Church and are acceptable to God yea 't is no matter whether they be asleep or awake present or absent if they any just cause nay more then this they believe no prayers but these of any value but abomination

idolatries Some of these are done as oft as their Mass-book is used so that their vvorship toties quoties as it is performed is idolatrous though not in every part yet in the complex III. We do observe how some Prelatists mince this point of the Idolatry of the Church of Rome they can grant vvith much ado vve believe that the worship of the Church of Rome is in some sense idolatrous what their sense is vve cannot tell nor care to inquire vve believe that except some few Pagans vvho might terminatively vvorship the Sun and Moon as thinking those noble Creatures vvere the very first movers and principles That never any heathens vvere guilty of more stupid sottish idolary then the Papists are For let vain persons talk vvhat they please it vvill never enter into our thoughts that either the Jews Jeroboam or Michal thought their Images the first principles of life and being such as reason teacheth to all that God must be nor yet that the Egyptians quibus nascebantur in hortis Numinae vvho vvorshipped any plants or any thing from vvhich they had good or hurt thought that those things vvere God They onely dreamt that God vvas Anima mundi the Soul of the World informing every living thing and vvorshipped an unknown God in the creature or by some created representation vvhich is yet gross and accursed idolatry and such is the Popish vvorship IV. VVe are not so filly as to think that the holy Scriptures dictated by the Spirit of God or any thing else of purely Divine Institution is capable of corruptions and therefore cannot but vvith some laughter read the argumentations of them vvho argue that if vve reject the Liturgy V. Dr. Causabon on the Lords prayer because the idolatrous Papists used it vve must also refuse the Scriptures and the Lords Prayer these are but toyes to blind common people vvho cannot see to the bottom of an Argument The holy Scriptures are incapable of pollution by any idolatrous service V. Their answer is as filly vvho tell us that then vve must use none of our Churches VVhen vve offer up Churches to God by any rational act vve vvill consider of this frivolous answer vvhich indeed may concern them that dream of a holiness in them by reason of dedication or the like it concerns not us vvho onely use them as convenient places in vvhich vve meet to serve God and believe them no more holy then any other places though the Law of Nature obligeth us to keep and use them decently VVe do so by our parlours vvhere we converse vvith our friends VI. Prayer is a piece of Gospel Sacrifice and by a rational act of our souls to be offered unto God now vvhether it be lawful for us vvhen the earth is the Lord and fulness thereof vvhereas God hath given us an ability to speak vvords in another form to take those very forms and to offer them up to God in true Gospel vvorship vvhich have been offered in an idolatrous service though the matter of those forms be not idolatrous is to us a great doubt nor can vve be satisfied in the lawfulness of it VII The ground of our scruple is in that known Text 1 Cor. 10. where the Apostle treateth concerning the lawfulness of eating meats that had been once offered to idols He determines as to a double case 1. That it is not lawful to eat such meats in an idols Temple 2. In case it be sold in the shambles and we know it not he determines that we may buy and eat it But in case our Brother saith unto us this hath been offered to an idol he saith Eat it not So that our Brethrens scandal upon such a foundation is to be avoided by us he gives the reason because there is other meat to eat The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof VIII For our part we are not able to fathom a reason why a form of words fitted up for use in prayer should not be liable to the same corruption and pollution that a dish of meat fitted for natural use is or why it should be unlawful for one to eat the latter if once offered in an idolatrous service our Brother minding us of it and it yet be lawful to use a form of words in prayer so formerly used when our Brother is so scandalized IX We are aware of what the Drs. of Aberdeen said of old to prove that the scandal of brethren weighs light when put in the scale with the command of Authority There may something be said for their Assertion where the scandal is meerly passive and hath no foundation in re only men are offended because they are offended but where the scandal is such as is so far allowed by Scripture that a Negative precept is given upon it eat it not we are not of so easie a faith as to believe what they say when Gods word saith do it not Man cannot oblige our conscience to do it he may oblige us to suffer but not to act and that this is the case is evident Our Brethren say to us These Forms have been offered up in an idolatrous service and we know this is truth X. The Bishop of Exeter is mistaken therefore in suggesting that we forbear the using of the Liturgy out of a little point of reputation amongst some people rather weak then wise and to be pitied more then imitated and he shews little charity or candor in saying we sacrifice our judgements not to say our consciences to our credits and out of a fear or lothness to offend some people whom we might easily convince and satisfie as well by our examples as by arguments c. This is not spoken like a tender and a good Christian We hope we can say we value our reputation at a low rate in comparison of our duty Nor do we think non-conformity the way to credit now but that our peoples souls of which we confess we are tender are more weak then wise we cannot say Wisdom lies in avoiding sin yea the least sin and all appearances of evil That here is an appearance of evil no reasonable person can deny it is not so clear that we may do that as to forms of prayer which the word expresly forbids us as to a piece of meat not is it so clear to us that we may obey man in any case where the Word of God saith as to the thing commanded Do it not XI In the mean time we think those are to be pitied who had rather that their brethren should be all persecuted imprisoned banished together with those thousands of godly people who cannot in conscience worship God with these forms differences in the Church perpetuated and that so many thousands of sober people should have such a temptation to entertain hard thoughts of their Magistrate c. In short who had rather confound heaven and earth and scandalize all Christians in the world then lay aside forms of prayer of

but evil hearts saith Tertullian Nor must our Brethren be scandalized because we will not gratifie them vuith the use of our liberty as vvell as others whom they judge interior to them in knowledge wisdom worldly station c. we can appeal to God that our hearts are sincerely troubled when vve hear of any single person in our Parishes scandalized for our omissions in the case provided they be such as are guilty of no profaneness in their lives the offence of open profane and debauched drunkards swearers cursers blasphemers unclean persons doth not so much trouble us and we dare not say but that there are some such though they be not the fortieth part of those that are zealous against us in this case But what shall we what can we do in the case for these good and sober Brethren 13. Whiles we judge the thing in it self not lawful cannot do it let who will be offended and that will be granted by all and vve have found some of our Brethren who wish vve would do it yet so ingenuous as to beseech us not for their sakes to wound our consciences But suppose we did think it in it self and in all circumstances indifferent that we might or might not do it we profess we should still be at a loss as the case stands for these of our Brethren whom we love and honour how to gratifie them We suppose it think the thing indifferent it may be two or three or ten of our Brethren think it so too and for uniformity desire we would do it possibly twenty thirty fourty others of our people whom vve see walking close with God they think it unlawfull and vvith tears beseech us not to do it They are not humorously offended but they tell us why they think it unlawful They cannot bring their hearts up to be equally affected with a read prayer as with one spoken from the immediate dictates of the heart they cannot think it lawful for us to use Modes of worship formerly used in an idolatrous service they cannot judge it lawful for the Magistrate to command any part in a thing indifferent in the vvorship of God vvhich manifestly is scandalous to any considerable number of sober Christians they think the Law of God concerning scandalizing the weak concerns Magistrates as vvell as others and that it is of the same nature with any other Moral Law not to be superseded by any humane power VVhat shall we do in this case Doubtless in all reason if it appear to us but indifferent we are bound to abstain by vertue of the command of God And our Brethren who would have us do the thing if they acknowledge the thing indifferent must yield to their weaker Brethren who are tied up from yielding to them because they think the thing unlawful 14. The sum is this God hath commanded us in things as to their own nature indifferent relating to his worship to do nothing by which our Brother may be grieved stumbled Rom. 14.21 or made weak The matter for the omission of which the Bishop of Exeter so severely censureth us is a thing in its own nature at best but indifferent we plainly see that should we hearken to our Diocesan diverse for whom our consciences tell us Christ died would be stumbled offended and made weak VVe conceive that the Law of Scandal concerns the Magistrate as well as the Subject And therefore supposing a command in that case which yet we see not vve humbly conceive our selves obliged not to disobey the Commands of the great God of Heaven and Earth Aquinas saith that Propter scandalum etiam bona spiritualia sunt pro tempore occultanda vel differenda And Hierom. of old determined Dimittendum propter scandalum omne quod potest praetermitti salvâ triplici Veritate Vi●ae Justitiae Doctrinae 15. We conclude that we judge our Bre●hren very uneven in their censuring of us for disobedience to Laws in this case of the Common-prayer when they do the same thing themselves for which they so charge us singing Anthemes and Songs c. and using Rites and Forms of Prayer in Cathedrals expresly contrary to the Statute 1 Eliz. 2. and whiles the present Vice-chan of Cambridge without any Law of England or Statute of the University or Ca●on or any colour of Law and expresly contrary to his Majesties Declaration and contrary to all conscience and reason could dispense with his conscience in usurping an arbitrary power to the open prejudice of so many of His Majesties Subjects in their children to stop fifty commencers from commencing because at 24. hours warning they could not find in their consciences to subscribe to the lawfulness of the Common prayer and the book of Consecration and to the 39. Articles which none can with a good conscience subscribe but he who hath distinctly read over the Book of Common-prayer V. Art 35.36 and the Book of Consecration who hath distinctly read over both the Books of Homilies and is well studied in the point of Ceremonies how else shall be own art 34. and in the controversie of Church Government v. art 36. yea and indeed in the whole body of Divinity which none can presume of bo●es of 18. and 19. years of age nay how many Batchelours and Drs. in Divinity never read them yet all these must the Questionists subscribe and be forced to it by the arbitrary power of the Vice-chancellour expresly contrary to His Majesties Declaration what Authority he hath since procured as to the future and by what acts we know not but we are sure vvhen he did this he had no such Yet Godly Ministers that dare not read the Liturgie must be by these men whispered as the onely men this are disobedient to the Law and upon that account giving just scandal to Magistrates and opposing their Authority But there is a God that judgeth the Earth to whose decision we humbly leave this matter in question singing the 43. Psalm FINIS ERRATA PAg. 10. and in many other place r. Liturgy Liturgies Liturgical for Lyturgy Lyturgyes Lyturgicall p. 12 l. 15. r. yet they might be their Liturgies is of no value p. 13. l. 14. r. This Synod in which c. p. 24. l. 15. r. Salvo In the argument of the 5th Ch. r. the insufficiency of the Ministers of the Church p. 41 l. 23. r. But in those c. ib. l. 37. r. what doth not become p. 46. l. 9. r. Numina Pag. 71. l. antepenuit r. Plugentile p. 81. l. 29. r. in spiritu p. 83. l. 15. r. Fauburdum p. 84. l. 30. and in the margin there r. Chrastovius p. 87. l. 3. after Harangue dele of Discourse p. 89. r. new ceremonies p. 96. l. 8. r. or become affines Idololatriae p. 32. l. 2. r. Majestatis p. 97. l. 22. r. amoris timoris