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
A94296	Of religious assemblies, and the publick service of God a discourse according to apostolicall rule and practice. / By Herbert Thorndike.	Thorndike, Herbert, 1598-1672.	1642 (1642)	Wing T1054; Thomason E1098_1; ESTC R22419	207,469	444

because the speech of the Apostle proceedeth concerning the use of spirituall Graces which he directeth to that purpose As you see vers 3. it is expressely differenced from matter of exhortation and comfort when he saith He that Prophesieth speaketh to men to EDIFICATION and exhortation and comfort Neverthelesse it must be something else that he meaneth there vers 17. For thou verily givest thanks well but the other is not edified that is because he understandeth not what thou sayest he is not guided and directed to go along with the Thanksgiving wherein thou goest afore in an unknown Language And in this Epistle afore viii 10. Shall not the conscience of him that is weak be edified to eat those things which be offered to Idoles Where you see a man is said to be EDIFIED by whatsoever it is that advanceth his intentions towards any work And therefore though the reason of EDIFYING may sometimes tend to the particular sense of Teaching yet it is not so to be confined but that whatsoever is a fit means to train and guide us in the wayes of godlinesse must be said to tend towards the edification of Gods people And thus the Rules which the Apostle afterwards qualifieth all that is to be done in the Church with when he saith Let all things be done decently and in order are clearly subordinate to this main reason of the Edification of the Church and derived from it For without doubt there is nothing so powerfull to Edification that is to guide and train the body of the Church in the exercise of godlinesse as a good Order for the particular practice of those Offices thereof which are generally commanded in the Scriptures Well might the Apostles say here vers 33. God is not the Authour of confusion but of Order as in all Churches of the Saints Whosoever withdraweth himself from the publick Order of the Church out of opinion that a better might be established will hinder the Edification thereof more in that neglect of the course in force which he procureth then it is possible he should advance it in the practice of those whom he thinketh to direct in a better course For on the one side his own followers out of heat of contention shall alwayes spend their zeal upon matters of small consequence which ought to be conversant about the great things of the Gospel On the other side those that are not affected with his singularities are disquieted in their own course of Gods Service The other part of the Apostles Rule seemeth to extend further then the term of Decencie in which it is translated containeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle honestè saith the Old Latine and in S. Pauls Epistles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is rendered there honestè ambulare and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Acts honestae mulieres all these expresse more then Decencie For that is seen in the least matters where all things are fit and sutable but that which in Latine is called honestas in none but those that carry an appearance that deserveth respect Which if the property of the word will not inforce as to them that rellish it right without fail it will do the nature and kind of that whereof the Apostle speaketh will constrain it to import no lesse then that which beareth an appearance of respect and account Because in matter of so high a nature as the exercise of Religion nothing can be decent nothing can become but that which preserveth the respect which actions of that rank are to be performed with So much common sense telleth us that the outward appearance of all kind of proceedings is a means to maintain the inward esteem which men ought to hold of those things that are done there Let no man blame me that appeal to common sense to judge what becometh in matters of Religion which must neither stand nor fall by the judgement of common sense being so farre beyond it The Apostle here hath done it afore me vers 23. If the Church be met and all speak with tongues and there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers will they not say that ye are mad For what is this but to condemne that which they did in the exercise of Religion by the verdict of common sense which though unable to judge of the Religion of Christians neverthelesse is able to discern what is sutable to the end which the Assemblies of Christians professe And do we not all see with what kind of reasons in another place 1. Cor. xi 13. he argueth another point of this nature to settle a custome for men to be bare women to be veiled at their Assemblies It is first to be known that the women of those times and of the Jews in particular as Tertullian in one place witnesseth were carefull to keep their faces veiled from the sight of men when they came in publick which was in them a profession of bashfulnesse and that modesty which they desired to preserve On the other side in men it was a mark of confusion and disgrace to have the face covered the custome was to go bare in publick and that in token of the freedome and boldnesse which they professed And it is plain that the Covering whereof the Apostle speaketh was such an one as the face was veiled with for therefore he saith vers 4. The man dishonoureth his head in covering it when he prayeth or prophesieth disclaiming the freedome and dignity of his sexe The woman in discovering her head not professing the modesty and subjection of her sexe therefore he saith afterwards that the womans hair is given her for a veil that is to cover the face with which if it be not done she had as good be shaven saith he vers 5. In Tertullians time those that professed Virginity took upon them to sit with their faces unveiled in the Church taking it for a priviledge of their rank to disclaim the subjection of the sexe and professe freedome This is the occasion of his book De Virginibus velandis What opinion it was upon which the custome which the Apostle writeth against at Corinth proceeded is not known How the Apostle argueth we see 1. Cor. xi 13. Judge in your selves saith he is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered doth not even nature it self teach you c To shew us the reason whereupon he proceedeth that the custome then practised for men to go bare-head in signe of freedome and profession of boldnesse and chearfulnesse of heart women veiled in signe of modesty and bashfulnesse as it was agreeable to revealed truth as the Apostle disputeth before vers 3 7. which teacheth that the woman was created of the man and must not forget the subjection she oweth him from whom she first came so is it to the light of nature that teacheth women to keep their hair to veil themselves with if there be nothing else to do it with men to part with theirs that

God of themselves without respect of advancing that Service which he requireth Last because it hath been shewed that Order as well as Comelinesse is the Rule to direct the form of Gods Publick Service and because without Order nothing becometh it though with Order apt to become it that which hath been said is to be understood of those Rites and Ceremonies which Publick Order inforceth that is which are either injoyned by Law or practised by Custome which it alloweth As for the voluntary observations of particular persons they are by their nature subject to abuse as is to be seen in the Superstitions of the Church of Rome which all reason sheweth had their beginning from the well-meant devotions of private persons And therefore it is plain that they may prove a just subject of that offense to the weak which the Apostle forbiddeth which those that are practised upon Publick Orders declaring the due meaning of them cannot as my purpose is now to declare because it is an objection which if it take place as some think must needs overthrow the most part of that which hath been said to the Order and Circumstances of Publick Service It is to be known that there were two sorts of Jewish Christians under the Apostles according to the difference of whom both their doctrine and practice especially of S. Paul is to be valued For on the one side the Apostles in the Councel at Jerusalem ordered Acts xv 20. that those which were converted from the Gentiles should abstain from things dying in the bloud and sacrificed to Idoles S. Paul circumcised Timotheus xvi 3. purified himself according to the Law xxi 26. In respect to the same sort he is bold to say Rom. xii 6. He that regardeth a day regardeth it to the Lord and he that regardeth not a day regardeth it not to the Lord He that eateth eateth to the Lord for he giveth God thanks and he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giveth God thanks And that it seemeth upon the consideration that followeth in the next words because though not without blame for the ignorance of their freedome yet living and dying to the Lord they had a pious intention in generall to excuse their defect in particular But in regard to the other sort it is the same Apostle that saith Gal. iiii 10 11. Ye observe dayes and moneths and times and years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain And Coloss ii 16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or drink or in respect of a Feast or New-moon or Sabbath expressing further what he meaneth when he saith Let no man judge you vers 5. Beware lest any man spoil you and vers 20. Why as living in the world are you subject to Ordinances touch not tast not handle not And to Titus i. 10 There are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers especially they of the Circumcision whose mouthes must be stopped And wherein he expresseth vers 15. Vnto the clean all things are clean Shewing that they were not to be tolerated but opposed in that which they taught of differences of times and meats according to the Law of Moses According to his practice in Titus whereof Gal. ii 34. But neither Titus who was with me being a Greek was compelled to be circumcised and that because of false brethren slily foisting in that came in privily to spie out our freedome which we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into bondage This difference in the Apostles practice and doctrine must needs proceed from the difference of persons they had to do with The one like men that were new come out of the dark could not look right upon the light of that freedome which the Gospel estateth and not satisfied of the right of Christians for their particular practice made a conscience of dayes and meats according to the Law The other renouncing their freedome and in love with their own servitude took upon them to dogmatize and maintain the necessity of such observations upon those desperate consequences which the Apostle expresseth Those are the weak and these the strong according to the Apostle because though for reason weakest for a false opinion is a further weaknesse then a doubt of the truth yet for will most resolute to stand in it Those in action doubtfull these in opinion erroneous These are the men whom the Apostle chargeth by the Law of Love not to scandalize shewing that in two things it might be done First Rom. xiv 15. If thy Brother be grieved with thy meat then walkest thou not charitably destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died Which Origen conceiveth to point at such as took distast at the Profession of Christ so as to forsake it upon occasion of such slight offenses And the vehemence of those terms which the Apostle useth seemeth to import no lesse But by the words of the Apostle vers 15. If thy Brother be GRIEVED with thy meat and vers 10. Why JUDGEST thou thy Brother why settest thou thy Brother at nought it appeareth that all discouragement of these weak ones is in the sense of the Apostle a degree of this offense But there is another expressed vers 22 23. That whereas it behoveth all men to be resolved of what they do that it is acceptable to God vers 5. by the indiscreet example of one that understood his own freedome he that did not might be moved to use it with a doubtfull conscience which the Apostle declareth to be sinne By the way that offense whereof the Apostle writeth 1. Cor. viii 9. x. 27. is of another nature not pertinent to this purpose for here the offense is an example that moveth a man to do that which is lawfull with a doubtfull conscience there it is an example which moveth a man to do that which is unlawfull with an erroneous conscience that is to say when the example of him that hath knowledge eating that which was sacrificed unto Idoles without difference moveth the simple to participate in the worship of Idoles by feasting on their Sacrifices Thus it is supposed that offense is given to the weak by the orders of this Church when those that are not satisfied in the things ordered either take distast thereupon at the Church and the Communion of it or are moved by example to do that which is ordered with a doubtfull conscience Where it must be excepted that no man can use this argument of scandall to the weak but he must acknowledge the things ordered to be lawfull For the weak whom the Apostle forbiddeth to offend is he that is not perswaded of the lawfulnesse of that which is lawfull indeed Besides he that pretendeth the scandall of the weak by example moving to proceed upon a doubtfull conscience is not subject to that kind of offense For in that he complaineth he sheweth he is aware enough of the danger And it is without the