Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	end_n	faith_n	unfeigned_a	1,201	5	10.8215	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91998	A den of theeves discovered. Or certaine errours and false doctrines, delivered in a sermon at a visitation holden at Baldocke in the county of Hertford, Decemb. 9. 1641. By Henry Denne, curate at Pyrton in Hertfordshire. And since printed by his owne appointment. Contradicted justly by many of the auditors. And confuted by Thomas-Atvvood Rotherham, now rector of St John Zacharies, London, and sometimes vicar of Iclkeford in Hertfordshire, neare Hitchin. Here you have the point of iustification by free grace fully handled, together with many difficult places of Scriptnre [sic] (much abused) plainly expounded; and some speciall cases of conscience resolved, whereby the weakest Christian, in the greatest conflict, may gather true and solid comfort. With severall tables very necessary and usefull for the reader. Published by authority.	Rotherham, Thomas Atwood, d. 1657.	1643 (1643)	Wing R2000; Thomason E251_3; ESTC R212516	114,466	110

Againe it is plaine (k) Ratio quasi a priori est quod deus per essentiam sit ipsa justitia increata immensa fontalis ab ●a ergovelut a sonte manat omnis justitia creata angelorum hominum quam proinde ut suam amat ac vice versa odit abominatur omnem injustitiam quasi sibi essentialiter contrariam et a daemone prosectam Cornel. à Lap. Com. in loc Prov. 17.15 He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the Lord will God who is the fountaine of justice doe that himselfe which he hateth in others if that place be alleadged Rom. 4.5 But to him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly and therefore a man is justified before he beleeves the meaning is expounded in these words of the Verse his faith is counted for righteousnesse so that this must be understood in sensu diviso in a divided sense That God justifieth the wicked not him that remaineth wicked but was so before he was justified And the Schoole doth briefely resolve this God justifieth the ungodly Antecedenter antecedently that is him who before justification was ungodly not consequenter consequently that is him who after justification remaineth ungodly Pag. 36. towards the latter end saith he if we take Faith for the Act of our Faith apprehending this object then we are justified by it declaratively in our consciences and concludes that Faith doth onely justifie declaratively speaking to our consciences that wee are the children of God in Christ Jesus Thus you see hee doth exclude faith altogether from justifying a sinner in the sight of God And that it is onely said to justifie because by it we come to be certaine and to have assurance in our consciences that wee are justified in the sight of God and as it doth declare unto us our justification in the court of conscience Two grosse absurdities will follow upon Faiths declarative justification onely as he calls it The first is that Faith doth not at all justifie which is point blacke contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles for it is one thing to be and another thing to appeare to be Faith having no hand at all in the being of Justification but in the making of it appeare to be So that I am first justified in the sight of God by Gods imputation without Faith and afterwards Faith comes and makes it appeare to me that I am justifyed And by it I come to have assurance in my conscience that it is so The second absurdity will be this That where there is not assurance there is no faith Faith being as he concludes onely an assurance that I am justifyed What will a distressed Conscience in case of spirituall desertion doe this doctrine makes him desperate for by this he argues the case thus Faith is nothing but an assurance to me in my conscience that I am justifyed in the sight of God but I want this assurance therefore I am without Faith and consequently in a damned condition as the case now stands with me Is this preaching Christ and free grace but I say a man may want in his owne apprehension this assurance and yet he may have Faith Gods people sometimes are in such a condition that they cannot see so much as a glimpse of Gods favour Nay the contrary They conclude themselves forsaken of God and cast-awayes what 's become now of assurance but for all this dare any man say that men in this condition have no Faith Nay they are upheld by the secret support of Faith otherwise in such a condition they would despaire as Judas did but it is plaine by Scripture that a childe of God may want assurance and yet by Faith stay himselfe upon God Isay 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his servant that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay himselfe upon his God Take faith for the act of Faith apprehending the object and so we are justified by faith onely in the sight of God in regard whereof the salvation of all that truely beleeve is sure and certaine though they perhaps be not assured thereof for this is the promise of the Gospell that whosoever beleeveth on him should not perish but have life everlasting Take faith in reference to the Subject for that which doth declare our justification to our consciences and herein (a) Fides illa proprie dicitur justificans qua incumbimus in Christum ad remissionem pecca orum salutem Christus enim est adaequatū objectū fidei quatenus fides justificat fides enim non alia ratione justificat nisi quatenus a●prehendit illam justitiam propter quam justificamur illa autem justitia non est in veritate alicujus axiomat●s cui assensum p●aebemus s●● in Christo solo qui factus est pro nobis peccatum ut nos essemus in ipso justitia 2 Cor. 5 21. fides ista justificans s●a natura producit atque adeo conjunctam secum habet specia●em ac certam persuasionem de gratia ac misericordia Dei in Christo Ames Medul Theol. lib. 1 cap. 27. de Just faith cannot not be said properly to justify for this is an effect of justifying faith There are two degrees of justifying Faith the one being a lively assent to the promise of the Gospell the other a sound application thereof to our selves by the former as being the condition of the promise we are justified in the Court of Heaven by the latter in the Court of our owne conscience which is not properly called justification but the application of justification for a man must first be justified in the sight of God before he can be perswaded in his conscience of his justification otherwise his perswasion is a false perswasion and a meere delusion By the former we are justified before God by the latter we are perswaded in our conscience and in some measure assured of our justification For the further clearing of this distinction of Faith let us consider the differences betweene the two degrees by the former as I have said we are justified before God in the Court of heaven by the latter we are justified in the Court of our owne Conscience by the former we are justified properly by the latter we are assured of our justification I take this assurance to be an act of experience flowing from justifying Faith Of the justification which we have by the first degree which is properly so called there are no degrees (b) Justitia nobis imputata persecta aequalis est in omnibus credentibus Wolleb Compend Theol. lib. l.c. 30. but of that which we have by the second degree which is not justification but the assurance of it there are degrees according to the measure of Faith of necessity we must hold this distinction

a Trap to insnare weake consciences and to handle the word deceitfully But I answer an unfained desire of salvation in a sanctified use of the meanes is an infallible note of salvation Give mee leave to explaine my selfe thus The difference and degrees of Faith are two First A weake Faith Secondly A strong Faith Concerning the first The weake Faith sheweth it selfe by this grace of God namely an unfained desire not onely of salvation for that a wicked and gracelesse man may have but of reconciliation with God in Christ This is a sure signe of Faith in every touched and humbled heart and it is peculiar to the elect and they which have this have in them also the ground and substance of true saving Faith Reason to prove this First the promise of life everlasting is made to the desire of reconciliation (d) Est autem valde cemphatica metaphora famis sitis qua non levis expetitio sed vehemens serium ardens desiderium g●atiae donorum per gratiam describitur Gerhard Harm cap. 15. col mih● 535. Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be filled by hungring and thirsting here is meant an ardent and earnest desire after grace which our Saviour layes downe as an infallible note of salvation Psal 145.19 He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him he will also heare their cry and will save them and (e) Desiderium efficax pietati congruens certissima est nota homin●s pii Usus Consolationis erga Christianos qui infirmitatibus tentationibus nonnunquam pressi vexari nihil in semetipsis salu i affine sentire possunt praeter desideria pia Ames lect in Psalm Doctor Ames upon Psal 42.1.2 As the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soule after thee O. God my soule thirsteth for God layes down this point of doctrine Aneffectuall desire congruent to pietie is a most certaine note of a godly man from which he drawes an use of consolation to Christians who are sometimes so pressed and disquieted with infirmities and tentations that they have no evidence in themselves of their salvation but onely godly desires Secondly the hungring desire after grace is a sanctified affection where one affection is sanctified all are sanctified where all are sanctified the whole man is sanctified and he that is sanctified is justified and beleeves and shall infallibly be saved Thirdly God accepts the will and desire to beleeve for repenting and beleeving indeed wherefore this desire of reconciliation if it be soundly wrought in the heart is in acceptation with God as true faith indeed T is confessed that there bee many and sundry fleeting motions and desires to doe good things which grow to no issue or head but in time vanish as they come Now these are not true desires after salvation but rather flashing humours and sudden passions Such have no soundnesse in them and must be distinguished from the true desire of reconciliation with God that comes from a bruised heart and brings alwayes reformation of life And thus I have answered both his questions Whereas in his conference Pag. 3. he hath this comparison The poore man can tell you that to be rich and to desire to be rich are two things even so is Faith and a desire to beleeve as all that desire to bee rich are not rich so all that desire to beleeve doe not beleeve I answer non cadem est ratio his comparison holds not but is as poore as the poore man in it A man may seriously and in good earnest have a hungring desire after riches and yet bee a starke begger and have no riches at all but it is not so in the desire of grace I argue thus he that desireth grace must needs have the Spirit for this desire cannot come of (f) Voluntas est animi motus cogente nullo ad aliquid non admittendum vel adipiscendum Haec autem ut non admittat malum adipiscatur bonum praeven●tur praeparatur Dei gra●ia ipsa bona volun●as pedisse qua est granae non praevia Magist lib 2. dist 20. nature Phil. 2.13 It is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe acccrding to his good pleasure So that to will or desire good is from grace wrought in the soule by the Spirit of God yea this is a singular grace Tee have begun saith the Apostle not only to do but also to be forward or willing 2 Cor. 8.10 11. making it a greater grace to be willing and desirous to do well then it is to do the thing that is good and thereupon inferreth Vers 12. If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not Yea this is almost all that the faithfull have many times to comfort themselves withall that they find in themselves an unfained desire to please God This was all that Nehemiah could say of himselfe and the rest of his brethren Nehem. 1.11 That they did desire to feare Gods Name Isa 26.8 The desire of our soule is to thy Name This was Pauls comfort Rom. 7.18 To will is present with me From these places that godly reverend Divine Master (g) Hildersam John 4. pag. mihi 9. in the beginning Arthur Hildersam concludes They must needs be sure therefore of Grace that have an unfained desire of it for they have it already No man can desire Faith that hath not Faith the desire then of Grace is Grace and the desire of Faith is Faith and he that hath any one Grace in truth and soundnesse in him he may be certaine that his heart is upright and that he is truely regenerate thus Master Hildersam upon the fourth of John page in my edition 425. And the (h) Omnes virtutes sibi haerent ut qui una carn●rit omnibus careat qui ergo unam habet omnes haber Magist lib. 3 dist 36. Omnes in hoc conveniun quod qui habet unam virtutem Theologicam habet omnes Henric. de Vrimaria Add. in lib. Senten Schoole affirmes That all the graces of God are so conjoyned and together that he that wants one grace in truth wants all and he that hath any one grace in truth hath al other graces Thus then you see though his comparison holds good in things temporall that a desire to be rich is not to be rich yet it falls to the ground in things spirituall for the poore humbled soule that desires grace is rich in grace And Master (i) Perkins Cases of Conscience page mihi 24 col 1. Sect. Perkins concludes that a desire to repent and beleeve in a touched conscience and heart is Faith and repentance it selfe though not in nature yet in Gods acceptation O poore soules you that complaine of the want of Faith and Grace out of a hungering desire you have after them

comfort your drooping spirits against such desperate disconsolate doctrine as this meerely contrary to the doctrine of the Gospel and the true way of preaching Free Grace by Christ who will not breake a bruised Reed nor quench smoaking Flax if an an Angell from heaven preach any other doctrine beleeve him not I say againe cheere up your hearts The gates of Hell shall never prevaile against you you are rich in grace and all the pretious promises of the Gospel belong to you and all the riches of Gods mercie in Christ Jesus are yours what shall I say more I conclude God is yours Christ is yours and all is yours Now we are come to the third question laid downe in Page the 74. at the latter end Whether when Faith lies hid that wee cannot see that we beleeve by the inward Testimony of our conscience that it is possible our workes of pietie or charitie can assure us of salvation his answer is I say no and my reasons are these 1. That which makes me doubt of my Faith will make me doubt of the sinceritie of my worke 2. How is it possible I should judge my worke sincere when I cannot see I beleeve Whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne I answer there are diverse grounds which make a man doubt of his Faith different from those which make him doubt of the sincerit●e of his worke as through the want of apprehension whereby hee can say from his conscience that he is justified and at peace with God And in regard of spirituall desertions There is a twofold inward testimony of conscience The first is an immediate knowledge that a man doth beleeve which is by the prime and next efficient cause namely the Spirit of God called the (k) Id est eandem fidem ex ejusdem Spiritus afflatu dono Beza in loc Spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 and this is more fully set downe downe 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that wee might know the things that are freely given to us of God The second inward testimony of conscience is the sinceritie of a mans worke whereby a Christian knowes he doth beleeve and concerning the sinceritie of the worke none can judge but a mans owne conscience whose proper office it is and this the Apostle sets downe 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our (l) Certebonam conscientiam habemus quod candide ca an misinceritate quam Dominus in nobis requiri● un sumus Luc. Ostand in loc conscience that in simplicitie and godly sinceritie not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God wee have had our conversation in the world Conscience being that privitie which the soule hath to things knowne to none but God and it selfe is able to judge of the intention of every action So that as a tree is knowne by the fruits in like manner Faith is certainely knowne by its fruits as the cause is knowne by the effect And the Apostle (m) Insallibile est signam vere r●natorum organm a postenori valer Arett com in loc 1 Joh. 3.14 makes love to the brethren an infallible signe of a regenerate man We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren So that although we cannot immediately see that wee doe beleeve yet if we find in our conscience that wee love the brethren we know by this that wee doe beleeve for as breath is a certaine signe and evidence of present life so love to the brethren of present Faith even as wee see that when the Sunne is eclipsed though the earth wants the light of it yet not the reall influence and though men see not the Sunne in the light of it they doe see it in its reall influence and vertue So although Faith may be hid in regard of the soules immediate seeing it yet it may evidently see it doth beleeve in regard of Faiths reall influences and effects love to the brethren being one and thus though Faith lies hid Charitie doth and can assure us of our salvation Pag. 75. What workes are done in Faith sayes he that the same acts may not be done in the spirit of bondage If you say indeed that the actions are the same but they differ in the end I grant it and in the efficient also but as I cannot discerne the efficient so neither can I discerne the end of my worke To this I answer I discerne the efficient by the end he that hath a discursive intellect and can make use of that reason which God bath given him can easily tell to what end hee undertakes such and such an action The end being the first thing in the (a) Finis qui ultimus est executione primus est intentione omnis intellectus operativus incipit a fine Keckerm System lib. 1. pag. 165. intention and that which first sets the minde on worke about this or that thus in temporalls so likewise in spiritualls The Christian being able to make use of his sanctified reason can easily tell the intent of his heart and the end hee aymes at especially having the word of God as a sure rule to goe by he can tell whether he loves the brethren out of any by end he hath or onely as brethren setting all other respects aside And finding this holy affection in himselfe must needs conclude it cannot bee in a man that doth not beleeve I have heard of a very godly Minister who as I take it being sicke to death was much troubled about his evidence and doubted whether he did belong to God or no at the last Well sayes he the devill shall never gull me I have one evidence will assure me without faile I am certaine I love Gods people and so gathered comfort Upon these grounds I am bold to determine the question affirmatively That although Faith lies hid for the present yet a man from workes of pietie and charitie which he findes in himselfe may have assurance that he doth beleeve and so is in the state of salvation In his conference pag. 12. he doth confesse Where unfained love to the brethren is found it may be a testimony of grace received but he objects How shall I know his answer is That unlesse we beleeve truely we cannot know we love unfainedly therefore though our love heare witnesse to our Faith before men yet our Faith beares witnesse to our love in the secrets of our heart neither can it ever appeare to bee true love that proceeds not from a heart first imbracing Christ by Faith To this I answer by my loving unfainedly I know I beleeve truely the truth of my worke being an infallible evidence of the truth of my Faith and I can trie my worke by the sure rule of the Word which will not faile and thus though I cannot see my Faith formally yet I can see it effectively I meane in

pec●atorum per fidem venturi Christi conscientias a mortis peccati Tyrann de liberas habebant quantum saluti suae satisesset Parcus in loc did not derogate from their inheritance and adoption They were neverthelesse Sonnes Heires Lords of all under this outward servitude they had their consciences free serving God freely in the inner man with a filiall spirit for they were certaine of free remission of sinnes by Faith in Christ and had their consciences freed from the tyranny of death and sinne so farre forth as was sufficient for their Salvation So that this place of Scripture rightly understood makes altogether against him for from hence we may gather that the (b) Itaque hic verborum Apostoli sensus est nemo puter me quae hactenus dixi in Patrum ant gentis Judaicae contumeliam dixisse suerūt enim hi quo que filii Dei promissionum haeredes neque me latet quod olim pronuntiavit Deus Israel est filius meus primogenitus Item ex Aegypto vocavi filium meum Exod. 4. Hose 11. Gualter in Gal. hom 31 Fathers under the Old Testament had hope of the same inheritance which we have at this very day because they were partakers of the same adoption and they were chosen of God to this end that they should be the sons of God together with us as well as we Againe we gather from this place that in externall servitude which to them was no servitude but as it is compared with our condition since the comming of Christ they had freedome of conscience neither did the strict observation of the Law hinder Moses Daniel all the godly Kings Priests and Prophets and the whole company of beleevers but that they were free in spirit Therefore they did so beare the yoke of the Law upon their shoulders which I say againe was not to them a yoke but comparatively to the Christian liberty by the comming of Christ that they did serve God with a free spirit and were principally and especially (c) Praesertim vero de gratuita peccatorum remissione edocti ut conscientias haberent a peccati mortis Tyrannide solutas Inde constituendum est candem semper suisse doctrinam vera fidei unitate nobiscum fuisse conjunctos unius etiam Mediatoris fiducia nobisctan fretos Calvin in loc taught and instructed concerning free remission of sins and had their consciences loosed from the Tyranny and slavery of sinne and death From whence it is concluded that there was alwayes one and the same Doctrine and that they were joyned with us in the true unity of Faith and that they did injoy with us affiance and hope in one and the same Mediator in whom they had boldnesse and accesse with confidence by the Faith of him Ephes 3.12 and therefore it must necessarily follow that they had not an overly but an experimentall knowledge of actuall and eternall remission having assurance in their consciences that their sins were at that present time wherein they lived actually and eternally remitted in Christ Otherwise we must conclude that the sinnes of beleevers in the time of the Law were not remitted till Christs manifestation and comming in the flesh which is most absurd and contradictory to Scripture They had Christ in Spirit They beleeved in Christ and were saved by him as we are as it is Heb. 13.8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Yesterday to our Fathers to day to us for ever to ours all that ever were saved were saved by one and the same Christ who is the way being (d) Quia igitur haereditas caelestis non est nisi una 〈◊〉 una ejus parandae via ac ratio perspicuum est unam substantia esse veteris novi Testaments Ecclesiam salutis doctrinam contra quam ●ana●ici papistae contendunt Pareus com in Gal. cap. 4. 1. ever the same yesterday before the time of his comming in the flesh to day when he did come in the flesh at the time before appointed now and for ever the same Christ to all beleevers in all times all beleevers in all ages being for substance one and the same Church of God Christ was (e) Exhibitus Patribus in promissione ita ut eorum fider non minus praesen fue it sanguis Christi sun dendus quam sidei nost●ae praefens est jamolim effusus Tessan in Epist ad Hebr. praelect cap. 13.8 exhibited in the promise to the Fathers and the blood of Christ to be shed was no lesse present to their Faith then the blood of Christ long agoe shed is present to our Faith Heb. 9.22 Without shedding of blood is no remission and it was by the shedding of the same blood that all Gods people from the beginning of the world ever had remission Pareus (f) Unde commentum pontificium de limbo in quem Patres fideles crudeliter detruferunt ubi nulla salute fruerentur eminus tancum sururam intuerontur firmiter destruitur Pareus in loc that godly and learned man from his place Gal. 4.1 concludes that if the Fathers were Heires and Lords of the inheritance with us they were therefore saved by Faith no lesse than we whereby he condemneth the Papists concerning their (g) Altis debetur sola paenadamni solum temporalis absque ulla paena sensus isti dicebantur esse in limbo Patrum qui prohibebantur an e●passionem Christi a visione divina eo quod non crat satisfactum pro peccato totius naturae quan●vis hi non essent obnoxii alicur panae pro peccatis suis personalibus Durand lib. 3. dist 22 quae 4. limbus wherein they have cruelly shut up the Fathers where they injoy not salvation but behold it afar off onely to come and this is just according to his proposition as he defends it that they had knowledge of actuall and eternall remission to come not present but afarre off His proposition is farre more cruell and injurious to the Fathers than the opinion of the Papists is about the limbus They have devised and imagined in their wandering conceit foure infernall and subterrestriall places First Hell Secondly Purgatory Thirdly Limbus infantum where Children remaine dying without baptisime Fourthly Limbus Patrum where all the Fathers were before Christs comming in the flesh And their opinion is that they were kept in an infernall place or dungeon of darknesse yet without paine they did suffer the punishment of losse onely and that but for a time for this Limbus did indure but till the comming of Christ and (f) Constituunt Scholastici communi consensu intra terram quatuor sinus five unum in quatuor partes divisum unum pro damnatis alterum pro purgandis tertium pro Infantibus sine baptismo abeuntibus quartum pro justis qui moriebantur ante Christi passionem qui nunc vacuus remanet Bellarm. Tom 2. de Purgator lib. 2. cap. 6. pag. mihi 410. Bellarmin himselfe