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
A95963	The authours, nature, and danger of hæresie. Laid open in a sermon preached before the Honorable House of Commons at Margarets Westminster, upon Wednesday the tenth of March, 1646. being set apart as a solemne day of publike humiliation to seeke Gods assistance for the suppressing and preventing of the growth and spreading of errours, heresies, and blasphemies. / By Richard Vines. Printed by order of the House of Commons.	Vines, Richard, 1600?-1656.	1647 (1647)	Wing V545; Thomason E378_29; ESTC R3304	47,605	81

notionall The Lord humble us for our declensions and swervings from the g 1 Tim. 6. 3. end of the commandement which is love out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfained and for our turnings aside to vaine ianglings The best way of fortification of our selves against the allurements and assaults of false teachers is 1. To be grounded in the principles of the doctrines of Christ or else we shall easily be tumbled up and downe like loose stones that lie not fast in the building upon the foundation 2. To study and adhere unto the doctrine which is h 1 Tim 1. 5. 6. according to godlinesse practicall and edifying truths which draw up the heart into acquaintance and communion with God and draw it out in love and obedience to him For its good that the heart be stablisht with grace Heb. 13. 9. 3. To hold faith and a good conscience 1. Tim. 1. 19. for if we thrust away a good conscience by entertaining base lusts and ends the shipwrack of faith will follow 4. To pray for confirmation and establishment by the hand of God for as it is not a strong constitution that is a protection against the plague so neither is it parts and learning which secure us from beleeving lies and delusions It s a mercy for which we are not enough thankfull that God keeps any of us standing upright when others shrink awry or that wee are enabled to discerne between truth and errour and to stand for the one and withstand the other when so many that have driven a great trade of profession are broken and turned bankerupts 5. To keep as a treasure those truths wherein you have formerly found comfort and which have been attested and confirmed to you by your owne experience sit upon those flowers still and sucke their fresh honey every day A Christian very hardly parts with those truths that have been sealed up to his experience but it s no wonder that a man should lose that out of his head which he never had in his heart To those that bring in or follow these pernicious Vse 2 wayes of damnable haeresy you shall see the crop which you shall reap swift destruction you are under judgement which slumbers not It will be destructive to you to wrest the Scriptures 2. Pet. 5. 16. and to make merchandise of mens soules for sinfull ends 2. Pet. 2. 3. To corrupt the mindes of men from the simplicity that is in Christ 2. Cor. 11. 3. and to cause divisions and scandalls Rom. 16. 17. are things which will cost you deare lay to heart the terrible expressions of wrath which are fulminated against such men in Scripture There may be differences in opinion betweene them that are godly which are not inconsistent with the peace of the Churches and for which its unlawfull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the historian saith to make butter and cheese of one another It s a discreet rule which is laid downe by one a Conradas Bergius dedictamine c. Si non idem sentimus de veritate at saltem de pondere If we cannot agree upon the truth of every question or point of divinity yet at least lets be agreed concerning the weight and moment thereof so as not to make as great a stirr about a tile of the house as if it were a foundation stone nor erect new parties or Churches upon every lesser variation but to contend for or pretend a liberty of professing or publishing such doctrins as overthrow the faith and subvert the soule under the name of liberty of conscience can be no other then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Tim. 3. 9. a manifest folly or madnesse Is this liberty any part of Christs purchase Hath he made men free to sin and deny him that bought them what yoake of bondage doth this liberty free us from Gal. 5. 1. should we claime a liberty of being in bondage to errour or promise to men a liberty of being servants to corruption which the falseteachers in effect did 2. Pet. 2. 19. God hath as one saith reserved to himselfe as his prerogative three things Ex nihilo creare futura praedicere conscientijs dominari To create out of nothing to foretell things to come to have dominion over conscience and it is true that while a thing is within in the conscience it s out of mans reach but when ' its acted and comes abroad then it comes into mans jurisdiction and is cognizable in foro humano God onely is judge of thoughts men also are judges of actions It s a great mistake and of very ill consequence to imagine that a man is alwayes bound to act or practice according to the light or judgement of conscience though rightly informed in thesi for then I see not that there can be any place for that rule given by the Apostle Rom 14. 22. Hast thou faith have it to thy selfe before God Truth it selfe though never to be denyed yet is not alwayes to be declared for the hurt or scandall may be greater then an inseasonable profession or practice of that which is in it selfe lawfull may be worth but the mistake is yet more grosse to imagine that an erring conscience is a sufficient protection or warranty for an evill act It s sin to goe against an erring conscience Stante dictamine as its sin to ravish and force awhore It s sin also to act according to the dictate of an erring conscience as to committ adul tery with consent To make conscience the finall judge of actions is to wipe out the hand writing of the word of God which doth condemne many times those things which conscience justifies yea and men also may passe just judgement on delusions or lyes though those that vent them doe beleeve them for truths If conscience be warrant enough for practices and opinions and liberty of conscience be a sufficient licence to vent or act them I cannot see but the judicatories either of Church or State may shut up their Shop and bee resolved into the judicatory of every mans private conscience And put the case that the Magistrate should conceive himselfe bound in conscience to draw forth his authority against false teachers or their damnable haeresies and upon that supposed errour should challenge a liberty of judging as wee doe of acting would our liberty give us any ease so long as he had his and were it not better for him to judge and for us to walke by a knowne rule and if we should say that his liberty of judging is unlawfull it is as easy for him to say that our liberty of preaching or professing errours is so too To you that are Ministers of the word that you would draw forth the sword of the Spirit against these spirits of errour as not onely the duty you owe to Gods truth and mens soules requireth but also the pressing examples of the Apostles doe constraine you let not the Lord Jesus

matter who were the Schismaticks when the second Councel of Nice set up Images into such honour and thereby put the Churches into combustion Doubtlesse the Councell was the Schismaticke who were the Schismatics when the reformed Churches after all means used were either driven out or broke off from the communion of the Church of Rome questionlesse the b Mornay of the Church cap. 10. Pope and his followers not the Protestants who departed from them as the Romans had a saying that when the Gauls had taken Rome and Camillus with the rest of the Patriots were at Veij then though the walls of Rome stood where they did before yet Rome was not in Rome but at Veij I shall not meddle with those Episcopal dissentions in the auncient Churches commonly called schismes nor those about the Popedome d Spalato lib. 4. de rep eccles cap. 11. thirty in number as they are reckoned Schisme simply and nakedly is a breaking off or breaking off from the communion of the Church upon such grounds as have no weight in the word of God to allow them as namely when c Schisma ni fallor est eadem opinantem atque eodem ritu colentem quo caeteri solo congregationis delectari dissidio Aug. contra Faustum lib. 20. et contra Cresconium grammat the same faith or doctrine in substantialls is held and there is accordance and agreement in them yet through passions and private ends or fancies there is offence taken at lesser matters of fact or order and so the divorce is made for such faults in the yoke-fellow as are farre short of adultery as if the members of any of the seven Churches should have separated because of some drosse in those Golden Candlesticks The Donatist who separated upon that principle that there was not true Church where good and bad were mixt and that the chaffe in the floore made the wheate uncleane or that the communion of the godly was blasted and polluted by the mixture of ungodly ones amongst them was in open schisme both in breaking off from the Churches of Christ upon that reason and in assu●eing liberty to erect new Churches onely which he called the true Churches of Christ Now for haeresy it is schisme and somwhat more as the Apostle implies and what is that majus quid as Tertullian calls it or that somewhat more the answere is given in that generally received saying of Terome haeresis perversum dogma habet Haeresy goes with a perverse opinion or errour in doctrine which I conceive to be a very truth though d Grotius in 1 Cor. 11. Grotius affirme that ex vi vocis it be nihil aliud quam schisma because the word haeresy in all authors from the first use of it hath signified a sentence or dogmaticall tenet or assertion as the severall Sects of Philosophers who differd in their opinions are i Jamblichus lib. 2. cap. 1. called haeresies and therefor e Jamblichus haveing written of the life of Pythagoras now saith he it remaines that I speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning his tenets or opinions so the sects of Saducees and Pharisees who differd in opinions are called haeresies and the f Haeresin Syri vocant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctrinam Drusius in Act. 24. 5. Syriake calls haeresy doctrine in which sense it must be taken Acts. 28. 22. this haeresy that is this doctrine concerning Christ is every where spoken against or contradicted and the Apostles Peter and Jude are expresse that these haeresies are brought in by false teachers and are opposite to the faith denying Christ Iesus the Lord and his redemdtion 2. Pet. 2. 1. Jude 3. 4. upon all which considerations and that as Tertullian elegantly saith haeresy is a degenerate thing which arises from the corruption and adulterating of the truth tanquam caprificus a papauere fici oleaster ex olivae grano c I am cleer enough that in haeresy there must be matter of opinion or doctrine and so the meaning of the Apostle in this place of the Corinthians is to shew that as there were already schismes amongst them and dividing into parties as their partiality affection and selfe-respects led them so there must be also haeresies or errours in doctrine which should fight against the truth of the Gospell patronize vitious and filthy lusts of the flesh to which both errours and lusts there would be some that would decline but those that were approved and sound-hearted would be made manifest among them and so I conclude that haeresy is a renting or tearing the communion of the Church as it is schisme and a subverting of the doctrine of truth and holiness as it is haeresy like sedition in the common wealth for schisme as one saith is an ecclesiastical sedition when it is not only made against the faults of some persons or their miscarriage in government or some abuses in fact but ariseth from principles or errours opposite and destructive to the fundamentall lawes and justice of the Kingdom The second place is that Gal. 5. 19. 20. The workes of the flesh are manifest which are adultery fornication c. Seditions heresies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated divisions Rom. 16. 17. is here translated seditions seditions or divisions and haeresies may well be set together for they goe together haeresies are workes of the flesh manifest workes of the flesh The workes of the flesh are said to be manifest either because they are the product and fruites of that inward corruption called flesh and are the tokens and markes of a carnall man or because they may be discerned and knowne by the g Mr. Perkin● in Galath 5. light of reason and of a naturall conscience except the light be by strength of lusts extinct or by the judgement of God darkned or put out Divines usually from this place doe prove against the Papists that by flesh is not onely meant the sensuall appetite or inferiour faculties of the Soule but the higher also as the minde and judgement because haeresy is an errour of the minde and so no doubt it is though it may be called carnall also in respect of those fleshly lusts or ends which carry men thereinto and are exercised under the patronage thereof Austin sometime saith that in his judgement it either not at all or very hardly can be regularly defined b Aut non omnino aut difficulter c. Aug. ad quod vult deum in proefatione what makes an haeretick but he comes very neere it in another place saying hee is an haeretick in my opinion who for some or other temporall profit especially his owne glory or dignity doth either beget i De● vi●●●●a●e ●redendi cap. ● ●ui 〈…〉 commodi maxime ●●●ri●● principatusque sui gratia c. or follow false and new opinions The Scripture notion of the word haeresy runs very much this way and it is to be feared that mens selfe ends wealth eminency

interests have too much ingrediency into their opinions in these times the Lord will discover and blast the doctrine which he hates and them also that hold up such opinions as are under his 〈…〉 and haply against the conscience also of those that follow them for their private and unworthy ends The third place is that Titus ● 10. 11. A 〈◊〉 that is an haeretick after the first and second ad●●●i●●on reject Knowing that ●e that is such i● subver●●●● and sinneth being condemned of himselfe In the former verse there is an exhortation to avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and striveings about the Law because they are unprofitable and vaine and then it followes A man that is a haeretick c. whence the a Examen censurae pag. 272. and 280. Arminians interpret an haeretick to be one that makes contention and division upon trifling and slighty questions who is condemned of himselfe because he litigates and makes a stirre about such things as himselfe knowes to be of small importance but I conceive the matter not to be so slighty as they would make it for it is said of such a one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is subverted as a Ship that turns up her keele or a house when the foundation is turned topsy turvy and therefore Deut. 32. 20. where the extreamly desperate estate of a people at last cast is exprest the Greeke renders it by the word used in this text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a people turned upside downe or subverted which also the b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Subvertit us cum superior pars in ●mam vertitur Avenarius Hebrew word imports both in this place and else where and so haeresy is concluded to be a subversive thing and not a peevish litigation about slight questions as the Arminians would put it off but thus much may be collected from the cohaerence that a man may be denominated an haeretick for doctrinall and dogmaticall errours holden and contentiously defended and maintained and it is observed by some that wordes of this forme and termination as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do signifie an aptitude or readinesse and so the c Cameron myrothec cui volupe est tueri falsas erroneas opiniones word in the text signifies one that with complacency and choyce adheres to such errours but the greatest doubt is what is meant by those wordes he sinneth being condemned of himselfe which d Chrisost in Titus 3. 10. 11. Chrysostom refers to the admonitions precedent for in that such a man hath been admonisht he cannot reply in his owne defence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. no man hath shewed me my errour no man hath better instructed me and so hath his mouth stopt and is condemned of his owne conscience and it is not to be denyed that very many interpreters both ancient and moderne by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe understand a man that is convinced in his owne conscience that he erres and that he goes contrary to his owne light sciens volens but this interpretation is by e Minus Celsus pag. 13. Estius in locum cum multis aliis many disallowd and argued against that moderate and sweet breath'd f De Arrianis lib. 5. Salvian speakeing of the Arrians saith Haeretici sunt non scientes apud nos non apud se quod illi nobis hoc nos illis c. They are Haereticks but not knowingly with us they are but not with themselves And indeed the word in the text doth not necessarily carry so farre as that an haeretick is condemned of his owne conscience but as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a man taught of himselfe without a Master so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a man condemned of himselfe not merely misled by others to whom he hath given up himselfe blindfold but as one that hath electively taken up and with a fixed self-will is resolved to persist in his errour and way which he thinks to be truth and that he doth Godgood service in holding on in it there are two things that may be cleerly taken up 1. That it is made the character of an haeretick to sin because condemned of himselfe 2. That another man may know that he is subverted and sins being selfe condemned for ' its said after admonition reject him Knowing that he that is such is subverted c. But how shall this be known Is it because he sins against common notions or principles within the ken of natures light This restraines haeresy which is a subverting of the faith onely to that which is contrary to light of nature which light of nature may bee in some particular so defaced like a superscription on old coyne that though I may know he sins yet he is not convinced in himselfe Is it then because he takes an opinion for his lusts sake and private ends against his light and knowledge Then indeed he sins because condemned of himselfe but how can another know it It rests therefore that an haeretick rejecting admonition may be said to be condemned of himselfe because hee chuseth his owne errours and rejects the truth and so interpretative that is vertually and by consequence is condemned of himselfe as they who thrust away the word from them did judge themselves unworthy of eternall life Acts. 13. 46. Here is as you see an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or selfe condemning without conviction of conscience or knowledge of their own sin in it The fourth place is the Text which we have in hand and this whole chapter compared with the Epistle of Iude in both which haeresy is graphically described as hath before been opend That which remaines to be done is the drawing up of that hath been said concerning the meaning of the word or the explication of the things out of the Scriptures alleaged into a result and that is this The Scripture seemes to make haeresy a complicate evill in which there is these three things whether all of them essentiall ingredients or some of them be usuall attendants or concomitants I dispute not 1. Dogmaticall or doctrinall errour even over throwing the faith or a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Tim. 2. 18. Funditas ever tunt solo equa●t subverting the pillars and foundations of the doctrine of Christ which Jude calls the common salvation ver 3. 2. Seperation from or renting of the unity and communion of the Church some time b Schisina eructat in here sin ut non nemo ait schisme introduces haeresy when men are run out upon peevishnesse of spirit or some unwarrantable grounds they commonly run on into errour of opinion and doctrine being caught like a loose and wandring sheep severd from the flock by the wolves which lie in waite for such sometimes the schisme followes upon the errour of opinion drunke in and so departure from the truth is attended with departure from the society and communion of the Church

very well understand by the last times not onely the times of the Gospell in generall but the time of Antichrists declining as well as of his arising and growth The last of the last times For as the last times of the Jewish Church after it had shaken off the captivity and idolatry were pester'd and infested most of all with haeresies untill Christ came with a new doctrine of the Gospell and untill the desolution of the frame of that Church so the last dayes of Gospell Churches having shaken off the second Babylonish captivity and idolatry shall be infested with these dangerous errours and haeresies and haply untill the very second comming of Christ or at least untill he shall gloriously declare himself in the destruction of the beast and false Prophet and in the calling of the Jewes These things being laid together doe cry aloud unto you to consider your danger and to hearken to the frequent inculcations of the Apostles in their Epistles in almost all their a 2 Cor. 11. 3. Epistles describing false teachers to bee like the Serpent that beguiled Eve branding them with the name of Jannes and Jambres Balaam false Apostles deceitfull workers ministers of Sathan c. stigmatizing their doctrins with the names of damnable haeresies doctrines of Devills c. Fortifying Christians with effectuall arguments and exhortations against the impressions and infections of such poysonous errours And if you looke upon those Epistles which were sent from heaven to the seven Churches you shall finde that the greatest part of those comminations in them contained are thundred forth against haeresies or doctrinall errours maintaining or cherishing as I may call them haereticall lusts there wee finde them b Revel 2. 2. that said they were Apostles but were lyers the c cap. 2. 9. 14. 15. 20. 24. blasphemy of such as said they were Jews but were the Synagogue of Satan the doctrine of Balaam the doctrine of the Nicolaitans the teaching and seducing of Jezebel the depths of Sathan c. The Churches are commended or the Angels of those Churches who found out these disguised seducers and kept the truth uninfected by them and those Angels or Churches blamed which d Revel 2. 15. had them e Vers 20. and suffered them in their bosome These things I offer to your serious and sad consideration you have not made use of the point as soone as you have said The Minister railes It s not my meaning to poure out all this that hath beene said upon every errour either preacht or followed in our times but to shew you that false teachers and haeresies must be and shall be in the Gospel Churches and to put you in minde what the Scripture saith concerning them and how much you are concerned to looke about you for I observe that men are not so jealous over themselves or so affraid of e corruption of their minds as they ought to be nor so sensible of sin in intellectuall errours as in morall corruptions and yet we know diseases in the head are mortall too and that a fish begins to corrupt and stink in the head and so throughout corrupt manners usually and naturally follow upon corrupt minds they that are not sound in the faith no wonder if they be not sound in the feare and in the wayes of God whither will this new scepticisme come and into what will it be resolved but into Athiesme when men begin to fall we see by experience that many fall from story to story till they come to the very bottom And therefore I exhort and beseech you all to that which the scripture exhorts and in joynes upon Christians who are in danger of being seduced by false teachers or their doctrines and that is to try the spirits whether they are of God 1. John 4. 1. To contend for the faith once delivered Jude 3. To beware lest you be carried away with the errour of lawlesse men 2. Pet. 3. 17. To turne away from such as creep into houses and lead captive silly women 2. Tim. 3. 5. 6. To avoid foolish questions which are unprofitable and vaine Titus 3. 9. To hold faith and a good conscience 1. Tim. 1. 19. To continue in the things that you have learned and been assured of out of the word of God 2. Tim. 3. 14. And lastly If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house neither say to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Epistle of John 10. 11. For he that bids him god speed is partaker of his evill deeds where the Apostle supposes that false teachers are men of evill deeds besides their false doctrines or that indeed their false doctrine is evill deeds in the plurall number and therefore not to be slighted off as a thing of the minde or mentall mistake onely you see that to countenance or encourage such teachers is to be partaker of their evill deeds and whatsoever credit you will give to the report of f lib. 3. cap. 3. Irenaeus concerning John his leaping out of the bath from Cerinthus or Polycarp his refuseal of Marcion his acquaintance yet the observation which he makes uponthose reports or histories is to be taken notice of that the Apostles and their followers would Tantum Apostoli eorum discipu●i c. Iren lib. 3. cap. 3. not so much as verbo tenus communicate with any of them that had adulterated the truth how much lesse should private Christians close with such seducers who are more likely to pull them into the water then they to pull them out Naturally wee are tinder too apt to take fire by their sparkes he that fishes with an haereticall bait may haply catch more in a moneth than some godly Minister shall bring to Christ with all his travell and paines as long as he lives for he hath the advantage of the bait and therein lies the odds of successe between preaching of errour and preaching of the truth I maruell saith the Apostle that you are so soone removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospell Gal. 1. 6. there was the wonder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they were removed so quickly and the Apostles wonder may be ours also wee have been a people of as powerfull godlinesse as any in the world practicall divinity was improved to a great height of clearenesse and sweetnesse but I feare that I may truely say we were best in worst times wee held our cloake in the winde and now are laying it off in the sun A miserable declination from the life and power of godlinesse is come to passe within these few yeares our practicals our inward and close wayes of walking with God in faith and love are sublimed into fancies and vapour out into fumes of new opinions and which is worst of all we take this dropsy to be growth and conceive our selves to be more spirituall and refined because more ayry and