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
A95973	The impostures of seducing teachers discovered; in a sermon before the Right Honorable the Lord Major and court of Aldermen of the city of London, at their anniversary meeting on Tuesday in Easter weeke, April 23, 1644. at Christ-Church. By Richard Vines, minister of Gods word at Weddington in the county of Warwick, and a member of the Assembly of Divines. Imprimatur, Charles Herle.	Vines, Richard, 1600?-1656.	1644 (1644)	Wing V557; Thomason E48_2; ESTC R11333	24,964	44

their hands I would not blow the trumpet or proclaime open warre against lesser differences severity and acrimony in such cases breedes schisme and heales it not but pernicious errours and destructive to soules which it is cruelty to spare and not pity must be faced and fought against not with invectives and railing that doth but anger the Gangrene and is not the way to quench wildfire but by solid convictions and evidence of truth for so you shall either gain a brother or not lose a friend But you may aske when should we goe out against a doctrine as pernicious for even that point about the law which denominates an Antinomian and that about Baptisme which denominates an Anabaptist seeme not to be fatall to the soule To this I answer that we must look how a doctrine is attended or consequenced the first circle in the water is the least those that are caused by it are bigger and bigger an opinion may be very ill as it is a bastard mis-begotten by mis-inferences from the Word but it is worse as it is a whore and begets a new off-spring of errours more pernicious but I must remember to whom I speake Brethren if the sheep be infected or worried both God and men will aske Where were the shepherds or what did they in the meane time 2. To the people I say but this Rom. 16. 17. I beseech you brethren marke them which cause divisions and differences contrary to the doctrine which yee have learned and avoid them The avoiding of such teachers is your proper duty as you would avoid an ambuscado or stratagem of deceit our present divisions are scandalous to your selves to your Ministers to the truth for by reason of them The way of truth is evill spoken of 2 Pet. 2. 2. they are the hopes of the common enemy and our own weakenings and because I have named the enemy let no man thinke that the betraying of these differences among our selves doth give handle and occasion to them to traduce us all as Anabaptists Brownists Sectaries we need not feare the calumnies of those to whom godlinesse it selfe as Christianity of old was crime enough we shall doe our selves right in their eyes by disclaiming them The Apostles doe boldly tax the divisions among Christians notwithstanding any upbraidings of the Heathens Let them say that we are about instead of purging the Temple as Christ did to set up a Pantheon as the Romans did or an Altar to the unknown god as they of Athens did This water will not stick upon us long they will be of another mind when we shall shake this viper off our hand In the meane time I beseech you to consider whether beside the sleight and cunning craftinesse of seducing teachers there be not some other stratagems on foot acted from behind the doore and at a greater distance some hand of Ioab is in all this the polititian and the Jesuite blow these coales they would make us as Samaritans and Iewes to one another Let us not gratifie our enemies I le say but this observe the brand or character set upon the seduced Vnstable soules 2 Pet. 2. 14. silly women laden with sins led away with divers lusts 2 Tim. 3. 6 c. and upon the seducers merchants of mens soules 2 Pet. 2. 3. unruly vaine-talkers deceivers aiming at filthy lucre Titus 1. 10 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lawlesse persons 2 Pet. 3. 17. men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith 2 Tim. 3. 8 c. but admit there be a face and presence of holinesse in the person may we not then more securely receive their doctrine To this I answer that both person and doctrine may carry a faire stamp and superscription We doe not weigh gold to try the superscription of it but the weight Guilded pills may convey poison Satan in Peter is not easily discovered The better passe that error brings with it the more dangerous it is So much upon the second part of the text The third is the preservative or antidote against all impressions of such teachers as come with sleight and subtilty c. and that is two-fold 1. The Ministery which Christ hath given to his Church for this ver relates to the 11. He gave some Apostles and some c. that henceforth c. and to them doth the Apostle commit the charge of the flock to watch over them against wolves Acts 20. 28 29. 2. The holding fast and pursuance of the substance and great things of Religion ver 15. but being sincere in love grow up in all things into him which is the head It s an excellent growth to grow up into the head that is into communion with and conformity to Jesus Christ which triviall opinions nothing at all advance observe the antithesis or opposition he makes between being carried about c. and following the truth in love for contraria contrarijs diseases are cured by contraries so the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 3. 17 18. gives the same receipt against unstedfastnesse but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ and to take off teachers from fables and genealogies and questions of no value Paul commends to them the aiming at godly edifying which is by faith and to hold to that which is the end of the commandement charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfained 1 Tim. 1. 4 5. If both Ministers and people would but drive this trade it would take off that wandring and hunting after novell opinions and doctrines and would keep us constant in the wholesome pastures even now that the hedge of setled government is wanting If you have good feeding why should not that keep you from wandering untill the pale be set up wait upon God in the use of his saving ordinances and pray for us If Moses stay long in the mount must the people be setting up golden calves and say we know not what is become of this Moses Aarons rod shall swallow up all the rods of Iannes and Iambres in Exod. 7. 1● due time The Apostle puts us in hope of a nil ultra to such 2 Tim. 3. 9. They shall proceed no further for their folly shall be manifest unto all FINIS

they knew not whether else to goe because eternall life was in them and this testimony our people cannot but give to our deserted Ministers that the words of eternall life is in them and why then will they not reflect upon themselves and say whither shall we goe I would not tread out the least sparke except it be wildfire in the house-eaves which may set the whole Towne afire God hath his babes to whom I would recommend for their comfort the comparing of Heb. 5. 13. with Heb. 6. 9. where the Apostle having called them babes that had need to be taught the first principles doth yet say we are perswaded of you things that accompany salvation and makes mention of their worke and labour of love for there may be much godlinesse in lesser light Fundamentals unto salvation are not so many or burdensome the least Star in the orbe hath as swift and regular a motion though not so much light as the greater only let it be your endeavour to know your own measure Rom. 12. 3. 2 Pet. 3. ult and to encrease in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ which are practicall things and not to 1 Tim. 6. ● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be question-sick and leave wholesome food to long after such things as doe but adde to the crudity of your stomacks and fill you up with wind 2. In respect of their ungroundednesse in knowledge which lies loose in them and doth not stake them downe or anchor them from being tossed because they have it by rote and can neither give a reason of that they know nor have found the weight of it upon judgement and conscience and so they are variable and unstable like children the Philosophers definition of a moist element is proper to them That Quod difficulter suis sacilè alienis terminis continetur is saith he it hath no forme or consistence of its own but easily takes such figure as the continent or vessell in which it is doth give it as water takes the forme of the dish or glasse c. into which you put it such are these they have no mould but what the next teacher casts them into being blowne like glasses into this or that shape at the pleasure of his breath to such as these I commend this to get the reason of that they know as it s said a reason of the hope that is in you for Religion consists not in a rhapsody of loose opinions nor will a little knowledge gotten by rote preserve a man from being taken captive by every novell doctrine It s the Apostles phrase 2 Tim. 3. 6. They take prisoners silly women Where you may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Omnes haereses ex gynecaei● Ax●omat Ecclesiastica pag. 74. note that he saith they prevaile with women they get an Eudoxia Iustina Constantia on their side and so work upon Adam by Eve 2. These children are tossed to and fro and carried about and that denotes 1. That they are unstable under the command of every winde and a prey to every net that is spread for them travelling and wandring through all opinions when they have left the true line sometimes they are in Cancer sometimes in Capricorne falling even into contraries for one errour is still a bridge to another so we know that the Arminian went forward to Popery and many of ours from Antinomianisme to Anabaptisme and Brownisme and whether then why one errour ingendring with another begets a mule or mixt off-spring and so Africk it selfe shall not show more novelties they will encrease saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 2. 16. to more ungodlinesse Errour is a precipice a vortex or whirlepoole which first turnes men round and then sucks them in be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines Heb. 13. 9. for its good that the heart be ballast or stablisht with grace where the opposition is evident between being carried about and being establisht by grace 2. That they are unprofitably carried for to what port is the wave tossed to what station is the cloud carried is not the wave bandied back againe by the racket of the next wave and the cloud by the next wind It s good saith he that the heart be establisht and to that end that we converse in such doctrines as d●e profit them that are exercised in them Heb. 13. ● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 still asking our selves this question what improvement is there of my soule heavenward by such or such doctrine what healing of the gashes of conscience what further inlet or admission into communion with Christ what cleansing from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. If this be your aime then steere this point intend this scope and let goe questions and vaine janglings contending towards the end of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1. 6. the commandement which marke saith the Apostle many never shoot at 1 Tim. 1. 6. in their ministery or doctrine nor indeed doe many hearers aime at any such thing I meane our Nomades as I may call them or walkers who will not endure to sit at the feet of a constant godly ministery which yet is the best way of proficiency in knowledge and godlinesse but by reason of their feverish thirst as they distast each one so they desire to tast all waters of which sort is he that wanders away the Sabbath by peeping in at Church-dores and taking essay of a sentence or two and then if there be no scratch for his itch lambit fugit he is gone 3. These children are tossed to and fro and carried about by doctrine and that implies that they are hearers that are thus unsetled and they are teachers by whom they are unsetled 1. They are hearers and must not they be hearers what else condemned be the atheisme of the eare of them who turne away their eare from God who speakes by the hand of his messengers let us leave to the Papists ministorum muta officia populi caeca obsequia the dumbe offices of the Priests and blind obedience of the people when Scribes and Pharisees hold the chaire our Saviour saith not Mark 4. 24. Luk. 8. 18. heare not but take heed how you heare Take heed what ye heare beware of their leaven 2. They are teachers that unsettle these hearers They have troubled you with words subverting your soules Acts 15. 24. It much concernes the Church yea and the State into what hands doctrine is committed by reason of the unsettlement of the people which may be occasioned thereby I should beseech them that are in the office of teachers that they would take heed to themselves and to the doctrine 1 Tim. 4. 16. and that they would teach milke or meate and not wind nor lead on people first into criticismes before they have laid in them the plaine Grammar rule of sound and wholesome words that they may be made