Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	evil_a	good_a	motive_n	1,128	5	11.3729	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29443	A Briefe discourse declaring and approving the necessary and inviolable maintenance of the laudable customes of London namely, of that one, whereby a reasonable partition of the goods of husbands among their wives and children is provided : with an answer to such objections and pretenced reasons, as are by persons unadvised or evill perswaded, used against the same.		1652 (1652)	Wing B4579; ESTC R36620	17,189	31

a president Thus the mischiefes objected on the one side are light and of small moment whereas the inconveniences apparent on the other side be manifold and of dangerous consequence I will not vouchsafe to answer that undiscreet Sarcasmus or bitter scoffe that some use We may play our wealth at dice without offence to the custome wherefore should wee not then dispose the same from our wife and children by our deeds of gift This amounteth to as much as if a maried man would say I may commit felony or treason and be attainted and hanged therefore and then the Law giveth my wife no dower nor my heire no patrimony then why should I not in reason use my discretion with the Land without incumbrance by the one or injury to the other Match these two cases together with judgement and thou shalt perceive they have a sensible concurrency in their address and application to this purpose It is well said by the Poet. il juvat exemplum quod litem lite resolvit The example of one wilfull or wicked act giveth no just countenance or allowance to another Let so much said to thy objections take some place to alter thine humour or at least be a preparative for thine own reason in the fear of God to purge thee of the same But to conclude this short discourse with one consideration of great importance I wish thee to consider that this City of London is and hath been happily preserved in this flourishing prosperity by the wise and politick consent that all and alwayes the particulars have had to increase the generall good estate thereof thinking it their duty as they got and acquired their substance in this City so also to spend and defray it in the same insomuch that whatsoever falleth from the one commeth and groweth unto another and by alteration of private fortunes as chances and changes of times doe require from one Citizen to another the generall estate hath flourished and never wanted particular men of wealth and ability to sustain the offices and functions of the City Upon which consideration by most laudable and antient Custome the Lord Maior and Senate of London have been and are intitled to the tuition and custody of young Orphans and their goods and likewise are made acquainted by ordinary good means of inventaries taken and produced what substance and wealth each man dyeth possessed of to the intent that although that man which by his good travaile and Trade hath grown to be rich among them be departed hence yet his goods may remain as among his wife and children in use and property so to the generall strength of this City in account and reckoning For wee often see that one rich mans wealth passeth to the increase of the good estate of another Citizen either by mariage of the widow or of the Orphan so that the City though deprived of a member or inhabitant yet is not destitute of such as may discharge his employment and place Whereas if this pernicious practise and uncharitable liberty might take root by deeds of gifts and cautelous conveyance to strangers not onely the wife and children may be distressed but also the state of the City much weakened and in danger of a great disreputation and decay from that that it hath bin and yet is For if it be adjudged lawfull in one of what degree soever he be it is neither impossible nor unlikely that the same will be used by many and consequently may be practised by all which if it befall what will become of the happy condition of this City it is not hard to conjecture I mean not to extend my speech to the prejudice of any true debts that a man oweth without fraud or collusion seeing the custome very providently careth for the discharge thereof but my purpose is to disswade men from evill example from insolent violation of good customes and from odious and unseemly practises of deceit and evill meaning towards their wives and children Which perswasion I would wish all professors of the Law seriously and carefully to use and enforce to their clients being Citizens of London as in good conscience and discretion they ought to do Blame not my bold enterprise gentle Reader nor reprove my simple censure herein presented unto thee An Apostrophe to the Reader and the motive of this Treatise which might I know both for the matter manner of it have been by any other and perchance by my selfe more largely and effectually delivered if the opportunity of my leasure might have answered the quality of the argument which I had in hand But fearing lest I should with too long a discourse in so plain a proposition breed more lothsomness then liking I would not for want of leasure I might not and if I had had time at will I minded not seeing for any urgent occasion the error being yet fresh the practise rare and not grown to an enormity I needed not but in a word or two to make thee acquainted with the cause that moved me to addresse these few reasons to thy gentle view So it happened that I being in company and conference with some persons though otherwise wise wel-affected yet in this matter strangely conceited it chanced that the lawfulnesse and conveniency of this custome came in question and debate among us and was by some of them being men for sufficiency of great opinion and for countenance and credite of good apparance and regard in the City so pressed with objections that the most part of those which were present seemed to encline to that perswasion Wherefore lest the authority of the men might the sooner seduce the simple multitude unto their error and for that I thought it a charitable policy to prevent the perill in the prime before it grew to a festering sore or incurable evill according to the Poet Ovids advise Principiis obsta sero medicina paratur Cum mala per longas invaluere moras VVithstand at first the springing evill VVith medicines fit therefore Too late it is to take the cure Of old and festred sore I thought good to apply this simple Receipt of reason to the minds of all such as shall chance to be distempered be these disswasions hoping that they will yeeld me that friendly requitall of good construction which my offerred good will may seem to deserve and although I keep my selfe unnamed and unknown it may please them to have this opinion of me no more favourable then reasonable that he which is well devoted to the defence of good customes is rather to be justified in his good meaning then condemned or held suspected of any sinister conceipt The Table GOvernours Charge President Fol. 4 Treasurer ibid. Surveyors Fol. 6 Almoners Fol. 7 Scrutiners Fol. 9 Admonition to the Auditors Fol. 10 Orders for keeping the Evidences Fol. 11 The Renter Clerk and his Charge ib. The Hospitalers Office Fol. 17 The Stewards Office Fol. 19 The Matrons Office Fol. 20 The Sisters Office Fol. 22 The Chirurgians Fol. 23 The Porter Fol. 24 The Bedells Fol. 26 The Visitor of Newgate Fol. 27 FINIS