Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	faith_n	good_a	purify_v	1,191	5	11.5479	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03796	St. Pauls exercise, or, A sermon of conscience Describing the nature of it; and declaring the manner and meanes how to obtaine, and retaine, a good conscience. Preached by Iohn Hughes, Doctor in Diuinitie.	Hughes, John, fl. 1622.	1622 (1622)	STC 13914; ESTC S104276	14,412	29

Sincerity integritie and vprightnesse of heart and affections which the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in my Text doth well import if you change but the Case and reade it thus before God men All things are before God and nothing is hid from him yet properly that is said to be before God which is hid from men and which is before none but God only as the heart and the conscience God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of the heart and tryer of the reines And therefore he saith My Sonne giue me thy heart And S. Paul saith Whatsoeuer ye doe doe it heartily as vnto God and not vnto men For God is a spirit and he will be serued in spirit and truth We cannot complement before God with faces and phrases as we doe with men A little done in sincerity and truth from the heart is more worth then all the workes of hypocrites yea without this integrity of the heart all our labour is but lost And therefore the Hypocrite that sounds a Trumpet when hee giues almes that prayes in the corners of the street and doth all his workes to be seene of men can neuer please God nor haue a good Conscience for a good Conscience cannot stand with hypocrites 3. Thirdly to haue and to hold a good Conscience there is required Constancie Continuance and Perseuerance in well-doing Not Demas-like for a spurt nor as the Galathians for a time Ye ranne well who hindred you But alwayes and in the whole course of our life In the life of man there are many windings and turnings but the conscionable man turne him loose hee is not bonus cum bonis malus cum malis godly in one company prophane in another sober to day deboyst to morrow but like a square Cube he is semper idem euer the same which way soeuer you turne him There is not any but at times haue fits and flashes of a good conscience They are affected for the time present with some good Sermon or vpon some great deliuerance they grow a little holy but that little is little worth for they are soone out of breath and quickly weary And therefore my Text saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alwaies and at all times It is true that the best doe sometimes faile the most faithfull haue their faults and frailties Who can say My heart is cleane In many things wee sinne all of vs But the godly though they fall yet shall they rise againe and be renued by repentance they fall not finally neither doe they finne pleno consensu with full consent and bent of the will Their will and desire is yea they are stedfastly purposed with Dauid to keepe all the Commandements of God And though they faile in many particulars yet God accepteth their will for the deed their good endeauour as if it were perfect obedience And therefore to haue a good Conscience wee must bee constant in well-doing at all times effectu or affectu in deed or desire in action or affection And that this may bee effected we must begin betimes put not off from day to day to turne vnto the Lord for delay is dangerous And continue vnto the end Be thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the crowne of glory He that endureth vnto the end shall be saued Incipere multorum finire paucorum Many begin well but few doe continue vnto the end Incassuam curritur si caeptum iter ante terminū deseratur It is in vaine to begin a iourney and not to goe forward And therfore S. Bernard saith Sola perseuer antia coronatur of all other vertues onely perseuerance weares the Garland 4. To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last word in my Text importing Constancie and Continuance if wee adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first word which implieth diligence and exercise then is the Circle round or Circumference compleat Conscience like a vessell may easily be kept pure and cleane if rinsed euery day but if it goe longer it gathers soile and corruption and requires more then ordinarie repentance to purge and cleanse it Wee sinne daily and therefore wee must daily wash our consciences with the teares of inward sorrow and contrition which bringeth repentance not to be repented of This was S. Pauls exercise to keepe his Conscience vnspotted and without offence and this must bee the daily practise of euery good Christian Now the onely Bath or Lauacre to wash our Consciences in is the bloud of Iesus Christ which cleanseth vs from all our sinnes I say the bloud of Christ applyed by faith In which respect Faith is said to purifie the Conscience from dead workes And S. Paul ioyneth them together Keepe faith and a good Conscience as if the one could not well be without the other Out of the flesh of man when the body is dead are bred those wormes which consume the flesh Euen so from the corruption of the Conscience there breeds a worme a thousand times more terrible euen the worme of Conscience which euer gnaweth and neuer dyeth To preuent this we must purge the Conscience from such corruptions The corruptions of the Conscience are diuers and different As first Ignorance and Superstition against the which wee must seeke for sound and sanctified knowledge to direct vs in our generall and particular callings Secondly Pride and Singularity against the which apply meekenesse and humility for Vbi humilitas ibi sapientia Where humility is there is wisedome Et inter sapientes sapiensior qui humilior Amongst the wise he is wisest that is most humble for God resisteth the proud but giueth grace vnto the humble Thirdly Vncharitablenesse and Vnrighteousnesse are great peruerters of the Conscience for the vncharitable and vniust man can neuer be conscionable Against these apply those precepts of our Sauiour Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe vnto you euen so doe you vnto them for this is the Law and the Prophets Fourthly We may adde to these all the vnruly passions and affections of the minde for as wilde horses ouerturne the Chariot with men and all So the passions of the minde if they be not tamed ouerwhelme all iudgement and Conscience for Perit omne iudicum cum res transit in affectum There is no place for Iustice Iudgement or Conscience where passion beares the sway The best remedy against these is mortification and alteration of their course by turning their edge as our anger against others The streame is turned when we begin to bee angry with our selues and our owne sinnes Our loue to the world the edge is turned when wee begin to loue God and godlinesse and seeke those things that are aboue where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Much might bee spoken of these things but I draw towards an end and will conclude with a word or two by

your hearts and seare your Consciences by quenching the motions thereof and sinning the rather when your Conscience is against it 3. The third kinde of Conscience is that which is both good and quiet which is very tender and sensible of sinne and yet is neuer troubled nor perplexed which is full of hope and loue full of faith and knowledge and which bringeth good tydings and that vpon good grounds This kinde of Conscience euer excuseth and neuer accuseth euer comforteth and neuer condemneth and if it hap to pricke and ake with sorrow for some sin past that sorrow bringeth repentance neuer to bee repented of Some there are that haue such Consciences but very few in these our euill dayes and they that haue them are happy and blessed both heere and hereafter 4. The fourth kinde of Conscience is that which is neither good nor quiet and this is the worst of all for as the godly haue the first fruit of the spirit and certaine tasts of heauenly ioyes euen in this life by the goodnes of their Conscience So the wicked on the contrary do feele certaine flames and flashes of hell-fire by reason of their guilty conscience which made S. Bernard to say Nulla poena est grauior mala Conscientia quae proprijs agitatur stimulis No plague nor punishment more grieuous then a guilty Conscience which is tormented with a sting in it selfe a worme And a worme that euer gnaweth and neuer dyeth Such is the Conscience of wilfull and wicked murtherers and malefactors which despaire of Gods mercy and oftentimes lay violent hands vpon themselues Polydor Virgil writes that Richard the third had a most terrible dreame the night before Bosworth-field in which he was slaine He thought that all the Diuels in hell haled and pulled him in most hideous and vgly shapes It credo non fuit somnium sed Conscientia scelerum That was no fained dreame saith Polydor but a true torture of his Conscience presaging a bloudy day to himselfe and to his followers And we see by daily experience a great many that are driuen by the terror of a guilty Conscience to hang drowne and murther themselues And of these it may be said that Iudas-like they are both Iurie and Iudge accusers and executioners of themselues Thus you see the different kindes and qualities of Conscience with the degrees and gradations thereof Some too quiet as the blinde the secure and the seared and some too vnquiet as the erronious dubious and desperate or guilty The meane is the best not lulled asleepe with a habite of sinning nor yet affrighted with the terrours of guilt and despaire but well-seasoned with feare and faith hope and loue which is the best temperature of a Christian soule And so I come to the third and last part The extent latitude or circumference of this Text call it what you will the manner and meanes to obtaine and retaine a good Conscience or the matters wherein in all duties towards God and men and the time how long a good Conscience is to be kept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alwayes and at all times It is an Aphorisme in Physicke that lisdem nutrimur quibus constamus wee are fed by the same whereof we are bred whether we vnderstand it of bloud the immediate or the earth the remote meanes of nutriment And it is true in Diuinity that the meanes to haue and to hold a good Conscience are alike and the same And these are principally foure Vniuersality of obedience Sincerity of heart and affection Constancy in well-doing Diligence in practise and exercise All which are closely included in the words of my Text. 1. First to haue a good Conscience there is required an vniuersall and Catholique obedience in all duties humane and Diuine towards God and men the workes of Piety and Charity in the first and second Table For the conscionable man hath respect vnto all the Commandements of God he intends not to breake any although hee may faile in many Bona Conscientia non stat cum proposito peccandi A good Conscience stands not with a purpose to sin He is no true penitent that mournes for sinne past and at the same time meanes to commit the same sinne againe He is no good man that makes conscience of one sinne and not of another so hee that breakes one Commandement hates the rest and is guilty of all Herod Naaman and Ananias made conscience of many sinnes they went a great way towards Heauen but for their Pride Incest Idolatry and Sacriledge they were cast downe to Hell Many there are that hate Pride and Couetousnesse but they loue Whoredome and Drunkennesse And some there are that make a conscience of the duties of the first Table specially those that crosse not their will and affections that are no way against their profit and pleasure and that are glorious before men they will not misse a Sermon sweare an oath nor doe the least worke on the Sabaoth day which are very good things in them for part of our endeauour though it be not mere righteousnesse yet is it lesse sinne But as for the duties of the second Table which are the best Touchstone of the Conscience if we looke to their doings and dealings with men you shall finde many of them full of fraud and falshood full of malice and mischiefe as if their holinesse were a discharge vnto them from righteousnesse And others there are that liue orderly with their neighbours and pay euery man his due but they rob God of his due they haue no care of the duties of the first Table neither make they any Conscience of Religion The first are like the Pharises who were very holy but vniust the others like the Saduces good liners but very bad belieuers for they belieued that there was neither Spirit Angell nor Resurrection And of both these I may say that they doe their duties by halfes and Agrippa-like they are but semi Christiani almost or rather halfe-Christians whereas the conscionable man makes conscience of all the Commandements of God euen from the greatest to the least generally though not equally for most of all hee straines and striues against the great and grosse sinnes yet swallowes not the least hee abhorres adultery and hates dalliance He is so farre from pride couetousnesse and other capitall sinnes that hee abstaines from all occasions and appearance of euill hating euen the garment spotted by the flesh In a word he is a perfect Christian quoad partes as the Schoolemen speake though not quoad gradus as a Childe is said to haue all the parts of a perfect man although he want age stature so the conscionable man hath all the parts and properties of a perfect Christian which may be had here in via in the way although he attaine not those high degrees of perfection which they haue in patria in their Country 2. Secondly in a good Conscience there is required