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	timothy_n	1,872	5	11.8568	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85863	A sermon preached in the Temple-chappel, at the funeral of the Right Reverend Father in God, Dr. Brounrig late Lord Bishop of Exceter, who died Decem. 7. and was solemnly buried Decemb. 17. in that chappel. With an account of his life and death· / Both dedicated to those honorable societies, by the author Dr. Gauden.	Gauden, John, 1605-1662.	1660 (1660)	Wing G371; Thomason E1737_1; ESTC R202119	101,763	287

those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Horsemen and Charioteers these were but in lanienam for spoil and prey for slaughter and captivity till after-ages from the Roman stoutness and Arms learned to fight more like men on foot trusting more to their own strength of which they were more Masters and could better manage it than to the fierceness of horses who take up half the man to rule them and is a vain thing to save by his much strength Psalm 33.17 as the Psalmist tells us The Scripture gives us many historical instances The weakness of secular Chariots and horses alone what great Expeditions and executions were begun and carried on by multitudes of chariots and horsemen what great defeats the Lord of hosts had given them Exod. 1● 7 9. as Paroah with his Chariots and Horses which pursued the Israelites into the red Sea by a most presumptuous malice which no miracle could moderate or humble So Sisera with his nine hundred iron chariots ●ud 4.3 that is falcati currus armed with iron sithes and instruments of execution no less than with plates or shields of iron for defence were scattered and destroyed at the blasting of Gods displeasure both the horses and riders did fall Hence David a great and good Souldier ever great when good and prosperous while pious who received more wounds and detriment by one woman and his own wanton lust than by all the Gyants and Armies the horse and chariots he ever encountred he by long experience tells us how far the pride and confidence of the world was from true safety Some put their trust in horses and some in chariots Psalm 25.7 but we in the name of the Lord our God It is better to trust in the Lord Psalm 118.8 than in Princes and their Armies which easily are discomfited when God ariseth against them one of his heavenly Militia an Angel Isa 37.36 can smite in one night an Hundred fourscore and five thousand to the ground stark dead of Senacheribs insolent Souldiery yea and one of his earthly spiritual Militia his Prophets and Ministers as Eliah and after him this Elisha so Micaiah and others by lifting up their hands and prayers as Moses and Jehosaphat to heaven were able to strike terror and confusion to an host of men chariots and horses 2 Chron. 20.22 when they were a million of men and horses For these fight in virtute Dei altissimi in the power and name of the most High and Almighty God these Angels both in heaven and earth God useth as he did Elisha afterwards to give check to the counsels and powers of Kings 2 Kings 18.14 as the King of Assyria confessed and the King of Israel found it true while he had mountains full of Horses and chariots of fire attending of Elisha 2 King 26.17 and under his command so that the King gives him this same honor dying sensible what a loss it was to Church and State to lose such a Prophet more than to have lost all his chariots and horsemen § God that is on the side of his true Prophets and faithful servants as the visible Fathers and Guardians of his Church and Family hath his great Militia and thus sets it forth to humane capacity Psalm 68.17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels the Lord is among them as in Sinai when he appeared in terror to give the Law even so will he execute it and avenge the breaches of it by the Ministry of Angels at the last day And our Lord Jesus Christ who is trumphantly ascended on high is now Lieutenant General of all power in heaven and earth Psalm 8.18 Heb. 2.10 for the good of his Church the Captain of whose salvation he is who hath conquered and is still to conquier till all enemies are subdued to him even he takes care to furnish his Church in all ages with some that are as the chariots and horsemen of Israel either such Christian Kings and Princes or such Bishops and Ministers or such religious Noblemen and learned Gentlemen or such honest yeomen and humble Pesants yet good Christians that they are as the Soldiers and Armies of God in their several ranks and orders some as the chariots and horsemen others as the infantry or footmen The highest honor in the Churches Militia is given to the Prophets and Ministers because they have most power with God they open and shut heaven they bind and loose souls by Gods command and commission As every good Christian so those of the Clergy above others are either publicum lucrum or damnum as they live or die As it was said of St. Ambrose Bishop of Millan he was both ornamentum munimentum urbis orbis O what gallant chariots and horsemen were those Primitive Bishops and other eminent both Preachers and Writers such as Iraeneus Cyprian Athanasius Austin the Cyrils Basils Gregories Chrysostom Epiphanius Origen Clemens Jerom and others innumerable who did so stoutly incounter and rout those Amalekites of Heathen Idolaters and Philosophers of Hereticks and Schismaticks which pestred the Church as Grashopers and Locusts or oppressed it as Tyrants and Persecutors Two things from these honorable names which Elisha gives to Eliah we may observe First What the Prophets and Ministers of the Church ought to be according to their eminency in parts or place Secondly how they ought to be esteemed and treated First 1 What Warriers the Prophets and Ministers ought to be in the Church 1 Their courage What they ought to be to the Church and to their Country fortes animosi pugnaces ordinati bold as Lyons in Gods cause valiant couragious ready and orderly to fight the battels of the Lord the good fight of faith but bello incruento sanctis non sanguineis praeliis by an holy but harmless war saintly not sanguinary unbloody unless their own blood be to be shed they must make no wounds but on mens consciences They must be undaunted by any greatness policy or power that opposeth it self against God as St. Stephen was so was Apollos Act. 6. and 7 so St. Paul so Timothy and others who as good Soldiers sought to please not themselves or men by ease and idleness by flattery and chmpliance but him that had called them to his Ensign and Standard Their armature and weapons were that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evangelical harness 2 Their Armour which the Apostle prescrbes of the helmet of salvation Eph. 6.12 13 14 15 16. the sword of the Spirit and Word of God the shield of Faith and the brestplate of righteousness their fighting must be by preaching convincing praying reproving by doing good and suffering evill Their Enemies are to be not only flesh and blood that is 3 Their Enemies not the persons of men but the ignorances errors malice policy pride and prophaness of the evil world yea of Principalities and Powers of Devils and evil Angels

to be cloathed So our Saviour breathed on the Apostles Ioh. 20.21 22. when he said Receive the Holy Ghost So the Apostles used imposition of hands to denote their ordained Successors 1 Tim. 5.22 and 4.14 Heb. 6.6 which ceremony the Church of Christ in all ages hath observed in the successive Ordinations of Bishops Presbyters and Deacons as one of the fundamentals of the Churches polity order and power Not that these outward Rites and Ceremonies are of the essence of the duty of the divine power but for the evidence of that order and authority which is necessary that there may be nothing dubious or doubtful or confused or upon bare presumptions and conjectures in the Churches sacred Ministry but such an authority as is both powerful in its efficacy and pregnant and signal in its derivation and execution that none might undertake the work who is not constituted to be a Workman nor any withdraw from it who is rightly furnished for so worthy a Work as the Apostle calls the work of a Bishop either the minores Episcopi which are orderly Presbyters or the majores Presbyteri which are the paternal Bishops We see Eliahs spirit falls on none but his annointed Successor The spirit and power follows the lawful succession nor was any so fit for the appointment and succession as Elisha a man indeed of plain breeding of a country yet honest way of living which is no prejudice or impediment when God intended to furnish him with Eliahs spirit 1 Kings 19.19 with extraordinary gifts and endowments with the power from on high as Christ did his fishermen when he made them fishers of men Luk. 5.10 This was in one hour more to their improvement than all Schools and Vniversities all literature and education all languages arts sciences and Scriptures But when these special gifts which were miraculous are not given nor needful in the ordinary ministration propagation and preservation of Religion there reading and study and diligence and education and Schools of the Prophets are the conduits of Gods good and perfect gifts conveyed by holy industry and prayer to those that study to shew themselves workmen that need not to be ashamed 2 Tim 2 15. when once they are sanctified or set apart by God and the Church as here Elisha was In whom doubtless God and Eliah had seen something that expressed a very gracious and sincere heart by an humble holy Elisha's fitness to succeed Eliah and unblameable life We never finde that men of leud or scandalous lives are called to be Prophets of God or allowed to be made Preachers and Bishops of the Church wherein the antient Canons of the Affrican and other Churches were very strict and circumspect whom when and how they were ordained Bishops Presbyters or Deacons St. Paul requires that they should be not only unblameable but of good report even among the Heathens and unbeleivers as to matters of Justice Morality and common honesty as well as sound and orthodox in the Christian faith § Elisha discovers an excellent spirit and fit for a Prophet of God 2 Kings 2.2 4 6 not only by his individual adherency to Eliah three times piously disobeying his commands when he bade him leave him As the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth I will not leave thee The love of good company is a good sign of a good conscience a very good way to a good life and a ready means to make us partakers of spiritual gifts but further Elisha shews a most devout and divine soul in him fit to make a Prophet to succeed Eliah when first he doth not preposterously and presumptuously obtrude himself upon the holy Office and Succession but attends Gods call and the Prophets appointment of him Secondly When he sees it is the will of God and his father Eliah he doth not morosely refuse or deprecate and wave the imployment as some had done Moses and Jeremiah after though he knew it would be heavy and hot service in so bad times but submits to that onus no less than honos burthen as well as honor God imposeth on him Thirdly In order to his support and encouragement in the work he doth not covetously or ambitiously look to the preferment or honor or profit which might easily follow such an imployment especially if merchandise might be made of miracles as Gehazi designed and of the Gospel if Ministers turned Sucklers and Hucksters of the word of God as the Apostle taxeth some who were greedy of filthy lucre no but his earnest and only desire is for a double portion of Eliahs spirit to be upon him not that he might have more glory but be able to do more good 1 Kings 9. ●4 Iames 17 with more courage and constancy with less dejection and melancholy despondency than Eliah who was a man subject to like human passions and sometimes prone to fall not only into despiciencies and weariness of life but even to despair as to the cause of God and true Religion It is as Chrysologus calls it a commendable emulation to imitate the best men and a pious ambition to desire to excel them in spiritual gifts and graces which the Apostle St. Paul excites all to covet in their places which the more bright and excelling they are like the light of the sun the more they dispel all the vapors mists and fogs of humane passions or pride which by fits darken the souls of holy men I cannot here but own my desires The defective and dubious succession of Evangelical Ministers very deplorable and deplore the state of our times which forbids me almost to hope their accomplishment as to any orderly and meet succession of Evangelical Prophets and Pastors Bishops and Presbyters in this Church our Eliah's dayly drop away I do not see any care taken for Elisha's to suceed them in such compleat clear and indisputable ways of holy Ordination and Succession as may most avoid any shew of faction novelty and schism and be most uniform to the Antient Catholick primitive Apostolick and uniform pattern which never wanted in any setled Church either Presbyters to chuse and assist the Bishops or Bishops after the Apostles to try ordain oversee and govern with the Counsel of Presbyters and all other degrees and orders in the Church Darkness disputes divisions distractions dissatisfactions and confusions must needs follow that Army or City that knows not who are its Commission officers or lawful and authorised Magistrates so must it needs be in the Church when Christians know not who are their Fathers their Stewards their Shepherds their Bishops or their Presbyters There is nothing next the fundamentals of faith in which the Church should be more clear and confidently ascertained than in this the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 10.15 Ordination and succession of their Evangelical Prophets for how shall they preach or rule unless they be lawfully sent and set over the houshold of faith Christs