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	unfeigned_a	3,625	5	11.4478	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B00457	The art of dying well. Deuided into tvvo books. / Written by Roberto Bellarmine of the Society of Iesus, and Cardinall. ; Translated into English for the benefit of our countreymen, by C.E. of the same Society.; De arte bene moriendi. English	Bellarmino, Roberto Francesco Romolo, Saint, 1542-1621.; Coffin, Edward, 1571-1626.	1621 (1621)	STC 1838.5; STC 1838.5; ESTC S90457	138,577	338

true happines doth depend let him protract no tyme but presently go out of the world perfectly dye to the world when as otherwise it cannot possibly be that a man can liue to the world God togeather and at once enioy both earth and heauen CHAP. III. Of the third precept of the Art of dying well which is of the three Theologicall vertues VVE haue shewed in the former chapter that he cannot dye wel who goeth not out of the world dyeth not to the same Now is to be added what he is to doe who is dead to the world that he may liue to God because it is graunted to none to dye well that haue not liued well in this life as I haue written in the first chapter The briefe summe of liuing well is expressed by the Apostle in his first to Timothy in these wordes Finis praecepti caritas de corde puro conscientia bona fide non ficta the end of the commaundement is charity from a pure hart and a good conscience 1. Tim. 1. and an vnfeyned faith the Apostle was not ignorant of the answere which our Sauiour did giue to him who demaunded quid faciendo vitam aeternam possidebo Matth. 19. what shall I doe to attayne euerlasting life For he sayd Si vis ad vitam ingrediserua mandata if thou wilt enter into life keep the commaundements but he would explicate in few words the end of the principal commaundement on which the whole law and the vnderstanding fulfilling therof and the way to euerlasting life doth depend and withall he would teach vs what vertues are necessary to perfection of which elswhere he said nunc manent fides spes caritas maior autem est caritas now there remayne fayth 1. Cor. 13. hope and charity but the greater of those is charity he saith therefore that charity is the end of the cōmaundement that is the end of al the commaundements the obseruance of which cōmaundements is necessary vnto good life and this end is so placed in charity as that he who hath the Charity of God fulfilleth all the commaundements which apperteyne vnto the first table and he who hath the charity of his neighbour fulfilleth all the commaundements which belong to the second table This later part which might seeme more obscure he declareth in his epistle to the Romans saying Qui diligit proximū c. He who loueth his neighbour hath fulfilled the law for thou shalt not commit adultery thou shall not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnesse and if there be any other commaundement it is comprized in this word thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe the loue of thy neighbour worketh no ill the fullnes therfore of the law is loue Out of which discourse euery one by himselfe may perceaue al the commaundements which are referred to the worship of God to be fullfilled by charity alone for as the charity of our neighbour towards our neighbour worketh no euill so neyther doth the charity of God towards God worke any euill therefore the fullnes of the law as well towards God as towards our neighbour is loue or charity Now which is true and perfect charity as well towards God as our neighbour the same Apostle declareth saying Charitas ex corde puro conscientia bona fide non ficta charity out of a pure hart a good conscience and vnfeigned faith in which wordes by a good conscience we doe vnderstand with S. Augustine Praefat. in psal 31. the vertue of hope which is one of the three Theologicall vertues and Hope is called a good conscience because it proceedeth from a good conscience as desperation proceedeth from a bad hence is that saying of S. Iohn Carissimi c. my deerest if our hart doe not reprehend vs 2. Ioan. 3. we haue confidence towards God there are therfore three vertues in which the perfection of our Christian law doth consist Charity from a pure hart Hope from a good conscience and Faith not feigned and as charity if we respect the order of pefection is the first because most perfectest so if we respect the order of their proceeding to wit how they are produced then faith is the first according to the prescript of the Apostle nunc manent fides c. Now there remaine faith hope and charity these three but the greatest of these is charity Let vs begin with Faith which first of all before the other is in the hart of him who is to be iustifyed Not without cause did the holy Apostle add vnto faith this condition non ficta not faigned for faith beginneth our iustification if it be true and sincere not if it be false and feigned the faith of heretikes beginneth not iustification because it is not true but false the faith of ill Catholikes beginneth not their iustification because it is not sincere but feigned a feigned faith is taken two wayes as when one indeed doth not belieue and yet feigneth himselfe to beleeue or else indeed he doth belieue but liueth not as his beliefe teacheth him that he should and the words of S. Paul to Titus seeme to beare both the one and other sense and to be vnderstood of them both confitentur se nosse deum Hierom. in com Aug. ser 31. de verb. Apost factis autem negant they confesse themselues to know God but in their deeds deny him for so the holy Fathers S. Hierome and S. Augustine do interpret them And out of this first vertue of a iust man it may easily be cōceaued how great the multitude is of such who doe not liue well and consequently come to an ill death I let passe Inf●dells Pagans Heretikes and Atheists who know nothing of this art how to liue well amongst Catholikes how great number is there of those who in wordes confesse that they know God but deny him in their deeds Who confesse Christ to be the Iudge of the liuing and the dead and yet so liue as though they had no Iudge at all Who confesse the Mother of our Lord to be a Virgin and by their blasphemyes feare not to call her a Harlot who commend prayers fastings almes and other works of vertue and yet alwayes practise the contrary vices I omit the rest which are knowne vnto all let them not therefore brag and vaunt that they haue not a feygned Fayth who eyther do not belieue at all that which falsly they affirme to beleeue or else they liue not as the Catholike faith doth commaund them to liue and by this they may know that as yet they haue not begunne to liue well neyther let them hope to dye well vnles through the help of Gods grace they learne in tyme this Art we treat of The other vertue of a man truly iust is Hope or else a good conscience as our maister S. Paul the Apostle hath thought fit in this place to call it this vertue proceedeth

from fayth for no man can hope in God who eyther knoweth not the true God or else doth not beleeue him to be either powerfull or mercifull but to stir vp and strengthen hope in so much that it may be tearmed not hope only but also confidence nothing so much auaileth as a good conscience for with what face will he come vnto God and aske any blessings and benefitts of him who is guilty of sinne committed against him which yet by true pennance he hath not blotted out For who will aske for any fauours at his enemyes hands Or who thinketh that such an one will help him whom he knoweth to be greuously incēsed against him Heare I pray you what the Wise man sayth of the hope of the wicked Spes impij tanquam lanugo c. Sap. 5. The hope of the wicked is like light dust which is caried away with the wynd or as thinne froth of water which by the tempest is dispersed or like smoke which is dissolued by the wynde or as the memory of a passenger that stayeth but one day so the Wise man who most wisely warneth the wicked that their hope is a fraile and no solid thing short and not permanent for they whiles yet they are aliue in some sort hope that they may do pennance and be reconciled vnto God but when death shall approach vnlesse God of his speciall mercy preuent them and moue their harts to doe pennance their hope will be turned into desperation they will say with the other wicked that which followeth in the same place Errauimus c. We haue erred from the way of truth and the light of iustice hath not appeared vnto vs what hath our pride auailed vs or what hath the boasting of our riches holpen vs All haue passed away like a shaddow Thus the Wiseman who grauely aduiseth vs that if we will liue well and dye happily that we presume not to liue one minute of an hower in synne deceauing our selues with a vaine persuasion that as yet we haue a longe tyme to liue and that hereafter at fitter opportunity we wil do penance for this vaine hope hath deceaued many and will still deceaue them vnlesse prudently they learne this Art whiles yet they haue tyme to doe it There remayneth the third vertue which worthily is called the Queene of Vertues to wit Charity with which none can perish without which none can liue eyther in the passage of this life or in our desired home of euerlasting happines that charity is sayd to be true and sincere which proceeds from a pure hart not for that purity of hart doth properly beget charity for charity as S. Iohn sayth is from God and S. Paul 1. Ioan. 4. Rom. 5. The charity of God is powred forth in our harts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vs wherefore charity is said to be from a pure hart because it cannot be kindled in an impure but in such a one as is purged from all errour by diuine Fayth according to that of S. Peter the Apostle Act. 15. fide purificans corda eorum cleansing their hart by faith and by diuine hope being cleansed from al loue and desire of earthly things for euen as fire is not kindled in greene stickes full of moist humours but in dry euen so the fire of charity requireth clean harts purged frō al earthly loue vaine confidence in our own strength forces By this may we vnderstand which is true Charity which false counterfeit for if any one do willingly speake of God shed teares through compunctiō of mynd in his prayers and do other good workes as giuing much almes and fasting often yet so as he enterteyneth impure loue in his brest vaine glory hatred towards his neighbour and the like which make the hart impure and filthy this man hath not diuine and true charity but a vaine shew or resemblance thereof for which cause the Apostle most prudently named not absolutly faith hope charity when he spake of true and perfect vertue but said Finis praecepti c. The end of the commaundement is charity from a pure hart and a good conscience and faith not feigned and this indeed is the true Art of liuing well and of a happy death if any perseuere vnto the end in this true and perfect charity CHAP. IIII. Of the fourth precept of the Art of dying well which conteyneth three Euangelicall documents ALTHOVGH to liue and dye well that which we haue said of faith hope and charity may seeme to suffice yet to performe the same the better and wit● more facility Christ himselfe hath vouc● saued in the Ghospell to giue vs thre● lessons or documents for thus he sayth in the Euangelist S. Luke Sint lumbi vestr●● c. Luc. 12. Let your loynes be girt burning candles in your hands and be you lik● vnto men expecting their Lord when h● retourneth frō the Marriage that whē he shall come knocke they may presently open the gate vnto him blessed are those seruants whom our Lord when he shall come shall fynd watching This parable may be vnderstood two waies either for the preparatiō to be made for the cōming of our Lord at the day of iudgment or els for his cōming at the death of euery particuler man this later which is the exposition of S. Gregory maketh more for our purpose in hand Greg. hō 13. in Euang. for the expectation of the last day shall apperteyne only to those who shall then liue and Christ spake this parable to his Apostles and to vs all certainly the Apostles and those who succeeded them were by many ages very farre off from the last day againe there shall many signes goe before the last day which shall stir vp men to attendance for Christ saith Erunt signa c. There shall be signes in the sunne and moone and starrs and the earth Luc. 21. great calamity of nations men withering away for feare and expectation of those things which shal come vpon the whole world But no certayne signes shall go before the comming of God to particuler iudgemēt which euery man is called vnto at the hower of his death and this coming is signifyed by those wordes so often repeated in the holy Scriptures that our Sauiour will come as a theefe to wit when he is least thought vpon or expected Let vs now then briefly expound this Parable let vs well conceaue that this preparation to death is a thing most of all to be respected of al because of al other things it is most necessary Three things doth our Lord heere commaund vs first that we haue our loynes girded that we haue candles burning in our hand last of al that we watch expect his cōming who when he will come we know as little as most men do when the theefe will come to robbe their howses Let vs explicate the first sentence Sint lumbi vestri