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 pure_a unfeigned_a 2,241 5 10.9425 5 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A37049 A practical exposition of the X. Commandements with a resolution of several momentous questions and cases of conscience. Durham, James, 1622-1658. 1675 (1675) Wing D2822; ESTC R19881 403,531 522

There are 2 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

these Rules ● we would be found defective and faulty and what matter of humiliation and repentance we may have for what is past and what challenges we may have hereafter from this Law with what need of continual applications to the Blood of Sprinkling and of Washings in that open Fountain to the House of David and Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness and what need of endeavours to have our steps ordered more exactly according to it Before we close the Preface I shall first add two distinctions more then two more Rules 3. Give you some Scriptures for your memories cause 4. Give some directions or helps to those who make conscience to study this Law 5. Answer and clear a special case 1 Then ye would distinguish betwixt this Law as given to Adam and as given to Israel for as given to him it was a Covenant of Works but as given to them it 's a Covenant of Grace and so from us now it calls for Gospel-duties as Faith in Christ 1 Tim. 1.5 Repentance Hope in God c. and although it call for legal duties yet in a Gospel-manner therefore we are in the first Commandment commanded to have God for our God which cannot be by sinners obeyed but in Christ Jesus the Covenant of Works being broken and the tye of Friendship thereby between God and Man made void so that now men as to that Covenant are without God in the world and without Christ and the Promises Ephes. 2.12 13. And so our having God for our God which is pointed at in the Preface to the Commandments and Christ for our Saviour and closing with his Righteousness and the Promises of the Covenant which are all Yea and Amen in him must go together 2 Distinguish betwixt the divers Administrations of the Covenant of Grace and of the Law in respect of Positives falling under the second Commandment for that Commandment tyed the Israelites before Christ to Circumcision Sacrifices the seventh day of the Week and other Ceremonies agreeable to the Administration of the Law and Covenant of Grace then but now it forbiddeth them to us and requireth other duties for the Priesthood being changed there is of necessity a change also of the Laws belonging thereto yet that Commandment as a part of the Moral Law doth perpetually oblige and tye to worship God and none other and that according to the manner which he prescribes Next unto the Rules already laid down for the better understanding of the Commandments we add two more The first is that the Commandments are so to be expounded as that none of them may contradict another that is there is nothing commanded in one that is forbidden in another or contrary one duty doth not justle with nor thrust out another but they differ only and then two duties coming together in that case one of them ceaseth to be a duty for that time as is said in that distinction of affirmative and negative Commands The second Rule is that all these Commandments bind and call for obedience from men according to their places and other qualifications and circumstances The fifth Commandment calleth for one thing from a Magistrate another from a Subject a Magistrate is to edifie one way a Minister another a private Christian another a Servant is one way to reprove his Fellow-servant a Master another way The Law requires more from a man of parts power and riches than from another as to exercise and improvement of these gifts The Law being just has in it a proportionableness to places parts c. and sets bounds to stations but alters them not nor confounds them 3 For the help of your memories and that ye may have these Rules more obvious ye may draw them all under these five Scriptures The first Scripture is Psal. 119. v. 96. Thy Commandment is exceeding broad which though it be more extensive in its meaning yet it doth certainly include this Law which in an especial way is the Commandment and in the sense and comprehensive meaning thereof is exceeding broad for it takes in the fulness and extent of the whole Law in its obligation as to all things persons and duties of all sorts The second Scripture is Rom. 7.14 which speaks to the Spirituality of the Law in the obedience which it calleth for the Law is Spiritual The third Scripture is Rom. 7.12 which speaks the perfection of its nature the Law is Just therefore fretting against what it commandeth or wishing it were otherwise is a breach thereof It is holy therefore to be disconformable unto it is to be unholy it 's good and therefore it ought to be loved and delighted in The fourth Scripture is 1 Tim. 1.5 and it speaketh the great end of the Law The end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure Heart and a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned which threefold End speaketh out the absolute purity and holiness called for in our love to God and others so as to have a good conscience in this before God all which must slow from unfeigned Faith without presumption resting on Jesus Christ who is in this sense the end of the Law The fifth Scripture is 1 Tim. 1.8 The Law is good if a man use it lawfully and this guards against abusing of the Law and putteth us to the lawful use of it There are extreams in abusing the Law as 1. When it is used to seek Righteousness by it Again 2. When the Authority of it is pretended for something it Warrants not such as the Traditions of the Fathers Mat. 15. seeking of Salvation by the observation of Circumcision c. 3. When its Authority in practise is denied 4. When it is turned from practise to vain speculations and questions 5. When it is so used as it deters and scares from Christ 6. When it is so made use of as it oppresses and discourages a Believer for whose sake 1 T ●● 1.19 it was never made or appointed as to its threatnings and condemning Power And lastly in a word when it is not used to the ends and in the manner expressed in the former Scriptures Fourthly Because the study of this Law is so singularly useful we not only press and commend it but add further some few directions whereby we may be helped rightly to use it and to guard against the abuse of it in our hearing and reading of it 1 The first direction is ye would look on it as God's Word and take it as if ye heard himself from Sinai pronounce it that so ye may tremble and be more affected with holy fear when ever ye read hear it or meditate upon it for so was the people affected when it was first promulgate 2 Be much in prayer for grace to take up its meaning David Psal. 119.18 c. prayed often for this and thought it not unbecoming a King yea a believing King and a Prophet to study this Law and pray much for opened eyes to understand the
Relation to God and are his Servants 6. Because as none of these things are God to take Order with us if we swear falsly so none of them are so ours as we can lay them in Pledge for the least Change to be made upon them in Case our Oath be not true none of them can be added unto or diminished from by us We cannot make one of our Haires Black or White and therefore ought not to swear by our Head much-less can we quiet our Conscience or increase our Faith that we should so freely swear by these That place Mat. 5.36 cleareth this For that of Mat. 23.16 17. c. speaketh of the Obligation of an Oath sinfully made as to that manner of swearing which yet still bindeth but it warranteth not the making of such Oaths A. 3d. Quest. is What is to be judged concerning Asseverations such as In Conscience good Faith as I shall answer c. as I am a Christian as I have a Soul to be saved and such like Answer 1. We think there is no Question but if these were rightly and in the due manner made use of they might be lawfully used as Scripture cleareth 2. Yea we think If any Oaths be made use of these would first he used and a man may be called to use one of these when he is not directly to swear 3. Therefore we think they cannot be used but in necessity when less will not serve and should be used with Fear Reverence Understanding and the other Qualifications And that therefore they sin who in Common Discourse rash ●y and vainly use them which we conc ●ive to be forbidden here and when they are not Conscientiously used they lead men to a greater Degree of the sin here discharged as we see some begin with Asseverations then idle Oaths and then Imprecations as Peter sinfully did Mat. 26. Reason 1. All these Asseverations are reductible Oaths and imply the contrary imprecations in them Thus Let me not be esteemed a Christian nor have a Soul to be saved which must relate to God for executing these therefore being indirect Oaths they ought to be used as Oaths and belong to this Command 2. Because the very end of any vehement Asseveration is to confirm what is said further than an ordinary Assertion can Now in so far it is an Oath it being proper to an Oath to confirm what is spoken and seeing it agreeth with an Oath in the Essentialls they must be materially one though Asseverations be pronounced in another Form 3. Vain Asseverations are against that Rule Mat. 5.37 Jam. 5.12 Let your Communication be Yea Yea and Nay Nay and what-ever is more in ordinary Communication is Evil And it cannot be denyed but this is more and therefore needless and sinful 4. We do not find Asseverations such as My Conscience beareth me Witnesse to be used warrantably by Saints in Scripture but with great Reverence even almost in such things as they used to confirm by Oaths therefore Swearing is often joyned with them Rom. 9.1 2. 2 Cor. 11.31 5. For what end are they used It 's either to confirm some-thing or to no end Beside the needless use of them habituateth Folk to baffle and prophane excellent things and do inure them to prophanity hence these that use them most are ordinarily lesse tender in their other Carriage and it cometh to direct swearing at length If it be said good Faith signifieth no more but in Truth and without Dissimulation as it 's understood sometimes in the Laws Bona Fide and Mala Fide Ans. Yet Faith is otherwise taken in our Common Acceptation and Words would be so used as they are commonly made use of by others 2. If it be not Evil yet it hath the appearance of Evil which should be eschewed and abstained from 1 Thess. 5.17 3. Whatever Good Faith signifieth yet certainly in our common use it 's more than a simple Assertion therefore should a man tell me an untruth and put Bonâ fide or Good Faith to it to confirm it will any man think but he is more than an ordinary Lyar against the Nineth Command Yea would he not be thought Infamous in breaking his Good Faith Therefore it is more than Yea or Nay and so not ordinarily to be used Yea we conceive that these Asseverations will have more weight on Natural Consciences than simple Asserions and therefore the Challenges of dealing Falsly in these will bite and wound the Conscience much more sharply than falsifying simple Assertions which speaketh out this that they are nearer of kin unto and more involved in this Command than at first appear●t ● The 4. Question is What may be said of Imprecations Ans. Distinguish betwixt such as one useth against himself as Let me not see Heaven if that be not Truth or the like 2. Such as are used against others I speak by private Persons as Shame fall thee Divel take thee and the like which are either Conditional as If thou do not such a thing c. or absolute without any such Condition We say then 1. That keeping the Qualifications formerly mentioned and required to an Oath one may in some cases lawfully use some Imprecations even to ones self the S ●●iptures having such Patterns in them but with great Caution Circumspection and Tenderness 2. Cursing of others by private Persons out of Passion or Revenge is simply prohibited and that in several Respects For 1. It derogateth from the Glory of God if He be therein invocated in making Him subservient to our Passions and to Execute our Revenge or if He be not ●nvocated in these Imprecations it 's worse because the Devil or some other thing is put in His room 2. It derogateth also from that love we owe to others 3. As for mentioning the Divel in such Imprecations as Divel a bit or Fiend a Body or such like it is most Abominable For thereby the Devil is employed in Gods Room and God is forsaken because there is no ground to exspect a hearing of such a Suit from Him so you betake you to the Devil praying him employing him rever ●●cing and worshipping him as if he were just to Execute you Judgement when God doth it not And sometimes by such Imprecations you call on the Devil who is the Father of Lyes to witnesse a Truth Ah! How Abominable to be heard amongst Christians Men need not go to the Wild-Indians nor to Witches to seek Worshippers of the Devil Alas There are many such to be found amongst Christians How sound these Words What Devil now The Meckle Devil c. It is Horrible to mention that which goeth out of some Mens mouths without any fear Ah! What can be the Reason that Christians thus Worship the Devil and swear by him as Israel did by Baal There remain yet some things concerning Oaths especially Promissy Oaths to be cleared As 1. How Promissory oaths differeth from an Assertory Oath And 1. They agree in this that