Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	good_a	heart_n	know_v	3,927	5	3.9782	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31172	The Case of the people called Quakers, relating to oathes and swearing presented to the serious consideration of the King and both Houses of Parliament.		1673 (1673)	Wing C1130; ESTC R18184	7,173	28

THE CASE Of the People called QUAKERS Relating to Oathes and Swearing Presented To the Serious Consideration OF THE KING And both Houses of PARLIAMENT Printed in the Year 1673. THE CASE Of the People called QUAKERS Relating to Oathes and Swearing 'T Is not unknown that in this Nation for Twenty or Thirty Years last past under the various Revolutions of Government we have been a suffering People and although our peaceable behaviour under the Governors and Magistrates thereof has not been only evident to our Friends but even our Enemies yet the Covenants Engagements Abjurations and Oaths which every Interest before you have thought good to provide and impose upon the People in hopes to establish their own safety has been of all other the greatest Snare unto us who since the Lord first raised us up in these Nations could not Swear at all and the Oaths Provided to Testifie Allegiance to the King and deny all of the Popes Supremacy in Causes Civil and Ecclesiastical the refusal whereof incurrs a Premunire has been executed upon such whose hearts and hands could seal to the substance thereof and whose practice hath testified their Allegiance to the King and principles of denying the Pope yet their Consciences not allowing them to Swear at all because of the Command of Christ for that only they have been the sole Sufferers thereby witness the many Hundreds of us that have been Premunired and suffered many Years some ten Years and upwards imprisonment besides confiscation of Goods and forfeiture of Estates and Liberty yea many Hundreds have dyed in Prison when such against whom this Oath was directed and intended have not felt the least Penalty thereof as most Countries throughout this Nation can bear witness Now we being in the Sight of God and Men clear in our Principles and Practices as well of all Conspiracies against the King as Adherents to the Pope and his Religion which Root and Branch we absolutely deny and abominate we cannot but press you to a weighty Consideration of our State and Condition that after so long experience of our Innocency and tedious Suffering we may be eased of this Snare and heavy Burthen which has so long been our Lot and Portion And though it may to you and many more in these Dayes seem strange that in this or any other Case we cannot swear at all though it has been to the apparent Ruine of many in their Estates and Liberties yet in this have we had Peace with the Lord it being what he requires at our Hands and in good Conscience towards God and Obedience to the express Commands of Christ and Doctrine of the holy Apostles and not in Contempt of the King or Government are we found in this Practice God who is the Searcher of Hearts knows that its with holy Respect to the Reputation of Christianity and the Evangelical Dispensation of Truth and Righteousness which exceeds that of the Law and the solemn Oaths thereof and to Christ's express Prohibition in that Case which is Swear not at all neither by Heaven or by Earth Math. 5.33 34. c. NOR BY ANY OTHER OATH but let your yea be yea and your nay be nay lest you fall into Condemnation Jam. 5.12 So though it was allowed in the Law christ and his Apostle forbid it in his Gospel And that we are not the only Asserters of this Doctrine since the Dayes of Christ and the holy Apostles we have of many more given some Instances and Testimonies of such primitive Christians Martyrs and Fathers who were of the same Mind and Judgment with us in this Case and suffered in their Day by the Heathens Popes and Popish Cruelty for the same Example 1. Policarpus a Martyr for the Christian Faith Ex Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 4. c. 15. who is said to be a Disciple of John the Evangelist and an Overseer or Bishop in Smirna being apprehended and brought before the Proconsul of Smirna was demanded to Swear by the Emperors good Fortune or Caesar's Prosperity which was then their national Oath he absolutely denyed saying He was a Christian But said the Proconsul take thine Oath and I will discharge thee Anno Christi 162. defie Christ who said swear not Policarpus answered 86. Years have I been his Servant yet in all this time he never hurt me so denying to swear which was then a Mark of Distinction and alledging in lieu thereof that he was a Christian was committed to the Flames Fox Acts Mon. Vol. 1. Fol. 55. Example 2. Pontius a Youth of 15. Years old and Blandina a Woman who both endured great Torments Euseb L. 5. ca. 10. and at last Death by the Heathens in France in the Reign of Antonius Verus about Anno 179. refused to Swear being often urged Example 3. Basilides a Souldier and of Authority in the Roman Host Euseb Lib. cap. 5. being required to give an Oath in a Matter concerning his Fellow-Souldiers denyed to do it plainly affirming He was a Christian for which he suffered Death about Anno Christi 205. Fox Mon. 1 Vol. Fol. 71. Example 4. In the Plow-Man's Complaint is this amongst many others viz. Lord thou givest us a Commandment of Truth in bidding us say yea yea nay nay and Swear for nothing but Lord he that calleth himself thy Vicar on Earth viz. the Pope hath broken thy Commandment for he makes a Law to compel Men to Swear Example 5. John Wickliff that eminent Opposer of the Popish Doctines and Traditions King Ric. 2. Anno 1384. who was by the Pope and his Officiaries 41 Years after his decease pronounced a Heretick and his Bones and Books being 200. Volumns were burned for asserting promulging heretical and damnable Doctrines against their then holy Church c. as was alledged was articled against amongst other Doctrines for holding forth That all Oaths which be made for any Contract or civil Bargain betwixt man and man were unlawful Fox Acts and Mon. 1 Vol. Fol. 587. 1 Obs Of whose Learning and good Life the University of Oxford Anno 1406. give a publick Testimony amongst other things asserting Ex 2 tom operum Jo. Hussi Fol. ult that all his Conditions and Doings throughou this whole Life to have been most sincere and commendable 2. Obser John Husse and Jerom of Prague were also publick Assertors of his Doctrine and Vindicators of his Principles against the Papish for which they were condemned by them as Hereticks Example 6. Will. Swinderly within the Diocess of Lincoln persecuted by the Papish for holding Heretical Opinions K. Ric. 2. Anno. 1389. the 14th Article against him was that he should say That no Man ought to swear for any thing but simply without an Oath to affirm or deny and if he swear he sins Fox Acts and Mon. 1 Vol. fol. 614. To which or to the Substance thereof he declares his Mind and Opinion in his Appeal from the Bishops Sentence to King R. 2. and his Counsel

vivit juret omnino It behoveth not that the man who lives accoding to the Gospel should Swear at all Example 18. Justin Martyr Christians ought not to Swear at all Charge against Walter Brute that he Asserted Item That it is not Lawful for Christians forany Cause in any Case Fox Mon. 1 vol. fol. 623. K. R. 2. to Swear by the Creator neither by the Creature His Answer As concerning Oaths I believe and obey the Doctrine of Almighty God pag. 653. and my Master Jesus Christ which teaches that Christian-Men in Affirmation of a Truth should pass the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees of the Old Testament or else he excludes them from the Kingdom of Heaven for he saith Unless your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And as concerning Oaths he saith It hath been said to them of Old Time Thou shalt not Forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord those things which thou vowest But I say unto you Thou shalt not Swear at all neither by the Heaven nor yet by the Earth c But let your Communication be Yea Yea and Nay Nay for whatsoever shall be more then this proceeds of Evil. Therefore as the Perfection of the Ancient Men of the old Testament was Not to forswear themselves so the Perfection of Christian-Men is Not to forswear themselves so the Perfection of Christian-Men is Not to Swear at all because they are so commanded of Christ whose Commandment must in no case be broken although the City or Church of Rome is contrary to this Doctrine of Christ even as in many things she is found contrary to her self And Christ saith in the Gospel-times to the Church Mat. 28.17 That by the Mouth of two or three Witnesses every Word may be established and this Christ spake in matter of differences that might happen among Christians but said nothing of an Oath for Oaths he forbad before And we cannot give forth a better Form of Words to testifie the Truth then that which Christ our Saviour hath laid down which is Let our yea be yea and nay nay which the Apostles Fathers and Martyrs preached practiced and suffered for and if we are called to bear witness or any Office or Service to and for the King or our Country and testifie our Truth or Faithfulness to one or both in which Cases Oaths are usually required and imposed we desire and request that you would be pleased to enact or provide that instead Place thereof as the Cases may require our yea and our nay may be accepted and taken and if we break our yea or our nay which is Christs solemn Form of sound Words and which is his Gospel-Command which we stand to and for then let us suffer the same Penalty s they that can swear and break their Oaths for Christ ended all the true and solemn Oaths of the Law among the Jews and denyed them and sets up yea yea and nay and nay instead of Oaths and above them which as said before we stand to for who are a peaceable People and have never forfeited our Liberty and we ow and desire nothing but Good-Will to the King and his Subjects and all People and desires his and their Good and Everlasting Prosperity A Copy of an Order given forth by Authority in Middlebrough in which may be seen their Moderation to Tender Consciences in the Case of Refusing to Swear VVHereas there hath been an Address presented unto his Excellency in behalf of certain of the Inhabitants of the City of Middlebrough wherein Complaint was made of the Magistrates of the said City who not long since caused the Shops of some of the said Inhabitants to be shut up and consequently hath forbidden them Trading though it be the only means to maintain their Families by and this has been the Cause to wit Their Refusing the taking the accustomed Oaths as others have done Yet nevertheless it appears that for certain Years past they have paid all Taxes Contributions and Customs belonging to the City even Equal with other Citizens and Inhabitants of the said City though they had never taken the said Oath and that willingly and therefore ought they now to have their Liberty without being molested in this Particular seeing they desire nothing else then to live in the Enjoyments of the Liberty of their Consciences in order to which this present War with the King of Spain was raised by his Subjects and which now by the Help of God is come so far that the aforesaid Liberty of Conscience is obtained and therefore it would be an Evil Thing to take it away from these people who through their Paying of Taxes and Contributions and Bearing of other Burdens besides the great Hazard of their Lives and Liberties hath helped to obtain it And it appears that these People have declared That they are willing to be Ruled according to the Ordinances of the City yet nevertheless the Magistrates do and have striven with them about the Oath which hath not only extended to the expelling them out of the City but consequently to the forcing out of a Numberless Company of others in Holland Zealand with their Wives and Children to their utter Ruin and this would not tend to any Man's Profit but on the contrary it would be a great apparent Hindrance to these Lands because Trading thereby over all Nations would greatly Decrease And forasmuch as these People do profer That their Yea shall stand instead of an Oath and the Transgression thereof to be punished as Perjured Persons which thing his Excellency having taken into Consideration doth therefore with the Advice of the Governour and Council of Zealand Ordain and Confirm and by these Presents be it Ordained and Confirmed That the People's Yea aforesaid shall stand instead of an Oath before the Magistrates of the aforesaid City and that the Transgressors of the same shall be punished as Forswearers and Perjured Persons Moreover his Excellency doth Charge and Command the Magistrates of Middlebrough with all others whom it doth concern for the future Not to burden these People aforesaid any further with the Oath but that they shall open their Shops and follow their Trading as formerly they have done This was given forth in his Excellency's Name and under his Seal in the City of Middlebrough in Zealand the 26th of Ianuary 1577. THE END