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	pure_a	5,743	5	7.8271	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54026	Concerning persecution: which is, the afflicting or punishing that which is good, under the pretence of its being evil. Which practice is contrary to the very nature of mankind (so far as it is drawn out of the corruption and depravation) which would be good and do good, and have good cherished, and evil suppressed, both in it self and others. ... Yet this unhappy error will always be committed in nations and governments, until the proper right and just liberty of men's consciences be discerned, acknowledged and allowed. Likewise, there are some answers given to that common objection, against affording conscience in its due liberty, because evil persons may pretend conscience to escape the just punishment of their evil deeds. With a brief account of that supposed stubbornes, which by man is objected against the people called Quakers. ... By Isaac Penington the younger.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.	1661 (1661)	Wing P1156; ESTC R214723	23,798	32

being of God and His disposal of things then surely what is truly good in Persons or Nations is of Him and what is of Him His eye is upon He beholdeth the plants which He hath planted in the earth and the plants which the envious one hath planted and He cannot bless that Place that People those Powers that Government where His plants are crushed under a pretence of their not being His and where the evil hature and plants are cherished as if they were the good Therefore he that would not be an enemy to God an enemy to goodness an enemy to himself an enemy to mankind and a friend and promoter of evil let him wait on the Lord for the fear of his Name and Power to be written on his Heart and for a meek righteous frame of spirit c. that he may consider his steps and the reasonings of his mind and not mistake evil for good and good for evil and so persecute men for being and doing that which might it have its course and progress would make the world happy Object But will not this undermine Magistracy and interrupt its punishing of evil-doers if they should be thus tender and considerate For what man cannot pretend Conscience for what he does and if the Magistrate should hearken to every pretence of Conscience the Laws would soon be silent Government at a stand and every one do what they list bringing in all manner of licentiousness and disobedience to Authority under a pretence of Conscience Answ 1. Conscience is of God and tenderness and conscienciousness towards Him is necessary to the receiving of His pure fear and towards the springing up and growth of all good in the heart The Seed of good is tender and if it be not received into tender and well-prepared earth but into thorny stony or high-way ground it cannot grow And it cannot reasonably be supposed to be the intent of God in appointing Governments that ever their Laws or Authority should hurt that tenderness of Conscience wherein his seeds of good are sown 2. It is true The corrupt nature of man which is selfish and seeketh covers for evil may also seek this cover to hide iniquity under and may pretend Conscience when there is no matter of Conscience at all but self-will and self-ends at bottom 3. Notwithstanding this God would not have the true conscienciousness and tenderness in any of His crushed nor can it be done by any Person Authority or Law without provokeing God on the one hand or without injury to such who are so dealt with Viz. Who are punished by man for the exercise of that conscientiousness which is of God and which he requireth and is pleasing to Him 4. It were far better in it self safer for Governours more agreeable to equity and righteous Government and more pleasing to God and good men rather to suffer some by their craft and false covers to escape due punishment then to punish those who by the goodness innocency and righteousness which God hath planted in them are exempted from punishment Yea it were better and much safer to spare many evil men then to punish one good man For mercy and sparing even of offenders is natural to that which is good but severity and punishments are unnatural and but for necessities sake And as for that man who by his subtilty and deceit thus escapes man's hand he wil be no great gainer For God who is above all will be sure to meet with him Yea that Magistrate who spares some evil and evil-doers meerly upon this account lest he should hurt that which is good the Lord will help and bless whereas that Power and Government which wilfully errs herein the Lord may soon cut down And that which errs thus through mistake it being a grievous mistake to cut down the good in stead of the evil the Lord who loveth the good and hateth the evil may easily be provoked against 5. As Government came from God so the righteous execution of it depends upon God Every man needs God's help daily else he may easily erre in his course and Governments and Governours need God's help much more in the many intricacies and perplexities which they often meet with And God is nigh to them in their difficult cases who wait upon him for counsel and direction If the case be knotty yet if God give wisdom hath the Magistrate cause to complain And will not the Lord assist that Magistrate who in his fear waits on him and is not willing to spare the evil and afraid to hurt the good If there were not so much consulting with man's wisdom and policy nor such laying of designs and intents at first as spring from man and not from God but a naked upright waiting on him for instruction who can onely guide the spirit of man aright Governments would not prove so difficult nor the success therein so dangerous A brief Account of that stiffness resolvedness and supposed stubborness which by many is Objected against the People called Quakers Object That the People called Quakers are an innocent and industrious People that they aim at good and might be serviceable and profitable to the Nation in many respects this many believe concerning them and in their hearts wish that the Powers would let them alone and make a trial of them the which they might be the more enclined to do were it not for a certain stiffness which appears in them they being so gined to their Principles and Practices that they will not bend in the least nor so much as meet the Magistrate one jot in any favour he would shew unto them This is such a temper as no Magistrate or Governour can beat and therefore there is a necessity either of banishing or suppressing them out way or other Answ I freely confess that looking upon them with man's eye it may easily appear so to man who cannot see either whence that is or what that is which is wrought in their hearts by God And how can I blame others for judging thus of them when I my self should be liable so to judge if I did so look upon them But yet if I had patience to hear them and to consider the thing in the fear of God watching against that wisdom from which the knowledge of the things of God and the state of his People is hid I see also that there is some ground may appear unto man to let him see that this is not such a stiffness and stubborness of spirit as he judgeth but ariseth from and necessarily accompanieth a true tenderness and conscientiousness towards God which to make the more manifest to such as are willing fairly to consider the thing and know the truth thereof I shall thus demonstrate 1. Stubbornness or such a kind of stiffness and resolvedness ariseth from the strength and corruption of the natural will and earthly wisdom The wisdom which is from above is gentle easie to be entreated and the will which is

CONCERNING PERSECUTION Which is The Afflicting or Punishing that which is GOOD under the Pretence of its being EVIL Which Practice is contrary to the very Nature of Mankind so far as it is drawn out of the Corruption and Depravation which would be Good and do Good and have Good Cherished and Evil Suppressed both in it self and others It is contrary also to all Equal and Righteous Government which is for the suppressing of Evil and cherishing of Good and not for the afflicting and crushing of that which is Good upon pretence of its being Evil. Yet this unhappy Error will alwayes be committed in Nations and Governments until the proper Right and just Liberty of Men's Consciences be discerned acknowledged and allowed LIKEWISE There are some Answers given to that common Objection against affording CONSIENCE its due Liberty because Evil Persons may pretend Conscience to escape the just Punishment of their Evil Deeds With a brief Account of that supposed STUBBORNES which by many is objected against the People called QUAKERS Given forth in love to this Nation that at length the true bottom and foundation of a lasting Peace and Settlement may be espied the Spirits of the Governors and People fixed thereon and that dangerous Rock of Persecution whereon both the Powers and People of this Nation have so often split carefully avoided by all By Isaac Penington the younger London Printed for Robert Wilson in Martins Le Grand 1661. The PREFACE THere hath been an Enmity in the Seed of the Serpent against the Seed of the Woman from the time of the Promise even until now God in mercy to Mankind hath given unto him since the Fall a Seed or Principle of Life in the Light and Strength whereof he is to war against and subdue the Corrupt Principle and so be freed from the Curse and become Heir of the Blessing Against this Principle all the Powers of Darkness fight even in every particular man and woman until they be overcome and subjected there And against those in whom this pure Principle reigns all the Powers of Darkness in the world fight also striving to make it miserable and to bring it into death and captivity that they might keep up the content and happiness of the Corrupt State All the Nations of the Earth have alwayes warred against the Principle of God and the People of his choice In the time of the Law the Jews were the object of the Envy and Hatred of all the world in the times of the Gospel the Jews in Spirit were hated and hunted in that day and hour not only by Heathens but also by such as were Jews according to the Letter and ever since the Apostacy by Christians also according to the Letter who are as great enemies to the Spirit Power as ever the Jews were Now all the Misery of the World as it at first came by departing from the Principle of Life so it hath been ever since continued by mens joyning with the Principle of Death and Corruption to oppose and withstand the workings of the Principle of Life both in themselves and others VVhat man is there that hath not in him a Witness against that which is Evil But where is that man who joyns with this Witness in him against the Evil and not with the Evil against this Witness Oh how doth God's Witness reprove for Sin making the heart which is not sensual and brutish but seriously considers its latter end sad because of it This is God's way of making the creature weary thereof of weaning him from it delivering him out of it and so rescuing him from the Wrath and Everlasting Burnings which are the portion and inheritance of the Wicked But who is it that doth not strive to stop silence and suppress this Witness in himself that he might enjoy his lusts ease and content in the flesh by keeping the sight and remembrance of the Evil-day far from him And if he can do so then he rejoyceth and maketh merry over the Testimony of the Witness in himself and when he hath so far prevailed then he is in a good capacity to persecute others who hear and obey the Voice and Testimony thereof in themselves That which is to redeem the World out of Misery is the Power of the Gospel and precious is the Peace which comes thereby after the work of the Spiritual Sword with the trouble thereof is finished O how blessed would the Principle and Power of Life make the World might it but have its free course therein O how happy is that man who bears the Condemnation because of Sin follows the guidance of the living God and waits for the day of his Salvation O the sweet inward Peace of Spirit which is enjoyed after the storm and after the Judgment of that which is to be judged and destroyed And that which makes one person happy the same must make Nations happy There is no true settlement nor abiding security but in the setled and abiding Principle God is arisen to shake the Earth and it can settle no more upon the old foundations yea the same God hath shriveled up the old Heavens and they can no more be stretched forth again Behold I make all things new saith the Lord in the days of the Gospel when he stretcheth forth the Arm of his Power And who is he which shall venture to establish the old Heavens and the old Earth which the Lord God is removing and causing to passe away and abolish the new Heavens and the new Earth which the Lord God hath created and formed and is establishing O that men knew the place of Wisdom that they might be wise and not fight against their Creator from whom their strength comes and against whom their strength cannot prevail O that men could see how industrious they are to keep up Misery and to keep out Happiness The eye of man in the fallen and corrupt estate cannot see aright and mis-seeing how can he chuse but mis-aim and mis-act and mis-aiming and mis-acting how can he attain his end But the Lord's Counsel shall stand and he will fulfill all his pleasure in every heart and throughout the Earth Happy is he who is weaned from himself and begotten in the Light of Life which is incorruptible he shall stand and be blessed when all flesh falls before the Breath of the Lord and becomes miserable and the fall of all the fleshly will wisdom and strength hastens apace happy is he who is delivered from them before the day of their ruine which is nearer than man is aware of or can believe I. P. Concerning PERSECUTION c. BEcause men generally in Persecuting know not what they do neither whom it is they Persecute nor how they sin against God therein nor what danger they are exposing themselves to and what misery they are drawing upon themselves thereby both in this World and for ever even as Christ said concerning the Jews who were Persecuting Him even to Death Father

and Settlement which is the Gift of God until it leave off persecuting God's Israel which are the People whom God calleth out of the world and leave them free for God to enjoy command and dispose of and whatever holds Israel in bondage either within or without must either subject to the Lord or be broken by that Arm of Power which the Lord putteth forth to redeem Israel with 3. By all their Persecutions and Afflictions they shall but increase and cause to grow that which they strive to suppress This is Misery indeed for a man to hazard his soul eternally and his Peace and Prosperity in this world to crush and suppress a People and yet not be able to effect that neither but even thereby occasion their growth and encrease and yet so it is in the day that God putteth forth his hand to redeem Israel The wayes that man takes to bring them back into captivity shall be the means of perfecting their Redemption Come said Pharoah this People multiply too fast they grow more and mightier than we let us deal wisely with them and keep them down by hard labour lest they grow over-numerous and joyn with our Enemies against us when they see their advantage But they grew and spread the more upon his wise plotting and contriving to diminish them And what did he get by striving to keep them from going forth of his Land and Idolatrous Worships to worship the Lord aright but Plagues and Judgements upon himself and his People from the Lord Can the Powers of the Earth withstand God any more now than they could formerly shall not He redeem and bring forth his People from the Land of Babylon His spiritual Israel from the spiritual Egypt Shall He not break the Antichristian Yoak from their Consciences that they may be free in spirit to serve the Lord Can any hinder God from breathing his Spirit upon People and from begetting them in the image and likeness of his Spirit unto Himself And shall not these be the Lord's shall not the same Spirit teach them to worship the Lord shall God call them to worship Him openly and shall they not obey him but worship Him according to man's Inventions and Commandments or not at all publickly Oh ye sons of men be wise do not contend with the Lord be not bewitched by the Cup of Fornications from the pure spiritual Worship of the living God into Man's Inventions which the Lord's Soul loaths nor do not strive to hold any back from the Lord whom the Lord draws after Him but consider his Power wait to know his Work in the world and do not intrench upon his Dominions but be thankful for and content with your own and do not provoke Him against you who can more easily take yours from you than ye can His from Him And consider this Watch-word in that which can open and shew the truth of it The Lord hath put forth his Arm to recover his Possessions from out of the hands of Antichrist and who shall be able to force it back again to make it return into His bosom without effecting what He stretched it forth for Therefore O Magistrates of this Nation do not make use of the Sword to suppress the Plants of God but to cut down that which manifestly is not of God Look abroad throughout this Nation behold how much evil there is to grieve and provoke the Lord and to divert good from the Nation and to bring wrath upon it and the Government thereof strike at that in righteous and true Judgment and with mercy to creatures souls and bodies but that which certainly is of God meddle not with and that which may be of God for ought ye know be circumspect in medling with lest ye engage God against you It were better to let many Tares grow than pluck up one Ear of Corn. Christ hath absolutely expressed it to be his Mind that he would not have that done which may so much as hazard the plucking up of an Ear of Corn Mat. 13. 29. But oh how are the Laws and Governments of this world to be lamented over and oh what need there is of their Reformation whose common work it is to pluck up the Ears of Corn and leave the Tares standing The chief cause of this misery from whence it principally ariseth is men's medling with those things which God hath reserved for Himself and assaying to do that carnally which God once did spiritually and will do spiritually again in his due time when He hath sufficiently shewn how untoward and improper mans hand is to effect it The Christians in the Apostles dayes were of one heart and one mind which proceeded from the Power and Work of God upon them and then they soon came into one Way and Worship but men will have Unity and Uniformity in a way of Religion and Worship before there is one heart and one mind Now this is contrary to the Spirit of God and to the very nature of Religion and the cause of much Cruelty upon mens Consciences and this hath been and will be the constant effect of it even the crushing as much as lies in man of that which is tender and of and for God and the encreasing of that which is formal dead and earthly Now if ever Christ appointed or intended such a Church-Government which naturally produceth this effect let all that fear God and are of sober spirits judge 10. The way and means to avoid Persecution Where is the man in whom there is any good who hath any love to Goodness and Righteousness who hateth Cruelty and Oppression over mens outward Liberties and Estates and much more over the Consciences of People that could not with his heart desire to have this grand Enemy removed both from particular persons and also from Governors and Governments that Peace and Settlement might be known Righteousness reaped all Cruelty and Hardness in one man towards another removed and there be no more complaining in our streets either because of Oppressions from men or fear of Wrath from God upon those Governments which oppress And who would not earnestly pray to God for the discovery of that way and those means and be very industrious in the use of them whereby this persecuting spirit and temper might be wasted and dryed up in him Now the way and means whereby the persecuting spirit may be subdued are divers as 1. By a true Awe and Fear of God in the heart The Fear of God teacheth to depart from Iniquity and to seek the crucifying and bringing under of the worldly spirit in a man's self and to wait daily to have God's Will revealed and likewise to be made obedient thereunto Now he that is in this temper of spirit will hardly be drawn to persecute another but rather rejoyce to see a tenderness of spirit in him and true subjection of heart to what he believes to be the Mind and Will of God and dares not so much as