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	witness_n	witness_v	2,329	5	9.9757	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61130	A treatise partly theological, and partly political containing some few discourses, to prove that the liberty of philosophizing (that is making use of natural reason) may be allow'd without any prejudice to piety, or to the peace of any common-wealth, and that the loss of public peace and religion it self must necessarily follow, where such a liberty of reasoning is taken away / translated out of Latin.; Tractatus theologico-politicus. English	Spinoza, Benedictus de, 1632-1677.	1689 (1689)	Wing S4985; ESTC R21627	207,956	494

Foundation and proper Subject of Philosophy Nor ought we to be troubled or concerned if after we have found out the true sense of the Scripture the Scripture in some places seem repugnant to Reason for whatever of that kind we meet with in the Bible and of which Men may without any breach of Charity be ignorant doth not at all concern Theology or the Word of God and consequently of such things a Man may without sin think what he pleaseth and therefore we positively conclude that Reason is not to be accommodated to Scripture nor Scripture to Reason But seeing the fundamental point in Divinity of Mens being saved only by Obedience cannot be demonstrated by Reason to be true or false it may by way of Objection be then asked Why then do we believe it If we do it blindly without Reason we act like Fools without Judgment if on the other side we say this Fundamental Tenet may be proved by Reason then Divinity is a part of Philosophy and cannot be sever'd from it To this I answer That I do clearly confess this Fundamental Doctrine of Theology cannot be made out by Natural Reason at least no Man that I know hath ever done it therefore Revelation was absolutely necessary in the case but yet we may make use of our Judgment and Reason that what hath been revealed may with a moral certainty be believed by us I say with moral certainty for it is not to be expected that we can have any greater assurance than the Prophets themselves had to whom the Revelation was first made and who had no more than a moral certainty as we have shewed in the second Chapter of this Treatise They therefore are in a very great error who endeavour to prove the Authority of Scripture by Mathematical Demonstration for the Authority of the Bible depends upon the Authority of the Prophets and consequently can be proved by no stronger argument than the Prophets made use of to perswade the people of theirs Our certainty of the Scriptures Authority can be grounded upon no other Foundation than that whereon the Prophets founded their Certainty and Authority and we have already shewn the certainty of the Prophets consisted in three particulars First In a clear and lively imagination Secondly In a Sign Thirdly and principally in a Mind inclined and devoted to Justice and Vertue nor could they give any other evidences of their Authority either to the people to whom they spake in their own persons by word of mouth nor can any other be given to us to whom they speak by their Writings the lively imagination of the Prophets was an Argument only to themselves and therefore all our assurance concerning Revelation doth and must consist only in the other two particulars namely in a Sign and in the Doctrine The eighteenth Chapter of Deuteronomy commands the people to obey that Prophet who in the name of the Lord gave them a true Sign but if he prophesied any thing that was false tho' it were in the Name of the Lord he was to be put to death as he was who endeavoured to seduce them from the true Religion tho' he confirm'd his Prophesie with Signs and Miracles as appears in the 13 th Chapter of Deuteronomy whence it follows that a true Prophet was to be known from a false by his Doctrine and by a Miracle both together for such a one only Moses declareth to be a true Prophet and commanded the people to believe him without any fear of being deceived But he declared those to be false Prophets and guilty of Death who foretold any thing that was false tho' it were in the Name of God or he that preached false Gods tho' he wrought true Miracles We then are oblig'd to believe the Scripture that is the Prophets upon account only of their Doctrine confirm'd by Signs because we see the Prophets above all things commend Justice and Charity and intended nothing else because with a sincere Mind without any guile or deceit they declared that Men by Faith and Obedience should be made happy and confirm'd this their Doctrines with Signs We therefore conclude and perswade our selves that when they prophesied they did neither dote or speak unadvisedly in which Opinion we are the more confirm'd when we consider that all their Moral Doctrines did perfectly agree with Reason for it is very observable that the Word of God in the Prophets is exactly consonant to the Word of God within us so that I say again we are as much assured of these things by the Scripture as the Iews were by the Prophets preaching to them viva voce for we have proved in the end of the second Chapter that the Scripture as to its Doctrine and the principal Histories thereof is derived down to us uncorrupted and therefore this Fundamental Doctrine of Scripture and Theology ought with good reason to be embraced by us tho' it cannot be proved by Mathematical Demonstration It is very great folly not to believe a thing which hath been confirmed by so many Testimonies of the Prophets and which is so great a comfort to those who have but ordinary portions of Reason which is so beneficial to the publick and which may without any danger or loss be believed We can give no reason for our doubting or unbelief but our not having Mathematical Demonstration to prove it as if nothing could contribute to living vertuously and prudently but that which is absolutely and apparently true in which there is not the least shadow or doubt and as if there were nothing of chance and uncertainty in our Actions I confess they who think Philosophy and Divinity contradictory one to another and therefore conclude one of them ought to be dethroned and subjected to the other do very well to build Divinity upon a sure Foundation and endeavour by Infallible Demonstration to support it yet I cannot but condemn those that make use of Reason to destroy Reason and by Certain Reason endeavour to prove there is no certainty in Reason while they are demonstrating the Verity and Authority of Theology and strive to deprive Reason of its power they subject Theology to the Empire of Reason and allow it no other splendor than what it borrows from Natural Light If they boast of relying upon the Internal Testimony of the Holy Spirit and say they make use of Reason only to convert Infidels we ought not to believe them because 't is evident that the Holy Spirit beareth witness to nothing but good Works which Paul Galath 5. 22. therefore calls the fruits of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is nothing else but that Tranquility of Mind and Peace of Conscience which ariseth in us from doing good But of the truth and certainty of things meerly speculative no other Spirit but Reason beareth witness Reason only can challenge the power of judging what is true they that pretend to any other Spirit whereby to make themselves certain what is true maintain

Opinions Limits and Rules for what they shall say For if Wise-men cannot keep silence much less can the ignorant Multitude hold their peace it being all Mens Infirmity tho' never so much Secresie be required to make others privy to their Counsels And therefore that Government is Violent where every Man is deny'd the Liberty of saying and declaring what he thinks and that Government is moderate and well ordered where such a Liberty is allow'd 'T is true and no Man can deny but that Supreme Magistrates may be injur'd and offended by Words as well as Deeds and tho' it be impossible wholly to take away this Liberty from Subjects yet on the other side it will be pernicious to put no Restraint upon it So that now my Business is to shew how far this Liberty without any danger to the Peace of the Commonwealth or prejudice to the Right of Supreme Power may and ought to be allow'd which was as I have hinted in the beginning of the 16 th Chapter my chief Intention and Design From the Fundamentals of Government which I have already explain'd it clearly follows That the ultimate End of Government is not to domineer and keep Men in fear and Subjection but to free Men from Terror that every Man may as far as 't is possible live securely that is may still retain his natural Right of subsisting and acting without hurting himself or any other person I say The End of Government is not to turn Rational Men into Beasts or walking Engines but to suffer both their Souls and Bodies to do each their proper Duties allowing them the free Use of Reason that they may not by Hatred Envy Anger or Deceit become Enemies to one another So that the End of Publick Government is indeed Liberty and to the forming of a Commonwealth it is absolutely necessary that the Power of making Laws and Decrees should be either in all in some or in one single Person For seeing in every Man's Opinion tho' it be free there is difference and variety and every Man is apt to believe that he knows all things 't is impossible to make them all of one mind or to agree in their Discourse So that they can never live peaceably unless every one part with his power of doing what his own Mind prompts him to But tho' every one part with the power of doing what he pleases yet he doth not part with his power of Reasoning and Judging so that tho' he cannot without offence act or do any thing against the Decrees or Determinations of the Supreme Powers yet he may freely think judge and consequently speak provided in what he simply speaks or teacheth there be Reason and no crafty malicious Design through Hatred or Revenge to make by vertue of his own Authority Innovation in the Commonwealth For example If a Man think a particular Law contrary to right Reason and therefore fit to be repealed yet if he submit his Opinion to the Judgment of the Supreme Power whose Right it is to make and repeal Laws and in the mean time do nothing contrary to the Tenor of that Law he deserves well of the Commonwealth as doth every good Subject But if on the contrary he speak against that Law purposely to accuse the Magistrate of Injustice and to render him odious to the People or if he seditiously endeavour to abrogate that Law in spite of the Magistrate he is a rebellious Disturber of the Publick Peace We see then upon what ground every Man without prejudice to the Peace of the Gommonwealth or to the Right of Supreme Powers may speak and teach what he thinks if he leave them the power of regulating Mens Actions and do nothing contrary to their Decrees tho' he sometimes do contrary to that which in his own Opinion and Judgment he thinks to be good which notwithstanding he may with a good Conscience yea ought to do if he will be accounted a good Subject For as I have already shewn Justice depends upon the Decrees of the Supreme Power and no Man can be said to be Just unless he live according to the known Laws Piety as I have declared in the preceding Chapter chiefly consists in the practice of things which preserve the Peace and Tranquillity of the Commonwealth which cannot possibly be preserved if every Man should live as he pleaseth And therefore 't is Impiety in any Subject to act contrary to the Decrees of the Supreme Power because were it lawful for every Man so to do the total Ruine of the Commonwealth must necessarily follow No Man can be said to act against the Dictates of his own Reason who submits to the Decrees of the Supreme Power because every Man by the persuasions of his own Reason resolved to part with his Right of Living according to his own Will And this is proved by practice for in Councils compos'd of the Supreme or Subordinate Powers it seldom happens that any thing is decreed or determin'd by the universal Consent and general Vote of all the Members yet the Results of those Counsels whatever they be are always accounted as much the Decrees of those who voted against as of those that voted for them So that by the very Principles of Government we see that without any wrong done to the Rights of Supreme Power a Man may use the Liberty of his own Judgment And 't is very easie from the Fundamentals of Government to determine what Opinions in a Commonwealth are to be accounted Seditious namely those which directly nullifie and destroy the Covenant whereby every Man obliged himself to part with his Right of Living according to his own Will. For example If any Man think the Supreme Power is subject to some other Power that a Man ought not to perform his Promises or that it is lawful for every Man to live as he pleases These and the like Opinions render a Man seditious because they are directly repugnant to the foresaid Covenant not barely because they are his Judgment and Opinion but because such Opinions have in them a great deal of Crime and Guilt For even by so thinking a Man tacitly breaks all the Bonds of that Fidelity which he promised to the Supreme Power Therefore other Opinions which contain no actual Breach of the Covenant no Revenge no Anger c. are not to be accounted Seditious unless it be in a Commonwealth where Reason is depraved and where ambitious and superstitious Men are grown to such a heighth that they cannot endure those that are honest or ingenuous but will have the People think their Authority greater than the Supreme Magistrate's I do not deny but that there may be some Opinions which tho' they seem to intend nothing but simply to argue and judge what is true and what false yet they may be very maliciously propounded and divulged Of these we spoke in the 15 th Chapter but so that Reason nevertheless should remain free Lastly If we seriously consider that every