Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	heaven_n	hell_n	worm_n	1,015	5	11.0094	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13556	Regula vitæ the rule of the law vnder the Gospel. Containing a discovery of the pestiferous sect of libertines, antinomians, and sonnes of Belial, lately sprung up both to destroy the law, and disturbe the faith of the Gospell: wherein is manifestly proved, that God seeth sinne in iustified persons. By Thomas Taylor Dr. of Divinity, and pastour of S. Mary Aldermanbury, London.	Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.	1631 (1631)	STC 23851; ESTC S118279	80,247	284

they could the light and devise to speake as in the riddles and oracles of old in ambiguous and new-minted phrases of their owne as if the phrase and expressions of the Scriptures were onely to be rejected in opening of the mysteries of Scriptures But leaving these bolde impostours to set the holy Ghost to schoole to teach him to speake wee acknowledge wee have not onely a rule of doctrine prescribed us in the Scriptures but also a rule of speaking unto which we must frame our selves and utter wholesome doctrine in wholesome words and words of understanding and all other lofty arrogant and subtle manner of speaking so as that which is uttered cannot be well understood the Apostle rejects it as an idle beating of the ayre 4. Nourish the grace of humility for God teacheth the humble beware of curiosity and affectation of novelties be wise to sobriety and thinke it an high wisedome to be established in ancient and received truthes The ficklenesse of hearers and unsetlednesse in the grounds of holy truth together with the wantonnesse of opinions have opened a wide doore to impostours and while for want of judgement men are ready with Salomons foole to beleeve every thing all the labour and diligence of able and godly Ministers is too weake to keepe multitudes from running after the Ministers of Satan furnished with all arts to deceive and to cheate them of the truth which is according to godlinesse Against whom while I endeavour to establish others I may seeme to forget my selfe and that I must incurre many censures and contempts from this lawlesse generation of men but my labour is with the Lord and my reward is my conscience of well-doing I shall contemne their contempt love their persons hate their errours and studie while I am to be as serviceable to the Church and the faith once given to the Saints as I can CHAP. 1. Containing the ground of the following discourse and dispute out of Rom. 6. 14. For ye are not under the Law IN the words of the Apostle are to be enquired 1. What is meant by the Law namely The Morall Law in the ten Commandements containing our whole duty to God and to our neighbour 2. What it is to be under the Law namely not under the rule and obedience of the Law for our Apostle looseth no Christian from that but Christians are not under the raigne of the Law by the raigne of which sinne raigneth unto death This being the Apostles reason that the raigne of the Law puts them under the reign of sin 3. Who are these that are not under the Law Yee that is beleevers justified and sanctified persons that are dead to sinne and alive unto God in Iesus Christ our Lord verse 11. and onely these seeing the naturall man is yet in his sinnes and under the whole power of the Law in the rigour and extremity of it Rom 7. 6. We are delivered from the Law being dead unto it wherein we were holden But who are these those that serve in newnesse of spirit not in oldnesse of letter that is which now serve God in a new spirituall manner excited and wrought by the spirit and not according to the olde corruption of our nature before grace nor according to the externall letter of the law which onely breedeth externall actions And that it is the priviledge of beleevers appeareth by these reasons 1. Because Christ was made under the Law to redeeme those that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sonnes Galat. 4. 4. The reason is good Christ was under the Law therefore Christians beleeving are not under it and Christians are redeemed from being under the Law and therfore are no longer under it 2. As many as are under the Law are under the curse But it is the priviledge of beleevers not to be under the curse for they that are of the faith of Abraham are blessed with faithfull Abraham Therefore they are not under the Law 3. It is the priviledge of beleevers to receive the spirit of Christ. Rom. 8. 14. As many as are Christs are led by the spirit of Christ and therfore they are not under the Law Gal. 5. 18. If yee be led by the spirit yee are not under the law 4. It is the priviledge of beleevers to have eternall life and the inheritance by promise and not by the tenour of the Law and therefore all they and only they are free from being under the Law Gal. 3. 18. If the inheritance be by the Law it is no more by promise But God gave it to Abraham by the promise Were beleevers under the Law they should have the inheritance by the Law but they have it not by the Law but by promise and therefore are not under the Law For the Law and the promise in the cause of righteousnesse and life will not be agreed no more than light and darknesse fire and water whose natures are most abhorring Quest. But what or wherein is this priviledge of not being under the Law Answ. This priviledge will appeare the clearer if we consider the danger of being under the Law in foure things First in that the Law wrappeth every sinner in the curse of God both in this life as also in the life to come so as hee is no where secure but lyeth naked to the curse meeting him at every corner The Law is a thunderbolt to blast him in his person in his estate in his name in his goods in his calling in his comforts in all his enterprises and occasions the sentence is passed upon him and where ever he is hee is in the way to execution It would daunt and astonish the hardiest and stoniest heart to heare the sentence of death pronounced upon it for violating the law of his Prince and Country It would marre all his merriments to conceive hee were presently to suffer but a temporall death for offending the law of man And it would much more spoyle the pleasure of sin if the sinner could with an hearing eare heare the sentence of eternall death denounced by the Law against soule and body for violating the righteous Law of the eternall God If an house were ready to fall upon a mans head how would hee bestirre himselfe and winde every way to hye himselfe out of the danger But the burden of the Law is more intollerable than the weight of all the sands and mountaines in the world and this oppressing weight is ready to fall on the head of every sinner which how should it amaze and affright them and make them restlesse till they bee gotten without the reach of the danger 2. The Law in the raigne of it shuts up heaven which receives no trangressour and setteth the gate of hell wide open upon the sinner and not onely casteth him into hell hereafter but bringeth an hell into his conscience before hell that if his heart be not dead within him as Nabals

it is restlesse as the raging sea tormenting him for the present with hellish feares dreadfull horrours and selfe-accusing the biting and gnawing of which worme is the very entrance into hell and a beginning of the eternall torments of it for the avoiding whereof many wicked men have chosen death and hastned their owne execution as farre more sufferable and easie 3. The Law in the raigne of it thrusts the sinner under the power of the Divell as a condemned malefactour into the hand of the executioner to be ruled at his will Now must hee blinde his eyes and as it were by an handkerchiefe over his eyes hee must pinion him and binde him hand and foote and by effectuall delusions prepare him to his death And what is more just than that he who will not be led by the spirit of God should be given up to be ruled by the Divell 4. The Law in the raigne of it addeth a sting and sharpneth the point of all afflictions which by it become the beginning of hell and properly curses retaining their naturall acrimony and poyson and are as the red sea even a well and a devouring gulfe to drowne the Egyptians which same sea is a wall and paved way to save the Israelites It armeth all Gods creatures against the sinner who are ready in their severall rankes to revenge their Lords quarrell till he enter into that new covenant of which see Hosea 2. 18. It is the Law that makes death a doore to hell and a downefall to eternall perdition the Law is mercilesse and knoweth no other condition but doe or die so as if a man dye under the Law there is no expectation but of death without mercy Quest. 2. But how may a man get from under this dangerous estate Answ. By the attaining and exercise of three saving graces First Faith in the Son of God which 1 apprehendeth Christs righteousnesse for the fulfilling of the Law 2. Faith establisheth the Law both because it attaineth in Christ Remission of sinnes and so remission of the rigour of the Law as also an Imputation of that full righteousnesse which the Law requireth 3. Faith is the Law of Christ by obedience of which Law every beleever must live and is answerable to the obedience of the whole Law The second grace is Repentance and timely turning unto God this helpeth a man from under this danger 1. In that it flyeth from the dreadfull sentence of the Law and knocketh at the gate of mercy it seeks and sues for pardon and will not give over till it have got a gracious answer that all the sins are remitted 2. In that it wipes off all old scores repealeth all the actions of the Law getteth all sinnes cast into the bottome of the sea never to be remembred any more nay it gett●●● not onely sinnes 〈◊〉 but ●ven the law it selfe 〈…〉 ●ort buried to the penitent person as Moses body and is unknowne where it was laid The third grace is new and inchoate obedience to the Law which is a kinde of fulfilling it For 1. It is a worke of the spirit in the regenerate who hath written the law in their hearts and made them of rebells and enemies to the Law and the righteousnes of it lovers of the Law and lovers of obedience 2. It hath the promise of acceptance and is accounted as full and compleat obedience to the Law and themselves now called perfect and undefiled in the way God looketh not now on their obedience as theirs but as on his owne worke in them nor approveth the person for the work but the work for the person Quest. 3. How may we know a man gotten from under this da●ger of the Law Answ. By sundry notes or markes First by subjection to the Gospel in the power of it when a man contenteth not himselfe with a title of faith or a shew of profession or a forme of godlinesse or a name that he liveth but groweth in the knowledge and obedience of the Gospell for would a man be saved and obey neither the Law nor Gospell No no the Apostle concludeth him under the whole power of the Law that knoweth not nor obeyeth the Gospel of Christ 2 Thes 1. 8. 2. By thankefull walking worthy of the Gospel this man knoweth that all the regenerate are Gods workmanship and that the end of all our freedome from sinne is the free and cheerefull praise of God and therefore he cannot but be thankfull to Christ his deliverer from under so hard and cruell a Master as the Law which did nothing but accuse accurse terrify and condemne him now will he highly prize his freedome and glory in his happy liberty now will he live to Christ and for Christ and ascribe all his happinesse unto him as doth the Apostle for that happy victory over sinne and the Law 1 Cor 15. last and Rom 7. 24 25. 3. There is now peace of conscience which formerly if waking did bite and sting but now excuseth and acquitteth I meane not here a sencelesse or brawny conscience the issue of a dead conscience which like a dead man lay him under a Church or mountaine he is quiet feeleth nothing complaines of nothing so lay the secure sinner under the intolerable burden of innumerable sinnes his conscience is quiet and complaineth not But this peace followeth not from unfeelingnesse but from feeling sin pardoned from perceiving sin subdued and from discerning sinne repented of striven against and conquered for the spirit of grace is ever a spirit of mourning and from that sowing in teares ariseth the harvest of joy 4. Hee that is got from under the Law is now a Law to himselfe that is he willingly submitteth himselfe to the rule and obedience of the Law the way to escape the yoake and coaction of the Law is to become a free and cheerfull observer of the Law Which standeth in three things 1. In a care to doe the duties which the Law requireth and in such manner as the Law doth require so neare as we can Psal 119. 6. Rom 7. 22. 2. In huhumility and griefe that we are so short of the Law in our best duties that when wee have done all we can we are so unprofitable and that even all our righteousnesse is as a stained clout 3. And all this out of love of God and of obedience not for feare of hell or judgement whence Gods people are called a willing people Psal 110. 4. This must every beleever aime at for hee that willingly liveth in the breach of the Law is certainly under the curse of it 5. A man gotten from under the Law giveth up himselfe to the leading of the spirit Gal 5. 18. If yee be led by the spirit yee are not under the Law Now to be led by the spirit is 1. To suffer the spirit of God to guide the minde with knowledge for he being the spirit of illumination his office is to lead the Saints into all

needs increase repentance and sorrow for offending him if love be great so wil sorrow as in Peter In a word their harvest of joy is too hasty and will prove like an inheritance hastily gotten this is not the time of wiping away all our teares nor is our dripping seed-time yet over but even wee sigh in our selves waiting for the adoption even the redemption of our bodies Rom. 8. 23. 11 ERROR That no beleever is to pray for pardon of sinne seeing all his sinnes past present and to come are already pardoned Answ. Then must you blot out that petition of the Lords prayer wherein he hath taught those that call God Father to pray daily Forgive us our trespasses which petition implieth as we have shewed daily repentance even in them that have repented A man would wonder what shift they make to repeat the Lords prayer or to pray in his words unlesse they have learned the tricke of the olde Pelagians who would repeat the pe●ition for modesty sake but not out of the sense or conscience of their owne need which modesty is indeed a lie and fained humility 2. Prayer for pardon will stand with assurance of pardon and assurance of pardon will not stand without prayer for pardon for then are we assured of pardon when we can pray for pardon God being found favourable onely in his owne way 3. Though wee know our sinnes pardoned yet must we pray for pardon neither doth assurance of pardon and mercy dead our prayer for pardon but quicken it Christ knew his sheep should never perish Ioh. 10. 28. but yet he prayeth for them that they might not perish Ioh. 17. 11. He knew that his Father would glorify him but yet prayeth that his Father would glorify him Ioh. 17. Who will say this his prayer was needlesse Paul knew that God would deliver him from every evill way yet prayed for it So though we know our sinnes to be pardoned yet it is not needlesse to pray for pardon 4. Though God in heaven have by an eternall sentence blotted out the sinnes of the beleever in the first act of his conversion and this sentence can never be blotted out yet we may and must pray for pardon of sinne namely that this sentence of pardon may be pronounced in our owne consciences and thus it seemes David prayed earnestly for forgivenesse of his sinnes Psal. 51. when he knew long before that God had forgiven them for Nathan had tolde him that God had put away his sinne he prayed that God would not only forgive his sin in heaven but even in his own heart also 5. Though our sinnes be forgiven even in our owne consciences yet because of the stain and guilt of new sins our assurance is sometimes weakened and not so comfortable wee must pray for pardon of sinne still that is for a greater and more comfortable measure of assurance and a sweeter taste and apprehension of Gods favour in remission of sinne for who can taste of this sweet honey and not long for more and whereas our weaknes cannot so firmely apprehend it and our corruption doth daily weaken it we must pray for the continuance of our comfort and mercy whereof prayer is a principall meanes 6. Suppose we have pardon of sin in the beginnings of it and some sweet fruites yet we must pray for it in all the fruits in all the effects in the full comfort and accomplishment of it for by remission of sinne wee are now freed from the damnation of sinne and from the domination of it yet are we not freed from all the remainders of sin nor from all fruites and molestation of sin for notwithstanding the pardon of our sins we have the presence of sin and are in conflict with terrours of conscience Gods just desertions calamities afflictions and feare of death Now must we pray according to our faith for full pardon even for the full acquittance promised and that solemne sentence of absolution by the mouth of the Iudge which shal fully and really give us compleat possession of Gods whole mercy which we now have by right and title but not in all the fruits effects and full comfort of it and never doe the Saints pray for Christs comming without implication of full and finall remission of sinnes All which manifestly bewray the blacke and blockish ignorance of this erronious assertion 12 ERROR That Preachers ought not to preach the Law to beleevers whom the threatnings of the Law concerne not as being out of the reach of the Law and beyond all feare of condemnation and these legall Preachers deale very lewdly in bringing men backe to the obedience of the Law and so make them seeke righteousnes in themselves Answ. These are merry men and might well set themselves on so merry a pin if the way to heaven were so wide and roomy as they imagine it For 1. Neither can they sinne being in Christ if they would 2. Neither if they should could God see it 3. If hee should chance to see it he could not bee displeased with it 4. If he should be displeased his hands are bound he cannot correct it 5. Themselves ought not now to sorrow or repent for any sin any more 6. It is idle to pray for pardon of sin which is already pardoned whether it be past or present or to come 7. And now they must not so much as heare of their sinnes any more and all their religion is turned into a merriment which they call a meeting with such comfort as they never found before but this comfort will prove but a laughter in the face when the heart hath cause to be heavie For 1. Is there nothing else to be feared of a Christian but finall condemnation a childe may feare to be whipped though he feare not to be disinherited Psal. 52. 6. even the righteous shall see and feare 2. A man may feare that which he is sure to escape but this is a feare of watchfulnesse not of distrustfulnesse 3. No man is so holy but hath need of threatnings and faith beleeveth threatnings as well as promises not onely barely apprehending them as true and certaine but with application to decline them and frame to obedience even in regard of them This is plaine because even in state of innocency was use of the threatning to keepe our sinnelesse parents from sinne and Iob a just and holy man by Gods owne testimony durst not lift up his hand against the fatherlesse why because destruction from God was as a terrour unto him And even those that receive a kingdome which cannot be shaken must serve please God with reverence and feare because Our God is a ●onsuming fire Heb. 12. 28 29. 4. Suppose the threatnings shall never take holde of a beleever may ●ot hee therefore heare of them To heare them is not to cast him into them but to keepe them off him the hearing of legall threatnings is very usefull to

annotations upon 2 Cor. 3. 11. In what regard the ministery of Moses is abolshed concluding that the ministry of the Law is ever to be retained in the Church And in his notes upon 1 Ioh 2. 7. he saith Neither is the Law abolished by the Gospell so farre forth as it commandeth that which is right but onely so farre as it threatneth death to all that doe not perfectly fulfill it and as the Law by the terrours of death admonisheth us to think of seeking life in the Gospell so the Gospell supplieth us with the grace of regeneration whereby according to the measure of the spirit and grace we begin to will and to doe that now the Law becommeth to us in respect of the inner man a sweet Master as the Apostle plentifully teacheth Rom 6. 7. and 8. chapters The third is learned Doctor Whitaker the Iewell of the Vniversity of Cambridge who when Duraeus the Iesuite objected against Mr. Luther the same which these Libertines affirme of him that it was his judgement that the Decalogue appertaineth not to Christians thus gravely answereth That Luther most truly affirmed the Decalogue that is that condition of the Decalogue either of full and perfect obedience or of malediction for disobedience not now to pertaine to Christians because Christ to them hath taken away that condition 2. That Luther saith no more than the Apostle doth in sixe or seven places there alledged and therfore they must first accuse the Apostle or through Luthers sides wound the Apostle 3. He sets downe his owne judgment most expresly The Law saith he pertaineth to Christians neither did Luther ever deny it for that justice of the Law is immortall and every one ought to indeavour with all his strength to live mo●t exactly according to the prescript of the Law Thus we have this pro●ound and most worthy Doctour affording us a double strength and together with 〈◊〉 brings us Mr. Luther wholly and constantly avouching the same truth which we have defended through our whole discourse The fourth is judicious Mr. Perkins from whose gracious mouth and Ministery I received in my youth often the same holy truth as now in his fruitfull writings appeareth every where As in his golden chaine chap 31. having set downe the use of the Morall law in the unregenerate he cōcludeth that the use of the Law in the regenerate is farre otherwise for it guideth them to new obedience which obedience may bee acceptable to God through Christ. And upon Gal 3. 12. hee answereth this question why the Lord saith He that doth the things of the Law shall live considering that no man since the fall can doe the things of the Law and sheweth that still the Lord repeateth his law in the olde tenure 1. To teach that the law is of a constant and uncheangable nature 2. to advertise us of our weaknesse and shew us what wee cannot doe 3. To put us in minde still to humble our selves after we have begun by grace to obey the law because even then wee come farre short in doing the things which the law requireth at our hands And on verse 23. he inquireth that now seeing faith is come what is the guard whereby wee are now kept Answ. The precepts of the Morall Law The sayings of the wise are as nayles or stakes fastned to range men in the compasse of their owne duties Ecclesiast 12. 11. And most plainely he coucheth our whole doctrine concerning the Law in the answer of our question upon vers 15. eiusdem capitis The question is how farre the Morall Law is abrogated Answer Three wayes 1. In respect of Iustification 2. Of malediction 3. In respect of rigour For in them that are in Christ God accepteth the indeavour to obey for obedience it selfe Neverthelesse saith he The Law as it is a rule of good life is unchangable and admitteth no abrogation And Christ in this regard did by his death establish it Rom. 5. 31. And on c. 4. 5. The Law must be considered two wayes First as a rule of life Thus Angels are under the Law and Adam before his fall and the Saints now in heaven and none yeeld more subjection to the Law than they and this subjection is their liberty Againe consider it as a grievous yoke three wayes none can beare it c. And in his Treatise of conscience cap. 2. saith That the Morall Law bindeth the consciences of all men at all times to obedience The fifth is our learned and industrious Doctor Willet Bellarmin saith he is not ashamed to slaunder us that wee affirme christian liberty to stand herein that we are altogether freed from the obedience and subjection of the Law Vt Moses cum suo decalogo nihil ad not pertinent But we call God and all the world to record that we witnes no such thing knowing tha-Christ came not to dissolve but to fulfill the Law Here therefore Bellarmin fighteth with his owne shadow But Christian liberty consisteth in three things that we are exempted 1 From Ceremonyes 2 From the curse and guilt 3 From the servitude and reigne of sinne c. And upon Exod. cap. 20. commandement 10. quest 9. saith thus The Morall Law is not now in force quoad justificationem that is in respect of justification but it bindeth quoad obedientiam in respect of obedience for we are boūd to keep all the precepts of the Law but yet quoad modum obedientiae et terrorem in respect of terrour and rigorous manner of obedience we are not bound c. The sixth is that grave and learned Bishop Downam whom I must honourably mention not onely for his worthy parts and labours in the Church but in the speciall reference of a painfull and worthy Tutor and teacher of my selfe in the Vniversity That right Reverend Bishop in his Treatise entituled The doctrine of Christian liberty doth exactly as his manner is open and cleare this whole doctrine and in section or paragraph 15. hath these words The Papists charge us that wee place Christian Liberty in this that we are subject to no Law in our conscience and before God and that we are free from all necessity of doing good works which is a most divelish slander for though we teach that the obedience to the Law is not required in us to Iustification but that wee are free from the exaction of the Law in that behalfe yet we deny not but that unto sanctification the obedience of the Law is required we by necessity of duty bound to the observation therof And againe We confesse to be free from obedience is to be servants of sinne and the willing cheereful worship of God is true liberty And we acknowledge that the Morall Law of God is perpetuall and immutable and that this is an everlasting truth that the creature is bound to worship and obey his Creator and so much the more bound as he hath received the greater benefits And after the