Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	high_a	power_n	resist_v	1,057	5	9.4839	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91004	Syneidēsilogia ̇or, The doctrine of conscience, framed according to the points of the catechisme, in the Book of Common-Prayer. / By the Right Reverend Father in God, John Prideaux, late Lord Bishop of Worcester, for the private use of his wife.	Prideaux, John, 1578-1650.; N. Y.	1656 (1656)	Wing P3436; Thomason E1697_2; ESTC R203209	47,433	193

works that they ought to be had in remembrance What heavenly advantages may be taken for setting forth Gods praises in his Saints And stir up men to imitate such excellent guides and to glorifie the giver of all in the best expression we may Those consciences little consider that make no conscience on their owne heads to call men from their vocations to their affected assemblies upon any day of the weeke and yet murmure at the Church for celebrating the memory I say not of Saints and Martyrs but of our Saviours Nativity and ascension as though it carried with it superstition C. VII The fifth Commandement is acknowledged by all to give in charge the duties of all inferiors to their lawfull superiors the due performance of which is backed with a promise of long life and enjoyments of such possessions as God hath bestowed on all in their severall callings But if such superiors renouncing God and all goodnesse endeavour the oppression and ruine of those they should protect are not inferiors in such cases bound in conscience to resist for their owne preservation and forceably to oppose them if the case require it S. Pauls decision is herein expresse for the negative D. Rom. 13.1 2. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers as being Gods ordinance and cannot be resisted without the penalty of Damnation But what and they prove so intollerable that to yeeld to them should be the undoing of our selves and ours Notwithstanding Saint Peter will afford no dispensation for this giving honour and submission which must be performed not only for our owne quietnesse and conveniencies but for the Lords sake and not to Kings only that are supreame 2. Pet. 2.13 and have no superiour judg to be accountable to but only God but also to such governours as they shall put in commission whether gentle or froward must be respected with due reverence in their places For this is thanke-worthy saith the same Apostle if a man for conscience towards God endure grief suffering wrongfully He addes the example of our saviour for confirmation For hereunto were ye called saith he because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps Which how sincerely they doe that corrupt old texts with new glosses judg where they should be judged and put that to the question and carry it how they please which never heretofore was doubted of their owne conscience will tell them one day when they shall be called to repetitions SECT II. Cases concerning the five Commandements of the Second Table THe precepts of the second Table have relation to our neighbours and equals as those of the first had to our Superiors Which neighbour must not be wronged of us 1. in his life by murder 2. in his wife by adultery 3. in his goods by stealing from him 4. in his good name by bearing false witnesse against him 5. no not so much as in desire But our utmost endeavor must be for preserving all these blessings in life wife goods and good name unto him being contented on our part with what God hath blessed us with in all those particulars not wishing to better our estates by the diminishing of anothers nor grudging that our neighbour enjoyes more plenty then our selves but holding that which God hath sent us to be the fittest portion for us Concerning then this sixt Commandement of the ten C. I. and first as we reckon of the second Table Thou shalt doe no murther that is thou shalt in no sort wrong thy Brother touching his life but doe the best to preserve it a scruple may be raised Whether a man upon any pretense to avoid any inconvenience or to attain any bettering of his estate may be his owne executioner and make himselfe away He may not D. and that by vertue of this Commandement For if our love to our Neighbour must be patterned by the love we beare our selves according to that Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe Then if thy Neighbour may not be slain by thee neither any violence or injury offered unto him tending that way much lesse canst thou in conscience kill thy selfe or use any meanes on purpose to shorten thy dayes be the pretext never so specious 2. Instances out of Scripture 1. of Sampson 2. Saul 1 Mach. 6.46.2.14.37 3 his armour-bearer 4. Eleazar Savaran's Desperate adventure upon an Elephant 5. Razis and 6. Judas Iscariot yeild not the Least excuse for so unnaturall a fact For though somewhat may be said for Sampson that he intended not his owne death but revenge on his enemies as Eleazar did the honour of his Countrey and religion yet Razis violence can hardly be excused Saul's and his armour-bearers must needs be condemned Achitophels is set up for a patterne for all perfidious politicians to take example by and Judas left as a monument to the terror of all traytors that buy and sell their Masters 3. Those that through drinking drabbing or needlesse quarrelling hasten their owne ends as also through peevish vowes affected sorrow or wayward melancholy dammes neglect their owne preservation by all decent meanes offered may doe well to consult with their owne consciences whether they come not within the compasse of this command thou shalt not commit murder neither on thy self nor others But of others more hereafter Next the preservation of Gods image in being tender of mans life the upholding and keeping his temple from pollution is especially to be respected which is done in this seventh commandement thou shalt not commit adultery wherein not only all kind of uncleannesse and incitements thereunto tending and alluring are utterly forbidden But modesty shame facenesse and continency in thought word and deed are established In which this scruple may first arise Whether marriages within degrees of consanguinity or affinity prohibited Levit. 18. or of patties separated after lawfull wedlock while both remaine alive or polygamie that multiplyeth the couple that should make but one flesh in conscience may be condemned as adulterous The safest tenent is that they may and ought D. For these prohibited degrees in Leviticus are urged by God as the dictates of nature extended as well to all gentiles as Jewes by the text it self For all those abhominations have the men of the land done which were before you Lev. 1 8 27 c. and the land is defiled For which offences they were spewed out and that soule shall be cut off from among his people that is found in the like transgressions 2. Then for the indissoluble bond of wedlock but only by death our Saviour and the Apostle are so punctual that it should terrify any one free to marry a party divorced and not by death seperated Fornication indeed may make a separation but not justifie the marrying of the party innocent Why may not upon repentance and amendment of the party offending a Christian reconciliation be made after which if fornication precedent

workes doe abundantly testifie yet as tall a Cedar as he was in this piece so humble and condescending that he may be said truely to have denied himselfe the points here handled being done without the least ostentation of quotations and School-niceties and againe with so much brevity and perspicuity that they are made not only legible but intelligible to the meanest capacity Wherein he hath conformed himself to the practise and example of that great Doctor of the Gentiles and Labourer in the Gospell S. Paul who of himselfe professeth that he was made all things to all men that by all meanes he might save some 1 Cor. 9.22 a vertue and happinesse I confesse as to be admired in our Worthy Bishop considering his great parts So to be desired in other learned men who though they have deserved high renowne in the Church of God yet have so locked themselves up in abstruse termes or high rhetoricall expressions that the benefit of their labours cannot descend unto the many To avoid this rock therefore the method he observeth here is of the Catechisme in the Liturgy as being most plaine and easie and known to all and which he alwayes very much extolled as an excellent summary of religion neither burthening the head with multiplicity of needlesse points nor leaving out any that was needfull Milke indeed fit for babes and prepared with great prudence by the composers thereof Begun it was by him but a little before his fatall sicknesse by meanes whereof it wanted the happinesse of his review and some pages with this marke ' neer the end of the book were left empty which are now adventured to be filled up though by no learned hand yet by one that had rather his low fortune and condition should be taken notice of in casting but a mite into the treasury then an unwillingnesse observed in him to serve his generation according to the sphear of his activity Fare-well Y. N. Of Conscience COnscience is a faculty of the soul sitting as a Bishop to oversee censure all the actions of Man with impartiall approving dislike or doubting of them That which we call Nature in Insensibles in Sensibles Instinct in Men vulgarly Reason as it is applyed in Religion may be called Conscience which is nothing but Reason freely acting without partiality or seducement Hence it is set as a Judge Isa 5.3 brought as a witnesse Rom. 2.11 retained as an advocate Act. 23.1 called by some the dictate of reason the Law of the understanding that in reasoning thus playes the Logician and makes an argument A betrayer of Innocent blood is to be condemned this position is infallible out of Scripture Then Judas brings in the assumption but I have betrayed Innocent blood the conclusion will thereupon necessarily follow therefore I am worthy to be condemned Conscience therefore saith one is the applying of our knowledge to particular acts whose Court is the Heart whose Proctor is Reason whose Sentence is impartiall if it be accompanied with simplicity and godly sincerity as the Apostle sets down Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the Grace of God we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1.12 For such a conscientious teacher desires to bee made manifest not to the Eares alone but to the Consciences of his hearers 2 Cor. 4.2 and 5.11 So obedience to higher powers is to be performed not for complement or commodity or feare of the penalty ensuing disobedience but for Conscience sake Rom 13.5 For such Conscience towards God grief and suffering wrongfully is to be indured 1 Pet. 2.19 For such a Conscience as may appear in David will be troubled and start back at the offering violence but to the skirt of the Royal robe of his Soveraign 1 Sam. 24.5 And this Conscience becomes one with that merry heart that maketh a chearfull countenance and proves a continuall feast when the cry goes otherwise abroad the staffe of bread is broken and they have no wine as the wise man informeth us a good conscience feareth no colours but a wounded conscience who can bears Those that have taken upon them the curing or securing of Consciences in all variety of cases spend much time in discussing either grammatically the originall or meaning of the word and how Synteresis and Synidisis differ or naturally what place Conscience should hold in reference to the understanding or will whether it may be termed a power or faculty or an habit what duties may be expected from it what acts it performeth how liable it is to affrightments scruples demurres errors woundings cauterizings extinguishings of weaknesse and waywardnesse in good consciences of outragiousnesse or stupidity in the bad c. But a plainer path may serve our turne who aime onely at practice and leave disputes to those that have leisure or pleasure to make use of them This thing in no case may be omitted especially to consider that as the ground is laid so the building is like to prove firme or tottering Whereupon it will follow that from doubtfull praemises in reasoning a warrantable conclusion may in no case be expected In the Court therefore of Conscience these rules must stand as unconcontroleable I. That mans Conscience is known to God alone 1 Corinth 2.10 11. II. Therefore it can be subject to none but to him that can search the depths and discover the windings of it III. Nothing by the same reason can binde or loose it but that which hath undoubted authority from God IV. Thence it will follow that the written Word of God must decide all our cases of Conscience either by positive Texts or clear deductions that cannot be justly excepted against V. Traditions Customes humane Lawes Oaths Promises Vowes or the like may no further binde the Conscience then that they are consonant and backed by the Word of God VI. No Indulgence pardon or dispensation of Man can free or binde the Conscience but his onely that brings that key with him which openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth VII The Church and lawfull Ministers have the power of binding and loosing the Conscience committed to them Mat. 18. Joh. 20.23 which taketh effect in those onely who Religiously and with due preparation are humble suiters for it and with penitent hearts entertain it The neglect of which rules and foysting in Decrees and Decretalls with Scholastical and Philosophical determinations in stead of Scripture and solid inferences from it hath entangled the antienter Casuists with so many exorbitances that little good is to be gotten by them and those that set forth the same way under the name of Morals give rather a new dresse to the old Felt then redresse any thing upon better grounds as it will quickly appear to those that will come and see Since the Reformation those that have recalled matter of Conscience to Scripture not without great commendations to

from the sense and directions no more then we can imagine the leaves of a Physick book will cure a disease or wound if it be applyed to the part ill affected Those pieces therefore of Scripture or names of God or Angels thence pretended to be deduced by Exorcists and Magicians or names of the three Kings of Cullen or the beginning of Saint Iohns Gospel or the like hung about the neck of any are delusions of Satan The words that I spake unto you are spirit and life saith our Saviour John 6.63 and were written that ye might believe and that believing ye might have life through his name Iohn 20.31 not for charms to doe mischiefe or seeming cures upon the body which Satan useth as a bait to destroy the soule Let the Pythonists in the Acts say never so truly concerning S. Paul and Silas these men are the servants of the most high God which shew to us the way of Salvation Act. 16.17 yet Saint Paul would not endure such she-Chaplains of the Devills ordering who take up good to do mischief and act the Devils part in the attire of an Angell The punishment of the mongrell-blasphemer Lev. 24. should make all conscionable men afraid how they adventure to make bold with Gods Sacred name or word lest perchance as the Sons of Sceva they meet with some mad Devils that will wound and strip them for their folly and terrifie others causing them to burne such damnable books of curious Arts though of never so much esteemed value Act. 19.18 19. On the contrary a Conscience must be made for the abusing any parts of the Bible or things once consecrated to God to prophane and sordid uses lest Belshazzers proscription stand against them to their sodaine ruine for non est tutum ludere cum sanctis as the common saying is it is not good to dally with a Deity CHAP. III. Cases concerning the Apostles Creed THree Creeds are received in all Catholick Churches the first called the Apostles Creed the second the Nicene and the third the Creed of Athanasius The two latter of these are but expositions of the Apostles Creed composed more especially to withstand the Arian Heresie which denyed the Deity of Christ and had then well-nigh over-spread the whole face of Christianity Into the Apostles Creed as our Liturgy hath hitherto led our fore-fathers we were baptized To make then this the first case of Conscience it may be well enquired Whether the rejecting this Creed C. I. out of our Liturgies and Catechismes into which we were baptized and to which our sureties undertook for us we should alwayes stand to be not a kind of renouncing or rather plain Apostacy from the Faith we were baptized in whereto may be applyed that speech of God to Samuel they have not rejected thee but me 1 Sam. 8.7 They can best give satisfaction to this that have been the actors in it To say they supply it in the Doctrine of their preaching their auditors will tell them that they have not the art nor are taught it by them how to pick out so punctuall Articles for their Belief and so to order them that they may have them by heart to be ready alwaies to give an account to every man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in them as Saint Peter chargeth 1 Pet. 3.15 upon which they may ground the good Conscience that followes in the next verse Now those that have a touch of Conscience reason thus with themselves either the new Articles we are to expect from the Sermons of our new Lights are the same which we had in our old Creeds or different If they prove the same why might not the old have stohd but if we shall have new Articles of our Creed which the Papists themselves hold to be above his Holinesse authority to make then woe to our ancestors that have so long misled and to our dull capacity which cannot with a safe conscience yet cease to contend for the Faith which hitherto we have conceived was once delivered to the Saints Jud. 2. How may the Conscience be assured C. II. that this is the Apostles Creed which is stood somuch for seeing the tradition that it was made by the twelve Apostles before their separation to preach the Gospel hath no warrant to confirme it Though it may not be call'd the Apostles Creed as divers D. of the ancients would have it because it was made immediately by the Apostles themselves yet modern Divines are forced to agree in this that the Articles in it are clear deductions from the Doctrine of the Apostles in which sense it is rightly called the Apostles Creed in substance though not for composure A true translation is held with us for the Word of God though not so immediately yet as undoubtedly as the originall Christ is said in this Creed to be conceived by the Holy Ghost C. III according to that of Saint Matthew that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost cap. 1.20 and of Saint Lute cap. 1.35 the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee therefore that Holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God Whence an ungrounded Conscience may gather that Christ should be rather called the Son of the person of the Holy Ghost then the onely Son of the first person the Father Almighty which confoundeth the believed doctrine of the sacred Trinity and is urged by Novellists to puzzle weake Consciences The Nicene Creed clears this D. by putting a plain difference between begetting made and incarnate Begetting hath relation onely to the Father begotten of the Father saith the Creed not of the Holy Ghost before all worlds that is from eternity as God of God Light of Light very God of very God being therefore of one substance with the Father that begot him infinitely of a higher pitch then any thing that was made For things made are all sorts of Creatures and so the Son that begotten from eternity was made Man in the fulness of time when it is said he was incarnate by the Holy Ghost and this incarnation is appropriated to the Holy Ghost though it be the worke of the whole Trinity united ever in all outward operations in regard this power of the Highest proceeds from the Father and Son and is next in order and more conspicuous to the producing of the greatest effects Whence as in the Creation the spirit of God is mentioned moving upon the waters so in Christs baptisme the Spirit is visible in the shape of a Dove and in inspiring the Apostles in cloven tongues where the Father was onely heard or heard of not seen and the Son not seen as the begotten Word but as he took flesh and dwelt amongst us Joh. 1. But these mysteries are more submissively rather to be believed then curiously pryed into The beginning therefore of our Letanie expressing as much