Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	humane_a	law_n	obligation_n	1,134	5	9.8189	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41191	A sober enquiry into the nature, measure and principle of moral virtue, its distinction from gospel-holiness with reflections upon what occurs disserviceable to truth and religion in this matter : in three late books, viz. Ecclesiastical policy, Defence and continuation, and Reproof to The rehearsal transpos'd / by R.F.	Ferguson, Robert, d. 1714.	1673 (1673)	Wing F760; ESTC R15565	149,850	362

not that which prevails ●●mongst p●rsons debauched Mich. Ep●● ad Nicomachia For as Andronicus inf●●●meth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 of Nature is unchangeable among such 〈◊〉 are of a sound and healthful Mind 〈◊〉 doth it make any thing to the contrar● that men of Distempered and depraved ●●●d●rstandings think otherwise for he dot● not mistake who call's Honey sweet thoug● sick and diseased Persons be not of 〈◊〉 judgment The Second is this that there be no Law of Nature constituting what is Good and what is Evil an●tecedently to Pacts and Agreements a●mongst Men then all humane Laws signifie in Effect just nothing For if there be no antecedent obligation binding to obey the just Laws and constitutions of the Commonwealth then may they at any time be broken without Sin and Rebellion will be as lawful as obedience ●or needs any one to continue longer ●oyal that he hopes to mend his con●●●ion by turning Rebel Nor doth it ●ffice to plead Promises Pacts and Co●enants to the contrary For if it be not 〈◊〉 it self a duty to keep ones Word and ●o perform what a man hath promised ●hen are promises but W●ths to be broken at pleasure and serve for nothing ●ut to impose on the easiness of good-natured men According to this Hypothesis we are discoursing against no Man is bound to be honest if he can once hope to promote his interest by being otherwise and we may be either True or False Just or Unjust as we find it most for our turns All Humane Laws suppose the Law of Nature And seeing Revelation extends not to every place where Humane Laws are in force that Civil Laws do at all oblige must be resolved into Natural Law Obligation of Conscience with respect to the Laws of Men is a conclusion deduced from two Premises whereof the First is the Law of Nature enjoyning Subjection and Obedience to Magistrates in whatsoever they justly command The Second is the Law of Man under the Character of Just from both of which results the obligat●●● of Conscience to such a Law In a 〈◊〉 if there be no Natural Law then 〈◊〉 ever hath either Wit enough to 〈◊〉 Humane Laws or Power and Strength ●●nough to despise them is innocent 〈◊〉 do men deserve punishment for be●●wicked only it is their unhappiness 〈◊〉 they are weak and cannot protect the●●selves in their Villanies The Third 〈◊〉 this supposing all things originally 〈◊〉 in themselves indifferent as there can no sin in disobeying the justest La● of the Common-Wealth so no 〈◊〉 can offend by despising and transgr●●sing the Laws of God Yea precluding ●●●tural Law it is not possible for God to 〈◊〉 an obligation upon us by any positive La● and that upon two accouts First in 〈◊〉 after the clearest Revelation and prom●●●gation of it I am still at liberty to belie●● whether it be a law from God or not U●●less it be in it self good and a duty to belie●● God because of his Vera●ity whensoev●● he declares himself it will be still a ma●●ter of courtesy to believe it to be a 〈◊〉 from God notwithstanding that it come a●●compained with all the evidences and m●●tives of credibility that a Divine declar●●tion is capable of being attended with Se●ondly because supposing we should be 〈◊〉 courteous as to believe God to be the Author of such and such Laws that it is with all his will command that upon our Allegiance to our maker and the greatest ●enalty that angry God can inflict or finite creatures undergo that we be found in the practice and pursuit of such and such things I say supposing all this it still remains a matter of liberty and indifferency whether we will obey him or not For if there be not any thing that is Good in it self nor any thing that is in it self bad then it is not an evil to despise the Authority of God nor is any man obliged to obey him further then he himself pleaseth and judgeth for his interest the Authority of God being according to the principles we are dealing with a meer precarious thing The Fourth and last that I shall name is this If all things be in themselves ad●aphorous and good and evil be only regulated by customs and civil constitutions Then if men please they may invert the whole moral frame of things and make what the world hath hitherto thought Vertues to be adjudged Vices and Vices to come into the place of Vertues Yea a man may be bound to 〈◊〉 his opinion of Truth Honestly Ver●● Justice c. both according as he chan●●eth his Country and according as the 〈◊〉 Laws of the Nation where he lives 〈◊〉 alter So that what is Truth to day 〈◊〉 be Falshood to morrow and what he ●●●tertain's as Religion in one place he 〈◊〉 detest as Irreligion in an other Nor it more lawfull to worship Christ in En●●land than it is to worship Mahomet in 〈◊〉 Levant Nor do the idolatrous heath● adore a stock or a stone upon weaker re●●sons or worse motives than we do the Go● that made the World For as Tully sai● well Si populorum jussi● si Princip●● decretis si sententiis judicum jura co●●stituerentur jus est latrocinari jus adulteerari si haec suffragis aut scitis multitudinis probarentur If justice be regulated b● the Sanctions of the People the decrees o● Princes or the opinions of judges then it is lawfull to rob to commit adultery when●soever these things come to be established by the acts and ordinances of the civil power de Legib lib. 1. This inference is so natural and clear that the Authors of the Hypothesis we are examining have granted no less The Scripture of the new Testament is there only Law where the civil power hath made it so saith Hobbs Leviath cap. 24. The Magistrate can only define what is Scrip●ure and what is not saith the same Author ●n the same Book That the Scripture obligeth any man is to be ascribed to the Authorty of the civil power nor are we bound to obey the laws of Christ if they be repugnant to the Laws of the Land idem ibid. All which a man of any Reason as well as Conscience must have an abhorrency for And indeed these things pursued to their true issues will be found so far from befriending any Religion that they are shapen to overthrow all Religion And this for the third pr●mise that man was created at first under the Sanction of a Law § 4. The Fourth thing we are to declare is the nature of this Law that man was created under the obligation of and the manner of its Promulgation Learned men do wonderfully differ and some of them strangely prevaricate in stating the Measure of natural Law and in defining what Laws are natural Some would have that only to be a natural Law quod Natura docuit omnia ainimantia which beasts are taught by instinct Iustinian lib. 1. Institut But though the consideration of 〈◊〉

and where there is no possibility of guilt there can be no Con●cience If there be no Law constituting ●he distinction of good and evil in mens ●ctions Men can neither do well nor ill and by consequence can have no inward ●lace in the sense of one course of life nor r●gret on the score of an other Where all things are indifferent there can be neither joy nor grief through reflection on what a man doth All the actings of Conscience relate to a Law under the Sanction of which we are and suppose a judg who will accordingly proceed with us Whe●e ●here is sense of guilt and a fear of wrath it is impossible to preclude Law the 〈◊〉 being the Correlate of the other 〈◊〉 that there is in every man a Conscience a● ingraft apprehensions of hope and fear 〈◊〉 need no other proof of it than to appe●● every mans experience Conscia mens ut cuique sua est ita 〈◊〉 cipit intra Pectora pro facto spemque metumque The Apostle tells us that even 〈◊〉 who had no revealed Law and were 〈◊〉 filled with all unrighteousness fornicat●●● wickedness covetousness maliciousness 〈◊〉 were full of envy murther debate 〈◊〉 malignity c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet they knew the judgment of God 〈◊〉 which God hath constituted and deno●●●ced that they who commit such things worthy of death Rom. 1.29 30 31 3● Prima est haec ultio qu●● Judice nemo nocens absolvitur imp●● quamvis Gratia fallacis Praetoris vicerit urnam It is in reference to this Law that ●●ings either not determined by humane ●●ws or not cognizable by them men 〈◊〉 themselves in the closets of their own ●●asts The actings of Conscience with ●●●pect to Law and our being judged by 〈◊〉 and that there is such a faculty in us is propossest with the sence of the distin●●ion of good and evil and accordingly 〈◊〉 in way of fear or hope suitably to 〈◊〉 course that is steered and that these 〈◊〉 apprehensions are neither acciden●al frights nor delusions cunningly 〈◊〉 upon Mankind may be further 〈◊〉 by a brief consideration of these 〈◊〉 things 1 The perplexity that haunt's 〈◊〉 soul on the commission of secret sins ●●ich as others do not know so they can●●t punish Now even in reference to these ●oth the sinner Nocte dieque suum gest●re in pectore testem Day and Night opprest Carry about his Witness in his Breast 2 the lashes and scourges the sinner ●eel's for such things as the world is so far from punishing that it doth rather reward ●hem The crimes committed with the applause and gratulation of the world do● escape the censure and condemnation conscience Qui stimulos adhibet torre● flagellis 3. That those who through Pow●● and Greatness have been above 〈◊〉 punishment of others have yet fou●● tormentor in their own Breasts I 〈◊〉 alleadg no other Witness than Tibet 〈◊〉 his confession in an Epistle to the Sen●●● Dij me Deaeque omnes pejus perdant 〈◊〉 quotidiê me perire sentio Let all 〈◊〉 Gods and Goddesses torment me worse 〈◊〉 I every day feel my self Tormented 〈◊〉 eton in his life and likewise Tacitus 〈◊〉 lib. 6. cap. 6. Who take's occas●●● thence to add that if the Hearts of 〈◊〉 Lay in view we should see 〈◊〉 they are Flayd and Torn with lashes 〈◊〉 scourges si recludantur Tyrannorum 〈◊〉 posse aspici laniatus ictus Tormentaque sera Gehennae Anticipat patiturque suos mens con●●manes 4. That when Men are going out of ●he World and the reach of punishment ●re That then the fear of punishment ●ost revives in them The approach of ●eath which sets out of danger from ●en fills with the greatest trembling with respect to punishment from God ●pon this account among others is Death ●●lled the King of Terrours Job 18.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all Dreadfuls be most Dreadful as Aristotle stiles it Hinc metus in vita paenarum pro malefactis est insignibus insignis 5. That those who with all their S●ill endeavour to disband their fears cannot get rid of them Hence that of Cotta in Cicero concerning Epicurus 〈◊〉 quenquam vidi qui magis ea quae ti●enda esse negaret timeret mortem dico Deos I never knew one saith he that stood more in fear of those things which he reckoned to minister no ground for it namely Death and God then he did de ●at Deor. lib. 1. And these are the foundations upon which the existence of a natural Law bears and from which so ●ar as the brevity we are obliged to study would admit we have endeavo●● to demonstrate it I shall now add some further consid●●tions for the Existence of a Law of ●●ture as so many Arguments there posteriori by which I hope to mak● further appear that the contrary hy●●●thesis is both absurd and mischiev●●● The first shall be the universal conse●● Man-kind in this matter Where 〈◊〉 there at any time been a Nation or Peo●●● that did not acknowledg a distinctio● Good and Evil They might and often prevaricate in the defining 〈◊〉 was Good and what was Bad but 〈◊〉 Universally agreed in this that all thi● were not naturally alike Of this 〈◊〉 Plato de legib Cicero de legib de off●●is Arist. Rhet. lib. 1. cap. 14. omit others We meet with no N●●●on so barbarous but we find ackn●●●ledged Principles as well as exces●● instances of Morality amongst the● Now de quo omnium Natura consenti●● verum esse necesse est Wherein all 〈◊〉 agree that cannot be otherwise than 〈◊〉 saith Cicero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every Man holds to be so is so old He●●clitus Nor is it sufficient to reply that ●en have not at any time been nor yet 〈◊〉 of this mind For athing is not the less 〈◊〉 because some either through sottish●●ss wilfulness or depravedness of Mind ●●●pose it There have been some who h●ve contradicted the first Principles of Science affirming that one and the same t●ing may at the same time be and may not ●e as well as there have been others ●ho have opposed the first Theorems of Moral Doctrine Nor is it improbable 〈◊〉 that some people talk so out of crosness as loving to run Counter to the common sence of Mankind And for others I question not but they are sunk into this bruitishness either from supine●ess and sloth in not exercising their facul●ies to consider the habitude of things and to compare Acts with their objects or else through too great familiarity with Sin which hath tinctured their Souls with false Colours and filled their Mindes with prejudices and undue apprehensions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now we are to judg of what is natural from those who live according to the dictates of Reason and not from those whose Minds are depraved by Lust and Passion saith Aristotle lib. 1. Polit. That is the Law of Natur● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which prevails among Men gove●●ned by Reason

bewailing the condition of the Gentiles for their want of the Gospel we ought rather to lament their case that have it being brought only thereby under a hazard of Damnation which antecedently they were free from Secondly If there be no Law threatning Eternal Death but the Law of Faith then is there no such thing as forgiveness and remission of sin in the world The Reason is plain because all pardon supposeth guilt nor can any properly be discharged from that to which he is not obnoxious Now the Gospel denounceth damnation only against final Impenitency and Unbelief As on the one hand therefore these are neither pardoned nor pardonable so on the other hand if there be no Law threatning eternal death besides the Gospel then is there no other sin that we either need or are capable of having forgiven And by consequence there is no such thing as remission of sin in the World Thirdly If there be no Law threatning eternal Death but the Law of Faith then Christ never dyed to free any from wrath to come For it is non-sence to say that he hath freed us from the Curse of the Gospel yea it is a Repugnancy unless you will introduce another Gospel to relieve against the terms of this nor will that serve the turn unless you likewise find another Mediator to out-merit this If Christ then have at all delivered us from wrath to come it must be that of the Law and if so there must be a Law besides the Gospel that denounceth future wrath vid. Gal. 3.13 Fourthly To say that there is no Law now in Being requiring perfect Obedience and that no man is bound to live wholly free from Sin is in plain English to affirm a contradiction For There being nothing that is sin but what is forbid or what we are under obligation against all sin being a transgression of some Law 1 Joh. 3 4. To say that no man is bound to live free from sin is to tell us that he is not obliged to that that he is obliged to See Mr. Truman his endeavour to rectifie some prevailing opinions c. pag. 4. 14. I know well enough that some of these Consequences are things which the foresaid Author doth plainly detest but they are naturally the issue and birth of his Assertions For I would not fasten an odious inference upon any mans discourse if the cohaesion were not necessary and clear I reckon it an Unmanly as well as an Unchristian thing to wring conclusions out of others premises Nor would I drive the doctrine of any farther than it is apt to go and with the greatest Gentleness may be led § 9. That we are still under the Sanction of the Law of Creation hath been already demonstrated That which come's next to be declared is How that every Law of nature is of an Unchangeable obligation A late Author tell 's us that there are Rules of Moral Good and Evil which are alterable according to the accidents changes and conditions of humane life Eccles. polit p. 83. And accordingly a power is pleaded to belong to the Magistrate over the consciences of men in the essential duties of Morality Eccles. polit 68. And it is affirmed that He hath power to make that a particular of the Divine Law that God hath not made so ibid. p. 80. And from the power of the Magistrate over the consciences of men in Moral vertues which our Author tell 's 〈◊〉 are the most weighty essential parts of Religion the like power is challenged as appertaining to him over our consciences in reference to Divine Worship Eccles. polit p. 67 77 78 def continuat p. 356 357 358 371. c. I shall not at present meddle with his Consequence nor indeed can I without a digression Though I think it easy upon the Grounds that he states the Alterableness of Natural Laws to evidence the impertinency and incoherence of it For if either the matters of worship be already stated by God or if God should have precluded the magistrate by a declaration of his will as to medling in this matter and bequeathed that trust into other hands his Consequence falls to the ground But it is the Antecedent that I am to deal with and it is some comfort to me that there are men of equal learning with the foresaid Author who have been of a perswasion widely different from his Grotius a person of some account in his day and who will continue so while Learning is had in reputation judged otherwise in this matter Est autem jus naturale adeo immutabile ut ne a Deo quidem mutari queat De jure Belli Pacis lib. 1. cap. 1. § 10 Natural Right or Law is so unchangeable that it cannot be altered by God himself And that it may appear that he mean's those Rules of Good and Evil which have reference to contracts and positive Laws and in some sence depend upon them He adds a little after fit tamen interdum ut in his actibus de quibus j●s Naturae aliquid c●nstituit imag● quaedam mutationis fallat incautos cum reverà non jus naturae mutetur quod immutabile est sed res de qua j●s naturae constituit quaeque mutationem recipit It comes to pass sometimes that a kind of resemblance and shadow of change in those acts which the Law of nature hath determined and unalterably fixed imposeth upon unwary men While indeed the Law it self is not at all altered as being immutable but the things which the Law regulates and about which it determines undergo an alteration ibid. It was of this Law that Philo gives us this character Lex corrumpi nescia quippe ab immortali natur● insculpta in immortali intellectu A Law neither subject to decay nor abrogation being engraven by the Immortal God into an immortal soul. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in men or not distracted there remains an immoveable unalterable Law which we call the Law of Nature Andron 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nothing determined by Nature can be any wayes altered Arist. lib. 2. Eth. Hence he stiles the Laws of Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immoveable and immutable For the further demonstration of this we desire it may be observed that Law is nothing else but the will of the Rector constituting our duty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierocl made known to us by sufficient promulgation Now in order to the obtaining a signification of the Rector's will enacting what he exacts of us 1 a Rational faculty and a free use of it is necessary that being the only instrument by which we discern what the will of the Soveraign is Hence meer ideots children and men totally deprived of the use and benefit of Reason are under the actual Sanction of no law Not that there is any cessation abrogation or alteration of Law thereon but because through the incapacity of the subject it was never the Rector's will in those circumstances to oblige