Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	idol_n	knowledge_n	weak_a	1,298	5	9.3976	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77236	Several treatises of vvorship & ceremonies, by the Reverend Mr. William Bradshaw, one of the first Fellows of Sydney Colledge in Cambridge; afterward minister of Chattam in Kent, 1601. Known by his learned treatise De justificatione. 1. A consideration of certain positions archiepiscopal. 2. A treatise of divine worship, tending to prove the ceremonies, imposed on the ministers of the Gospel in England, in present controversie, are in their use unlawful. Printed 1604. 3. A treatise of the nature and use of things indifferent. 1605. 4. English Puritanism, containing the main opinions of the ridgedest sort of those called Puritans in the realm of England. 1604. 5. Twelve general arguments, proving the ceremonies unlawful. 1605. 6. A proposition concerning kneeling in the very act of receiving, 1605. 7. A protestation of the Kings supremacy, made in the name of the afflicted ministers, and oposed to the shameful calumniations of the prelates. 1605. 8. A short treatise of the cross in baptism.	Bradshaw, William, 1571-1618.	1660 (1660)	Wing B4161; Thomason E1044_5; ESTC R20875	92,680	129

Crucifix and image of God as the Papists do Or because Christ is really bodily and locally though invisibly present in them either by Transubstantiation according to the heresie of the Papists or by Consubstantiation according to the heresie of the Lutherans These things cannot but be considered And then it must needs follow that if we abjure these heresies of Papists and Lutherans we must also abhor idolatrous and superstitious kneeling their daughter and Nurse which was never heard of before Transubstantiation was hatched in the synagogue of Antichrist Reliques of Rome fol. 98. 99. Answ to Mr. Juels challenge fol. 111. So that immediately after Pope Innocent decreed Transubstantiation Pope Honorius decreed kneeling Therefore if Harding doth grant that it is not well to kneel but in regard of a reall and bodily presence a sound Protestant should infer But I detest your reall presence therefore I abhor your Idolatrous kneeling 12. We are to abhor kneeling not onely because we abhor the heresies of worshipping Images Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation but also because it is the show of the greatest evils that ever were 1 Thes 5.22 viz. Idolatry in worshipping a God made of a piece of bread and of communion with Antichrist rather than with Christ and therefore the greatest scandall that ever was or can be both in regard of those evils it doth occasionally teach or confirme as also in regard of multitudes indeed the most part of people either not sufficiently instructed in the right understanding and use of the Sacrament and therefore carried with a blind devotion learned by tradition or corrupted more or lesse with the leaven of Popery Who all in regard of their weaknesse are endangered by this gesture either grosly to commit the Idolatry of Papists or to have a superstitious estimation of the outward Elements And the rather because by the 21 Canon it is provided That no bread and wine newly brought shall be used but first the words of Institution shall be rehearsed when the said bread and wine be present upon the Communion Table As if the words were Incantations and the Table like the Altar which sanctifieth the Sacrifice May not this Proviso seem at least to the simple to make way at least to the Popish consecration How grievous a sin it is to scandalize the weak may appeare by the words of Christ viz. Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones it were better for him that a mil-stone were hanged about his necke Matth 18.6 and that he were drowned in the midst of the Sea And of Paul 1 Cor. 8.13 If meate offend my brother I will eat no flesh while the world standeth that I may not offend my brother What an offence or scandall is the Apostle sheweth in the same Chapter viz. An occasion of falling to the weake Verse 9. The particular offence he speaketh of is this Notwithstanding the Gospell was preached a convenient time and that by the Apostles yet many wanted knowledge Verse 7.10 and even unto that time did eat as a thing sacrificed to an Idoll Of whom if any should see a man endued with knowledge sit at Table in the Idols Temple his weak conscience might occasionally be imboldened to eat those things which are sacrificed to Idols If Paul would never eat flesh rather then he would offend in this case Verse 12. because in so doing he should sinne against Christ how dare a Christian having knowledge kneel in the presence of any who for want of knowledge receive superstitiously Of which sort seeing there be so many even untill this hour and ever likely to be that we know not when and where to communicate without some such either old or young It followeth that as sitting at Table in the Idols Temple could not be without sinne in the Apostles time so kneeling cannot be without sin in these dayes when the number of faithfull Teachers is much decreased but of Papists much increased and by our kneeling much confirmed in their Bread-worship Sum of the confession p. 74. Therefore if his Majesties judgement be sound that the Surplice is not to be worn if Heathenish men were commorant amongst us who thereby might take occasion to be strengthened in their paganisme Shall we by our corrupt practice of kneeling strengthen the Papists who swarm among us in their Idolatry Rub. after the com Sect. 5. If the State doth well in ordaining the Sacrament to be administred in usuall bread to take away superstition whereas Christ did by occasion minister in unleavened bread shall not we do ill in teaching or confirming superstition by kneeling whereas Christ did of purpose minister sitting Hom. against peril of Idol part 3. Levit. 19.14 setting up of Images in Churches onely to be Lay-mens books is by authority condemned because they are as stumbling blocks in the way of the blinde So that they have been are still and will be hereafter worshipped by ignorant persons Is not kneeling as scandalous How can it then be justified But is said that the Kings commandement taketh away scandal in things indifferent And it may be averred that this is a begging of the question except it be proved by the word that kneeling may be without sin and that notwithstanding it be an institution of man contrary to the example of Christ a signe of communion rather with Antichrist and his sinagogue of Rome than which Christ and his Church it have no proportion with sacramental eating and have been is and will be bread-worship But suppose that in it self it were as indifferent as was eating of flesh sacrificed to an Idol 1 Cor. 10.27 28. not in the Idols Temple but at a private table where no weak ones were in the Apostles time yet how doth the Kings commandement take away scandal from kneeling in publick places Doth it make all so sure that none can be scandalized Or if that cannot be doth it take away guiltiness from the scandalizer as if all the blame of scandalizing were in the Kings commandement 1 Cor. 8.11 Numb 35.37 2 Sam. 11.15.16 17. Surely it must be in the former or els the latter cannot be for by scandalizing a weak brother perisheth Of whose bloud the scandalizer is guilty as Ioab was of Vriahs bloud notwithstanding the Kings commandment Here his Majestie known to be of a gentle disposition and to have learned yea professed better things in Scotland is most humbly prayed to take this word King as spoken in imitation and understood of Cantor who knowne to be of a violent disposition did carry matters in the Convocation and published Canons not orderly and fully concluded as some of his suffragane prelates report But it is impossible that the Kings commandement should make all so sure that none can be scandalized the general ignorance of the people the disposition of the ignorant unto superstition the old leaven of popery not purged and the multiplying of Papists all well considered

commanded by the Church are said not to be humane but Divine Constitutions binding conscience therefore they as they are urged are necessary to Salvation For all divine Constitutions binding conscience are necessary to Salvation or else nothing on our part can be said in any sence to be necessary thereunto 3. It is necessary to Salvation that men should not only worship God but worship him in a comely decent and orderly manner it being a matter of damnation to worship God in a confused unseemly and disordered manner but by the Doctrine of our Prelates comeliness decency and order consists in the use of these Ceremonies Ergo in their Judgment they are necessary to Salvation Objection The Church doth not intend to urge these things as necessary to Salvation Ergo They are not urged as necessary to Salvation Answ 1. The Church urgeth not these things at all but only three or four Bishops in the Church which if their own Doctrine be true are Usurpers over our Churches and not so much as any true members of a Church What if the Synod should Decree that the King should hold the Arch-Bishops stirrop and the Prince and Nobles kiss his toe once or twice a year and withall they should protest that they do not require this as a worship or honor to the Archbishop but only for comelinesse Order and Edification were not this a shamefull shift as bad as the thing it self The twelfth Argument All actions not required by the Word of God though commanded by humane authority that are apparent means of the Damnation of the Souls of infinite numbers of men are directly against the Law of charity and therefore sin But these Ceremonies are such Actions Ergo THE Proposition is without question For if without commandment from God I may upon the sole will and pleasure of the Magistrate or Governours of the Church do that by which I shall be a means of the damnation of my brothers soul which is the greatest breach of the law of charity that can be Then may I do any sin at their commandment without sin for what greater sin can there be against the second Table than this to be a witting Instrument of my Neighbours damnation Which though it be but a matter of Jest to our great Doctors that have many Cures and no care of souls yet to them which know the price of a soul it is more than if upon the meer will of the Magistrates they should be forced to kill their own Children and dearest Beloveds with their own hand Object The Magistrate having authority given him by God to command things Indifferent he commanding they are to be done notwithstanding the Scandal of our Neighbour Answ 1. Though the Subject ought to obey his Magistrate in all Indifferent actions imposed upon him whatsoever yet I desire that it may be proved that God in his Word hath given to any Power or Potentate upon Earth any such absolute authority The Magistrate is Gods Lieutenant and the glory of the Magistrate consists in this In that under God he beareth a Sword to punish those that transgress his Laws but he is by Gods Ordinance to be the procurer and protector of the Christian Liberty of his Subjects That therefore he hath power granted him of God upon his own pleasure to take away the same especially in such a case requires proof out of the Word of God 2. If he have such a power yet those things that God leaves to his will to command or not to command he cannot command under a greater penalty than bodily death for his Sword can cut no deeper and then in the case of Scandal a Christian Subject ought rather to suffer the Magistrate to take away his life than to do that which shall procure the Damnation of his Brothers Soul And in thus doing he is no contemner of the Magistrates Law but a fulfiller of the Law of Charity in not destroying his brothers Soul upon the meer pleasure of a mortal man Object But the commandment of the Magistrate takes away the scandal when the thing is done in obedience to him Answ This is another desperate shift As though the conscience of the weak brother that judgeth a thing indifferent to be a Sin will be ever the more satisfied and relieved in the matter by the authority of the Magistrate nothing but the authority of God either can or ought to satisfie a doubting conscience And as for them that put superstition in things indifferent and are that way scandalized the authority of the Magistrate or Church commanding them their scandal is encreased and not removed by the same Object But we must more respect Obedience to the Magistrate than the scandal of inferiour persons the thing commanded being indifferent and not evil Answ 1. The thing commanded is not indifferent then when it is a scandal and stumbling block to our brother 2. We must obey the Magistrate only in the Lord but this is not to obey him in the Lord only upon his pleasure to destroy a soul for whom Christ died 3. An obedience to the Magistrate so far as to the condemnation of our brothers soul must be a special obedience in some special good and just commandment which cannot be verified of a commandment that requireth only a thing indifferent much less such an indifferent as is a scandal and means of destruction to mens souls 4. Such a forbearing of obedience only in love to the salvation of our brothers soul being without apparent contempt of the Magistrate and having adjoyned with it a meek submission to the mercy of the Magistrate cannot be called a disobedience but is indeed a better obedience than theirs that do contrary who in their obedience bring the bloud of the souls they destroy both upon their own heads and the Magistrate which is a sin in the eyes of God worse than rebellion Object But by obedience to these Ceremonies many souls by means of preaching are saved which shall want the means in the refusal Answ 1. We must not destroy the souls of some that we may save the soules of other we must do that which is just though the World go to wrack for it 2. The greatest good that a man can do cannot countervail the least evil much less so great an evil as to be a witting instrument of the damnation of a brothers soul 3. He that preacheth cannot assure himself of the salvation of one soul by the same for that is wrought by the work of the Spirit of God And he hath little cause to hope for a blessing upon that preaching which he purchaseth with the price of bloud yea of the bloud of souls Object But the King the Magistrate and State are scandalized also at the omission of them and their scandal is more to be respected than the scandal of inferiour persons for the using of them Answ 1. For his Majesty we doubt not but if the Prelates would he would easily yield to