Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	knowledge_n	sin_n	sin_v	2,885	5	9.7377	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06663	The castell of comforte in the whiche it is euidently proued, [that] God alone absolueth, and freli forgeueth the sinners of so many as vnfaynedly repent, and turne vnto hym Lately compyled by Thomas Becon.	Becon, Thomas, 1512-1567.	1549 (1549)	STC 1712; ESTC S109188	24,993	94

God ought to be receyued w t greate reuerence and takē as an oraele sent doune from heauen vndoubtedly beleued as a manifeste and infallible veritie of God And this preaching of remittyng or retaynyng sinnes are the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen which Christ promysed his Apostles before hys death as we maye se in Matthew and after hys resurrectiō performed hys promyse as we rede in the Gospel of saint Iohan And by a Metaphore Christ calleth the preachyng of his worde a keye For as a keye hath twoo properties one too shutte another to open so hath the worde of God It openeth to the faythfull the treasure of the giftes of God grace mercy fauou●e remission of synnes quietnes of conscience euerlastyng life but to the vnfaithfull it shutteth all his treasures and suffereth thē to receiue none of them all so lōg as they persiste and remayne in theyr incredulity and vnfaithfulnes These keyes are geuen too so many as beynge truely called vnto the office of ministracion preache y ● worde of God They loosen that is to say they preache to the faythfull remissiō of synnes by Christe They also bynde that is they declare to y ● vnfaythfull damnacion But he y ● preacheth not the woorde of God can neyther bynde nor loose though he chalēge neuer so great dignitie authoritie power For Christ calleth it the keye of knowlege And the Prophet sayth y ● lyppes of a Priest kepe knowledge and at hys mouthe shall they requyre the lawe for he is the Aungell or messenger of the Lorde of hoostes Therefore where there is no k●●wlege there is no keye And where there is no keye there is neyther openynge nor shuttinge that is neyther byndynge nor loosonynge Here let all menne iudge what is to be thoughte of the Papistes absolucion whereof they crake so muche whiche also they sell derely If no remission of synnes cometh from them but by preachynge Gods woorde it foloweth that their absolucion auayleth but littel seyng they neuer preache neyther the lawe of God nor the swete promyses of hym but onely mumble a fewe woordes in the latin tonge yea and this is not vnderstanded so likewise many tymes contrarye too the diuine scriptures and y e glory of god Miserable doub●les is that cōgregacion which hath a blynd guyde to their Curate whiche hath neyther the gyfte nor the knowledge of preachynge For if the blynde leadeth the blynd both falle into y e dyche Agayn greately fortunate is that Paryshe and hyghly blessed of God to whome a learned shepeheard hath chaunced which can feede them wyth knowlege and doctrine Whatsoeuer they shall heare of suche a learned and godly minister lette theym beleue it as a voyce comynge doune frome heauen And so ofte as by suche a shepeharde remission of synnes in y e bloude of Christe is preached vnto the congregation let thē esteme that preachinge none otherwyse than if the Lord hym self had preached it Let them stedfastly beleue the woorde of God and vndoubtedly by their fayth th●row the grace of God they shall obtayne remission of all theyr synnes Contrariwise i● they beleue not their synnes are retayned and by no meanes forgeuen These thinges haue I spoken concernyng the abs●l●cion or the keyes which consisteth only in preaching Gods worde that the Papistes maye haue no occasiō iustly to barke agaynst me as they haue done hytherto both for my sermons and bkes God forgeue them and sende them a better mynde Nowe forasmuche as the true and Christen absolution is nothing els but the preachinge of fre deliueraunce from synne by y ● death of Iesu Christ it ought not to be contemned and despised but rather to be receiued w t great humilitie and reuerence euen as a diuine oracle sente doune from the father of lightes For no mā cā expresse how greatly it conforteth infirme weake consciences whiche are troubled with y ● feare of Gods iudgementes Whan the Prophet Nathan came vnto kyng Dauid and rebuked hym for sleyng Urias the Hethite for takīg his wyfe Bethsabe vnto hys wyfe and tolde hym howe greatly God was angrye with hym and what plages shoulde fall vpon hys house yea vpon hym selfe for hys wickednes it is not to be doubted but that Dauid was stryken with a wōderfull great heuynes and his hert pearsed with an inwarde sorowe insomuche that he was righte ashamed of hym selfe of his faulte of his wickednes was cōpelled euen of consciēce to braste out into the knowlege of hys synne to saye I haue synned agaynst the Lorde As Dauid was now full of sorow griefe trouble disquietnes in his hert had ioye of nothing vnto suche shame and confusion was he broughte in hys conscience so likewyse it is not to be doubted but that he was wonderfully reuiued maruelouslye restored vnto the peace and quietnes of his conscience yea and plenteously replenisshed with ioye in hys mynde whan the Prophet sayde these wordes vnto hym The Lorde hath put away thy synne thou shalt not dye Mary magdalen was a famous synner whan she herde her vnclene conuersacion rebuked by the woorde of God she hertely repented and was replenished w t an inwarde sorow lamenting greatly that she had offended so bounteous a Lorde mercifull God insomuche that a large fountayne of teares folowed out of her tēder eyes All this tyme vndoubtedly her sorow was greater thā it can be here expressed But whan she herde this confortable absolucion of our sauioure Christe Remittūtur tibi peccata Thy synnes are forgeuen the. Again thy faith hath made the safe Go thy way in peace that is to saye wyth a quiete and mery conscience O good God who is able to expresse w t howe great ioye and singular solace she was affected So sure and confortable is it to weake and troubled consciences too heare the swete and confortable wordes of our fre deliueraunce frō the greuous burden of ●ynnes by Christes bloude The thiefe was full of great anguysh and trouble in his conscience whan he hanged vpon the crosse in y ● time of Christes passion confessed that both he hys felowe thefe suffered worthely euen according to their desertes and in the middes of his troubled conscience he cryed vnto the Lord Christe on this maner sayeng Lorde remember me whā thou comest into thy kyngdom But whan Christ had made him aūswere and sayde Uerely I saye vnto the this day shalt thou be wyth me in Paradyse O wyth what a quiet consciēce suffered he hys paynes and with howe gladde an hert yelde● he vp his spirit into the hādes of the eternal father So confortable a thynge is it to a troubled conscience for to heare any thynge that maye quiet it Agayn whā blessed Peter preached vnto the Iewes and tolde thē that they had crucifyde Christ the Lord the scripture sayeth that they were pricked in their hertes sayde vnto Peter and vnto

bothe Christ his apostles bidde vs take hede in so many places of the holy scripturs Agaynst these ought all men to fighte that tender y ● glory of God To confounde these Antichristes ought we to sell walet scrippe cote with all that euer we haue and to bye vs a swerde I meane y ● swerde of the spirit which is the worde of God And to this ende that I maye prouoke other valeauntly and boldely to fighte agaynste these aforesayde Antichristes I according to the talent geuen me haue taken vpō me to wrastle with those wicked Papistes which beleue teach that God alone doeth not forgeue synne but man also with y ● same power like authoritie Whiche thinge I take in hāde the more gladly because I se y ● thys kynde of doctrine is a great defacing of Gods glory and that it throweth many into great daūger forasmuche as they looke for that at the hand of man whiche onely is the gift of God yea it encourageth not a fewe to lyue dissolutely and without the feare of God seyng they are perswaded that if the Prieste layeth his hande ones vpon their head and saye Ego absoluo te they are quyte delyuered of their synneful burden and though they returne streyght waies vnto their filthy vomyte what skylleth it Ego a●soluo te will dispatche all togyther If any man sitteth in the temple of God bosting him self as God surely they do it which take vpon thē the office of God that is to remitte and forgeue synne But they shall be slayne with the breath of the Lordes mouth The order which I wil obserue in the treatise folowing is this Fyrst I wil proue with manifest scriptures that God alone forgeueth sinne Secōdli that the Priest is but a minister appoynted of God to declare fre remission of synnes to the truly penitent to declare I say and not to forgeue Thirdly I will aunswer to the obiections of the aduersaries and vtterly wype them awaye restorynge the scriptures to their natiue sense At the laste leste I should seme to despyse the true Christen absolucion of a faythfull Minister the vse of y ● keyes whiche consisteth in preaching I will expresse my mynde concerninge them also so that to any indifferent person I doubt not but that my iudgemēt shal appeare godly and confirmab●e to the true vayn of the holy scriptures Thys littel treatyse mooste vertuous Ladye I sende vnto youre grace as a testimonye of my redye ben● good will and seruiseable hart towarde youre grace beynge prouoked herevnto thorow youre excedynge loue and feruent z●le whyche youre mooste honorable Ladyshippe beare bothe towarde the woorde of God and the true professours of the same moste humbly besechynge your grace to take in good parte thys my rude and simple gifte God whyche by hys holy spirit hath wroughte in your hart this ent●er loue towarde the Gospell of hys sonne Christe Iesu moughte also bringe forthe in youre grace plenteousnes of good workes vnto the glory of hys blessed name and the profit of hys holy congregaciō AMEN Your graces mooste humble and faythfull oratoure Thomas Becon ¶ The Castel of comforte THat God alone absolueth y e truly penitent and onely forgeueth the synnes of so many as with vnfayned fayth and harty repentaunce conuerte turne and fle vnto his mercy it is manifestly proued by diuers textes of y ● holy scripture First let vs heare what God him self sayeth by the Prophet I am he yea I am he in dede which putteth awaye thy synnes yea and that for myne owne sake and I will remember thy synnes nomore Call to remembraunce let vs be iudged together Tel if thou haste any thinge y ● thou mayste be iustified Thy first father synned thy Prophetes haue trespassed agaynste me Are not these woordes euident ynough God the father perceyuynge righte wel that there shoulde aryse fals annoynted fals preachers whiche without all shame woulde arrogantlye arrogate and proudely chalēge to them selfes that power of forgeuinge synne whych alone pertayneth to him plainly here affirmeth that he alone putteth away oure sinnes And because he would haue vs the more seriously and earnestly to beleue it he repetethe thys worde I twyse sayinge I am he yea I am he in dede whiche putteth awaye thy synnes yea and that for myne awne sake And leaste any man shoulde thynke that one may more forgeue another hys synnes I speake of those synnes which are betwene God and our conscience and not of the brotherly reconciliation he affirmeth that our firste father Adam and all Prophetes and preachers haue synned so that of them no remission of synnes is to be loked for Can fleshe purifye the soule that whiche is borne of fleshe is fleshe sayeth Christ. All haue synned sayeth saint Paule and wante y ● glory of God Again God hath wrapped all nacions sayth he in vnbelefe that he might haue mercy on all If al be sinners flesh and the chyldren of wrath if al be hipocrites vnprofitable seruauntes earth dust and ashes if all be the enemies of God vnfaythfull howe dare we be so bolde as to take vpō vs one to forgeue another their synnes Is a traytoure a mete mā to purchase a pardon of a Price for another traytoure Can one traytoure forgeue another hys treason Cā one sinner forgeue another his sinne Of the vnclene what cā be made clene as Iob saith Who can make him clene that is conceyued of vnclene sede Is it not thou alone o Lorde It is the Lorde alone in dede as Dauid sayeth thou o Lord shalte sprinkle me with Hysop I shall be made clene yea I shall be made whyther than snowe And as our sauior Christe sayde vnto Peter If I washe the not thou haste no parte with me If God washeth vs not from oure filthines we haue no parte in the heritage of Christ. Agayn the aforesayde Prophet sayth the Lord is our iudge the Lorde is our Lawegeuer the Lorde is our Kynge and he it is that shall saue vs. Howe ofte is the Lorde here repeted to shewe y ● it is he alone whiche worketh all good thinges in vs which forgeueth our synnes and saueth vs yea and none but he alone Agayne the Lorde hym selfe sayeth by the same Prophet I am the Lorde there is no Sauiour besides me Here God hym selfe cōfesseth that he alone is the Lorde and that there is none other sauiour besydes hym that is too saye none that forgeueth synne and geueth eternall lyfe but he alone By another Prophet he also saieth thy destrucciō o Israel cometh of thy self onely of me cometh thy healpe and saluacion Dauid that holy kyng and godly Prophet knowyng hys deliueraunce from sinne to be of God alone stireth vp his inwarde man to magnifie the Lorde sayinge magnifye the Lorde o my soule and all that are within me prayse his holy name O