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
A23772	The vanity of the creature by the author of The whole duty of man, &c. ; together with a letter prefix'd, sent to the bookseller, relating to the author.	Allestree, Richard, 1619-1681.	1684 (1684)	Wing A1168; ESTC R19327	37,491	120

Alterations upon them For it is not a bare sinning in a Nation from which there is none that could ever plead exemption but a sinning in some high measure that is an in-let to Changes in the highest kind Which made David say Psal. 107.34 That a fruitful land is turn'd into barrenness for the wickedness of those that dwell therein which the vulgar Latine reads Propter malitiam i. e. for the malicious wickedness of those that dwell therein which notes a sin of a high nature viz. such a one as is persisted in both against Knowledge and Conscience And therefore it is a good observation which Musculus hath upon the words These strange Alterations says he of Nations and Kingdoms are not for the sinning of them from which no Nation can be free but for their malicious sinning And this you may see farther in Jerusalem Ezek. 21. where we read of a very great Judgment that should befal her from the Babylonian viz. Utter Destruction expressed by the threefold Overturn wherewith God threatens her v. 27. And v. 24. he laies down the Impulsive cause that mov'd him to it and this is an impudent and shameless sinning against God for they did not commit their sin in a corner as those that were asham'd of it but brazen-faced Wretches as they were they declar'd their sin as Sodom and discover'd it openly in the face of the Sun and this they did too not only in one or two particular acts but generally says the Text in all their doings Now there is some hope of a modest and bashful but none at all of a shameless and obdurate sinner Thus the Father when his Son hath done amiss yet is he well perswaded of his amendment if he but see him blush upon his reproving of him But when like Judah he hath once a Whores forehead and refuses to be ashamed then doth he give him over as a lost Child and not to be recover'd So that from hence we see that in what place soever we find such a Turn such an Eversion as this where all is turn'd upside down there hath been without question some great Aversio a Creatore ad Creaturam some great sinning against God as the Schoolmen call it Which was the reason that when the English were now upon their quitting of France in Henry the Sixth's days demanded of the French by way of derision when they would make their return thither it was feelingly answered by one of our Nation thus When your sins are greater than ours It is sin then that ruines particular persons that subverts Families that periods Kingdoms that wheels about Governments that overturns States that disjoynts Common-weals and says unto them as to the proud waves Thus far ye shall go and no farther And so I have done with the Impulsive Cause and come next to the Instrumental causes or means which God uses in effecting his Changes here and they are two The first is the Motion and Influences of the Celestial Bodies And this will the better appear if we consider their forcible workings upon the Mind of man For though they cannot work immediately upon it because it is immaterail yet may they and do work mediately upon it as by the Body which is the Instrument of the Soul to work by and the Case wherein it is put up here for a time and so make it either well or ill affected according to the Bodies present temper By which means it comes to pass many times that not only the dispositions of particular men but also of whole multitudes collected together in a Politick Body are much alter'd and chang'd either to labour or Sloth to Peace or Disquiet to good or evil actings according as they are inclin'd by the Motions of the Heavenly Bodies And that these Celestial Bodies have their energy upon all Sublunary things is plain First by Scripture as Job 38.33 where the Lord speaks thus to Job Know'st thou the Ordinances of Heaven and canst thou set the dominion thereof in the Earth which implies 1. That the Heavens have power and dominion in the Earth 2. That this power of theirs is set them from Gods ordinance and appointment Secondly by the constant Observation and Experience of all Ages Bodinus the French Lawyer speaks well to this point Many erre says he greatly who think the influence of the Celestial Spheres to be nothing when as their strength hath ever been most effectual as in Sacred Writ is to be seen and he cites the 38. chap. of Job before-mentioned to prove the same Adding further That many ancient Writers have noted the great Changes in Cities and Kingdoms upon the conjunction of the Superior Planets but to them only where they have been deputed of God to that end and purpose And that they have been instrumental towards the working of such effects he shews by an induction of some particular instances As that before the translation of the Roman Soveraignty unto Caesar there was a great Conjunction of the Superior Planets met together in Scorpio which fell out again seven hundred years after when the Arabian Legions received the Law of Mahomet rebell'd against the Greek Emperours and subdued the Eastern Asia from the Christians The same also came about again Anno Christi 1464. after which Ladamachus King of the Tartars was by his Subjects thrust out of the Chair of Soveraignty and Frederick the Third driven out of Hungary by Matthias Corvinus who from a Prisoner stept up to the Royal Throne c. And Alstedius tells us that the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in February 1642. did foretell and portend the revolution of some new Empire and Government to fall out after it in Europe The effect whereof in part it's like we have seen in this Nation already and may live if God so dispose of us to see further of it yet in time to come But to pass this and to come to that daily and usual course of Gods proceedings with us in the world Here methinks there should be few though of ordinary capacities among us but if we be a little observing may see this truth made good by the eye of our own experience which tells us that the Earth is either Fruitful or Barren and the Air either Wholsome or Infectious sutably to that measure and manner of influence they receive from them And therefore when God will at any time bring about some great change in the world it is then easie to see how usually he fits his inferiour means according to their several natures for the orderly transacting of it in those stations wherein he hath set them As when he will turn a fruitful Land into barrenness and again a barren Land into fruitfulness which he promis'd his own people Hos. 2.21 there he tells them in what order he will work it I will hear says he the Heavens and they shall hear the Earth and they shall hear Jezreel For this is a sure rule That the Supreme Cause