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
A82002	A sober and temperate discourse, concerning the interest of words in prayer, the just antiquity and pedigree of liturgies, or forms of prayer in churches : with a view of the state of the church, when they were first composed, or imposed. Together with a discovery of the weakness of the grounds upon which they were first brought in, or upon which Bishop Gawden hath lately discoursed, the necessity of a liturgie, or the inconveniency of altering the English liturgie, the utility of church musick, and the lawfulness of ceremonies : in which are mixed reasons justifying those godly ministers, who forbear the use of the Common-prayer, against the late out-cryes of the said bishop. / By H.D. M.A.	H. D. (Henry Dawbeny); Collinges, John, 1623-1690, attributed name.	1661 (1661)	Wing D449; Thomason E1086_14; ESTC R208152	100,305	119

intention of him that doth it or both is made to sin against God It is true there are a generation of men whom the doing of our duty will make to blaspheme but our duty doth not ex conditione operis lay any such stumbling block before them This is what Aquinas calls Scandalum Pharisaeorum which our Saviour hath taught us to contemn But to make a true Scandal that vvhich vve do must be of that nature as may give a cause of stumbling to our brethren and this cannot be otherwise then in our ill use of our liberty as to things of their own nature indifferent but not appearing so unto all For if the thing done by us appear to our brethren a thing indifferent there can be no Scandal It is but a teachy humour in any to be offended at us for any thing which they grant we may lawfully do nor can the● by our practice in such things be possibly made to sin ex conditione operis But where a thing appears to us in its own nature indifferent to be done or not to be done and doth not appear so to other conscientious Christians which was the case amongst the Christians at Rome and Corinth here we conceive our selves obliged to restrain our own liberty out of charity to our Brethrens souls And as we conceive it our duty in practice to do so so we conceive it the duty of Superiours to restrain their supposed liberty in commanding the reason is because the liberty of a Magistrate or a private Christian is of far less value then a soul for which Christ died 5. Now our Brethren may be made to sin by our practice in such things many ways 1. When our action causeth them to vilifie censure and condemn us and to withdraw themselves from communion with us 2. When our example draws on them to do the like while their conscience is not satisfied which is the very case mentioned 1 Cor. 8.10 'T is their sin to do it not fully perswaded in their own mind 't is our sin buy our example to intice them to it Take heed least by any means that liberty of yours becomes a stumbling block to them that are weak for if any man see thee who hast knowledge fit at meat in the Idols temple shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldned to eat those things which are offered to Idols This is plainly our case Supporting that we vvere fully satisfied that it were lawful for us to use an imposed form and that it were no restraining in us the gifts of the holy Spirit no prejudice to our intention of mind nor to the fervency of our affection not to the affections of such as hear us nor any yielding of that liberty as to the worshipping of God with which Christ hath made us free not any addition to the rule of worship which God hath set us in his Word and that notwithstanding it be confessed that these or those Modes Forms and Methods have been used by Idolaters yet vve may lawfully enough use them yet we plainly see that they are so abhorred of many conscientious Christians that as those who have returned to the use of them have almost ruined their ministry by making themselves the scorn of some and the grief of others so should we do the like some would for it vilifie and censute us and condemn us and separate from communion with us Now suppose this would be their sin yet the thing being suppose in its own nature indifferent vve have learned our of the Apostle 1 Cor. 8.12 That when we sin against our brethren and wound their weak consciences we sin against Christ And far be it from us to gratifie men by sinning against Christ 6. Again whereas the Bishop of Exeter supposeth That our example would do much to bring over our people to hear c. We do ingenuously profess that we believe it would prevail with some vvho vvould at the present seeing us vvho they think have knowledge use those Modes of Worship though with some reluctancy be imboldned in their consciences to come and hear 't is no more than the Apostle supposeth 1 Cor. 8.10 but as they in doing of it should sin so we by setting them an example should directly act against the Apostles precepts and lay stumbling blocks before them and when they have done it the temper may Triumph over them and we be found too weak to relieve their consciences telling them That to follow us they have sinned against their light and the rebukes of their own consciences 7. Besides though it be apparent that those Scriptures which mention the precepts against scandal 1 Cor. 8.11.10 Rom. 14.20 v. 15. take notice of weak brethren only such for whom Christ died such in whom is some work of God which we must not destroy And indeed in reason these are chiefly to be considered For the end of the precept is to save the hazard of the soul of our Brethren by sin now there are a generation in the world whose constant course is a course of presumptuous sinning they drink they swear they curse they blaspheme they wallow in beastly lusts they will not be stopt in a full carreare for hell whose offence vve are not so concerned to reg●…d yet even to the vvorst of men vve conceive our selves so far obliged by the Law of Charity as nor vvillfully by our example to harden them in sin and make them justifie themselves VVe are fully convinced that there is nothing of more tendency to confirm the Papists in their way of vvorship which vve believe Idolatrous then for them to see us keep much the same nor are we alone in this opinion Tertullian of old and after him Augustine were both of the same mind Tertullian forbids Christians any of the Ragan usages or coming nigh to any of their devotions that if they would not be ashamed of their superstitions they might yet be ashamed of the thin company that attended them Augustine cryes out Quaeritis quomodo vincantur Pagani deserite eorum ritut VVe know how much some Papist-forreigners have triumphed listning at the doors of some places vvhere they have heard Service read and sung crying out this is the same with theirs And not to insist upon the Papists only vve have many called Protestants whom we believe most grievously to sin in their use of our Common-prayer be it never so lawful in it self they believe that their very repeating over the words of these prayers because as they f●ncy made by the Church is devotion enough they are taught so that 't is no matter for the Vice V. Dr. Sparrows Rationale p. 10. or Vertue of the persons praying the prayers are the prayers of the Church and are acceptable to God yea 't is no matter whether they be asleep or awake present or absent if they any just cause nay more then this they believe no prayers but these of any value but abomination