Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	law_n	liberty_n	penal_a	1,025	5	12.2059	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42050	A modest plea for the due regulation of the press in answer to several reasons lately printed against it, humbly submitted to the judgment of authority / by Francis Gregory, D.D. and rector of Hambleden in the county of Bucks.	Gregory, Francis, 1625?-1707.	1698 (1698)	Wing G1896; ESTC R40036	38,836	57

might be otherwise he did not like it This Example of Constantine was followed by succeeding Emperors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Justinian we Condemn every Heresie and lest the Books of Hereticks should transmit their ill Opinions to Posterity Theodosius and Valentinian did Command by a Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that their Writings should be cast into the Flames We Read that they were debarred from the common Priviledges of Orthodox Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Civil Law and it instances in several particulars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We decree that Hereticks shall be uncapable of any Publick Imployment whether Military or Civil nor might they be admitted as Witnesses in their Courts of Judicature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let not an Heretick's Testimony be received against an Orthodox Christian nay more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No Heretick shall Inherit the Estate of his Father In short we find Hereticks Deposed Degraded Banished and sometimes Fined Witness that Law of Theodosius mentioned by the Council of Carthage which Enacted that in some Cases Hereticks should pay as the Canon words it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ten Pounds of Gold Now we do not Write this with any design to encourage the Governours of our Church or State to exercise any Severity towards our sober and peaceable Dissenters who differ from us only in the Circumstantials of our Religion but we mention these things to confirm our present Argument and to shew that our present unlimited Toleration of all Opinions and Practices in Matters of Religion is quite contrary to the Judgment Usages and Laws of the Antient Church who punished such as held and taught Heterodox Opinions and would not be otherwise reclaimed 5. 'T is certain that an unlimited Toleration of all Opinions and Practices in Matters of Religion is directly contrary to the Divine Law to the Will of God revealed in his written Word The Jewish Church was never permitted to teach and do what they pleased about the things of God they were not allowed to serve their Maker as they Listed they were obliged to Sacrifice when where and what they were Commanded It was not left to them as a matter of Choice whether they would Circumcise their Infants or not no the Law was this the Uncircumcised Man child shall be cut off Nor were they left to their own Liberty whether they would come to Jerusalem to eat the Passover or not no the Text saith of good Josiah The King commanded all the people saying keep the Passover We do not find any indulgence in matters of Religion granted to the Jewish Church by Almighty God or any of their good Kings And as there is no such thing to be found in the Law or the Prophets so there is very little or nothing to be met with in the whole Gospel that gives any Countenance to such a Practice the main place which seems to look that way is in the Parable of the Tares of which 't is said Let them grow until the Harvest what means our Lord by this Is it indeed his pleasure that ill Men and ill Opinions should be indulged and countenanced in his Church St. Chrysostom gives us another Interpretation of our Saviour's words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Lord doth here forbid us to kill and slay Hereticks but is there no difference betwixt a Sword and a Rod Is a Bridle and a Halter the same thing The Heretick must not be destroyed but may he not be restrain'd St. Chrysostom answers thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Lord doth not here forbid to curb Hereticks to stop their Mouths to check their boldness dissolve their Conventicles c. as he goeth on Of the same mind was St. Paul who saith Their Mouths must be stopped but how can that be done if there may be no Penal Laws And if an Universal Liberty of Conscience in Opinion and Practice about matters of Religion be indeed agreeable to the Gospel of Christ what meant St. Paul by that demand of his Shall I come to you with a Rod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall I bring a Rod to whip and scourge you So St. Chrysostom And since St. Paul who well knew the Mind of Christ did upon just occasion make use of his Apostolical Rod to punish not only Immoralities in Life but Errors in Judgment too we may thence infer that an unlimited Toleration of all Opinions in Matters of Religion hath no manner of Countenance from the Law of Christ we read that St. Paul made use of this Rod to strike Elymas blind and why he did so that Expression intimates Wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord It was for his opposing the Gospel and that in all probability arose from the Error of his Judgment But the Case is yet more plain in the Example of Hymenaeus and Alexander of whom St. Paul saith I have delivered them to Satan a severe Punishment surè futuri judicii praejudicium 't is a fore stalling the dreadful Judgment of God So Tertullian But why did St. Paul inflict it He gives this Reason Concerning faith they have made shipwrack or as he elsewhere expresseth it They have erred concerning the Truth It was for their ill Opinion about one Article of our Creed These Instances are enough to shew that a Toleration of all Opinions and Practices in Matters of Religion was never thought to be lawful and consequently such an unlimited Liberty of the Press as tends to bring in and spread Errors and Heresies ought not to be allowed And now I shall take my leave of my Reader when I have admonished him that in all this Discourse I plead for the Regulation of the Press as to such Books only as concern Morality Faith and Religious Worship of which our Learned Ecclesiastical Governours are the most proper Judges But as to Policy and State Affairs they fall under the Cognizance of the Civil Magistrate whose Province it is and whose Care it should be to prevent the publishing of all such Pamphlets as tend to promote popular Tumults Sedition Treason and Rebellion And had this been carefully done some Years ago it might have happily prevented those dreadful Confusions under which our Church and State now do and still are too like to groan Farewel FINIS BOOKS printed for Richard Sare at Grays-Inn Gate in Holborn THE Fables of Aesop with Morals and Reflections Fol. Erasmus Colloquies in English Octavo Quevedo's Visions Octavo These Three by Sir Roger L'Estrange The Genuine Epistles of St. Barnabas St. Ignatius St. Clement St. Polycarp the Shepherd of Hermas c. translated and published in English Octavo A Practical Discourse concerning Swearing Octavo The Authority of Christian Princes over Ecclesiastical Synods in Answer to a Letter to a Convocation Man Octavo Sermons upon several Occasions Quarto These