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	light_n	perfect_a	1,397	5	9.4420	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45480	The Quakers house built upon the sand. Or, A discovery of the damnablenesse of their pernicious doctrines With a warning to the people of God, and all others that tender the salvation of their immortall soules, to build upon the rocke Christ Jesus, and his righteousnesse, to confirm the faith once delivered to the saints. In answer to a rayling pamphlet, lately put forth by George Whithead. This is published for the securing the saints, keeping others out of the snare, and (if possible) the reducing some of those that have been seduced by their destructive principles. By the unworthyest of the labourers in the Lords vineyard, and teacher to a church of Christ, Samuel Hammond.	Hammond, Samuel, d. 1665.	1658 (1658)	Wing H623A; ESTC R215874	18,572	28

for their condition quiet themselves with some Legall observances and so are brought into a Covenant of Works and there lulled a sleep by Satan There are a third sort who for covetous ends to save their Tythes have rashly closed with them who count gain godlinesse but what will it profit them to gain the whole world and lose their soules A second Ground of their Delusion is this Their not being able to distinguish through the hoodwinkings of Satan betwixt the righteousnesse imputed upon the account of the Blood of Christ and the righteousnesse or holinesse wrought in us by the Spirit And this inherent righteousnesse they confound with these attainments brought forth by the light that is in every man And that you may visibly observe in this Pamphlet of Whitheads how ignorantly he confounds inherent and imputed Righteousnesse it is a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in their Doctrine the reason of this delusion may be this They sending people to the light within them which they say every man hath telling them that this light being obeyed will justifie and being disobeyed will damne and so confound imputed and inherent righteousnesse making imputation nothing but Gods reckoning the giving or improvement of light to be our Righteousnesse as Whithead pag. 10. line 18. and the truth is as the Papists so they are wholly ignorant of the true nature of imputed Righteousnes and this is the grosse errour of the Socinian too Thirdly Their not being able to distinguish betwixt being justified freely by Grace which is the favour of God upon the account of Christs satisfaction and the Grace wrought by the spirit in the soule or rather that naturall light which being improved they call Grace just as the Pelagian of old as you may see at large in a Book called Iansenii Angustinus where it appears they held that there was a power in every man to keep the Law but being pressed That the Scripture spoke of salvation by Grace Then they affirmed the abilities of Nature were Grace as they were given by God and the revealed will of God in the Scriptures was Grace and thus being forced they owned the name Grace The not distinguishing betwixt Grace as it speaks the favour of God and the work of God upon the soule leads them into a Covenant of Works which is no other then treading in the old steps of the Papists who thus confound the Notion of Grace That this is the Quakers Delusion Reade pag. 8. of Whitheads Book Fourthly Their not distinguishing betwixt the Covenant of Grace and the covenant of works sometimes mingling and confounding them somtimes setting up the covenant of works as a way that would save if kept hence is their dream of perfection in a way of obedience to the light within them See this proved at large in the Perfect Pharisee And if they sometime take up that Phrase That Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse its plain they understand the righteousnesse fulfilled in them for so they often expresse it And this is the direct Popish Doctrine who say That Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse but expresse it of inherent Righteousnesse and so call it because Christ workes it in them The fifth Ground of their Delusion is Their not distinguishing betwixt saving light given forth by Christ in conversion and the light of conscience which every man hath as a rationall creature And though this Whithead would seem to distinguish yet besides what the Perfect Pharisee out of severall of their speeches and writing discovers to confirme their not distinguishing Let us a little examine their assertions they say Every man hath a light within him but sure every man hath not the saving light in conversion If they say that light beside nature which every man hath is the Knowledge of Christ then they must affirme That the Jewes Indians have it which nothing but ignorance will affirme If they say it is not saving light then it is no more then the light of naturall conscience and so they run into damnable errours by not distinguishing Could they but see a difference betwixt the light given by Christ as the Word Iohn 1. the second Person in the Trinity in the first Creation and the light given by Christ as the Mediatour in whom all treasures of wisedome are hid upon the account of the covenant of Grace it might help them out of some pits the● are in Sixthly Their being scandalized at some loose Professors their not finding what they would have bin at under the meanes of Grace their desire to live by sence more then by Faith their taking up a company of Phrases againsts the Priests of old and applying them to the Ministers of the Gospel now how truely against many of them the Lord will one day reveale the naturall tendency of mens hearts to spirituall pride These with severall other things have turned many aside from the good wayes of God who have joyned themselves with those that draw back unto perdition Lastly Their shaking off all the outward Ordinances of Christ under pretence of receiving the inward ministrations a delusion that the old Serpent hath of late eminently used to feed the wanton fancies and corrupt the minds of many from the simplicity that is in Christ as if the Ordinances of the Gospel were but shadowes to vanish when Christ comes These are some of those mists which Satan blinds the minds of many with lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine into them and it concerns us much to consider That Errour and Haresie are as successefull Engines in the hands of Satan for the destroying of some as Prophanesse for the ruining of others they are as reall works of the flesh Gal. 5.20 they bring swift destruction 2 Pet. 2.1 Thus have I discovered some of those wayes that leade to Death the Lord make you to see the Rocks and Sands where others have suffered Shipwrack that in your Sayling Heaven-ward you may avoyd them and come safe to your desired Haven Thus having shewn you what leads them into and keeps them in their delusions I shall now in the second place demonstrate the impossibility of salvation in and by the Principles of the Quakers But before I fully open it I shall premise three or foure things 1. That the Scriptures plainly tell us That there are damnable Haeresies and therefore called damnable because that lived and dyed in they exclude from salvation they bring swift destruction as Drunkennesse is a damnable practice because lived and dyed in it will damne 2. That the Speakings Writings Printings of a Sect of Men are an ordinary way for us to know their Doctrines by Thus we know the Doctrines of Popery of Socinianisme Judaisme c. 3. That Men are as their maine Principles are A Socinian will not rely on the righteousnesse of Christ for justification because it is his maine Principle that there

THE QUAKERS HOUSE Built upon the Sand. OR A Discovery of the Damnablenesse of their pernicious Doctrines With a Warning to the People of God and all others that tender the salvation of their immortall soules to build upon the Rocke Christ Jesus and his Righteousnesse to confirm the Faith once delivered to the Saints In Answer to a Rayling Pamphlet lately put forth by GEORGE WHITHEAD This is Published for the securing the Saints keeping others out of the snare and if possible the reducing some of those that have been seduced by their Destructive Principles By the unworthyest of the Labourers in the Lords Vineyard and Teacher to a Church of Christ Samuel Hammond Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart or Apostatize from the Faith giving heed to seducing spirits 1 Tim. 4.1 Gateshead Printed by Stephen Bulkley 1658. The Quakers House Built upon the Sand OR A Discovery of the Damnablenesse of many of their pernicious Doctrines c. SInce the great Shepherd and Bishop of our Soules hath called so unworthy a worme into the work of the Ministry for the gathering in and building up of the body of Christ the Lord can witnesse with me that there are some things that I have mainly designed First To study the Gospel in the great Mystery of Justification and the Power of the Death of Christ Secondly To be much with God about the reality of the Gospel and the Teachings of his Spirit Thirdly To be zealous for and Faithfull to the name and interest of Christ And this I profes Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus And hence is it That when I perceive Satan is under any eminent designe by his instruments to seduce soules from the Truth as it is in Jesus from the Foundation Principles of the Gospel my heart is moved within me to appear for the Lord and his Christ and thence comes it that I have been made a man of contention long with almost all different Judgements And I am the rather drawn out at such alaruming times for securing soules with whom I have to doe in the Ministration of the Gospel to warn them of the damnablenesse of those Doctrines which wholly lead from Jesus Christ and the true spirit of the Gospel and leade into the first Adam first Covenant and false righteosnesse I say I am the rather drawne out to goe this way because I find the Apostles when-they had to doe with false teachers that led them back from Christ to the Law and the Covenant of Works they shewed the damnablenesse of those Doctrines and the impossibility of Salvation that way The Church of Galatia was wonderfully infected with this designe of bringing people back from Christ to the Covenant of Works which hath been Satans designe from the Apostles times to this very day it hath been a great part of the spirit of Anti-Christ it runs through the Doctrine of Socinians it constitutes the Principles of the Quakers And when Paul discovered it he bestirs himselfe exceedingly and speaks home to the impossibility of salvation in that way Reade Galatians 2.16.17.18 Gal. 4.9.10 11. Gal. 5.2 Behold I say unto you that if yee be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Ver. 3. For I testifie againe to every man that is circumcised that he is a debtour to doe the whole Law Ver. 4. Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from Grace Here you see Pauls zeale against such Doctrines and his way of declaring it It is That they cannot be saved if they leave Christ and fly to the works of the Law for justification or mingle the works of the Law with Christ for justification and I shall afterwards make it plainly appear That the Quakers in their Doctrines are notoriously guilty of both these with many other grosse and damnable Opinions Now this example of Paul in Writing to the Church of Galatia to secure them from such Doctrines under paine of Damnation is my Patterne for doing the like This he carryed to other Churches where these false Apostles were seducing of them Hence the Apostles usually called them Damnable Doctrines Doctrines that Destroy the Faith of some wrest Scriptures to their own Destruction There were other things moved me to that plainnesse and faithfulnesse in warning of the damnablenesse of many of the Quakers Doctrines About December last many of them were here gathered together and were endeavouring to make it their great Worke to seduce the People And then first that of I say came upon my heart chap. 59.19 When the Enemy shall come in like a Flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a Standard against them And then that of Ezekiel 33. where it was much upon my soule that I could not be free from the blood of the people unlesse I gave them warning against those damnable Doctrines And thus having given the Reader an account of my so publike appearing that time against them I shall now apply my selfe to a Pamplet set forth by George Whithead full of sinfull Doctrines and vile reproaches pretending to Answer what I then Delivered In my Reply to it I doe first professe what I once told two of the Quakers I should blesse the Lord when he should open a Doore of Providence to me to hold forth my testimony to the World of the impossibility of salvation by their Principles which I then onely declared to a Congregation In the answering of this Paper I shall propound this Method First To shew the Grounds of the Quakers delusions and what it is leads them into and keeps them in these pernicious Principles that others may discover their snares and beware of them Secondly To demonstrate the impossibility of salvation in and by their Principles Thirdly To Answer the most materiall Cavills in this Pamphlet of Whitheads and then leave my Name and Work and all in the hands of a Faithful God As to the Causes of their Delusions 1. A spirit of giddinesse hanging loose to the Truth and the love of it and thereupon Gods just giving them up to strong delusions to be led captive by Satan at his will Now for the better understanding of this we must know that there are three sorts of people turne Quakers The first sort of them are unlearned and unstable wresting Scripture to their own destruction and these are generally those that formerly were ancient Professours but having unstable minds runne from Forme to Forme from Principle to Principle till Satan hath caught them in the Quakers snare Another sort there are of yong Men and Women amongst them and these having been under some convictions and awakenings of the Law have followed the light of an awakened conscience and sit down under that before they closed with Christ and think that terrours and shakings are fittest

shew that the vilest Haereticks when they are discovered shelter themselves under some common Phrases to beare off the odium of their Opinios But now I shall cleare it to you what they meane by their light 1. They say It is a light that is in every man now whoever is sound in the Faith will acknowledge that there are thousands of Heathens and others that all the light they have is but the light of naturall conscience and that a blurred one too 2. Whithead sayes It is a light in the conscience but greater then conscience if so how comes it to passe that those saints in New England that converse with the Indians never see the least breaking forth of it but they worship the Devill Nay how comes it to passe that even in Old England we see hundreds that manifest no other light but that of a naturall conscience and not much of that neither 3. If it be light beside the light of a naturall conscience then it is the light of saving faith but the spirit speaks expresly that all men have not Faith 2 Thes. 3.2 so then however he shuffle it must be meant of a naturall conscience Nay observe but what they drive at when they call upon men to look to the light within them it is to leave sin and obey their light never send them to the blood of Christ for justification but nourish them up with quakings and terrours In the same page he replyes to another expression of mine saying That there is a principle of naturall light as to managing of justice but not in reference to justification In answer to this he betrayes himselfe in his colours and endeavours to prove that doing justice or our fulfilling of the Law is our justification which how damnable Opinion it is I have already shewne but to cleare up what I said I affirme againe that there is a principle of naturall light for the managing of justice meaning by justice morall righteousnesse justice as it is neminem laedere suum cuique tribuere Some of the Antient Romans and Graecians excell'd in this that yet were farre from Gospel justification they made excellent Lawes and did many imitable acts of justice but knew nothing of Christs righteousnesse He boldly affirmes that Gentiles were justified by doing of the Law quite contrary to that of Romans 9.30 What shall we say then That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse have attained to righteousnesse even the righteosnesse which is of Faith so not of the Law but of Faith That of Romans 2.13 is not spoken of absolving a sinner at the barre of justice for that 's contrary to the whole tenure of the Gospel but as witnessing some degree of testimony in the conscience as you may see plaine in Rom. 2.15 Their conscience bearing witnesse and their thoughts the meane while accusing or else excusing one another excusing is justifying in that place Then he cryes out Page the sixth of a great absurdity thar I said the light of conscience was pure darknesse and now I say it can manage justice ignorance creates cavills I say againe that it is pure darknesse as to the righteousnesse of Christ and going to it 1 Cor. 2.8 but as to morall justice it can help to manage it that a Star may enlighten in the Night but its the Sun that makes Day it s the light of Faith onely that reveales Christ For that of the Judges of Israel most of them had saving light but what doth hinder but justice may be administred by the light of conscience Godly Magistrates have two lights that of Conscience and that of Faith they have two Eyes and yet he that hath but one may see to administer civill justice Then he shuts up all with Rayling In page 6. he quarrels at my saying that the Scriptures bid us goe to Christ and not to the light within and tells us That the Scripture doth not send us to Christ above and at the right hand of God as a far off To which I answer That this is to contradict plaine Scripture Col. 3.1 If ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Nay it is very full and cleare to me out of Scripture that the right hand of God where Christ now sits personally in Glory is above the highest Heavens Ephes. 1.20.21 above all Principality and Powers to make the exaltation of Christ whose Person is now in the highest glories nothing but his being in every man is grosse ignorance and blasphemy When Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God Acts 7.55 did he meane he saw Christ in every man But the Quakers ignorance is intollerable And here I challege the whole generation of Quakers to shew one Scripture that bids us look to the light within us A little after he shuffles and turnes from bidding us look to the light within us as if he were ashamed of that and bids us look up in the light but this is the old trick of errour And then he tells us the righteousnesse of Faith doth not direct people to look for a Christ without I stand amazed at their ignorance When the Scripture bids weary and heavy laden soules goe to Christ is it to the light in them or to the Lord Jesus at the right hand of God And if the distance trouble him let him know that Faith can act upon a Christ though in the highest heavens 1 Pet. 1.8 can close with promises a far off Heb. 11.13 That of Romans 10. as you may see evidently in the context is to shew that the Gospel-righteousnesse of which he had been speaking ver. 3. is not got by our own working and toyling but by receiving the promises of the Gospel in the heart by Faith And as to his next Cavill I answer plainely That to send a man to live upon a light within is not to live upon Christ whether it be meant of naturall or spirituall light For we must not live no not upon oar Graces much lesse upon the light of Conscience And here I shall acquaint you with an old Observation upon a view of their Books and Spirits that I can discover nothing of Gospel selfe-emptyings or convincings of the need to goe out to Christ but a living full of the light and power they have a most dangerous Rocke Page the seventh He challenges me for saying that Christ that sitteth in glory is the righteousnesse of God fulfilled in you and yet denyes that he is the light in people and then rayles But for the clearing of it consider That I never denyed that Christ is the light of all saints as the Mediatour and the light of all men as the Creator but that he is in all in a saving manner that I deny againe For Christ to be the righteousnesse of a man in justification differs exceedingly from his being in all men yea from being a light in saints he is the one by