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	witness_v	1,100	5	9.8841	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62877	True old light exalted above pretended new light, or, Treatise of Jesus Christ as He is the light which enlightens every one that comes into the world : against the sense both of the Quakers, Arminians, and other assertors of universal grace, whose light is proved to be darkness / delivered in nine sermons, by John Tombes, B.D., and commended to publick view by Mr. Richard Baxter.	Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.	1660 (1660)	Wing T1824; ESTC R21431	110,239	95

traditions Sure there are so many footsteps of their rites in their customes of their writings in their Poets and Historians and Philosophers works There are such relations of their Philosophers travail into AEgypt besides this that the most understanding people were such as did trade with Phenicians and AEgyptians next neighbours to Israel as may give us cause to think that the cream of that knowledge they had was not from a light within them for then why should not other people as well as they have attained to it but from a light without them darted directly on Israel but from them yeelding some strictures of light and glimpses to the Greekes Italians and other people Sect. 4. The light without the written word which was in the Gentiles in the utmost extent of it was imperfect However what the Scripture makes deducible from other meanes then the Scripture or it or experience proved that the most barbarous people attained to we may safely ascribe to this natural light Of these things 1. It is certain the being of God his eternal power and Godhead might be and was known by the things which God created as the Apostle Rom. 1. 19 20. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in or to them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead Psal. 19. 1. The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handywork 2. Gods providence ordering and disposing all the motions of the creatures with incomprehensible wisdome for the benefit of the universe might be discerned from the admirable and usefull and constant order motion influx properties and operations the creatures have Psal. 19. 2 3 4. Day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard Their line is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world Act. 14. 16 17. Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own way nevertheless he left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave us rain from heaven and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness From Gods creating and providing for man not only the holy Psalmist Psal. 139. 6 c. Psal. 104. and elsewhere but even Philosophers among the Gentiles have taken occasion to magnifie the divine wisdome power and goodness And yet the most witty people knew not distinctly who this God was but did ignorantly worship him under this title of the unknown God as Paul sayes of the Athenians Act. 17. 23. 3. They did or might know that God was invisible Rom. 1. 20. That he was a Spirit Aristolle terms him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an intelligence or minde Deus est animus said the Latin Poet That he knew and judged thoughts and discerned the most hidden things was known by them as their accusing or excusing themselves by their own consciences between themselves apart from others shewed Rom. 2. 15. And yet when they knew God they glorified him not as God but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned professing themselves wise they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and to four footed beasts and creeping things Rom. 1. 21 22 23. 4. They did or might know that God was to be worshipped Aristotle in his Topicks saith To dispute whether God and parents deserve honour deserves punishment All nations saith Tully l. 1. Tusc. quaest acknowledge a Deity and divine worship and yet they understood not that God that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all things life and breath and all things Acts 17. 24 25. 5. They knew that God was to be pacified by prayer and sacrifice and vowes and obedient mindes and repentance and executing of judgement as may be discerned by their carriage Jonah 1. and 3. Chapters yet knew not any thing of the great sacrifice which God had prepared to take away sin for ever and they often applied themselves to pacifie the Devil even by humane sacrifice instead of seeking peace from the true God 6. They did or might know the low condition of man in comparison of God as the Psalmist saith of himself Psal. 8. 3 4. When I consider the heavens the work of thy fingers the moon and the starres which thou hast ordained what is man that thou art mindefuil of him and the son of man that thou visitest him And infer the absolute soveraignty of God as the Apostle doth Rom. 9. 20. Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus And as he doth conclude Rom. 11. 6. For of him and through him and for him are all things to whom be glory for ever And yet men have complained of their hard destiny and imagined God a debtour to them and that God should fulfill their pleasures as well as they do his will and self-exalring under the name of magnanimity was by Aristotle made a vertue vapouring a mans excellency 7. They might and should have known that parents are to be honoured wives to be cherished children to be nurtured justice to be administred yet many thought they might neglect parents commands to please their companions and deny them maintenance to keep an undue and rash vow and put away wives for light causes and expose their children and violate right to gain preferment and greatness 8. The Apostle tells us Rom. 2. 14 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the law do by nature the things contained in the law these having not the law are a law unto themselves which shew the work of the law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witness or witnessing with them and their thoughts the mean while or between themselves accusing or excusing one another which proves that there was some sense of sin and duty in the most barbarous people and accordingly there was and is some kinde of government and administration of justice among them Some sins as of murther adultery robbery perjury breach of faith and trust parricide and some other sins have been judged to be horrible evils which they durst not commit Abimelech Gen. 20. 5. durst not use Sarah when he knew she was Abrahams wife and yet he thought he should have been innocent if she had been but his sister Either by instinct of nature or by tradition from Adam adultery was judged a horrible crime when simple fornication sodomy and other uncleanness were reckoned as no faults by the Gentiles which knew not God 1 Thes. 4. 5. Parricide was counted such a

sin as none durst commit no law therefore was made against it by Salon Tully pleads for Sextus Roscius Amerinus that he could not be guilty of it because he was sleeping at the time of his Fathers death which the fury of his conscience would not have permitted if he had been guilty of parricide And yet self-murther to avoid tyrants rage was applauded theft if cunningly acted was allowed by Lycurgus drunkenness and whoredome and murthering in fence-playes and duels either made religious services or matter of glory 9. They might and did by natural light know that God did discover and avenge secret murthers adulteries perjuries sacriledge and other evils that he had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an avenging eye and hence was there much fear of thunder-claps stormes earthquakes plagues and many means used to pacifie the anger of the Deity Yet they were not sensible of the eternal judgment to come though they imagined punishments to be awarded to Malefactors after death The Barbarians of Melita Act. 28. 4. when they saw the Viper hanging on Pauls hand said among themselves No doubt this man is a murtherer whom though he hath escaped the Sea yet vengeance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suffereth not to live 10. They might and did imagin that God was a rewarder of good deeds in defence of their Countrey in doing justice and such like acts and some counted it their chief good to do vertuous acts But they knew nothing of the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting prepared for them that believed and obeyed the truth of the Gospel In these and many more things the Gentiles which knew not God had some natural light in some it was more clear then in others in some so dusky and dimme that it was scarce discernable but in none such as that it could be a constant universal Rule to direct them in what they were to do or Warrant to justifie them in what they had done or means to shew them how to come to God and enjoy communion with him and to save them from wrath to come Sect. 5. The Gentiles light by nature served to restrain from sin and to leave men inexcusable Neverthelesse this light though insufficient to direct for justification and salvation yet was usefull for two ends 1. To restrain men from such excesse of sinne as would otherwise have destroyed humane society It being the contrivance of God to let men live together though very evil till their iniquities be full and when sins are ripe then to put in the sickle and cut wicked men down either by a particular or an universal judgment In the mean time as he gave the Law to the Jews because of transgressions Gal. 3. 19. either to restrain them or to abate punishments till the seed came to whom the Promise was made that there might be a people among whom the Messiah should appear so to other people he gave a Law in themselves to prevent the extirpation of the Nations by bridling mens lusts through conscience of sinne and fear of punishment till the time should come of their calling into the Church 2. Besides this end God hath another in respect of himself that they might be inexsusable who sinned against the light in them and God might be justified in his sentence and judgment upon them Therefore it is said Rom. 1. 20. That the eternal power and Godhead was made known from the Creation of the world by the things that are made that they might be without excuse who held the truth in unrighteousnesse and when they knew God glorified him not as God neither were thankfull but were filled with unrighteousnesse though they knew the judgment of God that they that commit such things are worthy of death ver 29 31. Whence it is that Gods judgment is proved to be according to truth Rom. 1. 2. and God found to be true though every man be a lyer as it is written That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged Rom. 3. 4. Ignorance of the Law being not to be pleaded by them who did evil against the innate light of their own spirits forasmuch as that fact must needs be voluntary which is done against the knowledge and judgment of a mans own conscience Sect. 6. Application to justifie us against Quakers and to warn us that we act not against our Light From this which hath been said we may infer 1. A plea for our selves against the clamorous but unjust accusation of the Quakers who use with loud vociferations even to hoarsnesse and with continual printed pamphlets to charge publique Preachers with denying the light within each man whereas such light is not at all denied by them but is acknowledged to be a great benefit to mankind That which is denied is That the light within each person is alone of it self without the Scripture a sufficient direction to bring us to God and instate us in his savour or a sufficient warrant of it self to to justifie our actions It is usefull but not in such a measure as the Quakers make it as if persons were to look to it and no other Rule and that they might well enough be without Scripture Preachers Church-discipline Ordinances of the New Testament and such other helpes as God vouchsases to guide his people by into the way of peace Wherein how much they are mistaken shall be shewed in that which follows 2. In the mean time each person is to make use of the light within him so farre as it is indeed light and usefull Certainly it concerns every man so farre to look to the light within him that he do not as it is said of some Job 24. 13. rebell against the light A mans own conscience is so farre a Law to him that though it cannot of it self justifie yet it may condemn My meaning is a mans own light cannot warrant of it self without the Scripture a mans actions to be lawfull which he doth according to that light Our Saviour tells there are some that shall think they do God service in killing the Apostles Joh. 16. 2. Paul told Agrippa Act. 26. 9. I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazareth So that herein he followed the light within him and yet he counted this his great sinne 1 Tim. 1. 13. The Quakers accuse often falsly and revile most abominably others who are no whit inferiour to themselves and they say they follow their light within them and yet he that reads and believes such Scriptures as these 1 Cor. 5. 11. 1 Cor. 6. 10. 1 Pet. 2. 23. Jude 8. 9 10. cannot but think their practice to be from the Devil and not from Gods Spirit If following the dictate of a mans own conscience could warrant his action the most horrid acts of misted Idolaters Papists Pagans Mahometans fanatiques should be free from censure and controul Yet if a man do that which he

learned and unlearned ones it is as safe a way which the unlearned and foolish follow as that which the wise and learned follow in matters of Religion and moral behaviour He that is counted unlearned and foolish if he follow his own light doth as well as he that is never so wise or learned Whereas Solomon tells Eccl. 2. 13 14. Then I saw that wisdome excelleth folly as farre as light excelleth darkness the wise mans eyes are in his head but the fool walketh in darkness 8. If every mans light within him be a sufficient safe guide in his way to God then the Philosophers light afore they had the Gospel preached to them was a sufficient safe guide to them for sure they had as much light within them without the Scripture as any and did improve it to the utmost and the Iewish Rabbins besides the natural light in them did by the study of the Law and tradition of Elders endeavour to attain to the knowledge of God Yet saith the Apostle to the Greeks that sought after wisdome the preaching of Christ crucified was foolishness insomuch that the Apostle 1 Cor. 1. 20 21. useth this exprobration Where is the wise Where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made foolish the wisdome of this world For after that in the wisdome of God the world by wisdome knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe 9. If every mans light within him were a sufficient safe guide to him in Religion and morality then do all Law-makers ill to put any Laws on them to restrain them from doing what they like then do Iudges ill in passing sentences of condemnation of them then do men ill to reprove them Parents Tutors Schoolmasters ill to teach them otherwise then is all Government and Magistracy unprofitable Rulers are not Ministers of God to us for good but only to molest and oppress us then they that set their children to School do foolishly Universities and Schools of Arts to breed them up in literature and good manners are vain and all these are to be abolished which were a way to lay all waste to level people as well in manners and knowledge as estates to reduce us to barbarism to make the nation a wilderness yea to depopulate it and in fine drive away the Spirit of God from us and introduce unclean spirits to repossess us and our Land It is such a course as tends to expell all that is excellent and may better us and to fill the Nation with a generation of fools in whom God hath no pleasure Eccl. 5. 4. and doth by consequent condemn all the men of worth in the world since the Creation of folly and blindness 10. Lastly If every man have a light within him which is a sufficient safe guide to him then I suppose they will grant that I have such a light within me and if every man is to follow this light then I am to follow my light in me Now my light within me shews me that the Quakers opinion about the light in them is an errour that they pervert fouls by bidding men follow it and draw them off from making the Scriptures their rule terming it disparagingly the letter and oppose Preachers reviling them openly thwarting them and molesting them in their work of teaching the people out of the Scripture and this is not only my light but the light of millions of men besides me Yea I think all the sober men of the world that ever were have found by experience their own darkness and ignorance and have groaned under it bewailing it to God and applying themselves to the use of such meanes as might bring light into their soules Out of all which I conclude that this opinion of Quakers which I have refuted is the most sottish opinion that ever was hatched instilled into them by the prince of darkness not by the Spirit of God and tends to the dissolution both of religious discipline and civil government yet they say or rather brawl somewhat for their opinion which is now to be considered Sect. 2. Objections of Quakers for the universality and sufficiency of light in men are answered That which they most urge is the Text Joh. 1. 9. which makes not for them nor against us who deny not that every man hath a light from Christ but the kinde of it that it is spiritual and the sufficiency of it that of it self it is a safe guide to God Of which enough is said before They alleadge also Luk. 17. 21. Where it is said to the Pharisees Behold the kingdome of God is within you Therefore in every man Whereto I answer 1. That the particle translated within you may be as well and to my apprehension more truly rendered among you which is the translation in the Margin 2. That the sense is the kingdome is not to be expected as a future thing but as it is Mat. 12. 28. The kingdome of God is come unto you Luk. 11. 20. The kingdome of God is come upon you Luk. 10. 9. The kingdome of God is come nigh unto you Which is not meant of light within but the preaching of the Gospel or the presence of the Messiah who was among them Joh. 1. 26. without them the light within each man cannot be meant by the kingdome of God For the kingdome of God is a thing that was not afore Christs appearance in the flesh and was taken from the Iewes and given to the Gentiles Mat. 21. 43. which is not to be said of the light within every man Nor is it said the kingdome of God is in every man but within or among you Pharisees or Iewes to whom the Gospel was at first sent For John the Baptist preached Mat. 3. 2. The kingdome of heaven is at hand and Christ went preaching the Gospel of the kingdome Mat. 4. 17. and Mat. 11. 12. From the dayes of John the Baptist the kingdome of heaven is forced Mat. 13. 10. Every one that heareth the word of the kingdome Which and many Scriptures shew that the kingdome of God is not extended to every man nor every hearer but to those that hear the Gospel and receive it It is alledged that the Apostle saith Rom. 2. 14 15. That the Gentiles who had not the law did by nature the things of the law these having not the law are a law unto themselves Whereto I answer that it is true of the Gentiles that their own consciences were a law unto themselves but not so far as to convert or guide them to God but to accuse or excuse them to themselves as the very next words shew Who shew the work of the law written in their hearts their consciences bearing them witness and their thoughts between themselves accusing or excusing It is alledged that it is said Col. 1. 23. That the Gospel hath been preached to every creature under heaven therefore every one hath the light within him