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	sin_n	transgression_n	2,525	5	10.8527	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47576	The Jewish Sabbath abrogated, or, The Saturday Sabbatarians confuted in two parts : first, proving the abrogation of the old seventh-day Sabbath : secondly, that the Lord's-Day is of divine appointment : containing several sermons newly preach'd upon a special occasion, wherein are many new arguments not found in former authors / by Benjamin Keach.	Keach, Benjamin, 1640-1704.	1700 (1700)	Wing K73; ESTC R7556	176,774	438

by the Light of Nature But much more say I was it clearly manifested to Adam in Innocency But furthermore saith he the outward means or matter of that Worship which would be acceptable to God was not known by the Light of Nature the Law for a spiritual Worship by the Faculties of our Souls was natural and part of the Law of Creation tho the determination of the particular Acts whereby God would have this Homage testified was of positive Institution and depended not on the Law of Creation Tho Adam in Innocence knew God was to be worshipped yet by nature he did not know by what outward Acts he was to pay this Respect or at what Time he was more solemnly to be exercised in it than another This depended on the Directions God as the Soveraign Governor and Lawgiver should prescribe you shall therefore find the positive Institution It is observable that this great Man is not here concerned to confute the Seventh-day Sabbatarians but about another thing yet affirms with many other Learned Men that Adam by the Law of Creation did not know in Innocency at what time God was more solemnly to be worshipped than another 2. No doubt but the substance of all the ten Precepts was wrote in Adam's Heart The Substance of all Moral Precepts written in Adam's Heart yet it appears the knowledg of the Seventh-day to be kept as a Sabbath was not written there tho that which was simply and naturally moral of the fourth Commandment was Secondly I argue thus If the precise Seventh-day was written in Adam's Heart The Law of the 7th day Sabbath not written in Adam's Heart there had been no need of an Institution or positive Law to make it known to him for what more need had he of an outward Revelation of this than of the other Commandments Take here what a Learned Man hath said * Mr. P. a Minister at Rouen in France p. 3. If the keeping of the Seventh-day were a Moral Duty our Father Adam by that Light of Nature God put in his Mind when he created him would have known it as well as he knew all other things in themselves good and necessary but he neither had nor should have had any knowledg thereof if God had not injoined it to him by a particular Command as those which maintain the morality of the Sabbath do avouch So that this followeth manifestly that the observation of the Seventh-day depends merely on Institution My Brethren Let this be considered well that if the knowledg of the Seventh-day wholly depended on the Will of God or on mere Institution and resulted not as all pure and simple moral Precepts do from the holy Rectitude of God's Nature it follows that the precise Day pertains not to the Essence of the Fourth Commandment but the simple Morality of that Precept lies only in a time of Worship And certainly if God by a mere positive Command had not given it to Israel they had no more known it their duty to keep it than the Pagan World did who were wholly ignorant thereof as I shall prove And be sure if God wrote not the Law or knowledg of the Seventh-day Sabbath on Adam's Heart the Seventh-day is not of the same nature with simply moral Precepts which God engraved on his Heart even the substance or tenor of all the Ten Commandments and made him know them naturally without any instruction by word of mouth But it appears by their own Assertion it was instituted c. Therefore the knowledg of the Seventh-day as a special time of Worship was not wrote in his Heart Our Opponents dare not deny but the substance of the whole Moral Law was wrote in his Heart and they foresee it is dangerous to deny it From whence it appears that all the other Precepts are simply moral and so is a time of Worship but the precise Seventh-day by their own concession was instituted in Man's Innocency and so depends wholly upon an express positive Command declared to Adam by audible Words resounding in his Ears Mr. Tillam says Tillam 's Book p. 7. It was instituted before the Fall and founded in Mount Paradise Answ Tho I believe no such matter nor can any Man prove it yet to grant it for Argument-sake then I say it follows it was not written in Adam's Heart for the being perfect he would naturally have known it without being told it was his Duty to keep it For consider that he was created on the Sixth Day and understood what was naturally and universally good i. e. all those Duties that were essential parts of Godliness and Righteousness or things belonging to good Manners Now if so why need he be told he must keep the Seventh-day or why must that Precept come under express Institution and none of the rest Object God saw good to bring all the ten Commandments under express Institution on Mount Sinai as well as he brought the seventh-day Sabbath in Paradise under express Institution Answ I deny it not God did then see good so to do considering how the Nature of Man was corrupted and his Law written in his Heart was blotted and blur'd by the Fall But let it be consider'd that the Law was not written in two Tables of Stone so much for a Rule of Life as for other reasons The Reasons why God added the Ministration of the Law wrote in two Tables of Stone 1. It was added and written there to aggravate Sin on the Conscience It was added saith Pual because of Transgression Gal. 3. 19. it was to make Sin appear exceeding sinful Rom. 7. 13. 2. It was written there to shew the Creature his sad and woful condition and to make known how unable fallen Man was to fulfil the Righteousness of God 3. And as a Schoolmaster to lead such as were under it to Christ in whom perfect Righteousness only is to be found Man being not able to keep perfectly that holy and just Law 4. And to shew them as I conceive that nothing but the Finger of God could write his holy Law in the stony Hearts of Sinners as shall be further demonstrated hereafter for that whole Ministration of the Law and Covenant I shall prove was a shadow and typical and so no standing Law or Ministration as there written but as it is in the hand of Jesus Christ 5. That whole Law and consequently the Seventh-day Sabbath was given on Mount Sinai as it suted the Judaical Oeconomy as well their Political as Ecclesiastical state There are many Additions made to the Seventh-day Sabbath together with other Ends annex'd and Designs and Uses thereto employ'd which is granted by such as assert it was given to Adam in Paradise * This gave a new state to it saith Dr. Owen p. 8 9. Secondly If it had been given to Adam in Innocency he not knowing without an Institution it was his Duty to keep it I argue from hence it follows that he had the

bringing a better hope did And so much was Jesus made a Surety of a better Testament In all this it is plain that it is the whole Frame of the Mosaical Law that is changed and the New Testament set up in its stead Heb. 9. 18 19. Neither was the first Testament dedicated without Blood For when Moses had spoken every Precept to all the People according to the Law c. Here the Law before said to be changed is said to contain every Precept And Ephes 2. 15. it is the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances which Christ abolished in his Flesh which cannot be exclusive of the chief part thereof Object This is the Doctrine of the Antinomians that the Law is abrogated even the Moral Law Answ It is the Doctrin of the true Antinomians that we are under no Divine Law neither of Nature nor of Christ But it is the Doctrin of Paul and all Christians that the Jewish Mosaical Law is abolished Object But do not all Divines say that the Moral Law is of perpetual Obligation Answ Yes because it is God's Law of Nature and the Law of Christ Object But do not most say that the Decalogue written in Stone is the Moral Law and of perpetual Obligation Answ Yes for by the word Moral they mean Natural and so take Moral not in the large sense as signifying a Law de moribus as all Laws are whatsoever but in a narrower sense as signifying that which by nature is of universal and perpetual Obligation So that they mean not that it is perpetual as it is Moses's Law and written in Stone formally but as it is that which is natural And they mean that materially the Decalogue containeth the same Law which is the Law of Nature and therefore it is materially in force still But they except still certain Points and Circumstances in it as the prefatory Reason I am the Lord your God that brought you out of the Land of Egypt and especially this of the Seventh-day Sabbath Quest How far then are we bound to keep the Law Answ 1. As it is the Law of Nature 2. As it is own'd by Christ and made part of his Law And therefore no more of it bindeth directly than we can prove to be either the Law of Nature or the Law of Christ Thus Mr. B. Object But Christ saith he came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets but to fulfil them and that not one jot or tittle of the Law shall pass away till all be fulfilled Answ The whole Moral Law Christ hath fulfilled in our Nature for us and in our stead in his Life And by his Death he hath antitypically fulfilled all the Prophecies concerning himself in reference to such things and hath abolished the Ceremonial Law also for till then not a tittle of that could pass away Is a fulfilling the Law a destroying it Besides all simple moral Precepts of the Law as in Christ's hand stand firm for ever therefore he came not to destroy the Law yet is he the end of it for Righteousness to every one that believeth Rom. 10. 4. tho as a Rule of Life in his hands it obligeth them perpetually Moreover Ch. 5. 20. Brethren 't is said the Law enter'd Chap. 7. 9. that the Offence might abound c. and the Commandment came c. Now this entering of the Law and coming of the Commandment The use of the Law at in Christ's hand chiefly refers to the Law as it is in Christ's hand set home with Power by the Spirit upon the Conscience The bare entrance of the Law on Mount Sinai as in Moses's hand was with Thundering and Lightning but without Rain I mean without Contrition or Brokenness of heart Men may read Moses's Law and hear it preach'd every day nay write it on the Walls of their Houses and carry it in their Bosoms but yet it may have no operations on their Hearts no 't is the Ministration of the Law in Christ's hand by his Spirit that wounds the Conscience pierces and melts the hard Heart that God's Law may be written there The Ministration of the Law in Christ's hand answers the chief design of God in giving it forth and renders the Minstration of it by Moses of little or no use for as in his hand it is done away but the Law by the Spirit greatens Sin or makes Sin abound and Grace superabound Sin thus by the Law becomes exceeding sinful and it doth not only wound but slay the Soul Sin taking occasion by the Commandment Rom. 7. 11 12. deceived me and by it slew me Wherefore the Law is holy c. O blessed be God for the Law as it is in Christ's hand Thus Sin reviv'd 〈◊〉 I dy'd saith Paul I dy'd as to any hope of Justification or eternal Life by the Law The Jews who had the Law only as in Moses's hand were puff'd up or fill'd with Pride they as Paul before Conversion or the coming of the Commandment in and by the Spirit as in Christ's hand were alive so he thought himself alive in a justified state but when the Commandment came it was then quite otherwise with him So that Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it and also to make it of great use to all that receive the Spirit of Christ which Spirit is a Spirit of burning before it is a Spirit of Consolation or a Spirit of Bo●dage before it is the Spirit of Adoption and so a Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ Gal. 3. 24. Thus we do not make void the Law through Faith but establish it God in Christ hath magnified the Law and made it honourable and that three ways 1. In sending his own Son in our Nature to keep it perfectly and to die for our breach thereof Christ was made under the Law to this very end O how doth it magnify the Law to see Godman thus conform to it and die to bear the Penalty thereof for us 2. He magnifieth the Law in putting it into the hands of his own Son as Mediator to give it forth Doth not the Dignity and Glory of the Lawgiver add to the Glory of the Law given Is not Christ a more glorious Person than Moses See Heb. 1. 8 9 10. 2. 2 3. This Man was accounted worthy of more Glory than Moses Heb. 3. 3. But alas some would have Moses partake of some part of Christ's Glory he must be their Lawgiver 3. By making of it as in Christ's hand of far greater use to Believers as I have shewed than ever it was in the hands of Moses and so to answer God's Design in it Let me only add that all Moses's Law even the Decalogue was political as one observes God's Law was for the particular political Government of the Jewish Nation as a typical Church and political Body and therefore when their Kingdom or Policy ceased the Law as Political and their figurative Sabbath could not

but not according to knowledg which God in time I hope by his Spirit will convince them of Quest If it be thus what think you of them that observe this Sabbath Answ As to such gracious Christians who observe it out of Conscience and because 't is put into the fourth Commandment do think it may be their Duty so to do but attempt not to affirm it is a moral Duty nor dare they neglect to observe the first Day provided they are in a Capacity being not Servants to observe both Days and make no noise nor disturbance about it but keep it to themselves I think it may be as to them a harmless Error And as to others I must leave them to the Lord and judg them not tho I judg and must condemn their Principle And let them take heed how they judg us in respect of the non-observation of a Jewish Rite c. or of Jewish Sabbath-days PART II. The Gospel-Sabbath or The Lord's-Day of Divine Institution Containing four Sermons lately preach'd on a special Occasion SERMON I. Shewing that our Lord Christ did certainly give Directions to his Disciples to observe the first Day of the week under the Gospel That Pentecost was the first Day of the week and that then the first Day was confirmed to be the day of Gospel-worship Mat. xxviii 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even to the end of the World OUR blessed Lord as Mediator having received all Power in Heaven and Earth as King Head Governor only Soveraign and Law-giver to his Church gave forth here his great Commission to his Disciple● In which 1. As our Annotators note He asserts his own Power 2. He delegates a Power to his Disciples 3. He subjoins a Promise to them 'T is a Power to congregate Churches and to proclaim free Justification and remission of Sins thro his perfect Obedience in his holy Life and thro the Death of his Cross as also Power to give forth Laws and Ordinances to his People and to give eternal Life to whomsoever he pleaseth This Power was essentially and inherently in him as God over all blessed for evermore but given to him as Mediator God-man our Soveraign Lord and Redeemer given him when he first came into the World but more especially given and manifested and confirmed to him when he rose from the Dead In which words we have 1. A Command expresly given Teaching them c. 2. The universality of this Command all things whatsoever I have commanded you 3. A gracious Promise annexed by way of Encouragement and lo I am with you alway c. Doct. That many things Christ commanded his Disciples to teach others The Doctrine raised are included or comprehended in this his great Commission which are not expressed This is evident so that if we would know what these things are which are not expressed we must have recourse 1. Either to what things they doctrinally preach'd or by their Example led the Gospel Churches into the practice of But 2. Let it be consider'd that we are obliged to believe that whatsoever the holy Apostles did teach Whatsoever the Apostles preached Christ gave them Command so to do or lead the Churches into the Practice of by their Example were such things as Christ commanded them and this Paul doth positively declare For I will not dare to speak of any of those things to make the Gentiles obedient by word or deed which Christ hath not wrought in me See 1 Cor. 14. 37. or commanded me And indeed should it be thought otherwise 1 Cor. 11. 23. it would render the Apostles unfaithful and guilty of bringing Innovations into the Churches either in respect of any one precise day of Worship or any matter or part of Worship to be perform'd I speak not now of the mode of Worship but any essential part thereof Now that Paul who was the Minister and great Apostle of the Gentiles did teach the Churches to observe the first day of the week by assembling together to discharge the Duties of Religious Worship is evident Nor can it be once supposed since he endeavour'd to take the Churches off from the observance of the Jewish Sabbath as I have proved that he should not direct them or discover to them what day of the week Christ had commanded his People to observe in the time of the Gospel they knowing especially that one day in seven the Lord declared in the fourth Commandment he would have perpetually sequestred to his Service as also the reasonableness or equitableness thereof Therefore my Brethren as I have endeavour'd to answer all the pretended Arguments brought to prove that we ought to observe the old Jewish Sabbath the simple Morality of the fourth Commandment they say consisting in the observation of that precise day So I shall now God assisting attempt to prove that we are obliged to observe the first day of the week as a day of Rest and solemn Worship to God while I esteem such as are for no special or particular day to be observed by Divine Authority both in private Families and in Church Assemblies to be strangely left of God and to be no friends to our sacred Religion but such as open a door to great Licentiousness and Profaneness If therefore any should say that there is no one precise day in seven of Divine Authority under the Gospel-Dispensation but that the Church may appoint what day she pleaseth I reply 1. What force or authority can such a human Precept have upon any Man's Conscience To appoint a weekly day of Worship is not in the power of the Church c. i. e. the observance of one day in every week free from all worldly Business if God requires it not 2. Then also it would follow that God doth admit vile Man to share or partake of equal Honour with himself i. e. that tho he will appoint the Ordinances of his own Worship and have all that Glory to himself yet Man shall have the honour to appoint the precise constant time of his Worship which is next in point of honour to the other 3. And by granting Men that Honour and Dignity it may let in by parity of reason a Power to alter and change if not add new Laws and Ordinances of Worship also 4. Besides it will also follow that the Church on the first day of the week doth not meet together by Divine Appointment if all days are alike but only by human Authority 5. Moreover perhaps one part of the Church may be for one day in four and another less zealous may be for one day in a fortnight nay one day in a month some may say is sufficient So that it would put all things into confusion for how can a human Law or the bare Authority of a Church without the Divine Appointment of Christ Jesus himself awe the Conscience Moreover perhaps some would be