Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	ordinance_n	power_n	resist_v	1,861	5	9.7674	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13103	A motiue to good workes Or rather, to true Christianitie indeede. Wherein by the waie is shewed, how farre wee are behinde, not onely our fore-fathers in good workes, but also many other creatures in the endes of our creation: with the difference betwixt the pretenced [sic] good workes of the Antichristian Papist, and the good workes of the Christian Protestant. By Phillip Stubbes, Gentleman.	Stubbes, Phillip.	1593 (1593)	STC 23397; ESTC S111359	64,680	234

laye vs downe and when wee ryse vp agayne and to bynde it as a signe vppon our armes and as a frontlette before our eyes and whych is more to write it vppon the postes of our houses vppon our walles and vppon our gates so farre off ought wee to bee from not reading or studying or meditating of it Our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell after Saint Mathew sayth non solo pane man liueth not by bread only but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Why then if we liue by the word of God and if it bee the spirituall foode of our soules as it is in deede what cruell tyrants and bloudy soule-quellers are the Papists to depriue vs of that whereby our soules shoulde liue But yet I cannot greatly blame them for since the word of God came abroade and that it was lawfull for euery one to reade it in their mother tongue the least child that is almost can spye out theyr knauery theyr shuffling and iugling whereby it commeth to passe thanks be to God that both they and their pestilent religion is out of conceipt with most men and I pray God they may be dayly more and more till neither the memorie of the one nor yet the mention of the other be once heard of vpon the whole face of the earth To conclude this point it is a good worke in a prince to protect defend his subiectes and people as well from all extreame violence of forraine foes as also from all oppression and wrong of domesticall enemies finally to compel euerie one in their seueral callings as well of the spiritualtie or cleargie as also of the temporaltie to doe theyr duties and to keepe theyr standinges that the common wealth be peaceably maintained and God glorified who bee blessed for euer It is a good worke in inferior Magistrates and rulers to execute theyr princes lawes indifferently without respect of persons neither regarding the rich and mightie for their wealth nor contemning the poore for theyr pouertie And to this end it behoueth them to carry a single eie and to haue the feare of God before their faces a good conscience in their breasts that they take nor receiue no bribes nor rewards for as Salomon sayeth Giftes blinde the wise and rewardes peruert iudgement And as it is their dueties to minister iustice to all so must they doo it with expedition for he that delayeth iustice is as culpable before God as hee that giueth false iudgement and both are abhomination to the Lorde And yet for all that you shall haue some sutes which peraduenture might bee decided in halfe a daie continue notwithstanding seuen yeres yea sometimes twentie yeres to the vtter vndooing if not of both yet of one of the parties at last and in the ende he that hath money and is able to wage his lawe lustily goeth awaie manye times with the game But howe euer it bee let iustice bee ministred with expedition cut off all delatoryes all Tardè venits all put-offs all quirkes and quiddities coyned in the deceitfull mint of mannes braine for filthy lucre sake For by this delaying of iustice though in the ende it goe on the poore mannes side as sometimes it doeth though not verie often the poore man with his wife and children hauing spent all in the law are constrained eyther to begge or at least to liue in extreame miserie all dayes of theyr liues after so that it had beene as good hee had lost it at the fyrst as to spende more than it is woorth and to recouer it at the last To the ende therefore that iustice might bee ministred with expedition I coulde wishe there were men of discretion and iudgement deputed and appoynted in euerie shiere furnished with sufficient authority to determine all matters quarrelles sutes or controuersies whatsoeuer might arise within that particular shiere or countie so as none except vpon some speciall occasion should neede to goe further for iustice For now many men are forced to trauell two hundred or three hundred miles in the deapth of winter in which one iourney some spend euen all they haue and more too and yet when they come where they woulde bee theyr sute is as farre from an end as it was at their comming foorth And thus is the poore man thorough pure neede not beeing able to prosecute his seuen yeeres sute forced to loose all and constrayned to begge home peraduenture two hundred or three hundred miles as I haue sayd in the middest of cold winter To proceed It is a good worke in a subiect to loue honour and obey his Prince in all things not repugnant to the word of God for so the Apostle commandeth Let euerie soule bee subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordayned of God And in his Epistle to Titus he willeth Titus to put vs in mind that we bee subiect to principalities and powers and obedient and readie to euerie good worke It is also a good worke in a subiect and his duetie not onely to beare faithfull allegeance to his Prince in his heart but also to wish him wel to loue him to speake well of him and most heartely to praie for him for so the Apostle to Timothie the seconde Chapter exhorteth vs saying I exhorte therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes bee made for all men for kings and princes and for all that bee io authoritie and hee rendereth a reason why wee shoulde praie for them that wee may leade a quiet a peaceable lyfe in all godlynesse and honestie vnder them But heere ariseth a question whether wee are to obeye our Prince in all thinges or not I aunswere If our Prince bee a good prince and doeth publish good and wholesome lawes agreeable to the word of God then are we to obey them in all things and to aduenture and hazarde both our liues and goods as well in defence of him and of his lawes Vpon the otherside if our prince bee a wicked Prince bloudie cruell and tyrannicall and doeth constitute lawes and statutes cleane contrarie and repugnant to the word of God then we are thus to doe we must submit our selues vnder his scepter and in all humilitie humble obedience lay downe our liues at his feet rather choosing to die than to do any thing contrary to the word of God good conscience so far off ought we to be from taking armes against our prince for anie matter whatsoeuer For the Apostle saith flatly that those who do resist the powers doo resist the ordinaunce of God and doe purchase to themselues eternall damnation And hēce is it that we neuer read so much as of one traitour or proditor of his prince and country that euer prospered or had good successe but in the ende they were ouerthrowen and brought to confusion I pray God