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
A53923	The best way to mend the world, and to prevent the growth of popery by perswading the rising generation to an early and serious practice of piety: with answers to the principal cavils of Satan and his agents against it, &c. By Samuel Peck, minister of the word at Poplar.	Peck, Samuel.	1680 (1680)	Wing P1034; ESTC R222715	74,034	180

God and keep his commandments and know that if in things lawfull and honest they disobey man they dishonour God and break his commandments Which are That we obey every ordinance of man for the Lords sake Obey the powers that be for the powers that be are ordained Rom. 13. 1 2 c. of God whosoever therefore resisteth the powers resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Therefore they obey for conscience sake whereas others may be subject for wrath or for interest sake they are subject for conscience sake So that he who is most faithfull to the King of Heaven will be most faithfull and true to his Vicegerent on Earth Therefore this is but a calumny raised against the Religious and righteous and made use of by Satans Instruments to bring Religion into contempt And 't is no more than what their Lord and Master met with of whom it was said that he forbad to pay Tribute to Caesar And St Paul was accused as a person disloyal a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition 'T is true when men command any thing directly sinfull or repugnant to the divine command they are bound to obey God rather than man Rather to displease man than to dishonour God and wound their own consciences Yet even then their Religion teacheth them after the example of their blessed Lord patiently to suffer what the Governours shall think meet to inflict upon them for their supposed or imputed crimes and whatever they suffer not in any case to rebell for that were to seek relief by that which they know to be sin And though some have been found great Rebels to Civil Magistrates who were also great professors yet 't is certain they were no more than professors For had they been sincere Christians and made real conscience of obeying the Gospel or following the example of Christ himself they dare not have done it Since both our Saviours example and the Gospel he hath left us plainly tell us we must obey them that have the rule over us and that upon no less penalty than damnation To close this reply therefore to his cavil if you would be Religious shun the society of wicked men who make it their business to reproach Religion Say to these as David Depart from me ye evil doers for I will keep the commandments of my God Wherein the Ps 119. 115. Psalmist plainly implies and intimates that evil doers discourage and impede us in our devotion obedience and duty towards God hinder men from keeping Gods commandments And you must say to them Depart if you resolve to be Religious and keep the commands of God CHAP. VI. The general corruption of the Times together with the natural corruption of our Hearts are great Impediments to Religion in Youth § 1. THe general corruption of the Age doth Satan make use of as an argument to vice and discouragement to Vertue and Religion The most go the worst way and young men are apt to think company is good the more the merrier they shall fare as well as others and going with the most they shall have fewest to blame and find fault with them The force of which temptation would abate if you will but consider that though the multitude or generality of men in the times we live in be vitious and such as would Hector God and Religion out of the world and establish Atheism and prophaneness in their room if possible yet this is no argument for you to follow them but the contrary rather For their multitude renders them suspitious The Church of God and sincere followers of Christ are but a little little flock And the greater part run on in the broad way that leadeth to destruction Your danger is never the less for your great company He that sins with a multitude shall suffer with a multitude 1 Joh. 5. 19. Exo. 23. 2. Though hand joyn in hand the wicked shall not go unpunished Multitude power or greatness of men will be no sufficient apology to God For then the sinners in the old world Sodom and Gomorrah had been excusable for they were by far the greater number But their example is no warrant for your imitation For you and I and all Christians are to walk by the rule of Gods Word and not by the example of men any further than it conforms to the divine precept St. Paul as good and holy a man as he was durst not propound himself an Example for others to imitate any otherwise than thus Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ And therefore if they be not followers of Christ whatever their number be or greatness or power be in the world you are not to be followers of them No remember what Solomon saith a companion of fools shall be destroyed You know who Pro. 13. 20 the wise-man means by Fools and he doth not say if they be not so many or so great but be they never so numerous or prosperous a companion of them shall be destroyed Therefore do not bless your selves that you walk in the common road in the broad way wherein the most go as if this were any commendation or safety to you for praest at solus sapere quam cum aliis insanire It is better and safer to be good alone than to be wicked with a multitude Elijah was better alone than if he had joyned with the Priests of Baal Luther better alone though 't is said of him Vnus homo solus totius Orbis impetum sustinuit he was the man that alone bore the violence of the whole world than if he had joyned affinity with the pompous and numerous train of Rome And Athanasius was better alone than if he had sided with the numerous and blasphemous Arians So you are better alone if you could be so in this way following of Christ in the practice of Religion and holy obedience than if you should herd with the generality of men in the ways of sin and unrighteousness Therefore there is no weight at all in this argument the Most do thus therefore do you so too unless you can be perswaded Jer. 17. 9. to imagin and believe 't is better to be eternally miserable with a multitude than eternally happy with a smaller number § 2. Your own Hearts which the Prophet tells you are naturally very bad very corrupt and blind not apt to see or be sensible of your need of Christ and misery without him or to discern the beauty of holiness the joy peace comfort and satisfaction that is to be found in the serious practice of Religion and service of God nay which are averse to and have a natural antipathy enmity saith St. Paul against God and his holy commands These hearts I say are like so much tinder ready to take every spark of prejudice which Satan and wicked men strike against the ways of Christ They cannot be more ready to suggest evil than