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
A66008	A sermon preached on the 26th day of July, 1685 being the day of thanks-giving appointed for His Majesty's victory over the rebels : in the united parishes of St. Margaret Pattons, and St. Gabriell Fenchurch, London / by Tho. Wagstaffe ...	Wagstaffe, Thomas, 1645-1712.	1685 (1685)	Wing W214; ESTC R1806	14,013	36

Generals but hath given particular and express Orders concerning it and those as Direct Peremptory and Full as any Laws ever have or can make It commands us to give the King his Dues and that sure is not by Invading his Birth-right it enjoyns us to pray for Him and that is not done by Vilifying and Aspersing Him by penning and sending forth Reproachful and Treasonable Declarations against Him It obliges to obey Him for Conscience sake and this is not done by Contemning His Authority and disowning His Government It Commands us if there be Occasion to Suffer but upon no account to Resist and this sure is not comply'd with by bearing of Arms and rising in Actual Rebellion against Him Now these Injunctions of the Gospel are as plain and positive as words can make them And it is not possible to find out Words more express and full than these Let every Soul be subject unto the Higher Powers Rom. 13.1.2 Whosoever resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation These are so plain that a man that owns Christianity must have a strange Conscience to evade the Force of them Those therefore that have had Wickedness enough to Rebel and would fain draw in Religion for Countenance have been very hard put to it to shift the Evidence and Strength of these Precepts They are so clear that they cannot do with them as they do with some other parts of Scripture wrest them to a contrary sense for no man can believe that Libelling the King is praying for Him or that rising up against him with Swords and Guns is not resisting him They therefore fall foul upon them and tell you These were Doctrines calculated for the first Times Dr. J. Goodwin Anticavilerisme when Christianity was Weak and the Number of it's Professors few Observat on the P. of Orange Julyan Apost c. and not able to engage the Power and Forces of Kings But are no Rules and binding where is Men Arms and strength enough This indeed makes quick Work of it and if it were sufficient would presently evacuate all the Precepts of the Gospel you might be as licentious and Villanous as you pleas'd you might be as Revengeful Cruel and Uncharitable as you thought fit you might Cheat and Defraud as many as you could 't is but saying the Precepts of Forgiveness Meekness and Honesty were accommodated for the first Times and all is well and your Conscience at ease Suppose a Man had a mind to kill his Father and Murder his Master and possess himself of his Goods 't is but saying the Commands of Duty to Parents and Fidelity to Masters are Temporary and there is no harm done I know they do not say so but I know likewise that no Mortal Man can give a reason why the one should be temporary and not the other there is no such limitation express'd in one more than the other and if the Nature of the thing be consulted there is more Reason for the continual Obligation to Obedience For Government is perpetual and so must Subjection be too for they are Relatives And Obedience to Government is more necessary with reference to the welfare of Mankind than either Common Honesty or Filial Duty And I wonder what those that urge this can say to that Text Rom. 13.5 Ye must needs be Subject not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake Not only for Wrath that is not only because the King hath a coercive Power and can Compel and Punish which is the very thing and all that they insist upon but also upon another ground for Conscience sake with Respect to God and Christ and the Principles of his Religion which in another place is therefore express'd for the Lord's sake 2 Pet. 2.13 Christian Obedience is founded not in Force because the Government is stronger but in Conscience because God commands it All the Duties of Religion are to be done for Conscience sake but 't is somewhat remarkable That of all the rest this only of Subjection to Authority should be so express'd which as it evidences the great Stress the Gospel lays upon this Duty so it takes away all manner of tergiversation and subterfuge for hereby all Rebellious Distinctions and Pretences are obviated Conscience is always pretended for Rebellion and can there be any thing more plain than that we must needs be Subject for Conscience sake that is from a Principle of Religion from the Laws of the Gospel the same Principle that is the Guide and Rule of our Consciences 'T is not therefore the King's Power and Strength but the Conscience of our Duty to God that makes Christians obey There are two Obligations to Obedience the one is Coertion and this is over Brutes or Brutish Natures ungovernable and Seditious Tempers that need Force and Compulsion and must be held as with a Bridle The other is Conscience and this is a Government over Good Men who yield a Free and Generous Obedience as acting under the Laws and Authority of Christ Every good Christian lives in Subjection by Vertue of his Religion and the Principles of his Conscience And to come yet further to this fulsome Objection Christian Religion which is the Law of Conscience and the Director of all Christians actions is not a fraudulent and deceitful Institution to accommodate its Doctrines as these Men represent it to Times and Seasons and not to the Nature of things and Rules of Common Equity To teach Obedience only to serve a turn with to order Men to be patient and submissive till they could get Numbers to be otherwise is the most dishonourable and Base and the Fowlest thing that can be said of any Institution it makes it not a staid Rule of Practice but a Cheat and Trepan There may be Evil Men that can shew Tricks and make fair Shews till they have opportunity to do their Mischief But this is not possible for a Law and much less for the best of Laws the Gospel which is always even and true always the same to day to morrow and for ever The first Christians were to obey and not to Resist their Rulers and so are we and that not for Reasons variable and alterable according to Times and Seasons but by a standing Rule by Conscience a perpetual Principle binding to us and to all Christians to the end of the World The Law therefore is Good but there are bad Men who would fain Transform it into their own Likeness They are quiet when they dare not be otherwise and resolve to be in Subjection but till they can get strength to Rebel and they would put this Vizor on Religion and make Christianity as Hypocritical as themselves They will obey no longer than there is Force to make them And Thanks be to God the King hath been strong enough for them and God grant He may always be so to keep those in their Allegiance by his Power