Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	soul_n	spirit_n	witness_v	1,100	5	9.6899	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54066	Some things relating to religion, proposed to the consideration of the Royal Society, (so termed) to wit, concerning the right ground of certainty therein, concerning tenderness of spirit, and persecution, a query concerning separation, concerning washing away sin from the conscience, and the garment of salvation, and what it is that is covered therewith : likewise, some questions and answers concerning the church of the New-Covenant, the rock of foundation whereon it is built, and its preservation by and upon the rock : with some queries concerning the scattered and hidden estate of the church, and concerning that church which got up in the view of the world, instead thereof, and was acknowledged by the world as if she had been the true church, though indeed and truth she was not so : whereunto are added, some queries to professors, who speak of high attainments, &c. / written by ... Isaac Penington.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.	1668 (1668)	Wing P1205; ESTC R13142	15,290	26

SOME THINGS Relating to RELIGION Proposed to the consideration of the Royal Society So termed to wit Concerning the right Ground of Certainty therein Concerning Tenderness of Spirit and Persecution A Query Concerning Separation Concerning washing away Sin from the Conscience and the Garment of Salvation and what it is that is covered therewith Likewise Some Questions and Answers concerning the Church of the New-Covenant the Rock or Foundation whereon it is built and its preservation by and upon the Rock With some Queries concerning the scattered and hidden estate of the Church and concerning that Church which got up in the view of the world instead thereof and was acknowledged by the world as if she had been the true Church though indeed and truth she was not so Whereunto are added Some QUERIES to Professors who speak of high Attainments c. Written by one whom it hath pleased the Lord of his great goodness and tender mercy to lead out of the darkness into his marvellous Light known among men by the name of ISAAC PENINGTON Printed in the Year 1668. To the Royal Society so termed FRIENDS I Have heard that ye are seeking after the excellency of Nature and Learning I am not for discouraging any Man in endeavouring after that which is good useful and excellent in its kind and place But it is the advantage of everything to know and abide in its place and to honour and serve him from whom all good Gifts and Endowments come Man hath but a moment in this world and he is here no more and then the spirit returneth to God that gave it to give an account of the Talent which he gave it and its improvement thereof to the Glory of him that gave it and to the salvation of its own soul Now this Talent is of an higher kind than Nature and will lead higher than Nature giving a man to partake of that wisdom from which Nature came and teaching him to order all that is natural to its right end For God is not an Enemy to Nature but to the corruption and disorder of Nature I desire ye might know and partake of the true wisdom and feel union with God in the principle of his own Life and in the incorruptible and Heavenly seed of God receive dominion over the earthly and corruptible For this end singly in the love springing up in my heart towards you as it often doth both towards particular persons and Societies For I am a friend to all and a lover of all sincerely desiring the good of all and the right guidance of their souls to happiness have I proposed these things following more particularly to your view though they concern others also that ye thereby might be awakened to search after that which is most excellent in you and be acquainted with the vertue and precious effects thereof to the full satisfaction and compleat joy of your souls in that which alone is able fully to satisfie and give them ground of durable joy and rejoycing in that which is not of a perishing nature but which was and is and will be the same for ever From a friend to the everlasting Peace of your souls and a desirer of your welfare and prosperity in this world ISAAC PENINGTON Of Certainty and rightly grounded Assurance in matters of Religion THERE is a Witness of and from God in every Conscience which in his Light Power and Authority witnesseth for him and against that which is contrary to him as he pleaseth to move upon it visiting and drawing the hearts of the sons of men by it From this Witness proceeds the true and well-grounded Religion in the mind towards God For this Witness both testifieth and demonstrateth that there is a God and also inclineth the mind to desire and seek after the right knowledg and true worship of him And such who keep to this Witness and wait upon God therein are taught by it the true spiritual worshp the true and pure fear of the Most High the Faith which he giveth to his Saints the Love which is chast and unseigned the Hope which purifieth the mind and Anchors it on the eternal Rock the meeknesse patience gentleness humility c. which is not of man's nature but the gift of God and the Nature of the Heavenly Giver And then for exercises of Religion as praying to the Father of Spirits hearing the Heavenly voice reading in the Spirit and with the renewed Understanding Singing and making melody in the heart and also with the voice to the Lord as his life is felt and the spiritual blessings and treasure received all these and whatever else is judged necessary for the soul are taught by this Witness of God in the Conscience as the Soul groweth up in the Light Spirit Nature and Holy Power thereof But now when the Lord reacheth to his Witness in men and is teaching their hearts by it then the Enemy the other Spirit whose seat is in the other part keepeth a noise there to overbear the voice of the Witness and to make men take up Religion in another part which is shallow and reacheth not to the depth and weight of truth which is in the Witness of God and which the Witness of God gives to them that come thither Thus the Enemy stirreth up Reasonings Imaginations and Consultations about God and his Worship wherein he raiseth up the vain shallow mind forging and bringing forth somewhat pleasing and suitable to the earthly understanding taking up the mind therewith and engaging the heart in some such practises therefrom as may quiet and satisfie that part in men For the wayes that men take up in their reasonings and understandings satisfie their reasonings and understandings and so they walk in the light of the sparks and warm themselves by the fire of their own kindling But all this answers not the Witness of God in them nor will be approved by his Light in their own Consciences when it comes again to be revealed and made manifest in them This was the ground of the error both of the Jews and Gentiles The Gentiles were enlightned by God with his true light what might be known of God suitable to their state and capacity being manifested in them insomuch as it is witnessed concerning them in the Scriptures which are a true record and testimony That they knew God But when they knew him they glorified him not as God but became vain in their imaginations and so their foolish heart was darkned concerning him and they worshipped him not as the Witness taught them he was to be worshipped not according to the manifestation of his Light in them but according to their own foolish imaginations and reasonings which taught them to make Images of him and so to worship him in and through creatures according to their own inventions which is not the true worship Rom. 1. 21 22 23. So likewise the Jewes not keeping to the manifestation of his Light within them to the Word or

that which cries out against separation in this day of the Lord 's dividing and separating but that spirit which would hold back the soul from being gathered to the Lord in the Chains of darkness and in the Land of death and confusion O that men knew that which divides and separates and which is appointed by God to divide and separate both inwardly and outwardly and might feel the full work and effect of it even perfect separation from all that is not of God that so they might be joyned to him and built up in him who is the life rest peace joy and pure breath of the soul for ever The word of God is quick and powerful sharper than any two-edged Sword and what doth it do Why it separates between Nation and Nation between Church and Church between People and People between Cattel and Cattel between Soul and Soul yea between the thoughts and intents of the same heart owning and cherishing all that is of the pure and condemning and destroying all that is of the impure And happy O for ever happy is he who can witness the work of this word perfected in his soul even the Axe of the Lord powerfully laid to and having cut down all that is corrupt in him that the pure plant of God may flourish and bring forth fruit in him in peace without Annoyance or Interruption of the impure Then the River of Life as the Streams of everlasting Righteousness shall flow into his vessel and Jerusalem become in and to him a quiet habitation and nothing be able to hurt or destroy any thing of Life in him who dwells in and abides on the Mountain of God's Holiness O blessed is the Race of Travellers which in the pure Light of the everlasting day are travelling thitherwards even with their hearts and faces faithfully bent towards Sion which is the Holy Spiritual Heavenly Hill of God! And blessed O blessed for ever is the Lord God of Life and Power who is the Faithful Guider Leader and Conducter of all that follow the footsteps of the flock in the way which is Pure True Living and Everlasting Concerning the washing away of Sin from the Conscience and the Garment of Salvation and what it is that is covered therewith There is somewhat appointed by God to wash away Sin which is the Water of Regeneration the Water of Life the Spirit 's Water and the Blood of the Lamb which are known received and felt by Faith in the Light of the Spirit wherein alone his work is wrought Thus now upon believing the Soul is washed The Faith brings in or lets in the Water and Blood which cleanse and purge the Conscience from the Sin which before stained and defiled it And according to the Faith so is the Water and Blood let in and accordingly is the washing And he that is baptized he that is washed by the spirit comes out of the water clean and watching to the Light wherein he was purified witnesseth the powerful word of Life as able to preserve in cleanness as it was to cleanse But if there be not a watch to and Faith in and single-hearted obedience to that which purified and keepeth pure there is that near which will defile where it is hearkned to and let in there is that which will tempt to lust and sin and so draw into darkness and death again And if any man sin afterwards sin defiles again and the stain thereof will lye upon the Conscience till by Repentance and Faith the Water and Blood be let in again and the cleansing vertue from it received and restored again So if any man sin there is an Advocate an Intercessor a divine Helper one who hath the Water of Life and the Blood of Life to wash with There is a Fountain set open for Sin and for Uncleanness for Judah and Jerusalem to wash therefrom But every defilement and pollution sticks until it be washed off Now there are sins of several kinds Some are easily remitted and washed off insomuch as the stain is hardly felt by the Soul the tender Mercy and pure Life doth so readily and naturally flow over them Some again are long held and bound by the Spirit upon the Conscience and often remembred to the heart which is apt to backslide Yea there is in some cases a severe judgment and a long waiting on the Lord for his mercy and for his renewing and enlivening of Faith before the Water and Blood which washeth can be again felt For Faith is not in a Man's power nor Repentance neither but they are given of God to whom and when he pleaseth And a man that is in part converted may give ear to the Enemy and let in sin and death upon his soul but he cannot repent again presently nor believe again presently but as God breathes upon him and revives the work of Faith and Repentance in him There were Sins under the Old Covenant and there are Sins under the New or against the Law of the New The Sins of the Old Covenant did lie upon him that committed them until they were expiated according to the Law of the Old Covenant And Sins under the New Covenant lie also upon the Soul and Conscience until they be expiated according to the Law of the New Covenant which is until the Advocate interpose and plead with the Father and give Faith and Repentance to the Soul and sprinkle upon the heart and conscience that Water and Blood which hath vertue in it to wash And if it were not for this after-washing as I may so say no man could be saved But though he were once washed yet sinning again afterwards he would die in his sins and so under Condemnation unless he were again washed O blessed be the name of the Lord for the Water and Blood of the Covenant and for his continual pouring them out upon the souls of his in the Light that is Eternal Now as men come to the truth as it is in Jesus they will find their own apprehensions about these things to have been but dreams wherewith the Enemy hath fed and pleased them while he hath lulled them asleep in the Night of Darkness that he might the better steal away the true weighty knowledg of the things of the Kingdom from them Thus men have dreamed about Justification about Sanctification about Regeneration about Redemption about Faith Hope Love Righteousness Peace Joy c. And have been mistaken about them missing of that Power and Light whereby and wherein they are revealed and made manifest Now he that will rightly know these things must know them in the feeling and true experience And therein he shall find all these are wrought in a mysterious way of pure Life's operation out of the reach of man's comprehension and that no Man can understand them but as the New and Holy understanding is given him nor retain the sense and knowledg of them but as he abides in the new nature and retains