Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	spirit_n	testimony_n	witness_v	1,787	5	10.0023	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20770	A treatise of the true nature and definition of justifying faith together with a defence of the same, against the answere of N. Baxter. By Iohn Downe B. in Divinity, and sometime fellow of Emanuel C. in Cambridge.; Selections	Downe, John, 1570?-1631.; Baxter, Nathaniel, fl. 1606.; Bayly, Mr., fl. 1635.; Muret, Marc-Antoine, 1526-1585. Institutio puerilis. English.	1635 (1635)	STC 7153; ESTC S109816	240,136	421

proued against the first that Faith is not a Knowledge or Assurance against the thirteenth that the onely proper Obiect of Faith is the Person of the Mediator and against the foureteenth that the Forme thereof is Affiance and not any such Relation or Certainty The ninth sixteenth and seuenteenth in part I deny the ninth where you make Faith and Knowledge to bee conuertible which I haue proued to haue different natures and Definitions the sixteenth where you affirme Resting vpon Christ to bee an effect of Faith which I haue demonstrated to bee the Forme and proper Act of Faith the seuenteenth where you say that the subiect of Faith is both the Vnderstanding and the Will against which I haue shewed that it is impossible for one and the same Habit to be subiectiuely in two seuerall faculties of the Soule The rest of your Positions sauing the inconuenience of some tearmes and setting a fauourable construction vpon them I acknowledge to bee true and because as the Apostle speaketh I can doe nothing against the truth but for the truth therefore I oppose them not but readily and willingly yeeld and subscribe vnto them But Master Baxter in all this long discourse of Faith hauing spoken so carefully of the Definition of Faith of the vnity of it in kind and difference of it in number and degree of the imperfection sufficiencie efficient principall and instrumentall of the obiect both in generall and speciall of the forme and end both Subordinate and Highest finally of the Effects Subiects and adiuncts thereof in all this long discourse I say how is it that wee heare not so much as a word of Iustification which notwithstanding is the immediate and proper Effect of Faith Immediate because it is the first fruite and benefit that springeth of it and commeth before Adoption and Sanctification proper because it is the Act of Faith onely and not of any other Grace which iustifies a man before God Whether it were of negligence or of policy that you haue omitted so materiall and necessary a point I cannot say If of negligence it deserues a seuere chastisement if of policy it was I think you foresaw what a dangerous consequence would follow thereupon For if you had placed Iustification as needs you must haue done if you had mentioned it among the Effects of Faith the Reader possibly might haue reasoned thus If iustification be an Effect of Faith and so follow after Faith then cannot Assurance of Iustification bee Faith because it is an effect of Iustification and followes after for it is necessary that a man bee iustified before hee can bee assured that hee is iustified And thus you had cast away your whole pot of broth 2 King 4.39 if you had not warily kept this Coloquintida out of it But vpon what ground soeuer you haue forborne to speake of this point I will by your leaue supply this defect and in a word or two shew you in what sense I affirme that Affiance iustifies and deny it of Assurance for in some sort Assurance also may bee said to iustifie Iustification is a law-tearme and is opposed vnto Condemnation As therefore Condemnation is the sentence of a iudge pronouncing a man to be guilty and deliuering him ouer to bee punished so is Iustification also the sentence of a iudge but absoluing and acquitting a man both from crime and punishment Now there are three barres at which all men are arraigned and three Iudges who at their seuerall barres either iustify vs or condemne vs that is to say the barre of God the barre of Conscience and the barre of Men. If wee bee condemned at all these barres and by all these Iudges wee are of all creatures the most miserable if wee bee absolued at them all and by them all of all men wee be the most blessed Againe if Men acquit vs what booteth it if our owne Conscience condemne vs and if our Conscience acquit vs what auaileth it if God condemne vs for who can deliuer the prey out of the pawes of that Lion On the contrary side if men condemne vs it mattereth not so as our Conscience doe absolue vs and if our Conscience also doe condemne vs yet happy are we if God absolue vs for God is greater then our Conscience What that is 1 Ioh. 3.20 for which sentence of Condemnation passeth vpon vs at any of these bars there is no question for it is well knowne to bee sinne sinne I say which is so indeed or at least is so in appearance For although nothing appeare vnto God otherwise then it is so that there can bee no error in his iudgement yet our owne consciences and other men may easily bee deceiued and mistaken and so without cause oftentimes pronounce sentence of Condemnation What then is that by which wee are iustifyed and absolued from our sins and the punishment of death due vnto them Surely that which is contrary vnto sinne euen Righteousnesse What Righteousnesse Phil. 3.9 for as the Apostle distinguisheth there is a Righteousnesse which is of the law and there is a righteousnesse which is of Faith by the former shall no flesh liuing bee iustified by the latter euery one that Belieueth is iustified God iustifieth vs at his barre when hee seeth our Faith that by firme Affiance wee rest and rely our selues vpon Christ to bee our Mediator accepting him to bee our Prophet Priest and King for then according vnto promise doth hee accept the Passiue obedience of Christ to satisfy for our sinnes past and imputeth vnto vs his Actiue obedience to supply the want of that perfect legall righteousnesse which should be in vs. Our Conscience iustifies vs at his barre when it is perswaded that God hath already iustified vs for as long as it is perswaded that God condemneth it cannot acquit vs. If the perswasion of the Conscience be built vpon a sandy and deceitfull foundation it is rather vaine presumption then true assurance and the iudgement that it giueth is erronious but if it bee grounded vpon infallible euidence euen the testimony of the Spirit of God Rom. 8.16 witnessing with our spirits that wee are the sons of God then is the Assurance sound and certaine and the sentence pronounced thereupon iust and rightfull Phil. 4.7 whence presently ariseth in our soules such vnconceiuable peace as passeth all vnderstanding and such durable ioy as nothing can take from vs. Finally Men iustify vs at their barre also Ioh. 16.22 Mat. 5.16 when our light so shineth before them that they see our good works which are the fruits of Faith and a good Conscience and thereby are moued to glorify our Heauenly Father as being perswaded in the iudgement of Charity that they are indeed as they seeme to bee euen iustified before God and borne againe of water and the Holy Ghost This iudgement because it is built vpon probability onely and not vpon certainty for who knowes whether the outward appearance come from

your platforme and I am sure all orthodoxall Churches haue euer beene gouerned by the same officers that ours is Whence it followeth that if for want of such a Politie and such Officers as you dreame of we haue in England no true Church neither hath there beene for certaine hundred of yeares aboue a thousand any true Church through the whole world Which how it can agree with the word of God affirming that of his kingdome there shall be none end I cannot conceiue For by your reckoning the kingdome of Christ ceased soone after the departure of the Apostles and suffered an interruption of about fourteen hundred yeares vntill Browne and Barrow began to play the Schismatickes The second Proposition I acknowledge also to be true but withall denie that we haue set ouer our selues any Antichristian or forraigne Officers For as we haue aboue both sayd and shewed Archbishops Bishops Priests are of diuine institution and now I further adde that they were first bred in the kingdome of Christ and not taken from any other kingdome your assertion to the contrary without due proofe argues that you build to your selfe castles in the aire and haue no ground for your presumption Your fift argument followeth 5. Because the Church being Christs spouse kingdome and body must haue his Ministrie set and kept in it and no other And if no man can make a finger or the least member of a naturall humane body or adde any other limme thereto without deformity then God hath created and can much lesse giue life to any such counterfait member of his owne making how is it possible that he can set vp another Ministrie 1. Cor. 12.12.20 27.28 The argument is thus to bee formed The Ministrie of Christ and no other is to be set ouer and kept in the Church The Ministrie of Archbishops Bishops and Priests is not Christs Ergo it is not to be set ouer nor kept in the Church The Maior I grant confessing that no office may bee allowed in the Church but that which is from Christ eyther immediately or mediatly that is from those vnto whose wisdome and discretion hee hath delegated some part of his authority to order many things in the Church For as the Church may not alter that Ministry which Christ hath setled to continue for euer so may shee by vertue of her delegate authority ordaine such offices as are not forbidden and tend to edification And being so ordeined they are though not immediatly yet mediately from Christ Neither yet doth the Church so doing presume to make as you say either a finger or any other member or limme that is essentiall vnto the body much lesse to giue life thereunto but onely to prouide a gloue as it were for the finger or a sute of apparell for the body the better to preserue it in life The Minor that the Ministrie of Archbishops Bishops and Priests is not of Christ I deny affirming the cleane contrary that they are those Pastors and Angels authorized and allowed by Christ in his word It is the greatest vanity and idlenesse that can bee in disputing onely with boldnesse to affirme that which is denied and neuer to endeauour the proofe thereof which yet is your solemne fault almost in euery argument Your sixt reason 6 Because Christians are the Temples of the Holy Ghost 1. Cor. 3.16.17 2. Cor. 6.16 2. Thes 2.4 Col. 2.18 Act. 20.17.28 and their consciences wrought vpon by Ministrie in the Church and therefore may not be defiled by the Hierarchie of Arch-bishops c. whom the Holy Ghost neuer made Ouerseers The argument in forme stands thus Those offices that defile the Temples of the Holy Ghost and consciences of men may not bee set ouer nor retained in the Church But the Hierarchie of Arch-bishops Bishops and Priests defiles the Temples of the Holy Ghost and consciences of men Ergo the Hierarchie of Arch-bishops Bishops and Priests may not bee set ouer nor retained in the Church The Maior wee readily yeeld you but how proue you the Minor that these Officers defile the Conscience Forsooth because the Holy Ghost hath not made them Ouerseers And how proue you this againe Because the Pastors of Ephesus were made such Ouerseers An Herculean argument I promise you For what letteth but that hee that made the Pastors of Ephesus Ouerseers hath made the Pastors of England Ouerseers also Alas alas that vpon such friuolous and toying reasons so dangerous and offensiue Schismes should be made And take heed how you quench or grieue the Spirit of God who if you haue in you any measure of knowledge or sparke of grace hath wrought it in you by our Ministrie For preaching which is the ordinary meanes to beget faith I suppose you haue not had elsewhere and it is no lesse then blasphemie to call the working of Gods Spirit by his Holy Word vpon the soules of men the defiling of the Conscience The seuenth argument 7 Because Christ alone is the Head of the Church in whom all fulnesse of power dwelleth Eph. 1.22.23.4.11.16 Col. 1.18.19.2.8.9.10.18.19.1 Cor. 12.4.5.6.12.27.28 1. Tim. 3. 5.8.6.13.14 Rev. 11.13.18.8.14.8.17 18. 19. and from whom alone the Church receiueth her life and power so as none may bee subiect to any power or head in Religion saue onely to him And therefore no Ministers or Officers in the Church are to bee set vp or retained who deriue not their power and functions from Christ which the former doe not and therefore they are not c. but to bee abandoned as enemies of Christs soueraigne authority and making their hearers and submitters to them guilty of high treason against our Lord Christ Iesus It is true there is but one Head of the Church from whom shee receiueth life and Power yet are there also vnder Christ gouernors in the Church who by vertue of that power which they haue receiued from him may ordaine many things touching the well gouernment thereof and to submit our selues thereunto is not to bee subiect to another power or head but to the ordinance of Christ himselfe But it is false that Bishops deriue not their power and function from Christ as we haue already manifestly proued If you haue any thing to the contrary I hope wee shall heare of it another time for hitherto you haue onely said but shewed nothing As for those words that Bishops are to bee abandoned as enemies of Christs soueraigne authority c. they sauour more of passion then reason and deserue rather to bee pitied then answered The eigth argument 1. Cor. 18.27.28 Eph. 4.11.12.13 8 Because God onely must haue this preeminence to dispose the members euery one of them in the body of the Church at his owne pleasure so as either it must bee shewed that God hath placed the Hierarchie of Arch-bishops Bishops Priests or they are not to bee set vp or retained or approued We haue satisfyed you in this already if happily you will bee

goodnesse either grant vs the Gift or sanctifie the meanes vnto vs that keeping our selues cleane both in body and soule wee may bee presented vnto thee as pure and vnspotted Virgins in the last day Amen A LETTER INsteed of a few words which I promised to write you I haue here sent this little treatise which if you diligently read and peruse it will more fully informe and resolue you then I should haue done Neuerthelesse that I may in some sort discharge my promise and not altogether faile your expectation in few words thus I would wish you diligently to remember that to bee grieued and troubled for sinne is a necessary duty and that it ought to be so For as in the poole of Bethesda there could bee no cure wrought vntill the Angell had troubled the water so neither is there any remission of sinnes and healing of the soule vntill by the worke of Gods Spirit the heart bee bruzed and broken When such an Angell as Peter was shall by his powerfull preaching haue pricked the Conscience and made men both to see their sinne and to feele the misery thereof then and not before doe they crie out Men and Brethren what shall wee doe Sorrow for sinne is a blessed sorrow A broken and contrite spirit God neuer yet despised Those and those alone who feele the heauy loade and burden of their sinnes doth Christ inuite vnto him and vnto them doth hee promise refreshment Hee that oftentimes watered his couch with his teares and as oftentasted the sweet consolations of Gods blessed Spirit hath out of his experience seriously affirmed that whosoeuer soweth in teares shall surely reap in ioy and a day of reioycing shall euer succeed the night of mourning And to speake the truth sorrow was made for nothing but for sinne A potion is made onely for that disease which it is able to cure and sorrow for that onely which it is able to remedie Losse of friends health wealth and the like were neuer yet recouered with weeping but the teares of true repentance haue euer cleansed the soule from sinne and purchased both pardon and fauour from God Sorrow therefore was made onely for sinne Mourne then in Gods name for your sinnes but yet take heed you mourne not as those that are without hope You cannot doe a greater wrong vnto the infinite mercy of God and the inualuable merits of Christ your Sauiour then to thinke them lesse then your sinnes or demerits If Satan suggest any such thing vnto you spare him not but tell him hee lies for Gods goodnes cannot bee outreached by mans wickednesse and where sinne doth abound grace doth much more abound If your sinnes were as red as scarlet yet vpon your true repentance God both can and will make you as white as snow And of your repentance you cannot well make doubt there being in you as you haue confessed vnto mee both hearty sorrow for sinnes past and vnfained resolution of amendement for the time to come which are the two essentiall parts of true repentance Yea but you haue committed that sinne which is vnto death and can neuer bee forgiuen nor in this nor in the next world If so to what end doe you seeke vnto mee for comfort And why doe I wast paper in writing vnto you But vpon what ground haue you entertayned this conceit Forsooth you haue often sworne and forsworne against your knowledge I will not extenuate your sin it is I confesse grieuous and fearefull neither would I willingly hinder you from a long pennance in sackcloth and ashes for the same Howbeit I would aduise you to steere right betweene these two dangerous gulfes for as you must not make mole-hils of mountaines nor frailties of furies so neither must you of euery sinne though otherwise heinous and enormious make that vnpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost It is not often swearing or cursing no nor forswearing or periury and the like which God neither can nor will forgiue For then what should become of that worthy Apostle Saint Peter who forswore his Lord and Sauiour euen against his Conscience and that not once but thrice with most horrible execration and cursing you haue not sinned in so high a nature as Peter did neuerthelesse now that Christ looketh backe vpon you as hee did on him touching your heart with consideration of what you haue done I giue you good leaue to goe foorth with him and to weep as bitterly as you can But despaire not of pardon nor count it the sinne against the Holy Ghost for so did not hee That sinne is no lesse then a wilfull malicious and obstinate denying of the foundation namely that Iesus is the Mediator and Redeemer of the world It is a totall apostasie from the Faith when the whole man reuolteth from the whole Christian Religion wholly with an obstinate resolution neuer to returne to it any more This sinne I know you are farre from and you dare not say you haue committed it Neither is it possible for him that is guilty thereof to doe as you now a long time haue done that is to mourne and lament for his sinnes His stubborne and reprobate heart is not so tender but being past all sorrow and feeling rather reioyceth in his desperate and malicious obstinacy More I might write but let this little booke I send you bee insteed thereof It remayneth that henceforward you play the valiant souldier of Christ and suffer not your selfe any longer to be led by passion but onely by the rules and directions of Gods blessed Word For my part I will not cease to pray vnto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ for you that this pricke may be eftsoones taken from you or if for you further exercise and triall hee delay you a little longer that yet your Faith may settle and rest vpon that answer which God gaue vnto Paul being in the like case My grace is sufficient for thee Farewell THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY IS TRVLY Deipara the Mother of GOD. THIS Proposition either in expresse or equiualent tearmes hath euer been held by all Orthodoxe writers both ancient and moderne specially those who haue liued since Nestorius broached the contrary heresie This Nestorius about foure hundred yeeres after Christ was Patriarch of Constantinople who when his Chaplaine Anastasius had publickly taught that the blessed Virgin Mary ought not to bee called the Mother of God was so farre saith Socrates from checking in him these blasphemies against Christ L. 7. c. 32. that hee maintained him in it and reiected himselfe the word Deipara Euagr. l. 1. c. 7. or Mother of God Wherefore hee was banished into the I le Oasis where hee died miserably hauing his accursed tongue eaten out with wormes But as I say the Church of God hath euer held and defended the contrary which I proue by vnanswerable reasons And. Can. 1. First by generall Councels In the Councell of Ephesus it was thus decreed Whosoeuer confesseth not the