Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A03796
|
St. Pauls exercise, or, A sermon of conscience Describing the nature of it; and declaring the manner and meanes how to obtaine, and retaine, a good conscience. Preached by Iohn Hughes, Doctor in Diuinitie.
|
Hughes, John, fl. 1622.
|
1622
(1622)
|
STC 13914; ESTC S104276
|
14,412
|
29
|
St. PAVLS EXERCISE OR A SERMON OF Conscience Describing the nature of it and declaring the manner and meanes how to obtaine and retaine a good CONSCIENCE Preached by IOHN HVGHES Doctor in Diuinitie 2 COR. 1. 12. Our reioycing is this the testimony of our Conscience LONDON Printed by T. S. for Iohn Budge and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Greene-Dragon in Pauls Church-yard Anno Dom. 1622. TO THE RIGHT Honourable and Right Reuerend Father in God IOHN Lord Bishop of LINCOLNE Lord Keeper of the Great Seale and one of his Maiesties most Honourable priuie Councell Grace and peace in this life and glorie in the life to come PReaching and Printing Right Honourable are excellent meanes to beget Faith and to encrease Knowledge The one like a shower of raine waters for the present the other like Snow lyes longer on the ground and may speake when the Authour cannot Hauing therefore preached diuers Sermons I haue presumed to print this one and to present the same vnto your Honour as a testimony of my seruice and dutie My labour in this kinde if it may doe good to any and be accepted of your Lordship it is the height of my desire The matter hath beene handled by many And many more zealous and learned men I pray God to raise vp daily to preach to write more of the same argument for beside the methode and manner of handling which I also attribute to the grace of God exciting and assisting nie I challenge nothing to my selfe but the faults Mala mea sunt purè mala mea Bona mea nec purè bona nec mea Your Lordship may claime a speciall interest in these lines not onely in regard of the Authour obliged vnto your Honour in many respects but also of the matter which is meere Chancery and hath need of your patronage For it is a common complaint that Conscience for the most part of these latter yeares hath lyne bed-rid speechlesse But blessed be God that hath raised vp your Honour to be a Patrone to his Church a Paterne of equity and Iustice in the Common-wealth and a principall agent in these vnconscionable dayes to restore and recouer conscience againe where it was much decayed The same God that was the Authour of your preferment continue his mercies and multiply his blessings vpon your Lordship that as the hearts of all good men specially of vs Church-men doe reioyce in your aduancement So I pray God wee may long enioy your Honour to the comfort both of Church and Common-wealth Thus crauing pardon for my boldnesse and fauourable acceptance of these my endeauours in most humble manner I recommend your Honour to the protection of the Almighty euer resting Your Honours most bounden and dutifull Chaplaine IO HVGHES St. PAVLS EXERCISE OR A SERMON OF Conscience ACTS 24. 16. And herein doe I exercise my selfe to haue alwaies a Conscience voyde of offence toward God and toward men THe very reading and hearing of this Text may put vs in minde of our duties doe but apply it vnto your soules and practise it in your liues and you shall finde much comfort The maine matter of it is Conscience a doctrine much neglected in ourage and yet neuer more needfull I will not trouble you with any long discourse of the Context for the words are plaine and they containe part of S. Pauls Apologie before Faelix when Tertullus the Oratour accused him for a pestilent and a turbulent fellow This Apologie consisteth of two parts Negatio facti Confessio fidei 1. A negation or deniall of the fact They neither found me in the Temple disputing with any man nor in the Synagogues or Citie raising vp the people 2. A confession of his faith Non negat sed narrat non dissimulat sed planè profitetur quam religionem coluit saith an Ancient vpon this Text he doth not denie nor dissemble his religion as many doe but professeth plainely that after that way which they call Heresie so worshipped he the God of his Fathers To this he addeth the ground of his faith beleeuing all things written in the Law and the Prophets And then the fruit of this ground Hauing hope towards God that there shall be a resurrection of the dead both of the iust and vniust And lastly in the words of my Text hee setteth downe his practise and exercise And herein I exercise my selfe to haue alwaies a conscience voyd of offence c. As if he had thus spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herein and for this respect because I am a Christian beleeuing the doctrine of the Law and the Prophets and hauing hope in the Resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I my selfe doe studie as the Rhemists render it or labour and endeauour as Tremelius reades it or exercise my selfe as the vulgar English hath it Where by the way wee may obserue that the ground-worke and foundation of a good conscience is Christian Religion and a right beleefe concerning things diuine specially the doctrine of the Ressurection without the which the conscience cannot be good nor cleare For in this respect S. Paul saith I labour and endeauour to haue and to hold a conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cleare and voyd of offence in all duties towards God and men and that alwaies This I take to be the sence of the words their coherence with the precedent Scripture The summe and substance whereof may be reduced to these three generall heads whereof I will speake briefly 1. Of Conscience and the nature thereof Quid sit What it is because many talke of it that know it not And this is Subiectum adaequatum the maine subiect and as it were the Center of this Text. 2. Quotuplex The kinds and qualities of Conscience which are as lines drawne from the Center to demonstrate and deliniate the seuerall climates and regions of conscience which are either offensiue or without offence as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth import 3. The extent and latitude of this Text call it what you will the manner or meanes to obtaine and maintaine a good conscience or the matters wherein in all dutie humane and diuine towards God and men and the time how long 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at all times These are the lists and limits of this Text and my intended Discourse And of these in order but first of Conscience and the nature thereof There are two things wherein man doth excell all mortall Creatures Ratio Oratio Reason and Speech Now Conscience doth belong vnto Reason and is thus defined by Aquinas Actus rationis applicans scientiam ad opus An act of reason applying our knowledge to our workes and iudging of the lawfulnesse and vnlawfulnesse thereof Medina saith that it is Dictamen rationis applicatum ad opus which is the same in effect Some call it a Hebite others a Facultie But I decline