Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	conscience_n	evil_a	sprinkle_v	3,712	5	10.9699	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36078	A Discourse about conscience, relating to the present differences among us in opposition to both extreams of popery and fanaticism.		1684 (1684)	Wing D1568; ESTC R8393	25,645	43

he that fears God and works Righteousness shall be accepted Acts 10.35 This Proposition of the Apostle being no doubt true in every Age as well before as after Christ's Time there being but one way of Salvation both for Jew and Gentile and but one Mediator between God and Man who is called the Saviour of all Men tho' more especially of such as believe i. e. of Christians no other name being given among Men no other Mediator being constituted throughout the World beside him where by they can hope to be saved Acts 4.12 tho' how-and in what manner the Merit of Christ is applyed unto them that have no explicite Knowledge or Faith in him is a Mystery too high for our Reach and therefore as a secret thing belongs only to God The meaning of all that hath been said upon this particular is in short this That there must be not only a Rule but a Knowledge of that Rule before it can oblige Conscience Thirdly There is the Judgment of the Mind concerning our Actions a judging of them by a known Rule of what Kind or Nature they are whether good or bad well or ill done agreeable to the Intent of the Law or not From whence ariseth in the Fourth place The giving or passing Sentence upon our selves in reference to the Lawfulness or Unlawfulness of our Actions the acquitting or condemning our selves in our own Breasts and judging of our Spiritual State or moral Condition whether we are able to approve our selves unto God who is the strict Observer and supream Judge of all our Actions And from these two last Acts results the Testimony of our Consciences which if it vote on our Behalf yields us matter of Comfort in the midst of all our Sufferings enables us to hold up our Heads with Joy and gives us Confidence towards God whereby we may draw near with a true Heart in full assurance of Faith having our Hearts sprinkled from an Evil Assurance and our Bodies washt with pure Water Heb. 10.22 And again Beloved if our Hearts that is our Consciences condemn us not then have we Confidence towards God 1 John 3.21 But if the Testimony of Conscience make against us then it cannot chuse but afflict and disquiet us make our Countenances to fall and cause sad thoughts to arise within us which in some men is attended with greater Horror than in others according as Conscience is awakened or laid to sleep The whole Transaction of Conscience in this Affair is sometimes represented by way of Syllogism in three Propositions That which forms the first Proposition is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This makes Report of the Law and draws its Medium or Argument from thence That which forms the Minor is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Conscience This makes a particular Application of the Law or Rule unto a Man 's own self or brings it home to his own Case The Third infers the Conclusion from both and is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the Judgment of Conscience upon the whole whereby a man is able to judge of his Actions and pass Sentence upon himself either of Absolution or Condemnation Having resolved the first Enquiry What Conscience is it will from hence more easily appear in the next place 2. WHAT it is to make Conscience of our Actions or to live according to Conscience Negatively 'T is not to do what we list to walk at large or live at randome 't is not to be transported with Humour or Passion or Discontent 'T is not to act in Conformity to the Opinions of other Men or of a particular Sect or Party as such no nor always to follow the Dictates and Persuasions of our own prejudic'd and mis-inform'd Minds whereof notwithstanding some People are so very fond as to make no difference between Conscience and Prejudice Wherefore positively To act according to Conscience is to walk by Rule and live according to Law to frame all our Actions according to the Will and Direction of our Maker who hath absolute Authority over us and claims a greater Share in us than we can in our selves For Conscience is under Authority ty'd to a Rule and must have a Law for its Direction and Governance Now when we perform our Actions in such a manner as may be agreeable to the Rule which is given us for the right Government thereof and when the general Practice of our Lives bears some Proportion thereunto this is to make Conscience of our ways and to approve our selves to our selves in so doing That man therefore that hath no respect to the Rule of his Actions nor takes any care to render them in some good measure answerable to it such a one let his plea and pretence be never so specious and demure makes no Conscience how he lives and consequently can never expect the Testimony of Conscience on his side much less be able to Rejoyce in it Now the chief Rule or Law that is to direct Conscience and govern our Actions is the Canon of Holy Scripture the written Word or reveal'd Will of God This lays the strongest nay the only Obligation upon Conscience which can acquit us no farther than our Actions are correspondent to this Rule and unto which all others are subordinate and may be applied So that to live according to Conscience is to measure out our Actions by the Rule of God's Word to conform the General Practise and Course of our Lives unto the Law of Christ which is the most perfect Rule of Righteousness that is or can be given us and unto which all others ought to refer 'T is to live in Obedience to a Divine Command and to subject our selves entirely to the Will and Pleasure of him who hath the absolute Dispose and Government of our Consciences and to whom we owe all the Duty and Service we are capable of He that doth otherwise doth amiss and can never be able to justifie himself unto his own Mind much less answer it to God when he cannot do it to his own Conscience From what hath been said it appears that Conscience is as I said before no lawless or ungovernable Principle no prejudic'd or discontented Passion no affected or superstitious Impulse c. as some would make us believe 'T is no Tyrannical or Despotick Lord so as to impose its own private Dictates for Divine Commands much less the wild Extravagancies and enthusiastick Conceits of this or that Sect under pretence of Religion whereof Instances have not been wanting in this Nation and Age of ours Conscience is God's Substitute and Vicegerent and can act or impose no further than it hath Warrant or Authority from him so to do To do more than this is to exceed its Commission and to do that which all the fine Pretences in the World will never be able to bear us out in 3. NOTWITHSTANDING Conscience by many persons pretending to it hath been wretchedly Abused yet it ought not to be slighted