Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	doctrine_n	scripture_n	tradition_n	1,725	5	9.4842	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85852	A discourse of auxiliary beauty. Or artificiall hansomenesse. In point of conscience between two ladies.	Gauden, John, 1605-1662.; Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667,; Walker, Obadiah, 1616-1699,	1656 (1656)	Wing G355; Thomason E1594_1; ESTC R202122	94,239	212

preachers think fit to gratifie as their own persons so their kind hearers and spectators Somewhat wide of those pristine severities which I have been told were required of the clergy who by the Canons of the Church and customes of ancient times we denied to wear any silk or softer garments not because they were sinfull in themselves but lesse sutable to the strictnesse of that discipline which in those times holy men saw fit to exact especially of Ecclesiasticks as most exemplary for the restraining of those prodigalities and luxuries which in both Clergy and Laicks would soon exhaust that charity which was then mostwhat expended in relieving the poor in building and adorning Churches in redeeming captives and the like I do not lesse willingly own my weaknesse than my sex being farre from any such Amazonian boldnesse as affects to contend with so many learned and godly men who have and daily do expresse in this a contrary sense to mine yet I think it very veniall for me to assert if I can both the ornaments and liberties of my sex as to their persons and consciences by answering specious fallacies and producing stronger arguments To which I doubt not but all serious and impartiall Christians not captives to custome prejudice and popularity will at last subscribe not as to the sense of a weak woman but of omnipotent verity and victorious truth which though late yet may at last be redeemed by the help of a woman from that long captivity wherein both it self and many worthy persons consciences were unjustly detained God oft discovers as femall softnesses in some mens hearts heads and hands so masculine and heroick strength in some womens we read two women famous the one for her conduct of the warre the other for her consummating it by destroying Sisera the chief leader of a great army Another woman dashes out the braines of king Abimeleck Another saves by her loyall prudence the city Abell from the miseries of a long siege and those punishments which justly prosecute as the heads so the abettors of sedition against Lawfull Soveraigns I know God hath given both reason and Scripture to women as well as men nor have we lesse liberty granted to traffique in all truths both humane and divine though our talents and treasure may be farre lesse than the masse of many mens readings yet they may be as refined and digested our two mites may not be despised which we offer to Gods Temple if they have Gods Image and superscription on them coyned and stamped in the mint of all religious reason the word of God whence all things that concerne faith or manners as to salvation and damnation receive their authoritative stamp and value It is time for us at length to get beyond that servility and sequaciousnesse of conscience which is but the pupillage minority and wardship of Religion inquiring and heeding not what saith the Lord but what saith such a Father such a godly man such a preacher or writer It is the priviledge and honor of Christian Religion for which the Bereans are commended to search the Scriptures and examine by them even the Apostolicall doctrines nor doth our reformed Religion where it most merits that name unjustly glory in that freedome by which as to matters of truth or error of sin or no sin it is redeemed from the slavery of mans private traditions and confined to the oracles of God to whose generall rule sense and Analogy all Catholick and unwritten traditions as to the practise discipline and order of Religion do agree without any enterfiering with the holy Scriptures to which in matters of internall holinesse we are confined though in things of externe decency the wisdome and custome of the Church is a safe and wholesome rule to which as we are by Scripture commanded obediently and unanimously to conforme in things honest and by generall precepts allowed So in matters of saving faith and holy life we must neither believe nor act by an implicite faith and twilight credulity but from a well informed and rightly convinced conscience that forbids us to be either profane or superstitious either over righteous or over wicked Salomon tels us that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep his Commandements Christ tells us it is but a Pharasaick pride and vanity to teach or urge humane traditions or opinions for Gods Commands And truly after all that your LaP Ladyship hath smartly urged in this case I cannot but wonder that neither Salomon in his various sentences of the Proverbs nor in his holy Satyr against humane vanities in Ecclesiastes No nor yet he that was greater than Salomon either by himself or his disciples should ever particularly instance against all or any painting or complexioning of the face No nor God by Moses where so many lesser precepts are expressely given sure they would not all have omitted this so wholy if it had been what some pretend such a flat and downright sin considering how obvious in all eyes and nations the use of it was and is § Sure learned and godly men ought not in wisdome justice and charity to extend the cords or curtaines of duty and conscience beyond the stakes and pillars of Religion which are fixed by the word of God whose service and glory needs not the fancies fallacies or flatteries of mans inventions more than a royall robe needs beggers patch It is not for sober men to enlarge the Phylacteries of their own opinions beyond Gods precepts nor to comment by false and specious glosses either against or beside his holy will in the word which must needs be a farre greater sin than any light applying of some quickning wash or colour to the face in as much as it is more dangerous to injure the conscience than to alter the skin Ministers ought not to be as hard harted and rude handed Surgeons who make their probe a punyard and will rather make a wound where they search for one then loose their labour or seem to want either skill or patients § As to that practicall faith or assurance of the lawfulnesse and liberty granted by God both as to the thing done and the doer I presume my grounds are safe and good since I find that God hath given us as men and Christians all things richly to enjoy That no creature is forbidden under the Gospell to the pure of heart That there is neither morall light nor Scripturall precept against the ingenuous and modest use of this more than of other helps of any bodily insirmity or deformity Since it may as well as any thing be used soberly thankfully and harmelesly without any impediment to grace and weldoing also without any advantage or intentionall occasion to sin § So that I cannot but vehemently suspect I leave it to wiser persons peremptorily to conclude that the dreadfull rigors of some ministers and others have in this case of Artificiall handsomenesse been too magisteriall Their