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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29138	A moderate short discourse concerning tenderness of conscience by John Bradshaw ...	Bradshaw, John, 1602-1659.	1663 (1663)	Wing B4154; ESTC R32859	26,615	37

are breach of our faith and promises And after that King Nebuchadnezzar had made him to swear by the name of the Lord he forswore himself and rebelled 1 ●sdr 1.48 especially when it is publick perjuries and above all treasons In the late times when men saw no punishment but rather incouragement to all disloyalty conscience should have restrained them for the actions of those times were dishonourable to Christ in the sight of unbelievers to the reformed religion in the sight of other professions to the English Nation in the sight of all Nations 2. The sins that most wound the conscience are breach of vows oathes when lawful for the matter and imposed by lawful authority such as the oaths of Allegeance and Supremacy were but the Covenant was not 2. Tenderness is ever joyned with a propensity to Gods publick worship (a) Christiana libertas non est vaga effraenis licentia qua qui quid lubet pro nostro arb trio agamus aut omittamus sed est l beratio à maledictione legis a jugo legalium ceremoniarum per Christum Beza Epist 24. I never in all my life knew a consciencious person but did love Gods worship in his house and the more consciencious the more constant in it and to it (b) Is abutitur Christianae libertatis beneficio vel potius adhuc venundatus est sub peccato qui vel suis magistratibus ve praepositis sponte non paret in Domino Thed Beza ibid. They that can sit at home without necessity whole Lords days nay many months together shew from the coldness of their affections to their God that their consciences are not tender but benummed or rather seared It is no argument Jactabi musne libertatem conscientiis permittendam esse minimè ut haec quidem libertas intelligitur i. e. quo quisque modo volet eum colat Est enim hoc mere d●abelicum dogma sinendum esse unumquemque ut si volet pereat Beza epist but a pitiful shift in too many to cover idleness pride disdain of the ministerial office and perhaps something worse to say I cannot come to Church I understand not the meaning of such a ceremony I approve not of such prayers I like not the calling gifts or disposition of such a minister I like not joyning in assembly with profane persons Doctor Ames a known enemy of the Church-government here and something inclining to the New England mode in his Book de conscientia Chap. 4. speaks thus If any through errour of conscience should judge it unlawful to be present at the Church assembly Si quis per conscientiae errorem illi eitum judicaret interesse caetui ecclesiae cui alias tenetur adesse quia ministrum illius ecclesiae improbum hominem esse novit se communicaturum putat cum ejus improbitate ille magis peccat abstinendo quam si adesset quia gravius est peccatum negligere cultum Dei quam communicare cum alterius improbitate personali in illo cultu Ames de consc cap. 4. because he knows the Minister to be a bad-man and imagines he shall by his presence there partake with his improbity he sins much more by keeping away then by being present because it is a far greater sin to neglect the worship of God then to communicate with anothers improbity except a man by being present were forced to commit idolatry Thus Amesius But no man in our assemblies is forced to practice or behold any such thing as idolatry Nor doth he that is present where sinners are at Gods worship communicate therefore with them in their sins any more then by living in the same Parish with them The ancient non-conformists were all of this judgement and so are generally if not totally the Divines of the Presbyterian judgment at this day Fearful no doubt is their sin and so it will appear at the last day to refrain Gods publick Ordinances upon such pretences much more upon pride laziness and hatred of Church-men and Church-government Atheists No greater contemners of God then such as contemn his publick worship and service who give not unto the Lord the glory due unto his name 1 Chron. 16.29 that bring not an offering nor come before him to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness Who worship not the Lord in his sanctuary Psal 29.12 nor delight to give thanks to him in a great congregation or praise him among much people Psal 35.18 more Atheism and contempt of the divine Majesty they cannot shew except they should proclaim it in every Market or write it upon every Wall that there is no God And if it be not timously prevented a deluge of Heathenism and Atheism will quickly rush in upon us Divers there are that have not been at Church for many years nor do they at all use or frequent the Sectarian Assemblies or any other but sit at home following their own occasions Others not so bad come to the publick Assemblies but very rarely very unconstantly Some come reasonable duly but it is only as hearers they never partake of the Lords Supper though never so earnestly invited and perswaded they are so bold as to plead against it as a thing needless and unprofitable they commonly urge the danger of unworthy participation and the difficulty of self-examination as a reason of Non-Communion They would make the world believe that Christ hath given some dangerous law to his Church whose yoke is easie and burden is light And some of this sort the younger sort especially come as by their carriage it appears partly to gaze to feed their wanton senses to talk and discourse of vanities even then whilst God is speaking to them in his Word yea which is worse to manifest and make known to all how little they regard the oracles of God such an heap of libertinism have the late Anarchical confusions left still behind them Insomuch that what with the Atheistical practises of some who own no Church the cold and loose dealing of others that own it at their leasure and the dividing practises of a considerable number who frequent none but such as are private the publick worship of God the glory and strength the beauty and security of a Nation is sadly eclipsed But I hope it is but in an eclipse and so will again recover Lord let not the Gates of Sion mourn which thou lovest more then all the dwellings of Jacob If it be thy goodness to thy Church Isa 30.20 that her Teachers shall not be removed into a corner but her eyes shall behold them it is no less that her people shall not remove into corners but that her Teachers eyes shall behold their people I deny not but such may be the Churches exigency as that she may for some time and in some degree bear with such as are erroneous and scrupulous when it is for the good and safety of the sound part of the

conscience are distinguisht without remorse or regard which conscience and the fear of God should restrain and are not punisht by humane laws or if so do not easily or speedily come to humane cognizance 3. Whence it follows that loosness of conscience is most discover'd in secret sins and consequently more discernible to a mans self then to another till it break out into open enormities without open signs of a wounded or troubled soul 4. That which some Divines call a sleepy or dull conscience is but a farther degree of a loose conscience for when men have inured themselves to sin against conscience this (a) Si autem vince●e imperare consueverunt laboriosa d fficultate superantur Aug. de civ Dei lib. 21. c. 16. custome takes away quickness of sense Yet is not a stupified conscience without some degree of feeling when God awakens it either with a powerful word Act. 2.37 they were pricked in their heart and said men and brethren what shall we do or with a powerful work as in Pharaohs case Exod. 9.27 I and my people are sinful For as such who are Lethargical are not easily awakened but by some great noise so neither is a sluggish conscience without a powerful word or work of God 5. The seared conscience seems to be the highest degree of a loose or wide conscience Eph. 4.19 who being past feeling c. 1 Tim. 4.2 having their conscience seared with an hot iron For as that which hath been seared feels nothing so neither doth a seared conscience till it feels hell fire and it is commonly the effect of an hypocritical profession of the faith or of a wicked departure from the faith 6. The cauterized conscience as it is of the same species with a wide and loose conscience may be called a degree of it yea the highest degree Cauterium est corruptio in carne per g●em ex qua egreditur continua putredo Aquinas in 1 Tim. 4. as it proceeds from loosness it may be an effect of it as it increases loosness and widens the conscience it may be a cause of it 7. Of all the judgments of God in this life it is the greatest to be given up to such a searedness or reprobate sense For however Desperation continued in cuts off from all mercy yet is a seared conscience no less desperate keeping off a sence of sin and therein any due sense of mercy From which miserable estate the Lord deliver us CHAP. V. Of the difference of a tender conscience from other graces nearest and likest to it 1. IT thus differs from the fear of God that this properly respects the (m) Job 1.1 fear'd God and eschewed evil Qu● hanc habet omnem odit iniquitatem per hunc timorem Dei universa deserimus mundo abrenunciamus nosque ipsos sicut Dominus ait abnegamus nobis Bern. de don sp sancti ser 3. c. 1. future Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear into their heart that they shall not depart from me but tenderness of conscience respects as well the time past as the future The fear of God seems to be the cause of a tender conscience Ecclesiastic 1.21 The fear of the Lord drives away sin Gen. 39.9 how can I do this great wickedness and sin against God 2. It differs from penitential contrition as this respects actions past but tenderness things also future and as in the former contrition seems to be some cause of tenderness 2 Cor. 7.11 that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you the heart never being truly tender till it be a broken and a contrite heart 3. It differs from vigilancy this being principally exercised about our temptations and such other dangers but tenderness about the good or evil of our actions 4. It differs not only from a scrupulous conscience but from a dubious this haesitating betwixt assent and dissent that firmly bent against any manifest evil CHAP. VI. Of the quick sense of a tender conscience being the formalis ratio of it A distinction somewhat like is in Aristot lib. 7. Ethic. c. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solum dicitur practicus dum ad factibilia agibilia inferiora convertitur Gerson 1. THis sensibility is a quick motion of the practical understanding in a suddain cheek of something done or a suddain stop at something to 〈◊〉 done 2. The practical understanding is a power of the soul which apprehends things in ordine ad opus in order to some operation as the speculative understanding in ordine ad scientiam in order to something to be known For example the speculative understanding considers of hearbs as having such virtues and operations in them the practical whether I should for such purposes use such simples and in what manner to use them The theorical intellect considers of marriage as it is the ordinance of God as a great mystery as a means of the propagation of mankind the practical intellect considers of entring or refusing such or such a marriage A Judge upon the Bench makes use of his theorick intellect when he discourses of the Laws and Statutes what they allow or forbid he makes use of the practick power when he examines and condemns malefactors by the law 3. Whence it is a rule in Philosophy Intellectus theoricus conquiescit in notitia principiorum intellectus practicus in notitia singularium Upon which is grounded the distinction of a (a) Vita humana in activam contemplativam dividitur quae quidem attenditur secundum intellectum Intellectus autem d viditur per activum contemplativum Aquin. 22. qu. 179. art 2. contemplative and an active life 4. The quick motion of this practical understanding is imperated by the will truly sanctified which lays a general charge upon all the faculties above all things what ever they do to keep all sin out of the soul Cum magna horreas Quoe posse fieri non putes metuas tamen Senec. trag in OEdip CHAP. VII Of the immediate object of a tender Conscience 1. THe object of this sensibility or tenderness is about (b) Conscientia est actus quo scientiam nostram ad ea quae agimus applicamus Aqu. 1. part q. 79. art 13. doing or having done any thing which is cleerly evil and consequently of omitting or having omitted any thing which is truly good 2. The absolute and primary rule of evil and good to a tender conscience is the express and clear Word of God rightly understood for every thing in some particular places forbidden or commanded is not the rule 3 I call Gods Word the primary and absolute rule because other rules there are which bind the conscience but they do it by the virtue of the absolute rule 4. Those secondary rules of conscience as some Divines both lately and formerly have noted are 1. The Laws Orders and Mandates of our Superiours 2. Our own spontaneous vows and promises 3. The consideration