THE ANATOMIE OF CONSCIENCE OR A THREEFOLD REVELAtion of those three most secret Bookes 1. The Booke of Gods Prescience 2. The Booke of Mans Conscience 3. The Booke of Life In a Sermon preached at the generall Assises holden at Derby in Lent last 1623. By Immanuel Bourne Master of Arts and Parson of Ashouer in the County of Derby Acts 24.16 And herein doe I exercise my selfe to haue alwayes a Conscience voyd of offence towards God and towards men LONDON Printed by G. E. and M. F. for Nathaniel Butter and are to be sold at his shop neere S. Austins Gate at the Signe of the Pyde Bull. 1623. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND RIGHT REVEREND Father in God Iohn Lord Bishop of Lincolne Lord Keeper of the great Seale And one of his Maiesties most Honorable Priuie COVNCELL The true Honour of a good Conscience in the Church Militant and the reward of true Honour in the Church Triumphant SO many are the Bills of Complaint Right Honorable of those who are dayly petitioners vnto your Lordship for your graue and Conscionable Iudgment in matters of Equity that there needeth no further testimonie to perswade the Consciences of all those who mourne for the iniquities of the Times That eyther Conscience is fled already from Earth to Heauen as it was long since complained of Iustice or else the most of men are euen now plotting to banish her out of the world exercising themselues contrary to the practice of S. Paul to haue alwayes their Consciences not voyd but full of offences both towards God and towards men But praised be the Lord of mercy who hath shewed kindnesse towards his Seruants and placed your Honor as the Lord-protector of Conscience in these perillous times of her persecution Amongst diuers others whose hearts-desire is bent to manifest their thankefulnesse to God for his Grace already shewed and to pray for a dayly encrease of happinesse vnto your Lordship I am emboldened to send this Anatomie of Conscience to be reuiued with the warmth of your Honorable fauour in this cold and frozen Age of the world It was at first preached before the Honorable and worthy Iustices of Assise for the County of Derby Sir Henry Hobart Sir Edward Bromely the memory of whose free Approbation with the rest of that worthy Auditory hath since emboldened mee to cast an eie ouer it once againe and that I might satisfie the desire of some few to publish it for the benefit of many And now if it please your Lordship to vouchsafe vnto it a shadow of Protection I shall not cease to pray in priuate as I doe in publike That the Lord will so guard you with his glorious Angels guide you by the direction of his gracious Spirit That all your Counsels and Actions may tend to the Glory of his holy Name the Reliefe and Comfort of the oppressed the good and benefit of this Church and Common-wealth And thus commending you to the safe Tuition of the great Lord-Keeper of Israel I rest London Iuly 14. 1623. Your Honors most humble and dutifull Chaplaine IMMANVEL BOVRNE THE ANATOMIE OF CONSCIENCE REVELATION 20.12 And the Bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the Booke of Life Preface SAint Basil the great who was Magni nominis in Ecclesia of great account in the Church of God expounding those words of the Prophet Esay 1.17 Discite benefacere Learne to doe well hee giueth this excellent admonition worthy to bee followed of euery Christian Habete in oculis terribilem judicii diem tanquam Pedagogum Haue alwaies before your eies that terrible day of Iudgment as a Pedagogue or Schoolemaster not onely to instruct but by an awfull respect to keepe you in well doing And if that great and generall Assises when wee must all appeare before the tribunall Seat of Christ be a meditation fitting for euery Christian and that at all times and in all our actions as S. Basil intimates then certainly it must needs be verbum in tempore a word not vnfitting for the time and season to speake of iudgment and the preparation to iudgment at a time of iudgment to speake of that generall in this particular in this present of that for to come And rather because there is an Analogie a resemblance a similitude betweene them For the Spirit of God to declare that loue of God to man describing in sacred Scriptures the things of God oftentimes descends to mans capacity and as in other so in this portion of Scripture For being to shew Iohn the day of Iudgment and the manner of Christs preparation hee takes a similitude from earthly Iudges whose place of iudgment is commonly a Throne or Seat made more conspicuous then the rest set forth in state conuenient for so high an Action vpon which the Iudge ascendeth being clothed with Roabes and ornaments of iustice wisely ordained by antiquity as emblems of that grauity sincerity and maiestie of a Iudge the very sight of whom is and should bee both a ioy and comfort to the innocent and a feare and terrour to the nocent the Iudge being set with his Assistants and in a readinesse next are the Prisoners brought vnto the Barre and then the books are opened examination taken and euidence giuen and last of all the sentence is pronounced to acquit the innocent and condemne the guilty This is the forme of temporall iudgment And in a manner not much vnlike to this if you cast your eyes vpon this vision you may find the proceedings shall bee in that last and generall Assises The diuision of the Vision For first S. Iohn beheld a Throne most white and pure in which no spot of foule iniustice could be seene and him that sat thereon euen Christ that righteous Iudge both God and man from whose maiesticke face The earth and heauen did flye away as the Spirit speakes in the first part of the Vision Next this appeared the Prisoners The dead both small and great all people from all quarters none excepted and these all Did stand before God as ready to receiue their tryall So it followeth in the immediate words before my Text. Thirdly the Iudge proceeds to examination of euery person and euery action and this in the words that I haue read The Bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the Booke of life Lastly examination being taken and euidence giuen the Sentence is prâ—â—â—unced accordingly this you may see in the words adioyning And the Dead were iudged of those things which were written in the Bookes according to their workes When I first cast mine eyes vpon this Vision I saw it was not vnfitting for this time But is too much to bee comprehended within a regular houre as S. Bernard calleth it and therefore resolued onely on the words of my Text. And the Bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the Booke of life This is the preparation vnto the Sentence and indeed the rule and square of
your sinnes no more Esay 43.25 But for your righteousnesse that shall bee had in euerlasting memory your workes of piety and works of pitty shall not be forgotten Mat. 6.4 Mat. 25.36 Though other men vniustly censure you it is God that seeth in secret and will reward you openly your zeale for truth and righteousnesse are in his presence Act. 10.4 your prayers and almes-deeds are gone to heauen before you your sighs and sobs and teares in secret he putteth into his bottle Psal 56.8 and all these things are noted in his Booke Reioyce therefore in the Lord alwaies and againe I say reioyce for it is for your good that the Bookes are opened And thus you haue seene the first booke the booke of Gods eternal prescience and foreknowledge 2 The Booke of Conscience opened The second followeth and this is Liber Conscientiae The Booke of euery mans particular Conscience for this also shall be opened at that last day of reckoning as the Master of the Sentences affirmes in his fourth booke and forty three Distinction Now Conscientia dicitur cum alio scientiae saith Aquinas Conscience is said to bee knowledge with another Aquinas prim parâ— Sum qu. 79. aâ—tic â—3 and well it may because God and conscience beare witnesse together Or Conscience is Cordis sâ—ientia the science or knowledg of the heart because the heart knoweth both it selfe and other things Hugo de anima liâ— 2 cap. 12. When it knoweth other things it is called science and when it knoweth it selfe it is called conscience as Hugo de anima obserues Therefore the Scripture calleth Conscience the Heart 1 Ioh. 3.20 and rightly it may in this respect because Conscience reflects vpon the Heart being enlightned by the vnderstanding and hence it is Concludens scientia a concluding science as the Schoolemen speake arguing out of principles from whence it either acquitteth or condemneth vs in all our actions I cannot stand to shew you at large the diuers opinions of the Schooles and other Diuines concerning this Booke of Conscience I will as briefly as I can giue you a touch of some few that you may the better conceiue what Conscience is Oriâ—en lib. 2. in Rom. Origen hee thought that Conscience was euery mans particular Angell a good conscience a good Angell and a bad conscience an euill Angell but this conceit was weake without proofe or approbation Some thinke this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sparke of Conscience to be Habitus animae Relicta rationis sciâ—â—â—lia Aquinas 1. par Sum. qu. 79. artic 12. 13. A habit of the Soule to which Aquinas bendeth in the first part of his Summes Question the seuenty nine Article the twelfth But in the thirteenth Article he concludeth that it properly is rather Actus animae An acte of the Soule reflecting vpon it selfe and by application of the vnderstanding iudging what is good and what is evill Some haue deemed it to bee Res mixta A thing that 's mixt of both partly a Habit and partly an Act so Durandus and other Schoolemen Some later Diuines doe thinke it to be an office or function of the Soule set as an Arbitrator not onely to examine Humes Perkins but to giue euidence and iudge of particular actions between God and man For as that office of the soule by which a man doth thinke or imagine is called the minde and that by which a man discusseth and discerneth things conceiued is called the reason or iudgment and that wherby the things apprehended and discussed are preserued and kept is called the memory Euen so that function or office of the soule wherby a man vpon enquiry is certified that the things which hee hath done are good or euill is called Conscience And this office of Conscience the most affirm to be a diuine facultie or power in the soule working vpon it selfe by reflection For thus the Conscience by cooperation and help of other faculties in the soule produceth seuerall effects according to the seuerall subiects or actions about which it is conuersant declaring to the Soule what is the state and condition of it and by this means it is affected either with ioy or griefe with feare or boldnesse when it thinks on God the maker who knoweth the soule and Conscience as the Conscience knoweth it selfe And thus is Conscience an excellent part of the Image of God in man for as God looking into himselfe from all eternity seeth himselfe and begetteth his Sonne the expresse image of his Father euen so the Soule of man which is diuine looking vpon it selfe seeth and beholdeth it selfe with the state and condition thereof Quest But how can this be may some man demand Answ I answer Euen as in a looking-glasse a man seeth his owne face by reflection and discerneth the beauty or deformity of that the eye seeth it selfe which else it cannot So in Conscience which is the eye and glasse of the Soule the Soule beholds her selfe and sees her owne beauty or deformity together with the print or stampe of euery action which it hath committed eyther good or euill giuing euidence to God and to her selfe and iudging eyther for vs or against vs as the deed requires The seate of Conscience Some haue placed this Conscience in the Will or Heart of man some in the Memory some in the Vnderstanding which hath a two-fold operation the first Theoricall and thus the vnderstanding onely contemplates and considereth of truth and falshood but goeth no further The second Practicall and so it considereth euery particular circumstance searcheth whether it be good or euill vnder the later of these Conscience is comprehended not that conscience is a part of a part only circumscribed in the vnderstanding as a part of that for though the vnderstanding bee the Throne and Palace of Conscience where it exerciseth the principall offices yet as the soule is Tota in toto Similitude tota in qualibet parte corporis whole in the whole and whole in euery part of the body though chiefly in the head or heart so the Conscience is whole in the whole soule keeping a Court in the whole and yet exercising not euery part for the soule is indiuisible in respect of parts but euery faculty and power of it In the vnderstanding it is a Iudge discerning the actions and giuing sentence to acquire or condemne according to that Rule or Law with which it is enlightened In the memory it is a Register to witnesse what is done or what is not done In the Will and Affections an executioner to punish or reward with ioy or griefe with boldnes or terror according to the fact or feeling of it The manner of working in the ConscieÌ„ce The manner of working is by a kinde of practicall syllogisme The Maior is that Law seated in the vnderstanding The Minor brought by the memory I remember I haue done or not done according to that Law of God The conclusion followeth
conscience with what corruption they obtain the Cure of soules so they may get it and then they care as little for to feed them except it bee with meat that is worse then poyson their own bad example by which they bring themselues and others to destruction Luc. 11.35 Mat. 5.13 14. A wofull thing when that the light is darkned and the salt hath lost his sauour when as the Preachers life should lead to heauen it leads men to perdition Sometimes amongst the Lawyers it is entertained of such who make no conscience to excite and stirre vp men to needlesse suites Luc. 11.46 encouraging to warre when peace is better entertaining Causes with their armes wide open and receiuing fees with both hands with one to speake with the other to hold their peace And when they haue got a man to bee their prisoner they feed him then with bread and water of affliction vntill his purse bee emptie or his state consumed what time they send him home amongst his neighbours to end the controuersie with two honest men in stead of twelue Sometimes this large and spacious Conscience is amongst the Gentry where it is entertained of such who make no conscience of most vile oppressions grinding the faces of the poore racking their Tenants at so high a rate that though themselues their wiues children are their Land-lords slaues yet can they not be kept from beggery And as little Conscience doe they make of Sacriledge a sin as common and worse then the former whiles they are not content to robbe the Church of all her ancient rights but in prophane and wicked manner by symoniacall compacts sell both themselues their Priests and people to the Deuill and this they thinke is no sin it is so ordinary because their Conscience is now asleepe but they shall one day finde it so when as the booke of Conscience shall bee opened Sometimes amongst the Iurors and that at time of Assise and Sessions you may easily finde this Conscience to bee in those who make no conscience of an oath but contrary to their oath will giue their verdict not as truth and conscience would direct them but as malice or affection leads them But woe to such for their conscience one day shall bee both a witnesse and a Iudge against them when once the Booke of Conscience shall bee opened And commonly this Conscience is amidst the Common sort especially inferior Officers who should be euen the life of Law in bringing wickednesse before the Iudge and after sentence giuen in seeing Iustice executed But they haue Consciences as wide as hell either for feare of greatnesse or for loue of baseness smothering vile enormities which not being kild in time haue filled the land with sinnes that cry for vengeance And this though men be sworne yet doe they suffer because their booke of Conscience is not opened And thus you see the large and spacious Conscience and the seuerall sorts of men by whom it is entertained Conscience 4 There is yet Conscientia superstitiosa a superstitious Conscience most commonly amongst our ignorant Papists blinded with shadowes circumstances ceremonies deceiued with shewes and selfe-conceited opinions of Antiquity vniuersality infallibility of iudgment succession of gouernment and the like being wedded to will-worship Isay Coloss 2.18 and sporting themselues in the prison of ignorance vntill it pleaseth God to bring them as he doth many of them before they die out of darknesse inâ—o light and from the power of condemning error vnto the sauing Truth of God Conscience 5 And there is Conscientia scrupulosa a scrupulous or dubious Conscience 1 A dubious Conscience in matters of substance which if it be in Substance in the tender-hearted Christian assaulted with the violence of Satans sleights or ouer-burdened with the sight and sense of selfe-corruption or terrified with too much contemplation of Gods fearfull iudgments due to sinne for the guilt of which the Conscience is accused and affected with too little of Application of Christs precious merits and those gratious promises of pardon and freedom from Gods direfull vengeance vpon The causes of doubting in a tender Conscience true repentance and faith in Christ If this bee the cause of feare and scruple in this kinde of Conscience which sometimes brings the weake and feeble Christian to the mouth of Hell and pits-brinke of despaire Then though in the end it turneth vnto the good of Gods Elect to moue them to a tryall of their states to search and proue their hearts and consciences to finde out what 's amisse and what 's the cause of this their doubting whether their sinnes which perhaps haue long lien hidden kept secret in the closet of their hearts not truly seene nor felt nor yet repented of or their security in which before they were lulled asleepe being idle and neglecting to vnfold their Booke of Conscience Or their want of faith in Christ and firme affiance on Gods true and neuer-failing promises Or their trust too much vnto themselues seeking for peace and comfort more in the measure of their owne righteousnesse then in the free imputed righteousnesse of Christ Or lastly in their ignorance and erroneous iudgment of a Christians state here in the Church that 's militant and those many combats we must vndergoe before we passe from all our enemies or get within the gates of Paradise for any one of these may bring a Christian from the rock of stedfastnes to a world of doubts and feares Though in the end I say these feares and scruples may procure this good vnto the soul to see it selfe and find the cause of this distresse yet is this sicknesse dangerous and the cure is difficult And therfore here the weak and tender conscience had neede to pray and seeke a wise a holy and a good Physitian who like Christ may poure in wine and oyle the Law and Gospell tempered together with piety and discretion Luc. 10.34 and applyed with a soft and gentle hand vntill the Conscience being rightly informed may see the cause and labour to remoue it that so a setled stedfastnesse may bee obtained A dubious conscience in respect of circumstance And how this may bee I shall shew the meanes God willing when I come to speak of Conscience as 't is good to which I rather refer this Conscience though it be sicke weak and doubtful because it may be in the best dearest saints of God But if this Doubting bee in Circumstance as t is often in the selfe-conceited Separatists who are ouer nice and curious in tything Minte Annis and Cummin in standing vpon shadowes ceremonies and things indifferent But too carelesse otherwise letting the greater matters of the Law alone as our Sauiour sometimes told the Pharises in this respect their predecessors Mat. 23.23 Then though their desire bee good to doe nothing contrary or against their conscience yet were it farre better to seeke and labour that their Conscience may bee rightly
deaths and hellish torments and all for Christ because their Conscience was to them a heauen of ioy euen in a hell of griefe of sorrow This is the benefit of a blessed Conscience which the Saints shall then receiue at full when as the Booke of Conscience shall be opened Rules of Counsell to get and preserue a good Conscience A word of Counsell before I end this Booke To get and keepe a good and quiet Conscience take these rules with you for a guide to all the rest Since that your Conscience is and shall bee both a witnesse and a iudge First labour rightly to informe your Conscience lest blindnesse lead your Conscience out of the way and then shee erre in iudgment And next since Conscience is alwaies neare at hand being placed of God within you be sure to aduise with Conscience before you haue vndertaken any action First aske her counsell whether it be lawful which you intend to do or no if your conscience doubt then stay your heart your tongue your hand nor thinke nor speake nor doe before your Conscience be resolued For as S. Paul affirmes that what is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 In Roman so Origen Fulgentius Augustine Chrysostome Aquinas with the Schooles all the Current of our late Diuines conclude that case of Conscience Doe nothing doubting therefore but if your conscience once be quiet then be you sure to obey the checke of Conscience sinne not against it for he that sins against his conscience loseth the sweete society of a good and getteth the trembling company of an euill conscience The close of this Booke Be alwaies guided therfore by a well informed conscience directed by the Law and Word of God thus shall you still enioy that blessed peace euen when the Booke of Conscience shall be opened The third Booke The Booke of Life And thus you haue heard the second Booke the Booke of Conscience A word in briefe of the third and last And this is Liber vitae the Booke of Life Of this Booke you may read in diuers places of the holy Scripture Moses speakes of it to God Exod. 32.32 Dauid rehearseth it Psal 69.28 So doth the Prophet Isaiah Chapter 4.3 and in Daniel it is remembred Dan. 12.1 Reioyce saith our Sauiour because your names are written in heauen Luc. 10.20 S. Paul calleth it the Booke of life in which the names of the Saints are written Phil. 4.3 So doth S. Iohn Reuel 3.5 And so it is named in my Text And another Booke was opened which is the Booke of life Explication By this Booke some vnderstand Christ himselfe Foelix Bidembachius prompt exequ Class 9. Them 31. in whom wee were chosen before the foundation of the world God hauing predestinated vs vnto the adoption of children by Christ vnto himselfe as S. Paul speakes Ephes 1.4 5. And into whom being wild Oliues by nature wee are ingrafted by grace and stand by faith Rom. 11.17 and 19 verses And in whom the Saints Elect doe and shall abide as the branches in the Vine Ioh. 15.5 Christ dwelling in them and they in him 1 Ioh. 3.24 And in whom they shall bee found at the day of iudgement for At that day yee shall know saith Christ that I am in the Father and you in mee and I in you Ioh. 14.20 And being found in Christ when the Bookes are opened they shall certainly be saued for that of S. Paul is now and shall bee alwaies true There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.1 Perkinsus expositione symboli Zanchius de libro vitae Others vnderstand this Booke not of Christ himselfe but of that Decree and minde or purpose of God in which hee hath set downe all those whom in and by Christ according to the counsell of his owne will hee hath ordained to life eternall The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 that is whom hee hath chosen to life and happinesse If it be taken in eyther sense first of Christ himselfe who is Arbor vitae the Tree of life and Liber exemplaris a liuing exemplary Book the characters of whose most vpright steps wee should learne to imitate in all our actions and who in some respect may well bee called The Booke of life Or of that other Booke the booke of Gods decree which is truely and properly the Booke of Life It is true of both that both these shall bee opened at that day of Assises that which now is secret shall then bee shewed to all it shall then bee knowne whose names are written in Christ or whom God hath decreed to life eternall All these Bookes shall be opened the Booke of Gods prescience the Booke of mans Conscience and the Booke of life And according to these Bookes examination shall bee taken of the prisoners and euidence giuen vnto the Iudge and as this is giuen so shall the sentence bee declared Vse 1 O happie thrice happie then shall that man bee in the Booke of whose conscience shall bee found those characters of faith and righteousnesse which may agree to those are written in the Booke of Life For as in time of Grace there is no man truly giueth his name to Christ or relisheth aright his Gospell but they whose names are written in the Booke of Life So in that time of iudgment there is none shall be found written in that Booke of Life but those who in the time of mercy haue had within their hearts and consciences imprinted as in a Booke Heb. 11.6 Heb. 12 14. those golden letters both of faith and holinesse at lest in such a measure as God in Christ hath promised to accept For as of old in the returne from the captiuity of Babylon those Iewes who could not find the writing of their Genealogie and shew their Fathers house were put from all their Offices as vncleane and might not bee in number of the Priests Nehemiah 7.64 So in that Generall returne from the Captiuity of Babylon the Babylon of this world Brightmannus in Apocalyps those only shall haue places in the Church Tryumphant and liue as Kings and Priests with Christ who can bring forth this written Booke the Booke of Faith and Holinesse in their hearts and consciences as a true Copie or Counterpane of that Booke of Life and proue themselues by Faith and Holinesse to bee the Sonnes of God For as God hath elected vs to Happinesse in the Kingdome of glory which is the end at which we ayme and which wee endeuour to obtaine so hath he chosen vs to Faith and Holinesse which are the meanes to bring vnto that end as Saint Paul witnesseth Ephes 1.4 Vse 2 And therefore woe and misery shall bee vnto the wicked whose Booke of Conscience is not faire and white like to the Saints made glorious with the engrauen forme of righteousnesse imputed and inhaerent But foule and blacke in which they dayly write enormous crimes and euery moment spot
Iustitia praeueniens a preuenting Iustice to encourage to vertue and by timely punishments to keepe from greater mischiefes The second is Iustitia puniens punishing iustice to cut downe vice with extremity when the wound is growne incurable Psal 201.1 The first is mercy the second iudgement The first hath place in criminall the second in capitall offences Of the first many a one may say and that truly Periissem nisi periissem I had perished vnlesse I had perished if I had not beene punished for idlenesse drunkennesse or prophanenesse I had beene punished for theft or murder or worse impieties And of the second many a one hath said and that as truly Si periissem non periissem If I had beene punished by my parents or gouernours or magistrats for lesser faults I had not now been punished with this shamefull death for so foule and horrible a wickednesse this you may often heare if you bee present at the execution of such Malefactors So that as many a man doth suffer death for his owne offences so is many a man hanged for the negligence of his Parents or Masters or Gouernours who should by timely punishments haue preuented such danger Thankes bee to God we haue many worthy Iudges in this Kingdome who are carefull and zealous for the execution both of the one and other Iustice But the care of them is not sufficient without the helpe and assistance of others For though they be Gods yet are they not Omniscient they cannot see all offences nor know all offenders There bee many sinnes which cry for Vengeance and yet the cry of them is eyther stopped before it commeth to their Eares or else the sins themselues like painted Harlots are so guilded ouer with colours of deceit that their vgly countenances cannot bee seene and by this meanes they escape vnpunished I must now therefore turne my speech vnto you who are Assistants and Helpers in the Execution of Iustice And for such who are of a Higher Order appoynted as Iudges in priuate Sessions for punishment of lesser offences and to binde ouer the rest to the Examination and Tryall of this Greater Assises I may speake it with Ioy for the Honour and credit of this Countrey In which I am yet but a stranger I know some and I haue heard of many Honorable Worshipfull Learned and Religious Iustices whose care and Conscience is dayly published in their seuerall Circuits by their seuerall actions And I pray God yee may goe on in sincerity of soule and Conscience knowing for certaine yee shall not lose your reward when the Bookes shall bee opened and that day of Refreshing shall come Acts 3.19 Last of all for Inferiour Officers who are either to informe the Court by their Presentments according to Oath and Articles giuen in charge or else to prosecute and see Iustice executed when information and sentence is giuen I doubt not but amongst these also there are many honest religious and conscionable men who will doe their best both for preuenting and punishing Iustice But if all bee such what meaneth then this bleating of the Sheepe lowing of the Oxen voyce of King Agag which still sound in our eares as Samuel told Saul 1. Sam. 15.14 whence is there so many impieties that still lurke in Corners oftentimes daring to Out-face the Law and in spite of reprehension continue amongst vs Similitude This sheweth plaine that as there is Iustitia the free course of Iustice amongst such who are friends of Conscience and Equity so there is Iustitiam a stay and stoppe of the Current of Iustice amongst those who for feare or affection or corruption Wiliel 〈…〉 Linwood de purgatione Canonica spare to punish impiety There is a rule in the Canon Law that if a man bee Defamed apud bonos graues amongst good and graue men being presented to the Ordinary hee may be enioyned his purgation Cum Sexta manu honestorum virorum with six of his honest Neighbours and if hee faile in this be put to his Penance It it much to bee feared that if some inferiour Officers were put to this Tryall they would faile in purgation and for their Periury haue Penance enioyned them And happie were they if this might wash out the blots of their Consciences yea seuen yeares penance as was long since decreed in the Ancient Canons Canon Fabian for such kinde of Offenders But woe bee to that soule whose Conscience is spotted with that soule impurity The stay of Iustice is like the stay of a current or running streame it will on a sudden ouerflow the bankes and if it haue not passage spoyle a whole Countrey It were farre better that one rotten member should be cut off from the body then the whole body perish and much more profitable that one corrupt Officer should be seuerely punished then that Execution which is the Life of Law should be put to death I haue heard of a complaint in some Countryes remote that when the Churchwardens haue presented offenders they haue beene called to the Court and paying their Fees the Chancellors or Officials or their Deputies or Surrogates haue presently dismissed them and so the businesse ended no reformation no penance enioyned no satisfaction to the Congregation And the Constables and inferiour Officers haue complained as much of Temporall proceedings But I hope there is no such complaint can iustly be taken vp in these parts of the world Omnia venalia Romae Al things are vendible at Rome but for Bribery Periury let them not be heard of in our Land for both are abhominable and Periury aboue all is a crying wickednesse I haue read of an excellent law amongst the Turkes that If any man did sweare his tongue should bee shaued and washed in vineger If all false swearers amongst Christians had receiued this punishment wee should not heare a complaint of so many knaues of the post who are not ashamed to say one to another Lend my friend an oath this Assises and I will lend thy friend an oath the next A fearefull saying for while they lend an oath to their friend they forfeit their soules to the Deuill A watchword to the Iurymen Take heed of this all you who are called to giue in euidence or who are empannelled on any Iury either for tryal of rights or of life and death which is most dangerous let not feare nor fauour draw you from iustice but stand out boldly with courage in a rightfull cause Sinne not against your Conscience for though the Papists may tell you M. Parsons Reckon cap. 4. Sect. 11. Pag. 265. pag. 64. Bulla â—ii Quin. confirmed by Greg. 13 against Qu. Elizabeth that Aequiuocation is lawfull or the Iesuits preach that the Pope can absolue from an Oath yea the Oath of Alleageance that a Subiect may take armes against his Prince or by treason murther a Magistrate who is not of their Religion yet Christ Iesus taught no such doctrine nor his Apostles nor the ancient Fathers of the Church nor doth the Church of England approue it Deceiue not your selues therefore but informe your consciences aright and giue euidence thereafter Conclusion And to conclude all Zech. 5.2 3 4. Read at your leasures that fift Chapter of the Prophecy of Zechary the second third and fourth Verses And thinke on that fearefull curse which shall remaine in the house of the false swearer and consume it with the timber and stones thereof And remember this vision a part of which is my Text that as certainly as there is now a particular Assises wherein you are now to giue euidence or verdict and to assist in the iudgment of others so the time shall come when there shall bee a generall Assises wherein Christ Iesus that Prince of righteousnesse shall be the Iudge wherein you your selues shall bee the Prisoners for none are excepted wherein the Bookes shall bee opened the Booke of Gods prescience the Booke of euery mans particular Conscience and the Booke of Life And the Dead both small and great yea both dead and liuing euery man and euery woman that are or haue beene or shall be hereafter in the world they shall all stand before God and bee iudged of those things which are written in the Bookes according to their workes In the feare of God therefore labour earnestly to get and preserue a good Conscience in all your actions and pray with feruency for the assistance of Gods gracious Spirit and my prayer shall be the same for you all which S. Pauls once was for his Christian Thessalonians That the very God of peace will sanctifie you throughout 1 Thes 5.23 and I pray God that your whole spirit and soule and body may bee preserued blamelesse vnto that comming of our Lord Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit bee ascribed all honour and power and glory all might and maiesty and dominion now and for euer AMEN Blessed are all they who remember that last great and generall Assises when those Bookes shall bee opened and endeauour to get and preserue a good a pure and a peaceable Conscience in all their thoughts words and workes The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God the Father and the sweet and comfortable fellowship of God the Holy Spirit bee with vs blesse preserue and keepe vs and euery one of his Saints and Seruants both in bodies in soules in estates and good names from all dangers and from all our enemies both spirituall and temporall the rest of this day and for euermore AMEN FINIS Gloria Trin-uni Deo