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
their Soules with foule impieties So that there is no agreement with their Booke of Conscience and the Booke of Life and therefore without true repentance while the Sun doth shine and day of Grace doth last in stead of Life Heauen of ioy a Death and Hell of woe shall be their portion O then beloued Application Origen Hom. 5. in Leuit. if as Origen obserues when a cause is to bee pleaded before an earthly Iudge which concerneth a Title of Land vpon the least feare or doubt a man will bee so carefull and watch so diligently that all things may bee in readinesse his witnesse prepared his Counsell informed that the best of his cause may be opened and if it bee possible the Iudge before-hand possessed that the right is on his side though it be as often it proues to be on the contrary How much more carefull should euery Christian bee to prepare himselfe that hee may bee in a readinesse before that tribunall Seat of Christ when his title to heauen it selfe shall be called in question and except his euidence be good and assurance firme in the law of faith he shall lose not a Cottage but a Kingdome the Kingdome of Heauen that light and life of glory and be cast into vtter darkenesse where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 25.30 It deepely concerneth euery Christian therefore to haue a care of this in all their actiōs especially those men vnto whose care and conscience is committed the execution of Iustice and Iudgment Because such are publike persons and at that day of Assises when the Iudgement Seate is set and the Bookes are opened Daniel 7.10 They shall giue account vnto God both for their owne soules and the soules of others of all those whom God at any time hath deliuered to their charge for looke what good hath followed by their care and faithfulnesse in their seuerall places they shall not lose their reward the reward of glory shall be giuen them And looke what euill shall ensue by their negligence or vnfaithfull dealing they shall not lose their reward the reward of shame confusion shall be their portion For the bookes shall opened and God will render to euery one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their workes A particular Exhortation Application to the Auditory Euseb lib. 10. c. 1. Bellarm. descriptor One word therefore of Exhortation to you my Auditors in particular who by Gods prouidence at this time are appointed for the execution of Iustice and I haue done It was decreed in that first generall Councell holden at Nice about the yeare of our Lord three hundred and thirty in which that wicked Heresie of Arius was condemned by the consent of three hundred and eighteene Fathers as Ecclesiasticall Histories relate That to preuent the dangers which delay might bring to the Church there should be twice euery yeere a Prouinciall Synod or Councell of the Bishops in which they should examine all cases of Controuersie and end them to procure peace of the Church the first of these Councels was held Ante dies Quadragesimae before the time of Lent and the Second Circa tempus Autumni about the time of Autumne as it is expressed in the first Canon of that Nicen Councell And the like commendable custome hath long since beene instituted in this Kingdome for temporall gouernment in the time of King Henry the second that wise and learned Prince as some writers affirme since whom Itinerary Iudges Boterus like Samuel that patterne of Iustice haue had both their Circuit and Center For as Samuel went from yeare to yeare in Circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpeh and iudged Israel in all those places and returned to Ramah that Center of Iustice where he iudged Israel againe and built an Altar vnto the Lord as you may read 1. Samuel 7.17 Westminster the Center of Iustice So is it also with vs blessed be God for it vnder our Royall Moses whose peace and prosperity God long continue amongst vs and let our hearts answer Amen Amen we haue our learned and religious Samuels our iust and righteous Iudges which for our vnspeakeable benefit come home vnto vs into euery Shire and corner of the Land executing Iustice and Iudgement for the maintenance of vertue and punishment of vice And in that Common place of Iustice whither they returne as to their Center at Termes appointed sitting on Thrones of Iustice and weighing each mans Cause with an equall ballance both in Law and Conscience that the oppressed may be deliuered and wrong dealers punished These like Conscience are Demi-Gods on earth I say ye are Gods saith the Psalmist to whom is appointed from God and our gracious King this high and honorable office Psal for the glory of God and good of the Kingdome And for whom as S. Paul exhorteth Supplications and prayers and intercessions and giuing of thankes is to be made that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim. 2.2 To speak in particular therefore to you my honorable Lords I must say as S. Bernard sometimes said to his Auditors Non est mea humilitatis dictare vobis It is not for my humility to dictate vnto you or tell you what you should doe I know you are wise you are learned you are religious the booke of your Conscience is already opened and therefore mercy and iudgement law and conscience will be your guide in all things And for this I will pray that casting your eyes vpon this vision and viewing euery part of it at your leasures August lib. de fide ad monach In Christi Judicio sine acceptatione personarū sine ambitu potestatum aequaliter iudicabuntur Domini serui diuites pauperes Plutarch in vitis illustr comparatione Numa Lycurgi Magister Sent. lib. 2. distinct 26. Aquinas prim secund qu. 109. art 9. you may take the example of Christ to be your patterne that auoiding those dangerous flatterers friends in shew but enemies in substance that is loue or hatred feare or couetousnesse by which iudgement is often peruerted you may be endued with Iustice and Fortitude like Numa and Lycurgus those two famous Gouernours and being armed with vertue as with an inuincible shield keepe the Castle of a good Conscience inuiolable Thus shall ye find that peace of Conscience that most happy companion of a righteous man euen when the booke of Conscience shall bee opened S. Augustine in his Enchiridon Chapter the thirty two the Master of the Sentences Aquinas and the Schoole men vpon them obserue a twofold grace of God necessary for a Christian the first is Gratia praeueniens a preuenting grace to prepare our wils and hearts to workes of pietie The second is Gratia subsequens a subsequent grace to assist and helpe vs forward in well doing And in like manner there is a twofold Iustice necessary for the well gouerning of a Common-wealth the first is
that most righteous iudgment a patterne most fit for imitation and most profitable to bee remembred to keepe vs iust and right in all our actions The Bookes were opened Explication Almighty God in Scripture is said to haue Books not properly but per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by that vsuall metaphor in which the Scripture speakes to mens capacity that men might vnderstand the will of God so in the former and so in this part of the Vision for God needs not bookes to register mens names or actions hee is infinite in knowledge and of endlesse memory knowne vnto God are all his workes and so all both words and workes of men from the foundation of the world Acts 15.18 But thus the Vision was to shew by this the matter that shall then bee put in execution the bookes shall then bee â—pened â—hat is euery man and euery worke shall then be tryed and as euidence is giuen and actions found so shall the sentence he pronounced Diuision of the Text. There are diuers kinds of Bookes in Scripture mentioned some giuen to God and some to man I onely cast my eies vpon my Text. And to let passe variety of opinions and iudgments of Diuines about these bookes I finde as most accord these bookes are three Perkinsius in symbol Seb. Meyâ—r in Apocalyp Inchino de nouissim The first is Liber praescientiae the Booke of Gods eternall prescience or fore-knowledge The second Liber conscientiae the booke of euery mans particular conscience Both these are vnderstood and not expressed but of these Diuines expound those former words The bookes were opened The third and last is Liber vitae the booke of life and this is named in the words that follow And another booke was opened which is the Booke of life The Booke of Gods prescience opened Of these in order by assistance of Gods gracious Spirit your Christian patience and the times permission And first of the first of these most secret Bookes The booke of Gods eternall prescience and foreknowledge This shall be opened at that great Assises For as the Lord is a God of knowledge 1. Sam. 2.3 knowing euery word in our tongues as Dauid speakes Psal 139.6 hauing all things written before-hand in his Booke ver 16. And discerning the hearts of the Children of men Prou. 15.11 So will hee manifest this knowledge at that day of iudgment Mat. 10.26 There is nothing hid that shall not be reuealed there is nothing secret shall not be brought to light Luc. 12.2 God will bring euery work vnto iudgment with euery secret thing whether it be good or euill 2 Cor. 5.10 Eccles 12.14 Iudg nothing before the time saith S. Paul vntill the Lord come who will bring to light the hidden things of darkenesse and make manifest the counsels oâ— the heart 1 Cor. 4. 5. Aderit dies illa in qua omnia facta hominis quasi in quadam tabula picta demonstrabuntur S. Hieronym Epistol ad Occanum Basil Tract de virginitat as S. Hierom speakes That day shall come in which all the deeds of men shall bee made plaine as it were in painted tables Yea not onely the actions but the way and meanes which euery one hath vsed in committing wickednesse as S. Basil testifieth to whom S. Chrysostome S. Chrysost hom 5. in epist ad Roman Simil. 1. and diuers other of the ancient Fathers agree But how shall this bee may some man demand I answer Euen as in euery house or chamber the ayre is full of sands or moats which cannot be discerned vntill the Sunne beames make the ayre seeme light and then these Atomi these moats are seene in great abundance Euen so those secret sinnes which now lye hidden within the chambers of mens hearts when as the Sunne of righteousnesse shall lighten euery corner shall then be manifest vnto the eies of all Simil. 2 Or as in winter when the earth is couered with the snow the fowlest bogs and most vnwholsome places seeme faire and white as doe the best but when the Sunne once comes and melts the snow then is the difference seene and that place presently auoided which before at vnawares a man with danger of his life might soone haue fallen into So when the heauens shall bee on fire and the elements shall melt with feruent heat and Christ the Iudge of all dissolue the Snow that is vnmaske the fowlest face of Diabolicall hypocrisie then shall the vgly countenance of sinne be shewne and those polluted soules which like deformed bodies couered with gay apparell haue walked in silken roabes of seeming righteousnesse stand naked vnto all beholders abhorred of God and men and Angels for their blacke impieties Vse Tremble then yee Hypocrites who make the world beleeue yee are holy iust and good while horrid wickednesse is guilded ouer with colours of deceit who thinke to cozen God with faire pretences as yee can doe men But yee are deceiued God knoweth your secrets now and then shall make them manifest vnto the world Then is a time of tryall when the siluer shall be seuered from the drosse and the wheat winnowed from the chaffe for his fanne is in his hand and hee will throughly purge his floore and gather his wheat into his Garner but burne vp the chaffe with vnquenchable fire Mat. 3.12 Hierusalem shall then be searched and that with lanthorne and candle-light Zephan 1. that is Zephan 1.12 Bern Serm 55. in Cantic the Saints themselues shall be enquired into as S. Bernard interprets it And Quid tutum in Babylone si HierusaleÌ„ manet scrutinium saith the same Father What shall become of Babylon the prophane and wicked world if Hierusalem the holy City shall be scanned Quid facient tabulae quando tremunt columnae as speakes S. Gregory What shall the slender Tables doe when the Pillers of the house doe quake and tremble If the greene tree be cursed for bearing onely leaues without good fruit Mat. 21.19 what shall bee done vnto the dry which bringeth not forth so much as leaues of good profession hauing neither shew nor substance of deuotion in them Certainly confusion shame and infamie shall bee their portion hellish horror shall take hold vpon them when God shall open the Booke of his prescience and make them a gazing stocke to Angells men and Deuills Application Wherefore if any such be present let my counsell be acceptable vnto you breake off your sinnes by righteousnesse and your iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore Daniel 4.12 if so be there may bee a healing of your tranquility if not you haue heard already what shall then betide you when the Bookes are opened Vse 2. But as for you yee Sons of righteousnesse whose hearts are vpright towards your God lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth nigh Luc. 21.28 Blessed are yee for your iniquities are forgiuen and sinnes are couered Psal 32.1.2 The Lord will blot out your transgressions and remember
abused to make the sute immortall and more costly then the cause is worth but this is no deede of Conscience Ambros serm 50. And Saint Ambrose giueth the reason Sine excusatione est qui Conscientiae suae iudicio condemnatur Hee is without all excuse who is condemned of his owne Conscience he who is iudged by another may sometimes hope for pardon but hee who is iudged by himselfe of whom should hee require it of none but God who is aboue the Conscience And therefore by true faith and true repentance he must fly from himselfe to Christ before he can haue peace And lastly Iudgement being pronounced Execution is not delayed which is her last Office and this shee performes in her owne person for sentence is no sooner giuen but presently she affects the innocent with peace and ioy vnspeakeable and the guilty with feare and torture that cannot be expressed This iust reward is not deferred till aftertimes but beginneth in present both to the one and to the other The godly haue their Heauen begunne on earth Philip. 4.7 enioying that same Peace of Conscience which passeth all vnderstanding And the wicked enter into Hell before they dye Marke 9.44 Esay 66.24 hauing that worme of Conscience their companion which shall liue for euer to torment them Chrysostom Hom. 16. ad popu Antioch so Saint Chrysostome As he that liueth in wickednesse is punished before he goe to Hell being stinged in Conscience so he that liueth in righteousnesse before he goe to Heauen enioyeth a ioy vnspeakeable Preuention of obiection And thus you see what Conscience is and what her actions are by which shee is discerned from other faculties of the soule and acts or actions of the minde and will of man Perkins as intelligence opinion science faith prudence or the like Intelligence simply conceiues a thing to bee or not to bee Opinion iudgeth it to bee probable or contingent Science knoweth it to bee certaine or euident Faith is a perswasion whereby wee beleeue things that are not or assent to the truth of things that are Prudence discerneth what is fit to bee done and what to bee left vndone But Conscience goeth further then all these for it not onely giues euidence and examines but determines or giues sentence of things done by saying vnto vs this was done this was not done this may bee done this may not bee done this was well done this was ill done and in execution either rewarding or punishing vs for what wee haue done or left vndone either good or euill Thus is Conscience of a diuine nature being placed in the middest as an Ambassador betweene God and man and giuen by God vnto him for a perpetuall companion It is like thy shadow Nec fugere nec fugare potâ—ris thou canst neither flie from it not make it flie from thee Ague fits are shaken off this neuer Ruth 1.16 but like Ruth to Naomie it will follow thee whither soeuer thou goest the body shall leaue the soule and the soule shall leaue the body for a time but the Conscience shall neuer leaue the soule but whither soeuer the soule goeth thither shall the Conscience repaire and in what state thy Conscience is when thou departest out of this life in the selfe same it shall meete thee in that day of iudgment and shall remaine with thee either a comfort or a torment to thy soule for euer It is true that in this life Conscience sometimes is not felt but as it were benummed or senslesse and then vnto the godly man who mourns because he cannot feele that ioy of conscience which his soule desires 't is like our Sauiour fast asleepe in the bottome of the shippe while his Disciples were tossed with the waues Mat. 8.24 And to the wicked who could wish it were dead indeed 't is like the muzzled Mastife tied in chaines which can neither barke nor bite and therfore lets the theefe commit his wickednesse with pleasure But when this Conscience is awakened or the chaines thereof vntied then to the godly 't is like Christ â—â—mselfe the soueraigne comfort of the soule But to the wicked like the Mastiffe set at libertie or like a Fiend of Hell to rend and teare his soule in peeceâ— Conscience in this world is often as a booke shut vp or fountaine sealed but at the day of iudgment it shall bee opened and then both good and bad shall feele the power of it The Bookes were opened saith the Text And it is S. Chrysostomes obseruation Chrysost in Psal 50. Conscientia est codex in quo quotidiana peccata conscribuntur The Conscience is a booke in which our daily sinnes are written and so is our righteousnesse also our good actions as well as our euill both these shall be brought to light when the bookes shall bee opened Aug. lib. 20. de Ciuit. dei cap. 15. So S. Augustine virtute diuina fiet c. By the diuine power it shall be brought to passe that to euery one their workes either good or euill shall bee called in memory and with a wonderfull celerity by the eie of the minde they shall bee seene that the Conscience may either excuse or accuse and as that beareth witnesse so shall the owner of it be either saued or condemned Vse Oh then beloued How should this opening of the Book of Conscience at that last generall Assises moue euery Christian in the meane time to labour earnestly for the auoyding of a bad and obtaining of a good Conscience 1 An euill conscience in respect of faith Conscience is either de fide or de moribus it concerneth either the faith or life the knowledge or practice of a man a good conscience in both is to be sought after and a bad in both to be auoided If wee looke vpon Conscience in the first respect wee shall finde some Consciences to bee euill led aside to errour and oftentimes to heresie by wrong information being deceiued by Satans subtilties or drawne away by false teachers 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. and 13 14. of whom S. Paul giueth warning 2 Tim. 3.6 and S. Peter seconds him in his second Epistle second Chapter And 't is a wonder to see what misery these deceiued soules doe willingly endure rather then offend their consciences in any thing though blinded by a false intelligencâ— witnesse the Idolatrous Gentiles and superstitious Iewes of whose madnesse the Scripture giueth a testimony and many Christians also whose weak and tender soules are much afflicted for want of growth in spirituall vnderstanding and sound iudgment in knowledge of the truth and therefore both to be pittied and prayed for so strong are the bands of ignorance worse then Aegyptian darknesse so powerful is Conscience once awakened to keepe a man in obedience to that rule and law Exod. 10.22 with which it is enlightened and of the truth of which it is perswaded yea to the shadow of that truth
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