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
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
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
instructed that being obedient vnto gouernment they offend not those are weake nor make a rent and Schisme in the seamelesse Coat or Church of Christ Iohn 19.23 Many more there are of euill consciences but I leaue them all and desire we may all leaue these because they all are euill and at last if not preuented will bring their entertainers vnto ruine when once the booke of Conscience shall bee opened For as Saint Bernard speaketh Bern. lib. de Conscient there is no punishment greater then an euill Conscience and he giueth the reason because of all our sinnes Conscience is the witnesse the Iudge the torment the prison it is Conscience which punisheth Conscience which condemneth The like hath Saint Basil Saint Gregory Saint Hierom Basil Orat. 23. de Iudicio Greg. lib. 13. moral cap. 13. Hierom. in Isay lib. 16. Chrysost hom 52. in Gen. and diuers other of the Fathers Great is the terror of an euill Conscience it was Conscience saith Saint Chrysostome that moued Abimelech to send away Isaac Gen. 26. It was Conscience that affrighted Iosephs brethren in Aegypt Gen. 42.21 It was Conscience that changed the countenance of King Belshazzar while his thoughts did trouble him so that the ioynts of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against another Daniel 5.6 It was Conscience that made Foelix tremble while Paul did reason of righteousnesse temperance and Iudgement to come Acts 24.25 Though by the grace of God in Faith and true Repentance a man may flye from the euill of conscience yet conscience and the sentence of her Court cannot be escaped Chrysost Hom. 3. de verbis Isaiae Vidi Dom. And S. Chrysostom giueth the reason Hoc enim tribunal non pecunia corrumpitur non adulationibus acquiescit c. This tribunall of Conscience is not corrupted with money nor will it cease from sentence with fayre speeches it is Diuine and will performe that for which God hath made it And this especially shall be seene when that the Booke of Conscience shall be opened Let this suffice to perswade euery Christian by flying euill to auoyd an euill conscience A word or two which may moue vs to seeke for a good conscience that ioy may be vnto vs when the books are opened The excellency of a good Conscience A good Conscience is a continuall feast as the wise man speakes Prou. 15.15 It is rich and beautifull like the Temple of Solomon It is a field of blessednesse a Paradise of pleasure the ioy of Angels the treasure of a King the Arke of the Couenant the Palace of God and the Habitation of the blessed Spirit as Hugo de Anima describes it lib. 2. cap. 9. It is as the Apple of the Eie the tree of life and the Bed of the Soule wherein a Christian desireth to rest that hee may passe from that sweet and quiet rest of Conscience in this world to that rest eternall in the world to come Paes in Iacob It is related of Augustus Caesar that when a Roman died who while he liued was infinitely in debt yet liued in pleasure that of all his housholdstuffe which at his death was to bee sold Caesar did onely wish to buy his Bed for that saith hee must needes bee of an excellent vertue which could make the owner sleepe who ought so much And if that Bed was iudged worth so much then certainely this Bed of Conscience which can giue such quiet rest amongst a world of troubles must needes bee prized at a higher rate and therefore more to bee desired For what greater happinesse can there bee vnto a Christian in this life then to enioy a good a peaceable and a quiet Conscience especially if euer he haue felt a wounded Conscience or beene affrighted once with doubts and feares and terrors like a man that 's tossed in a raging and tempestuous Sea then is there nothing comparable vnto this peace of Conscience nor any knoweth how good how excellent it is but they that haue it And yet a quiet Conscience is not alwayes good nor peace so profitable vnto the soule 1 Some peace of Conscience not good For first the Conscience that is blind and ignorant may bee at peace and quiet because it neither seeth the filth of sin nor knoweth the Law of God nor vnderstandeth what vertue is commanded or what vice forbidden or if it doe t is but as men see starres in a darke and cloudy night onely the great ones not considering the strictnesse of obedience which God requires vnto his Law therefore it feeleth not sinne nor is it troubled for iniquity because it knoweth it not but walketh on boldly to destruction And such a peace is that which may be in a Conscience that 's secure and carelesse so ouer-busied with the entizing pleasures or profits of this world or lulled asleepe in that bewitching cradle of sinnes darke impurity that such a man can finde no leasure no not to dreame of Heauen or if he doe hee soone forgets his dreame and falleth toward Hell before hee bee aware And lastly such a peace is that that 's in a Conscience dead or feared made senslesse with the custome of iniquity t is without life and therefore feeleth no warre whiles the Deuill that strong man armed keepeth the Palace but is at peace Luk. 11.21 vntill the Trumpet sound vnto the Battell and Gods mighty power awaken it from this benūmed Lethargie vnto the fearfull sight of sinne and then t is like a roaring Lyon to deuoure its owner This is a peace that 's full of bitternesse in the end and therefore to bee taken heed of as a thing most dangerous to the Soule Quest But what 's the difference may some man say betweene this euill peace of an euill conscience and that which is to be desired that happy comfort of a good and quiet Conscience Answ I answer The good and quiet Conscience rightly informed agreeth in this with that which is blind or dead or carelesse that both are quiet and peaceable but there is a difference in their peace and quietnesse The difference betweene true and false peace of Conscience For first the Conscience that is dead or blind or carelesse is quiet and at peace because it seeth not sinne nor doth it feele it or if it doth yet it is so lulled asleepe with dead security that it considereth not what good or hurt it brings vnto the soule and therefore for that time it is insensible of any trouble and a kind of peace or truce is taken in which it liueth secure But a good Conscience is quiet and at peace because it feeleth sin to be forgiuen and vpon faith and true repentance beholdeth God the Father pacified and well pleased in his Sonne Againe a dead or blinde or carelesse Conscience is at peace because it feares not sinne though oftentimes it is not free from terror of God iudgement nor maketh it Conscience of impiety but is prophane