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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03759	A short exposition of the 20. and 21. verses of the third chapter of the first epistle of S. Iohn Containing a very profitable discourse of conscience, and of al the actions, sortes, and kinds thereof, wherby euery man may easily know his estate, wherein hee standeth in the sight of his God, and whether his conscience be good or euill, with all things also belonging either to get a good conscience, or else to releiue it out of trouble, being grieued and wounded, as in the epistle to the reader is more specially mentioned, and in the discourse itselfe clearely expressed.	Howesoun, John.	1600 (1600)	STC 13878; ESTC S116556	26,751	68

as Papists or yet in the common sort of people that in mouth professe Christ but yet in works doe deny him who are all cast into the spirite of slumbering numnes or hardnes of hart who hearing hear not nor seeing cannot perceaue but are sensles and blockish vnto the time that God doth loose the brydle of their consciences and setteth before them their sinnes committed and the punishmente due vnto them Then may we see in many of them how greeuously they are tormented and what sorrowfull ends they doe make while some of them doe hang themselues Some drowne themselues Some cutte their owne throtes some of them doe stogge themselues to the hearts with kniues daggers or swordes And all to rid themselues out of the intollerable and feareful griefe of conscience as they doe falsly suppose vnto whome Iudas and Kain are fearefull patrons and teachers As to that wicked Spaniyard Alphonsus who when he could not by any meanes disswade his brother Diasius by faire meanes from the profession of the gospell to embrace Papistrie anno 1551 hee cruellie murthered him And therefore greeued in Conscience there after did hang himselfe at the councel of Trent The like also did Robert Long a man at armes in Calice a false witnes against William Smyth preacher anno 15●● who grieued in conscience therefore did immediately thereafter runne to the water and drowned himselfe So heauie lay that sinne of false witnesse bearing vpon his conscience And what shall wee say of George Brodway suborned by the councell of Calice about the same time to beare also false witnes against Thomas Brooke Who therefore went about to cutte his owne throate for griefe of conscience when he was stayed to doe the same and the knyfe taken from him wherewith he had wounded himselfe he became stark madde and so dyed Sir Iames Halles also Knight and iustice of the common place for greefe of conscience that he had denied the knowen trueth and embraced papistrie at Queene Maries commande drowned himselfe Gregory the seuenth as witnesseth Benno dyed desperatlie at Salernum of the onely greefe of conscience vnto whome we may adde Latimus Eckins and Thomas Blaverus Scotus who all miserablie and in desperation ended this life for onley griefe of conscience and who list to read moe of this number and of all sortes both of men women he shall finde many that miserablie for griefe of conscience in desperation haue ended their liues in that booke which is intituled Historia Tragica Therefore of all burthens the griefe of conscience is the greatest But heere the question may bee demanded 5 Question why some of all these sortes of people do dispatch thēselus of this life by so violent death and some others againe do dye so quiet or rather sencelesly with out griefe Answere Answer that the cause is in respecte that some feeling no sinne in this life do departe like drunken and brutish swine and waken not out of their hellish sleepe vntill they be in hell and the tormentes thereof fully sease vpon them Some are surcharged with the deadly sleepe of sinne vnto the end of their life and vthers overburthened with sinne are wakened in this life throgh the weight thereof And the others being surcharged ouerburthened with sinne in this life doe dye like barking madde dogges in desperation without Christ and true repentance with Kain Iudas Iulian the Apostate and others Of these two sortes there bee most of the firste in this last age wherein Christ shal finde no faith at his comming but all persons for the moste parte sleeping in that deadly security wherin they shall assure themselues of peace when as nothing is neearer hand vnto them then fearefull and endlesse torment of conscience the worme whereof shall neuer die c. Wherfore the Lord as saith the Apostle commandeth all such to waken and ryse vp from the sleepe of sinne by faith repentance and holie conversation that while they haue time Christ may giue them light Thus much touching the griefe of conscience both in the heathen and also in the prophane and superstitious professors of Religion Secondly we finde that the tormente of Conscience 1 Examples of Gods children Consciēce is a wound which no Physitian can heale euen in Gods children in such as are renewed with his spirit is a greefe intollerable and so greate both in all Christs members vpon whome it is layde and also in their head Christ him selfe that it is heauier then a thousande deaths and yet no wayes to be relieued with any comforte or solace vnder the heauen as all other griefes may bee bee they neuer so great for example let vs take Iob Iob. 3. who for the losse of all his substance authoritie children and health of body neuer shrunk nor quailed vntil his vnhappy friends wounded his Conscience and then he affirmed and complaned that God had fastened in him sharp arrowes sette him as a butte to shute at and made him to possesse the sinnes of his youth So heauie a burthen was this wounded hearte and Conscience vnto him who vnder all other troubles was a patterne of al vprightnes and patience neuer beeing mooued therewith anie thinge at all as it were vntill this griefe did prick him The like may we also beholde in many others of the peculiar seruantes of God as in Dauid Ezechias and Ieremie 2 who neuer did faint vnder any griefe notwithstanding of all their infinite troubles but onely vnder the burthen of a wounded Conscience wherwith when they felte themselues surcharged they then were like Cranes chattering Sparrows mourning and Pellicants casting out fearefull cryes So that with mourning like Doues their hearts did cleaue to the duste and their tounges to the roofe of their mouthes Yea euen the Lorde our Maister and Sauiour Christ 3 the true Image of his Father God and man when in his manhoode he felt this wound his Godhead lurking for the time albeit vnder all his other troubles which hee sustained for our sakes he was couragious yet heerein feeling his fathers wrath for our iniquities the which for them he was to sustaine he complained that his soule was heauie vnto the death and earnestly prayed that if it were possible that that cuppe should passe away from him which was so bitter that while he prayed hee sweate bloud and before he departed this life pitefully cryed three seuerall times that God had forsaken him What a ●●●efe is a ●●oubled ●●nsciēce Of these premises al men may vnderstand that are not a sleepe vnto euerlasting condemnation what a thing it is to possesse a grieued condemning heart or troubled Conscience For there is no sicknes which is not vnto death but Physick is provided or may be had for it no sore but Chirurgerie wil aforde a salue for it Friendship helpeth pouertie hope of libertie imprisonment sute and fauour recouer men from banishment and time and authority weares away reproch

the freedome and libertie that we haue by Christe from the rigour of the law which craueth perfite obedience and condemneth all imperfection But sinne hath no more dominion ouer them that are in Christ Ro. 6.14 Gal 3.13 1. Ioh. 5.3 because they are not vnder the Law or rigour thereof but vnder grace and in Christ 11 And therefore it is that God accepteth our imperfite obedience if it be sincere yea and as the Prophet sayth Will for worke Mal. 3.16 12 and Desire for Deed. The third is freedome from the ceremoniall law For after that the truth of all those shadowes is come wee are no more vnder the shadowes to keepe and obserue the same which serued to the Iewes as a schoole-maister Gal. 3.25 Ephe. 2.15 Gal. 3.14 to lead them to Christ who was to come but we hauing the truth to wit Christ who is alreadie come and hath suffered for vs in the flesh haue no neede now of those types and shadowes of the ceremoniall law Thus much concerning the first stay and property of a regenerate Conscience 13 The secōd propertie or stay of a regenerat Consciēce Rom 8.15 Ephes 4.13 Math. 14 31. 21.21 Iames 1.6 Ro. 8.20 The second property or stay of a regenerate Conscience especially when this same excuseth is an infalliable certaintie of our sinnes to be pardoned and of life euerlasting by faith in Christ wrought in our hearts by his spirit wherof al the scriptures of God beare witnes that are heere vnder written against that desperate doctrine of the Bishoppe of Rome and Councell of Trent As Rom. 8.15 Ephes 4.13 Math. 14.31 Math. 21.21 Iames. 1.6 Rom. 4.20 Therefore it is that Basilius demandeth this question What is the property of faith To the which demaund he answereth that it is to be one assured perswasion voyde of doubting disputation Of these places of Scripture aboue mentioned 14 let euery christian make this reason to wit Euery one that beleeueth is the child of God but I beleeue I therfore am the childe of God and Gods children must needs be saued Wherefore I cannot perish against the doctrine of the papists who will haue vs to doubt of our Saluation against the Scriptures of God and Articles of our beliefe which doe command euery man woman both to say I beleeue in God In Iesus Christ his onely Son our Lord who is God also equall with his father In the holie Ghost who is likewise God the third person of the Godhead 1. Ioh 3.2 And finally both to beleeue remission of our sins and life euerlasting But to doubt and to beleeue are words which importe contradiction God commandeth vs to beleeue the remission of our sinnes life euerlasting through the merits death of Christ in the Articles of our beliefe the Pope and Councell of Trent do accurse al such for presūptuous persons as doe not continually doubt of the remission of their sinnes certaintie of Saluation and life eternall And therefore the conclusion is true that the Pope is aduersary to Christ and consequently that same Antichrist the mysterie of whose iniquitie beganne euen in the dayes of the Apostles and which hath so increased sensine that in all the heads of Christian religion his doctrine is repugnant vnto Christs And in this point directlie to the verie Articles of our Christian beleefe It may bee demaunded heere by way of question 15 Question Answer A good conscience may both accuse and excuse at one time but not in one respecte if one and the same conscience may not both accuse and excuse Gods children at any one time Answer that it may For else if our Conscience should not still accuse vs when wee doe amisse then shoulde manie great sinnes assaulte vs at once make hauock of our soules And therefore wee affirme that it may both accuse vs and excuse vs at one time but not in one respect For it excuseth vs in that it assureth vs that our persons doe stand righteous before God as cloathed and couered with the righteousnesse of Christ And in respecte that we haue our desire and doe endeuoure ourselues in the generall course of our whole life to walke vprightlie and to please God And yet neuerthelesse of this it muste needs accuse vs perpetually for our particular slippes and for the manifolde wants and imperfections that bee in all our good and beste actions by reason whereof it telleth vs perpetually in our care Luek 17. that we are vnprofitable seruants Thus much of a good Conscience 16 Euill conscience what and why it is so called Now followeth an euill Conscience which is so called partly because it is corrupted by originall sinne and partly by reason it is euill that is troublesome and painefull to our sence and feeling as are vnto vs all other sorrowes calamities or miseries whatsoeuer which for this same cause are called likewise euils 17 The propertie of an euil cōscience is ever to accuse Luke 5.8 The propirtie of it is euer to accuse condemne and thereby to make them that haue it affrayde of the presence of God and to flee from him as from their enemie Example in our first parents in Peter who falling downe at Christes knees besought him to goe from him in respect his Conscience toulde him and accused him that he was a sinfull man 18 Euill conscience is ether dead or waking Euill Conscience is eyther dead or waking and stirring the dead Conscience is that which albeit it can but accuse lyeth commonly quyet accusing little or nothing at all and that for diuers causes to witte want of reason strength and force of wicked and fleshly affections ignorance of Gods word and reuealed will A dead Conscience hath two properties the first is to be benūmed 19 A dead consciēce hath two properties Gen. 44.16 vnfeeling or dosened as that of Iosephs brethren for the space of two and twentie yeares or thereby This raigneth in drowsie Protestants luke-warme Gospellers and ciuill honest persons who liue without common slander to the gospell Of this kinde of Conscience let vs take heede For it is like to a wilde beast who so long as it lyeth a sleepe troubleth nothing but when it awaks flyeth into mens faces and deuoureth them This is it that the Poets did call the Furies because it pursueth them that haue it vnto death and desperation The second property of a dead Conscience is 20 to be feared or burnt as the Apostle saieth with an hotte yron that is the Conscience which is past all feeling in this life and is neuer mooued with the remorse of sin thorowly or to any purpose And this is in the onely obstinate wicked and such as are giuen vp into a reprobate minde Rom. 2.15 This shall be wakened at the day of death and last iudgement by God to accuse and condemne them that haue it whē the bookes of the dead both

of the great and small shal be opened 21 A stirring consciēce hath foure degrees 1 Accuseth for euil doing Lastly a stirring euil Conscience doth eyther accuse or excuse it hath foure seuerall degrees or differences The first that accuseth a man for doing euill is an euill conscience albeit by occasion or accident it serueth to bee a preparation to grace by the goodnes of God As the needle that draweth the thred through the cloath by making a hole in the cloath serueth to sowe it also For to accuse is euer a defect and was not in man by creation And therefore is one of the foure degrees of an euill conscience 22 2. accuseth for well doing 23 3. Excuseth euill doing The second is that which accuseth for well doing and is in Idolaters as not to say or goe to Masse accuseth a Papist The third is that which excuseth euil doing is found likewise in Idolaters who when they slay and burne the Godly their eroneous conscience excuseth them 24 4 Excuseth wel doing in vnregenerate persons The fourth and last excuseth well doing in carnal and vnregenerate persons Example in Abimeleck not committing adulterie with Abrahams wife which was a thing morallie good in it selfe but not in the vnregenerate person whose ciuill good workes are nothing else but glistering sinnes and this Conscience is but Carnall and not regenerate Ro 14 14 For as to the cleane by faith al things are cleane So to the vncleane that want faith nothing is cleane nor acceptable in Gods sight how good soeuer otherwaies the same be morally because the persō who lacketh faith in Christ is vncleane and therefore cannot please God Let vs therfore drawe neere vnto our God with true and penitent hearts 25 in assurance of faith as saith the Apostle being voyde of an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water For it is by faith that the iuste doe liue Heb 10 22 Act. 15.9 Heb 10 38 39 the which wee must follow vnto the conseruation of our soule that all our workes may be acceptable to our God through Christ our Lord. The Fourth parte FOr as much as hytherto wee haue shewed both what consciēce is 1 what the troubles thereof are As likewise what are both the actions and the kinds thereof It remaineth fourthly lastlie to shew what is mans duety concerning Conscience how hee may preuent the troubles thereof and being troubled in his heart and spirit how he may releeue his conscience and exoner the same of all the troubles and wounds wherewith it may be grieued in this life 2 Mans duetie is two fould concerning conscience Mans first duetie is in this behalfe to purchase and get a good conscience for by nature seeing we are all the children of wrath we haue it not And his second duetie is to keepe it well when he hath gotten it 3 three thing are needefull For the getting of a good conscience three things are needefull to wit a preparation to it Secondly the application of the remedy and thirdly prepared the reformation of it 6 Gal. 3.10 Preparation what The preparation to it requireth the knowledge of the law that thereby wee may vnderstand what is good or euill 2. The iudiciall sentence therof which telleth vs that the curse of God is deue to all men for euery sinne 3. An earnest examination of our Conscience by the law that thereby wee may perceaue and vnderstand what is our estate before God and vpon this duety the Prophets doe stand very much For heereby it is that we come to the knowledge of our wretchednes miserable estate before our God Wherefore Lamen 3.40 Ieremie saith Let vs search and trye our waies and turne againe vnto the lord Zephaniah Zepha 2 1 Gather your selues euen gather you O nation not worthy to be loued before the decree come forth and yee bee as chaffe which passeth in a day and before the fierce wrath of the Lord come vpon you c. For the law is a yoake saith the Apostle That neither we nor our fathers we are able to beare Act. 15.10 Hereby all men and women may easily see 5 that by nature we are most miserable because we are vnable in our own defaulte to doe the works of the Law fulfill that obedience which we owe of duetie to our God and that therefore we abid naturallie accursed This our miserable estate when wee know it by the law it bringeth forth in vs a sorrow and griefe in respect of the knowledge of the punishment for sin arysing of the knowledge of our dueties towards God conteined in the lawe of our inability to performe the same And thus much concerning our preparation to obtaine and get a good Conscience 6 The application of the remedy 2 The application or applying of the remedy whereby to heale our sorrow griefe conceiued of our wretched estate by the knowledge of the law which is onely the bloud and merites of Christe who for vs in his Conscience felte Gods wrath and the punishments of all our sinnes requireth two things that is the preaching of the gospell and faith For the gospel is the hand of God the father offering vnto vs grace mercy in christ Rom 3.20 Rom 10 4 1 Cor 1 3 Gal. 3.24 And faith is our hand whereby wee lay holde on him and receaue him with all his benefits For as by the law commeth the knowledge of sinne so is the righteousnes of God by faith in Iesus Christe made manifest without the law vnto al and vpon all that beleeue For hee is the ende of the Law for righteousnes to euery one that beleeueth and the ende of the law is to iustifie them that obserue it Wherefore Christ hauing fulfilled it for vs is made our righteousnes wisedome sanctification redemption This much of the application of the remedy against the sorrow desperation arysing of the knowledge of our miserable estate by nature when wee doe beholde the same in the and mirrour of the law Where wee haue to learne 7 two things needefull to apprehende and keepe Christ that two things are most needefull for vs who desire truly to enioy and possesse this remedy The first is seriously to humble our selues before God for all our wants and especially for such as lye open in our Cōscience accusing and condemning of our selues before his holie maiestie For so shall we put Conscience out of office performe that work our selues in this life which Conscience would performe to our eternal damnatiō in the life to come For if we iudge our selues saith the Apostle we shal not be iudged 2. We must oftē with grones and earnest prayers humblie beseech the Lord for Christs sake to forgiue vs our sins that so wee may be sure of his fauour and forgiuenes of them all And because that this humiliation standing in these two poyntes there are