continuall feast These ought to be handled plainly but Theologically And this will we doe if God permit as the Apostle speaks Heb. 6. 3. The first Point There is a certaine inmate placed by God and associated to the soule called Conscience We say indeed in vulgar speech that such a man hath no conscience or is a man of no conscience but that is but a Catechrestical form of language like that of the Italians who when they speake of some notable deperdite wretch say He 's a man without a soul and like that of holy Scripture which saith of some men that a they have no heart But to speak properly and as the thing is there is no man be he never so lost and reprobate minded but hath a naturalâ— Conscience A natural body may as easily walkâ— in the Sun without a shadow as the soul can in the light of naturall reason or of the word of God without the reverberations and ecchoings of Conscience Heare b Tullies divinity in this point We have each of us received from the immortall God a conscience which can by no means be separated from us Many for the more wholsome aire or better soyle have changed their place of abode and others to converse with God and themselves have abandoned the societie of men and dwelt in wildernesses and solitary retiremeÌ„ts where Satyres have danced and Ostriches dwelt yea and many have been so hacknied and tired out with the miseries of this life which like an heavy pack and an ill saddle have wrung their backs that they have leaped out of the pan into the fire and shifted their souls from their bodies but there was never any yet could shift Conscience from the soul Nero shifted from chamber to chamber but still his mother Agrippina's ghost seemed to pursue him Bessus in Plutarch was chased by himselfe too but still the swallows seemed to charter his crime There 's scarce any thing in nature so small and contemptible but can make a separation betwixt the soule and the body a hair in a draught of milke did it to Lucâ—â— a â—â—ie to Adrian a kick of Nero's heel to Poppea lice to Herod wormes to Antiochus mice and rats to Hatto Bishop of Mentz a meere conceit a thought a fancie to thousands but there is no gulph so deep no precipice so steepe no sword so sharpe no not that sword which can divide between the marrow and the bone which can make the conscience sever it selfe from the soul but still c Nocte dieque suum gestant in pectore testem That is Wake men or rest Within their brest Conscience will be a guest To proceed then What is this thing we call Conscience and wherein doth the power and efficacie of it consist Answ. It hath been long said Conscience is a thousand witnesses and it s as truly said Conscience hath a thousand definitions and descriptions A man would thinke there were much Conscience in the world to consider all the books that are written of the nature and cases of Conscience It may be said of them as S. John closeth up his Gospel The world would scarce containe the books that should be written if all were printed that hath been said talked disputed preached written of Conscience And yet as little may be spread and dilated into much so may much also be contracted into little As a great mountaine may produce only a little mouse so a little nut-shell may hold great Iliads Whosoever then understands these three Greeke words {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or these three Latine words Lex Index and Judex or these three English words a Law a Witnesse a Judge is in a good way of proficiencie to understand the nature and essence of Conscience for in the execution of these three acts Conscience officiateth and dispatches its whole duty For first Conscience is a Law or a fair tablet wheâ— in is engraven by a divinâ— hand those truths anâ— principles which move iâ— set it a working Whicâ— principles are either naturall or acquired and hereupon comes in the distinction of Conscience naturall and illuminated And these principles being preserved and kept in the Conscience they are as Land-marks to her to saile by and as a law to her to live by in which regard this first act of Conscience is by the Greekes called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is the records or conservation of right 〈◊〉 â—om â— ver. â—5 the Apostle cals it Lex scripta in cordibus The law written in our hearts For the second Conscience is a Witnesse or Evidence declaring and proving the truth whether the party standing at the barâ—e hath done contrary or according to that law for if the fact agree and hold measure with that law which Conscience tendered then it is Excusing witnesse or a witnesse pro if otherwise then it is an Accusing witness or a witness con in which regard this second act of Conscience is by the Greekes called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is a Science with or together and Saint Paul in the same text Rom. 2. 15. expresseth both these testimonies Their Conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts ACCUSING or EXCUSING and thus Conscience is Index a signe or token For the third Conscience is also Judex an upright and impartiall Judge comparing together the law and the fact in the pursuance of a right sentence and out of that collation causing to result either a sentence of absolution the white stone Revel. 2. 17. if the fact agree with the law or a sentence of condemnation a the black stone if the law and fact jar and disagree This act the Greeks call {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and to this judiciary act of Conscience belongs that text of Saint John 1. epist. 3. chap. 20. ver. If our hearts condemne us c. and Saint Chrysostome glossing upon Psal. 4. 4. Commune with your owne hearts c. bids us b Erect the tribunall of Conscience The summe thus farre is thus much Conscience is a Law propounding the rule to walk by a Witnesse to give in evidence for matter of fact a Judge to give sentence according to the evidence Another way to find out the very quidditative nature and being of Conscience may take the rise and hint from that Text 1 Pet. 3. 21. c The answer of a good Conscience as there the Apostle phraseth it so as Conscience is a response or returne to three severall queries The first question is de jure touching the Law or right as What is the rule or principle by which I am to be directed in this or that case what to do and what not to doe Unto which question Conscience is an answer by reading the letter of the Law and opening the code or booke Apoc. 20. 12. and declaring the law written in the heart
THE BOOKE OF CONSCIENCE opened and read In a Sermon preached at the Spittle on Easter-Tuesday being April 12. 1642. By JOHN JACKSON LONDON Printed by F. K. for R. M. and are to be sold by Daniel Milbourne at the New Exchange and at the holy Lambe in little Britaine 1642. TO THE RIGHT Honourable Sr RICHARD GURNY Knight and Baronet Lord Major of the City of London together with the Right Worshipfull the Sheriffes and Aldermen of the same City The continuall feast of a good Conscience be ever multiplyed SIRS MAy it please you The Scottish King being imprisoned in Mortimers hole comforted himself and deceived the sorrowes of his bondage by scraping the Story of Christ crucified upon the wals with his nailes Even so God writeth the lawes and dictates of Conscience upon a wall the wall of Conscience Murus aheneus so as all the rules of Divinity of nature of nations and of positive lawes as they relate to Conscience are like the hand-writing Dan. 5. herbae Parietariae wall-flowers And they are written and sculptured with a naile too but a more stiffe and potent naile then that of the Scottish King Judge not ex ungue c. but by a retrograde crisis judge the naile by the finger which is expresly called digitus Dei Exod. 31. 18. and what can the naile of such a finger be but unguis adamantinus as it is adjuncted Jer. 17. 1 and need it hath to be no lesse unlesse the pen be more soft then the paper for if our hearts be hearts of adamant Zech. 7. 12. then the stile that writes characters upon them had need be a pen of iron and the naile of an Adamant I present here your Worthinesses with a booke a booke as St Bernard ingeniously for the rectifying whereof all other bookes are written I except not the very Booke of bookes it self For there are foure Bookes written by God for the sons of men which are thus to be classed and ordered They are either the Bookes of Grace or of Nature The Bookes of Grace are either outwarâ— or inward The outward Booke of Grace is the holy Bible The inward Book of Grace is the holy Spirit the great Doctor of the Church The outward booke of nature is the world or book of the Creatures which is God unfolded The inward Booke of nature is this very booke whose seales I have in the ensuing Traâ—â—aâ—e broke open the Book of Conscience so called Apoc. 20. 12. That which one likes another will dislike some have been such grosse flatterers as to commend Nero and some againe such detractors as to dispraise Trajan one mans pottage will be anothers coloquintida the same son was Rachels Ben-oni Jacob's Benjamin The same in scription on the plaister which made Belshazzar quiver for feare made Darius his successor quavâ—r for joy The very same facultie of Conscience which entertaines and feasts one starves or choakes another And the Commentary must not looke for a better lot then the Text nor the Sermon then the Theame I know too well the wayes of this towne to expect other but for the publishing hereof I have this excuse which must prevaile with an ingenuous nature that I have beene mastered by entreaties thereunto so as if there be any errour in that regard their burthen must be my case Now I pray God keep your Honour and Worships in grace unto glory and that as the best meanes conducing to that end you here exercise your selves to keep a good Conscience in all things both towards God and towards man Your Hon. and Wor. humble and faithfull Servant in the things of God and Christ JOHN JACKSON The readings of the Text of Prov. 15. ver. 15. Hebr. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Graec. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Sept. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Symmacâ— Lat. Secura mens quasi juge convivium Vulg. Cujus bilaris est animus convivium est continuum Transl. Chald. Paraphr Cor bonum quasi juge covivium Munst. Secura mens hoc est bona conscientia c. Stephanus Jucundus corde convivio jugi Vataâ—â— Jociâ—dus corde c. Pagniu Laeta mens perpetuum 〈◊〉 Câ—stalio c. Angl. A good Conscience is a continuall feast He that is of a merry heaâ—t hath a continuall feast THE BOOKE OF CONSCIENCE opened and read Tho Text PROV. 15. 15. A good Conscience is a continuall feast THe reading of this Text must first be set straight ere any progresse can be made lest we seeme to make a Sermon upon a text which will not beare the burden of the discourse It was read long in our English Bibles thus A good conscience is a continuall feast till King James of blessed memory as another Ptolomy Philadelphus assembled together above 40. rare Linguists and Divines to perfect us a new translation where it is read thus He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast Which reading is subordinate to the former for there can be no sincere or lasting mirth of heart but such as proceeds from and is superstructed upon the foundation of a good conscience Besides if we will drinke water out of the fount it is in the Hebrew neither a merry heart nor a good conscience a but a good heart is a continuall feast nor can it otherwise be because there is no peculiar word in the Hebrew tongue to denote this particular facultie of soule which we call Conscience but the generall word b HEART And even in the now Testament where there are proper words for it yet the generall word HEART is used 1 John Epist. chap. 3. and 20. c If our heart condemne us c. there HEART stands for CONSCIENCE for we know it to be the proper effect of conscience to condemne or absolve which of it selfe seems to determine that Conscience is not a peculiar and distinct faculty of the soul as understanding will memory c. are but the soul reflecting and recoyling upon it self Which being prefaced we may safely read it as you have heard A good Conscience is a continuall feast Wherein every word doth fitly constitute a part for first here is the subject Conscience Secondly and adjunct of excellencie joyned unto it Good Thirdly the praedicate A Feast Lastly an adjunct of perpetuity joyned to that Continuall And in the orderly pursuance of these foure parts there will fall out to be handled foure points of very high and necessary concernment in the life and conversation of every Christian namely First this That every man hath a certaine Genius associated to his soul to wit Conscience Secondly this That by the grace of conversion there is a divine quality stamped and imprinted upon the naturall Conscience which is Goodnesse Thirdly this That Conscience thus qualified with goodnesse is a Feast Lastly this That this feast of a good Conscience is not onely for a time but for eternity not only a long but a
is over Satan out-wrestled a spirituall conflict ended a desertion over-blowne then God also useth to refocillate the minde and supple the nerves and weary joynts of the Christian Combatant upon consideration that his Grace was sufficient for him that he had taught his hands to war his fingers to fight and that the soule had marched valiantly 5. Lastly at the houre of death after a good and well-spent life then the Conscience begins to lift up his Crests and to boast in the putting off of his armour Then will Adolphus Clarebachius say I beleeve there is not a merrier heart in the world then mine this day Then will Fannius answer to one objecting CHRISTS sadnesse against his mirth I Christ was sad that I might be merry Then will St Cyprian say Amen when the sentence of death is pronounced against him Then will St Paul say I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of glory c. Application of the Point Labour not therefore for the meat that perisheth but for that which endureth for ever for a continuall feast If a poore mendicant Lazarus who had been accustomed all his life to cleannesse of teeth were taken from the rich mans gate and carried to as great a feast as ever plenty and curiositie devised served up in Dishes of Achate studded with gold and pretious stones what better were he to morrow save that the remembrance of it would aggravate his present hunger and be as sauce to his appetite which now standeth in need of meat I had rather have everlasting brasse then fading gold If I were to goe a journey of a thousand miles I had rather have onely necessaries till my journeys end then be carried in coaches and have all abundance and superfluities nine hundred miles and be put to beg my viaticum the last hundred If I were as sure to live an hundred yeeres as Hezâ—kiah was of his fifteene I would choose rather for the whole terme to have no more then a lowly cottage to sleep in be clad with course and home-spun cloth feed upon Lentils and green herbs then to have for fourescore of those yeeres Manna from heaven for my food apparell as rich as Aarons Ephod a house as stately as Nebuchadnezzars Palace and then like him for the last twenty be driven out of all naked poore and hungry and harbourlesse I had rather live for ever here on earth in this vale of teares where even those we call happy live under an equinoctiall of sorrow and joy then now presently be rapt up into heaven as Elias was and after a thousand yeeres fall from thence with the lapsed Angels Oh! t is these words Eternall Everlasting Perpetuall Continuall For ever c. which in evils make light things heavie and heavie things insupportable and in good things make small things great and great things incomprehensible Hell were not hâ—ll if the torments of it were not as endlesse as they are easlesse And Heaven were not Heaven if the joyes thereof were not lasting as they are incomprehensible I whet my stile on purpose both to bring you out of taste with carnall and mundane pleasures which are but transitory and to raise up the appetite to this feast of a good Conscience which is Continuall It were then likely to be well with us indeed if we did not prize things temporall as if they were eternall nor undervalue things eternall as if they were temporall I am just now in Demosthenes his strait * who was troubled with a short breath and yet used long Periods So in the last gasp of time allotted for this Sermon I am fallen to discourse of Duration and Eternity I will close up this short speech of Eternity with a very patheticall expressioÌ„ of this thing which I will translate hither both out of a another booke and another language And this it is Thinke with thy selfe a thousand thousand thousand thousand thousand thousand thousand thousands of millions of yeeres Think so many yeeres were to be transacted in fire but withall thinke that though this whole space of time were doubled tribled c. yea centuplicated that it is not so much as the very beginning of Eternity neither after the revolution of so many yeeres can Eternity be said to have a beginning Except these thoughts make us more holy we are no better then beasts and stones yea even then steele it self Nothing will move him which is not moved by Eternitie Eternitie I say that immensurate interminate everlasting perpetuall infinite enduring from age to age as long as God shall live so long the damned shall dye But oh immortall death oh mortiferous life I know not whether I shall call thee by the name of death or of life If thou beest life why art thou more cruell then death if thou beest death why dost thou not end thy cruelty I will not honour thee with either the Name of life or death for even they both have some goodnesse in them There 's rest in life ‖ and in death an end these two affords comfort in all evils But thou eternity neither hast rest nor end What art thou therefore thou art both the evill of life and the evill of death from death thou hast torments without end and from life thou hast immortality without rest The particular Application to the City of LONDON I have done serving up the severall courses of this feast of Conscience and would now take away if it were not the solemne custome of these {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} EASTER-Spittle-Sermons That the Preacher should in speciall manner address himself to this great City-Audience 'T is said John chap. 7. ver. 37. that Jesus stood up in the great and last day of the feast and cryed saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drinke This is the last day of this {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Lo I stand up in the roome of my Lord and Master and cry Ho if any here be an hungry let them come to this feast of a good conscience and feed freely My Lord Major and all you the rest of the Citizens of this famous City from the Scarlet to the Blue give me leave I pray you to use that liberty and freedome of speech which becomes a faithfull Preacher of the Gospel 'T is true we are called Ministers that is Servants and so we are but it is because we are Servants of God not of men or if of men it is to serve your Salvation not your humours Here is no danger in these Sermons of the Silver-Squinancie or bos in lingua The Preacher may here speake rashly and unadvisedly but not corruptly for it is well known these Spittle-Sermons differ from those at the Crosse and others about this City that these are
word THY two other Rules are implyed 1. That works of mercy must be founded on justice 2. They must also be founded on industry and diligence in our particular callings for OUR bread and MY bread and THY bread in Scripture-Phrase are opposed to a two-fold bread which are the bread of others not our owne to wit 1. The bread of deceit the cheat-loaves of fraud 2. The bread of Idlenesse 3. In the word BREAD is expressed the matter of right Almes we must give unto the indigent not a serpent but fish not a stone but bread that is to say such things as will help truly to support relieve their poore and low condition for by the word Bread both in the Lords Prayer and other Texts of Scripture all things necessary are to be understood Mercifull Christians must both fill the bellies and clothe the backs and cover the heads of the hungry and naked harbourless else they give but crummes or crusts not bread 4. In the words UPON THE WATERS there are two notable Rules more for if Waters be referred to the Giver or Almoner then this Rule will thence arise That we must afford pitie as well as pietie sympathy and condolencie of affection as well as reliefe We must weepe with those that weepe as well as wipe away teares from their eyes And if you meane the waters of the receiver or poore man then it sets out the proper object of Almes namely he whose head is a fountaine and his eyes conduits of teares to bewaile his low and miserable condition And the Rule is this that Miserie is the proper object of Mercy 5. In the last words the Promise of FINDING againe this Rule lyes hid That Almes must be given in faith That God will both accept them and reward them though not for the works sake yet for his mercies sake and for his Christs sake Therefore it is notable that our Saviour in the Gospel having exhorted to Almes in the very next words bids Get bags The inference seemes but weake first to poure out and give away and then get bags rather let a man scrape and corrade and then get bags but the sense is That the more bountifull we are in discreet charitable Almes the more abundant shall Gods blessings be both spirituall and temporall Therefore Whilgift Arch-bishop of Canterbury after he had finished hi Hospitall at Croyden said he could not perceive That therby he was in his estate a peny the poorer These are the Rules of Almes-deeds The Embleme of Almes I promised you is this A naked Boy with a cheerefull Countenance feeding with hony a Bee without wings Play the Pierius upon this Hieroglyphick 1. This Boy is naked because Charitie seeketh not her own 2. With a cheerefull Countenance because God loves a cheerfull giver 3. Giving hony hony not gall bread not stones We must give good things to those that aske 4. To a Bee not a droane to a labourer not a loyterer 5. Without wings that is all one as to the trembling hand in MOSES his Law to such an one as God hath disabled by sicknesse lamenesse great incumbencies old age or the like For 't is a good distinction I find in the Book of Martyrs in a Sermon of B. Ridly before K. Edward 6. of poore of Gods making and poor of their own making by Idlenesse thriftlesnesse riot c. for the latter a Bride-well or house of correction is the best Almes for the former Cast thy Bread upon the waters c. Now lastly for Examples and Presidents of Almes-deeds we see daily faire ones How God enlargeth and expanseth the hearts of his Saints to shew their faith by their workes I referre you to a Treatise written by Dr Willet wherein he undertaketh by instance to shew how farre the charitable deeds of Protestants since the Reformation of Religion have both in number and greatnesse even in these places exceeded those of the Papists in a farre longer tract of time It is a thing worth the considering both to silence their obloquie of us in calling us Solifidians and their arrogancie of themselves as if they onely were full of good works It is now divers yeeres since Dr Willet wrote that I wish some knowing hand would perfect it and adde unto it what hath been done since not to the pompe or pride of any either persons or places but to The honour of God who gives grace unto men And here is a fit place to commemorate those publike Acts of Charitie which have been ordered in this City for this last yeere viz. CHildren kept and maintained at this present at the charge of Christs Hospitall in the aid House in divers places of this City and Suburbs and with sundry Nurses in the Country 975 The naâ—â—es of all which are registred in the Books kept in Christs Hospitall there to be seen from what Parishes and by what meanes they have been from time to time admitted Children put forth Apprentices discharged and dead this yeare last past 112 THere hath been cured this yeare last past at the charge of Saint Bartholomews Hospitall of Souldiers and other diseased people to the number of 847 All which were relieved with money and other necessaries at their departure Buried this yeare after much charge in their sicknesse 161 Remaining under cure at this present at the charge of the said Hospitall 345 THere hath been cured this yeare last past at the charge of Saint Thomas Hospitall of Souldiers and other diseased people 1013 All which were relieved with money and other necessaries at their departure Buried out of the said Hospitall this yeare 184 Remaining under cure at this present 319 THere hath been brought to the Hospitall of Bridewell within the spâ—ce of one â—ere of wandring Souldiers and other Vagrants to the number of 684 Whereof some have beene clothed and sent beyond the Seas And of which number many have been chargeable for the time of their being there which cannot be avoyded by reason of their necessities nor passed away without charge There is maintained and kept in the said Hospitall in Arts Occupations and other works and labours Apprentices taken up â—ut of divers Parishes and streets of this City to the number of 170 For all which Glory be to God on high due praise to the Founders and Benefactors and Governours Comfort to the relieved and Imitation according to our abilities from us Amen FINIS a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} b {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} c {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ☜ a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} b Conscientiam à diis immortalibus accepimus 〈◊〉 divelli à nobis non â—otest Cic. pâ—o Cluent c Juveâ— Sat. 13. a Mos erar antiquis niveis atrisqâ— lapillis bis damnare râ—os illis absolvere culpâ Ovid Met. b {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} c {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} d {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}