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A16503
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The anatomie of conscience Or a threefold reuelation 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 ...
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Bourne, Immanuel, 1590-1672.
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1623
(1623)
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STC 3416; ESTC S106813
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35,564
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48
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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
conscience with what corruption they obtain the Cure of soules so they may get it and then they care as little for to feed them except it bee with meat that is worse then poyson their own bad example by which they bring themselues and others to destruction Luc. 11.35 Mat. 5.13 14. A wofull thing when that the light is darkned and the salt hath lost his sauour when as the Preachers life should lead to heauen it leads men to perdition Sometimes amongst the Lawyers it is entertained of such who make no conscience to excite and stirre vp men to needlesse suites Luc. 11.46 encouraging to warre when peace is better entertaining Causes with their armes wide open and receiuing fees with both hands with one to speake with the other to hold their peace And when they haue got a man to bee their prisoner they feed him then with bread and water of affliction vntill his purse bee emptie or his state consumed what time they send him home amongst his neighbours to end the controuersie with two honest men in stead of twelue Sometimes this large and spacious Conscience is amongst the Gentry where it is entertained of such who make no conscience of most vile oppressions grinding the faces of the poore racking their Tenants at so high a rate that though themselues their wiues children are their Land-lords slaues yet can they not be kept from beggery And as little Conscience doe they make of Sacriledge a sin as common and worse then the former whiles they are not content to robbe the Church of all her ancient rights but in prophane and wicked manner by symoniacall compacts sell both themselues their Priests and people to the Deuill and this they thinke is no sin it is so ordinary because their Conscience is now asleepe but they shall one day finde it so when as the booke of Conscience shall bee opened Sometimes amongst the Iurors and that at time of Assise and Sessions you may easily finde this Conscience to bee in those who make no conscience of an oath but contrary to their oath will giue their verdict not as truth and conscience would direct them but as malice or affection leads them But woe to such for their conscience one day shall bee both a witnesse and a Iudge against them when once the Booke of Conscience shall bee opened And commonly this Conscience is amidst the Common sort especially inferior Officers who should be euen the life of Law in bringing wickednesse before the Iudge and after sentence giuen in seeing Iustice executed But they haue Consciences as wide as hell either for feare of greatnesse or for loue of baseness smothering vile enormities which not being kild in time haue filled the land with sinnes that cry for vengeance And this though men be sworne yet doe they suffer because their booke of Conscience is not opened And thus you see the large and spacious Conscience and the seuerall sorts of men by whom it is entertained Conscience 4 There is yet Conscientia superstitiosa a superstitious Conscience most commonly amongst our ignorant Papists blinded with shadowes circumstances ceremonies deceiued with shewes and selfe-conceited opinions of Antiquity vniuersality infallibility of iudgment succession of gouernment and the like being wedded to will-worship Isay Coloss 2.18 and sporting themselues in the prison of ignorance vntill it pleaseth God to bring them as he doth many of them before they die out of darknesse inâ—o light and from the power of condemning error vnto the sauing Truth of God Conscience 5 And there is Conscientia scrupulosa a scrupulous or dubious Conscience 1 A dubious Conscience in matters of substance which if it be in Substance in the tender-hearted Christian assaulted with the violence of Satans sleights or ouer-burdened with the sight and sense of selfe-corruption or terrified with too much contemplation of Gods fearfull iudgments due to sinne for the guilt of which the Conscience is accused and affected with too little of Application of Christs precious merits and those gratious promises of pardon and freedom from Gods direfull vengeance vpon The causes of doubting in a tender Conscience true repentance and faith in Christ If this bee the cause of feare and scruple in this kinde of Conscience which sometimes brings the weake and feeble Christian to the mouth of Hell and pits-brinke of despaire Then though in the end it turneth vnto the good of Gods Elect to moue them to a tryall of their states to search and proue their hearts and consciences to finde out what 's amisse and what 's the cause of this their doubting whether their sinnes which perhaps haue long lien hidden kept secret in the closet of their hearts not truly seene nor felt nor yet repented of or their security in which before they were lulled asleepe being idle and neglecting to vnfold their Booke of Conscience Or their want of faith in Christ and firme affiance on Gods true and neuer-failing promises Or their trust too much vnto themselues seeking for peace and comfort more in the measure of their owne righteousnesse then in the free imputed righteousnesse of Christ Or lastly in their ignorance and erroneous iudgment of a Christians state here in the Church that 's militant and those many combats we must vndergoe before we passe from all our enemies or get within the gates of Paradise for any one of these may bring a Christian from the rock of stedfastnes to a world of doubts and feares Though in the end I say these feares and scruples may procure this good vnto the soul to see it selfe and find the cause of this distresse yet is this sicknesse dangerous and the cure is difficult And therfore here the weak and tender conscience had neede to pray and seeke a wise a holy and a good Physitian who like Christ may poure in wine and oyle the Law and Gospell tempered together with piety and discretion Luc. 10.34 and applyed with a soft and gentle hand vntill the Conscience being rightly informed may see the cause and labour to remoue it that so a setled stedfastnesse may bee obtained A dubious conscience in respect of circumstance And how this may bee I shall shew the meanes God willing when I come to speak of Conscience as 't is good to which I rather refer this Conscience though it be sicke weak and doubtful because it may be in the best dearest saints of God But if this Doubting bee in Circumstance as t is often in the selfe-conceited Separatists who are ouer nice and curious in tything Minte Annis and Cummin in standing vpon shadowes ceremonies and things indifferent But too carelesse otherwise letting the greater matters of the Law alone as our Sauiour sometimes told the Pharises in this respect their predecessors Mat. 23.23 Then though their desire bee good to doe nothing contrary or against their conscience yet were it farre better to seeke and labour that their Conscience may bee rightly