A DISCOURSE ABOUT CONSCIENCE Relating to the Present Differences AMONG US In Opposition to both Extreams OF POPERY and FANATICISM LONDON Printed for William Crooke at the Green Dragon without Temple Bar next Devereux Court 1684. A DISCOURSE ABOUT CONSCIENCE c. THE Design of this short Discourse is to treat about the Nature and Office of Conscience how or in what respect it doth oblige which as it appears by the Practice of some Men laying Claim thereunto haâ—h been either grosly mistaken or wilfully abused But be it either one way or other I am sure it has been made the common Cloak and Excuse for some of the greatest Disorders and unwarrantable Proceedings not only against the peaceable Communion of our Church but the legal and well-established Government of the State Now if these few Lines charitably offered may conduce any thing toward the rectifying of such Mistakes and consequently the preventing the like Abuses in any that are willing to be undeceived I have all the End I aim at if not I shall have however this Satisfaction that what I have here offered towards it is done with all the Kindness and Charity that possibly I could without betraying the Cause I have undertaken or doing Injury to that Church whose Communion I have here took Occasion to recommend and plead for And therefore without any tedious Preface or fruitless Apology I shall address my self to the Subject in hand and that in a very plain and impartial manner Now in my Discourse hereupon I shall shew you First What Conscience is or what is included in the Notion of it Secondly What it is to live up to Conscience Thirdly That notwithstanding Conscience by many persons pretending to it hath been and is still abused yet ought not to be neglected or laid aside Fourthly What things Conscience ought chiefly to be concerned for or exercised about Fifthly To offer a few things by way of Advice concerning the governing of our selves with relation to our Consciences From whence you may perceive that I intend to speak of Conscience not so much as it relates to Matters of Doctrine as to Matters of Practice not how it ought to form our Judgments and model our Opinions as how it ought to direct our Lives and govern our Actions which is much more necessary of the two 1. WHAT is meant by Conscience which is almost in every one's Mouth and hath created so much Noise and Bussle in the World Conscience is that Power or Faculty of the Mind which judges of our Actions according to a right Rule whether they be agreeable to it or not or 't is the reflex Act of our Reason and Understanding respecting the Goodness or Badness of our Actions so that Conscience is an Act of the Vnderstanding and but another Name for Reason 'T is Reason exercis'd about the Lawfulness or Unlawfulness of what we do or the Judgment of our Minds acquitting or condemning us in our own Thoughts In which Description of Conscience we may take Notice of these following things which enter the Definition and constitute the Nature of it First Conscience supposeth a Rule by which it ought to be directed and governed in all its Actings for Conscience is no Lordly nor Lawless Principle and therefore is not left at Liberty to think or do what it list to act rashly and at all Adventures No Conscience is under Authority and Restraint and ought to be kept within Bounds and not suffered to run out into an unaccountable Extravagancy or violent Extream to keep its Eye daily on the Rule and take Advice from thence in what it doth for God whose Will ought to be a Law in this Case and none else And that be sure is a Rule large enough for Conscience to walk by and which together with Judgment and Discretion in the Application thereof is sufficient to direct a Christian upon all occasions Secondly There must be a Knowledge of this Rule otherwise Conscience is not concern'd The very Notion of the Word according to the Letter and Derivation of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek and Conscientia in Latine imports as much There cannot be Conscientia without Scientia no Conscience without Knowledge If I am wholly ignorant of the Rule or Law 't is all one to me as if there were none at all and obligeth me no further than I have or may have any Knowledge or Information thereof in this Sence Quod non apparet non est 'T is all one not to be as not to appear so I must therefore know what my Duty is or what it is the Law requires of me before I can think my self obliged thereby and till I know it or have the Means of arriving at the Knowledge of it I lie under no Obligation from thence For a blind Man may with as much Reason be oblig'd to walk steadily in a streight Line or narrow Path tho he cannot see one Step of his way as that a man should be oblig'd in Conscience to any Law whereof he is totally ignorant or deprived of the means of knowing of it I speak here of invincible not affected Ignorance there being as much difference between them two as between natural and wilful Blindness between a man's having no Eyes at all and another that shuts them close and will not open or make use of them to see his way The former excuseth indeed but the later never did and never will For instance those miserably blind Heathen who sit in Darkness and see no Light who never heard of the Name of Christ nor once had the glad Tidings of Salvation preached unto them they are not bound to believe and embrace the Gospel under the Penalty of Damnation as we are who enjoy the means and daily sit under the joyful Sound thereof All that they are to do is to comply with the rational Dictates of their own Mind and conform to that part of the Divine Law which is written upon their Hearts and to live up to the light of natural Religion The ground or reason of which Hypothesis is taken from that of the Apostle Rom. 2.14 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contain'd in the Law these having not a Law are a Law unto themselves Which shews the work of the Law written in their Hearts their Consciences also bearing them Witness and their Thoughts in the mran time accusing or excusing one another Now according to this of the Apostle If the Gentiles do by Nature the things contain'd in the Law and their Consciences thereupon excuse and bear witness on their behalf as is here expresly affirm'd why should we be so uncharitable as to pass Sentence against those who are acquitted by their own Consciences or think that the Great and Good God who is the Maker of us all will be as partial and severe as we are wont to be in our Censures of them No for we are told in every Nation
Truth for Truths-sake not so much to set your Head as your Heart Right not to furnish you with matter or Talk and Dispute which evermore engenders Strife and Envy but to understand your Duty in order to the faithful practice and performance of it Now this you must do before you can safely follow the Dictates of Conscience or relie upon the Testimony thereof In order hereunto you ought to consider the Nature and Extent of the Rule by which Conscience is to be govern'd and directed in all her Actions and Undertakings and this I told you is the Word of God which laying aside all prejudice and partiality you ought diligently to take heed and attend unto and where Doubts and Difficulties may arise to consult and advise with your Teachers whom God hath set over you or with any other whom you have reason to judge most eminent for their Piety Learning Prudence and Integrity to beg their Assistance and receive their Instructions with that Modesty and Respect as becomes Learners and Disciples who desire nothing more than to come to the Knowledge of the Truth that they might be saved For want of this Care Conscience hath been strangely misted and run it self into many gross Errors and foul Mistakes Thus many have been prompted to very ill things one while by Passion another while by Prejudice and a third by a corrupt and self-Interest and yet have thought they have been led by Zeal and acted by Conscience all the while when as upon strict enquiry they have found their Zeal was not according to Knowledge and what they call'd Conscience in no wise agreeable to the Rules of their Religion For the avoiding of which we should endeavour as much as in us lies to get our Consciences well inform'd and to use the means in order thereunto Secondly If you would have Conscience to be rightly inform'd you must endeavour after a humble meek and teacheable Spirit For it is said the meek will he guide in Judgment and the week he will teach his way Psalm 25.9 And it is said God resists the proud but gives Grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5.5 Now the meek and humble stand highest in Gods Grace and Favour and therefore more likely to be made acquainted with his Mind and Will Nay they are naturally most capable of Instruction and best fitted for it as being most desirous to know their Duty and submit to it when they have done Whereas on the other hand Pride and Passion and Self-conceit are apt to puff men up prejudice them against theTruth and fill them with Scorn and Contempt of the best Counsel and Advice in the World A peevish and froward Disposition makes men impatient of Contradiction and to mis-judge every thing that thwarts their particular Sentiments insomuch as the best Advice is commonly lost and thrown away upon such perverse Tempers tho' offered in never so kind and charitable a Manner Thirdly After Conscience is well inform'd keep it close to its Rule and do not suffer it wilfully or wantonly to swerve from it upon any account or under any pretence whatever otherwise it may be in danger to seduce and deceive Conscience is chiefly exercised about good or evil the doing of the one and the avoiding of the other Now tho' the Word of God is the great Standing Rule according to which we ought to take our principal Measures of good and evil yet this difference is more early taught us by the Light of Nature and the Suggestion of our own Minds and therefore whatever appears a Sin or is universally condemn'd for such by that Law Conscience must needs judge it to be a Sin too and believe it condemn'd likewise by the Word of God For no natural or rather unnatural Crime can possibly commence a religious Duty and to think otherwise is to lie under one of the grossest Delusions and scandalous Mistakes For hereby we set the two Laws to wit that of Nature and Revelatron in opposition to one another yea we make them absolutely inconsistent and contradictory tho' both of them at first came from God Conscience therefore ought not to plead for or encourage the Practice of any Sin namely which appears to be so by the Light of Nature as well as Religion and therefore all Treasons and Rebellions Murders and Conspiracies Sacrilege and Perjury are great Sins and such as are discern'd to be so by natural Light and therefore can never become otherwise however they may be palliated or pleaded for Never think that the Plea of Conscience Religion or Reformation can justifie a wicked or immoral Action such as Rebellion and Perjury which all Mankind doth naturally acknowledge and condemn for such Now every man almost hath so much of the Law of Nature yet left within him as to discern the great Evil of such things tho' not always to shun yet to condemn the Guilt thereof What ever Nature tells us is a Sin Conscience for that very reason must disapprove of it too because the Religion of Christ is but the Law of Nature perfected and improved and therefore no pretence of Conscience drawn from Scripture can make that to be lawful or cease to be a Sin which was so before Now if God's Law obligeth not to Sin much less the private Dictates or impulse of Conscience which ought evermore to make that her Rule and fetch all her Directions from thence For a man therefore to allow himself in the Commission of such crimes as all Laws and Religions in the World must needs condemn as impious and wicked pray what Conscience hath such a Man But then to plead Conscience in favour of such things is so much the worse still and renders his Crime infinitely more wicked and abominable Such a man is never to be excused in what he doth of this nature For his Excuse instead of extenuating doth but adde to his Guilt and mightily aggravate the Heinousness thereof Fourthly That while I am pleading for Conscience I may impartially discharge my own Conscience ought not to be separate from Charity any more than from Truth Love Charity and Good-will are the chief Gospel-Precepts and Standing Principles of Christ's Religion And all Zeal for the Church or State Nay for the Christian Religion in general or reformed Religion in particular if void of Charity is little worth Charity I mean not only for those of our own Communion but even towards them that differ from us For so far as they do it purely on the account of Conscience and no otherwise we ought to retain some Charity for them be they of what Church or Communion they will Indeed where Conscience is manifestly abused and carries them to any thing that is wicked and unlawful where any Sin or Immorality is countenanc'd or encouraged under the Notion or Plea of Conscience there we must leave them and deservedly too to the Publick Censures of the Church and Punishment of the State but where 't is mere Conscience and
he that fears God and works Righteousness shall be accepted Acts 10.35 This Proposition of the Apostle being no doubt true in every Age as well before as after Christ's Time there being but one way of Salvation both for Jew and Gentile and but one Mediator between God and Man who is called the Saviour of all Men tho' more especially of such as believe i. e. of Christians no other name being given among Men no other Mediator being constituted throughout the World beside him where by they can hope to be saved Acts 4.12 tho' how-and in what manner the Merit of Christ is applyed unto them that have no explicite Knowledge or Faith in him is a Mystery too high for our Reach and therefore as a secret thing belongs only to God The meaning of all that hath been said upon this particular is in short this That there must be not only a Rule but a Knowledge of that Rule before it can oblige Conscience Thirdly There is the Judgment of the Mind concerning our Actions a judging of them by a known Rule of what Kind or Nature they are whether good or bad well or ill done agreeable to the Intent of the Law or not From whence ariseth in the Fourth place The giving or passing Sentence upon our selves in reference to the Lawfulness or Unlawfulness of our Actions the acquitting or condemning our selves in our own Breasts and judging of our Spiritual State or moral Condition whether we are able to approve our selves unto God who is the strict Observer and supream Judge of all our Actions And from these two last Acts results the Testimony of our Consciences which if it vote on our Behalf yields us matter of Comfort in the midst of all our Sufferings enables us to hold up our Heads with Joy and gives us Confidence towards God whereby we may draw near with a true Heart in full assurance of Faith having our Hearts sprinkled from an Evil Assurance and our Bodies washt with pure Water Heb. 10.22 And again Beloved if our Hearts that is our Consciences condemn us not then have we Confidence towards God 1 John 3.21 But if the Testimony of Conscience make against us then it cannot chuse but afflict and disquiet us make our Countenances to fall and cause sad thoughts to arise within us which in some men is attended with greater Horror than in others according as Conscience is awakened or laid to sleep The whole Transaction of Conscience in this Affair is sometimes represented by way of Syllogism in three Propositions That which forms the first Proposition is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This makes Report of the Law and draws its Medium or Argument from thence That which forms the Minor is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Conscience This makes a particular Application of the Law or Rule unto a Man 's own self or brings it home to his own Case The Third infers the Conclusion from both and is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the Judgment of Conscience upon the whole whereby a man is able to judge of his Actions and pass Sentence upon himself either of Absolution or Condemnation Having resolved the first Enquiry What Conscience is it will from hence more easily appear in the next place 2. WHAT it is to make Conscience of our Actions or to live according to Conscience Negatively 'T is not to do what we list to walk at large or live at randome 't is not to be transported with Humour or Passion or Discontent 'T is not to act in Conformity to the Opinions of other Men or of a particular Sect or Party as such no nor always to follow the Dictates and Persuasions of our own prejudic'd and mis-inform'd Minds whereof notwithstanding some People are so very fond as to make no difference between Conscience and Prejudice Wherefore positively To act according to Conscience is to walk by Rule and live according to Law to frame all our Actions according to the Will and Direction of our Maker who hath absolute Authority over us and claims a greater Share in us than we can in our selves For Conscience is under Authority ty'd to a Rule and must have a Law for its Direction and Governance Now when we perform our Actions in such a manner as may be agreeable to the Rule which is given us for the right Government thereof and when the general Practice of our Lives bears some Proportion thereunto this is to make Conscience of our ways and to approve our selves to our selves in so doing That man therefore that hath no respect to the Rule of his Actions nor takes any care to render them in some good measure answerable to it such a one let his plea and pretence be never so specious and demure makes no Conscience how he lives and consequently can never expect the Testimony of Conscience on his side much less be able to Rejoyce in it Now the chief Rule or Law that is to direct Conscience and govern our Actions is the Canon of Holy Scripture the written Word or reveal'd Will of God This lays the strongest nay the only Obligation upon Conscience which can acquit us no farther than our Actions are correspondent to this Rule and unto which all others are subordinate and may be applied So that to live according to Conscience is to measure out our Actions by the Rule of God's Word to conform the General Practise and Course of our Lives unto the Law of Christ which is the most perfect Rule of Righteousness that is or can be given us and unto which all others ought to refer 'T is to live in Obedience to a Divine Command and to subject our selves entirely to the Will and Pleasure of him who hath the absolute Dispose and Government of our Consciences and to whom we owe all the Duty and Service we are capable of He that doth otherwise doth amiss and can never be able to justifie himself unto his own Mind much less answer it to God when he cannot do it to his own Conscience From what hath been said it appears that Conscience is as I said before no lawless or ungovernable Principle no prejudic'd or discontented Passion no affected or superstitious Impulse c. as some would make us believe 'T is no Tyrannical or Despotick Lord so as to impose its own private Dictates for Divine Commands much less the wild Extravagancies and enthusiastick Conceits of this or that Sect under pretence of Religion whereof Instances have not been wanting in this Nation and Age of ours Conscience is God's Substitute and Vicegerent and can act or impose no further than it hath Warrant or Authority from him so to do To do more than this is to exceed its Commission and to do that which all the fine Pretences in the World will never be able to bear us out in 3. NOTWITHSTANDING Conscience by many persons pretending to it hath been wretchedly Abused yet it ought not to be slighted
or cast off ever the more upon that Account Now this implies two things First It supposeth that Conscience may be abused nay actually hath been so and that to very ill Purposes And this is too great a Truth ever to be denied and which sad Experience doth every day give us too manifest and undeniable a Proof of To instance only in Generals Many there are and God knows how few amongst us can plead Not Guilty in this respect who have cried up Religion and pleaded Conscience yet have had no regard to the Laws of the one or Rule of the other who 't is to be fear'd never took any pains to examine and search into the Nature and Reason of their Actions whether they were agreeable to the mind of God or had any Command of his to Warrant and Authorize them Conscience in such Persons had never regard to any Law but that of their own Passions and Interests which hath put them upon many notorious and foul Impieties and which have been first practised then excused and at length arrived at that heighth of Confidence as publickly to be maintain'd and justified in the face of the whole World and that under the name and plea of Conscience notwithstanding they were directly opposed to the common Dictates of Nature and express Laws of Christian Religion Thus among the Heathen Conscience through blindness and superstition hath mis-lead them to many vile and unnatural pieces of wickedness and among Christians who ought to have known and done better it hath been guilty of little less The most Tragical Crimes that ever came upon the Stage have been acted under this Veil and disguised with this Pretence This it was which put Agamemnon upon sacrificing his Daughter and urg'd his Son Orestes to revenge his Father's Death in the Murder of his Mother This mov'd the Carthaginians to the Slaughter of two 100 young Noblemen at a time to appease their surly God Saturn after a notable Defeat received from their Enemies And upon this account it became a common Practice among several Nations to offer up their Children in Sacrifice to their Idols which Abomination of the Heathen as the Holy Scripture calls it was afterward imitated by the backsliding Israelites who burnt their children to Moloch and made them pass through the fire in the valley of Hinnon 2 Chr. 28.3 And it was Conscience mingled with Spite and Malice that moved their Countrey-men in after-Ages to crucifie the Lord of Life and put him to open Shame and Death For say they we have a Law and by that Law he ought to die c. John 19.7 And well had it been if this Abomination had been confin'd to the Heathen World or past no further than the Borders of the Jewish Nation But which is more to be aggravated and lamented too Christians of almost all Parties and Persuasions have not come behind the very worst of the Heathens acting over again all the Extravagancies of a Pagan Superstition and that for Religion and Conscience sake if they may be believ'd This hath created Factions and sown Sedition both in Church and State invaded Kingdoms from abroad and incited to Rebellion at home contrived Plots and hatch'd Conspiracies acted Treasons and committed Massacres and absolved Subjects from their Allegiance and made them cast off the Yoke of Obedience to their Lawful Soveraigns Whatever Mischief or Wickedness is or can be implyed in the Name of Rebellion and Murder Sacriledge or Treason Ambition and Revenge they have all been the Dictates of some Mens Consciences and proceeded from the Oracle of a deluded and mistaken Religion Under this pretence ill Men have cherished their Natural Infirmities let loose their Passions vented their Spleen disguised their Ambition promoted their own private Interest to the Ruine of the Publick and carried on the worst design of a Spiteful Nature and Discontented Faction Now Conscience in such Men as these was Legibus Soluta had no respect to Laws unless it were to break and violate them being Lawless and Disobedient c. 1 Tim. 1.9 Such a Conscience as this can as easily break all Bands and cut in sunder all the Cords of Obedience as Sampson did the Cords wherewith his Enemies had bound him And when once the Tie of Conscience is loos'd or broken little hopes of their being held by any other But we know very well from whence the Principles of such a Conscience came at first and what Mischief and Confusion it hath wrought in all parts of Christendom ever since Whoever therefore is acted thereby whether they know it or no yet for certain they are no better than Factours for Popery the Tools and Engines of a Jesuite and the very Spawn of the Fisherman of Rome actuated by a Spirit wholly Opposite to that of Christ and his Gospel A Spirit that like the Evil One is ever restless and unquiet which hath been formerly at work and no doubt is so still though like their Predecessors in the Powder-Plot they dig under ground in a more Secret and Clandestine manner endeavouring not only to create Jealousies and Discontents but contriving and laying Snares to involve us in the like unnatural Guilt and Treachery with themselves For it is well known the Papists have Leaven'd most of our Sects and under their Mask and Disguise have Oppugn'd our Church sow'd the Tares of Faction and Dissention among us and arm'd her Bosome Friends which are evermore the worst of Enemies with Weapons and Arguments to undermine and weaken her And really when I consider the great Imposture of that Corrupt Church and the vast numbers that have been craftily seduc'd and mislead by her who under the Plea of Conscience and Out-cry of Religion have acted so many Barbarous and unhumane Cruelties 't is enough methinks to make a Serious Man to forswear all Conscience and for ever Abjure all thoughts of Religion were he not very well assured of the Abuse of the one and Innocence of the other and how none but the very worst of Men have made those Holy Pretences a Retreat for their Wicked and Abominable Practices Good God! That any who pretend to Conscience and Religion and not only so but to Conscience in its greatest Strictness and to Religion in its highest Purity should yet so notoriously abuse the one prostitute the other and act in Contradiction to both If this be to make Conscience of our Actions it is in such a manner as no Good Man would be desirous of and if this be Religion I plainly declare I have none of this kind and do heartily wish I never may If Conscience and consequently Christianity is the Refuge of Treason and Sanctuary of Rebellion if the Holy Jesus came as one would think by some Mens Practices he did to Sanctifie Murder and Canonize those Men whose hands are full of Bloud to Licence Sacriledge and Sedition or Legitimate the most leud and Infamous Impieties I should chuse rather to be a Disciple of Honest
Church and Security of the Government under which we live Secondly Conscience I told you includes Knowledge as much in the Notion of the thing as Composition of the word where there is no Knowledge there can be no Conscience because in such a case it is withwhat to do or how to govern it self and judge aright whereupon Conscience is not so much concern'd about things that are uncertain whereof we can have no sure Proof or clear Evidence either from Sense Reason or Revelation which are the three only ways of attaining Knowledge or arriving at the certainty of any thing Thus in matters of School Question or Controversial Divinity which are banded to and fro with probable Arguments on both sides For Instance Whether The Fire in Hell be Material or Metaphorical true In the Letter or in a Figure so we do but believe there is such a place as Hell reserved for the Punishment of Wicked Men as Scripture doth assure us Conscience as to the rest is not concern'd to believe either one way or other because Scripture is silent in the case and the Arguments from Reason on either hand are alike probable and if I am induc'd to believe one part of the Question rather than the other this can arise no higher than to a private Opinion of my own not a publick Article of my Christian Faith wherein my private Judgment not my Conscience is concern'd That Christ was born of a Pure Virgin is matter of Faith and consequently of Conscience to believe because Scripture doth affirm it but whether she remain'd so all her Life long is not so Indeed it hath been an Opinion in the Church that she did but however there is no other Argument but that of Piè Credimus that can induce us to be of that mind In like manner the Descent of Christ into Hell so we do not deny the thing which hath for many Ages been a received Article of the Apostles Creed tho left out in some others it matters not greatly whether it were Local or Virtual Metaphorical or Metonymical for in all these several Senses it hath been taken by Learned and Pious Men but in which of these we need not be overmuch concern'd for this Article being not expresly Revealed or clearly delivered in Scripture we believe it chiefly upon the account of the Apostles Creed whose Antiquity ought to command our Reverence and Respect tho I think it cannot strictly oblige my Conscience especially when the Church hath not determin'd any thing in the Case any more than Scripture but left me at Liberty to judge either way as I see cause The like may be said of the Knowledge of the Saints departed with many others which for Brevity sake I now omit Thirdly Some things there are tho for certain Revealed yet being Obscure and Vnintelligible in their own nature cannt so immediately oblige our Consciences as those that are more plain and Obvious The Decrees of God Arcana of Providence the great and Stupendous Mystery of the Blessed Trinity and Incomprehensible Vnion of the Two Natures in the Son of God these are in many things above our Reach and Capacity and so far as they are above us belong not to us A modest and humble Faith is here requisite and all that is expected from the common and ordinary sort of Christians a too curious search and inquiry into these Venerable Mysteries being not convenient for all nor absolutely necessary for any A particular Explication of them concerns my Faith no further than as it is consonant to Sacred Scripture and agreeable to what is more plainly revealed in Holy Writ or else by natural and genuine Consequence may be deduced there-from But now as for other Difficulties that may arise from thence I am not bound to pin my Faith on any one man's Sleeve nor receive his Scheme or Hypothesis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for inspir'd Doctrine No nor for Truth neither any further than he can confirm it by Scripture which is the sole infallible Test of Divine Truth All that in this Case I am oblig'd to do is to guide my Conscience by Scripture and my Judgment by the catholick Determinations of the Church that is I am oblig'd in Conscience to believe all that the Scripture reveals and make that the Rule of my Faith and Obedience But in all other things where difficulties may arise and Scripture is either totally silent or very obscure here we ought to believe as the Church believes mistake me not I do not speak it in a Popish Sence which sets up the Traditien of the Church in Opposition to Scripture and in an impious manner prefers them before it teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men but my meaning is that I and every body else in matters dubious and obscure ought to be so modest as to mistrust our own particular Judgments rather than that of the Church and submit our Private Opinions to her Publick Determinations If not yet the least that in this Case we ought to do is to keep our Persuasion to our selves rather than disturb the Peace or oppose the received Doctrine of the Church out of an indiscreet Zeal for any fond or affected Opinion of our own For pray consider Can it be any other than Pride or Self-conceit to call it no worse for a few private persons to oppose their particular Sentiments to the Catholick Faith and what they decry in their Governors to practise more unjustly themselves by Prescribing to their Superiors in Matters dubious and uncertain and which are perpetually controverted on all hands In all things of this nature Conscience obligeth me to be Humble and Modest rather than Positive and Peremptory and therefore it would better become us to receive our Faith from than impose ours upon the Church in whose Communion we live and of the Truth of whose Doctrine we are satisfied in the main as the Dissenting Brethren are generally with ours But however if they see Reason to Dissent in their private Thoughts from the Establisht Faith they ought to keep their Judgment to themselves and not disturb her Peace on that account In this Sense let them remember that of the Apostle He that hath Faith let him have it to himself And he that keeps it there way keep it safe enough and out of the reach of all Humane Power and Compulsion For Conscience while it keeps within its due bounds cannot ought not to be compell'd by any Power upon Earth for in that respect it is free and never to be fore't But Secondly and positively Conscience is chiefly and more immediately concern'd about such things as are more necessary and substantial plain and obvious in Religion And these in the First place are the Main Fundamental Articles of our Christian Faith which constitute the greatest part of our Creed and have an immediate influence on our Lives and they are those that are contain'd in our several Creeds which are the brief Summary of the
then in the thing it self for superstition is not in the Object but only in the mind or conceipt of the Person that thinks so Thus they have accustomed to revile our Liturgy under the notion of the English Mass-book the Bishops and Governours of our Church are branded for Limbs of Antichrist and the Church her self reputed for little better then Antichristian and Idolatrous Neither have they learnt to stop here but have adventured to fly in the Face of the Civil Government as well as the Ecclesiastical against both which they have Shot their Venemous Arrows even bitier words Psalm 64.3 But now I appeal to any sober and serious Person be he of what Perswasion he will whether this be according to the Principles of the Christian Religion which is Profest in common by us all or whether it is purely Conscience which puts them upon such unseemly Practices or is this Language fit to be bestowed upon one of the most Eminent and Famous among all the Reformed Churches and who without Vanity be it spoken hath been one of the greatest Bulworks against Popery and Champion for the Reformation and I hope and pray daily it will continue to be so as long as God shall be pleased to continue Her or Himself a Church upon Earth Now if Language of this Nature tho' arising from the great and extraordinary Zeal of our Adversaries is so unhandsome and ill becoming in them towards us why should we think it any whit the more commendable and seemely in us toward them or out of our mouths then out of theirs That which is Evil and Offensive in it self is and will be so let who will be guilty of it Wherefore methinks it would be more like Christian and make more for the credit of Religion and Honour of our Church if we had more Charity and Kindness one for another even in those things wherein we differ so they be not Factious or Scandalous nor have an ill influence on our Lives and Manners rather than imitate the Example of some of our hot-headed Dissenters in some of their worst Qualities to wit in their Uncharitable Censures and Vnchristian Revilings and Calumnies For the bitter and fiery Spirit of a Jewish Zealot is very unagreeable to the Meek and Gentle Disposition of a true follower and Disciple of Christ according to St. Luke 9.54 55. And when his Disciples James and John saw this they said Lord wilt thou that we Command Fire to come down from Heaven and consume them even as Elias did But he turned and rebuked them and said ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of And I shall be beholding to any man that shall be able to make out any other sence and meaning thereof 5thly A good Christian ought to live according to his own Conscience rather then according to the Opinion of other Men. Besure that man lives with the most comfort and content to himself who walks by the constant Rule of Gods Word and not by that of the World which consists chiefly in Humour and Opinion and alters almost every day and upon the least Occasion Whereas the Law of God is a sure and standing Rule which being diligently heeded and attended unto will not suffer us to go wrong or mistake our way 'T is impossible a man should live so Regular in all respects or carry himself so universally blameless and inoffensive as to gain the good Word and Opinion of all men tho' he should make it his chief study or sole business to do so for men's Humours and Interests being so different and many times so contrary that which likes one doth not like another and what this man commends another may be apt to find fault withal Nay one and the same person is not always consistent with himself nor can keep long in the same mind His thoughts and Judgments of things do often alter with his Affection and Interest and notwithstanding the Reason of things remains one and the same yet his Opinion of them may not do so and then they will be sure to pass their Censures on mens Persons and Actions according as they are in good or bad Humour or as they judge may make most for their present Interest Now he undertakes a hard task indeed who Studies to please those whose minds are so fickle and wavering and whose Humours are made up of such sudden Conradictions The People of the World are Masters or our Credit and Reputation which they may give or take from us at pleasure as many times they do upon very slight or no ground at all They depend upon the Opinion which men are pleased to conceive of us which they may alter when they list whether we give cause for it or no. But now no man or Number of men can be Masters of our Consciences we may keep them Innocent and in Peace let the World say or do what she can For tho' the deserved Commendation of a Virtuous Action depends upon the Good Will of others yet the Satisfaction it inwardly creates is a Good they have nothing to do withal and can never deprive us of tho' they would It concerns us therefore to take all the care we can of our Consciences and study rather to pprove our selves to them than to the Multitude the one being Practicable when the other is not Not that I would have any man careless of his Credit and good Name for he that is not tender of his Fame will hardly be so of his Conscience and the Reputation which is given to Virtuous Deeds ought to be lookt upon as no small Incitement to the performance of them But my meaning is no man ought to be so Studious of Popular Applause or affect the good Opinion of the World by such mean and unworthy Arts as may tend to the Injuring of his Conscience or prejudice of his Duty which he ows to God and the Church to his Prince or Countrey But let a man do what he thinks in his Conscience he ought to do let him provide things honest in the sight of all men run into no open Scandal give no just or wilful cause of offence and avoid as much as he can all Temptations or Provocations to evil and then he ought not he need not value the Talk of the World nor Speech of People A Wise man which in Solomon's sense is a Prudent Good man should first take care of doing his Duty and then live above the spiteful Talk and Reports of the Vulgar or regard their Censures no otherwise then the Moon in the Fable did the barking of a Dog which neither obscur'd her Light nor made her alter her Course No no The inward content which a man receives in the doing of a good Action is infinitely to be prefer'd before the Credit and Reputation which it gains him abroad an Unwise man seeks his Reward and Satisfaction where it is not to be found namely from without in the Goods and Possessions in the
Modes and Opinions of the World but a good man finds it within himself in the Right Order and Government of his Mind and Passions and in the Testimony and Approbation of God and his own Conscience 2d Again it concerns us not only to Live but to Value our selves and judge of our Estate towards God according to the Testimony of Conscience rather than by the Fancy or Opinion which men are pleased to conceive of us The generality of men Esteem and Value themselves according to the Good or Evil that befalls them in the World and happens to them in their outward Concerns If they are Sick or in Pain in Poverty or Distress under Misfortune or Disgrace they commonly bemoan their Condition Lament their Miserable Estate and are apt to think themselves the most Unfortunate Wretches of all others When as all this hath befallen the very Best of men who yet have been Happy amidst the greatest outward Misfortune as long as they kept safe their Innocence Answered the end of Affliction and made an entire Resignation of themselves and their concerns unto the Will of God And so long as a man doth this he can never be Miserable neither should he think himself so let things go never so cross let the World Censure never so hard or Reflect never so spiteful and severe Alas Happiness and Misery is not to be measured by the Good or Evil that befalls the Body by Prosperity or Adversity by good Report or bad Report otherwise who would be Innocent or where shall we find a good man upon Earth who hath escaped the Lash of the tongue or hath not been ill treated and misrepresented in one kind or other I never yet did hear of such a Person and quite despair of ever doing so and yet if meer Calumnies and Reproaches can make a man Guilty then our Blessed Saviour must have been one of the Vilest Creatures upon Earth For no man could be more heavily Charg'd and spitefully revil'd and yet deserve it less then he did and all this from his own malicious Countrey-men the Jews and upon the account of their Religion too But God be praised these things are not the measure of Guilt of Innocence The best men would be most hardly dealt withal were it in the power of the World to dispense out their Rewards or Punishments Guilt and Unhappiness do not hang upon the Scandalous Tongues of Men nor soar upon the Wings of Fame neither do they flow from the Invidious Talk of Rash and prejudiced People but they have their Seat and Abode in the mind As long as there is Peace in the Conscience and Innocence in the Soul 't is not in the Power of man or any thing under the Sun to make such a Person better or worse more or less Innocent or Guilty Happy or Miserable For notwithstanding all the ill things that may be said or thought of such a one yet at the same time the Testimony of a good Conscience is able to make amends for all And notwithstanding the Reproaches of the wicked may fall upon him yet this is a Continual Feast ever at hand to welcome and entertain him a rich Cordial to chear and revive him being moreover the Pledge and Earnest of a more Ample Reward Which God of his Infinite mercy Prepare us for and bring us unto in his own due time and that for the sake of his beloved Son and our most Blessed Redeemer Christ Jesus the Righteous to whom with the Father and Holy Spirit be Ascribed as is most due all Honour and Glory Praise and Adoration now and for ever more Amen Amen FINIS