sapienter descendere in infernum Ber. de vit Sol. discretion and go a wise and learned way thither These keep the key of Knowledge but mean not to go into the Kingdom of Heaven themselves but the key of Conscience the poor and simple and unlearned ones in the world get and presse after the Kingdom of God and enter in Surgunt indocti et rapiunt Regnum Coelorum nos cum doctrinis nostris sine corde ecce ubi volutamur in carne sanguine Aug. Conf. l. 8. c. 8. The Publicane and Harlot conscienciously humbled enter into the Kingdom of Heaven before the Pharisee elated with his greater knowledge And the illiterate Christian is able to read his name in the book of Life and his Duty in the Book of Conscience when the most literate Scribe and Learned Scholler can do neither CHAP. X. Of the well spoken Conscience Of the wel spoken conscience THe well-spoken Conscience is that which can make the Soule a good Answer or upon just Occasion can make fit Demands and put forth his Queres This is that good Conscience or rather Property of it which Peter commendeth so much resembling it to Noahs Arke and saith of it that it saves us 1 Pet. 3. 21. The like figure whereunto even Baptisme doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The answer of a good Conscience towards God Which word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as well or rather an Interrogation then an Answer Stipulstio Some thinke the Apostle doth allude to that Practise of Demands made in Baptisme Credis Credo which Practise though very Ancient yet may be questioned whether so Ancient Our Translators have chosen rather to render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Answer And in this sense it tells us what conscience hath to do First It makes a good and ready Answer to God It is ever as quick of Speech as it is of Sight or of Hearing when God saith Seeke ye my face my heart saith David talkd of it and went up and downe with it Thy face Lord I will seeke Psal 27. 8. It is written of me that I should doe thy will Psal 40. 8. Conscience replyes thy will O my God is my will Thy law is in my heart I am content to do it Conscience goes often into Habukuks watch Hab. 2. 1. Towre and watcheth listening what the Lord hath to say and studieth what to answer when he is spoken unto Speak Lord saith Conscience for thy servant heareth yea Conscience is 1 Sam. 3. 10. ready to aske and listen Lord what wilt tbâ—u have me to doe As Augustine often da quod Act. 9. 6. jubes et jube quod vis Lord give what thou commandest and give what Command thou wilt Loquere Magister bone libenter te audio et cum adversaris mihi et cum irasceris audio te Cyprian Secondly It makes a good answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for God according to that Precept 2 or 3 verses before 1 Pet 3. 15 16. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready alway to give an answer to every man that asketh you a Reason of the hope that is in you with meekenesse and reverence having a good Conscience that whereas they speak evill of you as of evill dooers they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ So that with S. Peter it is a matter of Conscience and a marke of a good Conscience to be ready to yeeld an account of our Spirituall state when it is required of us Nicodemus thought he was bound in Conscience to stand up and make an Answer for Christ when he was unjustly condemned in the Consistory being never heard and never summoned Doth our Law condemnn any man saith he before it heare him and know what he doth Good Conscience cannot be silent Jo. 7. 51 and fit still without an answer when any cause of God is in hand A good Conscience thinks it is the heaviest crime that can be laid Blasphemiam ingerit religioni quam colit quiâ—quod confitetur ante omnes non impleverit Cyprian to any mans charge to be silent for God Let them call me Adulterer Theife c. or what they please said Luther so that I may not be charged with wicked silence in the cause of God Thirdly Good Conscience makes many a good answer fot ones selfe when under the greatest cloud of Censures and Suspitions or under the Aspersions of all Obloquies Ro. 9. 1. I speake the truth saith the Apostle and lie not my Conscience also is my witnesse This the same Apostle glories in in another place we are as deceivers say you but yet True men saith 2 Cor. 6. 8. 9. Conscience As unknown say you well enough known saith Conscience Conscience makes the best Certificate and gives the best Testimony to any man that hee can have with which Certificate he may confidently travell and passe the whole world over yea at last with this he shall not feare to enter Heaven conducted thither by a guard of Angels Fourthly When any businesse of greatest consequence is under consideration Conscience puts the best answer into thy mouth and will readily resolve what is to be done Enquire-still at Consciences mouth and say as Paul to Philemon without thy advice wil I do nothing consult not in such cases with flesh and blood with safety and policy but with conscience and duty and the answer is ready Phil. v. 19 Habes spacium trium dierum in quo deliberes velisne Romam reverti aut aliquem locum quo traducaris eligere cui ille trium dierum vel etiam mensium spacium rationem non immutat quare mittas me licet quo velis Magd. Cent. 4. c. 3. we need not crave time As Liberius a Godly and Orthodox Bishop of Rome when convented before Constantius an Arrian Emperour and charged there with stubbornes for partaking with Athanasius answered most freely before the Emperour at last when after all faire perswasions and sharp threats he found him persisting in his former resolutions he gave him then three dayes time to consider of it whither then to returne to his Bishoprick at home or to be banisht or to set downe what he would make choice of He answers O Emperour send me whither thou wilt three dayes or three moneths are all one to me Truth and reason do not change with time So into banishment he was sent If men would in their straites when they know not what to resolve upon cast their lot into the lap of Conscience they should have a more certain easie and compendious resolution then by consulting with flesh and blood and reading sometimes many discourses Cathedram habet in conscientia qui corda docet Conscience should bee made Doctor of the Chayre It is the most sound Divinity Reader and oftentimes the most satisfying Casuist in the world
to get keepe use two weapons especially Faith and a good Conscience get both or neither faith in the one hand good Conscience in the other thou hast many enemies to resist and fight with thou must use both hands not faith alone without good Conscience nor good conscience alone without Faith Both make thee compleately armed and will make thee more then a Conqueror But hold them fast throw down neither but should thy weapons be beaten through violence of persecution to thy head never suffer them through cowardize to be beaten out of thy hands The latter especially he giveth charge abovt viz. a good conscience without this if thou shouldest be all faith all faith cannot save thee nor save it selfe without this second good conscience But faith either stands or swims with a good Conscience or falls and sinkes with a bad Conscience Hence the point intended is In the most Perillous tempests of corrupt and dangerous Obs times wherein we often see others losing their Lives their Graces their Comforts their former Peace their future hopes that our selves may not eternally miscarry and loose all we have on earth for Grace and comfort and all we look for in heaven for glory and happiness Our continuall care must be to get and keepe to have and hold faith and a good conscience If thou lose not these two thou shalt never have cause to complaine of losing times keepe these they will keepe thee In times of common Naufrage and Shipwracke when we see abroad Church-wracks State-wracks Faith-wracks Truth-wracks take heed then of the worst Ship-wrack of all at home Conscience-wrack Our life here is set out by a double Metaphor 1. Of a warfaring condition v. 18. 2. Of a Seafaring condition v. 19. Is our life a warfare These are our principal weapons Faith and good Conscience if faith be the Shield good Conscience is the Brestplate of Righteousnesse Ephe. 6. 14. or the golden Eph. 6. 14. 16. Girdle of truth and sincerity v. 16. Is our condition a Land fight and not of a single combate but of common interest These two Faith and a good Conscience are the two strong holds we must secure our selves in and hold out to the last drop of blood and gaspe of life These two like Jonathan 1 Sam. 14. 13. and his armour bearer will disco mfit an hoast of Enemies and carry all before them and break through the most insuperable difficulties 1 Pet. 3. 16. Having a good conscience 1 Pet. 3. 16 saith the Apostle that whereas they speake evill of you as of evill doers they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ q. d. Though they encampe against you beset your houses shoot their arrowes and bullets bitter words and as bad deeds yea should they discharge their murdering Peeces upon you and thinke by firing and storming to carry all before them stand you your ground quit your selves like men retire you like the Cony to this Rock like the Bird to this Hill your Brazen walls of Faith which indeed without any Hyperbole as Jerichoes walls reach up to heaven and that Adamantine Inworke of a good Conscience founded on a Rock no Gates or engines of Hell shall prevaile against But they shall be ashamed when they behold your good and unblameable conversation They shall draw off with dishonour and infamy as Abimeleck when he attempted to fire the Tower of Thebez to which they fled for safety a woman threw a Jud. 9. 51. 52. piece of a Milstone upon his head and sent him packing These indeed shall never be ashamed Ps 127. 5. when they speake with any Enemies in the Gate Is our life a Seafaring condition A good Conscience is the Arke not like that wherein Moses was exposed to drowning and danger Ex. 2. 3. an Arke of Bulrushes daubed with slime and pitch But like that of Noah Pitched Gen. 6. 14. Et Seq within and without with pitch made by Gods own direction wherein thou mayst adventure as he did the whole world both Church and State thereinto God bad him enter therein God shut him and kept him safe it preserved that second Adam and all the reserve of the Creation from that universall Deluge A window it had in the top to let in the light of Heaven not the lest Crevise below to let in a drop of water to endanger it It did shoot off all the Showers that fel downwards and all the Floods that raged upwards The like figure whereunto even Baptisme doth now save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh 1 Pet. 3. 20 21. but the answer of a good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Peter 3. 20. 21. Is our Life a Sea-fight These two Faith and good Conscience are our men of warre which we must never yeeld up to any Enemy but chuse rather to perish and sinke in defending them and maintaining our Trust See what Trophees a Christian brings home by making good these two above all Trophees of honour a Conqueror can get from a spoiled Enemy 2 Cor. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this 2 Cor. 1. 12 the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world but more abundantly to you-wards It had been now an ill time with the Apostle his sufferings did abound v. 5. He was pressed above measure and above humane strength Even to dispaire of life yet even under the sentence and stroke of death He had consolations abounding as much as his afflictions and joyes running over above measure if afflictions above measure And all from this Magazine and Treasury of a good Conscience In pursuite of this point I shall first shew The five particulars to be handled what Conscience is 2 What this good Conscience is 3. Give the particular kinds and sorts of good Consciences 4. Give the reasons of the point and duty 5. Deduce the inferences arising hence by way of Application CHAP. I. Chap. 1. What Conscience is What conscience is TO the first What conscience is This I shall shew in two particulars 1. Explaining what the word Conscience signifies 2. What the thing Conscience is 1. What the word conscience signifies Notatio nominis praemittenda notationi Rei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word in Greeke and Conscientia in Latine and Conscience in English are all compound words and signifie a knowing together and imply two things 1. Some competent measure of knowledge or there can be no conscience Hence the word so translated 1 Cor. 4. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know Nullius rei mihi conscius sum Beza So. Nil conscire sibi Horat. nothing by my selfe Prov. 8. 12. Wisdome saith Ego sapientia cum Prudentia cohabito I Wisdome dwell with Prudence So Ego Conscientia cum scientia I Conscience dwell with
whose cause if thou wilt plead thou shalt have double fees but if thou be of Counsel against heâ— or by thy opposition silence craft or negligence she be cast and overthrowne thou shalt never be able to stand in the Judgement but be disabled pleading before the Lord Chief Justice at that Upper Bench. Art thou a Physitian Conscience must be thy Patient whom thou must attend most be sure to keepe her out of a Lethargy and a Consumption to which diseases she is naturally most inclined if this Die under thy hand and miscarry thou art an undone man and all thy skill and practise nothing worth If thou be a Rich man Conscience will furnish thee with Baggs which wax not old of Treasure that will not waste If Poor it will furnish thee with a Cruse and Barrel that will not fail If thou hast a good Conscience it will be a staff to support thee If an evil it will turn in to a Serpent to sting thee If thou art an Israelite it is the Red Sea fear not to go into it it will secure thee if an Egyptian thou art drowned if thou go into it If thou be a woman Conscience is thy Glasse into which thou must looke and by which thou must dresse thy self saith Bernard that thou mayest please Christ thy Spouse If a Maid this thy attire If a Bride this thy Ornament If a Mother this thy Child which thou must nurse thy self not put out of doors as Moses Mother did him for any danger or benefit Take heed of starving and overlaying thy Conscience Thou must be as tender of this as of thy only Child for it more concerns thee Whosoever thou art I have two things more to beg the one for thee that what is here all along spoken of Conscience may be also spoken effectually to thy Conscience and tend to the clarifying and fortifying to the purifying pacifying and preserving of thy Conscience and the other from thee that thou wilt joyne in thy prayers endeavours that the Lords banished may be brought home that banisht Conscience may be restored to his liberty and that deposed Conscience may be Re-in-throned in his full power and soveraigne authority commanding in the heart and lives of all professors and Christians that while Conscience reignes the peace of God which passeth all onderstanding may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beare rule in our hearts and minds So I remit thee to the Conscience of God and commit thee to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pe. 2. 19 God of Conscience that thou maist live full of Conscience so dye full of comfort and rise full of glory So prayes he who is The meanest servant of thy Faith and Conscience J. S. THE CONTENTS THe sum and scope of the Epistle to Timothy is the Ministers duty page 1. The sum of the Text the Ministers greatest charge p. 2. 11. The words opened observations raised p. 3 4 c. The maine point of Doctrine Propounded p. 11. Expounded p. 12. Confirmed p. 13 14 CHAP. I. What Conscience is shewed two wayes p. 15. 1. By opening the word Conscience p. 15. Conscience is more then a bare and single knowledge ibid. Conscience implyes a four-fold knowledge with God p. 16. with self p. 17. with others p. 18. with things themselves p. 20. Four Corollaries and Deductions p. 22. 2. What the thing Conscience is described p. 24. CHAP. II. Two kinds of Conscience Evill Good A two fold evill Conscience Quiet Troubled A double goodness in Conscience of Sincerity Security p. 26. The full definition of a good Conscience viz. when 1. It is rightly Purified 2. Rightly Pacified 3. And doth â—egularly performe all his offices ibid When Conscience is rightly purified p. 27. Three things Conscience must be purified from Ignorance p. 27. Error p. 28. Hardnesse p. 31 Three things Conscience is purified by The Word of Christ The Blood of Christ The Spirit of Christ p. 33. CHAP. III. Of the Conscience rightly pacified p. 37. Three things Conscience must be pacified from The raigne of sin p. 37. The rage of Satan p. 39. The wrath of God p. 41. Three things Conscience is pacified by The Word p. 42. The Blood p. 43. The spirit of Christ p. 44. CHAP. IV. The Offices of Conscience p. 45. Conscience hath a four-fold Office Ministeriall or Propheticall Regall or Magistratuall Testimoniall or of a witness Judiciall or of a Judge p. 46. To which is added a fifth Office viz. Registeriall Wherein Conscience is a Minister p. 46. Wherein Conscience is a King p. 48. Wherein Conscience is a witnesse p. 49. Wherein Conscience is a Judge p. 51. Wherein Conscience is a Register p. 52. Five Corollaryes p. 54. CHAP. V. Ten particular sorts of good Conscience propounded First of the Conscience of Faith ibid p. 60. CHAP. VI. Of the Conscience of Purity p. 66 CHAP. VII Of the Conscience of Sincerity p. 72. Ten notes of Sincerity p. 75. CHAP. VIII Of the Inoffensive Conscience p. 93 Inoffensivenesse twofold Not taking Not giving Offence p. 93. 1. Inoffensiveness in not giving offence respects either God or Man ibid. What is it to be inoffensive before God p. 94. How any can be said so to be inoffensive ibid. Foure markes of this inoffensivenesse p. 95. Offence not to be given to men Others Godly p. 97. or Those without p. 105. Our selves p. 107. Six cautions given to prevent offence giving p. 98. Six rules prescribed to avoid offence giving p. 102. 2. Inoffensivenesse in not taking offence from God p. 109. The Godly p. 110. The wicked p. 111. CHAP. IX Of the well sighted Conscience p. 112. CHAP. X. Of the well spoken Conscience p. 115. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Opened The answer or interrogation of a good Conscience p. 115. 116. CHAP. XI Of the honest dealing Conscience p. 120. Seven notes of an honest Conscience p. 124. CHAP. XII Of the tender Conscience p. 129. A double tenderness of Conscience Sinfull and diseased Lawfull and Sound p. 132. Five kinds of diseased and faulty tenderness p. 132. 133 Right tendernesse respects 1. God 2. Others 3. Our selves p. 140. 1. Tendernesse in respect of God seen in six things p. 141. 2. In respect of Men. 1. To all Godly in generall 2 Weaker ones among them especially 3 To all men whatsoever 4. To those who are related to us principally p. 151. Sequ. 3. In respect of our selves this tendernesse seen in 14. Notes p. 157. Sequ. CHAP. XIII Of the passive or suffering Conscience p. 181. Foure sorts of sinfull uncomfortable sufferings p. 187. Six markes of honourable and conscientious suffering p. 189. CHAP. XIV Of the Conscience of Charity p. 194. Charity two-fold Externall or civill Ecclesiasticall or christian p. 195. 1. Externall charity respecteth The Poore The Neighbour Our Enemy To the poor is to be shewed charity of beneficence p. 196 To the Neighbour a charity of benevolence p. 199. To an Enemy the charity of forgiveness p.
Christs head is his glory good conscience sets the crowne on faiths head is faiths glory For though there be two great preheminences which faith hath above Conscience the same that the man hath above the woman 1. That the man is not of the woman but the woman of the man hoc est taken out of man so faith is not out of conscience but conscience out of faith 2. Neither was the man created for the woman but the woman for the man Nor was faith created for consciences use but conscience for faiths Yet he concludes v. 11. Neverthelesse neither is the man without the woman nor the woman without the man in the Lord So neither is faith without good conscience nor can good conscience be without faith in the Lord For the Relation is Reciprocall and the dependance and benefit mutuall ver 12. For as the woman is of the man so is the man also by the woman but all things originarily and primarily of God So also here it is as good conscience is of faith so faith is by good conscience but both of God for mutuall comfort and delight And from this couple the Church is propagated and increased to this day These two as Leah and Rachel build up the house of Israel faith bearing children to the Church on good consciences knees and good conscience bringing up those children which faith hath borne at her breasts as Ruth brought forth children for the comfort of Naomi and Naomi brought up those children for the ease of Ruth Hold Faith and you are sure of a good Conscience CHAP. VI. Of a pure Conscience THe second good conscience is the Pure The Conscience of purity Conscience The fine Linnen clean and white Rev. 19. 8. is the righteousnesse of Saints and the Lambes wifes ornament The pure cleane and undesiled conscience is the inherent and internall righteousnesse of the Saints and the Ornament of the Christian Of this good conscience the Apostle speaketh often to Timothy 1 Tim. 1. 5. The pure heart and good conscience and faith unfeigned put together and 3. 9. Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience 2 Tim. 1. 3. I serve God from my forefathers with a pure conscience The former goodnesse of conscience by meanes of faith makes the conscience good before God the justified conscience This of purity makes it good before men the sanctified and renewed conscience that was by the blood of Christ this is by the Spirit and Grace of Christ Of this wee have spoken somewhat already chap. 2. therefore shall need to say the lesse here Blessed are these pure in heart they shall see God Mat. 5. 8. And 1 John 3. 3. He that hath this hope of seeing God as he is must purifie himselfe as God is pure God is a God of pure eyes and cannot Good conscience is of Hab. 1. 13. pure eyes and must not behold iniquity Great are the comforts benefits and priviledges of this pure conscience and high are the promises made to it With whom will God shew himselfe pure but to and with the pure And to the froward he will shew himselfe Psal 18. 26. Lev. 26. 23 24. as froward To them that walk contrary to him he will walke contrary to them Who is he that shall ascend the hill of the Lord Or who shall stand in his holy place He that hath the cleane Psalme 24. 3 4 5. hands and the pure heart who hath not lift up his soule unto vanity This is the man who shall receive the Blessing of the Lord and righteousnesse from the God of his salvation In the pure water thy face may be seen which cannot in muddy water In a pure conscience Gods face is to be seene no where else in earth and by none in heaven but by the pure in heart This is the Mountaine of transfiguration where Mar. 9. 1 2. alone the Kingdom of God is seene coming with power This is the only Isle Patmos where Rev. 1. are the Revelations and Visions of the Sonne of man Here is Gods Booke with seven Seales unsealed This is the Sanctum Sanctorum beyond that in Solomons Temple all overlaid with pure Gold in which God doth dwell sit upon a Mercy-Seat and make known his minde giving answers whensoever consulted with and enquired after herein The pure conscience is the Heart after Gods heart who is all for purenesse he loveth Righteousnesse and hateth all uncleannesse No Sacrifice in which was any Blemish or Spot Psal 11. 7. 45. 7. was to be offered no Sacrifice with Leaven no Priests sonne might come neere to Officiate Lev. 1. 3 10 Lev. 2. 11. Lev. 21. 18. in whom was any blemish no High Priest presume to sacrifice in any legall uncleannesse on him But his standing Rule is I will be sanctified in them that draw neere to me Lev. 10 3. None were to come in to the Persian King but such as were first purified and had passed through twelve whole moneths in a course of purification Esth 2. 12. What manner of persons ought they to be then that shall come before God either to waite on the Ministery or to partake of Ordinances And what measure of Purification should we come addressed withall Now this Purification is that of Conscience especially Heb. 9. 14. and 10 22. Therefore wash thy heart O Jerusalem that thou Jâ—r â— 14. Mat. 23. 26. mayest be saved Let not vaine thoughts lodge in thee Purge the inside of the cup and platter O Pharisee that thy outside may be cleane also But in these dayes there is much of Liberty little of Purity of Conscience Shall we call them pure with the bag of deceitfull weights and with the wicked Ballances as the Prophet Micah saith Micah 6 10 11. Are there yet the Treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked and the scant measure which is abominable and shall these be counted pure There is a Generation indeed pure in their own eyes who are yet not washed from their filthinesse There is such a Generation O how lofty are their eyes and their eye-lids lifted up Prov. 30. 12 13. speaking too lively of such a generation as ours is Shall we say such have any thing of conscience or grace in them who can live loosely speak scurrilously and scoffe at purity holinesse strictnesse and all piety Where shall the wicked and ungodly appeare if onely the pure in heart are blessed Take heed then of all impurity and defilement by any allowed sinne whatsoever weakneth Purity wasteth Peace Conscience is the Temple of God whosoever defileth this 1 Cor. 3. 17 Temple destroyes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is and him will God destroy The craâ—â—â—r flaw in the Bell not so much lesseneth the soundnesse as marreth the sound of the Bell. How few good Consciences are there then in these impure and licentious dayes to be found when purity and strictnesse is exploded as a badge of
and the best resolver of all our doubts Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies rather an Interrogation or demand as Beza saith well upon the place though our translation render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro respondere testificari vix putem satis aptè usurpari posse Beza 1 Pet. 3. 21 Jud. 13. 12. an answer Conscience hath many questions to put and it is still the nature of conscientious men to be enquiring as Manoahs wife when she had the Angell to resolve her now tell us how shall we order the Childe What shall we doe unto him All that came unto Iohn wrought upon by his ministery came with this question Luk. 3. 10 12 14. The most proper and pertinent question And what shall we do What shall we doe said the Publicans and People and Souldiers So is conscience still inquisitive desiring to goe upon safe grounds It inquires at the mouth of God 1. By Prayer as David Lord shall I goe 1 Sam. 30. 8 Joh. 34. 32. Luk. 10. 26 Isa 8. 20. as Job That which I see not teach thou me 2. By the word How is it written How readest thou is consciences question And to the Law and Testimony is consciences resolution 3. Conscience enquires at the Priests lips and seekes the law at his mouth Mal. 2. 7. Comes unto him for private Conference and satisfaction 4. Conscience puts cases in writing and propounds his doubts and scruples and desires resolution As the Corinthians had written to Paul in a certain case which did much perplex them desiring his resolution 1 Cor. 7. 1. Lastly Conscience hath many questions to put home to a mans selfe He must commune with his own heart and cause his spirit to make a diligent search in himselfe as the Psalmist saith he sometimes did Psal 77. 6. From whence it is that you see still young Converts they have many questions to make and cases to put they dare not walke at a venture as the word is Levit. 26. 21 23 27. for that is indeed to walke contrary to God as it there rendred CHAP. XI Of the honest dealing Conscience GOod Conscience must not onely be Good Of the honest dealing conscience at seeing and good at saying but as good at doing therefore I adde after the well-sighted and well spoken Conscience The well-dealing This which we call the honest Conscience a conscience of absolute necessity in a Christian so much of honesty before men so much of good Conscience before God want common honesty and all that is left is but hypocrisie Say not this is morallity and it is to be found among Heathens It is Divinity also and must be found among Christians religion teacheth to honour it though not to rest in it And the Christians care must be not to despise it but exceed it Of this good conscience Paul glorieth while he saith Heb. 13. 18. Pray for us for we trust we have a good Conscience in al things willing to live honestly To live honestly in all things is an honor to an Apostle and an undeniable argument of a good Conscience Visibility and Vniversality are Popish markes of a right Church but they are Protestant marks of a good Conscience and a right Christian We have a good Conscience The word translated Good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies also honest of this the adverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is derived translated honestly It might as well have been read Wee have an honest Conscience and in all things desirous to live honestly where all good Conscience is to bee seen Act. 23. 1. there all Honestie is to bee seen So 1 Pet. 3. 16. Peter exhorts to this Good Conscience Having a good Conscience that whereas they speak evil of you as of evil doers they may bee ashamed when they falsly accuse your good Conversation A good Conversation without will proclaim to all the world a good Conscience within And a good Conscience ever bindes us to our good behaviour towards men The Apostles Rule is Phil. 4. 8. Whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever are lovely and whatsoever of good report those seek and do as well as whatsoever things are true are pure are holy And 2 Cor. 8. 21. Providing things honest not onely in the sight of God but in the sight of all men Good Conscience must have Jacobs hands as well as Jacobs voice must as well deal fairly as speak fairly Good Conscience must look to a Thread and to a Shoo-latchet as Abraham did And must bee able Gen. 14. 23. to say in the sight of all the world as Moses Num. 16. 15 and Samuel Testifie against mee whose ox or whose ass have I taken whose gold or silver or apparel have I purloined or coveted 1 Sam. 12. 3 Act. 20. 23 2 Cor. 7. 2. whom have I defrauded or whom have I circumvented in bargaining The good ground in the Parable which maketh best use of the Word is expounded by our Saviour to bee the good and honest heart Luke 8. 15. And the man who is to bee admitted into Gods holy place must bee such an one as hath clean hands and a pure heart Psal 24. 4. Godliness and honestie are joyned together 1 Tim. 2. 2. as being inseparable The life of Godliness is bound up in the bundle of Honestie They are mother and daughter as Naomi and Ruth and cannot part companie Where Ruth 1. 16 17. thou goest I will go saith Ruth where thou dwellest I will dwell where thou diest I will die and bee buried with thee Thy God is my God so these go together stay together live together die together for they both serve one and the same God Pietie without Honestie is but seeming Pietie and really Pharisaical Hypocrisie and all Honestie without true Pietie is but Semi-honestie and at best but Philosophical Paganish moralitie Each of them parted make but halfe of a man Both together make a compleat Christian The Good Conscience must ever consider what may stand with Honestie When carnall Reason and worldly Policie bid thee run with Gehazi and say This thou maist do and that thou maist get here is an Opportunitie neglect it not Good Conscience saith to them as Abner to Asahel Turn aside from following mee for how shall I then hold up 2 Sam. 2. 22. my head before Joab How shall I answer this another day Therefore no more Gain then what will stand with Godliness What I may take with Honestie that I will take what I can keep with Honestie that I will keep what is offered upon Terms of dishonestie I may not I will not receive what is received in way of dishonestie I must and I will restore as did Zacheus Better Salvation should Luke 19. 8. come to my house when I am restoring then damnation to my soul and a curse into my house and upon my Posteritie when I am receiving God shake every man out of his house and
Therefore Satan commonly begins here and seeks Entrance for less sins upon the Conscience as House-robbers put in their less boies into the windowes to set open all the doors of the house for all the companie to enter Nemo repente fuit Turpissimus No man arrives at the height of impietie at once And this is commonly the first step One unclean spirit entertained makes room Mat. 12. 45. for seven worse to follow When Conscience likes not to retain the knowledge of God God gives up to vile affections at length to a reprobate minde at last to be filled with all manner of unrighteousness Rom. 1. 26 28 29. The hopefull Professour by this meanes soon becomes a dangerous Apostate and at last a down-right Atheist in life as the Apostle saith Titus 1. 15 16. when once the minde and Conscience is defiled they may profess still to know but in works they denie God being abominable disobedient and to every good work as any reprobate When the wormwood star falls into the fountain of Conscience all the rivers become bitter the sun beginning to set in Conscience night hastens on in the affections Then farewell Grace And when the sun goes back in the heaven of Conscience the shadow must needs go back as many degrees in the Diall of Comfort Then farewell Peace 2. As the first decay is here commonly begun so it proves the worst decay and danger that can befall a man a breach in Conscience is like a breach in the Sea banks proves desperate or like the Leake sprung in the ship drowns men in utter perdition after a crack in Conscience a man proves an utter Bankrupt after other shipwracks one may recover and get up again there are post naufragium Tabulâ— but this is a fatall and commonly irrecoverable shipwrack Some sins and slips are like breaking of a Leg or an Arm which may be set again this is like breaking the Neck few recover to take hold of the paths of life after this Judas brake his Conscience Neck and that brake his Neck Enquire as oft as you will by what degrees any is come up to the highest sins As for instance how some came to give themselves over to lasciviousness to the committing of all uncleanness even with greediness Ephes 4. 19. The Apostle tells us they had been practising upon their Conscience first they had first blinded their mindes and had stunted their Conscience to bring them to that dedolencie that they might bee past feeling Again do you wonder and enquire how it is that in these last daies so many do depart from the faith and give heed to seducing spirits yea to the very doctrines of devils as was foretold 1 Tim. 4. 1. the answer is at hand in the next verse They had first seared and stupified their Conscience Do you enquire again how it comes that some most hopefull Professours become at last most violent and enraged Persecutors and as bold broachers of accursed errours you have the answer in the Text Hymeneus and Alexander laid down their Old-Testament weapons Faith and a good Conscience then became filled with new wine then grew corrupt themselves then vented blasphemies then were delivered up to Satan as fitter for Hell then the Church They fell into prodigious opinions and conceits making a fable of the Resurrection 2 Tim. 2. 17. At last this Alexander came to be an open enemie to Paul and Persecutor of his doctrine whom he praieth against more then he doth against any other 2 Tim. 4. 14. This is indeed the readie way nay the onely way to sin that unpardonable sin the sin against the holy Ghost which never hath forgiveness because it never hath Repentance A man that hath lost his Conscience is like a Bee that hath lost his sting becomes a Droan ever after and is at last expelled the Hive The beginning of the Decaie of Conscience is like the beginning of the Hectick feaver which at first as the Phisitian saith were easily cured but that it is hardly known but at last it is easily known but hardly cured 3. The third danger and mischief is that either thou must resolve to make this Good warfare required in the Text for a Good Conscience or to suffer an ill warfare made upon thee from an ill Conscience either thou must make this Tree good and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt but Mat. 12. 33. know that this war is the worst war which can bee made All wars are bad and end in bitterness but of all wars civil wars are the most dreadfull worse when it is between Citie and Citie then if it were Nation with Nation and of all civil wars domestical in the same Familie when divided is worse then when a Kingdom divided And in the same familie again Matrimonial war when in the same bed is worse then any other war in the same house between father and son for where the Relation is nearest division there is unkindest But there is one war yet worse then all these the personal division is worse then any division between man and wife This is to speak properly the onely Intestine war when two are divided against three and three against two Vnderstanding and Conscience joyning together to keep in order Will Affections and Practises but these joyntly rise up to suppress their Legall and Rightfull Superiours Vnderstanding and Conscience It is a sad Storie to read that of the father and his two sons who separating from our Churches in England kept together a while but ere long the two brothers divided among themselves again and when the father could not reconcile them he left the one childe to adhere to the other but after that differences grew between the father and this one son and they must Anathematize each other Here was a lamentable Example to see in three persons of nearest naturall Relation such an Enmitie each stood aloof from the rest all three stood excommunicated and accursed by each other But this separation and difference I speak of is beyond that when a man doth separate from his Conscience and excommunicate it first then after doth Conscience separate from him and accurse him yea and he shall be cursed Many have thought that they have been able to make offensive war against Conscience none have ever been able to make the defensive To fight aginst Conscience is to fight against God and who hath ever hardened himself Job 9. 4. against him and prospered Pharoab would begin with God and make an offensive war Who is the Lord I know him not I will not let Israel go but he was wearie of the defensive Exod. 5. 2. Let us flie for the Lord fighteth against us So if thou thinkest it a light thing to Exod. 14. 25. challenge and provoke Conscience while it would be at peace with thee know thou wilt finde it next God himself the heaviest adversarie that thou couldst have had If Conscience
as they did Moses Acts 7. for an intruder or busie usurper or an imperious Commander 3. Concerning faith made shipwrack see what followed upon it They did not perfect and mend their faith as they might be ready to pretend or affirm but weaken it not weaken but shake it not shake but sunk it and lost it 4. Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander Consider who these were even great Professors a great while and stout Champions somewhile that had adventured far and ingaged much for the truth and the Preachers of it Alexander especially who had shewed so much zeal to truth and love to Paul Acts 19. that to secure Paul's person he had exposed his own to the danger of an unruly tumult he could have laid down his own life to have saved Paul's and would have parted with his right eye to do Paul service Yet see what is become of these now where will he stay that hath lost his Conscience 5. For they having put away their former good Conscience become now branded Apostates and open enemies of the same Preachers they had before so loved and honoured nay they themselves become Preachers but blasphemous Preachers 6. Lastly after all this the Church that formerly had joined with them now spues them out gives warning to the godly to avoid them and to their grief denie them any more Church-fellowship and gives them over to Satan that no more mischief may be done by their impure Doctrines The Church in her direfull Censures saith Write these men childlesse let no more of their seed rise up after them to bear more gall and wormwood CHAP. XVIII The Application of the Doctrine and first by way of Information THis point admits a sevenfold Application The Application as containing matter 1. For Information 2. Lamentation 3. Reproof 4 Terror 5. Consolation 6 Examination 7. Exhortation with some Directions The Information hath two parts 1. It gives 1. By way of information notice of certain errors and mistakes to remove them 2. Of certain Truths and Duties to assert them 1. It meets full in the face with that too And that first in removing mistakes common and plausible opinion but most dangerous error That to preach Conscience and press Duties in this nature is but legall teaching not preaching Jesus Christ and the Gospell But sure we have more cause to complain of the world for too little of legall living and Christian doing then the world to complain of too much legall preaching When men call us legall Teachers we may with too much truth and as much grief call them illegall ill-Evangelicall and ill-Christian livers Hymeneus and Alexander are alive again and by many Professors counted better Preachers then Paul and Timothy These counted Good-Conscience-Doctrine to be legall strictness and old Leaven of the Pharisees faith was enough faith was all But when Conscience ceased faith deceased they put away Conscience faith suffered shipwrack So that we may more rightly call this an old-new-Testament-error to crie down strictness then you our preaching it an old-Testament Truth and Doctrine This opinion broke out almost as soon as the preaching of the Gospel Paul had preached That where sin had abounded and reigned grace did much more abound and reign Rom. 5. 20. Others inferred hence as good Doctrine and the right knowledg of the Gospel and walking by a spirit of libertie Then may we continue in sin that grace may abound Rom. 6. 1. Paul had said sin shall not have dominion over regenerate believers For we are not under the law but grace Hence others concluded We may sin because we are no longer under the Law but under grace Rom. 6. 14 15. Paul refutes the impietie of both Assertions with the same answer detesting both God forbid Rom. 6. 2. 15. These Tares we see sprung up as soon as the good Seed began to appear We wonder the less if among us there be some that say Believe once and away with Conscience and Dutie and Works and have no more Conscience of sin The truth is once believe and thou hast no more Conscience of sin as to the guilt and punishment of it But once believe and ever make conscience of sin to avoid resist and mortifie it that it reign not in your mortall bodie The other were to overthrow the true grace of God by the name of the grace of God and to set up an imaginary faith and Gospel to beat down reall faith and Gospel while they cry down Sanctification and Conscience of dutie not as to the resting in them but as to the very having and seeking them But let the minde that hath wisdom judge can one grace in God be contrary to another his justifying grace to his sanctifying or sanctifying to justifying 2. Is one Attribute of God opposite to another his grace love and mercie to his holiness justice and puritie 3. Must Christ needs be divided and by redemption and justification drive out wisdom and sanctification two of his benefits destroying other two when he is all or none 1 Cor. 1. 30. 4. Or must two ends of Christs death be opposite to two other ends set down all together Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquitie and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Must Christ his dying for us and redeeming of us make his people less pure or less zealous of good works 5. Can any imagine that one grace of the same Spirit should cross another the Spirits consolation evacuate the Spirits sanctification and by his obsignation mortifie mortification 6. Can one grace in the Christian be imagined to weaken and destroy another Is faith the enemy of holiness Doth Conscience extinguish confidence 7. Is the Law now against the Promise or Gal. 3. 21. the Promise against the Law did grace then fulfill the Law and est ablish it and doth it now Rom. 3. 31. make it void All these would have been accounted strange Divinitie in the Apostles ears This bewitching errour doth not onely set earth into disorders neighbour against neighbour professor against professor some people against their Ministers and some Ministers though they are not many who are so grosse against other Ministers but it sets earth in rebellion against heaven yea would attempt to put heaven into a combustion and make heaven at variance within it self while it would set Gods Decrees against Gods Decrees Promises against Promises Grace against Grace Saints against Sanctitie And again Decrees against Promises Promises against Commands Commands against Duties and all against Holiness This hellish Doctrine came from the Gnosticks of old and their followers They thought it their perfection to set Conscience at libertie and to discharge it from all puritie Epiphanius and Irenaeus say that the Gnosticks did purposely resolve to live a loose and base life that they might reproach the stricter Christians and wear out that legall Doctrine and as some