doe as they did but to make thee the more obseruant of thine owne waies least that thou shouldest doe as they did For euery fatte stands vpon its owne bottome and little peace wilt thou haue to imitate any mortall man in that which is offensiue to thy God 5. Conclude not that thou wilt but doe the deede once or twice or seldome For sinne is like a serpent if it gets but in the head it will get in the whole body and it is a clinging and encroaching guest whereof thou canst not be so soone rid as thou listest after thou hast giuen entertainment vnto it neither thinkest thou maiest be the bolder because thou art in Gods fauour which can neuer change nor alter thou art not so sure of heauen but that the deuill though he cannot robbe thee of it yet can make thee question it to the perplexing of thy soule Take heede I say that by these steps thou climbest not vp the ladder of presumption for then that there is no greater enemie to an holy and blamelesse life the maintaining of which holy life is the greatest preseruatiue to a good conscience that can be Secondly as thus by presuming thou must not stretch thy conscience Subordinate helpes to the second generall rule So to the end thou mayest not streighten conscience thou must doe three things First get a sound knowledge and right vnderstanding of the binding and subiection of the conscience to wit whereby and how it is bound wherein and how it is to be subiect Now for thy better information in this know that some things binde the conscience immediately or properly What binds the conscience immediately viz. Law Gospell some things mediately or improperly First immediately that doth binde the conscience which hath most absolute power and authoritie in it selfe ouer the conscience and thus the Law and Gospell bindes the conscience or the word of God comprehended in the bookes of the Old and New Testament First for the Law That is three-fold morall iudiciall ceremoniall 1. Law and that either as morall iudiciall ceremoniall The morall Law respecteth the duties of loue which wee owe to God and our neighbour comprised in the first and second table now to know how this binds conscience 1. How the morall Law bindes the conscience these two rules must bee obserued Rule 1 First That the second table must giue place to the first insomuch that if two duties come in opposition one to the other and the first table binds the conscience to the one Two rules to show how the morall law bindes the conscience the second to the other simply by it selfe that duty which is inioyned in the first must be performed rather then that which is prescribed in the second The rule amplified To amplifie it The second table binds me to performe all testimonies of loue to my neighbour the first to execute all offices of pietie towards God Such and such a testimony of loue to my neighbour may in some case not stand with my piety towards God in this case my conscience must submit it selfe rather to the pleasing of God then pleasing of man Albeit in some case we are to neglect some duties to God that wee may releeue the present necessitie of our brother which is warranted by that rule of Christ I will haue mercy and not sacrifice Rule 2 The second rule is this That the generall Law must giue way to the speciall Take an example or two Thou shalt doe no murther The rule examplified Thou shalt not steale are generall lawes Abraham take thy sonne thine onely sonne Isaac and offer him vp in sacrifice x Gen. 22.22 Euery woman shall borrow of her neighbour and of her that soiourneth in the house iewels of siluer and iewels of gold and yee shall spoile the Egyptians y Exod. 3 22. were speciall commandements Both of these euen generall and speciall doe binde the conscience In this case which must Abraham and the Israelites chiefely submit vnto To the speciall he must attempt to sacrifice his sonne notwithstanding this Thou shalt doe no murther They must rob the Egyptians of their iewels and treasures notwithstanding that precept Thou shalt not steale Why because the speciall had at that time more power ouer the consciences of Abraham and the Israelites then the generall 2. How the iudiciall law bindes the conscience From the morall to come to the Iudiciall law which was of vse to prescribe the Mosaicall forme of ciuill gouernment concerning the order offices of Magistrates and Magistracie iudgements punishments contracts difference of gouernment to the end that publike iustice might bee maintained peace continued and the contempt of Gods law reuenged This Law so farre bindeth the conscience now as it is euer duely grounded vpon the morall and where the same reason holdeth thus as it did in them and other nations by the light of nature practised in the same manner 3. How the ceremoniall law bindes conscience Thirdly the ceremoniall Law which treateth of rites and ceremonies enioyned in the Old Testament to be obserued about the outward worship of God is to bee reduced to three distinct times according to which times three rules may bee giuen to shew how farre forth conscience is subiect to that Rule 1 The first rule is this Before the death of Christ the ceremoniall law did binde the consciences of the Iewes and the Iewes onely not of the Gentiles For betwixt Iewes and Gentiles there was a wall of separation Rule 2 The second this From the death of Christ to the ouerthrow of the Iewish gouernment the ceremoniall law lost the force of binding and became an indifferent thing either to be vsed or not to be vsed Hence it was that Paul circumcised Timothy but would not circumcise Titus And the z Act. 15. councell at Ierusalem decreed that the Church should abstaine for a time from things strangled and from blood the cause of which decree was the weakenesse of some who of Iewes were made Christians As yet they did not fully vnderstand the libertie of the new Testament therfore for their weaknesse sake it was granted that they might vse some Iewish ceremonies for a time Rule 3 But thirdly after the euersion of the Iewish gouernment and the promulgation of the Gospell more largely and cleerely the ceremoniall law altogether ceased For from that time the libertie of Christians and freedome from Iewish ceremonies was so conspicuous that none of the godly could alleadge their ignorance heerein Wherefore very well say the Schooles * Leges ceremoniales iam sunt mortuae mortiferae Ceremoniall lawes are now dead and deadly Thus we see the nature of the lawes authority ouer the conscience 2. How the Gospell bindes Now we will see how the Gospell bindes the conscience For the better vnderstanding of which we must know that the Gospell doth not binde the consciences of those that are not
called but onely of them that are called That it doth not binde the vncalled it is plaine Because as they which sinne without the Law shall perish without the Law a Rom. 2.12 so they which sinne without the Gospell shall perish without the Gospell but they which perish without the Gospell are not bound by the Gospell therefore the vncalled are not bound by the Gospell Secondly that it bindes these that are called I meane separated from Pagans and Infidels it is manifest also by this reason All those that are called shall be iudged at the last day by the Gospell as is to be seene Rom. 2.16 Ioh. 3.15.18 But it is necessary that that same thing by which men shall be iudged after this life should binde their consciences in this life therefore the Gospell bindes the consciences of the called Quest But what doth it binde them vnto Answ To beleeue the promises of iustification saluation speciall prouidence and loue Obiect Yea but hypocrites are called into the Church and if they be bound to beleeue their saluation they are bound to beleeue that which is false for the promises of the Gospell concerning the fauour of God pardon of sinne c. belong not to them I answer Answ That they which are called into the Church are not absolutely bound to beleeue their owne saluation but on this condition according to the tenour of the couenant that they desire truly to be in the number of Christs true Disciples But to bee the true schollers and Disciples of Christ to learne of him to follow him hypocrites doe not seriously desire therefore their consciences are not absolutely bound to beleeue their owne saluation Thus thou vnderstandest how conscience is to be subiect to things that doe immediately binde it Now as touching the things that doe binde it mediately Things mediate to to oblige conscience that is not of themselues but by vertue of that obligatory power that they haue from the word of God they are foure first the lawes of man secondly oathes thirdly vowes fourthly promises Concerning the first how farre forth conscience is to submit to humane lawes thou shalt know if thou markest these foure rules following Concerning the first how humane lawes doe binde wee shall know Rules to vnderstand the subiection of conscience to Mans laws if wee ponder these foure Rules Lawes of men whither they bee Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall doe binde the conscience so farre forth as they are agreeable to Gods Law 2. As they conserue order or keepe from confusion and doe not take away Christian libertie 3. For if they haue these conditions they are obligatorie and binding by vertue of the fift commandement Honour thy father and particular precept giuen by Saint Paul Let euery soule be subiect to the higher power b Rom. 13.1 But if it so fall out that these lawes constituted by men be not about things indifferent but good in themselues that is to say commanded of God then they are not properly humane but diuine and therefore doe altogether binde the conscience Lastly if those lawes doe prescribe things that are euill they are so farre from hauing any power ouer the conscience that the conscience is most strictly bound not to obey them c Act 4.19 Conscientijs velle dominari est arcem coeli inuadere Wherefore we plainly affirme against the opinion of the Papists that neither Ciuill nor Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction hath any CONSTRAINING or compulsiue power immediately and directly ouer the conscience so that it was well said of Maximilian the Emperour to seeke to domineere ouer the conscience is impudently to inuade the tower of heauen And of * Cited by Alstedius in Theol. Cas c. 2 p. 10. Tria sunt homini impossibilia c. Psychotyranno plusquam Pharaonicam Phalaricam Stephanus King of Polonia Three things are impossible to man to make something of nothing to know things to come and to rule or Lord it ouer the conscience That same Psychotyranny therefore of the Papist which is most cruell most Pharonicall doe we detest and abhorre Rule 2 Secondly the POLITIKE lawes of man haue so farre an obligatory power in the conscience that the violating of them especially if it be ioyned either with the offence of their brethren or contempt of authoritie it is iustly to be accounted for a sinne against God though not immediately Rule 3 Thirdly the ECCLESIASTICALL lawes of men are either of things necessarie without which an order and decorum cannot be kept in the Church or else of things indifferent Those that are of things necessary doe binde by the force of that diuine law written by Paul Let all things be done decently and in good order d Cor. They that are of things meerely indifferent doe not binde so strictly except the neglect of the same occasioneth offence to the weake or be with contempt of Ecclesiasticall authoritie This for information about the mediate binding of conscience by humane lawes Secondly An oath bindes conscience How an oath binde conscience if it hath these foure conditions First if for the matter of it it be of things certaine and possible Secondly if for manner it be made or taken without guile sincerely and honestly Thirdly if for the end it be to Gods glory or the publike good Fourthly if for the author it bee taken by those who haue power so to binde themselues Therefore Herods oath did not binde his conscience because it did not tend to Gods glory and was of a thing beyond his commission with warrant to performe But if an oath hath I say those conditions it bindeth by the vertue of that commandement which Moses layes downe Numb 30.2 If a man sweare an oath to binde his soule with a bond he shall not breake his word he shall doe according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth Now in the third place for the subiection of conscience to vowes 3. How vowes binde conscience We must vnderstand that vowes are of three sorts morall ceremoniall and free A morall vow is that promise of morall obedience to the law of God made in Baptisme renued in the Lords Supper And this bindes all Christians at all times A ceremoniall vow is a promise of ceremoniall obedience in the Old Testament such as was the vow of the Nazarites e Leu. 27. And this did onely binde those who made it A free vow is a promise of performing some outward thing vndertaken for the cause of exercising pietie as vowes of fasting or the like for furtherance in the exercise of prayer of repentance c. And this is of a binding power if there be in it first a congruitie with the word of God secondly no repugnancie with our calling thirdly if it be no spoyler of Christian libertie and finally be not made out of an opinion of any meriting thereby If I say it be thus qualified and limited it binds conscience by the power of that diuine
barre for rape incest murthering of the innocent or any fellony that deserues death what will it boote him to pleade his gentility his hospitality and that he hath beene a good friend to the common-wealth c. if so be his accuser comes in strongly against him and resolues to prosecute him to the very death Alas what would it haue aduantaged Iudas to haue alleadged his preaching his doing of miracles his casting out of deuils Achitophel his policy prouidence for the State common-wealth when as their euil cōsciences did torment them the one for betraying his innocent Master the other for plotting treason against his lawfull Soueraigne I tell thee when conscience is a doing its accusing office it will neither heare of thy honesty nor ciuilitie nor liberalitie nor any thing else good in it selfe that hath been done by thee for corrupt ends but it will take them all as if they had neuer beene done yea accuse thee for failing in the manner Secondly Conscientia mala bene sperare non potest Aug. in Psal 31. it will deny thee comfort in time of distresse when thy body is tormented with corporall diseases and thou lye tossing and tumbling from one side of the bed to the other and faine wouldest haue ease When thy corne cattell substance goods are taken away from thee and thou brought to pouertie when scarcitie pincheth thee when friends leaue thee and enemies set against thee to haue content and quiet within it were some comfort but oh miserable person that is not to be had thy conscience is buffeting thee and vexing thee within dealing with thee as the consciences of these brethren with them suggesting matter of terrour vnto them in the time of their outward extreamitie And lastly whē thy accusing cōsciēce comes at the bar with thee after this life it will be a co-partner with that * Apoc. 12.10 accuser of the brethren Satan against thee to the vtter ouerthrow and euerlasting confusion Now go to thou seared sinner thou stiffe-necked offender aske in scoffing wise what matter it is if thy conscience doe accuse thee Loe thou seest what a matter it is And were it not that I wanted a tongue to expresse and then an eye to behold an heart to consider the fearefulnesse of thy condition it could not choose but be like the sight of the figures that Balshazzar saw vpon the wall or else like the sound of the Sermon that the Iewes heard Saint Peter preach o Act. 2. euen an occasion to make thy loynes shake and thy ioynts tremble thy heart soft and thy soule humble what no comfort to be reaped by thee in the best actions thou performest In likelihood to be left like a desolate forlorne and comfortlesse creature in the time of distresse in ieopardie to haue the sting of conscience persuing of thee to Gods iudgement barre the worme of conscience gnawing on thee for euermore after thy few and euill dayes be ended what can be more terrible more woefull Verily if the thought of these things preuaile not to humble thee these terrours are as like to ouertake thee as death it selfe then which nothing is more sure more certaine The Lord therefore mooue thy heart with this if it bee his holy will Amen Vse 4 Lastly heere is indefinite exhortation to all without difference that they would giue all diligence both to attaine and reteine consciences that are good both to bee freed of and preserued from consciences that are euill The exercise of this two-fold duty tooke vp a great deale of Saint Paules care as appeareth in sundry protestations of his diligence in this kinde in the seuerall Epistles which he writeth vnto the Churches Now if the worthy example of that worthy Apostle be to bee followed by vs in any thing that euer he did it is to be imitated and followed in this and that so much the rather because of the ground to perswade to and the motiue to enforce the duty which the doctrine in hand affordeth telling vs that an euill conscience is an accusing a vexing a tormenting conscience Now tell mee who would be willing to bee pestered with a tormenting conscience who takes any pleasure to haue the darts of the Almighty dagging at the heart or the arrowes of the Almightie drinking vp of the spirit Quiet of soule and tranquillity of minde is that that All doe naturally desire The vngodly themselues wish for peace and rather then they would be without it they will content themselues with a false peace with carnall securitie And there is none that liueth vnto whom terrours and tortures internall and inward are not tedious and irkesome would we then be freed and preserued from such terrours such wounds such daggers would we haue true peace and sound tranquilitie indeede then let as I saide endeauour to get good consciences if we want them to keepe them if we haue them or when we shal attaine vnto them And for better furtherance in so weighty a duty as this is I will commend to Gods blessing and thine vse two rankes or sorts of rules In the first whereof I will prescribe remedies to cure the malady of an euill conscience or set downe meanes to bring thee to a good conscience In the second I will prescribe antidotes to keepe thee from falling into the same disease of an euill conscience againe or acquaint thee with helps to keepe thy conscience sound and good if it bee so already In both of which before thou goest any further I desire at thy hands a resolution to vse both so neither I in writing this nor thou in reading shall loose our labour Remedies to cure an euill or meanes to get a good conscience For the first I minde to lay a ground out of which to draw the rules or some of the rules at least and that ground shall be the definition or description of a good conscience and a bad p Pisca in 1. Tim. 1. Obs 24. What a good conscience is Some define a good conscience thus A good conscience is the iudgement of our minde approouing that which we doe as pleasing to good because that we our selues please God through Christ and because we study to please him with a serious purpose of walking according to his will Others more briefely thus A good conscience is a ioy Heming Syntag. 161. springing out of the remembrance of a life holily and honestly led or a confidence of sinne remitted As for a bad conscience I take it to be contrary to the good and may bee defined either first thus A bad conscience is the censure of the minde What a bad conscience is disallowing that which we doe as displeasing to God insomuch as neither our persons doe please him through Christ nor as our consciences tell vs we studie to please him in our liues with a stedfast purpose of heart to conforme vnto his will Or secondly thus An euill conscience is a trembling and
maine drift of giuing attendance vpon Gods ordinances and thy euill conscience will be as effectually cleansed from those euils that make it bee as by the legall cleansings in the ceremoniall law flesh was wont to be purged from leprosie pestilence or any such like filthy contagion 6. Remedie Lastly the study and practise of a godly life breedeth and bringeth a good conscience And this helpe the last clause in the first definition of a good conscience affordeth where is prooued that therefore a good conscience doth approoue of what we doe as good as well because wee haue an earnest studie and serious purpose of walking according to Gods will as because we know our persons pleasing to God through faith in Christ And Saint Peter makes it good in his first Epistle third chapter 15 and 16. verses where speaking of a good conscience he ioynes withall both a sanctifying the Lord God in our hearts that is a study and serious purpose to serue him and also a good conuersation in Christ to stop the mouthes of those that are ready to accuse vs as euill doers that is a practise of the workes of righteousnesse giuing vs to vnderstand that it is impossible to haue a good conscience except we lead purpose study to lead a godly life These are the rules I thought good to lay downe for thy furtherance in getting a good conscience If hauing vsed the same heretofore thou hast found it already or by Gods blessing shalt obtaine it afterward to the end thou mayest keepe it marke a word or two more and then I will bring thee out of this point wherin I haue held thee longer then I thought at the first How to keepe a good conscience And to this purpose I will lay downe one generall caution out of which I will draw the whole direction and that is it shall bee good for thee to take heed of offering any wrong or violence thereunto Simile If it be as wee commonly vse to say it is great pitty to inforce an entire friend to inconueniences against his will it is much more pitty to enforce a good conscience whereunto no earthly friend is comparable both in regard of the good that it doth vs in the time of prosperitie and the comfort it brings vs in the day of aduersitie Now the conscience is enforced or hath violence offered vnto it two waies either when we would haue it more large then it should be or more streight then it neede be First the conscience is made more large then it should be presuming or venturing further in the omission of some duty or in the giuing place to some infirmitie then there is warrant Vnto which presumption there are these fiue steppes or degrees Degree 1 First a secret wish that such a thing might be done 1. How the by-conscience is made too large Degrees to presumption which tend to make the conscience too large which wee know to bee vnlawfull that such a duty were not required which we know to bee strictly enioyned Degree 2 Secondly vpon this wish an expostulation with our selues whither it may bee no way lawfull to commit that vice to neglect that duty so making that now questionable which before we knew to be absolute euery way vnlawfull Degree 3 Thirdly a strong imagination vpon this question that it may be very gainefull and commodious if we doe take some liberty to our selues in this kinde Degree 4 The fourth degree is to propound vnto our selues the infirmities of the Saints for our patterne reasoning thus as good Christians as I am better men then I am haue done thus and thus haue neglected this and this and therefore I may be bold without any great danger c. Degree 5 And the fift is a carelesse conclusion that if it bee but once or twice done or seldome neglected it cannot bee hurtfull God is mercifull wee are in his fauour his loue cannot alter and I know not what And so by consequent from all this premises a presumptuous perpetrating of the offence By these degrees wee come to presume and to stretch conscience to the wounding of it beyond its bounds which is one kinde of enforcing of it Secondly the Conscience comes to bee streightened three manner of wayes 2. How the conscience is made too streight first by ignorance in the nature of the obligation and subiection of the conscience secondly by yeelding vnto doubtings thirdly by a kinde of temporary despaire either of Gods prouidence to releeue vs in our temporall wants and dangers or of his readinesse to accheere vs in our spirituall desertions That the first of these euils doth streighten the conscience it is plaine by this argument Whatsoeuer doth cause scrupulous distraction or distracting scruple doth bring the conscience into streights But ignorance in the nature of the binding and subiecting of the conscience doth cause scrupulous distraction Therefore such an ignorance streightens the conscience For when the Christian knows not throughly what things binde the conscience Wherein conscience is to be subiect how farre forth things binde nor how or in what cases with what conditions conscience is to submit must it not needes bring him into a world of distractions How can it otherwise bee Secondly that yeelding to doubtings doe straighten the conscience it is cleere because doubtings are enemies to the peace of the conscience which peace is the * Cordis delectatio est cordis dilatatio August consciences sweete enlargement Vnto this peace also despaire of Gods prouidence either ouer the outward man in the time of affliction or ouer the soule in the time of desertion is an aduersary therefore thirdly despaire must needs also distresse the conscience Well then wouldst thou keepe a good conscience as a continuall feast obserue in generall two rules Allow no larger bounds to thy conscience then with warrant thou maiest by vaine presumption Bring thy conscience into no more thraldome and bondage then thou needest To helpe thee in the first Subordinate helpes to the obseruing of the first generall rule that thou maiest not presume marke these particulars First doe not wish in thy heart any vnlawfull thing to bee lawfull that thou might'st the safelier commit it nor any necessary duty indifferent that thou mightst not be tyed vnto it Secondly if thou beest well informed of the vnlawfulnesse of any euill of the necessitie of any duty abiure the court of faculties in thy conscience enquire not after a dispensation for thy selfe in speciall expostulate not whither thou mayest or mayest not commit it or neglect it 3. Be not of conceite that neglect of any holy or necessary duty or the committing of any sinne can be gainefull and aduantageable to thy outward state For it is a silly gaine that is purchased with a wound to the spirit and a cracke to the conscience 4. Set not the infirmities of beleeuers before thine eyes for imitation but for caution not to embolden thee to
precept which is in Eccles 5.4 5. When thou vowest a vow to God deferre not to pay it Better it is thou shouldest not vow then that thou shouldest vow and not pay Lastly that thou maiest know how promises doe binde the conscience 4. How promises binde conscience thou must obserue this rule That a simple promise I meane distinguished from a promise mixt and bound with an oath it doth oblige and binde the conscience at the will of him to whom it is made so that if he to whom thou makest it will release thee from the performance of it thou art free * See promises are debts if he require it thou art bound in conscience to make it good if so be it hath these requisites If it be first not against Gods word secondly not against honesty thirdly if thou beest such an one as hast power to binde thy selfe by such a promise fourthly if he whom thou hast made it vnto did not circumuent and get thee in by guile and deceit to make it fiftly if the performance of it remaine possible and lawfull If it hath these conditions it bindes by vertue of the ninth commandement Thus of these things considerable about the binding and subiection of conscience must thou get knowledge and information of if thou wouldest not streighten conscience and so wouldest preserue the goodnesse of it 2. Helpe against straightening conscience Secondly thou must take heede of yeelding to doubtings of yeelding I say For tempted to doubt thou shalt be be thy conscience neuer so good but yeeld not to the same hold Satan worke at the staues end and when he shall shoote his darts in this kinde against thee telling thee God is thy enemie thou art not his childe heauen shall not bee opened vnto thee hell fire is prepared for thee notwithstanding all thy professing and paines taking beare them off with the shield of faith If thou let goe the soundnesse of thy confidence thou wilt shrewdly diminish the goodnesse of thy conscience The keeping of faith and a good conscience are ioyned together they that make hauocke of the one will easily make shipwracke of the other take heede therefore of dashing thy faith vpon the rocke of doubtings by yeelding vnto them 3. Subordinate help And to conclude take heede also of rushing vpon the rocke of despaire when the Lord layes his hand in wisedome vpon thee and thou art tempted to despaire of euer obtaining any helpe from him When for reasons best knowne to himselfe he shall withdraw the light of his countenance which with ioy thou wert once wont to behold and thou shalt then be tempted to thinke he will neuer visite thee with his fauour againe yeeld not to these temptations be not out of hope but nourish cherish and maintaine thy hope still howsoeuer For there can be no better way to keepe thy conscience good and sound then to maintaine thy faith against doubtings and thy hope against temptations tending to despaire Thus at length I haue found an end of this point the successe whereof I commit to God the vse whereof I commend to thee hastening now to the second part of the text Which is The second part of the Text. The accusation it selfe which these accusers brought in against themselues in these words The Table of the second part 2. The Accusation which the Accusers bring in in which note 1. The division and interpretation together wher 1. The forme H. V. We are verily guiltie with the meaning of it p. 89. 2. The matter which is a case of wrong in which wrong wee haue 3. things 1. The obiect or partie wronged H. V. concerning our brother with the sense p. 89. 2. The Subiect or wrong it selfe aggrauated by two phrases 3. The Effect H. V. Therefore is this distresse come vpon vs with the meaning p. 91. 1. We saw the anguish of his soule with the sense p. 90. 2. When hee besought vs we would not heare with the sense p. 90. 2. The doctrines which are 1. Propounded together appearing to be fiue in number pag. 92. 2. Handled a part The first or third in the order of the text That in confession of sinne wee must be ingenious pag. 93. The second or fourth That conscience is a faithfull recorder pag. 101. The third or fift in order That by how much the neerer bonds we are tied to one another by so much the sorer torment shall we meete within our consciences pag. 123. The fourth or sixt in order That they shall be requited like for like which offer wrong pag. 130. The fift or last in the Text That not to pittie others in their distresse is to shut vp the bowels of others against vs in our distresse pag. 142. To the end We are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soule when he besought vs and wee would not heare therefore is this distresse come vpon vs. WHEREIN we haue to note The second part sub-diuided and the words interpreted promiscuously both the forme and the matter of the accusation 1. The forme in these words We are verily guilty that is euen we Iudah Since Leui and the rest of vs brethren are most certainly truly without all flattery guiltie 2. The matter in the residue of the verse which is a case of iniury or wrong where we are to consider first the obiect secondly the subiect thirdly the effect of the wrong 1. The obiect was Ioseph he was the man to whom they had done the wrong which they accuse themselues off heere and him they call brother concerning our brother for so he was indeede by fathers side though not by mothers side 2. The subiect of the wrong or the wrong it self which they had offered that their brother they doe aggrauate against themselues by two phrases first wee saw the anguish of his soule that is to say wee wretches after we had first cast him into the pit and then sold him to the Midianites we could looke vpon his distresse and perplexitie with drie eyes without teares and so our eyes were vnmercifull vnto him secondly when he besought vs wee would not heare yea whereas it had behooued vs vpon the very sight of his anguish to haue deceased from our cruelty he did beseech vs entreat vs to spare him let him alone yet we were so hard-hearted that we would not condescend vnto his entreaty and so our hearts and eares were vnmercifull vnto him Thirdly the effect of the wrong following in these words therefore is this distresse come vpon vs yea therefore we are now serued like for like this distresse of vs being charged for spies clapped vp in prison cannot be heard to pleade and apologize for our selues one of vs must now bee laide vp in chaines and God knowes how cruelly he shall be vsed ere we come againe this distresse is come vpon vs. If we ioyne these branches together in a paraphrase we may imagine
That by how much the stronger the bondes be By offering wrong to breake the bonds of vnion is an aggrauation of the hearts horrour whereby men are tyed to one another by so much the sorer the torment is like to be in the conscience for the wrongs they offer to one another It was the breach of the bond of brother-hood that no doubt encreased the horror of these brethren in this their distresse doth not their speech bewray as much We are verily guilty concerning OVR BROTHER this same BROTHER stucke much in their stomacke It was the wronging of his Father his louing Father who had giuen him his patrimonie affected him deerely showne kindnesse to him continually which made the inward gripes the stronger and the outward cries the louder of the yong prodigall e Luke 15.18.21 It was the betraying of his Master his kinde Master who had called him to an Apostleship betrusted him with the Stewardship whom he was so bound vnto that if neede had required he should rather haue beene prodigall of his owne blood for his sake then haue betrayed his innocent blood that encreased the horrour the heart-smart of Iudas f Math. 27.3 It was no doubt the spoiling of the life the defiling of the wife of his Seruant his trusty and faithfull seruant Vriah who lay watching and warring in the open fields for Dauids sake whom Dauid was beholding vnto for his loue and seruice that did augment the trouble of Dauids conscience when the Lord in mercy awaked him g 2. Sam. 12.13 Psal 51. Did you neuer reade nor heare of Nero how that the murther of his mother whom nature bound him to and the slaughter of his kindred whom the same bond tyed him to did so vexe and torment him that neither day nor night could hee be quiet but still he thought his mothers ghost did appeare vnto him and the furies of hell were ready at hand to torment him h Sueton. in vit Neronis c. 34. 35. The like is storied of Alexander who hauing slaine a deere friend of his named Clytus who had in loue showne his readinesse to haue died for Alexander i Curt. lib. 8. p. 119. si moriendum est pro te Clytus est primus was so terrified in his minde that hee would haue killed himselfe with that weapon wherewith hee slew Clytus if his guard had not preuented him he lay groueling vpon the earth filled the whole court with miserable howling and out-cries asked those that stood by him whither they could suffer such a wretch as himselfe was to liue cloistered vp himselfe in his tent and would haue pined himselfe to death if his seruants had not by strong hand compelled him to take meate still this being his pittifull song k Et ego seruatorum meorum latro reuertar in patriam Curt. lib. citat pag. 120. 121. 122. I shall returne into my owne countrey a murtherer of my SAVERS my Sauers this aggrauated his horror this questionlesse added to his terrour that hee should so wrong one that had rather beene his sauer then his enemie whose loue hee was bound as the light of nature taught him to haue rewarded in a better kinde Thus we see the truth of the point how that the strength of bonds to tie vs to one another doth encrease the perplexitie of the conscience for those iniuries we doe or shall offer to one another Vse Heare this all you whom no bonds no not of nature of blood it selfe can keepe within the compasse of loue of equitie whose hearts are malignant whose tongues are virulent whose courses are violent against your owne kinred the father rising vp against the sonne the sonne against the father the mother against the daughter the daughter against the mother husband against wife wife against husband brother against brother sister against sister a mans enemies being not onely of his owne house but also of his owne blood Heare you I say this word of the Lord take it in by the eare and apply it to the heart Poore wretches what wrong doe you offer your owne consciences you pile vp horror for them you treasure vp terror against them The stronger the knots be to binde you to vnity the sorer shall your anguish be for your fruits of enmitie Achitophel stood but in a ciuill relation to Dauid as a subiect to his Prince yet hee was terrified for giuing euill counsell against him l 2. Sam. 17.23 They Iaylor but in a domesticall relation to Paul and Silas as a Iaylor to his prisoners yet hee was affrighted for laying bolts vpon them m Act. 16.24.30 And doe you thinke that you may offer vnnaturall violence to those betwixt whom and you there is naturall reference and your consciences will neuer accuse you as sure as can be you are deceiued Let but brethren in the same Ecclesiasticall function fellow Magistrates in the same temporall vocation fellow seruants in the same family fellow neighbours in the same countrey offer wrong to one another I cannot warrant THEM securitie from stings of conscience But to deale cruelly with thine owne yoake-fellow to hate to reuile to abuse thy parents whom thou oughtest to loue honour and obey to be with out naturall affection to thine owne children who are thine owne bowels to deale doggedly with thy neere kinred and vnkindly with those of whose kindnesse thou hast so bountifully tasted is a thing so horrible so iniurious that I dare warrant thee will cost stings intollerable yea without repentance wounds of conscience incurable For if it be n Illa est vera innocentia quae nec inimiconocet August in Psal true innocencie not to hurt a deadly foe then it must needs be iniurie in graine to wrong a deere friend and the greatest sinnes must haue the greatest punishments of which punishments torture of conscience is one yea the greatest in this life if it produceth despaire as it many times doth If therefore it bee thy hap to heare or reade this who art at enmity with those to whom thou art tyed by the bonds of nature or kindnesse let mee entreate this at thy hands that thou wouldest labour with the serious meditation of this vpon thine inordinate and violent affections that it may cause thee to relent for thy former enmitie and breake in sunder those barres of contention whereby thy heart hath beene bolted vp against thy brother so long a time Doct. 6 That Retaliation is Gods Law The fourth point followeth That the Lord requites like for like to the wrong doer Iust as these brethren had dealt with Ioseph so so in their owne apprehension at least are they dealt withall themselues Therefore is this distresse come vpon vs. As we sowed so we reape as we measured so is it measured to vs againe We looked vpon Iosephs distresse this man lookes vpon our wee would not heare our brother speaking for himselfe this man now will not heare vs we carryed home