old louing kindnesse towards thee keeping thee from many dangers deliuering thee from former troubles shewing thee many fauours which he hath denied to others this may perswade thee that though hee hide his face from thee for a time yet hee will not finally forsake thee for whom hee loueth once he loueth him for euer in Christ Thirdly the diligent attendance to the blessed meanes to the Word and Sacraments vsing them religiously with prayer fasting meditation and practice in thy life and conuersation Fourthly the priuate conference with the learned and religious Pastour of thy soule and other good Christians whose prayer counsell and experience may bee a comfort vnto thee in thy spirituall desertion when thou wantest the feeling of this blessed peace and ioy of conscience Lastly the often confession of thy sinnes before God and renewing of thy repentance 1 Ioh. 1.18.9 Prou. 28.13 more seriously asking pardon and forgiuenesse and in all humility desiring reconciliation in Christ Thus haue the Saints of God and thus with the blessing of God maiest thou recouer this peace A request to the conscionable Reader And here for this last point let me beg one request at thy hands it is but a little one say me not nay I desire it for the loue of God 2 Cor. 13.5 and good of thine owne conscience Once a weeke at least if not once a day shake off that dead security in which the world lyeth buried and spend one hower in examination of thy selfe in opening the booke of thy conscience in confessing thy selfe to God and humbling thy soule before him Mat. 5.4 goe into thy closet and shut the doore after thee and weepe in secret for thy owne sinnes and for the sins of others that God may bee mercifull vnto thee And if thy hard heart will not bee humbled looke backe into thy life past and call to remembrance thy old impieties yea forget not the sinnes of thy youth which Dauid prayeth God not to remember but spread them all before the Lord Psal 25.6 and aggrauate them by the seuerall circumstances that thou maist see how farre thou hast erred from the law of God which is a glasse to shew thee thy sinnes yea iudge thy selfe for them that thou maiest not bee condemned of the Lord. And when thy Conscience hath found thee guilty then remember the direfull vengeance and fearefull iudgements of God due to sinne thinke how many hells thou hast deserued if God should enter into iudgement with thee And if this will not humble thee meditate further vpon that vnspeakeable loue of God to thee in Christ how when thou wast a most vile and wicked miscreant wallowing in the gore blood of thy sinfull corruption Ezeck 16.4 5 6 defiled with the pollution of naturall and actuall transgressions when none eve pittied thee nor had compassion on thee yet Christ beholding thy misery tooke pitty on thy estate and spared not his owne life but shed his precious blood to the death yea endured the wrath of his Father and suffered vnutterable torments to procure thy peace Luc. 22.44 his Agony was a witnesse to testifie the terrour of his Soule his sweat like drops of blood trickling downe to the ground Mat. 27.29 his blessed head crowned with thornes his holy cheekes buffeted with fists his backe whipped with scourges his hands and feete nailed to the Crosse and his side pierced with a speare that the dearest blood of his most precious heart gushed out amaine yea his Passion so intolerable that he cryed out in the bitternesse of his soule My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Mat. 27.46 And consider that all this did this blessed Lambe suffer to purchase thy peace And if this will not moue thee Isaiah 5.4 5 6. adde thy owne vnthankefulnesse the abusing of those many and good graces both spirituall and temporall which God hath giuen thee the often crucifying of Christ againe by thy sinnes and grieuing the good Spirit by whom thou art sealed to the day of redemption And if thy heart bee not more hard then Adamants certainly these meditations may breake it in peeces But if all this doth not humble thee then as before thou oughtest to prepare thy selfe for this exercise by fasting and prayer so leaue not off fasting and praying and crying vnto God Ioel 2.12 13. till thy heart melt with sorrow and thy eies gush out with riuers of waters This oughtest thou to doe for thine owne sinnes and for the sinnes of the Time And thus shalt thou be marked in the time of vengeance with the marke of Gods fauour Ezekiel 9.4 and when the wicked shall perish in the common destruction thou shalt haue peace And to draw towards a conclusion of this let nothing hinder thee from this examination and humiliation of thy soule But bee sure to put it in practice whosoeuer thou art or how great soeuer thy calling or occasions bee for the greater thou art the more neede hast thou of familiar acquaintance with God of often conference with him in this kinde for thy good because God is greater then all Neglect it not therefore whether thou be old or young high or low Magistrate or Minister noble or ignoble rich or poore man or woman of what state or calling or condition soeuer thou bee especially forget it not then when thou art to draw neare vnto God in receiuing of the holy and blessed Sacrament the Communion of the body and blood of Christ for the worthy partaking whereof 1 Cor. 11.28 29 thou oughtest to prepare thy selfe as thou wouldest doe if thou wert that hower to die and to passe either to heauen or hell to eternall ioy or eternall woe Be sure at that time therefore to put in practice this examination and humiliation of thy soule that vpon thy confession and contrition thou maiest haue absolution at the hand of God or of his Minister if thou finde it needefull to procure thy peace Passe it not ouer sleightly but presse it to the full till the good Spirit make thee to cry Abba father with confidence in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.15 16. and witnesse to thy spirit that thou art the child of God for by this the league of peace between thy God and conscience shall bee renewed and preserued And Conscience thus made quiet is as a Castle of defence or wall of brasse vnto the Saints 1 Cor. 1.12 This made S. Paul speake boldly and in middest of miseries reioyce in this the testimony of his conscience Augustinus lib. cont Secundin Manichaeum Sentiasde Augustino quicquid libet sola in oculis dei conscientia non accuset This was a comfort vnto good S. Augustine accused by Secundinus that he had forsaken Paganisme and followed Christ for hope of temporall preferment I care not saith the Father what other men doe say because my conscience cleareth mee Lastly this moued the holy Martyres most willingly to vndergoe such cruell
your sinnes no more Esay 43.25 But for your righteousnesse that shall bee had in euerlasting memory your workes of piety and works of pitty shall not be forgotten Mat. 6.4 Mat. 25.36 Though other men vniustly censure you it is God that seeth in secret and will reward you openly your zeale for truth and righteousnesse are in his presence Act. 10.4 your prayers and almes-deeds are gone to heauen before you your sighs and sobs and teares in secret he putteth into his bottle Psal 56.8 and all these things are noted in his Booke Reioyce therefore in the Lord alwaies and againe I say reioyce for it is for your good that the Bookes are opened And thus you haue seene the first booke the booke of Gods eternal prescience and foreknowledge 2 The Booke of Conscience opened The second followeth and this is Liber Conscientiae The Booke of euery mans particular Conscience for this also shall be opened at that last day of reckoning as the Master of the Sentences affirmes in his fourth booke and forty three Distinction Now Conscientia dicitur cum alio scientiae saith Aquinas Conscience is said to bee knowledge with another Aquinas prim parâ— Sum qu. 79. aâ—tic â—3 and well it may because God and conscience beare witnesse together Or Conscience is Cordis sâ—ientia the science or knowledg of the heart because the heart knoweth both it selfe and other things Hugo de anima liâ— 2 cap. 12. When it knoweth other things it is called science and when it knoweth it selfe it is called conscience as Hugo de anima obserues Therefore the Scripture calleth Conscience the Heart 1 Ioh. 3.20 and rightly it may in this respect because Conscience reflects vpon the Heart being enlightned by the vnderstanding and hence it is Concludens scientia a concluding science as the Schoolemen speake arguing out of principles from whence it either acquitteth or condemneth vs in all our actions I cannot stand to shew you at large the diuers opinions of the Schooles and other Diuines concerning this Booke of Conscience I will as briefly as I can giue you a touch of some few that you may the better conceiue what Conscience is Oriâ—en lib. 2. in Rom. Origen hee thought that Conscience was euery mans particular Angell a good conscience a good Angell and a bad conscience an euill Angell but this conceit was weake without proofe or approbation Some thinke this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sparke of Conscience to be Habitus animae Relicta rationis sciâ—â—â—lia Aquinas 1. par Sum. qu. 79. artic 12. 13. A habit of the Soule to which Aquinas bendeth in the first part of his Summes Question the seuenty nine Article the twelfth But in the thirteenth Article he concludeth that it properly is rather Actus animae An acte of the Soule reflecting vpon it selfe and by application of the vnderstanding iudging what is good and what is evill Some haue deemed it to bee Res mixta A thing that 's mixt of both partly a Habit and partly an Act so Durandus and other Schoolemen Some later Diuines doe thinke it to be an office or function of the Soule set as an Arbitrator not onely to examine Humes Perkins but to giue euidence and iudge of particular actions between God and man For as that office of the soule by which a man doth thinke or imagine is called the minde and that by which a man discusseth and discerneth things conceiued is called the reason or iudgment and that wherby the things apprehended and discussed are preserued and kept is called the memory Euen so that function or office of the soule wherby a man vpon enquiry is certified that the things which hee hath done are good or euill is called Conscience And this office of Conscience the most affirm to be a diuine facultie or power in the soule working vpon it selfe by reflection For thus the Conscience by cooperation and help of other faculties in the soule produceth seuerall effects according to the seuerall subiects or actions about which it is conuersant declaring to the Soule what is the state and condition of it and by this means it is affected either with ioy or griefe with feare or boldnesse when it thinks on God the maker who knoweth the soule and Conscience as the Conscience knoweth it selfe And thus is Conscience an excellent part of the Image of God in man for as God looking into himselfe from all eternity seeth himselfe and begetteth his Sonne the expresse image of his Father euen so the Soule of man which is diuine looking vpon it selfe seeth and beholdeth it selfe with the state and condition thereof Quest But how can this be may some man demand Answ I answer Euen as in a looking-glasse a man seeth his owne face by reflection and discerneth the beauty or deformity of that the eye seeth it selfe which else it cannot So in Conscience which is the eye and glasse of the Soule the Soule beholds her selfe and sees her owne beauty or deformity together with the print or stampe of euery action which it hath committed eyther good or euill giuing euidence to God and to her selfe and iudging eyther for vs or against vs as the deed requires The seate of Conscience Some haue placed this Conscience in the Will or Heart of man some in the Memory some in the Vnderstanding which hath a two-fold operation the first Theoricall and thus the vnderstanding onely contemplates and considereth of truth and falshood but goeth no further The second Practicall and so it considereth euery particular circumstance searcheth whether it be good or euill vnder the later of these Conscience is comprehended not that conscience is a part of a part only circumscribed in the vnderstanding as a part of that for though the vnderstanding bee the Throne and Palace of Conscience where it exerciseth the principall offices yet as the soule is Tota in toto Similitude tota in qualibet parte corporis whole in the whole and whole in euery part of the body though chiefly in the head or heart so the Conscience is whole in the whole soule keeping a Court in the whole and yet exercising not euery part for the soule is indiuisible in respect of parts but euery faculty and power of it In the vnderstanding it is a Iudge discerning the actions and giuing sentence to acquire or condemne according to that Rule or Law with which it is enlightened In the memory it is a Register to witnesse what is done or what is not done In the Will and Affections an executioner to punish or reward with ioy or griefe with boldnes or terror according to the fact or feeling of it The manner of working in the ConscieÌ„ce The manner of working is by a kinde of practicall syllogisme The Maior is that Law seated in the vnderstanding The Minor brought by the memory I remember I haue done or not done according to that Law of God The conclusion followeth
abused to make the sute immortall and more costly then the cause is worth but this is no deede of Conscience Ambros serm 50. And Saint Ambrose giueth the reason Sine excusatione est qui Conscientiae suae iudicio condemnatur Hee is without all excuse who is condemned of his owne Conscience he who is iudged by another may sometimes hope for pardon but hee who is iudged by himselfe of whom should hee require it of none but God who is aboue the Conscience And therefore by true faith and true repentance he must fly from himselfe to Christ before he can haue peace And lastly Iudgement being pronounced Execution is not delayed which is her last Office and this shee performes in her owne person for sentence is no sooner giuen but presently she affects the innocent with peace and ioy vnspeakeable and the guilty with feare and torture that cannot be expressed This iust reward is not deferred till aftertimes but beginneth in present both to the one and to the other The godly haue their Heauen begunne on earth Philip. 4.7 enioying that same Peace of Conscience which passeth all vnderstanding And the wicked enter into Hell before they dye Marke 9.44 Esay 66.24 hauing that worme of Conscience their companion which shall liue for euer to torment them Chrysostom Hom. 16. ad popu Antioch so Saint Chrysostome As he that liueth in wickednesse is punished before he goe to Hell being stinged in Conscience so he that liueth in righteousnesse before he goe to Heauen enioyeth a ioy vnspeakeable Preuention of obiection And thus you see what Conscience is and what her actions are by which shee is discerned from other faculties of the soule and acts or actions of the minde and will of man Perkins as intelligence opinion science faith prudence or the like Intelligence simply conceiues a thing to bee or not to bee Opinion iudgeth it to bee probable or contingent Science knoweth it to bee certaine or euident Faith is a perswasion whereby wee beleeue things that are not or assent to the truth of things that are Prudence discerneth what is fit to bee done and what to bee left vndone But Conscience goeth further then all these for it not onely giues euidence and examines but determines or giues sentence of things done by saying vnto vs this was done this was not done this may bee done this may not bee done this was well done this was ill done and in execution either rewarding or punishing vs for what wee haue done or left vndone either good or euill Thus is Conscience of a diuine nature being placed in the middest as an Ambassador betweene God and man and giuen by God vnto him for a perpetuall companion It is like thy shadow Nec fugere nec fugare potâ—ris thou canst neither flie from it not make it flie from thee Ague fits are shaken off this neuer Ruth 1.16 but like Ruth to Naomie it will follow thee whither soeuer thou goest the body shall leaue the soule and the soule shall leaue the body for a time but the Conscience shall neuer leaue the soule but whither soeuer the soule goeth thither shall the Conscience repaire and in what state thy Conscience is when thou departest out of this life in the selfe same it shall meete thee in that day of iudgment and shall remaine with thee either a comfort or a torment to thy soule for euer It is true that in this life Conscience sometimes is not felt but as it were benummed or senslesse and then vnto the godly man who mourns because he cannot feele that ioy of conscience which his soule desires 't is like our Sauiour fast asleepe in the bottome of the shippe while his Disciples were tossed with the waues Mat. 8.24 And to the wicked who could wish it were dead indeed 't is like the muzzled Mastife tied in chaines which can neither barke nor bite and therfore lets the theefe commit his wickednesse with pleasure But when this Conscience is awakened or the chaines thereof vntied then to the godly 't is like Christ â—â—mselfe the soueraigne comfort of the soule But to the wicked like the Mastiffe set at libertie or like a Fiend of Hell to rend and teare his soule in peeceâ— Conscience in this world is often as a booke shut vp or fountaine sealed but at the day of iudgment it shall bee opened and then both good and bad shall feele the power of it The Bookes were opened saith the Text And it is S. Chrysostomes obseruation Chrysost in Psal 50. Conscientia est codex in quo quotidiana peccata conscribuntur The Conscience is a booke in which our daily sinnes are written and so is our righteousnesse also our good actions as well as our euill both these shall be brought to light when the bookes shall bee opened Aug. lib. 20. de Ciuit. dei cap. 15. So S. Augustine virtute diuina fiet c. By the diuine power it shall be brought to passe that to euery one their workes either good or euill shall bee called in memory and with a wonderfull celerity by the eie of the minde they shall bee seene that the Conscience may either excuse or accuse and as that beareth witnesse so shall the owner of it be either saued or condemned Vse Oh then beloued How should this opening of the Book of Conscience at that last generall Assises moue euery Christian in the meane time to labour earnestly for the auoyding of a bad and obtaining of a good Conscience 1 An euill conscience in respect of faith Conscience is either de fide or de moribus it concerneth either the faith or life the knowledge or practice of a man a good conscience in both is to be sought after and a bad in both to be auoided If wee looke vpon Conscience in the first respect wee shall finde some Consciences to bee euill led aside to errour and oftentimes to heresie by wrong information being deceiued by Satans subtilties or drawne away by false teachers 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. and 13 14. of whom S. Paul giueth warning 2 Tim. 3.6 and S. Peter seconds him in his second Epistle second Chapter And 't is a wonder to see what misery these deceiued soules doe willingly endure rather then offend their consciences in any thing though blinded by a false intelligencâ— witnesse the Idolatrous Gentiles and superstitious Iewes of whose madnesse the Scripture giueth a testimony and many Christians also whose weak and tender soules are much afflicted for want of growth in spirituall vnderstanding and sound iudgment in knowledge of the truth and therefore both to be pittied and prayed for so strong are the bands of ignorance worse then Aegyptian darknesse so powerful is Conscience once awakened to keepe a man in obedience to that rule and law Exod. 10.22 with which it is enlightened and of the truth of which it is perswaded yea to the shadow of that truth
conscience with what corruption they obtain the Cure of soules so they may get it and then they care as little for to feed them except it bee with meat that is worse then poyson their own bad example by which they bring themselues and others to destruction Luc. 11.35 Mat. 5.13 14. A wofull thing when that the light is darkned and the salt hath lost his sauour when as the Preachers life should lead to heauen it leads men to perdition Sometimes amongst the Lawyers it is entertained of such who make no conscience to excite and stirre vp men to needlesse suites Luc. 11.46 encouraging to warre when peace is better entertaining Causes with their armes wide open and receiuing fees with both hands with one to speake with the other to hold their peace And when they haue got a man to bee their prisoner they feed him then with bread and water of affliction vntill his purse bee emptie or his state consumed what time they send him home amongst his neighbours to end the controuersie with two honest men in stead of twelue Sometimes this large and spacious Conscience is amongst the Gentry where it is entertained of such who make no conscience of most vile oppressions grinding the faces of the poore racking their Tenants at so high a rate that though themselues their wiues children are their Land-lords slaues yet can they not be kept from beggery And as little Conscience doe they make of Sacriledge a sin as common and worse then the former whiles they are not content to robbe the Church of all her ancient rights but in prophane and wicked manner by symoniacall compacts sell both themselues their Priests and people to the Deuill and this they thinke is no sin it is so ordinary because their Conscience is now asleepe but they shall one day finde it so when as the booke of Conscience shall bee opened Sometimes amongst the Iurors and that at time of Assise and Sessions you may easily finde this Conscience to bee in those who make no conscience of an oath but contrary to their oath will giue their verdict not as truth and conscience would direct them but as malice or affection leads them But woe to such for their conscience one day shall bee both a witnesse and a Iudge against them when once the Booke of Conscience shall bee opened And commonly this Conscience is amidst the Common sort especially inferior Officers who should be euen the life of Law in bringing wickednesse before the Iudge and after sentence giuen in seeing Iustice executed But they haue Consciences as wide as hell either for feare of greatnesse or for loue of baseness smothering vile enormities which not being kild in time haue filled the land with sinnes that cry for vengeance And this though men be sworne yet doe they suffer because their booke of Conscience is not opened And thus you see the large and spacious Conscience and the seuerall sorts of men by whom it is entertained Conscience 4 There is yet Conscientia superstitiosa a superstitious Conscience most commonly amongst our ignorant Papists blinded with shadowes circumstances ceremonies deceiued with shewes and selfe-conceited opinions of Antiquity vniuersality infallibility of iudgment succession of gouernment and the like being wedded to will-worship Isay Coloss 2.18 and sporting themselues in the prison of ignorance vntill it pleaseth God to bring them as he doth many of them before they die out of darknesse inâ—o light and from the power of condemning error vnto the sauing Truth of God Conscience 5 And there is Conscientia scrupulosa a scrupulous or dubious Conscience 1 A dubious Conscience in matters of substance which if it be in Substance in the tender-hearted Christian assaulted with the violence of Satans sleights or ouer-burdened with the sight and sense of selfe-corruption or terrified with too much contemplation of Gods fearfull iudgments due to sinne for the guilt of which the Conscience is accused and affected with too little of Application of Christs precious merits and those gratious promises of pardon and freedom from Gods direfull vengeance vpon The causes of doubting in a tender Conscience true repentance and faith in Christ If this bee the cause of feare and scruple in this kinde of Conscience which sometimes brings the weake and feeble Christian to the mouth of Hell and pits-brinke of despaire Then though in the end it turneth vnto the good of Gods Elect to moue them to a tryall of their states to search and proue their hearts and consciences to finde out what 's amisse and what 's the cause of this their doubting whether their sinnes which perhaps haue long lien hidden kept secret in the closet of their hearts not truly seene nor felt nor yet repented of or their security in which before they were lulled asleepe being idle and neglecting to vnfold their Booke of Conscience Or their want of faith in Christ and firme affiance on Gods true and neuer-failing promises Or their trust too much vnto themselues seeking for peace and comfort more in the measure of their owne righteousnesse then in the free imputed righteousnesse of Christ Or lastly in their ignorance and erroneous iudgment of a Christians state here in the Church that 's militant and those many combats we must vndergoe before we passe from all our enemies or get within the gates of Paradise for any one of these may bring a Christian from the rock of stedfastnes to a world of doubts and feares Though in the end I say these feares and scruples may procure this good vnto the soul to see it selfe and find the cause of this distresse yet is this sicknesse dangerous and the cure is difficult And therfore here the weak and tender conscience had neede to pray and seeke a wise a holy and a good Physitian who like Christ may poure in wine and oyle the Law and Gospell tempered together with piety and discretion Luc. 10.34 and applyed with a soft and gentle hand vntill the Conscience being rightly informed may see the cause and labour to remoue it that so a setled stedfastnesse may bee obtained A dubious conscience in respect of circumstance And how this may bee I shall shew the meanes God willing when I come to speak of Conscience as 't is good to which I rather refer this Conscience though it be sicke weak and doubtful because it may be in the best dearest saints of God But if this Doubting bee in Circumstance as t is often in the selfe-conceited Separatists who are ouer nice and curious in tything Minte Annis and Cummin in standing vpon shadowes ceremonies and things indifferent But too carelesse otherwise letting the greater matters of the Law alone as our Sauiour sometimes told the Pharises in this respect their predecessors Mat. 23.23 Then though their desire bee good to doe nothing contrary or against their conscience yet were it farre better to seeke and labour that their Conscience may bee rightly
and carelesse running on to wickednesse without restraint But a good Conscience is so at peace that yet it is fearefull of the least impiety lest by admitting the pleasure of sinne it should procure the displeasure of God who is so good and louing a Father in Christ Lastly a blinde or dead or carelesse Conscience though it be quiet yet it comforteth not nor can it get any true or found ioy vnto the soule Rom. 5.1 2 3 4 5 6. But a Conscience pacified with the hope of pardon and assurance of Gods fauour begets a ioy of soule which is vnutterable cherishing the heart with diuine and heauenly mirth euen in the middest of many dangers Saint Ambrose hee obserueth an euill conscience is a Bed Ambros lib. de interpellat c. 3. that when a man should sleepe it giueth him torments feares and terrors in stead of quietnesse Bern. in Vigil Natiuit serm 3. Foelix conscientia in qua luctamen timoris laetitiae reperitur c. Etsi â—imet à Iudice sperat à Saluatore c. Quia non timor sempiternus sed laetitia sempiterna 1. Sam. 24 4 5. A Conscience that is good procures the contrary not that a Conscience good is alwayes free from sense of trouble for as Saint Bernard saith happy is that Conscience in which is found the combate of feare and ioy feare when it looketh on God as a iust Iudge punishing for sinne and ioy when it beholded him as a louing Father pardoning sinne to his Children in Christ and for the merits of his death and Passion And the tender conscience which is deare in sight of God is like a Spider that sitteth within the Center of her web and if a fly but touch the out-most thread shee feeleth it instantly Iust so the child of God is touched in Conscience for the smallest sinne like Dauid but for cutting off the lappe of Sauls garment This is a Filiall Feare which is and ought to bee in all the Sonnes of God and t is the meanes for to preserue a good and quiet Conscience Quest. But how may this good conscience be obtained what must we doe to get it that so we may take care to keepe it Answ I answer A good and quiet conscience is a speciall gift of God to him therefore we must pray from whom comes euery good and perfect gift Iam. 1.17 and vse the meanes which is the readiest to procure it But before I shew what this meanes is Christ Iesus the foundation of true peace of Conscience 2. Thes 3.16 obserue this by the way There is now but one foundation vpon which this peace is builded and without which there can bee no true peace vnto the soule Adam before his fall had a good and peaceable conscience because hee was free from sinne remayning in his perfection Rom. 4.25 But now onely Christ Iesus and the merits of his death and resurrection is the meanes of peace God the Father being well pleased with vs in him Mat. 17.6 and Christ purchasing and procuring our peace by the blood of his Crosse Coloss 1.20 And this if wee apply rightly vnto our selues by a true and liuely faith we are iustified and being iustified by faith we haue peace with God Rom. 5.1 There is nothing that can make a good and peaceable conscience but the vertue of his blood Gen. 8.9 the soule like Noahs Doue can find no rest but in this Arke Though our conscience condemne vs not yet is God greater then our conscience 1. Iohn 3.20 and can easily find a cause of warre against vs if he looke not vpon vs in his Sonne It is this blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then did the blood of Abel Heb. 12.24 It is this blood of Christ who thorow the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God that can purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God Heb. 9.14 It is this onely that begets a good and quiet conscience Rom. 8.1 Rom. 6.4.6 Philip. 2.12 2. Pet. 1.10 taking away sinnes guilt from vs and crucifying sinnes power in vs that we may walke in newnesse of life working out our saluation with feare and trembling and labouring to make our calling and election sure If thy conscience sting thee Numb 21.9 Christ is the brazen Serpent that can cure thee If the Law of thy conscience like Mount Sinai affright thee with terrors Exod. 10.23 worse then Egyptian darkenesse in Christ is the Gospell of light that can enlighten thine vnderstanding and lighten thy heart with ioy and gladnesse If the red Sea of thy troubled conscience hinder thy passage to escape thy enemies that follow thee and to come to the happiness before thee Christ is the way the truth Iohn 14.6 and the life by whom thou maist passe boldly through the middest of dangers to the Canaan of peace and freedome This is the good Physitian who can cure all diseases and therefore easily procure peace vnto a troubled Conscience The meanes to get and keepe this peace of Conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 First therefore to get and keepe this blessed peace of Conscience it is not to keepe merry company to driue away melancholy as some imagine but to keepe thy most holy faith and preserue the memory and application of this bloud of Iesus as a rich treasure in thy soule It is an Antidote to expell all the poyson of Satans temptations or thy owne corruptions there is no sinne thou hast committed can be more powerfull to plead against thee Orizen â—â—ulla species peceati tanta est qua non sit superior Iesus 1 Iohn 1.7 then vpon faith and repentance the merits of this bloud is to plead for thee before the throne of Gods Iustice nor any thing more effectuall to clense thee from all thy sinnes and therefore being rightly applied to free thee from conscience of iniquity and settle in thee a most sweet and blessed peace A direction to peace Bern. super Cant. Serm. 46. 1. Emundes conscientiam ab omni inquinamenâ—o c. 2 Circundare tibi flores c. 1. Meanes to procure peace 2 Cor. 13.5 1. Hinderance of peace And to direct thee further follow Saint Bernards counsell first clense thy Conscience from all kind of pollution from whatsoeuer hath or may offend thy conscience or procure the trouble of it and next gather those sweet flowers of spirituall graces of faith and good workes of all heauenly vertues to decke thy soule that it may be a pleasant temple for the good Spirit to dwell it This is the way for to enioy a good and quiet conscience Remedy 1 And for the first of these to put it in practice trie and examine thy selfe search into the secret of thy heart and if thou find that thy sinnes vnseene or vnfelt haue procured thy woe then is repentance the meanes to take away the doubt and scruple of thy Conscience for as a
thorne within the flesh will soone fester and procure an ach and griefe Gal. 6.15.16 from which thou canst not be free vntill the thorne be taken forth and the corruption drawne away euen so whiles that any sinne though neuer so small lyeth cankering in thy heart it will wound thy Conscience with feares and doubts and if it bee not remoued in time procure a senslesnesse like a Gangrene to kill both soule and body Hinderance 2 But if security be the cause then must thou rise from sleepe and first make search into thy Conscience lest any secret thiefe Remedy 1 haue stolne away thy heart like Delilah to rob thee of thy strength Iudg. 16.16.17 and by treason at vnawares to deliuer thee ouer to thy enemies and next be sure to keepe a carefull watch ouer all Remedy 2 thy thoughts thy words and workes doe nothing contrary to the rule and law of God Hinderance 3 Thirdly if it bee want of Faith or feare because thou art not alwayes free from doubting Remedy 1 First vse the meanes for to encrease thy faith the Word the Sacraments the meditation of Gods gracious promises and prayer vnto that good Spirit who makes all these effectuall to the soule Remedy 2 And next know thisthat though thou art not alwayes free from doubting thy faith may yet be true and good for euen the best of Gods owne dearest ones haue sometimes felt a doubting in their soules as Dauid Ezekia Iob and Paul that blessed Saint Psal 88.14.15 Isay 38.13.14 Iob 10.17.18 We are troubled on euery side saith he yet not distressed wee are perplexed or full of doubts but yet despaire not 2 Cor. 4.8 Hinderance of peace 4 Fourthly if thou hast trusted too much vnto thy selfe and sought for peace where none was to be found flye from thy selfe to Christ who calleth in mercy all that bee afflicted and Remedy 1 promiseth to giue them ease and rest Mat. 11.28 Hinderance 5 Lastly if ignorance of God or of his law or of a Christians state haue beene any meanes to hinder thee of thy peace labor for knowledge especially in the Catechisme or grounds Remedy 1 of Christian faith and vse the meanes with loue delight and any paines or cost to get this spirituall vnderstanding For what greater miserie then to walke in darknesse or what more fearfull iudgement then to liue and die in ignorance or what will sooner bring a man to foule despaire then to be imprisoned in a Labyrinth of woe and trouble and not to know the meanes how to be freed Flye euill then the euill of sinne the least sin in thought in word or deed as Hell it selfe especially knowne and presumptuous sinnes those sinnes which are against the Conscience resist and pray against as Dauid did Psal 19.13 and kill the seeds of sinne flye the occasions quench the fire betime lest it grow too big for thee Psal 137.9 dash Babylons children against the stones while they be young Thus shalt thou more easily conquer iniquity and get or keepe a quiet conscience 2 Meanes to get peace of Conscience But this is not all that 's necessary to procure thy peace of Conscience Thou must not onely eschew euill but do good to get and to preserue this good and quiet conscience 1 Doe good In the law of God Vice is not onely forbidden but Vertue commanded and obedience in both respects required and that Vniuersall Obedience thou must with Dauid haue an eye to all Gods Commandements Psal 119. thou must hide them in thy heart that thou mayest not sinne against God thou must not take care of the first Table onely Psal 119. and neglect the Second nor of the Second only and neglect the First God and thy neighbour are both obiects of thy loue and obedience Luc. 10.27 though in a different respect and towards both thou mayest not forget thy duty if thou desirest to keepe a good and a quiet Conscience One sinne yea the lest sin against any precept is enough to condemne thee for he that failes but in one poynt is guilty of all Iames 2.10 and as if thou hast heard but of one thiefe hidden secretly in thy bed-chamber it is sufficient to keepe thee from sleepe so one sinne of omission or commission is able to hinder thee of this peace 2 Doe good sincerely Secondly thy obedience must bee sincere and vpright thou must doe euery duty vprightly though thou canst not doe it perfectly God requireth the heart Psal 119.7 Prou. 23.26 Deut. 6.5 and the affections of thy heart and whole heart must be giuen vnto him Gods pure eyes cannot endure to behold any impiety neither shall any euill dwell with him and much lesse can hee endure hypocrisie that our workes should bee done in shew onely and not in substance and sincerity before him It is onely the sincere and vpright man that can enioy a good conscience 3 Doe good constantly Thirdly as God expects sincerity so he lookes for constancy and perseuerance in well doing Reuel 2.10 hee that will receiue the Crowne of life he must be faithfull vnto the Death It is not sufficient to serue God in youth and neglect him in age nor to worship God on the Sabbath and Satan all the weeke after not to be holy amongst those which are holy and prophane when thou commest into wicked company This Wethercocke Religion cannot stand with the peace of a good Conscience they are like fire and water light and darkenesse one must of necessity expell the other Prou. 4.23 Be not idle therefore or secure but watch diligently ouer thy selfe and Conscience and exercise thy selfe as Saint Paul did that thou maist haue alwayes a Conscience voyd of offence towards God Acts 24.26 and towards man Thus mayest thou get this blessed peace of conscience this assurance or Reconciliation betweene God and thee and being once obtained it can neuer finally bee lost Rom. 11.29 though the sense of it may bee lost for a time the grace of faith and holinesse and assurance or the feeling of grace being hid in thee as the Sun vnder the clouds Similitude the fire couered with ashes the trees in the winter a man in a trance or the like The true way of a Christian to the new Jerusalem The meanes of recouering the sense of true peace as at large I haue shewed in another Treatise to which I referre thee And being lost for a time thou mayest againe recouer it and the sooner and with more ioy if thou vse the good meanes those holy duties which are helpfull to a Christian for this spirituall exercise As first priuate frequent and feruent prayer to God for his grace and fauour as Dauid did Cast mee not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from mee restore vnto me the ioy of thy saluation and stablish mee with thy free Spirit Psal 51.11.12 Secondly the remembrance of Gods ancient mercies of his