is from what hath been said and from the carriage of the Context both before and after and indeed from the scope and purport of the whole Book that Solomon in the place in hand doth not speak of his latter times wherein he turned aside after Idols and said to the stock or graven image Deliver me for thou art my God a Isai 44. 17 wherein he heaped up strange women Wives and Concubines as before he had done Wisdom like the sand upon the sea shâ—re innumerable as if his meaning were that all the while he dishonored himself by serving the Devil in these gross bruitish and unmanlike courses his Religious Wisdom his sound and saving Knowledg of the true God remained with him but of his middle most prosperous and flourishing times when he was to be seen in all his glory when as himself said the Lord had given him rest or peace on every side so that he had neither Adversary nor evil occurrent b 1 Kings 5. 4 And his meaning as hath been said clearly is that the great hear of all this outward Prosperity did not dissolve the spirit or strength of that Wisdom which made his face to shine in eyes of all the Nations and Princes of the World round about him which Wisdom did not so much if at all stand in the devoutness of his Heart or Soul towardâ— God as in the knowledg of natural and civil things as it is described 1 King 4. from Vers 29. to the end of the Chapter Concerning Idols and Idolaters the Father had said before They that make them are like unto them i. e. as Mr J. Deodat himself who is the man that pretended to finde Solomons Faith alive in the words in hand whilest Solomon himself was dead in Baal or in some of Baals Companions interprets it stupid and blinde as the Idols themselves are and so is every one that trusteth in them a Psal 115 8 Therefore questionless the Son after his return from that folly would not have pleaded the standing of his wisdom by him whilest He was an Idolater and Patron of Idols But the truth is that the words insisted upon are every ways so inconsiderable in point of Proof for the continuance of Solomons Faith during his continuance in his Idolatries that the recourse made to them for proof hereof is an Argument to me very considerable that the Patrons of that Opinion are extreamly straitened and put to it through want of so much as any tolerable Argument or Proof for the maintaining of it It is a sign that the Soul is hungry indeed when every bitter thing becomes sweet unto it Thus then we clearly finde that there is no special or particular ground or Argument at all of any value to prove that either David the Father during his impenitency after the horrid crimes of Murther and Adultery perpetrated by him or that Solomon the Son during the like impenitency in him upon his Idolatrous backslidings did retain any saving Principle of grace or Faith in them but that during their respective impenitencies they were children of wrath liable to the same sentence of Condemnation with the promiscuous multitude or generality of Murtherers and Idolaters for the Proof whereof several pregnant Arguments have been levyed from the Scriptures As for such Arguments and grounds by which the certain Perseverance of the Saints in general in the truth and soundness of their Faith is commonly pleaded and maintained they have been formerly weighed in the balance of the Sanctuary and found too light So that we may very safely conclude that both David and Solomon were not onely under a possibility of a total falling away from that grace of God wherein they sometimes stood which is common to all the Saints but that they taught the World the truth and certainty of such a Possibility by reducing it into act I mean by falling away totally from it Neither are Examples of the like sad Miscarriages wanting in the New-Testament §. 9. The Apostle speaks of some in his days who having put away a good Conscience concerning Faith made shipwrack b 1 Tim. 1 19 thereby and in another place speaking of the dangerous Doctrine of Hymeneus and Philetus who taught that the Resurrection was already past he saith that they overthrew or destroyed the Faith of some c 2 Tim. 2 17 Elsewhere he speaks of some who were then turned aside after Satan d 1 Tim. 5 15 They who by putting away a good Conscience make shipwrack of Faith must needs be supposed 1. To have had true Faith 2. To suffer an absolute or total loss of it For the first If we shall suppose that they who put away a good Conscience from them had it or were possessed of it before such their putting it away we must suppose withall that they had true saving Faith because goodness of Conscience cannot take place but onely where such a Faith gives Being unto it which in that respect is said to purifie the heart e Acts 15 9 as on the contrary the very mindes and consciences of Unbeleevers are said to be defiled f Tit. 1 15 Nor doth the Scripture any where to my best remembrance speak of a good or pure Conscience but where the goodness of it is supposed to slow from a sound knowledg of the Will of God in conjunction with an upright desire of doing all things according to the Tenor of the Truth known The end of the Commandment saith the Apostle in this very Chapter is Charity out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned a 1 Tim. 1 5 So again Pray for us for we trust we have a GOOD CONSCIENCE in all things willing to live honestly b Heb. 13 18 Another Apostle exhorteth Christians to sanctifie the Lord in their hearts and â—o be ready always to give an answer unto every man that asketh them a reason of the hope that â—is in them with meekness and fear Having a GOOD CONSCIENCE c 1 Pet. 3. 15 16 c. A little after be placeth the sum and substance of true Christianity in a good Conscience The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save â—s not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the Answer or demand of a GOOD CONSCIENCE towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ d Verse 21 meaning to add this by the way that Baptism typified or presignified by the Ark wherein Noah and his Family were prâ—served from perishing with the rest of the world by water doth contribute towards our Salvation from the condemnation of the world round about us for sin not so much by the letter or material effect of it but by typifying holding forth and assuring us that a good Conscience raised or built upon the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and the sound knowledg hereof doth require or demand this Salvation of God and that according
to the Promise and Encouragement given unto it by Himself in that behalf and therefore so as that it shall not cannot be denyed of what it demandeth of Him in this kinde But that a pure which onely is the good Conscience still springeth from a found Faith in Jesus Christ and is found in conjunction with it these places 1 Tim. 3. 9. Heb. 9. 14. â—0 22. compared together and added to the former are sufficient to perswade And concerning the place in hand some of our best and most Orthodox Expositors understand the good Conscience mentioned to be none other Musculus upon the words Which good Conscience some having put away concerning Faith c. commenteth thus Here he speaketh the same which before he had expressed thus Now the end of the Commandment or charge which I give thee is Charity out of a pure heart and a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned from which some going astray have turned aside to vain-jangling e Idem dicit quòd suprà ad hunc modum expressit Finis verò denunciationis hujus est Charitas ex puro corde et conscientiâ bonâ fide non simulatâ à quibus quòd aberrârunt quidam deflexerunt ad vaniloquium c. c. His words immediately following to which I refer the Reader are every whit as plain and pregnant to the same point shewing that by a good conscience he doth not understand a conscience only Morally good and such as may be found in meer natural men ignorant of Christ and the Gospel but a Conscience Spiritually or Christiâ—nly good Nor is Bullinger his Compeer of any other minde The safest ship saith he upon the place in this vast sea of a world of Errors and Wickednesses is Canonical or Scriptural Truth pure Faith and sincere Charity f Tutissima enim navis in vasto hoc mundi errorum scelerum pelago est veritas canonica fides pura charitas siâ—câ—ra c. In which words he explains the Apostles good Conscience by sincereness of Love or Charity Nor could Calvin himself finish what he had to say upon the place until he had given testimony to the same Truth The Metaphor saith he taken from shipwrack answereth most aptly For it implies that the course of our navigation in the world must be steered by a good Conscience that so our Faith may come safe into the Haven otherwise we shall be in danger of shipwrack g Metaphora à naufragio sumpta aptissimè quadrat Nam innuit ut salva fides ad portum usque perveniat navigationis nostrae oursum bonâ conscientiâ regendum esse aliaâ— naufragii esse periculum hoc est ne fides malâ conscientiâ tanquam gurgite in mari procelloso mergatur c. Doubtless he doth not mean that the course of our navigation through the world that so our Faith may come safe into the Harbor should be steered or guided by a meer Moral Conscience how good soever in this kinde or by such a Conscience as Cato Socrates or Seneca had or might have had such a Conscience as this is no fit steers-man or guide to such a Faith with which or by which they must make the Port of Heaven whoever arrive there Therefore certainly He conceiveth that it is such a good Conscience the putting away of which the Apostle renders as the ground reason or cause why some make shipwrack of Faith the goodness whereof ariseth from such a Faith which accompanyeth Salvation and which being carefully preserved and kept preserveth and keepeth that Faith from whence it sprang from corruption or declining Concerning the two places which are commonly insisted upon to prove §. 10. that a good Conscience in Scripture doth not always signifie a Conscience Christianly Spiritually or Savingly good but sometimes Morally good onely i. e. which is not defiled or disturbed in the peace of it with sins against knowledg which goodness of Conscience is sometimes found in meer Civil or Natural men though destitute of Evangelical illumination the truth is that neither the one nor the other of them proveth any such thing In the former of these places the Apostle Paul speaketh thus Men and Brethren I have lived in all good Conscience before God until this day a Acts 23. 1 In the latter thus I thank God whom I serve from my forefathers with pure Conscience b 2 Tim. 1. 3 c. For neither of these places do necessarily nor so much as probably relate to the time of Pauls Pharisaism as if his meaning were that all that time he had kept a good Conscience towards God for how could He then with truth or singleness of heart have made this Confession Of sinners I am the chief c 1 Tim. 1. 15 but to the time of his Apostleship or Profession of Christianity as appears clearly from the former place upon this account Paul was accused by the Jews as an Apostate from the Religion of his Forefathers and the true Worship of God as they supposed and that He was fallen from Judaism to the Sect of Christians yea and was become a Ringleader of them This they conceived to have been an high misdemeanor in Him and accused Him as a very wicked and ungodly Person for so doing To this Accusation and Crime objected the Apostle answers to this effect Men and Brethren whereas I have forsaken the Religion and Worship of the Jews and have embraced and do yet embrace the Christian Religion in stead of it I have done nothing I do nothing herein but upon very justifiable grounds and with a good Conscience in as much as I have obeyed God in so doing of which I am ready to give you a perfect Account if you please to hear me This to be the true purport and drift of the Apostles words the sequel of the Context makes yet more apparant For upon the hearing of the words in debate uttered by Him Ananias the High Priest was sorely offended and commanded the standers by to smite Him on the mouth for so speaking Now it is no ways reasonable to conceive that He would have taken it so heinously that Paul should say that He had always lived in all good Conscience before God whilest he professed Judaism and before He became a Christian Such a saying as this would rather have gratified and pleased then offended Him But that He should say that He lived with all good Conscience in the Profession of Christianity this was a sword that passed through Ananias Soul For the other place where the Apostle saith that He served God from His §. 11. Forefathers with a pure Conscience His meaning onely is that he serves none other God but Him whom His Forefathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob worshiped and that Him he served with a pure Conscience as they also did To qualifie the Jews who took great offence at Him for changing His Religion and withall to make this Practice of His
more passable with others He oft recourseth to this Apology viz. that in the Profession of Christianity he serves no other God but the God of his Forefathers See Acts 22. 14. 24. 14. 26. 7. 28. 20. c. In this sence Calvin himself interprets the place in hand on which he hath these words amongst others of like import Certain it is that Pauls Conscience was not always pure in as much as himself confesseth that through hypocrisie he was deceived when he indulged himself a liberty of lusting For whereas Chrysostom excuseth his Pharisaism in that he opposed the Gospel out of ignorance and not out of malice it no ways satisfieth For the elogy or commendation of a pure Conscience is not vulgar or common neither can it be separated from the sincere and serious fear of God Therefore I restrain his words to the present time thus that he worshiped one and the same God with his Forefathers but now since he was enlightened by the Gospel he worshipeth Him with a sincere affection of heart a Certum est non semper puram fuisse Pauli coÌ„scientiam utpote qui fatetur se per hypocrisin fuisse deceptuÌ„ quùm sibi concupiscendi licentiam indulgeret Nam quòd excusat Chrysostomus ejus Pharisaismum eò quòd non maliciâ sed ignoratione Evangelium oppugnabat id non satisfacit Neque enim vulgare elogium est purae conscientiae nâ—c potest à sincero serio Dei timore separari Itaque ad praesens tempus restringo hoc modo quòd unum cum Proavis suis eundem Deum colat sed nunc colat sincero cordis affectu ex quo per Evangelium erat illuminatus and Soul It were easie to second Calvin with several others of his own band in the interpretation mentioned but when little is to be done much help is but a burthen Thus then we see that by a good Conscience which some putting away make shipwrack of Faith as the Apostle saith must needs be meant such a Conscience which hath its goodness from true Faith and cannot be separated from it and consequently that the persons here spoken of were or had been true Beleevers Besides that Faith of which some are said to have made shipwrack cannot reasonably be supposed to have been a feigned counterfeit or pretended Faith onely nor any thing accompanying destruction because it is such a Faith which the Apostle exhorts and encourageth Timothy to hold fast holding Faith and a good Conscience which some having put away concerning Faith which I advise thee to hold and keep have made shipwrack Doubtless the Apostle would not have perswaded Timothy to hold or keep such a Faith with which he might perish Nor had the making shipwrack of no better a commodity then so been any such great loss unto Him 3. That Faith which He exhorteth Timothy to hold must needs be supposed to be that Faith which He was possessed of at present and which was now in Him And that this was a true Faith appears from several Passages in the two Epistles written by this Apostle unto Him especially from those words When I call to remembrance THE UNFEIGNED FAITH that is in thee which dwelt first in thy Grandmother Lois b 2 Tim. 1 5 c. 4. The Faith which He exhorts Timothy to hold and consequently the Faith whereof he admonisheth him that some made shipwrack by the means specified must in reason be such a Faith of which he had discoursed before in the Chapter Now this was a Faith unfeigned out of which that Charity or Love floweth which he saith is the end of the Commandment c 1 Tim. 1 5 such a Faith of which he speaks a few Verses before the place in hand in reference to himself thus And the Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with Faith and Love which is in Christ Iesus d Verse 14. such a Faith by which men were to beleeve on Christ to life everlasting a Vers 16. 5. And lastly the Faith here spoken of is such a Faith in the retention or holding whereof the warring of a good warfare consists This is evident from the Context and connexion between this and the next preceding Verse This charge I commit unto thee Son Timothy according to the Prophecies which went before on thee i. e. according to the sence and judgments of the Prophets or Interpreters of the Scriptures who unanimously agreed in this that thou wert a Person fit for the work of the Ministry and by all means oughtest to be called thereunto that thou by them i. e. being encouraged by them mightest war a good warfare Holding Faith and a good Conscience c. Now if by Faith should be meant nothing but onely an outward Profession of the Gospel or the Doctrine thereof Timothy might have held these and yet not have warred a good warfare For who will say that Judas warred a good warfare who yet held an outward Profession of the Gospel and preached the Doctrine thereof truly And it is generally granted by those who by Faith in the place in hand will needs understand the Doctrine of the Gospel that men who are no good Souldiers of Jesus Christ who are destitute of sound and saving Faith may yet hold yea hold fast the Doctrine of the Gospel yea and this to the suffering of death it self for it Therefore questionless the Faith of which the Apostle speaks in the place before us is a true sound and saving Faith Nor is this any thing but the sence and judgment of very learned and orthodox §. 12. Expositors upon the place Musculus affirmeth that the Apostle speaks here the same thing which before He had expressed in these words But the end of this Commandment or Charge is love out of a pure Heart and good Conscience and Faith unfeigned from which whilest some went astray they turned aside to vain-jangling b Idem dicit quòd suprà ad hunc mâ—dum expressit Finis verò denunciationis hujus est Charitas ex puro corde Conscientiâ bonâ fide non simulatâ à quibus quòd aberrârunt quidam deflexerunt ad vaniloquium c. Presently after the Apostle he saith admonisheth us that they cannot have a good Conscience who are strangers unto Charity a pure Heart and Faith unfeigned and moreover that upon the putting away of a good Conscience we are in imminent danger of making shipwrack of THE TRVE FAITH and Religion of Christ c Monet nos bonam eos conscientiam habere non posse qui alieni sunt à charitate corde puro fide non simulatâ deinde repulsâ bonâ conscientientiâ in proximo esse ut incidamus in naufragium circà veram Christi Fidem Religionem c. Therefore doubtless it came not neer the thoughts of this Author to conceive that any other Faith should be meant in the place in hand but onely that which was
dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which dyed for them and rose again 98 99 100 c. 5. 19. To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them Pag. 87 88 c. 7. 1. Having therefore these Promises let us cleanse our selves c. 334 8. 12. For if there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 17 548 10. 15 16. Not boasting of things without our measure and not to boast in another mans line 331 12. 14. but Parents for the children 70 13. 14. and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all 286 Gal. 1. 6. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that calleth you unto another Gospel c. 362 363 2. 21. For if righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in vain 459 3. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the Promises made He saith not And to seeds as of many but as of one And to thy seed which is Christ 458 4. 11. I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain 363 6. 1. Brethren if any man be overtaken in a fault c. 323 Ephes 1. 4. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundations of the world that we should be holy c. 62 63 461 1. 6. To the praise of the glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved 462 1. 10. That in the Dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in Heaven c. 436 1. 11. who worketh all things after the counsel of his owâ— will 67 429 430 482 1. 13 14. In whom also after ye beleeved ye were sealed with the spirir of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance c. 255 256 1. 22. And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church 436 438 c. 2. 3. and were by nature children of wrath 518 4. 30. whereby ye are sealed to the day of Redemption 256 5. 5. For this ye know that no whoremonger nor covetous man who is an Idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ c. 272 5. 18. but be ye filled with the Spirit 325 5. 23. and he is the Saviour of the body 252 253 Philip. 1. 6. Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ 241 242 1. 7. Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all because I have you in my heart c. Ibid. 2. 12 13. work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling For it is God that worketh in you both to will c. 176 Colos 1. 20. And having made peace through the blood of his Cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven 436 437 c. 1. 21. And you that were sometimes alienated c. 439 1. 23. If ye continue in the Faith grounded and setled c. 237 2. 8 20. the rudiments of the world 522 523 1 Thess 5. 23. And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God that your whole spirit and Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 238 239 2 Thess 3. 3. But the Lord is faithful who shall stablish you and keep you from evil 235 1 Tim. 1. 18. This charge I commit unto thee son Timothy according to the Prophecies which went before on thee that thou by them mightest war a good warfare c. 357 1. 19. which some having put away concerning Faith have made shipwrack 353 354 c. 2. 4. Who will have all men to be saved and c. 103 104 284 2. 6. Who gave himself a ransom for all men 97 98 5. 15. For some are turned back already after Satan 365 6. 3. and to the Doctrine which is according to godliness 333 6. 13 14. I give thee charge in the sight of God that tho ukeep this Commandment without spot unrebukable unâ—il the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ 239 2. Tim. 1. 3. whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience 355 356 1. 12. I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day 254 2. 13. If we beleeve not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself 359 2. 18. and overthrow the faith of some 358 2. 19. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure and hath t is seal The Lord knoweth who are his c. 359 360 c. 4. 2. preach the Word be instant in season out of season 440 Tit. 1. 1. according to the Faith of Gods Elect and the acknowledging of the Truth which is after godliness 243 244 269 283 c. 1. 4. To Titus mine own Son after the common Faith 489 2. 11. For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all men 406 407 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity c. 250 3. 4. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared c. 408 409 c. Hebr. 1. 3. upholding all things by the Word of his power 3 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great a Salvation 480 492 499 2. 9. that he by the Grace of God should taste Death for every man 102 103 2. 16. For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels 484 3. 6. whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end 260 261 6. 4 5 6. For it is unpossible for those who were once enlightened if they fall away to be renewed again c. 282 283 c. 329 7. 25. seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them 248 9. 24. now to appear in the presence of God for us 248 249 c. 9. 27. As it is appointed unto men once to dye 9 10. 26. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin 416 417 c. 10. 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing c. 148 149 c. 282 283 c. 10. 38. Now the just shall live by Faith but if any man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him 290 11. 6. for he that cometh unto God must beleeve that he is and that he is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek him 507 11. 7. By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as