wife or life so no more should hee wrong his brother in the same kinde he knew also by the Law of God that neither murther nor adultery were to be committed heere is the ground Now vpon this ground his heart smites him when Nathan comes to him his conscience telles him that he euen he had sinned in wronging his brother both in his life and his wife in committing murther against the one adultery with the other Thus did Iosephs brethrens conscience accuse them heere for doubtlesse they had learned that cruelty was not to be exercised against a naturall brother the word and nature had taught them this and therefore after they had wronged him their conscience accuse them Secondly vpon a bad ground the consciencc accuseth when an erroneous principle is laid as for a Masse-priest to bee accused and troubled in his minde for neglecting his Masse and Popish deuotions or a Lay-papist for perusing the Scriptures when as it is not against the word of God either to neglect the one or peruse the other Secondly for the consequents that doe follow the accusing of the conscience they are these First sorrow for the offence accused of whither it be omissiue or commissiue or for the punishment which the conscience telles the delinquent he is lyable vnto Secondly feare either to commit the like offence againe or to vndergoe the punishment due for that transgression Thirdly securitie arising either from the right appeasement of the conscience or from the peruerse stopping of the checkes of conscience Now for the direct answering of the question out of these premises this is that which I haue to say that alwaies an accusing conscience is not an euill conscience And this I can make good out of the premised distinctions That conscience that accuseth vpon a good ground and telles the offender hee hath directly transgressed the Law of God and withall produceth the best of these consequent effects before spoken off That conscience which stirreth vp feare to fall into the like sinne againe that worketh godly sorrow for the sinne committed that breedeth security in assurance of reconciliation that conscience though it accuseth yet cannot properly be termed euill but rather tender and full of remorse on the contrary if the conscience bee terrified vpon Popish grounds if after the accusing office of the conscience yea vpon a good ground also the partie sorrowes more for the punishment deserued then the sinne committed if hee feareth rather the falling of the punishment vpon his head then dashing himselfe againe vpon the rocke of the same or the like sinne And lastly if he groweth secure by stopping the mouth and neglecting the checkes of conscience these are true signes that the conscience is euill which accuseth but if otherwise the conscience may possibly accuse and yet not be euill nor vncleane This I thought good to answer it comming necessarily in our way I will deteine you no longer from the vses which which are For reproofe comfort terrour and duty The three former concerne some with some difference definitely the latter respects all without difference indefinitely Vse 1 First I say heere is a ground of reproofe vnto those who haue alwaies matter and nothing else but matter of accusation against themselues within themselues and yet they will stand vpon it that they haue good consciences one hath matter of accusation within him for his ryot another for lust another for vsury for bribery for oppression for other wrongs done to his neighbour another for bearing malice another for lying false witnesse bearing priuie slandering horrible cruelty shop-theeuery whose consciences can tell them that thus and thus they deceiued such and such so and so they haue deceiued others at such a time they committed such a villany in such a place such impiety heere they wrought filthinesse there vnrighteousnesse c. neither were they so much as euer mooued for this sinne they neuer relented for it neuer repented of it and yet I say they are of opinion and will not be beaten from it that they haue good and very good consciences when as alas how can it be this being true that an euill conscience is an accusing conscience and so on the other side an accusing conscience for the most part an euill conscience What doest thou man talke of a good conscience when it is alwaies like the troubled waters casting vp dirt and filthinesse in thine owne face when as it is continually ringing a peale of thine abhominations in thy eares thou a good conscience when thou swearest lyest cheatest playest the vnmercifull incontinent intemperate beast slanderest thy neighbour sittest and speakest against thine owne mothers sonne breakest Gods Sabbaths despisest Gods ordinances It goes against thy conscience as thou rudely professest to regard a Preacher or respect a professor or walke according to an holy profession thou a good conscience I say No no If indeede thy conscience smiting thee vpon good ground thou wert but drawne to heartie sorrow for thy offences to an holy feare not to commit them againe it were something then thou mightest be beleeued when thou boastest of thy selfe as free from an euill conscience but otherwise thou art to be reprooued for vaine-glorious bragging Obiect But I thanke God I am at quiet in my conscience Answ Art thou so and yet liuest in thy sinnes so much the more fearefull is thy condition no iudgement to a reprobate sense Oh to be past feeling this is most pittifull Sayest thou thou art at quiet nay thou deceiuest thy selfe thy conscience is seared neither is thy quiet from hence because thy conscience hath no crime to lay to thy charge but because thou wilt not heare thy conscience speake when it doth accuse thee It may be because thou wouldest make men beleeue thou art not guiltie of those euils which happily at some times thou art stung for within thy selfe therefore thou settest a good face vpon the matter as some that lye a dying say they feare not death when as indeede they feare nothing more Or put case thou sayest true as I said when thou affirmest thy minde is not crazed the more horror remaineth for thee against the time of thine awaking insomuch that as Dauid said he should be satisfied with the light of Gods countenance shining vpon him after his rising thou art like on the other side to be terrified with the goades of thine owne conscience speaking against thee at the time of thy rowsing vnlesse the Lord bee the more gracious vnto thee I conclude therefore it is a great folly most worthy of reproofe in thee to thinke thou hast not an euill conscience when thy conuersation is vncleane abounding with noysome euils as matter of iust accusation against thee Vse 2 Secondly heere is comfort to those that haue good consciences their happinesse is vnspeakeable their condition most peaceable for if so be an euill conscience bee alwaies of an accusing qualitie then their good conscience is alwaies of an excusing property
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 feare arising out of the remembrance of a life lewdly wickedly led This ground by these descriptions thus laide I draw out these directions for the getting of a good and ridding of an euill conscience
1. Remedy of an euill conscience The first is the spirit of discerning a iudgement to discerne of things that differ For it is requisite that a good conscience should be informed vpon a good ground true principles now how can that be except a man hath iudgement to try and discerne the ground whither it be sound or false It is the office of conscience either to allow or disallow but how can it allow of what is good or disallow that which is euill except the party hath knowledge both of good and euil that is what is good and what is euill A right vnderstanding heart and a good conscience a blinde minde and a bad conscience are ordinarily yoaked together If Papists did not make ignorance the mother of deuotion If our generation of vnwise and carnall ones did not like to liue in blindnesse of heart without sauing knowledge both the one and the other would haue better consciences then they haue My counsell therefore to thee is this to get those chaines of darkenes wherewithall thy heart is fettered pulled off and those mists of ignorance with which thy vnderstanding is darkened remooued away that thou maiest be able to discerne of things that differ that so the right information of thy minde may prooue to be a meane of the sound reformation of thy conscience and so that goodnesse may be restored to it which by nature thou art quite bereaued and depriued off 2. Remedy Secondly when thou hast attained vnto a sound iudgement and canst put a difference betwixt good and euill then it shall bee good for thee to approoue of the one to disallow the other For when men against the light of their own knowledge shal like Iulian q Socr. hist lib. 3. cap. 1. Ecebolius r Id ibid. c. 11. disallow of that which is good and like the Scribes and Pharisees approoue of that which is euill is it possible for them so long as they so remaine to be remedied and cured of their euill consciences Paul praies on the behalfe of the brethren at Philippi that they might approoue of things that are excellent Å¿ Phil. 1.10 which prayer hee would haue neuer made had not he seene it a matter very vsefull and needfull against an euill and for a good and honest conscience to approue of things honest according to the excellency of the same Wee see men and women to dislike of hearing of Sermons in publike assemblies of offering vp sacrifice in their priuate families of making profession of religion and they like better of beeing present at stage-playes the very theaters of lust t For so Tertullian cals it lib. de Spectaculis 694. Theatrum veneris Of ryoting in Tauernes and tap-houses being as they are abused the very schooles of the deuill they approoue better of allowing inordinate courses And hence it comes to passe that their consciences are so vile and euill as they are Deale plainly with me now doest thou in good earnest desire a good conscience like of that which is good as most worthy to be loued dislike of that which is euill as most worthy to be hated and in time thou shall finde thy loue so strongly inflamed towards the one thy hatred so soundly sharpened against the other that thy conscience shall be cleere before God and honest towards men 3. Remedy Thirdly hearken to the chekes of conscience be willing to heare conscience speake and to take a carefull view of those articles which it presenteth vnto thee and bringeth in against thee Seneca Epist lib. 1. Epistola 43. ad calcem O te miserum si contemnis hunc testem O miserable man that thou art could the heathen say if thou contemnest this witnesse When thy conscience sets vpon thee as Nathan did vpon Dauid thou art the man or thou art the woman that hast failed in this duty fallen into this iniquity omitted that good committed that euill thinke in thy heart it is verily true and say in thy selfe as Dauid to Nathan I haue sinned In the fourth place 4. Remedy sorrow thou after a godly manner for those euils which thy conscience being rightly informed chargeth thee withall imitate Saint Peters conuerts who no sooner were accused in their consciences by occasion of his Sermon of that crime of crucifying Christ but they were pricked touched with remorse and sorrow for the same Oh if as often as thy conscience smites thee thou hadst but the grace with Ephraim to smite thy thigh and say 5. Remedy what haue I done thou wouldst grow to haue a great deale better conscience then thou hast Fifthly Faith is helpefull and necessary in this worke For he that is wholly diseased with vnbeleefe saith one u Iodoch Willich in 1. Tim. 1.19 Qui in fidelitatis morbo laborat huius non potest esse bona conscientia his conscience cannot bee good This is plainly intimated by Saint Paul to the Hebrewes in a comparison which there hee vseth * Heb. 9.13 14. If the blood of Buls and Goates and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the vncleane sanctifieth to the purifiing of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God In which words by an analogie betwixt the type and the antitype the Apostle prooueth the efficacy of Christs cleansing which cleansing he calles the purifying of the conscience from dead workes yea from sin which bringeth death and is liued in by men that are spiritually dead Now if the conscience cannot bee cleansed from sinne but by the blood of Christ then it cannot become good but by faith which apprehendeth the blood of Christ to our purging And besides if so be a good conscience be as is expressed in the first definition * Page 66. the iudgement of the minde approouing of that which we doe as pleasing to God because our persons please God or else as is shewed in the second definition a confidence of sinne remitted what doth this argue but a necessity of faith to get a good conscience by which faith as it apprehends the righteousnesse of Christ both our persons come to please God and our soules are confident of the pardon of our sinnes Well then wouldst thou be purged from an euill conscience doe this when thy conscience being rightly informed hath accused thee as guilty of such and such sinnes and thou beest heartily sorry and truly humbled for the same get thee by faith to the fountaine of Christs blood bathe thee in it seeke to haue thy conscience appeased by the assurance of the pardon of thy sinnes through Christ Iesus alone make this thy