OF THE Conscience A DISCOVRSE wherein is playnely declared the vnspeakeable ioye and comfort of a good Conscience and the intollerable griefe and discomfort of an euill Conscience MADE BY IOHN Woolton Minister of the Gospell ANNO. 1576. ¶ Imprinted by H. Iackson for Humfery Toye ¶ TO THE RIGHT worshipfull Sir Iohn Jylbert knight Iohn Woolton wisheth prosperous successe in all worldly affaires and in the life to come immortall felicity AMONG MAny worthy and deuine lessons which Seneca gaue vnto Lucilius touching the leadyng of an honest and godlye lyfe he borroweth one of the Epicure in mine opinion not to be accounted the meanest which he would haue his friende to imprint diligently and deepely in the bottome of his brest Let vs so lyue sayth he as if the eyes of all men were bent toward vs let vs so studie and deuise with our selues when we are alone as if straungers did viewe our secret cogitations Manye faultes and mischiefes shalt thou auoyd if thou imagine that thou hast a witnes of thy doings alway at thy elbowe Which lesson euery christian ought to learne not imagining as Seneca would haue vs that Cato Lelius or some such graue man dyâ— alwayes with open eyes looke vppon vs but perswading our solues as the truth is in deede that we haue with vs alwayes present waking watching vs a sage and graue Censor of lyfe maners our conscience I say which according to the comoâ—â— proueâ— be is in steede of a thousand witnesses This conscience so wonderfully framiâ— and fashioned in man by ahnighty God to be a witnesse an informer of mankinde and of the law of Nature which comman deth things that be honest forbiddeth thâ—â— contrary Sommoneâ—â—â— vs as it were before the tribunall feate of God sometime accusing sometime excusing nowe punishing and now absoluing vs for God did of his good will and vpright iustice ordeyne this watchman in our Nature that ioy should follow lawdable and honest actions and contrariwise Sorrow abhominable and desperate deedes that anguishe and dolour might be a continuall tormeâ—â—ter of vngodlinesse and a destroyer of rebellious natures There can nothing happeÌ„ to a mortail man more gréeuous heaup or miserable theÌ„ a guilty ConscieÌ„ce which all those that are delighted with the filthinesse of sin are compelled to carry about with theÌ„ as a booke of notes wherein they write all their offences Wherof Bernhard speaketh after this manner An euill Conscience is a witnesse of our debtes a Iudge a tormenter she accuseth vs she iudgeth vs she punisheth vs and she condemneth vs which if it lie hid for a time yet it breaketh out at the last especially at the hower of death and giueth a thousande euidences againste men â–ª Whereof Iulian the Apostata Henrie king of Fraunce Iames Latomus of Louayne and dyuers others are euident knowne examples who felt these fearefull anguishes of the Conscience and the sence of Gods wrath for theire wilfull obstinacie and cruell tirrany against Christ and hys church and at their departure out of this worlde with dolefull voyces and fearefull exâ—clamacions vttered in their griefe to such as had accesse vnto them The good conscience on the other side as it were a brasen wall against vntrue reportes perill and daungers and maketh the goolâ— when they are persecuted beaten and tyed in yron chaynes voyde of dolor and payne and when they come before the mightie men of this worlde they shrinke not they faynte not they waxe not pale neyther chaunge their countenance Paule being a prisoner and brought before Felix was not abashed hymselfe but with hys aunsweres which were full of diuine power and might he made the gouernour to tremble and quake which cannot be ascribed to any thing but to the sincere good conscience of his wherof himself speaketh thus Herein I endeuored my selfe to haue alway a cleare Conscience toward God and toward men Let vs then beware that we wounde not our Conscience and whether we be alone at home or in company abroad let vs accoumpt that the principall witnes For as S. Ambrose sayth Euery man hath of his own minde Conscience a seuere iudge either punishing the guilty or acquiting the guiltles and innocent And Sencca writeth to Lucillius diuinely after this manner To what end doe we hide our selues and decline the eyes eares of meÌ„ A good coÌ„science calleth the company vnto hym but an euel conscience is in doubt and feare euen when we are alone If those thinges that we doe be honest what need we to care if the whole world looke vpon vs but if they be vnhoneste wee must needes knowe them our selues O miserable men that we are if we contemne this witnesse Seing then that so great ioye and comfort issueth out of a good conscience so great heuines and discomfort coÌ„meth from an euell Conscience I haue thought good to write somewhat briefly and shortly as wel of the one as of the other Neither was it my purpose to prosecute all things that belong vnto this matter which to doe would require more leisure theÌ„ I yet haue a loÌ„ger worck then this treatise and who so list to reade more hereof I referre him to Saynt Bernhard Melancthon Hemingius and especially to Ioh. Riuius who wil plentifully satisfie the greedy Reader desirous to vnderstand more of this matter but I haue collected out of all these so much as séemed vnto me most conuenient and necessary for the Christian reader in this behalf Which if I haue not accomplished so pithely and eloquently as perhaps some of our English â—â—hilosophers or Retoricians would haue done I wil not contend in rendring a reason of my doings but do giue them leaue to amend that which is amisse for as Cinicall taracion is detestable so is charitable animaduersion in my iudgement ccÌ„mendable not misdoubting but that the godly reader will rather accept hereof with like affection as it is deliuered then disâ—ain my want of ability to offer it so perâ—â—tc in all poynts eyther as the matter deserueth or I my selfe desired These my Laboures such as they be I offer vnto your worship as a taken of â—ny good will and obseruancy toward the same for your great loue and intire affection toward me which you haue diuers and sunday ways in benefites beâ—â—owed vpon 〈◊〉 and mine effectually declared And bicause I certaynly know that in your life dayly actions you doe not any â—â—ing willingly agaynst the testiniony of a good Conscience which you only ground vpon Gods word the surest foundation in all your building and clearest lighte and lanterne to directe your paths to euerlasting life This treaty of the same matter cannot be vnmeete to be presented vnto you which your whorship according to your good nature will I trust accept in good part the liuing God blesseand preserue you and that verteous Land your wife long in al prosperity
Caesar deliberating with himselfe whether hée shoulde take Armoure agaynste his natiue country Conscience aunswereth that hée ought not to doe it Reason Superiour confirmeth it because it is contrary to Godlynesse and to the law of nature being in it selfe vile and vnhonest Reason Inferioure alloweth the same because it is in y world a thing infantous and reprochful and therwithall very perillous Out of these Sinterisis or Iudgement inferreth that it is abhominable by no meanes to be attempted In lyke maner miagine Popilius delyberating with himselfe whether he might execute Antonies commauÌ„ndement murder Cicero Conscience telleth that he ought not to murder Cicero by any meanes Reason Superior sayth that he shall be noted of great ingratitude if he murder that man who sometime defended him in a matter of lyfe and death procured his delyuerance Reason Inferior addeth that he shal procure common hatred mallice of all good men if he murder a man that hath most notably preserued the liberty of his country wherof Sinteresis or Iudgement gathereth that Ingratitude as a most odious detestable thing is to be auoyded And thus you sée all the partes of a Sillogisme which they call practick wherin reason probable examine morall actions by the law of Nature by principles deryued out of the same I call Principles those Notices or knowledge which are planted graued in our minds by good sentences coÌ„mon knowne vnto al men wherevnto we without gainesaying doe wyllingly and naturally assent Such are these Thankes are to be yeelded to those which deserue them Euerie man ought to haue his owne Wee ought to imitate no man. And these principles which apperteyne to our duetie and vocation in a cyuill lyfe are named practicke their naturall habite Sinterisis But those Theorick principles which properly belong to contemplation knowledge they terme the Intelligence of principles as for example The whole is greater then a part Of nothing can nothing be made such lyke I thought it requisite to interlace this short admonition of the termes or wordes which wryters in these cases vse whereof many curious questions are of many moued which may be the better discerned these things knowne for my part I thinke the first diuision to be most commodious and playne for knowledge and vnderstanding sake otherwise most certayne it is that these thinges differ not in mans minde if you respect their substance and essence being in déede mingled confused one with another onely for instruction sake they are seperate in thought and cogination For the heauenly Philosopher S. Paule nameth the whole Sillogisme whereof I haue spoken before mans conscience It is euidence by the premisses that the quality of Conscience varieth according to the condition of mens factes For in meÌ„ that feare and loue GOD there is a good Conscience whiche procéedeth of vertues and sincere deliberations and déedes bringing vnto man an incredible ioye pleasure of thinges well done And an euell Conscience in wicked and euell persons which by reason of vile and abhomiuable facts of shame and discredite receiued doth fret knaw the minde with great vntollerable greefes and fraunces Wherein it is to be noâ—ed that Conscience taketh not these differences of the facultye Iudicatiue which is a naturall gifte therefore to be nombred among good things and is sometime named the lighte of the minde sometime the naturall 〈…〉 time the instruction of Reason But the Conscience taketh such qualities of these thrée thinges Of the facte paste of the present affection of the hart and of the eueÌ„r folowing For if the minde be throughly perswaded of his Innocency it reioyceth and cherisheth good hope and is called a good Conscience the difynition whereof is as foloweth A good Conscience is aÌ„ ioyfull remembraunce of our former life well paste and spente hauing a sure hope and expectation of some happy euent Or thus a good Conscience is a gladsome motion of the harte conioyned with a perfite knowledge of a fact well done where it is called not Science but Conscience Which good Conscience is aswell the cause of chearefulnesse in the face and countinaunce being but an outward token of the inward affection as also the breder and conseruer of the solace and ioye in the minde conceaued of good factes and happy euents For better declaration hereof I will examine certayne cases particulerly And for examples sake let vs looke vppon these rich men of the world hauing at their own will abundantly thinges necessary to a swéete and pleasaunt life and therefore are generally almoste reputed blessed and happy If a man with more insight examin their estate he shall not finde any men eyther more miserable or more trembling fearing Gods wrath and vengeaunce then they if at any time they happen to call an accompt of them selues by what meanes they haue heaped these thinges together I doe not nowe speake of such as haue gotten riches and increased their substance without any mans iniurie if any such be for in déede such byrdes are rarely séene But I note those that wythout respect of right or wrong doe onely or chiefely séeke for gaine neglecting in the meane season those things which principally doe adorne and bewtifie man Whiles such men doe recorde their couen and frawde in gathering gayne what agonies and passions of minde what gna wings and woundes of Conscience doe they abide wherwith they bring as it were scourged and whiâ—te doe susteyne inwardly vnspeakeable misery in their externall shewe of felicitie On the other side they that with honest and lawful meane growe to be ritche and haue vsed no cellusion nor hurtful guile in their trade of lyfe must néedes inwardly reioyce and giue endelesse praise and thankes to the almightie for his goodnesse mercie towarde them Moreouer those meli that excell in bewtie strength health or other giftes of the body must néedes be sayde to haue rereceyued great benfites of God but those that abuse their bewtie to vnchaste loue their strength to hurt their neighbor their health to filthie and vnlawfull pleasures what miseries and sorrowes shall they afterwarde susteyne We maye iudge the fame of Nobilitie of power of glorie of honor and such lyke For if onely vertuo be the true and perfite Nobilitie as the Poet sayeth Then surely they may not rightly be called Noble that onely descend of a famous house and haue gotten Armes and Nobilitie by their renowmed Auncestors that is with other mens vertues or else as often it happeneth by our notorious Pyraries robbres or murders but those onely that with their owne worthye and excellent deeds haue aduaunced themselues or being sprong of Noble parentage by imitation doe withall their endeuour study to resemble them from whence they came Such the as are Noble in déede doe conceiue of their excellent and worthy déedes towarde their countrie an vnspeakable ioy in their Conscience whereas the Noble vnnoble with
know sayth he that my redeemer liueth and that I shall rise agayne at the last day and shal be compassed agayn wish my skinne and shall see god in my flesh Ioseph that Godly and chaste young man being chayned in she stockes what solace had hee in the déepe dungeon but his sincere mind and vnspotted Conscience And euen so it was with Eliazarus with Paule and with all the Apostles in their distresse for Eliazarus sayth O lord I am piteously tormented in my body but I willingly suffer all these thinges for thy names sake Paule being certified by Agabus of the afflictions which he should suffer at Ierusalem I â—â— he am ready not only to be bound but also to suffer death for the name of the Lord Iesus The Apostles likewise being scorged for preaching the Gospel Went away with Ioy that they were found worthy to beare infamy for the name of the Lord Iesus The principal cause of these thinges was doubtlesse a good conscience which writeth sorrowe into ioy calamity to felicity and to conclude death into lyfe it selfe OF THE EVELL AND CORrupt Conscience AS THERE IS IN GOD that supreme and nigh maiest is of God a wisedome descerning betwene good euil things and also a will wishing goodnesse with a deuine delectation pleasure contrariwise nylling that which is naught and with great indignation and anger reiecting and punishing the same Euen so hath he created the lyfe of man that there shoulde be certaine lawes as it were notices or admonitions of the mind commaunding thinges honest and forbidding the contrary besides these he hath appointed magistrats that they should defend the good and punishe the euill And to this ende were thinges thus ordered and disposed in the creation that men might learne that there is both a God being a wise and iust Iudge and there withall that manne should knowe and perceyde himselfe to be the ymage of God whome he ought to imitate and followe For God is neyther knowne of heauen nor of earth of plants neyther yet of beastes although they obey him in theire kinde but Aungelles and men onely hath he so created that he might he obeyed knowne worshipped of them and that they being fashioned lyke vnto God might not pyne away and dye wyth impietie and vexation of minde but hauing their hartes agréeable to right reason and iudgement might reioyce in good actions as well before as after the facte But in this corrupt and wounded nature mans hart burneth as it were wyth flames méere contrary to right iudgement and at the first trembleth not to runne into mischiefe Nowe for that it concerneth Gods iustice to punishe and route out obstinate and rebellious natures therefore hath he conioyned the dolor and anguishe of the Conscience following wicked and mischeuous deedes that might as it were an hangman punishe and execute offenders And although this sorrowe he somewhat dull nowe and then in persons yet at the last God doth so kindle it in the wicked that they tremble and quake and are oppressed as it were with the noyse of the thunder as it is sayde in the Psalme In thy anger thou shalt vexe and trouble them Whereof Plato wryteth excellently in this wise When an euill man draweth towarde his ende he is sodainely striken with a foure and care of such thinges as he once thought not of before and those talke of Deuils of Hell and of paynes which the wicked suffer there where of he made a scoffe and stale iest doe then miserablye encoumber his minde wherby he faleth into an examination of his former life And recording his vile and filthy actes hee is quyet neyther waking not sleeping often times he sturteth in his sleepe as it were a fearefull childe out of his dreame and so lyuing awhyle he droupeth away in euill hope Sophocles wryteth that Oedipus beyng olde and blynde was ledde to Athens by his daughter Antigona Who dying there was buried in the Temple of Erinnyus By the which fable he signifieth the vnquiet Conscience at the hower of death of all such as haue ledde an vnhonest lyfe For Erinnyus by interpretatioÌ„ are nothing else then contentious perturbations of the minde by reason of an euill Conscience which alwayes wayte vpon vnhonest actes and déeds And they are sayd to be mindestill for that condigne punishment for sinfull actes are neuer forgotten whiche although they be for a time prolonged yet this is the very property and effect of Eriunius that when mischiefe and payne is least looked for then it falleth moste gréeuously Thus much I thought good to note touching the occasions of doloures and gréefe in the euell conscience now lette vs consider the difinition of the same An euell Conscience is a heauy and vexing motion of the hart conioyned with perfect knowlege of a detestable fact For assuredly furies doe alwayes pursue and chase the wicked not with burning torches and fire brandes as inter Iudes and playes sette out but with horâ—â—res of Conscience and anguish of minde wayting alwayes vpon mischieuous men euen as the shade we foloweth the body not suffering them to beeath and as it were to pause one â—â—â—iuente from trembling and feare And for this cause onely Seneca commendeth that saying of the â—pienre The gilty man may happily hide himselfe sometime but he hath no assured confidence to escape Whiche thinges as they are true so are they confirmed with Histories throughâ—ute all tymes and ages Tacitus reporteth that Tiberius vexâ—d with such tormentâ—a 〈◊〉 vnto the Senatâ— in this wise What should I write vnto you my Lordes or how should I write or rather what shoulde I not wryte I at this instant All the Gods of heauen at ons rather distroy the then to pine awaye dayly thus as I doe Such plagues and tormentes had Tiberiâ—s inwardly by his monstrous â—dings Neyther is that â—odnâ— the purpose which a certayne man vtâ—ered If the wicket of Titaunts minds might be vnlocked â—â—midsi shoÌ„ld 〈◊〉 see their mangled woundâ— for as it fareth with the body by reason of â— stripes and blowes euen so it the minde at â—oil resite and torne with cruelty filthy lust fâ—â—udo malice and such like For 〈◊〉 Tiberius had â—o wante of anyâ— worldly thinges â—â— that might serue to solace and comford 〈◊〉 afflicted mind yet was he hot able by any of meanes to ease or consâ—ate the tormentes â—â— and paynes of his Conscience Suetonitis wryteth of Caligula who seemed neyther to care for God nor man yet at the least roumbling and glauneing of thundering and lightning he would winke and couer hys face when with greater terror heauen and earth seemed both to shake to burne with fâ—â—e he woulde runne into corners and hyde himselfe The same Author also noteth home Nero after he had murdered his naturall mother was so greeuouslye veâ—ed in conscience that he could not be coÌ„forted neyther with ioyfull showâ—es and acclamations of the
their foule facts and detestable deedes done in their lyfe And to shutte vp this matter whereas â—ayth is the vnely Instrument whereby man obteyneth iustification and immortalitie which can not be liuely in anye man hauing a guplly conscience hereby we may cafely gather how detcstable and horrible a mischiefe that is Therefore whosoeuer séeketh saluation by faith it standeth them vpon to brydle their affonions and concopiscences and to commyt nothing against the commaundements of god For he that transgresseth his conscience accusing hym howe can he perswade himselfe that God will be mercyfull vnto him The faythfull in déede nowe and then stumble and stagger it cannot be denied but oute of all doubt a true and lyuely fayth hath no fellowship with the workes of darkenesse Moreouer seing that death in it selfe of all terrible thinges is most terrible it must néedes be much more horrible in those who through the accusation of their owne conscience looke for a spéedie passage into hell tormentes For nathelesse doath it selfe is not so terrible as the â—ugsome opinioÌ„ therof for euen thereafter as the conscience is good or badde so doth shee wyllingly embrace or dreadfully eschewe the same The godly receyue death wyllingly and gladly which they knowe to be sent vnto theÌ„ from God as a delyuerance and passage out of the miseries of this troublesome worlde into the porte of eternall rest but the wicked declyne the same as the perillous rocks and sandes where they must needes make shypwracke of eternall lyfe Therefore it was truely and comfortably uttered by a certaine writte We haue no cause to feare any thing in death if our life haue not committed any thing procuring cause of feare For it is not possible that he should dye impenitently that hath lyued well That a pure Conscience is to be respected in all humane actions wherewith a man may content hymselfe WHERE AS there are manye thinges notably written by Cicero which argue his great wisedome and knowledge yet amongest them all hath he left no saying more excellent and deuine then that in his booke intituled Of olde age to wyt That a conscience of a lyfe well spent and a remembrance of many good deedes is a thing most comfortable Which worthie and memorable sentence is not onely agréeable with the secret iudgement of anye good man but is also consonant to the opinions of auncient Sages and good Deuines who with one mouth doe wich their voyces confirme the same And it is worthy to be obserued that Tully maketh not a common person to vtter that senteÌ„cc but Cato surnamed that Sensor a vcric graue and wise father Whose vprightnesse in cyuill RegimcÌ„t long experience in worldly affayres worthie vertues and singuler wisedome all the Romayne hystories doc at large proposse and expresse Cato without al controucrsie spake so of his owne experience contenting himselfe with that inwarde testimonie when he susteyncd the checkes of his superiors the enuye of hys equalles and the obloque of his inferiors an vnthankfull rewarde for that hys vigelant and fatherly care for the prosperous and happie estate of his Citizens and countrie men And it were to be wished that all men whether they liue priuately or publikely woulde in all their doinges set that paterne before their eyes wherein they beholding themselues daylie as it were in a cléere glasse might euidently sée what â—eutefieth or blemisheth their vocation or condition of lyfe And that these things may be the better considered it shall not be amisse perticulerly to open vnfolde the duetyes of some functions in the common weale whereby men maye passe from the partes to the whole and by a fewe to vnderstande what is conuenient for all Thou art called to be a Iudge or chosen an Arbyter to composse controuersies sée that therein thou doe nothing against law and conscience respecting any person Let neyther threttes neyther flatterie draw thée one heare breadth from vprightnesse RemeÌ„ber in that matter thou ought neyther to haue friend nor enimie Coosen nor straunger For all these thinges ought to be set a side in iudgement Yeelde nothing to fauour nor consanguinitie nothing to hatred or displeasure nothing to hope or feare which things commonly stricke men starke blinde in iudgement to be short suffer not anye affection to be of thy counsayle but consider the lawe and moderate the same if it be extréeme with a good conscience So did good Aristides who appointed a daies man betwéene two men wherof the one to the ende he might drawe him into displeasure with his aduersarie produced many impertinent thinges as that his aduersarie had also much accused Aristides Well sayth the Arbiter omyt at thys tyme these matters and alleage onely those thinges wherein he hath abused thee Cato also as Valerius reporteth sitting in iudgement vpon a wicked and infamous Senator receyuing Pompeius Magnus his letters commendatorie in the behalfe of the malefactor would not suffer theÌ„ to be opened The good Iusticer would rather folow his owne internal iudgement then obteyn thankes of that mightie man teaching by his example that a Iudge ought not by any request rewarde or fauour to be led from the true execution of Iustice Those that are called in anye state to be of the priuie counsayle ought to direct all their consultations to the helth and wealth of their countriemen And albeit he sée before his eyes present daunger with floudes of enuy and malyce together with false rumoures vniust suspitions of his doinges yet let him not follow vayne fame which neyther profiteth the euill neyther hurteth the good but the iudgemente of his conscience as it were a guide and Lodesman in all his actioÌ„s Neyther would I haue any man to mistake me as though I ment that we should altogether neglect what the worlde thinketh and speaketh of vs which minde ought to be farre from a christian for we ought not onely to avoyde euell but to be far from all suspicions of euell but I saye principally and chiefly our Conscience is to be respectted Yet we sée the contrary in these dayes to vsuall that saying euery where verified Multi famam pauci conscientiaÌ„ verent verentur Many teÌ„der their owne fame and credite but very few theire Conscience So Callicratides a Captayne of the Lacedemonians hauing greater respect of his priuate glory then of hys Conscience in preseruing of his Nauy receiued a great ouerthrowe of the enemy Cleombrotus also fearing enuy onely encountered rashly with Epaminondas and became almoste an vtter ruine to the Laredemonians Richard plantaginate duke of yorck because he would not séeme to be inclosed and kept in his Castle of Sandale by a woman and resting only vpon his credite and fame hee hauing not aboue fiue thousand men rashly ioyned battayle with the Quéene hauing xviij M. good souldyers contrary to counsayle wisedome and al pollicy and so rashly ronne into his destruction Q. Fabius Maximus after warde of his dooinges
name by periury it will playnely appeare by the difinition of the same An oath is an asueration of a thing possible and lawfull made with the inuocation of Gods name wherein we pray God to caste downe vpō vs his malidiction vengeance if in swearing we say vntruth or wittingly willingly break our oth In bare and naked promises wherein we promise to doe truely it is sayd Let your communication bee yea yea and nay nay but of oathes there are seuere preceptes Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe but shalt performe thine oath to God Wherevnto he aodeth a fearefull Communication For the lord wil not hold him guiltles that taketh his name in vayne There is no doubt but Gods maiestie and name is wonderfully abused when men ronne into wilfull periury For in that we cal vpon him to be our witnes and Iudge Our wilfull periury denieth him to be a true witnes argueth him of falsehode procureth his plagues and bindeth vs by our owne mouthes to abide the same There can then no greater contumely be done agaynst God nor no more gréeuous crime committed by man then wilfully to make a mock and by word of Gods name where vnto if men adde wilful murder and shedding of innocent bloude they must néedes fill vp euen to the brimme the measure of iniquitie Such men are vngraciouslye ledde and drawne to punishment and vengeance so that among such transgressors you shall skarce finde one that hath in this worlde escape the reuenging hande of almightie God as we may plainly sée by Caine Saule Richarde king of Englande the thirde of that name and infinite other examples Hereof the Poets haue written thus 〈◊〉 Ah miser si quis primum periuria celat Sera tamen tacitas pena venit pedibus The former examples are speciall but when we beholde things more publike and generall we sée a more sorowfull Tragedie For we may reade of them est noble and floorishing Famelies of Princes to haue beue vtterlye rooted vp for wicked murders and periurie And so God doth shewe himselfe to be a defender and conseruer of iustice and pull it ike order and that his pleasure is that the inteynall mocions of mannes mynde shoulde conforme themselues to the working of Gods spirit and also that the external members should be kept within the compasse of good lawes and regiment Which whosoeuer haue broken they haue alwayes bene accounted factious seditious periured and men noted otherwise with vile reproches and infames Such men were the Carthaginenses reputed who vnconstant and slypping in in all their wordes and promises sought still by guylefull and craftie interpretations to illude their othes who at the last being vtterly subdued and their citie sticke and stone consumed euen to the grounde with fyre doe bidde vs beholde the ende of leuitie and periurie Philyp of Macedonia was wont to playe with his fayth as children doe with stickes which was the cause as the wise Ethnickes thought of the suddayne and straunge ruine of all his posterity for within twelue yeares after his son Alexander in the floure of his time died either with poysō or with immoderate drink whose mother wife and two sonnes were murdered of his Nobles neither was ther found anye Patrons of so royall a famely And in our fathers dayes Lewis king of Hungaria induced by Eugenius bishop of Rome brake the league which hee hadde made with Amaruthes the great Turcke and drew that Tirant to bend all his power agaynst Christendome being at that time otherwise busied in the east in which warre Lewis the king with the greater part of his army miserably perished the smart whereof not onely Hungaria feeteth but all Christendome lamēteth at this day And to omit those thinges that histories recorde many examples as well priuate as publique daily experience in mans life do verify the same whereof it came to passe that the old writers appoynted certayne Gods to be reuengers of periury and Homecide For they beholding such dayly examples not without greate admiration iudged that those thinges came not to passe by chaunce and at aduēture but that some diuine power was especially appoynted to be the punisher of Periury wilful murther And hitherto I thought in some priuate callings and condicions of mans life to poynt out as it were with the finger the ioy and solace of a pure and sinerre Conscience and the endlesse vexation and sorrow of the contrary now I will discend to certein questions which men commonly moue about mans Conscience It is demaunded commonly whether an erring Conscience deeth condemne man That is to say whether mans will sweruing and discenting from reason dceriued condemneth a man we must obserue that it is the part of Reason to giue light vnto Will wandring in darrknesse and grosse ignorannce and therefore Wil discenting from Reason disceiued must néedes offend and doe wickedly Hée doth euill I say not in his own nature but because the Conscience so iudgeth of it self albeit it be perfite and good And therfore the diuines playnly affirm that Will discenting from Conscience and Reason whether she be sincere or corrupt in what kind of action soeuer she be busied whether they be good euell or indifferent shée offendeth and committeth sinne And from hence is derided the solucion of that question Whether the Conscience erring excuseth That is whether the Wil consenting with Reason swaruing from truthe offendeth for if Will discenting from Reason deceaued transgresse surely it must néedes folow that the same consenting with Reason doth not offend For of thinges contrary there follow contrary sequelles as not onely Cicero but the Logitians generally and experience prooueth We must herein obserue that as a séemely and comly body is so called when there is right shape and composition of all the reste of the members of mans body and it is the named euell fauoured if in any one hmme or ioint there be nay thing vncomly crooked or lawe euen so that is only accounted good which is absolute and consumate in al partes and so it is named euell when any litle thing wanteth to the perferfection thereof or to speake playnly and briefely Euell proceedeth of special vices and defects but goodnesse of that which is on euery side without fault or blemishe So y in this matter it is enough if either the Will be corrupted or Reason which is the guide and ruler of Will. But this thing wil be playn by the apposityon of an example Those that did both curse the Apostles of Christ committed thē to prysō minding to execute them with most paynfull deathes thought that they offered a most acceptable sacrifice to God euen as Christ himselfe beareth witnesse The time shall come sayth he that whosoeuer killeth you shal thinck he doth GOD good seruice These mens reasons and vnderstanding was merueylously shadowed with darcknes and error and yet their will and intelligence did concurre together And Paule himselfe when
to come from god Secondly that we put our trust and confidcÌ„ce in God alone Thirdly that we reste and repose our selues wholy in God the fountaine and author of all goodnesse These foundations being layd then I say it is not only good but also néedeful that we reioyce in our good déedes not with vauÌ„ting Thraso or the glorious hipocrite but in the approbation and comfort of our good Conscience Neyther may the wounded Conscience which is as it were a taste of eternal deth dispaire of saluation because of their heynous sinnes and offences for they haue the merites and death of christ for their refuge and sanctuary For oure heauenly father most tenderly and dearely louing vs hath giuen his onely sonne to the death of the Crosse for vs to obtein saluation he hath giuen him vnto vs by whome he is pleased and reconciled to man the remembraunce of our sins striken out so that we certeinly perswade our self therof and hauing this fayth doe wholy yeld our selues vnto him Hereof speaketh y Apostle if any man sin we haue an adudcase with the father Iesus Christ the righteous he is the propitiatioÌ„ of our sinnes not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole world and that saying is very coÌ„fortable What time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance And again As truely as I liue sayth the lord I would not the death of a sinner but that he should conuert and liue These and such like sentences doe comfort vs against desperation into the which Caine Saule and Iudas by diffidence fel and with an oth God doth assure vs of his loue mercy which whosoeuer dispaireth of he accuseth god of periury being most heynous impiety and donieth Christes sacrifyce to be auaileable to put away our sinnes For our louing God doth principally request this at our hands that we distrusting our selues should trust and commit our selues only to him whose loue and charity toward vs hath appeared aboundantly that he hath geuen his only sonne for wicked and sinfull men for hys enemies whereby he might receiue vs again into his loue gracious sauoure with this fayth and confidence a sinful man may stay himself and assure vnto him moste firme consolations and defence when 〈◊〉 wrastleth with the pauâ—rs and agonyes of sinne death and desperation where vnto often times a man is drawen and tormented as it were of an hangman by his own vnquiet Conscience or by the malicious and guileful temptatioÌ„s of his mortal and capitall enemy the Deuill And these thinges I thought good to commit to writing touching the good and euell Conscience wherein we see that as there is nothing more horrible and peruicidus then the euel Conscience doubting mistrusting and despairing in all things so there is nothing better nor more comfortable then a good Conscience which maketh a man liue euen a blessed life vpon earth and procureth vnto him sincere and perfite pleasure Seing then the commodity of a good ConscicÌ„ce is so great and that no man can haue it vnlesse he liue in his vocation and doe his duety vprightly It standeth euery man vpon to endeuour and bende all his power and streÌ„gth euen vnto the vttermost to satistie and aunswere the same which that I may speake bréefely is to abandon vice and embrace vertue so shal we be partakers of such an inestimable ioy and treasure So shall no good man deuise or practise any fraude or guyle he shall not offer any iniury to his neighbour and so to conclude shal vice be banished and vertues as Religion piety Iustice peace concord and such other like shal spring and florish againe God the author and giuer of all good giftes graunt vs al this excellent treasure that in all our actions we may weigh and consider our Conscience being a dayly and â—omestical Iudge wherby we shal be stayed from committing those thinges whiche offend his high maiestie that so liuing holyly and sincerely in this world we may in the other world come to perfite blisse and immortality FINIS Senecca lib. 10. epist. 11. Cur actions and deeds alwayes vicâ—â—â—d The Conscience in steede of a thousande witnesses â—â—lans conscience is a scoolemester vuto him The veâ—ntion to a corrupt Conscâ—ence Chrisost in psal 50. Bernhardus The desperate ende of 〈◊〉 wilfully agaynst their Conscience Pantalion chron rerum memorabilium Iho. Foxius et alii Herat. lib. 1. epist. Act. 24. Ambrosius in epist ad Constant Seneca epist. 96. After what forte there are two partes of manners Souls Reason Will. Brute beâ—s haue â—â—ythâ—â— ReasoÌ„ ner Wyll but sense Appetite The effecte of Reason The offâ—â—â— why will is â—ysobydiâ—t â—o Reason The Consience in respect of Indgement is placed iâ—â— the minde but in respect of affections motions it is in the hart The opetation of the Conscience The â—â—eâ—â—odot this â—â—â—ca and â—â—â— deuâ—â—â—â—â—ruf a to scrip expressing Conscience Rom. 2. The â—efynition of the Conscience Thre thigs in the minde to be obserued Ondirstaâ—â— ding conâ—emplatyre Aristo li. 1. ethick Sinterisis est habitus innatus coÌ„ seruans principia moralia et practica sicut Sinesis conseruat principia specu labilia Iudgement or decermâ—nation Examples plainely expressing this matter Oedipus The ground of Ezechias his consciâ—net Dauid 1. Sa. 24. Riuiuâ— lib. 1. de conscientia hausit ex Augustino Riuius lib. de consc dissentit ab omnibus aijt enim conscientiam ponere complectioneÌ„ in Syllogismo practico Causes why diuers men be of dâ—uerse CoÌ„sciences The things which Conscience chife in respecteth Defynytyons of the good Conscience Of bewty and strength Of Nobility The abuse of power auttoryty True glory Iob. 19. Plato primo de repub Sophocles Oedipus Erinnius The difinion of an eâ—uel Conscience 〈…〉 Tiberius Caligula Nero. Richard the third Polidorus virg angli hist lib. 25. Adam Eue. Iosephâ—s bretheren Iudas Pro. 17. An vnquiet Conâ—tience hasheneth old age sycknesse An euell Conscience â—â—ayde of â—â—ery blaâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 The horcor of an euell Conscience All yartes shal be â—eâ—cd and tormented in Apell An exhortationte beware of an euell Conscience The Soâ—ace and comforâ— of a good Conscience Cato The part of a iudge The part of a Counseller and Captayne The office of good Lawyers Papinianus Sir Iames Hales Spotlers oâ— the church In whome the property of church goods doth teste Backbiters and sclaunderers of the ministetye The office and duty of Patronâ— toward their wards Of the mariages of wardes Of byâ—ts scllers Agaynst rash and bayn swearing The Godles sleights and â—iftes of many to illude the it othes Anniball Cleomenes A popishe Prelates feaude 〈…〉 Ottho Phringen sis Of the Gâ—â— bouites Ambroci us in offi Lauaterus in Ios 9. P. Martir in 2. Sam. 21. The perittry of the 〈◊〉 August dei viu ita te dei lib. cap. 22. Camillus Iustinius liber 38. The late tragical delinges in â—â—aunce The law dem to supplyantes to such as yeld them selues in war. Pausanias in Acha. Conquestes ought to haue modetation as a companion Mimus Ageselaus The property of the Lyon. SigismuÌ„d S. Augustine Antigonus Hier. in 17. Ezeh The king of denmark his pollicy Peter Arrogon A. Commodus Carolus septimus Gal rex Nothing is protitable rule vnlest it be honest Aristidea Themistocles F. Camillus â—â—râ—otes vertues The proper and especial notes and signes of Papistes Periury aâ— deyuâ—us ofâ—â—â—uce The definion of an oth Of synners iudutate past grace Examples of Princes and people punished for their periury Carthage Philip. Engenius Pope of Rome and Lewis king of Hungaria Whether is be enough for men to rest vppon their Conscience The true ground and foundation of a good Conscience Doubtfulnes of the conscience â—angerous Policarpus Chrisost God inâ—â—â—â—â—ted 〈◊〉 by degrees Numa Pompilius Two 〈◊〉 tyons the first agaynst bayn confideÌ„ce in one own ryghteousenesse Agaynst sorrow and dispayre of an affâ—eted Conscience The coucinsion
people nor with the gratulacions of the Senate but alwayes confessing his crime and declaring howe his mothers Ghoast appeared vnto hym vnished his speedie destruction And moreouer offering his heathenishe sacrifice by the hanâ—â—s of his Southsayers he wylled them to call vp his mothers soule and to make attonement betweene hir and hym that he might liue in â—eace rest Richarde the thirde king of Englande of that name who with great tyranny came to the kingdome murdering not onely his enimyes but suche as had beene hys faythfull assistants neyther sparing his Nephews king Edwarde sonnes nor his owne wife but imbruing himselfe in bloud on euery side that hee mighte sette hym selfe sure in hys Throne When he came to a vilage cales Bosworth not far from Leycester where he ment to encounter his enemies The same wente that the mghte before the fielde was sought he had a dreadfull terrible dreme For it séemed to him being a sléepe that 〈◊〉 saw diuers Images like terrible deuilles which pulled and haled him not sufferinge him to take any quiet or rest The whithe straunge vision not so stroke his harte wish a suddayne feare as it stuffed his head and troubled his minde with many busie infaginations For incontinent after his harte being almost damped he pregnosticated before the doubtfull chaunce of the battalle to come not vsing such chearefulnesse and â—orage of mind and countenaunce as he was accustomed to doe before he came towarde the battayle Wherevnto Polidore addeth thys fitte and excellent Sentence I verily thinke this was no dreme but a punction and sting of of his sinfull Conscience which being so much more wounded as the offence is more heynous in degree which surely if at any other time yet principally at the hower of death it calleth freshly to our rememberaunce mischiefes conâ—icted and paynted forth before our eyes punishementes imminent so that in the momente of death we are pricked in spirite for oure euell life and euen then we depart this world with intollerable vexation and griefe Moyses veraly doth most liuely expresse the misery of a guity Conscience after this maner And thy life shall hang before thee and thou shalt feare both night and day and shalt haue no asurance of thy life In the morning thou shalt say would God it were euening and at the Eueuing thou shalt say would Got it were morninge for the feare of thine harte which thou shalte feare Deut. 28. Howe breefely and playnely doeth Moyses paynte oute the dayly and continuall straites and agonies of a troubled Conscience Semblably speaketh Salust of Cateline For that impure minde of his detested of God and man could not be quieted night nor day Therefore his couloure was pale and wanne his eyes were foule and his pace sometime swift sometime slow in his face and countenaunce there appeared Tiranny To this ende serueth y out of the booke of the Origin of y world where Moyses wryteth that our first parentes after their transgression did hide them selues and shonne the sighte of God theire fearefull conscience without all doubte condeinning them therevnto accordeth that in the same booke of Iosephes bretheren fearing leste now theire Father being deade he would remember 〈◊〉 â—ruell dealing with him and reuehge the â—â—ct â—â—id euen so was it with the traytor Iudas who weary of his life by meanes of a wounded Conscience strangled himselfe But I cease from gathering any moe examples for it is moste euidente that as the sincere Conscience amonge the greatest sorrowes and miseries of this world ministreth an incredible plesure and as it were taste of the heauenly blisse so the impure and corrupte Conscience recordeth his guiltes and transgressions tormenteth man in this worlde and in some maner representeth vnto him the furies sorrowes and cruell tormentes of Hell. And as we see it come to passe in those that haue bene incombred with a long consumption albeit they dye at their appointed tyme yet lyuing they séeme to dye leysurely rather then to lyue so it fareth with the gaulled minde and scared conscience albeit they shall perishe euerlastingly vnlesse they repent yet they cannot vpon this earth go skotfree but receiue a taste of their appointed fayre in the worlde to come Nowe if a merie and contented minde according to the wise mans saying procureth a florishing age and if a sorrowfull spirite dryeth the bones it cannot otherwise be but the inward agony of the mind breaketh out into the body as well impayring the health as the strength thereof The Philosophers and Phisitions holde this opinion that through auxitie griefe of minde man pyneth awaye waxeth olde quickly and is taken away with vntimely death And therfore they prescribe in their dyets and ordery vsuals that all men desirous of manye yeares and long lyfe ought to auoyde great pensiuenesse and gréeuous cares as cause thereof Whereby it maye easely appeare howe pestelent and consuming a plague it is which weakeneth and in the ende vtterly destroyeth bodye and minde whereof Fabius speaketh excellently if I can Iudge anye thing in this wyse There is nothing so busied and variable noching so rent and torne with dyuers affections as is the euill and vncleane minde For when it attempteth anye thing it is wonderfully distract with hope care and labor and atchiuing his desire it is wrong and racked with carefulnes fearefulnes and an expectation of al mischief The same is confirmed by the holy Father S. Ambrose The corrupte Conscience starteth at euery cracke and the raw woundes cannot be corrected with any playster whatsoeuer it heareth red or spoken it accounteth as spoken againste it selfe If a man eate if he studye if he praye his crime is straighte waye before him the Conscience witnesseth agaynst him pleadeth against him condemneth him Which thing considered by the Prophete caused him to speake in this sort The wicked are lyke the raging of the Sea that cannot rest whose waters cast vp mire and dyrte there is no peace sayth the Lorde to the wicked The heathen wryting of â—he manifolde tormentes of Hell spake of the rauening byrde called a Gryffon which should gnaw vpon mans lyuer by the which they signiâ—â—e nothing else but the gnawing of the conscience mangling as it were manne wyth dreadfull remembrances of euill committed in this lyfe Of a verie lyke opinion are some Deuynes who thinke that men shall abyde the greeuous tormeÌ„ts of Hel in their Conscience which our Sauiour calleth the worme gnawing the conscience of the wicked neuer dying But as that opinion of theirs is not true that the paynes of Hell are tollerated in the conscience onely For out of doubt al parts of man internall and externall shall perticulerly abide vntollerable payne so I will not denie but that to other tormentes thys of the conscience is added as a principall weight or heape whereby with great bytternesse of minde the wicked recognise and set as it were present before their eics
he persecuted the Church of Christ and cast his seruaunts into bondes had a Will obedient to Reason wandring in great darcknes And yet that Apostle afterward confesseth that albeit he did that ignorauntly through vnbeliefe yet that hee gréeuously offended God albeit through repentaunce he afterward obteyned Gods mercy For God doth easily and soone forgiue simply ignorance repenting the fault and where mallice and wilfull will wanteth the faulte is reputed lesse in Gods sight I will not haue any man mistake me as though I thought that any kinde of ignoraunce should eyther excuse a man or be accounted tollerable in Gods sight For without doubt all kinds of ignoraunce are blame worthy Else the law in Moyses shold seeme to bee in vayne appoynting a sacrifice to be offered vnto God for ignorance Nu. 15. but my meaning is that ignorantia facti as they terme it wanting negligence and security may seeme to haue some probable excuse And touching Paules error it had a show of probability and likelihoode It was written by Moyses that if any Prophete did arise teaching thinges contrary to the lawe he should out of hand be stoned to death that Iesus was such a one Paule herd by the reports almost of all men and that hee was for that cause by the Priests Scribes Pharisies Seniours and by consent of all the people apprehended accused founde gylty condemned and finally crucified for he neuer herd nor sawe personally Christ neyther any of his Apostles teaching or worcking of myracles Paules error therefore did arise as wel in respect of the matter as of the person Wherein his minde and Reason drowned in ignoraunce haddâ— an agréeable wil whereby as hee offended yet that came not to passe by wilfull ignoraunce but by a zealous study of the law couered with simplicity as him selfe to Timothy witnesseth The scolasticall diuines doe also moue another question whether the Conscience bindeth That is whether a man ought to doe al thinges that his Conscience mooueth him vnto Moreouer if it happen Conscience and the superiour maiestrate to prescribe things mere coÌ„trary they ask which of them a man ought to obey and followe Wherein this is commonly theire iudgement that the Conscience is alwayes to be moderated and directed by Gods word wherevnto if it bee agreeable and consouant yet it bindeth a man no more then it was before bound by the eternall word of god And therefore such Conscience is alwayes to be followed and obeyed But if it doe prescribe any thing meere contrary vnto the same word then it is to be corrected and amended For if the least Scruple remaine in the minde whether a man doe according to the mocion of his Conscience or against it bee sinneth gréeuously For in dooing the one a man sinneth agaynste Gods law and in dooing the otheÌ„r thou also offendest For although the deede in it selfe be good in Gods sight yet man doth it doubtingly whether it be good or no which doubt and staggaring of the mind is offensiue condemneth a man Hereof the Apostle pronounceth him blessed that doth not coÌ„demn himselfe in that he aloweth Ro. 14. In which sentence he telleth vs y sâ—ée may not dee any thing which leaueth behind it a doubt or remorse of Conscience for hée that doubteth and yet goeth through wyth the matter doe most playnely centrinne God. And moreouer whiles that hée doth a good thing doubting with in him selfe whether it be so or nay he giueth iuste occasion for all men to iudge that hée would also not stick to doe mischiefe if eccasion serur So it commeth to passe that the thing which is not euell in it selfe is yet by doubting euel to him shat doth it and his own Conscience accusing him will pronounce sentence agaynst him For this cause it is rightly said that if Reason erring and deceiued doeth prescribe and appoynt any thing as Gods hestes and yet not so in déede that then if the Will doe neglectt Reasons commaundement it is as great an offeÌ„ce as if a man should withstand the commaundement of God. And touching that other question whiche encombreth many men whether we ought to follow our Conscience or the magistrate commaunding thinges contrary in which question if master For had at large put down that which hee briefly and finely touched and shadowed as it were in his preface before his titles of common places or if mayster Mullins would vouchsafe to commit that to writing which hee discoursed herein profoundly and learnedly at Paules Crosse then I should not want any thing that might serue to the full dissolucion of this question my opinion is thys If the Prince or magistrate doe command any thing repuguaunt to Gods Lawe our Consciences witnessing the same then let vs remember that the Apostles and other the faythfull seruauntes of Christ in the primatiue church would rather abide painfull imprisonment and susteine most sorrowfull death then in any one iotte obey their wicked ordinances The blessed martir and Bishop Policarpus aunswered the Romayne Proconsull Wee are taught to obey princes and Potentates in those thinges that be not contrary to sincere Religion And Chrisostome sayd diuinely to Gaynas It is not lawfull for the Emperour being the defendour of true Godlines to attempte any thing against the same The Prince or other supreme Magistrate is appoynted the kéeper of both the tables but he may not precéede to decrée any thing withoute the compasse of the Scripture For Will worshippinges are not acceptable to God because they are not agréeable to his eternall wil neyther can they assure mens Conscience that they are accepted of god Wherefore such authority was not geuen to Moyses himselfe that he might of himselfe deuise and ordeâ—â— Religion but God did expresly and perticulerly by name appoynt these thinges which he would haue proposed to his people to be kept of them Neyther did be instrua Moyses in a moment but taking him vp into the mountaine vnto him by the space of fourty dayes gaue him instructions and afterward lest any simple or doubt should remayne he solemnely authorised his ministery by miracles and wonders in the eyes of all the Israelites Neither had the Apostles power at their pleasure to fashion and forme what Religion they would but Christ firste taughte them by mouth and afterwardes added sacraments of true Religion and confirmed the same with signes and wonders and finally gaue them commission to teach and preach those thinges which they had heard seene and receaued of him And so both the Testaments haue bene geuen not by humaine but by diuine tradition and power confirmed moreouer with many nighty signes and wonders For it is the pleasure of almighty God that his ministers shall certeynly knowe his wil which cannot bée if men might in any resped inuent new religions Which the Ethnicks in elder time knew right well for Numa Pompilius setting by a religion perswaded the people of Rome that in the