he that fears God and works Righteousness shall be accepted Acts 10.35 This Proposition of the Apostle being no doubt true in every Age as well before as after Christ's Time there being but one way of Salvation both for Jew and Gentile and but one Mediator between God and Man who is called the Saviour of all Men tho' more especially of such as believe i. e. of Christians no other name being given among Men no other Mediator being constituted throughout the World beside him where by they can hope to be saved Acts 4.12 tho' how-and in what manner the Merit of Christ is applyed unto them that have no explicite Knowledge or Faith in him is a Mystery too high for our Reach and therefore as a secret thing belongs only to God The meaning of all that hath been said upon this particular is in short this That there must be not only a Rule but a Knowledge of that Rule before it can oblige Conscience Thirdly There is the Judgment of the Mind concerning our Actions a judging of them by a known Rule of what Kind or Nature they are whether good or bad well or ill done agreeable to the Intent of the Law or not From whence ariseth in the Fourth place The giving or passing Sentence upon our selves in reference to the Lawfulness or Unlawfulness of our Actions the acquitting or condemning our selves in our own Breasts and judging of our Spiritual State or moral Condition whether we are able to approve our selves unto God who is the strict Observer and supream Judge of all our Actions And from these two last Acts results the Testimony of our Consciences which if it vote on our Behalf yields us matter of Comfort in the midst of all our Sufferings enables us to hold up our Heads with Joy and gives us Confidence towards God whereby we may draw near with a true Heart in full assurance of Faith having our Hearts sprinkled from an Evil Assurance and our Bodies washt with pure Water Heb. 10.22 And again Beloved if our Hearts that is our Consciences condemn us not then have we Confidence towards God 1 John 3.21 But if the Testimony of Conscience make against us then it cannot chuse but afflict and disquiet us make our Countenances to fall and cause sad thoughts to arise within us which in some men is attended with greater Horror than in others according as Conscience is awakened or laid to sleep The whole Transaction of Conscience in this Affair is sometimes represented by way of Syllogism in three Propositions That which forms the first Proposition is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This makes Report of the Law and draws its Medium or Argument from thence That which forms the Minor is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Conscience This makes a particular Application of the Law or Rule unto a Man 's own self or brings it home to his own Case The Third infers the Conclusion from both and is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the Judgment of Conscience upon the whole whereby a man is able to judge of his Actions and pass Sentence upon himself either of Absolution or Condemnation Having resolved the first Enquiry What Conscience is it will from hence more easily appear in the next place 2. WHAT it is to make Conscience of our Actions or to live according to Conscience Negatively 'T is not to do what we list to walk at large or live at randome 't is not to be transported with Humour or Passion or Discontent 'T is not to act in Conformity to the Opinions of other Men or of a particular Sect or Party as such no nor always to follow the Dictates and Persuasions of our own prejudic'd and mis-inform'd Minds whereof notwithstanding some People are so very fond as to make no difference between Conscience and Prejudice Wherefore positively To act according to Conscience is to walk by Rule and live according to Law to frame all our Actions according to the Will and Direction of our Maker who hath absolute Authority over us and claims a greater Share in us than we can in our selves For Conscience is under Authority ty'd to a Rule and must have a Law for its Direction and Governance Now when we perform our Actions in such a manner as may be agreeable to the Rule which is given us for the right Government thereof and when the general Practice of our Lives bears some Proportion thereunto this is to make Conscience of our ways and to approve our selves to our selves in so doing That man therefore that hath no respect to the Rule of his Actions nor takes any care to render them in some good measure answerable to it such a one let his plea and pretence be never so specious and demure makes no Conscience how he lives and consequently can never expect the Testimony of Conscience on his side much less be able to Rejoyce in it Now the chief Rule or Law that is to direct Conscience and govern our Actions is the Canon of Holy Scripture the written Word or reveal'd Will of God This lays the strongest nay the only Obligation upon Conscience which can acquit us no farther than our Actions are correspondent to this Rule and unto which all others are subordinate and may be applied So that to live according to Conscience is to measure out our Actions by the Rule of God's Word to conform the General Practise and Course of our Lives unto the Law of Christ which is the most perfect Rule of Righteousness that is or can be given us and unto which all others ought to refer 'T is to live in Obedience to a Divine Command and to subject our selves entirely to the Will and Pleasure of him who hath the absolute Dispose and Government of our Consciences and to whom we owe all the Duty and Service we are capable of He that doth otherwise doth amiss and can never be able to justifie himself unto his own Mind much less answer it to God when he cannot do it to his own Conscience From what hath been said it appears that Conscience is as I said before no lawless or ungovernable Principle no prejudic'd or discontented Passion no affected or superstitious Impulse c. as some would make us believe 'T is no Tyrannical or Despotick Lord so as to impose its own private Dictates for Divine Commands much less the wild Extravagancies and enthusiastick Conceits of this or that Sect under pretence of Religion whereof Instances have not been wanting in this Nation and Age of ours Conscience is God's Substitute and Vicegerent and can act or impose no further than it hath Warrant or Authority from him so to do To do more than this is to exceed its Commission and to do that which all the fine Pretences in the World will never be able to bear us out in 3. NOTWITHSTANDING Conscience by many persons pretending to it hath been wretchedly Abused yet it ought not to be slighted
Church and Security of the Government under which we live Secondly Conscience I told you includes Knowledge as much in the Notion of the thing as Composition of the word where there is no Knowledge there can be no Conscience because in such a case it is withwhat to do or how to govern it self and judge aright whereupon Conscience is not so much concern'd about things that are uncertain whereof we can have no sure Proof or clear Evidence either from Sense Reason or Revelation which are the three only ways of attaining Knowledge or arriving at the certainty of any thing Thus in matters of School Question or Controversial Divinity which are banded to and fro with probable Arguments on both sides For Instance Whether The Fire in Hell be Material or Metaphorical true In the Letter or in a Figure so we do but believe there is such a place as Hell reserved for the Punishment of Wicked Men as Scripture doth assure us Conscience as to the rest is not concern'd to believe either one way or other because Scripture is silent in the case and the Arguments from Reason on either hand are alike probable and if I am induc'd to believe one part of the Question rather than the other this can arise no higher than to a private Opinion of my own not a publick Article of my Christian Faith wherein my private Judgment not my Conscience is concern'd That Christ was born of a Pure Virgin is matter of Faith and consequently of Conscience to believe because Scripture doth affirm it but whether she remain'd so all her Life long is not so Indeed it hath been an Opinion in the Church that she did but however there is no other Argument but that of Piè Credimus that can induce us to be of that mind In like manner the Descent of Christ into Hell so we do not deny the thing which hath for many Ages been a received Article of the Apostles Creed tho left out in some others it matters not greatly whether it were Local or Virtual Metaphorical or Metonymical for in all these several Senses it hath been taken by Learned and Pious Men but in which of these we need not be overmuch concern'd for this Article being not expresly Revealed or clearly delivered in Scripture we believe it chiefly upon the account of the Apostles Creed whose Antiquity ought to command our Reverence and Respect tho I think it cannot strictly oblige my Conscience especially when the Church hath not determin'd any thing in the Case any more than Scripture but left me at Liberty to judge either way as I see cause The like may be said of the Knowledge of the Saints departed with many others which for Brevity sake I now omit Thirdly Some things there are tho for certain Revealed yet being Obscure and Vnintelligible in their own nature cannt so immediately oblige our Consciences as those that are more plain and Obvious The Decrees of God Arcana of Providence the great and Stupendous Mystery of the Blessed Trinity and Incomprehensible Vnion of the Two Natures in the Son of God these are in many things above our Reach and Capacity and so far as they are above us belong not to us A modest and humble Faith is here requisite and all that is expected from the common and ordinary sort of Christians a too curious search and inquiry into these Venerable Mysteries being not convenient for all nor absolutely necessary for any A particular Explication of them concerns my Faith no further than as it is consonant to Sacred Scripture and agreeable to what is more plainly revealed in Holy Writ or else by natural and genuine Consequence may be deduced there-from But now as for other Difficulties that may arise from thence I am not bound to pin my Faith on any one man's Sleeve nor receive his Scheme or Hypothesis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for inspir'd Doctrine No nor for Truth neither any further than he can confirm it by Scripture which is the sole infallible Test of Divine Truth All that in this Case I am oblig'd to do is to guide my Conscience by Scripture and my Judgment by the catholick Determinations of the Church that is I am oblig'd in Conscience to believe all that the Scripture reveals and make that the Rule of my Faith and Obedience But in all other things where difficulties may arise and Scripture is either totally silent or very obscure here we ought to believe as the Church believes mistake me not I do not speak it in a Popish Sence which sets up the Traditien of the Church in Opposition to Scripture and in an impious manner prefers them before it teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men but my meaning is that I and every body else in matters dubious and obscure ought to be so modest as to mistrust our own particular Judgments rather than that of the Church and submit our Private Opinions to her Publick Determinations If not yet the least that in this Case we ought to do is to keep our Persuasion to our selves rather than disturb the Peace or oppose the received Doctrine of the Church out of an indiscreet Zeal for any fond or affected Opinion of our own For pray consider Can it be any other than Pride or Self-conceit to call it no worse for a few private persons to oppose their particular Sentiments to the Catholick Faith and what they decry in their Governors to practise more unjustly themselves by Prescribing to their Superiors in Matters dubious and uncertain and which are perpetually controverted on all hands In all things of this nature Conscience obligeth me to be Humble and Modest rather than Positive and Peremptory and therefore it would better become us to receive our Faith from than impose ours upon the Church in whose Communion we live and of the Truth of whose Doctrine we are satisfied in the main as the Dissenting Brethren are generally with ours But however if they see Reason to Dissent in their private Thoughts from the Establisht Faith they ought to keep their Judgment to themselves and not disturb her Peace on that account In this Sense let them remember that of the Apostle He that hath Faith let him have it to himself And he that keeps it there way keep it safe enough and out of the reach of all Humane Power and Compulsion For Conscience while it keeps within its due bounds cannot ought not to be compell'd by any Power upon Earth for in that respect it is free and never to be fore't But Secondly and positively Conscience is chiefly and more immediately concern'd about such things as are more necessary and substantial plain and obvious in Religion And these in the First place are the Main Fundamental Articles of our Christian Faith which constitute the greatest part of our Creed and have an immediate influence on our Lives and they are those that are contain'd in our several Creeds which are the brief Summary of the
not Faction or Peevishness that makes the Difference there our Charity is as much due to them as it is owing from them to us upon the like occasion For in this case there is but one Rule for them and us to walk and judge by Therefore let a man be never so much in the right let his Zeal for Truth be never so great yet if his Zeal doth devour his Charity sowre and corrupt his Spirit embitter and provoke him beyond what is seemly and convenient let his Cause be never so good his Arguments never so strong if they fail in this all the rest signifies not much the lack of this one thing makes all the rest defective and for the most part unsuccessful For let me appeal to the most zealous Boarnarges of them all can any man who believes the Scripture read the 13th Chapter of St. Paul's fiâ—st Epistle to the Corinthians which treats purposely on the necessity and commendation of this most excellent Grace of Charity I say can he read that and yet think it possible to be a good Christian or discharge a good Conscience without it For doth he not prefer it to the Tongues of Men and Angels to the Gift of Prophecy and working of Miracles Nay doth he not prefer Charity before the most comprehensive Knowledge miraculous Faith liberal Alms-deeds and voluntary Martyrdom 1 Cor. 3.1 c. Tho' I speak with the Tongue of Men or Angels tho' I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all Mysteries and all Knowledge and tho' I have all Faith and tho' I bestow all my Goods to feed the Poor and tho' I give my Body to be burnt and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing Now the Excellency and Advantage which Charity hath over all other Gifts of God's Holy Spirit is proved at large from the wonderful good Offices and Effects thereof Charity suffers long and is kind envies not vaunteth not it self is not pufft up nor easily provoked It rejoyceth in nothing but the Truth it bears believes hopes and endures all things and therefore in the Conclusion he gives Charity the Preference of all others Verse 13. Now abideth Faith Hope and Charity these three but the greatest of these is Charity Our Religion and consequently our Church though she condemn Divisions and Separations in all those that leave off and depart from her Communion yet doth not wholly exclude them from her Charity and therefore neither should we from ours meerly upon the Difference of Opinion and especially if this Difference be for Conscience sake and not out of Faction and Frowardness as I said before and would always be understood And that I may not be thought to speak without book or affirm more then our Church will own I shall refer you to that excellent piece call'd The Moderation of the Church of England out of which I have collected a few Passages some whereof I have repeated more at large Queen Elizabeth in her Injunctions 1559. declares that Her Majesty being most desirous of all other Earthly things thaâ— her people should live in Charity both towards God and Man and therein abound in good works Willeth and straightly Commandeth all her Subjects to forbear all vain and contentious Disputation in matters of Religion and not to use in despite or rebuke of any Person these Convitious or Reviling words of Papist Heretick Satismatick or Sacramentary or any such like expressions of Reproach that is we ought not to use these or the like Expressions in way of Reproach or vilifying of one another as some in the heat of their wrangling and Contention are very apt to do to the exasperating rather than convincing of Gainsayers And King James that Learned and Judicious Prince forbids Pulpits to be made Pasquills And gave in charge to the Archbishop That no Preacher of any Denomination whatsoever shall presume to fall into bitter Invectives and undecent Railings against the Persons of either Papists or Puritans but modestly and gravely when they are occasioned by their Text free both the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England from the Aspersions of the Adversaries To which we may add that memorable Passage out of Arch-bishop Laud. The Church of England saith he is not such a Shrew to her Children as to deny her Blessing ordenounce an Anathema against them if some peacebly dissent in some particulars remoter from the Foundation And in the Homily against Contention Serm. 1. We are exhorted therein so to read the Scripture that by reading thereof we may be made the better Livers rather than the more Contentious Disputers And if any thing be necessary to be taught Reason'd and Disputed let us do it with all Meekness Softness and Lenity c. For it is better to give place Meekly then to win the Victory with the breach of Charity c. And again We cannot be joyn'd to Christ our Head except we be glued with Concord and Charity one to another For he that is not of this Unity is not of the Church of Christ which is a Congregation or Unity together and not a division c. But for the Readers further satisfaction therein if he desires it I shall refer him to the Book it self above mentioned where the Learned Author gives an account of the Churches great Charity and Moderation throughout all the Parts and Branches of her Constitution which bespeaks her of a truly Christian and Primitive Temper wherein I wish all her Children would follow and Imitate her And thereby set an Example to all those that are otherwise minded or dissent from our Church in this as well as in other Instances of their Duty For methinks those that would set up for serious Conscientious Persons ought not to break the bond of Christian Charity nor pass the bounds of the Churches Moderation by indulging their passions or giving way to a peevish froward and Invidious Humour against all that differ from them in matters of Faith and Doctrine or purely out of Judgment and Conscience For I could never yet be perswaded that Railing and ill Language against Papists on the one hand or Dissenters on the other is or ought to be a Distinguishing Character of a truly Loyal Son of the Church specially when I consider that most of those that are addicted thereunto are least capable of convincing them otherways Or if they are yet this seems the most unlikely way they can take for the doing of it for we are told That the wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God James 1.20 Now if you would see the Indecency and Unseemlyness of ill Language and reproachful Speeches I need but remind you of the Rude and Slovenly Expressions that are commonly used and with a great deal of Venome spit in the Face of our Church They can hardly find any other name for a Surpliss than that of a Superstitious Rag and Relick of Popery tho' there may be more Popery and Superstition in their conceipt about it