may call it the Essence of Conscience Secondly we will examine and consider its manner of operation and acting in all men Now the very Essence of Conscience is Knowledge for no man can have a Conscience to himself of any thing which he does not know nor of any thing further than he does know it For Example I know that GOD is and that He is to be worshipped and therefore my Conscience tells me I am obliged to act according to that knowledge and that I ought to adore him I know that no Creature is to be worshipped with Divine Adoration and therefore my Conscience tells me I sin against knowledge if I give Adoration by worshipping either Men or Angels much more if I bestow it upon the more ignoble parts of the Creation Gold Silver Wood Stone Creeping Things Birds or Four-footed Beasts I do not certainly know whether Saints departed this Life can hear my Prayers though made to them in the most modest sence and in the same nature as I would do if they were alive beg of them to pray or intercede for me and therefore if I do not pray to them to pray for me my Conscience does not accuse me of having neglected a Duty which I ought to have done or sinning against my knowledge So that it is clear that to Know is of the Essence of Conscience so that there can be no Conscience without it Now Scientia est de certis indubitatis all knowledge is of certain and undoubted things and this certainty which is the foundation of knowledge is grounded either upon the demonstration of Sence Reason or Divine Revelation and whatever I know it is because I have a certainty that it is such in its own nature either from the evidence of Sence which cannot deceive me or from clear and plain Reason or else from a positive Divine Revelation which proceeds from him who therefore will not because he cannot deceive me being Truth it self And therefore if the things I would know be either in their own nature uncertain as are all future contingencies and many past actions of former Ages about which I want sufficient means of a certain information I can have no knowledge of them and by consequence no obligation upon my mind to believe them or act according to them But wheresoever there is a certainty of knowledge either from Sence Reason or Divine Revelation there my mind is not left at liberty but has an obligation laid upon it to act or not to act according to the commands of that knowledge And that this is not my private opinion but agreeable to the greatest Truth let the most learned Apostle St. Paul give his testimony in that well known place Rom. 14. ult Whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin For by Faith there cannot be meant that supernatural Gift and Grace of believing to salvation because every thing to be known or done is not the object of that Faith and therefore as appears by the fifth Verse by Faith there he understands that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that full assurance of a mans own mind which is no other thing but the result of a certainty of knowledge of what he ought to do or not to do and is properly opposed to that doubting and wavering of a mans mind occasioned by the want of knowledge and therefore he tells us it is a damnable sin to do that which I doubt I ought not For saith he he that doubteth is damned if he eat because it is not of Faith that is of a full assurance of knowledge that what he does is lawful for to such a person till he have a full assurance from a certain knowledge that it is not it is sin because for ought he knows it may be so and the Rule tells him he is to abstain from the very appearance of evil and Reason tells him Tutum est errare à dextra it is the best to err on the right hand by abstaining from that which I am not fully assured of but it may be sinful and for this very reason the same Apostle tells us that the occasion of those mistakes in the Church about eating things offered in sacrifice to Idols proceeded from a want of this knowledge Howbeit saith he there is not in every man this knowledge and for want of this he tells them their Consciences were weak that is their minds were doubtful and some were of one persuasion others of another about it So that knowledge being of the Essence of Conscience and certainty being of the Essence of knowledge it follows that Conscience properly so called cannot be exercised but about such things as are certainly known and therefore absolutely necessary to be believed or done which plainly shews the unwarrantable doctrine and practice of some men who impose many things upon People as indispensible matter of Conscience which in their own nature admit of the greatest doubt and uncertainty and which they have no lawful authority to establish as obligatory to the Minds and Consciences of Men. But to confirm this Secondly let us examine the manner of operation and acting of Conscience in all Men Now the exercise of Conscience consists in these two things First I inquire with my self whether I have done what I ought or abstained from what I ought Secondly I inquire If I have done or abstained as I ought whether I have done it after that manner and with those due circumstances as I ought Now in both these operations the necessity of them is the Rule and the foundation of that necessity is my certain knowledge that they are so for thus I judge I have done this because I certainly know in obedience to the Rule I ought to do it I have abstained from that because I certainly know that I ought of necessity not to do it I have done it after this manner because I am certainly assured that this was according to the way directed by my Rule therefore my Conscience that is my power of judging my self pronounces for me that I have done right and well and then my Mind or Conscience being satisfied I am at ease and quiet within my self and this is called a good Conscience or peace of Conscience On the contrary when I have done either what I certainly know I ought not or but doubt I ought not to have done or omitted what I am assured I ought to have done or where I have not done what I ought to do according as I ought to have done it for the manner of performance with all due circumstances my Conscience tells me I have not done well or according to my knowledge and therefore my mind is unquiet and unsatisfied haunted with guilt of the evil and terrified with the fearful expectation of punishment and this is called an evil Conscience or to speak more properly a Conscience of evil But if there be no command to act or to abstain nor any directions for the manner and circumstances
of my Actions I find no certainty of knowledge and so no absolute necessity within my self to act or not to act to abstain or not to abstain or if I do any such action where I am left at liberty I find no necessity of doing it this way or the other but am left to my own freedom because I have no certainty of knowledge from the Rule to determine me so that if I do it my Conscience does not accuse me if I do it not I find no uneasie guilt to sit heavy upon my mind for the neglect and what way soever I perform it still my mind is at peace and quiet with it self and all because there is no certainty of knowledge from the Rule and therefore no necessity or determination and so by plain consequence no part of the dominion of Conscience for this necessity of knowledge is the Law of Conscience and where there is no Law Rom. 4.15 there can be no transgression no obligation nor afflicting guilt Let not any person now think that I have straitned the Diocess of this Universal Bishop or to speak without offence this Overseer of the World for thus far his proper and absolute Jurisdiction does extend it self But Conscience has likewise a collateral dominion over all indifferent Actions which is thus All our Actions which may be done or not done without sin on either part are called Indifferent As for example If for my health or pleasure I design to take the Air it is indifferent whether I ride or walk or whether I go into that fair Field or this fresh Meadow Now all these actions though in their own Nature free and indifferent have yet this necessity upon them that they ought to carry a respect to the forementioned great designs of God's glory and the happiness of the Universe and therefore ought to be addressed to those ends and managed accordingly and if any indifferent action does not in some measure contribute to these ends I am bound in conscience not to do it Which seems to be the reason of the great severity our Saviour pronounces against idle words S Matth 12.36 not onely such as are contrary to those ends but such as by their being uncapable of contributing to those great designs are therefore sinful and unlawful because useless and unprofitable Thus for me to ride or walk to take the benefit of the fresh and free air though in its own nature free and left to my choice yet I have this obligation upon me that I ought to chuse that part which either from my own or better judgments may be thought most proper and conducive to my health that so I may be in a better capacity to praise and glorifie my Creator for and by the advantage of health strength vigour and alacrity of Mind and Body and that by these I may be enabled both for my own part to participate of the bountiful happiness which kind Heaven has so plentifully bestowed upon this life and also that I may be in a better capacity to promote and advance the happiness of my fellow Creatures so far as my power does extend it self and therefore in order to this I am not to be injurious to any person nor in taking the Air to ride or walk over the eared Corn or full grown Meadows and all this not onely out of an obligation to Humane Laws or for fear of an Action of Trespass a Clausum fregit or Pedibus ambulando but for Conscience sake because I am bound by the Rule to do good to all but injury to none And this truly explains the meaning of St. Paul in those two places 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do let all be done for the glory of God And Whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. ult that is Whatsoever indifferent action I do I ought to have a full assurance that it is not contrary but conducive to this great design of the glory of God in the happiness of the Creation CHAP. VI. The occasion of those Differences amongst us about matters of Conscience proceeds from the mistake of Opinion and private persuasion for Conscience What Opinion is and what Persuasion and how they differ from Conscience THus far I think it is clear what Conscience is and how far its proper Dominion does extend Now that Conscience thus rightly understood does universally and absolutely oblige all men I cannot think there are any will make the least scruple unless it be such whose Consciences are seared with an hot Iron and given up to that unthinking sense which the Apostle speaks of and to those who are past feeling I do not address my self or this Discourse But the misfortune of our Age does not lie in this particular we may have some of those who have no Conscience but we have multitudes of others who are so far from having none that they are all Conscience who strain at every Gnat and make every thing a scruple and matter of Conscience in the strictest sense I do heartily wish whilst they do so that they do not swallow many a Camel and in the end make shipwrack of true Faith Charity and by consequence of a good Conscience For such as these are were these Papers intended with all Christian tenderness and compassion if possible to give them a right understanding of what is so infinite dear and tender to them For to my certain knowledge as by much experience and frequent conferences with many of them I am able to affirm most of this sort of People who pretend to be acted by Conscience in every thing are not yet able to give a tollerable account what Conscience is 'T is something within them but they know not what some of them I am confident are so stupid as to believe it to be some living thing within them distinct from both Soul and Body And I remember a Quaker to whom I put the Question a little hastily What was Conscience after he had shewn his great surprize and ignorance by being in every joynt a Quaker and the first that ever I saw do the trick he very confidently as well as blasphemously told me it was the Spirit of the Lord. I demanded if he meant the Holy Ghost the Third Person in the Blessed Trinity To which he answered Yea. Which makes me fear that more who are not of his persuasion yet may be of his sense and believe what they call Conscience within them to be some Omnipotent thing to which every thing ought to bow and obey There have been and will be in all Ages some men who do ill with a design and knowledge of doing ill others there are who do ill with a design of doing well to both these it is that we may ascribe those unhappy divisions amongst us under the pretence of Conscience And had they taken half that pains and care rightly to instruct People what Conscience is that they have
onely my sense and opinion but that of all dissenting Parties who therefore propose the determination of them by the establishment of their way as the onely expedient to obtain these excellent ends Thirdly Indifferent things become necessary if they promote Decency and Order because so they are agreeable to St. Paul's general Rule 1 Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and in order Thus that all should kneel at the Prayers where it is appointed besides that it is a posture of supplicating humility and devout adoration That they should stand up at the rehearsal of the Articles of our Christian Faith and at the Hymns Psalms and Praises are all matters of great decency and order Whereas that one should sit another stand a third lean a fourth lie along at his ease are no less indecent and irreverend than disorderly and confused Thus that Church-men should wear distinct Habits both when they celebrate the Divine Service and at other times such as may shew gravity sobriety purity innocence or distinction of degrees are all decent and orderly and so far therefore necessary Lastly Indifferent things become necessary if they be significantly expressive of our inward profession Thus the Cross after Baptism the Ring in Marriage the Surplice and other Vestments Postures and Gestures having all their outward significations of the inward profession of our minds are necessary for those ends I should speak more fully of these things had not the Learned Mr. Falkner taken such pains about them and sifted them so narrowly as not to leave any just pretence of a quarrel against them to which incomparable Discourse I therefore refer the Reader for an ample satisfaction in all these particulars CHAP. XI Of the Way whereby indifferent things become obligatory to Conscience not only upon a Mans private Persuasion from the forementioned Rules but so as to oblige all persons who live under Government viz. by the Determinations and Commands of Lawful Authority THus far I have shewn the chief among many Considerations whereby any indifferent thing may become necessary so that if any person finds these or any other indifferent things in the Worship or Service of God conduces to these Ends he is obliged in Conscience to the performance of them but this layes only a private obligation and the same that it does upon all other indifferent things and actions which yet remain so by being undertermined But now in regard some of these things though innocent and indifferent in their own Natures may to some Mens Opinions and Persuasions appear very conducive to the before-mentioned Ends others may appear more effectual to some other Persons lest from divers Opinions about these Circumstantials of Religion which are best most decent orderly and edifying there should arise division distraction and confusion in the Service of God as by miserable experience we daily find there does it is requisite that we seek for some stronger obligation whereby those things which are indifferent may become necessary to all and this must be by the determination and commands of a lawful Authority which has power to judge which amongst all indifferent circumstances of Divine Worship conduce most to Gods glory and the good of Mankind especially those under their charge and jurisdiction by promoting and maintaining Peace Unity Concord and Piety and after such judgment to pass a final determination which shall lay the double obligation both of a prudent and necessary Law and also of Conscience upon all who live under their Government and expect the advantages of it and therefore owe Obedience to it For otherwise disputes and differences must be endless if Men will not refer themselves to some Umpires and Arbitrators to decide them which must after Men have tyred themselves to find out what these Arbitrators must be at the last be lawful Authority Now that all Dissenters are of the same judgment with us in this Point and believe that a lawful Authority has this decisive Power it is most plain from the frequent instances and repeated importunities which they make to the Supreme Authority to make Alterations in the present or to establish another manner or form of Worship according to their way or however if they cannot hope for such Concessions yet they will Petition that Authority will not interpose it self in these Religious Affairs but leave them to their freedom in the manner of the exercise of their Religion and this is if I mistake them not that which they call Liberty of Conscience And they must either be the greatest Dissemblers and Hypocrites in Nature by begging that from Authority which they believe it has no real Power over or else it plainly implies That it is in the Power of a lawful Authority to determine that Liberty in indifferent things which concern the circumstances of Divine Worship This therefore being acknowledged we have nothing to do but to prove That the Authority which has determined these indifferent things and by consequence now made them necessary to be done and matter of Conscience had a just Right and Power as well as wise and prudent Reasons and Considerations so to do as being a lawful Authority We must therefore consider and examine what is requisite to make an Authority so lawful as that it may of Right challenge such a decisive and determinative Power as that all Persons who live under it shall be obliged in Point of Conscience to submit to its definitive Sentence and take it for a finalis Concordia in all indifferent things and to which no Man can be disobedient without a manifest and wilful sin against Conscience in the breach of those known commands Obey them that have the Rule over you Rom. 13.1 And let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers First therefore that Authority which is of Gods appointment is without controversie a lawful Authority as pleading a Divine Right from him by whom Kings reign Such was the Authority of Moses Aaron Samuel and the Judges and even of Saul a wicked and tyrannous Prince of whom therefore David said to Abishai 1 Sam. 26.9 Destroy him not for who can lift up his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless And it was well for him that he fell into the hands of a Man who was after Gods own heart We have seen some whom a lesser interest than Davids in his death would have tempted to serve him as Epominondas did his sleeping Centinel had they found him sleeping they would have been of Abishai's judgment and have left him sleeping his last But to proceed secondly That Authority is lawful which is warranted by long Succession Prescription is accounted a good and safe Plea and Title for all other Men for their Estates and Possessions certainly much more for the Crowns of Sovereign Princes for hereby their Title passes into Inheritance which is a Right which no Man can violate or invade without being guilty of the breach of that positive and known Command
this I doubt not to make it appear that the greatest part of those who talk so loud about Conscience I mean the Vulgar who have little to say for themselves besides that do scarcely understand the Word and are absolute strangers to the true sense and meaning of the thing That such therefore as are not resolved to be wilful may be undeceived and that they may not give to this pretended Conscience a greater Sovereignty than ever God almighty did design the true one by setting it up as an Omnipotent Idol in their hearts I offer this following Discourse which if perused with that sobriety and impartiality of consideration as becomes a Concern of so great moment may I hope conduce much to the present satisfaction of many and the publick advantage of my Native Countrey by removing the occasion of so many heats and animosities separations and divisions as draw their original principally from these mistakes about matters of Conscience CHAP. III. Of the great Influence which the true Conscience has upon all the affairs of Humane Life and therefore the great necessity there is that all men should be rightly informed concerning it HAving now shewn the great power of a pretended Conscience before we proceed any further it will be requisite to shew of what concern it is for all men rightly to understand themselves in this affair of Conscience which cannot be better done than by displaying the powerful Influence which Conscience challenges in the management of all Humane Actions We will therefore briefly trace it through its vast Dominions of Oeconomicks Ethicks Politicks and Divinity We will begin then with private Families and there we shall find Conscience to be the onely bond of Union the onely maintainer and preserver of those respective Duties which are owing from one to another in those little primitive Societies of Mankind And therefore we see where this bears the sway there is always the most Domestick peace concord and tranquillity on the contrary where this Principle is wanting neither the obligations of Nature Education or Reason are powerful enough to keep men within the limits of their Duty but Cain shall imbrue his hands in the innocent blood of his onely Brother Abel Amnon shall commit a Rape upon his beautiful Sister Tamar Absalom shall rebel against and endeavour to depose his Father in short without a sense of the Obligations of Conscience the Master of the Family will be unkind to the Wife of his bosome cruel to his Children tyrannical to his Servants The Wife will be false and treacherous the Children will be undutiful and unnatural the Servants will be negligent faithless and disobedient and all extremely vitious And in a word there will be neither Order Government Peace nor any kind of happiness in these little Communities without Conscience If we step out of private Doors into the wider World we shall find that without the ties of Conscience to oblige men to their several and respective Duties there would be no such thing as Virtue to be found in all Humane Race and one might as successfully seek and it may be more probably find Temperance Chastity Justice Fortitude Prudence Magnanimity Fidelity and Gratitude amongst the savage Inhabitants of the Woods and Desarts Without this men resign themselves up so wholly to the conduct of their blind Passions of Lust Hatred Anger Jealousie Fear and Despair that they seem not onely divested of all Morality but even of Humanity it self Let the late discovered Inhabitants of the Western World attest this truth amongst whom for want of this there was so little to be found of Morality that had it not been for Humane shape and amongst some of them the name of Religion it had been impossible to distinguish them from the so nearly related Brutes some of which wanted little advantage of them but a Language to express themselves in so as to be understood But leaving these barbarous Regions if we come where Morality has civilized and common necessity has united men into Combinations and Societies where there is the best establish'd Government the most prudent and excellent Laws for the promoting the common good and securing every mans particular Interest and Property yet still the great Obligation to these Laws and this Government must be Conscience which seems to have been the Reason why all the antient Lawgivers in imitation of Moses have pretended a familiarity and frequent intercourse with the Divinity and therefore proposed their Laws to the People as the will of the Gods as being well assured that no other Principle was capable of laying such a powerful Obligation to Duty and Obedience upon the minds of men as such a belief For all Obedience must be resolved into one of these Principles Hope of Advantage Fear of Punishment or Conscience of Duty to God Now if either Hopes of Advantage or Fear of Punishment are the onely Inducements to Order and Obedience less degrees of this Fear or however a belief that they are out of the reach of punishment or greater though onely hopes of private advantage shall cancel all the Obligation to Humane Laws and the publick advantage and like an impetuous Torrent shall violently break all the banks of Laws and Government and tear up the foundations of whatever does oppose its furious rage Nor was there ever any popular Insurrection Disorder or Rebellion in any Nation but took its original from one of these tempestuous Principles Whereas on the contrary no hopes of Impunity from Humane Laws no private Interest or Ambition can persuade a man from that Duty which he ows to Laws and Government upon the account of Conscience nay we have further seen that Cruelty it self with all its terrors and tormentors has not been able to shake men off from this firm and solid foundation of fixed Obedience Thus we see Conscience the best preservative against the threatning dangers of Intestine Mischiefs nor is it less available against Foreign Force For unity of mind which is the genuine and natural effect of Conscience is certainly the greatest policy as well as strength of any People whereas Discords Divisions and mutual Dissentions give all the hopes and encouragements to a Foreign Power to invade and all the helps and advantages to subdue This made the Roman Eagles stretch their victorious Pinions over the greatest part of the World the civil Dissentions of their Neighbours amongst themselves made many potent and otherwise invincible People become an easie Quarry to their ambitious Arms And whilst with a shew of Justice they pretended to espouse the Quarrel of the weaker part by overpoising of the Ballance both sides at last became their prey and thrust their own necks under the fatal yoke which by unity they might easily have avoided It is to this the Ottomans owe the prodigious successes of their prevailing Crescents which had either never been so or had long since been in their Wain again if the Divisions amongst the Christian Princes had
parts of the Creation which do in obedience to his Will endeavour to promote those excellent Ends and Designs of his Glory in the happiness of the Creation shall as the Reward from his Bounty upon their Obedience be made partakers of that happiness they are capable of and which in his wisdom he sees best for them both here and hereafter And that those parts of the Creation who in opposition or contempt of so great goodness excellency and power endeavor to cross hinder and obstruct these great Ends of the Creation shall therefore be miserable both here and hereafter by the want of that happiness as also by such other penalties as the greatness of their Crimes deserves and their Natures are capable of CHAP. V. Of Conscience its Description what is its proper Employment and the manner of its Operation HAving shewn what Principles are the foundation of Conscience viz. a sence of that Duty which we owe to God and to one another The next inquiry must of necessity be how these Duties are to be performed so as they may be agreeable and acceptable to those to whom we are to pay them And herein common Reason obliges us to believe that we are bound to follow the directions of the Supreme Being so far as he has been pleased to manifest his Will and Pleasure to us Amongst Christians the Canon of the Holy Scripture has alwayes been taken for this Rule of Direction as being the Divine Revelation of the Will of GOD. And whosoever does seriously and attentively consider the scope of those Sacred Writings must of necessity confess them to owe their Original to the Divine Nature supposing it such as has before been described and universally believed for all their Commands Instructions and Exhortations are directly level'd at these great and glorious designs of the most excellent Spirit by promoting his Glory and the happiness of Mankind both here in this life and hereafter in the life to come So that now having found we owe a Duty and having likewise found a Rule for our direction how we ought to perform this Duty there will be no great difficulty to find what Conscience is for it is no other thing than that Principle which judges whether we have discharged our Duty according to this Rule and these Directions I do purposely avoid the Niceties of the Schools as too full of Curiosity and not at all conducing to my design which is to avoid all intricacy and perplexedness and to give such an easie proper and natural description and notion of Conscience that every man may find it in his own breast Conscience therefore is that Power which every Man hath within his own mind of judging all his thoughts words and actions whether they are agreeable to that which is the best Rule by which they ought to be directed Thus from a belief that there is a GOD and from the commands in Scripture to worship Him and Him onely my Conscience or Power that I have of judging my self immediately informs me that I ought not to neglect his Worship or to give it to any Creature If therefore I do either wholly or in part omit it or misplace my Worship my Conscience tells me I have done amiss because I have not followed the direction of the Rule Thus from the belief that I ought to contribute all I can to the accomplishment of the great and good design of the Almighty Being in promoting the happiness of all the parts of the Creation my Conscience presently informs me that I ought to do all the good I can in all senses unto all Men And on the contrary that therefore I must be careful to avoid doing any wilful injury to my self or to any other person whereby their present happiness may be impaired or their future lessened or prevented because in so doing I follow the directions of the Rule which only is satisfactory to Conscience whose office is to accuse me if I do wrong to encourage and acquit me if I do what is right and what I ought to do So that to make up Conscience there must be first a true and exact Rule for all our actions which we take the Scriptures to be as being as St. Paul saith sufficient to make the man of God wise unto salvation which I think is a sufficiency for a Rule beyond all exceptions and they who expect a better Rule certainly expect another End better I am sure it is impossible And as before was intimated if there were a necessity it were no hard task to prove the Scriptures in all particulars the most excellent Rule for the management of all humane Actions in order to the forementioned Ends of Gods Glory and the Happiness of the Universe Secondly There must be a true knowledge of this Rule Scientia before Conscientia which Preposition denotes only the private application of this knowledge to particular persons and things for this is most clear and evident that I must first know this or that is to be believed or done and after this or that manner before I can believe it to be my Duty or be able to pass a judgment upon my self that I have done well or ill in believing or not believing doing or not doing any thing or not doing it as I ought according to the direction of my Rule Lastly there must be an impartial and true judgment of my actions by this Rule that is whether they have been according to the directions of the Rule which is the proper employment of Conscience whose work is to measure my thoughts words and actions and to try whether they are conformable to the Rule by which I am bound to act and according to that judgment either to absolve or condemn me for them So that Conscience thus properly taken can only be exercised about such things as are certainly known and by consequence absolutely necessary to be done for such are all and only the commands and directions of the Rule according to that remarkable place of St. Paul Acts 24.16 concerning his own practice which ought to be a pattern to all men And herein do I exercise my self to have a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards Men. That is the proper and peculiar Employ of Conscience is to judge and determine whether I do my Duty to God and my Neighbour according to what I know is his Will revealed in his holy Word Now in regard that upon this true Notion of Conscience there lies a great deal of weight and it being the common mistake amongst weak minds to take every thing which is offer'd to them as such without a due examination for a matter of Conscience in the strictest sence I will endeavor to clear this Point and make it appear that Conscience is only directly concerned about such things as are certainly known and therefore absolutely necessary to be believed and done or not done First therefore we will inquire into the Nature and as I
themselves who would think it the greatest injustice upon the account of their being Churchmen to lose a good Temporal Estate from their Ancestors or a Barony either by Descent or Royal Bounty Besides let all men judge if this would not be the way to furnish us with Jeroboam's Priests of the meanest and lowest of the People not onely for Birth but Learning Parts and Ability And what a discouragement it would be to the Gentry and Nobility who by their Generous Birth Advantageous Education Noble Alliances and many other Excellent Circumstances and qualifications are fitted by the great influence they may have both upon the Prince and People to do both the Church and Sate the most considerable Honour and Service I am afraid few of them would addict themselves to the more serious and painful Studies of Divinity if by their devoting themselves to an immediate attendance upon God's Altar they must cast off the Entail of Temporal Honours and Estates from themselves Nor does this derogate a little from the superlative Bounty and Goodness of the Divine Nature to think that he who does so plentifully frequently and freely bestow these Honours and Estates as blessings upon all other Conditions of men should prohibit and deny them to those who have voluntarily obliged themselves to his peculiar Service and upon whom he is pleased to confer the excellent Title of his Ambassadors 2 Cor. 5.20 and therefore most certainly does allow them honorably so as to be able to support the Dignity of so high a Character especially since they have his Royal word and promise for it 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me I will honour Prince and Priest were not by God thought inconsistent under the Law in that Government which he himself constituted and establish'd And therefore one word in the Hebrew Language signisies both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And till such time as he is pleased to declare his mind to the contrary I know not upon what pretence any man should divorce those two which he had once made one Neither by virtue of these Lordships do Bishops Lord it over Christs Flock as by the scoffing wantonness of some men who should be more serious than to be witty at the expence of Scripture they are said to do since it is clear that their Temporal Baronies give them not the least influence upon Church affairs more than they give unto the other Noble Peerage of the Realm And the Jurisdiction of a Bishop as a Bishop and a Bishop as a Baron are as wholly distinct as that of a Lord of a Manor or any other Lord is from the power of a Bishop in his Diocess 1 Tim. 3.2 In a word A Bishop must be given to Hospitality how shall he be able to do that without an Estate If he must have an Estate he must be Lord of it for so is every man of what he does possess and if it shall be thought fit by Royal Authority the Fountain of Honour to add to that common Right a more particular and distinguishing Title of Honour that may offend some mens Ambition or Envy but can never be found to be either diadvantageous to the â—hurch or State or contrary to the Scripture the Rule of Conscience From what hath been said it appears that no other way of Government in the Church can really pretend to those advantages which may make an indifferent thing become necessary and obliging to Conscience except the Episcopal by which it follows that to submit to this Form of Government as it is now establish'd in the Church is so far from being against a good Conscience that no man can resist it without sinning against Conscience since it has all the qualisications which are necessary for the making an indifferent thing become obligatory to every mans Conscience which all the other pretenders want viz. It comes nearest to the Rule of Scripture it follows the better more sure and warrantable part of our judgment it answers all the ends of Government by promoting the Glory of God and contributing to the happiness of mankind here by procuring Peace Unity and Concord and hereafter by teaching commanding and practising true Piety and Holiness And it is evident that to dissent from this Government can never be the effect of Conscience but of Opinion or Persuasion neither of which can lay any obligation upon mens minds which is absolute and indispensible as before has been made most evidently appear I wish that all Dissenters would seriously reflect with themselves whilst they do so violently cry up Conscience and pretend it for their seperation whether they have not abused themselves and the World in mistaking Opinion and Persuasion for it of which they may easily be satisfied by an impartial application of what has before been said of this particular After all this we shall difficultly be persuaded to relinquish the Plea of a Divine Right in Episcopacy for which so much reason has been and may be brought to prove it and upon which we shall have occasion briefly to touch hereafter CHAP. X. Of the manner and circumstances of Divine Worship and how from being indifferent they may become necessary to be done and obliging to Conscience THus have we seen that though private and false Opinion or prejudiced and mistaken Persuasion and it may be malicious Design and Interest combined with discontented Envy may be loud and clamorous against this Government of the Church by the excellent and antient way of Episcopacy yet Conscience is so far from being against it that it is wholly and clearly for it Let us now come to examine the manner of performance of Divine Worship which has occasioned no small stirs tumults and divisions amongst us And here likewise I suppose that all Parties do thus far agree that there ought to be some Modes and Circumstances in the Worship and Service of God that is some Time some Place some Words Gestures Postures and Habits for the performance both of Publick and Private Worship which Conscience tells us we are bound to pay unto Almighty God Herein likewise I suppose that all Parties are agreed that these things or however such of them as are in controversie amongst us are in their own natures indifferent and therefore properly the subject of Opinion or Persuasion and were there no determination on either side provided the Duty of Worship were performed it might be done this way or the other And from hence likewise it appears that no Circumstance of Religious Worship is in its own nature simply unlawful because no where in Scripture prohibited either in direct words or by necessary consequence so that no mans Conscience can be justly offended by the performance of any of them since where there is no Law there can be no transgression Let any Dissenters therefore shew either a positive command or a plain consequence from Scripture why I should not serve God in a set form of Prayers and Praises or
God's glory and the truth act contrary to the Rule of Truth and Righteousness But if at the last it shall be found that they have not been managed by Conscience but Opinion and Persuasion what can they expect but the greatest severities and insufferable torments and agonies of Conscience the worm that never dies which should put all men upon a strict examination of themselves especially those who pretend to be so much managed by Conscience whether it be a true and good Conscience or onely these Deceivers and Usurpers Opinion and Persuasion Secondly it follows That Indifferent things in Religious Worship laying no further Obligation upon mens Consciences than as they conduce to God's glory and the happiness of the Universe and a Lawful Authority having a Power to put a final determination upon every man's private Judgment and Opinion by declaring which of all these indifferent things they judge most conducive to God's glory and the happiness of all those under their Jurisdiction by promoting and preserving Peace Unity and Charity Therefore that all persons who live under their Authority are bound in Conscience to submit to those Determinations and from thence-forward to esteem that which before was in its own nature indifferent to become necessary because hereby many known Duties and particularly that of Obedience to Magistrates without which there can be no happiness on Earth are performed to the satisfaction of an absolute and indispensible Obligation of Conscience Lastly it follows That all men are bound in Conscience to promote and endeavour the well-being of the Lawful Government under which they live and as much as in them lies the happiness of all Mankind even here in this life Nor can they follow the Dictates of true Religion or Conscience whatever they may pretend or imagine who for their private Opinions make Parties break Laws despise Governments give disturbances to the Peace and Security of their Native Countrey at home and by promoting Faction Dissention and Division give encouragement to our Enemies abroad And by too just fears from what has been of what may be again by the same ways and artifices to make mens minds uneasie and their lives unhappy And should their Designs succeed a second time to involve so many millions in the calamities of War Confusion Ruine and Desolation These have been and are the proper effects of Disobedience to Laws and Lawful Authority and let all Dissenters look well to it for they will find here is no Conscience no Religion to be found in such ways and ends to which their Separation and Division do most infallibly lead them I wish I could conclude this Discourse with the most persuasive Arguments and irresistable Reason That all Christian People and especially those Dissenters of these Nations would seriously consider with themselves whether these Discords and Differences about Religious affairs will in the end lead them and in time turn back again before they come to the dismal brink of those Precipices Misery here and Damnation hereafter which when by a too late Repentance they would avoid they will not be able I wish they would no longer abuse that glorious name of Conscience to countenance those Irreligious practises of Disobedience Uncharitableness Dissention and Separation Let them consider what it is in this World that is most desirable and whether they do not act point blank contrary to their own Interest and Happiness both here and hereafter and directly against the publick Good of the Community of which they are Members and whether they may not justly fear that by these dangerous and unlawful practices they should so far exasperate Authority as to exercise its utmostrigors and severities upon them as being out of all hopes to reclaim them by gentle means and justly jealous of their malicious secret and ill designs in reality against the State though the pretence be onely against the present Church and its Government Let them consider that if they desire to have peace within their private Walls and plenteousness within their stately Palaces if they desire to enjoy quiet of mind at home tranquility peace and unity one amongst another that Justice should run down as a River and Righteousness us a mighty Stream That Truth should spring out of the Earth and Righteousness look down from Heaven That Mercy and Truth should meet together Righteousness and Peace should kiss each other and that glory may dwell in our Land If they desire to be safe from intestine and domestick troubles secure from Forreign force and invasion to be loved respected and honoured by their Friends and Allies dreaded by their greatest Enemies to be great in Riches great in Fame and greater in all Goodness and Virtue to be the joy and glory of all Lands If they desire these there is no way to obtain them but by uniting our selves with this common Bond and indissoluble Chain of a good Conscience towards God and all men which will teach every man his duty keep every man quietly peaceably and contentedly in his place and station and secure unto us all those dear Delights of Humane Nature Peace Property and Religion If they desire these thus must they endeavour after them and if they will not endeavour after them we cannot but judge that they do not desire them And I am sure if they do not desire these blessings both for themselves and all others they neither deserve them nor any love pity favour countenance or kindness but ought to be look'd upon not as men but fierce and savage Beasts Wolves Tigers and Bears given to Prey Rapine and Ravage and they may easily ghess what will follow if once they come to be look'd upon and esteemed such Lastly if they have any love or kindness for their Souls or ever hope for eternal Salvation it must not be expected without obedience to God obedience to Government and obedience to Conscience After all this I will hope that those happy days will shine upon us Psal 122 3. in which we may say Our Jerusalem is built as a City that is compact or at unity with it self And that we shall be able to sing that glorious and triumphant Song of Praise and Thanksgiving Psal 48.1 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the City of our God in the mountain of his holiness Beautiful for situation the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion on the sides of the North the City of the great King God is well known in her Palaces as a sure Refuge To hasten which blessed and happy Age let every good Christian lay to his helping hand and his praying heart by endeavouring to follow the example of the great Apostle St. Paul which is the great Concern and Interest of every Man both in reference to Happiness here and hereafter Keeping alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards all Men. FINIS