thus The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne 1. Joh. 1.7 If we have a good Conscience either not having sinned against it Vse 3 or being cleansed from our sinne by faith and repentance so that in our Conscience nothing remaineth written up against us happy are we for 1. Joh. 3.21 If our heart condemne us not then have we confidence to God and whatsoever we ask of God we shall receive Rom. 8.15 16 17. Matth. 7.11 For as dutifull children receive all necessaries which they ask of their earthly fathers so shall we of our heavenly being his children by adoption But because the heart is deceitfull above measure take heed you be not deceived Jer. 17.9 for many men brag of a good Conscience but few men have it S. Bernard delivereth foure sorts of Consciences two not good two good 1. There is a Conscience quiet but not good 2. There is a Conscience neither quiet nor good 3. There is a Conscience good but not quiet 4. There is a Conscience both good and quiet 1. The Conscience quiet but not good Conscience quiet but not good See Mr. Slater upon Rom. may be a broad or large Conscience swallowing down any sinne without feeling or brawny seared senslesse or sleeping until God in mercie or the devil in policie awake it This is not good it proceeds from ignorance delight or custome in sinne or want of a sound faithfull ministerie a dangerous sicknesse not felt and therefore not desiring the cure 2. The Conscience neither quiet nor good Conscience neither quiet nor good is too stirring in small matters too senslesse of greater such is first the erroneous accusing more for the use of a ceremonie then for disobeying the Magistrate and secondly the superstitious disquieting more for breaking our fast on a fish day or omitting a few Ave Maries then for drunkennes cozening our neighbours or for treasons rebellions massacres of Princes and people but thirdly and especially the despairing conscience which for sinne against God afflicts too grievously and endlesly admitting no comfort of Gods mercie Christs merits This Conscience through the devils strong delusion or their own despair if so it continue is past physick These two are in the two extreams the one too carelesse and fearlesse the other too carefull and fearfull both dangerously evil Conscience good but not quiet 3. The Conscience good but not quiet accuseth for breach of Gods law and fills the heart with sorrows and fears yet grieveth more at his fault then at his punishment and therefore tends to good and seeks for comfort 2. Sam. 24.10 17. So Davids heart smote him for numbring the people as trusting to them rather then to God and prayed that he might be punished and they saved This is a good Conscience and is known by these signes First except in the violence of temptation it holds the principle Psal 73.1 Psal 42. and 43. Yet God is loving unto Israel and O my soul why art thou so disquieted within me hope in God for I will yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God And he seeks to the Lord in good time for reconciliation and pardon as David Psal 51.1 8 12. c. And he resolves with Job chap. 13.15 though the Lord should kill him yet to put his trust in him Secondly he is carefull to use the means and hungerly hangs upon the ministerie of the word no physician in the deadliest sicknesse more welcome then he that declares Gods mercie to one thus afflicted he receives him as the angel of God even as Christ Jesus Gal. 4.15 Rom. 10.15 more deare to him then his own eyes Oh how beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Thirdly he continues in the wayes of Gods commandments usually with more strictnesse and zeal then others lesse troubled And this Conscience is blessed with a happy successe for such men are now in their physick they a Matt. 5.4 6. hunger after comfort and shall be satisfied These b Matt. 12.20 bruised reeds Christ will not break nor quench this smoking flax Into these c Luk. 10.30 34. wounded and half-dead travellers the good Samaritane will poure the oyl wine of his mercie These are they whom our Saviour so lovingly calls even them that d Matt. 11.28 labour and are heavie laden with the burden of their sinnes to give them ease and rest Therefore as they said to blinde Bartimeus by the way side e Mark 10.49 Be of good comfort for he calleth thee so I may say to all afflicted consciences labouring for pardon and peace Be of good comfort Jesus calleth you 4. The Conscience both good and quiet Conscience both good and quiet is that which after due knowledge of his own sinne repentance faith reconciliation findes and feels f Rom. 5.1 and 8.1 14 15 16. peace with God this is a g Prov. 15.15 continuall feast the Christians jewel worth all the world h 1. Joh. 3.21 heaven upon earth This ministreth comfort and joy both in life and death for i Rom. 14.8 whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords k Rom. 8.28 All things shall work together for good to us l Rom. 8.18 Our sufferings in this world are not worthy to be compared to the glorie prepared for us in the next We have comfort in all judgements even in the expectation of the m 1. Joh. 4.17 2. Tim. 4.8 2. Cor. 1.12 great day Our inheritance is a n Luk. 12.32 kingdome o 1. Pet. 1.4 incorruptible undefiled immortall p 1. Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor care heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Therefore when we have beaten our brains and imagined the greatest joy and felicitie that our hearts can think yet we may still say This is not it August in Psalm 26. Enarrat 2. for all a man can possibly think comes short of it as S. Augustine speaketh Such troubled and such quiet Consciences are both good the one feels the Lord is strong the other sweet the one in sharpnesse the other in sweetnesse runnes the wayes of Gods commandments the one is in the battell the other in the victorie the one in the way to peace the other in possession the one feeds hungerly the other is satisfied both are blessed Now to procure and preserve a good Conscience I commend unto you these means Means to procure and preserve a good Conscience First every morning before we rise to consider as good husbands do what businesse we have to do that day what company what temptations we are to meet withall then to look into our law-book of Conscience or
Temple of Diana at Ephesus the Temple of Apollo at Delphos of Jupiter Amon of Isis and Osyris in Egypt with many other And great Kings and Princes were their Priests Rex idem hominum PhaebÃque sacerdos And though the vulgar had opinions of many gods yet the wiser sort acknowledged but one as the books De Mundo ascribed to Aristotle and Philo say The same God in regard of severall offices was called by severall names as for moderating the seas called Neptune for moderating the windes Aeolus c. For duties towards their Neighbours The Gentiles knew and practised the substance of the whole Second Table at least so farre as concerned outward duties Children honoured and obeyed their Parents as Sichem did Hamor Gen. 34.4 See D. Williams Church lib. 3 cap. 3. pag. 347. Gen 20.4 5. not presuming to take a wife without his consent and employment Murder every where most abhorred and grievously punished Abimelech King of Gerar would not come neare Sarah hating Adulterie when he knew she was a mans wife The Romane Lucretia prized her chastity above her life 1. Cor. 5.1 Incest unheard of among the Gentiles Wives subjection to their husbands commanded by Ahasuerus Esther 1. And compulsion to drink more then a man list forbidden by the same Gentile Monarch Wrong oppression theft defrauding any man of his right forbidden by the generall rule Reusner in Symbol Imperat lib. 1. Symb. 29. Fac quod vis pati and Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri nè feceris Do nothing to another which thou wouldest not have done to thy self Reusnerus in Symbolis cites many heathen authours which deliver that rule It was the common * Which he learnt of his mother Mammaea the scholar of that great Origen Isaacus Casaub Annot. in Julium Capitolinum word of Alexander Severus which he caused also to be proclaimed by his heraulds whensoever he punished his subjects or souldiers which had wronged any man And for all other morall and civill righteousnesse honesty justice temperance sobriety providing for the poore helping the distressed speaking the truth observing leagues contracts and promises avoiding perjury punishing vice honouring vertue and living orderly the Gentiles had many excellent laws wisely made and carefully observed The generall observation of these in all nations shewed the substance thereof to be naturall notions and principles written in their hearts and the variety of their promulgations and penalties in severall nations argued deductions and consequents drawn from those naturall notions by the force of reason These naturall laws the most wise Creatour did write in the hearts of men for these causes 1. Causes and reasons thereof That there might be a perpetuall difference betwixt men and beasts Had God given man a strong wit understanding policy and not withall a Conscience or naturall law to guide him he had been of all Creatures the most dangerous 2. To preserve humane society and keep mens actions in some tolerable limits by ordaining good laws to bridle the disorderly and protect the innocent in quiet possession of their rights and for the common good Aug. de civitate Dei lib. 4. cap. 4. Rom. 1. else saith S. Augustine Quid sunt regna nisi magna latrocinia 3. To be an ayd to man better to search out the Creatour and to serve him We may say of God as Seneca said of Nature Perditura fructum sui si solitudini ostenderet He had lost the fruit of his work had he shewed it onely to beasts which could not understand it so God had lost his glory and man his felicity 4 S. Paul addes Rom. 1.20 To make the impious and unrighteous unexcusable if they did not according to that law which their own Conscience dictated unto them This was an inestimable benefit of God Vse 1 to give every man such a worthy guide of his life for morall civill and divine duties in observing whereof he might live with much comfort credit profit and earthly happinesse And that these laws are undoubtedly just and equall written by God himself as the first Tables and so legible and in such plain characters that the unlearnedest man may reade them though he know no letters of any other book and in such a language as men of all nations and tongues may understand them and that a man hath this book for his counsellour at home with him he need not make long journeys to seek for a counsellour or tedious waiting to attend his leisure give costly fees to attain his counsell which haply may prove doubtfull and untrusty he hath this his bosome friend free faithfull patient as neare and as true to him as his own soul with whom he may conferre again and again at his leisure and pleasure till he be fully resolved what he may lawfully do or must avoid And This is yet a greater benefit Vse 2 that this Law-book is not a dead thing like other books containing dead letters or precepts but like the divine word of God written in the heart Hebr. 4.12 quick lively powerfull operative and piercing as Gods Lieger Ambassadour residing in our hearts to shew us our duties and call upon us to do them whereupon our Conscience is not onely called a Book Paedagogus animae sociatus Origen but a Schoolmaster also to urge us to learn and perform our duties Monet movet movendo docet docendo movet God knowing our ignorance Conscientia est speculum fraenum calcar flagellum gives us this book to instruct us knowing our headstrong inclination to evil gives us this bridle to restrain us and knowing our dulnesse to all good duties gives us this spurre to quicken us And all this is our Conscience which if we do amisse shall scourge us But As the benefit is great Vse 3 of this Light to guide us and of this Heat to quicken us as of the Sunne in the great world So is the danger great if we shut our eyes against the Notions and our hearts against the Motions of our Conscience For this is to be wilfully blinde when we may see or wilfully wicked when we do see our dutie and do it not This is plainly to rebell against God himself to thrust his Deputie out of his throne and office This is to provoke the Lord to give us up to our own hearts lusts and to have no further care over us as Rom. 1.24 26 28. And this is to draw upon us a most dangerous consequence by degrees through the custome of sinne to make our Conscience senselesse seared cauterized or to choke and kill it or in such sort to extinguish the light and life thereof that the greatest sinnes will be practised without any check or remorse to the intolerable hurt of the Church and Common-wealth the shame of our lives the damnation of our souls Ephes 4.17 The Gentiles walk in the vanity of their minde 18. Having the understanding darkned being alienated from the
with fair pretences hiding thy intents from the abused people while thine own end is hid from thy self God sees all thy Conscience writes all while thou needlesly and heedlesly runnest a full careere to thine own destruction And thou David See 2. Sam. 12. and the chapters following from the shepherds staffe raised to the Kings sceptre and now setled in thy kingdome in great wealth peace honour and prosperitie wilt thou now forget thy self so farre that thine own hundred sheep will not satisfie thee but thou must take thy neighbours onely ew that lies in his bosome wilt thou commit so foul an act and yet a fouler to murder the right innocent owner and to do it the closelier wilt thou betray the Lords guiltlesse army into the enemies hand and cause his name to be blasphemed among the heathen and wilt thou hereby draw plagues upon thee and thine and cut off thy prosperitie when thou needest not and doth thy Conscience all this while sleep and will never awake No no thy Conscience is writing all the while a chronicle of all thy doings and after nine moneths when the childe is born Nathan will open thy book and make thee reade thine own sinne which will cost thee many teares and much heart-grief and many afflictions from thine own subjects from thine own children all thy life long after For our innocencie and good works Vse 2 we need not hunt for eye-witnesses to cleare and to cheere us Hic murus aheneus esto Nil conscire sibi nullâ pallescere culpâ Horat. Integer vitae scelerÃsque purus non eget Mauri jaculis nec arcu c. Idem Conscience alone giveth sufficient comfortable testimony A cleare Conscience is a brazen wall to keep off all the darts of sinne or shame which ill tongues can throw against us He that is of sound life and free from ill-doing hath his heaven within him and may say with S. Paul 2. Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicitie and godly sinceritie not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you-wards In midst of slanders and uncharitable surmises of malicious men comfort thy self with the witnesse of thy sinceritie and innocencie as S. Paul did there and Acts 23.1 Men and brethren I have lived in all good Conscience before God unto this day And Acts 24.16 Herein I do exercise my self to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards men and neare his death 2. Tim. 4.6 Now said he I am ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousnesse c. Our Conscience also will witnesse Vse 3 whether in doing good works we serve God or our selves that is whether we do the works of our vocation with true sinceritie and simplicitie of heart and observing all due circumstances referring all to the true ends Gods glory chiefly and secondly our own salvation comfort and profit and the good of others without hurt or wrong to any which if we do our Conscience will assure us 2. Cor. 5.5 Rom. 8.14 15 16. Eph. 1.13 14 2. Cor. 1.22 we are guided by Gods Spirit are in Gods favour have received the earnest of our inheritance the Spirit of adoption although we feel still imperfections in our selves as S. Paul did Rom. 7.21 c. or whether we do our good works in hypocrisie and for our own by-ends which may be profitable to others but neither please God nor our own Conscience soundly as they ought to do Thus to apply it onely to our present meeting Preachers may finde it written in their Conscience See Gabr. Powels consideration of the ministers supplication to the Parliament 1606. pag. 11 12. whether their preaching hath been directed to Gods true service for his glory and the right information and falvation of his people or whether to their own praise to shew their learning eloquence and wit or to please and humour their patrons friends and people for maintenance and preferment I wish we all could say with S. Paul Acts 20.26 I take you all to record this day that I am pure from the bloud of all men and have taught you all the counsell of God and Acts 24.16 and 2. Cor. 1.12 Our Visitours and their inferiour officers may finde written in their Consciences whether they make such a meeting as this Morum or Nummorum visitatio D. Boys in a visitation Sermon visiting to do good to the Church or to themselves Sure I am these offices and meetings were ordained for good and the execution thereof doth much good in our Church to see that ministers do their duties preach true and profitable doctrine and that diligently live honest and unoffensive lives and be examples of all goodnesse to their flocks to see whether Church-buildings furniture books vestments and especially people be in good order They that do all these good offices deserve good recompense for their pains and care their persons and offices are venerable honourable and exceeding profitable to the Church But the good performance of the best Visitours may be much hindered by corrupt or negligent under-officers Church-wardens Side-men Apparitours which are the eyes of the Visitours I wish them to reade seriously in their Conscience whether they serve God or Mammon or God for Mammon whether they betray not the trust committed to them making the Visitours look through false glasses D. Boys ibid. or spectacles to see Omnia bene in billis when there is rather Omnia malè in villis and their feeling is better then their seeing and so no good reformation follows because no good information went before I can go no further but onely advise men to look to their Consciences lest they become partiall causes of the continuance of any evil in the Church and thereby derive much of the guilt and punishment upon themselves whereas by conscionable execution of their office and trust they may procure much good to the Church settle true peace in their Conscience and derive upon themselves many blessings from God with love and praise from men But I must hasten to the third part of my Text and hasten through it III. PART Their thoughts accusing or excusing THeir discursive thoughts by comparing these two books together the one containing Facta the other Regulam factorum the Law of God and the Chronicle of our lives either accuse and condemne for their disagreement or excuse and acquit for their agreement The first book makes the Proposition or Major of a Practicall Syllogisme Thus thou must do The second book makes the Assumption or Minor Thus thou hast done The Conscience with the discoursing thoughts out of those Premises draws the Conclusion Ergò thou hast done evil or
with him in this world but there follow a thousand in the other world that will never have end Bodily diseases may be cured or mitigated or the sense taken away by death sores may be helped by Chirurgerie povertie by friends imprisonment by libertie banishment by restoring reproach by time but all these were they the best in the world and in the highest degree cannot cure the Conscience afflicted with sinne Damocles sword hanging over his head ready to fall Balthasars hand-writing on the wall made all the musick harsh to their eares the meats unsavourie to their taste their attendants irksome and all things cumbersome to their eyes so the apprehension of present death or due deserved vengeance seizing upon their souls distastes all the pleasures that this world can afford A fearful thing when we have grievously offended the supreme Judge that we can neither pacifie him nor flie from him when he sends our own Conscience as his officer to arrest us there needs no other Apparitour to summon us no Bailiffe to fetch us no accuser to give evidence against us no nor judge to condemn us nor executioner to torment us our own Conscience will do all this alone and that in most terrible manner Thus Judas was continually dogged by his Conscience to death David said Psal 51.3 his sinne was ever before him A wofull thing he could not look off it nay it was ever before God also when he said vers 1. Blot out mine offences they stood written up before God as memorials Col. 2.14 and as hand-writings against him till blotted out Cornelius his prayers and almes ascended up before the Lord for a memoriall so do sinnes Alas Acts 10.4 that we will have our sinnes written up when we might have our prayers and good deeds written up both in our Consciences and before God also for memorials when we might have Angels sent as to Cornelius to guide direct Act. 10.3 4 5 6. Luk. 16.22 protect us and finally to carry up our souls to heaven as Lazarus we will have lying and damned spirits sent as to Ahab to deceive 1. Kings 22.21 22. destroy and bring us to hell Cain cried Gen. 4.13 My sinne is greater then can be forgiven and Whosoever shall finde me will slay me Ah wofull Innocent Abels bloud cried from earth to heaven for vengeance on the one side Gen. 4.10 13 and wicked Cains conscience cried within him for vengeance on the other side What shall the poore sinner now do Oh let us first take heed we sinne not against our Conscience Vse 1 for every sinne is a wound unto the soul and the continuance in sinne is a continuall stabbing of the Conscience Vastans conscientiam and though some feel not these wounds or grieve not at them presently through the senselesnesse or numnesse of their choked Conscience yet the often stabbing will breed such inward festring corruption and putrefaction that when the Lord toucheth it they will roar and gnash their teeth or grow unconsolable and often make away themselves as Judas did Therefore let us be carefull to keep our conscience waking tender sensible easily offended with the least touch of sinne by continuall meditation of Gods laws and of the necessity of sanctification and by consideration of our own frailties and suspicion of our own inclinations otherwise we may swallow down sinne without perceiving it and though our Conscience stirre not now to prevent sinne it may stirre hereafter to afflict us for it as in Cain Josephs brethren David Judas the evil of poysons is not felt in the going down their taste may be sweet and pleasant but their operation afterwards deadly Oh if thou knewest how that flattering and amiable face of sinne brings after it a deadly sting punishment and vengeance upon thee and thy posteritie thou wouldest hate thine evil courses as hel and damnation The providence of God is marvellous but just the just mans water of affliction he turns into wine most comfortable and cordiall the unjust mans wine he turns into water Sceleris est in scelere supplicium Wickednesse becomes a scourge unto it self but Psal 37.37 Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace But no man is perfect and upright as he ought to be Vse 2 By Gods generall restraining grace we may be kept from a As Noah Gen. 6.9 Job chap. 1.1 Zacharie and Elizabeth Luk. 1.6 Saul Phil. 3.6 outward notorious grosse sinnes offensive to the world but none b 1. Joh. 1.8 Rom. 3.23 Gal. 3.22 without sinne If we finde our Conscience accuse us and hath written up in our chronicle against us not onely sinnes of infirmitie but also some grosse sinnes offensive to God and men and to our selves is there no remedie but with Judas absolute desperation and destruction God forbid Yes the Lord be praised for his great mercie there is this one remedie By sound repentance and faith in Jesus Christ to get them wiped out for the bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne but not without repentance on our part 1. Joh. 1.7 and faith taking hold of his mercie First let the Conscience be soundly wounded and truly sorrowfull for offending God let the sting of sinne be throughly felt and the wounds of sinne searched to the bottome though it be with much pain and grief for to skin over a sore before the deadly corruption be let out and cleansed is very hurtfull and so is ministring of comfort to a man not repentant Christ calls them onely that labour and are heavy laden with the burden of their sinnes Matth. 11.28 such onely he came to ease and heal Onely to the repentant faithfull the blessed promises of the Gospel belong Chrysost in Psal 50. hom 2. In codice scripta sunt peccata tua spongia peccatorum tuorum lacrymae tuae sunt grandis carum virtus The martyrs bloud-shed is precious so sinners tears Peter after 3 denials of Christ by bitter tears abstersit peccatum suum recepit pristinam dignitatem ibid. They onely may get the records of sinne cancelled or blotted out as repentant David Psal 51.1 prayed According to the Multitude of thy mercies O Lord blot out my transgressions and as S. Peter counselled Acts 3.19 Repent ye and be converted that your sinnes may be blotted out out of the book of Conscience which pricks you Acts 2.37 and out of all other Gods records standing as memorials against you Thus did a Luk. 22.61 62. S. Peter when Christ looked back upon him and put him in minde of his sinne he went out and wept bitterly delevit quod deflevit he wept and wipt out his sinne Thus b Psal 6.6 and 51. David washed his bed and made it swim And the woman-sinner Luk. 7.38 thereby procured that blessed absolution Thy sinnes are forgiven thee thy faith hath saved thee go in peace vers 48 50. and
A SERMON NECESSARIE FOR THESE TIMES Shewing the nature of Conscience with the corruptions thereof and the repairs or means to inform it with right knowledge and stirre it up to upright practise and how to get and keep a good Conscience To which is adjoyned a necessarie brief and pithy treatise of the Ceremonies of the Church of England By ANTHONY CADE Batch of Divinitie 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the testimonie of our Conscience that in simplicitie and godly sinceritie not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world c. Printed by the Printers to the Vniversitie of Cambridge And are to be sold by John Sweeting near Popes head alley in Corn-hill 1639. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD JOHN LORD BISHOP OF LINCOLN MY VERY good Lord and Patron RIght Reverend Father in God I have often with great comfort related among my friends what I observed about five yeares agone at my being at Buckden an ancient house belonging to the Bishoprick of Lincoln how bare naked and ruinous I had seen it in former times and now worthily repaired and adorned by your Lordship The cloisters fairly pargetted and beautified with comely coportments and inscriptions of wise counsels and sentences the windows enriched with costly pictures of Prophets Apostles and holy Fathers and beyond all the Chappell for Gods immediate service most beautifully furnished with new Seats Windows Altar Bibles and other sacred books costly covered clasped and embossed with silver and gilt with gold with Bason Candlesticks and other vessels all of bright shining silver and with stately Organs curiously coloured gilded and enameled no cost spared to set forth the dignity of that house dedicated to Gods worship And the whole service of God therein performed with all possible reverence and devout behaviour of your own person and all the assembly and with the organs of sweet ravishing angelicall voices and faces of young men lifting up with heavenly raptures all the hearers and beholders hearts to heaven and enforcing me to think and meditate When such things are found on earth in the Church Militant Oh what unconceivable joyes shall we finde in heaven in the Church Triumphant We have great cause to glorifie God for your Fatherhoods excellent care and cost in this and many * At Lincoln Westminster Cambridge Oxford c. Where this Bishop hath built chappels libraries c. or garnished and furnished them with excellent books and maintenance for Scholars other places where as I heare you have done the like As also now more lately for our most excellent worthy-minded Archbishops Grace who prosecuting his own and some other Bishops preparations hath now notably begun and happily gone forwards with the repairing of that most honourable ancient monument of Christendome S. Pauls Church in London to the comfort of all good hearts and glory of our nation and also to work an unity of faith and uniformity of practise in the service of God and by all possible means to winne all adversaries thereunto which would be an incomparable joy to all true Christian hearts But to return again to Buckden to my observations there and to my present purpose I did also ordinarily speak among my friends of the government of your great house with all subjection and gravity and of your hospitalitie such as S. 1. Tim. 3.2 Paul prescribes to Bishops entertaining your numerous guests with bountifull provision and feasting them with variety and plenty of all good things but with exemplary sobriety in your own person and with wise learned and religious discourse as wholesome for their souls as your meats for their bodies But this I passe over now slightly as beside my present purpose for my purpose was onely to shew how by the former sight of your house and Chappel and the manner of Gods service therein I well understood your Fatherhoods religious minde and intentions but much better by your private words to my self afterwards viz. That your desire was to have the Consciences of all people preachers and others in your Diocesse rightly informed and soundly convicted of the lawfulnesse and perswaded to the practise of the established service of God with the Rites and Ceremonies of our happily reformed Church and that your self would leade them the way and give them a fair * S. August epist 86. in fine Si consilio meo acquiescis Episcopo tuo noli resistere quod facit ipse sine ullo scrupulo sectare In using Rites and Ceremonies example This gladded my heart more then the rest So that not long after being appointed by your Lordship to preach at a Visitation at Leicester I addressed my self to improve my best service to God and his Church to our gracious Soveraigne Gods immediate deputy to your Lordship the generall spirituall Father of these parts and to our Countrey both ministers and people for the better setling of their Consciences in these and other necessary points My sermon presently upon the hearing procured me thanks from many even from the contrary-minded formerly and many desired copies or the publication as did also some of your own officers which I also promised And shortly after having made my copie ready with some additions which time would not give me leave to utter and with a brief Appendix at the end fitter for young preachers to reade at home then for people to heare from the pulpit I gave it to a friend to procure the printing but my friend unfriendly kept it in his own or his friends hands so long that till neare the end of this last yeare I could not get my copie again At last having recovered it and communicated it to some other learned judicious friends they again importuned me for the publication as a thing that undoubtedly would do much good to many unsetled souls To which now I have condescended My good Lord I beseech you and all my Readers to beare with my long preface I thought it necessary to let the world know the two occasions one of my preaching the other of the late publishing of this sermon Now such as it is I send and dedicate it to your Fatherhood whose it is by the first appointment and all the service it can do and so is the Authour thereof Your Lordships in all humble service and observance to be commanded ANTHONY CADE ROM 2.15 Which Gentiles shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts the mean while or between themselves accusing or else excusing one another SAint Paul to move all men to seek salvation by faith in Jesus Christ which he propounds chap. 1. vers 16. and prosecutes chap. 3. vers 21. shews in these first chapters that all men are in themselves inexcusable sinners The Jews sinning against the law written in their Books the Gentiles against the law written in their Hearts This sentence convicts the Gentiles but by an argument
life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindenesse of their heart 19. Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousnesse to work all uncleannesse with greedinesse In regard of these benefits and dangers Vse 4 it behoveth us to have a double care First to keep our Law-book pure and perfect lest it misleade us to sinne in stead of righteousnesse Secondly to reade it and follow it diligently lest it cease to be our guide and become our accuser The first man Adam before his fall Ad bonum nil impediebat ad malum nil impellebat Magister lib. 2. dist 25. had it pure and perfect abilitie to know his dutie fully and to perform it throughly But upon his fall he lost his perfection that is the excellencie of the image of God both in Knowledge Coloss 3.10 and Righteousnesse and true Holinesse Ephes 4.24 And in this his depraved image he begat his children Gen. 5.3 In whom though the life of Conscience was left and light enough for performance of outward morall civill and some religious duties for preservation of humane societie and common life yet no sufficient light to attain to the knowledge of the mysteries of saving religion as the Trinitie of the Persons in the Unitie of the Godhead the manner of our redemption by the incarnation and passion of the second person in Trinitie the pardon of our sinnes by his merit our regeneration by his Spirit our resurrection to life eternall and other points The naturall man conceiveth or perceiveth them not he thinketh them foolishnesse they are onely spiritually discerned 1. Cor. 2.14 As the naturall Conscience was short in these things so it was much corrupted in other things The Gentiles a Rom. 1.18 held the truth in unrighteousnesse b Vers 21. became vain in their imaginations their foolish heart was darkened the c 22. professours of wisdome became fools They d 24. dishonoured their own bodies with lusts and uncleannesse In the foure last verses of the first chapter to the Romanes Saint Paul exhibites a long Catalogue of their foul overflowing sinnes which they not onely practised but took pleasure also in the practisers thereof For remedie of which evils Remedies by wise men the Philosophers and wife men of the Heathen have written many books labouring to revive renew and enforce the laws of nature with reasonable deductions therefrom Tully in his books of Offices or Duties layes this for his ground Naturam si sequamur ducem nunquam aberrabimus If we follow the guidance of Nature we shall never stray from our duties and others tell us Conscientia est liber ad quem emendandum omnes scripti sunt libri Conscience is a book for amending whereof all books are written so farre as concern mens actions These men have taken great pains herein husbanding and improving the light of naturall reason to the highest pitch to their own great honour and the worlds great good As also good Princes have And good Princes by the aid of these wise men published and established many worthy laws for their own honour and service and for the common good and happinesse of their subjects But our most gracious God Divine and supernaturall remedies by the Scriptures as he is infinitely above all in providence wisdome and goodnesse so he hath declared his farre more excellent Will and Laws to his people for his own honour and their happinesse inspiring some choice men in the Old and New Testament with divine Revelations and testifying their Mission Commission and Doctrine to be immediately from him by divine miracles as seals unpossible to be counterfeited by any wit or power of men appointing them to deliver by word to the present and by writing to the future ages his holy Laws for the manner of his service the guiding of their lives and the attaining of felicitie And these are the sacred books of the Scriptures And Ministerie And he hath added yet another provident ordinance The sacred Ministerie men separated from other affairs and consecrated to Gods publick service and the peoples edification directing their preaching to these two speciall ends The one to open the meaning of these holy Books and teach the people to understand and imprint these Laws in their Conscience The other continually to work upon their affections to excite and stirre them up often to reade them and carefully to practise them And this is the excellencie of Christian Religion above all Philosophie and humane laws or learning which could never perfect the Conscience nor purifie the heart nor stirre up the affections with such holy doctrines rules or principles nor cause such a constant and universall practise of all kindes of vertue and goodnesse nor procure such blessings temporall and eternall upon persons and nations as these holy Books and the continuall urgent preaching of them doth perform But be the remedies never so good yet if they be not employed applied and continually renewed Satan and Sinne are so busie to assail so potent to prevail and we so impotent to resist so willing to yeeld that corruptions will easily creep into our lives and Consciences As we may observe 1. Causes corrupting the Conscience By the vehemency and disorderlinesse of our corrupt affections lusts or passions whether love hatred covetousnesse ambition pride fleshly lusts or any other blinding and carrying many away into sinfull courses thinking in those passions evil to be good 2. By Custome in sinne For Consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati what many do is thought lawfull for all Thus stealing of garments was lawfull with the Lacedemonians many wives at once with the Turks deadly fewd and stealing one side from another among our borderers they thought it stood well with Religion Sir Thomas More Lord Chancellour of England in king Henry the 8 his time writeth The borderers would heare masse before they went to steal and pray God so to blesse them that they might do harm and take none Amongst us of late drunkennesse pride and such like vices are thought lawfull because usuall and practised without check of Conscience These blot blurre or fill up the deep graven letters of our Law-book with dirt or bring us asleep in sinne that we cannot easily spie or reade them 3. By interlinings of false precepts or principles of false teachers as to this precept Love thy neighbour the Pharisees added And hate thine enemy which interlining Christ put out again and restored the text to his old integrity Matth. 5.43 as he did other doctrines of men Matth. 15. and 23. 4. By mistaking errour for true religion as our Saviour said to his Apostles John 16.2 They that kill you will think they do God service Saint Paul once thought that he was bound in Conscience to persecute Christians Acts 26.9 Phil 3.6 he did it of zeal Acts 13.50 and so the devout and honourable women and
chief men persecuted Paul and Barnabas and cast them out of their coasts moved by erroneous devotion By the like errour they that call themselves Romane Catholicks deceived by Jesuiticall doctrine persecute the true Catholicks that constantly hold all necessary saving doctrine grounded on the holy Scriptures Articles of 1562. art 6. and universally received in the Primitive Church as the Protestants do and refuse onely the corrupt novell doctrines brought in by later Popes Art 22. Art 37. and submission to their government these they persecute and seek by all means even by treasons insurrections and murders of Princes and massacres of people utterly to root out and think such courses not onely lawfull but meritorious and that they are bound in conscience to practise them especially upon their Popes excommunications A conceit and doctrine strange and monstrous never heard of in the Church of God of a thousand yeares after Christian religions first planting and untill Satan was * Revel 20.2 3 7 8. Greg. 7. formerly called Hildebrand by many Helbrand as one that brought this wilde-fire from hell into the Church for from heaven it could not come James 3.13 a wisdome earthly sensuall devilish aedificat ad Gehennam This Gregory was the first Pope that deposed any Princes c. as saith old Frisingensis late Onuphrius See Cades Justification of our Church pag. 42 43. pag. 46 seq lib. 2. pag. 64. seq loosed and permitted to deceive the nations Then Pope Gregory the seventh began first to depose Princes embroyling the Christian world with unchristian warres kindling that fire which hath been kept burning by many succeeding Popes and is still kept alive blown continually with the breath of Jesuites and other the Popes Incendiaries But the weapons of the first best Christians even against persecuting tyrants were patience and prayers not treasons murders rebellions We reade in Scriptures of wicked Princes reproved by the Prophets but neither deprived of their state nor subjects animated to rebell nor forreiners to invade And if any Christian Prince were excommunicated that made him not in worse state then a Heathen with losse of his goods government or life but * Matt. 18.17 sicut Ethnicus sequestred from the blessing of the Church and Sacraments onely The ancient Churches censures never proceeded further But howsoever that late unchristian doctrine is still maintained in the books of a great number of the Popes flatterers that are maintained by him in wealth and dignitie yet a great number also even of the learnedest Divines of the Church of Rome hold the contrary For this point reade the B. of Rochester de potest Papae cap. 8. who citeth many authours B. Whites reply to Fishers ansvver pag. 572. and write books in confutation thereof confessing plainly that the Pope by vertue of his office hath not any power or authoritie to depose Princes or dispose of their Crowns or lives for any cause crime or good whatsoever Whereupon most of our English Romane Catholicks have contrary to the Popes briefs Cardinall Bellarmines letters and other Romish Rabbines perswasions taken the oath of allegiance and thereby insinuate a reall confession in this main point that the Pope Cardinals Conclave Counsellers and greatest Doctours of that Church may erre and leade them into damnable sinne and therein may and ought to be disobeyed And since the infallibility of that Pope and Church hath been the greatest if not the onely ground of holding them in many errours without searching into them that ground being now acknowledged to be unsound there is great hope of their coming to us in other points of difference as they have done in some already if we be not averse and hinder it by our dissensions at home Oh that we could recover that blessed unity of doctrine and good life of that one holy primitive ancient Catholick Church Yet observe another malice and policy of Satan Some Protestants too nice Conscience against Church-ceremonies if he cannot make us swallow these Camels he will endeavour to make us strain at Gnats and in hatred of the Papists large Conscience and grosse sinnes to make our Conscience too strait and stick at things indifferent as Caps Surplesse kneeling at Communions Crossing the childe after he is baptized and such like rites or ceremonies Our people by the blessing of God hold the substance of saving religion entirely we do not teare and wound Christs body we onely strive about his garments My desire is to take up this strife and to keep that seamlesse coat unrent because I see our adversaries passing over their own great ones make themselves sport at our petty dissensions To stop their mouthes therefore and satisfie our otherwise good Christian brethren whose Consciences are afraid to receive these Ceremonies give me leave to impart unto you my meditations touching this point which I shall do the plainliest and briefliest by answering a few questions Quest 1. Doth erring Conscience binde Answer It doth binde so that he that doth against it sinneth Because whatsoever the Conscience dictates it dictates sub ratione voluntatis Dei as it informs us of Gods will and so it hath in it self the force of the Divine will and is in stead of God unto us as Gods Lieger Ambassadour to shew us our dutie and call upon us to do it therefore as long as we understand acknowledge it to be so it bindes us unto obedience as unto God To do therefore that which thy Conscience saith is unlawfull or while thou doubtest it is unlawfull is to incurre damnation Rom. 14.23 He that doubteth is damned if he do it because he doth it not of faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sinne Though it be clean in it self yet to thee it is unclean if thou thinkest it so as Saint Paul saith there See Ames de conscien lib. 1. cap. 3. n. 13. cap. 4. n. 6. Rob. Sandersons ser upon Rom. 3.8 Cicero Offic. lib. 1. Bene praecipiunt qui vetant quicquam agere quod dubites aequum sit an iniquum aequit as lucet ipsa per se dubitatio cogitationem significat injuriae vers 14. He that doth against his Conscience doth against the will of God quamvis non materialiter verè tamen formaliter interpretativè though not in matter and truely yet in form and by interpretation because he doth that which he thinks is against Gods will And this is reduced to the lack of the fear of God to venture to do that which thou judgest God hath forbidden and so hath written in thy Conscience which must be Gods witnesse with thee or against thee and whereby thou must be judged Quest 2. May a Christian Prince urge his subjects to observe such ceremonies in Gods service as he knows to be lawfull though some subjects think them unlawfull or doubt of their lawfulnesse I must answer this question by first laying some grounds thereof in a few
Shall private men That may not be for their opinions are various and then in severall congregations we should have severall ceremonies and fashions Reade Socrates eccl hist lib. 5. cap. 22. Sozomen lib. 7. cap. 19. one crossing and condemning another with much disquietnesse and offence Quot capita tot schismata saith Saint Hierom endlesse distraction and confusion If no private men then we must conclude The King or chief governour of the whole nationall Church must be the supreme judge and none other and that for two reasons 1. He onely hath power to gather together the most godly wise and learned men in the whole kingdome and if need be to have the advice and judgement of the best learned in other nations by whose grave counsels he may with great maturitie of judgement set down orders fittest for the whole nationall Church 2. He onely hath power to impose them upon all congregations within his dominions for unitie and uniformitie and to inflict punishment upon the offenders for Lex sine coertione nulla est To make a law and not compell men to keep it and so let every man still do what he list is to no purpose Therefore the conclusive answer to this second question is Conclusion A Christian Prince may yea and ought to impose upon his subjects such ceremonies in Gods publick service as he knows to be lawfull and convenient for order decency and edification and compell men to observe them for the preservation of unitie uniformitie and peace of the Church in his dominions And 6. They that resist such Magistrates in such things do grievously sinne against God They resist the ordinance of God saith S. Paul Rom. 13.2 and procure to themselves damnation And vers 5. Ye must needs be subject not onely for a Necessitate externâ wrath but also for b Necessitate internâ Conscience sake Quest 3. What is then to be done when thy Prince Gods deputy and in Gods stead commands thee and thy Conscience Gods deputy also and in Gods stead forbids thee the same since in obeying thy Prince thou sinnest against thy Conscience in obeying thy Conscience thou sinnest against thy Prince in both against God because they both have their authoritie from God to command thee and to binde thee under pain of damnation not to offend The answer then to this third question is The Conscience must be reformed For otherwise here is a labyrinth so inclosing the poore soul that as long as the Conscience continueth in this errour it is unpossible to come out without sinne Therefore I wish that all good means may be used to avoid sinne and damnation On the Magistrates part Mr. Slater in Rom. 2. Mr. Masons serm at Norwich c. pag. 70. I wish with many other good men these cautions to be observed and I finde they have been well observed 1. That great care be taken for amending the Law-book of Conscience that is for better information of the erring and resolution of the doubting Conscience As Ezra gathered all the people together Nehem. 8.1 3. read the law unto them and he with others made the people to understand it vers 7 8. and in the chapters following they all made a covenant of obedience to the Lord. This order also took Jehoshaphat 2. Chron. 17.7 8 9. and Chap. 1 9.4 Vide Camdeni Annales Elisabethae pag. 26. edit Lugd. Batav anno 1625. 2. Chron. 17. and 19. So did the Protestants in reforming the abuses crept into the Church Our Queen Elizabeth of blessed memory first caused the people to be taught and rightly informed throughout the land and after that established the reformation 2. That the scrupulous be not too hardly dealt withall upon any sudden proceeding for they sinne not willingly but of a pious humilitie and fearfulnesse to offend God and therefore are much to be pitied and better instructed 3. That compulsion or punishment be not hastened so long as there appeares a desire and godly endeavour to be better informed But 4. These things being first well performed first sufficient information offered secondly a tender usage of the parties and thirdly a convenient time given to settle the Conscience men not yeelding may be accounted refractarie and obstinate Aquin. in Ep. ad Rom. cap. 14. lect 2. To avoid scandall of little ones a man must deferre the use of things lawfull till a reason may be rendred to remove the scandall but if the scandall still remain after the reason rendred it seems not to proceed from ignorance or infirmitie but of malice and so belongs to the scandall of Pharisees See Masons serm pag. 56. Zanchius de redempt cap. 17. fol. 493. rather then tender-conscienced they seem not now to be errones but turbones contumacious troublers and disquieters of the peace unitie uniformitie and happinesse of the Church which Christian Kings are bound in Conscience to preserve and as they have in love used all good means to win the humble so now in justice they must punish the disorderly to preserve unitie I dare not say as S. Augustine said of unitie in sound doctrine Pereat unus potiùs quà m unitas but in our discipline I may boldly say with our laws Maereat unus potiùs quà m unitas For continuance in errour through wilfull neglect of the means of better information is censurable of obstinacy and disobedience both to God and the Prince On the peoples part I wish these things to be seriously considered First since it hath pleased Almighty God to give us wise religious and gracious Princes nursing Fathers and Mothers to his Church Mr. Slater in Rom. 2. who have already banished the intolerable tyrannie corruptions and abuses crept into the Church restored us to free libertie of Conscience and peace of pure religion and by good laws officers and other provident and potent means protected and preserved it and us We the subjects should take this for a benefit inestimable not abuse it to the liberty of new opinions or to the loosenessse and dissolution of publick government but to be most thankfull to our Princes for it give them all possible content and yeeld our selves more willing and ready to all civill burdens Secondly See B. Jewels Apologie edit Londin 1591. pag. 170. that these constitutions were first and chiefly directed to those true necessary ends prescribed by S. Paul Order Decencie and Edification and secondarily with respect to former ages and the present state of neighbour nations to the greatest grace and honour of our Church in that beside the inward substance of doctrine they make the very outward face of our Church as like as may be to the most ancient and purest Churches which yeelded so many thousand Martyrs for the testimony of the truth in their times and lately also in Queen Maries time a number more living and dying in the liking or practise of them And thirdly they tend to the stopping of the mouthes of our clamorous
Ecclesiasticall histories to shew the rites and ceremonies beside the doctrine of the ancient Primitive Church in the best and purest times You may heare with much profit and comfort all Preachers even the youngest in their freshest wits memory and strength for points of salvation taught in the holy Scriptures within their reading and compasse of studie but for rites and ceremonies trust onely the graver and well-read Divines which have searched Antiquity that our Church-rites may come as neare the purest and ancientest Church as may be without any affectation of noveltie Hitherto I have spoken of the first part of my text The Law-book of Conscience with the properties causes uses manifold depravations and necessary reparations thereof Now I proceed to the second part The Chronicle of Conscience II. PART Their Conscience also bearing witnesse AS formerly witnesse to the truth and equity of the Law-book and thereby exciting us to the work thereof so now a witnesse to God and to our hearts whether we perform the Law or not For Doctrine Conscience preserves a memoriall of all a mans actions It is not a dead but a living book annexed to the soul and as it hath in one part the rules to guide our life so it writes in another part the course of our life and is as I said before Gods Lieger Ambassadour both to put man in minde of his duty and also to observe what he doth and whether a man look on his Law-book or not whether he minde his duty or not Conscience sits silent and close in a corner of his heart like a Register in his office continually noting and writing the mans courses plots devices with all their materiall circumstances how they swerve or agree with the instructions set down in the Law-book without any partiality as Gods true and faithfull witnesse and this is Saint Chrysostomes Codex Chrysostom on Psal 50. homil 2. in quo quotidiana peccata conscribuntur A book wherein our dayly sinnes are written The Conscience is an individuall or unseparable companion of a mans soul it walks though invisibly in the same gardens with him sits at the same table lies in the same bed Many men are unmarried but none lives single they may walk speak and think without other companions but never without their Conscience that is still partaker of all their counsels that not onely heares and sees but writes down and records as in a Chronicle all things done said or thought By this Chronicle of our lives we may finde written whether we minded it or no while it was in writing undeniable records testifying whether we did this or that or whether we did it not as in sinne David willingly forgot hid and covered his grievous sinnes 2. Sam. 12.13 thinking they should never come to light but after nine moneths Nathan opened his Conscience and compelled him to confesse it So it was with Judas Matt. 27.3 4. So the Conscience of Josephs brethren was not minded by them Gen. 42.21 22. till their affliction in Egypt made them look into it and then they saw their crueltie to their brother written in large letters and convicting them of sinne So of our innocency 1. Sam. 24.11 Davids Conscience shewed him he had not conspired against Saul Samuel could boldly say 1. Sam. 12.3 Whose ex have I taken or whose asse have I taken whom have I defrauded whom have I oppressed or of whose hand have I received any bribe Moses could say of Korah Dathan Abiram and their companies Num. 16.15 I have not taken an asse from them neither have I hurt any of them Let no man sinne then Vse 1 in hope to be hid for lack of witnesses He may blinde the world but neither God nor his own Conscience he carries mille testes a thousand witnesses in his own bosome or one as strong as a thousand which will testifie his own secretest sinnes to his own sorrow and shame when God cites it While traitours think their practises remain covered and unknown they are somewhat hearty to denie but when their own letters or other accusers privy to their facts are produced against them into the open light 1. Sam. 25.37 then their hearts like Nabals die within them Or as a murderer having left two men for dead and being afterward apprehended for suspicion and stoutly denying all now when he sees one of them brought in alive able to see him and to speak then he cries out Alas art thou alive then I am undone so a wicked man would deny all but when God brings forth his living Conscience to accuse him then he is stricken dumbe and findes he is undone I reade of a Philosopher that hearing his creditour was dead kept the money which he had borrowed without witnesses a night or two but after some strugling with his Conscience he carried it to his Executour saying Mihi vivit qui aliis mortuus est He is alive to me though he be dead to others Oh offend not thy Conscience which alwayes watcheth thee and writes up thine own sinne and shame against thee Turpe quid ausurus te sine teste time O Ahab 1. Kings 21. how cunningly and closely contrivest and conveyest thou thy mischievous practises against a poore innocent Will not a palace a kingdome content thee where thou maist live in love in honour in wealth and pleasure but thou must have Naboths vineyard too and to get it rush headlong into such damnable courses as to counterfeit a Religious fast making a shew of Devotion a cloke to cover an odious sinne which is the height of impietie and to suborn false witnesses to accuse an innocent corrupt the Judges under colour of law to condemn him to take away his livelyhood and withall his good name and the pitie and compassion of his neighbours and beholders which is the height of Tyrannie yea worse if any thing can be worse then stoning him to death and depriving himself and his children of inheritance and life And doth not thy Conscience check thee for all this Surely Conscience had written it up but he minded it not for joy of his fine contrived excheat till coming from taking possession he met the Prophet Elias to whom he said Hast thou found me 1. Kings 21.20 O mine enemie Why his enemie Oh his Conscience now accused him of his wickednesse which had made both God and good men his enemies and now at last he found in stead of magnifying his house and establishing his posteritie what an evil covetousnesse he had coveted to his own house what a vengeance he brought upon himself and his posteritie Oh Absalom how well mightest thou flourish if the favour of a King the love of a kingdome the beauty of thy person wealth honour and pleasure with any moderation would content thee But thou art sick of the Father and ambition carries thee headlong into treasonable courses and untimely death Thou colourest thy foul practises
Gods word how to carrie our selves purely and profitably therein This must be our a Psal 119.105 lamp and light our b vers 24. delight and counsellour to make us wiser then our c vers 98. enemies d vers 99. teachers e vers 100. ancients f Matt. 10.16 wise as serpents innocent as doves the onely way to g Psal 119.9 11. cleanse our wayes and make them h Josh 1.7 8. prosper This as David said was the blessed mans practise i Psal 1.2 day and night Shall the wicked k Psal 36.4 devise mischief upon their beds and shall not the religious meditate upon goodnesse to be performed sinne to be avoided Conscience to be kept cleare Shall men studie upon the Princes laws to live securely here and not Gods people upon Gods laws to live happily for ever God commandeth Deut. 6.7 8 9 Thou shalt talk of my laws when thou liest down and when thou risest up or sittest in thy house or walkest in the way they shall be in thy heart hand forehead posts and gates Therefore let us learn and consider our dutie beforehand and make vows to perform it resolving never to be withdrawn from it by fear favour lucre pleasure or any earthly thing and pray to God to give us his grace and Spirit for constancie heedfulnesse and good successe therein Secondly at night before we sleep let us look upon our chronicle and search in that book of our Conscience what we have said or done that day Psal 119.59 I thought upon my wayes saith David and turned my feet unto thy testimonies I made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments The golden verses of Pythagoras taught naturall men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. aur carm Chrysost in Psal 50. hom 2. Antequam veniat tibi somnus profer in medium codicem Conscientiam tuam reminiscere peccata tua si quid in verbo sacto cogitatione peccâsti Not to admit sleep into their eyes till they had thrice run over all they had done that day that they might detest and amend the evil delight in the good and continue in it S. Chrysostome teacheth the same to Christians Before the approach of sleep saith he produce thy book thy Conscience and remember wherein thou hast offended in word deed or thought And Eusebius Emissenus saith Let every soul speak to it self in the secret of his heart How have I spent this day without sinne without envie backbiting murmuring have I profited my self or any other by good deeds or edification have I not lied sworn amisse yeelded to my lusts done hurt to some body who shall restore me this day which I have lost in vanitie or spent in evil Optimus ille Trapezita saith Climachus He keeps his books evenest his layings out and his comings in that every night books all his receits and expenses and makes all straight before he sleep We should so search our Consciences and judge our selves without partialitie that when we come before the Judge Coelo descendit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Juven Domine noverim me noverim te Bern. Psal 132.3 4 5. he may say I need not judge this man for he hath judged himself alreadie 1. Cor. 11.31 And as David vowed I will not climbe up into my bed nor suffer mine eyes to sleep c. untill I finde out a place for the temple of the Lord an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob So let us resolve I will not sleep till I make my body the temple of the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 6.19 Matt. 21.12 13. I will not rest till I have swept and cleansed it from all sinfull filthinesse as Christ did the temple at Jerusalem that I may sleep with a clean heart to my God and rest confident of safetie under his protection saying with David Lord Psal 4.8 9. thou hast now put gladnesse in my heart I will now lay me down in peace and take my rest for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safety Thirdly when our seventh day dedicated to Gods service approacheth as God looked back upon all his works of the six dayes so let us look back upon ours that if we finde all well we may blesse God for it if any thing still amisse reconcile our selves to God more throughly and use this seventh day as it was ordained for sanctification for deprecation for information for excitation and stirring us up to all good duties yea and for almes and resolution of restitution for all wrongs done by us and pardoning offences done against us Thus having washed our selves seven times in the seven dayes of the week as Naaman did seven times in Jordan 2. Kings 5. by the Prophets appointment the leprosie of our sinnes may be cleansed away and our Consciences as the flesh of his bodie become pure and tender as of an innocent childe to our incomparable comfort And these things we should renew and perform most exactly in our preparation to the holy Communion 1. Cor. 11.28 and at the beginning of the new yeare looking back into the old how we have served God how he hath preserved us and wherein we have offended looking forward into the new with purpose to be new creatures as old things are past away and all things become new 2. Cor. 5.17 All this is as possible as it is profitable See it exemplified in an honourable man an exemplarie Christian This is written by a worthy Minister Mr. Jeremy Dyke in his Epistle dedicatorie before his brothers book entituled The deceitfulnesse of Mans heart the late young Lord Harrington be it ever remembred for Gods glory his honour and our imitation His course was to keep a catalogue or diarie of his sinnes against God and every night or the next morning to review the faults of the day past every seventh morning or night before to review the faults of the whole week and at the end of every moneth to surview the whole moneths transgression All this the better to know and humble himself and renew the practise of his repentance And the day before the receiving of the holy Communion he alwayes humbled himself with fasting prayer and confession The Lord of heaven finde us so alwayes occupied that at our death we may receive that blessed welcome for the well employing of our times and talents Matth. 25.21 Well done thou good and faithfull servant thou hast been faithfull in little I will make thee ruler over much Enter into thy Masters joy FINIS AN APPENDIX TO THE FOREGOING SERMON Concerning the Ceremonies of the Church of ENGLAND By the same Authour HINC LVCEM ET POCVLA SACRA Alma Mater Printed by the Printers to the Vniversitie of Cambridge 1639. To the Reader DEare Christian Reader understanding that this Sermon hath done good to many that either heard it or read some notes of it and that if it were published with some Appendix added proving our
Ceremonies to be approved by the reasons and testimonies of other learned reverend and pious men it would do much good to many more I have taken the pains to adde such an Appendix Wherein I might have alledged reasons out of many other worthy Authours Archbish Whitgifts books against Mr. Cartwright Dr. Bridges Mr. Richard Hooker Dr. Covel Dr. Spark Dr. Gardiner Dr. Powell Dr. Collins Mr. Francis Mason Mr. Ambrose Fisher and others But because I write specially to such younger and poorer ministers as either are not able or willing to purchase many costly books of this subject or not at leisure to reade them I have thought best to referre such Readers if they be not satisfied with my short Abstract specially to three of the last who have read and weighed all which the former Authours have written with the replies and answers to wit our Reverend Bishop Mortons Defence printed anno 1618. Dr. Burges his answer to the replie of a namelesse Authour who laboured to confute or elude B. Mortons Defence printed anno 1631. and Mr. John Sprint his Cassander Anglicus printed anno 1618. These and I hope the least shortest or lowest prized of these will satisfie any reasonable Reader if he turn in them to the larger handling of the points by my allegations Their reasons are occasionally dispersed through their whole books but I have here collected and referred them to certain heads or chapters for the Readers better ease in finding them and judgement in weighing them often contracting their larger discourses into fewer words where they may be abbreviated and onely using their words at length where they are more necessary and urgent then shorter could be These few short chapters I hope will passe and be read where greater volumes will not And this I have done simply and plainly without respect of gaining any credit or applause of learning to my self but onely of their love and out of an earnest desire to draw them with a good Conscience willingly and cheerfully to do that which otherwise of necessitie they must do ¶ A table of the Chapters and Contents of this APPENDIX CHAP. I. OVr Ceremonies are Adjuncts not Parts of Gods proper worship and alterable Set forms of prayers are of Divine institution CHAP. II. Our book of publick prayers and Ceremonies made known to the famousest forrein Divines were approved by them all CHAP. III. Answering the objection of Significancie CHAP. IIII. Answering the objections drawn from the old Testament and of things formerly abused by the Jews and Heathens CHAP. V. Answering the objection of Ceremonies abused formerly by Papists CHAP. VI. Three particulars the Surplesse Crosse in baptisme and Kneeling at Communions cleared CHAP. VII Our Ceremonies commended for their ancient and profitable use CHAP. VIII Imposed by lawfull authoritie they may not be omitted without sinne CHAP. I. Our Ceremonies are injoyned as Adjuncts not Parts of Gods proper worship and therefore alterable Set forms of prayers are of Divine institution and alwayes used in Gods Church IT is the constant doctrine of all Divines and Churches both Ancient and Modern that God hath sufficiently comprehended and perspicuously delivered the whole substance of his own proper worship and things necessary to mans salvation in the holy Scriptures and that these things must evermore be the same in all Churches and unalterable But the circumstances and ceremonies of his publick worship as of place time ornaments gestures c. for the more reverent and devout performance thereof he hath left to the wisdome of every particular or nationall Church to make choice of so that all things be done according to that generall rule the Canon of Canons delivered by S. Paul 1. Cor. 14.40 26. Let all things be done decently orderly and to edification These things the Lord left to the libertie of every Church partly because they are not of the substance of his worship or of mens salvation but adjuncts onely and partly because one form thereof cannot fit every countrey or age but must be varied and applied to severall nations and times as shall be found most convenient Thus teacheth Saint Hierom epist 28. ad Lucinum concluding thus Vnaquaeque provincia abundet in suo sensu And thus Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine who is accounted The mouth of the Fathers epist 86 118 119. alibi passim Totum hoc genus say they liberas habet observationes And thus that old common saying Dissonantia jejunii non tollit consonantiam fidei And thus Zanchius the great reformed Schoolman tomo 8. Loco 16. De traditionibus Ecclesiasticis pag. 821 c. And thus all other late Divines as will appeare full enough in our chapters following And thus our Church professeth in our book of articles Anno 1562. Artic. 34. Every particular or nationall Church hath authoritie to ordain change and abolish ceremonies or rites of the Church ordained onely by mans authority so that all things be done to edifying And in the preface before the book of common Prayer confirmed by act of Parliament touching ceremonies we have these words We think it convenient that every countrey should use such ceremonies as they shall think fit to the setting forth of Gods honour and glory and to the reducing of the people to a most perfect and godly living without errour or superstition and that they should put away other things which they perceive to be most abused as in mens ordinances it often chanceth diversly in divers countreys And these words also These Ceremonies are retained for a discipline and order which upon just causes may be altered and changed and therefore are not to be esteemed equall with Gods law See here how vain and ignorant their doubt is that think our Ceremonies are imposed as parts of Gods proper worship And whereas some mislike that any set form of prayers should be imposed in the publick service of God I wish them to consider better that God himself not onely allowed but imposed such and his best servants used such Numb 6.23 On this wise saith the Lord shall ye blesse the children of Israel saying c. the three verses following set down the very words to be said and Num. 10.35 36. there is the set prayer which Moses must pronounce when the Ark was to go forwards All the Psalmes are prayers or praises of God in set forms and words answering the length and number of musick notes and when it was to rest And Deut. 26.3 the set form of words to be said at the offering of the first fruits and vers 5. and 13. And Psalme 92. was made properly for the Sabbath day and Psalme 22. for every morning and Psalme 102 for times of affliction This appeareth by the titles of these Psalmes The like is 2. Chron. 29.30 And we finde Rom. 1.7 1. Cor. 1.3 2. Cor. 1.2 Galat. 1.3 Ephes 1.2 Saint Paul used the same set form of words or prayers without variation And our Saviour Christ himself Matth.