and carelesse running on to wickednesse without restraint But a good Conscience is so at peace that yet it is fearefull of the least impiety lest by admitting the pleasure of sinne it should procure the displeasure of God who is so good and louing a Father in Christ Lastly a blinde or dead or carelesse Conscience though it be quiet yet it comforteth not nor can it get any true or found ioy vnto the soule Rom. 5.1 2 3 4 5 6. But a Conscience pacified with the hope of pardon and assurance of Gods fauour begets a ioy of soule which is vnutterable cherishing the heart with diuine and heauenly mirth euen in the middest of many dangers Saint Ambrose hee obserueth an euill conscience is a Bed Ambros lib. de interpellat c. 3. that when a man should sleepe it giueth him torments feares and terrors in stead of quietnesse Bern. in Vigil Natiuit serm 3. Foelix conscientia in qua luctamen timoris laetitiae reperitur c. Etsi â—imet à Iudice sperat à Saluatore c. Quia non timor sempiternus sed laetitia sempiterna 1. Sam. 24 4 5. A Conscience that is good procures the contrary not that a Conscience good is alwayes free from sense of trouble for as Saint Bernard saith happy is that Conscience in which is found the combate of feare and ioy feare when it looketh on God as a iust Iudge punishing for sinne and ioy when it beholded him as a louing Father pardoning sinne to his Children in Christ and for the merits of his death and Passion And the tender conscience which is deare in sight of God is like a Spider that sitteth within the Center of her web and if a fly but touch the out-most thread shee feeleth it instantly Iust so the child of God is touched in Conscience for the smallest sinne like Dauid but for cutting off the lappe of Sauls garment This is a Filiall Feare which is and ought to bee in all the Sonnes of God and t is the meanes for to preserue a good and quiet Conscience Quest. But how may this good conscience be obtained what must we doe to get it that so we may take care to keepe it Answ I answer A good and quiet conscience is a speciall gift of God to him therefore we must pray from whom comes euery good and perfect gift Iam. 1.17 and vse the meanes which is the readiest to procure it But before I shew what this meanes is Christ Iesus the foundation of true peace of Conscience 2. Thes 3.16 obserue this by the way There is now but one foundation vpon which this peace is builded and without which there can bee no true peace vnto the soule Adam before his fall had a good and peaceable conscience because hee was free from sinne remayning in his perfection Rom. 4.25 But now onely Christ Iesus and the merits of his death and resurrection is the meanes of peace God the Father being well pleased with vs in him Mat. 17.6 and Christ purchasing and procuring our peace by the blood of his Crosse Coloss 1.20 And this if wee apply rightly vnto our selues by a true and liuely faith we are iustified and being iustified by faith we haue peace with God Rom. 5.1 There is nothing that can make a good and peaceable conscience but the vertue of his blood Gen. 8.9 the soule like Noahs Doue can find no rest but in this Arke Though our conscience condemne vs not yet is God greater then our conscience 1. Iohn 3.20 and can easily find a cause of warre against vs if he looke not vpon vs in his Sonne It is this blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then did the blood of Abel Heb. 12.24 It is this blood of Christ who thorow the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God that can purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God Heb. 9.14 It is this onely that begets a good and quiet conscience Rom. 8.1 Rom. 6.4.6 Philip. 2.12 2. Pet. 1.10 taking away sinnes guilt from vs and crucifying sinnes power in vs that we may walke in newnesse of life working out our saluation with feare and trembling and labouring to make our calling and election sure If thy conscience sting thee Numb 21.9 Christ is the brazen Serpent that can cure thee If the Law of thy conscience like Mount Sinai affright thee with terrors Exod. 10.23 worse then Egyptian darkenesse in Christ is the Gospell of light that can enlighten thine vnderstanding and lighten thy heart with ioy and gladnesse If the red Sea of thy troubled conscience hinder thy passage to escape thy enemies that follow thee and to come to the happiness before thee Christ is the way the truth Iohn 14.6 and the life by whom thou maist passe boldly through the middest of dangers to the Canaan of peace and freedome This is the good Physitian who can cure all diseases and therefore easily procure peace vnto a troubled Conscience The meanes to get and keepe this peace of Conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 First therefore to get and keepe this blessed peace of Conscience it is not to keepe merry company to driue away melancholy as some imagine but to keepe thy most holy faith and preserue the memory and application of this bloud of Iesus as a rich treasure in thy soule It is an Antidote to expell all the poyson of Satans temptations or thy owne corruptions there is no sinne thou hast committed can be more powerfull to plead against thee Orizen â—â—ulla species peceati tanta est qua non sit superior Iesus 1 Iohn 1.7 then vpon faith and repentance the merits of this bloud is to plead for thee before the throne of Gods Iustice nor any thing more effectuall to clense thee from all thy sinnes and therefore being rightly applied to free thee from conscience of iniquity and settle in thee a most sweet and blessed peace A direction to peace Bern. super Cant. Serm. 46. 1. Emundes conscientiam ab omni inquinamenâ—o c. 2 Circundare tibi flores c. 1. Meanes to procure peace 2 Cor. 13.5 1. Hinderance of peace And to direct thee further follow Saint Bernards counsell first clense thy Conscience from all kind of pollution from whatsoeuer hath or may offend thy conscience or procure the trouble of it and next gather those sweet flowers of spirituall graces of faith and good workes of all heauenly vertues to decke thy soule that it may be a pleasant temple for the good Spirit to dwell it This is the way for to enioy a good and quiet conscience Remedy 1 And for the first of these to put it in practice trie and examine thy selfe search into the secret of thy heart and if thou find that thy sinnes vnseene or vnfelt haue procured thy woe then is repentance the meanes to take away the doubt and scruple of thy Conscience for as a
conscience with what corruption they obtain the Cure of soules so they may get it and then they care as little for to feed them except it bee with meat that is worse then poyson their own bad example by which they bring themselues and others to destruction Luc. 11.35 Mat. 5.13 14. A wofull thing when that the light is darkned and the salt hath lost his sauour when as the Preachers life should lead to heauen it leads men to perdition Sometimes amongst the Lawyers it is entertained of such who make no conscience to excite and stirre vp men to needlesse suites Luc. 11.46 encouraging to warre when peace is better entertaining Causes with their armes wide open and receiuing fees with both hands with one to speake with the other to hold their peace And when they haue got a man to bee their prisoner they feed him then with bread and water of affliction vntill his purse bee emptie or his state consumed what time they send him home amongst his neighbours to end the controuersie with two honest men in stead of twelue Sometimes this large and spacious Conscience is amongst the Gentry where it is entertained of such who make no conscience of most vile oppressions grinding the faces of the poore racking their Tenants at so high a rate that though themselues their wiues children are their Land-lords slaues yet can they not be kept from beggery And as little Conscience doe they make of Sacriledge a sin as common and worse then the former whiles they are not content to robbe the Church of all her ancient rights but in prophane and wicked manner by symoniacall compacts sell both themselues their Priests and people to the Deuill and this they thinke is no sin it is so ordinary because their Conscience is now asleepe but they shall one day finde it so when as the booke of Conscience shall bee opened Sometimes amongst the Iurors and that at time of Assise and Sessions you may easily finde this Conscience to bee in those who make no conscience of an oath but contrary to their oath will giue their verdict not as truth and conscience would direct them but as malice or affection leads them But woe to such for their conscience one day shall bee both a witnesse and a Iudge against them when once the Booke of Conscience shall bee opened And commonly this Conscience is amidst the Common sort especially inferior Officers who should be euen the life of Law in bringing wickednesse before the Iudge and after sentence giuen in seeing Iustice executed But they haue Consciences as wide as hell either for feare of greatnesse or for loue of baseness smothering vile enormities which not being kild in time haue filled the land with sinnes that cry for vengeance And this though men be sworne yet doe they suffer because their booke of Conscience is not opened And thus you see the large and spacious Conscience and the seuerall sorts of men by whom it is entertained Conscience 4 There is yet Conscientia superstitiosa a superstitious Conscience most commonly amongst our ignorant Papists blinded with shadowes circumstances ceremonies deceiued with shewes and selfe-conceited opinions of Antiquity vniuersality infallibility of iudgment succession of gouernment and the like being wedded to will-worship Isay Coloss 2.18 and sporting themselues in the prison of ignorance vntill it pleaseth God to bring them as he doth many of them before they die out of darknesse inâ—o light and from the power of condemning error vnto the sauing Truth of God Conscience 5 And there is Conscientia scrupulosa a scrupulous or dubious Conscience 1 A dubious Conscience in matters of substance which if it be in Substance in the tender-hearted Christian assaulted with the violence of Satans sleights or ouer-burdened with the sight and sense of selfe-corruption or terrified with too much contemplation of Gods fearfull iudgments due to sinne for the guilt of which the Conscience is accused and affected with too little of Application of Christs precious merits and those gratious promises of pardon and freedom from Gods direfull vengeance vpon The causes of doubting in a tender Conscience true repentance and faith in Christ If this bee the cause of feare and scruple in this kinde of Conscience which sometimes brings the weake and feeble Christian to the mouth of Hell and pits-brinke of despaire Then though in the end it turneth vnto the good of Gods Elect to moue them to a tryall of their states to search and proue their hearts and consciences to finde out what 's amisse and what 's the cause of this their doubting whether their sinnes which perhaps haue long lien hidden kept secret in the closet of their hearts not truly seene nor felt nor yet repented of or their security in which before they were lulled asleepe being idle and neglecting to vnfold their Booke of Conscience Or their want of faith in Christ and firme affiance on Gods true and neuer-failing promises Or their trust too much vnto themselues seeking for peace and comfort more in the measure of their owne righteousnesse then in the free imputed righteousnesse of Christ Or lastly in their ignorance and erroneous iudgment of a Christians state here in the Church that 's militant and those many combats we must vndergoe before we passe from all our enemies or get within the gates of Paradise for any one of these may bring a Christian from the rock of stedfastnes to a world of doubts and feares Though in the end I say these feares and scruples may procure this good vnto the soul to see it selfe and find the cause of this distresse yet is this sicknesse dangerous and the cure is difficult And therfore here the weak and tender conscience had neede to pray and seeke a wise a holy and a good Physitian who like Christ may poure in wine and oyle the Law and Gospell tempered together with piety and discretion Luc. 10.34 and applyed with a soft and gentle hand vntill the Conscience being rightly informed may see the cause and labour to remoue it that so a setled stedfastnesse may bee obtained A dubious conscience in respect of circumstance And how this may bee I shall shew the meanes God willing when I come to speak of Conscience as 't is good to which I rather refer this Conscience though it be sicke weak and doubtful because it may be in the best dearest saints of God But if this Doubting bee in Circumstance as t is often in the selfe-conceited Separatists who are ouer nice and curious in tything Minte Annis and Cummin in standing vpon shadowes ceremonies and things indifferent But too carelesse otherwise letting the greater matters of the Law alone as our Sauiour sometimes told the Pharises in this respect their predecessors Mat. 23.23 Then though their desire bee good to doe nothing contrary or against their conscience yet were it farre better to seeke and labour that their Conscience may bee rightly
thorne within the flesh will soone fester and procure an ach and griefe Gal. 6.15.16 from which thou canst not be free vntill the thorne be taken forth and the corruption drawne away euen so whiles that any sinne though neuer so small lyeth cankering in thy heart it will wound thy Conscience with feares and doubts and if it bee not remoued in time procure a senslesnesse like a Gangrene to kill both soule and body Hinderance 2 But if security be the cause then must thou rise from sleepe and first make search into thy Conscience lest any secret thiefe Remedy 1 haue stolne away thy heart like Delilah to rob thee of thy strength Iudg. 16.16.17 and by treason at vnawares to deliuer thee ouer to thy enemies and next be sure to keepe a carefull watch ouer all Remedy 2 thy thoughts thy words and workes doe nothing contrary to the rule and law of God Hinderance 3 Thirdly if it bee want of Faith or feare because thou art not alwayes free from doubting Remedy 1 First vse the meanes for to encrease thy faith the Word the Sacraments the meditation of Gods gracious promises and prayer vnto that good Spirit who makes all these effectuall to the soule Remedy 2 And next know thisthat though thou art not alwayes free from doubting thy faith may yet be true and good for euen the best of Gods owne dearest ones haue sometimes felt a doubting in their soules as Dauid Ezekia Iob and Paul that blessed Saint Psal 88.14.15 Isay 38.13.14 Iob 10.17.18 We are troubled on euery side saith he yet not distressed wee are perplexed or full of doubts but yet despaire not 2 Cor. 4.8 Hinderance of peace 4 Fourthly if thou hast trusted too much vnto thy selfe and sought for peace where none was to be found flye from thy selfe to Christ who calleth in mercy all that bee afflicted and Remedy 1 promiseth to giue them ease and rest Mat. 11.28 Hinderance 5 Lastly if ignorance of God or of his law or of a Christians state haue beene any meanes to hinder thee of thy peace labor for knowledge especially in the Catechisme or grounds Remedy 1 of Christian faith and vse the meanes with loue delight and any paines or cost to get this spirituall vnderstanding For what greater miserie then to walke in darknesse or what more fearfull iudgement then to liue and die in ignorance or what will sooner bring a man to foule despaire then to be imprisoned in a Labyrinth of woe and trouble and not to know the meanes how to be freed Flye euill then the euill of sinne the least sin in thought in word or deed as Hell it selfe especially knowne and presumptuous sinnes those sinnes which are against the Conscience resist and pray against as Dauid did Psal 19.13 and kill the seeds of sinne flye the occasions quench the fire betime lest it grow too big for thee Psal 137.9 dash Babylons children against the stones while they be young Thus shalt thou more easily conquer iniquity and get or keepe a quiet conscience 2 Meanes to get peace of Conscience But this is not all that 's necessary to procure thy peace of Conscience Thou must not onely eschew euill but do good to get and to preserue this good and quiet conscience 1 Doe good In the law of God Vice is not onely forbidden but Vertue commanded and obedience in both respects required and that Vniuersall Obedience thou must with Dauid haue an eye to all Gods Commandements Psal 119. thou must hide them in thy heart that thou mayest not sinne against God thou must not take care of the first Table onely Psal 119. and neglect the Second nor of the Second only and neglect the First God and thy neighbour are both obiects of thy loue and obedience Luc. 10.27 though in a different respect and towards both thou mayest not forget thy duty if thou desirest to keepe a good and a quiet Conscience One sinne yea the lest sin against any precept is enough to condemne thee for he that failes but in one poynt is guilty of all Iames 2.10 and as if thou hast heard but of one thiefe hidden secretly in thy bed-chamber it is sufficient to keepe thee from sleepe so one sinne of omission or commission is able to hinder thee of this peace 2 Doe good sincerely Secondly thy obedience must bee sincere and vpright thou must doe euery duty vprightly though thou canst not doe it perfectly God requireth the heart Psal 119.7 Prou. 23.26 Deut. 6.5 and the affections of thy heart and whole heart must be giuen vnto him Gods pure eyes cannot endure to behold any impiety neither shall any euill dwell with him and much lesse can hee endure hypocrisie that our workes should bee done in shew onely and not in substance and sincerity before him It is onely the sincere and vpright man that can enioy a good conscience 3 Doe good constantly Thirdly as God expects sincerity so he lookes for constancy and perseuerance in well doing Reuel 2.10 hee that will receiue the Crowne of life he must be faithfull vnto the Death It is not sufficient to serue God in youth and neglect him in age nor to worship God on the Sabbath and Satan all the weeke after not to be holy amongst those which are holy and prophane when thou commest into wicked company This Wethercocke Religion cannot stand with the peace of a good Conscience they are like fire and water light and darkenesse one must of necessity expell the other Prou. 4.23 Be not idle therefore or secure but watch diligently ouer thy selfe and Conscience and exercise thy selfe as Saint Paul did that thou maist haue alwayes a Conscience voyd of offence towards God Acts 24.26 and towards man Thus mayest thou get this blessed peace of conscience this assurance or Reconciliation betweene God and thee and being once obtained it can neuer finally bee lost Rom. 11.29 though the sense of it may bee lost for a time the grace of faith and holinesse and assurance or the feeling of grace being hid in thee as the Sun vnder the clouds Similitude the fire couered with ashes the trees in the winter a man in a trance or the like The true way of a Christian to the new Jerusalem The meanes of recouering the sense of true peace as at large I haue shewed in another Treatise to which I referre thee And being lost for a time thou mayest againe recouer it and the sooner and with more ioy if thou vse the good meanes those holy duties which are helpfull to a Christian for this spirituall exercise As first priuate frequent and feruent prayer to God for his grace and fauour as Dauid did Cast mee not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from mee restore vnto me the ioy of thy saluation and stablish mee with thy free Spirit Psal 51.11.12 Secondly the remembrance of Gods ancient mercies of his
deaths and hellish torments and all for Christ because their Conscience was to them a heauen of ioy euen in a hell of griefe of sorrow This is the benefit of a blessed Conscience which the Saints shall then receiue at full when as the Booke of Conscience shall be opened Rules of Counsell to get and preserue a good Conscience A word of Counsell before I end this Booke To get and keepe a good and quiet Conscience take these rules with you for a guide to all the rest Since that your Conscience is and shall bee both a witnesse and a iudge First labour rightly to informe your Conscience lest blindnesse lead your Conscience out of the way and then shee erre in iudgment And next since Conscience is alwaies neare at hand being placed of God within you be sure to aduise with Conscience before you haue vndertaken any action First aske her counsell whether it be lawful which you intend to do or no if your conscience doubt then stay your heart your tongue your hand nor thinke nor speake nor doe before your Conscience be resolued For as S. Paul affirmes that what is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 In Roman so Origen Fulgentius Augustine Chrysostome Aquinas with the Schooles all the Current of our late Diuines conclude that case of Conscience Doe nothing doubting therefore but if your conscience once be quiet then be you sure to obey the checke of Conscience sinne not against it for he that sins against his conscience loseth the sweete society of a good and getteth the trembling company of an euill conscience The close of this Booke Be alwaies guided therfore by a well informed conscience directed by the Law and Word of God thus shall you still enioy that blessed peace euen when the Booke of Conscience shall be opened The third Booke The Booke of Life And thus you haue heard the second Booke the Booke of Conscience A word in briefe of the third and last And this is Liber vitae the Booke of Life Of this Booke you may read in diuers places of the holy Scripture Moses speakes of it to God Exod. 32.32 Dauid rehearseth it Psal 69.28 So doth the Prophet Isaiah Chapter 4.3 and in Daniel it is remembred Dan. 12.1 Reioyce saith our Sauiour because your names are written in heauen Luc. 10.20 S. Paul calleth it the Booke of life in which the names of the Saints are written Phil. 4.3 So doth S. Iohn Reuel 3.5 And so it is named in my Text And another Booke was opened which is the Booke of life Explication By this Booke some vnderstand Christ himselfe Foelix Bidembachius prompt exequ Class 9. Them 31. in whom wee were chosen before the foundation of the world God hauing predestinated vs vnto the adoption of children by Christ vnto himselfe as S. Paul speakes Ephes 1.4 5. And into whom being wild Oliues by nature wee are ingrafted by grace and stand by faith Rom. 11.17 and 19 verses And in whom the Saints Elect doe and shall abide as the branches in the Vine Ioh. 15.5 Christ dwelling in them and they in him 1 Ioh. 3.24 And in whom they shall bee found at the day of iudgement for At that day yee shall know saith Christ that I am in the Father and you in mee and I in you Ioh. 14.20 And being found in Christ when the Bookes are opened they shall certainly be saued for that of S. Paul is now and shall bee alwaies true There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.1 Perkinsus expositione symboli Zanchius de libro vitae Others vnderstand this Booke not of Christ himselfe but of that Decree and minde or purpose of God in which hee hath set downe all those whom in and by Christ according to the counsell of his owne will hee hath ordained to life eternall The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 that is whom hee hath chosen to life and happinesse If it be taken in eyther sense first of Christ himselfe who is Arbor vitae the Tree of life and Liber exemplaris a liuing exemplary Book the characters of whose most vpright steps wee should learne to imitate in all our actions and who in some respect may well bee called The Booke of life Or of that other Booke the booke of Gods decree which is truely and properly the Booke of Life It is true of both that both these shall bee opened at that day of Assises that which now is secret shall then bee shewed to all it shall then bee knowne whose names are written in Christ or whom God hath decreed to life eternall All these Bookes shall be opened the Booke of Gods prescience the Booke of mans Conscience and the Booke of life And according to these Bookes examination shall bee taken of the prisoners and euidence giuen vnto the Iudge and as this is giuen so shall the sentence bee declared Vse 1 O happie thrice happie then shall that man bee in the Booke of whose conscience shall bee found those characters of faith and righteousnesse which may agree to those are written in the Booke of Life For as in time of Grace there is no man truly giueth his name to Christ or relisheth aright his Gospell but they whose names are written in the Booke of Life So in that time of iudgment there is none shall be found written in that Booke of Life but those who in the time of mercy haue had within their hearts and consciences imprinted as in a Booke Heb. 11.6 Heb. 12 14. those golden letters both of faith and holinesse at lest in such a measure as God in Christ hath promised to accept For as of old in the returne from the captiuity of Babylon those Iewes who could not find the writing of their Genealogie and shew their Fathers house were put from all their Offices as vncleane and might not bee in number of the Priests Nehemiah 7.64 So in that Generall returne from the Captiuity of Babylon the Babylon of this world Brightmannus in Apocalyps those only shall haue places in the Church Tryumphant and liue as Kings and Priests with Christ who can bring forth this written Booke the Booke of Faith and Holinesse in their hearts and consciences as a true Copie or Counterpane of that Booke of Life and proue themselues by Faith and Holinesse to bee the Sonnes of God For as God hath elected vs to Happinesse in the Kingdome of glory which is the end at which we ayme and which wee endeuour to obtaine so hath he chosen vs to Faith and Holinesse which are the meanes to bring vnto that end as Saint Paul witnesseth Ephes 1.4 Vse 2 And therefore woe and misery shall bee vnto the wicked whose Booke of Conscience is not faire and white like to the Saints made glorious with the engrauen forme of righteousnesse imputed and inhaerent But foule and blacke in which they dayly write enormous crimes and euery moment spot
your sinnes no more Esay 43.25 But for your righteousnesse that shall bee had in euerlasting memory your workes of piety and works of pitty shall not be forgotten Mat. 6.4 Mat. 25.36 Though other men vniustly censure you it is God that seeth in secret and will reward you openly your zeale for truth and righteousnesse are in his presence Act. 10.4 your prayers and almes-deeds are gone to heauen before you your sighs and sobs and teares in secret he putteth into his bottle Psal 56.8 and all these things are noted in his Booke Reioyce therefore in the Lord alwaies and againe I say reioyce for it is for your good that the Bookes are opened And thus you haue seene the first booke the booke of Gods eternal prescience and foreknowledge 2 The Booke of Conscience opened The second followeth and this is Liber Conscientiae The Booke of euery mans particular Conscience for this also shall be opened at that last day of reckoning as the Master of the Sentences affirmes in his fourth booke and forty three Distinction Now Conscientia dicitur cum alio scientiae saith Aquinas Conscience is said to bee knowledge with another Aquinas prim parâ— Sum qu. 79. aâ—tic â—3 and well it may because God and conscience beare witnesse together Or Conscience is Cordis sâ—ientia the science or knowledg of the heart because the heart knoweth both it selfe and other things Hugo de anima liâ— 2 cap. 12. When it knoweth other things it is called science and when it knoweth it selfe it is called conscience as Hugo de anima obserues Therefore the Scripture calleth Conscience the Heart 1 Ioh. 3.20 and rightly it may in this respect because Conscience reflects vpon the Heart being enlightned by the vnderstanding and hence it is Concludens scientia a concluding science as the Schoolemen speake arguing out of principles from whence it either acquitteth or condemneth vs in all our actions I cannot stand to shew you at large the diuers opinions of the Schooles and other Diuines concerning this Booke of Conscience I will as briefly as I can giue you a touch of some few that you may the better conceiue what Conscience is Oriâ—en lib. 2. in Rom. Origen hee thought that Conscience was euery mans particular Angell a good conscience a good Angell and a bad conscience an euill Angell but this conceit was weake without proofe or approbation Some thinke this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sparke of Conscience to be Habitus animae Relicta rationis sciâ—â—â—lia Aquinas 1. par Sum. qu. 79. artic 12. 13. A habit of the Soule to which Aquinas bendeth in the first part of his Summes Question the seuenty nine Article the twelfth But in the thirteenth Article he concludeth that it properly is rather Actus animae An acte of the Soule reflecting vpon it selfe and by application of the vnderstanding iudging what is good and what is evill Some haue deemed it to bee Res mixta A thing that 's mixt of both partly a Habit and partly an Act so Durandus and other Schoolemen Some later Diuines doe thinke it to be an office or function of the Soule set as an Arbitrator not onely to examine Humes Perkins but to giue euidence and iudge of particular actions between God and man For as that office of the soule by which a man doth thinke or imagine is called the minde and that by which a man discusseth and discerneth things conceiued is called the reason or iudgment and that wherby the things apprehended and discussed are preserued and kept is called the memory Euen so that function or office of the soule wherby a man vpon enquiry is certified that the things which hee hath done are good or euill is called Conscience And this office of Conscience the most affirm to be a diuine facultie or power in the soule working vpon it selfe by reflection For thus the Conscience by cooperation and help of other faculties in the soule produceth seuerall effects according to the seuerall subiects or actions about which it is conuersant declaring to the Soule what is the state and condition of it and by this means it is affected either with ioy or griefe with feare or boldnesse when it thinks on God the maker who knoweth the soule and Conscience as the Conscience knoweth it selfe And thus is Conscience an excellent part of the Image of God in man for as God looking into himselfe from all eternity seeth himselfe and begetteth his Sonne the expresse image of his Father euen so the Soule of man which is diuine looking vpon it selfe seeth and beholdeth it selfe with the state and condition thereof Quest But how can this be may some man demand Answ I answer Euen as in a looking-glasse a man seeth his owne face by reflection and discerneth the beauty or deformity of that the eye seeth it selfe which else it cannot So in Conscience which is the eye and glasse of the Soule the Soule beholds her selfe and sees her owne beauty or deformity together with the print or stampe of euery action which it hath committed eyther good or euill giuing euidence to God and to her selfe and iudging eyther for vs or against vs as the deed requires The seate of Conscience Some haue placed this Conscience in the Will or Heart of man some in the Memory some in the Vnderstanding which hath a two-fold operation the first Theoricall and thus the vnderstanding onely contemplates and considereth of truth and falshood but goeth no further The second Practicall and so it considereth euery particular circumstance searcheth whether it be good or euill vnder the later of these Conscience is comprehended not that conscience is a part of a part only circumscribed in the vnderstanding as a part of that for though the vnderstanding bee the Throne and Palace of Conscience where it exerciseth the principall offices yet as the soule is Tota in toto Similitude tota in qualibet parte corporis whole in the whole and whole in euery part of the body though chiefly in the head or heart so the Conscience is whole in the whole soule keeping a Court in the whole and yet exercising not euery part for the soule is indiuisible in respect of parts but euery faculty and power of it In the vnderstanding it is a Iudge discerning the actions and giuing sentence to acquire or condemne according to that Rule or Law with which it is enlightened In the memory it is a Register to witnesse what is done or what is not done In the Will and Affections an executioner to punish or reward with ioy or griefe with boldnes or terror according to the fact or feeling of it The manner of working in the ConscieÌ„ce The manner of working is by a kinde of practicall syllogisme The Maior is that Law seated in the vnderstanding The Minor brought by the memory I remember I haue done or not done according to that Law of God The conclusion followeth
by a second act of the vnderstanding therefore I am guilty or not guilty and shewed in the heart or will by feare or ioy or such kind of affections For first the vnderstanding knoweth or is enlightened with a rule or law by which it tryeth as gold is tryed with a touchstone the good or euill of euery action and according to the nature and strength of this knowledge the sense or stroke of Conscience is felt in the hart either by ioy or griefe by peace or trouble by feare or boldnesse or the like If the knowledge be naturall arising only from that light of nature or those sparkes of knowledge both of God and of his Law not quite extinct by Adams fall but left in man to make him voyd of all excuse then is the stroke or force of Conscience not so powerfull making answer onely to that knowledge with which it is enlightened But if besides this light of nature our vnderstandings are informed with the knowledge of God and of his Will as God in sacred Scriptures hath reuealed himselfe vnto his Church then is the force of Conscience much more powerfull affecting the soule with ioy or greife with peace or trouble according to the information of the vnderstanding and application to the will and heart of man And next this foundation being layd this rule and touchstone in a readâ—nesse the Memory giueth euidence of all our Actions and of the circumstance and manner how they haue beene done either openly or in secret of which the Vnderstanding taking knowledge by a second Act it layeth them to that Rule and Law of God with which it is enlightned and iudgeth whether the Actions be agreeable or contrary therevnto 4 A description of Conscience Vpon which there is presently a reflection and application to the Will by which the Heart as by a Diuine power is stricken and moued with affections according to the nature of that Knowledge Act and Application by meane whereof it is touched and affected For knowledge must goe before the feeling or stroke of Conscience thy heart can neuer feele that to be good or euill which thy mind knoweth not to bee so and according to the measure nature and quality of thy knowledge such will bee the testimony and feeling of thy Conscience a knowledge which is light or doubting or vncertaine makes a light and easie stroke affecting the Heart but little either with ioy or griefe with feare or boldnesse or the like But on the contrary part if the knowledge bee holy sound and good grounded on the word of truth rightly vnderstood then will it make a heauy stroke vpon the Conscience if the deed be euill as it doth a heauenly ioy and peace vnto the soule if that thy actions be good and answerable to the Word and Law of God And thus is Conscience not onely Lux intellectus the light of the vnderstanding as Saint Basil intimates but if it be rightly informed followed Norma vitae the rule and guide of all our life as St. Chrysostome obserues And now by what hath beene spoken you haue seene a glympse of Conscience though not a perfect sight and may remember it with this or the like description Conscience is not barely an Act or habit of the soule or will or vnderstanding for it produceth acts and acts may cease to be as habits may bee lost but Conscience can neuer cease to be nor can it be lost though it may lose the vse for a time as a man may lose the vse of Reason in the time of Drunkennes It is therefore rather an office or faculty or power of the soule created in man by God and set within him both as a witnesse and a Iudge yea a comforter to the godly and a tormenter too vnto the wicked Conscience is no Forraigner or strange Inhabitant but an In-dweller remaining with vs yea within us which after sinne torments and after righteousnesse coâ—forteth the soule of man Conscience is the Recorder the principall secretary to register all our thoughts our words and actions It is like a Chrystall-glasse wherein the soule beholds herselfe and seeth what she hath done what she hath left vndone It is Priuata Lex a priuate Law to iudge within herselfe from which there 's no appeale but vnto God For when the Ciuill Law and Common Law haue done then this begins It is the Lord-Keeper the Chancellor the Vice-Deus the Vnder-God who keepeth a Chancery in the soule of man and without all partiality being rightly informed of euery circumstance giueth iust and righteous iudgement of the cause The power of Conscience Great is the power and strength of Conscience It is vnder God indeed and subiects a man to God because God can binde the Conscience but it is aboue all men that are in the world for though Kings are bound in Chaines Psal 82.6 and Nobles in linkes of Iron yet Conscience can no man binde they may bind thy body and cast that into prison but thy conscience they cannot bind it is aboue their strength and beyond their power they are not able to doe it And yet Conscience is able to bind all not only inferiour persons but Kings and Nobles and Iudges of the earth It is aboue all and that in respect of a fourefold Office The Offices of Conscience The first Office is the Testimony of Conscience for a mans conscience is as a thousand witnesses to acquire or condemne before God or men and the voyce of conscience is far more sure then the report of many others Seneca lib. de Mor. for as Seneca well obserues Falli sapè poterit fama conscientia nunquam the report of others may oftentimes deceiue thee but for thine owne actions thy conscience neuer that will giue true euidence with or against thee for what thou hast done or left vndone Conscience hath a second office and this is the Examination or Tryall of Conscience and in this she exceeds all outward Tryals For men in tryalls often erre because the Truth is hidden from them and cannot easily be found but conscience in tryall of our actions knoweth the truth shee is an eye-witnesse one of which is better then a thousand and shee proceedes from grounds and principles within knowne to herselfe and therefore quick-sighted conscience soone perceiues which way the ballance draweth the thoughts meane while accusing or excusing for the fact as Saint Paul expresseth it Rom. 2.15 Tryall being made shee proceedeth vnto her third office And this is the Iudgement of Conscience in which she is also excellent for she hath the keyes of binding and loosing of absoluing or condemning If shee binde t is faster then with fetters of brasse if shee loose shee setteth as much at liberty as the Angell did Peter from his Chaines Act. 12.7 and if it concerne a matter of fact her sentence being past vpon euidence giuen and tryall made there is no recall she admits no writt of Error oftentimes