his head this is the day it hath longed for and the place where it desires to be heard 1 Joh. 3. 20 21. Hereby we know saith the Apostle that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him for if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence or boldnesse before God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Libertatem aut audaciam quid vis dicendi This will make the Godly man in that great Audit to give up his account with joy and not with grief 4. To all Eternity Conscientia bona perfectè tranquilla et laeâ—a est formalis essentialis beatitudo sanctorum in vita futura Ames de Cons l. 1. c. 15. Lastly which is above all it leads him the way ad Gloriosè Regnandum aeternùmque Triumphandum It is the step to the highest glory and is the state of highest Beatitude To be feasted with the fruits of a good Conscience this is Angels food and one of the sweet-meats of Heaven As the evil accusing and tormenting Conscience is one of the greatest miseries in Hell causing the fire never to be quenched because their worm never dieth So the good Conscience is one principal Delicate in Heaven Therefore in that day Christ will not onely tell the Godly how much he hath done and suffered for them but he will tell his Father what they have done and suffered for him I was hungry these have fed me thirsty these gave me drink These have kept the word of my Patience These were not ashamed of my Name where Satan had his Throne These have kept their Garments unspotted therefore they shall walk with me in white Hence it is that the Crown of Glory is not onely called a Crown of Grace because the gift of God But the Crown of Righteousnesse because the Reward of this warfare for faith and good Conscience Then shall the Godly be satisfied from himself and the fruit of his hands shall be given him Then shall flow Pro. 12. 14 forth from the belly of each Beleever Riverâ— of living water rivers of Peace Joy Comfort to all Eternity where Repentance and Faith and Hope and Patience and Knowledge and Tongues and Prophecying shall cease there shall good Conscience continue and in it Life and Joy and Glory Consider on the other side the miseries of an ill Conscience in every condition both in Mot. 4 life death and after both First in life In midst of prosperity he can have no security Job 20. per totum read especially ver 16 17 22 23 24. He shall suck the poyson of Asps the Vipers tongue shall slay him He shall not see the Rivers the Flouds the Brooks of Honey and Butter In the fulnesse of his sufficiency he shall be in straights Every hand of the wicked shall come upon him when he is about to fill his belly God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him and shall rain it upon him while he is yet eating c. and so Job 15. 21. A dreadful sound is in his ears in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him As Adonijah in the day of his Coronation riseth from the table he and all his Guests fly and shift for themselves a short Reign a mourning Feast Or as Belshazzar in his Banquet when he sees the Hand-writing dread and horrour seizeth on him And as the Syrians upon a secret noise God caused 2 Kin. 7. 6. them to hear fled disorderly from their Tents leaving all their wealth and good chear a booty to the hunger-famished Israelites What torment like that of an ill Conscience of which that forenamed Authour Dr. Stoughton ubi supra excellently speaks All outward blessings saith he cannot make that man happy that hath an ill Conscience no more than warm cloathes can produce heat in a dead carkasse if you would heap never so many upon it There is no peace to the wicked Aut si pax bello pax ea deterior For this man in his greatest fortunes is but like him who is worshipt in the street with cap and knee but as soon as he is stept within doors is cursed and rated by a scolding wife Like him that is lodged in a Bed of Ivory covered with cloth of Gold but all his bones within are broken Like a book of Tragedies bound up in Velvet all fair without but black within the leaves are Gold but the lines are bloud O the rack O the torment O the horrour of a guilty mind There is no hell so dark as an evill conscience Secondly but much more in adversity ill Conscience that hath long lien silent and quiet is apt to cry out and fly in the face as Josephs Brethren in their distresse were forced to cry out Gods hand was just upon them Their sin which was before Peccatum susurrans is now Peccatum clamans such cry out as Saul in his distresse I am sore distressed the Philistims make war upon 1 Sam. 28. 15. me and the Lord hath forsaken me and answers me no more then poor soul he goes to hell for comfort and accordingly he sped Such have neither Joy in Life nor Hope in death Vtrinque timidi as Eusebius Euseb l 6. cap. 42. speaks of some in the time of the Persecution under Decius Cowardly and unsound Christians who were timidi cum ad moriendum â—um ad sacrifiâ—andum A lamentable case neither would their Conscience serve to let them Sacrifice to the Heathen Idols nor would their heart serve them to die for refusing So were they in a miserable strait between two dangers of losing Life and wounding Conscience and could no way satisfy themselves whereas good Conscience had seen in such a case what was presently to be chosen Ill Conscience never made good Martyr yet But there are three times especially wherein ill Conscience proclaimeth Terror and Rev. 8. 13. as the Angell in the Revelation flies over the head of a sinner crying Woe Woe Woe First One Woe in life Secondly Two Woes at death Thirdly But Three Woes at the day of Judgement 1 Woe in this life The first woe is in this life But this how dreadfull soever is the least because the shortest and hath an end in a little space of a few dayes or years therefore it is said the first woe is passed but behold two worse woes come shortly upon it Rev. 9. 12. The Second woe is at death This is a great 2. Woe at death woe double to the former the furnace is heated seven times hotter than it could be in this Life And as the Apostle saith of the Godlies afflictions all the sufferings of this present time are not to be compared to that Glory that is to follow so may we say all the sufferings of this life to the wicked whether in Body or in Spirit are nothing to be compared to those that follow This is a long lasting woe But yet of the second woe it is also said
holy Ghost is that sin unto death hath no more sacrifice for it but becomes eternally unpardonable but because it is ever perpetrated and committed in despight of 1 Jo. 5. 16. Heb. 10. 26. conscience against his most clear and strongest convictions and against the most peremptory checks and dissenting restraints of the awakened and enlightened conscience Nothing heightens sin so fast conscience may say If I had not come unto you you had no sin If I had not done my Office faithfully you had some cloak for your sin which now you have not This makes sins of knowing men greater then of ignorant Englands sin greater then the Jndies Judas's perfidiousnesse worse then Sauls persecutions The one did it ignorantly and therefore obtained mercy The other had no cloak for his sin Christ gave him warning by the sop all took notice 1 Tim. 1. 13 he replyed upon consciences enforcing Is it I And he therefore died a son of perdition because he lived and persisted a son of conviction This is the servant who shall be beaten with many stripes Luk. 12. 47. To him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Jam. 4. 17. Corollary 4. When a man lies under the lash of conscience in respect of his two last offices viz. testimoniall and judiciall he lies under the greatest misery Maximus angor conscientiae Dr. Ames Mar. 9. 44. maxima poena Then the worm never dying devours him the fire ever burning the fire not blowen takes hold of him Cains mark is Iob. 20. 26. upon him His punishment is greater then he can bear This is the first woe and the hell on earth for Revel 1. 18. there is a hell before death and Revel 20. 14. an hell before the lake of fire How fearfull was Herods case to be given up to wormes to eat him alive Infinitely more dreadfull to be given up to this worm of conscience to be eaten up both alive and dead How dolefull a sight is it to see a wolfe or a Cancer on the womans tender breast ever gnawing and stinging never cured But a worse wolf is the gnawing and accusing conscience No fits of convulsion so tearing and pulling and racking as convulsion fits of conscience no ulcer in the bladder or bowels so painfull as the exulcerated conscience See this in Judas now brought to a sight of his sin and sense of his misery he is like Isa 57. 20. the raging sea that cannot rest Out he cries I have sinned take your money it hath damned me from person to person from place to place he goes but his hell he carries with him from the terrour and sting of conscience he cannot run To death he saith Fall on me to hell bury me so I may be hid from sight of conscience he strangles himself because he could not strangle conscience into hell he leapes not longer able to abide himself and indeed if there were any place in hell where this Apollyon of destroying conscience came not into it would all the damned get to case themselves Hell were not hell if raging conscience ruled not there if this worme could ever die that fire might then be quenched Judas hung himself to ease himself but then was death and hell cast into the lake of fire Revel 20. 14. He at first brake the neck of conscience that at last brake his neck he had strangled good conscience an ill conscience strangled him and being dead all his bowels fell out of his body because all his conscience fell out of his bowels while he was alive To conclude this Corollary The wrack of Mat. 15. 11 Subijciatur corpus in paena in jeiunijs macereâ—ur verber ibus lanietur equuleo disiendatur gladio trucidetur crucis supplicio affligatur secura erit conscientia Bern. de in t dom c. 22. Pro. 18. 14. good conscience is the saddest shipwrack for poena damni it is the greatest losse And the rack of an ill conscience is the sharpest rack for poena sensus it is the greatest pain Not all from without doth so defile a man as that from within nor all from without doth so torment a man as that from within All the windes blustering abroad about our ears paine us not but a little winde enclosed in the bowels how much doth it torment and put the body into the extreamest pains All troubles from without are easily undergone if conscience be sound But the wounded spirit who can bear He shall flee from the iron weapon and the Bow of steele shall stricke him through It is drawne commeth forth of his body The glistering sword commeth out of his Gall Terrors are upon him All darknesse is hid in his secret places h. e. he hath an Epitome of all the woes and miseries of Hell in his soule a fire not blowen shall consume him as Zophar excellently Allegorizeth Job 20. 24. 25. 26. Coroll 5. VVhen conscience hath done all these foure Offices faithfully and then giveth Peace This is the right peace of conscience This is the Son of Peace upon which the peace Luk. 10. 6. of God and the peace of the Minister ever comes Thus have you seene what a good conscience is h. e. when it is purified and when it is pacified purified from Ignorance Error deadnesse pacified from the raigne of sinne the rage of Satan and displeasure of God both purified and pacified by the word blood and spirit of Christ And after all doing his four-fold Office in due time and place of a Minister of a King of a Witnesse and of a Judge And thus much of good conscience in generall CHAP. V. Of severall good Consciences in particular and first of the Conscience in which Faith is HAving hitherto treated of the good conscience in generall we shall now descend to speak of some Particulars and give you in the severall sorts and best kindes of good consciences that are to be found in all the Sciptures commended to us that when you see such an one you may know a good conscience againe and say there goes a good conscience Ten particulars I shall recommend to you and after speake somewhat to Ten good consciences laid down in scripture each of them Their names are 1. The conscience of Faith 2. Of Purity 3. Of Sincerity 4. The Vnoffensive conscience 5. The well-sighted conscience 6. The well-spoken conscience 7. The Honest-handed conscience 8. The Tender conscience 9. The Passive or Hardy conscience 10. The conscience of Charity The first and most excellent conscience is that in the Text the good conscience of faith The conscience of Faith This onely makes a good conscience Nor can all the other nine make it such without this It is impossible that any thing or person should be good and please God without faith Heb. 11. 6. Precious faith makes the conscience of great price It is therefore very observable that in three places of this Epistle The Apostle
second Temple of our latter Reformation And that we should finde that observation of Austin made good who moving the question Whether Peace or War devoured more Christians resolved Peace Pax cum bellâ— de crudelitate certavit vicit Peace and War once strove saith he who should do most mischief in the Church and Peace carried it Thus have I given the Description of these ten Good Consciences and shall name no more There are more I confess then these ten to bee found in the Word But this I am bold to say If these ten were to be found in the world in this age in this Nation God would deal with us yet as he had done with Sodom had hee found ten Gen. 18. 32 Righteous men there wee should not bee destroied but this whole Nation spared for these Tens sakes yea doubtless had not the Lord reserved a very small Remnant in whom these ten properties of Good Conscience have been found wee had alreadie been made as Sodom and should have Isai 1. 9. been as Gomorrah before this time CHAP. XV. Of the Excellencie of a good Conscience and the benefits thereof HAving hitherto spoken of the nature of good Conscience in generall and of these severall kinds of good Conscience in particular I shall now proceed to give such reasons and use those arguments which may provoke us to get and keep such a good conscience Which reasons are drawn from three generall heads 1. From the excellency in and beneâ—â—t gotten by a good Conscience 2. From the danger and mischief of an evil Conscience 3. From the difficultie of getting and keeping a good and escaping a bad Conscience This Chapter shall speak of those excellencies which are in and the benefits gotten by a good Conscience Which appears in five particulars 1. The excellency of good Conscience appears The excellencie of good Conscience both in the Honourable Title given it above all other graces and the reall Preheminence it hath if compared with all other things 1. It hath this proper Epithite and denomination given it ordinarily of good Conscience Act. 23. 1. 1 Tim. 1. 5. 19. 1 Pet. 3. 16. 21. whereas other graces excellent in their place and kinde seldom called thus When do you reade of good faith good repentance or love or holiness or obedience but still conscience is called good Conscience There is surely some eminent and superlative goodness yea much communicative goodness in it It is good it self and makes the good faith and good love and repentance and obedience c. which all cease to be good when separated from good Conscience Then compare it with all other good things and it hath the better of them What Quid prodest plena bonis Arca si inanis sit Conscien tia good is there in a chest full of goods when the Conscience is empty of goodness said Austin What is a man better if he have all goods and want this one good what if he have good ware in the Shop good stock in the ground houshold in the house clothes on his back and good credit abroad and have not a good Conscience in his heart all this were like a rich suit on an ulcerous body This man is like Naaman a rich man 2 Kin. 5. 1. but a Leper a great and honourable man but a foule man What are all great Parts and excellent Gifts and Abilities of minde without good Conscience but as so many sweet flowers upon a dead man wrapt up in fair linen He is a drest man but a dead man outwardly sweet inwardly smelling or like a sounding brasse and tinkling Cymball This is above knowledge alone Adde Con to Science and you have the compleat Christian Omnibus numeris perfectum Take away Con and leave all Science you leave nothing but Cyphers Though saith Bernard many seek Knowledge and desire Science few care for Multi scientiam quaerunt pauci Conscientiam Conscientia autem quam scientia citius apprehenditur utilius retinetur Bern. Conscience yet is Conscience gotten with more case and kept with more advantage then all your Knowledge This is above All Faith alone therefore they oft go together in Scripture 1 Tim. 1. 5. and 19. and 3. 9. when Conscience is put away the text saith Faith is cast away and shipwrackt Nothing profits alone without this not Baptisme 1 Pet. 3. 21. not coming to the Lords Supper Heb. 10. 22. not Charitie 1 Tim. 1. 5. not any serving of God 2 Tim. 1. 3. not our subjection and obedience to men or Magistracie Rom. 13. 5. not all our sufferings 1 Pet. 2. 19 20. Take any man with all endowments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dirt kneaded with bloud as they call'd Tiberius Nero. without Conscience you have but the carcaese of a man without the soul What is the learned Philosopher and eloquent Orator without Conscience but a rational brute or a speaking beast who may like Balaams Ass open his mouth to rebuke another more mad yet is beaten himself What is a Magistrate without Conscience but as the Gyant without his eye or the eye without his sight Let all Duties be performed and Conscience not regarded you have but an Hypocrite let all gifts remain and Profession stay if Conscience go you have but an Apostate Bernhard saith excellently to this purpose It is better running to Conscience then to all your wisdom unless you mean by your Vtilius est currere ad conscientiam quam ad sapientiam nisi cadem sit sapientia quae conscientia wisdom nothing but Conscience The unlearned man with his good Conscience saith Austin will get the start of thee and be in Heaven before thee when thou with all thy learning and abilities wilt be cast into hell Surgunt indocti rapiunt regnum Coelorum c. 2. Consider the absolute Necessitie of a Good Conscience to the very esse and being of a Christian when many other things serve onely to the melius esse better being And this will shew you a higher Excellencie in Good Conscience which should set us upon getting it This constitutes the Christian and is that sine quâ non To suppose a Christian without Conscience were to suppose the Sun without Light or fire without heat this is of the very same consequence to spiritual life as the sense of feeling is to natural life which compared with the rest of the senses hath the preheminence in sundrie particulars as the Philosopher laies down in his Axiomes all applicable to Conscience 1. Tactus Origine primus they say Feeling Conscience to the soul is as sense of feeling to the bodie in four respects is the first sense in being So is Conscience the primum vivens and ultimum moriens in the new Creature Life discovers it self in the soul first in his sensibleness and tenderness as in the childes feeling appears the first of natural life the childe beginneth to feel when it
on thee ere he hath done for his eyes put out and will destroy thee though he perish with thee Peccatum susurrans will prove Peccatum exclamans the witnesses might be slaine but did soon rise againe and up to heaven they went to accuse the world of Irreligion and Impiety Rev. 11. 2. To such as are haunted and fâ—â—â—owed with that griesly and ghastly fury of an evill accusing gnawing and corroding Conscience no wolfe on the breast like this no worm in the inwards like this torment it never lies quiet it s ever gnawing and corroding as no phrenfie so outragious as the roaring and raging Conscience It is like the raging Sea which cannot rest Esay 57. 21. No winds abroad cause an Earthquake but what wind is inclosed in the bowels of the earth no outward pressures can so torment as this inward horror the wind within causeth the Gollick paines not all the winds blustering about our ears but that little wind though it make no noise that is shut up in the bowels and pent up that wrings and tortures the body what are all the paines of body to the gripes and gnawing and wringings of an accusing disquieted Conscience This is the heart that continually meditates Terror to it self there is no darkenesse Paena autem vehemens multo saevior illis quas Caeditius gravis invenit Rhadamantus nocte dieque suum gestare in pectore Testem Ju. 1 Tim. 5. 24. 2 Sam. 13. 13. 1 King 2. 44. Gen. 42. 22 or shadow of death like his blacknesse of darkenesse He flies from the Iron weapon and the bow of steele shall strike him thorow The glistering sword cometh out of his gall all darkenesse is hid in hir secret place a fire not blowne shall consume him Job 20. 24 25 26. His sins have now found him out and are going before him to judgement whither he himself shall shortly follow I whither shall I go saith he to his offended Conscience where shall I leave my sin and shame and Conscience againe replies thou knowest all the evill that thy heart is privy too as Solomon said to Shemei nay saith Conscience you would not hear me as Reuben said to his brethren did I not speak to you and tell you then you must take what follows you have troubled Conscience and Conscience will trouble thee Men make light of the checks and admonitions of Conscience while they are in pursuit of sin and amidst their prosperity but when distress and anguish comes to take hold of them how do they cry out Oh Conscience Conscience Oh that I had hearkened to Conscience as it said of Rich Craesus who glorying in his wealth Solon told him that no man could reckon himself happy till he saw his end Craesus regarded not till being overcome by Cyrus and condemned to be burnt to death then he remembred what Solon had said to him and in the fire he cryed out Oh Solon Solon being asked what he meant he told them now he thought of Solons words and found them true and repented that he had made no more use of them when time was 3. It speaks terror to such as have an unwakened unsensible and sleepy Conscience no Lethargie so dangerous and near to death Gelidae est quasi mortis imago The Lethargick sleepy stupid Conscience is the most hopelesse Conscience that can be The dumb deaf silent speechlesse bedrid Conscience is the most desperate disease in the world The Physitian cures the Lethargy by a feaver if he can cast his patient into one and let me tell thee it is better God should cast thee into a hot burning feaver of Conscience by any affliction or horror whatsoever then that thou shouldest go sleeping and snoring to Hell It is not a more certaine token of death approaching to the body when you see speech gone eyes set in the head breath failing feeling lost pulse stopping excrements coming away unawares that such a one is drawing on to his Grave Then when you see the eyes of Conscience set feeling gone checks cease Heart-smiting done all Sins perpetrated yet the Soul lies wallowing in his noysome Excrements that such a Soul is drawing on to the Chambers of Hell The body of the former sleeps but his 2. Pet. 2. 3. Death slacks not the Soul of the latter sleeps too But his Judgement and Damnation slumbers not but is hastening upon him 4. It speaks Terror again to such as are already fallen or are entring into that disease called by Divines Vastatio Conscientiae the wasting or Consumption of Conscience the worst Consumption Such a Disease as the Phisitian meddles with none so bad This if not very timely prevented and stayed turns ever into one of those two desperat and incurable Diseases thou wilt either be stricken with a cold benumming Palsie or Lethargie and so be half dead while thou art alive or into a raging and desperate Phrensy it turns which will make thee be half in Hell while thou art alive The one was Nabals disease who was stricken with it that he became as cold hard and livelesse as a stone and was no better than a breathing Clot and so he died and is much like that Plague threatned Zach. 14. 12. where the flesh rots and consumes upon their feet while they stand their eyes consume away in their holes and their tongues in their mouthes so that they have neither sight nor tast nor speech nor motion yet living Death it self were to be chosen before such a Life The other was Joram's disease whom God smote in his Bowels with an incurable disease of which he lay in great extreamity for two years space and at last his very Bowels 2. Chron. 21. 19. fell out by reason of his sicknesse day by day and so he died in great horrour of whom may be said as was said to Maximinus that Tyrant and bloudy Persecutor when swarms of Lice did Gender in his diseased putrified body dayly did crawl about him that no Physitian could endure to come near him divers of them being slain because for the filthy stink they could not endure his presence others slain because they could find no means to cure him one of the Physitians then spake plainly to him and told him Nec est humanus iste Morbus nec medicis curatur It is not a naturall disease but a Divine stroke of Gods hand it is past the Physitians skill to deal with it CHAP. XXIII Of the Vse of Consolation ANd here we cannot but Proclaim the Happiness and commend the Wisdome of those blessed Souls that in this crooked and perverse Generation have made the better part their Choise and Care viz. to get and keep the good Conscience that Conscience void of offence before God and men that have preferred Purity of Conscience before Liberty and have studied Vprightnesse while others have studied Policy and fleshly wisdome These are like the few Names in Sardis who had not defiled their Garments
cannot say though he have the better Sword but his enemy may have the better Cause that the other cause may after carry it Fourthly The Conqueror may pay so dear for his victory that he doth not greatly joy in it Ezek. 32. 27. Fifthly The Conqueror may when all is done go down to Hell with his sword by his side and his weapons of war under his head though he was the terror of the mighty in the land of the living and then his iniquity shall lie heavie on his bones But we are more than Conquerours we have overcome to day and shall to morrow our cause is a victorious cause carries not Fortunam Caesaris but Honorem Christi therefore shall go forth conquering and to conquer and let Satan and all his Confederates unite their forces Principalities Powers height depth we fear them not all we are secure of victory and safety O glorious and happy condition when a man hath lost all he is as if he had gained all the world when killed all the day long as if he was triumphing all the day long I suffer and am bound saith the Apostle but the word of God is not bound my Cause is not bound my Conscience Dr. Stoughton in his Sermon before K. James is not bound a man takes no hurt while Conscience is safe Excellently Dr. Stoughton to this purpose Job was more happy when he fate upon the dung-hill than Adam when he sinned in Paradise because though his body were dissolved into worms and every worm acted by a Devill as Origen would have it to increase his torment yet he had not eaten the forbidden fruit which bred this worm of Conscience and made him fly from God The Bride that hath good Chear within and good musick and a good Bridegroome with her may be merry though the hail chance to rattle upon the tyles without upon her wedding-day Though the world should rattle about his ears a man may sit merry that sits at the Feast of a good Conscience Nay the Child of God by virtue of this in the midst of the waves of affliction is as secure as that child which in a Shipwrack was upon a plank in his mothers lap till she awaked him securely sleeping and then with his pretty countenance sweetly smiling and by and by sportingly asking a stroke to beat the naughty waves and at last when they continued boystrous for all that sharply chiding them as though they had been but his play-fellowes O the innocency O the comfort of Peace O the tranquility of a spotlesse mind There is no Heaven so clear as a good Conscience So that learned Doctor Good Conscience is to a man his closest and dearest friend that like Baruch to Jeremy will visit him in prison and will keep his Evidences safe for him in a time of common conflagration and calamity Jer. 32. 11 14. Or rather it is that Earthen vessel wherein alone our Evidences of our heavenly state are put and preserved from being corrupted both our Evidences our sealed Evidence and our open Evidence for a Christian must have two the sealed Evidence of Justification and the open Evidence of Sanctification are kept in this Vrne as Baruch was commanded to put both Jeremies Evidences of his purchase the sealed and the open in an Earthen vessel Yea good Conscience is not onely the Non est utilius remedium nec certius testimonium futerae beatitudinis bonâ Conscientiâ Bern. de in t domo preserver of Assurance but is a part of it for what is Assurance of Salvation but in the originall an Act of Grace passed in favour of a poor repenting and beleeving sinner in the Court of Heaven entred and ingrossed in the Book of Life which because procured by the Price of Bloud is written out in the precious Blood of Christ signed and sealed by the impresse of the Spirit of promise which is the Fathers and the Sons Agent on this behalf and attested by good Conscience as that which sets to his his seal next God and is then delivered into the hand of Faith as Gods Act and Deed for the sole Use and Benefit of a rightly purified Conscience Or Assurance is a Transcript taken out of the book of life that sealed book sealed in the bosome and counsell of the Father now unclasped by the hand of the Lamb written fair out in his Bloud attested by the Spirit of God within and endorsed without with the graces and fruits of the Spirit and at last passed in the Court and entred in the Office of good Conscience This this is the Assurance of the Saints when Gods Spirit attests to our Spirit and again our Spirit doth withal consent with the Spirit of God The other benefit of good Conscience 2 At Death here is at death when as it enables and directs ad benè beatèque moriendum an undertaking that all Philosophy could never make good nor did attempt but did onely promise the way ad benè beatèque vivendum yet fell short of that Conscience is the way to well-living it is the onely way to well-dying This gives rejoycing as the Apostle saith to him that is under the sentence and stroke of death and is now despairing altogether of this life 2 Cor. 1. 9. Good Conscience as it is sweeter than life so it is stronger than death and the good man and his Conscience are like Saul and Jonathan lovely in their life and which is above all in death they are not divided Hujusmodi comparandae sunt opes quae cum naufragio simul enatent Prideaux History pag. 247 The goods embarqued in good Conscience are the onely goods which will be saved when there is any shipwrack of State or Life And those are the goods we should get said the Emperour Lewes of Bavyer which in a shipwrack can swim out as well as thy self A saying also which Q. Mary is said to have Englished and much delighted in These are two great Benefits in this Life here But there are two greater for hereafter Conscience helping Ad tutò intrepidèque comparendum Ad Gloriosè aeternèque triumphandum 3 At judgment Conscience hath two other kindnesses which it will doe for the Soule beyond those two fore-named in life and death It will stand a man in stead when he is to make his appearance before the Tribunal of God Where Courage dares not shew his face nor Eloquence open his mouth where Majestie hath no respect and Greatnesse no favour and as the Martyr said Where money bears no mastery There good Conscience is known and befriended there it dares appear thither it doth appeal when the King and the Captain and the Great man and the Mighty man and the Chief Commander and the Rich and the Bond and the Free cry to the mountains to hide them and to the rocks to fall Rev. 6. 15. 16. on them that they may not appear Then doth good Conscience lift up
the Rev. 11. 14. second woe is past to make way for the third the greatest woe that cometh quickly i. e. immediately upon it Many wicked escape the first woe in life but as it befel them that scaped the sword of 1 King 19. 17. Hazael there were two other worse swords of Jehu and Elisha that should dispatch them after The sword of Hazael may spare the wicked in this life but then the sword of Jehu meets with them at death and again the sword of Elisha at the day of judgement He may flee from the iron sword but then Job 20. 22. the how of steel shal strike him thorough Or as Amos hath it He may fly from a Lion in life Am. 5. 19. and a Bear meet him at death and the Serpent bite him at the day of judgement This yet hath an end though it be long first at the day of judgement the second woe ends but a greater succeeds If a man live Eccl. 11. 8. many years saith Solomon and rejoice in them all yet let him remember the dayes of darknesse that they are many The dayes of darknesse that is in hell are many and long dayes they be from thy death to the end of the world is but one day and there are many more after which are longer a thousand years is but as one day and every one of those dayes are as a thousand years yet are there many of them more than ten thousands of such dayes there are for they are without number But the third woe payes for all which is at 3 Woe at the day of Judgment the day of judgement then shall all the Cataracts of wrath be set open and all the vials of wrath filled and emptied out upon the heads of the wicked Then shall the Lord rain fire and brimstone from the Lord out of Heaven Then shall the sealed book of Conscience be unclasped and out of thy own mouth and heart and book shalt thou be judged Then shall both Earth and Sea and Hell and Death deliver up all their dead but not to be annibilated that they would account an unspeakable mercy but only to be Arraigned tryed sentenced Then shall Death and Hell be cast again into the lake of fire which is the second and eternall death Then shall a Hell in Conscience be cast into a Hell of despair and an Hell of guilt into an Hell of pain But of this third woe it is no where said the third woe is past Life ends and with it the first woe The world ends and with it the second woe But Etermity ends not therefore the third woe never ends Hence the judgement of that day is called Eternal Judgement Heb. 6. 2. and the destruction of the wicked an everlasting Destruction 2. Thess 1. 9. The first woc may be a sad one yet it cannot be long because life is short The second woe is more sad because more long but though long it is it is not for ever The third is the sad and killing woe because it is both long and endlesse There is the great Gulfe fixed that there is no comming over As the first woe leaves a man the second woe finde him as the second leaves him the third finds him but the third never leaves Look how Life leaves Death finds as Death leaves Judgement finds as Judgement leaves Eternity finds But this Eternity leaves not his place to any other Eternity is a pit which hath no bottome it is a large bottome that can never be unravelled it is a Center which hath no circumference no measure of times or number of Ages can fathom or reckon the length of it It hath ever a beginning of his dayes hath never an end of his years when Time shall be no more Eternity is but beginning It is a long and perpetuall night which shall never have a morning to succeed it Now to all Eternity thy evill Conscience shall accompany thee and fill thy heart with new tortures of Grief and fear and wrath and bitternesse and despair But this third woe must never have an end Means The means to be used to the getting and keeping of good Conscience are Principal and they two Subservient and they many The Principal means and without which 1. The Blood of Christ all the rest are insufficient are two First to get the bloud of Christ sprinkled on the Conscience by the hand of faith As David said of Goliah's sword There is none to that give it 1 Sam. 21. 9. me So may we say of this bloud This purgeth the Conscience from all dead works that it may serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. All duties gifts observances Performances nothing to this Other things may make the out-side clean before men the bloud of Christ is that alone which maketh the Conscience clean before God that there is now no more Conscience of sin as to the guilt and spot of it So Heb. 10. 29. The bloud of the Covenant is that whereby the beleever is sanctified Whatsoever other means are used courses are taken as by confession contrition satisfaction reading praying fasting building Alms-houses or the like they are no more without this to the commending of the Conscience unto God or taking away sin from the Conscience than Adams Fig-leaves to take away the shame of his nakednesse or the washing of Pilates hands in fair water to cleanse his soul from the foul sin of Bioud-guiltinesse He should have washed his heart in the bloud of Christ than had he been free from all his sins and not his hands in water that he might be free from the bloud of Christ His bloud is that Zach. 13. 1. Fountain opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleannesse This bloud of Christ we should pray pathetically and fervently as the Jewes did passionately and furiously that it may be upon us and on our Children not on our heads but on our hearts not to be charged upon us but sprinkled on us not by Vulnera Christi eivitates refugii Sanguis Christi sons Bethlehemi Joh. 6. 53. 54. way of imputation but of expiation The wounds of Christ are our City of Refuge said one And the bloud of Christ is the well of Bethlehem which we should long for and break through an host of difficulties to come unto Except we drink this bloud we have no life in us But who so eateth his flesh and drinketh his bloud hath eternal life and Christ promiseth to raise him up at the last day Fly then to this City of refuge and escape the Avenger Sprinkle this blood on thy Door-posts and escape the Destroyer Look up to this Brazen Serpent and be cured of all stings of Conscience from the fiery Serpent Cast in this Jonah and the raging Sea is calmed both of Gods displeasure and Consciences disturbance Go to this Samaritan for his Wine and Oyle to thy wounded Conscience
A GOOD CONSCIENCE THE Strongest Hold. A Treatise of Conscience handling The Nature Acts Offices Use of Conscience The Description Qualifications Properties Severall sorts of good Conscience The Excellency Necessity Utility Happiness of such a Conscience The Markes to know Motives to get Meanes to keep it By JOHN SHEFFEILD Minister of Swythins LONDON Acts 24. 16. And herein do I exercise my self to have a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men Discamus in terrâ quorum scientia perseveret in Caelo Hierom. ad Paul Scientia inflat charitas aedificat Conscientia verò maximâ cum Religione est aedificanda Ames LONDON Printed by J. B. for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND at the BALL in Pauls Church-yard 1650. To the Right Honourable EDMUND Earle of Mulgrave Lord Sheffeild of Butterwike Right Honourable IT was an excellent saying of Lewis of Bavyer Emperour of Germany Hujusmodi comparandae sunt opes quae cum naufragio simul enatent such goods are worth getting and owning as will not sinke or wash away if a shipwrack happen but will wade and swim out with us A meditation never more needful to be studied and practised then in such Naufragious times as these wherein we have seen the Greatest States in the world the Greatest Families in those States and the Greatest Persons in those Families to have suffered the most fatall and Tragicall shipwracks The windes and Sea were never more high and rough nor the ship more Tossed the earth never more rent with Earthquakes nor the world lesse setled What is to be done There is a Fort that standeth firme when the earth is Removed There is an Arke that swims aloft when the whole world is drowned and the highest mountaines thrown into the midst of the Sea This Fort is Faith This Arke is Conscience These are the goods to be gotten and made store of in these dayes These make one truly rich and safe and happy All other goods whatsoever without a man be they Inheritances of houses lands and honours are but bare Moveables uncertaine and unconsiderable Moveables one may have them but he cannot say how long he shall hold them These whoso hath shall hold Other goods are put into the worlds Inventory these never which therefore saith but falsly such a one dyed rich for he dyed worth so many thousands valuing the man by his estate They are mistaken They might say so much he had or at most he lived worth so much but when he died he might die worse then nothing what is the state to the soule One living Dog is better then many dead Lions But Faith and good Conscience are the onely goods to be put in the Christians Inventory the man that had them we may say he died rich dyed rich though he lived poor and which is best of all his riches he carryed with him He lived and dyed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rich toward Lu. 12. 21. God for such a one dies worth as much as both Christ is worth and heaven is worth as Christ for Grace as heaven for Glory as Christ for Promise and security as heaven for performance and satisfaction For good Conscience departs not dyes possessed of them both And it is infinitely more for one to be able to say one of these two is mine then to say a thousand mines of gold are mine He that hath these hath all Rev. 21. 7. He shall inherit all things for God will be his God he shall be his son And as long as God hath any thing to give he shall not want A good Conscience then if had and kept all is safe all depends upon it Grace and Comfort here Glory Blisse hereafter But this if lost or neglected all goes to wrack and is but losse and dung and worse if worse may be and the man a lost man for ever Take this take all as one said well Tolle Caelum Tolle animam so I may add Tolle Christum Tolle Caelum Tolle Fidem Tolle Christum Tolle Conscientiam Tolle Fidem Yea Tolle Conscientiam Tolle omnia Take away Heaven said he and take my Soul too so say I Take away Christ take away Heaven take away Faith and take away Christ and take away Conscience you take away Faith yea take away Conscience and you make short work and take away all For what were my Soul worth if it were not for He â—â—n what were Heaven worth if it were not for Christs what were Christ worth to me if it were not for Faith and what were all Faith worth if it were not for Conscience Therefore as dying Gardiner said truely Open that window once assert Justification and deny merit and farewel all together farewel Popish Religion So say I Assert Liberty and deny Conscience open that window once and farewel all together farewell all true Religion Yea take but away part of Conscience and you take away all take but away one syllable and what is simple science good for without Con to shew that it is not science but Conscience that makes the Christian and no Conscience but that which is entire and kept whole that maketh the happy Christian Your Lordship is descended of Noble and truly Honorable Progenitors highly Honoured for their Greatnesse highly Beloved for their Goodnesse their Goodnesse shining eminently in the discoveries of their Religion Loyalty Valour and Activenesse to serve their Country in the greatest perils They were to Truth Patrons to Religion Ornaments to Peace Champions fighting her Battels when she was in danger both by sea and land and to their Country Dear and Cordial Patriots some of them not loving their lives to the Death have sacrificed them to the service of their Country Their persons through the lustre of their Virtues and Heroick actions shone out in their higher and greater Orbs while they lived and their precious Names and memory though themselves withdrawn leaving a splendor and brightnesse behind as the Sun when set continue immortalized in our English History and Chronicles to all Posterity Your Lordship is the head of a great Family and the highest Branch of a numerous name all whose sheaves do willingly bow to your Lordships sheaf as gladly and willingly as Josephs Brethren did to him accounting themselves Honoured not so much in your Lordships Honour as Honourablenesse and honouring you not so much for your Great and Honer est honorantis Honorabilitas honorati High Birth as Greater and Higher worth and aprroved sincerity in these trying times My Lord Hold fast that you have received secure your Faith and you secure your soul Secure your Conscience and you secure your Honour yea your Crowne Then you shall not be shaken Rev. 3. 11. with any shakings nor afraid of any amazement That your Lordship may do worthily in Ephratah and your name and Family be famous in Israel as it is all the aime and ambition of this ensuing Treatise so it is and shall be the Prayer of the Author who craving your
Lordships pardon for this boldnesse and Prolixity and a favourable acceptance and perusal of this homely Treatise shall continue to efflagitate and importune God that as he hath made you high in Place and Honour and Dignity So you may be made much more high in Name and Praise and Grace and Glory Your Lordships humble servant in every Christian service Jo SHEFFEILD To the Conscientious Reader CHristian and Consciencious Reader for such I desire to find at least to leave thee the World is now full of Books so full that it cannot contain all that is written and of how many may it be said that they do but proclaim the vanity of the Writer and procure wearinesse if not vexation to the Reader As for the subject and matter of this Discourse it cannot but receive thy Approbation Howsoever the homely and plain language in it the unelegancy and untakingness of the composure and composer in this now so knowing but more censorious Age may cause it to be laid aside with neglect by some who as in hearing they hear not Sermons but names so in reading use not to read Treatises but Titles O my Lord I am not Eloquent Vir verbâ—rum Ex. 4. 10. but of a slow Speech and of a slow Tongue yet if the Lord say I will go with thee and be with thy mouth and with this Rod and Pen in thy Hand how much may a stammerring and discouraged Moses undertake and go through with Jerom said he did diligere Christum in Augustino Love Austin the better for Christs sake our times invert it and we do onely diligere Augustinum in Christo we love Christ the better for St. Austins sake and it may be should not like Christ at all if it were not in Austins mouth and parts The preaching of Christ in a crucified stile now is accounted foolishnesse as heretofore in a crucified state But as of all Divinity it may be said Ornari res tanta negaâ— contenta doceri so especially a discourse of Conscience needs least the dresse of humane Ornaments requires most the strength of Divine Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit It is a subject wherein many of eminent worth have travelled some more antiently many more of latter times and among our selves All which will have their deserved praise in the Churches of Christ unto succeeding Ages And yet it were much to be wished that either more were written in these dayes by those who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of more leisure and abilities or that what is already written were more read studied perused and practised As for me although I cannot but be so far at least Conscious to my own weaknesses and insufficiencies as to say with Gideon Is not my thousand the least in the Tribe and is not some others Gleanings better than my whole Vintage yet having expected that some of more dayes and name and parts should have spoken in Abners language to Joab calling for a Cessation 2 Sam. 2. 26. or a Retreat How long shall it be ere thou bid the People return from pursuing their Brethren that our Swords of Contention may he beaten into Plough-shares of more use and fruitfulnesse for the Lords field and our Spears of difference into Pruning-hooks to prune and dresse the Lords Vineyard least all practicall Divinity be eaten up of controversal which being exhaled first from more specious utrums shortly congeales into more gross dubious neutrums at last dissolves into irreligious nihilums and settles in scepticism at last or foulest Atheism and fearing least our smal Coal or Spark which is yet remaining our sacred Coal of Israel of Religion Faith and good Conscience should be quite put out which to me seems to be struck at and in great danger I have with Craesus Son who had never spoken before till he saw his Fathers life in that danger broken that silence and broke out from that privacy which I could gladly have enjoyed But if Religion be in danger as clearly it is I concluded that if Dumb men should not cry out the very stones would cry out against them Conscience is the Book of Books the ancientest piece of Scripture in the World the first Tables of Gods own hewing and Hand-writing in the heart of man for whose sake all other Books since yea the Scripture was after purposely written to Comment upon it Unicuique suus liber Conscientia propter hunc libellum omnes alii libri inventi sunt if Bernard say true This is thy Book which thou must be well versed in or all thy other reading will be unprofitable To study other Books may make thee a Scholler but to study this makes thee a Christian Conscience is a little Map or volume of Divinity there is more of God to be seen in Conscience than in any other piece It is the rarest piece that God ever made Of all Creatures there is more of God to be seene in Man than in them all in Man most in the Soul in the Soul most in the Conscience This smelleth more of God saith one than the Heavens the Sun the Stars or all the glorious things of the Earth Gold precious Stones Rubies or the sweetest Herbs Roses or Lillyes Conscience is the Art of Arts and Science of Sciences which every one of whatsoever Degree Quality Science is of absolute necessity bound to be skilled and exercised in A Book it is which neither the Learned when it is delivered to him with this Charge Read this I pray may refuse put away as he Esa 29. 11 12. and say I cannot for it is sealed It is an open Book Or when to the unlearned with the same Charge Read this now he may not say I cannot for I am not Book-learned It is â—n easie Book the Lay-mans Book or Primmer Multae sunt Scientiae hominum sed nulla melior illa quâ homo cognoscit seipsum Many Sciences there are but none like that whereby a man knowes himself The Tree of Knowledge hath often proved to the sons of men the Tree of Evill the fruit though delightful to the eye and pleasant to the taste often proving bitter Apples of contention God hath justly hedged it in and set an Angel to keep man from approaching it But the Tree of Conscience is ever the Tree of Life his fruit is meat his leaves medicine and his very shade comfortâ—ble And truly if a man have but so much Knowledge as to get and keep a good Conscience though he can never attain to those high Speculations which the world admires it is enough I would have you saith the Apostle to the Ro. 16. 19. Romanes as simple to evill as wise to good And our Saviour to those of Thyatira whose parts could not reach the bottome of those strange and deep notions which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 depths though depths of Satan counting their doctrines of licentiousnesse depths and the old plain sincerity and conscientiousnesse but
shallows and simplicities I will lay upon you no other burthen but what you have already hold fast till I come Rev. 2. 24 25. The truth is Heaven and Glory are not for the learned Scribe and the Scholler-like Disputant for Seraphical parts and Serpentine pates but for the poor and simple the Babes and children who attend the knowledge of God and Conscience and are Ignoramusses in the Worlds Sciences and grand Mysteries He that receiveth not the Kingdome of God as a little child shall not enter therein These times of ours have been too fruitful in disputes and controversies in dealing with which as there is no end so in the end no satisfaction at all or benefit To which therefore that of the wise man may be applyed Better is the End than the Beginning though Both are Vanity and better than them both is a total abstinence from them and an harmlesse nescience of them But how barren are we and unfruitfull in the right knowledge of God and faith in Jesus Christ and that conscientiousnesse which doth adorn the Christian. Never was there more Knowledge in the World and never lesse Never so many Saints never so few Never so much of Conscience in the world and never so little Notionall Knowledge never more Substantiall and Obedientiall never lesse Titular Saints never so many their number as the sand of the Sea their nature as the stones or myre in the streets Reall Saints never so few their nature as the Stars in the Skie but their number lesse than of the most precious Stones and Rubies fewer than the gates of Jerusalem or the precious Stones in Aarons Brest-plate for each Tribe one Never so much of Conscience heard never so little of it seen Every man propounding doubtful Queries about it but one plain man in a family or two in a Tribe busying themselves about the exercise of it But as Austin very excellently said of the Poor Gardiner who hath an excellent Fruit-tree in his Orchyard whereof he is the undoubted Owner he gathers and eats the Fruit he tastes the sweetnesse this man saith he hath much more benefit by this Tree though he be a mean Scholler can neither write or read nor can he tell you the name of his Tree in Greeke or Latine nor doth hee know any thing of the Antiquity of it or the Original roote whence it came He is no such Artist as to take the height of it nor ever busied he himselfe to measure the compasse and thicknesse of his Tree much lesse to tell the Twigs and number the Apples on it But he is sure he is the owner of it and it is all his with all Appurtenances He lookes to the fencing pruning dressing dunging of his Tree and gathering of the fruit He I say hath far more good by this Tree than he that can learnedly in any language discourse of it and tell you the Physical nature of the fruit and can exactly tell you his Age Descent and to an Inch give you his Thicknesse and Height and tell you how many Twigs and Leaves there are upon it and how much fruit to an Apple but all this while it is none of his So surely he is much the happier man who though he fall short in matter of parts yet is he the man that lookes to his Conscience and minds that Conscience is the summe of the whole matter it is the Totum Dei and the Totum Hominis too First it is the Totum Dei the whole charge of God and his chief Agent Conscience next to the Son and Spirit and Word of God is invested with the greatest Authority and by Divine Institution his Head is lifted above all his Fellowes and his Throne as Jehoiakims in the day of his Enlargement above all other Thrones and earthly Judicatories It is Gods greatest Officer and Vice-gerent set by him to be as it were thy Angell Keeper Monitor Remembrancer King Prophet Witnesse Examiner Judge yea thy lower Heaven Submit to Conscience it must command thee Be ruled by it it will not wrong thee Be not shie of it it will not betray or deceive thee Againe I say Beware of it provoke it not as the Lord said of his Angel Obey his voice for he will not spare thee If thou slight or flie it it is as the Angel in the way against Balaam to resist thee with a sword in his hand It will be an Adversarie to thee and an Informer against thee an Accuser Witnesse Judge Jaylor Tormentor a Worme Rack Dungeon to thee yea thy upper Hell Secondly Conscience is totum Hominis It is the worlds great Charge Art thou a Minister All that thou hast to doe is onely to look well to Conscience Tota cura animarum absolvitur in solâ curâ Conscientiarum Art thou a Christian this is thy Charge like his 1 King 20. 39. Look well to this see thy eye be never off it Let it not break loose and make escape from thee thy life shall go for it if it do To call Conscience a Grace is too little it is as Hegai the Kings Chamberlaine the Est 2. 3. Keeper of all the Royal Virgins those daughters of Beauty to whose charge they were committed he was to Minister to them all necessaryes he to furnish them with Vestments and Odours to purifie them Conscience is the Keeper of the Graces in whose Chamber they ly and from whose hand they receive whatever is requisite that they may be fit to appear in the presence of the King of Heaven To call Conscience a Duty is too little it is the Summe and Epitome of all duty it is not a Star but a Constellation of many stars It is like the via lactea in the Heavens all beset with stars it is like the Gates and Streets of the new Jerusalem Re. 21. 21. the one all Pearls the other all Gold In a word what ever thou art and what ever is thy work Conscience must be thy Charge and thy work Art thou a Merchant this is the Pearl thou must Trade and lay out for Art thou a Marriner Conscience is the Ship thou must sail in and except thou abide in this ship as Paul said to his Companions thou canst not be saved Art thou a Souldier a Garrison Souldier Conscience is thy Fort to fly to which thou must manfully defend and make good A Field-Souldier Conscience must be thy Word if the enemy get this from thee and thou once fight against Conscience thou shalt be certainly routed and ruined Art thou a Husbandman this thy field to till and Garden to dresse A Tradesman this must be thy Shop to worke in and attend upon A Chapman this thy weight and measure to buy and sell by Art thou a Scholler Conscience must be thy Library at least thy Vade mecum A Divine this must be thy Text or Doctrine at least thy Application must be to Conscience Art thou a Lawyer Conscience must be thy Principall Client
to get keepe use two weapons especially Faith and a good Conscience get both or neither faith in the one hand good Conscience in the other thou hast many enemies to resist and fight with thou must use both hands not faith alone without good Conscience nor good conscience alone without Faith Both make thee compleately armed and will make thee more then a Conqueror But hold them fast throw down neither but should thy weapons be beaten through violence of persecution to thy head never suffer them through cowardize to be beaten out of thy hands The latter especially he giveth charge abovt viz. a good conscience without this if thou shouldest be all faith all faith cannot save thee nor save it selfe without this second good conscience But faith either stands or swims with a good Conscience or falls and sinkes with a bad Conscience Hence the point intended is In the most Perillous tempests of corrupt and dangerous Obs times wherein we often see others losing their Lives their Graces their Comforts their former Peace their future hopes that our selves may not eternally miscarry and loose all we have on earth for Grace and comfort and all we look for in heaven for glory and happiness Our continuall care must be to get and keepe to have and hold faith and a good conscience If thou lose not these two thou shalt never have cause to complaine of losing times keepe these they will keepe thee In times of common Naufrage and Shipwracke when we see abroad Church-wracks State-wracks Faith-wracks Truth-wracks take heed then of the worst Ship-wrack of all at home Conscience-wrack Our life here is set out by a double Metaphor 1. Of a warfaring condition v. 18. 2. Of a Seafaring condition v. 19. Is our life a warfare These are our principal weapons Faith and good Conscience if faith be the Shield good Conscience is the Brestplate of Righteousnesse Ephe. 6. 14. or the golden Eph. 6. 14. 16. Girdle of truth and sincerity v. 16. Is our condition a Land fight and not of a single combate but of common interest These two Faith and a good Conscience are the two strong holds we must secure our selves in and hold out to the last drop of blood and gaspe of life These two like Jonathan 1 Sam. 14. 13. and his armour bearer will disco mfit an hoast of Enemies and carry all before them and break through the most insuperable difficulties 1 Pet. 3. 16. Having a good conscience 1 Pet. 3. 16 saith the Apostle that whereas they speake evill of you as of evill doers they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ q. d. Though they encampe against you beset your houses shoot their arrowes and bullets bitter words and as bad deeds yea should they discharge their murdering Peeces upon you and thinke by firing and storming to carry all before them stand you your ground quit your selves like men retire you like the Cony to this Rock like the Bird to this Hill your Brazen walls of Faith which indeed without any Hyperbole as Jerichoes walls reach up to heaven and that Adamantine Inworke of a good Conscience founded on a Rock no Gates or engines of Hell shall prevaile against But they shall be ashamed when they behold your good and unblameable conversation They shall draw off with dishonour and infamy as Abimeleck when he attempted to fire the Tower of Thebez to which they fled for safety a woman threw a Jud. 9. 51. 52. piece of a Milstone upon his head and sent him packing These indeed shall never be ashamed Ps 127. 5. when they speake with any Enemies in the Gate Is our life a Seafaring condition A good Conscience is the Arke not like that wherein Moses was exposed to drowning and danger Ex. 2. 3. an Arke of Bulrushes daubed with slime and pitch But like that of Noah Pitched Gen. 6. 14. Et Seq within and without with pitch made by Gods own direction wherein thou mayst adventure as he did the whole world both Church and State thereinto God bad him enter therein God shut him and kept him safe it preserved that second Adam and all the reserve of the Creation from that universall Deluge A window it had in the top to let in the light of Heaven not the lest Crevise below to let in a drop of water to endanger it It did shoot off all the Showers that fel downwards and all the Floods that raged upwards The like figure whereunto even Baptisme doth now save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh 1 Pet. 3. 20 21. but the answer of a good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Peter 3. 20. 21. Is our Life a Sea-fight These two Faith and good Conscience are our men of warre which we must never yeeld up to any Enemy but chuse rather to perish and sinke in defending them and maintaining our Trust See what Trophees a Christian brings home by making good these two above all Trophees of honour a Conqueror can get from a spoiled Enemy 2 Cor. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this 2 Cor. 1. 12 the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world but more abundantly to you-wards It had been now an ill time with the Apostle his sufferings did abound v. 5. He was pressed above measure and above humane strength Even to dispaire of life yet even under the sentence and stroke of death He had consolations abounding as much as his afflictions and joyes running over above measure if afflictions above measure And all from this Magazine and Treasury of a good Conscience In pursuite of this point I shall first shew The five particulars to be handled what Conscience is 2 What this good Conscience is 3. Give the particular kinds and sorts of good Consciences 4. Give the reasons of the point and duty 5. Deduce the inferences arising hence by way of Application CHAP. I. Chap. 1. What Conscience is What conscience is TO the first What conscience is This I shall shew in two particulars 1. Explaining what the word Conscience signifies 2. What the thing Conscience is 1. What the word conscience signifies Notatio nominis praemittenda notationi Rei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word in Greeke and Conscientia in Latine and Conscience in English are all compound words and signifie a knowing together and imply two things 1. Some competent measure of knowledge or there can be no conscience Hence the word so translated 1 Cor. 4. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know Nullius rei mihi conscius sum Beza So. Nil conscire sibi Horat. nothing by my selfe Prov. 8. 12. Wisdome saith Ego sapientia cum Prudentia cohabito I Wisdome dwell with Prudence So Ego Conscientia cum scientia I Conscience dwell with
shall lament Wo to them that are at ease Luk. 6. 25 in Zion and put far from them the evil day when they cause violence to draw near If he adde drunkenness to thirst and walk in the imaginaon Am 6. 1. 3. of his heart and bless himself saying I have peace and I shall have peace God will not spare such a one but his anger and jealousie Deut. 29. 18 19. shall smoak against that man It is the case of the godly oftentimes to cry fear fear where no fear and danger is And the wicked usually cry peace peace where no safety and peace is Thus yet do many sleep and live and die in peace when Jonah-like there Jonah 1. 4 5. is the greatest storm of Divine Displeasure pursuing them and the Destroyer is ready to swallow them up They slumber and sleep but their judgement all the while lingreth not and their damnation slumbreth not For there 2 Pet. 2. 3. is no Peace from God to the wicked Isa 57. ult 2 It is pacifyed from the rage of Satan After 2. From the rage of Satan conscience hath been delivered from the paws of the ravening Bear the reign of sin It must next seek to be delivered from the jaws of the roaring Lyon the rage of Satan This latter is usually more terrible the former more dangerous When Sin is dethroned the first and greatest wo is past When Adonijah flies Solomon presently succeeds and is established 1 Kin 1. 50. in the throne Sin once put to flight the King of Peace reigns in the throne of Conscience This is that happy peace and security promised to the Beleever Mat. 16. 18. Upon this Rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it This is the sum of that other promise Rom. 16. 20. The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly shewing manifestly our securest peace is when God doth not only restrain but ruine Satan not binde but bruise him not chain him up but tread him down The like Prayer 1 Thes 5. 23. The very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly This peace from Satans rage the godly man may for so me time want who yet hath a good and pure conscience Such a want may stand with a perfect good conscience though not with a perfectly well conscience Conscientia honestè bona may be molestè mala Ames The Philistines often rushed upon Sampson and gave him many alarums hee still Iudg. 16. 9. 12. 15. 14 came off with honour and victory They come â—ut one way and fly seven waies The trouble was his the losse was theirs Yet thus is many a poore beleever often encountered some for longer time some for shorter some even al their life time are kept in bondage through Heb. 2. 15. feare of death and him that hath the power of Death the Devill They mourne they feare they pray they cry they are weary with waiting for the salvation of God When will the redeemer come out of Zion When Rom. 11. 26 Mal. 4. 2. will the Angell of the Covenant of peace come with Healing under his wings Paul had not this Peace sometimes 2 Cor. 7. 5. we had no rest but were troubled on every sâ—de without were fightings within were feares yet at another time could say 2 Cor. 2. 14. Thanks be to God who alwaies causeth us to Triumph in Christ And Rom. 8. 31 33. ad finem If God be for us who can be against us What shall separate us from the love of God shall Tribulation or Distresse or Persecution or Temptation c. Nay in all these things we are more then Conquerers through him that hath loved us yea I am perswaded that neither the Temptation nor the Tempter nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor Life nor Death nor Height nor Depth nor any Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. In this condition Conscience saith to the Soule Returne to thy Rest O my Soule for the Lord hath beene Beneficiall unto Psal 116. 7 thee This is that Peace which Christ hath Purchased and Bequeathed to the Beleever Peace I leave with you my Peace I give to you Jo. 14. 27. b. e. not Peace onely with God and with selfe and with men in midst of a Raging unquiet world but Peace in Despight of Hell Gates and Sathans Darts Of this Peace we may say as Gideon of his Altar Judg. 6. 34 Jehovah Shalom the Lord is God of this Peace or this Peace is the Peace of God Thirdly The third thing Conscience From the displeasure of God Rightly Pacified is at Peace and Delivered from is the Displeasure of God This is the Highest Step of Solomons throne the best part of our Peace above both the former when we can say being justified by faith we have Peace with God through Jesus Christ Rom. 5. 1. This a blessed Peace when not with man or selfe or sin or Sathan but with God Reconciled through Christ This that Peace Christ promised which the world cannot Give Nor Devill take away Jo. 14. 27. The peace of which the Apostle speaketh so magnificently calling it Phil 4. 7. the Peace of God which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praesidio erit Beza passeth all understanding which shall guard and engarison your hearts and mindes through Jesus Christ This Guards the Soule and Conscience from all the feares and assaults of Law sin guilt death hell and Satan In this condition the Soule lyeth downe in Peace and riseth in Peace and saith to the Godly â—ustified Person in Solomons words Eccle. 9. 7. Go thy way eat thy Bread with joy Psal 3. 5. 4. 8. and drinke thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy works Secondly There are 3 things which Conscience must be Pacified by and those the Conscience is pacified by 3 things same three by which before it was Purified what ever tendes to Purity Tendes to Peace viz. 1. The word 2. The bloud 3. The Spirit of Christ First By the word of Christ Conscience is Pacified and restored to Peace The word By the word of Christ especially the Gospell is therefore cald the word of Peace Tydings of Peace Gospell of Peace Word and ministery of Reconciliation Act. 10. 36 Ro. 10. 15. 2 Cor. 5. 18 The Gospel is the Instrumentum Pacis Christianae Gods Proclamation and our Charter of Peace containing the largest concessions of Grace It is an Act of Oblivion Passed in Heaven God not imputing our sinnes to us and further giving us an Act of Indemnity against all charges and impeachments of law sinne Conscience or Sathan This word we must produce for our security It is by the Mar. 4. 39. 41. Job 34 29 Jer. 20. 9. word of Christ that the winds and stormes are laid in the conscience and a calme made Christ utttereth his voyce and the
wildernesse of Kadesh doth tremble when he speaks terror who can give peace His word is as fire in the Bones He sendeth his word the Snow is scattered like woll It s like morsels who can stand before his cold There is a winter and trembling in the conscience But he sendeth Psal 147. 17. 18. forth his word againe and melteth them All the mighty workes wrought upon the soule are by meanes of the word of Christ By this word Act. 10. 36. Christ commeth to the Mar. 4 50 Luk. 24. 38 soule Preaching Peace He saith why are ye fearefull oh ye of little faith why are ye troubled why doe thoughts arise in your heart By his word he coms into the sad solitary soule as Jo. 20. 19. he did to the Disciples all doores being shut and saith Peace be unto you Yea ordinarily that you may waite on the word for tydings of Peace The Peace which Christ doth create is the fruit of the lips of his Ministers Isa 57. 19. I create the fruit of the lips Peace Peace to him that is farre off and to him that is neere saith the Lord and I will heale him The Ministers Feet bring Peace by Preaching the word of Peace Isa 52. 7. And the feet of Beleevers are said to be shod with Peace to walk in waies of Peace through the preparation and Eph. 6. 15 preaching of the Gospell of Peace When the minister comes to a place or people Preaching Peace if there be a Son and Heire of Peace there his Peace shall remaine upon that Person Luk. 10. 6. 2. By the Blood of Christ This is the Procuring cause of all our Peace Col. 1. 20. Having By the blood of Christ made Peace by the blood of his Cross The Peace of our Conscience is the meer issue of that blessed Personall Treaty made between the Father and the Son in behalf of undone and Ruined man the blood of Christ being the whole price of it and all the satisfaction to be made Rom. 3. 23 24 25. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of all sins past c. The blood of the Paschall Lamb upon the door post was the peace and security of Israel against the destroyer Exo. 12. 23 and the blood of Christ upon the soul is the consciences security alone against all remaining guilt and corruption of sin rage of Satan and danger of Gods displeasure This blood gives the soul all boldnesse to enter into Heb. 10. 19 the holyest by a new and living way and gives us assurance before God 3. By the Spirit of Christ This is the Procreating 3. By the spirit of Christ and Producing cause of Peace in us as the blood of Christ was the Procuring cause of Peace for us For this reason Christ and the Holy Ghost are called by one and the same name because their end and businesse is the same to procure Peace to the soul Christ is an Advocate or Paraclete 1 Joh. 2. 1. The holy Ghost is an Advocate or Paraclete Joh 14. 16. The word is the same in the Originall But here is the difference Christ is our Advocate the holy Ghost is Gods Advocate Christ is our Advocate with the Father procuring peace the holy Ghost is an Advocate or Paraclete from the Father producing peace Christ is our Advocate to God prevailing with him for granting peace The Spirit is Gods Advocate Jo. 15. 26 14. 16 26 Gen. 8. 11 to us prevailing with us to entertain peace This is the Dove with the Olive branch which goes and returns till the waters are asswaged dry land appear and danger be over This applyes the word and promise which proclaims our peace this applyes the blood of Christ which procures our peace this hath the last hand and consummating stroke in our peace making Therefore this joy and peace of conscience is denominated from the Spirit joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. The fruit of the Spirit is joy Peace Gal. 5. 22. CHAP. IV. The Offices of Conscience III. IN our definition of a good conscience Chap 4. The Offices of conscience I said it was that conscience which being purifyed and pacified doth regularly perform all his Offices Conscience is absolutely the greatest Officer under Heaven and is without contradiction the greatest Representative in all the world it is Gods immediate Vice-gerent hath a delegation from God Whence we commonly say vox Conscientiae vox Dei The voice of God is in the voice of Conscience And the Acts of Conscience are the Acts of God what conscience doth binde or loose on earth in foro suo God doth ratifie in heaven in foro suo 1 Joh. 3. 20 21. So that what the Canonists impudently and blasphemously assert of the Pope we may in a safe and modest sense apply to conscience Deus Papa say they unum habent Consistorium a bold and impious saying Deus conscientia unum habent Consistorium A true saying God and the Pope have but one Consistory or Judicatory say they God and Conscience say we Prov. 20. 27. The Spirit of man is the candle of the Lord. Pluralist respectu Officiorum non Beneficiorum Conscience hath four Offices Now conscience is a Licensed and allowed Pluralist hath four distinct Offices 1. Propheticall or Ministeriall 2. Regal or Magistratual 3. Testimoniall or witnesse bearing 4. Judiciall or sentence passing Consciences Ministeriall Office 1. Consciences first office is Ministeriall or Propheticall that is to do the Office of a Minister Watchman or Seer to give warning from God from whom it hath his Commission Ordination and Station all Jure Divino To warn inform direct reprove admonish charge See you refuse not him that speaketh within you This is your Domestick Chaplain to whom as Jotham said to the men of Shechem you must hearken that God may hearken Judg. 9. 7. unto you We dislike that a Minister should be dumb in his charge or a Watchman should sleep on the Sentery take heed of maintaining a Conscience or silencing a speaking conscience In Libera Civitate Linguas liberas esse oportet Augustus was wont to say Say thou among Freemen conscience should have his freedom preserved at least as to his own charge Give thy conscience all freedom to inform propound yea reprove and smite This Liberty of Conscience none will question all will contend for There is some other Liberty of Conscience the world cries out for I dare not plead for that But give conscience leave to be bold with thee it will give thee boldness another day that thou shalt assure thy heart before God We called it Tyrannicall and Antichristian dealing when the Prelates outed suspended and deprived the godly and
faithful Ministers for delivering Gods minde and rebuking the sins of their wicked hearers sometimes Take heed thou tread not in their steps to interdict and silence thy own conscience this is more to be hearkened to in many cases then any Divine or Minister whatsoever this is the mouth of the Lord the Candle of the Lord searching and discovering Pro. 20. 27. the secrets and inward things of the belly We say conscience in some cases is above all witnesses a thousand witnesses it is a thousand Preachers too God saith to conscience as he Conscientia mille Ministri did to Moses once Exod. 7. 1. See I have made thee a God to Pharaoh and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet Conscience shall be to me in stead of a mouth saith God and to thee in stead of God as Moses was to Aaron Exo. 4. 16. Consciences second office is Regall or Magistratuall 2. Consciences Regall office a higher office then the former Conscience hath a commanding and legislative power to binde even kings in chains and nobles with fetters of iron He is thy Perpetuus Dictator whose dictares are Laws They were a law to themselves Rom. 2. 14. This king may neither be deposed nor resisted but ever informed counselled and treated with and then ever obeyed as Gods vicegerent Whosoever cast off the imperiall commands of conscience God saith to them as he did to Samuel concerning Israel 1 Sam. 8. 7. They have not rejected thee but they have rejected me that I should not reigne over them God giveth to conscience a large Commission and saith to it as to Eliakim in the day of his investiture in his office I will clothe thee with a new robe and commit the government into thy hand The key of the house of David will I lay on thy shoulders Thou shalt shut and none shall open thou shalt open and none shall shut Isay 22. 21 22. What conscience peremptorily commands or forbids is more to a godly man then what Kings or States command And the religious man resolveth Conscientia mille Reges mille Leges rather to disobey any unjust commands of Kings or States and fall under any displeasure of men then to go against the dictates of his own rightly informed conscience We are not carefull O King to answer thee in this Dan. 3. 16. matter said they to Nebuchadnezzar although they heard his expresse commands and saw the fiery furnace before them Julian the Apostate forbad the Christians to sing Psalms Risui ei catui furias suas esse intellexit Magd. cent 4. cap. 3. the very women and virgins did purposely sing the louder when the Emperour was to go by their doors that he saw his wrath was by them derided And those Psalms they picked out that condemned his Idols as that Psalm 135 ver 15. 16 18. Conscience rides in the second Charet and is Gen. 41. 40 43. 44. solo Deo minor soli Deo secunda Without thee saith God to conscience as Pharaoh once to Joseph shall no man lift up his hand or foot Onely in the Throne will I be greater then thou Conscience hath a kingly or magistratuall power but must not exercise an Arbitrary power It must be it self at his beck who is in the Throne Of whose subordination to God and his written Word and Law we shall speak afterwards in his proper place His third office is Testimoniall or to bear Consciences Testimoniall Office witnesse Rom. 2. 14 15. The Gentiles who had not the Law in Tables of stone as had the Jews had the Law written in their hearts which did shew it self in this work of Conscience Their consciences also bearing witnesse Rom. 2. 14. 15. c. This is the witnesse in a mans self a greater testimony then that of John This is the Epistle of Christ written in the heart Our rejoycing is this The testimony of our conscience 2 Cor. 1. 12. A testimony and certificate which Gods Spirit doth attest to and consent with Rom. 9. 1. My conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost In the mouth of these two great witnesses the state of a Christian is established For the Spirit it self witnesseth with our spirit that we are the Rom. 8. 16 sons of God Rom. 8. 16. This testimony of conscience is above a thousand witnesses be it Conscientia mille testes for thee or against thee 1 Job 3. 19 20 21. Turpe quid acturus te sine teste time Take heed wheresoever thou art what thou dost Conscience will out with all the secret passages it hath observed It is like Joseph among his brethren who carried home their ill report to their father and made them much anger Thou never sinnest without a spie or Gen. 37. 2. an observer and informer Do therefore as was said of Mr. Latimer who being examined in private spake more freely till he over-heard one behinde the Hangings whom he saw not present to take in writing what he said then he spake more warily Take heed what thou dost remotis arbitris Curse not the King no not in thy thought conscience the margin reads it scientia Arias Mont. conscientia Junius Nor the rich in thy bed-chamber for a bird of the air shall carry the voyce and thaâ— which hath wings shall tell the matter Eccles 10 20. Thine own conscience may be that bird Elisha did relate what was in agitation at the 2 Kin. 6. 12 King of Syrias Councell-table yea what passed in his Bed-chamber Such an observing witnesse hath every one continually with him do he good or evil Conscience is a witness and is like one of those two famous witnesses spoken of Revel 11. 3. who prophesied in sackcloth despised and opposed by the men of the world as the great Rev. 11 3. 5. 6 c. heart troubler and worlds tormenter they rejoyced made merry and sent gifts when they were slain these brought all plagues from heaven among men and could shut up Heaven it self fire came out of their mouth yet kill this if thou darest and keep it down if thou canst it will rise again after a few days stand upon his feet the sight thereof will terrifie and dismay thee but thou shalt know it will go up to Heaven there to accuse and condemn thee 4. The fourth Office of conscience is Judiciall Conscienecs judicial Office and Judge-like It doth passe sentence on thee and read thy doom Hence men are said to be convicted of their own Consciences Joh. 8. 9. Some are said to be self condemned Tit. 3. 11. Happy is he that condemneth not himself Rom. 14. 22. If our heart that is our conscience condemn us God is greater then our hearts to condemn us further But if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God 1 Joh. 3. 20 21. Consciences sentence is the fore-runner of the last judgement Praejudicium Divini judicii as Joseph interpreted
the two prisoners dreams Pharaoh made it good Hic crucem sceleris precium tulit alter honores Gen. 41. 13. It came to passe saith the Butler to Pharaoh as he interpreted to us so it was me he restored to mine office him he hanged Joseph is then said to hang the one and restore the other because he foretold it so and it fell out accordingly so conscience is said to absolve and condemn because according to the sentence of this lower Court and Judicatory of conscience usually is the last sentence of that highest Court in Heaven If my conscience Job 31. 35. 36. clear me let my adversary write a Book and Libell against me I shall wear it as a Isa 50. 8. Crown my witness is at hand and he is near 1 Sam. 2. 25 that justifieth me But if my conscience Libell against me who shall Apologize for me If a Quamquam humana sub tersugiem judicia judicium propriae conscientiae fugere non valeo Bernard man sin against another the Judge shall judge them but if a man be condemned by himself who shall be his Dayes-man I may flie mans judgement seat or stop the Judges mouth but I cannot escape the Bar nor stop the mouth of my own conscience Prima est haec ultio quod se Judice nemo nocens absolvitur Improba quamvis Gratia fallacis Praetoris vicerit Vrnam Juven Sat. 13. I might adde to these four named Offices of Consciences registeriall office conscience a fifth his Registerial Office for conscience is the great Register and Recorder of Vbicunque vado conscientia mea â—â—e non deserit sed prae sâ—ns ad sâ—sâ—it quicquid facio scribit Bernard the world It is to every man his private Notary or Secretary keeping notes or records of all his Acts and Deeds Hence it hath his name Synteresis given it Conscience hath the Pen of a ready writer and takes in short hand and in an illegible character from thy mouth as fast as thou speakest yea from thy heart what thou contrivest consciences writing at present is not legible as that which is written with the juyce of a Lemmon is not to be read by Day-light but against the fire by night you may read it so consciences writing will be read by fire light of distress or in that day when Heaven and earth are on fire then shall this book be opened and the Cypher be discovered Conscience is the poorest mans Historiographer who hath no Chronicler to write his Story Every mans Acts both first and last are written in the Apocryphal Book of conscience The sin of Judah is written with the pen of iron and with the point of a Diamond it is graven upon the Table of their heart Jer. 17. 1. It is not the lot of every mean man to have his Acts and memory perpetuated it is the honour of Kings and sometimes of some other more eminent persons of David it is said 1 Chro. 29. 29. Now the rest of the Acts of David the King first and last behold they are written in the Book of Samuel the Seer and in the book of Nathan the Prophet and in the Book of Gad the Seer But of every man of whatsoever quality it may be said the rest of his Acts though they be not mentioned in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings yet first and last they are all written in the book of the Chronicles of conscience by Syneidesis the Seer and Synteresis the Recorder Now to draw to a conclusion conscience I said was then a good conscience when it doth discharge all his forenamed Offices A Magistrate a Minister a Judge a Witness is then good when each of them is good in his proper place and function and indeed that every one is in truth which he is in discharge of his particular Calling Then is conscience good when it doth officiate well and doth the part of a Minister of a Magistrate of a Witnesse and of a Judge In these four tespects I may say of conscience Ipsa indicat ipsa imperat ipsa observat ipsa judicat as Bernard excellently Ipsa testis ipsa judex ipsa tortor ipsa carcer Ipsa accusat Lib. de consc cap. 9. ipsa judicat ipsa punit ipsa damnat A good conscience is a good Minister a good Magistrate a good Witness a good Judge the best of friends but an ill conscience is an observer of thee will be an informer against thee and both thine adversary and accuser and witness and Judge and Jaylor and Executioner and Tormentor too the worst of enemies Hence flow five Corollaries or conclusions Corollary 1. Conscience is to perform his two first Offices viz. of a Minister to inform and direct and of a King to command and prescribe before a work is to be done or when in fieri Conscience should call in Understanding and Faith to advise with and herein imitate God who Gen. 1. 26. intending to Create Man propounds his Action propounds his End and propounds his Model Let us make man in our Image after our likenesse and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the ayre and over the cattell and over all the earth c. So should we say Let me upon deliberation do such an Act after such a manner to such an end This is to Act according to conscience and consequently according to God Corollary 2. When a work or action is already done In facto esse conscience is to discharge his two last Offices of a witness and of a Judge to accuse or excuse to approve or reprove and so to passe sentence Thus did God after every dayes work finished he reviewed his worke and saw with much content and fulness of approbation it was good And at last Gen. 1. 31. God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good So should we review all our actions before we passe from them to new businesses Let thine eyes look right on and let thine eye-lids look strait before thee Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established Prov. 4. 25 26. There you have these two rules in the well learning and practising whereof lies the chiefest businesse of Practical conscience Coroll 3. When a man goes wilfully against the two first Acts or Offices of Conscience viz. Ministerall Regall he commits the highest sin and draws on the greatest guilt Maxima violatio Conscientiae maximum peccatum Ames What made the sin of the lapsed Angels unpardonable but because they went against a full and clear light of a fully informed conscience and divinely irradiated understanding Their sin had many ingredients of that sin against the holy Ghost in it being committed against clear light much received grace with full consent of will having much of malice in it therefore no wonder it became unpardonable And whence is it that the sin against the
a carnall legall abject and low spirit and boldnesse loosenesse frollicknesse accounted Gospell-like walking and the onely proofe of our Redemption and the best Plerophory But know the grace of God teacheth us another Lesson It Tit. 2. 12 13. teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world The righteous God loveth righteousnesse Psal 11. 7. And with the pure God the Holy One of Israel nothing is approved but purity This is his Image this his Superscription Nothing but this is Gods and to be rendered to God The Kings Coyne hath his Image within as well as his Superscription without the Ring the Christian must have his Image within or it is in vaine to subscribe our selves and to be surnamed by the Es 41. 5. name of Israel The right faith of the Gospell is purifying faith Acts 15. 9. Gospel hope is purifying hope 1 Joh. 3. 3 True love pure love 1 Pet. 1. 23. Our Religion must be pure Jam. 1. 27. Hearts pure Jam. 4. 8. Mindes pure 2 Pet. 3. 1. Wayes pure Psal 119. 1. Hands pure Psal 24. 4. Prayer pure Job 16. 7. Incense pure Malac. 1. 11. Indeed all must be pure King Soloâ—â—â— had not a Vessell in either of his houses that at Jerusalem or that of the Forrest of Lebanon but was all of pure Gold he would be served in no other 1 Kin. 10. 21. God will have no other Vessell in either of his Houses that of Jerusalem the Church Triumphant or this Countrey-house as I may call it in the Forrest of Lebanon the Church Militant but what is of pure Gold of beaten tryed and refined Gold Silver was nothing esteemed in the dayes of Solomon Civility and externall Morality is too meane for God too base to enter Heaven The Kings Coyne I said before hath his Image on it it hath first his Image on the one side and then the Kings Armes or the Kingdomes Armes on the other Such is the right Christian he hath this Image and Effigies of God Purity and Righteousnesse stamped on the one side of his conscience and the Kings Armes or the Kingdom of Heavens Armes on the other Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost The Kingdome of God saith the Apostle or if I may so call them the Effigies and Armes of the Kingdom is Righteousnesse and Peace Joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. It is observed that the floore of Solomons 1 Ki. 6. 30. Temple was overlaid with Gold both within and without that is to say both the Sanctum Sanctorum and the Atrium sacerdotum the Court of the Priests as it is called 2 Chron. 4. 9. Although the Great Court called the Atrium Populi were not so So it is the minde and will of God that not onely those holy glorified Saints that are within the Vayle of the Sanctum Sanctorum and the Church Triumphant but all those within his true Church distinguished from the world should have the same purity and holinesse although not the same measure Purity is the floore and paving of both Militant and Triumphant Church CHAP. VII Of the sincere Conscience NExt to pure conscience comes the sincere being much alike often taken promiscuously one for the other but though they may never be divided and parted may thus be distinguished Pure is opposed to what is filthy defiled uncleane profane impure Sincere Purity and integrity how they differ is opposed to false deceitfull counterfeit hypocriticall imaginary Every sincere man is really pure and endeavours so to be found but every pure-seeming person is not sincere nor doth intend so to be Sincerity is the glory of purity and of conscience and of every person grace or action It must be sincere faith if any 1 Tim. 1. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith unfaigned Sincere love if any 1. to Christ Eph. 6. 24. Grace to all them that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. If to men Rom. 12. 9. Let love be without dissimulation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good Hezekiah whatever he did he did in his integrity and with all his heart and so he prospered 2 Chron. 31. 21. The sincere is ever a good conscience no sooner sincere but presently good no longer good then can be called sincere Sincerity is the soundnesse health and right constitution of conscience Sincerity here is all our Gen. 6. 9. Job 1. 1. perfection Noah Job and others were called perfect in their generations onely because upright and sincere Sincerity is Earths highest perfection we cannot go higher Innocency was Paradises purity is Heavens Of this conscience Paul speaks 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world c. In which words foure things are very remarkable 1. What is the best temper and complexion of conscience 2. What the clearest markes and best proofes to evidence it 3. What is the worst disease and most destructive enemy to it 4. What is the fruit and benefit of it 1. The temper of the best conscience is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 godly sincerity or as the words are The sincerity of God in all our conversings with men 2. The clearest markes of this sincerity are naked and downright simplicity simplicity of God as it is called and the grace of God 3. The most common but dangerous enemy to conscience which is ever the bane and death of sincerity is fleshly wisdome in sincerity not in fleshly wisdome the more of that the lesse of this Not in fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God nothing so opposite to Gods grace as humane and carnall wisdom if the one increaseth the other ever decreaseth 4. But the fourth thing is the benefit of such a constitution and freedome from this distemper which is above all expression It maintaines the soule in a plight of rejoycing and in a state of glory as it were amidst many pressures when the outward man was ouerburdened sentenced to death and despairing of life and of all outward reliefe vers 8. Wee were pressed out of measure above strength insomuch that we despaired even of life but we had the sentence of death in our selves c. yet there as in another place 2 Cor. 6. 10. he saith As sorrowing yet alway rejoycing As dying yet behold we live Blessed be a good God and well fare a good conscience for it It makes such an alteration that like the night starres when all day light is off the Heaven Quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leigh Crit. Sacr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illae res proprie dicuntur quae suum duntaxat nativum colorem praesertim album retinent nullo alio admisto ut lilia lana candida farina sincera est quae non est fermento corrupta Zanch. then do these appeare so
sapienter descendere in infernum Ber. de vit Sol. discretion and go a wise and learned way thither These keep the key of Knowledge but mean not to go into the Kingdom of Heaven themselves but the key of Conscience the poor and simple and unlearned ones in the world get and presse after the Kingdom of God and enter in Surgunt indocti et rapiunt Regnum Coelorum nos cum doctrinis nostris sine corde ecce ubi volutamur in carne sanguine Aug. Conf. l. 8. c. 8. The Publicane and Harlot conscienciously humbled enter into the Kingdom of Heaven before the Pharisee elated with his greater knowledge And the illiterate Christian is able to read his name in the book of Life and his Duty in the Book of Conscience when the most literate Scribe and Learned Scholler can do neither CHAP. X. Of the well spoken Conscience Of the wel spoken conscience THe well-spoken Conscience is that which can make the Soule a good Answer or upon just Occasion can make fit Demands and put forth his Queres This is that good Conscience or rather Property of it which Peter commendeth so much resembling it to Noahs Arke and saith of it that it saves us 1 Pet. 3. 21. The like figure whereunto even Baptisme doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The answer of a good Conscience towards God Which word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as well or rather an Interrogation then an Answer Stipulstio Some thinke the Apostle doth allude to that Practise of Demands made in Baptisme Credis Credo which Practise though very Ancient yet may be questioned whether so Ancient Our Translators have chosen rather to render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Answer And in this sense it tells us what conscience hath to do First It makes a good and ready Answer to God It is ever as quick of Speech as it is of Sight or of Hearing when God saith Seeke ye my face my heart saith David talkd of it and went up and downe with it Thy face Lord I will seeke Psal 27. 8. It is written of me that I should doe thy will Psal 40. 8. Conscience replyes thy will O my God is my will Thy law is in my heart I am content to do it Conscience goes often into Habukuks watch Hab. 2. 1. Towre and watcheth listening what the Lord hath to say and studieth what to answer when he is spoken unto Speak Lord saith Conscience for thy servant heareth yea Conscience is 1 Sam. 3. 10. ready to aske and listen Lord what wilt tbâ—u have me to doe As Augustine often da quod Act. 9. 6. jubes et jube quod vis Lord give what thou commandest and give what Command thou wilt Loquere Magister bone libenter te audio et cum adversaris mihi et cum irasceris audio te Cyprian Secondly It makes a good answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for God according to that Precept 2 or 3 verses before 1 Pet 3. 15 16. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready alway to give an answer to every man that asketh you a Reason of the hope that is in you with meekenesse and reverence having a good Conscience that whereas they speak evill of you as of evill dooers they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ So that with S. Peter it is a matter of Conscience and a marke of a good Conscience to be ready to yeeld an account of our Spirituall state when it is required of us Nicodemus thought he was bound in Conscience to stand up and make an Answer for Christ when he was unjustly condemned in the Consistory being never heard and never summoned Doth our Law condemnn any man saith he before it heare him and know what he doth Good Conscience cannot be silent Jo. 7. 51 and fit still without an answer when any cause of God is in hand A good Conscience thinks it is the heaviest crime that can be laid Blasphemiam ingerit religioni quam colit quiâ—quod confitetur ante omnes non impleverit Cyprian to any mans charge to be silent for God Let them call me Adulterer Theife c. or what they please said Luther so that I may not be charged with wicked silence in the cause of God Thirdly Good Conscience makes many a good answer fot ones selfe when under the greatest cloud of Censures and Suspitions or under the Aspersions of all Obloquies Ro. 9. 1. I speake the truth saith the Apostle and lie not my Conscience also is my witnesse This the same Apostle glories in in another place we are as deceivers say you but yet True men saith 2 Cor. 6. 8. 9. Conscience As unknown say you well enough known saith Conscience Conscience makes the best Certificate and gives the best Testimony to any man that hee can have with which Certificate he may confidently travell and passe the whole world over yea at last with this he shall not feare to enter Heaven conducted thither by a guard of Angels Fourthly When any businesse of greatest consequence is under consideration Conscience puts the best answer into thy mouth and will readily resolve what is to be done Enquire-still at Consciences mouth and say as Paul to Philemon without thy advice wil I do nothing consult not in such cases with flesh and blood with safety and policy but with conscience and duty and the answer is ready Phil. v. 19 Habes spacium trium dierum in quo deliberes velisne Romam reverti aut aliquem locum quo traducaris eligere cui ille trium dierum vel etiam mensium spacium rationem non immutat quare mittas me licet quo velis Magd. Cent. 4. c. 3. we need not crave time As Liberius a Godly and Orthodox Bishop of Rome when convented before Constantius an Arrian Emperour and charged there with stubbornes for partaking with Athanasius answered most freely before the Emperour at last when after all faire perswasions and sharp threats he found him persisting in his former resolutions he gave him then three dayes time to consider of it whither then to returne to his Bishoprick at home or to be banisht or to set downe what he would make choice of He answers O Emperour send me whither thou wilt three dayes or three moneths are all one to me Truth and reason do not change with time So into banishment he was sent If men would in their straites when they know not what to resolve upon cast their lot into the lap of Conscience they should have a more certain easie and compendious resolution then by consulting with flesh and blood and reading sometimes many discourses Cathedram habet in conscientia qui corda docet Conscience should bee made Doctor of the Chayre It is the most sound Divinity Reader and oftentimes the most satisfying Casuist in the world
Conscience doth not onely bear up the Spirit with invincible Patience under all Pressures but it anoints the head with oile and causeth the cup to run over with Joy and Consolation His excellencie herein is beyond all expression Good Consciences Peace is the Peace that passeth understanding It makes a Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tam sunt Dies ejus jucundi quam si quotidiè lautissimè aleretur Junius in Ioc. on earth a continual feast Prov. 15. 15. The merry heart our late Translation readeth it hath a continual feast Bonus corde Ar. Montanus Laeti corde Junius He hath Benjamin's Mess before him his fare is far above the ordinarie The bread he hath to eat others know not of nor doth the stranger intermeddle in his joy He hath Jehojakim's Provision Every day a rate from the Kings Pro. 14. 10. Table all the dayes of his life even to the day of his death Jer. 52. 34. His feast is beyond Ahasuerus Royall feast which lasted the longest of any feast we read of an hundred and fourscore dayes Esth 1. 4. but then ended This maintains the heart as Salomon did his subjects with continuall undisturbed peace all the dayes of his life not by force and sword but by Prudence and Counsell This makes thee live Halcyon-dayes in life and sing the Swan-like note at death and leades thee into a new year of Jubile after the expiring of the former year of Sabbath The Good Conscience is it self the Conscientia bona titulus est Religionis Templum Solomonis Ager Benedictionis Hortus Deliciarum Aureum Reclinatorium Gaudium Angelorum Arca Foederis Thesaurus Regis Aula Dei Habitaculum Spiritus Sancti Liber signatus clausus in die Judicii aperiendus Nihil jucundius tutius ditius bona Conscientia Bern. de in t domo greatest Good a man can have and is the Procurer and Entertainer of all that Highest good that man is here possibly capable of It is the onely Paradise which God loves to walk in the onely Throne which Christ sits in the onely Temple which the holy Ghost dwels in it is the golden Pot which the bidden Manna is kept in the white Stone which the new Name is written in the Ark which the Tables of the Covenant are laid up in the earthen Pot where all our writings and Evidences are preserved in it 's Gideon's fleece which all the dew of Heaven falls on it is the soft bed which the wearie soul sleeps in it is the Top of Jacob's Ladder reaching unto Heaven Stevens Perspective looking into Hic est Lectus Animae in hoc requiem capit Bern. Par. Sermon Heaven Moses Nebo where first a view is taken of all the promised Inheritance and thence a few steps higher and he was in heaven it is indeed our Penuel God face to face 5. The Good Conscience is so extensive and communicative a good that it is not onely a real Good it self but makes all other things better where it hath to do whence it deserveth that denomination of good Conscience which it commonly is honored with Other things are called Good as Riches Honors Learning Eloquence c. which are not so really but onely in opinion nor do they make any man the better This makes all Good and Good better where it comes Your Riches Honours Great Parts you call them good but who is made good by them if Good Conscience be not there to do it Bad men may have them and bad they finde them and as bad or worse they leave them But this is that which is inconsistent with any badness no bad man can have a Good Conscience This makes all good it meets with and leaves them good whom it found evil It findes some sinful but leaves them holy findes some proud leaves them humble unmerciful it findes some leaves them charitable covetous it findes some leaves them content unjust and dishonest it findes men but makes them just and honest ere it hath done with them it findeth men unprofitable and good for nothing it leaves them profitable it findes some sad leaves them merry poor and leaveth rich dead and leaveth alive What a change doth this one thing make in the world It mends a Magistrate it mends a Minister it mends rich it mends poor for it mends all This alone would mend ill times mend ill Officers mend ill Lawes mend ill execution of good Lawes mend Church mend State and mend all What Plato said long ago of Common-wealths Tum demum fore beatas res publicas cum aut reges philosopharentur aut philosophi regnarent It would never be well in the world till either Philosophers were Kings or Kings Philosophers we may certainly say It will then be well with Common-wealths and not till then when they that are most conscientious are put in publike place and made Magistrates Rulers Commanders Officers Ministers c. or when they that are in such place be most conscientious Good Conscience is the Treasurie of good which therefore brings forth nothing but what is so Good Communication to edifie the hearer Good Conversation to edifie the Beholder yea Conscientiae ea est vis c. saith Dr Ames that it alters the nature of things it makes Actions in their own nature indifferent become good and Actions good become better as Conscience when not good makes lawfull and indifferent actions sinful and displeasing yea the most holy Action is turned into sin the sacrifice is abomination offered with a wicked heart Prov. 21. 27. How mightily doth it concern us to get this Good Conscience which hath so much of Good Epitomized in it which maketh Learning Parts Riches Honour Good yea makes Faith Repentance Praier Alms Holiness Obedience all Good when Good Conscience there which all cease to bee good if it were not for good Conscience commending them Therefore did Irenaeus well to resemble the Good Conscience to the Altar which sanctifieth the gift that is upon it Non sacrificia sunt quae sanctificant hominem sed conscientia ejus qui offert sanctifiâ—at sacrificium pura existens It is not sacrifice which can sanctifie a man and commend him to God but it is Good Conscience which sanctifieth and commendeth the sacrifice it self CHAP. XVI Of the danger and mischief of an evil Conscience THe Excellencie and Benefit of the Good The danger and mischief of an evil conscience Conscience is not so great but the evil and mischief of the evil Conscience is as great which is our second consideration and this will appear in three particulars 1. Here commonly is the first decay as in the Text you see Hymeneus and Alexander no sooner had put away their Conscience but they sink their faith when once Conscience is tainted and become corrupt then presently the Judgement then the Affections then the Life and what not Corruption in the Conscience is as poison in the spring head this fountain corrupted all the streams run muddie
Therefore Satan commonly begins here and seeks Entrance for less sins upon the Conscience as House-robbers put in their less boies into the windowes to set open all the doors of the house for all the companie to enter Nemo repente fuit Turpissimus No man arrives at the height of impietie at once And this is commonly the first step One unclean spirit entertained makes room Mat. 12. 45. for seven worse to follow When Conscience likes not to retain the knowledge of God God gives up to vile affections at length to a reprobate minde at last to be filled with all manner of unrighteousness Rom. 1. 26 28 29. The hopefull Professour by this meanes soon becomes a dangerous Apostate and at last a down-right Atheist in life as the Apostle saith Titus 1. 15 16. when once the minde and Conscience is defiled they may profess still to know but in works they denie God being abominable disobedient and to every good work as any reprobate When the wormwood star falls into the fountain of Conscience all the rivers become bitter the sun beginning to set in Conscience night hastens on in the affections Then farewell Grace And when the sun goes back in the heaven of Conscience the shadow must needs go back as many degrees in the Diall of Comfort Then farewell Peace 2. As the first decay is here commonly begun so it proves the worst decay and danger that can befall a man a breach in Conscience is like a breach in the Sea banks proves desperate or like the Leake sprung in the ship drowns men in utter perdition after a crack in Conscience a man proves an utter Bankrupt after other shipwracks one may recover and get up again there are post naufragium Tabulâ— but this is a fatall and commonly irrecoverable shipwrack Some sins and slips are like breaking of a Leg or an Arm which may be set again this is like breaking the Neck few recover to take hold of the paths of life after this Judas brake his Conscience Neck and that brake his Neck Enquire as oft as you will by what degrees any is come up to the highest sins As for instance how some came to give themselves over to lasciviousness to the committing of all uncleanness even with greediness Ephes 4. 19. The Apostle tells us they had been practising upon their Conscience first they had first blinded their mindes and had stunted their Conscience to bring them to that dedolencie that they might bee past feeling Again do you wonder and enquire how it is that in these last daies so many do depart from the faith and give heed to seducing spirits yea to the very doctrines of devils as was foretold 1 Tim. 4. 1. the answer is at hand in the next verse They had first seared and stupified their Conscience Do you enquire again how it comes that some most hopefull Professours become at last most violent and enraged Persecutors and as bold broachers of accursed errours you have the answer in the Text Hymeneus and Alexander laid down their Old-Testament weapons Faith and a good Conscience then became filled with new wine then grew corrupt themselves then vented blasphemies then were delivered up to Satan as fitter for Hell then the Church They fell into prodigious opinions and conceits making a fable of the Resurrection 2 Tim. 2. 17. At last this Alexander came to be an open enemie to Paul and Persecutor of his doctrine whom he praieth against more then he doth against any other 2 Tim. 4. 14. This is indeed the readie way nay the onely way to sin that unpardonable sin the sin against the holy Ghost which never hath forgiveness because it never hath Repentance A man that hath lost his Conscience is like a Bee that hath lost his sting becomes a Droan ever after and is at last expelled the Hive The beginning of the Decaie of Conscience is like the beginning of the Hectick feaver which at first as the Phisitian saith were easily cured but that it is hardly known but at last it is easily known but hardly cured 3. The third danger and mischief is that either thou must resolve to make this Good warfare required in the Text for a Good Conscience or to suffer an ill warfare made upon thee from an ill Conscience either thou must make this Tree good and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt but Mat. 12. 33. know that this war is the worst war which can bee made All wars are bad and end in bitterness but of all wars civil wars are the most dreadfull worse when it is between Citie and Citie then if it were Nation with Nation and of all civil wars domestical in the same Familie when divided is worse then when a Kingdom divided And in the same familie again Matrimonial war when in the same bed is worse then any other war in the same house between father and son for where the Relation is nearest division there is unkindest But there is one war yet worse then all these the personal division is worse then any division between man and wife This is to speak properly the onely Intestine war when two are divided against three and three against two Vnderstanding and Conscience joyning together to keep in order Will Affections and Practises but these joyntly rise up to suppress their Legall and Rightfull Superiours Vnderstanding and Conscience It is a sad Storie to read that of the father and his two sons who separating from our Churches in England kept together a while but ere long the two brothers divided among themselves again and when the father could not reconcile them he left the one childe to adhere to the other but after that differences grew between the father and this one son and they must Anathematize each other Here was a lamentable Example to see in three persons of nearest naturall Relation such an Enmitie each stood aloof from the rest all three stood excommunicated and accursed by each other But this separation and difference I speak of is beyond that when a man doth separate from his Conscience and excommunicate it first then after doth Conscience separate from him and accurse him yea and he shall be cursed Many have thought that they have been able to make offensive war against Conscience none have ever been able to make the defensive To fight aginst Conscience is to fight against God and who hath ever hardened himself Job 9. 4. against him and prospered Pharoab would begin with God and make an offensive war Who is the Lord I know him not I will not let Israel go but he was wearie of the defensive Exod. 5. 2. Let us flie for the Lord fighteth against us So if thou thinkest it a light thing to Exod. 14. 25. challenge and provoke Conscience while it would be at peace with thee know thou wilt finde it next God himself the heaviest adversarie that thou couldst have had If Conscience
bewail and lament his sin Psal 51. 3. My sin is ever before me I will acknowledge my sin c. What shal I say Oh thou Job 40. 3 4. preserver of men for I have finned Job 7. 20. 3. When upon such confession and bewailing of sin he forsakes it Prov. 28. 13. The Promise of Mercie is to such Such a troubled soul saith Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further 4. When not onely sin is forsaken in respect of the outward act but the heart is changed and mortified to the love of sin when God hath hidden all pride from man Job 33. 17. by means of all his trouble this is a good trouble when the sin-troubled soul saith I finde now more bitter then death the woman whose heart is snares and nets and her hands as bands whoso pleaseth God shal be delivered from ber Eccles 7. 26. 5. When the heart is not onely changed from the love of sin but is carried out to seek after Christ for rest and Righteousness when Mat. 11. 29. Zech. 13. 1. Joh. 3. 14 15. we go to this Physitian to get rest to the soul and go to this Fountain to wash away sin and uncleanness Those are happie stings of the serpent that cause us to look up to the brazen serpent And that Pursuer doth us no hurt which doth drive us the faster to the Citie of Refuge 6. Lastly when after all this the Conscience is made more careful and more tender ever after Job 34. 31 32. Now I have smarted for it I will no more offend saith 2 Cor. 7. 11. Optimum est tunc sentiri vermem cum possit etiam suffocari hic mordeat ut moriatur paulatim desmat mordere Bern. Par. Serm. the right troubled spirit That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquitie I will do no more It is an excellent hopefull signe saith Bernard to feel this Worm of Conscience gnawing and biting while it is here biting it may be kill'd and when it is biting it is dying Mordear ne moriar Let me rather be bitten that this worm may after die then be unbitten that I should ever die What was Julius Cesars Motto is every Christians in this case Semel quam semper To die at once rather then to languish ever The next mistake is of them who think 6. Mistake they have a good Conscience but it is an Erroneous Conscience They pretend to Conscience in some thing yea more then others but it is a mis-informed Conscience The Pharisees made a matter of Conscience of it to take off hearers and followers from Matt. 23. Christ to make Proselytes to themselves Paul once thought he could not do God better service then in persecuting the Apostles Act. 26. 9. and Preachers of those times and to disperse the flocks How far was Saul gone with this disease when he would make the old Covenant an old Almanack which was made with the Gibeonites He would needs be wiser then all his Predecessours and more Conscientious and an impulsion of spirit with a pang of Conscience such it was set him on He did it in his zeal it is said to the house of 2 Sam. 21. 2 Israel But was it therefore good because he had such a persuasion did not his Realm first and his house at last smart for such an errour in breaking that Covenant which was at first subdolously obtained and inconsiderately made yet fieri non debuit factum valuit Much was spoken at first of the evil haunts Chap. 2. of this Conscience we may therefore say the less here we shall onely adde some of his common Marks whereby it may be discovered it is impossible to enumerate all his Wiles and Exorbitancies Some and his chief among them wee shall name 1. His grand and greatest mistake is to leave the Word which is the standing Rule to a rectified and judicious Conscience and to prefer a Tradition or some humane invention before an express Precept Thus did the Pharisees Matt. 15. 13. 2. Erroneous Conscience leaveth the waters of Siloah the holy Scriptures that ran softly and uniformly and constantly and takes extraordinarie Providence for a Rule in stead of Precepts whereas Gods Providences Deut. 13. 3. Dan. 11. 35 both prospering and adverse are oft more Probatorie then Directorie To tempt and trie rather then to warrant or discourage proceedings But erroneous Conscience imputes his success to his cause and his cause prospering he entitles God's cause This was Rabshakehs Divinitie Am I come hither Isai 36. 10. without God God hath said Go up against Jerusalem This was the Divinitie of the Caldeans Hab. 1. 11. Then shall his minde change with his success and he shall pass over and offend imputing this his power to his God These are apt to say Jer. 50. 7. We offend not because they have sinned and we have prevailed But if Gods Permissive Providence and our prevailing success make any thing lawfull what is then sinfull that is in our power Then were not God's written will but our will and power Providence concurring the Rule and Measure of lawfull and unlawfull But Providences are various and uncertain Our Rule must be constant and certain Providence can never be made a Rule for first no Conclusion thence can be certain and infallible saith the wise man Eccles 9. 1 2. All things come alike to all c. so that none can know love or hatred by all that is before him Secondly The success which God doth often in his Providence lay out for men is short of mans Expectation and the most industrious endeavours Eccles 9. 11. The race is not to the swift c. Thirdly Gods wise and secret Providence doth oft disappoint and frustrate the expectation of the wisest and the best of men Eccles 7. 15. There is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness and a wicked man who prolongeth his life in his wickedness The like he saith again Eccles 8. 14. Fourthly Providences are various and full of alternations that it were a brutish kinde of Logick to conclude any thing positively thence concerning the minde of God or the state of man Then when Paul and all his companie escape their shipwrack they must be all Saints when the Viper is on his hand he must be a murderer now and when the Viper is in the fire he must be a God again All the consequences alike valid Fit Divinitie this for Barbarians not for Christians But Solomon would have us cease from such kind of daring reasonings when he concludes Eccles 8. ult I beheld all the work of God that a man cannot finde out the work that is done under the sun because though a man labour to seek it out yea further though a wise man think to know it yet shall
and love death Good Conscience is the Prov. 8. 39. charge we travell with whatever danger we may meet with in our way we must run or fight or die or fly for it rather then deliver up such a charge Good Conscience is the Ship in which we embarque and adventure all we have Credit State Libertie Life and Soul too as Noab put all into one Bottome all his Familie all the Catholike Church and the Reserve of the whole world and all was safe This Vessel or Man of war must never be yeelded up but rather we must sink and perish in the defense of it Good Conscience is our strong Fort which we must upon no terms capitulate to deliver up to the enemie but chuse rather to die upon the ground Secondly look upon Timothie as a Minister and this doth further inform us That a good Conscience is the good Ministers great Charge This charge I commit to thee Son Timothie to hold Faith and a good Conscience These are Arma Ministri The Ministers weapons The Minister must be a man of Conscience and for Conscience wholly This is the floore he must daily purge This the garden which he must dress and keep The living stone which he must hew and polish to make Temples for Christ of This the Sanctum Sanctorum into which the Gospel-Minister must daily enter Faith and good Conscience are his principall weapons he must be most expert in and exercising at both in Person and Pulpit This is to preach the whole counsell of God to preach Faith in God and Conscience in men To say that Conscience is a Dutie is too little it is the Summe of all Duties To call good Conscience a Grace is too little it is the Summe of all Graces It is Totum Dei The whole Command of God It is Totum homi is The whole Dutie of man Good Conscience is the Contents of the whole Bible and all the Scripture bound up in a small Volume Will you hear in one word the summe of all Keep Faith and a good Conscience This is the whole dutie of man The summe of the first Table is Epitomized in one word Love God with all thy heart Of the second in another word Love thy Neighbour as thy self But the summe of both Tables of the Law and all duties of the Gospel is reduced to this one word Conscience Hast thou Conscience Thou dost fulfill the first hast thou Conscience Thou wilt fulfill the second Thou O man of God look well to thy Charge thy own and thy Peoples Conscience Herein must thou daily exercise thy self as a workman who needeth not to bee ashamed to keep thy self pure and to keep thy peoples Conscience without offense to God and man warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Col. 1. 28. The Heathen Priests and Aruspices were to be skilfull in the Entrails of the beasts and by inspection into the Sacrifices they were wont to make their observations The Gospel Minister his Inspection must be into the inwards of his flock The best Christian is he who is most versed in his own Conscience and the best Minister is he who is best acquainted and hath most to do in his peoples Consciences Bernard hath an excellent saying of Conscience Vnicuique suus est Libellus Conscientia propter hunc Libellum omnes alii libri inventi sunt Every mans Conscience is his own Book and Bible and for this little Books sake all the good Books in the world yea the Bible it self were written All Divines Sermons All Divines writings treat of this Book And whatsoever Books are in the world if they no way tend to this end to inform or direct or satisfie or better Conscience it were better that the world wanted all those books How happie were it in these times if Conscience was preached more and Controversies less Whatever is the man that preacheth Conscience would be the matter preached and spoken off whatever be the Auditorie Conscience would be the Argument whatever the Occasion Conscience the Subject of the Discourse whatever be the Text Conscience would be the Doctrine handled whatever the Doctrine Conscience would be the Vse whatever the Companie Conscience would bee the Conference Else I am bold to say whatever be the Preacher or Hearer or Text or Doctrine or Reason or Vse or Conference nothing is spoken fit for the Preacher or pertinent to the Matter or Auditorie or Occasion or Text or Doctrine or Vse or Companie Conscience is the Lay-mans onely Book he can read no other It is the Ministers Concordance which he must peruse and studie most He is not a Preacher that is not well verst in this This little Book is like that little Book given to the two Prophets Ezekiel in the third of Ezek. v. 3. and St John Revel 10. 9 10. which both are commanded to eat and to receive inwardly into their bellie not into their mouth or head or hand Son of man cause thy bellie to eat and fill thy Qui legem Dei recte interpretantur referunt eam ad rectum finem seu scopum qui est charitas ex puro coâ—de conscientia bona fide non simulata at isti doctores non referunt legem ad hunc sinem sed ab istis commemoratis rebus tanquam à sâ—â—po aberrant ergo non rectè legem interpretantur sed ad vaniloquentiam deflectunt bowels with this Roll which I give thee But with this difference that to the godly and faithfull Minister it is like Ezekiels Roll as Honey for sweetness but to an unsound and man-pleaâ—ing Minister it is like John's Book Sweet in the mouth to discourse of Bitter in the bellie displeasing when it comes to practise This is the mark we should aim at saith Piscator upon that place 1 Tim. 1. 5 6. The end of the commandment is charitie out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of faith unfained which some having swerved from have turned a side unto vain jangling That is the right interpreting of the Scripture when we referre all to this end to promote Charitie and Puritie and Faith and Conscience to leave these is to miss the mark and to become Janglers not Preachers Thirdly this informes us in particular how it comes that so many daily break in Citie and Countrey making shipwrack of Credit of States and Families the matter is they were broken at home first in their Consciences then they must needs break abroad Break Conscience and thou art broken none thrive after it This makes the worst bankrupts it makes a man to be out of Credit with God and in his own heart A moth or worm in Conscience is commonly followed with a moth and worm in the estate The inheritance hastily gotten is as soon wasted From the hire of an harlot if it came to the hire of an harlot it returns Micah 1. 7.
on part of the Covenant where this written Law is not in the heart which is another and former part of the Covenant The High Priest might not go into the Sanctum Sanctorum unlesse Sanctified and sprinkled outwardly with the bloud of the appointed expiation nor shall any enter into Heaven whose Conscience is not first sprinkled and purified with the bloud and Spirit of Christ The Persian King had none came in unto him but they were first purified prepared a whole twelve moneth before There shall Esther 2. 12. certainly be admitted into Gods presence and Kingdome nothing that is defiled and uncleane But all must be in some good measure Reu. 21. 27 purified that they may be made meet to be partakers of that inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. In the second place it doth much more reprove those that sometimes had some kind of Conscience and have now lost it This is the losse of losses If a man have losses at Sea he takes on if lost a child he mournes if lost an eye or an Arme he grieves if by a Dead Palsie he hath lost the use of a side he sees Death on himself and reckons himselfe halfe dead what is it thinkest thou to have lost thy Conscience If Quae laedunt oculos festinas tollere si quid est animumi differs curandi tempus in Annum any Moat or Dust be in the eye he Rubbes and wipes his eye and cannot be quiet till he get it out If but a thief in the candle he takes it out but who is sensible of the losse and spoyle of Conscience which is the greatest losse Now a man may recover most losses or beare any losse but this and not be miserable This he cannot sight may be lost and recovered a child may be lost and thou mayst have another credit may be broken and regained as Iosephs state broken and repayred as Iobs liberty lost and regained as Iehoiakins life lost and be redeemed and a better given for it but this is the undoing loss this breaks a man for ever and makes a Bankrupt of him he never recovers This was Iudaas's Rupture This man falles downe Headlong Breakes in pieces in the midst all his bowels fall out with this fall and to his place he hastens The man that hath lost his Conscience may justly cry out with Micha's complaint what have I moreto lose I have lost my God Jud. 18. 24 I have lost my Priest I have lost my Conscience which was to me as both and what have Vt in portum perueni amus regendus est bona Conscientia navigationis nostrae cursus I more I have lost my Jewels and all my goods shall any stop my mouth and say what aylest thou losse of Conscience is like the losse of a Pylot to the Ship or the losse of Card Compasse Sayles Anchors to the Pylot they are at mercy of the Sea and in the next storme in danger of being cast away It s a sad and fearefull sight to see a man in a Phrensie that hath run out of his wits and hath lost his understanding he is now besides himselfe he knowes not friend from foe nor mindeth what he does nor what comes of him what a Phrensie is the man in that is run out of his Conscience He hath lost his Right minde indeed and is quite Distracted and beside himselfe A man cannot be called Compos mentis as a Christian if he be not Compos Gonscientiae It is the Countrimans observation as a Prognostick of an Ill and stormy day to follow If the Sun Rise and appeare betimes and go to bed againe as they call it then they looke for ill weather ere night you may observe it while you will it never fayles If Conscience in a young Professor be up betimes and then go to bed againe such a man hath sorrowes and miseries following upon his spirit and many an ill storme he must expectere he die The losse of Conscience to a man is like the losse of the sting to the Bee shee gathers no more Honey but becomes a Drone and is expelled out of the Hive Losse of Conscience makes a man to be as Nabuchadnezar when he had lost his Reason It was the losse of his Kingdome He was Deposed from the Throne driven away by Dan. 4 33 34 36. his people acknowledged no more for a King nor looked upon as a man but a fit companion for Beasts till he looked up to God and received his reason againe A man rejecting Conscience is like Saul rejecting the word of God rejected and cast off by God for it 1 Sam. 15. 26. Thou hast rejected the word of the Lord and the Lord hath rejected thee Because thou hast despised knowledge God hath despised thee Hos 4. 6. The losse of Conscience to a man some time acquainted with it and guided by it is like the losse of the Star to the Wise men Mat. 2. it is as much as the losse of all thy Grace and of all thy Peace all thy comfort is worth It is the losse of Christ They had not their joy againe till they saw the Star again nor could they go to Christ without it CHAP. XXII The use of Terror to four sorts of men THe next Use speaketh Terror and that in particular to four sorts of men 1. To such as have no care to get or keep a good Conscience nor to avoid an evill All the diseases of the soul are bred first in an evill and vicious Conscience all the torments miseries of Hel are epitomized in an unquiet and self-tormenting Conscience Suam secum Gehennam Portat Ipsa testis Ipsa judex Ipsa Torter ipsa carcer This man carries his Hell along with him where ever he comes or goes he carries his offence his accuser his witnesse his Judge his Jaylor his tormentor with him This is the sad melancholly Ague which will set thee a shaking that no fire can warme Sua quemque fraus suum facinus suum scelus sua audacia de sanitate ac mente Deturbat Hae sunt improrum furiae hae flammae hae faces Cicero Cur tamen hos tu evasisse putes quos diri conscia facti mens habet attonitos surdo verbere caedit occulto quatīente animo tortore flagellum Juvenal Sat. 13. thee nor canst thou get any heat within thee and though it may intermit and leave thee for a day or two it is but gathering strength to assault thee more fiercely when the next fit comes None can altogether excuss and extinguish Conscience let him do what he can snub'd it may be betrayed it may be as Sampson was Imprisoned it may be you may cut his locks put out his eyes make him grinde and be thy slave and drudge thou maiest be so secure as to make sport with him yet will his locks grow againe his strength will returne and he will be revenged
his Wine to wash cleanse and search it if defiled his Oyl to mollifie supple and heal it if bruised festered This is the first and great Experiment to be used The second is like unto it namely this 2. The Spirit of Christ to get and seek the Spirit of Christ which is the next principal ingredient in or efficient of a good Conscience It is the Spirit of God with our Spirit that makes the good Conscience In this sense we may allow that of Origen That Conscience is another Spirit in the soul therefore the Apostle saith of his Conscience that it did bear him Rom. 9. 1. witnesse in the Holy Ghost The single Testimonie of natural Conscience is not much to be regarded in many cases but when Conscience is cleared by the Spirit and seconded with the Spirit the Testimony of these two is great and weighty the Spirit of God witnessing thus to our spirit is the clearest Testimony of Rom. 8. 16. of our Adoption and Salvation which thy Conscience alone is not to be credited in for what could the light of our body the eye see and discern if it were not for the light of the Heaven the Sun we should have a continuall Night So without the Spirit the light of God what can Conscience our light see and discern of the things of God Therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2. 10 11 12. that God doth reveal unto his servants the deep mysteries of the Gospel by his spirit for the spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him So the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we may know the things which are freely given to us of Cod c. So that wheresoever the spirit of God is there is the good Conscience where it is wanting Conscience cannot be good Where the naturall enlivening Spirit is absent or departed there is no life or vegetation or sense or reason or motion but all death darkness coldnesse c. So where the enlivening Spirit of Grace is wanting to the soul there is no life sense motion comfort but all is dead within and all the works are but dead works But where the Spirit is there is life there is light there is liberty and there is purity there is peace and there is grace there is comfort and there is Conscience there is indeed all 2 Subservient means The subservient means are thirteen whereof the first six direct us what to do the other seven what to avoid First of all those subservient means next to Christ Jesus himself and his Spirit which are the principal Faith is to be sought to 1. Faith make thee a good Conscience Thefore how often do we find faith and good Conscience joyned This next to the bloud of Christ and the purifying water of the Spirit hath the greatest cleansing virtue Act. 15. 9. Christ hath given faith for this end to purifie the heart Where faith is pure the Conscience is pure this makes the good and mends the bad Conscience Faith and good Conscience are made one for the other as the woman and the man to be fellow-helpers each to other Faith is Consciences Keeper Conscience again is Faiths These two like Jonathan and his Armour-bearer may discomfit a whole Hoste 1 Sam. 14. of Philistins when they keep together nothing is hard for them to undertake or like Saul and Jonathan lovely in life and undivided in death Faith and good Conscience do many a good office each for other and are forced to unite in a league offensive and defensive In an offensive league as Simeon and Judah Jud. 1. 3. the one must help the other to expell the Canaanites out of his Coast first and then proceed to expell them out of the others Coasts after Good Conscience helps to expel the Canaanites of fear distrust and despair out of Faiths coasts and to slay Sheshai Ahiman and Talmai these Jud. 1. 10 three sons of Anak and faith again layes to his helping hand to expel the Canaanites of fear guilt deadnesse dulnesse erroneousnesse and Scrupulousnesse out of Consciences coasts And in a defensive league they are joyned as David said to Abiathar Abide with me fear not so saith Faith to Conscience Abide with me Conscience for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life but with me thou shalt be in safety 1 Sam. 22. 23. Faith is the white Alabaster-box in which Consciences pretious Oyntment is put Faith is the bottle into which the wine of good Conscience is poured So again Conscience doth as much for Faith Faith is the light good Conscience is Faiths lanthorn the lanthorn shews forth the light within the lanthorn defends the light from winds and weather without that it be not blown out Conscience holds forth the light of Faith to be seen of men Conscience defends faith that it be not put out Faith is the Apple or sight of the eye Conscience is the eye-lid no eye-lid can see or doth it profit the body at all without the sight within nor can the eye see long if it have not the eye-lids to defend it from Sun dust smoak and the like annoyances and to keep the sight clear So what is Conscience without Faith but a blind and blundering Conscience And what is Faith without Conscience but as a naked weak raw sore eye A three-fold faith necessary to good conscience 1 Justifiing Faith Now this Faith that makes and keeps a good Conscience is three-fold First Justifying Faith there must be apprehending and applying the bloud of Christ Act. 15. 9. This is principally necessary to be sought this fides quâ creditur is the fides qua vivitur the fides quae creditur is not sufficient without this Secondly Doctrinal faith this is the faith 2 Doctrinal Faith here spoken of Hold faith and a good Conscience that is the sound Orthodox faith contend for it continue in it From this Hymenaeus and Alexander swerved and then left the plain path of good Conscience Say not any man is sound in faith and of a good Quam tu secretus es Deus solits magnus lege infatigabili spargens paenale â—caecitates super illicitas cupiditaâ—eâ— Aug. Conf. l. 1. Conscience who is unsound in Judgement and opinions Corrupt opinions breed corrupt Consciences and corruption in morals usually follows the corruption in intellectuals Here begins commonly the first step backward to all Apostacy and the first step forward to all impiety It is a sad story of the Emperour Valens who while he was among the Orthodox had gained much Glory in the Church he had stood firme in the time of Julian the Apostate together with his Brother Valentinian chusing rather to lay down all his Military Honours and imployments than
the Counsell of the ungodly least at last thou be set in the Chaire of the scorner Evill company corrupts the best dispositions we see godly Jehosaphat in company with a wicked Ahab complementing 1 Kin. 22. 4 too farre and complying too too much I am as thou art saith he c. 5 In things doubtfull be well advised or forbeare and take the surer and safer way This is a necessary rule to be observed I meane not the safer way in outward respect This often blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the judgement of the judicious But of inward safety before God I speake As for instance Vsury some allow most condemne it now what is to bee done Faith and Troth some say is no swearing others say they have too much appearance of evill I am sure thy Conscience will say they are more then Yea Yea Nay Nay Some say to Drink and pledge healths to play at Cards and Dice to follow the fashions of the times The long haire of men the naked necks backs and breasts of women are all lawfull Others are of another minde Judge thou what is safest and let those be thy rules to judge by Eph. 5. 11. Have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darkness but rather reprove them Phi. 4. 8. Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are just whatsoever are honest whatsoever are pure whatsoever are lovely and whatsoever are of good report thinke on these things and doe them c. Resolve thou what is safest with thy selfe when sometimes thou mayest plainly see danger of sin lying on the one hand and none at all on the othe The wary traveller when night comes on and he not perfect in his way will rather chuse to take up his lodging and lye short then adventure to goe on and wander in the darke or be in danger to bee set upon It is safe to lye short often goe not ever to the utmost of thy Liberty Quodcunque Licere potest Libere non debet 6 Take heed of worldly-mindednesse no enemy worse to Conscience These thornes choak the best seeds of Grace and this Canker eates out the very bowells of Conscience For a piece of Bread such a one will transgresse and for one small morsell sell a Birth-right Take heed of that maxime of the Mammonist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gaine is the Godlinesse This is the root of all evill when the man is resolved to bee rich and will dye worth thousands leave his Children such portions become a purchaser drive a great Trade though he dye Ditior quam Sanctior These resolutions send Conscience packing Then is the wilde Boar broke into the field of Conscience all is rooted up These will break their word betray their Trust deceive their Brother violate their Faith falsify their Wares Weights Measures lye at catch for advantage and for an accursed wedge of Gold bring the fire and curse of God into their Tents and Families What is become of that old honesty integrity and plain dealing that was wont to be in the world Where is that Breviary and Epitome of all justice as Jerom call'd it to be found Whatsoever yee would that men should doe to you doe ye the same to them Men many times in bargaining make more large and cheap Penni-worths of their Conscience Faith Hope Christianity yea salvation then of their wares you shall have too much of them to helpe off with these What more ordinary then to say as I am a Christian as I hope for mercy if there be any faith in me upon my Conscience upon my Salvation and upon my Soul such have Venalemque fidem Vendibilemque animam a low-priced faith and a vendible soul Seldom doe riches and a good Conscience dwell under the same Roofe Satan knowes where to have such at any turne Balaam in pursuit of the wages of iniquity will not be stopt by any Angell in the way or a bruised Legge Gehazi will steale out some private way when he thinks his Masters eye is not upon him Satan knew who carryed the Bagge among the Apostles and that thirty silver pieces would make him swallow the Soppe and any the most opprobrious open reproofe too yet goe on with his purpose to sell both his Saviours body and his owne soul Take heed your hearts be not surcharged with cares of the world and deceitfulnesse of Lu. 21. 34. Riches as well as with surfeiting and drunkennesse More go to hell that are the worlds good husbands buying selling building planting c. than of perjury blasphemie buggery incest Atheisme and malicious despighting the Spirit of Grace These are no light sins they were Sodomes sins This is no Gospell life it was the life of the old world whom God destroyed The worlds best husbands are commonly heavens worst husbands The penny and Earthly wise is the pound and the Pearle-foolish How seldome are those wise to Salvation who are so over-wise in their Generation Finally take heed and again I say take heed of an erroneus Conscience This is indeed as the wild-fire in the standing corn or as Sampsons Foxes with their fire-brands in their tails These are as the wild Boar or as the ravening Bear No stopping this Fool in his folly A wild Asse used to the wildernesse that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure Jer. 2. 24. in her occasion who can turn her away Saul when an erroneous zealous Pharisee thought no better service could be done to God than to make havock of the Christians This Alexander and Hymenaeus what Heresies did they broach after they once fell away and because they found not Paul as vertiginous mutable as themselves they hate defame and persecute his person and blaspheme his Doctrine Oh how sad a sight it is to behold that many hopeful Professours formerly after they are once leavened with the bitter leaven of the Pharisees how do they in their hearts undervalue and contemn and it may be in their speech openly cry out of and seek to put all the disgrace and disesteem upon such faithfull Ministers whom themselves did most magnifie and prize judging them worthy of their very eyes in their heads Oh the unsavoury salt of Errour how doth it infatuate and distaste every thing till it be cast out to the dunghil It is a dolefull story that of Valens mentioned Postea nec Arrianus nec Christianus visus est licentiam omnibus dedit sua sacra celebrandi gentibus ac Judaeis nec non omnibus haereâ—icis Idolatricas vanitate à Joviniano destructas reflorescere permissit Jovis cultum Dionysii Cererisque sacra non in occulto celebrabant sed per medias plateâ—â— Bacchantes ubique cur sitabant cum illis solum inimicum se praebebat qui Apostoliam doctrinam praedicare videbantur Theod. l. 4. c. 24. before who having been sound and zealous in the true profession in the time of Julian yet afterwards being Emperour having married an Arrian wife and being