It is in every part or faculty of the soule 1. It hath the understanding for its Throne and Pallace where it is cheifly resident and keepeth a compleate Court in the whole soule commonly called forum conscientiae and there as a Judge sits determining and prescribing absolving and condemning de jure 2. It s in the memory and there it acteth as Register or Recorder readily minding and recording witnessing and testifying de facto 3. It s in the will and affections and there Conscience carries it selfe like a Jaylour or Executioner rendring rewarding plaguing and punishing every one sine respectu without partiality The 4 th thing in the definition of conscience is determination Conscience determineth what is good what evill what is to be done what not to be done and so excites or diswades accordingly If conscience say this must be done then must we do it for conscience sake If conscience tells us it is evill Rom. 13.5 then must we forbeare for conscience sake i.e. out of an holy feare of God whereby our conscience may be preserved pure before him 5. The rule by which conscience acteth namely the light of Gods law I do not say by the light of the word Gospell or written Law but more largely by the light of Gods law I meane the law of Nature written in mans heart before the word was written or Gospell revealed For as man had a conscience from the beginning so he had light from the beginning to regulate conscience which was the law of Nature written in his heart Rom. 2.15 6. The last thing in the desinition of conscience is her acting or working upon the light received which is twofold either acquitting or condemning when by her light she determines what is done that it is good or evill she accordingly doth excuse or accuse Rom. 2.15 And thus have you conscience in generall defined and explained Having shewed you what conscience is and in whom namely in the reasonable Creature now in so much as every man hath reason I may safely conclude that every man hath conscience The point of Doctrine is clearly this Doct. There is in every man a power or faculty called Conscience 1. That there is in man a conscience let our Apostle cleare up this truth in himselfe how often doth he call and appeale unto conscience upon all occasions when he was convented before the Coūsell greiveous things charged upō him he appeals to conscience Men and Brethren I have lived saith he in all good Conscience before God untill this day Againe when Ananias commanded them that stood by to smite Paul on the mouth Act. 23.1.2 and Tertullus with all his Rhetoricke before Foelix besmeares him calling him a pestilent fellow a mover of sedition a maintainer of the sect of the Pharisees a polluter of the Temple and what not He hath no way to cast off all this filth but by flying unto conscience shewing his enimies how far and free he was from these base aspersions that it was his constant practice to keep a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men Act. 24.16 And that you may not think it to be Pauls peculiar but common to others with him we approve our selves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.2 Ob. Though good men have a conscience yet wicked men have not A. It is an usuall saying indeed amongst men here when they meet with such as are very hard in their dealings or very vitious in living to say this man hath no Conscience But you must understand their meaning when they say he hath no conscience they meane no good conscience or no working conscience Be you therefore assured that there is a Conscience in every man and woman be they good or bad not only in Paul but also in Pilate not only in John but likewise in Judas John 8.9 Rom. 2.15 The accursed Jewes wicked Pharisees and Heathenish Idolaters will all acknowledge the being and working of Conscience in them To hold therefore that some men have no Conscience is both dishonourable to God and injurious to man 1. A dishonour to God as if he had given man not a perfect but imperfect soule defective in its principall power or faculty we confesse that the body of man being generated may be maimed wanting a part or member Gen. 2.7 as an eye an eare a hand or foot Anima infundendo creatur creando infunditur Tho Aqu. 2. d. 3. q. 1.4.1 because it comes mediately from man but as for the foule being created and infused by God this cannot be defective but compleat in all this powers and faculties and therefore a great dishonour to God to question his workmanship as men do if they deny man to have a conscience Anima humana non eseminis traduce propagatur sed immediatè à Deo creatur which is a speciall power or faculty in the soule 2. An injury to man 1. Deny man conscience you deny him reason and so confound him with a beast but grant him a conscience and you grant him reason and set him in his proper place as a Lord or master over beasts Ps 8.7 2. Againe deny him Conscience you deny him a Soule one of his Essentials and so confound his manhood which were a great injury to him We acknowledge sin hath brought us to a great losse but not to such a losse as to loose our being we have by Adams sin lost our innocency but not our essence our Excellency but not our existence our soule is defiled not annìhilated our powers depraved not destroyed man is man still hath body and soule partes members powers and faculties all good quoad bonum naturale all naught quoad bonum morale The truth then still stands cleare that there is in every man a power or faculty called Conscience 2. The Reasons why God hath planted this power of conscience in man are two 1. R. To shew his Justice that he will judge righteously God commands judges here on earth to execute righteous judgment Deut. 1.16 to proceed secundum allegata probata to do nothing but upon good evidence and witnesse Now shall not the Judge of all the world do right God hath therefore set this power in man that when God comes to judge him he may have sufficient evidence in himselfe his owne Conscience witnessing for him or against him before Gods Tribunall For God will not condemne without a witnesse 2. R. Is to shew his mercy unto man He knowes man is very fraile labilis memoriae apt to forget his God and to forget himselfe Sometimes he goes forth and forgets to pray unto God for protection and direction sometimes he returnes home and neglects his duty of praise to God for his preservation therefore God hath placed in him this power of conscience as a remembrancer unto him Againe sometimes mens Passions are very high as in Jonah Jonah 4.9 who is
that her name is become unsavory the very mentioning of Conscience is nauseated by every prophane Belialist It 's high time therefore to crave the help of an Angel yea the Angel of the Covenant Jesus Christ the Saviour to roll away the stone and to raise up our dead friend Conscience as sometimes he raised up his dead friend Lazarus This worke of raising the dead is proper unto God onely yet may an omnipotent God use impotent man in such a worke as Elisha in raising the Shunamites dead son to life 2 King 4.34 Act. 9.9 Act. 40. Paul in restoring Eutychus and Peter in reviving Tabitha aliàs Dorcas Now he that imployed men then in raising dead bodies can and will imploy men still in raising dead soules dead consciences who knoweth what God may do if we do our parts if the Hebrews pray Paul preach and God come in with a blessing on both what shall hinder but that the dead conscience should be revived the drowsie awakened the weake confirmed the troubled quieted the good bettered and every elect soule returne to his rest with some measure of Pauls considence and say I trust I have a good Conscience willing in all things to live honestly The occasion of Pauls pleading a good Conscience I find to be thus Occasion there were certaine ill-affected persons among the Hebrewes who calumniated Pauls doctrine Theophilact in h. l. as tending to the subversion of Moses law so that many who had formerly given their Names to Christ began now to draw back from Paul as a Seducer and false Teacher and so their Affections alienated from him He therefore to cleare himselfe from such false aspersions and calumniations and to confirme and establish the Hebrewes in the truth gives them to understand that he had not dealt fallaciously but faithfully with them in what he had taught them and therefore adviseth them to continue constant in their obedience unto their Teachers and in servent prayer unto God for them For saith he we are assured we have a good Conscience willing in all things to live honestly You may terme this Text Pauls Triumph or his choice Jewel with which the whole world compared and weighed in the Ballance will be found as light as drosse and vanity and without this all things are but losse dung and vexation of spirit 1. Analysis Pauls Conscience 2. Pauls Considence In the first note the quality it is a good Conscience In the second the propriety it is his owne good Conscience I have a good conscience In the second viz. his confidence you have 1. his Assurance we trust 2. the grounds of it built on foure firme pillars 1. His will desiring 2. The Extent in all things 3. The Constancy of his will to walke or live 4. The Syncerity of it namely honesty First of conscience in generall it would be very tedious to shew you the opinions of men upon the definition of conscience all varying in terme Habitus multis dispositionibus acquisitus Habitus intellectualis quâ talis officium est unicum inclinare ad promptè agendum Conscientia verò multas habet operationes quas immedtatè exercet ergo non Habitus Ames de Conscien and some in truth Much adoe there is amongst Divines to find out the Genus or generall terme of it as also the difference Some calling it an act some an habit some a faculty some a power As for the two former they are liable to just exception that call it an act or habit 1. It cannot properly be called an act because conscience many times doth not act as in sleepy men and seared consciences 2. It cannot be properly termed an habit because conscience is innate not acquired The two latter a faculty or power are generally imbraced but especially the last Some leave out faculty because the Scripture hath not yet determined it to be a distinct faculty but calling it sometimes the spirit of a man and sometimes the spirit of the mind of man therefore to avoid all exception I shall pitch upō the last terme namely power as the true genus and so define it Conscience is an inbred light in the mind of man teaching him to follow what is good and to eschew that which is evill and it is called conscientia quasi concludens scientia and it hath a two-fold Act the first is to give Testimony to things whether we have done well or ill if we have done them well then it giveth testimony for us Rom. 9.1 My Conscience also bearing me witnesse and if we have done evill then it testifieth against us Therefore Nazianzen used to call the Conscience Pedagogū animae for as a Pedagogue waiteth upon a Child and commendeth him when he doth well and on the contrary whippeth him when he doth evill so the conscience when a man sinneth it stingeth him like Hornets Deut. 7.20 But when he doth well it alloweth him bids him go on maugre all opposition and to rejoice and sing though in a prison with Peter or in stocks with Paul vid. Weemse divine exercitations But to define it more plainly and fully Conscience is a Relative power in the reasonable Creature Definition which upon determination through the light of Gods law doth either excuse or accuse 1. A power because of the many operations and workings which it dayly exerciseth in us 2. It s a Relative power not absolute Conscientia i.e. scientia cum alia scientia 1. Cum Deo scire 2. Cum seipso scire 3. Cum aliis scire 4. Cum rebus ipsis conscire because what Conscience doth it doth it in Relation to another and therefore called conscience because it knoweth with another with one that is of familiarity with it and witnesseth the truth with it and this is God alone who only knoweth the heart and trieth the reines Hence it is that Paul calleth the spirit of God to second his conscience I speake the truth in Christ I lie not my Conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost where you may see 3 witnesses produced by the Apostle and all of them without exception namely Christ the holy Ghost and Conscience which is mille testes a thousand witnesses 3. The subject in which conscience is seated it is in the reasonable Creature I doe not say it is in the Creatour for God being holinesse and righteousnesse it selfe needeth not Conscience to order governe and direct him Neither do I say it is in the unreasonable creature because Beasts and Fowles wanting reason must needs want conscience but this I affirme conscience is in the reasonable creature only whether they be men or Angels good or evill Saints or sinners blessed Angels or collapsed Divels this power of Conscience is in them all Q. In what part of man is this power seated A. Tota in toto tota in qualibet parte I will say of conscience in the soule as Philosophers of the soule in the body
not to please God but to please Hamor and Shechem their Rulers and to enrich themselves shall not their goods and their cattell be ours Ge. 34.23 Thus many now adaies amongst us will make some shew of religion performe holy duties both publikely and privately not out of conscience but out of carnall policy They have learned Matchiavels maxime to seem religious is a credit but to be neligious is a cumber It s only a forme without power a shew without substance They set not God before their eyes neither do they with Moses see him that is invisible they look only unto men and all their ayme is how they may please men and advantage themselves in earthly things Therefore if you will be sure your Conscience is good do what you do for Conscience sake not because man thinks it fit and you think it profitable or honourable but because God commands it 2. Note If you have a good conscience then will you suffer what you suffer for Conscience sake yea to satisfy Conscience This is praise worthy saith the Apostle 1. Pet. 2.19 1 Pet. 2.19 when a man for conscience towards God endures greife suffers wrong and as his precept so his practice had rather be punished for doing well then praised for doing evill See this in Daniel he will suffer hunger feed upon Pulse rather then defile his conscience Dan. 1.8 The three Children will chuse rather to have their bodies burned in schorching flames then to have them bowed to a base Idol And Paul had rather that Ananias should smite him then that his conscience should smite him Try thy selfe therefore by this Note doest thou suffer and doest thou so suffer as to satisfy conscience patiently bearing it because God will have it so as David in the railing of Shimei he curseth me because God hath said unto him curse David Not that God said so much by word but by a command of providence so ordering and disposing of Shimei his malice as to make it a rod to correct and chastise David for his sin 2 Sam. 16.20 but as a Scorpion to Shimei to sting him to death and destruction Thus did Job in all his troubles beare with them with wonderfull patience Job 1.21 he will not charge God foolishly but saith the Lord giveth the Lord taketh away praised be the name of the Lord. But alas how many now amongst us would be accounted men of a good conscience and yet will suffer nothing for conscience They will suffer no greife no paine no losse for it See this in Amaziah King of Judah he hires an Army of an 100000 men of valour out of Israel 2 Chr. 25.6 for an hundred Talents of silver but God dislikes his hired men and sends a Prophet unto Amaziah to dismisse them The King tells the Prophet what shall I do for the 100 Talents as if he should have said I have disbursed a great summe of monyes shall I now loose all You may see how loath he is to loose his money 100 Talents of silver a great summe But alas what is 100 Talents to a good conscience yet look abroad in the world and you may then descend from Talents to pounds from pounds to pence and from pence to farthings and find some yea a multitude that if a farthing and a good conscience stand in competition they will loose their Conscience to save their farthing Heare this you Tradesmen Typlers Retailers and all that have any commerce in buying and selling witnesse this truth with me how often have you and that upon the Lords day preferred your owne houses before Gods house your tâ—pling guests and prophane Customers before Gods ministers and servants chusing rather to gaine a Trisle at home then to gaine salvation abroad in attending on Gods holy ordinances Yea let me say yet more unto you how often hath your conscience blamed you for so doing and you whereas you should have hearkened unto conscience voice have stopt your eares and blamed conscience for too much strictnesse too much tendernesse what mean these words of yours If I should be so strict in my dealings as Preachers would have me to be I might soon pluck down my signe shut up my shop sit still and do nothing Let me tell such these words savour not of a good but an evill Conscience God puts none of his into such streights as that they cannot live except they live unholily unjustly Believe it as there is no calling be it never so high that must call thee from God so there is no calling be it never so low that must give thee a dispensation to dishonour God And as in the greatest calling men may live both fully and faithfully so in the meanest calling if men use diligence with conscience they may live honestly and yet comfortably Oh therefore my Beloved cast off such gaine as filthy lucre such customers as your great enimies and take up this holy resolution never to make hast for wealth nor to use any unlawfull meanes for this transitory Trash but say if I begg I begg if I starve I starve I will loose all rather then loose a good conscience 3. Note of a good Conscience is boldnesse for God and in Gods cause The righteous are as bold as a Lyon Prov. 28.1 Prov. 28.1 When the conscience is good the courage is great it will make a man to have a Lions heart and an Angels face such an heart had Paul when he looked on the Councell Act. 23.1 such a face had Stephen the Proto-Martyr Act. 23.21 15.6 Act. 6.15 All that sate in the Councell looking stedfastly on him saw his face as if it had been the face of an Angel This good conscience will make a mans face as a flint against such as rebell against God Ez. 3.8 9. Ezek. 3.8 9. Let but God call upon such Is 41.10 13.14 saying feare not worme Jacob for I am with thee be not afraid for I am thy God or let him stand by them Act. 23.11 as he did by Paul and bid him be of good cheer They presently take such courage unto them that having God for them they feare not who are against them Ps 3.6 David will not feare an hoast of men Athanasius a world of men and * Fox in the story of Martin Luther p. 849. Luther will not feare a multitude of Divels were they in number as many as there were Tiles upon the houses of Wormes But alas where are these valiant ones become we have many very couragious for themselves and in what makes for their owne interest but as for God and in his cause they are very Cowards They are bold for sin but bashfull for sanctity they can plead for Baal but not for God And yet such would be accounted men of a good conscience But let me tell such they do much deceive themselves as they have not Pauls courage so neither Pauls conscience and as