and means an unblameable conversation in thos duties that look towards God those of Devotion Piety and Godliness or of those duties that look towards man those of Justice and Honesty particularly so call'd Or 2. God and Man here may be look'd upon as having both to do in being the rule of Conscience God's law and man 's also that is the just laws of lawful Superiors both obliging it and a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man is such an one as does not onely not offend God nor man in that which God commands to be don to himself and to the neighbor but such also as doth not offend in what man the lawful Governor commands for to these we must needs be subject not only for wrath but conscience sake 3. Here are the seasons which this Conscience do's respect and they are all seasons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alwaies 4. The interest St Paul does seek after in this condition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this Jexercise my self as on one side it is not fancying or opining often hearing no nor talking of conscience but exercise and doing for the Christians life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a constant exercise and that is at once his duty and profession here so on the other side it is not perfect possession of this state there is no such thing as perfection in this life but laboring towards it In handling which parts I shall thus proceed 1. Having in word explain'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall enquire what are those offences that must be remov'd in order to that state that 's here describ'd and having clear'd the conscience of those 2dly view the latitude and extent of its obligation see how it respects both God and man both as the rules and objects of its acts and as we go along we shall direct the practice of that duty which St Paul did labor in how we must exercise our selves that we may be in such a state which is the 3d thing and the application of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be understood from the use of that word as 't is taken either passively Phil. 1. 10. that ye may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without offence not led into evil by mistakes of what is good or any other color whatsoever or else as 't is taken actively 1 Cor. 10. 32. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give no offence to any man which as the context proves is but the same and means let nothing that you do be such as may induce another man to sin lay not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rocks of offence or stumbling blocks in any Christians course and therefore in my text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is such a conscience as does not induce the man himself to any sin against God or man and a life that is not led into it a conversation that is according to such a conscience is that which St Paul aims to have and which that we may have all such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must endeavor to remove which what they are I told you was to be my first inquiry And the first is error of judgment which makes an erring conscience such a one as gives false information of duty which either tells me that I may or must do that which God's law or some other law in force upon me saies I must not do or else tels me I must not do that which I may or am perhaps bound to do A rock of offence this upon which many men do split and make ship-wrack of a good conscience and which is worse error of judgment call'd by some new light is such a light indeed so plac'd between the rocks as must needs guide the Mariner upon them make it necessary for him to be wreckt for in this case sin lies on the right and the left hand which way soever he does turn he falls upon it For first if this man act against his erring conscience he sins altho the Law of God do not make the act sin Rom. 14. 14. to him that esteemeth any thing unclean to him it is unclean altho St Paul saies there he knew it was not in it self unclean yet so it was to him and that to such an height that the man whose example wrought with any one to eat against the perswasion of his mind destroieth him v. 15. 'T is therefore a destroying sin to do a thing against the express judgment of the mind And all the reason in the world for since good or evil do not nor can move the will as they are in themselves such but as apprehended and according to the notion we have of them in the mind 't is certain therefore every motion of the will to good or evil consequently every good or evil action must be formally accounted such from good or evil things not in themselves but in the apprehension of the mind that is according as our consciences dictate to us they are good or evil And indeed no law of God or man no rule of duty can be appli'd to us but by the mediation of conscience for till that tell me such a thing 's commanded and my duty it is to me as if there were no such command and it were not my duty for till then I am not conscious it is know nothing of it This alone therefore does propose and apply duty to us and consequently whether that which it proposeth be my real duty in it self or no yet I must needs look on it as so as having no direction in the world besides what to do or forbear but what my conscience some way instructed tells me God or my Governors require while therefore that does absolutely tell me such a thing is unlawful whether it be so or no while that perswasion lasts the soul yet judges it unlawful and consequently if the heart embrace it then it does deliberately embrace unlawfulness which tho it be not in the thing is yet in the choice I like and follow that which in my judgment is vicious and be it in it self what it will 't is so to me 't is evident the inclinations and actions pursue vice when they pursue that which they cannot look upon but as vice And therefore St Paul saith what soever is not of faith whatsoever is contrary to the persuasion or judgment of lawfulness i. e. in other words what is against conscience is sin Conscience therefore is the rule from which it is sin to recede But you will tell me where the conscience errs the rule is false and crooked and so must not be follow'd but the rule of this rule God's Law and not the conscience must be obei'd Good counsel if it could be follow'd for certainly if the man know what God's Law does require of him in that case his conscience does not err if he do not know what God's Word requires how then can he follow it against that which his conscience tells him God requires and
it is sure if the man should suspend his action or have reason not to act according to his erring conscience he never can have reason to act according to a conscience well inform'd for it is plain his conscience does as much propose the error as his duty as it does the truth the man as really believes the one is to be don as the other and hath no reason to make difference and therefore if at any time he must follow his conscience he alwais must and t' will be sin to act against it be it what it will But then you 'l hope it will excuse to act according to it No alas this is but the other rock it is sin too to act according to it The proofs are very pregnant Gen. 12. 17. Because of Sara Abraham's wife the Lord plagu'd Pharaoh with great plagues and all his house namely those that had commended her before him v. 15. and so had contributed to the offence On the same account he plagu'd Abimelech Gen. 20. 17. altho in the 6 v. God saith he knew Abimelech did it in the integrity of his heart and tho Abimelech did plead the same to God he did it innocently v. 5. yet in the 9. v. he expostulates with Abraham what have I offended thee that thou hast brought on me and on my Kingdom a great sin Again St Paul affirms of his own nation Rom. 10. 2. that it was out of zeal to God and his Law they persevered in infidelity and opposition to Christs doctrins yet for that very opposition he affirms that they were hardned and design'd to everlasting perdition And Christ saith of the same Jews John 16. 2. that the time would come when they that kill'd his Apostles and Ministers should think they did God service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 think they offer'd an oblation The error was so strong it made the sin look like Religion and Attonement yet that zeal and conscience was plagu'd with wrath that came upon them to the uttermost even to an utter extirpation or to restrain our selves to our Apostle he saith of himself v. 1. of the foregoing chapter I have liv'd in all good conscience before God until this day and therefore when against Christ's reformation he defended the Mosaic Law and persecuted the opposers of it he did all out of a good mind according to the dictates of his conscience sincerely what he was perswaded that he ought to do and now if conscience could excuse here was enough of that a good Conscience and could his fiery persecutions by vertue of that conscience be christian'd holy Zeal could his pure heart make his bloody hands undefil'd Oh no! 't was blasphemy and persecution and injury for all 't was conscience If this seem strange that acting thus according to the conscience should make men such sinners since all facts are estimated cheifly by the heart that they proceed from by the good or bad mind they are don with that is by the conscience of the doer we must know that where the error is not the effect of any carnal prepossession or principle but truely error there the sinfulness in this case lies not altogether formally in acting so according to their conscience unless first the conscience take up perswasions give sentence without a sufficient inquisition when there is the least appearance of a danger that 't is plain such a perswasion may engage us in a state of sin we must examin strictly and this seems the case of Pharaoh and Abimelech they were glad to think Sarah was Abrahams sister therefore made no close inquiry were content with his once saying so and on that account altho the one and afterwards the other took her in the innocency of their heart the text saith they committed a great sin for which God did plague them Especially 2dly if men have bin call'd on to consider had the opportunity of means of conviction such as God will judg sufficient in their circumstances then retaining those perswasions following such an error gives it that which is equivalent to wilfulness makes the guilt This was the Jews case and St Pauls tho Moses Law were given by God himself confirm'd by wonders and by such a constant series of Gods most immediate dispensations as might give them just cause to believe it was their certain duty to adhere to it yet when God judg'd Christs works together with the Prophecies that went of him had given a sufficient testimony to his Reformation the Jews resisting that tho out of zeal to God and in obedience to his Law and to their Guides the Priests and Sanhedrim were harden'd to excision for it or if as 't is most certain they were leaven'd into aversation to Christs doctrine by their expectation of a pompous Messiah his Religion did not serve their sensual ends 't is to be fear'd the same do's influence the more sincere and erring party of the Church of Rome yet St. Paul also tho out of a good conscience doing so esteem'd himself the chief of sinners for so doing 'T is the too hasty taking up or the too obstinate retaining this erroneous conscience makes the sin it does ingage into be so exceeding sinful therefore certainly whoever lets their conscience be surpriz'd by prejudice or warmth of mind much more ambition pride revenge or incidental discontents and disobligation reputation of a party interest design if these or any sensuality tho but lurking indiscernably for the heart is deceitful above all things who can know it have given any tincture to the heart and pufft a passion into conscience or if in the uprightness of their heart they took up their perswasions yet if they retain them in the least on any such account or else however if they do not hearken to examin any calls or means which God does either by his Providence or Ministers offer the opportunities of for their conviction specially if by seeing good and wise men do judg otherwise they have any cause to doubt and yet persist still and retain the error it is this that spoils the Conscience so that while it errs it does ensnare the man entangles him in a necessity of sinning leads him into such labyrinths of guilt that whatsoever he does he offends if he do what his erring conscience dictates to him then he sins against God's Law if he forbear he sins then against God's Vicegerent his own Conscience there is the guilt of his deed here the guilt of his heart which does oblige a man to follow that which it is sin to follow and which makes him he must and ought to do that which he must not ought not to do And then the onely application to such a Conscience is to advise the laying it aside to rectify the error good counsel this indeed but hardest to be taken in the world For that a man may set himself to rectify he must know himself in an error and if he know that he hath not
't is not this but how to secure Governments against it to rectify the erring conscience I would speak to and if the sense of any sacred obligations if the calamities of Church or State that cry aloud bemoaning the effects of conscience thus let loose call upon him to consider and at least suggest the duty of examining his conscience then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here of the text the exercises that are like to have an influence upon him besides humble praier to Almighty God for a right judgment in all things together with a hearty resolution not to suffer any principle or interest so to engage him to a practice or opinion but that if God will please to shew him light he will follow it strait and utterly forsake those paths to which he was misguided by the error of his mind and so begins to act accordingly as well as he can Now such a resolution hath a promise If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or not Besides this I say let him thus exercise himself when any thing offers it self to practice and gets this holy advocate of its side brings conscience to plead then I will search and examine strictly that same action first undress it quite see what it is naked by it self and then ask not what fine motives what good end it hath but where the rule is for it If it be in things merely Spiritual then what Law of God but if in other things what Law of man what just subordination to Gods will is there for this action For laws not zeal do make the rules for Conscience for Conscience being nothing but a full perswasion judgment dictate that a thing is either duty under obligation is according to a Law that does command it or else is unlawful is against a Law If Conscience shall tell me such a thing I am bound to do but I have no Law of God or man for it or else such a thing I must forbear it is a sin absolutely unlawful but truly I can bring no Law in force against it sure I shall easily reject the clamors of this Conscience for it talks contradictions for nothing can be unlawful but what is against a Law If tho there be not express Law to forbid or command yet I see grounds that stagger me and several hard things which incline to my opinion this does not make the erring Conscience for that is dogmatical and positive and must have law doctrines and grounds of probability those onely make a doubt the next offence I mean to name An offence this that whosoever stumbles at does fall into the lowest pit for he that doubteth is damn'd if he eat Rom. 14. 23. Now the state of a doubting conscience is this either the man in himself really believes the thing he does consult of is forbidden but yet seeing the example of some man he hath esteem for or else hearing some good probable grounds to the contrary does entertain some doubt whether it be so bad and upon that without being resolv'd yea thinking still it is a sin yet ventures on it in this case tho the man may have some hopes it may not be a sin yet judging in himself it is and choosing notwithstanding it is plain he does not onely venture at but chooseth sin and therefore sins This was the very case of the weak Christians in relation to eating things offer'd to Idols which St Paul there speaks of Or secondly if he do not absolutely in himself judg it a sin yet really do's doubt it is and without endeavoring to be truly satisfi'd by all appointed fit means does it howsoever this man does as much as resolve I know not what it is I am about to do I doubt 't is sin but I resolve to do it tho it be so Now this is a wicked resolution and the consequent action must be so too it is as much as saying I resolve to venture Gods displeasure rather then loose the satisfaction of that action now whatsoever otherwise the action be yet such a resolution stains it with a vicious tincture by infusion of that wicked purpose To bring this to our own concerns if my lawful Superior command a thing by an establish'd law which yet either by some obscure place of Scripture or by the silence of Scripture or some inference of my own from others having put that action to an evil use or the infusion of some Teacher of whose holiness I have an opinion I doubt whether I may do it or no and cannot satisfy my self in this case if the man that doubts comply without acquiring any satisfaction do it merely too because he will not be obnoxious to the penalty of law 't is clear he does it with a doubting conscience and so sins but if he thus discourse which is the proper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for such a conscience to remove this offence I am sure God hath commanded me to obey the lawful commands of my lawful Superiors now am I sure this is not lawful No that I am not for I onely doubt why then I must needs also doubt it may be lawful therefore I must needs doubt God hath commanded me to obey them in this and then if I refuse I must needs do that with a doubting conscience for if the thing be lawful I am sure I sin in not obeying and I doubt it may be so and so not doing will have the same guilt which by not doing I endevor to avoid Now if whatever the action be as long as I know not certainly whether it be lawful or unlawful in it self I shall have equal guilt in the refusal altho there be no scandal or contemt as I can fancy to my self in doing and if I cannot satisfy my doubt my self since I have then no other way to seek for resolution but from those whom God hath set over me shall not the reasons and commands of my Superiors the example of all those that are obedient weigh as much with me as the opinion of some whom I think holy or some little color which can onely make me doubt If I be not sure it is unlawful and am perfectly assur'd of my duty to my Superiors this certainly ought to suspend my other doubt and in so doing I am sure I take far the more probable and safer course and he that does so cannot have the guilt of a doubting conscience for the resolution of that was clean another thing I doubt there may be sin in it however I will do it whereas this man that he may take the safest course to avoid sin resolveth thus merely for fear there may be guilt in my refusal I do that which otherwise truly I would not do I cannot pass by this reflection here how there will come a time when it shall be more tolerable for the erring or the doubting conscience notwithstanding their sad consequences than for
the conscience is past feeling then it is past cure The onely method is prevention here the onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keep the conscience tender then it will be sensible of every the least touch of guilt check at whatever we shall do amiss Conscience is the eie of the soul now tenderness is a disposition very proper to the eie it is the tenderest part of the whole body and if the conscience be right that is so of the soul the smallest spill or mote is restless agony to the eie it never leaves to force out tears both to bewaile the torment and to wash away the cause I am sure our Savior calls a sin of the least size or guilt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 7. 3. things that should make the conscience as restless fret into lamentings prick passages for repenting sorrow The conscience of Converts always does so Acts 2. 37. When they heard this they were pricked in heart and indeed this is the necessary constitution of Soul for them that ever hope to have their conversation holy he whose eie is not tender 't is not useful if it be not sensible of spills that get into it it cannot be sensible of objects such a callum as will make it not feel will make it not see and when it cannot perceive pain then it cannot direct or light and so the conscience if it feel no grievance from thy vices it will never boggle at them but when it is tender as the eie then it will rowl and weep if any thing disturb it 't will be restless till it free it self Let other Souls be tickled when they feel the pleasures of a sin but Lord let my heart smite me then the stroke and smart may make me fly the cause Let sin that and cruel Serpent sting stab wound me thus for then it will make outlets for its putrifaction it will draw tears to cleanse me from it self and sure after the bloud of Christ there is no other laver to wash away the foulness of my sin but that which gushes from those wounds of spirit nothing else will quench the power of it This tender conscience will preserve the whole conversation pure if its respects be universal if its cares reach to the whole latitude of its object if it be void of offence both towards God and towards man which shews the extent of its obligation and is my next consideration of which in a few words Void of offence towards God and towards men a conversation unblamable in all things that relate to God or man both these must be join'd the Honesty without the Godliness is but Heathen Morality and the Godliness without honesty but Pharisaical Hypocrisy 'T is just that which our Savior describes and sentences Matt. 23. 14. Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye devour widows houses and for a pretence make long praiers therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation as if their long and earnest praiers pull'd down nothing else but woes and condemnation on them and their more religion gain'd them but more hell The one of these for all his honesty if he have not piety he is without God in this world nor shall have any thing of his heaven in the other whose life did not look thitherwards but aim'd no further than a conversation that was regular betwixt man and man The other the dishonest man notwithstanding his Godliness shall be without God in the world to come for sure he is not fit to live with God in that who is not fit to live with man in this who will not behave himself honestly must not think he can live religiously nor can that help him towards Gods rewards that does but help him to the greater condemnation So that they must be join'd and our conscience must be void of offence towards God and towards men and that not onely as the objects of our duty but the rules That Gods Law is the rule of conscience that we are bound to do what he commands I think I need not prove in this I have onely to wish our practice were as orthodox as our opinions But that man can oblige the conscience that laws however just of our rightful Governors are a part of this rule and we are bound in conscience to observe what they would have us do many men doubt there bene qui latuit bene vixit a close offender does not sin and if they come not under the lash of the Law they think the conscience hath no whip for these offences yet Scripture is express Rom. 13. 5. Wherefore you must needs be subject not onely for wrath but also for conscience sake again 1 Pet. 2. 13 15. submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake for so is the will of God I do not here set down that humane Laws oblige the conscience immediatly it is enough for me they do it by Gods constitution that what we do so is for his sake and 't is his will that we should do it and then he that does not obey he breaks the will of God and so does that which a good conscience must needs tell a man he must not do I know some have found out a subterfuge that onely passive obedience is required in conscience not active and tho this interpretation would secure the Magistrate for men must not rebel against that rod which they are bound to submit to yet 1. 'T is strange a man should not be bound in conscience to obey the Law yet should be bound in conscience to suffer for the not obeying it What reason for this difference Sure if either 't is most reasonable to escape the punishment if he can But 2. What sense will they make St Paul speak * wherefore ye must needs be subject not onely for wrath if wrath mean punishment as it certainly does and be subject signify submit not actively but submit to punishment as they will have it then it means therefore a man must submit to punishment not onely for punishment or for fear of being punished but also because he is bound in conscience to bear the punishment now 't is indeed impossible that a man ought and is necessitated to submit to the penalty of the Law for fear of the penalty of the Law be bound to suffer a thing for fear of suffering that very thing or that he may escape that very suffering which he is bound in conscience too to suffer These are contradictions But of the active obedience the sense is plain we must obey their just Laws not onely that we may avoid their punishments which we shall suffer if we obey not but because we are bound in conscience to obey All the Apostles instances also being of active obedience and the whole reasoning of the place evincing it might serve for further evidence but this shall suffice me for proof and St Paul truly seems to take in these here in the text for amongst several
that feel no stripes from their commissions and are such whom sin do's not wound We read of a strange evil eye Matth. 7 3. seest not the beam that is in thine own eye A beam upon the eye must needs make all dark but the insensibleness of such an eye that do's not feel a beam is strange beyond imagination yet 't was but fit to word a conscience that was not sensible of the guilt of wilful gross deliberate sins 't is like an eye that under the dead weight of a mighty beam yet rouls and feels no pressure A much worse then feared conscience this That which is seared tho it will not shrink for a prick or gash yet 't will shrink under load but this feels no degree of weight but tho it be that weak and tender part the eye yet is this without feeling under that which the whole body cannot stand under nothing but pillars can support The characters of such a conscience and its dark consequence to fit it to my text are given by S. Paul Eph. 4. 18 19. You see here a blind heart like an evil eye creates a darkness such as makes them aliens to the life of God for indeed they lead the life of feinds the inhabitants of darkness and they do quickly grow to an estate past feeling and then they commit evil with greediness And indeed 't were very easy for me to shew how this do's grow by deading the tenderness of conscience at the first by fortifying against its checks and pricks by seeking little excuses to allay and palliate the sores either Christ do's not mean so strictly or getting other principles to set against the strictness as custome of the age or honor or the like God knows things that will not be principles nor be allow'd in any lest degree when he comes to examin but in the mean time they do stop the mouth of conscience and the doing so frequently together with the conversations of sin do clear take off the horror and the aversation and by degrees the senseâ— the mind first leaves to be affraid and startle at it and then leaves to check for it All this I could deduce at large but that I hasten to the other remaining consideration of conscience as it respecteth actions to be don as it signifies the judgment of the mind informing us what we may or must do or what we must forbear And so I told you as it answers to the single eye so it denotes the pure Conscience the enlightened eye of the mind that is a truly well inform'd conscience a conscience that judges according to its rule And to this I must what I promised tell you first What is the entire Rule of conscience that so we may know when conscience do's inform us truly this we must do that not For conscience being not it self supreme director it hath a God above it that conscience may be right it must be according to its rule therefore we must enquire of that and First 't is certain that the Law of God in force as all the law of Christ is to us Christians particularly that of these Chapters that contain Christs sermon on the Mount Repentance self-denial Charity forgiving injuries humility c. is a rule of conscience And here I will suppose that I do not speak to Antinomians and that I need not to prove that we are oblig'd to do what God by his commands has enjoin'd and that whether the mandate terminat in duty to himself or to our fellow men especially his Vicegerent upon earth the lawful Magistrate There are some men I know who would acquit themselves to their Governors if they are content to suffer in case of disobedience but unless there were guilt in the neglect of active obedience it would be very unjust to enforce passive especially when 't is plain that all the Apostles arguings Rom. 13. do prove an obligation to active duty 1. Because the Magistrate hath Commission from God and therefore he that will not yeild active obedience to their lawful constitutions will not obey the Lords commission v. 2. and then 4. he is the minister of God his officer and he that do's refuse obedience to those Constitutions of an officer which his superior hath impower'd him to make he do's refuse it to that Superior And out of these he then infers Wherefore ye must needs be subject Yea indeed if the just laws of such Governors do not oblige the conscience neither can many of Gods laws To instance God hath commanded me I shall not steal and I think my self bound in conscience not to do it but what is it to steal To take that which of right is another mans against his will And what do's give a right but human Law 'T is according to that any thing is thine or mine Christ do's not interpose in setling rights for when the man would have had him speak to his Brother to divide the inheritance with him answers Man who made me a Judge or a divider amongst you let the laws do it That inheritance which here a Man do's claim as eldest in other places of this very Nation the youngest should have only right too where the tenure of Burrough English takes place And again in other places each brother should have equal right to by Gavelkind And in some other Nations as in Denmark for example no child of any second Wife hath any right according to the example of Abraham yet all these several waies of right are one as just as another and in one place the one hath as true a right as the other hath in the other Establish't laws therefore do give the only right and by those human Laws thou hast a right in conscience to that which they make thine for otherwise how can it be a sin against my conscience to take that from thee which neither thou nor any man else hath a right in conscience to Such human laws therefore do oblige the Conscience or else Gods eighth and tenth Commandements cannot 3. There is yet another branch of the Rule of conscience and that is the law of scandal In things that both by Gods and by mans law are free to me to do or not if yet by doing any of them or by not doing I see others will be ensnared in sin I am bound in conscience to avoid either such actions or omissions 1 Cor. 8. from v. 8. Rom. 14. And here I will not wonder how barefac't temtations to vice and pressing sin upon a man with all the arts of friendship or of treachery or force should grow to be civilities and kindnesses when an innocent lawful action is so ill character'd because it may prove a stumbling block but I will only sum up what hath been said in one word the Will of God is the Rule of conscience I am bound in conscience to do what God will have and so the law of Christ and the just laws of our just Governors which
that we should submit too is the will of God saith S. Peter and the law of scandal are the full and entire rule of conscience Whatsoever they prescribe or forbid that my conscience if it be rightly inform'd will tell me I must do or forbear and if I act according to the dictates of a conscience so inform'd my actions will be good and honest and such a single eye makes my whole body full of light which was the second thing Now this is prov'd in one word that must needs be a good life which is regulated by a good conscience because all good life is call'd by the name of a good conscience 1 Tim. 1. 19. This was S. Pauls whole charge to Timothy holding faith and a good conscience there 's the belief and duty that 's the whole So 1 Pet. 3. 16. a good conscience is explain'd by a good Conversation in Christ and plainer yet Heb. 13. 18. We trust we have a good conscience willing in all things to live honestly Sincere endeavors to obey the conscience in every thing not boggling with it accepting the persons of duties and being very conscientious in some things but taking liberty in other bribing my conscience to wink like an evil eye and leave me in the dark as to some actions this is not to be conscientious he is so only that is willing to live honestly in all things and to do so is matter for the Apostles confidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This also was the sum of all S. Paul himself endeavored after Acts 24. 16. And herein do I exercise my self to have alwaies a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man He had no stricter aims here was the height of his Religion these were his exercises And the antient Father Clemens Alex. Strom. 6. says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And what would any man have more Yea 't is apparent from the very terms for if thy conscience truly inform thee of all thy duty and thou dost accordingly then thou dost all thy duty or which is all that we can do So far as thy hearty endeavor is to this so far is thy life good and acceptable And here I have an hint for application by conviction of those who guide their conscience and consequently their lives by humors and fancies and not by the certain rules of conscience the laws I have assign'd Some men will call that conscience which is their inclination tho they do not examin whence the inclination springs from God or from suggestion of an interest or an affliction and think they are bound to do or may do that they have a mind to do Some mens rash heats that have somthing like zeal and it may be that have good intentions in them are strait the dictates of their Conscience and they must actuate those animosities and heats for they are bound in conscience Some men are advis'd by their fears and that will look like conscience in a little time Some mens imaginations promted by loose and libertine interpretations of Scripture or false infusions are strait their conscience and then their conscience tells them they must act accordingly But where 's the Law for these Conscience was I told you Gods Vicegerent possest his throne in man and was his Deputy prescrib'd to all mans actions and took cognizance of them and accordingly did sentence and will a man have humor give the Law to Gods Vicegerent or vain imaginations rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God within us as the ancients call'd it set fancy on the Throne Or I might secondly complain of them that would divide the rule of conscience and pick and chuse and take but part of it the immediate law of God they would think themselves bound to but for the law of scandal they regard it little Who did make them the keepers of their brothers soul If others by misunderstanding of their actions be drawn to sin at their own peril be it and at so little rates they value the salvation of that soul which Christ thought worth his bloud that for their meat or drink as S. Paul words it they will let their Brother perish for whom Christ died do actions for their interest or security under a close and secret sense of their own which being not understood by other weaker souls that look on their example with some Reverence they are led to sin and to perdition But much less do they think a law of man a Rule for conscience According to the Spartan method to be found out was transgressing the law the crafty performance was merit and vertue and whereas only Almighty God has cognizance of the heart his laws alone can reach designs and the obortive issues of the thought or those reserv'd enormities that are committed in the dark and without the privity of a witness Here were a subject for a sad complaint but that I have occasion for a worse and that is of the conscience that answers to the evil eye the other subject of the parable that is an evil conscience a conscience that do's not give true judgment of duty ill inform'd And first that which is totally or for the most so and of that but a word for 't is not pleasant sure to rake in such a sinke We read in Scripture of men given up to a reprobate mind or sense Rom. 1. 28. and to every good Work reprobate Tim. 1. 16. men who against all the checks of conscience and in despite of all its oppositions have chosen and pursued forbidden interests and pleasures so long till custome of them hath made them a part not only of their family but themselves and they do nothing now but prosecute them by contrivances and actions and have don this till conscience is stupified and as pleasures are especially saith Aristotle corruptive of principles from the absolute necessity they have conceived of them they think them little sins and from a long practise none at all these men are so far in a reprobate ense their hearts give a false judgment as false indeed as Satan would have them give and falser much then he can give himself of things of Religion who believes and trembles For they stick not to think those terrors Clergy men do talk of are but mormo's vizards of fear only Religious spectres shades of terror those strictnesses of vertue and of the means of practising it but the dreams of bigots foolish self injuries and those things we with so much eager zeal call sins the only and not dangerous enjoyments 'T is the Apostles asseveration and it is justified by every daies unhappy experience that evil men and seducers wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceiv'd 2 Tim. 3. 13. Habits of ill emprove gradually as those of vertue only with this difference that the grouth is more suddain and prosperous like that of weeds and noxious plants in respect of those which are medicinal There is no opinion nor no practice so bad
which men by degrees cannot make plausible as custome renders vice necessary so by familiarity it becomes acceptable the first horrors are soon worn off and as it fares in War the enemy is made a servant and after grows up to be a favorite and is at length a master The progress from bad to worse is like that of heavy bodies downwards the native weight gains fresh accessions from the decent already made and the motion being continued grows still more rapid and irresistible That fool who said in his heart there is no God e're long emproves into a wit and loudly saies there neither is or can be one Conscience gall'd with perpetual ill usage contracts a callows hardness and becomes utterly insensible and by these unhappy steps ungodly men are dead while they live 1 Tim. 5. 6. are dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2. 1. O thou the day-spring from on high that cam'st to visit us who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death in ignorance and sin and in the suburbs of eternal darkness shed thy light in our hearts we beseech thee and by the Illuminations of thy Holy Spirit give us enlightned minds and sanctified wills and affections Thou hast plac'd conscience in thy stead within us to do thy offices and to be thy Vicegerent to lay thy laws to us for our direction and to watch over all our actions to teach us to convince us to correct or comfort us Furnish we beseech thee then this thy commissioner within us with all qualifications necessary for thy offices endue it with the knowledg of all thy will that we may have a right judgment in all things and then endue us with obsequious hearts that may be alwaies ready to obey the dictats of our consciences willing to live piously and honestly in all things exercising our selves alwaies in this to have a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man and when the good Lord delivers us from this sad state and the occasions of it and if at any time we do rebel against thy officer our conscience Lord arm it with thy terrors that it may whip and lash us back again into our duty and sting and goad and never let us rest till we return to our obedience and persevere therein unto the end then shall we have the blessed comforts of a good conscience here and the gladsome light of a clear heart in this world and in the world to come light and Glory with the in thy Kingdom c. SERMON XX. THE LIGHT OF THE BODY is the Eye Matt. 6. 22 23. The light of the body is the eye if therefore thy eye be single thy whole body shall be full of light But if thine eye be evill thy whole body shall be full of darkness If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness I Have drawn you the parallel betwixt the Eye and the Conscience to several of their objects and uses shew'd you how the clear eye is not a better guide to a mans walks nor finds more pleasure in the prospects of those beauties that are made to temt and entertain the sight then a pure conscience do's find in looking over the landshape of a life led righteously soberly and Godly which it must needs if it follow the guidance of this single eye this well-inform'd conscience I have lead you also to the confines of that more dismal prospect the dark of that sad state which an evil conscience do's lead into This I have done in one and that in the worst consideration that of a sear'd reprobate conscience there remain three that I propos'd to consideration the first that of an erring conscience second doubtful third scrupulous And now I am to shew how each of these do's lead a man into the dark the scrupulons raiseth a dust about him leads into error and discomfort too the doubtful do's instead of guiding him leave him so puzl'd that he knows not which way to betake himself and the erring conscience lights him into the pit and takes him by the hand only to thrust him down if in any of these waies the eye be evil the whole body shall be full of darkness Of these in their order 2. An erring conscience a conscience that gives false information of duty that either tells me I may or I must do that which either Gods Law or some Law in force upon me tells me I must not do or else tells I must not do that which I am bound to do or at the least may do Now that this is a light indeed like those deceitful ones that lead men over precipices into dark ruins like such lights that were so plac'd between the rocks as to guide the mariner into a shipwrack to make it necessary for him to be dasht against the one or the other is most certain for so it is here There is scarce such another infelicity as that this man lies under whose conscience tells him one thing when God's Law or that which is any way his duty do's require the contrary for if he do according to the Law of God he acts against his conscience and so sins and if he act according to his conscience he sins against the Law of God Poor soul Sin lies on the right and on the left hand which way soever he do's turn it seizes on him and all this I shall prove 1. That if he act against his conscience he sins tho the Law of God make it no sin Scripture and reason shall make good Rom. 14. 14. I know and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of it self but to him that esteemeth any thing unclean to him it is unclean God had once forbidden such and such meats under pain of sin to the Jews by Moses Law and made them unclean that is unlawful to their use Now Christ had taken off this obligation and made all meats lawful for any man S. Paul saith that he knew so I am assur'd that Christ hath so remov'd all obligation to the Law of Moses that to a Christian no meat is unlawful to be eaten but yet for all this 't is unlawful to him who thinks it still prohibited and if his erring conscience tell him he ought not eat it tho by Christ's certain Law he may he sins if he do eat against his conscience and that to such an height that he whose example wrought with him to eat against the perswasion of his mind destroyeth the man v. 15. Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died 't is therefore a destroying sin to do a lawful thing against a mans conscience The reason of all this is cleer because no Law of God or man no rule of duty can be applied unto us but by the mediation of conscience for till my conscience laies it to my heart and tells me such a thing is commanded and my duty it is to me as if there were
another occasion for God's remitting him not from his conscience which might alleviate the faults but by his being by the horror of his sins a greater instance of God's wonderful grace in forgiving v. 16. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe in him to life everlasting God dealt most mercifully with me call'd me from heaven whilst I was persecuting him to be a prime object of his patience and longanimity and in order of time the first that was so miraculously call'd that so the wickedest of the Gentiles may in me have an example of hope of mercy if they shall come in to Christ. And will it now be fit my Brethren with this of S. Paul who notwithstanding such true pleas of conscience is forc'd to seek out for such motives of forgiveness and plead hard ignorance and unbelief and yet confess himself the cheif of sinners with this I say to parallel some actions of our daies that under the pretence of conscience which too hath no Law as that of S. Paul had tho then outdated will justify forbidden actions even against repentance men will not ask forgiveness where they can pretend conscience I could instance in a strange particular of one of my remembrance and my knowledg of the person and the story sufficiently notorious who because the Papists believing that to be Christ which indeed is bread worship it therefore thought in his conscience all kneeling at the Sacrament Idolatry and to that error adding the command Deut. 13. 6 7 8 9. cut off his brother's and his mother's head yea and when condemn'd to death by sentence of Law for the action would not be beaten from his hold but on the strength of that mistaken place went as boldly with that bloud on his hand and his soul to face the judgment seat as he could have don had he bin wash'd in Christ's own bloud and of this resolute fury the Zealots of our neighbor country of Scotland have made many recent instances in their reviv'd Ravilliacs See the sad issue of an erring conscience an action whose horror feinds would startle at such a perswasion do's make meritorious and yet God knows that erring consciences have brought the Parent of a Nation a thing of much direr guilt to the same state and yet that conscience must be admitted an excuse when God knows jealousies and suspicions have bin all the ground and all the rule for their determinations of conscience and yet on that stock alone they could misjudge and censure speak evil of and revile the actions of just Governors and do that which I dare not say When against all Laws both of God and man all ties sacred and civil obligations of oaths and duties that it may be impossible to plead ignorance men yet will act under the banner of such a thin conscience that never could produce any Law of God for its direction or its quiet and yet think themselves secure When a confident perswasion of heart God knows how taken up shall quite annual that command of Christ of taking up the Cross and change that state which he calls blessed suffering for righteousness sake if there were such a thing change it into so great a curse as men will rather embowel themselves in their brother's hearts involve a Nation in bloud and misery in guilt and ruin than not throw off the Cross from off their shoulders And now 't is to no purpose to observe that when perjury and sacriledg and breach of almost every Commandment in the Decalogue shall not only become tolerable but be the only character of a godly side by vertue of a thing call'd conscience surely S. Paul was a weak man that when he had don some such things out of a good and pure conscience yet calls himself the chief of sinners In like manner in the Church new religious fancies are bold to take upon them the holy face of conscience and then to quicken men into schisms and all uncharitable separations and factions withdrawing them from the obedience of them that have the spiritual rule over them not at all submitting themselves to them who by Gods appointment watch over their souls but rather flying in their faces at once with open disobedience loud reproches bitter censures and severe condemnations Others by having had mens persons in admiration and consequently their opinions suffer'd their models to be stampt upon their conscience and then that must justify Ecclesiastical parricides destroying their own fathers that begot them to the Church and at once cutting off the whole line of those progenitors that can derive their race from Christ a fairer stem and pedigree than most can shew But alas my Brethren if we shall grant that these opinions really possess their souls and that in the uprightness of their heart they did pursue them that neither interest nor faction nor having bin disoblig'd or having suffer'd hath pufft up a passion into conscience but that 't is all sincerity yet we have seen that cannot bear us out in such commissions 't is but an erring conscience still that animates a man into any breach of duty and if there be no other Law to warrant actions the conscience is so far from being able to justify them that while it errs it but entangles a man in the necessity of sinning leads him into such Labyrinths of guilt that whatever he do's he offends on one side if he do what his erring conscience dictates to him he sins against God's Law on the other side if he forbear he sins against God's Vicegerent his own conscience there is the guilt of his deed here is the guilt of his heart which do's oblige a man to follow that which it is sin to follow and which makes him he must and ought to do that which he must not nor ought to do And sure my Brethren the only application to such a conscience is to advise the laying it aside to rectify the error Good counsel that indeed but the hardest to be taken in the world for that a man may rectify he must know himself in an error and if he know that then he hath not an erring conscience this when it is strongly so doth not so much as doubt of his opinion and while he do's not doubt what temtation hath he so much as to set upon the rectifying I shall but name some means The first will be Praier for Divine illumination S. James has directed this if any man lacks wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not c. 1. 5. and our Savior has promis'd that he will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him Luke 11. 13. whose office we know is to lead us into all truth John 16. 13. The second means will be not to be wanting to our selves not to shut our eies against or resist the truth Acts 28. 27.
of God but we see Mercy triumph against Judgment in that very blood He could have shew'n his detestation of Sin otherwise even in the Sinners punishment and so demonstrated his holiness and justice but it was impossible that he should otherwise shew mercy at these rates by crucifying his Son who was himself that he might spare Sinners Meer pardon had bin no such kindness as to let us see that God would do all this and suffer so that he might pardon us So that mankind forgiven and in glory had not bin so great an evidence of his compassion nor in torments so great an evidence of his holiness and detestation of iniquity He had such compassion of us as inclin'd him to deliver up his Son to torment that he might shew mercy to us yet all that compassion tho his bowels yern'd so over us that he would shed his blood for us could not incline him to forgive Sin without such an instance of his detestation of it nor yet with it but to such as will forsake their Sins For how should he appear by those inflictions to detest Sin if he should accept the Sinner that amends not give his pardons and rewards to one that will not part with his iniquities To such Christs sufferings are the Copy of their expectations he do's let them see how he detests and will for ever plague Sin unrepented of who thus torments the imputation of it on the innocent the blessed Son of God So that Christs sufferings not only are a perfect vindication of the honor of Gods person and his Government as to Sins committed but the most astonishing caution against committing them that can be imagin'd With us the Law is satisfied by the offenders suffering somtimes in effigie if we execute his picture any thing that by the fright of the example helps to guard the Law from being broken But see here an example which to make cost God the life of his own Son which to make dreadful he provided all the Agonies imaginable to assure us he that spared not his own Son will not spare the guilty neither can the Sinner possibly be able to endure that to Eternity which his Son the Son of God sunk under presently 'T is not a satisfaction that will give us leave to enjoy our vices and atone for us a price that will buy off the guilt of all our Sins and let us have them The satisfaction of this infinite value looks at vindication of Gods Honor and his Laws and serves the ends of Government and assures the Sinner which amends not that he must for ever perish And thus this Sacrifice for Sin condemned Sin to death by his own death Which death that we would imitate we did engage in Baptism which brings me to the second thing Whosoever are baptiz'd into Christ Jesus are baptiz'd into his death i. e. that which the efficacy of his death did work to that by Baptism we did engage our selves to Now as to this 1. Christs death was as we have now seen undertaken for the death of Sin Now Baptism imports the undertaking the same thing it being as Oecumenius upon this place do's say a Baptism unto that death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Because when we are baptized we do most solemnly profess and undertake to die to Sin renounce the Devil c. and put upon our selves the strictest obligations in the world to do this That Baptism from its institution was administred with express engagements to this in the very form of it I could prove out of that office in all ages that have any extant of it in the rest out of express testimony of Fathers thro every one to the Apostles Which so universal practice makes St Hieroms Primas and others explication not seem strange when they expound that good profession Timothy profest before many witnesses 1 Tim. 6. 12. to be that in Baptism However 't is sufficient evidence that St Peter when he says that the Baptism that saves us is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whether question in St Cyprian or the Answer in Tertullian or indeed the stipulation which is both of a good conscience towards God do's as much as say there was in Baptism an obligation entred in that form of Law that stipulation was with questions an answers to them For they were askt and they did answer Dost thou renounce I do renounce Dost thou forsake I do c. And he that at Sacrament says that he do's this with a good sincere and upright Conscience hath the Baptism that saves But the importance of the Rite may be best known from them that us'd it first and whence it was deriv'd even from the Jews who when they did initiate a Proselyte into their Covenant did it with that Ceremony in this manner when any man desired to be of their Religion and they had by several scrutinies examined what the motives were of his conversion what his aimes if they were hopes of any thing of this world they refus'd him least his conversion should die or change as quickly as his worldly hopes or desires But if they saw all reason to believe he was sincere then they expounded to him all the Commandments laid before him the difficulty in keeping them if this did not affright him they explain'd to him the mysteries of their faith and the Commandments again together with the punishments that were allotted to transgression the Rewards to them that did observe them After all which if the man continued stedfast in his purpose they circumcis'd him sprinkling his own blood on him as a ceremony to affright him into the Observance And one would think it were sufficient engagement to have sign'd his resolutions in his blood and seal'd to them with Circumcision as the Targum words it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and carried the impression of his promise in his flesh to his lifes end But as if Baptism had obligation beyond that and it hath most certainly with those that are baptiz'd into the death of Christ for there the blood of sprinkling is Christs blood the blood of God but with them also after they had don this to the man he was no sooner cur'd of the wound of his circumcision but they put him having by him three Witnesses into the water and as he was there in it read to him once again all the Commandments and if he did profess his resolutions still to keep them they baptiz'd him and he was admitted thus into their Covenant the Conditions and the Hopes of it And by Baptism they did admit the children also if the three Magistrates of the place would undertake for them they should be brought up in the Jews Religion And this lets us see 't is the assuming to keep Gods Commandments to give over sinning to die to that and to live to righteousness to all holiness and vertue And with what strength of obligation this was understood to be perform'd
an erring Conscience this when it is such strongly the man does not so much as doubt of his opinion and while he does not doubt what temtation can he have to think of rectifying especially if men are perswaded that their Conscience is directed by such Guides as cannot err We cannot but remember how the violation of all Laws and of all rights sacred and secular sedition and rebellion and such other dreadful consequents as we must not remember being dictated by conscience undertaken on account of Religion were esteem'd the characteristics of a godly side nor are we suffer'd to forget how the same things undertaken on account of holy Church make Saints and Martyrs for let not men pretend these are not Doctrines or directions of the Chuch of Rome There is no one of the rebellious parties but it may with much more truth and modesty affirm they are not theirs since they have not declar'd them so authentically and if we are not sure these are their doctrines 't is impossible to know that they have any for none of their doctrines have a greater attestation If som few declaring their opinion to the contrary shall against the declarations of the Tenets of their Scholes and the directions of much greater numbers their Casuists the rules and practice of their whole law the determinations of particular and general Councils make them not to be their doctrine then no Church hath any doctrines Now if as one side of these pretend some to a Divine Light within themselves some to the Divine Spirit speaking in the Scriptures for their Guide so the other plead the public Spirit of the Church speaking at least in the Assemblies of their general Council most infallibly and consequently all of them must judg it is impossible their Guide can err how is it possible to prescribe means to rectify the errors of such Consciences But should I pass these guilts of the first magnitude to which 't is wonderful a Conscience can be debaucht and err into them should I mention one that 's common to all of them violating the Laws disturbing the Peace of the Government unhinging the constitution of it by illegal meetings to disseminate their principles and make more errors and more separation wider breaches I shall not tell these that the Church no where gives a privilege to any to assemble not for Gods own worship from whose principles or practices the State hath reason to expect commotions or sedition the diminishing their secular Powers or endangering their persons and on that account forbids them Sure I am there is no one word in the Gospel for it and I leave all the mentioned parties Popish or the other to consider whether they have bin so innocent as not to be suspected justly and would onely ask each party of them whether it alone have right to act according to its conscience thus and otherwise against the Laws so that all others what sincerity so'ere they act with have no privilege or whether it be the Christians birth-right and due to all others If any party say that it alone hath right besides that all the rest will never grant this nor have reason for it and so all must quarrel yet if they do say so sure there 's nothing else but truth or confidence of having it can make them judg so but since every the most erring conscience does and must beleive the truth is with him he hath the same reason so contentions must be endless this state of conscience is just the Leviathans state of war besides that this pretence of any single party for it self makes war with the hypothesis it self of liberty of conscience But if they grant all other Sects to have just right to act according to their conscience then those that really believe the doctrine of their Church is true their ways blameless and the statutes which restrain the liberties of the Recusants and the Dissenters are all just those of them also that have sworn obedience to these statutes and those Magistrates and Governors too that are bound by oath to the execution of them and to take care of the peace of their Subjects and hold that as 't is a duty and an obligation in conscience on them these I say have just right too to act according to their conscience also and by consequence to execute the Laws upon those others and then I am sure in conscience and according to the very rules of all these men of liberty those have a right to take away their wild and dangerous liberties and by the very Principles of all these Dissenters are as much bound in conscience to restrain them as they think themselves bound to use those liberties according to their conscience Yea these are bound in conscience to suffer all their Governors to put restraints upon them because to do so is for them to act according to their conscience or if they think as 't is not strange if they think contradictions that they have a right in conscience to contend for this with Governors who yet they acknowledg to have a right too to restrain their liberties since all as themselves have granted have the same right there must needs be endless quarrels and contentions both with Governors and with themselves and just of all sides in which each hath right which is another contradiction also and so still this state of conscience will be the Leviathans state of war and must dissolve all Government as being inconsistent with it Whether any consequents in prospect or design can make this state of things allow'd and eligible or how far Governments can properly secure themselves if it be allow'd which yet 't is certain that they have a right to do against the clamorous pretences of all conscience whatsoever as to Church Laws yet how far they can I say secure themselves against such sorts of men 〈◊〉 side who declare that their Government it self is sinful or 〈◊〉 t'other side a sort of men who not onely here in this Nation after the most dire and hateful treason ever hatch'd or thought of were not nor are suffer'd by the Guides of their conscience by their Pastors neither their Supreme one nor their particular Confessors to give assurance of their civil obedience and allegiance to their own Prince But in France after the murder of two Kings by them both of their Religion when as Lewis the 13th did design and ask the advice of his Parliament to make provision for his own safety and assurance of the Loialty of his Subjects by an Oath a thing by Gods own People since 't was a Kingdom practic'd all the Clergy those Directors of the consciences of that Nation were so far from suffering it that they made the King to cause the Parliament to raze out what of it was drawn and registred in their Journals professing to his face that they would excommunicate all as Heretics that were against that Proposition that the Pope could depose Kings But
those that hold the truth in unrighteousness the one sort of these have some checks at sin they doubt and they demur the other sort sin merely because they would please God and offend out of zeal but the other sin because they will sin If actions lawful otherwise will make up an indictment to our condemnation don but with a doubting mind what guilt and what damnation is there in those that are undertaken against known command and present full conviction that muster up and recollect all the forementioned guilts which when they were divided did make actions so ruining at once they defy God and their own heart if he that doubts is damn'd if he eat tho what he eat were lawful to him what will become of him that eats to surfetting and knows that such things call for condemnation with what face can he blast a deceiv'd honest Heathen with his Gods who in the face of God and of all Laws in view of a believ'd hell and in despite of heaven and of his own conscience that suggests all these to him yet by frequent intemperances makes his belly his god and by uncleaness that new testament idolatry sets up as many idols as his foul heats find objects and by dishonesty and frauds serves covetousness which is idolatry They who defy their conscience thus are in the ready way to a reprobate sense the last offence that I will name When the heart gives a false judgment of things calls evil good and good evil in the Prophets words 't is not uneasy to deduce how arrive at this There is no pains bestow'd upon the education of their childhood they are made indeed to renounce the Devil the evil Spirit is exorcis'd out of that hold he had of them on the account of being born children of wrath but no provision for the Holy Spirit taken care of rather all that 's possible is don to grieve him thence and so the evil one returns finds the house emty and takes to him seven spirits worse than himself and they dwell there or to speak out of parable there are no principles of virtue planted in them no labor us'd to make impressions of Religion and the fear of God the sense of duty aversation to all vice but as far as conversation with example of all lewdness can have influence they are bred and fitted for the Temter and when they and temtations are grown up it is no wonder if they tast then swallow down the bait and so are taken then they get to themselves principles that may stop the mouth of natural conscience either Religion do's not mean so strictly or against the strictness they oppose the custome of the age or honor or the like and these together with the conversations of sin do clean take off the aversation and so by degrees the sense the mind first leaves to be afraid and startle at it and then leaves to check at it and having don this long the custome stupifies the conscience and makes the sins seem necessary to them and they cannot be without them and the absolute necessity makes them conceit them little sins and in a while no sins at all stick not to say those terrors Clergy-men do talk of are but Mormo's but religious spectres We have this daily experience that loosness in practice quickly grows into irreligion in heart that they who with all might and main do long resist the power of Godliness do at last proceed to cast off even the very form and they who would not receive the love of the truth but did prefer the satisfaction of their humors prejudices passions lusts before the doctrine of piety and virtue tho it came with the greatest evidence of reasonableness that such I say are given over to strong delusions to believe lies even lies of so eternal unhappy a consequence as this that virtue and religion are but emty names that conscience is but prejudice such are those St Paul describes 1 Tim. 4. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of branded consciences Now we use to account that person infamous that 's branded onely in his hand or forehead but these are men of stigmatiz'd hearts there is a brand upon their soul and conscience and you will find some other characters upon them there they depart from the faith they give heed to seducing Spirits lay out for a Religion that will give them hopes of safety tho they sin on and to doctrines of Devils fit Scholars for such Tutors seeds of a blessed education they have that have such Instructors and such they have whose consciences are branded and the whole progress of their wickedness you will find Rom. 1. from v. 18. because they hold the truth in unrighteousness join'd impious lives with the profession of the true Religion were vicious in despite of their own understandings which told them they should not be so upon which great proficiency in guilt v. 24. God withdrew his grace left them to the pursuit of all their foul desires permetted them to break out into all reproachfull villanies sins that were violences contumelies to their nature yea v. 28. because they acted perfectly against all notions they had of God he gave them up to that abominable state of mind to have no sense of guilt to have a judgment so perverted as not to think things of the most forbidden and most detestable nature to be foul and then see what a shole of consequents break in from v. 29. feind vices things that do not onely merit hell but possess enjoy and make the place These are the entertainments of those Regions but none more essential than those v. 32. they not onely commit those things but have pleasure in those that do them do not onely favor themselves in the transgressions for to that men may have some temtation from the flesh but to evince their understandings are debauch'd their consciences corrupted and that they are of a reprobate mind they take pleasure in others committing them from which they have no pleasure can enjoy nothing but the villany of being glad that others are debauch'd and vitiated this recommends men to them And truly now I have no words for them they do outgo expression I may apply that which the Psalmist saith of the fool in his heart there is no God I am sure there is none in theirs that will not let his Deputy be there not suffer conscience his Vicegerent to be within them and it were well if they could exclude it for ever But alas when their sins and pleasures shall begin to die then conscience will revive and be their worm that never dies however they have stupifi'd it here then it will gnaw eternally then oh that they could have no conscience no sting no lash but it will be an immortal feind to them and that which they so much trample on now will then be their great hell And now I can prescribe no exercise will remove this offence when
such as yet leave all to him to do so far that he were a Fanatic as to worldly interests who without endeavoring in the use of means should look that God would work out his ends for him give bread without sowing nourish without eating notwithstanding that Scripture dos ascribe to God the intire efficacy shall the like expressions in the order of grace leave nothing for the Christian to do especially when the same endeavors are commanded him too I know not whether these expressions made to us to turn our felves c. do make more Pelagians that deny all need of grace or else ascrib'd to God make more deny all need of our endeavors even of our praiers or of any thing but more dependance waiting for his season Whereas indeed we are to work because he works and gives means to enable us and not to use the means he gives us is to temt him 't is to refuse Salvation by the ordinary methods of his workings expect new miracle 't is to be that fanatic that dos look to live without food 'T is gospel truth to say it is not the direction of Gods laws can rule us nor his promises allure us nor his threats affright us but his Holy spirit must direct and rule our hearts Coll. 19. Sun aft Trin. and he must write his laws there Heb. 8. 10. and he must give us a heart to love and dread him To affirm the other is heresy and to say that a sinner can dispose himself for his conversion or that the outward means can by their own moral efficacy turn a sinner is an heresy against grace but grace where it hath not been too far resisted still accompanies the means Gods word is the ministration of the Spirit and of rightousness and his word and Spirit go together Acts 7. 51. for to resist one is to resist the other And if the heart be not by evil education bad converse and example great advancers these of reprobation deprav'd either hardened or made dissolute or overgrown with principles that choak all God's good seed that can be sown in it those means so assisted call attention work some disposition to regard them The ordinariest means are blest to that end Prov. 23. 14. thou shalt heal him with the rod and deliver his soul from hell Yea they do it tho the force of good education have been broken when these gracious means find congruous soft seasons lay hold on occasions of calamity or such like and they move the inclinations and so make soile prepar'd for God's husbandry And since experience shews us mere Gentile breeding and converse if there be but care and parts can temper take off at least moderate all insolence and passion make men generous and meek and humble decent as to all behavior towards God and man not one ill vicious habit in their practise but an universal probity upon the face of their whole life why therefore may not those beginnings of God's workings which he never fails to carry on for his part do as much And if they but keep off ill habits and by constant practise weaken inclinations to them here 't is plain that God's means of grace find not so much resistance and that which in another state of mind would not have been sufficient there becomes effectual especially when with them that work he works and as S. James says gives more grace to them that use it and diverts temtations enables to do all things thro Christ that strengthens O that the Christian would but try and strive to use his means as heartily as the Child of this world It is because men are not so industrious for salvation answer not the motions of God's Spirit but neglect grace given when the worldly man is indefatigable in and therefore is wiser in order to his end Yet in relation to their proper means in order to their several ends I must confess the worldling does observe the rules of prudence better the true child of this world for the most part chuseth the prescribed known waies to his end and do's use the general means and methods of the world gets into a profession or a place in which if he use false arts they are trades now mysteries well taught and known there are few adventure on untrodden paths Projectors seldom thrive But the generality of Christians who would gladly reconcile God and this world life hereafter with the being well here do not therefore acquiesce in Gods means only but make Principles by-Rules of Conscience which they guide themselves by on occasions and have taught themselves to think they are safe waies and such as do not lead them from salvation It is too well known what one sort of men have attemted in this case how by new-rais'd principles of Probability and directing the intention they have reconcil'd all villany with Christian life made it safe yea meritorious to lye forswear and bear malice to defame revenge by either force or treachery rebel massacre drown whole Nations in their own bloud depose or murder Kings But passing these as monsters in Religion honest heathen humanity there are pretenders to some tolerable regard of God and vertue who on occasions fit their conscience to their convenience Besides S. Pauls good Conscience void of offence to God and man there is one of gentility of Politics of Honour of friendship and a conscience for persons times and places one of compliance and one of the mode one for the interests of a Profession and the like I might have nam'd some quite the other way the Conscience that is rul'd by rouling changeable Principles which play fast and loose now strains at Gnats and now can swallow camels or a Conscience of caprice that sets it self strong suddain heats of nice observances somtimes in little things somtimes in greater but is firm in nothing But waving these and that for Politics too which is govern'd wholly by reasons of State which is too nice and high for my consideration the man of honor makes himself a Principle which will allow him to require reparations for the least affront so call'd for otherwise what Gentleman would be of Christ's Religion he can right himself with sword and pistol and with a good Conscience The conscience for friendship is like that of Chilon whom I mention'd to you hath a by-rule And indeed who is there almost that hath the same sentiments or laws for equity and justice in his own cause or the cause of those he is most concern'd for as in others They mesure not by the same standard do not think in conscience the same case is like when it makes against as when it serves a turn As for persons so for times We have one conscience for the time of health and one for sickness Things do not equally seem good or evil in their different seasons And as for places ut vestitum sic sententiam aliam domesticam aliam forensem saith the
Orator Men have their shifts of conscience as of clothes their dress is carefuller and their rules stricter much abroad in public then when at home or out of sight As for the conscience of compliance many do not only do things which they have dislike to out of compliance but satisfy themselves because they do them with reluctancy against their inclination to avoid the being singular or offensive For the mode too Men learn to interpret God's laws also by the practice of the age live and judge by imitation and example The man's conscience tho it boggle at first sight of dangerous uncomely liberties yet conversation with them as it takes away the horror of them so he thinks it do's the danger and ill influence And as fashion makes all dresses to be mode and not look uncomely so the custom of these things makes them seem indifferent A Conscience also for the interests of a Profession as in trade for example and in Corporations of it it thinks their combinations for the better keeping up the Company fair and honest and therewithal make tricks and exactions lawful And in single traders such another principle makes Princes Laws be broken their dues stoln without any check of Conscience and I verily believe that many think these are not inconsistent with a good mind I might have instanc'd in other professions particularly in that which satisfies it self in the defending manifestly wrongful and in right causes in protracting suits to mens great molestation and the ruin of just rights But in truth this is paltry trifling with religion having false weights and mesures of what 's lawful and unlawful things that God abhors and indeed these frauds will in the end return upon their authors and the unhappy artist will most certainly deceive his own soul. For he never can arrive at life whom he that is the way do's not lead thither Christ and his rules only can introduce us into the mansions of Eternity 'T is true there may be doubts somtimes about the way of duty for 't is that I speak to in applying general rules for circumstances may perplex vary cases obligations seem to clash and quarrel so that one may be uncertain which to follow what means he should take to attain his great end 2. Now in case of such uncertainty as to the means the Child of this world do's observe a Rule of Prudence better then the Christian for he takes advice For who intends to purchase an inheritance but he goes to Counsel and if there be the least appearance of uncertainty in the Title spares no charge to have it searcht and to be sure The least indisposition drives the man that aims at life to his Physician In every difficulty of a voiage where there 's any apprehension of a shelf or rock the Merchant and the Master will consult the Pilot. But in the voiage towards heaven how many make shipwrack of a good conscience because they will not commit themselves to any conduct How often do they shake their Title to God's inheritance because they will not take advice of him at whose mouth God commanded they should seek the Law And who do's go to the Physician of Souls to prevent death Eternal I do not say men should betake themselves to a director in each action of their lives For who goes to a Doctor to know whether he should eat stones or poison or who asks a Lawyer whether he should keep or burn his evidences Now for the most part what I ought to do what to forbear is every jot as clear as those except where circumstances trouble or else seeming cross obligations a muse our judgment and then for a man not to ask direction in his way to heaven is unanswerable folly in a man that will inquire the way to the next village 't is nothing but a wretchless stupid carelesness in the Eternal interests of his own Soul When he that takes the best directions he can get with this sincere intent that he may not transgress may quiet his own mind in this that he hath don his utmost faithfully towards duty and in doing that with our good God shall be interpreted to have don his duty if he also faithfully pursue the means directed the 3d. property of Wisdom which does set the man upon the use of those means which he must attain his end by the last thing I am to speak too Now as to this I must confess the Child of this world wiser and give up the cause Whoever does resolvedly intend his profit pleasure honor or whatever state in this life 't is the business of his parts his study and his whole life to pursue it and it is so while the appetite of any carnal end is eager in him Anger hate revenge c. And I cannot say it is so with the Christian as to his end But the worldly man besides the zeal in using all means in pursuit of his end he observs two Rules that wisdom dictates with more carefulness 1. Be circumspect then wary both prescrib'd us by St. Paul Ephes. 5. 15. See that ye walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 circumspectly not as fools but wise as we translate it and the Vulgar caute warily with caution Now the first of these two Circumspection signifies the looking every way about him to discern or if he can foresee whatever may obstruct him in his progress give him any hindrance in whatever shape it is likely to attemt it whether it do threaten with inconvenience or do flatter with the deceitful appearances of being useful come with treachery or open opposition as a false Friend or a known Enemy and the other Caution sets him upon all the care he can make use of to avoi'd or rid himself of such impediments of what kind soever Now t is evident the man of this world in whatever occupation trade profession or place he may be from the lowest to the highest who proposes any one thing to himself and does not live ex tempore and follow ends and objects as the boy 's do Crows but hath at least some one design so far as he does so looks round him that he may shun every thing that would defeat divert or but disturb him in it and endeavors to move every stone which he may stumble at in his pursuit whatever may be an impediment to his attainments Now the Child of Light hath warning given him by the wise man also My Son if thou come to serve the Lord prepare thy soul for temtation There are those that will attemt to break his progress in pursuit of any such designment His enemy the Devil like a roaring Lyon his false friend the Flesh and a third that will assault him under both appearances the World somtimes by reproches taunts and insolent scorn by turning piety and virtue into raillery discouraging men from the pursuit somtimes by vexatious molesting injuring oppressing good men that they think will bear it making
chance to stagger the beliefs of some that must receive their knowledg from instruction and cannot do it better then from such and make them thinkalas from whom shall we learn truths or what assurance have we that any thing we have given credit to is so sure my intention is more noxious then his false opinion and to be turn'd aside If by telling a true story intended for the disparagement of vice I think aspersions may come upon a person which are not at all necessary for my hearers avoiding of the vice yea tho he be mine enemy the story and my intentions would be much better spar'd A meaning then is purely good when it hath nothing else but good in view of it and that intention is not truly single that hath two ends altho but one be mine and the other chances only for if I foresee it I some way adopt it and do make it mine So for the first intentions 2. The intire intentions as they take in the means succeed into our consideration and here I would be plain because I know it is the common plea and ground of most whereby they excuse actions otherwise very blameable by saying that they did it with a good intent and this they think will stop the mouths of their impleaders and their conscience On this score Phineas's zeal is grown a Christian principle tho the like zeal were blamed by Christ in his disciples yea and that stretcht now much beyond the original such a zealous intention shall execute real murders and all the bloudy hainous consequences of a war undertaken upon no other appearing ground when not upon a visible confest Idolatry and impudent whoredom as that in Phineas case but upon only controverted doubts or indeed fancied stains in an established happy Church their zealous intention must warrant them to let out those taint's together with the life to bloud them with the sword and if they cannot call for fire from Heaven to purge away the dross yet they will make the reformation with fire and faggot prune the worship by cutting up both root and branch Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum And Religion must perswade and warrant all these mischeifs A like good meaning shall engage men to defy the persons and authority of their most just Superiors to both which they were bound by laws and oaths but they are nothing to a good intention and while they prosecute the ruine of their Governors and desolation of their Nation yet they can mean well to them both and be still innocent So the ends of self-preservation or which is much worse preservation of a little wealth or dignity shall justify perjury and doing things against the conscience and those things look't upon as slight transgressions in order to that end when the pride of an estate or of a wife and family is in the intention I could make divers other instances in common actions of our lives in which whatever men do practise if they have a good meaning they believe themselves excusable Therefore 1. That an intention may be good 't is absolutely necessary that it do not take in any forbidden means to bring about its end for if it do however the end were good the intention will be sinful The reasons clear because that particular intention do's especially respect and include that particular means which means is evil that is to say it do's especially respect and include evil and consequently is so Nay if I use ill means tho to advance an end of noblest Religion yet in so intending that intention do's not do God service nor obey his commands for it is impossible that the same action of the mind should in it self be both commanded and forbid by God Now as the intention takes in and pursues the evil means so 't is forbid and consequently is a sin and therefore cannot be service to God nor obedience to his command If that this reason will not do example and command shall do it Saul did intend to sacrifice when he did spare the fattest of the sheep and oxen 't is true he was commanded to slay all but he intended to preserve the best for God his meaning was Religion and worship but yet that good intention of worship did condemn him and he and his posterity lost the Kingdom for this Religion God do's not require any action which he sees I cannot compass without sin for the requires no man to sin for that were to require that we should break his commands and 't were a strange obedience to the Lord to disobey him for his own sake shall I speak wickedly for God saith Job Job 13. 7. and talk deceitfully for him will ye accept his person and plainer yet S. Paul Rom. 3. 5 6 7 8. But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God what shall we say Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance I speak as a man God forbid for then how shall God judge the world For if the truth of God hath more abounded thro my lie unto his glory why also yet am I judged as a sinner And not rather as we are slandrously reported and as some affirm that we say Let us do evil that good may come whose damnation is just The argumentation runs thus If Gods way of grace may be thus set out and more illustriously seen by the sins of men why should God thus punish their sins which so tend to his glory Irecite the objection of some men or if he do's is it not injustice in him so to doe v. 7. For say they if the faithfulness and mercifulness of God in performing his promises to Abraham giving the Messiah hath appear'd more abundantly and tended more to his glory by occasion of the Jews sins or infidelity there will be then no reason why they that are guilty of such sins so much tending to Gods honor should be complained of or proceeded with in judgment but on the other side men might do well to commit such sins from which so much good or glory to God might come I recite saies the Apostle a damnable doctrine and in opposition say that no one sin is to be committed tho in order to and contemplation of the greatest good Gods glory And this is proof enough and therefore 2. tho an intention that sets it selfe an holy and Religious end the glory of God the purity of Religion the peace and flourish of Jerusalem nay Church and nation or some particular service to God while it looks only at the end is good and holy yet when it comes to think of means in order to that end if he can find there is only one within his compass and that forbidden as he is bound to renounce the means so also he must desert the intention instantly for if he go on to intend good which he knows he cannot compass but by doing ill 't is clear he do's intend the doing ill as he that know it is not possible that he should
by except we will walk on in darkness unto the land of utter darkness But as a lanthorn is no guidance to the blind and a light is of use only where there is an eye so Gods commandments can have no influence upon nor give direction or assistance to our waies except this eye of the mind be enlightned by them for it is Conscience that is the conveiance to all duty to the heart of man that cannot set up obedience but as the Conscience do's press it on it that conveys the immediate obligation My Conscience tells me this I must forbear that I must practise Yea where there was no law to give direction the eye of Conscience looking o're the frame of man a creature reasonable in his making could strait see a necessity of doing things agreable to right reason and viewing the materials of the pile saw he was built of Soul as well as body of of an immortal Spirit as well as a carnal part knew that his life was to be order'd to the uses of the Spirit as well as of the flesh and more indeed that being the better part and easily could gather hence that man was not to serve his lower brutish part the body so as to discompose his soul and when it did so did condemn him for the doing of it And upon this S. Paul affirms Rom. 2. 14 15. When the Gentiles that have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law they having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which shew the work of the Law written on their hearts their Conscience bearing them witness Which says that tho the rest of the world had not the Revelation of Gods will and Law as the Jews had yet from the dictats of their reason and the notions of good and evil implanted in them their conscience did oblige them unto the performance of such things as the Law required and upon such performance or omission without any other Law did either excuse them as men that did not culpably wander out of those paths which the light and Eye that God had planted in them did direct them in or else accuse them as transgressors and render them obnoxious to punishment And so it did before the Law So Rom. 5. 13 14. For until the Law sin was in the world but sin is not imputed where there is no Law Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgressions First after Adams time till Moses before the giving of the Law men fin'd and tho it be true that sin is not charg'd to punishment but where there is a Law to forbid it under that penalty and therefore it might be thought that sin without the Law would not have brought death into the world yet from Adam till Moses death reign'd men died that had not sinn'd as Adam did against an express actual precept promulgated as his was and establish't with a positive threat of death but died because they had sinn'd against the laws of their nature the principles of duty that were put into their making which Conscience prest upon their practise and whose guidance they would not follow they pull'd death upon themselvs in the errors of their waies 'T was by the equity of this that when the wickedness of men grew great in the earth the floud grew so too an inundation of waters overspread it when sin had once don so and iniquity against the dictates of conscience struck all the world at once with death except eight persons Conscience therefore where there is law and also where there is none is the great director of our actions and to this I shall apply our Saviors discourse dividing not the Text but Conscience and in the several members verifying what our Savior he reaffirms 1. Conscience either respecteth actions to be don or actions already don First as it respecteth actions to be don telling us this we must do that we must forbear so first as it answers to the single Eye it denotes the pure Conscience the enlightned Eye of the mind as S. Paul calls it that is a truly well inform'd Conscience a Conscience that judges according to its rule and to this I shall first tell you what is the entire rule of conscience and consequently when it s dictates are right when it informs me truly this I must do that I must forbear 2. Prove to you that all our actions that are regulated by such a well inform'd conscience are good and honest so that if this eye be single the whole body shall be full of light If the conscience be pure the man's holy and so the first part of the text is proved 2. As it answers to the evil eye so it denotes an evil conscience a conscience that do's not give true judgment of duty ill inform'd And this either First wholly so and then 't is reprobate sense such as that of them that call good evil and evil good from which men are stil'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 4. 2. or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Phavorinus Rom. 1. 31. Or secondly but in part and then 't is either first an erring conscience or secondly a doubtful conscience or thirdly a scrupulous conscience to which also several others will fall in And I shall shew you how every of these do's mislead a man into the dark The scrupulous raiseth clouds and mists about him dark errors and discomforts too the doubtful do's instead of guiding leave him so puzl'd that he knows not which way to be-take himself and the erring conscience lights him into the pit takes him by the hand to thrust him down guides him into a necessity of sin and the no conscience the reprobate sense it is a darkness somwhat worse then that the blackness of Hell here All this I shall do in order Upon the other part conscience as it relates to actions already don so it do's testify and in so doing either excuse or accuse Rom. 2. 15. Now tho conscience in the other former respect hath indeed the greater influence upon our practise and so to it the text do's more directly answer yet this latter having some also in order to the making future actions holy by repentance for when once the soul hath shipwrack't on a sin and she is ready to sink and perish there is no plank on which she can escape but repentance Now 't is this Eye that must look out for that 't is an accusing conscience that must set him upon Repentance this hurry's him about and will not let him rest 'till he get upon the plank that 's fastned to the Anchor even the Anchor of hope by which until it be secur'd a good conscience never is at quiet Because I intend to say but little to this I shall dispatch it now And that in order to its actions excusing and accusing And first if conscience be the
no such command and it were not my duty for till then I knew nothing of it this alone therefore do's propose and apply duty to us and consequently whether that which it proposes be my duty really in it self or no yet I must needs look upon it as so having no other direction imaginable what to do or forbear but what my conscience some way instructed tells me God or my Governors have commanded or forbid me So that if I am resolv'd in my mind of the sinfulness and obliquity of an action propos'd tho really the thing be innocent yet to me in my present circumstance 't will be utterly unlawful and tho the action be innocent the agent will be guilty 2. That God hath plac'd the conscience in us as the only next and immediate rule of all our actions according to which they are to be directed which if they be not they are faulty as every thing that swerves from its rule is not right tho what I have said will sufficiently prove yet Scripture do's confirm when it saies Rom. 14. 23. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin that is to say whatsoever is contrary to the perswasion of lawfulness that is in other words contrary to conscience is sin whatsoever he do's as long as he thinks in conscience he should not do it he sins whether the thing be sin or no as that was no sin of which he there spake And reason good for we are so far honest hearted lovers of God as we embrace that which our hearts are really possest is his service and our duty and hate the contrary that is as we follow our conscience conscience being nothing but the persuasion that this is duty which if we go against 't is sure we like and follow that which in our thoughts is vicious and wicked be it what it will in it self to us 't is so 't is sure the inclinations and the actions pursue vice when they pursue that which they cannot look upon but as vice Conscience therefore is the rule from which 't is sin to recede 'T is with fair pretence to reason said that nothing can be a rule which is it self crooked and irregular That which is strait is indeed said to be index sui obliqui and having justified its own rectitude becomes qualified to be a test of right and wrong in others For certainly if the man knew what God's Law do's require of him in that case the conscience do's not erre if he do not know what God's word do's require how can he follow it against that which his conscience tells him God requires And it is certain if the man should suspend his action and have not reason to act according to his erring conscience he never can have reason to act according to a conscience well-inform'd not when it tells him God is to be lov'd for it is sure his conscience do's as much propose the error as his duty as it do's the truth the man as really believes the one is to be don as the other and hath no reason to make difference and therefore if at any time he must follow his conscience he must alwaies and it will be sin to act against it be it what it will But then you 'l hope it will excuse to act according to it Oh no alas for that 's the second thing in this case of erring conscience if a man act according to his conscience he sins too if he act against the Law of God Scripture will furnish me with several examples and proofs of this and 't is a doctrine worth the taking notice of it having prov'd to so many persons a plea for actions otherwise abominable they follow'd their conscience 't was it may be mistake in judgment but 't was uprightness of heart sincerity of conscience Now to take off this color which I shall do with all imaginable plainess Our Savior John 16. 2. foretells to his Disciples they shall put you out of their Synagogues yea the time will come that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he do's offer God an oblation or worship shall think it not only lawful but acceptable to God and of the nature of a Sacrifice which propitiates for other offences to put you to death See here a conscience bravely glos'd when the error look'd like Religion and Attonement a color not at all strange to our daies in such another case and yet these Jews that did so for of them he speaks were given up to the direst punishments that ever any nation did groan under Of the same Jews S. Paul saies Rom. 10. 2. I bear them record that they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledg that is I must testify of them that they are very many of them great zealots for their Law as that which is commanded them by God and so in their way and heart zealous to have God obeied only for want of knowledg they are mistaken in their zeal Here is strong conscience granted in these Jews and that built up upon a Law of God then indeed outdated which yet thro a zealous earnestness they were ignorant of but yet the following this zeal and conscience was plagued with total induration of of that people c. 11. 8 9 10. Nor was this S. Pauls heat against that persecuting nation but that Apostle do's more plainly yet and home to our matter say of himself Acts 23. 1. I have liv'd in all good conscience before God until this day I have all my life long even when I was a defender of the Mosaical Law against Christ's reformation acted sincerely and uprightly according to my conscience and again 2 Tim. 1. 3. I thank God whom I serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience i. e. whom I have obeied sincerely all my time even when thro ignorance I persecuted the Christian faith doing according to the dictate of my conscience and as I was perswaded I ought to do And now if conscience will excuse there was enough of that a good conscience and a pure conscience and will his fiery persecutions nâ—w by vertue of his conscience be Christned holy zeal shall the pure conscience make his bloudy hands to be undefil'd Oh no 't was Blasphemy and injury and persecution for all 't was conscience 1 Tim. 1. 13. I was before a blasphemer c. and notwithstanding I did it all in the uprightness and sincerity of my heart I am the chief of sinners v. 15. And let us not suppose these aggravations were laid on by S. Paul upon himself because of his unbelief that that was the only thing that gave guilt to his actions and that we thro faith and assurance shall escape if we do such gross actions out of an erring conscience For on the contrary S. Paul do's bring his unbelief not as the Aggravation but the Apology of his crimes he pleads that for himself v. 13. and he finds
2 Tim. 3. 8. nor by a wretchless unconcerndness take up with slight appearances and receive a vulgar error for a sacred revelation and having mens persons in admiration Jude 16. believe as doctrines the devices or commandments of men Matt. 15. 9. not to consider what this celebrated Teacher or this Sect and Party say but make our resort to the Law and to the Testament what Law of God there is for or against this action For in this case it is most true There is one Law-giver who can save and destroy James 4. 12. and if sin be the transgression of a law 1 John 3. 4. it inevitably follows that where no law is there is no transgression Rom. 4. 15. And yet 't is strange to see how men amuse and embarras themselves in things that have no bottom or foundation in Scripture and in the mean time omit the weighty matters of the law judgement mercy and faith Thirdly if I have bin engag'd in any practices of which by the contrary practices of other sober rational men I see there may be reason if not to doubt yet to search into them then I 'le take the same course in order to the settling or the rectifying of my judgment and especially if any obligations to the contrary have got possession of me if obedience and meekness and peace of the State or Church or any sacred bond in a word if any commands of Superiors or engagements to them seem strong for the other side then nothing but clear Law of God or my Superiors shall fixe me Fourthly where things are not absolutely convincing on either side and there is no clear Law on neither or else so much like Law on both sides here as I must suspend if possible my action for these must needs make doubts so if I be necessitated to act on one side or other then if my conscience do mistake according to the degree of my diligence in examining so will be the degrees of my guilt If I have search't to my utmost and so offend out of an ignorance I could not overcome it is the constant doctrine of all that the mercy of our God by the tenure of the Gospel will not impute the error to a person otherwise of holy life but if there was a means of knowing that either heat or any other thing did hurry me from a sufficient consideration thereof according to my means so is my sin Abimelech had a competent ground to think that Sarah was not Abrahams wife when both herself and he had told him so and upon that he saies he took her to him in the integrity of his heart his conscience reasonably well-inform'd telling him that he might do it and yet God pâ—nisheth his hast he determin'd too speedily his desire was too quick did not proceed by those slow steps that a good careful conscience do's move with that will examin with all strictness where he discerns there will be gross sin on the other side The Jews had a strong prejudice against Christ's reformation of the Law by those so many promises of Scripture that their sacrifices should be eternal and when for many ages they had bin brought up in a Religion so own'd by God and were so harden'd in that Religion by all their Teachers 't was no wonder they rejected the Apostles preaching out of conscience of their own Religion Paul himself had don so and yet God gives them up to final induration for it because they had sufficient means of knowing Christ was sent by God to reform their Religion for have they not heard Rom. 10. 18. Thy diligence therefore shall alleviate the fault and where it is us'd in a good measure probably will not suffer the conscience to be long positive and peremtory in a mistake but at the most will let it only be a doubting conscience which how far 't is an evil eie and how we are to guide our selves out of that darkness it do's lead into we must now shew A doubting conscience may be either in things of very little moment and also where there is very little light to guide it and then we only call it scrupulous or else in things of consequence and of these we now treat and the Position is that he that acts according to a doubting conscience sins and this evil eie leads into utter darkness The Aphorism is a certain reveled pronunc't truth he that doubteth is damn'd if he eat Rom. 14. 23. However sacred the tribunal of conscience can be thought to be it must not stand in competition with the Throne of Almighty God and oblige us to do that which the Divine Command has interdicted or to leave that undon the doing of which he has expresly charg'd upon us It was thought to be a tyrannous hardship which the Egyptian task-masters put upon the Israelites that they should be beaten because they made not brick when they had no straw to make it with but it would seem a more tyrannous cruelty to punish them if they made and also to punish if they did not make it But so it is he who chuses to do that which his conscience suggests he ought to avoid as being ill and resolves to omit that which he judges or believes he ought to do as being good has all the inordination of mind that constitutes the most flagrant guilt he pursues evil and turns away from good apprehended to be such and so has that depravation of mind that constitutes a Devil But on the other side our opinions cannot alter the real natures of things nor will my belief that my act is laudable make it to be so any more than my fancy that Poisons are wholsome food will free them from their noxious venim and render them restoratives and cordials In like manner my adventuring on an action which I think is bad upon the cold reserve of a possibility that it may be otherwise involves the desperate resolution of doing it howsoever which differs very little from doing it tho I know it to be certainly unlawful But a doubting conscience admits of a counterpoise from a contrary doubt and there is fear of sin as on the one so also on the other part I am uncertain whether I may not do ill in acting and yet whether I may not do worse in forbearing or thus I am not sure that what I enterprize is lawful but yet I have no ground to believe it is unlawful Now from this exigent thus declared I might deduce resolutions in many cases of our life As 1. When there is no ground to build a certain judgment on of either side but it is only probable the thing is not sin and consequently I cannot be sure it is not yet if upon that probability I act this is clear different from the state of the doubting conscience for tho I may have some doubt 't is possible the thing may not be good yet having honestly examined it I have no reason to think it
kind when the sins therefore lie in the Attire and they may put them off without a Metaphor yet it is so hard that it cannot be done sometimes the worth of a whole Province hangs upon a slender thread about a Neck a Patrimony thrust upon one joint of one least Finger and these warts of a Rock or a Shell-fish with the appendages eat out Estates and starve poor Creditors for whom indeed they should command these stones to be made bread but that 's a Miracle too stubborn for their Vertue And then how will they proceed to the next expression of this Duty Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the foreskin of your hearts Jer. iv 4. These are harder and more bloody words they differ in the pain and anguish that they put us to as much as to uncloath and flea would do It appears indeed this punishment of fleaing often went before the Cross. To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Ctesias of one having his Skin pull'd off he was Crucified And the scourges in some measure did inflict this on our Saviour when they put off his Cloaths they strip'd his Skin also left him no covering but some rags of that which whipping had torn from his flesh Yet this expression sounds harsher when it bids us circumcise the foreskin of our hearts and tear it from thence flea that When long Conversation with the pleasures of a sin hath not onely given them Regallias but hath made them necessary to us so as that we cannot be without them when Custom craves with greater feaver than our thirst when if we want it we have qualms saintings of Soul as if the life were in that blood of the grape when men can part as easily with their own bowels as the Luxuries that feed them if you take away their Dishes then you take their Souls which dwell in them when the sins of the Bed are as neâ—dful and refreshing as the sleeps of it when to bid a man not look not satisfie his lustful eye is every jot as cruel as that other Iâ— thine eye offend thee pluck it out For if he must no more find pleasure in his sight he hath no use of it yea if this be indeed a kindness not to leave him Eyes to be to him the same as Appetite to Tantalus that which he must not satisfie and is his hell 'T is easie if the Lust be got no further than the Eye to pull them out together but if through that it shoot into the Blood and Spirits mix heats with those if it enwrap the heart twist with its strings and warm the Soul with its desires so that it Spirit all the motions all the thoughts and wishes of the heart when it is thus to make the heart to stifle its own motions stab its thoughts and strangle all its wishes to untwist and disentangle and to tear it thence if this be to be Circumcised with the Circumcision of Christ and he that hath not the sign of this the Seal of the New Covenant as he that in the Old had not the other was must be cut off our long habituated hardned Sinners must not think that there is any thing of true Repentance in their easie perfunctory sleight performances there is something like Death in the Duty which yet is required of us farther under variety of more severe expressions for we are bid thirdly to slay the Body of Sin Rom. vi 6. to mortifie our members Col. iii. 5. and to Crucifie Gal. vi 14. which how it may be done the next consideration of S. Paul's condition in the Text and my next part declare I am Crucified with Christ that is first as he was by being made conformable to his Death And truly should we trace him through all the stages of his Passion we should hardly find one passage but is made to be transcribed by us in dealing with our sins First he began it with Agony when his Soul was exceeding heavy for it labour'd with such weight of indignation as did make the Son of God to sink under the meer apprehension And he was sorrowful unto Death so as that his whole Body did weep Blood The Sinners passion his Repentance is exactly like it it begins always with grief and sense of weight whoever is regenerate was conceiv'd in sorrow and brought forth with pangs and the Child of God too is born weeping And for loads the Church when she does call us to shew forth this Death of Christ as if she did prescribe that very Agony requires that we should find that Garden at the Altar makes us say we are heartily sorry for our misdoings the remembrance of them is grievous unto us the burden of them is intolerable So that the Sinner's Soul must be exceeding heavy too Secondly There he is betrayed by his own domestick sold for the poorest Price imaginable as a Slave for thirty pieces of silver I shall not mind you what unworthy things the love of Money does engage men to to sell a Christ a Saviour and a God! and rather than stand out at such a base rate as we scorn to buy a sin at every single act 's engagement to Damnation costs more than the Ransom of the World is sold for and the Blood of God is purchas'd cheaper than any one opportunity of Vice does stand us in But I onely mind you here that he shall have a better hire that will but be a Judas to his own iniquities do but betray the Regent sins deliver them up and thou shalt have everlasting Heaven Thirdly We find him next carried before the High Priest And the strictest times of Christianity would serve their sins so to receive his doom upon them to be excommunicated into Reformation But I shall not urge how we can discover to a Physician our shames all our most putrid Guilts as well as Ulcers and make him our Confessor in our most secret sins neither will I be inquisitive why the Physicians of our souls are balk'd but will pass this part of the Conformity and follow Christ to Pontius Pilate And for this part we our selves are fitted the whole furniture of a Judicial Court all that makes up both Bench and Bar is born within us God hath given us a Conscience whereby we are a Law to our selves Rom. ii We have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Jews did want such evidence as is sufficient to condemn us the same Conscience that is privy to our doings and stands by our thoughts and sees through our intentions is a thousand witnesses And that there may be a Prosecutor our own thoughts accuse us saith S. Paul and if we will give them way will aggravate each Circumstance of guilt and danger bark and howl and cry as loud against us as the Jews did against Christ for Sin is of so murthering a guilt it will be sure to slay it self and that he may not want his deserved Ruin the Sinner makes his
very place where God himself enjoyn'd the Law and all the Blessings of it to be publish'd to the People on Mount Gerizim which therefore seem to have pretences to vye with Mount Zion for there also the Lord commanded the Blessing An Altar too saith Benjamin in his Itinerary made of the same stones that God commanded to be taken out of Jordan and set up for a memorial of his Peoples passage through it And besides all this having the Law of Moses too when they had all these pretensions to the God of Israel they clave to him alone and wholly threw off their Idolatry So Epiphanius does affirm expresly And their Countrey being as Josephus says the receptacle of all discontented fugitive Jews a great part of it too planted with them by Alexander they espoused the Worship of the Jews and came to differ very little either in the Doctrine or the practice of Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having all things as it were the very same the only distance seems to be betwixt their Temples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just as the Woman states it to our Saviour Joh. iv Our Fathers Worshipped in this Mountain but ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to Worship So that if we audit the account of the Samaritan guilt they separated from the place of Worship which God had appointed and set up another in a word they were Schismaticks Whether this be such a guilt as should make those terms equivalent He is a Samaritan and hath a Devil I shall not say but it is such as makes our Saviour say somewhat exclusively Salvation is of the Jews All the Blessings and Salvations of the Law did indeed hover on Mount Gerizim were given thence that was the place of them but they were cut away when Schism came The Church is not a place of blessing when 't is built against the Church The Altar hath no Horns to lay hold on for refuge but to push and gore onely when it is set up against the Altar And Gerizim is Ebal when it stands in competition with Mount Zion Well this onely thing does breed the greatest distances imaginable in the Nations nothing more divides than Separation and Schism and then these Samaritans as all Separatists do grew such Opiniastres and so violent in their way as to deny humanity to those that would not join with them they would not grant the Civilities of Passage to one that intended for Jerusalem to Worship They refuse it to our Saviour here because his Face was thitherward ver 53. A Schismatick will reject a Christ if his Face be fromward their new Establishment if he but look towards the Antient Worship At this the Sons of Zebedee are offended zealous for their Master as being most particularly concern'd in him two of his nearest intimates and their zeal would needs break out into flame And why not a rudeness to Elijah was reveng'd by him with Fire from Heaven which consumed twice fifty Soldiers and their Captains though they came to do the King's Command And shall these hated Schismaticks be rude to Thee and reject the Messiah and yet go unpunished Lord shall we command fire to come down from Heaven to consume them even as Elias did Which our Saviour answers with this sharp rebuke Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of Not to divide but to explain my Text and so instead of parts present you with some Subjects of Discourse By Spirit here is meant that disposition and complexure of Christian Piety and Vertues that course and Method of Religion which the Spirit does prescribe to Christ's Disciples and does guide them in or in a word the temper of the Gospel is so called And this in opposition to the Law the difference of these being express'd by a diverse manner of Spirit the one is called Spirit of Bondage the other Spirit of Adoption so here Ye know not of what Spirit ye are ye do not judg aright if you believe the temper of the Gospel is like that of the Law The course that I prescribe to my Disciples differs much from that of Prophets under the Old Testament you must be guided by another Spirit than Elijah's was in calling for Fire if my Spirit dwell in you For I came not to destroy mens lives on any such account In this sense it affords these Propositions First To destroy Mens lives or other temporal rights on this account meerly because they are Apostates Schismaticks or otherwise reject the true Religion or Christ himself is inconsistent with the temper of the Gospel This is that which Christ reproves here telling them that would do so Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of Secondly Because the Spirit of Elias which the Gospel Christian Spirit here is set in opposition to oppos'd the Magistrate destroy'd those that came commission'd from the Prince and Christ designedly does say ye must not do now what Elias did therefore to attempt upon or against the Magistrate on the account of Christ or of Religion is inconsistent with the Spirit of the Gospel First Of the first that to destroy mens lives c. But here I must observe that since these fiery Disciples that did give occasion for our Saviours rebuke here were no Magistrates nor did Christ himself that gave the rebuke assume but renounce openly all such Authority therefore no observation grounded on these words can controul the Magistrates just Power in punishing Offences done against his Laws although pretences of Religion and Conscience give colour to those offences the Gospel does diminish no rights of the secular Powers Now Supreme Magistrates though as such they have no right to judg in Articles of Faith to define what is true Religion what not for then the Pagan Princes who had never heard of Christ and yet are as much Magistrates as any would have right to judg what Doctrines Christ delivered down to be believed But certainly when Christ Commission'd his Faith to run through all the World not onely independently from all the Powers of it but in perfect opposition to them they can have no right to judg in that which whatsoever they shall Judg we are alike bound to receive the Faith of Christ without any the least difference to their judgment But though they have no right to judg of this they have Authority to determine what Faith shall have the priviledges of their State and what shall not which shall be publiquely profess'd and which they will inhibit with Penalties For sure the Priviledges of the State and power of Penalties are the proper rights of the Supreme Power and therefore none but that can judg and determine of them In a word since it is most evident that the tranquillity of a State does depend upon nothing more than the profession and priviledging of Religion it follows that those Powers to whose Judgment and Decrees the care and
utmost that they understood if so be that there were no Treason to discolour it and they that did inflict all this appear but Christian Dioclesians and stand at that sad Day in the train of the Persecutions on the same hand O then those Fires which these Boutefeus called for and kindled shall blaze out into everlasting burnings And now it may seem strange that they who most of all pretend the Spirit of Christ are yet of the most distant temper in the World from that of Gospel always endeavouring to do that which our Saviour here checks his Disciples for proposing and did threaten Peter for attempting There are among our selves that seem to live by Inspiration that look and speak as in the frame of the Gospel as if every motion were impulse from Heaven and yet as if Christ had fulfilled his promise to them without Metaphor baptized them with the Holy Ghost and fire onely that they might kindle fire and the unction of the Spirit did but add Oyl to those flames as if the cloven Tongues of fire in which the Spirit did descend were made to be the Emblems of Division and to call for fire these mens life their garb their very piety is faction they pray rebel and murder and all by the Spirit 'T is true indeed they plead now what we seem to say that they should not be persecuted for not being satisfied in their Conscience so they mince their breaking of the Laws for which they suffer But do these know themselves what manner of Spirit they are of or are we bound not to remember when they had the Power how they persecuted all that would not do at once against their King their Conscience and the Law And we do thus far know what Spirit they are of and if they have not yet repented of all that then it is plain if they can get an opportunity they will do it again nay they must by their Spirit think themselves obliged to do it But these are not all those that above all the World pretend to the Infallible assistance of the Spirit our Church is bold in her Offices of this day to say do turn Religion into Rebellion she said it more severely heretofore and the attempts of this day warrant the saying when not like our Disciples that would call for fire from Heaven on the Village that rejected Christ these will raise up fire from Hell to consume their own Prince and his Progeny the whole line of Royalty the Church and Nation also in their Representative and all this onely for refusing him that calls himself Christ's Vicar There are I must confess among them that renounce the practice and say 't was the device onely of some few desperate male-contents wicked Catholiques and design'd by the Devil And they will allow their Father Garnett to have had no other guilt but that he did not discover it having received it in Confession And this gives me occasion to propose a story to your patience and conjectures Not long before the time of this Attempt a Priest of the Society of Jesus in a Book he publish'd does propose this case of Conscience Whether a Priest may make use of what he hath learn'd in Confession to avert great impendent mischiefs to the Government as for Example One confesses that himself or some other had laid Gunpowder and other things under such an House and if they be not taken thence the House will be burnt the Prince must perish all that pass throughout the City will be either certainly destroy'd or in great peril and resolves it thus 'T is the most probable and safe Opinion and the more suitable to Religion and to that reverence which is due to the Sacrament of Confession that it is not lawful to make use of this his knowledg to that end That his Holiness Clement the 8. had just before by a Bull sent to the Superiours of the Regulars commanded most studiously to beware they make not use of any thing which they come to know by Confession to the benefit of the secular Government He adds that in cases of Confession the Priest must not reveal though death be threatned to him but may say he knows it not nor ever heard it quia reverà non scit nec audivit ut homo seu pars reipub Yea he may swear all this if he but mentally reserve so as to tell you 'T is Del Rio in 6th Book of his Mag. dis 1. Cap. Sec. 2. It seems 't is safer to break all the Obligations to Allegiance and to truth his duty and his Oaths the Princes and Gods bonds than the Seal of Confession But I did not mention this to let you see the kindness these men have to Princes and their Government I shall avoid producing any the Opinions of particular persons howsoever horrid in my arguments this day but I onely ask whether it be not very probable this instance was the thing to be attempted on this day Whether the resolution was not publish'd the Pope's Bull if not made yet produc'd at least to caution any Priest that should receive it in Confession and should be so honest as to abhor the Fact yet from betraying it and hindring the Execution of it If it were the case this was not then any rash attempt of some few desperate malecontents but a long contrivance and of many heads and its taking its effect was the great care of their Church Well they are even with us yet and lay as horrid Projects to the charge of Protestants Among our other Controversies this is one whether are the worse Subjects bloody sayings are produc'd from Authors on both sides yea there is the Image of both Churches Babel and Jerusalem drawn by a Catholique Pen and then you may be sure all Babel's divisions and confusions make the draught of ours and are said to be the issue of the Protestant Doctrines Whereas such things are countenanc'd by some particular Authors of their Church were never own'd by any publique Act or Doctrine of a general Council to which they provoke us I must confess our Calendar can shew a thirtieth of January as well as a fifth of November There are indeed that say the Romanists hatch'd that days guilt and challenge any man to call them to account for saying so But whether so or not which Churches Doctrines such things are more suited to I will now put to trial that we may know what Spirit each is of And I will try it by the publique Acts and most establish'd Doctrines of the Churches and here undertake to shew the Church of England most expresly does declare against all practices against the Prince for the cause of Religion But the Romish in those acts wherein she hath most reason to expect infallibility of Spirit also in the publique Acts of the Church representative in General Councils does abett the doing them not onely for Religion but for the cause of Holy