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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	apostle_n	bring_v	sin_n	4,680	5	5.1414	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04629	The court of conscience: or, Iosephs brethrens iudgement barre. By Thomas Barnes	Barnes, Thomas, Minister of St. Margaret's, New Fish Street, London.	1623 (1623)	STC 1475; ESTC S114798	47,631	166

feare arising out of the remembrance of a life lewdly wickedly led This ground by these descriptions thus laide I draw out these directions for the getting of a good and ridding of an euill conscience 1. Remedy of an euill conscience The first is the spirit of discerning a iudgement to discerne of things that differ For it is requisite that a good conscience should be informed vpon a good ground true principles now how can that be except a man hath iudgement to try and discerne the ground whither it be sound or false It is the office of conscience either to allow or disallow but how can it allow of what is good or disallow that which is euill except the party hath knowledge both of good and euil that is what is good and what is euill A right vnderstanding heart and a good conscience a blinde minde and a bad conscience are ordinarily yoaked together If Papists did not make ignorance the mother of deuotion If our generation of vnwise and carnall ones did not like to liue in blindnesse of heart without sauing knowledge both the one and the other would haue better consciences then they haue My counsell therefore to thee is this to get those chaines of darkenes wherewithall thy heart is fettered pulled off and those mists of ignorance with which thy vnderstanding is darkened remooued away that thou maiest be able to discerne of things that differ that so the right information of thy minde may prooue to be a meane of the sound reformation of thy conscience and so that goodnesse may be restored to it which by nature thou art quite bereaued and depriued off 2. Remedy Secondly when thou hast attained vnto a sound iudgement and canst put a difference betwixt good and euill then it shall bee good for thee to approoue of the one to disallow the other For when men against the light of their own knowledge shal like Iulian q Socr. hist lib. 3. cap. 1. Ecebolius r Id ibid. c. 11. disallow of that which is good and like the Scribes and Pharisees approoue of that which is euill is it possible for them so long as they so remaine to be remedied and cured of their euill consciences Paul praies on the behalfe of the brethren at Philippi that they might approoue of things that are excellent Å¿ Phil. 1.10 which prayer hee would haue neuer made had not he seene it a matter very vsefull and needfull against an euill and for a good and honest conscience to approue of things honest according to the excellency of the same Wee see men and women to dislike of hearing of Sermons in publike assemblies of offering vp sacrifice in their priuate families of making profession of religion and they like better of beeing present at stage-playes the very theaters of lust t For so Tertullian cals it lib. de Spectaculis 694. Theatrum veneris Of ryoting in Tauernes and tap-houses being as they are abused the very schooles of the deuill they approoue better of allowing inordinate courses And hence it comes to passe that their consciences are so vile and euill as they are Deale plainly with me now doest thou in good earnest desire a good conscience like of that which is good as most worthy to be loued dislike of that which is euill as most worthy to be hated and in time thou shall finde thy loue so strongly inflamed towards the one thy hatred so soundly sharpened against the other that thy conscience shall be cleere before God and honest towards men 3. Remedy Thirdly hearken to the chekes of conscience be willing to heare conscience speake and to take a carefull view of those articles which it presenteth vnto thee and bringeth in against thee Seneca Epist lib. 1. Epistola 43. ad calcem O te miserum si contemnis hunc testem O miserable man that thou art could the heathen say if thou contemnest this witnesse When thy conscience sets vpon thee as Nathan did vpon Dauid thou art the man or thou art the woman that hast failed in this duty fallen into this iniquity omitted that good committed that euill thinke in thy heart it is verily true and say in thy selfe as Dauid to Nathan I haue sinned In the fourth place 4. Remedy sorrow thou after a godly manner for those euils which thy conscience being rightly informed chargeth thee withall imitate Saint Peters conuerts who no sooner were accused in their consciences by occasion of his Sermon of that crime of crucifying Christ but they were pricked touched with remorse and sorrow for the same Oh if as often as thy conscience smites thee thou hadst but the grace with Ephraim to smite thy thigh and say 5. Remedy what haue I done thou wouldst grow to haue a great deale better conscience then thou hast Fifthly Faith is helpefull and necessary in this worke For he that is wholly diseased with vnbeleefe saith one u Iodoch Willich in 1. Tim. 1.19 Qui in fidelitatis morbo laborat huius non potest esse bona conscientia his conscience cannot bee good This is plainly intimated by Saint Paul to the Hebrewes in a comparison which there hee vseth * Heb. 9.13 14. If the blood of Buls and Goates and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the vncleane sanctifieth to the purifiing of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God In which words by an analogie betwixt the type and the antitype the Apostle prooueth the efficacy of Christs cleansing which cleansing he calles the purifying of the conscience from dead workes yea from sin which bringeth death and is liued in by men that are spiritually dead Now if the conscience cannot bee cleansed from sinne but by the blood of Christ then it cannot become good but by faith which apprehendeth the blood of Christ to our purging And besides if so be a good conscience be as is expressed in the first definition * Page 66. the iudgement of the minde approouing of that which we doe as pleasing to God because our persons please God or else as is shewed in the second definition a confidence of sinne remitted what doth this argue but a necessity of faith to get a good conscience by which faith as it apprehends the righteousnesse of Christ both our persons come to please God and our soules are confident of the pardon of our sinnes Well then wouldst thou be purged from an euill conscience doe this when thy conscience being rightly informed hath accused thee as guilty of such and such sinnes and thou beest heartily sorry and truly humbled for the same get thee by faith to the fountaine of Christs blood bathe thee in it seeke to haue thy conscience appeased by the assurance of the pardon of thy sinnes through Christ Iesus alone make this thy

obesse fi omnes derogent sola conscientia defendat Gregor in Ezek. hom 9. For looke as the Sicophants false praises cannot heale an euill conscience no more can the Slaunderers contumelious speeches wound a good conscience Doe others accuse thee of drunkennesse and thine owne conscience testifie thy sobrietie others charge thee with fellony and thy owne conscience witnesse the contrary doe others raile on thee for hypocrisie and thy owne conscience witnesse thy sinceritie c. Beleeue thy conscience which is a faithfull testimonie and cannot deceiue thee against all those lying obloquies wherewith euill mouthes goe about to depraue thee The y Ouid. Fastor lib. 4. Consciamens recti fama mendacia ridet Heathen could say that A minde conscious of its owne honestie laughes to scorne lying infamie Be then the reports that are maliciously and falsely raised of thee what they can be let the innocencie of thy conscience be a z Murus a heneus esto nil conscire sibi c. Horat. Epist l. 1. Epist ad Maecenaten Ambros de offic Bene sibi conscius falsis non debet moueri conuitijs nec aestimare plus ponderis in alieno esse conuitio quam in suo testimonio brazen wall vnto thee to beare and beate of those discomforts which by that meane may be occasioned in thy soule For as Ambrose saies worthily Hee that hath a cleere conscience ought not to be troubled at false slaunders neither must he esteeme another mans reproachfull tale against him of more weight then his owne priuate testimonie within him Looke thou poore Christian more to thy conscience then fame for a Falli namque saepe poterit fama conscientia nunquam Senec. Epist 72. fame may oftentimes be deceiued but conscience neuer in the things which it recordeth Vse 4 Last of all doth conscience keepe a faithfull register How carefull then ought wee to be to commit the best things we can to its custody How happy will it be for vs in distresse at death and the day of iudgement to haue our consciences produce to our comcomfort and our glory our holy thoughts and meditations our deuout prayers and ciaculations our vertues of louing fearing depending on seruing honouring the God of heauen our teares and sighes for our owne sinnes and the sinnes of the times our ardent wishes conscionable endeauours for Sions wel-fare our denials of our selues our workes of charitie towards the soules persons states and names of others our goodly counsels Christian instructions holy examples giuen to them that are yoaked with vs that are vnder our gouernment that dwell by vs that are acquainted with vs Oh how sweete how comfortable a a thing I say will it be vnto vs to finde a bedrole a catalogue of such things as these are when these sealed bookes sealed to the world-ward of our consciences come to be opened and vnclasped Oh beloued if we would haue conscience faithfully relate these things then let vs carefully labour to haue our share in these vertues let vs conscionably practise these things now that conscience may record them and keepe them against such aftertimes For whatsoeuer we commit to it it is an infallible and trusty keeper of it It is as b Hugo de Anima l. 2. c. 9. Aureum Reclinatorium Arca foederis Thesauris Regis one calles it a golden closet the Arke of the couenant the Kings store-house intimating thus much that like as in a closet a woman layes vp her best Iewels like as in his treasurie a King stores vp his richest treasures against the time and neede of vse like as in the Arke were reserued the rod of Aaron and pot of Manna for a memoriall to the Israelites So in a good conscience the precious gemmes of inward graces the heauenly treasures the budding rod of outward vertues are reserued and kept in store for the Christian that hath them to be vsed by him when time serueth when neede requireth to be remembred of him to his priuate comfort and to his glory amongst others when there is neede of the memoriall Not one teare shed for thy sinnes by way of hearty repentance not one prayer made to Gods Maiestie out of a deuout and contrite spirit not one dutie performed in a conscionable obedience to Gods will not a cup of cold water giuen to a disciple in the name of a Disciple but as God sees it so conscience notes it how frequent how abundant then in these and the like yeares in these and the like duties oughtest thou to be that this faithfull notary of thy conscience may bee stuffed with good things for thy comfort not with euill for thy terrour What neede of pressing hath this dutie in regard of the desperate carelesnesse of most people who regard not how emptie of grace how full of sinne their hearts be how voyde of good fruits how abounding with euill fruits their liues be They care not what Items for murther for theft for wantonnesse for vsurie briberie blasphemie hypocrisie cosenage pride malice neglect of the works of pietie to God of mercy towards their neighbour they commit to the booke of their conscience as though it were a booke neuer to be opened as though the doctrine in hand were an vntruth and conscience an vnfaithfull parchment either full of blancks or lyes In stead of praying they will sweare in stead of blessing they curse in stead of fearing God they dare him of louing him they hate him of trusting in him they murmure against him of frequenting his house they frequent the stewes the tauerne the play-house in stead of a righteous carriage towards man their conuersation is vnrighteous in stead of a sober carriage in regard of themselues they are most intemperate vnruly neither can reason nor religion bridle their affections Poore CONSCIENCE hath nothing but THESE things to record for the time present to report to bring forth in time to come which is a most lamentable thing to consider I would these desperate creatures would goe to c Nature to schoole An euill conscience saith that may oftentimes be safe yet it is neuer secure that is to say although an euill mans conscience bee many times without present terrour yet it is neuer so carelesse but it is a recorder in taking account of thoughts words and deedes it is neuer idle There 's Natures position what is the vse shee makes of it Marke what followes Therefore thou shalt commit nothing to conscience d Itaque nihil ei commiseris nisi quod amico comittere possis but what thou maiest commit to a friend And what that is euery one almost knowes To friends secrets are committed and if our secretest deedes bee good conscience will be our friend to blaze them forth to our comfort and renowne and that most faithfully vndeceiueably though the world takes no knowledge makes no acknowledgement of the same Doct. 5 I passe on now to the 3. point in the second part of my text