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A16503
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The anatomie of conscience Or a threefold reuelation of those three most secret bookes: 1. The booke of Gods prescience. 2. The booke of mans conscience. 3. The booke of life. In a sermon preached at the generall assises holden at Derby, in Lent last. 1623. By Immanuel Bourne ...
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Bourne, Immanuel, 1590-1672.
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1623
(1623)
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STC 3416; ESTC S106813
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35,564
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48
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their Soules with foule impieties So that there is no agreement with their Booke of Conscience and the Booke of Life and therefore without true repentance while the Sun doth shine and day of Grace doth last in stead of Life Heauen of ioy a Death and Hell of woe shall be their portion O then beloued Application Origen Hom. 5. in Leuit. if as Origen obserues when a cause is to bee pleaded before an earthly Iudge which concerneth a Title of Land vpon the least feare or doubt a man will bee so carefull and watch so diligently that all things may bee in readinesse his witnesse prepared his Counsell informed that the best of his cause may be opened and if it bee possible the Iudge before-hand possessed that the right is on his side though it be as often it proues to be on the contrary How much more carefull should euery Christian bee to prepare himselfe that hee may bee in a readinesse before that tribunall Seat of Christ when his title to heauen it selfe shall be called in question and except his euidence be good and assurance firme in the law of faith he shall lose not a Cottage but a Kingdome the Kingdome of Heauen that light and life of glory and be cast into vtter darkenesse where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 25.30 It deepely concerneth euery Christian therefore to haue a care of this in all their actiōs especially those men vnto whose care and conscience is committed the execution of Iustice and Iudgment Because such are publike persons and at that day of Assises when the Iudgement Seate is set and the Bookes are opened Daniel 7.10 They shall giue account vnto God both for their owne soules and the soules of others of all those whom God at any time hath deliuered to their charge for looke what good hath followed by their care and faithfulnesse in their seuerall places they shall not lose their reward the reward of glory shall be giuen them And looke what euill shall ensue by their negligence or vnfaithfull dealing they shall not lose their reward the reward of shame confusion shall be their portion For the bookes shall opened and God will render to euery one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their workes A particular Exhortation Application to the Auditory Euseb lib. 10. c. 1. Bellarm. descriptor One word therefore of Exhortation to you my Auditors in particular who by Gods prouidence at this time are appointed for the execution of Iustice and I haue done It was decreed in that first generall Councell holden at Nice about the yeare of our Lord three hundred and thirty in which that wicked Heresie of Arius was condemned by the consent of three hundred and eighteene Fathers as Ecclesiasticall Histories relate That to preuent the dangers which delay might bring to the Church there should be twice euery yeere a Prouinciall Synod or Councell of the Bishops in which they should examine all cases of Controuersie and end them to procure peace of the Church the first of these Councels was held Ante dies Quadragesimae before the time of Lent and the Second Circa tempus Autumni about the time of Autumne as it is expressed in the first Canon of that Nicen Councell And the like commendable custome hath long since beene instituted in this Kingdome for temporall gouernment in the time of King Henry the second that wise and learned Prince as some writers affirme since whom Itinerary Iudges Boterus like Samuel that patterne of Iustice haue had both their Circuit and Center For as Samuel went from yeare to yeare in Circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpeh and iudged Israel in all those places and returned to Ramah that Center of Iustice where he iudged Israel againe and built an Altar vnto the Lord as you may read 1. Samuel 7.17 Westminster the Center of Iustice So is it also with vs blessed be God for it vnder our Royall Moses whose peace and prosperity God long continue amongst vs and let our hearts answer Amen Amen we haue our learned and religious Samuels our iust and righteous Iudges which for our vnspeakeable benefit come home vnto vs into euery Shire and corner of the Land executing Iustice and Iudgement for the maintenance of vertue and punishment of vice And in that Common place of Iustice whither they returne as to their Center at Termes appointed sitting on Thrones of Iustice and weighing each mans Cause with an equall ballance both in Law and Conscience that the oppressed may be deliuered and wrong dealers punished These like Conscience are Demi-Gods on earth I say ye are Gods saith the Psalmist to whom is appointed from God and our gracious King this high and honorable office Psal for the glory of God and good of the Kingdome And for whom as S. Paul exhorteth Supplications and prayers and intercessions and giuing of thankes is to be made that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim. 2.2 To speak in particular therefore to you my honorable Lords I must say as S. Bernard sometimes said to his Auditors Non est mea humilitatis dictare vobis It is not for my humility to dictate vnto you or tell you what you should doe I know you are wise you are learned you are religious the booke of your Conscience is already opened and therefore mercy and iudgement law and conscience will be your guide in all things And for this I will pray that casting your eyes vpon this vision and viewing euery part of it at your leasures August lib. de fide ad monach In Christi Judicio sine acceptatione personarū sine ambitu potestatum aequaliter iudicabuntur Domini serui diuites pauperes Plutarch in vitis illustr comparatione Numa Lycurgi Magister Sent. lib. 2. distinct 26. Aquinas prim secund qu. 109. art 9. you may take the example of Christ to be your patterne that auoiding those dangerous flatterers friends in shew but enemies in substance that is loue or hatred feare or couetousnesse by which iudgement is often peruerted you may be endued with Iustice and Fortitude like Numa and Lycurgus those two famous Gouernours and being armed with vertue as with an inuincible shield keepe the Castle of a good Conscience inuiolable Thus shall ye find that peace of Conscience that most happy companion of a righteous man euen when the booke of Conscience shall bee opened S. Augustine in his Enchiridon Chapter the thirty two the Master of the Sentences Aquinas and the Schoole men vpon them obserue a twofold grace of God necessary for a Christian the first is Gratia praeueniens a preuenting grace to prepare our wils and hearts to workes of pietie The second is Gratia subsequens a subsequent grace to assist and helpe vs forward in well doing And in like manner there is a twofold Iustice necessary for the well gouerning of a Common-wealth the first is
deaths and hellish torments and all for Christ because their Conscience was to them a heauen of ioy euen in a hell of griefe of sorrow This is the benefit of a blessed Conscience which the Saints shall then receiue at full when as the Booke of Conscience shall be opened Rules of Counsell to get and preserue a good Conscience A word of Counsell before I end this Booke To get and keepe a good and quiet Conscience take these rules with you for a guide to all the rest Since that your Conscience is and shall bee both a witnesse and a iudge First labour rightly to informe your Conscience lest blindnesse lead your Conscience out of the way and then shee erre in iudgment And next since Conscience is alwaies neare at hand being placed of God within you be sure to aduise with Conscience before you haue vndertaken any action First aske her counsell whether it be lawful which you intend to do or no if your conscience doubt then stay your heart your tongue your hand nor thinke nor speake nor doe before your Conscience be resolued For as S. Paul affirmes that what is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 In Roman so Origen Fulgentius Augustine Chrysostome Aquinas with the Schooles all the Current of our late Diuines conclude that case of Conscience Doe nothing doubting therefore but if your conscience once be quiet then be you sure to obey the checke of Conscience sinne not against it for he that sins against his conscience loseth the sweete society of a good and getteth the trembling company of an euill conscience The close of this Booke Be alwaies guided therfore by a well informed conscience directed by the Law and Word of God thus shall you still enioy that blessed peace euen when the Booke of Conscience shall be opened The third Booke The Booke of Life And thus you haue heard the second Booke the Booke of Conscience A word in briefe of the third and last And this is Liber vitae the Booke of Life Of this Booke you may read in diuers places of the holy Scripture Moses speakes of it to God Exod. 32.32 Dauid rehearseth it Psal 69.28 So doth the Prophet Isaiah Chapter 4.3 and in Daniel it is remembred Dan. 12.1 Reioyce saith our Sauiour because your names are written in heauen Luc. 10.20 S. Paul calleth it the Booke of life in which the names of the Saints are written Phil. 4.3 So doth S. Iohn Reuel 3.5 And so it is named in my Text And another Booke was opened which is the Booke of life Explication By this Booke some vnderstand Christ himselfe Foelix Bidembachius prompt exequ Class 9. Them 31. in whom wee were chosen before the foundation of the world God hauing predestinated vs vnto the adoption of children by Christ vnto himselfe as S. Paul speakes Ephes 1.4 5. And into whom being wild Oliues by nature wee are ingrafted by grace and stand by faith Rom. 11.17 and 19 verses And in whom the Saints Elect doe and shall abide as the branches in the Vine Ioh. 15.5 Christ dwelling in them and they in him 1 Ioh. 3.24 And in whom they shall bee found at the day of iudgement for At that day yee shall know saith Christ that I am in the Father and you in mee and I in you Ioh. 14.20 And being found in Christ when the Bookes are opened they shall certainly be saued for that of S. Paul is now and shall bee alwaies true There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.1 Perkinsus expositione symboli Zanchius de libro vitae Others vnderstand this Booke not of Christ himselfe but of that Decree and minde or purpose of God in which hee hath set downe all those whom in and by Christ according to the counsell of his owne will hee hath ordained to life eternall The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 that is whom hee hath chosen to life and happinesse If it be taken in eyther sense first of Christ himselfe who is Arbor vitae the Tree of life and Liber exemplaris a liuing exemplary Book the characters of whose most vpright steps wee should learne to imitate in all our actions and who in some respect may well bee called The Booke of life Or of that other Booke the booke of Gods decree which is truely and properly the Booke of Life It is true of both that both these shall bee opened at that day of Assises that which now is secret shall then bee shewed to all it shall then bee knowne whose names are written in Christ or whom God hath decreed to life eternall All these Bookes shall be opened the Booke of Gods prescience the Booke of mans Conscience and the Booke of life And according to these Bookes examination shall bee taken of the prisoners and euidence giuen vnto the Iudge and as this is giuen so shall the sentence bee declared Vse 1 O happie thrice happie then shall that man bee in the Booke of whose conscience shall bee found those characters of faith and righteousnesse which may agree to those are written in the Booke of Life For as in time of Grace there is no man truly giueth his name to Christ or relisheth aright his Gospell but they whose names are written in the Booke of Life So in that time of iudgment there is none shall be found written in that Booke of Life but those who in the time of mercy haue had within their hearts and consciences imprinted as in a Booke Heb. 11.6 Heb. 12 14. those golden letters both of faith and holinesse at lest in such a measure as God in Christ hath promised to accept For as of old in the returne from the captiuity of Babylon those Iewes who could not find the writing of their Genealogie and shew their Fathers house were put from all their Offices as vncleane and might not bee in number of the Priests Nehemiah 7.64 So in that Generall returne from the Captiuity of Babylon the Babylon of this world Brightmannus in Apocalyps those only shall haue places in the Church Tryumphant and liue as Kings and Priests with Christ who can bring forth this written Booke the Booke of Faith and Holinesse in their hearts and consciences as a true Copie or Counterpane of that Booke of Life and proue themselues by Faith and Holinesse to bee the Sonnes of God For as God hath elected vs to Happinesse in the Kingdome of glory which is the end at which we ayme and which wee endeuour to obtaine so hath he chosen vs to Faith and Holinesse which are the meanes to bring vnto that end as Saint Paul witnesseth Ephes 1.4 Vse 2 And therefore woe and misery shall bee vnto the wicked whose Booke of Conscience is not faire and white like to the Saints made glorious with the engrauen forme of righteousnesse imputed and inhaerent But foule and blacke in which they dayly write enormous crimes and euery moment spot