be vtterly past all feeling This kind of conscience is not in al men but in such persons as are become obstinate heretikes and notorious malefactours And it is not in theÌ„ by nature but by an increase of the corruption of nature and that by certaine steppes and degrees For naturally euery man hath in him blindnes of minde and obstinacie or froward nes of heart yet so as with the blindnes and ig norance of minde are ioyned some remnants of the light of nature shewing vs what is good and euill Now the heart of man beeing exceedingly obstinate and peruerse carrieth him to commit sinnes euen against the light of nature and common conscience by practise of such sinnes the light of nature is extinguished and then commeth the reprobate mi◠〈◊〉 which iudgeth euill good and good euill after this follows the seared conscience in which there is no feeling or remorse and after this comes an exceeding greedines to all manner of sinne Eph. 4. 18. Rom. 1. 28. Here it may be demaunded how mens consciences shall accuse them in the day of iudgement if they be thus benummed and seared in this life Ansvver It is said Rev. 20. 12. that at the last iudgement all shall be brought before Christ and that the bookes then shall be opened among these bookes no doubt conscience is one Wherefore though a dead conscience in this life be as a closed or sealed booke because it doeth either little or nothing accuse yet after this life it shall be as a booke laide open because God shall inlighten it and so stirre it vp by his mightie power that it shall be able to reueale and discouer all the sinnes that a man euer committed Stirring conscience is that which doth sensibly either accuse or excuse And it hath soure differences The first which accuseth a man for doing euill This must needes be an euill conscience Because to accuse is not a property that belongs to it by creation but a defect that followeth after the fall And if the conscience which truely accuseth a man for his sinnes were a good conscience then the worst man that is might haue a good conscience which cannot be When the accusation of the conscience is more forcible and violent it is called a wounded or troubled conscience which though of it selfe it be not good nor any grace of God yet by the goodnes of God it serueth often to be an occasion or preparation to grace as a needle that drawes the threede into the cloath is some meanes whereby the cloath is sowed together The second is that which 〈◊〉 â—…th for doing well And it is to be found in them that are giuen to idolatrie and superstition As in the Church of Rome in which because mens consciences are insnared and intangled with humane traditions many are troubled for doing that which is good in it selfe or at the least a thing indifferent As for example let a priest omit to say masse to say his canonicall houres his conscience will accuse him therfore though the omitting of the canonicall houres and the idolatrous masse be indeede by Gods word no sinne The third is the conscience which excuseth for doing that which is euill This also is to be found in them that are giuen to idolatrie and superstition And there is a particular example hereof Ioh. 16. 2. Yea the time shall come that vvhosoeuer killeth you will thinke that he doth God good seruice Such is the conscience of Popish traytours in these daies that are neuer touched at all though they intend and enterprise horrible villanies and be put to death therefore The fourth is that which excuseth for well doing at some times and in some particular actions of carnall men VVhen Abimâ—…h had taken Sarai from Abraham God saide vnto him in a dreame I knovv that thou did 〈◊〉 this with an vpright minde Gen. 20. 6. This may be tearmed good conscience but is indeede otherwise For though it doe truly excuse in one particular action yet because the man in whome it is may be vnregenerate and as yet out of Christ and because it doth accuse in many other matters therefore it is no good conscience If all the vertues of naturall men are indeede beautifull sinnes and their righteousnes but a carnall righteousnes then the conscience also of a carnall man though it excuse him for well doing is but a carnall conscience CAP. IU Mans dutie touching conscience MAns dutie concerning conscience is twofold The first is if he want good conscience aboue all things to labour to obtaine it for it is not giuen by nature to any man but comes by grace For the obtaining of good conscience three things must be procured a preparation to good conscience the applying of the remedie the reformation of conscience In the preparation foure things are required The first is the knowledge of the lawe and the particular commaundements thereof whereby we are taught what is good what is badde what may be done and what may not be done The men of our daies that they may haue the right knowledge of the law must lay aside many erronious and foolish opinions which they hold flat against the true meaning of the law of God otherwise they can neuer be able to discerne betweene sinne and no sinne Their especiall and common opinions are these I. That they can loue God with all their hearts and their neighbours as themselues that they feare God aboue all and trust in him alone and that they euer did so II. That to rehearse the Lordes prayer the beleefe and 10. commaundements without vnderstanding of the words without affection is the true and whole worship of God III. That a man may seeke to wizzards and soothsayers without offences because God hath prouided a salue for euery sore IV. That to sweare by good things and in the way of truth cannot be a sinne V. That a man going about his ordinarie affaires at home or abroad on the sabbath day may as well serue God as they which heare all the sermons in the world VI. That religion and the practise thereof is nothing but an affected precisenes that couetousnes the roote of euill is nothing but worldlines that pride is nothing but a care of honestie and cleanlines that single fornication is nothing but the tricke of youth that swearing and blaspheming argue the couragious mind of a braue gentleman VII That a man may doe with his owne what he will and make as much of it as he can Hence arise all the frauds and badde practises in trafficke betweene man and man The second is the knowledge of the iudiciall sentence of the law which resolutely pronounceth that a curse is due to man for euery sinne Gal. 3. 10. Very few are resolued of the truth of this point and very few doe vnfainedly beleeue it because mens minds are possessed with a contrarie opinion that though they sinne against God yet they shall escape death and
of the Romane Emperours Secondly this lawe serues directly to maintaine obedience to the sint commandement and the consideration upon which the law was made is so weighty that without it a common-wealth can not stand The murderers bloode must be shedde saieth the Lorde Numb 35. v. 33 34. because the whole lande is defiled with blood and remaineth vnâ—…d till his blood be shed Againe it was a iudiciall law among the Iewes that the adulterer adulteresse should die the death now let the question be whether this law concerne other â—…ns as being deriued from the common law of nature and it seemes to be so For first wise men by the light of reason and naturall conscience haue iudged this punishment equall and iust Iudah before this Iudiciall law was giuen by Moses appointed Tamar his daughter in law to be â—…rnt to death for playing the whore Nabuchadnezzar burnt Echaâ— and Zedechias because they committed adultery with their neighbours wiues By Dracoes law among the Grecians this sinne was death and also by the law of the Romanes Againe this law seemes directly to maintaine necessary obedience to the seuenth commandement and the considerations upon which this law was giuen are perpetual serue to vphold the common wealth Lev. 20. 22. Yee saith the Lord shall keep all mine or dinances my iudgements the law of adultery being oâ—â— of them Now marke the reasons 1. 〈◊〉 the land 〈◊〉 you out 2. For the same sunnes I have ab borred the nations The ceâ—…oniall law is that which prescribes rites orders in the outward worship of God It must be coÌ„sidered in three times The first is time before the comming 〈◊〉 death of Christ the second the time of publishing the 〈◊〉 by the Apostles the third the time after the publishing of the Gospell In the first it did bind the consciences of the Iewes the obedience of it was the true worship of God But it did not thâ—â— bind the consciences of the Gentils for it was the partition wall betwene them and 〈◊〉 â—…es And it did continue to bind the 〈◊〉 â—â—ll the very death and ascension of Câ—… For 〈◊〉 the hand writing of ordinances 〈◊〉 was against vs was nailed on the crosse 〈◊〉 cancelled And when Christ saith that the 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 indured till â—ohn Luk. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning is not that the ceremoniall law ended then but that things foretold by the prophets and obâ—…ly prefigured by the 〈◊〉 law began then more plainly to be preached and made manifest The second time was from the ascension of Christ till about the time of the destruction of the Temple and city in which ceremonies ceased to bind conscience and remained indifferent Hereupon Paul circumcised Timothy the Apostles after Christs ascension as occasion was offered were present in the â—emple Act. 3. 1 And the councill of Hierusalem tendering the weakenesse of some beleeuers decreed that the Church for a time should abstaine froÌ„ strangled blood And there was good reason of this because the Church of the Iewes was not yet sufficiently conuicted that an end was put to the ceremoniall law by the death of Christ. In the third time which was after the publishing of the Gospell ceremonies of the Iewes Church became unlawfull and so shall continue to the worlds end By this it appeares what a monstrous and miserable religion the Church of Rome teacheth and maintaines which standes wholy in ceremonies partly heat heathenish and partly Iewish As for the Gospel I take it for that part of the word of God which promiseth righteousnesse and life euerlasting to all that beleeue in Christ and withall commandeth this faith That we may the better know how the gospell binds conscience two points must be considered one touching the persons bound the other touching the manner of binding Persons are of two sorts some be called some be uncalled Persons called are all such to whom God in mercy hath offered the meanes of saluation and hath reuealed the doctrine of the gospell in some measure more or lesse by meanes either ordinary or extraordinary All such I thinke are straightly bounde in conscience to beleeue and obey the Gospell For that word of God whereby men shall be iudged in the day of iudgement must first of all binde their consciences in this life considering absolution and condemnation is according to that which is done in this life but by the Gospell all men that haue beene called shall be iudged as Paul saith Roman 2. 16. God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ according to my Gospell And our Sauiour Christ saieth Hee that beleeveth hath life everlasting hee vvhich beleeveth not is alreadie condemned It remaines therfore that the gospell binds the consciences of such men in this life By this wee are all put in minde not to content our selues with this that wee haue a liking to the Gospell and doe beleeue it to be true though many protestants in those our dayes thinke it sufficient â—oth in life and death if they holde that they are to be saved by faith alone in Christ without the merite of mans workes but wee must goe yet further and enter into a practise of the doctrine of the Gospell as well as of the precepts of the morall lawe knowing that the gospell doeth as well binde conscience as the lawe and if it be not obeyed will as well condemne Men vncalled are such as neuer hearde of Christ by reason the gospell was neuer reuealed unto them nor means of reuelatioÌ„ offered That there haue bene such in former ages I make it manifest thus The worlde since the creation may be distinguished into foure ages The first from the creation to the floode the second from the flood to the giuing of the Lawe the third from the giuing of the law to the death of Christ the fourth from the death of Christ to the last iudgement Now in the three former ages there was a distinction of the world into two soâ—â—es of men whereof one was a people of God the other â—o-people In the first age in the families of Seth Noe c. were the sonnes of God in all other families the sonnes of men Genes 6. 2. In the second age were the sonnes of the flesh and the sonnes of the promise Roman 9. 7. In the thirde Iewes and Gâ—… the Iewes being the Church of God all nations bâ—… no church But 〈◊〉 the last age this distinction was taken aâ—… the Apostles had a coÌ„mission giuen them that was neuer giuen before to any namely to goe teach not only the Iewes but all nations Now this distinction arose of this that the gospell was not revealed to the worlde before the coâ—…ing of Christ as the scriptures wiâ—â—es The Prophet Esaâ— saith 52. 14. that kings sâ—… 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at Christ because that which â—ad not bâ—…ld 〈◊〉 they shal see that which they â—â—d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 l they vnderstaÌ„d And
not see what is in the heart of man It remaines therefore that there is a spirituall substance most wise most holy most mighty that sees a I things to whom conscience beares record and that is God himselfe Let Atheists barke against this as long as they will they haue that in them which will convince them of the truth of the godhead will they nill they either in life or death Secondly we learne that God doth watch ouer all men by a speciall prouidence The master of a prison is knowen by this to haue care ouer his prisoners if hee send keepers with them to watch them and to bring them home againe in time convenient and so Gods care to man is manifest in this that when he created man and placed him in the worlde he gaue him conscience to be his keeper to follow him alwaies at the heeles to dogge him as we say to pry into his actions to beare witnesse of them all Thirdly hence we may obserue Gods goodnesse and loue to man If he do any thing amisse he sets his conscience first of all to tell him of it secâ—edy if then he amende God forgives it if not then afterward conscience must openly accuse him for it at the barre of Gods iudgement before all the saints and angels in heauen The second worke of conscience is to giue iudgement of things done To giue iudgemeÌ„t is to determine that a thing is well done or ill done Herein conscience is like to a Iudge that holdeth an assize and takes notice of inditements and causeth the most notorious malefactour that is to hold up his hand at the barre of his iudgement Nay it is as it were a little god sitting in the middle of mens hearts arraigning them in this life as they shall be arraigned for their offences at the tribunall seate of the euerliuing god in the day of iudgement Wherfore the temporary iudgement that is giuen by the conscience is nothing els but a beginning or a fore-â—unner of the last iudgement Hence we are admonished to take special heed that nothing past lie heavy upon vs that we charge not our coÌ„sciences in time to come with any matter For if our conscience accuse us god will much more condemne vs saith S. Iohn 1. Ioâ— 3. 18. because he seeth all our actions more clearely and iudgeth them more seuerely then conscience can It shall be good therfore for all men to labour that they may say with Paul 2. Cor. 4. I knovv nothing by my selfe that they â—ay stand before God without blame for euer Hâ—â—st we must consider two things first the câ—â—se that makes conscience giue iudgement secondly the manner how The câ—use is the Binder of the conscience The Binder is that thing whatsoeuer which hath power authority ouer conscience to order it To bind is to vrge cause and constraine it in euery action either to accuse for sinne or to excuse for well doing or to say this may be done or it may not be done Conscience is said to be bound as it is considered a part by it selfe from the binding power of gods coÌ„mandement For then it hath liberty is not bound either to accuse or excuse but is apt to do either of them indifferently but when the binding power is set once ouer the coÌ„scieÌ„ce theÌ„ in euery actioÌ„ it must needs either accuse or excuse eueÌ„ as a man in a city or town hauing his liberty may go vp down or not go where when he will but if his body be attached by the magistrate imprisoned theÌ„ his former liberty is restrained he can go up and downe but within the prison or some other allowed place The binder of conscience is either proper or improper Proper is that thing which hath absolute and soueraigne power in it selfe to bind the conscience And that is the worde of God writteÌ„ in the books of the old new TestameÌ„â— Reason I. He which is the Lord of 〈◊〉 by his word and lawes bindes conâ—… but God is the only Lorde of conscience becâ—â—se he once created it and he alone gouerâ—… 〈◊〉 none but he knowes it Therfore his word and lawes only bind conscience properly II. 〈◊〉 which hath power to sâ—â—e or destroy the 〈◊〉 for the keeping or breaking of his lawes â—ath absolute power to bind the soul and consâ—â—ence by the same lawes but the first is true of God alone Iam. 3. 12. There is 〈◊〉 lawgiver which is able to save and destroy Isaâ— 33. 22. The Lorde is our Iudge the Lord is our lavvginer the Lorde is our King and he will save vs. Therefore the worde of God alone by an absolute and soueraigne power binds conscience Because this point is cleare of it selfe further proofe is needlesse HeÌ„ce we are taught sundry points of instruction I. Such as are ignoraÌ„t amoÌ„g us must labor to get knowledge of gods worde because it binds coÌ„science Neither wil the plea of ignoraÌ„â—e serue for excuse because whether we know gods laws or know them not they stil bind us And we are bound not only to do them but wheÌ„ we know them not we are further bound not to be ignorant of them but to seeke to know them If we had no more sinnes our ignorance were sufficient to condemne vs. II. Gods word is to be obeyed though we should offend all men yea loose all mens fauour and suffer the greatest domage that may be euen the losse of our liues And the reason is at hand because gods worde hath this prerogatiue to bridle bind restraine the conscience III. Whatsoeuer we enterâ—…se or take in hand we must first search whether God giue vs liberty in conscience and warraâ—â— to do it For if we do otherwise conscience 〈◊〉 boâ—nd presently to charge vs of sinne before god Lastly we do here see how dangerous the case is of all time-seruers that will liue as they list and be of no certen religion till differences and dissentions therein be ended and they haue the determination of a generall counsell for whether these things come to passe or no certen iâ— is that they are bound in conscience to receiue and beleeue the ancient Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine touching the true worship of god and the way to 〈◊〉 euerlasting which is the true religion The same is to be said of all drowsie protestants and lukewarme-gospellers that use religion not with that care and conscience they ought but only then and so far forth as it serues for their turnes commonly neglecting or despising the assemblies where the word is preached and seldome frequenting the Lords table vnles it be at Easter Like silly wretches they neither see nor feele the constraining power that gods word hath in their coÌ„sciences Gods word is either Law or Gospel The law is a part of Gods word of things to be done oâ— to be left vndone And it is threefoldâ— morall iudiciall ceremoniall Morall law concernes
For then the Lord will sende downe his spirit into the conscience by a sweete and heauenly testimonie to assure 〈◊〉 that we are at peace with God Thus we see how good conscience is gotten and because it is so pretious a iewell I wish all persons that as yet neuer laboured to get good conscience now to beginne Reasons to induce men thereto may be these I. You seeke day and night from yere to yere for honours riches and pleasures which ye must leaue behinde you much more threfore ought you to seeke for renewed and reformed consciences considering that conscience will be with you in this life in death at the last iudgement and for euer II. He which wants a conscience purged in the blood of Christ can neuer haue any true and lasting comfort in this life Suppose a man araied in cloath of tishue set in a chaire of estate before him a table furnished with all daintie prouision his seruants Monarches and Princes his riches the chiefest treasures kingdoms of the world but withall suppose one standing by with a naked sword to cut his throat or a wild beast readie euer and anon to pull him in pieces nowe what can we say of this mans estate but that all his happines is nothing but woe and miserie And such is the estate of all men that abounding with riches honours and pleasures carrie about them an euill conscience which is as a sword to â—lay the soule or as a rauenous beast readie to sucke the blood of the soule and to rend it in pieces III. He which wants good conscience can doe nothing but sinne his very eating and drinking his sleeping and waking al he doth turnes to sinne the coÌ„science must first be good before the action can be good if the roote be corrupt the fruits are answerable IV. An euill conscience is the greatest enemie a man caÌ„ haue because it doth execute all the parts of iudgement against him It is the Lords sergeant God neede not send out processe by any of his creatures for man the conscience within man will arrest him and bring him before God It is the gayler to keepe man in prison in bolts irons that he may be forth-comming at the day of iudgement It is the witnes to accuse him the iudge to condemne him the hangman to execute him and the flashings of the fire of hell to torment him Againe it makes a man to be an enemie to God because it accuseth him to God and makes him flie from God as Adam did wheÌ„ he had sinned Also it makes a man to be his owne enemie in that it doth cause him to lay violent hands vpon himselfe and become his owne hangman or his owne cut-throat And on the contrarie a good conscience is a mans best friend when all men intreat him hardly it wil speak faire and comfort him it is a continual feast and a paradise vpon earth V. The scripture sheweth that they which neuer seeke for good coÌ„sciâ—ce haue terrible ends For either they die blocks as Nabal did or they die desperate as Cain Saul Achitophel Iudas VI. We must consider often the terrible day of iudgement in which euery man must receiue according to his doings And that we may then be absolued the best way is to seeke for a good conscience for if our conscience be euill and condemne vs in this life God will much more condemne vs. And wheras we must passe through three iudgemeÌ„ts the iudgement of men the iudgemeÌ„t of our coÌ„science the last iudgement of God we shal neuer be strengthened against them and cleared in them all but by the seeking of a good coÌ„science After that man hath got good conscience his second dutie is to keepe it And as in gouerning the shippe on the sea the pilot holding the helme in his hand hath alwaies an eye to the compasse so we likewise in the ordering of our liues and conuersations must alwaies haue a speciall regard to the conscience That we may keepe good conscience we must doe two things auoide the impediments thereof and vse conuement preseruatiues Impediments of good conscience are either in vs or forth of vs. In vs onâ— owne sinnes and corruptions When mens bodies lie deade in the earth there breed certaine wormes in them whereby they are consumed For of the flesh come the wormes which consume the flesh but vnles we take great heed out of the sinns corruptions of our hearts there wil breed a worme a thousand folde more terrible euen the worme of conscience that neuer dieth which wil in a lingering maner wast the conscience the soule the whole man because he shal be alwaies dying neuer dead These sinnes are specially three Ignorance vnmortified affectioÌ„s worldly lusts Touching the first namely ignorance it is a great and vsuall impediment of good conscience For when the minde erreth or misconceiueth it doth mislead the conscience and deceiue the whole man The way to auoide this impediment is to doe our indeauour that we may daily increase in the knowledge of the word of God that it may dwell in vs plentifully To this ende we must pray with Dauid that he would open our eyes that we might vnderstand the wonders of his law and withall we must daily search the scriptures for vnderstanding as men vse to search the mines of the earth for gold ore Prov. 2. 4. Lastly we must labour for spiritual wisedoÌ„ that we may haue the right vse of Gods word in euery particular actioÌ„ that being by it directed we may discerne what we may with good conscience do or leaue vndone The second impediment is vnstaâ—ed and vnmortified affections which if they may haue their swinge as wild horses ouerturne the chariot with men and all so they ouerturne ouer carrie the iudgement conscience of man and therfore when they beare rule good coÌ„science takes no place Now to preuent the danger that comes hereby this course must be followed When we would haue a sword or a knife not to hurt our selues or others we turne the edge of it And so that we may preuent our affections from hurting and annoying the conscience we must turne the course of them by directing them from our neighbours to our selues our owne sinnes or by inclining them to God and Christ. 〈◊〉 example choller and anger directs it selfe vpon euery occasion against our neighbour and thereby greatly indamageth the conscience Now the course of it is turned when we begin to be displeased and to be angry with our selues for our owne sinnes Our loue set vpon the world is hurtfull to the conscience but when we once begin to set our loue on God in Christ and to loue the blood of Christ aboue all the world then contrariwise it is a furtherance of good conscience The third impediment is worldly lustes that is the loue and exceeding desire of riches honors pleasures Euery man is as Adam his good conscience is his