their foule facts and detestable deedes done in their lyfe And to shutte vp this matter whereas â—ayth is the vnely Instrument whereby man obteyneth iustification and immortalitie which can not be liuely in anye man hauing a guplly conscience hereby we may cafely gather how detcstable and horrible a mischiefe that is Therefore whosoeuer séeketh saluation by faith it standeth them vpon to brydle their affonions and concopiscences and to commyt nothing against the commaundements of god For he that transgresseth his conscience accusing hym howe can he perswade himselfe that God will be mercyfull vnto him The faythfull in déede nowe and then stumble and stagger it cannot be denied but oute of all doubt a true and lyuely fayth hath no fellowship with the workes of darkenesse Moreouer seing that death in it selfe of all terrible thinges is most terrible it must néedes be much more horrible in those who through the accusation of their owne conscience looke for a spéedie passage into hell tormentes For nathelesse doath it selfe is not so terrible as the â—ugsome opinioÌ„ therof for euen thereafter as the conscience is good or badde so doth shee wyllingly embrace or dreadfully eschewe the same The godly receyue death wyllingly and gladly which they knowe to be sent vnto theÌ„ from God as a delyuerance and passage out of the miseries of this troublesome worlde into the porte of eternall rest but the wicked declyne the same as the perillous rocks and sandes where they must needes make shypwracke of eternall lyfe Therefore it was truely and comfortably uttered by a certaine writte We haue no cause to feare any thing in death if our life haue not committed any thing procuring cause of feare For it is not possible that he should dye impenitently that hath lyued well That a pure Conscience is to be respected in all humane actions wherewith a man may content hymselfe WHERE AS there are manye thinges notably written by Cicero which argue his great wisedome and knowledge yet amongest them all hath he left no saying more excellent and deuine then that in his booke intituled Of olde age to wyt That a conscience of a lyfe well spent and a remembrance of many good deedes is a thing most comfortable Which worthie and memorable sentence is not onely agréeable with the secret iudgement of anye good man but is also consonant to the opinions of auncient Sages and good Deuines who with one mouth doe wich their voyces confirme the same And it is worthy to be obserued that Tully maketh not a common person to vtter that senteÌ„cc but Cato surnamed that Sensor a vcric graue and wise father Whose vprightnesse in cyuill RegimcÌ„t long experience in worldly affayres worthie vertues and singuler wisedome all the Romayne hystories doc at large proposse and expresse Cato without al controucrsie spake so of his owne experience contenting himselfe with that inwarde testimonie when he susteyncd the checkes of his superiors the enuye of hys equalles and the obloque of his inferiors an vnthankfull rewarde for that hys vigelant and fatherly care for the prosperous and happie estate of his Citizens and countrie men And it were to be wished that all men whether they liue priuately or publikely woulde in all their doinges set that paterne before their eyes wherein they beholding themselues daylie as it were in a cléere glasse might euidently sée what â—eutefieth or blemisheth their vocation or condition of lyfe And that these things may be the better considered it shall not be amisse perticulerly to open vnfolde the duetyes of some functions in the common weale whereby men maye passe from the partes to the whole and by a fewe to vnderstande what is conuenient for all Thou art called to be a Iudge or chosen an Arbyter to composse controuersies sée that therein thou doe nothing against law and conscience respecting any person Let neyther threttes neyther flatterie draw thée one heare breadth from vprightnesse RemeÌ„ber in that matter thou ought neyther to haue friend nor enimie Coosen nor straunger For all these thinges ought to be set a side in iudgement Yeelde nothing to fauour nor consanguinitie nothing to hatred or displeasure nothing to hope or feare which things commonly stricke men starke blinde in iudgement to be short suffer not anye affection to be of thy counsayle but consider the lawe and moderate the same if it be extréeme with a good conscience So did good Aristides who appointed a daies man betwéene two men wherof the one to the ende he might drawe him into displeasure with his aduersarie produced many impertinent thinges as that his aduersarie had also much accused Aristides Well sayth the Arbiter omyt at thys tyme these matters and alleage onely those thinges wherein he hath abused thee Cato also as Valerius reporteth sitting in iudgement vpon a wicked and infamous Senator receyuing Pompeius Magnus his letters commendatorie in the behalfe of the malefactor would not suffer theÌ„ to be opened The good Iusticer would rather folow his owne internal iudgement then obteyn thankes of that mightie man teaching by his example that a Iudge ought not by any request rewarde or fauour to be led from the true execution of Iustice Those that are called in anye state to be of the priuie counsayle ought to direct all their consultations to the helth and wealth of their countriemen And albeit he sée before his eyes present daunger with floudes of enuy and malyce together with false rumoures vniust suspitions of his doinges yet let him not follow vayne fame which neyther profiteth the euill neyther hurteth the good but the iudgemente of his conscience as it were a guide and Lodesman in all his actioÌ„s Neyther would I haue any man to mistake me as though I ment that we should altogether neglect what the worlde thinketh and speaketh of vs which minde ought to be farre from a christian for we ought not onely to avoyde euell but to be far from all suspicions of euell but I saye principally and chiefly our Conscience is to be respectted Yet we sée the contrary in these dayes to vsuall that saying euery where verified Multi famam pauci conscientiaÌ„ verent verentur Many teÌ„der their owne fame and credite but very few theire Conscience So Callicratides a Captayne of the Lacedemonians hauing greater respect of his priuate glory then of hys Conscience in preseruing of his Nauy receiued a great ouerthrowe of the enemy Cleombrotus also fearing enuy onely encountered rashly with Epaminondas and became almoste an vtter ruine to the Laredemonians Richard plantaginate duke of yorck because he would not séeme to be inclosed and kept in his Castle of Sandale by a woman and resting only vpon his credite and fame hee hauing not aboue fiue thousand men rashly ioyned battayle with the Quéene hauing xviij M. good souldyers contrary to counsayle wisedome and al pollicy and so rashly ronne into his destruction Q. Fabius Maximus after warde of his dooinges
idle and liue without laboure that they are couetous and ambicious therfore the lesse portions will serue them and thereby their mindes will not be so busied about worldly affaires and therewithall they ought to be contente for humility and pouerty say they is the preachers profession and such doth our sauioure pronounce blessed and happy What idlencsse and wante of laboure honest ministers liue in God knoweth but it may truely be sayd of moste of them that their study which Epicures call idlenesse consumeth the strength of the body and weareth the very soule as all that put the same in vre can testify And as for the Auarice and couetousenesse of the Preachers let that fault touch some but it cannot bée verifyed of the moste part For dayly experience in the country abrode letteth them see ministers widdowes and orphaynes to haue scarce sufficient to pay their creditors and to hire them a cotage to hide them in from storms and tempestes be it that a few of the clergy in place of honor prouide better But not onely the poore country minister but also the doctor in the Cathedrall Churches haue lefte those whome God willed them to care for in no better estate then I haue sayde power and hability not seruing them any better Is this theÌ„ that great gréedinesse which so much greeueth these contemners of Gods worde and of his ministers Now in that they will haue ministers and preachers to follow with Friers wilfull pouerty besides that they do violence to the holy scripture which speaking of a Christian and Godly life generally these good men forsoth maye not abide that those precepts should be extended to their bellies but to the pore ministers only they also folow Iulian the Apostate who taking from pore Christians their goods and liuinges told them that it was theire profession if a man tooke their coates to giue him their cloakes also with suche prety conceites doe these Hypocrites sporte them selues and spoyle the pore ministery of their dew and lawfull liuelehode But some forsooth can not abyde suche extremity they will haue the teÌ„poralities only as they cal them that is they wil haue the Royaltie the ministers shall haue necessaries And would god they would leaue Christes church but to serue euen necessities but according to the commoÌ„ proueth They giue a flee and take a Cammell they leaue a louse and take an horse It were good for them to haue in remembraunce the old saying It is a destruction for a man to denour that which is sanctified and after the vowes to inquire Pro. 20. Of the which you may réede further in Moyses and Mala Leuit. 22. Mala. 11. Those that haue the Tutell or wardship of yong Gentlemen oughte to vse their landes and liuinges and chiefely their Pupils in good education as they may with a sincere Conscience giue a reckening thereof another day both before God and man But nowe a dayes the number is greate of those that more respect their owne gayne then the good guyding of their pupilles so that simple and weake infancy wanteth not her vnderminers Demostenes complaneth muche of his Tutors that they suppressed his parentes goods guilefully and respected nothing his good education Such a Tutor was Richard duke of Gloucester of whose life and death I haue spoken somwhat therefore wil be the shorter in this matter It is much to be lamented that wardes in England are as commenly bought and solde as are brute beastes and Cattell and vngodly mariages often times made betweene eyther infantes or such as be of teÌ„der yeares who before they come to theire mature time of discertion are led by other mens eyes and hartes to that will they nill they which liketh not them but their Guerdons Tutors Whereby it fauleth out most commonly that those that are linked together in such wise with formal matrimomes and ceremoinall rather then materiall doe not loue but mortally hate and detest ech other whome neuer liking loue of lawful matrimony but greedy gain forcibly coupled and comoyned Dayly deuorces and often murders iusuing suche supposed mariages in this our country sheweth forthy incommodity of the same but especially is most lamentable that our law is nere repugnaunt to the dinne law which in semblable cases permitteth to ech party frée election but there is good hope that such as be in authority wil also reform this thing so farre out of all good forme Their diuers and sundry good prouisions in all other matters biddeth vs lóoke for the liâ—e in this which God graunt To descend to lesse matters let men in bying and selling respect their Conscience and not follow peruerse custome let them thinck that there is no good gayne where playne dealing hath no place And to omit those that sell not their wares according to their valure but for as muche as they can doe we thinck that those men respect theire Conscience that mingle their wares and corrupt the same For example y Wâ—ther selling wine with-water for pure wine cousloring els mingle his wines cannot haue herein a good and honeste meaning Anacharsis sayd truely the Market to be a set place for Fraude and Rapine meaning that men in buying and selling had no respecte of a good Conscience It were needeful in contractes for men not onely speak to nothing sauing truth but also that they coÌ„ceile not from the byer any faultes of such thinges as they sell We must no doubt decline from al things that agree not with the internal iudgemeÌ„t of the conscience therefore Vâ—pâ—an in the Digestes writeth grauely That euen the lawe of nature commaundeth vs not to increase our substance with other mens losses But those men are much worse who in their othes vse against al right iudgement a kinde of peruerse subtilty and wilynesse not onely abusing their Conscience but scorming Gods holy name Such fraude was practised by one of those ten captiues whom after the fiew foughten at Canmas Anniball sent to Rome for the exchange of Prisoners taking their oath only for their returne who wheÌ„ they had taken their loue of Anniball and departed the Campe one of them by and by retourneth back saying that hée had forgotten somthing behind him and supposing by that sleight his oth to bée satisfied hée spéedeth him self in his iorney and ouertaketh his fellowes before night Now when these ten could not draw to any Conclusion in the Senate house they al retourned to Anniball sauing that one who thought that by such guilful meanes he had discharged himself Which thing when the Senate had knoledge of they caused him to be apprchended and sent vnto Anniball Cicero sayth that this was an illusion and no good interpretation of his oth for fraud and Guile doth bynde and not disolue penurye It was then nothing else but a péeuish wilinesse peruersly imitating Prudence and Wisedome Anniball himselfe at what time hée had taken truce with the Romaynes for forty dayes
to come from god Secondly that we put our trust and confidcÌ„ce in God alone Thirdly that we reste and repose our selues wholy in God the fountaine and author of all goodnesse These foundations being layd then I say it is not only good but also néedeful that we reioyce in our good déedes not with vauÌ„ting Thraso or the glorious hipocrite but in the approbation and comfort of our good Conscience Neyther may the wounded Conscience which is as it were a taste of eternal deth dispaire of saluation because of their heynous sinnes and offences for they haue the merites and death of christ for their refuge and sanctuary For oure heauenly father most tenderly and dearely louing vs hath giuen his onely sonne to the death of the Crosse for vs to obtein saluation he hath giuen him vnto vs by whome he is pleased and reconciled to man the remembraunce of our sins striken out so that we certeinly perswade our self therof and hauing this fayth doe wholy yeld our selues vnto him Hereof speaketh y Apostle if any man sin we haue an adudcase with the father Iesus Christ the righteous he is the propitiatioÌ„ of our sinnes not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole world and that saying is very coÌ„fortable What time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance And again As truely as I liue sayth the lord I would not the death of a sinner but that he should conuert and liue These and such like sentences doe comfort vs against desperation into the which Caine Saule and Iudas by diffidence fel and with an oth God doth assure vs of his loue mercy which whosoeuer dispaireth of he accuseth god of periury being most heynous impiety and donieth Christes sacrifyce to be auaileable to put away our sinnes For our louing God doth principally request this at our hands that we distrusting our selues should trust and commit our selues only to him whose loue and charity toward vs hath appeared aboundantly that he hath geuen his only sonne for wicked and sinfull men for hys enemies whereby he might receiue vs again into his loue gracious sauoure with this fayth and confidence a sinful man may stay himself and assure vnto him moste firme consolations and defence when 〈◊〉 wrastleth with the pauâ—rs and agonyes of sinne death and desperation where vnto often times a man is drawen and tormented as it were of an hangman by his own vnquiet Conscience or by the malicious and guileful temptatioÌ„s of his mortal and capitall enemy the Deuill And these thinges I thought good to commit to writing touching the good and euell Conscience wherein we see that as there is nothing more horrible and peruicidus then the euel Conscience doubting mistrusting and despairing in all things so there is nothing better nor more comfortable then a good Conscience which maketh a man liue euen a blessed life vpon earth and procureth vnto him sincere and perfite pleasure Seing then the commodity of a good ConscicÌ„ce is so great and that no man can haue it vnlesse he liue in his vocation and doe his duety vprightly It standeth euery man vpon to endeuour and bende all his power and streÌ„gth euen vnto the vttermost to satistie and aunswere the same which that I may speake bréefely is to abandon vice and embrace vertue so shal we be partakers of such an inestimable ioy and treasure So shall no good man deuise or practise any fraude or guyle he shall not offer any iniury to his neighbour and so to conclude shal vice be banished and vertues as Religion piety Iustice peace concord and such other like shal spring and florish againe God the author and giuer of all good giftes graunt vs al this excellent treasure that in all our actions we may weigh and consider our Conscience being a dayly and â—omestical Iudge wherby we shal be stayed from committing those thinges whiche offend his high maiestie that so liuing holyly and sincerely in this world we may in the other world come to perfite blisse and immortality FINIS Senecca lib. 10. epist. 11. Cur actions and deeds alwayes vicâ—â—â—d The Conscience in steede of a thousande witnesses â—â—lans conscience is a scoolemester vuto him The veâ—ntion to a corrupt Conscâ—ence Chrisost in psal 50. Bernhardus The desperate ende of 〈◊〉 wilfully agaynst their Conscience Pantalion chron rerum memorabilium Iho. Foxius et alii Herat. lib. 1. epist. Act. 24. Ambrosius in epist ad Constant Seneca epist. 96. After what forte there are two partes of manners Souls Reason Will. Brute beâ—s haue â—â—ythâ—â— ReasoÌ„ ner Wyll but sense Appetite The effecte of Reason The offâ—â—â— why will is â—ysobydiâ—t â—o Reason The Consience in respect of Indgement is placed iâ—â— the minde but in respect of affections motions it is in the hart The opetation of the Conscience The â—â—eâ—â—odot this â—â—â—ca and â—â—â— deuâ—â—â—â—â—ruf a to scrip expressing Conscience Rom. 2. The â—efynition of the Conscience Thre thigs in the minde to be obserued Ondirstaâ—â— ding conâ—emplatyre Aristo li. 1. ethick Sinterisis est habitus innatus coÌ„ seruans principia moralia et practica sicut Sinesis conseruat principia specu labilia Iudgement or decermâ—nation Examples plainely expressing this matter Oedipus The ground of Ezechias his consciâ—net Dauid 1. Sa. 24. Riuiuâ— lib. 1. de conscientia hausit ex Augustino Riuius lib. de consc dissentit ab omnibus aijt enim conscientiam ponere complectioneÌ„ in Syllogismo practico Causes why diuers men be of dâ—uerse CoÌ„sciences The things which Conscience chife in respecteth Defynytyons of the good Conscience Of bewty and strength Of Nobility The abuse of power auttoryty True glory Iob. 19. Plato primo de repub Sophocles Oedipus Erinnius The difinion of an eâ—uel Conscience 〈…〉 Tiberius Caligula Nero. Richard the third Polidorus virg angli hist lib. 25. Adam Eue. Iosephâ—s bretheren Iudas Pro. 17. An vnquiet Conâ—tience hasheneth old age sycknesse An euell Conscience â—â—ayde of â—â—ery blaâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 The horcor of an euell Conscience All yartes shal be â—eâ—cd and tormented in Apell An exhortationte beware of an euell Conscience The Soâ—ace and comforâ— of a good Conscience Cato The part of a iudge The part of a Counseller and Captayne The office of good Lawyers Papinianus Sir Iames Hales Spotlers oâ— the church In whome the property of church goods doth teste Backbiters and sclaunderers of the ministetye The office and duty of Patronâ— toward their wards Of the mariages of wardes Of byâ—ts scllers Agaynst rash and bayn swearing The Godles sleights and â—iftes of many to illude the it othes Anniball Cleomenes A popishe Prelates feaude 〈…〉 Ottho Phringen sis Of the Gâ—â— bouites Ambroci us in offi Lauaterus in Ios 9. P. Martir in 2. Sam. 21. The perittry of the 〈◊〉 August dei viu ita te dei lib. cap. 22. Camillus Iustinius liber 38. The late tragical delinges in â—â—aunce The law dem to supplyantes to such as yeld them selues in war. Pausanias in Acha. Conquestes ought to haue modetation as a companion Mimus Ageselaus The property of the Lyon. SigismuÌ„d S. Augustine Antigonus Hier. in 17. Ezeh The king of denmark his pollicy Peter Arrogon A. Commodus Carolus septimus Gal rex Nothing is protitable rule vnlest it be honest Aristidea Themistocles F. Camillus â—â—râ—otes vertues The proper and especial notes and signes of Papistes Periury aâ— deyuâ—us ofâ—â—â—uce The definion of an oth Of synners iudutate past grace Examples of Princes and people punished for their periury Carthage Philip. Engenius Pope of Rome and Lewis king of Hungaria Whether is be enough for men to rest vppon their Conscience The true ground and foundation of a good Conscience Doubtfulnes of the conscience â—angerous Policarpus Chrisost God inâ—â—â—â—â—ted 〈◊〉 by degrees Numa Pompilius Two 〈◊〉 tyons the first agaynst bayn confideÌ„ce in one own ryghteousenesse Agaynst sorrow and dispayre of an affâ—eted Conscience The coucinsion
know sayth he that my redeemer liueth and that I shall rise agayne at the last day and shal be compassed agayn wish my skinne and shall see god in my flesh Ioseph that Godly and chaste young man being chayned in she stockes what solace had hee in the déepe dungeon but his sincere mind and vnspotted Conscience And euen so it was with Eliazarus with Paule and with all the Apostles in their distresse for Eliazarus sayth O lord I am piteously tormented in my body but I willingly suffer all these thinges for thy names sake Paule being certified by Agabus of the afflictions which he should suffer at Ierusalem I â—â— he am ready not only to be bound but also to suffer death for the name of the Lord Iesus The Apostles likewise being scorged for preaching the Gospel Went away with Ioy that they were found worthy to beare infamy for the name of the Lord Iesus The principal cause of these thinges was doubtlesse a good conscience which writeth sorrowe into ioy calamity to felicity and to conclude death into lyfe it selfe OF THE EVELL AND CORrupt Conscience AS THERE IS IN GOD that supreme and nigh maiest is of God a wisedome descerning betwene good euil things and also a will wishing goodnesse with a deuine delectation pleasure contrariwise nylling that which is naught and with great indignation and anger reiecting and punishing the same Euen so hath he created the lyfe of man that there shoulde be certaine lawes as it were notices or admonitions of the mind commaunding thinges honest and forbidding the contrary besides these he hath appointed magistrats that they should defend the good and punishe the euill And to this ende were thinges thus ordered and disposed in the creation that men might learne that there is both a God being a wise and iust Iudge and there withall that manne should knowe and perceyde himselfe to be the ymage of God whome he ought to imitate and followe For God is neyther knowne of heauen nor of earth of plants neyther yet of beastes although they obey him in theire kinde but Aungelles and men onely hath he so created that he might he obeyed knowne worshipped of them and that they being fashioned lyke vnto God might not pyne away and dye wyth impietie and vexation of minde but hauing their hartes agréeable to right reason and iudgement might reioyce in good actions as well before as after the facte But in this corrupt and wounded nature mans hart burneth as it were wyth flames méere contrary to right iudgement and at the first trembleth not to runne into mischiefe Nowe for that it concerneth Gods iustice to punishe and route out obstinate and rebellious natures therefore hath he conioyned the dolor and anguishe of the Conscience following wicked and mischeuous deedes that might as it were an hangman punishe and execute offenders And although this sorrowe he somewhat dull nowe and then in persons yet at the last God doth so kindle it in the wicked that they tremble and quake and are oppressed as it were with the noyse of the thunder as it is sayde in the Psalme In thy anger thou shalt vexe and trouble them Whereof Plato wryteth excellently in this wise When an euill man draweth towarde his ende he is sodainely striken with a foure and care of such thinges as he once thought not of before and those talke of Deuils of Hell and of paynes which the wicked suffer there where of he made a scoffe and stale iest doe then miserablye encoumber his minde wherby he faleth into an examination of his former life And recording his vile and filthy actes hee is quyet neyther waking not sleeping often times he sturteth in his sleepe as it were a fearefull childe out of his dreame and so lyuing awhyle he droupeth away in euill hope Sophocles wryteth that Oedipus beyng olde and blynde was ledde to Athens by his daughter Antigona Who dying there was buried in the Temple of Erinnyus By the which fable he signifieth the vnquiet Conscience at the hower of death of all such as haue ledde an vnhonest lyfe For Erinnyus by interpretatioÌ„ are nothing else then contentious perturbations of the minde by reason of an euill Conscience which alwayes wayte vpon vnhonest actes and déeds And they are sayd to be mindestill for that condigne punishment for sinfull actes are neuer forgotten whiche although they be for a time prolonged yet this is the very property and effect of Eriunius that when mischiefe and payne is least looked for then it falleth moste gréeuously Thus much I thought good to note touching the occasions of doloures and gréefe in the euell conscience now lette vs consider the difinition of the same An euell Conscience is a heauy and vexing motion of the hart conioyned with perfect knowlege of a detestable fact For assuredly furies doe alwayes pursue and chase the wicked not with burning torches and fire brandes as inter Iudes and playes sette out but with horâ—â—res of Conscience and anguish of minde wayting alwayes vpon mischieuous men euen as the shade we foloweth the body not suffering them to beeath and as it were to pause one â—â—â—iuente from trembling and feare And for this cause onely Seneca commendeth that saying of the â—pienre The gilty man may happily hide himselfe sometime but he hath no assured confidence to escape Whiche thinges as they are true so are they confirmed with Histories throughâ—ute all tymes and ages Tacitus reporteth that Tiberius vexâ—d with such tormentâ—a 〈◊〉 vnto the Senatâ— in this wise What should I write vnto you my Lordes or how should I write or rather what shoulde I not wryte I at this instant All the Gods of heauen at ons rather distroy the then to pine awaye dayly thus as I doe Such plagues and tormentes had Tiberiâ—s inwardly by his monstrous â—dings Neyther is that â—odnâ— the purpose which a certayne man vtâ—ered If the wicket of Titaunts minds might be vnlocked â—â—midsi shoÌ„ld 〈◊〉 see their mangled woundâ— for as it fareth with the body by reason of â— stripes and blowes euen so it the minde at â—oil resite and torne with cruelty filthy lust fâ—â—udo malice and such like For 〈◊〉 Tiberius had â—o wante of anyâ— worldly thinges â—â— that might serue to solace and comford 〈◊〉 afflicted mind yet was he hot able by any of meanes to ease or consâ—ate the tormentes â—â— and paynes of his Conscience Suetonitis wryteth of Caligula who seemed neyther to care for God nor man yet at the least roumbling and glauneing of thundering and lightning he would winke and couer hys face when with greater terror heauen and earth seemed both to shake to burne with fâ—â—e he woulde runne into corners and hyde himselfe The same Author also noteth home Nero after he had murdered his naturall mother was so greeuouslye veâ—ed in conscience that he could not be coÌ„forted neyther with ioyfull showâ—es and acclamations of the