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friend_n	bear_v	brother_n	time_n	761	5	3.4378	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A21059	Tvvo treatises the one of Good conscicnce [sic]; shewing the nature, meanes, markes, benefits, and necessitie thereof. The other The mischiefe and misery of scandalls, both taken and given. Both published. by Ier: Dyke, minister of Gods Word at Epping in Essex.	Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Mischiefe and miserie of scandals both taken, and given. aut; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Good conscience. aut	1635 (1635)	STC 7428; ESTC S100168	221,877	565

The Motives to perswade us to get good consciences The Motives therunto may be many I will keepe my selfe within the compasse of five 1. Motive The incomparable and unspeakable 1. Motive to a good conscience comfort and benefit thereof in such cases and times as all other comforts faile a man and wherin a man stands most in need of comfort These cases or times are five 1. The Time and Case of Disgrace and Reproach 2. The Time of Common feare and Common calamitie 3. The Time of Sicknes or outward crosses in a mans goods 4. The Time of Death 5. The Time and Day of Iudgement In all these or in any of these times it is good to have such a friend or companion that will sticke to a man and be faithfull Interim elige socium qui cum omnia subtracta fuerint fidem servat dilectoribus suis nec recedit in tēpore angustiae Bern. de Consc to him when all other things faile him Such a friend and such a companion is a good conscience A friend loves at all times and a brother is borne for adversitie Proverb 17. 17. But in some of these cases a brother and friend may be false and will not or may be weake and cannot helpe nor pleasure a man but a good conscience is better then all friends and brethren whatsoever when they will not or cannot or may not yet then will a good conscience sticke close to a man and be a sure friend to him Let us see in the particulars the truth of it 1. In the time and case of Disgrace Infamie Reproach and wrongs of that The comfort of a good conscience in case of disgrace and reproach kinde the comfort and benefit of a good conscience is unspeakeable When a man shall be traduced slandered falsely accused and condemned then in such wrongs will a good conscience doe the office of a faithfull friend will sticke to and stand by a man and will comfort and hearten him against all such injuries Paul is heere convented before the Councell as a Malefactor hee hath an whole Councell bent against him What now is his comfort and his defence against such an heape of accusers as doe affront him This it is Men and brethren I have lived in all good conscience As if hee had said Impeach traduce accuse and condemne mee as you please yet be it knowne unto you that I have a good conscience and this my good conscience is it which shall comfort and uphold me against all your injurious and unequall proceedings You may bring forth false witnesses against me but my conscience doth and will witnesse for me you may condemne me yet my conscience acquits and absolves me And thus doth Paul shelter himselfe under his good conscience The like we may see in the next Chapter Ananias and the Elders come and bring Tertullus and he is feed to be Pauls accuser and he layes heavie and hainous things to Pauls charge vers 5. Wee have found this man a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition among all the Iews throughout the world a ring-leader of the sect of the Nazarens c. Here be foule things what will Paul be able to say to all this Will not this bee enough to sinke him downe utterly to see so many banded together and such great ones combined to countenance such an accusation How will he be able to subsist Now then behold the benefit and comfort of a good conscience He holds up his former buckler and smites Ananias and the rest with his former weapon vers 16. Herein doe I exercise my selfe to have alwaies a conscience voyd of offence towards God and towards men Ananias and the Elders have a mercenary Tertullus to accuse him Paul hath no man dares be seene to plead for him none will be retained in his cause but yet now conscience steps out and stops the foule mouth of this slanderous Oratour and puts spirit and heart into Paul to plead his own Cause against them all Conscience seemes on this manner to animate him Feare not Paul the accusations of this Tertullus I witnesse for thee thine Innocencie I justifie it to the teeth of Tertullus that he is one whose malice and covetousnesse hath made him set his conscience to sale stand up therefore and speake boldly for thy selfe dread them not Well fare a good conscience yet that will speake comfort to Paul and make Paul speake with courage when none else dare be seene in his cause It was an ill case David was in Psalm 69. 20. 21. Reproach hath broken mine heart and I am full of heavinesse and I looked for some to take pitty but there was none and for comforters but I found none they gave me also gall for my meat and in my thirst they gave mee vineger to drinke A very hard case indeed Where was now Davids familiar friend his acquaintance with whom hee was wont to take sweet counsell what was become of him now Possibly some of his acquaintance were at this time like a broken tooth and a foot out of joynt Prov. 25. 19. Confidence in an unfaithfull man is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joynt Others it may be that had profest him loue were ready to fasten a poysoned tooth in him This was Davids case and this may be any mans case but now at such a time and in such a pinch appeares the excellency and benefit of a good Gonscience Though all a mans friends should prove Iobs friends like the Winter brooks of Teman that in winter overswell the bankes but in the scorching heat of Sommer prove drie ditches yet then even then well fare a good conscience That will heale Davids heart broken with reproach that will cheere him up in his heavinesse that will sweeten the gall and take away the sharpenes of the vineger which his enemies have given him to drinke There is a generation Prov. 30. 14. whose teeth are as swords and their jaw teeth as knives and Pro. 12. 18. that generation speakes as the piercing of a sword There is a generation whose words are woūds that go down into the innermost parts of the belly Pro. 18. 8. These be dangerous generations But what generation are they Generations of vipers Psal 140. 3. Adders poyson is under their lips Iunius translates it Venenum ptyados The poison of the spitting Serpent They be then generations of spitting serpents even of fiery serpents that have their tongues set on fire from hell and so they spit fiery poyson in the faces of Innocents Now there is no man can live in this world at whom these adders will not spit no man can be free from the sprinckling of their poyson The disciple is not above the master If these snakes have hissed at the Lord of the house and if these spitting Serpents have cast their poison in his face why would they feare to do it to the servants But is there then no balme against

this poyson No buckler against these swords Yes there is the soveraigne balme and the impenetrable buckler of a good conscience It is a balsome that will allay the poyson of these Adders that it shall never burst a mans heart or if these swords pierce the very innermost bowels yet this will so salve these wounds that they shall not ranckle nor become mortall Oh! how mortall is this adders poyson how fatall are these swords how keene their edge and how full of paine their wounds where inward guilt gives strength unto them But integrity and goodnesse of conscience is a precious balme of Gilead that takes away the venome of this poyson the stinging smart of the wounds of these swords Let Paul live with ever so good a conscience before God and man Act. 24. 16. yet Tertullus will play the spitting adder and hee will spit yea spue forth his poyson in his face and in the face of an whole Court will not spare openly to slander him for an arrant varlet a lewd pestilent and a villanous fellow Such drivel will the malicious world spit in the face of Godlinesse But mark now the benefit and comfort of a good conscience Either a good conscience with Stephens Angelicall face will dazle and shame the devils Oratours 1 Pet. 3. 16. Having a good conscience that they may be ashamed or else like Paul it can shake off those vipers without swelling or falling downe dead Yea if Satans orators will needs be opening their mouthes against Paul yet so good is his conscience that as Iohn Hus appealed from Pope Alexander to Pope Alexander namely from him in his anger to him in his cold blood and better advised so dares Paul appeale from Tertullus to Tertullus David from Shimei to Shimei from enemies to enemies from their tongues to their hearts from their mouthes to their Consciences as knowing their owne integritie to bee such as that their enemies owne hearts give their tongues the ly and tels them that against their Conscienses possessed with meere malice they are hurried on in Satans service Tertullus knowes he lyes and his owne Conscience tells him hee lyes in his throate that Paul is an honester man that himselfe yea and the comfort is that Pauls Conscience comforts him and assures him that Tertullus his Conscience assures him all this So unspeakably sweet is the comfort of a good conscience David complaines of a great affliction Psal 35. 11. False witnesse did rise up they layd to my charge things that I knew not What should a man do in such a case if he had not the comfort of a good conscience witnessing for him But now at such a pinch appeares the benefit of a good conscience Let ever so many rise up falsly to witnesse against him yet his conscience will witnesse as fast for him My friends scorne mee sayes Iob Iob 16. 20. They witnessed against him to be a wicked person and an hypocrite they censured and condemned him but what was Iobs comfort That same vers 19. Behold my witnesse is in heaven and my record is on high That was one comfort but that was not all hee had also a witnesse on earth and his record below Vpon whose record and witnesse see with what solemnitie and with what confidence he stands Iob 27. 2 6. As God liveth who hath taken away my judgement and the Almighty who hath vexed my soule All the while my breath is in me and the spirit of God is in my nostrills my lips shall not speake wickednesse nor my tongue utter deceit God forbid that I should justifie you till I dye I will not remove mine integrity from me my righteousnesse I will hold fast and will not let it goe mine heart shall not reproach me so long as I live As if he had said As the Lord lives whilst Nam si in his in quibus me criminantur testimonium Conscientiae meae non stat contra me in conspectu Dei quo nullus oculus mortalis intenditur non solum contristari non debeo verumetiam exultare gaudere quia merces mea multa est in coelis Neque enim intuendum est quam sit amarum sed quam falsum sit quod audio quā verax pro cujusnomine hoc audio Aug. contra lit Petil. l. 3. there is breath in my bodie I will not yield unto your accusations nor yet acknowledge my selfe guilty of that you doe charge mee withall Vrge mee and presse me what you will yet I will never let goe mine hold Why what is it that makes Iob thus stiffe and resolute what is it that supports him with such an excellent spirit that ver 6. Mine heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Indeed you reproach censure and condemne mee you lay heavie things to my charge But I have searched the records of my conscience I have called that unpartiall witnesse to testifie the truth and I find conscience witnessing strongly on my side and therefore do what you can you shall never beare mee downe Iobs friends may prove fickle and false but his own conscience will prove true to him that will plead for him animate him and comfort him against all their calumnious and injurious reproches and give him cause of much joy and triumph Iob then had his witnesse in heaven and Iob had his witnesse on earth God and his owne conscience two witnesses beyond all exception and in the mouth of two witnesses every truth shall stand Conscience is a thousand witnesses and God is above conscience And what Consciences witnesse concerning matter of fact God himselfe will justifie the same He that hath a good conscience hath a sure friend that will never slinke nor shrinke at any hand Nay he hath two good friends and two substantiall witnesses whose testimonies though secret yet are such as sweetly solace the heart of man against open reproaches slanders false witnesses and all wrongs and injuries of that kinde whatsoever The testimony of conscience is full of comfort because of the vndoubted certaintie and the vnquestioned infallibility thereof so that it voycing on a mans side strangely cheares his heart Pro. 27. 19. As in water face answers to face so doth the heart of a man unto man That is as some expound it As a man may see his face by looking in the water so a man may set himselfe and what hee is by looking into his conscience If a man should be told that hee had some filth or bloach on his In speculo Conscientiae status interioris hominis exterioris cognoseitur Non immorito Conscientiam speculo comparavit quoniam in e● tanquam speculo rationie oculus tam indecens quam quod decens in se ●st claro aspectu appredere potest Ber. de Consc face if he would goe looke into the water or specially into a looking-glasse hee should easily see whether it were so or no. And if looking into the water or glasse hee

dry land or to make a sea when he had made his ship I but when the flood is come and the waters begin to bee chin deepe then aske Iabel whether building of tents or building of an Arke bee the wiser worke then whether is better Noahs Arke or Iubals Pipes Now that the flood is come these come perhaps wading middle deep to the Arke side and bellow and howle to Noah to open the arke to them Now would not Iabel give all his tents and all his cattell but to bee where Noahs dog lyes would not Iubal now give all his pipes and merriment to have but the place that an hogge had in the Arke Now Iubal let us heare one of your merry songs pipe now and make your selves merry with gybing at Noahs folly in making a ship to saile on dry land What ailest thou Iubal to howle wring thine hands thus where is thine Harpe Organs now cheere up thy soule now with these vanities Now the Flood is come now Noah is in the Arke now Sirs you that are such men of renowne Gen. 6. 4. you that were the brave gallants of the earth now tell me who is the foole and who is the wise man now How many in the dayes of peace make light of a good Conscience yea if they see others to be but carefull in rigging of their Ship and pitching and trimming up such an Arke how ready are they to spend their byting scoffes and their tart jests upon them but if ever times of trouble calamitie and a fire flood of Gods wrath Nah. 1. 6 8. should breake in then would a good Conscience hold up the head with much comfort and resolution whilest those that formerly made a jeast of a good conscience should have aking and quaking hearts by reason of those unmeasurable feares that shall seize upon them A good conscience will make a man musick when Iubal shal be glad not only to put up but with indignation and anguish of heart to throw away and curse his pipes Well fare a good conscience in evill dayes Pitch and trim up this Ark there is no such provision against evill dayes as is a good conscience It will do a man service and support him when all the brave spirits of the earth shal be blank and at their wits end In the third place the benefit and comfort 3. The comfort of a good conscience in time of Sicknesse of a good conscience is conspicuous in the time of sicknesse or a mans private and personall crosses in his estate c. A sicke man with an hayle conscience is a cheary and a comfortable man Prov. 13. 14. The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity that is the spirit it selfe being hayle and sound it wil enable him to bear any bodily sicknesse But a wounded spirit who can beare yea a wounded or a sicke body who can comfortably beare if the spirit or conscience be sicke But let the conscience bee good and sound and it helpes a man with great ease and comfort to beare the sicknesse of the body It is a shrewd burthen to beare two sicknesses at once to have a sicke body and a sicke conscience A man shall find enough of the easiest of them single and alone But yet an hayle conscience in an infirme body sweetly helpes our infirmitie Let a man have ever so hayle and heathfull a body yet if the conscience be naught and withall awakened fals to galling and griping he shall find but little joy in his bodily health so contrarily let a mans conscience be good and though his body be sicke and weake yet it is a great deale of sweet refreshment that it shall receive from the conscience Sicknesse in it selfe is exceeding uncomfortable and in the time of sicknesse commonly all bodily comforts the comforts of meates drinkes and sleepe faile yea but then here is the benefit of a good conscience that will not then fayle but as it is said Eccl. 10. 9. Money answers all things so a good conscience answers all things the comfort of it supplies the wants of all other comforts When in sicknesse the comfort of meat drink and sleepe is gone they are all found againe in the comfort of a good conscience that will be meat and drinke that will be rest and sleep that will make a mans sick-bed soft and easie that shall be as the Angels were to Christ in his hunger in the Wildernesse they ministred unto him and so will a good conscience minister comfort in the want of all other comforts so that a man may say of a good conscience as we use to say of some solid substantiall dish that there are Partridge Phesants and Quailes in it so though outward comforts cease their office and their worke be suspended yet a good conscience comes in its roome and in it are meat drinke sleepe ease refreshment and what not A good conscience is an Electuary or a Cordiall that hath all these ingredients in it There is no such Cordiall to a sicke man as the cordiall of a good conscience All Physicians to this Physician are but such Physians as Iobs friends Iob 13. 4. Yea are Physicians of no value A motive of great weight to make men in love with a good conscience Who can be free from sicknesse and how tedious and wearisome a time is the time of sicknesse Now who would not make much of a Cordiall that might cheare him then of a receipt that might feed him then As then we would bee glad of a chearfull and comfortable spirit upon our sicke beds so make much of a good conscience Whence is it that most men in their sicknesses have such drooping spirits lye groaning altogether under their bodily paines or lye sottishly and senslesly no sense of any thing but paine and sicknesse Meerely from the want of a good conscience they have laid up no Cordial no comfortable Electuary for themselves in their health time against the day of sicknesse Indeed you shall have the miserable comforters of the world on this manner cheering them why how now man where is your heart Plucke up a good heart man never feare for a little sicknes c. True indeed they should not need to feare if they could plucke up a good heart But they that will plucke it up when they are sicke must lay it up when they are well Hee that hath a good conscience to get when he lyes upon his sicke bed is like a man that hath his Aqua-vitae to buy when hee is fallen into a swoune A wise man that feares swouning would have his hot-water-bottle hanging alwayes ready at his beds-head But as in other crosses by sicknesse and the like so is the comfort of a good conscience never more sweet then when a man is under the crosse for conscience sake and suffers affliction and vexation to keepe a good conscience Then above all other times will conscience doe the office of a Comforter and will