Truth for Truths-sake not so much to set your Head as your Heart Right not to furnish you with matter or Talk and Dispute which evermore engenders Strife and Envy but to understand your Duty in order to the faithful practice and performance of it Now this you must do before you can safely follow the Dictates of Conscience or relie upon the Testimony thereof In order hereunto you ought to consider the Nature and Extent of the Rule by which Conscience is to be govern'd and directed in all her Actions and Undertakings and this I told you is the Word of God which laying aside all prejudice and partiality you ought diligently to take heed and attend unto and where Doubts and Difficulties may arise to consult and advise with your Teachers whom God hath set over you or with any other whom you have reason to judge most eminent for their Piety Learning Prudence and Integrity to beg their Assistance and receive their Instructions with that Modesty and Respect as becomes Learners and Disciples who desire nothing more than to come to the Knowledge of the Truth that they might be saved For want of this Care Conscience hath been strangely misted and run it self into many gross Errors and foul Mistakes Thus many have been prompted to very ill things one while by Passion another while by Prejudice and a third by a corrupt and self-Interest and yet have thought they have been led by Zeal and acted by Conscience all the while when as upon strict enquiry they have found their Zeal was not according to Knowledge and what they call'd Conscience in no wise agreeable to the Rules of their Religion For the avoiding of which we should endeavour as much as in us lies to get our Consciences well inform'd and to use the means in order thereunto Secondly If you would have Conscience to be rightly inform'd you must endeavour after a humble meek and teacheable Spirit For it is said the meek will he guide in Judgment and the week he will teach his way Psalm 25.9 And it is said God resists the proud but gives Grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5.5 Now the meek and humble stand highest in Gods Grace and Favour and therefore more likely to be made acquainted with his Mind and Will Nay they are naturally most capable of Instruction and best fitted for it as being most desirous to know their Duty and submit to it when they have done Whereas on the other hand Pride and Passion and Self-conceit are apt to puff men up prejudice them against theTruth and fill them with Scorn and Contempt of the best Counsel and Advice in the World A peevish and froward Disposition makes men impatient of Contradiction and to mis-judge every thing that thwarts their particular Sentiments insomuch as the best Advice is commonly lost and thrown away upon such perverse Tempers tho' offered in never so kind and charitable a Manner Thirdly After Conscience is well inform'd keep it close to its Rule and do not suffer it wilfully or wantonly to swerve from it upon any account or under any pretence whatever otherwise it may be in danger to seduce and deceive Conscience is chiefly exercised about good or evil the doing of the one and the avoiding of the other Now tho' the Word of God is the great Standing Rule according to which we ought to take our principal Measures of good and evil yet this difference is more early taught us by the Light of Nature and the Suggestion of our own Minds and therefore whatever appears a Sin or is universally condemn'd for such by that Law Conscience must needs judge it to be a Sin too and believe it condemn'd likewise by the Word of God For no natural or rather unnatural Crime can possibly commence a religious Duty and to think otherwise is to lie under one of the grossest Delusions and scandalous Mistakes For hereby we set the two Laws to wit that of Nature and Revelatron in opposition to one another yea we make them absolutely inconsistent and contradictory tho' both of them at first came from God Conscience therefore ought not to plead for or encourage the Practice of any Sin namely which appears to be so by the Light of Nature as well as Religion and therefore all Treasons and Rebellions Murders and Conspiracies Sacrilege and Perjury are great Sins and such as are discern'd to be so by natural Light and therefore can never become otherwise however they may be palliated or pleaded for Never think that the Plea of Conscience Religion or Reformation can justifie a wicked or immoral Action such as Rebellion and Perjury which all Mankind doth naturally acknowledge and condemn for such Now every man almost hath so much of the Law of Nature yet left within him as to discern the great Evil of such things tho' not always to shun yet to condemn the Guilt thereof What ever Nature tells us is a Sin Conscience for that very reason must disapprove of it too because the Religion of Christ is but the Law of Nature perfected and improved and therefore no pretence of Conscience drawn from Scripture can make that to be lawful or cease to be a Sin which was so before Now if God's Law obligeth not to Sin much less the private Dictates or impulse of Conscience which ought evermore to make that her Rule and fetch all her Directions from thence For a man therefore to allow himself in the Commission of such crimes as all Laws and Religions in the World must needs condemn as impious and wicked pray what Conscience hath such a Man But then to plead Conscience in favour of such things is so much the worse still and renders his Crime infinitely more wicked and abominable Such a man is never to be excused in what he doth of this nature For his Excuse instead of extenuating doth but adde to his Guilt and mightily aggravate the Heinousness thereof Fourthly That while I am pleading for Conscience I may impartially discharge my own Conscience ought not to be separate from Charity any more than from Truth Love Charity and Good-will are the chief Gospel-Precepts and Standing Principles of Christ's Religion And all Zeal for the Church or State Nay for the Christian Religion in general or reformed Religion in particular if void of Charity is little worth Charity I mean not only for those of our own Communion but even towards them that differ from us For so far as they do it purely on the account of Conscience and no otherwise we ought to retain some Charity for them be they of what Church or Communion they will Indeed where Conscience is manifestly abused and carries them to any thing that is wicked and unlawful where any Sin or Immorality is countenanc'd or encouraged under the Notion or Plea of Conscience there we must leave them and deservedly too to the Publick Censures of the Church and Punishment of the State but where 't is mere Conscience and
he that fears God and works Righteousness shall be accepted Acts 10.35 This Proposition of the Apostle being no doubt true in every Age as well before as after Christ's Time there being but one way of Salvation both for Jew and Gentile and but one Mediator between God and Man who is called the Saviour of all Men tho' more especially of such as believe i. e. of Christians no other name being given among Men no other Mediator being constituted throughout the World beside him where by they can hope to be saved Acts 4.12 tho' how-and in what manner the Merit of Christ is applyed unto them that have no explicite Knowledge or Faith in him is a Mystery too high for our Reach and therefore as a secret thing belongs only to God The meaning of all that hath been said upon this particular is in short this That there must be not only a Rule but a Knowledge of that Rule before it can oblige Conscience Thirdly There is the Judgment of the Mind concerning our Actions a judging of them by a known Rule of what Kind or Nature they are whether good or bad well or ill done agreeable to the Intent of the Law or not From whence ariseth in the Fourth place The giving or passing Sentence upon our selves in reference to the Lawfulness or Unlawfulness of our Actions the acquitting or condemning our selves in our own Breasts and judging of our Spiritual State or moral Condition whether we are able to approve our selves unto God who is the strict Observer and supream Judge of all our Actions And from these two last Acts results the Testimony of our Consciences which if it vote on our Behalf yields us matter of Comfort in the midst of all our Sufferings enables us to hold up our Heads with Joy and gives us Confidence towards God whereby we may draw near with a true Heart in full assurance of Faith having our Hearts sprinkled from an Evil Assurance and our Bodies washt with pure Water Heb. 10.22 And again Beloved if our Hearts that is our Consciences condemn us not then have we Confidence towards God 1 John 3.21 But if the Testimony of Conscience make against us then it cannot chuse but afflict and disquiet us make our Countenances to fall and cause sad thoughts to arise within us which in some men is attended with greater Horror than in others according as Conscience is awakened or laid to sleep The whole Transaction of Conscience in this Affair is sometimes represented by way of Syllogism in three Propositions That which forms the first Proposition is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This makes Report of the Law and draws its Medium or Argument from thence That which forms the Minor is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Conscience This makes a particular Application of the Law or Rule unto a Man 's own self or brings it home to his own Case The Third infers the Conclusion from both and is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the Judgment of Conscience upon the whole whereby a man is able to judge of his Actions and pass Sentence upon himself either of Absolution or Condemnation Having resolved the first Enquiry What Conscience is it will from hence more easily appear in the next place 2. WHAT it is to make Conscience of our Actions or to live according to Conscience Negatively 'T is not to do what we list to walk at large or live at randome 't is not to be transported with Humour or Passion or Discontent 'T is not to act in Conformity to the Opinions of other Men or of a particular Sect or Party as such no nor always to follow the Dictates and Persuasions of our own prejudic'd and mis-inform'd Minds whereof notwithstanding some People are so very fond as to make no difference between Conscience and Prejudice Wherefore positively To act according to Conscience is to walk by Rule and live according to Law to frame all our Actions according to the Will and Direction of our Maker who hath absolute Authority over us and claims a greater Share in us than we can in our selves For Conscience is under Authority ty'd to a Rule and must have a Law for its Direction and Governance Now when we perform our Actions in such a manner as may be agreeable to the Rule which is given us for the right Government thereof and when the general Practice of our Lives bears some Proportion thereunto this is to make Conscience of our ways and to approve our selves to our selves in so doing That man therefore that hath no respect to the Rule of his Actions nor takes any care to render them in some good measure answerable to it such a one let his plea and pretence be never so specious and demure makes no Conscience how he lives and consequently can never expect the Testimony of Conscience on his side much less be able to Rejoyce in it Now the chief Rule or Law that is to direct Conscience and govern our Actions is the Canon of Holy Scripture the written Word or reveal'd Will of God This lays the strongest nay the only Obligation upon Conscience which can acquit us no farther than our Actions are correspondent to this Rule and unto which all others are subordinate and may be applied So that to live according to Conscience is to measure out our Actions by the Rule of God's Word to conform the General Practise and Course of our Lives unto the Law of Christ which is the most perfect Rule of Righteousness that is or can be given us and unto which all others ought to refer 'T is to live in Obedience to a Divine Command and to subject our selves entirely to the Will and Pleasure of him who hath the absolute Dispose and Government of our Consciences and to whom we owe all the Duty and Service we are capable of He that doth otherwise doth amiss and can never be able to justifie himself unto his own Mind much less answer it to God when he cannot do it to his own Conscience From what hath been said it appears that Conscience is as I said before no lawless or ungovernable Principle no prejudic'd or discontented Passion no affected or superstitious Impulse c. as some would make us believe 'T is no Tyrannical or Despotick Lord so as to impose its own private Dictates for Divine Commands much less the wild Extravagancies and enthusiastick Conceits of this or that Sect under pretence of Religion whereof Instances have not been wanting in this Nation and Age of ours Conscience is God's Substitute and Vicegerent and can act or impose no further than it hath Warrant or Authority from him so to do To do more than this is to exceed its Commission and to do that which all the fine Pretences in the World will never be able to bear us out in 3. NOTWITHSTANDING Conscience by many persons pretending to it hath been wretchedly Abused yet it ought not to be slighted
Socrates and content my self to be virtuous at the rate of a Heathen than according to the Measures of such a Religion But blessed be God we know better things and have been taught quite otherwise we have not thus learned Christ his Religion is Pure Religion and Undefiled his Commands are Holy Just and Good he countenanceth no sort of Immorality but encourageth the Universal Practice of all Virtue It threatens Damnation to such as resist Authority which is the Ordinance of God and affirms the Damnation of those Men to be just who think to do evil that good may come of it Rom. 3.8 It makes it as necessary for Subjects to submit I do not say always to Obey but to submit to their Governors as for Children to be Obedient to their Parents and for Servants to be subject to their Masters and he that goes about to take off the Obligation of the one may upon the same terms take away all Duty in Children towards Parents and all Faithfulness in Servants towards Masters For Obedience and Subjection to Civil Government is as Natural and Sacred as that which is exercis'd in Families and kept up in a Man 's own House I have insisted the longer on this not so much to look backward as forward to undeceive people by opening their Eyes and discovering those Pious Frauds Profane Cheats and Hypocritical Abuses which for a long time hath past cleverly with some Men under the Notion of Conscience and Religion and to shew you what Spirit such Men are of thereby to Caution you for the future against all such leud Principles and Pretences how speciously soever they may be gilded over and that you take heed that you suffer not your selves to be cheated out of a Peaceable Loyal and Well-temper'd Religion by any bold Incendiary or cunning Hypocrite of them all be they of what Party or Faction they will whether Foreign or Domestick at Home or Abroad But yet in the Second place Notwithstanding Conscience hath been so grosly mistaken and abused yet it ought not to be slighted much less cast off upon that account any more than Religion which hath often met with the like hard Fate or Civil Government which hath been Usurp'd by those that had no Right to it and manag'd quite contrary to the Primitive End and Institution thereof Now if the Abuses of Government and Religion be not a sufficient Reason for our rejecting of them no more is it for the laying aside of Conscience Because the greatest Abuse can never be made an Argument for the Total Abandoning thereof For if you come once to cast off Conscience you throw off with it all Obligation to Duty you take away all Sense of Good and Evil all Difference between Virtue and Vice Right and Wrong and thereby reduce Mankind into the Rank of Brute-beasts Without regard to Conscience you are not capable of Religion nor of the ordinary Duties of Morality we cannot do one good Action without it nor rejoyce in the Witness and Testimony thereof There will be then no peace in Private Families nor good Government in Publick Societies no Obedience to Magistrates nor Subjection to Authority No Man then will either Fear God or Honour the King or do their Duty one toward another all which are yet enjoyn'd and bound expressly upon our Consciences by the Holy Spirit Conscience then is useful and necessary in that it implys an Obligation to Duty and lays upon us the strongest Bonds of Obedience There is no Argument or Perswasive like it It is stronger than all our little Hopes and Fears in this World 't is not to be compell'd by force nor brib'd by Interest nor frighted by all the Terrors and Apprehensions of Death and the Grave Insomuch as Conscience though daily abused by ill Men to ill designs is yet of excellent use where rightly inform'd duly apply'd and carefully heeded and attended unto Where it is Reverenc'd and regarded as it ought it tends mightily to the making Men throughly Good and Virtuous Just in their Pretences Honest in their Intentions Upright and Sincere in all their Promises and Professions all which where Men make no Scruple of any thing must needs be False Dissembling and Treacherous Where Men are willing to exercise a good Conscience or keep it void of Offence they will not put Tricks and Cheats upon themselves or others they will not go about to mock God and deceive their own Souls they will scorn to do an ill Action and afterwards colour it over with a plausible Excuse or Hypocritical Evasion But will endeavour after the practice of unfeignee Goodness a hearty Compliance with their whole Duty having their Conversation as the Apostle speaks In Simplicity and Godly Sincerity and not with Fleshly Wisdom 2 Cor. 1.12 In a word he will strive to approve himself to God as well as Man and to Man as well as God that he may become as good as possibly he can that is as the Grace of God and his own honest endeavors will enable him to be That Man therefore that makes no Conscience of any thing he does or says can never become so good as he ought He can be no true and lasting Friend either to Church or State to his King or Countrey and consequently unsafe to be trusted by either but he that shall go about to Debauch and Prostitute his Conscience is of all others the very worst and no Sinner to the Conscientious Sinner who can sin with a good Conscience and do Evil that Good may come of it whose Damnation as it is most just so their reclaiming is most difficult as being obstinate in their Prejudices against every thing that is or can be offered for their Conviction And thus you see the great Use and Necessity of Conscience where it is regarded and valued as it ought and therefore is not to be decry'd for the ill use made thereof For to cast off Conscience is in effect to cast off all Religion With it to Banish all true Gooâ—ness Common Honesty and Moral Virtue out of the World and consequently all that Order Pence Union and Civil Society which results from thence and wherein the Happiness of this Life doth chiefly consist I PROCEED now in the Fourth place to shew in or about what things Conscience ought principally to be concern'd or exercised First For the better understanding of which I must remind you a little of what I have already hinted in the description of Conscience namely that Conscience presupposeth a Rule or Law and therefore is not particularly concern'd about things Indifferent as such which come within the compass of no Rule nor within the Limits of any Command or Prohibition For Conscience is no further concern'd about any thing or action than as 't is an Instance of Obedience to or Transgression of a Law now where there is no Law there is no Transgression no nor Obedience neither Now the things we call Indifferent are such as God hath