Christ Jesus hath sealed up a new covenant in his own bloud conscience is freed from that former Rom. 3.28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law For though justifying faith never be without the sincere doing of the law yet the deeds of the law have no influence into justification Conscience is freed from seeking justification thereby Thirdly the conscience of the regenerate is freed from the rigour of the law They are bound in conscience to use the law as a rule of their life and in sinceritie to obey it but are not bound by the gospel to the rigour of it that they are freed from and so they are not under the law but under grace I grant that all carnall people who are yet out of Christ do all lie under the rigour of the law and as long as they submit not to Jesus Christ nor get into him they are bound in conscience to keep it though they cannot They cannot sinne in one tittle but conscience will condemne them before God They shall be condemned for every vain thought for every idle word for every the least sinne for every the least lust for any the least omission of good They lie under the rigour of the law and they are bound in conscience to keep it and they shall be countable for every transgression because they are under the law But the conscience of the regenerate is free from this rigour because they are under grace and therefore they are delivered from the law The Lord hath deliverd them by the body of Christ and therefore they are not bound by the gospel to all that obedience that the law in rigour requireth Fourthly the conscience of the regenerate is freed from the curse of the morall law For though the law doth condemne yet their conscience needeth not fear it because they are in Christ There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus which walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Indeed those that are not regenerate not ingraffed into Christ they are still in the mouth of the gunshot the law doth condemne them and they have no shelter and their conscience is bound by it and they shall find one day that by it their conscience will condemne them to hell It may be now for the present their conscience is quiet and they choke it and so it letteth them alone yet they are condemned in conscience and one day they shall find it But the regenerate are by Christ freed in conscience from all this condemnation Thus farre we grant But the Antinomists and I know not what Marcionites would have more They cannot abide to heare that a regenerate person is bound to any sincere obedience to Gods law as the rule of their life They crie out against the morall law as once the Babylonians did against Jerusalem Down with it down with it even to the ground O ye do not preach Christ if ye talk of the law Beloved these are drunken opinions fitter to be preached among drunkards and Epicures and monsters then among the peculiar ones of God The law of God doth bind the conscience of all the people of God so that they are bound to make it a rule of life Nay the Scripture calleth it Christs bond whereby he bindeth his people to him The Kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his Anointed saying Let us break their bonds and cast away their cords from us Tush we will not be tied by his laws nor be so precisely strait-laced with such commandments as these Here the laws of the Lord are called bonds and cords Gods people are bound to him by them But the wicked they stand out and refuse to be bound Now if the law be called a bond I pray what bond is it but of conscience It is not a bond like a prisoners fetters to be put about their legs This is a spirituall bond that bindeth the conscience But let me prove it to you by arguments There be sundrie arguments to prove it First That which hath power to say to the conscience of the regenerate This is thy dutie and this must be done that bindeth the conscience But the law of God hath power to say thus to the conscience This is your dutie Who can tell better then Christ When ye have done all these things that are commanded you say We are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our dutie to do Mark He speaketh of Gods law things commanded now the law is nothing else but a â—atalogue of those things that God hath commanded us When ye have done all these things saith our Saviour know it is your dutie Here ye see the law hath power to say to the conscience This is your dutie But ye will object We are under faith and do ye tell us of law I answer as Chrysostome answereth out of Paul Do we then make void the law through faith God forbid Yea we establish the law See how the Apostle doth abhorre this thought God forbid saith he As if he had said Farre be it from me to teach such an abominable doctrine No no we establish the law Heare what Christ saith himself Think not that I am come to destroy the law I am not come to destroy but to fulfill it O thought some If we believe in Christ then we hope we shall have done with the law No no saith Christ ye shall as soon pull the heavens and the earth out of their place as disannull one tittle of the law Secondly That which hath this authoritie that the breach of it is a sinne bindeth conscience but the law hath this authoritie that neither regenerate nor unregenerate can transgresse it but they sinne therefore the law bindeth their consciences For the regenerate and all are bound in conscience to take heed of sinne Whosoever committeth sinne transgresseth also the law David was a regenerate man yet when he had defiled Bathsheba I have sinned saith he Joseph was a regenerate man yet confesseth if he should transgresse the Lords commandment he should sinne How shall I do this great wickednesse and so sinne against God But ye will object This is old testament What of that I hope you will not take up the old damned heresie again of the Cerdonians and Cainites and Apellites and Manichees and Severians and other such cursed hereticks condemned by the Church of God Their heresie was To hedge out the regenerate from the old testament And S t Augustine proved it against them That the morall law of God was ever the rule of obedience and shall so continue with the gospel to the end of the world and every transgression thereof is sinne The breach of the ceremoniall law was a sinne once but now it is not because once it bound the conscience now it doth not But the breach of the
The Souls Looking-Glasse lively representing its Estate before GOD With a Treatise of CONSCIENCE Wherein the definitions and distinctions thereof are unfolded and severall Cases resolved By that reverend and faithfull Minister of the Word WILLIAM FENNER B.D. Sometimes Fellow of PEMBROKE-HALL in CAMBRIDGE and late Parson of Rochford in Essex ACTS 24.16 I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men CAMBRIDGE Printed by Roger Daniel Printer to the Universitie For John Rothwell at the Sunne in Pauls church-yard 1643. To the Christian Reader IT was the saying of Solon That there were many good laws made but there wanted one law to make us put all those laws in execution The like may be said concerning the books that are written now adayes There are many good books written but there wanteth one book to make us to put those good books in practice Such a book were worth writing and worth reading And I know no reason but that this book if the Spirit of God write it in our hearts may have this happie effect For it is a book that will teach us how to get into the State of grace and how to get and keep a good Conscience And whosoever readeth a book with a good conscience will make conscience to practice what he readeth For a good conscience is as Aristotle saith of Justice a Synopsis and Epitome of all virtues It is a Panacea to cure all soul-diseases It is a medicine to digest all book-surfetting There are foure sorts of Consciences Some bad and unquiet some bad and quiet some good and unquiet some good and quiet For a conscience to be bad and quiet is the worst temper that can be Better have a bad unquiet then a bad and quiet conscience better have a tormenting Tophet in the soul then a fools Paradise The best frame of Conscience is the good and quiet conscience This is a Paradise upon earth a prâ—gustation and prelibation of heaven a mansion for the Trinitie to dwell in Now this ensuing treatise will teach us how to purchase this precious jewel of a good and quiet conscience A treatise very necessary in these unconscionable dayes wherein most people make no conscience to sinne against conscience and some have sinned so long against conscience as that they have lost all conscience of sinne As S. Augustine saith of the name of a Christian so may I say of conscience Multi conscientiam habent non ad remedium sed ad judicium Many have a conscience for their condemnation and not for their salvatition Conscience it is the house of the soul But this house lieth waste and is much ruinated and decayed in these times wherein never more science but never lesse conscience Conscience it is a private judgement-day before the publick day of judgement And it is an ill presage that most people will never stand upright in the court of heaven because they stand accused and condemned in the court of conscience Conscience is Gods preacher in our bosomes And it is a most certain rule That that man that will not regard the preacher in his bosome will never regard the preacher in the pulpit And the reason why the preacher in the pulpit doth no more good is because the preacher in the bosome is so much despised and neglected And therefore I doubt not but this book these motives considered will be very acceptable to all those that have or desire to have a good and quiet conscience For as S. Bernard most excellently saith Every mans conscience is his book and all books are written to discover and amend the errours of the book of conscience Let those that reade this book of coÌ„science look into the book of their own conscience and amend all the faults of that book by this The reverend Authour of this book was a Minister very conscientious and one that had a great abilitie given him by God to preach unto and work upon the consciences of people to awaken the sleepie conscience to inform the erroneous conscience to settle the doubtfull conscience and to comfort the wounded conscience his sermons were all dipt in conscience And therefore a subject of Conscience must needs be welcome from such a preacher It is true that this birth is Posthumum opus and cometh out after the death of the Authour But I hope it will be the more pleasing to revive the memory of him whose life and labours were deservedly precious in the esteem of Gods people And if conscience though for a while blind dumbe and seared put out of all office will notwithstanding at last be put into office and made to see speak and feel to the utter destruction of an impenitent sinner why may not a discourse of Conscience though long ago preached be suffered to revive and live for the salvation of those that shall have grace to reade it aright especially considering that these sermons were perfected by himself in his life time Much I could say in commendation of this worthie Divine both in regard of his unwearisome pains in preaching consuming his own bodie to save the souls of others as also of his learning and exemplarie pietie but I forbear All that I will say is this They that fully knew him did love and reverence him and if any did disesteem him it was because they did not fully know him He is now a shining starre in the firmameÌ„t of heaven And there are hundreds of people that will blesse God to all eternity for his pains He needeth not our praises but our imitation All that I desire from you that reade this short treatise is this That ye would either get a good conscience by the reading of this book or bring a good conscience to the reading of it Labour to make an addition to the heavenly joyes of this faithfull servant of God by making this book a means to bring thy soul to those heavenly joyes which are at Gods right hand for evermore which are joyes unspeakable and glorious so great that as S. Augustine saith If one drop of the joyes of heaven should fall into hell it would swallow up all the bitternesse of Hell And that God would make you heirs of this joy is the prayer of your soul-friend EDM. C. A Table of the Contents An Enquiry after a mans estate before God Coloss 4.8 WHat a mans estate before God is pag. 1 Ministers are to enquire after the estate of their people 3 Every man is either in an estate of grace or sinne 8 This estate may be known 11 Why every man ought to enquire after his own estate 14 Means whereby a man may come to know what estate he is in 15 Impediments which hinder this knowledge 18 Motives to be diligent in this enquirie 19 2. A treatise of Conscience Rom. 2.15 WHat conscience is 21 I. Proposition There is in every man
a conscience 23 Why the Lord did plant a conscience in every man 25 II. Proposition The light that conscience acts by is knowledge 1. of Gods law 28 The light that conscience acts by is knowledge 2. of our selves 28 The great necessity of knowledge 29 III. Proposition The office of conscience is to bear witnesse accusing or excusing 33 1. Foure properties of this witnesse-bearing It is 1. Supreme 34 2. Impartiall 35 3. Faithfull 36 4. Privie 37 2. The parts of this witnesse-bearing I. It s single witnessing 1. What we have done 38 2. What we intend to do ibid. 3. What is the bent of our hearts ibid. II. It s judiciall bearing witnesse 42 1. About things to be done or omitted Where are considered 1. It s Office 1. To judge 45 2. To counsel 46 2. Its Adjuncts It is either 1. Illightned 51 2. Erroneus 56 3. Doubting 52 4. Scrupulous 58 5. Faithfull 63. or 6. Unfaithfull 69 2. About things alreadie done or omitted and here also 1. It is Office is 1. To approve 77 2. To absolve 78 3. To mislike 79 4. To condemne 80 2. Its Affections It is either 1. Tender 83 2. Sleepie ibid. 3. Benumbed 84 or 4. Seared 85 From all thâ—se proceed two other Adjuncts I. A quiet conscience concerning which is considered 1. What it is 87 2. How that in the godly differeth from that in the wicked 90 3. How to know whether we have it or no 100 Where is handled Whether a child of God may fear death and how farre 105 Whether a wicked man may be desirous to die and in what cases 108 The great benefit of peace of conscience 110 II. An unquiet conscience What it is and the causes of it 114 The degrees of it 117 The difference of it in the Godly and in the wicked 121 How a man may keep peace of conscience 131 How it dependeth upon obedience 135 What manner of obedience that is which peace of conscience dependeth upon 139 What a man must do to be freed from a burdened and troubled conscience 141 As conscience beareth witnesse of our actions so of our persons 146 It can and doth inform every man what estate he is in 147 How it doth this 150 When it doth this 153 Why many neverthelesse are deluded about their estate 157 What a good conscience soundly renewed is 162 What a weak and infirm good conscience is 168 IV. Proposition The bond of conscience is the law of God 175 1. The Primarie and supreme is Gods word 177 Gods law bindeth the consciences of the regenerate 184 2. The Secondarie and relative others or our selves 194 1. Others may bind our conscience as Magistrates Superiours and how farre ibid. 2. We may bind our own consciences by lawfull vows and promises 207 What vows are unlawfull and not binding ibid. Of the vow made to God in baptisme how great it is and how much to be regarded 209 An Enquiry after a mans Estate before God COLOSS. 4.8 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose that he may know your estate and comfort your hearts THE estate of a man before God is the relation that he standeth in unto God as God is the free fountain of all spirituall life and salvation and the determiner of mens everlasting conditions either in heaven or in hell So that when we question about a mans estate we question Whether he be in Christ or not Whether he have true grace yea or no Whether he be one of Gods children or no or whether he be yet no better then a reprobate There be three things to be considered in this definition of every mans estate First it is a relation unto God not as a man is in himself it may be rich it may be poore in the world but I speak here as he is in relation towards God Whether he be rich towards God yea or no. I do not speak as a man is in regard of others it may be he is a father or a sonne a master or a servant a king or a subject but in relation to God Whether Gods sevant or no Gods child or no. Salute Apelles saith Paul and he telleth us in what estate Apelles was in before God namely in an estate of approbation approved in Christ And the same Apostle speaketh on the contrary of the unconverted Gentiles that they were strangers from the life of God Ephes 4 18. Secondly As it is a relation unto God so it is a standing relation That wherein he standeth towards God that is a mans estate before God There is a difference between one that doth sin and one that is in the state of sinne A child of God may sinne but he is not in a state of sinne you cannot call him a wicked man So also there is difference between one that doeth some good actions and one that is in a good estate A carnall man may do some good things but he is not in a good estate The estate of a man is a standing thing it is the relation that he standeth in towards God Thirdly It is the relation that a man standeth in towards God as he is the free fountain of spirituall life and salvation It is not every standing relation towards God For a man may be considered in relation to God as a Creatour and so the heavens and the earth and the very brute beasts stand in relation to God as they are his creatures but they have not this estate that we speak of which is a relation to God as the free giver of spirituall life and salvation He is free he may choose whether he will give it or no. Now this is a mans estate the relation he standeth in unto God Whether the Lord hath given him his saving grace yea or no spirituall life in Christ Jesus yea or no title to heaven and salvation yea or no this is the meaning when we speak of a mans estate It is said of Sodom They were sinners before God that is they were in a bad estate a state of sinne It is said of Zachary and Elisabeth They were both righteous before God that is they were both in a very good state All Christians believe that there is a God It behoveth every one now to consider in what estate he standeth to his God This is a great question that we which are ministers ought to demand of our people to know their estates First because we are shepherds and are bound to look well how it standeth with our flock If we do not labour to know your estates we can never look well to your souls Consider that place in the Proverbs Be diligent to know the state of thy flock and look well to thy herds Where the wise man first requireth that we should look well to our flocks and then directeth us in the manner how viz. by being diligent to know their estate how it standeth with them Secondly we are Gods
bringeth forth deadnesse earthlinesse impatience evil conversation c these are corrupt fruits and signes of a very bad estate 2. Ye may know what estates ye are in by your inclinations and dispositions from whence these actions proceed Are your hearts inclined heavenward and God-ward as Davids are ye bent to holinesse and self-deniall c. as a bow is bent to shoot the arrow This is a signe of a good estate as 1. Chron. 22.19 there is speech of setting the heart to seek God Ye know when a man will do a thing indeed we say he is set on 't It may be ye do some good duties make some fair offers of seeking God but are your hearts set on 't or are they set on the world and inclined earth-vvard The inclinations of every creature in the vvorld do ever shevv vvhat the creature is Hovv do vve knovv that a stone is heavy Because it inclineth dovvnvvard Hovv do vve knovv a man is cholerick Because he is inclined unto vvrath So a mans estate may be knovvn by his constant inclination either to good or evil 3. One may knovv vvhat estate he is in by that reflexive act which is proper onely to man There is an act in mans soul vve call it a reflex act vvhich no creature hath but onely man vvhereby he can perceive vvhat himself is and doeth When a man thinketh or speaketh he can reflect upon himself and perceive vvhat he thinketh or speaketh vvhen he prayeth he can reflect upon his ovvn heart and perceive hovv it carrieth it self all along in his prayers I say no creature in the vvorld hath in it this reflexive act but onely man The fire burneth but it cannot reflect upon its ovvn burning Oculus non videt se videre The eye seeth but it doth not see that it doth see that is That creature doth not perceive vvhat it doeth vvhen it seeth But every man hath this reflexive act in him vvhereby he is privie to vvhat himself thinketh doeth is None knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man that is in him This is the reason vvhy some knovv not vvhat estate they are in because they choke their ovvn spirit and hoodwink their consciences Thine ovvn heart knovveth hovv it is vvith thee and vvould faithfully tell thee if thou vvouldst enquire of it and hearken unto it Search vvith Gods candle and thou mayst easily find vvhat is in thee The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly 4. Ye may knovv vvhat estate ye are in by a certain kind of feeling As there is a kind of bodily feeling vvhereby every man knovveth the estate of his body whether he be sick or in health so there is a spirituall feeling The tvvo disciples did feel their hearts burn Paul did feel a great combat in him betvveen the flesh and the spirit So if men be covetous and vvorldly they may feel it Yet indeed some men be past feeling Their case is the vvorse because they cannot feel hovv bad it is But for the most they may easily feel what their estate is The third use is to shevv you the impediments that hinder this knovvledge If you vvould attein to knovv vvhat estate you are in then remove the impediments vvhich are 1. Vain thoughts Men vvho are in a state of sinne and vvrath yet have many vain thoughts lodging within them keeping them from knowing it God is mercifull and Christ died for sinners and There be worse sinners then they why should they think so ill of themselves and they may be better all in good time These vain thoughts hoodvvink their eyes that they cannot see their estate nor resolve that it is so dangerous as indeed it is O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickednesse how long shall these vain thoughts lodge within thee They were in a very bad estate and yet they had such vain thoughts that they could not see it 2. Presumption is another impediment Men pray and heare and do other good duties and so take all to be well without serious examining This was the case of the Laodicean people They thought they had that in them which they had not and that their estate was good when it was nothing so 3 Another let are the Cares of this life Whereby the heart is so occupied that it doth not find time to search its own estate Therefore our Saviour saith Take heed that your hearts be not overcharged with the cares of this life lest that day come upon you unawares intimating that these cares are great lets from considering our estates 4. Another let is an Evil conscience which affrighteth a man so soon as he beginneth to stirre and maketh him afraid to go on to look soundly into his estate He that doeth evil hateth the light 5. Another let is Ignorance There is none that understandeth none that seâ—keth after God Mark they did not seek in what case they stood before God because they did not understand 6. Another let is Spirituall sloth and sluggishnesse of heart Men cannot endure to take pains with their own hearts till they have made out a true judgement in what case they are They begin and quickly give over and so for want of diligence and pains-taking make nothing sure The last use is for exhortation That all men would bestirre themselves and set in earnest upon this enquirie That we may every one know in what state we stand 1. Consider this is an enquiry about our souls We enquire about our outward man about the estate of our bodyes and vvorldly affairs c. oh let us not neglect this main enquiry Am I in Christ yea or no Am I a new creature yea or no Doth my soul live to God or no 2. Consider this is a question about our everlasting estate We can never have comfort untill we have put this out of question and therefore this is a question which all questions must give way unto If ye be not in Christ ye had need lay aside all and look about it onely Hovv can men eat drink sleep c. sith the wrath of God abideth upon all unbelievers Methinks our souls should take no content do nothing else but faint after Christ untill we know our interest in him I say again This is the grand enquiry that businesse which all businesses must give place unto Oh the sloth of our souls Let us in time awake and rouse them up and never rest untill we know our own estate to be good before God that so our hearts may have comfort and that with God A Treatise of Conscience ROM 2.15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing them witnesse and their thoughts in the mean while accusing or else excusing one another I Have shewed you That every man is in an estate before God And that hath
then and they go about to shake it off Alas why do ye go about that which is utterly impossible Ye may suppresse it for a while and gagge it for a while but ye can never shake it off Conscience sticketh so close that a man may as soon shake off himself as his conscience And indeed his conscience is himself Let a man examine himself that is his conscience Judge in your selves that is Judge in your consciences Thirdly this confuteth that drunken opinion That conscience is nothing but a present fit of melancholy No It causeth it may be the present melancholick fit but it is not it Conscience is a standing power in a man that is evermore with him and will evermore judge him and condemne him if he be guiltie before God It will be with him when his dumpish fit is over Let him laugh and be merry yet conscience lies at the bottome of all and will spoyl all the mirth Let the drunkard be never so joviall I will not believe but conscience in the midst of that drunken mirth causeth some sadnesse within and telleth him this is a very wicked life Let the carnall hypocrite daub up the matter with good duties and good prayers and good hopes I cannot believe but there is a conscience lieth at the bottome and telleth him he is rotten for all this You may see this in Cain He had been at a good duty sacrificing to the Lord but his countenance fell when he had done conscience did lie at the bottome and did tell him God did not accept him Conscience is with evil men at church at sermon at sacrament and telleth them secretly that they are not the persons to whom the blessing of these ordinances belong Lastly this may be for exhortation to the godly That they would consider this that they have ever a conscience within them and that therefore they would labour alwayes to keep it void of offence which was Pauls exercise Acts 24.16 Take head you offend not your consciences in duties of piety towards God in your prayings hearings c. no nor in your callings eatings drinkings liberties recreations Look alwayes to your consciences that you offend them not because they are ever with you When two live ever together they had need not offend one another else there will be no quiet You and your consciences must ever live together if ye offend them ye are like to have very ill lives Better live with a curst scold then live with an offended conscience ye had better offend the whole world then offend conscience There are none whom ye are alwayes to live with but conscience ye are alwayes to live with Ye are not alwayes to live with your husbands nor alwayes with your wives nor alwayes with your parents or masters there is a time when you must part but conscience and you will never part Therefore labour to keep it void of offence And thus much of the first proposition There is in every man a conscience Proposition II. The light that conscience acteth by is knowledge THis knowledge is twofold 1. Of Gods law 2. Of our selves 1. The knowledge of Gods law To know Gods will what is good what is bad whaâ— God commandeth what he forbiddeth Every man under heaven hath this law of God in some measure writ in his conscience I confesse Gods children onely know Gods law to purpose as it is a light to guide them in the way oâ— salvation but all the world have some measure of knowledge whereby they may gather thaâ— there is a God and that he ought to be worshipped and obeyed and that he hath poweâ— over life and death All the world have knowledge in some measure what is good and what is not what is to be done and what not what is according to conscience and what not All the world have this knowledge in some measure I do not say enough for salvation but enough to make them inexcusable before God for not following that light and not living according to that knowledge which they have If there were not some light in this behalf some knowledge of the law of God in every man conscience could do nothing 2. Knowledge of our selves This also is the light that conscience acteth by There is in every man some measure of knowledge of himself according to the measure of knowledge that he hath of Gods law Our consciences look backward and forward forward to Gods law and backward on our selves Whether we be such as Gods law requireth yea or no. First ye may find this in good men This light did the conscience of David go by I was upright before God saith his conscience and I kept my self from mine own iniquitie His conscience had a light whereby he knew what he did Secondly ye shall find this in wicked men This light the conscience of Achan went by I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel and thus and thus have I done These are the two lights that every mans conscience goes by It hath light in some measure to know the law of God what he should do and what he should not do and it hath light in some measure to know himself what he hath done or not done whether he hath done as he should yea or no. Now these two lights are necessary as thus I prove First the knowledge of Gods law is necessary For else conscience cannot work A drunkard might be drunk every day in the yeare and yet conscience could not trouble him nor condemne him of sinne unlesse he knew the law That God hath forbid drunkennesse And so the swearer And so evil words and bad thoughts conscience cannot accuse for unlesse there be so much light as to know they are forbidden And therefore Divines do all say that the Synteresis is necessarie to the exercise of conscience The Synteresis is this When a man keeps in his mind the knowledge of the things conteined in Gods law namely That we must obey God honour our parents not commit adultery not kill not steal not lie not covet c. Unlesse the knowledge of these be kept in mind conscience cannot work And therefore when we would stirre a mans conscience we appeal to his knowledge Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God As if he had said Your own consciences may condemne you to the pit of hell if ye be unrighteous because your Synteresis can tell you that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God This is the reason why we say that there is a naturall conscience and there is an illuminated conscience because some have no light but onely the light of nature some have besides the light of Gods word which sheweth that which nature sheweth and much more clearly and teacheth many things more which nature cannot teach And hence the conscience of the illightned condemneth for such things as the naturall