may call it the Essence of Conscience Secondly we will examine and consider its manner of operation and acting in all men Now the very Essence of Conscience is Knowledge for no man can have a Conscience to himself of any thing which he does not know nor of any thing further than he does know it For Example I know that GOD is and that He is to be worshipped and therefore my Conscience tells me I am obliged to act according to that knowledge and that I ought to adore him I know that no Creature is to be worshipped with Divine Adoration and therefore my Conscience tells me I sin against knowledge if I give Adoration by worshipping either Men or Angels much more if I bestow it upon the more ignoble parts of the Creation Gold Silver Wood Stone Creeping Things Birds or Four-footed Beasts I do not certainly know whether Saints departed this Life can hear my Prayers though made to them in the most modest sence and in the same nature as I would do if they were alive beg of them to pray or intercede for me and therefore if I do not pray to them to pray for me my Conscience does not accuse me of having neglected a Duty which I ought to have done or sinning against my knowledge So that it is clear that to Know is of the Essence of Conscience so that there can be no Conscience without it Now Scientia est de certis indubitatis all knowledge is of certain and undoubted things and this certainty which is the foundation of knowledge is grounded either upon the demonstration of Sence Reason or Divine Revelation and whatever I know it is because I have a certainty that it is such in its own nature either from the evidence of Sence which cannot deceive me or from clear and plain Reason or else from a positive Divine Revelation which proceeds from him who therefore will not because he cannot deceive me being Truth it self And therefore if the things I would know be either in their own nature uncertain as are all future contingencies and many past actions of former Ages about which I want sufficient means of a certain information I can have no knowledge of them and by consequence no obligation upon my mind to believe them or act according to them But wheresoever there is a certainty of knowledge either from Sence Reason or Divine Revelation there my mind is not left at liberty but has an obligation laid upon it to act or not to act according to the commands of that knowledge And that this is not my private opinion but agreeable to the greatest Truth let the most learned Apostle St. Paul give his testimony in that well known place Rom. 14. ult Whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin For by Faith there cannot be meant that supernatural Gift and Grace of believing to salvation because every thing to be known or done is not the object of that Faith and therefore as appears by the fifth Verse by Faith there he understands that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that full assurance of a mans own mind which is no other thing but the result of a certainty of knowledge of what he ought to do or not to do and is properly opposed to that doubting and wavering of a mans mind occasioned by the want of knowledge and therefore he tells us it is a damnable sin to do that which I doubt I ought not For saith he he that doubteth is damned if he eat because it is not of Faith that is of a full assurance of knowledge that what he does is lawful for to such a person till he have a full assurance from a certain knowledge that it is not it is sin because for ought he knows it may be so and the Rule tells him he is to abstain from the very appearance of evil and Reason tells him Tutum est errare à dextra it is the best to err on the right hand by abstaining from that which I am not fully assured of but it may be sinful and for this very reason the same Apostle tells us that the occasion of those mistakes in the Church about eating things offered in sacrifice to Idols proceeded from a want of this knowledge Howbeit saith he there is not in every man this knowledge and for want of this he tells them their Consciences were weak that is their minds were doubtful and some were of one persuasion others of another about it So that knowledge being of the Essence of Conscience and certainty being of the Essence of knowledge it follows that Conscience properly so called cannot be exercised but about such things as are certainly known and therefore absolutely necessary to be believed or done which plainly shews the unwarrantable doctrine and practice of some men who impose many things upon People as indispensible matter of Conscience which in their own nature admit of the greatest doubt and uncertainty and which they have no lawful authority to establish as obligatory to the Minds and Consciences of Men. But to confirm this Secondly let us examine the manner of operation and acting of Conscience in all Men Now the exercise of Conscience consists in these two things First I inquire with my self whether I have done what I ought or abstained from what I ought Secondly I inquire If I have done or abstained as I ought whether I have done it after that manner and with those due circumstances as I ought Now in both these operations the necessity of them is the Rule and the foundation of that necessity is my certain knowledge that they are so for thus I judge I have done this because I certainly know in obedience to the Rule I ought to do it I have abstained from that because I certainly know that I ought of necessity not to do it I have done it after this manner because I am certainly assured that this was according to the way directed by my Rule therefore my Conscience that is my power of judging my self pronounces for me that I have done right and well and then my Mind or Conscience being satisfied I am at ease and quiet within my self and this is called a good Conscience or peace of Conscience On the contrary when I have done either what I certainly know I ought not or but doubt I ought not to have done or omitted what I am assured I ought to have done or where I have not done what I ought to do according as I ought to have done it for the manner of performance with all due circumstances my Conscience tells me I have not done well or according to my knowledge and therefore my mind is unquiet and unsatisfied haunted with guilt of the evil and terrified with the fearful expectation of punishment and this is called an evil Conscience or to speak more properly a Conscience of evil But if there be no command to act or to abstain nor any directions for the manner and circumstances
of my Actions I find no certainty of knowledge and so no absolute necessity within my self to act or not to act to abstain or not to abstain or if I do any such action where I am left at liberty I find no necessity of doing it this way or the other but am left to my own freedom because I have no certainty of knowledge from the Rule to determine me so that if I do it my Conscience does not accuse me if I do it not I find no uneasie guilt to sit heavy upon my mind for the neglect and what way soever I perform it still my mind is at peace and quiet with it self and all because there is no certainty of knowledge from the Rule and therefore no necessity or determination and so by plain consequence no part of the dominion of Conscience for this necessity of knowledge is the Law of Conscience and where there is no Law Rom. 4.15 there can be no transgression no obligation nor afflicting guilt Let not any person now think that I have straitned the Diocess of this Universal Bishop or to speak without offence this Overseer of the World for thus far his proper and absolute Jurisdiction does extend it self But Conscience has likewise a collateral dominion over all indifferent Actions which is thus All our Actions which may be done or not done without sin on either part are called Indifferent As for example If for my health or pleasure I design to take the Air it is indifferent whether I ride or walk or whether I go into that fair Field or this fresh Meadow Now all these actions though in their own Nature free and indifferent have yet this necessity upon them that they ought to carry a respect to the forementioned great designs of God's glory and the happiness of the Universe and therefore ought to be addressed to those ends and managed accordingly and if any indifferent action does not in some measure contribute to these ends I am bound in conscience not to do it Which seems to be the reason of the great severity our Saviour pronounces against idle words S Matth 12.36 not onely such as are contrary to those ends but such as by their being uncapable of contributing to those great designs are therefore sinful and unlawful because useless and unprofitable Thus for me to ride or walk to take the benefit of the fresh and free air though in its own nature free and left to my choice yet I have this obligation upon me that I ought to chuse that part which either from my own or better judgments may be thought most proper and conducive to my health that so I may be in a better capacity to praise and glorifie my Creator for and by the advantage of health strength vigour and alacrity of Mind and Body and that by these I may be enabled both for my own part to participate of the bountiful happiness which kind Heaven has so plentifully bestowed upon this life and also that I may be in a better capacity to promote and advance the happiness of my fellow Creatures so far as my power does extend it self and therefore in order to this I am not to be injurious to any person nor in taking the Air to ride or walk over the eared Corn or full grown Meadows and all this not onely out of an obligation to Humane Laws or for fear of an Action of Trespass a Clausum fregit or Pedibus ambulando but for Conscience sake because I am bound by the Rule to do good to all but injury to none And this truly explains the meaning of St. Paul in those two places 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do let all be done for the glory of God And Whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. ult that is Whatsoever indifferent action I do I ought to have a full assurance that it is not contrary but conducive to this great design of the glory of God in the happiness of the Creation CHAP. VI. The occasion of those Differences amongst us about matters of Conscience proceeds from the mistake of Opinion and private persuasion for Conscience What Opinion is and what Persuasion and how they differ from Conscience THus far I think it is clear what Conscience is and how far its proper Dominion does extend Now that Conscience thus rightly understood does universally and absolutely oblige all men I cannot think there are any will make the least scruple unless it be such whose Consciences are seared with an hot Iron and given up to that unthinking sense which the Apostle speaks of and to those who are past feeling I do not address my self or this Discourse But the misfortune of our Age does not lie in this particular we may have some of those who have no Conscience but we have multitudes of others who are so far from having none that they are all Conscience who strain at every Gnat and make every thing a scruple and matter of Conscience in the strictest sense I do heartily wish whilst they do so that they do not swallow many a Camel and in the end make shipwrack of true Faith Charity and by consequence of a good Conscience For such as these are were these Papers intended with all Christian tenderness and compassion if possible to give them a right understanding of what is so infinite dear and tender to them For to my certain knowledge as by much experience and frequent conferences with many of them I am able to affirm most of this sort of People who pretend to be acted by Conscience in every thing are not yet able to give a tollerable account what Conscience is 'T is something within them but they know not what some of them I am confident are so stupid as to believe it to be some living thing within them distinct from both Soul and Body And I remember a Quaker to whom I put the Question a little hastily What was Conscience after he had shewn his great surprize and ignorance by being in every joynt a Quaker and the first that ever I saw do the trick he very confidently as well as blasphemously told me it was the Spirit of the Lord. I demanded if he meant the Holy Ghost the Third Person in the Blessed Trinity To which he answered Yea. Which makes me fear that more who are not of his persuasion yet may be of his sense and believe what they call Conscience within them to be some Omnipotent thing to which every thing ought to bow and obey There have been and will be in all Ages some men who do ill with a design and knowledge of doing ill others there are who do ill with a design of doing well to both these it is that we may ascribe those unhappy divisions amongst us under the pretence of Conscience And had they taken half that pains and care rightly to instruct People what Conscience is that they have
breach of Communion and I know there are and have been many eminent Men in the Church of God who have wholly differ'd in their judgments about some abstruse Points of Divinity without prejudicing the Peace and Vnity either of the Church or State in regard they defended them only as their private Persuasions and were both too modest prudent and charitably honest to disturb the Peace and Quiet of the Church or State by endeavouring to impose their particular judgments in things not clear and evident as necessary Doctrines of Faith or Practice upon the Consciences of all other Men. The main and grand Differences between the Church of England and all those who have separated themselves from her Communion so far as I am able to discover by the Writings of the several Parties are either about the Government it self or about the circumstances and manner of Worship That there ought to be Government in the Church I suppose all Parties will readily acknowledge because a great Apostle tells us God is the God of Order and not of Confusion 1 Cor. 14.33 39. in all the Churches of God by which it is plain that that is no Church of God which is not under Government or which countenances Confusion and therefore the same Apostle absolutely commands That all things be done decently and with Order The thing that is complained of is That this way of Government by the Episcopal Hierarchie being no where in plain and positive Words and Commands thus set down ordered and established in Scripture which is the Rule of Conscience therefore it ought not to be imposed tyrannically and imperiously upon Men of weak and tender Consciences especially when another and better way of Government more agreeable to the Scriptures and Primitive Simplicity of the Gospel is now found out and discovered For though Government in its own Nature be absolutely necessary yet where God does not interpose any positive Command or Directions as he did concerning the Jewish Church there this or that Government are equally indifferent and the best is to be chosen and preferred before the rest How weak a Plea and Refuge this is to call for and expect plain and express Words Commands or Directions from Scripture for every thing we do or believe every Man must acknowledge who does but consider that we owe even the Belief of some of the Articles of our Faith to consequences from Scripture and not to plain positive and express words As for Example that of the Mystery of the Glorious Trinity in Vnity three Persons but one God which words are not to be found in all the Holy Canon How much more unreasonable is it then to expect express Words and Commands of Scripture for Government in the Church which is of a far more inferior Concern than Faith And how dangerous a matter it is to admit of this Proposition That nothing is to be believed or done for which there cannot be brought a clear and positive place of Scripture let all Christians judge And whether if it were as heartily practised as it is by some Men vigorously prest it would not root out the very foundation of all Religion But we will join issue with them upon the Point and give them a fair tryal at the Bar of Conscience their own Judge upon their own Assertion If therefore Government being undetermined by Scripture be indifferent whether this or that and the best to be preferred How shall it be determined and by what Authority which way of Government in the Church is the best For till there be such a determination as before has been made appear it can be no more than Private Opinion and therefore can lay no more Obligation upon any Mans Conscience to yield Obedience to it than any other particular Persuasion does which can only oblige those who are of the same Persuasion and only so long as they continue so and no longer nor any others who are not so persuaded and therefore by the Rule of Liberty of Conscience are free and ought not to be imposed upon for fear of wounding their tender Consciences which is the direct and ready way to have as many several Governments and distinct Churches as there are Men of several Minds and Persuasions about which is the best it being certain that if Men be left to their liberty every Man abounding in his own sence will esteem best of his own way and according to the Proverb Every Crow will think his own Bird fairest which in plain English at last must amount to Anarchy instead of Vnity and Confusion in the room of that Decency and Order which God expects and requires in all his Churches For the Scriptures leave it in suspence and at least are silent as to most particularities of Government there being no more plain and express words for any sort of Government which any of the Dissenters would establish than there are for that against which they contend and all Parties will plead the Scriptures speak as much or more for their way of Government than for any other Let us therefore try who will have the advantage and bid fairest for such a determination as shall oblige all mens Consciences according to the forementioned Rules how any indifferent matters of Opinion or Persuasion such as the Question in dispute must be according as they have stated it become necessary and obligatory to all mens Consciences First therefore we have reason to believe that the way of Government now establish'd in the Church of England is the best because we find it does not contradict any known Rule or positive Command of Scripture but on the contrary all its Commands Directions Doctrine and Practise are founded upon and derived if not from plain words as most of them are yet from most evident sense and consequences of Scripture which as before was intimated concerning the Articles of Faith are as obligatory to Conscience as Scripture it self Secondly This way of Government as it is now established appears to follow the better more sure and warrantable part of our Judgment in indifferent things so as to make them become obliging and that in both its branches viz. First it is agreeable to the Judgment Approbation Example and Practise of the best men in all Ages from the Apostolick times as will be evident to all who shall without partiality peruse the Scriptures themselves where there are many not imperfect traces and footsteps of this way of Government so far established as the Powers of the Heathen Governments who then had all the Civil and Temporal Jurisdiction would permit But there is a whole Cloud of Witnesses for it in the universal consent practise approbation and defence of all those holy men from the Apostles times who though not divinely inspired yet were men of such eminent Integrity and Piety as would not permit them to write any thing directly contrary to the Primitive truth which some of them did immediately receive from the mouths of the