The Court of Conscience, Title page – Table of contents
THE COVRT OF CONSCIENCE: OR, IOSEPHS BRETHRENS IVDGEMENT BARRE.
BY THOMAS BARNES.
2. COR. 1.12.
Our reioycing is this, the teſtimonie of our conſcience, that in ſimplicitie and godly ſinceritie, &c.
The guiltineſſe of the conſcience is the mother of feare. Chryſoſt.
LONDON, Printed by IOHN DAVVSON for Nathaniel Newbery, and are to be ſold at the Star vnderunder St. Peters Church in Corne-hill and Popes-head Alley. 1623.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL WILLIAM TOWSE Sergeant at Law, one of His MAIESTIES Iuſtice of Peace in Eſſex: As alſo to the Right Worſhipfull, the Lady KATHERINE BARNARDISTON, his beloued Wife, both my much reſpected friends. The Author wiſheth the bleſſings of this life and the next.
RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL,
IT was a ſaying of one of theaAmbr. an Conſtan. Duo ſunt tibi neceſſaria, conſcientia & fama, conſcientia propter te, fama propter proximu…. Fathers, in an Epiſtle to one of his friends: Two things are needfull for thee, conſcience, and credite, conſcience for thy ſelfe, credite for thy neighbour. And not without reaſon ſpake he this; for the one is an inward witneſſe, the other giues an outward teſtimony of our doings. The one ſerues to breed inward conſolation, the other to bring outward commendation. But notwithſtanding the neceſsitie of both, yet the beſt of the two is leaſt regarded, the Philoſophers ſaying being most true:bSenec. de morib. Plerique famam, conſcientiam autem pauci verentur. Many feare their credite, but few their conſcience. So it fared (as it ſeemes) with thoſe ten ſonnes of holy Iacob, who did miſ-uſe his beloued Ioſeph: So they might hide that wrong they did their brother, and ſaue their credite with their father, little cared they (vntill diſtreſſe awaked them) how matters ſtood in the Court within them. So alſo it fares with the Secret ſinners, and Ciuill liuers of our dayes. To keepe their name good amongst men they are very curious, but to hauehave a cleere witneſſe in their owne conſcience, they are nothing ſtudious. That this euill might be ſomewhat helped, this Treatiſe hauehave I compiled; wherein my ſcope is to bring men to a care of their Conſciences as well as their names, knowing the one to be as needfull to cleere them from blame before the Barre of heauen, as the other to keepe them from ſhame amongst men. For (if Salomon ſaith true) though a good name be better then a precious oyntment cEccl. 7.1.Yet, A good conſcience is a continuall banquet dProu. 15.15.. If any one aske the reaſon of this my drift: my reaſon is two-fold. Firſt, becauſe conſcience is fearefull in accuſing. Secondly, becauſe conſcience is faithfull in recording: which two things (amongst others, according to the tenour of the text) are principally and moſt largely handled in this Treatiſe. And good I deſire all may doe in, and to the Iſrael of God.
To your Worſhips I thought good to dedicate the ſame: though worthier papers were fitter for your Patronage. If I were not confident of acceptation: I ſhould not preſume to preſent you with it. Albeit, indeede it had beene fit that my firſt friends, ſhould hauehave had my firſt fruits, yet I hope my ſecond publike labours in this kinde, will not be vnwelcome. Howſoeuer, I owe them, your Worſhips vndeſerued fauours ſhowne mee, challenge the ſame, and more at my hands. If you pleaſe to vouchſafe them the reading. I doubt not but you ſhall finde ſomething profitable, though plainly deliuered in an homely ſtile. If you pleaſe to afford them the protection, being ſo ſimple and ſmall as they are, you ſhall get me into ſtronger bonds, continually to wiſh to both your Worſhips, what Iohn did on the behalfe duplicate page duplicate page of the Elect Ladie, and Noble Gaius, euen to your ſoules: Grace, peace and merciemercy e2. Ioh. 3.: to your bodies health and proſperitie f3. Ioh. 2.: For which he promiſeth to pray, who is
Your Worſhips at command, in and for the Lord. THOMAS BARNES.
The Table of the firſt part,
In this text are two parts,
1. Certaine Accuſers touching whom note
1. The occaſiō that brought them in, in this word AND, wherein
1. The meaning, pag. 1.
2. The 1. Doctrine of the text, that affliction doth oft awake conſcience, and mooue to confeſſion, pag. 6. where
1. Proofe. pag. 8.
2. Vſe threefold.
1. Reproofe. pag. 12.
2. Exhortation two-fold,
1. To make a right vſe of affliction. p. 14.
2. To be patient in affliction. p. 19.
3. Information of 2. things,
1. Why God afflicteth his people. p. 17.
2. That God by affliction will hauehave glorie from the reprobate. page. 18.
2. What manner of perſons theſe accuſers were, They ſaid one to another, where
1. The meaning. pag 6.
2. The 2. doctrine of the Text. That cō ſcience accuſeth. wherein
1. Proofe. pag. 21.
2. An obiection anſwered. pag. 23.
3. A doubt remooued, p. 26.
1. Confutation. pag. 31.
2. Conſolation. pag. 35.
3. Terrour pag. 42.
4. Exhortation both to get and keep a good conſcience, pag. 47. where are alſo ſet downe helpes.
1. To get a good conſcience, and to be cured of a bad. pag. 50.
2. To keepe a good conſcience, and to be kept from an euill. pag. 62.
4. Vſe foure fold.