Christian See to Thy Conscience, Treatise · Chapter 13 – Chapter 16
CHAP. 13. Of the third act and office of Conſcience.
COnſcience playing the part of a true friend, and not of a flatterer, and diſcouering man to himſelfe concerning his waies, either good or euill, in the next place it becomes to be his Director and Teacher, as Dauids Conſcience taught him, Pſalm. 16. 7. It is like a good Schoole-Maſter, teaching and well ordering his Schollers.
Now this office of Conſcience is exerciſed, as a Guide & Director, in three things, either commanded, or forbidden, or indifferent.
Section 1. Of things commanded.
COnſcience directeth in duties commanded, and this it doth by inſtigation, vponupon the Vnderſtandings information, Iſai. 30. 21. In which place the Knowledge informeth & ſaith, This is the way; then the Conſcience ſtirreth and ſets Man forward, ſaying, Walke in it. Thus did it with Pilate, who was informed that Chriſt was righteous, that he of enuy was deliuered to him; yea alſo he himſelfe found nothing in Chriſt worthy of death; therfore his cōſcience moued him to do him iuſtice, it ſaid to him, Deliuer him, ſet him free, pronounce him innocent, waſh thy hands of innocent blood. This office of Conſcience made him for a while ſo beſtir himſelfe, as Matthew ſheweth Chap. 27. though paſſion of worldly feare ouer-bore it at the laſt.
Section 2. Of things forbidden.
COnſcience as it ſtirreth vp man to his duty; ſo it ſeekes to reſtraine and bridle from euill. For vponupon information of any thing to bee ſinne, it preſently ſends out a prohibition. Reuben knew it was not lawfull to kill his brother Ioſeph; therefore ſaid Conſcience to him, beware thou then, doe it not, but ſeeke to deliuer him out of the hands of the reſt, as he did, Gen. 37. 21. Ioſeph knew adultery to be ſinne againſt God, therefore conſcience forbids him, and commanded him to deny her requeſt, and to flie out of the roomeGen. 39. 8. 9. 12. where ſhe was, as he did.
Section 3. Of things indifferent, and Rules thereof.
COnſcience directeth a man euen in and about things of themſelues indifferent, which are neither commanded nor forbidden: becauſe the word preſcribeth rules to be obſerued in the vſe of indifferent things, which rules are theſe.
1. That it be expedient and profitable, 1. Cor. 6. 12. and 10. 23. 2. That it bee not to the loſſe of Chriſtian libertie, to bee brought vnderunder the power thereof, 1. Cor. 6. 12. 3. That wee become not an offence, Rom. 14. 20. or a ſtumbling blocke to the weake, and cauſe them by our example to be emboldened to doe that, which otherwiſe their conſcience doth not approue of, Rom. 14. 13. 1. Cor. 8. 9. 10. 13. this is called the wounding of their conſcience, 1. Cor. 8. 12. 4. That the thing tend to edifying; that is, to inſtruct and further others in the ſtudy of pietie, and of welldoing, Ro. 14. 19. 1. Cor. 10. 23. 5. That it bee for decency and order, 1. Cor. 14. 40. 6. That it tend to peace, not grieuing others, to make them to ſpeake euill, Rom. 14. 15. 1. Cor. 10. 16. 30. 7. And laſtly, that God may thereby bee glorified, 1. Cor. 10. 31.
To theſe Rules Conſcience hath an eye in the vſe of things indifferent; of which, in reſpect of themſelues, no queſtion for conſcience ſake ſhould bee made, 1. Cor. 10. 25. 27. but onelyonly as the Rules bind Conſcience in the vſe duplicate page duplicate page therof, according to which it warrants or inhibits vsus. Thus it dealt with Paul, allowing him libertie to pleaſe all men (in things indifferent) to gaine ſome to God, 1. Cor. 10. 33. but otherwiſe, when it ſhould offend any good Chriſtian, then it reſtrained him, though the matter in it ſelfe was very indifferent, 1. Cor. 8. 13. Rom. 14. 21.
Thus wee ſee how Conſcience directeth in all theſe three; yet not at all times alike, no not in the beſt: and with ſome difference in men, as in apprehenſion they be quicke or ſlow, or ſound of iudgement or weake to iudge: for thereafter doth Conſcience more or leſſe moue to well doing, or more or leſſe reſtraine and bridle from euill.
Seeing this is the act of Conſcience in all theſe, let vsus hearken thereunto: and doe what we doe for Conſcience ſake, that is, becauſe our Conſcience dictates to vsus our dutie herein from the Lord, Ro. 13. 5. 1. Pet. 2. 13.
If this be ſo, then hence may bee reproued, Firſt, ſuch as regard not Conſcience direction, neither in things commanded, nor forbidden, but liue as void of all Conſcience▪ Secondly, ſuch as hearken to it ſometime, and in ſome things; but in other things, at ſome other time regard it not. Thirdly, ſuch as thinke Conſcience to hauehave nothing to doe in things indifferent, and therefore doe they take what liberty they liſt herein, not caring to be offenſiue, & to grieue others: but let ſuch conſider theſe things: Firſt, that the Apoſtle hath preſcribed Rules herein, which Conſcience binds vntounto. Secondly, that hee propounds his owne example, as one ſtrictly obſeruing the ſame. Thirdly, that he preſſeth the keeping of the Rule, 1. Corint. 10. 28. 29. Fourthly, that hee diſſwadeth from the careleſſe breach of the Rules, Rom. 14. and 1. Cor. 8. & 10. And thus much for the third act and office of Conſcience: which too many are ignorant of, and few regard to take notice of, and to follow as they ought.
CHAP. 16. Of the fourth act and office of Conſcience.
COnſcience, vponupon it directing of man, doth obſerue him well, whether he doth obey, or diſobey, and thereafter ſets downe both his obedience and rebellion, and ſo it becomes Gods Regiſter or Notarie, to keepe in record all things which man doth here in the body, whether it bee good or euill, againſt the Iudgement Day, where account muſt bee made of all things, ſecret as well as open, 2. Cor. 5. 10. Eccleſ. 12. 14.
Thus is Conſcience continually exerciſed, though it ſeeme to be dead, and to ſay nothing: for this muſt we know, That though Conſcience bee not euer ſpeaking to Rebels againſt God, yet is it euer writing. Therfore hath it the name of a booke, Reuel. 20. 12. in which God will hauehave ſet downe all things. By this is it, that God will ſet all wicked mens ſinnes before eueryevery one of them in order, Pſal. 50. 21. Of this writing ſpeakes Iob, Chap. 13. 26. who thereby was made to behold the ſinnes of his youth: by this, after many yeeres, the Patriarches did ſee their owne enuy, their vnnaturall cruelty to their brother, Gen. 42. 21. for time blots out no ſinne, but repentance, and pardon from heauen.
Let vsus therefore now learne to take heed what we doe; for God hath ſet a Spie ouer vsus to watch our wayes, and to note them downe, all our thoughts, affections, inclinations, purpoſes, reſolutions, words and deeds, to remember vsus of them before God, when he ſhall pleaſe to call vsus to an account.
As this is terrible to the wicked vponupon due conſideration of his manifold euils; ſo is it comfortable to ſuch as liue godly, for their well-doing is written vp for their conſolation, though the vngratefull World take no notice thereof, and forget them.