Christian See to Thy Conscience, Treatise · Chapter 23 – Chapter 24
CHAP. 23. Of the ſtill and quiet ill Conſcience.
THere is a ſtill and quiet ill Conſcience; yet not ſo ſtill, and quiet, as not ſtirring at all, but it is ſo termed, for that commonly and for the moſt part it is ſtill, or ſo weakely ſtirring, as if it ſtirred not at all. One compareth this to a dumbe miniſter in a Pariſh, that either cannot or will not ſpeake to reforme his people, but lets them quietly runne on to deſtruction.
Section 1. In whom it is.
THis is the Conſcience of all dull Nabals, and the muddy ſpirited; of ſuch as reſt vponupon their conceited good and quiet natures; of ſuch as be ciuilized and reſt vponupon their ciuility: of the high and proud conceited fellow in his outward proſperity, wiſe in his owne eyes, and cleane in his owne ſight, yet not clenſed from his filthineſſe: and it is the Conſcience of all ſuch, in whom the ſtrong man keeps peaceable poſſeſſion. Luk. 11. 21.
Section 2. It is an euill Conſcience.
THis is an euill Conſcience be it neuer ſo quiet, becauſe it performes not it office: becauſe it lets man alone in his wicked courſes, which a good conſcience neither can, nor will permit. Becauſe it ſuffers a man to runne to hell headlong, without ſtay.
Section 3. The cauſes hereof.
THis ill Conſcience thus quiet happeneth many waies. Firſt, through ignorance, and eſpecially willfull, when a man knowes not the rule that binds conſcience, nor cares at all to be acquainted with it, nor ruled by it. They ſay of the Rule, as Pharaoh did of the Lord, who is the Lord, I know not the Lord, neither will I let Iſraell goe.
2. Through ſelfe-pleaſing and an vnſound applauding of a mans ſelfe; becauſe he profeſſeth religion, though it be without power; becauſe as a Herod he doth many things, and heares a Iohn Baptiſt now and then, though in his beloued ſin hee hates to be reformed: becauſe hee ſeeth himſelfe, perhaps, free from the fall of a Dauid, of a Noah, of a Lot, of a Peter.
3. By his bleſſing ofDeut. 29. 19. himſelfe, upon the former grounds, againſt all threats and legall denunciations, as not belonging vntounto him: but to perſons more vile: for his part he hath made a couenant with death and hell, Iſai. 28.
4. By ſeeing and knowing that his waies & courſe is conformable to the common faſhion and eſteeme of the world, that his ſtate is quiet, and hee liuing Neighbourly as others do, and held to be a quiet man.
5. By auoiding whatſoeuer may ſtirre the Conſcience, to make it vnquiet any way; as the reading of Gods word, meditation vponupon his law, a ſharp reproouing miniſtery comming home to the heart.
And laſtly, ſerious examination of themſelues in Gods ſight by his Law.
Theſe be the cauſes, why many cry peace, peace, when there is no peace.
Section 4. How a man may know when his quiet Conſcience is this ill Conſcience.
THat a man therefore may not bee deceiued with this falſe peace; hee may know this quietneſſe of his Conſcience not to be good, thus.
1 From the falſe ground, of this quietneſſe, ſuch as before is mentioned, and not from faith and repentance.
2. From the euer quietneſſe thereof, neuer hauing felt it to diſquiet thee: for no man naturally being corrupt hath a quiet good Conſcience.
3. By it ſuffering thee in euils, and eſpecially in theſe, In formall worſhipping of God, hearing, praying, receiuing the Sacrament without any power at all of Religion. In continuall neglect of religious gouernment of thy family, In liuing out of, or idlely in a calling; for ſuch a one is ſlothfull, vnprofitable, and wicked, Mat. 25, and therefore cannot hauehave a good quiet Conſcience. In being reſpectleſſe of thy Paſtor, eſpecially for ſeeking thy reformation, in prophaning the Lords day. Sinnes, which theſe quiet Conſciences neuer trouble themſelues with: and yet are the moſt liuely touchſtone of an vnregenerate ſpirit.
4. By not daring to bring thy thoughts, words, and deeds to the rule, and there take a ſtreight account thereof, which a good Conſcience dare doe.
5. By thy vnquietneſſe, without comfort, at the preaching of the law, at the preſſing of the ſtrict marks of Gods children, and the diſcouery thereby of thy ſelfe to be none of them, but one as yet ſeparated from them. A good conſcience will comfort a man in hearing ſuch marks, and of ſuch a cloſe preſſing of theſe things to their conſciences, becauſe he that hath a good Conſcience hath theſe marks, and is free from the rigour and curſe of the Law.
Laſtly, by the trouble and feare it workes in thee, in ſickeneſſe becauſe of death, in time of affliction and Gods hand vponupon thee, apprehending GODS wrath, without any comfort; for ſurely then the former quietneſſe was not good: becauſe a good quiet conſcience is not ſo terrifying at ſuch times, but ſpeakes peace to him that hath it, as well then, as in health, and proſperity, except it happen otherwiſe vnderunder ſome ſtrong temptation.
Section 5. Of the effects of this ſtill, quiet ill Conſcience.
IT ſhall bee profitable to eueryevery man to trie the quietneſſe of his conſcience; for the effects of the ſtill il Conſcience are very fearefull. Firſt, it lulles him a ſleep in an vnſanctified courſe of life, making him beleeue that hee hath a good Conſcience, becauſe it is quiet. Secondly, it makes him hereupon carnally ſecure till death and deſtruction come vponupon him; ſo it deceiueth him, and damneth him. Here it lets him bee wicked, and hereafter to become moſt wretched: here at reſt, there in torment: here it will not diſquiet, but there be the gnawing worme for euer.
Section 6. Of the remedie hereof.
THe fault of this ill conſcience is, that it is ſtill and quiet when it ſhould not; the remedy therefore is to make it ſpeake when, and as often as it ought in directing man that hee go not amiſſe, and in checking man for ſinne when he hath treſpaſſed, and this is, by remouing the falſe grounds of this falſe peace before named. Then ſecondly, by knowing the ſound cauſes of a quiet conſcience, faith in Chriſt Ieſus, repentance for ſinne, and a holy conuerſation and ſearch whether wee hauehave them. Thirdly, By informing our vnderſtandings of our duties according to the Rule, and applying it dayly to our conſcience, till it ſpeake, and performe it offices, as the Rule binds it.
CHAP. 24. Of the dead Conſcience, the firſt difference of the ſtill quiet ill Conſcience.
THe dead Conſcience is the quiet ill Conſcience, as it were without all life and motion, as a thing that is dead.
This is the Conſcience of Infants, as not yet hauing the vſe of their vnderſtanding: alſo of mad perſons, which hauehave loſt their reaſō, franticke, and lunatick. It is the conſcience of all ſuchEpheſ. 2. 1. as be dead in ſins and treſpaſſes, as the prodigallLuk. 15. 31. 1. Tim. 5. 6 ſonne once, the wanton widow, and all meere naturall perſons accuſtomed to ſinne, and ſuch as be paſtEpheſ. 4. 18. feeling, committing wickedneſſe with greedineſſe.
The cauſes of this deadneſſe is the loſſe of the light of the vnderſtanding, the life of conſcience, without which it is dead. Alſo the vncapableneſſe of inſtruction in ſome ſorts; and inſenſibleneſſe of the authority of the Rule to bind Conſcience.
The remedy is the light of vnderſtanding, to labour for knowledge and inſtruction, and to feele the power thereof upon Conſcience.